produced by david widger and charles keller for tina

the yellow fairy book

by various

edited by andrew lang

dedication

to

joan , toddles , and tiny

for every child should understand that letters from the first were planned to guide us into fairy land

so labour at your alphabet , for by that learning shall you get to lands where fairies may be met .

and going where this pathway goes , you too , at last , may find , who knows ?

the garden of the singing rose .

preface

the editor thinks that children will readily forgive him for publishing another fairy book .

we have had the blue , the red , the green , and here is the yellow .

he is named mr g laurence gomme , and he is president of a learned body called the folk lore society .

( @number@ ) you may buy them from mr nutt , in the strand .

where is the harm ?

this is contained in very old tales , such as country people tell , and savages :

' little sioux and little crow , little frosty eskimo . '

these people are thought to know most about fairyland and its inhabitants .

as to whether there are really any fairies or not , that is a difficult question .

professor huxley thinks there are none .

the editor never saw any himself , but he knows several people who have seen them in the highlands and heard their music .

again , if there are really no fairies , why do people believe in them , all over the world ?

the rev. mr baring-gould saw several fairies when he was a boy , and was travelling in the land of the troubadours .

as to giants , they have died out , but real dwarfs are common in the forests of africa .

the exact facts he can learn later , or he can leave them alone .

there are russian , german , french , icelandic , red indian , and other stories here .

a lang .

contents

the yellow fairy book

the cat and the mouse in partnership

' but we must provide for the winter or else we shall suffer hunger , ' said the cat .

' you , little mouse , cannot venture everywhere in case you run at last into a trap . '

this good counsel was followed , and a little pot of fat was bought .

but they did not know where to put it .

no one will trouble to take it away from there .

we will hide it in a corner , and we won't touch it till we are in want . '

let me go out to-day , and do you take care of the house alone . '

but it was all untrue .

the cat had no cousin , and had not been asked to be godmother .

she went straight to the church , slunk to the little pot of fat , began to lick it , and licked the top off .

as soon as it was evening she went home again .

' ah , here you are again ! ' said the mouse ; ' you must certainly have had an enjoyable day . '

' it went off very well , ' answered the cat .

' what was the child 's name ? ' asked the mouse .

' top off , ' said the cat drily .

' topoff ! ' echoed the mouse , ' it is indeed a wonderful and curious name .

is it in your family ? '

' what is there odd about it ? ' said the cat .

' it is not worse than breadthief , as your godchild is called . '

not long after this another great longing came over the cat .

when she came home the mouse asked , ' what was this child called ? '

' half gone , ' answered the cat .

' halfgone ! what a name !

i have never heard it in my life .

i don't believe it is in the calendar . '

soon the cat 's mouth began to water once more after her licking business .

' all good things in threes , ' she said to the mouse ; ' i have again to stand godmother .

the child is quite black , and has very white paws , but not a single white hair on its body .

this only happens once in two years , so you will let me go out ? '

' topoff !

halfgone ! ' repeated the mouse , ' they are such curious names ; they make me very thoughtful . '

that comes of not going out in the day . '

the mouse asked at once after the third child 's name .

' it won't please you any better , ' said the cat , ' he was called clean gone . '

' cleangone ! ' repeated the mouse .

' i do not believe that name has been printed any more than the others .

cleangone !

what can it mean ? '

she shook her head , curled herself up , and went to sleep .

they started off , and when they reached it they found the pot in its place , but quite empty !

' ah , ' said the mouse , ' ' now i know what has happened !

it has all come out !

you are a true friend to me !

you have eaten it all when you stood godmother ; first the top off , then half of it gone , then '

' will you be quiet ! ' screamed the cat .

' another word and i will eat you up . '

you see that is the way of the world .

the six swans

a king was once hunting in a great wood , and he hunted the game so eagerly that none of his courtiers could follow him .

when evening came on he stood still and looked round him , and he saw that he had quite lost himself .

he sought a way out , but could find none .

then he saw an old woman with a shaking head coming towards him ; but she was a witch .

' good woman , ' he said to her , ' can you not show me the way out of the wood ? '

' what is the condition ? ' asked the king .

but the king went so often to his dear children that the queen was offended at his absence .

she grew curious , and wanted to know what he had to do quite alone in the wood .

and when the king had ridden off she took the little shirts and went into the wood , and the reel showed her the way .

the next day the king came to visit his children , but he found no one but the girl .

' where are your brothers ? ' asked the king .

' alas ! dear father , ' she answered , ' they have gone away and left me all alone . '

the poor maiden thought , ' my home is no longer here ; i will go and seek my brothers . '

and when night came she fled away into the forest .

she ran all through the night and the next day , till she could go no farther for weariness .

then she saw a little hut , went in , and found a room with six little beds .

but when the sun had set she heard a noise , and saw six swans flying in at the window .

then the maiden recognised her brothers , and overjoyed she crept out from under the bed .

her brothers were not less delighted than she to see their little sister again , but their joy did not last long .

' you cannot stay here , ' they said to her .

' this is a den of robbers ; if they were to come here and find you they would kill you . '

' could you not protect me ? ' asked the little sister .

' no , ' they answered , ' for we can only lay aside our swan skins for a quarter of an hour every evening .

for this time we regain our human forms , but then we are changed into swans again . '

then the little sister cried and said , ' can you not be freed ? '

' oh , no , ' they said , ' the conditions are too hard .

you must not speak or laugh for six years , and must make in that time six shirts for us out of star-flowers .

if a single word comes out of your mouth , all your labour is vain . '

but the maiden had determined to free her brothers even if it should cost her her life .

she left the hut , went into the forest , climbed a tree , and spent the night there .

the next morning she went out , collected star-flowers , and began to sew .

she could speak to no one , and she had no wish to laugh , so she sat there , looking only at her work .

they called to her and said ' who are you ? '

but she gave no answer .

' come down to us , ' they said , ' we will do you no harm . '

but she shook her head silently .

as they pressed her further with questions , she threw them the golden chain from her neck .

the huntsmen would not leave her alone , but climbed the tree , lifted the maiden down , and led her to the king .

the king asked , ' who are you ?

what are you doing up that tree ? '

but she answered nothing .

he asked her in all the languages he knew , but she remained as dumb as a fish .

because she was so beautiful , however , the king 's heart was touched , and he was seized with a great love for her .

he wrapped her up in his cloak , placed her before him on his horse , and brought her to his castle .

but the king had a wicked mother who was displeased with the marriage , and said wicked things of the young queen .

' who knows who this girl is ? ' she said ; ' she cannot speak , and is not worthy of a king . '

after a year , when the queen had her first child , the old mother took it away from her .

then she went to the king and said that the queen had killed it .

the king would not believe it , and would not allow any harm to be done her .

but she sat quietly sewing at the shirts and troubling herself about nothing .

he said , ' she is too sweet and good to do such a thing as that .

if she were not dumb and could defend herself , her innocence would be proved . '

the six shirts were done ; there was only the left sleeve wanting to the last .

then she knew that her release was at hand and her heart danced for joy .

the swans fluttered round her , and hovered low so that she could throw the shirts over them .

when they had touched them the swan-skins fell off , and her brothers stood before her living , well and beautiful .

only the youngest had a swan 's wing instead of his left arm .

she told him of the old woman 's deceit , and how she had taken the three children away and hidden them .

then they were fetched , to the great joy of the king , and the wicked mother came to no good end .

but the king and the queen with their six brothers lived many years in happiness and peace .

the dragon of the north ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) ' der norlands drache , ' from esthnische mahrchen .

kreutzwald .

when it moved it jumped like a frog , and with every spring it covered half a mile of ground .

this inscription would enable anyone who was wise enough to interpret it to find out how the dragon could be destroyed .

at last a young man , with a good heart and plenty of courage , set out to search for the ring .

he took his way towards the sunrising , because he knew that all the wisdom of old time comes from the east .

after some years he met with a famous eastern magician , and asked for his advice in the matter .

the magician answered :

i can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days . '

at parting the magician said to him .

but time went on , and he heard nothing about the ring .

the first bird said :

' i know that wandering fool under the tree there , who has come so far without finding what he seeks .

he is trying to find king solomon 's lost ring . '

if she has not got the ring herself , she knows well enough who has it . '

( @number@ ) hollenmadchen .

' but where is he to find the witch-maiden ? ' said the first bird .

' she has no settled dwelling , but is here to-day and gone to-morrow .

he might as well try to catch the wind . '

' well , ' said the first bird , ' the spring is not far from here .

shall we go and see how it is she does it ? '

' willingly , if you like , ' said the other .

he ate his breakfast , and waited until the birds should start , but they did not leave the place all day .

they remained on the tree till noon ; then they flew away and went towards the south .

when the youth had overtaken them , he saw that there was a clear spring in the middle of the space .

do you think she will see that young man sitting under the tree ? '

' nothing is likely to escape her eyes , certainly not a young man , said the other bird .

' will the youth have the sense not to let himself be caught in her toils ? '

' we will wait , ' said the first bird , ' and see how they get on together . '

the youth could not turn away his eyes from the maiden , for he had never in his life seen a woman so beautiful .

' full-faced moon with light unshaded , let my beauty ne'er be faded .

never let my cheek grow pale !

while the moon is waning nightly , may the maiden bloom more brightly , may her freshness never fail ! '

the youth rose and stood waiting .

then the maiden said , ' you ought to have a heavy punishment because you have presumed to watch my secret doings in the moonlight .

but i will forgive you this time , because you are a stranger and knew no better .

the youth answered humbly : ' forgive me , beautiful maiden , if i have unintentionally offended you .

i chanced to come here after long wandering , and found a good place to sleep under this tree .

the maiden answered kindly , ' come and spend this night with us .

you will sleep better on a pillow than on damp moss . '

when the youth entered he found many splendid chambers , each one finer than the last .

hundreds of tapers burnt upon golden candlesticks , and shed a light like the brightest day .

at length they reached a chamber where a table was spread with the most costly dishes .

at the table were placed two chairs , one of silver , the other of gold .

the maiden seated herself upon the golden chair , and offered the silver one to her companion .

therefore he answered cautiously , ' do not be angry , dear maiden , if i do not decide immediately on this important matter .

give me a few days to consider before we come to an understanding . '

' why not ? ' answered the maiden .

' take some weeks to consider if you like , and take counsel with your own heart . '

but the youth did not know this ; he thought they were all real .

one day the maiden took him into a secret chamber , where a little gold box was standing on a silver table .

it is a precious gold ring .

when the youth heard these words a cold shudder ran over him , for he remembered that his soul was at stake .

but even with my half-knowledge i can work great wonders .

if i put it on the forefinger of my left hand , then i can with its help produce whatever i wish .

i can in a single moment build houses or anything i desire .

besides these , the ring has other secret signs which , as i said , no one can understand .

no doubt it contains secrets of great importance .

the ring formerly belonged to king solomon , the wisest of kings , during whose reign the wisest men lived .

then the maiden opened the box and took the ring out , and it glittered as she held it like the clearest sunbeam .

he was unwilling at first , but the maiden insisted .

then she put the ring on her third finger , and in an instant she had vanished from his eyes .

presently she was beside him again laughing , and holding the ring between her fingers .

' do let me try , ' said the youth , ' whether i can do these wonderful things . '

the maiden , suspecting no treachery , gave him the magic ring .

' oh , the middle finger of your left hand , ' the maiden answered , laughing .

she took the knife and tried to strike the youth , and he even tried to cut himself with it , but found it impossible .

then he asked the maiden to show him how to split stones and rocks with the help of the ring .

so she led him into a courtyard where stood a great boulder-stone .

the youth did so , and found to his astonishment that with a single blow of his fist the stone flew into a thousand pieces .

' now , ' said the maiden , ' you are invisible to me until you take the ring off again . '

but the young man never came back .

then the maiden saw she was deceived , and bitterly repented that she had ever trusted him with the ring .

the young man never halted in his flight until he reached the dwelling of the wise magician who had taught him the speech of birds .

the spear must be as thick in the middle as a large tree , and both its ends must be sharp .

in the middle of the spear you must have two strong chains ten fathoms in length .

after two or three days the monster 's strength will be so far exhausted that you will be able to come near him .

the young man thanked the magician for his directions , and promised , should they succeed , to reward him .

then they parted , and the youth quickly flew home through the air .

the king willingly agreed , and the iron horse , the great spear , and the chains were all prepared as the youth requested .

the dragon was now so near that in a couple of springs he would be over the frontier .

the youth did so , and found that in this way he could easily move forwards .

the dragon had his monstrous jaws wide open , all ready for his expected prey .

a few paces nearer , and man and horse would have been swallowed up by them !

then quick as lightning he sprang from his horse before the dragon had time to shut his mouth .

the youth now hastened to fasten down the chains to the ground by means of the enormous iron pegs which he had provided .

you can fancy how great was the rejoicing when the news was spread abroad that the terrible monster was dead .

his conqueror was received into the city with as much pomp as if he had been the mightiest of kings .

the witch-maiden had never rested night nor day until she had found out where the ring was .

then the eagle flew down to the earth with her prey , and the two stood face to face once more in human form .

' now , villain , you are in my power ! ' cried the witch-maiden .

' i favoured you with my love , and you repaid me with treachery and theft .

you stole my most precious jewel from me , and do you expect to live happily as the king 's son-in-law ?

now the tables are turned ; you are in my power , and i will be revenged on you for your crimes . '

i will bring you every day enough food to prevent you dying of hunger , but you need never hope for freedom any more . '

with these words she left him .

the old king and his daughter waited anxiously for many weeks for the prince 's return , but no news of him arrived .

i will therefore go with you myself . '

he recognised the magician immediately , but the old man did not know him , he had grown so thin .

when he reached home he found that the old king had died that morning , so that he was now raised to the throne .

now , if you had been the prince , would you not rather have stayed with the pretty witch-maiden ?

story of the emperor's new clothes ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) andersen .

in the great city in which he lived there was always something going on ; every day many strangers came there .

one day two impostors arrived who gave themselves out as weavers , and said that they knew how to manufacture the most beautiful cloth imaginable .

' those must indeed be splendid clothes , ' thought the emperor .

yes , this cloth must be woven for me at once . '

and he gave both the impostors much money , so that they might begin their work .

they placed two weaving-looms , and began to do as if they were working , but they had not the least thing on the looms .

' i should like very much to know how far they have got on with the cloth , ' thought the emperor .

but he remembered when he thought about it that whoever was stupid or not fit for his office would not be able to see it .

' i will send my old and honoured minister to the weavers , ' thought the emperor .

now the good old minister went into the hall where the two impostors sat working at the empty weaving-looms .

' dear me ! ' thought the old minister , opening his eyes wide , ' i can see nothing ! '

but he did not say so .

' dear , dear ! ' thought he , ' can i be stupid ?

i have never thought that , and nobody must know it !

can i be not fit for my office ?

no , i must certainly not say that i cannot see the cloth ! '

' have you nothing to say about it ? ' asked one of the men who was weaving .

' oh , it is lovely , most lovely ! ' answered the old minister , looking through his spectacles .

' what a texture !

what colours !

yes , i will tell the emperor that it pleases me very much . '

the impostors now wanted more money , more silk , and more gold to use in their weaving .

the emperor soon sent another worthy statesman to see how the weaving was getting on , and whether the cloth would soon be finished .

' stupid i am not ! ' thought the man , ' so it must be my good office for which i am not fitted .

it is strange , certainly , but no one must be allowed to notice it . '

' yes , it is quite beautiful , ' he said to the emperor .

everybody in the town was talking of the magnificent cloth .

now the emperor wanted to see it himself while it was still on the loom .

' is it not splendid ! ' said both the old statesmen who had already been there .

' see , your majesty , what a texture !

what colours ! '

and then they pointed to the empty loom , for they believed that the others could see the cloth quite well .

' what ! ' thought the emperor , ' i can see nothing !

this is indeed horrible !

am i stupid ?

am i not fit to be emperor ?

that were the most dreadful thing that could happen to me .

oh , it is very beautiful , ' he said .

' it has my gracious approval . '

and then he nodded pleasantly , and examined the empty loom , for he would not say that he could see nothing .

and they advised him to wear these new and magnificent clothes for the first time at the great procession which was soon to take place .

' splendid !

lovely !

the people could see that they were very busy making the emperor 's new clothes ready .

here is the coat !

here the cloak ! ' and so on .

' yes , ' said all the knights , but they could see nothing , for there was nothing there .

' how beautifully they fit !

how well they sit ! ' said everybody .

' what material !

what colours !

it is a gorgeous suit ! '

' look , i am ready , ' said the emperor .

' doesn't it sit well ! '

and he turned himself again to the mirror to see if his finery was on all right .

they would not have it noticed that they could see nothing .

that train fastened to his dress , how beautifully it hangs ! '

none of the emperor 's clothes had met with such approval as these had .

' but he has nothing on ! ' said a little child at last .

' just listen to the innocent child ! ' said the father , and each one whispered to his neighbour what the child had said .

' but he has nothing on ! ' the whole of the people called out at last .

and the chamberlains walked along still more uprightly , holding up the train which was not there at all .

the golden crab ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) ' prinz krebs , ' from griechische mahrchen .

schmidt .

once upon a time there was a fisherman who had a wife and three children .

every morning he used to go out fishing , and whatever fish he caught he sold to the king .

one day , among the other fishes , he caught a golden crab .

' let down , let down thy petticoat that lets thy feet be seen . '

she turned round in surprise , and then she saw the little creature , the golden crab .

' what !

you can speak , can you , you ridiculous crab ? ' she said , for she was not quite pleased at the crab 's remarks .

then she took him up and placed him on a dish .

they were all very much surprised , but they gave him something to eat .

the fisherman 's wife went home and gave this message .

the old woman did so and went away again .

the next morning , when the king awoke , what do you think he saw ?

the wall stood there before his eyes , exactly as he had bespoken it !

then the old woman went back to the king and said to him , ' your majesty 's orders have been fulfilled . '

so the old woman had to strike again three times upon the ground with the rod , and the next morning the garden was there .

the king now gave his consent , and the wedding was fixed for the very next day .

and bring me also the golden cushion . '

( @number@ ) ein mohr .

the old man went and did his errand .

and the same thing happened every day .

but the princess 's affection for the crab , and the polite attention with which she behaved to him , surprised the royal family very much .

they suspected some secret , but though they spied and spied , they could not discover it .

thus a year passed away , and the princess had a son , whom she called benjamin .

but her mother still thought the whole matter very strange .

but when the daughter was questioned she only answered :

' i am married to the crab , and him only will i have . '

and bring them to me . '

the princess did so , and brought him what he desired .

the following evening the prince dressed himself for the tournament .

before he went he said to his wife , ' now mind you do not say when you see me that i am the crab .

for if you do this evil will come of it .

place yourself at the window with your sisters ; i will ride by and throw you the silver apple .

take it in your hand , but if they ask you who i am , say that you do not know . '

so saying , he kissed her , repeated his warning once more , and went away .

the princess went with her sisters to the window and looked on at the tournament .

presently her husband rode by and threw the apple up to her .

she caught it in her hand and went with it to her room , and by-and-by her husband came back to her .

but her father was much surprised that she did not seem to care about any of the princes ; he therefore appointed a second tournament .

but before the prince went to the tournament he said to his wife , ' now i know you will betray me to-day . '

but she swore to him that she would not tell who he was .

he then repeated his warning and went away .

the princess in her fright exclaimed , ' that is the crab himself ! '

then the poor princess cried bitterly , but it was of no use ; her husband did not come back .

now we must leave the princess and turn to the other persons in the story .

he did not overtake the dog , but found himself above a staircase , which he descended .

then he saw before him a stately palace , and , entering , he found in a large hall a table set for twelve persons .

he hid himself in the hall behind a great picture , that he might see what would happen .

at noon he heard a great noise , so that he trembled with fear .

when he took courage to look out from behind the picture , he saw twelve eagles flying in .

at this sight his fear became still greater .

the eagles flew to the basin of a fountain that was there and bathed themselves , when suddenly they were changed into twelve handsome youths .

and another said , ' a health to my mother ! ' and so the healths went round .

then one of them said :

' a health to my dearest lady , long may she live and well !

but a curse on the cruel mother that burnt my golden shell ! '

and so saying he wept bitterly .

then the youths rose from the table , went back to the great stone fountain , turned themselves into eagles again , and flew away .

then the old man went away too , returned to the light of day , and went home .

soon after he heard that the princess was ill , and that the only thing that did her good was having stories told to her .

no sooner had he finished than the princess asked him whether he could find the way to that palace .

' yes , ' he answered , ' certainly . '

and now she desired him to guide her thither at once .

the youths seated themselves at the table ; and now the prince said again , while he took up the cup of wine :

' a health to my dearest lady , long may she live and well !

but a curse on the cruel mother that burnt my golden shell ! '

then the princess could restrain herself no longer , but ran forward and threw her arms round her husband .

and immediately he knew her again , and said :

' do you remember how i told you that day that you would betray me ?

now you see that i spoke the truth .

but all that bad time is past .

now listen to me : i must still remain enchanted for three months .

will you stay here with me till that time is over ? '

and then they lived happily , and we who hear the story are happier still .

the iron stove ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) grimm .

there he lived for many years , and no one could free him .

at last a king 's daughter came into the wood ; she had lost her way , and could not find her father 's kingdom again .

she had been wandering round and round for nine days , and she came at last to the iron case .

a voice came from within and asked her , ' where do you come from , and where do you want to go ? '

she answered , ' i have lost my way to my father 's kingdom , and i shall never get home again . '

i am a greater prince than you are a princess , and i will marry you . '

then she grew frightened , and thought , ' what can a young lassie do with an iron stove ? '

but as she wanted very much to go home to her father , she promised to do what he wished .

he said , ' you must come again , and bring a knife with you to scrape a hole in the iron . '

there was great joy in the castle when the princess came back , and the old king fell on her neck and kissed her .

but she was very much troubled , and said , ' dear father , listen to what has befallen me !

the old king was so frightened that he nearly fainted , for she was his only daughter .

so they consulted together , and determined that the miller 's daughter , who was very beautiful , should take her place .

they took her there , gave her a knife , and said she must scrape at the iron stove .

she scraped for twenty-four hours , but did not make the least impression .

when the day broke , a voice called from the iron stove , ' it seems to me that it is day outside . '

then she answered , ' it seems so to me ; i think i hear my father 's mill rattling . '

' so you are a miller 's daughter !

then go away at once , and tell the king 's daughter to come . '

the old king was frightened , and his daughter wept .

then she was taken out , and had to scrape for four-and-twenty hours , but she could make no impression .

as soon as the day broke the voice from the stove called out , ' it seems to be daylight outside . '

then she answered , ' it seems so to me too ; i think i hear my father blowing his horn . '

' so you are a swineherd 's daughter !

go away at once , and let the king 's daughter come .

when the princess heard this she began to cry , but it was no good ; she had to keep her word .

she took leave of her father , put a knife in her belt , and went to the iron stove in the wood .

so she scraped away harder than ever , and made the hole so large that he could get out .

then he said , ' you are mine , and i am thine ; you are my bride and have set me free ! '

but the prince was free , and was no longer shut up in it .

she sought it for nine days , and then her hunger became so great that she did not know how she could live any longer .

when midnight came she saw afar off a little light , and thought , ' ah ! if only i could reach that ! '

then she got down from the tree and went towards the light .

then she took heart and knocked .

then a fat toad called out :

' little green toad with leg like crook , open wide the door , and look who it was the latch that shook . '

and a little toad came forward and let her in .

when she entered they all bid her welcome , and made her sit down .

they asked her how she came there and what she wanted .

then the old toad said :

and the little toad went and brought out a great chest .

when the day dawned she arose , and the old toad gave her three things out of the huge chest to take with her .

she would have need of them , for she had to cross a high glass mountain , three cutting swords , and a great lake .

when she had passed these she would find her lover again .

so she was given three large needles , a plough-wheel , and three nuts , which she was to take great care of .

then she reached the three cutting swords , and got on her plough-wheel and rolled over them .

at last she came to a great lake , and , when she had crossed that , arrived at a beautiful castle .

she went in and gave herself out as a servant , a poor maid who would gladly be engaged .

but she knew that the prince whom she had freed from the iron stove in the great wood was in the castle .

so she was taken on as a kitchen-maid for very small wages .

now the prince was about to marry another princess , for he thought she was dead long ago .

she cracked one and was going to eat the kernel , when behold ! there was a beautiful royal dress inside it !

then she said she would not sell it unless she was granted one favour namely , to sleep by the prince 's door .

the bride granted her this , because the dress was so beautiful and she had so few like it .

when it was evening she said to her bridegroom , ' that stupid maid wants to sleep by your door . '

' if you are contented , i am , ' he said .

but she gave him a glass of wine in which she had poured a sleeping-draught .

then they both went to his room , but he slept so soundly that she could not wake him .

the servants outside heard how she cried the whole night , and they told their master in the morning .

when she had washed up the next evening she bit the second nut , and there was a still more beautiful dress inside .

when the bride saw it she wanted to buy it also .

but the maid did not want money , and asked that she should sleep again by the prince 's door .

the bride , however , gave him a sleeping-draught , and he slept so soundly that he heard nothing .

the servants outside heard how she cried the whole night , and in the morning they told their master .

but the prince took care not to drink the sleeping-draught .

you are mine , and i am thine . '

so they arrived at last at the little old house , but when they stepped inside it turned into a large castle .

the toads were all freed , and were beautiful king 's children , running about for joy .

there they were married , and they remained in the castle , which was much larger than that of the princess 's father 's .

but because the old man did not like being left alone , they went and fetched him .

so they had two kingdoms and lived in great wealth .

a mouse has run , my story 's done .

the dragon and his grandmother

then three of them took counsel together and determined to desert .

the other said , ' do you see that large cornfield there ?

if we were to hide ourselves in that , no one could find us .

the army cannot come into it , and to-morrow it is to march on . '

they crept into the corn , but the army did not march on , but remained encamped close around them .

they said at last , ' what use was it our deserting ?

we must perish here miserably . '

whilst they were speaking a fiery dragon came flying through the air .

it hovered near them , and asked why they were hidden there .

they answered , ' we are three soldiers , and have deserted because our pay was so small .

now if we remain here we shall die of hunger , and if we move out we shall be strung up on the gallows . '

' we have no choice , and must take your offer , ' said they .

you can then live as great lords , keep horses , and drive about in carriages .

but after seven years you are mine . '

then he put a book before them , which he made all three of them sign .

the dragon then flew away , and they journeyed on with their little whip .

they had as much money as they wanted , wore grand clothes , and made their way into the world .

wherever they went they lived in merrymaking and splendour , drove about with horses and carriages , ate and drank , but did nothing wrong .

they went into a field , sat down , and the two pulled long faces .

an old woman passed by , and asked them why they were so sad .

' alas ! what have you to do with it ?

you cannot help us . '

' who knows ? ' she answered .

' only confide your trouble in me . '

he must go in , and there he will find help . '

the two melancholy ones thought , ' that won't save us ! ' and they remained where they were .

but the third and merry one jumped up and went into the wood till he found the rock hut .

in the hut sat a very old woman , who was the dragon 's grandmother .

she asked him how he came , and what was his business there .

only sit still and don't stir .

at midnight the dragon flew in , and asked for his supper .

his grandmother laid the table , and brought out food and drink till he was satisfied , and they ate and drank together .

then in the course of the conversation she asked him what he had done in the day , and how many souls he had conquered .

' i haven't had much luck to-day , ' he said , ' but i have a tight hold on three soldiers . '

' indeed ! three soldiers ! ' said she .

' who cannot escape you ? '

' what sort of a riddle is it ? ' she asked .

' i will tell you this .

when the dragon had gone to bed , his old grandmother pulled up the stone and let out the soldier .

' did you pay attention to everything ? '

' yes , ' he replied , ' i know enough , and can help myself splendidly . '

then he went by another way through the window secretly , and in all haste back to his comrades .

then said the first soldier , ' in the north sea lies a dead sea-cat ; that shall be the roast meat . '

' the rib of a whale shall be our silver spoon . '

' an old horse's hoof shall be our wineglass . '

then the dragon flew away with a loud shriek , and had no more power over them .

but the three soldiers took the little whip , whipped as much money as they wanted , and lived happily to their lives end .

the donkey cabbage

there was once a young hunter who went boldly into the forest .

you are very merry and contented , but i suffer hunger and thirst , so give me a trifle . '

the hunter was sorry for the poor old woman , and he felt in his pocket and gave her all he could spare .

he was going on then , but the old woman stopped him and said , ' listen , dear hunter , to what i say .

because of your kind heart i will make you a present .

' well , ' said the hunter , ' this is wonderful !

then the flock took flight with much screaming , but one fell dead , and the cloak fluttered down .

the next morning when he awoke he remembered the promise , and wanted to see if it had come true .

i will travel and look a bit about me in the world . '

so he took leave of his parents , slung his hunting knapsack and his gun round him , and journeyed into the world .

at one of the windows in it stood an old woman with a most beautiful maiden by her side , looking out .

he has a bird 's heart in him , and so every morning there lies a gold piece under his pillow . '

but the real reason was that he had caught sight of the lovely face .

he went into the house , and was kindly received and hospitably entertained .

then the old witch said , ' now we must have the bird-heart ; he will not feel when it is gone . '

' drink to me now , my dearest , ' she said .

then he took the goblet , and when he had swallowed the drink the bird-heart came out of his mouth .

the maiden had to get hold of it secretly and then swallow it herself , for the old witch wanted to have it .

then the old witch said , ' we have the bird-heart , but we must also get the wishing-cloak from him . '

the maiden answered , ' we will leave him that ; he has already lost his wealth ! '

she beat the maiden , and said that if she did not obey it would go ill with her .

' why are you standing there looking so sad ? ' asked the hunter .

' alas , my love , ' she replied , ' over there lies the granite mountain where the costly precious stones grow .

i have a great longing to go there , so that when i think of it i am very sad .

for who can fetch them ?

only the birds who fly ; a man , never . '

' if you have no other trouble , ' said the hunter , ' that one i can easily remove from your heart . '

but now the old witch had through her caused the hunter 's eyes to become heavy .

so they sat down , and he laid his head on her lap and fell asleep .

so he lay down as if he had fallen into a deep sleep .

the second said , ' crush him dead . '

but the third said contemptuously , ' it is not worth the trouble !

talking thus they went away .

but the hunter had listened to their talk , and as soon as they had gone he rose and climbed to the summit .

when he had sat there a little while a cloud swept by , and , seizing him , carried him away .

the hunter then looked about him , saying , ' if only i had something to eat !

the hunter now lay down and slept off his weariness .

then he put the heads in his pockets , climbed the wall , and started off to seek the castle of his love .

when he had wandered about for a couple of days he found it quite easily .

' i am so tired , ' he said , ' i can go no farther . '

the witch asked , ' countryman , who are you , and what is your business ? '

' why not ? ' he answered ; ' i have brought two heads with me , and will give you one . '

so saying , he opened his sack and gave her the bad one .

then thought the hunter , ' the cabbage must have already begun to work . '

and he said , ' i will go to the kitchen and fetch it myself . '

when he came there he saw the two donkeys running about in the courtyard , but the salad was lying on the ground .

' that 's all right , ' said he ; ' two have had their share ! '

and lifting the remaining leaves up , he laid them on the dish and brought them to the maiden .

he tied them all three with a rope , and drove them away till he came to a mill .

he knocked at the window , and the miller put his head out and asked what he wanted .

' i have three tiresome animals , ' he answered , ' which i don't want to keep any longer .

the miller replied , ' why not ?

what shall i do with them ? '

then he went back into the castle , and he found there all that he wanted .

then the hunter took pity on them , laid aside his anger , and told the miller to drive them back again .

and when they came he gave them some of the good cabbage to eat , so that they became human again .

my mother compelled me to do it ; it was against my will , for i love you dearly .

your wishing-cloak is hanging in a cupboard , and as for the bird-heart i will make a drink and give it back to you . '

and the wedding was celebrated , and they lived happy together till death .

the little green frog ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) cabinet des fees .

in a part of the world whose name i forget lived once upon a time two kings , called peridor and diamantino .

the queen-dowager was wise and good , and tried her best to make her people happy .

by the time he was fifteen saphir had learnt everything that a prince should know , and he was , besides , charming and agreeable .

and , better still , every movement of the girl , just growing out of childhood , was also reflected in the wonderful glass .

the magic mirror had been for about a year in the prince 's possession , when one day a new subject of disquiet seized upon him .

and in this he was perfectly right .

the young girl had only possessed it for a short time , and neglected all her duties for the sake of the mirror .

all he knew was that the face was that of a man , and this was quite enough to make him madly jealous .

this was the doing of the fairies , and we must suppose that they had their reasons for acting as they did .

when these things happened saphir was about eighteen years old , and fifteen years had passed away since the death of his mother .

all the doctors and all the water-cures in the kingdom had been tried , and nothing would do him any good .

at last he persuaded them to let him lie quietly in his room , where no one came to trouble him .

so he commanded his servants to leave the windows open in order that he might get more air .

as to his voice i can say nothing about that , for the bird never sang at all .

in spite of the opposition he met with , he rode away , followed by his household , trusting to chance to help him .

he had formed no plan , and there was no reason that he should choose one path more than another .

his only idea was to make straight for those spots which were the favourite haunts of birds .

but in vain he examined all the hedges and all the thickets ; in vain he questioned everyone he met along the road .

the more he sought the less he found .

at last he came to one of the largest forests in all the world , composed entirely of cedars .

and he did more .

in this he had to help him not only the fowlers by profession , but also his attendants , who excelled in this art .

for a man is not a courtier unless he can do everything .

after searching as usual for nearly a whole day prince saphir began to feel overcome with thirst .

he was too tired to go any farther , when happily he discovered a little way off a bubbling fountain of the clearest water .

' now , ' she began , ' be sure you do exactly in every respect what i tell you .

first you must call together your attendants , and order them to remain in a little hamlet close by until you want them .

then go , quite alone , down a road that you will find on your right hand , looking southwards .

and now , ' she went on , ' attend carefully to what i am going to say .

take this tiny grain of sand , and put it into the ground as close as you can to the gate of the castle .

it has the virtue both of opening the gate and also of sending to sleep all the inhabitants .

then go at once to the stable , and pay no heed to anything except what i tell you .

choose the handsomest of all the horses , leap quickly on its back , and come to me as fast as you can .

farewell , prince ; i wish you good luck , ' and with these words the little frog plunged into the water and disappeared .

the prince , who felt more hopeful than he had done since he left home , did precisely as he had been ordered .

however , he had no thoughts to spare for its beauty , and quickly buried his grain of sand in the earth .

in one instant the gates flew open , and all the dwellers inside fell sound asleep .

suddenly the people in the castle became broad awake , and rushed to the stable .

' whom do you take me for ? ' she exclaimed angrily .

the prince obeyed the frog 's orders one by one , and all went well for this second time also .

he woke her , and begged her firmly , but politely , to follow him quickly .

after a little persuasion the maiden consented , but only on condition that she was allowed first to put on her dress .

this sounded so reasonable and natural that it did not enter the prince 's head to refuse her request .

but the maiden 's hand had hardly touched the dress when the palace suddenly awoke from its sleep , and the prince was seized and bound .

however , what troubled him most was the idea of having to meet the frog who had been his benefactress .

how was he ever to appear before her with this tale ?

' you must learn to do as you are told , ' was all the frog would reply .

' go back , ' she said , ' to the castle , and bury this little diamond close to the door .

but be careful not to return to the stable or to the bedroom ; they have proved too fatal to you .

perched on this tree you will see the beautiful bird you have been seeking so long .

you must cut the branch on which it is sitting , and bring it back to me without delay .

' what !

madam ! ' he cried , hardly knowing what he said .

' what !

is it you ? '

let me tell you my story ; it is not a long one .

i know neither my country nor my parents , and the only thing i can say for certain is that i am called serpentine .

i have always lived in seclusion , and for the last two years i have wished for nothing better .

however , there was no help for it , and , painful as it was , i had to submit .

on this saphir explained about the state of his father 's health , and all that has been told before .

on hearing this story serpentine grew very sad , and her lovely eyes filled with tears .

i shall be very unhappy , of course , but i shall never alter my mind .

this matter being comfortably arranged , she started off her chariot .

they were still quite confused with the pleasure of seeing each other , when the chariot arrived at king peridor 's palace .

he had had himself carried to a room on the roof , where his nurses thought that he would die at any moment .

the people of the kingdom were delighted , and everybody lived happy and contented to the end of their lives .

the seven-headed serpent ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) ' die siebenkopfige schlange , ' from schmidt 's griechische mahrchen .

once upon a time there was a king who determined to take a long voyage .

he assembled his fleet and all the seamen , and set out .

as soon as the king had landed his men , the lions all rose up together and tried to devour them .

after a long battle they managed to overcome the wild beasts , but the greater number of the men were killed .

there were also in the garden three springs : the first flowed with silver , the second with gold , and the third with pearls .

the men unbuckled their knapsacks and filled them with those precious things .

are you come to visit our king ? '

but they were too much frightened to answer .

then the lake said , ' you do well to be afraid , for it is at your peril that you are come hither .

woe to anyone who meets him in the garden , for it is impossible to escape from him .

this is what you must do if you wish to save your lives .

take off your clothes and spread them on the path which leads from here to the castle .

he will give you some punishment , but then he will let you go . '

the men did as the lake advised them , and waited for a time .

the lake answered that it had been done by people who had come to do him homage .

the king commanded that the men should be brought before him .

they came humbly on their knees , and in a few words told him their story .

every year you must bring me from among your people twelve youths and twelve maidens , that i may devour them .

if you do not do this , i will destroy your whole nation . '

then he desired one of his beasts to show the men the way out of the garden , and dismissed them .

they then left the island and went back to their own country , where they related what had happened to them .

soon the time came round when the king of the beasts would expect the youths and maidens to be brought to him .

so they waited then , and it was not long before the earth quaked even more terribly than the first time .

the seven-headed serpent came without his train of beasts , saw his prey waiting for him , and devoured it at one mouthful .

then the ship 's crew returned home , and the same thing happened yearly until many years had passed .

now the king of this unhappy country was growing old , and so was the queen , and they had no children .

' alas , good mother , ' answered the queen , ' i am unhappy because i have no children . '

' is that what vexes you ? ' said the old woman .

' listen to me .

i am a nun from the spinning convent , ( @number@ ) and my mother when she died left me this apple .

whoever eats this apple shall have a child . '

( @number@ ) convent gnothi .

the queen gave money to the old woman , and bought the apple from her .

after a time the queen had a little boy , and the mare also had a male foal .

the boy and the foal grew up together and loved each other like brothers .

mount upon my back : i will take you to a woman who can direct you how to kill the seven-headed serpent . '

in the cavern sat an old woman spinning .

this was the cloister of the nuns , and the old woman was the abbess .

they all spent their time in spinning , and that is why the convent has this name .

i will tell you what you have to do .

thus you will be able to cut off all his seven heads .

then take down the sword gently , and quickly give the monster a blow on his tail with it .

this will make him waken up , and if he catches sight of you he will seize you .

but you must quickly cut off his first head , and then wait till the next one comes up .

then strike it off also , and so go on till you have cut off all his seven heads . '

they pursued him as fast as they could , but they found it impossible to overtake him , and he reached home in safety .

thus he freed his country from this terrible oppression .

the grateful beasts ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the hungarian .

kletke .

so the sons determined to set out into the world and to try their luck .

one day all the three were sitting resting under a tree , for the sun was hot and they were tired of walking .

he is so beautiful that everyone takes a fancy to him , which is more than they do to us .

if we could only get him out of the way we might succeed better . '

but it was no tree he leant against , but a gallows on which two ravens were seated .

' i should just think there was , ' replied the other ; ' many things that don't exist anywhere else in the world .

and so they flew away .

their words rejoiced ferko 's heart , and he waited impatiently till evening should come and he could rub the precious dew on his sightless eyes .

the moon was shining brightly , and lighted him to the lake where he could bathe his poor broken legs .

then ferko crawled to the edge of the lake and dipped his limbs in the water .

he filled a bottle with the healing water , and then continued his journey in the best of spirits .

the grateful creature thanked his benefactor warmly , and promised ferko to do him a good turn if he should ever need it .

ferko continued his way till he came to a ploughed field .

here he noticed a little mouse creeping wearily along on its hind paws , for its front paws had both been broken in a trap .

in a moment the mouse was sound and whole , and after thanking the kind physician it scampered away over the ploughed furrows .

and with these words she flew away humming , gaily .

then ferko wandered on for many a long day , and at length reached a strange kingdom .

the king was pleased with this proposal , and commanded ferko to set to work on the following day .

the two brothers were delighted , for they thought they had now got rid of ferko for ever .

the poor youth himself was heart-broken , and cursed the hour he had crossed the boundary of the king 's domain .

can i be of any help to you ?

i am the bee whose wing you healed , and would like to show my gratitude in some way . '

to-morrow i must build a palace more beautiful than the king 's , and it must be finished before evening . '

just stay here till i come again and tell you that it is finished . '

ferko spent the whole day in the meadows waiting the return of the bee .

and when evening was come the queen bee flew by , and perching on his shoulder she said , ' the wonderful palace is ready .

be of good cheer , and lead the king to the hill just outside the city walls . '

and humming gaily she flew away again .

ferko went at once to the king and told him the palace was finished .

the whole court went out to see the wonder , and their astonishment was great at the sight which met their eyes .

this splendid palace had been built by the grateful queen bee , who had summoned all the other bees in the kingdom to help her .

but the two brothers had grown quite green with envy , and only declared the more that ferko was nothing but a wicked magician .

let us make it as difficult as possible , and if he fails he shall die . '

but he could think of no way of escape .

can i be of any help to you , and thus repay your great kindness to me ? '

' is that all ? ' answered the mouse ; ' that needn't distress you much .

just trust in me , and before the sun sets again you shall hear that your task is done . '

and with these words the little creature scampered away into the fields .

then ferko went joyfully to the king and told him that all he demanded had been done .

and the whole court went out to see the wonder , and were no less astonished than they had been the first time .

and how had all this been done ?

only the beautiful princess rejoiced over ferko 's success , and looked on him with friendly glances , which the youth returned .

no matter how impossible it is , he must do it or die . '

the eldest answered quickly , ' let him drive all the wolves of the kingdom on to this hill before to-morrow night .

if he does this he may go free ; if not he shall be hung as you have said . '

ferko wandered out into the fields again , and sat down on the stump of a tree wondering what he should do next .

what are you thinking about all alone by yourself ?

' if that 's all you want done , ' answered the wolf , ' you needn't worry yourself .

i 'll undertake the task , and you 'll hear from me again before sunset to-morrow .

keep your spirits up . '

and with these words he trotted quickly away .

he lay down once more on the grass and soon fell fast asleep .

then return at once to me and get on my back , and i will help you to drive all the wolves together . '

ferko himself returned to the fields , and mounting on the wolf 's back he rode to the wood close by .

he drove them all before him on to the hill , where the king and his whole court and ferko 's two brothers were standing .

only the lovely princess was not present , for she was shut up in her tower weeping bitterly .

the wicked brothers stamped and foamed with rage when they saw the failure of their wicked designs .

but ferko pretended not to hear , and drove some more thousands before him , so that everyone quaked with horror and fear .

but the wolf kept on encouraging ferko , and said , ' go on ! go on ! '

the giants and the herd-boy ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the bukowniaer .

von wliolocki .

there was once upon a time a poor boy who had neither father nor mother .

in order to gain a living he looked after the sheep of a great lord .

he rose up and followed the direction of the noise .

on the contrary , i will reward you handsomely if you will bind up my foot .

i hurt it when i was trying to root up an oak-tree . '

the herd-boy took off his shirt , and bound up the giant 's wounded foot with it .

then the giant rose up and said , ' now come and i will reward you .

we are going to celebrate a marriage to-day , and i promise you we shall have plenty of fun .

the wounded giant remained behind to the last and called out , ' herd-boy , where are you ? '

' here i am , close to you , ' was the reply .

' touch me , ' said the giant , ' so that you too may come with us under ground . '

then to his astonishment he saw that the hall was furnished with the tables and chairs that belonged to his master .

in a few minutes the company began to eat and drink .

the banquet was a very gorgeous one , and the poor youth fell to and ate and drank lustily .

i shall be glad of it to-morrow . '

so he seized a loaf when no one was looking and stowed it away under his tunic .

' here i am , ' replied the youth .

' then hold on to me , ' said the giant , ' so that i may lead you up above again . '

the herd-boy returned to his sheep , and took off the invisible belt which he hid carefully in his bag .

but although he tried with all his might , he couldn't cut off the smallest piece .

for a long time the herd-boy had made up his mind to prepare a surprise for this beautiful creature on her birthday .

the girl 's joy was great , and so was her parents ' next day when they found the sack full of gold pieces .

but one night they determined to watch , and see from their hiding place who the bringer of the sack of gold really was .

the herd-boy was so taken aback by his words , that he stood trembling before him , and did not dare to explain his presence .

then his master spoke .

so the herd-boy went back to his hut , and taking his loaf and belt with him , he went to the nearest town .

you may imagine how astonished he was to see his herd-boy returning to him in this manner !

this was readily granted , and the two lived in peace and happiness to the end of their lives .

the invisible prince

to the second son , whose wisdom and prudence made amends for his being rather dull , she gave the government of the earth .

the youngest , who was the slave of his passions and of a very uncertain temper , became prince of the air .

now it is all very well to abuse the god of love , but a man cannot struggle against his fate .

the king of this island had a daughter named rosalie , who was more lovely than any girl in the whole world .

it is easy to imagine the feelings of the king when he found that his daughter had vanished .

' you are trying to soothe me by vain promises , ' answered the king .

the walls , washed by the quiet waters , were covered with gold , which made one think of the yellow sands .

above them was a rampart of orange and lemon trees , and all the streets were paved with gold .

the king of this beautiful island had one son , for whom a life of adventure had been foretold at his birth .

in this way the good fairy hoped that the prince would be protected against all dangers .

so , under pretence of visiting some small islands that belonged to his father , he set out .

the first land he sighted was the island of roses , and he went at once to the court of the king , rosalie 's father .

the moment his eyes beheld the princess , he fell in love with her like everyone else .

' alas ! ' he cried ; ' shall i never see my lovely princess again ? '

who knows where she may be , and what fairy may have her in his keeping ?

so saying , he left the court , and made ready for his journey .

he hastened his steps , and quickly arrived at the gate of the palace , which was formed of a single agate .

everything around was rare and beautiful , but the prince scarcely raised his eyes to all these wonders .

three of these were empty except for statues and wonderful things , but in the fourth the invisible prince caught sight of rosalie .

but it was in vain that he implored her to listen ; she only shook her head .

go !

i can never feel anything towards you but hate and contempt . '

with these words she turned away and entered her own apartments .

at these words the prince could contain himself no longer .

he took the pebble from his mouth , and flung himself at rosalie 's feet .

but rosalie would not hear of this .

' no , prince , ' she said ; ' since you are here this island no longer feels a prison .

besides , you are under the protection of a fairy , who always visits your father 's court at this season .

go instantly and seek her , and when she is found implore the gift of another stone with similar powers .

once you have that , there will be no further difficulty in the way of escape . '

the prince of the air returned a few days later from his mother 's palace , but the invisible prince had already set out .

as our hero had the magic stone in his mouth they imagined themselves alone , and did not lower their voices .

you know that i have in my palace the cabinets of the years .

it was here that i fled after i had gazed on the princess argentine , but instead of love i only saw scorn and contempt .

think how great must be my devotion , when , in spite of my fate , i still love on ! '

but though he found the palace he did not find rosalie .

however , he resolved to seek the whole world through till he came to the right place .

he began by setting sail in a favourable wind , but his bad luck followed him even on the sea .

his curiosity was instantly roused , and he advanced cautiously till he saw two huge dragons guarding the gate of a wood .

they were terrible indeed to look upon .

in vain the prince rushed to their assistance and strove to undo the cord .

he could not loosen it ; so he buried them like the others and continued his path .

but he could not forget the terrible things he had seen , and hoped eagerly for a clue to the mystery .

noticing two young people talking together , he drew near thinking that he might get some explanation of what puzzled him .

and so he did .

she carries off the lovers who have been cast away by their mistresses , and wish to have done with life .

then the cord is pulled and they lie where they fall , till they are buried by the first passer by .

as he looked a woman rose from the depths of the sea , flying madly before a furious giant .

the giant then hastily rejoined his prey , and , seizing her in his arms , he plunged her into the sea .

on the tallest of the rocks sat the giant as on a throne .

go , and add to the number of those whom it is my pleasure to torture . '

indeed , it was his chief delight to create a storm , in order to add to the list of his prisoners .

but at last the time came when the giant took it into his head to amuse himself by arranging fights between some of his captives .

lots were drawn , and one fell upon our prince , whose chains were immediately loosened .

the moment he was set free , he snatched up his stone , and became invisible .

the astonishment of the giant at the sudden disappearance of the prince may well be imagined .

he ordered all the passages to be watched , but it was too late , for the prince had already glided between two rocks .

filled with joy , he made his way to the top of the mountain which pierced the clouds , and there he found a palace .

there was no door anywhere , nor any window .

at this sight the prince became more puzzled than ever , for he did not know how he was to warn rosalie of his return .

yet it broke his heart to see her weeping from dawn till dark .

this was enough to cause the princess to suspect that her lover had returned .

at first the only favour she asked was to be allowed to walk for one hour every day up and down the long gallery .

no words can paint the fury of her captor at her disappearance .

he ordered the spirits of the air to fly through all space , and to bring back rosalie wherever she might be .

they instantly flew off to obey his commands , and spread themselves over the whole earth .

but , alas ! the joy of liberty lasted but a short time .

the princess , having wandered in vain up and down the forest , stopped at last on the edge of a fountain .

these words were read by one of the genii , who repeated them to his master .

the prince of the air , in his turn making himself invisible , was led to the fountain , and waited for rosalie .

he felt so overwhelmed by despair that he thought for an instant of putting an end to his life .

' can i survive my misfortunes ? ' he cried .

' i fancied i had come to an end of my troubles , and now they are worse than ever .

what will become of me ?

never can i discover the place where this monster will hide rosalie . '

being invisible , he was able to enter unharmed .

in the middle of the temple was an altar , on which lay a book , and behind the altar hung a great curtain .

this was not , however , the view taken by the prince .

on leaving the temple the invisible prince saw six paths lying before him , each of which led through the wood .

i know that the princess argentine will never love me , yet each day i feel her dearer still .

and as if this were not enough , i have the horror of feeling that she probably loves another .

so i have resolved to put myself out of my pain by means of the golden fountain .

a single drop of its water falling on the sand around will trace the name of my rival in her heart .

i dread the test , and yet this very dread convinces me of my misfortune . '

the unhappy lover stooped down with a sigh , and dipping his finger in the water let fall a drop on the sand .

it instantly wrote the name of prince flame , his brother .

the shock of this discovery was so real , that prince gnome sank fainting into the arms of his friend .

meanwhile the invisible prince was turning over in his mind how he could best deliver rosalie .

the prince promptly guessed that the cord was used to chain the princess , and drew his sword and cut it .

speechless and invisible they clung together on the brink , trembling at the frightful tempest the prince of the air had raised in his fury .

the storm had already lasted many days when tremendous heat began to make itself felt .

the lightning flashed , the thunder rattled , fire bolts fell from heaven , burning up the forests and even the fields of corn .

in one instant the very streams were dried up , and the prince , seizing his opportunity , carried the princess over the golden fountain .

the crow ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the polish .

kletke .

the poor beast was all torn and bleeding , and the kind little princess was quite unhappy about it .

when the crow saw this it turned to her and said :

' i am not really a black crow , but an enchanted prince , who has been doomed to spend his youth in misery .

if you only liked , princess , you could save me .

but you would have to say good-bye to all your own people and come and be my constant companion in this ruined castle .

when night approached she lay down , but though she shut her eyes tight sleep would not come .

they at once proceeded to light a fire in the huge fireplace ; then they placed a great cauldron of boiling water on it .

she nearly died with fright , but she never uttered a sound .

then of a sudden the cock crew , and all the evil spirits vanished .

at the same moment the crow appeared and hopped all round the room with joy .

it thanked the princess most heartily for her goodness , and said that its sufferings had already been greatly lessened .

then she saw a handsome youth standing beside her ; who knelt down at her feet and kissed the little weary white hands .

come now to my castle with me , and let us live there happily together . '

so they went to the castle where they had both endured so much .

and there they lived for a hundred years , a hundred years of joy and happiness .

how six men travelled through the wide world

he strode angrily into the forest , and there he saw a man standing who had uprooted six trees as if they were straws .

he said to him , ' will you be my servant and travel with me ? '

the master said to him , ' hunter , what are you aiming at ? '

the man said , ' i don't know what is turning those windmills ; there is not the slightest breeze blowing . '

' fellow , what are you puffing at up there ? ' asked the man .

he replied , ' two miles from this place are standing seven windmills ; see , i am blowing to drive them round . '

then said the master , ' you have made yourself very comfortable to rest ! '

' oh , go with me ; if we five are together , we shall easily travel through the wide world . '

the king replied , ' then both your heads must be staked , and your head and his must be guaranteed for the winner . '

it was arranged that whoever should first bring water out of a stream a long way off , should be the victor .

in a short time he reached the stream , filled his pitcher with water , and turned round again .

but , half way home , a great drowsiness came over him ; he put down his pitcher , lay down , and fell asleep .

she emptied his pitcher and ran on .

then the runner awoke , jumped up , and saw that his pitcher was empty and the king 's daughter far ahead .

' look , ' said he , ' i have only just exercised my legs ; that was nothing of a run . '

but the king was angry , and his daughter even more so , that she should be carried away by a common , discharged soldier .

they consulted together how they could destroy both him and his companions .

' then , ' said the king to her , ' i have found a way .

don't be frightened ; they shall not come home again . '

in the room was a table spread with delicious food .

then he made the cook come , and ordered him to keep up a large fire under the room until the iron was red-hot .

then the king went angrily to the cook , and scolded him , and asked him why he had not done what he was told .

but the cook answered , ' there is heat enough there ; see for yourself . '

the king now began again to think how he could free himself from his unwelcome guests .

the king was delighted , and the man said , ' i will come and fetch it in fourteen days . '

then he called all the tailors in the kingdom together , and made them sit down for fourteen days sewing at a sack .

that scarcely covers the bottom ! '

' bring more , ' he cried , ' these crumbs don't fill it . '

then he threw it on his back and went with his companions .

' what do you say ? ' said the blower , ' we are prisoners ?

before that , you shall dance in the air ! '

a sergeant-major cried for mercy , saying he had nine wounds , and was a brave fellow , and did not deserve this disgrace .

so the blower let him off , and he came down without hurt .

when the king received the message , he said , ' let the fellows go ; they are bewitched . '

then the six brought the treasure home , shared it among themselves , and lived contentedly till the end of their days .

the wizard king ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from les fees illustres .

after a year 's time a son was born , worthy in every way of such distinguished parents , and much admired by the whole court .

as soon as the queen thought him strong enough for a journey she set out with him secretly to visit her fairy godmother .

accordingly , to the delight of his teachers , he made the most rapid progress in his education , constantly surpassing everyone 's expectations .

for some time the princess remained speechless ; but recovering herself a little , she burst into a flood of tears .

the king , much moved , said , ' adorable princess , dry your tears .

i implore you .

my only wish is to make you the happiest person in the world . '

' if you speak truth , my lord , ' replied the princess , ' restore to me the liberty you have deprived me of .

otherwise i can only look on you as my worst enemy . '

here he gently placed her on a lawn , and as he did so she saw a magnificent palace spring up at her feet .

the architecture was imposing , and in the interior the rooms were handsome and furnished in the best possible taste .

the king hoped , however , that time might not only soften her anger , but accustom her to his sight .

the prince , after visiting several courts , arrived at the one where the lost princess was still deeply mourned .

the king and queen received him most graciously , and some festivities were revived to do him honour .

one day when the prince was visiting the queen in her own apartments he was much struck by a most beautiful portrait .

after listening attentively to the whole adventure , the fairy asked for time to consult her books .

this , she added , did not appear impossible , as it often flew about to some distance in the neighbourhood .

presently the king appeared , and the parrot noticed with joy how much he was disliked .

the parrot said so many clever and tender things to comfort her that she began to doubt whether this could indeed be her own parrot .

so saying he drew forth the miniature from under his wing .

when he found her listening attentively to him , he implored the princess to allow him to resume his natural shape .

as they rose through the air the princess remarked a figure mounted on an eagle 's back flying in front of the chariot .

that same morning the king woke suddenly from a troubled sleep .

the queen hastened to inform the king her husband , and the wedding took place on the spot .

as the ceremony was completed the wizard king arrived .

the prince implored and obtained his father 's pardon , and the prison doors were opened .

everyone entreated the fairy to settle in the kingdom where she now was , to which she consented .

the nixy ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the german .

kletke .

one morning he rose up before dawn and went outside , for he thought his heart would be lighter in the open air .

while he hesitated the nixy spoke , called him by his name , and asked him why he was so sad .

on the threshold he was greeted by a servant with the news that his wife had just given birth to a boy .

but no one could think of any advice to give him , beyond taking care that the child never went near the mill-pond .

in a short time he married a pretty young wife , and lived with her in great peace and happiness .

the hunter pursued it hotly for some time , and at last shot it dead .

he soon finished the skinning , and went to the water to wash the blood off his hands .

she was nearly beside herself with grief , and roamed round and round the pond calling on her husband without ceasing .

the poor wife told her all that had happened and how she had been told in a dream of the witch 's power to help her .

the hunter 's wife gave the witch a handsome present , thanked her heartily , and returned home .

but immediately another wave came , and the head sank back into the water without having said a word .

so next morning she went again to the flowery meadow and sought the witch in her hut , and told her of her grief .

then he gazed sadly at his wife and stretched out his arms towards her .

but another rushing wave arose and dragged him under once more .

in a few minutes a rushing sound was heard in the waters , and a wave swept the spinning-wheel from the bank .

but the waters of the pond rose up suddenly , overflowed the bank where the couple stood , and dragged them under the flood .

the hunter determined to become a shepherd , and his wife too became a shepherdess .

so they herded their sheep for many years in solitude and sadness .

now it happened once that the shepherd came to the country where the shepherdess lived .

the neighbourhood pleased him , and he saw that the pasture was rich and suitable for his flocks .

so he brought his sheep there , and herded them as before .

the shepherd and shepherdess became great friends , but they did not recognise each other in the least .

but one evening when the moon was full they sat together watching their flocks , and the shepherd played upon his flute .

the shepherd asked her why she was crying , and left her no peace till she told him all her story .

then the scales fell from the shepherd 's eyes , and he recognised his wife , and she him .

so they returned joyfully to their own home , and lived in peace and happiness ever after .

the glass mountain ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the polish .

kletke .

many knights had come from afar to try their luck , but it was in vain they attempted to climb the mountain .

sometimes they broke an arm , sometimes a leg , and many a brave man had broken his neck even .

the beautiful princess sat at her window and watched the bold knights trying to reach her on their splendid horses .

but all in vain , and for seven years the princess had sat now and waited for some one to scale the glass mountain .

the whole neighbourhood had the appearance of a vast churchyard .

nothing was left of either of them except their bones , which rattled in the battered golden armour like dry peas in a pod .

and now there was only one more day before the close of the seven years .

then there arrived on the scene a mere schoolboy a merry , happy-hearted youth , but at the same time strong and well-grown .

he saw how many knights had broken their necks in vain , but undaunted he approached the steep mountain on foot and began the ascent .

for long he had heard his parents speak of the beautiful princess who sat in the golden castle at the top of the glass mountain .

he listened to all he heard , and determined that he too would try his luck .

armed with these weapons he boldly started up the glass mountain .

the sun was nearly going down , and the youth had not got more than half-way up .

he could hardly draw breath he was so worn out , and his mouth was parched by thirst .

he opened his mouth , but the black cloud sailed past and not as much as a drop of dew moistened his dry lips .

his feet were torn and bleeding , and he could only hold on now with his hands .

evening closed in , and he strained his eyes to see if he could behold the top of the mountain .

then he gazed beneath him , and what a sight met his eyes !

a yawning abyss , with certain and terrible death at the bottom , reeking with half-decayed bodies of horses and riders !

and this had been the end of all the other brave men who like himself had attempted the ascent .

it was almost pitch dark now , and only the stars lit up the glass mountain .

the poor boy still clung on as if glued to the glass by his blood-stained hands .

he made no struggle to get higher , for all his strength had left him , and seeing no hope he calmly awaited death .

then all of a sudden he fell into a deep sleep , and forgetful of his dangerous position , he slumbered sweetly .

now the golden apple-tree was guarded by the eagle which had overthrown the golden knight and his horse .

greedy for carrion , and sure that this must be a fresh corpse , the bird swooped down upon the boy .

but he was awake now , and perceiving the eagle , he determined by its help to save himself .

the creature in terror lifted him high up into the air and began to circle round the tower of the castle .

the youth held on bravely .

he pulled several of the beautiful apples and put them in his pocket ; then he entered the castle .

the door was guarded by a great dragon , but as soon as he threw an apple at it , the beast vanished .

as soon as she saw the youth , she ran towards him and greeted him as her husband and master .

she gave him all her treasures , and the youth became a rich and mighty ruler .

but as the eagle had lost its feet it died , and its body was found in a wood on the glass mountain .

. . . . . . .

he blew his silver whistle , and the swallow who acted as messenger in the golden castle flew past .

' the blood of the eagle has restored all the people below to life .

alphege , or the green monkey

many years ago there lived a king , who was twice married .

she named the baby alphege , and from that moment took him to her heart .

time wipes away the greatest griefs , and after two or three years the king married again .

his second wife was a princess of undeniable beauty , but by no means of so amiable a disposition as the first queen .

she took care however to conceal her jealous feelings from the king .

the ' good queen ' on her side watched carefully over her godson .

the king had an only sister who was deeply attached to him , and who was married to the sovereign of a distant country .

prince alphege was at this time fourteen years old , and the handsomest and most engaging youth imaginable .

they were glad to take shelter under a group of trees near , and here the prince complained of burning thirst .

in vain did his anxious followers seek for him , he was nowhere to be found .

her hard rule made her very unpopular , and it was commonly believed that she had made away with prince alphege .

indeed , had the king her son not been deservedly beloved a revolution would certainly have arisen .

the young king was devoted to hunting , and often indulged in his favourite pastime , attended by the noblest youths in his kingdom .

the monkey took it very daintily and finally came to the table .

the king took him on his knees , and , delighted with his capture , brought him home with him .

he would trust no one else with its care , and the whole court soon talked of nothing but the pretty green monkey .

one morning , as prince alphege 's governess and her daughter were alone together , the little monkey sprang in through an open window .

the mother said , ' my dear child , i can no longer hide my feelings from you .

i know the idea sounds wild , but i cannot get it out of my heart , and it leaves me no peace . '

as she spoke she glanced up , and there sat the little monkey , whose tears and gestures seemed to confirm her words .

go into your garden and lift up the little marble slab at the foot of the great myrtle tree .

you will find beneath it a crystal vase filled with a bright green liquid .

the joy of such a meeting was beyond words .

his only comfort had been in visits from the good queen , who had at length put him in the way of meeting his brother .

the queen on her side was feeling very anxious .

her suspicions were confirmed by the fairy of the mountain , and she hastened in tears to the king , her son .

' i am informed , ' she cried , ' that some ill-disposed people have raised up an impostor in the hopes of dethroning you .

you must at once have him put to death . '

the king , who was very brave , assured the queen that he would soon punish the conspirators .

what was their surprise when the door was opened to see the king and his suite .

he spoke with such grace and dignity that everyone gazed at him with mute surprise .

so saying , he respectfully kissed the prince 's hand .

to clear away any possible doubt , he showed the ruby which the good queen had given him in his childhood .

as they were gazing at it , it suddenly split with a loud noise , and at the same moment the wicked queen expired .

king alphege insisted on his brother sharing his throne , and they all lived to a good old age , universally beloved and admired .

fairer-than-a-fairy

once there lived a king who had no children for many years after his marriage .

the eldest of their tribe was entrusted to carry out their revenge .

with her large experience , added to her native spite , she found but little difficulty in carrying off fairer-than-a-fairy .

the poor child , who was only seven years old , nearly died of fear on finding herself in the power of this hideous creature .

fairer-than-a-fairy lost no moment in which she could meet her lover , and they enjoyed many long and interesting interviews .

she took the bird 's advice , and in due time arrived at the house of locrinos .

then she sent her away without doing her any harm .

one day prince rainbow appeared in the depths of woe .

he had just heard that he was to be banished from this lovely spot , but he had no idea where he was to go .

the poor young couple were in despair , and only parted with the last ray of sunshine , and in hopes of meeting next morning .

no other water was at hand except that in the two bottles .

when lagree became aware of her prisoner 's flight she was furious , and set off at full speed in pursuit .

fear gave her strength for some time , but at last she could go no further , and sank down to rest .

but lagree had not given up her pursuit , and arrived just as fairer-than-a-fairy had fallen fast asleep .

here again she received a present with the same injunctions , but instead of a nut this lady gave her a golden pomegranate .

their occupation consisted in helping those in misfortune , and they were as gentle and benevolent as lagree had been cruel and spiteful .

the third fairy comforted the poor traveller , begged her not to lose heart , and assured her that her troubles should be rewarded .

she accompanied her advice by the gift of a crystal smelling-bottle , with strict orders only to open it in case of urgent need .

fairer-than-a-fairy thanked her warmly , and resumed her way cheered by pleasant thoughts .

it was so perfectly hung that a gentle breeze rocked it sufficiently to send you pleasantly to sleep .

she entered a magnificent room which appeared to occupy the entire castle , and which was lighted by gold and jewelled stars in the ceiling .

at the same time she could not help feeling rather hurt at the apparent indifference with which she was received .

the prince was not completely roused , but he opened his eyes a little and looked all the handsomer .

at the same moment the walls of the room expanded and opened out , revealing a golden throne covered with jewels .

a magnificent court now began to assemble , and at the same time several elegant carriages filled with ladies in magnificent dresses drove up .

in the first and most splendid of these carriages sat prince rainbow 's mother .

here they were received with tumultuous joy .

the three brothers ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the polish .

kletke .

in the same village there lived three brothers , who were all determined to kill the mischievous hawk .

he saw the hawk swooping down upon the church , and in a moment he had seized his gun and shot at the bird .

the hawk fell heavily under a big stone , severely wounded in its right wing .

the youth ran to look at it , and saw that a huge abyss had opened below the stone .

he went at once to fetch his brothers , and with their help dragged a lot of pine-wood and ropes to the spot .

they fastened some of the burning pine-wood to the end of the rope , and let it slowly down to the bottom of the abyss .

at first it was quite dark , and the flaming torch only lit up dirty grey stone walls .

but the youngest brother determined to explore the abyss , and letting himself down by the rope he soon reached the bottom .

here he found a lovely meadow full of green trees and exquisite flowers .

in the middle of the meadow stood a huge stone castle , with an iron gate leading to it , which was wide open .

he fell in love with her on the spot , and kneeling at her feet , he implored her to become his wife .

she was combing her silver hair , and every hair that fell on the ground rang out like pure metal .

the second girl handed him the sword , but though he tried with all his strength he could not lift it .

then he hid himself in the castle and awaited the old witch 's arrival .

at last as it was beginning to grow dark she appeared .

she swooped down upon a big apple-tree , and after shaking some golden apples from it , she pounced down upon the earth .

as soon as her feet touched the ground she became transformed from a hawk into a woman .

first the treasures were attached to the rope and then the three lovely girls .

and now everything was up above and only he himself remained below .

the youth told him all that had befallen him , and the magician said :

' do not grieve , young man !

if you will guard the children who are hidden in the golden apple-tree , i will bring you at once up to the earth .

another magician who lives in this land always eats my children up .

it is in vain that i have hidden them under the earth and locked them into the castle .

now i have hidden them in the apple-tree ; hide yourself there too , and at midnight you will see my enemy . '

the youth climbed up the tree , and picked some of the beautiful golden apples , which he ate for his supper .

at midnight the wind began to rise , and a rustling sound was heard at the foot of the tree .

the youth looked down and beheld a long thick serpent beginning to crawl up the tree .

it wound itself round the stem and gradually got higher and higher .

they trembled with terror when they saw the hideous creature , and hid themselves beneath the leaves .

then the youth swung his mighty sword in the air , and with one blow cut off the serpent 's head .

he cut up the rest of the body into little bits and strewed them to the four winds .

with what joy did he hurry now to his brothers ' house !

he burst into a room where they were all assembled , but no one knew who he was .

only his bride , who was serving as cook to her sisters , recognised her lover at once .

but the good youth forgave them all they had done , and divided his treasures with them .

the boy and the wolves , or the broken promise ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) a north american indian story .

at last , however , the strong man felt sick , and before long he knew he must die .

so he gathered his family round him , and said his last words to them .

' never ! ' they replied , holding out their hands .

and the hunter died content .

but remember our father 's words .

shall we not seek our own pleasures , and forget the little one ? '

but he would not listen , and , making no reply , he took his bow and arrows and left the hut .

stay here within the shelter of the hut .

i go to seek our brother , and when i have found him i shall return hither . '

and without them he would have died in the snow .

' my brother , my brother !

i am becoming a wolf , i am becoming a wolf ! '

and when he had so sung he howled as wolves howl .

the glass axe ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the hungarian .

kletke .

there was once upon a time a king and queen who had everything they could possibly wish for in this world except a child .

and these were the last words the poor queen spoke .

every day he rode through the neighbouring fields and woods , and always returned home in the evening safe and well .

one day the prince and his suite went out for a ride in a wood where his father sometimes held a hunt .

their way led through a stream whose banks were overgrown with thick brushwood .

no sooner had his foot touched the earth than he disappeared before the eyes of the horrified courtiers .

hardly had the prince touched the ground than he felt himself violently seized by an unseen power , and hurried away he knew not whither .

a whole new world stretched out before him , quite unlike the one he had left .

at the same time she cautioned him with many angry words against speaking to a black girl he would most likely meet in the wood .

the prince listened to her words meekly , and when she had finished took up the glass axe and set out for the forest .

but no sooner had he struck the first blow with his axe than it broke into a thousand pieces against the tree .

the prince nodded his head silently in answer .

he made all haste across the bridge of clouds , and told the fairy that her commands were obeyed .

but the prince lied manfully , and swore he had never looked up from his work for a moment .

when he awoke everything , was done .

all the trees of the wood were cut up into firewood and arranged in bundles ready for use .

he returned to the castle as quickly as he could , and told the fairy that her commands were obeyed .

on the following day the fairy set him a third task to do , even harder than the other two .

the prince heard her words without anxiety , so entirely did he rely on the help of his black friend .

but before they had accomplished half the way they heard again the rustle of her garments and her muttered curses pursuing them closely .

the prince was terrified ; he dared not look back , and he felt his strength giving way .

but the sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away , and its waters seemed to increase instead of diminishing .

when the old woman saw that the powers of her magic were of so little avail , she had recourse to cunning .

in her desperation she determined to pull down the church , and thus to destroy her two victims for ever .

she stamped three times on the ground , and the earth trembled , and both the church and the monk began to shake .

take this bow and arrow and kill every beast you see with them , and be sure you spare no living creature . '

quick as lightning , and forgetful of every danger , she flew down upon them .

and so at last the prince and his lovely bride were free .

they hurried as quickly as they could to the old king , who received them with joy and gladness .

the dead wife ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the iroquois .

once upon a time there were a man and his wife who lived in the forest , very far from the rest of the tribe .

one day , when he was away hunting , the woman fell ill , and in a few days she died .

he seated it in front of the fire , and tried to think he had his wife back again .

and so a whole year passed away .

at the end of that time he came back from hunting one night and found some wood by the door and a fire within .

the next night there was not only wood and fire , but a piece of meat in the kettle , nearly ready for eating .

he searched all about to see who could have done this , but could find no one .

the next time he went to hunt he took care not to go far , and came in quite early .

and while he was still a long way off he saw a woman going into the house with wood on her shoulders .

if you do , i shall die . '

let us now go back to our tribe .

then you will be well , and i can touch you . '

therefore they made a fire , cooked some food , and spread out their skins to sleep .

but he would not listen to her , and caught her to him , and behold ! he was clasping the wooden doll .

and the man grieved sore all the days of his life .

in the land of souls ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the red indian .

the heart of her lover had been set upon her , and the thought of her remained with him night and day .

at last , after many days , a light seemed to come to him out of the darkness .

only one thing he knew , that if the path was there , he would find it .

at first he was puzzled , as there seemed no reason he should go in one direction more than another .

for many , many miles the country looked the same as it did round his own home .

the forests , the hills , and the rivers all seemed exactly like the ones he had left .

then he knew that he was in the right road .

the thought that he should soon behold his lost bride made his heart beat for joy , and he sped along lightly and swiftly .

it is but a short while since she whom you seek was here .

rest in my hut , as she also rested , and i will tell you what you ask , and whither you should go . '

' look , ' he said , ' at the water which lies far out yonder , and the plains which stretch beyond .

that is the land of souls , but no man enters it without leaving his body behind him .

so , lay down your body here ; your bow and arrows , your skin and your dog .

they shall be kept for you safely . '

very soon he noticed with wonder , that neither rocks nor trees barred his path .

only the children had no fear , and reached the other side in safety .

the white duck

once upon a time a great and powerful king married a lovely princess .

and the queen promised faithfully to obey her royal lord and master in these four matters .

' why are you sad and cast down , fair queen ?

all the brightness outside would help to drive away your cares , o queen . '

and so , in all ignorance , the queen followed her out into the garden and listened to her smooth , flattering words .

' the day is so warm , and the sun 's rays so scorching , that the water in the pond looks very cool and inviting .

would you not like to bathe in it , fair queen ? '

no harm could come of it .

and , so saying , she slipped off her robes and stepped into the water .

' swim henceforth , white duck ! '

' little ones , are you asleep ? '

and the little drake answered for the other two :

' little ones , are you asleep ? '

and again the little drake answered for his sisters :

' just the same answer , ' muttered the witch ; ' i think i 'll go in and see . '

so she opened the door gently , and seeing the two little ducklings sound asleep , she there and then killed them .

and there , laid out on the marble floor of the court , dead and stone cold , were her three children .

the white duck threw herself upon them , and , covering up their little bodies with her wings , she cried :

' quack , quack my little loves !

quack , quack my turtle-doves !

i brought you up with grief and pain , and now before my eyes you 're slain .

i gave you always of the best ; i kept you warm in my soft nest .

i loved and watched you day and night you were my joy , my one delight . '

listen to that white duck . '

but the witch answered , ' my dear husband , what do you mean ?

there is nothing wonderful in a duck 's quacking .

here , servants !

chase that duck out of the courtyard . '

' quack , quack my little loves !

quack , quack my turtle-doves !

the wicked witch your lives did take the wicked witch , the cunning snake .

first she stole my king away , then my children did she slay .

changed me , from a happy wife , to a duck for all my life .

would i were the queen again ; would that you had never been slain . '

but , though they ran to and fro , the duck always fled past them , and would not let herself be caught .

so the king himself stepped down amongst them , and instantly the duck fluttered down into his hands .

and as he stroked her wings she was changed into a beautiful woman , and he recognised his dear wife .

and she told him that a bottle would be found in her nest in the garden , containing some drops from the spring of healing .

and the king and queen were overjoyed when they saw their children , and they all lived happily together in the beautiful palace .

but the wicked witch was taken by the king 's command , and she came to no good end .

the witch and her servants ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the russian .

kletke .

during their wanderings they came unperceived on a piece of waste land where three splendid trees grew .

the king looked on them for a moment , and then , shaking his head sadly , he passed on in silence .

when it was quite ripe the fruit would become a golden yellow .

' but instead of replying , the gardener threw himself at my feet and swore that he was innocent .

for some time past i have given up even having the trees watched . '

so he kept watch half the night ; but a little after midnight he was overcome by an irresistible drowsiness , and fell fast asleep .

he did not awake till it was bright daylight , and all the fruit on the trees had vanished .

the following year warza , the second brother , tried his luck , but with the same result .

then it came to the turn of the third and youngest son .

at midnight a gentle west wind shook the tree , and at the same moment a snow-white swan-like bird sank down gently on his breast .

' you need not fear militza , ' said the beautiful girl , looking at the prince with friendly eyes .

iwanich , who had been prepared to meet a terrible magician and not a lovely girl , fell desperately in love with her .

they spent the rest of the night in pleasant conversation , and when militza wished to go away he begged her not to leave him .

but if your love is really true , come and find me in my own kingdom .

i may not show you the way there , but this ring will guide you .

if it sparkles as brightly as ever go straight on , but if its lustre is dimmed choose another path . '

the king was beside himself for joy , and hurried at once to the garden and made the gardener pick him some of the fruit .

he tasted it , and found the apple quite as luscious as it had been in his dream .

this question placed iwanich in a dilemma .

the whole capital was in a stir , and everyone shared in the king 's joy ; the prince alone took no part in the festivities .

whither are you going ? '

' where else should i be going , ' he said , ' than through the wood ? '

' through the wood ? ' said the old man in amazement .

' it 's easily seen that you have heard nothing of this forest , that you rush so blindly to meet your doom .

take my advice , therefore , and if you wish to save your life follow some other path . '

' take this bagful of bread-crumbs and this live hare .

when you have gone about a hundred yards into the wood the wild beasts will surround you .

then you must instantly seize your bag , and scatter the bread-crumbs among them .

in this way you will be able to get through the wood unhurt . '

he threw them to the beasts , but soon the bag grew lighter and lighter , and the prince began to feel a little frightened .

and now the last crumb was gone , and the hungry beasts thronged round him , greedy for fresh prey .

then he seized the hare and threw it to them .

he looked at his ring , and when he saw that it sparkled as brightly as ever he went straight on through the forest .

he hadn't gone very far when he saw a most extraordinary looking man coming towards him .

two lions walked with him , fastened to his side by the two ends of his long beard .

he stopped the prince and asked him in a harsh voice : ' are you the man who has just fed my body-guard ? '

' all i ask , ' replied iwanich , ' is , that i should be allowed to go through this wood in safety . '

with these words he loosened the lion from his beard and bade the beast guard the youth carefully .

at length , towards evening , the mass of trees grew more transparent , and through the interlaced branches a wide plain was visible .

it had become quite dark , and iwanich was forced to wait for daylight before continuing his journey .

he made himself a bed of grass and leaves , lit a fire of dry branches , and slept soundly till the next morning .

then he got up and walked towards a beautiful white palace which he saw gleaming in the distance .

in about an hour he reached the building , and opening the door he walked in .

after wandering through many marble halls , he came to a huge staircase made of porphyry , leading down to a lovely garden .

then the princess called her court together , and introduced iwanich to them as her future husband .

preparations were at once made for the wedding , which was held soon after with great pomp and magnificence .

three months of great happiness followed , when militza received one day an invitation to visit her mother 's sister .

iwanich promised what she asked , and militza departed , repeating her promise to return in seven days .

when the prince found himself alone he began to be tormented by pangs of curiosity as to what the room in the tower contained .

what an unexpected sight met his gaze !

the prince perceived a small room black with smoke , lit up feebly by a fire from which issued long blue flames .

' and how can i do that ? ' asked the prince .

' with a little water , ' replied the man ; ' only sprinkle a few drops over me and i shall feel better . '

the prince , who now realised what his heedlessness had done , cursed too late his spirit of curiosity .

in his despair he wandered on over the heath , never looking where he put his feet , and full of sorrowful thoughts .

at last he saw a light in the distance , which came from a miserable-looking little hut .

the owner of it was none other than the kind-hearted gaunt grey beggar who had given the prince the bag of bread-crumbs and the hare .

without recognising iwanich , he opened the door when he knocked and gave him shelter for the night .

iwanich thanked the gaunt grey beggar for his information , and went on his way .

the prince knocked , and a rasping woman 's voice told him to enter .

here he perceived two pitch-black horses in a stall .

iwanich , who thought he could not be much worse off than he was already , agreed to the witch 's proposal .

the witch stood at her door and received him kindly , and set a good meal before him .

so it continued for some time , and all went well with the prince .

early every morning he led the horses out to the fields , and brought them home safe and sound in the evening .

iwanich , who felt sorry for the poor creature , seized it in his arms and flung it into the stream .

' my kind benefactor , how can i reward you for your goodness ? '

' i desire nothing , ' answered the prince .

' i am quite content to have been able to be of some service to you . '

if you should ever need my help , throw it into the river , and i will come to your aid at once . '

iwanich bowed , loosened a scale from the body of the grateful beast , put it carefully away , and returned home .

iwanich thanked the bird , and placing the feather beside the scale he drove the horses home .

iwanich put the fox 's hairs with the scale and the feather , and as it was getting dark he hastened home with his horses .

the prince followed her secretly to see what she was going to do .

when iwanich heard all this he went back to his room , determined that nothing should induce him to fall asleep next day .

then he suddenly remembered the fish 's scale , which , with the eagle 's feather and the fox 's hairs , he always carried about with him .

he drew the scale from his pocket , and hurrying to the river he threw it in .

' wait a moment , ' answered the fish , ' and i and my friends will soon drive them out of the water . '

with these words the creature disappeared into the depths of the stream .

iwanich sprang at once on to the mare 's back , seized the foal by its bridle , and hastened home in the highest spirits .

the prince followed her , and heard her scolding the beasts harshly for not having hidden themselves better .

if they did not do as she told them she would beat them till they bled .

the next morning , after iwanich had led his horses to the fields , he fell once more into a magic sleep .

the horses at once ran away and hid themselves in the clouds , which hung down from the mountains in soft billowy masses .

in a moment the bird swooped down beside him and asked : ' what do you wish me to do ? '

with these words the bird flew up into the air and disappeared among the clouds .

almost directly iwanich saw his two horses being driven towards him by a host of eagles of all sizes .

he caught the mare and foal , and having thanked the eagle he drove them cheerfully home again .

if they failed to do as she told them she would certainly beat them this time till they bled .

on the following morning the prince drove his horses as usual to the fields .

' i wish to know , ' replied iwanich , ' where the king 's hen-house is . '

' hardly an hour 's walk from here , ' answered the fox , and offered to show the prince the way to it .

while they were walking along the fox asked him what he wanted to do at the royal hen-house .

the prince told him of the misfortune that had befallen him , and of the necessity of recovering the mare and foal .

' that is no easy matter , ' replied the fox .

' but wait a moment .

i have an idea .

stand at the door of the hen-house , and wait there for your horses .

when they see the horses they will at once imagine them to be the cause of the disturbance , and will drive them out .

then you must lay hands on the mare and foal and catch them .

all turned out exactly as the sly fox had foreseen .

the prince swung himself on the mare , seized the foal by its bridle , and hurried home .

if you promise never to betray me i will give you a piece of advice which you will do well to follow . '

iwanich longed to possess such an animal , and promised the mare to follow her advice .

this time corva received him in the most friendly manner , and set a sumptuous repast before him .

as soon as he had finished she asked him what reward he demanded for his year 's service .

' nothing more nor less , ' replied the prince , ' than the foal of your mare . '

seize him at once by the beard and dash him to the ground . '

iwanich thanked the old witch , mounted his foal , put spurs to its sides , and they flew like lightning through the air .

but the prince , without saying a word , seized him at once by his beard and dashed him to the ground .

at the same moment the foal sprang on the top of the magician and kicked and stamped on him with his hoofs till he died .

then iwanich found himself once more in the palace of his bride , and militza herself flew into his arms .

from this time forward they lived in undisturbed peace and happiness till the end of their lives .

the magic ring

once upon a time there lived an old couple who had one son called martin .

now when the old man 's time had come , he stretched himself out on his bed and died .

though all his life long he had toiled and moiled , he only left his widow and son two hundred florins .

so martin started off for the town .

when he reached the meat-market he found the whole place in turmoil , and a great noise of angry voices and barking of dogs .

overcome with pity , martin spoke to the butchers , saying :

' friends , why are you beating the poor dog so cruelly ? '

' we have every right to beat him , ' they replied ; ' he has just devoured a newly-killed pig . '

' leave off beating him , ' said martin , ' and sell him to me instead . '

' a hundred ! ' exclaimed martin .

when martin got home , his mother met him with the question :

' well , what have you bought ? '

' schurka , the dog , ' replied martin , pointing to his new possession .

whereupon his mother became very angry , and abused him roundly .

' stop , ' cried martin ; ' where are you dragging that poor cat ? '

' i mean to drown him , ' was the answer .

' what harm has the poor beast done ? ' said martin .

' it has just killed a goose , ' replied the peasant .

' don't drown him , sell him to me instead , ' begged martin .

' not for a hundred florins , ' was the answer .

' surely for a hundred florins you 'll sell it ? ' said martin .

when he reached his home his mother greeted him with the question :

' well , what have you brought back ? '

' i have brought this cat , waska , ' answered martin .

' and what besides ? '

' i had no money over to buy anything else with , ' replied martin .

' you useless ne'er-do-weel ! ' exclaimed his mother in a great passion .

on the way he met a rich peasant , who asked him where he was going .

' i want to get work as a day labourer , ' he answered .

' come along with me , then .

but i must tell you i engage my labourers without wages .

if you serve me faithfully for a year , i promise you it shall be for your advantage . '

so martin consented , and for a year he worked diligently , and served his master faithfully , not sparing himself in any way .

' there must be some trick about this ; i had better take the sand . '

and throwing the sack over his shoulders he started out into the world , in search of fresh work .

on and on he walked , and at last he reached a great gloomy wood .

' martin , if you would win happiness , save my life .

extinguish the flames with the sand that you earned in payment of your faithful service . '

' do not be afraid of me , martin ; i love you , and will go with you through the world .

pointing to the rock , she showed him an opening just big enough for a man to wriggle through .

in the middle of the field stood a magnificent castle , built out of porphyry , with a roof of gold and with glittering battlements .

and his beautiful guide told him that this was the palace in which her father lived and reigned over his kingdom in the under-world .

together they entered the palace , and were received by the king with great kindness .

turning to his daughter , he said :

' my child , i had almost given up the hope of ever seeing you again .

where have you been all these years ? '

' my father , ' she replied , ' i owe my life to this youth , who saved me from a terrible death . '

take as much gold , silver , and precious stones as you choose . '

if you do , you will straightway bring misfortune on yourself . '

so uneventful was their life that it almost seemed as if it would go on in this way always , without let or hindrance .

but as he did not trust himself as a wooer , he determined to send his old mother on the mission .

' what are you thinking of , my son ? ' answered the old woman , aghast at the idea .

' why cannot you marry someone in your own rank ?

why , it is as much as our heads are worth .

neither my life nor yours would be worth anything if i went on such a fool 's errand . '

' never fear , little mother , ' answered martin .

' trust me ; all will be well .

but see that you do not come back without an answer of some kind . '

courtesying low , the old woman stood silent before him .

' well , my good old dame , what can i do for you ? ' asked the king .

' i have come , ' replied martin 's mother ' and your majesty must not be angry with me i have come a-wooing . '

' is the woman out of her mind ? ' said the king , with an angry frown .

you , o king , have a lovely daughter to give in marriage .

i have a son a wooer as clever a youth and as good a son-in-law as you will find in your whole kingdom .

there is nothing that he cannot do .

now tell me , o king , plump and plain , will you give your daughter to my son as wife ? '

the palace must be joined together by a bridge of pure crystal .

now the poor old woman was mortally afraid and , in a trembling voice she asked :

' is that really your royal will , o king ?

must i take this order to my poor son ? '

' yes , old dame ; such is my command .

' didn't i tell you , my son , that you should marry someone of your own rank ?

it would have been better for us this day if you had .

it is terrible ! ' and she moaned and cried .

' never fear , little mother , ' answered martin ; ' trust me , and you will see all will be well .

you may go to sleep with a quiet mind . '

then he told them the king 's commands , and they answered that by next morning all should be accomplished exactly as the king had ordered .

at each side of the bridge trees were growing , from whose branches hung golden and silver apples , among which birds of paradise perched .

so unhappy was she that she spent all her time wondering how she should get rid of her undesirable husband .

on the instant the twelve youths appeared , and asked her what she commanded them to do .

' you shall be obeyed , ' answered the twelve youths at the same moment .

immediately the king sent for his son-in-law , and commanded him to explain what had happened .

but martin looked at his royal father-in-law , and answered never a word .

no sooner said than done .

' fresh rolls , sweet cake , fancy bread of every kind .

come and buy , come and take , sure you 'll find it to your mind , '

waska , being very agile , climbed up by the outside to the grated window , and called in an anxious voice :

' are you alive , master ? '

' scarcely alive almost starved to death , ' answered martin in a weak voice .

' i little thought it would come to this , that i should die of hunger . '

' never fear , dear master .

schurka and i will look after you , ' said waska .

you must be careful that the rolls last till our return . '

and waska took leave of her beloved master , and set off with schurka on their journey .

' so be it , ' said waska .

' i will spare your life ; but in return you must do something for me .

in this castle there lives a princess , the wicked wife of my dear master .

she has stolen away his magic ring .

you must get it away from her at whatever cost ; do you hear ?

till you have done this i won't take my claws out of your fur . '

' good ! ' replied the mouse ; ' i will do what you ask . '

and , so saying , he summoned all the mice in his kingdom together .

all day she wears it on her finger , and at night she keeps it in her mouth .

i will undertake , sire , to steal away the ring for you . '

in a flash the tiny mouse had seized it , and brought it to waska as a ransom for the king of the mice .

' martin , dear master , are you still alive ? '

' ah !

waska , my faithful little cat , is that you ? ' replied a weak voice .

' i am dying of hunger .

for three days i have not tasted food . '

if this were a moment to trouble you with riddles , i would make you guess what schurka and i have brought you back .

only think , we have got you your ring ! '

then the king sent his chief counsellors , and they too were transfixed with wonder .

at last the king came himself , and he likewise was spellbound by the beauty of the music .

and one thing more : bring back my faithless wife , and lead her into the women 's chamber . '

and martin spoke to the king , saying , ' king and royal father , i have suffered much at the hands of your daughter .

what punishment shall be dealt to her ? '

and martin 's heart was softened and he forgave his wife , and they lived happily together ever after .

the flower queen's daughter ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the bukowinaer .

von wliolocki .

he was turning aside to avoid it , when he heard the sound of someone crying in the ditch .

he dismounted from his horse , and stepped along in the direction the sound came from .

to his astonishment he found an old woman , who begged him to help her out of the ditch .

then the prince said to her , ' you can hardly walk ; i will put you on my horse and lead you home .

where do you live ? '

' over there , at the edge of the forest in the little hut you see in the distance , ' replied the old woman .

would you like to have the most beautiful woman in the world for your wife ? '

' most certainly i would , ' replied the prince .

if you wish to marry her , you must first set her free , and this i will help you to do .

these will help you if you are in any difficulty .

now farewell , and heaven prosper your undertaking . '

she handed him the little bell , and there disappeared hut and all , as though the earth had swallowed her up .

so the next morning the prince mounted his fine horse and left his home .

at last one day he came to a hut , in front of which sat a very old man .

the prince asked him , ' do you not know where the dragon lives who keeps the daughter of the flower queen prisoner ? '

' no , i do not , ' answered the old man .

he asked him the same question , and the old man answered , ' no , i do not know where the dragon lives .

but go straight along this road for another year , and you will come to a hut in which my father lives .

i know he can tell you . '

for one whole year he is always awake , and the next he sleeps .

so the prince went up the second mountain , where he found a castle all made of gold with diamond windows .

they entered the castle and walked through twelve splendid halls , all made of gold and diamonds .

in the twelfth room they found the mother dragon seated on a diamond throne .

she was the ugliest woman under the sun , and , added to it all , she had three heads .

her appearance was a great shock to the prince , and so was her voice , which was like the croaking of many ravens .

she asked him , ' why have you come here ? '

the prince undertook the task and led the mare out to the meadow .

but no sooner had they reached the grass than she vanished .

the prince sought for her in vain , and at last in despair sat down on a big stone and contemplated his sad fate .

as he sat thus lost in thought , he noticed an eagle flying over his head .

then he suddenly bethought him of his little bell , and taking it out of his pocket he rang it once .

in a moment he heard a rustling sound in the air beside him , and the king of the eagles sank at his feet .

' i know what you want of me , ' the bird said .

' you are looking for the mother dragon 's mare who is galloping about among the clouds .

i will summon all the eagles of the air together , and order them to catch the mare and bring her to you . '

and with these words the king of the eagles flew away .

they sank at his feet on to the ground and gave the mare over to him .

here , too , was the flower queen 's beautiful daughter .

her dress was woven out of the most lovely flowers in the world , and her complexion was like lilies and roses .

as the prince was dancing with her he managed to whisper in her ear , ' i have come to set you free ! '

the ball came to an end at midnight , and early next morning the prince again led the mother dragon 's mare out into the meadow .

but again she vanished before his eyes .

then he took out his little bell and rang it twice .

with these words the king of the foxes disappeared , and in the evening many thousand foxes brought the mare to the prince .

after the ball we will fly away together . '

on the third day the prince led the mare to the meadow again ; but once more she vanished before his eyes .

then the prince took out his little bell and rang it three times .

towards evening the mare was returned to him , and when he led her home to the mother dragon she said to him :

' you are a brave youth , and i will make you my body-servant .

but what shall i give you as a reward to begin with ? '

but the dragons had noticed their flight , and woke their brother out of his year 's sleep .

the prince consented to this , and led his beautiful bride home , where the wedding was held with great pomp and magnificence .

the young couple lived happily together till winter came , when the flower queen 's daughter departed and went home to her mother .

this coming and going continued all her life long , and in spite of it they always lived happily together .

the flying ship ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the russian .

immediately the two elder brothers determined to try their luck , and asked their parents ' blessing .

when they had gone the poor simpleton began to tease his mother to smarten him up and let him start off .

' what would become of a dolt like you ? ' she answered .

' why , you would be eaten up by wolves . '

but the foolish youth kept repeating , ' i will go , i will go , i will go ! '

so the simpleton set off on his way .

when he had gone a short distance he met a little old manikin .

they greeted one another , and the manikin asked him where he was going .

' i am off to the king 's court , ' he answered .

' he has promised to give his daughter to whoever can make a flying ship . '

' and can you make such a ship ? '

' not i. '

' then why in the world are you going ? '

' can't tell , ' replied the simpleton .

give me what you have got in your satchel . '

now , the poor simpleton was ashamed to show what was in it .

he shared them with the manikin , who licked his lips and said :

you will then find a ship at your side , step into it and fly to the king 's palace .

if you meet anyone on the way , take him with you . '

the simpleton thanked the manikin very kindly , bade him farewell , and went into the road .

' hallo ! ' he called out , ' what are you doing down there ? '

' i am listening to what is going on in the world , ' replied the man .

' come with me in my ship , ' said the simpleton .

so he hailed him , calling out :

' hallo ! what are you doing , hopping on one leg ? '

' i can't help it , ' replied the man .

' i walk so fast that unless i tied up one leg i should be at the end of the earth in a bound . '

' hallo ! ' he shouted to him , ' what are you aiming at ?

as far as eye can see , there is no bird in sight . '

that is the kind of shot i enjoy . '

and he waved to him , calling out :

' hallo ! where are you going ? '

' to fetch bread for my breakfast . '

' bread ?

why , you have got a whole basket-load of it on your back . '

' that 's nothing , ' answered the man ; ' i should finish that in one mouthful . '

' come along with us in my ship , then . '

' hallo ! ' he cried to him , ' what are you seeking ?

' i want water to drink , i 'm so thirsty , ' replied the man .

' well , there 's a whole lake in front of you ; why don't you drink some of that ? '

' do you call that enough ? ' answered the other .

' why , i should drink it up in one gulp . '

' well , come with us in the ship . '

' hallo ! ' he shouted to him , ' why are you carrying wood through a forest ? '

' this is not common wood , ' answered the other .

' what sort of wood is it , then ? ' said the simpleton .

' if you throw it upon the ground , ' said the man , ' it will be changed into an army of soldiers . '

' come into the ship with us , then . '

' hallo !

where are you carrying that straw to ? '

' to the village , ' said the man .

' do you mean to say there is no straw in the village ? '

' ah ! but this is quite a peculiar straw .

then the simpleton asked him also to join them .

at last the ship , with its strange crew , arrived at the king 's court .

so he thought and thought , and then said to himself :

' i will give him some impossible tasks to perform ; that will be the best way of getting rid of him . '

' alas , alas ! ' he cried ; ' what am i to do now ?

it would take me quite a year , possibly my whole life , to find the water . '

' never fear , ' said his fleet-footed comrade , ' i will fetch what the king wants . '

just then the courtier arrived , bearing the king 's command .

' dear me , ' he thought to himself , ' that 's rather tiring !

i 'll just rest for a few minutes ; it will be some little time yet before the king has got to dessert . '

so the man with the marvellous quick hearing lay down and , putting his ear to the ground , listened .

' that 's a nice sort of fellow ! ' he suddenly exclaimed .

' he 's lying on the ground , snoring hard ! '

and a moment later the swift runner reappeared , and , stepping on board the ship , handed the healing water to the simpleton .

what was to be done now ?

the king determined to think of a still more impossible task .

once more the sharp-eared comrade overheard the king 's words while he was still talking to the courtier , and reported them to the simpleton .

' alas , alas ! ' he sighed ; ' what in the world shall i do ?

why , it would take us a year , possibly our whole lives , to eat up twelve oxen and twelve tons of bread . '

' never fear , ' said the glutton .

' it will scarcely be enough for me , i 'm so hungry . '

so when the courtier arrived with the royal message he was told to take back word to the king that his orders should be obeyed .

' i call that a small meal , ' he said .

' i wish they 'd brought me some more . '

when these words were overheard by the sharp-eared comrade and repeated to the simpleton , he was in despair .

' alas , alas ! ' he exclaimed ; ' what is to be done ?

it would take us a year , possibly our whole lives , to drink so much . '

' never fear , ' said his thirsty comrade .

' i 'll drink it all up at a gulp , see if i don't . '

' why , i 'm still thirsty .

i should have been glad of two more casks . '

and so when the poor silly youth entered the room , he discovered that the iron walls were red hot .

so the simpleton climbed up upon the stove , and , wrapping himself up in the bath blankets , lay there the whole night .

and in the morning when they opened the door there he lay sound and safe , singing cheerfully to himself .

' tell the rascal to raise me an army , now at this instant ! ' he exclaimed to one of his courtiers .

' inform him at once of this , my royal will . '

and to himself he added , ' i think i shall do for him this time . '

as on former occasions , the quick-eared comrade had overheard the king 's command and repeated it to the simpleton .

' alas , alas ! ' he groaned ; ' now i am quite done for . '

' have you quite forgotten me ? '

' good ! ' remarked the simpleton .

' i will raise an army for the king , ' and he drew himself up .

and , stepping to the window , he saw the lances gleam in the sunlight and the armour and weapons glitter .

and the proud monarch said to himself , ' i am powerless in comparison with this man . '

so he sent him royal robes and costly jewels , and commanded him to come to the palace to be married to the princess .

the snow-daughter and the fire-son ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the bukowinaer tales and legends .

von wliolocki .

there was once upon a time a man and his wife , and they had no children , which was a great grief to them .

she sighed , and turning to her husband said , ' i wish i had as many children as there are icicles hanging there . '

' nothing would please me more either , ' replied her husband .

her husband laughed at his wife 's strange idea , and they went back into the house .

but after a short time the woman gave birth to a little girl , who was as white as snow and as cold as ice .

if they brought the child anywhere near the fire , it screamed loudly till they put it back into some cool place .

the little maid throve wonderfully , and in a few months she could run about and speak .

her father and mother called her simply ' our snow-daughter , ' and this name stuck to her all her life .

the woman sighed deeply and said , ' i wish i had given birth to a fire-son ! '

the man laughed at his wife 's words , and thought it was a good joke .

the snow-daughter herself avoided him as much as she could , and always crept into a corner as far away from him as possible .

the parents called the boy simply ' our fire-son , ' a name which stuck to him all his life .

just as the girl grew up into a beautiful woman , her father and mother both died one after the other .

how shall we travel about together without being odious the one to the other ? '

he wondered very much who the beautiful girl clad in such garments could be , and he stopped and spoke to her .

he soon learnt that she could not stand heat , and that her brother could not endure cold .

the king was so charmed by the snow-daughter , that he asked her to be his wife .

the girl consented , and the wedding was held with much state .

the king had a huge house of ice made for his wife underground , so that even in summer it did not melt .

but for his brother-in-law he had a house built with huge ovens all round it , that were kept heated all day and night .

one day the king gave a great feast , and asked his brother-in-law among the other guests .

then the fire-son replied with a laugh , ' don't be angry , dear brother !

i love heat and my sister loves cold come here and let me embrace you , and then i 'll go home at once . '

and before the king had time to reply , the fire-son seized him in a tight embrace .

when the snow-daughter saw this she turned on her brother and flew at him .

then a fight began , the like of which had never been seen on earth .

and so ended the unhappy brother and sister .

the story of king frost ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the russian .

there was once upon a time a peasant-woman who had a daughter and a step-daughter .

send her out into the fields , and let the cutting frost do for her . '

in vain did the poor old father weep and implore her pity ; she was firm , and he dared not gainsay her .

deserted by her father , the poor girl sat down under a fir-tree at the edge of the forest and began to weep silently .

suddenly she heard a faint sound : it was king frost springing from tree to tree , and cracking his fingers as he went .

' well , maiden , ' he snapped out , ' do you know who i am ?

i am king frost , king of the red-noses . '

' all hail to you , great king ! ' answered the girl , in a gentle , trembling voice .

' have you come to take me ? '

' are you warm , maiden ? ' he replied .

' quite warm , king frost , ' she answered , though she shivered as she spoke .

' maiden , are you warm ?

are you warm , you beautiful girl ? '

and though her breath was almost frozen on her lips , she whispered gently , ' quite warm , king frost . '

' maiden , are you still warm ?

are you still warm , little love ? '

and the poor girl was so stiff and numb that she could just gasp , ' still warm , o king ! '

in the meantime the wicked step-mother was waiting at home for news of the girl 's death , and preparing pancakes for the funeral feast .

just as the old man was leaving the house the little dog under the table began to bark , saying :

' your daughter shall live to be your delight ; her daughter shall die this very night . '

' hold your tongue , you foolish beast ! ' scolded the woman .

' there 's a pancake for you , but you must say :

" her daughter shall have much silver and gold ; his daughter is frozen quite stiff and cold . " '

but the doggie ate up the pancake and barked , saying :

' his daughter shall wear a crown on her head ; her daughter shall die unwooed , unwed . '

for a moment the step-mother 's eyes were dazzled .

in a few minutes king frost came past , and , looking at the girl , he said :

' are you warm , maiden ? '

' what a blind old fool you must be to ask such a question ! ' she answered angrily .

' can't you see that my hands and feet are nearly frozen ? '

but the doggie beneath the table began to bark , saying :

' your daughter is frozen quite stiff and cold , and shall never have a chest full of gold . '

' don't tell such wicked lies ! ' scolded the woman .

' there 's a cake for you ; now say :

" her daughter shall marry a mighty king . "

the death of the sun-hero ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the bukowinaer tales and legends .

von wliolocki .

many , many thousand years ago there lived a mighty king whom heaven had blessed with a clever and beautiful son .

now it happened one night that both his parents had the same extraordinary dream .

the prince was delighted at the prospect , and set out on his travels that very day .

he knocked at the door , which was opened noiselessly and by invisible hands .

finding no one about , the prince rode on , and came to a great meadow , where the sun-tree grew .

then he heard some one behind him laughing .

turning round , he saw the girl in red walking towards him , who addressed him in these words :

before you can do that , you have a difficult task before you .

do you think you can undertake this ? '

' yes , ' answered the sun-hero , ' i will guard the tree of the sun nine days and nine nights . '

then the girl continued : ' remember , though , if you do not succeed the sun will kill you .

now begin your watch . '

with these words the red girl went back into the golden castle .

so watch and keep the wolves away . '

the youth mounted his horse sadly , and rode home .

so cheer up and be happy . '

and a similar fate will overtake everyone under the sun who wrongfully assumes a title to which he has no right . '

the witch ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the russian .

once upon a time there was a peasant whose wife died , leaving him with two children twins a boy and a girl .

and so one morning she spoke to them , saying :

' we will first go and see our own dear grandmother , and tell her where our step-mother is sending us . '

and when the grandmother heard where they were going , she cried and said :

' you poor motherless children !

how i pity you ; and yet i can do nothing to help you !

your step-mother is not sending you to her granny , but to a wicked witch who lives in that great gloomy wood .

now listen to me , children .

who knows if , after all , help may not be sent to you ? '

' who 's there ? ' she snarled , in an awful voice , when she saw the children .

and they answered civilly , though they were so terrified that they hid behind one another , and said :

' good-morning , granny ; our step-mother has sent us to wait upon you , and serve you . '

' see that you do it well , then , ' growled the witch .

you have been gently reared , but you 'll find my work hard enough .

see if you don't . '

' little girl , why are your eyes so red ?

if you want help , then give us some bread . '

and the girl gave them the bread that her grandmother had given her .

and the wrens said :

' give us some crumbs , then you need not grieve .

for you 'll find that water will stay in the sieve . '

then the twins crumbled their bread on the ground , and the wrens pecked it , and chirruped and chirped .

so he did what they said , and carried the sieve full of water into the hut without spilling a drop .

when they entered the hut the cat was curled up on the floor .

so they stroked her , and fed her with ham , and said to her :

' pussy , grey pussy , tell us how we are to get away from the witch ? '

as soon as the handkerchief touched the ground a deep , broad river would spring up , which would hinder the witch 's progress .

the cat had scarcely finished speaking when the witch returned to see if the children had fulfilled their tasks .

then the witch left them to their tasks , and went out into the wood .

then they were hindered by the birch-trees , whose branches almost put their eyes out .

in the meantime in the hut the cat was busy weaving the linen and tangling the threads as it wove .

and the witch returned to see how the children were getting on ; and she crept up to the window , and whispered :

' are you weaving , my little dear ? '

' yes , granny , i am weaving , ' answered the cat .

why did you not scratch their eyes out ? '

then the witch was furious with the watch-dog and with the birch-trees , because they had let the children pass .

but the dog answered :

but the twins ran straight on till they reached their own home .

the hazel-nut child ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the bukowniaer .

van wliolocki .

at last heaven heard their prayer and sent them a child exactly the size of a hazel-nut , and it never grew an inch .

the parents were very devoted to the little creature , and nursed and tended it carefully .

what do you intend to be ? '

' a messenger , ' answered the hazel-nut child .

then his mother burst out laughing and said , ' what an idea !

you a messenger !

why , your little feet would take an hour to go the distance an ordinary person could do in a minute ! '

but the hazel-nut child replied , ' nevertheless i mean to be a messenger !

just send me a message and you 'll see that i shall be back in next to no time . '

so his mother said , ' very well , go to your aunt in the neighbouring village , and fetch me a comb . '

the hazel-nut child jumped quickly out of the egg-shell and ran out into the street .

here he found a man on horseback who was just setting out for the neighbouring village .

on the way home he met another rider , and did the return journey in exactly the same way .

his father too possessed a horse which he often used to take out into the fields to graze .

one day he took the hazel-nut child with him .

at midday the father turned to his small son and said , ' stay here and look after the horse .

i must go home and give your mother a message , but i shall be back soon . '

so he mounted the horse and rode away .

one autumn when the hazel-nut child was twenty years old he said to his parents : ' farewell , my dear father and mother .

i am going to set out into the world , and as soon as i have become rich i will return home to you . '

the parents laughed at the little man 's words , but did not believe him for a moment .

in the evening the hazel-nut child crept on to the roof , where some storks had built their nest .

the next morning the storks flew towards the south , for winter was approaching .

in this way he reached the country of the black people , where the storks took up their abode close to the capital .

when the people saw the hazel-nut child they were much astonished , and took him with the stork to the king of the country .

so the hazel-nut child and his parents lived in happiness and prosperity after this till they died .

the story of big klaus and little klaus

in a certain village there lived two people who had both the same name .

both were called klaus , but one owned four horses and the other only one .

now you shall hear what befell them both , for this is a true story .

' you mustn't say that , ' said big klaus .

' only one horse is yours . '

' i really won't say it again ! ' said little klaus .

' alas !

now i have no horse ! ' said little klaus , beginning to cry .

he had a long way to go , and had to pass through a great dark forest .

right in front of him was a large farm-house .

the window-shutters were closed , but the light came through the chinks .

' well , i must lie down outside , ' said little klaus ; and the farmer 's wife shut the door in his face .

close by stood a large haystack , and between it and the house a little out-house , covered with a flat thatched roof .

for a live stork was standing on the roof , where it had its nest .

so little klaus crept up into the out-house , where he lay down , and made himself comfortable for the night .

the wooden shutters over the windows were not shut at the top , and he could just see into the room .

there stood a large table , spread with wine and roast meat and a beautiful fish .

the farmer 's wife and the sexton sat at the table , but there was no one else .

she was filling up his glass , while he stuck his fork into the fish which was his favourite dish .

' if one could only get some of that ! ' thought little klaus , stretching his head towards the window .

ah , what delicious cakes he saw standing there !

it was a feast !

then he heard someone riding along the road towards the house .

it was the farmer coming home .

he was a very worthy man ; but he had one great peculiarity namely , that he could not bear to see a sexton .

if he saw one he was made quite mad .

but when they heard the farmer coming they were frightened , and the farmer 's wife begged the sexton to creep into a great empty chest .

he did so , as he knew the poor man could not bear to see a sexton .

' oh , dear ! oh , dear ! ' groaned little klaus up in the shed , when he saw the good food disappearing .

' is anybody up there ? ' asked the farmer , catching sight of little klaus .

' why are you lying there ?

come with me into the house . '

then little klaus told him how he had lost his way , and begged to be allowed to spend the night there .

' yes , certainly , ' said the farmer ; ' but we must first have something to eat ! '

the wife received them both very kindly , spread a long table , and gave them a large plate of porridge .

the porridge did not taste good to him , so he trod upon his sack , and the dry skin in the sack squeaked loudly .

' hallo ! what have you got in your sack ? ' asked the farmer .

' oh , it is a wizard ! ' said little klaus .

' he says we should not eat porridge , for he has conjured the whole oven full of roast meats and fish and cakes . '

little klaus now trod again on his sack , so that the skin squeaked .

' what does he say now ? ' asked the farmer .

the wife had to fetch the wine which she had hidden , and the farmer drank and grew very merry .

he would very much like to have had such a wizard as little klaus had in the sack .

' can he conjure up the devil ? ' asked the farmer .

' i should like to see him very much , for i feel just now in very good spirits ! '

' yes , ' said little klaus ; ' my wizard can do everything that i ask .

isn't that true ? ' he asked , treading on the sack so that it squeaked .

' do you hear ?

he says " yes ; " but that the devil looks so ugly that we should not like to see him . '

' oh !

i 'm not at all afraid .

what does he look like ? '

' he will show himself in the shape of a sexton ! '

' i say ! ' said the farmer , ' he must be ugly !

you must know that i can't bear to look at a sexton !

but it doesn't matter .

i know that it is the devil , and i sha'n't mind !

i feel up to it now .

but he must not come too near me ! '

' i must ask my wizard , ' said little klaus , treading on the sack and putting his ear to it .

' what does he say ? '

the farmer opened the lid a little way , and saw him inside .

' ugh ! ' he shrieked , springing back .

' yes , now i have seen him ; he looked just like our sexton .

oh , it was horrid ! '

so he had to drink again , and they drank till far on into the night .

' you must sell me the wizard , ' said the farmer .

' ask anything you like !

i will pay you down a bushelful of money on the spot . '

' no , i really can't , ' said little klans .

' just think how many things i can get from this wizard ! '

' ah !

i should like to have him so much ! ' said the farmer , begging very hard .

you shall have the wizard for a bushel of money , but i must have full measure . '

' that you shall , ' said the farmer .

' but you must take the chest with you .

i won't keep it another hour in the house .

who knows that he isn't in there still ? '

little klaus gave the farmer his sack with the dry skin , and got instead a good bushelful of money .

the farmer also gave him a wheelbarrow to carry away his money and the chest .

' farewell , ' said little klaus ; and away he went with his money and the big chest , wherein sat the sexton .

on the other side of the wood was a large deep river .

the water flowed so rapidly that you could scarcely swim against the stream .

' now , what am i to do with this stupid chest ?

it is as heavy as if it were filled with stones !

i shall only be tired , dragging it along ; i will throw it into the river .

if it swims home to me , well and good ; and if it doesn't , it 's no matter . '

' no , don't do that ! ' called out the sexton in the chest .

' let me get out first ! '

' oh , oh ! ' said little klaus , pretending that he was afraid .

' he is still in there !

i must throw him quickly into the water to drown him ! '

' oh ! no , no ! ' cried the sexton .

' i will give you a whole bushelful of money if you will let me go ! '

' ah , that 's quite another thing ! ' said little klaus , opening the chest .

one he had had already from the farmer , and now he had his wheelbarrow full of money .

so he sent a boy to big klaus to borrow a bushel measure from him .

and this is just what happened ; for when he got his measure back , three new silver five-shilling pieces were sticking to it .

what does this mean ? ' said big klaus , and he ran off at once to little klaus .

' where did you get so much money from ? '

' oh , that was from my horse-skin .

i sold it yesterday evening . '

' skins ! skins !

who will buy skins ? ' he cried through the streets .

all the shoemakers and tanners came running to ask him what he wanted for them .

' a bushel of money for each , ' said big klaus .

' are you mad ? ' they all exclaimed .

' do you think we have money by the bushel ? '

' skins ! skins !

' skins ! skins ! ' they cried mockingly ; yes , we will tan your skin for you !

' aha ! ' said he when he came home , ' little klaus shall pay dearly for this .

i will kill him ! '

little klaus ' grandmother had just died .

there she lay the whole night , while he sat in the corner and slept on a chair , which he had often done before .

and in the night as he sat there the door opened , and big klaus came in with his axe .

' there ! ' said he .

' now you won't get the best of me again ! '

and he went home .

' what a very wicked man ! ' thought little klaus .

' he was going to kill me !

it was a good thing for my grandmother that she was dead already , or else he would have killed her ! '

when the sun rose they were in front of a large inn .

little klaus got down , and went in to get something to drink .

the host was very rich .

he was a very worthy but hot-tempered man .

' good morning ! ' said he to little klaus .

' you are early on the road . '

' yes , ' said little klaus .

' i am going to the town with my grandmother .

she is sitting outside in the cart ; i cannot bring her in .

will you not give her a glass of mead ?

but you will have to speak loud , for she is very hard of hearing . '

' here is a glass of mead from your son , ' said the host .

but the dead woman did not answer a word , and sat still .

' don't you hear ? ' cried the host as loud as he could .

' here is a glass of mead from your son ! '

' hullo ! ' cried little klaus , running out of the door , and seizing the host by the throat .

' you have killed my grandmother !

look ! there is a great hole in her forehead ! '

' oh , what a misfortune ! ' cried the host , wringing his hands .

' it all comes from my hot temper !

dear little klaus !

so little klaus got a bushel of money , and the host buried his grandmother as if she had been his own .

now when little klaus again reached home with so much money he sent his boy to big klaus to borrow his bushel measure .

' what 's this ? ' said big klaus .

' didn't i kill him ?

i must see to this myself ! '

so he went himself to little klaus with the measure .

' well , now , where did you get all this money ? ' asked he , opening his eyes at the heap .

' you killed my grandmother not me , ' said little klaus .

' i sold her , and got a bushel of money for her . '

' who is it , and how did you get it ? ' asked the apothecary .

' it is my grandmother , ' said big klaus .

' i killed her in order to get a bushel of money . '

' you are mad ! ' said the apothecary .

' don't mention such things , or you will lose your head ! '

the apothecary and all the people thought he must be mad , so they let him go .

' you shall pay for this ! ' said big klaus as he drove home .

' you shall pay for this dearly , little klaus ! '

first i killed my horses , then my grandmother !

it is all your fault ; but you sha'n't do it again ! '

he had to go a long way before he came to the river , and little klaus was not very light .

the road passed by the church ; the organ was sounding , and the people were singing most beautifully .

little klaus could not get out , and everybody was in church ; so he went in .

' oh , dear ! oh , dear ! ' groaned little klaus in the sack , twisting and turning himself .

but he could not undo the string .

there came by an old , old shepherd , with snow-white hair and a long staff in his hand .

he was driving a herd of cows and oxen .

these pushed against the sack so that it was overturned .

' alas ! ' moaned little klans , ' i am so young and yet i must die ! '

' and i , poor man , ' said the cattle-driver , ' i am so old and yet i cannot die ! '

' i will gladly do that , ' said the cattle-driver ; and he opened the sack , and little klaus struggled out at once .

' how easy he is to carry now !

that must be because i heard part of the service . '

' down you go !

you won't mock me any more now ! '

then he went home ; but when he came to the cross-roads , there he met little klaus , who was driving his cattle .

' what 's this ? ' said big klaus .

' haven't i drowned you ? '

' yes , ' replied little klaus ; ' you threw me into the river a good half-hour ago ! '

' but how did you get those splendid cattle ? ' asked big klaus .

' they are sea-cattle ! ' said little klaus .

how frightened i was when i was in the sack !

how the wind whistled in my ears as you threw me from the bridge into the cold water !

i sank at once to the bottom ; but i did not hurt myself for underneath was growing the most beautiful soft grass .

now i saw that the river was a great high-road for the sea-people .

along it they travel underneath from the sea to the land till the river ends .

what lovely people there were , and what fine cattle were grazing in the ditches and dykes ! '

' but why did you come up to us again ? ' asked big klaus .

' i should not have done so , if it is so beautiful down below ! '

' oh ! ' said little klaus , ' that was just so politic of me .

but i know what windings the river makes , now here , now there , so that it is a long way round .

therefore it makes it much shorter if one comes on the land and drives across the field to the river .

thus i have spared myself quite half a mile , and have come much quicker to my sea-cattle ! '

' oh , you 're a lucky fellow ! ' said big klaus .

' do you think i should also get some cattle if i went to the bottom of the river ? '

' oh , yes !

i think so , ' said little klaus .

' but i can't carry you in a sack to the river ; you are too heavy for me !

if you like to go there yourself and then creep into the sack , i will throw you in with the greatest of pleasure . '

' oh , no !

don't be so hard on me ! '

then they went to the river .

when the cattle , which were thirsty , caught sight of the water , they ran as quickly as they could to drink .

' look how they are running ! ' said little klaus .

' they want to go to the bottom again ! '

' yes ; but help me first , ' said big klaus , ' or else you shall have a beating ! '

and so he crept into the large sack , which was lying on the back of one of the oxen .

' put a stone in , for i am afraid i may not reach the bottom , ' said big klaus .

plump ! there was big klaus in the water , and he sank like lead to the bottom .

' i doubt if he will find any cattle ! ' said little klaus as he drove his own home .

prince ring ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the icelandic .

once upon a time there was a king and his queen in their kingdom .

they had one daughter , who was called ingiborg , and one son , whose name was ring .

when he was twelve years old , one fine winter day he rode into the forest along with his men to enjoy himself .

they went on a long way , until they caught sight of a hind with a gold ring on its horns .

the prince went up to her and saluted her politely , and she received him very graciously .

then she fixed the top on the barrel and threw it out into the sea .

the old woman was greatly pleased , and began to fondle the prince with the utmost delight .

he stayed there with them , and was very willing and obedient to them in everything , while they grew kinder to him every day .

then he saw that it was a big dog , which spoke to him and said :

' choose me , prince ring . '

the giant was taken by surprise , and said :

' there , you chose my old woman 's right hand ; but i must not break my word . '

after he had walked on in silence for a time the dog spoke to him and said :

' you don't seem to have much curiosity , seeing you never ask my name . '

the prince then forced himself to ask , ' what is your name ? '

' you had best call me snati-snati , ' said the dog .

the prince now began to be less afraid of the dog .

they came to the king and asked him to keep them all the winter , to which he agreed .

they replied that they didn't care a bit what he thought .

the king replied that it was only a short time since he had come there .

red then asked him to send them both to cut down wood next morning , and see which of them could do most work .

next morning the king asked ring and red to go and cut down trees for him , and both agreed .

ring was now in far greater esteem with the king than before , and red was all the more discontented .

ring grew terribly afraid .

' how do you like them ? ' asked snati .

' not well at all , ' said the prince .

with this snati leapt at the big one , and was not long in bringing him down .

each of them then began to flay their own ox , but ring was only half through by the time snati had finished his .

the prince agreed , and laid everything on the dog except the skin of the smaller ox , which he staggered along with himself .

one day a good idea came into his head .

he came to the king and said he had something to say to him .

' what is that ? ' said the king .

' don't remind me of them ! ' said the king .

' what is that ? ' said ring .

if you can bring them to me before christmas i will give you my daughter in marriage . '

' where am i to look for them , then ? ' said ring .

' that you must find out for yourself , ' said the king : ' i don't know . '

the prince assented to this , and began to prepare for the journey .

' we must go up here , ' said snati .

' i don't think that will be child 's play , ' said the prince .

the prince began to get giddy , but up went snati on to the second shelf .

this was on christmas eve .

' now you must empty all the salt into the porridge-pot , ' said snati .

ring did so , and soon the trolls wakened up .

the old hag , who was the most frightful of them all , went first to taste the porridge .

' how comes this ? ' she said ; ' the porridge is salt !

i got the milk by witchcraft yesterday out of four kingdoms , and now it is salt ! '

' i won't go , ' said she , ' unless you lend me your bright gold piece . '

' though i should die you shan't have that , ' said the hag .

' die , then , ' said the girl .

the girl took the gold and ran out with it , and it was so bright that it shone all over the plain .

' i won't go , ' said he , ' unless i get the gold cloak . '

' though i should die you shan't have that , ' said the hag .

' die , then , ' said the son .

he put on the cloak , and when he came outside it shone so bright that he could see to go with it .

' i won't go , ' said the old troll , ' unless you lend me the gold chess-board . '

' though i should die you shan't have that , ' said the hag .

snati immediately sprang upon him , and ring assisted in the attack , and after a hard struggle they mastered him a second time .

when they got back again to the window they saw that the old hag was moving towards the door .

she is the worst witch that ever lived , and no iron can cut her .

one of us must pour boiling porridge out of the pot on her , and the other punch her with red-hot iron . '

then they burned the old troll and her to ashes , and explored the cave , where they found plenty of gold and treasures .

the most valuable of these they carried with them as far as the cliff , and left them there .

ring said he was welcome to do so , and that he deserved more from him than that came to .

so the king sent for ring and asked him for what reason he had done this .

the king went with him to his sleeping-room , and saw lying on the bed a man 's hand holding a sword .

so red was hanged , and ring married the king 's daughter .

ring instantly took the skin and burned it , and then shook the prince , who was lying unconscious , until he woke up .

the bridegroom then asked his name ; he replied that he was called ring , and was a king 's son .

then they went to the island and removed all that was valuable from it .

the swineherd

there was once a poor prince .

he possessed a kingdom which , though small , was yet large enough for him to marry on , and married he wished to be .

now it was certainly a little audacious of him to venture to say to the emperor 's daughter , ' will you marry me ? '

but he did venture to say so , for his name was known far and wide .

there were hundreds of princesses who would gladly have said ' yes , ' but would she say the same ?

well , we shall see .

on the grave of the prince 's father grew a rose-tree , a very beautiful rose-tree .

it only bloomed every five years , and then bore but a single rose , but oh , such a rose !

its scent was so sweet that when you smelt it you forgot all your cares and troubles .

and he had also a nightingale which could sing as if all the beautiful melodies in the world were shut up in its little throat .

this rose and this nightingale the princess was to have , and so they were both put into silver caskets and sent to her .

and when she caught sight of the big caskets which contained the presents , she clapped her hands for joy .

' if only it were a little pussy cat ! ' she said .

but the rose-tree with the beautiful rose came out .

' but how prettily it is made ! ' said all the ladies-in-waiting .

' it is more than pretty , ' said the emperor , ' it is charming ! '

but the princess felt it , and then she almost began to cry .

' ugh !

papa , ' she said , ' it is not artificial , it is real ! '

' ugh ! ' said all the ladies-in-waiting , ' it is real ! '

it sang so beautifully that one could scarcely utter a cross word against it .

' superbe ! charmant ! ' said the ladies-in-waiting , for they all chattered french , each one worse than the other .

' how much the bird reminds me of the musical snuff-box of the late empress ! ' said an old courtier .

' ah , yes , it is the same tone , the same execution ! '

' yes , ' said the emperor ; and then he wept like a little child .

' i hope that this , at least , is not real ? ' asked the princess .

' yes , it is a real bird , ' said those who had brought it .

' then let the bird fly away , ' said the princess ; and she would not on any account allow the prince to come .

' but he was nothing daunted .

he painted his face brown and black , drew his cap well over his face , and knocked at the door .

' good-day , emperor , ' he said .

' can i get a place here as servant in the castle ? '

and the prince got the situation of imperial swineherd .

all round it were little bells , and when the pot boiled they jingled most beautifully and played the old tune

' where is augustus dear ?

alas ! he 's not here , here , here ! '

that was indeed something quite different from the rose .

it was the only tune she knew , but that she could play with one finger .

' why , that is what i play ! ' she said .

' he must be a most accomplished swineherd !

listen !

go down and ask him what the instrument costs . '

and one of the ladies-in-waiting had to go down ; but she put on wooden clogs .

' what will you take for the pot ? ' asked the lady-in-waiting .

' i will have ten kisses from the princess , ' answered the swineherd .

' heaven forbid ! ' said the lady-in-waiting .

' yes , i will sell it for nothing less , ' replied the swineherd .

' well , what does he say ? ' asked the princess .

' i really hardly like to tell you , ' answered the lady-in-waiting .

' oh , then you can whisper it to me . '

' he is disobliging ! ' said the princess , and went away .

but she had only gone a few steps when the bells rang out so prettily

' where is augustus dear ?

alas ! he 's not here , here , here . '

' listen ! ' said the princess .

' ask him whether he will take ten kisses from my ladies-in-waiting . '

' no , thank you , ' said the swineherd .

' ten kisses from the princess , or else i keep my pot . '

' that is very tiresome ! ' said the princess .

' but you must put yourselves in front of me , so that no one can see . '

what happiness that was !

the ladies-in-waiting danced and clapped their hands .

' yes , very interesting ! ' said the first lady-in-waiting .

' but don't say anything about it , for i am the emperor 's daughter . '

' oh , no , of course we won't ! ' said everyone .

' but that is superbe ! ' said the princess as she passed by .

' i have never heard a more beautiful composition .

listen !

go down and ask him what this instrument costs ; but i won't kiss him again . '

' he wants a hundred kisses from the princess , ' said the lady-in-waiting who had gone down to ask him .

' one ought to encourage art , ' she said .

' i am the emperor 's daughter !

tell him he shall have , as before , ten kisses ; the rest he can take from my ladies-in-waiting . '

' but we don't at all like being kissed by him , ' said the ladies-in-waiting .

' that 's nonsense , ' said the princess ; ' and if i can kiss him , you can too .

besides , remember that i give you board and lodging . '

so the ladies-in-waiting had to go down to him again .

' a hundred kisses from the princess , ' said he , ' or each keeps his own . '

' what can that commotion be by the pigsties ? ' asked the emperor , who was standing on the balcony .

he rubbed his eyes and put on his spectacles .

' why those are the ladies-in-waiting playing their games ; i must go down to them . '

so he took off his shoes , which were shoes though he had trodden them down into slippers .

what a hurry he was in , to be sure !

he stood on tiptoe .

' be off with you ! ' said the emperor , for he was very angry .

and the princess and the swineherd were driven out of the empire .

then she stood still and wept ; the swineherd was scolding , and the rain was streaming down .

' alas , what an unhappy creature i am ! ' sobbed the princess .

' if only i had taken the beautiful prince !

alas , how unfortunate i am ! '

' i now come to this .

i despise you ! ' he said .

this is what you get for it ! '

and he went into his kingdom and shut the door in her face , and she had to stay outside singing

' where 's my augustus dear ?

alas ! he 's not here , here , here !

how to tell a true princess

there was once upon a time a prince who wanted to marry a princess , but she must be a true princess .

so he travelled through the whole world to find one , but there was always something against each .

there were plenty of princesses , but he could not find out if they were true princesses .

in every case there was some little defect , which showed the genuine article was not yet found .

so he came home again in very low spirits , for he had wanted very much to have a true princess .

one night there was a dreadful storm ; it thundered and lightened and the rain streamed down in torrents .

it was fearful !

there was a knocking heard at the palace gate , and the old king went to open it .

there stood a princess outside the gate ; but oh , in what a sad plight she was from the rain and the storm !

the water was running down from her hair and her dress into the points of her shoes and out at the heels again .

and yet she said she was a true princess !

' well , we shall soon find that ! ' thought the old queen .

then she put twenty mattresses on top of the pea , and twenty eider-down quilts on the top of the mattresses .

and this was the bed in which the princess was to sleep .

the next morning she was asked how she had slept .

' oh , very badly ! ' said the princess .

' i scarcely closed my eyes all night !

i am sure i don't know what was in the bed .

i laid on something so hard that my whole body is black and blue .

it is dreadful ! '

now they perceived that she was a true princess , because she had felt the pea through the twenty mattresses and the twenty eider-down quilts .

no one but a true princess could be so sensitive .

so the prince married her , for now he knew that at last he had got hold of a true princess .

and the pea was put into the royal museum , where it is still to be seen if no one has stolen it .

now this is a true story .

the blue mountains

the chance came and they took it .

on the second morning the scotsman saw from the top of his tree a great castle far away .

at this he looked up , and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on .

' oh , it is fortune that has sent you to me , ' he said .

' it is indeed , ' said she .

' what are you in need of , or what has sent you here ? '

' necessity , ' said he .

' i am dying for want of food and drink . '

' come inside , then , ' she said ; ' there is plenty of both here . '

she then set food before him , and after that showed him to the room where the others were .

he lay down on one of the beds and fell sound asleep .

and now we must go back to the two that he left behind him in the wood .

off he went without saying a word to the irishman , and everything happened to him just as it had done to the scotsman .

when night came he climbed up into the same tree as the englishman had been on the night before .

this he did very willingly , and she set before him food and drink that he had never seen the like of before .

' i shall tell you that , ' said she .

if ever i saw a man who looked likely to do this , you are the one .

every other man that has come , so long as i have been here , lies asleep in the big room down there . '

' i am the man for you , then , ' said he ; ' i will take on hand to do it . '

' i won't , ' he said .

the next moment the door came flying in , and those outside along with it .

the irishman was little more than alive by this time .

as soon as daylight appeared the princess came , and found him lying full length on the floor , unable to speak a word .

she tried to see if there was breath in him , but could not quite make it out .

then she put her hand on his pulse , and found a faint movement in it .

so that business was finished , and the princess was freed from the spell .

he told her to ' be aisy , ' and not speak like that to him .

' where did you come from , my lad ? ' said the irishman .

' i came to make ready your food for you , ' said he .

' who told you to do that ? ' said the irishman .

' my mistress , ' answered the lad ' the princess that was under the spell and is now free . '

by this the irishman knew that she had sent the lad to wait on him .

before long the princess came with the carriage and four horses , and asked the lad whether his master was awake .

he said that he wasn't .

' it is bad for him , ' said she , ' when the night is not long enough for him to sleep .

as soon as she was gone the lad took the pin out of his master 's coat , who instantly awoke .

the first word he said to the lad was , ' have you seen her ? '

' dear ! dear ! ' said the princess , ' i am sorry for him .

was the sleep he had last night not enough for him ?

with this she went off , and as soon as she had gone the lad took the pin out of his master 's coat .

he awoke instantly , and the first word he said was , ' have you seen her ? '

the lad said that he had , and there was the sword she had left for him .

they started to their feet at once , and he gave them as much silver and gold as they could carry when they went away .

so he took the best horse in the stable and set out .

three years he spent travelling through forests and wildernesses , but could find no one able to tell him anything of the princess .

he looked at this , and read there , ' you will find me in the blue mountains . '

seeing a stranger on horseback , he asked what brought him there and where he was going .

' come in , ' said the old man , ' and stay with me all night .

the irishman stayed there all night , and as soon as morning came rose to go .

the irishman answered that he could never go these nine hundred miles , for his horse was giving in already .

' that doesn't matter , ' said the old man ; ' i can do better than that .

i have only to blow my whistle and you will be at my brother 's house before nightfall . '

' i am going to see if i can find anyone that can tell me where the blue mountains are , ' he said .

he stayed there all night , but there was not a word in the book about the blue mountains .

so he blew his whistle , and the irishman landed at the brother 's house before nightfall .

' where are you going to ? ' he said .

' i am going about asking for the blue mountains , ' said the irishman .

' the blue mountains ? ' said the old man .

' yes , ' said the irishman .

' i never heard the name before ; but if they do exist i shall find them out .

i am master of all the birds in the world , and have only to blow my whistle and every one will come to me .

so he blew his whistle , and when he blew it then all the birds of the world began to gather .

soon afterwards he saw something big coming towards him , darkening the sky .

it kept coming nearer and growing bigger , and what was this after all but the eagle ?

when she arrived the old man scolded her , and asked what had kept her so long behind .

' where have you come from , then ? ' said the old man .

' from the blue mountains , ' said she .

' indeed ! ' said the old man ; and what are they doing there ? '

now she can wait no longer , for three years is the time that she agreed with her father to remain without marrying . '

as soon as the irishman and the old man heard her demand they went out hunting , and before evening they had killed three-score cattle .

fortunately the points of his toes just touched the bottom , and he managed to get ashore .

he went into the first house he came to , and this happened to be the house of the king 's hen-wife .

he asked the old woman what was causing all the noise and light in the town .

' there is a guinea for you , ' said he ; ' go and bring her here . '

the old woman went , and soon returned along with the princess .

she and the irishman recognised each other , and were married , and had a great wedding that lasted for a year and a day .

the tinder-box

a soldier came marching along the high road left , right !

a left , right !

an old witch met him on the road .

she was very ugly to look at : her under-lip hung down to her breast .

' good evening , soldier ! ' she said .

' what a fine sword and knapsack you have !

you are something like a soldier !

you ought to have as much money as you would like to carry ! '

' thank you , old witch , ' said the soldier .

' do you see that great tree there ? ' said the witch , pointing to a tree beside them .

' it is hollow within .

you must climb up to the top , and then you will see a hole through which you can let yourself down into the tree .

i will tie a rope round your waist , so that i may be able to pull you up again when you call . '

' what shall i do down there ? ' asked the soldier .

' get money ! ' answered the witch .

' listen !

then you will see three doors , which you can open the keys are in the locks .

it is copper there .

but don't take any notice of him ; just set him upon my apron , and help yourself to the money .

but the dog that guards the chest there has eyes as large as the round tower at copenhagen !

he is a savage dog , i can tell you ; but you needn't be afraid of him either .

' come , this is not bad ! ' said the soldier .

' but what am i to give you , old witch ; for surely you are not going to do this for nothing ? '

' yes , i am ! ' replied the witch .

' not a single farthing will i take !

for me you shall bring nothing but an old tinder-box which my grandmother forgot last time she was down there . '

' well , tie the rope round my waist ! ' said the soldier .

' here it is , ' said the witch , ' and here is my blue-check apron . '

well , he opened the first door .

ugh ! there sat the dog with eyes as big as saucers glaring at him .

sure enough there sat the dog with eyes as large as mill-wheels .

' you had better not look at me so hard ! ' said the soldier .

' your eyes will come out of their sockets ! '

and then he set the dog on the apron .

then he went into the third room .

' good evening ! ' said the soldier and saluted , for he had never seen a dog like this before .

heavens ! what a heap of gold there was !

now he was rich indeed .

he put the dog back upon the chest , shut the door , and then called up through the tree :

' now pull me up again , old witch ! '

' have you got the tinder-box also ? ' asked the witch .

' botheration ! ' said the soldier , ' i had clean forgotten it ! '

and then he went back and fetched it .

' what do you want to do with the tinder-box ? ' asked the soldier .

' that doesn't matter to you , ' replied the witch .

' you have got your money , give me my tinder-box . '

' we 'll see ! ' said the soldier .

' no ! ' screamed the witch .

the soldier immediately cut off her head .

that was the end of her !

it was a splendid town !

it certainly occurred to the servant who had to clean his boots that they were astonishingly old boots for such a rich lord .

but that was because he had not yet bought new ones ; next day he appeared in respectable boots and fine clothes .

' how can one get to see her ? ' asked the soldier .

' i should very much like to see her , ' thought the soldier ; but he could not get permission .

and the soldier liked that .

none of his friends came to visit him there , for there were too many stairs to climb .

it was a dark evening , and he could not even buy a light .

' what does my lord command ? '

' what 's the meaning of this ? ' exclaimed the soldier .

' this is a pretty kind of tinder-box , if i can get whatever i want like this .

now the soldier knew what a capital tinder-box this was .

now , the soldier went down again to his beautiful rooms , and appeared once more in splendid clothes .

all his friends immediately recognised him again , and paid him great court .

one day he thought to himself : ' it is very strange that no one can get to see the princess .

can i not manage to see her somehow ?

the dog was already outside the door , and before the soldier could look round , in he came with the princess .

she was lying asleep on the dog 's back , and was so beautiful that anyone could see she was a real princess .

the soldier really could not refrain from kissing her he was such a thorough soldier .

then the dog ran back with the princess .

' that is certainly a fine story , ' said the queen .

but the lady-in-waiting slipped on india-rubber shoes and followed them .

then she went home and lay down , and the dog came back also , with the princess .

early next morning the king , queen , ladies-in-waiting , and officers came out to see where the princess had been .

' there it is ! ' said the king , when he saw the first door with a cross on it .

' no , there it is , my dear ! ' said the queen , when she likewise saw a door with a cross .

then they realised that the sign would not help them at all .

but the queen was an extremely clever woman , who could do a great deal more than just drive in a coach .

she took her great golden scissors , cut up a piece of silk , and made a pretty little bag of it .

there he sat .

oh , how dark and dull it was there !

and they told him : ' to-morrow you are to be hanged . '

hearing that did not exactly cheer him , and he had left his tinder-box in the inn .

he heard the drums and saw the soldiers marching ; all the people were running to and fro .

' oh , shoemaker 's boy , you needn't be in such a hurry ! ' said the soldier to him .

' there 's nothing going on till i arrive .

but if you will run back to the house where i lived , and fetch me my tinder-box , i will give you four shillings .

but you must put your best foot foremost . '

outside the town a great scaffold had been erected , and all round were standing the soldiers , and hundreds of thousands of people .

the king and queen were sitting on a magnificent throne opposite the judges and the whole council .

he would so much like to smoke a small pipe of tobacco ; it would be his last pipe in this world .

the king could not refuse him this , and so he took out his tinder-box , and rubbed it once , twice , three times .

' help me now , so that i may not be hanged ! ' cried the soldier .

then they put the soldier into the king 's coach , and the three dogs danced in front , crying ' hurrah ! '

and the boys whistled and the soldiers presented arms .

the princess came out of the copper castle , and became queen ; and that pleased her very much .

the wedding festivities lasted for eight days , and the dogs sat at table and made eyes at everyone .

the witch in the stone boat ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the icelandic .

sigurd was not averse to this , and asked his father where he thought it best to look for a wife .

so the two parted , and sigurd prepared for the journey , and went to where his father had directed him .

after that sigurd married the princess , and helped his father-in-law to govern the kingdom .

sigurd now prepared to return home with his wife and child , and went on board ship to go by sea .

sigurd and his queen were one day on deck , when most of the others on the ship had fallen asleep .

there they sat and talked for a while , and had their little son along with them .

a good while after sigurd had gone below the queen saw something black on the sea , which seemed to be coming nearer .

last of all she took the queen , put her into the boat , and said

' this spell i lay upon you , that you slacken not your course until you come to my brother in the underworld . '

it was great carelessness of him , she said , to leave no one to watch the ship with her .

as soon as the child got into her charge he stopped crying , and behaved well as before .

after the sea-voyage it seemed to the king that the queen had altered very much in many ways , and not for the better .

he thought her much more haughty and stubborn and difficult to deal with than she used to be .

before long others began to notice this as well as the king .

their room was next the queen 's , and often during the day they heard the queen talking .

as she said this she yawned tremendously , and in a moment had put on the appearance of a fearfully ugly troll .

she began to eat out of it , and never stopped till she had finished it .

the young fellows saw all this going on , but did not hear the two of them say anything to each other .

now we must go back to the king 's son after he had been put in charge of the nurse .

although the woman had not spoken a single word to her , the nurse was very much frightened , but told no one about it .

the king saw at once that it was his own queen , and immediately hewed asunder the iron chain that was fastened to the belt .

at last , however , the noises and shaking stopped , and they began to come to themselves again .

the giant 's dwelling , indeed , was right under the palace , and the terrible shakings must have been caused by him in his death-throes .

the king now understood how the queen he had had for some time past had been so ill-tempered .

the real queen was now restored to all her dignity , and was beloved by all .

the nurse was married to a nobleman , and the king and queen gave her splendid presents .

thumbelina

' oh , we have just got one ready ! ' said the witch .

put it in a flower-pot , and then you will see something happen . '

' oh , thank you ! ' said the woman , and gave the witch a shilling , for that was what it cost .

she was scarcely half a thumb in height ; so they called her thumbelina .

an elegant polished walnut-shell served thumbelina as a cradle , the blue petals of a violet were her mattress , and a rose-leaf her coverlid .

it was such a pretty sight !

she could sing , too , with a voice more soft and sweet than had ever been heard before .

one night , when she was lying in her pretty little bed , an old toad crept in through a broken pane in the window .

she was very ugly , clumsy , and clammy ; she hopped on to the table where thumbelina lay asleep under the red rose-leaf .

there flowed a great wide stream , with slippery and marshy banks ; here the toad lived with her son .

ugh ! how ugly and clammy he was , just like his mother !

' croak , croak , croak ! ' was all he could say when he saw the pretty little girl in the walnut-shell .

' don't talk so load , or you 'll wake her , ' said the old toad .

' she might escape us even now ; she is as light as a feather .

we will put her at once on a broad water-lily leaf in the stream .

that will be quite an island for her ; she is so small and light .

she can't run away from us there , whilst we are preparing the guest-chamber under the marsh where she shall live . '

outside in the brook grew many water-lilies , with broad green leaves , which looked as if they were swimming about on the water .

the leaf farthest away was the largest , and to this the old toad swam with thumbelina in her walnut-shell .

she wanted to fetch the pretty cradle to put it into her room before thumbelina herself came there .

' croak , croak , croak ! ' was all that the son could say .

when they saw her , they thought her so pretty that they were very sorry she should go down with the ugly toad to live .

no ; that must not happen .

they assembled in the water round the green stalk which supported the leaf on which she was sitting , and nibbled the stem in two .

away floated the leaf down the stream , bearing thumbelina far beyond the reach of the toad .

the leaf floated farther and farther away ; thus thumbelina left her native land .

a beautiful little white butterfly fluttered above her , and at last settled on the leaf .

oh , dear ! how terrified poor little thumbelina was when the cockchafer flew off with her to the tree !

how very miserable ! '

' she has no feelers ! ' cried another .

' how ugly she is ! ' said all the lady chafers and yet thumbelina was really very pretty .

so he flew down from the tree with her and put her on a daisy .

the whole summer poor little thumbelina lived alone in the great wood .

thus the summer and autumn passed , but then came winter the long , cold winter .

she was terribly cold , for her clothes were ragged , and she herself was so small and thin .

poor little thumbelina ! she would surely be frozen to death .

just outside the wood where she was now living lay a great corn-field .

but the corn had been gone a long time ; only the dry , bare stubble was left standing in the frozen ground .

this made a forest for her to wander about in .

all at once she came across the door of a field-mouse , who had a little hole under a corn-stalk .

there the mouse lived warm and snug , with a store-room full of corn , a splendid kitchen and dining-room .

' poor little creature ! ' said the field-mouse , for she was a kind-hearted old thing at the bottom .

' come into my warm room and have some dinner with me . '

and thumbelina did all that the kind old field-mouse asked , and did it remarkably well too .

' now i am expecting a visitor , ' said the field-mouse ; ' my neighbour comes to call on me once a week .

he is in better circumstances than i am , has great , big rooms , and wears a fine black-velvet coat .

if you could only marry him , you would be well provided for .

but he is blind .

you must tell him all the prettiest stories you know . '

but thumbelina did not trouble her head about him , for he was only a mole .

he came and paid them a visit in his black-velvet coat .

' he is so rich and so accomplished , ' the field-mouse told her .

but the mole kicked him with his bandy legs and said :

' now he can't sing any more !

it must be very miserable to be a little bird !

i 'm thankful that none of my little children are ; birds always starve in winter . '

' yes , you speak like a sensible man , ' said the field-mouse .

' what has a bird , in spite of all his singing , in the winter-time ?

he must starve and freeze , and that must be very pleasant for him , i must say ! '

' perhaps it was he that sang to me so prettily in the summer , ' she thought .

' how much pleasure he did give me , dear little bird ! '

the mole closed up the hole again which let in the light , and then escorted the ladies home .

' farewell , pretty little bird ! ' she said .

then she laid her head against the bird 's heart .

thumbelina trembled , she was so frightened ; for the bird was very large in comparison with herself only an inch high .

next night she crept out again to him .

' thank you , pretty little child ! ' said the swallow to her .

' i am so beautifully warm !

soon i shall regain my strength , and then i shall be able to fly out again into the warm sunshine . '

so at last he had dropped down exhausted , and then he could remember no more .

the whole winter he remained down there , and thumbelina looked after him and nursed him tenderly .

neither the mole nor the field-mouse learnt anything of this , for they could not bear the poor swallow .

' no , i mustn't come ! ' she said .

' farewell , dear good little girl ! ' said the swallow , and flew off into the sunshine .

thumbelina gazed after him with the tears standing in her eyes , for she was very fond of the swallow .

' tweet , tweet ! ' sang the bird , and flew into the green wood .

thumbelina was very unhappy .

she was not allowed to go out into the warm sunshine .

' now you are to be a bride , thumbelina ! ' said the field-mouse , ' for our neighbour has proposed for you !

what a piece of fortune for a poor child like you !

yes , when the summer had passed , they would keep the wedding .

but she was not at all pleased about it , for she did not like the stupid mole .

but he never came ; no doubt he had flown away far into the great green wood .

by the autumn thumbelina had finished the dowry .

you will get a fine husband !

the king himself has not such a velvet coat .

his store-room and cellar are full , and you should be thankful for that . '

well , the wedding-day arrived .

the poor little girl was very sad ; for now she must say good-bye to the beautiful sun .

' farewell , farewell ! ' she said , and put her arms round a little red flower that grew there .

' give my love to the dear swallow when you see him ! '

' tweet , tweet ! ' sounded in her ear all at once .

she looked up .

there was the swallow flying past !

as soon as he saw thumbelina , he was very glad .

' the cold winter is coming now , ' said the swallow .

' i must fly away to warmer lands : will you come with me ?

do come with me , dear little thumbelina , who saved my life when i lay frozen in the dark tunnel ! '

up he flew into the air , over woods and seas , over the great mountains where the snow is always lying .

but the swallow flew on farther , and it became more and more beautiful .

under the most splendid green trees besides a blue lake stood a glittering white-marble castle .

' here is my house ! ' said he .

' but it won't do for you to live with me ; i am not tidy enough to please you .

' that will be splendid ! ' said she , clapping her little hands .

the swallow flew down with thumbelina , and set her upon one of the broad leaves .

he was the spirit of the flower .

in each blossom there dwelt a tiny man or woman ; but this one was the king over the others .

' how handsome he is ! ' whispered thumbelina to the swallow .

the little prince was very much frightened at the swallow , for in comparison with one so tiny as himself he seemed a giant .

but when he saw thumbelina , he was delighted , for she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen .

yes ! he was a different kind of husband to the son of the toad and the mole with the black-velvet coat .

so she said ' yes ' to the noble prince .

and out of each flower came a lady and gentleman , each so tiny and pretty that it was a pleasure to see them .

we will call you may blossom . '

there he had a little nest above a window , where his wife lived , who can tell fairy-stories .

' tweet , tweet ! ' he sang to her .

and that is the way we learnt the whole story .

the nightingale

in china , as i daresay you know , the emperor is a chinaman , and all his courtiers are also chinamen .

if you ever got beyond it , you came to a stately forest with great trees and deep lakes in it .

the forest sloped down to the sea , which was a clear blue .

large ships could sail under the boughs of the trees , and in these trees there lived a nightingale .

' how beautiful it is ! ' he said ; but he had to attend to his work , and forgot about the bird .

from all the countries round came travellers to the emperor 's town , who were astonished at the palace and the garden .

but when they heard the nightingale they all said , ' this is the finest thing after all ! '

the books were circulated throughout the world , and some of them reached the emperor .

he sat in his golden chair , and read and read .

he nodded his head every moment , for he liked reading the brilliant accounts of the town , the palace , and the garden .

' but the nightingale is better than all , ' he saw written .

' what is that ? ' said the emperor .

' i don't know anything about the nightingale !

is there such a bird in my empire , and so near as in my garden ?

i have never heard it !

fancy reading for the first time about it in a book ! '

and he called his first lord to him .

' here is a most remarkable bird which is called a nightingale ! ' said the emperor .

' they say it is the most glorious thing in my kingdom .

why has no one ever said anything to me about it ? '

' i have never before heard it mentioned ! ' said the first lord .

' i will look for it and find it ! '

but where was it to be found ?

' your imperial majesty cannot really believe all that is written !

there are some inventions called the black art ! '

she must be here this evening !

everyone was asking after the wonderful nightingale which all the world knew of , except those at court .

at last they met a poor little girl in the kitchen , who said , ' oh !

i know the nightingale well .

how she sings !

it brings tears to my eyes , and i feel as if my mother were kissing me ! '

and so they all went into the wood where the nightingale was wont to sing , and half the court went too .

when they were on the way there they heard a cow mooing .

' oh ! ' said the courtiers , ' now we have found her !

what a wonderful power for such a small beast to have !

i am sure we have heard her before ! '

' no ; that is a cow mooing ! ' said the little kitchenmaid .

' we are still a long way off ! '

then the frogs began to croak in the marsh .

' splendid ! ' said the chinese chaplain .

' now we hear her ; it sounds like a little church-bell ! '

' no , no ; those are frogs ! ' said the little kitchenmaid .

' but i think we shall soon hear her now ! '

then the nightingale began to sing .

' there she is ! ' cried the little girl .

' listen !

she is sitting there ! '

and she pointed to a little dark-grey bird up in the branches .

' is it possible ! ' said the first lord .

' i should never have thought it !

how ordinary she looks !

she must surely have lost her feathers because she sees so many distinguished men round her ! '

' little nightingale , ' called out the little kitchenmaid , ' our gracious emperor wants you to sing before him ! '

' with the greatest of pleasure ! ' said the nightingale ; and she sang so gloriously that it was a pleasure to listen .

' it sounds like glass bells ! ' said the first lord .

' and look how her little throat works !

it is wonderful that we have never heard her before !

she will be a great success at court . '

' shall i sing once more for the emperor ? ' asked the nightingale , thinking that the emperor was there .

at the palace everything was splendidly prepared .

there was such a hurrying and draught that all the bells jingled so much that one could not hear oneself speak .

in the centre of the great hall where the emperor sat was a golden perch , on which the nightingale sat .

the whole court was there , and the little kitchenmaid was allowed to stand behind the door , now that she was a court-cook .

everyone was dressed in his best , and everyone was looking towards the little grey bird to whom the emperor nodded .

the nightingale sang so gloriously that the tears came into the emperor 's eyes and ran down his cheeks .

then the nightingale sang even more beautifully ; it went straight to all hearts .

the emperor was so delighted that he said she should wear his gold slipper round her neck .

but the nightingale thanked him , and said she had had enough reward already .

' i have seen tears in the emperor 's eyes that is a great reward .

an emperor 's tears have such power ! '

then she sang again with her gloriously sweet voice .

' that is the most charming coquetry i have ever seen ! ' said all the ladies round .

and they all took to holding water in their mouths that they might gurgle whenever anyone spoke to them .

then they thought themselves nightingales .

in short , the nightingale was a real success .

she was given twelve servants , who each held a silken string which was fastened round her leg .

there was little pleasure in flying about like this .

yes , and eleven grocer 's children were called after her , but not one of them could sing a note .

one day the emperor received a large parcel on which was written ' the nightingale . '

' here is another new book about our famous bird ! ' said the emperor .

' now they must sing together ; what a duet we shall have ! '

then the artificial bird had to sing alone .

three-and-thirty times it sang the same piece without being tired .

people would like to have heard it again , but the emperor thought that the living nightingale should sing now but where was she ?

no one had noticed that she had flown out of the open window away to her green woods .

' what shall we do ! ' said the emperor .

and all the court scolded , and said that the nightingale was very ungrateful .

but they did not yet know it by heart ; it was much too difficult .

they should hear it sing , commanded the emperor .

the real nightingale was banished from the kingdom .

and the bandmaster wrote a work of twenty-five volumes about the artificial bird .

so a whole year passed .

the emperor , the court , and all the chinese knew every note of the artificial bird 's song by heart .

but they liked it all the better for this ; they could even sing with it , and they did .

the street boys sang ' tra-la-la-la-la , and the emperor sang too sometimes .

it was indeed delightful .

something snapped !

whir-r-r ! all the wheels ran down and then the music ceased .

the emperor sprang up , and had his physician summoned , but what could he do !

here was a calamity !

only once a year was the artificial bird allowed to sing , and even that was almost too much for it .

but then the bandmaster made a little speech full of hard words , saying that it was just as good as before .

and so , of course , it was just as good as before .

so five years passed , and then a great sorrow came to the nation .

the chinese look upon their emperor as everything , and now he was ill , and not likely to live it was said .

' p ! ' said he , and shook his head .

and nothing came to break the silence .

the emperor longed for something to come and relieve the monotony of this deathlike stillness .

if only someone would speak to him !

if only someone would sing to him .

music would carry his thoughts away , and would break the spell lying on him .

the moon was streaming in at the open window ; but that , too , was silent , quite silent .

' music ! music ! ' cried the emperor .

' you little bright golden bird , sing ! do sing !

but the bird was silent .

there was no one to wind it up , and so it could not sing .

and all was silent , so terribly silent !

all at once there came in at the window the most glorious burst of song .

and as she sang the blood flowed quicker and quicker in the emperor 's weak limbs , and life began to return .

' thank you , thank you ! ' said the emperor .

' you divine little bird !

i know you .

i chased you from my kingdom , and you have given me life again !

how can i reward you ? '

' you have done that already ! ' said the nightingale .

' i brought tears to your eyes the first time i sang .

i shall never forget that .

they are jewels that rejoice a singer 's heart .

but now sleep and get strong again ; i will sing you a lullaby . '

and the emperor fell into a deep , calm sleep as she sang .

the sun was shining through the window when he awoke , strong and well .

none of his servants had come back yet , for they thought he was dead .

but the nightingale sat and sang to him .

' you must always stay with me ! ' said the emperor .

' you shall sing whenever you like , and i will break the artificial bird into a thousand pieces . '

' don't do that ! ' said the nightingale .

' he did his work as long as he could .

keep him as you have done !

i cannot build my nest in the palace and live here ; but let me come whenever i like .

i will sing of joy , and of sorrow ; i will sing of the evil and the good which lies hidden from you .

i love your heart more than your crown , though that has about it a brightness as of something holy .

now i will sing to you again ; but you must promise me one thing '

' one thing i beg of you !

don't tell anyone that you have a little bird who tells you everything .

it will be much better not to ! '

then the nightingale flew away .

the servants came in to look at their dead emperor .

the emperor said , ' good-morning ! '

hermod and hadvor ( @number@ )

( @number@ ) from the icelandic .

the king gave the promise , and thereafter the queen died .

time went past , and the king , growing tired of living alone , fitted out his ship and sailed out to sea .

as he sailed there came upon him so thick a mist that he altogether lost his bearings , but after long trouble he found land .

there he laid his ship to , and went on shore all alone .

after walking for some time he came to a forest , into which he went a little way and stopped .

after the king had looked at them for a little he went forward and saluted them .

the king immediately asked her hand ; she gladly received his proposal and accepted him at once .

there he made a great feast , and celebrated his marriage with this woman ; and after that things are quiet for a time .

one time , when olof was in the castle beside hadvor , she asked the princess if she knew where hermod had gone to .

at this hadvor became very sad , and said that she did not .

' i shall tell you then , ' said olof , ' for i know all about it .

that will prove too much for him . '

hadvor remained in her castle , and had made preparations to receive her wooer when he came .

one night , not long after , a loud noise and rumbling was heard under the castle .

hadvor at once guessed what it was , and told her maids to be ready to help her .

with that the noises grew fainter and fainter , till at last they ceased altogether .

next morning the queen rose early , and went out to the palace gate , and there she found her brother the giant lying dead .

the body of the dead giant now became that of a beautiful prince , and the queen went in again .

' i don't think , ' said she to the king , ' that your daughter is as good as she is said to be .

my brother came and asked her hand , and she has had him put to death .

i have just found his dead body lying at the palace gate . '

the queen 's decision was that the king should make a big grave-mound for her brother , and put hadvor into it beside him .

the giant 's ghost will walk after you are both left together in there , and he will have two dogs along with him .

after they were both left there everything happened just as olof had said .

this hadvor now did , and the giant then let her get up on his shoulders to get out of the mound .

this strait she easily crossed , for the shoes kept her up .

on reaching the island she found a sandy beach all along by the sea , and high cliffs above .

you need only hold the end of the thread , and the clew will run on before and show you the way .

i also lay this belt beside you , to put on when you awaken ; it will keep you from growing faint with hunger . '

the woman now disappeared , and hadvor woke , and saw that all her dream had been true .

the rope hung down from the cliff , and the clew and belt lay beside her .

she went into the cave , and saw there a low couch , under which she crept and lay down .

then she went back into the cave and wakened hermod , and they had a most joyful meeting .

in the morning they talked over their plans , and were most at a loss to know how to get out of the island .

hadvor told hermod her dream , and said she suspected there was some one in the island who would be able to help them .

the next minute they saw coming after them another huge whale , followed by fifteen smaller ones .

all of these swam past the boat and went on to meet the whale .

now the story goes back to the king 's hall , where strange things had happened in the meantime .

the queen and her daughter had disappeared , but a rat and a mouse were always fighting with each other there .

ever so many people had tried to drive them away , but no one could manage it .

all were astonished then by seeing two witches lying dead on the floor of the hall .

hermod now told the whole story to the king , who was very glad to be rid of such vile creatures .

olof married a good-looking nobleman , and that is the end of the story .

the steadfast tin-soldier

there were once upon a time five-and twenty tin-soldiers all brothers , as they were made out of the same old tin spoon .

their uniform was red and blue , and they shouldered their guns and looked straight in front of them .

in front of the castle stood some little trees surrounding a tiny mirror which looked like a lake .

wax swans were floating about and reflecting themselves in it .

that was all very pretty ; but the most beautiful thing was a little lady , who stood in the open doorway .

this is no place for her !

but i must make her acquaintance . '

when the night came all the other tin-soldiers went into their box , and the people of the house went to bed .

then the toys began to play at visiting , dancing , and fighting .

the tin-soldiers rattled in their box , for they wanted to be out too , but they could not raise the lid .

the only two who did not stir from their places were the tin-soldier and the little dancer .

she remained on tip-toe , with both arms outstretched ; he stood steadfastly on his one leg , never moving his eyes from her face .

' hullo , tin-soldier ! ' said the imp .

' don't look at things that aren't intended for the likes of you ! '

but the tin-soldier took no notice , and seemed not to hear .

' very well , wait till to-morrow ! ' said the imp .

that was a terrible fall , i can tell you !

he landed on his head with his leg in the air , his gun being wedged between two paving-stones .

soon it began to drizzle ; then the drops came faster , and there was a regular down-pour .

when it was over , two little street boys came along .

' just look ! ' cried one .

' here is a tin-soldier !

he shall sail up and down in a boat ! '

what great waves there were in the gutter , and what a swift current !

all at once the boat passed under a long tunnel that was as dark as his box had been .

' where can i be coming now ? ' he wondered .

' oh , dear !

this is the black imp 's fault !

suddenly there came along a great water-rat that lived in the tunnel .

' have you a passport ? ' asked the rat .

' out with your passport ! '

but the tin-soldier was silent , and grasped his gun more firmly .

the boat sped on , and the rat behind it .

he has not shown his passport ! '

but the current became swifter and stronger .

the tin-soldier could already see daylight where the tunnel ended ; but in his ears there sounded a roaring enough to frighten any brave man .

now he was so near to it that he could not hold on any longer .

the boat whirled three , four times round , and became filled to the brim with water : it began to sink !

' forward , forward , soldier bold !

death 's before thee , grim and cold ! '

the paper came in two , and the soldier fell but at that moment he was swallowed by a great fish .

oh ! how dark it was inside , even darker than in the tunnel , and it was really very close quarters !

but there the steadfast little tin-soldier lay full length , shouldering his gun .

up and down swam the fish , then he made the most dreadful contortions , and became suddenly quite still .

she was still standing on one leg with the other high in the air ; she too was steadfast .

that touched the tin-soldier , he was nearly going to shed tin-tears ; but that would not have been fitting for a soldier .

he looked at her , but she said nothing .

there was nothing left of the little dancer but her gilt rose , burnt as black as a cinder .

blockhead-hans

far away in the country lay an old manor-house where lived an old squire who had two sons .

they thought themselves so clever , that if they had known only half of what they did know , it would have been quite enough .

' i shall win the king 's daughter ! ' they both cried .

then they oiled the corners of their mouths so that they might be able to speak more fluently .

' oh , oh ! ' said blockhead-hans .

' where are you off to ?

you are in your sunday-best clothes ! '

' we are going to court , to woo the princess !

don't you know what is known throughout all the country side ? '

and they told him all about it .

' hurrah !

i 'll go to ! ' cried blockhead-hans ; and the brothers laughed at him and rode off .

' dear father ! ' cried blockhead-hans , ' i must have a horse too .

what a desire for marriage has seized me !

if she will have me , she will have me , and if she won't have me , i will have her . '

' stop that nonsense ! ' said the old man .

' i will not give you a horse .

you can't speak ; you don't know how to choose your words .

your brothers !

ah ! they are very different lads ! '

and he did so .

he sat astride on the goat , struck his heels into its side , and went rattling down the high-road like a hurricane .

' hoppetty hop ! what a ride ! '

here i come ! ' shouted blockhead-hans , singing so that the echoes were roused far and near .

but his brothers were riding slowly in front .

' hullo ! ' bawled blockhead-hans , ' here i am !

just look what i found on the road ! ' and he showed them a dead crow which he had picked up .

' blockhead ! ' said his brothers , ' what are you going to do with it ? '

' with the crow ?

i shall give it to the princess ! '

' do so , certainly ! ' they said , laughing loudly and riding on .

' slap ! bang ! here i am again !

look what i have just found !

you don't find such things every day on the road ! '

and the brothers turned round to see what in the world he could have found .

' blockhead ! ' said they , ' that is an old wooden shoe without the top !

are you going to send that , too , to the princess ? '

' of course i shall ! ' returned blockhead-hans ; and the brothers laughed and rode on a good way .

' slap ! bang ! here i am ! ' cried blockhead-hans ; ' better and better it is really famous ! '

' what have you found now ? ' asked the brothers .

' oh , ' said blockhead-hans , ' it is really too good !

how pleased the princess will be ! '

' why ! ' said the brothers , ' this is pure mud , straight from the ditch . '

' of course it is ! ' said blockhead-hans , ' and it is the best kind !

look how it runs through one 's fingers ! ' and , so saying , he filled his pocket with the mud .

' it doesn't matter ! ' said the princess .

' away ! out with him ! '

it was fearful , and they had made up the fire so hot that it was grilling .

' it is hot in here , isn't it ! ' said the suitor .

' of course it is !

my father is roasting young chickens to-day ! ' said the princess .

' ahem ! '

there he stood like an idiot .

he was not prepared for such a speech ; he did not know what to say , although he wanted to say something witty .

' ahem ! '

' it doesn't matter ! ' said the princess .

' take him out ! ' and out he had to go .

now the other brother entered .

' how hot it is ! ' he said .

' of course !

we are roasting young chickens to-day ! ' remarked the princess .

' how do you um ! ' he said , and the reporters wrote down .

' how do you um . '

' it doesn't matter ! ' said the princess .

' take him out ! '

now blockhead-hans came in ; he rode his goat right into the hall .

' i say !

how roasting hot it is here ! ' said he .

' of course !

i am roasting young chickens to-day ! ' said the princess .

' that 's good ! ' replied blockhead-hans ; ' then can i roast a crow with them ? '

' oh , rather ! ' said blockhead-hans .

' that is quite a meal ! ' said the princess ; ' but where shall we get the soup from ? '

' i 've got that in my pocket ! ' said blockhead-hans .

' i have so much that i can quite well throw some away ! ' and he poured some mud out of his pocket .

' i like you ! ' said the princess .

and the reporters giggled , and each dropped a blot of ink on the floor .

' ah ! are those the great people ? ' said blockhead-hans .

' then i will give the editor the best ! '

so saying , he turned his pockets inside out , and threw the mud right in his face .

' that was neatly done ! ' said the princess .

' i couldn't have done it ; but i will soon learn how to ! '

a story about a darning-needle

there was once a darning-needle who thought herself so fine that she believed she was an embroidery-needle .

' take great care to hold me tight ! ' said the darning-needle to the fingers who were holding her .

' don't let me fall !

if i once fall on the ground i shall never be found again , i am so fine ! '

' it is all right ! ' said the fingers , seizing her round the waist .

the fingers were using the needle on the cook 's shoe .

the upper leather was unstitched and had to be sewn together .

' this is common work ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i shall never get through it .

i am breaking !

i am breaking ! '

and in fact she did break .

' didn't i tell you so ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i am too fine ! '

' now i am a breast-pin ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i always knew i should be promoted .

when one is something , one will become something ! '

and she laughed to herself ; you can never see when a darning-needle is laughing .

then she sat up as proudly as if she were in a state coach , and looked all round her .

' may i be allowed to ask if you are gold ? ' she said to her neighbour , the pin .

' you have a very nice appearance , and a peculiar head ; but it is too small !

you must take pains to make it grow , for it is not everyone who has a head of sealing-wax . '

' now i am off on my travels ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i do hope i sha'n't get lost ! '

she did indeed get lost .

and the darning-needle kept her proud bearing and did not lose her good-temper .

all kinds of things swam over her shavings , bits of straw , and scraps of old newspapers .

' just look how they sail along ! ' said the darning-needle .

' they don't know what is underneath them !

here i am sticking fast !

there goes a shaving thinking of nothing in the world but of itself , a mere chip !

there goes a straw well , how it does twist and twirl , to be sure !

don't think so much about yourself , or you will be knocked against a stone .

there floats a bit of newspaper .

what is written on it is long ago forgotten , and yet how proud it is !

i am sitting patient and quiet .

i know who i am , and that is enough for me ! '

one day something thick lay near her which glittered so brightly that the darning-needle thought it must be a diamond .

but it was a bit of bottle-glass , and because it sparkled the darning-needle spoke to it , and gave herself out as a breast-pin .

' no doubt you are a diamond ? '

' yes , something of that kind ! '

and each believed that the other was something very costly ; and they both said how very proud the world must be of them .

and yet they were only there to take me out of the work-box and to put me back again ! '

' were they of noble birth , then ? ' asked the bit of bottle-glass .

' of noble birth ! ' said the darning-needle ; ' no indeed , but proud !

they were five brothers , all called " fingers . "

they held themselves proudly one against the other , although they were of different sizes .

longman , the third , looked at the others over his shoulder .

there was too much ostentation , and so i came away . '

' and now we are sitting and shining here ! ' said the bit of bottle-glass .

at that moment more water came into the gutter ; it streamed over the edges and washed the bit of bottle-glass away .

' ah ! now he has been promoted ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i remain here ; i am too fine .

but that is my pride , which is a sign of respectability ! '

and she sat there very proudly , thinking lofty thoughts .

' i really believe i must have been born a sunbeam , i am so fine !

it seems to me as if the sunbeams were always looking under the water for me .

ah , i am so fine that my own mother cannot find me !

one day two street-urchins were playing and wading in the gutter , picking up old nails , pennies , and such things .

it was rather dirty work , but it was a great delight to them .

' i am not a fellow ; i am a young lady ! ' said the darning-needle ; but no one heard .

' here comes an egg-shell sailing along ! ' said the boys , and they stuck the darning-needle into the egg-shell .

' the walls white and i black what a pretty contrast it makes ! ' said the darning-needle .

' now i can be seen to advantage !

if only i am not sea-sick !

i should give myself up for lost ! '

but she was not sea-sick , and did not give herself up .

' it is a good thing to be steeled against sea-sickness ; here one has indeed an advantage over man !

now my qualms are over .

the finer one is the more one can beat . '

' crack ! ' said the egg-shell as a wagon-wheel went over it .

' oh ! how it presses ! ' said the darning-needle .

' i shall indeed be sea-sick now .

i am breaking ! '

but she did not break , although the wagon-wheel went over her ; she lay there at full length , and there she may lie .

end of the project gutenberg ebook of the yellow fairy book , by various