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3 3333 08575 1259
THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK
THE LANG FAIRY BOOKS
Crown Edition
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.
Vfith 4 Coloured Plates and 63 Illustrations.
THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK. With 4 Coloured Plate,
and 128 Illustrations.
THE BOOK OF ROMANCE. With 8 Coloured Plata
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and 43 Illustrations.
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Plates ana ^5 Illustrations.
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and 100 Illustrations.
THE GREY FAIRY BOOK. With 4 Coloured Plate, and
56 Illustrations.
THE LILAC FAIRY BOOK. With (, Coloured Plate, and
46 Illustrations.
THE OLIVE FAIRY BOOK. WitJi 8 Coloured Plate, and
4$ Illustrations.
THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK With 8 Coloured Plate,
ana 5o Illustrations.
THE PINK FAIRY BOOK. With 4 Coloured Plates and
68 Illustrations.
THE RED BOOK OF HEROES. By Mrs. Lang. With
8 Coloured Plates ana Ao Illustrations.
THE RED FAIRY BOOK. With 4 Coloured Plates and
91 Illustrations.
THE VIOLET FAIRY BOOK. With 8 Coloured Plates
and f>y Illustrations.
THE YELLOW FAIRY BOOK. With 4 Coloured Plate.
and io5 Illustrations.
IAN. 2\ND THE* BLVE. EALCON
i$&y&s^^&&^^
THE ORANGE
FAIRY BOOK
Edited by
ANDREW LANG
Numerous Illustrations by
' ' - * *
* -. - *
H. J. FORD
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
LONDON • NEW YORK • TORONTO
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THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK.
COPYRIGHT • 1906
BY LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
"Rights Reserved
c.< First 'pditton ^A'lgust 1906
Repainted Hacah 'rt>i i , August 1914
Janifafy i9i7;J«Fel»i«uary 1919, May 1922
January »9-;^. November 1^27, August 1929
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE children who read fairy books, or have fairy books
read to them, do not read prefaces, and the parents,
aunts, uncles, and cousins, who give fairy books to their
daughters, nieces, and cousines, leave prefaces unread.
For whom, then, are prefaces written ? When an au-
thor publishes a book 'out of his own head,' he writes the
preface for his own pleasure. After reading over his
book in print — to make sure that all the 'u's' are not
printed as 'n's,' and all the 'n's' as 'u's' in the proper
names — then the author says, mildly, in his preface,
what he thinks about his own book, and what he means
it to prove — if he means it to prove anything — and
why it is not a better book than it is. But, perhaps,
nobody reads prefaces exceot other authors; and critics,
who hope that they will and ehougn in the preface to
enable them to do without reading any of the book.
This appears to be the ph'ilcsoph'y of 'prefaces in gen-
eral, and perhaps authors j&ight be more daring and can-
did than they are with advantage, and write regular crit-
icisms of their own books in their prefaces, for nobody
can be so good a critic of himself as the author — if he
has a sense of humour. If he has not, the less he says
in his preface the better.
These Fairy Books, however, are not written by the
THE NEW Y^HJC PU^UC LIBRARY
* • T
'•--
HAT!
vi TH£ ORANG£ FAIRY "BOOK
Editor, as he has often explained, 'out of his own head.'
The stories are taken from those told by grannies to
grandchildren in many countries and in many languages
— French, Italian, Spanish, Catalan, Gaelic, Icelandic,
Cherokee, African, Indian, Australian, Slavonic, Eskimo,
and what not. The stories are not literal, or word by
word translations, but have been altered in many ways
to make them suitable for children. Much has been left
out in places, and the narrative has been broken up into
conversations, the characters telling each other how mat-
ters stand, and speaking for themselves, as children,
and some older people, prefer them to do. In many
tales, fairly cruel and savage deeds are done, and these
have been softened down as much as possible; though
it is impossible, even if it were desirable, to conceal the
circumstance that popular stories were never intended
to be tracts and nothing else. Though they usually
take the side of courage and kindness, and the virtues
in general, the old story-tellers admire successful cun-
ning as much as Homer does in the Odyssey. At least,
if the ciyjiiihg hero, •h.umari 'jyr. animal, is the weaker,
like Odysseus, Brer Rabbit, and many others, the story-
teller sees little fin wi^lle'cl; but superior cunning, by
which tiny Jack gets the- better of the giants. In the
fairy tales of * no •country,' -aj.e '; 'improper' incidents com-
mon, which is to the credit of human nature, as they
were obviously composed mainly for children. It is not
difficult to get rid of this element when it does occur in
popular tales.
The old puzzle remains a puzzle — why do the stories
TR€FAC€ vii
of the remotest people so closely resemble each other ?
Of course, in the immeasurable past, they have been
carried about by conquering races, and learned by con-
quering races from vanquished peoples. Slaves carried
far from home brought their stories with them into
captivity. Wanderers, travellers, shipwrecked men, mer-
chants, and wives stolen from alien tribes have diffused
the stories; gipsies and Jews have peddled them about;
Roman soldiers of many different races, moved here and
there about the Empire, have trafficked in them. From
the remotest days men have been wanderers, and wher-
ever they went their stories accompanied them. The
slave trade might take a Greek to Persia, a Persian to
Greece; an Egyptian woman to Phoenicia; a Babylonian
to Egypt; a Scandinavian child might be carried with
the amber from the Baltic to the Adriatic; or a Sidonian
to Ophir, wherever Ophir may have been; while the
Portuguese may have borne their tales to South Africa,
or to Asia, and thence brought back other tales to Egypt.
The stories wandered wherever the Buddhist missionaries
went, and the earliest French voyageurs told them to the
Red Indians. These facts help to account for the same-
ness of the stories everywhere; and the uniformity of
human fancy in early societies must be the cause of
many other resemblances.
In this volume there are stories from the natives of
Rhodesia, collected by Mr. Fairbridge, who speaks the
native language, and one is brought by Mr. Cripps from
another part of Africa, Uganda. Three tales from the
Punjaub were collected and translated by Major Camp-
viii THE ORANGZ FAIRY "BOOK
bell. Various savage tales, which needed a good deal of
editing, are derived from the learned pages of the 'Jour-
nal of the Anthropological Institute.' With these ex-
ceptions, and The Magic Book,' translated by Mrs. Pe-
dersen, from 'Eventyr fra Jylland,' by Mr. Ewald Tang
Kristensen (Stories from Jutland), all the tales have been
done, from various sources, by Mrs. Lang, who has mod-
ified, where it seemed desirable, all the narratives.
CONVENTS
PAGE
The Story of the Hero ^Ada^pma i
The <J\Aagic <JW.irror 16
Story of the King who Would See "Paradise .... 24
How Isuro the T^abbit Tricked Qudu 29
Ian, the Soldier's Son 37
The Fox and the Wolf . . . . • 56
How Ian Direach Qot the Tttiie Falcon 63
The Ugly "Duckling 79
The Two £ast(ets 90
The Qoldsmith's Fortune 106
The £nchanted Wreath no
The Foolish Weaver 124
The (Clever £at 126
The Story of <JAanus 141
Tinsel the Thief 148
The ^Adventures of a Jackal 160
The Adventures of the Jackal's Eldest Son . . . .167
The ^Adventures of the Younger Son of the Jackal . . 173
The Three Treasures of the Qiants 177
The Trover of the 'Plain 190
The White Doe 201
The Qirl-Fish 225
ix
TH£ ORANGC FAIRT "BOOK
PACE
The Owl and the €agle 236
The Frog and the Lion Fairy 241
The Adventures of £ovan the "Brown-haired . . . 265
The Princess Vella-Flor 280
The "Bird of Truth 292
The JMin\ and the Wolf 307
^Adventures of an Indian Ttrave 313
How the Stalos Were Tricked 319
tAndras TSaive 329
The White Slipper 335
The JMagic 'Boo^ 349
ILLUSTRATIONS
COLOURED PLATES
Ian and the "Blue Falcon Frontispiece
The Three ^Maidens Sitting on the Tepefy. Facing page 38
'lAshes, tAshes !' Twittered the Sparrows .... 98
Standing in the Shelter of a Tree, He Watched Her a
Long While 114
The Queen and the £rab 202
The £rown Returns to the Queen of the Fishes . . . 234
How Jose Found the 'Princess Tlella-Flor .... 288
The "Princess Imprisoned in the Summer-house . . . 356
FULL-PAGE PLATES
Leaps into the Tool of (Crocodiles. Facing page 2
Qets Cntangled by a Hair of Qhindebou
8
<JWaJ(6ma in the Hands of Safotirina 12
The Knight and the leaven 38
Ian 'Breads the Qiant's £hain 44
The Princess Finds Herself a Prisoner on the Ship . . 68
How Ian "Direach Returned Home, and How His
Stepmother Fell as a TSundle of Sticks 74
'That is an £nd of You,' She Said. 'But She Was Wrong,
for it Was only the "Beginning 90
The Princess Returns from the Sea 120
xi
xii TH£ ORANG£ FAIRY "BOOK
The Giants Find Jac^ in the
Treasure T(pom Boeing page 182
The Uninvited Fairy 2O4
How the Queen JMet the Lion-Fairy . • 242
The King on his Dragon Fights his Way through the
Monsters to the Queen and JtiuQette . • 258
Doran-Donn 'Brings the Salmon to £ovan the 'Brown-
Haired 276
'We Hever Waste Time When We <Are Helping
Others' *84
'Who <Are You who Dare to Knoc^ at my Door ?' . 298
The Little "Boy Sees the Stalo in the Wood . . . .320
IN TEXT
PAGE
JMafyma Throws his Hammer at the Fire-eater . . 7
Qopdni Kufa Sees a Strange Sight *7
Shasdsa Hides the JMirror 21
T^lo One Knows What Was there Shown to the King . 25
The Old King Sees Himself Reflected in the Shields of
the "Bodyguard 28
Qudu Drops a Stone into the Water 30
'Where Did You Qet that from?' ^As\ed Isuro ... 31
How Qudu Danced and the "Bones T(attled ... 35
Ian Finds the Youngest Sister . . 43
The Seven 'Big Women Fall over the £rag .... 72
She Found Sitting T(ound Her a Whole Circle of £ats 95
'Ta^ethe^lac^l Ta\e the Wac\ /' £V;W the Cats . 100
Three Little Doves Were Seated on the Handle of the
iAxe in
The Stepmother Tries to Drown the 'Princess . . .116
ILLUSTRATIONS xiii
PAGE
The Jew Tarings the Jewels to the 'Princess .... 130
/ Qo to Seef^ my Fortune ^Alone 136
The £at Lets Fall the Stone 139
How ^Manus Qot the Lion's £ub 145
Tinsel "Brings the Witch's Lantern to the King . . 151
Tinsel Steals the Witch's Qoat 156
The "Brothers Ill-treat Poor Jac{ 180
The Trover of the Plain T>oes the Qirl's Wor{ . . .193
Last of <All She Sang in a Low Voice a "Dirge over
the Trover of the Plain 197
For a ^Minute They Looked at £ach Other . . . 219
'^A Small TDragon £rept in and Terrified Her' . . . 249
tsirdan Pursues the Qolden £ocl{ and the Silver Hen 269
The King Jumps into the (Cauldron 290
How the 'Boy Found the 'Bird of Truth 303
The ^M.in\ is Very T^ude to the grandmother Wolf 309
tAndras Tlaive Shoots the Stalo 333
Ttalancin's "Delight at the White Slipper 338
Qilguerillo Falls in Love with Princess T)iamantina 344
'Just as He Was Qoing to Stride' 353
THE ORANGE FAIRY BOOK
i iiiv; uni
CITY C
53&^5k%>$*%^
THE ORANGE
FAIRY BOOK
THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA
From the Senna (Oral Tradition)
ONCE upon a time, at the town of Senna on the banks of
the Zambesi, was born ?. child. He was not like other
children, for he was very tall and strong; over his shoul-
der he carried a big sack, and in his hand an iron ham-
mer. He could also speak like a grown man, but usually
he was very silent.
One day his mother said to him: 'My child, by what
name shall we know you?'
And he answered: 'Call all the head men of Senna
here to the river's bank.' And his mother called the
head men of the town, and when they had come he led
them down to a deep black pool in the river where all
the fierce crocodiles lived.
'O great men!' he said, while they all listened, 'which
of you will leap into the pool and overcome the croco-
diles?' But no one would come forward. So he turned
and sprang into the water and disappeared.
The people held their breath, for they thought: 'Surely
the boy is bewitched and throws away his life, for the
crocodiles will eat him!' Then suddenly the ground
trembled, and the pool, heaving and swirling, became
red with blood, and presently the boy rising to the sur-
face swam on shore.
But he was no longer just a boy! He was stronger
than any man and very tall and handsome, so that the
people shouted with gladness when they saw him.
2 THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA
'Now, O my people!' he cried waving his hand, 'you
know my name — I am Makoma, "the Greater"; for have
I not slain the crocodiles in the pool where none would
venture ? '
Then he said to his mother: 'Rest gently, my mother,
for I go to make a home for myself and become a hero.'
Then, entering his hut, he took Nu-e"ndo, his iron hammer,
and throwing the sack over his shoulder, he went away.
Makoma crossed the Zambesi, and for many moons
he wandered towards the north and west until he came
to a very hilly country where, one day, he met a huge
giant making mountains.
'Greeting,' shouted Makoma, 'who are you?'
'I am Chi-e'swa-mapiri, who makes the mountains,'
answered the giant and who are you?'
'I am Makoma, which signifies "greater,"' answered
he.
'Greater than who?' asked the giant.
'Greater than you!' answered Mak6ma.
The giant gave a roar and rushed upon him. Makoma
said nothing, but swinging his great hammer, Nu-endo,
he struck the giant upon the head.
He struck him so hard a blow that the giant shrank
into quite a little man, who fell upon his knees saying:
'You are indeed greater than I, O Makdma; take me
with you to be your slave!' So Makoma picked him up
and dropped him into the sack that he carried upon his
back.
He was greater than ever now, for all the giant's
strength had gone into him; and he resumed his journey,
carrying his burden with as little difficulty as an eagle
might carry a hare.
Before long he came to a country broken up with
huge stones and immense clods of earth. Looking over
one of the heaps he saw a giant wrapped in dust dragging
out the very earth and hurling it in handfuls on either
side of him.
WAK.OMA UEARS. INTO THE POOL OP CROCODILES
THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA 5
'Who are you,' cried Makdma, 'that pulls up the earth
in this way ? '
'I am Chi-dubula-tdka,' said he, 'and I am making
the river-beds.'
'Do you know who I am?' said Mak6ma. 'I am he
that is called "greater"!'
'Greater than who?' thundered the giant.
'Greater than you!' answered Mak6ma.
With a shout, Chi-dubula-taka seized a great clod of
earth and launched it at Makoma. But the hero had his
sack held over his left arm and the stones and earth fell
harmlessly upon it, and, tightly gripping his iron hammer,
he rushed in and struck the giant to the ground. Chi-
dubula-taka grovelled before him, all the while growing
smaller and smaller; and when he had become a con-
venient size Makoma picked him up and put him into
the sack beside Chi-e"swa-mapiri.
He went on his way even greater than before, as all
the river-maker's power had become his; and at last
he came to a forest of bao-babs and thorn trees. He
was astonished at their size, for every one was full grown
and larger than any trees he had ever seen, and close by
he saw Chi-gwisa-miti, the giant who was planting the
forest.
Chi-gwisa-miti was taller than either of his brothers,
but Makoma was not afraid and called out to him: 'Who
are you, O Big One?'
'I,' said the giant, 'am Chi-gwisa-miti, and I am
planting these bao-babs and thorns as food for my
children the elephants.'
'Leave off!' shouted the hero, 'for I am Makoma, and
would like to exchange a blow with thee!'
The giant, plucking up a monster bao-bab by the roots,
struck heavily at Makoma; but the hero sprang aside,
and as the weapon sank deep into the soft earth, whirled
Nu-endo the hammer round his head and felled the giant
with one blow.
6 THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA
So terrible was the stroke that Chi-gwisa-miti shriv-
elled up as the other giants had done; and when he
had got back his breath he begged Makdma to take him
as his servant. ' For,' said he, 'it is honourable to serve
a man so great as thou.'
Makoma, after placing him in his sack, proceeded
upon his journey, and travelling for many days he at last
reached a country so barren and rocky that not a single
living thing grew upon it — everywhere reigned grim
desolation. And in the midst of this dead region he found
a man eating fire.
'What are you doing?' demanded Makdma.
'I am eating fire,' answered the man, laughing; 'and
my name is Chi-idea-moto, for I am the flame-spirit,
and can waste and destroy what I like.'
'You are wrong,' said Makoma; 'for lam Makoma,
who is "greater" than you — and you cannot destroy
me!'
The fire-eater laughed again, and blew a flame at
Makoma. But the hero sprang behind a rock — just in
time, for the ground upon which he had been standing
was turned to molten glass, like an overbaked pot, by
the heat of the flame-spirit's breath.
Then the hero flung his iron hammer at Chi-idea-
moto, and, striking him, it knocked him helpless; so
Makdma placed him in the sack, Woro-ndwu, with the
other great men that he had overcome.
And now, truly, Makoma was a very great hero; for
he had the strength to make hills, the industry to
lead rivers over dry wastes, foresight and wisdom in
planting trees, and the power of producing fire when
he wished.
Wandering on he arrived one day at a great plain,
well watered and full of game; and in the very middle
of it, close to a large river, was a grassy spot, very
pleasant to make a home upon.
Makdma was so delighted with the little meadow
THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA 7
that he sat down under a large tree, and removing the
sack from his shoulder, took out all the giants and set
them before him. 'My friends,' said he, 'I have travelled
far and am weary. Is not this such a place as would
suit a hero for his home? Let us then go, to-morrow, to
bring in timber to make a kraal.'
So the next day Makoma and the giants set out to get
poles to build the kraal, leaving only Chi-eswa-mapiri
to look after the place and cook some venison which they
had killed. In the evening, when they returned, they
throui his hamper at the
found the giant helpless and tied to a tree by one enor-
mous hair!
' How is it,' said Makdma, astonished, ' that we find
you thus bound and helpless?'
*O Chief,' answered Chi-e"swa-mapiri, 'at mid-day a
man came out of the river; he was of immense stature,
and his grey moustaches were of such length that I could
not see where they ended! He demanded of me "Who
is thy master?" And I answered: "Mak6ma, the
greatest of heroes." Then the man seized me, and
pulling a hair from his moustache, tied me to this tree —
even as you see me.'
8 THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA
Makoma was very wroth, but he said nothing, and
drawing his finger-nail across the hair (which was as
thick and strong as palm rope) cut it, and set free the
mountain-maker.
The three following days exactly the same thing hap-
pened, only each time with a different one of the party;
and on the fourth day Makoma stayed in camp when the
others went to cut poles, saying that he would see for
himself what sort of man this was that lived in the river
and whose moustaches were so long that they extended
beyond men's sight.
So when the giants had gone he swept and tidied the
camp and put some venison on the fire to roast. At mid-
day, when the sun was right overhead, he heard a rum-
bling noise from the river, and looking up he saw the
head and shoulders of an enormous man emerging from
it. And behold! right down the river-bed and up the
river-bed, till they faded into the blue distance, stretched
the giant's grey moustaches!
'Who are you?' bellowed the giant, as soon as he was
out of the water.
'I am he that is called Makoma,' answered the hero;
'and, before I slay thee, tell me also what is thy name
and what thou doest in the river?'
'My name is Chin-debou Mau-giri,' said the giant.
'My home is in the river, for my moustache is the grey
fever-mist that hangs above the water, and with which
I bind all those that come unto me so that they die.'
'You cannot bind me!' shouted Makoma, rushing
upon him and striking with his hammer. But the river
giant was so slimy that the blow slid harmlessly off his
green chest, and as Mak6ma stumbled and tried to regain
his balance, the giant swung one of his long hairs around
him and tripped him up.
For a moment Makoma was helpless, but remember-
ing the power of the flame-spirit which had entered into
THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA 11
him, he breathed a fiery breath upon the giant's hair and
cut himself free.
As Chin-de'bou Mau-giri leaned forward to seize him
the hero flung his sack Worondwu over the giant's
slippery head, and gripping his iron hammer, struck him
again; this time the blow alighted upon the dry sack and
Chin-debou Mau-giri fell dead.
When the four giants returned at sunset with the poles
they rejoiced to find that Makoma had overcome the
fever-spirit, and they feasted on the roast venison till
far into the night; but in the morning, when they awoke,
Makoma was already warming his hands at the fire, and
his face was gloomy.
'In the darkness of the night, O my friends,' he said
presently, 'the white spirits of my fathers came unto
me and spoke, saying: "Get thee hence, Makoma, for
thou shall have no rest until thou hast found and fought
with Sakatirina, who has five heads, and is very great
and strong; so take leave of thy friends, for thou must
go alone.'"
Then the giants were very sad, and bewailed the loss
of their hero; but Makoma comforted them, and gave
back to each the gifts he had taken from them. Then
bidding them 'Farewell,' he went on his way.
Makoma travelled far towards the west; over rough
mountains and water-logged morasses, fording deep rivers,
and tramping for days across dry deserts where most
men would have died, until at length he arrived at a hut
standing near some large peaks, and inside the hut were
two beautiful women.
'Greeting!' said the hero. 'Is this the country of S£ka-
tirina of five heads, whom I am seeking?'
'We greet you, O Great One!' answered the women.
'We are the wives of Sdkatirina; your search is at an end,
for there stands he whom you seek!' And they pointed
to what Makoma had thought were two tall mountain
12 THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA
peaks. 'Those are his legs,' they said; 'his body you
cannot see, for it is hidden in the clouds.'
Makdma was astonished when he beheld how tall
was the giant; but, nothing daunted, he went forward
until he reached one of Sakatirina's legs, which he
struck heavily with Nu-endo. Nothing happened, so
he hit again and then again until, presently, he heard a
tired, far-away voice saying: 'Who is it that scratches my
feet?'
And Makoma shouted as loud as he could, answering:
'It is I, Makoma, who is called "Greater"!' And he
listened, but there was no answer.
Then Makoma collected all the dead brushwood and
trees that he could find, and making an enormous pile
round the giant's legs, set a light to it.
This time the giant spoke; his voice was very terrible,
for it was the rumble of thunder in the clouds. 'Who is
it,' he said, 'making that fire smoulder around my feet?'
'It is I, Makoma!' shouted the hero. 'And I have
come from far away to see thee, O Sakatirina, for the
spirits of my fathers bade me go seek and fight with thee,
lest I should grow fat, and weary of myself.'
There was silence for a while, and then the giant spoke
softly: 'It is good, O Makoma!' he said. 'For I too have
grown weary. There is no man so great as I, therefore
I am all alone. Guard thyself!' And bending sud-
denly he seized the hero in his hands and dashed him
upon the ground. And lo! instead of death, Mak6ma
had found life, for he sprang to his feet mightier in
strength and stature than before, and rushing in he
gripped the giant by the waist and wrestled with him.
Hour by hour they fought, and mountains rolled
beneath their feet like pebbles in a flood; now Mak6ma
would break away, and summoning up his strength, strike
the giant with Nu-endo his iron hammer, and Sdkatirina
would pluck up the mountains and hurl them upon the
hero, but neither one could slay the other. At last, upon
MAKOMA IN THE HANDS OF SAKATIR1NA
THE STORY OF THE HERO MAKOMA 15
the second day, they grappled so strongly that they could
not break away; but their strength was failing, and, just
as the sun was sinking, they fell together to the ground,
insensible.
In the morning when they awoke, Mulimo the Great
Spirit was standing by them; and he said: 'O Makdma
and S&katirina! Ye are heroes so great that no man may
come against you. Therefore ye will leave the world
and take up your home with me in the clouds.' And as
he spake the heroes became invisible to the people of the
Earth, and were no more seen among them.
(Native Rhodesia* Tab.)
THE MAGIC MIRROR
From the Senna
A LONG, long while ago, before ever the White Men
were seen in Senna, there lived a man called Gopani-
Kufa.
One day, as he was out hunting, he came upon a
strange sight. An enormous python had caught an
antelope and coiled itself around it; the antelope, striking
out in despair with its horns, had pinned the python's
neck to a tree, and so deeply had its horns sunk in the
soft wood that neither creature could get away.
'Help!' cried the antelope, 'for I was doing no harm,
yet I have been caught, and would have been eaten, had
I not defended myself.'
'Help me,' said the python, 'for I am Insa'to, King of
all the Reptiles, and will reward you well!'
Gopdni-Kufa considered for a moment, then stabbing
the antelope with his assegai, he set the python free.
'I thank you,' said the python; 'come back here with
the new moon, when I shall have eaten the antelope, and
I will reward you as I promised.'
'Yes,' said the dying antelope, 'he will reward you,
and lo! your reward shall be your own undoing!'
Gopa'ni-Kufa went back to his kraal, and with the
new moon he returned again to the spot where he had
saved the python.
Insa'to was lying upon the ground, still sleepy from
the effects of his huge meal, and when he saw the man
he thanked him again, and said: 'Come with me now to
THE MAGIC MIRROR
17
Pita, which is my own country, and I will give you what
you will of all my possessions.'
Gopdni-Kufa at first was afraid, thinking of what the
antelope had said, but finally he consented and followed
Insato into the forest.
For several days they travelled, and at last they came
to a hole leading deep into the earth. It was not very
wide, but large enough to admit a man. 'Hold on to
my tail,' said Ins£to, 'and I will go down first, drawing
you after me.' The man did so, and Insato entered.
GO PAN I KUFA SttS A STRING*. 5ICHT
Down, down, down they went for days, all the while
getting deeper and deeper into the earth, until at last
the darkness ended and they dropped into a beautiful
country; around them grew short green grass, on which
browsed herds of cattle and sheep and goats. In the
distance Gopani-Kufa saw a great collection of houses all
square, built of stone and very tall, and their roofs were
shining with gold and burnished iron.
Gopani-Kufa turned to Ins£to, but found, in the place
of the python, a man, strong and handsome, with the
18 THE MAGIC MIRROR
great snake's skin wrapped round him for covering; and
on his arms and neck were rings of pure gold.
The man smiled. 'I am Insato,' said he; 'but in my
own country I take man's shape — even as you see me —
for this is Pita, the land over which I am king.' He
then took Gopani-Kufa by the hand and led him towards
the town.
On the way they passed rivers in which men and women
were bathing and fishing and boating; and farther on
they came to gardens covered with heavy crops of rice
and maize, and many other grains which Gopani-Kufa
did not even know the name of. And as they passed,
the people who were singing at their work in the fields,
abandoned their labours and saluted Insato with delight,
bringing also palm wine and green cocoa-nuts for refresh-
ment, as to one returned from a long journey.
'These are my children!' said Insato, waving his hand
towards the people. Gopani-Kufa was much astonished
at all that he saw, but he said nothing. Presently they
came to the town; everything here, too, was beautiful,
and everything that a man might desire he could obtain.
Evftn the grains of dust in the streets were of gold and
silver.
Insato conducted Gopdni-Kufa to the palace, and
showing him his rooms, and the maidens who would wait
upon him, told him that they would have a great feast
that night, and on the morrow he might name his choice
of the riches of Pita and it should be given him. Then
he went away.
Now Gopani-Kufa had a wasp called Ze"ngi-mizi.
Ze'ngi-mizi was not an ordinary wasp, for the spirit of
the father of Gopani-Kufa had entered it, so that it was
exceedingly wise. In times of doubt Gopani-Kufa always
consulted the wasp as to what had better be done, so on
this occasion he took it out of the little rush basket in
which he carried it, saying: ' Zengi-mizi, what gift shall
THE MAGIC MIRROR 19
I ask of Insdto to-morrow when he would know the re-
ward he shall bestow on me for saving his life?'
'Biz-z-z,' hummed Ze"ngi-mizi, 'ask him for Sip£o the
Mirror.' And it flew back into its basket.
Gopdni-Kufa was astonished at this answer; but know-
ing that the words of Zengi-mizi were true words, he de-
termined to make the request. So that night they feasted,
and on the morrow Insato came to Gopani-Kufa and,
giving him greeting joyfully, he said:
' Now, O my friend, name your choice amongst my pos-
sessions and you shall have it!'
'O king!' answered Gopani-Kufa, 'out of all your pos-
sessions I will have the Mirror, Sipao.'
The king started. 'O friend, Gopani-Kufa,' he said,
'ask anything but that! I did not think that you would
request that which is most precious to me.'
'Let me think over it again then, O king,' said Go-
pdni-Kufa, ' and to-morrow I will let you know if I change
my mind.'
But the king was still much troubled, fearing the loss
of Sipao, for the Mirror had magic powers, so that he
who owned it had but to ask and his wish would be ful-
filled; to it Insato owed all that he possessed.
As soon as the king left him, Gopdni-Kufa again took
Ze*ngi-mizi out of his basket. ' Ze*ngi-mizi,' he said,
'the king seems loth to grant my request for the Mirror
— is there not some other thing of equal value for which
I might ask?'
And the wasp answered: 'There is nothing in the world,
O Gopani-Kufa, which is of such value as this Mirror,
for it is a Wishing Mirror, and accomplishes the desires
of him who owns it. If the king hesitates, go to him the
next day, and the day after, and in the end he will bestow
the Mirror upon you, for you saved his life.'
And it was even so. For three days Gopani-Kufa
returned the same answer to the king, and, at last, with
tears in his eyes, Insa'to gave him the Mirror, which was
£0 THE MAGIC MIRROR
of polished iron, saying: 'Take Sipao, then, O Gopani.
Kufa, and may thy wishes come true. Go back now to
thine own country; Sipao will show you the way.'
Gopani-Kufa was greatly rejoiced, and, taking farewell
of the king, said to the Mirror:
'Sipao, Sipao, I wish to be back upon the Earth
again!'
Instantly he found himself standing upon the upper
earth; but, not knowing the spot, he said again to the
Mirror:
'Sipao, Sipao, I want the path to my own kraal!'
And behold! right before him lay the path!
When he arrived home he found his wife and daughter
mourning for him, for they thought that he had been
eaten by lions; but he comforted them, saying that while
following a wounded antelope he had missed his way
and had wandered for a long time before he had found
the path again.
That night he asked Zengi-mizi, in whom sat the
spirit of his father, what he had better ask Sipao for
next?
'Biz-z-z,' said the wasp, 'would you not like to be as
great a chief as Insato?'
And Gopani-Kufa smiled, and took the Mirror and
said to it:
'Sipao, Sipao, I want a town as great as that of
Insato, the King of Pita; and I wish to be chief over
it!'
Then all along the banks of the Zambesi river, which
flowed near by, sprang up streets of stone buildings, and
their roofs shone with gold and burnished iron like those
in Pita; and in the streets men and women were walking,
and young boys were driving out the sheep and cattle to
pasture; and from the river came shouts and laughter
from the young men and maidens who had launched
their canoes and were fishing. And when the people
THE MAGIC MIRROR 21
of the new town beheld Gopani-Kufa they rejoiced greatly
and hailed him as chief.
Gopani-Kufa was now as powerful as Insato the King
of the Reptiles had been, and he and his family moved
into the palace that stood high above the other buildings
right in the middle of the town. His wife was too
astonished at all these wonders to ask any questions, but
his daughter Shasasa kept begging him to tell her how
he had suddenly become so great; so at last he revealed
22 THE MAGIC MIRROR
the whole secret, and even entrusted Sipao the Mirror
to her care, saying:
'It will be safer with you, my daughter, for you dwell
apart; whereas men come to consult me on affairs of state,
and the Mirror might be stolen.'
Then Shasdsa took the Magic Mirror and hid it be-
neath her pillow, and after that for many years Gopani-
Kufa ruled his people both well and wisely, so that all
men loved him, and never once did he need to ask Sipao
to grant him a wish.
Now it happened that, after many years, when the
hair of Gopani-Kufa was turning grey with age, there
came white men to that country. Up the Zambesi they
came, and they fought long and fiercely with Gopani-
Kufa; but, because of the power of the Magic Mirror, he
beat them, and they fled to the sea-coast. Chief among
them was one Rei, a man of much cunning, who sought
to discover whence sprang Gopani-Kufa's power. So
one day he called to him a trusty servant named Butou,
and said: 'Go you to the town and find out for me what
is the secret of its greatness.'
And Butou, dressing himself in rags, set out, and
when he came to Gopani-Kufa's town he asked for the
chief; and the people took him into the presence of
Gopdni-Kufa. When the white man saw him he humbled
himself, and said: 'O Chief! take pity on me, for I have
no home! When Rei marched against you I alone
stood apart, for I knew that all the strength of the
Zambesi lay in your hands, and because I would not
fight against you he turned me forth into the forest to
starve ! '
And Gopani-Kufa believed the white man's story,
and he took him in and feasted him, and gave him a
house.
In this way the end came. For the heart of Shasasa,
the daughter of Gopani-Kufa, went forth to Butou the
THE MAGIC MIRROR 23
traitor, and from her he learnt the secret of the Magic
Mirror. One night, when all the town slept, he felt be-
neath her pillow and, finding the Mirror, he stole it and
fled back with it to Rei, the chief of the white men.
So it befell that one day, as Gopd.ni-Kufa was gazing
at the river from a window of the palace, he again saw
the war-canoes of the white men; and at the sight his
spirit misgave him.
'Shasdsa! my daughter!' he cried wildly, 'go fetch
me the Mirror, for the white men are at hand.'
'Woe is me, my father!' she sobbed. 'The Mirror
is gone! For I loved Butou the traitor, and he has stolen
Sipao from me!'
Then Gopani-Kufa calmed himself, and drew out Zdngi-
mizi from its rush basket.
'O spirit of my father!' he said, 'what now shall
I do?'
'O Gopdni-Ktifa!' hummed the wasp, 'there is nothing
now that can be done, for the words of the antelope which
you slew are being fulfilled.'
'Alas! I am an old man — I had forgotten!' cried
the chief. 'The words of the antelope were true words
— my reward shall be my own undoing — they are being
fulfilled!'
Then the white men fell upon the people of Gopani-
Kufa and slew them together with the chief and his daugh-
ter Shasdsa; and since then all the power of the Earth
has rested in the hands of the white men, for they have
in their possession Sipao, the Magic Mirror.
STORY OF THE KING WHO WOULD SEE
PARADISE
ONCE upon a time there was a king who, one day out
hunting, came upon a fakeer in a lonely place in the moun-
tains. The fakeer was seated on a little old bedstead
reading the Koran, with his patched cloak thrown over
his shoulders.
The king asked him what he was reading; and he
said he was reading about Paradise, and praying that he
might be worthy to enter there. Then they began to
talk, and, by-and-bye, the king asked the fakeer if he
could show him a glimpse of Paradise, for he found
it very difficult to believe in what he could not see.
The fakeer replied that he was asking a very difficult,
and perhaps a very dangerous, thing; but that he
would pray for him, and perhaps he might be able to
do it; only he warned the king both against the dangers
of his unbelief, and against the curiosity which prompted
him to ask this thing. However, the king was not to be
turned from his purpose, and he promised the fakeer
always to provide him with food, if he, in return, would
pray for him. To this the fakeer agreed, and so they
parted.
Time went on, and the king always sent the old
fakeer his food according to his promise; but, whenever
he sent to ask him when he was going to show him
Paradise, the fakeer always replied: 'Not yet, not
ret!'
After a year or two had passed by, the king heard
THE KING WHO WOULD SEE PARADISE 25
one day that the fakeer was very ill — indeed, he was
believed to be dying. Instantly he hurried off himself,
NO ONC KNOWS WHAT WAI> THER.E ^HOWN TO THE KIN&
and found that it was really true, and that the fakeer was
even then breathing his last. There and then the king
besought him to remember his promise, and to show him
26 THE KING WHO WOULD SEE PARADISE
a glimpse of Paradise. The dying fakeer replied that if
the king would come to his funeral, and, when the grave
was filled in, and everyone else was gone away, he would
come and lay his hand upon the grave, he would keep
his word, and show him a glimpse of Paradise. At the
same time he implored the king not to do this thing, but
to be content to see Paradise when God called him there.
Still the king's curiosity was so aroused that he would
not give way.
Accordingly, after the fakeer was dead, and had been
buried, he stayed behind when all the rest went away;
and then, when he was quite alone, he stepped forward,
and laid his hand upon the grave! Instantly the ground
opened, and the astonished king, peeping in, saw a flight
of rough steps, and, at the bottom of them, the fakeer
sitting, just as he used to sit, on his rickety bedstead, read-
ing the Koran!
At first the king was so surprised and frightened that
he could only stare; but the fakeer beckoned to him
to come down, so, mustering up his courage, he boldly
stepped down into the grave.
The fakeer rose, and, making a sign to the king to fol-
low, walked a few paces along a dark passage. Then
he stopped, turned solemnly to his companion, and, with
a movement of his hand, drew aside as it were a heavy
curtain, and revealed — what? No one knows what
was there shown to the king, nor did he ever tell anyone;
but, when the fakeer at length dropped the curtain, and
the king turned to leave the place, he had had his glimpse
of Paradise! Trembling in every limb, he staggered
back along the passage, and stumbled up the steps out
of the tomb into the fresh air again.
The dawn was breaking. It seemed odd to the king
that he had been so long in the grave. It appeared but
a few minutes ago that he had descended, passed along a
few steps to the place where he had peeped beyond the
veil, and returned again after perhaps five minutes of
that wonderful view ! And what was it he had seen ?
THE KING WHO WOULD SEE PARADISE 27
He racked his brains to remember, but he could not call
to mind a single thing! How curious everything looked
too! Why, his own city, which by now he was entering,
seemed changed and strange to him! The sun was
already up when he turned into the palace gate and
entered the public durbar hall. It was full; and there
upon the throne sat another king! The poor king, all
bewildered, sat down and stared about him. Presently
a chamberlain came across and asked him why he sat
unbidden in the king's presence. 'But I am the king!'
he cried.
'What king?' said the chamberlain.
'The true king of this country,' said he indignantly.
Then the chamberlain went away, and spoke to the
king who sat on the throne, and the old king heard words
like 'mad,' 'age,' 'compassion.' Then the king on the
throne called him to come forward, and, as he went, he
caught sight of himself reflected in the polished steel shields
of the bodyguard, and started back in horror! He was
old, decrepit, dirty, and ragged! His long white beard
and locks were unkempt, and straggled all over his
chest and shoulders. Only one sign of royalty re-
mained to him, and that was the signet ring upon his
right hand. He dragged it off with shaking fingers and
held it up to the king.
'Tell me who I am,' he cried; 'there is my signet, who
once sat where you sit — even yesterday ! '
The king looked at him compassionately, and examined
the signet with curiosity. Then he commanded, and they
brought out dusty records and archives of the kingdom,
and old coins of previous reigns, and compared them
faithfully. At last the king turned to the old man, and
said: 'Old man, such a king as this whose signet thou
hast, reigned seven hundred years ago; but he is said to
have disappeared, none know whither; where got you
the ring?'
Then the old man smote his breast, and cried out
with a loud lamentation; for he understood that he, who
28 THE KING WHO WOULD SEE PARADISE
was not content to wait patiently to see the Paradise of
the faithful, had been judged already. And he turned
and left the hall without a word, and went into the
jungle, where he lived for twenty-five years a life of
oia-Xjncj .set's himself reflected
in. the shields of tKe boctygixarcl ~~
prayer and meditation, until at last the Angel of Death
came to him, and mercifully released him, purged and
purified through his punishment.
(A Potkan story told to Major Campbell.^
HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU
FAR away in a hot country, where the forests are very
thick and dark, and the rivers very swift and strong, there
once lived a strange pair ot" friends. Now one of the
friends was a big white rabbit named Isuro, and the other
was a tall baboon called Gudu, and so fond were they
of each other that they were seldom seen apart.
One day, when the sun was hotter even than usual,
the rabbit awoke from his midday sleep, and saw Gudu
the baboon standing beside him.
'Get up,' said Gudu; 'I am going courting, and you
must come with me. So put some food in a bag, and
sling it round your neck, for we may not be able to find
anything to eat for a long while.'
Then the rabbit rubbed his eyes, and gathered a store
of fresh green things from under the bushes, and told
Gudu that he was ready for the journey.
They went on quite happily for some distance, and
at last they came to a river with rocks scattered here and
there across the stream.
'We can never jump those wide spaces if we are
burdened with food,' said Gudu, 'we must throw it into the
river, unless we wish to fall in ourselves.' And stooping
down, unseen by Isuro, who was in front of him, Gudu
picked up a big stone, and threw it into the water with a
loud splash.
'It is your turn now,' he cried to Isuro. And with a
heavy sigh, the rabbit unfastened his bag of food, which
fell into the river.
30 HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU
The road on the other side led down an avenue of trees,
and before they had gone very far Gudu opened the bag
that lay hidden in the thick hair about his neck, and began
to eat some delicious-looking fruit.
'Where did you get that from?' asked Isuro en-
viously.
JO.*-
CUDU DROPS A 5TONC INTO THE
'Oh, I found after all that I could get across the rocks
quite easily, so it seemed a pity not to keep my bag,' an-
swered Gudu.
'Well, as you tricked me into throwing away mine,
you ought to let me share with you,' said Isuro. But
Gudu pretended not to hear him, and strode along the
path.
By-and-bye they entered a wood, and right in front
of them was a tree so laden with fruit that its branches
HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU 31
swept the ground. And some of the fruit was still green,
and some yellow. The rabbit hopped forward with joy,
for he was very hungry; but Gudu said to him: 'Pluck
the green fruit, you will find it much the best. I will
leave it all for you, as you have had no dinner, and take
the yellow for myself.' So the rabbit took one of the
green oranges and began to bite it, but its skin was so
hard that he could hardly get his teeth through the rind.
'It does not taste at all nice,' he cried, screwing up
his face; 'I would rather have one of the yellow ones.'
'No! no! I really could not allow that,' answered Gudu.
'They would only make you ill. Be content with the
green fruit.' And as they were all he could get, Isuro
was forced to put up with them.
After this had happened two or three times, Isuro at
last had his eyes opened, and made up his mind that,
whatever Gudu told him, he would do exactly the opposite.
However, by this time they had reached the village
32 HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU
where dwelt Gudu's future wife, and as they entered Gudu
pointed to a clump of bushes, and said to Isuro: 'When-
ever I am eating, and you hear me call out that my food
has burnt me, run as fast as you can and gather some of
those leaves that they may heal my mouth.'
The rabbit would have liked to ask him why he ate
food that he knew would burn him, only he was afraid,
and just nodded in reply; but when they had gone on
a little further, he said to Gudu:
'I have dropped my needle; wait here a moment while
I go and fetch it.'
'Be quick then,' answered Gudu, climbing into a tree.
And the rabbit hastened back to the bushes, and gathered
a quantity of the leaves, which he hid among his fur, ' for,'
thought he, 'if I get them now I shall save myself the
trouble of a walk by-and-bye.'
When he had plucked as many as he wanted he returned
to Gudu, and they went on together.
The sun was almost setting by the time they reached
their journey's end, and being very tired they gladly sat
down by a well. Then Gudu's betrothed, who had been
watching for him, brought out a pitcher of water — which
she poured over them to wash off the dust of the road —
and two portions of food. But once again the rabbit's
hopes were dashed to the ground, for Gudu said hastily:
'The custom of the village forbids you to eat till I
have finished.' And Isuro did not know that Gudu was
lying, and that he only wanted more food. So he sat
hungrily looking on, waiting till his friend had had
enough,
In a little while Gudu screamed loudly: 'I am burnt!
I am burnt!' though he was not burnt at all. Now,
though Isuro had the leaves about him, he did not dare
to produce them at the last moment lest the baboon
should guess why he had stayed behind. So he just
went round a corner for a short time, and then came
HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU 33
hopping back in a great hurry. But, quick though he
was, Gudu had been quicker still, and nothing remained
but some drops of water.
'How unlucky you are,' said Gudu, snatching the leaves;
'no sooner had you gone than ever so many people ar-
rived, and washed their hands, as you see, and ate your
portion.' But, though Isuro knew better than to believe
him, he said nothing, and went to bed hungrier than he
had ever been in his life.
Early next morning they started for another village,
and passed on the way a large garden where people were
very busy gathering monkey-nuts.
'You can have a good breakfast at last,' said Gudu,
pointing to a heap of empty shells; never doubting but
that Isuro would meekly take the portion shown him,
and leave the real nuts for himself. But what was his
surprise when Isuro answered:
'Thank you; I think I should prefer these.' And,
turning to the kernels, never stopped as long as there
was one left. And the worst of it was that, with so
many people about, Gudu could not take the nuts from
him.
It was night when they reached the village where dwelt
the mother of Gudu's betrothed, who laid meat and millet
porridge before them.
'I think you told me you were fond of porridge,' said
Gudu; but Isuro answered: 'You are mistaking me for
somebody else, as I always eat meat when I can get it.'
And again Gudu was forced to be content with the
porridge, which he hated.
While he was eating it, however, a sudden thought
darted into his mind, and he managed to knock over a
great pot of water which was hanging in front of the fire,
and put it quite out.
'Now,' said the cunning creature to himself, 'I shall
be able in the dark to steal his meat!' But the rabbit
had grown as cunning as he, and standing in a corner
34 HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU
hid the meat behind him, so that the baboon could not
find it.
'O Gudu!' he cried, laughing aloud, 'it is you who
have taught me how to be clever.' And calling to the
people of the house, he bade them kindle the fire, for Gudu
would sleep by it, but that he would pass the night with
some friends in another hut.
It was still quite dark when Isuro heard his name
called very softly, and, on opening his eyes, beheld Gudu
standing by him. Laying his finger on his nose, in token
of silence, he signed to Isuro to get up and follow him,
and it was not until they were some distance from the
hut that Gudu spoke.
'I am hungry and want something to eat better than
that nasty porridge that I had for supper. So I am
going to kill one of those goats, and as you are a good
cook you must boil the flesh for me.' The rabbit nodded,
and Gudu disappeared behind a rock, but soon returned
dragging the dead goat with him. The two then set
about skinning it, after which they stuffed the skin with
dried leaves, so that no one would have guessed it was
not alive, and set it up in the middle of a clump of bushes,
which kept it firm on its feet. While he was doing this,
Isuro collected sticks for a fire, and when it was kindled,
Gudu hastened to another hut to steal a pot which he
filled with water from the river, and, planting two branches
in the ground, they hung the pot with the meat in it over
the fire.
'It will not be fit to eat for two hours at least,' said
Gudu, 'so we can both have a nap.' And he stretched
himself out on the ground, and pretended to fall fast
asleep, but, in reality, he was only waiting till it was safe
to take all the meat for himself. 'Surely I hear him
snore,' he thought; and he stole to the place where Isuro
was lying on a pile of wood, but the rabbit's eyes were
wide open.
HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU 35
'How tiresome,' muttered Gudu, as he went back
to his place; and after waiting a little longer he got
up, and peeped again, but still the rabbit's pink eyes
stared widely. If Gudu had only known, Isuro was
asleep all the time; but this he never guessed, and by-and-
bye he grew so tired with watching that he went to sleep
himself. Soon after, Isuro woke up, and he too felt
hungry, so he crept softly to the pot and ate all the meat,
while he tied the bones together and hung them in
cuov
Gudu's fur. After that he went back to the wood-pile
and slept again.
In the morning the mother of Gudu's betrothed came
out to milk her goats, and on going to the bushes where
the largest one seemed entangled, she found out the trick.
She made such lament that the people of the village came
running, and Gudu and Isuro jumped up also, and pre-
tended to be as surprised and interested as the rest. But
they must have looked guilty after all, for suddenly an
old man pointed to them, and cried:
36 HOW ISURO THE RABBIT TRICKED GUDU
'Those are the thieves.' And at the sound of his voice
the big Gudu trembled all over.
'How dare you say such things? I defy you to
prove it,' answered Isuro boldly. And he danced forward,
and turned head over heels, and shook himself before
them all.
'I spoke hastily; you are innocent,' said the old
man; 'but now let the baboon do likewise.' And when
Gudu began to jump the goat's bones rattled, and the
people cried: 'It is Gudu who is the goat-slayer!' But
Gudu answered:
'Nay, I did not kill your goat; it was Isuro, and he
ate the meat, and hung the bones round my neck. So it
is he who should die!' And the people looked at each
other, for they knew not what to believe. At length one
man said:
' Let them both die, but they may choose their own
deaths.'
Then Isuro answered:
'If we must die, put us in the place where the wood
is cut, and heap it up all round us, so that we cannot escape,
and set fire to the wood; and if one is burned and the other
is not, then he that is burned is the goat-slayer.'
And the people did as Isuro had said. But Isuro knew
of a hole under the wood-pile, and when the fire was kindled
he ran into the hole, but Gudu died there.
When the fire had burned itself out, and only ashes
were left where the wood had been, Isuro came out of
his hole, and said to the people:
'Lo! did I not speak well? He who killed your goat
is among those ashes.'
(Mothono Stor,.)
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
THERE dwelt a knight in Grianaig of the land of the
West, who had three daughters, and for goodness and
beauty they had not their like in all the isles. All the
people loved them, and loud was the weeping when one
day, as the three maidens sat on the rocks on the edge
of the sea, dipping their feet in the water, there arose a
great beast from under the waves and swept them away
beneath the ocean. And none knew whither they had
gone, or how to seek them.
Now there lived in a town a few miles off a soldier who
had three sons, fine youths and strong, and the best play-
ers at shinny in that country. At Christmastide that
year, when families met together and great feasts were
held, Ian, the youngest of the three brothers, said:
' Let us have a match at shinny on the lawn of the knight
of Grianaig, for his lawn is wider and the grass smoother
than ours.'
But the others answered:
'Nay, for he is in sorrow, and he will think of the
games that we have played there when his daughters
looked on.'
'Let him be pleased or angry as he will,' said Ian; 'we
will drive our ball on his lawn to-day.'
And so it was done, and Ian won three games from
his brothers. But the knight looked out of his window,
and was wroth; and bade his men bring the youths before
him. When he stood jn his hall and beheld them, his
heart was softened somewhat; but his face was angry as
he asked:
88 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
'Why did you choose to play shinny in front of my
castle when you knew full well that the remembrance of
my daughters would come back to me? The pain which
you have made me suffer you shall suffer also.'
'Since we have done you wrong,' answered Ian, the
youngest, 'build us a ship, and we will go and seek your
daughters. Let them be to windward, or to leeward, or
under the four brown boundaries of the sea, we will find
them before a year and a day goes by, and will carry them
back to Grianaig.'
In seven days the ship was built, and great store of
food and wine placed in her. And the three brothers
put her head to the sea and sailed away, and in seven
days the ship ran herself on to a beach of white sand,
and they all went ashore. They had none of them ever
seen that land before, and looked about them. Then they
saw that, a short way from them, a number of men were
working on a rock, with one man standing over them.
'What place is this?' asked the eldest brother. And
the man who was standing by made answer:
'This is the place where dwell the three daughters of
the knight of Grianaig, who are to be wedded to-morrow
to three giants.'
'How can we find them?' asked the young man again.
And the overlooker answered:
'To reach the daughters of the knight of Grianaig you
must get into this basket, and be drawn by a rope up the
face of this rock.'
'Oh, that is easily done,' said the eldest brother,
jumping into the basket, which at once began to move —
up, and up, and up — till he had gone about half-way, when
a fat black raven flew at him and pecked him till he was
nearly blind, so that he was forced to go back the way he
had come.
After that the second brother got into the creel; but
he fared no better, for the raven flew upon him, and he
returned as his brother had done.
THE KNIGHT AND THE RAVEN
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 41
'Now it is my turn,' said Ian. But when he was half-
way up the raven set upon him also.
'Quick! quick!' cried Ian to the men who held the
rope. 'Quick! quick! or I shall be blinded!' And the
men pulled with all their might, and in another moment
Ian was on top, and the raven behind him.
' Will you give me a piece of tobacco ? ' asked the raven,
who was now quite quiet.
'You rascal! Am I to give you tobacco for trying to
peck my eyes out ? ' answered Ian.
'That was part of my duty,' replied the raven; 'but
give it to me, and I will prove a good friend to you.' So
Ian broke off a piece of tobacco and gave it to him. The
raven hid it under his wing, and then went on: 'Now
I will take you to the house of the big giant, where the
knight's daughter sits sewing, sewing, till even her thimble
is wet with tears.' And the raven hopped before him
till they reached a large house, the door of which stood
open. They entered and passed through one hall after
the other, until they found the knight's daughter, as the
bird had said.
'What brought you here?' asked she. And Ian made
answer:
'Why may I not go where you can go?'
'I was brought hither by a giant,' replied she.
'I know that,' said Ian; 'but tell me where the giant
is, that I may find him.'
'He is on the hunting hill,' answered she; 'and
nought will bring him home save a shake of the iron
chain which hangs outside the gate. But, there, neither
to leeward, nor to windward, nor in the four brown
boundaries of the sea is there any man that can hold
battle against him, save only Ian, the soldier's son, and
he is now but sixteen years old, and how shall he stand
against the giant?'
'In the land whence I have come there are many men
with the strength of Ian,' answered he. And he went
42 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
outside and pulled at the chain, but he could not move
it, and fell on to his knees. At that he rose swiftly, and
gathering up his strength, he seized the chain, and this
time he shook it so that the link broke. And the giant
heard it on the hunting hill, and lifted his head, thinking —
'It sounds like the noise of Ian, the soldier's son,' said
he; 'but as yet he is only sixteen years old. Still, I had
better look to it.' And home he came.
' Are you Ian, the soldier's son ? ' he asked, as he entered
the castle.
'No, of a surety,' answered the youth, who had no wish
that they should know him.
j
'Then who are you in the leeward, or in the windward,
or in the four brown boundaries of the sea, who are able
to move my battle-chain?'
'That will be plain to you after wrestling with me as
I wrestle with my mother. And one time she got the
better of me, and two times she did not.'
So they wrestled, and twisted and strove with each
other till the giant forced Ian to his knee.
'You are the stronger,' said Ian; and the giant
answered:
'All men know that!' And they took hold of each
other once more, and at last Ian threw the giant, and
wished that the raven were there to help him. No sooner
had he wished his wish than the raven came.
' Put your hand under my right wing and you will find
a knife sharp enough to take off his head,' said the raven.
And the knife was so sharp that it cut off the giant's head
with a blow.
'Now go and tell the daughter of the knight of
Grianaig; but take heed lest you listen to her words, and
promise to go no further, for she will seek to keep you.
Instead, seek the middle daughter, and when you have
found her, you shall give me a piece of tobacco for
reward.'
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
43
'Well have you earned the half of all I have,' answered
Ian. But the raven shook his head.
'You know only what has passed, and nothing of
what lies before. If you would not fail, wash yourself
44 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
in clean water, and take balsam from a vessel on top of
the door, and rub it over your body, and to-morrow you
will be as strong as many men, and I will lead you to the
dwelling of the middle one.'
Ian did as the raven bade him, and in spite of the eldest
daughter's entreaties, he set out to seek her next sister.
He found her where she was seated sewing, her very thimble
wet from the tears which she had shed.
'What brought you here?' asked the second sister.
'Why may I not go where you can go?' answered he;
'and why are you weeping?'
'Because in one day I shall be married to the giant
who is on the hunting hill.'
'How can I get him home?' asked Ian.
'Nought will bring him but a shake of that iron
chain which hangs outside the gate. But there is neither
to leeward, nor to westward, nor in the four brown
boundaries of the sea, any man that can hold battle with
him, save Ian, the soldier's son, and he is now but six-
teen years of age.'
'In the land whence I have come there are many men
with the strength of Ian,' said he. And he went out-
side and pulled at the chain, but he could not move it,
and fell on his knees. At that he rose to his feet, and
gathering up his strength mightily, he seized the chain,
and this time he shook it so that three links broke. And
the second giant heard it on the hunting hill, and lifted
his head, thinking —
'It sounds like the noise of Ian, the soldier's son,' said
he; 'but as yet he is only sixteen years old. Still, I had
better look to it.' And home he came.
'Are you Ian, the soldier's son?' he asked, as he entered
the castle.
'No, of a surety,' answered Ian, who had no wish that
this giant should know him either; 'but I will wrestle
with you as if I were he.'
IAN BREAKS THE. GIANTS CHAIN
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 47
Then they seized each other by the shoulder, and the
giant threw him on his two knees. ' You are the stronger,'
cried Ian; 'but I am not beaten yet.' And rising to his
feet, he threw his arms round the giant.
Backwards and forwards they swayed, and first one
was uppermost and then the other; but at length Ian
worked his leg round the giant's and threw him to the
ground. Then he called to the raven, and the raven
came flapping towards him, and said: 'Put your hand
under my right wing, and you will find there a knife
sharp enough to take off his head.' And sharp indeed it
was, for with a single blow, the giant's head rolled from
his body.
'Now wash yourself with warm water, and rub your-
self over with oil of balsam, and to-morrow you will be
as strong as many men. But beware of the words of
the knight's daughter, for she is cunning, and will try
to keep you at her side. So farewell; but first give me
a piece of tobacco.'
'That I will gladly,' answered Ian, breaking off a
large bit.
He washed and rubbed himself that night, as the
raven had told him, and the next morning he entered
the chamber where the knight's daughter was sitting.
'Abide here with me,' she said, 'and be my husband.
There is silver and gold in plenty in the castle.' But he
took no heed, and went on his way till he reached the
castle where the knight's youngest daughter was sewing
in the hall. And tears dropped from her eyes on to her
thimble.
'What brought you here?' asked she. And Ian made
answer :
'Why may I not go where you can go?'
'I was brought hither by a giant.'
'I know that full well,' said he.
'Are you Ian, the soldier's son?' asked she again. And
again he answered:
48 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
'Yes, I am; but tell me, why you are weeping?'
'To-morrow the giant will return from the hunting
hill, and I must marry him,' she sobbed. And Ian took
no heed, and only said: 'How can I bring him home?'
'Shake the iron chain that hangs outside the gate.'
And Ian went out, and gave such a pull to the chain
that he fell down at full length from the force of the shake.
But in a moment he was on his feet again, and seized the
chain with so much strength that four links came off in
his hand. And the giant heard him in the hunting hill,
as he was putting the game he had killed into a bag.
'In the leeward, or the windward, or in the four brown
boundaries of the sea, there is none who could give my
chain a shake save only Ian, the soldier's son. And if
he has reached me, then he has left my two brothers dead
behind him.' With that he strode back to the castle,
the earth trembling under him as he went.
'Are you Ian, the soldier's son?' asked he. And the
youth answered:
'No, of a surety.'
'Then who are you in the leeward, or the windward,
or in the four brown boundaries of the sea, who are able
to shake my battle chain ? There is only Ian, the soldier's
son, who can do this, and he is but now sixteen years
old.'
'I will show you who I am when you have wrestled
with me,' said Ian. And they threw their arms round each
other, and the giant forced Ian on to his knees; but in a
moment he was up again, and crooking his leg round the
shoulders of the giant, he threw him heavily to the ground.
'Stumpy black raven, come quick!' cried he; and the
raven came, and beat the giant about the head with his
wings, so that he could not get up. Then he bade Ian
take out a sharp knife from under his feathers, which he
carried with him for cutting berries, and Ian smote off the
giant's head with it. And so sharp was that knife that,
with one blow, the giant's head rolled on the ground.
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 49
'Rest now this night also,' said the raven, 'and to-
morrow you shall take the knight's three daughters to
the edge of the rock that leads to the lower world. But
take heed to go down first yourself, and let them follow
after you. And before I go you shall give me a piece of
tobacco.'
'Take it all,' answered Ian, 'for well have you earned
it.'
'No; give me but a piece. You know what is behind
you, but you have no knowledge of what is before you.'
And picking up the tobacco in his beak, the raven flew
away.
So the next morning the knight's youngest daughter
loaded asses with all the silver and gold to be found in
the castle, and she set out with Ian the soldier's son for
the house where her second sister was waiting to see what
would befall. She also had asses laden with precious
things to carry away, and so had the eldest sister, when
they reached the castle where she had been kept a pris-
oner. Together they all rode to the edge of the rock,
and then Ian lay down and shouted, and the basket was
drawn up, and in it they got one by one, and were let
down to the bottom. When the last one was gone, Ian
should have gone also, and left the three sisters to come
after him; but he had forgotten the raven's warning, and
bade them go first, lest some accident should happen.
Only, he begged the youngest sister to let him keep the
little gold cap which, like the others, she wore on her
head; and then he helped them, each in her turn, into the
basket.
Long he waited, but wait as he might, the basket never
came back, for in their joy at being free the knight's
daughters had forgotten all about Ian, and had set sail
in the ship that had brought him and his brothers to the
land of Grianaig.
At last he began to understand what had happened
50 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
to him, and while he was taking counsel with himself
what had best be done, the raven came to him.
'You did not heed my words,' he said gravely.
'No, I did not, and therefore am I here,' answered Ian,
bowing his head.
'The past cannot be undone,' went on the raven. 'He
that will not take counsel will take combat. This night,
you will sleep in the giant's castle. And now you shall
give me a piece of tobacco.'
'I will. But, I pray you, stay in the castle with
me.'
'That I may not do, but on the morrow I will come.'
And on the morrow he did, and he bade Ian go to the
giant's stable where stood a horse to whom it mattered
nothing if she journeyed over land or sea.
'But be careful,' he added, 'how you enter the stable,
for the door swings without ceasing to and fro, and if it
touches you, it will cause you to cry out. I will go first
and show you the way.'
'Go,' said Ian. And the raven gave a bob and a hop,
and thought he was quite safe, but the door slammed on
a feather of his tail, and he screamed loudly.
Then Ian took a run backwards, and a run forwards,
and made a spring; but the door caught one of his feet,
and he fell fainting on the stable floor. Quickly the
raven pounced on him, and picked him up in his beak
and claws, and carried him back to the castle, where he
laid ointments on his foot till it was as well as ever it
was.
'Now come out to walk,' said the raven, 'but take heed
that you wonder not at aught you may behold; neither
shall you touch anything. And, first, give me a piece of
tobacco.'
Many strange things did Ian behold in that island,
more than he had thought for. In a glen lay three heroes
stretched on their backs, done to death by three spears
that still stuck in their breasts. But he kept his counsel
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 51
and spake nothing, only he pulled out the spears, and the
men sat up and said:
'You are Ian the soldier's son, and a spell is laid upon
you to travel in our company, to the cave of the black
fisherman.'
So together they went till they reached the cave, and
one of the men entered, to see what should be found there.
And he beheld a hag, horrible to look upon, seated on
a rock, and before he could speak, she struck him with
her club, and changed him into a stone; and in like man-
ner she dealt with the other three. At the last Ian en-
tered.
'These men are under spells,' said the witch, 'and
alive they can never be till you have anointed them
with the water which you must fetch from the island of
Big Women. See that you do not tarry.' And Ian
turned away with a sinking heart, for he would fain
have followed the youngest daughter of the knight of
Grianaig.
'You did not obey my counsel,' said the raven, hopping
towards him, 'and so trouble has come upon you. But
sleep now, and to-morrow you shall mount the horse
which is in the giant's stable, that can gallop over sea
and land. When you reach the island of Big Women,
sixteen boys will come to meet you, and will offer the
horse food, and wish to take her saddle and bridle from
her. But see that they touch her not, and give her food
yourself, and yourself lead her into the stable, and shut
the door. And be sure that for every turn of the lock
given by the sixteen stable lads you give one. And now
you shall break me off a piece of tobacco.'
The next morning Ian arose, and led the horse from
the stable, without the door hurting him, and he rode
her across the sea to the island of Big Women, where
the sixteen stable lads met him, and each one offered to
take his horse, and to feed her, and to put her into the
stable. But Ian only answered:
52 TAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
'I myself will put her in and will see to her.' And
thus he did. And while he was rubbing her sides the
horse said to him:
'Every kind of drink will they offer you, but see you
take none, save whey and water only.' And so it fell
out; and when the sixteen stable-boys saw that he would
drink nothing, they drank it all themselves, and one by
one lay stretched around the board.
Then Ian felt pleased in his heart that he had withstood
their fair words, and he forgot the counsel that the horse
had likewise given him saying:
'Beware lest you fall asleep, and let slip the chance
of getting home again'; for while the lads were sleeping
sweet music reached his ears, and he slept also.
When this came to pass the steed broke through the
stable door, and kicked him and woke him roughly.
'You did not heed my counsel,' said she; 'and who
knows if it is not too late to win over the sea? But first
take that sword which hangs on the wall, and cut off the
heads of the sixteen grooms.'
Filled with shame at being once more proved heed-
less, Ian arose and did as the horse bade him. Then
he ran to the well and poured some of the water into
a leather bottle, and jumping on the horse's back rode
over the sea to the island where the raven was waiting for
him.
'Lead the horse into the stable,' said the raven, 'and
lie down yourself to sleep, for to-morrow you must make
the heroes to live again, and must slay the hag. And
have a care not to be so foolish to-morrow as you were
to-day.'
'Stay with me for company,' begged Ian; but the raven
shook his head, and flew away.
In the morning Ian awoke, and hastened to the cave
where the old hag was sitting, and he struck her dead
as she was, before she could cast spells on him. Next
he sprinkled the water over the heroes, who came to life
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 53
again, and together they all journeyed to the other side of
the island, and there the raven met them.
'At last you have followed the counsel that was given
you,' said the raven; 'and now, having learned wisdom,
you may go home again to Grianaig. There you will
find that the knight's two eldest daughters are to be wedded
this day to your two brothers, and the youngest to the
chief of the men at the rock. But her gold cap you shall
give to me, and, if you want it, you have only to think
of me and I will bring it to you. And one more warning
I give you. If anyone asks you whence you came, answer
that you have come from behind you; and if anyone
asks you whither you are going, say that you are going
before you.'
So Ian mounted the horse and set her face to the sea
and her back to the shore, and she was off, away and
away till she reached the church of Grianaig, and there,
in a field of grass, beside a well of water, he leaped down
from his saddle.
'Now,' the horse said to him, 'draw your sword and
cut off my head.' But Ian answered:
'Poor thanks would that be for all the help I have had
from you.'
' It is the only way that I can free myself from the spells
that were laid by the giants on me and the raven; for I
was a girl and he was a youth wooing me! So have no
fears, but do as I have said.'
Then Ian drew his sword as she bade him, and cut
off her head, and went on his way without looking
backwards. As he walked he saw a woman standing at
her house door. She asked him whence he had come,
and he answered as the raven had told him, that he
came from behind. Next she inquired whither he was
going, and this time he made reply that he was going
on before him, but that he was thirsty and would like a
drink.
'You are an impudent fellow,' said the woman; 'but
54 IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON
you shall have a drink.' And she gave him some milk,
which was all she had till her husband came home.
'Where is your husband?' asked Ian, and the woman
answered him:
'He is at the knight's castle trying to fashion gold and
silver into a cap for the youngest daughter, like unto the
caps that her sisters wear, such as are not to be found in
all this land. But, see, he is returning; and now we shall
hear how he has sped.'
At that the man entered the gate, and beholding a
strange youth, he said to him: 'What is your trade,
boy?'
'I am a smith,' replied Ian. And the man answered:
'Good luck has befallen me, then, for you can help me
to make a cap for the knight's daughter.'
'You cannot make that cap, and you know it,' said
Ian.
' Well, I must try,' replied the man, ' or I shall be hanged
on a tree; so it were a good deed to help me.'
'I will help you if I can,' said Ian; 'but keep the gold
and silver for yourself, and lock me into the smithy to-night,
and I will work my spells.' So the man, wondering to
himself, locked him in.
As soon as the key was turned in the lock Ian wished
for the raven, and the raven came to him, carrying the cap
in his mouth.
'Now take my head off,' said the raven. But Ian
answered:
'Poor thanks were that for all the help you have given
me.'
'It is the only thanks you can give me,' said the raven,
'for I was a youth like yourself before spells were
laid on me.'
Then Ian drew his sword and cut off the head of the
raven, and shut his eyes so that he might see nothing.
After that he lay down and slept till morning dawned,
IAN, THE SOLDIER'S SON 55
and the man came and unlocked the door and shook the
sleeper.
'Here is the cap,' said Ian drowsily, drawing it from
under his pillow. And he fell asleep again directly.
The sun was high in the heavens when he woke again,
and this time he beheld a tall, brown-haired youth standing
by him.
'I am the raven,' said the youth, 'and the spells are
broken. But now get up and come with me.'
Then they two went together to the place where Ian
had left the dead horse; but no horse was there now, only
a beautiful maiden.
'I am the horse,' she said, 'and the spells are broken';
and she and the youth went away together.
In the meantime the smith had carried the cap to the
castle, and bade a servant belonging to the knight's youngest
daughter bear it to her mistress. But when the girl's eyes
fell on it, she cried out:
'He speaks false; and if he does not bring me the man
who really made the cap I will hang him on the tree beside
my window.'
The servant was filled with fear at her words, and has-
tened and told the smith, who ran as fast as he could to
seek for Ian. And when he found him and brought him
into the castle, the girl was first struck dumb with joy;
then she declared that she would marry nobody else.
At this some one fetched to her the knight of Grianaig,
and when Ian had told his tale, he vowed that the maiden
was right, and that his elder daughters should never wed
with men who had not only taken glory to themselves
which did not belong to them, but had left the real doer
of the deeds to his fate.
And the wedding guests said that the knight had
spoken well; and the two elder brothers were fain to
leave the country, for no one would hold converse with
them.
(From Tales of the West Highlands.)
THE FOX AND THE WOLF
Ax the foot of some high mountains there was, once upon
a time, a small village, and a little way off two roads
met, one of them going to the east and the other to the
west. The villagers were quiet, hard-working folk, who
toiled in the fields all day, and in the evening set out for
home when the bell began to ring in the little church.
In the summer mornings they led out their flocks to
pasture, and were happy and contented from sunrise to
sunset.
One summer night, when a round full moon shone
down upon the white road, a great wolf came trotting
round the corner.
'I positively must get a good meal before I go back
to my den,' he said to himself; 'it is nearly a week since
I have tasted anything but scraps, though perhaps no
one would think it to look at my figure! Of course there
are plenty of rabbits and hares in the mountains; but
indeed one needs to be a greyhound to catch them, and I
am not so young as I was! If I could only dine off
that fox I saw a fortnight ago, curled up into a delicious
hairy ball, I should ask nothing better; I would have
eaten her then, but unluckily her husband was lying
beside her, and one knows that foxes, great and small,
run like the wind. Really it seems as if there was not a
living creature left for me to prey upon but a wolf, and, as
the proverb says: " One wolf does not bite another." How-
ever, let us see what this village can produce. I am as
hungry as a schoolmaster.'
Now, while these thoughts were running through the
THE FOX AND THE WOLF 57
mind of the wolf, the very fox he had been thinking of
was galloping along the other road.
'The whole of this day I have listened to those village
hens clucking till I could bear it no longer,' murmured
she as she bounded along, hardly seeming to touch the
ground. 'When you are fond of fowls and eggs it is the
sweetest of all music. As sure as there is a sun in heaven
I will have some of them this night, for I have grown so
thin that my very bones rattle, and my poor babies are
crying for food.' And as she spoke she reached a little
plot of grass, where the two roads joined, and flung her-
self under a tree to take a little rest, and to settle her plans.
At this moment the wolf came up.
At the sight of the fox lying within his grasp his
mouth began to water, but his joy was somewhat
checked when he noticed how thin she was. The fox's
quick ears heard the sound of his paws, though they
were as soft as velvet, and turning her head she said
politely:
'Is that you, neighbour? What a strange place to
meet in! I hope you are quite well?'
'Quite well as regards my health,' answered the wolf,
whose eye glistened greedily, 'at least, as well as one can
be when one is very hungry. But what is the matter
with you? A fortnight ago you were as plump as heart
could wish!'
' I have been ill — very ill,' replied the fox, ' and what
you say is quite true. A worm is fat in comparison with
me.'
'He is. Still, you are good enough for me; for "to the
hungry no bread is hard.'"
'Oh, you are always joking! I'm sure you are not
half as hungry as I!'
'That we shall soon see,' cried the wolf, opening his
huge mouth and crouching for a spring.
'What are you doing?' exclaimed the fox, stepping
backwards.
58 THE FOX AND THE WOLF
'What am I doing? What I am going to do is to
make my supper off you, in less time than a cock takes
to crow.'
'Well, I suppose you must have your joke/ answered
the fox lightly, but never removing her eye from the
wolf, who replied with a snarl which showed all his
teeth:
'I don't want to joke, but to eat!'
'But surely a person of your talents must perceive
that you might eat me to the very last morsel and
never know that you had swallowed anything at
all!'
' In this world the cleverest people are always the hun-
griest,' replied the wolf.
'Ah! how true that is; but '
'I can't stop to listen to your "buts" and "yets,"' broke
in the wolf rudely; 'let us get to the point, and the point
is that I want to eat you and not talk to you.'
'Have you no pity for a poor mother?' asked the fox,
putting her tail to her eyes, but peeping slily out of them
all the same.
'I am dying of hunger,' answered the wolf, doggedly;
'and you know,' he added with a grin, 'that charity begins
at home.'
'Quite so,' replied the fox; 'it would he unreasonable
of me to object to your satisfying your appetite at my
expense. But if the fox resigns herself to the sacrifice,
the mother offers you one last request.'
'Then be quick and don't waste time, for I can't wait
much longer. What is it you want?'
'You must know,' said the fox, 'that in this village
there is a rich man who makes in the summer enough
cheeses to last him for the whole year, and keeps them
in an old well, now dry, in his courtyard. By the well
hang two buckets on a pole that were used, in former
days, to draw up water. For many nights I have crept
down to the place, and have lowered myself in the bucket,
THE FOX AND THE WOLF 59
bringing home with me enough cheese to feed the children.
All I beg of you is to come with me, and, instead of hunting
chickens and such things, I will make a good meal off
cheese before I die.'
'But the cheeses may be all finished by now?'
' If you were only to see the quantities of them ! ' laughed
the fox. 'And even if they were finished, there would
always be me to eat.'
'Well, I will come. Lead the way, but I warn you
that if you try to escape or play any tricks you are reckon-
ing without your host — that is to say, without my legs,
which are as long as yours!'
All was silent in the village, and not a light was to be
seen but that of the moon, which shone bright and clear
in the sky. The wolf and the fox crept softly along, when
suddenly they stopped and looked at each other; a
savoury smell of frying bacon reached their noses,
and reached the noses of the sleeping dogs, who began
to bark greedily.
'Is it safe to go on, think you?' asked the wolf in a
whisper. And the fox shook her head.
'Not while the dogs are barking,' said she; 'someone
might come out to see if anything was the matter.' And
she signed to the wolf to curl himself up in the shadow
beside her.
In about half an hour the dogs grew tired of barking,
or perhaps the bacon was eaten up and there was no more
smell to excite them. Then the wolf and the fox jumped
up, and hastened to the foot of the wall.
'I am lighter than he is,' thought the fox to herself,
'and perhaps if I make haste I can get a start, and jump
over the wall on the other side before he manages to spring
over this one.' And she quickened her pace. But if
the wolf could not run he could jump, and with one bound
he was beside his companion.
'What were you going to do, comrade?'
60 THE FOX AND THE WOLF
' Oh, nothing,' replied the fox, much vexed at the failure
of her plan.
' I think if I were to take a bite out of your haunch you
would jump better,' said the wolf, giving a snap at her
as he spoke. The fox drew back uneasily.
'Be careful, or I shall scream,' she snarled. And the
wolf, undertsanding all that might happen if the fox
carried out her threat, gave a signal to his companion
to leap on the wall, where he immediately followed
her.
Once on the top they crouched down and looked about
them. Not a creature was to be seen in the court-
yard, and in the furthest corner from the house stood
the well, with its two buckets suspended from a pole,
just as the fox had described it. The two thieves dragged
themselves noiselessly along the wall till they were op-
posite the well, and by stretching out her neck as far as
it would go the fox was able to make out that there was
only very little water in the bottom, but just enough to
reflect the moon, big, and round and yellow.
'How lucky!' cried she to the wolf. 'There is a huge
cheese about the size of a mill wheel. Look! look! did
you ever see anything so beautiful!'
'Never!' answered the wolf, peering over in his turn,
his eyes glistening greedily, for he imagined that the moon's
reflection in the water was really a cheese.
'And now, unbeliever, what have you to say?' And
the fox laughed gently.
' That you are a woman — I mean a fox — of your
word,' replied the wolf.
'Well, then, go down in that bucket and eat your fill,'
said the fox.
'Oh, is that your game?' asked the wolf, with a grin.
'No! no! The person who goes down in the bucket will
be you! And if you don't go down your head will go
without you!'
'Of course I will go down, with the greatest
THE FOX AND THE WOLF 61
pleasure,' answered the fox, who had expected the wolf's
reply.
'And be sure you don't eat all the cheese, or it will be
the worse for you,' continued the wolf. But the fox looked
up at him with tears in her eyes.
' Farewell, suspicious one ! ' she said 3adly. And climbed
into the bucket.
In an instant she had reached the bottom of the well,
and found that the water was not deep enough to cover
her legs.
'Why, it is larger and richer than I thought,' cried she,
turning towards the wolf, who was leaning over the wall
of the well.
'Then be quick and bring it up,' commanded the
wolf.
'How can I, when it weighs more than I do?' asked
the fox.
'If it is so heavy bring it in two bits, of course,' said
he.
'But I have no knife,' answered the fox. 'You will
have to come down yourself, and we will carry it up
between us.'
'And how am I to come down?' inquired the wolf.
'Oh, you are really very stupid! Get into the other
bucket that is nearly over your head.'
The wolf looked up, and saw the bucket hanging there,
and with some difficulty he climbed into it. As he weighed
at least four times as much as the fox the bucket went
down with a jerk, and the other bucket, in which the fox
was seated, came to the surface.
As soon as he understood what was happening, the
wolf began to speak like an angry wolf, but was a little
comforted when he remembered that the cheese still re-
mained to him.
'But where is the cheese?' he asked of the fox, who
in her turn was leaning over the parapet watching his
proceedings with a smile.
62 THE FOX AND THE WOLF
'The cheese?' answered the fox; 'why I am taking
it home to my babies, who are too young to get food for
themselves.'
'Ah, traitor!' cried the wolf, howling with rage. But
the fox was not there to hear this insult, for she had gone
off to a neighbouring fowl-house, where she had noticed
some fat young chickens the day before.
'Perhaps I did treat him rather badly,' she said to her-
self. 'But it seems getting cloudy, and if there should
be heavy rain the other bucket will fill and sink to the
bottom, and his will go up — at least it may! '
(From Cuentos Poptdares, por Antonio de Trueba.)
HOW IAN DIREACH GOT THE BLUE
FALCON
LONG ago a king and queen ruled over the islands of the
west, and they had one son, whom they loved dearly.
The boy grew up to be tall and strong and handsome,
and he could run and shoot, and swim and dive better
than any lad of his own age in the country. Besides,
he knew how to sail about, and sing songs to the harp,
and during the winter evenings, when everyone was gathered
round the huge hall fire shaping bows or weaving cloth,
Ian Direach would tell them tales of the deeds of his
fathers.
So the time slipped by till Ian was almost a man, as
they reckoned men in those days, and then his mother
the queen died. There was great mourning throughout
all the isles, and the boy and his father mourned her bit-
terly also; but before the new year came the king had
married another wife, and seemed to have forgotten his
old one. Only Ian remembered.
On a morning when the leaves were yellow in the trees
of the glen, Ian slung his bow over his shoulder, and filling
his quiver with arrows, went on the hill in search of game.
But not a bird was to be seen anywhere, till at length
a blue falcon flew past him, and raising his bow he took
aim at her. His eye was straight and his hand steady,
but the falcon's flight was swift, and he only shot a feather
from her wing. As the sun was now low over the
sea he put the feather in his game bag, and set out
homewards.
64 HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON
'Have you brought me much game to-day?' asked his
stepmother as he entered the hall.
' Nought save this,' he answered, handing her the feather
of the blue falcon, which she held by the tip and gazed at
silently. Then she turned to Ian and said:
'I am setting it on you as crosses and as spells, and
as the fall of the year! That you may always be cold,
and wet and dirty, and that your shoes may ever have
pools in them, till you bring me hither the blue falcon
on which that feather grew.'
'If it is spells you are laying, I can lay them too,' answered
Ian Direach; 'and you shall stand with one foot on the
great house and another on the castle, till I come back
again, and your face shall be to the wind, from wheresoever
it shall blow.' Then he went away to seek the bird, as
his stepmother bade him; and, looking homewards from
the hill, he saw the queen standing with one foot on the
great house, and the other on the castle, and her face
turned towards whatever tempest should blow.
On he journeyed, over hills, and through rivers till he
reached a wide plain, and never a glimpse did he catch
of the falcon. Darker and darker it grew, and the small
birds were seeking their nests, and at length Ian Direach
could see no more, and he lay down under some bushes
and sleep came to him. And in his dream a soft nose
touched him, and a warm body curled up beside him,
and a low voice whispered to him:
'Fortune is against you, Ian Direach; I have but the
cheek and the hoof of a sheep to give you, and with these
you must be content.' With that Ian Direach awoke, and
beheld Gille Mairtean the fox.
Between them they kindled a fire, and ate their supper.
Then Gille Mairtean the fox bade Ian Direach lie down
as before, and sleep till morning. And in the morning,
when he awoke, Gille Mairtean said:
'The falcon that you seek is in the keeping of the
Giant of the Five Heads, and the Five Necks, and the
HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON 65
Five Humps. I will show you the way to his house, and
I counsel you to do his bidding, nimbly and cheerfully,
and, above all, to treat his birds kindly, for in this manner
he may give you his falcon to feed and care for. And
when this happens, wait till the giant is out of his house;
then throw a cloth over the falcon and bear her away
with you. Only see that not one of her feathers touches
anything within the house, or evil will befall you.'
'I thank you for your counsel,' spake Ian Direach,
'and I will be careful to follow it.' Then he took the
path to the giant's house.
'Who is there?' cried the giant, as someone knocked
loudly on the door of his house.
'One who seeks work as a servant,' answered Ian
Direach.
'And what can you do?' asked the giant again.
'I can feed birds and tend pigs; I can feed and milk
a cow, and also goats and sheep, if you have any of these,'
replied Ian Direach.
'Then enter, for I have great need of such a one,' said
the giant.
So Ian Direach entered, and tended so well and care-
fully all the birds and beasts, that the giant was better
satisfied than ever he had been, and at length he thought
that he might even be trusted to feed the falcon. And
the heart of Ian was glad, and he tended the blue falcon
till his feathers shone like the sky, and the giant was well
pleased; and one day he said to him:
'For long my brothers on the other side of the
mountain have besought me to visit them, but never
could I go for fear of my falcon. Now I think I can leave
her with you for one day, and before nightfall I shall be
back again.'
Scarcely was the giant out of sight next morning when
Ian Direach seized the falcon, and throwing a cloth over
her head hastened with her to the door. But the rays
66 HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON
of the sun pierced through the thickness of the cloth,
and as they passed the doorpost she gave a spring, and
the tip of one of her feathers touched the post, which
gave a scream, and brought the giant back in three
strides. Ian Direach trembled as he saw him; but the
giant only said:
'If you wish for my falcon you must first bring me the
White Sword of Light that is in the house of the Big Women
of Dhiurradh.'
'And where do they live?' asked Ian. But the giant
answered:
'Ah, that is for you to discover.' And Ian dared say
no more, and hastened down to the waste. There, as
he hoped, he met his friend Gille Mairtean the fox, who
bade him eat his supper and lie down to sleep. And
when he had wakened next morning the fox said to
him:
'Let us go down to the shore of the sea.' And to the
shore of the sea they went. And after they had reached
the shore, and beheld the sea stretching before them,
and the isle of Dhiurradh in the midst of it, the soul of
Ian sank, and he turned to Gille Mairtean and asked
why he had brought him thither, for the giant, when he
had sent him, had known full well that without a boat he
could never find the Big Women.
'Do not be cast down,' answered the fox, 'it is quite
easy! I will change myself into a boat, and you shall
go on board me, and I will carry you over the sea to the
Seven Big Women of Dhiurradh. Tell them that you
are skilled in brightening silver and gold, and in the end
they will take you as servant, and if you are careful to
please them they will give you the White Sword of Light
to make bright and shining. But when you seek to steal
it, take heed that its sheath touches nothing inside the
house, or ill will befall you.'
So Ian Direach did all things as the fox had told him,
and the Seven Big Women of Dhiurradh took him for
HOW DI REACH GOT THE FALCON 67
their servant, and for six weeks he worked so hard that
his seven mistresses said to each other : ' Never has a servant
had the skill to make all bright and shining like this one.
Let us give him the White Sword of Light to polish like
the rest.'
Then they brought forth the White Sword of Light
from the iron closet where it hung, and bade him rub it
till he could see his face in the shining blade; and he did
so. But one day, when the Seven Big Women were out
of the way, he bethought him that the moment had come
for him to carry off the sword, and, replacing it in its
sheath, he hoisted it on his shoulder. But just as he
was passing through the door the tip of the sheath touched
it, and the door gave a loud shriek. And the Big Women
heard it, and came running back, and took the sword
from him, and said:
'If it is our sword you want, you must first bring us
the bay colt of the King of Erin.'
Humbled and ashamed, Ian Direach left the house,
and sat by the side of the sea, and soon Gille Mairtean
the fox came to him.
' Plainly I see that you have taken no heed to my words,
Ian Direach,' spoke the fox. 'But eat first, and yet once
more will I help you.'
At these words the heart returned again to Ian Direach,
and he gathered sticks and made a fire and ate with Gille
Mairtean the fox, and slept on the sand. At dawn next
morning Gille Mairtean said to Ian Direach:
'I will change myself into a ship, and will bear you
across the seas to Erin, to the land where dwells the king.
And you shall offer yourself to serve in his stable, and to
tend his horses, till at length so well content is he, that he
gives you the bay colt to wash and brush. But when
you run away with her see that nought except the soles
of her hoofs touch anything within the palace gates, or it
will go ill with you.'
After he had thus counselled Ian Direach, the fox
68 HOW DIRE AC H GOT THE FALCON
changed himself into a ship, and set sail for Erin. And
the king of that country gave into Ian Direach's hands
the care of his horses, and never before did their skins
shine so brightly or was their pace so swift. And the
king was well pleased, and at the end of a month he sent
for Ian and said to him:
'You have given me faithful service, and now I will
entrust you with the most precious thing that my kingdom
holds.' And when he had spoken, he led Ian Direach to
the stable where stood the bay colt. And Ian rubbed her
and fed her, and galloped with her all round the country,
till he could leave one wind behind him and catch the
other which was in front.
'I am going away to hunt,' said the king one morning
while he was watching Ian tend the bay colt in her
stable. 'The deer have come down from the hill, and
it is time for me to give them chase.' Then he went
away; and when he was no longer in sight, Ian Direach
led the bay colt out of the stable, and sprang on her back.
But as they rode through the gate, which stood between
the palace and the outer world, the colt swished her tail
against the post, which shrieked loudly. In a moment
the king came running up, and he seized the colt's
bridle.
'If you want my bay colt, you must first bring me the
daughter of the king of the Franks.'
With slow steps went Ian Direach down to the shore
where Gille Mairtean the fox awaited him.
' Plainly I see that you have not done as I bid you, nor
will you ever do it,' spoke Gille Mairtean the fox; 'but I
will help you yet again. For a third time I will change
myself into a ship, and we will sail to France.'
And to France they sailed, and, as he was the ship,
the Gille Mairtean sailed where he would, and ran himself
into the cleft of a rock, high on to the land. Then he
commanded Ian Direach to go up to the king's palace,
1 THE PRINCESS FINDS HERSELF A PRISONER. ON THE STH1P.| (jjj
HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON 71
saying that he had been wrecked, that his ship was made
fast in a rock, and that none had been saved but himself
only.
Ian Direach listened to the words of the fox, and he
told a tale so pitiful, that the king and queen, and the
princess their daughter, all came out to hear it. And when
they had heard, nought would please them except to go
down to the shore and visit the ship, which by now was
floating, for the tide was up. Torn and battered was she,
as if she had passed through many dangers, yet music of
a wondrous sweetness poured forth from within.
'Bring hither a boat,' cried the princess, 'that I may
go and see for myself the harp that gives forth such music,'
And a boat was brought, and Ian Direach stepped in to
row it to the side of the ship.
To the further side he rowed, so that none could see,
and when he helped the princess on board he gave a
push to the boat, so that she could not get back to it
again. And the music sounded always sweeter, though
they could never see whence it came, and sought it
from one part of the vessel to another. When at last
they reached the deck and looked around them, nought
of land could they see, or anything save the rushing
waters.
The princess stood silent, and her face grew grim. At
last she said:
'An ill trick have you played me! What is this that
you have done, and whither are we going?'
'It is a queen you will be,' answered Ian Direach, 'for
the king of Erin has sent me for you, and in return he
will give me his bay colt, that I may take him to the Seven
Big Women of Dhiurradh, in exchange for the White
Sword of Light. This I must carry to the giant of the
Five Heads and Five Necks and Five Humps, and in
place of it, he will bestow on me the blue falcon, which
I have promised my stepmother, so that she may free me
from the spell which she has laid on me.'
'I would rather be
wife to you,' answered
the princess.
By-and-by the ship
sailed into a harbour on
the coast of Erin, and
cast anchor there. And
Gille Mairtean the fox
bade Ian Direach tell
the princess that she
must bide yet a while in
a cave amongst the
rocks, for they had busi-
ness on land, and after
a while they would re-
turn to her. Then they
took a boat and rowed
up to some rocks, and
THE SEVEN BIG WOMEN
FALL OVER THE CRAG
HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON 73
as they touched the land Gille Mairtean changed himself
into a fair woman, who laughed and said to Ian Direach,
' I will give the king a fine wife.'
Now the king of Erin had been hunting on the hill,
and when he saw a strange ship sailing towards the
harbour, he guessed that it might be Ian Direach, and
left his hunting, and ran down the hill to the stable.
Hastily he led the bay colt from his stall, and put the
golden saddle on her back, and the silver bridle over his
head, and with the colt's bridle in his hand, he hurried to
meet the princess.
'I have brought you the king of France's daughter,'
said Ian Direach. And the king of Erin looked at the
maiden, and was well pleased, not knowing that it was
Gille Mairtean the fox. And he bowed low, and besought
her to do him the honour to enter the palace; and Gille
Mairtean, as he went in, turned to look back at Ian Direach,
and laughed.
In the great hall the king paused and pointed to an
iron chest which stood in a corner.
'In that chest is the crown that has waited for you for
many years,' he said, 'and at last you have come for it.'
And he stooped down to unlock the box.
In an instant Gille Mairtean the fox had sprung on
his back, and gave him such a bite that he fell down un-
conscious. Quickly the fox took his own shape again,
and galloped away to the sea shore, where Ian Direach
and the princess and the bay colt awaited him.
'I will become a ship,' cried Gille Mairtean, 'and
you shall go on board me.' And so he did, and Ian
Direach led the bay colt into the ship and the princess
went after them, and they set sail for Dhiurradh. The
wind was behind them, and very soon they saw the rocks
of Dhiurradh in front. Then spoke Gille Mairtean the
fox:
'Let the bay colt and the king's daughter hide in
these rocks, and I will change myself into the colt,
74 HOW D 1 REACH GOT THE FALCON
and go with you to the house of the Seven Big
Women.'
Joy filled the hearts of the Big Women when they be-
held the bay colt led up to their door by Ian Direach.
And the youngest of them fetched the White Sword of
Light, and gave it into the hands of Ian Direach, who
took off the golden saddle and the silver bridle, and went
down the hill with the sword to the place where the princess
and the real colt awaited him.
'Now we shall have the ride that we have longed for!'
cried the Seven Big Women; and they saddled and bridled
the colt, and the eldest one got upon the saddle. Then
the second sister sat on the back of the first, and the third
on the back of the second, and so on for the whole seven.
And when they were all seated, the eldest struck
her side with a whip and the colt bounded forward.
Over the moors she flew, and round and round the
mountains, and still the Big Women clung to her and
snorted with pleasure. At last she leapt high in the air,
and came down on top of Monadh the high hill, where
the crag is. And she rested her fore feet on the crag,
and threw up her hind legs, and the Seven Big Women
fell over the crag, and were dead when they reached the
bottom. And the colt laughed, and became a fox again
and galloped away to the sea shore, where Ian Direach,
and the princess and the real colt and the White Sword
of Light were waiting him.
'I will make myself into a ship,' said Gille Mairtean
the fox, 'and will carry you and the princess, and the
bay colt and the White Sword of Light, back to the land.'
And when the shore was reached, Gille Mairtean the fox
took back his own shape, and spoke to Ian Direach in
this wise :
'Let the princess and the White Sword of Light, and
the bay colt, remain among the rocks, and I will change
myself into the likeness of the White Sword of Light, and
HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON 77
you shall bear me to the giant, and, instead, he will give
you the blue falcon.' And Ian Direach did as the fox
bade him, and set out for the giant's castle. From afar
the giant beheld the blaze of the White Sword of Light,
and his heart rejoiced; and he took the blue falcon
and put it in a basket, and gave it to Ian Direach, who
bore it swiftly away to the place where the princess, and
the bay colt, and the real Sword of Light were awaiting
him.
So well content was the giant to possess the sword
he had coveted for many a year, that he began at once
to whirl it through the air, and to cut and slash with it.
For a little while Gille Mairtean let the giant play with
him in this manner; then he turned in the giant's hand,
and cut through the Five Necks, so that the Five Heads
rolled on the ground. Afterwards he went back to Ian
Direach and said to him:
'Saddle the colt with the golden saddle, and bridle
her with the silver bridle, and sling the basket with the
falcon over your shoulders, and hold the White Sword of
Light with its back against your nose. Then mount the
colt, and let the princess mount behind you, and ride
thus to your father's palace. But see that the back of
the sword is ever against your nose, else when your
stepmother beholds you, she will change you into a dry
faggot. If, however, you do as I bid you, she will become
herself a bundle of sticks.'
Ian Direach hearkened to the words of Gille Mairtean,
and his stepmother fell as a bundle of sticks before him;
and he set fire to her, and was free from her spells for
ever. After that he married the princess, who was the
best wife in all the islands of the West. Henceforth he
was safe from harm, for had he not the bay colt who
could leave one wind behind her and catch the other
wind, and the blue falcon to bring him game to eat,
and the White Sword of Light to pierce through his
foes?
78 HOW DIREACH GOT THE FALCON
And Ian Direach knew that all this he owed to Gille
Mairtean the fox, and he made a compact with him that
he might choose any beast out of his herds, whenever
hunger seized him, and that henceforth no arrow should
be let fly at him or at any of his race. But Gille Mairtean
the fox would take no reward for the help he had given
to Ian Direach, only his friendship. Thus all things pros-
pered with Ian Direach till he died.
(From Tales oj the West Highlands.)
THE UGLY DUCKLING
IT was summer in the land of Denmark, and though for
most of the year the country looks flat and ugly, it was
beautiful now. The wheat was yellow, the oats were
green, the hay was dry and delicious to roll in, and from
the old ruined house which nobody lived in, down to the
edge of the canal, was a forest of great burdocks, so tall
that a whole family of children might have dwelt in them
and never have been found out.
It was under these burdocks that a duck had built
herself a warm nest, and was now sitting all day on six
pretty eggs. Five of them were white, but the sixth,
which was larger than the others, was of an ugly grey
colour. The duck was always puzzled about that egg,
and how it came to be so different from the rest.
Other birds might have thought that when the duck
went down in the morning and evening to the water to
stretch her legs in a good swim, some lazy mother might
have been on the watch, and have popped her egg into
the nest. But ducks are not clever at all, and are not
quick at counting, so this duck did not worry herself
about the matter, but just took care that the big egg
should be as warm as the rest.
This was the first set of eggs that the duck had ever
laid, and, to begin with, she was very pleased and proud,
and laughed at the other mothers, who were always
neglecting their duties to gossip with each other or to
take little extra swims besides the two in the morning
and evening that were necessary for health. But a.t
80 THE UGLY DUCKLING
length she grew tired of sitting there all day. 'Surely
eggs take longer hatching than they did,' she said to
herself; and she pined for a little amusement also. Still,
she knew that if she left her eggs and the ducklings in
them to die none of her friends would ever speak to her
again; so there she stayed, only getting off the eggs
several times a day to see if the shells were cracking —
which may have been the very reason why they did not
crack sooner.
She had looked at the eggs at least a hundred and
fifty times, when, to her joy, she saw a tiny crack on two
of them, and scrambling back to the nest she drew the
eggs closer the one to the other, and never moved for the
whole of that day. Next morning she was rewarded by
noticing cracks in the whole five eggs, and by midday
two little yellow heads were poking out from the shells.
This encouraged her so much that, after breaking the
shells with her bill, so that the little creatures could get
free of them, she sat steadily for a whole night upon the
nest, and before the sun arose the five white eggs were
empty, and ten pairs of eyes were gazing out upon the
green world.
Now the duck had been carefully brought up, and did
not like dirt, and, besides, broken egg shells are not at all
comfortable things to sit or walk upon; so she pushed the
rest out over the side, and felt delighted to have some
company to talk to till the big egg hatched. But day
after day went on, and the big egg showed no signs of
cracking, and the duck grew more and more impatient,
and began to wish to consult her husband, who never
came.
'I can't think what is the matter with it,' the duck
grumbled to her neighbour who had called in to pay her
a visit. 'Why I could have hatched two broods in the
time that this one has taken!'
'Let me look at it,' said the old neighbour. 'Ah, 1
thought so; it is a turkey's egg. Once, when I was
THE UGLY DUCKLING 81
young, they tricked me to sitting on a brood of turkey's
eggs myself, and when they were hatched the creatures
were so stupid that nothing would make them learn to
swim. I have no patience when I think of it.'
'Well, I will give it another chance,' sighed the duck,
'and if it does not come out of its shell in another twenty-
four hours, I will just leave it alone and teach the rest
of them to swim properly and to find their own food. I
really can't be expected to do two things at once.' And
with a fluff of her feathers she pushed the egg into the
middle of the nest.
All through the next day she sat on, giving up even
her morning bath for fear that a blast of cold might strike
the big egg. In the evening, when she ventured to peep,
she thought she saw a tiny crack in the upper part of the
shell. Filled with hope, she went back to her duties,
though she could hardly sleep all night for excite-
ment. When she woke with the first streaks of light she
felt something stirring under her. Yes, there it was at
last; and as she moved, a big awkward bird tumbled head
foremost on the ground.
There was no denying it was ugly, even the mother
was forced to admit that to herself, though she only said
it was 'large' and 'strong.' 'You won't need any teach-
ing when you are once in the water,' she told him, with
a glance of surprise at the dull brown which covered his
back, and at his long naked neck. And indeed he did
not, though he was not half so pretty to look at as the
little yellow balls that followed her.
When they returned they found the old neighbour on
the bank waiting for them to take them into the duck-
yard. 'No, it is not a young turkey, certainly,' whispered
she in confidence to the mother, 'for though it is lean
and skinny, and has no colour to speak of, yet there is
something rather distinguished about it, and it holds its
head up well.'
'It is very kind of you to say so,' answered the
82 THE UGLY DUCKLING
mother, who by this time had some secret doubts of its
loveliness. 'Of course, when you see it by itself it is all
right, though it is different, somehow, from the others.
But one cannot expect all one's children to be beautiful!'
By this time they had reached the centre of the yard,
where a very old duck was sitting, who was treated with
great respect by all the fowls present.
'You must go up and bow low before her,' whispered
the mother to her children, nodding her head in the direc-
tion of the old lady, 'and keep your legs well apart, as
you see me do. No well-bred duckling turns in its toes.
It is a sign of common parents.'
The little ducks tried hard to make their small fat bodies
copy the movements of their mother, and the old lady
was quite pleased with them; but the rest of the ducks
looked on discontentedly, and said to each other:
'Oh, dear me, here are ever so many more! The
yard is full already; and did you ever see anything quite
as ugly as that great tall creature? He is a disgrace to
any brood. I shall go and chase him out!' So saying
she put up her feathers, and running to the big duckling
bit his neck.
The duckling gave a loud quack; it was the first time
he had felt any pain, and at the sound his mother turned
quickly.
'Leave him alone,' she said fiercely, 'or I will send for
his father. He was not troubling you.1
'No; but he is so ugly and awkward no one can put
up with him,' answered the stranger. And though the
duckling did not understand the meaning of the words,
he felt he was being blamed, and became more uncom-
fortable still when the old Spanish duck who ruled the
fowl-yard struck in:
'It certainly is a great pity he is so different from
these beautiful darlings. If he could only be hatched
over again ! '
The poor little fellow drooped his head, and did not
THE UGLY DUCKLING 83
know where to look, but was comforted when his mother
answered:
'He may not be quite as handsome as the others, but
he swims better, and is very strong; I am sure he will
make his way in the world as well as anybody.'
'Well, you must feel quite at home here,' said the old
duck waddling off. And so they did, all except the duck-
ling, who was snapped at by everyone when they thought
his mother was not looking. Even the turkeycock, who
was so big, never passed him without mocking words,
and his brothers and sisters, who would not have noticed
any difference unless it had been put into their heads,
soon became as rude and unkind as the rest.
At last he could bear it no longer, and one day he fan-
cied he saw signs of his mother turning against him
too; so that night, when the ducks and hens were still
asleep, he stole away through an open door, and under
cover of the burdock leaves scrambled on by the bank of
the canal, till he reached a wide grassy moor, full of soft
marshy places where the reeds grew. Here he lay down,
but he was too tired and too frightened to fall asleep, and
with the earliest peep of the sun the reeds began to rustle,
and he saw that he had blundered into a colony of wild
ducks. But as he could not run away again he stood
up and bowed politely.
'You are ugly,' said the wild ducks, when they had
looked him well over; 'but, however, it is no business of
ours, unless you wish to marry one of our daughters,
and that we should not allow.' And the duckling
answered that he had no idea of marrying anybody,
and wanted nothing but to be left alone after his long
journey.
So for two whole days he lay quietly among the
reeds, eating such food as he could find, and drinking the
water of the moorland pool, till he felt himself quite
strong again. He wished he might stay where he was
for ever, he was so comfortable and happy, away from
84 THE UGLY DUCKLING
everyone, with nobody to bite him and tell him how ugly
he was.
He was thinking these thoughts, when two young
ganders caught sight of him as they were having their
evening splash among the reeds, looking for their
supper.
'We are getting tired of this moor,' they said, 'and
to-morrow we think of trying another, where the lakes
are larger and the feeding better. Will you come with
us?'
'Is it nicer than this?' asked the duckling doubtfully.
And the words were hardly out of his mouth, when 'Pif!
paf!' and the two new-comers were stretched dead
beside him.
At the sound of the gun the wild ducks in the rushes
flew into the air, and for a few minutes the firing con-
tinued.
Luckily for himself the duckling could not fly, and
he floundered along through the water till he could hide
himself amidst some tall ferns which grew in a hollow.
But before he got there he met a huge creature on four
legs, which he afterwards knew to be a dog, who stood
and gazed at him with a long red tongue hanging out of
his mouth. The duckling grew cold with terror, and
tried to hide his head beneath his little wings; but the
dog snuffed at him and passed on, and he was able to
reach his place of shelter.
'I am too ugly even for a dog to eat,' said he to him-
self. 'Well, that is a great mercy.' And he curled
himself up in the soft grass till the shots died away in
the distance.
When all had been quiet for a long time, and there
were only the stars to see him, he crept out and looked
about him.
He would never go near a pool again, never, thought
he; and seeing that the moor stretched far away in the
opposite direction from which he had come, he marched
THE UGLY DUCKLING 85
bravely on till he got to a small cottage, which seemed
too tumbledown for the stones to hold together many
hours longer. Even the door only hung upon one hinge,
and as the only light in the room sprang from a tiny fire,
the duckling edged himself cautiously in, and lay down,
under a chair close to the broken door, from which he
could get out if necessary. But no one seemed to see
him or smell him; so he spent the rest of the night
in peace.
Now in the cottage dwelt an old woman, her cat, and
a hen; and it was really they, and not she, who were
masters of the house. The old woman, who passed all
her days in spinning yarn, which she sold at the nearest
town, loved both the cat and the hen as her own children,
and never contradicted them in any way; so it was their
grace, and not hers, that the duckling would have to
gain.
It was only next morning, when it grew light, that
they noticed their visitor, who stood trembling before
them, with his eye on the door ready to escape at any
moment. They did not, however, appear very fierce,
and the duckling became less afraid as they approached
him.
'Can you lay eggs?' asked the hen. And the duckling
answered meekly:
'No; I don't know how.' Upon which the hen turned
her back, and the cat came forward.
'Can you ruffle your fur when you are angry, or purr
when you are pleased?' said she And again the duckling
had to admit that he could do nothing but swim, which
did not seem of much use to anybody.
So the cat and the hen went straight off to the old woman,
who was still in bed.
'Such a useless creature has taken refuge here,' they
said. 'It calls itself a duckling; but it can neither lay
eggs nor purr! What had we better do with it?'
'Keep it, to be sure!' replied the old woman briskly.
86 THE UGLY DUCKLING
'It is all nonsense about it not laying eggs. Anyway,
we will let it stay here for a bit, and see what
happens.'
So the duckling remained for three weeks, and shared
the food of the cat and the hen; but nothing in the way
of eggs happened at all. Then the sun came out, and
the air grew soft, and the duckling grew tired of being in
a hut, and wanted with all his might to have a swim. And
one morning he got so restless that even his friends
noticed it.
'What is the matter?' asked the hen; and the duckling
told her.
'I am so longing for the water again. You can't think
how delicious it is to put your head under the water and
dive straight to the bottom.'
'I don't think I should enjoy it,' replied the hen doubt-
fully. 'And I don't think the cat would like it either.'
And the cat, when asked, agreed there was nothing she
would hate so much.
'I can't stay here any longer, I must get to the water,'
repeated the duck. And the cat and the hen, who felt
hurt and offended, answered shortly:
'Very well then, go.'
The duckling would have liked to say good-bye, and
thank them for their kindness, as he was polite by nature;
but they had both turned their backs on him, so he went
out of the rickety door feeling rather sad. But, in spite
of himself, he could not help a thrill of joy when he was
out in the air and water once more, and cared little for
the rude glances of the creatures he met. For a while
he was quite happy and content; but soon the winter came
on, and snow began to fall, and everything to grow very
wet and uncomfortable. And the duckling soon found
that it is one thing to enjoy being in the water, and quite
another to like being damp on land.
The sun was setting one day, like a great scarlet
globe, and the river, to the duckling's vast bewilderment,
THE UGLY DUCKLING 87
was getting hard and slippery, when he heard a sound of
whirring wings, and high up in the air a flock of swans
were flying. They were as white as the snow which had
fallen during the night, and their long necks with yellow
bills were stretched southwards, for they were going —
they did not quite know whither — but to a land where
the sun shone all day. Oh, if he only could have gone
with them! But that was not possible, of course; and
besides, what sort of companion could an ugly thing like
him be to those beautiful beings? So he walked sadly
down to a sheltered pool and dived to the very bottom,
and tried to think it was the greatest happiness he could
dream of. But, all the same, he knew it wasn't!
And every morning it grew colder and colder, and the
duckling had hard work to keep himself warm. Indeed,
it would be truer to say that he never was warm at all; and
at last, after one bitter night, his legs moved so slowly that
the ice crept closer and closer, and when the morning
light broke he was caught fast, as in a trap; and soon
his senses went from him.
A few hours more and the poor duckling's life had been
ended. But, by good fortune, a man was crossing
the river on his way to his work, and saw in a moment
what had happened. He had on thick wooden shoes,
and he went and stamped so hard on the ice that it
broke, and then he picked up the duckling and tucked
him under his sheepskin coat, where his frozen bones
began to thaw a little.
Instead of going on to his work, the man turned back
and took the bird to his children, who gave him a
warm mess to eat and put him in a box by the fire, and
when they came back from school he was much more
comfortable than he had been since he had left the old
woman's cottage. They were kind little children, and
wanted to play with him; but, alas! the poor fellow had
never played in his life, and thought they wanted to tease
'lim, and flew straight into the milk-pan, and then
88 THE UGLY DUCKLING
into the butter-dish, and from that into the meal-barrel,
and at last, terrified at the noise and confusion, right out
of the door, and hid himself in the snow amongst the bushes
at the back of the house.
He never could tell afterwards exactly how he had spent
the rest of the winter. He only knew that he was very
miserable and that he never had enough to eat. But
by-and-by things grew better. The earth became softer,
the sun hotter, the birds sang, and the flowers once
more appeared in the grass. When he stood up, he felt
different, somehow, from what he had done before he
fell asleep among the reeds to which he had wandered
after he had escaped from the peasant's hut. His body
seemed larger, and his wings stronger. Something pink
looked at him from the side of a hill. He thought he
would fly towards it and see what it was.
Oh, how glorious it felt to be rushing through the
air, wheeling first one way and then the other! He had
never thought that flying could be like that! The
duckling was almost sorry when he drew near the pink
cloud and found it was made up of apple blossoms
growing beside a cottage whose garden ran down to the
banks of the canal. He fluttered slowly to the ground
and paused for a few minutes under a thicket of syringas,
and while he was gazing about him, there walked slowly
past a flock of the same beautiful birds he had seen so
many months ago. Fascinated, he watched them one by
one step into the canal, and float quietly upon the waters
as if they were part of them.
'I will follow them,' said the duckling to himself; 'ugly
though I am, I would rather be killed by them than suffer
all I have suffered from cold and hunger, and from the
ducks and fowls who should have treated me kindly.'
And flying quickly down to the water, he swam after them
as fast as he could.
It did not take him long to reach them, for they had
stopped to rest in a green pool shaded by a tree whose
THE UGLY DUCKLING 89
branches swept the water. And directly they saw him
coming some of the younger ones swam out to meet him
with cries of welcome, which again the duckling hardly
understood. He approached them glad, yet trembling,
and turning to one of the older birds, who by this time
had left the shade of the tree, he said:
'If I am to die, I would rather you should kill me. I
don't know why I was ever hatched, for I am too ugly
to live.' And as he spoke, he bowed his head and looked
down into the water.
Reflected in the still pool he saw many white shapes,
with long necks and golden bills, and, without thinking,
he looked for the dull grey body and the awkward skinny
neck. But no such thing was there. Instead, he beheld
beneath him a beautiful white swan!
'The new one is the best of all,' said the children when
they came down to feed the swans with biscuit and cake
before going to bed. ' His feathers are whiter and his beak
more golden than the rest.' And when he heard that, the
duckling thought that it was worth while having undergone
all the persecution and loneliness that he had passed through,
as otherwise he would never have known what it was to be
really happy.
(Hans Andersen.)
THE TWO CASKETS
FAR, far away, in the midst of a pine forest, there lived a
woman who had both a daughter and a stepdaughter.
Ever since her own daughter was born the mother had
given her all that she cried for, so she grew up to be as
cross and disagreeable as she was ugly. Her stepsister,
on the other hand, had spent her childhood in working
hard to keep house for her father, who died soon after
his second marriage; and she was as much beloved by
the neighbours for her goodness and industry as she was
for her beauty.
As the years went on, the difference between the two
girls grew more marked, and the old woman treated
her stepdaughter worse than ever, and was always
on the watch for some pretext for beating her, or
depriving her of her food. Anything, however foolish,
was good enough for this, and one day, when she could
think of nothing better, she set both the girls to spin while
sitting on the low wall of the well.
'And you had better mind what you do,' said she, 'for
the one whose thread breaks first shall be thrown to the
bottom.'
But of course she took good care that her own
daughter's flax was fine and strong, while the stepsister
had only some coarse stuff, which no one would have
thought of using. As might be expected, in a very
little while the poor girl's thread snapped, and the old
woman, who had been watching from behind a door,
Vs an. END of you.
THE TWO CASKETS 93
seized her stepdaughter by her shoulders, and threw her
into the well.
'That is an end of you!' she said. But she was wrong,
for it was only the beginning.
Down, down, down went the girl — it seemed as if the
well must reach to the very middle of the earth; but at
last her feet touched the ground, and she found herself
in a field more beautiful than even the summer pastures
of her native mountains. Trees waved in the soft breeze,
and flowers of the brightest colours danced in the grass.
And though she was quite alone, the girl's heart danced
too, for she felt happier than she had done since her father
died. So she walked on through the meadow till she
came to an old tumbledown fence — so old that it was
a wonder it managed to stand up at all, and it looked as
if it depended for support on the old man's beard that
climbed all over it.
The girl paused for a moment as she came up,
and gazed about for a place where she might safely
cross. But before she could move a voice cried from the
fence :
'Do not hurt me, little maiden; I am so old, so old, I
have not much longer to live.'
And the maiden answered:
'No, I will not hurt you; iear nothing.' And then,
seeing a spot where the clematis grew less thickly than
in other places, she jumped lightly over.
'May all go well with thee,' said the fence, as the girl
walked on.
She soon left the meadow and turned into a path which
ran between two flowery hedges. Right in front of her
stood an oven, and through its open door she could see a
pile of white loaves.
'Eat as many loaves as you like, but do me no harm,
little maiden,' cried the oven. And the maiden told her
to fear nothing, for she never hurt anything, and was
very grateful for the oven's kindness in giving her such a
94 THE TWO CASKETS
beautiful white loaf. When she had finished it, down to
the last crumb, she shut the oven door and said: 'Good-
morning.'
'May all go well with thee,' said the oven, as the girl
walked on.
By-and-by she became very thirsty, and seeing a cow
with a milk-pail hanging on her horn, turned towards
her.
' Milk me and drink as much as you will, little maiden,'
cried the cow, 'but be sure you spill none on the ground;
and do me no harm, for I have never harmed anyone.'
'Nor I,' answered the girl; 'fear nothing.' So she sat
down and milked till the pail was nearly full. Then she
drank it all up except a little drop at the bottom.
'Now throw any that is left over my hoofs, and hang
the pail on my horns again,' said the cow. And the girl
did as she was bid, and kissed the cow on her forehead
and went her way.
Many hours had now passed since the girl had fallen
down the well, and the sun was setting.
'Where shall I spend the night?' thought she. And
suddenly she saw before her a gate which she had not
noticed before, and a very old woman leaning against it.
' Good evening,' said the girl politely; and the old woman
answered:
'Good evening, my child. Would that everyone was
as polite as you. Are you in search of anything ? '
'I am in search of a place,' replied the girl; and the
woman smiled and said:
'Then stop a little while and comb my hair, and you
shall tell me all the things you can do.'
'Willingly, mother,' answered the girl. And she began
combing out the old woman's hair, which was long and
white.
Half an hour passed in this way, and then the old woman
said:
'As you did not think yourself too good to comb me,
THE TWO CASKETS
95
I will show you where you may take service. Be prudent
and patient and all will go well.'
So the girl thanked her, and set out for a farm at a little
distance, where she was engaged to milk the cows and sift
the corn.
As soon as it was light next morning the girl got up
and went into the cow-house. 'I'm sure you must be
hungry,' said she, patting each in turn. And then she
fetched hay from the barn, and while they were eating
it. she swept out the cow-house, and strewed clean straw
96 THE TWO CASKETS
upon the floor. The cows were so pleased with the care
she took of them that they stood quite still while she
milked them, and did not play any of the tricks on her
that they had played on other dairymaids who were
rough and rude. And when she had done, and was going
to get up from her stool, she found sitting round her a
whole circle of cats, black and white, tabby and tortoise-
shell, who all cried with one voice:
'We are very thirsty, please give us some milk!'
'My poor little pussies,' said she, 'of course you shall
have some.' And she went into the dairy, followed by all
the cats, and gave each one a little red saucerful. But
before they drank they all rubbed themselves against her
knees and purred by way of thanks.
The next thing the girl had to do was to go to the store-
house, and to sift the corn through a sieve. While she
was busy rubbing the corn she heard a whirr of wings, and
a flock of sparrows flew in at the window.
'We are hungry; give us some corn! give us some corn!'
cried they; and the girl answered:
'You poor little birds, of course you shall have some!'
and scattered a fine handful over the floor. When they
had finished they flew on her shoulders and flapped their
wings by way of thanks.
Time went by, and no cows in the whole country-side
were so fat and well tended as hers, and no dairy had
so much milk to show. The farmer's wife was so well
satisfied that she gave her higher wages, and treated her
like her own daughter. At length, one day, the girl was
bidden by her mistress to come into the kitchen, and when
there, the old woman said to her: 'I know you can tend
cows and keep a dairy; now let me see what you can
do besides. Take this sieve to the well, and fill it with
water, and bring it home to me without spilling one drop
by the way.'
The girl's heart sank at this order; for how was it pos-
THE TWO CASKETS 97
sible for her to do her mistress's bidding? However,
she was silent, and taking the sieve went down to the
well with it. Stooping over the side, she filled it to the
brim, but as soon as she lifted it the water all ran out of
the holes. Again and again she tried, but not a drop
would remain in the sieve, and she was just turning away
in despair when a flock of sparrows flew down from the
sky.
'Ashes! ashes!' they twittered; and the girl looked at
them and said:
'Well, I can't be in a worse plight than I am already,
so I will take your advice.' And she ran back to the kitchen
and filled her sieve with ashes. Then once more she
dipped the sieve into the well, and, behold, this time not a
drop of water disappeared!
'Here is the sieve, mistress,' cried the girl, going to the
room where the old woman was sitting.
'You are cleverer than I expected,' answered she;
'or else someone helped you who is skilled in magic.' But
the girl kept silence, and the old woman asked her no more
questions.
Many days passed during which the girl went about her
work as usual, but at length one day the old woman called
her and said:
'I have something more for you to do. There are
here two yarns, the one white, the other black. What
you must do is to wash them in the river till the black one
becomes white and the white black.' And the girl took
them to the river and washed hard for several hours, but
wash as she would they never changed one whit.
'This is worse than the sieve,' thought she, and was
about to give up in despair when there came a rush of wings
through the air, and on every twig of the birch trees which
grew by the bank was perched a sparrow.
'The black to the east, the white to the west!' they sang,
all at once; and the girl dried her tears and felt brave
98 THE TWO CASKETS
again. Picking up the black yarn, she stood facing
the east and dipped it in the river, and in an instant it
grew white as snow, then turning to the west, she held
the white yarn in the water, and it became as black as a
crow's wing. She looked back at the sparrows and smiled
and nodded to them, and flapping their wings in reply they
flew swiftly away.
At the sight of the yarn the old woman was struck dumb;
but when at length she found her voice she asked
the girl what magician had helped her to do what no
one had done before. But she got no answer, for the
maiden was afraid of bringing trouble on her little
friends.
For many weeks the mistress shut herself up in her
room, and the girl went about her work as usual. She
hoped that there was an end to the difficult tasks which
had been set her; but in this she was mistaken, for one
day the old woman appeared suddenly in the kitchen, and
said to her:
'There is one more trial to which I must put you, and
if you do not fail in that you will be left in peace for ever-
more. Here are the yarns which you washed. Take
them and weave them into a web that is as smooth as a
king's robe, and see that it is spun by the time that the sun
sets.'
' This is the easiest thing I have been set to do,'
thought the girl, who was a good spinner. But when she
began she found that the skein tangled and broke every
moment.
'Oh, I can never do it!' she cried at last, and leaned
her head against the loom and wept; but at that instant
the door opened, and there entered, one behind another, a
procession of cats.
'What is the matter, fair maiden?' asked they. And
the girl answered:
'My mistress has given me this yarn to weave into a
piece of cloth, which must be finished by sunset, and I
JUNE* «JI$H&> 'TWITTERED «THfc- 3PARRQW3 •
THE TWO CASKETS 99
have not even begun yet, for the yarn breaks whenever I
touch it.'
'If that is all, dry your eyes,' said the cats; 'we will
manage it for you.' And they jumped on the loom, and
wove so fast and so skilfully that in a very short time the
cloth was ready and was as fine as any king ever wore.
The girl was so delighted at the sight of it that she gave
each cat a kiss on his forehead as they left the room one be-
hind the other as they had come.
' Who has taught you this wisdom ? ' asked the old woman,
after she had passed her hands twice or thrice over the
cloth and could find no roughness anywhere. But the
girl only smiled and did not answer. She had learned
early the value of silence.
After a few weeks the old woman sent for her maid
and told her that as her year of service was now up, she
was free to return home, but that, for her part, the girl
had served her so well that she hoped she might stay with
her. But at these words the maid shook her head, and
answered gently:
'I have been happy here, Madam, and I thank you
for your goodness to me; but I have left behind me a step-
sister and a stepmother, and I am fain to be with them
once more.' The old woman looked at her for a moment,
and then she said:
'Well, that must be as you like; but as you have worked
faithfully for me I will give you a reward. Go now into
the loft above the storehouse and there you will find many
caskets. Choose the one which pleases you best, but be
careful not to open it till you have set it in the place where
you wish it to remain.'
The girl left the room to go to the loft, and as soon as
she got outside, she found all the cats waiting for her.
Walking in procession, as was their custom, they followed
her into the loft, which was filled with caskets big and
little, plain and splendid. She lifted up one and looked
100 THE TWO CASKETS
at it, and then put it down to examine another yet more
beautiful. Which should she choose, the yellow or the
blue, the red or the green, the gold or the silver? She
hesitated long, and went first to one and then to another,
when she heard the cats' voices calling: 'Take the black!
take the black!'
The words made her look round — she had seen no
black casket, but as the cats continued their cry she peered
TAKE, THE, BLflCUL T«^C. THE ftLftCIC crietl the cats
into several corners that had remained unnoticed, and at
length discovered a little black box, so small and so black,
that it might easily have been passed over.
'This is the casket that pleases me best, mistress,' said
the girl, carrying it into the house. And the old woman
smiled and nodded, and bade her go her way. So
the girl set forth, after bidding farewell to the cows and
THE TWO CASKETS 101
the cats and the sparrows, who all wept as they said good-
bye.
She walked on and on and on, till she reached the flowery
meadow, and there, suddenly, something happened, she
never knew what, but she was sitting on the wall of
the well in her stepmother's yard. Then she got up and
entered the house.
The woman and her daughter stared as if they had
been turned into stone; but at length the stepmother gasped
out:
'So you are alive after all! Well, luck was ever
against me! And where have you been this year past?'
Then the girl told how she had taken service in the under-
world, and, besides her wages, had brought home with
her a little casket, which she would like to set up in her
room.
'Give me the money, and take the ugly little box
off to the outhouse,' cried the woman, beside herself
with rage, and the girl, quite frightened at her violence,
hastened away, with her precious box clasped to her
bosom.
The outhouse was in a very dirty state, as no one had
been near it since the girl had fallen down the well; but
she scrubbed and swept till everything was clean again,
and then she placed the little casket on a small shelf in the
corner.
'Now I may open it,' she said to herself; and unlock-
ing it with the key which hung to its handle, she raised
the lid, but started back as she did so, almost blinded
by the light that burst upon her. No one would ever
have guessed that that little black box could have held
such a quantity of beautiful things! Rings, crowns,
girdles, necklaces — all made of wonderful stones; and they
shone with such brilliance that not only the stepmother
and her daughter but all the people round came running
to see if the house was on fire. Of course the woman
felt quite ill with greed and envy, and she would have
102 THE TWO CASKETS
certainly taken all the jewels for herself had she not feared
the wrath of the neighbours, who loved her stepdaughter
as much as they hated her.
But if she could not steal the casket and its contents
for herself, at least she could get another like it, and per-
haps a still richer one. So she bade her own daughter
sit on the edge of the well, and threw her into the water,
exactly as she had done to the other girl; and, exactly as
before, the flowery meadow lay at the bottom.
Every inch of the way she trod the path which her step-
sister had trodden, and saw the things which she
had seen; but there the likeness ended. When the
fence prayed her to do it no harm, she laughed rudely,
and tore up some of the stakes so that she might get over
the more easily; when the oven offered her bread, she
scattered the loaves on the ground and stamped on
them; and after she had milked the cow, and drunk as
much as she wanted, she threw the rest on the grass, and
kicked the pail to bits, and never heard them say, as they
looked after her: 'You shall not have done this to me for
nothing!'
Towards evening she reached the spot where the old
woman was leaning against the gate-post, but she passed
her by without a word.
'Have you no manners in your country?' asked the
crone.
'I can't stop and talk; I am in a hurry,' answered the
girl. 'It is getting late, and I have to find a place.'
' Stop and comb my hair for a little,' said the old woman,
'and I will help you to get a place.'
'Comb your hair, indeed! I have something better
to do than that!' And slamming the gate in the crone's
face she went her way. And she never heard the words
that followed her: 'You shall not have done this to me
for nothing!'
By-and-by the girl arrived at the farm, and she was
engaged to look after the cows and sift the corn as her
THE TWO CASKETS 103
stepsister had been. But it was only when some-
one was watching her that she did her work; at other
times the cow-house was dirty, and the cows ill-fed and
beaten, so that they kicked over the pail, and tried to
butt her; and everyone said they had never seen such
thin cows or such poor milk. As for the cats, she chased
them away, and ill-treated them, so that they had not
even the spirit to chase the rats and mice, which nowa-
days ran about everywhere. And when the sparrows
came to beg for some corn, they fared no better than the
cows and the cats, for the girl threw her shoes at them,
till they flew in a fright to the woods, and took shelter
amongst the trees.
Months passed in this manner, when, one day, the mis-
tress called the girl to her.
'All that I have given you to do you have done ill,' said
she, 'yet will I give you another chance. For though
you cannot tend cows, or divide the grain from the
chaff, there may be other things that you can do better.
Therefore take this sieve to the well, and fill it with water,
and see that you bring it back without spilling a single
drop.'
The girl took the sieve and carried it to the well as her
sister had done; but no little birds came to help her, and
after dipping it in the well two or three times she brought
it back empty.
'I thought as much,' said the old woman angrily; 'she
that is useless in one thing is useless in another.'
Perhaps the mistress may have thought that the
girl had learnt a lesson, but, if she did, she was quite mis-
taken, as the work was no better done than before.
By-and-by she sent for her again, and gave her maid the
black and the white yarn to wash in the river; but there
was no one to tell her the secret by which the black
would turn white, and the white black; so she brought
them back as they were. This time the old woman
104 THE TWO CASKETS
only looked at her grimly, but the girl was too well
pleased with herself to care what anyone thought about
her.
After some weeks her third trial came, and the yarn
was given her to spin, as it had been given to her step-
sister before her.
But no procession of cats entered the room to weave
a web of fine cloth, and at sunset she only brought back
to her mistress an armful of dirty, tangled wool.
'There seems nothing in the world you can do,' said
the old woman, and left her to herself.
Soon after this the year was up, and the girl went to her
mistress to tell her that she wished to go home.
'Little desire have I to keep you,' answered the old
woman, 'for no one thing have you done as you ought.
Still, I will give you some payment, therefore go up into
the loft, and choose for yourself one of the caskets that
lies there. But see that you do not open it till you place
it where you wish it to stay.'
This was what the girl had been hoping for, and so
rejoiced was she, that, without even stopping to thank
the old woman, she ran as fast as she could to the loft.
There were the caskets, blue and red, green and yellow,
silver and gold; and there in the corner stood a little
black casket, just like the one her stepsister had brought
home.
'If there are so many jewels in that little black thing,
this big red one will hold twice the number,' she said to
herself; and snatching it up she set off on her road home
without even going to bid farewell to her mistress.
'See, mother, see what I have brought!' cried she,
as she entered the cottage holding the casket in both
hands.
'Ah! you have got something very different from
that little black box,' answered the old woman with
THE TWO CASKETS 105
delight. But the girl was so busy finding a place for it
to stand that she took little notice of her mother.
' It will look best here — no, here,' she said, setting it
first on one piece of furniture and then on another. 'No,
after all it is too fine to live in a kitchen, let us place it in
the guest chamber.'
So mother and daughter carried it proudly upstairs
and put it on a shelf over the fireplace; then, untying the
key from the handle, they opened the box. As before,
a bright light leapt out directly the lid was raised, but it
did not spring from the lustre of jewels, but from hot
flames, which darted along the walls and burnt up the
cottage and all that was in it, and the mother and daughter
as well.
As they had done when the stepdaughter came home,
the neighbours all hurried to see what was the matter;
but they were too late. Only the hen-house was left
standing; and, in spite of her riches, there the stepdaughter
lived happily to the end of her days.
(From Thorpe's Yule-Tide Stories.)
THE GOLDSMITH'S FORTUNE
ONCE upon a time there was a goldsmith who lived in a
certain village where the people were as bad and greedy,
and covetous, as they could possibly be; however, in spite
of his surroundings, he was fat and prosperous. He
had only one friend whom he liked, and that was a
cowherd, who looked after cattle for one of the farmers
in the village. Every evening the goldsmith would walk
across to the cowherd's house and say: 'Come, let's go
out for a walk!'
Now the cowherd didn't like walking in the evening,
because, he said, he had been out grazing the cattle all
day, and was glad to sit down when night came;
but the goldsmith always worried him so that the
poor man had to go against his will. This at last so
annoyed him that he tried to think how he could pick a
quarrel with the goldsmith, so that he should not beg
him to walk with him any more. He asked another
cowherd for advice, and he said the best thing he could
do was to go across and kill the goldsmith's wife, for
then the goldsmith would be sure to regard him as an
enemy; so, being a foolish person, and there being no
laws in that country by which a man would be certainly
punished for such a crime, the cowherd one evening took
a big stick and went across to the goldsmith's house
when only Mrs. Goldsmith was at home, and banged her
on the head so hard that she died then and there.
When the goldsmith came back and found his wife
dead he said nothing, but just took her outside into the
dark lane and propped her up against the wall of his
THE GOLDSMITH'S FORTUNE 107
house, and then went into the courtyard and waited.
Presently a rich stranger came along the lane, and seeing
someone there, as he supposed, he said:
'Good-evening, friend! a fine night to-night!' But
the goldsmith's wife said nothing. The man then re-
peated his words louder; but still there was no reply. A
third time he shouted:
'Good-evening, friend! are you deaf?' but the figure
never replied. Then the stranger, being angry at what he
thought very rude behaviour, picked up a big stone and
threw it at Mrs. Goldsmith, crying:
' Let that teach you manners ! '
Instantly poor Mrs. Goldsmith tumbled over; and
the stranger, horrified at seeing what he had done,
was immediately seized by the goldsmith, who ran out
screaming:
'Wretch! you have killed my wife! Oh, miserable
one; we will have justice done to thee ! '
With many protestations and reproaches they
wrangled together, the stranger entreating the goldsmith
to say nothing and he would pay him handsomely to
atone for the sad accident. At last the goldsmith quieted
down, and agreed to accept one thousand gold pieces
from the stranger, who immediately helped him to
bury his poor wife, and then rushed off to the guest
house, packed up his things and was off by daylight,
lest the goldsmith should repent and accuse him as the
murderer of his wife. Now it very soon appeared that
the goldsmith had a lot of extra money, so that people
began to ask questions, and finally demanded of him the
reason for his sudden wealth.
' Oh,' said he, ' my wife died, and I sold her.'
' You sold your dead wife ? ' cried the people.
'Yes,' said the goldsmith.
' For how much ? '
' A thousand gold pieces,' replied the goldsmith.
Instantly the villagers went away and each caught
108 THE GOLDSMITH'S FORTUNE
hold of his own wife and throttled her, and the next day
they all went off to sell their dead wives. Many a weary
mile did they tramp, but got nothing but hard words
or laughter, or directions to the nearest cemetery, from
people to whom they offered dead wives for sale. At
last they perceived that they had been cheated somehow
by that goldsmith. So off they rushed home, seized
the unhappy man, and, without listening to his cries
and entreaties, hurried him down to the river bank and
flung him — plop! — into the deepest, weediest, and nastiest
place they could find.
' That will teach him not to play tricks on us,' said they.
'For as he can't swim he'll drown, and we sha'n't have
any more trouble with him!'
Now the goldsmith really could not swim, and as soon
as he was thrown into the deep river he sank below the
surface; so his enemies went away believing that they
had seen the last of him. But, in reality, he was carried
down, half drowned, below the next bend in the river,
where he fortunately came across a 'snag' floating in the
water (a snag is, you know, a part of a tree or bush
which floats very nearly under the surface of the water);
and he held on to this snag, and by great good luck
eventually came ashore some two or three miles down
the river. At the place where he landed he came across
a fine fat cow buffalo, and immediately he jumped on
her back and rode home. When the village people saw
him, they ran out in surprise, and said:
'Where on earth do you come from, and where did you
get that buffalo?'
'Ah!' said the goldsmith, 'you little know what
delightful adventures I have had! Why, down in that
place in the river where you threw me in I found
meadows, and trees, and fine pastures, and buffaloes,
and all kinds of cattle. In fact, I could hardly tear myself
away; but I thought that I must really let you all know
about it.'
THE GOLDSMITH'S FORTUNE 109
'Oh, oh!' thought the greedy village people; 'if
there are buffaloes to be had for the taking we'll go after
some too.' Encouraged by the goldsmith they nearly
all ran off the very next morning to the river; and,
in order that they might get down quickly to the
beautiful place the goldsmith told them of, they tied
great stones on to their feet and their necks, and one after
another they jumped into the water as fast as they
could, and were drowned. And whenever any one of
them waved his hands about and struggled the goldsmith
would cry out:
'Look! he's beckoning the rest of you to come;
he's got a fine buffalo!' And others who were doubt-
ful would jump in, until not one was left. Then the
cunning goldsmith went back and took all the village for
himself, and became very rich indeed. But do you think
he was happy? Not a bit. Lies never made a man
happy yet. Truly, he got the better of a set of wicked
and greedy people, but only by being wicked and greedy
himself; and, as it turned out, when he got so rich he got
very fat; and at last was so fat that he couldn't move, and
one day he got the apoplexy and died, and no one in the
world cared the least bit.
(Told by a Pathan to Major Campbell.)
THE ENCHANTED WREATH
ONCE upon a time there lived near a forest a man and
his wife and two girls; one girl was the daughter of the
man, and the other the daughter of his wife; and the man's
daughter was good and beautiful, but the woman's daughter
was cross and ugly. However, her mother did not know
that, but thought her the most bewitching maiden that
ever was seen.
One day the man called to his daughter and bade her
come with him into the forest to cut wood. They
worked hard all day, but in spite of the chopping they
were very cold, for it rained heavily, and when they
returned home, they were wet through. Then, to his
vexation, the man found that he had left his axe behind
him, and he knew that if it lay all night in the mud it
would become rusty and useless. So he said to his
wife:
'I have dropped my axe in the forest, bid your daughter
go and fetch it, for mine has worked hard all day and is
both wet and weary.'
But the wife answered:
'If your daughter is wet already, it is all the more
reason that she should go and get the axe. Besides,
she is a great strong girl, and a little rain will not hurt
her, while my daughter would be sure to catch a bad
cold.'
By long experience the man knew there was no good
saying any more, and with a sigh he told the poor girl she
must return to the forest for the axe.
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 111
The walk took some time, for it was very dark, and
her shoes often stuck in the mud; but she was brave as
well as beautiful and never thought of turning back
merely because the path was both difficult and un-
pleasant. At last, with her dress torn by brambles that
THREE LITTLE DOVES WERE SEATED ON THE HANDLE
OF THE AXE
she could not see, and her face scratched by the twigs
on the trees, she reached the spot where she and her father
had been cutting in the morning, and found the axe in
the place he had left it. To her surprise, three little
112 THE ENCHANTED WREATH
doves were sitting on the handle, all of them looking very
sad.
'You poor little things,' said the girl, stroking them.
'Why do you sit there and get wet? Go and fly home
to your nest, it will be much warmer than this; but first
eat this bread, which I saved from my dinner, and
perhaps you will feel happier. It is my father's axe you
are sitting on, and I must take it back as fast as I can,
or I shall get a terrible scolding from my stepmother.'
She then crumbled the bread on the ground, and
was pleased to see the doves flutter quite cheerfully
towards it.
'Good-bye,' she said, picking up the axe, and went her
way homewards.
By the time they had finished all the crumbs the doves
felt much better, and were able to fly back to their nests
in the top of a tree.
'That is a good girl,' said one; 'I really was too weak
to stretch out a wing before she came. I should like to
do something to show how grateful I am.'
'Well, let us give her a wreath of flowers that will never
fade as long as she wears it,' cried another.
' And let the tiniest singing birds in the world sit amongst
the flowers,' rejoined the third.
'Yes, that will do beautifully,' said the first. And
when the girl stepped into her cottage a wreath of rose-
buds was on her head, and a crowd of little birds were
singing unseen.
The father, who was sitting by the fire, thought that,
in spite of her muddy clothes, he had never seen his daughter
looking so lovely; but the stepmother and the other girl
grew wild with envy.
'How absurd to walk about on such a pouring night,
dressed up like that,' she remarked crossly, and roughly
pulled off the wreath as she spoke, to place it on her own
daughter. As she did so the roses became withered and
brown, and the birds flew out of the window.
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 113
'See what a trumpery thing it is!' cried the stepmother;
'and now take your supper and go to bed, for it is near
upon midnight.'
But though she pretended to despise the wreath,
she longed none the less for her daughter to have one like
it.
Now it happened that the next evening the father, who
had been alone in the forest, came back a second time
without his axe. The stepmother's heart was glad when
she saw this, and she said quite mildly:
'Why, you have forgotten your axe again, you careless
man! But now your daughter shall stay at home, and
mine shall go and bring it back'; and throwing a cloak
over the girl's shoulders, she bade her hasten to the
forest.
With a very ill grace the damsel set forth, grumbling
to herself as she went; for though she wished for the wreath,
she did not at all want the trouble of getting it.
By the time she reached the spot where her stepfather
had been cutting the wood the girl was in a very bad temper
indeed, and when she caught sight of the axe, there were
the three little doves, with drooping heads and soiled, be-
draggled feathers, sitting on the handle.
'You dirty creatures,' cried she, 'get away at once, or
I will throw stones at you.' And the doves spread their
wings in a fright and flew up to the very top of a tree, their
bodies shaking with anger.
'What shall we do to revenge ourselves on her?' asked
the smallest of the doves, 'we were never treated like that
before.'
'Never,' said the biggest dove. 'We must find some way
of paying her back in her own coin ! '
'/ know,' answered the middle dove; 'she shall never
be able to say anything but "dirty creatures" to the end
of her life.'
'Oh, how clever of you! That will do beautifully,'
exclaimed the other two. And they flapped their wings
114 THE ENCHANTED WREATH
and clucked so loud with delight, and made such a noise,
that they woke up all the birds in the trees close by.
'What in the world is the matter?' asked the birds
sleepily.
' That is our secret,' said the doves.
Meanwhile the girl had reached home crosser than ever;
but as soon as her mother heard her lift the latch of the
door she ran out to hear her adventures. 'Well, did you
get the wreath ? ' cried she.
'Dirty creatures!' answered her daughter.
'Don't speak to me like that! What do you mean?'
asked the mother again.
'Dirty creatures!' repeated the daughter, and nothing
else could she say.
Then the woman saw that something evil had befallen
her, and turned in her rage to her stepdaughter.
* You are at the bottom of this, I know,' she cried; and
as the father was out of the way she took a stick and beat
the girl till she screamed with pain and went to bed sob-
bing.
If the poor girl's lift; had been miserable before, it
was ten times worse now, for the moment her father's
back was turned the others teased and tormented her
from morning till night; and their fury was increased by
the sight of the wreath, which the doves had placed again
on her head.
Things went on like this for some weeks, when, one
day, as the king's son was riding through the forest, he
heard some strange birds singing more sweetly than
birds had ever sung before. He tied his horse to a tree,
and followed where the sound led him, and, to his surprise,
he saw before him a beautiful girl chopping wood, with
a wreath of pink rose-buds, out of which the singing came.
Standing in the shelter of a tree, he watched her a
long while, and then, hat in hand, he went up and spoke
to her.
'Fair maiden, who are you, and who gave you that
STANDING IN THE SHELTER OF A TREE, HE WATCHED HER
A LONG WHILE
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 115
wreath of singing roses?' asked he, for the birds were so
tiny that till you looked closely you never saw them.
' I live in a hut on the edge of the forest,' she answered,
blushing, for she had never spoken to a prince before.
'And as to the wreath, I know not how it came there,
unless it may be the gift of some doves whom I fed when
they were starving.' The prince was delighted with this
answer, which showed the goodness of the girl's heart,
and besides he had fallen in love with her beauty, and
would not be content till she promised to return with him
to the palace, and become his bride. The old king
was naturally disappointed at his son's choice of a wife,
as he wished him to marry a neighbouring princess; but
as from his birth the prince had always done exactly as he
liked, nothing was said and a splendid wedding feast was
got ready.
The day after her marriage the bride sent a messenger,
bearing handsome presents to her father, and telling him
of the good fortune which had befallen her. As may be
imagined, the stepmother and her daughter were so filled
with envy that they grew quite ill, and had to take to their
beds, and nobody would have been sorry if they had never
got up again; but that did not happen. At length, how-
ever, they began to feel better, for the mother invented a
plan by which she could be revenged on the girl who had
never done her any harm.
Her plan was this. In the town where she had
lived before she was married there was an old witch, who
had more skill in magic than any other witch she knew.
To this witch she would go and beg her to make her a
mask with the face of her stepdaughter, and when she
had the mask the rest would be easy. She told her daughter
what she meant to do, and although the daughter could
only say 'dirty creatures,' in answer, she nodded and
smiled and looked well pleased.
Everything fell out exactly as the woman had hoped.
By the aid of her magic mirror the witrh beheld the new
116
THE ENCHANTED WREATH
princess walking in her gardens in a dress of green silk,
and in a few minutes had produced a mask so like her
that very few people could have told the difference. How-
ever, she counselled the woman that when her daughter
first wore it — for that, of course, was what she intended
her to do — she had better pretend that she had a tooth-
ache, and cover her head with a lace veil. The woman
thanked her and paid her well, and returned to her hut,
carrying the mask with her under her cloak.
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 117
In a few days she heard that a great hunt was
planned, and the prince would leave the palace very early
in the morning, so that his wife would be alone all day.
This was a chance not to be missed, and taking her
daughter with her she went up to the palace, where she
had never been before. The princess was too happy
in her new home to remember all that she had suffered
in the old one, and she welcomed them both gladly, and
gave them quantities of beautiful things to take back
with them. At last she took them down to the shore to
see a pleasure boat which her husband had had made
for her; and here, the woman seizing her opportunity,
stole softly behind the girl and pushed her off the rock
on which she was standing, into the deep water, where
she instantly sank to the bottom. Then she fastened
the mask on her daughter, flung over her shoulders a
velvet cloak, which the princess had let fall, and finally
arranged a lace veil over her head.
'Rest your cheek on your hand, as if you were in pain,
when the prince returns,' said the mother; 'and be
careful not to speak, whatever you do. I will go back
to the witch and see if she cannot take off the spell laid on
you by those horrible birds. Ah! why did I not think of
it before!'
No sooner had the prince entered the palace than he
hastened to the princess's apartments, where he found
her lying on the sofa apparently in great pain.
'My dearest wife, what is the matter with you?' he
cried, kneeling down beside her, and trying to take her
hand; but she snatched it away, and pointing to her cheek
murmured something he could not catch.
'What is it? tell me! Is the pain bad? When did it
begin? Shall I send for your ladies to bathe the place?'
asked the prince, pouring out these and a dozen other
questions, to which the girl only shook her head.
'But I can't leave you like this,' he continued, starting
up, 'I must summon all the court physicians to apply
118 THE ENCHANTED WREATH
soothing balsams to the sore place.' And as he spoke
he sprang to his feet to go in search of them. This so
frightened the pretended wife, who knew that if the phy-
sicians once came near her the trick would at once be
discovered, that she forgot her mother's counsel not to
speak, and forgot even the spell that had been laid upon
her, and catching hold of the prince's tunic, she cried in
tones of entreaty: 'Dirty creatures!'
The young man stopped, not able to believe his ears,
but supposed that pain had made the princess cross, as
it sometimes does. However, he guessed somehow that
she wished to be left alone, so he only said:
'Well, I dare say a little sleep will do you good, if you
can manage to get it, and that you will wake up better
to-morrow.'
Now, that night happened to be very hot and airless,
and the prince, after vainly trying to rest, at length got up
and went to the window. Suddenly he beheld in the
moonlight a form with a wreath of roses on her head rise
out of the sea below him and step on to the sands, holding
out her arms as she did so towards the palace.
'That maiden is strangely like my wife,' thought he;
'I must see her closer.' And he hastened down to the
water. But when he got there, the princess, for she indeed
it was, had disappeared completely, and he began to wonder
if his eyes had deceived him.
The next morning he went to the false bride's room,
but her ladies told him she would neither speak nor get
up, though she ate everything they set before her.
The prince was sorely perplexed as to what could be the
matter with her, for naturally he could not guess that
she was expecting her mother to return every moment,
and to remove the spell the doves had laid upon her, and
meanwhile was afraid to speak lest she should betray
herself. At length he made up his mind to summon
all the court physicians; he did not tell her what he was
going to do, lest it should make her worse, but he went
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 119
himself and begged the four learned leaches attached to
the king's person to follow him to the princess's apart-
ments. Unfortunately, as they entered, the princess
was so enraged at the sight of them that she forgot all
about the doves, and shrieked out: 'Dirty creatures I
dirty creatures!' which so offended the physicians that
they left the room at once, and nothing that the prince
could say would prevail on them to remain. He then
tried to persuade his wife to send them a message that
she was sorry for her rudeness, but not a word would she
say.
Late that evening, when he had performed all the tire-
some duties which fall to the lot of every prince, the young
man was leaning out of his window, refreshing him-
self with the cool breezes that blew off the sea. His
thoughts went back to the scene of the morning, and he
wondered if, after all, he had not, made a great mistake in
marrying a low-born wife, however beautiful she might
be. How could he have imagined that the quiet, gentle
girl who had been so charming a companion to him during
the first days of their marriage, could have become in a
day the rude, sulky woman, who could not control her
temper even to benefit herself. One thing was clear, if
she did not change her conduct very shortly he would have
to send her away from court.
He was thinking these thoughts, when his eyes fell on
the sea beneath him, and there, as before, was the figure
that so closely resembled his wife, standing with her feet
in the water, holding out her arms to him.
'Wait for me! Wait for me! Wait for me!' he
cried; not even knowing he was speaking. But when he
reached the shore there was nothing to be seen but the
shadows cast by the moonlight.
A state ceremonial in a city some distance off caused
the prince to ride away at daybreak, and he left without
seeing his wife again.
' Perhaps she may have come to her senses by to-morrow,'
120 THE ENCHANTED WREATH
said he to himself; 'and, anyhow, if I am going to send
her back to her father, it might be better if we did not
meet in the meantime.' Then he put the matter from
his mind, and kept his thoughts on the duty that lay before
him.
It was nearly midnight before he returned to the
palace, but, instead of entering, he went down to the shore
and hid behind a rock. He had scarcely done so when
the girl came out of the sea, and stretched out her arms
towards his window. In an instant the prince had seized
her hand, and though she made a frightened struggle to
reach the water — for she in her turn had had a spell laid
upon her — he held her fast.
'You are my own wife, and I shall never let you go,'
he said. But the words were hardly out of his mouth
when he found that it was a hare that he was holding by
the paw. Then the hare changed into a fish, and the
fish into a bird, and the bird into a slimy wriggling snake.
This time the prince's hand nearly opened of itself, but
with a strong effort he kept his fingers shut, and drawing
his sword cut off its head, when the spell was broken, and
the girl stood before him as he had seen her first, the wreath
upon her head and the birds singing for joy.
The very next morning the stepmother arrived at
the palace with an ointment that the old witch had given
her to place upon her daughter's tongue, which would
break the dove's spell, if the rightful bride had really
been drowned in the sea; if not, then it would be useless.
The mother assured her that she had seen her stepdaughter
sink, and that there was no fear that she would ever come
up again; but, to make all quite safe, the old woman might
bewitch the girl; and so she did. After that the wicked
stepmother travelled all through the night to get to the
palace as soon as possible, and made her way straight
into her daughter's room.
'I have got it! I have got it!' she cried trium-
phantly, and laid the ointment on her daughter's tongue.
THE ENCHANTED WREATH 123
'Now what do you say?' she asked proudly.
: Dirty creatures! dirty creatures!' answered the
daughter; and the mother wrung her hands and wept, as
she knew that all her plans had failed.
At this moment the prince entered with his real wife.
'You both deserve death,' he said, 'and if it were left to
me, you should have it. But the princess has begged me
to spare your lives, so you will be put into a ship and
carried off to a desert island, where you will stay till you
die.'
Then the ship was made ready and the wicked woman
and her daughter were placed in it, and it sailed away,
and no more was heard of them. But the prince and
his wife lived together long and happily, and ruled their
people well.
(Adapted from Thorpe's Yule-Tide Stories.)
THE FOOLISH WEAVER
ONCE a weaver, who was in want of work, took service
with a certain farmer as a shepherd.
The farmer, knowing that the man was very slow-witted,
gave him the most careful instructions as to everything that
he was to do.
Finally he said: 'If a wolf or any wild animal attempts
to hurt the flock you should pick up a big stone like this'
(suiting the action to the word) 'and throw a few such at
him, and he will be afraid and go away.' The weaver
said that he understood, and started with the flocks to the
hillsides where they grazed all day.
By chance in the afternoon a leopard appeared, and the
weaver instantly ran home as fast as he could to get
the stones which the farmer had shown him, to throw at the
creature. When he came back all the flock were scattered
or killed, and when the farmer heard the tale he beat him
soundly. 'Were there no stones on the hillside that you
should run back to get them, you senseless one?' he cried;
'you are not fit to herd sheep. To-day you shall stay at
home and mind my old mother who is sick, perhaps you
will be able to drive flies off her face, if you can't drive beasts
away from the sheep!'
So, the next day, the weaver was left at home to take
care of the farmer's old sick mother. Now as she lay out-
side on a bed, it turned out that the flies became very trouble-
some, and the weaver looked around for something to drive
them away with; and as he had been told to pick up the
nearest stone to drive the beasts away from the flock, he
thought he would this time show how cleverly he could
obey orders. Accordingly he seized the nearest stone,
which was a big, heavy one, and dashed it at the flies; but,
unhappily, he slew the poor old woman also; and then,
being afraid of the wrath of the farmer, he fled and was
Dot seen again in that neighbourhood.
THE FOOLISH WEAVER 125
All that day and all the next night he walked, and at
length he came to a village where a great many weavers
lived together.
'You are welcome,' said they. 'Eat and sleep, for to-
morrow six of us start in search of fresh wool to weave,
and we pray you to give us your company.'
'Willingly,' answered the weaver. So the next
morning the seven weavers set out to go to the village
where they could buy what they wanted. On the way
they had to cross a ravine which lately had been full of
water, but now was quite dry. The weavers, however,
were accustomed to swim over this ravine; therefore,
regardless of the fact that this time it was dry, they
stripped, and, tying their clothes on their heads, they
proceeded to swim across the dry sand and rocks that
formed the bed of the ravine. Thus they got to the other
side without further damage than bruised knees and elbows,
and as soon as they were over, one of them began
to count the party to make sure that all were safe there.
He counted all except himself, and then cried out that
somebody was missing! This set each of them counting;
but each made the same mistake of counting all except
himself, so that they became certain that one of their
party was missing! They ran up and down the bank
of the ravine wringing their hands in great distress
and looking for signs of their lost comrade. There a
farmer found them and asked what was the matter.
'Alas!' said one, 'seven of us started from the other
bank and one must have been drowned on the cross-
ing, as we can only find six remaining!' The farmer
eyed them a minute, and then, picking up his stick,
he dealt each a sounding blow, counting, as he did so,
'One! two! three!' and so on up to the seven. When
the weavers found that there were seven of them they
were overcome with gratitude to one whom they took for a
magician as he could thus make seven out of an obvious six.
(From the Pushto.)
THE CLEVER CAT
ONCE upon a time there lived an old man who dwelt with
his son in a small hut on the edge of the plain. He was
very old, and had worked very hard, and when at last he
was struck down by illness he felt that he should never
rise from his bed again.
So, one day, he bade his wife summon their son, when
he came back from his journey to the nearest town, where
he had been to buy bread.
'Come hither, my son,' said he; 'I know myself well
to be dying, and I have nothing to leave you but my
falcon, my cat and my greyhound; but if you make
good use of them you will never lack food. Be good to
your mother, as you have been to me. And now fare-
well!'
Then he turned his face to the wall and died.
There was great mourning in the hut for many days,
but at length the son rose up, and calling to his greyhound,
his cat and his falcon, he left the house saying that he
would bring back something for dinner. Wandering over
the plain, he noticed a troop of gazelles, and pointed to
his greyhound to give chase. The dog soon brought
down a fine fat beast, and slinging it over his shoulders,
the young man turned homewards. On the way, how-
ever, he passed a pond, and as he approached a cloud of
birds flew into the air. Shaking his wrist, the falcon seated
on it darted into the air, and swooped down upon the quarry
he had marked, which fell dead to the ground. The
young man picked it up, and put it in his pouch and then
went towards home again.
THE CLEVER CAT 127
Near the hut was a small barn in which he kept the
produce of the little patch of corn, which grew close to
the garden. Here a rat ran out almost under his feet,
followed by another and another; but quick as thought
the cat was upon them and not one escaped her.
When all the rats were killed, the young man left the
barn. He took the path leading to the door of the hut,
but stopped on feeling a hand laid on his shoulder.
'Young man,' said the Jew (for such was the stranger),
' you have been a good son, and you deserve the piece of
luck which has befallen you this day. Come with me to
that shining lake yonder, and fear nothing.'
Wondering a little at what might be going to happen
to him, the youth did as the Jew bade him, and when they
reached the shore of the lake, the old man turned and said
to him:
'Step into the water and shut your eyes! You will
find yourself sinking slowly to the bottom; but take courage,
all will go well. Only bring up as much silver as you can
carry, and we will divide it between us.'
So the young man stepped bravely into the lake, and
felt himself sinking, sinking, till he reached firm ground
at last. In front of him lay four heaps of silver, and in
the midst of them a curious white shining stone, marked
over with strange characters, such as he had never seen
before. He picked it up in order to examine it more closely,
and as he held it the stone spoke.
'As long as you hold me, all your wishes will come true,'
it said. 'But hide me in your turban, and then call to
the Jew that you are ready to come up.'
In a few minutes the young man stood again by the
shores of the lake.
'Well, where is the silver?' asked the Jew, who was
awaiting him.
'Ah, my father, how can I tell you! So bewildered
was I, and so dazzled with the splendours of everything
I saw, that I stood like a statue, unable to move. Then
128 THE CLEVER CAT
hearing steps approaching I got frightened, and called to
you, as you know.'
'You are no better than the rest,' cried the Jew, and
turned away in a rage.
When he was out of sight the young man took the stone
from his turban and looked at it. ' I want the finest camel
that can be found, and the most splendid garments,' said
he.
'Shut your eyes then,' replied the stone. And he shut
them; and when he opened them again the camel that
he had wished for was standing before him, while the
festal robes of a desert prince hung from his shoulders.
Mounting the camel, he whistled the falcon to his wrist,
and, followed by his greyhound and his cat, he started
homewards.
His mother was sewing at her door when this magnifi-
cent stranger rode up, and, filled with surprise, she bowed
low before him.
'Don't you know me, mother?' he said with a laugh.
And on hearing his voice the good woman nearly fell to
the ground with astonishment.
' How have you got that camel and those clothes ? ' asked
she. ' Can a son ot mine have committed murder in order
to possess them?'
'Do not be afraid; they are quite honestly come by,'
answered the youth. 'I will explain all by-and-by; but
now you must go to the palace and tell the king I wish to
marry his daughter.'
At these words the mother thought her son had
certainly gone mad, and stared blankly at him. The
young man guessed what was in her heart, and replied
with a smile:
'Fear nothing. Promise all that he asks; it will be ful-
filled somehow.'
So she went to the palace, where she found the king
sitting in the Hall of Justice listening to the petitions of
his people. The woman waited until all had been heard
THE CLEVER CAT 1*9
and the hall was empty, and then went up and knelt before
the throne.
' My son has sent me to ask for the hand of the princess,'
said she.
The king looked at her and thought that she was mad;
but, instead of ordering his guards to turn her out, he
answered gravely:
'Before he can marry the princess he must build me a
palace of ice, which can be warmed with fires, and wherein
the rarest singing-birds can live!'
'It shall be done, your Majesty,' said she, and got up
and left the hall.
Her son was anxiously awaiting her outside the
palace gates, dressed in the clothes that he wore every
day.
'Well, what have I got to do?' he asked impatiently,
drawing his mother aside so that no one could overhear
them.
'Oh, something quite impossible; and I hope you will
put the princess out of your head,' she replied.
' Well, but what is it ? ' persisted he.
'Nothing but to build a palace of ice wherein fires can
burn that shall keep it so warm that the most delicate sing-
ing-birds can live in it!'
'I thought it would be something much harder than
that,' exclaimed the young man. 'I will see about it at
once.' And leaving his mother, he went into the country
and took the stone from his turban.
'I want a palace of ice that can be warmed with fires
and filled with the rarest singing-birds!'
'Shut your eyes, then,' said the stone; and he shut
them, and when he opened them again there was the
palace, more beautiful than anything he could have
imagined, the fires throwing a soft pink glow over the
ice.
'It is fit even for the princess,' thought he to himself.
130 THE CLEVER CAT
As soon as the king awoke next morning he ran to
the window, and there across the plain he beheld the
palace.
'That young man must be a great wizard; he may be
useful to me.' And when the mother came again to tell
THE. JEW
THE, JEWELS TO THE PRJNCES3
him that his orders had been fulfilled he received her with
great honour, and bade her tell her son that the wedding
was fixed for the following day.
The princess was delighted with her new home, and
with her husband also; and several days slipped happily
THE CLEVER CAT 131
by, spent in turning over all the beautiful things that the
palace contained. But at length the young man grew
tired of always staying inside walls, and he told his wife
that the next day he must leave her for a few hours, and
go out hunting. 'You will not mind?' he asked. And
she answered as became a good wife:
'Yes, of course I shall mind; but I will spend the day
in planning out some new dresses; and then it will be so
delightful when you come back, you know!'
So the husband went off to hunt, with the falcon on
his wrist, and the greyhound and the cat behind him —
for the palace was so warm that even the cat did not mind
living in it.
No sooner had he gone, than the Jew, who had been
watching his chance for many days, knocked at the door
of the palace.
'I have just returned from a far country,' he said,
'and I have some of the largest and most brilliant
stones in the world with me. The princess is known
to love beautiful things, perhaps she might like to buy
some ? '
Now the princess had been wondering for many days
what trimming she should put on her dresses, so that
they should outshine the dresses of the other ladies at
the court balls. Nothing that she thought of seemed
good enough, so, when the message was brought that the
Jew and his wares were below, she at once ordered that
he should be brought to her chamber.
Oh! what beautiful stones he laid before her; what
lovely rubies, and what rare pearls! No other lady
would have jewels like those — of that the princess was
quite sure; but she cast down her eyes so that the Jew
might not see how much she longed for them.
'I fear they are too costly for me,' she said carelessly;
'and besides, I have hardly need of any more jewels just
now.'
'I have no particular wish to sell them myself,'
132 THE CLEVER CAT
answered the Jew, with equal indifference. 'But I have
a necklace of shining stones which was left me by my father,
and one, the largest, engraven with weird characters, is
missing. I have heard that it is in your husband's
possession, and if you can get me that stone you shall have
any of these jewels that you choose. But you will have
to pretend that you want it for yourself; and, above all, do
not mention me, for he sets great store by it, and would
never part with it to a stranger! To-morrow I will return
with some jewels yet finer than those I have with me to-
day. So, madam, farewell!'
Left alone, the princess began to think of many things,
but chiefly as to whether she would persuade her
husband to give her the stone or not. At one moment
she felt he had already bestowed so much upon her that
it was a shame to ask for the only object he had kept back.
No, it would be mean; she could not do it! But
then, those diamonds, and those strings of pearls! After
all, they had only been married a week, and the pleasure
of giving it to her ought to be far greater than the pleasure
of keeping it for himself. And she was sure it would
be!
Well, that evening, when the young man had supped
off his favourite dishes which the princess took care to
have specially prepared for him, she sat down close beside
him, and began stroking his hand. For some time she
did not speak, but listened attentively to all the adventures
that had befallen him that day.
'But I was thinking of you all the time,' said he at the
end, 'and wishing that I could bring you back something
you would like. But, alas! what is there that you do not
possess already?'
'How good of you not to forget me when you are in
the midst of such dangers and hardships,' answered she.
'Yes, it is true I have many beautiful things; but if you
THE CLEVER CAT 133
want to give me a present — and to-morrow is my birth-
day — there is one thing that I wish for very much.'
'And what is that? Of course you shall have it directly!'
he asked eagerly.
'It is that bright stone which fell out of the folds of
your turban a few days ago,' she answered, playing with
his finger; 'the little stone with all those funny marks upon
it. I never saw any stone like it before.'
The young man did not answer at first; then he said,
slowly:
'I have promised, and therefore I must perform. But
will you swear never to part from it, and to keep it safely
about you always? More I cannot tell you, but I beg
you earnestly to take heed to this.'
The princess was a little startled by his manner, and
began to be sorry that she had ever listened to the Jew.
But she did not like to draw back, and pretended to be
immensely delighted at her new toy, and kissed and thanked
her husband for it.
'After all I needn't give it to the Jew,' thought she as
she dropped to sleep.
Unluckily the next morning the young man went
hunting again, and the Jew, who was watching, knew this,
and did not come till much later than before. At the
moment that he knocked at the door of the palace the
princess had tired of all her employments, and her atten-
dants were at their wits' end how to amuse her, when
a tall negro dressed in scarlet came to announce that the
Jew was below, and desired to know if the princess would
speak with him.
'Bring him hither at once!' cried she, springing up
from her cushions, and forgetting all her resolves of the
previous night. In another moment she was bending with
rapture over the glittering gems.
'Have you got it?' asked the Jew in a whisper, for the
princess's ladies were standing as near as they dared to
catch a glimpse of the beautiful jewels.
134 THE CLEVER CAT
'Yes, here,' she answered, slipping the stone from
her sash and placing it among the rest. Then she
raised her voice, and began to talk quickly of the prices
of the chains and necklaces, and after some bargaining,
to deceive the attendants, she declared that she liked one
string of pearls better than all the rest, and that the Jew
might take away the other things, which were not half so
valuable as he supposed.
'As you please, madam,' said he, bowing himself out
of the palace.
Soon after he had gone a curious thing happened. The
princess carelessly touched the wall of her room, which
was wont to reflect the warm red light of the fire
on the hearth, and found her hand quite wet. She
turned round, and — was it her fancy ? or did the fire
burn more dimly than before? Hurriedly she passed
into the picture gallery, where pools of water showed here
and there on the floor, and a cold chill ran through her
whole body. At that instant her frightened ladies came
running down the stairs, crying:
'Madam! madam! what has happened? The palace
is disappearing under our eyes!'
'My husband will be home very soon,' answered the
princess — who, though nearly as much frightened as her
ladies, felt that she must set them a good example. 'Wait
till then, and he will tell us what to do.'
So they waited, seated on the highest chairs they could
find, wrapped in their warmest garments, and with piles of
cushions under their feet, while the poor birds flew with
numbed wings hither and thither, till they were so lucky
as to discover an open window in some forgotten corner.
Through this they vanished, and were seen no more.
At last, when the princess and her ladies had been forced
to leave the upper rooms, where the walls and floors
had melted away, and to take refuge in the hall, the young
man came home. He had ridden back along a wind-
ding road from which he did not see the palace till
THE CLEVER CAT 135
he was close upon it, and stood horrified at the spec-
tacle before him. He knew in an instant that his
wife must have betrayed his trust, but he would not re-
proach her, as she must be suffering enough already.
Hurrying on he sprang over all that was left of the palace
walls, and the princess gave a cry of relief at the sight of
him.
'Come quickly,' he said, 'or you will be frozen to
death!' And a dreary little procession set out for the
king's palace, the greyhound and the cat bringing up the
rear.
At the gates he left them, though his wife besought him
to allow her to enter.
'You have betrayed me and ruined me,' he said sternly;
'I go to seek my fortune alone.' And without another
word he turned and left her.
With his falcon on his wrist, and his greyhound and
cat behind him, the young man walked a long way, in-
quiring of everyone he met whether they had seen his
enemy the Jew. But nobody had. Then he bade his
falcon fly up into the sky — up, up, and up — and try if his
sharp eyes could discover the old thief. The bird had to
go so high that he did not return for some hours; but he
told his master that the Jew was lying asleep in a splen-
did palace in a far country on the shores of the sea. This
was delightful news to the young man, who instantly
bought some meat for the falcon, bidding him make a
good meal.
'To-morrow,' said he, 'you will fly to the palace
where the Jew lies, and while he is asleep you will search
all about him for a stone on which is engraved strange
signs; this you will bring to me. In three days I shall
expect you back here.'
'Well, I must take the cat with me,' answered the
bird.
The sun had not yet risen before the falcon soared high
136
THE CLEVER CAT
into the air, the cat seated on his back, with his paws tightly
clasping the bird's neck.
'You had better shut your eyes or you may get
giddy,' said the bird; and the cat, who had never before
been off the ground except to climb a tree, did as she was
bid.
I co TO .SE.CK nv FORJWNE.
All that day and all that night they flew, and in the
morning they saw the Jew's palace lying beneath them.
'Dear me,' said the cat, opening her eyes for the first
time, 'that looks to me very like a rat city down
there, let us go down to it; they may be able to help
THE CLEVER CAT 137
us.' So they alighted in some bushes in the heart of the
rat city. The falcon remained where he was, but the
cat lay down outside the principle gate, causing terrible
excitement among the rats.
At length, seeing she did not move, one bolder than
the rest put its head out of an upper window of the castle,
and said, in a trembling voice:
'Why have you come here? What do you want? If
it is anything in our power, tell us, and we will do it.'
'If you would have let me speak to you before, I
would have told you that I come as a friend,' replied the
cat; 'and I shall be greatly obliged if you would send
four of the strongest and cunningest among you, to do
me a service.'
'Oh, we shall be delighted,' answered the rat, much
relieved. 'But if you will inform me what it is you wish
them to do I shall be better able to judge who is most
fitted for the post.'
'I thank you,' said the cat. 'Well, what they have
to do is this: To-night they must burrow under the
walls of the castle and go up to the room where a Jew
lies asleep. Somewhere about him he has hidden a stone,
on which are engraved strange signs. When they have
found it they must take it from him without his waking,
and bring it to me.'
'Your orders shall be obeyed,' replied the rat. And
he went out to give his instructions.
About midnight the cat, who was still sleeping before
the gate, was awakened by some water flung at him by
the head rat, who could not make up his mind to open
the doors.
'Here is the stone you wanted,' said he, when the cat
started up with a loud mew; 'if you will hold up your
paws I will drop it down.' And so he did. 'And now
farewell,' continued the rat; 'you have a long way to go,
and will do well to start before daybreak.'
'Your counsel is good,' replied the cat, smiling to itself;
138 THE CLEVER CAT
and putting the stone in her mouth she went off to seek
the falcon.
Now all this time neither the cat nor the falcon had
had any food, and the falcon soon got tired carrying
such a heavy burden. When night arrived he declared
he could go no further, but would spend it on the banks
of a river.
'And it is my turn to take care of the stone,' said he,
'or it will seem as if you had done everything and I
nothing.'
'No, I got it, and I will keep it,' answered the cat, who
was tired and cross; and they began a fine quarrel. But,
unluckily, in the midst of it, the cat raised her voice, and
the stone fell into the ear of a big fish which happened
to be swimming by, and though both the cat and the falcon
sprang into the water after it, they were too late.
Half drowned, and more than half choked, the two
faithful servants scrambled back to land again. The
falcon flew to a tree and spread his wings in the sun to
dry, but the cat, after giving herself a good shake, began
to scratch up the sandy banks and to throw the bits into
the stream.
'What are you doing that for?' asked a little fish.
'Do you know that you are making the water quite
muddy ? '
'That doesn't matter at all to me,' answered the cat.
'I am going to fill up all the river, so that the fishes may
die.'
'That is very unkind, as we have never done you any
harm,' replied the fish. 'Why are you so angry with
us?'
' Because one of you has got a stone of mine — a stone
with strange signs upon it — which dropped into the water.
If you will promise to get it back for me, why, perhaps I
will leave your river alone.'
'I will certainly try,' answered the fish in a great
hurry; 'but you must have a little patience, as it may not
THE CLEVER CAT
139
be an easy task.' And in an instant his scales might be
seen flashing quickly along.
The fish swam as fast as he could to the sea, which
was not far distant, and calling together all his relations
who lived in the neighbourhood, he told them of the
terrible danger which threatened the dwellers in the
river.
'None of us has got it,' said the fishes, shaking their
heads; 'but in the bay yonder there is a tunny who,
although he is so old, always goes everywhere. He
will be able to tell you about it, if anyone can.' So the
little fish swam off to the tunny, and again related his
story.
'Why / was up that river only a few hours ago!' cried
the tunny; 'and as I was coming back something fell into
my ear, and there it is still, for I went to sleep when I
got home and forgot all about it. Perhaps it may be
what you want.' And stretching up his tail he whisked
out the stone.
140 THE CLEVER CAT
'Yes, I think that must be it,' said the fish with joy.
And taking the stone in his mouth he carried it to the
place where the cat was waiting for him.
'I am much obliged to you,' said the cat, as the fish
laid the stone on the sand, 'and to reward you, I will let
your river alone.' And she mounted the falcon's back,
and they flew to their master.
Ah, how glad he was to see them again with the magic
stone in their possession. In a moment he had wished
for a palace, but this time it was of green marble; and
then he wished for the princess and her ladies to occupy
it. And there they lived for many years, and when the
old king died the princess's husband reigned in his stead.
(Adapted from Contes Bcrbires.)
THE STORY OF MANUS
FAR away over the sea of the West there reigned a king
who had two sons; and the name of the one was Oireal,
and the name of the other was larlaid. When the boys
were still children, their father and mother died, and a
great council was held, and a man was chosen frcm among
them who would rule the kingdom till the boys were old
enough to rule it themselves.
The years passed on, and by-and-by another council
was held, and it was agreed that the king's sons were
now of an age to take the power which rightly belonged
to them. So the youths were bidden to appear before
the council, and Oireal the elder was smaller and weaker
than his brother.
'I like not to leave the deer on the hill and the fish
in the rivers, and sit in judgment on my people,' said
Oireal, when he had listened to the words of the chief
of the council. And the chief waxed angry, and answered
quickly:
'Not one clod of earth shall ever be yours if this day
you do not take on yourself the vows that were taken
by the king your father.'
Then spake larlaid, the younger, and he said: 'Let
one half be yours, and the other give to me; then you will
have fewer people to rule over.'
'Yes, I will do that,' answered Oireal.
After this, one half of the men of the land of Lochlann
did homage to Oireal, and the other half to larlaid. And
they governed their kingdoms as they would, and in a
few years they became grown men with beards on their
142 THE STORY OF MANUS
chins; and larlaid married the daughter of the king of
Greece, and Oireal the daughter of the king of Orkney.
The next year sons were born to Oireal and larlaid; and
the son of Oireal was big and strong, but the son of larlaid
was little and weak, and each had six foster brothers who
went everywhere with the princes.
One day Manus, son of Oireal, and his cousin, the
son of larlaid, called to their foster brothers, and bade
them come and play a game at shinny in the great field
near the school where they were taught all that princes
and nobles should know. Long they played, and swiftly
did the ball pass from one to another, when Manus drove
the ball at his cousin, the son of larlaid. The boy, who
was not used to be roughly handled, even in jest, cried
out that he was sorely hurt, and went home with his
foster brothers and told his tale to his mother. The
wife of larlaid grew white and angry as she listened, and
thrusting her son aside, sought the council hall where
larlaid was sitting.
'Manus has driven a ball at my son, and fain would
have slain him,' said she. 'Let an end be put to him and
his ill deeds.'
But larlaid answered:
' Nay, I will not slay the son of my brother.'
'And he shall not slay my son,' said the queen. And
calling to her chamberlain she ordered him to lead the
prince to the four brown boundaries of the world, and to
leave him there with a wise man, who would care for
him, and let no harm befall him. And the wise man
set the boy on the top of a hill where the sun always
shone, and he could see every man, but no man could
see him.
Then she summoned Manus to the castle, and for a
whole year she kept him fast, and his own mother could
not get speech of him. But in the end, when the wife
of Oireal fell sick, Manus fled from the tower which was
his prison, and stole back to his own home.
THE STORY OF MANUS 143
For a few years he stayed there in peace, and then the
wife of larlaid his uncle sent for him.
'It is time that you were married,' she said, when
she saw that Manus had grown tall and strong like unto
larlaid. 'Tall and strong you are, and comely of face.
I know a bride that will suit you well, and that is the
daughter of the mighty earl of Finghaidh, that does
homage for his lands to me. I myself will go with a
great following to his house, and you shall go with
me.'
Thus it was done; and though the earl's wife was
eager to keep her daughter with her yet a while, she was
fain to yield, as the wife of larlaid vowed that not a rood
of land should the earl have, unless he did her bidding.
But if he would give his daughter to Manus, she would
bestow on him the third part of her own kindgom, with
much treasure beside. This she did, not from love to
Manus, but because she wished to destroy him. So they
were married, and rode back with the wife of larlaid to
her own palace. And that night, while he was sleeping,
there came a wise man, who was his father's friend, and
awoke him saying: 'Danger lies very close to you, Manus,
son of Oireal. You hold yourself favoured because you
have as a bride the daughter of a mighty earl; but do
you know what bride the wife of larlaid sought for her
own son? It was no worldly wife she found for him,
but the swift March wind, and never can you prevail
against her.'
'Is it thus?' answered Manus. And at the first streak
of dawn he went to the chamber where the queen lay in
the midst of her maidens.
'I have come,' he said, 'for the third part of the king-
dom, and for the treasure which you promised me.' But
the wife of larlaid laughed as she heard him.
'Not a clod shall you have here,' spake she. 'You
must go to the Old Bergen for that. Mayhap under its
stones and rough mountains you may find a treasure!'
144 THE STORY OF MAN US
'Then give me your son's six foster brothers as well
as my own,' answered he. And the queen gave them to
him, and they set out for Old Bergen.
A year passed by, and found them still in that wild
land, hunting the reindeer, and digging pits for the moun-
tain sheep to fall into. For a time Manus and his twelve
companions lived merrily, but at length Manus grew
weary of the strange country, and they all took ship for
the land of Lochlann. The wind was fierce and cold,
and long was the voyage; but, one spring day, they sailed
into the harbour that lay beneath the castle of larlaid.
The queen looked from her window and beheld him mount-
ing the hill, with the twelve foster brothers behind him.
Then she said to her husband: 'Manus has returned with
his twelve foster brothers. Would that I could put an
end to him and his murdering and his slaying.'
'That were a great pity,' answered larlaid. 'And it
is not I that will do it.'
'If you will not do it I will,' said she. And she called
the twelve foster brothers and made them vow fealty to
herself. So Manus was left with no man, and sorrowful
was he when he returned alone to Old Bergen. It was
late when his foot touched the shore, and took the path
towards the forest. On his way there he met him a man
in a red tunic.
'Is it you, Manus, come back again?' asked he.
'It is I,' answered Manus; 'alone have I returned from
the land of Lochlann.'
The man eyed him silently for a moment, and then
he said:
'I dreamed that you were girt with a sword and became
king of Lochlann.' But Manus answered:
'I have no sword and my bow is broken.'
' I will give you a new sword if you will make me a prom-
ise,' said the man once more.
'To be sure I will make it, if ever I am king,'
THE STORY OF MANUS 145
answered Manus. 'But speak, and tell me what promise
I am to make ! '
'I was your grandfather's armourer,' replied the man,
'and I wish to be your armourer also.'
HOV r-lANU5 COT THE UON'5 CUE.
'That I will promise readily,' said Manus; and followed
the man into his house, which was at a little distance.
But the house was not like other houses, for the walls
146 THE STORY OF MANUS
of every room were hung so thick with arms that you
could not see the boards.
'Choose what you will,' said the man; and Manus un-
hooked a sword and tried it across his knee, and it broke,
and so did the next, and the next.
'Leave off breaking the swords,' cried the man, 'and
look at this old sword and helmet and tunic that I wore
in the wars of your grandfather. Perhaps you may find
them of stouter steel.' And Manus bent the sword thrice
across his knee but he could not break it. So he girded
it to his side, and put on the old helmet. As he fastened
the strap his eye fell on a cloth flapping outside the
window.
'What cloth is that?' asked he.
'It is a cloth that was woven by the Little People of
the forest,' said the man; 'and when you are hungry it
will give you food and drink, and if you meet a foe, he
will not hurt you, but will stoop and kiss the back of your
hand in token of submission. Take it, and use it well.'
Manus gladly wrapped the shawl round his arm, and
was leaving the house, when he heard the rattling of a
chain blown by the wind.
' What chain is that ? ' asked he.
'The creature who has that chain round his neck, need
not fear a hundred enemies,' answered the armourer.
And Manus wound it round him and passed on into the
forest.
Suddenly there sprang out from the bushes two lions,
and a lion cub with them. The fierce beasts bounded
towards him, roaring loudly, and would fain have eaten
him, but quickly Manus stooped and spread the cloth
upon the ground. At that the lions stopped, and bowing
their great heads, kissed the back of his wrist and went
their ways. But the cub rolled itself up in the cloth; so
Manus picked them both up, and carried them with him
io Old Bergen.
Another year went by, and then he took the lion cub
THE STORY OF MANUS 147
and set forth to the land of Lochlann. And the wife of
larlaid came to meet him, and a brown dog, small but
full of courage, came with her. When the dog beheld
the lion cub he rushed towards him, thinking to eat him;
but the cub caught the dog by the neck, and shook him,
and he was dead. And the wife of larlaid mourned him
sore, and her wrath was kindled, and many times she
tried to slay Manus and his cub, but she could not. And
at last they two went back to Old Bergen, and the twelve
foster brothers went also.
'Let them go,' said the wife of larlaid, when she heard
of it. 'My brother the Red Gruagach will take the head
off Manus as well in Old Bergen as elsewhere.'
Now these words were carried by a messenger to the
wife of Oireal, and she made haste and sent a ship to Old
Bergen to bear away her son before the Red Gruagach
should take the head off him. And in the ship was a
pilot. But the wife of larlaid made a thick fog to cover
the face of the sea, and the rowers could not row, lest
they should drive the ship on to a rock. And when night
came, the lion cub, whose eyes were bright and keen,
stole up to Manus, and Manus got on his back, and the
lion cub sprang ashore and bade Manus rest on the rock
and wait for him. So Manus slept, and by-and-by a
voice sounded in his ears, saying: 'Arise!' And he saw
a ship in the water beneath him, and in the ship sat the
lion cub in the shape of the pilot.
Then they sailed away through the fog, and none saw
them; and they reached the land of Lochlann, and the
lion cub with the chain round his neck sprang from the
ship and Manus followed after. And the lion cub killed
all the men that guarded the castle, and larlaid and his
wife also, so that, in the end, Manus son of Oireal was
crowned king of Lochlann.
(Shortened from West Highland Tabs.)
PINKEL THE THIEF
LONG, long ago there lived a widow who had three sons.
The two eldest were grown up, and though they were
known to be idle fellows, some of the neighbours had
given them work to do on account of the respect in
which their mother was held. But at the time this
story begins they had both been so careless and idle
that their masters declared they would keep them no
longer.
So home they went to their mother and youngest
brother, of whom they thought little, because he made
himself useful about the house, and looked after the hens,
and milked the cow. 'Pinkel,' they called him in scorn,
and by-and-by 'Pinkel' became his name thoughout the
village.
The two young men thought it was much nicer to live
at home and be idle than to be obliged to do a quantity
of disagreeable things they did not like, and they would
have stayed by the fire till the end of their lives had
not the widow lost patience with them and said that
since they would not look for work at home they
must seek it elsewhere, for she would not have them
under her roof any longer. But she repented bitterly
of her words when Pinkel told her that he too was
old enough to go out into the world, and that when he had
made a fortune he would send for his mother to keep house
for him.
The widow wept many tears at parting from her
youngest son, but as she saw that his heart was set
PINKEL THE THIEF 149
upon going with his brothers, she did not try to keep him.
So the young men started off one morning in high spirits,
never doubting that work such as they might be willing
to do would be had for the asking, as soon as their little
store of money was spent.
But a very few days of wandering opened their eyes.
Nobody seemed to want them, or, if they did, the young
men declared that they were not able to undertake all
that the farmers or millers or woodcutters required of
them. The youngest brother, who was wiser, would
gladly have done some of the work that the others
refused, but he was small and slight, and no one thought
of offering him any. Therefore they went from one
place to another, living only on the fruit and nuts
they could find in the woods, and getting hungrier every
day.
One night, after they had been walking for many
hours and were very tired, they came to a large lake
with an island in the middle of it. From the island
streamed a strong light, by which they could see every-
thing almost as clearly as if the sun had been shining,
and they perceived that, lying half hidden in the rushes,
was a boat.
'Let us take it and row over to the island, where
there must be a house,' said the eldest brother; 'and
perhaps they will give us food and shelter.' And they all
got in and rowed across in the direction of the light. As
they drew near the island they saw that it came from a
golden lantern hanging over the door of a hut, while
sweet tinkling music proceeded from some bells attached
to the golden horns of a goat which was feeding near the
cottage. The young men's hearts rejoiced as they
thought that at last they would be able to rest their
weary limbs, and they entered the hut, but were amazed
to see an ugly old woman inside, wrapped in a cloak of
gold which lighted up the whole house. They looked
at each other uneasily as she came forward with her
150 PINKEL THE THIEF
daughter, as they knew by the cloak that this was a famous
witch.
'What do you want?' asked she, at the same time
signing to her daughter to stir the large pot on the
fire.
'We are tired and hungry, and would fain have shelter
for the night,' answered the eldest brother.
'You cannot get it here,' said the witch, 'but you will
find both food and shelter in the palace on the other side
of the lake. Take your boat and go; but leave this boy
with me — I can find work for him, though something
tells me he is quick and cunning, and will do me ill.'
'What harm can a poor boy like me do a great Troll
like you,' answered Pinkel. 'Let me go, I pray you,
with my brothers. I will promise never to hurt you.'
And at last the witch let him go, and he followed his brothers
to the boat.
The way was further than they thought, and it was
morning before they reached the palace.
Now, at last, their luck seemed to have turned, for
while the two eldest were given places in the king's stables,
Pinkel was taken as page to the little prince. He was
a clever and amusing boy, who saw everything that passed
under his eyes, and the king noticed this, and often em-
ployed him in his own service, which made his brothers
very jealous.
Things went on in this way for some time, and
Pinkel every day rose in the royal favour. At length the
envy of his brothers became so great that they could
bear it no longer, and consulted together how best they
might ruin his credit with the king. They did not wish
to kill him — though, perhaps, they would not have been
sorry if they had heard he was dead — but merely wished
to remind him that he was after all only a child, not half
so old and wise as they.
Their opportunity soon came. It happened to be the
king's custom to visit his stables once a week, so that he
PINKEL THE THIEF
151
might see that his horses were being properly cared for.
The next time he entered the stables the two brothers
managed to be in the way, and when the king praised
the beautiful satin skins of the horses under their charge,
brink's the. ~LOitc7r'&
and remarked how different was their condition when his
grooms had first come across the lake, the young men at
once began to speak of the wonderful light which sprang
from the lantern over the hut. The king, who had a
passion for collecting all the rarest things he could find,
152 PINKEL THE THIEF
fell into the trap directly, and inquired where he could
get this marvellous lantern.
'Send Pinkel for it, Sire,' said they. 'It belongs to
an old witch, who no doubt came by it in some evil way.
But Pinkel has a smooth tongue, and he can get the better
of any woman, old or young.'
'Then bid him go this very night,' cried the king; 'and
if he brings me the lantern I will make him one of the
chief men about my person.'
Pinkel was much pleased at the thought of his
adventure, and without more ado he borrowed a little
boat which lay moored to the shore, and rowed over to
the island at once. It was late by the time he arrived,
and almost dark, but he knew by the savoury smell that
reached him that the witch was cooking her supper. So
he climbed softly on to the roof, and, peering, watched
till the old woman's back was turned, when he quickly
drew a handful of salt from his pocket and threw it into
the pot. Scarcely had he done this when the witch
called her daughter and bade her lift the pot off the fire
and put the stew into a dish, as it had been cooking quite
long enough and she was hungry. But no sooner had
she tasted it than she put her spoon down, and declared
that her daughter must have been meddling with it, for
it was impossible to eat anything that was all made of
salt.
'Go down to the spring in the valley, and get some
fresh water, that I may prepare a fresh supper,' cried she,
'for I feel half-starved.'
'But, mother,' answered the girl, 'how can I find the
well in this darkness? For you know that the lantern's
rays shed no light down there.'
'Well, then, take the lantern with you,' answered the
witch, 'for supper I must have, and there is no water
that is nearer.'
So the girl took her pail in one hand and the golden
PINKEL THE THIEF 153
lantern in the other, and hastened away t^> the well,
followed by Pinkel, who took care to keep cut of the way
of the rays. When at last she stooped to fil' her pail at
the well Pinkel pushed her into it, and snatching up the
lantern hurried back to his boat and rowed off from the
shore.
He was already a long distance from the island when
the witch, who wondered what had become of her
daughter, went to the door to look for her. Close around
the hut was thick darkness, but what was that bobbing
light that streamed across the water? The witch's
heart sank as all at once it flashed upon her what had
happened.
'Is that you, Pinkel?' cried she; and the youth
answered:
'Yes, dear mother, it is I!'
'And are you not a knave for robbing me?' said she.
'Truly, dear mother, I am,' replied Pinkel, rowing
faster than ever, for he was half afraid that the witch
might come after him. But she had no power on the
water, and turned angrily into the hut, muttering to her-
self all the while:
'Take care! take care! A second time you will not
escape so easily!'
The sun had not yet risen when Pinkel returned to
the palace, and, entering the king's chamber, he held up
the lantern so that its rays might fall upon the bed. In
an instant the king awoke, and seeing the golden lantern
shedding its light upon him, he sprang up, and embraced
Pinkel with joy.
'O cunning one,' cried he, 'what treasure hast thou
brought me!' And calling for his attendants he ordered
that rooms next his own should be prepared for Pinkel,
and that the youth might enter his presence at any
hour. And besides this, he was to have a seat on the
council.
It may easily be guessed that all this made the
154 PINKEL THE THIEF
brothers more envious than they were before; and they
cast about in their minds afresh how best they might
destroy him. At length they remembered the goat with
the golden horns and the bells, and they rejoiced; 'For,'
said they, 'this time the old woman will be on the watch,
and let him be as clever as he likes, the bells on the
horns are sure to warn her.' So when, as before, the
king came down to the stables and praised the cleverness
of their brother, the young men told him of that other
marvel possessed by the witch, the goat with the golden
horns.
From this moment the king never closed his eyes at
night for longing after this wonderful creature. He
understood something of the danger that there might be
in trying to steal it, now that the witch's suspicions were
aroused, and he spent hours in making plans for out-
witting her. But somehow he never could think of any-
thing that would do, and at last, as the brothers had
foreseen, he sent for Pinkel.
'I hear,' he said, 'that the old witch on the island has
a goat with golden horns, from which hang bells that
tinkle the sweetest music. That goat I must have!
But, tell me, how am I to get it? I would give the
third part of my kingdom to anyone that would bring
it to me.'
'I will fetch it myself,' answered Pinkel.
This time it was easier for Pinkel to approach the island
unseen, as there was no golden lantern to throw its beams
over the water. But, on the other hand, the goat slept
inside the hut, and would therefore have to be taken from
under the very eyes of the old woman. How was he to
do it ? All the way across the lake he thought and thought,
till at length a plan came into his head which seemed
as if it might do, though he knew it would be very difficult
to carry out.
The first thing he did when he reached the shore
was to look about for a piece of wood, and when he had
PINKEL THE THIEF 155
found it he hid himself close to the hut, till it grew quite
dark and near the hour when the witch and her daughter
went to bed. Then he crept up and fixed the wood
under the door, which opened outwards, in such a
manner that the more you tried to shut it the more
firmly it stuck. And this was what happened when the
girl went as usual to bolt the door and make all fast for
the night.
' What are you doing ? ' asked the witch, as her daughter
kept tugging at the handle.
'There is something the matter with the door; it won't
shut,' answered she.
'Well, leave it alone; there is nobody to hurt us,' said
the witch, who was very sleepy; and the girl did as
she was bid, and went to bed. Very soon they both
might have been heard snoring, and Pinkel knew that
his time was come. Slipping off his shoes he stole into
the hut on tiptoe, and taking from his pockets some food
of which the goat was particularly fond, he laid it under
his nose. Then, while the animal was eating it, he
stuffed each golden bell with wool which he had also
brought with him, stopping every minute to listen, lest
the witch should awaken, and he should find himself
changed into some dreadful bird or beast. But the
snoring still continued, and he went on with his work as
quickly as he could. When the last bell was done he
drew another handful of food out of his pocket, and held
it out to the goat, which instantly rose to its feet and
followed Pinkel, who backed slowly to the door, and
directly he got outside he seized the goat in his arms
and ran down to the place where he had moored his
boat.
As soon as he had reached the middle of the lake, Pin-
kel took the wool out of the bells, which began to
tinkle loudly. Their sound awoke the witch, who cried
out as before:
'Is that you, Pinkel?'
156
PINKEL THE THIEF
'Yes, dear mother, it is I/ said Pinkel.
'Have you stolen my golden goat?' asked she.
'Yes, dear mother, I have,' answered Pinkel.
'Are you not a knave, Pinkel?'
'Yes, dear mother, I am,' he replied. And the
witch shouted in a rage:
old
.STEALS Tfie. tJltCft'S
'Ah! beware how you come hither again, for next time
you shall not escape me!'
But Pinkel only laughed and rowed on.
The king was so delighted with the goat that he always
kept it by his side, night and day; and, as he had prom-
ised, Pinkel was made ruler over the third part of the
kingdom. As may be supposed, the brothers were more
furious than ever, and grew quite thin with rage.
'How can we get rid of him?' said one to the other.
And at length they remembered the golden cloak.
PINKEL THE THIEF 157
'He will need to be clever if he is to steal that!' they
cried, with a chuckle. And when next the king came
to see his horses they began to speak of Pinkel and his
marvellous cunning, and how he had contrived to steal
the lantern and the goat, which nobody else would have
been able to do.
' But as he was there, it is a pity he could not have brought
away the golden cloak,' added they.
'The golden cloak! what is that?' asked the king.
And the young men described its beauties in such glowing
words that the king declared he should never know a
day's happiness till he had wrapped the cloak round his
own shoulders.
'And,' added he, 'the man who brings it to me shall
wed my daughter, and shall inherit my throne.'
'None can get it save Pinkel,' said they; for they did
not imagine that the witch, after two warnings, could allow
their brother to escape a third time. So Pinkel was sent
for, and with a glad heart he set out.
He passed many hours inventing first one plan and
then another, till he had a scheme ready which he thought
might prove successful.
Thrusting a large bag inside his coat, he pushed off
from the shore, taking care this time to reach the island
in daylight. Having made his boat fast to a tree , he walked
up to the hut, hanging his head, and putting on a face
that was both sorrowful and ashamed.
'Is that you, Pinkel?' asked the witch when she saw
him, her eyes gleaming savagely.
'Yes, dear mother, it is I,' answered Pinkel.
'So you have dared, after all you have done, to put
yourself in my power!' cried she. 'Well, you sha'n't
escape me this time!' And she took down a large knife
and began to sharpen it.'
'Oh! dear mother, spare me!' shrieked Pinkel, falling
on his knees, and looking wildly about him.
'Spare you, indeed, you thief! Where are my lantern
158 PINKEL THE THIEF
and my goat? No! no! there is only one fate for robbers!'
And she brandished the knife in the air so that it glittered
in the firelight.
'Then, if I must die/ said Pinkel, who, by this time,
was getting really rather frightened, ' let me at least choose
the manner of my death. I am very hungry, for
I have had nothing to eat all day. Put some poison, if
you like, into the porridge, but at least let me have a good
meal before I die.'
'That is not a bad idea,' answered the woman; 'as
long as you do die, it is all one to me.' And ladling out
a large bowl of porridge, she stirred some poisonous herbs
into it, and set about some work that had to be done.
Then Pinkel hastily poured all the contents of the bowl
into his bag, and made a great noise with his spoon, as if
he was scraping up the last morsel.
'Poisoned or not, the porridge is excellent. I have
eaten it, every scrap; do give me some more,' said Pinkel,
turning towards her.
'Well, you have a fine appetite, young man,' an-
swered the witch; 'however, it is the last time you will
ever eat it, so I will give you another bowlful.' And
rubbing in the poisonous herbs, she poured him out half
of what remained, and then went to the window to call
her cat.
In an instant Pinkel again emptied the porridge into
the bag, and the next minute he rolled on the floor,
twisting himself about as if in agony, uttering loud
groans the while. Suddenly he grew silent c\nd lay still.
'Ah! I thought a second dose of that poison would be
too much for you,' said the witch looking at him. 'I
warned you what would happen if you came back. I
wish that all thieves were as dead as you! But why
does not my lazy girl bring the wood I sent her for, it
will soon be too dark for her to find her way? I suppose
I must go and search for her. What a trouble girls are!'
And she went to the door to watch if there were any signs
PINKEL THE THIEF 159
of her daughter. But nothing could be seen of her, and
heavy rain was falling.
'It is no night for my cloak,' she muttered; 'it would
be covered with mud by the time I got back.' So she
took it off her shoulders and hung it carefully up in a
cupboard in the room. After that she put on her
clogs and started to seek her daughter. Directly the
last sound of the clogs had ceased, Pinkel jumped up
and took down the cloak, and rowed off as fast as he
could.
He had not gone far when a puff of wind unfolded
the cloak, and its brightness shed gleams across the
water. The witch, who was just entering the forest,
turned round at that moment and saw the golden rays.
She forgot all about her daughter, and ran down to the
shore, screaming with rage at being outwitted a third
time.
'Is that you, Pinkel?' cried she.
'Yes, dear mother, it is I.'
'Have you taken my gold cloak?'
'Yes, dear mother, I have.'
'Are you not a great knave?'
'Yes, truly dear mother, I am.'
And so indeed he was!
But, all the same, he carried the cloak to the king's
palace, and in return he received the hand of the king's
daughter in marriage, People said that it was the bride
who ought to have worn the cloak at her wedding feast;
but the king was so pleased with it that he would not part
from it; and to the end of his life was never seen with-
out it. After his death, Pinkel became king; and let
us hope that he gave up his bad and thievish ways, and
ruled his subjects well. As for his brothers, he did not
punish them, but left them in the stables, where they
grumbled all day long.
(Thorpe's Yule-Tide Stories.)
THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL
IN a country which is full of wild beasts of all sorts
there once lived a jackal and a hedgehog, and, unlike
though they were, the two animals made great friends,
and were often seen in each other's company.
One afternoon they were walking along a road
together, when the jackal, who was the taller of the two,
exclaimed:
'Oh! there is a barn full of corn; let us go and eat
some.'
'Yes, do let us!' answered the hedgehog. So they
went to the barn, and ate till they could eat no more.
Then the jackal put on his shoes, which he had taken off
so as to make no noise, and they returned to the high
road.
After they had gone some way they met a panther,
who stopped, and bowing politely, said:
'Excuse my speaking to you, but I cannot help admir-
ing those shoes of yours. Do you mind telling me who
made them?'
'Yes, I think they are rather nice,' answered the jackal;
'I made them myself, though.'
' Could you make me a pair like them ? ' asked the pan-
ther eagerly.
'I would do my best, of course,' replied the jackal;
'but you must kill me a cow, and when we have eaten
the flesh I will take the skin and make your shoes out
of it.'
So the panther prowled about until he saw a fine
THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL 161
cow grazing apart from the rest of the herd. He killed
it instantly, and then gave a cry to the jackal and hedge-
hog to come to the place where he was. They soon skinned
the dead beast, and spread its skin out to dry, after which
they had a grand feast before they curled themselves up
for the night, and slept soundly.
Next morning the jackal got up early and set to work
upon the shoes, while the panther sat by and looked on
with delight. At last they were finished, and the jackal
arose and stretched himself.
'Now go and lay them in the sun out there,' said he;
'in a couple of hours they will be ready to put on; but
do not attempt to wear them before, or you will feel them
most uncomfortable. But I see the sun is high in the
heavens, and we must be continuing our journey.'
The panther, who always believed what everybody
told him, did exactly as he was bid, and in two hours'
time began to fasten on the shoes. They certainly set
off his paws wonderfully, and he stretched out his fore-
paws and looked at them with pride. But when he
tried to walk — ah ! that was another story ! They were
so stiff and hard that he nearly shrieked every step he
took, and at last he sank down where he was, and actually
began to cry.
After some time some little partridges who were hop-
ping about heard the poor panther's groans, and went
up to see what was the matter. He had never tried to
make his dinner off them, and they had always been quite
friendly.
'You seem in pain,' said one of them, fluttering close
to him, 'can we help you?'
'Oh, it is the jackal!' He made me these shoes; they
are so hard and tight that they hurt my feet, and I cannot
manage to kick them off.'
'Lie still, and we will soften them,' answered the kind
little partridge. And calling to his brothers, they all
flew to the nearest spring, and carried water in their beaks,
162 THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL
which they poured over the shoes. This they did till
the hard leather grew soft, and the panther was able to
slip his feet out of them.
'Oh, thank you, thank you,' he cried, skipping round
with joy. 'I feel a different creature. Now I will go
after the jackal and pay him my debts.' And he bounded
away into the forest.
But the jackal had been very cunning, and had
trotted backwards and forwards and in and out, so that
it was very difficult to know which track he had really
followed. At length, however, he caught sight of his
enemy, at the same moment that the jackal had caught
sight of him. The panther gave a loud roar, and sprung
forward, but the jackal was too quick for him and
plunged into a dense thicket, where the panther could
not follow.
Disgusted with his failure, but more angry than ever,
the panther lay down for a while to consider what he
should do next, and as he was thinking, an old man
came by.
'Oh! father, tell me how I can repay the jackal for
the way he has served me!' And without more ado he
told his story.
'If you take my advice,' answered the old man, 'you
will kill a cow, and invite all the jackals in the forest tc.
the feast. Watch them carefully while they are eating,
and you will see that most of them keep their eyes on
their food. But if one of them glances at you, you will
know that is the traitor.'
The panther, whose manners were always good,
thanked the old man, and followed his counsel. The
cow was killed, and the partridges flew about with
invitations to the jackals, who gathered in large numbers
to the feast. The wicked jackal came amongst them;
but as the panther had only seen him once he could not
distinguish him from the rest. However, they all took
their places on wooden seats placed round the dead cow,
THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL 163
which was laid across the boughs of a fallen tree, and
began their dinner, each jackal fixing his eyes greedily
on the piece of meat before him. Only one of them
seemed uneasy, and every now and then glanced in the
direction of his host. This the panther noticed, and
suddenly made a bound at the culprit and seized his tail;
but again the jackal was too quick for him, and catching
up a knife he cut off his tail and darted into the forest,
followed by all the rest of the party. And before the
panther had recovered from his surprise he found him-
self alone.
'What am I to do now?1 he asked the old man, who
soon came back to see how things had turned out.
'It is very unfortunate, certainly,' answered he; 'but
I think I know where you can find him. There is a melon
garden about two miles from here, and as jackals are
very fond of melons they are nearly sure to have gone
there to feed. If you see a tailless jackal you will know
that he is the one you want.' So the panther thanked
him and went his way.
Now the jackal had guessed what advice the old man
would give his enemy, and so, while his friends were greedily
eating the ripest melons in the sunniest corner of the gar-
den, he stole behind them and tied their tails together.
He had only just finished when his ears caught the sound
of breaking branches; and he cried: 'Quick! quick! here
comes the master of the garden!' And the jackals sprang
up and ran away in all directions, leaving their tails be-
hind them. And how was the panther to know which
was his enemy?
'They none of them had any tails,' he said sadly to
the old man, 'and I am tired of hunting them. I shall
leave them alone and go and catch something for
supper.'
Of course the hedgehog had not been able to take
part in any of these adventures; but as soon as all danger
164 THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL
was over, the jackal went to look for his friend whom
he was lucky enough to find at home.
'Ah, there you are,' he said gaily. 'I have lost my
tail since I saw you last. And other people have lost
theirs too; but that is no matter! I am hungry, so come
with me to the shepherd who is sitting over there, and
we will ask him to sell us one of his sheep.'
'Yes, that is a good plan,' answered the hedgehog.
And he walked as fast as his little legs would go to keep
up with the jackal. When they reached the shepherd
the jackal pulled out his purse from under his foreleg,
and made his bargain.
'Only wait till to-morrow,' said the shepherd, 'and I
will give you the biggest sheep you ever saw. But he
always feeds at some distance from the rest of the flock,
and it would take me a long time to catch him.'
'Well, it is very tiresome, but I suppose I must wait,'
replied the jackal. And he and the hedgehog looked about
for a nice dry cave in which to make themselves com-
fortable for the night. But, after they had gone, the
shepherd killed one of his sheep, and stripped off his skin,
which he sewed tightly round a greyhound he had with
him, and put a cord round its neck. Then he lay down
and went to sleep.
Very, very early, before the sun was properly up, the
jackal and the hedgehog were pulling at the shepherd's
cloak.
'Wake up,' they said, 'and give us that sheep. We
have had nothing to eat all night, and are very hungry.'
The shepherd yawned, and rubbed his eyes. ' He is tied
up to that tree; go and take him.' So they went to the
tree and unfastened the cord, and turned to go back to
the cave where they had slept, dragging the greyhound
after them. When they reached the cave the jackal said
to the hedgehog:
'Before I kill him let me see whether he is fat or
thin.' And he stood a little way back, so that he might
THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL 165
the better examine the animal. After looking at him,
with his head on one side, for a minute or two, he nodded
gravely.
'He is quite fat enough; he is a good sheep.'
But the hedgehog, who sometimes showed more cun-
ning than anyone would have guessed, answered:
'My friend, you are talking nonsense. The wool is
indeed a sheep's wool, but the paws of my uncle the grey-
hound peep out from underneath.'
' He is a sheep,' repeated the jackal, who did not like
to think anyone cleverer than himself.
'Hold the cord while / look at him,' answered the
hedgehog.
Very unwillingly the jackal held the rope, while the
hedgehog walked slowly round the greyhound till he
reached the jackal again. He knew quite well by the
paws and tail that it was a greyhound and not a sheep,
that the shepherd had sold them; and as he could not tell
what turn affairs might take, he resolved to get out of the
way.
'Oh! yes, you are right,' he said to the jackal; 'but I
never can eat till I have first drunk. I will just go and
quench my thirst from that spring at the edge of the wood,
and then I shall be ready for breakfast.'
'Don't be long, then,' called the jackal, as the hedge-
hog hurried off at his best pace. And he lay down under
a rock to wait for him.
More than an hour passed by and the hedgehog had
had plenty of time to go to the spring and back, and still
there was no sign of him. And this was very natural,
as he had hidden himself in some long grass under a
tree !
At length the jackal guessed that for some reason his
friend had run away, and determined to wait for his
breakfast no longer. So he went up to the place where
the greyhound had been tethered and untied the rope.
But just as he was about to spring on his back and give
166 THE ADVENTURES OF A JACKAL
him a deadly bite, the jackal heard a low growl, which
never proceeded from the throat of any sheep. Like a
flash of lightning the jackal threw down the cord and
was flying across the plain; but though his legs were long,
the greyhound's legs were longer still, and he soon came
up with his prey. The jackal turned to fight, but he
was no match for the greyhound, and in a few minutes
he was lying dead on the ground, while the greyhound
was trotting peacefully back to the shepherd.
(Nouveaux Conies Berbtres par Rend Bassel.)
THE ADVENTURES OF THE JACKAVS
ELDEST SON
Now, though the jackal was dead, he had left two sons
behind him, every whit as cunning and tricky as their
father. The elder of the two was a fine handsome
creature, who had a pleasant manner and made many
friends. The animal he saw most of was a hyena; and
one day, when they were taking a walk together, they
picked up a beautiful green cloak, which had evidently
been dropped by some one riding across the plain on a
camel. Of course each wanted to have it, and they
almost quarrelled over the matter; but at length it was
settled that the hyena should wear the cloak by day and
the jackal by night. After a little while, however, the
jackal became discontented with this arrangement, de-
claring that none of his friends, who were quite different
from those of the hyena, could see the splendour of the
mantle, and that it was only fair that he should sometimes
be allowed to wear it by day. To this the hyena would
by no means consent, and they were on the eve of a
quarrel when the hyena proposed that they should ask
the lion to judge between them. The jackal agreed to
this, and the hyena wrapped the cloak about him, and
they both trotted off to the lion's den.
The jackal, who was fond of talking, at once told the
story; and when it was finished the lion turned to the hyena
and asked if it was true.
' Quite true, your majesty,' answered the hyena.
'Then lay the cloak on the ground at my feet,' said the
lion, 'and I will give my judgment.' So the mantle
168 ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S ELDEST SON
was spread upon the red earth, the hyena and the jackal
standing on each side of it.
There was silence for a few moments, and then the
lion sat up, looking very great and wise.
'My judgment is that the garment shall belong
wholly to whoever first rings the bell of the nearest
mosque at dawn to-morrow. Now go; for much business
awaits me!'
All that night the hyena sat up, fearing lest the
jackal should reach the bell before him, for the mosque
was close at hand. With the first streak of dawn he
bounded away to the bell, just as the jackal, who had
slept soundly all night, was rising to his feet.
' Good luck to you,' cried the jackal. And throwing
the cloak over his back he darted away across the plain,
and was seen no more by his friend the hyena.
After running several miles the jackal thought he was
safe from pursuit, and seeing a lion and another hyena
talking together, he strolled up to join them.
'Good morning,' he said; 'may I ask what is the mat-
ter? You seem very serious about something.'
'Pray sit down,' answered the lion. 'We were wonder-
ing in which direction we should go to find the best dinner.
The hyena wishes to go to the forest, and I to the moun-
tains. What do you say?'
'Well, as I was sauntering over the plain, just now,
I noticed a flock of sheep gra/ing, and some of them had
wandered into a little valley quite out of sight of the
shepherd. If you keep among the rocks you will never
be observed. But perhaps you will allow me to go with
you and show you the way?'
'You are really very kind,' answered the lion. And
they crept stealthily along till at length they reached the
mouth of the valley where a ram, a sheep and a lamb
were feeding on the rich grass, unconscious of their
danger.
ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S ELDEST SON 169
'How shall we divide them?' asked the lion in a whis-
per to the hyena.
'Oh, it is easily done,' replied the hyena. 'The lamb
for me, the sheep for the jackal, and the ram for the lion.'
'So I am to have that lean creature, which is nothing
but horns, am I?' cried the lion in a rage. 'I will teach
you to divide things in that manner!' And he gave the
hyena two great blows, which stretched him dead in a
moment. Then he turned to the jackal and said: 'How
would you divide them?'
'Quite differently from the hyena,' replied the jackal.
'You will breakfast off the lamb, you will dine off the
sheep, and you will sup off the ram.'
'Dear me, how clever you are! Who taught you such
wisdom ? ' exclaimed the lion, looking at him admiringly.
'The fate of the hyena,' answered the jackal, laughing,
and running off at his best speed; for he saw two men
armed with spears coming close behind the lion!
The jackal continued to run till at last he could run no
longer. He flung himself under a tree panting for breath,
when he heard a rustle amongst the grass, and his father's
old friend the hedgehog appeared before him.
'Oh, is it you?' asked the little creature; 'how strange
that we should meet so far from home!'
'I have just had a narrow escape of my life,' gasped the
jackal, ' and I need some sleep. After that we must think
of something to do to amuse ourselves.' And he lay down
again and slept soundly for a couple of hours.
'Now I am ready,' said he; 'have you anything to
propose ? '
'In a valley beyond those trees,' answered the hedge-
hog, 'there is a small farm-house where the best butter
in the world is made. I know their ways, and in an
hour's time the farmer's wife will be off to milk the cows,
which she keeps at some distance. We could easily get
in at the window of the shed where she keeps the butter,
170 ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S ELDEST SON
and I will watch, lest some one should come unexpectedly,
while you have a good meal. Then you shall watch, and
I will eat.'
'That sounds a good plan,' replied the jackal; and they
set off together.
But when they reached the farm-house the jackal said
to the hedgehog : ' Go in and fetch the pots of butter, and
I will hide them in a safe place.'
'Oh no,' cried the hedgehog, 'I really couldn't. They
would find out directly! And, besides, it is so different
just eating a little now and then.'
' Do as I bid you at once' said the jackal, looking at the
hedgehog so sternly that the little fellow dared say no more,
and soon rolled the jars to the window where the jackal
lifted them out one by one.
When they were all in a row before him he gave a sud-
den start.
'Run for your life,' he whispered to his companion; 'I
see the woman coming over the hill!' And the hedge-
hog, his heart beating, set off as fast as he could. The
jackal remained where he was, shaking with laughter, for
the woman was not in sight at all, and he had only sent
the hedgehog away because he did not want him to know
where the jars of butter were buried. But every day he
stole out to their hiding-place and had a delicious feast.
At length, one morning, the hedgehog suddenly said:
' You never told me what you did with those jars ? '
'Oh, I hid them safely till the farm people should have
forgotten all about them,' replied the jackal. 'But as
they are still searching for them we must wait a little longer,
and then I '11 bring them home, and we will share them be-
tween us.'
So the hedgehog waited and waited; but every time
he asked if there was no chance of getting the jars of
butter the jackal put him off with some excuse. After a
while the hedgehog became suspicious, and said:
'I should like to know where you have hidden them.
ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S ELDEST SON 171
To-night, when it is quite dark, you shall show me the
place.'
'I really can't tell you,' answered the jackal. 'You
talk so much that you would be sure to confide the secret
to somebody, and then we should have had our trouble
for nothing, besides running the risk of our necks being
broken by the farmer. I can see that he is getting
disheartened, and very soon he will give up the search.
Have patience just a little longer.'
The hedgehog said no more, and pretended to be
satisfied; but when some days had gone by he woke the
jackal, who was sleeping soundly after a hunt which had
lasted several hours.
'I have just had notice,' remarked the hedgehog,
shaking him, 'that my family wish to have a banquet
to-morrow, and they have invited you to it. Will you
come ? '
'Certainly,' answered the jackal, 'with pleasure. But
as I have to go out in the morning you can meet me on the
road.'
'That will do very well,' replied the hedgehog. And
the jackal went to sleep again, for he was obliged to be
up early.
Punctual to the moment the hedgehog arrived at the
place appointed for their meeting, and as the jackal was
not there he sat down and waited for him.
'Ah, there you are!' he cried, when the dusky yellow
form at last turned the corner. 'I had nearly given you
up! Indeed, I almost wish you had not come, for I hardly
know where I shall hide you.'
' Why should you hide me anywhere ? ' asked the jackal.
' What is the matter with you ? '
'Well, so many of the guests have brought their dogs
and mules with them, that I fear it may hardly be safe
for you to go amongst them. No; don't run off that
way,' he added quickly, 'because there is another troop
that are coming over the hill. Lie down here, and I will
172 ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S ELDEST SON
throw these sacks over you; and keep still for your life,
whatever happens.'
And what did happen was, that when the jackal was
lying covered up, under a little hill, the hedgehog set a
great stone rolling, which crushed him to death.
(Contes Berberes.)
THE ADVENTURES OF THE YOUNGER SON
OF THE JACKAL
Now that the father and elder brother were both dead,
all that was left of the jackal family was one son, who
was no less cunning than the others had been. He did
not like staying in the same place any better than they,
and nobody ever knew in what part of the country he might
be found next.
One day, when he was wandering about he beheld a
nice fat sheep, which was cropping the grass and seemed
quite contented with her lot.
'Good morning,' said the jackal, 'I am so glad to see
you. I have been looking for you everywhere.'
'For me?' answered the sheep, in an astonished voice;
' but we have never met before ! '
'No; but I have heard of you. 'Oh! you don't know
•what fine things I have heard! Ah, well, some people
have all the luck!'
'You are very kind, I am sure,' answered the sheep,
not knowing which way to look. 'Is there any way in
which I can help you?'
'There is something that I had set my heart on, though
I hardly like to propose it on so short an acquaintance;
but from what people have told me, I thought that you
and I might keep house together comfortably, if you
would only agree to try. I have several fields belong-
ing to me, and if they are kept well watered they bear
wonderful crops.'
174 ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S YOUNGER SON
'Perhaps I might come for a short time,' said the sheep,
with a little hesitation; 'and if we do not get on, we can
but part company.'
'Oh, thank you, thank you,' cried the jackal; 'do not
let us lose a moment.' And he held out his paw in such
an inviting manner that the sheep got up and trotted be-
side him till they reached home.
'Now,' said the jackal, 'you go to the well and fetch
the water, and I will pour it into the trenches that run
between the patches of corn.' And as he did so he sang
lustily. The work was very hard, but the sheep did not
grumble, and by-and-by was rewarded at seeing the little
green heads poking themselves through earth. After
that the hot sun ripened them quickly, and soon harvest
time was come. Then the grain was cut and ground and
ready for sale.
When everything was complete, the jackal said to the
sheep:
'Now let us divide it, so that we can each do what we
like with his share.'
'You do it,' answered the sheep; 'here are the scales.
You must weigh it carefully.'
So the jackal began to weigh it, and when he had fin-
ished, he counted out loud:
' One, two, three, four, five, six, seven parts for the jackal,
and one part for the sheep. If she likes it she can take
it, if not, she can leave it.'
The sheep looked at the two heaps in silence — one so
large, the other so small; and then she answered:
'Wait for a minute, while I fetch some sacks to carry
away my share.'
But it was not sacks that the sheep wanted; for as soon
as the jackal could no longer see her she set forth at her
best pace for the home of the greyhound, where she ar-
rived panting with the haste she had made.
'Oh, good uncle, help me, I pray you!' she cried, as
soon as she could speak.
ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S YOUNGER SON 175
'Why, what is the matter?' asked the greyhound, look-
ing up in astonishment.
'I beg you to return with me, and frighten the jackal
into paying me what he owes me,' answered the sheep.
'For months we have lived together, and I have twice
every day drawn the water, while he only poured it into
the trenches. Together we have reaped our harvest;
and now, when the moment to divide our crop has come,
he has taken seven parts for himself, and only left one
for me.'
She finished, and giving herself a twist, passed her woolly
tail across her eyes; while the greyhound watched her,
but held his peace. Then he said:
'Bring me a sack.' And the sheep hastened away to
fetch one. Very soon she returned, and laid the sack down
before him.
'Open it wide, that I may get in,' cried he; and when
he was comfortably rolled up inside he bade the sheep
take him on her back, and hasten to the place where she
had left the jackal.
She found him waiting for her, and pretending to be
asleep, though she clearly saw him wink one of his eyes.
However, she took no notice, but throwing the sack roughly
on the ground, she exclaimed:
'Now measure!'
At this the jackal got up, and going to the heap of grain
which lay close by, he divided it as before into eight por-
tions — seven for himself and one for the sheep.
'What are you doing that for?' asked she indignantly.
'You know quite well that it was I who drew the water,
and you who only poured it into the trenches.'
'You are mistaken,' answered the jackal. 'It was /
who drew the water, and you who poured it into the
trenches. Anybody will tell you that! If you like, I
will ask those people who are digging there.'
'Very well,' replied the sheep. And the jackal called
out:
176 ADVENTURES OF JACKAL'S YOUNGER SON
'Ho! you diggers, tell me: Who was it you heard sing-
ing over the work?'
'Why, it was you, of course, jackal! You sang so loud
that the whole world might have heard you ! '
'And who is it that sings — he who draws the water,
or he who empties it?'
'Why, certainly he who draws the water!'
' You hear ? ' said the jackal, turning to the sheep. Now
come and carry away your own portion, or else I shall take
it for myself.'
'You have got the better of me,' answered the sheep;
'and I suppose I must confess myself beaten! But as
I bear no malice, go and eat some of the dates that I
have brought in that sack.' And the jackal, who loved
dates, ran instantly back, and tore open the mouth of the
sack. But just as he was about to plunge his nose in
he saw two brown eyes calmly looking at him. In an
instant he had let fall the flap of the sack and bounded
back to where the sheep was standing.
'I was only in fun; and you have brought my uncle
the greyhound. Take away the sack, we will make the
division over again.' And he began re-arranging the
heaps.
'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, for my mother
the sheep, and one for the jackal,' counted he; casting
timid glances all the while at the sack.
'Now you can take your share and go,' said the sheep.
And the jackal did not need twice telling! Whenever
the sheep looked up, she still saw him flying, flying across
the plain; and, for all I know, he may be flying across
it still.
(Conies Berbercs, par Kent Basset.)
THE THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
LONG, long ago, there lived an old man and his wife
who had three sons; the eldest was called Martin, the
second Michael, while the third was named Jack.
One evening they were all seated round the table, eat-
ing their supper of bread and milk.
' Martin,' said the old man suddenly, ' I feel that I can-
not live much longer. You, as the eldest, will inherit
this hut; but, if you value my blessing, be good to your
mother and brothers.'
'Certainly, father; how can you suppose I should
do them wrong?' replied Martin indignantly, helping
himself to all the best bits in the dish as he spoke. The
old man saw nothing, but Michael looked on in surprise,
and Jack was so astonished that he quite forgot to eat
his own supper.
A little while after, the father fell 511, and sent for his
sons, who were out hunting, to bid him farewell. After
giving good advice to the two eldest, he turned to Jack.
'My boy,' he said, 'you have not got quite as much
sense as other people, but if Heaven has deprived you of
some of your wits, it has given you a kind heart. Always
listen to what it says, and take heed to the words of
your mother and brothers, as well as you are able!'
So saying the old man sank back on his pillows and
died.
The cries of grief uttered by Martin and Michael
sounded through the house, but Jack remained by the
bedside of his father, still and silent, as if he were dead
178 THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
also. At length he got up, and going into the garden,
hid himself in some trees, and wept like a child, while his
two brothers made ready for the funeral.
No sooner was the old man buried than Martin and
Michael agreed that they would go into the world
together to seek their fortunes, while Jack stayed at
home with their mother. Jack would have liked nothing
better than to sit and dream by the fire, but the mother,
who was very old herself, declared that there was no work
for him to do, and that he must seek it with his brothers.
So, one fine morning, all three set out; Martin and
Michael carried two great bags full of food, but Jack
carried nothing. This made his brothers very angry, for
the day was hot and the bags were heavy, and about
noon they sat down under a tree and began to eat. Jack
was as hungry as they were, but he knew that it was no
use asking for anything; and he threw himself under
another tree, and wept bitterly.
'Another time perhaps you won't be so lazy, and will
bring food for yourself,' said Martin, but to his surprise
Jack answered:
'You are a nice pair! You talk of seeking your
fortunes, so as not to be a burden on our mother, and
you begin by carrying off all the food she has in the
house ! '
This reply was so unexpected that for some moments
neither of the brothers made any answer. Then they
offered their brother some of their food, and when he
had finished eating they went their way once more.
Towards evening they reached a small hut, and knock-
ing at the door, asked if they might spend the night there.
The man, who was a wood-cutter, invited them in, and
begged them to sit down to supper. Martin thanked
him, but being very proud, explained that it was only
shelter they wanted, as they had plenty of food with them;
and he and Michael as once opened their bags and be-
gan to eat, while Jack hid himself in a corner. The wife,
THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS 179
on seeing this, took pity on him, and called him to come
and share their supper, which he gladly did, and very good
he found it. At this, Martin regretted deeply that he
had been so foolish as to refuse, for his bits of bread and
cheese seemed very hard when he smelt the savoury soup
his brother was enjoying.
' He shan't have such a chance again,' thought he; and
the next morning he insisted on plunging into a thick for-
est where they were likely to meet nobody.
For a long time they wandered hither and thither,
for they had no path to guide them; but at last they
came upon a wide clearing, in the midst of which stood
a castle. Jack shouted with delight, but Martin, who
was in a bad temper, said sharply:
'We must have taken the wrong turning! Let us go
back.'
'Idiot!' replied Michael, who was hungry too, and,
like many people when they are hungry, very cross also.
'We set out to travel through the world, and what does
it matter if we go to the right or to the left?' And,
without another word, took the path to the castle, closely
followed by Jack, and after a moment by Martin like-
wise.
The door of the castle stood open, and they entered
a great hall, and looked about them. Not a creature
was to be seen, and suddenly Martin — he did not know
why — felt a little frightened. He would have left the
castle at once, but stopped when Jack boldly walked up
to a door in the wall and opened it. He could not for
very shame be outdone by his younger brother, and
passed behind him, into another splendid hall, which
was filled from floor to ceiling with great pieces of
copper money.
The sight quite dazzled Martin and Michael, who
emptied all the provisions that remained out of their
bags, and heaped them up instead with handfuls of
copper.
180 THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
Scarcely had they done this when Jack threw open
another door, and this time it led to a hall filled with
silver. In an instant his brothers had turned their bags
upside down, so that the copper money tumbled out on
to the floor, and were shovelling in handfuls of the silver
instead. They had hardly finished, when Jack opened
The brothers Ultreat
yet a third door, and all three fell back in amazement,
for this room was a mass of gold, so bright that their eyes
grew sore as they looked at them. However, they soon
recovered from their surprise, and quickly emptied their
bags of silver, and filled them with gold instead. When
they would hold no more, Martin said:
THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS 181
'We had better hurry off now lest somebody else
should come, and we might not know what to do'; and,
followed by Michael, he hastily left the castle. Jack
lingered behind for a few minutes to put a piece of gold,
silver, and copper into his pocket, and to eat the food
that his brothers had thrown down in the first room.
Then he went after them, and found them lying down
to rest in the midst of a forest. It was near sunset, and
Martin began to feel hungry, so, when Jack arrived, he
bade him return to the castle and bring the bread and
cheese that they had left there.
'It is hardly worth doing that,' answered Jack; 'for
I picked up the pieces and ate them myself.'
At this reply both brothers were beside themselves with
anger, and fell upon the boy, beating him, and calling him
names, till they were quite tired.
'Go where you like,' cried Martin with a final kick; but
never come near us again.' And poor Jack ran weep-
ing into the woods.
The next morning his brothers went home, and bought
a beautiful house, where they lived with their mother like
great lords.
Jack remained for some hours in hiding, thankful to
be safe from his tormentors; but when no one came to
trouble him, and his back did not ache so much, he
began to think what he had better do. At length he
made up his mind to go to the castle and take away as
much money with him as would enable him to live in
comfort for the rest of his life. This being decided, he
sprang up, and set out along the path which led to the
castle. As before, the door stood open, and he went on
till he had reached the hall of gold, and there he took
off his jacket and tied the sleeves together so that it
might make a kind of bag. He then began to pour in
the gold by handfuls, when, all at once, a noise like
182 THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
thunder shook the castle. This was followed by a voice,
hoarse as that of a bull, which cried:
'I smell the smell of a man.' And two giants entered.
'So, little worm! it is you who steal our treasures!'
exclaimed the biggest. 'Well, we have got you now,
and we will cook you for supper!' But here the other
giant drew him aside, and for a moment or two they
whispered together. At length the first giant spoke:
'To please my friend I will spare your life on condi-
tion that, for the future, you shall guard our treasures.
If you are hungry take this little table and rap on it,
saying, as you do so: "The dinner of an emperor!" and
you will get as much food as you want.'
With a light heart Jack promised all that was asked
of him, and for some days enjoyed himself mightily. He
had everything he could wish for, and did nothing from
morning till night; but by-and-by he began to get very
tired of it all.
'Let the giants guard their treasures themselves,' he
said to himself at last; 'I am going away. But I will
leave all the gold and silver behind me, and will take
nought but you, my good little table.'
So, tucking the table under his arm, he started off for
the forest, but he did not linger there long, and soon
found himself in the fields on the other side. There he
saw an old man, who begged Jack to give him something
to eat.
'You could not have asked a better person,' answered
Jack cheerfully. And signing to him to sit down with
him under a tree, he set the table in front of them, and
struck it three times, crying:
'The dinner of an emperor!' He had hardly uttered
the words when fish and meat of all kinds appeared
on it!
'That is a clever trick of yours,' said the old man, when
he had eaten as much as he wanted. ' Give it to me in
exchange for a treasure I have which is still better. Do
THE. GIANTS FIND JACK IN THE! TKE1AS>OR,EL ROOM °
THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS 185
you see this cornet? Well, you have only to tell it that
you wish for an army, and you will have as many soldiers
as you require.'
Now, since he had been left to himself, Jack had
grown ambitious, so, after a moment's hesitation, he
took the cornet and gave the table in exchange. The
old man bade him farewell, and set off down one path,
while Jack chose another, and for a long time he was quite
pleased with his new possession. Then, as he felt hungry,
he wished for his table back again, as no house was in
sight, and he wanted some supper badly. All at once
he remembered his cornet, and a wicked thought en-
tered his mind.
' Two hundred hussars, forward ! ' cried he. And the
neighing of horses and the clanking of swords was heard
close at hand. The officer who rode at their head
approached Jack, and politely inquired what he wished
them to do.
'A mile or two along that road,' answered Jack, 'you
will find an old man carrying a table. Take the table
from him and bring it to me.'
The officer saluted and went back to his men, who
started at a gallop to do Jack's bidding.
In ten minutes they had returned, bearing the table
with them.
'That is all, thank you,' said Jack; and the soldiers
disappeared inside the cornet.
Oh, what a good supper Jack had that night, quite for-
forgetting that he owed it to a mean trick. The next
day he breakfasted early, and then walked on towards
the nearest town. On the way thither he met another
old man, who begged for something to eat.
'Certainly you shall have something to eat,' replied
Jack. And placing the table on the ground, he cried:
'The dinner of an emperor!' when all sorts of good
dishes appeared. At first the old man ate greedily, and
186 THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
said nothing; but, after his hunger was satisfied, he turned
to Jack and said:
'That is a very clever trick of yours. Give the table
to me, and you shall have something still better.'
'I don't believe there is anything better,' answered
Jack.
' Yes, there is. Here is my bag; it will give you as many
castles as you can possibly want.'
Jack thought for a moment; then he replied: 'Very
well, I will exchange with you.' And passing the table to
the old man, he hung the bag over his arm.
Five minutes later he summonned five hundred lancers
out of the cornet and bade them go after the old man and
fetch back the table.
Now that by his cunning he had obtained possession
of the three magic objects, he resolved to return to his
native place. Smearing his face with dirt, and tearing
his clothes so as to look like a beggar, he stopped the
passers by and, on pretence of seeking money or food,
he questioned them about the village gossip. In this
manner he learned that his brothers had become great
men, much respected in all the country round. When
he heard that, he lost no time in going to the door of
their fine house and imploring them to give him food
and shelter; but the only thing he got was hard words,
and a command to beg elsewhere. At length, however,
at their mother's entreaty, he was told that he might
pass the night in the stable. Here he waited until
everybody in the house was sound asleep, when he drew
his bag from under his cloak, and desired that a castle
might appear in that place; and the cornet gave him
soldiers to guard the castle, while the table furnished him
with a good supper. In the morning, he caused it all to
vanish, and when his brothers entered the stable they found
him lying on the straw.
Jack remained here for many days, doing nothing,
and — as far as anybody knew — eating nothing. This
THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS 187
conduct puzzled his brothers greatly, and they put such
constant questions to him, that at length he told them
the secret of the table, and even gave a dinner to them,
which far outdid any they had ever seen or heard of.
But though they had solemnly promised to reveal nothing,
somehow or other the tale leaked out, and before long
reached the ears of the king himself. That very eve-
ning his chamberlain arrived at Jack's dwelling, with a
request from the king that he might borrow the table for
three days.
'Very well,' answered Jack, 'you can take it back
with you. But tell his majesty that if he does not
return it at the end of the three days I will make war
upon him.'
So the chamberlain carried away the table and took
it straight to the king, telling him at the same time of
Jack's threat, at which they both laughed till their sides
ached.
Now the king was so delighted with the table, and
the dinners it gave him, that when the three days were
over he could not make up his mind to part with it.
Instead, he sent for his carpenter, and bade him copy it
exactly, and when it was done he told his chamberlain
to return it to Jack with his best thanks. It happened
to be dinner time, and Jack invited the chamberlain, who
knew nothing of the trick, to stay and dine with him.
The good man, who had eaten several excellent meals
provided by the table in the last three days, accepted the
invitation with pleasure, even though he was to dine in a
stable, and sat down on the straw beside Jack.
'The dinner of an emperor!' cried Jack. But not even
a morsel of cheese made its appearance.
'The dinner of an emperor!' shouted Jack in a voice
of thunder. Then the truth dawned upon him; and,
crushing the table between his hands, he turned to the
chamberlain, who, bewildered and half-frightened, was
wondering how to get away.
188 THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
'Tell your false king that to-morrow I will destroy his
castle as easily as I have broken this table.'
The chamberlain hastened back to the palace, and
gave the king Jack's message, at which he laughed more
than before, and called all his courtiers to hear the story.
But they were not quite so merry when they woke next
morning and beheld ten thousand horsemen, and as many
archers, surrounding the palace. The king saw it was
useless to hold out, and he took the white flag of truce in
one hand, and the real table in the other, and set out to
look for Jack.
'I committed a crime,' said he; 'but I will do my
best to make up for it. Here is your table, which I own
with shame that I tried to steal, and you shall have be-
sides, my daughter as your wife!'
There was no need to delay the marriage when the
table was able to furnish the most splendid banquet that
ever was seen, and after everyone had eaten and drunk
as much as they wanted, Jack took his bag and com-
manded a castle filled with all sorts of treasures to arise
in the park for himself and his bride.
At this proof of his power the king's heart died within
him.
'Your magic is greater than mine,' he said; 'and you
are young and strong, while I am old and tired. Take,
therefore, the sceptre from my hand, and my crown from
my head, and rule my people better than I have done.'
So at last Jack's ambition was satisfied. He could
not hope to be more than a king, and as long as he had his
cornet to provide him with soldiers he was secure against
his enemies. He never forgave his brothers for the
way they had treated him, though he presented his mother
with a beautiful castle, and everything she could possibly
wish for. In the centre of his own palace was a treasure
chamber, and in this chamber the table, the cornet, and
the bag were kept as the most prized of all his possessions,
THREE TREASURES OF THE GIANTS
and not a week passed without a visit from king John to
make sure they were safe. He reigned long and well,
and died a very old man, beloved by his people. But
his good example was not followed by his sons and his
grandsons. They grew so proud that they were ashamed
to think that the founder of their race had once been a
poor boy; and as they and all the world could not fail to
remember it, as long as the table, the cornet, and the bag
were shown in the treasure chamber, one king, more
foolish than the rest, thrust them into a dark and damp
cellar.
For some time the kingdom remained, though it
became weaker and weaker every year that passed.
Then, one day, a rumour reached the king that a large
army was marching against him. Vaguely he recollected
some tales he had heard about a magic cornet which
could provide as many soldiers as would serve to conquer
the earth, and which had been removed by his grand-
father to a cellar. Thither he hastened that he might
renew his power once more, and in that black and slimy
spot he found the treasures indeed. But the table fell
to pieces as he touched it, in the cornet there remained
only a few fragments of leathern belts which the rats
had gnawed, and in the bag nothing but broken bits of
stone.
And the king bowed his head to the doom that awaited
him, and in his heart cursed the ruin wrought by the
pride and foolishness of himself and his forefathers.
(From Contes Populaires Slaves, par Louis Leger.)
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
A LONG way off, near the sea coast of the east of Africa,
there dwelt, once upon a time, a man and his wife. They
had two children, a son and a daughter, whom they
loved very much, and, like parents in other countries,
they often talked of the fine marriages the young people
would make some day. Out there both boys and girls
marry early, and very soon, it seemed to the mother, a
message was sent by a rich man on the other side of the
great hills offering a fat herd of oxen in exchange for the
daughter. Everyone in the house and in the village rejoiced,
and the maiden was despatched to her new home. When
all was quiet again the father said to his son:
'Now that we own such a splendid troop of oxen you
had better hasten and get yourself a wife, lest some
illness should overtake them. Already we have seen in
the villages round about one or two damsels whose
parents would gladly part with them for less than half
the herd. Therefore tell us which you like best, and we
will buy her for you.'
But the son answered:
'Not so; the maidens I have seen do not please me.
If, indeed, I must marry, let me travel and find a wife for
myself.'
'It shall be as you wish,' said his parents; 'but if by-
and-by trouble should come of it, it will be your fault and
not ours.'
The youth, however, would not listen; and bidding
his father and mother farewell, set out on his search.
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN 191
Far, far away he wandered, over mountains and across
rivers, till he reached a village where the people were
quite different to those of his own race. As he glanced
about him he noticed that the girls were fair to look
upon, as they pounded maize or stewed something that
smelt very nice in earthen pots — especially if you were
hot and tired; and when one of the maidens turned round
and offered the stranger some dinner, he made up his
mind that he would wed her and nobody else.
So he sent a message to her parents asking their leave
to take her for his wife, and they came next day to bring
their answer.
'We will give you our daughter,' said they, 'if you can
pay a good price for her. Never was there so hard-work-
ing a girl; and how we shall do without her we cannot
tell! Still no doubt your father and mother will come
themselves and bring the dowry?'
'No; I have the dowry with me,' replied the young
man; laying down a handful of gold pieces. 'Here it is
— take it.'
The old couple's eyes glittered greedily; but custom
forbade them to touch the dowry before all was arranged.
'At least,' said they, after a moment's pause, 'we may
expect them to fetch your wife to her new home ? '
'No; they are not used to travelling,' answered the
bridegroom. 'Let the ceremony be performed without
delay, and we will set forth at once. It is a long
journey.'
Then the parents called in the girl, who was lying in
the sun outside the hut, and, in the presence of all the
village, a goat was killed, the sacred dance took place,
and a blessing was said over the heads of the young
people. After that the bride was led aside by her father,
whose duty it was to bestow on her some parting advice
as to her conduct in her married life.
'Be good to your husband's parents,' added he, 'and
always do the will of your husband.' And the girl
192 THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
nodded her head obediently. Next it was the mother's
turn; and, as was the custom of the tribe, she spoke to
her daughter:
'Will you choose which of your sisters shall go with
you to cut your wood and carry your water?'
'I do not want any of them,' answered she; 'they
are no use. They will drop the wood and spill the
water.'
'Then will you have any of the other children? There
are enough and to spare,' asked the mother again. But
the bride said quickly:
'I will have none of them! You must give me our
buffalo, the Rover of the Plain; he alone shall serve
me.'
'What folly you talk!' cried the parents. 'Give you
our buffalo, the Rover of the Plain? Why, you know
that our life depends on him. Here he is well fed and
lies on soft grass; but how can you tell what will befall
him in another country? The food may be bad, he will
die of hunger; and, if he dies we die also.'
'No, no,' said the bride; 'I can look after him as well
as you. Get him ready, for the sun is sinking and it is
time we set forth.'
So she went away and put together a small pot filled
with healing herbs, a horn that she used in tending sick
people, a little knife, and a calabash containing deer fat;
and, hiding these about her, took leave of her father and
mother and started across the mountains by the side of her
husband.
But the young man did not see the buffalo that fol-
lowed them, which had left his home to be the servant of
his wife.
No one ever knew how the news spread to the kraal
that the young man was coming back, bringing a wife
tvith him; but, somehow or other, when the two entered
the village, every man and woman was standing in the
road uttering shouts of welcome.
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
193
'Ah, you are not dead after all,' cried they; 'and have
found a wife to your liking, though you would have
none of our girls. Well, well, you have chosen your
own path; and if ill comes of it beware lest you
grumble.'
Next day the husband took his wife to the fields and
showed her which were his, and which belonged to his
mother. The girl listened carefully to all he told her,
and walked with him back to the hut; but close to the
door she stopped, and said:
'I have dropped my necklace of beads in the field,
and I must go back and look for it.' But in truth she had
done nothing of the sort, and it was only an excuse to go
and seek the buffalo.
The beast was crouching under a tree when she came
up, and snorted with pleasure at the sight of her.
'You can roam about this field, and this, and this,'
she said, 'for they belong to my husband; and that is
194 THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
his wood, where you may hide yourself. But the other
fields are his mother's, so beware lest you touch them.'
'I will beware,' answered the buffalo; and, patting his
head, the girl left him.
Oh, how much better a servant he was than any of
the little girls the bride had refused to bring with her!
If she wanted water, she had only to cross the patch of
maize behind the hut and seek out the place where the
buffalo lay hidden, and put down her pail beside him.
Then she would sit at her ease while he went to the
lake and brought the bucket back brimming over. If
she wanted wood, he would break the branches off the
trees and lay them at her feet. And the villagers watched
her return laden, and said to each other:
'Surely the girls of her country are stronger than our
girls, for none of them could cut so quickly or carry so
much!' But then, nobody knew that she had a buffalo
for a servant.
Only, all this time she never gave the poor buffalo
anything to eat, because she had just one dish, out of
which she and her husband ate; while in her old home
there was a dish put aside expressly for the Rover of the
Plain. The buffalo bore it as long as he could; but, one
day, when his mistress bade him go to the lake and fetch
water, his knees almost gave way from hunger. He kept
silence, however, till the evening, when he said to his
mistress:
'I am nearly starved; I have not touched food since
I came here. I can work no more.'
' Alas ! ' answered she, ' what can I do ? I have only
one dish in the house. You will have to steal some beans
from the fields. Take a few here and a few there; but
be sure not to take too many from one place, or the owner
may notice it.'
Now the buffalo had always lived an honest life, but
if his mistress did not feed him, he must get it for himself.
So that night, when all the village was asleep, he came
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN 195
out from the wood and ate a few beans here and a few
there, as his mistress had bidden him. And when at
last his hunger was satisfied, he crept back to his lair.
But a buffalo is not a fairy, and the next morning, when
the women arrived to work in the fields, they stood still
with astonishment, and said to each other:
'Just look at this; a savage beast has been destroying
our crops, and we can see traces of his feet!' And they
hurried to their homes to tell their tale.
In the evening the girl crept out to the buffalo's hiding-
place, and said to him:
'They perceived what happened, of course; so to-night
you had better seek your supper further off.' And the
buffalo nodded his head and followed her counsel; but in
the morning, when these women also went out to work,
the traces of hoofs were plainly to be seen, and they has-
tened to tell their husbands, and begged them to bring their
guns, and to watch for the robber.
It happened that the stranger girl's husband was the
best marksman in all the village, and he hid himself be-
hind the trunk of a tree and waited.
The buffalo, thinking that they would probably make
a search for him in the fields he had laid waste the eve-
ning before, returned to the bean patch belonging to his
mistress.
The young man saw him coming with amazement.
'Why, it is a buffalo!' cried he; 'I never have beheld
one in this country before!' And raising his gun, he
aimed just behind the ear.
The buffalo gave a leap into the air, and then fell
dead.
'It was a good shot,' said the young man. And he
ran to the village to tell them that the thief was
punished.
When he entered his hut he found his wife, who had
somehow heard the news, twisting herself to and fro and
shedding tears.
196 THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
'Are you ill?' asked he. And she answered: 'Yes; I
have pains all over my body.' But she was not ill at all,
only very unhappy at the death of the buffalo which had
served her so well. Her husband felt anxious, and sent for
the medicine man; but though she pretended to listen
to him, she threw all his medicine out of the door directly
he had gone away.
With the first rays of light the whole village was
awake, and the women set forth armed with baskets and
the men with knives in order to cut up the buffalo. Only
the girl remained in her hut; and after a while she too
went to join them, groaning and weeping as she walked
along.
'What are you doing here?' asked her husband when
he saw her. 'If you are ill you are better at home.'
'Oh! I could not stay alone in the village/ said she.
And her mother-in-law left off her work to come and
scold her, and to tell her that she would kill herself if
she did such foolish things. But the girl would not
listen and sat down and looked on.
When they had divided the buffalo's flesh, and each
woman had the family portion in her basket, the stranger
wife got up and said:
'Let me have the head.'
'You could never carry anything so heavy,' answered
the men, 'and now you are ill besides.'
'You do not know how strong I am,' answered she.
And at last they gave it her.
She did not walk to the village with the others, but
lingered behind, and, instead of entering her hut, she
slipped into the little shed where the pots for cooking
and storing maize were kept. Then she laid down the
buffalo's head and sat beside it. Her husband came to
seek her, and begged her to leave the shed and go to bed,
as she must be tired out; but the girl would not stir,
neither would she attend to the words of her mother-in-
law.
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
197
'I wish you would leave me alone!' she answered
crossly. 'It is impossible to sleep if somebody is always
coming in.' And she turned her back on them, and
cruet-1
i-i\_ A loo ooice
f^oUet* of tKe
would not even eat the food they had brought. So they
went away, and the young man soon stretched himself
out on his mat; but his wife's odd conduct made him
anxious, and he lay awake all night, listening.
198 THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
When all was still the girl made a fire and boiled
some water in a pot. As soon as it was quite hot she
shook in the medicine that she had brought from home,
and then, taking the buffalo's head, she made incisions
with her little knife behind the ear, and close to the
temple where the shot had struck him. Next she applied
the horn to the spot and blew with all her force till, at
length, the blood began to move. After that she spread
some of the deer fat out of the calabash over the wound,
which she held in the steam of the hot water. Last of
all, she sang in a low voice a dirge over the Rover of the
Plain.
As she chanted the final words the head moved, and
the limbs came back. The buffalo began to feel alive
again and shook his horns, and stood up and stretched
himself. Unluckily it was just at this moment that the
husband said to himself:
'I wonder if she is crying still, and what is the matter
with her! Perhaps I had better go and see.' And he got
up and, calling her by name, went out to the shed.
'Go away! I don't want you!' she cried angrily. But
it was too late. The buffalo had fallen to the ground,
dead, and with the wound in his head as before.
The young man who, unlike most of his tribe, was
afraid of his wife, returned to his bed without having seen
anything, but wondering very much what she could be
doing all this time. After waiting a few minutes, she
began her task over again, and at the end the buffalo
stood on his feet as before. But just as the girl was
rejoicing that her work was completed, in came the
husband once more to see what his wife was doing; and
this time he sat himself down in the hut, and said that
he wished to watch whatever was going on. Then the
girl took up the pitcher and all her other things and left
the shed, trying for the third time to bring the buffalo
back to life.
She was too late ; the dawn was already breaking,
THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN 199
and the head fell to the ground, dead and corrupt as it
was before.
The girl entered the hut, where her husband and his
mother were getting ready to go out.
'I want to go down to the lake, and bathe,' said she.
'But you could never walk so far,' answered they.
'You are so tired, as it is, that you can hardly stand!'
However, in spite of their warnings, the girl left the
hut in the direction of the lake. Very soon she came
back weeping, and sobbed out:
'I met some one in the village who lives in my
country, and he told me that my mother is very, very ill,
and if I do not go to her at once she will be dead before
I arrive. I will return as soon as I can, and now fare-
well.' And she set forth in the direction of the moun-
tains. But this story was not true; she knew nothing about
her mother, only she wanted an excuse to go home and
tell her family that their prophecies had come true, and
that the buffalo was dead.
Balancing her basket on her head, she walked along,
and directly she had left the village behind her she
broke out into the song of the Rover of the Plain, and at
last, at the end of the day, she came to the group of huts
where her parents lived. Her friends all ran to meet her,
and, weeping, she told them that the buffalo was dead.
This sad news spread like lightning through the coun-
try, and the people flocked from far and near to bewail the
loss of the beast who had been their pride.
'If you only had listened to us,' they cried, 'he would
be alive now. But you refused all the little girls we offered
you, and would have nothing but the buffalo. And re-
member what the medicine-man said: "If the buffalo dies
you die also! "'
So they bewailed their fate, one to the other, and for
a while they did not perceive that the girl's husband was
sitting in their midst, leaning his gun against a tree.
Then one man, turning, beheld him. and bowed mockingly.
200 THE ROVER OF THE PLAIN
'Hail, murderer! hail! you have slain us all!'
The young man stared, not knowing what he meant,
and answered, wonderingly:
'I shot a buffalo; is that why you call me a mur-
derer ? '
' A buffalo — yes ; but the servant of your wife ! It
was he who carried the wood and drew the water. Did
you not know it?'
'No; I did not know it,' replied the husband in surprise.
'Why did no one tell me? Of course I should not have
shot him!'
'Well, he is dead,' answered they, 'and we must die
too.'
At this the girl took a cup in which some poisonous
herbs had been crushed, and holding it in her hands, she
wailed: 'O my father, Rover of the Plain!' Then drink-
ing a deep draught from it, fell back dead. One by
one her parents, her brothers and her sisters, drank
also and died, singing a dirge to the memory of the
buffalo.
The girl's husband looked on with horror; and
returned sadly home across the mountains, and, entering
his hut, threw himself on the ground. At first he was
too tired to speak; but at length he raised his head and
told all the story to his father and mother, who sat
watching him. When he had finished they shook their
heads and said:
'Now you see that we spoke no idle words when we
told you that ill would come of your marriage! We
offered you a good and hard-working wife, and you would
have none of her. And it is not only your wife you have
lost, but your fortune also. For who will give you back
your dowry if they are all dead?'
' It is true, O my father,' answered the young man. But
in his heart he thought more of the loss of his wife than of
the money he had given for her.
(From L' Etude Ethnographique sur Les Baronga, par Henri Junod.)
THE WHITE DOE
ONCE upon a time there lived a king and queen who
loved each other dearly, and would have been perfectly
happy if they had only had a little son or daughter to
play with. They never talked about it, and always
pretended that there was nothing in the world to wish
for; but, sometimes, when they looked at other people's
children, their faces grew sad, and their courtiers and
attendants knew the reason why.
One day the queen was sitting alone by the side of a
waterfall which sprung from some rocks in the large
park adjoining the castle. She was feeling more than
usually miserable, and had sent away her ladies so that
no one might witness her grief. Suddenly she heard a
rustling movement in the pool below the waterfall, and,
on glancing up, she saw a large crab climbing on to a
stone beside her.
'Great queen,' said the crab, 'I am here to tell you
that the desire of your heart will soon be granted. But
first you must permit me to lead you to the palace of the
fairies, which, though hard by, has never been seen by
mortal eyes because of the thick clouds that surround it.
When there you will know more; that is, if you will trust,
yourself to me.'
The queen had never before heard an animal speak
and was struck dumb with surprise. However, she was
so enchanted at the words of the crab that she smiled
sweetly and held out her hand; it was taken, not by the
crab, which had stood there only a moment before, but by
202 THE WHITE DOE
a little old woman smartly dressed in white and crimson
with green ribbons in her grey hair. And, wonderful to
say, not a drop of water fell from her clothes.
The old woman ran lightly down a path along which
the queen had been a hundred times before, but it
seemed so different she could hardly belive it was the
same. Instead of having to push her way through
nettles and brambles, roses and jasmine hung about her
head, while under her feet the ground was sweet with
violets. The orange trees were so tall and thick that,
even at mid-day, the sun was never too hot, and at the
end of the path was a glimmer of something so dazzling
that the queen had to shade her eyes, and peep at it only
between her fingers.
'What can it be?' she asked, turning to her guide; who
answered:
'Oh, that is the fairies' palace, and here are some of
them coming to meet us.'
As she spoke the gates swung back and six fairies ap-
approached, each bearing in her hand a flower made of
precious stones, but so like a real one that it was only by
touching you could tell the difference.
'Madam,' they said, 'we know not how to thank you
for this mark of your confidence, but have the happiness
to tell you that in a short time you will have a little
daughter.'
The queen was so enchanted at this news that she
nearly fainted with joy; but when she was able to speak,
she poured out all her gratitude to the fairies for their
promised gift.
'And now,' she said, 'I ought not to stay any longer,
for my husband will think that I have run away, or that
some evil beast has devoured me.'
In a little while it happened just as the fairies had fore-
told, and a baby girl was born in the palace. Of course
both the king and queen were delighted, and the child
THE WHITE DOE 203
was called De'sire'e, which means 'desired,' for she had
been ' desired ' for five long years before her birth.
At first the queen could think of nothing but her new
plaything, but then she remembered the fairies who had
sent it to her. Bidding her ladies bring her the posy of
jewelled flowers which had been given her at the palace,
she took each flower in her hand and called it by name,
and, in turn, each fairy appeared before her. But, as
unluckily often happens, the one to whom she owed
most, the crab-fairy, was forgotten, and by this, as in
the case of other babies you have read about, much mis-
chief was wrought.
However, for the moment all was gaiety in the palace,
and everybody inside ran to the windows to watch the
fairies' carriages, for no two were alike. One had a car
of ebony, drawn by white pigeons, another was lying back
in her ivory chariot, driving ten black crows, while the rest
had chosen rare woods or many-coloured sea-shells, with
scarlet and blue macaws, long-tailed peacocks, or green
love-birds for horses. These carriages were only used
on occasions of state, for when they went to war flying
dragons, fiery serpents, lions or leopards, took the place
of the beautiful birds.
The fairies entered the queen's chamber followed by
little dwarfs who carried their presents and looked much
prouder than their mistresses. One by one their burdens
were spread upon the ground, and no one had ever seen
such lovely things. Everything a baby could possibly
wear or play with was there, and, besides, they had other
and more precious gifts to give her, which only children
who have fairies for godmothers can ever hope to possess.
They were all gathered round the heap of pink
cushions on which the baby lay asleep, when a shadow
seemed to fall between them and the sun, while a cold
wind blew through the room. Everybody looked up, and
there was the crab-fairy, who had grown as tall as the ceiling
in her anger.
204 THE WHITE DOE
'So I am forgotten!' cried she, in a voice so loud
that the queen trembled as she heard it. 'Who was it
soothed you in your trouble? Who was it led you to
the fairies? Who was it brought you back in safety to
your home again ? Yet I — I — am overlooked, while
these who have done nothing in comparison, are petted
and thanked.'
The queen, almost dumb with terror, in vain tried to
think of some explanation or apology; but there was none,
and she could only confess her fault and implore forgive-
ness. The fairies also did their best to soften the wrath
of their sister, and knowing that, like many plain people,
who are not fairies, she was very vain, they entreated her
to drop her crab's disguise, and to become once more the
charming person they were accustomed to see.
For some time the enraged fairy would listen to
nothing; but at length the flatteries began to take effect.
The crab's shell fell from her, she shrank into her usual
size, and lost some of her fierce expression.
'Well,' she said, 'I will not cause the princess' death,
as I had meant to do, but at the same time she will have
to bear the punishment of her mother's fault, as many
other children have done before her. The sentence I
pass upon her is, that if she is allowed to see one ray of
daylight before her fifteenth birthday she will rue it
bitterly, and it may perhaps cost her her life.' And
with these words she vanished by the window through
which she came, while the fairies comforted the weeping
queen and took counsel how best the princess might be
kept safe during her childhood.
At the end of half an hour they had made up their
minds what to do, and at the command of the fairies, a
beautiful palace sprung up, close to that of the king and
queen, but different from every other palace in the world, in
having no windows, and only a door right under the earth.
However, once within, daylight was hardly missed, so
THE WHITE DOE 207
brilliant were the multitudes of tapers that were burning
on the walls.
Now up to this time the princess's history has been
like the history of many a princess that you have read
about; but, when the period of her imprisonment was
nearly over, her fortunes took another turn. For almost
fifteen years the fairies had taken care of her, and amused
her and taught her, so that when she came into the world
she might be no whit behind the daughters of other kings
in all that makes a princess charming and accomplished.
They all loved her dearly, but the fairy Tulip loved her
most of all; and as the princess's fifteenth birthday drew
near, the fairy began to tremble lest something terrible
should happen — some accident which had not been fore-
seen. 'Do not let her out of your sight,' said Tulip to
the queen, 'and meanwhile, let her portrait be painted
and carried to the neighbouring Courts, as is the custom,
in order that the kings may see how far her beauty ex-
ceeds that of every other princess, and that they may de-
mand her in marriage for their sons.'
And so it was done; and as the fairy had prophesied,
all the young princes fell in love with the picture; but
the last one to whom it was shown could think of nothing
else, and refused to let it be removed from his chamber,
where he spent whole days gazing at it.
The king his father was much surprised at the
change which had come over his son, who generally
passed all his time in hunting or hawking, and his
anxiety was increased by a conversation he overheard
between two of his courtiers that they feared the prince
must be going out of his mind, so moody had he become.
Without losing a moment the king went to visit his son,
and no sooner had he entered the room than the young
man flung himself at his father's feet.
'You have betrothed me already to a bride I can
never love ! ' cried he ; ' but if you will not consent to break
off the match, and ask for the hand of the princess
208 THE WHITE DOE
De"sire"e, I shall die of misery, thankful to be alive no
longer.'
These words much displeased the king, who felt that,
in breaking off the marriage already arranged, he would
almost certainly be bringing on his subjects a long and
bloody war; so, without answering, he turned away,
hoping that a few days might bring his son to reason.
But the prince's condition grew rapidly so much worse
that the king, in despair, promised to send an embassy at
once to Desiree's father.
This news cured the young man in an instant of all
his ills; and he began to plan out every detail of dress
and of horses and carriages which were necessary to
make the train of the envoy, whose name was Becasigue,
as splendid as possible. He longed to form part of the
embassy himself, if only in the disguise of a page; but
this the king would not allow, and so the prince had to
content himself with searching the kingdom for every-
thing that was rare and beautiful to send to the princess.
Indeed, he arrived, just as the embassy was starting,
with his portrait, which had been painted in secret by the
court painter.
The king and queen wished for nothing better than
that their daughter should marry into such a great and
powerful family, and received the ambassador with every
sign of welcome. They even wished him to see the prin-
cess Desiree, but this was prevented by the fairy Tulip,
who feared some ill might come of it.
'And be sure you tell him,' added she, 'that the
marriage cannot be celebrated till she is fifteen years
old, or else some terrible misfortune will happen to the
child.'
So when Becasigue, surrounded by his train, made a
formal request that the princess De'sire'e might be given
in marriage to his master's son, the king replied that he
was much honoured, and would gladly give his consent;
but that no one could even see the princess till her
THE WHITE DOE 209
fifteenth birthday, as the spell laid upon her in her
cradle by a spiteful fairy, would not cease to work till
that was past. The ambassador was greatly surprised
and disappointed, but he knew too much about fairies to
venture to disobey them, therefore he had to content
himself with presenting the prince's portrait to the queen,
who lost no time in carrying it to the princess. As the
girl took it in her hands it suddenly spoke, as it had been
taught to do, and uttered a compliment of the most delicate
and charming sort, which made the princess flush with
pleasure.
' How would you like to have a husband like that ? ' asked
the queen, laughing.
'As if I knew anything about husbands!' replied
Desiree, who had long ago guessed the business of the
ambassador.
'Well, he will be your husband in three months,'
answered the queen, ordering the prince's presents to be
brought in. The princess was very pleased with them,
and admired them greatly, but the queen noticed that all
the while her eyes constantly strayed from the softest
silks and most brilliant jewels to the portrait of the
prince.
The ambassador, finding that there was no hope of
his being allowed to see the princess, took his leave, and
returned to his own court; but here a new difficulty
appeared. The prince, though transported with joy at
the thought that Desire'e was indeed to be his bride, was
bitterly disappointed that she had not been allowed to
return with Becasigue, as he had foolishly expected; and
never having been taught to deny himself anything or
to control his feelings, he fell as ill as he had done before.
He would eat nothing nor take pleasure in anything, but
lay all day on a heap of cushions, gazing at the picture of
the princess.
'If I have to wait three months before I can marry
the princess I shall die!' was all this spoilt boy would
210 THE WHITE DOE
say; and at length the king, in despair, resolved to send
a fresh embassy to Desiree's father to implore him to
permit the marriage to be celebrated at once. 'I would
have presented my prayer in person,' he added in his
letter, 'but my great age and infirmities do not suffer me
to travel; however my envoy has orders to agree to any
arrangement that you may propose.'
On his arrival at the palace Becasigue pleaded his
young master's cause as fervently as the king his father
could have done, and entreated that the princess might
be consulted in the matter. The queen hastened to the
marble tower, and told her daughter of the sad state of
the prince. Desiree sank down fainting at the news,
but soon came to herself again, and set about inventing
a plan which would enable her to go to the prince with-
out risking the doom pronounced over her by the wicked
fairy.
'I see!' she exclaimed joyfully at last. 'Let a
carriage be built through which no light can come, and
let it be brought into my room. I will then get into it,
and we can travel swiftly during the night and arrive
before dawn at the palace of the prince. Once there,
I can remain in some underground chamber, where no
light can come.
'Ah, how clever you are,' cried the queen, clasping her
in her arms. And she hurried away to tell the king.
'What a wife our prince will have!' said Becasigue
bowing low; 'but I must hasten back with the tidings,
and to prepare the underground chamber for the princess.'
And so he took his leave.
In a few days the carriage commanded by the
princess was ready. It was of green velvet, scattered
over with large golden thistles, and lined inside with
silver brocade embroidered with pink roses. It had no
windows, of course; but the fairy Tulip, whose counsel
had been asked, had managed to light it up with a soft
glow that came no one knew whither.
THE WHITE DOE 211
It was carried straight up into the great hall of the
tower, and the princess stepped into it, followed by her
faithful maid of honour, Eglantine, and by her lady in
waiting Cerisette, who also had fallen in love with the
prince's portrait and was bitterly jealous of her mistress.
The fourth place in the carriage was filled by Cerisette's
mother, who had been sent by the queen to look after
the three young people.
Now the Fairy of the Fountain was the godmother
of the princess Nera, to whom the prince had been
bethrothed before the picture of Desiree had made him
faithless. She was very angry at the slight put upon her
godchild, and from that moment kept careful watch
on the princess. In this journey she saw her chance,
and it was she who, invisible, sat by Cdrisette, and put
bad thoughts into the minds of both her and her mother.
The way to the city where the prince lived ran for
the most part through a thick forest, and every night
when there was no moon, and not a single star could be
seen through the trees, the guards who travelled with
the princess opened the carriage to give it an airing.
This went on for several days, till only twelve hours
journey lay between them and the palace. Then Cerisette
persuaded her mother to cut a great hole in the side of
the carriage with a sharp knife which she herself had
brought for the purpose. In the forest the darkness was
so intense that no one perceived what she had done, but
when they left the last trees behind them, and emerged
into the open country, the sun was up, and for the first
time since her babyhood, Desiree found herself in the
light of day.
She looked up in surprise at the dazzling brilliance
that streamed through the hole; then gave a sigh which
seemed to come from her heart. The carriage door
swung back, as if by magic, and a white doe sprung out,
and in a moment was lost to sight in the forest. But,
212 THE WHITE DOE
quick as she was, Eglantine, her maid of honour, had
time to see where she went, and jumped from the
carriage in pursuit of her, followed at a distance by the
guards.
Cerisette and her mother looked at each other in
surprise and joy. They could hardly believe in their
good fortune, for everything had happened exactly as
they wished. The first thing to be done was to conceal
the hole which had been cut, and when this was managed
(with the help of the angry fairy, though they did not
know it), Cerisette hastened to take off her own clothes,
and put on those of the princess, placing the crown of
diamonds on her head. She found this heavier than she
expected; but then, she had never been accustomed to
wear crowns, which makes all the difference.
At the gates of the city the carriage was stopped by
a guard of honour sent by the king as an escort to his
son's bride. Though Cerisette and her mother could of
course see nothing of what was going on outside, they
heard plainly the shouts of welcome from the crowds
along the streets.
The carriage stopped at length in the vast hall which
Becasigue had prepared for the reception of the princess.
The grand chamberlain and the lord high steward were
awaiting her, and when the false bride stepped into the
brilliantly lighted room, they bowed low, and said they
had orders to inform his highness the moment she arrived.
The prince, whom the strict etiquette of the court had
prevented from being present in the underground hall,
was burning with impatience in his own apartments.
'So she has come!' cried he, throwing down the bow
he had been pretending to mend. 'Well, was I not
right? Is she not a miracle of beauty and grace? And
has she her equal in the whole world?' The ministers
looked at each other, and made no reply; till at length
the chamberlain, who was the bolder of the two, ob-
served :
THE WHITE DOE 213
'My lord, as to her beauty, you can judge of that for
yourself. No doubt it is as great as you say; but at
present it seems to have suffered, as is natural, from the
fatigues of the journey.'
This was certainly not what the prince expected to hear.
Could the portrait have flattered her? He had known
of such things before, and a cold shiver ran through him;
but with an effort he kept silent from further question-
ing, and only said:
'Has the king been told that the princess is in the
palace ? '
'Yes, your highness; and he has probably already
joined her.'
'Then I will go too,' said the prince.
Weak as he was from his long illness, the prince
descended the staircase, supported by the ministers, and
entered the room just in time to hear his father's loud
cry of astonishment and disgust at the sight of Cerisette.
'There has been treachery at work,' he exclaimed,
while the prince leant, dumb with horror, against the door-
post. But the lady in waiting, who had been prepared
for something of the sort, advanced, holding in her hand
the letters which the king and queen had entrusted to
her.
'This is the princess De"siree,' said she, pretending to
have heard nothing, 'and I have the honour to present
to you these letters from my liege lord and lady, together
with the casket containing the princess' jewels.'
The king did not move or answer her; so the prince,
leaning on the arm of Becasigue, approached a little closer
to the false princess, hoping against hope that his eyes
had deceived him. But the longer he looked the more
he agreed with his father that there was some treason some-
where, for in no single respect did the portrait resemble
the woman before him. Cerisette was so tall that the
dress of the princess did not reach her ankles, and so
214 THE WHITE DOE
thin that her bones showed through the stuff. Besides
that her nose was hooked, and her teeth black and ugly.
In his turn, the prince stood rooted to the spot. At
last he spoke, and his words were addressed to his father
and not to the bride who had come so far to marry him.
'We have been deceived,' he said, 'and it will cost me
my life.' And he leaned so heavily on the envoy that
Becasigue feared he was going to faint, and hastily laid
him on the floor. For some minutes no one could attend
to anybody but the prince; but as soon as he revived the
lady in waiting made herself heard.
'Oh, my lovely princess, why did we ever leave
home?' cried she. 'But the king your father will avenge
the insults that have been heaped on you when we tell
him how you have been treated.'
'I will tell him myself,' replied the king in wrath;
'he promised me a wonder of beauty, he has sent me a
skeleton! I am not surprised that he has kept her for
fifteen years hidden from the eyes of the world. Take
them both away,' he continued, turning to his guards, 'and
lodge them in the state prison. There is something more
I have to learn of this matter.'
His orders were obeyed, and the prince, loudly
bewailing his sad fate, was led back to his bed, where
for many days he lay in a high fever. At length he
slowly began to gain strength, but his sorrow was still
so great that he could not bear the sight of a strange
face, and shuddered at the notion of taking his proper
part in the court ceremonies. Unknown to the king, or
to anybody but Becasigue, he planned that, as soon as he
was able, he would make his escape and pass the rest of
his life in some solitary place. It was some weeks
before he had regained his health sufficiently to carry
out his design; but finally, one beautiful starlight night,
the two friends stole away, and when the king woke next
morning he found a letter lying by his bed, saying that
his son had gone, he knew not whither. He wept bitter
THE WHITE DOE 215
tears at the news, for he loved the prince dearly; but he
felt that perhaps the young man had done wisely, and he
trusted to time and Becasigue's influence to bring the
wanderer home.
And while these things were happening, what had
become of the white doe? Though when she sprang
from the carriage she was aware that some unkind fate
had changed her into an animal, yet, till she saw herself
in a stream, she had no idea what it was.
'Is it really, I, Desire'e?' she said to herself, weeping.
' What wicked fairy can have treated me so; and shall I
never, never take my own shape again ? My only comfort
that, in this great forest, full of lions and serpents, my life
will be a short one.'
Now the fairy Tulip was as much grieved at the sad
fate of the princess as Desiree's own mother could have
been if she had known of it. Still, she could not help
feeling that if the king and queen had listened to her
advice the girl would by this time be safely in the walls
of her new home. However, she loved Desiree too much
to let her suffer more than could be helped, and it was
she who guided Eglantine to the place where the white
doe was standing, cropping the grass which was her
dinner.
At the sound of footsteps the pretty creature lifted
her head, and when she saw her faithful companion
approaching she bounded towards her, and rubbed her
head on Eglantine's shoulder. The maid of honour was
surprised; but she was fond of animals, and stroked the
white doe tenderly, speaking gently to her all the while.
Suddenly the beautiful creature lifted her head, and
looked up into Eglantine's face, with tears streaming
from her eyes. A thought flashed through her mind,
and quick as lightning the girl flung herself on her
knees, and lifting the animal's feet kissed them one by
one. 'My princess! O my dear princess!' cried she;
and again the white doe rubbed her head against her, for
216 THE WHITE DOE
though the spiteful fairy had taken away her power of
speech, she had not deprived her of her reason!
All day long the two remained together, and when
Eglantine grew hungry she was led by the white doe to
a part of the forest where pears and peaches grew in abun-
dance; but, as night came on, the maid of honour was
filled with the terrors of wild beasts which had beset the
princess during her first night in the forest.
'Is there no hut or cave we could go into?' asked she.
But the doe only shook her head; and the two sat down
and wept with fright.
The fairy Tulip who, in spite of her anger, was very soft-
hearted, was touched at their distress, and flew quickly
to their help.
'I cannot take away the spell altogether,' she said,
'for the Fairy of the Fountain is stronger than I; but I
can shorten the time of your punishment, and am able
to make it less hard, for as soon as darkness falls you shall
resume your own shape.'
To think that by-and-by she would cease to be a
white doe — indeed, that she would at once cease to be one
during the night — was for the present joy enough for
De"sir£e, and she skipped about on the grass in the
prettiest manner.
'Go straight down the path in front of you,' continued
the fairy, smiling as she watched her; 'go straight
down the path and you will soon reach a little hut
where you will find shelter.' And with these words she
vanished, leaving her hearers happier than they ever
thought they could be again.
An old woman was standing at the door of the hut when
Eglantine drew near, with the white doe trotting by her
side.
'Good evening!' she said; 'could you give me a
night's lodging for myself and my doe?'
'Certainly I can,' replied the old woman. And she
led them into a room with two little white beds, so
THE WHITE DOE 217
clean and comfortable that it made you sleepy even to
look at them.
The door had hardly closed behind the old woman
when the sun sank below the horizon, and De"sire"e became
a girl again.
'Oh, Eglantine! what should I have done if you had
not followed me,' she cried. And she flung herself into
her friend's arms in a transport of delight.
Early in the morning Eglantine was awakened by the
sound of someone scratching at the door, and on opening
her eyes she saw the white doe struggling to get out.
The little creature looked up and into her face, and nodded
her head as the maid of honour unfastened the latch, but
bounded away into the woods, and was lost to sight in a
moment.
Meanwhile, the prince and Becasigue were wandering
through the wood, till at last the prince grew so tired,
that he lay down under a tree, and told Becasigue that
he had better go in search of food, and of some place
where they could sleep. Becasigue had not gone very
far, when a turn of the path brought him face to face
with the old woman, who was feeding her doves before her
cottage.
'Could you give me some milk and fruit?' asked he.
'I am very hungry myself, and, besides, I have left a
friend behind me who is still weak from illness.'
'Certainly I can,' answered the old woman. 'But
come and sit down in my kitchen while I catch the goat
and milk it.'
Becasigue was glad enough to do as he was bid, and
in a few minutes the old woman returned with a basket
brimming over with oranges and grapes.
'If your friend has been ill he should not pass the night
in the forest,' said she. 'I have a room in my hut — tiny
enough, it is true; but better than nothing, and to that
you are both heartily welcome.'
218 THE WHITE DOE
Becasigue thanked her warmly, and by this time it
was almost sunset, he set out to fetch the prince. It was
while he was absent that Eglantine and the white doe
entered the hut, and having, of course, no idea that in the
very next room was the man whose childish impatience
had been the cause of all their troubles.
In spite of his fatigue, the prince slept badly, and
directly it was light he rose, and bidding Becasigue
remain where he was, as he wished to be alone, he
strolled out into the forest. He walked on slowly, just
as his fancy led him, till, suddenly, he came to a wide
open space, and in the middle was the white doe quietly
eating her breakfast. She bounded off at the sight of a
man, but not before the prince, who had fastened on his
bow without thinking, had let fly several arrows, which
the fairy Tulip took care should do her no harm. But,
quickly as she ran, she soon felt her strength failing her,
for fifteen years of life in a tower had not taught her
how to exercise her limbs.
Luckily, the prince was too weak to follow her far,
and a turn of a path brought her close to the hut,
where Eglantine was awaiting her. Panting for breath,
she entered their room, and flung herself down on the
floor.
When it was dark again, and she was once more the
princess Desiree, she told Eglantine what had befallen her.
'I feared the Fairy of the Fountain, and the cruel
beasts,' said she; 'but somehow I never thought of the
dangers that I ran from men. I do not know now what
saved me.'
'You must stay quietly here till the time of your
punishment is over,' answered Eglantine. But when the
morning dawned, and the girl turned into a doe, the
longing for the forest came over her, and she sprang away
as before.
As soon as the prince was awake he hastened to the
place where, only the day before, he had found the white
THE WHITE DOE
219
doe feeding; but of course she had taken care to go in the
opposite direction. Much disappointed, he tried first one
green path and then another, and at last, wearied with
walking, he threw himself down and went fast asleep.
Just at this moment the white doe sprang out of a
thicket near by, and started back trembling when she
beheld her enemy lying there. Yet, instead of turning to
AK»NVJTE THEY LOOKED
fly, something bade her go and look at him unseen. As
she gazed a thrill ran through her, for she felt that, worn
and wasted though he was by illness, it was the face of
her destined husband. Gently stooping over him she
kissed his forehead, and at her touch he awoke.
For a minute they looked at each other, and to his
amazement he recognised the white doe which had
220 THE WHITE DOE
escaped him the previous day. But in an instant the
animal was aroused to a sense of her danger, and she
fled with all her strength into the thickest part of the
forest. Quick as lightning the prince was on her track,
but this time it was with no wish to kill or even wound
the beautiful creature.
'Pretty doe! pretty doe! stop! I won't hurt you,'
cried he, but his words were carried away by the wind.
At length the doe could run no more, and when the
prince reached her, she was lying stretched out on the
grass, waiting for her death blow. But instead the prince
knelt at her side, and stroked her, and bade her fear
nothing, as he would take care of her. So he fetched a
little water from the stream in his horn hunting cup,
then, cutting some branches from the trees, he twisted
them into a litter which he covered with moss, and laid
the white doe gently on it.
For a long time they remained thus, but when
De'siree saw by the way that the light struck the trees,
that the sun must be near its setting, she was filled with
alarm lest the darkness should fall, and the prince should
behold her in her human shape.
'No, he must not see me for the first time here,' she
thought, and instantly began to plan how to get rid of
him. Then she opened her mouth and let her tongue
hang out, as if she were dying of thirst, and the prince,
as she expected, hastened to the stream to get her some
more water.
When he returned, the white doe was gone.
That night Desiree confessed to Eglantine that her
pursuer was no other than the prince, and that far from
flattering him, the portrait had never done him justice.
'Is it not hard to meet him in this shape,' wept she,
'when we both love each other so much?' But Eglantine
comforted her, and reminded her that in a short time all
would be well.
The prince was very angry at the flight of the white
THE WHITE DOE 221
doe, for whom he had taken so much trouble, and re-
turning to the cottage he poured out his adventures and
his wrath to Becasigue, who could not help smiling.
'She shall not escape me again,' cried the prince. 'If
I hunt her every day for a year, I will have her at last.'
And in this frame of mind he went to bed.
When the white doe entered the forest next morning,
she had not made up her mind whether she would go
and meet the prince, or whether she would shun him,
and hide in the thickets of which he knew nothing. She
decided that the last plan was the best; and so it would
have been if the prince had not taken the very same
direction in search of her.
Quite by accident he caught sight of her white skin
shining through the bushes, and at the same instant she
heard a twig snap under his feet. In a moment she
was up and away, but the prince, not knowing how else
to capture her, aimed an arrow at her leg, which brought
her to the ground.
The young man felt like a murderer as he ran hastily
up to where the white doe lay, and did his best to soothe
the pain she felt, which, in reality, was the last part of
the punishment sent by the Fairy of the Fountain. First
he brought her some water, and then he fetched some
healing herbs, and having crushed them in his hands, laid
them on the wound.
'Ah! what a wretch I was to have hurt you,' cried he,
resting her head upon his knees; 'and now you will hate
me and fly from me for ever!'
For some time the doe lay quietly where she was, but,
as before, she remembered that the hour of her trans-
formation was near. She struggled to her feet, but the
prince would not hear of her walking, and thinking the
old woman might be able to dress her wound better than
he could, he took her in his arms to carry her back to
the hut. But, small as she was, she made herself so heavy
222 THE WHITE DOE
that, after staggering a few steps under her weight, he
laid her down, and tied her fast to a tree with some of the
ribbons off his hat. This done he went away to get
help.
Meanwhile Eglantine had grown very uneasy at the long
absence of her mistress, and had come out to look for
her. Just as the prince passed out of sight the flutter-
ing ribbons danced before her eyes, and she descried
her beautiful princess bound to a tree. With all her
might she worked at the knots, but not a single one could
she undo, though all appeared so easy. She was still busy
with them when a voice behind her said:
'Pardon me, fair lady, but it is my doe you are trying
to steal!'
'Excuse me, good knight,' answered Eglantine, hardly
glancing at him, 'but it is my doe that is tied up here!
And if you wish for a proof of it, you can see if she knows
me or not. Touch my heart, my little one,' she con-
tinued, dropping on her knees. And the doe lifted up
its fore-foot and laid it on her side. 'Now put your
arms round my neck, and sigh.' And again the doe did
as she was bid.
'You are right,' said the prince; 'but it is with sorrow
I give her up to you, for though I have wounded her yet
I love her deeply.'
To this Eglantine answered nothing; but carefully
raising up the doe, she led her slowly to the hut.
Now both the prince and Becasigue were quite un-
aware that the old woman had any guests besides them-
selves, and, following afar, were much surprised to be-
hold Eglantine and her charge enter the cottage. They
lost no time in questioning the old woman, who replied
that she knew nothing about the lady and her white doe,
who slept next the chamber occupied by the prince and
his friend, but that they were very quiet, and paid her
well. Then she went back to her kitchen.
'Do you know,' said Becasigue, when they were alone,
THE WHITE DOE 223
I am certain that the lady that we saw is the maid of honour
to the Princess Desire'e, whom I met at the palace. And,
as her room is next to this, it will be easy to make a small
hole through which I can satisfy myself whether I am right
or not.'
So, taking a knife out of his pocket, he began to saw
away the woodwork. The girls heard the grating noise,
but fancying it was a mouse, paid no attention, and
Becasigue was left in peace to pursue his work. At length
the hole was large enough for him to peep through, and
the sight was one to strike him dumb with amazement.
He had guessed truly: the tall lady was Eglantine herself;
but the other — where had he seen her ? Ah ! now he
knew — it was the lady of the portrait !
Desire'e, in a flowing dress of green silk, was lying
stretched out upon cushions, and as Eglantine bent over
her to bathe the wounded leg, she began to talk:
'Oh! let me die!' cried she, 'rather than go on
leading this life. You cannot tell the misery of being a
beast all the day, and unable to speak to the man I love,
to whose impatience I owe my cruel fate. Yet, even so,
I cannot bring myself to hate him.'
These words, low though they were spoken, reached
Becasigue, who could hardly believe his ears. He stood
silent for a moment; then, crossing to the window out
of which the prince was gazing, he took his arm and led
him across the room. A single glance was sufficient to
show the prince that it was indeed Desire'e; and how an-
other had come to the palace bearing her name, at that
instant he neither knew nor cared. Stealing on tip-toe
from the room, he knocked at the next door, which was
opened by Eglantine, who thought it was the old woman
bearing their supper.
She started back at the sight of the prince, whom this
time she also recognised. But he thrust her aside, and
flung himself at the feet of Desire'e, to whom he poured
out all his heart!
224 THE WHITE DOE
Dawn found them still conversing; and the sun was
high in the heavens before the princess perceived that
she retained her human form. Ah! how happy she was
when she knew that the days of her punishment were over;
and with a glad voice she told the prince the tale of her
enchantment.
So the story ended well after all; and the fairy Tulip,
who turned out to be the old woman of the hut, made
the young couple such a wedding feast as had never
been seen since the world began. And everybody was
delighted, except Ce*risette and her mother, who were put
in a boat and carried to a small island, where they had
to work hard for their living.
(Conies des Fees, par Madame d'Aulnoy.)
THE GIRL-FISH
ONCE upon a time there lived, on the bank of a stream, a
man and a woman who had a daughter. As she was an
only child, and very pretty besides, they never could make
up their minds to punish her for her faults or to teach
her nice manners; and as for work — she laughed in her
mother's face if she asked her to help cook the dinner or
to wash the plates. All the girl would do was to spend
her days in dancing and playing with her friends; and
for any use she was to her parents they might as well have
had no daughter at all.
However, one morning her mother looked so tired that
even the selfish girl could not help seeing it, and asked
if there was anything she was able to do, so that her mother
might rest a little.
The good woman looked so surprised and grateful for
this offer that the girl felt rather ashamed, and at that
moment would have scrubbed down the house if she had
been requested; but her mother only begged her to take
the fishing-net out to the bank of the river and mend
some holes in it, as her father intended to go fishing that
night.
The girl took the net and worked so hard that soon
there was not a hole to be found. She felt quite pleased
with herself, though she had had plenty to amuse her, as
everybody who passed by had stopped and had a chat
with her. But by this time the sun was high over head,
and she was just folding her net to carry it home again,
226 THE GIRL-FISH
when she heard a splash behind her, and looking round
she saw a big fish jump into the air. Seizing the net with
both hands, she flung it into the water where the circles
were spreading one behind the other, and, more by luck
than skill, drew out the fish.
'Well, you are a beauty!' she cried to herself; but the
fish looked up to her and said:
'You had better not kill me, for, if you do, I will turn
you into a fish yourself!'
The girl laughed contemptuously, and ran straight in
to her mother.
'Look what I have caught,' she said gaily; 'but it is
almost a pity to eat it, for it can talk, and it declares that,
if I kill it, it will turn me into a fish too.'
'Oh, put it back, put it back!' implored the mother.
'Perhaps it is skilled in magic. And I should die, and
so would your father, if anything should happen to
you.'
'Oh, nonsense, mother; what power could a creature
like that have over me? Besides, I am hungry, and
if I don't have my dinner very soon, I shall be cross.
And off she went to gather some flowers to stick in her
hair.
About an hour later the blowing of a horn told her that
dinner was ready.
'Didn't I say that fish would be delicious?' she cried;
and plunging her spoon into the dish the girl helped her-
self to a large piece. But the instant it touched her mouth
a cold shiver ran through her. Her head seemed to flatten,
and her eyes to look oddly round the corners; her legs and
her arms were stuck to her sides, and she gasped wildly
for breath. With a mighty bound she sprang through
the window and fell into the river, where she soon felt
better, and was able to swim to the sea, which was
close by.
No sooner had she arrived there than the sight of her
sad face attracted the notice of some of the other fishes,
THE GIRL-FISH 227
and they pressed round her, begging her to tell them her
story.
'I am not a fish at all,' said the new-comer, swallow-
ing a great deal of salt water as she spoke; for you
cannot learn how to be a proper fish all in a moment.
'I am not a fish at all, but a girl; at least I was a
girl a few minutes ago, only- — ' And she ducked her
head under the waves so that they should not see her
crying.
'Only you did not believe that the fish you caught
had power to carry out its threat,' said an old tunny.
'Well, never mind, that has happened to all of us, and it
really is not a bad life. Cheer up and come with us and
see our queen, who lives in a palace that is much more
beautiful than any your queens can boast of.'
The new fish felt a little afraid of taking such a
journey; but as she was still more afraid of being left
alone, she waved her tail in token of consent, and off
they all set, hundreds of them together. The people on
the rocks and in the ships that saw them pass said to each
other:
'Look what a splendid shoal!' and had no idea that
they were hastening to the queen's palace; but, then,
dwellers on land have so little notion of what goes on in
the bottom of the sea! Certainly the little new fish had
none. She had watched jelly-fish and nautilus swim-
ming a little way below the surface, and beautiful col-
oured sea- weeds floating about; but that was all. Now,
when she plunged deeper her eyes fell upon strange
things.
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
inestimable stones, unvalued jewels — all scattered in the
bottom of the sea! Dead men's bones were there also,
and long white creatures who had never seen the light,
for they mostly dwelt in the clefts of rocks where the sun's
rays could not come. At first our little fish felt as if she
were blind also, but by-and-by she began to make
228 THE GIRL-FISH
out one object after another in the green dimness, and
by the time she had swum for a few hours all became
clear.
'Here we are at last,' cried a big fish, going down
into a deep valley, for the sea has its mountains and val-
leys just as much as the land. 'That is the palace of the
queen of the fishes, and I think you must confess that
the emperor himself has nothing so fine.'
'It is beautiful indeed,' gasped the little fish, who was
very tired with trying to swim as fast as the rest, and
beautiful beyond words the palace was. The walls were
made of pale pink coral, worn smooth by the waters,
and round the windows were rows of pearls; the great
doors were standing open, and the whole troop floated
into a chamber of audience, where the queen, who was
half a woman after all, was seated on a throne made of
a green and blue shell.
'Who are you, and where do you come from?' said
she to the little fish, whom the others had pushed in
front. And in a low, trembling voice, the visitor told her
story.
'I was once a girl too,' answered the queen, when the
fish had ended; 'and my father was the king of a great
country. A husband was found for me, and on my
wedding-day my mother placed her crown on my head
and told me that as long as I wore it I should likewise
be queen. For many months I was as happy as a girl
could be, especially when I had a little son to play with.
But, one morning, when I was walking in my gardens,
there came a giant and snatched the crown from my
head. Holding me fast, he told me that he intended
to give the crown to his daughter, and to enchant my
husband the prince, so that he should not know the
difference between us. Since then she has filled my
place and been queen in my stead. As for me, I was so
miserable that I threw myself into the sea, and my ladies,
who loved me, declared that they would die too; but,
THE GIRL-FISH 229
instead of dying, some wizard, who pitied my fate, turned
us all into fishes, though he allowed me to keep the face
and body of a woman. And fishes we must remain till
someone brings me back my crown again!'
'/ will bring it back if you will tell me what to do!' cried
the little fish; who would have promised anything that
was likely to carry her up to earth again. And the queen
answered:
'Yes, I will tell you what to do.'
She sat silent for a moment, and then went on:
'There is no danger if you will only follow my
counsel; and first you must return to earth, and go up to
the top of a high mountain, where the giant has built his
castle. You will find him sitting on the steps weeping
for his daughter, who has just died while the prince was
away hunting. At the last she sent her father my
crown by a faithful servant. But I warn you to be care-
ful, for if he sees you he may kill you. Therefore I will
give you the power to change yourself into any creature
that may help you best. You have only to strike your
forehead, and call out its name.'
This time the journey to land seemed much shorter
than before, and when once the fish reached the shore
she struck her forehead sharply with her tail, and cried:
'Deer, come to me.'
In a moment the small slimy body disappeared, and
in its place stood a beautiful beast with branching horns
and slender legs, quivering with longing to be gone.
Throwing back her head and snuffing the air, she broke
into a run, leaping easily over the rivers and walls that
stood in her way.
It happened that the king's son had been hunting
since daybreak, but had killed nothing, and when the
deer crossed his path as he was resting under a tree he
determined to have her. He flung himself on his horse,
«*ibich went like the wind, and as the prince had often
230 THE GIRL-FISH
hunted the forest before, and knew all the short cuts, he
at last came up with the panting beast.
'By your favour let me go, and do not kill me,' said
the deer, turning to the prince with tears in her eyes,
'for I have far to run and much to do.' And as the
prince, struck dumb with surprise, only looked at her,
the deer cleared the next wall and was soon out of
sight.
'That can't really be a deer,' thought the prince to
himself, reining in his horse and not attempting to follow
her. 'No deer ever had eyes like that. It must be an
enchanted maiden, and I will marry her and no other.'
So, turning his horse's head, he rode slowly back to his
palace.
The deer reached the giant's castle quite out of breath,
and her heart sank as she gazed at the tall, smooth walls
which surrounded it. Then she plucked up courage and
cried:
'Ant, come to me!' And in a moment the branching
horns and beautiful shape had vanished, and a tiny
brown ant, invisible to all who did not look closely, was
climbing up the walls.
It was wonderful how fast she went, that little crea-
ture! The wall must have appeared miles high in
comparison with her own body; yet, in less time than
would have seemed possible, she was over the top and
down in the courtyard on the other side. Here she
paused to consider what had best be done next, and look-
ing about her she saw that one of the walls had a
tall tree growing by it, and in this corner was a window
very nearly on a level with the highest branches of the
tree.
'Monkey, come to me!' cried the ant; and before you
could turn round a monkey was swinging herself from
the topmost branches into the room where the giant lay
snoring.
THE GIRL-FISH 231
'Perhaps he will be so frightened at the sight of me
that he may die of fear, and I shall never get the crown,'
thought the monkey. 'I had better become something
else.' And she called softly: 'Parrot, come to me!'
Then a pink and grey parrot hopped up to the giant,
who by this time was stretching himself and giving
yawns which shook the castle. The parrot waited a little
until he was really awake, and then she said boldly
that she had been sent to take away the crown, which
was not his any longer, now his daughter the queen was
dead.
On hearing these words the giant leapt out of bed
with an angry roar, and sprang at the parrot in order to
wring her neck with his great hands. But the bird was
too quick for him, and, flying behind his back, begged the
giant to have patience, as her death would be of no use
to him.
'That is true,' answered the giant; 'but I am not so
foolish as to give you that crown for nothing. Let me
think what I will have in exchange!' And he scratched
his huge head for several minutes, for giants' minds always
move slowly.
'Ah, yes, that will do!' exclaimed the giant at last,
his face brightening. 'You shall have the crown if you
will bring me a collar of blue stones from the Arch of St.
Martin, in the great City.'
Now when the parrot had been a girl she had often
heard of this wonderful arch and the precious stones and
marbles that had been let into it. It sounded as if it
would be a very hard thing to get them away from the
building of which they formed a part, but all had gone
well with her so far, and at any rate she could but try.
So she bowed to the giant, and made her way back to
the window where the giant could not see her. Then she
called quickly:
'Eagle, come to me!'
Before she had even reached the tree she felt herself
232 THE GIRL-FISH
borne up on strong wings ready to carry her to the clouds
if she wished to go there, and, seeming a mere speck in
the sky, she was swept along till she beheld the Arch of
St. Martin far below, with the rays of the sun shining on
it. Then she swooped down, and, hiding herself behind
a buttress so that she could not be detected from below,
she set herself to dig out the nearest blue stones with
her beak. It was even harder work than she had ex-
pected; but at last it was done, and hope arose in her
heart. She next drew out a piece of string that she had
found hanging from a tree, and sitting down to rest
strung the stones together. When the necklace was fin-
ished she hung it round her neck, and called: 'Parrot,
come to me!' And a little later the pink and grey parrot
stood before the giant.
'Here is the necklace you asked for,' said the parrot.
And the eyes of the giant glistened as he took the heap
of blue stones in his hand. But for all that he was not
minded to give up the crown.
'They are hardly as blue as I expected,' he grumbled,
though the parrot knew as well as he did that he was
not speaking the truth; 'so you must bring me some-
thing else in exchange for the crown you covet so much.
If you fail it will cost you not only the crown but your
life also."
'What is it you want now?' asked the parrot; and the
giant answered:
'If I give you my crown I must have another still
more beautiful; and this time you shall bring me a crown
of stars.'
The parrot turned away, and as soon as she was out-
side she murmured:
'Toad, come to me!' And sure enough a toad she
was, and off she set in search of the starry crown.
She had not gone far before she came to a clear
pool, in which the stars were reflected so brightly that
they looked quite real to touch and handle. Stooping
THE GIRL-FISH 233
down she filled a bag she was carrying with the shining
water and, returning to the castle, wove a crown out of
the reflected stars. Then she cried as before:
'Parrot, come to me!' And in the shape of a parrot
she entered the presence of the giant.
'Here is the crown you asked for,' she said; and this
time the giant could not help crying out with admiration.
He knew he was beaten, and still holding the chaplet of
stars, he turned to the girl.
'Your power is greater than mine: take the crown; you
have won it fairly!'
The parrot did not need to be told twice. Seizing
the crown, she sprang on to the window, crying: 'Monkey,
come to me!' And to a monkey, the climb down the tree
into the courtyard did not take half a minute. When
she had reached the ground she said again: 'Ant, come
to me!' And a little ant at once began to crawl over the
high wall. How glad the ant was to be out of the giant's
castle, holding fast the crown which had shrunk into al-
most nothing, as she herself had done, but grew quite big
again when the ant exclaimed:
'Deer, come to me!'
Surely no deer ever ran so swiftly as that one! On
and on she went, bounding over rivers and crashing
through tangles till she reached the sea. Here she cried:
for the last time:
'Fish, come to me!' And, plunging in, she swam along
the bottom as far as the palace, where the queen and all
the fishes were gathered together awaiting her.
The hours since she had left had gone very slowly — as
they always do to people that are waiting — and many of
them had quite given up hope.
'I am tired of staying here,' grumbled a beautiful
little creature, whose colours changed with every move-
ment of her body, 'I want to see what is going on in the
upper world. It must be months since that fish went
away.'
234 THE GIRL-FISH
'It was a very difficult task, and the giant must
certainly have killed her or she would have been back
long ago,' remarked another.
'The young flies will be coming out now,' murmured
a third, 'and they will all be eaten up by the river fish!
It is really too bad!' When, suddenly, a voice was heard
from behind: 'Look! look! what is that bright thing
that is moving so swiftly towards us?' And the queen
started up, and stood on her tail, so excited was she.
A silence fell on all the crowd, and even the grumblers
held their peace and gazed like the rest. On and on
came the fish, holding the crown tightly in her mouth,
and the others moved back to let her pass. On she went
right up to the queen, who bent, and taking the crown,
placed it on her own head. Then a wonderful thing
happened. Her tail dropped away or, rather, it divided
and grew into two legs and a pair of the prettiest feet in
the world, while her maidens, who were grouped around
her, shed their scales and became girls again. They all
turned and looked at each other first, and next at the
little fish who had regained her own shape and was more
beautiful than any of them.
'It is you who have given us back our life; you, you!'
they cried; and fell to weeping for very joy.
So they all went back to earth and the queen's palace,
and quite forgot the one that lay under the sea. But
they had been so long away that they found many
changes. The prince, the queen's husband, had died some
years since, and in his place was her son, who had grown
up and was king! Even in his joy at seeing his mother
again an air of sadness clung to him, and at last the queen
could bear it no longer, and begged him to walk with her
in the garden. Seated together in a bower of jessamine -
where she had passed long hours as a bride — she took
her son's hand and entreated him to tell her the cause of
his sorrow. 'For,' said she, 'if I can give you happiness
you shall have it.'
Bf SfTBfB FISH £2
THE GIRL-FISH 235
'It is no use,' answered the prince; 'nobody can help
me. I must bear it alone.'
'But at least let me share your grief,' urged the
queen.
'No one can do that,' said he. 'I have fallen in love
with what I can never marry, and I must get on as best
I can.'
'It may not be so impossible as you think,' answered
the queen. 'At any rate, tell me.'
There was silence between them for a moment, then,
turning away his head, the prince answered gently:
'I have fallen in love with a beautiful deer!'
'Ah, if that is all,' exclaimed the queen joyfully. And
she told him in broken words that, as he had guessed, it
was no deer but an enchanted maiden who had won back
the crown and brought her home to her own people.
'She is here, in my palace,' added the queen. 'I will
take you to her.'
But when the prince stood before the girl, who was
so much more beautiful than anything he had ever
dreamed of, he lost all his courage, and stood with bent
head before her.
Then the maiden drew near, and her eyes, as she looked
at him, were the eyes of the deer that day in the forest.
She whispered softly:
' By your favour let me go, and do not kill me.'
And the prince remembered her words, and his heart
was filled with happiness. And the queen, his mother,
watched them and smiled.
(Frou Cuentos Populars Catalans por lo Dr. D. Francisco de S. Maspons y Labros.)
THE OWL AND THE EAGLE
ONCE upon a time, in a country where the snow lies deep
for many months in the year, there lived an owl and an
eagle. Though they were so different in many ways
they became great friends, and at length set up house
together, one passing the day in hunting and the other
the night. In this manner they did not see very much
of each other — and perhaps agreed all the better for that;
but at any rate they were perfectly happy, and only
wanted one thing, or, rather, two things, and that was a
wife for each.
'1 really am too tired when I come home in the eve-
ning to clean up the house,' said the eagle.
'And I am much too sleepy at dawn after a long
night's hunting to begin to sweep and dust,' answered
the owl. And they both made up their minds that wives
they must have.
They flew about in their spare moments to the young
ladies of their acquaintance, but the girls all declared
they preferred one husband to two. The poor birds
began to despair, when, one evening, after they had been
for a wonder hunting together, they found two sisters
fast asleep on their two beds. The eagle looked at the
owl and the owl looked at the eagle.
'They will make capital wives if they will only stay
with us,' said they. And they flew off to give themselves
a wash, and to make themselves smart before the girls
awoke.
For many hours the sisters slept on, for they had
come a long way, from a town where there was scarcely
THE OWL AND THE EAGLE 237
anything to eat, and felt weak and tired. But by-and-
by they opened their eyes and saw the two birds watch-
ing them.
' I hope you are rested ? ' asked the owl politely.
'Oh, yes, thank you,' answered the girls. 'Only we
are so very hungry. Do you think we could have some-
thing to eat?'
'Certainly!' replied the eagle. And he flew away to
a farmhouse a mile or two off, and brought back a nest
of eggs in his strong beak; while the owl, catching up a
tin pot, went to a cottage where lived an old woman and
her cow, and entering the shed by the window dipped
the pot into the pail of new milk that stood there.
The girls were so much delighted with the kindness
and cleverness of their hosts that, when the birds
inquired if they would marry them and stay there for
ever, they accepted without so much as giving it a
second thought. So the eagle took the younger sister to
wife, and the owl the elder, and never was a home more
peaceful than theirs!
All went well for several months, and then the
eagle's wife had a son, while, on the same day, the owl's
wife gave birth to a frog, which she placed directly on
the banks of a stream near by, as he did not seem to like
the house. The children both grew quickly, and were
never tired of playing together, or wanted any other com-
panions.
One night in the spring, when the ice had melted,
and the snow was gone, the sisters sat spinning in the
house, awaiting their husbands' return. But long though
they watched, neither the owl nor the eagle ever came;
neither that day nor the next, nor the next, nor the next.
At last the wives gave up all hope of their return; but,
being sensible women, they did not sit down and cry,
but called their children, and set out, determined to seek
the whole world over till the missing husbands were
found.
238 THE OWL AND THE EAGLE
Now the women had no idea in which direction the
lost birds had gone, but they knew that some distance
off was a thick forest, where good hunting was to be
found. It seemed a likely place to find them, or, at any
rate, they might hear something of them, and they walked
quickly on, cheered by the thought that they were doing
something. Suddenly the young sister, who was a little
in front, gave a cry of surprise.
'Oh! look at that lake!' she said, 'we shall never get
across it.'
'Yes we shall,' answered the elder; 'I know what to
do.' And taking a long piece of string from her pocket,
fastened it into the frog's mouth, like a bit.
'You must swim across the lake,' she said, stooping
to put him in, 'and we will walk across on the line behind
you. And so they did, till they got to about the middle of
the lake, when the frog boy stopped.
'I don't like it, and I won't go any further,' cried he
sulkily. And his mother had to promise him all sorts of
nice things before he would go on again.
When at last they reached the other side, the owl's wife
untied the line from the frog's mouth and told him he might
rest and play by the lake till they got back from the forest.
Then she and her sister and the boy walked on, with the
great forest looming before them. But they had by this
time come far and were very tired, and felt glad enough
to see some smoke curling up from a little hut in
front of them.
'Let us go in and ask for some water,' said the eagle's
wife; and in they went.
The inside of the hut was so dark that at first they
could see nothing at all; but presently they heard a
feeble croak from one corner. Both sisters turned to look,
and there, tied by wings and feet, and their eyes sunken,
were the husbands that they sought. Quick as lightning
the wives cut the deer-thongs which bound them; but the
poor birds were too weak from pain and starvation to do
THE OWL AND THE EAGLE 239
more than utter soft sounds of joy. Hardly, however,
were they set free, than a voice of thunder made the two
sisters jump, while the little boy clung tightly round his
mother's neck.
'What are you doing in my house?' cried she. And
the wives answered boldly that now they had found their
husbands they meant to save them from such a wicked
witch.
'Well, I will give you your chance,' answered the
ogress, with a hideous grin; 'we will see if you can slide
down this mountain. If you can reach the bottom of the
cavern, you shall have your husbands back again.' And
as she spoke she pushed them before her out of the door
to the edge of a precipice, which went straight down several
hundreds of feet. Unseen by the witch, the frog's mother
fastened one end of the magic line about her, and whis-
pered to the little boy to hold fast to the other. She had
scarcely done so when the witch turned round.
'You don't seem to like your bargain,' said she; but
the girl answered:
'Oh, yes, I am quite ready. I was only waiting for
you!' And sitting down she began her slide. On, on,
she went, down to such a depth that even the witch's eyes
could not follow her; but she took for granted that the
woman was dead, and told the sister to take her place.
At that instant, however, the head of the elder appeared,
above the rock, brought upwards by the magic line. The
witch gave a howl of disgust, and hid her face in her hands;
thus giving the younger sister time to fasten the cord to
her waist before the ogress looked up.
'You can't expect such luck twice,' she said; and the
girl sat down and slid over the edge. But in a few
minutes she too was back again, and the witch saw that
she had failed, and feared lest her power was going.
Trembling with rage though she was, she dared not show
it, and only laughed hideously.
'I sha'n't let my prisoners go as easily as all that!'
240 THE OWL AND THE EAGLE
she said. 'Make my hair grow as thick and as black as
yours, or else your husbands shall never see daylight
again.'
'That is quite simple,' replied the elder sister; 'only
you must do as we did — and perhaps you won't like the
treatment.'
'If you can bear it, of course / can,' answered the
witch. And so the girls told her they had first smeared
their heads with pitch and then laid hot stones upon
them.
'It is very painful,' said they, 'but there is no other
way that we know of. And in order to make sure that all
will go right, one of us will hold you down while the
other pours on the pitch.'
And so they did; and the elder sister let down her hair
till it hung over the witch's eyes, so that she might believe
it was her own hair growing. Then the other brought
a huge stone and clove in her skull, and she died, groan-
ing terribly.
So when the sisters saw that she was dead they went
to the hut and nursed their husbands till they grew
strong. Then they picked up the frog, and all went to
make another home on the other side of the great lake.
(From the Journal of the Anthropological Institute >
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
ONCE upon a time there lived a king who was always at
war with his neighbours, which was very strange, as he
was a good and kind man, quite content with his own
country, and not wanting to seize land belonging to other
people. Perhaps he may have tried too much to please
everybody, and that often ends in pleasing nobody; but, at
any rate, he found himself, at the end of a hard struggle,
defeated in battle, and obliged to fall back behind the
walls of his capital city. Once there, he began to make
preparations for a long siege, and the first thing he did
was to plan how best to send his wife to a place of
security.
The queen, who loved her husband dearly, would
gladly have remained with him and share his dangers,
but he would not allow it. So they parted, with many
tears, and the queen set out with a strong guard to a for-
tified castle on the outskirts of a great forest, some two
hundred miles distant. She cried nearly all the way, and
when she arrived she cried still more, for everything in
the castle was dusty and old, and outside there was only
a gravelled courtyard, and the king had forbidden her to
go beyond the walls without at least two soldiers to take
care of her.
Now the queen had only been married a few months,
and in her own home she had been used to walk and ride
all over the hills without any attendants at all; so she felt
very dull at her being shut up in this way. However,
242 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
she bore it for a long while because it was the king's wish,
but when time passed and there were no signs of the war
drifting in the direction of the castle, she grew bolder,
and sometimes strayed outside the walls, in the direction
of the forest.
Then came a dreadful period, when news from the
king ceased entirely.
'He must surely be ill or dead,' thought the poor girl,
who even now was only sixteen. 'I can bear it no longer,
and if I do not get a letter from him soon I shall leave
this horrible place, and go back to see what is the matter.
Oh! I do wish I had never come away!'
So, without telling anyone what she intended to do,
she ordered a little low carriage to be built, something
like a sledge, only it was on two wheels — just big enough
to hold one person.
'I am tired of being always in the castle,' she said to
her attendants; 'and I mean to hunt a little. Quite close
by, of course,' she added, seeing the anxious look on their
faces. 'And there is no reason that you should not hunt
too.'
All the faces brightened at that, for, to tell the truth,
they were nearly as dull as their mistress; so the queen
had her way, and two beautiful horses were brought from
the stable to draw the little chariot. At first the queen
took care to keep near the rest of the hunt, but gradually
she stayed away longer and longer, and at last, one morning,
she took advantage of the appearance of a wild boar, after
which her whole court instantly galloped, to turn into a
t)ath in the opposite direction.
Unluckily, it did not happen to lead towards the king's
palace, where she intended to go, but she was so afraid
her flight would be noticed that she whipped up her horses
till they ran away.
When she understood what was happening the poor
young queen was terribly frightened, and, dropping the
reins, clung to the side of the chariot. The horses, thus
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 245
left without any control, dashed blindly against a tree,
and the queen was flung out on the ground, where she
lay for some minutes unconscious.
A rustling sound near her at length caused her to
open her eyes; before her stood a huge woman, almost a
giantess, without any clothes save a lion's skin, which
was thrown over her shoulders, while a dried snake's
skin was plaited into her hair. In one hand she held a
club on which she leaned, and hi the other a quiver full
of arrows.
At the sight of this strange figure the queen thought
she must be dead, and gazing on an inhabitant of another
world. So she murmured softly to herself:
'I am not surprised that people are so loth to die when
they know that they will see such horrible creatures.'
But, low as she spoke, the giantess caught the words, and
began to laugh.
'Oh, don't be afraid; you are still alive, and perhaps,
after all, you may be sorry for it. I am the Lion Fairy,
and you are going to spend the rest of your days with me
in my palace, which is quite near this. So come along.'
But the queen shrank back in horror.
'Oh, Madam Lion, take me back, I pray you, to my
castle; and fix what ransom you like, for my husband
will pay it, whatever it is.' But the giantess shook her
head.
'I am rich enough already,' she answered, 'but I am
often dull, and I think you may amuse me a little.' And,
so saying, she changed her shape into that of a lion, and
throwing the queen across her back, she went down the
ten thousand steps that led to her palace. The lion had
reached the centre of the earth before she stopped in front
of a house, lighted with lamps, and built on the edge of
a lake of quicksilver. In this lake various huge monsters
might be seen playing or fighting — the queen did not
know which — and around flew rooks and ravens, uttering
dismal croaks. In the distance was a mountain down
246 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
whose sides waters slowly course — these were the tears
of unhappy lovers — and nearer the gate were treei without
either fruit or flowers, while nettles and brambles covered
the ground. If the castle had been gloomy, what did the
queen feel about this ?
For some days the queen was so much shaken by all
she had gone through that she lay with her eyes closed,
unable either to move or speak. When she got better,
the Lion Fairy told her that if she liked she could build
herself a cabin, as she would have to spend her life in
that place. At these words the queen burst into tears,
and implored her gaoler to put her to death rather than
condemn her to such a life; but the Lion Fairy only laughed,
and counselled her to try and make herself pleasant, as
many worse things might befall her.
'Is there nc way in which I can touch your heart?'
asked the poor girl in despair.
'Well, if you really wish to please me you will make
me a pasty out of the stings of bees, and be sure it is
good.'
' But I don't see any bees,' answered the queen, looking
round.
'Oh, no, there aren't any,' replied her tormentor; 'but
you will have to find them all the same.' And, so saying,
she went away.
'After all, what does it matter?' thought the queen to
herself, 'I have only one life, and I can but lose it.' And
not caring what she did, she left the palace and seating
herself under a yew tree, poured out all her grief.
'Oh, my dear husband,' wept she, what will you think
when you come to the castle to fetch me and find me gone ?
Rather a thousand times that you should fancy me dead
than imagine that I had forgotten you! Ah, how fortunate
that the broken chariot should be lying in the wood, for
then you may grieve for me as one devoured by wild beasts.
And if another should take my place in your heart
Well, at least I shall never know it.'
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 24?
She might have continued for long in this fashion had
not the voice of a crow directly overhead attracted her
attention. Looking up to see what was the matter she
beheld, in the dim light, a crow holding a fat frog in his
claws, which he evidently intended for his supper. The
queen rose hastily from the seat, and striking the bird
sharply on the claws with the fan which hung from her
side, she forced him to drop the frog, which fell to the
ground more dead than alive. The crow, furious at his
disappointment, flew angrily away.
As soon as the frog had recovered her senses she hopped
up to the queen, who was still sitting under the yew.
Standing on her hind legs, and bowing low before her, she
said gently:
'Beautiful lady, by what mischance do you come here?
You are the only creature that I have seen do a kind deed
since a fatal curiosity lured me to this place.'
'What sort of a frog can you be that knows the lan-
guage of mortals?' asked the queen in her turn. 'But
if you do, tell me, I pray, if I alone am a captive, for
hitherto I have beheld no one but the monsters of the
lake.'
'Once upon a time they were men and women like
yourself,' answered the frog, 'but having power in their
hands, they used it for their own pleasure. Therefore
fate has sent them here for a while to bear the punishment
of their misdoings.'
'But you, friend frog, you are not one of these wicked
people, I am sure ? ' asked the queen.
'I am half a fairy,' replied the frog; 'but, although I
have certain magic gifts, I am not able to do ah1 I wish.
And if the Lion Fairy were to know of my presence in
her kingdom she would hasten to kill me.'
'But if you are a fairy, how was it that you were so
nearly slain by the crow?' said the queen, wrinkling her
forehead.
'Because the secret of my power lies in my little cap
248 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
that is made of rose leaves; but I had laid it aside for the
moment, when that horrible crow pounced upon me.
Once it is on my head I fear nothing. But let me repeat;
had it not been for you I could not have escaped death,
and if I can do anything to help you, or soften your hard
fate, you have only to tell me.'
'Alas,' sighed the queen, 'I have been commanded by
the Lion Fairy to make her a pasty out of the stings of
bees, and, as far as I can discover, there are none here;
as how should there be, seeing there are no flowers for
them to feed on? And, even if there were, how could I
catch them?'
'Leave it to me,' said the frog, 'I will manage it for
you.' And, uttering a strange noise, she struck the ground
thrice with her foot. In an instant six thousand frogs
appeared before her, one of them bearing a little cap.
'Cover yourselves with honey, and hop round by the
bee-hives,' commanded the frog, putting on the cap which
her friend was holding in her mouth. And turning to the
queen, he added:
'The Lion Fair}' keeps a store of bees in a secret place
near to the bottom of the ten thousand steps leading into
the upper world. Not that she wants them for herself,
but they are sometimes useful to her in punishing her
victims. However, this time we will get the better of
her.'
Just as she had finished speaking the six thousand
frogs returned, looking so strange with bees sticking to
every part of them that, sad as she felt, the poor queen
could not help laughing. The bees were all so stupefied
with what they had eaten that it was possible to draw
their stings without hunting them. So, with the help of
her friend, the queen soon made ready her pasty and
carried it to the Lion Fairy.
'It is not bad,' said the giantess, gulping down large
morsels, in order to hide the surprise she felt. 'Well,
you have escaped this time, and I am glad to find I have
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRV 249
got a companion a little more intelligent than the others
I have tried. Now, you had better go and build yourself
a house.'
So the queen wandered away, and picking up a small
axe which lay near the door she began with the help of
her friend the frog to cut down some cypress trees for
the purpose. And not content with that the six thousand
froggy servants were told to help also, and it was not long
ff J* .S/r?aU drfigon crept 1 1 arid terrified
before they had built the prettiest little cabin in the world,
and made a bed in one corner of dried ferns which they
fetched from the top of the ten thousand steps. It looked
soft and comfortable, and the queen was very glad to
lie down upon it, so tired was she with all that had hap-
pened since the morning. Scarcely, however, had she
fallen asleep when the lake monsters began to make the
most horrible noises just outside, while a small dragon
250 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
crept in and terrified her so that she ran away, which was
just what the dragon wanted!
The poor queen crouched under a rock for the rest of
the night, and the next morning, when she woke from her
troubled dreams, she was cheered at seeing the frog watching
by her.
'I hear we shall have to build you another palace,'
said she. 'Well, this time we won't go so near the lake.'
And she smiled with her funny wide mouth, till the queen
took heart, and they went together to find wood for the
new cabin.
The tiny palace was soon ready, and a fresh bed made
of wild thyme, which smelt delicious. Neither the queen
nor the frog said anything about it, but somehow, as always
happens, the story came to the ears of the Lion Fairy,
and she sent a raven to fetch the culprit.
'What gods or men are protecting you?' she asked,
with a frown. 'This earth, dried up by a constant rain
of sulphur and fire, produces nothing, yet I hear that
your bed is made of sweet smelling herbs. However, as
you can get flowers for yourself, of course you can get
them for me, and in an hour's time I must have in my
room a nosegay of the rarest flowers. If not ! Now
you can go.'
The poor queen returned to her house looking so sad
that the frog, who was waiting for her, noticed it directly.
'What is the matter?' said she, smiling.
'Oh, how can you laugh!' replied the queen. 'This
time I have to bring her in an hour a posy of the rarest
flowers, and where am I to find them? If I fail I know
she will kill me.'
'Well, I must see if 7 can't help you,' answered the
frog. 'The only person I have made friends with here
is a bat. She is a good creature, and always does what I
tell her, so I will just lend her my cap, and if she puts it
on, and flies into the world, she will bring back all we
want. I would go myself, only she will be quicker.'
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 251
Then the queen dried her eyes, and waited patiently,
and long before the hour had gone by the bat flew in with
all the most beautiful and sweetest flowers that grew on
the earth. The girl sprang up overjoyed at the sight,
and hurried with them to the Lion Fairy, who was so
astonished that for once she had nothing to say.
Now the smell and touch of the flowers had made the
queen sick with longing for her home, and she told the
frog that she would certainly die if she did not manage to
escape somehow.
'Let me consult my cap,' said the frog; and taking it
off she laid it in a box, and threw in after it a few sprigs
of juniper, some capers, and two peas, which she carried
under her right leg; she then shut down the lid of the
box, and murmured some words which the queen did not
catch.
In a few moments a voice was heard speaking from the
box.
'Fate, who rules us all,' said the voice, 'forbids your
leaving this place till the time shall come when certain
things are fulfilled. But, instead, a gift shall be given
you, which will comfort you in all your troubles.'
And the voice spoke truly, for, a few days after, when
the frog peeped in at the door she found the most
beautiful baby in the world lying by the side of the
queen.
'So the cap has kept its word,' cried the frog with de-
light. 'How soft its cheeks are, and what tiny feet it
has got ! What shall we call it ? '
This was a very important point, and needed much
discussion. A thousand names were proposed and re-
jected for a thousand silly reasons. One was too long,
and one was too short. One was too harsh, and another
reminded the queen of somebody she did not like; but
at length an idea flashed into the queen's head, and she
called out:
'I know! We will call her Muffette.'
252 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
'That is the very thing,' shouted the frog, jumping high
into the air; and so it was settled.
The princess Muffette was about six months old when
the frog noticed that the queen had begun to grow sad
again.
'Why do you have that look in your eyes?' she asked
one day, when she had come in to play with the baby,
who could now crawl.
The way they played their game was to let Muffette
creep close to the frog, and then for the frog to bound
high into the air and alight on the child's head, or back,
or legs, when she always set up a shout of pleasure.
There is no playfellow like a frog; but then it must be
a /airy frog, or else you might hurt it, and if you did
something dreadful might happen to you. Well, as I
have said, our frog was struck with the queen's sad face,
and lost no time in asking her what was the reason.
'I don't see what you have to complain of now;
Muffette is quite well and quite happy, and even the
Lion Fairy is kind to her when she sees her. What is
it?'
'Oh! if her father could only see her!' broke forth
the queen, clasping her hands. 'Or if I could only tell
him all that has happened since we parted. But they
will have brought him tidings of the broken carriage, and
he will have thought me dead, or devoured by wild
beasts. And though he will mourn for me long — I know
that well — yet in time they will persuade him to take a
wife, and she will be young and fair, and he will forget me.'
And in all this the queen guessed truly, save that nine
long years were to pass before he would consent to put
another in her place.
The frog answered nothing at the time, but stopped
her game and hopped away among the cypress trees.
Here she sat and thought and thought, and the next morning
she went back to the queen and said:
'T have come, madam, to make you an offer. Shall
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIR* 253
I go to the king instead of you, and tell him of your
sufferings, and that he has the most charming baby in
the world for his daughter? The way is long, and I
travel slowly; but, sooner or later, I shall be sure to
arrive. Only, are you not afraid to be left without my
protection? Ponder the matter carefully; it is for you to
decide.'
'Oh, it needs no pondering,' cried the queen joyfully,
holding up her clasped hands, and making Muffette do
likewise, in token of gratitude. But in order that he may
know that you have come from me I will send him a letter.'
A.nd pricking her arm, she wrote a few words with her
blood on the corner of her handkerchief. Then tearing
it off, she gave it to the frog, and they bade each other
farewell.
It took the frog a year and four days to mount the ten
thousand steps that led to the upper world, but that was
because she was still under the spell of a wicked fairy.
By the time she reached the top, she was so tired that
she had to remain for another year on the banks of a stream
to rest, and also to arrange the procession with which she
was to present herself before the king. For she knew far
too well what was due to herself and her relations, to
appear at Court as if she was a mere nobody. At length,
after many consultations with her cap, the affair was
settled, and at the end of the second year after her parting
with the queen they all set out.
First walked her bodyguard of grasshoppers, followed
by her maids of honour, who were those tiny green frogs
you see in the fields, each one mounted on a snail, and
seated on a velvet saddle. Next came the water-rats,
dressed as pages, and lastly the frog herself, in a litter
borne by eight toads, and made of tortoiseshell. Here
she could lie at her ease, with her cap on her head, for it
was quite large and roomy, and could easily have held
two eggs when the frog was not in it.
254 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
The journey lasted seven years, and all this time the
queen suffered tortures of hope, though Muffette did her
best to comfort her. Indeed, she would most likely have
died had not the Lion Fairy taken a fancy that the child
and her mother should go hunting with her in the upper
world, and, in spite of her sorrows, it was always a joy
to the queen to see the sun again. As for little Muffette,
by the time she was seven her arrows seldom missed their
mark. So, after all, the years of waiting passed more
quickly than the queen had dared to hope.
The frog was always careful to maintain her dignity,
and nothing would have persuaded her to show her face
in public places, or even along the high road, where there
was a chance of meeting anyone. But sometimes, when
the procession had to cross a little stream, or go over a
piece of marshy ground, orders would be given for a halt;
fine clothes were thrown off, bridles were flung aside, and
grasshoppers, water-rats, even the frog herself, spent a
delightful hour or two playing in the mud.
But at length the end was in sight, and the hardships
were forgotten in the vision of the towers of the king's
palace; and, one bright morning, the cavalcade entered
the gates with all the pomp and circumstance of a royal
embassy. And surely no ambassador had ever created
such a sensation! Doors and windows, even the roofs of
houses, were filled with people, whose cheers reached the
ears of the king. However, he had no time to attend to
such matters just then, as, after nine years, he had at
last consented to the entreaties of his courtiers, and was
on the eve of celebrating his second marriage.
The frog's heart beat high when her litter drew up
before the steps of the palace, and leaning forward she
beckoned to her side one of the guards who were standing
in his doorway.
'I wish to see his Majesty,' said he.
'His Majesty is engaged, and can see no one,' answered
the soldier.
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 255
'His Majesty will see me,' returned the frog, fixing
her eye upon him; and somehow the man found himself
leading the procession along the gallery into the Hall of
Audience, where the king sat surrounded by his nobles
arranging the dresses which everyone was to wear at his
marriage ceremony.
All stared in surprise as the procession advanced, and
still more when the frog gave one bound from the litter on
to the floor, and with another landed on the arm of the
chair of state.
'I am only just in time, sire/ began the frog; 'had I
been a day later you would have broken your faith which
you swore to the queen nine years ago.'
'Her remembrance will always be dear to me,' answered
the king gently, though all present expected him to rebuke
the frog severely for her impertinence. 'But know, Lady
Frog, that a king can seldom do as he wishes, but must
be bound by the desires of his subjects. For nine years
I have resisted them; now I can do so no longer, and have
made choice of the fair young maiden playing at ball
yonder.'
'You cannot wed her, however fair she may be, for
the queen your wife is still alive, and sends you this letter
written in her own blood,' said the frog, holding out the
square of handkerchief as she spoke. 'And, what is more,
you have a daughter who is nearly nine years old, and
more beautiful than all the other children in the world
put together.'
The king turned pale when he heard these words, and
his hand trembled so that he could hardly read what the
queen had written. Then he kissed the handkerchief
twice or thrice, and burst into tears, and it was some
minutes before he could speak. When at length he found
his voice he told his councillors that the writing was indeed
that of the queen, and now that he had the joy of knowing
she was alive he could, of course, proceed no further with
his second marriage. This naturally displeased the am-
256 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
bassadors who had conducted the bride to court, and one
of them inquired indignantly if he meant to put such an
insult on the princess on the word of a mere frog.
'I am not a "mere frog," and I will give you proof
of it,' retorted the angry little creature. And putting on
her cap, she cried: 'Fairies that are my friends, come
hither!' And in a moment a crowd of beautiful creatures,
each one with a crown on her head, stood before her.
Certainly none could have guessed that they were the
snails, water-rats, and grasshoppers, from which she had
chosen her retinue.
At a sign from the frog the fairies danced a ballet, with
which everyone was so delighted that they begged to have
it repeated; but now it was not youths and maidens who
were dancing, but flowers. Then these again melted
into fountains, whose waters interlaced and, rushing
down the sides of the hall, poured out in a cascade down
the steps, and formed a river round the castle, with the
most beautiful little boats upon it, all painted and
gilded.
'Oh, let us go in them for a sail!' cried the princess,
who had long ago left her game of ball for a sight of these
marvels; and, as she was bent upon it, the ambassadors,
who had been charged never to lose sight of her, were
obliged to go also, though they never entered a boat if
they could help it.
But the moment they and the princess had seated them-
selves on the soft cushions, river and boats vanished, and
the princess and the ambassadors vanished too. Instead,
the snails and grasshoppers and water-rats stood round
the frog in their natural shapes.
'Perhaps,' said she, 'your Majesty may now be con-
vinced that I am a fairy and speak the truth. Therefore
lose no time in setting in order the affairs of your king-
dom and go in search of your wife. Here is a ring that
will admit you into the presence of the queen, and will
likewise allow you to address unharmed the Lion Fairy,
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 257
though she is the most terrible creature that ever
existed.'
By this time the king had forgotten all about the
princess, whom he had only chosen to please his people,
and was as eager to depart on his journey as the frog
was for him to go. He made one of his ministers regent
of the kingdom, and gave the frog everything her heart
could desire; and with her ring on his ringer he rode away
to the outskirts of the forest. Here he dismounted,
and bidding his horse go home, he pushed forward on
foot.
Having nothing to guide him as to where he was likely
to find the entrance of the under-world, the king wandered
hither and thither for a long while, till, one day, while he
was resting under a tree, a voice spoke to him.
'Why do you give yourself so much trouble for nought,
when you might know what you want to know for the
asking? Alone you will never discover the path that leads
to your wife.'
Much startled, the king looked about him. He could
see nothing, and somehow, when he thought about it, the
voice seemed as if it were part of himself. Suddenly his
eyes fell on the ring, and he understood.
'Fool that I was!' cried he; 'and how much precious
time have I wasted? Dear ring, I beseech you, grant
me a vision of my wife and my daughter!' And even as
he spoke there flashed past him a huge lioness, followed
by a lady and a beautiful young maid mounted on fairy
horses.
Almost fainting with joy he gazed after them, and then
sank back trembling on the ground.
'Oh, lead me to them, lead me to them!' he exclaimed.
And the ring, bidding him take courage, conducted him
safely to the dismal place where his wife had lived for
ten years.
Now the Lion Fairy knew beforehand of his expected
presence in her dominions, and she ordered a palace of
258 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
crystal to be built in the middle of the lake of quicksilver;
and in order to make it more difficult of approach she
let it float whither it would. Immediately after their
return from the chase, where the king had seen them,
she conveyed the queen and Muffette into the palace, and
put them under the guard of the monsters of the lake,
who one and all had fallen in love with the princess. They
were horribly jealous, and ready to eat each other up
for her sake, so they readily accepted the charge. Some
stationed themselves round the floating palace, some sat
by the door, while the smallest and lightest perched them-
selves on the roof.
Of course the king was quite ignorant of these arrange-
ments, and boldly entered the palace of the Lion Fairy,
who was waiting for him, with her tail lashing furiously,
for she still kept her lion's shape. With a roar that shook
the walls she flung herself upon him; but he was on the
watch, and a blow from his sword cut off the paw she
had put forth to strike him dead. She fell back, and with
his helmet still down and his shield up, he set his foot on
her throat.
'Give me back the wife and the child you have stolen
from me,' he said, 'or you shall not live another second!'
But the fairy answered:
'Look through the window at that lake and see if it
is in my power to give them to you.' And the king looked,
and through the crystal walls he beheld his wife and daughter
floating on the quicksilver. At that sight the Lion Fairy
and all her wickedness was forgotten. Flinging off his
helmet, he shouted to them with all his might. The
queen knew his voice, and she and Muffette ran to the
window and held out their hands. Then the king swore
a solemn oath that he would never leave the spot without
them if it should cost him his life; and he meant it, though
at the moment he did not know what he was under-
taking.
Three years passed by, and the king was no nearer to
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY 261
obtaining his heart's desire. He had suffered every hard-
ship that could be imagined — nettles had been his bed,
wild fruits more bitter than gall his food, while his days
had been spent in fighting the hideous monsters which
kept him from the palace. He had not advanced one
single step, nor gained one solitary advantage. Now he
was almost in despair, and ready to defy everything and
throw himself into the lake.
It was at this moment of his blackest misery that, one
night, a dragon who had long watched him from the roof
crept to his side.
'You thought that love would conquer all obstacles,'
said he; 'well, you have found it hasn't! But if you will
swear to me by your crown and sceptre that you will give
me a dinner of the food that I never grow tired of, when-
ever I choose to ask for it, I will enable you to reach your
wife and daughter.'
Ah, how glad the king was to hear that! What oath
would he not have taken so as to clasp his wife and child
in his arms? Joyfully he swore whatever the dragon
asked of him; then he jumped on his back, and in another
instant would have been carried by the strong wings into
the castle if the nearest monster had not happened to
awake and hear the noise of talking and swum to the
shore to give battle. The fight was long and hard, and
when the king at last beat back his foes another struggle
awaited him. At the entrance gigantic bats, owls, and
crows set upon him from all sides; but the dragon had
teeth and claws, while the queen broke off sharp bits of
glass and stabbed and cut in her anxiety to help her hus-
band. At length the horrible creatures flew away; a sound
like thunder was heard, the palace and the monsters van-
ished, while, at the same moment — no one knew how —
the king found himself standing with his wife and daughter
in the hall of his own home.
The dragon had disappeared with all the rest, and for
some years no more was heard or thought of him.
262 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
Muffette grew every day more beautiful, and when she
was fourteen the kings and emperors of the neighbouring
countries sent to ask her in marriage for themselves or
their sons. For a long time the girl turned a deaf ear
to all their prayers; but at length a young prince of rare
gifts touched her heart, and though the king had left her
free to choose what husband she would, he had secretly
hoped that out of all the wooers this one might be his
son-in-law. So they were betrothed that same day with
great pomp, and then, with many tears, the prince set
out for his father's court, bearing with him a portrait of
Muffette.
The days passed slowly to Muffette, in spite of her
brave efforts to occupy herself and not to sadden other
people by her complaints. One morning she was playing
on her harp in the queen's chamber when the king burst
into the room and clasped his daughter in his arms with
an energy that almost frightened her.
'Oh, my child! my dear child! why were you ever born?'
cried he, as soon as he could speak.
'Is the prince dead?' faltered Muffette, growing white
and cold.
'No, no; but — oh, how can I tell you!' And he sank
down on a pile of cushions while his wife and daughter
knelt beside him.
At length he was able to tell his tale, and a terrible one
it was! There had just arrived at court a huge giant,
as ambassador from the dragon by whose help the king
had rescued the queen and Muffette from the crystal
palace. The dragon had been very busy for many years
past, and had quite forgotten the princess till the news of
her betrothal had reached his ears. Then he remembered
the bargain he had made with her father; and the more
he heard of Muffette the more he felt sure she would make
a delicious dish. So he had ordered the giant who was
his servant to fetch her at once.
No words would paint the horror of both the queen
THE FROG AND THE LION FAIR* 263
and the princess as they listened to this dreadful doom.
They rushed instantly to the hall, where the giant was
awaiting them, and flinging themselves at his feet
implored him to take the kingdom if he would, but to
have pity on the princess. The giant looked at them
kindly, for he was not at all hard-hearted, but said that
he had no power to do anything, and that if the princess
did not go with him quietly the dragon would come
himself.
Several days went by, and the king and queen hardly
ceased from entreating the aid of the giant, who by this
time was getting weary of waiting.
'There is only one way of helping you,' he said at
last, 'and that is to marry the princess to my nephew,
who, besides being young and handsome, has been trained
in magic, and will know how to keep her safe from the
dragon.'
'Oh, thank you, thank you!' cried the parents, clasping
his great hands to their breasts. 'You have indeed
lifted a load from us. She shall have half the kingdom
for her dowry.' But Muffette stood up and thrust them
aside.
'I will not buy my life with faithlessness,' she said proudly;
'and I will go with you this moment to the dragon's abode.'
And all her father's and mother's tears and prayers availed
nothing to move her.
The next morning Muffette was put into a litter, and,
guarded by the giant and followed by the king and queen
and the weeping maids of honour, they started for the
foot of the mountain where the dragon had his castle.
The way, though rough and stony, seemed all too short,
and when they reached the spot appointed by the dragon
the giant ordered the men who bore the litter to stand
still.
'It is time for you to bid farewell to your daughter,'
said he; 'for I see the dragon coming to us.'
It was true; a cloud appeared to pass over the sun, for
264 THE FROG AND THE LION FAIRY
between them and it they could all discern dimly a huge
body half a mile long approaching nearer and nearer.
At first the king could not believe that this was the small
beast who had seemed so friendly on the shore of the lake
of quicksilver; but then he knew very little of necromancy,
and had never studied the art of expanding and contracting
his body. But it was the dragon and nothing else, whose
six wings were carrying him forward as fast as might be,
considering his great weight and the length of his tail,
which had fifty twists and a half.
He came quickly, yes; but the frog, mounted on a grey-
hound, and wearing her cap on her head, went quicker
still. Entering a room where the prince was sitting gazing
at the portrait of his betrothed, she cried to him:
'What are you doing lingering here, when the life of
the princess is nearing its last moment? In the court-
yard you will find a green horse with three heads and
twelve feet, and by its side a sword eighteen yards long.
Hasten, lest you should be too late!'
The fight lasted all day, and the prince's strength was
well-nigh spent, when the dragon, thinking that the vic-
tory was won, opened his jaws to give a roar of triumph.
The prince saw his chance, and before his foe could shut
his mouth again had plunged his sword far down his adver-
sary's throat. There was a desperate clutching of the
claws to the earth, a slow flagging of the great wings, then
the monster rolled over on his side and moved no more.
Muffette was delivered.
After this they all went back to the palace. The mar-
riage took place the following day, and Muffette and he?
husband lived happy for ever after.
(From Les Conies des Ftes, par Madame d'Aulnoy.)
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN THE
BROWN-HAIRED
ON the shores of the west, where the great hills stand
with their feet in the sea, dwelt a goat-herd and his wife,
together with their three sons and one daughter. All
day long the young men fished and hunted, while their
sister took out the kids to pasture on the mountain, or
stayed at home helping her mother and mending the
nets.
For several years they all lived happily together, when,
one day, as the girl was out on the hill with the kids,
the sun grew dark and an air cold as a thick white mist
came creeping, creeping up from the sea. She rose with
a shiver, and tried to call to her kids, but the voice
died away in her throat, and strong arms seemed to hold
her.
Loud were the wails in the hut by the sea when the
hours passed on and the maiden came not. Many times
the father and brothers jumped up, thinking they heard
her steps, but in the thick darkness they could scarcely
see their own hands, nor could they tell where the river
lay, nor where the mountain. One by one the kids came
home, and at every bleat someone hurried to open the
door, but no sound broke the stillness. Through the night
no one slept, and when morning broke and the mist rolled
back, they sought the maiden by sea and by land, but
never a trace of her could be found anywhere.
Thus a year and a day slipped by, anct at the end of
it Gorla of the Flocks and his wife seemed suddenly to
266 THE ADVENTURES OF CO VAN
have grown old. Their sons too were sadder than before,
for they loved their sister well, and had never ceased to
mourn for her. At length Ardan the eldest spoke and
said:
'It is now a year and a day since our sister was taken
from us, and we have waited in grief and patience for her
to return. Surely some evil has befallen her, or she would
have sent us a token to put our hearts at rest; and I have
vowed to myself that my eyes shall not know sleep till,
living or dead, I have found her.'
'If you have vowed, then must you keep your vow,'
answered Gorla. 'But better had it been if you had first
asked your father's leave before you made it. Yet, since
it is so, your mother will bake you a cake for you to carry
with you on your journey. Who can tell how long it
may be?'
So the mother arose and baked not one cake but two,
a big one and a little one.
'Choose, my son,' said she. 'Will you have the little
cake with your mother's blessing, or the big one without
it, in that you have set aside your father and taken on
yourself to make a vow ? '
'I will have the large cake,' answered the youth; 'for
what good would my mother's blessing do for me if I was
dying of hunger?' And taking the big cake he went
his way.
Straight on he strode, letting neither hill nor river hinder
him. Swiftly he walked — swiftly as the wind that blew
down the mountain. The eagles and the gulls looked
on from their nests as he passed, leaving the deer behind
him; but at length he stopped, for hunger had seized
on him, and he could walk no more. Trembling with
fatigue he sat himself on a rock and broke a piece off his
cake.
'Spare me a morsel, Ardan son of Gorla,' asked a raven,
fluttering down towards him.
'Seek food elsewhere, O bearer of ill-news,' answered
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN 267
Ardan son of Gorla; 'it is but little I have for myself.'
And he stretched himself out for a few moments, then
rose to his feet again. On and on went he till the little
birds flew to their nests, and the brightness died out of
the sky, and a darkness fell over the earth. On and on,
and on, till at last he saw a beam of light streaming from
a house and hastened towards it.
The door was opened and he entered, but paused when
he beheld an old man lying on a bench by the fire, while
seated opposite him was a maiden combing out the locks
of her golden hair with a comb of silver.
'Welcome, fair youth,' said the old man, turning his
head. 'Sit down and warm yourself, and tell me how
fares the outer world. It is long since I have seen it.'
'All my news is that I am seeking service,' answered
Ardan son of Gorla; 'I have come from far since sunrise,
and glad was I to see the rays of your lamp stream into
the darkness.'
'I need someone to herd my three dun cows, which
are hornless,' said the old man. 'If, for the space of a
year, you can bring them back to me each evening before
the sun sets, I will make you payment that will satisfy
your soul.'
But here the girl looked up and answered quickly:
'111 will come of it if he listens to your offer.'
'Counsel unsought is worth nothing,' replied, rudely,
Ardan son of Gorla. 'It would be little indeed that I
am fit for if I cannot drive three cows out to pasture and
keep them safe from the wolves that may come down from
the mountains. Therefore, good father, I will take service
with you at daybreak, and ask no payment till the new
year dawns.'
Next morning the bell of the deer was not heard amongst
the fern before the maiden with the hair of gold had
milked the cows, and led them in front of the cottage
where the old man, and Ardan son of Gorla awaited
them.
268 THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
'Let them wander where they will,' he said to his ser-
vant, 'and never seek to turn them from their way, for
well they know the fields of good pasture. But take heed
to follow always behind them, and suffer nothing that you
see, and nought that you hear, to draw you into leaving
them. Now go, and may wisdom go with you.'
As he ceased speaking he touched one of the cows on
her forehead, and she stepped along the path, with the
two others one on each side. As he had been bidden,
behind them came Ardan son of Gorla, rejoicing in his
heart that work so easy had fallen to his lot. At the year's
end, thought he, enough money would lie in his pocket
to carry him into far countries where his sister might be,
and, in the meanwhile, someone might come past who
could give him tidings of her.
Thus he spoke to himself, when his eyes fell on a golden
cock and a silver hen running swiftly along the grass in
front of him. In a moment the words that the old man
had uttered vanished from his mind and he gave chase.
They were so near that he could almost seize their tails,
yet each time he felt sure he could catch them his fingers
closed on the empty air. At length he could run no more,
and stopped to breathe, while the cock and hen went on
as before. Then he remembered the cows, and, somewhat
frightened, turned back to seek them. Luckily they had
not strayed far, and were quietly feeding on the thick
green grass.
Ardan son of Gorla was sitting under a tree, when he
beheld a staff of gold and a staff of silver doubling them-
selves in strange ways on the meadow in front of him,
and starting up he hastened towards them. Though he
followed them till he was tired he could not catch them,
though they seemed ever within his reach. When at last
he gave up the quest his knees trembled beneath him
for very weariness, and glad was he to see a tree growing
close by laden with fruits of different sorts, of which he
ate greedily.
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
2G9
The sun was by now low in the heavens, and the cows
left off feeding, and turned their faces home again, followed
by Ardan son of Gorla. At the door of their stable the
maiden stood awaiting them, and saying nought to their
herd, she sat down and began to milk. But it was not
milk that flowed into her pail; instead it was filled with a
thin stream of water, and as she rose up from the last cow
the old man appeared outside.
'Faithless one, you have betrayed your trust!' he said
to Ardan son of Gorla. 'Not even for one day could you
PURSUES THE GOUJEN (I
COCK. AND TME SILVER HEN J
keep true! Well, you shall have your reward at once
that others may take warning from you.'' And waving
his wand he touched with it the chest of the youth, who
became a pillar of stone.
Now Gorla of the Flocks and his wife were full of grief
that they had lost a son as well as a daughter, for no tidings
had come to them of Ardan their eldest born. At length,
when two years and two days had passed since the maiden
had ;ed her kids to feed on the mountain and had been
seen no more, Ruais, second son of Gorla, rose up one
morning, and said:
270 THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
'Time is long without my sister and Ardan my
brother. So I have vowed to seek them wherever they
may be.'
And his father answered:
'Better it had been if you had first asked my consent
and that of your mother; but as you have vowed so must
you do.' Then he bade his wife make a cake, but instead
she made two, and offered Ruais his choice, as she had
done to Ardan. Like Ardan, Ruais chose the large, un-
blessed cake, and set forth on his way, doing always,
though he knew it not, that which Ardan had done; so,
needless is it to tell what befell him till he too stood, a
pillar of stone, on the hill behind the cottage, so that all
men might see the fate that awaited those who broke
their faith.
Another year and a day passed by, when Covan the
Brown -haired, youngest son of Gorla of the Flocks, one
morning spake to his parents, saying:
'It is more than three years since my sister left us. My
brothers have also gone, no one knows whither, and of
us four none remains but I. Now, therefore, I long to
seek them, and I pray you and my mother to place no
hindrance in my way.'
And his father answered:
'Go, then, and take our blessing with you.'
So the wife of Gorla of the Flocks baked two cakes,
one large, and one small; and Covan took the small one,
and started on his quest. In the wood he felt hungry,
for he had walked far, and he sat down to eat. Suddenly
a voice behind him cried:
'A bit for me! a bit for me!' And looking round he
beheld the black raven of the wilderness.
'Yes, you shall have a bit,' said Covan the Brown-
haired; and breaking off a piece he stretched it upwards
to the raven, who ate it greedily. Then Covan arose and
went forward, till he saw the light from the cottage stream-
ing before him, and glad was he, for night was at hand.
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN 271
'Maybe I shall find some work there,' he thought, 'and
at least I shall gain money to help me in my search; for
who knows how far my sister and my brothers may have
wandered ? '
The door stood open and he entered, and the old man
gave him welcome, and the golden-haired maiden likewise.
As happened before, he was offered by the old man to
herd his cows; and, as she had done to his brothers, the
maiden counselled him to leave such work alone. But,
instead of answering rudely, like both Ardan and Ruais,
he thanked her, with courtesy, though he had no mind to
heed her; and he listened to the warnings and words of his
new master.
Next day he set forth at dawn with the dun cows in
front of him, and followed patiently wherever they might
lead him. On the way he saw the gold cock and silver
hen, which ran even closer to him than they had done
to his brothers. Sorely tempted, he longed to give them
chase; but, remembering in time that he had been bidden
to look neither to the right nor to the left, with a mighty
effort he turned his eyes away. Then the gold and silver
staffs seemed to spring from the earth before him, but
this time also he overcame; and though the fruit from
the magic tree almost touched his mouth, he brushed it
aside and went steadily on.
That day the cows wandered farther than ever they
had done before, and never stopped till they had reached
a moor where the heather was burning. The fire was
fierce, but the cows took no heed, and walked steadily
through it, Covan the Brown-haired following them. Next
they plunged into a foaming river, and Covan plunged in
after them, though the water came high above his waist.
On the other side of the river lay a wide plain, and here
the cows lay down, while Covan looked about him. Near
him was a house built of yellow stone, and from it came
sweet songs, and Covan listened, and his heart grew light
within him.
272 THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
While he was thus waiting there ran up to him a youth,
scarcely able to speak so swiftly had he sped; and he cried
aloud:
'Hasten, hasten, Covan the Brown-haired, for your cows
are in the corn, and you must drive them out!'
'Nay,' said Covan smiling, 'it had been easier for you
to have driven them out than to come here to tell me.'
And he went on listening to the music.
Very soon the same youth returned, and cried with
panting breath:
'Out upon you, Covan son of Gorla, that you stand
there agape. For our dogs are chasing your cows, and
you must drive them off!'
'Nay, then,' answered Covan as before, 'it had been
easier for you to call off your dogs than to come here to
tell me.' And he stayed where he was till the music
ceased.
Then he turned to look for his cows, and found them
all lying in the place where he had left them; but when
they saw Covan they rose up and walked homewards,
taking a different path to that they had trod in the morning.
This time they passed over a plain so bare that a pin
could not have lain there unnoticed, yet Covan beheld
with surprise a foal and its mother feeding there, both
as fat as if they had pastured on the richest grass. Further
on they crossed another plain, where the grass was thick
and green, but on it were feeding a foal and its mother,
so lean that you could have counted their ribs. And
further again the path led them by the shores of a lake
whereon were floating two boats ; one full of gay and happy
youths, journeying to the land of the Sun, and another
with grim shapes clothed in black, travelling to the land
of Night.
'What can these things mean?' said Covan to himself,
as he followed his cows.
Darkness now fell, the wind howled, and torrents of rain
poured upon them. Covan knew not how far they might
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN 273
yet have to go, or indeed if they were on the right road
He could not even see his cows, and his heart sank lest,
after all, he should have failed to bring them safely back.
What was he to do?
He waited thus, for he could go neither forwards nor
backwards, till he felt a great friendly paw laid on his
shoulder.
'My cave is just here,' said the Dog of Maol-m6r, of
whom Covan son of Gorla had heard much. 'Spend
the night here, and you shall be fed on the flesh of lamb,
and shall lay aside three-thirds of thy weariness.'
And Covan entered, and supped, and slept, and in the
morning rose up a new man.
'Farewell, Covan,' said the Dog of Maol-mor. 'May
success go with you, for you took what I had to give and
did not mock me. So, when danger is your companion,
wish for me, and I will not fail you.'
At these words the Dog of Maol-mor disappeared
into the forest, and Covan went to seek his cows, which
were standing in the hollow where the darkness had come
upon them.
At the sight of Covan the Brown-haired, they walked
onwards, Covan followed ever behind them, and looking
neither to the right nor to the left. All that day they
walked, and when night fell they were in a barren plain,
with only rocks for shelter.
'We must rest here as best we can,' spoke Covan to
the cows. And they bowed their heads and lay down in
the place where they stood. Then came the black raven
of Corri-nan-creag, whose eyes never closed, and whose
wings never tired; and he fluttered before the face of
Covan and told him that he knew of a cranny in the rock
where there was food in plenty, and soft moss for a
bed.
'Go with me thither,' he said to Covan, 'and you
shall lay aside three-thirds of your weariness, and depart
m the morning refreshed.' And Covan listened thank-
274 THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
fully to his words, and at dawn he rose up to seek his
cows.
'Farewell!' cried the black raven. 'You trusted me,
and took all I had to offer in return for the food you once
gave me. So if in time to come you need a friend, wish
for me, and I will not fail you.'
As before, the cows were standing in the spot where
he had left them, ready to set out. All that day they
walked, on and on, and on, Covan son of Gorla walking
behind them, till night fell while they were on the banks
of a river.
'We can go no further,' spake Covan to the cows. And
they began to eat the grass by the side of the stream, while
Covan listened to them, and longed for some supper also,
for they had travelled far, and his limbs were weak
under him. Then there was a swish of water at his feet,
and out peeped the head of the famous otter Doran-donn
of the stream.
'Trust to me and I will find you warmth and shelter,'
said Doran-donn; 'and for food fish in plenty.' And
Covan went with him thankfully, and ate and rested,
and laid aside three-thirds of his weariness. At sunrise
he left his bed of dried sea-weed, which had floated up
with the tide, and with grateful heart bade farewell to
Doran-donn.
'Because you trusted me and took what I had to offer,
you have made me your friend, Covan,' said Doran-donn.
'And if you should be in danger, and need help from one
who can swim a river or dive beneath a wave, call to me
and I will come to you.' Then he plunged into the stream,
and was seen no more.
The cows were standing ready in the place where Covan
had left them, and they journeyed on all that day, till,
when night fell, they reached the cottage. Joyful indeed
was the old man as the cows went into their stables, and
he beheld the rich milk that flowed into the pail of the
golden-haired maiden with the silver comb.
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN 275
'You have done well indeed,' he said to Covan son
of Gorla. 'And now, what would you have as a re-
ward?'
'I want nothing for myself,' answered Covan the
Brown-haired; 'but I ask you to give me back my
brothers and my sister who have been lost to us for
three years past. You are wise and know the lore of
fairies and witches; tell me where I can find them, and
what I must do to bring them back to life again.'
The old man looked grave at the words of Covan.
'Yes, truly I know where they are,' answered he, 'and
I say not that they may not be brought to life again. But
the perils are great — too great for you to overcome.'
'Tell me what they are,' said Covan again, 'and I
shall know better if I may overcome them.'
'Listen, then, and judge. In the mountain yonder
there dwells a roe, white of foot, with horns that branch
like the antlers of a deer. On the lake that leads to the
land of the Sun floats a duck whose body is green and
whose neck is of gold. In the pool of Corri-Bui swims
a salmon with a skin that shines like silver, and whose
gills are red — bring them all to me, and then you shall
know where dwell your brothers and your sister!'
'To-morrow at cock-crow I will begone!' answered
Covan.
The way to the mountain lay straight before him, and
when he had climbed high he caught sight of the roe
with the white feet and the spotted sides, on the peak in
front.
Full of hope he set out in pursuit of her, but by the
time he had reached that peak she had left it and was to be
seen on another. And so it always happened, and Covan's
courage had well-nigh failed him, when the thought of
the Dog of Maol-mor darted into his mind.
'Oh, that he was here!' he cried. And looking up he
saw him.
'Why did you summon me?' asked the Dog of Maol-
276 THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN
m6r. And when Covan had told him of his trouble, and
how the roe always led him further and further, the Dog
only answered:
'Fear nothing; I will soon catch her for you.' And in
a short while he laid the roe unhurt at Covan's feet.
'What will you wish me to do with her?' said the Dog.
And Covan answered:
'The old man bade me bring her, and the duck
with the golden neck, and the salmon with the silver
sides, to his cottage; if I shall catch them, I know not.
But carry you the roe to the back of the cottage, and tether
her so that she cannot escape.'
'It shall be done,' said the Dog of Maol-mor.
Then Covan sped to the lake which led to the land of
the Sun, where the duck with the green body and the golden
neck was swimming among the water-lilies.
'Surely I can catch him, good swimmer as I am,'
to himself. But, if he could swim well, the duck could swim
better, and at length his strength failed him, and he was
forced to seek the land.
'Oh that the black raven were here to help me!' he
thought to himself. And in a moment the black raven
was perched on his shoulder.
'How can I help you?' asked the raven. And Covan
answered:
'Catch me the green duck that floats on the water.'
And the raven flew with his strong wings, and picked
him up in his strong beak, and in another moment the
bird was laid at the feet of Covan.
This time it was easy for the young man to carry his
prize, and after giving thanks to the raven for his aid,
he went on to the river.
In the deep dark pool of which the old man had spoken
the silver-sided salmon was lying under a rock.
'Surely I, good fisher as I am, can catch him,' said
Covan son of Gorla. And cutting a slender pole from a
bush, he fastened a line to the end of it. But cast with
THE ADVENTURES OF COVAN 279
what skill he might, it availed nothing, for the salmon
would not even look at the bait.
'I am beaten at last, unless the Doran-donn can de-
liver me,' he cried. And as he spoke there was a swish
of the water, and the face of the Doran-donn looked up
at him.
'O catch me, I pray you, that salmon under the rock!'
said Covan son of Gorla. And the Doran-donn dived,
and laying hold of the salmon by his tail, bore it back to
the place where Covan was standing.
'The roe, and the duck, and the salmon are here,'
said Covan to the old man, when he reached the cottage.
And the old man smiled on him and bade him eat and
drink, and after he hungered no more, he would speak
with him.
And this was what the old man said: 'You began well,
my son, so things have gone well with you. You set store
by your mother's blessing, therefore you have been blest.
You gave food to the raven when it hungered, you were
true to the promise you had made to me, and did not
suffer yourself to be turned aside by vain shows. You
were skilled to perceive that the boy who tempted you
to leave the temple was a teller of false tales, and took with
a grateful heart what the poor had to offer you. Last of
all, difficulties gave you courage, instead of lending you
despair.
'And now, as to your reward, you shall in truth take
your sister home with you, and your brothers I will re-
store to life; but idle and unfaithful as they are their lot
is to wander for ever. And so farewell, and may wisdom
be with you.'
'First tell me your name?' asked Covan softly.
'I am the Spirit of Age,' said the old man.
(Taken from a Celtic Story. Translated by Norman Macleod.)
THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR
ONCE upon a time there lived a man who had two sons.
When they grew up the elder went to seek his fortune in
a far country, and for many years no one heard anything
about him. Meanwhile the younger son stayed at home
with his father, who died at last in a good old age, leaving
great riches behind him.
For some time the son who stayed at home spent his
father's wealth freely, believing that he alone remained
to enjoy it. But, one day, as he was coming down stairs,
he was surprised to see a stranger enter the hall, looking
about as if the house belonged to him.
'Have you forgotten me?' asked the man.
'I can't forget a person I have never known/ was the
rude answer.
'I am your brother,' replied the stranger, 'and I have
returned home without the money I hoped to have made.
And, what is worse, they tell me in the village that my
father is dead. I would have counted my lost gold as
nothing if I could have seen him once more.'
'He died six months ago,' said the rich brother, 'and
he left you, as your portion, the old wooden chest that
stands in the loft. You had better go there and look for
it; I have no more time to waste.' And he went his way.
So the wanderer turned his steps to the loft, which was
at the top of the storehouse, and there he found the wooden
chest, so old that it looked as if it were dropping to
pieces.
'What use is this old thing to me?' he said to
THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR 281
himself. ' Oh, well, it will serve to light a fire at which I
can warm myself; so things might be worse after all.'
Placing the chest on his back, the man, whose name
was Jose, set out for his inn, and, borrowing a hatchet,
began to chop up the box. In doing so he discovered a
secret drawer, and in it lay a paper. He opened the
paper, not knowing what it might contain, and was
astonished to find that it was the acknowledgment of a
large debt that was owing to his father. Putting the
precious writing in his pocket, he hastily inquired of the
landlord where he could find the man whose name was
written inside, and he ran out at once in search of
him.
The debtor proved to be an old miser, who lived at the
other end of the village. He had hoped for many months
that the paper he had written had been lost or destroyed,
and, indeed, when he saw it, was very unwilling to pay
what he owed. However, the stranger threatened to
drag him before the king, and when rhe miser saw that
there was no help for it he counted out the coins one by
one. The stranger picked them up and put them in his
pocket, and went back to his inn feeling that he was now a
rich man.
A few weeks after this he was walking through the
streets of the nearest town, when he met a poor woman
crying bitterly. He stopped and asked her what was the
matter, and she answered between her sobs that her hus-
band was dying, and, to make matters worse, a creditor
whom he could not pay was anxious to have him taken
to prison.
'Comfort yourself,' said the stranger kindly; 'they
shall neither send your husband to prison nor sell your
goods. I will not only pay his debts but, if he dies, the
cost of his burial also. And now go home, and nurse him
as well as you can.'
And so she did; but, in spite of her care, the husband
died, and was buried by the stranger. But everything
282 THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR
cost more than he had expected, and when all was paid
he found that only three gold pieces were left.
'What am I to do now?' said he to himself. 'I
think I had better go to court, and enter into the service
of the king.'
At first he was only a servant, who carried the king
the water for his bath, and saw that his bed was made in
a particular fashion. But he did his duties so well that
his master soon took notice of him, and in a short time
he rose to be a gentleman of the bedchamber.
Now, when this happened the younger brother had
spent all the money he had inherited, and did not know
how to make any for himself. He then bethought him
of the king's favourite, and went whining to the palace to
beg that his brother, whom he had so ill-used, would
give him his protection, and find him a place. The elder,
who was always ready to help everyone, spoke to the king
on his behalf, and the next day the young man took up his
work at court.
Unfortunately, the new-comer was by nature spiteful
and envious, and could not bear anyone to have better
luck than himself. By dint of spying through keyholes
and listening at doors, he learned that the king, old and
ugly though he was, had fallen in love with the Princess
Bella-Flor, who would have nothing to say to him, and had
hidden herself in some mountain castle, no one knew where.
'That will do nicely,' thought the scoundrel, rubbing
his hands. 'It will be quite easy to get the king to send
my brother in search of her, and if he returns without
finding her, his head will be the forfeit. Either way, he
will be out of my path.'
So he went at once to the Lord High Chamberlain and
craved an audience of the king, to whom he declared
he wished to tell some news of the highest importance.
The king admitted him into the presence chamber with-
out delay, and bade him state what he had to say, and to
be quick about it.
THE PRINCESS BELL A-F LOR 283
' Oh, sire ! the Princess Bella-Flor ' answered the
man, and then stopped as if afraid.
'What of the Princess Bella-Flor?' asked the king im-
patiently.
' I have heard — it is whispered at court — that your
majesty desires to know where she lies in hiding.'
'I would give half my kingdom to the man who
will bring her to me,' cried the king, eagerly. 'Speak
on, knave; has a bird of the air revealed to you the
secret ? '
' It is not I, but my brother, who knows,' replied the
traitor; 'if your majesty would ask him ' But before
the words were out of his mouth the king had struck a
blow with his sceptre on a golden plate that hung on the
wall.
'Order Jose to appear before me instantly,' he shouted
to the servant who ran to obey his orders, so great was
the noise his majesty had made; and when Jose entered
the hall, wondering what in the world could be the
matter, the king was nearly dumb with rage and excite-
ment.
'Bring me the Princess Bella-Flor this moment,'
stammered he, 'for if you return without her I will have
you drowned!' And without another word he left the
hall, leaving Jose staring with surprise and horror.
'How can I find the Princess Bella-Flor when I
have never even seen her?' thought he. 'But it is no
use staying here, for I shall only be put to death.' And
he walked slowly to the stables to choose himself a
horse.
There were rows upon rows of fine beasts with their
names written in gold above their stalls, and Jose was
looking uncertainly from one to the other, wondering
which he should choose, when an old white horse turned
its head and signed to him to approach.
'Take me,' it said in a gentle whisper, 'and all will go
well.'
284 THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR
Josd still felt so bewildered with the mission that the
king had given him that he forgot to be astonished at
hearing a horse talk. Mechanically he laid his hand on
the bridle and led the white horse out of the stable. He
was about to mount on his back, when the animal spoke
again :
'Pick up those three loaves of bread which you see
there, and put them in your pocket.'
Jose did as he was told, and being in a great hurry to
get away, asked no questions, but swung himself into the
saddle.
They rode far without meeting any adventures, but at
length they came to an ant-hill, and the horse stopped.
'Crumble those three loaves for the ants,' he said. But
Jos£ hesitated.
'Why, we may want them ourselves!' answered he.
'Never mind that; give them to the ants all the
same. Do not lose any chance of helping others.' And
when the loaves lay in crumbs on the road, the horse
galloped on.
By-and-by they entered a rocky pass between two
mountains, and here they saw an eagle which had been
caught in a hunter's net.
'Get down and cut the meshes of that net, and set the
poor bird free,' said the horse.
'But it will take so long,' objected Jose", 'and we may
miss the princess.'
'Never mind that; do not miss a chance of helping
others,' answered the horse. And when the meshes were
cut, and the eagle was free, the horse galloped on.
They had ridden many miles, and at last they came
to a river, where they beheld a little fish lying gasping on
the sand, and the horse said:
' Do you see that little fish ? it will die if you do not put
it back in the water.'
'But, really, we shall never find the Princess Bella-
Flor, if we waste our time like this!' cried Jose".
K>t:V>K>t Ort&TE Ttrtg tOHt^o O£ AHJC
THE PRINCESS BELL A-F LOR 287
' We never waste time when we are helping others,'
answered the horse. And soon the little fish was swim-
ming happily away.
A little while after they reached a castle, which was
built in the middle of a very thick wood, and right
in front was the Princess Bella-Flor feeding her hens.
'Now listen,' said the horse. 'I am going to give all
sorts of little hops and skips, which will amuse the
Princess Bella-Flor. Then she will tell you that she
would like to ride a little way, and you must help her to
mount. When she is seated I shall begin to neigh and
kick, and you must say that I have never carried a
woman before, and that you had better get up behind so
as to be able to manage me. Once on my back we will
go like wind to the king's palace.'
Jose did exactly as the horse told him, and every-
thing fell out as the animal prophesied; so that it was not
until they were galloping breathlessly toward the palace that
the princess knew that she was taken captive. She said
nothing, however, but quietly opened her apron which
contained the bran for the chickens, and in a moment it
lay scattered on the ground.
'Oh, I have let fall my bran!' cried she; 'please get
down and pick it up for me.' But Jose only answered:
'We shall find plenty of bran where we are going.' And
the horse galloped on.
They were now passing through a forest, and the prin-
cess took out her handkerchief and threw it upwards, so
that it stuck in one of the topmost branches of a
tree.
'Dear me; how stupid! I have let my handkerchief
blow away,' said she. 'Will you climb up and get it for
me?' But Jose answered:
'We shall find plenty of handkerchiefs where we are
going.' And the horse galloped on.
After the wood they reached a river, and the princess
28S THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR
slipped a ring off her finger and let it roll into the
water.
'How careless of me,' gasped she, beginning to sob.
'I have lost my favourite ring; do stop for a moment and
look if you can see it.' But Jose answered:
'You will find plenty of rings where you are going.'
And the horse galloped on.
At last they entered the palace gates, and the king's heart
bounded with joy at beholding his beloved Bella-Flor.
But the princess brushed him aside as if he had been a
fly, and locked herself into the nearest room, which she
would not open for all his entreaties.
'Bring me the three things I lost on the way, and per-
haps I may think about it,' was all she would say. And,
in despair, the king was driven to take counsel of Jose.
'There is no remedy that I can see,' said his majesty,
'but that you, who know where they are, should go and
bring them back. And if you return without them I
will have you drowned.'
Poor Jose was much troubled at these words. He
thought that he had done all that was required of him,
and that his life was safe. However, he bowed low, and
went out to consult his friend the horse.
'Do not vex yourself,' said the horse, when he had
heard the story; 'jump up, and we will go back and look for
the things.' And Jose mounted at once.
They rode on till they came to the ant-hill, and then
the horse asked:
'Would you like to have the bran?'
'What is the use of liking?' answered Jose.
'Well, call the ants, and tell them to fetch it for you;
and, if some of it has been scattered by the wind, to bring
in its stead the grains that were in the cakes you
gave them.' Jos£ listened in surprise. He did not much
believe in the horse's plan; but he could not think of
anything better, so he called to the ants, and bade them
collect the bran as fast as they could.
ik. • • luii . JB98ttl
THE PRINCESS BELL A-F LOR 289
Then he sat under a tree and waited, while his horse
cropped the green turf.
'Look there!' said the animal, suddenly raising its head;
and Jose looked behind him and saw a little mountain
of bran, which he put into a bag that was hung over his
saddle.
'Good deeds bear fruit sooner or later,' observed the
horse; 'but mount again, as we have far to go.'
When they arrived at the tree, they saw the handker-
chief fluttering like a flag from the topmost branch, and
Jose's spirits sank again.
'How am I to get that handkerchief?' cried he;
'why I should need Jacob's ladder!' But the horse
answered:
'Do not be frightened; call to the eagle you set free
from the net, he will bring it to you.'
So Jose called to the eagle, and the eagle flew to the top
of the tree and brought back the handkerchief in its beak.
Jose' thanked him, and vaulting on his horse they rode on
to the river.
A great deal of rain had fallen in the night, and the
river, instead of being clear as it was before, was dark
and troubled.
'How am I to fetch the ring from the bottom of this
river when I do not know exactly where it was dropped,
and cannot even see it?' asked Jose. But the horse
answered: 'Do not be frightened; call the little fish whose
life you saved, and she will bring it to you.'
So he called to the fish, and the fish dived to the bottom
and slipped behind big stones, and moved little ones with
its tail till it found the ring, and brought it to Jose in its
mouth.
Well pleased with all he had done, Jose returned to
the palace; but when the king took the precious objects
to Bella-Flor, she declared that she would never open
her door till the bandit who had carried her off had been
fried in oil.
290 THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR
'I am very sorry,' said the king to Jose, 'I really would
rather not; but you see I have no choice.'
"Kino; jumps into tha Cauldron
While the oil was being heated in the great caldron,
Jose went to the stables to inquire of his friend the horse
if there was no way for him to escape.
THE PRINCESS BELLA-FLOR 291
'Do not be frightened,' said the horse. 'Get on my
back, and I will gallop till my whole body is wet with
perspiration, then rub it all over your skin, and no matter
how hot the oil may be you will never feel it.'
Jos£ did not ask any more questions, but did as the
horse bade him; and men wondered at his cheerful face
as they lowered him into the caldron of boiling oil. He
was left there till Bella-Flor cried that he must be cooked
enough. Then out came a youth so young and handsome,
that everyone fell in love with him, and Bella-Flor most
of all.
As for the old king, he saw that he had lost the game;
and in despair he flung himself into the caldron, and was
fried instead of Jose. Then Jose was proclaimed king,
on condition that he married Bella-Flor, which he prom-
ised to do the next day. But first he went to the stables
and sought out the horse, and said to him: 'It is to you
that I owe my life and my crown. Why have you done
all this for me?'
And the horse answered: 'I am the soul of that unhappy
man for whom you spent all your fortune. And when
I saw you in danger of death I begged that I might help
you, as you had helped me. For, as I told you, Good
deeds bear their own fruit!'
(from Cuentos, Oraciones, y Adivinas, por Fenian Caballero.)
THE BIRD OF TRUTH
ONCE upon a time there lived a poor fisher who built a
hut on the banks of a stream which, shunning the glare
of the sun and the noise of towns, flowed quietly past
trees and under bushes, listening to the songs of the birds
overhead.
One day, when the fisherman had gone out as usual
to cast his nets, he saw borne towards him on the current
a cradle of crystal. Slipping his net quickly beneath it
he drew it out and lifted the silk coverlet. Inside, lying
on a soft bed of cotton, were two babies, a boy and a girl,
who opened their eyes and smiled at him. The man was
filled with pity at the sight, and throwing down his lines
he took the cradle and the babies home to his wife.
The good woman flung up her hands in despair when
she beheld the contents of the cradle.
'Are not eight children enough,' she cried, 'without
bringing us two more? How do you think we can feed
them?'
'You would not have had me leave them to die of hun-
ger,' answered he, 'or be swallowed up by the waves of
the sea? What is enough for eight is also enough for
ten.'
The wife said no more; and in truth her heart yearned
over the little creatures. Somehow or other food was
never lacking in the hut, and the children grew up and
were so good and gentle that, in time, their foster-parents
loved them as well or better than their own, who were
quarrelsome and envious. It did not take the orphans
THE BIRD OF TRUTH 293
long to notice that the boys did not like them, and were
always playing tricks on them, so they used to go away
by themselves and spend whole hours by the banks of
the river. Here they would take out the bits of bread
they had saved from their breakfast and crumble them
for the birds. In return, the birds taught them many
things: how to get up early in the morning, how to sing,
and how to talk their language, which very few people
knew.
But though the little orphans did their best to avoid
quarrelling with their foster-brothers, it was very difficult
always to keep the peace. Matters got worse and worse
till, one morning, the eldest boy said to the twins:
'It is all very well for you to pretend that you have
such good manners, and are so much better than we, but
we have at least a father and mother, while you have only
got the river, like the toads and the frogs.'
The poor children did not answer the insult; but it
made them very unhappy. And they told each other in
whispers that they could not stay there any longer, but
must go into the world and seek their fortunes.
So next day they arose as early as the birds and stole
downstairs without anybody hearing them. One window
was open, and they crept softly out and ran to the side of
the river. Then, feeling as if they had found a friend,
they walked along its banks, hoping that by-and-by they
should meet some one to take care of them.
The whole of that day they went steadily on without
seeing a living creature, till, in the evening, weary and
footsore, they saw before them a small hut. This raised
their spirits for a moment; but the door was shut, and
the hut seemed empty, and so great was their disappoint-
ment that they almost cried. However, the boy fought
down his tears, and said cheerfully:
'Well, at any rate here is a bench where we can sit down,
and when we are rested we will think what is best to do
next.'
294 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
Then they sat down, and for some time they were too
tired even to notice anything; but by-and-by they saw
that under the tiles of the roof a quantity of swallows
were sitting, chattering merrily to each other. Of course
the swallows had no idea that the children understood
their language, or they would not have talked so freely;
but, as it was, they said whatever came into their heads.
'Good evening, my fine city madam,' remarked a
swallow, whose manners were rather rough and country-
fied, to another who looked particularly distinguished.
'Happy, indeed, are the eyes that behold you! Only
think of your having returned to your long-forgotten
country friends, after you have lived for years in a
palace!'
'I have inherited this nest from my parents,' replied
the other, 'and as they left it to me I certainly shall make
it my home. But,' she added politely, 'I hope that you
and all your family are well ? '
'Very well indeed, I am glad to say. But my poor
daughter had, a short time ago, such bad inflammation in
her eyes that she would have gone blind had I not been
able to find the magic herb, which cured her at once.'
'And how is the nightingale singing? Does the lark
soar as high as ever? And does the linnet dress herself
as smartly?' But here the country swallow drew herself
up.
'I never talk gossip,' she said severely. 'Our people,
who were once so innocent and well-behaved, have been
corrupted by the bad examples of men. It is a thousand
pities.'
'What! innocence and good behaviour are not to be
met with among birds, nor in the country! My dear
friend, what are you saying?'
'The truth and nothing more. Imagine, when we
returned here, we met some linnets who, just as the spring
and the flowers and the long days had come, were setting
out for the north and the cold? Out of pure compassion
THE BIRD OF TRUTH 295
we tried to persuade them to give up this folly; but they
only replied with the utmost insolence.'
'How shocking!' exclaimed the city swallow.
'Yes, it was. And, worse than that, the crested lark,
that was formerly so timid and shy, is now no better than
a thief, and steals maize and corn whenever she can find
them.'
'I am astonished at what you say.'
'You will be more astonished when I tell you that on
my arrival here for the summer I found my nest occupied
by a shameless sparrow! "This is my nest," I said.
"Yours?" he answered, with a rude laugh. "Yes,
mine; my ancestors were born here, and my sons will be
born here also." And at that my husband set upon him
and threw him out of the nest. I am sure nothing of this
sort ever happens in a town.'
'Not exactly, perhaps. But I have seen a great deal —
if you only knew ! '
'Oh! do tell us! do tell us!' cried they all. And when
they had settled themselves comfortably, the city swallow
began:
'You must know, then, that our king fell in love with
the youngest daughter of a tailor, who was as good and
gentle as she was beautiful. His nobles hoped that he
would have chosen a queen from one of their daughters,
and tried to prevent the marriage; but the king would not
listen to them, and it took place. Not many months
later a war broke out, and the king rode away at the head
of his army, while the queen remained behind, very un-
happy at the separation. When peace was made, and
the king returned, he was told that his wife had had two
babies in his absence, but that both were dead; that she
herself had gone out of her mind and was obliged to be
shut up in a tower in the mountains, where, in time, the
fresh air might cure her.'
'And was this not true?' asked the swallows
eagerly.
296 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
'Of course not,' answered the city lady, with some
contempt for their stupidity. 'The children were alive
at that very moment in the gardener's cottage; but at
night the chamberlain came down and put them in a
cradle of crystal, which he carried to the river.
'For a whole day they floated safely, for though the
stream was deep it was very still, and the children took
no harm. In the morning — so I am told by my friend
the kingfisher — they were rescued by a fisherman who
lived near the river bank.'
The children had been lying on the bench, listening
lazily to the chatter up to this point; but when they heard
the story of the crystal cradle which their foster-mother
had always been fond of telling them, they sat upright
and looked at each other.
'Oh, how glad I am I learnt the birds' language!' said
the eyes of one to the eyes of the other.
Meanwhile the swallows had spoken again.
'That was indeed good fortune!' cried they.
'And when the children are grown up they can return
to their father and set their mother free.'
'It will not be so easy as you think,' answered the
city swallow, shaking her head; 'for they will have to
prove that they are the king's children, and also that
their mother never went mad at all. In fact, it is so
difficult that there is only one way of proving it to the
king.'
'And what is that?' cried all the swallows at once.
'And how do you know it?'
'I know it,' answered the city swallow 'because, one
day, when I was passing through the palace garden, I
met a cuckoo, who, as I need not tell you, always
pretends to be able to see into the future. We began to
talk about certain things which were happening in the
palace, and of the events of past years. "Ah," said he,
"the only person who can expose the wickedness of the
THE BIRD OF TRUTH 297
ministers and show the king how wrong he has been
is the Bird of Truth, who can speak the language of
men.':
'"And where can this bird be found?" I asked.
'"It is shut up in a castle guarded by a fierce giant,
who only sleeps one quarter of an hour out of the whole
twenty-four," replied the cuckoo.'
'And where is this castle?' inquired the country swallow,
who, like all the rest, and the children most of all, had
been listening with deep attention.
'That is just what I don't know,' answered her friend.
'All I can tell you is that not far from here is a tower,
where dwells an old witch, and it is she who knows the
way, and she will only teach it to the person who
promises to bring her the water from the fountain of
many colours, which she uses for her enchantments.
But never will she betray the place where the Bird of
Truth is hidden, for she hates him, and would kill him if
she could; knowing well, however, that this bird cannot
die, as he is immortal, she keeps him closely shut up,
and guarded night and day by the Birds of Bad Faith,
who seek to gag him so that his voice should not be
heard.'
'And is there no one else who can tell the poor boy
where to find the bird, if he should ever manage to reach
the tower ? ' asked the city swallows.
'No one,' replied she, 'except an owl, who lives a hermit's
life in that desert, and he knows only one word of man's
speech, and that is "cross." So that even if the prince
did succeed in getting there, he could never understand
what the owl said. But, look, the sun is sinking to his
nest in the depths of the sea, and I must go to mine. Good-
night, friends, good-night!'
Then the swallow flew away, and the children, who
had forgotten both hunger and weariness in the joy of this
strange news, rose up and followed in the direction of
her flight. After two hours' walking, they arrived at a
298 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
large city, which they felt sure must be the capital of their
father's kingdom. Seeing a good-natured looking woman
standing at the door of a house, they asked her if she would
give them a night's lodging, and she was so pleased with
their pretty faces and nice manners that she welcomed
them warmly.
It was scarcely light the next morning before the girl
was sweeping out the rooms, and the boy watering the
garden, so that by the time the good woman came down-
stairs there was nothing left for her to do. This so de-
lighted her that she begged the children to stay with her
altogether, and the boy answered that he would leave his
sister with her gladly, but that he himself had serious
business on hand and must not linger in pursuit of it.
So he bade them farewell and set out.
For three days he wandered by the most out-of-the-way
paths, but no signs of a tower were to be seen anywhere.
On the fourth morning it was just the same, and, filled
with despair, he flung himself on the ground under a
tree and hid his face in his hands. In a little while he
heard a rustling over his head, and looking up, he saw a
turtle dove watching him with her bright eyes.
'Oh dove!' cried the boy, addressing the bird in her
own language, 'Oh dove! tell me, I pray you, where is
the castle of Come-and-never-go ? '
'Poor child,' answered the dove, 'who has sent you on
such a useless quest ? '
'My good or evil fortune,' replied the boy, 'I know
not which.'
'To get there,' said the dove, 'you must follow the
wind, which to-day is blowing towards the castle.'
The boy thanked her, and followed the wind, fearing
all the time that it might change its direction and lead
him astray. But the wind seemed to feel pity for him
and blew steadily on.
With each step the country became more and more
THE BIRD OF TRUTH 301
dreary, but at nightfall the child could see behind the
dark and bare rocks something darker still. This was
the tower in which dwelt the witch ; and seizing the knocker
he gave three loud knocks, which were echoed in the hollows
of the rocks around.
The door opened slowly, and there appeared on the
threshold an old woman holding up a candle to her face,
which was so hideous that the boy involuntarily stepped
backwards, almost as frightened by the troop of lizards,
beetles, and such creatures that surrounded her, as by
the woman herself.
'Who are you who dare to knock at my door and wake
me?' cried she. 'Be quick and tell me what you want,
or it will be the worse for you.'
'Madam,' answered the child, 'I believe that you alone
know the way to the castle of Come-and-never-go, and I
pray you to show it to me.'
'Very good,' replied the witch, with something that
she meant for a smile, 'but to-day it is late. To-morrow
you shall go. Now enter, and you shall sleep with my
lizards.'
'I cannot stay,' said he. 'I must go back at once,
so as to reach the road from which I started before day
dawns.'
'If I tell you, will you promise me that you will bring
me this jar full of the many-coloured water from the spring
in the court -yard of the castle?' asked she. 'If you fail
to keep your word I will change you into a lizard for
ever.'
'I promise,' answered the boy.
Then the old woman called to a very thin dog, and
said to him:
'Conduct this pig of a child to the castle of Come-
and-never-go, and take care that you warn my friend of
his arrival.' And the dog arose and shook itself, and set
out.
At the end of two hours they stopped in front of a large
302 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
castle, big and black and gloomy, whose doors stood wide
open, although neither sound nor light gave sign of any
presence within. The dog, however, seemed to know
what to expect, and, after a wild howl, went on; but the
boy, who was uncertain whether this was the quarter
of an hour when the giant was asleep, hesitated to follow
him, and paused for a moment under a wild olive that
grew near by, the only tree which he had beheld since
he had parted from the dove. 'Oh, heaven, help me!'
cried he.
'Cross! cross!' answered a voice.
The boy leapt for joy as he recognised the note of the
owl of which the swallow had spoken, and he said softly
in the bird's language:
'Oh, wise owl, I pray you to protect and guide me, for
I have come in search of the Bird of Truth. And first I
must fill this jar with the many-coloured water in the
courtyard of the castle.'
'Do not do that,' answered the owl, 'but fill the jar
from the spring which bubbles close by the fountain with
the many-coloured water. Afterwards, go into the aviary
opposite the great door, but be careful not to touch any
of the bright-plumaged birds contained in it, which will
cry to you, each one, that he is the Bird of Truth. Choose
only a small white bird that is hidden in a corner, which
the others try incessantly to kill, not knowing that it cannot
die. And, be quick ! — for at this very moment the giant
has fallen asleep, and you have only a quarter of an hour
to do everything.'
The boy ran as fast as he could and entered the
courtyard, where he saw the two springs close together.
He passed by the many-coloured water without casting
a glance at it, and filled the jar from the fountain whose
water was clear and pure. He next hastened to the
aviary, and was almost deafened by the clamour that
rose as he shut the door behind him. Voices of peacocks,
voices of ravens, voices of magpies, each claiming to be
THE BIRD OF TRUTH
303
the Bird of Truth. With steadfast face the boy walked
by them all, to the corner where, hemmed in by a band
of fierce crows, was the small white bird he sought.
HOW THE. BOY FOUND ThAE. BIRD OF TRUTH —
Putting her safely in his breast, he passed out, followed
by the screams of the Birds of Bad Faith which he left
behind him.
304 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
Once outside, he ran without stopping to the witch's
tower, and handed to the old woman the jar she had given
him.
'Become a parrot!' cried she, flinging the water over
him. But instead of losing his shape, as so many had
done before, he only grew ten times handsomer; for the
water was enchanted for good and not ill. Then the
creeping multitude around the witch hastened to roll
themselves in the water, and stood up, human beings
again.
When the witch saw what was happening, she took a
broomstick and flew away.
Who can guess the delight of the sister at the sight of
her brother, bearing the Bird of Truth? But although
the boy had accomplished much, something very difficult
yet remained, and that was how to carry the Bird of Truth
to the king without her being seized by the wicked cour-
tiers, who would be ruined by the discovery of their plot.
Soon — no one knew how — the news spread abroad that
the Bird of Truth was hovering round the palace, and
the courtiers made all sorts of preparations to hinder her
reaching the king.
They got ready weapons that were sharpened, and
weapons that were poisoned; they sent for eagles and
falcons to hunt her down, and constructed cages and
boxes in which to shut her up if they were not able to
kill her. They declared that her white plumage was
really put on to hide her black feathers — in fact there was
nothing they did not do in order to prevent the king from
seeing the bird or from paying attention to her words if
he did.
As often happens in these cases, the courtiers brought
about that which they feared. They talked so much
about the Bird of Truth that at last the king heard of it,
and expressed a wish to see her. The more difficulties
that were put in his way the stronger grew his desire,
THE BIRD OF TRUTH 305
and in the end the king published a proclamation that
whoever found the Bird of Truth should bring her to him
without delay.
As soon as he saw this proclamation the boy called
his sister, and they hastened to the palace. The bird
was buttoned inside his tunic, but, as might have been
expected, the courtiers barred the way, and told the child
that he could not enter. It was in vain that the boy
declared that he was only obeying the king's commands;
the courtiers only replied that his majesty was not yet
out of bed, and it was forbidden to wake him.
They were still talking, when, suddenly, the bird
settled the question by flying upwards through an open
window into the king's own room. Alighting on the
pillow, close to the king's head, she bowed respectfully,
and said:
'My lord, I am the Bird of Truth whom you wished
to see, and I have been obliged to approach you in this
manner because the boy who brought me is kept out of
the palace by your courtiers.'
'They shall pay for their insolence,' said the king. And
he instantly ordered one of his attendants to conduct the
boy at once to his apartments; and in a moment more the
prince entered, holding his sister by the hand.
'Who are you?' asked the king; 'and what has the
Bird of Truth to do with you?'
'If it please your majesty, the Bird of Truth will ex-
plain that herself,' answered the boy.
And the bird did explain; and the king heard for the
first time of the wicked plot that had been successful for
so many years. He took his children in his arms, with
tears in his eyes, and hurried off with them to the tower
in the mountains where the queen was shut up. The
poor woman was as white as marble, for she had been
living almost in darkness; but when she saw her husband
and children, the colour came back to her face, and she
was as beautiful as ever.
306 THE BIRD OF TRUTH
They all returned in state to the city, where great
rejoicings were held. The wicked courtiers had their
heads cut off, and all their property was taken away.
As for the good old couple, they were given riches and
honour, and were loved and cherished to the ends of their
lives.
(From Cuentos, Oraciones, y Adivinas, por Femaa Caballero.)
THE MINK AND THE WOLF
IN the big forest in the north of America lived a quantity
of wild animals of all sorts. They were always very
polite when they met; but, in spite of that, they kept a
close watch one upon the other, as each was afraid of
being killed and eaten by somebody else. But their
manners were so good that no one would ever have
guessed that.
One day a smart young wolf went out to hunt,
promising his grandfather and grandmother that he
would be sure to be back before bedtime. He trotted
along quite happily through the forest till he came to a
favourite place of his, just where the river runs into the
sea. There, just as he had hoped, he saw the chief mink
fishing in a canoe.
'I want to fish too,' cried the wolf. But the mink said
nothing, and pretended not to hear.
'I wish you would take me into your boat!' shouted
the wolf, louder than before, and he continued to beseech
the mink so long that at last he grew tired of it, and
paddled to the shore close enough for the wolf to jump
in.
'Sit down quietly at that end or we shall be upset,'
said the mink; 'and if you care about sea-urchins' eggs,
you will find plenty in that basket. But be sure you eat
only the white ones, for the red ones would kill you.'
So the wolf, who was always hungry, began to eat the
eggs greedily; and when he had finished he told the mink
he thought he would have a nap.
308 THE MINK AND THE WOLF
'Well, then, stretch yourself out, and rest your head
on that piece of wood,' said the mink. And the wolf did
as he was bid, and was soon fast asleep. Then the mink
crept up to him and stabbed him to the heart with his
knife, and he died without moving. After that he landed
on the beach, skinned the wolf, and taking the skin to
his cottage, he hung it up before the fire to dry.
Not many days later the wolf's grandmother who, with
the help of her relations, had been searching for him
everywhere, entered the cottage to buy some sea-urchins'
eggs, and saw the skin, which she at once guessed to be
that of her grandson.
'I knew he was dead — I knew it! I knew it!' she
cried, weeping bitterly, till the mink told her rudely that
if she wanted to make so much noise she had better do
it outside as he liked to be quiet. So, half-blinded by
her tears, the old woman went home the way she had come,
and running in at the door, she flung herself down in front
of the fire.
'What are you crying for?' asked the old wolf and
some friends who had been spending the afternoon with
him.
'I shall never see my grandson any more!' answered
she. 'Mink has killed him, oh! oh!' And putting her
head down, she began to weep as loudly as ever.
'There! there!' said her husband, laying his paw on
her shoulder. 'Be comforted; if he is dead, we will
avenge him.' And calling to the others they proceeded
to talk over the best plan. It took them a long time to
make up their minds, as one wolf proposed one thing and
one another; but at last it was agreed that the old wolf
should give a great feast in his house, and that the mink
should be invited to the party. And in order that no
time should be lost it was further agreed that each wolf
should bear the invitations to the guests that lived near-
est to him.
Now the wolves thought they were very cunning, but
THE MINK AND THE WOLF
309
the mink was more cunning still; and though he sent a
message by a white hare, that was going that way, saying
he should be delighted to be present, he determined that
he would take his precautions. So he went to a mouse
who had often done him a good turn, and greeted her with
his best bow.
/• x^7
HINK 15 VERY RUDE. TO
1J01-F
'I have a favour to ask of you, friend mouse,' said he,
'and if you will grant it I will carry you on my back
every night for a week to the patch of maize right up the
hill.'
'The favour is mine,' answered the mouse. 'Tell me
what it is that I can have the honour of doing for you.'
310 THE MINK AND THE WOLF
'Oh, something quite easy,' replied the mink. 'I only
want you — between to-day and the next full moon —
to gnaw through the bows and paddles of the wolf people,
so that directly they use them they will break. But of
course you must manage it so that they notice nothing.'
'Of course,' answered the mouse, 'nothing is easier;
but as the full moon is to-morrow night, and there is not
much time, I had better begin at once.' Then the mink
thanked her, and went his way; but before he had gone
far he came back again.
'Perhaps, while you are about the wolf's house seeing
after the bows, it would do no harm if you were to make
that knot-hole in the wall a little bigger,' said he. 'Not
large enough to draw attention, of course; but it might
come in handy.' And with another nod he left her.
The next evening the mink washed and brushed him-
self carefully and set out for the feast. He smiled to
himself as he looked at the dusty track, and perceived
that though the marks of wolves' feet were many, not a
single guest was to be seen anywhere. He knew very
well what that meant; but he had taken his precautions
and was not afraid.
The house door stood open, but through a crack the
mink could see the wolves crowding in the corner behind
it. However, he entered boldly, and as soon as he was
fairly inside the door was shut with a bang, and the whole
herd sprang at him, with their red tongues hanging out
of their mouths. Quick as they were they were too late,
for the mink was already through the knot-hole and racing
for his canoe.
The knot-hole was too small for the wolves, and
there were so many of them in the hut that it was some
time before they could get the door open. Then they
seized the bows and arrows which were hanging on the
walls and, once outside, aimed at the flying mink; but
as they pulled the bows broke in their paws, so they
threw them away, and bounded to the shore, with all their
THE MINK AND THE WOLF 311
speed, to the place where their canoes were drawn up on
the beach.
Now, although the mink could not run as fast as the
wolves, he had had a good start, and was already afloat
when the swiftest among them threw themselves into
the nearest canoe. They pushed off, but as they dipped
the paddles into the water, they snapped as the bows had
done, and were quite useless.
'I know where there are some new ones/ cried a
young fellow, leaping on shore and rushing to a little
cave at the back of the beach. And the mink's heart
smote him when he heard, for he had not known of this
secret store.
After a long chase the wolves managed to surround
their prey, and the mink, seeing it was no good resisting
any more, gave himself up. Some of the older wolves
brought out some cedar bands, which they always carried
wound round their bodies, but the mink laughed scornfully
at the sight of them.
'Why I could snap those in a moment,' said he; 'if
you want to make sure that I cannot escape, better take
a line of kelp and bind me with that.'
'You are right,' answered the grandfather; 'your
wisdom is greater than ours.' And he bade his servants
gather enough kelp from the rocks to make a line, as they
had brought none with them.
'While the line is being made you might as well let
me have one last dance,' remarked the mink. And the
wolves replied: 'Very good, you may have your dance;
perhaps it may amuse us as well as you.' So they brought
two canoes and placed them one beside the other. The
mink stood up on his hind legs and began to dance, first
in one canoe and then in the other; and so graceful was
he, that the wolves forgot they were going to put him to
death, and howled with pleasure.
'Pull the canoes a little apart; they are too close for
this new dance,' he said, pausing for a moment. And the
312 THE MINK AND THE WOLF
wolves separated them while he gave a series of little
springs, sometimes pirouetting while he stood with one
foot on the prow of both. 'Now nearer, now further
apart,' he would cry as the dance went on. 'No! further
still.' And springing into the air, amidst howls of Applause,
he came down head foremost, and dived to the bottom.
And though the wolves, whose howls had now changed
into those of rage, sought him everywhere, they never
found him, for he hid behind a rock till they were out of
sight, and then made his home in another forest.
(From the Journal of the Anthropological Institute.)
ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE
A LONG, long way off, right away in the west of America,
there once lived an old man who had one son. The
country round was covered with forests, in which dwelt
all kinds of wild beasts, and the young man and his com-
panions used to spend whole days in hunting them, and
he was the finest hunter of all the tribe.
One morning, when winter was coming on, the youth
and his companions set off as usual to bring back some
of the mountain goats and deer to be salted down, as he
was afraid of a snow-storm; and if the wind blew and the
snow drifted the forest might be impassable for some
weeks. The old man and the wife, however, would not
go out, but remained in the wigwam making bows and
arrows.
It soon grew so cold in the forest that at last one of
the men declared they could walk no more, unless they
could manage to warm themselves.
'That is easily done,' said the leader, giving a kick to a
large tree. Flames broke out in the trunk, and before it
had burnt up they were as hot as if it had been summer.
Then they started off to the place where the goats and
deer were to be found in the greatest numbers, and soon
had killed as many as they wanted. But the leader killed
most, as he was the best shot.
'Now we must cut up the game and divide it,' said
he; and so they did, each one taking his own share; and,
walking one behind the other, set out for the village.
But when they reached a great river the young man did
314 ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE
not want the trouble of carrying his pack any further,
and left it on the bank.
'I am going home another way,' he told his compan-
ions. And taking another road he reached the village long
before they did.
' Have you returned with empty hands ? ' asked the old
man, as his son opened the door.
'Have I ever done that, that you put me such a
question?' asked the youth. 'No; I have slain enough
to feast us for many moons, but it was heavy, and I left
the pack on the bank of the great river. Give me the
arrows, I will finish making them, and you can go to the
river and bring home the pack!'
So the old man rose and went, and strapped the
meat on his shoulder; but as he was crossing the ford
the strap broke and the pack fell into the river. He
stooped to catch it, but it swirled past him. He clutched
again; but in doing so he over-balanced himself and was
hurried into some rapids, where he was knocked against
some rocks, and he sank and was drowned, and his body
was carried down the stream into smoother water when
it rose to the surface again. But by this time it had lost
all likeness to a man, and was changed into a piece of
wood.
The wood floated on, and the river got bigger and
bigger and entered a new country. There it was borne
by the current close to the shore, and a woman who was
down there washing her clothes caught it as it passed,
and drew it out, saying to herself: 'What a nice smooth
plank! I will use it as a table to put my food upon.' And
gathering up her clothes she took the plank with her into
her hut.
When her supper time came she stretched the board
across two strings which hung from the roof, and set upon
it the pot containing a stew that smelt very good.
The woman had been working hard all day and was very
hungry, so she took her biggest spoon and plunged it
ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE 315
into the pot. But what was her astonishment and
disgust when both pot and food vanished instantly
before her.
'Oh, you horrid plank, you have brought me ill-luck!'
she cried. And taking it up she flung it away from her.
The woman had been surprised before at the dis-
appearance of her food, but she was more astonished
still when, instead of the plank, she beheld a baby.
However, she was fond of children and had none of her
own, so she made up her mind that she would keep it
and take care of it. The baby grew and throve as no
baby in that country had ever done, and in four days he
was a man, and as tall and strong as any brave of the
tribe.
'You have treated me well,' he said, 'and meat shall
never fail in your house.' But now I must go, for I have
much work to do.'
Then he set out for his home.
It took him many days to get there, and when he saw
his son sitting in his place his anger was kindled, and
his heart was stirred to take vengeance upon him. So
he went out quickly into the forest and shed tears, and
each tear became a bird. 'Stay there till I want you,'
said he; and he returned to the hut.
'I saw some pretty new birds, high up in a tree
yonder,' he remarked. 'And the son answered: 'Show me
the way and I will get them for dinner.'
The two went out together, and after walking for
about half an hour the old man stopped. 'That is the
tree,' he said. And the son began to climb it.
Now a strange thing happened. The higher the young
man climbed the higher the birds seemed to be, and when
he looked down the earth below appeared no bigger than
a star. Still he tried to go back, but he could not, and
though he could not see the birds any longer he felt as
if something were dragging him up and up.
316 ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE
He thought that he had been climbing that tree for
days, and perhaps he had, for suddenly a beautiful country,
yellow with fields of maize, stretched before him, and he
gladly left the top of the tree and entered it. He walked
through the maize without knowing where he was going,
when he heard a sound of knocking, and saw two old
blind women crushing their food between two stones.
He crept up to them on tiptoe, and when one old woman
passed her dinner to the other he held out his hand and
took it and ate it for himself.
'How slow you are kneading that cake,' cried the
other old woman at last.
'Why, I have given you your dinner, and what more
do you want?' replied the second.
'You didn't; at least I never got it,' said the other.
'I certainly thought you took it from me; but here is
some more.' And again the young man stretched out his
hand; and the two old women fell to quarrelling afresh.
But when it happened for the third time the old women
suspected some trick, and one of them exclaimed:
'I am sure there is a man here; tell me, are you not
my grandson?'
'Yes,' answered the young man, who wished to please
her, 'and in return for your good dinner I will see if I
cannot restore your sight; for I was taught the art of
healing by the best medicine men in the tribe.' And with
that he left them, and wandered about till he found the
herb which he wanted. Then he hastened back to the
old women, and begging them to boil him some water, he
threw the herb in. As soon as the pot began to sing he
took off the lid, and sprinkled the eyes of the women the
sight came back to them once more.
There was no night in that country, so, instead of going
to bed very early, as he would have done in his own
hut, the young man took another walk. A splashing
noise near by drew him down to a valley through which
ran a large river, and up a waterfall some salmon were
ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE 317
leaping. How their silver sides glistened in the light,
and how he longed to catch some of the great fellows!
But how could he do it? He had beheld no one except
the old women, and it was not very likely that they would
be able to help him. So with a sigh he turned away and
went back to them, but, as he walked, a thought struck
him. He pulled out one of his hairs which hung nearly
to his waist, and it instantly became a strong line, nearly
a mile in length.
'Weave me a net that I may catch some salmon,' said
he. And they wove him the net he asked for, and for
many weeks he watched by the river, only going back to
the old women when he wanted a fish cooked.
At last, one day, when he was eating his dinner, the old
woman who always spoke first, said to him:
'We have been very glad to see you, grandson, but
now it is time that you went home.' And pushing aside a
rock, he saw a deep hole, so deep that he could not see
to the bottom. Then they dragged a basket out of the
house, and tied a rope to it. ' Get in, and wrap this blan-
ket round your head,' said they; 'and, whatever happens,
don't uncover it till you get to the bottom.' Then they
bade him farewell, and he curled himself up in the
basket.
Down, down, down he went; would he ever stop going?
But when the basket did stop, the young man forgot what
he had been told, and put his head out to see what was
the matter. In an instant the basket moved, but, to his
horror, instead of going down, he felt himself being drawn
upwards, and shortly after he beheld the faces of the old
women.
'You will never see your wife and son if you will not
do as you are bid,' said they. 'Now get in, and do not
stir till you hear a crow calling.'
This time the young man was wiser, and though the
basket often stopped, and strange creatures seemed to
rest on him and to pluck at his blanket, he held it tight
318 ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN BRAVE
till he heard the crow calling. Then he flung off the
blanket and sprang out, while the basket vanished in the
sky.
He walked on quickly down the track that led to the
hut, when, before him, he saw his wife with his little son
on her back.
'Oh! there is father at last,' cried the boy; but the
mother bade him cease from idle talking.
'But, mother, it is true; father is coming!' repeated the
child. And, to satisfy him, the woman turned round and
perceived her husband.
Oh, how glad they all were to be together again! And
when the wind whistled through the forest, and the snow
stood in great banks round the door, the father used to
take the little boy on his knee and tell him how he caught
salmon in the Land of the Sun.
(From the Journal o] the Anthropological Institute.)
HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED
'MOTHER, I have seen such a wonderful man,' said a
little boy one day, as he entered a hut in Lapland, bear-
ing in his arms the bundle of sticks he had been sent out
to gather.
'Have you, my son; and what was he like?' asked the
mother, as she took off the child's sheep-skin coat and
shook it on the door-step.
'Well, I was tired of stooping for the sticks, and was
leaning against a tree to rest, when I heard a noise of
'sh-'sh, among the dead leaves. I thought perhaps it
was a wolf, so I stood very still. But soon there came
past a tall man — oh! twice as tall as father — with a long
red beard and a red tunic fastened with a silver girdle,
from which hung a big silver-handled knife. Behind
him followed a great dog, which looked stronger than
any wolf, or even a bear. But why are you so pale,
mother ? '
'It was the Stalo,' replied she, her voice trembling;
'Stalo the man-eater! You did well to hide, or you might
never have come back. But, remember that, though
he is so tall and strong, he is very stupid, and many a Lapp
has escaped from his clutches by playing him some clever
trick.'
Not long after the mother and son had held this talk,
it began to be whispered in the forest that the children
of an old man called Patto had vanished one by one, no
one knew whither. The unhappy father searched the
country for miles round without being able to find as
320 HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED
much as a shoe or a handkerchief, to show him where
they had passed, but at length a little boy came with news
that he had seen the Stalo hiding behind a well, near
which the children used to play. The boy had waited
behind a clump of bushes to see what would happen,
and by-and-by he noticed that the Stalo had laid a
cunning trap in the path to the well, and that anybody
who fell over it would roll into the water and drown
there.
And, as he watched, Patto's youngest daughter ran
gaily down the path, till her foot caught in the strings
that were stretched across the steepest place. She
slipped and fell, and in another instant had rolled into
the water within reach of the Stalo.
As soon as Patto heard this tale his heart was filled with
rage, and he vowed to have his revenge. So he straight-
way took an old fur coat from the hook where it hung,
and putting it on went out into the forest. When he
reached the path that led to the well he looked hastily
round to be sure that no one was watching him, then
laid himself down as if he had been caught in the snare
and had rolled into the well, though he took care to keep
his head out of the water.
Very soon he heard the 'sh-'sh of the leaves, and there
was the Stalo pushing his way through the undergrowth
to see what chance he had of a dinner. At the first
glimpse of Patto's head in the well, he laughed loudly,
crying:
'Ha! ha! This time it is the old ass! I wonder
how he will taste?' And drawing Patto out of the well,
he flung him across his shoulders and carried him home.
Then he tied a cord round him and hung him over the
fire to roast, while he finished a box that he was making
before the door of the hut, which he meant to hold
Patto's flesh when it was cooked. In a very short time
the box was so nearly done that it only wanted a little
more chipping out with an axe; but this part of the
tty«.
HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED 323
work was easier accomplished indoors, and he called to
one of his sons, who were lounging inside, to bring him
the tool.
The young man looked everywhere, but he could not
find the axe, for the very good reason that Patto had
managed to pick it up and hide it in his clothes.
'Stupid fellow! what is the use of you?' grumbled his
father angrily; and he bade first one and then another of
his sons to fetch him the tool, but they had no better success
than their brother.
'I must come myself, I suppose!' said Stalo, putting
aside the box. But, meanwhile, Patto had slipped from
the hook and concealed himself behind the door, so that,
as Stalo stepped in, his prisoner raised the axe, and with
one blow the ogre's head was rolling on the ground.
His sons were so frightened at the sight that they all ran
away.
And in this manner Patto avenged his dead children.
But though Stalo was dead, his three sons were still
living, and not very far off either. They had gone to their
mother, who was tending some reindeer on the pastures,
and told her that by some magic, they knew not what,
their father's head had rolled from his body, and they
had been so afraid that something dreadful would happen
to them that they had come to take refuge with her. The
ogress said nothing. Long ago she had found out how
stupid her sons were, so she just sent them out to milk
the reindeer, while she returned to the other house to
bury her husband's body.
Now, three days' journey from the hut on the pastures
two brothers named Sodno dwelt in a small cottage with
their sister Lyma, who tended a large herd of reindeer
while they were out hunting. Of late it had been
whispered from one to another that the three young
Stalos were to be seen on the pastures, but the Sodno
324 HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED
brothers did not disturb themselves, the danger seemed
too far away.
Unluckily, however, one day, when Lyma was left by
herself in the hut, the three Stales came down and carried
her and the reindeer off to their own cottage. The country
was very lonely, and perhaps no one would have known
in which direction she had gone had not the girl man-
aged to tie a ball of thread to the handle of a door at the
back of the cottage and let it trail behind her. Of course
the ball was not long enough to go all the way, but it lay
on the edge of a snowy track which led straight to the
Stales' house.
When the brothers returned from their hunting they
found both the hut and the sheds empty. Loudly they
cried: 'Lyma! Lyma!' But no voice answered them; and
they fell to searching all about, lest perchance their sister
might have dropped some clue to guide them. At length
their eyes dropped on the thread which lay on the snow,
and they set out to follow it.
On and on they went, and when at length the thread
stopped the brothers knew that another day's journey
would bring them to the Stalos' dwelling. Of course
they did not dare to approach it openly, for the Stalos
had the strength of giants, and besides, there were three
of them; so the two Sodons climbed into a big bushy tree
which overhung a well.
'Perhaps our sister may be sent to draw water here,'
they said to each other.
But it was not till the moon had risen that the sister
came, and as she let down her bucket into the well, the
leaves seemed to whisper 'Lyma! Lyma!'
The girl started and looked up, but could see nothing,
and in a moment the voice came again.
'Be careful — take no notice, fill your buckets, but
listen carefully all the while, and we will tell you what
to do so that you may escape yourself and set free the
reindeer also.'
HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED 325
So Lyma bent over the well lower than before, and
seemed busier than ever.
'You know,' said her brother, 'that when a Stalo finds
that anything has been dropped into his food he will not
eat a morsel, but throws it to his dogs. Now, after the
pot has been hanging some time over the fire, and the
broth is nearly cooked, just rake up the log of wood so
that some of the ashes fly into the pot. The Stalo will
soon notice this, and will call you to give all the food to
the dogs; but, instead, you must bring it straight to us, as
it is three days since we have eaten or drunk. That is>
all you need do for the present.'
Then Lyma took up her buckets and carried them
into the house, and did as her brothers had told her. They
were so hungry that they ate the food up greedily without
speaking, but when there was nothing left in the pot, the
eldest one said:
'Listen carefully to what I have to tell you. After
the eldest Stalo has cooked and eaten a fresh supper, he
will go to bed and sleep so soundly that not even a witch
could wake him. You can hear him snoring a mile off,
and then you must go into his room and pull off the iron
mantle that covers him, and put it on the fire till it is almost
red hot. When that is done, come to us and we will give
you further directions.'
'I will obey you in everything, dear brothers,' answered
Lyma; and so she did.
It had happened that on this very evening the Stales
had driven in some of the reindeer from the pasture, and
had tied them up to the wall of the house so that they
might be handy to kill for next day's dinner. The two
Sodnos had seen what they were doing, and where the
beasts were secured; so, at midnight, when all was still,
they crept down from their tree and seized the reindeer
by the horns which were locked together. The animals
were frightened, and began to neigh and kick, as if they
were fighting together, and the noise became so great
326 HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED
that even the eldest Stalo was awakened by it, and that
was a thing which had never occurred before. Raising
himself in his bed, he called to his youngest brother to go
out and separate the reindeer or they would certainly kill
themselves.
The young Stalo did as he was bid, and left the house;
but no sooner was he out of the door than he was stabbed
to the heart by one of the Sodnos, and fell without a groan.
Then they went back to worry the reindeer, and the noise
became as great as ever, and a second time the Stalo
awoke.
'The boy does not seem able to part the beasts,' he
cried to his second brother; 'go and help him, or I shall
never get to sleep.' So the brother went, and in an instant
was struck dead as he left the house by the sword of the
eldest Sodno. The Stalo waited in bed a little longer
for things to get quiet, but as the clatter of the reindeers'
horns was as bad as ever, he rose angrily from his bed
muttering to himself:
'It is extraordinary that they cannot unlock themselves;
but as no one else seems able to help them I suppose I
must go and do it.'
Rubbing his eyes, he stood up on the floor and stretched
his great arms and gave a yawn which shook the walk.
The Sodnos heard it below, and posted themselves, one
at the big door and one at the little door at the back, for
they did not know which their enemy would come
out at.
The Stalo put out his hand to take his iron mantle from
the bed, where it always lay, but the mantle was not
there. He wondered where it could be, and who could
have moved it, and after searching through all the rooms,
he found it hanging over the kitchen fire. But the first
touch burnt him so badly that he let it alone, and went
with nothing, except a stick in his hand, through the back
door.
The young Sodno was standing ready for him, and as
HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED 327
the Stalo passed the threshold struck him such a blow
on the head that he rolled over with a crash and never
stirred again. The two Sodnos did not trouble about
him, but quickly stripped the younger Stalos of their
clothes, in which they dressed themselves. Then they
sat still till the dawn should break and they could find
out from the Stalos' mother where the treasure was
hidden.
With the first rays of the sun the young Sodno went
upstairs and entered the old woman's room. She was
already up and dressed, and sitting by the window knitting,
and the young man crept in softly and crouched down
on the floor, laying his head on her lap. For a while he
kept silence, then he whispered gently:
'Tell me, dear mother, where did my eldest brother
conceal his riches?'
'What a strange question! Surely you must know,
answered she.
'No, I have forgotten; my memory is so bad.'
'He dug a hole under the doorstep and placed it there,'
said she. And there was another pause.
By-and-by the Sodno asked again:
'And where may my second brother's money be?'
'Don't you know that either?' cried the mother in
surprise.
'Oh, yes; I did once. But since I fell upon my head
I can remember nothing.'
'It is behind the oven,' answered she. And again was
silence.
'Mother, dear mother,' said the young man at last, 'I
am almost afraid to ask you; but I really have grown so
stupid of late. Where did I hide my own money ? '
But at this question the old woman flew into a passion,
and vowed that if she could find a rod she would bring
his memory back to him. Luckily, no rod was within her
reach, and the Sodno managed, after a little, to coax her
back into good humour, and at length she told him that the
328 HOW THE STALOS WERE TRICKED
youngest Stalo had buried his treasure under the very
place where she was sitting.
'Dear mother,' said Lyma, who had come in unseen,
and was kneeling in front of the fire. 'Dear mother, do
you know who it is you have been talking with ? '
The old woman started, but answered quietly:
'It is a Sodno, I suppose?'
'You have guessed right,' replied Lyma.
The mother of the Stalos looked round for her iron
cane, which she always used to kill her victims, but it
was not there, for Lyma had put it in the fire.
'Where is my iron cane?' asked the old woman.
'There!' answered Lyma, pointing to the flames.
The old woman sprang forward and seized it, but her
clothes caught fire, and in a few minutes she was burned
to ashes.
So the Sodno brothers found the treasure, and they
carried it, and their sister and the reindeer, to their own
home, and were the richest men in all Lapland.
(From Lappldndische Mahrchen, J. C. Poestion.)
ANDRAS BAIVE
ONCE upon a time there lived in Lapland a man who
was so very strong and swift of foot that nobody in his
native town of Vadso could come near him if they were
running races in the summer evenings. The people of
Vadso were very proud of their champion, and thought
that there was no one like him in the world, till, by-and-by,
it came to their ears that there dwelt among the mountains
a Lapp, Andras Baive by name, who was said by his friends
to be even stronger and swifter than the bailiff. Of course
not a creature in Vadso believed that, and declared that
if it made the mountaineers happier to talk such nonsense,
why, let them!
The winter was long and cold, and the thoughts of the
villagers were much busier with wolves than with Andras
Baive, when suddenly, on a frosty day, he made his appear-
ance in the little town of Vadso. The bailiff was delighted
at this chance of trying his strength, and at once went
out to seek Andras and to coax him into giving proof of
his vigour. As he walked along his eyes fell upon a big
eight-oared boat that lay upon the shore, and his face
shone with pleasure. 'That is the very thing,' laughed
he, 'I will make him jump over that boat.' Andras was
quite ready to accept the challenge, and they soon settled
the terms of the wager. He who could jump over the
boat without so much as touching it with his heel was to
be the winner, and would get a large sum of money as
the prize. So, followed by many of the villagers, the two
men walked down to the sea.
330 ANDRAS BAIVE
An old fisherman was chosen to stand near the boat
to watch fair play, and to hold the stakes, and Andras,
as the stranger, was told to jump first. Going back to
the flag which had been stuck into the sand to mark the
starting place, he ran forward, with his head well thrown
back, and cleared the boat with a mighty bound. The
lookers on cheered him, and indeed he well deserved it;
but they waited anxiously all the same to see what the
bailiff would do. On he came, taller than Andras by
several inches, but heavier of build. He too sprang high
and well, but as he came down his heel just grazed the edge
of the boat. Dead silence reigned amidst the townsfolk,
but Andras only laughed and said carelessly:
'Just a little too short, bailiff; next time you must do
better than that.'
The bailiff turned red with anger at his rival's scornful
words, and answered quickly: 'Next time you will have
something harder to do.' And turning his back on his
friends, he went sulkily home. Andras, putting the money
he had earned in his pocket, went home also.
In the following spring Andras happened to be driving
his reindeer along a great fiord to the west of Vadso. A
boy who had met him hastened to tell the bailiff that his
enemy was only a few miles off; and the bailiff, disguising
himself as a Stalo, or ogre, called his son and his dog and
rowed away across the fiord to the place where the boy
had met Andras.
Now the mountaineer was lazily walking along the
sands, thinking of the new hut that he was building with
the money that he had won on the day of his lucky jump.
He wandered on, his eyes fixed on the sands, so that he
did not see the bailiff drive his boat behind a rock, while
he changed himself into a heap of wreckage which floated
in on the waves. A stumble over a stone recalled Andras
to himself, and looking up he beheld the mass of wreckage.
'Dear me! I may find some use for that,' he said; and
hastened down to the sea, waiting till he could lay hold
ANDRAS BAIVE 331
of some stray rope which might float towards him. Sud-
denly — he could not have told why — a nameless fear
seized upon him, and he fled away from the shore as if
for his life. As he ran he heard the sound of a pipe, such
as only ogres of the Stalo kind were wont to use; and there
flashed into his mind what the bailiff had said when they
jumped the boat: 'Next time you will have something
harder to do.' So it was no wreckage after all that he
had seen, but the bailiff himself.
It happened that in the long summer nights up in the
mountain, where the sun never set, and it was very
difficult to get to sleep, Andras had spent many hours in
the study of magic, and this stood him in good stead now.
The instant he heard the Stalo music he wished himself
to become the feet of a reindeer, and in this guise he gal-
loped like the wind for several miles. Then he stopped
to take breath and find out what his enemy was doing.
Nothing could he see, but to his ears the notes of a pipe
floated over the plain, and ever, as he listened, it drew
nearer.
A cold shiver shook Andras, and this time he wished
himself the feet of a reindeer calf. For when a reindeer
calf has reached the age when he begins first to lose his
hair he grows so swift that neither beast nor bird can
come near him. A reindeer calf is the swiftest of all
things living. Yes; but not so swift as a Stalo, as Andras
found out when he stopped to rest, and heard the pipe
playing!
For a moment his heart sank, and he gave himself up
for dead, till he remembered that, not far off, were two
little lakes joined together by a short though very broad
river. In the middle of the river lay a stone that was
always covered by water, except in very dry seasons, and
as the winter rains had been very heavy, he felt quite
sure that not even the top of it could be seen. The next
minute, if anyone had been looking that way, he would
have beheld a small reindeer calf speeding northwards,
332 ANDRAS BAIVE
and by-and-by give a great spring, which landed him in
the midst of the stream. But, instead of sinking to the
bottom, he paused to steady himself, then gave a second
spring which landed him on the further shore. He next
ran on to a little hill where he sat down and began to neigh
loudly, so that the Stalo might know exactly where he
was.
'Ah! there you are,' cried the Stalo, appearing on the
opposite bank; 'for a moment I really thought I had lost
you.'
'No such luck,' answered Andras, shaking his head
sorrowfully. By this time he had taken his own shape
again.
'Well, but I don't see how I am to get to you!' said the
Stalo, looking up and down.
'Jump over, as I did,' answered Andras; 'it is quite
easy.'
'But I could not jump this river; and I don't know how
you did,' replied the Stalo.
'I should be ashamed to say such things,' exclaimed
Andras. ' Do you mean to tell me that a jump, which the
weakest Lapp boy would make nothing of, is beyond your
strength ? '
The Stalo grew red and angry when he heard these
words, just as Andras meant him to do. He bounded
into the air and fell straight into the river. Not that
that would have mattered, for he was a good swimmer;
but Andras drew out the bow and arrows which every
Lapp carries, and took aim at him. His aim was good,
but the Stalo sprang so high into the air that the arrow
flew between his feet. A second shot, directed at his
forehead, fared no better, for this time the Stalo jumped
so high to the other side that the arrow passed between
his finger and thumb. Then Andras aimed his third
arrow a little over the Stalo's head, and when he
ANDRAS BAIVE
333
sprang up, just an instant too soon, it hit him between the
ribs.
Mortally wounded as he was, the Stalo was not yet
dead, and managed to swim to the shore. Stretching
himself on the sand, he said slowly to Andras:
'Promise that you will give me honourable burial, and
when my body is laid in the grave go in my boat across
334 ANDRAS BAIVE
the fiord, and take whatever you find in my house which
belongs to me. My dog you must kill, but spare my son,
Andras.'
Then he died; and Andras sailed in his boat away
across the fiord and found the dog and boy. The dog, a
fierce, wicked-looking creature, he slew with one blow
from his fist, for it is well-known that if a Stalo 's dog licks
the blood that flows from his dead master's wounds
the Stalo comes to life again. That is why no real
Stalo is ever seen without his dog; but the bailiff, being
only half a Stalo, had forgotten his, when he went to the
little lakes in search of Andras. Next, Andras put all the
gold and jewels which he found in the boat into his pockets,
and bidding the boy get in, pushed it off from the shore,
leaving the little craft to drift as it would, while he himself
ran home. With the treasures he possessed he was able
to buy a great herd of reindeer; and he soon married a
rich wife, whose parents would not have him as a son-
in-law when he was poor, and the two lived happy for
ever after.
(From Lapplandische Mahrchen, J. C. Poestion.)
THE WHITE SLIPPER
ONCE upon a time there lived a king who had a daughter
just fifteen years old. And -what a daughter!
Even the mothers who had daughters of their own
could not help allowing that the princess was much
more beautiful and graceful than any of them; and
as for the fathers, if one of them ever beheld her by
accident he could talk of nothing else for a whole day
afterwards.
Of course the king, whose name was Balancin, was
the complete slave of his little girl from the moment he
lifted her from the arms of her dead mother; indeed, he
did not seem to know that there was anyone else in the
world to love.
Now Diamantina, for that was her name, did not
reach her fifteenth birthday without proposals of marriage
from every country under heaven; but be the suitor who
he might, the king always said him nay.
Behind the palace a large garden stretched away to
the foot of some hills, and more than one river flowed
through. Hither the princess would come each evening
towards sunset, attended by her ladies, and gather herself
the flowers that were to adorn her rooms. She also brought
with her a pair of scissors to cut off the dead blooms, and
a basket to put them in, so that when the sun rose next
morning he might see nothing unsightly. When she had
finished this task she would take a walk through the town,
so that the poor people might have a chance of speaking
with her, and telling her of their troubles ; and then she
336 THE WHITE SLIPPER
would seek out her father, and together they would con-
sult over the best means of giving help to those who needed
it.
But what has all this to do with the White Slipper?
my readers will ask.
Have patience, and you will see.
Next to his daughter, Balancin loved hunting, and it
was his custom to spend several mornings every week
chasing the boars which abounded in the mountains a
few miles from the city. One day, rushing downhill as
fast as he could go, he put his foot into a hole and fell,
rolling into a rocky pit full of brambles. The king's
wounds were not very severe, but his face and hands were
cut and torn, while his feet were in a worse plight still, for,
instead of proper hunting boots, he only wore sandals, to
enable him to run more swiftly.
In a few days the king was as well as ever, and the
signs of the scratches were almost gone; but one foot still
remained very sore, where a thorn had pierced deeply
and had festered. The best doctors in the kingdom
treated it with all their skill; they bathed, and poulticed,
and bandaged, but it was in vain. The foot only grew
worse and worse, and became daily more swollen and
painful.
After everyone had tried his own particular cure, and
found it fail, there came news of a wonderful doctor in
some distant land who had healed the most astonishing
diseases. On inquiring, it was found that he never left the
walls of his own city, and expected his patients to come to
see him ; but, by dint of offering a large sum of money,
the king persuaded the famous physician to undertake the
journey to his own court.
On his arrival the doctor was led at once into the
king's presence, and made a careful examination of his
foot.
'Alas! your majesty,' he said, when he had finished,
'the wound is beyond the power of man to heal; but
THE WHITE SLIPPER 337
though I cannot cure it, I can at least deaden the pain,
and enable you to walk without so much suffering.'
'Oh, if you can only do that,' cried the king, 'I shall
be grateful to you for life! Give your own orders; they
shall be obeyed.'
'Then let your majesty bid the royal shoemaker
make you a shoe of goat-skin very loose and comfortable,
while I prepare a varnish to paint over it of which I alone
have the secret!' So saying, the doctor bowed himself
out, leaving the king more cheerful and hopeful than he
had been for long.
The days passed very slowly with him during the
making of the shoe and the preparation of the varnish,
but on the eighth morning the physician appeared,
bringing with him the shoe in a case. He drew it out to
slip it on the king's foot, and over the goat-skin he had
rubbed a polish so white that the snow itself was not more
dazzling.
'While you wear this shoe you will not feel the slight-
est pain,' said the doctor. 'For the balsam with which I
have rubbed it inside and out has, besides its healing balm,
the quality of strengthening the material it touches, so that,
even were your majesty to live a thousand years, you would
find the slipper just as fresh at the end of that time as it is
now.'
The king was so eager to put it on that he hardly gave
the physician time to finish. He snatched it from the case
and thrust his foot into it, nearly weeping for joy when
he found he could walk and run as easily as any beggar
boy.
'What can I give you?' he cried, holding out both
hands to the man who had worked this wonder.
' Stay with me, and I will heap on you riches greater than
ever you dreamed of.' But the doctor said he would ac-
cept nothing more than had been agreed on, and must
return at once to his own country, where many sick
people were awaiting him. So king Balancin had to
338
THE WHITE SLIPPER
content himself with ordering the physician to be treated
with royal honours, and desiring that an escort should
attend him on his journey home.
For two years everything went smoothly at court,
and to king Balancin and his daughter the sun no
sooner rose than it seemed time for it to set. Now, the
king's birthday fell in the month of June, and as the
weather happened to be unusually fine, he told the
princess to celebrate it in any way that pleased her.
Diamantina was very fond of being on the river, and
she was delighted at this chance of indulging her tastes.
She would have a merry-making such as never had been
seen before, and in the evening, when they were tired of
sailing and rowing, there should be music and dancing, plays
and fireworks. At the very end, before the people went
home, every poor person should be given a loaf of bread,
THE WHITE SLIPPER 339
and every girl who was to be married within the year a
new dress.
The great day appeared to Diamantina to be long in
coming, but, like other days, it came at last. Before
the sun was fairly up in the heavens the princess, too full
of excitement to stay in the palace, was walking about
the streets so covered with precious stones that you
had to shade your eyes before you could look at
her. By-and-by a trumpet sounded, and she hurried
home, only to appear again in a few moments walking
by the side of her father down to the river. Here a
splendid barge was waiting for them, and from it they
watched all sorts of races and feats of swimming and
diving. When these were over the barge proceeded up
the river to the field where the dancing and concerts were
to take place, and after the prizes had been given away to
the winners, and the loaves and the dresses had been dis-
tributed by the princess, they bade farewell to their guests,
and turned to step into the barge which was to carry them
back to the palace.
Then a dreadful thing happened. As the king
stepped on board the boat one of the sandals of the white
slipper, which had got loose, caught in a nail that was
sticking out, and caused the king to tumble. The pain
was great, and unconsciously he turned and shook his foot,
so that the sandals gave way, and in a moment the precious
shoe was in the river.
It had all occurred so quickly that nobody had noticed
the loss of the slipper, not even the princess, whom the
king's cries speedily brought to his side.
'What is the matter, dear father?' asked she. But
the king could not tell her; and only managed to gasp
out: 'My shoe! my shoe!' While the sailors stood round
staring, thinking that his majesty had suddenly gone
mad.
Seeing her father's eyes fixed on the stream, Diaman-
tina looked hastily in that direction. There, dancing on
340 THE WHITE SLIPPER
the current, was the point of something white, which
became more and more distant the longer they watched
it. The king could bear the sight no more, and, besides,
now that the healing ointment in the shoe had been
removed the pain in his foot was as bad as ever; he gave
a sudden cry, staggered, and fell over the bulwarks into
the water.
In an instant the river was covered with bobbing
heads all swimming their fastest towards the king, who
had been carried far down by the swift current. At length
one swimmer, stronger than the rest, seized hold of his
tunic, and drew him to the bank, where a thousand eager
hands were ready to haul him out. He was carried, un-
conscious, to the side of his daughter, who had fainted with
terror on seeing her father disappear below the surface,
and together they were placed in a coach and driven to
the palace, where the best doctors in the city were await-
ing their arrival.
In a few hours the princess was as well as ever; but
the pain, the wetting, and the shock of the accident, all
told severely on the king, and for three days he lay in
a high fever. Meanwhile, his daughter, herself nearly
mad with grief, gave orders that the white slipper should
be sought for far and wide; and so it was, but even the
cleverest divers could find no trace of it at the bottom of the
river.
When it became clear that the slipper must have been
carried out to sea by the current, Diamantina turned her
thoughts elsewhere, and sent messengers in search of
the doctor who had brought relief to her father, begging
him to make another slipper as fast as possible, to supply
the place of the one which was lost. But the messengers
returned with the sad news that the doctor had died some
weeks before, and, what was worse, his secret had died
with him.
In his weakness this intelligence had such an effect
on the king that the physicians feared he would become
THE WHITE SLIPPER 341
as ill as before. He could hardly be persuaded to touch
food, and all night long he lay moaning, partly with pain,
and partly over his own folly in not having begged the
doctor to make him several dozens of white slippers, so
that in case of accidents he might always have one to put
on. However, by-and-by he saw that it was no use weep-
ing and wailing, and commanded that they should search
for his lost treasure more diligently than ever.
What a sight the river banks presented in those days!
It seemed as if all the people in the country were
gathered on them. But this second search was no more
fortunate than the first, and at last the king issued a
proclamation that whoever found the missing slipper
should be made heir to the crown, and should marry the
princess.
Now many daughters would have rebelled at being
disposed of in this manner; and it must be admitted that
Diamantina's heart sank when she heard what the king
had done. Still, she loved her father so much that she
desired his comfort more than anything else in the world,
so she said nothing, and only bowed her head.
Of course the result of the proclamation was that the
river banks became more crowded than before; for
all the princess's suitors from distant lands flocked to
the spot, each hoping that he might be the lucky finder.
Many times a shining stone at the bottom of the
stream was taken for the slipper itself, and every evening
saw a band of dripping downcast men returning home-
wards. But one youth always lingered longer than the
rest, and night would still see him engaged in the search,
though his clothes stuck to his skin and his teeth
chattered.
One day, when the king was lying on his bed racked
with pain, he heard the noise of a scuffle going on in his
antechamber, and rang a golden bell that stood by his
side to summon one of his servants.
'Sire,' answered the attendant, when the king inquired
342 THE WHITE SLIPPER
what was the matter, ' the noise you heard was caused
by a young man from the town, who has had the
impudence to come here to ask if he may measure your
majesty's foot, so as to make you another slipper in place
of the lost one.'
'And what have you done to the youth?' said the
king.
'The servants pushed him out of the palace, and
added a few blows to teach him not to be insolent,'
replied the man.
' Then they did very ill,' answered the king, with a frown.
'He came here from kindness, and there was no reason
to maltreat him.'
'Oh, my lord, he had the audacity to wish to touch
your majesty's sacred person — he, good-for-nothing boy,
a mere shoemaker's apprentice, perhaps! And even if
he could make shoes to perfection they would be no use
without the healing balsam.'
The king remained silent for a few moments, then he
said:
'Never mind. Go and fetch the youth and bring him
to me. I would gladly try any remedy that may relieve
my pain.'
So, soon afterwards, the youth, who had not gone far
from the palace, was caught and ushered into the king's
presence.
He was tall and handsome and, though he professed
to make shoes, his manners were good and modest, and
he bowed low as he begged the king not only to allow
him to take the measure of his foot, but also to suffer him
to place a healing plaster over the wound.
Balancin was pleased with the young man's voice and
appearance, and thought that he looked as if he knew
what he was doing. So he stretched out his bad foot
which the youth examined with great attention, and then
gently laid on the plaster.
Very shortly the ointment began to soothe the sharp
THE WHITE SLIPPER 343
pain, and the king, whose confidence increased every
moment, begged the young man to tell him his name.
'I have no parents; they died when I was six, sire,'
replied the youth, modestly. 'Everyone in the town calls
me Gilguerillo,1 because, when I was little, I went singing
through the world in spite of my misfortunes. Luckily
for me I was born happy.'
'And you really think you can cure me?' asked the
king.
'Completely, my lord,' answered Gilguerillo.
'And how long do you think it will take?'
'It is not an easy task; but I will try to finish it in a
fortnight,' replied the youth.
A fortnight seemed to the king a long time to make one
slipper. But he only said:
'Do you need anything to help you?'
' Only a good horse, if your majesty will be kind enough
to give me one,' answered Gilguerillo. And the reply was
so unexpected that the courtiers could hardly restrain
their smiles, while the king stared silently.
'You shall have the horse,' he said at last, 'and I shall
expect you back in a fortnight. If you fulfil your prom-
ise you know your reward; if not, I will have you flogged
for your impudence.'
Gilguerillo bowed, and turned to leave the palace, fol-
lowed by the jeers and scoffs of everyone he met. But
he paid no heed, for he had got what he wanted.
He waited in front of the gates till a magnificent horse
was led up to him, and vaulting into the saddle with an
ease which rather surprised the attendant, rode quickly
out of the town amidst the jests of the assembled crowd,
who had heard of his audacious proposal. And while he
is on his way let us pause for a moment and tell who he
is.
Both father and mother had died before the boy was
«ix years old; and he had lived for many years with his
1 Linnet.
544
THE WHITE SLIPPER
uncle, whose life had been passed in the study of chem-
istry. He could leave no money to his nephew, as he
had a son of his own; but he taught him all he knew,
and at his death Gilguerillo entered an office, where he
worked for many hours daily. In his spare time, instead
of playing with the other boys, he passed hours poring
over books, and because he was timid and liked to be alone
he was held by every one to be a little mad. Therefore,
falla tr\; lotto ii>itt\, Prinpess
when it became known that he had promised to cure
the king's foot, and had ridden away — no one knew
where — a roar of laughter and mockery rang through
the town, and jeers and scoffing words were sent after
him.
But if they had only known what were Gilguerillo's
thoughts they would have thought him madder than
ever.
The real truth was that, on the morning when the prin-
THE WHITE SLIPPER 345
cess had walked through the streets before making holiday
on the river, Gilguerillo had seen her from his window,
and had straightway fallen in love with her. Of course
he felt quite hopeless. It was absurd to imagine that the
apothecary's nephew could ever marry the king's daughter;
so he did his best to forget her, and study harder than
before, till the royal proclamation suddenly filled him with
hope. When he was free he no longer spent the precious
moments poring over books, but, like the rest, he might
have been seen wandering along the banks of the river,
or diving into the stream after something that lay glisten-
ing in the clear water, but which turned out to be a white
pebble or a bit of glass.
And at the end he understood that it was not by the
river that he would win the princess; and, turning to his
books for comfort, he studied harder than ever.
There is an old proverb which says: 'Everything
comes to him who knows how to wait.' It is not all men
who know how to wait, any more than it is all men who
can learn by experience; but Gilguerillo was one of the
few, and instead of thinking his life wasted because he
could not have the thing he wanted most, he tried to busy
himself in other directions. So, one day, when he ex-
pected it least, his reward came to him.
He happened to be reading a book many hundreds of
years old, which told of remedies for all kinds of diseases.
Most of them, he knew, were merely invented by old women,
who sought to prove themselves wiser than other people;
but at length he came to something which caused him
to sit up straight in his chair, and made his eyes brighten.
This was a description of a balsam — which would cure
every kind of a sore or wound — distilled from a
plant only to be found in a country so distant that it
would take a man on foot two months to go and
come back again.
When I say that the book declared that the balsam
<K>uld heal every sort of sore or wound, there were a few
346 THE WHITE SLIPPER
against which it was powerless, and it gave certain signs
by which these might be known. This was the reason
why Gilguerillo demanded to see the king's foot before he
would undertake to cure it; and to obtain admittance
he gave out that he was a shoemaker. However, the
dreaded signs were absent, and his heart bounded
at the thought that the princess was within his
reach.
Perhaps she was; but a great deal had to be accom-
plished yet, and he had allowed himself a very short time
in which to do it.
He spared his horse only so much as was needful,
yet it took him six days to reach the spot where the
plant grew. A thick wood lay in front of him, and,
fastening the bridle tightly to a tree, he flung himself on
his hands and knees and began to hunt for the treasure.
Many times he fancied it was close to him, and many
times it turned out to be something else; but, at last,
when light was fading, and he had almost given up hope,
he came upon a large bed of the plant, right under his
feet! Trembling with joy, he picked every scrap he could
see, and placed it in his wallet. Then, mounting his horse,
he galloped quickly back towards the city.
It was night when he entered the gates, and the
fifteen days allotted were not up till the next day. His
eyes were heavy with sleep, and his body ached with the
long strain, but, without pausing to rest, he kindled a fire
on his hearth, and quickly filling a pot with water, threw in
the herbs and left them to boil. After that he lay down
and slept soundly.
The sun was shining when he awoke, and he jumped
up and ran to the pot. The plant had disappeared and in
its stead was a thick syrup, just as the book had said that
there would be. He lifted the syrup out with a spoon, and
after spreading it in the sun till it was partly dry, poured
it into a small flask of crystal. He next washed himself
thoroughly, and dressed himself in his best clothes, and
THE WHITE SLIPPER 347
putting the flask in his pocket, set out for the palace, and
begged to see the king without delay.
Now Balancin, whose foot had been much less painful
since Gilguerillo had wrapped it in the plaster, was counting
the days to the young man's return; and when he was told
Gilguerillo was there, ordered him to be admitted at once.
As he entered, the king raised himself eagerly on his pil-
lows, but his face fell when he saw no signs of a slipper.
' You have failed, then ? ' he said, throwing up his hands
in despair.
'I hope not, your majesty; I think not,' answered the
youth. And drawing the flask from his pocket, he poured
two or three drops on the wound.
'Repeat this for three nights, and you will find your-
self cured,' said he. And before the king had time to thank
him he had bowed himself out.
Of course the news soon spread through the city, and
men and women never tired of calling Gilguerillo an
impostor, and prophesying that the end of the three days
would see him in prison, if not on the scaffold. But Gil-
guerillo paid no heed to their hard words, and no more
did the king, who took care that no hand but his own
should put on the healing balsam.
On the fourth morning the king awoke and instantly
stretched out his wounded foot that he might prove the
truth or falsehood of Gilguerillo's remedy. The wound
was certainly cured on that side, but how about the
other? Yes, that was cured also; and not even a scar
was left to show where it had been!
Was ever any king so happy as Balancin when he satis-
fied himself of this?
Lightly as a deer he jumped from his bed, and began
to turn head over heels, and to perform all sorts of antics,
so as to make sure that his foot was in truth as well as it
looked. And when he was quite tired he sent for his
daughter, and bade the courtiers bring the lucky young
man to his room.
348 THE WHITE SLIPPER
'He is really young and handsome,' said the princess
to herself, heaving a sigh of relief that it was not some
dreadful old man who had healed her father; and while
the king was announcing to his courtiers the wonderful
cure that had been made, Diamantina was thinking that if
Gilguerillo looked so well in his common dress, how
much he would be improved by the splendid garments of
a king's son. However, she held her peace, and only
watched with amusement when the courtiers, knowing
there was no help for it, did homage and obeisance to the
chemist's boy.
Then they brought to Gilguerillo a magnificent tunic
of green velvet bordered with gold, and a cap with three
white plumes stuck in it; and at the sight of him so ar-
rayed, the princess fell in love with him in a moment.
The wedding was fixed to take place in eight days, and
at the ball afterwards nobody danced so long or so
lightly as king Balancin.
(From Copullos de Rosa, por D. Enrique Ceballos Quintana.)
THE MAGIC BOOK
THERE was once an old couple named Peder and Kristen
who had an only son called Hans. From the time he
was a little boy he had been told that on his sixteenth
birthday he must go out into the world and serve his
apprenticeship. So, one fine summer morning, he started
off to seek his fortune with nothing but the clothes he wore
on his back.
For many hours he trudged on merrily, now and then
stopping to drink from some clear spring or to pick some
ripe fruit from a tree. The little wild creatures peeped
at him from beneath the bushes, and he nodded and smiled,
and wished them 'Good-morning.' After he had been
walking for some time he met an old white-bearded man
who was coming along the foot-path. The boy would
not step aside, and the man was determined not to do so
either, so they ran against one another with a bump.
'It seems to me,' said the old fellow, 'that a boy should
give way to an old man.'
'The path is for me as well as for you,' answered young
Hans saucily, for he had never been taught politeness.
'Well, that's true enough,' answered the other mildly.
'And where are you going?'
'I am going into service,' said Hans.
'Then you can come and serve me,' replied the man.
Well, Hans could do that; but what would his wages
be?
'Two pounds a year, and nothing to do but keep some
rooms clean,' said the new-comer.
350 THE MAGIC BOOK
This seemed to Hans to be easy enough; so he agreed
to enter the old man's service, and they set out together.
On then- way they crossed a deep valley and came to a
mountain, where the man opened a trap-door, and bidding
Hans follow him, he crept in and began to go down a long
flight of steps. When they got to the bottom Hans saw
a large number of rooms lit by many lamps and full of
beautiful things. While he was looking round the old
man said to him:
'Now you know what you have to do. You must
keep these rooms clean, and strew sand on the floor every
day. Here is a table where you will always find food
and drink, and there is your bed. You see there are a
great many suits of clothes hanging on the wall, and you
may wear any you please; but remember that you are
never to open this locked door. If you do ill will befall
you. Farewell, for I am going away again and cannot
tell when I may return.'
No sooner had the old man disappeared than Hans
sat down to a good meal, and after that went to bed and
slept until the morning. At first he could not remember
what had happened to him, but by-and-by he jumped up
and went into all the rooms, which he examined care-
fully.
'How foolish to bid me to put sand on the floors,' he
thought, 'when there is nobody here but myself! I shall
do nothing of the sort.' And so he shut the doors quickly,
and only cleaned and set in order his own room. And
after the first few days he felt that that was unnecessary
too, because no one came there to see if the rooms were
clean or not. At last he did no work at all, but just sat
and wondered what was behind the locked door, till he
determined to go and look for himself.
The key turned easily in the lock. Hans entered, half
frightened at what he was doing, and the first thing he
beheld was a heap of bones. That was not very cheerful;
and he was just going out again when his eye fell on a
THE MAGIC BOOK 351
shelf of books. Here was a good way of passing the time,
he thought, for he was fond of reading, and he took one
of the books from the shelf. It was all about magic, and
told you how you could change yourself into anything
in the world you liked. Could anything be more excit-
ing or more useful? So he put it in his pocket, and ran
quickly away out of the mountain by a little door which
had been left open.
When he got home his parents asked him what he
had been doing and where he had got the fine clothes he
wore.
'Oh, I earned them myself,' answered he.
'You never earned them in this short time,' said his
father. 'Be off with you; I won't keep you here. I will
have no thieves in my house!'
'Well I only came to help you,' replied the boy sulk-
ily. 'Now I'll be off, as you wish; but to-morrow morn-
ing when you rise you will see a great dog at the door. Do
not drive it away, but take it to the castle and sell it to
the duke, and they will give you ten dollars for it; only
you must bring the strap you lead it with, back to
the house.'
Sure enough the next day the dog was standing at the
door waiting to be let in. The old man was rather afraid
of getting into trouble, but his wife urged him to sell the
dog as the boy had bidden him, so he took it up to the
castle and sold it to the duke for ten dollars. But he did
not forget to take off the strap with which he had led the
animal, and to carry it home. When he got there old
Kirsten met him at the door.
'W7ell, Peder, and have you sold the dog?' asked
she.
'Yes, Kirsten; and I have brought back ten dollars, as
the boy told us,' answered Peder.
'Ay! but that's fine!' said his wife. 'Now you see
what one gets by doing as one is bid; if it had not bsen
for me you would have driven the dog away again.
352 THE MAGIC BOOK
and we should have lost the money. After all, I always
know what is best.'
'Nonsense!' said her husband; 'women always think
they know best. I should have sold the dog just the same
whatever you had told me. Put the money away in a safe
place, and don't talk so much.'
The next day Hans came again; but though everything
had turned out as he had foretold, he found that his father
was still not quite satisfied.
'Be off with you!' said he, 'you'll get us into trouble.'
'I haven't helped you enough yet,' replied the boy.
'To-morrow there will come a great fat cow, as big as the
house. Take it to the king's palace and you'll get as
much as a thousand dollars for it. Only you must
unfasten the halter you lead it with and bring it back,
and don't return by the high road, but through the
forest.'
The next day, when the couple arose, they saw an
enormous head looking in at their bedroom window, and
behind it was a cow which was nearly as big as their hut.
Kirsten was wild with joy to think of the money the cow
would bring them.
' But how are you going to put the rope over her head ? '
asked she.
'Wait and you'll see, mother,' answered her husband.
Then Peder took the ladder that led up to the hayloft
and set it against the cow's neck, and he climbed up and
slipped the rope over her head. When he had made
sure that the noose was fast they started for the palace,
and met the king himself walking in his grounds.
'I heard that the princess was going to be married,'
said Peder, 'so I've brought your majesty a cow which is
bigger than any cow that was ever seen. Will your
majesty deign to buy it?'
The king had, in truth, never seen so large a beast,
and he willingly paid the thousand dollars, which was the
price demanded; but Peder remembered to take off the
THE MAGIC BOOK
853
halter before he left. After he was gone the king sent for
the butcher and told him to kill the animal for the wedding
feast. The butcher got ready his pole-axe; but just as he
was going to strike, the cow changed itself into a dove
and flew away; and the butcher stood staring after it as
if he were turned to stone. However, as the dove could
not be found, he was obliged to tell the king what had
happened, and the king in his turn despatched messengers
to capture the old man and bring him back. ButPeder
was safe in the woods, and could not be found. When
at last he felt the danger was over, and he might go home,
354 THE MAGIC BOOK
Kirsten nearly fainted with joy at the sight of all the
money he brought with him.
'Now that we are rich people we must build a bigger
house,' cried she; and was vexed to find that Peder only
shook his head and said: 'No; if they did that people
would talk, and say that they got their wealth by ill-doing.'
A few mornings later Hans came again.
'Be off before you get us into trouble,' said his father.
'So far the money has come right enough, but I don't
trust it.'
'Don't worry over that, father,' said Hans. 'To-morrow
you will find a horse outside by the gate. Ride it to mar-
ket and you will get a thousand dollars for it. Only don't
forget to loosen the bridle when you sell it.'
Well, in the morning there was the horse; Kirsten had
never seen so fine an animal. 'Take care it doesn't hurt
you, Peder,' said she.
'Nonsense, wife,' answered he crossly. 'When I was
a lad I lived with horses, and could ride anything for twenty
miles round.' But that was not quite the truth, for he
had never mounted a horse in his life.
Still, the animal was quiet enough, so Peder got safely
to market on its back. There he met a man who offered
nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars for it, but Peder
would take nothing less than a thousand. At last there
came an old, grey-bearded man who looked at the horse
and agreed to buy it; but the moment he touched it the
horse began to kick and plunge. 'I must take the bridle
off,' said Peder. 'It is not to be sold with the animal as
is usually the case.'
'I'll give you a hundred dollars for the bridle,' said the
old man, taking out his purse.
'No, I can't sell it,' replied Hans's father.
'Five hundred dollars]'
'No.'
'A thousand!'
THE MAGIC BOOK 355
At this splendid offer Peder's prudence gave way; it
was a shame to let so much money go. Se he agreed to
accept it. But he could hardly hold the horse, it became
so unmanageable. So he gave the animal in charge to
the old man, and went home with his two thousand
dollars.
Kirsten, of course, was delighted at this new piece of
good fortune, and insisted that the new house should be
built and land bought. This time Peder consented, and
soon they had quite a fine farm.
Meanwhile the old man rode off on his new purchase,
and when he came to a smithy he asked the smith to
forge shoes for the horse. The smith proposed that they
should first have a drink together, and the horse was tied
up by the spring whilst they went indoors. The day
was hot, and both men were thirsty, and, besides, they
had much to say; and so the hours slipped by and found
them still talking. Then the servant girl came out to
fetch a pail of water, and, being a kind-hearted lass, she
gave some to the horse to drink. What was her surprise
when the animal said to her: 'Take off my bridle and you
will save my life.'
'I dare not,' said she; 'your master will be so angry.'
'He cannot hurt you,' answered the horse, 'and you
will save my life.'
At that she took off the bridle; but nearly fainted with
astonishment when the horse turned into a dove and flew
away just as the old man came out of the house. Directly
he saw what had happened he changed himself into a
hawk and flew after the dove. Over the woods and
fields they went, and at length they reached a king's
palace surrounded by beautiful gardens. The princess
was walking with her attendants in the rose garden when
the dove turned itself into a gold ring and fell at her
feet.
'Why, here is a ring!' she cried, 'where could it have
come from?' And picking it up she put it on her finger.
356 THE MAGIC BOOK
As she did so the hill-man lost his power over Hans —
for of course you understand that it was he who had been
the dog, the cow, the horse and the dove.
'Well, that is really strange,' said the princess. 'It
fits me as though it had been made for me!'
Just at that moment up came the king.
'Look what I have found!' cried his daughter.
'Well, that is not worth much, my dear,' said he. 'Be-
sides, you have rings enough, I should think.'
'Never mind, I like it,' replied the princess.
But as soon as she was alone, to her amazement,
the ring suddenly left her finger and became a man.
You can imagine how frightened she was, as, indeed,
anybody would have been; but in an instant the man
became a ring again, and then turned back into a man,
and so it went on for some time until she began to get used
to these sudden changes.
'I am sorry I frightened you,' said Hans, when he
thought he could safely speak to the princess without
making her scream. 'I took refuge with you because
the old hill-man, whom I have offended, was trying to
kill me, and here I am safe.'
'You had better stay here then,' said the princess. So
Hans stayed, and he and she became good friends; though,
of course, he only became a man when no one else was
present.
This was all very well; but, one day, as they were talk-
ing together, the king happened to enter the room, and
although Hans quickly changed himself into a ring again
it was too late.
The king was terribly angry.
'So this is why you have refused to marry all the kings
and princes who have sought your hand?' he cried.
And, without waiting for her to speak, he commanded
that his daughter should be walled up in the summer-
house and starved to death with her lover.
That evening the poor princess, still wearing her
iTKE PRINCESS IMPRJ-bONEP IN THE
THE MAGIC BOOK 357
ring, was put into the summer-house with enough food
to last for three days, and the door was bricked up. But
at the end of a week or two the king thought it
time to give her a grand funeral, in spite of her bad
behaviour, and he had the summer-house opened. He
could hardly believe his eyes when he found that the prin-
cess was not there, nor Hans either. Instead, there lay
at his feet a large hole, big enough for two people to pass
through.
Now what had happened was this.
When the princess and Hans had given up hope, and
cast themselves down on the ground to die, they fell
down into this hole, and right through the earth as well,
and at last they stumbled into a castle built of pure
gold, at the other side of the world, and there they
lived happily. But of this, of course, the king knew
nothing.
' Will any one go down and see where the passage leads
to?' he asked, turning to his guards and courtiers. 'I
will reward splendidly the man who is brave enough to
explore it.'
For a long time nobody answered. The hole was dark
and deep, and if it had a bottom no one could see
it. At length a soldier, who was a careless sort of fellow,
offered himself for the service, and cautiously lowered
himself into the darkness. But in a moment he, too, fell
down, down, down. Was he going to fall for ever, he
wondered! Oh, how thankful he was in the end to reach
the castle, and to meet the princess and Hans, looking
quite well and not at all as if they had been starved.
They began to talk, and the soldier told them that the
king was very sorry for the way he had treated his daughter,
and wished day and night that he could have her back
again.
Then they all took ship and sailed home, and when
they came to the princess's country, Hans disguised him-
himself as the sovereign of a neighbouring kingdom, and
358 THE MAGIC BOOK
went up to the palace alone. He was given a hearty wel-
come by the king, who prided himself on his hospitality,
and a banquet was commanded in his honour. That
evening, whilst they sat drinking their wine, Hans said
to the king:
'I have heard the fame of your majesty's wisdom, and
I have travelled from far to ask your counsel. A man
in my country has buried his daughter alive because
she loved a youth who was born a peasant. How shall
I punish this unnatural father, for it is left to me to give
judgment ? '
The king, who was still truly grieved for his daughter's
loss, answered quickly:
'Burn him alive, and strew his ashes all over the
kingdom.'
Hans looked at him steadily for a moment, and then
threw off his disguise.
'You are the man,' said he; 'and I am he who loved
your daughter, and became a gold ring on her finger.
She is safe, and waiting not far from here; but you have
pronounced judgment on yourself.'
Then the king fell on his knees and begged for mercy;
and as he had in other respects been a good father, they
forgave him. The wedding of Hans and the princess
was celebrated with great festivities which lasted a
month. As for the hill-man he intended to be present;
but whilst he was walking along a street which led to
the palace a loose stone fell on his head and killed him.
So Hans and the princess lived in peace and happiness
all their days, and when the old king died they reigned
instead of him.
(From JEventyr jra Zylland samlede og optegnede a/ Tang Kristensen.)
Translated from the Danish by Mrs. Skavgaard-Pedersen
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