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THE

CKIATSON FAIEY BOOK

THE FAIRY BOOK SERIES.

EDITED BY ANDREW LANG.

Crown Svo. gilt edges, 65. each.

THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK. With 138 Illustrations.

THE RED FAIRY BOOK. With 100 Illustrations.

THE GREEN FAIRY BOOK. With 99 Illustrations.

THE GREY FAIRY BOOK. With 65 Illustrations.

THE YELLOW FAIRY BOOK. With 104 Illustra-
tions.

THE PINK FAIRY BOOK. With 67 Illustrations.
THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK. With 8 Coloured

Plates and 54 other Illustrations.

THE CRIMSON FAIRY BOOK. With 8 Coloured

Plates and 43 other Illustrations.

THE BLUE POETRY BOOK. With 100 Illustrations.
THE TRUE STORY BOOK. With 66 Illustrations.
THE RED TRUE STORY BOOK. With 100 Illus-

tratious.

THE ANIMAL STORY BOOK. With 67 Illustrations.

THE RED BOOK OF ANIMAL STORIES. With

65 Illustrations.

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.

With 66 Illustrations.

THE BOOK OF ROMANCE. With 8 Coloured Plates

and 44 other Illustrations.

LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO., 39 Paternoster Row, London,
New York and Bombay.

THE

Crimson Fairy Book

EDITED BY

ANDEEW LANG

WITH EIGHT COLOURED PLATES
AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. J. FORD

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON

NEW YORK AND BOMBAY

1903

PR EF A G E

Each Fairy Book demands a preface from the Editor,
and these introductions are inevitably both monotonous
and unavailing. A sense of literary honesty compels the
Editor to keep repeating that he is the Editor, and not
the author of the Fairy Tales, just as a distinguished
man of science is only the Editor, not the Author of
Nature. Like nature, popular tales are too vast to be
the creation of a single modern mind. The Editor's
business is to hunt for collections of these stories told
by peasant or savage grandmothers in many climes, from
New Caledonia to Zululand ; from the frozen snows
of the Polar regions to Greece, or Spain, or Italy, or far
Lochaber. When the tales are found they are adapted
to the needs of British children by various hands, the
Editor doing little beyond guarding the interests of
propriety, and toning down to mild reproofs the tortures
inflicted on wicked stepmothers, and other naughty
characters.

These explanations have frequently been offered
already ; but, as far as ladies and children are concerned,
to no purpose. They still ask the Editor how he can
invent so many stories — more than Shakespeare, pumas,
and Charles Dickens could have invented in a century.
And the Editor still avers, in Prefaces, that he did not
invent one of the stories ; that nobody knows, as a
rule, who invented them, or where, or when. It is only
plain that, perhaps a hundred thousand years ago, some

vi PEE FACE

savage grandmother told a tale to a savage granddaughter ;
that the granddaughter told it in her turn ; that various
tellers made changes to suit their taste, adding or
omitting features and incidents ; that, as the world grew
civilised, other alterations were made, and that, at last,
Homer composed the * Odyssey,' and somebody else com-
posed the Story of Jason and the Fleece of Gold, and the
enchantress Medea, out of a set of wandering popular
tales, which are still told among Samoyeds and Samoans,
Hindoos and Japanese.

All this has been known to the wise and learned for
centuries, and especially since the brothers Grimm wrote
in the early years of the Nineteenth Century. But
children remain unaware of the facts, and so do their
dear mothers ; whence the Editor infers that they do
not read his prefaces, and are not members of the Folk-
Lore Society, or students of Herr Kohler and M.
Cosquin, and M. Henri Guidoz and Professor Child,
and Mr. Max Miiller. Though these explanations are
not attended to by the Editor's customers, he makes
them once more, for the relief of his conscience. Many
tales in this book are translated, or adapted, from those
told by mothers and nurses in Hungary ; others are
familiar to Russian nurseries ; the Servians are responsible
for some ; a rather peculiarly fanciful set of stories are
adapted from the Roumanians ; others are from the
Baltic shores ; others from sunny Sicily ; a few are
from Finland, and Iceland, and Japan, and Tunis, and
Portugal. No doubt many children will like to look out
these places on the map, and study their mountains,
rivers, soil, products, and fiscal policies, in the geography
books. The peoples who tell the stories differ in colour,
language, religion, and almost everything else ; but they
all love a nursery tale. The stories have mainly been
adapted or translated by Mrs. Lang, a few by Miss Lang
and Miss Blackley.

CONTENTS

Lovely Iloiika ....

Luchy Luch ....

The Hairy Man ....

To your Good Health!

The Story of the Seven Simons

The Language of Beasts

The Boy ivho could Iceep a Secret .

The Prince and the Dragon

Little Wildrose ....

Tiidu the Piper ....

Paperarello .....

The Gifts of the Magician .

The Strong Prince

The Treasure Seeker .

The Cottager and his Cat .

The Prince who would seek Immortality .

The Stone-cutter

The Gold-bearded Man ....
Tritill, Litill, and the Birds

The Three Botes

The Six Hungry Beasts ....
How the Beggar Boy turned into Count Piro
The Bogue and the Herdsman
Eisenkojjf

PAGE
1

108

122

134

145

155

174

178

192

198

213

221

233

243

253

262

viii CONTENTS

PAGE

The Death of Ahu Nowas and of Ms Wife . , .273

MotiJcatil-a 279

Niels and the Giants ...,,.. 284

Shepherd Paul . . 295

How the luicTied TanuTii was 2)unished .... 306

The Crab and the Monkey . 310

The Horse Gullfaxi and the Sword Gunnfoder . . 314

The Story of the Sham Prince, or the Ambitious Tailor 326

The Colony of Cats 340

How to find out a True Friend . . . . . . 350

Clever Maria 359

The Magic Kettle ........ 368

ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOURED PLATES

{Engraved and lyrinted by Messrs. Andr6 S Sleigh, Ltd., Bushey)

Ilonlia left with the Swineherd (p. 5) . . .
The Ship arrives ..,.,,
She lived haiypily in, her Nest . . , •
She came smiling toivards the Youth
The Prince luho would seek immortality
Blauvor and Laivfer on the Island .
Eisenkopf ........

Sigurd meets Helga by the Lake and gives her a
Ring .-..,,.,

FULL-PAGE PLATES

The First Bulrush Maiden Jlies away .
The Faithful Servant turns into stone
The Coinjylaijit of the Three Maidens .
The Prince lets out the Hairy Man .
Staring-eyes in the White Bear's Pit
The Sixth Simon catches the Eagle
The lovely Helena comes ashore
The Shepherd comes to the Arch of Snakes
The Boy ivho could hee;p a Secret

Front isjnece
to face I). 48
98
142
190
222
270

818

to face p.

2
12
16
22
30
40
50
56
66

X ILLUSTBATIONS

The Princess feeds the Boy . . . .to face ;p. 70

The Witch loses her Iron Nose . . , . ,, 76

How the Dragon caught the Prince ... „ 80

The Kiss that gave the Victory . . . . ,, 88

The Eagle carries off little Wildrose . . „ 96

The Bay of Light ,,100

The Horse brings the Boy to the Fairies'

House „ 122

The King gives the Princess to Paperarello in

the Bakehouse „ 126

The Magician saved from the Wolves . . „ 134
The Magician throws the Tree and the King

up into the Air .... ... „ 140

The Prince ivins the Sivord .... „ 146

The Strong Prince enters the Gianfs Castle . „ 150

Shepherd and Treasure- Seeker . • . „ 156
How the Prince arrived at the City of

Immortality ....... „ 184

The Stone-cutter becomes himself again . . „ 194

The Golden-bearded Man gives up the Arrow . „ 200

The Wonderful Baby ,,208

Lineilc caught by the Prince .... „ 228
The little Fox frightens the Ogre and his

Wife ,,246

Eisenkopf comes to the Wedding ... „ 264
Shepherd Paul conquers the Six-headed

Dragon „ 298

The Maidens ascend „ 302

The deadly Hailstorm „ 320

Lizina comes out of the Jar .... „ 342

Clever Maria „ 360

Maria and the King „ 364

ILLUSTRATIONS xi
IN TEXT

PAGE

The Faithful Servant and the Three Eagles ... 9

Little Wildrose peeps doiun from the Eagle's Nest . . 103

The Witch runs away luith Wildrose .... 106

The Long Noses , . 119

The Bald headed Man on the Mountain .... 181

Litill, Tritill, and the Birds to the rescue . , . 217

Michael the Fox did not run away as the others had done 235

Why the tip of his Tail is White . . , . . 241

The Woman and the Ogre ....... 281

The Monhey's Punishment ....... 312

LOVELY ILONKA

There was once a king's son who told his father that he
wished to marry.

' No, no ! ' said the king ; ' you must not be in such
a hurry. Wait till you have done some great deed. My
father did not let me marry till I had won the golden
sword you see me wear.'

The prince was much disappointed, but he never
dreamed of disobeying his father, and he began to think
with all his might what he could do. It was no use
staying at home, so one day he wandered out into the
world to try his luck, and as he walked along he came to
a little hut in which he found an old woman crouching
over the fire.

' Good evening, mother. I see you have lived long
in this world ; do you know anything about the three
bulrushes ? '

* Yes, indeed, I've lived long and been much about in
the world, but I have never seen or heard anything of
what you ask. Still, if you will wait till to-morrow I
may be able to tell you something.'

Well, he waited till the morning, and quite early the old
woman appeared and took out a little pipe and blew in it,
and in a moment all the crows in the world were flying
about her. Not one was missing. Then she asked if
they knew anything about the three bulrushes, but not
one of them did.

The prince went on his way, and a little further on he
found another hut in which lived an old man. On being
c. B

2 LOVELY ILONKA

questioned the old man said he knew nothing, but begged
the prince to stay overnight, and the next morning the
old man called all the ravens together, but they too had
nothing to tell.

The prince bade him farewell and set out. He
wandered so far that he crossed seven kingdoms, and at
last, one evening, he came to a little house in which was
an old woman.

' Good evening, dear mother,' said he politely.

* Good evening to you, my dear son,' answered the old
woman. ' It is lucky for you that you spoke to me or
you would have met with a horrible death. But may I
ask where are you going ? '

' I am seeking the three bulrushes. Do you know
anything about them ? '

' I don't know anything myself, but wait till to-morrow.
Perhaps I can tell you then.' So the next morning
she blew on her pipe, and lo ! and behold every magpie
in the world flew up. That is to say, all the magpies
except one who had broken a leg and a wing. The old
woman sent after it at once, and when she questioned the
magpies the crippled one was the only one who knew
where the three bulrushes were.

Then the prince started off with the lame magpie.
They went on and on till they reached a great stone wall,
many, many feet high.

* Now, prince,' said the magpie, ' the three bulrushes
are behind that wall.'

The prince wasted no time. He set his horse at the
wall and leaped over it. Then he looked about for the
three bulrushes, pulled them up and set off with them on
his way home. As he rode along one of the bulrushes
happened to knock against something. It split open and,
only think ! out sprang a lovely girl, who said : ' My
heart's love, you are mine and I am yours ; do give me a
glass of water.'

But how could the prince give it her when there was

LOVELY ILONKA 5

no water at hand ? So the lovely maiden flew away.
He split the second bulrush as an experiment and just
the same thing happened.

How careful he was of the third bulrush ! He waited
till he came to a well, and there he split it open, and out
sprang a maiden seven times lovelier than either of the
others, and she too said : ' My heart's love, I am yours
and you are mine ; do give me a glass of water.'

This time the water was ready and the girl did not fly
away, but she and the prince promised to love each other
always. Then they set out for home.

They soon reached the prince's country, and as he
wished to bring his promised bride back in a fine coach
he went on to the town to fetch one. In the field where
the well was, the king's swineherds and cowherds were
feeding their droves, and the prince left Ilonka (for that
was her name) in their care.

Unluckily the chief swineherd had an ugly old
daughter, and whilst the prince was away he dressed her
up in fine clothes, and threw Ilonka into the well.

The prince returned before long, bringing with him his
father and mother and a great train of courtiers to escort
Ilonka home. But how they all stared when they saw the
swineherd's ugly daughter 1 However, there was nothing
for it but to take her home ; and, two days later, the prince
married her, and his father gave up the crown to him.

But he had no peace ! He knew very well he had
been cheated, though he could not think how. Once he
desired to have some water brought him from the well
into which Ilonka had been thrown. The coachman
went for it and, in the bucket he pulled up, a pretty little
duck was swimming. He looked wondei-ingly at it, and
all of a sudden it disappeared and he found a dirty looking
girl standing near him. The girl returned with him and
managed to get a place as housemaid in the palace.

Of course she was very busy all day long, but whea-
ever she had a little spare time she sat down to spin.

6 LOVELY ILONKA

Her distaff turned of itself and her spindle span by itself
and the flax wound itself off ; and however much she might
use there was always plenty left.

When the queen— or, rather, the swineherd's daughter
— heard of this, she very much wished to have the distaff,
but the girl flatly refused to give it to her. However, at
last she consented on condition that she might sleep one
night in the king's room. The queen was very angry, and
scolded her well ; but as she longed to have the distaff she
consented, though she gave the king a sleeping draught at
supper.

Then the girl went to the king's room looking seven
times lovelier than ever. She bent over the sleeper and
said : ' My heart's love, I am yours and you are mine.
Speak to me but once ; I am your Ilonka.' But the
king was so sound asleep he neither heard nor spoke,
and Ilonka left the room, sadly thinking he was ashamed
to own her.

Soon after the queen again sent to say that she
wanted to buy the spindle. The girl agreed to let her
have it on the same conditions as before ; but this time,
also, the queen took care to give the king a sleeping
draught. And once more Ilonka went to the king's room
and spoke to him ; whisper as sweetly as she might she
could get no answer.

Now some of the king's servants had taken note of
the matter, and warned their master not to eat and drink
anything that the queen offered him, as for two nights
running she had given him a sleeping draught. The
queen had no idea that her doings had been discovered ;
and when, a few days later, she wanted the flax, and had
to pay the same price for it, she felt no fears at all.

At supper that night the queen offered the king all
sorts of nice things to eat and drink, but he declared he
was not hungry, and went early to bed.

The queen repented bitterly her promise to the girl,
but it was too late to recall it ; for Ilonka had already

LOVELY ILONKA 7

entered the king's room, where he lay anxiously waiting
for something, he knew not what. All of a sudden he
saw a lovely maiden who bent over him and said : * My
dearest love, I am yours and you are mine. Speak to mo,
for I am your Ilonka.'

At these words the king's heart bounded within him.
He sprang up and embraced and kissed her, and she told
him all her adventures since the moment he had left her.
And when he heard all that Ilonka had suffered, and how
he had been deceived, he vowed he would be revenged ;
so he gave orders that the swineherd, his wife and daughter
should all be hanged ; and so they were.

The next day the king was married, with great re-
joicings, to the fair Ilonka ; and if they are not yet dead —
why, they are still living.

[From Ungarische Mahrchen.'^

LUCKY LUCK

Once upon a time there was a king who had an only son.
When the lad was about eighteen years old his father had
to go to fight in a war against a neighbouring country,
and the king led his troops in person. He bade his son
act as Eegent in his absence, but ordered him on no
account to marry till his return.

Time went by. The prince ruled the country and
never even thought of marrying. But when he reached
his twenty-fifth birthday he began to think that it might
be rather nice to have a wife, and he thought so much
that at last he got quite eager about it. He remembered,
however, what his father had said, and waited some time
longer, till at last it was ten years since the king went out
to war. Then the prince called his courtiers about him
and set off with a great retinue to seek a bride. He
hardly knew which way to go, so he wandered about for
twenty days, when, suddenly, he found himself in his
father's camp.

The king was delighted to see his son, and had a great
many questions to ask and answer ; but when he heard
that instead of quietly waiting for him at home the prince
was starting off to seek a wife he was very angry, and
said : ' You may go where you please but I will not leave
any of my people with you.'

Only one faithful servant stayed with the prince and
refused to part from him. They journeyed over hill and dale
till they came to a place called Goldtown. The King of
Goldtown had a lovely daughter, and the prince, who soon
heard about her beauty, could not rest till he saw her.

LUCKY LUCK

He was very kindly received, for he was extremely
good-looking and had charming manners, so he lost no

time in asking for her hand and her parents gave her to
him with joy. The wedding took place at once, and the

10 LUCKY LUCK

feasting and rejoicings went on for a whole month. At
the end of the month they set off for home, but as the
journey was a long one they spent the first evening at an
inn. Ever^^one in the house slept, and only the faithful
servant kept watch. About midnight he heard three
crows, who had flown to the roof, talking together.

* That's a handsome couple which arrived here to-
night. It seems quite a pity they should lose their lives
so soon.'

* Truly,' said the second crow ; ' for to-morrow, when
midday strikes, the bridge over the Gold Stream will
break just as they are driving over it. But, listen ! who-
ever overhears and tells what we have said will be turned
to stone up to his knees.'

The crows had hardly done speaking when away they
flew. And close upon them followed three pigeons.

* Even if the prince and princess get safe over the
bridge they will perish,' said they; 'for the king is going
to send a carriage to meet them which looks as new as
paint. But when they are seated in it a raging w4nd will
rise and whirl the carriage away into the clouds. Then
it will fall suddenly to earth, and they will be killed.
But anyone who hears and betrays what we have said
will be turned to stone up to his waist.'

With that the pigeons flew off and three eagles took
their places, and this is what they said :

' If the young couple does manage to escape the
dangers of the bridge and the carriage, the king means
to send them each a splendid gold embroidered robe.
When they put these on they will be burnt up at once.
But whoever hears and repeats this will turn to stone
from head to foot.'

Early next morning the travellers got up and break-
fasted. They began to tell each other their dreams. At
last the servant said :

' Gracious prince, I dreamt that if your Eoyal High-
ness would grant all I asked w^e should get home safe and

LUCKY LUCK 11

sound ; but if you did not we should certainly be lost.
My dreams never deceive me, so I entreat you to follow
my advice during the rest of the journey.'

* Don't make such a fuss about a dream,' said the
prince ; ' dreams are but clouds. Still, to prevent your
being anxious I will promise to do as you wish.'

With that they set out on their journey.

At midday they reached the Gold Stream. When they
got to the bridge the servant said : ' Let us leave the
carriage here, my prince, and walk a little way. The town
is not far off and we can easily get another carriage there,
for the wheels of this one are bad and will not hold out
much longer.'

The prince looked well at the carriage. He did not
think it looked so unsafe as his servant said ; but he had
given his word and he held to it.

They got down and loaded the horses with the luggage.
The prince and his bride walked over the bridge, but the
servant said he would ride the horses through the stream
so as to water and bathe them.

They reached the other side without harm, and bought
a new carriage in the town, which was quite near, and set
off once more on their travels ; but they had not gone far
when they met a messenger from the king who said to
the prince : ' His Majesty has sent your Eoyal Highness
this beautiful carriage so that you may make a fitting
entry into your own country and amongst your own
people.'

The prince was so delighted that he could not speak.
But the servant said : ' My lord, let me examine this
carriage first and then you can get in if I find it is all
right ; otherwise we had better stay in our own.'

The prince made no objections, and after looking the
carriage well over the servant said : ' It is as bad as it is
smart ' ; and with that he knocked it all to pieces, and
they went on in the one that they had bought.

At last they reached the frontier ; there another

12 LUCKY LUCK

messenger was waiting for them, who said that the king
had sent two splendid robes for the prince and his bride,
and begged that they would wear them for their state
entry. But the servant implored the prince to have
nothing to do with them, and never gave him any peace
till he had obtained leave to destroy the robes.

The old king was furious when he found that all his
arts had failed ; that his son still lived and that he would
have to give up the crown to him now he w^as married, for
that was the law of the land. He longed to know how
the prince had escaped, and said : ' My dear son, I do
indeed rejoice to have you safely back, but I cannot
imagine why the beautiful carriage and the splendid robes
I sent did not please you ; why you had them destroyed.'

'Indeed, sire,' said the prince, *I was myself much
annoyed at their destruction ; but my servant had begged
to direct everything on the journey and I had promised
him that he should do so. He declared that we could
not possibly get home safely unless I did as he told me.'

The old king fell into a tremendous rage. He called
his Council together and condemned the servant to death.

The gallows was put up in the square in front of the
palace. The servant was led out and his sentence read
to him.

The rope was being placed round his neck, when he
begged to be allowed a few last words. ' On our journey
home,' he said, ' we spent the first night at an inn. I did
not sleep but kept watch all night.' And then he went
on to tell what the crows had said, and as he spoke he
turned to stone up to his knees. The prince called to
him to say no more as he had proved his innocence. But
the servant paid no heed to him, and by the time his
story was done he had turned to stone from head to
foot.

Oh ! how grieved the prince was to lose his faithful
servant ! And what pained him most was the thought
that he was lost through his very faithfulness, and he

the: KAITHFUL SERVANT TURNS INTO 6T0NE

LUCKY LUCK 15

determined to travel all over the world and never rest
till lie found some means of restoring him to life.

Now there lived at Com-t an old woman who had been
the prince's nurse. To her he confided all his plans, and
left his wife, the princess, in her care. ' You have a long
way before you, my son,' said the old woman ; ' you must
never return till you have met with Lucky Luck. If he
cannot help you no one on earth can.'

So the prince set off to try to find Lucky Luck. He
walked and walked till he got beyond his own country,
and he wandered through a wood for three days but did
not meet a living being in it. At the end of the third day
he came to a river near which stood a large mill. Here
he spent the night. When he was leaving next morning
the miller asked him : ' My gracious lord, where are you
going all alone ? '

And the prince told him.

* Then I beg your Highness to ask Lucky Luck this
question : Why is it that though I have an excellent
mill, with all its machinery complete, and get plenty of
grain to grind, I am so poor that I hardly know how to
live from one day to another ? '

The prince promised to inquire, and went on his waj^
He wandered about for three days more, and at the end
of the third day saw a little town. It was quite late
when he reached it, but he could discover no light any-
where, and walked almost right through it without find-
ing a house where he could turn in. But far away at the
end of the town he saw a light in a window. He went
straight to it and in the house w^ere three girls playing a
game together. The prince asked for a night's lodging
and they took him in, gave him some supper and got a
room ready for him, where he slept.

Next morning when he was leaving they asked where
he was going and he told them his story. ' Gracious
prince,' said the maidens, * do ask Lucky Luck how it
happens that here we are over thirty years old and no

16 LUCKY LUCK

lover has come to woo us, though we are good, pretty,
and very industrious.'

The prince promised to inquire, and went on his way.

Then he came to a great forest and wandered about in
it from morning to night and from night to morning
before he got near the other end. Here he found a pretty
stream which was different from other streams as, instead
of flowing, it stood still and began to talk : ' Sir prince,
tell me what brings you into these wilds ? I must have
been flowing here a hundred years and more and no one
has ever yet come by.'

' I will tell you,' answered the prince, ' if you will divide
yourself so that I may walk through.'

The stream parted at once, and the prince walked
through without wetting his feet ; and directly he got to
the other side he told his story as he had promised.

' Oh, do ask Lucky Luck,' cried the brook, ' why, though
I am such a clear, bright, rapid stream I never have a
fish or any other living creature in my waters.'

The prince said he would do so, and continued his
journey.

When he got quite clear of the forest he walked on
through a lovely valley till he reached a little house
thatched with rushes, and he went in to rest for he was
very tired.

Everything in the house was beautifully clean and
tidy, and a cheerful honest-looking old woman was sitting
by the fire.

' Good-morning, mother,' said the prince.

' May Luck be with you, my son. What brings you
into these parts ? '

' I am looking for Lucky Luck,' replied the prince.

' Then you have come to the right place, my son, for I
am his mother. He is not at home just now, he is out
digging in the vineyard. Do you go too. Here are two
spades. When you find him begin to dig, but don't speak
a word to him. It is now eleven o'clock. When he sits

^:^:the ship /^ rri v e s >> : ^> : ^r.

LUCKY LUCK 19

down to eat his dinner sit beside him and eat with him.
After dinner he will question you, and then tell him all
your troubles freely. He will answer whatever you may
ask.'

With that she showed him the way, and the prince
went and did just as she had told him. After dinner they
lay down to rest.

All of a sudden Lucky Luck began to speak and said :
' Tell me, what sort of man are you, for since you came
here you have not spoken a word ? '

' I am not dumb,' replied the young man, * but I am
that unhappy prince whose faithful servant has been
turned to stone, and I want to know how to help him.'

' And you do well, for he deserves everything. Go
back, and when you get home your wife will just have had
a little boy. Take three drops of blood from the child's
little finger, rub them on yom- servant's wrists with a
blade of grass and he will return to life.'

' I have another thing to ask,' said the prince, when he
had thanked him. * In the forest near here is a fine stream
but not a fish or other living creature in it. Why is
this ? '

* Because no one has ever been drowned in the stream.
But take care, in crossing, to get as near the other side as
you can before you say so, or you may be the first victim
yourself.'

' x\nother question, please, before I go. On my way
here I lodged one night in the house of three maidens.
All were well-mannered, hard-working, and pretty, and
yet none has had a wooer. Why was this ? '

' Because they always throw out their sweepings in
the face of the sun.'

' And why is it that a miller, who has a large mill with
all the best machinery and gets plenty of corn to grind is
so poor that he can hardly live from day to day ? '

* Because the miller keeps everything for himself, and
does not give to those who need it.'

20 LUCKY LUCK

The prince wrote down the answers to his questions,
took a friendly leave of Lucky Luck, and set off for home.

\Yhen he reached the stream it asked if he brought it
any good news. * When I get across I will tell you,' said
he. So the stream parted ; he walked through and on to
the highest part of the bank. He stopped and shouted
out :

' Listen, oh stream ! Lucky Luck says you will never
have any living creature in your waters until someone is
drowned in you.'

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the
stream swelled and overflowed till it reached the rock up
which he had climbed, and dashed so far up it that the
spray flew over him. But he clung on tight, and after
failing to reach him three times the stream returned to its
proper course. Then the princS climbed down, dried
himself in the sun, and set out on his march home.

He spent the night once more at the mill and gave
the miller his answer, and by-and-by he told the three
sisters not to throw out all their sweepings in the face of
the sun.

The prince had hardly arrived at home w^hen some
thieves tried to ford the stream with a fine horse they had
stolen. When they were half-way across, the stream rose
so suddenly that it swept them all away. From that time
it became the best fishing stream in the country-side.

The miller, too, began to give alms and became a very
good man, and in time grew so rich that he hardly knew
how much he had.

And the three sisters, now that they no longer insulted
the sun, had each a wooer within a week.

When the prince got home he found that his wife had
just got a fine little boy. He did not lose a moment
in pricking the baby's finger till the blood ran, and he
brushed it on the wrists of the stone figure, which shud-
dered all over and split with a loud noise in seven parts
and there was the faithful servant alive and well.

LUCKY LUCK 21

When the old king saw this he foamed with rage,
stared wildly about, flung himself on the ground and
died.

The servant stayed on with his royal master and
served him faithfully all the rest of his life ; and, if neither
of them is dead, he is serving him still.

[From Ungarische Mcihrchen.']

THE HAIRY MAN

Somewhere or other, but I don't know w^here, there Uved
a king who owned two remarkably fine fields of rape, but
every night two of the rape heaps were burnt down in one
of the fields. The king was extremely angry at this, and
sent out soldiers to catch whoever had set fire to the ricks ;
but it was all of no use — not a soul could they see. Then
he offered nine hundred crowns to anyone who caught
the evil-doer, and at the same time ordered that whoever
did not keep proper watch over the fields should be killed ;
but though there were a great many people, none seemed
able to protect the fields.

The king had already put ninety-nine people to death,
when a little swineherd came to him who had two dogs ;
one was called ' Psst,' and the other ' Hush ' ; and the boy
told the king that he would watch over the ricks.

^Yhen it grew dark he climbed up on the top of the
fourth rick, from where he could see the whole field.
About eleven o'clock he thought he saw someone going to
a rick and putting a light to it. ' Just you wait,' thought
he, and called out to his dogs : ' Hi ! Psst, Hush, catch
him ! ' But Psst and Hush had not waited for orders,
and in five minutes the man was caught.

Next morning he was brought bound before the king,
who was so pleased with the boy that he gave him a
thousand crowns at once. The prisoner was all covered
with hair, almost like an animal ; and altogether he was
so curious to look at that the king locked him up in a
strong room and sent out letters of invitation to all the

IHE HAIBY MAN 25

bther kings and princes asking them to come and see this
wonder.

That was all very well ; but the king had a little boy
of ten years old who went to look at the hairy man also,
and the man begged so hard to be set free that the boy
took pity on him. He stole the key of the strong room
from his mother and opened the door. Then he took the
key back, but the hairy man escaped and went off into
the world.

Then the kings and princes began to arrive one after
another, and all were most anxious to see the hairy man ;
but he was gone ! The king nearly burst with rage and
with the shame he felt. He questioned his wife sharply,
and told her that if she could not find and bring back the
hairy man he would put her in a hut made of rushes and
burn her there. The queen declared she had had nothing
to do with the matter ; if her son had happened to take
the key it had not been with her knowledge.

So they fetched the little prince and asked him all
sorts of questions, and at last he owned that he had let the
hairy man out. The king ordered his servants to take
the boy into the forest and to kill him there, and to bring
back part of his liver and lungs.

There was grief all over the palace when the king's
command was known, for he was a great favourite. But
there was no help for it, and they took the boy out into
the forest. But the man was sorry for him, and shot a
dog and carried pieces of his lungs and liver to the king,
who was satisfied, and did not trouble himself any more.

The prince wandered about in the forest and lived as
best he could for five years. One day he came upon a
poor little cottage in which was an old man. They began
to talk, and the prince told his story and sad fate. Then
they recognised each other, for the old fellow was no
other than the hairy man whom the prince had set free,
and who had lived ever since in the forest.

The prince stayed here for two years ; then he wished

26 THE HAIRY MAN

to go further. The old man begged him hard to stay,
but he would not, so his hairy friend gave him a golden
apple out of which came a horse with a golden mane, and
a golden staff with which to guide the horse. The old
man also gave him a silver apple out of which came the
most beautiful hussars and a silver staff; and a copper
apple from which he could draw as many foot soldiers as
ever he wished, and a copper staff. He made the prince
swear solemnly to take the greatest care of these presents,
and then he let him go.

The boy wandered on and on till he came to a large
town. Here he took service in the king's palace, and as
no one troubled themselves about him he lived quietly on.

One day news was brought to the king that he must
go out to war. He was horribly frightened for he had a
very small army, but he had to go all the same.

When they had all left, the prince said to the house-
keeper :

' Give me leave to go to the next village — I owe a
small bill there, and I want to go and pay it ' ; and as
there was nothing to be done in the palace the house-
keeper gave him leave.

When he got beyond the town he took out his golden
apple, and when the horse sprang out he swung himself
into the saddle. Then he took the silver and the copper
apples, and with all these fine soldiers he joined the
king's army.

The king saw them approach with fear in his heart,
for he did not know if it might not be an enemy ; but the
prince rode up, and bowed low before him. ' I bring
your Majesty reinforcements,' said he.

The king was delighted, and all dread of his enemy
at once disappeared. The princesses were there too, and
they were very friendly with the prince and begged him
to get into their carriage so as to talk to them. But he
declined, and remained on horseback, as he did not know
at what moment the battle might begin ; and whilst they

THE HAIBY MAN 27

were all talking together the youngest princess, who was
also the loveliest, took off her ring, and her sister tore her
handkerchief in two pieces, and they gave these gifts to
the prince.

Suddenly the enemy came in sight. The king asked
whether his army or the prince's should lead the way ; but
the prince set off first and with his hussars he fought so
bravely that only two of the enemy were left alive, and
these two were only spared to act as messengers.

The king was overjoyed and so were his daughters at
this brilliant victory. As they drove home they begged
the prince to join them, but he would not come, and
galloped off with his hussars.

^Yhen he got near the town he packed his soldiers and
his fine horse all carefully into the apple again, and then
strolled into the town. On his return to the palace he
was well scolded by the housekeeper for staying away so
long.

Well, the whole matter might have ended there ; but it
so happened that the younger princess had fallen in love
with the prince, as he had with her. And as he had no
jewels with him, he gave her the copper apple and staff.

One day, as the princesses were talking with their
father, the younger one asked him whether it might not
have been their servant who had helped him so much.
The king was quite angry at the idea ; but, to satisfy her,
he ordered the servant's room to be searched. And there,
to everyone's surprise, they found the golden ring and the
half of the handkerchief. When these were brought to the
king he sent for the prince at once and asked if it had
been he who had come to their rescue.

' Yes, your Majesty, it was I,' answered the prince.

* But where did you get your army ? '

' If you wish to see it, I can show it you outside the
city walls.'

i.\nd so he did ; but first he asked for the copper apple
from the younger princess, and when all the soldiers were

28 THE HAIBY MAN

drawn up there were such numbers that there was barely
room for them.

The king gave him his daughter and kingdom as a
reward for his aid, and when he heard that the prince was
himself a king's son his joy knew no bounds. The prince
packed all his soldiers carefully up once more, and they
went back into the town.

Not long after there w^as a grand wedding ; perhaps
they may all be alive still, but I don't know.

TO YOUB GOOD HEALTH I

Long, long ago there lived a king who was such a mighty
monarch that whenever he sneezed every one in the
whole country had to say * To your good health ! ' Every
one said it except the shepherd with the staring eyes,
and he would not say it.

The king heard of this and was very angry, and sent
for the shepherd to appear before him.

The shepherd came and stood before the throne, where
the king sat looking very grand and powerful. But how-
ever grand or powerful he might be the shepherd did not
feel a bit afraid of him.

' Say at once, " To my good health ! " ' cried the king.

' To my good health ! ' replied the shepherd.

' To mine — to nwie, you rascal, you vagabond ! ' stormed
the king.

' To mine, to mine, your Majesty,' was the answer.

* But to 7nme — to my own,' roared the king, and beat
on his breast in a rage.

' Well, yes ; to mine, of course, to my own,' cried the
shepherd, and gently tapped his breast.

The king was beside himself with fury and did not
know what to do, when the Lord Chamberlain interfered :

* Say at once — say this very moment : "To your health,
your Majesty " ; for if you don't say it you'll lose your life,'
whispered he.

' No, I won't say it till I get the princess for my wife,'
was the shepherd's answer. Now the princess was sitting
on a little throne beside the king, her father, and she

30 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

looked as sweet and lovely as a little golden dove. When
she heard what the shepherd said she could not help laugh-
ing, for there is no denying the fact that this young shep-
herd with the staring eyes pleased her very much ; indeed
he pleased her better than any king's son she had yet seen.
But the king was not as pleasant as his daughter,
and he gave orders to throw the shepherd into the white
bear's pit.

The guards led him away and thrust him into the pit
with the white bear, who had had nothing to eat for tw^o
days and was very hungry. The door of the pit was
hardly closed when the bear rushed at the shepherd ; but
when it saw his eyes it was so frightened that it was
ready to eat itself. It shrank away into a corner and
gazed at him from there, and, in spite of being so
famished, did not dare to touch him, but sucked its ow^n
paws from sheer hunger. The shepherd felt that if he
once removed his eyes off the beast he was a dead man,
and in order to keep himself awake he made songs and
sang them, and so the night w^ent by.

Next morning the Lord Chamberlain came to see the
shepherd's bones, and was amazed to find him alive and
well. He led him to the king, who fell into a furious
passion, and said : ' Well, you have learned what it is to
be very near death, and noio will you say " To my good
health " ? '

But the shepherd answered : ' I am not afraid of ten
deaths ! I will only say it if I may have the princess for
my wife.'

' Then go to your death,' cried the king ; and ordered
him to be thrown into the den with the wdld boars. The
wild boars had not been fed for a week, and when the
shepherd was thrust into their den they rushed at him
to tear him to pieces. But the shepherd took a little
flute out of the sleeve of his jacket and began to play a
merry tune, on which the wild boars first of all shrank
shyly away, and thei; got up on their hind legs and

TO YOUB GOOD HEALTH! 33

danced gaily. The shepherd would have given anything
to be able to laugh, they looked so funny ; but he dared
not stop playing, for he knew well enough that the
moment he stopped they w^ould fall upon him and tear
him to pieces. His eyes were of no use to him here, for
he could not have stared ten wild boars in the face at
once ; so he kept on playing, and the wild boars danced
very slowiy, as if in a minuet, then by degrees he played
faster and faster till they could hardly twist and turn
quickly enough, and ended by all falling over each other
in a heap, quite exhausted and out of breath.

Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last ; and he
laughed so long and so loud that when the Lord Chamber-
lain came early in the morning, expecting to find only his
bones, the tears were still running down his cheeks from
laughter.

As soon as the king was dressed the shepherd was
again brought before him ; but he w^as more angry than
ever to think the wild boars had not torn the man to bits,
and he said : ' Well, you have learned what it feels to be
near ten deaths, noio say " To my good health ! " '

But the shepherd broke in with, ' I do not fear a
hjLindred deaths, and I will only say it if I may have the
princess for my wife.'

' Then go to a hundred deaths ! ' roared the king, and
ordered the shepherd to be thrown down the deep vault of
scythes.

The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in
the middle of which was a deep well with sharp scythes
all round it. At the bottom of the well was a little light
by which one could see if anyone was thrown in whether
he had fallen to the bottom.

When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeons he
begged the guards to leave him alone a little while that
he might look down into the pit of scythes ; perhaps he
might after all make up his mind to say ' To your good
health ' to the king. So the guards left him alone and

C. D

34 TO YOUB GOOD HEALTH!

he stuck up his long stick near the well, hung his cloak
round the stick and put his hat on the top. He also hung
his knapsack up inside the cloak so that it might seem to
have some body within it. When this was done he called
out to the guards and said that he had considered the
matter but after all he could not make up his mind to say
what the king wished. The guards came in, threw the
hat and cloak, knapsack and stick all down the well
together, watched to see how they put out the light at the
bottom and came away, thinking that now there really
was an end of the shepherd. But he had hidden in a
dark corner and was laughing to himself all the time.

Quite early next morning came the Lord Chamberlain,
carrying a lamp and he nearly fell backwards w^ith sur-
prise when he saw the shepherd alive and well. He
brought him to the king, whose fury was greater than
ever, but who cried :

* Well, now you have been near a hundred deaths ;
will you say : "To your good health " ? '

But the shepherd only gave the same answer :

* I v/on't say it till the princess is my wife.'

* Perhaps after all you may do it for less,' said the
king, who saw that there was no chance of making away
with the shepherd ; and he ordered the state coach to be
got ready, then he made the shepherd get in with him
and sit beside him, and ordered the coachman to drive to
the silver wood. When they reached it he said : ' Do you
see this silver wood ? Well, if you will say, " To your
good health," I will give it to you.'

The shepherd turned hot and cold by turns, but he still
persisted :

* I will not say it till the princess is my wife.'

The king was much vexed ; he drove further on till
they came to a splendid castle, all of gold, and then he
said :

* Do you see this golden castle ? W^ell, I will give
you that too, the silver wood and the golden castle, if

TO YOUB GOOD HEALTH! 35

only you will say that one thing to me : " To your good
health." '

The shepherd gaped and wondered and was quite
dazzled, but he still said :

' No ; I will not say it till I have the princess for my
wife.'

This time the king was overw^helmed with grief, and
gave orders to drive on to the diamond pond, and there
he tried once more.

* Do you see this diamond pond ? I will give you
that too, the silver wood and the golden castle and the
diamond pond. You shall have them all — all — if you will
but say : "To your good health ! " '

The shepherd had to shut his staring eyes tight not to
be dazzled w4th the brilliant pond, but still he said :

' No, no ; I will not say it till I have the princess for
my wife.'

Then the king saw that all his efforts were useless,
and that he might as well give in, so he said :

' Well, w^ell, it's all the same to me — I will give you
my daughter to w4fe ; but, then, you really and truly must
say to me : "To your good health." '

' Of course I'll say it ; why should I not say it ? It
stands to reason that I shall say it then.'

At this the king was more delighted than anyone
could have believed. He made it know^n all through the
country that there were to be great rejoicings, as the
princess was going to be married. And everyone rejoiced
to think that the princess, w'ho had refused so many royal
suitors, should have ended by falling in love with the
staring-eyed shepherd.

There w^as such a wedding as had never been seen.
Everyone ate and drank and danced. Even the sick were
feasted, and quite tiny new-born children had presents
given them.

But the greatest merry-making w^as in the king's
palace ; there the best bands played and the best food

86 TO YOUB GOOD HEALTH!

was cooked ; a crowd of people sat down to table, and all
was fun and merry-making.

And when the groomsman, according to custom,
brought in the great boar's head on a big dish and placed
it before the king so that he might carve it and give
everyone a share, the savoury smell was so strong that
the king began to sneeze with all his might.

' To your very good health,' cried the shepherd before
anyone else, and the king was so delighted that he did
not regret having given him his daughter.

In time, when the old king died, the shepherd suc-
ceeded him. He made a very good king and never
expected his people to wish him well against their wills ;
but, all the same, everyone did wish him well, for they all
loved him.

[From Riissische MiUirchen,']

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

Fae, far away, beyond all sorts of countries, seas and
rivers, there stood a splendid city where lived King
Archidej, who was as good as he was rich and handsome.
His great army was made up of men ready to obey his
slightest wish ; he owned forty times forty cities, and in
each city he had ten palaces with silver doors, golden
roofs, and crystal windows. His council consisted of the
twelve wisest men in the country, whose long beards
flowed down over their breasts, each of whom was as
learned as a whole college. This council always told the
king the exact truth.

Now the king had everything to make him happy,
but he did not enjoy anything because he could not tind a
bride to his mind.

One day, as he sat in his palace looking out to sea, a
great ship sailed into the harbour and several merchants
came on shore. Said the king to himself : ' These people
have travelled far and beheld many lands. I will ask
them if they have seen any princess who is as clever and
as handsome as I am.'

So he ordered the merchants to be brought before
him, and when they came he said : ' You have travelled
much and visited many wonders. I wish to ask you a
question, and I beg you to answer truthfully.

* Have you anywhere seen or heard of the daughter of
an emperor, king, or a prince, who is as clever and as
handsome as I am, and who would be worthy to be my
wife and the queen of my country ? '

as THE STORY OF THE SEVEN SUIONS

The merchants considered for some time. At last the
eldest of them said : ' I have heard that across many seas,
in the Island of Busan, there is a mighty king, whose
daughter, the Princess Helena, is so lovely that she can
certainly not be plainer than your Majesty, and so clever
that the wisest greybeard cannot guess her riddles.'

' Is the island far off, and which is the way to it ? '

* It is not near,' was the answer. ' The journey would
take ten years, and we do not know the way. And even
if w^e did, what use would that be ? The princess is no
bride for you.'

' How dare you say so ? ' cried the king angrily.

* Your Majesty must pardon us ; but just think for a
moment. Should you send an envoy to the island he will
take ten years to get there and ten more to return —twenty
years in all. Will not the princess have grown old in
that time and have lost all her beauty ? '

The king reflected gravely. Then he thanked the
merchants, gave them leave to trade in his country with-
out paying any duties, and dismissed them.

After they were gone the king remained deep in
thought. He felt puzzled and anxious ; so he decided to
ride into the country to distract his mind, and sent for his
huntsmen and falconers. The huntsmen blew their horns,
the falconers took their hawks on their wrists, and off
they all set out across country till they came to a green
hedge. On the other side of the hedge stretched a great
field of maize as far as the eye could reach, and the yellow
oars swayed to and fro in the gentle breeze like a rippling
sea of gold.

The king drew rein and admired the field. 'Upon
my word,' said he, ' whoever dug and planted it must be
good workmen. If all the fields in my kingdom were as
well cared for as this, there would be more bread than my
people could eat.' And he wished to know to whom the
field belonged.

Off rushed all his followers at once to do his bidding,

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 39

and found a nice, tidy farmhouse, in front of which sat
seven peasants, hnicliing on rye bread and drinking water.
They wore red shirts bound with gold braid, and were
so much ahke that one could hardly tell one from
another.

The messengers asked : ' Who owns this field of golden
maize ? ' And the seven brothers answered : ' The field
is ours.'

* And who are you ? '

' We are King Archidej's labourers.'

These answers were repeated to the king, who
ordered the brothers to be brought before him at once.
On being asked who they were, the eldest said, bowing
low :

' We, King Archidej, are your labourers, children of
one father and mother, and we all have the same name,
for each of us is called Simon. Our father taught us to
be true to our king, and to till the ground, and to be
kind to our neighbours. He also taught each of us a
different trade which he thought might be useful to us,
and he bade us not neglect our mother earth, which would
be sure amply to repay our labour.'

The king was pleased with the honest peasant, and
said : * You have done well, good people, in planting your
field, and now you have a golden harvest. But I should
like each of you to tell me what special trades j^our father
taught you.'

' My trade, 0 king ! ' said the first Simon, * is not an
easy one. If you will give me some workmen and
materials I will build you a great white pillar that shall
reach far above the clouds.'

' Very good,' replied the king. ' And you, Simon the
second, what is your trade ? '

* Mine, your Majesty, needs no great cleverness.
When my brother has built the pillar I can mount it, and
from the top, far above the clouds, I can see what is
happening in every country under the san.'

40 THE ISTOliY OF THE >SEVEN SIMONS

' Good,' said the king ; ' and Simon the third ? '

* My work is very simple, sire. You have many ships
built by learned men, with all sorts of new and clever
improvements. If you wish it I will build you quite a
simple boat — one, two, three, and it's done ! But my
plain little home-made ship is not grand enough for a
king. Where other ships take a year, mine makes the
voyage in a day, and where they would require ten years
mine will do the distance in a week.'

' Good,' said the king again ; ' and what has Simon
the fourth learnt ? '

* My trade, 0 king, is really of no importance.
Should my brother build you a ship, then let me embark
in it. If we should be pursued by an enemy I can seize
our boat by the prow and sink it to the bottom of the sea.
When the enemy has sailed off, I can draw^ it up to the
top again.'

* That is very clever of you,' answered the king ; * and
what does Simon the fifth do ? '

* My work, your Majesty, is mere smith's work. Order
me to build a smithy and I w411 make you a cross-bow,
but from which neither the eagle in the sky nor the wild
beast in the forest is safe. The bolt hits whatever the
eye sees.'

* That sounds very useful,' said the king. ' And now,
Simon the sixth, tell me your trade.'

' Sire, it is so simple I am almost ashamed to mention
it. If my brother hits any creature I catch it quicker
than any dog can. If it falls into the water I pick it up
out of the greatest depths, and if it is in a dark forest I
can find it even at midnight.'

The king w^as much pleased with the trades and talk
of the six brothers, and said : ' Thank you, good people ;
your father did w^ell to teach you all these things. Now
follow me to the town, as I w^ant to see what you can do.
I need such people as you about me ; but when harvest
time comes I will send you home with royal presents.'

THE. SIXTH SIMON CATCHES THL ELAGLL

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 43

Tlie brothers bowed and said : ' As the king wills.'
Suddenly the king remembered that he had not ques-
tioned the seventh Simon, so he turned to him and said :
* Why are you silent ? What is your handicraft ? '

And the seventh Simon answered : ' I have no handi-
craft, O king ; I have learnt nothing. I could not
manage it. And if I do know how to do anything it is
not what might properly be called a real trade — it is
rather a sort of performance ; but it is one which no one —
not the king himself — must watch me doing, and I doubt
whether this performance of mine would please your
Majesty.'

' Come, come,' cried the king ; ' I will have no
excuses, what is this trade ? '

* First, sire, give me your royal word that you will not
kill me when I have told you. Then you shall hear.'

' So be it, then ; I give you my royal word.'
Then the seventh Simon stepped back a little, cleared
his throat, and said : * My trade. King Archidej, is of such
a kind that the man who follows it in your kingdom
generally loses his life and has no hopes of pardon.
There is only one thing I can do really well, and that is —
to steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have
stolen. Not the deepest vault, even if its lock were
enchanted, could prevent my stealing anything out of it
that I wished to have.'

When the king heard this he fell into a passion. ' I
will not pardon you, you rascal,' he cried ; ' I will shut you
up in my deepest dungeon on bread and w^ater till you
have forgotten such a trade. Indeed, it would be better
to put you to death at once, and I've a good mind to
do so.'

* Don't kill me, 0 king ! I am really not as bad as
you think. Why, had I chosen, I could have robbed the
royal treasury, have bribed your judges to let me off, and
built a white marble palace with what was left. But
though I know how to steal I don't do it. You yourself

44 THE STORY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

asked me my trade. If you kill me you will break your
royal word.'

' Very well,' said the king, * I will not kill you. I
pardon you. But from this hour you shall be shut up in
a dark dungeon. Here, guards ! away with him to the
prison. But you six Simons follow me and be assured of
my royal favour.'

So the six Simons followed the king. The seventh
Simon was seized by the guards, who put him in chains
and threw him in prison with only bread and water for
food. Next day the king gave the first Simon carpenters,
masons, smiths and labourers, with great stores of iron,
mortar, and the like, and Simon began to build. And he
built his great white pillar far, far up into the clouds, as
high as the nearest stars ; but the other stars were higher
still.

Then the second Simon climbed up the pillar and saw
and heard all that was going on through the whole world.
When he came down he had all sorts of wonderful things
to tell. How one king w^as marching in battle against
another, and which was likely to be the victor. How, in
another place, great rejoicings were going on, while in a
third people were dying of famine. In fact there was not
the smallest event going on over the earth that was hidden
from him.

Next the third Simon began. He stretched out his
arms, once, twice, thrice, and the wonder-ship was ready.
At a sign from the king it was launched, and floated
proudly and safely like a bird on the waves. Instead of
ropes it had wires for rigging, and musicians played on
them with fiddle bows and made lovely music. As the
ship swam about, the fourth Simon seized the prow with
his strong hand, and in a moment it was gone — sunk to
the bottom of the sea. An hour passed, and then the ship
floated again, dra^vn up by Simon's left hand, while in his
right he brought a gigantic fish from the depth of the
ocean for the royal table.

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 45

"Whilst this was going on the fifth Simon had huilt his
forge and hammered out his iron, and when the king
returned from the harbour the magic cross-bow was made.

His Majesty went out into an open field at once, looked
up into the sky and saw, far, far away, an eagle flying up
towards the sun and looking like a little speck.

' Now,' said the king, ' if you can shoot that bird I will
reward you.'

Simon only smiled ; he lifted his cross-bow, took aim,
fired, and the eagle fell. As it was falling the sixth Simon
ran with a dish, caught the bird before it fell to earth and
brought it to the king.

* Many thanks, my brave lads,' said the king ; 'I see
that each of you is indeed a master of his trade. You
shall be richly rewarded. But now rest and have your
dinner.'

The six Simons bowed and went to dinner. But
they had hardly begun before a messenger came to say
that the king wanted to see them. They obeyed at once
and found him surrounded by all his court and men of
state.

' Listen, my good fellows,' cried the king, as soon as
he saw them. ' Hear what my wise counsellors have
thought of. As you, Simon the second, can see the
whole world from the top of the great pillar, I want you
to climb up and to see and hear. For I am told that,
far away, across many seas, is the great kingdom of the
Island of Busan, and that the daughter of the king is the
beautiful Princess Helena.'

Off ran the second Simon and clambered quickly up
the pillar. He gazed around, listened on all sides, and
then slid down to report to the king.

' Sire, I have obeyed your orders. Far away I saw the
Island of Busan. The king is a mighty monarch, but
full of pride, harsh and cruel. He sits on his throne and
declares that no prince or king on earth is good enough
for his lovely daughter, that he will give her to none, and

46 THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

that if any king asks for her hand he will declare war
against him and destroy his kingdom.'

* Has the king of Busan a great army ? ' asked King
Archidej ; ' is his country far off ? '

' As far as I could judge,' replied Simon, ' it would
take you nearly ten years in fair weather to sail there.
But if the weather were stormy w^e might say twelve. I
saw the army l^eing reviewed. It is not so very large — a
hundred thousand men at arms and a hundred thousand
knights. Besides these, he has a strong bodyguard and
a good many cross-bowmen. Altogether you may say
another hundred thousand, and there is a picked body of
heroes w4io reserve themselves for great occasions requir-
ing particular courage.'

The king sat for some time lost in thought. At last
he said to the nobles and courtiers standing round : ' I
am determined to marry the Princess Helena, but how
shall I do it ? '

The nobles, courtiers and counsellors said nothing, but
tried to hide behind each other. Then the third Simon
said :

' Pardon me, your Majesty, if I offer my advice. You
wish to go to the Island of Busan ? What can be easier ?
In my ship you wall get there in a w^eek instead of in ten
years. But ask your council to advise you what to do
w^hen you arrive — in one w^ord, whether you will win the
princess peacefully or by war ? '

But the w^se men were as silent as ever.

The king frowned, and was about to say something
sharp, w^hen the Court Fool pushed his w^ay to the front
and said : * Dear me, what are all you clever people so
puzzled about ? The matter is quite clear. As it seems
it wdll not take long to reach the island why not send the
seventh Simon? He will steal the fair maiden fast
enough, and then the king, her father, may consider how he
is going to bring his army over here — it will take him ten
years to do it !— no less ! What do you think of my plan ? '

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 47

' What do I think ? Why, that your idea is capital,
and you shall be rewarded for it. Come, guards, hurry as
fast as you can and bring the seventh Simon before me.'

Not many minutes later, Simon the seventh stood
before the king, who explained to him what he wished
done, and also that to steal for the benefit of his king
and country was by no means a v^^ong thing, though it
was very wrong to steal for his own advantage.

The youngest Simon, who looked very pale and hungry,
only nodded his head.

' Come,' said the king, ' tell me truly. Do you think
you could steal the Princess Helena ? '

* Why should I not steal her sire ? The thing is easy
enough. Let my brother's ship be laden with rich stuffs,
brocades, Persian carpets, pearls and jewels. Send me
in the ship. Give me my four middle brothers as com-
panions, and keep the two others as hostages.'

When the king heard these words his heart became
filled with longing, and he ordered all to be done as
Simon wished. Every one ran about to do his bidding;
and in next to no time the wonder-ship was laden and
ready to start.

The five Simons took leave of the king, went on
board, and had no sooner set sail than they were almost
out of sight. The ship cut through the waters like a
falcon through the air, and just a week after starting
sighted the Island of Busan. The coast appeared to be
strongly guarded, and from afar the w^atchman on a high
tower called out : ' Halt and anchor ! Who are you ?
Where do you come from, and what do you want ? '

The seventh Simon answered from the ship : ' We are
peaceful people. We come from the country of the great
and good King Archidej, and we bring foreign wares —
rich brocades, carpets, and costly jewels, which we wish
to show to your king and the princess. We desire to
trade — to sell, to buy, and to exchange.'

The brothers launched a small boat, took some of their

48 THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

valuable goods with them, rowed to shore and went up to
the palace. The princess sat in a rose-red room, and
when she saw the brothers coming near she called her
nurse and other women, and told them to inquire who
and what these people were, and what they wanted.

The seventh Simon answered the nurse : ' We come
from the country of the wise and good King Archidej,'
said he, ' and we have brought all sorts of goods for sale.
We trust the king of this country may condescend to
welcome us, and to let his servants take charge of our
wares. If he considers them worthy to adorn his
followers we shall be content.'

This speech was repeated to the princess, who ordered
the brothers to be brought to the red-room at once. They
bowed respectfully to her and displayed some splendid
velvets and brocades, and opened cases of pearls and
precious stones. Such beautiful things had never been
seen in the island, and the nurse and waiting women stood
bewildered by all the magnificence. They whispered
together that they had never beheld anything like it.
The princess too saw and wondered, and her eyes could
not weary of looking at the lovely things, or her fingers
of stroking the rich soft stuffs, and of holding up the
sparkling jewels to the light.

'Fairest of princesses,' said Simon. 'Be pleased to
order your waiting-maids to accept the silks and velvets,
and let your women trim their head-dresses with the
jewels ; these are no special treasures. But permit me
to say that they are as nothing to the many coloured
tapestries, the gorgeous stones and ropes of pearls in om^
ship. We did not like to bring more with us, not know-
ing what your royal taste might be ; but if it seems good
to you to honour our ship with a visit, you might
condescend to choose such things as were pleasing in
your eyes.'

This polite speech pleased the princess very much.
She went to the king and said : ' Dear father, some

THE STORY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 49

merchants have arrived with the most splendid wares.
Pray allow me to go to their ship and choose out what I
like.'

The king thought and thought, frowned hard and
rubbed his ear. At last he gave consent, and ordered out
his royal yacht, with 100 cross-bows, 100 knights, and
1,000 soldiers, to escort the Princess Helena.

Off sailed the yacht with the princess and her escort.
The brothers Simon came on board to conduct the
princess to their ship, and, led by the brothers and
followed by her nurse and other women, she crossed the
crystal plank from one vessel to another.

The seventh Simon spread out his goods, and had so
many curious and interesting tales to tell about them,
that the princess forgot everything else in looking and
listening, so that she did not know that the fourth Simon
had seized the prow of the ship, and that all of a sudden
it had vanished from sight, and was racing along in the
depths of the sea.

The crew of the royal yacht shouted aloud, the
knights stood still wdth terror, the soldiers were struck
dumb and hung their heads. There was nothing to be
done but to sail back and tell the king of his loss.

How he wept and stormed ! ' Oh, light of my eyes,'
he sobbed ; ' I am indeed punished for my pride. I
thought no one good enough to be your husband, and now
you are lost in the depths of the sea, and have left me
alone ! As for all of you who saw this thing — away
with you ! Let them be put in irons and lock them up in
prison, whilst I think how I can best put them to death ! '

Whilst the King of Busan was raging and lamenting
in this fashion, Simon's ship was swimming like any lish
under the sea, and when the island was well out of sight
he brought it up to the surface again. At that moment
the princess recollected herself. ' Nurse,' said she, ' we
have been gazing at these wonders only too long. I hope
my father won't be vexed at our delay.'

C. E

50 THE STORY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

She tore herself away and stepped on deck. Neither
the yacht nor the island was in sight ! Helena wrung
her hands and beat her breast. Then she changed her-
self into a white sw^an and flew off. But the fifth Simon
seized his bow and shot the sw^an, and the sixth Simon
did not let it fall into the water but caught it in the ship,
and the swan turned into a silver fish, but Simon lost no
time and caught the fish, when, quick as thought, the fish
turned into a black mouse and ran about the ship. It
darted tow^ards a hole, but before it could reach it Simon
sprang upon it more swiftly than any cat, and then the
little mouse turned once more into the beautiful Princess
Helena.

Early one morning King x^rchidej sat thoughtfully at
his window gazing out to sea. His heart was sad and he
would neither eat nor drink. His thoughts were full of
the Princess Helena, who was as lovely as a dream. Is
that a white gull he sees flying tow^ards the shore, or is it
a sail ? No, it is no gull, it is the wonder-ship flying
along wdth billowing sails. Its flags wave, the fiddlers
play on the wire rigging, the anchor is thrown out and the
crystal plank laid from the ship to the pier. The lovely
Helena steps across the plank. She shines like the sun,
and the stars of heaven seem to sparkle in her eyes.

Up sprang King Archidej in haste : * Hurry, hurry,'
he cried. * Let us hasten to meet her ! Let the bugles
sound and the joy bells be rung ! '

And the w^hole Court swarmed with courtiers and
servants. Golden carpets w^ere laid down and the great
gates thrown open to welcome the princess.

King Archidej went out himself, took her by the hand
and led her into the royal apartments.

'Madam,' said he, 'the fame of your beauty had
reached me, but I had not dared to expect such loveliness.
Still I vrill not keep you here against your will. If you
wish it, the w^onder-ship shall take you back to your
father and your own country ; but if you will consent to

WV ^^>)elovelyv)ielgn< comes ;a>.sVvOTe"

THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS 53

stay here, then reign over me and my country as our
queen.'

What more is there to tell ? It is not hard to guess
that the princess listened to the king's wooing, and their
betrothal took place with great pomp and rejoicings.

The brothers Simon were sent again to the Island of
Busan with a letter to the king from his daughter to
invite him to their wedding. And the wonder- ship
arrived at the Island of Busan just as all the knights and
soldiers who had escorted the princess were being led out
to execution.

Then the seventh Simon cried out from the ship :
* Stop ! stop ! I bring a letter from the Princess
Helena ! '

The King of Busan read the letter over and over again,
and ordered the knights and soldiers to be set free. He
entertained King Archidej's ambassadors hospitably, and
sent his blessing to his daughter, but he could not be
brought to attend the wedding.

When the wonder-ship got home King Archidej and
Princess Helena were enchanted with the news it brought.

The king sent for the seven Simons. * A thousand
thanks to you, my brave fellows,' he cried. * Take what
gold, silver, and precious stones you will out of my
treasury. Tell me if there is anything else you wish
for and I will give it you, my good friends. Do you
wish to be made nobles, or to govern towns ? Only
speak.'

Then the eldest Simon bowed and said : ' We are
plain folk, your Majesty, and understand simple things
best. W^hat figures should we cut as nobles or governors ?
Nor do we desire gold. We have our fields which give us
food, and as much money as we need. If you wish to
reward us then grant that our land may be free of taxes,
and of your goodness pardon the seventh Simon. He is
not the first who has been a thief by trade . and he will
certainly not be the last.'

54 THE STOBY OF THE SEVEN SIMONS

' So be it,' said the king ; * your land shall be free of
all taxes, and Simon the seventh is pardoned.'

Then the king gave each brother a goblet of wine and
invited them to the wedding feast. And ivhat a feast that
was !

[From Vngarischen MiUtrchen.']

THE LANGUAGE OE BEASTS

Once upon a time a man had a shepherd ^Yho served him
many years faithfully and honestly. One day, whilst
herding his flock, this shepherd heard a hissing sound,
coming out of the forest near by, which he could not
account for. So he went into the wood in the direction of
the noise to try to discover the cause. When he ap-
proached the place he found that the dry grass and leaves
were on fire, and on a tree, surrounded by flames, a snake
was coiled, hissing with terror.

The shepherd stood wondering how the poor snake
could escape, for the wind was blowing the flames that
w^ay, and soon that tree would be burning like the rest.
Suddenly the snake cried : ' 0 shepherd ! for the love of
heaven save me from this lire ! '

Then the shepherd stretched his staff" out over the
flames and the snake wound itself round the staff and up
to his hand, and from his hand it crept up his arm, and
twined itself about his neck. The shepherd trembled with
fright, expecting every instant to be stung to death, and
said : ' What an unlucky man I am ! Did I rescue you
only to be destroyed m^^self ? ' But the snake answered :
' Have no fear ; only carry me home to my father who is the
King of the Snakes.' The shepherd, however, was much
too frightened to listen, and said that he could not go away
and leave his flock alone ; but the snake said : ' You need
not be afraid to leave your flock, no evil shall befall them ;
but make all the haste you can.'

So he set off through the wood carrying the snake, and
after a time he came to a great gateway, made entirely

56 THE LANGUACxE OF BEASTS

of snakes intertwined one with another. The shepherd
stood still with surprise, but the snake round his neck
w^histled, and immediately all the arch unwound itself.

' When we are come to my father's house,' said his
own snake to him, ' he will reward you with anything you
like to ask — silver, gold, jewels, or ^vhatever on this earth
is most precious ; but take none of all these things, ask
rather to understand the language of beasts. He will
refuse it to you a long time, but in the end he will grant
it to you.'

Soon after that they arrived at the house of the King of
the Snakes, who burst into tears of joy at the sight of his
daughter, as he had given her up for dead. ' Where have
you been all this time ? ' he asked, directly he could speak,
and she told him that she had been caught in a forest fire,
and had been rescued from the flames by the shepherd.
The King of the Snakes, then turning to the shepherd,
said to him : ' What reward will you choose for saving my
child ? '

* Make me to know the language of beasts,' answered
the shepherd, * that is all I desire.'

The king replied : ' Such knowledge would be of no
benefit to you, for if I granted it to you and you told any
one of it, you would immediately die ; ask me rather for
whatever else you would most like to possess, and it shall
be yours.'

But the shepherd answered him : ' Sir, if you wish to
reward me for saving your daughter, grant me, I pray
you, to know the language of beasts. I desire nothing
else ' ; and he turned as if to depart.

Then the king called him back, saying : ' If nothing
else will satisfy you, open your mouth.' The man obeyed,
and the king spat into it, and said : ' Now spit into my
mouth.' The shepherd did as he was told, then the King
of the Snakes spat again into the shepherd's mouth.
When they had spat into each other's mouths three times,
the king said :

THE LANGUAGE OE BEASTS 59

' Now you know the language of beasts, go in peace ;
but, if you value your life, beware lest you tell any one of
it, else you will immediately die.'

So the shepherd set out for home, and on his way
through the wood he heard and understood all that was
said by the birds, and by every living creature. When
he got back to his sheep he found the flock grazing peace-
fully, and as he was very tired he laid himself down by
them to rest a little. Hardly had he done so when two
ravens flew down and perched on a tree near by, and
began to talk to each other in their own language: * If
that shepherd only knew that there is a vault full of gold
and silver beneath where that lamb is lying, what would
he not do ? ' When the shepherd heard these words he
went straight to his master and told him, and the master
at once took a w^aggon, and broke open the door of the
vault, and they carried off the treasure. But instead of
keeping it for himself, the master, who w^as an honour-
able man, gave it all up to the shepherd, saying : * Take
it, it is yours. The gods have given it to you.' So
the shepherd took the treasure and built himself a
house. He married a wife, and they lived in great peace
and happiness, and he was acknowledged to be the
richest man, not only of his native village, but of all the
country-side. He had flocks of sheep, and cattle, and
horses without end, as well as beautiful clothes and
jewels.

One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife :
' Prepare everything for a great feast, to-morrow we wdll
take things w4th us to the farm that the shepherds there
may make merry.' The wife obeyed, and all was prepared
as he desired. Next day they both went to the farm, and
in the evening the master said to the shepherds : ' Now
come, all of you, eat, drink, and make merry. I will watch
the flocks myself to-night in your stead.' Then he went
out to spend the night with the flocks.

When midnight struck the wolves howled and the

60 THE LANGUAGE OF BEASTS

dogs barked, and the wolves spoke in their own tongue,
saying :

* Shall w^e come in and work havoc, and you too shall
eat flesh ? ' And the dogs answered in their tongue :
* Come in, and for once we shall have enough to eat.'

Now amongst the dogs there was one so old that he
had only two teeth left in his head, and he spoke to the
wolves, saying : ' So long as I have my two teeth still in
my head, I will let no harm be done to my master.'

All this the master heard and understood, and as soon
as morning dawned he ordered all the dogs to be killed
excepting the old dog. The farm servants wondered at
this order, and exclaimed : ' But surely, sir, that would
be a pity ? '

The master answered : ' Do as I bid you ' ; and made
ready to return home with his wife, and they mounted
their horses, her steed being a mare. As they went on
their way, it happened that the husband rode on ahead,
while the wife was a little way behind. The husband's
horse, seeing this, neighed, and said to the mare : ' Come
along, make haste ; why are you so slow ? ' And the mare
answered : ' It is very easy for you, you carry only your
master, who is a thin man, but I carry my mistress, who
is so fat that she weighs as much as three.' When the
husband heard that he looked back and laughed, which
the wife perceiving, she urged on the mare till she caught
up with her husband, and asked him why he laughed.
'For nothing at all,' he answered; 'just because it came
into my head.' She would not be satisfied with this
answer, and urged him more and more to tell her why he
had laughed. But he controlled himself and said : ' Let
me be, wife ; what ails you ? I do not know myself why
I laughed.' But the more he put her off, the more she
tormented him to tell her the cause of his laughter. At
length he said to her : ' Know, then, that if I tell it you I
shall immediately and surely die.' But even this did not
quiet her ; she only besought him the more to tell her.

THE LAN (iU AGE OF BEASTS 61

Meanwhile they had reached home, and before getting
down from his horse the man called for a coffin to be
brought ; and when it was there he placed it in front of
the house, and said to his wife :

' See, I will lay myself down in this cof!in, and will
then tell you why I laughed, for as soon as I have told
you I shall surely die.' So he lay down in the coffin,
and while he took a last look around him, his old dog
came out from the farm and sat down by him, and
whined. When the master saw this, he called to his
wife : ' Bring a piece of bread to give to the dog,' The
wife brought some bread and threw it to the dog, but he
would not look at it. Then the farm cock came and
pecked at the bread ; but the dog said to it : * Wretched
glutton, you can eat like that when you see that your master
is dying ? ' The cock answered : ' Let him die, if he is
so stupid. I have a hundred wives, which I call together
when I find a grain of corn, and as soon as they are
there I swallow it myself ; should one of them dare to be
angry, I would give her a lesson with my beak. He has
only one wife, and he cannot keep her in order.'

As soon as the man understood this, he got up out of
the coffin, seized a stick, and called his wife into the
room, saying : * Come, and I will tell you what you so much
want to know ' ; and then he began to beat her with the
stick, saying with each blow : ' It is that, wife, it is that ! '
And in this way he taught her never again to ask why
he had laughed.

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET

Once upon a time there lived a poor widow who had one
Httle boy. At first sight you would not have thought that
he was different from a thousand other little boys ; but
then you noticed that by his side hung the scabbard of a
sword, and as the boy grew bigger the scabbard grew
bigger too. The sword w^hich belonged to the scabbard
was found by the little boy sticking out of the ground in
the garden, and every day he pulled it up to see if it
w^ould go into the scabbard. But though it was plainly
becoming longer and longer, it was some time before the
two would fit.

However, there came a day at last when it slipped in
quite easily. The child was so delighted that he could
hardly believe his eyes, so he tried it seven times, and
each time it slipped in more easily than before. But
pleased though the boy was, he determined not to tell
anyone about it, particularly not his mother, who never
could keep anything from her neighbours.

Still, in spite of his resolutions, he could not hide
altogether that something had happened, and when he
went in to breakfast his mother asked him what was the
matter.

' Oh, mother, I had such a nice dream last night,'
said he ; ' but I can't tell it to anybody.'

' You can tell it to me,' she answered. ' It must have
been a nice dream, or you wouldn't look so happy.'

* No, mother ; I can't tell it to anybody,' returned the
boy, ' till it comes true.'

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECRET 63

' I want to know what it was, and know it I will,'
cried she, ' and I will beat you till you tell me.'

But it was no use, neither w^ords nor blows would get
the secret out of the boy ; and when her arm was quite
tired and she had to leave off, the child, sore and aching,
ran into the garden and knelt weeping beside his Httle
sword. It was working round and round in its hole all
by itself, and if anyone except the boy had tried to catch
hold of it, he would have been badly cut. But the
moment he stretched out his hand it stopped and slid
quietly into the scabbard.

For a long time the child sat sobbing, and the noise
was heard by the king as he was driving by. ' Go and see
who it is that is crying so,' said he to one of his servants,
and the man went. In a few minutes he returned saying :
' Your Majesty, it is a little boy who is kneeling there
sobbing because his mother has beaten him.'

* Bring him to me at once,' commanded the monarch,
' and tell him that it is the king who sends for him, and
that he has never cried in all his life and cannot bear
anyone else to do so.' On receiving this message the boy
dried his tears and went with the servant to the royal
carriage. ' Will you be my son ? ' asked the king.

* Yes, if my mother will let me,' answered the boy.
And the king bade the servant go back to the mother and
say that if she would give her boy to him, he should live
in the palace and marry his prettiest daughter as soon as
he was a man.

The widow's anger now turned into joy, and she came
running to the splendid coach and kissed the king's
hand. * I hope you will be more obedient to his Majesty
than you were to me,' she said ; and the boy shrank away
half -frightened. But when she had gone back to her
cottage, he asked the king if he might fetch something
that he had left in the garden, and when he was given
permission, he pulled up his little sword, which he slid
into the scabbard.

64 THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECRET

Then he climbed into the coach and was driven away.

After they had gone some distance the king said :
* Why were you crying so bitterly in the garden just
now?'

* Because my mother had been beating me,' replied
the boy.

' And what did she do that for ? ' asked the king
again.

' Because I would not tell her my dream.'

* And why wouldn't you tell it to her ? '

' Because I will never tell it to anyone till it comes
true,' answered the boy.

' And won't you tell it to me either ? ' asked the king
in surprise.

' No, not even to you, your Majesty,' replied he.

* Oh, I am sure you will when we get home,' said the
king smiling, and he talked to him about other things till
they came to the palace.

' I have brought you such a nice present,' he said to
his daughters, and as the boy was very pretty they were
delighted to have him and gave him all their best toys.

'You must not spoil him,' observed the king one day,
when he had been watching them playing together. He
has a secret which he won't tell to anyone.'

* He will tell me,' answered the eldest princess ; but
the boy only shook his head.

' He will tell me,' said the second girl. ^

' Not I,' replied the boy.

*He will tell me,' cried the youngest, who was the
prettiest too.

' I will tell nobody till it comes true,' said the boy, as
he had said before ; ' and I will beat anybody who asks
me.'

The king was very sorry when he heard this, for he
loved the boy dearly ; but he thought it would never do to
keep anyone near him who would not do as he was bid.
So he commanded his servants to take him away, and not

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECRET 65

to let him enter the palace again until he had come to his
right senses.

The sword clanked loudly as the boy was led away,
but the child said nothing, though he was very unhappy
at being treated so badly w^hen he had done nothing.
However, the servants were very kind to him, and their
children brought him fruit and all sorts of nice things,
and he soon grew merry again, and lived amongst them
for many years till his seventeenth birthday.

Meanwhile the two eldest princesses had become
women, and had married two powerful kings who ruled
over great countries across the sea. The youngest one
w^as old enough to be married too, but she was very
particular, and turned up her nose at all the young princes
who had sought her hand.

One day she was sitting in the palace feeling rather
dull and lonely, and suddenly she began to wonder what
the servants were doing, and whether it was not more
amusing down in their quarters. The king was at his
council and the queen was ill in bed, so there was no one
to stop the princess, and she hastily ran across the
gardens to the houses w^here the servants lived. Outside
she noticed a youth who w^as handsomer than any prince
she had ever seen, and in a moment she knew him to be
the litcle boy she had once played with.

' Tell me your secret and I will marry you,' she said
to him ; \^t the boy only gave her the beating he had
promised her long ago, when she asked him the same
question. The girl was very angry, besides being hurt,
and ran home to complain to her father.

* If he had a thousand souls, I would kill them all,'
Swore the king.

That very day a gallow^s was built outside the town,
and all the people crowded round to see the execution of
the young man who had dared to beat the king's daughter.
The prisoner, with his hands tied behind his back, was
brought out by the hangman, and amidst dead silence his

C. F

66 THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET

sentence was being read by the judge when suddenly the
sword clanked against his side. Instantly a great noise
was heard and a golden coach rumbled over the stones,
with a white flag waving out of the window. It stopped
underneath the gallows, and from it stepped the . king of
the Magyars, who begged that the life of the boy might be
spared.

' Sir, he has beaten my daughter, who only asked
him to tell her his secret. I cannot pardon that,' answered
the princess's father.

' Give him to me, I'm sure he will tell me the secret ;
or, if not, I have a daughter who is like the Morning Star,
and he is sure to tell it to her.'

The sword clanked for the third time, and the king
said angrily : * Well, if you want him so much you can
have him ; only never let me see his face again.' And he
made a sign to the hangman. The bandage was removed
from the young man's eyes, and the cords from his wrists,
and he took his seat in the golden coach beside the king
of the Magyars. Then the coachman whipped up his
horses, and they set out for Buda.

The king talked very pleasantly for a few miles, and
when he thought that his new companion was quite at
ease with him, he asked him what was the secret which
had brought him into such trouble. ' That I cannot tell
you,' answered the youth, ' until it comes true.'

' You will tell my daughter,' said the king, smiling.

' I will tell nobody,' replied the youth, and as he spoke
the sword clanked loudly. The king said no more, but
trusted to his daughter's beauty to get the secret from him.

The journey to Buda was long, and it was several
days before they arrived there. The beautiful princess
happened to be picking roses in the garden, when her
father's coach drove up.

' Oh, what a handsome youth ! Have you brought
him from fairyland ? ' cried she, when they all stood upon
the marble steps in front of the castle.

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET 69

' I have brought him from the gallows,' answered the
king ; rather vexed at his daughter's words, as never
before had she consented to speak to any man.

' I don't care where you brought him from,' said the
spoilt girl. ' I will marry him and nobody else, and we
will live together till we die.'

' You will tell another tale,' replied the king, ' when
you ask him his secret. After all he is no better than a
servant.'

* That is nothing to me,' said the princess, ' for I love
him. He will tell his secret to me, and will find a place
in the middle of my heart.'

But the king shook his head, and gave orders that the
lad was to be lodged in the summer-house.

One day, about a week later, the princess put on her
finest dress, and went to pay him a visit. She looked so
beautiful that, at the sight of her, the book dropped from
his hand, and he stood up speechless. ' Tell me,' she
said, coaxingly, ' what is this wonderful secret ? Just
whisper it in my ear, and I will give you a kiss.'

* My angel,' he answ^ered, ' be wise, and ask no
questions, if you w^ish to get safely back to your father's
palace ; I have kept my secret all these years, and do not
mean to tell it now.'

However, the girl would not listen, and went on
pressing him, till at last he slapped her face so hard that
her nose bled. She shrieked with pain and rage, and
ran screaming back to the palace, where her father was
waiting to hear if she had succeeded. * I will starve you
to death, you son of a dragon,' cried he, when he saw her
dress streaming with blood ; and he ordered all the masons
and bricklayers in the town to come before him.

* Build me a tower as fast as you can,' he said, ' and
see that there is room for a stool and a small table, and
for nothing else. The men set to work, and in two hours
the tower was built, and they proceeded to the palace to
inform the king that his commands were fulfilled. On

70 THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET

the way they met the princess, who began to talk to one
of the masons, and when the rest were out of hearing she
asked if he could manage to make a hole in the tower,
which nobody could see, large enough for a bottle of wine
and some food to pass through.

' To be sure I can,' said the mason, turning back, and
in a few minutes the hole was bored.

At sunset a large crowd assembled to watch the youth
being led to the tower, and after his misdeeds had been
proclaimed he was solemnly walled up. But eveiy
morning the princess passed him in food through the
hole, and every third day the king sent his secretary to
climb up a ladder and look down through a little window
to see if he was dead. But the secretary always brought
back the report that he was fat and rosy.

' There is some magic about this,' said the king.

This state of affairs lasted some time, till one day a
messenger arrived from the Sultan bearing a letter for the
king, and also three canes. * My master bids me say,' said
the messenger, bowing low, ' that if you cannot tell him
which of these three canes grows nearest the root, which
in the middle, and which at the top, he will declare war
against you.'

The king was very much frightened when he heard
this, and though he took the canes and examined them
closely, he could see no difference between them. He
looked so sad that his daughter noticed it, and inquired
the reason.

* Alas ! my daughter,' he answered, * how can I help
being sad ? The Sultan has sent me three canes, and
says that if I cannot tell him which of them grows near
the root, which in the middle, and which at the top, he
will make war upon me. And you know that his army is
far greater than mine.'

* Oh, do not despair, my father,' said she. ' We shall
be sure to find out the answer ' ; and she ran away to the
tower, and told the young man what had occurred.

THE PRINCESS FEEDS THE BOY

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET 73

' Go to bed as usual,' replied he, * and when you wake,
tell your father that you have dreamed that the canes
must be placed in warm w^ater. After a little while one
will sink to the bottom ; that is the one that grows nearest
the root. The one which neither sinks nor comes to the
surface is the cane that is cut from the middle ; and the
one that floats is from the top.'

So, the next morning, the princess told her father of
her dream, and by her advice he cut notches in each of
the canes when he took them out of the water, so that he
might make no mistake when he handed them back to
the messenger. The Sultan could not imagine how he
had found out, but he did not declare war.

The following year the Sultan again wanted to pick a
quarrel with the king of the Magyars, so he sent another
messenger to him with three foals, begging him to say
which of the animals was born in the morning, which at
noon, and which in the evening. If an answer was not
ready in three days, war would be declared at once. The
king's heart sank when he read the letter. He could not
expect his daughter to be lucky enough to dream rightly
a second tim'e, and as a plague had been raging through
the country, and had carried off many of his soldiers, his
army was even weaker than before. At this thought his
face became so gloomy that his daughter noticed it, and
inquired what was the matter.

* I have had another letter from the Sultan,' replied
the king, ' and he says that if I cannot tell him which of
three foals was born in the morning, which at noon, and
which in the evening, he wdll declare war at once.'

' Oh, don't be cast down,' said she, ' something is sure
to happen ' ; and she ran down to the tower to consult the
youth.

' Go home, idol of my heart, and when night comes,
pretend to scream out in your sleep, so that your father
hears you. Then tell him that you have dreamt that he
was just being carried off by the Turks because he could

74 THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET

not answer the question about the foals, when the lad
whom he had shut up in the tower ran up and told them
which was foaled in the morning, which at noon, and
which in the evening.'

So the princess did exactly as the youth had bidden
her ; and no sooner had she spoken than the king ordered
the tower to be pulled down, and the prisoner brought
before him.

' I did not think that you could have lived so long
without food,' said he, ' and as you have had plenty of
time to repent your wicked conduct, I will grant you
pardon, on condition that you help me in a sore strait.
Eead this letter from the Sultan ; you will see that if I
fail to answer his question about the foals, a dreadful war
will be the result.'

The youth took the letter and read it through. ' Yes,
I can help you,' replied he ; ' but first you must bring me
three troughs, all exactly alike. Into one you must put
oats, into another wheat, and into the third barley. The
foal which eats the oats is that which was foaled in the
morning ; the foal which eats the wheat is that which
was foaled at noon ; and the foal which eats the barley is
that which was foaled at night.' The king followed the
youth's directions, and, marking the foals, sent them back
to Turkey, and there was no war that year.

Now the Sultan was very angry that both his plots to
get possession of Hungary had been such total failures,
and he sent for his aunt, who w^as a witch, to consult her
as to what he should do next.

' It is not the king who has answ^ered your questions,'
observed the aunt, when he had told his story. ' He is
far too stupid ever to have done that ! The person who
has found out the puzzle is the son of a poor woman,
who, if he lives, will become King of Hungary. Therefore,
if you want the crown yourself, you must get him here
and kill him.'

After this conversation another letter w^as written to

THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SEGBET 75

the Court of Hungary, saying that if the youth, now in the
palace, was not sent to Turkey within three days, a large
army would cross the border. The king's heart was
sorrowful as he read, for he was grateful to the lad for
what he had done to help him ; but the boy only laughed,
and bade the king fear nothing, but to search the town
instantly for two youths just like each other, and he
would paint himself a mask that was just like them. And
the sword at his side clanked loudly.

After a long search twin brothers were found, so
exactly resembling each other that even their own mother
could not tell the dif!erence. The youth painted a mask
that was the precise copy of them, and when he had put
it on, no one would have known one boy from the other.
They set out at once for the Sultan's palace, and when
they reached- it, they were taken straight into his
presence. He made a sign for them to come near; they
all bowed low in greeting. He asked them about their
journey ; they answered his questions all together, and in
the same words. If one sat down to supper, the others
sat down at the same instant. When one got up, the
others got up too, as if there had been only one body
between them. The Sultan could not detect any
difference between them, and he told his aunt that he
would not be so cruel as to kill all three.

' Well, you will see a difference to-morrow,' replied
the witch, ' for one will have a cut on his sleeve. That
is the youth you must kill.' And one hour before mid-
night, when witches are invisible, she glided into the
room where all three lads were sleeping in the same bed.
She took out a pair of scissors and cut a small piece out
of the boy's coat-sleeve which was hanging on the wall,
and then crept silently from the room. But in the
morning the youth saw the slit, and he marked the
sleeves of his two companions in the same way, and all
three went down to breakfast with the Sultan. The old
witch was standing in the window and pretended not to

76 THE BOY WHO COULD KEEP A SECBET

see them ; but all witches have eyes in the backs of their
heads, and she knew at once that not one sleeve but
three w^ere cut, and they were all as alike as before. After
breakfast, the Sultan, who was getting tired of the whole
affair and w^anted to be alone to invent some other plan,
told them they might return home. So, bowling low with
one accord, they went.

The princess welcomed the boy back joyfully, but the
poor youth was not allowed to rest long in peace, for one
day a fresh letter arrived from the Sultan, saying that he
had discovered that the young man was a very dangerous
person, and that he must be sent to Turkey at once, and
alone. The girl burst into tears when the boy told her
what w^as in the letter which her father had bade her to
carry to him. * Do not weep, love of my heart,' said the
boy, ' all will be well. I will start at sunrise to-morrow.'

So next morning at sunrise the youth set forth, and
in a few days he reached the Sultan's palace. The old
watch was waiting for him at the gate, and whispered
as he passed : ' This is the last time you will ever enter it.'
But the sword clanked, and the lad did not even look at
her. As he crossed the threshold fifteen armed Turks
barred his w^ay, with the Sultan at their head. Instantly
the sword darted forth and cut off the heads of everyone
but the Sultan, and then went quietly back to its
scabbard. The witch, who was looking on, saw that as
long as the youth had possession of the sword, all her
schemes would be in vain, and tried to steal the sword in
the night, but it only jumped out of its scabbard and
sliced off her nose, which was of iron. And in the morn-
ing, when the Sultan brought a great army to capture the
lad and deprive him of his sword, they were all cut to
pieces, while he remained without a scratch.

Meanwhile the princess w^as in despair because the
days slipped by, and the young man did not return, and
she never rested until her father let her lead some troops
against the Sultan. She rode proudly before them, dressed

THE B(W WHO COULD KEEP A SECJRET 79

in uniform ; but tliey had not left the town more than a
mile behind them, when they met the lad and his little
sword. When he told them w^iat he had done they
shouted for joy, and carried him back in triumph to the
palace ; and the king declared that as the youth had
shown himself worthy to become his son-in-law, he
should marry the princess and succeed to the throne at
once, as he himself was getting old, and the cares of
government were too much for him. But the young man
said he must first go and see his mother, and the king sent
him in state, with a troop of soldiers as his bodyguard.

The old woman was quite frightened at seeing such
an array draw up before her little house, and still more
surprised when a handsome young man, whom she did
not know, dismounted and kissed her hand, saying : * Now,
dear mother, you shall hear my secret at last ! I dreamed
that I should become King of Hungary, and my dream
has come true. When I was a child, and you begged me
to tell you, I had to keep silence, or the Magyar king
would have killed me. And if you had not beaten me
nothing would have happened that has happened, and I
should not now be King of Hungary.'

[From the Folk Tales of the Magiars.]

THE PBINCE AND THE DBAGON

Once upon a time there lived an emperor who had three
sons. They were all fine young men, and fond of hunt-
ing, and scarcely a day passed without one or other of
them going out to look for game.

One morning the eldest of the three princes mounted
his horse and set out for a neighbouring forest, where
wild animals of all sorts were to be found. He had
not long left the castle, when a hare sprang out of a
thicket and dashed across the road in front. The young
man gave chase at once, and pursued it over hill and
dale, till at last the hare took refuge in a mill which was
standing by the side of a river. The prince follow^ed and
entered the mill, but stopped in terror by the door, for,
instead of a hare, before him stood a dragon, breathing
fire and flame. At this fearful sight the prince turned to
fly, but a fiery tongue coiled round his waist, and drew
him into the dragon's mouth, and he w^as seen no more.

A week passed away, and w^hen the prince never came
back everyone in the town began to grow uneasy. At
last his next brother told the emperor that he likewise
would go out to hunt, and that perhaps he would find
some clue as to his brother's disappearance. But hardly
had the castle gates closed on the prince than the hare
sprang out of the bushes as before, and led the huntsman up
hill and down dale, till they reached the mill. Into this
the hare flew with the prince at his heels, w^hen, lo ! instead
of the hare, there stood a dragon breathing fire and flame ;
and out shot a fiery tongue which coiled round the prince's

THE PBINCE AND THE DRAGON 83

waist, and lifted him straight into the dragon's mouth,
and he was seen no more.

Days went by, and the emperor waited and waited for
the sons who never came, and could not sleep at night for
wondering where they were and what had become of them.
His youngest son wished to go in search of his brothers,
but for long the emperor refused to listen to him, lest
he should lose him also. But the prince prayed so hard
for leave to make the search, and promised so often that
he would be very cautious and careful, that at length the
emperor gave him permission, and ordered the best horse
in the stables to be saddled for him.

Full of hope the young prince started on his way, but
no sooner was he outside the city walls than a hare sprang
out of the bushes and ran before him, till they reached
the mill. As before, the animal dashed in through the
open door, but this time he was not followed by the
prince. ^Viser than his brothers, the young man turned
away, saying to himself : ' There are as good hares in the
forest as any that have come out of it, and when I have
caught them, I can come back and look for you,'

For many hours he rode up and down the mountain,
but saw nothing, and at last, tired of waiting, he went back
to the mill. Here he found an old woman sitting, whom
he greeted pleasantly.

' Good morning to you, little mother,' he said ; and the
old woman answered : ' Good morning, my son.'

' Tell me, little mother,' went on the prince, ' where
shall I find my hare ? '

' My son,' replied the old woman, ' that was no hare,
but a dragon who has led many men hither, and then has
eaten them all.' At these words the prince's heart grew
heavy, and he cried, * Then my brothers must have come
here, and have been eaten by the dragon ! '

* You have guessed right,' answered the old woman ;
' and I can give you no better counsel than to go home
at once, before the same fate overtakes you.'

84 THE PBINCE AND THE DRAGON

' Will you not come with me out of this dreadful
place ? ' said the young man.

' He took me prisoner, too,' answered she, ' and I
cannot shake off his chains.'

' Then listen to me,' cried the prince. ' When the
dragon comes back, ask him where he always goes when
he leaves here, and what makes him so strong ; and when
you have coaxed the secret from him, tell me the next
time I come.'

So the prince went home, and the old woman re-
mained in the mill, and as soon as the dragon returned
she said to him :

' Where have you been all this time — you must have
travelled far ? '

' Yes, little mother, I have indeed travelled far,'
answered he. Then the old woman began to flatter him,
and to praise his cleverness ; and when she thought she
had got him into a good temper, she said : ' I have
wondered so often where you get your strength from ; I
do wish you would tell me. I would stoop and kiss the
place out of pure love ! ' The dragon laughed at this, and
answered :

' In the hearthstone yonder lies the secret of my
strength.'

Then the old woman jumped up and kissed the hearth ;
whereat the dragon laughed the more, and said :

' You foolish creature ! I was only jesting. It is not in
the hearthstone, but in that tall tree that lies the secret
of my strength.' Then the old woman jumped up again
and put her arms round the tree, and kissed it heartily.
Loudly laughed the dragon when he saw what she was
doing.

* Old fool,' he cried, as soon as he could speak, ' did
you really believe that my strength came from that tree ? '

'Where is it then?' asked the old woman, rather
crossly, for she did not like being made fun of.

' My strength,' replied the dragon, ' lies far away ;

THE PBINCE AND THE DBAGON 85

so far that you could never reach it. Far, far from here
is a kingdom, and by its capital city is a lake, and in the
lake is a dragon, and inside the dragon is a wild boar, and
inside the wild boar is a pigeon, and inside the pigeon a
sparrow, and inside the sparrow is my strength.' And
when the old woman heard this, she thought it was no
use flattering him any longer, for never, never, could she
take his strength from him.

The following morning, when the dragon had left the
mill, the prince came back, and the old woman told him
all that the creature had said. He listened in silence, and
then returned to the castle, where he put on a suit of
shepherd's clothes, and taking a staff in his hand, he went
forth to seek a place as tender of sheep.

For some time he wandered from village to village
and from town to town, till he came at length to a large
city in a distant kingdom, surrounded on three sides by a
great lake, which happened to be the very lake in which
the dragon lived. As was his custom, he stopped every-
body whom he met in the streets that looked likely to
want a shepherd and begged them to engage him, but
they all seemed to have shepherds of their own, or else
not to need any. The prince was beginning to lose
heart, when a man who had overheard his question
turned round and said that he had better go and ask the
emperor, as he was in search of some one to see after his
flocks.

' Will you take care of my sheep ? ' said the emperor,
when the young man knelt before him.

' Most willingly, your Majesty,' answered the young
man, and he listened obediently while the emperor told
him what he was to do.

' Outside the city walls,' went on the emperor, ' you
will find a large lake, and by its banks lie the richest
meadows in my kingdom. When you are leading out
your flocks to pasture, they will all run straight to these
meadows, and none that have gone there have ever been

86 THE PBINCE AND THE DRAGON

known to come back. Take heed, therefore, my son, not
to suffer your sheep to go where they will, but drive them
to any spot that you think best.'

With a low bow the prince thanked the emperor for
his w^arning, and promised to do his best to keep the
sheep safe. Then he left the palace and went to the
market-place, where he bought two greyhounds, a hawk,
and a set of pipes ; after that he took the sheep out to
pasture. The instant the animals caught sight of the
lake lying before them, they trotted off as fast as their
legs would go to the green meadows lying round it. The
prince did not try to stop them ; he only placed his hawk
on the branch of a tree, laid his pipes on the grass, and
bade the greyhounds sit still ; then, rolling up his sleeves
and trousers, he waded into the water crying as he did so :
' Dragon ! dragon ! if you are not a coward, come out and
fight with me ! ' And a voice answered from the depths
of the lake :

* I am waiting for you, O prince ' ; and the next minute
the dragon reared himself out of the water, huge and
horrible to see. The prince sprang upon him and they
grappled with each other and fought together till the sun
was high, and it was noonday. Then the dragon gasped :

* O prince, let me dip my burning head once into the
lake, and I will hurl you up to the top of the sky.' But
the prince answered, * Oh, ho ! my good dragon, do not
crow too soon ! If the emperor's daughter were only here,
and would kiss me on the forehead, I would throw you
up higher still ! ' And suddenly the dragon's hold
loosened, and he fell back into the lake.

As soon as it was evening, the prince washed away
all signs of the fight, took his hawk upon his shoulder,
and his pipes under his arm, and with his greyhounds in
front and his flock following after him he set out for the
city. As they all passed through the streets the people
stared in wonder, for never before had any flock returned
from the lake.

THE PIUNCE AND THE DBAGON 87

The next morning he rose early, and led his sheep
down the road to the lake. This time, however, the
emperor sent two men on horseback to ride behind him,
with orders to watch the prince all day long. The
horsemen kept the prince and his sheep in sight, without
being seen themselves. As soon as they beheld the sheep
running towards the meadows, they turned aside up a
steep hill, which overhung the lake. When the shepherd
reached the place he laid, as before, his pipes on the grass
and bade the greyhounds sit beside them, while the hawk
he perched on the branch of the tree. Then he rolled up
his trousers and his sleeves, and waded into the w^ater
crying :

' Dragon ! dragon ! if you are not a coward, come out
and fight with me ! ' And the dragon answered :

* I am waiting for you, O prince,' and the next minute
he reared himself out of the w^ater, huge and horrible to
see. Again they clasped each other tight round the body
and fought till it was noon, and when the sun was at its
hottest, the dragon gasped :

* O prince, let me dip my burning head once in the
lake, and I will hurl you up to the top of the sky.' But
the prince answered :

' Oh, ho ! my good dragon, do not crow too soon !
If the emperor's daughter were only here, and would
kiss me on the forehead, I would throw you up higher
still ! ' And suddenly the dragon's hold loosened, and he
fell back into the lake.

As soon as it was evening the prince again collected
his sheep, and playing on his pipes he marched before
them into the city. When he passed through the gates
all the people came out of their houses to stare in wonder,
for never before had any flock returned from the lake.

Meanwhile the two horsemen had ridden quickly
back, and told the emperor all that they had seen and
heard. The emperor listened eagerly to their tale, then
called his daughter to him and repeated it to her.

88 THE PBINCE AND THE DBAGON

' To-moiTo\v,' he said, when he had finished, ' you shall
go with the shepherd to the lake, and then you shall kiss
him on the forehead as he wishes.'

But when the princess heard these words, she burst
into tears, and sobbed out :

* Will you really send me, your only child, to that
dreadful place, from which most likely I shall never come
back ? '

' Fear nothing, my little daughter, all will be well.
Many shepherds have gone to that lake and none have
ever returned ; but this one has in these two days fought
twice with the dragon and has escaped without a wound.
So I hope to-morrow he will kill the dragon altogether,
and deliver this land from the monster who has slain
so many of our bravest men.'

Scarcely had the sun begun to peep over the hills
next morning, when the princess stood by the shepherd's
side, ready to go to the lake. The shepherd was brim-
ming over with joy, but the princess only wept bitterly.
* Dry your tears, I implore you,' said he. ' If you will
just do what I ask you, and when the time comes, run
and kiss my forehead, you have nothing to fear.'

Merrily the shepherd blew on his pipes as he marched
at the head of his flock, only stopping every now and
then to say to the weeping girl at his side :

' Do not cry so, Heart of Gold ; trust me and fear
nothing.' And so they reached the lake.

In an instant the sheep were scattered all over the
meadows, and the prince placed his hawk on the tree,
and his pipes on the grass, while he bade his greyhounds
lie*beside them. Then he rolled up his trousers and his
sleeves, and waded into the water, calling :

' Dragon ! dragon ! if you are not a coward, come
forth, and let us have one more fight together.' And the
dragon answered : ' I am waiting for you, O prince ' ;
and the next minute he reared himself out of the water,
huo-e and horrible to see. Swiftlv he drew near to the

tTHEiCrSS TtiKT CAVE THE VICTO^fl

THE PBINCE AND THE DRAGON 91

bank, and the prince sprang to meet him, and they grasped
each other round the body and fought till it was noon.
And when the sun was at its hottest, the dragon cried :

' O prince, let me dip my burning head in the lake,
and I Vvdll hurl you to the top of the sky.' But the
prince answered :

' Oh, ho ! my good dragon, do not crow too soon ! If
the emperor's daughter were only here, and she would
kiss my forehead, I would throw you higher still.'

Hardly had he spoken, when the princess, who had
been listening, ran up and kissed him on the forehead.
Then the prince swung the dragon straight up into the
clouds, and when he touched the earth again, he broke
into a thousand pieces. Out of the pieces there sprang
a wild boar and galloped away, but the prince called
his hounds to give chase, and they caught the boar
and tore it to bits. Out of the pieces there sprang a
hare, and in a moment the greyhounds were after it, and
they caught it and killed it ; and out of the hare there
came a pigeon. Quickly the prince let loose his hawk,
which soared straight into the air, then swooped upon the
bird and brought it to his master. The prince cut open
its body and found the sparrow inside, as the old woman
had said.

' Now,' cried the prince, holding the sparrow in his hand,
* now you shall tell me where I can find my brothers.'

* Do not hurt me,' answered the sparrow, ' and I will
tell you with all my heart.' Behind your father's castle
stands a mill, and in the mill are three slender twigs.
Cut off these twigs and strike their roots with them, and
the iron door of a cellar will open. In the cellar you will
find as many people, young and old, women and children,
as would fill a kingdom, and among them are your
brothers.'

By this time twilight had fallen, so the prince washed
himself in the lake, took the hawk on his shoulder and
the pipes under his arm, and with his greyhounds before

92 THE PBINCE AND THE DBAGON

him and his flock behind him, marched gaily into the
town, the princess following them all, still trembling with
friglit. And so they passed through the streets, thronged
with a wondering crowd, till they reached the castle.

Unknown to anyone, the emperor had stolen out on
horseback, and had hidden himself on the hill, where he
could see all that happened. When all w^as over, and the
power of the dragon was broken for ever, he rode quickly
back to the castle, and w^as ready to receive the prince
with open arms, and to promise him his daughter to wife.
The wedding took place w4th great splendour, and for a
wliole week the town w^as hung with coloured lamps, and
tables were spread in the hall of the castle for all who
chose to come and eat. x\nd when the feast was over,
the prince told the emperor and the people who he really
was, and at this everyone rejoiced still more, and prepara-
tions were made for the prince and princess to return to
their own kingdom, for the prince was impatient to set
free his brothers.

The first thing he did when he reached his native
country was to hasten to the mill, where he found the three
twigs as the sparrow had told him. The moment that he
struck the root the iron door flew open, and from the
cellar a countless multitude of men and women streamed
forth. He bade them go one by one wheresoever they
would, w^hile he himself waited by the door till his brothers
passed through. How delighted they w^ere to meet again,
and to hear all that the prince had done to deliver them
from their enchantment. And they went home with him
and served him all the days of their lives, for they said
that he only who had proved himself l)rave and faithful
was fit to be king

[From Volksmurchen der Serben.l

LITTLE WILDBOSE

Once upon a time the things in this story happened, and
if they had not happened then the story would never
have been told. But that was the time when wolves and
lambs lay peacefully together in one stall, and shepherds
dined on grassy banks with kings and queens.

Once upon a time, then, my dear good children, there
lived a man. Now this man was really a hundred years
old, if not fully twenty years more. And his wife was
very old too — how old I do not know ; but some said she
was as old as the goddess Yenus herself. They had been
very happy all these years, but they would have been
happier still if they had had any children ; but old though
they were they had never made up their minds to do
without them, and often they would sit over the fire and
talk of how they would have brought up their children if
only some had come to their house.

One day the old man seemed sadder and more
thoughtful than was common with him, and at last he
said to his wife : ' Listen to me, old woman ! '

' What do you want ? ' asked she.

* Get me some money out of the chest, for I am going
a long journey — all through the world — to see if I cannot
find a child, for my heart aches to think that after I am
dead my house will fall into the hands of a stranger. And
this let me tell you : that if I never find a child I shall
not come home again.'

Then the old man took a bag and filled it with food
and money, and throwing it over his shoulders, bade his
wife farewell.

94 LITTLE WILDBOSE

For long he wandered, and wandered, and wandered,
but no child did he see ; and one morning his wanderings
led him to a forest which was so thick with trees that no
light could pass through the branches. The old man
stopped when he saw this dreadful place, and at first was
afraid to go in ; but he remembered that, after all, as the
proverb says : * It is the unexpected that happens,' and
perhaps in the midst of this black spot he might find the
child he was seeking. So summoning up all his courage
he plunged boldly in.

How long he might have been walking there he
never could have told you, when at last he reached the
mouth of a cave where the darkness seemed a hundred
times darker than the wood itself. Again he paused, but
he felt as if something was driving him to enter, and with
a beating heart he stepped in.

For some minutes the silence and darkness so appalled
him that he stood where he was, not daring to advance
one step. Then he made a great effort and went on a
few paces, and suddenly, far before him, he saw the
glimmer of a light. This put new heart into him, and he
directed his steps straight towards the faint rays, till he
could see, sitting by it, an old hermit, with a long white
beard.

The hermit either did not hear the approach of his
visitor, or pretended not to do so, for he took no notice,
and continued to read his book. After waiting patiently
for a little while, the old man fell on his knees, and said :
* Good morning, holy father ! ' But he might as well have
spoken to the rock. * Good morning, holy father,' he
said again, a little louder than before, and this time the
hermit made a sign to him to come nearer. * My son,'
whispered he, in a voice that echoed through the cavern,
' w^hat brings you to this dark and dismal place ? Hun-
dreds of years have passed since my eyes have rested on
the face of a man, and I did not think to look on one
again.'

LITTLE WILDBOSE 95

' My misery has brought me here,' replied the old
man ; ' I have no child, and all our lives my wife and I
have longed for one. So I left my home, and went out
into the world, hoping that somewhere I might find what
I w^as seeking.'

Then the hermit picked up an apple from the ground,
and gave it to him, saying : ' Eat half of this apple, and
give the rest to your wife, and cease wandering through
the world.'

The old man stooped and kissed the feet of the hermit
for sheer joy, and left the cave. He made his way through
the forest as fast as the darkness would let him, and at
length arrived in flowery fields, which dazzled him with
their brightness. Suddenly he was seized with a despe-
rate thirst, and a burning in his throat. Pie looked for
a stream but none was to be seen, and his tongue grew
more parched every moment. At length his eyes fell on
the apple, which all this while he had been holding in his
hand, and in his thirst he forgot what the hermit had
told him, and instead of eating merely his own half, he
ate up the old woman's also ; after that he w-ent to sleep.

When he woke up he saw something strange lying
on a bank a little way off, amidst long trails of pink
roses. The old man got up, rubbed his eyes, and went to
see what it was, when, to his surprise and joy, it proved
to be a little girl about two years old, with a skin as pink
and w^hite as the roses above her. He took her gently
in his arms, but she did not seem at all frightened, and
only jumped and crowed wdth dehght; and the old man
wrapped his cloak round her, and set off for home as fast
as his legs would carry him.

When they were close to the cottage w4iere they lived
he laid the child in a pail that w^as standing near the
door, and ran into the house, crying : Come quickly, wife,
quickly, for I have brought you a daughter, with hair of
gold and eyes like stars ! '

At this wonderful new^s the old woman flew downstairs,

96 LITTLE WTLLEOSE

almost tumbling down in her eagerness to see the treasure ;
but when her husband led her to the pail it was perfectly
empty ! The old man was nearly beside himself with
horror, w^hile his wife sat down and sobbed with grief and
disappointment. There was not a spot round about which
they did not search, thinking that somehow the child
might have g6t out of the pail and hidden itself for fun ;
but the little girl was not there, and there was no sign of
her.

* Where can she be ? ' moaned the old man, in despair.
* Oh, why did I ever leave her, even for a moment ?
Have the fairies taken her, or has some wild beast carried
her off? ' And they began their search all over again ; but
neither fairies nor wild beasts did they meet with, and
with sore hearts they gave it up at last and turned sadly
into the hut.

And w^hat had become of the bal)y? Well, finding
herself left alone in a strange place she began to cry with
fright, and an eagk hovering near, heard her, and went to
see what the sound came from. When he beheld the fat
pink and white creature he thought of his hungry little
ones at home, and swooping down he caught her up in
his claws and was soon flying with her over the tops of
the trees. In a few minutes he reached the one in w^hich
he had built his nest, and laying little Wildrose (for so the
old man had called her) among his downy young eaglets,
he flew away. The eaglets naturally were rather sur-
prised at this strange animal, so suddenly popped down
in their midst, but instead of beginning to eat her, as their
father expected, they nestled up close to her and spread
out their tiny wings to shield her from the sun.

Now, in the depths of the forest where the eagle had
built his nest, there ran a stream whose waters w^ere
poisonous, and on the banks of this stream dwelt a horri-
ble hndworm with seven heads. The lindworm had often
w^atched the eagle flying about the top of the tree, carry-
ing food to his young ones and, accordingly, he watched

Th& El^le carries oJJ little V)lldro5e^

lITl'i.

. . uFsOSr.

SHt LIVED HAPPILV IN HLf\ NEST uTANDlislG /^TTHE EOGE

LITTLE WILDBOSE 99

carefully for the moment when the eaglets began to try
their wings and to fly away from the nest. Of course, if
the eagle himself was there to protect them even the lind-
worm, big and strong as he was, knew that he could do
nothing ; but when he was absent, any little eaglets
who ventured too near the ground would be sure to
disappear down the monster's throat. Their brothers,
who had been left behind as too young and weak to see
the world, knew nothing of all this, but supposed their
turn would soon come to see the world also. And in a
few days their eyes, too, opened and their wings flapped
impatiently, and they longed to fly away above the
waving tree-tops to mountain and the bright sun beyond.
But that very midnight the lindworm, who was hungry
and could not wait for his supper, came out of the brook
with a rushing noise, and made straight for the tree.
Two eyes of flame came creeping nearer, nearer, and two
liery tongues were stretching themselves out closer, closer,
to the little birds who were trembling and shuddering in
the farthest corner of the nest. But just as the tongues
had almost reached them, the lindworm gave a fearful
cry, and turned and fell backwards. Then came the
sound of battle from the ground below, and the tree
shook, though there w^as no wind, and roars and snarls
mixed together, till the eaglets felt more frightened than
ever, and thought their last hour had come. Only Wild-
rose was undisturbed, and slept sweetly through it all.

In the morning the eagle returned and saw^ traces of a
fight below the tree, and here and there a handful of
yellow mane lying about, and here and there a hard scaly
substance ; when he saw that he rejoiced greatly, and
hastened to the nest.

' Who has slain the lindworm ? ' he asked of his
children ; there were so many that he did not at first
miss the two w^hich the lindworm had eaten. But the
eaglets answered that they could not tell, only that they
had been in danger of their lives, and at the last moment

100 LITTLE WILDBOSE

they had Ijeen clehvered. Then the sunheam had
struggled through the thick hranches and caught Wild-
rose's golden hair as she lay curled up in the corner, and
the eagle wondered, as he looked, whether the little girl
had brought him luck, and it was her magic which had
killed his enemy.

* Children,' he said, ' I brought her here for your
dinner, and you have not touched her ; what is the mean-
ing of this ? ' But the eaglets did not answer, and Wild-
rose opened her eyes, and seemed seven times lovelier
than before.

"From that day Wildrose lived like a little princess. The
eagle flew about the wood and collected the softest, green-
est moss he could find to make her a bed, and then he
picked with his beak all the brightest and prettiest flowers
in the fields or on the mountains to decorate it. So
cleverly did he manage it that there was not a fairy in the
whole of the forest who would not have been pleased to
sleep there, rocked to and fro by the breeze on the tree-
tops. And when the little ones were able to fly from their
nest he taught them where to look for the fruits and
berries which she loved.

So the time passed by, and with each year Wildrose
grew taller and more beautiful, and she lived happily in
her nest and never wanted to go out of it, only standing
at the edge in the sunset, and looking upon the be'autiful
world. For company she had all the birds in the forest,
who came and talked to her, and for playthings the
strange flowers which they brought her from far, and the
butterflies which danced with her. And so the days
slipped away, and she was fourteen years old.

One morning the emperor's son went out to hunt,
and he had not ridden far, before a deer started from
under a grove of trees, and ran before him. The prince
instantly gave chase, and where the stag led he followed,
till at length he found himself in the depths of the forest,
where no man before had trod.

THE I^ OF LIGHT

LITTLE WILDBOSE

103

The trees were so thick and the wood so dark, that he
paused for a moment and Ustened, straining his ears
to catch some sound to break a silence which almost
frightened him. But nothing came, not even the baying

InXLE -W1LDR05E .
PEEP5, DOWN FROM ]
i^THE EAGLE'S- NEST

of a hound or the note of a horn. He stood still, and
wondered if he should go on, when, on looking up, a
stream of light seemed to flow from the top of a tall tree.
In its rays he could see the nest with the young eaglets,
who were watching him over the side. The prince fitted

104 LITTLE WILDBOSE

an arrow into his bow and took his aim, but, before ho
could let fly, another ray of light dazzled him ; so brilliant
was it, that his bow dropped, and he covered his face with
his hands. When at last he ventured to peep, Wildrose,
with her golden hair flowing round her, was looking at
him. This was the first time she had seen a man.

' Tell ms how I can reach you ? ' cried he ; but Wild-
rose smiled and shook her head, and sat down quietly.

The prince saw that it was no use, and turned and
made his way out of the forest. But he might as well
have stayed there, for any good he was to his father, so
full was his heart of longing for Wildrose. Twice he
returned to the forest in the hopes of finding her, but
this time fortune failed him, and he went home as sad
as ever.

At length the emperor, who could not think what had
caused this change, sent for his son and asked him what
was the matter. Then the prince confessed that the
image of Wildrose filled his soul, and that he would
never be happy without her. At first the emperor felt
rather distressed. He doubted whether a girl from a tree
top would make a good empress ; but he loved his son so
much that he promised to do all he could to find her.
So the next morning heralds were sent forth throughout
the whole land to inquire if anyone knew where a maiden
could be found who lived in a forest on the top of a tree,
and to promise great riches and a place at court to any
person who should find her. But nobody knew. All the
girls in the kingdom had their homes on the ground, and
laughed at the notion of being brought up in a tree. * A
nice kind of empress she would make,' they said, as the
emperor had done, tossing their heads with disdain ; for,
having read many books, they guessed what she was
wanted for.

The heralds were almost in despair, when an old
woman stepped out of the crowd and came and spoke
to them. She was not only very old, but she was very

LITTLE WILDBOSE 105

ugly, with a hump on her back and a bald head, and
when the heralds saw her they broke into rude laughter.
'I can show you the maiden who lives in the tree-top,'
she said, but they only laughed the more loudly.

* Get away, old witch ! ' they cried, * you will bring us
bad luck ' ; but the old woman stood firm, and declared
that she alone knew where to find the maiden.

' Go w^ith her,' said the eldest of the heralds at last.
* The emperor's orders are clear, that whoever knew any-
thing of the maiden was to come at once to court. Put
her in the coach and take her with us.'

So in this fashion the old woman was brought to
court.

' You have declared that you can bring hither the
maiden from the wood ? ' said the emperor, who was
seated on his throne.

* Yes, your Majesty, and I will keep my word,'
said she.

' Then bring her at once,' said the emperor.

* Give me first a kettle and a tripod,' asked the old
woman, and the emperor ordered them to be brought
instantly. The old woman picked them up, and tucking
them under her arm went on her way, keeping at a little
distance behind the royal huntsmen, who in their turn
followed the prince.

Oh, what a noise that old woman made as she walked
along ! She chattered to herself so fast and clattered her
kettle so loudly that you would have thought that a
whole campful of gipsies must be coming round the next
corner. But when they reached the forest, she bade them
all wait outside, and entered the dark wood by herself.

She stopped underneath the tree where the maiden
dwelt and, gathering some dry sticks, kindled a fire. Next,
she placed the tripod over it, and the kettle on top. But
something was the matter with the kettle. As fast as
the old woman put it where it was to stand, that kettle
w^as sure to roll off, falling to the ground with a crash.

106

LITTLE WILBROSE

It really seemed bewitched, and no one knows what might
have happened if Wildrose, who had been all the time
peeping out of her nest, had not lost patience at the old

woman's stupidity, and cried out : ' The tripod won't
stand on that hill, you must move it ! '

' But where am I to move it to, my child ? ' asked the

LITTLE WILDROSE 107

old woman, looking up to the nest, and at the same
moment trying to steady the kettle with one hand and
the tripod with the other.

* Didn't I tell you that it was no good doing that,'
said Wildrose, more impatiently than before. * Make a fire
near a tree and hang the kettle from one of the branches.'

The old woman took the kettle and hung it on a little
twig, w^hich broke at once, and the kettle fell to the
ground.

' If you would only show me how to do it, perhaps I
should understand,' said she.

Quick as thought, the maiden slid down the smooth
trunk of the tree, and stood beside the stupid old w^oman,
to teach her how things ought to be done. But in an
instant the old woman had caught up the girl and swung
her over her shoulders, and was running as fast as she
could go to the edge of the forest, where she had left the
prince. When he saw them coming he rushed eagerly
to meet them, and he took the maiden in his arms and
kissed her tenderly before them all. Then a golden dress
was put on her, and pearls were twined in her hair, and
she took her seat in the emperor's carriage which w^as
drawn by six of the whitest horses in the world, and they
carried her, without stopping to draw breath, to the gates
of the palace. And in three days the wedding was
celebrated, and the wedding feast was held, and everyone
who saw the bride declared that if anybody wanted a
perfect wife they must go to seek her on top of a tree.

[Adapteil from tbe Roumauiau.]

108

TIIDU THE PIPER

Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had more
children than bread to feed them with. However, they
v/ere strong and willing, and soon learned to make them-
selves of use to their father and mother, and when they
were old enough they went out to service, and everyone
was very glad to get them for servants, for they worked
hard and were always cheerful. Out of all the ten or
eleven, there was only one who gave his parents any
trouble, and this was a big lazy boy whose name was
Tiidu. Neither scoldings nor beatings nor kind words
had any effect on him, and the older he grew the idler he
got. He spent his winters crouching close to a warm
stove, and his summers asleep under a shady tree ; and
if he was not doing either of these things he was playing
tunes on his flute.

One day he was sitting under a bush playing so
sweetly that you might easily have mistaken the notes for
those of a bird, when an old man passed by. ' What
trade do you wish to follow, my son ? ' he asked in a
friendly voice, stopping as he did so in front of the youth.

' If I were only a rich man, and had no need to work,'
replied the boy, ' I should not follow any. I could not
bear to be anybody's servant, as all my brothers and
sisters are.'

The old man laughed as he heard this answer, and
said : * But I do not exactly see where your riches are to
come from if you do not work for them. Sleeping cats
catch no mice. He who wishes to become rich must use

TIIDU THE PIPEB 109

either his hands or his head, and be ready to toil night

and day, or else '

But here the youth broke in rudely :

* Be silent, old man ! I have been told all that a
hundred times over ; and it runs off me like water off a
duck's back. No one will ever make a worker out of me.'

* You have one gift,' replied the old man, taking no
notice of this speech, ' and if you would only go about
and play the pipes, you would easily earn, not only your
daily bread, but a little money into the bargain. Listen
to me ; get yourself a set of pipes, and learn to play on
them as well as you do on your flute, and w^herever there
are men to hear you, I promise you will never lack
money.'

' But where am I to get the pipes from ? ' asked the
youth.

* Blow on your flute for a few^ days,' replied the old
man, ' and you w^ill soon be able to buy your pipes. By-
and-by I will come back again and see if you have
taken my advice, and whether you are likely to grow rich.'
And so saying he went his way.

Tiidu stayed where he was a little longer, thinking of
all the old man had told him, and the more he thought
the surer he felt that the old man w^as right. He deter-
mined to try w^iether his plan would really bring luck ; but
as he did not like being laughed at he resolved not to tell
anyone a w^ord about it. So next morning he left home
— and never came back ! His parents did not take his
loss much to heart, but were rather glad that their useless
son had for once shown a little spirit, and they hoped
that time and hardship might cure Tiidu of his idle
folly.

For some weeks Tiidu wandered from one village to
another, and proved for himself the truth of the old man's
promise. The people he met were all friendly and kind,
and enjoyed his flute-playing, giving him his food in
return, and even a few pence. These pence the youth

110 TIIDU THE PIPER

hoarded carefully till he had collected enough to buy a
beautiful pair of pipes. Then he felt himself indeed on
the high road to riches. Nowhere could pipes be found
as fine as his, or played in so masterly a manner. Tiidu's
pipes set everybody's legs dancing. Wherever there was
a marriage, a christening, or a feast of any kind, Tiidu
must be there, or the evening would be a failure. In a
few years he had become so noted a piper that people
would travel far and wide to hear him.

One day he was invited to a christening where many
rich men from the neighbouring town were present, and
all agreed that never in all their lives had they heard
such playing as his. They crowded round him, and
praised him, and pressed him to come to their homes,
declaring that it was a shame not to give their friends the
chance of hearing such music. Of course all this delighted
Tiidu, who accepted gladly, and left their houses laden
with money and presents of every kind ; one great lord
clothed him in a magnificent dress, a second hung a
chain of pearls round his neck, while a third handed him
a set of new pipes encrusted in silver. As for the ladies,
the girls twisted silken scarves round his plumed hat, and
their mothers knitted him gloves of all colours, to keep
out the cold. Any other man in Tiidu's place w^ould
have been contented and happy in this life; but his
craving for riches gave him no rest, and only goaded him
day by day to fresh exertions, so that even his own mother
would not have known him for the lazy boy who was
always lying asleep in one place or the other.

Now Tiidu saw quite clearly that he could only hope
to become rich by means of his pipes, and set about
thinking if there was nothing he could do to make the
money flow in faster. At length he remembered having
heard some stories of a kingdom in the Kungla country,
where musicians of all sorts were welcomed and highly
paid ; but where it was, or how it was reached, he could
not recollect, however hard he thought. In despair, he

TUDU TEE PIFER 111

wandered along the coast, hoping to see some ship or
sailing boat that would take him where he wished to
go, and at length he reached the town of Narva, where
several merchantmen were lying at anchor. To his great
joy, he fomid that one of them was sailing for Kungla in
a few days, and he hastily went on board, and asked for
the captain. But the cost of the passage was more than
the prudent Tiidu cared to pay, and though he played his
best on his pipes, the captain refused to lower his price,
and Tiidu was just thinking of returning on shore when
his usual luck flew to his aid. A young sailor, who had
heard him play, came secretly to him, and offered to hide
him on board, in the absence of the captain. So the next
night, as soon as it was dark, Tiidu stepped softly on
deck, and was hidden by his friend down in the hold in
a corner between two casks. Unseen by the rest of tiie
crew the sailor managed to bring him food and drink,
and when they were well out of sight of land he pro-
ceeded to carry out a plan he had invented to deliver
Tiidu from his cramped quarters. Xi midnight, while he
was keeping watch and everyone else was sleeping, the man
bade his friend Tiidu follow him on deck, where he tied a
rope round Tiidu's body, fastening the other end carefully
to one of the ship's ropes. ' Now,' he said, ' I will throw
you into the sea, and you must shout for help ; and when
you see the sailors coming untie the rope from your waist,
and tell them that you have swum after the ship all the
way from shore.'

At first Tiidu did not much like this scheme, for the
sea ran high, but he was a good swimmer, and the sailor
assured him that there was no danger. As soon as he
was in the water, his friend hastened to rouse his mates,
declaring that he was sure that there was a man in the
sea, following the ship. They all came on deck, and what
was their surprise when they recognised the person who
had bargained about a passage the previous day with the
captain.

112 TIIDU THE PIPER

* Are you a ghost, or a dying man ? ' they asked him
trembUng, as they stooped over the side of the ship.

* I shall soon indeed be a dead man if you do not help
me,' ans^Ye^ed Tiidu, ' for my strength is going fast.'

Then the captain seized a rope and flung it out to him,
and Tiidu held it between his teeth, while, unseen by the
sailors, he loosed the one tied round his waist.

' Where have you come from ? ' said the captain, when
Tiidu was brought up on board the ship.

* I have followed you from the harbour,' answered he,
' and have been often in sore dread lest my strength
should fail me. I hoped that by swimming after the ship
1 might at last reach Kungla, as I had no money to pay
my passage.' The captain's heart melted at these words,
and he said kindly : ' You may be thankful that you were
not drowned. I will land you at Kungla free of payment,
as you are so anxious to get there.' So he gave him dry
clothes to wear, and a berth to sleep in, and Tiidu and
his friend secretly made merry over their cunning trick.

For the rest of the voyage the ship's crew treated
Tiidu as something higher than themselves, seeing that in
all their lives they had never met with ajny man that
could swim for as many hours as he had done. This
pleased Tiidu very much, though he knew that he had
really done nothing to deserve it, and in return he
delighted them by tunes on his pipes. When, after some
days, they cast anchor at Kungla, the story of his
wonderful swim brought him many friends, for everybody
wished to hear him tell the tale himself. This might
have been all very well, had not Tiidu lived in dread that
some day he would be asked to give ^rooi of his marvel-
lous swimming powers, and then everything would be
found out. Meanwhile he was dazzled with the splendour
around him, and more than ever he longed for part of the
riches, about which the ow^ners seemed to care so little.

He wandered through the streets for many days,
seeking some one who wanted a servant ; but though more

TIIDU THE PIPER 113

than one person would have been glad to engage him,
they seemed to Tiidu not the sort of people to help
him to get rich quickly. At last, when he had almost
made up his mind that he must accept the next place
offered him, he happened to knock at the door of a rich
merchant who was in need of a scullion, and gladly
agreed to do the cook's bidding, and it was in this
merchant's house that he first learned how great were the
riches of the land of Kungla. All the vessels which in
other countries are made of iron, copper, brass, or tin,
in Kungla were made of silver, or even of gold. The
food was cooked in silver saucepans, the bread baked in
a silver oven, while the dishes and their covers were
all of gold. Even the very pigs' troughs were of silver
too. But the sight of these things only made Tiidu more
covetous than before. ' What is the use of all this wealth
that I have constantly before my eyes,' thought he, ' if
none of it is mine ? I shall never grow rich by what I
earn as a scullion, even though I am paid as much in a
month as I should get elsewhere in a year.'

By this time he had been in his place for two years,
and had put by quite a large sum of money. His
passion of saving had increased to such a pitch that it
was only by his master's orders that he ever bought
any new clothes, ' For,' said the merchant, ' I will not
have dirty people in my house.' So with a heavy heart
Tiidu spent some of his next month's wages on a cheap
coat.

One day the merchant held a great feast in honour of
the christening of his youngest child, and he gave each of
his servants a handsorne garment for the occasion. The
following Sunday, Tiidu, who liked fine clothes when he
did not have to pay for them, put on his new coat, and
went for a walk to some beautiful pleasure gardens, which
were always full of people on a sunny day. He sat down
under a shady tree, and watched the passers-by, but after
a little he began to feel rather lonely, for he knew nobody

c. I

114 TIIDU THE PIPER

and nobody knew him. Suddenly his eyes fell on the
figure of an old man, which seemed familiar to him,
though he could not tell when or where he had seen it.
He watched the figure for some time, till at length the
old man left the crow^ded paths, and threw himself on
the soft grass under a lime tree, which stood at some
distance from where Tiidu was sitting. Then the young
man walked slowly past, in order that he might look at
him more closely, and as he did so the old man smiled,
and held out his hand.

* What have you done with your pipes ? ' asked he ; and
then in a moment Tiidu knew him. Taking his arm he
drew" him into a quiet place and told him all that had
happened since they had last met. The old man shook
his head as he listened, and when Tiidu had finished his
tale, he said : ' A fool you are, and a fool you will always
be ! Was there ever such a piece of folly as to exchange
your pipes for a scullion's ladle ? You could have made
as much by the pipes in a day as your w^ages would
have come to in half a year. Go home and fetch your
pipes, and play them here, and you will soon see if I
have spoken the truth.'

Tiidu did not like this advice — he was afraid that
the people would laugh at him ; and, besides, it was
long since he had touched his pipes — but the old man
persisted, and at last Tiidu did as he was told.

' Sit down on the bank by me,' said the old man, when
he came back, ' and begin to play, and in a little while the
people will flock round you.' Tiidu obeyed, at first without
much heart ; but somehow the tone of the pipes was sweeter
than he had remembered, and as he played, the crowd
ceased to walk and chatter, and stood still and silent
round him. When he had played for some time he took
off his hat and passed it round, and dollars, and small
silver coins, and even gold pieces, came tumbling in.
Tiidu played a couple more tunes by way of thanks, then
turned to go home, hearing on all sides murmurs of

TIIDU THE PIPEB 115

' What a wonderful piper ! Come back, we pray you,
next Sunday to give us another treat.'

* What did I tell you ? ' said the old man, as they
passed through the garden gate. * Was it not pleasanter
to play for a couple of hours on the pipes than to be
stirring sauces all day long ? For the second time I have
shown you the path to follow ; try to learn wisdom, and
take the bull by the horns, lest your luck should slip from
you ! I can be your guide no longer, therefore listen to
what I say, and obey me. Go every Sunday afternoon
to those gardens ; and sit under the lime tree and play to
the people, and bring a felt hat with a deep crown, and
lay it on the ground at your feet, so that everyone can
throw some money into it. If you are invited to play at
a feast, accept willingly, but beware of asking a fixed
price ; say you will take whatever they may feel inclined
to give. You will get far more money in the end.
Perhaps, some day, our paths may cross, and then I shall
see how far you have followed my advice. Till then,
farewell ' ; and the old man went his way.

As before, his words came true, though Tiidu could
not at once do his bidding, as he had first to fulfil his
appointed time of service. Meanwhile he ordered some
line clothes, in which he played every Sunday in the
gardens, and when he counted his gains in the evening
they were always more than on the Sunday before.
At length he was free to do as he liked, and he had
more invitations to play than he could manage to
accept, and at night, when the citizens used to go and
drink in the inn, the landlord always begged Tiidu to
come and play to them. Thus he grew so rich that very
soon he had his silver pipes covered with gold, so that
they glistened in the light of the sun or the fire. In all
Kungla there was no prouder man than Tiidu.

In a few years he had saved such a large sum of
money that he was considered a rich man even in
Kungla, where everybody was rich. And then he had

116 TIIDU THE PIPER

leisure to remember that he had once had a home, and a
family, and that he should like to see them both again, and
show them how well he could play. This time he would
not need to hide in the ship's hold, but could hire the best
cabin if he wished to, or even have a vessel all to himself.
So he packed all his treasures in large chests, and sent
them on board the first ship that was sailing to his native
land, and follow^ed them with a light heart. The wind at
starting was fair, but it soon freshened, and in the night
rose to a gale. For two days they ran before it, and
hoped that by keeping well out to sea they might be able
to weather the storm, when, suddenly, the ship struck on a
rock, and began to fill. Orders w^ere given to lower the
boats, and Tiida with three sailors got into one of them,
but before they could push away from the ship a huge
wave overturned it, and all four were flung into the
water. Luckily for Tiidu an oar was floating near him,
and with its help he was able to keep on the surface of
the w^ater ; and when the sun rose, and the mist cleared
away, he saw that he was not far from shore. By hard
swimming, for the sea still ran high, he managed to reach
it, and pulled himself out of the water, more dead than
alive. Then he flung himself down on the ground and
fell fast asleep.

When he awoke he got up to explore the island, and
see if there were any men upon it ; but though he found
streams and fruit trees in abundance, there was no trace
either of man or beast. Then, tired with his wanderings
he sat dow^n and began to think.

For perhaps the first time in his life his thoughts did
not instantly turn to money. It was not on his lost
treasures that his mind dwelt, but on his conduct to his
parents : his laziness and disobedience as a boy ; his for-
getfulness of them as a man. * If wald animals w^ere to
come and tear me to pieces,' he said to himself bitterly,
' it w^ould be only what I deserve ! My gains are all at
the bottom of the sea — well ! lightly won, lightly lost —

TIIDU THE PIPER 117

but it is odd that I feel I should not care for that if
only my pipes were left me.' Then he rose and walked a
little further, till he saw a tree with great red apples
shining amidst the leaves, and he pulled some down, and
ate them greedily. After that he stretched himself out on
the soft moss and went to sleep.

In the morning he ran to the nearest stream to
wash himself, but to his horror, when he caught sight of
his face, he saw^ his nose had grown the colour of an
apple, and reached nearly to his waist. He started
back thinking he was dreaming, and put up his hand ;
but, alas ! the dreadful thing was true. ' Oh, why does
not some wild beast devour me ? ' he cried to himself ;
' never, never, can I go again amongst my fellow-men !
If only the sea had swallowed me up, how much happier
it had been for me ! ' And he hid his head in his hands
and wept. His grief was so violent, that it exhausted him,
and growing hungry he looked about for something to eat.
Just above him was a bough of ripe, brown nuts, and he
picked them and ate a handful. To his surprise, as he was
eating them, he felt his nose grow shorter and shorter, and
after a while he ventured to feel it with his hand, and
even to look in the stream again ! Yes, there was no
mistake, it was as short as before, or perhaps a little
shorter. In his joy at this discovery Tiidu did a very
bold thing. He took one of the apples out of his pocket,
and cautiously bit a piece out of it. In an instant his
nose was as long as his chin, and in a deadly fear lest
it should stretch further, he hastily swallowed a nut, and
awaited the result with terror. Supposing that the shiink-
ing of his nose had only been an accident before ! Sup-
posing that that nut and no other was able to cause its
shrinking ! In that case he had, by his own folly, in not
letting well alone, ruined his life completely. But, no !
he had guessed rightly, for in no more time than his nose
had taken to grow long did it take to return to its proper
size. ' This may make my fortune,' he said joyfully to

118 TIIDU THE PIPEB

himself ; and he gathered some of the apples, which he put
into one pocket, and a good supply of nuts which he put
into the other. Next day he w^ove a hasket out of some
rushes, so that if he ever left the island he might be able
to carry his treasures about.

That night he dreamed that his friend the old man
appeared to him and said : ' Because you did not mourn
for your lost treasure, but only for your pipes, I will give
you a new set to replace them.' And, behold ! in the morn-
ing when he got up a set of pipes was lying in the basket.
With what joy did he seize them and begin one of his
favourite tunes ; and as he played hope sprang up in his
heart, and he looked out to sea, to try to detect the sign
of a sail. Yes ! there it w^as, making straight for the
island ; and Tiidu, holding his pipes in his hand, dashed
down to the shore.

The sailors knew^ the island to be uninhabited, and w^ere
much surprised to see a man standing on the beach, waving
his arms in welcome to them. A boat was put off, and
tw^o sailors rowed to the shore to discover how he came
there, and if he wished to be taken aw^ay. Tiidu told
them the story of his shipwreck, and the captain promised
that he should come on board, and sail with them back to
Kungla ; and thankful indeed was Tiidu to accept the offer,
and to show his gratitude by playing on his pipes w^hen-
ever he w^as asked to do so.

They had a quick voyage, and it was not long before Tiidu
found himself again in the streets of the capital of Kungla,
playing as he went along. The people had heard no music
like his since he w^ent aw^ay, and they crowded round
him, and in their joy gave him whatever money they had
in their pockets. His first care was to buy himself some
new clothes, which he sadly needed, taking care, however,
that they should be made after a foreign fashion. When
they were ready, he set out one day w^ith a small basket
of his famous apples, and went up to the palace. He did

TIIDU THE PIPEB

119

not have to wait long before one of the royal servants
passed by and bought all the apples, begging as he did

*— ^o-fv^j-^^i^-

SO that the merchant should return and bring some more.
This Tiidu promised, and hastened away as if he had a

120 TIIDU THE PIPER

mad bull behind him, so afraid was he that the man
should begin to eat an apple at once.

It is needless to say that for some days he took no more
apples back to the palace, but kept well away on the other
side of the town, wearing other clothes, and disguised by
a long black beard, so that even his own mother would not
have kno\vn him.

The morning after his visit to the castle the whole city
was in an uproar about the dreadful misfortune that had
happened to the Eoyal Family, for not only the king but
his wife and children, had eaten of the stranger's apples,
and all, so said the rumour, were very ill. The most famous
doctors and the greatest magicians were hastily summoned
to the palace, Init they shook their heads and came away
again ; never had they met with such a disease in all the
course of their experience. By-and-bye a story went round
the town, started no one knew how, that the malady was
in some way connected with the nose ; and men rubbed
their own anxiously, to be sure that nothing catching was
in the air.

Matters had been in this state for more than a week
when it reached the ears of the king that a man was
living in an inn on the other side of the town who de-
clared himself able to cure all manner of diseases. In-
stantly the royal carriage was commanded to drive with
all speed and luring back this magician, offering him riches
untold if he could restore their noses to their former
length. Tiidu had expected this summons, and had sat
up all night changing his appearance, and so well had
he succeeded that not a trace remained either of the
piper or of the apple seller. He stepped into the carriage,
and was driven post haste to the king, who was feverishly
counting every moment, for l)oth his nose and the queen's
were by this time more than a yard long, and they did
not know where they would stop.

Now Tiidu thought it would not look well to cure
the royal family by giving them the raw nuts ; he felt

TIIDU THE PIPEB 121

that it might arouse suspicion. So he had carefully
pounded them into a powder, and divided the powder up
into small doses, which were to be put on the tongue and
swallowed at once. He gave one of these to the king
and another to the queen, and told them that before
taking them they were to get into bed in a dark room and
not to move for some hours, after which they might l)e
sure that they would come out cured.

The king's joy was so great at this news that lie
would gladly have given Tiidu half of his kingdom ; but
the piper was no longer so greedy of money as he once
w^as, l)efore he had l^een shipwrecked on the island. If
he could get enough to l)uy a small estate and live
comfortably on it for the rest of his life, that was all he
now cared for. However, the king ordered his treasurer
to pay him three times as much as he asked, and with
this Tiidu w^ent down to the harbour and engaged a small
ship to carry him back to his native country. The wind
was fair, and in ten days the coast, which he had almost
forgotten, stood clear before him. In a few hours he
was standing in his old home, where his father, three
sisters, and two brothers gave him a hearty welcome. His
mother and his other brothers had died some years
before.

When the meeting was over, he ]:>egan to make
inquiries about a small estate that was for sale near the
town, and after he had bought it the next thing was to
find a wife to share it with him. This did not take long
either ; and people who were at the wedding feast declared
that the best part of the whole day was the hour when
Tiidu played to them on the pipes before they bade each
other farewell and returned to their homes.

[From E»tliiii.ichf Ma!(rc/icii.]

122

PAPEBABELLO

Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who
had one son. The king loved the boy very much, but the
queen, who was a wicked woman, hated the sight of him ;
and this was the more unlucky for, when he was twelve
years old, his father died, and he was left alone in the
world.

Now the queen w^as very angry because the people,
who knew how bad she was, seated her son on the throne
instead of herself, and she never rested till she had formed
a plan to get him out of the way. Fortunately, however,
the young king was wise and prudent, and knew her too
well to trust her.

One day, when his mourning was over, he gave orders
that everything should be made ready for a grand hunt.
The queen pretended to be greatly delighted that he
was going to amuse himself once more, and declared
that she would accompany him. 'No, mother, I cannot
let you come,' he answered ; ' the ground is rough, and
you are not strong.' But he might as well have spoken to
the winds : when the horn was sounded at daybreak the
queen was there with the rest.

All that day they rode, for game was plentiful, but
towards evening the mother and son found themselves
alone in a part of the country that was strange to them.
They wandered on for some time, without knowing where
they were going, till they met with a man whom they
begged to give them shelter. ' Come with me,' said the
man gladly, for he was an ogre, and fed on human flesh ;

a^^'JK^ nor^o bnr^ij tae boy tottv^ f dlne^s' Hpase ^

PAPEBABELLO 125

and the king and his motlier \Yent with him, and he led
them to his house. When they got there they found to
what a dreadful place they had come, and, falling on their
knees, they offered him great sums of money, if he would
only spare their lives. The ogre's heart was moved at
the sight of the queen's beauty, and he promised that he
would do her no harm ; but he stabbed the boy at once,
and binding his body on a horse, turned him loose in the
forest.

The ogre had happened to choose a horse w^hich he
had bought only the day before, and he did not know it
was a magician, or he w^ould not have been so foolish
as to fix upon it on this occasion. The horse no sooner
had been driven off with the prince's body on its back
than it galloped straight to the home of the fairies, and
knocked at the door with its hoof. The fairies heard the
knock, but were afraid to open till they had peeped from
an upper window^ to see that it was no giant or ogre wdio
could do them harm. ' Oh, look, sister ! ' cried the first to
reach the window, ' it is a horse that has knocked, and on
its back there is bound a dead boy, the most beautiful
boy in all the world ! ' Then the fairies ran to open the
door, and let in the horse and unbound the ropes which
fastened the young king on its back. And they gathered
round to admire his beauty, and whispered one to the
other : ' We will make him alive again, and will keep him
for our brother.' And so they did, and for many years
they all lived together as brothers and sisters.

By-and-by the boy grew into a man, as lioys w^ill,
and then the oldest of the fairies said to her sisters : ' Now
I will marry him, and he shall be really your brother.'
So the young king married the fairy, and they lived
happily together in the castle ; but though he loved his
wife he still longed to see the w^orld.

At length this longing grew so strong on him that he
could bear it no more ; and, calling the fairies together,
he said to them : * Dear wife and sisters, I must leave you

126 PAPEBARELLO

for a time, and go out and see the world. But I shall think
of you often, and one day I shall come back to you.'

The fairies wept and begged him to stay, but he would
not listen, and at last the eldest, who was his wife, said to
him : * If you really will abandon us, take this lock of my
hair with you ; you will find it useful in time of need.'
So she cut off a long curl, and handed it to him.

The prince mounted his horse, and rode on all day
without stopping once. Towards evening he found
himself in a desert, and, look where he would, there was
no such thing as a house or a man to be seen. * What
am I to do now ? ' he thought. ' If I go to sleep here
wild beasts will come and eat me ! Yet both I and my
horse are worn out, and can go no further.' Then
suddenly he remembered the fairy's gift, and taking out
the curl he said to it : 'I want a castle here, and servants,
and dinner, and everything to make me comfortable to-
night ; and besides that, I must have a stable and fodder
for my horse.' And in a moment the castle was before
him just as he had wished.

In this way he travelled through many countries, till
at last he came to a land that was ruled over by a great
king. Leaving his horse outside the walls, he clad
himself in the dress of a poor man, and went up to the
palace. The queen, who was looking out of the window,
saw him approaching, and filled with pity sent a servant to
ask who he was and what he wanted. * I am a stranger
here,' answered the young king, ' and very poor. I have
come to beg for some work.' 'We have everybody we
want,' said the queen, when the servant told her the
young man's reply. * We have a gate-keeper, and a hall
porter, and servants of all sorts in the palace ; the only
person we have not got is a goose-boy. Tell him that
he can be our goose-boy if he likes.' The youth answered
that he was quite content to be goose-boy ; and that was
how he got his nickname of Paperarello. And in order
that no one should guess that he was any better than a

^) THE KING GIVES THL PRJNCES5 TO FAPEafiK^LLol
Hi IN THE BAKE.HQU5Eni3

PAPERABELLO 129

goose-boy should be, he rubbed his face and his rags over
with mud, and made himself altogether such a disgusting
• object that every one crossed over to the other side of
the road when he was seen coming.

* Do go and wash yourself, Paperarello ! ' said the
queen sometimes, for he did his work so well that she
took an interest in him. * Oh, I should not feel comfort-
able if I was clean, your Majesty,' answered he, and
went whistling after his geese.

It happened one day that, owing to some accident to
the great flour mills which supplied the city, there was
no bread to be had, r.nd the king's army had to do
without. When the king heard of it, he sent for the
cook, and told him that by the next morning he must
have all the bread that the oven, heated seven times
over, could bake. ' But, your Majesty, it is not possible,'
cried the poor man in despair. * The mills have only just
begun working, and the flour will not be ground till
evening, and how can I heat the oven seven times in one
night ? ' ' That is your affair,' answered the King, who,
when he took anything into his head, would listen to
nothing. ' If you succeed in baking the bread you shall
have my daughter to wife, but if you fail your head will
pay for it.'

Now Paperarello, who was passing through the hall
where the king was giving his orders, heard these words,
and said : ' Your Majesty, have no fears ; I will bake your
bread.' * Very well,' answered the king ; ' but if you fail,
you will pay for it with your head ! ' and signed that both
should leave his presence.

The cook was still trembling with the thought of what he
had escaped, but to his surprise Paperarello did not seem
disturbed at all, and when night came he went to sleep
as usual. ' Paperarello,' cried the other servants, when
they saw him quietly taking off his clothes, ' you cannot
go to bed ; you will need every moment of the night for
your work. Eemember, the king is not to be played with ! '

c. K

130 FAPEBAUELLO

' I really must have some sleep first,' replied Papera-
rello, stretching himself and yawning ; and he flung him-
self on his bed, and was fast asleep in a moment. In
an hour's time, the servants came and shook him by the
shoulder. ' Paperarello, are you mad ? ' said they. * Get
up, or you wall lose your head.' ' Oh, do let me sleep
a little more,' answ^ered he. And this was all he would
say, though the servants returned to w^ake him many times
in the night.

At last the dawn broke, and the servants rushed to his
room, crying : * Paperarello ! Paperarello ! get up, the king
is coming. You have baked no bread, and of a surety he
will have your head.'

* Oh, don't scream so,' replied Paperarello, jumping
out of bed as he spoke ; and taking the lock of hair in his
hand, he w^ent into the kitchen. And, behold ! there
stood the bread piled, high — four, five, six ovens full, and
the seventh still waiting to be taken out of the oven. The
servants stood and stared in surprise, and the king said :
' Well done, Paperarello, you have w^on my daughter.'
And he thought to himself : * This fellow must really be a
magician.'

But w^hen the princess heard what was in store for
her she wept bitterly, and declared that never, never
would she marry that dirty Paperarello ! However, the
king paid no heed to her tears and prayers, and before
many days w^ere over the w^edding was celebrated with
great splendour, though the bridegroom had not taken the
trouble to wash himself, and was as dirty as before.

When night came he w^ent as usual to sleep among
his geese, and the princess went to the king and said :
' Father, I entreat you to have that horrible Paperarello
put to death.' ' No, no ! ' replied her father, 'he is a
great magician, and before I put him to death, I must
first find out the secret of his power, and then — we shall
see.'

Soon after this a war broke out, and everybody about

PAPERARELLO 131

the palace was very busy polishing up armour and sharp-
ening swords, for the king and his sons were to ride at
the head of the army. Then Paperarello left his geese,
and came and told the king that he wished to go to fight
also. The king gave him leave, and told him that he
might go to the stable and take any horse he liked from
the stables. So Paperarello examined the horses carefully,
but instead of picking out one of the splendid well-
groomed creatures, whose skin shone like satin, he chose
a poor lame thing, put a saddle on it, and rode after the
other men-at-arms who were attending the king. In a
short time he stopped, and said to them : ' My horse can
go no further ; you must go on to the war without me, and
I will stay here, and make some little clay soldiers, and
will play at a battle.' The men laughed at him for being
so childish, and rode on after their master.

Scarcely were they out of sight than Paperarello took
out his curl, and w^ished himself the best armour, the
sharpest sword, and the swiftest horse in the world, and
the next minute w^as riding as fast as he could to the field
of battle. The fight had already begun, and the enemy
was getting the best of it, when Paperarello rode up, and
in a moment the fortunes of the day had changed. Eight
and left this strange knight laid about him, and his sword
pierced the stoutest breast-plate, and the strongest shield.
He was indeed ' a host in himself,' and his foes fled before
him thinking he was only the first of a troop of such
warriors, whom no one could withstand. When the
battle was over, the king sent for him to thank him for
his timely help, and to ask what reward he should give
him. ' Nothing but your little finger, your Majesty,' was
his answer ; and the king cut off his little finger and gave
it to Paperarello, who bowed and hid it in his surcoat.
Then he left the field, and when the soldiers rode back
they found him still sitting in the road making whole
rows of little clay dolls.

The next day the king went out to fight another

132 PAPEBABELLO

battle, and again Paperarello appeared, mounted on his
lame horse. As on the day before, he halted on the road,
and sat down to make his clay soldiers ; then a second
time he wished himself armour, sword, and a horse, all
sharper and better than those he had previously had, and
galloped after the rest. He was only just in time : the
enemy had almost beaten the king's army back, and men
whispered to each other that if the strange knight did not
soon come to their aid, they would be all dead men.
Suddenly someone cried : * Hold on a little longer, I
see him in the distance ; and his armour shines brighter,
and his horse runs swifter, than yesterday.' Then
they took fresh heart and fought desperately on till the
knight came up, and threw himself into the thick of
the battle. As before, the enemy gave way before him,
and in a few minutes the victory remained wdth the
king.

The first thing that the victor did was to send for the
knight to thank him for his timely help, and to ask what
gift he could bestow on him in token of gratitude. * Your
Majesty's ear,' answered the knight ; and as the king
could not go back from his w^ord, he cut it off and gave
it to him, Paperarello bowed, fastened the ear inside
his surcoat and rode away. In the evening, when they
all returned from the battle, there he was, sitting in the
road, making clay dolls.

On the third day the same thing happened, and this
time he asked for the king's nose as the reward of his aid.
Now, to lose one's nose, is w^orse even than losing one's
ear or one's finger, and the king hesitated as to whether
he should comply. However, he had always prided him-
self on being an honourable man, so he cut off his nose,
and handed it to Paperarello. Paperarello bowed, put
the nose in his surcoat, and rode away. In the evening,
when the king returned from the battle, he found
Paperarello sitting in the road making clay dolls. And
Paperarello got up and said to him : * Do you know who

PAPEBABELLO 133

I am ? I am your dirty goose-boy, yet you have given me
your finger, and your ear, and your nose.'

That night, when the king sat at dinner, Paperarello
came in, and laying down the ear, and the nose, and the
finger on the table, turned and said to the nobles and
courtiers who were waiting on the king : * I am the
invincible knight, who rode three times to your help,
and I also am a king's son, and no goose-boy as you all
think.' And he went away and washed himself, and
dressed himself in fine clothes and entered the hall again,
looking so handsome that the proud princess fell in love
with him on the spot. But Paperarello took no notice of
her, and said to the king : ' It was kind of you to offer
me your daughter in marriage, and for that I thank you ;
but I have a wife at home whom I love better, and it is to
her that I am going. But as a token of farewell, I wish
that your ear, and nose, and finger may be restored to
their proper places.' So saying, he bade them all good-
bye, and went back to his home and his fairy bride, with
whom he lived happily till the end of his life.

[From Sicilidnischen Mdhrchen.']

134

THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN

Once upon a time there was an old man who Hved in a
little hut in the middle of a forest. His wife was dead,
and he had only one son, whom he loved dearly. Near
their hut was a group of birch trees, in which some black-
game had made their nests, and the youth had often
begged his father's permission to shoot the birds, but the
old man always strictly forbade him to do anything of
the kind.

One day, however, when the father had gone to a
little distance to collect some sticks for the fire, the
boy fetched his bow, and shot at a bird that was just
flying towards its nest. But he had not taken proper
aim, and the l)ird was only wounded, and fluttered along
the ground. The boy ran to catch it, but though he
ran very fast, and the bird seemed to flutter along very
slowly, he never could quite come up with it ; it was
always just a little in advance. But so absorbed was he
in the chase that he did not notice for some time that he
was now deep in the forest, in a place where he had never
been before. Then he felt it would be foolish to go any
further, and he turned to find his way home.

He thought it would be easy enough to follow the
path along w^iich he had come, but somehow it was
always branching off in unexpected directions. He looked
about for a house where he might stop and ask his way,
but there was not a sign of one anywhere, and he was
afraid to stand still, for it was cold, and there were
many stories of wolves being seen in that part of the

THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN 137

forest. Night fell, and he was heginning to start at every
sound, when suddenly a magician came running towards
him, with a pack of wolves snapping at his heels. Then
all the boy's courage returned to him. He took his
bow, and aiming an arrow at the largest wolf, shot him
through the heart, and a few more arrows soon put the
rest to flight. The magician was full of gratitude to his
deliverer, and promised him a reward for his help if the
youth would go back with him to his house.

* Indeed there is nothing that would be more welcome
to me than a night's lodging,' answered the boy ; ' I have
been wandering all day in the forest, and did not know
how to get home again.

' Come with me, you must be hungry as well as tired,'
said the magician, and led the way to his house, where
the guest flung himself on a bed, and went fast asleep.
But his host returned to the forest to get some food, for
the larder was empty.

While he was absent the housekeeper went to the boy's
room and tried to wake him. She stamped on the floor,
and shook him and called to him, telling him that he
was in great danger, and must take flight at once. But
nothing would rouse him, and if he did ever open his
eyes he shut them again directly.

Soon after, the magician came back from the forest, and
told the housekeeper to bring them something to eat. The
meal was quickly ready, and the magician called to the boy
to come down and eat it, but he could not be wakened, and
they had to sit dov\^n to supper without him. By-and-by
the magician went out into the wood again for some more
hunting, and on his return he tried afresh to waken the
youth. But finding it quite impossible, he went back for
the third time to the forest.

While he was absent the boy woke up and dressed
himself. Then he came downstairs and began to talk
to the housekeeper. The girl had heard how he had
saved her master's life, so she said nothing more about

138 THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN

his running away, but instead told him that if the magician
offered him the choice of a reward, he was to ask for
the horse which stood in the third stall of the stable.

By-and-by the old man came back and they all sat
down to dinner. When they had finished the magician
said : * Now, my son, tell me what you will have as the
reward of your courage ? '

' Give me the horse that stands in the third stall of
your stable,' answered the youth. * For I have a long
way to go before I get home, and my feet will not carry
me so far.'

'Ah! my son,' replied the magician, 'it -is the best
horse in my stable that you want ! Will not anything
else please you as well ? '

But the youth declared that it was the horse, and
the horse only, that he desired, and in the end the old
man gave w^ay. And besides the horse, the magician
gave him a zither, a fiddle, and a flute, saying : ' If you
are in danger, touch the zither ; and if no one comes to
your aid, then play on the fiddle ; but if that brings no
help, blow on the flute.'

The youth thanked the magician, and fastening his
treasures about him mounted the horse and rode off. He
had already gone some miles when, to his great surprise,
the horse spoke, and said : ' It is no use your returning
home just now, your father will only beat you. Let us
visit a few towns first, and something lucky will be sure
to happen to us.'

This advice pleased the boy, for he felt himself almost
a man by this time, and thought it was high time he saw
the world. When they entered the capital of the country
everyone stopped to admire the beauty of the horse.
Even the king heard of it, and came to see the splendid
creature with his own eyes. Indeed, he wanted directly
to buy it, and told the youth he would give any price he
liked. The young man hesitated for a moment, but before
he could speak, the horse contrived to whisper to him:

THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN 139

' Do not sell me, but ask the king to take me to his
stable, and feed me there ; then his other horses will
become just as beautiful as I.'

The king was delighted when he was told what the
horse had said, and took the animal at once to the stables,
and placed it in his own particular stall. Sure enough,
the horse had scarcely eaten a mouthful of corn out of
the manger, when the rest of the horses seemed to have
undergone a transformation. Some of them were old
favourites which the king had ridden in many wars, and
they bore the signs of age and of service. But now they
arched their heads, and pawed the ground with their
slender legs as they had been wont to do in days long
gone by. The king's heart beat w^ith delight, but the old
groom who had had the care of them stood crossly by,
and eyed the owner of this wonderful creature with
hate and envy. Not a day passed without his bringing
some story against the youth to his master, but the king
understood all about the matter and paid no attention.
At last the groom declared that the young man had
boasted that he could find the king's w^ar horse which had
strayed into the forest several years ago, and had not
been heard of since. Now the king had never ceased to
mourn for his horse, so this time he listened to the tale
which the groom had invented, and sent for the youth.
* Find me my horse in three days,' said he, ' or it will be
the worse for you.'

The youth was thunderstruck at this command, but he
only bowed, and went off at once to the stable.

' Do not worry yourself,' answered his own horse.
' Ask the king to give you a hundred oxen, and to let
them be killed and cut into small pieces. Then we will
start on our journey, and ride till we reach a certain
river. There a horse \wi\\ come up to you, but take no
notice of him. Soon another will appear, and this also
you must leave alone, but when the third horse shows
itself, throw my bridle over it.' - •

140 TEE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN

Everything happened just as the horse had said, and
the third horse was safely bridled. Then the other horse
spoke again : ' The magician's raven will try to eat us as
we ride away, but throw it some of the oxen's flesh, and
then I will gallop like the wind, and carry you safe out
of the dragon's clutches.'

So the young man did as he was told, and brought
the horse back to the king.

The old stableman was very jealous, when he heard
of it, and wondered what he could do to injure the
youth in the eyes of his royal master. At last he hit
upon a plan, and told the king that the young man had
boasted that he could bring home the king's wife, who
had vanished many months before, without leaving a
trace behind her. Then the king bade the young man
come into his presence, and desired him to fetch the
queen home again, as he had boasted he could do. And
if he failed, his head would pay the penalty.

The poor youth's heart stood still as he listened.
Find the queen ? But how was he to do that, when
nobody in the palace had been able to do so ! Slowly he
walked to the stable, and laying his head on his horse's
shoulder, he said : * The king has ordered me to bring his
wife home again, and how can I do that when she dis-
appeared so long ago, and no one can tell me anything
about her ? '

' Cheer up ! ' answered the horse, * we will manage to
find her. You have only got to ride me back to the same
river that we went to yesterday, and I will plunge into
it and take my proper shape again. For I am the king's
wife, who was turned into a horse by the magician from
whom you saved me.'

Joyfully the young man sprang into the saddle and
rode away to the banks of the river. Then he threw
himself off, and waited while the horse plunged in. The
moment it dipped its head into the water its black skin
vanished, and the most beautiful woman in the world was

THE nAGlClA'N THROWS THE TREE AND THL t<.ING UP INTO THE P^^

THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN 143

floating on the water. She came smiHng towards the
youth, and held out her hand, and he took it and led her
l3ack to the palace. Great was the king's surprise and
happiness when he beheld his lost wife stand before him,
and in gratitude to her rescuer he loaded him with gifts.

You would have thought that after this the poor youth
would have been left in peace ; but no, his enemy the
stableman hated him as much as ever, and laid a new
plot for his undoing. This time he presented himself
before the king and told him that the youth was so
puffed up with what he had done that he had declared he
would seize the king's throne for himself.

At this news the king waxed so furious that he ordered
a gallows to be erected at once, and the young man to be
hanged without a trial. He was not even allowed to speak
in his own defence, but on the very steps of the gallows
he sent a message to the king and begged, as a last
favour, that he might play a tune on his zither. Leave
was given him, and taking the instrument from under his
cloak he touched the strings. Scarcely had the first
notes sounded than the hangman and his helper began
to dance, and the louder grew the music the higher they
capered, till at last they cried for mercy. But the youth
paid no heed, and the tunes rang out more merrily than
before, and by the time the sun set they both sank on the
ground exhausted, and declared that the hanging must be
put off till to-morrow.

The story of the zither soon spread through the town,
and on the following morning the king and his whole
court and a large crowd of people were gathered at the
foot of the gallows to see the youth hanged. Once more he
asked a favour — permission to play on his fiddle, and this
the king was graciously pleased to grant. But with the
first notes, the leg of every man in the crowd was lifted
high, and they danced to the sound of the music the whole
day till darkness fell, and there was no light to hang the
musician by,

144 THE GIFTS OF THE MAGICIAN

The third day came, and the youth asked leave to play
on his flute. ' No, no,' said the king, ' you made me
dance all day yesterday, and if I do it again it will cer-
tainly be my death. You shall play no more tunes.
Quick ! the rope round his neck.'

At these words the young man looked so sorrowful
that the courtiers said to the king : * He is very young
to die. Let him play a tune if it will make him happy.'
So, very unwillingly, the king gave him leave ; but first
he had himself bound to a big fir tree, for fear that he
should be made to dance.

When he was made fast, the young man began to
blow softly on his flute, and bound though he was, the
king's body moved to the sound, up and down the fir tree
till his clothes were in tatters, and the skin nearly rubbed
off his back. But the youth had no pity, and went on
blowing, till suddenly the old magician appeared and
asked : ' What danger are you in, my son, that you have
sent for me ? '

' They want to hang me,' answered the young man ;
* the gallows are all ready and the hangman is only wait-
ing for me to stop playing.'

'Oh, I will put that right,' said the magician; and
taking the gallows, he tore it up and flung it into the air,
and no one knows where it came down. ' Who has
ordered you to be hanged ? ' asked he.

The young man pointed to the king, who was still
bound to the fir ; and without wasting words the magician
took hold of the tree also, and with a mighty heave both
fir and man went spinning thrdugh the air, and vanished
in the clouds after the gallows.

Then the youth was declared to be free, and the people
elected him for their king ; and the stable helper drowned
himself from envy, for, after all, if it had not been for
him the young man would have remained poor all the
days of his life.

[From Finnische Mdhrchen.']

THE STBONG PBINCE

Once upon a time there lived a king who was so fond of
wine that he could not go to sleep unless he knew he had
a great flaskful tied to his bed-post. All day long he
drank till he was too stupid to attend to his business, and
everything in the kingdom went to rack and ruin. But
one day an accident happened to him, and he was struck
on the head by a falling bough, so that he fell from his
horse and lay dead upon the ground.

His wife and son mourned his loss bitterly, for, in
spite of his faults, he had always been kind to them. So
they abandoned the crown and forsook their country, not
knowing or caring where they went.

At length they wandered into a forest, and being very
tired, sat down under a tree to eat some bread that
they had brought with them. When they had finished
the queen said : ' My son, I am thirsty ; fetch me some
water.'

The prince got up at once and went to a brook which
he heard gurgling near at hand. He stooped and filled
his hat with the water, which he brought to his mother ;
then he turned and followed the stream up to its source
m a rock, where it bubbled out clear and fresh and cold.
He knelt down to take a draught from the deep pool
below the rock, when he saw the reflection of a sword
hanging from the branch of a tree over his head. The
young man drew back with a start ; but in a moment ho
climbed the tree, cutting the rope which held the sword,
and carried the weapon to his mother.

C. L

146 THE STBONG PBINCE

The queen was greatly surprised at the sight of any-
thing so splendid in such a lonely place, and took it in
her hands to examine it closely. It was of curious work-
manship, wrought with gold, and on its handle was
written : ' The man who can buckle on this sword will
become stronger than other men.' The queen's heart
swelled with joy as she read these words, and she bade
her son lose no time in testing their truth. So he
fastened it round his waist, and instantly a glow of
strength seemed to run through his veins. He took hold
of a thick oak tree and rooted it up as easily as if it had
been a weed.

This discovery put new life into the queen and her
son, and they continued their walk through the forest.
But night was drawing on, and the darkness grew so
thick that it seemed as if it could be cut with a knife.
They did not want to sleep in the wood, for they were
afraid of wolves and other wild beasts, so they groped
their way along, hand in hand, till the prince tripped
over something which lay across the path. He could not
see what it was, but stooped down and tried to lift it. The
thing was very heavy, and he thought his back would break
under the strain. At last with a great heave he moved it
out of the road, and as it fell he knew it was a huge
rock. Behind the rock was a cave which it was quite
clear was the home of some robbers, though not one of
the band was there.

Hastily putting out the fire which burned brightly at
the back, and bidding his mother come in and keep very
still, the prince began to pace up and down, listening for
the return of the robbers. Bat he was very sleepy, and
in spite of all his efforts he felt he could not keep awake
much longer, when he heard the sound of the robbers
returning, shouting and singing as they marched along.
Soon the singing ceased, and straining his ears he heard
them discussing anxiously what had become of their cave,
and why they could not see the fire as usual. 'This imist

THE STRONG FRINGE 149

be the place,' said a voice, which the prince took to be that
of the captain. ' Yes, I feel the ditch before the entrance.
Someone forgot to pile up the fire before we left and it
has burnt itself out ! But it is all right. Let every man
jump across, and as he does so cry out " Hop ! I am here."
I will go last. Now begin.'

The man who stood nearest jumped across, but he had
no time to give the call which the captain had ordered,
for with one swift, silent stroke of the prince's sword, his
head rolled into a corner. Then the young man cried
instead, ' Hop ! I am here.'

The second man, hearing the signal, leapt the ditch
in confidence, and was met by the same fate, and in a
few minutes eleven of the robbers lay dead, and there
remained only the captain.

Now the captain had wound round his neck the shawl
of his lost wife, and the stroke of the prince's sword fell
harmless. Being very cunning, however, he made no
resistance, and rolled over as if he were as dead as the
other men. Still, the prince was no fool, and wondered if
indeed he was as dead as he seemed to be ; but the captain
lay so stiff and stark, that at last he was taken in.

The prince next dragged the headless bodies into a
chamber in the cave, and locked the door. Then he and
his mother ransacked the place for some food, and when
they had eaten it they lay down and slept in peace.

With the dawn they were both awake again, and
found that, instead of the cave which they had come to
the night before, they now were in a splendid castle, full
of beautiful rooms. The prince went round all these and
carefully locked them up, bidding his mother take care of
the keys while he was hunting.

Unfortunately, the queen, like all women, could not bear
to think that there was anything which she did not know.
So the moment that her son had turned his back, she
opened the doors of all the rooms, and peeped in, till she
came to the one where the robbers lay. But if the sight

150 THE STRONG PRINCE

of the blood on the ground turned her faint, the sight
of the robber captain walking up and down was a greater
shock still. She quickly turned the key in the lock, and
ran back to the chamber she had slept in.

Soon after her son came in, bringing with him a large
bear, which he had killed for supper. As there was
enough food to last them for many days, the prince did
not hunt the next morning, but, instead, began to explore
the castle. He found that a secret way led from it into
the forest ; and following the path, he reached another
castle larger and more splendid than the one belonging
to the robbers. He knocked at the door with his fist, and
said that he wanted to enter ; but the giant, to whom the
castle belonged, only answered : ' I know who you are. I
have nothing to do with robbers.'

* I am no robber,' answered the prince. ' I am the son
of a king, and I have killed all the band. If you do not
open to me at once I will break in the door, and your
head shall go to join the others.'

He waited a little, but the door remained shut as
tightly as before. Then he just put his shoulder to it, and
immediately the wood began to crack. When the giant
found that it was no use keeping it shut, he opened it,
saying : ' I see you are a brave youth. Let there be peace
between us.'

And the princa was glad to make peace, for he had
caught a glimpse of the giant's beautiful daughter, and
from that day he often sought the giant's house.

Now the queen led a dull life all alone in the castle,
and to amuse herself she paid visits to the robber captain,
who flattered her till at last she agreed to marry him.
But as she was much afraid of her son, she told the
robber that the next time the prince went to bathe in the
river, he was to steal the sword from its place above the
bed, for without it the young man would have no power
to punish him for his boldness.

The robber captain thought this good counsel, and the

-&tv^ ^irronP''^07^%:& &r(<:'&V<^ -k

\WHH>y''U^3.t»oko..9oa

THE STBONG PRINCE 153

next morning, ^Yhen the young man went to bathe, he
unhooked the sword from its nail and buckled it round
his waist. On his return to the castle, the prince found
the robber waiting for him on the steps, waving the
sword above his head, and knowing that some horrible
fate was in store, fell on his knees and begged for mercy.
But he might as well have tried to squeeze blood out of a
stone. The robber, indeed, granted him his life, but took
out both his eyes, which he thrust into the prince's hand,
saying brutally :

* Here, you had better keep them ! You may find
them useful ! '

Weeping, the blind youth felt his Vv^ay to the giant's
house, and told him all the story.

The giant was full of pity for the poor young man, but
inquired anxiously what he had done with the eyes. The
prince drew them out of his pocket, and silently handed
them to the giant, who washed them well, and then put
them back in the prince's head. For three days he lay
in utter darkness ; then the light began to come back, till
soon he saw as well as ever.

But though he could not rejoice enough over the
recovery of his eyes, he bewailed bitterly the loss of his
sword, and that it should have fallen to the lot of his
bitter enemy,

* Never mind, my friend,' said the giant, ' I will get it
back for you.' And he sent for the monkey who was his
head servant.

* Tell the fox and the squirrel that they are to go with
you, and fetch me back the prince's sword,' ordered he.

The three servants set out at once, one seated on the
back of the others, the ape, who disliked walking, being
generally on top. Directly they came to the window of
the robber captain's room, the monkey sprang from the
backs of the fox and the squirrel, and climbed in.
The room was empty, and the sword hanging from a
nail. He took it down, and buckling it round his waist,

154 THE STBONG PBINCE

as he had seen the prince do, swung himself down again,
and mounting on the backs of his two companions,
hastened to his master. The giant bade him give the
sword to the prince, who girded himself with it, and
returned with all speed to the castle.

* Come out, you rascal ! come out, you villain ! ' cried
he, ' and answer to me for the wrong you have done. I
will show you w^ho is the master in this house ! '

The noise he made brought the robber into the room.
He glanced up to where the sword usually hung, but it
was gone ; and instinctively he looked at the prince's
hand, w^here he saw it gleaming brightly. In his turn he
fell on his knees to beg for mercy, but it was too late.
x\s he had done to the prince, so the prince did to him, and,
blinded, he was thrust forth, and fell down a deep hole,
where he is to this day. His mother the prince sent
back to her father, and never w^ould see her again. x\fter
this he returned to the giant, and said to him :

* My friend, add one more kindness to those you have
already heaped on me. Give me your daughter as my
wife.'

So they were married, and the wedding feast was so
splendid that there was not a kingdom in the world that
did not hear of it. And the prince never went back to
his father's throne, but lived peacefully with his wife in
the forest, where, if they are not dead, they are living
still.

[From Ungarische Volksmdrchen.l

155

THE TBEASURE SEEKER

Once, long ago, in a little town that lay in the midst of
high hills and wild forests, a party of shepherds sat one
night in the kitchen of the inn talking over old times, and
telling of the strange things that had befallen them in
their youth.

Presently up spoke the silver-haired Father Martin.

' Comrades,' said he, * you have had wonderful adven-
tures ; but I will tell you something still more astonishing
that happened to myself. When I was a young lad I had
no home and no one to care for me, and I wandered from
village to village all over the country with my knapsack
on my back ; but as soon as I was old enough I took ser-
vice with a shepherd in the mountains, and helped him
for three years. One autumn evening as we drove the
flock homeward ten sheep were missing, and the master
bade me go and seek them in the forest. I took my dog
with me, but he could find no trace of them, though we
searched among the bushes till night fell ; and then, as I
did not know the country and could not find my way
home in the dark, I decided to sleep under a tree. At
midnight my dog became uneasy, and began to whine and
creep close to me with his tail between his legs ; by this
I knew that something was wrong, and, looking about, I
saw in the bright moonlight a figure standing beside me.
It seemed to be a man with shaggy hair, and a long beard
which hung down to his knees. He had a garland upon
his head, and a girdle of oak-leaves about his body, and
carried an uprooted fir-tree in his right hand. I shook

156 THE TBEASUBE SEEKER

like an aspen leaf at the sight, and my spirit quaked for
fear. The strange being beckoned with his hand that I
should follow him ; but as I did not stir from the spot he
spoke in a hoarse, grating voice : " Take courage, faint-
hearted shepherd. I am the Treasure Seeker of the
mountain. If you will come with me you shall dig up
much gold."

' Though I was still deadly cold with terror I plucked
up my courage and said : " Get away from me, evil spirit ;
I do not desire your treasures."

'At this the spectre grinned in my face and cried
mockingly :

'"Simpleton! Do you scorn your good fortune?
Well, then, remain a ragamuffin all your days."

' He turned as if to go away from me, then came back
again and said : " Bethink yourself, bethink yourself,
rogue. I will fill your knapsack — I will fill your pouch."

' " Away from me, monster," I answered, " I will have
nothing to do with you."

' When the apparition saw that I gave no heed to him
he ceased to urge me, saying only : " Some day you will
rue this," and looked at me sadly. Then he cried :
" Listen to what I say, and lay it well to heart, it may
be of use to you when you come to your senses. A vast
treasure of gold and precious stones lies in safety deep
under the earth. At twilight and at high noon it is
hidden, but at midnight it may be dug up. For seven
hundred years have I watched over it, but now my time
has come ; it is common property, let him find it who can.
So I thought to give it into your hand, having a kindness
for you because you feed your flock upon my mountain."

' Thereupon the spectre told me exactly where the
treasure lay, and how to find it. It might be only yester-
day so well do I remember every word he spoke.

' " Go towards the little mountains," said he, " and ask
there for the Black King's Valley, and when you come to
a tiny brook follow the stream till you reach the stone

SHEPHEKD AND TREASURE SEEKER

THE TBEASUBE SEEKER 159

bridge beside the saw-mill. Do not cross the bridge, but
keep to your right along the bank till a high rock stands
before you. A bow-shot from that you will discover a
little hollow like a grave. When you find this hollow
dig it out ; but it will be hard work, for the earth has
been pressed down into it wdth care. Still, work away
till you find solid rock on all sides of you, and soon you will
come to a square slab of stone ; force it out of the wall,
and you will stand at the entrance of the treasure house.
Into this opening you must crawl, holding a lamp in your
mouth. Keep your hands free lest you knock your nose
against a stone, for the way is steep and the stones sharp.
If it bruises your knees never mind ; you are on the road
to fortune. Do not rest till you reach a wide stairway,
down which you will go till you come out into a spacious
hall, in which there are three doors ; two of them stand
open, the third is fastened with locks and bolts of iron.
Do not go through the door to the right lest you disturb
the bones of the lords of the treasure. Neither must
you go through the door to the left, it leads to the snake's
chamber, where adders and serpents lodge ; but open the
fast-closed door by means of the well-known spring-root,
which you must on no account forget to take with you, or
all your trouble will be for naught, for no crowbar or
mortal tools will help you. If you want to procure the
root ask a wood-seller ; it is a common thing for hunters
to need, and it is not hard to find. If the door bursts open
suddenly with great crackings and groanings do not be
afraid, the noise is caused by the power of the magic root,
and you will not be hurt. Now trim your lamp that it may
not fail you, for you will be nearly blinded by the flash
and glitter of the gold and precious stones on the walls and
pillars of the vault ; but beware how you stretch out a
hand towards the jewels ! In the midst of the cavern
stands a copper chest, in that you will find gold and
silver, enough and to spare, and you may help yourself to
your heart's content. If you take as much as you can

160 THE TBEASURE SEEKER

carry you will have sufficient to last your lifetime, and
you may return three times ; but woe betide you if you
venture to come a fourth time. You would have your
trouble for your pains, and would be punished for your
greediness by falling down the stone steps and breaking
your leg. Do not neglect each time to heap back the
loose earth which concealed the entrance of the king's
treasure chamber."

* As the apparition left off speaking my dog pricked up
his ears and began to bark. I heard the crack of a carter's
whip and the noise of wheels in the distance, and when I
looked again the spectre had disappeared.'

So ended the shepherd's tale ; and the landlord who
was listening with the rest, said shrewdly :

' Tell us now. Father Martin, did you go to the
mountain and find what the spirit promised you ; or is it
a fable ? '

' Nay, nay,' answered the greybeard. ' I cannot tell
if the spectre lied, for never a step did I go towards find-
ing the hollow, for two reasons : — one was that my neck
was too precious for me to risk it in such a snare as
that ; the other, that no one could ever tell me where the
spring-root was to be found.'

Then Blaize, another aged shepherd, lifted up his
voice.

' 'Tis a pity. Father Martin, that your secret has grown
old with you. If you had told it forty years ago truly
you would not long have been lacking the. spring-root.
Even though you will never climb the mountain now, I
will tell you, for a joke, how it is to be found. The
easiest way to get it is by the help of a black woodpecker.
Look, in the spring, where she builds her nest in a hole in
a tree, and when the time comes for her brood to fly off
block up the entrance to the nest with a hard sod, and
lurk in ambush behind the tree till the bird returns to
feed her nestlings. When she perceives that she cannot
get into her nest she will fly round the tree uttering cries

THE TBEASUliE SEEKEB 161

of distress, and then dart oti" towards the sun-setting.
When you see her do this, take a scarlet cloak, or if that
be lacking to you, buy a few yards of scarlet cloth, and
hurry back to the tree before the woodpecker returns with
the spring- root in her l^eak. So soon as she touches
with the root the sod that blocks the nest, it will fly
violently out of the hole. Then spread the red cloth
quickly under the tree, so that the woodpecker may think
it is a fire, and in her terror drop the root. Some people
really light a fire and strew spikenard blossoms in it ; but
that is a clumsy method, for if the flames do not shoot
up at the right moment aw^ay VntIII fly the woodpecker,
carrying the root with her.'

The party had listened with interest to this speech,
but by the time it was ended the hour w^as late, and they
went their \vays homeward, leaving only one man who
had sat unheeded in a corner the w^hole evening through.

Master Peter Bloch had once been a prosperous inn-
keeper, and a master- cook ; but he had gone steadily down
in the world for some time, and was now quite poor.

Formerly he had been a merry fellow, fond of a joke,
and in the art of cooking had no equal in the town. He
could make fish-jelly, and quince fritters, and even wafer-
cakes ; and he gilded the ears of all his boars' heads.
Peter had looked about him for a wife early in life, but
unluckily his choice fell upon a woman whose evil tongue
was well known in the town. Use was hated by every-
body, and the young folks would go miles out of their way
rather than meet her, for she had some ill-word for every-
one. Therefore, w^hen Master Peter came along, and let
himself be taken in by her boasted skill as a housewife,
she jumped at his offer, and they were married the next
day. But they had not got home before they began to
quarrel. In the joy of his heart Peter had tasted freely
of his own good wine, and as the bride hung upon his
arm he stumbled and fell, dragging her down with him ;
whereupon she beat him soundly, and the neighbours said

162 THE TREASURE SEEKER

truly that things did not promise well for Master Peter's
comfort. Even when the ill-matched couple were pre-
sently blessed with children, his happiness was but short-
lived, the savage temper of his quarrelsome wife seemed
to blight them from the first, and they died like little
kids in a cold winter.

Though Master Peter had no great wealth to leave
behind him, still it was sad to him to be childless ; and
he would bemoan himself to his friends, when he laid one
baby after another in the grave, saying : ' The lightning
has been among the cherry-blossoms again, so there will
be no fruit to grow ripe.'

But, by-and-by, he had a little daughter so strong and
healthy that neither her mother's temper nor her father's
spoiling could keep her from growing up tall and beauti-
ful. Meanwhile the fortunes of the family had changed.
From his youth up, Master Peter had hated trouble ; when
he had money he spent it freely, and fed all the hungry
folk who asked him for bread. If his pockets were empty
he borrowed of his neighbours, but he always took good
care to prevent his scolding wife from finding out that he
had done so. His motto was : ' It will all come right in
the end ' ; but what it did come to was ruin for Master
Peter. He was at his wits' end to know how to earn an
honest living, for try as he might ill-luck seemed to
pursue him, and he lost one post after another, till at last
all he could do was to carry sacks of corn to the mill for
his wife, w^ho scolded him w^ell if he was slow about it,
and grudged him his portion of food.

This grieved the tender heart of his pretty daughter,
who loved him dearly, and was the comfort of his life.

Peter was thinking of her as he sat in the inn kitchen
and heard the shepherds talking about the buried trea-
sure, and for her sake he resolved to go and seek for it.
Before he rose from the landlord's arm-chair his plan
was made, and Master Peter went home more joyful
and full of hope than t^e had been for many a long

THE TREASURE SEEKEB 163

day ; but on the way he suddenly remembered that he
was not yet possessed of the magic spring-root, and
he stole into the house with a heavy heart, and threw
himself down upon his hard straw bed. He could
neither sleep nor rest ; but as soon as it was light he got
up and wrote down exactly all that w^as to be done to find
the treasure, that he might not forget anything, and when
it lay clear and plain before his eyes he comforted
himself with the thought that, though he must do the
rough work for his wife during one more winter at least,
he would not have to tread the path to the mill for the
rest of his life. Soon he heard his wdfe's harsh voice
singing its morning song as she went about her household
affairs, scolding her daughter the while. She burst open
his door while he was still dressing : ' Well, Toper ! ' w^as
her greeting, ' have you been drinking all night, wasting
money that you steal from my housekeeping? For
shame, drunkard ! '

Master Peter, who was well used to this sort of talk,
did not disturb himself, but waited till the storm blew
over, then he said calmly :

* Do not be annoyed, dear wife. I have a good piece
of business in hand w^hich may turn out well for us.'

* You with a good business ? ' cried she, ' you are good
for nothing but talk ! '

' I am making my will,' said he, ' that w^hen my hour
comes my house may be in order.'

These unexpected words cut his daughter to the heart ;
she remembered that all night long she had dreamed of a
newly dug grave, and at this thought she broke out into
loud lamentations. But her mother only cried : * Wretch !
have you not w^asted goods and possessions, and now do
you talk of making a will ? '

And she seized him like a fury, and tried to scratch
out his eyes. But by- and -by the quarrel was patched up,
and everything went on as before. From that day Peter
saved up every penny that his daughter Lucia gave him

M 2

164 THE TREASUBE SEEKER

on the sly, and bribed the boys of his acquaintance to spy
out a black woodpecker's nest for him. He sent them
into the woods and fields, but instead of looking for a
nest they only played pranks on him. They led him
miles over hill and vale, stock and stone, to find a raven's
brood, or a nest of squirrels in a hollow tree, and when he
was angry with them they laughed in his face and ran
away. This went on for some time, but at last one
of the boys spied out a woodpecker in the meadow-lands
among the wood-pigeons, and when he had found her
nest in a half-dead alder tree, came running to Peter with
the new^s of his discovery. Peter could hardly believe his
good fortune, and went quickly to see for himself if it was
really true ; and when he reached the tree there certainly
was a bird flying in and out as if she had a nest in it.
Peter was overjoyed at this fortunate discovery, and
instantly set himself to obtain a red cloak. Now in the
whole tow^n there was only one red cloak, and that
belonged to a man of whom nobody ever willingly asked
a favour — Master Hammerling the hangman. It cost
Master Peter many struggles before he could bring him-
self to visit such a person, but there was no help for it,
and, little as he liked it, he ended by making his request
to the hangman, who was flattered that so respectable a
man as Peter should borrow his robe of office, and
willingly lent it to him.

Peter now had all that was necessary to secure the
magic root ; he stopped up the entrance to the nest, and
everything fell out exactly as Blaize had foretold. As
soon as the woodpecker came back with the root in her
beak out rushed Master Peter from behind the tree and
displayed the fiery red cloak so adroitly that the terrified
bird dropped the root just where it could be easily seen.
All Peter's plans had succeeded, and he actually held in
his hand the magic root — that master-key which would
unlock all doors, and bring its possessor unheard-of luck.
His thoughts now turned to the mountain, and he secretly

THE TREASURE SEEKER 165

made preparations for his journey. He took with him
only a staff, a strong sack, and a little box which his
daughter Lucia had given him.

It happened that on the very day Peter had chosen
for setting out, Lucia and her mother w^ent off early
to the town, leaving him to guard the house ; but in spite
of that he was on the point of taking his departure
when it occurred to him that it might be as well first to
test the much-vaunted powers of the magic root for
himself. Dame Use had a strong cupboard with seven
locks built into the w^all of her room, in which she kept
all the money she had saved, and she wore the key of it
always hung about her neck. Master Peter had no
control at all of the money affairs of the household, so
the contents of this secret hoard were quite unknown to
him, and this seemed to be a good opportunity for finding
out what they were. He held the magic root to the key-
hole, and to his astonishment heard all the seven locks
creaking and turning, the door flew suddenly wide open,
and his greedy wife's store of gold pieces lay before his
eyes. He stood still in sheer amazement, not knowing
which to rejoice over most — this unexpected find, or the
proof of the magic root's real power ; but at last he
remembered that it was quite time to be starting on his
journey. So, filling his pockets with the gold, he carefully
locked the empty cupboard again and left the house with-
out further delay. When Dame Use and her daughter
returned they wondered to find the house door shut, and
Master Peter nowhere to be . seen. They knocked and
called, but nothing stirred within but the house cat, and
at last the blacksmith had to be fetched to open the door.
Then the house was searched from garret to cellar, but
no Master Peter was to be found.

' Who knows ? ' cried Dame Use at last, ' the wretch
may have been idling in some tavern since early
morning.'

Then a sudden thought startled her, and she felt for

166 THE TREASURE SEEKER

her keys. Suppose they had fallen into her good-for-
nothing husband's hands and he had helped himself to
her treasure ! But no, the keys were safe in their usual
place, and the cupboard looked quite untouched. Mid-day
came, then evening, then midnight, and still no Master
Peter appeared, and the matter became really serious.
Dame Use knew right well what a torment she had been
to her husband, and remorse caused her the gloomiest
forebodings.

' Ah ! Lucia,' she cried, ' I greatly fear that your
father has done himself a mischief.' And they sat till
morning weeping over their own fancies.

As soon as it was light they searched every corner of
the house again, and examined every nail in the wall and
every beam ; but, luckily, Master Peter was not hanging
from any of them. After that the neighbours went out
with long poles to fish in every ditch and pond, but they
found nothing, and then Dame Use gave up the idea of
ever seeing her husband again and very soon consoled
herself, only wondering how the sacks of corn were to
be carried to the mill in future. She decided to buy a
strong ass to do the work, and having chosen one, and after
some bargaining with the owner as to its price, she went
to the cupboard in the wall to fetch the money. But what
were her feelings when she perceived that every shelf lay
empty and bare before her! For a moment she stood
bewildered, then broke into such frightful ravings that
Lucia ran to her in alarm ; but as soon as she heard of
the disappearance of the money she was heartily glad,
and no longer feared that her father had come to any
harm, but understood that he must have gone out into the
world to seek his fortune in some new way.

About a month after this, someone knocked at Dame
Use's door one day, and she went to see if it was a
customer for meal ; but in stepped a handsome young man,
dressed like a duke's son, who greeted her respectfully, and
asked after her pretty daughter as if he were an old friend,

'THE TBEASUBE SEEKEB 167

though she could not remember having ever set eyes
upon him before.

However, she invited him to step into the house and
be seated while he unfolded his business. With a great
air of mystery he begged permission to speak to the fair
Lucia, of whose skill in needlework he had heard so much,
as he had a commission to give her. Dame Use had her
own opinion as to what kind of commission it was likely
to be — brought by a young stranger to a pretty maiden ;
however, as the meeting would be under her own eye, she
made no objection, but called to her industrious daughter,
who left off working and came obediently ; but when she
saw the stranger she stopped short, blushing, and casting
down her eyes. He looked at her fondly, and took her
hand, which she tried to draw away, crying :

' i\h ! Friedlin, why are you here ? I thought you
were a hundred miles away. Are you come to grieve me
again ? '

* No, dearest girl,' answered he ; 'I am come to
complete your happiness and my own. Since we last
met my fortune has utterly changed ; I am no longer
the poor vagabond that I was then. My rich uncle has
died, leaving me money and goods in plenty, so that I
dare to present myself to your mother as a suitor for
your hand. That I love you I know well ; if you can love
me I am indeed a happy man.'

Lucia's pretty blue eyes had looked up shyly as he
spoke, and now a smile parted her rosy lips ; and she stole
a glance at her mother to see what she thought about it
all ; but the dame stood lost in amazement to find that her
daughter, whom she could have declared had never been
out of her sight, was already well acquainted with the
handsome stranger, and quite willing to be his bride.
Before she had done staring, this hasty wooer had
smoothed his way by covering the shining table with gold
pieces as a wedding gift to the bride's mother, and had
filled Lucia's apron into the bargain ; after which the

163 TEE TREASURE SEEKER

dame made no difficulties, and the matter \\^as speedily
settled.

While Use gathered up the gold and hid it away
safely, the lovers whispered together, and what Friedlin
told her seemed to make Lucia every moment more happy
and contented.

Now a great hurly-burly began in the house, and pre-
parations for the wedding went on apace. A few days
later a heavily laden waggon drove up, and out of it came
so many boxes and bales that Dame Use was lost in
wonder at the wealth of her future son-in-law. The day
for the wedding was chosen, and all their friends and
neighbours were bidden to the feast. As Lucia w^as
trying on her bridal wreath she said to her mother : * This
wedding-garland would please me indeed if father Peter
could lead me to the church. If only he could come
back again ! Here we are rolling in riches while he may
be nibbling at hunger's table.' And the very idea of such
a thing made her weep, while even Dame Use said :

' I should not be sorry myself to see him come back —
there is always something lacking in a house when the
good man is away.'

But the fact was that she was growing quite tired of
having no one to scold. And what do you think hap-
pened ?

On the very eve of the wedding a man pushing a
wheelbarrow arrived at the city gate, and paid toll upon a
barrel of nails which it contained, and then made the best
of his way to the bride's dwelling and knocked at the
door.

The bride herself peeped out of the window to see who
it could be, and there stood father Peter ! Then there
was great rejoicing in the house ; Lucia ran to embrace
him, and even Dame Use held out her hand in welcome,
and only said : ' Eogue, mend your ways,' when she
remembered the empty treasure cupboard. Father Peter
greeted the bridegroom, looking at him shrewdly, while

TEE TREASURE SEEKER 169

the mother and daughter hastened to say all they knew in
his favour, and appeared to he satisfied with him as a
son-in-law. When Dame Use had set something to eat
before her husband, she was curious to hear his adven-
tures, and questioned him eagerly as to why he had gone
away.

* God bless my native place,' said he. ' I have been
marching through the country, and have tried every kind
of w^ork, but now I have found a job in the iron trade ;
only, so far, I have put more into it than I have earned
by it. This barrel of nails is my v>^hole fortune, which
I wish to give as my contribution towards the bride's
house furnishing.'

This speech roused Dame Use to anger, and she broke
out into such shrill reproaches that the bystanders were
fairly deafened, and Friedlin hastily offered Master Peter
a home with Lucia and himself, promising that he should
live in comfort, and be always welcome. So Lucia had
her heart's desire, and father Peter led her to the church
next day, and the marriage took place very happily.
Soon afterwards the young people settled in a line house
which Friedlin had bought, and had a garden and
meadows, a fishpond, and a hill covered with vines, and
were as happy as the day w^as long. Father Peter also
stayed quietly with them, living, as everybody believed,
upon the generosity of his rich son-in law. No one
suspected that his barrel of nails was the real ' Horn of
Plenty,' from which all this prosperity overflowed.

Peter had made the journey to the treasure mountain
successfully, without being found out by anybody. He
had enjoyed himself by the way, and taken his own time,
until he actually reached the little brook in the valley
which it had cost him some trouble to find. Then he
pressed on eagerly, and soon came to the little hollow in
the wood ; down he went, burrowing like a mole into the
earth ; the magic root did its w^ork, and at last the treasure
lay before his eyes. You may imagine how gaily Peter

170 THE TREASURE SEEKER

filled his sack with as much gold as he could carry, and
how he staggered up the seventy-seven steps with a heart
full of hope and delight. He did not quite trust the
gnome's promises of safety, and was in such haste to find
himself once more in the light of day that he looked
neither to the right nor the left, and could not afterwards
remember whether the walls and pillars had sparkled
with jewels or not.

However, all went well — he neither saw nor heard
anything alarming ; the only thing that happened was that
the great iron -barred door shut with a crash as soon as
he was fairly outside it, and then he remembered that he
had left the magic root behind him, so he could not go
back for another load of treasure. But even that did not
trouble Peter much ; he was quite satisfied with what
he had already. After he had faithfully done everything
according to Father Martin's instructions, and pressed
the earth well back into the hollow, he sat down to con-
sider how he could bring his treasure back to his native
place, and enjoy it there, without being forced to share it
with his scolding wife, who would give him no peace if
she once found out about it. At last, after much think-
ing, he hit upon a plan. He carried his sack to the
nearest village, and there bought a w^heelbarrow, a strong
barrel, and a quantity of nails. Then he packed his gold
into the barrel, covered it well with a layer of nails,
hoisted it on to the wheelbarrow with some difficulty, and
set off with it upon his homeward way. At one place
upon the road he met a handsome young man who seemed
by his downcast air to be in some great trouble. Father
Peter, who wished everybody to be as happy as he was
himself, greeted him cheerfully, and asked where he was
going, to which he answered sadly :

' Into the wide world, good father, or out of it, where-
ever my feet may chance to carry me.'

' Why out of it ? ' said Peter. ' What has the world
been doing to you ? '

THE TREASUBE SEEKER 171

' It has done nothing to me, nor I to it,' he rex^Hed.
* Nevertheless there is not anything left in it for me.'

Father Peter did his best to cheer the young man up,
and invited him to sup with him at the first inn they
came to, thinking that perhaps hunger and poverty were
causing the stranger's trouble. But when good food was
set before him he seemed to forget to eat. So Peter per-
ceived that what ailed his guest was sorrow of heart, and
asked him kindly to tell him his story.

' Where is the good, father ? ' said he. ' You can give
me neither help nor comfort.'

* Who knows ? ' answered Master Peter. 'I might be
able to do something for you. Often enough in life help
comes to us from the most unexpected quarter.'

The young man, thus encouraged, began his tale.

' I am,' said he, ' a crossbow-man in the service of a
noble count, in whose castle I was brought up. Not long
ago my master went on a journey, and brought back with
him, amongst other treasures, the portrait of a fair maiden
so sweet and lovely that I lost my heart at first sight of
it, and could think of nothing but how I might seek her
out and marry her. The count had told me her name,
and where she lived, but laughed at my love, and abso-
lutely refused to give me leave to go in search of her, so I
was forced to run away from the castle by night. I soon
reached the little town where the maiden dwelt ; but
there fresh difficulties awaited me. She lived under the
care of her mother, who was so severe that she was never
allowed to look out of the window, or set her foot outside
the door alone, and how to make friends with her I did
not know. But at last I dressed myself as an old woman,
and knocked boldly at her door. The lovely maiden her-
self opened it, and so charmed me that I came near for-
getting my disguise ; but I soon recovered my wits, and
begged her to work a fine table-cloth for me, for she is
reported to l)e the l)est needlewoman in all the country
round. Now I was free to go and see her often under the

172 THE TBEASUBE SEEKEB

pretence of seeing how the work was going on, and one
day, when her mother had gone to the town, I ventured
to throw^ off my disguise, and tell her of my love. She
was startled at first ; but I persuaded her to listen to me,
and I soon saw that I was not displeasing to her, though
she scolded me gently for my disobedience to my master,
and my deceit in disguising myself. But when I begged
her to marry me, she told me sadly that her mother would
scorn a penniless wooer, and implored me to go away at
once, lest trouble should fall upon her.

* Bitter as it was to me, I was forced to go when she
bade me, and I have wandered about ever since, with grief
gnawing at my heart ; for how can a masterless man,
without money or goods, ever hope to win the lovely
Lucia ? '

Master Peter, who had been listening attentively,
pricked up his ears at the sound of his daughter's name,
and very soon found out that it was indeed with her that
this young man was so deeply in love.

* Your story is strange indeed,' said he. * But where
is the father of this maiden — why do you not ask him
for her hand? He might well take your part, and be
glad to have you for his son-in-law.'

' Alas ! ' said the young man, ' her father is a wander-
ing good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and
gone off — who knows where ? The wife complains of him
liitterly enough, and scolds my dear maiden when she
takes her father's part.'

Father Peter was somewhat amused by this speech ;
but he liked the young man well, and saw that he w^as
the very person he needed to enable him to enjoy his
wealth in peace, without being separated from his dear
daughter.

' If you will take my advice,' said he, ' I promise you
that you shall marry this maiden whom you love so much,
and that before you are many days older.'

' Comrade,' cried Friedlin indignantly, for he thought

THE T BE AS U HE SEEKER 173

Peter did but jest with him, ' it is ill done to mock at an
unhappy man ; you had better find someone else who will
let himself be taken in with your fine promises.' And up
he sprang, and was going off hastily, when Master Peter
caught him by the arm.

' Stay, hothead ! ' he cried ; ' it is no jest, and I am
prepared to make good my words.'

Thereupon he showed him the treasure hidden under
the nails, and unfolded to him his plan, which was that
Friedlin should play the part of the rich son-in-law, and
keep a still tongue, that they might enjoy their wealth
together in peace.

The young man was overjoyed at this sudden change
in his fortunes, and did not know how to thank father
Peter for his generosity. They took the road again at
dawn the next morning, and soon reached a town, where
Friedlin equipped himself as a gallant wooer should.
Father Peter filled his pockets with gold for the wedding
dowry, and agreed with him that when all was settled he
should secretly send him word that Peter might send off
the waggon load of house plenishings with which the
rich bridegroom was to make such a stir in the little town
where the bride lived. As they parted, father Peter's
last commands to Friedlin were to guard well their secret,
and not even to tell it to Lucia till she was his wife.

Master Peter long enjoyed the profits of his journey
to the mountain, and no rumour of it ever got abroad. In
his old age his prosperity was so great that he himself
did not know how rich he was ; but it was always sup-
posed that the money was Friedlin' s. He and his beloved
wife lived in the greatest happiness and peace, and rose
to great honour in the town. And to this day, when the
citizens wish to describe a wealthy man, they say : * As
rich as Peter Bloch's son-in-law ! '

174

THE COTTAGER AND HIS CAT

Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife
in a dirty, tumble-down cottage, not very far from the
splendid palace where the king and queen dwelt. In
spite of the wretched state of the hut, which many people
declared was too bad even for a pig to live in, the old
man was very rich, for he was a great miser, and lucky
besides, and would often go without food all day sooner
than change one of his beloved gold pieces.

But after a while he found that he had starved himself
once too often. He fell ill, and had no strength to get
w^ell again, and in a few days he died, leaving his wife
and one son behind him.

The night following his death, the son dreamed that
an unknown man appeared to him and said : ' Listen to
me ; your father is dead and your mother will soon die,
and all their riches will belong to you. Half of his wealth
is ill-gotten, and this you must give back to the poor from
whom he squeezed it. The other half you must throw
into the sea. Watch, however, as the money sinks into
the w^ater, and if anything should swim, catch it and keep
it, even if it is nothing more than a bit of paper.'

Then the man vanished, and the youth awoke.

The remembrance of his dream troubled him greatly.
He did not want to part wdth the riches that his father had
left him, for he had known all his life what it was to be
cold and hungry, and now he had hoped for a little com-
fort and pleasure. Still, he was honest and good-hearted,
and if his father had come wrongfully by his wealth he

THE COTTAGEB AND HIS CAT 175

felt he could never enjoy it, and at last he made up his
mind to do as he had been bidden. He found out who
were the people who were poorest in the village, and spent
half of his money in helping them, and the other half he
put in his pocket. From a rock that jutted right out
into the sea he flung it in. In a moment it was out of
sight, and no man could have told the spot where it had
sunk, except for a tiny scrap of paper floating on the
water. He stretched down carefully and managed to
reach it, and on opening it found six shillings wrapped
inside. This was now all the money he had in the
world.

The young man stood and looked at it thoughtfully.
' Well, I can't do much with this,' he said to himself ; but,
after all, six shillings were better than nothing, and he
wrapped them up again and slipped them into his coat.

He worked in his garden for the next few wrecks, and
he and his mother contrived to live on the fruit and
vegetables he got out of it, and then she too died suddenly.
The poor fellow^ felt very sad when he had laid her in
her grave, and with a heavy heart he wandered into the
forest, not knowing where he was going. By-and-by he
began to get hungry, and seeing a small hut in front of
him, he knocked at the door and asked if they could give
him some milk. The old woman who opened it begged
him to come in, adding kindly, that if he wanted a night's
lodging he might have it without its costing him anything.

Tw^o women and three men were at supper when he
entered, and silently made room for him to sit down by
them. When he had eaten he began to look about him,
and was surprised to see an animal sitting by the fire
different from anything he had ever noticed before. It
was grey in colour, and not very big ; but its eyes were
large and very bright, and it seemed to be singing in an
odd way, quite unlike any animal in the forest. ' What
is the name of that strange little creature?' asked he.
And they answered, ' We call it a cat.'

176 THE COTTAGER AND HIS CAT

'I should like to buy it— if it is not too dear,' said the
young man ; ' it would be company for me.' And they told
him that he might have it for six shillings, if he cared to
give so much. The young man took out his precious bit
of paper, handed them the six shillings, and the next
morning bade them farewell, with the cat lying snugly in
his cloak.

For the whole day they wandered through meadows
and forests, till in the evening they reached a house.
The young fellow knocked at the door and asked the old
man who opened it if he could rest there that night,
adding that he had no money to pay for it. ' Then I
must give it to you,' answered the man, and led him into
a room where two women and two men were sitting at
supper. One of the women was the old man's wife, the
other his daughter. He placed the cat on the mantel-
shelf, and they all crowded round to examine this strange
beast, and the cat rubbed itself against them, and held
out its paw, and sang to them ; and the women were de-
lighted, and gave it everything that a cat could eat, and a
great deal more besides.

After hearing the youth's story, and how he had
nothing in the world left him except his cat, the old man
advised him to go to the palace, which was only a few
miles distant, and take counsel of the king, who was kind
to everyone, and would certainly be his friend. The
young man thanked him, and said he would gladly take
his advice ; and early next morning he set out for the royal
palace.

He sent a message to the king to beg for an audience,
and received a reply that he was to go into the great hall,
where he would find his Majesty.

The king was at dinner with his court when the young
man entered, and he signed to him to come near. The youth
bowed low, and then gazed in surprise at the crowd of
little black creatures who were running about the floor,
and even on the table itself. Indeed, they were so bold

THE COTTAGER AND HIS GAT 177

that they snatched pieces of food from the King's own
plate, and if he drove them away, tried to hite his hands,
so that he could not eat his food, and his com'tiers fared
no better.

' What sort of animals are these ? ' asked the youth of
one of the ladies sitting near him.

* They are called rats,' answered the king, who had
overheard the question, * and for years we have tried some
way of putting an end to them, but it is impossible. They
come into our very beds.'

At this moment something was seen flying through
the air. The cat was on the table, and with two or three
shakes a number of rats were lying dead round him.
Then a great scuffling of feet was heard, and in a few
minutes the hall was clear.

For some minutes the King and his courtiers only
looked at each other in astonishment. 'What kind of
animal is that which can work magic of this sort ? ' asked
he. And the young man told him that it was called a cat,
and that he had bought it for six shillings.

And the King answered : ' Because of the luck you have
brought me, in freeing my palace from the plague which
has tormented me for many years, I will give you the
choice of two things. Either you shall be my Prime
Minister, or else you shall marry my daughter and reign
after me. Say, which shall it be ? '

' The princess and the kingdom,' said the young man.

And so it was.

[From hlundische Marohen.']

178

THE PBINCE WHO WOULD SEEK
IMMOBTALITY

Once upon a time, in the very middle of the middle of
a large kingdom, there was a town, and in the town a
palace, and in the palace a king. This king had one son
whom his father thought was wiser and cleverer than any
son ever was before, and indeed his father had spared no
pains to make him so. He had been very careful in choosing
his tutors and governors when he was a boy, and when
he became a youth he sent him to travel, so that he
might see the ways of other people, and find that they
were often as good as his own.

It was now a year since the prince had returned
home, for his father felt that it was time that his son
should learn how to rule the kingdom which would one
day be his. But during his long absence the prince
seemed to have changed his character altogether. From
being a merry and light-hearted boy, he had grown into
a gloomy and thoughtful man. The king knew of
nothing that could have produced such an alteration.
He vexed himself about it from morning till night, till at
length an explanation occurred to him — the young man
was in love !

Now the prince never talked about his feelings — for
the matter of that he scarcely talked at all ; and the
father knew that if he was to come to the bottom of the
prince's dismal face, he would have to begin. So one
day, after dinner, he took his son by the arm and led him

THE PRINCE SEEKS IMMORTALITY 179

into another room, hung entirely with tlie pictures of
beautiful maidens, each one more lovely than the other.

' My dear boy,' he said, ' you are very sad ; perhaps
after all your v^anderings it is dull for you here all alone
v^ith me. It would be much better if you would marry,
and I have collected here the portraits of the most
beautiful women in the world of a rank equal to your
own. Choose which among them you would like for a
wife, and I will send an embassy to her father to ask for
her hand.'

' Alas ! your Majesty,' answered the prince, * it is not
love or marriage that makes me so gloomy; but the
thought, which haunts me day and night, that all men,
even kings, must die. Never shall I be happy again till
I have found a kingdom where death is unknown. And
I have determined to give myself no rest till I have dis-
covered the Land of Immortality.

The old king heard him with dismay ; things were
worse than he thought. He tried to reason with his son,
and told him that during all these years he had been
looking forward to his return, in order to resign his
throne and its cares, which pressed so heavily upon him.
But it was in vain that he talked ; the prince would
listen to nothing, and the following morning buckled on
his sword and set forth on his journey.

He had been travelling for many days, and had left
his fatherland behind him, when close to the road he
came upon a huge tree, and on its topmost bough an
eagle was sitting shaking the branches with all his might.
This seemed so strange and so unlike an eagle, that the
prince stood still with surprise, and the bird saw^ him and
flew to the ground. The moment its feet touched the
ground he changed into a king.

* Why do you look so astonished ? ' he asked.

' I was wondering why you shook the boughs so
fiercely,' answered the prince.

' I am condemned to do this, for neither I nor any of

180 THE PRINCE SEEKS IMMORTALITY

my kindred can die till I have rooted up this great tree,'
replied the king of the eagles. ' But it is now evening,
and I need work no more to-day. Come to my house
with me, and be my guest for the night.'

The prince accepted gratefully the eagle's invitation,
for he was tired and hungry. They were received at the
palace by the king's beautiful daughter, who gave orders
that dinner should be laid for them at once. While they
were eating, the eagle questioned his guest about his
travels, and if he was wandering for pleasure's sake, or
with any special aim. Then the prince told him every-
thing, and how he could never turn back till he had
discovered the Land of Immortality.

* Dear brother,' said the eagle, ' you have discovered it
already, and it rejoices my heart to think that you will
stay with us. Have you not just heard me say that
death has no power either over myself or any of my
kindred till that great tree is rooted up ? It will take me
six hundred years' hard work to do that ; so marry my
daughter and let us all live happily together here. After
all, six hundred years is an eternity ! '

' Ah, dear king,' replied the young man, * your offer
is very tempting ! But at the end of six hundred years we
should have to die, so we should be no better off ! No, I
must go on till I find the country where there is no death
at all.'

Then the princess spoke, and tried to persuade the guest
to change his mind, but he sorrowfully shook his head. At
length, seeing that his resolution was firmly fixed, she
took from a cabinet a little box which contained her
picture, and gave it to him saying :

* As you will not stay with us, prince, accept this box,
which will sometimes recall us to your memory. If you
are tired of travelling before you come to the Land of
Immortality, open this box and look at my picture, and
you will be borne along either on earth or in the air,
quick as thought, or swift as the whirlwind,'

THE PBINCE SEEKS IMMORTALITY 181

The prince thanked her for her gift, which he placed
in his tunic, and sorrowfully bade the eagle and his
daughter farewell.

Never was any present in the world as useful as that

182 THE P BINGE SEEKS IMMORTALITY

little box, and many times did he bless the kind thought
of the princess. One evening it had carried him to the
top of a high mountain, where he saw a man with a bald
head, busily engaged in digging up spadefuls of earth and
throwing them in a basket. When the basket was full he
took it away and returned with an empty one, which he
likewise filled. The prince stood and watched him for a
little, till the bald-headed man looked up and said to him :
' Dear brother, w^hat surprises you so much ? '

* I was wondering why you were filling the basket,'
replied the prince.

' Oh ! ' replied the man, ' I am condemned to do this,
for neither I nor any of my family can die till I have dug
away the whole of this mountain and made it level with
the plain. But, come, it is almost dark, and I shall work
no longer.' And he plucked a leaf from a tree close by,
and from a rough digger he was changed into a stately
bald-headed king. ' Come home with me,' he added ; * you
must be tired and hungry, and my daughter will have
supper ready for us.' The prince accepted gladly, and
they went back to the palace, where the bald-headed
king's daughter, who was still more beautiful than the
other princess, welcomed them at the door and led the
way into a large hall and to a table covered with silver
dishes. While they were eating, the bald-headed king
asked the prince how he had happened to wander so far,
and the young man told him all about it, and how he was
seeking the Land of Immortality. ' You have found it
already,' answered the king, ' for, as I said, neither I nor
my family can die till I have levelled this great mountain ;
and that will take full eight hundred years longer. Stay
here with us and marry my daughter. Eight hundred
years is surely long enough to live.'

* Oh, certainly,' answered the prince ; ' but, all the same,
I would rather go and seek the land where there is no
death at all.'

So next morning he bade them farewell, though the

THE PBINCE SEEKS UIMOBTALITY 183

princess begged him to stay with all her might ; and
when she found that she could not persuade him she gave
him as a remembrance a gold ring. This ring was still
more useful than the box, because when one wished one-
self at any place one was there directly, without even
the trouble of flying to it through the air. The prince
put it on his finger, and thanking her heartily, went his
way.

He walked on for some distance, and then he recollected
the ring and thought he would try if the princess had
spoken truly as to its powers. * I wish I was at the end
of the world,' he said, shutting his eyes, and when he
opened them he was standing in a street full of marble
palaces. The men who passed him were tall and strong,
and their clothes were magnificent. He stopped some of
them and asked in all the twenty-seven languages he
knew what was the name of the city, but no one answered
him. Then his heart sank within him ; what should he
do in this strange place if nobody could understand any-
thing ? he said. Suddenly his eyes fell upon a man dressed
after the fashion of his native country, and he ran up to
him and spoke to him in his own tongue. ' What city is
this, my friend ? ' he inquired.

* It is the capital city of the Blue Kingdom,' replied
the man, ' but the king himself is dead, and his daughter
is now the ruler.'

With this news the prince was satisfied, and begged
his countryman to show him the way to the young
queen's palace. The man led him through several streets
into a large square, one side of which was occupied by a
splendid building that seemed borne up on slender pillars
of soft green marble. In front was a flight of steps, and
on these the queen was sitting wrapped in a veil of
shining silver mist, listening to the complaints of her
people and dealing out justice. When the prince came
up she saw directly that he was no ordinary man, and
telling her chamberlain to dismiss the rest of her petitioners

184 THE PRINCE SEEKS IMMOBTALITY

for that day, she signed to the prince to follow her into
the palace. Luckily she had been taught his language as
a child, so they had no difficulty in talking together.

The prince told all his story and how he was journey-
ing in search of the Land of Immortahty. When he had
finished, the princess, w^ho had listened attentively, rose,
and taking his arm, led him to the door of another room,
the floor of which was made entirely of needles, stuck so
close together that there was not room for a single needle
more.

' Prince^,*^ she said, turning to him, ' you see these
needles ? Well, know that neither I nor any of my
family can die till I have worn out these needles in
sewing. It will take at least a thousand years for that.
Stay here, and share my throne ; a thousand years is long
enough to live ! '

'Certainly,' answered he; 'still, at the end of the
thousand years I should have to die ! No, I must find
the land where there is no death.'

The queen did all she could to persuade him to stay,
but as her words proved useless,' at length she gave it up.
Then she said to him: ' As you will not stay, take this
little golden rod as a remembrance of me. It has the
power to become anything you wish it to be, when you
are in need.'

So the prince thanked her, and putting the rod in his
pocket, went his way.

Scarcely had he left the town behind him when he
came to a broad river which no man might pass, for he
was standing at the end of the world, and this was the
river which flowed round it. Not knowing what to do
next, he walked a little distance up the bank, and there,
over his head, a beautiful city was floating in the air.
He longed to get to it, but how ? neither road nor bridge
Vv^as anywhere to be seen, yet the city drew him upwards,
and he felt that here at last was the country which he
sought. Suddenly he remembered the golden rod which

THE PBINCE SEEKS IMMORTALITY 187

the mist-veiled queen had given him. With a beating
heart he flung it to the ground, wishing with all his
might that it should turn into a bridge, and fearing that,
after all, this might prove beyond its powder. But no,
instead of the rod, there stood a golden ladder, leading
straight up to the city of the air. He was about to enter
the golden gates, when there sprang at him a wondrous
beast, whose like he had never seen. ' Out sw^ord from
the sheath,' cried the prince, springing back w^ith a cry.
And the sword leapt from the scabbard and cut off some
of the monster's heads, but others grew again directly, so
that the prince, pale with terror, stood where he was,
calling for help, and put his sword back in the sheath
again.

The queen of the city heard the noise and looked from
her window to see what w^as happening. Summoning
one of her servants, she bade him go and rescue the
stranger, and bring him to her. The prince thankfully
obeyed her orders, and entered her presence.

The moment she looked at him, the queen also felt
that he was no ordinary man, and she welcomed him
graciously, and asked him what had brought him to the
city. In answer the prince told all his story, and how
he had travelled long and far in search of the Land of
Immortality.

' You have found it,' said she, ' for I am queen over
life and over death. Here you can dwell among the
immortals.'

A thousand years had passed since the prince first
entered the city, but they had flown so fast that the time
seemed no more than six months. There had not been
one instant of the thousand years that the prince was not
happy till one night when he dreamed of his father and
mother. Then the longing for his home came upon him
with a rush, and in the morning he told the Queen of
the Immortals that he must go and see his .father and

188 THE PBINGE SEEKS IMMOBTALITY

mother once more. The queen stared at him with amaze-
ment, and cried : ' Why, prince, are you out of your
senses ? It is more than eight hundred years since your
father and mother died ! There will not even be their
dust remaining.'

■'I must go all the same,' said he.

' Well, do not be in a hurry,' continued the queen,
understanding that he would not be prevented. * Wait
till I make some preparations for your journey.' So she
unlocked her great treasure chest, and took out two
beautiful flasks, one of gold and one of silver, which she
hung round his neck. Then she showed him a little
trap -door in one corner of the room, and said : * Fill the
silver flask with this water, which is below the trap-door.
It is enchanted, and whoever you sprinkle with the water
will become a dead man at once, even if he had lived a
thousand years. The golden flask you must fill with the
water here,' she added, pointing to a well in another
corner. ' It springs from the rock of eternity ; you
have only to sprinkle a few drops on a body and it
will come to life again, if it had been a thousand years
dead.'

The prince thanked the queen for her gifts, and, bid-
ding her farewell, went on his journey.

He soon arrived in the town where the mist-veiled
queen reigned in her palace, but the whole city had
changed, and he could scarcely find his way through the
streets. In the palace itself all was still, and he wandered
through the rooms without meeting anyone to stop him.
At last he entered the queen's own chamber, and there
she lay, with her embroidery still in her hands, fast
asleep. He pulled at her dress, but she did not waken.
Then a dreadful idea came over him, and he I'an to the
chamber where the needles had been kept, but it was
quite empty. The queen had broken the last over the
work she held in her hand, and with it the spell was
broken too, and she lay dead.

THE PEINCE SEEKS IMMOETALITY 189

Quick as thought the prince pulled out the golden
flask, and sprinkled some drops of the water over the
queen. In a moment she moved gently, and raising her
head, opened her eyes.

* Oh, my dear friend, I am so glad you wakened me ;
I must have slept a long while ! '

'You would have slept till eternity,' answered the
prince, ' if I had not been here to waken you.'

At these words the queen remembered about the
needles. She knew now that she had been dead, and that
the prince had restored her to life. She gave him thanks
from her heart for what he had done, and vowed she
would repay him if she ever got a chance.

The prince took his leave, and set out for the country
of the bald-headed king. As he drew near the place he
saw that the whole mountain had been dug away, and
that the king was lying dead on the ground, his spade
and bucket beside him. But as soon as the water from
the golden flask touched him he yawned and stretched
himself, and slowly rose to his feet. ' Oh, my dear friend,
I am so glad to see you,' cried he, ' I must have slept a
long while ! '

* You would have slept till eternity if I had not been
here to waken you,' answered the prince. And the king
remembered the mountain, and the spell, and vowed to
repay the service if he ever had a chance.

Further along the road which led to his old home the
prince found the great tree torn up by its roots, and the
king of the eagles sitting dead on the ground, with his
wings outspread as if for flight. A flutter ran through
the feathers as the drops of water fell on them, and the
eagle lifted his beak from the ground and said : ' Oh, how
long I must have slept ! How can 1 thank you for
having awakened me, my dear, good friend ! '

' You vv'ould have slept till eternity if I had not been
here to waken you ' ; answered the prince. Then the
kini^ remembered about the tree, and knew that he had

190 THE PBINCE SEEKS IMMOBTALITY

been dead, and promised, if ever he had the chance, to
repay what the prince had done for him.

At last he reached the capital of his father's kingdom,
but on reaching the place where the royal palace had
stood, instead of the marble galleries where he used
to play, there lay a great sulphur lake, its blue flames
darting into the air. How was he to find his father and
mother, and bring them back to life, if they were lying at
the bottom of that horrible water? He turned away
sadly and wandered back into the streets, hardly knowing
where he was going ; when a voice behind him cried :
' Stop, prince, I have caught you at last ! It is a thousand
years since I first began to seek you.' And there beside him
stood the old, white-bearded, figure of Death. Swiftly he
drew the ring from his finger, and the king of the eagles,
the bald-headed king, and the mist-veiled queen, hastened
to his rescue. In an instant they had seized upon Death
and held him tight, till the prince should have time to
reach the Land of Immortality. But they did not know
how quickly Death could fly, and the prince had only one
foot across the border, when he felt the other grasped
from behind, and the voice of Death calling : ' Halt ! now
you are mine.'

The Queen of the Immortals was watching from her
window, and cried to Death that he had no power in her
kingdom, and that he must seek his prey elsewhere.

' Quite true,' answered Death ; * but his foot is in my
kingdom, and that belongs to me ! '

' At any rate half of him is mine,' replied the Queen,
' and what good can the other half do you ? Half a man
is no use, either to you or to me ! But this once I will
allow you to cross into my kingdom, and we will decide
by a wager whose he is.'

And so it was settled. Death stepped across the
narrow line that surrounds the Land of Immortality, and
the queen proposed the wager which was to decide the
prince's fate. * I will throw him up into the sky,' she said,

THE PBINGE SEEKS IMMORTALITY 191

' right to the back of the morning star, and if he falls
down into this city, then he is mine. But if he should
fall outside the walls, he shall belong to you.'

In the middle of the city was a great open square, and
here the queen wished the wager to take place. When all
was ready, she put her foot under the foot of the prince
and swung him into the air. Up, up, he went, high
amongst the stars, and no man's eyes could follow him.
Had she thrown him up straight ? the queen wondered
anxiously, for, if not, he would fall outside the walls, and
she would lose him for ever. The moments seemed long
while she and Death stood gazing up into the air, waiting
to know whose prize the prince would be. Suddenly
they both caught sight of a tiny speck no bigger than a
wasp, right up in the blue. Was he coming straight ?
No ! Yes ! But as he was nearing the city, a light wind
sprang up, and swayed him in the direction of the wall.
Another second and he would have fallen half over it,
when the queen sprang forward, seized him in her arms,
and flung him into the castle. Then she commanded her
servants to cast Death out of the city, which they did,
with such hard blows that he never dared to show his
face again in the Land of Immortality.

[From Ungarischen Volksmarchen.'}

192

THE STONE-CUTTEB

Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter, who went
every day to a great rock in the side of a big mountain
and cut out slabs for gravestones or for houses. He
understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the
different purposes, and as he was a careful workman
he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was
quite happy and contented, and asked for nothing better
than what he had.

Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and
then appeared to men, and helped them in many ways to
become rich and prosperous. The stone-cutter, however,
had never seen this spirit, and only shook his head, with
an unbelieving air, when anyone spoke of it. But a time
was coming when he learned to change his opinion.

One day the stone-cutter carried a gravestone to the
house of a rich man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful
things, of which he had never even dreamed. Suddenly
his daily work seemed to grow harder and heavier, and
he said to himself : ' Oh, if only I were a rich man, and
could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden
tassels, how happy I should be ! '

And a voice answered him : * Your wish is heard ; a
rich man you shall be ! '

At the sound of the voice the stone-cutter looked
round, but could see nobody. He thought it was all his
fancy, and picked up his tools and went home, for he did
not feel inclined to do any more work that day. But
when he reached the little house where he lived, he stood

THE STONE-CUTTEB 193

still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was
a stately palace filled with splendid fm^niture, and most
splendid of all was the bed, in every respect like the one
he had envied. He was nearly beside himself w^ith joy,
and in his new life the old one was soon forgotten.

It was now the beginning of smiimer, and each day
the sun blazed more fiercely. One morning the heat was
so great that the stone-cutter could scarcely breathe, and
he determined he would stop at home till the evening.
He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to
amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds
to see what was going on in the street, w4ien a little
carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and
silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a
golden umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun's
rays.

' Oh, if I were only a prince ! ' said the stone-cutter
to himself, as the carriage vanished round the corner.
* Oh, if I were only a prince, and could go in such
a carriage and have a golden umbrella held over me, how
happy I should be ! '

And the voice of the mountain spirit answered : ' Your
wish is heard ; a prince you shall be.'

And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one
company of men and another behind it ; servants dressed
in scarlet and gold l)ore him along, the coveted umbrella
w^as held over his head, everything heart could desire was
his. But yet it was not enough. He looked round still
for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite
of the water he poured on his grass the rays of the sun
scorched it, and that in spite of the umbrella held over
his head each day his face grew browner and browner,
he cried in his anger : ' The sun is mightier than I ; oh, if
I were only the sun ! '

And the mountain spirit answered : ' Your wish is
heard ; the sun you shall be.'

i\nd the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his
c o

194 THE STONE-CUTTEB

power. He shot his beams above and below, on earth
and in heaven ; he burnt up the grass in the fields and
scorched the faces of x^i"inces as w^ell as of poorer folk.
But in a short time he began to grow tired of his might,
for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent
once more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his
face, and hid the earth from him, he cried in his anger :
' Does the cloud hold captive my rays, and is it mightier
than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and mightier than
any ! '

And the mountain spirit answered : ' Your wish is
heard ; a cloud you shall be ! '

And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and
the earth. He caught the sun's beams and held them,
and to his joy the earth grew green again and flowers
blossomed. But that was not enough for him, and for
days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers over-
flowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water.
Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the
rain, only the great rock on the mountain side remained
unmoved. The cloud was amazed at the sight, and cried
in wonder : ' Is the rock, then, mightier than I ? Oh,
if I were only the rock ! '

And the mountain spirit answered : * Your wish is
heard ; the rock you shall be ! '

And the rock he was, and gloried in his power.
Proudly he stood, and neither the heat of the sun nor the
force of the rain could move him. * This is better than
all ! ' he said to himself. But one day he heard a strange
noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see what it
could be, he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his sur-
face. Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all
through him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the
ground. Then he cried in his wrath : * Is a mere child of
earth mightier than a rock ? Oh, if I were only a man ! '
And the mountain spirit answered : ' Your wish is
heard. A man once more you shall be ! '

THE >STONE-C\JTTE{^BCCQinE3 HIHSELF AGAIN

TEE STONE-GUTTEB 197

And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he
toiled again at his trade of stone-cutting. His bed was
hard and his food scanty, but he had learned to be satis-
fied with it, and did not long to be something or some-
body else. And as he never asked for things he had not
got, or desired to be greater and mightier than other
people, he was happy at last, and heard the voice of the
mountain spirit no longer.

[From Japmiische Mdhrchen.]

198

THE GOLD-BEARDED MAN

Once upon a time there lived a great king who had a
wife and one son whom he loved very much. The boy
was still young when, one day, the king said to his wife :
' I feel that the hour of my death draws near, and I want
you to promise that you will never take another husband
but will give up your life to the care of our son.'

The queen burst into tears at these words, and sobbed
out that she would never, never marry again, and that her
son's welfare should be her first thought as long as she
lived. Her promise comforted the troubled heart of the
king, and a few days after he died, at peace with himself
and with the world.

But no sooner was the breath out of his body, than
the queen said to herself, ' To promise is one thing, and
to keep is quite another.' And hardly was the last spade-
ful of earth flung over the coffin than she married a noble
from a neighbouring country, and got him made king
instead of the young prince. Her new husband was a
cruel, wicked man, who treated his stepson very badly,
and gave him scarcely anything to eat, and only rags to
wear ; and he would certainly have killed the boy but for
fear of the people.

Now by the palace grounds there ran a brook, but
instead of being a water-brook it was a milk-brook, and
both rich and poor flocked to it daily and drew as much
milk as they chose. The first thing the new king did
when he was seated on the throne, was to forbid anyone
to go near the brook, on pain of being seized by the

THE GOLD-BEARDED MAN 199

watchmen. And this was purely spite, for there was
plenty of milk for everybody.

For some days no one dared venture near the banks of
the stream, but at length some of the v/atchmen noticed
that early in the mornings, just at dawn, a man with a
gold beard came down to the brook with a pail, which he
filled up to the brim with milk, and then vanished like
smoke before they could get near enough to see who he
was. So they went and told the king what they had
seen.

At lirst the king would not believe their story, but as
they persisted it was quite true, he said that he would
go and watch the stream that night himself. With the
earliest streaks of dawn the gold-bearded man appeared,
and filled his pail as before. Then in an instant he had
vanished, as if the earth had swallowed him up.

The king stood staring with eyes and mouth open
at ihe place where the man had disappeared. He had
never seen him before, that was certain ; but what
mattered much more was how to catch him, and what
should be done with him when he was caught ? He would
have a cage built as a prison for him, and everyone
would talk of it, for in other countries thieves were put in
prison, and it was long indeed since any king had used a
cage. It w^as all very well to plan, and even to station a
watchman behind every bush, but it was of no use, for the
man was never caught. They would creep up to him softly
on the grass, as he was stooping to fill his pail, and just as
they stretched out their hands to seize him, he vanished
before their eyes. Time after time this happened, till the
king grew mad with rage, and offered a large reward to
anyone who could tell him how to capture his enemy.

The first person that came with a scheme was an old
soldier who promised the king that if he would only put
some bread and bacon and a flask of wine on the bank of
the stream, the gold-bearded man would be sure to eat
and drink, and they could shake some powder into the

200 THE GOLD-BEABDED MAN

wine, which would send him to sleep at once. After that
there was nothing to do but to shut him in the cage.

This idea pleased the king, and he ordered bread and
bacon and a flask of drugged wine to be placed on the
bank of the stream, and the watchers to be redoubled.
Then, full of hope, he awaited the result.

Everything turned out just as the soldier had said.
Early next morning the gold -bearded man came down to
the brook, ate, drank, and fell sound asleep, so that the
watchers easily bound him, and carried him off to the
palace. In a moment the king had him fast in the golden
cage, and showed him, with ferocious joy, to the strangers
who were visiting his court. The poor captive, when he
awoke from his drunken sleep, tried to talk to them, but no
one would listen to him, so he- shut himself up altogether,
and the people who came to stare took him for a dumb
man of the woods. He wept and moaned to himself all day,
and would hardly touch food, though, in dread that he
should die and escape his tormentors, the king ordered
his head cook to send him dishes from the royal table.

The gold-bearded man had been in captivity about a
month, when the king was forced to make war upon a
neighbouring country, and left the palace,' to take com-
mand of his army. But before he went he called his step-
son to him and said :

' Listen, boy, to what I tell you. While I am away
I trust the care of my prisojier to you. See that he has
plenty to eat and drink, but be careful that he does not
escape, or even walk about the room. If I return and
find him gone, you will pay for it by a terrible death.'

The young prince was thankful that his stepfather
was going to the war, and secretly hoped he might never
come back. Directly he had ridden off the boy went to
the room where the cage was kept, and never left it night
and day. He even played his games beside it.

One day he was shooting at a mark with a silver bow ;
one of his arrows fell into the golden cage.

Gives UP fche KTrotxP ^ ig^

THE GOLD-BEABDED MAN 203

' Please give me my arrow,' said the prince, running
up to him ; hut the gold-hearded man answered ;

' No, I shall not give it to you unless you let me out
of my cage.'

' I may not let you out,' replied the hoy, ' for if I do
my stepfather says that I shall have to die a horrible
death when he returns from the war. My arrow can be
of no use to you, so give it to me.'

The man handed the arrow through the bars, but
when he had done so he begged harder than ever that the
prince would open the door and set him free. Indeed,
he prayed so earnestly that the prince's heart was touched,
for he was a tender-hearted boy who pitied the sorrows of
other people. So he shot back the bolt, and the gold-
bearded man stepped out into the world.

' I will repay you a thousand fold for that good deed.'
said the man, and then he vanished. The prince began
to think what he should say to the king when he came
back ; then he wondered whether it would be wise to
wait for his stepfather's return and run the risk of the
dreadful death which had been promised him. ' No,' he
said to himself, ' I am afraid to stay. Perhaps the world
will be kinder to me than he has been.'

Unseen he stole out when twilight fell, and for many
days he wandered over mountains and through forests
and valleys without knowing where he was going or what
he should do. He had only the berries for food, when,
one morning, he saw a wood-pigeon sitting on a bough. In
an instant he had fitted an arrow to his bow, and was
taking aim at the bird, thinking what a good meal he
would make off him, when his weapon fell to the ground
at the sound of the pigeon's voice :

' Do not shoot, I implore you, noble prince ! I have
two little sons at home, and they will die of hunger if I
am not there to bring them food.'

And the young prince had pity, and unstrung his
bow.

204 THE GOLD-BEABDED MAN

' Oh, prince, I will repay your deed of mercy,' said
the grateful wood -pigeon.

' Poor thing ! how can you repay me ? ' asked the prince.

' You have forgotten,' answered the wood-pigeon, ' the
proverb that runs, " mountain and mountain can never
meet, but one living creature can always come across
another," ' The boy laughed at this speech and went his
way.

By-and-by he reached the edge of a lake, and flying
towards some rushes which grew near the shore he beheld
a wild duck. Now, in the days that the king, his father,
was alive, and he had everything to eat he could possibly
wish for, the prince always had wild duck for his birthday
dinner, so he quickly fitted an arrow to his bow and
took a careful aim.

' Do not shoot, I pray you, noble prince ! ' cried the
wild duck ; * I have two little sons at home ; they will die
of hunger if I am not there to bring them food.'

And the prince had pity, and let fall his arrow and
unstrung his bow.

* Oh, prince ! I will repay your deed of mercy, ' ex-
claimed the grateful w^ild duck.

' You poor thing ! how can you repay me ? ' asked the
prince.

' You have forgotten,' answered the wild duck, ' the
proverb that runs, " mountain and mountain can never
meet, but one living creature can always come across
another." ' The boy laughed at this speech and went his
way.

He had not wandered far from the shores of the lake,
when he noticed a stork standing on one leg, and again
he raised his bow and prepared to take aim.

' Do not shoot, I pray you, noble prince,' cried the
stork ; ' I have two little sons at home ; they will die of
hunger if I am not there to bring them food.'

Again the prince was filled with pity, and this time
also he did not shoot.

THE GOLD-BEARDED MAN 205

' Oh, prince, T will repay your deed of mercy,' cried
the stork.

' You poor stork ! how can you repay me ? ' asked the
prince.

' You have forgotten,' answered the stork, ' the proverh
that runs, " mountain and mountain can never meet, but
one living creature can always come across another." '

The boy laughed at hearing these words again, and
walked slowly on. He had not gone far, when he fell in
with two discharged soldiers.

* Where are you going, little brother ? ' asked one.

* I am seeking work,' answ^ered the prince.

* So are we,' replied the soldier. * We can all go
together.'

The boy was glad of company and they went on,
and on, and on, through seven kingdoms, without finding
anything they were able to do. At length they reached a
palace, and there was the king standing on the steps.

* You seem to be looking for something,' said he.
' It is work we want,' they all answered.

So the king told the soldiers that they might become
his coachmen ; but he made the boy his companion, and
gave him rooms near his o^vn. The soldiers w^ere dread-
fully angry when they heard this, for of course they
did not know that the boy was really a prince ; and
they soon began to lay their heads together to plot his
ruin.

Then they went to the king.

' Your Majesty,' they said, ' we think it our duty to
tell you that your new companion has boasted to us that
if he were only your steward he would not lose a single
grain of corn out of the storehouses. Now, if your
Majesty would give orders that a sack of wheat should be
mixed with one of barley, and would send for the youth,
and command him to separate the grains one from
another, in two hours' time, you would soon see what his
talk was w^orth.'

206 THE GOLD-BE ABDED MAN

The king, who was weak, listened to what these
wicked men had told him, and desired the prince to have
the contents of the sack piled into two heaps by the time
that he returned from his council. ' If you succeed,' he
added, * you shall be my steward, but if you fail, I will
put you to death on the spot.'

The unfortunate prince declared that he had never
made any such boast as was reported ; but it was all in
vain. The king did not believe him, and turning him
into an empty room, bade his servants carry in the huge
sack filled with wheat and barley, and scatter them in a
heap on the floor.

The prince hardly knew where to begin, and indeed if
he had had a thousand people to help him, and a week to
do it in, he could never have finished his task. So he
flung himself on the ground in despair, and covered his
face with his hands.

While he lay thus, a wood-pigeon flew in through the
window.

' Why are you w^eeping, noble prince ? ' asked the
wood-pigeon.

* How can I help weeping at the task set me by the
king. For he says, if I fail to do it, I shall die a horrible
death.'

' Oh, there is really nothing to cry about,' answered
the wood-pigeon soothingly. * I am the king of the
wood -pigeons, whose life you spared when you were
hungry. And now I will repay my debt, as I promised.'
So saying he flew out of the window, leaving the prince
with some hope in his heart.

In a few minutes he returned, followed by a cloud of
wood-pigeons, so dense that it seemed to fill the room.
Their king showed them what they had to do, and they
set to work so hard that the grain was sorted into two
heaps long before the council was over. When the king
came back he could not believe his eyes ; but search as
he might through the two heaps, he could not find any

THE GOLD-BEABDED MAN 207

barley among the wheat, or any wheat amongst the barley.
So he praised the prince for his industry and cleverness,
and made him his steward at once.

This made the two soldiers more envious still, and
they began to hatch another plot.

* Your Majesty,' they said to the king, one day, as he
was standing on the steps of the palace, * that fellow has
been boasting again, that if he had the care of your
treasures not so much as a gold pin should ever be lost.
Put this vain fellow to the proof, we pray you, and
throw the ring from the princess's finger into the brook,
and bid him find it. We shall soon see what his talk is
worth.'

And the foolish king listened to them, and ordered the
prince to be brought before him.

* My son,' he said, ' I have heard that you have declared
that if I made you keeper of my treasures you would
never lose so much as a gold pin. Now, in order to prove
the truth of your words, I am going to throw the ring
from the princess's finger into the brook, and if you do not
find it before I come back from council, you will have to
die a horrible death.'

It was no use denying that he had said anything of
the kind. The king did not believe him ; in fact he paid
no attention at all, and hurried off, leaving the poor boy
speechless with despair in the corner. However, he soon
remembered that though it was very unlikely that he
should find the ring in the brook, it was impossible that
he should find it by staying in the palace.

For some time the prince wandered up and down
peering into the bottom of the stream, but though the
water w^as very clear, nothing could he see of the ring.
At length he gave it up in despair, and throwing himself
down at the foot of the tree, he' wept bitterly.

' What is the matter, dear prince ? ' said a voice just
above him, and raising his head, he saw the wild duck.

* The king of this country declares I must die a

208 THE GOLD-BEARDED MAN

hoiTi])le death if I cannot find the princess's ring which
he has thrown into the brook,' answered the prince.

' Oh, you must not vex yourself about that, for I can
help you,' replied the bird. ' I am the king of the wild
ducks, w^hose life you spared, and now it is my turn to
save yours.' Then he flew away, and in a few minutes
a great flock of wild ducks were swimming all up and
down the stream looking with all their might, and long
before the king came back from his council there it was,
safe on the grass beside the prince.

At this sight the king was yet more astonished at the
cleverness of his steward, and at once promoted him to be
the keeper of his jewels.

Now you would have thought that by this time the
king would have been satisfied with the prince, and
would have left him alone ; but people's natures are very
hard to change, and when the two envious soldiers came
to him with a new falsehood, he was as ready to listen to
them as before.

* Gracious Majesty,' said they, ' the youth whom you
have made keeper of your jewels has declared to us that
a child shall be born in the palace this night, which will
be able to speak every language in the world and to play
every instrument of music. Is he then become a prophet,
or a magician, that he should know things which have
not yet come to pass ? '

At these words the king became more angry than
ever. He had tried to learn magic himself, but somehow,
or other his spells would never work, and he was furious
to hear that the prince claimed a power that he did not
possess. Stammering with rage, he ordered the youth to
be brought before him, and vowed that unless this miracle
was accomplished he would have the prince dragged at a
horse's tail until he was dead.

In spite of what the soldiers had said, the boy knew
no more magic than the king did, and his task seemed
more hopeless than before. He lay weeping in the chamber

THE GOLD-BEARDED MAN 211

which he was forbidden to leave, when suddenly he heard
a sharp tapping at the window, and, looking up, he beheld
a stork.

*■ What makes you so sad, prince ? ' asked he.

' Someone has told the king that I have prophesied
that a child shall be born this night in the palace, who
can speak all the languages in the world and play every
musical instrument. 1 am no magician to bring these
things to pass, but he says that if it does not happen he
will have me dragged through the city at a horse's tail
till I die.'

* Do not trouble yourself,' answered the stork. * I will
manage to find such a child, for I am the king of the
storks whose life you spared, and now I can repay you
for it.'

The stork flew away and soon returned carrying in
his beak a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid it
down near a lute. In an instant the l^aby stretched out
its little hands and began to play a tune so beautiful that
even the prince forgot his sorrows as he listened. Then
he was given a flute and a zither, but he was just as well
able to draw music from them ; and the prince, whose
courage was gradually rising, spoke to him in all the
languages he knew\ The baby answered him in all, and
no one could have told which was his native tongue !

The next morning the king went straight to the
prince's room, and saw with his own eyes the wonders
that baby could do. 'If your magic can produce such a
baby,' he said, ' you must be greater than any wizard that
ever lived, and shall have my daughter in marriage.'
And, being a king, and therefore accustomed to have
everything the moment he wanted it, he commanded the
ceremony to be performed without delay, and a splendid
feast to be made for the bride and bridegroom. When it
was over, he said to the prince :

* Now that you are really my son, tell me by what
arts you were able to fulfil the tasks I set you ? '

p 2

212 THE GOLD BEARDED MAN

'My noble father-in law,' answered the prince, *I am
ignorant of all spells and arts. But somehow I have
always managed to escape the death which has threatened
me.' And he told the king how he had been forced to
run away from his stepfather, and how he had spared the
three birds, and had joined the two soldiers, who had
from envy done their utmost to ruin him.

The king was rejoiced in his heart that his daughter
had married a prince, and not a common man, and he
chased the two soldiers away with whips, and told them
tliat if they ever dared to show their faces across the bor-
ders of his kingdom, they should die the same death he
had prepared for the prince.

[From Ungarische Mcihrchen ]

213

TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIRDS

Once upon a time there lived a princess who was so
beautiful and so good that everybody loved her. Her
father could hardly bear her out of his sight, and he
almost died of grief when, one day, she disapjDeared, and
though the whole kingdom was searched through and
through, she could not be found in any corner of it. In
despair, the king ordered a proclamation to be made that
whoever could bring her back to the palace should have
her for his wife. This made the young men start afresh
on the search, but they were no more successful than
before, and returned sorrowfully to their homes.

Now there dwelt, not far from the palace, an old man
who had three sons. The two eldest were allowed by
their parents to do just as they liked, but the youngest
was always obliged to give way to his brothers. When
they were all grown up, the eldest told his father that he
was tired of leading such a quiet life, and that he meant
to go away and see the world.

The old people were very unhappy at the thought that
they must part with him, but they said nothing, and
began to collect all that he would want for his travels, and
were careful to add a pair of new boots. When everything
was ready, he bade them farewell, and started merrily on
his way.

For some miles his road lay through a wood, and
when he left it he suddenly came out on a bare hillside.
Here he sat down to rest, and pulling out his wallet
prepared to eat his dinner.

214 TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIBDS

He had only eaten a few mouthfuls when an old man
badly dressed passed by, and seeing the food, asked if the
young man could not spare him a little.

* Not I, indeed ! ' answered he ; * why I have scarcely
enough for myself. If you w^ant food you must earn it.'
And the beggar went on.

After the young man had finished his dinner he rose
and walked on for several hours, till he reached a second
hill, where he threw himself down on the grass, and took
some bread and milk from his wallet. While he was
eating and drinking, there came by an old man, yet more
wretched than the first, and begged for a few mouthfuls.
But instead of food he only got hard words, and limped
sadly away.

Tow^ards evening the young man reached an open space
in the wood, and by this time he thought he would like some
supper. The birds saw the food, and flew round his head
in numbers hoping for some crumbs, but he threw stones
at them, and frightened them off. Then he began to
w^onder where he should sleep. Not in the open space
he was in, for that was bare and cold, and though he had
walked a long way that day, and was tired, he dragged
himself up, and went on seeking for a shelter.

At length he saw a deep sort of hole or cave under a
great rock, and as it seemed quite empty, he went in, and
lay down in a comer. About midnight he was awakened
by a noise, and peeping out ho beheld a terrible ogress
approaching. He implored her not to hurt him, but to
let him stay there for the rest of the night, to which she
consented, on condition that he should spend the next day
in doing any task which she might choose to set him.
To this the young man willingly agreed, and turned over
and went to sleep again. In the morning, the ogress
bade him sweep the dust out of the cave, and to have it
clean before her return in the evening, otherwise it would
be the worse for him. Then she left the cave.

The young man took the spade, and began to clean

TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIBDS 215

the floor of the cave, but try as he would to move it the
dirt still stuck to its place. He soon gave up the task, and
sat sulkily in the corner, wondering what punishment the
ogress would find for him, and why she had set him to do
such an impossible thing.

He had not long to wait, after the ogress came home,
before he knew what his punishment was to be ! She
just gave one look at the floor of the cave, then dealt him
a blow on the head which cracked his skull, and there
was an end of him.

Meanwhile his next brother grew tired of staying at
home, and let his parents have no rest till they had con-
sented that he also should be given some food and some
new boots, and go out to see the world. On his road, he
also met the two old beggars, who prayed for a little of
his bread and milk, but this young man had never been
taught to help other people, and had made it a rule
through his life to keep all he had to himself. So he
turned a deaf ear and finished his dinner.

By-and-by he, too, came to the cave, and was bidden
by the ogress to clean the floor, but he was no more
successful than his brother, and his fate was the same.

Anyone would have thought that when the old people
had only one son left that at least they would have been
kind to him, even if they did not love him. But for some
reason they could hardly bear the sight of him, though he
tried much harder to make them comfortable than his
brothers had ever done. So when he asked their leave to
go out into the world they gave it at once, and seemed
quite glad to be rid of him. They felt it was quite gene-
rous of them to provide him with a pair of new boots and
some bread and milk for hi-s journey.

Besides the pleasure of seeing the world, the youth
was very anxious to discover what had become of his
brothers, and he determined to trace, as far as he could,
the way that they must have gone. He followed the road

216 TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIRDS

that led from his father's cottage to the hill, where he sat
down to rest, saying to himself : ' I am sm^e my brothers
must have stopped here, and I will do the same.'

He was hungry as well as tired, and took out some of
the food his parents had given him. He was just going
to begin to eat when the old man appeared, and asked if
he could not spare him a little. The young man at once
broke off some of the bread, begging the old man to sit
down beside him, and treating him as if he was an old
friend. At last the stranger rose, and said to him : ' If
ever you are in trouble call me, and I will help you. My
name is TritilL' Then he vanished, and the young man
could not tell where he had gone.

However, he felt he had now rested long enough, and
that he had better be going his way. At the next hill he
met with the second old man, and to him also he gave
food and drink. And when this old man had finished he
said, like the first : ' If you ever want help in the smallest
thing call to me. My name is Litill.'

The young man walked on till he reached the open
space in the wood, where he stopped for dinner. In a
moment all the birds in the world seemed flying round
his head, and he crumbled some of his bread for them
and watched them as they darted down to pick it up.
When they had cleared off every crumb the largest bird
with the gayest plumage said to him : ' If you are in
trouble and need help say, " My birds, come to me ! " and
we will come.' Then they flew away.

Towards evening the young man reached the cave
where his brothers had met their deaths, and, like them,
he thought it would be a good place to sleep in. Looking
round, he saw some pieces of the dead men's clothes and
of their bones. The sight made him shiver, but he would
not move away, and resolved to await the return of the
ogress, for such he knew she must be.

Very soon she came striding in, and he asked politely
if she would give him a night's lodging. She answered

TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIRDS 217

as before, that he might stay on condition that he should
do any work that she might set him to next morning.
So the bargain being concluded, the young man curled
himself up in his corner and went to sleep.

TitB.tE^lwtMl^^ tKie'R^^ds- £® Ihtr K'eSeaie. •'^^^

The dirt lay thicker than ever on the floor of the cave
when the young man took the spade and began his work.
He could not clear it any more than his brothers had
done, and at last the spade itself stuck in the earth so

218 TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIBDS

that he could not pull it out. The youth stared at it in
despair, then the old beggar's words flashed into his
mind, and he cried : ' Tritill, Tritill, come and help me ! '

And Tritill stood beside him and asked what he
wanted. The youth told him all his story, and when he
had finished, the old man said : ' Spade and shovel do
your duty,' and they danced about the cave till, in a short
time, there was not a speck of dust left on the floor. As
soon as it was quite clean Tritill went his way.

With a light heart the young man awaited the return
of the ogress. When she came in she looked carefully
round, and then said to him : * You did not do that quite
alone. However, as the floor is clean I will leave your
head on.'

The following morning the ogress told the young man
that he must take all the feathers out of her pillows and
spread them to dry in the sun. But if one feather was
missing when she came back at night his head should pay
for it.'

The young man fetched the pillows, and shook out all
the feathers, and oh ! what quantities of them there were !
He was thinking to himself, as he spread them out care-
fully, how lucky it was that the sun was so bright and
that there was no wind, when suddenly a breeze sprang
up, and in a moment the feathers were dancing high in
the air. At first the youth tried to collect them again,
but he soon found that it was no use, and he cried in
despair : ' Tritill, Litill, and all my birds, come and help
me ! '

He had hardly said the words when there they all
were ; and when the birds had brought all the feathers
back again, Tritill, and Litill, and he, put them away in
the pillows, as the ogress had bidden him. But one little
feather they kept out, and told the young man that if the
ogress missed it he v;as to thrust it up her nose. Then
they all vanished, Tritill, Litill, and the birds.

Directly the ogress returned home she flung herself

TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIRDS 219

with all her weight on the bed, and the whole cave
quivered under her. The pillows were soft and full
instead of being empty, which surprised her, but that did
not content her. She got up, shook out the pillow-cases
one by one, and began to count the feathers that were in
each. ' If one is missing I will have your head,' said she,
and at that the young man drew the feather from his
pocket and thrust it up her nose, crying . ' If you want
your feather, here it is.'

' You did not sort those feathers alone,' answered the
ogress calmly ; ' however, this time I will let that pass.'

That night the young man slept soundly in his corner,
and in the morning the ogress told him that his w^ork that
day would be to slay one of her great oxen, to cook its
heart, and to make drinking cups of its horns, before she
returned home ' There are fifty oxen,' added she, * and
you must guess which of the herd I want killed. If you
guess right, to-morrow you shall be free to go where you
will, and you shall choose besides three things as a reward
for your service. But if you slay the wrong ox your head
shall pay for it.'

Left alone, the young man stood thinking for a little.
Then he called : ' Tritill, Litill, come to my help ! '

In a moment he saw them, far away, driving the
biggest ox the youth had ever seen. When they drew
near, Tritill killed it, Litill took out its heart for the
young man to cook, and both began quickly to turn the
horns into drinking cups. The work went merrily on,
and they talked gaily, and the young man told his friends
of the payment promised him by the ogress if he had
done her bidding. The old men warned him that, he
must ask her for the chest which stood at the foot of her
bed, for whatever lay on the top of the bed, and for what
lay under the side of the cave. The young man thanked
them for their counsel, and Tritill and Litill then took
leave of him, saying that for the present he would need
them no more.

220 TBITILL, LITILL, AND THE BIRDS

Scarcely had they disappeared when the ogress came
back, and found everything ready just as she had ordered.
Before she sat down to eat the bullock's heart she turned to
the young man, and said : ' You did not do that all alone,
my friend ; but, nevertheless, I will keep my word, and
to-morrow you shall go your way.' So they went to bed
and slept till dawn.

When the sun rose the ogress awoke the young man,
and called to him to choose any three things out of her
house.

' I choose,' answered he, ' the chest which stands at
the foot of your bed ; whatever lies on the top of the bed,
and whatever is under the side of the cave.'

' You did not choose those things by yourself, my
friend,' said the ogress ; ' but what I have promised, that
will I do.'

And then she gave him his reward.

' The thing which lay on the top of the bed ' turned out
to be the lost princess. ' The chest which stood at the foot
of the bed ' proved full of gold and precious stones ; and
' what was under the side of the cave ' he found to be a
great ship, with oars and sails that went of itself as well
on land as in the water. ' You are the luckiest man that
ever was born,' said the ogress as she went out of the cave
as usual.

With much difficulty the youth put the heavy chest
on his shoulders and carried" it on board the ship, the
princess walking by his. side. Then he took the helm
and steered the vessel back to her father's kingdom. The
king's joy at receiving back his lost daughter was so
great that he almost fainted, but when he recovered him-
self he made the young man tell him how everything had
really happened. ' You have found her, and you shall
marry her,' said the king ; and so it was done. And this
is the end of the story.

[From Ungarische Mo.hr chen.']

221

THE THREE ROBES

Long, long ago, a king and queen reigned over a large
and powerful country. What their names were nobody
knows, but their son was called Sigurd, and their daughter
Lineik, and these young people were famed throughout
the whole kingdom for their wisdom and beauty.

There was only a year between them, and they loved
each other so much that they could do nothing apart.
When they began to grow up the king gave them a house
of their own to live in, with servants and carriages, and
everything they could possibly want.

For many years they all lived happily together, and
then the queen fell ill, and knew that she would never
get better.

' Promise me two things,' she said one day to the
king ; ' one, that if you marry again, as indeed you must,
you will not choose as your wife a woman from some small
state or distant island, who knows nothing of the world,
and will be taken up with thoughts of her grandeur. But
rather seek out a princess of some great kingdom, who
has been used to courts all her life, and holds them at
their true worth. The other thing I have to ask is, that
you will never cease to watch over our children, who will
soon become your greatest joy.'

These were the queen's last words, and a few hours
later she was dead. The king was so bowed down with
sorrow that he would not attend even to the business of
the kingdom, and at last his Prime Minister had to tell
him that the people were complaining that they had

222 THE THBEE BOBES

nobody to right their wrongs. ' You must rouse yourself,
sir,' went on the minister, * and put aside your own
sorrows for the sake of your country.'

* You do not spare me,' answered the king ; 'bub what
you say is just, and your counsel is good. I have heard
that men say, likewise, that it will be for the good of my
kingdom for me to marry again, though my heart will
never cease to be with my lost wife. But it w^as her wish
also ; therefore, to you I entrust the duty of finding a
lady fitted to share my throne ; only, see that she comes
neither from a small town nor a remote island.'

So an embassy was prepared, with the minister at its
head, to visit the greatest courts in the world, and to choose
out a suitable princess. But the vessel which carried
them had not been gone many days when a thick fog
came on, and the captain could see neither to the right
nor to the left. For a whole month the ship drifted
about in darkness, till at length the fog lifted and they
beheld a cliff jutting out just in front. On one side of
the cliff lay a sheltered bay, in which the vessel was soon
anchored, and though they did not know where they were,
at any rate they felt sure of fresh fruit and water.

The minister left the rest of his followers on board
the ship, and taking a small boat rowed himself to land,
in order to look about him and to find out if the island
was really as deserted as it seemed.

He had not gone far, when he heard the sound of
music, and, turning in its direction, he saw a woman of
marvellous beauty sitting on a low stool playing on a
harp, while a girl beside her sang. The minister stopped
and greeted the lady politely, and she replied with friendli-
ness, asking him why he had come to such an out-of-the-
way place. In answer he told her of the object of his
journey.

' I am in the same state as your master,' replied the
lady; *I was married to a mighty king who ruled over
this land, till Vikings [sea-robbers] came and slew him

THE THREE BOBES 223

and put all the people to death. But I managed to
escape, and hid myself here with my daughter.'

And the daughter listened, and said softly to her
mother : ' Are you speaking the truth now ? '

* Eemember your promise,' answered the mother
angrily, giving her a pinch which was unseen by the
minister.

' What is your name, madam ? ' asked he, much
touched by this sad story..

* Blauvor,' she replied, ' and my daughter is called
Laufer ' ; and then she inquired the name of the minister,
and of the king his master. After this they talked of
many things, and the lady showed herself learned in all
that a woman should know, and even in much that men
only were commonly taught. ' What a wife she would
make for the king,' thought the minister to himself, and
before long he had begged the honour of her hand for his
master. She declared at first that she was too unworthy
to accept the position offered her, and that the minister
would soon repent his choice ; but this only made him the
more eager, and in the end he gained her consent, and
prevailed on her to return with him at once to his own
country.

The minister then conducted the mother and daughter
back to the ship ; the anchor was raised, the sails spread,
and a fair wind was behind them.

Now that the fog had lifted they could see as they
looked back that, except just along the shore, the island
was bare and deserted and not fit for men to live in ; but
about that nobody cared. They had a quick voyage, and
in six days they reached the land, and at once set out for
the capital, a messenger being sent on first by the minis-
ter to inform the king of what had happened.

When his Majesty's eyes fell on the two beautiful
women, clad in dresses of gold and silver, he forgot his
sorrows and ordered preparations for the wedding to be
made without delay. In his joy he never remembered to

224 THE THREE ROBES

inquire in what kind of country the future queen had been
found. In fact his head was so turned by the beauty of
the two ladies that when the invitations were sent by his
orders to all the great people in the kingdom, he did not
even recollect his two children, who remained shut up in
their own house !

After the marriage the king ceased to have any will
of his own and did nothing without consulting his wife.
She was present at all his councils, and her opinion was
asked before making peace or war. But when a few
months had passed the king began to have doubts as to
whether the minister's choice had really been a wise one,
and he noticed that his children lived more and more in
their palace and never came near their stepmother.

It always happens that if a person's eyes are once
opened they see a great deal more than they ever
expected ; and soon it struck the king that the members
of his court had a way of disappearing one after the other
without any reason. At first he had not paid much
attention to the fact, but merely appointed some fresh
person to the vacant place. As, however, man after man
vanished without leaving any trace, he began to grow
uncomfortable and to wonder if the queen could have
anything to do with it.

Things were in this state when, one day, his wife
said to him that it was time for him to make a progress
through his kingdom and see that his governors w^ere not
cheating him of the money that was his due. ' And you
need not be anxious about going,' she added, ' for I will
rule the country while you are away as carefully as' you
could yourself.'

The king had no great desire to undertake this
journey, but the queen's will was stronger than his, and
he was too lazy to make a fight for it. So he said
nothing and set about his preparations, ordering his finest
ship to be ready to carry him round the coast. Still his
heart was heavy, and he felt uneasy, though he could not

THE THBEB ROBES 225

have told why ; and the night before he was to start he
went to the children's palace to take leave of his son and
daughter.

He had not seen them for some time, and they gave
him a warm welcome, for they loved him dearly and he
had always been kind to them. They had much to tell
him, but after a while he checked their merry talk and
said :

' If I should never come back from this journey I fear
that it may not be safe for you to stay here ; so directly
there are no more hopes of my return go instantly and
take the road eastwards till you reach a high mountain,
which you must cross. Once over the mountain keep
along by the side of a little bay till you come to two trees,
one green and the other red, standing in a thicket, and so
far back from the road that without looking for them you
would never see them. Hide each in the trunk of one
of the trees and there you will be safe from all your
enemies.'

With these words the king bade them farewell and
entered sadly into his ship. For a few days the wind
was fair, and everything seemed going smoothly ; then,
suddenly, a gale sprang up, and a fearful storm of thunder
and lightning, such as had never happened within the
memory of man. In spite of the efforts of the frightened
sailors the vessel was driven on the rocks, and not a man
on board was saved.

That very night Prince Sigurd had a dream, in which
he thought his father appeared to him in dripping clothes,
and, taking the crown from his head, laid it at his son's
feet, leaving the room as silently as he had entered it.

Hastily the prince awoke his sister Lineik, and they
agreed that their father must be dead, and that they must
lose no time in obeying his orders and putting themselves
in safety. So they collected their jewels and a few
clothes and left the house without being observed by
anyone.

c Q

226 THE THBEE BOBES

They hurried on till they arrived at the mountain
without once looking back. Then Sigurd glanced round
and saw that their stepmother was following them, with
an expression on her face which made her uglier than the
ugliest old witch. Between her and them lay a thick
wood, and Sigurd stopped for a moment to set it on lire ;
then he and his sister hastened on more swiftly than
before, till they reached the grove with the red and green
trees, into which they jumped, and felt that at last they
were safe.

Now, at that time there reigned over Greece a king
who was very rich and powerful, although his name has
somehow been forgotten. He had two children, a son
and a daughter, who were more beautiful and accom-
plished than any Greeks had been before, and they were
the pride of their father's heart.

The prince had no sooner grown out of boyhood
than he prevailed on his father to make war during the
summer months on a neighbouring nation, so as to give him
a chance of making himself famous. In winter, however,
when it was difficult to get food and horses in that wild
country, the army was dispersed, and the prince returned
home.

During one of these wars he had heard reports of the
Princess Lineik's beauty, and he resolved to seek her out,
and to ask for her hand in marriage. x\ll this Blauvor, the
queen, found out by means of her black arts, and when
the prince drew near the capital she put a splendid dress
on her own daughter and then went to meet her guest.

She bade him welcome to her palace, and when they
had finished supper she told him of the loss of her hus-
band, and how there was no one left to govern the king-
dom but herself.

' But where is the Princess Lineik ? ' asked the
prince when she had ended her tale.

* Here,' answered the queen, bringing forward the
girl, whom she had hitherto kept in the background.

THE THBEE BOBES 227

The prince looked at her and was rather disappointed.
The maiden was pretty enough, but not much out of the
common.

' Oh, you must not wonder at her pale face and heavy
eyes,' said the queen hastily, for she saw what was passing
in his mind. ' She has never got over the loss of both
father and mother.'

* That shows a good heart,' thought the prince ; ' and
when she is happy her beauty will soon come back.' And
without any further delay he begged the queen to consent
to their betrothal, for the marriage must take place in his
own country.

The queen was enchanted. She had hardly expected
to succeed so soon, and she at once set about her prepara-
tions. Indeed she wished to travel with the young couple,-
to make sure that nothing should go wrong ; but here the
prince was firm, that he would take no one with him but
Laufer, whom he thought was Lineik.

They soon took leave of the queen, and set sail in a
splendid ship ; but in a short time a dense fog came on,
and in the dark the captain steered out of his course, and
they found themselves in a bay which was quite strange
to all the crew. The prince ordered a boat to be lowered,
and went on shore to look about him, and it was not long
before he noticed the two beautiful trees, quite different
from any that grew in Greece. Calling one of the sailors,
he bade him cut them down, and carry them on board
the ship. This was done, and as the sky was now clear
they put out to sea, and arrived in Greece without any
more adventures.

The news that the prince had brought home a bride
had gone before them, and they were greeted with flowery
arches and crowns of coloured lights. The king and
queen met them on the steps of the palace, and conducted
the girl to the women's house, where she would have to
remain until her marriage. The prince then went to his

228 THE THREE BOBES

own rooms and ordered that the trees should be brought
in to him.

The next morning the prince bade his attendants bring
his future bride to his own apartments, and when she came
he gave her silk which she was to weave into three robes —
one red, one green, and one blue — and these must all be
ready before the wedding. The blue one was to be done
first and the green last, and this was to be the most
splendid of all, ' for I will wear it at our marriage,' said he.

Left alone, Laufer sat and stared at the heap of
shining silk before her. She did not know how to weave,
and burst into tears as she thought that everything would
be discovered, for Lineik's skill in weaving was as famoils
as her beauty. As she sat with her face hidden and her
body shaken by sobs, Sigurd in his tree heard her and
was moved to pity. ' Lineik, my sister,' he called, softly,
* Laufer is weeping ; help her, I pray you.'

' Have you forgotten the wrongs her mother did to
us ? ' answered Lineik, ' and that it is owing to her that
we are banished from home ? '

But she was not really unforgiving, and very soon she
slid quietly out of her hiding-place, and taking the silk
from Laufer' s hands began to weave it. So quick and
clever was she that the blue dress was not only woven
but embroidered, and Lineik was safe back in her tree
before the prmce returned.

' It is the most beautiful work I have ever seen,' said
he, taking up a bit. ' And I am sure that the red one
will be still better, because the stuff is richer,' and with a
low bow he left the room.

Laufer had hoped secretly that when the prince had
seen the blue dress finished he would have let her off the
other two ; but when she found she was expected to fulfil
the whole task, her heart sank and she began to cry
loudly. Again Sigurd heard her, and begged Lineik to
come to her help, and Lineik, feeling sorry for her distress,
wove and embroidered the second dress as she had done

THE THREE ROBES 231

the first, mixing gold thread and precious stones till you
could hardly see the red of the stuff. When it was done
she glided into her tree just as the prince came in.

* You are as quick as you are clever,' said he, ad-
miringly. ' This looks as if it had been embroidered by
the fairies ! But as the green robe must outshine the
other two I will give you three days in which to finish it.
After it is ready we will be married at once.'

Now, as he spoke, there rose up in Laufer's mind all
the unkind things that she and her mother had done to
Lineik. Could she hope that they would be forgotten,
and that Lineik would come to her rescue for the third
time? And perhaps Lineik, who had not forgotten the
past either, might have left her alone, to get on as best
she could, had not Sigurd, her brother, implored her to
help just once more. So Lineik again slid out of her tree,
and, to Laufer's great relief, set herself to work. When
the shining green silk was ready she caught the sun's
rays and the moon's beams on the point of her needle
and wove them into a pattern such as no man had ever
seen. But it took a long time, and on the third morning,
just as she was putting the last stitches into the last
flower the prince came in.

Lineik jumped up quickly, and tried to get past him
back to her tree; but the folds of the silk were wrapped
round her, and she would have fallen had not the prince
caught her.

* I have thought for some time that all was not quite
straight here,' said he. ' Tell me who you are, and where
you come from ? '

Lineik then told her name and her story. When she
had ended the prince turned angrily to Laufer, and
declared that, as a punishment for her wicked lies, she
deserved to die a shameful death.

But Laufer fell at his feet and begged for mercy. It
was her mother's fault, she said : ' It was she, and not I,
who passed me otf as the Princess Lineik. The only lie

232 THE THBEE BOBES

I have ever told you was about the robes, and I do not
deserve death for that.'

She was still on her knees when Prince Sigurd entered
the room. He prayed the Prince of Greece to forgive
Laufer, which he did, on condition that Lineik would
consent to marry him. ' Not till my stepmother is dead,'
answered she, ' for she has brought misery to all that
came near her.' Then Laufer told them that Blauvor
was not the wife of a king, but an ogress who had stolen
her from a neighbouring palace and had brought her up
as her daughter. And besides being an ogress she was
also a witch, and by her black arts had sunk the ship in
which the father of Sigurd and Lineik had set sail. It
was she who had caused the disappearance of the courtiers,
for which no one could account, by eating them during
the night, and she hoped to get rid of all the people in the
country, and then to fill the land with ogres and ogresses
like herself.

So Prince Sigurd and the Prince of Greece collected
an army swiftly, and marched upon the town where
Blauvor had her palace. They came so suddenly that
no one knew of it, and if they had, Blauvor had eaten
most of the strong men ; and others, fearful of something
they could not tell what, had secretly left the place.
Therefore she was easily captured, and the next day was
beheaded in the market-place. Afterwards the two
princes marched back to Greece.

Lineik had no longer any reason for putting off her
wedding, and married the Prince of Greece at the same
time that Sigurd married the princess. And Laufer re-
mained with Lineik as her friend and sister, till they
found a husband for her in a great nobleman ; and all three
couples lived happily until they died.

[From hlandische Mdhrchen Poestion Wien.']

233

THE SIX HUNGRY BEASTS

Once upon a time there lived a man who dwelt with his
wife in a little hut, far away from any neighbours. But
they did not mind being alone, and would have been
quite happy, if it had not been for a marten, who came
every night to their poultry yard, and carried off one of
their fowls. The man laid all sorts of traps to catch the
thief, but instead of capturing the foe, it happened that
one day he got caught himself, and falling down, struck
his head against a stone, and was killed.

Not long after the marten came by on the look out for
his supper. Seeing the dead man lying there, he said to
himself : ' That is a prize, this time I have done w^ell ' ;
and dragging the body with great difficulty to the sledge
which was waiting for him, drove off with his booty. He
had not driven far when he met a squirrel, who bowed
and said : ' Good-morning, godfather ! what have you got
behind you ? '

The marten laughed and answered : ' Did you ever
hear anything so strange ? The old man that you see
here set traps about his hen-house, thinking to catch me ;
but he fell into his own trap, and broke his own neck.
He is very heavy ; I wdsh you would help me to draw
the sledge.* The squirrel did as he was asked, and the
sledge moved slowly along.

By-and-by a hare came running across a field, but
stopped to see what wonderful thing was coming.
* What have you got there ? ' she asked, and the marten
told his story and begged the hare to help them pull.

234 THE SIX HUNGRY BEASTS

The hare pulled her hardest, and after a while they ^Yeve
joined by a fox, and then by a wolf, and at length a bear
was added to the company, and Jie was of more use than
all the other five beasts put together. Besides, when the
whole six had supped off the man he was not so heavy
to draw.

The worst of it was that they soon began to get
hungry again, and the wolf, who was the hungriest of all,
said to the rest :

' What shall we eat now, my friends, as there is no
more man ? '

' I suppose we shall have to eat the smallest of us,'
replied the bear, and the marten turned round to seize the
squirrel who was much smaller than any of the rest. But
the squirrel ran up a tree like lightning, and the marten
remembering, just in time, that he was the next in size,
slipped quick as thought into a hole in the rocks.

' What shall we eat noiu ? ' asked the wolf again, when
he had recovered from his surprise.

' We must eat the smallest of us,' repeated the bear,
stretching out a paw towards the hare ; but the hare was
not a hare for nothing, and before the paw had touched
her, she had darted deep into the wood.

Now that the squirrel, the marten, and the hare had
all gone, the fox was the smallest of the three who were
left, and the wolf and the bear explained that they were
very sorry, but they would have to eat liini. Michael, the
fox, did not run away as the others had done, but smiled
in a friendly manner, and remarked : ' Things taste so stale
in a valley ; one's appetite is so much better up on a
mountain.' The wolf and the bear agreed, and they
turned out of the hollow where they had been walking,
and chose a path that led up the mountain side. The
fox trotted cheerfully by his two big companions, h\it on
the way he managed to whisper to the wolf : ' Tell me,
Peter, when I am eaten, what will you have for your next
dinner ? '

THE SIX HUNGBY BEASTS

235

This simple question seemed to put out the wolf very
much. What tvould they have for their next dinner, and,
what was more important still, who would there be to eat
it ? They had made a rule always to dine off the smallest

niCtiAEL THE. FOX DID NOT RUM
AWAY AS TOE OTrttKS HAD DONE

of the party, and when the fox was gone, why of course,
he was smaller than the bear.

These thoughts flashed quickly through his head,
and he said hastily :

236 THE SIX HUNGBY BEASTS

* Dear brothers, would it not be better for us to live
together as comrades, and everyone to hunt for the com-
mon dinner ? Is not my plan a good one ? '

' It is the best thing I have ever heard,' answered
the fox ; and as they were two to one the bear had to be
content, though in his heart he would much have preferred
a good dinner at once to any friendship.

For a few days all went well ; there was plenty of
game in the forest, and even the wolf had as much to eat
as he could wish. One morning the fox as usual w^as
going his rounds w^hen he noticed a tall, slender tree, with
a magpie's nest in one of the top branches. Now the
fox was particularly fond of young magpies, and he set
about making a plan by w^hich he could have one for
dinner. At last he hit upon something which he thought
would do, and accordingly he sat down near the tree and
began to stare hard at it.

' What are you looking at, Michael ? ' asked the
magpie, who was watching him from a bough.

' I'm looking at this tree. It has just struck me what
a good tree it would be to cut my new snow-shoes out of.'
But at this answer the magpie screeched loudly, and
exclaimed : * Oh, not this tree, dear brother, I implore
you ! I have built my nest on it, and my young ones are
not yet old enough to fly.'

* It will not be easy to find another tree that would
make such good snow-shoes,' answered the fox, cocking
his head on one side, and gazing at the tree thoughtfully ;
'but I do not like to be ill-natured, so if you will give
me one of your young ones I will seek my snow-shoes
elsewhere.'

Not knowing what to do the poor magpie had to agi-ee,
and flying back, with a heavy heart, he threw one of his
young ones out of the nest. The fox seized it in his
mouth and ran off in triumph, while the magpie, though
deeply grieved for the loss of his little one, found some
comfort in the thought that only a bird of extraordinary

THE SIX HUNGRY BEASTS 237

wisdom would have dreamed of saving the rest by the
sacrifice of the one. But what do you think happened ?
Why, a few days later, Michael the fox might have
been seen sitting under the very same tree, and a
dreadful pang shot through the heart of the magpie as he
peeped at him from a hole in the nest.

' What are you looking at ? ' he asked in a trembling
voice.

* At this tree. I was just thinking what good snow-
shoes it would make,' answered the fox in an absent voice,
as if he was not thinking of what he was saying.

' Oh, my brother, my dear little brother, don't do that,'
cried the magpie, hopping about in his anguish. ' You
know you promised only a few days ago that you would
get your snow-shoes elsewhere.'

' So I did ; but though I have searched through the
whole forest, there is not a single tree that is as good as
this. I am very sorry to put you out, but really it is not
my fault. The only thing I can do for you is to offer to
give up my snow-shoes altogether if you will throw me
down one of your young ones in exchange.'

And the poor magpie, in spite of his wisdom, was
obliged to throw another of his little ones out of the nest ;
and this time he was not able to console himself with the
thought that he had been much cleverer than other people.

He sat on the edge of his nest, his head drooping and
his feathers all ruffled, looking the picture of misery.
Indeed he was so different from the gay, jaunty magpie
whom every creature in the forest knew, that a crow who
was flying past, stopped to inquire what was the matter.
* Where are the two young ones who are not in the nest ? '
asked he.

' I had to give them to the fox,' replied the magpie in
a quivering voice ; ' he has been here twice in the last
week, and wanted to cut down my tree for the purpose of
making snow-shoes out of it, and the only way I could
buy him off was by giving him two of my young ones.'

238 THE SIX IIUNGBY BEASTS

Oh, you fool,' cried the crow, 'the fox was only trying
to frighten you. He could not have cut down the tree,
for he has neither axe nor knife. Dear me, to think that
you have sacrificed your young ones for nothing ! Dear,
dear ! how could you be so very foolish ! ' And the crow
flew away, leaving the magpie overcome with shame and
sorrow.

The next morning the fox came to his usual place in
front of the tree, for he was hungry, and a nice young
magpie would have suited him very well for dinner. But
this time there was no cow^ering, timid magpie to do his
bidding, but a bird with his head erect and a determined
voice.

' My good fox,' said the magpie — putting his head on
one side and looking very wdse — ' my good fox, if you
take my advice, you will go home as fast as you can.
There is no use your talking about making snow-shoes
out of this tree, when you have neither knife nor axe to
cut it down with ! '

'Who has been teaching you wisdom?' asked the fox,
forgetting his manners in his surprise at this new turn of
affairs.

* The crow, who paid me a visit yesterday,' answered
the magpie.

' The crow was it ? ' said the fox, ' well, the crow had
better not meet me for the future, or it may be the worse
for him.'

As Michael, the cunning beast, had no desire to con-
tinue the conversation, he left the forest ; but when he
came to the high road he laid himself at full length on
the ground, stretching himself out, just as if he was dead.
Very soon he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that
the crow was flying towards him, and he kept stiller and
stiffer than ever, with his tongue hanging out of his
mouth. The crow, who wanted her supper very badly,
hopped quickly towards him, and w^as stooping forward
to peck at his tongue Vvlien the fox gave a snap, and

THE SIX HUNGBY BEASTS 239

caught him by the wing. The crow knew that it was of no
use strugghng, so he said :

* Ah, brother, if you are really going to eat me, do it,
I beg of you, in good style. Throw me first over this
precipice, so that my feathers may be strewn here and
there, and that all wiio see them may know that your
cunning is greater than mine.' This idea pleased the
fox, for he had not yet forgiven the crow for depriving
him of the young magpies, so he carried the crow to
the edge of the precipice and threw him over, intend-
ing to go round by a path he knev/ and pick him up
at the bottom. But no sooner had the fox let the
crow go than he soared up into the air, and hovering just
out of reach of his enemy's jaws, he cried with a laugh :
' Ah, fox ! you know well how to catch, but you cannot
keep.'

With his tail between his legs, the fox slunk into the
forest. He did not know where to look for a dinner, as
he guessed that the crow would have flown back before
him, and put every one on their guard. The notion of
going to bed supperless was very unpleasant to him, and
he was wondering what in the world he should do, when
he chanced to meet with his old friend the bear.

This poor animal had just lost his wife, and was
going to get some one to mourn over her, for he felt her
loss greatly. He had hardly left his comfortable cave
when he had come across tlue wolf, who inquired where
he was going. * I am going to find a mourner,' answered
the bear, and told his story.

* Oh, let me mourn for you,' cried the wolf.

' Do you understand how to howl ? ' said the bear.

* Oh, certainly, godfather, certainly,' replied the wolf ;
but the bear said he should like to have a specimen of his
howling, to make sure that he knew his business. So
the w^olf broke forth in his song of lament : * Hu, hu, hu,
hum, hoh,' he shouted, and he made such a noise that the
bear put up his paws to his ears, and begged him to stop.

240 THE SIX HUNGRY BEASTS

* You have no idea how it is done. Be off with you,' said
he angrily.

A Uttle further down the road the hare was resting in
a ditch, but when she saw the bear, she came out and
spoke to him, and inquired why he looked so sad. The
bear told her of the loss of his wife, and of his search
after a mourner that could lament over her in the proper
style. The hare instantly offered her services, but the
bear took care to ask her to give him a proof of her talents,
before he accepted them. * Pu, pu, pu, pum, poh,' piped
the hare ; but this time her voice w^as so small that the
bear could hardly hear her. * That is not what I want,'
he said, ' I will bid you good morning.'

It was after this that the fox came up, and he also
was struck with the bear's altered looks, and stopped.
' What is the matter with you, godfather ? ' asked he, * and
where are you going ? '

' I am going to find a mourner for my mfe,' answered
the bear.

' Oh, do choose me,' cried the fox, and the bear looked
at him thoughtfully.

* Can you howl well ? ' he said.

' Yes, beautifully, just listen,' and the fox lifted up his
voice and sang — weeping : ' Lou, lou, lou ! the famous
spinner, the baker of good cakes, the prudent house-
keeper is torn from her husband ! Lou, lou, lou ! she is
gone ! she is gone ! '

* Now at last I have found some one who knows the
art of lamentation,' exclaimed the bear, quite delighted ;
and he led the fox back to his cave, and bade him begin
his lament over the dead w^ife who was lying stretched
out on her bed of grey moss. But this did not suit the
fox at all.

' One cannot wail properly in this cave,' he said,
' it is much too damp. You had better take the body
to the storehouse. It will sound much finer there.' So
the bear carried his wife's body to the storehouse,

THE SIX HUNGBY BEASTS

241

while he himself went back to the cave to cook some pap
for the mourner. From time to time he paused and
listened for the sound of wailing, but he heard nothing.
At last he went to the door of the storehouse, and called
to the fox :

' Why don't you howl, godfather ? What are you
about ? '

Mv) Tf{E -T11?> or KTS TTui

And the fox, who, instead of weeping over the dead
bear, had been quietly eating her, answered :

' There only remain now her legs and the soles of her
feet. Give me five minutes more and they will be gone
also ! '

■When the bear heard that he ran back for the kitchen
ladle, to give the traitor the beating he deserved. But as
he opened the door of the storehouse, Michael was ready

O R

242 THE SIX HUNGBY BEASTS

for him, and slipping between his legs, dashed straight
off into the forest. The bear, seeing that the traitor had
escaped, flung the ladle after him, and it just caught the
tip of his tail, and that is how there comes to be a spot of
white on the tails of all foxes.

[From Finnische Jfdhrchen.}

243

HOW THE BEGGAB BOY TUBNED INTO
COUNT PIBO

Once upon a time there lived a man who had only one
son, a lazy, stupid boy, who would never do anything he
was told. When the father was dying, he sent for his
son and told him that he ^vould soon be left alone in the
world, with no possessions but the small cottage they
lived in and a pear tree which grew behind it, and that,
whether he liked it or not, he would have to work, or else
he would starve. Then the old man died.

But the boy did not work ; instead, he idled about as
before, contenting himself with eating the pears off his
tree, which, unlike other pear trees before or since, bore
•fruit the whole year round. Indeed, the pears were so
much finer than any you could get even in the autumn,
that one day, in the middle of the winter, they attracted
the notice of a fox who was creeping by.

' Dear me ; what lovely pears ! ' he said to the youth,

* Do give me a basket of them. It will bring you luck ! '

* Ah, little fox, but if I give you a basketful, what
am I to eat ? ' asked the boy.

' Oh, trust me, and do what I tell you,' said the fox ;

* I know it will bring you luck.' So the boy got up and
picked some of the ripest pears and put them into a rush
basket. The fox thanked him, and, taking the basket in
his mouth, trotted off to the king's palace and made his
way straight to the king.

* Your Majesty, my master sends you a few of his best

244 BEGGAB BOY TUBNED INTO COUNT

pears, and begs you ^Yill graciously accept them,' he said,
laying the basket at the feet of the king.

' Pears ! at this season ? ' cried the king, peering down
to look at them ; ' and, pray, who is your master ? '

' The Count Piro,' answered the fox.

' But how does he manage to get pears in mid-
winter ? ' asked the king.

' Oh, he has everything he wants,' replied the fox ; ' he
is richer even than you are, your Majesty.'

' Then what can I send him in return for his pears ? '
said the king.

' Nothing, your Majesty, or you would hurt his feel-
ings,' answered the fox.

' Well, tell him how heartily I thank him, and how
much I shall enjoy them.' And the fox went away.

He trotted back to the cottage with his empty basket
and told his tale, but the youth did not seem as pleased
to hear as the fox was to tell.

' But, my dear little fox,' said he, ' you have brought
me nothing in return, and I am so hungry ! '

' Let me alone,' replied the fox ; * I know what I am
doing. You will see, it will bring you luck.'

A few days after this the fox came back again.

' I must have another basket of pears,' said he.

' Ah, little fox, what shall I eat if you take away all
my pears ? ' answered the youth.

' Be quiet, it will be all right,' said the fox ; and taking
a bigger basket than before, he filled it quite full of pears.
Then he picked it up in his mouth, and trotted off to the
palace.

' Your Majesty, as you seemed to like the first basket
of pears, I have brought you some more,' said he, ' with
my master, the Count Piro's humble respects.'

' Now, surely it is not possible to grow such pears
with deep snow on the ground ? ' cried the king.

* Oh, that never affects them,' answered the fox lightly ;
' he is rich enough to do anything. But to-day he sends

BEGGAB BOY TUBNED INTO COUNT 245

me to ask if you will give him your daughter in mar-
riage ? '

* If he is so much richer than I am,' said the king, * I
shall be obliged to j.-efuse. My honour would not permit
me to accept his oifer.'

' Oh, your Majesty, you must not think that,' replied
the fox ; ' and do not let the question of a dowry trouble
you. The Count Piro would not dream of asking any-
thing but the hand of the princess.'

* Is he really so rich that he can do without a dowry ? '
asked the king.

' Did I not tell your Majesty that he was richer than
you ? ' answered the fox reproachfully.

' Well, beg him to come here, that we may talk
together,' said the king.

So the fox went back to the young man and said :
' I have told the king that you are Count Piro, and have
asked his daughter in marriage.'

' Oh, little fox, what have you done ? ' cried the youth
in dismay ; ' when the king sees me he w^ill order my
head to be cut off.'

* Oh, no, he won't ! ' replied the fox ; ' just do as I tell
you.' And he went off to the tow^n, and stopped at the
house of the best tailor.

' My master, the Count Piro, begs that you will send
him at once the finest coat that you have in your
shop,' said the fox, putting on his grandest air, * and if
it fits him I will call and pay for it to-morrow ! Indeed,
as he is in a great hurry, perhaps it might be as well if I
took it round myself.' The tailor was not accustomed to
serve counts, and he at once got out all the coats he had
ready. The fox chose out a beautiful one of white and
silver, bade the tailor tie it up in a parcel, and carrying
the string in his teeth, he left the shop, and went to a
horse-dealer's, w^hom he persuaded to send his finest horse
round to the cottage, saying that the king had ))idden his
master to the palace.

246 BEGGAR BOY TURNED INTO COUNT

Very unwillingly the young man put on the coat and
mounted the horse, and rode up to meet the king, with
the fox running before him.

' What am I to say to his Majesty, little fox ? ' he asked
anxiously ; ' you know that I have never spoken to a king
before.'

' Say nothing,' answered the fox, * but leave the talking
to me. " Good morning, your Majesty," will be all that
is necessary for you.'

By this time they had reached the palace, and the
king came to the door to receive Count Piro, and led him
to the great hall, where a feast was spread. The princess
was already seated at the table, but w^as as dumb as
Count Piro himself.

' The Count speaks very little,' the king said at last to
the fox, and the fox answered : * He has so much to think
about in the management of his property that he cannot
afford to talk like ordinary people.' The king was quite
satisfied, and they finished dinner, after which Count Piro
and the fox took leave.

The next morning the fox Came round again.

* Give me another basket of pears,' he said.

' Very well, little fox ; but remember it may cost me
my life,' answered the youth.

' Oh, leave it to me, and do as I tell you, and you
will see that in the end it will bring you luck,' answered
the fox ; and plucking the pears he took them up to the
king.

' My master. Count Piro, sends you these pears,' he
said, ' and asks for an answer to his proposal.'

* Tell the count that the wedding can take place
whenever he pleases,' answered the king, and, filled with
pride, the fox trotted back to deliver his message.

' But I can't bring the princess here, little fox ? ' cried
the young man in dismay.

* You leave everything to me,' answered the fox ; ' have
I not managed well so far ? '

TKe Wttle fox frightens the Ogre ^ Kis wife *^^

BEGGAR BOY TURNED INTO COUNT 249

And up at the palace preparations were made for a
grand wedding, and the youth was married to the princess.

After a week of feasting, the fox said to the king :
' My master wishes to take his young bride home to his
own castle.'

* Very well, I will accompany them,' replied the king ;
and he ordered his courtiers and attendants to get ready,
and the best horses in his stable to be brought out for
himself, Count Piro and the princess. So they all set out,
and rode across the plain, the little fox running before
them.

He stopped at the sight of a great flock of sheep,
which was feeding peacefully on the rich grass. ' To
whom do these sheep belong ? ' asked he of the shepherd.
' To an ogre,' replied the shepherd.

* Hush,' said the fox in a mysterious manner. ' Do
you see that crowd of armed men riding along ? If you
were to tell them that those sheep belonged to an ogre,
they would kill them, and then the ogre would kill yo2i !
If they ask, just say the sheep belong to Count Piro ; it
will be better for everybody.' And the fox ran hastily
on, as he did not wish to be seen talking to the shepherd.

Very soon the king came up.

' What beautiful sheep ! ' he said, drawing up his horse.
' I have none so fine in my pastures. Whose are they ? '

' Count Piro's,' answered the shepherd, who did not
know the king.

' Well, he must be a very rich man,' thought the king
to himself, and rejoiced that he had such a wealthy son-
in-law.

Meanwhile the fox had met with a huge herd of pigs,
snuffling about the roots of some trees.

' To whom do these pigs belong ? ' he asked of the
swineherd.

* To an ogre,' replied he.

' Hush ! ' whispered the fox, though nobody could
hear him ; * do you see that troop of armed men riding

250 BEGGAB BOY TUBNED INTO COUNT

towards us ? If you tell them that the pigs belong to the
ogre they will kill them, and then the ogre will kill yott !
If they ask, just say that the pigs belong to Count Piro ;
it will be better for everybody.' And he ran hastily on.

Soon after the king rode up.

' What fine pigs ! ' he said, reining in his horse. ' They
are fatter than any I have got on my farms. Whose are
they ? '

' Count Piro's,' answered the swineherd, who did not
know the king ; and again the king felt he was lucky to
have such a rich son-in-law.

This time the fox ran faster than before, and in a
flowery meadow he found a troop of horses feeding.
' Whose horses are these ? ' he asked of the man who was
watching them.

' An ogre's,' replied he.

' Hush ! ' whispered the fox, * do you see that crowd
of armed men coming towards us ? If you tell them the
horses belong to an ogre they will drive them off, and
then the ogre will kill you ! If they ask, just say they are
Count Piro's ; it will be better for everybody.' And he
ran on again.

In a few minutes the king rode up.

* Oh, what lovely creatures ! how I wish they were
mine ! ' he exclaimed. ' W^hose are they ? '

' Count Piro's,' answered the man, who did not know
the king ; and the king's heart leapt as he thought that
if they belonged to his rich son-in-law they were as good
as his.

At last the fox came to the castle of the ogre himself.
He ran up the steps, with tears falling from his eyes, and
crying :

' Oh, you poor, poor people, what a sad fate is yours ! '

* What has happened ? ' asked the ogre, trembling
with fright.

' Do you see that troop of horsemen who are riding
along the road ? They are sent by the king to kill you I '

BEGGAB BOY TUBNED INTO COUNT 251

' Oh, dear little fox, help us, we implore you ! ' cried
the ogre and his wife.

' Well, I will do what I can,' answered the fox. ' The
best place is for you both to hide in the big oven, and
when the soldiers have gone by I will let you out.'

The ogre and ogress scrambled into the oven as quick
as thought, and the fox banged the door on them ; just
as he did so the king came up.

* Do us the honour to dismount, your Majesty,' said
the fox, bowing low. * This is the palace of Count Piro ! '

* Why it is more splendid than my own ! ' exclaimed
the king, looking round on all the beautiful things that
filled the hall. But why are there no servants ? '

* His Excellency the Count Piro wished the princess
to choose them for herself,' answered the fox, and the
king nodded his approval. He then rode on, leaving the
bridal pair in the castle. But when it was dark and all
was still, the fox crept downstairs and lit the kitchen fire,
and the ogre and his wife were burned to death. The
next morning the fox said to Count Piro :

* Now that you are rich and happy, you have no more
need of me ; but, before I go, there is one thing I must
ask of you in return : when I die, promise me that you
will give me a magnificent coffin, and bury me with due
honours.'

* Oh, little, little fox, don't talk of dying,' cried the
princess, nearly weeping, for she had taken a great liking
to the fox.

After some time the fox thought he would see if the
Count Piro was really grateful to him for all he had done,
and went back to the castle, where he lay down on the
door-step, and pretended to be dead. The princess was
just going out for a walk, and directly she saw him lying
there, she burst into tears and fell on her knees beside him,

* My dear little fox, you are not dead,' she wailed ;
' you poor, poor little creature, you shall have the finest
coffin in the world ! '

252 BEGGAB BOY TURNED INTO COUNT

* A coffin for an animal ? ' said Count Piro. ' What
nonsense ! just take him by the leg and throw him into
the ditch,'

Then the fox sprang up and cried : * You wretched,
thankless beggar ; have you forgotten that you owe all
your riches to me ? '

Count Piro was frightened when he heard these words,
as he thought that perhaps the fox might have power
to take away the castle, and leave him as poor as when
he had nothing to eat but the pears off his tree. So he
tried to soften the fox's anger, saying that he had only
spoken in joke, as he had known quite well that he w^as
not really dead. For the sake of the princess, the fox
let himself be softened, and he lived in the castle for
many years, and played with Count Piro's children.
And when he actually did die, his coffin was made of
silver, and Count Piro and his wife followed him to the
grave.

[From Sicilianische Alahrchen.]

253

THE ROGUE AND THE HERDSMAN

In a tiny cottage near the king's palace there once lived
an old man, his wife, and his son, a very lazy fellow, who
would never do a stroke of work. He could not be got even
to look after their one cow, but left her to look after her-
self, while he lay on a bank and went to sleep in the sun.
For a long time his father bore with him, hoping that as
he grew older he might gain more sense ; but at last the
old man's patience was worn out, and he told his son that
he should not stay at house in idleness, and must go out
into the world to seek his fortune.

The young man saw that there was no help for it, and
he set out with a wallet full of food over his shoulder.
At length he came to a large house, at the door of which
he knocked.

* What do you want ? ' asked the old man who opened
it. And the youth told him how his father had turned
him out of his house because he was so lazy and stupid,
and he needed shelter for the night.

* That you shall have,' replied the man ; ' but to-morrow
I shall give you some work to do, for you must know that
I am the chief herdsman of the king.'

The youth made no answer to this. He felt, if he was
to be made to work after all, that he might as well have
stayed where he was. But as he did not see any other
way of getting a bed, he went slowly in.

The herdsman's two daughters and their mother were
sitting at supper, and invited him to join them. Nothing
more was said about work, and when the meal was over
they all went to bed.

264 THE BOGUE AND THE HEBDSMAN

In the morning, when the young man was dressed,
the herdsman called to him and said :

' Now listen, and I will tell you what you have to do.'

' What is it ? ' asked the youth, sulkily.

' Nothing less than to look after two hundred pigs,'
was the reply.

* Oh, I am used to that,' answered the youth.

* Yes ; but this time you will have to do it properly,' said
the herdsman ; and he took the youth to the place where
the pigs were feeding, and told him to drive them to the
woods on the side of the mountain. This the young man
did, but as soon as they reached the outskirts of the moun-
tain they grew quite wild, and would have run away alto-
gether, had they not luckily gone towards a narrow ravine,
from which the youth easily drove them home to his
father's cottage.

' Where do all these pigs come from, and how did you
get them ? ' asked the old man in surprise, when his son
knocked at the door of the hut he had left only the day
before.

* They belong to the king's chief herdsman,' answered
his son. ' He gave them to me to look after, but I knew
I could not do it, so I drove them straight to you. Now
make the best of your good fortune, and kill them and
hang them up at once.'

' What are you talking about ? ' cried the father, pale
with horror. ' We should certainly both be put to death
if I did any such thing.'

' No, no ; do as I tell you, and I will get out of it
somehow,' replied the young man. And in the end he had
his way. The pigs were killed, and laid side by side in a
row. Then he cut off the tails and tied them together
with a piece of cord, and swinging the bundle over his
back, he returned to the place where they should have
been feeding. Here there was a small swamp, which was
just what he wanted, and finding a large stone, he fastened
the rope to it, and sank it in the swamp, after which he

THE BOGUE AND THE HEBDSMAN 255

arranged the tails carefully one by one, so that only their
points were seen sticking out of the water. When every-
thing was in order, he hastened home to his master with
such a sorrowful face that the herdsman saw at once that
something dreadful had happened.
' Where are the pigs ? ' asked he.

* Oh, don't speak of them ! ' answered the young man ;
'T really can hardly tell you. The moment they got into
the field they became quite mad, and each ran in a dif-
ferent direction. I ran too, hither and thither, but as. fast
as I caught one, another was off, till I was in despair. At
last, however, I collected them all and w^as about to drive
them; back, when suddenly they rushed down the hill into
the swamp, where they vanished completely, leaving only
the points of their tails, which you can see for yourself.'

* You have made up that story very well,' replied the
herdsman.

* No, it is the real truth ; come with me and I'll prove
it.' And they went together to the spot, and there sure
enough were the points of the tails sticking up out of the
water. The herdsman laid hold of the nearest, and pulled
at it with all his might, but it was no use, for the stone
and the rope held them all fast. He called to the young
man to help him, but the two did not succeed any better
than the one had done.

' Yes, your story was true after all ; it is a wonderful
thing,' said the herdsman. ' But I see it is no fault of
yours, and I must put up with my loss as well as I can.
Now let us return home, for it is time for supper.

Next morning the herdsman said to the young man :
' I have got some other work for you to do. To-day you
must take a hundred sheep to graze ; but be careful that
no harm befalls them.'

' I will do my best,' replied the youth. And he opened
the gate of the fold, where the sheep had been all night,
and drove them out into the meadow. But in a short
time they grew as wild as the pigs had done, and scattered

256 THE ROGUE AND THE HERDSMAN

in all directions. The young man could not collect them,
try as he would, and he thought to himself that this was
the punishment for his laziness in refusing to look after
his father's one cow.

At last, however, the sheep seemed tired of running
about, and then the youth managed to gather them
together, and drove them, as before, straight to his father's
house.

* Whose sheep are these, and what are they doing
here ? ' asked the old man in wonder, and his son told
him. But when the tale was ended the father shook his
head.

* Give up these bad ways and take them back to your
master,' said he.

* No, no,' answered the youth ; * I am not so stupid as
that ! We will kill them and have them for dinner.'

' You will lose your life if you do,' replied the father.

' Oh, I am not sure of that ! ' said the son, ' and,
anyway, I will have my will for once.' And he killed all
the sheep and laid them on the grass. But he cut off the
head of the ram which always led the flock and had bells
round its horns. This he took back to the place where
they should have been feeding, for here he had noticed a high
rock, with a patch of green grass in the middle and two or
three thick bushes growing on the edge. Up this rock he
climbed with great difiiculty, and fastened the ram's head
to the bushes with a cord, leaving only the tips of the
horns with the bells visible. As there was a soft breeze
blowing, the bushes to which the head was tied moved
gently, and the bells rang. When all was done to his
liking he hastened quickly back to his master.

* Where are the sheep ? ' asked the herdsman as the
young man ran panting up the steps.

' Oh ! don't speak of them,' answered he. ' It is only
by a miracle that I am here myself.'

* Tell me at once what has happened,' said the herds-
man sternly.

THE BOGUE AND THE HERDSMAN 257

The youth began to sob, and stammered out : ' I — I
hardly know how to tell you ! They — they — they were
so — so troublesome — that I could not manage them at all.
They — ran about in — in all directions, and I — I — ran
after them and nearly died of fatigue. Then I heard a —
a noise, which I — I thought was the wind. But — but — it
was the sheep, which, be-before my very eyes, were carried
straight up — up into the air. I stood watching them as
if I was turned to stone, but there kept ringing in my
ears the sound of the bells on the ram which led them.'

* That is nothing but a lie from beginning to end,'
said the herdsman.

' No, it is as true as that there is a sun in heaven,'
answered the young man.

* Then give me a proof of it,* cried his master.

* Well, come with me,' said the youth. By this time
it was evening and the dusk was falling. The young
man brought the herdsman to the foot of the great rock,
but it was so dark you could hardly see. Still the sound
of sheep bells rang softly from above, and the herdsman
knew them to be those he had hung on the horns of his
ram.

* Do you hear ? ' asked the youth.

' Yes, I hear ; you have spoken the truth, and I cannot
blame you for what has happened. I must bear the loss
as best as I can.'

He turned and went home, followed by the young
man, who felt highly pleased with his own cleverness.

' I should not be surprised if the tasks I set you were
too difficult, and that you were tired of them,' said the
herdsman next morning ; * but to-day I have something
quite easy for you to do. You must look after forty oxen,
and be sure you are very careful, for one of them has gold-
tipped horns and hoofs, and the king reckons it among
his greatest treasures.'

The young man drove out the oxen into the meadow,
and no sooner had they got there than, like the sheep and
c s

258 THE ROGUE AND THE HERDSMAN

the pigs, they began to scamper in all directions, the
precious bull being the ^Yildest of all. As the youth
stood watching them, not knowing what to do next, it
came into his head that his father's cow was put out to
grass at no great distance ; and he forthwith made such a
noise that he quite frightened the oxen, who were easily
persuaded to take the path he wished. When they heard
the cow lowing they galloped all the faster, and soon
they all arrived at his father's house.

The old man was standing before the door of his hut
when the great herd of animals dashed round a comer of
the road, with his son and his own cow at their head.

* Whose cattle are these, and why are they here ? ' he
asked ; and his son told him the story.

' Take them back to your master as soon as you
can,' said the old man ; but the son only laughed, and
said :

' No, no ; they are a present to you ! They will make
you fat ! '

For a long while the old man refused to have anything
to do with such a wicked scheme ; but his son talked him
over in the end, and they killed the oxen as they had killed
the sheep and the pigs. Last of all they, came to the
king's cherished ox.

The son had a rope ready to cast round its horns, and
throv/ it to the ground, but the ox was stronger than the
rope, and soon tore it in pieces. Then it dashed away to
the wood, the youth following ; over hedges and ditches
they both went, till they reached the rocky pass which
bordered the herdsman's land. Here the ox, thinking
itself safe, stopped to rest, and thus gave the young man a
chance to come up with it. Not knowing how to catch it,
he collected all the wood he could find and made a circle
of fire round the ox, who by this time had fallen asleep,
and did not wake till the fire had caught its head, and it
was too late for it to escape. Then the young man, who
had been watching, ran home to his master.

THE BOGUE AND THE HEBDSMAN 259

' You have been away a long while,' said the herds-
man. * Where are the cattle ? '

The young man gasped, and seemed as if he was
unable to speak. At last he answered :

' It is always the same story ! The oxen are — gone —
gone ! '

* G-g-gone ? ' cried the herdsman. * Scomidrel, you
lie!'

* I am telling you the exact truth,' answered the young
man. * Directly Ave came to the meadow they grew so
wild that I could not keep them together. Then the big
ox broke away, and the others followed till they all
disappeared down a deep hole into the earth. It seemed
to me that I heard sounds of bellowing, and I thought I
recognised the voice of the golden horned ox ; but when
I got to the place from which the sounds had come, I
could neither see nor hear anything in the hole itself,
though there were traces of a fire all round it.'

' Wretch ! ' cried the herdsman, when he had heard
this story, ' even if you did not lie before, you are lying
now.*

' No, master, I am speaking the truth. Come and see
for yourself.'

' If I find you have deceived me, you are a dead man,'
said the herdsman ; and they went out together.

' What do you call that ? ' asked the youth. And the
herdsman looked and saw the traces of a fire, which
seemed to have sprung up from under the earth.

' Wonder upon wonder,' he exclaimed, ' so you really
did speak the truth after all ! Well, I cannot reproach
you, though I shall have to pay heavily to my royal
master for the value of that ox. But come, let us go
home ! I will never set you to herd cattle again, hence-
forward I will give you something easier to do.*

' I have thought of exactly the thing for you,' said the
herdsman as they walked along, ' and it is so simple that

260 THE BOGUE AND THE HERDSMAN

you cannot make a mistake. Just make me ten scythes,
one for every man, for I want the grass mown in one of
my meadows to-morrow.'

At these words the youth's heart sank, for he had
never been trained either as a smith or a joiner. How-
ever, he dared not say no, but smiled and nodded.

Slowly and sadly he went to bed, but he could not
sleep, for wondering how the scythes were to be made.
All the skill and cunning he had shown before was of
no use to him now, and after thinking about the scythes
for many hours, there seemed only one way open to him.
So, listening to make sure that all was still, he stole away
to his parents, and told them the whole story. When
they had heard everything, they hid him where no one
could find him.

Time passed away, and the young man stayed at home
doing all his parents bade him, and showing himself very
different from what he had been before he went out to
see the world ; but one day he said to his father that he
should like to marry, and have a house of his own.

' When I served the king's chief herdsman,' added he,
* I saw his daughter, and I am resolved to try if I cannot
win her for my wife.'

' It will cost you your life, if you do,' answered the
father, shaking his head.

' Well, I will do my best,' replied his son ; ' but first
give me the sword which hangs over your bed ! '

The old man did not understand what good the sword
would do, however he took it down, and the young man
went his way.

Late in the evening he arrived at the house of the
herdsman, and knocked at the door, which was opened by
a little boy.

' I want to speak to your master,' said he.

' So it is you ? ' cried the herdsman, when he had
received the message. ' Well, you can sleep here to-night
if you wish.'

THE BOGUE AND THE HEBDSMAN 261

' I have come for something else besides a bed,' repHed
the young man, drawing his sword, ' and if you do not
promise to give me your youngest daughter as my wife I
will stab you through the heart.'

What could the poor man do but promise ? And he
fetched his youngest daughter, who seemed quite pleased
at the proposed match, and gave the youth her hand.

Then the young man went home to his parents, and
bade them get ready to welcome his bride. And when the
wedding was over he told his father-in-law, the herdsman,
what he had done with the sheep, and pigs, and cattle.
By-and-by the story came to the king's ears, and he
thought that a man who was so clever was just the man
to govern the country ; so he made him his minister, and
after the king himself there was no one so great as he,

[From hldiidische Mahrchen.]

262

EISENKOPF

Once upon a time there lived an old man who had only-
one son, whom he loved dearly ; but they were very poor,
and often had scarcely enough to eat. Then the old man
fell ill, and things grew worse than ever, so he called his
son and said to him :

' My dear boy, I have no longer any food to give you,
and you must go into the world and get it for yourself. It
does not matter what work you do, but remember if you
do it well and are faithful to your master, you will always
have your reward.'

So Peter put a piece of black bread in his knapsack,
and strapping it on his back, took a stout stick in his
hand, and set out to seek his fortune. For a long while
he travelled on and on, and nobody seemed to want him ;
but one day he met an old man, and being a polite youth,
he took off his hat and said : * Good morning,' in a pleasant
voice. 'Good morning,' answered the old man; 'and
where are you going ? '

' I am wandering through the country trying to get
work,' replied Peter.

' Then stay with me, for I can give you plenty,' said
the old man, and Peter stayed.

His work did not seem hard, for he had only two
horses and a cow to see after, and though he had been
hired for a year, the year consisted of but three days, so
that it was not long before he received his wages. In pay-
ment the old man gave him a nut, and offered to keep, him
for another year; but Peter was home -sick; and, besides,

EISENKOPF 263

he would rather have been paid ever so small a piece of
money than a nut ; for, thought he, nuts grow on every
tree, and I can gather as many as I like. However, he
did not say this to the old man, who had been kind to
him, but just bade him farewell.

The nearer Peter drew to his father's house the more
ashamed he felt at having brought back such poor wages.
What could one nut do for him ? Why, it would not buy
even a slice of bacon. It was no use taking it home, he
might as well eat it. So he sat down on a stone and
cracked it with his teeth, and then took it out of his
mouth to break off the shell. But who could ever guess
w^hat came out of that nut ? Why horses and oxen and
sheep stepped out in such numbers that they seemed as
if they would stretch to the world's end ! The sight gave
Peter such a shock that he wrung his hands in dismay.
What was he to do with all these creatures, where was he
to put them ? He stood and gazed in terror, and at this
moment Eisenkopf came by.

' What is the matter, young man ? ' asked he.

' Oh, my friend, there is plenty the matter,' answered
Peter. ' I have gained a nut as my wages, and when I
cracked it this crowd of beasts came out, and I don't
know what to do with them all ! '

' Listen to me, my son,' said Eisenkopf. * If you will
promise never to marry I will drive them all back into
the nut again.'

In his trouble Peter would have promised far harder
things than this, so he gladly gave the promise Eisenkopf
asked for ; and at a whistle from the stranger the animals
all began crowding into the nut again, nearly tumbling
over each other in their haste. When the last foot had
got inside, the two halves of the shell shut close. Then
Peter put it in his pocket and went on to the house.

No sooner had he reached it than he cracked his nut
for the second time, and out came the horses, sheep, and
Indeed Peter thought that there were even

264 EISENKOPF

more of them than before. The old man could not believe
his eyes when he saw the multitudes of horses, oxen and
sheep standing before his door.

' How did you come by all these ? ' he gasped, as soon
as he could speak ; and the son told him the whole story,
and of the promise he had given Eisenkopf.

The next day some of the cattle were driven to market
and sold, and with the money the old man was able to buy
some of the fields and gardens round his house, and in a
few months had grown the richest and most prosperous
man in the whole village. Everything seemed to turn to
gold in his hands, till one day, when he and his son were
sitting in the orchard watching their herds of cattle
grazing in the meadows, he suddenly said : * Peter, my
boy, it is time that you were thinking of marrying.'

' But, my dear father, I told you I can never marry,
because of the promise I gave to Eisenkopf.'

' Oh, one promises here and promises there, but no
one ever thinks of keeping such promises. If Eisenkopf
does not like your marrying, he will have to put up with
it all the same ! Besides, there stands in the stable a
grey horse which is saddled night and day ; and if Eisen-
kopf should show his face, you have only got to jump on
the horse's back and ride away, and nobody on earth can
catch you. When all is safe you will come back again,
and we shall live as happily as two fish in the sea.'

And so it all happened. The young man found a
pretty, brown-skinned girl who was willing to have him
for a husband, and the whole village came to the wedding
feast. The music was at its gayest, and the dance at its
merriest, w^hen Eisenkopf looked in at the window.

' Oh, ho, my brother ! what is going on here ? It has
the air of being a wedding feast. Yet I fancied — was I
mistaken? — that you had given me a promise that you
never would marry.' But Peter had not waited for the
end of this speech. Scarcely had he seen Eisenkopf than
he darted like the wind to the stable and flung himself on

EISENKOPF 267

the horse's back. In another moment he was away over
the mountain, with Eisenkopf running fast behind him.

On they went through thick forests where the sun
never shone, over rivers so wide that it took a whole day
to sail across them, up hills whose sides were all of glass ;
on they went through seven times seven countries till
Peter reined in his horse before the house of an old
woman.

' Good day, mother,' said he, jumping down and open-
ing the door.

* Good day, my son,' answered she, * and what are you
doing here, at the world's end ? '

* I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world
which is beyond all worlds ; for Eisenkopf is at my
heels.'

* Come in and rest then, and have some food, for I
have a little dog who w^ill begin to howl when Eisenkopf
is still seven miles off.'

So Peter went in and warmed himself and ate and
drank, till suddenly the dog began to howl.

' Quick, my son, quick, you must go,' cried the old
woman. And the lightning itself was not quicker than
Peter.

' Stop a moment,' cried the old woman again, just as
he was mounting his horse, * take this napkin and this
cake, and put them in your bag where you can get hold
of them easily.' Peter took them and put them into his
bag, and waving his thanks for her kindness, he was off
like the wind.

Eound and round he rode, through seven times seven
countries, through forests still thicker, and rivers still wider,
and mountains still more slippery than the others he had
passed, till at length he reached a house where dwelt
another old woman.

' Good day, mother,' said he.

' Good day, my son ! What arc you seeking here at
the world's end ? '

268 EISENKOPF

' I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world
that is beyond all worlds, for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'

' Come in, my son, and have some food. I have a
little dog who will begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still
seven miles off ; so lie on this bed and rest yom'self in
peace.'

Then she went to the kitchen and baked a number of
cakes, more than Peter could have eaten in a whole
month. He had not finished a quarter of them, when the
dog began to howl.

* Now, my son, you must go,' cried the old woman ;
' but first put these cakes and this napkin in your bag,
where you can easily get at them.' So Peter thanked her
and was off like the wind.

On he rode, through seven times seven countries, till
he came to the house of a third old woman, who welcomed
him as the others had done. But when the dog howled,
and Peter sprang up to go, she said, as she gave him the
same gifts for his journey : ' You have now three cakes
and three napkins, for I know that my sisters have each
given you one. Listen to me, and do what I tell you.
Eide seven days and nights straight before you, and on
the eighth morning you will see a great fire. Strike it
three times with the three napkins and it will part in two.
Then ride into the opening, and when you are in the
middle of the opening, throw the three cakes behind your
back with your left hand.'

Peter thanked her for her counsel, and was careful to
do exactly all the old woman had told him. On the
eighth morning he reached a fire so large that he could
see nothing else on either side, but when he struck it with
the napkins it parted, and stood on each hand like a wall.
As he rode through the opening he threw the cakes
behind him. From each cake there sprang a huge dog,
and he gave them the names of World's-weight, Iron-
strong, and Quick-ear. They bayed with joy at the sight
of him, and as Peter turned to pat them, he beheld

EISENKOPF 269

Eisenkopf at the edge of the fire, but the opening had
closed up behind Peter, and he could not get through.

* Stop, you promise-breaker,' shrieked he ; * you have
slipped through my hands once, but wait till I catch you
again ! '

Then he lay down by the fire and watched to see what
would happen.

When Peter knew that he had nothing more to fear from
Eisenkopf, he rode on slowly till he came to a small
white house. Here he entered and found himself in a
room where a grey-haired woman was spinning and a
beautiful girl was sitting in the window combing her
golden hair.

' What l^rings you here, my son ? ' asked the old
woman.

' I am seeking for a place, mother,' answered Peter.

' Stay with me, then, for I need a servant,' said the
old woman.

* With pleasure, mother,' replied he.

After that Peter's life was a very happy one. He
sowed and ploughed all day, except now and then when
he took his dogs and went to hunt. And whatever game
he brought back the maiden with the golden hair knew
how to dress it.

One day the old woman had gone to the town to buy
some flour, and Peter and the maiden were left alone
in the house. They fell into talk, and she asked him
where his home was, and how he had managed to come
through the fire. Peter then told her the whole story,
and of his striking the flames with the three napkins as
he had been told to do. The maiden listened attentively
and wondered in herself whether what he said was true.
So after Peter had gone out to the fields, she crept up to
his room and stole the napkins and then set off as fast as
she could to the fire by a path she knew of over the hill.

At the third blow she gave the flames divided, and
Eisenkopf, who had been watching and hoping for a

270 EISENKOPF

chance of this kind, ran down the opening and stood
before her. At this sight the maiden was almost frightened
to death, but with a great effort she recovered herself and
ran home as fast as her legs would carry her, closely
pursued by Eisenkopf. Panting for breath she rushed
into the house and fell fainting on the floor ; but Eisenkopf
entered behind her, and hid himself in the kitchen under
the hearth.

Not long after, Peter came in and picked up the three
napkins which the maiden had dropped on the threshold.
He wondered how they got there, for he knew he had
left them in his room ; but what was his horror when he
saw the form of the fainting girl lying where she had
dropped, as still and white as if she had been dead. He
lifted her up and carried her to her bed, where she soon
revived, but she did not tell Peter about Eisenkopf, who
had been almost crushed to death under the hearth -stone
by the body of World's-weight.

The next morning Peter locked up his dogs and went
out into the forest alone. Eisenkopf, however, had seen
him go, and followed so closely at his heels that Peter
had barely time to clamber up a tall tree, where Eisenkopf
could not reach him. ' Come down at once, you gallows-
bird,' he cried. ' Have you forgotten your promise that
you never would marry ? '

' Oh, I know it is all up with me,' answered Peter,

* but let me call out three times.'

* You can call a hundred times if you like,' returned
Eisenkopf, * for now I have got you in my power, and
you shall pay for what you have done.'

* Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my
help ! ' cried Peter ; and Quick-ear heard, and said to his
brothers : ' Listen, our master is calling us.'

' You are dreaming, fool,' answered World's-weight ;

* why he has not finished his breakfast.' And he gave
Quick-ear a slap with his paw, for he was young and
needed to be taught sense.

EISENKOPF 271

'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my
help ! ' cried Peter again.

This lime World's-weight heard also, and he said,
* Ah, now our master is really calling.'

* How silly you are ! ' answered Iron-strong ; ' you
know that at this hour he is always eating.' And he
gave World's-weight a cuff, because he was old enough to
know better.

Peter sat trembling on the tree dreading lest his dogs
had never heard, or else that, having heard, they had
refused to come. It was his last chance, so making a
mighty effort he shrieked once more :

' Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my
help, or I am a dead man ! '

xA.nd Iron-strong heard, and said : * Yes, he is certainly
calling, we must go at once.' And in an instant he had
burst open the door, and all three were bounding away in
the direction of the voice. When they reached the foot
of the tree Peter just said : * At him ! ' And in a few
minutes there was nothing left of Eisenkopf.

As soon as his enemy was dead Peter got down and
returned to the house, where he bade farewell to the old
woman and her daughter, who gave him a beautiful ring,
all set with diamonds. It was really a magic ring, but
neither Peter nor the maiden knew that.

Peter's heart was heavy as he set out for home. He
had ceased to love the wife whom he had left at his
wedding feast, and his heart had gone out to the golden-
haired girl. However, it was no use thinking of that, so
he rode forward steadily.

The fire had to be passed through before he had gone
very far, and when he came to it, Peter shook the napkins
three times in the flames and a passage opened for him.
But then a curious thing happened ; the three dogs, who
had followed at his heels all the way, now became three
cakes again, which Peter put into his bag with the
napkins. After that he stopped at the houses of the

272 EISENKOPF

three old women, and gave each one back her napkin and
her cake.

' Where is my wife ? ' asked Peter, when he reached
home.

' Oh, my dear son, why did you ever leave us ? After
you had vanished, no one knew where, your poor wife
grew more and more wretched, and would neither eat nor
drink. Little by little she faded away, and a month ago
we laid her in her grave, to hide her sorrows under the
earth.'

At this news Peter began to weep, for he had loved
his wife before he went away and had seen the golden -
haired maiden.

He went sorrowfully about his work for the space of
half a year, when, one night, he dreamed that he moved
the diamond ring given him by the maiden from his right
hand and put it on the wedding finger of the left. The
dream was so real that he awoke at once and changed the
ring from one hand to the other. And as he did so guess
what he saw ? Why, the golden -haired girl standing
before him. And he sprang up and kissed her, and said :
' Now you are mine for ever and ever, and when we die
we will both be buried in one grave.'

And so they were.

[From Ungarische Mcihrchen.]

273

THE DEATH OF ABU NOWAS AND OF HIS
WIFE

Once upon a time there lived a man whose name was
Abu Nowas, and he was a great favourite with the Sultan
of the country, who had a palace in the same town where
Abu Nowas dwelt.

One day x\bu Nowas came weeping into the hall of
the palace where the Sultan was sitting, and said to him :
* Oh, mighty Sultan, my wife is dead.'

* That is bad news,' replied the Sultan ; * I must get
you another wife.' And he bade his Grand Vizir send for
the Sultana.

' This poor Abu Nowas has lost his wife,' said he,
when she entered the hall.

* Oh, then we must get him another,' answered the
Sultana ; ' I have a girl that will suit him exactly,' and
clapped her hands loudly. At this signal a maiden
appeared and stood before her.

* I have got a husband for you,' said the Sultana.
' Who is he ? ' asked the girl.

* Abu Nowas, the jester,' replied the Sultana.

' I will take him,' answered the maiden ; and as
Abu Nowas made no objection, it was all arranged. The
Sultana had the most beautiful clothes made for the
bride, and the Sultan gave the bridegroom his wedding
suit, and a thousand gold pieces into the bargain, and
soft carpets for the house.

So Abu Nowas took his wife home, and for some
time they were very happy, and spent the money freely
o T

274 DEATH OF ABU NOWAS AND HIS WIFE

which the Sultan had given them, never thinking what
they should do for more when that was gone. But come
to an end it did, and they had to sell their fine things one
by one, till at length nothing was left but a cloak apiece,
and one blanket to cover them. ' We have run through
our fortune,' said Abu Nowas, ' what are we to do now?
I am afraid to go back to the Sultan, for he will command
his servants to turn me from the door. But you shall
return to your mistress, and throw yourself at her feet
and weep, and perhaps she will help us.'

* Oh, you had much better go,' said the wife. * I shall
not know what to say.'

* Well, then, stay at home, if you like,' answered Abu
Nowas, * and I will ask to be admitted to the Sultan's
presence, and will tell him, with sobs, that my wife is
dead, and that I have no money for her burial. When he
hears that perhaps he will give us something.'

' Yes, that is a good plan,' said the wife ; and Abu
Nowas set out.

The Sultan was sitting in the hall of justice when
Abu Nowas entered, his eyes streaming with tears, for
he had rubbed some pepper into them. They smarted
dreadfully, and he could hardly see to walk straight, and
everyone wondered what was the matter with him.

' Abu Nowas ! What has happened ? ' cried the
Sultan.

* Oh, noble Sultan, my wife is dead,' wept he.

' We must all die,' answered the Sultan ; but this was
not the reply for which Abu Nowas had hoped.

* True, 0 Sultan, but I have neither shroud to wrap
her in, nor money to bury her with,' went on Abu Nowas,
in no wise abashed by the way the Sultan had received
his news.

* Well, give him a hundred pieces of gold,' said the
Sultan, turning to the Grand Vizir. And when the money
was counted out Abu Nowas bowed low, and left the
hall, his tears still flowing, but with joy in his heart.

DEATH OF ABU NOWAS AND HIS WIFE 275

* Have you got anything ? ' cried his wife, who was
waiting for him anxiously.

' Yes, a hundred gold pieces,' said he, throwing down
the bag, ' but that will not last us any time. Now you
must go to the Sultana, clothed in sackcloth and robes of
mourning, and tell her that your husband, Abu Nowas,
is dead, and you have no money for his burial. When
she hears that, she will be sure to ask you what has
become of the money and the fine clothes she gave us
on our marriage, and you will answer, " before he died he
sold everything." '

The wife did as she was told, and wrapping herself
in sackcloth w^ent up to the Sultana's own palace, and
as she was known to have been one of Subida's favourite
attendants, she was taken without difficulty into the
private apartments.

* What is the matter ? ' inquired the Sultana, at the
sight of the dismal figure.

' My husband lies dead at home, and he has spent
all our money, and sold everything, and I have nothing
left to bury him with,' sobbed the wife.

Then Subida took up a purse containing two hundred
gold pieces, and said : ' Your husband served us long and
faithfully. You must see that he has a fine funeral.'

The wife took the money, and, kissing the feet of the
Sultana, she joyfully hastened home. They spent some
happy hours planning how they should spend it, and
thinking how clever they had been. * When the Sultan
goes this evening to Subida's palace,' said Abu Nowas,
* she will be sure to tell him that Abu Nowas is dead.
" Not Abu Nowas, it is his wife," he will reply, and they
will quarrel over it, and all the time we shall be sitting
here enjoying ourselves. Oh, if they only knew, how
angry they would be ! '

As Abu Nowas had foreseen, the Sultan went, in the
evening after his business was over, to pay his usual visit
to the Sultana.

276 DEATH OF ABU NOWAS AND HIS WIFE

' Poor Abu Nowas is dead ! ' said Subida when he
entered the room.

* It is not Abu Nowas, but his wife who is dead,'
answered the Sultan.

' No ; really you are quite wrong. She came to tell
me herself only a couple of hours ago,' replied Subida,
* and as he had spent all their money, I gave her some-
thing to bury him with.'

* You must be dreaming,' exclaimed the Sultan. ' Soon
after midday Abu Nowas came into the hall, his eyes
streaming with tears, and when I asked him the reason
he answered that his wife was dead, and they had sold
everything they had, and he had nothing left, not so much
as would buy her a shroud, far less for her burial.'

For a long time they talked, and neither would listen
to the other, till the Sultan sent for the door-keeper and
bade him go instantly to the house of Abu Nowas and
see if it was the man or his wife who was dead. But
Abu Nowas happened to be sitting with his wife behind
the latticed window, which looked on the street, and he
saw the man coming, and sprang up at once. * There
is the Sultan's door-keeper ! They have sent him here to
find out the truth. Quick ! throw yourself on the bed
and pretend that you are dead.' And in a moment the
wife was stretched out stiffly, with a linen sheet spread
across her, like a corpse.

She was only just in time, for the sheet was hardly
drawn across her when the door opened and the porter
came in. ' Has anything happened? ' asked he.

' My poor wife is dead,' replied Abu Nowas. ' Look !
she is laid out here.' And the porter approached the bed,
which was in a corner of the room, and saw the stiff form
lying underneath.

' We must all die,' said he, and went back to the
Sultan.

' Well, have you found out which of them is dead ? '
asked the Sultan.

DEATH OF ABU NOWAS AND HIS WIFE 277

' Yes, noble Sultan ; it is the wife,' replied the porter.

' He only says that to please you,' cried Subida in a
rage ; and calling to her chamberlain, she ordered him to
go at once to the dwelling of Abu Nowas and see which
of the two was dead. ' And be sure you tell the truth
about it,' added she, ' or it will be the worse for you.'

As her chamberlain drew near the house, Abu Nowas
caught sight of him. ' There is the Sultana's chamber-
lain,' he exclaimed in a fright. * Now it is my turn to
die. Be quick and spread the sheet over me.' And he
laid himself on the bed, and held his l)reath when the
chamberlain came in. * What are you weeping for ? '
asked the man, finding the wife in tears.

* My husband is dead,' answered she, pointing to the
bed ; and the chamberlain drew back the sheet and beheld
x\bu Nowas lying stiff and motionless. Then he gently
replaced the sheet and returned to the palace.

* Well, have you found out this time ? ' asked the
Sultan.

' My lord, it is the husband who is dead.'
' But I tell you he was with me only a few hours
ago,' cried the Sultan angrily. ' I must get to the bottom
of this before I sleep ! Let my golden coach be brought
round at once.'

The coach was before the door in another five minutes,
and the Sultan and Sultana both got in. Abu Nowas
had ceased being a dead man, and was looking into the
street when he saw the coach coming. ' Quick ! quick ! '
he called to his wife. ' The Sultan will be here directly,
and we must both be dead to receive him.' So they laid
themselves down, and spread the sheet over them, and
held their breath. At that instant the Sultan entered,
followed by the Sultana and the chamberlain, and he
went up to the bed and found the corpses stiff and
motionless. ' I would give a thousand gold pieces to
anyone who would tell me the truth about this,' cried he,
and at the words Abu Nowas sat up. ' Give them to me,

278 DEATH OF ABU NOW AS AND HIS WIFE

then,' said he, holding out his hand. ' You cannot give
them to anyone who needs them more.'

' Oh, Abu Nowas, you impudent dog ! ' exclaimed the
Sultan, bursting into a laugh, in which the Sultana
joined. ' I might have known it was one of your tricks ! '
But he sent Abu Nowas the gold he had promised, and
let us hope that it did not fly so fast as the last had done.

[From Tiinische MdhrcJien.']

279

MOTIKATIKA

Once upon a time, in a very hot country, a man lived with
his wife in a little hut, which was surrounded by grass
and flowers. They were perfectly happy together till, by-
and-by, the woman fell ill and refused to take any food.
The husband tried to persuade her to eat all sorts of
delicious fruits that he had found in the forest, but she
would have none of them, and grew so thin he feared she
would die. ' Is there nothijig you would like ? ' he said
at last in despair.

* Yes, T think I could eat some wild honey,' answered
she. The husband was overjoyed, for he thought this
sounded easy enough to get, and he went off at once in
search of it.

He came back with a wooden pan quite full, and gave
it to his wife. ' I can't eat tliat,' she said, turning away
in disgust. ' Look ! there are some dead bees in it ! I
want honey that is quite pure.' And the man threw the
rejected honey on the grass, and started off to get some
fresh. When he got back he offered it to his wife, who
treated it as she had done the first bowlful. ' That
honey has got ants in it : throw it away,' she said, and
when he brought her some more, she declared it was full
of earth. In his fourth journey he managed to find some
that she would eat, and then she begged him to get her
some water. This took him some time, but at length he
came to a lake whose waters were sweetened with sugar.
He filled a pannikin quite full, and carried it home to his
wife, who drank it eagerly, and said that she now felt
quite well.

280 MOTIKATIKA

When she was up and had dressed herself, her hus-
band lay down in her place, saying : * You have given me
a great deal of trouble, and now it is my turn ! '

* What is the matter with you ? ' asked the wife.

* I am thirsty and want some water,' answered he; and
she took a large pot and carried it to the nearest spring,
which was a good way off. ' Here is the water,' she said
to her husband, lifting the heavy pot from her head ; but
he turned away in disgust.

' You have drawn it from the pool that is full of frogs
and willows ; you must get me some more.' So the woman
set out again and walked still further to another lake.

' This water tastes of rushes,' he exclaimed, ' go and get
some fresh.' But when she brought back a third supply
he declared that it seemed made up of water-lilies, and
that he must have w^ater that was pure, and not spoilt by
willows, or frogs, or rushes. So for the fourth time she
put her jug on her head, and passing all the lakes she
had hitherto tried, she came to another, where the water
was golden like honey. She stooped down to drink, when
a horrible head bobbed up on the surface.

' How dare you steal my water ? ' cried the head.

' It is my husband who has sent me,' she replied,
trembling all over. ' But do not kill me ! You shall have
my baby, if you will only let me go.'

' How am I to know which is your baby ? ' asked the
ogre.

' Oh, that is easily managed. I will shave both sides
of his head, and hang some white beads round his neck.
And when you come to the hut you have only to call
" Motikatika ! " and he will run to meet you, and you can
eat him.'

' Very well,' said the ogre, ' you can go home.' And
after filling the pot she returned, and told her husband of
the dreadful danger she had been in.

Now, though his mother did not know it, the baby was
a magician, and he had heard all that his mother had

MOTIKATIKA

281

promised the ogre ; and he laughed to himself as he
planned how to outwit her.

The next morning she shaved his head on hoth sides,
and hung the white beads round his neck, and said to
him : * I am going to the fields to work, but you must

THE WOMAN AND THE OGRE

stay at home. Be sure you do not go outside, or some
wild beast may eat you.'
' Very w^ell,' answered he.

As soon as his mother was out of sight, the baby took
out some magic bones, and placed them in a row before

282 MOTIKATIKA

him. 'You are my father,' he told one bone, 'and you
are my mother. You are the biggest,' he said to the third,
' so you shall be the ogre who wants to eat me ; and you,'
to another, ' are very little, therefore you shall be me.
Now, then, tell me what I am to do.'

' Collect all the babies in the village the same size as
yourself,' answered the bones ; ' shave the sides of their
heads, and hang white beads round their necks, and tell
them that when anybody calls " Motikatika," they are to
answer to it. And be quick, for you have no time to lose.'

Motikatika went out directly, and brought back quite
a crowd of babies, and shaved their heads and hung
white beads round their little black necks, and just as he
had finished, the ground began to shake, and the huge
ogre came striding along, crying : ' Motikatika ! Motika-
tika ! '

' Here we are ! here we are ! ' answered the babies, all
running to meet him.

' It is Motikatika I want,' said the ogre.

' We are all Motikatika,' they replied. And the ogre
sat down in bewilderment, for he dared not eat the
children of people who had done him no wrong, or a
heavy punishment would befall him. The children waited
for a little, wondering, and then they went away.

The ogre remained where he was, till the evening,
when the woman returned from the fields.

* I have not seen Motikatika,' said he.

' But why did you not call him by his name, as I told
you ? ' she asked.

* I did, but all the babies in the village seemed to be
named Motikatika,' answered the ogre ; ' you cannot think
the number who came running to me.'

The woman did not know what to make of it, so, to
keep him in a good temper, she entered the hut and
prepared a bowl of maize, which she brought him.

' I do not want maize, I want the baby,' grumbled he,
' and I will have him.*

MOTIKATIKA 283

' Have patience,' answered she ; ' I will call him, and
you can eat him at once.' And she went into the hut and
cried, * Motikatika ! '

' I am coming, mother,' replied he ; but first he took
out his bones, and, crouching down on the ground behind
the hut, asked them how he should escape the ogre.

* Change yourself into a mouse,' said the bones ; and
so he did, and the ogre grew tired of waiting, and told
the woman she must invent some other plan.

' To-morrow I will send him into the field to pick
some beans for me, and you will find him there, and can
eat him.'

* Very well,' replied the ogre, ' and this time I will
take care to have him,' and he went back to his lake.

Next morning Motikatika was sent out w4th a basket,
and told to pick some beans for dinner. On the way to
the field he took out his bones and asked them what he
was to do to escape from the ogre. * Change yourself
into a bird and snap off the beans,' said the bones. And
the ogre chased away the bird, not knowing that it was
Motikatika.

The ogre went back to the hut and told the woman
that she had deceived him again, and that he would not
be put off any longer.

' Eeturn here this evening,' answered she, ' and you
will find him in bed under this white coverlet. Then
you can carry him away, and eat him at once.'

But the boy heard, and consulted his bones, which
said : * Take the red coverlet from your father's bed, and
put yours on his,' and so he did. And when the ogre
came, he seized Motikatika's father and carried him out-
side the hut and ate him. When his wife found out the
mistake, she cried bitterly ; but Motikatika said : ' It is
only just that he should be eaten, and not I ; for it was he,
and not I, who sent you to fetch the water.'

[Adapted from the Ba-Ronga (H. Juuod).]

284

NIELS AND THE GIANTS

On one of the great moors over in Jutland, where trees
won't grow because the soil is so sandy and the wind so
strong, there once lived a man and his wife, who had a
little house and some sheep, and two sons who helped
them to herd them. The elder of the two was called
Easmus, and the younger Niels. Rasmus was quite con-
tent to look after sheep, as his father had done before
him, but Niels had a fancy to be a hunter, and was not
happy till he got hold of a gun and learned to shoot. It
was only an old muzzle -loading flint-lock after all, but
Niels thought it a great prize, and went about shooting at
everything he could see. So much did he practise that
in the long run he became a wonderful shot, and was
heard of even where he had never been seen. Some
people said there was very little in him beyond this, but
that was an idea they found reason to change in the
course of time.

The parents of Rasmus and Niels were good Catholics,
and when they were getting old the mother took it into
her head that she would like to go to Rome and see the
Pope. The others didn't see much use in this, but she had
her way in the end : they sold all the sheep, shut up the
house, and set out for Rome on foot. Niels took his gun
with him.

'What do you want with that?' said Rasmus; 'we
have plenty to carry without it.' But Niels could not be
happy without his gun, and took it all the same.

NIELS AND THE GIANTS 285

It was in the hottest part of summer that they began
their journey, so hot that they could not travel at all in
the middle of the day, and they were afraid to do it by
night lest they might lose their way or fall into the hands
of robbers. One day, a little before sunset, they came to
an inn which lay at the edge of a forest.

* We had better stay here for the night,' said Easmus.

' What an idea ! ' said Niels, who was growing im-
patient at the slow progress they were making. ' We
can't travel by day for the heat, and we remain where we
are all night. It will be long enough before we get to
Eome if we go on at this rate.'

Easmus was unwilling to go on, but the two old
people sided with Niels, who said, * The nights aren't
dark, and the moon will soon be up. We can ask at the
inn here, and find out which way we ought to take.'

So they held on for some time, but at last they came
to a small opening in the forest, and here they found
that the road spht in two. There was no sign-post to
direct them, and the people in the inn had not told them
which of the two roads to take.

' What's to be done now ? ' said Easmus. ' I think
we had better have stayed at the inn.'

* There's no harm done,' said Niels. ' The night is
warm, and we can wait here till morning. One of us
will keep watch till midnight, and then waken the other.'

Easmus chose to take the first watch, and the others
lay down to sleep. It was very quiet in the forest, and
Easmus could hear the deer and foxes and other animals
moving about among the rustling leaves. After the
moon rose he could see them occasionally, and when a
big stag came quite close to him he got hold of Niels'
gun and shot it.

Niels was wakened by the report. ' What's that ? ' he
said.

' I've just shot a stag,' said Easmus, highly pleased
with himself.

286 NIELS AND THE GIANTS

' That's nothing,' said Niels. * I've often shot a spar-
row, which is a much more difficult thing to do.'

It was now close on midnight, so Niels began his
watch, and Kasmus went to sleep. It began to get
colder, and Niels began to walk about a little to keep
himself warm. He soon found that they were not far
from the edge of the forest, and when he cHmbed up one
of the trees there he could see out over the open country
beyond. At a little distance he saw a fire, and beside it
there sat three giants, busy with broth and beef. They
were so huge that the spoons they used were as large as
spades, and their forks as big as hay-forks : with these
they lifted whole bucketfuls of broth and great joints of
meat out of an enormous pot which was set on the
ground between them. Niels was startled and rather
scared at first, but he comforted himself with the thought
that the giants were a good way off, and that if they came
nearer he could easily hide among the bushes. After
watching them for a little, however, he began to get over
his alarm, and finally slid down the tree again, resolved
to get his gun and play some tricks with them.

When he had climbed back to his former position, he
took good aim, and waited till one of the giants was just
in the act of putting a large piece of meat into his mouth.
Bang ! went Niels' gun, and the bullet struck the handle
of the fork so hard that the point went into the giant's
chin, instead of his mouth.

' None of your tricks,' growled the giant to the one
who sat next him. ' What do you mean by hitting my
fork like that, and making me prick myself ? '

' I never touched your fork,' said the other. ' Don't
try to get up a quarrel v^ith me.'

* Look at it, then,' said the first. * Do you suppose I
stuck it into my own chin for fun ? '

The two got so angry over the matter that each offered
to fight the other there and then, but the third giant
acted as peace-maker, and they again fell to their eating.

NIELS AND THE GIANTS 287

While the quarrel was going on, Niels had loaded the
gun again, and just as the second giant was about to put
a nice tit-bit into his mouth, hang ! went the gun again,
and the fork flew into a dozen pieces.

This giant was even more furious than the first had
been, and w^ords were just coming to blows, when the
third giant again interposed.

' Don't be fools,' he said to them ; ' w^hat's the good
of beginning to fight among ourselves, when it is so
necessary for the three of us to work together and get the
upper hand over the king of this country. It will be a hard
enough task as it is, but it wdll be altogether hopeless
if we don't stick together. Sit down again, and let us
finish our meal ; I shall sit between you, and then neither
of you can blame the other.'

Niels was too far away to hear their talk, but from
their gestures he could guess what was happening, and
thought it good fun.

' Thrice is lucky,' said he to himself ; ' I'll have
another shot yet.'

This time it was the third giant's fork that caught the
bullet, and snapped in two.

' Well,' said he, ' if I were as foolish as you two, I
would also fly into a rage, buL I begin to see what time
of day it is, and I'm going off this minute to see who
it is that's playing these tricks with us.'

So well had the giant made his observations, that
though Niels climbed down the tree as fast as he could,
so as to hide among the bushes, he had just got to the
ground when the enemy was upon him.

* Stay where you are,' said the giant, * or I'll put my
foot on you, and there won't be much of you left after
that.'

Niels gave in, and the giant carried him back to his
comrades.

* You don't deserve any mercy at our hands,' said his
captor, ' but as you are such a good shot you may be of

288 NIELS AND THE GIANTS

great use to us, so we shall spare your life, if you will do
us a service. Not far frora here there stands a castle, in
which the king's daughter lives ; we are at war with
the king, and want to get the upper hand of him by
carrying off the princess, but the castle is so well guarded
that there is no getting into it. By our skill in magic
w^e have cast sleep on every living thing in the castle,
except a little black dog, and, as long as he is awake,
we are no better off than before ; for, as soon as we begin
to climb over the wall, the little dog will hear us, and its
barking will waken all the others again. Having got you,
we can place you where you will be able to shoot the dog
before it begins to bark, and then no one can hinder us from
getting the princess into our hands. If you do that, we
shall not only let you off, but reward you handsomely.'

Niels had to consent, and the giants set out for the
castle at once. It was surrounded by a very high ram-
part, so high that even the giants could not touch the
top of it. ' How am I to get over that ? ' said Niels.

* Quite easily,' said the third giant ; ' I'll throw you
up on it.'

' No, thanks,' said Niels. ' I might fall down on the
other side, or break my leg or neck, and then the little
dog wouldn't get shot after all.'

* No fear of that,' said the giant ; ' the rampart is
quite wide on the top, and covered with long grass, so
that you will come down as softly as though you fell on a
feather-bed.'

Niels had to believe him, and allowed the giant to
throw him up. He came down on his feet quite unhurt,
but the little black dog heard the dump, and rushed out
of its kennel at once. It was just opening its mouth to
bark, when Niels fired, and it fell dead on the spot.

* Go down on the inside now,' said the giant, ' and
see if you can open the gate to us.*

Niels made his way down into the courtyard, but on
his way to the outer gate he found himself at the entrance

NIELS AND THE GIANTS 289

to the large hall of the castle. The door was open, and
the hall was brilliantly lighted, though there was no one
to be seen. Niels went in here and looked round him :
on the wall there hung a huge sword without a sheath,
and beneath it was a large drinking-horn, mounted with
silver. Niels went closer to look at these, and saw that
the horn had letters engraven on the silver rim : when
he took it down and turned it round, he found that the
inscription was : —

Whoever drinks the wine I hold

Can wield the sword that hangs above ;

Then let him use it for the right,
And win a royal raaiden's love.

Niels took out the silver stopper of the horn, and
drank some of the wine, but when he tried to take down
the sword he found himself unable to move it. So he
hung up the horn again, and went further in to the castle.
* The giants can wait a little,' he said.

Before long he came to an apartment in which a
beautiful princess lay asleep in a bed, and on a table by
her side there lay a gold-hemmed handkerchief. Niels
tore this in two, and put one half in his pocket, leaving
the other half on the table. On the floor he saw a pair
of gold-embroidered slippers, and one of these he also put
in his pocket. After that he went back to the hall, and
took down the horn again. ' Perhaps I have to drink all
that is in it before I can move the sword,' he thought ; so
he put it to his lips again and drank till it was quite
empty. When he had done this, he could wield the
sword with the greatest of ease, and felt himself strong
enough to do anything, even to fight the giants he had
left outside, who were no doubt wondering why he had
not opened the gate to them before this time. To kill the
giants, he thought, would be using the sword for the
right ; but as to winning the love of the princess, that
was a thing which the son of a poor sheep-farmer need
not hope for.

290 NIELS AND THE GIANTS

When Niels came to the gate of the castle, he found
that there was a large door and a small one, so he opened
the latter.

' Can't you open the big door ? ' said the giants ; ' we
shall hardly be able to get in at this one,'

' The bars are too heavy for me to draw,' said Niels ;
* if you stoop a little you can quite well come in here.'
The first giant accordingly bent down and entered in a
stooping posture, but before he had time to straighten his
back again Niels made a sweep with the sword, and off
went the giant's head. To push the body aside as it fell
was quite easy for Niels, so strong had the wine made
him, and the second giant as he entered met the
same reception. The third was slower in coming, so
Niels called out to him: 'Be quick,' he said, 'you are
surely the oldest of the three, since you are so slow in
your movements, but I can't wait here long ; I must get
back to my own people as soon as possible.' So the third
also came in, and was served in the same way. It appears
from the story that giants were not given fair play !

By this time day was beginning to break, and Niels
thought that his folks might already be searching for him,
so, instead of waiting to see what took place at the castle,
he ran off to the forest as fast as he could, taking the
sword with him. He found the others still asleep, so he
woke them up, and they again set out on their journey.
Of the night's adventures he said not a word, and when
they asked where he got the sword, he only pointed in
the direction of the castle, and said, ' Over that way.'
They thought he had found it, and asked no more
questions.

When Niels left the castle, he shut the door behind
him, and it closed with such a bang that the porter woke
up. He could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the
three headless giants lying in a heap in the courtyard,
and could not imagine what had taken place. The whole
castle was soon aroused, and then everybody wondered

NIELS AND THE GIANTS 291

at the affair : it was soon seen that the bodies were those
of the king's great enemies, but how they came to be
there and in that condition was a perfect mystery. Then
it was noticed that the drinking-horn was empty and the
sword gone, while the princess reported that half of her
handkerchief and one of her slippers had been taken away.
Hoiu the giants had been killed seemed a little clearer
now, but 2vho had done it was as great a puzzle as before.
The old knight who had charge of the castle said that in
his opinion it must have been some young knight, who
had immediately set off to the king to claim the hand of
the princess. This sounded likely, but the messenger
who was sent to the Court returned with the news that
no one there knew anything about the matter.

' We must find him, however,' said the princess ; * for
if he is willing to marry me I cannot in honour refuse
him, after what my father put on the horn.' She took
council w4th her father's wisest men as to what ought to
be done, and among other things they advised her to
build a house beside the highway, and put over the door
this inscription : — * Whoever will tell the story of his
life, may stay here three nights for nothing.' This was
done, and many strange tales were told to the princess,
but none of the travellers said a word about the three
giants.

In the meantime Niels and the others tramped on
towards Eome. Autumn passed, and winter was just
beginning when they came to the foot of a great range of
mountains, towering up to the sky. ' Must we go over
these ? ' said they. ' We shall be frozen to death or buried
in the snow.'

' Here comes a man,' said Niels ; ' let us ask him the
way to Eome.' They did so, and were told that there
was no other way.

* And is it far yet ? ' said the old people, w^ho were
beginning to be worn out by the long journey. The man
held up his foot so that they could see the sole of his

292 NIELS AND THE GIANTS

shoe ; it was worn as thin as paper, and there was a hole
in the middle of it.

* These shoes were quite new when I left Eome,' he
said, ' and look at them now ; that will tell you whether
you are far from it or not.'

This discouraged the old people so much that they
gave up all thought of finishing the journey, and only
wished to get back to Denmark as quickly as they could.
What with the winter and bad roads they took longer to
return than they had taken to go, but in the end they
found themselves in sight of the forest where they had
slept before.

'What's this?' said Easmus. 'Here's a big house
built since we passed this way before.'

' So it is,' said Peter ; ' let's stay all night in it.'

* No, we can't afford that,' said the old people ; * it
will be too dear for the like of us.'

However, when they saw what was written above the
door, they were all well pleased to get a night's lodging
for nothing. They were well received, and had so much
attention given to them, that the old people were quite
put out by it. After they had got time to rest them-
selves, the princess's steward came to hear their story.

' You saw what was written above the door,' he said
to the father. * Tell me who you are and what your
history has been.'

* Dear me, I have nothing of any importance to tell
you,' said the old man, ' and I am sure we should never
have made so bold as to trouble you at all if it hadn't
been for the youngest of our two sons here.'

' Never mind that,' said the steward ; ' you are very
welcome if you will only tell me the story of your
life.'

* Well, well, I will,' said he, ' but there is nothing to
tell about it. I and my wife have lived all our days on a
moor in North Jutland, until this last year, when she took
a fancy to go to Rome. We set out with our two sons,

NIELS AND THE GIANTS 293

but turned back long before we got there, and are now
on our way home again. That's all my own story, and
our two sons have lived with us all their days, so there
is nothing more to be told about them either.'

* Yes there is,' said Easmus ; ' when we were on our
way south, we slept in the wood near here one night, and
I shot a stag.'

The steward was so much accustomed to hearing
stories of no importance that he thought there was no
use going further with this, but reported to the princess
that the newcomers had nothing to tell.

' Did you question them all ? ' she said.

'Well, no; not directly,' said he; 'but the father
said that none of them could tell me any more than he
had done.'

' You are getting careless,' said the princess ; ' I shall
go and talk to them myself.'

Niels knew the princess again as soon as she entered
the room, and was greatly alarmed, for he immediately
supposed that all this was a device to discover the person
who had run away with the sword, the slipper and the
half of the handkerchief, and that it would fare badly with
him if he were discovered. So he told his story much
the same as the others did (Niels was not very particular),
and thought he had escaped all further trouble, when
Easmus put in his word. ' You've forgotten something,
Niels,' he said; ' you remember you found a sword near
here that night I shot the stag.'

' Where is the sword? ' said the princess.

' I know,' said the steward, ' I saw whei'e he laid it
down when they came in ; ' and off he went to fetch it,
while Niels wondered whether he could make his escape
in the meantime. Before he had made up his mind,
however, the steward was back with the sword, which
the princess recognised at once.

* Where did you get this ? ' she said to Niels.

Niels was silent, and wondered what the usual penalty

294 NIELS AND THE GIANTS

was for a poor sheep-farmer's son who was so unfortunate
as to deUver a princess and carry off things from her bed-
room.

' See what else he has about him,' said the princess to
the steward, and Niels had to submit to be searched : out
of one pocket came a gold-embroidered slipper, and out
of another the half of a gold-hemmed handkerchief.

* That is enough,' said the princess ; * 71010 we needn't
ask any more questions. Send for my father the king at
once.'

' Please let me go,' said Niels ; ' I did you as much
good as harm, at any rate.'

' Why, who said anything about doing harm ? ' said the
princess. * You must stay here till my father comes.'

The way in which the princess smiled when she said
this gave Niels some hope that things might not be bad
for him after all, and he was yet more encouraged when
he thought of the words engraven on the horn, though
the last line still seemed too good to be true. However,
the arrival of the king soon settled the matter : the
princess was willing and so v/as Niels, and in a few days
the wedding bells were ringing. Niels was made an earl
by that time, and looked as handsome as any of them
when dressed in all his robes. Before long the old king
died, and Niels reigned after him ; but whether his
father and mother stayed with him, or went back to the
moor in Jutland, or were sent to Eome in a carriage and
four, is something that all the historians of his reign have
forgotten to mention.

295

SHEPHERD PAUL

Once upon a time a shepherd was taking his flock out to
pasture, when he found a httle haby lying in a meadow,
left there by some wicked person, who thought it was too
much trouble to look after it. The shepherd was fond of
children, so he took the baby home with him and gave it
plenty of milk, and by the time the boy was fourteen he
could tear up oaks as if they were weeds. Then Paul, as
the shepherd had called him, grew tired of living at home,
and went out into the world to try his luck.

He walked on for many miles, seeing nothing that
surprised him, but in an open space of the wood he was
astonished at finding a man combing trees as another
man would comb flax.

' Good morning, friend,' said Paul ; ' upon my word,
you must be a strong man ! '

The man stopped his work and laughed. * I am Tree
Comber,' he answered proudly ; ' and the greatest wish of
my life is to wrestle with Shepherd Paul.'

' May all your wishes be fulfilled as easily, for I am
Shepherd Paul, and can wrestle with you at once,' replied
the lad ; and he seized Tree Comber and flung him with
such force to the ground that he sank up to his knees in
the earth. However, in a moment he was up again, and
catching hold of Paul, threw him so that he sank up to
his waist ; but then it was Paul's turn again, and this time
the man was buried up to his neck. ' That is enough,'
cried he ; 'I see you are a smart fellow, let us become
friends.'

296 SHEPHERD PAUL

'Very good,' answered Paul, and they continued their
journey together.

By-and-by they reached a man who was grinding
stones to powder in his hands, as if they had been nuts.

* Good morning,' said Paul politely ; ' upon my w^ord,
you must be a strong fellow ! '

* I am Stone Crusher,' answered the man, and the
greatest wish of my life is to wrestle with Shepherd Paul.'

' May all your wishes be as easily fulfilled, for I am
Shepherd Paul, and will wrestle with you at once,' and
the sport began. After a short time the man declared
himself beaten, and begged leave to go with them ; so
they all three travelled together.

A little further on they came upon a man who was
kneading iron as if it had been dough. ' Good morning,'
said Paul, * you must be a strong fellow.'

' I am Iron Kneader, and should like to fight Shepherd
Paul,' answered he.

' Let us begin at once then,' replied Paul ; and on this
occasion also, Paul got the better of his foe, and they all
four continued their journey.

At midday they entered a forest, and Paul stopped
suddenly. 'We three will go and look for game,' he said,
' and you. Tree Comber, w^ill stay behind and prepare a
good supper for us.' So Tree Comber set to work to boil
and roast, and when dinner was nearly ready, a little
dwarf with a pointed beard strolled up to the place.
* What are you cooking ? ' asked he, ' give me some of it.'

* I'll give you some on your back, if you like,' answered
Tree Comber rudely. The dwarf took no notice, but
waited patiently till the dinner was cooked, then suddenly
throwing Tree Comber on the ground, he ate up the
contents of the saucepan and vanished. Tree Comber
felt rather ashamed of himself, and set about boiling
some more vegetables, but they were still very hard when
the hunters returned, and though they complained of his
bad cooking, he did not tell them about the dwarf.

SHEPHEBD PAUL 297

Next day Stone Crusher was left behind, and after
him Iron Kneader, and each time the dwarf appeared,
and they fared no better than Tree Comber had done.
The fourth day Paul said to them : '■ My friends, there
must be some reason why your cooking has always been
so bad, now you shall go and hunt and I will stay behind.'
So they went off, amusing themselves by thinking what
was in store for Paul.

He set to work at once, and had just got all his
vegetables simmering in the pot when the dwarf appeared
as before, and asked to have some of the stew. * Be off,'
cried Paul, snatching up the saucepan as he spoke. The
dwarf tried to get hold of his collar, but Paul seized him
by the beard, and tied him to a big tree so that he could
not stir, and went on quietly with his cooking. The
hunters came back early, longing to see how Paul had
got on, and, to their surprise, dinner was quite ready for
them.

* You are great useless creatures,' said he, ' who couldn't
even outwit that little dwarf. When we have finished
supper I will show you what I have done with him 1 '
But when they reached the place where Paul had left the
dwarf, neither he nor the tree was to be seen, for the
little fellow had pulled it up by the roots and run away,
dragging it after him. The four friends followed the
track of the tree and found that it ended in a deep hole.
* He must have gone down here,' said Paul, * and I will
go after him. See ! there is a basket that will do for
me to sit in, and a cord to lower me with. But when
I pull the cord again, lose no time in drawing the
basket up.'

And he stepped into the basket, which was lowered by
his friends.

At last it touched the ground and he jumped out and
looked about him. He was in a beautiful valley, full of
meadows and streams, with a splendid castle standing by.
As the door was open he walked in, but a lovely maiden

298 SHEPHERD PAUL

met him and implored him to go back, for the owner of
the castle was a dragon with six heads, who had stolen
her from her home and brought her down to this under-
ground spot. But Paul refused to listen to all her
entreaties, and 'declared that he was not afraid of the
dragon, and did not care how many heads he had ; and
he sat down calmly to wait for him.

In a little while the dragon came in, and all the long
teeth in his six heads chattered with anger at the sight
of the stranger.

' I am Shepherd Paul,' said the young man, * and I
have come to fight you, and as I am in a hurry we had
better begin at once.'

* Very good,' answered the dragon. * I am sure of my
supper, but let us have a mouthful of something first, just
to give us an appetite.'

Whereupon he began to eat some huge boulders as if
they had been cakes, and when he had quite finished, he
offered Paul one. Paul was not fond of boulders, but he
took a wooden knife and cut one in two, then he snatched
up both halves in his hands and threw them with all his
strength at the dragon, so that two out of the six heads
were smashed in. At this the dragon, with a mighty
roar, rushed upon Paul, but he sprang on one side, and
with a swinging blow cut off two of the other heads.
Then, seizing the monster by the neck, he dashed the
remaining heads against the rock.

When the maiden heard that the dragon was dead,
she thanked her deliverer w^ith tears in her eyes, but told
him that her two younger sisters were in the power of
dragons still fiercer and more horrible than this one. He
vowed that his sword should never rest in its sheath till
they were set free, and bade the girl come with him, and
show him the way.

The maiden gladly consented to go with him, but first
she gave him a golden rod, and bade him strike the castle
with it. He did so, and it instantly changed into a golden

SHEPHEBD PAUL 301

apple, which lie put in his pocket. After that, they started
on their search.

They had not gone far before they reached the castle
where the second girl was confined by the power of
the dragon with twelve heads, who had stolen her from
her home. She was overjoyed at the sight of her sister
and of Paul, and brought him a shirt belonging to the
dragon, which made every one who wore it twice as strong
as they were before. Scarcely had he put it on when the
dragon came back, and the fight began. Long and hard
was the struggle, but Paul's sword and his shirt helped
him, and the twelve heads lay dead upon the ground.

Then Paul changed the castle into an apple, which
he put into his pocket, and set out with the two girls in
search of the third castle.

It was not long before they found it, and within the
walls was the third sister, who was younger and prettier
than either of the other two. Her husband had eighteen
heads, but when he quitted the lower regions for the sur-
face of the earth, he left them all at home except one,
which he changed for the head of a little dwarf, with a
pointed beard.

The moment that Paul knew that this terrible dragon
was no other than the dwarf whom he had tied to the
tree, he longed more than ever to fly at his throat. But
the thought of the eighteen heads warned him to be care-
ful, and the third sister brought him a silk shirt which
would make him ten times stronger than he was before.

He had scarcely put it on, when the whole castle
began to shake violently, and the dragon flew up the steps
into the hall.

* Well, my friend, so we meet once more ! Have you
forgotten me ? I am Shepherd Paul, and I have come
to wrestle with you, and to free your wife from your
clutches.'

* Ah, I am glad to see you again,' said the dragon.
' Those were my two brothers whom you killed, and now

302 SHEPHEBD PAUL

your blood shall pay for them.' And he went into his
room to look for his shirt and to drink some magic wine,
but the shirt was on Paul's back, and as for the wine, the
girl had given a cupful to Paul and then had allowed the
rest to run out of the cask.

At this the dragon grew rather frightened, but in a
moment had recollected his eighteen heads, and was bold
again.

' Come on,' he cried, rearing himself up and preparing
to dart all his heads at once at Paul. But Paul jumped
underneath, and gave an upward cut so that six of the
heads went rolling down. They were the best heads too,
and very soon the other twelve lay beside them. Then
Paul changed the castle into an apple, and put it in his
pocket. Afterwards he and the three girls set off for the
opening which led upwards to the earth.

The basket was still there, dangling from the rope,
but it was only big enough to hold the three girls, so Paul
sent them up, and told them to be sure and let down the
basket for him. Unluckily, at the sight of the maidens'
beauty, so far beyond anything they had ever seen,
the friends forgot all about Paul, and carried the girls
straight away into a far country, so that they were not
much better off than before. Meanwhile Paul, mad with
rage at the ingratitude of the three sisters, vowed he
would be revenged upon them, and set about finding some
way of getting back to earth. But it was not very easy,
and for months, and months, and months, he wandered
about underground, and, at the end, seemed no nearer to
fulfilling his purpose than he was at the beginning.

At length, one day, he happened to pass the nest of a
huge griffin, who had left her young ones all alone. Just
as Paul came along a cloud containing fire instead of
rain burst overhead, and all the little griffins would
certainly have been killed had not Paul spread his cloak
over the nest and saved them. When their father
returned the young ones told him what Paul had done,

^HE -/AAIDEMS- ASCe^Mn

H)FORP,

SHEPHEBD PAUL 305

and he lost no time in flying after Paul, and asking how
he could reward him for his goodness.

' By carrying me up to the earth,' answered Paul ; and
the griffin agreed, but first went to get some food to eat
on the way, as it was a long journey.

* Now get on my back,' he said to Paul, ' and when I
turn my head to the right, cut a slice off the bullock that
hangs on that side, and put it in my mouth, and when
I turn my head to the left, draw a cupful of wine from
the cask that hangs on that side, and pour it down my
throat.'

For three days and three nights Paul and the griffin
flew upwards, and on the fourth morning it touched
the ground just outside the city where Paul's friends had
gone to live. Then Paul thanked him and bade him fare-
well, and he returned home again.

At first Paul was too tired to do anything but sleep,
but as soon as he was rested he started off in search of
the three faithless ones, who almost died from fright at the
sight of him, for they had thought he would never come
back to reproach them for their wickedness.

* You know what to expect,' Paul said to them quietly.
' You shall never see me again. Off with you ! ' He next
took the three apples out of his pocket and placed them
all in the prettiest places he could find ; after which he
tapped them with his golden rod, and they became castles
again. He gave two of the castles to the eldest sisters,
and kept the other for himself and the youngest, whom
he married, and there they are living still.

[From Ungarische Mdhtxhen.]

306

HOW THE WICKED TANUKI WAS
PUNISHED

The hunters had hunted the wood for so many years
that no wild animal was any more to be found in it.
You might walk from one end to the other without ever
seeing a hare, or a deer, or a boar, or hearing the cooing
of the doves in their nest. If they were not dead, they
had flown elsewhere. Only three creatures remained alive,
and they had hidden themselves in the thickest part of
the forest, high up the mountain. These were a grey-
furred, long -tailed tanuki, his wife the fox, who was one
of his own family, and their little son.

The fox and the tanuki were very clever, prudent
beasts, and they also were skilled in magic, and by this
means had escaped the fate of their unfortunate friends.
If they heard the twang of an arrow or saw the glitter of
a spear, ever so far off, they lay very still, and were not
to be tempted from their hiding-place, if their hunger was
ever so great, or the game ever so delicious. ' We are not
so foolish as to risk our lives,' they said to each other
proudly. But at length there came a day when, in spite of
their prudence, they seemed likely to die of starvation, for
no more food was to be had. Something had to be done,
but they did not know what.

Suddenly a bright thought struck the tanuki. ' I
have got a plan,' he cried joyfully to his wife. * I will
pretend to be dead, and you must change yourself into a
man, and take me to the village for sale. It will be easy
to find a buyer, tanukis' skins are always wanted ; then

HOW THE TANUKI WAS PUNISHED 307

buy some food with the money and come home again. I
will manage to escape somehow, so do not worry about
me.'

The fox laughed with delight, and rubbed her paws
together with satisfaction. ' Well, next time I w^ill go,'
she said, * and you can sell me.' And then she changed
herself into a man, and picking up the stiff body of the
tanuki, set off towards the village. She found him rather
heavy, but it would never have done to let him walk
through the wood and risk his being seen by somebody.

As the tanuki had foretold, buyers were many, and
the fox handed him over to the person who offered the
largest price, and hurried to get some food with the
money. The buyer took the tanuki back to his house,
and throwing him into a corner went out. Directly the
tanuki found he w^as alone, he crept cautiously through
a chink of the window, thinking, as he did so, how lucky
it was that he was not a fox, and was able to climl).
Once outside, he hid himself in a ditch till it grew dusk,
and then galloped away into the forest.

While the food lasted they were all three as happy as
kings ; but there soon arrived a day when the larder was
as empty as ever. ' It is my turn now to pretend to be
dead,' cried the fox. So the tanuki changed himself into a
peasant, and started for the village, with his wife's body
hanging over his shoulder. A buyer was not long in
coming forward, and while they were making the bargain
a wicked thought darted into the tanuki's head, that if
he got rid of the fox there would be more food ' for him
and his son. So as he put the money in his pocket he
whispered softly to the buyer that the fox was not really
dead, and that if he did not take care she might run
away from him. The man did not need twice telling.
He gave the poor fox a blow on the head, which put an
end to her, and the wicked tanuki went smiling to the
nearest shop.

In former times he had been very fond of his little

308 HOW THE TANUKI WAS PUNISHED

son ; but since he had betrayed his wife he seemed to
have changed all in a moment, for he would not give him
as much as a bite, and the poor little fellow would have
starved had he not found some nuts and berries to eat,
and he waited on, always hoping that his mother would
come back.

At length some notion of the truth began to dawn on
him ; but he was careful to let the old tanuki see nothing,
though in his own mind he turned over plans from
morning till night, wondering how best he might avenge
his mother.

One morning, as the little tanuki was sitting with his
father, he remembered, with a start, that his mother had
taught him all she knew of magic, and that he could work
spells as well as his father, or perhaps better. ' I am
as good a wizard as you,' he said suddenly, and a cold
chill ran through the tanuki as he heard him, though
he laughed, and pretended to think it a joke. But the
little tanuki stuck to his point, and at last the father pro-
posed they should have a wager.

* Change yourself into any shape you like,' said he,
' and I will undertake to know you. I will go and wait
on the bridge which leads over the river to the village,
and you shall transform yourself into anything you please,
but I will know you through any disguise.' The little
tanuki agreed, and went down the road which his father
had pointed out. But instead of transforming himself into
a different shape, he just hid himself in a corner of the
bridge, where he could see without being seen.

He had not been there long when his father arrived
and took up his place near the middle of the bridge, and
soon after the king came by, followed by a troop of
guards and all his court.

' Ah ! he thinks that now he has changed himself into
a king I shall not know him,' thought the old tanuki, and
as the king passed in his splendid carriage, borne by his
servants, he jumped upon it crying : * I have won my

HOW THE TANUKI WAS PUNISHED 309

wager ; you cannot deceive me.' But in reality it was he
who had deceived himself. The soldiers, conceiving that
their king was being attacked, seized the tanuki by the
legs and flung him over into the river, and the water
closed over him.

And the little tanuki saw it all, and rejoiced that his
mother's death had been avenged. Then he went back
to the forest, and if he has not found it too lonely, he is
probably living there still.

[From Japanische Miihrchen,']

310

THE CBAB AND THE MONKEY

There was once a crab who lived in a hole on the shady
side of a mountain. She was a very good housewife, and
so careful and industrious that there was no creature in
the w^hole country whose hole was so neat and clean as
hers, and she took great pride in it.

One day she saw lying near the mouth of her hole
a handful of cooked rice which some pilgrim must have
let fall when he was stopping to eat his dinner. Delighted
at this discovery, she hastened to the spot, and was
carrying the rice back to her hole when a monkey, who
lived in some trees near by, came down to see w^hat the
crab w^as doing. His eyes shone at the sight of the rice,
for it was his favourite food, and like the sly fellow he
was, he proposed a bargain to the crab. She was to give
him half the rice in exchange for the kernel of a sweet
red kaki fruit which he had just eaten. He half expected
that the crab would laugh in his face at this impudent
proposal, but instead of doing so she only looked at him
for a moment with her head on one side and then said
that she would agree to the exchange. So the monkey
went off with his rice, and the crab returned to her hole
with the kernel.

For some time the crab saw ao more of the monkey,
w^ho had gone to pay a visit on the sunny side of the
mountain ; but one morning he happened to pass by her
hole, and found her sitting under the shadow of a beauti-
ful kaki tree.

' Good day,' he said politely, ' you have some very fine

THE CBAB AND THE MONKEY 311

fruit there ! I am very hungry, could you spare me one or
two ? '

* Oh, certainly,' replied the crab, ' but you must for-
give me if I cannot get them for you myself. I am no
tree-climber.'

' Pray do not apologise,' answered the monkey. ' Now
that I have your permission I can get them myself quite
easily.' And the crab consented to let him go up, merely
saying that he must throw her down half the fruit.

In another moment he was swinging himself from
branch to branch, eating all the ripest kakis and filling
his pockets with the rest, and the poor crab saw to her
disgust that the few he threw down to her were either not
ripe at all or else quite rotten.

' You are a shocking rogue,' she called in a rage ; but
the monkey took no notice, and went on eating as fast as
he could. The crab understood that it was no use her
scolding, so she resolved to try what cunning would do.

' Sir Monkey,' she said, ' you are certainly a very good
climber, but now that you have eaten so much, I am
quite sure you would never be able to turn one of your
somersaults.' The monkey prided himself on turning
better somersaults than any of his family, so he instantly
went head over heels three times on the bough on which
he was sitting, and all the beautiful kakis that he had in
his pockets rolled to the ground. Quick as lightning the
crab picked them up and carried a quantity of them into
her house, but when she came up for another the monkey
sprang on her, and treated her so badly that he left her
for dead. When he had beaten her till his arm ached he
went his way.

It was a lucky thing for the poor crab that she
had some friends to come to her help or she certainly
would have died then and there. The wasp flew to her,
and took her back to bed and looked after her, and then
he consulted with a rice -mortar and an egg which had
fallen out of a nest near by, and they agreed that when

312

THE CBAB AND THE MONKEY

the monkey returned, as he was sure to do, to steal the
rest of the fruit, that they would punish him severely for
the manner in which he had behaved to the crab. So the
mortar climbed up to the beam over the front door, and
the egg lay quite still on the ground, while the wasp set
down the water-bucket in a corner. Then the crab dug
itself a deep hole in the ground, so that not even the tip
of her claws might be seen.

^ni^V)&%

Soon after everything was ready the monkey jumped
down from his tree, and creeping to the door began a long
hypocritical speech, asking pardon for all he had done.
He waited for an answer of some sort, but none came.
He listened, but all was still ; then he peeped, and saw
no one ; then he went in. He peered about for the crab,

THE CBAB AND THE MONKEY 313

but in vain ; however, his eyes fell on the egg, which he
snatched up and set on the fire. But in a moment the
egg had burst into a thousand pieces, and its sharp shell
struck him in the face and scratched him horribly.
Smarting with pain he ran to the bucket and stooped
down to throw some water over his head. As he stretched
out his hand up started the wasp and stung him on the
nose. The monkey shrieked and ran to the door, but as
he passed through down fell the mortar and struck him
dead. After that the crab lived happily for many years,
and at length died in peace under her own kaki tree.

[From Japanische Mdhrcken.']

314

THE HOUSE GULLFAXI AND THE
SWOBD GUNNFODEB

Many, many years ago there lived a king and queen who
had one only son, called Sigurd. When the little boy
was only ten years old the queen, his mother, fell ill and
died, and the king, who loved her dearly, built a splendid
monument to his wife's memory, and day after day he sat
by it and bewailed his sad loss.

One morning, as he sat by the grave, he noticed a
richly dressed lady close to him. He asked her name and
she answered that it was Ingiborg, and seemed surprised
to see the king there all alone. Then he told her how he
had lost his queen, and how he came daily to weep at her
grave. In return, the lady informed him that she had
lately lost her husband, and suggested that they might
both find it a comfort if they made friends.

This pleased the king so much that he invited her to
his palace, where they saw each other often ; and after a
time he married her.

After the wedding was over he soon regained his good
spirits, and used to ride out hunting as in old days ;
but Sigurd, who was very fond of his stepmother, always
stayed at home with her.

One evening Ingiborg said to Sigurd : ' To-morrow
your father is going out hunting, and you must go with
him.' But Sigurd said he would much rather stay at
home, and the next day when the king rode off Sigurd
refused to accompany him. The stepmother was very

THE HOBSE AND THE SWORD 315

angry, but he won Id not listen, and at last she assured
him that he ^YOuld be sorry for his disobedience, and that
in future he had better do as he was told.

After the hunting party had started she hid Sigurd
under her bed, and bade him be sure to lie there till
she called him.

Sigurd lay very still for a long while, and was just
thinking it was no good staying there any more, when he
felt the floor shake under him as if there were an earth-
quake, and peeping out he saw a great giantess wading
along ankle deep through the ground and ploughing it up
as she walked.

' Good morning. Sister Ingiborg,' cried she as she
entered the room, ' is Prince Sigurd at home ? '

* No,' said Ingiborg ; ' he rode off to the forest with his
father this morning.' And she laid the table for her sister
and set food before her. After they had both done
eating the giantess said : ' Thank you, sister, for your good
dinner — the best lamb, the best can of beer and the best
drink I have ever had ; but — is not Prince Sigurd at
home ? '

Ingiborg again said ' No ' ; and the giantess took leave
of her and v^ent away. When she was quite out of sight
Ingiborg told Sigurd to come out of his hiding-place.

The king returned home at night, but his wife told
him nothing of what had happened, and the next morning
she again begged the prince to go out hunting with his
father. Sigurd, however, replied as before, that he would
much rather stay at home.

So once more the king rode off alone. This time
Ingiborg hid Sigurd under the table, and scolded him well
for not doing as she bade him. For some time he lay
quite still, and then suddenly the floor began to shake,
and a giantess came along wading half way to her knees
through the ground.

As she entered the house she asked, as the first one

316 THE HOBSE AND THE SWOBD

had done : ' Well, Sister Ingiborg, is Prince Sigurd at
home ? '

' No,' answered Ingiborg, ' he rode off hunting with
his father this morning ' ; and going to the cupboard she
laid the table for her sister. When they had finished
their meal the giantess rose and said : * Thank you for all
these nice dishes, and for the best lamb, the best can of
beer and the nicest drink I have ever had ; but — is Prince
Sigurd really not at home ? '

* No, certainly not ! ' replied Ingiborg ; and with that
they took leave of each other.

When she was well out of sight Sigurd crept from
under the table, and his stepmother declared that it was
most important that he should not stay at home next
day ; but he said he did not see what harm could come
of it, and he did not mean to go out hunting, and the next
morning, w^hen the king prepared to start, Ingiborg im-
plored Sigurd to accompany his father. But it was all
no use, he was quite obstinate and would not listen to a
word she said. ' You will have to hide me again,' said he,
so no sooner had the king gone than Ingiborg hid Sigurd
between the wall and the panelling, and by-and-by there
was heard once more a sound like an earthquake, as a great
giantess, wading knee deep through the ground, came in at
the door.

' Good day, Sister Ingiborg ! ' she cried, in a voice like
thunder ; ' is Prince Sigurd at home ? '

* Oh, no,' answered Ingiborg, ' he is enjoying himself
out there in the forest. I expect it will be quite dark before
he comes back again.'

' That's a lie ! ' shouted the giantess. And they squab-
bled about it till they were tired, after which Ingiborg
laid the table ; and when the giantess had done eating
she said : ' Well, I must thank you for all these good
things, and for the best lamb, the best can of beer and

THE HOBSE AND THE SWOBD 317

the best drink I have had for a long time ; but— are you
quite sure Prince Sigurd is not at home ? '

* Quite,' said Ingiborg. ' I've told you already that
he rode off with his father this morning to hunt in the
forest.'

At this the giantess roared out with a terrible voice :
' If he is near enough to hear my words, I lay this spell
on him : Let him be half scorched and half withered ; and
may he have neither rest nor peace till he finds me.' And
with these words she stalked off.

For a moment Ingiborg stood as if turned to stone,
then she fetched Sigurd from his hiding-place, and, to her
horror, there he was, half scorched and half withered.

* Now you see what has happened through your own
obstinacy,' said she ; * but we must lose no time, for your
father will soon be coming home.'

Going quickly into the next room she opened a chest
and took out a ball of string and three gold rings, and
gave them to Sigurd, saying : ' If you throw this ball on
the ground it will roll along till it reaches some high
cliffs. There you will see a giantess looking out over the
rocks. She will call down to you and say : " Ah, this is
just what I wanted ! Here is Prince Sigurd. He shall
go into the pot to-night " ; but don't be frightened by her.
She will draw you up with a long boat-hook, and you
must greet her from me, and give her the smallest ring
as a present. This will please her, and she will ask you
to wrestle with her. When you are exhausted, she will
offer you a horn to drink out of, and though she does not
know it, the wine will make you so strong that you will
easily be able to conquer her. After that she will let
you stay there all night. The same thing will happen with
my two other sisters. But, above all, remember this :
should my little dog come to you and lay his paws on
you, with tears running down his face, then hurry home,
for my life will be in danger. Now, good-bye, and don't
forget your stepmother.'

318 THE HORSE AND THE SWORD

Then Ingiborg dropped the ball on the ground, and
Sigurd bade her farewell.

That same evening the ball stopped rolling at the foot
of some high rocks, and on glancing up, Sigurd saw the
giantess looking out at the top.

' Ah, just what I wanted ! ' she cried out when she
saw him ; ' here is Prince Sigurd. He shall go into the
pot to-night. Come up, my friend, and wrestle with me.'

With these words she reached out a long l^oat hook
and hauled him up the cliff. At first Sigurd was rather
frightened, but he remembered what Ingiborg had said^
and gave the giantess her sister's message and the ring.

The giantess was delighted, and challenged him to
wi^estle with her. Sigurd was fond of all games, and began
to wrestle with joy ; but he was no match for the giantess,
and as she noticed that he was getting faint she gave him
a horn to drink out of, which was very foolish on her part,
as it made Sigurd so strong that he soon overthrew her.

* You may stay here to-night,' said she ; and he was
glad of the rest.

Next morning Sigurd threw down the ball again and
away it rolled for some time, till it stopped at the foot of
another high rock. Then he looked up and saw another
giantess, even bigger and uglier than the first one, who
called out to him : ' Ah, this is just what I wanted ! Here
is Prince Sigurd. He shall go into the pot to-night. Come
up quickly and wrestle with me.' And she lost no time in
hauling him up.

The prince gave her his stepmother's message and the
second largest ring. The giantess was greatly pleased
when she saw the ring, and at once challenged Sigurd to
wrestle with her.

They struggled for a long time, till at last Sigurd grev/
faint ; so she handed him a horn to drink from, and when
he had drunk he became so strong that he threw her down
with one hand.

THE HORSE AND THE SWOBD 319

On the third morning Sigurd once more laid down his
ball, and it rolled far away, till at last it stopped under
a very high rock indeed, over the top of which the most
hideous giantess that ever was seen looked down.

When she saw who was there she cried out : ' Ah,
this is just what I wanted ! Here comes Prince Sigurd.
Into the pot he goes this very night. Come up here, my
friend, and wrestle with me.' And she hauled him up
just as her sisters had done.

Sigurd then gave her his stepmother's message and the
last and largest ring. The sight of the red gold delighted the
giantess, and she challenged Sigurd to a wrestling match.
This time the fight was fierce and long, but when at
length Sigurd's strength was failing the giantess gave
him something to drink, and after he had drunk it he
soon brought her to her knees. ' You have beaten me,'
she gasped, so now, listen to me. * Not far from here is a
lake. Go there ; you will find a little girl playing with a
boat. Try to make friends with her, and give her this
little gold ring. You are stronger thail ever you were, and
I wish you good luck.'

With these words they took leave of each other, and
Sigurd w^andered on till he reached the lake, where he
found the little girl playing with a boat, just as he had been
told. He went up to her and asked what her name was.

She was called Helga, she answered, and she lived
near by.

-So Sigurd gave her the little gold ring, and proposed that
they should have a game. The little girl was delighted, for
she had no brothers or sisters, and they played together
all the rest of the day.

When evening came Sigurd asked leave to go home
with her, but Helga at first forbade him, as no stranger
had ever managed to enter their house without being
found out by her father, who was a very fierce giant.

However, Sigurd persisted, and at length she gave
way ; but when they came near the door she held her

320 THE HORSE AND THE SWOBD

glove over him and Sigurd was at once transformed into
a bundle of wool. Helga tucked the bundle under her
arm and threw it on the bed in her room.

Almost at the same moment her father rushed in
and hunted round in every corner, crying out : * This
place smells of men. What's that you threw on the bed,
Helga ? '

' A bundle of wool,' said she.

* Oh, well, perhaps it was that I smelt,' said the old
man, and troubled himself no more.

The following day Helga went out to play and took
the bundle of wool with her under her arm. When she
reached the lake she held her glove over it again and
Sigurd resumed his own shape.

They played the whole day, and Sigurd taught Helga
all sorts of games she had never even heard of. As they
walked home in the evening she said : ' We shall be able
to play better still to-morrow, for my father will have to
go to the town, so we can stay at home.'

When they were near the house Helga again held her
glove over Sigurd, and once more he was turned into a
bundle of wool, and she carried him in without his being
seen.

Very early next morning Helga's father went to the
town, and as soon as he was well out of the way the girl
held up her glove and Sigurd was himself again. Then
she took him all over the house to amuse him, and
opened every room, for her father had given her the
keys before he left ; but when they came to the last room
Sigurd noticed one key on the bunch which had not been
used and asked which room it belonged to.'

Helga grew red and did not ans^ver.

' I suppose you don't mind my seeing the room which
it opens ? ' asked Sigurd, and as he spoke he saw a
heavy iron door and begged Helga to unlock it for him.
But she told him she dared not do so, at least if she

THE HOBSE AND THE SWOBD 321

(lid open tlie door it niust only be a very tiny chink ; and
Sigurd declared that would do quite well.

The door was so heavy, that it took Helga some time
to open it, and Sigurd grew so impatient that he pushed
it wide open and walked in. There he saw a splendid
horse, all ready saddled, and just above it hung a richly
ornamented sword on the handle of which was engraved
these words : ' He who rides this horse and wears this
sword will find happiness.'

At the sight of the horse Sigurd was so filled with
wonder that he was not able to speak, but at last he gasped
out : ' Oh, do let me mount him and ride him round the
house ! Just once ; I promise not to ask any more.'

' Eide him round the house ! ' cried Helga, growing
pale at the mere idea. ' Eide Gullfaxi ! Why father
would never, never forgive me, if I let you do that.'

' But it can't do him any harm,' argued Sigurd ; 'you
don't know hoiv careful I will be. I have ridden all sorts
of horses at home, and iiave never fallen off — not once.
Oh, Helga, do!'

* Well, perhaps, if you come back directly,' replied
Helga, doubtfully ; ' but you must l)e very quick, or father
will find out ! '

But, instead of mounting Gullfaxi, as she expected,
Sigurd stood still.

' And the sword,' he said, looking fondly up to the
place where it hung. * My father is a king, but he has
not got any sword so beautiful as that. Why, the jewels
in the scabbard are more splendid than the big ruby in
his crown ! Has it got a name ? Some swords have, you
know.'

' It is called " Gunnfjoder," the " Battle Plume," '
answered Helga, ' and *' Gullfaxi " means " Golden Mane."
I don't suppose, if you are to get on the horse at all,
it would matter your taking the sword too. And if you
take the sword you will have to carry the stick and the
stone and the twig as well.'

c y

322 THE HOBSE AND THE SWOBD

' They are easily carried,' said Sigurd, gazing at them
with scorn ; * what wretched dried-up things ! Why in
the world do you keep them ? '

* Father says that he would rather lose Gullfaxi than
lose them,' replied Helga, ' for if the man who rides the
horse is pursued he has only to throw the twig behind
him and it will turn into a forest, so thick that even a bird
could hardly fly through. -But if his enemy happens to
know magic, and can throw down the forest, the man has
only to strike the stone with the stick, and hailstones as
large as pigeons' eggs will rain down from the sky and
will kill every one for twenty miles round.'

Having said all this she allowed Sigurd to ride ' just
once ' round the house, taking the sword and other things
with him. But when he had ridden round, instead of
dismounting, he suddenly turned the horse's head and
galloped away.

Soon after this Helga's father came home and found
his daughter in tears. He asked what was the matter,
and when he heard all that had happened, he rushed off
as fast as he could to pursue Sigurd.

Now, as Sigurd happened to look behind him he saw
the giant coming after him with great strides, and in all
haste he threw the twig behind him. Immediately such a
thick wood sprang up at once between him and his enemy
that the giant was obliged to run home for an axe with
which to cut his way through.

The next time Sigurd glanced round, the giant was so
near that he almost touched Gullfaxi's tail. In an agony
of fear Sigurd turned quickly in his saddle and hit the
stone with the stick. No sooner had he done this than
a teri-ible hailstorm burst behind, and the giant was killed
on the spot.

But had Sigurd struck the stone without turning
round, the hail would have driven right into his face and
killed him instead.

THE^EAD£Y-HAILSTQKHh1

HJimKD

THE HOBSE AND THE SWORD 325

After the giant was dead Sigurd rode on towards his
own home, and on the way he suddenly met his step-
mother's Uttle dog, running to meet him, with tears pour-
ing down its face. He galloped on as hard as he could,
and on arriving found nine men-servants in the act of
tying Queen Ingiborg to a post in the courtyard of the
palace, where they intended to burn her.

Wild with anger Prince Sigurd sprang from his horse
and, sword in hand, fell on the men and killed them all.
Then he released his stepmother, and went in with her
to see his father.

The king lay in bed sick with sorrow, and neither
eating nor drinking, for he thought that his son had been
killed by the queen. He could hardly believe his own
eyes for joy when he saw the prince, and Sigurd told him
all his adventures.

After that Prince Sigurd rode back to fetch Helga, and
a great feast was made which lasted three days ; and every
one said no bride was ever seen so beautiful as Helga, and
they lived happily for many, many years, and everybody
loved them.

[From Islanduche Mdhrchen.']

326 THE STOBY OF THE SHAM PRINCE,

THE STOBY OF THE SHAM PBINCE, OB
THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB

Once upon a time there lived a respectable young tailor
called Labakan, who worked for a clever master in
Alexandria. No one could call Labakan either stupid or
lazy, for he could work extremely well and quickly — when
he chose ; but there was something not altogether right
about him. Sometimes he would stitch away as fast as
if he had a red-hot needle and a burning thread, and at
other times he would sit lost in thought, and with such a
queer look about him that his fellow-workmen used to
say, ' Labakan has got on his aristocratic face to-day.'

On Fridays he would put on his fine robe which he
had bought with the money he had managed to save up,
and go to the mosque. As he came back, after prayers, if
he met any friend who said ' Good-day,' or * How are
you, friend Labakan ? ' he would wave his hand graciously
or nod in a condescending way ; and if his master happened
to say to him, as he sometimes did, ' Eeally, Labakan, you
look like a prince,' he was delighted, and would answer,
' Have you noticed it too ? ' or * Well, so I have long
thought.'

Things went on like this for some time, and the master
put up with Labakan's absurdities because he was, on the
whole, a good fellow and a clever workman.

One day, the sultan's brother happened to be passing
through Alexandria, and wanted to have one of his state
robes altered, so he sent for the master tailor, who handed
the robe os'er to Labakan as his best workman.

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB 327

In the evening, when every one had left the workshop
and gone home, a great longing drove Labakan back to
the place where the royal robe hung. He stood a long
time gazing at it, adaiiring the rich material and the
splendid embroidery in it. At last he could hold out no
longer. He felt he must try it on, and lo ! and behold, it
fitted as though it had been made for him.

* Am not I as good a prince as any other ? ' he asked
himself, as he proudly paced up and down the room.
' Has not the master often said that I seemed born to be a
prince ? '

It seemed to him that he must be the son of some un-
known monarch, and at last he determined to set out
at once and travel in search of his proper rank.

He felt as if the splendid robe had been sent him by
some kind fairy, and he took care not to neglect such a
precious gift. He collected all his savings, and, concealed
by the darkness of the night, he passed through the gates
of Alexandria.

The new prince excited a good deal of curiosity where-
ever he went, for his splendid robe and majestic manner
did not seem quite suitable to a person travelling on foot.
If anyone asked questions, he only rephed with an impor-
tant air of mystery that he had his own reasons for not
riding.

However, he soon found out that walking made him
ridiculous, so at last he bought a quiet, steady old horse,
which he managed to get cheap.

One day, as he was ambling along upon Murva (that
was the horse's name), a horseman overtook him and
asked leave to join him, so that they might both beguile
the journey with pleasant talk. The newcomer was
a bright, cheerful, good-looking young man, who soon
plunged into conversation and asked many questions.
He told Labakan that his own name was Omar, that he
was a nephew of Elfi Bey, and was travelling in order to
carry out a command given him by his uncle on his death-

S2S THE STOBY OF THE SHAM FBINCE,

bed. Labakan was not quite so open in his confidences,
but hinted that he too was of noble birth and was travelUng
for pleasure.

The two young men took a fancy to each other and
rode on together. On the second day of their journey
Labakan questioned Omar as to the orders he had to
carry out, and to his surprise heard this tale.

Elfi Bey, Pacha of Cairo, had brought up Omar from
his earliest childhood, and the boy had never known his
parents. On his deathbed Elfi Bey called Omar to him,
and then told him that he was not his nephew, but the
son of a great king, who, having been warned of coming
dangers by his astrologers, had sent the young prince
away and made a vow not to see him till his twenty-second
birthday.

Elfi Bey did not tell Omar his father's name, but
expressly desired him to be at a great pillar four days'
journey east of Alexandria on the fourth day of the
coming month, on which day he w^ould be twenty-two
years old. Here he would meet some men, to whom hg
was to hand a dagger which Elfi Bey gave him, and to
say :

' Here am I for whom you seek.'

If they answered : ' Praised be the Prophet who has
preserved you,' he was to follow them, and they v/ould take
him to his father.

Labakan was greatly surprised and interested by this
story, but after hearing it he could not help looking on
Prince Omar with envious eyes, angry that his friend
should have the position he himself longed so much for.
He began to make comparisons between the prince and
himself, and was obliged to confess that he was a fine-
looking young man with very good manners and a pleasant
expression.

At the same time, he felt sure that liad he been in the
prince's place any royal father might have been glad to
own him.

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB 329

These thoughts haunted him all day, and he dreamt
them all night. He woke very early, and as he saw Omar
sleeping quietly, with a happy smile on his face, a wish
arose in his mind to take by force or by cunning the
things which an unkind fate had denied him.

The dagger which was to act as a passport was stick-
ing in Omar's girdle. Labakan drew it gently out, and
hesitated for a moment whether or not to plunge it into
the lieart of the sleeping prince. However, he shrank
from the idea of murder, so be contented himself with
placing the dagger in his own belt, and, saddling Omar's
swift horse for himself, was many miles away before the
prince woke up to realise his losses.

For two days Labakan rode on steadily, fearing lest,
after all, Omar might reach the meeting place before him.
At the end of the second day he saw the great pillar at a
distanc3. It stood on a little hill in the middle of a plain,
and could be seen a very long way off. Labakan's heart
beat fast at the sight. Though he had had some time
in which to think over the part he meant to play his
conscience made him rather uneasy. However, the
thought that he must certainly have been born to be a
king supported him, and he bravely rode on.

The neighbourhood was quite bare and desert, and it
was a good thing that the new prince had brought food
for some time with him, as two days were still wanting
till the appointed time.

Towards the middle of the next day he saw a long
procession of horses and camels coming towards him. It
halted at the bottom of the hill, and some splendid tents
were pitched. Everything looked like the escort of some
great man. Labakan made a shrewd guess that all these
people had come here on his account ; but he checked
his impatience, knowing that only on the fourth day could
his wishes be fulfilled.

The first rays of the rising sun woke the happy tailor.
As he began to saddle his horse and prepare to ride to

330 THE STORY OF THE SHAM PRINCE,

the pillar, he could not help having some remorseful
thoughts of the trick he had played and the blighted
hopes of the real prince. But the die was cast, and his
vanity whispered that he was as fine looking a young
man as the proudest king might wish his son to be, and
that, moreover, what had happened had happened.

With these thoughts he summoned up all his courage,
sprang on his horse, and in less than a quarter of an hour
was at the foot of the hill. Here he dismounted, tied the
horse to a bush, and, drawing out Prince Omar's dagger,
climbed up the hill.

At the foot of the pillar stood six men round a tall
and stately person. His superb robe of cloth of gold
was girt round him by a white cashmere shawl, and his
white, richly jewelled turban showed that he was a man
of wealth and high rank.

Labakan went straight up to him, and, bending low,
handed him the dagger, saying : ' Here am I whom you
seek.'

' Praised be the Prophet who has preserved you ! '
replied the old man with tears of joy. ' Embrace me, my
dear son Omar ! '

The proud tailor was deeply moved by these solemn
words, and with mingled shame and joy sank into the old
king's arms.

But his happiness was not long unclouded. As he
raised his head he saw a horseman who seemed trying
to urge a tired or unwilling horse across the plain.

Only too soon Labakan recognised his own old horse,
Murva, and the real Prince Omar, but having once told a
lie he made up his mind not to own his deceit.

At last the horseman reached the foot of the hill.
Here he flung himself from the saddle and hurried up to
the pillar.

' Stop ! ' he cried, ' whoever you may be, and do not
let a disgraceful impostor take you in. Mtj name is
Omar, and let no one attempt to rob me of it.'

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB 331

This turn of affairs threw the standers-by into great
surprise. The old king in particular seemed much moved
as he looked from one face to the other. At last Labakan
spoke with forced calmness, ' Most gracious lord and
father, do not let yourself be deceived by this man. As
far as I know, he is a half-crazy tailor's apprentice from
Alexandria, called Labakan, w^ho really deserves more
pity than anger.*

These words infuriated the prince. Foaming with
rage, he tried to press towards Labakan, but the attendants
threw themselves upon him and held him fast, whilst the
king said, ' Truly, my dear son, the poor fellow is quite
mad. Let him be bound and placed on a dromedary.
Perhaps we may be able to get some help for him.'

The prince's first rage was over, and with tears he
cried to the king, ' My heart tells me that you are my
father, and in my mother's name I entreat you to hear
me.'

* Oh ! heaven forbid ! ' was the reply. ' He is talking
nonsense again. How can the poor man have got such
notions into his head ? '

With these words the king took Labakan 's arm to
support him down the hill. They both mounted richly
caparisoned horses and rode across the plain at the head
of their followers.

The unlucky prince was tied hand and foot, and
fastened on a dromedary, a guard riding on either side
and keeping a sharp look-out on him.

The old king was Sached, Sultan of the Wachabites.
For many years he had had no children, but at length the
son he had so long wished for was born. But the sooth-
sayers and magicians whom he consulted as to the child's
future all said that until he was twenty-two years old he
stood in danger of being injured by an enemy. So, to
make all safe, the sultan had confided the prince to his
trusty friend Elfi Bey, and deprived himself of the happi-
ness of seeing him for twenty-two years.

332 THE STOBY OF THE SHAM PRINCE,

All this the sultan told Labakan, and was much
pleased by his appearance and dignified manner.

When they reached their own country they were re-
ceived with every sign of joy, for the news of the prince's
safe return had spread like wildfire, and every town and
village was decorated, whilst the inhabitants thronged to
greet them with cries of joy and thankfulness. All this
filled Labakan's proud heart with rapture, whilst the
unfortunate Omar followed in silent rage and despair.

At length they arrived in the capital, where the public
rejoicings were grander and more brilliant than anywhere
else. The queen awaited them in the great hall of the
palace, surrounded by her entire court. It was getting
dark, and hundreds of coloured hanging lamps were lit to
turn night into day.

The brightest hung round the throne on which the
queen sat, and which stood above four steps of pure gold
inlaid with great amethysts. The four greatest nobles
in the kingdom held a canopy of crimson silk over the
queen, and the Sheik of Medina fanned her with a pea-
cock-feather fan.

In this state she PoV/aited her husband and her son.
She, too, had not seen Omar since his birth, but so many
dreams had shown her what he would look like that she
felt she would know him among a thousand.

And now the sound of trumpets and drums and of
shouts and cheers outside announced the long looked for
moment. The doors flew open, and between rows of low-
bending courtiers and servants the king approached the
throne, leading his pretended son by the hand.

* Here,' said he, ' is he for whom you have been long-
ing so many years.'

But the queen interrupted him, * That is not my son ! '
she cried. ' That is not the face the Prophet has shown
me in my dreams ! '

Just as the king was about to reason with her, the
door was thrown violently open, and Prince Omar rushed

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAIL OB 333

in, followed by his keepers, whom he had managed to get
away from. He flung himself down before the throne,
panting out, ' Here will I die ; kill me at once, cruel father,
for I cannot bear this shame any longer.'

Everyone pressed round the unhappy man, and the
guards were about to seize him, when the queen, w^ho at
first was dumb with surprise, sprang up from her throne.

' Hold ! ' cried she. ' This and no other is the right
one ; this is the one whom my eyes have never yet seen,
but whom my heart recognises.'

The guards had stepped back, but the king called to
them in a furious voice to secure the madman.

* It is I who must judge,' he said in tones of
command ; * and this matter cannot be decided by
women's dreams, but by certain unmistakable signs.
This one ' (pointing to Labakan) ' is my son, for it was he
who brought me the token from my friend Elfi — the
dagger.'

' He stole it from me,' shrieked Omar ; ' he betrayed
my unsuspicious confidence.'

But the king would not listen to his son's voice, for
he had always been accustomed to depend on his own
judgment. He let the unhappy Omar be dragged from
the hall, whilst he himself retired with Labakan to his
own rooms, full of anger with the queen his wife, in
spite of their ]nany years of happy life together.

The queen, on her side, was plunged in grief, for she
felt certain that an impostor had won her husband's heart
and taken the place of her real son.

When the first shock was over she began to think how
she could manage to convince the king of his mistake.
Of course it would be a difficult matter, as the man who
declared he was Omar had produced the dagger as a
token, besides talking of all sorts of things which hap-
pened when he was a child. She called her oldest and
wisest ladies al)out her and asked their advice, but
none of them had any to give. At last one very clever

334 THE STOBY OF THE SHAM PBINCE,

old woman said : ' Did not the young man who brought
the dagger call him whom your majesty believes to be
your son Labakan, and say he was a crazy tailor? '

' Yes,' rephed the queen ; ' but what of that ? '

' Might it not be,' said the old lady, * that the impostor
has called your real son by his own name? If this
should be the case, I know of a capital way to find out the
truth.'

And she whispered some words to the queen, who
seemed much pleased, and wenb off at once to see the
king.

Now the queen was a very wise woman, so she pre-
tended to think she might have made a mistake, and
only begged to be allowed to put a test to the two young
men to prove which was the real prince.

The king, who was feeling much ashamed of the rage
he had been in w^ith his dear wife, consented at once, and
she said : ' No doubt others would make them ride or
shoot, or something of that sort, but every one learns these
things. I wish to set them a task which requires sharp
wits and clever hands, and I want them to try which of
them can best make a kaftan and pair of trousers.'

The king laughed. ' No, no, that will never do. Do
you suppose my son would compete with that crazy
tailor as to which could make the best clothes ? Oh, dear,
no, that won't do at all.'

But the queen claimed his promise, and as he was a
man of his word the king gave in at last. He went to
his £on and begged that he would humour his mother,
who had set her heart on his making a kaftan.

The worthy Labakan laughed to himself. * If that is
all she wants,' thought he, ' her majesty will soon be
pleased to own me.'

Two rooms were prepared, with pieces of material,
scissors, needles and threads, and each young man was
shut up in one of them.

The king felt rather curious as to what sort of

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB 335

garment his son would make, and the queen, too, was
very anxious as to the result of her experiment.

On the third day they sent for the two young men
and their work. Labakan came first and spread out his
kaftan before the eyes of the astonished king. ' See,
father,' he said ; ' see, my honoured mother, if this is not
a masterpiece of work. I'll bet the court tailor himself
cannot do better."

The queen smiled and turned to Omar : ' And what
have you done, my son ? '

Impatiently he threw the stuff and scissors down on
the floor. ' I have been taught how to manage a horse,
to draw a sword, and to throw a lance some sixty paces,
but I never learnt to sew, and such a thing would have
been thought beneath the notice of the pupil of Elfi Bey,
the ruler of Cairo.'

' Ah, true son of your father,' cried the queen ; ' if
only I might embrace you and call you son ! Forgive
me, my lord and husband,' she added, turning to the
king, * for trying to find out the truth in this way. Do
you not see yourself now which is the prince and which
the tailor ? Certainly this kaftan is a very fine one, but
I should like to know what master taught this young
man how to make clothes.'

The king sat deep in thought, looking now at his wife
and now at Labakan, who was doing his best to hide his
vexation at his own stupidity. At last the king said :
' Even this trial does not satisfy me ; but happily I know
of a sure w^ay to discover whether or not I have been
deceived.'

He ordered his swiftest horse to be saddled, mounted,
and rode off alone into a forest at some little distance.
Here lived a kindly fairy called Adolzaide, w^ho had often
helped the kings of his race with her good advice, and to
her he betook himself.

In the middle of the forest was a wide open space
surrounded by great cedar trees, and this was supposed

336 THE STOBY OF THE SHAM PEIKCE,

to be the fairy's favourite spot. When the king reached
this place he dismounted, tied his horse to the tree, and
standing in the middle of the open place said : 'If ifc is
true that you have helped my ancestors in their time of
need, do not despise their descendant, but give me
counsel, for that of men has failed me.'

He had hardly finished speaking when one of the
cedar trees opened, and a veiled figure all dressed in
white stepped from it.

'I know your errand, King Sached,' she said; 'it is
an honest one, and I will give you my help. Take these
two little boxes and let the two men who claim to be your
son choose between them. I know that the real prince
will make no mistake.'

She then handed him two little boxes made of ivory
set with gold and pearls. On the lid of each (which the
king vainly tried to open) was an inscription in diamonds.
On one stood the words ' Honour and Glory,' and on the
other ' Wealth and Happiness.'

' It would be a hard choice,' thought the king as he
rode home.

He lost no time in sending for the queen and for all
his court, and when all were assembled he made a sign,
and Labakan was led in. With a proud air he walked
up to the throne, and kneeling down, asked :

' What does my lord and father command ? '

The king replied : ' ]\Iy son, doubts have been thrown
on your claim to that name. One of these boxes contains
the proofs of your birth. Choose for yourself. No doubt
you will choose right.'

He then pointed to the ivory boxes, which were placed
on two little tables near the throne.

Labakan rose and looked at the boxes. He thought
for some minutes, and then said : ' My honoured father,
what can be better than the happiness of being your son,
and what nobler than the riches of your love. I choose
the box with the words " Wealth and Happiness." '

OR THE AMBITIOUS TAILOR 337

' We shall see presently if you have chosen the right
one. For the present take a seat there beside the Pacha
of Medina,' replied the king.

Omar was next led in, looking sad and sorrowful.
He threw himself down before the throne and asked what
was the king's pleasure. The king pointed out the two
boxes to him, and he rose and went to the tables. He
carefully read the two mottoes and said : ' The last few
days have shown me how uncertain is happiness and
how easily riches vanish aw^ay. Should I lose a crown
by it I make my choice of " Honour and Glory." '

He laid his hand on the box as he spoke, but the king
signed to him to wait, and ordered Labakan to come to the
other table and lay his hand on the box he had chosen.

Then the king rose from his throne, and in solemn
silence all present rose too, whilst he said : ' Open the
boxes, and may Allah show us the truth.'

The boxes were opened with the greatest ease. In
the one Omar had chosen lay a little gold crown and
sceptre on a velvet cushion. In Labakan's box was found
— a large needle w^ith some thread !

The king told the two young men to bring him their
boxes. They did so. He took the crown in his hand,
and as he held it, it grew bigger and bigger, till it was as
large as a real crown. He placed it on the head of his
son Omar, kissed him on the forehead, and placed him
on his right hand. Then, turning to Labakan, he said :
' There is an old proverb, " The cobbler sticks to his last."
It seems as though you were to stick to your needle.
You have not deserved any mercy, but I cannot be harsh
on this day. I give you your life, but I advise you to
leave this country as fast as you can.'

Full of shame, the unlucky tailor could not answer.
He tiung himself down before Omar, and with tears in his
eyes asked : ' Can you forgive me, prince ? '

'Go in peace,' said Omar as he raised him.

*0h, my true son ! ' cried the king as he clasped the

C Ji

338 THE STORY OF THE SHAM PRINCE,

prince in his arms, whilst all the pachas and emirs
shouted, ' Long live Prince Omar ! '

In the midst of all the noise a.nd rejoicing Labakan
sUpped off with his little box under his arm. He went to
the stables, saddled his old horse, Murva, and rode out of
the gate towards Alexandria. Nothing but the ivory box
with its diamond motto was left to show him that the
last few weeks had not been a dream.

When he reached Alexandria he rode up to his old
master's door. When he entered the shop, his master came
forward to ask what was his j)leasure, but as soon as he
saw who it was he called his workmen, and they all fell
on Labakan with blows and angry words, till at last he
fell, half fainting, on a heap of old clothes.

The master then scolded him soundly about the stolen
robe, but in vain Labakan told him he had come to pay
for it and offered three times its price. They only fell to
beating him again, and at last pushed him out of the house
more dead than ahve.

He could do nothing but remount his horse and ride
to an inn. Here he found a quiet place in which to rest
his bruised and battered limbs and to think over his many
misfortunes. He fell asleep fully determined to give up
trying to be great, but to lead the life of an honest work-
man.

Next morning he set to work to fulfil his good resolu-
tions. He sold his little box to a jeweller for a good
price, bought a house and opened a workshop. Then he
hung up a sign with, ' Labakan, Tailor,' over his door,
and sat down to mend his own torn clothes with the very
needle which had been in the ivory box.

After a while he was called away, and when he went
back to his work he found a wonderful thing had hap-
pened ! The needle was sewing away all by itself and
making the neatest little stitches, such as Labakan had
never been able to make even at his best.

Certainly even the smallest gift of a kind fairy is of

OB THE AMBITIOUS TAILOB 339

great value, and this one had yet another advantage, for
the thread never came to an end, hov^ever much the
needle sewed.

Labakan soon got plenty of customers. He used to
cut out the clothes, make the first stitch ^Yith the magic
needle, and then leave it to do the rest. Before long the
whole town went to him, for his work was both so good
and so cheap. The only puzzle was how he could do
so much, working all alone, and also why he worked with
closed doors.

And so the promise on the ivory box of ' Wealth and
Happiness ' came true for him, and when he heard of all
the brave doings of Prince Omar, who was the pride and
darling of his people and the terror of his enemies, the
ex-prince thought to himself, ' After all, I am better off
as a tailor, for '' Honour and Glory " are apt to be very
dangerous things.'

z 2

340

THE COLONY OF CATS

Long, long ago, as far back as the time when aminals spoke,
there lived a community of cats in a deserted house they
had taken possession of not far from a large town. They
had everything they could possibly desire for their comfort,
they were well fed and well lodged, and if by any chance
an unlucky mouse was stupid enough to venture in their
way, they caught it, not to eat it, but for the pure
pleasure of catching it. The old people of the town
related how they had heard their parents speak of a time
when the w^hole country was so overrun with rats and
mice that there was not so much as a grain of corn nor
an ear of maize to be gathered in the fields ; and it might
be out of gratitude to the cats who had rid the country of
these plagues that their descendants were allowed to live
in peace. No one knows where they got the money to
pay for everything, nor who paid it, for all this happened
so very long ago. But one thing is certain, they were
rich enough to keep a servant ; for though they lived very
happily together, and did not scratch nor fight more than
human beings would have done, they were not clever,
enough to do the housework themselves, and preferred
at all events to have some one to cook their meat, which
they would have scorned to eat raw. Not only were they
very difficult to please about the housework, but most
women quickly tired of living alone with only cats for
companions, consequently they never kept a servant long ;
and it had become a saying in the town, when anyone
found herself reduced to her last penny : ' I will go and

THE COLONY OF CATS 341

live with the cats,' and so many a poor woman actually
did.

Now^ Lizina w^as not happy at home, for her mother, who
was a widow, was much fonder of her elder daughter ; so
that often the younger one fared very badly, and had not
enough to eat, w^hile the elder could have everything she
desired, and if Lizina dared to complain she was certain
to have a good beating.

At last the day came w^hen she was at the end of her
courage and patience, and exclaimed to her mother and
sister :

* As you hate me so much you will be glad to be rid of
me, so I am going to live with the cats ! '

' Be off with you ! ' cried her mother, seizing an old
broom-handle from behind the door. Poor Lizina did not
wait to be told twice, but ran off at once and never stopped
till she reached the door of the cats' house. Their cook
had left them that very morning, wdth her face all
scratched, the result of such a quarrel with the head
of the house that he had very nearly scratched out her
eyes. Lizina therefore was w^armly welcomed, and she
set to work at once to prepare the dinner, not without
many misgivings as to the tastes of the cats, and whether
she would be able to satisfy them.

Going to and fro about her work, she found herself
frequently hindered by a constant succession of cats w^ho
appeared one after another in the kitchen to inspect the
new servant ; she had one in front of her feet, another
perched on the back of her chair while she peeled the
vegetables, a third sat on the table beside her, and five or
six others prowled about among the pots and pans on the
shelves against the wall. The air resounded with their
purring, which meant that they were pleased with their
new maid, but Lizina had not yet learned to understand
their language, and often she did not know what they
wanted her to do. However, as she was a good, kind-
hearted gill, she set to work to pick up the little kittens

342 THE COLONY OF CATS

■which tumbled about on the floor, she patched up quarrels,
and nursed on her lap a big tabby — the oldest of the com-
munity— which had a lame pa\Y. All these kindnesses
could hardly fail to make a favourable impression on the
cats, and it was even better after a while, when she had
had time to grow accustomed to their strange ways.
Never had the house been kept so clean, the meats so
well sensed, nor the sick cats so well cared for. After
a time they had a visit from an old cat, whom they
called their father, who lived by himself in a barn at
the top of the hill, and came down from time to time to
inspect the little colony. He too was much taken with
Lizina, and inquired, on first seeing her : * Are you well
served by this nice, black-eyed little person ? ' and the
cats answered with one voice : ' Oh, yes, Father Gatto,
we have never had so good a servant ! '

At each of his visits the answer was always the same ;
but after a time the old cat, who was very observant,
noticed that the little maid had grown to look sadder and
sadder. ' What is the matter, my child — has any one
been unkind to you ? ' he asked one day, when he found
her crying in her kitchen. She burst into tears and
answered between her sobs : ' Oh, no ! they are all very
good to me ; but I long for news from home, and I pine to
see my mother and my sister.'

Old Gatto, being a sensible old cat, understood the
little servant's feelings. ' You shall go home,' he said,
' and you shall not come back here unless you please.
But first you must be rewarded for all your kind services
to my children. Follow me down into the inner cellar,
where you have never yet been, for I always keep it
locked and cany the key away with me.'

Lizina looked round her in astonishment as they went
down into the great vaulted cellar underneath the kitchen.
Before her stood the big earthenware water jars, one
of which contained oil, the other a liquid shining like
gold. ' In which of these jars shall I dip you ? ' asked

THE COLONY OF CATS 345

Father Gatto, with a grin that showed all his sharp white
teeth, while his moustaches stood out straight on either
side of his face. The little maid looked at the two jars
from under her long dark lashes : ' In the oil jar ! ' she
answered timidly, thinking to herself : ' I could not ask to
be bathed in gold.'

But Father Gatto replied : ' No, no ; you have deserved
something better than that.' And seizing her in his
strong paws he plunged her into the liquid gold. Wonder
of wonders ! when Lizina came out of the jar she shone
from head to foot like the sun in the heavens on a fine
summer's day. Her pretty pink cheeks and long black
hair alone kept their natural colour, othervvdse she had
become like a statue of pure gold. Father Gatto purred
loudly with satisfaction. ' Go home,' he said, * and see
your mother and sisters ; but take care if you hear the
cock crow to turn towards it ; if on the contrary the ass
brays, you must look the other way.'

The little maid, having gratefully kissed the white
paw of the old cat, set off for home ; but just as she got
near her mother's house the cock crowed, and quickly she
turned towards it. Immediately a beautiful golden star
appeared on her forehead, crowning her glossy black hair.
At the same time the ass began to bray, but Lizina took
care not to look over the fence into the field where the
donkey was feeding. Her mother and sister, who w^ere
in front of their house, uttered cries of admiration and
astonishment when they saw her, and their cries became
still louder when Lizina, taking her handkerchief from her
pocket, drew out also a handful of gold.

For some days the mother and her two daughters
lived very happily together, for Lizina had given them
everything she had brought away except her golden
clothing, for that would not come off, in spite of all the
efforts of her sister, who was madly jealous of her good
fortune. The golden star, too, could not be removed
from her forehead. But all the gold pieces she drew

346 THE COLONY OF CATS

from her pockets had found their way to her mother and
sister.

*I will go now and see what I can get out of the
pussies,' said Peppina, the elder girl, one morning, as she
took Lizina's basket and fastened her pockets into her
own skirt. * I should like some of the cats' gold for
myself,' she thought, as she left her mother's house before
the sun rose.

The cat colony had not yet taken another servant, for
they knew they could never get one to replace Lizina,
whose loss they had not yet ceased to mourn. When
they heard that Peppina was her sister, they all ran to
meet her. * She is not the least like her,' the kittens
whispered among themselves.

' Hush, be quiet ! ' the older cats said ; * all servants
cannot be pretty.'

No, decidedly she was not at all like Lizina. Even
the most reasonable and large-minded of the cats soon
acknowledged that.

The very first day she shut the kitchen door in the
face of the tom-cats who used to enjoy watching Lizina at
her work, and a young and mischievous cat who jumped
in by the open kitchen window and alighted on the table
got such a blow with the rolling-pin that he squalled for
an hour.

With every day that passed the household became
more and more aware of its misfortune.

The work was as badly done as the servant was surly
and disagreeable ; in the corners of the rooms there were
collected heaps of dust ; spiders' webs hung from the ceil-
ings and in front of the w^indow- panes ; the beds were
hardly ever made, and the feather beds, so beloved by the
old and feeble cats, had never once been shaken since
Lizina left the house. At Father Gatto's next visit he
found the whole colony in a state of uproar.

' Caesar has one paw so badly swollen that it looks as
if it were broken,' said one. ' Peppina kicked him with

THE COLONY OF CATS 347

her great wooden shoes on. Hector has an abscess in his
back where a wooden chair was flung at him ; and
Agrippina's three httle kittens have died of hunger beside
their mother, because Peppina forgot them in their basket
up in the attic. There is no putting up with the creature
— do send her away, Fatlier Gatto ! Lizina herself would
not be angry with us ; she must know very well what her
sister is like.'

* Come here,' said Father Gatto, in his most severe
tones to Peppina. And he took her down into the cellar
and showed her the same two great jars that he had
showed Lizina. ' In which of these shall I dip you ? ' he
asked ; and she made haste to answer : ' In the liquid gold,'
for she was no more modest than she was good and kind.

Father Gatto's yellow eyes darted fire. ' You have
not deserved it,' he uttered, in a voice like thunder, and
seizing her he flung her into the jar of oil, where she was
nearly suffocated. When she came to the surface scream-
ing and struggling, the vengeful cat seized her again and
rolled her in the ash-heap on the floor ; then when she
rose, dirty, blinded, and disgusting to behold, he thrust
her from the door, saying : ' Begone, and when you meet
a braying ass be careful to turn your head towards it.'

Stumbling and raging, Peppina set off for home, think-
ing herself fortunate to find a stick by the wayside with
which to support herself. She was within sight of her
mother's house when she heard in the meadow on the
right, the voice of a donkey loudly braying. Quickly she
turned her head towards it, and at the same time put her
hand up to her forehead, where, waving like a plume, was
a donkey's tail. She ran home to her mother at the top
of her speed, yelling with rage and despair ; and it took
Lizina two hours with a big basin of hot water and two
cakes of soap to get rid of the layer of ashes with which
Father Gatto had adorned her. As for the donkey's tail,
it was impossible to get rid of that ; it was as firmly fixed
on her forehead as was the golden star on Lizina's. Their

348 THE COLONY OF CATS

mother was furious. She first beat Lizina unmercifully
with the broom, then she took her to the mouth of the
well and lowered her into it, leaving her at the bottom
weeping and crying for help.

Before this happened, however, the king's son in
passing the mother's house had seen Lizina sitting sewing
in the parlour, and had been dazzled by her beauty. After
coming back two or three times, he at last ventured to
approach the window and to whisper in the softest voice :
' Lovely maiden, will you be my bride ? ' and she had
answered : ' I will.'

Next morning, when the prince arrived to claim his
bride, he found her wrapped in a large white veil. ' It is
so that maidens are received from their parents' hands,'
said the mother, who hoped to make the king's son marry
Peppina in place of her sister, and had fastened the
donkey's tail round her head like a lock of hair under the
veil. The prince was young and a little timid, so he
made no objections, and seated Peppina in the carriage
beside him.

Their way led past the old house inhabited by the cats,
who were all at the window, for the report had got about
that the prince was going to marry the most beautiful
maiden in the world, on whose forehead shone a golden
star, and they knew that this could only be their adored
Lizina. As the carriage slowly passed in front of the old
house, where cats from all parts of world seetaed to be
gathered, a song burst from every throat :

Mew, mew, niew !

Prince, look quick behind you !

In the well is fair Lizina,

And you've got nothing but Peppina.

When he heard this the coachman, who understood
the cat's language better than the prince, his master,
stopped his horses and asked :

' Does your highness know what the grimalkins are

THE COLONY OF CATS 349

saying ? ' and the song broke forth again louder than
ever.

With a turn of his hand the prince threw back the veil,
and discovered the puffed-up, swollen face of Peppina, wdth
the donkey's tail twisted round her head. ' Ah, traitress ! '
he exclaimed, and ordering the horses to be turned round,
he drove the elder daughter, quivering wdth rage, to the
old woman w4io had sought to deceive him. With his
hand on the hilt of his sword he demanded Lizina in so
terrific a voice that the mother hastened to the well to
draw her prisoner out. Lizina's clothing and her star
shone so brilliantly that w^hen the prince led her home to
the king, his father, the whole palace was lit up. Next
day they were married, and lived happy ever after ; and
all the cats, headed l)y old Father Gatto, were present
at the w^eddino^.

350

HOW TO FIND OUT A TBUE FBIEND

Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who
longed to have a son. As none came, one day they made
a vow at the shrine of St. James that if their prayers
were granted the boy should set out on a pilgrimage as
soon as he had passed his eighteenth birthday. And
fancy their delight when one evening the king returned
home from hunting and saw a baby lying in the cradle.

All the people came crowding round to peep at it, and
declared it was the most beautiful baby that ever was
seen. Of course that is what they always say, but this
time it happened to be true. And every day the boy
grew bigger and stronger till he was twelve years old,
when the king died, and he was left alone to take care of
his mother.

In this way six years passed by, and his eighteenth
birthday drew near. When she thought of this the
queen's heart sank within her, for he was the light of her
eyes, and how was she to send him forth to the unknown
dangers that beset a pilgrim ? So day by day she grew
more and more sorrowful, and when she was alone wept
bitterly.

Now the queen imagined that no one but herself knew
how sad she was, but one morning her son said to her,
' Mother, why do you cry the whole day long ? '

* Nothing, nothing, my son ; there is only one thing in
the world that troubles me.'

' What is that one thing ? ' asked he. ' Are you afraid

HOW TO FIND OUT A TBUE FBIEND 351

your property is badly managed ? Let me go and look
into the matter.'

This pleased the queen, and he rode off to the plain
country, where his mother owned great estates ; but
everything was in beautiful order, and he returned with
a joyful heart, and said, ' Now, mother, you can be
happy again, for your lands are better managed than
anyone else's I have seen. The cattle are thriving ; the
fields are thick with corn, and soon they will be ripe for
harvest.'

* That is good news indeed,' answered she ; but it did
not seem to make any difference to her, and the next
morning she was weeping and wailing as loudly as ever.

' Dear mother,' said her son in despair, * if you will
not tell me what is the cause of all this misery I shall
leave home and wander far through the world.'

' Ah, my son, my son,' cried the queen, ' it is the
thought that I must part from you which causes me
such grief ; for before you were born we vowed a vow
to St. James that when your eighteenth birthday was
passed you should make a pilgrimage to his shrine, and
very soon you will be eighteen, and I shall lose you.
And for a whole year my eyes will never be gladdened
by the sight of you, for the shrine is far away.'

' Will it take no longer than that to reach it ? ' said he.
* Oh, don't be so wretched ; it is only dead people who
never return. As long as I am alive you may be sure I
will come back to you.'

After this manner he comforted his mother, and on
his eighteenth birthday his best horse was led to the
door of the palace, and he took leave of the queen in these
words, * Dear mother, farewell, and by the help of fate
I shall return to you as soon as I can.'

The queen burst into tears and wept sore ; then
amidst her sobs she drew three ax3ples from her pocket
and held them out, saying, ' My son, take these apples
and give heed unto my words. You will need a com-

352 HOW TO FIND OUT A TRUE FBIEND

panion in the long journey on which you are going. If
you come across a young man who pleases you beg him
to accompany you, and when you get to an inn invite
him to have dinner with you. After you have eaten cut
one of these apples in two unequal parts, and ask him to
take one. If he takes the larger bit, then part from him,
for he is no true friend to you. But if he takes the
smaller bit treat him as your brother, and share with
him all you have.' Then she kissed her son once more,
and blessed him, and let him go.

The young man rode a long way without meeting a
single creature, but at last he saw a youth in the distance
about the same age as himself, and he spurred his horse
till he came up w^ith the stranger, who stopped and
asked :

' Where are you going, my fine fellow ? '

' I am making a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James,
for before I was born my mother vowed that I should go
forth with a thank offering on my eighteenth birthday.'

' That is my case too,' said the stranger, ' and, as we
must both travel in the same direction, let us bear each
other company.'

The young man agreed to this proposal, but he took
care not to get on terms of familiarity w^ith the new
comer until he had tried him with the apple.

By-and-by they reached an inn, and at sight of it
the king's son said, ' I am very hungry. Let us enter and
order something to eat.' The other consented, and they
w^ere soon sitting before a good dinner.

When they had finished the king's son drew an apple
from his pocket, and cut it into a big half and a little half,
and offered both to the stranger, who took the biggest bit.
* You are no friend of mine,' thought the king's son, and
in order to part company with him he pretended to be
ill and declared himself unable to proceed on his journey.

' Well, I can't wait for you,' replied the other ; ' I am
in haste to push on, so farewell.'

HOW TO FIND OUT A TRUE FRIEND 353

' Farewell," said the king's son, glad in his heart to get
rid of him so easily. The king's son remained in the inn
for some time, so as to let the young man have a good
start ; them he ordered his horse and rode after him.
But he was very sociable and the way seemed long and
dull by himself. ' Oh, if I could only meet with a true
friend,' he thought, * so that I should have some one to
speak to. 1 hate being alone.'

Soon after he came up with a young man, who
stopped and asked him, ' Where are you going, my fine
fellow ? ' The king's son explained the object of his
journey, and the young man answered, as the other had
done, that he also was fulfilling the vow of his mother
made at his birth.

' Well, we can ride on together,' said the king's son,
and the road seemed much shorter now that he had some
one to talk to.

At length they reached an inn, and the king's son
exclaimed, ' I am very hungry ; let us go in and get some-
thing to eat.'

When they had finished the king's son drew an apple
out of his pocket and cut it in two ; he held the big
bit and the little bit out to his companion, who took the
big bit at once and soon ate it up. ' You are no friend
of mine,' thought the king's son, and began to declare he
felt so ill he could not continue his journey. When he
had given the young man a good start he set off himself,
but the w^ay seemed even longer and duller than before.
' Oh, if I could only meet with a true friend he should be
as a brother to me,' he sighed sadly ; and as the thought
passed through his mind, he noticed a youth going the
same road as himself.

The youth came up to him and said, ' Winch w^ay
are you going, my fine fellow ? ' And for the third time
the king's son explained all about his mother's vow.
* Why, that is just like me,' cried the youth.

* Then let us ride on together,' answered the king's son.

C A A

354 HOW TO FIND OUT A TRUE FRIEND

Now the miles seemed to slip by, for the new comer
was so hvely and entertaining that the king's son could
not help hoping that he indeed might prove to be the
true friend.

More quickly than he could have thought possible
they reached an inn by the road-side, and turning to his
companion the king's son said, ' I am hungry ; let us go
in and have something to eat.' So they went in and
ordered dinner, and when they had finished the king's
son drew out of his pocket the last apple, and cut it
into two unequal parts, and held both out to the stranger.
And the stranger took the little piece, and the heart of
the king's son was glad within him, for at last he had
found the friend he had been looking for. * Good youth,'
he cried, ' we will be brothers, and what is mine shall be
thine, and what is thine shall be mine. x\nd together
we will push on to the shrine, and if one of us dies on
the road the other shall carry his body there.' And the
stranger agreed to all he said, and they rode forward
together.

It took them a whole year to reach the shrine, and
they passed through many different lands on their way.
One day they arrived tired and half-starved in a big city,
and said to one another, * Let us stay here for a little and
rest before we set forth again.' So they hired a small
house close to the royal castle, and took up their abode
there.

The following morning the king of the country
happened to step on to his balcony, and saw the young
men in the garden, and said to himself, ' Dear me, those
are wonderfully handsome youths ; but one is hand-
somer than the other, and to him will I give my daughter
to wife ; ' and indeed the king's son excelled his friend
in beauty.

In order to set about his plan the king asked both
the young men to dinner, and when they arrived at the
castle he received them with the utmobt kindness, and

HOW TO FIND OUT A TBUE FBIEND 355

sent for his daughter, who was more lovely than both
the sun and moon put together. But at bed-time the
king caused the other young man to be given a poisoned
drink, which killed him in a few minutes, for he thought
to himself, ' If his friend dies the other will forget his
pilgrimage, and will stay here and marry my daughter.'

When the king's son awoke the next morning he
inquired of the servants where his friend had gone, as
he did not see him. ' He died suddenly last night,' said
they, ' and is to be buried immediately.'

But the king's son sprang up, and cried, ' If my friend
is dead I can stay here no longer, and cannot linger an
hour in this house.'

' Oh, give up your journey and remain here,' exclaimed
the king, ' and you shall have my daughter for your
wife.' * No,' answered the king's son, ' I cannot stay ;
but, I pray you, grant my request, and give me a good
horse, and let me go in peace, and when I have fulfilled
my vow then I will return and marry your daughter.'

So the king, seeing no words would move him,
ordered a horse to be brought round, and the king's son
mounted it, and took his dead friend before him on the
saddle, and rode away.

Now the young man was not really dead, but only in
a deep sleep.

When the king's son reached the shrine of St. James
he got down from his horse, took his friend in his arms
as if he had been a child, and laid him before the altar.
* St. James,' he said, ' I have fulfilled the vow my parents
made for me. I have come myself to your shrine, and
have brought my friend. I place him in your hands.
Restore him to life, I pray, for though he be dead yet
has he fulfilled his vow also.' And, behold ! while he yet
prayed his friend got up and stood before him as well
as ever. x\nd both the young men gave thanks, and set
their faces towards home.

When they arrived at the town where the king

A a2

356 HOJV TO FIND OUT A TRUE FRIEND

dwelt they entered the small house over against the
castle. The news of their coming spread very soon,
and the king rejoiced greatly that ths handsome young
prince had come back again, and commanded great
feasts to be prepared, for in a few days his daughter
should marry the king's son. The young man himself
could imagine no greater happiness, and when the mar-
riage was over they spent some months at the court
making merry.

At length the king's son said, * My mother awaits me
at home, full of care and anxiety. Here 1 must remain
no longer, and to-morrow I will take my wife and my
friend and start for home.' And the king was content
that he should do so, and gave orders to prepare for their
journey.

Now in his heart the king cherished a deadly hate
towards the poor young man w^hom he had tried to kill, but
who had returned to him living, and in order to do him hurt
sent him on a message to some distant spot. ' See that
you are quick,' said he, ' for your friend will await your
return before he starts.' The youth j)^t spurs to his
horse and departed, bidding the prince farewell, so that
the king's message might be delivered the sooner.
As soon as he had started the king went to the chamber of
the prince, and said to him, ' If you do not start imme-
diately, you will never reach the place where you must
camp for the night.'

* I cannot start without my friend,' replied the king's
son.

'Oh, he will be back in an hour,' replied the king, ' and
I will give him my best horse, so that he will be sure to
catch you up.' The king's son allowed himself to be
persuaded and took leave of his father-in-law, and set out
with his wife on his journey home.

Meanwhile the poor friend had been unable to get
through his task in the short time appointed by the
king, and w^hen at last he returned the king said to him.

HOW TO FIND OUT A TRUE FRIEND 357

' Your comrade is a long way off by now ; you had better
see if you can overtake him.'

So the young man bowed and left the king's presence,
and followed after his friend on foot, for he had no horse.
Night and day he ran, till at length he reached the place
where the king's son had pitched his tent, and sank down
before him, a miserable object, worn out and covered
with mud and dust. But the king's son welcomed him
with joy, and tended him as he would his brother.

And at last they came home again, and the queen was
waiting and watching in the palace, as she had never
ceased to do since her son had rode away. She almost
died of joy at seeing him again, but after a little she
remembered his sick friend, and ordered a bed to be
made ready and the bast doctors in all the country to be
sent for. When they heard of the queen's summons they
flocked from all parts, but none could cure him. After
everyone had tried and failed a servant entered and
informed the queen that a strange old man had just
knocked at the palace gate and declared that he was able
to heal the dying youth. Now this was a holy man, who
had heard of the trouble the king's son was in, and had
come to help.

It happened that at this very time a little daughter
was born to the king's son, but in his distress for his
friend he had hardly a thought to spare for the baby.
He could not be prevailed on to leave the sick bed, and he
was bending over it when the holy man entered the
room. ' Do you wish your friend to be cured ? ' asked
the new comer of the king's son. ' And what price would
you pay ? '

* What price ? ' answered the king's son ; ' only tell me
what I can do to heal him.'

* Listen to me, then,' said the old man. ' This even-
ing you must take your child, and open her veins, and
smear the wounds of your friend with her blood. And
you will see, he will get well in an instant.'

358 HOW TO FIND OUT A TRUE FBIEND

At these words the king's son shrieked with horror,
for he loved the baby dearly, but he answered, * I have
sworn that I would treat my friend as if he were my
brother, and if there is no other way my child must be
sacrificed.'

As by this time evening had already fallen he took
the child and opened its veins, and smeared the blood
over the wounds of the sick man, and the look of death
departed from him, and he grew strong and rosy once
more. But the little child lay as white and still as if
she had been dead. They laid her in the cradle and wept
bitterly, for they thought that by the next morning she
would be lost to them.

At sunrise the old man returned and asked after the
sick man.

' He is as well as ever,' answered the king's son.

' And where is your baby ? '

* In the cradle yonder, and I think she is dead,' re-
plied the father sadly.

* Look at her once more,' said the holy man, and as
they drew near the cradle there lay the baby smiling up
at them.

' I am St. James of Lizia,' said the old man, ' and I
have come to help you, for I have seen that you are a
true friend. From henceforward live happily, all of you,
together, and if troubles should draw near you send for
me, and I will aid you to get through them.'

With these words he lifted his hand in blessing and
vanished.

And they obeyed him, and "were happy and content,
and tried to make the people of the land happy and
contented too.

[From Sicilianiscfie Miihrc'hen, Gonzenbach.]

359

CLEVER MABIA

There was once a merchant who hved close to the royal
palace, and had three daughters. They were all pretty,
but Maria, the youngest, was the prettiest of the three.
One day the king sent for the merchant, who was a
widower, to give him directions about a journey he wished
the good man to take. The merchant would rather not
have gone, as he did not like leaving his daughters at
home, but he could not refuse to obey the king's com-
mands, and with a heavy heart he returned home to say
farewell to them. Before he left, he took three pots of
basil, and gave one to each girl, saying, ' I am going a
journey, but I leave these pots. You must let nobody into
the house. When I come back, they will tell me what has
happened.' ' Nothing will have happened,' said the girls.
The father went away, and the following day the
king, accompanied by two friends, paid a visit to the
three girls, who were sitting at supper. When they saw
who was there, Maria said, ' Let us go and get a bottle of
wine from the cellar. I will carry the key, my eldest
sister can take the hght, while the other brings the bottle.'
But the king replied, ' Oh, do not trouble ; we are not
thirsty.' ' Very well, we will not go,' answered the two
elder girls ; but Maria merely said, ' I shall go, anyhow.'
She left the room, and went to the hall where she put out
the light, and putting down the key and the bottle, ran
to the house of a neighbour, and knocked at the door.
' Who is there so late ? ' asked the old woman, thrusting
her head out of the window.

360 CLEVER MARIA

' Oh, let me in/ answered Maria. ' I have quarrelled
.with my eldest sister, and as I do not want to fight
any more, I have come to beg you to allow me to sleep
with you.'*

So the old woman opened the door and Maria slept in
her house. The king was very angry at her for playing
truant, but when she returned home the next day, she
found the plants of her sisters withered away, because
they had disobeyed their father. Now the window in the
room of the eldest overlooked the gardens of the king,
and when she saw how fine and ripe the medlars were on
the trees, she longed to eat some, and begged Maria to
scramble down by a rope and pick her a few, and she would
draw her up again. Maria, who was good-natured, swung
herself into the garden by the rope, and got the medlars,
and was just making the rope fast under her arms so as
to be hauled up, when her sister cried : ' Oh, there are
such delicious lemons a little farther on. You might
bring me one or two.' Maria turned round to pluck
them, and found herself face to face with the gardener,
who caught hold of her, exclaiming, ' What are you doing
here, you little thief ? ' ' Don't call me names,' she said,
' or you will get the worst of it,' giving him as she spoke
such a violent push that he fell panting into the lemon
bushes. Then she seized the cord and clambered up
to the window.

The next day the second sister had a fancy for
bananas and begged so hard, that, though Maria had
declared she would never do such a thing again, at last
she consented, and went down the rope into the king's
garden. This time she met the king, who said to her,
* Ah, here you are again, cunning one ! Now you shall
pay for your misdeeds.'

And he began to cross-question her about what she
had done. Maria denied nothing, and when she had
finished, the king said again, * Follow me to the house,
and there you shall pay the penalty.' As he spoke, he

CLEVER MARIA 363

started for the house, looking back from time to time to
make sure that Maria had not run away. All of a sudden,
when he glanced round, he found she had vanished com-
pletely, without leaving a trace of where she had gone.
Search was made all through the town, and there was not
a hole or corner which was not ransacked, but there w^as
no sign of her anywhere. This so enraged the king that
he became quite ill, and for many months his life was
despaired of.

Meanwhile the two elder sisters had married the two
friends of the king, and were the mothers of little
daughters. Now one day Maria stole secretly to the
house w^here her elder sister lived, and snatching up the
children put them into a beautiful basket she had with
her, covered with flowers inside and out, so that no one
would ever guess it held two babies. Then she dressed
herself as a boy, and placing the basket on her head, she
walked slowly past the palace, crying as she went :

' Who will carry these flowers to the king, w^ho lies
sick of love ? '

And the king in his bed heard what she said, and
ordered one of his attendants to go out and buy the
basket. It was brought to his bedside, and as he raised
the lid cries were heard, and peeping in he saw two little
children. He w\as furious at this new trick which he felt
had been played on him by Maria, and was still looking
at them, w^ondering how he should pay her out, when he
was told that the merchant, Maria's father, had finished
the business on w^hich he had been sent and returned
home. Then the king remembered how Maria had refused
to receive his visit, and how^ she had stolen his fruit, and he
determined to be revenged on her. So he sent a message
by one of his pages that the merchant w^as to come to see
him the next day, and bring w4th him a coat made of
stone, or else he w^ould be punished. Now the poor man
had been very sad since he got home the evening before,
for though his daughters had promised that nothing

364 CLEVEB MABIA

should happen while he was away, he had found the
two elder ones married without asking his leave. And
now" there was this fresh misfortune, for how was he
to make a coat of stone? He wrung his hands and
declared that the king would be the ruin of him, when
Maria suddenly entered. ' Do not grieve about the
coat of stone, dear father ; but take this bit of chalky
and go to the palace and say you have come to measure
the king.' The old man did not see the use of this,
but Maria had so often helped him before that he had
confidence in her, so he put the chalk in his pocket and
went to the palace.

' That is no good,' said the king, when the merchant
had told him what he had come for.

' Well, I can't make the coat you want,' replied he.

* Then if you would save your head, hand over to me
your daughter Maria.'

The merchant 'did not reply, but went sorrowfully
back to his house, where Maria sat waiting for him.

' Oh, my dear child, why was I born ? The king says
that, instead of the coat, I must deliver you up to him.'

* Do not be unhappy, dear father, but get a doll made,
exactly like me, with a string attached to its head, w^hich
I can pull for " Yes " and " No." '

So the old man went out at once to see about it.

The king remained patiently in his palace, feeling sure
that this time Maria could not escape him ; and he said
to his pages, ' If a gentleman should come here with his
daughter and ask to be allowed to speak with me, put the
young lady in my room and see she does not leave it.'

When the door was shut on Maria, who had concealed
the doll under her cloak, she hid herself under the couch,
keeping fast hold of the string which was fastened to its
head.

* Senhora Maria, I hope you are well,' said the king
when he entered the room. The doll nodded. ' Now we
will reckon up accounts,' continued he, and he began at

nhMR & THL KING

CLEVER MABIA 367

the beginning, and ended up with the flower-basket, and
at each fresh misdeed Maria pulled the string, so that
the doll's head nodded assent. ' Whoso mocks at me
merits death,' declared the king when he had ended, and
drawing his sword, cut off the doll's head. It fell towards
him, and as he felt the touch of a kiss, he exclaimed, * Ah,
Maria, Maria, so sweet in death, so hard to me in life !
The man who could kill you deserves to die ! ' And he
was about to turn his sword on himself, when the true
Maria sprung out from under the bed, and flung herself
into his arms. And the next day they were married and
lived happily for many years.

[From the Portuguese.]

868

THE MAGIC KETTLE

Eight in the middle of Japan, high up among the
mountains, an old man lived in his little house. He was
very proud of it, and never tired of admiring the white-
ness of his straw mats, and the pretty papered walls,
which in warm weather always slid back, so that the
smell of the trees and flowers might come in.

One day he was standing looking at the mountain
opposite, when he heard a kind of rumbling noise in the
room behind him. He turned round, and in the corner
he beheld a rusty old iron kettle, which could not have
seen the light of day for many years. How the kettle got
there the old man did not know, but he took it up and
looked it over carefully, and when he found that it was
quite whole he cleaned the dust off it and carried it into
his kitchen.

' That was a piece of luck,' he said, smiling to himself ;
' a good kettle costs money, and it is as well to have a
second one at hand in case of need ; mine is getting worn
out, and the water is already beginning to come through
its bottom.'

Then he took the other kettle off the fire, filled the
new one with water, and put it in its place.

No sooner was the water in the kettle getting warm than
a strange thing liappened, and the man, who was standing
by, thought he must be dreaming. First the handle of
the kettle gradually changed its shape and became a head,
and the spout grew into a tail, while out of the body
sprang four paws, and in a few minutes the man found

THE MAGIC KETTLE 369

himself watching, not a kettle, but a tanuki ! The
creature jumped off the fire, and bounded about the room
like a kitten, running up the walls and over the ceiling,
till the old man was in an agony lest his pretty room
should be spoilt. He cried to a neighbour for help, and
between them they managed to catch the tanuki, and shut
him up safely in a wooden chest. Then, quite exhausted,
they sat down on the mats, and consulted together what
they should do with this troublesome beast. At length
they decided to sell him, and bade a child who was
passing send them a certain tradesman called Jimmu.

When Jimmu arrived, the old man told him that he
had something which he wished to get rid of, and lifted
the lid of the wooden chest, where he had shut up the
tanuki. But, to his surprise, no tanuki was there, nothing
but the kettle he had found in the corner. It was
certainly very odd, but the man remembered what had
taken place on the fire, and did not want to keep the
kettle any more, so after a little bargaining about the
price, Jimmu went away carrying the kettle with him.

Now Jimmu had not gone very far before he felt
that the kettle was getting heavier and heavier, and by
the time he reached home he was so tired that he was
thankful to put it down in the corner of his room, and
then forgot all about it. In the middle of the night,
however, he was awakened by a loud noise in the
corner where the kettle stood, and raised himself up
in bed to see what it was. But nothing was there
except the kettle, which seemed quiet enough. He
thought that he must have been dreaming, and fell asleep
again, only to be roused a second time by the same
disturbance. He jumped up and went to the corner, and
by the light of the lamp that he always kept l)urning he
saw that the kettle had become a tanuki, which was
running round after his tail. After he grew weaiy of
that, he ran on the l^alcony, where he turned several
somersaults, from pure gladness of heart. The tradesman

C B B

370 THE MAGIC KETTLE

was much troubled as to what to do with the animal, and
it was only towards morning that he managed to get any
sleep ; but when he opened his eyes again there was no
tanuki, only the old kettle he had left there the night
before.

As soon as he had tidied his house, Jimmu set off to
tell his story to a friend next door. The man listened
quietly, and did not appear so surprised as Jimmu
expected, for he recollected having heard, in his youth,
something about a wonder-working kettle. ' Go and
travel with it, and show it off,' said he, * and you will
become a rich man ; but be careful first to ask thetanuki's
leave, and also to perform some magic ceremonies to
prevent him from running away at the sight of the
people.'

Jimmu thanked his friend for his counsel, which he
followed exactly. The tanuki's consent was obtained,
a booth was built, and a notice was hung up outside it
inviting the people to come and witness the most wonder-
ful transformation that ever was seen.

They came in crowds, and the kettle was passed from
hand to hand, and they were allowed to examine it all
over, and even to look inside. Then Jimmu took it back,
and setting it on the platform, commanded it to become a
tanuki. In an instant the handle began to change into
a head, and the spout into a tail, while the four paws
appeared at the sides. * Dance,' said Jimmu, and the
tanuki did his steps, and moved first on one side and
then on the other, till the people could not stand still any
longer, and began to dance too. Gracefully he led the
fan dance, and glided without a pause into the shadow
dance and the umbrella dance, and it seemed as if he
might go on dancing for ever. And so very likely he
would, if Jimmu had not declared he had danced enough,
and that the booth must now be closed.

Day after day the booth was so full it was hardly
possible to enter it, and what the neighbour foretold had

THE MAGIC KETTLE 371

come to pass, and Jimmu was a rich man. Yet he did
not feel happy. He was an honest man, and he thought
that he owed some of his wealth to the man from whom
he had bought the kettle. So, one morning, he put a
hundred gold pieces into it, and hanging the kettle once
more on his arm, he returned to the seller of it. * I have
no right to keep it any longer,' he added when he had
ended his tale, ' so I have brought it back to you, and
inside you will find a hundred gold pieces as the price of
its hire.'

The man thanked Jimmu, and said that few people
would have been as honest as he. And the kettle brought
them both luck, and everything went well with them
till they died, which they did when they were very old,
respected by everyone.

[Adapted from Japanische Mdhrchen ]

PRINTED BY

SPOTIISWOODK AND CO. LTD., NKW-.STIIEEJ ^>yi;AKF.

TONDOX

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