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diff --git a/wk5/pset/speller/texts/grimm.txt b/wk5/pset/speller/texts/grimm.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..840c10b --- /dev/null +++ b/wk5/pset/speller/texts/grimm.txt @@ -0,0 +1,9624 @@ +*The Project Gutenberg Etext Fairy Tales, by the Grimm Brothers* + + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the copyright laws for your country before posting these files!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. 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We need your donations. + + +Title: Grimms' Fairy Tales + +Author: The Brothers Grimm + +April, 2001 [Etext #2591] + + +*The Project Gutenberg Etext Fairy Tales, by the Grimm Brothers* +******This file should be named grimm10.txt or grimm10.zip****** + +Corrected EDITIONS of our etexts get a new NUMBER, grimm11.txt +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, grimm10a.txt + + +Etext prepared by Emma Dudding, emma_302@hotmail.com +John Bickers, jbickers@ihug.co.nz +and Dagny, dagnyj@hotmail.com + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. 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FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +Etext prepared by Emma Dudding, emma_302@hotmail.com +John Bickers, jbickers@ihug.co.nz +and Dagny, dagnyj@hotmail.com + + + + + +FAIRY TALES + +THE BROTHERS GRIMM + + + + +PREPARER'S NOTE + + + + +The text is based on translations from +the Grimms' Kinder und Hausmarchen by + +Edgar Taylor and + +Marian Edwardes. + + + + +CONTENTS: + +THE GOLDEN BIRD +HANS IN LUCK +JORINDA AND JORINDEL +THE TRAVELLING MUSICIANS +OLD SULTAN +THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE BEAN +BRIAR ROSE +THE DOG AND THE SPARROW +THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES +THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE +THE WILLOW-WREN AND THE BEAR +THE FROG-PRINCE +CAT AND MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP +THE GOOSE-GIRL +THE ADVENTURES OF CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET +1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS TO EAT NUTS +2. HOW CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET WENT TO VIST MR KORBES +RAPUNZEL +FUNDEVOGEL +THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR +HANSEL AND GRETEL +THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE SAUSAGE +MOTHER HOLLE +LITTLE RED-CAP [LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD] +THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM +TOM THUMB +RUMPELSTILTSKIN +CLEVER GRETEL +THE OLD MAN AND HIS GRANDSON +THE LITTLE PEASANT +FREDERICK AND CATHERINE +SWEETHEART ROLAND +SNOWDROP +THE PINK +CLEVER ELSIE +THE MISER IN THE BUSH +ASHPUTTEL +THE WHITE SNAKE +THE WOLF AND THE SEVEN LITTLE KIDS +THE QUEEN BEE +THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER +THE JUNIPER-TREE +the juniper-tree. +THE TURNIP +CLEVER HANS +THE THREE LANGUAGES +THE FOX AND THE CAT +THE FOUR CLEVER BROTHERS +LILY AND THE LION +THE FOX AND THE HORSE +THE BLUE LIGHT +THE RAVEN +THE GOLDEN GOOSE +THE WATER OF LIFE +THE TWELVE HUNTSMEN +THE KING OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN +DOCTOR KNOWALL +THE SEVEN RAVENS +THE WEDDING OF MRS FOX +FIRST STORY +SECOND STORY +THE SALAD +THE STORY OF THE YOUTH WHO WENT FORTH TO LEARN WHAT FEAR WAS +KING GRISLY-BEARD +IRON HANS +CAT-SKIN +SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED + + + + + +THE BROTHERS GRIMM +FAIRY TALES + + + +THE GOLDEN BIRD + +A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree +which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about +the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night +one of them was gone. The king became very angry at this, and ordered +the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree. The gardener set +his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o'clock he fell asleep, and +in the morning another of the apples was missing. Then the second son +was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell asleep, and in the +morning another apple was gone. Then the third son offered to keep +watch; but the gardener at first would not let him, for fear some harm +should come to him: however, at last he consented, and the young man +laid himself under the tree to watch. As the clock struck twelve he +heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of +pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, +the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow +did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, +and then flew away. The golden feather was brought to the king in the +morning, and all the council was called together. Everyone agreed that +it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king +said, 'One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.' + +Then the gardener's eldest son set out and thought to find the golden +bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a +wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his +bow and made ready to shoot at it. Then the fox said, 'Do not shoot +me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, +and that you want to find the golden bird. You will reach a village in +the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to +each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go +not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may +appear to you to be very poor and mean.' But the son thought to +himself, 'What can such a beast as this know about the matter?' So he +shot his arrow at the fox; but he missed it, and it set up its tail +above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the +evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of +these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other +looked very dirty, and poor. 'I should be very silly,' said he, 'if I +went to that shabby house, and left this charming place'; so he went +into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the +bird, and his country too. + +Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no +tidings were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing +happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but +when he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the +window where the merrymaking was, and called to him to come in; and he +could not withstand the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden +bird and his country in the same manner. + +Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into +the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not +listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of his son, and +was afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also, and prevent +his coming back. However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he +would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox, +and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and +did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said, +'Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.' So he sat down, and +the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone so quick +that their hair whistled in the wind. + +When they came to the village, the son followed the fox's counsel, and +without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested there all +night at his ease. In the morning came the fox again and met him as he +was beginning his journey, and said, 'Go straight forward, till you +come to a castle, before which lie a whole troop of soldiers fast +asleep and snoring: take no notice of them, but go into the castle and +pass on and on till you come to a room, where the golden bird sits in +a wooden cage; close by it stands a beautiful golden cage; but do not +try to take the bird out of the shabby cage and put it into the +handsome one, otherwise you will repent it.' Then the fox stretched +out his tail again, and the young man sat himself down, and away they +went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind. + +Before the castle gate all was as the fox had said: so the son went in +and found the chamber where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage, and +below stood the golden cage, and the three golden apples that had been +lost were lying close by it. Then thought he to himself, 'It will be a +very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage'; +so he opened the door and took hold of it and put it into the golden +cage. But the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers +awoke, and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king. The +next morning the court sat to judge him; and when all was heard, it +sentenced him to die, unless he should bring the king the golden horse +which could run as swiftly as the wind; and if he did this, he was to +have the golden bird given him for his own. + +So he set out once more on his journey, sighing, and in great despair, +when on a sudden his friend the fox met him, and said, 'You see now +what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel. I +will still, however, tell you how to find the golden horse, if you +will do as I bid you. You must go straight on till you come to the +castle where the horse stands in his stall: by his side will lie the +groom fast asleep and snoring: take away the horse quietly, but be +sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him, and not the golden one +that is close by it.' Then the son sat down on the fox's tail, and +away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the +wind. + +All went right, and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the +golden saddle. But when the son looked at the horse, he thought it a +great pity to put the leathern saddle upon it. 'I will give him the +good one,' said he; 'I am sure he deserves it.' As he took up the +golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out so loud, that all the +guards ran in and took him prisoner, and in the morning he was again +brought before the court to be judged, and was sentenced to die. But +it was agreed, that, if he could bring thither the beautiful princess, +he should live, and have the bird and the horse given him for his own. + +Then he went his way very sorrowful; but the old fox came and said, +'Why did not you listen to me? If you had, you would have carried away +both the bird and the horse; yet will I once more give you counsel. Go +straight on, and in the evening you will arrive at a castle. At twelve +o'clock at night the princess goes to the bathing-house: go up to her +and give her a kiss, and she will let you lead her away; but take care +you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother.' +Then the fox stretched out his tail, and so away they went over stock +and stone till their hair whistled again. + +As they came to the castle, all was as the fox had said, and at twelve +o'clock the young man met the princes going to the bath and gave her +the kiss, and she agreed to run away with him, but begged with many +tears that he would let her take leave of her father. At first he +refused, but she wept still more and more, and fell at his feet, till +at last he consented; but the moment she came to her father's house +the guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again. + +Then he was brought before the king, and the king said, 'You shall +never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that +stops the view from my window.' Now this hill was so big that the +whole world could not take it away: and when he had worked for seven +days, and had done very little, the fox came and said. 'Lie down and +go to sleep; I will work for you.' And in the morning he awoke and the +hill was gone; so he went merrily to the king, and told him that now +that it was removed he must give him the princess. + +Then the king was obliged to keep his word, and away went the young +man and the princess; and the fox came and said to him, 'We will have +all three, the princess, the horse, and the bird.' 'Ah!' said the +young man, 'that would be a great thing, but how can you contrive it?' + +'If you will only listen,' said the fox, 'it can be done. When you +come to the king, and he asks for the beautiful princess, you must +say, "Here she is!" Then he will be very joyful; and you will mount +the golden horse that they are to give you, and put out your hand to +take leave of them; but shake hands with the princess last. Then lift +her quickly on to the horse behind you; clap your spurs to his side, +and gallop away as fast as you can.' + +All went right: then the fox said, 'When you come to the castle where +the bird is, I will stay with the princess at the door, and you will +ride in and speak to the king; and when he sees that it is the right +horse, he will bring out the bird; but you must sit still, and say +that you want to look at it, to see whether it is the true golden +bird; and when you get it into your hand, ride away.' + +This, too, happened as the fox said; they carried off the bird, the +princess mounted again, and they rode on to a great wood. Then the fox +came, and said, 'Pray kill me, and cut off my head and my feet.' But +the young man refused to do it: so the fox said, 'I will at any rate +give you good counsel: beware of two things; ransom no one from the +gallows, and sit down by the side of no river.' Then away he went. +'Well,' thought the young man, 'it is no hard matter to keep that +advice.' + +He rode on with the princess, till at last he came to the village +where he had left his two brothers. And there he heard a great noise +and uproar; and when he asked what was the matter, the people said, +'Two men are going to be hanged.' As he came nearer, he saw that the +two men were his brothers, who had turned robbers; so he said, 'Cannot +they in any way be saved?' But the people said 'No,' unless he would +bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty. Then he +did not stay to think about the matter, but paid what was asked, and +his brothers were given up, and went on with him towards their home. + +And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so +cool and pleasant that the two brothers said, 'Let us sit down by the +side of the river, and rest a while, to eat and drink.' So he said, +'Yes,' and forgot the fox's counsel, and sat down on the side of the +river; and while he suspected nothing, they came behind, and threw him +down the bank, and took the princess, the horse, and the bird, and +went home to the king their master, and said. 'All this have we won by +our labour.' Then there was great rejoicing made; but the horse would +not eat, the bird would not sing, and the princess wept. + +The youngest son fell to the bottom of the river's bed: luckily it was +nearly dry, but his bones were almost broken, and the bank was so +steep that he could find no way to get out. Then the old fox came once +more, and scolded him for not following his advice; otherwise no evil +would have befallen him: 'Yet,' said he, 'I cannot leave you here, so +lay hold of my tail and hold fast.' Then he pulled him out of the +river, and said to him, as he got upon the bank, 'Your brothers have +set watch to kill you, if they find you in the kingdom.' So he dressed +himself as a poor man, and came secretly to the king's court, and was +scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat, and the bird to +sing, and princess left off weeping. Then he went to the king, and +told him all his brothers' roguery; and they were seized and punished, +and he had the princess given to him again; and after the king's death +he was heir to his kingdom. + +A long while after, he went to walk one day in the wood, and the old +fox met him, and besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him, and +cut off his head and feet. And at last he did so, and in a moment the +fox was changed into a man, and turned out to be the brother of the +princess, who had been lost a great many many years. + + + +HANS IN LUCK + +Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes right-- +all that falls to them is so much gain--all their geese are swans--all +their cards are trumps--toss them which way you will, they will +always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so +much the faster. The world may very likely not always think of them as +they think of themselves, but what care they for the world? what can +it know about the matter? + +One of these lucky beings was neighbour Hans. Seven long years he had +worked hard for his master. At last he said, 'Master, my time is up; I +must go home and see my poor mother once more: so pray pay me my wages +and let me go.' And the master said, 'You have been a faithful and +good servant, Hans, so your pay shall be handsome.' Then he gave him a +lump of silver as big as his head. + +Hans took out his pocket-handkerchief, put the piece of silver into +it, threw it over his shoulder, and jogged off on his road homewards. +As he went lazily on, dragging one foot after another, a man came in +sight, trotting gaily along on a capital horse. 'Ah!' said Hans aloud, +'what a fine thing it is to ride on horseback! There he sits as easy +and happy as if he was at home, in the chair by his fireside; he trips +against no stones, saves shoe-leather, and gets on he hardly knows +how.' Hans did not speak so softly but the horseman heard it all, and +said, 'Well, friend, why do you go on foot then?' 'Ah!' said he, 'I +have this load to carry: to be sure it is silver, but it is so heavy +that I can't hold up my head, and you must know it hurts my shoulder +sadly.' 'What do you say of making an exchange?' said the horseman. 'I +will give you my horse, and you shall give me the silver; which will +save you a great deal of trouble in carrying such a heavy load about +with you.' 'With all my heart,' said Hans: 'but as you are so kind to +me, I must tell you one thing--you will have a weary task to draw that +silver about with you.' However, the horseman got off, took the +silver, helped Hans up, gave him the bridle into one hand and the whip +into the other, and said, 'When you want to go very fast, smack your +lips loudly together, and cry "Jip!"' + +Hans was delighted as he sat on the horse, drew himself up, squared +his elbows, turned out his toes, cracked his whip, and rode merrily +off, one minute whistling a merry tune, and another singing, + + 'No care and no sorrow, + A fig for the morrow! + We'll laugh and be merry, + Sing neigh down derry!' + +After a time he thought he should like to go a little faster, so he +smacked his lips and cried 'Jip!' Away went the horse full gallop; and +before Hans knew what he was about, he was thrown off, and lay on his +back by the road-side. His horse would have ran off, if a shepherd who +was coming by, driving a cow, had not stopped it. Hans soon came to +himself, and got upon his legs again, sadly vexed, and said to the +shepherd, 'This riding is no joke, when a man has the luck to get upon +a beast like this that stumbles and flings him off as if it would +break his neck. However, I'm off now once for all: I like your cow now +a great deal better than this smart beast that played me this trick, +and has spoiled my best coat, you see, in this puddle; which, by the +by, smells not very like a nosegay. One can walk along at one's +leisure behind that cow--keep good company, and have milk, butter, and +cheese, every day, into the bargain. What would I give to have such a +prize!' 'Well,' said the shepherd, 'if you are so fond of her, I will +change my cow for your horse; I like to do good to my neighbours, even +though I lose by it myself.' 'Done!' said Hans, merrily. 'What a noble +heart that good man has!' thought he. Then the shepherd jumped upon +the horse, wished Hans and the cow good morning, and away he rode. + +Hans brushed his coat, wiped his face and hands, rested a while, and +then drove off his cow quietly, and thought his bargain a very lucky +one. 'If I have only a piece of bread (and I certainly shall always be +able to get that), I can, whenever I like, eat my butter and cheese +with it; and when I am thirsty I can milk my cow and drink the milk: +and what can I wish for more?' When he came to an inn, he halted, ate +up all his bread, and gave away his last penny for a glass of beer. +When he had rested himself he set off again, driving his cow towards +his mother's village. But the heat grew greater as soon as noon came +on, till at last, as he found himself on a wide heath that would take +him more than an hour to cross, he began to be so hot and parched that +his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth. 'I can find a cure for +this,' thought he; 'now I will milk my cow and quench my thirst': so +he tied her to the stump of a tree, and held his leathern cap to milk +into; but not a drop was to be had. Who would have thought that this +cow, which was to bring him milk and butter and cheese, was all that +time utterly dry? Hans had not thought of looking to that. + +While he was trying his luck in milking, and managing the matter very +clumsily, the uneasy beast began to think him very troublesome; and at +last gave him such a kick on the head as knocked him down; and there +he lay a long while senseless. Luckily a butcher soon came by, driving +a pig in a wheelbarrow. 'What is the matter with you, my man?' said +the butcher, as he helped him up. Hans told him what had happened, how +he was dry, and wanted to milk his cow, but found the cow was dry too. +Then the butcher gave him a flask of ale, saying, 'There, drink and +refresh yourself; your cow will give you no milk: don't you see she is +an old beast, good for nothing but the slaughter-house?' 'Alas, alas!' +said Hans, 'who would have thought it? What a shame to take my horse, +and give me only a dry cow! If I kill her, what will she be good for? +I hate cow-beef; it is not tender enough for me. If it were a pig now +--like that fat gentleman you are driving along at his ease--one could +do something with it; it would at any rate make sausages.' 'Well,' +said the butcher, 'I don't like to say no, when one is asked to do a +kind, neighbourly thing. To please you I will change, and give you my +fine fat pig for the cow.' 'Heaven reward you for your kindness and +self-denial!' said Hans, as he gave the butcher the cow; and taking +the pig off the wheel-barrow, drove it away, holding it by the string +that was tied to its leg. + +So on he jogged, and all seemed now to go right with him: he had met +with some misfortunes, to be sure; but he was now well repaid for all. +How could it be otherwise with such a travelling companion as he had +at last got? + +The next man he met was a countryman carrying a fine white goose. The +countryman stopped to ask what was o'clock; this led to further chat; +and Hans told him all his luck, how he had so many good bargains, and +how all the world went gay and smiling with him. The countryman than +began to tell his tale, and said he was going to take the goose to a +christening. 'Feel,' said he, 'how heavy it is, and yet it is only +eight weeks old. Whoever roasts and eats it will find plenty of fat +upon it, it has lived so well!' 'You're right,' said Hans, as he +weighed it in his hand; 'but if you talk of fat, my pig is no trifle.' +Meantime the countryman began to look grave, and shook his head. 'Hark +ye!' said he, 'my worthy friend, you seem a good sort of fellow, so I +can't help doing you a kind turn. Your pig may get you into a scrape. +In the village I just came from, the squire has had a pig stolen out +of his sty. I was dreadfully afraid when I saw you that you had got +the squire's pig. If you have, and they catch you, it will be a bad +job for you. The least they will do will be to throw you into the +horse-pond. Can you swim?' + +Poor Hans was sadly frightened. 'Good man,' cried he, 'pray get me out +of this scrape. I know nothing of where the pig was either bred or +born; but he may have been the squire's for aught I can tell: you know +this country better than I do, take my pig and give me the goose.' 'I +ought to have something into the bargain,' said the countryman; 'give +a fat goose for a pig, indeed! 'Tis not everyone would do so much for +you as that. However, I will not be hard upon you, as you are in +trouble.' Then he took the string in his hand, and drove off the pig +by a side path; while Hans went on the way homewards free from care. +'After all,' thought he, 'that chap is pretty well taken in. I don't +care whose pig it is, but wherever it came from it has been a very +good friend to me. I have much the best of the bargain. First there +will be a capital roast; then the fat will find me in goose-grease for +six months; and then there are all the beautiful white feathers. I +will put them into my pillow, and then I am sure I shall sleep soundly +without rocking. How happy my mother will be! Talk of a pig, indeed! +Give me a fine fat goose.' + +As he came to the next village, he saw a scissor-grinder with his +wheel, working and singing, + + 'O'er hill and o'er dale + So happy I roam, + Work light and live well, + All the world is my home; + Then who so blythe, so merry as I?' + +Hans stood looking on for a while, and at last said, 'You must be well +off, master grinder! you seem so happy at your work.' 'Yes,' said the +other, 'mine is a golden trade; a good grinder never puts his hand +into his pocket without finding money in it--but where did you get +that beautiful goose?' 'I did not buy it, I gave a pig for it.' 'And +where did you get the pig?' 'I gave a cow for it.' 'And the cow?' 'I +gave a horse for it.' 'And the horse?' 'I gave a lump of silver as big +as my head for it.' 'And the silver?' 'Oh! I worked hard for that +seven long years.' 'You have thriven well in the world hitherto,' said +the grinder, 'now if you could find money in your pocket whenever you +put your hand in it, your fortune would be made.' 'Very true: but how +is that to be managed?' 'How? Why, you must turn grinder like myself,' +said the other; 'you only want a grindstone; the rest will come of +itself. Here is one that is but little the worse for wear: I would not +ask more than the value of your goose for it--will you buy?' 'How can +you ask?' said Hans; 'I should be the happiest man in the world, if I +could have money whenever I put my hand in my pocket: what could I +want more? there's the goose.' 'Now,' said the grinder, as he gave him +a common rough stone that lay by his side, 'this is a most capital +stone; do but work it well enough, and you can make an old nail cut +with it.' + +Hans took the stone, and went his way with a light heart: his eyes +sparkled for joy, and he said to himself, 'Surely I must have been +born in a lucky hour; everything I could want or wish for comes of +itself. People are so kind; they seem really to think I do them a +favour in letting them make me rich, and giving me good bargains.' + +Meantime he began to be tired, and hungry too, for he had given away +his last penny in his joy at getting the cow. + +At last he could go no farther, for the stone tired him sadly: and he +dragged himself to the side of a river, that he might take a drink of +water, and rest a while. So he laid the stone carefully by his side on +the bank: but, as he stooped down to drink, he forgot it, pushed it a +little, and down it rolled, plump into the stream. + +For a while he watched it sinking in the deep clear water; then sprang +up and danced for joy, and again fell upon his knees and thanked +Heaven, with tears in his eyes, for its kindness in taking away his +only plague, the ugly heavy stone. + +'How happy am I!' cried he; 'nobody was ever so lucky as I.' Then up +he got with a light heart, free from all his troubles, and walked on +till he reached his mother's house, and told her how very easy the +road to good luck was. + + + +JORINDA AND JORINDEL + +There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deep +gloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairy +could take any shape she pleased. All the day long she flew about in +the form of an owl, or crept about the country like a cat; but at +night she always became an old woman again. When any young man came +within a hundred paces of her castle, he became quite fixed, and could +not move a step till she came and set him free; which she would not do +till he had given her his word never to come there again: but when any +pretty maiden came within that space she was changed into a bird, and +the fairy put her into a cage, and hung her up in a chamber in the +castle. There were seven hundred of these cages hanging in the castle, +and all with beautiful birds in them. + +Now there was once a maiden whose name was Jorinda. She was prettier +than all the pretty girls that ever were seen before, and a shepherd +lad, whose name was Jorindel, was very fond of her, and they were soon +to be married. One day they went to walk in the wood, that they might +be alone; and Jorindel said, 'We must take care that we don't go too +near to the fairy's castle.' It was a beautiful evening; the last rays +of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees +upon the green underwood beneath, and the turtle-doves sang from the +tall birches. + +Jorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun; Jorindel sat by her side; and +both felt sad, they knew not why; but it seemed as if they were to be +parted from one another for ever. They had wandered a long way; and +when they looked to see which way they should go home, they found +themselves at a loss to know what path to take. + +The sun was setting fast, and already half of its circle had sunk +behind the hill: Jorindel on a sudden looked behind him, and saw +through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close +under the old walls of the castle. Then he shrank for fear, turned +pale, and trembled. Jorinda was just singing, + + 'The ring-dove sang from the willow spray, + Well-a-day! Well-a-day! + He mourn'd for the fate of his darling mate, + Well-a-day!' + +when her song stopped suddenly. Jorindel turned to see the reason, and +beheld his Jorinda changed into a nightingale, so that her song ended +with a mournful /jug, jug/. An owl with fiery eyes flew three times +round them, and three times screamed: + + 'Tu whu! Tu whu! Tu whu!' + +Jorindel could not move; he stood fixed as a stone, and could neither +weep, nor speak, nor stir hand or foot. And now the sun went quite +down; the gloomy night came; the owl flew into a bush; and a moment +after the old fairy came forth pale and meagre, with staring eyes, and +a nose and chin that almost met one another. + +She mumbled something to herself, seized the nightingale, and went +away with it in her hand. Poor Jorindel saw the nightingale was gone-- +but what could he do? He could not speak, he could not move from the +spot where he stood. At last the fairy came back and sang with a +hoarse voice: + + 'Till the prisoner is fast, + And her doom is cast, + There stay! Oh, stay! + When the charm is around her, + And the spell has bound her, + Hie away! away!' + +On a sudden Jorindel found himself free. Then he fell on his knees +before the fairy, and prayed her to give him back his dear Jorinda: +but she laughed at him, and said he should never see her again; then +she went her way. + +He prayed, he wept, he sorrowed, but all in vain. 'Alas!' he said, +'what will become of me?' He could not go back to his own home, so he +went to a strange village, and employed himself in keeping sheep. Many +a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he +dared go, but all in vain; he heard or saw nothing of Jorinda. + +At last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower, +and that in the middle of it lay a costly pearl; and he dreamt that he +plucked the flower, and went with it in his hand into the castle, and +that everything he touched with it was disenchanted, and that there he +found his Jorinda again. + +In the morning when he awoke, he began to search over hill and dale +for this pretty flower; and eight long days he sought for it in vain: +but on the ninth day, early in the morning, he found the beautiful +purple flower; and in the middle of it was a large dewdrop, as big as +a costly pearl. Then he plucked the flower, and set out and travelled +day and night, till he came again to the castle. + +He walked nearer than a hundred paces to it, and yet he did not become +fixed as before, but found that he could go quite close up to the +door. Jorindel was very glad indeed to see this. Then he touched the +door with the flower, and it sprang open; so that he went in through +the court, and listened when he heard so many birds singing. At last +he came to the chamber where the fairy sat, with the seven hundred +birds singing in the seven hundred cages. When she saw Jorindel she +was very angry, and screamed with rage; but she could not come within +two yards of him, for the flower he held in his hand was his +safeguard. He looked around at the birds, but alas! there were many, +many nightingales, and how then should he find out which was his +Jorinda? While he was thinking what to do, he saw the fairy had taken +down one of the cages, and was making the best of her way off through +the door. He ran or flew after her, touched the cage with the flower, +and Jorinda stood before him, and threw her arms round his neck +looking as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as when they walked +together in the wood. + +Then he touched all the other birds with the flower, so that they all +took their old forms again; and he took Jorinda home, where they were +married, and lived happily together many years: and so did a good many +other lads, whose maidens had been forced to sing in the old fairy's +cages by themselves, much longer than they liked. + + + +THE TRAVELLING MUSICIANS + +An honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to +him a great many years, but was now growing old and every day more and +more unfit for work. His master therefore was tired of keeping him and +began to think of putting an end to him; but the ass, who saw that +some mischief was in the wind, took himself slyly off, and began his +journey towards the great city, 'For there,' thought he, 'I may turn +musician.' + +After he had travelled a little way, he spied a dog lying by the +roadside and panting as if he were tired. 'What makes you pant so, my +friend?' said the ass. 'Alas!' said the dog, 'my master was going to +knock me on the head, because I am old and weak, and can no longer +make myself useful to him in hunting; so I ran away; but what can I do +to earn my livelihood?' 'Hark ye!' said the ass, 'I am going to the +great city to turn musician: suppose you go with me, and try what you +can do in the same way?' The dog said he was willing, and they jogged +on together. + +They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of +the road and making a most rueful face. 'Pray, my good lady,' said the +ass, 'what's the matter with you? You look quite out of spirits!' 'Ah, +me!' said the cat, 'how can one be in good spirits when one's life is +in danger? Because I am beginning to grow old, and had rather lie at +my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice, my +mistress laid hold of me, and was going to drown me; and though I have +been lucky enough to get away from her, I do not know what I am to +live upon.' 'Oh,' said the ass, 'by all means go with us to the great +city; you are a good night singer, and may make your fortune as a +musician.' The cat was pleased with the thought, and joined the party. + +Soon afterwards, as they were passing by a farmyard, they saw a cock +perched upon a gate, and screaming out with all his might and main. +'Bravo!' said the ass; 'upon my word, you make a famous noise; pray +what is all this about?' 'Why,' said the cock, 'I was just now saying +that we should have fine weather for our washing-day, and yet my +mistress and the cook don't thank me for my pains, but threaten to cut +off my head tomorrow, and make broth of me for the guests that are +coming on Sunday!' 'Heaven forbid!' said the ass, 'come with us Master +Chanticleer; it will be better, at any rate, than staying here to have +your head cut off! Besides, who knows? If we care to sing in tune, we +may get up some kind of a concert; so come along with us.' 'With all +my heart,' said the cock: so they all four went on jollily together. + +They could not, however, reach the great city the first day; so when +night came on, they went into a wood to sleep. The ass and the dog +laid themselves down under a great tree, and the cat climbed up into +the branches; while the cock, thinking that the higher he sat the +safer he should be, flew up to the very top of the tree, and then, +according to his custom, before he went to sleep, looked out on all +sides of him to see that everything was well. In doing this, he saw +afar off something bright and shining and calling to his companions +said, 'There must be a house no great way off, for I see a light.' 'If +that be the case,' said the ass, 'we had better change our quarters, +for our lodging is not the best in the world!' 'Besides,' added the +dog, 'I should not be the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat.' +So they walked off together towards the spot where Chanticleer had +seen the light, and as they drew near it became larger and brighter, +till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers +lived. + +The ass, being the tallest of the company, marched up to the window +and peeped in. 'Well, Donkey,' said Chanticleer, 'what do you see?' +'What do I see?' replied the ass. 'Why, I see a table spread with all +kinds of good things, and robbers sitting round it making merry.' +'That would be a noble lodging for us,' said the cock. 'Yes,' said the +ass, 'if we could only get in'; so they consulted together how they +should contrive to get the robbers out; and at last they hit upon a +plan. The ass placed himself upright on his hind legs, with his +forefeet resting against the window; the dog got upon his back; the +cat scrambled up to the dog's shoulders, and the cock flew up and sat +upon the cat's head. When all was ready a signal was given, and they +began their music. The ass brayed, the dog barked, the cat mewed, and +the cock screamed; and then they all broke through the window at once, +and came tumbling into the room, amongst the broken glass, with a most +hideous clatter! The robbers, who had been not a little frightened by +the opening concert, had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin +had broken in upon them, and scampered away as fast as they could. + +The coast once clear, our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what +the robbers had left, with as much eagerness as if they had not +expected to eat again for a month. As soon as they had satisfied +themselves, they put out the lights, and each once more sought out a +resting-place to his own liking. The donkey laid himself down upon a +heap of straw in the yard, the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind +the door, the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm +ashes, and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house; and, +as they were all rather tired with their journey, they soon fell +asleep. + +But about midnight, when the robbers saw from afar that the lights +were out and that all seemed quiet, they began to think that they had +been in too great a hurry to run away; and one of them, who was bolder +than the rest, went to see what was going on. Finding everything +still, he marched into the kitchen, and groped about till he found a +match in order to light a candle; and then, espying the glittering +fiery eyes of the cat, he mistook them for live coals, and held the +match to them to light it. But the cat, not understanding this joke, +sprang at his face, and spat, and scratched at him. This frightened +him dreadfully, and away he ran to the back door; but there the dog +jumped up and bit him in the leg; and as he was crossing over the yard +the ass kicked him; and the cock, who had been awakened by the noise, +crowed with all his might. At this the robber ran back as fast as he +could to his comrades, and told the captain how a horrid witch had got +into the house, and had spat at him and scratched his face with her +long bony fingers; how a man with a knife in his hand had hidden +himself behind the door, and stabbed him in the leg; how a black +monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club, and how the +devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out, 'Throw the +rascal up here!' After this the robbers never dared to go back to the +house; but the musicians were so pleased with their quarters that they +took up their abode there; and there they are, I dare say, at this +very day. + + + +OLD SULTAN + +A shepherd had a faithful dog, called Sultan, who was grown very old, +and had lost all his teeth. And one day when the shepherd and his wife +were standing together before the house the shepherd said, 'I will +shoot old Sultan tomorrow morning, for he is of no use now.' But his +wife said, 'Pray let the poor faithful creature live; he has served us +well a great many years, and we ought to give him a livelihood for the +rest of his days.' 'But what can we do with him?' said the shepherd, +'he has not a tooth in his head, and the thieves don't care for him at +all; to be sure he has served us, but then he did it to earn his +livelihood; tomorrow shall be his last day, depend upon it.' + +Poor Sultan, who was lying close by them, heard all that the shepherd +and his wife said to one another, and was very much frightened to +think tomorrow would be his last day; so in the evening he went to his +good friend the wolf, who lived in the wood, and told him all his +sorrows, and how his master meant to kill him in the morning. 'Make +yourself easy,' said the wolf, 'I will give you some good advice. Your +master, you know, goes out every morning very early with his wife into +the field; and they take their little child with them, and lay it down +behind the hedge in the shade while they are at work. Now do you lie +down close by the child, and pretend to be watching it, and I will +come out of the wood and run away with it; you must run after me as +fast as you can, and I will let it drop; then you may carry it back, +and they will think you have saved their child, and will be so +thankful to you that they will take care of you as long as you live.' +The dog liked this plan very well; and accordingly so it was managed. +The wolf ran with the child a little way; the shepherd and his wife +screamed out; but Sultan soon overtook him, and carried the poor +little thing back to his master and mistress. Then the shepherd patted +him on the head, and said, 'Old Sultan has saved our child from the +wolf, and therefore he shall live and be well taken care of, and have +plenty to eat. Wife, go home, and give him a good dinner, and let him +have my old cushion to sleep on as long as he lives.' So from this +time forward Sultan had all that he could wish for. + +Soon afterwards the wolf came and wished him joy, and said, 'Now, my +good fellow, you must tell no tales, but turn your head the other way +when I want to taste one of the old shepherd's fine fat sheep.' 'No,' +said the Sultan; 'I will be true to my master.' However, the wolf +thought he was in joke, and came one night to get a dainty morsel. But +Sultan had told his master what the wolf meant to do; so he laid wait +for him behind the barn door, and when the wolf was busy looking out +for a good fat sheep, he had a stout cudgel laid about his back, that +combed his locks for him finely. + +Then the wolf was very angry, and called Sultan 'an old rogue,' and +swore he would have his revenge. So the next morning the wolf sent the +boar to challenge Sultan to come into the wood to fight the matter. +Now Sultan had nobody he could ask to be his second but the shepherd's +old three-legged cat; so he took her with him, and as the poor thing +limped along with some trouble, she stuck up her tail straight in the +air. + +The wolf and the wild boar were first on the ground; and when they +espied their enemies coming, and saw the cat's long tail standing +straight in the air, they thought she was carrying a sword for Sultan +to fight with; and every time she limped, they thought she was picking +up a stone to throw at them; so they said they should not like this +way of fighting, and the boar lay down behind a bush, and the wolf +jumped up into a tree. Sultan and the cat soon came up, and looked +about and wondered that no one was there. The boar, however, had not +quite hidden himself, for his ears stuck out of the bush; and when he +shook one of them a little, the cat, seeing something move, and +thinking it was a mouse, sprang upon it, and bit and scratched it, so +that the boar jumped up and grunted, and ran away, roaring out, 'Look +up in the tree, there sits the one who is to blame.' So they looked +up, and espied the wolf sitting amongst the branches; and they called +him a cowardly rascal, and would not suffer him to come down till he +was heartily ashamed of himself, and had promised to be good friends +again with old Sultan. + + + +THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE BEAN + +In a village dwelt a poor old woman, who had gathered together a dish +of beans and wanted to cook them. So she made a fire on her hearth, +and that it might burn the quicker, she lighted it with a handful of +straw. When she was emptying the beans into the pan, one dropped +without her observing it, and lay on the ground beside a straw, and +soon afterwards a burning coal from the fire leapt down to the two. +Then the straw began and said: 'Dear friends, from whence do you come +here?' The coal replied: 'I fortunately sprang out of the fire, and if +I had not escaped by sheer force, my death would have been certain,--I +should have been burnt to ashes.' The bean said: 'I too have escaped +with a whole skin, but if the old woman had got me into the pan, I +should have been made into broth without any mercy, like my comrades.' +'And would a better fate have fallen to my lot?' said the straw. 'The +old woman has destroyed all my brethren in fire and smoke; she seized +sixty of them at once, and took their lives. I luckily slipped through +her fingers.' + +'But what are we to do now?' said the coal. + +'I think,' answered the bean, 'that as we have so fortunately escaped +death, we should keep together like good companions, and lest a new +mischance should overtake us here, we should go away together, and +repair to a foreign country.' + +The proposition pleased the two others, and they set out on their way +together. Soon, however, they came to a little brook, and as there was +no bridge or foot-plank, they did not know how they were to get over +it. The straw hit on a good idea, and said: 'I will lay myself +straight across, and then you can walk over on me as on a bridge.' The +straw therefore stretched itself from one bank to the other, and the +coal, who was of an impetuous disposition, tripped quite boldly on to +the newly-built bridge. But when she had reached the middle, and heard +the water rushing beneath her, she was after all, afraid, and stood +still, and ventured no farther. The straw, however, began to burn, +broke in two pieces, and fell into the stream. The coal slipped after +her, hissed when she got into the water, and breathed her last. The +bean, who had prudently stayed behind on the shore, could not but +laugh at the event, was unable to stop, and laughed so heartily that +she burst. It would have been all over with her, likewise, if, by good +fortune, a tailor who was travelling in search of work, had not sat +down to rest by the brook. As he had a compassionate heart he pulled +out his needle and thread, and sewed her together. The bean thanked +him most prettily, but as the tailor used black thread, all beans +since then have a black seam. + + + +BRIAR ROSE + +A king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way +off, where there were in those days fairies. Now this king and queen +had plenty of money, and plenty of fine clothes to wear, and plenty of +good things to eat and drink, and a coach to ride out in every day: +but though they had been married many years they had no children, and +this grieved them very much indeed. But one day as the queen was +walking by the side of the river, at the bottom of the garden, she saw +a poor little fish, that had thrown itself out of the water, and lay +gasping and nearly dead on the bank. Then the queen took pity on the +little fish, and threw it back again into the river; and before it +swam away it lifted its head out of the water and said, 'I know what +your wish is, and it shall be fulfilled, in return for your kindness +to me--you will soon have a daughter.' What the little fish had +foretold soon came to pass; and the queen had a little girl, so very +beautiful that the king could not cease looking on it for joy, and +said he would hold a great feast and make merry, and show the child to +all the land. So he asked his kinsmen, and nobles, and friends, and +neighbours. But the queen said, 'I will have the fairies also, that +they might be kind and good to our little daughter.' Now there were +thirteen fairies in the kingdom; but as the king and queen had only +twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of, they were forced to leave +one of the fairies without asking her. So twelve fairies came, each +with a high red cap on her head, and red shoes with high heels on her +feet, and a long white wand in her hand: and after the feast was over +they gathered round in a ring and gave all their best gifts to the +little princess. One gave her goodness, another beauty, another +riches, and so on till she had all that was good in the world. + +Just as eleven of them had done blessing her, a great noise was heard +in the courtyard, and word was brought that the thirteenth fairy was +come, with a black cap on her head, and black shoes on her feet, and a +broomstick in her hand: and presently up she came into the dining- +hall. Now, as she had not been asked to the feast she was very angry, +and scolded the king and queen very much, and set to work to take her +revenge. So she cried out, 'The king's daughter shall, in her +fifteenth year, be wounded by a spindle, and fall down dead.' Then the +twelfth of the friendly fairies, who had not yet given her gift, came +forward, and said that the evil wish must be fulfilled, but that she +could soften its mischief; so her gift was, that the king's daughter, +when the spindle wounded her, should not really die, but should only +fall asleep for a hundred years. + +However, the king hoped still to save his dear child altogether from +the threatened evil; so he ordered that all the spindles in the +kingdom should be bought up and burnt. But all the gifts of the first +eleven fairies were in the meantime fulfilled; for the princess was so +beautiful, and well behaved, and good, and wise, that everyone who +knew her loved her. + +It happened that, on the very day she was fifteen years old, the king +and queen were not at home, and she was left alone in the palace. So +she roved about by herself, and looked at all the rooms and chambers, +till at last she came to an old tower, to which there was a narrow +staircase ending with a little door. In the door there was a golden +key, and when she turned it the door sprang open, and there sat an old +lady spinning away very busily. 'Why, how now, good mother,' said the +princess; 'what are you doing there?' 'Spinning,' said the old lady, +and nodded her head, humming a tune, while buzz! went the wheel. 'How +prettily that little thing turns round!' said the princess, and took +the spindle and began to try and spin. But scarcely had she touched +it, before the fairy's prophecy was fulfilled; the spindle wounded +her, and she fell down lifeless on the ground. + +However, she was not dead, but had only fallen into a deep sleep; and +the king and the queen, who had just come home, and all their court, +fell asleep too; and the horses slept in the stables, and the dogs in +the court, the pigeons on the house-top, and the very flies slept upon +the walls. Even the fire on the hearth left off blazing, and went to +sleep; the jack stopped, and the spit that was turning about with a +goose upon it for the king's dinner stood still; and the cook, who was +at that moment pulling the kitchen-boy by the hair to give him a box +on the ear for something he had done amiss, let him go, and both fell +asleep; the butler, who was slyly tasting the ale, fell asleep with +the jug at his lips: and thus everything stood still, and slept +soundly. + +A large hedge of thorns soon grew round the palace, and every year it +became higher and thicker; till at last the old palace was surrounded +and hidden, so that not even the roof or the chimneys could be seen. +But there went a report through all the land of the beautiful sleeping +Briar Rose (for so the king's daughter was called): so that, from time +to time, several kings' sons came, and tried to break through the +thicket into the palace. This, however, none of them could ever do; +for the thorns and bushes laid hold of them, as it were with hands; +and there they stuck fast, and died wretchedly. + +After many, many years there came a king's son into that land: and an +old man told him the story of the thicket of thorns; and how a +beautiful palace stood behind it, and how a wonderful princess, called +Briar Rose, lay in it asleep, with all her court. He told, too, how he +had heard from his grandfather that many, many princes had come, and +had tried to break through the thicket, but that they had all stuck +fast in it, and died. Then the young prince said, 'All this shall not +frighten me; I will go and see this Briar Rose.' The old man tried to +hinder him, but he was bent upon going. + +Now that very day the hundred years were ended; and as the prince came +to the thicket he saw nothing but beautiful flowering shrubs, through +which he went with ease, and they shut in after him as thick as ever. +Then he came at last to the palace, and there in the court lay the +dogs asleep; and the horses were standing in the stables; and on the +roof sat the pigeons fast asleep, with their heads under their wings. +And when he came into the palace, the flies were sleeping on the +walls; the spit was standing still; the butler had the jug of ale at +his lips, going to drink a draught; the maid sat with a fowl in her +lap ready to be plucked; and the cook in the kitchen was still holding +up her hand, as if she was going to beat the boy. + +Then he went on still farther, and all was so still that he could hear +every breath he drew; till at last he came to the old tower, and +opened the door of the little room in which Briar Rose was; and there +she lay, fast asleep on a couch by the window. She looked so beautiful +that he could not take his eyes off her, so he stooped down and gave +her a kiss. But the moment he kissed her she opened her eyes and +awoke, and smiled upon him; and they went out together; and soon the +king and queen also awoke, and all the court, and gazed on each other +with great wonder. And the horses shook themselves, and the dogs +jumped up and barked; the pigeons took their heads from under their +wings, and looked about and flew into the fields; the flies on the +walls buzzed again; the fire in the kitchen blazed up; round went the +jack, and round went the spit, with the goose for the king's dinner +upon it; the butler finished his draught of ale; the maid went on +plucking the fowl; and the cook gave the boy the box on his ear. + +And then the prince and Briar Rose were married, and the wedding feast +was given; and they lived happily together all their lives long. + + + +THE DOG AND THE SPARROW + +A shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him, but often let +him suffer the greatest hunger. At last he could bear it no longer; so +he took to his heels, and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood. +On the road he met a sparrow that said to him, 'Why are you so sad, my +friend?' 'Because,' said the dog, 'I am very very hungry, and have +nothing to eat.' 'If that be all,' answered the sparrow, 'come with me +into the next town, and I will soon find you plenty of food.' So on +they went together into the town: and as they passed by a butcher's +shop, the sparrow said to the dog, 'Stand there a little while till I +peck you down a piece of meat.' So the sparrow perched upon the shelf: +and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was +watching her, she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the +edge of the shelf, till at last down it fell. Then the dog snapped it +up, and scrambled away with it into a corner, where he soon ate it all +up. 'Well,' said the sparrow, 'you shall have some more if you will; +so come with me to the next shop, and I will peck you down another +steak.' When the dog had eaten this too, the sparrow said to him, +'Well, my good friend, have you had enough now?' 'I have had plenty of +meat,' answered he, 'but I should like to have a piece of bread to eat +after it.' 'Come with me then,' said the sparrow, 'and you shall soon +have that too.' So she took him to a baker's shop, and pecked at two +rolls that lay in the window, till they fell down: and as the dog +still wished for more, she took him to another shop and pecked down +some more for him. When that was eaten, the sparrow asked him whether +he had had enough now. 'Yes,' said he; 'and now let us take a walk a +little way out of the town.' So they both went out upon the high road; +but as the weather was warm, they had not gone far before the dog +said, 'I am very much tired--I should like to take a nap.' 'Very +well,' answered the sparrow, 'do so, and in the meantime I will perch +upon that bush.' So the dog stretched himself out on the road, and +fell fast asleep. Whilst he slept, there came by a carter with a cart +drawn by three horses, and loaded with two casks of wine. The sparrow, +seeing that the carter did not turn out of the way, but would go on in +the track in which the dog lay, so as to drive over him, called out, +'Stop! stop! Mr Carter, or it shall be the worse for you.' But the +carter, grumbling to himself, 'You make it the worse for me, indeed! +what can you do?' cracked his whip, and drove his cart over the poor +dog, so that the wheels crushed him to death. 'There,' cried the +sparrow, 'thou cruel villain, thou hast killed my friend the dog. Now +mind what I say. This deed of thine shall cost thee all thou art +worth.' 'Do your worst, and welcome,' said the brute, 'what harm can +you do me?' and passed on. But the sparrow crept under the tilt of the +cart, and pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it; +and than all the wine ran out, without the carter seeing it. At last +he looked round, and saw that the cart was dripping, and the cask +quite empty. 'What an unlucky wretch I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch +enough yet!' said the sparrow, as she alighted upon the head of one of +the horses, and pecked at him till he reared up and kicked. When the +carter saw this, he drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the +sparrow, meaning to kill her; but she flew away, and the blow fell +upon the poor horse's head with such force, that he fell down dead. +'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said +the sparrow. And as the carter went on with the other two horses, she +again crept under the tilt of the cart, and pecked out the bung of the +second cask, so that all the wine ran out. When the carter saw this, +he again cried out, 'Miserable wretch that I am!' But the sparrow +answered, 'Not wretch enough yet!' and perched on the head of the +second horse, and pecked at him too. The carter ran up and struck at +her again with his hatchet; but away she flew, and the blow fell upon +the second horse and killed him on the spot. 'Unlucky wretch that I +am!' said he. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said the sparrow; and perching +upon the third horse, she began to peck him too. The carter was mad +with fury; and without looking about him, or caring what he was about, +struck again at the sparrow; but killed his third horse as he done the +other two. 'Alas! miserable wretch that I am!' cried he. 'Not wretch +enough yet!' answered the sparrow as she flew away; 'now will I plague +and punish thee at thy own house.' The carter was forced at last to +leave his cart behind him, and to go home overflowing with rage and +vexation. 'Alas!' said he to his wife, 'what ill luck has befallen me! +--my wine is all spilt, and my horses all three dead.' 'Alas! +husband,' replied she, 'and a wicked bird has come into the house, and +has brought with her all the birds in the world, I am sure, and they +have fallen upon our corn in the loft, and are eating it up at such a +rate!' Away ran the husband upstairs, and saw thousands of birds +sitting upon the floor eating up his corn, with the sparrow in the +midst of them. 'Unlucky wretch that I am!' cried the carter; for he +saw that the corn was almost all gone. 'Not wretch enough yet!' said +the sparrow; 'thy cruelty shall cost thee they life yet!' and away she +flew. + +The carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had, went down +into his kitchen; and was still not sorry for what he had done, but +sat himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner. But the sparrow +sat on the outside of the window, and cried 'Carter! thy cruelty shall +cost thee thy life!' With that he jumped up in a rage, seized his +hatchet, and threw it at the sparrow; but it missed her, and only +broke the window. The sparrow now hopped in, perched upon the window- +seat, and cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life!' Then he became +mad and blind with rage, and struck the window-seat with such force +that he cleft it in two: and as the sparrow flew from place to place, +the carter and his wife were so furious, that they broke all their +furniture, glasses, chairs, benches, the table, and at last the walls, +without touching the bird at all. In the end, however, they caught +her: and the wife said, 'Shall I kill her at once?' 'No,' cried he, +'that is letting her off too easily: she shall die a much more cruel +death; I will eat her.' But the sparrow began to flutter about, and +stretch out her neck and cried, 'Carter! it shall cost thee thy life +yet!' With that he could wait no longer: so he gave his wife the +hatchet, and cried, 'Wife, strike at the bird and kill her in my +hand.' And the wife struck; but she missed her aim, and hit her +husband on the head so that he fell down dead, and the sparrow flew +quietly home to her nest. + + + +THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES + +There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in +twelve beds all in one room; and when they went to bed, the doors were +shut and locked up; but every morning their shoes were found to be +quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night; and yet +nobody could find out how it happened, or where they had been. + +Then the king made it known to all the land, that if any person could +discover the secret, and find out where it was that the princesses +danced in the night, he should have the one he liked best for his +wife, and should be king after his death; but whoever tried and did +not succeed, after three days and nights, should be put to death. + +A king's son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening +was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in +their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to +dance; and, in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it, +the door of his chamber was left open. But the king's son soon fell +asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses +had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes. +The same thing happened the second and third night: so the king +ordered his head to be cut off. After him came several others; but +they had all the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same +manner. + +Now it chanced that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and +could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king +reigned: and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, +who asked him where he was going. 'I hardly know where I am going, or +what I had better do,' said the soldier; 'but I think I should like +very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then +in time I might be a king.' 'Well,' said the old dame, 'that is no +very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one +of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she +leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.' + +Then she gave him a cloak, and said, 'As soon as you put that on you +will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the +princesses wherever they go.' When the soldier heard all this good +counsel, he determined to try his luck: so he went to the king, and +said he was willing to undertake the task. + +He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered +fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led +to the outer chamber. Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of +the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all +away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself +down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loud as if +he was fast asleep. When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed +heartily; and the eldest said, 'This fellow too might have done a +wiser thing than lose his life in this way!' Then they rose up and +opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, +and dressed themselves at the glass, and skipped about as if they were +eager to begin dancing. But the youngest said, 'I don't know how it +is, while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some +mischance will befall us.' 'You simpleton,' said the eldest, 'you are +always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings' sons have already +watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him +his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.' + +When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he +snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were +quite safe; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her +hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open. The +soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, +the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he +jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and +followed them; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of +the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, 'All is not +right; someone took hold of my gown.' 'You silly creature!' said the +eldest, 'it is nothing but a nail in the wall.' Then down they all +went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful +grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and +sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of +the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud +noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, 'I am sure +all is not right--did not you hear that noise? That never happened +before.' But the eldest said, 'It is only our princes, who are +shouting for joy at our approach.' + +Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of +gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering +diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time +there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with +fear; but the eldest still said, it was only the princes, who were +crying for joy. So they went on till they came to a great lake; and at +the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve +handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the +princesses. + +One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped +into the same boat with the youngest. As they were rowing over the +lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and +the soldier said, 'I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing +with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite +tired: the boat seems very heavy today.' 'It is only the heat of the +weather,' said the princess: 'I feel it very warm too.' + +On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle, from +which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all +landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his +princess; and the soldier, who was all the time invisible, danced with +them too; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, +he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was +empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but +the eldest always silenced her. They danced on till three o'clock in +the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were +obliged to leave off. The princes rowed them back again over the lake +(but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest +princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, +the princesses promising to come again the next night. + +When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the +princesses, and laid himself down; and as the twelve sisters slowly +came up very much tired, they heard him snoring in his bed; so they +said, 'Now all is quite safe'; then they undressed themselves, put +away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed. In +the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but +determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again the +second and third night; and every thing happened just as before; the +princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces, and +then returned home. However, on the third night the soldier carried +away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been. + +As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was +taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and +the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he +would say. And when the king asked him. 'Where do my twelve daughters +dance at night?' he answered, 'With twelve princes in a castle under +ground.' And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed +him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with +him. Then the king called for the princesses, and asked them whether +what the soldier said was true: and when they saw that they were +discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they +confessed it all. And the king asked the soldier which of them he +would choose for his wife; and he answered, 'I am not very young, so I +will have the eldest.'--And they were married that very day, and the +soldier was chosen to be the king's heir. + + + +THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE + +There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty, close +by the seaside. The fisherman used to go out all day long a-fishing; +and one day, as he sat on the shore with his rod, looking at the +sparkling waves and watching his line, all on a sudden his float was +dragged away deep into the water: and in drawing it up he pulled out a +great fish. But the fish said, 'Pray let me live! I am not a real +fish; I am an enchanted prince: put me in the water again, and let me +go!' 'Oh, ho!' said the man, 'you need not make so many words about +the matter; I will have nothing to do with a fish that can talk: so +swim away, sir, as soon as you please!' Then he put him back into the +water, and the fish darted straight down to the bottom, and left a +long streak of blood behind him on the wave. + +When the fisherman went home to his wife in the pigsty, he told her +how he had caught a great fish, and how it had told him it was an +enchanted prince, and how, on hearing it speak, he had let it go +again. 'Did not you ask it for anything?' said the wife, 'we live very +wretchedly here, in this nasty dirty pigsty; do go back and tell the +fish we want a snug little cottage.' + +The fisherman did not much like the business: however, he went to the +seashore; and when he came back there the water looked all yellow and +green. And he stood at the water's edge, and said: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +Then the fish came swimming to him, and said, 'Well, what is her will? +What does your wife want?' 'Ah!' said the fisherman, 'she says that +when I had caught you, I ought to have asked you for something before +I let you go; she does not like living any longer in the pigsty, and +wants a snug little cottage.' 'Go home, then,' said the fish; 'she is +in the cottage already!' So the man went home, and saw his wife +standing at the door of a nice trim little cottage. 'Come in, come +in!' said she; 'is not this much better than the filthy pigsty we +had?' And there was a parlour, and a bedchamber, and a kitchen; and +behind the cottage there was a little garden, planted with all sorts +of flowers and fruits; and there was a courtyard behind, full of ducks +and chickens. 'Ah!' said the fisherman, 'how happily we shall live +now!' 'We will try to do so, at least,' said his wife. + +Everything went right for a week or two, and then Dame Ilsabill said, +'Husband, there is not near room enough for us in this cottage; the +courtyard and the garden are a great deal too small; I should like to +have a large stone castle to live in: go to the fish again and tell +him to give us a castle.' 'Wife,' said the fisherman, 'I don't like to +go to him again, for perhaps he will be angry; we ought to be easy +with this pretty cottage to live in.' 'Nonsense!' said the wife; 'he +will do it very willingly, I know; go along and try!' + +The fisherman went, but his heart was very heavy: and when he came to +the sea, it looked blue and gloomy, though it was very calm; and he +went close to the edge of the waves, and said: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +'Well, what does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the man, +dolefully, 'my wife wants to live in a stone castle.' 'Go home, then,' +said the fish; 'she is standing at the gate of it already.' So away +went the fisherman, and found his wife standing before the gate of a +great castle. 'See,' said she, 'is not this grand?' With that they +went into the castle together, and found a great many servants there, +and the rooms all richly furnished, and full of golden chairs and +tables; and behind the castle was a garden, and around it was a park +half a mile long, full of sheep, and goats, and hares, and deer; and +in the courtyard were stables and cow-houses. 'Well,' said the man, +'now we will live cheerful and happy in this beautiful castle for the +rest of our lives.' 'Perhaps we may,' said the wife; 'but let us sleep +upon it, before we make up our minds to that.' So they went to bed. + +The next morning when Dame Ilsabill awoke it was broad daylight, and +she jogged the fisherman with her elbow, and said, 'Get up, husband, +and bestir yourself, for we must be king of all the land.' 'Wife, +wife,' said the man, 'why should we wish to be the king? I will not be +king.' 'Then I will,' said she. 'But, wife,' said the fisherman, 'how +can you be king--the fish cannot make you a king?' 'Husband,' said +she, 'say no more about it, but go and try! I will be king.' So the +man went away quite sorrowful to think that his wife should want to be +king. This time the sea looked a dark grey colour, and was overspread +with curling waves and the ridges of foam as he cried out: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +'Well, what would she have now?' said the fish. 'Alas!' said the poor +man, 'my wife wants to be king.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she is +king already.' + +Then the fisherman went home; and as he came close to the palace he +saw a troop of soldiers, and heard the sound of drums and trumpets. +And when he went in he saw his wife sitting on a throne of gold and +diamonds, with a golden crown upon her head; and on each side of her +stood six fair maidens, each a head taller than the other. 'Well, +wife,' said the fisherman, 'are you king?' 'Yes,' said she, 'I am +king.' And when he had looked at her for a long time, he said, 'Ah, +wife! what a fine thing it is to be king! Now we shall never have +anything more to wish for as long as we live.' 'I don't know how that +may be,' said she; 'never is a long time. I am king, it is true; but I +begin to be tired of that, and I think I should like to be emperor.' +'Alas, wife! why should you wish to be emperor?' said the fisherman. +'Husband,' said she, 'go to the fish! I say I will be emperor.' 'Ah, +wife!' replied the fisherman, 'the fish cannot make an emperor, I am +sure, and I should not like to ask him for such a thing.' 'I am king,' +said Ilsabill, 'and you are my slave; so go at once!' + +So the fisherman was forced to go; and he muttered as he went along, +'This will come to no good, it is too much to ask; the fish will be +tired at last, and then we shall be sorry for what we have done.' He +soon came to the seashore; and the water was quite black and muddy, +and a mighty whirlwind blew over the waves and rolled them about, but +he went as near as he could to the water's brink, and said: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +'What would she have now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the fisherman, +'she wants to be emperor.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she is emperor +already.' + +So he went home again; and as he came near he saw his wife Ilsabill +sitting on a very lofty throne made of solid gold, with a great crown +on her head full two yards high; and on each side of her stood her +guards and attendants in a row, each one smaller than the other, from +the tallest giant down to a little dwarf no bigger than my finger. And +before her stood princes, and dukes, and earls: and the fisherman went +up to her and said, 'Wife, are you emperor?' 'Yes,' said she, 'I am +emperor.' 'Ah!' said the man, as he gazed upon her, 'what a fine thing +it is to be emperor!' 'Husband,' said she, 'why should we stop at +being emperor? I will be pope next.' 'O wife, wife!' said he, 'how can +you be pope? there is but one pope at a time in Christendom.' +'Husband,' said she, 'I will be pope this very day.' 'But,' replied +the husband, 'the fish cannot make you pope.' 'What nonsense!' said +she; 'if he can make an emperor, he can make a pope: go and try him.' + +So the fisherman went. But when he came to the shore the wind was +raging and the sea was tossed up and down in boiling waves, and the +ships were in trouble, and rolled fearfully upon the tops of the +billows. In the middle of the heavens there was a little piece of blue +sky, but towards the south all was red, as if a dreadful storm was +rising. At this sight the fisherman was dreadfully frightened, and he +trembled so that his knees knocked together: but still he went down +near to the shore, and said: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +'What does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said the fisherman, 'my +wife wants to be pope.' 'Go home,' said the fish; 'she is pope +already.' + +Then the fisherman went home, and found Ilsabill sitting on a throne +that was two miles high. And she had three great crowns on her head, +and around her stood all the pomp and power of the Church. And on each +side of her were two rows of burning lights, of all sizes, the +greatest as large as the highest and biggest tower in the world, and +the least no larger than a small rushlight. 'Wife,' said the +fisherman, as he looked at all this greatness, 'are you pope?' 'Yes,' +said she, 'I am pope.' 'Well, wife,' replied he, 'it is a grand thing +to be pope; and now you must be easy, for you can be nothing greater.' +'I will think about that,' said the wife. Then they went to bed: but +Dame Ilsabill could not sleep all night for thinking what she should +be next. At last, as she was dropping asleep, morning broke, and the +sun rose. 'Ha!' thought she, as she woke up and looked at it through +the window, 'after all I cannot prevent the sun rising.' At this +thought she was very angry, and wakened her husband, and said, +'Husband, go to the fish and tell him I must be lord of the sun and +moon.' The fisherman was half asleep, but the thought frightened him +so much that he started and fell out of bed. 'Alas, wife!' said he, +'cannot you be easy with being pope?' 'No,' said she, 'I am very +uneasy as long as the sun and moon rise without my leave. Go to the +fish at once!' + +Then the man went shivering with fear; and as he was going down to the +shore a dreadful storm arose, so that the trees and the very rocks +shook. And all the heavens became black with stormy clouds, and the +lightnings played, and the thunders rolled; and you might have seen in +the sea great black waves, swelling up like mountains with crowns of +white foam upon their heads. And the fisherman crept towards the sea, +and cried out, as well as he could: + + 'O man of the sea! + Hearken to me! + My wife Ilsabill + Will have her own will, + And hath sent me to beg a boon of thee!' + +'What does she want now?' said the fish. 'Ah!' said he, 'she wants to +be lord of the sun and moon.' 'Go home,' said the fish, 'to your +pigsty again.' + +And there they live to this very day. + + + +THE WILLOW-WREN AND THE BEAR + +Once in summer-time the bear and the wolf were walking in the forest, +and the bear heard a bird singing so beautifully that he said: +'Brother wolf, what bird is it that sings so well?' 'That is the King +of birds,' said the wolf, 'before whom we must bow down.' In reality +the bird was the willow-wren. 'IF that's the case,' said the bear, 'I +should very much like to see his royal palace; come, take me thither.' +'That is not done quite as you seem to think,' said the wolf; 'you +must wait until the Queen comes,' Soon afterwards, the Queen arrived +with some food in her beak, and the lord King came too, and they began +to feed their young ones. The bear would have liked to go at once, but +the wolf held him back by the sleeve, and said: 'No, you must wait +until the lord and lady Queen have gone away again.' So they took +stock of the hole where the nest lay, and trotted away. The bear, +however, could not rest until he had seen the royal palace, and when a +short time had passed, went to it again. The King and Queen had just +flown out, so he peeped in and saw five or six young ones lying there. +'Is that the royal palace?' cried the bear; 'it is a wretched palace, +and you are not King's children, you are disreputable children!' When +the young wrens heard that, they were frightfully angry, and screamed: +'No, that we are not! Our parents are honest people! Bear, you will +have to pay for that!' + +The bear and the wolf grew uneasy, and turned back and went into their +holes. The young willow-wrens, however, continued to cry and scream, +and when their parents again brought food they said: 'We will not so +much as touch one fly's leg, no, not if we were dying of hunger, until +you have settled whether we are respectable children or not; the bear +has been here and has insulted us!' Then the old King said: 'Be easy, +he shall be punished,' and he at once flew with the Queen to the +bear's cave, and called in: 'Old Growler, why have you insulted my +children? You shall suffer for it--we will punish you by a bloody +war.' Thus war was announced to the Bear, and all four-footed animals +were summoned to take part in it, oxen, asses, cows, deer, and every +other animal the earth contained. And the willow-wren summoned +everything which flew in the air, not only birds, large and small, but +midges, and hornets, bees and flies had to come. + +When the time came for the war to begin, the willow-wren sent out +spies to discover who was the enemy's commander-in-chief. The gnat, +who was the most crafty, flew into the forest where the enemy was +assembled, and hid herself beneath a leaf of the tree where the +password was to be announced. There stood the bear, and he called the +fox before him and said: 'Fox, you are the most cunning of all +animals, you shall be general and lead us.' 'Good,' said the fox, 'but +what signal shall we agree upon?' No one knew that, so the fox said: +'I have a fine long bushy tail, which almost looks like a plume of red +feathers. When I lift my tail up quite high, all is going well, and +you must charge; but if I let it hang down, run away as fast as you +can.' When the gnat had heard that, she flew away again, and revealed +everything, down to the minutest detail, to the willow-wren. When day +broke, and the battle was to begin, all the four-footed animals came +running up with such a noise that the earth trembled. The willow-wren +with his army also came flying through the air with such a humming, +and whirring, and swarming that every one was uneasy and afraid, and +on both sides they advanced against each other. But the willow-wren +sent down the hornet, with orders to settle beneath the fox's tail, +and sting with all his might. When the fox felt the first string, he +started so that he one leg, from pain, but he bore it, and +still kept his tail high in the air; at the second sting, he was +forced to put it down for a moment; at the third, he could hold out no +longer, screamed, and put his tail between his legs. When the animals +saw that, they thought all was lost, and began to flee, each into his +hole, and the birds had won the battle. + +Then the King and Queen flew home to their children and cried: +'Children, rejoice, eat and drink to your heart's content, we have won +the battle!' But the young wrens said: 'We will not eat yet, the bear +must come to the nest, and beg for pardon and say that we are +honourable children, before we will do that.' Then the willow-wren +flew to the bear's hole and cried: 'Growler, you are to come to the +nest to my children, and beg their pardon, or else every rib of your +body shall be broken.' So the bear crept thither in the greatest fear, +and begged their pardon. And now at last the young wrens were +satisfied, and sat down together and ate and drank, and made merry +till quite late into the night. + + + +THE FROG-PRINCE + +One fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs, and +went out to take a walk by herself in a wood; and when she came to a +cool spring of water, that rose in the midst of it, she sat herself +down to rest a while. Now she had a golden ball in her hand, which was +her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing it up into the +air, and catching it again as it fell. After a time she threw it up so +high that she missed catching it as it fell; and the ball bounded +away, and rolled along upon the ground, till at last it fell down into +the spring. The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it +was very deep, so deep that she could not see the bottom of it. Then +she began to bewail her loss, and said, 'Alas! if I could only get my +ball again, I would give all my fine clothes and jewels, and +everything that I have in the world.' + +Whilst she was speaking, a frog put its head out of the water, and +said, 'Princess, why do you weep so bitterly?' 'Alas!' said she, 'what +can you do for me, you nasty frog? My golden ball has fallen into the +spring.' The frog said, 'I want not your pearls, and jewels, and fine +clothes; but if you will love me, and let me live with you and eat +from off your golden plate, and sleep upon your bed, I will bring you +your ball again.' 'What nonsense,' thought the princess, 'this silly +frog is talking! He can never even get out of the spring to visit me, +though he may be able to get my ball for me, and therefore I will tell +him he shall have what he asks.' So she said to the frog, 'Well, if +you will bring me my ball, I will do all you ask.' Then the frog put +his head down, and dived deep under the water; and after a little +while he came up again, with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on +the edge of the spring. As soon as the young princess saw her ball, +she ran to pick it up; and she was so overjoyed to have it in her hand +again, that she never thought of the frog, but ran home with it as +fast as she could. The frog called after her, 'Stay, princess, and +take me with you as you said,' But she did not stop to hear a word. + +The next day, just as the princess had sat down to dinner, she heard a +strange noise--tap, tap--plash, plash--as if something was coming up +the marble staircase: and soon afterwards there was a gentle knock at +the door, and a little voice cried out and said: + + 'Open the door, my princess dear, + Open the door to thy true love here! + And mind the words that thou and I said + By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.' + +Then the princess ran to the door and opened it, and there she saw the +frog, whom she had quite forgotten. At this sight she was sadly +frightened, and shutting the door as fast as she could came back to +her seat. The king, her father, seeing that something had frightened +her, asked her what was the matter. 'There is a nasty frog,' said she, +'at the door, that lifted my ball for me out of the spring this +morning: I told him that he should live with me here, thinking that he +could never get out of the spring; but there he is at the door, and he +wants to come in.' + +While she was speaking the frog knocked again at the door, and said: + + 'Open the door, my princess dear, + Open the door to thy true love here! + And mind the words that thou and I said + By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.' + +Then the king said to the young princess, 'As you have given your word +you must keep it; so go and let him in.' She did so, and the frog +hopped into the room, and then straight on--tap, tap--plash, plash-- +from the bottom of the room to the top, till he came up close to the +table where the princess sat. 'Pray lift me upon chair,' said he to +the princess, 'and let me sit next to you.' As soon as she had done +this, the frog said, 'Put your plate nearer to me, that I may eat out +of it.' This she did, and when he had eaten as much as he could, he +said, 'Now I am tired; carry me upstairs, and put me into your bed.' +And the princess, though very unwilling, took him up in her hand, and +put him upon the pillow of her own bed, where he slept all night long. +As soon as it was light he jumped up, hopped downstairs, and went out +of the house. 'Now, then,' thought the princess, 'at last he is gone, +and I shall be troubled with him no more.' + +But she was mistaken; for when night came again she heard the same +tapping at the door; and the frog came once more, and said: + + 'Open the door, my princess dear, + Open the door to thy true love here! + And mind the words that thou and I said + By the fountain cool, in the greenwood shade.' + +And when the princess opened the door the frog came in, and slept upon +her pillow as before, till the morning broke. And the third night he +did the same. But when the princess awoke on the following morning she +was astonished to see, instead of the frog, a handsome prince, gazing +on her with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, and standing at +the head of her bed. + +He told her that he had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy, who had +changed him into a frog; and that he had been fated so to abide till +some princess should take him out of the spring, and let him eat from +her plate, and sleep upon her bed for three nights. 'You,' said the +prince, 'have broken his cruel charm, and now I have nothing to wish +for but that you should go with me into my father's kingdom, where I +will marry you, and love you as long as you live.' + +The young princess, you may be sure, was not long in saying 'Yes' to +all this; and as they spoke a gay coach drove up, with eight beautiful +horses, decked with plumes of feathers and a golden harness; and +behind the coach rode the prince's servant, faithful Heinrich, who had +bewailed the misfortunes of his dear master during his enchantment so +long and so bitterly, that his heart had well-nigh burst. + +They then took leave of the king, and got into the coach with eight +horses, and all set out, full of joy and merriment, for the prince's +kingdom, which they reached safely; and there they lived happily a +great many years. + + + +CAT AND MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP + +A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so +much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that +at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house +together. 'But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall +suffer from hunger,' said the cat; 'and you, little mouse, cannot +venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day.' The +good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but they did +not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the cat +said: 'I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the +church, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will set it +beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are really in need of +it.' So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before the +cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse: 'I want to +tell you something, little mouse; my cousin has brought a little son +into the world, and has asked me to be godmother; he is white with +brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening. +Let me go out today, and you look after the house by yourself.' 'Yes, +yes,' answered the mouse, 'by all means go, and if you get anything +very good to eat, think of me. I should like a drop of sweet red +christening wine myself.' All this, however, was untrue; the cat had +no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight +to the church, stole to the pot of fat, began to lick at it, and +licked the top of the fat off. Then she took a walk upon the roofs of +the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched herself in +the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat, +and not until it was evening did she return home. 'Well, here you are +again,' said the mouse, 'no doubt you have had a merry day.' 'All went +off well,' answered the cat. 'What name did they give the child?' 'Top +off!' said the cat quite coolly. 'Top off!' cried the mouse, 'that is +a very odd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in your family?' 'What +does that matter,' said the cat, 'it is no worse than Crumb-stealer, +as your godchildren are called.' + +Before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning. She said to +the mouse: 'You must do me a favour, and once more manage the house +for a day alone. I am again asked to be godmother, and, as the child +has a white ring round its neck, I cannot refuse.' The good mouse +consented, but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church, and +devoured half the pot of fat. 'Nothing ever seems so good as what one +keeps to oneself,' said she, and was quite satisfied with her day's +work. When she went home the mouse inquired: 'And what was the child +christened?' 'Half-done,' answered the cat. 'Half-done! What are you +saying? I never heard the name in my life, I'll wager anything it is +not in the calendar!' + +The cat's mouth soon began to water for some more licking. 'All good +things go in threes,' said she, 'I am asked to stand godmother again. +The child is quite black, only it has white paws, but with that +exception, it has not a single white hair on its whole body; this only +happens once every few years, you will let me go, won't you?' 'Top- +off! Half-done!' answered the mouse, 'they are such odd names, they +make me very thoughtful.' 'You sit at home,' said the cat, 'in your +dark-grey fur coat and long tail, and are filled with fancies, that's +because you do not go out in the daytime.' During the cat's absence +the mouse cleaned the house, and put it in order, but the greedy cat +entirely emptied the pot of fat. 'When everything is eaten up one has +some peace,' said she to herself, and well filled and fat she did not +return home till night. The mouse at once asked what name had been +given to the third child. 'It will not please you more than the +others,' said the cat. 'He is called All-gone.' 'All-gone,' cried the +mouse 'that is the most suspicious name of all! I have never seen it +in print. All-gone; what can that mean?' and she shook her head, +curled herself up, and lay down to sleep. + +From this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother, but when +the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found +outside, the mouse thought of their provision, and said: 'Come, cat, +we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves--we +shall enjoy that.' 'Yes,' answered the cat, 'you will enjoy it as much +as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the +window.' They set out on their way, but when they arrived, the pot of +fat certainly was still in its place, but it was empty. 'Alas!' said +the mouse, 'now I see what has happened, now it comes to light! You a +true friend! You have devoured all when you were standing godmother. +First top off, then half-done, then--' 'Will you hold your tongue,' +cried the cat, 'one word more, and I will eat you too.' 'All-gone' was +already on the poor mouse's lips; scarcely had she spoken it before +the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her down. Verily, +that is the way of the world. + + + +THE GOOSE-GIRL + +The king of a great land died, and left his queen to take care of +their only child. This child was a daughter, who was very beautiful; +and her mother loved her dearly, and was very kind to her. And there +was a good fairy too, who was fond of the princess, and helped her +mother to watch over her. When she grew up, she was betrothed to a +prince who lived a great way off; and as the time drew near for her to +be married, she got ready to set off on her journey to his country. +Then the queen her mother, packed up a great many costly things; +jewels, and gold, and silver; trinkets, fine dresses, and in short +everything that became a royal bride. And she gave her a waiting-maid +to ride with her, and give her into the bridegroom's hands; and each +had a horse for the journey. Now the princess's horse was the fairy's +gift, and it was called Falada, and could speak. + +When the time came for them to set out, the fairy went into her bed- +chamber, and took a little knife, and cut off a lock of her hair, and +gave it to the princess, and said, 'Take care of it, dear child; for +it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road.' Then they all +took a sorrowful leave of the princess; and she put the lock of hair +into her bosom, got upon her horse, and set off on her journey to her +bridegroom's kingdom. + +One day, as they were riding along by a brook, the princess began to +feel very thirsty: and she said to her maid, 'Pray get down, and fetch +me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook, for I want to +drink.' 'Nay,' said the maid, 'if you are thirsty, get off yourself, +and stoop down by the water and drink; I shall not be your waiting- +maid any longer.' Then she was so thirsty that she got down, and knelt +over the little brook, and drank; for she was frightened, and dared +not bring out her golden cup; and she wept and said, 'Alas! what will +become of me?' And the lock answered her, and said: + + 'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, + Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.' + +But the princess was very gentle and meek, so she said nothing to her +maid's ill behaviour, but got upon her horse again. + +Then all rode farther on their journey, till the day grew so warm, and +the sun so scorching, that the bride began to feel very thirsty again; +and at last, when they came to a river, she forgot her maid's rude +speech, and said, 'Pray get down, and fetch me some water to drink in +my golden cup.' But the maid answered her, and even spoke more +haughtily than before: 'Drink if you will, but I shall not be your +waiting-maid.' Then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her +horse, and lay down, and held her head over the running stream, and +cried and said, 'What will become of me?' And the lock of hair +answered her again: + + 'Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, + Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.' + +And as she leaned down to drink, the lock of hair fell from her bosom, +and floated away with the water. Now she was so frightened that she +did not see it; but her maid saw it, and was very glad, for she knew +the charm; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power, now +that she had lost the hair. So when the bride had done drinking, and +would have got upon Falada again, the maid said, 'I shall ride upon +Falada, and you may have my horse instead'; so she was forced to give +up her horse, and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and +put on her maid's shabby ones. + +At last, as they drew near the end of their journey, this treacherous +servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what +had happened. But Falada saw it all, and marked it well. + +Then the waiting-maid got upon Falada, and the real bride rode upon +the other horse, and they went on in this way till at last they came +to the royal court. There was great joy at their coming, and the +prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking +she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to +the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court +below. + +Now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do; so he +amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window, looking at what was +going on; and he saw her in the courtyard. As she looked very pretty, +and too delicate for a waiting-maid, he went up into the royal chamber +to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her, that was thus +left standing in the court below. 'I brought her with me for the sake +of her company on the road,' said she; 'pray give the girl some work +to do, that she may not be idle.' The old king could not for some time +think of any work for her to do; but at last he said, 'I have a lad +who takes care of my geese; she may go and help him.' Now the name of +this lad, that the real bride was to help in watching the king's +geese, was Curdken. + +But the false bride said to the prince, 'Dear husband, pray do me one +piece of kindness.' 'That I will,' said the prince. 'Then tell one of +your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse I rode upon, for it +was very unruly, and plagued me sadly on the road'; but the truth was, +she was very much afraid lest Falada should some day or other speak, +and tell all she had done to the princess. She carried her point, and +the faithful Falada was killed; but when the true princess heard of +it, she wept, and begged the man to nail up Falada's head against a +large dark gate of the city, through which she had to pass every +morning and evening, that there she might still see him sometimes. +Then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished; and cut off the +head, and nailed it up under the dark gate. + +Early the next morning, as she and Curdken went out through the gate, +she said sorrowfully: + + 'Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!' + +and the head answered: + + 'Bride, bride, there thou gangest! + Alas! alas! if thy mother knew it, + Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.' + +Then they went out of the city, and drove the geese on. And when she +came to the meadow, she sat down upon a bank there, and let down her +waving locks of hair, which were all of pure silver; and when Curdken +saw it glitter in the sun, he ran up, and would have pulled some of +the locks out, but she cried: + + 'Blow, breezes, blow! + Let Curdken's hat go! + Blow, breezes, blow! + Let him after it go! + O'er hills, dales, and rocks, + Away be it whirl'd + Till the silvery locks + Are all comb'd and curl'd! + +Then there came a wind, so strong that it blew off Curdken's hat; and +away it flew over the hills: and he was forced to turn and run after +it; till, by the time he came back, she had done combing and curling +her hair, and had put it up again safe. Then he was very angry and +sulky, and would not speak to her at all; but they watched the geese +until it grew dark in the evening, and then drove them homewards. + +The next morning, as they were going through the dark gate, the poor +girl looked up at Falada's head, and cried: + + 'Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!' + +and the head answered: + + 'Bride, bride, there thou gangest! + Alas! alas! if they mother knew it, + Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.' + +Then she drove on the geese, and sat down again in the meadow, and +began to comb out her hair as before; and Curdken ran up to her, and +wanted to take hold of it; but she cried out quickly: + + 'Blow, breezes, blow! + Let Curdken's hat go! + Blow, breezes, blow! + Let him after it go! + O'er hills, dales, and rocks, + Away be it whirl'd + Till the silvery locks + Are all comb'd and curl'd! + +Then the wind came and blew away his hat; and off it flew a great way, +over the hills and far away, so that he had to run after it; and when +he came back she had bound up her hair again, and all was safe. So +they watched the geese till it grew dark. + +In the evening, after they came home, Curdken went to the old king, +and said, 'I cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the +geese any longer.' 'Why?' said the king. 'Because, instead of doing +any good, she does nothing but tease me all day long.' Then the king +made him tell him what had happened. And Curdken said, 'When we go in +the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese, she cries +and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall, and says: + + 'Falada, Falada, there thou hangest!' + +and the head answers: + + 'Bride, bride, there thou gangest! + Alas! alas! if they mother knew it, + Sadly, sadly, would she rue it.' + +And Curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the meadow +where the geese fed; how his hat was blown away; and how he was forced +to run after it, and to leave his flock of geese to themselves. But +the old king told the boy to go out again the next day: and when +morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gate, and heard how +she spoke to Falada, and how Falada answered. Then he went into the +field, and hid himself in a bush by the meadow's side; and he soon saw +with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese; and how, after a +little time, she let down her hair that glittered in the sun. And then +he heard her say: + + 'Blow, breezes, blow! + Let Curdken's hat go! + Blow, breezes, blow! + Let him after it go! + O'er hills, dales, and rocks, + Away be it whirl'd + Till the silvery locks + Are all comb'd and curl'd! + +And soon came a gale of wind, and carried away Curdken's hat, and away +went Curdken after it, while the girl went on combing and curling her +hair. All this the old king saw: so he went home without being seen; +and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her +aside, and asked her why she did so: but she burst into tears, and +said, 'That I must not tell you or any man, or I shall lose my life.' + +But the old king begged so hard, that she had no peace till she had +told him all the tale, from beginning to end, word for word. And it +was very lucky for her that she did so, for when she had done the king +ordered royal clothes to be put upon her, and gazed on her with +wonder, she was so beautiful. Then he called his son and told him that +he had only a false bride; for that she was merely a waiting-maid, +while the true bride stood by. And the young king rejoiced when he saw +her beauty, and heard how meek and patient she had been; and without +saying anything to the false bride, the king ordered a great feast to +be got ready for all his court. The bridegroom sat at the top, with +the false princess on one side, and the true one on the other; but +nobody knew her again, for her beauty was quite dazzling to their +eyes; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl, now that +she had her brilliant dress on. + +When they had eaten and drank, and were very merry, the old king said +he would tell them a tale. So he began, and told all the story of the +princess, as if it was one that he had once heard; and he asked the +true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who +would behave thus. 'Nothing better,' said this false bride, 'than that +she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails, and +that two white horses should be put to it, and should drag it from +street to street till she was dead.' 'Thou art she!' said the old +king; 'and as thou has judged thyself, so shall it be done to thee.' +And the young king was then married to his true wife, and they reigned +over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives; and the good +fairy came to see them, and restored the faithful Falada to life +again. + + + +THE ADVENTURES OF CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET + + +1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS TO EAT NUTS + +'The nuts are quite ripe now,' said Chanticleer to his wife Partlet, +'suppose we go together to the mountains, and eat as many as we can, +before the squirrel takes them all away.' 'With all my heart,' said +Partlet, 'let us go and make a holiday of it together.' + +So they went to the mountains; and as it was a lovely day, they stayed +there till the evening. Now, whether it was that they had eaten so +many nuts that they could not walk, or whether they were lazy and +would not, I do not know: however, they took it into their heads that +it did not become them to go home on foot. So Chanticleer began to +build a little carriage of nutshells: and when it was finished, +Partlet jumped into it and sat down, and bid Chanticleer harness +himself to it and draw her home. 'That's a good joke!' said +Chanticleer; 'no, that will never do; I had rather by half walk home; +I'll sit on the box and be coachman, if you like, but I'll not draw.' +While this was passing, a duck came quacking up and cried out, 'You +thieving vagabonds, what business have you in my grounds? I'll give it +you well for your insolence!' and upon that she fell upon Chanticleer +most lustily. But Chanticleer was no coward, and returned the duck's +blows with his sharp spurs so fiercely that she soon began to cry out +for mercy; which was only granted her upon condition that she would +draw the carriage home for them. This she agreed to do; and +Chanticleer got upon the box, and drove, crying, 'Now, duck, get on as +fast as you can.' And away they went at a pretty good pace. + +After they had travelled along a little way, they met a needle and a +pin walking together along the road: and the needle cried out, 'Stop, +stop!' and said it was so dark that they could hardly find their way, +and such dirty walking they could not get on at all: he told them that +he and his friend, the pin, had been at a public-house a few miles +off, and had sat drinking till they had forgotten how late it was; he +begged therefore that the travellers would be so kind as to give them +a lift in their carriage. Chanticleer observing that they were but +thin fellows, and not likely to take up much room, told them they +might ride, but made them promise not to dirty the wheels of the +carriage in getting in, nor to tread on Partlet's toes. + +Late at night they arrived at an inn; and as it was bad travelling in +the dark, and the duck seemed much tired, and waddled about a good +deal from one side to the other, they made up their minds to fix their +quarters there: but the landlord at first was unwilling, and said his +house was full, thinking they might not be very respectable company: +however, they spoke civilly to him, and gave him the egg which Partlet +had laid by the way, and said they would give him the duck, who was in +the habit of laying one every day: so at last he let them come in, and +they bespoke a handsome supper, and spent the evening very jollily. + +Early in the morning, before it was quite light, and when nobody was +stirring in the inn, Chanticleer awakened his wife, and, fetching the +egg, they pecked a hole in it, ate it up, and threw the shells into +the fireplace: they then went to the pin and needle, who were fast +asleep, and seizing them by the heads, stuck one into the landlord's +easy chair and the other into his handkerchief; and, having done this, +they crept away as softly as possible. However, the duck, who slept in +the open air in the yard, heard them coming, and jumping into the +brook which ran close by the inn, soon swam out of their reach. + +An hour or two afterwards the landlord got up, and took his +handkerchief to wipe his face, but the pin ran into him and pricked +him: then he walked into the kitchen to light his pipe at the fire, +but when he stirred it up the eggshells flew into his eyes, and almost +blinded him. 'Bless me!' said he, 'all the world seems to have a +design against my head this morning': and so saying, he threw himself +sulkily into his easy chair; but, oh dear! the needle ran into him; +and this time the pain was not in his head. He now flew into a very +great passion, and, suspecting the company who had come in the night +before, he went to look after them, but they were all off; so he swore +that he never again would take in such a troop of vagabonds, who ate a +great deal, paid no reckoning, and gave him nothing for his trouble +but their apish tricks. + + +2. HOW CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET WENT TO VIST MR KORBES + +Another day, Chanticleer and Partlet wished to ride out together; so +Chanticleer built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, and +harnessed six mice to it; and then he and Partlet got into the +carriage, and away they drove. Soon afterwards a cat met them, and +said, 'Where are you going?' And Chanticleer replied, + + 'All on our way + A visit to pay + To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.' + +Then the cat said, 'Take me with you,' Chanticleer said, 'With all my +heart: get up behind, and be sure you do not fall off.' + + 'Take care of this handsome coach of mine, + Nor dirty my pretty red wheels so fine! + Now, mice, be ready, + And, wheels, run steady! + For we are going a visit to pay + To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.' + +Soon after came up a millstone, an egg, a duck, and a pin; and +Chanticleer gave them all leave to get into the carriage and go with +them. + +When they arrived at Mr Korbes's house, he was not at home; so the +mice drew the carriage into the coach-house, Chanticleer and Partlet +flew upon a beam, the cat sat down in the fireplace, the duck got into +the washing cistern, the pin stuck himself into the bed pillow, the +millstone laid himself over the house door, and the egg rolled himself +up in the towel. + +When Mr Korbes came home, he went to the fireplace to make a fire; but +the cat threw all the ashes in his eyes: so he ran to the kitchen to +wash himself; but there the duck splashed all the water in his face; +and when he tried to wipe himself, the egg broke to pieces in the +towel all over his face and eyes. Then he was very angry, and went +without his supper to bed; but when he laid his head on the pillow, +the pin ran into his cheek: at this he became quite furious, and, +jumping up, would have run out of the house; but when he came to the +door, the millstone fell down on his head, and killed him on the spot. + + +3. HOW PARTLET DIED AND WAS BURIED, AND HOW CHANTICLEER DIED OF GRIEF + +Another day Chanticleer and Partlet agreed to go again to the +mountains to eat nuts; and it was settled that all the nuts which they +found should be shared equally between them. Now Partlet found a very +large nut; but she said nothing about it to Chanticleer, and kept it +all to herself: however, it was so big that she could not swallow it, +and it stuck in her throat. Then she was in a great fright, and cried +out to Chanticleer, 'Pray run as fast as you can, and fetch me some +water, or I shall be choked.' Chanticleer ran as fast as he could to +the river, and said, 'River, give me some water, for Partlet lies in +the mountain, and will be choked by a great nut.' The river said, 'Run +first to the bride, and ask her for a silken cord to draw up the +water.' Chanticleer ran to the bride, and said, 'Bride, you must give +me a silken cord, for then the river will give me water, and the water +I will carry to Partlet, who lies on the mountain, and will be choked +by a great nut.' But the bride said, 'Run first, and bring me my +garland that is hanging on a willow in the garden.' Then Chanticleer +ran to the garden, and took the garland from the bough where it hung, +and brought it to the bride; and then the bride gave him the silken +cord, and he took the silken cord to the river, and the river gave him +water, and he carried the water to Partlet; but in the meantime she +was choked by the great nut, and lay quite dead, and never moved any +more. + +Then Chanticleer was very sorry, and cried bitterly; and all the +beasts came and wept with him over poor Partlet. And six mice built a +little hearse to carry her to her grave; and when it was ready they +harnessed themselves before it, and Chanticleer drove them. On the way +they met the fox. 'Where are you going, Chanticleer?' said he. 'To +bury my Partlet,' said the other. 'May I go with you?' said the fox. +'Yes; but you must get up behind, or my horses will not be able to +draw you.' Then the fox got up behind; and presently the wolf, the +bear, the goat, and all the beasts of the wood, came and climbed upon +the hearse. + +So on they went till they came to a rapid stream. 'How shall we get +over?' said Chanticleer. Then said a straw, 'I will lay myself across, +and you may pass over upon me.' But as the mice were going over, the +straw slipped away and fell into the water, and the six mice all fell +in and were drowned. What was to be done? Then a large log of wood +came and said, 'I am big enough; I will lay myself across the stream, +and you shall pass over upon me.' So he laid himself down; but they +managed so clumsily, that the log of wood fell in and was carried away +by the stream. Then a stone, who saw what had happened, came up and +kindly offered to help poor Chanticleer by laying himself across the +stream; and this time he got safely to the other side with the hearse, +and managed to get Partlet out of it; but the fox and the other +mourners, who were sitting behind, were too heavy, and fell back into +the water and were all carried away by the stream and drowned. + +Thus Chanticleer was left alone with his dead Partlet; and having dug +a grave for her, he laid her in it, and made a little hillock over +her. Then he sat down by the grave, and wept and mourned, till at last +he died too; and so all were dead. + + + +RAPUNZEL + +There were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a +child. At length the woman hoped that God was about to grant her +desire. These people had a little window at the back of their house +from which a splendid garden could be seen, which was full of the most +beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high +wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an +enchantress, who had great power and was dreaded by all the world. One +day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the +garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful +rampion (rapunzel), and it looked so fresh and green that she longed +for it, she quite pined away, and began to look pale and miserable. +Then her husband was alarmed, and asked: 'What ails you, dear wife?' +'Ah,' she replied, 'if I can't eat some of the rampion, which is in +the garden behind our house, I shall die.' The man, who loved her, +thought: 'Sooner than let your wife die, bring her some of the rampion +yourself, let it cost what it will.' At twilight, he clambered down +over the wall into the garden of the enchantress, hastily clutched a +handful of rampion, and took it to his wife. She at once made herself +a salad of it, and ate it greedily. It tasted so good to her--so very +good, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as +before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend +into the garden. In the gloom of evening therefore, he let himself +down again; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly +afraid, for he saw the enchantress standing before him. 'How can you +dare,' said she with angry look, 'descend into my garden and steal my +rampion like a thief? You shall suffer for it!' 'Ah,' answered he, +'let mercy take the place of justice, I only made up my mind to do it +out of necessity. My wife saw your rampion from the window, and felt +such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some +to eat.' Then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened, and +said to him: 'If the case be as you say, I will allow you to take away +with you as much rampion as you will, only I make one condition, you +must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world; it +shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother.' The man +in his terror consented to everything, and when the woman was brought +to bed, the enchantress appeared at once, gave the child the name of +Rapunzel, and took it away with her. + +Rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun. When she +was twelve years old, the enchantress shut her into a tower, which lay +in a forest, and had neither stairs nor door, but quite at the top was +a little window. When the enchantress wanted to go in, she placed +herself beneath it and cried: + + 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, + Let down your hair to me.' + +Rapunzel had magnificent long hair, fine as spun gold, and when she +heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses, +wound them round one of the hooks of the window above, and then the +hair fell twenty ells down, and the enchantress climbed up by it. + +After a year or two, it came to pass that the king's son rode through +the forest and passed by the tower. Then he heard a song, which was so +charming that he stood still and listened. This was Rapunzel, who in +her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound. The +king's son wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the +tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so +deeply touched his heart, that every day he went out into the forest +and listened to it. Once when he was thus standing behind a tree, he +saw that an enchantress came there, and he heard how she cried: + + 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, + Let down your hair to me.' + +Then Rapunzel let down the braids of her hair, and the enchantress +climbed up to her. 'If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I too +will try my fortune,' said he, and the next day when it began to grow +dark, he went to the tower and cried: + + 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, + Let down your hair to me.' + +Immediately the hair fell down and the king's son climbed up. + +At first Rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man, such as her eyes +had never yet beheld, came to her; but the king's son began to talk to +her quite like a friend, and told her that his heart had been so +stirred that it had let him have no rest, and he had been forced to +see her. Then Rapunzel lost her fear, and when he asked her if she +would take him for her husband, and she saw that he was young and +handsome, she thought: 'He will love me more than old Dame Gothel +does'; and she said yes, and laid her hand in his. She said: 'I will +willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring +with you a skein of silk every time that you come, and I will weave a +ladder with it, and when that is ready I will descend, and you will +take me on your horse.' They agreed that until that time he should +come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The +enchantress remarked nothing of this, until once Rapunzel said to her: +'Tell me, Dame Gothel, how it happens that you are so much heavier for +me to draw up than the young king's son--he is with me in a moment.' +'Ah! you wicked child,' cried the enchantress. 'What do I hear you +say! I thought I had separated you from all the world, and yet you +have deceived me!' In her anger she clutched Rapunzel's beautiful +tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of +scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the +lovely braids lay on the ground. And she was so pitiless that she took +poor Rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and +misery. + +On the same day that she cast out Rapunzel, however, the enchantress +fastened the braids of hair, which she had cut off, to the hook of the +window, and when the king's son came and cried: + + 'Rapunzel, Rapunzel, + Let down your hair to me.' + +she let the hair down. The king's son ascended, but instead of finding +his dearest Rapunzel, he found the enchantress, who gazed at him with +wicked and venomous looks. 'Aha!' she cried mockingly, 'you would +fetch your dearest, but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in +the nest; the cat has got it, and will scratch out your eyes as well. +Rapunzel is lost to you; you will never see her again.' The king's son +was beside himself with pain, and in his despair he leapt down from +the tower. He escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell +pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest, ate +nothing but roots and berries, and did naught but lament and weep over +the loss of his dearest wife. Thus he roamed about in misery for some +years, and at length came to the desert where Rapunzel, with the twins +to which she had given birth, a boy and a girl, lived in wretchedness. +He heard a voice, and it seemed so familiar to him that he went +towards it, and when he approached, Rapunzel knew him and fell on his +neck and wept. Two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear +again, and he could see with them as before. He led her to his kingdom +where he was joyfully received, and they lived for a long time +afterwards, happy and contented. + + + +FUNDEVOGEL + +There was once a forester who went into the forest to hunt, and as he +entered it he heard a sound of screaming as if a little child were +there. He followed the sound, and at last came to a high tree, and at +the top of this a little child was sitting, for the mother had fallen +asleep under the tree with the child, and a bird of prey had seen it +in her arms, had flown down, snatched it away, and set it on the high +tree. + +The forester climbed up, brought the child down, and thought to +himself: 'You will take him home with you, and bring him up with your +Lina.' He took it home, therefore, and the two children grew up +together. And the one, which he had found on a tree was called +Fundevogel, because a bird had carried it away. Fundevogel and Lina +loved each other so dearly that when they did not see each other they +were sad. + +Now the forester had an old cook, who one evening took two pails and +began to fetch water, and did not go once only, but many times, out to +the spring. Lina saw this and said, 'Listen, old Sanna, why are you +fetching so much water?' 'If you will never repeat it to anyone, I +will tell you why.' So Lina said, no, she would never repeat it to +anyone, and then the cook said: 'Early tomorrow morning, when the +forester is out hunting, I will heat the water, and when it is boiling +in the kettle, I will throw in Fundevogel, and will boil him in it.' + +Early next morning the forester got up and went out hunting, and when +he was gone the children were still in bed. Then Lina said to +Fundevogel: 'If you will never leave me, I too will never leave you.' +Fundevogel said: 'Neither now, nor ever will I leave you.' Then said +Lina: 'Then will I tell you. Last night, old Sanna carried so many +buckets of water into the house that I asked her why she was doing +that, and she said that if I would promise not to tell anyone, and she +said that early tomorrow morning when father was out hunting, she +would set the kettle full of water, throw you into it and boil you; +but we will get up quickly, dress ourselves, and go away together.' + +The two children therefore got up, dressed themselves quickly, and +went away. When the water in the kettle was boiling, the cook went +into the bedroom to fetch Fundevogel and throw him into it. But when +she came in, and went to the beds, both the children were gone. Then +she was terribly alarmed, and she said to herself: 'What shall I say +now when the forester comes home and sees that the children are gone? +They must be followed instantly to get them back again.' + +Then the cook sent three servants after them, who were to run and +overtake the children. The children, however, were sitting outside the +forest, and when they saw from afar the three servants running, Lina +said to Fundevogel: 'Never leave me, and I will never leave you.' +Fundevogel said: 'Neither now, nor ever.' Then said Lina: 'Do you +become a rose-tree, and I the rose upon it.' When the three servants +came to the forest, nothing was there but a rose-tree and one rose on +it, but the children were nowhere. Then said they: 'There is nothing +to be done here,' and they went home and told the cook that they had +seen nothing in the forest but a little rose-bush with one rose on it. +Then the old cook scolded and said: 'You simpletons, you should have +cut the rose-bush in two, and have broken off the rose and brought it +home with you; go, and do it at once.' They had therefore to go out +and look for the second time. The children, however, saw them coming +from a distance. Then Lina said: 'Fundevogel, never leave me, and I +will never leave you.' Fundevogel said: 'Neither now; nor ever.' Said +Lina: 'Then do you become a church, and I'll be the chandelier in it.' +So when the three servants came, nothing was there but a church, with +a chandelier in it. They said therefore to each other: 'What can we do +here, let us go home.' When they got home, the cook asked if they had +not found them; so they said no, they had found nothing but a church, +and there was a chandelier in it. And the cook scolded them and said: +'You fools! why did you not pull the church to pieces, and bring the +chandelier home with you?' And now the old cook herself got on her +legs, and went with the three servants in pursuit of the children. The +children, however, saw from afar that the three servants were coming, +and the cook waddling after them. Then said Lina: 'Fundevogel, never +leave me, and I will never leave you.' Then said Fundevogel: 'Neither +now, nor ever.' Said Lina: 'Be a fishpond, and I will be the duck upon +it.' The cook, however, came up to them, and when she saw the pond she +lay down by it, and was about to drink it up. But the duck swam +quickly to her, seized her head in its beak and drew her into the +water, and there the old witch had to drown. Then the children went +home together, and were heartily delighted, and if they have not died, +they are living still. + + + +THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR + +One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the +window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then +came a peasant woman down the street crying: 'Good jams, cheap! Good +jams, cheap!' This rang pleasantly in the tailor's ears; he stretched +his delicate head out of the window, and called: 'Come up here, dear +woman; here you will get rid of your goods.' The woman came up the +three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her +unpack all the pots for him. He inspected each one, lifted it up, put +his nose to it, and at length said: 'The jam seems to me to be good, +so weigh me out four ounces, dear woman, and if it is a quarter of a +pound that is of no consequence.' The woman who had hoped to find a +good sale, gave him what he desired, but went away quite angry and +grumbling. 'Now, this jam shall be blessed by God,' cried the little +tailor, 'and give me health and strength'; so he brought the bread out +of the cupboard, cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread +the jam over it. 'This won't taste bitter,' said he, 'but I will just +finish the jacket before I take a bite.' He laid the bread near him, +sewed on, and in his joy, made bigger and bigger stitches. In the +meantime the smell of the sweet jam rose to where the flies were +sitting in great numbers, and they were attracted and descended on it +in hosts. 'Hi! who invited you?' said the little tailor, and drove the +unbidden guests away. The flies, however, who understood no German, +would not be turned away, but came back again in ever-increasing +companies. The little tailor at last lost all patience, and drew a +piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table, and saying: 'Wait, +and I will give it to you,' struck it mercilessly on them. When he +drew it away and counted, there lay before him no fewer than seven, +dead and with legs stretched out. 'Are you a fellow of that sort?' +said he, and could not help admiring his own bravery. 'The whole town +shall know of this!' And the little tailor hastened to cut himself a +girdle, stitched it, and embroidered on it in large letters: 'Seven at +one stroke!' 'What, the town!' he continued, 'the whole world shall +hear of it!' and his heart wagged with joy like a lamb's tail. The +tailor put on the girdle, and resolved to go forth into the world, +because he thought his workshop was too small for his valour. Before +he went away, he sought about in the house to see if there was +anything which he could take with him; however, he found nothing but +an old cheese, and that he put in his pocket. In front of the door he +observed a bird which had caught itself in the thicket. It had to go +into his pocket with the cheese. Now he took to the road boldly, and +as he was light and nimble, he felt no fatigue. The road led him up a +mountain, and when he had reached the highest point of it, there sat a +powerful giant looking peacefully about him. The little tailor went +bravely up, spoke to him, and said: 'Good day, comrade, so you are +sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world! I am just on my way +thither, and want to try my luck. Have you any inclination to go with +me?' The giant looked contemptuously at the tailor, and said: 'You +ragamuffin! You miserable creature!' + +'Oh, indeed?' answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat, and +showed the giant the girdle, 'there may you read what kind of a man I +am!' The giant read: 'Seven at one stroke,' and thought that they had +been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little +respect for the tiny fellow. Nevertheless, he wished to try him first, +and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water +dropped out of it. 'Do that likewise,' said the giant, 'if you have +strength.' 'Is that all?' said the tailor, 'that is child's play with +us!' and put his hand into his pocket, brought out the soft cheese, +and pressed it until the liquid ran out of it. 'Faith,' said he, 'that +was a little better, wasn't it?' The giant did not know what to say, +and could not believe it of the little man. Then the giant picked up a +stone and threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it. +'Now, little mite of a man, do that likewise,' 'Well thrown,' said the +tailor, 'but after all the stone came down to earth again; I will +throw you one which shall never come back at all,' and he put his hand +into his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air. The +bird, delighted with its liberty, rose, flew away and did not come +back. 'How does that shot please you, comrade?' asked the tailor. 'You +can certainly throw,' said the giant, 'but now we will see if you are +able to carry anything properly.' He took the little tailor to a +mighty oak tree which lay there felled on the ground, and said: 'If +you are strong enough, help me to carry the tree out of the forest.' +'Readily,' answered the little man; 'take you the trunk on your +shoulders, and I will raise up the branches and twigs; after all, they +are the heaviest.' The giant took the trunk on his shoulder, but the +tailor seated himself on a branch, and the giant, who could not look +round, had to carry away the whole tree, and the little tailor into +the bargain: he behind, was quite merry and happy, and whistled the +song: 'Three tailors rode forth from the gate,' as if carrying the +tree were child's play. The giant, after he had dragged the heavy +burden part of the way, could go no further, and cried: 'Hark you, I +shall have to let the tree fall!' The tailor sprang nimbly down, +seized the tree with both arms as if he had been carrying it, and said +to the giant: 'You are such a great fellow, and yet cannot even carry +the tree!' + +They went on together, and as they passed a cherry-tree, the giant +laid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit was hanging, +bent it down, gave it into the tailor's hand, and bade him eat. But +the little tailor was much too weak to hold the tree, and when the +giant let it go, it sprang back again, and the tailor was tossed into +the air with it. When he had fallen down again without injury, the +giant said: 'What is this? Have you not strength enough to hold the +weak twig?' 'There is no lack of strength,' answered the little +tailor. 'Do you think that could be anything to a man who has struck +down seven at one blow? I leapt over the tree because the huntsmen are +shooting down there in the thicket. Jump as I did, if you can do it.' +The giant made the attempt but he could not get over the tree, and +remained hanging in the branches, so that in this also the tailor kept +the upper hand. + +The giant said: 'If you are such a valiant fellow, come with me into +our cavern and spend the night with us.' The little tailor was +willing, and followed him. When they went into the cave, other giants +were sitting there by the fire, and each of them had a roasted sheep +in his hand and was eating it. The little tailor looked round and +thought: 'It is much more spacious here than in my workshop.' The +giant showed him a bed, and said he was to lie down in it and sleep. +The bed, however, was too big for the little tailor; he did not lie +down in it, but crept into a corner. When it was midnight, and the +giant thought that the little tailor was lying in a sound sleep, he +got up, took a great iron bar, cut through the bed with one blow, and +thought he had finished off the grasshopper for good. With the +earliest dawn the giants went into the forest, and had quite forgotten +the little tailor, when all at once he walked up to them quite merrily +and boldly. The giants were terrified, they were afraid that he would +strike them all dead, and ran away in a great hurry. + +The little tailor went onwards, always following his own pointed nose. +After he had walked for a long time, he came to the courtyard of a +royal palace, and as he felt weary, he lay down on the grass and fell +asleep. Whilst he lay there, the people came and inspected him on all +sides, and read on his girdle: 'Seven at one stroke.' 'Ah!' said they, +'what does the great warrior want here in the midst of peace? He must +be a mighty lord.' They went and announced him to the king, and gave +it as their opinion that if war should break out, this would be a +weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to +depart. The counsel pleased the king, and he sent one of his courtiers +to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke. The +ambassador remained standing by the sleeper, waited until he stretched +his limbs and opened his eyes, and then conveyed to him this proposal. +'For this very reason have I come here,' the tailor replied, 'I am +ready to enter the king's service.' He was therefore honourably +received, and a special dwelling was assigned him. + +The soldiers, however, were set against the little tailor, and wished +him a thousand miles away. 'What is to be the end of this?' they said +among themselves. 'If we quarrel with him, and he strikes about him, +seven of us will fall at every blow; not one of us can stand against +him.' They came therefore to a decision, betook themselves in a body +to the king, and begged for their dismissal. 'We are not prepared,' +said they, 'to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke.' The +king was sorry that for the sake of one he should lose all his +faithful servants, wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor, +and would willingly have been rid of him again. But he did not venture +to give him his dismissal, for he dreaded lest he should strike him +and all his people dead, and place himself on the royal throne. He +thought about it for a long time, and at last found good counsel. He +sent to the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was +a great warrior, he had one request to make to him. In a forest of his +country lived two giants, who caused great mischief with their +robbing, murdering, ravaging, and burning, and no one could approach +them without putting himself in danger of death. If the tailor +conquered and killed these two giants, he would give him his only +daughter to wife, and half of his kingdom as a dowry, likewise one +hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him. 'That would indeed +be a fine thing for a man like me!' thought the little tailor. 'One is +not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one's +life!' 'Oh, yes,' he replied, 'I will soon subdue the giants, and do +not require the help of the hundred horsemen to do it; he who can hit +seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two.' + +The little tailor went forth, and the hundred horsemen followed him. +When he came to the outskirts of the forest, he said to his followers: +'Just stay waiting here, I alone will soon finish off the giants.' +Then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left. After +a while he perceived both giants. They lay sleeping under a tree, and +snored so that the branches waved up and down. The little tailor, not +idle, gathered two pocketsful of stones, and with these climbed up the +tree. When he was halfway up, he slipped down by a branch, until he +sat just above the sleepers, and then let one stone after another fall +on the breast of one of the giants. For a long time the giant felt +nothing, but at last he awoke, pushed his comrade, and said: 'Why are +you knocking me?' 'You must be dreaming,' said the other, 'I am not +knocking you.' They laid themselves down to sleep again, and then the +tailor threw a stone down on the second. 'What is the meaning of +this?' cried the other 'Why are you pelting me?' 'I am not pelting +you,' answered the first, growling. They disputed about it for a time, +but as they were weary they let the matter rest, and their eyes closed +once more. The little tailor began his game again, picked out the +biggest stone, and threw it with all his might on the breast of the +first giant. 'That is too bad!' cried he, and sprang up like a madman, +and pushed his companion against the tree until it shook. The other +paid him back in the same coin, and they got into such a rage that +they tore up trees and belaboured each other so long, that at last +they both fell down dead on the ground at the same time. Then the +little tailor leapt down. 'It is a lucky thing,' said he, 'that they +did not tear up the tree on which I was sitting, or I should have had +to sprint on to another like a squirrel; but we tailors are nimble.' +He drew out his sword and gave each of them a couple of thrusts in the +breast, and then went out to the horsemen and said: 'The work is done; +I have finished both of them off, but it was hard work! They tore up +trees in their sore need, and defended themselves with them, but all +that is to no purpose when a man like myself comes, who can kill seven +at one blow.' 'But are you not wounded?' asked the horsemen. 'You need +not concern yourself about that,' answered the tailor, 'they have not +bent one hair of mine.' The horsemen would not believe him, and rode +into the forest; there they found the giants swimming in their blood, +and all round about lay the torn-up trees. + +The little tailor demanded of the king the promised reward; he, +however, repented of his promise, and again bethought himself how he +could get rid of the hero. 'Before you receive my daughter, and the +half of my kingdom,' said he to him, 'you must perform one more heroic +deed. In the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm, and you +must catch it first.' 'I fear one unicorn still less than two giants. +Seven at one blow, is my kind of affair.' He took a rope and an axe +with him, went forth into the forest, and again bade those who were +sent with him to wait outside. He had not long to seek. The unicorn +soon came towards him, and rushed directly on the tailor, as if it +would gore him with its horn without more ado. 'Softly, softly; it +can't be done as quickly as that,' said he, and stood still and waited +until the animal was quite close, and then sprang nimbly behind the +tree. The unicorn ran against the tree with all its strength, and +stuck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not the strength +enough to draw it out again, and thus it was caught. 'Now, I have got +the bird,' said the tailor, and came out from behind the tree and put +the rope round its neck, and then with his axe he hewed the horn out +of the tree, and when all was ready he led the beast away and took it +to the king. + +The king still would not give him the promised reward, and made a +third demand. Before the wedding the tailor was to catch him a wild +boar that made great havoc in the forest, and the huntsmen should give +him their help. 'Willingly,' said the tailor, 'that is child's play!' +He did not take the huntsmen with him into the forest, and they were +well pleased that he did not, for the wild boar had several times +received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to lie in +wait for him. When the boar perceived the tailor, it ran on him with +foaming mouth and whetted tusks, and was about to throw him to the +ground, but the hero fled and sprang into a chapel which was near and +up to the window at once, and in one bound out again. The boar ran +after him, but the tailor ran round outside and shut the door behind +it, and then the raging beast, which was much too heavy and awkward to +leap out of the window, was caught. The little tailor called the +huntsmen thither that they might see the prisoner with their own eyes. +The hero, however, went to the king, who was now, whether he liked it +or not, obliged to keep his promise, and gave his daughter and the +half of his kingdom. Had he known that it was no warlike hero, but a +little tailor who was standing before him, it would have gone to his +heart still more than it did. The wedding was held with great +magnificence and small joy, and out of a tailor a king was made. + +After some time the young queen heard her husband say in his dreams at +night: 'Boy, make me the doublet, and patch the pantaloons, or else I +will rap the yard-measure over your ears.' Then she discovered in what +state of life the young lord had been born, and next morning +complained of her wrongs to her father, and begged him to help her to +get rid of her husband, who was nothing else but a tailor. The king +comforted her and said: 'Leave your bedroom door open this night, and +my servants shall stand outside, and when he has fallen asleep shall +go in, bind him, and take him on board a ship which shall carry him +into the wide world.' The woman was satisfied with this; but the +king's armour-bearer, who had heard all, was friendly with the young +lord, and informed him of the whole plot. 'I'll put a screw into that +business,' said the little tailor. At night he went to bed with his +wife at the usual time, and when she thought that he had fallen +asleep, she got up, opened the door, and then lay down again. The +little tailor, who was only pretending to be asleep, began to cry out +in a clear voice: 'Boy, make me the doublet and patch me the +pantaloons, or I will rap the yard-measure over your ears. I smote +seven at one blow. I killed two giants, I brought away one unicorn, +and caught a wild boar, and am I to fear those who are standing +outside the room.' When these men heard the tailor speaking thus, they +were overcome by a great dread, and ran as if the wild huntsman were +behind them, and none of them would venture anything further against +him. So the little tailor was and remained a king to the end of his +life. + + + +HANSEL AND GRETEL + +Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his +two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had +little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the +land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought +over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he +groaned and said to his wife: 'What is to become of us? How are we to +feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for +ourselves?' 'I'll tell you what, husband,' answered the woman, 'early +tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to +where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and +give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our +work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and +we shall be rid of them.' 'No, wife,' said the man, 'I will not do +that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?--the +wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.' 'O, you fool!' +said she, 'then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane +the planks for our coffins,' and she left him no peace until he +consented. 'But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the +same,' said the man. + +The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had +heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept +bitter tears, and said to Hansel: 'Now all is over with us.' 'Be +quiet, Gretel,' said Hansel, 'do not distress yourself, I will soon +find a way to help us.' And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he +got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept +outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in +front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped +and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get +in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: 'Be comforted, dear little +sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,' and he lay down +again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the +woman came and awoke the two children, saying: 'Get up, you sluggards! +we are going into the forest to fetch wood.' She gave each a little +piece of bread, and said: 'There is something for your dinner, but do +not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.' Gretel took +the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. +Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had +walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, +and did so again and again. His father said: 'Hansel, what are you +looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not +forget how to use your legs.' 'Ah, father,' said Hansel, 'I am looking +at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to +say goodbye to me.' The wife said: 'Fool, that is not your little cat, +that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.' Hansel, +however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly +throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road. + +When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: 'Now, +children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not +be cold.' Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a +little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were +burning very high, the woman said: 'Now, children, lay yourselves down +by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. +When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.' + +Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a +little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe +they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, +but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind +was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such +a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast +asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel +began to cry and said: 'How are we to get out of the forest now?' But +Hansel comforted her and said: 'Just wait a little, until the moon has +risen, and then we will soon find the way.' And when the full moon had +risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the +pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them +the way. + +They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more +to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman +opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: 'You +naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?--we +thought you were never coming back at all!' The father, however, +rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone. + +Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the +land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their +father: 'Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and +that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into +the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no +other means of saving ourselves!' The man's heart was heavy, and he +thought: 'It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with +your children.' The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he +had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, +likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a +second time also. + +The children, however, were still awake and had heard the +conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and +wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the +woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless +he comforted his little sister, and said: 'Do not cry, Gretel, go to +sleep quietly, the good God will help us.' + +Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of +their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still +smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel +crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel +on the ground. 'Hansel, why do you stop and look round?' said the +father, 'go on.' 'I am looking back at my little pigeon which is +sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,' answered Hansel. +'Fool!' said the woman, 'that is not your little pigeon, that is the +morning sun that is shining on the chimney.' Hansel, however little by +little, threw all the crumbs on the path. + +The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they +had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again +made, and the mother said: 'Just sit there, you children, and when you +are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut +wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you +away.' When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, +who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening +passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until +it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: +'Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the +crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way +home again.' When the moon came they set out, but they found no +crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods +and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: 'We shall +soon find the way,' but they did not find it. They walked the whole +night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did +not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing +to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they +were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay +down beneath a tree and fell asleep. + +It was now three mornings since they had left their father's house. +They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, +and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. +When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a +bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened +to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away +before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, +on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little +house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but +that the windows were of clear sugar. 'We will set to work on that,' +said Hansel, 'and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and +you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.' Hansel +reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it +tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. +Then a soft voice cried from the parlour: + + 'Nibble, nibble, gnaw, + Who is nibbling at my little house?' + +The children answered: + + 'The wind, the wind, + The heaven-born wind,' + +and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked +the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel +pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed +herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the +hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel +and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they +had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: +'Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay +with me. No harm shall happen to you.' She took them both by the hand, +and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before +them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two +pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and +Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven. + +The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a +wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the +little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell +into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast +day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have +a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw +near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed +with malice, and said mockingly: 'I have them, they shall not escape +me again!' Early in the morning before the children were awake, she +was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so +pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: +'That will be a dainty mouthful!' Then she seized Hansel with her +shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in +behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then +she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: 'Get up, lazy +thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he +is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I +will eat him.' Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, +for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded. + +And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got +nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little +stable, and cried: 'Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if +you will soon be fat.' Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to +her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and +thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no +way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still +remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any +longer. 'Now, then, Gretel,' she cried to the girl, 'stir yourself, +and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill +him, and cook him.' Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she +had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! +'Dear God, do help us,' she cried. 'If the wild beasts in the forest +had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.' 'Just +keep your noise to yourself,' said the old woman, 'it won't help you +at all.' + +Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron +with the water, and light the fire. 'We will bake first,' said the old +woman, 'I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.' She +pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were +already darting. 'Creep in,' said the witch, 'and see if it is +properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.' And once Gretel was +inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then +she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: +'I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?' 'Silly goose,' +said the old woman. 'The door is big enough; just look, I can get in +myself!' and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then +Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron +door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite +horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably +burnt to death. + +Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little +stable, and cried: 'Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!' Then +Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How +they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each +other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into +the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of +pearls and jewels. 'These are far better than pebbles!' said Hansel, +and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: +'I, too, will take something home with me,' and filled her pinafore +full. 'But now we must be off,' said Hansel, 'that we may get out of +the witch's forest.' + +When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of +water. 'We cannot cross,' said Hansel, 'I see no foot-plank, and no +bridge.' 'And there is also no ferry,' answered Gretel, 'but a white +duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.' Then she +cried: + + 'Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, + Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee? + There's never a plank, or bridge in sight, + Take us across on thy back so white.' + +The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told +his sister to sit by him. 'No,' replied Gretel, 'that will be too +heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the +other.' The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely +across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more +and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their +father's house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and +threw themselves round their father's neck. The man had not known one +happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, +however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and +precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after +another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an +end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, +there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur +cap out of it. + + + +THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE SAUSAGE + +Once upon a time, a mouse, a bird, and a sausage, entered into +partnership and set up house together. For a long time all went well; +they lived in great comfort, and prospered so far as to be able to add +considerably to their stores. The bird's duty was to fly daily into +the wood and bring in fuel; the mouse fetched the water, and the +sausage saw to the cooking. + +When people are too well off they always begin to long for something +new. And so it came to pass, that the bird, while out one day, met a +fellow bird, to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his +household arrangements. But the other bird sneered at him for being a +poor simpleton, who did all the hard work, while the other two stayed +at home and had a good time of it. For, when the mouse had made the +fire and fetched in the water, she could retire into her little room +and rest until it was time to set the table. The sausage had only to +watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked, and when it +was near dinner-time, he just threw himself into the broth, or rolled +in and out among the vegetables three or four times, and there they +were, buttered, and salted, and ready to be served. Then, when the +bird came home and had laid aside his burden, they sat down to table, +and when they had finished their meal, they could sleep their fill +till the following morning: and that was really a very delightful +life. + +Influenced by those remarks, the bird next morning refused to bring in +the wood, telling the others that he had been their servant long +enough, and had been a fool into the bargain, and that it was now time +to make a change, and to try some other way of arranging the work. Beg +and pray as the mouse and the sausage might, it was of no use; the +bird remained master of the situation, and the venture had to be made. +They therefore drew lots, and it fell to the sausage to bring in the +wood, to the mouse to cook, and to the bird to fetch the water. + +And now what happened? The sausage started in search of wood, the bird +made the fire, and the mouse put on the pot, and then these two waited +till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day. But the +sausage remained so long away, that they became uneasy, and the bird +flew out to meet him. He had not flown far, however, when he came +across a dog who, having met the sausage, had regarded him as his +legitimate booty, and so seized and swallowed him. The bird complained +to the dog of this bare-faced robbery, but nothing he said was of any +avail, for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the +sausage, and that was the reason his life had been forfeited. + +He picked up the wood, and flew sadly home, and told the mouse all he +had seen and heard. They were both very unhappy, but agreed to make +the best of things and to remain with one another. + +So now the bird set the table, and the mouse looked after the food +and, wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage, by rolling +in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them, she jumped +into the pot; but she stopped short long before she reached the +bottom, having already parted not only with her skin and hair, but +also with life. + +Presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner, but he +could nowhere see the cook. In his alarm and flurry, he threw the wood +here and there about the floor, called and searched, but no cook was +to be found. Then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown +down, caught fire and began to blaze. The bird hastened to fetch some +water, but his pail fell into the well, and he after it, and as he was +unable to recover himself, he was drowned. + + + +MOTHER HOLLE + +Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters; one of them +was beautiful and industrious, the other ugly and lazy. The mother, +however, loved the ugly and lazy one best, because she was her own +daughter, and so the other, who was only her stepdaughter, was made to +do all the work of the house, and was quite the Cinderella of the +family. Her stepmother sent her out every day to sit by the well in +the high road, there to spin until she made her fingers bleed. Now it +chanced one day that some blood fell on to the spindle, and as the +girl stopped over the well to wash it off, the spindle suddenly sprang +out of her hand and fell into the well. She ran home crying to tell of +her misfortune, but her stepmother spoke harshly to her, and after +giving her a violent scolding, said unkindly, 'As you have let the +spindle fall into the well you may go yourself and fetch it out.' + +The girl went back to the well not knowing what to do, and at last in +her distress she jumped into the water after the spindle. + +She remembered nothing more until she awoke and found herself in a +beautiful meadow, full of sunshine, and with countless flowers +blooming in every direction. + +She walked over the meadow, and presently she came upon a baker's oven +full of bread, and the loaves cried out to her, 'Take us out, take us +out, or alas! we shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through +long ago.' So she took the bread-shovel and drew them all out. + +She went on a little farther, till she came to a free full of apples. +'Shake me, shake me, I pray,' cried the tree; 'my apples, one and all, +are ripe.' So she shook the tree, and the apples came falling down +upon her like rain; but she continued shaking until there was not a +single apple left upon it. Then she carefully gathered the apples +together in a heap and walked on again. + +The next thing she came to was a little house, and there she saw an +old woman looking out, with such large teeth, that she was terrified, +and turned to run away. But the old woman called after her, 'What are +you afraid of, dear child? Stay with me; if you will do the work of my +house properly for me, I will make you very happy. You must be very +careful, however, to make my bed in the right way, for I wish you +always to shake it thoroughly, so that the feathers fly about; then +they say, down there in the world, that it is snowing; for I am Mother +Holle.' The old woman spoke so kindly, that the girl summoned up +courage and agreed to enter into her service. + +She took care to do everything according to the old woman's bidding +and every time she made the bed she shook it with all her might, so +that the feathers flew about like so many snowflakes. The old woman +was as good as her word: she never spoke angrily to her, and gave her +roast and boiled meats every day. + +So she stayed on with Mother Holle for some time, and then she began +to grow unhappy. She could not at first tell why she felt sad, but she +became conscious at last of great longing to go home; then she knew +she was homesick, although she was a thousand times better off with +Mother Holle than with her mother and sister. After waiting awhile, +she went to Mother Holle and said, 'I am so homesick, that I cannot +stay with you any longer, for although I am so happy here, I must +return to my own people.' + +Then Mother Holle said, 'I am pleased that you should want to go back +to your own people, and as you have served me so well and faithfully, +I will take you home myself.' + +Thereupon she led the girl by the hand up to a broad gateway. The gate +was opened, and as the girl passed through, a shower of gold fell upon +her, and the gold clung to her, so that she was covered with it from +head to foot. + +'That is a reward for your industry,' said Mother Holle, and as she +spoke she handed her the spindle which she had dropped into the well. + +The gate was then closed, and the girl found herself back in the old +world close to her mother's house. As she entered the courtyard, the +cock who was perched on the well, called out: + + 'Cock-a-doodle-doo! + Your golden daughter's come back to you.' + +Then she went in to her mother and sister, and as she was so richly +covered with gold, they gave her a warm welcome. She related to them +all that had happened, and when the mother heard how she had come by +her great riches, she thought she should like her ugly, lazy daughter +to go and try her fortune. So she made the sister go and sit by the +well and spin, and the girl pricked her finger and thrust her hand +into a thorn-bush, so that she might drop some blood on to the +spindle; then she threw it into the well, and jumped in herself. + +Like her sister she awoke in the beautiful meadow, and walked over it +till she came to the oven. 'Take us out, take us out, or alas! we +shall be burnt to a cinder; we were baked through long ago,' cried the +loaves as before. But the lazy girl answered, 'Do you think I am going +to dirty my hands for you?' and walked on. + +Presently she came to the apple-tree. 'Shake me, shake me, I pray; my +apples, one and all, are ripe,' it cried. But she only answered, 'A +nice thing to ask me to do, one of the apples might fall on my head,' +and passed on. + +At last she came to Mother Holle's house, and as she had heard all +about the large teeth from her sister, she was not afraid of them, and +engaged herself without delay to the old woman. + +The first day she was very obedient and industrious, and exerted +herself to please Mother Holle, for she thought of the gold she should +get in return. The next day, however, she began to dawdle over her +work, and the third day she was more idle still; then she began to lie +in bed in the mornings and refused to get up. Worse still, she +neglected to make the old woman's bed properly, and forgot to shake it +so that the feathers might fly about. So Mother Holle very soon got +tired of her, and told her she might go. The lazy girl was delighted +at this, and thought to herself, 'The gold will soon be mine.' Mother +Holle led her, as she had led her sister, to the broad gateway; but as +she was passing through, instead of the shower of gold, a great +bucketful of pitch came pouring over her. + +'That is in return for your services,' said the old woman, and she +shut the gate. + +So the lazy girl had to go home covered with pitch, and the cock on +the well called out as she saw her: + + 'Cock-a-doodle-doo! + Your dirty daughter's come back to you.' + +But, try what she would, she could not get the pitch off and it stuck +to her as long as she lived. + + + +LITTLE RED-CAP [LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD] + +Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by +everyone who looked at her, but most of all by her grandmother, and +there was nothing that she would not have given to the child. Once she +gave her a little cap of red velvet, which suited her so well that she +would never wear anything else; so she was always called 'Little Red- +Cap.' + +One day her mother said to her: 'Come, Little Red-Cap, here is a piece +of cake and a bottle of wine; take them to your grandmother, she is +ill and weak, and they will do her good. Set out before it gets hot, +and when you are going, walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the +path, or you may fall and break the bottle, and then your grandmother +will get nothing; and when you go into her room, don't forget to say, +"Good morning", and don't peep into every corner before you do it.' + +'I will take great care,' said Little Red-Cap to her mother, and gave +her hand on it. + +The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village, +and just as Little Red-Cap entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red-Cap +did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid +of him. + +'Good day, Little Red-Cap,' said he. + +'Thank you kindly, wolf.' + +'Whither away so early, Little Red-Cap?' + +'To my grandmother's.' + +'What have you got in your apron?' + +'Cake and wine; yesterday was baking-day, so poor sick grandmother is +to have something good, to make her stronger.' + +'Where does your grandmother live, Little Red-Cap?' + +'A good quarter of a league farther on in the wood; her house stands +under the three large oak-trees, the nut-trees are just below; you +surely must know it,' replied Little Red-Cap. + +The wolf thought to himself: 'What a tender young creature! what a +nice plump mouthful--she will be better to eat than the old woman. I +must act craftily, so as to catch both.' So he walked for a short time +by the side of Little Red-Cap, and then he said: 'See, Little Red-Cap, +how pretty the flowers are about here--why do you not look round? I +believe, too, that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are +singing; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school, while +everything else out here in the wood is merry.' + +Little Red-Cap raised her eyes, and when she saw the sunbeams dancing +here and there through the trees, and pretty flowers growing +everywhere, she thought: 'Suppose I take grandmother a fresh nosegay; +that would please her too. It is so early in the day that I shall +still get there in good time'; and so she ran from the path into the +wood to look for flowers. And whenever she had picked one, she fancied +that she saw a still prettier one farther on, and ran after it, and so +got deeper and deeper into the wood. + +Meanwhile the wolf ran straight to the grandmother's house and knocked +at the door. + +'Who is there?' + +'Little Red-Cap,' replied the wolf. 'She is bringing cake and wine; +open the door.' + +'Lift the latch,' called out the grandmother, 'I am too weak, and +cannot get up.' + +The wolf lifted the latch, the door sprang open, and without saying a +word he went straight to the grandmother's bed, and devoured her. Then +he put on her clothes, dressed himself in her cap laid himself in bed +and drew the curtains. + +Little Red-Cap, however, had been running about picking flowers, and +when she had gathered so many that she could carry no more, she +remembered her grandmother, and set out on the way to her. + +She was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open, and when she +went into the room, she had such a strange feeling that she said to +herself: 'Oh dear! how uneasy I feel today, and at other times I like +being with grandmother so much.' She called out: 'Good morning,' but +received no answer; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains. +There lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face, and +looking very strange. + +'Oh! grandmother,' she said, 'what big ears you have!' + +'The better to hear you with, my child,' was the reply. + +'But, grandmother, what big eyes you have!' she said. + +'The better to see you with, my dear.' + +'But, grandmother, what large hands you have!' + +'The better to hug you with.' + +'Oh! but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have!' + +'The better to eat you with!' + +And scarcely had the wolf said this, than with one bound he was out of +bed and swallowed up Red-Cap. + +When the wolf had appeased his appetite, he lay down again in the bed, +fell asleep and began to snore very loud. The huntsman was just +passing the house, and thought to himself: 'How the old woman is +snoring! I must just see if she wants anything.' So he went into the +room, and when he came to the bed, he saw that the wolf was lying in +it. 'Do I find you here, you old sinner!' said he. 'I have long sought +you!' Then just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him +that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might +still be saved, so he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and +began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf. When he had made +two snips, he saw the little Red-Cap shining, and then he made two +snips more, and the little girl sprang out, crying: 'Ah, how +frightened I have been! How dark it was inside the wolf'; and after +that the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to +breathe. Red-Cap, however, quickly fetched great stones with which +they filled the wolf's belly, and when he awoke, he wanted to run +away, but the stones were so heavy that he collapsed at once, and fell +dead. + +Then all three were delighted. The huntsman drew off the wolf's skin +and went home with it; the grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine +which Red-Cap had brought, and revived, but Red-Cap thought to +herself: 'As long as I live, I will never by myself leave the path, to +run into the wood, when my mother has forbidden me to do so.' + + + +It also related that once when Red-Cap was again taking cakes to the +old grandmother, another wolf spoke to her, and tried to entice her +from the path. Red-Cap, however, was on her guard, and went straight +forward on her way, and told her grandmother that she had met the +wolf, and that he had said 'good morning' to her, but with such a +wicked look in his eyes, that if they had not been on the public road +she was certain he would have eaten her up. 'Well,' said the +grandmother, 'we will shut the door, that he may not come in.' Soon +afterwards the wolf knocked, and cried: 'Open the door, grandmother, I +am Little Red-Cap, and am bringing you some cakes.' But they did not +speak, or open the door, so the grey-beard stole twice or thrice round +the house, and at last jumped on the roof, intending to wait until +Red-Cap went home in the evening, and then to steal after her and +devour her in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what was in his +thoughts. In front of the house was a great stone trough, so she said +to the child: 'Take the pail, Red-Cap; I made some sausages yesterday, +so carry the water in which I boiled them to the trough.' Red-Cap +carried until the great trough was quite full. Then the smell of the +sausages reached the wolf, and he sniffed and peeped down, and at last +stretched out his neck so far that he could no longer keep his footing +and began to slip, and slipped down from the roof straight into the +great trough, and was drowned. But Red-Cap went joyously home, and no +one ever did anything to harm her again. + + + +THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM + +There was once a miller who had one beautiful daughter, and as she was +grown up, he was anxious that she should be well married and provided +for. He said to himself, 'I will give her to the first suitable man +who comes and asks for her hand.' Not long after a suitor appeared, +and as he appeared to be very rich and the miller could see nothing in +him with which to find fault, he betrothed his daughter to him. But +the girl did not care for the man as a girl ought to care for her +betrothed husband. She did not feel that she could trust him, and she +could not look at him nor think of him without an inward shudder. One +day he said to her, 'You have not yet paid me a visit, although we +have been betrothed for some time.' 'I do not know where your house +is,' she answered. 'My house is out there in the dark forest,' he +said. She tried to excuse herself by saying that she would not be able +to find the way thither. Her betrothed only replied, 'You must come +and see me next Sunday; I have already invited guests for that day, +and that you may not mistake the way, I will strew ashes along the +path.' + +When Sunday came, and it was time for the girl to start, a feeling of +dread came over her which she could not explain, and that she might be +able to find her path again, she filled her pockets with peas and +lentils to sprinkle on the ground as she went along. On reaching the +entrance to the forest she found the path strewed with ashes, and +these she followed, throwing down some peas on either side of her at +every step she took. She walked the whole day until she came to the +deepest, darkest part of the forest. There she saw a lonely house, +looking so grim and mysterious, that it did not please her at all. She +stepped inside, but not a soul was to be seen, and a great silence +reigned throughout. Suddenly a voice cried: + + 'Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, + Linger not in this murderers' lair.' + +The girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird hanging in +a cage on the wall. Again it cried: + + 'Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, + Linger not in this murderers' lair.' + +The girl passed on, going from room to room of the house, but they +were all empty, and still she saw no one. At last she came to the +cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not keep her +head from shaking. 'Can you tell me,' asked the girl, 'if my betrothed +husband lives here?' + +'Ah, you poor child,' answered the old woman, 'what a place for you to +come to! This is a murderers' den. You think yourself a promised +bride, and that your marriage will soon take place, but it is with +death that you will keep your marriage feast. Look, do you see that +large cauldron of water which I am obliged to keep on the fire! As +soon as they have you in their power they will kill you without mercy, +and cook and eat you, for they are eaters of men. If I did not take +pity on you and save you, you would be lost.' + +Thereupon the old woman led her behind a large cask, which quite hid +her from view. 'Keep as still as a mouse,' she said; 'do not move or +speak, or it will be all over with you. Tonight, when the robbers are +all asleep, we will flee together. I have long been waiting for an +opportunity to escape.' + +The words were hardly out of her mouth when the godless crew returned, +dragging another young girl along with them. They were all drunk, and +paid no heed to her cries and lamentations. They gave her wine to +drink, three glasses full, one of white wine, one of red, and one of +yellow, and with that her heart gave way and she died. Then they tore +of her dainty clothing, laid her on a table, and cut her beautiful +body into pieces, and sprinkled salt upon it. + +The poor betrothed girl crouched trembling and shuddering behind the +cask, for she saw what a terrible fate had been intended for her by +the robbers. One of them now noticed a gold ring still remaining on +the little finger of the murdered girl, and as he could not draw it +off easily, he took a hatchet and cut off the finger; but the finger +sprang into the air, and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl +who was hiding there. The robber took a light and began looking for +it, but he could not find it. 'Have you looked behind the large cask?' +said one of the others. But the old woman called out, 'Come and eat +your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won't run +away.' + +'The old woman is right,' said the robbers, and they ceased looking +for the finger and sat down. + +The old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine, and +before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar, fast +asleep and snoring. As soon as the girl was assured of this, she came +from behind the cask. She was obliged to step over the bodies of the +sleepers, who were lying close together, and every moment she was +filled with renewed dread lest she should awaken them. But God helped +her, so that she passed safely over them, and then she and the old +woman went upstairs, opened the door, and hastened as fast as they +could from the murderers' den. They found the ashes scattered by the +wind, but the peas and lentils had sprouted, and grown sufficiently +above the ground, to guide them in the moonlight along the path. All +night long they walked, and it was morning before they reached the +mill. Then the girl told her father all that had happened. + +The day came that had been fixed for the marriage. The bridegroom +arrived and also a large company of guests, for the miller had taken +care to invite all his friends and relations. As they sat at the +feast, each guest in turn was asked to tell a tale; the bride sat +still and did not say a word. + +'And you, my love,' said the bridegroom, turning to her, 'is there no +tale you know? Tell us something.' + +'I will tell you a dream, then,' said the bride. 'I went alone through +a forest and came at last to a house; not a soul could I find within, +but a bird that was hanging in a cage on the wall cried: + + 'Turn back, turn back, young maiden fair, + Linger not in this murderers' lair.' + +and again a second time it said these words.' + +'My darling, this is only a dream.' + +'I went on through the house from room to room, but they were all +empty, and everything was so grim and mysterious. At last I went down +to the cellar, and there sat a very, very old woman, who could not +keep her head still. I asked her if my betrothed lived here, and she +answered, "Ah, you poor child, you are come to a murderers' den; your +betrothed does indeed live here, but he will kill you without mercy +and afterwards cook and eat you."' + +'My darling, this is only a dream.' + +'The old woman hid me behind a large cask, and scarcely had she done +this when the robbers returned home, dragging a young girl along with +them. They gave her three kinds of wine to drink, white, red, and +yellow, and with that she died.' + +'My darling, this is only a dream.' + +'Then they tore off her dainty clothing, and cut her beautiful body +into pieces and sprinkled salt upon it.' + +'My darling, this is only a dream.' + +'And one of the robbers saw that there was a gold ring still left on +her finger, and as it was difficult to draw off, he took a hatchet and +cut off her finger; but the finger sprang into the air and fell behind +the great cask into my lap. And here is the finger with the ring.' and +with these words the bride drew forth the finger and shewed it to the +assembled guests. + +The bridegroom, who during this recital had grown deadly pale, up and +tried to escape, but the guests seized him and held him fast. They +delivered him up to justice, and he and all his murderous band were +condemned to death for their wicked deeds. + + + +TOM THUMB + +A poor woodman sat in his cottage one night, smoking his pipe by the +fireside, while his wife sat by his side spinning. 'How lonely it is, +wife,' said he, as he puffed out a long curl of smoke, 'for you and me +to sit here by ourselves, without any children to play about and amuse +us while other people seem so happy and merry with their children!' +'What you say is very true,' said the wife, sighing, and turning round +her wheel; 'how happy should I be if I had but one child! If it were +ever so small--nay, if it were no bigger than my thumb--I should be +very happy, and love it dearly.' Now--odd as you may think it--it came +to pass that this good woman's wish was fulfilled, just in the very +way she had wished it; for, not long afterwards, she had a little boy, +who was quite healthy and strong, but was not much bigger than my +thumb. So they said, 'Well, we cannot say we have not got what we +wished for, and, little as he is, we will love him dearly.' And they +called him Thomas Thumb. + +They gave him plenty of food, yet for all they could do he never grew +bigger, but kept just the same size as he had been when he was born. +Still, his eyes were sharp and sparkling, and he soon showed himself +to be a clever little fellow, who always knew well what he was about. + +One day, as the woodman was getting ready to go into the wood to cut +fuel, he said, 'I wish I had someone to bring the cart after me, for I +want to make haste.' 'Oh, father,' cried Tom, 'I will take care of +that; the cart shall be in the wood by the time you want it.' Then the +woodman laughed, and said, 'How can that be? you cannot reach up to +the horse's bridle.' 'Never mind that, father,' said Tom; 'if my +mother will only harness the horse, I will get into his ear and tell +him which way to go.' 'Well,' said the father, 'we will try for once.' + +When the time came the mother harnessed the horse to the cart, and put +Tom into his ear; and as he sat there the little man told the beast +how to go, crying out, 'Go on!' and 'Stop!' as he wanted: and thus the +horse went on just as well as if the woodman had driven it himself +into the wood. It happened that as the horse was going a little too +fast, and Tom was calling out, 'Gently! gently!' two strangers came +up. 'What an odd thing that is!' said one: 'there is a cart going +along, and I hear a carter talking to the horse, but yet I can see no +one.' 'That is queer, indeed,' said the other; 'let us follow the +cart, and see where it goes.' So they went on into the wood, till at +last they came to the place where the woodman was. Then Tom Thumb, +seeing his father, cried out, 'See, father, here I am with the cart, +all right and safe! now take me down!' So his father took hold of the +horse with one hand, and with the other took his son out of the +horse's ear, and put him down upon a straw, where he sat as merry as +you please. + +The two strangers were all this time looking on, and did not know what +to say for wonder. At last one took the other aside, and said, 'That +little urchin will make our fortune, if we can get him, and carry him +about from town to town as a show; we must buy him.' So they went up +to the woodman, and asked him what he would take for the little man. +'He will be better off,' said they, 'with us than with you.' 'I won't +sell him at all,' said the father; 'my own flesh and blood is dearer +to me than all the silver and gold in the world.' But Tom, hearing of +the bargain they wanted to make, crept up his father's coat to his +shoulder and whispered in his ear, 'Take the money, father, and let +them have me; I'll soon come back to you.' + +So the woodman at last said he would sell Tom to the strangers for a +large piece of gold, and they paid the price. 'Where would you like to +sit?' said one of them. 'Oh, put me on the rim of your hat; that will +be a nice gallery for me; I can walk about there and see the country +as we go along.' So they did as he wished; and when Tom had taken +leave of his father they took him away with them. + +They journeyed on till it began to be dusky, and then the little man +said, 'Let me get down, I'm tired.' So the man took off his hat, and +put him down on a clod of earth, in a ploughed field by the side of +the road. But Tom ran about amongst the furrows, and at last slipped +into an old mouse-hole. 'Good night, my masters!' said he, 'I'm off! +mind and look sharp after me the next time.' Then they ran at once to +the place, and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole, but +all in vain; Tom only crawled farther and farther in; and at last it +became quite dark, so that they were forced to go their way without +their prize, as sulky as could be. + +When Tom found they were gone, he came out of his hiding-place. 'What +dangerous walking it is,' said he, 'in this ploughed field! If I were +to fall from one of these great clods, I should undoubtedly break my +neck.' At last, by good luck, he found a large empty snail-shell. +'This is lucky,' said he, 'I can sleep here very well'; and in he +crept. + +Just as he was falling asleep, he heard two men passing by, chatting +together; and one said to the other, 'How can we rob that rich +parson's house of his silver and gold?' 'I'll tell you!' cried Tom. +'What noise was that?' said the thief, frightened; 'I'm sure I heard +someone speak.' They stood still listening, and Tom said, 'Take me +with you, and I'll soon show you how to get the parson's money.' 'But +where are you?' said they. 'Look about on the ground,' answered he, +'and listen where the sound comes from.' At last the thieves found him +out, and lifted him up in their hands. 'You little urchin!' they said, +'what can you do for us?' 'Why, I can get between the iron window-bars +of the parson's house, and throw you out whatever you want.' 'That's a +good thought,' said the thieves; 'come along, we shall see what you +can do.' + +When they came to the parson's house, Tom slipped through the window- +bars into the room, and then called out as loud as he could bawl, +'Will you have all that is here?' At this the thieves were frightened, +and said, 'Softly, softly! Speak low, that you may not awaken +anybody.' But Tom seemed as if he did not understand them, and bawled +out again, 'How much will you have? Shall I throw it all out?' Now the +cook lay in the next room; and hearing a noise she raised herself up +in her bed and listened. Meantime the thieves were frightened, and ran +off a little way; but at last they plucked up their hearts, and said, +'The little urchin is only trying to make fools of us.' So they came +back and whispered softly to him, saying, 'Now let us have no more of +your roguish jokes; but throw us out some of the money.' Then Tom +called out as loud as he could, 'Very well! hold your hands! here it +comes.' + +The cook heard this quite plain, so she sprang out of bed, and ran to +open the door. The thieves ran off as if a wolf was at their tails: +and the maid, having groped about and found nothing, went away for a +light. By the time she came back, Tom had slipped off into the barn; +and when she had looked about and searched every hole and corner, and +found nobody, she went to bed, thinking she must have been dreaming +with her eyes open. + +The little man crawled about in the hay-loft, and at last found a snug +place to finish his night's rest in; so he laid himself down, meaning +to sleep till daylight, and then find his way home to his father and +mother. But alas! how woefully he was undone! what crosses and sorrows +happen to us all in this world! The cook got up early, before +daybreak, to feed the cows; and going straight to the hay-loft, +carried away a large bundle of hay, with the little man in the middle +of it, fast asleep. He still, however, slept on, and did not awake +till he found himself in the mouth of the cow; for the cook had put +the hay into the cow's rick, and the cow had taken Tom up in a +mouthful of it. 'Good lack-a-day!' said he, 'how came I to tumble into +the mill?' But he soon found out where he really was; and was forced +to have all his wits about him, that he might not get between the +cow's teeth, and so be crushed to death. At last down he went into her +stomach. 'It is rather dark,' said he; 'they forgot to build windows +in this room to let the sun in; a candle would be no bad thing.' + +Though he made the best of his bad luck, he did not like his quarters +at all; and the worst of it was, that more and more hay was always +coming down, and the space left for him became smaller and smaller. At +last he cried out as loud as he could, 'Don't bring me any more hay! +Don't bring me any more hay!' + +The maid happened to be just then milking the cow; and hearing someone +speak, but seeing nobody, and yet being quite sure it was the same +voice that she had heard in the night, she was so frightened that she +fell off her stool, and overset the milk-pail. As soon as she could +pick herself up out of the dirt, she ran off as fast as she could to +her master the parson, and said, 'Sir, sir, the cow is talking!' But +the parson said, 'Woman, thou art surely mad!' However, he went with +her into the cow-house, to try and see what was the matter. + +Scarcely had they set foot on the threshold, when Tom called out, +'Don't bring me any more hay!' Then the parson himself was frightened; +and thinking the cow was surely bewitched, told his man to kill her on +the spot. So the cow was killed, and cut up; and the stomach, in which +Tom lay, was thrown out upon a dunghill. + +Tom soon set himself to work to get out, which was not a very easy +task; but at last, just as he had made room to get his head out, fresh +ill-luck befell him. A hungry wolf sprang out, and swallowed up the +whole stomach, with Tom in it, at one gulp, and ran away. + +Tom, however, was still not disheartened; and thinking the wolf would +not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called +out, 'My good friend, I can show you a famous treat.' 'Where's that?' +said the wolf. 'In such and such a house,' said Tom, describing his +own father's house. 'You can crawl through the drain into the kitchen +and then into the pantry, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, +cold chicken, roast pig, apple-dumplings, and everything that your +heart can wish.' + +The wolf did not want to be asked twice; so that very night he went to +the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen, and then +into the pantry, and ate and drank there to his heart's content. As +soon as he had had enough he wanted to get away; but he had eaten so +much that he could not go out by the same way he came in. + +This was just what Tom had reckoned upon; and now he began to set up a +great shout, making all the noise he could. 'Will you be easy?' said +the wolf; 'you'll awaken everybody in the house if you make such a +clatter.' 'What's that to me?' said the little man; 'you have had your +frolic, now I've a mind to be merry myself'; and he began, singing and +shouting as loud as he could. + +The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped through +a crack in the door; but when they saw a wolf was there, you may well +suppose that they were sadly frightened; and the woodman ran for his +axe, and gave his wife a scythe. 'Do you stay behind,' said the +woodman, 'and when I have knocked him on the head you must rip him up +with the scythe.' Tom heard all this, and cried out, 'Father, father! +I am here, the wolf has swallowed me.' And his father said, 'Heaven be +praised! we have found our dear child again'; and he told his wife not +to use the scythe for fear she should hurt him. Then he aimed a great +blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot! and +when he was dead they cut open his body, and set Tommy free. 'Ah!' +said the father, 'what fears we have had for you!' 'Yes, father,' +answered he; 'I have travelled all over the world, I think, in one way +or other, since we parted; and now I am very glad to come home and get +fresh air again.' 'Why, where have you been?' said his father. 'I have +been in a mouse-hole--and in a snail-shell--and down a cow's throat-- +and in the wolf's belly; and yet here I am again, safe and sound.' + +'Well,' said they, 'you are come back, and we will not sell you again +for all the riches in the world.' + +Then they hugged and kissed their dear little son, and gave him plenty +to eat and drink, for he was very hungry; and then they fetched new +clothes for him, for his old ones had been quite spoiled on his +journey. So Master Thumb stayed at home with his father and mother, in +peace; for though he had been so great a traveller, and had done and +seen so many fine things, and was fond enough of telling the whole +story, he always agreed that, after all, there's no place like HOME! + + + +RUMPELSTILTSKIN + +By the side of a wood, in a country a long way off, ran a fine stream +of water; and upon the stream there stood a mill. The miller's house +was close by, and the miller, you must know, had a very beautiful +daughter. She was, moreover, very shrewd and clever; and the miller +was so proud of her, that he one day told the king of the land, who +used to come and hunt in the wood, that his daughter could spin gold +out of straw. Now this king was very fond of money; and when he heard +the miller's boast his greediness was raised, and he sent for the girl +to be brought before him. Then he led her to a chamber in his palace +where there was a great heap of straw, and gave her a spinning-wheel, +and said, 'All this must be spun into gold before morning, as you love +your life.' It was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only +a silly boast of her father, for that she could do no such thing as +spin straw into gold: the chamber door was locked, and she was left +alone. + +She sat down in one corner of the room, and began to bewail her hard +fate; when on a sudden the door opened, and a droll-looking little man +hobbled in, and said, 'Good morrow to you, my good lass; what are you +weeping for?' 'Alas!' said she, 'I must spin this straw into gold, and +I know not how.' 'What will you give me,' said the hobgoblin, 'to do +it for you?' 'My necklace,' replied the maiden. He took her at her +word, and sat himself down to the wheel, and whistled and sang: + + 'Round about, round about, + Lo and behold! + Reel away, reel away, + Straw into gold!' + +And round about the wheel went merrily; the work was quickly done, and +the straw was all spun into gold. + +When the king came and saw this, he was greatly astonished and +pleased; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain, and he shut up +the poor miller's daughter again with a fresh task. Then she knew not +what to do, and sat down once more to weep; but the dwarf soon opened +the door, and said, 'What will you give me to do your task?' 'The ring +on my finger,' said she. So her little friend took the ring, and began +to work at the wheel again, and whistled and sang: + + 'Round about, round about, + Lo and behold! + Reel away, reel away, + Straw into gold!' + +till, long before morning, all was done again. + +The king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure; +but still he had not enough: so he took the miller's daughter to a yet +larger heap, and said, 'All this must be spun tonight; and if it is, +you shall be my queen.' As soon as she was alone that dwarf came in, +and said, 'What will you give me to spin gold for you this third +time?' 'I have nothing left,' said she. 'Then say you will give me,' +said the little man, 'the first little child that you may have when +you are queen.' 'That may never be,' thought the miller's daughter: +and as she knew no other way to get her task done, she said she would +do what he asked. Round went the wheel again to the old song, and the +manikin once more spun the heap into gold. The king came in the +morning, and, finding all he wanted, was forced to keep his word; so +he married the miller's daughter, and she really became queen. + +At the birth of her first little child she was very glad, and forgot +the dwarf, and what she had said. But one day he came into her room, +where she was sitting playing with her baby, and put her in mind of +it. Then she grieved sorely at her misfortune, and said she would give +him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off, but in +vain; till at last her tears softened him, and he said, 'I will give +you three days' grace, and if during that time you tell me my name, +you shall keep your child.' + +Now the queen lay awake all night, thinking of all the odd names that +she had ever heard; and she sent messengers all over the land to find +out new ones. The next day the little man came, and she began with +TIMOTHY, ICHABOD, BENJAMIN, JEREMIAH, and all the names she could +remember; but to all and each of them he said, 'Madam, that is not my +name.' + +The second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of, +BANDY-LEGS, HUNCHBACK, CROOK-SHANKS, and so on; but the little +gentleman still said to every one of them, 'Madam, that is not my +name.' + +The third day one of the messengers came back, and said, 'I have +travelled two days without hearing of any other names; but yesterday, +as I was climbing a high hill, among the trees of the forest where the +fox and the hare bid each other good night, I saw a little hut; and +before the hut burnt a fire; and round about the fire a funny little +dwarf was dancing upon one leg, and singing: + + '"Merrily the feast I'll make. + Today I'll brew, tomorrow bake; + Merrily I'll dance and sing, + For next day will a stranger bring. + Little does my lady dream + Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"' + +When the queen heard this she jumped for joy, and as soon as her +little friend came she sat down upon her throne, and called all her +court round to enjoy the fun; and the nurse stood by her side with the +baby in her arms, as if it was quite ready to be given up. Then the +little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child, +to take home with him to his hut in the woods; and he cried out, 'Now, +lady, what is my name?' 'Is it JOHN?' asked she. 'No, madam!' 'Is it +TOM?' 'No, madam!' 'Is it JEMMY?' 'It is not.' 'Can your name be +RUMPELSTILTSKIN?' said the lady slyly. 'Some witch told you that!-- +some witch told you that!' cried the little man, and dashed his right +foot in a rage so deep into the floor, that he was forced to lay hold +of it with both hands to pull it out. + +Then he made the best of his way off, while the nurse laughed and the +baby crowed; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much +trouble for nothing, and said, 'We wish you a very good morning, and a +merry feast, Mr RUMPLESTILTSKIN!' + + + +CLEVER GRETEL + +There was once a cook named Gretel, who wore shoes with red heels, and +when she walked out with them on, she turned herself this way and +that, was quite happy and thought: 'You certainly are a pretty girl!' +And when she came home she drank, in her gladness of heart, a draught +of wine, and as wine excites a desire to eat, she tasted the best of +whatever she was cooking until she was satisfied, and said: 'The cook +must know what the food is like.' + +It came to pass that the master one day said to her: 'Gretel, there is +a guest coming this evening; prepare me two fowls very daintily.' 'I +will see to it, master,' answered Gretel. She killed two fowls, +scalded them, plucked them, put them on the spit, and towards evening +set them before the fire, that they might roast. The fowls began to +turn brown, and were nearly ready, but the guest had not yet arrived. +Then Gretel called out to her master: 'If the guest does not come, I +must take the fowls away from the fire, but it will be a sin and a +shame if they are not eaten the moment they are at their juiciest.' +The master said: 'I will run myself, and fetch the guest.' When the +master had turned his back, Gretel laid the spit with the fowls on one +side, and thought: 'Standing so long by the fire there, makes one +sweat and thirsty; who knows when they will come? Meanwhile, I will +run into the cellar, and take a drink.' She ran down, set a jug, said: +'God bless it for you, Gretel,' and took a good drink, and thought +that wine should flow on, and should not be interrupted, and took yet +another hearty draught. + +Then she went and put the fowls down again to the fire, basted them, +and drove the spit merrily round. But as the roast meat smelt so good, +Gretel thought: 'Something might be wrong, it ought to be tasted!' She +touched it with her finger, and said: 'Ah! how good fowls are! It +certainly is a sin and a shame that they are not eaten at the right +time!' She ran to the window, to see if the master was not coming with +his guest, but she saw no one, and went back to the fowls and thought: +'One of the wings is burning! I had better take it off and eat it.' So +she cut it off, ate it, and enjoyed it, and when she had done, she +thought: 'The other must go down too, or else master will observe that +something is missing.' When the two wings were eaten, she went and +looked for her master, and did not see him. It suddenly occurred to +her: 'Who knows? They are perhaps not coming at all, and have turned +in somewhere.' Then she said: 'Well, Gretel, enjoy yourself, one fowl +has been cut into, take another drink, and eat it up entirely; when it +is eaten you will have some peace, why should God's good gifts be +spoilt?' So she ran into the cellar again, took an enormous drink and +ate up the one chicken in great glee. When one of the chickens was +swallowed down, and still her master did not come, Gretel looked at +the other and said: 'What one is, the other should be likewise, the +two go together; what's right for the one is right for the other; I +think if I were to take another draught it would do me no harm.' So +she took another hearty drink, and let the second chicken follow the +first. + +While she was making the most of it, her master came and cried: 'Hurry +up, Gretel, the guest is coming directly after me!' 'Yes, sir, I will +soon serve up,' answered Gretel. Meantime the master looked to see +what the table was properly laid, and took the great knife, wherewith +he was going to carve the chickens, and sharpened it on the steps. +Presently the guest came, and knocked politely and courteously at the +house-door. Gretel ran, and looked to see who was there, and when she +saw the guest, she put her finger to her lips and said: 'Hush! hush! +go away as quickly as you can, if my master catches you it will be the +worse for you; he certainly did ask you to supper, but his intention +is to cut off your two ears. Just listen how he is sharpening the +knife for it!' The guest heard the sharpening, and hurried down the +steps again as fast as he could. Gretel was not idle; she ran +screaming to her master, and cried: 'You have invited a fine guest!' +'Why, Gretel? What do you mean by that?' 'Yes,' said she, 'he has +taken the chickens which I was just going to serve up, off the dish, +and has run away with them!' 'That's a nice trick!' said her master, +and lamented the fine chickens. 'If he had but left me one, so that +something remained for me to eat.' He called to him to stop, but the +guest pretended not to hear. Then he ran after him with the knife +still in his hand, crying: 'Just one, just one,' meaning that the +guest should leave him just one chicken, and not take both. The guest, +however, thought no otherwise than that he was to give up one of his +ears, and ran as if fire were burning under him, in order to take them +both with him. + + + +THE OLD MAN AND HIS GRANDSON + +There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears +dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could +hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let +it run out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at +this, so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind +the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not +even enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes +full of tears. Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, +and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but +he said nothing and only sighed. Then they brought him a wooden bowl +for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat. + +They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old +began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. 'What are +you doing there?' asked the father. 'I am making a little trough,' +answered the child, 'for father and mother to eat out of when I am +big.' + +The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently +began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and +henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if +he did spill a little of anything. + + + +THE LITTLE PEASANT + +There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich +peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little peasant. +He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money to buy one, and +yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. One day he said to her: +'Listen, I have a good idea, there is our gossip the carpenter, he +shall make us a wooden calf, and paint it brown, so that it looks like +any other, and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow.' the +woman also liked the idea, and their gossip the carpenter cut and +planed the calf, and painted it as it ought to be, and made it with +its head hanging down as if it were eating. + +Next morning when the cows were being driven out, the little peasant +called the cow-herd in and said: 'Look, I have a little calf there, +but it is still small and has to be carried.' The cow-herd said: 'All +right,' and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture, and set +it among the grass. The little calf always remained standing like one +which was eating, and the cow-herd said: 'It will soon run by itself, +just look how it eats already!' At night when he was going to drive +the herd home again, he said to the calf: 'If you can stand there and +eat your fill, you can also go on your four legs; I don't care to drag +you home again in my arms.' But the little peasant stood at his door, +and waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the cows +through the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it +was. The cow-herd answered: 'It is still standing out there eating. It +would not stop and come with us.' But the little peasant said: 'Oh, +but I must have my beast back again.' Then they went back to the +meadow together, but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. The +cow-herd said: 'It must have run away.' The peasant, however, said: +'Don't tell me that,' and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for +his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf +which had run away. + +And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had +so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for +it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. +They salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted +to sell the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the +proceeds. On the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with +broken wings, and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin. +But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind, +he could go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for +shelter. The miller's wife was alone in the house, and said to the +peasant: 'Lay yourself on the straw there,' and gave him a slice of +bread and cheese. The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin +beside him, and the woman thought: 'He is tired and has gone to +sleep.' In the meantime came the parson; the miller's wife received +him well, and said: 'My husband is out, so we will have a feast.' The +peasant listened, and when he heard them talk about feasting he was +vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and +cheese. Then the woman served up four different things, roast meat, +salad, cakes, and wine. + +Just as they were about to sit down and eat, there was a knocking +outside. The woman said: 'Oh, heavens! It is my husband!' she quickly +hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove, the wine under the pillow, +the salad on the bed, the cakes under it, and the parson in the closet +on the porch. Then she opened the door for her husband, and said: +'Thank heaven, you are back again! There is such a storm, it looks as +if the world were coming to an end.' The miller saw the peasant lying +on the straw, and asked, 'What is that fellow doing there?' 'Ah,' said +the wife, 'the poor knave came in the storm and rain, and begged for +shelter, so I gave him a bit of bread and cheese, and showed him where +the straw was.' The man said: 'I have no objection, but be quick and +get me something to eat.' The woman said: 'But I have nothing but +bread and cheese.' 'I am contented with anything,' replied the +husband, 'so far as I am concerned, bread and cheese will do,' and +looked at the peasant and said: 'Come and eat some more with me.' The +peasant did not require to be invited twice, but got up and ate. After +this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was, lying on the +ground, and asked: 'What have you there?' The peasant answered: 'I +have a soothsayer inside it.' 'Can he foretell anything to me?' said +the miller. 'Why not?' answered the peasant: 'but he only says four +things, and the fifth he keeps to himself.' The miller was curious, +and said: 'Let him foretell something for once.' Then the peasant +pinched the raven's head, so that he croaked and made a noise like +krr, krr. The miller said: 'What did he say?' The peasant answered: +'In the first place, he says that there is some wine hidden under the +pillow.' 'Bless me!' cried the miller, and went there and found the +wine. 'Now go on,' said he. The peasant made the raven croak again, +and said: 'In the second place, he says that there is some roast meat +in the tiled stove.' 'Upon my word!' cried the miller, and went +thither, and found the roast meat. The peasant made the raven prophesy +still more, and said: 'Thirdly, he says that there is some salad on +the bed.' 'That would be a fine thing!' cried the miller, and went +there and found the salad. At last the peasant pinched the raven once +more till he croaked, and said: 'Fourthly, he says that there are some +cakes under the bed.' 'That would be a fine thing!' cried the miller, +and looked there, and found the cakes. + +And now the two sat down to the table together, but the miller's wife +was frightened to death, and went to bed and took all the keys with +her. The miller would have liked much to know the fifth, but the +little peasant said: 'First, we will quickly eat the four things, for +the fifth is something bad.' So they ate, and after that they +bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy, +until they agreed on three hundred talers. Then the peasant once more +pinched the raven's head till he croaked loudly. The miller asked: +'What did he say?' The peasant replied: 'He says that the Devil is +hiding outside there in the closet on the porch.' The miller said: +'The Devil must go out,' and opened the house-door; then the woman was +forced to give up the keys, and the peasant unlocked the closet. The +parson ran out as fast as he could, and the miller said: 'It was true; +I saw the black rascal with my own eyes.' The peasant, however, made +off next morning by daybreak with the three hundred talers. + +At home the small peasant gradually launched out; he built a beautiful +house, and the peasants said: 'The small peasant has certainly been to +the place where golden snow falls, and people carry the gold home in +shovels.' Then the small peasant was brought before the mayor, and +bidden to say from whence his wealth came. He answered: 'I sold my +cow's skin in the town, for three hundred talers.' When the peasants +heard that, they too wished to enjoy this great profit, and ran home, +killed all their cows, and stripped off their skins in order to sell +them in the town to the greatest advantage. The mayor, however, said: +'But my servant must go first.' When she came to the merchant in the +town, he did not give her more than two talers for a skin, and when +the others came, he did not give them so much, and said: 'What can I +do with all these skins?' + +Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus +outwitted them, wanted to take vengeance on him, and accused him of +this treachery before the major. The innocent little peasant was +unanimously sentenced to death, and was to be rolled into the water, +in a barrel pierced full of holes. He was led forth, and a priest was +brought who was to say a mass for his soul. The others were all +obliged to retire to a distance, and when the peasant looked at the +priest, he recognized the man who had been with the miller's wife. He +said to him: 'I set you free from the closet, set me free from the +barrel.' At this same moment up came, with a flock of sheep, the very +shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor, so +he cried with all his might: 'No, I will not do it; if the whole world +insists on it, I will not do it!' The shepherd hearing that, came up +to him, and asked: 'What are you about? What is it that you will not +do?' The peasant said: 'They want to make me mayor, if I will but put +myself in the barrel, but I will not do it.' The shepherd said: 'If +nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor, I would get +into the barrel at once.' The peasant said: 'If you will get in, you +will be mayor.' The shepherd was willing, and got in, and the peasant +shut the top down on him; then he took the shepherd's flock for +himself, and drove it away. The parson went to the crowd, and declared +that the mass had been said. Then they came and rolled the barrel +towards the water. When the barrel began to roll, the shepherd cried: +'I am quite willing to be mayor.' They believed no otherwise than that +it was the peasant who was saying this, and answered: 'That is what we +intend, but first you shall look about you a little down below there,' +and they rolled the barrel down into the water. + +After that the peasants went home, and as they were entering the +village, the small peasant also came quietly in, driving a flock of +sheep and looking quite contented. Then the peasants were astonished, +and said: 'Peasant, from whence do you come? Have you come out of the +water?' 'Yes, truly,' replied the peasant, 'I sank deep, deep down, +until at last I got to the bottom; I pushed the bottom out of the +barrel, and crept out, and there were pretty meadows on which a number +of lambs were feeding, and from thence I brought this flock away with +me.' Said the peasants: 'Are there any more there?' 'Oh, yes,' said +he, 'more than I could want.' Then the peasants made up their minds +that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves, a flock apiece, +but the mayor said: 'I come first.' So they went to the water +together, and just then there were some of the small fleecy clouds in +the blue sky, which are called little lambs, and they were reflected +in the water, whereupon the peasants cried: 'We already see the sheep +down below!' The mayor pressed forward and said: 'I will go down +first, and look about me, and if things promise well I'll call you.' +So he jumped in; splash! went the water; it sounded as if he were +calling them, and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man. +Then the entire village was dead, and the small peasant, as sole heir, +became a rich man. + + + +FREDERICK AND CATHERINE + +There was once a man called Frederick: he had a wife whose name was +Catherine, and they had not long been married. One day Frederick said. +'Kate! I am going to work in the fields; when I come back I shall be +hungry so let me have something nice cooked, and a good draught of +ale.' 'Very well,' said she, 'it shall all be ready.' When dinner-time +drew nigh, Catherine took a nice steak, which was all the meat she +had, and put it on the fire to fry. The steak soon began to look +brown, and to crackle in the pan; and Catherine stood by with a fork +and turned it: then she said to herself, 'The steak is almost ready, I +may as well go to the cellar for the ale.' So she left the pan on the +fire and took a large jug and went into the cellar and tapped the ale +cask. The beer ran into the jug and Catherine stood looking on. At +last it popped into her head, 'The dog is not shut up--he may be +running away with the steak; that's well thought of.' So up she ran +from the cellar; and sure enough the rascally cur had got the steak in +his mouth, and was making off with it. + +Away ran Catherine, and away ran the dog across the field: but he ran +faster than she, and stuck close to the steak. 'It's all gone, and +"what can't be cured must be endured",' said Catherine. So she turned +round; and as she had run a good way and was tired, she walked home +leisurely to cool herself. + +Now all this time the ale was running too, for Catherine had not +turned the cock; and when the jug was full the liquor ran upon the +floor till the cask was empty. When she got to the cellar stairs she +saw what had happened. 'My stars!' said she, 'what shall I do to keep +Frederick from seeing all this slopping about?' So she thought a +while; and at last remembered that there was a sack of fine meal +bought at the last fair, and that if she sprinkled this over the floor +it would suck up the ale nicely. 'What a lucky thing,' said she, 'that +we kept that meal! we have now a good use for it.' So away she went +for it: but she managed to set it down just upon the great jug full of +beer, and upset it; and thus all the ale that had been saved was set +swimming on the floor also. 'Ah! well,' said she, 'when one goes +another may as well follow.' Then she strewed the meal all about the +cellar, and was quite pleased with her cleverness, and said, 'How very +neat and clean it looks!' + +At noon Frederick came home. 'Now, wife,' cried he, 'what have you for +dinner?' 'O Frederick!' answered she, 'I was cooking you a steak; but +while I went down to draw the ale, the dog ran away with it; and while +I ran after him, the ale ran out; and when I went to dry up the ale +with the sack of meal that we got at the fair, I upset the jug: but +the cellar is now quite dry, and looks so clean!' 'Kate, Kate,' said +he, 'how could you do all this?' Why did you leave the steak to fry, +and the ale to run, and then spoil all the meal?' 'Why, Frederick,' +said she, 'I did not know I was doing wrong; you should have told me +before.' + +The husband thought to himself, 'If my wife manages matters thus, I +must look sharp myself.' Now he had a good deal of gold in the house: +so he said to Catherine, 'What pretty yellow buttons these are! I +shall put them into a box and bury them in the garden; but take care +that you never go near or meddle with them.' 'No, Frederick,' said +she, 'that I never will.' As soon as he was gone, there came by some +pedlars with earthenware plates and dishes, and they asked her whether +she would buy. 'Oh dear me, I should like to buy very much, but I have +no money: if you had any use for yellow buttons, I might deal with +you.' 'Yellow buttons!' said they: 'let us have a look at them.' 'Go +into the garden and dig where I tell you, and you will find the yellow +buttons: I dare not go myself.' So the rogues went: and when they +found what these yellow buttons were, they took them all away, and +left her plenty of plates and dishes. Then she set them all about the +house for a show: and when Frederick came back, he cried out, 'Kate, +what have you been doing?' 'See,' said she, 'I have bought all these +with your yellow buttons: but I did not touch them myself; the pedlars +went themselves and dug them up.' 'Wife, wife,' said Frederick, 'what +a pretty piece of work you have made! those yellow buttons were all my +money: how came you to do such a thing?' 'Why,' answered she, 'I did +not know there was any harm in it; you should have told me.' + +Catherine stood musing for a while, and at last said to her husband, +'Hark ye, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back: let us run after +the thieves.' 'Well, we will try,' answered he; 'but take some butter +and cheese with you, that we may have something to eat by the way.' +'Very well,' said she; and they set out: and as Frederick walked the +fastest, he left his wife some way behind. 'It does not matter,' +thought she: 'when we turn back, I shall be so much nearer home than +he.' + +Presently she came to the top of a hill, down the side of which there +was a road so narrow that the cart wheels always chafed the trees on +each side as they passed. 'Ah, see now,' said she, 'how they have +bruised and wounded those poor trees; they will never get well.' So +she took pity on them, and made use of the butter to grease them all, +so that the wheels might not hurt them so much. While she was doing +this kind office one of her cheeses fell out of the basket, and rolled +down the hill. Catherine looked, but could not see where it had gone; +so she said, 'Well, I suppose the other will go the same way and find +you; he has younger legs than I have.' Then she rolled the other +cheese after it; and away it went, nobody knows where, down the hill. +But she said she supposed that they knew the road, and would follow +her, and she could not stay there all day waiting for them. + +At last she overtook Frederick, who desired her to give him something +to eat. Then she gave him the dry bread. 'Where are the butter and +cheese?' said he. 'Oh!' answered she, 'I used the butter to grease +those poor trees that the wheels chafed so: and one of the cheeses ran +away so I sent the other after it to find it, and I suppose they are +both on the road together somewhere.' 'What a goose you are to do such +silly things!' said the husband. 'How can you say so?' said she; 'I am +sure you never told me not.' + +They ate the dry bread together; and Frederick said, 'Kate, I hope you +locked the door safe when you came away.' 'No,' answered she, 'you did +not tell me.' 'Then go home, and do it now before we go any farther,' +said Frederick, 'and bring with you something to eat.' + +Catherine did as he told her, and thought to herself by the way, +'Frederick wants something to eat; but I don't think he is very fond +of butter and cheese: I'll bring him a bag of fine nuts, and the +vinegar, for I have often seen him take some.' + +When she reached home, she bolted the back door, but the front door +she took off the hinges, and said, 'Frederick told me to lock the +door, but surely it can nowhere be so safe if I take it with me.' So +she took her time by the way; and when she overtook her husband she +cried out, 'There, Frederick, there is the door itself, you may watch +it as carefully as you please.' 'Alas! alas!' said he, 'what a clever +wife I have! I sent you to make the house fast, and you take the door +away, so that everybody may go in and out as they please--however, as +you have brought the door, you shall carry it about with you for your +pains.' 'Very well,' answered she, 'I'll carry the door; but I'll not +carry the nuts and vinegar bottle also--that would be too much of a +load; so if you please, I'll fasten them to the door.' + +Frederick of course made no objection to that plan, and they set off +into the wood to look for the thieves; but they could not find them: +and when it grew dark, they climbed up into a tree to spend the night +there. Scarcely were they up, than who should come by but the very +rogues they were looking for. They were in truth great rascals, and +belonged to that class of people who find things before they are lost; +they were tired; so they sat down and made a fire under the very tree +where Frederick and Catherine were. Frederick slipped down on the +other side, and picked up some stones. Then he climbed up again, and +tried to hit the thieves on the head with them: but they only said, +'It must be near morning, for the wind shakes the fir-apples down.' + +Catherine, who had the door on her shoulder, began to be very tired; +but she thought it was the nuts upon it that were so heavy: so she +said softly, 'Frederick, I must let the nuts go.' 'No,' answered he, +'not now, they will discover us.' 'I can't help that: they must go.' +'Well, then, make haste and throw them down, if you will.' Then away +rattled the nuts down among the boughs and one of the thieves cried, +'Bless me, it is hailing.' + +A little while after, Catherine thought the door was still very heavy: +so she whispered to Frederick, 'I must throw the vinegar down.' 'Pray +don't,' answered he, 'it will discover us.' 'I can't help that,' said +she, 'go it must.' So she poured all the vinegar down; and the thieves +said, 'What a heavy dew there is!' + +At last it popped into Catherine's head that it was the door itself +that was so heavy all the time: so she whispered, 'Frederick, I must +throw the door down soon.' But he begged and prayed her not to do so, +for he was sure it would betray them. 'Here goes, however,' said she: +and down went the door with such a clatter upon the thieves, that they +cried out 'Murder!' and not knowing what was coming, ran away as fast +as they could, and left all the gold. So when Frederick and Catherine +came down, there they found all their money safe and sound. + + + +SWEETHEART ROLAND + +There was once upon a time a woman who was a real witch and had two +daughters, one ugly and wicked, and this one she loved because she was +her own daughter, and one beautiful and good, and this one she hated, +because she was her stepdaughter. The stepdaughter once had a pretty +apron, which the other fancied so much that she became envious, and +told her mother that she must and would have that apron. 'Be quiet, my +child,' said the old woman, 'and you shall have it. Your stepsister +has long deserved death; tonight when she is asleep I will come and +cut her head off. Only be careful that you are at the far side of the +bed, and push her well to the front.' It would have been all over with +the poor girl if she had not just then been standing in a corner, and +heard everything. All day long she dared not go out of doors, and when +bedtime had come, the witch's daughter got into bed first, so as to +lie at the far side, but when she was asleep, the other pushed her +gently to the front, and took for herself the place at the back, close +by the wall. In the night, the old woman came creeping in, she held an +axe in her right hand, and felt with her left to see if anyone were +lying at the outside, and then she grasped the axe with both hands, +and cut her own child's head off. + +When she had gone away, the girl got up and went to her sweetheart, +who was called Roland, and knocked at his door. When he came out, she +said to him: 'Listen, dearest Roland, we must fly in all haste; my +stepmother wanted to kill me, but has struck her own child. When +daylight comes, and she sees what she has done, we shall be lost.' +'But,' said Roland, 'I counsel you first to take away her magic wand, +or we cannot escape if she pursues us.' The maiden fetched the magic +wand, and she took the dead girl's head and dropped three drops of +blood on the ground, one in front of the bed, one in the kitchen, and +one on the stairs. Then she hurried away with her lover. + +When the old witch got up next morning, she called her daughter, and +wanted to give her the apron, but she did not come. Then the witch +cried: 'Where are you?' 'Here, on the stairs, I am sweeping,' answered +the first drop of blood. The old woman went out, but saw no one on the +stairs, and cried again: 'Where are you?' 'Here in the kitchen, I am +warming myself,' cried the second drop of blood. She went into the +kitchen, but found no one. Then she cried again: 'Where are you?' 'Ah, +here in the bed, I am sleeping,' cried the third drop of blood. She +went into the room to the bed. What did she see there? Her own child, +whose head she had cut off, bathed in her blood. The witch fell into a +passion, sprang to the window, and as she could look forth quite far +into the world, she perceived her stepdaughter hurrying away with her +sweetheart Roland. 'That shall not help you,' cried she, 'even if you +have got a long way off, you shall still not escape me.' She put on +her many-league boots, in which she covered an hour's walk at every +step, and it was not long before she overtook them. The girl, however, +when she saw the old woman striding towards her, changed, with her +magic wand, her sweetheart Roland into a lake, and herself into a duck +swimming in the middle of it. The witch placed herself on the shore, +threw breadcrumbs in, and went to endless trouble to entice the duck; +but the duck did not let herself be enticed, and the old woman had to +go home at night as she had come. At this the girl and her sweetheart +Roland resumed their natural shapes again, and they walked on the +whole night until daybreak. Then the maiden changed herself into a +beautiful flower which stood in the midst of a briar hedge, and her +sweetheart Roland into a fiddler. It was not long before the witch +came striding up towards them, and said to the musician: 'Dear +musician, may I pluck that beautiful flower for myself?' 'Oh, yes,' he +replied, 'I will play to you while you do it.' As she was hastily +creeping into the hedge and was just going to pluck the flower, +knowing perfectly well who the flower was, he began to play, and +whether she would or not, she was forced to dance, for it was a +magical dance. The faster he played, the more violent springs was she +forced to make, and the thorns tore her clothes from her body, and +pricked her and wounded her till she bled, and as he did not stop, she +had to dance till she lay dead on the ground. + +As they were now set free, Roland said: 'Now I will go to my father +and arrange for the wedding.' 'Then in the meantime I will stay here +and wait for you,' said the girl, 'and that no one may recognize me, I +will change myself into a red stone landmark.' Then Roland went away, +and the girl stood like a red landmark in the field and waited for her +beloved. But when Roland got home, he fell into the snares of another, +who so fascinated him that he forgot the maiden. The poor girl +remained there a long time, but at length, as he did not return at +all, she was sad, and changed herself into a flower, and thought: +'Someone will surely come this way, and trample me down.' + +It befell, however, that a shepherd kept his sheep in the field and +saw the flower, and as it was so pretty, plucked it, took it with him, +and laid it away in his chest. From that time forth, strange things +happened in the shepherd's house. When he arose in the morning, all +the work was already done, the room was swept, the table and benches +cleaned, the fire in the hearth was lighted, and the water was +fetched, and at noon, when he came home, the table was laid, and a +good dinner served. He could not conceive how this came to pass, for +he never saw a human being in his house, and no one could have +concealed himself in it. He was certainly pleased with this good +attendance, but still at last he was so afraid that he went to a wise +woman and asked for her advice. The wise woman said: 'There is some +enchantment behind it, listen very early some morning if anything is +moving in the room, and if you see anything, no matter what it is, +throw a white cloth over it, and then the magic will be stopped.' + +The shepherd did as she bade him, and next morning just as day dawned, +he saw the chest open, and the flower come out. Swiftly he sprang +towards it, and threw a white cloth over it. Instantly the +transformation came to an end, and a beautiful girl stood before him, +who admitted to him that she had been the flower, and that up to this +time she had attended to his house-keeping. She told him her story, +and as she pleased him he asked her if she would marry him, but she +answered: 'No,' for she wanted to remain faithful to her sweetheart +Roland, although he had deserted her. Nevertheless, she promised not +to go away, but to continue keeping house for the shepherd. + +And now the time drew near when Roland's wedding was to be celebrated, +and then, according to an old custom in the country, it was announced +that all the girls were to be present at it, and sing in honour of the +bridal pair. When the faithful maiden heard of this, she grew so sad +that she thought her heart would break, and she would not go thither, +but the other girls came and took her. When it came to her turn to +sing, she stepped back, until at last she was the only one left, and +then she could not refuse. But when she began her song, and it reached +Roland's ears, he sprang up and cried: 'I know the voice, that is the +true bride, I will have no other!' Everything he had forgotten, and +which had vanished from his mind, had suddenly come home again to his +heart. Then the faithful maiden held her wedding with her sweetheart +Roland, and grief came to an end and joy began. + + + +SNOWDROP + +It was the middle of winter, when the broad flakes of snow were +falling around, that the queen of a country many thousand miles off +sat working at her window. The frame of the window was made of fine +black ebony, and as she sat looking out upon the snow, she pricked her +finger, and three drops of blood fell upon it. Then she gazed +thoughtfully upon the red drops that sprinkled the white snow, and +said, 'Would that my little daughter may be as white as that snow, as +red as that blood, and as black as this ebony windowframe!' And so the +little girl really did grow up; her skin was as white as snow, her +cheeks as rosy as the blood, and her hair as black as ebony; and she +was called Snowdrop. + +But this queen died; and the king soon married another wife, who +became queen, and was very beautiful, but so vain that she could not +bear to think that anyone could be handsomer than she was. She had a +fairy looking-glass, to which she used to go, and then she would gaze +upon herself in it, and say: + + 'Tell me, glass, tell me true! + Of all the ladies in the land, + Who is fairest, tell me, who?' + +And the glass had always answered: + + 'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all the land.' + +But Snowdrop grew more and more beautiful; and when she was seven +years old she was as bright as the day, and fairer than the queen +herself. Then the glass one day answered the queen, when she went to +look in it as usual: + + 'Thou, queen, art fair, and beauteous to see, + But Snowdrop is lovelier far than thee!' + +When she heard this she turned pale with rage and envy, and called to +one of her servants, and said, 'Take Snowdrop away into the wide wood, +that I may never see her any more.' Then the servant led her away; but +his heart melted when Snowdrop begged him to spare her life, and he +said, 'I will not hurt you, thou pretty child.' So he left her by +herself; and though he thought it most likely that the wild beasts +would tear her in pieces, he felt as if a great weight were taken off +his heart when he had made up his mind not to kill her but to leave +her to her fate, with the chance of someone finding and saving her. + +Then poor Snowdrop wandered along through the wood in great fear; and +the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm. In the +evening she came to a cottage among the hills, and went in to rest, +for her little feet would carry her no further. Everything was spruce +and neat in the cottage: on the table was spread a white cloth, and +there were seven little plates, seven little loaves, and seven little +glasses with wine in them; and seven knives and forks laid in order; +and by the wall stood seven little beds. As she was very hungry, she +picked a little piece of each loaf and drank a very little wine out of +each glass; and after that she thought she would lie down and rest. So +she tried all the little beds; but one was too long, and another was +too short, till at last the seventh suited her: and there she laid +herself down and went to sleep. + +By and by in came the masters of the cottage. Now they were seven +little dwarfs, that lived among the mountains, and dug and searched +for gold. They lighted up their seven lamps, and saw at once that all +was not right. The first said, 'Who has been sitting on my stool?' The +second, 'Who has been eating off my plate?' The third, 'Who has been +picking my bread?' The fourth, 'Who has been meddling with my spoon?' +The fifth, 'Who has been handling my fork?' The sixth, 'Who has been +cutting with my knife?' The seventh, 'Who has been drinking my wine?' +Then the first looked round and said, 'Who has been lying on my bed?' +And the rest came running to him, and everyone cried out that somebody +had been upon his bed. But the seventh saw Snowdrop, and called all +his brethren to come and see her; and they cried out with wonder and +astonishment and brought their lamps to look at her, and said, 'Good +heavens! what a lovely child she is!' And they were very glad to see +her, and took care not to wake her; and the seventh dwarf slept an +hour with each of the other dwarfs in turn, till the night was gone. + +In the morning Snowdrop told them all her story; and they pitied her, +and said if she would keep all things in order, and cook and wash and +knit and spin for them, she might stay where she was, and they would +take good care of her. Then they went out all day long to their work, +seeking for gold and silver in the mountains: but Snowdrop was left at +home; and they warned her, and said, 'The queen will soon find out +where you are, so take care and let no one in.' + +But the queen, now that she thought Snowdrop was dead, believed that +she must be the handsomest lady in the land; and she went to her glass +and said: + + 'Tell me, glass, tell me true! + Of all the ladies in the land, + Who is fairest, tell me, who?' + +And the glass answered: + + 'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all this land: + But over the hills, in the greenwood shade, + Where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made, + There Snowdrop is hiding her head; and she + Is lovelier far, O queen! than thee.' + +Then the queen was very much frightened; for she knew that the glass +always spoke the truth, and was sure that the servant had betrayed +her. And she could not bear to think that anyone lived who was more +beautiful than she was; so she dressed herself up as an old pedlar, +and went her way over the hills, to the place where the dwarfs dwelt. +Then she knocked at the door, and cried, 'Fine wares to sell!' +Snowdrop looked out at the window, and said, 'Good day, good woman! +what have you to sell?' 'Good wares, fine wares,' said she; 'laces and +bobbins of all colours.' 'I will let the old lady in; she seems to be +a very good sort of body,' thought Snowdrop, as she ran down and +unbolted the door. 'Bless me!' said the old woman, 'how badly your +stays are laced! Let me lace them up with one of my nice new laces.' +Snowdrop did not dream of any mischief; so she stood before the old +woman; but she set to work so nimbly, and pulled the lace so tight, +that Snowdrop's breath was stopped, and she fell down as if she were +dead. 'There's an end to all thy beauty,' said the spiteful queen, +and went away home. + +In the evening the seven dwarfs came home; and I need not say how +grieved they were to see their faithful Snowdrop stretched out upon +the ground, as if she was quite dead. However, they lifted her up, and +when they found what ailed her, they cut the lace; and in a little +time she began to breathe, and very soon came to life again. Then they +said, 'The old woman was the queen herself; take care another time, +and let no one in when we are away.' + +When the queen got home, she went straight to her glass, and spoke to +it as before; but to her great grief it still said: + + 'Thou, queen, art the fairest in all this land: + But over the hills, in the greenwood shade, + Where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made, + There Snowdrop is hiding her head; and she + Is lovelier far, O queen! than thee.' + +Then the blood ran cold in her heart with spite and malice, to see +that Snowdrop still lived; and she dressed herself up again, but in +quite another dress from the one she wore before, and took with her a +poisoned comb. When she reached the dwarfs' cottage, she knocked at +the door, and cried, 'Fine wares to sell!' But Snowdrop said, 'I dare +not let anyone in.' Then the queen said, 'Only look at my beautiful +combs!' and gave her the poisoned one. And it looked so pretty, that +she took it up and put it into her hair to try it; but the moment it +touched her head, the poison was so powerful that she fell down +senseless. 'There you may lie,' said the queen, and went her way. But +by good luck the dwarfs came in very early that evening; and when they +saw Snowdrop lying on the ground, they thought what had happened, and +soon found the poisoned comb. And when they took it away she got well, +and told them all that had passed; and they warned her once more not +to open the door to anyone. + +Meantime the queen went home to her glass, and shook with rage when +she read the very same answer as before; and she said, 'Snowdrop shall +die, if it cost me my life.' So she went by herself into her chamber, +and got ready a poisoned apple: the outside looked very rosy and +tempting, but whoever tasted it was sure to die. Then she dressed +herself up as a peasant's wife, and travelled over the hills to the +dwarfs' cottage, and knocked at the door; but Snowdrop put her head +out of the window and said, 'I dare not let anyone in, for the dwarfs +have told me not.' 'Do as you please,' said the old woman, 'but at any +rate take this pretty apple; I will give it you.' 'No,' said Snowdrop, +'I dare not take it.' 'You silly girl!' answered the other, 'what are +you afraid of? Do you think it is poisoned? Come! do you eat one part, +and I will eat the other.' Now the apple was so made up that one side +was good, though the other side was poisoned. Then Snowdrop was much +tempted to taste, for the apple looked so very nice; and when she saw +the old woman eat, she could wait no longer. But she had scarcely put +the piece into her mouth, when she fell down dead upon the ground. +'This time nothing will save thee,' said the queen; and she went home +to her glass, and at last it said: + + 'Thou, queen, art the fairest of all the fair.' + +And then her wicked heart was glad, and as happy as such a heart could +be. + +When evening came, and the dwarfs had gone home, they found Snowdrop +lying on the ground: no breath came from her lips, and they were +afraid that she was quite dead. They lifted her up, and combed her +hair, and washed her face with wine and water; but all was in vain, +for the little girl seemed quite dead. So they laid her down upon a +bier, and all seven watched and bewailed her three whole days; and +then they thought they would bury her: but her cheeks were still rosy; +and her face looked just as it did while she was alive; so they said, +'We will never bury her in the cold ground.' And they made a coffin of +glass, so that they might still look at her, and wrote upon it in +golden letters what her name was, and that she was a king's daughter. +And the coffin was set among the hills, and one of the dwarfs always +sat by it and watched. And the birds of the air came too, and bemoaned +Snowdrop; and first of all came an owl, and then a raven, and at last +a dove, and sat by her side. + +And thus Snowdrop lay for a long, long time, and still only looked as +though she was asleep; for she was even now as white as snow, and as +red as blood, and as black as ebony. At last a prince came and called +at the dwarfs' house; and he saw Snowdrop, and read what was written +in golden letters. Then he offered the dwarfs money, and prayed and +besought them to let him take her away; but they said, 'We will not +part with her for all the gold in the world.' At last, however, they +had pity on him, and gave him the coffin; but the moment he lifted it +up to carry it home with him, the piece of apple fell from between her +lips, and Snowdrop awoke, and said, 'Where am I?' And the prince said, +'Thou art quite safe with me.' + +Then he told her all that had happened, and said, 'I love you far +better than all the world; so come with me to my father's palace, and +you shall be my wife.' And Snowdrop consented, and went home with the +prince; and everything was got ready with great pomp and splendour for +their wedding. + +To the feast was asked, among the rest, Snowdrop's old enemy the +queen; and as she was dressing herself in fine rich clothes, she +looked in the glass and said: + + 'Tell me, glass, tell me true! + Of all the ladies in the land, + Who is fairest, tell me, who?' + +And the glass answered: + + 'Thou, lady, art loveliest here, I ween; + But lovelier far is the new-made queen.' + +When she heard this she started with rage; but her envy and curiosity +were so great, that she could not help setting out to see the bride. +And when she got there, and saw that it was no other than Snowdrop, +who, as she thought, had been dead a long while, she choked with rage, +and fell down and died: but Snowdrop and the prince lived and reigned +happily over that land many, many years; and sometimes they went up +into the mountains, and paid a visit to the little dwarfs, who had +been so kind to Snowdrop in her time of need. + + + +THE PINK + +There was once upon a time a queen to whom God had given no children. +Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God in heaven to +bestow on her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from heaven came to +her and said: 'Be at rest, you shall have a son with the power of +wishing, so that whatsoever in the world he wishes for, that shall he +have.' Then she went to the king, and told him the joyful tidings, and +when the time was come she gave birth to a son, and the king was +filled with gladness. + +Every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild +beasts were kept, and washed herself there in a clear stream. It +happened once when the child was a little older, that it was lying in +her arms and she fell asleep. Then came the old cook, who knew that +the child had the power of wishing, and stole it away, and he took a +hen, and cut it in pieces, and dropped some of its blood on the +queen's apron and on her dress. Then he carried the child away to a +secret place, where a nurse was obliged to suckle it, and he ran to +the king and accused the queen of having allowed her child to be taken +from her by the wild beasts. When the king saw the blood on her apron, +he believed this, fell into such a passion that he ordered a high +tower to be built, in which neither sun nor moon could be seen and had +his wife put into it, and walled up. Here she was to stay for seven +years without meat or drink, and die of hunger. But God sent two +angels from heaven in the shape of white doves, which flew to her +twice a day, and carried her food until the seven years were over. + +The cook, however, thought to himself: 'If the child has the power of +wishing, and I am here, he might very easily get me into trouble.' So +he left the palace and went to the boy, who was already big enough to +speak, and said to him: 'Wish for a beautiful palace for yourself with +a garden, and all else that pertains to it.' Scarcely were the words +out of the boy's mouth, when everything was there that he had wished +for. After a while the cook said to him: 'It is not well for you to be +so alone, wish for a pretty girl as a companion.' Then the king's son +wished for one, and she immediately stood before him, and was more +beautiful than any painter could have painted her. The two played +together, and loved each other with all their hearts, and the old cook +went out hunting like a nobleman. The thought occurred to him, +however, that the king's son might some day wish to be with his +father, and thus bring him into great peril. So he went out and took +the maiden aside, and said: 'Tonight when the boy is asleep, go to his +bed and plunge this knife into his heart, and bring me his heart and +tongue, and if you do not do it, you shall lose your life.' Thereupon +he went away, and when he returned next day she had not done it, and +said: 'Why should I shed the blood of an innocent boy who has never +harmed anyone?' The cook once more said: 'If you do not do it, it +shall cost you your own life.' When he had gone away, she had a little +hind brought to her, and ordered her to be killed, and took her heart +and tongue, and laid them on a plate, and when she saw the old man +coming, she said to the boy: 'Lie down in your bed, and draw the +clothes over you.' Then the wicked wretch came in and said: 'Where are +the boy's heart and tongue?' The girl reached the plate to him, but +the king's son threw off the quilt, and said: 'You old sinner, why did +you want to kill me? Now will I pronounce thy sentence. You shall +become a black poodle and have a gold collar round your neck, and +shall eat burning coals, till the flames burst forth from your +throat.' And when he had spoken these words, the old man was changed +into a poodle dog, and had a gold collar round his neck, and the cooks +were ordered to bring up some live coals, and these he ate, until the +flames broke forth from his throat. The king's son remained there a +short while longer, and he thought of his mother, and wondered if she +were still alive. At length he said to the maiden: 'I will go home to +my own country; if you will go with me, I will provide for you.' 'Ah,' +she replied, 'the way is so long, and what shall I do in a strange +land where I am unknown?' As she did not seem quite willing, and as +they could not be parted from each other, he wished that she might be +changed into a beautiful pink, and took her with him. Then he went +away to his own country, and the poodle had to run after him. He went +to the tower in which his mother was confined, and as it was so high, +he wished for a ladder which would reach up to the very top. Then he +mounted up and looked inside, and cried: 'Beloved mother, Lady Queen, +are you still alive, or are you dead?' She answered: 'I have just +eaten, and am still satisfied,' for she thought the angels were there. +Said he: 'I am your dear son, whom the wild beasts were said to have +torn from your arms; but I am alive still, and will soon set you +free.' Then he descended again, and went to his father, and caused +himself to be announced as a strange huntsman, and asked if he could +offer him service. The king said yes, if he was skilful and could get +game for him, he should come to him, but that deer had never taken up +their quarters in any part of the district or country. Then the +huntsman promised to procure as much game for him as he could possibly +use at the royal table. So he summoned all the huntsmen together, and +bade them go out into the forest with him. And he went with them and +made them form a great circle, open at one end where he stationed +himself, and began to wish. Two hundred deer and more came running +inside the circle at once, and the huntsmen shot them. Then they were +all placed on sixty country carts, and driven home to the king, and +for once he was able to deck his table with game, after having had +none at all for years. + +Now the king felt great joy at this, and commanded that his entire +household should eat with him next day, and made a great feast. When +they were all assembled together, he said to the huntsman: 'As you are +so clever, you shall sit by me.' He replied: 'Lord King, your majesty +must excuse me, I am a poor huntsman.' But the king insisted on it, +and said: 'You shall sit by me,' until he did it. Whilst he was +sitting there, he thought of his dearest mother, and wished that one +of the king's principal servants would begin to speak of her, and +would ask how it was faring with the queen in the tower, and if she +were alive still, or had perished. Hardly had he formed the wish than +the marshal began, and said: 'Your majesty, we live joyously here, but +how is the queen living in the tower? Is she still alive, or has she +died?' But the king replied: 'She let my dear son be torn to pieces by +wild beasts; I will not have her named.' Then the huntsman arose and +said: 'Gracious lord father she is alive still, and I am her son, and +I was not carried away by wild beasts, but by that wretch the old +cook, who tore me from her arms when she was asleep, and sprinkled her +apron with the blood of a chicken.' Thereupon he took the dog with the +golden collar, and said: 'That is the wretch!' and caused live coals +to be brought, and these the dog was compelled to devour before the +sight of all, until flames burst forth from its throat. On this the +huntsman asked the king if he would like to see the dog in his true +shape, and wished him back into the form of the cook, in the which he +stood immediately, with his white apron, and his knife by his side. +When the king saw him he fell into a passion, and ordered him to be +cast into the deepest dungeon. Then the huntsman spoke further and +said: 'Father, will you see the maiden who brought me up so tenderly +and who was afterwards to murder me, but did not do it, though her own +life depended on it?' The king replied: 'Yes, I would like to see +her.' The son said: 'Most gracious father, I will show her to you in +the form of a beautiful flower,' and he thrust his hand into his +pocket and brought forth the pink, and placed it on the royal table, +and it was so beautiful that the king had never seen one to equal it. +Then the son said: 'Now will I show her to you in her own form,' and +wished that she might become a maiden, and she stood there looking so +beautiful that no painter could have made her look more so. + +And the king sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the tower, +to fetch the queen and bring her to the royal table. But when she was +led in she ate nothing, and said: 'The gracious and merciful God who +has supported me in the tower, will soon set me free.' She lived three +days more, and then died happily, and when she was buried, the two +white doves which had brought her food to the tower, and were angels +of heaven, followed her body and seated themselves on her grave. The +aged king ordered the cook to be torn in four pieces, but grief +consumed the king's own heart, and he soon died. His son married the +beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower in his +pocket, and whether they are still alive or not, is known to God. + + + +CLEVER ELSIE + +There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. +And when she had grown up her father said: 'We will get her married.' +'Yes,' said the mother, 'if only someone would come who would have +her.' At length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was +called Hans; but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really +smart. 'Oh,' said the father, 'she has plenty of good sense'; and the +mother said: 'Oh, she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear +the flies coughing.' 'Well,' said Hans, 'if she is not really smart, I +won't have her.' When they were sitting at dinner and had eaten, the +mother said: 'Elsie, go into the cellar and fetch some beer.' Then +Clever Elsie took the pitcher from the wall, went into the cellar, and +tapped the lid briskly as she went, so that the time might not appear +long. When she was below she fetched herself a chair, and set it +before the barrel so that she had no need to stoop, and did not hurt +her back or do herself any unexpected injury. Then she placed the can +before her, and turned the tap, and while the beer was running she +would not let her eyes be idle, but looked up at the wall, and after +much peering here and there, saw a pick-axe exactly above her, which +the masons had accidentally left there. + +Then Clever Elsie began to weep and said: 'If I get Hans, and we have +a child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar here to +draw beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him.' Then +she sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body, over +the misfortune which lay before her. Those upstairs waited for the +drink, but Clever Elsie still did not come. Then the woman said to the +servant: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is.' The +maid went and found her sitting in front of the barrel, screaming +loudly. 'Elsie why do you weep?' asked the maid. 'Ah,' she answered, +'have I not reason to weep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he +grows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fall +on his head, and kill him.' Then said the maid: 'What a clever Elsie +we have!' and sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the +misfortune. After a while, as the maid did not come back, and those +upstairs were thirsty for the beer, the man said to the boy: 'Just go +down into the cellar and see where Elsie and the girl are.' The boy +went down, and there sat Clever Elsie and the girl both weeping +together. Then he asked: 'Why are you weeping?' 'Ah,' said Elsie, +'have I not reason to weep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he +grows big, and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will fall on his +head and kill him.' Then said the boy: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' +and sat down by her, and likewise began to howl loudly. Upstairs they +waited for the boy, but as he still did not return, the man said to +the woman: 'Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is!' The +woman went down, and found all three in the midst of their +lamentations, and inquired what was the cause; then Elsie told her +also that her future child was to be killed by the pick-axe, when it +grew big and had to draw beer, and the pick-axe fell down. Then said +the mother likewise: 'What a clever Elsie we have!' and sat down and +wept with them. The man upstairs waited a short time, but as his wife +did not come back and his thirst grew ever greater, he said: 'I must +go into the cellar myself and see where Elsie is.' But when he got +into the cellar, and they were all sitting together crying, and he +heard the reason, and that Elsie's child was the cause, and the Elsie +might perhaps bring one into the world some day, and that he might be +killed by the pick-axe, if he should happen to be sitting beneath it, +drawing beer just at the very time when it fell down, he cried: 'Oh, +what a clever Elsie!' and sat down, and likewise wept with them. The +bridegroom stayed upstairs alone for along time; then as no one would +come back he thought: 'They must be waiting for me below: I too must +go there and see what they are about.' When he got down, the five of +them were sitting screaming and lamenting quite piteously, each out- +doing the other. 'What misfortune has happened then?' asked he. 'Ah, +dear Hans,' said Elsie, 'if we marry each other and have a child, and +he is big, and we perhaps send him here to draw something to drink, +then the pick-axe which has been left up there might dash his brains +out if it were to fall down, so have we not reason to weep?' 'Come,' +said Hans, 'more understanding than that is not needed for my +household, as you are such a clever Elsie, I will have you,' and +seized her hand, took her upstairs with him, and married her. + +After Hans had had her some time, he said: 'Wife, I am going out to +work and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn +that we may have some bread.' 'Yes, dear Hans, I will do that.' After +Hans had gone away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it +into the field with her. When she came to the field she said to +herself: 'What shall I do; shall I cut first, or shall I eat first? +Oh, I will eat first.' Then she drank her cup of broth and when she +was fully satisfied, she once more said: 'What shall I do? Shall I cut +first, or shall I sleep first? I will sleep first.' Then she lay down +among the corn and fell asleep. Hans had been at home for a long time, +but Elsie did not come; then said he: 'What a clever Elsie I have; she +is so industrious that she does not even come home to eat.' But when +evening came and she still stayed away, Hans went out to see what she +had cut, but nothing was cut, and she was lying among the corn asleep. +Then Hans hastened home and brought a fowler's net with little bells +and hung it round about her, and she still went on sleeping. Then he +ran home, shut the house-door, and sat down in his chair and worked. +At length, when it was quite dark, Clever Elsie awoke and when she got +up there was a jingling all round about her, and the bells rang at +each step which she took. Then she was alarmed, and became uncertain +whether she really was Clever Elsie or not, and said: 'Is it I, or is +it not I?' But she knew not what answer to make to this, and stood for +a time in doubt; at length she thought: 'I will go home and ask if it +be I, or if it be not I, they will be sure to know.' She ran to the +door of her own house, but it was shut; then she knocked at the window +and cried: 'Hans, is Elsie within?' 'Yes,' answered Hans, 'she is +within.' Hereupon she was terrified, and said: 'Ah, heavens! Then it +is not I,' and went to another door; but when the people heard the +jingling of the bells they would not open it, and she could get in +nowhere. Then she ran out of the village, and no one has seen her +since. + + + +THE MISER IN THE BUSH + +A farmer had a faithful and diligent servant, who had worked hard for +him three years, without having been paid any wages. At last it came +into the man's head that he would not go on thus without pay any +longer; so he went to his master, and said, 'I have worked hard for +you a long time, I will trust to you to give me what I deserve to have +for my trouble.' The farmer was a sad miser, and knew that his man was +very simple-hearted; so he took out threepence, and gave him for every +year's service a penny. The poor fellow thought it was a great deal of +money to have, and said to himself, 'Why should I work hard, and live +here on bad fare any longer? I can now travel into the wide world, and +make myself merry.' With that he put his money into his purse, and set +out, roaming over hill and valley. + +As he jogged along over the fields, singing and dancing, a little +dwarf met him, and asked him what made him so merry. 'Why, what should +make me down-hearted?' said he; 'I am sound in health and rich in +purse, what should I care for? I have saved up my three years' +earnings and have it all safe in my pocket.' 'How much may it come +to?' said the little man. 'Full threepence,' replied the countryman. +'I wish you would give them to me,' said the other; 'I am very poor.' +Then the man pitied him, and gave him all he had; and the little dwarf +said in return, 'As you have such a kind honest heart, I will grant +you three wishes--one for every penny; so choose whatever you like.' +Then the countryman rejoiced at his good luck, and said, 'I like many +things better than money: first, I will have a bow that will bring +down everything I shoot at; secondly, a fiddle that will set everyone +dancing that hears me play upon it; and thirdly, I should like that +everyone should grant what I ask.' The dwarf said he should have his +three wishes; so he gave him the bow and fiddle, and went his way. + +Our honest friend journeyed on his way too; and if he was merry +before, he was now ten times more so. He had not gone far before he +met an old miser: close by them stood a tree, and on the topmost twig +sat a thrush singing away most joyfully. 'Oh, what a pretty bird!' +said the miser; 'I would give a great deal of money to have such a +one.' 'If that's all,' said the countryman, 'I will soon bring it +down.' Then he took up his bow, and down fell the thrush into the +bushes at the foot of the tree. The miser crept into the bush to find +it; but directly he had got into the middle, his companion took up his +fiddle and played away, and the miser began to dance and spring about, +capering higher and higher in the air. The thorns soon began to tear +his clothes till they all hung in rags about him, and he himself was +all scratched and wounded, so that the blood ran down. 'Oh, for +heaven's sake!' cried the miser, 'Master! master! pray let the fiddle +alone. What have I done to deserve this?' 'Thou hast shaved many a +poor soul close enough,' said the other; 'thou art only meeting thy +reward': so he played up another tune. Then the miser began to beg and +promise, and offered money for his liberty; but he did not come up to +the musician's price for some time, and he danced him along brisker +and brisker, and the miser bid higher and higher, till at last he +offered a round hundred of florins that he had in his purse, and had +just gained by cheating some poor fellow. When the countryman saw so +much money, he said, 'I will agree to your proposal.' So he took the +purse, put up his fiddle, and travelled on very pleased with his +bargain. + +Meanwhile the miser crept out of the bush half-naked and in a piteous +plight, and began to ponder how he should take his revenge, and serve +his late companion some trick. At last he went to the judge, and +complained that a rascal had robbed him of his money, and beaten him +into the bargain; and that the fellow who did it carried a bow at his +back and a fiddle hung round his neck. Then the judge sent out his +officers to bring up the accused wherever they should find him; and he +was soon caught and brought up to be tried. + +The miser began to tell his tale, and said he had been robbed of his +money. 'No, you gave it me for playing a tune to you.' said the +countryman; but the judge told him that was not likely, and cut the +matter short by ordering him off to the gallows. + +So away he was taken; but as he stood on the steps he said, 'My Lord +Judge, grant me one last request.' 'Anything but thy life,' replied +the other. 'No,' said he, 'I do not ask my life; only to let me play +upon my fiddle for the last time.' The miser cried out, 'Oh, no! no! +for heaven's sake don't listen to him! don't listen to him!' But the +judge said, 'It is only this once, he will soon have done.' The fact +was, he could not refuse the request, on account of the dwarf's third +gift. + +Then the miser said, 'Bind me fast, bind me fast, for pity's sake.' +But the countryman seized his fiddle, and struck up a tune, and at the +first note judge, clerks, and jailer were in motion; all began +capering, and no one could hold the miser. At the second note the +hangman let his prisoner go, and danced also, and by the time he had +played the first bar of the tune, all were dancing together--judge, +court, and miser, and all the people who had followed to look on. At +first the thing was merry and pleasant enough; but when it had gone on +a while, and there seemed to be no end of playing or dancing, they +began to cry out, and beg him to leave off; but he stopped not a whit +the more for their entreaties, till the judge not only gave him his +life, but promised to return him the hundred florins. + +Then he called to the miser, and said, 'Tell us now, you vagabond, +where you got that gold, or I shall play on for your amusement only,' +'I stole it,' said the miser in the presence of all the people; 'I +acknowledge that I stole it, and that you earned it fairly.' Then the +countryman stopped his fiddle, and left the miser to take his place at +the gallows. + + + +ASHPUTTEL + +The wife of a rich man fell sick; and when she felt that her end drew +nigh, she called her only daughter to her bed-side, and said, 'Always +be a good girl, and I will look down from heaven and watch over you.' +Soon afterwards she shut her eyes and died, and was buried in the +garden; and the little girl went every day to her grave and wept, and +was always good and kind to all about her. And the snow fell and +spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the time the +spring came, and the sun had melted it away again, her father had +married another wife. This new wife had two daughters of her own, that +she brought home with her; they were fair in face but foul at heart, +and it was now a sorry time for the poor little girl. 'What does the +good-for-nothing want in the parlour?' said they; 'they who would eat +bread should first earn it; away with the kitchen-maid!' Then they +took away her fine clothes, and gave her an old grey frock to put on, +and laughed at her, and turned her into the kitchen. + +There she was forced to do hard work; to rise early before daylight, +to bring the water, to make the fire, to cook and to wash. Besides +that, the sisters plagued her in all sorts of ways, and laughed at +her. In the evening when she was tired, she had no bed to lie down on, +but was made to lie by the hearth among the ashes; and as this, of +course, made her always dusty and dirty, they called her Ashputtel. + +It happened once that the father was going to the fair, and asked his +wife's daughters what he should bring them. 'Fine clothes,' said the +first; 'Pearls and diamonds,' cried the second. 'Now, child,' said he +to his own daughter, 'what will you have?' 'The first twig, dear +father, that brushes against your hat when you turn your face to come +homewards,' said she. Then he bought for the first two the fine +clothes and pearls and diamonds they had asked for: and on his way +home, as he rode through a green copse, a hazel twig brushed against +him, and almost pushed off his hat: so he broke it off and brought it +away; and when he got home he gave it to his daughter. Then she took +it, and went to her mother's grave and planted it there; and cried so +much that it was watered with her tears; and there it grew and became +a fine tree. Three times every day she went to it and cried; and soon +a little bird came and built its nest upon the tree, and talked with +her, and watched over her, and brought her whatever she wished for. + +Now it happened that the king of that land held a feast, which was to +last three days; and out of those who came to it his son was to choose +a bride for himself. Ashputtel's two sisters were asked to come; so +they called her up, and said, 'Now, comb our hair, brush our shoes, +and tie our sashes for us, for we are going to dance at the king's +feast.' Then she did as she was told; but when all was done she could +not help crying, for she thought to herself, she should so have liked +to have gone with them to the ball; and at last she begged her mother +very hard to let her go. 'You, Ashputtel!' said she; 'you who have +nothing to wear, no clothes at all, and who cannot even dance--you +want to go to the ball? And when she kept on begging, she said at +last, to get rid of her, 'I will throw this dishful of peas into the +ash-heap, and if in two hours' time you have picked them all out, you +shall go to the feast too.' + +Then she threw the peas down among the ashes, but the little maiden +ran out at the back door into the garden, and cried out: + + 'Hither, hither, through the sky, + Turtle-doves and linnets, fly! + Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay, + Hither, hither, haste away! + One and all come help me, quick! + Haste ye, haste ye!--pick, pick, pick!' + +Then first came two white doves, flying in at the kitchen window; next +came two turtle-doves; and after them came all the little birds under +heaven, chirping and fluttering in: and they flew down into the ashes. +And the little doves stooped their heads down and set to work, pick, +pick, pick; and then the others began to pick, pick, pick: and among +them all they soon picked out all the good grain, and put it into a +dish but left the ashes. Long before the end of the hour the work was +quite done, and all flew out again at the windows. + +Then Ashputtel brought the dish to her mother, overjoyed at the +thought that now she should go to the ball. But the mother said, 'No, +no! you slut, you have no clothes, and cannot dance; you shall not +go.' And when Ashputtel begged very hard to go, she said, 'If you can +in one hour's time pick two of those dishes of peas out of the ashes, +you shall go too.' And thus she thought she should at least get rid of +her. So she shook two dishes of peas into the ashes. + +But the little maiden went out into the garden at the back of the +house, and cried out as before: + + 'Hither, hither, through the sky, + Turtle-doves and linnets, fly! + Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay, + Hither, hither, haste away! + One and all come help me, quick! + Haste ye, haste ye!--pick, pick, pick!' + +Then first came two white doves in at the kitchen window; next came +two turtle-doves; and after them came all the little birds under +heaven, chirping and hopping about. And they flew down into the ashes; +and the little doves put their heads down and set to work, pick, pick, +pick; and then the others began pick, pick, pick; and they put all the +good grain into the dishes, and left all the ashes. Before half an +hour's time all was done, and out they flew again. And then Ashputtel +took the dishes to her mother, rejoicing to think that she should now +go to the ball. But her mother said, 'It is all of no use, you cannot +go; you have no clothes, and cannot dance, and you would only put us +to shame': and off she went with her two daughters to the ball. + +Now when all were gone, and nobody left at home, Ashputtel went +sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree, and cried out: + + 'Shake, shake, hazel-tree, + Gold and silver over me!' + +Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree, and brought a gold and +silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put them +on, and followed her sisters to the feast. But they did not know her, +and thought it must be some strange princess, she looked so fine and +beautiful in her rich clothes; and they never once thought of +Ashputtel, taking it for granted that she was safe at home in the +dirt. + +The king's son soon came up to her, and took her by the hand and +danced with her, and no one else: and he never left her hand; but when +anyone else came to ask her to dance, he said, 'This lady is dancing +with me.' + +Thus they danced till a late hour of the night; and then she wanted to +go home: and the king's son said, 'I shall go and take care of you to +your home'; for he wanted to see where the beautiful maiden lived. But +she slipped away from him, unawares, and ran off towards home; and as +the prince followed her, she jumped up into the pigeon-house and shut +the door. Then he waited till her father came home, and told him that +the unknown maiden, who had been at the feast, had hid herself in the +pigeon-house. But when they had broken open the door they found no one +within; and as they came back into the house, Ashputtel was lying, as +she always did, in her dirty frock by the ashes, and her dim little +lamp was burning in the chimney. For she had run as quickly as she +could through the pigeon-house and on to the hazel-tree, and had there +taken off her beautiful clothes, and put them beneath the tree, that +the bird might carry them away, and had lain down again amid the ashes +in her little grey frock. + +The next day when the feast was again held, and her father, mother, +and sisters were gone, Ashputtel went to the hazel-tree, and said: + + 'Shake, shake, hazel-tree, + Gold and silver over me!' + +And the bird came and brought a still finer dress than the one she had +worn the day before. And when she came in it to the ball, everyone +wondered at her beauty: but the king's son, who was waiting for her, +took her by the hand, and danced with her; and when anyone asked her +to dance, he said as before, 'This lady is dancing with me.' + +When night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son followed +here as before, that he might see into what house she went: but she +sprang away from him all at once into the garden behind her father's +house. In this garden stood a fine large pear-tree full of ripe fruit; +and Ashputtel, not knowing where to hide herself, jumped up into it +without being seen. Then the king's son lost sight of her, and could +not find out where she was gone, but waited till her father came home, +and said to him, 'The unknown lady who danced with me has slipped +away, and I think she must have sprung into the pear-tree.' The father +thought to himself, 'Can it be Ashputtel?' So he had an axe brought; +and they cut down the tree, but found no one upon it. And when they +came back into the kitchen, there lay Ashputtel among the ashes; for +she had slipped down on the other side of the tree, and carried her +beautiful clothes back to the bird at the hazel-tree, and then put on +her little grey frock. + +The third day, when her father and mother and sisters were gone, she +went again into the garden, and said: + + 'Shake, shake, hazel-tree, + Gold and silver over me!' + +Then her kind friend the bird brought a dress still finer than the +former one, and slippers which were all of gold: so that when she came +to the feast no one knew what to say, for wonder at her beauty: and +the king's son danced with nobody but her; and when anyone else asked +her to dance, he said, 'This lady is /my/ partner, sir.' + +When night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son would go +with her, and said to himself, 'I will not lose her this time'; but, +however, she again slipped away from him, though in such a hurry that +she dropped her left golden slipper upon the stairs. + +The prince took the shoe, and went the next day to the king his +father, and said, 'I will take for my wife the lady that this golden +slipper fits.' Then both the sisters were overjoyed to hear it; for +they had beautiful feet, and had no doubt that they could wear the +golden slipper. The eldest went first into the room where the slipper +was, and wanted to try it on, and the mother stood by. But her great +toe could not go into it, and the shoe was altogether much too small +for her. Then the mother gave her a knife, and said, 'Never mind, cut +it off; when you are queen you will not care about toes; you will not +want to walk.' So the silly girl cut off her great toe, and thus +squeezed on the shoe, and went to the king's son. Then he took her for +his bride, and set her beside him on his horse, and rode away with her +homewards. + +But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that +Ashputtel had planted; and on the branch sat a little dove singing: + + 'Back again! back again! look to the shoe! + The shoe is too small, and not made for you! + Prince! prince! look again for thy bride, + For she's not the true one that sits by thy side.' + +Then the prince got down and looked at her foot; and he saw, by the +blood that streamed from it, what a trick she had played him. So he +turned his horse round, and brought the false bride back to her home, +and said, 'This is not the right bride; let the other sister try and +put on the slipper.' Then she went into the room and got her foot into +the shoe, all but the heel, which was too large. But her mother +squeezed it in till the blood came, and took her to the king's son: +and he set her as his bride by his side on his horse, and rode away +with her. + +But when they came to the hazel-tree the little dove sat there still, +and sang: + + 'Back again! back again! look to the shoe! + The shoe is too small, and not made for you! + Prince! prince! look again for thy bride, + For she's not the true one that sits by thy side.' + +Then he looked down, and saw that the blood streamed so much from the +shoe, that her white stockings were quite red. So he turned his horse +and brought her also back again. 'This is not the true bride,' said he +to the father; 'have you no other daughters?' 'No,' said he; 'there is +only a little dirty Ashputtel here, the child of my first wife; I am +sure she cannot be the bride.' The prince told him to send her. But +the mother said, 'No, no, she is much too dirty; she will not dare to +show herself.' However, the prince would have her come; and she first +washed her face and hands, and then went in and curtsied to him, and +he reached her the golden slipper. Then she took her clumsy shoe off +her left foot, and put on the golden slipper; and it fitted her as if +it had been made for her. And when he drew near and looked at her face +he knew her, and said, 'This is the right bride.' But the mother and +both the sisters were frightened, and turned pale with anger as he +took Ashputtel on his horse, and rode away with her. And when they +came to the hazel-tree, the white dove sang: + + 'Home! home! look at the shoe! + Princess! the shoe was made for you! + Prince! prince! take home thy bride, + For she is the true one that sits by thy side!' + +And when the dove had done its song, it came flying, and perched upon +her right shoulder, and so went home with her. + + + +THE WHITE SNAKE + +A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom +through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if +news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air. But +he had a strange custom; every day after dinner, when the table was +cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty servant had to bring +him one more dish. It was covered, however, and even the servant did +not know what was in it, neither did anyone know, for the king never +took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite alone. + +This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who took +away the dish, was overcome with such curiosity that he could not help +carrying the dish into his room. When he had carefully locked the +door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a white snake lying on the dish. +But when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting +it, so he cut of a little bit and put it into his mouth. No sooner had +it touched his tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little +voices outside his window. He went and listened, and then noticed that +it was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one +another of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields and +woods. Eating the snake had given him power of understanding the +language of animals. + +Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most +beautiful ring, and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this +trusty servant, who was allowed to go everywhere. The king ordered the +man to be brought before him, and threatened with angry words that +unless he could before the morrow point out the thief, he himself +should be looked upon as guilty and executed. In vain he declared his +innocence; he was dismissed with no better answer. + +In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took +thought how to help himself out of his trouble. Now some ducks were +sitting together quietly by a brook and taking their rest; and, whilst +they were making their feathers smooth with their bills, they were +having a confidential conversation together. The servant stood by and +listened. They were telling one another of all the places where they +had been waddling about all the morning, and what good food they had +found; and one said in a pitiful tone: 'Something lies heavy on my +stomach; as I was eating in haste I swallowed a ring which lay under +the queen's window.' The servant at once seized her by the neck, +carried her to the kitchen, and said to the cook: 'Here is a fine +duck; pray, kill her.' 'Yes,' said the cook, and weighed her in his +hand; 'she has spared no trouble to fatten herself, and has been +waiting to be roasted long enough.' So he cut off her head, and as she +was being dressed for the spit, the queen's ring was found inside her. + +The servant could now easily prove his innocence; and the king, to +make amends for the wrong, allowed him to ask a favour, and promised +him the best place in the court that he could wish for. The servant +refused everything, and only asked for a horse and some money for +travelling, as he had a mind to see the world and go about a little. +When his request was granted he set out on his way, and one day came +to a pond, where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and gasping +for water. Now, though it is said that fishes are dumb, he heard them +lamenting that they must perish so miserably, and, as he had a kind +heart, he got off his horse and put the three prisoners back into the +water. They leapt with delight, put out their heads, and cried to him: +'We will remember you and repay you for saving us!' + +He rode on, and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice +in the sand at his feet. He listened, and heard an ant-king complain: +'Why cannot folks, with their clumsy beasts, keep off our bodies? That +stupid horse, with his heavy hoofs, has been treading down my people +without mercy!' So he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried +out to him: 'We will remember you--one good turn deserves another!' + +The path led him into a wood, and there he saw two old ravens standing +by their nest, and throwing out their young ones. 'Out with you, you +idle, good-for-nothing creatures!' cried they; 'we cannot find food +for you any longer; you are big enough, and can provide for +yourselves.' But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping +their wings, and crying: 'Oh, what helpless chicks we are! We must +shift for ourselves, and yet we cannot fly! What can we do, but lie +here and starve?' So the good young fellow alighted and killed his +horse with his sword, and gave it to them for food. Then they came +hopping up to it, satisfied their hunger, and cried: 'We will remember +you--one good turn deserves another!' + +And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way, +he came to a large city. There was a great noise and crowd in the +streets, and a man rode up on horseback, crying aloud: 'The king's +daughter wants a husband; but whoever seeks her hand must perform a +hard task, and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life.' Many +had already made the attempt, but in vain; nevertheless when the youth +saw the king's daughter he was so overcome by her great beauty that he +forgot all danger, went before the king, and declared himself a +suitor. + +So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it, +before his eyes; then the king ordered him to fetch this ring up from +the bottom of the sea, and added: 'If you come up again without it you +will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves.' +All the people grieved for the handsome youth; then they went away, +leaving him alone by the sea. + +He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly +he saw three fishes come swimming towards him, and they were the very +fishes whose lives he had saved. The one in the middle held a mussel +in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth's feet, and when +he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in the +shell. Full of joy he took it to the king and expected that he would +grant him the promised reward. + +But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in +birth, she scorned him, and required him first to perform another +task. She went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten +sacksful of millet-seed on the grass; then she said: 'Tomorrow morning +before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be +wanting.' + +The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be +possible to perform this task, but he could think of nothing, and +there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day, when he should be +led to death. But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the +garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and +not a single grain was missing. The ant-king had come in the night +with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful creatures had +by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into +the sacks. + +Presently the king's daughter herself came down into the garden, and +was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given +him. But she could not yet conquer her proud heart, and said: +'Although he has performed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband +until he had brought me an apple from the Tree of Life.' The youth did +not know where the Tree of Life stood, but he set out, and would have +gone on for ever, as long as his legs would carry him, though he had +no hope of finding it. After he had wandered through three kingdoms, +he came one evening to a wood, and lay down under a tree to sleep. But +he heard a rustling in the branches, and a golden apple fell into his +hand. At the same time three ravens flew down to him, perched +themselves upon his knee, and said: 'We are the three young ravens +whom you saved from starving; when we had grown big, and heard that +you were seeking the Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of +the world, where the Tree of Life stands, and have brought you the +apple.' The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the Golden +Apple to the king's beautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses +left to make. They cut the Apple of Life in two and ate it together; +and then her heart became full of love for him, and they lived in +undisturbed happiness to a great age. + + + +THE WOLF AND THE SEVEN LITTLE KIDS + +There was once upon a time an old goat who had seven little kids, and +loved them with all the love of a mother for her children. One day she +wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food. So she called all +seven to her and said: 'Dear children, I have to go into the forest, +be on your guard against the wolf; if he comes in, he will devour you +all--skin, hair, and everything. The wretch often disguises himself, +but you will know him at once by his rough voice and his black feet.' +The kids said: 'Dear mother, we will take good care of ourselves; you +may go away without any anxiety.' Then the old one bleated, and went +on her way with an easy mind. + +It was not long before someone knocked at the house-door and called: +'Open the door, dear children; your mother is here, and has brought +something back with her for each of you.' But the little kids knew +that it was the wolf, by the rough voice. 'We will not open the door,' +cried they, 'you are not our mother. She has a soft, pleasant voice, +but your voice is rough; you are the wolf!' Then the wolf went away to +a shopkeeper and bought himself a great lump of chalk, ate this and +made his voice soft with it. Then he came back, knocked at the door of +the house, and called: 'Open the door, dear children, your mother is +here and has brought something back with her for each of you.' But the +wolf had laid his black paws against the window, and the children saw +them and cried: 'We will not open the door, our mother has not black +feet like you: you are the wolf!' Then the wolf ran to a baker and +said: 'I have hurt my feet, rub some dough over them for me.' And when +the baker had rubbed his feet over, he ran to the miller and said: +'Strew some white meal over my feet for me.' The miller thought to +himself: 'The wolf wants to deceive someone,' and refused; but the +wolf said: 'If you will not do it, I will devour you.' Then the miller +was afraid, and made his paws white for him. Truly, this is the way of +mankind. + +So now the wretch went for the third time to the house-door, knocked +at it and said: 'Open the door for me, children, your dear little +mother has come home, and has brought every one of you something back +from the forest with her.' The little kids cried: 'First show us your +paws that we may know if you are our dear little mother.' Then he put +his paws in through the window and when the kids saw that they were +white, they believed that all he said was true, and opened the door. +But who should come in but the wolf! They were terrified and wanted to +hide themselves. One sprang under the table, the second into the bed, +the third into the stove, the fourth into the kitchen, the fifth into +the cupboard, the sixth under the washing-bowl, and the seventh into +the clock-case. But the wolf found them all, and used no great +ceremony; one after the other he swallowed them down his throat. The +youngest, who was in the clock-case, was the only one he did not find. +When the wolf had satisfied his appetite he took himself off, laid +himself down under a tree in the green meadow outside, and began to +sleep. Soon afterwards the old goat came home again from the forest. +Ah! what a sight she saw there! The house-door stood wide open. The +table, chairs, and benches were thrown down, the washing-bowl lay +broken to pieces, and the quilts and pillows were pulled off the bed. +She sought her children, but they were nowhere to be found. She called +them one after another by name, but no one answered. At last, when she +came to the youngest, a soft voice cried: 'Dear mother, I am in the +clock-case.' She took the kid out, and it told her that the wolf had +come and had eaten all the others. Then you may imagine how she wept +over her poor children. + +At length in her grief she went out, and the youngest kid ran with +her. When they came to the meadow, there lay the wolf by the tree and +snored so loud that the branches shook. She looked at him on every +side and saw that something was moving and struggling in his gorged +belly. 'Ah, heavens,' she said, 'is it possible that my poor children +whom he has swallowed down for his supper, can be still alive?' Then +the kid had to run home and fetch scissors, and a needle and thread, +and the goat cut open the monster's stomach, and hardly had she made +one cut, than one little kid thrust its head out, and when she had cut +farther, all six sprang out one after another, and were all still +alive, and had suffered no injury whatever, for in his greediness the +monster had swallowed them down whole. What rejoicing there was! They +embraced their dear mother, and jumped like a tailor at his wedding. +The mother, however, said: 'Now go and look for some big stones, and +we will fill the wicked beast's stomach with them while he is still +asleep.' Then the seven kids dragged the stones thither with all +speed, and put as many of them into this stomach as they could get in; +and the mother sewed him up again in the greatest haste, so that he +was not aware of anything and never once stirred. + +When the wolf at length had had his fill of sleep, he got on his legs, +and as the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty, he wanted to +go to a well to drink. But when he began to walk and to move about, +the stones in his stomach knocked against each other and rattled. Then +cried he: + + 'What rumbles and tumbles + Against my poor bones? + I thought 'twas six kids, + But it feels like big stones.' + +And when he got to the well and stooped over the water to drink, the +heavy stones made him fall in, and he drowned miserably. When the +seven kids saw that, they came running to the spot and cried aloud: +'The wolf is dead! The wolf is dead!' and danced for joy round about +the well with their mother. + + + +THE QUEEN BEE + +Two kings' sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their +fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so +that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a +little insignificant dwarf, went out to seek for his brothers: but +when he had found them they only laughed at him, to think that he, who +was so young and simple, should try to travel through the world, when +they, who were so much wiser, had been unable to get on. However, they +all set out on their journey together, and came at last to an ant- +hill. The two elder brothers would have pulled it down, in order to +see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off +their eggs. But the little dwarf said, 'Let the poor things enjoy +themselves, I will not suffer you to trouble them.' + +So on they went, and came to a lake where many many ducks were +swimming about. The two brothers wanted to catch two, and roast them. +But the dwarf said, 'Let the poor things enjoy themselves, you shall +not kill them.' Next they came to a bees'-nest in a hollow tree, and +there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk; and the two +brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees, so +as to get their honey. But the dwarf held them back, and said, 'Let +the pretty insects enjoy themselves, I cannot let you burn them.' + +At length the three brothers came to a castle: and as they passed by +the stables they saw fine horses standing there, but all were of +marble, and no man was to be seen. Then they went through all the +rooms, till they came to a door on which were three locks: but in the +middle of the door was a wicket, so that they could look into the next +room. There they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table; and +they called to him once or twice, but he did not hear: however, they +called a third time, and then he rose and came out to them. + +He said nothing, but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful +table covered with all sorts of good things: and when they had eaten +and drunk, he showed each of them to a bed-chamber. + +The next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table, +where there were three tablets, containing an account of the means by +which the castle might be disenchanted. The first tablet said: 'In the +wood, under the moss, lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king's +daughter; they must all be found: and if one be missing by set of sun, +he who seeks them will be turned into marble.' + +The eldest brother set out, and sought for the pearls the whole day: +but the evening came, and he had not found the first hundred: so he +was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold. + +The next day the second brother undertook the task; but he succeeded +no better than the first; for he could only find the second hundred of +the pearls; and therefore he too was turned into stone. + +At last came the little dwarf's turn; and he looked in the moss; but +it was so hard to find the pearls, and the job was so tiresome!--so he +sat down upon a stone and cried. And as he sat there, the king of the +ants (whose life he had saved) came to help him, with five thousand +ants; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and +laid them in a heap. + +The second tablet said: 'The key of the princess's bed-chamber must be +fished up out of the lake.' And as the dwarf came to the brink of it, +he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about; and they +dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom. + +The third task was the hardest. It was to choose out the youngest and +the best of the king's three daughters. Now they were all beautiful, +and all exactly alike: but he was told that the eldest had eaten a +piece of sugar, the next some sweet syrup, and the youngest a spoonful +of honey; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey. + +Then came the queen of the bees, who had been saved by the little +dwarf from the fire, and she tried the lips of all three; but at last +she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey: and so the +dwarf knew which was the youngest. Thus the spell was broken, and all +who had been turned into stones awoke, and took their proper forms. +And the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses, and +was king after her father's death; but his two brothers married the +other two sisters. + + + +THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER + +There was once a shoemaker, who worked very hard and was very honest: +but still he could not earn enough to live upon; and at last all he +had in the world was gone, save just leather enough to make one pair +of shoes. + +Then he cut his leather out, all ready to make up the next day, +meaning to rise early in the morning to his work. His conscience was +clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles; so he went +peaceably to bed, left all his cares to Heaven, and soon fell asleep. +In the morning after he had said his prayers, he sat himself down to +his work; when, to his great wonder, there stood the shoes all ready +made, upon the table. The good man knew not what to say or think at +such an odd thing happening. He looked at the workmanship; there was +not one false stitch in the whole job; all was so neat and true, that +it was quite a masterpiece. + +The same day a customer came in, and the shoes suited him so well that +he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them; and the poor +shoemaker, with the money, bought leather enough to make two pairs +more. In the evening he cut out the work, and went to bed early, that +he might get up and begin betimes next day; but he was saved all the +trouble, for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to +his hand. Soon in came buyers, who paid him handsomely for his goods, +so that he bought leather enough for four pair more. He cut out the +work again overnight and found it done in the morning, as before; and +so it went on for some time: what was got ready in the evening was +always done by daybreak, and the good man soon became thriving and +well off again. + +One evening, about Christmas-time, as he and his wife were sitting +over the fire chatting together, he said to her, 'I should like to sit +up and watch tonight, that we may see who it is that comes and does my +work for me.' The wife liked the thought; so they left a light +burning, and hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind a curtain +that was hung up there, and watched what would happen. + +As soon as it was midnight, there came in two little naked dwarfs; and +they sat themselves upon the shoemaker's bench, took up all the work +that was cut out, and began to ply with their little fingers, +stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate, that the +shoemaker was all wonder, and could not take his eyes off them. And on +they went, till the job was quite done, and the shoes stood ready for +use upon the table. This was long before daybreak; and then they +bustled away as quick as lightning. + +The next day the wife said to the shoemaker. 'These little wights have +made us rich, and we ought to be thankful to them, and do them a good +turn if we can. I am quite sorry to see them run about as they do; and +indeed it is not very decent, for they have nothing upon their backs +to keep off the cold. I'll tell you what, I will make each of them a +shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of pantaloons into the +bargain; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes.' + +The thought pleased the good cobbler very much; and one evening, when +all the things were ready, they laid them on the table, instead of the +work that they used to cut out, and then went and hid themselves, to +watch what the little elves would do. + +About midnight in they came, dancing and skipping, hopped round the +room, and then went to sit down to their work as usual; but when they +saw the clothes lying for them, they laughed and chuckled, and seemed +mightily delighted. + +Then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, and danced +and capered and sprang about, as merry as could be; till at last they +danced out at the door, and away over the green. + +The good couple saw them no more; but everything went well with them +from that time forward, as long as they lived. + + + +THE JUNIPER-TREE + +Long, long ago, some two thousand years or so, there lived a rich man +with a good and beautiful wife. They loved each other dearly, but +sorrowed much that they had no children. So greatly did they desire to +have one, that the wife prayed for it day and night, but still they +remained childless. + +In front of the house there was a court, in which grew a juniper-tree. +One winter's day the wife stood under the tree to peel some apples, +and as she was peeling them, she cut her finger, and the blood fell on +the snow. 'Ah,' sighed the woman heavily, 'if I had but a child, as +red as blood and as white as snow,' and as she spoke the words, her +heart grew light within her, and it seemed to her that her wish was +granted, and she returned to the house feeling glad and comforted. A +month passed, and the snow had all disappeared; then another month +went by, and all the earth was green. So the months followed one +another, and first the trees budded in the woods, and soon the green +branches grew thickly intertwined, and then the blossoms began to +fall. Once again the wife stood under the juniper-tree, and it was so +full of sweet scent that her heart leaped for joy, and she was so +overcome with her happiness, that she fell on her knees. Presently the +fruit became round and firm, and she was glad and at peace; but when +they were fully ripe she picked the berries and ate eagerly of them, +and then she grew sad and ill. A little while later she called her +husband, and said to him, weeping. 'If I die, bury me under the +juniper-tree.' Then she felt comforted and happy again, and before +another month had passed she had a little child, and when she saw that +it was as white as snow and as red as blood, her joy was so great that +she died. + +Her husband buried her under the juniper-tree, and wept bitterly for +her. By degrees, however, his sorrow grew less, and although at times +he still grieved over his loss, he was able to go about as usual, and +later on he married again. + +He now had a little daughter born to him; the child of his first wife +was a boy, who was as red as blood and as white as snow. The mother +loved her daughter very much, and when she looked at her and then +looked at the boy, it pierced her heart to think that he would always +stand in the way of her own child, and she was continually thinking +how she could get the whole of the property for her. This evil thought +took possession of her more and more, and made her behave very +unkindly to the boy. She drove him from place to place with cuffings +and buffetings, so that the poor child went about in fear, and had no +peace from the time he left school to the time he went back. + +One day the little daughter came running to her mother in the store- +room, and said, 'Mother, give me an apple.' 'Yes, my child,' said the +wife, and she gave her a beautiful apple out of the chest; the chest +had a very heavy lid and a large iron lock. + +'Mother,' said the little daughter again, 'may not brother have one +too?' The mother was angry at this, but she answered, 'Yes, when he +comes out of school.' + +Just then she looked out of the window and saw him coming, and it +seemed as if an evil spirit entered into her, for she snatched the +apple out of her little daughter's hand, and said, 'You shall not have +one before your brother.' She threw the apple into the chest and shut +it to. The little boy now came in, and the evil spirit in the wife +made her say kindly to him, 'My son, will you have an apple?' but she +gave him a wicked look. 'Mother,' said the boy, 'how dreadful you +look! Yes, give me an apple.' The thought came to her that she would +kill him. 'Come with me,' she said, and she lifted up the lid of the +chest; 'take one out for yourself.' And as he bent over to do so, the +evil spirit urged her, and crash! down went the lid, and off went the +little boy's head. Then she was overwhelmed with fear at the thought +of what she had done. 'If only I can prevent anyone knowing that I did +it,' she thought. So she went upstairs to her room, and took a white +handkerchief out of her top drawer; then she set the boy's head again +on his shoulders, and bound it with the handkerchief so that nothing +could be seen, and placed him on a chair by the door with an apple in +his hand. + +Soon after this, little Marleen came up to her mother who was stirring +a pot of boiling water over the fire, and said, 'Mother, brother is +sitting by the door with an apple in his hand, and he looks so pale; +and when I asked him to give me the apple, he did not answer, and that +frightened me.' + +'Go to him again,' said her mother, 'and if he does not answer, give +him a box on the ear.' So little Marleen went, and said, 'Brother, +give me that apple,' but he did not say a word; then she gave him a +box on the ear, and his head rolled off. She was so terrified at this, +that she ran crying and screaming to her mother. 'Oh!' she said, 'I +have knocked off brother's head,' and then she wept and wept, and +nothing would stop her. + +'What have you done!' said her mother, 'but no one must know about it, +so you must keep silence; what is done can't be undone; we will make +him into puddings.' And she took the little boy and cut him up, made +him into puddings, and put him in the pot. But Marleen stood looking +on, and wept and wept, and her tears fell into the pot, so that there +was no need of salt. + +Presently the father came home and sat down to his dinner; he asked, +'Where is my son?' The mother said nothing, but gave him a large dish +of black pudding, and Marleen still wept without ceasing. + +The father again asked, 'Where is my son?' + +'Oh,' answered the wife, 'he is gone into the country to his mother's +great uncle; he is going to stay there some time.' + +'What has he gone there for, and he never even said goodbye to me!' + +'Well, he likes being there, and he told me he should be away quite +six weeks; he is well looked after there.' + +'I feel very unhappy about it,' said the husband, 'in case it should +not be all right, and he ought to have said goodbye to me.' + +With this he went on with his dinner, and said, 'Little Marleen, why +do you weep? Brother will soon be back.' Then he asked his wife for +more pudding, and as he ate, he threw the bones under the table. + +Little Marleen went upstairs and took her best silk handkerchief out +of her bottom drawer, and in it she wrapped all the bones from under +the table and carried them outside, and all the time she did nothing +but weep. Then she laid them in the green grass under the juniper- +tree, and she had no sooner done so, then all her sadness seemed to +leave her, and she wept no more. And now the juniper-tree began to +move, and the branches waved backwards and forwards, first away from +one another, and then together again, as it might be someone clapping +their hands for joy. After this a mist came round the tree, and in the +midst of it there was a burning as of fire, and out of the fire there +flew a beautiful bird, that rose high into the air, singing +magnificently, and when it could no more be seen, the juniper-tree +stood there as before, and the silk handkerchief and the bones were +gone. + +Little Marleen now felt as lighthearted and happy as if her brother +were still alive, and she went back to the house and sat down +cheerfully to the table and ate. + +The bird flew away and alighted on the house of a goldsmith and began +to sing: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + My father grieved when I was gone; + My sister loved me best of all; + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +The goldsmith was in his workshop making a gold chain, when he heard +the song of the bird on his roof. He thought it so beautiful that he +got up and ran out, and as he crossed the threshold he lost one of his +slippers. But he ran on into the middle of the street, with a slipper +on one foot and a sock on the other; he still had on his apron, and +still held the gold chain and the pincers in his hands, and so he +stood gazing up at the bird, while the sun came shining brightly down +on the street. + +'Bird,' he said, 'how beautifully you sing! Sing me that song again.' + +'Nay,' said the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing. Give that gold +chain, and I will sing it you again.' + +'Here is the chain, take it,' said the goldsmith. 'Only sing me that +again.' + +The bird flew down and took the gold chain in his right claw, and then +he alighted again in front of the goldsmith and sang: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + My father grieved when I was gone; + My sister loved me best of all; + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +Then he flew away, and settled on the roof of a shoemaker's house and +sang: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + My father grieved when I was gone; + My sister loved me best of all; + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +The shoemaker heard him, and he jumped up and ran out in his shirt- +sleeves, and stood looking up at the bird on the roof with his hand +over his eyes to keep himself from being blinded by the sun. + +'Bird,' he said, 'how beautifully you sing!' Then he called through +the door to his wife: 'Wife, come out; here is a bird, come and look +at it and hear how beautifully it sings.' Then he called his daughter +and the children, then the apprentices, girls and boys, and they all +ran up the street to look at the bird, and saw how splendid it was +with its red and green feathers, and its neck like burnished gold, and +eyes like two bright stars in its head. + +'Bird,' said the shoemaker, 'sing me that song again.' + +'Nay,' answered the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing; you must +give me something.' + +'Wife,' said the man, 'go into the garret; on the upper shelf you will +see a pair of red shoes; bring them to me.' The wife went in and +fetched the shoes. + +'There, bird,' said the shoemaker, 'now sing me that song again.' + +The bird flew down and took the red shoes in his left claw, and then +he went back to the roof and sang: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + My father grieved when I was gone; + My sister loved me best of all; + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +When he had finished, he flew away. He had the chain in his right claw +and the shoes in his left, and he flew right away to a mill, and the +mill went 'Click clack, click clack, click clack.' Inside the mill +were twenty of the miller's men hewing a stone, and as they went 'Hick +hack, hick hack, hick hack,' the mill went 'Click clack, click clack, +click clack.' + +The bird settled on a lime-tree in front of the mill and sang: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + +then one of the men left off, + + My father grieved when I was gone; + +two more men left off and listened, + + My sister loved me best of all; + +then four more left off, + + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + +now there were only eight at work, + + Underneath + +And now only five, + +the juniper-tree. + +and now only one, + + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +then he looked up and the last one had left off work. + +'Bird,' he said, 'what a beautiful song that is you sing! Let me hear +it too; sing it again.' + +'Nay,' answered the bird, 'I do not sing twice for nothing; give me +that millstone, and I will sing it again.' + +'If it belonged to me alone,' said the man, 'you should have it.' + +'Yes, yes,' said the others: 'if he will sing again, he can have it.' + +The bird came down, and all the twenty millers set to and lifted up +the stone with a beam; then the bird put his head through the hole and +took the stone round his neck like a collar, and flew back with it to +the tree and sang-- + + 'My mother killed her little son; + My father grieved when I was gone; + My sister loved me best of all; + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +And when he had finished his song, he spread his wings, and with the +chain in his right claw, the shoes in his left, and the millstone +round his neck, he flew right away to his father's house. + +The father, the mother, and little Marleen were having their dinner. + +'How lighthearted I feel,' said the father, 'so pleased and cheerful.' + +'And I,' said the mother, 'I feel so uneasy, as if a heavy +thunderstorm were coming.' + +But little Marleen sat and wept and wept. + +Then the bird came flying towards the house and settled on the roof. + +'I do feel so happy,' said the father, 'and how beautifully the sun +shines; I feel just as if I were going to see an old friend again.' + +'Ah!' said the wife, 'and I am so full of distress and uneasiness that +my teeth chatter, and I feel as if there were a fire in my veins,' and +she tore open her dress; and all the while little Marleen sat in the +corner and wept, and the plate on her knees was wet with her tears. + +The bird now flew to the juniper-tree and began singing: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + +the mother shut her eyes and her ears, that she might see and hear +nothing, but there was a roaring sound in her ears like that of a +violent storm, and in her eyes a burning and flashing like lightning: + + My father grieved when I was gone; + +'Look, mother,' said the man, 'at the beautiful bird that is singing +so magnificently; and how warm and bright the sun is, and what a +delicious scent of spice in the air!' + + My sister loved me best of all; + +then little Marleen laid her head down on her knees and sobbed. + +'I must go outside and see the bird nearer,' said the man. + +'Ah, do not go!' cried the wife. 'I feel as if the whole house were in +flames!' + +But the man went out and looked at the bird. + + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +With that the bird let fall the gold chain, and it fell just round the +man's neck, so that it fitted him exactly. + +He went inside, and said, 'See, what a splendid bird that is; he has +given me this beautiful gold chain, and looks so beautiful himself.' + +But the wife was in such fear and trouble, that she fell on the floor, +and her cap fell from her head. + +Then the bird began again: + + 'My mother killed her little son; + +'Ah me!' cried the wife, 'if I were but a thousand feet beneath the +earth, that I might not hear that song.' + + My father grieved when I was gone; + +then the woman fell down again as if dead. + + My sister loved me best of all; + +'Well,' said little Marleen, 'I will go out too and see if the bird +will give me anything.' + +So she went out. + + She laid her kerchief over me, + And took my bones that they might lie + +and he threw down the shoes to her, + + Underneath the juniper-tree + Kywitt, Kywitt, what a beautiful bird am I!' + +And she now felt quite happy and lighthearted; she put on the shoes +and danced and jumped about in them. 'I was so miserable,' she said, +'when I came out, but that has all passed away; that is indeed a +splendid bird, and he has given me a pair of red shoes.' + +The wife sprang up, with her hair standing out from her head like +flames of fire. 'Then I will go out too,' she said, 'and see if it +will lighten my misery, for I feel as if the world were coming to an +end.' + +But as she crossed the threshold, crash! the bird threw the millstone +down on her head, and she was crushed to death. + +The father and little Marleen heard the sound and ran out, but they +only saw mist and flame and fire rising from the spot, and when these +had passed, there stood the little brother, and he took the father and +little Marleen by the hand; then they all three rejoiced, and went +inside together and sat down to their dinners and ate. + + + +THE TURNIP + +There were two brothers who were both soldiers; the one was rich and +the other poor. The poor man thought he would try to better himself; +so, pulling off his red coat, he became a gardener, and dug his ground +well, and sowed turnips. + +When the seed came up, there was one plant bigger than all the rest; +and it kept getting larger and larger, and seemed as if it would never +cease growing; so that it might have been called the prince of turnips +for there never was such a one seen before, and never will again. At +last it was so big that it filled a cart, and two oxen could hardly +draw it; and the gardener knew not what in the world to do with it, +nor whether it would be a blessing or a curse to him. One day he said +to himself, 'What shall I do with it? if I sell it, it will bring no +more than another; and for eating, the little turnips are better than +this; the best thing perhaps is to carry it and give it to the king as +a mark of respect.' + +Then he yoked his oxen, and drew the turnip to the court, and gave it +to the king. 'What a wonderful thing!' said the king; 'I have seen +many strange things, but such a monster as this I never saw. Where did +you get the seed? or is it only your good luck? If so, you are a true +child of fortune.' 'Ah, no!' answered the gardener, 'I am no child of +fortune; I am a poor soldier, who never could get enough to live upon; +so I laid aside my red coat, and set to work, tilling the ground. I +have a brother, who is rich, and your majesty knows him well, and all +the world knows him; but because I am poor, everybody forgets me.' + +The king then took pity on him, and said, 'You shall be poor no +longer. I will give you so much that you shall be even richer than +your brother.' Then he gave him gold and lands and flocks, and made +him so rich that his brother's fortune could not at all be compared +with his. + +When the brother heard of all this, and how a turnip had made the +gardener so rich, he envied him sorely, and bethought himself how he +could contrive to get the same good fortune for himself. However, he +determined to manage more cleverly than his brother, and got together +a rich present of gold and fine horses for the king; and thought he +must have a much larger gift in return; for if his brother had +received so much for only a turnip, what must his present be wroth? + +The king took the gift very graciously, and said he knew not what to +give in return more valuable and wonderful than the great turnip; so +the soldier was forced to put it into a cart, and drag it home with +him. When he reached home, he knew not upon whom to vent his rage and +spite; and at length wicked thoughts came into his head, and he +resolved to kill his brother. + +So he hired some villains to murder him; and having shown them where +to lie in ambush, he went to his brother, and said, 'Dear brother, I +have found a hidden treasure; let us go and dig it up, and share it +between us.' The other had no suspicions of his roguery: so they went +out together, and as they were travelling along, the murderers rushed +out upon him, bound him, and were going to hang him on a tree. + +But whilst they were getting all ready, they heard the trampling of a +horse at a distance, which so frightened them that they pushed their +prisoner neck and shoulders together into a sack, and swung him up by +a cord to the tree, where they left him dangling, and ran away. +Meantime he worked and worked away, till he made a hole large enough +to put out his head. + +When the horseman came up, he proved to be a student, a merry fellow, +who was journeying along on his nag, and singing as he went. As soon +as the man in the sack saw him passing under the tree, he cried out, +'Good morning! good morning to thee, my friend!' The student looked +about everywhere; and seeing no one, and not knowing where the voice +came from, cried out, 'Who calls me?' + +Then the man in the tree answered, 'Lift up thine eyes, for behold +here I sit in the sack of wisdom; here have I, in a short time, +learned great and wondrous things. Compared to this seat, all the +learning of the schools is as empty air. A little longer, and I shall +know all that man can know, and shall come forth wiser than the wisest +of mankind. Here I discern the signs and motions of the heavens and +the stars; the laws that control the winds; the number of the sands on +the seashore; the healing of the sick; the virtues of all simples, of +birds, and of precious stones. Wert thou but once here, my friend, +though wouldst feel and own the power of knowledge. + +The student listened to all this and wondered much; at last he said, +'Blessed be the day and hour when I found you; cannot you contrive to +let me into the sack for a little while?' Then the other answered, as +if very unwillingly, 'A little space I may allow thee to sit here, if +thou wilt reward me well and entreat me kindly; but thou must tarry +yet an hour below, till I have learnt some little matters that are yet +unknown to me.' + +So the student sat himself down and waited a while; but the time hung +heavy upon him, and he begged earnestly that he might ascend +forthwith, for his thirst for knowledge was great. Then the other +pretended to give way, and said, 'Thou must let the sack of wisdom +descend, by untying yonder cord, and then thou shalt enter.' So the +student let him down, opened the sack, and set him free. 'Now then,' +cried he, 'let me ascend quickly.' As he began to put himself into the +sack heels first, 'Wait a while,' said the gardener, 'that is not the +way.' Then he pushed him in head first, tied up the sack, and soon +swung up the searcher after wisdom dangling in the air. 'How is it +with thee, friend?' said he, 'dost thou not feel that wisdom comes +unto thee? Rest there in peace, till thou art a wiser man than thou +wert.' + +So saying, he trotted off on the student's nag, and left the poor +fellow to gather wisdom till somebody should come and let him down. + + + +CLEVER HANS + +The mother of Hans said: 'Whither away, Hans?' Hans answered: 'To +Gretel.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh, I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' +'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, +Hans. What do you bring that is good?' 'I bring nothing, I want to +have something given me.' Gretel presents Hans with a needle, Hans +says: 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' + +Hans takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the cart +home. 'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you +been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'Took nothing; had +something given me.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a needle.' +'Where is the needle, Hans?' 'Stuck in the hay-cart.' 'That was ill +done, Hans. You should have stuck the needle in your sleeve.' 'Never +mind, I'll do better next time.' + +'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh, +I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to +Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What do you bring that is +good?' 'I bring nothing. I want to have something given to me.' Gretel +presents Hans with a knife. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans +takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home. 'Good +evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With +Gretel.' What did you take her?' 'Took her nothing, she gave me +something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a knife.' 'Where is +the knife, Hans?' 'Stuck in my sleeve.' 'That's ill done, Hans, you +should have put the knife in your pocket.' 'Never mind, will do better +next time.' + +'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh, +I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to +Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good thing do you +bring?' 'I bring nothing, I want something given me.' Gretel presents +Hans with a young goat. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans takes +the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in his pocket. When he gets home +it is suffocated. 'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where +have you been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'Took nothing, +she gave me something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'She gave me a +goat.' 'Where is the goat, Hans?' 'Put it in my pocket.' 'That was ill +done, Hans, you should have put a rope round the goat's neck.' 'Never +mind, will do better next time.' + +'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'Oh, +I'll behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to +Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good thing do you +bring?' 'I bring nothing, I want something given me.' Gretel presents +Hans with a piece of bacon. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' + +Hans takes the bacon, ties it to a rope, and drags it away behind him. +The dogs come and devour the bacon. When he gets home, he has the rope +in his hand, and there is no longer anything hanging on to it. 'Good +evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With +Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'I took her nothing, she gave me +something.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'Gave me a bit of bacon.' +'Where is the bacon, Hans?' 'I tied it to a rope, brought it home, +dogs took it.' 'That was ill done, Hans, you should have carried the +bacon on your head.' 'Never mind, will do better next time.' + +'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'I'll +behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' Hans comes to Gretel. +'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans, What good thing do you bring?' 'I +bring nothing, but would have something given.' Gretel presents Hans +with a calf. 'Goodbye, Gretel.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' + +Hans takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his face. +'Good evening, mother.' 'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' +'With Gretel.' 'What did you take her?' 'I took nothing, but had +something given me.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'A calf.' 'Where have +you the calf, Hans?' 'I set it on my head and it kicked my face.' +'That was ill done, Hans, you should have led the calf, and put it in +the stall.' 'Never mind, will do better next time.' + +'Whither away, Hans?' 'To Gretel, mother.' 'Behave well, Hans.' 'I'll +behave well. Goodbye, mother.' 'Goodbye, Hans.' + +Hans comes to Gretel. 'Good day, Gretel.' 'Good day, Hans. What good +thing do you bring?' 'I bring nothing, but would have something +given.' Gretel says to Hans: 'I will go with you.' + +Hans takes Gretel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack, and +binds her fast. Then Hans goes to his mother. 'Good evening, mother.' +'Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?' 'With Gretel.' 'What did +you take her?' 'I took her nothing.' 'What did Gretel give you?' 'She +gave me nothing, she came with me.' 'Where have you left Gretel?' 'I +led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and scattered some grass +for her.' 'That was ill done, Hans, you should have cast friendly eyes +on her.' 'Never mind, will do better.' + +Hans went into the stable, cut out all the calves' and sheep's eyes, +and threw them in Gretel's face. Then Gretel became angry, tore +herself loose and ran away, and was no longer the bride of Hans. + + + +THE THREE LANGUAGES + +An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he +was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father: 'Hark you, +my son, try as I will I can get nothing into your head. You must go +from hence, I will give you into the care of a celebrated master, who +shall see what he can do with you.' The youth was sent into a strange +town, and remained a whole year with the master. At the end of this +time, he came home again, and his father asked: 'Now, my son, what +have you learnt?' 'Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they +bark.' 'Lord have mercy on us!' cried the father; 'is that all you +have learnt? I will send you into another town, to another master.' +The youth was taken thither, and stayed a year with this master +likewise. When he came back the father again asked: 'My son, what have +you learnt?' He answered: 'Father, I have learnt what the birds say.' +Then the father fell into a rage and said: 'Oh, you lost man, you have +spent the precious time and learnt nothing; are you not ashamed to +appear before my eyes? I will send you to a third master, but if you +learn nothing this time also, I will no longer be your father.' The +youth remained a whole year with the third master also, and when he +came home again, and his father inquired: 'My son, what have you +learnt?' he answered: 'Dear father, I have this year learnt what the +frogs croak.' Then the father fell into the most furious anger, sprang +up, called his people thither, and said: 'This man is no longer my +son, I drive him forth, and command you to take him out into the +forest, and kill him.' They took him forth, but when they should have +killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go, and they +cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to +the old man as a token. + +The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where he +begged for a night's lodging. 'Yes,' said the lord of the castle, 'if +you will pass the night down there in the old tower, go thither; but I +warn you, it is at the peril of your life, for it is full of wild +dogs, which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man +has to be given to them, whom they at once devour.' The whole district +was in sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do +anything to stop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said: +'Just let me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I +can throw to them; they will do nothing to harm me.' As he himself +would have it so, they gave him some food for the wild animals, and +led him down to the tower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark +at him, but wagged their tails quite amicably around him, ate what he +set before them, and did not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, +to the astonishment of everyone, he came out again safe and unharmed, +and said to the lord of the castle: 'The dogs have revealed to me, in +their own language, why they dwell there, and bring evil on the land. +They are bewitched, and are obliged to watch over a great treasure +which is below in the tower, and they can have no rest until it is +taken away, and I have likewise learnt, from their discourse, how that +is to be done.' Then all who heard this rejoiced, and the lord of the +castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it +successfully. He went down again, and as he knew what he had to do, he +did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The +howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more; they had +disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble. + +After some time he took it in his head that he would travel to Rome. +On the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were +sitting croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of +what they were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he +arrived in Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great +doubt among the cardinals as to whom they should appoint as his +successor. They at length agreed that the person should be chosen as +pope who should be distinguished by some divine and miraculous token. +And just as that was decided on, the young count entered into the +church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and +remained sitting there. The ecclesiastics recognized therein the token +from above, and asked him on the spot if he would be pope. He was +undecided, and knew not if he were worthy of this, but the doves +counselled him to do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he +anointed and consecrated, and thus was fulfilled what he had heard +from the frogs on his way, which had so affected him, that he was to +be his Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know +one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, +and said it all in his ear. + + + +THE FOX AND THE CAT + +It happened that the cat met the fox in a forest, and as she thought +to herself: 'He is clever and full of experience, and much esteemed in +the world,' she spoke to him in a friendly way. 'Good day, dear Mr +Fox, how are you? How is all with you? How are you getting on in these +hard times?' The fox, full of all kinds of arrogance, looked at the +cat from head to foot, and for a long time did not know whether he +would give any answer or not. At last he said: 'Oh, you wretched +beard-cleaner, you piebald fool, you hungry mouse-hunter, what can you +be thinking of? Have you the cheek to ask how I am getting on? What +have you learnt? How many arts do you understand?' 'I understand but +one,' replied the cat, modestly. 'What art is that?' asked the fox. +'When the hounds are following me, I can spring into a tree and save +myself.' 'Is that all?' said the fox. 'I am master of a hundred arts, +and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning. You make me sorry for +you; come with me, I will teach you how people get away from the +hounds.' Just then came a hunter with four dogs. The cat sprang nimbly +up a tree, and sat down at the top of it, where the branches and +foliage quite concealed her. 'Open your sack, Mr Fox, open your sack,' +cried the cat to him, but the dogs had already seized him, and were +holding him fast. 'Ah, Mr Fox,' cried the cat. 'You with your hundred +arts are left in the lurch! Had you been able to climb like me, you +would not have lost your life.' + + + +THE FOUR CLEVER BROTHERS + +'Dear children,' said a poor man to his four sons, 'I have nothing to +give you; you must go out into the wide world and try your luck. Begin +by learning some craft or another, and see how you can get on.' So the +four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands, and their +little bundles on their shoulders, and after bidding their father +goodbye, went all out at the gate together. When they had got on some +way they came to four crossways, each leading to a different country. +Then the eldest said, 'Here we must part; but this day four years we +will come back to this spot, and in the meantime each must try what he +can do for himself.' + +So each brother went his way; and as the eldest was hastening on a man +met him, and asked him where he was going, and what he wanted. 'I am +going to try my luck in the world, and should like to begin by +learning some art or trade,' answered he. 'Then,' said the man, 'go +with me, and I will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever +was.' 'No,' said the other, 'that is not an honest calling, and what +can one look to earn by it in the end but the gallows?' 'Oh!' said the +man, 'you need not fear the gallows; for I will only teach you to +steal what will be fair game: I meddle with nothing but what no one +else can get or care anything about, and where no one can find you +out.' So the young man agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed +himself so clever, that nothing could escape him that he had once set +his mind upon. + +The second brother also met a man, who, when he found out what he was +setting out upon, asked him what craft he meant to follow. 'I do not +know yet,' said he. 'Then come with me, and be a star-gazer. It is a +noble art, for nothing can be hidden from you, when once you +understand the stars.' The plan pleased him much, and he soon became +such a skilful star-gazer, that when he had served out his time, and +wanted to leave his master, he gave him a glass, and said, 'With this +you can see all that is passing in the sky and on earth, and nothing +can be hidden from you.' + +The third brother met a huntsman, who took him with him, and taught +him so well all that belonged to hunting, that he became very clever +in the craft of the woods; and when he left his master he gave him a +bow, and said, 'Whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure +to hit.' + +The youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished +to do. 'Would not you like,' said he, 'to be a tailor?' 'Oh, no!' said +the young man; 'sitting cross-legged from morning to night, working +backwards and forwards with a needle and goose, will never suit me.' +'Oh!' answered the man, 'that is not my sort of tailoring; come with +me, and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that.' Not +knowing what better to do, he came into the plan, and learnt tailoring +from the beginning; and when he left his master, he gave him a needle, +and said, 'You can sew anything with this, be it as soft as an egg or +as hard as steel; and the joint will be so fine that no seam will be +seen.' + +After the space of four years, at the time agreed upon, the four +brothers met at the four cross-roads; and having welcomed each other, +set off towards their father's home, where they told him all that had +happened to them, and how each had learned some craft. + +Then, one day, as they were sitting before the house under a very high +tree, the father said, 'I should like to try what each of you can do +in this way.' So he looked up, and said to the second son, 'At the top +of this tree there is a chaffinch's nest; tell me how many eggs there +are in it.' The star-gazer took his glass, looked up, and said, +'Five.' 'Now,' said the father to the eldest son, 'take away the eggs +without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them +know anything of what you are doing.' So the cunning thief climbed up +the tree, and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the +bird; and it never saw or felt what he was doing, but kept sitting on +at its ease. Then the father took the eggs, and put one on each corner +of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman, +'Cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot.' The huntsman took up his +bow, and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished. + +'Now comes your turn,' said he to the young tailor; 'sew the eggs and +the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the shot shall +have done them no harm.' Then the tailor took his needle, and sewed +the eggs as he was told; and when he had done, the thief was sent to +take them back to the nest, and put them under the bird without its +knowing it. Then she went on sitting, and hatched them: and in a few +days they crawled out, and had only a little red streak across their +necks, where the tailor had sewn them together. + +'Well done, sons!' said the old man; 'you have made good use of your +time, and learnt something worth the knowing; but I am sure I do not +know which ought to have the prize. Oh, that a time might soon come +for you to turn your skill to some account!' + +Not long after this there was a great bustle in the country; for the +king's daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon, and the king +mourned over his loss day and night, and made it known that whoever +brought her back to him should have her for a wife. Then the four +brothers said to each other, 'Here is a chance for us; let us try what +we can do.' And they agreed to see whether they could not set the +princess free. 'I will soon find out where she is, however,' said the +star-gazer, as he looked through his glass; and he soon cried out, 'I +see her afar off, sitting upon a rock in the sea, and I can spy the +dragon close by, guarding her.' Then he went to the king, and asked +for a ship for himself and his brothers; and they sailed together over +the sea, till they came to the right place. There they found the +princess sitting, as the star-gazer had said, on the rock; and the +dragon was lying asleep, with his head upon her lap. 'I dare not shoot +at him,' said the huntsman, 'for I should kill the beautiful young +lady also.' 'Then I will try my skill,' said the thief, and went and +stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly and gently that the +beast did not know it, but went on snoring. + +Then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards the +ship; but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air; +for he awoke and missed the princess. But when he got over the boat, +and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the +huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so +that he fell down dead. They were still not safe; for he was such a +great beast that in his fall he overset the boat, and they had to swim +in the open sea upon a few planks. So the tailor took his needle, and +with a few large stitches put some of the planks together; and he sat +down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the +boat; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon +ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe. + +When they had brought home the princess to her father, there was great +rejoicing; and he said to the four brothers, 'One of you shall marry +her, but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to be.' Then +there arose a quarrel between them; and the star-gazer said, 'If I had +not found the princess out, all your skill would have been of no use; +therefore she ought to be mine.' 'Your seeing her would have been of +no use,' said the thief, 'if I had not taken her away from the dragon; +therefore she ought to be mine.' 'No, she is mine,' said the huntsman; +'for if I had not killed the dragon, he would, after all, have torn +you and the princess into pieces.' 'And if I had not sewn the boat +together again,' said the tailor, 'you would all have been drowned, +therefore she is mine.' Then the king put in a word, and said, 'Each +of you is right; and as all cannot have the young lady, the best way +is for neither of you to have her: for the truth is, there is somebody +she likes a great deal better. But to make up for your loss, I will +give each of you, as a reward for his skill, half a kingdom.' So the +brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either +quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them. And the +king then gave to each half a kingdom, as he had said; and they lived +very happily the rest of their days, and took good care of their +father; and somebody took better care of the young lady, than to let +either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again. + + + +LILY AND THE LION + +A merchant, who had three daughters, was once setting out upon a +journey; but before he went he asked each daughter what gift he should +bring back for her. The eldest wished for pearls; the second for +jewels; but the third, who was called Lily, said, 'Dear father, bring +me a rose.' Now it was no easy task to find a rose, for it was the +middle of winter; yet as she was his prettiest daughter, and was very +fond of flowers, her father said he would try what he could do. So he +kissed all three, and bid them goodbye. + +And when the time came for him to go home, he had bought pearls and +jewels for the two eldest, but he had sought everywhere in vain for +the rose; and when he went into any garden and asked for such a thing, +the people laughed at him, and asked him whether he thought roses grew +in snow. This grieved him very much, for Lily was his dearest child; +and as he was journeying home, thinking what he should bring her, he +came to a fine castle; and around the castle was a garden, in one half +of which it seemed to be summer-time and in the other half winter. On +one side the finest flowers were in full bloom, and on the other +everything looked dreary and buried in the snow. 'A lucky hit!' said +he, as he called to his servant, and told him to go to a beautiful bed +of roses that was there, and bring him away one of the finest flowers. + +This done, they were riding away well pleased, when up sprang a fierce +lion, and roared out, 'Whoever has stolen my roses shall be eaten up +alive!' Then the man said, 'I knew not that the garden belonged to +you; can nothing save my life?' 'No!' said the lion, 'nothing, unless +you undertake to give me whatever meets you on your return home; if +you agree to this, I will give you your life, and the rose too for +your daughter.' But the man was unwilling to do so and said, 'It may +be my youngest daughter, who loves me most, and always runs to meet me +when I go home.' Then the servant was greatly frightened, and said, +'It may perhaps be only a cat or a dog.' And at last the man yielded +with a heavy heart, and took the rose; and said he would give the lion +whatever should meet him first on his return. + +And as he came near home, it was Lily, his youngest and dearest +daughter, that met him; she came running, and kissed him, and welcomed +him home; and when she saw that he had brought her the rose, she was +still more glad. But her father began to be very sorrowful, and to +weep, saying, 'Alas, my dearest child! I have bought this flower at a +high price, for I have said I would give you to a wild lion; and when +he has you, he will tear you in pieces, and eat you.' Then he told her +all that had happened, and said she should not go, let what would +happen. + +But she comforted him, and said, 'Dear father, the word you have given +must be kept; I will go to the lion, and soothe him: perhaps he will +let me come safe home again.' + +The next morning she asked the way she was to go, and took leave of +her father, and went forth with a bold heart into the wood. But the +lion was an enchanted prince. By day he and all his court were lions, +but in the evening they took their right forms again. And when Lily +came to the castle, he welcomed her so courteously that she agreed to +marry him. The wedding-feast was held, and they lived happily together +a long time. The prince was only to be seen as soon as evening came, +and then he held his court; but every morning he left his bride, and +went away by himself, she knew not whither, till the night came again. + +After some time he said to her, 'Tomorrow there will be a great feast +in your father's house, for your eldest sister is to be married; and +if you wish to go and visit her my lions shall lead you thither.' Then +she rejoiced much at the thoughts of seeing her father once more, and +set out with the lions; and everyone was overjoyed to see her, for +they had thought her dead long since. But she told them how happy she +was, and stayed till the feast was over, and then went back to the +wood. + +Her second sister was soon after married, and when Lily was asked to +go to the wedding, she said to the prince, 'I will not go alone this +time--you must go with me.' But he would not, and said that it would +be a very hazardous thing; for if the least ray of the torch-light +should fall upon him his enchantment would become still worse, for he +should be changed into a dove, and be forced to wander about the world +for seven long years. However, she gave him no rest, and said she +would take care no light should fall upon him. So at last they set out +together, and took with them their little child; and she chose a large +hall with thick walls for him to sit in while the wedding-torches were +lighted; but, unluckily, no one saw that there was a crack in the +door. Then the wedding was held with great pomp, but as the train came +from the church, and passed with the torches before the hall, a very +small ray of light fell upon the prince. In a moment he disappeared, +and when his wife came in and looked for him, she found only a white +dove; and it said to her, 'Seven years must I fly up and down over the +face of the earth, but every now and then I will let fall a white +feather, that will show you the way I am going; follow it, and at last +you may overtake and set me free.' + +This said, he flew out at the door, and poor Lily followed; and every +now and then a white feather fell, and showed her the way she was to +journey. Thus she went roving on through the wide world, and looked +neither to the right hand nor to the left, nor took any rest, for +seven years. Then she began to be glad, and thought to herself that +the time was fast coming when all her troubles should end; yet repose +was still far off, for one day as she was travelling on she missed the +white feather, and when she lifted up her eyes she could nowhere see +the dove. 'Now,' thought she to herself, 'no aid of man can be of use +to me.' So she went to the sun and said, 'Thou shinest everywhere, on +the hill's top and the valley's depth--hast thou anywhere seen my +white dove?' 'No,' said the sun, 'I have not seen it; but I will give +thee a casket--open it when thy hour of need comes.' + +So she thanked the sun, and went on her way till eventide; and when +the moon arose, she cried unto it, and said, 'Thou shinest through the +night, over field and grove--hast thou nowhere seen my white dove?' +'No,' said the moon, 'I cannot help thee but I will give thee an egg-- +break it when need comes.' + +Then she thanked the moon, and went on till the night-wind blew; and +she raised up her voice to it, and said, 'Thou blowest through every +tree and under every leaf--hast thou not seen my white dove?' 'No,' +said the night-wind, 'but I will ask three other winds; perhaps they +have seen it.' Then the east wind and the west wind came, and said +they too had not seen it, but the south wind said, 'I have seen the +white dove--he has fled to the Red Sea, and is changed once more into +a lion, for the seven years are passed away, and there he is fighting +with a dragon; and the dragon is an enchanted princess, who seeks to +separate him from you.' Then the night-wind said, 'I will give thee +counsel. Go to the Red Sea; on the right shore stand many rods--count +them, and when thou comest to the eleventh, break it off, and smite +the dragon with it; and so the lion will have the victory, and both of +them will appear to you in their own forms. Then look round and thou +wilt see a griffin, winged like bird, sitting by the Red Sea; jump on +to his back with thy beloved one as quickly as possible, and he will +carry you over the waters to your home. I will also give thee this +nut,' continued the night-wind. 'When you are half-way over, throw it +down, and out of the waters will immediately spring up a high nut-tree +on which the griffin will be able to rest, otherwise he would not have +the strength to bear you the whole way; if, therefore, thou dost +forget to throw down the nut, he will let you both fall into the sea.' + +So our poor wanderer went forth, and found all as the night-wind had +said; and she plucked the eleventh rod, and smote the dragon, and the +lion forthwith became a prince, and the dragon a princess again. But +no sooner was the princess released from the spell, than she seized +the prince by the arm and sprang on to the griffin's back, and went +off carrying the prince away with her. + +Thus the unhappy traveller was again forsaken and forlorn; but she +took heart and said, 'As far as the wind blows, and so long as the +cock crows, I will journey on, till I find him once again.' She went +on for a long, long way, till at length she came to the castle whither +the princess had carried the prince; and there was a feast got ready, +and she heard that the wedding was about to be held. 'Heaven aid me +now!' said she; and she took the casket that the sun had given her, +and found that within it lay a dress as dazzling as the sun itself. So +she put it on, and went into the palace, and all the people gazed upon +her; and the dress pleased the bride so much that she asked whether it +was to be sold. 'Not for gold and silver.' said she, 'but for flesh +and blood.' The princess asked what she meant, and she said, 'Let me +speak with the bridegroom this night in his chamber, and I will give +thee the dress.' At last the princess agreed, but she told her +chamberlain to give the prince a sleeping draught, that he might not +hear or see her. When evening came, and the prince had fallen asleep, +she was led into his chamber, and she sat herself down at his feet, +and said: 'I have followed thee seven years. I have been to the sun, +the moon, and the night-wind, to seek thee, and at last I have helped +thee to overcome the dragon. Wilt thou then forget me quite?' But the +prince all the time slept so soundly, that her voice only passed over +him, and seemed like the whistling of the wind among the fir-trees. + +Then poor Lily was led away, and forced to give up the golden dress; +and when she saw that there was no help for her, she went out into a +meadow, and sat herself down and wept. But as she sat she bethought +herself of the egg that the moon had given her; and when she broke it, +there ran out a hen and twelve chickens of pure gold, that played +about, and then nestled under the old one's wings, so as to form the +most beautiful sight in the world. And she rose up and drove them +before her, till the bride saw them from her window, and was so +pleased that she came forth and asked her if she would sell the brood. +'Not for gold or silver, but for flesh and blood: let me again this +evening speak with the bridegroom in his chamber, and I will give thee +the whole brood.' + +Then the princess thought to betray her as before, and agreed to what +she asked: but when the prince went to his chamber he asked the +chamberlain why the wind had whistled so in the night. And the +chamberlain told him all--how he had given him a sleeping draught, and +how a poor maiden had come and spoken to him in his chamber, and was +to come again that night. Then the prince took care to throw away the +sleeping draught; and when Lily came and began again to tell him what +woes had befallen her, and how faithful and true to him she had been, +he knew his beloved wife's voice, and sprang up, and said, 'You have +awakened me as from a dream, for the strange princess had thrown a +spell around me, so that I had altogether forgotten you; but Heaven +hath sent you to me in a lucky hour.' + +And they stole away out of the palace by night unawares, and seated +themselves on the griffin, who flew back with them over the Red Sea. +When they were half-way across Lily let the nut fall into the water, +and immediately a large nut-tree arose from the sea, whereon the +griffin rested for a while, and then carried them safely home. There +they found their child, now grown up to be comely and fair; and after +all their troubles they lived happily together to the end of their +days. + + + +THE FOX AND THE HORSE + +A farmer had a horse that had been an excellent faithful servant to +him: but he was now grown too old to work; so the farmer would give +him nothing more to eat, and said, 'I want you no longer, so take +yourself off out of my stable; I shall not take you back again until +you are stronger than a lion.' Then he opened the door and turned him +adrift. + +The poor horse was very melancholy, and wandered up and down in the +wood, seeking some little shelter from the cold wind and rain. +Presently a fox met him: 'What's the matter, my friend?' said he, 'why +do you hang down your head and look so lonely and woe-begone?' 'Ah!' +replied the horse, 'justice and avarice never dwell in one house; my +master has forgotten all that I have done for him so many years, and +because I can no longer work he has turned me adrift, and says unless +I become stronger than a lion he will not take me back again; what +chance can I have of that? he knows I have none, or he would not talk +so.' + +However, the fox bid him be of good cheer, and said, 'I will help you; +lie down there, stretch yourself out quite stiff, and pretend to be +dead.' The horse did as he was told, and the fox went straight to the +lion who lived in a cave close by, and said to him, 'A little way off +lies a dead horse; come with me and you may make an excellent meal of +his carcase.' The lion was greatly pleased, and set off immediately; +and when they came to the horse, the fox said, 'You will not be able +to eat him comfortably here; I'll tell you what--I will tie you fast +to his tail, and then you can draw him to your den, and eat him at +your leisure.' + +This advice pleased the lion, so he laid himself down quietly for the +fox to make him fast to the horse. But the fox managed to tie his legs +together and bound all so hard and fast that with all his strength he +could not set himself free. When the work was done, the fox clapped +the horse on the shoulder, and said, 'Jip! Dobbin! Jip!' Then up he +sprang, and moved off, dragging the lion behind him. The beast began +to roar and bellow, till all the birds of the wood flew away for +fright; but the horse let him sing on, and made his way quietly over +the fields to his master's house. + +'Here he is, master,' said he, 'I have got the better of him': and +when the farmer saw his old servant, his heart relented, and he said. +'Thou shalt stay in thy stable and be well taken care of.' And so the +poor old horse had plenty to eat, and lived--till he died. + + + +THE BLUE LIGHT + +There was once upon a time a soldier who for many years had served the +king faithfully, but when the war came to an end could serve no longer +because of the many wounds which he had received. The king said to +him: 'You may return to your home, I need you no longer, and you will +not receive any more money, for he only receives wages who renders me +service for them.' Then the soldier did not know how to earn a living, +went away greatly troubled, and walked the whole day, until in the +evening he entered a forest. When darkness came on, he saw a light, +which he went up to, and came to a house wherein lived a witch. 'Do +give me one night's lodging, and a little to eat and drink,' said he +to her, 'or I shall starve.' 'Oho!' she answered, 'who gives anything +to a run-away soldier? Yet will I be compassionate, and take you in, +if you will do what I wish.' 'What do you wish?' said the soldier. +'That you should dig all round my garden for me, tomorrow.' The +soldier consented, and next day laboured with all his strength, but +could not finish it by the evening. 'I see well enough,' said the +witch, 'that you can do no more today, but I will keep you yet another +night, in payment for which you must tomorrow chop me a load of wood, +and chop it small.' The soldier spent the whole day in doing it, and +in the evening the witch proposed that he should stay one night more. +'Tomorrow, you shall only do me a very trifling piece of work. Behind +my house, there is an old dry well, into which my light has fallen, it +burns blue, and never goes out, and you shall bring it up again.' Next +day the old woman took him to the well, and let him down in a basket. +He found the blue light, and made her a signal to draw him up again. +She did draw him up, but when he came near the edge, she stretched +down her hand and wanted to take the blue light away from him. 'No,' +said he, perceiving her evil intention, 'I will not give you the light +until I am standing with both feet upon the ground.' The witch fell +into a passion, let him fall again into the well, and went away. + +The poor soldier fell without injury on the moist ground, and the blue +light went on burning, but of what use was that to him? He saw very +well that he could not escape death. He sat for a while very +sorrowfully, then suddenly he felt in his pocket and found his tobacco +pipe, which was still half full. 'This shall be my last pleasure,' +thought he, pulled it out, lit it at the blue light and began to +smoke. When the smoke had circled about the cavern, suddenly a little +black dwarf stood before him, and said: 'Lord, what are your +commands?' 'What my commands are?' replied the soldier, quite +astonished. 'I must do everything you bid me,' said the little man. +'Good,' said the soldier; 'then in the first place help me out of this +well.' The little man took him by the hand, and led him through an +underground passage, but he did not forget to take the blue light with +him. On the way the dwarf showed him the treasures which the witch had +collected and hidden there, and the soldier took as much gold as he +could carry. When he was above, he said to the little man: 'Now go and +bind the old witch, and carry her before the judge.' In a short time +she came by like the wind, riding on a wild tom-cat and screaming +frightfully. Nor was it long before the little man reappeared. 'It is +all done,' said he, 'and the witch is already hanging on the gallows. +What further commands has my lord?' inquired the dwarf. 'At this +moment, none,' answered the soldier; 'you can return home, only be at +hand immediately, if I summon you.' 'Nothing more is needed than that +you should light your pipe at the blue light, and I will appear before +you at once.' Thereupon he vanished from his sight. + +The soldier returned to the town from which he come. He went to the +best inn, ordered himself handsome clothes, and then bade the landlord +furnish him a room as handsome as possible. When it was ready and the +soldier had taken possession of it, he summoned the little black +manikin and said: 'I have served the king faithfully, but he has +dismissed me, and left me to hunger, and now I want to take my +revenge.' 'What am I to do?' asked the little man. 'Late at night, +when the king's daughter is in bed, bring her here in her sleep, she +shall do servant's work for me.' The manikin said: 'That is an easy +thing for me to do, but a very dangerous thing for you, for if it is +discovered, you will fare ill.' When twelve o'clock had struck, the +door sprang open, and the manikin carried in the princess. 'Aha! are +you there?' cried the soldier, 'get to your work at once! Fetch the +broom and sweep the chamber.' When she had done this, he ordered her +to come to his chair, and then he stretched out his feet and said: +'Pull off my boots,' and then he threw them in her face, and made her +pick them up again, and clean and brighten them. She, however, did +everything he bade her, without opposition, silently and with half- +shut eyes. When the first cock crowed, the manikin carried her back to +the royal palace, and laid her in her bed. + +Next morning when the princess arose she went to her father, and told +him that she had had a very strange dream. 'I was carried through the +streets with the rapidity of lightning,' said she, 'and taken into a +soldier's room, and I had to wait upon him like a servant, sweep his +room, clean his boots, and do all kinds of menial work. It was only a +dream, and yet I am just as tired as if I really had done everything.' +'The dream may have been true,' said the king. 'I will give you a +piece of advice. Fill your pocket full of peas, and make a small hole +in the pocket, and then if you are carried away again, they will fall +out and leave a track in the streets.' But unseen by the king, the +manikin was standing beside him when he said that, and heard all. At +night when the sleeping princess was again carried through the +streets, some peas certainly did fall out of her pocket, but they made +no track, for the crafty manikin had just before scattered peas in +every street there was. And again the princess was compelled to do +servant's work until cock-crow. + +Next morning the king sent his people out to seek the track, but it +was all in vain, for in every street poor children were sitting, +picking up peas, and saying: 'It must have rained peas, last night.' +'We must think of something else,' said the king; 'keep your shoes on +when you go to bed, and before you come back from the place where you +are taken, hide one of them there, I will soon contrive to find it.' +The black manikin heard this plot, and at night when the soldier again +ordered him to bring the princess, revealed it to him, and told him +that he knew of no expedient to counteract this stratagem, and that if +the shoe were found in the soldier's house it would go badly with him. +'Do what I bid you,' replied the soldier, and again this third night +the princess was obliged to work like a servant, but before she went +away, she hid her shoe under the bed. + +Next morning the king had the entire town searched for his daughter's +shoe. It was found at the soldier's, and the soldier himself, who at +the entreaty of the dwarf had gone outside the gate, was soon brought +back, and thrown into prison. In his flight he had forgotten the most +valuable things he had, the blue light and the gold, and had only one +ducat in his pocket. And now loaded with chains, he was standing at +the window of his dungeon, when he chanced to see one of his comrades +passing by. The soldier tapped at the pane of glass, and when this man +came up, said to him: 'Be so kind as to fetch me the small bundle I +have left lying in the inn, and I will give you a ducat for doing it.' +His comrade ran thither and brought him what he wanted. As soon as the +soldier was alone again, he lighted his pipe and summoned the black +manikin. 'Have no fear,' said the latter to his master. 'Go +wheresoever they take you, and let them do what they will, only take +the blue light with you.' Next day the soldier was tried, and though +he had done nothing wicked, the judge condemned him to death. When he +was led forth to die, he begged a last favour of the king. 'What is +it?' asked the king. 'That I may smoke one more pipe on my way.' 'You +may smoke three,' answered the king, 'but do not imagine that I will +spare your life.' Then the soldier pulled out his pipe and lighted it +at the blue light, and as soon as a few wreaths of smoke had ascended, +the manikin was there with a small cudgel in his hand, and said: 'What +does my lord command?' 'Strike down to earth that false judge there, +and his constable, and spare not the king who has treated me so ill.' +Then the manikin fell on them like lightning, darting this way and +that way, and whosoever was so much as touched by his cudgel fell to +earth, and did not venture to stir again. The king was terrified; he +threw himself on the soldier's mercy, and merely to be allowed to live +at all, gave him his kingdom for his own, and his daughter to wife. + + + +THE RAVEN + +There was once a queen who had a little daughter, still too young to +run alone. One day the child was very troublesome, and the mother +could not quiet it, do what she would. She grew impatient, and seeing +the ravens flying round the castle, she opened the window, and said: +'I wish you were a raven and would fly away, then I should have a +little peace.' Scarcely were the words out of her mouth, when the +child in her arms was turned into a raven, and flew away from her +through the open window. The bird took its flight to a dark wood and +remained there for a long time, and meanwhile the parents could hear +nothing of their child. + +Long after this, a man was making his way through the wood when he +heard a raven calling, and he followed the sound of the voice. As he +drew near, the raven said, 'I am by birth a king's daughter, but am +now under the spell of some enchantment; you can, however, set me +free.' 'What am I to do?' he asked. She replied, 'Go farther into the +wood until you come to a house, wherein lives an old woman; she will +offer you food and drink, but you must not take of either; if you do, +you will fall into a deep sleep, and will not be able to help me. In +the garden behind the house is a large tan-heap, and on that you must +stand and watch for me. I shall drive there in my carriage at two +o'clock in the afternoon for three successive days; the first day it +will be drawn by four white, the second by four chestnut, and the last +by four black horses; but if you fail to keep awake and I find you +sleeping, I shall not be set free.' + +The man promised to do all that she wished, but the raven said, 'Alas! +I know even now that you will take something from the woman and be +unable to save me.' The man assured her again that he would on no +account touch a thing to eat or drink. + +When he came to the house and went inside, the old woman met him, and +said, 'Poor man! how tired you are! Come in and rest and let me give +you something to eat and drink.' + +'No,' answered the man, 'I will neither eat not drink.' + +But she would not leave him alone, and urged him saying, 'If you will +not eat anything, at least you might take a draught of wine; one drink +counts for nothing,' and at last he allowed himself to be persuaded, +and drank. + +As it drew towards the appointed hour, he went outside into the garden +and mounted the tan-heap to await the raven. Suddenly a feeling of +fatigue came over him, and unable to resist it, he lay down for a +little while, fully determined, however, to keep awake; but in another +minute his eyes closed of their own accord, and he fell into such a +deep sleep, that all the noises in the world would not have awakened +him. At two o'clock the raven came driving along, drawn by her four +white horses; but even before she reached the spot, she said to +herself, sighing, 'I know he has fallen asleep.' When she entered the +garden, there she found him as she had feared, lying on the tan-heap, +fast asleep. She got out of her carriage and went to him; she called +him and shook him, but it was all in vain, he still continued +sleeping. + +The next day at noon, the old woman came to him again with food and +drink which he at first refused. At last, overcome by her persistent +entreaties that he would take something, he lifted the glass and drank +again. + +Towards two o'clock he went into the garden and on to the tan-heap to +watch for the raven. He had not been there long before he began to +feel so tired that his limbs seemed hardly able to support him, and he +could not stand upright any longer; so again he lay down and fell fast +asleep. As the raven drove along her four chestnut horses, she said +sorrowfully to herself, 'I know he has fallen asleep.' She went as +before to look for him, but he slept, and it was impossible to awaken +him. + +The following day the old woman said to him, 'What is this? You are +not eating or drinking anything, do you want to kill yourself?' + +He answered, 'I may not and will not either eat or drink.' + +But she put down the dish of food and the glass of wine in front of +him, and when he smelt the wine, he was unable to resist the +temptation, and took a deep draught. + +When the hour came round again he went as usual on to the tan-heap in +the garden to await the king's daughter, but he felt even more +overcome with weariness than on the two previous days, and throwing +himself down, he slept like a log. At two o'clock the raven could be +seen approaching, and this time her coachman and everything about her, +as well as her horses, were black. + +She was sadder than ever as she drove along, and said mournfully, 'I +know he has fallen asleep, and will not be able to set me free.' She +found him sleeping heavily, and all her efforts to awaken him were of +no avail. Then she placed beside him a loaf, and some meat, and a +flask of wine, of such a kind, that however much he took of them, they +would never grow less. After that she drew a gold ring, on which her +name was engraved, off her finger, and put it upon one of his. +Finally, she laid a letter near him, in which, after giving him +particulars of the food and drink she had left for him, she finished +with the following words: 'I see that as long as you remain here you +will never be able to set me free; if, however, you still wish to do +so, come to the golden castle of Stromberg; this is well within your +power to accomplish.' She then returned to her carriage and drove to +the golden castle of Stromberg. + +When the man awoke and found that he had been sleeping, he was grieved +at heart, and said, 'She has no doubt been here and driven away again, +and it is now too late for me to save her.' Then his eyes fell on the +things which were lying beside him; he read the letter, and knew from +it all that had happened. He rose up without delay, eager to start on +his way and to reach the castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea in +which direction he ought to go. He travelled about a long time in +search of it and came at last to a dark forest, through which he went +on walking for fourteen days and still could not find a way out. Once +more the night came on, and worn out he lay down under a bush and fell +asleep. Again the next day he pursued his way through the forest, and +that evening, thinking to rest again, he lay down as before, but he +heard such a howling and wailing that he found it impossible to sleep. +He waited till it was darker and people had begun to light up their +houses, and then seeing a little glimmer ahead of him, he went towards +it. + +He found that the light came from a house which looked smaller than it +really was, from the contrast of its height with that of an immense +giant who stood in front of it. He thought to himself, 'If the giant +sees me going in, my life will not be worth much.' However, after a +while he summoned up courage and went forward. When the giant saw him, +he called out, 'It is lucky for that you have come, for I have not had +anything to eat for a long time. I can have you now for my supper.' 'I +would rather you let that alone,' said the man, 'for I do not +willingly give myself up to be eaten; if you are wanting food I have +enough to satisfy your hunger.' 'If that is so,' replied the giant, 'I +will leave you in peace; I only thought of eating you because I had +nothing else.' + +So they went indoors together and sat down, and the man brought out +the bread, meat, and wine, which although he had eaten and drunk of +them, were still unconsumed. The giant was pleased with the good +cheer, and ate and drank to his heart's content. When he had finished +his supper the man asked him if he could direct him to the castle of +Stromberg. The giant said, 'I will look on my map; on it are marked +all the towns, villages, and houses.' So he fetched his map, and +looked for the castle, but could not find it. 'Never mind,' he said, +'I have larger maps upstairs in the cupboard, we will look on those,' +but they searched in vain, for the castle was not marked even on +these. The man now thought he should like to continue his journey, but +the giant begged him to remain for a day or two longer until the +return of his brother, who was away in search of provisions. When the +brother came home, they asked him about the castle of Stromberg, and +he told them he would look on his own maps as soon as he had eaten and +appeased his hunger. Accordingly, when he had finished his supper, +they all went up together to his room and looked through his maps, but +the castle was not to be found. Then he fetched other older maps, and +they went on looking for the castle until at last they found it, but +it was many thousand miles away. 'How shall I be able to get there?' +asked the man. 'I have two hours to spare,' said the giant, 'and I +will carry you into the neighbourhood of the castle; I must then +return to look after the child who is in our care.' + +The giant, thereupon, carried the man to within about a hundred +leagues of the castle, where he left him, saying, 'You will be able to +walk the remainder of the way yourself.' The man journeyed on day and +night till he reached the golden castle of Stromberg. He found it +situated, however, on a glass mountain, and looking up from the foot +he saw the enchanted maiden drive round her castle and then go inside. +He was overjoyed to see her, and longed to get to the top of the +mountain, but the sides were so slippery that every time he attempted +to climb he fell back again. When he saw that it was impossible to +reach her, he was greatly grieved, and said to himself, 'I will remain +here and wait for her,' so he built himself a little hut, and there he +sat and watched for a whole year, and every day he saw the king's +daughter driving round her castle, but still was unable to get nearer +to her. + +Looking out from his hut one day he saw three robbers fighting and he +called out to them, 'God be with you.' They stopped when they heard +the call, but looking round and seeing nobody, they went on again with +their fighting, which now became more furious. 'God be with you,' he +cried again, and again they paused and looked about, but seeing no one +went back to their fighting. A third time he called out, 'God be with +you,' and then thinking he should like to know the cause of dispute +between the three men, he went out and asked them why they were +fighting so angrily with one another. One of them said that he had +found a stick, and that he had but to strike it against any door +through which he wished to pass, and it immediately flew open. Another +told him that he had found a cloak which rendered its wearer +invisible; and the third had caught a horse which would carry its +rider over any obstacle, and even up the glass mountain. They had been +unable to decide whether they would keep together and have the things +in common, or whether they would separate. On hearing this, the man +said, 'I will give you something in exchange for those three things; +not money, for that I have not got, but something that is of far more +value. I must first, however, prove whether all you have told me about +your three things is true.' The robbers, therefore, made him get on +the horse, and handed him the stick and the cloak, and when he had put +this round him he was no longer visible. Then he fell upon them with +the stick and beat them one after another, crying, 'There, you idle +vagabonds, you have got what you deserve; are you satisfied now!' + +After this he rode up the glass mountain. When he reached the gate of +the castle, he found it closed, but he gave it a blow with his stick, +and it flew wide open at once and he passed through. He mounted the +steps and entered the room where the maiden was sitting, with a golden +goblet full of wine in front of her. She could not see him for he +still wore his cloak. He took the ring which she had given him off his +finger, and threw it into the goblet, so that it rang as it touched +the bottom. 'That is my own ring,' she exclaimed, 'and if that is so +the man must also be here who is coming to set me free.' + +She sought for him about the castle, but could find him nowhere. +Meanwhile he had gone outside again and mounted his horse and thrown +off the cloak. When therefore she came to the castle gate she saw him, +and cried aloud for joy. Then he dismounted and took her in his arms; +and she kissed him, and said, 'Now you have indeed set me free, and +tomorrow we will celebrate our marriage.' + + + +THE GOLDEN GOOSE + +There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called +Dummling,[*] and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every +occasion. + +It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, +and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a +bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or +thirst. + +When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who +bade him good day, and said: 'Do give me a piece of cake out of your +pocket, and let me have a draught of your wine; I am so hungry and +thirsty.' But the clever son answered: 'If I give you my cake and +wine, I shall have none for myself; be off with you,' and he left the +little man standing and went on. + +But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a +false stroke, and the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go +home and have it bound up. And this was the little grey man's doing. + +After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave +him, like the eldest, a cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey +man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of +wine. But the second son, too, said sensibly enough: 'What I give you +will be taken away from myself; be off!' and he left the little man +standing and went on. His punishment, however, was not delayed; when +he had made a few blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg, so +that he had to be carried home. + +Then Dummling said: 'Father, do let me go and cut wood.' The father +answered: 'Your brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone, +you do not understand anything about it.' But Dummling begged so long +that at last he said: 'Just go then, you will get wiser by hurting +yourself.' His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the +cinders, and with it a bottle of sour beer. + +When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise, +and greeting him, said: 'Give me a piece of your cake and a drink out +of your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty.' Dummling answered: 'I +have only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit +down and eat.' So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his +cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet cake, and the sour beer had become +good wine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little man said: +'Since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have, +I will give you good luck. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and +you will find something at the roots.' Then the little man took leave +of him. + +Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a +goose sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her +up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he thought he would +stay the night. Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose +and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and +would have liked to have one of its golden feathers. + +The eldest thought: 'I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a +feather,' and as soon as Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by +the wing, but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it. + +The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a +feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she +was held fast. + +At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others +screamed out: 'Keep away; for goodness' sake keep away!' But she did +not understand why she was to keep away. 'The others are there,' she +thought, 'I may as well be there too,' and ran to them; but as soon as +she had touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So they +had to spend the night with the goose. + +The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out, +without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to +it. They were obliged to run after him continually, now left, now +right, wherever his legs took him. + +In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the +procession he said: 'For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are +you running across the fields after this young man? Is that seemly?' +At the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull +her away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and +was himself obliged to run behind. + +Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running +behind three girls. He was astonished at this and called out: 'Hi! +your reverence, whither away so quickly? Do not forget that we have a +christening today!' and running after him he took him by the sleeve, +but was also held fast to it. + +Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two labourers +came with their hoes from the fields; the parson called out to them +and begged that they would set him and the sexton free. But they had +scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there +were seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose. + +Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a +daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So he +had put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh +should marry her. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and +all her train before the king's daughter, and as soon as she saw the +seven people running on and on, one behind the other, she began to +laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never stop. Thereupon Dummling +asked to have her for his wife; but the king did not like the son-in- +law, and made all manner of excuses and said he must first produce a +man who could drink a cellarful of wine. Dummling thought of the +little grey man, who could certainly help him; so he went into the +forest, and in the same place where he had felled the tree, he saw a +man sitting, who had a very sorrowful face. Dummling asked him what he +was taking to heart so sorely, and he answered: 'I have such a great +thirst and cannot quench it; cold water I cannot stand, a barrel of +wine I have just emptied, but that to me is like a drop on a hot +stone!' + +'There, I can help you,' said Dummling, 'just come with me and you +shall be satisfied.' + +He led him into the king's cellar, and the man bent over the huge +barrels, and drank and drank till his loins hurt, and before the day +was out he had emptied all the barrels. Then Dummling asked once more +for his bride, but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow, whom +everyone called Dummling, should take away his daughter, and he made a +new condition; he must first find a man who could eat a whole mountain +of bread. Dummling did not think long, but went straight into the +forest, where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up his +body with a strap, and making an awful face, and saying: 'I have eaten +a whole ovenful of rolls, but what good is that when one has such a +hunger as I? My stomach remains empty, and I must tie myself up if I +am not to die of hunger.' + +At this Dummling was glad, and said: 'Get up and come with me; you +shall eat yourself full.' He led him to the king's palace where all +the flour in the whole Kingdom was collected, and from it he caused a +huge mountain of bread to be baked. The man from the forest stood +before it, began to eat, and by the end of one day the whole mountain +had vanished. Then Dummling for the third time asked for his bride; +but the king again sought a way out, and ordered a ship which could +sail on land and on water. 'As soon as you come sailing back in it,' +said he, 'you shall have my daughter for wife.' + +Dummling went straight into the forest, and there sat the little grey +man to whom he had given his cake. When he heard what Dummling wanted, +he said: 'Since you have given me to eat and to drink, I will give you +the ship; and I do all this because you once were kind to me.' Then he +gave him the ship which could sail on land and water, and when the +king saw that, he could no longer prevent him from having his +daughter. The wedding was celebrated, and after the king's death, +Dummling inherited his kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly +with his wife. + +[*] Simpleton + + + +THE WATER OF LIFE + +Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great +way off, a king who had three sons. This king once fell very ill--so +ill that nobody thought he could live. His sons were very much grieved +at their father's sickness; and as they were walking together very +mournfully in the garden of the palace, a little old man met them and +asked what was the matter. They told him that their father was very +ill, and that they were afraid nothing could save him. 'I know what +would,' said the little old man; 'it is the Water of Life. If he could +have a draught of it he would be well again; but it is very hard to +get.' Then the eldest son said, 'I will soon find it': and he went to +the sick king, and begged that he might go in search of the Water of +Life, as it was the only thing that could save him. 'No,' said the +king. 'I had rather die than place you in such great danger as you +must meet with in your journey.' But he begged so hard that the king +let him go; and the prince thought to himself, 'If I bring my father +this water, he will make me sole heir to his kingdom.' + +Then he set out: and when he had gone on his way some time he came to +a deep valley, overhung with rocks and woods; and as he looked around, +he saw standing above him on one of the rocks a little ugly dwarf, +with a sugarloaf cap and a scarlet cloak; and the dwarf called to him +and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' 'What is that to thee, you ugly +imp?' said the prince haughtily, and rode on. + +But the dwarf was enraged at his behaviour, and laid a fairy spell of +ill-luck upon him; so that as he rode on the mountain pass became +narrower and narrower, and at last the way was so straitened that he +could not go to step forward: and when he thought to have turned his +horse round and go back the way he came, he heard a loud laugh ringing +round him, and found that the path was closed behind him, so that he +was shut in all round. He next tried to get off his horse and make his +way on foot, but again the laugh rang in his ears, and he found +himself unable to move a step, and thus he was forced to abide +spellbound. + +Meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son's +return, till at last the second son said, 'Father, I will go in search +of the Water of Life.' For he thought to himself, 'My brother is +surely dead, and the kingdom will fall to me if I find the water.' The +king was at first very unwilling to let him go, but at last yielded to +his wish. So he set out and followed the same road which his brother +had done, and met with the same elf, who stopped him at the same spot +in the mountains, saying, as before, 'Prince, prince, whither so +fast?' 'Mind your own affairs, busybody!' said the prince scornfully, +and rode on. + +But the dwarf put the same spell upon him as he put on his elder +brother, and he, too, was at last obliged to take up his abode in the +heart of the mountains. Thus it is with proud silly people, who think +themselves above everyone else, and are too proud to ask or take +advice. + +When the second prince had thus been gone a long time, the youngest +son said he would go and search for the Water of Life, and trusted he +should soon be able to make his father well again. So he set out, and +the dwarf met him too at the same spot in the valley, among the +mountains, and said, 'Prince, whither so fast?' And the prince said, +'I am going in search of the Water of Life, because my father is ill, +and like to die: can you help me? Pray be kind, and aid me if you +can!' 'Do you know where it is to be found?' asked the dwarf. 'No,' +said the prince, 'I do not. Pray tell me if you know.' 'Then as you +have spoken to me kindly, and are wise enough to seek for advice, I +will tell you how and where to go. The water you seek springs from a +well in an enchanted castle; and, that you may be able to reach it in +safety, I will give you an iron wand and two little loaves of bread; +strike the iron door of the castle three times with the wand, and it +will open: two hungry lions will be lying down inside gaping for their +prey, but if you throw them the bread they will let you pass; then +hasten on to the well, and take some of the Water of Life before the +clock strikes twelve; for if you tarry longer the door will shut upon +you for ever.' + +Then the prince thanked his little friend with the scarlet cloak for +his friendly aid, and took the wand and the bread, and went travelling +on and on, over sea and over land, till he came to his journey's end, +and found everything to be as the dwarf had told him. The door flew +open at the third stroke of the wand, and when the lions were quieted +he went on through the castle and came at length to a beautiful hall. +Around it he saw several knights sitting in a trance; then he pulled +off their rings and put them on his own fingers. In another room he +saw on a table a sword and a loaf of bread, which he also took. +Further on he came to a room where a beautiful young lady sat upon a +couch; and she welcomed him joyfully, and said, if he would set her +free from the spell that bound her, the kingdom should be his, if he +would come back in a year and marry her. Then she told him that the +well that held the Water of Life was in the palace gardens; and bade +him make haste, and draw what he wanted before the clock struck +twelve. + +He walked on; and as he walked through beautiful gardens he came to a +delightful shady spot in which stood a couch; and he thought to +himself, as he felt tired, that he would rest himself for a while, and +gaze on the lovely scenes around him. So he laid himself down, and +sleep fell upon him unawares, so that he did not wake up till the +clock was striking a quarter to twelve. Then he sprang from the couch +dreadfully frightened, ran to the well, filled a cup that was standing +by him full of water, and hastened to get away in time. Just as he was +going out of the iron door it struck twelve, and the door fell so +quickly upon him that it snapped off a piece of his heel. + +When he found himself safe, he was overjoyed to think that he had got +the Water of Life; and as he was going on his way homewards, he passed +by the little dwarf, who, when he saw the sword and the loaf, said, +'You have made a noble prize; with the sword you can at a blow slay +whole armies, and the bread will never fail you.' Then the prince +thought to himself, 'I cannot go home to my father without my +brothers'; so he said, 'My dear friend, cannot you tell me where my +two brothers are, who set out in search of the Water of Life before +me, and never came back?' 'I have shut them up by a charm between two +mountains,' said the dwarf, 'because they were proud and ill-behaved, +and scorned to ask advice.' The prince begged so hard for his +brothers, that the dwarf at last set them free, though unwillingly, +saying, 'Beware of them, for they have bad hearts.' Their brother, +however, was greatly rejoiced to see them, and told them all that had +happened to him; how he had found the Water of Life, and had taken a +cup full of it; and how he had set a beautiful princess free from a +spell that bound her; and how she had engaged to wait a whole year, +and then to marry him, and to give him the kingdom. + +Then they all three rode on together, and on their way home came to a +country that was laid waste by war and a dreadful famine, so that it +was feared all must die for want. But the prince gave the king of the +land the bread, and all his kingdom ate of it. And he lent the king +the wonderful sword, and he slew the enemy's army with it; and thus +the kingdom was once more in peace and plenty. In the same manner he +befriended two other countries through which they passed on their way. + +When they came to the sea, they got into a ship and during their +voyage the two eldest said to themselves, 'Our brother has got the +water which we could not find, therefore our father will forsake us +and give him the kingdom, which is our right'; so they were full of +envy and revenge, and agreed together how they could ruin him. Then +they waited till he was fast asleep, and poured the Water of Life out +of the cup, and took it for themselves, giving him bitter sea-water +instead. + +When they came to their journey's end, the youngest son brought his +cup to the sick king, that he might drink and be healed. Scarcely, +however, had he tasted the bitter sea-water when he became worse even +than he was before; and then both the elder sons came in, and blamed +the youngest for what they had done; and said that he wanted to poison +their father, but that they had found the Water of Life, and had +brought it with them. He no sooner began to drink of what they brought +him, than he felt his sickness leave him, and was as strong and well +as in his younger days. Then they went to their brother, and laughed +at him, and said, 'Well, brother, you found the Water of Life, did +you? You have had the trouble and we shall have the reward. Pray, with +all your cleverness, why did not you manage to keep your eyes open? +Next year one of us will take away your beautiful princess, if you do +not take care. You had better say nothing about this to our father, +for he does not believe a word you say; and if you tell tales, you +shall lose your life into the bargain: but be quiet, and we will let +you off.' + +The old king was still very angry with his youngest son, and thought +that he really meant to have taken away his life; so he called his +court together, and asked what should be done, and all agreed that he +ought to be put to death. The prince knew nothing of what was going +on, till one day, when the king's chief huntsmen went a-hunting with +him, and they were alone in the wood together, the huntsman looked so +sorrowful that the prince said, 'My friend, what is the matter with +you?' 'I cannot and dare not tell you,' said he. But the prince begged +very hard, and said, 'Only tell me what it is, and do not think I +shall be angry, for I will forgive you.' 'Alas!' said the huntsman; +'the king has ordered me to shoot you.' The prince started at this, +and said, 'Let me live, and I will change dresses with you; you shall +take my royal coat to show to my father, and do you give me your +shabby one.' 'With all my heart,' said the huntsman; 'I am sure I +shall be glad to save you, for I could not have shot you.' Then he +took the prince's coat, and gave him the shabby one, and went away +through the wood. + +Some time after, three grand embassies came to the old king's court, +with rich gifts of gold and precious stones for his youngest son; now +all these were sent from the three kings to whom he had lent his sword +and loaf of bread, in order to rid them of their enemy and feed their +people. This touched the old king's heart, and he thought his son +might still be guiltless, and said to his court, 'O that my son were +still alive! how it grieves me that I had him killed!' 'He is still +alive,' said the huntsman; 'and I am glad that I had pity on him, but +let him go in peace, and brought home his royal coat.' At this the +king was overwhelmed with joy, and made it known thoughout all his +kingdom, that if his son would come back to his court he would forgive +him. + +Meanwhile the princess was eagerly waiting till her deliverer should +come back; and had a road made leading up to her palace all of shining +gold; and told her courtiers that whoever came on horseback, and rode +straight up to the gate upon it, was her true lover; and that they +must let him in: but whoever rode on one side of it, they must be sure +was not the right one; and that they must send him away at once. + +The time soon came, when the eldest brother thought that he would make +haste to go to the princess, and say that he was the one who had set +her free, and that he should have her for his wife, and the kingdom +with her. As he came before the palace and saw the golden road, he +stopped to look at it, and he thought to himself, 'It is a pity to +ride upon this beautiful road'; so he turned aside and rode on the +right-hand side of it. But when he came to the gate, the guards, who +had seen the road he took, said to him, he could not be what he said +he was, and must go about his business. + +The second prince set out soon afterwards on the same errand; and when +he came to the golden road, and his horse had set one foot upon it, he +stopped to look at it, and thought it very beautiful, and said to +himself, 'What a pity it is that anything should tread here!' Then he +too turned aside and rode on the left side of it. But when he came to +the gate the guards said he was not the true prince, and that he too +must go away about his business; and away he went. + +Now when the full year was come round, the third brother left the +forest in which he had lain hid for fear of his father's anger, and +set out in search of his betrothed bride. So he journeyed on, thinking +of her all the way, and rode so quickly that he did not even see what +the road was made of, but went with his horse straight over it; and as +he came to the gate it flew open, and the princess welcomed him with +joy, and said he was her deliverer, and should now be her husband and +lord of the kingdom. When the first joy at their meeting was over, the +princess told him she had heard of his father having forgiven him, and +of his wish to have him home again: so, before his wedding with the +princess, he went to visit his father, taking her with him. Then he +told him everything; how his brothers had cheated and robbed him, and +yet that he had borne all those wrongs for the love of his father. And +the old king was very angry, and wanted to punish his wicked sons; but +they made their escape, and got into a ship and sailed away over the +wide sea, and where they went to nobody knew and nobody cared. + +And now the old king gathered together his court, and asked all his +kingdom to come and celebrate the wedding of his son and the princess. +And young and old, noble and squire, gentle and simple, came at once +on the summons; and among the rest came the friendly dwarf, with the +sugarloaf hat, and a new scarlet cloak. + + And the wedding was held, and the merry bells run. + And all the good people they danced and they sung, + And feasted and frolick'd I can't tell how long. + + + +THE TWELVE HUNTSMEN + +There was once a king's son who had a bride whom he loved very much. +And when he was sitting beside her and very happy, news came that his +father lay sick unto death, and desired to see him once again before +his end. Then he said to his beloved: 'I must now go and leave you, I +give you a ring as a remembrance of me. When I am king, I will return +and fetch you.' So he rode away, and when he reached his father, the +latter was dangerously ill, and near his death. He said to him: 'Dear +son, I wished to see you once again before my end, promise me to marry +as I wish,' and he named a certain king's daughter who was to be his +wife. The son was in such trouble that he did not think what he was +doing, and said: 'Yes, dear father, your will shall be done,' and +thereupon the king shut his eyes, and died. + +When therefore the son had been proclaimed king, and the time of +mourning was over, he was forced to keep the promise which he had +given his father, and caused the king's daughter to be asked in +marriage, and she was promised to him. His first betrothed heard of +this, and fretted so much about his faithfulness that she nearly died. +Then her father said to her: 'Dearest child, why are you so sad? You +shall have whatsoever you will.' She thought for a moment and said: +'Dear father, I wish for eleven girls exactly like myself in face, +figure, and size.' The father said: 'If it be possible, your desire +shall be fulfilled,' and he caused a search to be made in his whole +kingdom, until eleven young maidens were found who exactly resembled +his daughter in face, figure, and size. + +When they came to the king's daughter, she had twelve suits of +huntsmen's clothes made, all alike, and the eleven maidens had to put +on the huntsmen's clothes, and she herself put on the twelfth suit. +Thereupon she took her leave of her father, and rode away with them, +and rode to the court of her former betrothed, whom she loved so +dearly. Then she asked if he required any huntsmen, and if he would +take all of them into his service. The king looked at her and did not +know her, but as they were such handsome fellows, he said: 'Yes,' and +that he would willingly take them, and now they were the king's twelve +huntsmen. + +The king, however, had a lion which was a wondrous animal, for he knew +all concealed and secret things. It came to pass that one evening he +said to the king: 'You think you have twelve huntsmen?' 'Yes,' said +the king, 'they are twelve huntsmen.' The lion continued: 'You are +mistaken, they are twelve girls.' The king said: 'That cannot be true! +How will you prove that to me?' 'Oh, just let some peas be strewn in +the ante-chamber,' answered the lion, 'and then you will soon see. +Men have a firm step, and when they walk over peas none of them stir, +but girls trip and skip, and drag their feet, and the peas roll +about.' The king was well pleased with the counsel, and caused the +peas to be strewn. + +There was, however, a servant of the king's who favoured the huntsmen, +and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test he went +to them and repeated everything, and said: 'The lion wants to make the +king believe that you are girls.' Then the king's daughter thanked +him, and said to her maidens: 'Show some strength, and step firmly on +the peas.' So next morning when the king had the twelve huntsmen +called before him, and they came into the ante-chamber where the peas +were lying, they stepped so firmly on them, and had such a strong, +sure walk, that not one of the peas either rolled or stirred. Then +they went away again, and the king said to the lion: 'You have lied to +me, they walk just like men.' The lion said: 'They have been informed +that they were going to be put to the test, and have assumed some +strength. Just let twelve spinning-wheels be brought into the ante- +chamber, and they will go to them and be pleased with them, and that +is what no man would do.' The king liked the advice, and had the +spinning-wheels placed in the ante-chamber. + +But the servant, who was well disposed to the huntsmen, went to them, +and disclosed the project. So when they were alone the king's daughter +said to her eleven girls: 'Show some constraint, and do not look round +at the spinning-wheels.' And next morning when the king had his twelve +huntsmen summoned, they went through the ante-chamber, and never once +looked at the spinning-wheels. Then the king again said to the lion: +'You have deceived me, they are men, for they have not looked at the +spinning-wheels.' The lion replied: 'They have restrained themselves.' +The king, however, would no longer believe the lion. + +The twelve huntsmen always followed the king to the chase, and his +liking for them continually increased. Now it came to pass that once +when they were out hunting, news came that the king's bride was +approaching. When the true bride heard that, it hurt her so much that +her heart was almost broken, and she fell fainting to the ground. The +king thought something had happened to his dear huntsman, ran up to +him, wanted to help him, and drew his glove off. Then he saw the ring +which he had given to his first bride, and when he looked in her face +he recognized her. Then his heart was so touched that he kissed her, +and when she opened her eyes he said: 'You are mine, and I am yours, +and no one in the world can alter that.' He sent a messenger to the +other bride, and entreated her to return to her own kingdom, for he +had a wife already, and someone who had just found an old key did not +require a new one. Thereupon the wedding was celebrated, and the lion +was again taken into favour, because, after all, he had told the +truth. + + + +THE KING OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN + +There was once a merchant who had only one child, a son, that was very +young, and barely able to run alone. He had two richly laden ships +then making a voyage upon the seas, in which he had embarked all his +wealth, in the hope of making great gains, when the news came that +both were lost. Thus from being a rich man he became all at once so +very poor that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land; and +there he often went in an evening to take his walk, and ease his mind +of a little of his trouble. + +One day, as he was roaming along in a brown study, thinking with no +great comfort on what he had been and what he now was, and was like to +be, all on a sudden there stood before him a little, rough-looking, +black dwarf. 'Prithee, friend, why so sorrowful?' said he to the +merchant; 'what is it you take so deeply to heart?' 'If you would do +me any good I would willingly tell you,' said the merchant. 'Who knows +but I may?' said the little man: 'tell me what ails you, and perhaps +you will find I may be of some use.' Then the merchant told him how +all his wealth was gone to the bottom of the sea, and how he had +nothing left but that little plot of land. 'Oh, trouble not yourself +about that,' said the dwarf; 'only undertake to bring me here, twelve +years hence, whatever meets you first on your going home, and I will +give you as much as you please.' The merchant thought this was no +great thing to ask; that it would most likely be his dog or his cat, +or something of that sort, but forgot his little boy Heinel; so he +agreed to the bargain, and signed and sealed the bond to do what was +asked of him. + +But as he drew near home, his little boy was so glad to see him that +he crept behind him, and laid fast hold of his legs, and looked up in +his face and laughed. Then the father started, trembling with fear and +horror, and saw what it was that he had bound himself to do; but as no +gold was come, he made himself easy by thinking that it was only a +joke that the dwarf was playing him, and that, at any rate, when the +money came, he should see the bearer, and would not take it in. + +About a month afterwards he went upstairs into a lumber-room to look +for some old iron, that he might sell it and raise a little money; and +there, instead of his iron, he saw a large pile of gold lying on the +floor. At the sight of this he was overjoyed, and forgetting all about +his son, went into trade again, and became a richer merchant than +before. + +Meantime little Heinel grew up, and as the end of the twelve years +drew near the merchant began to call to mind his bond, and became very +sad and thoughtful; so that care and sorrow were written upon his +face. The boy one day asked what was the matter, but his father would +not tell for some time; at last, however, he said that he had, without +knowing it, sold him for gold to a little, ugly-looking, black dwarf, +and that the twelve years were coming round when he must keep his +word. Then Heinel said, 'Father, give yourself very little trouble +about that; I shall be too much for the little man.' + +When the time came, the father and son went out together to the place +agreed upon: and the son drew a circle on the ground, and set himself +and his father in the middle of it. The little black dwarf soon came, +and walked round and round about the circle, but could not find any +way to get into it, and he either could not, or dared not, jump over +it. At last the boy said to him. 'Have you anything to say to us, my +friend, or what do you want?' Now Heinel had found a friend in a good +fairy, that was fond of him, and had told him what to do; for this +fairy knew what good luck was in store for him. 'Have you brought me +what you said you would?' said the dwarf to the merchant. The old man +held his tongue, but Heinel said again, 'What do you want here?' The +dwarf said, 'I come to talk with your father, not with you.' 'You have +cheated and taken in my father,' said the son; 'pray give him up his +bond at once.' 'Fair and softly,' said the little old man; 'right is +right; I have paid my money, and your father has had it, and spent it; +so be so good as to let me have what I paid it for.' 'You must have my +consent to that first,' said Heinel, 'so please to step in here, and +let us talk it over.' The old man grinned, and showed his teeth, as if +he should have been very glad to get into the circle if he could. Then +at last, after a long talk, they came to terms. Heinel agreed that his +father must give him up, and that so far the dwarf should have his +way: but, on the other hand, the fairy had told Heinel what fortune +was in store for him, if he followed his own course; and he did not +choose to be given up to his hump-backed friend, who seemed so anxious +for his company. + +So, to make a sort of drawn battle of the matter, it was settled that +Heinel should be put into an open boat, that lay on the sea-shore hard +by; that the father should push him off with his own hand, and that he +should thus be set adrift, and left to the bad or good luck of wind +and weather. Then he took leave of his father, and set himself in the +boat, but before it got far off a wave struck it, and it fell with one +side low in the water, so the merchant thought that poor Heinel was +lost, and went home very sorrowful, while the dwarf went his way, +thinking that at any rate he had had his revenge. + +The boat, however, did not sink, for the good fairy took care of her +friend, and soon raised the boat up again, and it went safely on. The +young man sat safe within, till at length it ran ashore upon an +unknown land. As he jumped upon the shore he saw before him a +beautiful castle but empty and dreary within, for it was enchanted. +'Here,' said he to himself, 'must I find the prize the good fairy told +me of.' So he once more searched the whole palace through, till at +last he found a white snake, lying coiled up on a cushion in one of +the chambers. + +Now the white snake was an enchanted princess; and she was very glad +to see him, and said, 'Are you at last come to set me free? Twelve +long years have I waited here for the fairy to bring you hither as she +promised, for you alone can save me. This night twelve men will come: +their faces will be black, and they will be dressed in chain armour. +They will ask what you do here, but give no answer; and let them do +what they will--beat, whip, pinch, prick, or torment you--bear all; +only speak not a word, and at twelve o'clock they must go away. The +second night twelve others will come: and the third night twenty-four, +who will even cut off your head; but at the twelfth hour of that night +their power is gone, and I shall be free, and will come and bring you +the Water of Life, and will wash you with it, and bring you back to +life and health.' And all came to pass as she had said; Heinel bore +all, and spoke not a word; and the third night the princess came, and +fell on his neck and kissed him. Joy and gladness burst forth +throughout the castle, the wedding was celebrated, and he was crowned +king of the Golden Mountain. + +They lived together very happily, and the queen had a son. And thus +eight years had passed over their heads, when the king thought of his +father; and he began to long to see him once again. But the queen was +against his going, and said, 'I know well that misfortunes will come +upon us if you go.' However, he gave her no rest till she agreed. At +his going away she gave him a wishing-ring, and said, 'Take this ring, +and put it on your finger; whatever you wish it will bring you; only +promise never to make use of it to bring me hence to your father's +house.' Then he said he would do what she asked, and put the ring on +his finger, and wished himself near the town where his father lived. + +Heinel found himself at the gates in a moment; but the guards would +not let him go in, because he was so strangely clad. So he went up to +a neighbouring hill, where a shepherd dwelt, and borrowed his old +frock, and thus passed unknown into the town. When he came to his +father's house, he said he was his son; but the merchant would not +believe him, and said he had had but one son, his poor Heinel, who he +knew was long since dead: and as he was only dressed like a poor +shepherd, he would not even give him anything to eat. The king, +however, still vowed that he was his son, and said, 'Is there no mark +by which you would know me if I am really your son?' 'Yes,' said his +mother, 'our Heinel had a mark like a raspberry on his right arm.' +Then he showed them the mark, and they knew that what he had said was +true. + +He next told them how he was king of the Golden Mountain, and was +married to a princess, and had a son seven years old. But the merchant +said, 'that can never be true; he must be a fine king truly who travels +about in a shepherd's frock!' At this the son was vexed; and forgetting +his word, turned his ring, and wished for his queen and son. In an +instant they stood before him; but the queen wept, and said he had +broken his word, and bad luck would follow. He did all he could to +soothe her, and she at last seemed to be appeased; but she was not so in +truth, and was only thinking how she should punish him. + +One day he took her to walk with him out of the town, and showed her +the spot where the boat was set adrift upon the wide waters. Then he +sat himself down, and said, 'I am very much tired; sit by me, I will +rest my head in your lap, and sleep a while.' As soon as he had fallen +asleep, however, she drew the ring from his finger, and crept softly +away, and wished herself and her son at home in their kingdom. And +when he awoke he found himself alone, and saw that the ring was gone +from his finger. 'I can never go back to my father's house,' said he; +'they would say I am a sorcerer: I will journey forth into the world, +till I come again to my kingdom.' + +So saying he set out and travelled till he came to a hill, where three +giants were sharing their father's goods; and as they saw him pass +they cried out and said, 'Little men have sharp wits; he shall part +the goods between us.' Now there was a sword that cut off an enemy's +head whenever the wearer gave the words, 'Heads off!'; a cloak that +made the owner invisible, or gave him any form he pleased; and a pair +of boots that carried the wearer wherever he wished. Heinel said they +must first let him try these wonderful things, then he might know how +to set a value upon them. Then they gave him the cloak, and he wished +himself a fly, and in a moment he was a fly. 'The cloak is very well,' +said he: 'now give me the sword.' 'No,' said they; 'not unless you +undertake not to say, "Heads off!" for if you do we are all dead men.' +So they gave it him, charging him to try it on a tree. He next asked +for the boots also; and the moment he had all three in his power, he +wished himself at the Golden Mountain; and there he was at once. So +the giants were left behind with no goods to share or quarrel about. + +As Heinel came near his castle he heard the sound of merry music; and +the people around told him that his queen was about to marry another +husband. Then he threw his cloak around him, and passed through the +castle hall, and placed himself by the side of the queen, where no one +saw him. But when anything to eat was put upon her plate, he took it +away and ate it himself; and when a glass of wine was handed to her, +he took it and drank it; and thus, though they kept on giving her meat +and drink, her plate and cup were always empty. + +Upon this, fear and remorse came over her, and she went into her +chamber alone, and sat there weeping; and he followed her there. +'Alas!' said she to herself, 'was I not once set free? Why then does +this enchantment still seem to bind me?' + +'False and fickle one!' said he. 'One indeed came who set thee free, +and he is now near thee again; but how have you used him? Ought he to +have had such treatment from thee?' Then he went out and sent away the +company, and said the wedding was at an end, for that he was come back +to the kingdom. But the princes, peers, and great men mocked at him. +However, he would enter into no parley with them, but only asked them +if they would go in peace or not. Then they turned upon him and tried +to seize him; but he drew his sword. 'Heads Off!' cried he; and with +the word the traitors' heads fell before him, and Heinel was once more +king of the Golden Mountain. + + + +DOCTOR KNOWALL + +There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with +two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two +talers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened +that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how +well he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and would +willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and +at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. 'Oh, yes,' said +the doctor, 'that is soon managed.' 'What must I do?' asked the +peasant. 'In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kind +which has a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cart +and your two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, and +whatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for +yourself with the words: "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailed +up above your house-door.' The peasant did everything that he had been +told to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich +and great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor +Knowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what had +become of the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to his +carriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor +Knowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring +back the stolen money. 'Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.' The +lord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage, +and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman's +castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat. +'Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,' said he, and he seated himself with +her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of +delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that was +the first,' meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish. +The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: 'That is the +first thief,' and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said to +his comrade outside: 'The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he said +I was the first.' The second did not want to go in at all, but was +forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife, +and said: 'Grete, that is the second.' This servant was equally +alarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared no +better, for the peasant again said: 'Grete, that is the third.' The +fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the +doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath the +cover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish, had +no idea what to say, and cried: 'Ah, poor Crabb.' When the lord heard +that, he cried: 'There! he knows it; he must also know who has the +money!' + +On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the +doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When +therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had +stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and +give him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, +for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the +money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned +to the hall, sat down to the table, and said: 'My lord, now will I +search in my book where the gold is hidden.' The fifth servant, +however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. +But the doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages +backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find +it immediately he said: 'I know you are there, so you had better come +out!' Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him, +and full of terror, sprang out, crying: 'That man knows everything!' +Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was, but did not +say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money in +reward, and became a renowned man. + + + +THE SEVEN RAVENS + +There was once a man who had seven sons, and last of all one daughter. +Although the little girl was very pretty, she was so weak and small +that they thought she could not live; but they said she should at once +be christened. + +So the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get some +water, but the other six ran with him. Each wanted to be first at +drawing the water, and so they were in such a hurry that all let their +pitchers fall into the well, and they stood very foolishly looking at +one another, and did not know what to do, for none dared go home. In +the meantime the father was uneasy, and could not tell what made the +young men stay so long. 'Surely,' said he, 'the whole seven must have +forgotten themselves over some game of play'; and when he had waited +still longer and they yet did not come, he flew into a rage and wished +them all turned into ravens. Scarcely had he spoken these words when +he heard a croaking over his head, and looked up and saw seven ravens +as black as coal flying round and round. Sorry as he was to see his +wish so fulfilled, he did not know how what was done could be undone, +and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven +sons with his dear little daughter, who soon became stronger and every +day more beautiful. + +For a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers; +for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her: +but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them. +'Yes,' said they, 'she is beautiful indeed, but still 'tis a pity that +her brothers should have been lost for her sake.' Then she was much +grieved, and went to her father and mother, and asked if she had any +brothers, and what had become of them. So they dared no longer hide +the truth from her, but said it was the will of Heaven, and that her +birth was only the innocent cause of it; but the little girl mourned +sadly about it every day, and thought herself bound to do all she +could to bring her brothers back; and she had neither rest nor ease, +till at length one day she stole away, and set out into the wide world +to find her brothers, wherever they might be, and free them, whatever +it might cost her. + +She took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and +mother had given her, a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry, a +little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty, and a little +stool to rest upon when she should be weary. Thus she went on and on, +and journeyed till she came to the world's end; then she came to the +sun, but the sun looked much too hot and fiery; so she ran away +quickly to the moon, but the moon was cold and chilly, and said, 'I +smell flesh and blood this way!' so she took herself away in a hurry +and came to the stars, and the stars were friendly and kind to her, +and each star sat upon his own little stool; but the morning star rose +up and gave her a little piece of wood, and said, 'If you have not +this little piece of wood, you cannot unlock the castle that stands on +the glass-mountain, and there your brothers live.' The little girl +took the piece of wood, rolled it up in a little cloth, and went on +again until she came to the glass-mountain, and found the door shut. +Then she felt for the little piece of wood; but when she unwrapped the +cloth it was not there, and she saw she had lost the gift of the good +stars. What was to be done? She wanted to save her brothers, and had +no key of the castle of the glass-mountain; so this faithful little +sister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger, +that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost, and put it +in the door and opened it. + +As she went in, a little dwarf came up to her, and said, 'What are you +seeking for?' 'I seek for my brothers, the seven ravens,' answered +she. Then the dwarf said, 'My masters are not at home; but if you will +wait till they come, pray step in.' Now the little dwarf was getting +their dinner ready, and he brought their food upon seven little +plates, and their drink in seven little glasses, and set them upon the +table, and out of each little plate their sister ate a small piece, +and out of each little glass she drank a small drop; but she let the +ring that she had brought with her fall into the last glass. + +On a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air, and the +dwarf said, 'Here come my masters.' When they came in, they wanted to +eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. Then +said one after the other, + +'Who has eaten from my little plate? And who has been drinking out of +my little glass?' + + 'Caw! Caw! well I ween + Mortal lips have this way been.' + +When the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, and found there the +ring, he looked at it, and knew that it was his father's and mother's, +and said, 'O that our little sister would but come! then we should be +free.' When the little girl heard this (for she stood behind the door +all the time and listened), she ran forward, and in an instant all the +ravens took their right form again; and all hugged and kissed each +other, and went merrily home. + + + +THE WEDDING OF MRS FOX + + +FIRST STORY + +There was once upon a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed +that his wife was not faithful to him, and wished to put her to the +test. He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb, +and behaved as if he were stone dead. Mrs Fox went up to her room, +shut herself in, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat by the fire, and did the +cooking. When it became known that the old fox was dead, suitors +presented themselves. The maid heard someone standing at the house- +door, knocking. She went and opened it, and it was a young fox, who +said: + + 'What may you be about, Miss Cat? + Do you sleep or do you wake?' + +She answered: + + 'I am not sleeping, I am waking, + Would you know what I am making? + I am boiling warm beer with butter, + Will you be my guest for supper?' + +'No, thank you, miss,' said the fox, 'what is Mrs Fox doing?' The maid +replied: + + 'She is sitting in her room, + Moaning in her gloom, + Weeping her little eyes quite red, + Because old Mr Fox is dead.' + +'Do just tell her, miss, that a young fox is here, who would like to +woo her.' 'Certainly, young sir.' + + The cat goes up the stairs trip, trap, + The door she knocks at tap, tap, tap, + 'Mistress Fox, are you inside?' + 'Oh, yes, my little cat,' she cried. + 'A wooer he stands at the door out there.' + 'What does he look like, my dear?' + +'Has he nine as beautiful tails as the late Mr Fox?' 'Oh, no,' +answered the cat, 'he has only one.' 'Then I will not have him.' + +Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away. Soon afterwards +there was another knock, and another fox was at the door who wished to +woo Mrs Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare better than the +first. After this still more came, each with one tail more than the +other, but they were all turned away, until at last one came who had +nine tails, like old Mr Fox. When the widow heard that, she said +joyfully to the cat: + + 'Now open the gates and doors all wide, + And carry old Mr Fox outside.' + +But just as the wedding was going to be solemnized, old Mr Fox stirred +under the bench, and cudgelled all the rabble, and drove them and Mrs +Fox out of the house. + + +SECOND STORY + +When old Mr Fox was dead, the wolf came as a suitor, and knocked at +the door, and the cat who was servant to Mrs Fox, opened it for him. +The wolf greeted her, and said: + + 'Good day, Mrs Cat of Kehrewit, + How comes it that alone you sit? + What are you making good?' + +The cat replied: + + 'In milk I'm breaking bread so sweet, + Will you be my guest, and eat?' + +'No, thank you, Mrs Cat,' answered the wolf. 'Is Mrs Fox not at home?' + +The cat said: + + 'She sits upstairs in her room, + Bewailing her sorrowful doom, + Bewailing her trouble so sore, + For old Mr Fox is no more.' + +The wolf answered: + + 'If she's in want of a husband now, + Then will it please her to step below?' + The cat runs quickly up the stair, + And lets her tail fly here and there, + Until she comes to the parlour door. + With her five gold rings at the door she knocks: + 'Are you within, good Mistress Fox? + If you're in want of a husband now, + Then will it please you to step below? + +Mrs Fox asked: 'Has the gentleman red stockings on, and has he a +pointed mouth?' 'No,' answered the cat. 'Then he won't do for me.' + +When the wolf was gone, came a dog, a stag, a hare, a bear, a lion, +and all the beasts of the forest, one after the other. But one of the +good qualities which old Mr Fox had possessed, was always lacking, and +the cat had continually to send the suitors away. At length came a +young fox. Then Mrs Fox said: 'Has the gentleman red stockings on, and +has a little pointed mouth?' 'Yes,' said the cat, 'he has.' 'Then let +him come upstairs,' said Mrs Fox, and ordered the servant to prepare +the wedding feast. + + 'Sweep me the room as clean as you can, + Up with the window, fling out my old man! + For many a fine fat mouse he brought, + Yet of his wife he never thought, + But ate up every one he caught.' + +Then the wedding was solemnized with young Mr Fox, and there was much +rejoicing and dancing; and if they have not left off, they are dancing +still. + + + +THE SALAD + +As a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a wood, +there came up a little old woman, and said to him, 'Good day, good +day; you seem merry enough, but I am hungry and thirsty; do pray give +me something to eat.' The huntsman took pity on her, and put his hand +in his pocket and gave her what he had. Then he wanted to go his way; +but she took hold of him, and said, 'Listen, my friend, to what I am +going to tell you; I will reward you for your kindness; go your way, +and after a little time you will come to a tree where you will see +nine birds sitting on a cloak. Shoot into the midst of them, and one +will fall down dead: the cloak will fall too; take it, it is a +wishing-cloak, and when you wear it you will find yourself at any +place where you may wish to be. Cut open the dead bird, take out its +heart and keep it, and you will find a piece of gold under your pillow +every morning when you rise. It is the bird's heart that will bring +you this good luck.' + +The huntsman thanked her, and thought to himself, 'If all this does +happen, it will be a fine thing for me.' When he had gone a hundred +steps or so, he heard a screaming and chirping in the branches over +him, and looked up and saw a flock of birds pulling a cloak with their +bills and feet; screaming, fighting, and tugging at each other as if +each wished to have it himself. 'Well,' said the huntsman, 'this is +wonderful; this happens just as the old woman said'; then he shot into +the midst of them so that their feathers flew all about. Off went the +flock chattering away; but one fell down dead, and the cloak with it. +Then the huntsman did as the old woman told him, cut open the bird, +took out the heart, and carried the cloak home with him. + +The next morning when he awoke he lifted up his pillow, and there lay +the piece of gold glittering underneath; the same happened next day, +and indeed every day when he arose. He heaped up a great deal of gold, +and at last thought to himself, 'Of what use is this gold to me whilst +I am at home? I will go out into the world and look about me.' + +Then he took leave of his friends, and hung his bag and bow about his +neck, and went his way. It so happened that his road one day led +through a thick wood, at the end of which was a large castle in a +green meadow, and at one of the windows stood an old woman with a very +beautiful young lady by her side looking about them. Now the old woman +was a witch, and said to the young lady, 'There is a young man coming +out of the wood who carries a wonderful prize; we must get it away +from him, my dear child, for it is more fit for us than for him. He +has a bird's heart that brings a piece of gold under his pillow every +morning.' Meantime the huntsman came nearer and looked at the lady, +and said to himself, 'I have been travelling so long that I should +like to go into this castle and rest myself, for I have money enough +to pay for anything I want'; but the real reason was, that he wanted +to see more of the beautiful lady. Then he went into the house, and +was welcomed kindly; and it was not long before he was so much in love +that he thought of nothing else but looking at the lady's eyes, and +doing everything that she wished. Then the old woman said, 'Now is the +time for getting the bird's heart.' So the lady stole it away, and he +never found any more gold under his pillow, for it lay now under the +young lady's, and the old woman took it away every morning; but he was +so much in love that he never missed his prize. + +'Well,' said the old witch, 'we have got the bird's heart, but not the +wishing-cloak yet, and that we must also get.' 'Let us leave him +that,' said the young lady; 'he has already lost his wealth.' Then the +witch was very angry, and said, 'Such a cloak is a very rare and +wonderful thing, and I must and will have it.' So she did as the old +woman told her, and set herself at the window, and looked about the +country and seemed very sorrowful; then the huntsman said, 'What makes +you so sad?' 'Alas! dear sir,' said she, 'yonder lies the granite rock +where all the costly diamonds grow, and I want so much to go there, +that whenever I think of it I cannot help being sorrowful, for who can +reach it? only the birds and the flies--man cannot.' 'If that's all +your grief,' said the huntsman, 'I'll take there with all my heart'; +so he drew her under his cloak, and the moment he wished to be on the +granite mountain they were both there. The diamonds glittered so on +all sides that they were delighted with the sight and picked up the +finest. But the old witch made a deep sleep come upon him, and he said +to the young lady, 'Let us sit down and rest ourselves a little, I am +so tired that I cannot stand any longer.' So they sat down, and he +laid his head in her lap and fell asleep; and whilst he was sleeping +on she took the cloak from his shoulders, hung it on her own, picked +up the diamonds, and wished herself home again. + +When he awoke and found that his lady had tricked him, and left him +alone on the wild rock, he said, 'Alas! what roguery there is in the +world!' and there he sat in great grief and fear, not knowing what to +do. Now this rock belonged to fierce giants who lived upon it; and as +he saw three of them striding about, he thought to himself, 'I can +only save myself by feigning to be asleep'; so he laid himself down as +if he were in a sound sleep. When the giants came up to him, the first +pushed him with his foot, and said, 'What worm is this that lies here +curled up?' 'Tread upon him and kill him,' said the second. 'It's not +worth the trouble,' said the third; 'let him live, he'll go climbing +higher up the mountain, and some cloud will come rolling and carry him +away.' And they passed on. But the huntsman had heard all they said; +and as soon as they were gone, he climbed to the top of the mountain, +and when he had sat there a short time a cloud came rolling around +him, and caught him in a whirlwind and bore him along for some time, +till it settled in a garden, and he fell quite gently to the ground +amongst the greens and cabbages. + +Then he looked around him, and said, 'I wish I had something to eat, +if not I shall be worse off than before; for here I see neither apples +nor pears, nor any kind of fruits, nothing but vegetables.' At last he +thought to himself, 'I can eat salad, it will refresh and strengthen +me.' So he picked out a fine head and ate of it; but scarcely had he +swallowed two bites when he felt himself quite changed, and saw with +horror that he was turned into an ass. However, he still felt very +hungry, and the salad tasted very nice; so he ate on till he came to +another kind of salad, and scarcely had he tasted it when he felt +another change come over him, and soon saw that he was lucky enough to +have found his old shape again. + +Then he laid himself down and slept off a little of his weariness; and +when he awoke the next morning he broke off a head both of the good +and the bad salad, and thought to himself, 'This will help me to my +fortune again, and enable me to pay off some folks for their +treachery.' So he went away to try and find the castle of his friends; +and after wandering about a few days he luckily found it. Then he +stained his face all over brown, so that even his mother would not +have known him, and went into the castle and asked for a lodging; 'I +am so tired,' said he, 'that I can go no farther.' 'Countryman,' said +the witch, 'who are you? and what is your business?' 'I am,' said he, +'a messenger sent by the king to find the finest salad that grows +under the sun. I have been lucky enough to find it, and have brought +it with me; but the heat of the sun scorches so that it begins to +wither, and I don't know that I can carry it farther.' + +When the witch and the young lady heard of his beautiful salad, they +longed to taste it, and said, 'Dear countryman, let us just taste it.' +'To be sure,' answered he; 'I have two heads of it with me, and will +give you one'; so he opened his bag and gave them the bad. Then the +witch herself took it into the kitchen to be dressed; and when it was +ready she could not wait till it was carried up, but took a few leaves +immediately and put them in her mouth, and scarcely were they +swallowed when she lost her own form and ran braying down into the +court in the form of an ass. Now the servant-maid came into the +kitchen, and seeing the salad ready, was going to carry it up; but on +the way she too felt a wish to taste it as the old woman had done, and +ate some leaves; so she also was turned into an ass and ran after the +other, letting the dish with the salad fall on the ground. The +messenger sat all this time with the beautiful young lady, and as +nobody came with the salad and she longed to taste it, she said, 'I +don't know where the salad can be.' Then he thought something must +have happened, and said, 'I will go into the kitchen and see.' And as +he went he saw two asses in the court running about, and the salad +lying on the ground. 'All right!' said he; 'those two have had their +share.' Then he took up the rest of the leaves, laid them on the dish +and brought them to the young lady, saying, 'I bring you the dish +myself that you may not wait any longer.' So she ate of it, and like +the others ran off into the court braying away. + +Then the huntsman washed his face and went into the court that they +might know him. 'Now you shall be paid for your roguery,' said he; and +tied them all three to a rope and took them along with him till he +came to a mill and knocked at the window. 'What's the matter?' said +the miller. 'I have three tiresome beasts here,' said the other; 'if +you will take them, give them food and room, and treat them as I tell +you, I will pay you whatever you ask.' 'With all my heart,' said the +miller; 'but how shall I treat them?' Then the huntsman said, 'Give +the old one stripes three times a day and hay once; give the next (who +was the servant-maid) stripes once a day and hay three times; and give +the youngest (who was the beautiful lady) hay three times a day and no +stripes': for he could not find it in his heart to have her beaten. +After this he went back to the castle, where he found everything he +wanted. + +Some days after, the miller came to him and told him that the old ass +was dead; 'The other two,' said he, 'are alive and eat, but are so +sorrowful that they cannot last long.' Then the huntsman pitied them, +and told the miller to drive them back to him, and when they came, he +gave them some of the good salad to eat. And the beautiful young lady +fell upon her knees before him, and said, 'O dearest huntsman! forgive +me all the ill I have done you; my mother forced me to it, it was +against my will, for I always loved you very much. Your wishing-cloak +hangs up in the closet, and as for the bird's heart, I will give it +you too.' But he said, 'Keep it, it will be just the same thing, for I +mean to make you my wife.' So they were married, and lived together +very happily till they died. + + + +THE STORY OF THE YOUTH WHO WENT FORTH TO LEARN WHAT FEAR WAS + +A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart and +sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and +could neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him +they said: 'There's a fellow who will give his father some trouble!' +When anything had to be done, it was always the elder who was forced +to do it; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late, +or in the night-time, and the way led through the churchyard, or any +other dismal place, he answered: 'Oh, no father, I'll not go there, it +makes me shudder!' for he was afraid. Or when stories were told by the +fire at night which made the flesh creep, the listeners sometimes +said: 'Oh, it makes us shudder!' The younger sat in a corner and +listened with the rest of them, and could not imagine what they could +mean. 'They are always saying: "It makes me shudder, it makes me +shudder!" It does not make me shudder,' thought he. 'That, too, must +be an art of which I understand nothing!' + +Now it came to pass that his father said to him one day: 'Hearken to +me, you fellow in the corner there, you are growing tall and strong, +and you too must learn something by which you can earn your bread. +Look how your brother works, but you do not even earn your salt.' +'Well, father,' he replied, 'I am quite willing to learn something-- +indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn how to +shudder. I don't understand that at all yet.' The elder brother smiled +when he heard that, and thought to himself: 'Goodness, what a +blockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for anything +as long as he lives! He who wants to be a sickle must bend himself +betimes.' + +The father sighed, and answered him: 'You shall soon learn what it is +to shudder, but you will not earn your bread by that.' + +Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the +father bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was so +backward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing. +'Just think,' said he, 'when I asked him how he was going to earn his +bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.' 'If that be all,' +replied the sexton, 'he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I +will soon polish him.' The father was glad to do it, for he thought: +'It will train the boy a little.' The sexton therefore took him into +his house, and he had to ring the church bell. After a day or two, the +sexton awoke him at midnight, and bade him arise and go up into the +church tower and ring the bell. 'You shall soon learn what shuddering +is,' thought he, and secretly went there before him; and when the boy +was at the top of the tower and turned round, and was just going to +take hold of the bell rope, he saw a white figure standing on the +stairs opposite the sounding hole. 'Who is there?' cried he, but the +figure made no reply, and did not move or stir. 'Give an answer,' +cried the boy, 'or take yourself off, you have no business here at +night.' + +The sexton, however, remained standing motionless that the boy might +think he was a ghost. The boy cried a second time: 'What do you want +here?--speak if you are an honest fellow, or I will throw you down the +steps!' The sexton thought: 'He can't mean to be as bad as his words,' +uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone. Then the boy +called to him for the third time, and as that was also to no purpose, +he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs, so that it +fell down the ten steps and remained lying there in a corner. +Thereupon he rang the bell, went home, and without saying a word went +to bed, and fell asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for her +husband, but he did not come back. At length she became uneasy, and +wakened the boy, and asked: 'Do you know where my husband is? He +climbed up the tower before you did.' 'No, I don't know,' replied the +boy, 'but someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other side +of the steps, and as he would neither gave an answer nor go away, I +took him for a scoundrel, and threw him downstairs. Just go there and +you will see if it was he. I should be sorry if it were.' The woman +ran away and found her husband, who was lying moaning in the corner, +and had broken his leg. + +She carried him down, and then with loud screams she hastened to the +boy's father, 'Your boy,' cried she, 'has been the cause of a great +misfortune! He has thrown my husband down the steps so that he broke +his leg. Take the good-for-nothing fellow out of our house.' The +father was terrified, and ran thither and scolded the boy. 'What +wicked tricks are these?' said he. 'The devil must have put them into +your head.' 'Father,' he replied, 'do listen to me. I am quite +innocent. He was standing there by night like one intent on doing +evil. I did not know who it was, and I entreated him three times +either to speak or to go away.' 'Ah,' said the father, 'I have nothing +but unhappiness with you. Go out of my sight. I will see you no more.' + +'Yes, father, right willingly, wait only until it is day. Then will I +go forth and learn how to shudder, and then I shall, at any rate, +understand one art which will support me.' 'Learn what you will,' +spoke the father, 'it is all the same to me. Here are fifty talers for +you. Take these and go into the wide world, and tell no one from +whence you come, and who is your father, for I have reason to be +ashamed of you.' 'Yes, father, it shall be as you will. If you desire +nothing more than that, I can easily keep it in mind.' + +When the day dawned, therefore, the boy put his fifty talers into his +pocket, and went forth on the great highway, and continually said to +himself: 'If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!' Then a man +approached who heard this conversation which the youth was holding +with himself, and when they had walked a little farther to where they +could see the gallows, the man said to him: 'Look, there is the tree +where seven men have married the ropemaker's daughter, and are now +learning how to fly. Sit down beneath it, and wait till night comes, +and you will soon learn how to shudder.' 'If that is all that is +wanted,' answered the youth, 'it is easily done; but if I learn how to +shudder as fast as that, you shall have my fifty talers. Just come +back to me early in the morning.' Then the youth went to the gallows, +sat down beneath it, and waited till evening came. And as he was cold, +he lighted himself a fire, but at midnight the wind blew so sharply +that in spite of his fire, he could not get warm. And as the wind +knocked the hanged men against each other, and they moved backwards +and forwards, he thought to himself: 'If you shiver below by the fire, +how those up above must freeze and suffer!' And as he felt pity for +them, he raised the ladder, and climbed up, unbound one of them after +the other, and brought down all seven. Then he stoked the fire, blew +it, and set them all round it to warm themselves. But they sat there +and did not stir, and the fire caught their clothes. So he said: 'Take +care, or I will hang you up again.' The dead men, however, did not +hear, but were quite silent, and let their rags go on burning. At this +he grew angry, and said: 'If you will not take care, I cannot help +you, I will not be burnt with you,' and he hung them up again each in +his turn. Then he sat down by his fire and fell asleep, and the next +morning the man came to him and wanted to have the fifty talers, and +said: 'Well do you know how to shudder?' 'No,' answered he, 'how +should I know? Those fellows up there did not open their mouths, and +were so stupid that they let the few old rags which they had on their +bodies get burnt.' Then the man saw that he would not get the fifty +talers that day, and went away saying: 'Such a youth has never come my +way before.' + +The youth likewise went his way, and once more began to mutter to +himself: 'Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!' A +waggoner who was striding behind him heard this and asked: 'Who are +you?' 'I don't know,' answered the youth. Then the waggoner asked: +'From whence do you come?' 'I know not.' 'Who is your father?' 'That I +may not tell you.' 'What is it that you are always muttering between +your teeth?' 'Ah,' replied the youth, 'I do so wish I could shudder, +but no one can teach me how.' 'Enough of your foolish chatter,' said +the waggoner. 'Come, go with me, I will see about a place for you.' +The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at +an inn where they wished to pass the night. Then at the entrance of +the parlour the youth again said quite loudly: 'If I could but +shudder! If I could but shudder!' The host who heard this, laughed and +said: 'If that is your desire, there ought to be a good opportunity +for you here.' 'Ah, be silent,' said the hostess, 'so many prying +persons have already lost their lives, it would be a pity and a shame +if such beautiful eyes as these should never see the daylight again.' + +But the youth said: 'However difficult it may be, I will learn it. For +this purpose indeed have I journeyed forth.' He let the host have no +rest, until the latter told him, that not far from thence stood a +haunted castle where anyone could very easily learn what shuddering +was, if he would but watch in it for three nights. The king had +promised that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife, +and she was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on. Likewise in +the castle lay great treasures, which were guarded by evil spirits, +and these treasures would then be freed, and would make a poor man +rich enough. Already many men had gone into the castle, but as yet +none had come out again. Then the youth went next morning to the king, +and said: 'If it be allowed, I will willingly watch three nights in +the haunted castle.' + +The king looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said: 'You +may ask for three things to take into the castle with you, but they +must be things without life.' Then he answered: 'Then I ask for a +fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with the knife.' + +The king had these things carried into the castle for him during the +day. When night was drawing near, the youth went up and made himself a +bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife +beside it, and seated himself by the turning-lathe. 'Ah, if I could +but shudder!' said he, 'but I shall not learn it here either.' Towards +midnight he was about to poke his fire, and as he was blowing it, +something cried suddenly from one corner: 'Au, miau! how cold we are!' +'You fools!' cried he, 'what are you crying about? If you are cold, +come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.' And when he had +said that, two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat +down on each side of him, and looked savagely at him with their fiery +eyes. After a short time, when they had warmed themselves, they said: +'Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?' 'Why not?' he replied, 'but +just show me your paws.' Then they stretched out their claws. 'Oh,' +said he, 'what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for +you.' Thereupon he seized them by the throats, put them on the +cutting-board and screwed their feet fast. 'I have looked at your +fingers,' said he, 'and my fancy for card-playing has gone,' and he +struck them dead and threw them out into the water. But when he had +made away with these two, and was about to sit down again by his fire, +out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with +red-hot chains, and more and more of them came until he could no +longer move, and they yelled horribly, and got on his fire, pulled it +to pieces, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a while +quietly, but at last when they were going too far, he seized his +cutting-knife, and cried: 'Away with you, vermin,' and began to cut +them down. Some of them ran away, the others he killed, and threw out +into the fish-pond. When he came back he fanned the embers of his fire +again and warmed himself. And as he thus sat, his eyes would keep open +no longer, and he felt a desire to sleep. Then he looked round and saw +a great bed in the corner. 'That is the very thing for me,' said he, +and got into it. When he was just going to shut his eyes, however, the +bed began to move of its own accord, and went over the whole of the +castle. 'That's right,' said he, 'but go faster.' Then the bed rolled +on as if six horses were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds +and stairs, but suddenly hop, hop, it turned over upside down, and lay +on him like a mountain. But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, +got out and said: 'Now anyone who likes, may drive,' and lay down by +his fire, and slept till it was day. In the morning the king came, and +when he saw him lying there on the ground, he thought the evil spirits +had killed him and he was dead. Then said he: 'After all it is a +pity,--for so handsome a man.' The youth heard it, got up, and said: +'It has not come to that yet.' Then the king was astonished, but very +glad, and asked how he had fared. 'Very well indeed,' answered he; +'one night is past, the two others will pass likewise.' Then he went +to the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide, and said: 'I never +expected to see you alive again! Have you learnt how to shudder yet?' +'No,' said he, 'it is all in vain. If someone would but tell me!' + +The second night he again went up into the old castle, sat down by the +fire, and once more began his old song: 'If I could but shudder!' When +midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard; at +first it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for +a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the +chimney and fell before him. 'Hullo!' cried he, 'another half belongs +to this. This is not enough!' Then the uproar began again, there was a +roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. 'Wait,' +said he, 'I will just stoke up the fire a little for you.' When he had +done that and looked round again, the two pieces were joined together, +and a hideous man was sitting in his place. 'That is no part of our +bargain,' said the youth, 'the bench is mine.' The man wanted to push +him away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him off +with all his strength, and seated himself again in his own place. Then +still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine dead +men's legs and two skulls, and set them up and played at nine-pins +with them. The youth also wanted to play and said: 'Listen you, can I +join you?' 'Yes, if you have any money.' 'Money enough,' replied he, +'but your balls are not quite round.' Then he took the skulls and put +them in the lathe and turned them till they were round. 'There, now +they will roll better!' said he. 'Hurrah! now we'll have fun!' He +played with them and lost some of his money, but when it struck +twelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly +fell asleep. Next morning the king came to inquire after him. 'How has +it fared with you this time?' asked he. 'I have been playing at nine- +pins,' he answered, 'and have lost a couple of farthings.' 'Have you +not shuddered then?' 'What?' said he, 'I have had a wonderful time! If +I did but know what it was to shudder!' + +The third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly: +'If I could but shudder.' When it grew late, six tall men came in and +brought a coffin. Then he said: 'Ha, ha, that is certainly my little +cousin, who died only a few days ago,' and he beckoned with his +finger, and cried: 'Come, little cousin, come.' They placed the coffin +on the ground, but he went to it and took the lid off, and a dead man +lay therein. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. 'Wait,' said +he, 'I will warm you a little,' and went to the fire and warmed his +hand and laid it on the dead man's face, but he remained cold. Then he +took him out, and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and +rubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again. As this also did +no good, he thought to himself: 'When two people lie in bed together, +they warm each other,' and carried him to the bed, covered him over +and lay down by him. After a short time the dead man became warm too, +and began to move. Then said the youth, 'See, little cousin, have I +not warmed you?' The dead man, however, got up and cried: 'Now will I +strangle you.' + +'What!' said he, 'is that the way you thank me? You shall at once go +into your coffin again,' and he took him up, threw him into it, and +shut the lid. Then came the six men and carried him away again. 'I +cannot manage to shudder,' said he. 'I shall never learn it here as +long as I live.' + +Then a man entered who was taller than all others, and looked +terrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. 'You +wretch,' cried he, 'you shall soon learn what it is to shudder, for +you shall die.' 'Not so fast,' replied the youth. 'If I am to die, I +shall have to have a say in it.' 'I will soon seize you,' said the +fiend. 'Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as you are, +and perhaps even stronger.' 'We shall see,' said the old man. 'If you +are stronger, I will let you go--come, we will try.' Then he led him +by dark passages to a smith's forge, took an axe, and with one blow +struck an anvil into the ground. 'I can do better than that,' said the +youth, and went to the other anvil. The old man placed himself near +and wanted to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth +seized the axe, split the anvil with one blow, and in it caught the +old man's beard. 'Now I have you,' said the youth. 'Now it is your +turn to die.' Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he +moaned and entreated him to stop, when he would give him great riches. +The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him back +into the castle, and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold. +'Of these,' said he, 'one part is for the poor, the other for the +king, the third yours.' In the meantime it struck twelve, and the +spirit disappeared, so that the youth stood in darkness. 'I shall +still be able to find my way out,' said he, and felt about, found the +way into the room, and slept there by his fire. Next morning the king +came and said: 'Now you must have learnt what shuddering is?' 'No,' he +answered; 'what can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man +came and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one told +me what it was to shudder.' 'Then,' said the king, 'you have saved the +castle, and shall marry my daughter.' 'That is all very well,' said +he, 'but still I do not know what it is to shudder!' + +Then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated; but howsoever +much the young king loved his wife, and however happy he was, he still +said always: 'If I could but shudder--if I could but shudder.' And +this at last angered her. Her waiting-maid said: 'I will find a cure +for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.' She went out to +the stream which flowed through the garden, and had a whole bucketful +of gudgeons brought to her. At night when the young king was sleeping, +his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucket full of +cold water with the gudgeons in it over him, so that the little fishes +would sprawl about him. Then he woke up and cried: 'Oh, what makes me +shudder so?-- what makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! now I know what +it is to shudder!' + + + +KING GRISLY-BEARD + +A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was +very beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none of +the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her, +and she only made sport of them. + +Once upon a time the king held a great feast, and asked thither all +her suitors; and they all sat in a row, ranged according to their rank +--kings, and princes, and dukes, and earls, and counts, and barons, +and knights. Then the princess came in, and as she passed by them she +had something spiteful to say to every one. The first was too fat: +'He's as round as a tub,' said she. The next was too tall: 'What a +maypole!' said she. The next was too short: 'What a dumpling!' said +she. The fourth was too pale, and she called him 'Wallface.' The fifth +was too red, so she called him 'Coxcomb.' The sixth was not straight +enough; so she said he was like a green stick, that had been laid to +dry over a baker's oven. And thus she had some joke to crack upon +every one: but she laughed more than all at a good king who was there. +'Look at him,' said she; 'his beard is like an old mop; he shall be +called Grisly-beard.' So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard. + +But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved, +and how she ill-treated all his guests; and he vowed that, willing or +unwilling, she should marry the first man, be he prince or beggar, +that came to the door. + +Two days after there came by a travelling fiddler, who began to play +under the window and beg alms; and when the king heard him, he said, +'Let him come in.' So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow; and when +he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged a boon. Then +the king said, 'You have sung so well, that I will give you my +daughter for your wife.' The princess begged and prayed; but the king +said, 'I have sworn to give you to the first comer, and I will keep my +word.' So words and tears were of no avail; the parson was sent for, +and she was married to the fiddler. When this was over the king said, +'Now get ready to go--you must not stay here--you must travel on with +your husband.' + +Then the fiddler went his way, and took her with him, and they soon +came to a great wood. 'Pray,' said she, 'whose is this wood?' 'It +belongs to King Grisly-beard,' answered he; 'hadst thou taken him, all +had been thine.' 'Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!' sighed she; 'would +that I had married King Grisly-beard!' Next they came to some fine +meadows. 'Whose are these beautiful green meadows?' said she. 'They +belong to King Grisly-beard, hadst thou taken him, they had all been +thine.' 'Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!' said she; 'would that I had +married King Grisly-beard!' + +Then they came to a great city. 'Whose is this noble city?' said she. +'It belongs to King Grisly-beard; hadst thou taken him, it had all +been thine.' 'Ah! wretch that I am!' sighed she; 'why did I not marry +King Grisly-beard?' 'That is no business of mine,' said the fiddler: +'why should you wish for another husband? Am not I good enough for +you?' + +At last they came to a small cottage. 'What a paltry place!' said she; +'to whom does that little dirty hole belong?' Then the fiddler said, +'That is your and my house, where we are to live.' 'Where are your +servants?' cried she. 'What do we want with servants?' said he; 'you +must do for yourself whatever is to be done. Now make the fire, and +put on water and cook my supper, for I am very tired.' But the +princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking, and the fiddler was +forced to help her. When they had eaten a very scanty meal they went +to bed; but the fiddler called her up very early in the morning to +clean the house. Thus they lived for two days: and when they had eaten +up all there was in the cottage, the man said, 'Wife, we can't go on +thus, spending money and earning nothing. You must learn to weave +baskets.' Then he went out and cut willows, and brought them home, and +she began to weave; but it made her fingers very sore. 'I see this +work won't do,' said he: 'try and spin; perhaps you will do that +better.' So she sat down and tried to spin; but the threads cut her +tender fingers till the blood ran. 'See now,' said the fiddler, 'you +are good for nothing; you can do no work: what a bargain I have got! +However, I'll try and set up a trade in pots and pans, and you shall +stand in the market and sell them.' 'Alas!' sighed she, 'if any of my +father's court should pass by and see me standing in the market, how +they will laugh at me!' + +But her husband did not care for that, and said she must work, if she +did not wish to die of hunger. At first the trade went well; for many +people, seeing such a beautiful woman, went to buy her wares, and paid +their money without thinking of taking away the goods. They lived on +this as long as it lasted; and then her husband bought a fresh lot of +ware, and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market; +but a drunken soldier soon came by, and rode his horse against her +stall, and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces. Then she began +to cry, and knew not what to do. 'Ah! what will become of me?' said +she; 'what will my husband say?' So she ran home and told him all. +'Who would have thought you would have been so silly,' said he, 'as to +put an earthenware stall in the corner of the market, where everybody +passes? but let us have no more crying; I see you are not fit for this +sort of work, so I have been to the king's palace, and asked if they +did not want a kitchen-maid; and they say they will take you, and +there you will have plenty to eat.' + +Thus the princess became a kitchen-maid, and helped the cook to do all +the dirtiest work; but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat +that was left, and on this they lived. + +She had not been there long before she heard that the king's eldest +son was passing by, going to be married; and she went to one of the +windows and looked out. Everything was ready, and all the pomp and +brightness of the court was there. Then she bitterly grieved for the +pride and folly which had brought her so low. And the servants gave +her some of the rich meats, which she put into her basket to take +home. + +All on a sudden, as she was going out, in came the king's son in +golden clothes; and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door, he took +her by the hand, and said she should be his partner in the dance; but +she trembled for fear, for she saw that it was King Grisly-beard, who +was making sport of her. However, he kept fast hold, and led her in; +and the cover of the basket came off, so that the meats in it fell +about. Then everybody laughed and jeered at her; and she was so +abashed, that she wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth. +She sprang to the door to run away; but on the steps King Grisly-beard +overtook her, and brought her back and said, 'Fear me not! I am the +fiddler who has lived with you in the hut. I brought you there because +I really loved you. I am also the soldier that overset your stall. I +have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride, and to show +you the folly of your ill-treatment of me. Now all is over: you have +learnt wisdom, and it is time to hold our marriage feast.' + +Then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes; +and her father and his whole court were there already, and welcomed +her home on her marriage. Joy was in every face and every heart. The +feast was grand; they danced and sang; all were merry; and I only wish +that you and I had been of the party. + + + +IRON HANS + +There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near his +palace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out a +huntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. 'Perhaps some +accident has befallen him,' said the king, and the next day he sent +out two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayed +away. Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said: +'Scour the whole forest through, and do not give up until you have +found all three.' But of these also, none came home again, none were +seen again. From that time forth, no one would any longer venture into +the forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude, and +nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying over +it. This lasted for many years, when an unknown huntsman announced +himself to the king as seeking a situation, and offered to go into the +dangerous forest. The king, however, would not give his consent, and +said: 'It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare with you no +better than with the others, and you would never come out again.' The +huntsman replied: 'Lord, I will venture it at my own risk, of fear I +know nothing.' + +The huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest. It +was not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way, and +wanted to pursue it; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it +stood before a deep pool, could go no farther, and a naked arm +stretched itself out of the water, seized it, and drew it under. When +the huntsman saw that, he went back and fetched three men to come with +buckets and bale out the water. When they could see to the bottom +there lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron, and whose +hair hung over his face down to his knees. They bound him with cords, +and led him away to the castle. There was great astonishment over the +wild man; the king, however, had him put in an iron cage in his +courtyard, and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death, and the +queen herself was to take the key into her keeping. And from this time +forth everyone could again go into the forest with safety. + +The king had a son of eight years, who was once playing in the +courtyard, and while he was playing, his golden ball fell into the +cage. The boy ran thither and said: 'Give me my ball out.' 'Not till +you have opened the door for me,' answered the man. 'No,' said the +boy, 'I will not do that; the king has forbidden it,' and ran away. +The next day he again went and asked for his ball; the wild man said: +'Open my door,' but the boy would not. On the third day the king had +ridden out hunting, and the boy went once more and said: 'I cannot +open the door even if I wished, for I have not the key.' Then the wild +man said: 'It lies under your mother's pillow, you can get it there.' +The boy, who wanted to have his ball back, cast all thought to the +winds, and brought the key. The door opened with difficulty, and the +boy pinched his fingers. When it was open the wild man stepped out, +gave him the golden ball, and hurried away. The boy had become afraid; +he called and cried after him: 'Oh, wild man, do not go away, or I +shall be beaten!' The wild man turned back, took him up, set him on +his shoulder, and went with hasty steps into the forest. When the king +came home, he observed the empty cage, and asked the queen how that +had happened. She knew nothing about it, and sought the key, but it +was gone. She called the boy, but no one answered. The king sent out +people to seek for him in the fields, but they did not find him. Then +he could easily guess what had happened, and much grief reigned in the +royal court. + +When the wild man had once more reached the dark forest, he took the +boy down from his shoulder, and said to him: 'You will never see your +father and mother again, but I will keep you with me, for you have set +me free, and I have compassion on you. If you do all I bid you, you +shall fare well. Of treasure and gold have I enough, and more than +anyone in the world.' He made a bed of moss for the boy on which he +slept, and the next morning the man took him to a well, and said: +'Behold, the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal, you shall +sit beside it, and take care that nothing falls into it, or it will be +polluted. I will come every evening to see if you have obeyed my +order.' The boy placed himself by the brink of the well, and often saw +a golden fish or a golden snake show itself therein, and took care +that nothing fell in. As he was thus sitting, his finger hurt him so +violently that he involuntarily put it in the water. He drew it +quickly out again, but saw that it was quite gilded, and whatsoever +pains he took to wash the gold off again, all was to no purpose. In +the evening Iron Hans came back, looked at the boy, and said: 'What +has happened to the well?' 'Nothing nothing,' he answered, and held +his finger behind his back, that the man might not see it. But he +said: 'You have dipped your finger into the water, this time it may +pass, but take care you do not again let anything go in.' By daybreak +the boy was already sitting by the well and watching it. His finger +hurt him again and he passed it over his head, and then unhappily a +hair fell down into the well. He took it quickly out, but it was +already quite gilded. Iron Hans came, and already knew what had +happened. 'You have let a hair fall into the well,' said he. 'I will +allow you to watch by it once more, but if this happens for the third +time then the well is polluted and you can no longer remain with me.' + +On the third day, the boy sat by the well, and did not stir his +finger, however much it hurt him. But the time was long to him, and he +looked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water. And +as he still bent down more and more while he was doing so, and trying +to look straight into the eyes, his long hair fell down from his +shoulders into the water. He raised himself up quickly, but the whole +of the hair of his head was already golden and shone like the sun. You +can imagine how terrified the poor boy was! He took his pocket- +handkerchief and tied it round his head, in order that the man might +not see it. When he came he already knew everything, and said: 'Take +the handkerchief off.' Then the golden hair streamed forth, and let +the boy excuse himself as he might, it was of no use. 'You have not +stood the trial and can stay here no longer. Go forth into the world, +there you will learn what poverty is. But as you have not a bad heart, +and as I mean well by you, there is one thing I will grant you; if you +fall into any difficulty, come to the forest and cry: "Iron Hans," and +then I will come and help you. My power is great, greater than you +think, and I have gold and silver in abundance.' + +Then the king's son left the forest, and walked by beaten and unbeaten +paths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city. There he +looked for work, but could find none, and he learnt nothing by which +he could help himself. At length he went to the palace, and asked if +they would take him in. The people about court did not at all know +what use they could make of him, but they liked him, and told him to +stay. At length the cook took him into his service, and said he might +carry wood and water, and rake the cinders together. Once when it so +happened that no one else was at hand, the cook ordered him to carry +the food to the royal table, but as he did not like to let his golden +hair be seen, he kept his little cap on. Such a thing as that had +never yet come under the king's notice, and he said: 'When you come to +the royal table you must take your hat off.' He answered: 'Ah, Lord, I +cannot; I have a bad sore place on my head.' Then the king had the +cook called before him and scolded him, and asked how he could take +such a boy as that into his service; and that he was to send him away +at once. The cook, however, had pity on him, and exchanged him for the +gardener's boy. + +And now the boy had to plant and water the garden, hoe and dig, and +bear the wind and bad weather. Once in summer when he was working +alone in the garden, the day was so warm he took his little cap off +that the air might cool him. As the sun shone on his hair it glittered +and flashed so that the rays fell into the bedroom of the king's +daughter, and up she sprang to see what that could be. Then she saw +the boy, and cried to him: 'Boy, bring me a wreath of flowers.' He put +his cap on with all haste, and gathered wild field-flowers and bound +them together. When he was ascending the stairs with them, the +gardener met him, and said: 'How can you take the king's daughter a +garland of such common flowers? Go quickly, and get another, and seek +out the prettiest and rarest.' 'Oh, no,' replied the boy, 'the wild +ones have more scent, and will please her better.' When he got into +the room, the king's daughter said: 'Take your cap off, it is not +seemly to keep it on in my presence.' He again said: 'I may not, I +have a sore head.' She, however, caught at his cap and pulled it off, +and then his golden hair rolled down on his shoulders, and it was +splendid to behold. He wanted to run out, but she held him by the arm, +and gave him a handful of ducats. With these he departed, but he cared +nothing for the gold pieces. He took them to the gardener, and said: +'I present them to your children, they can play with them.' The +following day the king's daughter again called to him that he was to +bring her a wreath of field-flowers, and then he went in with it, she +instantly snatched at his cap, and wanted to take it away from him, +but he held it fast with both hands. She again gave him a handful of +ducats, but he would not keep them, and gave them to the gardener for +playthings for his children. On the third day things went just the +same; she could not get his cap away from him, and he would not have +her money. + +Not long afterwards, the country was overrun by war. The king gathered +together his people, and did not know whether or not he could offer +any opposition to the enemy, who was superior in strength and had a +mighty army. Then said the gardener's boy: 'I am grown up, and will go +to the wars also, only give me a horse.' The others laughed, and said: +'Seek one for yourself when we are gone, we will leave one behind us +in the stable for you.' When they had gone forth, he went into the +stable, and led the horse out; it was lame of one foot, and limped +hobblety jib, hobblety jib; nevertheless he mounted it, and rode away +to the dark forest. When he came to the outskirts, he called 'Iron +Hans' three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees. +Thereupon the wild man appeared immediately, and said: 'What do you +desire?' 'I want a strong steed, for I am going to the wars.' 'That +you shall have, and still more than you ask for.' Then the wild man +went back into the forest, and it was not long before a stable-boy +came out of it, who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils, and +could hardly be restrained, and behind them followed a great troop of +warriors entirely equipped in iron, and their swords flashed in the +sun. The youth made over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy, +mounted the other, and rode at the head of the soldiers. When he got +near the battlefield a great part of the king's men had already +fallen, and little was wanting to make the rest give way. Then the +youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers, broke like a hurricane +over the enemy, and beat down all who opposed him. They began to flee, +but the youth pursued, and never stopped, until there was not a single +man left. Instead of returning to the king, however, he conducted his +troop by byways back to the forest, and called forth Iron Hans. 'What +do you desire?' asked the wild man. 'Take back your horse and your +troops, and give me my three-legged horse again.' All that he asked +was done, and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse. When the +king returned to his palace, his daughter went to meet him, and wished +him joy of his victory. 'I am not the one who carried away the +victory,' said he, 'but a strange knight who came to my assistance +with his soldiers.' The daughter wanted to hear who the strange knight +was, but the king did not know, and said: 'He followed the enemy, and +I did not see him again.' She inquired of the gardener where his boy +was, but he smiled, and said: 'He has just come home on his three- +legged horse, and the others have been mocking him, and crying: "Here +comes our hobblety jib back again!" They asked, too: "Under what hedge +have you been lying sleeping all the time?" So he said: "I did the +best of all, and it would have gone badly without me." And then he was +still more ridiculed.' + +The king said to his daughter: 'I will proclaim a great feast that +shall last for three days, and you shall throw a golden apple. Perhaps +the unknown man will show himself.' When the feast was announced, the +youth went out to the forest, and called Iron Hans. 'What do you +desire?' asked he. 'That I may catch the king's daughter's golden +apple.' 'It is as safe as if you had it already,' said Iron Hans. 'You +shall likewise have a suit of red armour for the occasion, and ride on +a spirited chestnut-horse.' When the day came, the youth galloped to +the spot, took his place amongst the knights, and was recognized by no +one. The king's daughter came forward, and threw a golden apple to the +knights, but none of them caught it but he, only as soon as he had it +he galloped away. + +On the second day Iron Hans equipped him as a white knight, and gave +him a white horse. Again he was the only one who caught the apple, and +he did not linger an instant, but galloped off with it. The king grew +angry, and said: 'That is not allowed; he must appear before me and +tell his name.' He gave the order that if the knight who caught the +apple, should go away again they should pursue him, and if he would +not come back willingly, they were to cut him down and stab him. + +On the third day, he received from Iron Hans a suit of black armour +and a black horse, and again he caught the apple. But when he was +riding off with it, the king's attendants pursued him, and one of them +got so near him that he wounded the youth's leg with the point of his +sword. The youth nevertheless escaped from them, but his horse leapt +so violently that the helmet fell from the youth's head, and they +could see that he had golden hair. They rode back and announced this +to the king. + +The following day the king's daughter asked the gardener about his +boy. 'He is at work in the garden; the queer creature has been at the +festival too, and only came home yesterday evening; he has likewise +shown my children three golden apples which he has won.' + +The king had him summoned into his presence, and he came and again had +his little cap on his head. But the king's daughter went up to him and +took it off, and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders, +and he was so handsome that all were amazed. 'Are you the knight who +came every day to the festival, always in different colours, and who +caught the three golden apples?' asked the king. 'Yes,' answered he, +'and here the apples are,' and he took them out of his pocket, and +returned them to the king. 'If you desire further proof, you may see +the wound which your people gave me when they followed me. But I am +likewise the knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies.' +'If you can perform such deeds as that, you are no gardener's boy; +tell me, who is your father?' 'My father is a mighty king, and gold +have I in plenty as great as I require.' 'I well see,' said the king, +'that I owe my thanks to you; can I do anything to please you?' 'Yes,' +answered he, 'that indeed you can. Give me your daughter to wife.' The +maiden laughed, and said: 'He does not stand much on ceremony, but I +have already seen by his golden hair that he was no gardener's boy,' +and then she went and kissed him. His father and mother came to the +wedding, and were in great delight, for they had given up all hope of +ever seeing their dear son again. And as they were sitting at the +marriage-feast, the music suddenly stopped, the doors opened, and a +stately king came in with a great retinue. He went up to the youth, +embraced him and said: 'I am Iron Hans, and was by enchantment a wild +man, but you have set me free; all the treasures which I possess, +shall be your property.' + + + +CAT-SKIN + +There was once a king, whose queen had hair of the purest gold, and +was so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole +face of the earth. But this beautiful queen fell ill, and when she +felt that her end drew near she called the king to her and said, +'Promise me that you will never marry again, unless you meet with a +wife who is as beautiful as I am, and who has golden hair like mine.' +Then when the king in his grief promised all she asked, she shut her +eyes and died. But the king was not to be comforted, and for a long +time never thought of taking another wife. At last, however, his wise +men said, 'this will not do; the king must marry again, that we may +have a queen.' So messengers were sent far and wide, to seek for a +bride as beautiful as the late queen. But there was no princess in the +world so beautiful; and if there had been, still there was not one to +be found who had golden hair. So the messengers came home, and had had +all their trouble for nothing. + +Now the king had a daughter, who was just as beautiful as her mother, +and had the same golden hair. And when she was grown up, the king +looked at her and saw that she was just like this late queen: then he +said to his courtiers, 'May I not marry my daughter? She is the very +image of my dead wife: unless I have her, I shall not find any bride +upon the whole earth, and you say there must be a queen.' When the +courtiers heard this they were shocked, and said, 'Heaven forbid that +a father should marry his daughter! Out of so great a sin no good can +come.' And his daughter was also shocked, but hoped the king would +soon give up such thoughts; so she said to him, 'Before I marry anyone +I must have three dresses: one must be of gold, like the sun; another +must be of shining silver, like the moon; and a third must be dazzling +as the stars: besides this, I want a mantle of a thousand different +kinds of fur put together, to which every beast in the kingdom must +give a part of his skin.' And thus she though he would think of the +matter no more. But the king made the most skilful workmen in his +kingdom weave the three dresses: one golden, like the sun; another +silvery, like the moon; and a third sparkling, like the stars: and his +hunters were told to hunt out all the beasts in his kingdom, and to +take the finest fur out of their skins: and thus a mantle of a +thousand furs was made. + +When all were ready, the king sent them to her; but she got up in the +night when all were asleep, and took three of her trinkets, a golden +ring, a golden necklace, and a golden brooch, and packed the three +dresses--of the sun, the moon, and the stars--up in a nutshell, and +wrapped herself up in the mantle made of all sorts of fur, and +besmeared her face and hands with soot. Then she threw herself upon +Heaven for help in her need, and went away, and journeyed on the whole +night, till at last she came to a large wood. As she was very tired, +she sat herself down in the hollow of a tree and soon fell asleep: and +there she slept on till it was midday. + +Now as the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it, his dogs +came to the tree, and began to snuff about, and run round and round, +and bark. 'Look sharp!' said the king to the huntsmen, 'and see what +sort of game lies there.' And the huntsmen went up to the tree, and +when they came back again said, 'In the hollow tree there lies a most +wonderful beast, such as we never saw before; its skin seems to be of +a thousand kinds of fur, but there it lies fast asleep.' 'See,' said +the king, 'if you can catch it alive, and we will take it with us.' So +the huntsmen took it up, and the maiden awoke and was greatly +frightened, and said, 'I am a poor child that has neither father nor +mother left; have pity on me and take me with you.' Then they said, +'Yes, Miss Cat-skin, you will do for the kitchen; you can sweep up the +ashes, and do things of that sort.' So they put her into the coach, +and took her home to the king's palace. Then they showed her a little +corner under the staircase, where no light of day ever peeped in, and +said, 'Cat-skin, you may lie and sleep there.' And she was sent into +the kitchen, and made to fetch wood and water, to blow the fire, pluck +the poultry, pick the herbs, sift the ashes, and do all the dirty +work. + +Thus Cat-skin lived for a long time very sorrowfully. 'Ah! pretty +princess!' thought she, 'what will now become of thee?' But it +happened one day that a feast was to be held in the king's castle, so +she said to the cook, 'May I go up a little while and see what is +going on? I will take care and stand behind the door.' And the cook +said, 'Yes, you may go, but be back again in half an hour's time, to +rake out the ashes.' Then she took her little lamp, and went into her +cabin, and took off the fur skin, and washed the soot from off her +face and hands, so that her beauty shone forth like the sun from +behind the clouds. She next opened her nutshell, and brought out of it +the dress that shone like the sun, and so went to the feast. Everyone +made way for her, for nobody knew her, and they thought she could be +no less than a king's daughter. But the king came up to her, and held +out his hand and danced with her; and he thought in his heart, 'I +never saw any one half so beautiful.' + +When the dance was at an end she curtsied; and when the king looked +round for her, she was gone, no one knew wither. The guards that stood +at the castle gate were called in: but they had seen no one. The truth +was, that she had run into her little cabin, pulled off her dress, +blackened her face and hands, put on the fur-skin cloak, and was Cat- +skin again. When she went into the kitchen to her work, and began to +rake the ashes, the cook said, 'Let that alone till the morning, and +heat the king's soup; I should like to run up now and give a peep: but +take care you don't let a hair fall into it, or you will run a chance +of never eating again.' + +As soon as the cook went away, Cat-skin heated the king's soup, and +toasted a slice of bread first, as nicely as ever she could; and when +it was ready, she went and looked in the cabin for her little golden +ring, and put it into the dish in which the soup was. When the dance +was over, the king ordered his soup to be brought in; and it pleased +him so well, that he thought he had never tasted any so good before. +At the bottom he saw a gold ring lying; and as he could not make out +how it had got there, he ordered the cook to be sent for. The cook was +frightened when he heard the order, and said to Cat-skin, 'You must +have let a hair fall into the soup; if it be so, you will have a good +beating.' Then he went before the king, and he asked him who had +cooked the soup. 'I did,' answered the cook. But the king said, 'That +is not true; it was better done than you could do it.' Then he +answered, 'To tell the truth I did not cook it, but Cat-skin did.' +'Then let Cat-skin come up,' said the king: and when she came he said +to her, 'Who are you?' 'I am a poor child,' said she, 'that has lost +both father and mother.' 'How came you in my palace?' asked he. 'I am +good for nothing,' said she, 'but to be scullion-girl, and to have +boots and shoes thrown at my head.' 'But how did you get the ring that +was in the soup?' asked the king. Then she would not own that she knew +anything about the ring; so the king sent her away again about her +business. + +After a time there was another feast, and Cat-skin asked the cook to +let her go up and see it as before. 'Yes,' said he, 'but come again in +half an hour, and cook the king the soup that he likes so much.' Then +she ran to her little cabin, washed herself quickly, and took her +dress out which was silvery as the moon, and put it on; and when she +went in, looking like a king's daughter, the king went up to her, and +rejoiced at seeing her again, and when the dance began he danced with +her. After the dance was at an end she managed to slip out, so slyly +that the king did not see where she was gone; but she sprang into her +little cabin, and made herself into Cat-skin again, and went into the +kitchen to cook the soup. Whilst the cook was above stairs, she got +the golden necklace and dropped it into the soup; then it was brought +to the king, who ate it, and it pleased him as well as before; so he +sent for the cook, who was again forced to tell him that Cat-skin had +cooked it. Cat-skin was brought again before the king, but she still +told him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her +head. + +But when the king had ordered a feast to be got ready for the third +time, it happened just the same as before. 'You must be a witch, Cat- +skin,' said the cook; 'for you always put something into your soup, so +that it pleases the king better than mine.' However, he let her go up +as before. Then she put on her dress which sparkled like the stars, +and went into the ball-room in it; and the king danced with her again, +and thought she had never looked so beautiful as she did then. So +whilst he was dancing with her, he put a gold ring on her finger +without her seeing it, and ordered that the dance should be kept up a +long time. When it was at an end, he would have held her fast by the +hand, but she slipped away, and sprang so quickly through the crowd +that he lost sight of her: and she ran as fast as she could into her +little cabin under the stairs. But this time she kept away too long, +and stayed beyond the half-hour; so she had not time to take off her +fine dress, and threw her fur mantle over it, and in her haste did not +blacken herself all over with soot, but left one of her fingers white. + +Then she ran into the kitchen, and cooked the king's soup; and as soon +as the cook was gone, she put the golden brooch into the dish. When +the king got to the bottom, he ordered Cat-skin to be called once +more, and soon saw the white finger, and the ring that he had put on +it whilst they were dancing: so he seized her hand, and kept fast hold +of it, and when she wanted to loose herself and spring away, the fur +cloak fell off a little on one side, and the starry dress sparkled +underneath it. + +Then he got hold of the fur and tore it off, and her golden hair and +beautiful form were seen, and she could no longer hide herself: so she +washed the soot and ashes from her face, and showed herself to be the +most beautiful princess upon the face of the earth. But the king said, +'You are my beloved bride, and we will never more be parted from each +other.' And the wedding feast was held, and a merry day it was, as +ever was heard of or seen in that country, or indeed in any other. + + + +SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED + +There was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of +the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which +bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like +the two rose-trees, and one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose- +red. They were as good and happy, as busy and cheerful as ever two +children in the world were, only Snow-white was more quiet and gentle +than Rose-red. Rose-red liked better to run about in the meadows and +fields seeking flowers and catching butterflies; but Snow-white sat at +home with her mother, and helped her with her housework, or read to +her when there was nothing to do. + +The two children were so fond of one another that they always held +each other by the hand when they went out together, and when Snow- +white said: 'We will not leave each other,' Rose-red answered: 'Never +so long as we live,' and their mother would add: 'What one has she +must share with the other.' + +They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries, and no +beasts did them any harm, but came close to them trustfully. The +little hare would eat a cabbage-leaf out of their hands, the roe +grazed by their side, the stag leapt merrily by them, and the birds +sat still upon the boughs, and sang whatever they knew. + +No mishap overtook them; if they had stayed too late in the forest, +and night came on, they laid themselves down near one another upon the +moss, and slept until morning came, and their mother knew this and did +not worry on their account. + +Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn had roused +them, they saw a beautiful child in a shining white dress sitting near +their bed. He got up and looked quite kindly at them, but said nothing +and went into the forest. And when they looked round they found that +they had been sleeping quite close to a precipice, and would certainly +have fallen into it in the darkness if they had gone only a few paces +further. And their mother told them that it must have been the angel +who watches over good children. + +Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's little cottage so neat +that it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the summer Rose-red took +care of the house, and every morning laid a wreath of flowers by her +mother's bed before she awoke, in which was a rose from each tree. In +the winter Snow-white lit the fire and hung the kettle on the hob. The +kettle was of brass and shone like gold, so brightly was it polished. +In the evening, when the snowflakes fell, the mother said: 'Go, Snow- +white, and bolt the door,' and then they sat round the hearth, and the +mother took her spectacles and read aloud out of a large book, and the +two girls listened as they sat and spun. And close by them lay a lamb +upon the floor, and behind them upon a perch sat a white dove with its +head hidden beneath its wings. + +One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together, someone +knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in. The mother said: +'Quick, Rose-red, open the door, it must be a traveller who is seeking +shelter.' Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking that it was +a poor man, but it was not; it was a bear that stretched his broad, +black head within the door. + +Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove +fluttered, and Snow-white hid herself behind her mother's bed. But the +bear began to speak and said: 'Do not be afraid, I will do you no +harm! I am half-frozen, and only want to warm myself a little beside +you.' + +'Poor bear,' said the mother, 'lie down by the fire, only take care +that you do not burn your coat.' Then she cried: 'Snow-white, Rose- +red, come out, the bear will do you no harm, he means well.' So they +both came out, and by-and-by the lamb and dove came nearer, and were +not afraid of him. The bear said: 'Here, children, knock the snow out +of my coat a little'; so they brought the broom and swept the bear's +hide clean; and he stretched himself by the fire and growled +contentedly and comfortably. It was not long before they grew quite at +home, and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his hair +with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about, +or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he growled they +laughed. But the bear took it all in good part, only when they were +too rough he called out: 'Leave me alive, children, + + 'Snow-white, Rose-red, + Will you beat your wooer dead?' + +When it was bed-time, and the others went to bed, the mother said to +the bear: 'You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe +from the cold and the bad weather.' As soon as day dawned the two +children let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest. + +Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid himself +down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves with him as +much as they liked; and they got so used to him that the doors were +never fastened until their black friend had arrived. + +When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said one +morning to Snow-white: 'Now I must go away, and cannot come back for +the whole summer.' 'Where are you going, then, dear bear?' asked Snow- +white. 'I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the +wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they are +obliged to stay below and cannot work their way through; but now, when +the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through it, and +come out to pry and steal; and what once gets into their hands, and in +their caves, does not easily see daylight again.' + +Snow-white was quite sorry at his departure, and as she unbolted the +door for him, and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against the +bolt and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off, and it seemed to +Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through it, but she was not +sure about it. The bear ran away quickly, and was soon out of sight +behind the trees. + +A short time afterwards the mother sent her children into the forest +to get firewood. There they found a big tree which lay felled on the +ground, and close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and +forwards in the grass, but they could not make out what it was. When +they came nearer they saw a dwarf with an old withered face and a +snow-white beard a yard long. The end of the beard was caught in a +crevice of the tree, and the little fellow was jumping about like a +dog tied to a rope, and did not know what to do. + +He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried: 'Why do you +stand there? Can you not come here and help me?' 'What are you up to, +little man?' asked Rose-red. 'You stupid, prying goose!' answered the +dwarf: 'I was going to split the tree to get a little wood for +cooking. The little bit of food that we people get is immediately +burnt up with heavy logs; we do not swallow so much as you coarse, +greedy folk. I had just driven the wedge safely in, and everything was +going as I wished; but the cursed wedge was too smooth and suddenly +sprang out, and the tree closed so quickly that I could not pull out +my beautiful white beard; so now it is tight and I cannot get away, +and the silly, sleek, milk-faced things laugh! Ugh! how odious you +are!' + +The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the beard out, +it was caught too fast. 'I will run and fetch someone,' said Rose-red. +'You senseless goose!' snarled the dwarf; 'why should you fetch +someone? You are already two too many for me; can you not think of +something better?' 'Don't be impatient,' said Snow-white, 'I will help +you,' and she pulled her scissors out of her pocket, and cut off the +end of the beard. + +As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he laid hold of a bag which lay +amongst the roots of the tree, and which was full of gold, and lifted +it up, grumbling to himself: 'Uncouth people, to cut off a piece of my +fine beard. Bad luck to you!' and then he swung the bag upon his back, +and went off without even once looking at the children. + +Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red went to catch a dish of +fish. As they came near the brook they saw something like a large +grasshopper jumping towards the water, as if it were going to leap in. +They ran to it and found it was the dwarf. 'Where are you going?' said +Rose-red; 'you surely don't want to go into the water?' 'I am not such +a fool!' cried the dwarf; 'don't you see that the accursed fish wants +to pull me in?' The little man had been sitting there fishing, and +unluckily the wind had tangled up his beard with the fishing-line; a +moment later a big fish made a bite and the feeble creature had not +strength to pull it out; the fish kept the upper hand and pulled the +dwarf towards him. He held on to all the reeds and rushes, but it was +of little good, for he was forced to follow the movements of the fish, +and was in urgent danger of being dragged into the water. + +The girls came just in time; they held him fast and tried to free his +beard from the line, but all in vain, beard and line were entangled +fast together. There was nothing to do but to bring out the scissors +and cut the beard, whereby a small part of it was lost. When the dwarf +saw that he screamed out: 'Is that civil, you toadstool, to disfigure +a man's face? Was it not enough to clip off the end of my beard? Now +you have cut off the best part of it. I cannot let myself be seen by +my people. I wish you had been made to run the soles off your shoes!' +Then he took out a sack of pearls which lay in the rushes, and without +another word he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone. + +It happened that soon afterwards the mother sent the two children to +the town to buy needles and thread, and laces and ribbons. The road +led them across a heath upon which huge pieces of rock lay strewn +about. There they noticed a large bird hovering in the air, flying +slowly round and round above them; it sank lower and lower, and at +last settled near a rock not far away. Immediately they heard a loud, +piteous cry. They ran up and saw with horror that the eagle had seized +their old acquaintance the dwarf, and was going to carry him off. + +The children, full of pity, at once took tight hold of the little man, +and pulled against the eagle so long that at last he let his booty go. +As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his first fright he cried with +his shrill voice: 'Could you not have done it more carefully! You +dragged at my brown coat so that it is all torn and full of holes, you +clumsy creatures!' Then he took up a sack full of precious stones, and +slipped away again under the rock into his hole. The girls, who by +this time were used to his ingratitude, went on their way and did +their business in town. + +As they crossed the heath again on their way home they surprised the +dwarf, who had emptied out his bag of precious stones in a clean spot, +and had not thought that anyone would come there so late. The evening +sun shone upon the brilliant stones; they glittered and sparkled with +all colours so beautifully that the children stood still and stared at +them. 'Why do you stand gaping there?' cried the dwarf, and his ashen- +grey face became copper-red with rage. He was still cursing when a +loud growling was heard, and a black bear came trotting towards them +out of the forest. The dwarf sprang up in a fright, but he could not +reach his cave, for the bear was already close. Then in the dread of +his heart he cried: 'Dear Mr Bear, spare me, I will give you all my +treasures; look, the beautiful jewels lying there! Grant me my life; +what do you want with such a slender little fellow as I? you would not +feel me between your teeth. Come, take these two wicked girls, they +are tender morsels for you, fat as young quails; for mercy's sake eat +them!' The bear took no heed of his words, but gave the wicked +creature a single blow with his paw, and he did not move again. + +The girls had run away, but the bear called to them: 'Snow-white and +Rose-red, do not be afraid; wait, I will come with you.' Then they +recognized his voice and waited, and when he came up to them suddenly +his bearskin fell off, and he stood there a handsome man, clothed all +in gold. 'I am a king's son,' he said, 'and I was bewitched by that +wicked dwarf, who had stolen my treasures; I have had to run about the +forest as a savage bear until I was freed by his death. Now he has got +his well-deserved punishment. + +Snow-white was married to him, and Rose-red to his brother, and they +divided between them the great treasure which the dwarf had gathered +together in his cave. The old mother lived peacefully and happily with +her children for many years. She took the two rose-trees with her, and +they stood before her window, and every year bore the most beautiful +roses, white and red. + + + +****** + + + +The Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm (1786-1859), were +born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, in the German state of Hesse. +Throughout their lives they remained close friends, and both studied +law at Marburg University. Jacob was a pioneer in the study of German +philology, and although Wilhelm's work was hampered by poor health the +brothers collaborated in the creation of a German dictionary, not +completed until a century after their deaths. But they were best (and +universally) known for the collection of over two hundred folk tales +they made from oral sources and published in two volumes of 'Nursery +and Household Tales' in 1812 and 1814. Although their intention was to +preserve such material as part of German cultural and literary +history, and their collection was first published with scholarly notes +and no illustration, the tales soon came into the possession of young +readers. This was in part due to Edgar Taylor, who made the first +English translation in 1823, selecting about fifty stories 'with the +amusement of some young friends principally in view.' They have been +an essential ingredient of children's reading ever since. + + + + + +End of The Project Gutenberg Etext Fairy Tales, by the Grimm Brothers + + |