transcriber 's note

illustration captions in { brackets } have been added by the transcriber from the list of illustrations , for the convenience of the reader .

the orange fairy book

edited by andrew lang

with numerous illustrations by h j ford

crown edition

longmans , green and co .

london · new york · toronto

longmans , green and co .

@number@ fifth avenue , new york @number@ east 20th street , chicago @number@ tremont street , boston @number@ victoria street , toronto

longmans , green and co .

ltd .

lang the orange fairy book

copyright · @number@ by longmans , green and co .

all rights reserved

first edition @date@ reprinted @date@ , @date@ @date@ , @date@ , @date@ @date@ , @date@ , @date@ @date@

printed in the united states of america

the lang fairy books crown edition

the arabian nights entertainments .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the blue fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the book of romance .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the brown fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the crimson fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the green fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the grey fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the lilac fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the olive fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the orange fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the pink fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the red book of heroes .

by mrs lang .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the red fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the violet fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

the yellow fairy book .

with @number@ coloured plates and @number@ illustrations .

[ illustration : ian and the blue falcon ]

preface

for whom , then , are prefaces written ?

when an author publishes a book ' out of his own head , ' he writes the preface for his own pleasure .

if he has not , the less he says in his preface the better .

the stories are not literal , or word by word translations , but have been altered in many ways to make them suitable for children .

it is not difficult to get rid of this element when it does occur in popular tales .

the old puzzle remains a puzzle why do the stories of the remotest people so closely resemble each other ?

of course , in the immeasurable past , they have been carried about by conquering races , and learned by conquering races from vanquished peoples .

slaves carried far from home brought their stories with them into captivity .

from the remotest days men have been wanderers , and wherever they went their stories accompanied them .

the stories wandered wherever the buddhist missionaries went , and the earliest french voyageurs told them to the red indians .

three tales from the punjaub were collected and translated by major campbell .

contents

page the story of the hero makóma @number@

the magic mirror @number@

story of the king who would see paradise @number@

how isuro the rabbit tricked gudu @number@

ian , the soldier 's son @number@

the fox and the wolf @number@

how ian direach got the blue falcon @number@

the ugly duckling @number@

the two caskets @number@

the goldsmith 's fortune @number@

the enchanted wreath @number@

the foolish weaver @number@

the clever cat @number@

the story of manus @number@

pinkel the thief @number@

the adventures of a jackal @number@

the adventures of the jackal 's eldest son @number@

the adventures of the younger son of the jackal @number@

the three treasures of the giants @number@

the rover of the plain @number@

the white doe @number@

the girl-fish @number@

the owl and the eagle @number@

the frog and the lion fairy @number@

the adventures of covan the brown-haired @number@

the princess bella-flor @number@

the bird of truth @number@

the mink and the wolf @number@

adventures of an indian brave @number@

how the stalos were tricked @number@

andras baive @number@

the white slipper @number@

the magic book @number@

illustrations

coloured plates

ian and the blue falcon frontispiece

the three maidens sitting on the rocks facing page @number@

' ashes , ashes ! '

twittered the sparrows @number@

standing in the shelter of a tree , he watched her a long while @number@

the queen and the crab @number@

the crown returns to the queen of the fishes @number@

how josé found the princess bella-flor @number@

the princess imprisoned in the summer-house @number@

full-page plates

makóma leaps into the pool of crocodiles facing page @number@

makóma gets entangled by a hair of chin-débou máu-giri @number@

makóma in the hands of sákatirína @number@

the knight and the raven @number@

ian breaks the giant 's chain @number@

the princess finds herself a prisoner on the ship @number@

how ian direach returned home , and how his stepmother fell as a bundle of sticks @number@

' that is an end of you , ' she said .

but she was wrong , for it was only the beginning @number@

the princess returns from the sea @number@

the giants find jack in the treasure room @number@

the uninvited fairy @number@

how the queen met the lion-fairy @number@

the king on his dragon fights his way through the monsters to the queen and muffette @number@

doran-donn brings the salmon to covan the brown-haired @number@

' we never waste time when we are helping others ' @number@

' who are you who dare to knock at my door ? ' @number@

the little boy sees the stalo in the wood @number@

in text

page makóma throws his hammer at the fire-eater @number@

gopáni-kúfa sees a strange sight @number@

shasása hides the mirror @number@

no one knows what was there shown to the king @number@

the old king sees himself reflected in the shields of the bodyguard @number@

gudu drops a stone into the water @number@

' where did you get that from ? '

asked isuro @number@

how gudu danced and the bones rattled @number@

ian finds the youngest sister @number@

the seven big women fall over the crag @number@

she found sitting round her a whole circle of cats @number@

' take the black !

take the black ! '

cried the cats @number@

three little doves were seated on the handle of the axe @number@

the stepmother tries to drown the princess @number@

the jew brings the jewels to the princess @number@

i go to seek my fortune alone @number@

the cat lets fall the stone @number@

how manus got the lion 's cub @number@

pinkel brings the witch 's lantern to the king @number@

pinkel steals the witch 's goat @number@

the brothers ill-treat poor jack @number@

the rover of the plain does the girl 's work @number@

last of all she sang in a low voice a dirge over the rover of the plain @number@

for a minute they looked at each other @number@

' a small dragon crept in and terrified her ' @number@

ardan pursues the golden cock and the silver hen @number@

the king jumps into the cauldron @number@

how the boy found the bird of truth @number@

the mink is very rude to the grandmother wolf @number@

andras baive shoots the stalo @number@

balancin 's delight at the white slipper @number@

gilguerillo falls in love with princess diamantina @number@

' just as he was going to strike ' @number@

the orange fairy book

the story of the hero makóma

from the senna ( oral tradition )

once upon a time , at the town of senna on the banks of the zambesi , was born a child .

he could also speak like a grown man , but usually he was very silent .

one day his mother said to him : ' my child , by what name shall we know you ? '

and he answered : ' call all the head men of senna here to the river 's bank . '

but no one would come forward .

so he turned and sprang into the water and disappeared .

but he was no longer just a boy !

he was stronger than any man and very tall and handsome , so that the people shouted with gladness when they saw him .

then , entering his hut , he took nu-éndo , his iron hammer , and throwing the sack over his shoulder , he went away .

' greeting , ' shouted makóma , ' who are you ? '

' i am chi-éswa-mapíri , who makes the mountains , ' answered the giant , ' and who are you ? '

' i am makóma , which signifies " greater , " ' answered he .

' greater than who ? ' asked the giant .

' greater than you ! ' answered makóma .

the giant gave a roar and rushed upon him .

makóma said nothing , but swinging his great hammer , nu-éndo , he struck the giant upon the head .

so makóma picked him up and dropped him into the sack that he carried upon his back .

before long he came to a country broken up with huge stones and immense clods of earth .

[ illustration : makóma leaps into the pool of crocodiles ]

' who are you , ' cried makóma , ' that pulls up the earth in this way ? '

' i am chi-dúbula-táka , ' said he , ' and i am making the river-beds . '

' do you know who i am ? ' said makóma .

' i am he that is called " greater " ! '

' greater than who ? ' thundered the giant .

' greater than you ! ' answered makóma .

with a shout , chi-dúbula-táka seized a great clod of earth and launched it at makóma .

' for , ' said he , ' it is honourable to serve a man so great as thou . '

and in the midst of this dead region he found a man eating fire .

' what are you doing ? ' demanded makóma .

the fire-eater laughed again , and blew a flame at makóma .

' my friends , ' said he , ' i have travelled far and am weary .

is not this such a place as would suit a hero for his home ?

let us then go , to-morrow , to bring in timber to make a kraal . '

[ illustration : makóma throws his hammer at the fire-eater ]

in the evening , when they returned , they found the giant helpless and tied to a tree by one enormous hair !

' how is it , ' said makóma , astonished , ' that we find you thus bound and helpless ? '

he demanded of me " who is thy master ? "

and i answered : " makóma , the greatest of heroes . "

then the man seized me , and pulling a hair from his moustache , tied me to this tree even as you see me . '

so when the giants had gone he swept and tidied the camp and put some venison on the fire to roast .

' who are you ? ' bellowed the giant , as soon as he was out of the water .

' my name is chin-débou máu-giri , ' said the giant .

' you cannot bind me ! ' shouted makóma , rushing upon him and striking with his hammer .

[ illustration : makóma gets entangled by a hair of chin-débou máu-giri ]

then bidding them ' farewell , ' he went on his way .

' greeting ! ' said the hero .

' is this the country of sákatirína of five heads , whom i am seeking ? '

' we greet you , o great one ! ' answered the women .

' we are the wives of sákatirína ; your search is at an end , for there stands he whom you seek ! '

and they pointed to what makóma had thought were two tall mountain peaks .

' those are his legs , ' they said ; ' his body you cannot see , for it is hidden in the clouds . '

and makóma shouted as loud as he could , answering : ' it is i , makóma , who is called " greater " ! '

and he listened , but there was no answer .

this time the giant spoke ; his voice was very terrible , for it was the rumble of thunder in the clouds .

' who is it , ' he said , ' making that fire smoulder around my feet ? '

' it is i , makóma ! ' shouted the hero .

there was silence for a while , and then the giant spoke softly : ' it is good , o makóma ! ' he said .

' for i too have grown weary .

there is no man so great as i , therefore i am all alone .

guard thyself ! '

and bending suddenly he seized the hero in his hands and dashed him upon the ground .

[ illustration : makóma in the hands of sákatirína ]

ye are heroes so great that no man may come against you .

therefore ye will leave the world and take up your home with me in the clouds . '

and as he spake the heroes became invisible to the people of the earth , and were no more seen among them .

( native rhodesian tale . )

the magic mirror

from the senna

a long , long while ago , before ever the white men were seen in senna , there lived a man called gopáni-kúfa .

one day , as he was out hunting , he came upon a strange sight .

gopáni-kúfa considered for a moment , then stabbing the antelope with his assegai , he set the python free .

gopáni-kúfa went back to his kraal , and with the new moon he returned again to the spot where he had saved the python .

gopáni-kúfa at first was afraid , thinking of what the antelope had said , but finally he consented and followed insáto into the forest .

for several days they travelled , and at last they came to a hole leading deep into the earth .

it was not very wide , but large enough to admit a man .

' hold on to my tail , ' said insáto , ' and i will go down first , drawing you after me . '

the man did so , and insáto entered .

[ illustration : gopáni-kúfa sees a strange sight ]

the man smiled .

he then took gopáni-kúfa by the hand and led him towards the town .

' these are my children ! ' said insáto , waving his hand towards the people .

gopáni-kúfa was much astonished at all that he saw , but he said nothing .

presently they came to the town ; everything here , too , was beautiful , and everything that a man might desire he could obtain .

even the grains of dust in the streets were of gold and silver .

then he went away .

now gopáni-kúfa had a wasp called zéngi-mízi .

zéngi-mízi was not an ordinary wasp , for the spirit of the father of gopáni-kúfa had entered it , so that it was exceedingly wise .

' biz-z-z , ' hummed zéngi-mízi , ' ask him for sipáo the mirror . '

and it flew back into its basket .

gopáni-kúfa was astonished at this answer ; but knowing that the words of zéngi-mízi were true words , he determined to make the request .

so that night they feasted , and on the morrow insáto came to gopáni-kúfa and , giving him greeting joyfully , he said :

' now , o my friend , name your choice amongst my possessions and you shall have it ! '

' o king ! ' answered gopáni-kúfa , ' out of all your possessions i will have the mirror , sipáo . '

the king started .

' o friend , gopáni-kúfa , ' he said , ' ask anything but that !

i did not think that you would request that which is most precious to me . '

as soon as the king left him , gopáni-kúfa again took zéngi-mízi out of his basket .

and it was even so .

go back now to thine own country ; sipáo will show you the way . '

gopáni-kúfa was greatly rejoiced , and , taking farewell of the king , said to the mirror :

' sipáo , sipáo , i wish to be back upon the earth again ! '

instantly he found himself standing upon the upper earth ; but , not knowing the spot , he said again to the mirror :

' sipáo , sipáo , i want the path to my own kraal ! '

and behold ! right before him lay the path !

that night he asked zéngi-mízi , in whom sat the spirit of his father , what he had better ask sipáo for next ?

' biz-z-z , ' said the wasp , ' would you not like to be as great a chief as insáto ? '

and gopáni-kúfa smiled , and took the mirror and said to it :

and when the people of the new town beheld gopáni-kúfa they rejoiced greatly and hailed him as chief .

[ illustration : shasása hides the mirror ]

chief among them was one rei , a man of much cunning , who sought to discover whence sprang gopáni-kúfa 's power .

and gopáni-kúfa believed the white man 's story , and he took him in and feasted him , and gave him a house .

in this way the end came .

' woe is me , my father ! ' she sobbed .

' the mirror is gone !

for i loved butou the traitor , and he has stolen sipáo from me ! '

then gopáni-kúfa calmed himself , and drew out zéngi-mízi from its rush basket .

' o spirit of my father ! ' he said , ' what now shall i do ? '

' alas !

i am an old man i had forgotten ! ' cried the chief .

' the words of the antelope were true words my reward shall be my own undoing they are being fulfilled ! '

story of the king who would see paradise

the fakeer was seated on a little old bedstead reading the koran , with his patched cloak thrown over his shoulders .

to this the fakeer agreed , and so they parted .

[ illustration : no one knows what was there shown to the king ]

instantly he hurried off himself , and found that it was really true , and that the fakeer was even then breathing his last .

there and then the king besought him to remember his promise , and to show him a glimpse of paradise .

still the king 's curiosity was so aroused that he would not give way .

the fakeer rose , and , making a sign to the king to follow , walked a few paces along a dark passage .

the dawn was breaking .

it seemed odd to the king that he had been so long in the grave .

and what was it he had seen ?

he racked his brains to remember , but he could not call to mind a single thing !

how curious everything looked too !

why , his own city , which by now he was entering , seemed changed and strange to him !

the sun was already up when he turned into the palace gate and entered the public durbar hall .

it was full ; and there upon the throne sat another king !

the poor king , all bewildered , sat down and stared about him .

presently a chamberlain came across and asked him why he sat unbidden in the king 's presence .

' but i am the king ! ' he cried .

' what king ? ' said the chamberlain .

' the true king of this country , ' said he indignantly .

he was old , decrepit , dirty , and ragged !

his long white beard and locks were unkempt , and straggled all over his chest and shoulders .

only one sign of royalty remained to him , and that was the signet ring upon his right hand .

he dragged it off with shaking fingers and held it up to the king .

the king looked at him compassionately , and examined the signet with curiosity .

( a pathan story told to major campbell . )

[ illustration : the old king sees himself reflected in the shields of the bodyguard ]

how isuro the rabbit tricked gudu

' get up , ' said gudu ; ' i am going courting , and you must come with me .

' it is your turn now , ' he cried to isuro .

and with a heavy sigh , the rabbit unfastened his bag of food , which fell into the river .

' where did you get that from ? ' asked isuro enviously .

[ illustration : gudu drops a stone into the water ]

' well , as you tricked me into throwing away mine , you ought to let me share with you , ' said isuro .

but gudu pretended not to hear him , and strode along the path .

by-and-bye they entered a wood , and right in front of them was a tree so laden with fruit that its branches swept the ground .

and some of the fruit was still green , and some yellow .

i will leave it all for you , as you have had no dinner , and take the yellow for myself . '

[ illustration : { ' where did you get that from ? '

asked isuro } ]

' no ! no !

i really could not allow that , ' answered gudu .

' they would only make you ill .

be content with the green fruit . '

and as they were all he could get , isuro was forced to put up with them .

' i have dropped my needle ; wait here a moment while i go and fetch it . '

' be quick then , ' answered gudu , climbing into a tree .

when he had plucked as many as he wanted he returned to gudu , and they went on together .

the sun was almost setting by the time they reached their journey 's end , and being very tired they gladly sat down by a well .

but once again the rabbit 's hopes were dashed to the ground , for gudu said hastily :

' the custom of the village forbids you to eat till i have finished . '

and isuro did not know that gudu was lying , and that he only wanted more food .

so he sat hungrily looking on , waiting till his friend had had enough .

in a little while gudu screamed loudly : ' i am burnt !

i am burnt ! ' though he was not burnt at all .

so he just went round a corner for a short time , and then came hopping back in a great hurry .

but , quick though he was , gudu had been quicker still , and nothing remained but some drops of water .

early next morning they started for another village , and passed on the way a large garden where people were very busy gathering monkey-nuts .

but what was his surprise when isuro answered :

' thank you ; i think i should prefer these . '

and , turning to the kernels , never stopped as long as there was one left .

and the worst of it was that , with so many people about , gudu could not take the nuts from him .

it was night when they reached the village where dwelt the mother of gudu 's betrothed , who laid meat and millet porridge before them .

and again gudu was forced to be content with the porridge , which he hated .

' now , ' said the cunning creature to himself , ' i shall be able in the dark to steal his meat ! '

' o gudu ! ' he cried , laughing aloud , ' it is you who have taught me how to be clever . '

' i am hungry and want something to eat better than that nasty porridge that i had for supper .

the rabbit nodded , and gudu disappeared behind a rock , but soon returned dragging the dead goat with him .

after that he went back to the wood-pile and slept again .

[ illustration : how gudu danced & the bones rattled ]

but they must have looked guilty after all , for suddenly an old man pointed to them , and cried :

' those are the thieves . '

and at the sound of his voice the big gudu trembled all over .

' how dare you say such things ?

i defy you to prove it , ' answered isuro boldly .

and he danced forward , and turned head over heels , and shook himself before them all .

' i spoke hastily ; you are innocent , ' said the old man ; ' but now let the baboon do likewise . '

but gudu answered :

so it is he who should die ! '

and the people looked at each other , for they knew not what to believe .

at length one man said :

' let them both die , but they may choose their own deaths . '

then isuro answered :

and the people did as isuro had said .

' lo ! did i not speak well ?

he who killed your goat is among those ashes . '

( mashona story . )

ian , the soldier's son

and none knew whither they had gone , or how to seek them .

but the others answered :

and so it was done , and ian won three games from his brothers .

but the knight looked out of his window , and was wroth ; and bade his men bring the youths before him .

when he stood in his hall and beheld them , his heart was softened somewhat ; but his face was angry as he asked :

the pain which you have made me suffer you shall suffer also . '

in seven days the ship was built , and great store of food and wine placed in her .

they had none of them ever seen that land before , and looked about them .

' what place is this ? ' asked the eldest brother .

and the man who was standing by made answer :

' how can we find them ? ' asked the young man again .

and the overlooker answered :

[ illustration : the three maidens sitting on the rocks ]

[ illustration : the knight and the raven ]

' now it is my turn , ' said ian .

but when he was half-way up the raven set upon him also .

' quick ! quick ! ' cried ian to the men who held the rope .

' quick ! quick ! or i shall be blinded ! '

and the men pulled with all their might , and in another moment ian was on top , and the raven behind him .

' will you give me a piece of tobacco ? ' asked the raven , who was now quite quiet .

' you rascal !

am i to give you tobacco for trying to peck my eyes out ? ' answered ian .

so ian broke off a piece of tobacco and gave it to him .

and the raven hopped before him till they reached a large house , the door of which stood open .

they entered and passed through one hall after the other , until they found the knight 's daughter , as the bird had said .

' what brought you here ? ' asked she .

and ian made answer :

' why may i not go where you can go ? '

' i was brought hither by a giant , ' replied she .

' i know that , ' said ian ; ' but tell me where the giant is , that i may find him . '

' in the land whence i have come there are many men with the strength of ian , ' answered he .

and he went outside and pulled at the chain , but he could not move it , and fell on to his knees .

and the giant heard it on the hunting hill , and lifted his head , thinking

still , i had better look to it . '

and home he came .

' are you ian , the soldier 's son ? ' he asked , as he entered the castle .

' no , of a surety , ' answered the youth , who had no wish that they should know him .

' that will be plain to you after wrestling with me as i wrestle with my mother .

and one time she got the better of me , and two times she did not . '

so they wrestled , and twisted and strove with each other till the giant forced ian to his knee .

' you are the stronger , ' said ian ; and the giant answered :

' all men know that ! '

no sooner had he wished his wish than the raven came .

and the knife was so sharp that it cut off the giant 's head with a blow .

instead , seek the middle daughter , and when you have found her , you shall give me a piece of tobacco for reward . '

' well have you earned the half of all i have , ' answered ian .

but the raven shook his head .

[ illustration : ian finds the youngest sister ]

' you know only what has passed , and nothing of what lies before .

ian did as the raven bade him , and in spite of the eldest daughter 's entreaties , he set out to seek her next sister .

he found her where she was seated sewing , her very thimble wet from the tears which she had shed .

' what brought you here ? ' asked the second sister .

' why may i not go where you can go ? ' answered he ; ' and why are you weeping ? '

' because in one day i shall be married to the giant who is on the hunting hill . '

' how can i get him home ? ' asked ian .

' nought will bring him but a shake of that iron chain which hangs outside the gate .

' in the land whence i have come there are many men with the strength of ian , ' said he .

and he went outside and pulled at the chain , but he could not move it , and fell on his knees .

and the second giant heard it on the hunting hill , and lifted his head , thinking

still , i had better look to it . '

and home he came .

' are you ian , the soldier 's son ? ' he asked , as he entered the castle .

[ illustration : ian breaks the giant's chain ]

then they seized each other by the shoulder , and the giant threw him on his two knees .

' you are the stronger , ' cried ian ; ' but i am not beaten yet . '

and rising to his feet , he threw his arms round the giant .

and sharp indeed it was , for with a single blow , the giant 's head rolled from his body .

but beware of the words of the knight 's daughter , for she is cunning , and will try to keep you at her side .

so farewell ; but first give me a piece of tobacco . '

' that i will gladly , ' answered ian , breaking off a large bit .

' abide here with me , ' she said , ' and be my husband .

there is silver and gold in plenty in the castle . '

and tears dropped from her eyes on to her thimble .

' what brought you here ? ' asked she .

and ian made answer :

' why may i not go where you can go ? '

' i was brought hither by a giant . '

' i know that full well , ' said he .

' are you ian , the soldier 's son ? ' asked she again .

and again he answered :

' yes , i am ; but tell me , why you are weeping ? '

' to-morrow the giant will return from the hunting hill , and i must marry him , ' she sobbed .

and ian took no heed , and only said : ' how can i bring him home ? '

' shake the iron chain that hangs outside the gate . '

and the giant heard him in the hunting hill , as he was putting the game he had killed into a bag .

and if he has reached me , then he has left my two brothers dead behind him . '

with that he strode back to the castle , the earth trembling under him as he went .

' are you ian , the soldier 's son ? ' asked he .

and the youth answered :

' no , of a surety . '

there is only ian , the soldier 's son , who can do this , and he is but now sixteen years old . '

' i will show you who i am when you have wrestled with me , ' said ian .

and so sharp was that knife that , with one blow , the giant 's head rolled on the ground .

but take heed to go down first yourself , and let them follow after you .

and before i go you shall give me a piece of tobacco . '

' take it all , ' answered ian , ' for well have you earned it . '

' no ; give me but a piece .

you know what is behind you , but you have no knowledge of what is before you . '

and picking up the tobacco in his beak , the raven flew away .

' you did not heed my words , ' he said gravely .

' no , i did not , and therefore am i here , ' answered ian , bowing his head .

' the past cannot be undone , ' went on the raven .

' he that will not take counsel will take combat .

this night , you will sleep in the giant 's castle .

and now you shall give me a piece of tobacco . '

' i will .

but , i pray you , stay in the castle with me . '

' that i may not do , but on the morrow i will come . '

i will go first and show you the way . '

' go , ' said ian .

and , first , give me a piece of tobacco . '

many strange things did ian behold in that island , more than he had thought for .

in a glen lay three heroes stretched on their backs , done to death by three spears that still stuck in their breasts .

but he kept his counsel and spake nothing , only he pulled out the spears , and the men sat up and said :

so together they went till they reached the cave , and one of the men entered , to see what should be found there .

at the last ian entered .

see that you do not tarry . '

and ian turned away with a sinking heart , for he would fain have followed the youngest daughter of the knight of grianaig .

' you did not obey my counsel , ' said the raven , hopping towards him , ' and so trouble has come upon you .

but sleep now , and to-morrow you shall mount the horse which is in the giant 's stable , that can gallop over sea and land .

and be sure that for every turn of the lock given by the sixteen stable lads you give one .

and now you shall break me off a piece of tobacco . '

but ian only answered :

' i myself will put her in and will see to her . '

and thus he did .

and while he was rubbing her sides the horse said to him :

' every kind of drink will they offer you , but see you take none , save whey and water only . '

when this came to pass the steed broke through the stable door , and kicked him and woke him roughly .

but first take that sword which hangs on the wall , and cut off the heads of the sixteen grooms . '

filled with shame at being once more proved heedless , ian arose and did as the horse bade him .

and have a care not to be so foolish to-morrow as you were to-day . '

' stay with me for company , ' begged ian ; but the raven shook his head , and flew away .

and one more warning i give you .

' now , ' the horse said to him , ' draw your sword and cut off my head . '

but ian answered :

' poor thanks would that be for all the help i have had from you . '

so have no fears , but do as i have said . '

then ian drew his sword as she bade him , and cut off her head , and went on his way without looking backwards .

as he walked he saw a woman standing at her house door .

she asked him whence he had come , and he answered as the raven had told him , that he came from behind .

' you are an impudent fellow , ' said the woman ; ' but you shall have a drink . '

and she gave him some milk , which was all she had till her husband came home .

' where is your husband ? ' asked ian , and the woman answered him :

but , see , he is returning ; and now we shall hear how he has sped . '

' i am a smith , ' replied ian .

and the man answered :

' good luck has befallen me , then , for you can help me to make a cap for the knight 's daughter . '

' you cannot make that cap , and you know it , ' said ian .

so the man , wondering to himself , locked him in .

' now take my head off , ' said the raven .

but ian answered :

' poor thanks were that for all the help you have given me . '

then ian drew his sword and cut off the head of the raven , and shut his eyes so that he might see nothing .

after that he lay down and slept till morning dawned , and the man came and unlocked the door and shook the sleeper .

' here is the cap , ' said ian drowsily , drawing it from under his pillow .

and he fell asleep again directly .

the sun was high in the heavens when he woke again , and this time he beheld a tall , brown-haired youth standing by him .

' i am the raven , ' said the youth , ' and the spells are broken .

but now get up and come with me . '

' i am the horse , ' she said , ' and the spells are broken ' ; and she and the youth went away together .

but when the girl 's eyes fell on it , she cried out :

( from tales of the west highlands . )

the fox and the wolf

in the summer mornings they led out their flocks to pasture , and were happy and contented from sunrise to sunset .

one summer night , when a round full moon shone down upon the white road , a great wolf came trotting round the corner .

however , let us see what this village can produce .

i am as hungry as a schoolmaster . '

' when you are fond of fowls and eggs it is the sweetest of all music .

at this moment the wolf came up .

' is that you , neighbour ?

what a strange place to meet in !

i hope you are quite well ? '

but what is the matter with you ?

a fortnight ago you were as plump as heart could wish ! '

' i have been ill very ill , ' replied the fox , ' and what you say is quite true .

a worm is fat in comparison with me . '

' he is .

still , you are good enough for me ; for " to the hungry no bread is hard . " '

' oh , you are always joking !

i 'm sure you are not half as hungry as i ! '

' that we shall soon see , ' cried the wolf , opening his huge mouth and crouching for a spring .

' what are you doing ? ' exclaimed the fox , stepping backwards .

' what am i doing ?

what i am going to do is to make my supper off you , in less time than a cock takes to crow . '

' i don't want to joke , but to eat ! '

' in this world the cleverest people are always the hungriest , ' replied the wolf .

' ah ! how true that is ; but '

but if the fox resigns herself to the sacrifice , the mother offers you one last request . '

' then be quick and don't waste time , for i can't wait much longer .

what is it you want ? '

by the well hang two buckets on a pole that were used , in former days , to draw up water .

' but the cheeses may be all finished by now ? '

' if you were only to see the quantities of them ! ' laughed the fox .

' and even if they were finished , there would always be me to eat . '

' well , i will come .

' is it safe to go on , think you ? ' asked the wolf in a whisper .

and the fox shook her head .

' not while the dogs are barking , ' said she ; ' someone might come out to see if anything was the matter . '

and she signed to the wolf to curl himself up in the shadow beside her .

then the wolf and the fox jumped up , and hastened to the foot of the wall .

and she quickened her pace .

but if the wolf could not run he could jump , and with one bound he was beside his companion .

' what were you going to do , comrade ? '

' oh , nothing , ' replied the fox , much vexed at the failure of her plan .

the fox drew back uneasily .

' be careful , or i shall scream , ' she snarled .

once on the top they crouched down and looked about them .

' how lucky ! ' cried she to the wolf .

' there is a huge cheese about the size of a mill wheel .

look ! look ! did you ever see anything so beautiful ! '

' and now , unbeliever , what have you to say ? '

and the fox laughed gently .

' that you are a woman i mean a fox of your word , ' replied the wolf .

' well , then , go down in that bucket and eat your fill , ' said the fox .

' oh , is that your game ? ' asked the wolf , with a grin .

' no ! no !

the person who goes down in the bucket will be you !

and if you don't go down your head will go without you ! '

' of course i will go down , with the greatest pleasure , ' answered the fox , who had expected the wolf 's reply .

' and be sure you don't eat all the cheese , or it will be the worse for you , ' continued the wolf .

but the fox looked up at him with tears in her eyes .

' farewell , suspicious one ! ' she said sadly .

and climbed into the bucket .

in an instant she had reached the bottom of the well , and found that the water was not deep enough to cover her legs .

' then be quick and bring it up , ' commanded the wolf .

' how can i , when it weighs more than i do ? ' asked the fox .

' if it is so heavy bring it in two bits , of course , ' said he .

' but i have no knife , ' answered the fox .

' you will have to come down yourself , and we will carry it up between us . '

' and how am i to come down ? ' inquired the wolf .

' oh , you are really very stupid !

get into the other bucket that is nearly over your head . '

the wolf looked up , and saw the bucket hanging there , and with some difficulty he climbed into it .

' ah , traitor ! ' cried the wolf , howling with rage .

' perhaps i did treat him rather badly , ' she said to herself .

( from cuentos populares , por antonio de trueba . )

how ian direach got the blue falcon

long ago a king and queen ruled over the islands of the west , and they had one son , whom they loved dearly .

only ian remembered .

his eye was straight and his hand steady , but the falcon 's flight was swift , and he only shot a feather from her wing .

as the sun was now low over the sea he put the feather in his game bag , and set out homewards .

' have you brought me much game to-day ? ' asked his stepmother as he entered the hall .

then she turned to ian and said :

' i am setting it on you as crosses and as spells , and as the fall of the year !

with that ian direach awoke , and beheld gille mairtean the fox .

between them they kindled a fire , and ate their supper .

then gille mairtean the fox bade ian direach lie down as before , and sleep till morning .

and in the morning , when he awoke , gille mairtean said :

only see that not one of her feathers touches anything within the house , or evil will befall you . '

' i thank you for your counsel , ' spake ian direach , ' and i will be careful to follow it . '

then he took the path to the giant 's house .

' who is there ? ' cried the giant , as someone knocked loudly on the door of his house .

' one who seeks work as a servant , ' answered ian direach .

' and what can you do ? ' asked the giant again .

' then enter , for i have great need of such a one , ' said the giant .

now i think i can leave her with you for one day , and before nightfall i shall be back again . '

ian direach trembled as he saw him ; but the giant only said :

' and where do they live ? ' asked ian .

but the giant answered :

' ah , that is for you to discover . '

and ian dared say no more , and hastened down to the waste .

and when he had wakened next morning the fox said to him :

' let us go down to the shore of the sea . '

and to the shore of the sea they went .

' do not be cast down , ' answered the fox , ' it is quite easy !

but when you seek to steal it , take heed that its sheath touches nothing inside the house , or ill will befall you . '

let us give him the white sword of light to polish like the rest . '

but just as he was passing through the door the tip of the sheath touched it , and the door gave a loud shriek .

and the big women heard it , and came running back , and took the sword from him , and said :

' if it is our sword you want , you must first bring us the bay colt of the king of erin . '

' plainly i see that you have taken no heed to my words , ian direach , ' spoke the fox .

' but eat first , and yet once more will i help you . '

at dawn next morning gille mairtean said to ian direach :

after he had thus counselled ian direach , the fox changed himself into a ship , and set sail for erin .

and the king was well pleased , and at the end of a month he sent for ian and said to him :

' you have given me faithful service , and now i will entrust you with the most precious thing that my kingdom holds . '

and when he had spoken , he led ian direach to the stable where stood the bay colt .

' the deer have come down from the hill , and it is time for me to give them chase . '

in a moment the king came running up , and he seized the colt 's bridle .

' if you want my bay colt , you must first bring me the daughter of the king of the franks . '

with slow steps went ian direach down to the shore where gille mairtean the fox awaited him .

for a third time i will change myself into a ship , and we will sail to france . '

[ illustration : the princess finds herself a prisoner on the ship ]

torn and battered was she , as if she had passed through many dangers , yet music of a wondrous sweetness poured forth from within .

when at last they reached the deck and looked around them , nought of land could they see , or anything save the rushing waters .

the princess stood silent , and her face grew grim .

at last she said :

' an ill trick have you played me !

what is this that you have done , and whither are we going ? '

[ illustration : the seven big women fall over the crag ]

' i would rather be wife to you , ' answered the princess .

by-and-by the ship sailed into a harbour on the coast of erin , and cast anchor there .

' i have brought you the king of france 's daughter , ' said ian direach .

and the king of erin looked at the maiden , and was well pleased , not knowing that it was gille mairtean the fox .

in the great hall the king paused and pointed to an iron chest which stood in a corner .

and he stooped down to unlock the box .

in an instant gille mairtean the fox had sprung on his back , and gave him such a bite that he fell down unconscious .

' i will become a ship , ' cried gille mairtean , ' and you shall go on board me . '

the wind was behind them , and very soon they saw the rocks of dhiurradh in front .

then spoke gille mairtean the fox :

joy filled the hearts of the big women when they beheld the bay colt led up to their door by ian direach .

and when they were all seated , the eldest struck her side with a whip and the colt bounded forward .

over the moors she flew , and round and round the mountains , and still the big women clung to her and snorted with pleasure .

at last she leapt high in the air , and came down on top of monadh the high hill , where the crag is .

and ian direach did as the fox bade him , and set out for the giant 's castle .

[ illustration : how ian direach returned home and how his stepmother fell as a bundle of sticks ]

afterwards he went back to ian direach and said to him :

then mount the colt , and let the princess mount behind you , and ride thus to your father 's palace .

if , however , you do as i bid you , she will become herself a bundle of sticks . '

after that he married the princess , who was the best wife in all the islands of the west .

but gille mairtean the fox would take no reward for the help he had given to ian direach , only his friendship .

thus all things prospered with ian direach till he died .

( from tales of the west highlands . )

the ugly duckling

it was under these burdocks that a duck had built herself a warm nest , and was now sitting all day on six pretty eggs .

five of them were white , but the sixth , which was larger than the others , was of an ugly grey colour .

the duck was always puzzled about that egg , and how it came to be so different from the rest .

but at length she grew tired of sitting there all day .

' surely eggs take longer hatching than they did , ' she said to herself ; and she pined for a little amusement also .

' why i could have hatched two broods in the time that this one has taken ! '

' let me look at it , ' said the old neighbour .

' ah , i thought so ; it is a turkey 's egg .

i have no patience when i think of it . '

i really can't be expected to do two things at once . '

and with a fluff of her feathers she pushed the egg into the middle of the nest .

in the evening , when she ventured to peep , she thought she saw a tiny crack in the upper part of the shell .

filled with hope , she went back to her duties , though she could hardly sleep all night for excitement .

when she woke with the first streaks of light she felt something stirring under her .

yes , there it was at last ; and as she moved , a big awkward bird tumbled head foremost on the ground .

and indeed he did not , though he was not half so pretty to look at as the little yellow balls that followed her .

when they returned they found the old neighbour on the bank waiting for them to take them into the duckyard .

' of course , when you see it by itself it is all right , though it is different , somehow , from the others .

but one cannot expect all one 's children to be beautiful ! '

no well-bred duckling turns in its toes .

it is a sign of common parents . '

' oh , dear me , here are ever so many more !

the yard is full already ; and did you ever see anything quite as ugly as that great tall creature ?

he is a disgrace to any brood .

i shall go and chase him out ! '

so saying she put up her feathers , and running to the big duckling bit his neck .

' leave him alone , ' she said fiercely , ' or i will send for his father .

he was not troubling you . '

' no ; but he is so ugly and awkward no one can put up with him , ' answered the stranger .

' it certainly is a great pity he is so different from these beautiful darlings .

if he could only be hatched over again ! '

the poor little fellow drooped his head , and did not know where to look , but was comforted when his mother answered :

' well , you must feel quite at home here , ' said the old duck waddling off .

and so they did , all except the duckling , who was snapped at by everyone when they thought his mother was not looking .

but as he could not run away again he stood up and bowed politely .

and the duckling answered that he had no idea of marrying anybody , and wanted nothing but to be left alone after his long journey .

will you come with us ? '

' is it nicer than this ? ' asked the duckling doubtfully .

at the sound of the gun the wild ducks in the rushes flew into the air , and for a few minutes the firing continued .

' i am too ugly even for a dog to eat , ' said he to himself .

' well , that is a great mercy . '

and he curled himself up in the soft grass till the shots died away in the distance .

but no one seemed to see him or smell him ; so he spent the rest of the night in peace .

they did not , however , appear very fierce , and the duckling became less afraid as they approached him .

' can you lay eggs ? ' asked the hen .

and the duckling answered meekly :

' no ; i don't know how . '

upon which the hen turned her back , and the cat came forward .

' can you ruffle your fur when you are angry , or purr when you are pleased ? ' said she .

and again the duckling had to admit that he could do nothing but swim , which did not seem of much use to anybody .

so the cat and the hen went straight off to the old woman , who was still in bed .

' such a useless creature has taken refuge here , ' they said .

' it calls itself a duckling ; but it can neither lay eggs nor purr !

what had we better do with it ? '

' keep it , to be sure ! ' replied the old woman briskly .

' it is all nonsense about it not laying eggs .

anyway , we will let it stay here for a bit , and see what happens . '

and one morning he got so restless that even his friends noticed it .

' what is the matter ? ' asked the hen ; and the duckling told her .

' i am so longing for the water again .

you can't think how delicious it is to put your head under the water and dive straight to the bottom . '

' i don't think i should enjoy it , ' replied the hen doubtfully .

' and i don't think the cat would like it either . '

and the cat , when asked , agreed there was nothing she would hate so much .

' i can't stay here any longer , i must get to the water , ' repeated the duck .

and the cat and the hen , who felt hurt and offended , answered shortly :

' very well then , go . '

oh , if he only could have gone with them !

but , all the same , he knew it wasn't !

and every morning it grew colder and colder , and the duckling had hard work to keep himself warm .

a few hours more and the poor duckling 's life had been ended .

he never could tell afterwards exactly how he had spent the rest of the winter .

he only knew that he was very miserable and that he never had enough to eat .

but by-and-by things grew better .

the earth became softer , the sun hotter , the birds sang , and the flowers once more appeared in the grass .

his body seemed larger , and his wings stronger .

something pink looked at him from the side of a hill .

he thought he would fly towards it and see what it was .

oh , how glorious it felt to be rushing through the air , wheeling first one way and then the other !

he had never thought that flying could be like that !

and flying quickly down to the water , he swam after them as fast as he could .

' if i am to die , i would rather you should kill me .

i don't know why i was ever hatched , for i am too ugly to live . '

and as he spoke , he bowed his head and looked down into the water .

but no such thing was there .

instead , he beheld beneath him a beautiful white swan !

' his feathers are whiter and his beak more golden than the rest . '

( hans andersen . )

the two caskets

far , far away , in the midst of a pine forest , there lived a woman who had both a daughter and a stepdaughter .

[ illustration : ' that is an end of you , ' she said .

but she was wrong , for it was only the beginning ]

' that is an end of you ! ' she said .

but she was wrong , for it was only the beginning .

trees waved in the soft breeze , and flowers of the brightest colours danced in the grass .

and though she was quite alone , the girl 's heart danced too , for she felt happier than she had done since her father died .

the girl paused for a moment as she came up , and gazed about for a place where she might safely cross .

but before she could move a voice cried from the fence :

' do not hurt me , little maiden ; i am so old , so old , i have not much longer to live . '

and the maiden answered :

' no , i will not hurt you ; fear nothing . '

and then , seeing a spot where the clematis grew less thickly than in other places , she jumped lightly over .

' may all go well with thee , ' said the fence , as the girl walked on .

she soon left the meadow and turned into a path which ran between two flowery hedges .

right in front of her stood an oven , and through its open door she could see a pile of white loaves .

' eat as many loaves as you like , but do me no harm , little maiden , ' cried the oven .

when she had finished it , down to the last crumb , she shut the oven door and said : ' good-morning . '

' may all go well with thee , ' said the oven , as the girl walked on .

by-and-by she became very thirsty , and seeing a cow with a milk-pail hanging on her horn , turned towards her .

' nor i , ' answered the girl ; ' fear nothing . '

so she sat down and milked till the pail was nearly full .

then she drank it all up except a little drop at the bottom .

' now throw any that is left over my hoofs , and hang the pail on my horns again , ' said the cow .

and the girl did as she was bid , and kissed the cow on her forehead and went her way .

many hours had now passed since the girl had fallen down the well , and the sun was setting .

' where shall i spend the night ? ' thought she .

and suddenly she saw before her a gate which she had not noticed before , and a very old woman leaning against it .

' good evening , ' said the girl politely ; and the old woman answered :

' good evening , my child .

would that everyone was as polite as you .

are you in search of anything ? '

' i am in search of a place , ' replied the girl ; and the woman smiled and said :

' then stop a little while and comb my hair , and you shall tell me all the things you can do . '

' willingly , mother , ' answered the girl .

and she began combing out the old woman 's hair , which was long and white .

half an hour passed in this way , and then the old woman said :

' as you did not think yourself too good to comb me , i will show you where you may take service .

be prudent and patient and all will go well . '

[ illustration : she found sitting round her a whole circle of cats ]

as soon as it was light next morning the girl got up and went into the cow-house .

' i 'm sure you must be hungry , ' said she , patting each in turn .

' we are very thirsty , please give us some milk ! '

' my poor little pussies , ' said she , ' of course you shall have some . '

and she went into the dairy , followed by all the cats , and gave each one a little red saucerful .

but before they drank they all rubbed themselves against her knees and purred by way of thanks .

the next thing the girl had to do was to go to the storehouse , and to sift the corn through a sieve .

while she was busy rubbing the corn she heard a whirr of wings , and a flock of sparrows flew in at the window .

' we are hungry ; give us some corn ! give us some corn ! ' cried they ; and the girl answered :

' you poor little birds , of course you shall have some ! ' and scattered a fine handful over the floor .

when they had finished they flew on her shoulders and flapped their wings by way of thanks .

the farmer 's wife was so well satisfied that she gave her higher wages , and treated her like her own daughter .

the girl 's heart sank at this order ; for how was it possible for her to do her mistress 's bidding ?

however , she was silent , and taking the sieve went down to the well with it .

' ashes ! ashes ! ' they twittered ; and the girl looked at them and said :

' well , i can't be in a worse plight than i am already , so i will take your advice . '

and she ran back to the kitchen and filled her sieve with ashes .

then once more she dipped the sieve into the well , and , behold , this time not a drop of water disappeared !

' here is the sieve , mistress , ' cried the girl , going to the room where the old woman was sitting .

' you are cleverer than i expected , ' answered she ; ' or else someone helped you who is skilled in magic . '

but the girl kept silence , and the old woman asked her no more questions .

' i have something more for you to do .

there are here two yarns , the one white , the other black .

what you must do is to wash them in the river till the black one becomes white and the white black . '

and the girl took them to the river and washed hard for several hours , but wash as she would they never changed one whit .

she looked back at the sparrows and smiled and nodded to them , and flapping their wings in reply they flew swiftly away .

but she got no answer , for the maiden was afraid of bringing trouble on her little friends .

for many weeks the mistress shut herself up in her room , and the girl went about her work as usual .

here are the yarns which you washed .

' this is the easiest thing i have been set to do , ' thought the girl , who was a good spinner .

but when she began she found that the skein tangled and broke every moment .

' what is the matter , fair maiden ? ' asked they .

and the girl answered :

[ illustration : ' ashes , ashes ! '

twittered the sparrows ]

' if that is all , dry your eyes , ' said the cats ; ' we will manage it for you . '

but the girl only smiled and did not answer .

she had learned early the value of silence .

but at these words the maid shook her head , and answered gently :

the old woman looked at her for a moment , and then she said :

' well , that must be as you like ; but as you have worked faithfully for me i will give you a reward .

go now into the loft above the storehouse and there you will find many caskets .

she lifted up one and looked at it , and then put it down to examine another yet more beautiful .

which should she choose , the yellow or the blue , the red or the green , the gold or the silver ?

[ illustration : ' take the black !

take the black ! '

cried the cats ]

' this is the casket that pleases me best , mistress , ' said the girl , carrying it into the house .

and the old woman smiled and nodded , and bade her go her way .

then she got up and entered the house .

the woman and her daughter stared as if they had been turned into stone ; but at length the stepmother gasped out :

' so you are alive after all !

well , luck was ever against me !

and where have you been this year past ? '

no one would ever have guessed that that little black box could have held such a quantity of beautiful things !

towards evening she reached the spot where the old woman was leaning against the gate-post , but she passed her by without a word .

' have you no manners in your country ? ' asked the crone .

' i can't stop and talk ; i am in a hurry , ' answered the girl .

' it is getting late , and i have to find a place . '

' comb your hair , indeed !

i have something better to do than that ! '

and slamming the gate in the crone 's face she went her way .

and she never heard the words that followed her : ' you shall not have done this to me for nothing ! '

months passed in this manner , when , one day , the mistress called the girl to her .

for though you cannot tend cows , or divide the grain from the chaff , there may be other things that you can do better .

' there seems nothing in the world you can do , ' said the old woman , and left her to herself .

soon after this the year was up , and the girl went to her mistress to tell her that she wished to go home .

but see that you do not open it till you place it where you wish it to stay . '

' ah ! you have got something very different from that little black box , ' answered the old woman with delight .

but the girl was so busy finding a place for it to stand that she took little notice of her mother .

' no , after all it is too fine to live in a kitchen , let us place it in the guest chamber . '

( from thorpe 's yule-tide stories . )

the goldsmith's fortune

every evening the goldsmith would walk across to the cowherd 's house and say : ' come , let's go out for a walk ! '

presently a rich stranger came along the lane , and seeing someone there , as he supposed , he said :

' good-evening , friend ! a fine night to-night ! '

but the goldsmith 's wife said nothing .

the man then repeated his words louder ; but still there was no reply .

a third time he shouted :

' good-evening , friend ! are you deaf ? ' but the figure never replied .

' let that teach you manners ! '

' wretch ! you have killed my wife !

oh , miserable one ; we will have justice done to thee ! '

' oh , ' said he , ' my wife died , and i sold her . '

' you sold your dead wife ? ' cried the people .

' yes , ' said the goldsmith .

' for how much ? '

' a thousand gold pieces , ' replied the goldsmith .

at last they perceived that they had been cheated somehow by that goldsmith .

' that will teach him not to play tricks on us , ' said they .

' for as he can't swim he 'll drown , and we sha'n't have any more trouble with him ! '

at the place where he landed he came across a fine fat cow buffalo , and immediately he jumped on her back and rode home .

when the village people saw him , they ran out in surprise , and said :

' where on earth do you come from , and where did you get that buffalo ? '

' ah ! ' said the goldsmith , ' you little know what delightful adventures i have had !

in fact , i could hardly tear myself away ; but i thought that i must really let you all know about it . '

and whenever any one of them waved his hands about and struggled the goldsmith would cry out :

' look ! he 's beckoning the rest of you to come ; he 's got a fine buffalo ! '

and others who were doubtful would jump in , until not one was left .

then the cunning goldsmith went back and took all the village for himself , and became very rich indeed .

but do you think he was happy ?

not a bit .

lies never made a man happy yet .

( told by a pathan to major campbell . )

the enchanted wreath

however , her mother did not know that , but thought her the most bewitching maiden that ever was seen .

one day the man called to his daughter and bade her come with him into the forest to cut wood .

so he said to his wife :

but the wife answered :

' if your daughter is wet already , it is all the more reason that she should go and get the axe .

[ illustration : three little doves were seated on the handle of the axe ]

to her surprise , three little doves were sitting on the handle , all of them looking very sad .

' you poor little things , ' said the girl , stroking them .

' why do you sit there and get wet ?

she then crumbled the bread on the ground , and was pleased to see the doves flutter quite cheerfully towards it .

' good-bye , ' she said , picking up the axe , and went her way homewards .

' that is a good girl , ' said one ; ' i really was too weak to stretch out a wing before she came .

i should like to do something to show how grateful i am . '

' well , let us give her a wreath of flowers that will never fade as long as she wears it , ' cried another .

' and let the tiniest singing birds in the world sit amongst the flowers , ' rejoined the third .

' yes , that will do beautifully , ' said the first .

as she did so the roses became withered and brown , and the birds flew out of the window .

but though she pretended to despise the wreath , she longed none the less for her daughter to have one like it .

the stepmother 's heart was glad when she saw this , and she said quite mildly :

' why , you have forgotten your axe again , you careless man !

' you dirty creatures , ' cried she , ' get away at once , or i will throw stones at you . '

and the doves spread their wings in a fright and flew up to the very top of a tree , their bodies shaking with anger .

' never , ' said the biggest dove .

' we must find some way of paying her back in her own coin ! '

' oh , how clever of you !

that will do beautifully , ' exclaimed the other two .

' what in the world is the matter ? ' asked the birds sleepily .

' that is our secret , ' said the doves .

' well , did you get the wreath ? ' cried she .

' dirty creatures ! ' answered her daughter .

' don't speak to me like that !

what do you mean ? ' asked the mother again .

' dirty creatures ! ' repeated the daughter , and nothing else could she say .

then the woman saw that something evil had befallen her , and turned in her rage to her stepdaughter .

[ illustration : standing in the shelter of a tree , he watched her a long while ]

her plan was this .

everything fell out exactly as the woman had hoped .

the woman thanked her and paid her well , and returned to her hut , carrying the mask with her under her cloak .

[ illustration : the stepmother tries to drown the princess ]

i will go back to the witch and see if she cannot take off the spell laid on you by those horrible birds .

ah ! why did i not think of it before ! '

' what is it ? tell me !

is the pain bad ?

when did it begin ?

and as he spoke he sprang to his feet to go in search of them .

however , he guessed somehow that she wished to be left alone , so he only said :

' that maiden is strangely like my wife , ' thought he ; ' i must see her closer . '

and he hastened down to the water .

one thing was clear , if she did not change her conduct very shortly he would have to send her away from court .

' wait for me !

wait for me !

wait for me ! ' he cried ; not even knowing he was speaking .

but when he reached the shore there was nothing to be seen but the shadows cast by the moonlight .

then he put the matter from his mind , and kept his thoughts on the duty that lay before him .

he had scarcely done so when the girl came out of the sea , and stretched out her arms towards his window .

' you are my own wife , and i shall never let you go , ' he said .

but the words were hardly out of his mouth when he found that it was a hare that he was holding by the paw .

then the hare changed into a fish , and the fish into a bird , and the bird into a slimy wriggling snake .

' i have got it !

i have got it ! ' she cried triumphantly , and laid the ointment on her daughter 's tongue .

[ illustration : the princess returns from the sea ]

' now what do you say ? ' she asked proudly .

at this moment the prince entered with his real wife .

' you both deserve death , ' he said , ' and if it were left to me , you should have it .

but the prince and his wife lived together long and happily , and ruled their people well .

( adapted from thorpe 's yule-tide stories . )

the foolish weaver

once a weaver , who was in want of work , took service with a certain farmer as a shepherd .

the farmer , knowing that the man was very slow-witted , gave him the most careful instructions as to everything that he was to do .

the weaver said that he understood , and started with the flocks to the hillsides where they grazed all day .

when he came back all the flock were scattered or killed , and when the farmer heard the tale he beat him soundly .

so , the next day , the weaver was left at home to take care of the farmer 's old sick mother .

' you are welcome , ' said they .

' willingly , ' answered the weaver .

so the next morning the seven weavers set out to go to the village where they could buy what they wanted .

on the way they had to cross a ravine which lately had been full of water , but now was quite dry .

he counted all except himself , and then cried out that somebody was missing !

they ran up and down the bank of the ravine wringing their hands in great distress and looking for signs of their lost comrade .

there a farmer found them and asked what was the matter .

( from the pushto . )

the clever cat

once upon a time there lived an old man who dwelt with his son in a small hut on the edge of the plain .

be good to your mother , as you have been to me .

and now farewell ! '

then he turned his face to the wall and died .

wandering over the plain , he noticed a troop of gazelles , and pointed to his greyhound to give chase .

the dog soon brought down a fine fat beast , and slinging it over his shoulders , the young man turned homewards .

on the way , however , he passed a pond , and as he approached a cloud of birds flew into the air .

the young man picked it up , and put it in his pouch and then went towards home again .

when all the rats were killed , the young man left the barn .

he took the path leading to the door of the hut , but stopped on feeling a hand laid on his shoulder .

come with me to that shining lake yonder , and fear nothing . '

' step into the water and shut your eyes !

you will find yourself sinking slowly to the bottom ; but take courage , all will go well .

only bring up as much silver as you can carry , and we will divide it between us . '

so the young man stepped bravely into the lake , and felt himself sinking , sinking , till he reached firm ground at last .

he picked it up in order to examine it more closely , and as he held it the stone spoke .

' as long as you hold me , all your wishes will come true , ' it said .

' but hide me in your turban , and then call to the jew that you are ready to come up . '

in a few minutes the young man stood again by the shores of the lake .

' well , where is the silver ? ' asked the jew , who was awaiting him .

' ah , my father , how can i tell you !

then hearing steps approaching i got frightened , and called to you , as you know . '

' you are no better than the rest , ' cried the jew , and turned away in a rage .

when he was out of sight the young man took the stone from his turban and looked at it .

' i want the finest camel that can be found , and the most splendid garments , ' said he .

' shut your eyes then , ' replied the stone .

mounting the camel , he whistled the falcon to his wrist , and , followed by his greyhound and his cat , he started homewards .

his mother was sewing at her door when this magnificent stranger rode up , and , filled with surprise , she bowed low before him .

' don't you know me , mother ? ' he said with a laugh .

and on hearing his voice the good woman nearly fell to the ground with astonishment .

' how have you got that camel and those clothes ? ' asked she .

' can a son of mine have committed murder in order to possess them ? '

' do not be afraid ; they are quite honestly come by , ' answered the youth .

at these words the mother thought her son had certainly gone mad , and stared blankly at him .

the young man guessed what was in her heart , and replied with a smile :

' fear nothing .

promise all that he asks ; it will be fulfilled somehow . '

so she went to the palace , where she found the king sitting in the hall of justice listening to the petitions of his people .

the woman waited until all had been heard and the hall was empty , and then went up and knelt before the throne .

' my son has sent me to ask for the hand of the princess , ' said she .

' it shall be done , your majesty , ' said she , and got up and left the hall .

her son was anxiously awaiting her outside the palace gates , dressed in the clothes that he wore every day .

' oh , something quite impossible ; and i hope you will put the princess out of your head , ' she replied .

' well , but what is it ? ' persisted he .

' i thought it would be something much harder than that , ' exclaimed the young man .

' i will see about it at once . '

and leaving his mother , he went into the country and took the stone from his turban .

' i want a palace of ice that can be warmed with fires and filled with the rarest singing-birds ! '

' it is fit even for the princess , ' thought he to himself .

as soon as the king awoke next morning he ran to the window , and there across the plain he beheld the palace .

[ illustration : the jew brings the jewels to the princess ]

' that young man must be a great wizard ; he may be useful to me . '

' you will not mind ? ' he asked .

and she answered as became a good wife :

the princess is known to love beautiful things , perhaps she might like to buy some ? '

oh ! what beautiful stones he laid before her ; what lovely rubies , and what rare pearls !

' i have no particular wish to sell them myself , ' answered the jew , with equal indifference .

to-morrow i will return with some jewels yet finer than those i have with me to-day .

so , madam , farewell ! '

no , it would be mean ; she could not do it !

but then , those diamonds , and those strings of pearls !

and she was sure it would be !

for some time she did not speak , but listened attentively to all the adventures that had befallen him that day .

but , alas ! what is there that you do not possess already ? '

' how good of you not to forget me when you are in the midst of such dangers and hardships , ' answered she .

' and what is that ?

of course you shall have it directly ! ' he asked eagerly .

i never saw any stone like it before . '

the young man did not answer at first ; then he said , slowly :

' i have promised , and therefore i must perform .

but will you swear never to part from it , and to keep it safely about you always ?

more i cannot tell you , but i beg you earnestly to take heed to this . '

the princess was a little startled by his manner , and began to be sorry that she had ever listened to the jew .

' after all i needn't give it to the jew , ' thought she as she dropped to sleep .

in another moment she was bending with rapture over the glittering gems .

' yes , here , ' she answered , slipping the stone from her sash and placing it among the rest .

' as you please , madam , ' said he , bowing himself out of the palace .

soon after he had gone a curious thing happened .

she turned round , and was it her fancy ? or did the fire burn more dimly than before ?

at that instant her frightened ladies came running down the stairs , crying :

' madam ! madam ! what has happened ?

the palace is disappearing under our eyes ! '

' wait till then , and he will tell us what to do . '

through this they vanished , and were seen no more .

' come quickly , ' he said , ' or you will be frozen to death ! '

and a dreary little procession set out for the king 's palace , the greyhound and the cat bringing up the rear .

at the gates he left them , though his wife besought him to allow her to enter .

' you have betrayed me and ruined me , ' he said sternly ; ' i go to seek my fortune alone . '

and without another word he turned and left her .

but nobody had .

this was delightful news to the young man , who instantly bought some meat for the falcon , bidding him make a good meal .

in three days i shall expect you back here . '

' well , i must take the cat with me , ' answered the bird .

[ illustration : i go to seek my fortune alone ]

all that day and all that night they flew , and in the morning they saw the jew 's palace lying beneath them .

so they alighted in some bushes in the heart of the rat city .

the falcon remained where he was , but the cat lay down outside the principal gate , causing terrible excitement among the rats .

' why have you come here ?

what do you want ?

if it is anything in our power , tell us , and we will do it . '

' oh , we shall be delighted , ' answered the rat , much relieved .

' i thank you , ' said the cat .

somewhere about him he has hidden a stone , on which are engraved strange signs .

when they have found it they must take it from him without his waking , and bring it to me . '

' your orders shall be obeyed , ' replied the rat .

and he went out to give his instructions .

and so he did .

when night arrived he declared he could go no further , but would spend it on the banks of a river .

half drowned , and more than half choked , the two faithful servants scrambled back to land again .

' what are you doing that for ? ' asked a little fish .

' do you know that you are making the water quite muddy ? '

' that doesn't matter at all to me , ' answered the cat .

' i am going to fill up all the river , so that the fishes may die . '

' that is very unkind , as we have never done you any harm , ' replied the fish .

' why are you so angry with us ? '

' because one of you has got a stone of mine a stone with strange signs upon it which dropped into the water .

if you will promise to get it back for me , why , perhaps i will leave your river alone . '

and in an instant his scales might be seen flashing quickly along .

[ illustration : { the cat lets fall the stone } ]

he will be able to tell you about it , if anyone can . '

so the little fish swam off to the tunny , and again related his story .

perhaps it may be what you want . '

and stretching up his tail he whisked out the stone .

' yes , i think that must be it , ' said the fish with joy .

and taking the stone in his mouth he carried it to the place where the cat was waiting for him .

and she mounted the falcon 's back , and they flew to their master .

ah , how glad he was to see them again with the magic stone in their possession .

and there they lived for many years , and when the old king died the princess 's husband reigned in his stead .

( adapted from contes berbères . )

the story of manus

so the youths were bidden to appear before the council , and oireal the elder was smaller and weaker than his brother .

and the chief waxed angry , and answered quickly :

' yes , i will do that , ' answered oireal .

after this , one half of the men of the land of lochlann did homage to oireal , and the other half to iarlaid .

' manus has driven a ball at my son , and fain would have slain him , ' said she .

' let an end be put to him and his ill deeds . '

but iarlaid answered :

' nay , i will not slay the son of my brother . '

' and he shall not slay my son , ' said the queen .

for a few years he stayed there in peace , and then the wife of iarlaid his uncle sent for him .

' tall and strong you are , and comely of face .

i myself will go with a great following to his house , and you shall go with me . '

this she did , not from love to manus , but because she wished to destroy him .

so they were married , and rode back with the wife of iarlaid to her own palace .

it was no worldly wife she found for him , but the swift march wind , and never can you prevail against her . '

' is it thus ? ' answered manus .

and at the first streak of dawn he went to the chamber where the queen lay in the midst of her maidens .

but the wife of iarlaid laughed as she heard him .

' not a clod shall you have here , ' spake she .

' you must go to the old bergen for that .

mayhap under its stones and rough mountains you may find a treasure ! '

' then give me your son 's six foster brothers as well as my own , ' answered he .

and the queen gave them to him , and they set out for old bergen .

the queen looked from her window and beheld him mounting the hill , with the twelve foster brothers behind him .

then she said to her husband : ' manus has returned with his twelve foster brothers .

would that i could put an end to him and his murdering and his slaying . '

' that were a great pity , ' answered iarlaid .

' and it is not i that will do it . '

' if you will not do it i will , ' said she .

and she called the twelve foster brothers and made them vow fealty to herself .

so manus was left with no man , and sorrowful was he when he returned alone to old bergen .

it was late when his foot touched the shore , and took the path towards the forest .

on his way there he met him a man in a red tunic .

' is it you , manus , come back again ? ' asked he .

' it is i , ' answered manus ; ' alone have i returned from the land of lochlann . '

the man eyed him silently for a moment , and then he said :

' i dreamed that you were girt with a sword and became king of lochlann . '

but manus answered :

' i have no sword and my bow is broken . '

' i will give you a new sword if you will make me a promise , ' said the man once more .

' to be sure i will make it , if ever i am king , ' answered manus .

' but speak , and tell me what promise i am to make ! '

' i was your grandfather 's armourer , ' replied the man , ' and i wish to be your armourer also . '

[ illustration : how manus got the lion's cub ]

' that i will promise readily , ' said manus ; and followed the man into his house , which was at a little distance .

perhaps you may find them of stouter steel . '

and manus bent the sword thrice across his knee but he could not break it .

so he girded it to his side , and put on the old helmet .

as he fastened the strap his eye fell on a cloth flapping outside the window .

' what cloth is that ? ' asked he .

take it , and use it well . '

' what chain is that ? ' asked he .

' the creature who has that chain round his neck , need not fear a hundred enemies , ' answered the armourer .

and manus wound it round him and passed on into the forest .

suddenly there sprang out from the bushes two lions , and a lion cub with them .

at that the lions stopped , and bowing their great heads , kissed the back of his wrist and went their ways .

but the cub rolled itself up in the cloth ; so manus picked them both up , and carried them with him to old bergen .

another year went by , and then he took the lion cub and set forth to the land of lochlann .

and the wife of iarlaid came to meet him , and a brown dog , small but full of courage , came with her .

and at last they two went back to old bergen , and the twelve foster brothers went also .

' let them go , ' said the wife of iarlaid , when she heard of it .

' my brother the red gruagach will take the head off manus as well in old bergen as elsewhere . '

and in the ship was a pilot .

so manus slept , and by-and-by a voice sounded in his ears , saying : ' arise ! '

and he saw a ship in the water beneath him , and in the ship sat the lion cub in the shape of the pilot .

( shortened from west highland tales . )

pinkel the thief

long , long ago there lived a widow who had three sons .

but at the time this story begins they had both been so careless and idle that their masters declared they would keep them no longer .

' pinkel , ' they called him in scorn , and by-and-by ' pinkel ' became his name throughout the village .

but a very few days of wandering opened their eyes .

and they all got in and rowed across in the direction of the light .

' we are tired and hungry , and would fain have shelter for the night , ' answered the eldest brother .

' what harm can a poor boy like me do a great troll like you , ' answered pinkel .

' let me go , i pray you , with my brothers .

i will promise never to hurt you . '

and at last the witch let him go , and he followed his brothers to the boat .

the way was further than they thought , and it was morning before they reached the palace .

things went on in this way for some time , and pinkel every day rose in the royal favour .

[ illustration : pinkel brings the witch's lantern to the king ]

their opportunity soon came .

' send pinkel for it , sire , ' said they .

' it belongs to an old witch , who no doubt came by it in some evil way .

but pinkel has a smooth tongue , and he can get the better of any woman , old or young . '

' but , mother , ' answered the girl , ' how can i find the well in this darkness ?

for you know that the lantern 's rays shed no light down there . '

close around the hut was thick darkness , but what was that bobbing light that streamed across the water ?

the witch 's heart sank as all at once it flashed upon her what had happened .

' is that you , pinkel ? ' cried she ; and the youth answered :

' yes , dear mother , it is i ! '

' and are you not a knave for robbing me ? ' said she .

but she had no power on the water , and turned angrily into the hut , muttering to herself all the while :

' take care ! take care !

a second time you will not escape so easily ! '

' o cunning one , ' cried he , ' what treasure hast thou brought me ! '

and besides this , he was to have a seat on the council .

from this moment the king never closed his eyes at night for longing after this wonderful creature .

that goat i must have !

but , tell me , how am i to get it ?

i would give the third part of my kingdom to anyone that would bring it to me . '

' i will fetch it myself , ' answered pinkel .

how was he to do it ?

and this was what happened when the girl went as usual to bolt the door and make all fast for the night .

' what are you doing ? ' asked the witch , as her daughter kept tugging at the handle .

' there is something the matter with the door ; it won't shut , ' answered she .

very soon they both might have been heard snoring , and pinkel knew that his time was come .

but the snoring still continued , and he went on with his work as quickly as he could .

their sound awoke the witch , who cried out as before :

' is that you , pinkel ? '

' yes , dear mother , it is i , ' said pinkel .

' have you stolen my golden goat ? ' asked she .

' yes , dear mother , i have , ' answered pinkel .

' are you not a knave , pinkel ? '

' yes , dear mother , i am , ' he replied .

and the old witch shouted in a rage :

[ illustration : pinkel steals the witch's goat ]

' ah ! beware how you come hither again , for next time you shall not escape me ! '

but pinkel only laughed and rowed on .

as may be supposed , the brothers were more furious than ever , and grew quite thin with rage .

' how can we get rid of him ? ' said one to the other .

and at length they remembered the golden cloak .

' he will need to be clever if he is to steal that ! ' they cried , with a chuckle .

' but as he was there , it is a pity he could not have brought away the golden cloak , ' added they .

' the golden cloak ! what is that ? ' asked the king .

so pinkel was sent for , and with a glad heart he set out .

he passed many hours inventing first one plan and then another , till he had a scheme ready which he thought might prove successful .

thrusting a large bag inside his coat , he pushed off from the shore , taking care this time to reach the island in daylight .

' is that you , pinkel ? ' asked the witch when she saw him , her eyes gleaming savagely .

' yes , dear mother , it is i , ' answered pinkel .

' so you have dared , after all you have done , to put yourself in my power ! ' cried she .

' well , you sha'n't escape me this time ! '

and she took down a large knife and began to sharpen it .

' oh ! dear mother , spare me ! ' shrieked pinkel , falling on his knees , and looking wildly about him .

' spare you , indeed , you thief !

where are my lantern and my goat ?

no ! no ! there is only one fate for robbers ! '

and she brandished the knife in the air so that it glittered in the firelight .

i am very hungry , for i have had nothing to eat all day .

put some poison , if you like , into the porridge , but at least let me have a good meal before i die . '

' poisoned or not , the porridge is excellent .

i have eaten it , every scrap ; do give me some more , ' said pinkel , turning towards her .

suddenly he grew silent and lay still .

' ah !

i thought a second dose of that poison would be too much for you , ' said the witch looking at him .

' i warned you what would happen if you came back .

i wish that all thieves were as dead as you !

i suppose i must go and search for her .

what a trouble girls are ! '

and she went to the door to watch if there were any signs of her daughter .

but nothing could be seen of her , and heavy rain was falling .

so she took it off her shoulders and hung it carefully up in a cupboard in the room .

after that she put on her clogs and started to seek her daughter .

he had not gone far when a puff of wind unfolded the cloak , and its brightness shed gleams across the water .

the witch , who was just entering the forest , turned round at that moment and saw the golden rays .

she forgot all about her daughter , and ran down to the shore , screaming with rage at being outwitted a third time .

' is that you , pinkel ? ' cried she .

' yes , dear mother , it is i . '

' have you taken my gold cloak ? '

' yes , dear mother , i have . '

' are you not a great knave ? '

' yes , truly dear mother , i am . '

and so indeed he was !

as for his brothers , he did not punish them , but left them in the stables , where they grumbled all day long .

( thorpe 's yule-tide stories . )

the adventures of a jackal

one afternoon they were walking along a road together , when the jackal , who was the taller of the two , exclaimed :

' oh ! there is a barn full of corn ; let us go and eat some . '

' yes , do let us ! ' answered the hedgehog .

so they went to the barn , and ate till they could eat no more .

after they had gone some way they met a panther , who stopped , and bowing politely , said :

' excuse my speaking to you , but i cannot help admiring those shoes of yours .

do you mind telling me who made them ? '

' yes , i think they are rather nice , ' answered the jackal ; ' i made them myself , though . '

' could you make me a pair like them ? ' asked the panther eagerly .

so the panther prowled about until he saw a fine cow grazing apart from the rest of the herd .

he killed it instantly , and then gave a cry to the jackal and hedgehog to come to the place where he was .

next morning the jackal got up early and set to work upon the shoes , while the panther sat by and looked on with delight .

at last they were finished , and the jackal arose and stretched himself .

but i see the sun is high in the heavens , and we must be continuing our journey . '

they certainly set off his paws wonderfully , and he stretched out his fore-paws and looked at them with pride .

but when he tried to walk ah ! that was another story !

after some time some little partridges who were hopping about heard the poor panther 's groans , and went up to see what was the matter .

he had never tried to make his dinner off them , and they had always been quite friendly .

' you seem in pain , ' said one of them , fluttering close to him , ' can we help you ? '

' oh , it is the jackal !

' lie still , and we will soften them , ' answered the kind little partridge .

this they did till the hard leather grew soft , and the panther was able to slip his feet out of them .

' oh , thank you , thank you , ' he cried , skipping round with joy .

' i feel a different creature .

now i will go after the jackal and pay him my debts . '

and he bounded away into the forest .

at length , however , he caught sight of his enemy , at the same moment that the jackal had caught sight of him .

' oh ! father , tell me how i can repay the jackal for the way he has served me ! '

and without more ado he told his story .

watch them carefully while they are eating , and you will see that most of them keep their eyes on their food .

but if one of them glances at you , you will know that is the traitor . '

the panther , whose manners were always good , thanked the old man , and followed his counsel .

the cow was killed , and the partridges flew about with invitations to the jackals , who gathered in large numbers to the feast .

the wicked jackal came amongst them ; but as the panther had only seen him once he could not distinguish him from the rest .

only one of them seemed uneasy , and every now and then glanced in the direction of his host .

and before the panther had recovered from his surprise he found himself alone .

' it is very unfortunate , certainly , ' answered he ; ' but i think i know where you can find him .

if you see a tailless jackal you will know that he is the one you want . '

so the panther thanked him and went his way .

and the jackals sprang up and ran away in all directions , leaving their tails behind them .

and how was the panther to know which was his enemy ?

i shall leave them alone and go and catch something for supper . '

' ah , there you are , ' he said gaily .

' i have lost my tail since i saw you last .

and other people have lost theirs too ; but that is no matter !

' yes , that is a good plan , ' answered the hedgehog .

and he walked as fast as his little legs would go to keep up with the jackal .

when they reached the shepherd the jackal pulled out his purse from under his foreleg , and made his bargain .

' only wait till to-morrow , ' said the shepherd , ' and i will give you the biggest sheep you ever saw .

' well , it is very tiresome , but i suppose i must wait , ' replied the jackal .

and he and the hedgehog looked about for a nice dry cave in which to make themselves comfortable for the night .

then he lay down and went to sleep .

very , very early , before the sun was properly up , the jackal and the hedgehog were pulling at the shepherd 's cloak .

' wake up , ' they said , ' and give us that sheep .

we have had nothing to eat all night , and are very hungry . '

the shepherd yawned , and rubbed his eyes .

' he is tied up to that tree ; go and take him . '

when they reached the cave the jackal said to the hedgehog :

' before i kill him let me see whether he is fat or thin . '

and he stood a little way back , so that he might the better examine the animal .

after looking at him , with his head on one side , for a minute or two , he nodded gravely .

' he is quite fat enough ; he is a good sheep . '

but the hedgehog , who sometimes showed more cunning than anyone would have guessed , answered :

' my friend , you are talking nonsense .

the wool is indeed a sheep 's wool , but the paws of my uncle the greyhound peep out from underneath . '

' he is a sheep , ' repeated the jackal , who did not like to think anyone cleverer than himself .

' hold the cord while i look at him , ' answered the hedgehog .

very unwillingly the jackal held the rope , while the hedgehog walked slowly round the greyhound till he reached the jackal again .

' don't be long , then , ' called the jackal , as the hedgehog hurried off at his best pace .

and he lay down under a rock to wait for him .

and this was very natural , as he had hidden himself in some long grass under a tree !

at length the jackal guessed that for some reason his friend had run away , and determined to wait for his breakfast no longer .

so he went up to the place where the greyhound had been tethered and untied the rope .

( nouveaux contes berbères par rené basset . )

the adventures of the jackal's eldest son

now , though the jackal was dead , he had left two sons behind him , every whit as cunning and tricky as their father .

the elder of the two was a fine handsome creature , who had a pleasant manner and made many friends .

the jackal agreed to this , and the hyena wrapped the cloak about him , and they both trotted off to the lion 's den .

' quite true , your majesty , ' answered the hyena .

' then lay the cloak on the ground at my feet , ' said the lion , ' and i will give my judgment . '

so the mantle was spread upon the red earth , the hyena and the jackal standing on each side of it .

there was silence for a few moments , and then the lion sat up , looking very great and wise .

' my judgment is that the garment shall belong wholly to whoever first rings the bell of the nearest mosque at dawn to-morrow .

now go ; for much business awaits me ! '

' good luck to you , ' cried the jackal .

and throwing the cloak over his back he darted away across the plain , and was seen no more by his friend the hyena .

' good morning , ' he said ; ' may i ask what is the matter ?

you seem very serious about something . '

' pray sit down , ' answered the lion .

' we were wondering in which direction we should go to find the best dinner .

the hyena wishes to go to the forest , and i to the mountains .

what do you say ? '

if you keep among the rocks you will never be observed .

but perhaps you will allow me to go with you and show you the way ? '

' you are really very kind , ' answered the lion .

' how shall we divide them ? ' asked the lion in a whisper to the hyena .

' oh , it is easily done , ' replied the hyena .

' the lamb for me , the sheep for the jackal , and the ram for the lion . '

' i will teach you to divide things in that manner ! '

and he gave the hyena two great blows , which stretched him dead in a moment .

then he turned to the jackal and said : ' how would you divide them ? '

' quite differently from the hyena , ' replied the jackal .

' you will breakfast off the lamb , you will dine off the sheep , and you will sup off the ram . '

' dear me , how clever you are !

who taught you such wisdom ? ' exclaimed the lion , looking at him admiringly .

the jackal continued to run till at last he could run no longer .

' i have just had a narrow escape of my life , ' gasped the jackal , ' and i need some sleep .

after that we must think of something to do to amuse ourselves . '

and he lay down again and slept soundly for a couple of hours .

' now i am ready , ' said he ; ' have you anything to propose ? '

then you shall watch , and i will eat . '

' that sounds a good plan , ' replied the jackal ; and they set off together .

' oh no , ' cried the hedgehog , ' i really couldn't .

they would find out directly !

and , besides , it is so different just eating a little now and then . '

when they were all in a row before him he gave a sudden start .

' run for your life , ' he whispered to his companion ; ' i see the woman coming over the hill ! '

and the hedgehog , his heart beating , set off as fast as he could .

but every day he stole out to their hiding-place and had a delicious feast .

at length , one morning , the hedgehog suddenly said :

' you never told me what you did with those jars ? '

' oh , i hid them safely till the farm people should have forgotten all about them , ' replied the jackal .

after a while the hedgehog became suspicious , and said :

' i should like to know where you have hidden them .

to-night , when it is quite dark , you shall show me the place . '

' i really can't tell you , ' answered the jackal .

i can see that he is getting disheartened , and very soon he will give up the search .

have patience just a little longer . '

will you come ? '

' certainly , ' answered the jackal , ' with pleasure .

but as i have to go out in the morning you can meet me on the road . '

' that will do very well , ' replied the hedgehog .

and the jackal went to sleep again , for he was obliged to be up early .

' ah , there you are ! ' he cried , when the dusky yellow form at last turned the corner .

' i had nearly given you up !

indeed , i almost wish you had not come , for i hardly know where i shall hide you . '

' why should you hide me anywhere ? ' asked the jackal .

' what is the matter with you ? '

no ; don't run off that way , ' he added quickly , ' because there is another troop that are coming over the hill .

lie down here , and i will throw these sacks over you ; and keep still for your life , whatever happens . '

( contes berbères . )

the adventures of the younger son of the jackal

' good morning , ' said the jackal , ' i am so glad to see you .

i have been looking for you everywhere . '

' for me ? ' answered the sheep , in an astonished voice ; ' but we have never met before ! '

' no ; but i have heard of you .

oh ! you don't know what fine things i have heard !

ah , well , some people have all the luck ! '

' you are very kind , i am sure , ' answered the sheep , not knowing which way to look .

' is there any way in which i can help you ? '

i have several fields belonging to me , and if they are kept well watered they bear wonderful crops . '

' oh , thank you , thank you , ' cried the jackal ; ' do not let us lose a moment . '

and he held out his paw in such an inviting manner that the sheep got up and trotted beside him till they reached home .

and as he did so he sang lustily .

after that the hot sun ripened them quickly , and soon harvest time was come .

then the grain was cut and ground and ready for sale .

when everything was complete , the jackal said to the sheep :

' now let us divide it , so that we can each do what we like with his share . '

' you do it , ' answered the sheep ; ' here are the scales .

you must weigh it carefully . '

so the jackal began to weigh it , and when he had finished , he counted out loud :

' one , two , three , four , five , six , seven parts for the jackal , and one part for the sheep .

if she likes it she can take it , if not , she can leave it . '

the sheep looked at the two heaps in silence one so large , the other so small ; and then she answered :

' wait for a minute , while i fetch some sacks to carry away my share . '

' oh , good uncle , help me , i pray you ! ' she cried , as soon as she could speak .

' why , what is the matter ? ' asked the greyhound , looking up in astonishment .

' i beg you to return with me , and frighten the jackal into paying me what he owes me , ' answered the sheep .

then he said :

' bring me a sack . '

and the sheep hastened away to fetch one .

very soon she returned , and laid the sack down before him .

she found him waiting for her , and pretending to be asleep , though she clearly saw him wink one of his eyes .

however , she took no notice , but throwing the sack roughly on the ground , she exclaimed :

' now measure ! '

' what are you doing that for ? ' asked she indignantly .

' you know quite well that it was i who drew the water , and you who only poured it into the trenches . '

' you are mistaken , ' answered the jackal .

' it was i who drew the water , and you who poured it into the trenches .

anybody will tell you that !

if you like , i will ask those people who are digging there . '

' very well , ' replied the sheep .

and the jackal called out :

' ho ! you diggers , tell me : who was it you heard singing over the work ? '

' why , it was you , of course , jackal !

you sang so loud that the whole world might have heard you ! '

' and who is it that sings he who draws the water , or he who empties it ? '

' why , certainly he who draws the water ! '

' you hear ? ' said the jackal , turning to the sheep .

' now come and carry away your own portion , or else i shall take it for myself . '

' you have got the better of me , ' answered the sheep ; ' and i suppose i must confess myself beaten !

but as i bear no malice , go and eat some of the dates that i have brought in that sack . '

and the jackal , who loved dates , ran instantly back , and tore open the mouth of the sack .

but just as he was about to plunge his nose in he saw two brown eyes calmly looking at him .

in an instant he had let fall the flap of the sack and bounded back to where the sheep was standing .

' i was only in fun ; and you have brought my uncle the greyhound .

take away the sack , we will make the division over again . '

and he began re-arranging the heaps .

' now you can take your share and go , ' said the sheep .

and the jackal did not need twice telling !

( contes berbères , par rené basset . )

the three treasures of the giants

one evening they were all seated round the table , eating their supper of bread and milk .

' martin , ' said the old man suddenly , ' i feel that i cannot live much longer .

a little while after , the father fell ill , and sent for his sons , who were out hunting , to bid him farewell .

after giving good advice to the two eldest , he turned to jack .

so saying the old man sank back on his pillows and died .

' you are a nice pair !

this reply was so unexpected that for some moments neither of the brothers made any answer .

then they offered their brother some of their food , and when he had finished eating they went their way once more .

towards evening they reached a small hut , and knocking at the door , asked if they might spend the night there .

the man , who was a wood-cutter , invited them in , and begged them to sit down to supper .

jack shouted with delight , but martin , who was in a bad temper , said sharply :

' we must have taken the wrong turning !

let us go back . '

' idiot ! ' replied michael , who was hungry too , and , like many people when they are hungry , very cross also .

and , without another word , took the path to the castle , closely followed by jack , and after a moment by martin likewise .

the door of the castle stood open , and they entered a great hall , and looked about them .

not a creature was to be seen , and suddenly martin he did not know why felt a little frightened .

he would have left the castle at once , but stopped when jack boldly walked up to a door in the wall and opened it .

[ illustration : the brothers ill-treat poor jack ]

scarcely had they done this when jack threw open another door , and this time it led to a hall filled with silver .

however , they soon recovered from their surprise , and quickly emptied their bags of silver , and filled them with gold instead .

when they would hold no more , martin said :

then he went after them , and found them lying down to rest in the midst of a forest .

' it is hardly worth doing that , ' answered jack ; ' for i picked up the pieces and ate them myself . '

' go where you like , ' cried martin with a final kick ; ' but never come near us again . '

and poor jack ran weeping into the woods .

the next morning his brothers went home , and bought a beautiful house , where they lived with their mother like great lords .

this being decided , he sprang up , and set out along the path which led to the castle .

he then began to pour in the gold by handfuls , when , all at once , a noise like thunder shook the castle .

this was followed by a voice , hoarse as that of a bull , which cried :

' i smell the smell of a man . '

and two giants entered .

' so , little worm ! it is you who steal our treasures ! ' exclaimed the biggest .

' well , we have got you now , and we will cook you for supper ! '

but here the other giant drew him aside , and for a moment or two they whispered together .

at length the first giant spoke :

' to please my friend i will spare your life on condition that , for the future , you shall guard our treasures .

with a light heart jack promised all that was asked of him , and for some days enjoyed himself mightily .

' let the giants guard their treasures themselves , ' he said to himself at last ; ' i am going away .

but i will leave all the gold and silver behind me , and will take nought but you , my good little table . '

there he saw an old man , who begged jack to give him something to eat .

' you could not have asked a better person , ' answered jack cheerfully .

' the dinner of an emperor ! '

he had hardly uttered the words when fish and meat of all kinds appeared on it !

[ illustration : the giants find jack in the treasure room ]

' that is a clever trick of yours , ' said the old man , when he had eaten as much as he wanted .

' give it to me in exchange for a treasure i have which is still better .

do you see this cornet ?

all at once he remembered his cornet , and a wicked thought entered his mind .

' two hundred hussars , forward ! ' cried he .

and the neighing of horses and the clanking of swords was heard close at hand .

the officer who rode at their head approached jack , and politely inquired what he wished them to do .

' a mile or two along that road , ' answered jack , ' you will find an old man carrying a table .

take the table from him and bring it to me . '

the officer saluted and went back to his men , who started at a gallop to do jack 's bidding .

in ten minutes they had returned , bearing the table with them .

' that is all , thank you , ' said jack ; and the soldiers disappeared inside the cornet .

oh , what a good supper jack had that night , quite forgetting that he owed it to a mean trick .

the next day he breakfasted early , and then walked on towards the nearest town .

on the way thither he met another old man , who begged for something to eat .

' certainly you shall have something to eat , ' replied jack .

and placing the table on the ground , he cried :

' the dinner of an emperor ! ' when all sorts of good dishes appeared .

' that is a very clever trick of yours .

give the table to me , and you shall have something still better . '

' i don't believe there is anything better , ' answered jack .

' yes , there is .

here is my bag ; it will give you as many castles as you can possibly want . '

jack thought for a moment ; then he replied : ' very well , i will exchange with you . '

and passing the table to the old man , he hung the bag over his arm .

five minutes later he summoned five hundred lancers out of the cornet and bade them go after the old man and fetch back the table .

now that by his cunning he had obtained possession of the three magic objects , he resolved to return to his native place .

in this manner he learned that his brothers had become great men , much respected in all the country round .

at length , however , at their mother 's entreaty , he was told that he might pass the night in the stable .

in the morning , he caused it all to vanish , and when his brothers entered the stable they found him lying on the straw .

jack remained here for many days , doing nothing , and as far as anybody knew eating nothing .

that very evening his chamberlain arrived at jack 's dwelling , with a request from the king that he might borrow the table for three days .

' very well , ' answered jack , ' you can take it back with you .

but tell his majesty that if he does not return it at the end of the three days i will make war upon him . '

' the dinner of an emperor ! ' cried jack .

but not even a morsel of cheese made its appearance .

' the dinner of an emperor ! ' shouted jack in a voice of thunder .

' tell your false king that to-morrow i will destroy his castle as easily as i have broken this table . '

' i committed a crime , ' said he ; ' but i will do my best to make up for it .

at this proof of his power the king 's heart died within him .

so at last jack 's ambition was satisfied .

he reigned long and well , and died a very old man , beloved by his people .

but his good example was not followed by his sons and his grandsons .

for some time the kingdom remained , though it became weaker and weaker every year that passed .

then , one day , a rumour reached the king that a large army was marching against him .

thither he hastened that he might renew his power once more , and in that black and slimy spot he found the treasures indeed .

( from contes populaires slaves , par louis leger . )

the rover of the plain

everyone in the house and in the village rejoiced , and the maiden was despatched to her new home .

when all was quiet again the father said to his son :

therefore tell us which you like best , and we will buy her for you . '

but the son answered :

' not so ; the maidens i have seen do not please me .

if , indeed , i must marry , let me travel and find a wife for myself . '

the youth , however , would not listen ; and bidding his father and mother farewell , set out on his search .

' we will give you our daughter , ' said they , ' if you can pay a good price for her .

never was there so hard-working a girl ; and how we shall do without her we cannot tell !

still no doubt your father and mother will come themselves and bring the dowry ? '

' no ; i have the dowry with me , ' replied the young man ; laying down a handful of gold pieces .

' here it is take it . '

the old couple 's eyes glittered greedily ; but custom forbade them to touch the dowry before all was arranged .

' no ; they are not used to travelling , ' answered the bridegroom .

' let the ceremony be performed without delay , and we will set forth at once .

it is a long journey . '

' be good to your husband 's parents , ' added he , ' and always do the will of your husband . '

and the girl nodded her head obediently .

next it was the mother 's turn ; and , as was the custom of the tribe , she spoke to her daughter :

' will you choose which of your sisters shall go with you to cut your wood and carry your water ? '

' i do not want any of them , ' answered she ; ' they are no use .

they will drop the wood and spill the water . '

' then will you have any of the other children ?

there are enough and to spare , ' asked the mother again .

but the bride said quickly :

' i will have none of them !

you must give me our buffalo , the rover of the plain ; he alone shall serve me . '

' what folly you talk ! ' cried the parents .

' give you our buffalo , the rover of the plain ?

why , you know that our life depends on him .

here he is well fed and lies on soft grass ; but how can you tell what will befall him in another country ?

the food may be bad , he will die of hunger ; and , if he dies we die also . '

' no , no , ' said the bride ; ' i can look after him as well as you .

get him ready , for the sun is sinking and it is time we set forth . '

but the young man did not see the buffalo that followed them , which had left his home to be the servant of his wife .

well , well , you have chosen your own path ; and if ill comes of it beware lest you grumble . '

next day the husband took his wife to the fields and showed her which were his , and which belonged to his mother .

' i have dropped my necklace of beads in the field , and i must go back and look for it . '

but in truth she had done nothing of the sort , and it was only an excuse to go and seek the buffalo .

[ illustration : the rover of the plain does the girl's work ]

the beast was crouching under a tree when she came up , and snorted with pleasure at the sight of her .

but the other fields are his mother 's , so beware lest you touch them . '

' i will beware , ' answered the buffalo ; and , patting his head , the girl left him .

oh , how much better a servant he was than any of the little girls the bride had refused to bring with her !

then she would sit at her ease while he went to the lake and brought the bucket back brimming over .

if she wanted wood , he would break the branches off the trees and lay them at her feet .

and the villagers watched her return laden , and said to each other :

but then , nobody knew that she had a buffalo for a servant .

he kept silence , however , till the evening , when he said to his mistress :

' i am nearly starved ; i have not touched food since i came here .

i can work no more . '

' alas ! ' answered she , ' what can i do ?

i have only one dish in the house .

you will have to steal some beans from the fields .

now the buffalo had always lived an honest life , but if his mistress did not feed him , he must get it for himself .

and when at last his hunger was satisfied , he crept back to his lair .

' just look at this ; a savage beast has been destroying our crops , and we can see traces of his feet ! '

and they hurried to their homes to tell their tale .

in the evening the girl crept out to the buffalo 's hiding-place , and said to him :

' they perceived what happened , of course ; so to-night you had better seek your supper further off . '

the young man saw him coming with amazement .

' why , it is a buffalo ! ' cried he ; ' i never have beheld one in this country before ! '

and raising his gun , he aimed just behind the ear .

the buffalo gave a leap into the air , and then fell dead .

' it was a good shot , ' said the young man .

and he ran to the village to tell them that the thief was punished .

when he entered his hut he found his wife , who had somehow heard the news , twisting herself to and fro and shedding tears .

' are you ill ? ' asked he .

and she answered : ' yes ; i have pains all over my body . '

but she was not ill at all , only very unhappy at the death of the buffalo which had served her so well .

' what are you doing here ? ' asked her husband when he saw her .

' if you are ill you are better at home . '

' oh !

i could not stay alone in the village , ' said she .

but the girl would not listen and sat down and looked on .

' let me have the head . '

' you could never carry anything so heavy , ' answered the men , ' and now you are ill besides . '

' you do not know how strong i am , ' answered she .

and at last they gave it her .

then she laid down the buffalo 's head and sat beside it .

' i wish you would leave me alone ! ' she answered crossly .

' it is impossible to sleep if somebody is always coming in . '

and she turned her back on them , and would not even eat the food they had brought .

[ illustration : last of all she sang in a low voice a dirge over the rover of the plain ]

when all was still the girl made a fire and boiled some water in a pot .

next she applied the horn to the spot and blew with all her force till , at length , the blood began to move .

last of all , she sang in a low voice a dirge over the rover of the plain .

as she chanted the final words the head moved , and the limbs came back .

the buffalo began to feel alive again and shook his horns , and stood up and stretched himself .

unluckily it was just at this moment that the husband said to himself :

' i wonder if she is crying still , and what is the matter with her !

perhaps i had better go and see . '

and he got up and , calling her by name , went out to the shed .

' go away !

i don't want you ! ' she cried angrily .

but it was too late .

the buffalo had fallen to the ground , dead , and with the wound in his head as before .

after waiting a few minutes , she began her task over again , and at the end the buffalo stood on his feet as before .

the girl entered the hut , where her husband and his mother were getting ready to go out .

' i want to go down to the lake , and bathe , ' said she .

' but you could never walk so far , ' answered they .

' you are so tired , as it is , that you can hardly stand ! '

however , in spite of their warnings , the girl left the hut in the direction of the lake .

very soon she came back weeping , and sobbed out :

i will return as soon as i can , and now farewell . '

and she set forth in the direction of the mountains .

her friends all ran to meet her , and , weeping , she told them that the buffalo was dead .

' if you only had listened to us , ' they cried , ' he would be alive now .

but you refused all the little girls we offered you , and would have nothing but the buffalo .

and remember what the medicine-man said : " if the buffalo dies you die also ! " '

then one man , turning , beheld him , and bowed mockingly .

' hail , murderer ! hail ! you have slain us all ! '

the young man stared , not knowing what he meant , and answered , wonderingly :

' i shot a buffalo ; is that why you call me a murderer ? '

' a buffalo yes ; but the servant of your wife !

it was he who carried the wood and drew the water .

did you not know it ? '

' no ; i did not know it , ' replied the husband in surprise .

' why did no one tell me ?

of course i should not have shot him ! '

' well , he is dead , ' answered they , ' and we must die too . '

then drinking a deep draught from it , fell back dead .

when he had finished they shook their heads and said :

' now you see that we spoke no idle words when we told you that ill would come of your marriage !

we offered you a good and hard-working wife , and you would have none of her .

and it is not only your wife you have lost , but your fortune also .

for who will give you back your dowry if they are all dead ? '

' it is true , o my father , ' answered the young man .

but in his heart he thought more of the loss of his wife than of the money he had given for her .

( from l'etude ethnographique sur les baronga , par henri junod . )

the white doe

one day the queen was sitting alone by the side of a waterfall which sprung from some rocks in the large park adjoining the castle .

she was feeling more than usually miserable , and had sent away her ladies so that no one might witness her grief .

when there you will know more ; that is , if you will trust , yourself to me . '

the queen had never before heard an animal speak and was struck dumb with surprise .

and , wonderful to say , not a drop of water fell from her clothes .

' what can it be ? ' she asked , turning to her guide ; who answered :

' oh , that is the fairies ' palace , and here are some of them coming to meet us . '

in a little while it happened just as the fairies had foretold , and a baby girl was born in the palace .

[ illustration : the queen & the crab ]

at first the queen could think of nothing but her new plaything , but then she remembered the fairies who had sent it to her .

the fairies entered the queen 's chamber followed by little dwarfs who carried their presents and looked much prouder than their mistresses .

one by one their burdens were spread upon the ground , and no one had ever seen such lovely things .

everybody looked up , and there was the crab-fairy , who had grown as tall as the ceiling in her anger .

' so i am forgotten ! ' cried she , in a voice so loud that the queen trembled as she heard it .

' who was it soothed you in your trouble ?

who was it led you to the fairies ?

who was it brought you back in safety to your home again ?

yet i i am overlooked , while these who have done nothing in comparison , are petted and thanked . '

for some time the enraged fairy would listen to nothing ; but at length the flatteries began to take effect .

the crab 's shell fell from her , she shrank into her usual size , and lost some of her fierce expression .

[ illustration : the uninvited fairy ]

however , once within , daylight was hardly missed , so brilliant were the multitudes of tapers that were burning on the walls .

' how would you like to have a husband like that ? ' asked the queen , laughing .

' as if i knew anything about husbands ! ' replied désirée , who had long ago guessed the business of the ambassador .

' well , he will be your husband in three months , ' answered the queen , ordering the prince 's presents to be brought in .

the queen hastened to the marble tower , and told her daughter of the sad state of the prince .

' i see ! ' she exclaimed joyfully at last .

' let a carriage be built through which no light can come , and let it be brought into my room .

i will then get into it , and we can travel swiftly during the night and arrive before dawn at the palace of the prince .

once there , i can remain in some underground chamber , where no light can come . '

' ah , how clever you are , ' cried the queen , clasping her in her arms .

and she hurried away to tell the king .

and so he took his leave .

in a few days the carriage commanded by the princess was ready .

it was of green velvet , scattered over with large golden thistles , and lined inside with silver brocade embroidered with pink roses .

she was very angry at the slight put upon her godchild , and from that moment kept careful watch on the princess .

this went on for several days , till only twelve hours journey lay between them and the palace .

cérisette and her mother looked at each other in surprise and joy .

they could hardly believe in their good fortune , for everything had happened exactly as they wished .

she found this heavier than she expected ; but then , she had never been accustomed to wear crowns , which makes all the difference .

the carriage stopped at length in the vast hall which becasigue had prepared for the reception of the princess .

' so she has come ! ' cried he , throwing down the bow he had been pretending to mend .

' well , was i not right ?

is she not a miracle of beauty and grace ?

and has she her equal in the whole world ? '

' my lord , as to her beauty , you can judge of that for yourself .

this was certainly not what the prince expected to hear .

could the portrait have flattered her ?

' has the king been told that the princess is in the palace ? '

' yes , your highness ; and he has probably already joined her . '

' then i will go too , ' said the prince .

' there has been treachery at work , ' he exclaimed , while the prince leant , dumb with horror , against the doorpost .

besides that her nose was hooked , and her teeth black and ugly .

in his turn , the prince stood rooted to the spot .

' we have been deceived , ' he said , ' and it will cost me my life . '

and he leaned so heavily on the envoy that becasigue feared he was going to faint , and hastily laid him on the floor .

' oh , my lovely princess , why did we ever leave home ? ' cried she .

i am not surprised that he has kept her for fifteen years hidden from the eyes of the world .

take them both away , ' he continued , turning to his guards , ' and lodge them in the state prison .

there is something more i have to learn of this matter . '

and while these things were happening , what had become of the white doe ?

' is it really , i , désirée ? ' she said to herself , weeping .

' what wicked fairy can have treated me so ; and shall i never , never take my own shape again ?

my only comfort that , in this great forest , full of lions and serpents , my life will be a short one . '

suddenly the beautiful creature lifted her head , and looked up into eglantine 's face , with tears streaming from her eyes .

' my princess !

' is there no hut or cave we could go into ? ' asked she .

but the doe only shook her head ; and the two sat down and wept with fright .

and with these words she vanished , leaving her hearers happier than they ever thought they could be again .

an old woman was standing at the door of the hut when eglantine drew near , with the white doe trotting by her side .

' good evening ! ' she said ; ' could you give me a night 's lodging for myself and my doe ? '

' certainly i can , ' replied the old woman .

the door had hardly closed behind the old woman when the sun sank below the horizon , and désirée became a girl again .

' oh , eglantine ! what should i have done if you had not followed me , ' she cried .

and she flung herself into her friend 's arms in a transport of delight .

' could you give me some milk and fruit ? ' asked he .

' i am very hungry myself , and , besides , i have left a friend behind me who is still weak from illness . '

' certainly i can , ' answered the old woman .

' but come and sit down in my kitchen while i catch the goat and milk it . '

' if your friend has been ill he should not pass the night in the forest , ' said she .

becasigue thanked her warmly , and by this time it was almost sunset , he set out to fetch the prince .

panting for breath , she entered their room , and flung herself down on the floor .

when it was dark again , and she was once more the princess désirée , she told eglantine what had befallen her .

i do not know now what saved me . '

' you must stay quietly here till the time of your punishment is over , ' answered eglantine .

[ illustration : for a minute they looked at each other ]

yet , instead of turning to fly , something bade her go and look at him unseen .

gently stooping over him she kissed his forehead , and at her touch he awoke .

for a minute they looked at each other , and to his amazement he recognised the white doe which had escaped him the previous day .

' pretty doe ! pretty doe ! stop !

i won't hurt you , ' cried he , but his words were carried away by the wind .

when he returned , the white doe was gone .

but eglantine comforted her , and reminded her that in a short time all would be well .

' she shall not escape me again , ' cried the prince .

' if i hunt her every day for a year , i will have her at last . '

and in this frame of mind he went to bed .

this done he went away to get help .

meanwhile eglantine had grown very uneasy at the long absence of her mistress , and had come out to look for her .

with all her might she worked at the knots , but not a single one could she undo , though all appeared so easy .

she was still busy with them when a voice behind her said :

' pardon me , fair lady , but it is my doe you are trying to steal ! '

and if you wish for a proof of it , you can see if she knows me or not .

touch my heart , my little one , ' she continued , dropping on her knees .

and the doe lifted up its fore-foot and laid it on her side .

' now put your arms round my neck , and sigh . '

and again the doe did as she was bid .

to this eglantine answered nothing ; but carefully raising up the doe , she led her slowly to the hut .

then she went back to her kitchen .

so , taking a knife out of his pocket , he began to saw away the woodwork .

at length the hole was large enough for him to peep through , and the sight was one to strike him dumb with amazement .

he had guessed truly : the tall lady was eglantine herself ; but the other where had he seen her ?

ah ! now he knew it was the lady of the portrait !

' oh ! let me die ! ' cried she , ' rather than go on leading this life .

yet , even so , i cannot bring myself to hate him . '

these words , low though they were spoken , reached becasigue , who could hardly believe his ears .

she started back at the sight of the prince , whom this time she also recognised .

but he thrust her aside , and flung himself at the feet of désirée , to whom he poured out all his heart !

dawn found them still conversing ; and the sun was high in the heavens before the princess perceived that she retained her human form .

( contes des fées , par madame d'aulnoy . )

the girl-fish

once upon a time there lived , on the bank of a stream , a man and a woman who had a daughter .

the girl took the net and worked so hard that soon there was not a hole to be found .

' well , you are a beauty ! ' she cried to herself ; but the fish looked up to her and said :

' you had better not kill me , for , if you do , i will turn you into a fish yourself ! '

the girl laughed contemptuously , and ran straight in to her mother .

' oh , put it back , put it back ! ' implored the mother .

' perhaps it is skilled in magic .

and i should die , and so would your father , if anything should happen to you . '

' oh , nonsense , mother ; what power could a creature like that have over me ?

besides , i am hungry , and if i don't have my dinner very soon , i shall be cross . '

and off she went to gather some flowers to stick in her hair .

about an hour later the blowing of a horn told her that dinner was ready .

but the instant it touched her mouth a cold shiver ran through her .

' only you did not believe that the fish you caught had power to carry out its threat , ' said an old tunny .

' well , never mind , that has happened to all of us , and it really is not a bad life .

the people on the rocks and in the ships that saw them pass said to each other :

certainly the little new fish had none .

she had watched jelly-fish and nautilus swimming a little way below the surface , and beautiful coloured sea-weeds floating about ; but that was all .

now , when she plunged deeper her eyes fell upon strange things .

wedges of gold , great anchors , heaps of pearl , inestimable stones , unvalued jewels all scattered in the bottom of the sea !

and in a low , trembling voice , the visitor told her story .

for many months i was as happy as a girl could be , especially when i had a little son to play with .

but , one morning , when i was walking in my gardens , there came a giant and snatched the crown from my head .

since then she has filled my place and been queen in my stead .

and fishes we must remain till someone brings me back my crown again ! '

and the queen answered :

' yes , i will tell you what to do . '

she sat silent for a moment , and then went on :

you will find him sitting on the steps weeping for his daughter , who has just died while the prince was away hunting .

at the last she sent her father my crown by a faithful servant .

but i warn you to be careful , for if he sees you he may kill you .

therefore i will give you the power to change yourself into any creature that may help you best .

you have only to strike your forehead , and call out its name . '

' deer , come to me . '

' that can't really be a deer , ' thought the prince to himself , reining in his horse and not attempting to follow her .

' no deer ever had eyes like that .

it must be an enchanted maiden , and i will marry her and no other . '

so , turning his horse 's head , he rode slowly back to his palace .

then she plucked up courage and cried :

' ant , come to me ! '

it was wonderful how fast she went , that little creature !

' i had better become something else . '

and she called softly : ' parrot , come to me ! '

' that is true , ' answered the giant ; ' but i am not so foolish as to give you that crown for nothing .

let me think what i will have in exchange ! '

and he scratched his huge head for several minutes , for giants ' minds always move slowly .

' ah , yes , that will do ! ' exclaimed the giant at last , his face brightening .

so she bowed to the giant , and made her way back to the window where the giant could not see her .

then she called quickly :

' eagle , come to me ! '

it was even harder work than she had expected ; but at last it was done , and hope arose in her heart .

when the necklace was finished she hung it round her neck , and called : ' parrot , come to me ! '

and a little later the pink and grey parrot stood before the giant .

' here is the necklace you asked for , ' said the parrot .

and the eyes of the giant glistened as he took the heap of blue stones in his hand .

but for all that he was not minded to give up the crown .

if you fail it will cost you not only the crown but your life also . '

' what is it you want now ? ' asked the parrot ; and the giant answered :

the parrot turned away , and as soon as she was outside she murmured :

' toad , come to me ! '

and sure enough a toad she was , and off she set in search of the starry crown .

then she cried as before :

' parrot , come to me ! '

and in the shape of a parrot she entered the presence of the giant .

' here is the crown you asked for , ' she said ; and this time the giant could not help crying out with admiration .

he knew he was beaten , and still holding the chaplet of stars , he turned to the girl .

' your power is greater than mine : take the crown ; you have won it fairly ! '

the parrot did not need to be told twice .

seizing the crown , she sprang on to the window , crying : ' monkey , come to me ! '

and to a monkey , the climb down the tree into the courtyard did not take half a minute .

when she had reached the ground she said again : ' ant , come to me ! '

and a little ant at once began to crawl over the high wall .

' deer , come to me ! '

surely no deer ever ran so swiftly as that one !

on and on she went , bounding over rivers and crashing through tangles till she reached the sea .

here she cried : for the last time :

' fish , come to me ! '

it must be months since that fish went away . '

it is really too bad ! '

and the queen started up , and stood on her tail , so excited was she .

a silence fell on all the crowd , and even the grumblers held their peace and gazed like the rest .

on and on came the fish , holding the crown tightly in her mouth , and the others moved back to let her pass .

on she went right up to the queen , who bent , and taking the crown , placed it on her own head .

then a wonderful thing happened .

so they all went back to earth and the queen 's palace , and quite forgot the one that lay under the sea .

but they had been so long away that they found many changes .

' for , ' said she , ' if i can give you happiness you shall have it . '

[ illustration : the crown returns to the queen of the fishes ]

' it is no use , ' answered the prince ; ' nobody can help me .

i must bear it alone . '

' but at least let me share your grief , ' urged the queen .

' no one can do that , ' said he .

' i have fallen in love with what i can never marry , and i must get on as best i can . '

' it may not be so impossible as you think , ' answered the queen .

' at any rate , tell me . '

there was silence between them for a moment , then , turning away his head , the prince answered gently :

' i have fallen in love with a beautiful deer ! '

' ah , if that is all , ' exclaimed the queen joyfully .

' she is here , in my palace , ' added the queen .

' i will take you to her . '

she whispered softly :

' by your favour let me go , and do not kill me . '

and the prince remembered her words , and his heart was filled with happiness .

and the queen , his mother , watched them and smiled .

( from cuentos populars catalans por lo dr d francisco de s maspons y labros . )

the owl and the eagle

' i really am too tired when i come home in the evening to clean up the house , ' said the eagle .

' and i am much too sleepy at dawn after a long night 's hunting to begin to sweep and dust , ' answered the owl .

and they both made up their minds that wives they must have .

the eagle looked at the owl and the owl looked at the eagle .

' they will make capital wives if they will only stay with us , ' said they .

and they flew off to give themselves a wash , and to make themselves smart before the girls awoke .

but by-and-by they opened their eyes and saw the two birds watching them .

' i hope you are rested ? ' asked the owl politely .

' oh , yes , thank you , ' answered the girls .

' only we are so very hungry .

do you think we could have something to eat ? '

' certainly ! ' replied the eagle .

the children both grew quickly , and were never tired of playing together , or wanted any other companions .

suddenly the young sister , who was a little in front , gave a cry of surprise .

' oh ! look at that lake ! ' she said , ' we shall never get across it . '

' yes we shall , ' answered the elder ; ' i know what to do . '

and taking a long piece of string from her pocket , fastened it into the frog 's mouth , like a bit .

and so they did , till they got to about the middle of the lake , when the frog boy stopped .

' i don't like it , and i won't go any further , ' cried he sulkily .

and his mother had to promise him all sorts of nice things before he would go on again .

then she and her sister and the boy walked on , with the great forest looming before them .

' let us go in and ask for some water , ' said the eagle 's wife ; and in they went .

' what are you doing in my house ? ' cried she .

and the wives answered boldly that now they had found their husbands they meant to save them from such a wicked witch .

if you can reach the bottom of the cavern , you shall have your husbands back again . '

she had scarcely done so when the witch turned round .

' you don't seem to like your bargain , ' said she ; but the girl answered :

' oh , yes , i am quite ready .

i was only waiting for you ! '

and sitting down she began her slide .

at that instant , however , the head of the elder appeared , above the rock , brought upwards by the magic line .

' you can't expect such luck twice , ' she said ; and the girl sat down and slid over the edge .

trembling with rage though she was , she dared not show it , and only laughed hideously .

' i sha'n't let my prisoners go as easily as all that ! ' she said .

' make my hair grow as thick and as black as yours , or else your husbands shall never see daylight again . '

' if you can bear it , of course i can , ' answered the witch .

and so the girls told her they had first smeared their heads with pitch and then laid hot stones upon them .

' it is very painful , ' said they , ' but there is no other way that we know of .

then the other brought a huge stone and clove in her skull , and she died , groaning terribly .

so when the sisters saw that she was dead they went to the hut and nursed their husbands till they grew strong .

then they picked up the frog , and all went to make another home on the other side of the great lake .

( from the journal of the anthropological institute . )

the frog and the lion fairy

then came a dreadful period , when news from the king ceased entirely .

' he must surely be ill or dead , ' thought the poor girl , who even now was only sixteen .

oh !

i do wish i had never come away ! '

quite close by , of course , ' she added , seeing the anxious look on their faces .

' and there is no reason that you should not hunt too . '

[ illustration : how the queen met the lion-fairy ]

in one hand she held a club on which she leaned , and in the other a quiver full of arrows .

at the sight of this strange figure the queen thought she must be dead , and gazing on an inhabitant of another world .

so she murmured softly to herself :

' i am not surprised that people are so loth to die when they know that they will see such horrible creatures . '

but , low as she spoke , the giantess caught the words , and began to laugh .

' oh , don't be afraid ; you are still alive , and perhaps , after all , you may be sorry for it .

so come along . '

but the queen shrank back in horror .

but the giantess shook her head .

if the castle had been gloomy , what did the queen feel about this ?

' is there no way in which i can touch your heart ? ' asked the poor girl in despair .

' but i don't see any bees , ' answered the queen , looking round .

and , so saying , she went away .

and not caring what she did , she left the palace and seating herself under a yew tree , poured out all her grief .

rather a thousand times that you should fancy me dead than imagine that i had forgotten you !

and if another should take my place in your heart well , at least i shall never know it . '

she might have continued for long in this fashion had not the voice of a crow directly overhead attracted her attention .

the crow , furious at his disappointment , flew angrily away .

as soon as the frog had recovered her senses she hopped up to the queen , who was still sitting under the yew .

standing on her hind legs , and bowing low before her , she said gently :

' beautiful lady , by what mischance do you come here ?

you are the only creature that i have seen do a kind deed since a fatal curiosity lured me to this place . '

' what sort of a frog can you be that knows the language of mortals ? ' asked the queen in her turn .

therefore fate has sent them here for a while to bear the punishment of their misdoings . '

' but you , friend frog , you are not one of these wicked people , i am sure ? ' asked the queen .

and if the lion fairy were to know of my presence in her kingdom she would hasten to kill me . '

once it is on my head i fear nothing .

and , even if there were , how could i catch them ? '

' leave it to me , ' said the frog , ' i will manage it for you . '

and , uttering a strange noise , she struck the ground thrice with her foot .

in an instant six thousand frogs appeared before her , one of them bearing a little cap .

and turning to the queen , he added :

not that she wants them for herself , but they are sometimes useful to her in punishing her victims .

however , this time we will get the better of her . '

the bees were all so stupefied with what they had eaten that it was possible to draw their stings without hunting them .

so , with the help of her friend , the queen soon made ready her pasty and carried it to the lion fairy .

' it is not bad , ' said the giantess , gulping down large morsels , in order to hide the surprise she felt .

now , you had better go and build yourself a house . '

[ illustration : ' a small dragon crept in and terrified her ' ]

' i hear we shall have to build you another palace , ' said she .

' well , this time we won't go so near the lake . '

the tiny palace was soon ready , and a fresh bed made of wild thyme , which smelt delicious .

' what gods or men are protecting you ? ' she asked , with a frown .

if not !

now you can go . '

the poor queen returned to her house looking so sad that the frog , who was waiting for her , noticed it directly .

' what is the matter ? ' said she , smiling .

' oh , how can you laugh ! ' replied the queen .

if i fail i know she will kill me . '

' well , i must see if i can't help you , ' answered the frog .

' the only person i have made friends with here is a bat .

i would go myself , only she will be quicker . '

in a few moments a voice was heard speaking from the box .

but , instead , a gift shall be given you , which will comfort you in all your troubles . '

' so the cap has kept its word , ' cried the frog with delight .

' how soft its cheeks are , and what tiny feet it has got !

what shall we call it ? '

this was a very important point , and needed much discussion .

a thousand names were proposed and rejected for a thousand silly reasons .

one was too long , and one was too short .

' i know !

we will call her muffette . '

' that is the very thing , ' shouted the frog , jumping high into the air ; and so it was settled .

the princess muffette was about six months old when the frog noticed that the queen had begun to grow sad again .

what is it ? '

' oh ! if her father could only see her ! ' broke forth the queen , clasping her hands .

' or if i could only tell him all that has happened since we parted .

but they will have brought him tidings of the broken carriage , and he will have thought me dead , or devoured by wild beasts .

the frog answered nothing at the time , but stopped her game and hopped away among the cypress trees .

here she sat and thought and thought , and the next morning she went back to the queen and said :

' i have come , madam , to make you an offer .

the way is long , and i travel slowly ; but , sooner or later , i shall be sure to arrive .

only , are you not afraid to be left without my protection ?

ponder the matter carefully ; it is for you to decide . '

' but in order that he may know that you have come from me i will send him a letter . '

and pricking her arm , she wrote a few words with her blood on the corner of her handkerchief .

then tearing it off , she gave it to the frog , and they bade each other farewell .

the journey lasted seven years , and all this time the queen suffered tortures of hope , though muffette did her best to comfort her .

as for little muffette , by the time she was seven her arrows seldom missed their mark .

so , after all , the years of waiting passed more quickly than the queen had dared to hope .

and surely no ambassador had ever created such a sensation !

doors and windows , even the roofs of houses , were filled with people , whose cheers reached the ears of the king .

' i wish to see his majesty , ' said he .

' his majesty is engaged , and can see no one , ' answered the soldier .

the king turned pale when he heard these words , and his hand trembled so that he could hardly read what the queen had written .

then he kissed the handkerchief twice or thrice , and burst into tears , and it was some minutes before he could speak .

' i am not a " mere frog , " and i will give you proof of it , ' retorted the angry little creature .

and putting on her cap , she cried : ' fairies that are my friends , come hither ! '

and in a moment a crowd of beautiful creatures , each one with a crown on her head , stood before her .

certainly none could have guessed that they were the snails , water-rats , and grasshoppers , from which she had chosen her retinue .

instead , the snails and grasshoppers and water-rats stood round the frog in their natural shapes .

' perhaps , ' said she , ' your majesty may now be convinced that i am a fairy and speak the truth .

therefore lose no time in setting in order the affairs of your kingdom and go in search of your wife .

here he dismounted , and bidding his horse go home , he pushed forward on foot .

' why do you give yourself so much trouble for nought , when you might know what you want to know for the asking ?

alone you will never discover the path that leads to your wife . '

much startled , the king looked about him .

he could see nothing , and somehow , when he thought about it , the voice seemed as if it were part of himself .

suddenly his eyes fell on the ring , and he understood .

' fool that i was ! ' cried he ; ' and how much precious time have i wasted ?

dear ring , i beseech you , grant me a vision of my wife and my daughter ! '

almost fainting with joy he gazed after them , and then sank back trembling on the ground .

' oh , lead me to them , lead me to them ! ' he exclaimed .

and the ring , bidding him take courage , conducted him safely to the dismal place where his wife had lived for ten years .

they were horribly jealous , and ready to eat each other up for her sake , so they readily accepted the charge .

some stationed themselves round the floating palace , some sat by the door , while the smallest and lightest perched themselves on the roof .

she fell back , and with his helmet still down and his shield up , he set his foot on her throat .

but the fairy answered :

' look through the window at that lake and see if it is in my power to give them to you . '

and the king looked , and through the crystal walls he beheld his wife and daughter floating on the quicksilver .

at that sight the lion fairy and all her wickedness was forgotten .

flinging off his helmet , he shouted to them with all his might .

the queen knew his voice , and she and muffette ran to the window and held out their hands .

[ illustration : the king on his dragon fights his way through the monsters to the queen and muffette ]

three years passed by , and the king was no nearer to obtaining his heart 's desire .

he had not advanced one single step , nor gained one solitary advantage .

now he was almost in despair , and ready to defy everything and throw himself into the lake .

' you thought that love would conquer all obstacles , ' said he ; ' well , you have found it hasn't !

ah , how glad the king was to hear that !

what oath would he not have taken so as to clasp his wife and child in his arms ?

the fight was long and hard , and when the king at last beat back his foes another struggle awaited him .

the dragon had disappeared with all the rest , and for some years no more was heard or thought of him .

the days passed slowly to muffette , in spite of her brave efforts to occupy herself and not to sadden other people by her complaints .

' is the prince dead ? ' faltered muffette , growing white and cold .

' no , no ; but oh , how can i tell you ! '

and he sank down on a pile of cushions while his wife and daughter knelt beside him .

at length he was able to tell his tale , and a terrible one it was !

so he had ordered the giant who was his servant to fetch her at once .

no words would paint the horror of both the queen and the princess as they listened to this dreadful doom .

' oh , thank you , thank you ! ' cried the parents , clasping his great hands to their breasts .

' you have indeed lifted a load from us .

she shall have half the kingdom for her dowry . '

but muffette stood up and thrust them aside .

and all her father 's and mother 's tears and prayers availed nothing to move her .

entering a room where the prince was sitting gazing at the portrait of his betrothed , she cried to him :

' what are you doing lingering here , when the life of the princess is nearing its last moment ?

in the courtyard you will find a green horse with three heads and twelve feet , and by its side a sword eighteen yards long .

hasten , lest you should be too late ! '

the prince saw his chance , and before his foe could shut his mouth again had plunged his sword far down his adversary 's throat .

muffette was delivered .

after this they all went back to the palace .

the marriage took place the following day , and muffette and her husband lived happy for ever after .

( from les contes des fées , par madame d'aulnoy . )

the adventures of covan the brown-haired

loud were the wails in the hut by the sea when the hours passed on and the maiden came not .

one by one the kids came home , and at every bleat someone hurried to open the door , but no sound broke the stillness .

their sons too were sadder than before , for they loved their sister well , and had never ceased to mourn for her .

at length ardan the eldest spoke and said :

' if you have vowed , then must you keep your vow , ' answered gorla .

' but better had it been if you had first asked your father 's leave before you made it .

yet , since it is so , your mother will bake you a cake for you to carry with you on your journey .

who can tell how long it may be ? '

so the mother arose and baked not one cake but two , a big one and a little one .

' choose , my son , ' said she .

and taking the big cake he went his way .

straight on he strode , letting neither hill nor river hinder him .

swiftly he walked swiftly as the wind that blew down the mountain .

trembling with fatigue he sat himself on a rock and broke a piece off his cake .

' spare me a morsel , ardan son of gorla , ' asked a raven , fluttering down towards him .

and he stretched himself out for a few moments , then rose to his feet again .

on and on , and on , till at last he saw a beam of light streaming from a house and hastened towards it .

' welcome , fair youth , ' said the old man , turning his head .

' sit down and warm yourself , and tell me how fares the outer world .

it is long since i have seen it . '

' i need someone to herd my three dun cows , which are hornless , ' said the old man .

but here the girl looked up and answered quickly :

' ill will come of it if he listens to your offer . '

' counsel unsought is worth nothing , ' replied , rudely , ardan son of gorla .

therefore , good father , i will take service with you at daybreak , and ask no payment till the new year dawns . '

now go , and may wisdom go with you . '

in a moment the words that the old man had uttered vanished from his mind and he gave chase .

at length he could run no more , and stopped to breathe , while the cock and hen went on as before .

then he remembered the cows , and , somewhat frightened , turned back to seek them .

luckily they had not strayed far , and were quietly feeding on the thick green grass .

though he followed them till he was tired he could not catch them , though they seemed ever within his reach .

[ illustration : ardan pursues the golden cock and the silver hen ]

' faithless one , you have betrayed your trust ! ' he said to ardan son of gorla .

' not even for one day could you keep true !

well , you shall have your reward at once that others may take warning from you . '

and waving his wand he touched with it the chest of the youth , who became a pillar of stone .

' time is long without my sister and ardan my brother .

so i have vowed to seek them wherever they may be . '

and his father answered :

' it is more than three years since my sister left us .

and his father answered :

' go , then , and take our blessing with you . '

in the wood he felt hungry , for he had walked far , and he sat down to eat .

suddenly a voice behind him cried :

' a bit for me ! a bit for me ! '

and looking round he beheld the black raven of the wilderness .

the door stood open and he entered , and the old man gave him welcome , and the golden-haired maiden likewise .

next day he set forth at dawn with the dun cows in front of him , and followed patiently wherever they might lead him .

on the way he saw the gold cock and silver hen , which ran even closer to him than they had done to his brothers .

the fire was fierce , but the cows took no heed , and walked steadily through it , covan the brown-haired following them .

next they plunged into a foaming river , and covan plunged in after them , though the water came high above his waist .

on the other side of the river lay a wide plain , and here the cows lay down , while covan looked about him .

' hasten , hasten , covan the brown-haired , for your cows are in the corn , and you must drive them out ! '

and he went on listening to the music .

very soon the same youth returned , and cried with panting breath :

' out upon you , covan son of gorla , that you stand there agape .

for our dogs are chasing your cows , and you must drive them off ! '

and he stayed where he was till the music ceased .

' what can these things mean ? ' said covan to himself , as he followed his cows .

darkness now fell , the wind howled , and torrents of rain poured upon them .

covan knew not how far they might yet have to go , or indeed if they were on the right road .

what was he to do ?

he waited thus , for he could go neither forwards nor backwards , till he felt a great friendly paw laid on his shoulder .

' my cave is just here , ' said the dog of maol-mór , of whom covan son of gorla had heard much .

and covan entered , and supped , and slept , and in the morning rose up a new man .

' farewell , covan , ' said the dog of maol-mór .

' may success go with you , for you took what i had to give and did not mock me .

so , when danger is your companion , wish for me , and i will not fail you . '

all that day they walked , and when night fell they were in a barren plain , with only rocks for shelter .

' we must rest here as best we can , ' spoke covan to the cows .

and they bowed their heads and lay down in the place where they stood .

and covan listened thankfully to his words , and at dawn he rose up to seek his cows .

' farewell ! ' cried the black raven .

' you trusted me , and took all i had to offer in return for the food you once gave me .

so if in time to come you need a friend , wish for me , and i will not fail you . '

as before , the cows were standing in the spot where he had left them , ready to set out .

' we can go no further , ' spake covan to the cows .

then there was a swish of water at his feet , and out peeped the head of the famous otter doran-donn of the stream .

' trust to me and i will find you warmth and shelter , ' said doran-donn ; ' and for food fish in plenty . '

and covan went with him thankfully , and ate and rested , and laid aside three-thirds of his weariness .

' because you trusted me and took what i had to offer , you have made me your friend , covan , ' said doran-donn .

then he plunged into the stream , and was seen no more .

' you have done well indeed , ' he said to covan son of gorla .

' and now , what would you have as a reward ? '

the old man looked grave at the words of covan .

but the perils are great too great for you to overcome . '

' tell me what they are , ' said covan again , ' and i shall know better if i may overcome them . '

' listen , then , and judge .

in the mountain yonder there dwells a roe , white of foot , with horns that branch like the antlers of a deer .

on the lake that leads to the land of the sun floats a duck whose body is green and whose neck is of gold .

' to-morrow at cock-crow i will begone ! ' answered covan .

' oh , that he was here ! ' he cried .

and looking up he saw him .

' why did you summon me ? ' asked the dog of maol-mór .

' fear nothing ; i will soon catch her for you . '

and in a short while he laid the roe unhurt at covan 's feet .

' what will you wish me to do with her ? ' said the dog .

and covan answered :

but carry you the roe to the back of the cottage , and tether her so that she cannot escape . '

' it shall be done , ' said the dog of maol-mór .

' surely i can catch him , good swimmer as i am , ' to himself .

' oh that the black raven were here to help me ! ' he thought to himself .

and in a moment the black raven was perched on his shoulder .

' how can i help you ? ' asked the raven .

and covan answered :

' catch me the green duck that floats on the water . '

in the deep dark pool of which the old man had spoken the silver-sided salmon was lying under a rock .

[ illustration : doran-donn brings the salmon to covan the brown-haired ]

' surely i , good fisher as i am , can catch him , ' said covan son of gorla .

and cutting a slender pole from a bush , he fastened a line to the end of it .

but cast with what skill he might , it availed nothing , for the salmon would not even look at the bait .

' i am beaten at last , unless the doran-donn can deliver me , ' he cried .

and as he spoke there was a swish of the water , and the face of the doran-donn looked up at him .

' o catch me , i pray you , that salmon under the rock ! ' said covan son of gorla .

and the doran-donn dived , and laying hold of the salmon by his tail , bore it back to the place where covan was standing .

and this was what the old man said : ' you began well , my son , so things have gone well with you .

you set store by your mother 's blessing , therefore you have been blest .

last of all , difficulties gave you courage , instead of lending you despair .

and so farewell , and may wisdom be with you . '

' first tell me your name ? ' asked covan softly .

' i am the spirit of age , ' said the old man .

( taken from a celtic story . translated by norman macleod . )

the princess bella-flor

once upon a time there lived a man who had two sons .

for some time the son who stayed at home spent his father 's wealth freely , believing that he alone remained to enjoy it .

' have you forgotten me ? ' asked the man .

' i can't forget a person i have never known , ' was the rude answer .

' i am your brother , ' replied the stranger , ' and i have returned home without the money i hoped to have made .

and , what is worse , they tell me in the village that my father is dead .

i would have counted my lost gold as nothing if i could have seen him once more . '

you had better go there and look for it ; i have no more time to waste . '

and he went his way .

' what use is this old thing to me ? ' he said to himself .

in doing so he discovered a secret drawer , and in it lay a paper .

the debtor proved to be an old miser , who lived at the other end of the village .

a few weeks after this he was walking through the streets of the nearest town , when he met a poor woman crying bitterly .

' comfort yourself , ' said the stranger kindly ; ' they shall neither send your husband to prison nor sell your goods .

i will not only pay his debts but , if he dies , the cost of his burial also .

and now go home , and nurse him as well as you can . '

and so she did ; but , in spite of her care , the husband died , and was buried by the stranger .

but everything cost more than he had expected , and when all was paid he found that only three gold pieces were left .

' what am i to do now ? ' said he to himself .

' i think i had better go to court , and enter into the service of the king . '

unfortunately , the new-comer was by nature spiteful and envious , and could not bear anyone to have better luck than himself .

' that will do nicely , ' thought the scoundrel , rubbing his hands .

either way , he will be out of my path . '

' oh , sire ! the princess bella-flor ' answered the man , and then stopped as if afraid .

' what of the princess bella-flor ? ' asked the king impatiently .

' i have heard it is whispered at court that your majesty desires to know where she lies in hiding . '

' i would give half my kingdom to the man who will bring her to me , ' cried the king , eagerly .

' speak on , knave ; has a bird of the air revealed to you the secret ? '

and without another word he left the hall , leaving josé staring with surprise and horror .

' how can i find the princess bella-flor when i have never even seen her ? ' thought he .

' but it is no use staying here , for i shall only be put to death . '

and he walked slowly to the stables to choose himself a horse .

' take me , ' it said in a gentle whisper , ' and all will go well . '

josé still felt so bewildered with the mission that the king had given him that he forgot to be astonished at hearing a horse talk .

mechanically he laid his hand on the bridle and led the white horse out of the stable .

he was about to mount on his back , when the animal spoke again :

' pick up those three loaves of bread which you see there , and put them in your pocket . '

they rode far without meeting any adventures , but at length they came to an ant-hill , and the horse stopped .

' crumble those three loaves for the ants , ' he said .

but josé hesitated .

' why , we may want them ourselves ! ' answered he .

' never mind that ; give them to the ants all the same .

do not lose any chance of helping others . '

and when the loaves lay in crumbs on the road , the horse galloped on .

by-and-by they entered a rocky pass between two mountains , and here they saw an eagle which had been caught in a hunter 's net .

' get down and cut the meshes of that net , and set the poor bird free , ' said the horse .

' but it will take so long , ' objected josé , ' and we may miss the princess . '

' never mind that ; do not miss a chance of helping others , ' answered the horse .

and when the meshes were cut , and the eagle was free , the horse galloped on .

' do you see that little fish ? it will die if you do not put it back in the water . '

' but , really , we shall never find the princess bella-flor , if we waste our time like this ! ' cried josé .

[ illustration : do not lose a chance of helping others we never waste time when we are helping others ]

' we never waste time when we are helping others , ' answered the horse .

and soon the little fish was swimming happily away .

' now listen , ' said the horse .

' i am going to give all sorts of little hops and skips , which will amuse the princess bella-flor .

then she will tell you that she would like to ride a little way , and you must help her to mount .

once on my back we will go like wind to the king 's palace . '

' oh , i have let fall my bran ! ' cried she ; ' please get down and pick it up for me . '

but josé only answered :

' we shall find plenty of bran where we are going . '

and the horse galloped on .

' dear me ; how stupid !

i have let my handkerchief blow away , ' said she .

' will you climb up and get it for me ? '

but josé answered :

' we shall find plenty of handkerchiefs where we are going . '

and the horse galloped on .

after the wood they reached a river , and the princess slipped a ring off her finger and let it roll into the water .

' how careless of me , ' gasped she , beginning to sob .

' i have lost my favourite ring ; do stop for a moment and look if you can see it . '

but josé answered :

' you will find plenty of rings where you are going . '

and the horse galloped on .

at last they entered the palace gates , and the king 's heart bounded with joy at beholding his beloved bella-flor .

and , in despair , the king was driven to take counsel of josé .

and if you return without them i will have you drowned . '

poor josé was much troubled at these words .

he thought that he had done all that was required of him , and that his life was safe .

however , he bowed low , and went out to consult his friend the horse .

and josé mounted at once .

they rode on till they came to the ant-hill , and then the horse asked :

' would you like to have the bran ? '

' what is the use of liking ? ' answered josé .

josé listened in surprise .

[ illustration : how josé found the princess bella-flor ]

then he sat under a tree and waited , while his horse cropped the green turf .

when they arrived at the tree , they saw the handkerchief fluttering like a flag from the topmost branch , and josé 's spirits sank again .

' how am i to get that handkerchief ? ' cried he ; ' why i should need jacob 's ladder ! '

but the horse answered :

' do not be frightened ; call to the eagle you set free from the net , he will bring it to you . '

so josé called to the eagle , and the eagle flew to the top of the tree and brought back the handkerchief in its beak .

josé thanked him , and vaulting on his horse they rode on to the river .

[ illustration : the king jumps into the cauldron ]

' do not be frightened , ' said the horse .

he was left there till bella-flor cried that he must be cooked enough .

then out came a youth so young and handsome , that everyone fell in love with him , and bella-flor most of all .

then josé was proclaimed king , on condition that he married bella-flor , which he promised to do the next day .

why have you done all this for me ? '

and the horse answered : ' i am the soul of that unhappy man for whom you spent all your fortune .

and when i saw you in danger of death i begged that i might help you , as you had helped me .

for , as i told you , good deeds bear their own fruit ! '

( from cuentos , oraciones , y adivinas , por fernan caballero . )

the bird of truth

slipping his net quickly beneath it he drew it out and lifted the silk coverlet .

the good woman flung up her hands in despair when she beheld the contents of the cradle .

' are not eight children enough , ' she cried , ' without bringing us two more ?

how do you think we can feed them ? '

what is enough for eight is also enough for ten . '

the wife said no more ; and in truth her heart yearned over the little creatures .

here they would take out the bits of bread they had saved from their breakfast and crumble them for the birds .

but though the little orphans did their best to avoid quarrelling with their foster-brothers , it was very difficult always to keep the peace .

matters got worse and worse till , one morning , the eldest boy said to the twins :

the poor children did not answer the insult ; but it made them very unhappy .

so next day they arose as early as the birds and stole downstairs without anybody hearing them .

one window was open , and they crept softly out and ran to the side of the river .

however , the boy fought down his tears , and said cheerfully :

' happy , indeed , are the eyes that behold you !

only think of your having returned to your long-forgotten country friends , after you have lived for years in a palace ! '

but , ' she added politely , ' i hope that you and all your family are well ? '

' very well indeed , i am glad to say .

' and how is the nightingale singing ?

does the lark soar as high as ever ?

and does the linnet dress herself as smartly ? '

but here the country swallow drew herself up .

' i never talk gossip , ' she said severely .

' our people , who were once so innocent and well-behaved , have been corrupted by the bad examples of men .

it is a thousand pities . '

' what ! innocence and good behaviour are not to be met with among birds , nor in the country !

my dear friend , what are you saying ? '

' the truth and nothing more .

out of pure compassion we tried to persuade them to give up this folly ; but they only replied with the utmost insolence . '

' how shocking ! ' exclaimed the city swallow .

' yes , it was .

' i am astonished at what you say . '

" this is my nest , " i said .

" yours ? " he answered , with a rude laugh .

" yes , mine ; my ancestors were born here , and my sons will be born here also . "

and at that my husband set upon him and threw him out of the nest .

i am sure nothing of this sort ever happens in a town . '

' not exactly , perhaps .

but i have seen a great deal if you only knew ! '

' oh ! do tell us ! do tell us ! ' cried they all .

and when they had settled themselves comfortably , the city swallow began :

' and was this not true ? ' asked the swallows eagerly .

' of course not , ' answered the city lady , with some contempt for their stupidity .

in the morning so i am told by my friend the kingfisher they were rescued by a fisherman who lived near the river bank . '

meanwhile the swallows had spoken again .

' that was indeed good fortune ! ' cried they .

' and when the children are grown up they can return to their father and set their mother free . '

in fact , it is so difficult that there is only one way of proving it to the king . '

' and what is that ? ' cried all the swallows at once .

' and how do you know it ? '

we began to talk about certain things which were happening in the palace , and of the events of past years .

' " and where can this bird be found ? "

i asked .

' that is just what i don't know , ' answered her friend .

so that even if the prince did succeed in getting there , he could never understand what the owl said .

but , look , the sun is sinking to his nest in the depths of the sea , and i must go to mine .

good-night , friends , good-night ! '

after two hours ' walking , they arrived at a large city , which they felt sure must be the capital of their father 's kingdom .

so he bade them farewell and set out .

for three days he wandered by the most out-of-the-way paths , but no signs of a tower were to be seen anywhere .

' poor child , ' answered the dove , ' who has sent you on such a useless quest ? '

' my good or evil fortune , ' replied the boy , ' i know not which . '

' to get there , ' said the dove , ' you must follow the wind , which to-day is blowing towards the castle . '

the boy thanked her , and followed the wind , fearing all the time that it might change its direction and lead him astray .

but the wind seemed to feel pity for him and blew steadily on .

[ illustration : ' who are you who dare to knock at my door ? ' ]

' who are you who dare to knock at my door and wake me ? ' cried she .

' be quick and tell me what you want , or it will be the worse for you . '

' very good , ' replied the witch , with something that she meant for a smile , ' but to-day it is late .

to-morrow you shall go .

now enter , and you shall sleep with my lizards . '

' i cannot stay , ' said he .

' i must go back at once , so as to reach the road from which i started before day dawns . '

' if you fail to keep your word i will change you into a lizard for ever . '

' i promise , ' answered the boy .

then the old woman called to a very thin dog , and said to him :

' conduct this pig of a child to the castle of come-and-never-go , and take care that you warn my friend of his arrival . '

and the dog arose and shook itself , and set out .

' oh , heaven , help me ! ' cried he .

' cross ! cross ! ' answered a voice .

and first i must fill this jar with the many-coloured water in the courtyard of the castle . '

the boy ran as fast as he could and entered the courtyard , where he saw the two springs close together .

he next hastened to the aviary , and was almost deafened by the clamour that rose as he shut the door behind him .

voices of peacocks , voices of ravens , voices of magpies , each claiming to be the bird of truth .

[ illustration : how the boy found the bird of truth ]

once outside , he ran without stopping to the witch 's tower , and handed to the old woman the jar she had given him .

' become a parrot ! ' cried she , flinging the water over him .

then the creeping multitude around the witch hastened to roll themselves in the water , and stood up , human beings again .

when the witch saw what was happening , she took a broomstick and flew away .

who can guess the delight of the sister at the sight of her brother , bearing the bird of truth ?

as often happens in these cases , the courtiers brought about that which they feared .

they talked so much about the bird of truth that at last the king heard of it , and expressed a wish to see her .

as soon as he saw this proclamation the boy called his sister , and they hastened to the palace .

alighting on the pillow , close to the king 's head , she bowed respectfully , and said :

' they shall pay for their insolence , ' said the king .

' who are you ? ' asked the king ; ' and what has the bird of truth to do with you ? '

' if it please your majesty , the bird of truth will explain that herself , ' answered the boy .

they all returned in state to the city , where great rejoicings were held .

the wicked courtiers had their heads cut off , and all their property was taken away .

as for the good old couple , they were given riches and honour , and were loved and cherished to the ends of their lives .

( from cuentos , oraciones , y adivinas , por fernan caballero . )

the mink and the wolf

in the big forest in the north of america lived a quantity of wild animals of all sorts .

but their manners were so good that no one would ever have guessed that .

there , just as he had hoped , he saw the chief mink fishing in a canoe .

' i want to fish too , ' cried the wolf .

but the mink said nothing , and pretended not to hear .

but be sure you eat only the white ones , for the red ones would kill you . '

' well , then , stretch yourself out , and rest your head on that piece of wood , ' said the mink .

and the wolf did as he was bid , and was soon fast asleep .

then the mink crept up to him and stabbed him to the heart with his knife , and he died without moving .

' i knew he was dead i knew it !

' what are you crying for ? ' asked the old wolf and some friends who had been spending the afternoon with him .

' i shall never see my grandson any more ! ' answered she .

' mink has killed him , oh ! oh ! '

and putting her head down , she began to weep as loudly as ever .

' there ! there ! ' said her husband , laying his paw on her shoulder .

' be comforted ; if he is dead , we will avenge him . '

and calling to the others they proceeded to talk over the best plan .

so he went to a mouse who had often done him a good turn , and greeted her with his best bow .

[ illustration : the mink is very rude to the grandmother wolf ]

' the favour is mine , ' answered the mouse .

' tell me what it is that i can have the honour of doing for you . '

' oh , something quite easy , ' replied the mink .

but of course you must manage it so that they notice nothing . '

then the mink thanked her , and went his way ; but before he had gone far he came back again .

' not large enough to draw attention , of course ; but it might come in handy . '

and with another nod he left her .

the next evening the mink washed and brushed himself carefully and set out for the feast .

he knew very well what that meant ; but he had taken his precautions and was not afraid .

the house door stood open , but through a crack the mink could see the wolves crowding in the corner behind it .

quick as they were they were too late , for the mink was already through the knot-hole and racing for his canoe .

and the mink 's heart smote him when he heard , for he had not known of this secret store .

' you are right , ' answered the grandfather ; ' your wisdom is greater than ours . '

and he bade his servants gather enough kelp from the rocks to make a line , as they had brought none with them .

' while the line is being made you might as well let me have one last dance , ' remarked the mink .

and the wolves replied : ' very good , you may have your dance ; perhaps it may amuse us as well as you . '

so they brought two canoes and placed them one beside the other .

' pull the canoes a little apart ; they are too close for this new dance , ' he said , pausing for a moment .

' now nearer , now further apart , ' he would cry as the dance went on .

' no ! further still . '

and springing into the air , amidst howls of applause , he came down head foremost , and dived to the bottom .

( from the journal of the anthropological institute . )

adventures of an indian brave

a long , long way off , right away in the west of america , there once lived an old man who had one son .

the old man and the wife , however , would not go out , but remained in the wigwam making bows and arrows .

' that is easily done , ' said the leader , giving a kick to a large tree .

flames broke out in the trunk , and before it had burnt up they were as hot as if it had been summer .

but the leader killed most , as he was the best shot .

' i am going home another way , ' he told his companions .

and taking another road he reached the village long before they did .

' have you returned with empty hands ? ' asked the old man , as his son opened the door .

' have i ever done that , that you put me such a question ? ' asked the youth .

give me the arrows , i will finish making them , and you can go to the river and bring home the pack ! '

he stooped to catch it , but it swirled past him .

but by this time it had lost all likeness to a man , and was changed into a piece of wood .

the wood floated on , and the river got bigger and bigger and entered a new country .

i will use it as a table to put my food upon . '

and gathering up her clothes she took the plank with her into her hut .

the woman had been working hard all day and was very hungry , so she took her biggest spoon and plunged it into the pot .

but what was her astonishment and disgust when both pot and food vanished instantly before her .

' oh , you horrid plank , you have brought me ill-luck ! ' she cried .

and taking it up she flung it away from her .

' you have treated me well , ' he said , ' and meat shall never fail in your house .

but now i must go , for i have much work to do . '

then he set out for his home .

so he went out quickly into the forest and shed tears , and each tear became a bird .

' stay there till i want you , ' said he ; and he returned to the hut .

' i saw some pretty new birds , high up in a tree yonder , ' he remarked .

and the son answered : ' show me the way and i will get them for dinner . '

the two went out together , and after walking for about half an hour the old man stopped .

' that is the tree , ' he said .

and the son began to climb it .

now a strange thing happened .

' how slow you are kneading that cake , ' cried the other old woman at last .

' why , i have given you your dinner , and what more do you want ? ' replied the second .

' you didn't ; at least i never got it , ' said the other .

' i certainly thought you took it from me ; but here is some more . '

and again the young man stretched out his hand ; and the two old women fell to quarrelling afresh .

but when it happened for the third time the old women suspected some trick , and one of them exclaimed :

' i am sure there is a man here ; tell me , are you not my grandson ? '

and with that he left them , and wandered about till he found the herb which he wanted .

then he hastened back to the old women , and begging them to boil him some water , he threw the herb in .

how their silver sides glistened in the light , and how he longed to catch some of the great fellows !

but how could he do it ?

he had beheld no one except the old women , and it was not very likely that they would be able to help him .

so with a sigh he turned away and went back to them , but , as he walked , a thought struck him .

' weave me a net that i may catch some salmon , ' said he .

at last , one day , when he was eating his dinner , the old woman who always spoke first , said to him :

' we have been very glad to see you , grandson , but now it is time that you went home . '

and pushing aside a rock , he saw a deep hole , so deep that he could not see to the bottom .

then they dragged a basket out of the house , and tied a rope to it .

then they bade him farewell , and he curled himself up in the basket .

down , down , down he went ; would he ever stop going ?

' you will never see your wife and son if you will not do as you are bid , ' said they .

' now get in , and do not stir till you hear a crow calling . '

then he flung off the blanket and sprang out , while the basket vanished in the sky .

' oh ! there is father at last , ' cried the boy ; but the mother bade him cease from idle talking .

' but , mother , it is true ; father is coming ! ' repeated the child .

and , to satisfy him , the woman turned round and perceived her husband .

oh , how glad they all were to be together again !

( from the journal of the anthropological institute . )

how the stalos were tricked

i thought perhaps it was a wolf , so i stood very still .

behind him followed a great dog , which looked stronger than any wolf , or even a bear .

but why are you so pale , mother ? '

' it was the stalo , ' replied she , her voice trembling ; ' stalo the man-eater !

you did well to hide , or you might never have come back .

she slipped and fell , and in another instant had rolled into the water within reach of the stalo .

as soon as patto heard this tale his heart was filled with rage , and he vowed to have his revenge .

so he straightway took an old fur coat from the hook where it hung , and putting it on went out into the forest .

at the first glimpse of patto 's head in the well , he laughed loudly , crying :

' ha ! ha !

this time it is the old ass !

i wonder how he will taste ? '

and drawing patto out of the well , he flung him across his shoulders and carried him home .

[ illustration : the little boy sees the stalo in the wood ]

' i must come myself , i suppose ! ' said stalo , putting aside the box .

his sons were so frightened at the sight that they all ran away .

and in this manner patto avenged his dead children .

but though stalo was dead , his three sons were still living , and not very far off either .

the ogress said nothing .

when the brothers returned from their hunting they found both the hut and the sheds empty .

loudly they cried : ' lyma !

lyma ! '

at length their eyes dropped on the thread which lay on the snow , and they set out to follow it .

' perhaps our sister may be sent to draw water here , ' they said to each other .

lyma ! '

the girl started and looked up , but could see nothing , and in a moment the voice came again .

so lyma bent over the well lower than before , and seemed busier than ever .

that is all you need do for the present . '

then lyma took up her buckets and carried them into the house , and did as her brothers had told her .

' listen carefully to what i have to tell you .

when that is done , come to us and we will give you further directions . '

' i will obey you in everything , dear brothers , ' answered lyma ; and so she did .

raising himself in his bed , he called to his youngest brother to go out and separate the reindeer or they would certainly kill themselves .

then they went back to worry the reindeer , and the noise became as great as ever , and a second time the stalo awoke .

so the brother went , and in an instant was struck dead as he left the house by the sword of the eldest sodno .

rubbing his eyes , he stood up on the floor and stretched his great arms and gave a yawn which shook the walls .

the two sodnos did not trouble about him , but quickly stripped the younger stalos of their clothes , in which they dressed themselves .

then they sat still till the dawn should break and they could find out from the stalos ' mother where the treasure was hidden .

with the first rays of the sun the young sodno went upstairs and entered the old woman 's room .

for a while he kept silence , then he whispered gently :

' tell me , dear mother , where did my eldest brother conceal his riches ? '

' what a strange question !

surely you must know , ' answered she .

' no , i have forgotten ; my memory is so bad . '

' he dug a hole under the doorstep and placed it there , ' said she .

and there was another pause .

by-and-by the sodno asked again :

' and where may my second brother 's money be ? '

' don't you know that either ? ' cried the mother in surprise .

' oh , yes ; i did once .

but since i fell upon my head i can remember nothing . '

' it is behind the oven , ' answered she .

and again was silence .

where did i hide my own money ? '

' dear mother , ' said lyma , who had come in unseen , and was kneeling in front of the fire .

' dear mother , do you know who it is you have been talking with ? '

the old woman started , but answered quietly :

' it is a sodno , i suppose ? '

' you have guessed right , ' replied lyma .

' where is my iron cane ? ' asked the old woman .

' there ! ' answered lyma , pointing to the flames .

the old woman sprang forward and seized it , but her clothes caught fire , and in a few minutes she was burned to ashes .

( from lappländische mährchen , j c poestion . )

andras baive

as he walked along his eyes fell upon a big eight-oared boat that lay upon the shore , and his face shone with pleasure .

' that is the very thing , ' laughed he , ' i will make him jump over that boat . '

andras was quite ready to accept the challenge , and they soon settled the terms of the wager .

so , followed by many of the villagers , the two men walked down to the sea .

on he came , taller than andras by several inches , but heavier of build .

he too sprang high and well , but as he came down his heel just grazed the edge of the boat .

dead silence reigned amidst the townsfolk , but andras only laughed and said carelessly :

' just a little too short , bailiff ; next time you must do better than that . '

and turning his back on his friends , he went sulkily home .

andras , putting the money he had earned in his pocket , went home also .

in the following spring andras happened to be driving his reindeer along a great fiord to the west of vadsö .

a stumble over a stone recalled andras to himself , and looking up he beheld the mass of wreckage .

' dear me !

so it was no wreckage after all that he had seen , but the bailiff himself .

then he stopped to take breath and find out what his enemy was doing .

a cold shiver shook andras , and this time he wished himself the feet of a reindeer calf .

a reindeer calf is the swiftest of all things living .

' no such luck , ' answered andras , shaking his head sorrowfully .

by this time he had taken his own shape again .

' well , but i don't see how i am to get to you ! ' said the stalo , looking up and down .

' jump over , as i did , ' answered andras ; ' it is quite easy . '

' but i could not jump this river ; and i don't know how you did , ' replied the stalo .

' i should be ashamed to say such things , ' exclaimed andras .

the stalo grew red and angry when he heard these words , just as andras meant him to do .

he bounded into the air and fell straight into the river .

his aim was good , but the stalo sprang so high into the air that the arrow flew between his feet .

[ illustration : andras baive shoots the stalo ]

mortally wounded as he was , the stalo was not yet dead , and managed to swim to the shore .

stretching himself on the sand , he said slowly to andras :

my dog you must kill , but spare my son , andras . '

then he died ; and andras sailed in his boat away across the fiord and found the dog and boy .

( from lappländische mährchen , j c poestion . )

the white slipper

once upon a time there lived a king who had a daughter just fifteen years old .

and what a daughter !

behind the palace a large garden stretched away to the foot of some hills , and more than one river flowed through .

but what has all this to do with the white slipper ? my readers will ask .

have patience , and you will see .

the foot only grew worse and worse , and became daily more swollen and painful .

on his arrival the doctor was led at once into the king 's presence , and made a careful examination of his foot .

' oh , if you can only do that , ' cried the king , ' i shall be grateful to you for life !

give your own orders ; they shall be obeyed . '

so saying , the doctor bowed himself out , leaving the king more cheerful and hopeful than he had been for long .

' while you wear this shoe you will not feel the slightest pain , ' said the doctor .

the king was so eager to put it on that he hardly gave the physician time to finish .

' what can i give you ? ' he cried , holding out both hands to the man who had worked this wonder .

' stay with me , and i will heap on you riches greater than ever you dreamed of . '

[ illustration : balancin's delight at the white slipper ]

diamantina was very fond of being on the river , and she was delighted at this chance of indulging her tastes .

the great day appeared to diamantina to be long in coming , but , like other days , it came at last .

here a splendid barge was waiting for them , and from it they watched all sorts of races and feats of swimming and diving .

then a dreadful thing happened .

' what is the matter , dear father ? ' asked she .

but the king could not tell her ; and only managed to gasp out : ' my shoe ! my shoe ! '

while the sailors stood round staring , thinking that his majesty had suddenly gone mad .

seeing her father 's eyes fixed on the stream , diamantina looked hastily in that direction .

there , dancing on the current , was the point of something white , which became more and more distant the longer they watched it .

in his weakness this intelligence had such an effect on the king that the physicians feared he would become as ill as before .

what a sight the river banks presented in those days !

it seemed as if all the people in the country were gathered on them .

' and what have you done to the youth ? ' said the king .

' then they did very ill , ' answered the king , with a frown .

' he came here from kindness , and there was no reason to maltreat him . '

and even if he could make shoes to perfection they would be no use without the healing balsam . '

the king remained silent for a few moments , then he said :

' never mind .

go and fetch the youth and bring him to me .

i would gladly try any remedy that may relieve my pain . '

so , soon afterwards , the youth , who had not gone far from the palace , was caught and ushered into the king 's presence .

balancin was pleased with the young man 's voice and appearance , and thought that he looked as if he knew what he was doing .

so he stretched out his bad foot which the youth examined with great attention , and then gently laid on the plaster .

' i have no parents ; they died when i was six , sire , ' replied the youth , modestly .

luckily for me i was born happy . '

[ @number@ ] linnet .

' and you really think you can cure me ? ' asked the king .

' completely , my lord , ' answered gilguerillo .

' and how long do you think it will take ? '

' it is not an easy task ; but i will try to finish it in a fortnight , ' replied the youth .

a fortnight seemed to the king a long time to make one slipper .

but he only said :

' do you need anything to help you ? '

' only a good horse , if your majesty will be kind enough to give me one , ' answered gilguerillo .

and the reply was so unexpected that the courtiers could hardly restrain their smiles , while the king stared silently .

' you shall have the horse , ' he said at last , ' and i shall expect you back in a fortnight .

if you fulfil your promise you know your reward ; if not , i will have you flogged for your impudence . '

gilguerillo bowed , and turned to leave the palace , followed by the jeers and scoffs of everyone he met .

but he paid no heed , for he had got what he wanted .

and while he is on his way let us pause for a moment and tell who he is .

[ illustration : gilguerillo falls in love with princess diamantina ]

but if they had only known what were gilguerillo 's thoughts they would have thought him madder than ever .

of course he felt quite hopeless .

there is an old proverb which says : ' everything comes to him who knows how to wait . '

so , one day , when he expected it least , his reward came to him .

he happened to be reading a book many hundreds of years old , which told of remedies for all kinds of diseases .

however , the dreaded signs were absent , and his heart bounded at the thought that the princess was within his reach .

he spared his horse only so much as was needful , yet it took him six days to reach the spot where the plant grew .

trembling with joy , he picked every scrap he could see , and placed it in his wallet .

then , mounting his horse , he galloped quickly back towards the city .

it was night when he entered the gates , and the fifteen days allotted were not up till the next day .

after that he lay down and slept soundly .

the sun was shining when he awoke , and he jumped up and ran to the pot .

the plant had disappeared and in its stead was a thick syrup , just as the book had said that there would be .

as he entered , the king raised himself eagerly on his pillows , but his face fell when he saw no signs of a slipper .

' you have failed , then ? ' he said , throwing up his hands in despair .

' i hope not , your majesty ; i think not , ' answered the youth .

and drawing the flask from his pocket , he poured two or three drops on the wound .

' repeat this for three nights , and you will find yourself cured , ' said he .

and before the king had time to thank him he had bowed himself out .

on the fourth morning the king awoke and instantly stretched out his wounded foot that he might prove the truth or falsehood of gilguerillo 's remedy .

the wound was certainly cured on that side , but how about the other ?

yes , that was cured also ; and not even a scar was left to show where it had been !

was ever any king so happy as balancin when he satisfied himself of this ?

and when he was quite tired he sent for his daughter , and bade the courtiers bring the lucky young man to his room .

( from capullos de rosa , por d enrique ceballos quintana . )

the magic book

there was once an old couple named peder and kirsten who had an only son called hans .

so , one fine summer morning , he started off to seek his fortune with nothing but the clothes he wore on his back .

the little wild creatures peeped at him from beneath the bushes , and he nodded and smiled , and wished them ' good-morning . '

after he had been walking for some time he met an old white-bearded man who was coming along the foot-path .

' it seems to me , ' said the old fellow , ' that a boy should give way to an old man . '

' the path is for me as well as for you , ' answered young hans saucily , for he had never been taught politeness .

' well , that 's true enough , ' answered the other mildly .

' and where are you going ? '

' i am going into service , ' said hans .

' then you can come and serve me , ' replied the man .

well , hans could do that ; but what would his wages be ?

' two pounds a year , and nothing to do but keep some rooms clean , ' said the new-comer .

this seemed to hans to be easy enough ; so he agreed to enter the old man 's service , and they set out together .

when they got to the bottom hans saw a large number of rooms lit by many lamps and full of beautiful things .

while he was looking round the old man said to him :

' now you know what you have to do .

you must keep these rooms clean , and strew sand on the floor every day .

here is a table where you will always find food and drink , and there is your bed .

if you do ill will befall you .

farewell , for i am going away again and cannot tell when i may return . '

i shall do nothing of the sort . '

and so he shut the doors quickly , and only cleaned and set in order his own room .

the key turned easily in the lock .

hans entered , half frightened at what he was doing , and the first thing he beheld was a heap of bones .

that was not very cheerful ; and he was just going out again when his eye fell on a shelf of books .

it was all about magic , and told you how you could change yourself into anything in the world you liked .

could anything be more exciting or more useful ?

so he put it in his pocket , and ran quickly away out of the mountain by a little door which had been left open .

when he got home his parents asked him what he had been doing and where he had got the fine clothes he wore .

' oh , i earned them myself , ' answered he .

' you never earned them in this short time , ' said his father .

' be off with you ; i won't keep you here .

i will have no thieves in my house ! '

' well i only came to help you , ' replied the boy sulkily .

' now i 'll be off , as you wish ; but to-morrow morning when you rise you will see a great dog at the door .

sure enough the next day the dog was standing at the door waiting to be let in .

but he did not forget to take off the strap with which he had led the animal , and to carry it home .

when he got there old kirsten met him at the door .

' well , peder , and have you sold the dog ? ' asked she .

' yes , kirsten ; and i have brought back ten dollars , as the boy told us , ' answered peder .

' ay ! but that 's fine ! ' said his wife .

after all , i always know what is best . '

' nonsense ! ' said her husband ; ' women always think they know best .

i should have sold the dog just the same whatever you had told me .

put the money away in a safe place , and don't talk so much . '

' be off with you ! ' said he , ' you 'll get us into trouble . '

' i haven't helped you enough yet , ' replied the boy .

' to-morrow there will come a great fat cow , as big as the house .

take it to the king 's palace and you 'll get as much as a thousand dollars for it .

kirsten was wild with joy to think of the money the cow would bring them .

' but how are you going to put the rope over her head ? ' asked she .

' wait and you 'll see , mother , ' answered her husband .

when he had made sure that the noose was fast they started for the palace , and met the king himself walking in his grounds .

will your majesty deign to buy it ? '

[ illustration : ' just as he was going to strike ' ]

after he was gone the king sent for the butcher and told him to kill the animal for the wedding feast .

but peder was safe in the woods , and could not be found .

a few mornings later hans came again .

' be off before you get us into trouble , ' said his father .

' so far the money has come right enough , but i don't trust it . '

' don't worry over that , father , ' said hans .

' to-morrow you will find a horse outside by the gate .

ride it to market and you will get a thousand dollars for it .

only don't forget to loosen the bridle when you sell it . '

well , in the morning there was the horse ; kirsten had never seen so fine an animal .

' take care it doesn't hurt you , peder , ' said she .

' nonsense , wife , ' answered he crossly .

' when i was a lad i lived with horses , and could ride anything for twenty miles round . '

but that was not quite the truth , for he had never mounted a horse in his life .

still , the animal was quiet enough , so peder got safely to market on its back .

there he met a man who offered nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars for it , but peder would take nothing less than a thousand .

' i must take the bridle off , ' said peder .

' it is not to be sold with the animal as is usually the case . '

' i 'll give you a hundred dollars for the bridle , ' said the old man , taking out his purse .

' no , i can't sell it , ' replied hans 's father .

' five hundred dollars ! '

' no. '

' a thousand ! '

at this splendid offer peder 's prudence gave way ; it was a shame to let so much money go .

so he agreed to accept it .

but he could hardly hold the horse , it became so unmanageable .

so he gave the animal in charge to the old man , and went home with his two thousand dollars .

this time peder consented , and soon they had quite a fine farm .

the smith proposed that they should first have a drink together , and the horse was tied up by the spring whilst they went indoors .

what was her surprise when the animal said to her : ' take off my bridle and you will save my life . '

' i dare not , ' said she ; ' your master will be so angry . '

' he cannot hurt you , ' answered the horse , ' and you will save my life . '

directly he saw what had happened he changed himself into a hawk and flew after the dove .

over the woods and fields they went , and at length they reached a king 's palace surrounded by beautiful gardens .

the princess was walking with her attendants in the rose garden when the dove turned itself into a gold ring and fell at her feet .

' why , here is a ring ! ' she cried , ' where could it have come from ? '

and picking it up she put it on her finger .

' well , that is really strange , ' said the princess .

' it fits me as though it had been made for me ! '

just at that moment up came the king .

' look what i have found ! ' cried his daughter .

' well , that is not worth much , my dear , ' said he .

' besides , you have rings enough , i should think . '

' never mind , i like it , ' replied the princess .

but as soon as she was alone , to her amazement , the ring suddenly left her finger and became a man .

' you had better stay here then , ' said the princess .

the king was terribly angry .

' so this is why you have refused to marry all the kings and princes who have sought your hand ? ' he cried .

[ illustration : the princess imprisoned in the summer-house ]

he could hardly believe his eyes when he found that the princess was not there , nor hans either .

instead , there lay at his feet a large hole , big enough for two people to pass through .

now what had happened was this .

but of this , of course , the king knew nothing .

' will any one go down and see where the passage leads to ? ' he asked , turning to his guards and courtiers .

' i will reward splendidly the man who is brave enough to explore it . '

for a long time nobody answered .

the hole was dark and deep , and if it had a bottom no one could see it .

but in a moment he , too , fell down , down , down .

was he going to fall for ever , he wondered !

he was given a hearty welcome by the king , who prided himself on his hospitality , and a banquet was commanded in his honour .

that evening , whilst they sat drinking their wine , hans said to the king :

' i have heard the fame of your majesty 's wisdom , and i have travelled from far to ask your counsel .

a man in my country has buried his daughter alive because she loved a youth who was born a peasant .

how shall i punish this unnatural father , for it is left to me to give judgment ? '

the king , who was still truly grieved for his daughter 's loss , answered quickly :

' burn him alive , and strew his ashes all over the kingdom . '

hans looked at him steadily for a moment , and then threw off his disguise .

she is safe , and waiting not far from here ; but you have pronounced judgment on yourself . '

the wedding of hans and the princess was celebrated with great festivities which lasted a month .

so hans and the princess lived in peace and happiness all their days , and when the old king died they reigned instead of him .

( from eventyr fra jylland samlede og optegnede af tang kristensen .

translated from the danish by mrs skavgaard-pedersen . )

transcriber 's note

the book includes both by-and-by and by-and-bye .

both forms are preserved as printed .

one of the illustrations refers to a cauldron , while the story uses caldron .

these are preserved as printed .

punctuation errors have been repaired .

hyphenation and use of accents has been made consistent within stories .

archaic spelling is preserved as printed .

the following typographic errors have been repaired :

page @number@ he amended to be " ....y it would be unreasonable of me to object to your satisfying your appetite ....y "

page @number@ undertsanding amended to understanding " and the wolf , understanding all that might happen ....y "

page @number@ windding amended to winding " he had ridden back along a winding road from which he did not see the palace ....y "

page @number@ principle amended to principal " ....v but the cat lay down outside the principal gate , ....n "

page @number@ kindgom amended to kingdom " ....v she would bestow on him the third part of her own kingdom , ....n "

page @number@ thoughout amended to throughout " ....n and by-and-by ' pinkel ' became his name throughout the village . "

page @number@ bassel amended to basset " ( nouveaux contes berbères par rené basset . ) "

page @number@ forforgetting amended to forgetting " ....y quite forgetting that he owed it to a mean trick . "

page @number@ summonned amended to summoned " five minutes later he summoned five hundred lancers ....y "

page @number@ belive amended to believe " ....y but it seemed so different she could hardly believe it was the same . "

page @number@ apapproached amended to approached " as she spoke the gates swung back and six fairies approached , ....y "

page @number@ bethrothed amended to betrothed " ....v of the princess nera , to whom the prince had been betrothed ....v "

page @number@ sodons amended to sodnos " ....v so the two sodnos climbed into a big bushy tree which overhung a well . "

page @number@ kristen amended to kirsten " there was once an old couple named peder and kirsten ....y "

page @number@ se amended to so " so he agreed to accept it . "

page @number@ himhimself amended to himself " ....y

hans disguised himself as the sovereign of a neighbouring kingdom , ....n "

page @number@ æventyr amended to eventyr , and zylland amended to jylland " from eventyr fra jylland samlede og optegnede af tang kristensen . "

the frontispiece has been moved to follow the title page .

other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not in the middle of a paragraph .

end of the project gutenberg ebook of the orange fairy book , by various