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diff --git a/old/20748-page-images.zip b/old/20748-page-images.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5f6ef5f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/20748-page-images.zip diff --git a/old/20748.txt b/old/20748.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0d2addb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/20748.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5075 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Logan Marshall + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Favorite Fairy Tales + +Author: Logan Marshall + +Release Date: March 16, 2007 [EBook #20748] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES *** + + + + +Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Jacqueline Jeremy and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: _Adventures of Tom Thumb_ +It Shone Down Upon the White Pebbles] + + + + +FAVORITE +FAIRY TALES + +ARRANGED BY + +LOGAN MARSHALL + +[Illustration] + +_ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS_ + +THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY +CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO + + + + +COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY +L. T. MYERS +PRINTED IN U. S. A. + + + + +CONTENTS + + PAGE + +LITTLE SNOW WHITE 5 + +THE UGLY DUCKLING 22 + +ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP 43 + +THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 64 + +PUSS-IN-BOOTS 73 + +ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB 81 + +THE THREE BEARS 95 + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL 103 + +BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 109 + +THE STORY OF CINDERELLA 122 + +JACK THE GIANT KILLER 135 + +JACK AND THE BEANSTALK 155 + +DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT 167 + +THE STORY OF BLUEBEARD 184 + +LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD 195 + +SINDBAD THE SAILOR 202 + +HANSEL AND GRETEL 230 + +THE GOOSE GIRL 247 + + + + +LITTLE SNOW-WHITE + +[Illustration] + + +Once upon a time in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow were +falling like feathers from the clouds, a Queen sat at her palace window, +which had an ebony black frame, stitching her husband's shirts. While +she was thus engaged and looking out at the snow she pricked her finger, +and three drops of blood fell upon the snow. Now the red looked so well +upon the white that she thought to herself, "Oh, that I had a child as +white as this snow, as red as this blood, and as black as the wood of +this frame!" Soon afterwards a little daughter came to her, who was as +white as snow, and with cheeks as red as blood, and with hair as black +as ebony, and from this she was named "Snow-White." And at the same time +her mother died. + +About a year afterwards the King married another wife, who was very +beautiful, but so proud and haughty that she could not bear anyone to be +better-looking than herself. She owned a wonderful mirror, and when she +stepped before it and said: + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +it replied: + + "The Queen is the fairest of the day." + +Then she was pleased, for she knew that the mirror spoke truly. + +Little Snow-White, however, grew up, and became prettier and prettier, +and when she was seven years old she was as fair as the noonday, and +more beautiful than the Queen herself. When the Queen now asked her +mirror: + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +it replied: + + "The Queen was fairest yesterday; + Snow-White is the fairest, now, they say." + +This answer so angered the Queen that she became quite yellow with envy. +From that hour, whenever she saw Snow-White, her heart was hardened +against her, and she hated the little girl. Her envy and jealousy +increased so that she had no rest day or night, and she said to a +Huntsman, "Take the child away into the forest. I will never look +upon her again. You must kill her, and bring me her heart and tongue +for a token." + +The Huntsman listened and took the maiden away, but when he drew out his +knife to kill her, she began to cry, saying, "Ah, dear Huntsman, give me +my life! I will run into the wild forest, and never come home again." + +This speech softened the Hunter's heart, and her beauty so touched him +that he had pity on her and said, "Well, run away then, poor child." But +he thought to himself, "The wild beasts will soon devour you." Still he +felt as if a stone had been lifted from his heart, because her death was +not by his hand. Just at that moment a young boar came roaring along to +the spot, and as soon as he clapped eyes upon it the Huntsman caught it, +and, killing it, took its tongue and heart and carried them to the +Queen, for a token of his deed. + +But now poor little Snow-White was left motherless and alone, and +overcome with grief, she was bewildered at the sight of so many trees, +and knew not which way to turn. She ran till her feet refused to go +farther, and as it was getting dark, and she saw a little house near, +she entered in to rest. In this cottage everything was very small, but +very neat and elegant. In the middle stood a little table with a white +cloth over it, and seven little plates upon it, each plate having a +spoon and a knife and a fork, and there were also seven little mugs. +Against the wall were seven little beds arranged in a row, each covered +with snow-white sheets. + +Little Snow-White, being both hungry and thirsty, ate a little morsel of +porridge out of each plate, and drank a drop or two of wine out of each +mug, for she did not wish to take away the whole share of anyone. After +that, because she was so tired, she laid herself down on one bed, but it +did not suit; she tried another, but that was too long; a fourth was too +short, a fifth too hard. But the seventh was just the thing; and +tucking herself up in it, she went to sleep, first saying her prayers +as usual. + +When it became quite dark the owners of the cottage came home, seven +Dwarfs, who dug for gold and silver in the mountains. They first +lighted seven little lamps, and saw at once--for they lit up the whole +room--that somebody had been in, for everything was not in the order in +which they had left it. + +[Illustration] + +The first asked, "Who has been sitting on my chair?" The second, "Who +has been eating off my plate?" The third said, "Who has been nibbling +at my bread?" The fourth, "Who has been at my porridge?" The fifth, +"Who has been meddling with my fork?" The sixth grumbled out, "Who has +been cutting with my knife?" The seventh said, "Who has been drinking +out of my mug?" + +Then the first, looking round, began again, "Who has been lying on my +bed?" he asked, for he saw that the sheets were tumbled. At these words +the others came, and looking at their beds cried out too, "Some one has +been lying in our beds!" But the seventh little man, running up to his, +saw Snow-White sleeping in it; so he called his companions, who shouted +with wonder and held up their seven lamps, so that the light fell upon +the little girl. + +"Oh, heavens! oh, heavens!" said they; "what a beauty she is!" and they +were so much delighted that they would not awaken her, but left her to +sleep, and the seventh Dwarf, in whose bed she was, slept with each of +his fellows one hour, and so passed the night. + +As soon as morning dawned Snow-White awoke, and was quite frightened +when she saw the seven little men; but they were very friendly, and +asked her what she was called. + +"My name is Snow-White," was her reply. + +"Why have you come into our cottage?" they asked. + +Then she told them how her stepmother would have had her killed, but the +Huntsman had spared her life, and how she had wandered about the Whole +day until at last she had found their house. + +When her tale was finished the Dwarfs said, "Will you look after our +household--be our cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit for us, and +keep everything in neat order? If so, we will keep you here, and you +shall want for nothing." + +And Snow-White answered, "Yes, with all my heart and will." And so she +remained with them, and kept their house in order. + +In the morning the Dwarfs went into the mountains and searched for +silver and gold, and in the evening they came home and found their meals +ready for them. During the day the maiden was left alone, and therefore +the good Dwarfs warned her and said, "Be careful of your stepmother, who +will soon know of your being here. So let nobody enter the cottage." + +The Queen meanwhile, supposing that she had eaten the heart and tongue +of her stepdaughter, believed that she was now above all the most +beautiful woman in the world. One day she stepped before her mirror, +and said: + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +and it replied: + + "The Queen was fairest yesterday; + Snow-White is fairest now, they say. + The Dwarfs protect her from thy sway + Amid the forest, far away." + +This reply surprised her, but she knew that the mirror spoke the truth. +She knew, therefore, that the Huntsman had deceived her, and that +Snow-White was still alive. So she dyed her face and clothed herself as +a pedler woman, so that no one could recognize her, and in this disguise +she went over the seven hills to the house of the seven Dwarfs. She +knocked at the door of the hut, and called out, "Fine goods for sale! +beautiful goods for sale!" + +Snow-White peeped out of the window and said, "Good day, my good woman; +what have you to sell?" + +"Fine goods, beautiful goods!" she replied. "Stays of all colors." And +she held up a pair which were made of many-colored silks. + +"I may let in this honest woman," thought Snow-White; and she unbolted +the door and bargained for one pair of stays. + +"You can't think, my dear, how they become you!" exclaimed the old +woman. "Come, let me lace them up for you." + +Snow-White suspected nothing, and let her do as she wished, but the old +woman laced her up so quickly and so tightly that all her breath went, +and she fell down like one dead. "Now," thought the old woman to +herself, hastening away, "now am I once more the most beautiful of all!" + +[Illustration] + +At eventide, not long after she had left, the seven Dwarfs came home, +and were much frightened at seeing their dear little maid lying on the +ground, and neither moving nor breathing, as if she were dead. They +raised her up, and when they saw that she was laced too tight they cut +the stays to pieces, and presently she began to breathe again, and +little by little she revived. When the Dwarfs now heard what had taken +place, they said, "The old pedler woman was no other than your wicked +stepmother. Take more care of yourself, and let no one enter when we are +not with you." + +Meanwhile, the Queen had reached home, and, going before her mirror, she +repeated her usual words: + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +and it replied as before: + + "The Queen was fairest yesterday; + Snow-White is fairest now, they say. + The Dwarfs protect her from thy sway + Amid the forest, far away." + +As soon as it had finished, all her blood rushed to her heart, for +she was so angry to hear that Snow-White was yet living. "But now," +thought she to herself, "will I make something which shall destroy her +completely." Thus saying, she made a poisoned comb by arts which she +understood, and then, disguising herself, she took the form of an old +widow. She went over the seven hills to the house of the seven Dwarfs, +and knocking at the door, called out, "Good wares to sell to-day!" + +Snow-White peeped out and said, "You must go farther, for I dare not +let you in." + +[Illustration] + +"But still you may look," said the old woman, drawing out her poisoned +comb and holding it up. The sight of this pleased the maiden so much +that she allowed herself to be persuaded, and opened the door. As soon +as she had bought something the old woman said, "Now let me for once +comb your hair properly," and Snow-White consented. But scarcely was +the comb drawn through the hair when the poison began to work, and the +maiden fell down senseless. + +"You pattern of beauty," cried the wicked Queen, "it is now all over +with you." And so saying, she departed. + +Fortunately, evening soon came, and the seven Dwarfs returned, and as +soon as they saw Snow-White lying, like dead, upon the ground, they +suspected the Queen, and discovering the poisoned comb, they immediately +drew it out. Then the maiden very soon revived and told them all that +had happened. So again they warned her against the wicked stepmother, +and bade her open the door to nobody. + +Meanwhile the Queen, on her arrival home, had again consulted her +mirror, and received the same answer as twice before. This made her +tremble and foam with rage and jealousy, and she swore that Snow-White +should die if it cost her her own life. Thereupon she went into an inner +secret chamber where no one could enter, and made an apple of the most +deep and subtle poison. Outwardly it looked nice enough, and had rosy +cheeks which would make the mouth of everyone who looked at it water; +but whoever ate the smallest piece of it would surely die. As soon as +the apple was ready the Queen again dyed her face, and clothed herself +like a peasant's wife, and then over the seven mountains to the house of +the seven Dwarfs she made her way. + +She knocked at the door, and Snow-White stretched out her head and said, +"I dare not let anyone enter; the seven Dwarfs have forbidden me." + +"That is hard on me," said the old woman, "for I must take back my +apples; but there is one which I will give you." + +"No," answered Snow-White; "no, I dare not take it." + +"What! are you afraid of it?" cried the old woman. "There, see--I will +cut the apple in halves; do you eat the red cheeks, and I will eat the +core." (The apple was so artfully made that the red cheeks alone were +poisoned.) Snow-White very much wished for the beautiful apple, and +when she saw the woman eating the core she could no longer resist, but, +stretching out her hand, took the poisoned part. Scarcely had she placed +a piece in her mouth when she fell down dead upon the ground. Then the +Queen, looking at her with glittering eyes, and laughing bitterly, +exclaimed, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time +the Dwarfs cannot reawaken you." + +When she reached home and consulted her mirror-- + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +it answered: + + "The Queen is fairest of the day." + +[Illustration] + +Then her envious heart was at rest, as peacefully as an envious heart +can rest. + +When the little Dwarfs returned home in the evening they found +Snow-White lying on the ground, and there appeared to be no life in +her body; she seemed to be quite dead. They raised her up, and tried +if they could find anything poisonous. They unlaced her, and even +uncombed her hair, and washed her with water and with wine. But +nothing availed: the dear child was really and truly dead. + +Then they laid her upon a bier, and all seven placed themselves around +it, and wept and wept for three days without ceasing. Then they prepared +to bury her. But she looked still fresh and life-like, and even her red +cheeks had not deserted her, so they said to one another, "We cannot +bury her in the black ground." Then they ordered a case to be made of +glass. In this they could see the body on all sides, and the Dwarfs +wrote her name with golden letters upon the glass, saying that she was +a King's daughter. Now they placed the glass case upon the ledge on a +rock, and one of them always remained by it watching. Even the birds +bewailed the loss of Snow-White; first came an owl, then a raven, and +last of all a dove. + +For a long time Snow-White lay peacefully in her case, and changed not, +but looked as if she were only asleep, for she was still white as snow, +red as blood, and black-haired as ebony. By and by it happened that a +King's son was traveling in the forest, and came to the Dwarfs' house +to pass the night. He soon saw the glass case upon the rock, and the +beautiful maiden lying within, and he read also the golden inscription. + +When he had examined it, he said to the Dwarfs, "Let me have this case, +and I will pay what you like for it." + +But the Dwarfs replied, "We will not sell it for all the gold in the +world." + +"Then give it to me," said the Prince; "for I cannot live without +Snow-White. I will honor and protect her as long as I live." + +When the Dwarfs saw that he was so much in earnest, they pitied him, +and at last gave him the case, and the Prince ordered it to be carried +away on the shoulders of his attendants. Presently it happened that +they stumbled over a rut, and with the shock the piece of poisoned +apple which lay in Snow-White's mouth fell out. Very soon she opened +her eyes, and raising the lid of the glass case, she rose up and asked, +"Where am I?" + +Full of joy, the Prince answered, "You are safe with me." And he told +to her what she had suffered, and how he would rather have her than any +other for his wife, and he asked her to accompany him home to the castle +of the King his father. Snow-White consented, and when they arrived +there they were married with great splendor and magnificence. + +Snow-White's stepmother was also invited to the wedding, and when she +was dressed in all her finery to go, she first stepped in front of her +mirror and asked: + + "Mirror, mirror on the wall, + Who is the fairest of us all?" + +and it replied: + + "The Queen was fairest yesterday; + The Prince's bride is now, they say." + +At these words the Queen was in a fury, and was so terribly mortified +that she knew not what to do with herself. At first she resolved not +to go to the wedding, but she could not resist the wish to see the +Princess. So she went; but as soon as she saw the bride she recognized +Snow-White, and was so terrified with rage and astonishment that she +rushed out of the castle and was never heard of again. + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE UGLY DUCKLING + +[Illustration] + + +It was beautiful in the country. It was summertime. The wheat was +yellow, the oats were green, the hay was stacked up in the green +meadows, and the stork paraded about on his long red legs, talking +in Egyptian, which language he had learnt from his mother. + +The fields and meadows were skirted by thick woods, and a deep lake lay +in the midst of the woods. Yes; it was indeed beautiful in the country! +The sunshine fell warmly on an old mansion, surrounded by deep canals, +and from the walls down to the water's edge there grew large burdock +leaves, so high that children could stand upright among them without +being seen. + +This place was as wild as the thickest part of the wood, and on that +account a Duck had chosen to make her nest there. She was sitting on +her eggs; but the pleasure she had felt at first was now almost gone, +because she had been there so long, and had so few visitors, for the +other Ducks preferred swimming on the canals to sitting among the +burdock leaves gossiping with her. + +At last the eggs cracked one after another, "Chick, chick!" All the eggs +were alive, and one little head after another peered forth. "Quack, +quack!" said the Duck, and all got up as well as they could. They peeped +about from under the green leaves; and as green is good for the eyes, +their mother let them look as long as they pleased. + +"How large the world is!" said the little ones, for they found their new +abode very different from their former narrow one in the egg-shells. + +"Do you imagine this to be the whole of the world?" said the mother. +"It extends far beyond the other side of the garden in the pastor's +field; but I have never been there. Are you all here?" And then she got +up. "No, not all, for the largest egg is still here. How long will this +last? I am so weary of it!" And then she sat down again. + +"Well, and how are you getting on?" asked an old Duck, who had come to +pay her a visit. + +"This one egg keeps me so long," said the mother. "It will not break. +But you should see the others! They are the prettiest little Ducklings +I have seen in all my days. They are all like their father--the +good-for-nothing fellow, he has not been to visit me once!" + +"Let me see the egg that will not break," said the old Duck. "Depend +upon it, it is a turkey's egg. I was cheated in the same way once +myself, and I had such trouble with the young ones; for they were afraid +of the water, and I could not get them there. I called and scolded, but +it was all of no use. But let me see the egg--ah, yes! to be sure, that +is a turkey's egg. Leave it, and teach the other little ones to swim." + +[Illustration: _The Ugly Duckling_ +"What is the Matter?" asked the Old Woman] + +"I will sit on it a little longer," said the Duck. "I have been sitting +so long, that I may as well spend the harvest here." + +"It is no business of mine," said the old Duck, and away she waddled. + +The great egg burst at last. "Chick! chick!" said the little one, and +out it tumbled--but, oh! how large and ugly it was! The Duck looked at +it. "That is a great, strong creature," said she. "None of the others +are at all like it. Can it be a young turkey-cock? Well, we shall soon +find out. It must go into the water, though I push it in myself." + +The next day there was delightful weather, and the sun shone warmly upon +the green leaves when Mother Duck with all her family went down to the +canal. Plump she went into the water. "Quack! quack!" cried she, and one +duckling after another jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but +all came up again, and swam together quite easily. Their legs moved +without effort. All were there, even the ugly grey one. + +"No; it is not a turkey," said the old Duck; "only see how prettily it +moves its legs, how upright it holds itself! It is my own child. It is +also really very pretty, when you look more closely at it. Quack! quack! +now come with me, I will take you into the world and introduce you in +the duck-yards. But keep close to me, or someone may tread on you; and +beware of the Cat." + +So they came into the duck-yard. There was a horrid noise; two families +were quarreling about the head of an eel, which in the end was carried +off by the Cat. + +"See, my children, such is the way of the world," said the Mother Duck, +wiping her beak, for she, too, was fond of eels. "Now use your legs," +said she, "keep together, and bow to the old Duck you see yonder. She +is the most distinguished of all the fowls present, and is of Spanish +blood, which accounts for her dignified appearance and manners. And +look, she has a red rag on her leg! That is considered extremely +handsome, and is the greatest honor a Duck can have. Don't turn your +feet inwards; a well-educated Duckling always keeps his legs far apart, +like his father and mother, just so--look! Now bow your necks, and say, +'Quack.'" + +And they did as they were told. But the other Ducks, who were in the +yard, looked at them and said aloud, "Just see! Now we have another +brood, as if there were not enough of us already. And fie! how ugly +that one is. We will not endure it." And immediately one of the Ducks +flew at him, and bit him in the neck. + +[Illustration] + +"Leave him alone," said the mother. "He is doing no one any harm." + +"Yes, but he is so large and so strange-looking, and therefore he shall +be teased," said the others. + +"Those are fine children that our good mother has," said the old Duck +with the red rag on her leg. "All are pretty except one, and that has +not turned out well; I almost wish it could be hatched over again." + +"That cannot be, please your Highness," said the mother. "Certainly he +is not handsome, but he is a very good child, and swims as well as the +others, indeed, rather better. I think he will grow like the others all +in good time, and perhaps will look smaller. He stayed so long in the +egg-shell, that is the cause of the difference." And she scratched the +Duckling's neck, and stroked his whole body. "Besides," added she, "he +is a Drake. I think he will be very strong, so it does not matter so +much. He will fight his way through." + +[Illustration] + +"The other Ducks are very pretty," said the old Duck. "Pray make +yourselves at home, and if you find an eel's head you can bring it +to me." + +So they made themselves at home. + +But the poor little Duckling, who had come last out of its egg-shell, +and who was so ugly, was bitten, pecked, and teased by both Ducks and +Hens. "It is so large!" said they all. And the Turkey-cock, who had come +into the world with spurs on, and therefore fancied he was an emperor, +puffed himself up like a ship in full sail, and marched up to the +Duckling quite red with passion. The poor little thing scarcely knew +what to do. He was quite distressed, because he was so ugly, and +because he was the jest of the poultry-yard. + +So passed the first day, and afterwards matters grew worse and +worse--the poor Duckling was scorned by all. Even his brothers and +sisters behaved unkindly, and were constantly saying, "May the Cat take +you, you nasty creature!" The mother said, "Ah, if you were only far +away!" The Ducks bit him, the Hens pecked him, and the girl who fed the +poultry kicked him. + +He ran through the hedge, and the little birds in the bushes were +terrified. "That is because I am so ugly," thought the Duckling, +shutting his eyes, but he ran on. At last he came to a wide moor, +where lived some Wild Ducks; here he lay the whole night, very tired +and comfortless. In the morning the Wild Ducks flew up, and saw their +new companion. "Pray who are you?" asked they; and our little Duckling +turned himself in all directions, and greeted them as politely as +possible. + +"You are really uncommonly ugly!" said the Wild Ducks. "However, that +does not matter to us, provided you do not marry into our families." +Poor thing! he had never thought of marrying; he only begged permission +to lie among the reeds, and drink the water of the moor. + +[Illustration] + +There he lay for two whole days. On the third day there came two Wild +Geese, or rather Ganders, who had not been long out of their egg-shells, +which accounts for their impertinence. + +"Hark ye," said they; "you are so ugly that we like you very well. Will +you come with us and be a bird of passage? On another moor, not far +from this, are some dear, sweet Wild Geese, as lovely creatures as have +ever said 'Hiss, hiss.' You are truly in the way to make your fortune, +ugly as you are." + +Bang! a gun went off all at once, and both Wild Geese were stretched +dead among the reeds; the water became red with blood. Bang! a gun went +off again. Whole flocks of Wild Geese flew up from among the reeds, and +another report followed. + +There was a grand hunting party. The hunters lay in ambush all around; +some were even sitting in the trees, whose huge branches stretched far +over the moor. The blue smoke rose through the thick trees like a mist, +and was dispersed as it fell over the water. The hounds splashed about +in the mud, the reeds and rushes bent in all directions. + +How frightened the poor little Duck was! He turned his head, thinking +to hide it under his wings, and in a moment a most formidable-looking +Dog stood close to him, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, his eyes +sparkling fearfully. He opened wide his jaws at the sight of our +Duckling, showing him his sharp white teeth, and, splash, splash! +he was gone--gone without hurting him. + +"Well! let me be thankful," sighed he. "I am so ugly that even the Dog +will not eat me." + +And now he lay still, though the shooting continued among the reeds, +shot following shot. + +The noise did not cease till late in the day, and even then the poor +little thing dared not stir. He waited several hours before he looked +around him, and then hurried away from the moor as fast as he could. +He ran over fields and meadows, though the wind was so high that he +had some difficulty in moving. + +Towards evening he reached a wretched little hut, so wretched that it +knew not on which side to fall, and therefore remained standing. The +wind blew violently, so that our poor little Duckling was obliged to +support himself on his tail, in order to stand against it; but it +became worse and worse. He then noticed that the door had lost one +of its hinges, and hung so much awry that he could creep through the +crack into the room. So he went in. + +In this room lived an old woman, with her Tom-cat and her Hen. The Cat, +whom she called her little son, knew how to set up his back and purr; +indeed, he could even throw out sparks when stroked the wrong way. The +Hen had very short legs, and was therefore called "Chickie Short-legs." +She laid very good eggs, and the old woman loved her as her own child. + +The next morning the new guest was discovered, and the Cat began to mew +and the Hen to cackle. + +[Illustration] + +"What is the matter?" asked the old woman, looking round. But her eyes +were not good, so she took the young Duckling to be a fat Duck who had +lost her way. "This is a capital catch," said she, "I shall now have +Duck's eggs, if it be not a Drake. We shall see." + +And so the Duckling was kept on trial for three weeks, but no eggs made +their appearance. Now the Cat was the master of the house, and the Hen +was the mistress, and always used to say, "We and the world," for they +imagined themselves to be not only the half of the world, but also by +far the better half. The Duckling thought it was possible to be of a +different opinion, but that the Hen would not allow. + +"Can you lay eggs?" asked she. + +"No." + +"Well, then, hold your tongue." + +And the Cat said, "Can you set up your back? Can you purr?" + +"No." + +"Well, then, you should have no opinion when reasonable people are +speaking." + +So the Duckling sat alone in a corner, and felt very miserable. However, +he happened to think of the fresh air and bright sunshine, and these +thoughts gave him such a strong desire to swim again, that he could not +help telling it to the Hen. + +"What ails you?" said the Hen. "You have nothing to do, and therefore +brood over these fancies. Either lay eggs or purr, then you will forget +them." + +"But it is so delicious to swim!" said the Duckling. "So delicious when +the waters close over your head, and you plunge to the bottom!" + +"Well, that is a queer sort of pleasure," said the Hen. "I think you +must be crazy. Not to speak of myself, ask the Cat--he is the most +sensible animal I know--whether he would like to swim, or to plunge to +the bottom of the water. Ask our mistress, the old woman--there is no +one in the world wiser than she. Do you think she would take pleasure +in swimming and in the waters closing over her head?" + +"You do not understand me," said the Duckling. + +"What! we do not understand you? So you think yourself wiser than the +Cat and the old woman, not to speak of myself? Do not fancy any such +thing, child; but be thankful for all the kindness that has been shown +you. Are you not lodged in a warm room, and have you not the advantage +of society from which you can learn something? But you are a simpleton, +and it is wearisome to have anything to do with you. Believe me, I wish +you well. I tell you unpleasant truths, but it is thus that real +friendship is shown. Come, for once give yourself the trouble to +learn to purr, or to lay eggs." + +"I think I will go out into the wide world again," said the Duckling. + +"Well, go," answered the Hen. + +So the Duckling went. He swam on the surface of the water, he plunged +beneath, but all animals passed him by, on account of his ugliness. And +the autumn came, the leaves turned yellow and brown, the wind caught +them and danced them about, the air was very cold, the clouds were heavy +with hail or snow, and the Raven sat on the hedge and croaked. The poor +Duckling was certainly not very comfortable. + +One evening, just as the sun was setting with unusual brilliancy, a +flock of large, beautiful birds rose from out of the brushwood. The +Duckling had never seen anything so beautiful before; their plumage was +of a dazzling white, and they had long, slender necks. They were Swans. +They uttered a singular cry, spread out their long splendid wings, and +flew away from these cold regions to warmer countries, across the open +sea. They flew so high, so very high! And the little Ugly Duckling's +feelings were so strange. He turned round and round in the water like a +mill-wheel, strained his neck to look after them, and sent forth such a +loud and strange cry that it almost frightened himself. Ah! he could not +forget them, those noble birds, those happy birds! When he could see +them no longer he plunged to the bottom of the water, and when he rose +again was almost beside himself. The Duckling knew not what the birds +were called, knew not whither they were flying; yet he loved them as he +had never before loved anything. He envied them not; it would never have +occurred to him to wish such beauty for himself. He would have been +quite contented if the Ducks in the duck-yard had but endured his +company--the poor, ugly creature. + +[Illustration] + +And the winter was so cold, so cold, the Duckling was obliged to swim +round and round in the water to keep it from freezing. But every night +the opening in which he swam became smaller and smaller. It froze so +that the crust of ice crackled and the Duckling was obliged to make good +use of his legs to prevent the water from freezing entirely. At last, +wearied out, he lay stiff and cold in the ice. + +Early in the morning there passed by a peasant who saw him, broke the +ice in pieces with his wooden shoe, and brought him home to his wife. + +The poor Duckling soon revived. The children would have played with him, +but he thought they wished to tease him, and in his terror jumped into +the milk-pail, so that the milk was spilled about the room. The good +woman screamed and clapped her hands. He flew from there into the pan +where the butter was kept, and thence into the meal-barrel, and out +again, and then how strange he looked! + +The woman screamed, and struck at him with the tongs, the children ran +races with each other trying to catch him, and laughed and screamed +likewise. It was well for him that the door stood open. He jumped out +among the bushes into the new-fallen snow, and there he lay as in a +dream. + +But it would be too sad to tell all the trouble and misery that he had +to suffer from the frost, and snow and storms of the winter. He was +lying on a moor among the reeds, when the sun began to shine warmly +again; the larks sang, and beautiful spring had returned. + +Once more he shook his wings. They were stronger than formerly and bore +him forward quickly, and before he was well aware of it he was in a +large garden where the apple-trees stood in full bloom, where the +syringas sent forth their fragrance and hung their long green branches +down into the winding canal. Oh! everything was so lovely, so full of +the freshness of spring! And out of the thicket came three beautiful +white Swans. They displayed their feathers so proudly and swam so +lightly, so lightly! The Duckling knew the glorious creatures, and was +seized with a strange sadness. + +"I will fly to them, those kingly birds!" said he. "They will kill me, +because I, ugly as I am, have dared to approach them. But it matters +not. Better to be killed by them than to be bitten by the Ducks, pecked +by the Hens, kicked by the girl who feeds the poultry, and to have so +much to suffer during the winter!" + +[Illustration] + +He flew into the water and swam towards the beautiful creatures. They +saw him and shot forward to meet him. "Only kill me," said the poor +creature, and he bowed his head low, expecting death. But what did he +see in the water? He saw beneath him his own form, no longer that of a +plump, ugly grey bird--it was that of a Swan. + +It matters not to have been born in a duck-yard, if one has been hatched +from a Swan's egg. And now the Swan began to see the good of all the +trouble he had been through. He would never have known how happy he was +if he had not first had all his sorrow and unhappiness to bear. + +The larger Swans swam round him, and stroked him with their beaks. Some +little children were running about in the garden; they threw grain and +bread into the water, and the youngest exclaimed: "There is a new one!" +The others also cried out: "Yes, a new Swan has come!" and they clapped +their hands, and danced around. + +They ran to their father and mother, bread and cake were thrown into +the water, and every one said: "The new one is best, so young and so +beautiful!" And the old Swans bowed before him. The young Swan felt +quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wings. He scarcely knew what +to do. He was too happy, but still not proud, for a good heart is never +proud. + +He remembered how he had been persecuted and laughed at, and he now +heard everyone say that he was the most beautiful of all beautiful +birds. The syringas bent down their branches toward him low into the +water, and the sun shone warmly and brightly. He shook his feathers, +stretched his slender neck, and in the joy of his heart said: "How +little did I dream of so much happiness when I was the despised Ugly +Duckling!" + +[Illustration] + + + + +ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP + +[Illustration] + + +Aladdin was the only son of a poor widow who lived in China; but instead +of helping his mother to earn their living, he let her do all the hard +work, while he himself only thought of idling and amusement. + +One day, as he was playing in the streets, a stranger came up to him, +saying that he was his father's brother, and claiming him as his +long-lost nephew. Aladdin had never heard that his father had had a +brother; but as the stranger gave him money and promised to buy him +fine clothes and set him up in business, he was quite ready to believe +all that he told him. The man was a magician, who wanted to use Aladdin +for his own purposes. + +[Illustration] + +The next day the stranger came again, brought Aladdin a beautiful suit +of clothes, gave him many good things to eat, and took him for a long +walk, telling him stories all the while to amuse him. After they had +walked a long way, they came to a narrow valley, bounded on either side +by tall, gloomy-looking mountains. Aladdin was beginning to feel tired, +and he did not like the look of this place at all. He wanted to turn +back; but the stranger would not let him. He made Aladdin follow him +still farther, until at length they reached the place where he intended +to carry out his evil design. Then he made Aladdin gather sticks to make +a fire, and when they were in a blaze he threw into them some powder, +at the same time saying some mystical words, which Aladdin could not +understand. + +Immediately they were surrounded with a thick cloud of smoke. The earth +trembled, and burst open at their feet--disclosing a large flat stone +with a brass ring fixed in it. Aladdin was so terribly frightened that +he was about to run away; but the Magician gave him such a blow on the +ear that he fell to the ground. + +Poor Aladdin rose to his feet with eyes full of tears, and said, +reproachfully-- + +"Uncle, what have I done that you should treat me so?" + +"You should not have tried to run away from me," said the Magician, +"when I have brought you here only for your own advantage. Under this +stone there is hidden a treasure which will make you richer than the +richest monarch in the world. You alone may touch it. If I assist you +in any way the spell will be broken, but if you obey me faithfully, we +shall both be rich for the rest of our lives. Come, take hold of the +brass ring and lift the stone." + +Aladdin forgot his fears in the hope of gaining this wonderful treasure, +and took hold of the brass ring. It yielded at once to his touch, and he +was able to lift the great stone quite easily and move it away, which +disclosed a flight of steps, leading down into the ground. + +"Go down these steps," commanded the Magician, "and at the bottom you +will find a great cavern, divided into three halls, full of vessels of +gold and silver; but take care you do not meddle with these. If you +touch anything in the halls you will meet with instant death. The third +hall will bring you into a garden, planted with fine fruit trees. When +you have crossed the garden, you will come to a terrace, where you will +find a niche, and in the niche a lighted lamp. Take the lamp down, and +when you have put out the light and poured away the oil, bring it to me. +If you would like to gather any of the fruit of the garden you may do +so, provided you do not linger." + +Then the Magician put a ring on Aladdin's finger, which he told him was +to preserve him from evil, and sent him down into the cavern. + +[Illustration] + +Aladdin found everything just as the Magician had said. He passed +through the three halls, crossed the garden, took down the lamp from +the niche, poured out the oil, put the lamp into his bosom, and turned +to go back. + +As he came down from the terrace, he stopped to look at the trees of the +garden, which were laden with wonderful fruits. To Aladdin's eyes it +appeared as if these fruits were only bits of colored glass, but in +reality they were jewels of the rarest quality. Aladdin filled his +pockets full of the dazzling things, for though he had no idea of their +real value, yet he was attracted by their dazzling brilliance. He had +so loaded himself with these treasures that when at last he came to the +steps he was unable to climb them without assistance. + +"Pray, Uncle," he said, "give me your hand to help me out." + +"Give me the lamp first," replied the Magician. + +"Really, Uncle, I cannot do so until I am out of this place," answered +Aladdin, whose hands were, indeed, so full that he could not get at the +lamp. + +But the Magician refused to help Aladdin up the steps until he had +handed over the lamp. Aladdin was equally determined not to give it up +until he was out of the cavern, and, at last, the Magician fell into a +furious rage. Throwing some more of the powder into the fire, he again +said the magic words. No sooner had he done so than there was a +tremendous thunder-clap, the stone rolled back into its place, and +Aladdin was a prisoner in the cavern. The poor boy cried aloud to his +supposed uncle to help him; but it was all in vain, his cries could not +be heard. The doors in the garden were closed by the same enchantment, +and Aladdin sat down on the steps in despair, knowing that there was +little hope of his ever seeing his Mother again. + +For two terrible days he lay in the cavern waiting for death. On the +third day, realizing that it could not now be far off, he clasped his +hands in anguish, thinking of his Mother's sorrow; and in so doing he +accidently rubbed the ring which the Magician had put upon his finger. + +Immediately a genie of enormous size rose out of the earth, and, as +Aladdin started back in fright and horror, said to him: + +[Illustration] + +"What wouldst thou have of me?" + +"Who are you?" gasped Aladdin. + +"I am the slave of the ring. I am ready to obey thy commands," came the +answer. + +Aladdin was still trembling; but the danger he was in already made him +answer without hesitation: + +"Then, if you are able, deliver me, I beseech you, from this place." + +Scarcely had he spoken, when he found himself lying on the ground at the +place to which the Magician had first brought him. + +He hastened home to his Mother, who had mourned him as dead. As soon as +he had told her all his adventures, he begged her to get him some food, +for he had now been three days without eating. + +"Alas, child!" replied his Mother, "I have not a bit of bread to give +you." + +"Never mind, Mother," said Aladdin, "I will go and sell the old lamp +which I brought home with me. Doubtless I shall get a little money for +it." + +His Mother reached down the lamp; but seeing how dirty it was, she +thought it would sell better if she cleaned it. But no sooner had she +begun to rub it than a hideous genie appeared before her, and said in +a voice like thunder: + +"What wouldst thou have of me? I am ready to obey thy commands, I and +all the other slaves of the lamp." + +[Illustration] + +Aladdin's Mother fainted away at the sight of this creature; but +Aladdin, having seen the genie of the ring, was not so frightened, +and said boldly: + +"I am hungry, bring me something to eat." + +The genie disappeared, but returned in an instant with twelve silver +dishes, filled with different kinds of savory meats, six large white +loaves, two bottles of wine, and two silver drinking cups. He placed +these things on the table and then vanished. + +Aladdin fetched water, and sprinkling some on his Mother's face soon +brought her back to life again. + +When she opened her eyes and saw all the good things the genie had +provided, she was overcome with astonishment. + +"To whom are we indebted for this feast?" she cried. "Has the Sultan +heard of our poverty and sent us these fine things from his own table?" + +"Never mind now how they came here," said Aladdin. "Let us first eat, +then I will tell you." + +Mother and son made a hearty meal, and then Aladdin told his Mother that +it was the genie of the lamp who had brought them the food. His Mother +was greatly alarmed, and begged him to have nothing further to do with +genies, advising him to sell the lamp at once. But Aladdin would not +part with such a wonderful possession, and resolved to keep both the +ring and the lamp safely, in case he should ever need them again. He +showed his Mother the fruits which he had gathered in the garden, and +his Mother admired their bright colors and dazzling radiance, though +she had no idea of their real value. + +Not many days after this, Aladdin was walking in the streets of the +city, when he heard a fanfare of trumpets announcing the passing of the +Princess Badroulboudour, the Sultan's only daughter. Aladdin stopped to +see her go by, and was so struck by her great beauty that he fell in +love with her on the spot and made up his mind to win her for his bride. + +"Mother," he said, "I cannot live without the Princess Badroulboudour. +You must go to the Sultan and demand her hand in marriage for me." + +[Illustration] + +Aladdin's Mother burst out laughing at the idea of her son wishing to be +the son-in-law of the Sultan, and told him to put such thoughts out of +his head at once. But Aladdin was not to be laughed out of his fancy. He +knew by this time that the fruits which he had gathered from the magic +garden were jewels of great value, and he insisted upon his Mother +taking them to the Sultan for a present, and asking the hand of the +Princess in marriage for her son. + +The poor woman was terribly frightened, fearing lest the Sultan should +punish her for her impudence; but Aladdin would hear of no excuses, and +at last she set forth in fear and trembling, bearing the jewels on a +china dish covered with a napkin. + +[Illustration] + +When she came before the Sultan, she told him, with many apologies and +pleas for forgiveness, of her son's mad love for the Princess +Badroulboudour. The Sultan smiled at the idea of the son of a poor old +woman asking for the hand of his daughter, and asked her what she had +under the napkin. But when the woman uncovered the jewels, he started up +from his throne in amazement, for he had never before seen so many large +and magnificent jewels collected together. He thought Aladdin must be a +very unusual and extraordinary person to be able to make him such a +valuable present, and he began to wonder whether it might not be worth +while to bestow the Princess's hand upon him. However, he thought he +would ask for some further proof of his wealth and power; so, turning +to the woman, he said: + +"Good Mother, tell your son he shall have the Princess Badroulboudour +for his wife as soon as he sends me forty basins of gold, filled with +jewels as valuable as these, and borne by forty black and forty white +slaves. Hasten now and carry him my message. I will await your return." + +Aladdin's Mother was dismayed at this request. + +"Where can Aladdin get such basins and jewels and slaves?" she thought, +as she hurried home to him. But Aladdin only smiled when his Mother gave +him the Sultan's message. He rubbed the lamp, and at once the genie +stood before him, asking him what was his pleasure. + +"Go," said Aladdin, "fetch me forty basins all of massive gold, full of +jewels, borne by forty black and forty white slaves." + +The genie brought these things at once, and Aladdin then sent his Mother +with them to the Sultan. + +[Illustration] + +The Sultan was amazed at this wonderful show of wealth and at the +quickness with which it had been brought, and he sent for Aladdin to +come to the Court. + +Aladdin first summoned the genie to bring him fine clothes and a +splendid horse, and a retinue fit for the future son-in-law of the +Sultan; and then, with a train of slaves bearing magnificent presents +for the Princess, he set out for the Palace. + +The Sultan would have married him to his daughter at once; but Aladdin +asked him to wait until the next morning, when he hoped to have a Palace +worthy to receive his wife. + +Once again he summoned the genie to his aid, and commanded him to build +a Palace that in beauty and magnificence should surpass any that had +ever been built on the earth before. + +The next morning when the Sultan awoke and looked out of his window, he +saw, opposite to his own, the most wonderful Palace he had ever seen. +The walls were built of gold and silver, and encrusted with diamonds, +rubies and emeralds, and other rare and precious stones. The stables +were filled with the finest horses; beautiful gardens surrounded the +building, and everywhere were hundreds of slaves and servants to wait +on the Princess. + +The Sultan was so overcome with all this magnificence, that he insisted +upon marrying his daughter to Aladdin that very day, and the young +couple took up their residence in the Palace the genie had built. + +For a time they lived very happily, but the Magician, who had gone to +Africa after he had left Aladdin to perish in the cavern, at length +happened to hear of Aladdin's fame and riches; and guessing at once the +source of all this wealth, he returned once more to China, determined to +gain possession of the magic lamp. + +[Illustration] + +He bought a number of new and beautiful lamps, disguised himself as an +old beggar-man, and then, waiting until Aladdin was out hunting, he came +to the windows of the Palace, crying out: + +"New lamps for old; new lamps for old." + +When the Princess heard this strange cry she was very much amused. + +"Let us see," she said to her ladies, "whether this foolish fellow means +what he says; there is an ugly old lamp in Aladdin's room," and taking +the precious lamp, which Aladdin always kept by his bedside, she sent it +out to the old man by one of the slaves, saying-- + +"Give me a new lamp for this!" + +[Illustration] + +The Magician was overjoyed. He saw at once that it was the very lamp he +wanted, and giving the Princess the best of the new ones in exchange, he +hurried away with his treasure. As soon as he found himself alone, he +summoned the slave of the lamp, and told him to carry himself, the +Palace, and the Princess Badroulboudour to the farthest corner of +Africa. This order the genie at once obeyed. + +When Aladdin returned from hunting and found that his wife and his +Palace had vanished, he was overcome with anguish, guessing that his +enemy, the Magician, had by some means got possession of the lamp. The +Sultan, whose grief and anger at the loss of his daughter were terrible, +ordered him to leave the Court at once, and told him that unless he +returned in forty days with the Princess safe and well, he would have +him beheaded. + +Aladdin went out from the Sultan's presence, not knowing what to do or +where to turn. But after he had wandered about for some time in despair, +he remembered the ring which he still wore on his finger. He rubbed it, +and in a moment the genie stood before him. But when Aladdin commanded +him to bring back the Palace and the Princess, the genie answered-- + +"What you command is not in my power. You must ask the slave of the +lamp. I am only the slave of the ring." + +"Then," said Aladdin, "if you cannot bring my Palace to me, I command +you to take me to my Palace." No sooner were the words out of his mouth +than he found himself standing in Africa, close to the missing Palace. + +The Princess Badroulboudour, who, since the moment when the Magician had +had her in his power, had not ceased to weep and lament for her +foolishness in exchanging the lamp, happened to be looking out of the +window; and when she saw Aladdin she nearly fainted with joy, and sent +a slave to bring him secretly into the Palace. + +Then she and Aladdin made a plan to get the better of the Magician and +to recover the lost lamp. Aladdin summoned the genie of the ring, who +procured for him a very powerful sleeping-powder, which he gave to the +Princess. Then Aladdin hid himself behind some curtains in the room, +and the Princess sent a message to the Magician asking him to take +supper with her. + +[Illustration] + +The Magician was delighted at the Princess's invitation, and accepted +it joyfully, never dreaming that Aladdin had found his way to Africa. + +As they were eating and drinking together, the Princess put the +sleeping-powder into the Magician's cup of wine--and no sooner had he +tasted it than he fell down in a deep sleep as if dead. + +This was Aladdin's chance. Hastily coming out from behind the curtains, +he snatched the lamp from the Magician's bosom, and called the genie to +come to his assistance. + +The genie, having first thrown out the Magician, then carried the Palace +with the Princess and Aladdin back to the spot from which it had been +taken. + +Great was the Sultan's joy at receiving back his daughter. The whole +city was given over to rejoicings, and for ten days nothing was heard +but the sound of drums and trumpets and cymbals, and nothing was seen +but illuminations and gorgeous entertainments in honor of Aladdin's safe +return. + +[Illustration] + +Aladdin and the Princess ascended the throne after the Sultan died and +they lived long and happily and had many beautiful children. + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE SLEEPING BEAUTY + +[Illustration] + + +Once upon a time there lived a King and Queen who had no children. They +longed very much for a child; and when at last they had a little +daughter they were both delighted, and great rejoicings took place. + +When the time came for the little Princess to be christened, the King +made a grand feast and invited all but one of the fairies in his kingdom +to be godmothers. There happened to be thirteen fairies in the kingdom; +but as the King had only twelve gold plates, he had to leave one of +them out. + +The twelve fairies that were invited came to the christening, and +presented the little Princess with the best gifts in their possession. +One gave her beauty, one gave her wisdom, another grace, another +goodness, until all but one had presented their offerings. Just as the +last fairy was about to step forward and offer her gift, there came a +tremendous knocking at the door, and before anybody could get there to +open it, it was burst open, and in came the thirteenth fairy, in a +furious rage at not having been invited to the feast. + +When she saw all the gifts which the other fairies had presented the +child, she laughed and exclaimed: + +"A lot of good all this beauty and virtue and wealth will do to you, my +pretty Princess! You shall pay for the slight your Royal Father has put +upon me!" Then, turning to the terrified King and Queen, she said, in a +loud voice: + +"When the Princess is fifteen years old she shall prick her finger with +a spindle and die!" Having said this she flew away as noisily as she +came. + +The King and Queen were in despair, and the courtiers stood aghast at +the terrible disaster; while the little Princess began to cry piteously, +as if she knew the fate in store for her. Then the twelfth fairy stepped +forward. + +"Do not be afraid," she said, "I have not yet given my gift. I cannot +undo the wicked spell, but I can soften the evil. The Princess, on her +fifteenth birthday, shall prick her finger with a spindle, but she shall +not die. Instead, she shall fall asleep for a hundred years." + +"Alas!" cried the Queen, "what comfort will that be to us? Long before +the hundred years are past we shall be dead, and our darling child will +be as lost to us as if she were indeed to die!" + +[Illustration] + +"I can make that right," said the fairy. "When the Princess falls +asleep, you shall sleep, too; and awaken with her when the hundred +years are passed." + +But the King still hoped to save his daughter from such a terrible +misfortune. So he ordered all the spinning-wheels in his kingdom to be +burnt or destroyed, and made a law that no one was to use one on pain of +instant death. But all his care was useless. On her fifteenth birthday +the Princess slipped away from her attendants, and wandered all through +the Palace. At last she came to a tower which she had never seen before, +and, wondering what it contained, she climbed the stairs. From a room at +the top came a curious humming noise, and the Princess, wondering what +it could be, pushed open the door and stepped inside. + +There sat an old woman, bent with age, working at a strangely shaped +wheel. The Princess was full of curiosity. + +[Illustration] + +"What is that funny-looking thing?" she asked. + +"It is a spinning-wheel, Princess," answered the old woman, who was no +other than the wicked fairy in disguise. + +"A spinning-wheel--what is that? I have never heard of such a thing," +said the Princess. She stood watching for a few minutes, then she added: + +"It looks quite easy. May I try to do it?" + +"Certainly, gracious lady," said the wicked fairy, and the Princess sat +down and tried to turn the wheel. But no sooner did she lay her hand +upon it than the spindle, which was enchanted, pricked her finger, and +the Princess fell back against a silk-covered couch--fast asleep. + +In a moment a deep silence fell upon all who were in the castle. The +King fell asleep in the midst of his councillors, the Queen with her +ladies-in-waiting. The horses in the stable, the pigeons on the roof, +the flies upon the walls, even the very fire upon the hearth fell +asleep, too. The meat which was cooking in the kitchen ceased to +frizzle; and the cook, who was just about to box the kitchen boy's +ears, fell asleep with her hand outstretched, and began to snore +aloud. The butler who was tasting the ale, fell asleep with the +jug at his lips. + +A great hedge sprang up around the castle, which, as the years passed +on, grew and grew until it formed an impenetrable barrier around the +sleeping Palace. The old people of the country died, and their children +grew up and died also, and their children, and their children, and the +story of the sleeping Princess became a legend, handed down from one +generation to another; and a cloud of mystery, as thick and impenetrable +as the hedge of thorns, lay over the old castle. Many brave and gallant +Princes tried to force their way through the magic hedge, in order to +solve the mystery and to see for themselves the beautiful maiden who lay +in an enchanted sleep behind that thorny barrier. But the thorns caught +them, and held them from going forward or back, and the gallant youths +perished miserably in the thickets. + +[Illustration] + +After many, many years there came a King's son into that country, who +heard the story of the Princess and the hedge of briers; and he made up +his mind to try and force his way to the castle to awake the sleeping +Princess. People told him of the fate of the other Princes, who had also +attempted this difficult task; but the Prince would not be warned. + +"I have made up my mind to see this maiden of whose beauty I have heard +so many wonderful tales," he cried. "I will force a way through the +hedge of thorns and awake this Sleeping Beauty, or die in the attempt!" + +Now, it happened that this day was the last day of the hundred years; +and when the Prince came to the thicket that surrounded the castle and +began to push his way through, he found that the briers yielded readily +to his touch. The thorns had all blossomed into roses that scented the +air with fragrance as he went by. Primroses sprang up before his feet +and made a pathway to lead him straight to the castle gates; and the +birds suddenly broke forth into singing, as if to tell the world that +the hundred years of enchantment were over, and the Princess about to +be awakened from her long sleep. + +The Prince passed through the council chamber, where the King and his +councillors were sleeping; through the room where the Queen and her +ladies slept. He passed on from hall to hall, climbed from stair to +stair, until at last he reached the tower chamber where the sleeping +Princess lay. For a moment he stood and gazed in wonder at her lovely +face; then he sank on his knees beside her, and kissed her as she lay +asleep. + +Instantly the spell was broken. The King and Queen awoke, and all the +courtiers with them; the horses neighed in the stables, and shook their +glossy manes; the pigeons cooed upon the roof; the flies on the wall +moved again; the fire burnt up brightly; and the meat in the kitchen +began to frizzle once more as the spit turned round. The cook gave the +kitchen boy the tremendous box on the ear that she had started to give +him a hundred years ago, and everything and everybody went on just as +usual, as if nothing at all out of the common had occurred. + +And up in the tower chamber the Princess opened her eyes to meet the +gaze of the Prince, who had dared to risk his life for her sake. What +they said to each other nobody quite knows, for nobody was there to +hear or see. But whatever it was, it must have been something very +satisfactory; for very soon after they were married, and lived happily +ever afterwards. + +[Illustration] + + + + +PUSS-IN-BOOTS + +[Illustration] + + +There was once a Miller, who, at his death, had nothing to leave to his +three sons except his mill, his ass, and his cat. The eldest son took +the mill, the second took the ass--and as for the youngest, all that +remained for him was the cat. + +The youngest son grumbled at this. "My brothers," said he, "will be able +to earn an honest living; but when I have eaten my cat and sold his skin +I shall die of hunger." + +The Cat, who was sitting beside him, overheard this. + +[Illustration] + +"Nay, Master," he said, "don't take such a gloomy view of things. If you +will get me a pair of boots made so that I can walk through the brambles +without hurting my feet, and give me a bag, you shall soon see what I am +worth." + +The Cat's master was so surprised to hear his Cat talking, that he at +once got him what he wanted. The Cat drew on the boots and slung the +bag round his neck and set off for a rabbit warren. When he got there +he filled his bag with bran and lettuces, and stretching himself out +beside it as if dead, waited until some young rabbit should be tempted +into the bag. This happened very soon. A fat, thoughtless rabbit went +in headlong, and the Cat at once jumped up, pulled the strings and +killed him. + +Puss was very proud of his success, and, going to the King's palace, he +asked to speak to the King. When he was shown into the King's presence +he bowed respectfully, and, laying the rabbit down before the throne, +he said-- + +"Sire, here is a rabbit, which my master, the Marquis of Carabas, +desires me to present to your Majesty." + +"Tell your master," said the King, "that I accept his present, and am +very much obliged to him." + +A few days later, the Cat went and hid himself in a cornfield and laid +his bag open as before. This time two splendid partridges were lured +into the trap, and these also he took to the Palace and presented to the +King from the Marquis of Carabas. The King was very pleased with this +gift, and ordered the messenger of the Marquis of Carabas to be +handsomely rewarded. + +[Illustration] + +For two or three months the Cat went on in this way, carrying game every +day to the Palace, and saying it was sent by the Marquis of Carabas. + +At last the Cat happened to hear that the King was going to take a drive +on the banks of the river, with his daughter, the most beautiful +Princess in the world. He at once went to his master. + +"Master," said he, "if you follow my advice, your fortune will be made. +Go and bathe in the river at a place I shall show you, and I will do the +rest." + +"Very well," said the Miller's son, and he did as the Cat told him. When +he was in the water, the Cat took away his clothes and hid them, and +then ran to the road, just as the King's coach went by, calling out as +loudly as he could-- + +"Help, help! The Marquis of Carabas will be drowned." + +The King looked out of the carriage window, and when he saw the Cat who +had brought him so many fine rabbits and partridges, he ordered his +bodyguards to fly at once to the rescue of the Marquis of Carabas. + +Then the Cat came up to the carriage and told the King that while his +master was bathing some robbers had stolen all his clothes. The King +immediately ordered one of his own magnificent suits of clothes to be +taken to the Marquis; so when the Miller's son appeared before the +monarch and his daughter, he looked so handsome, and was so splendidly +attired, that the Princess fell in love with him on the spot. + +The King was so struck with his appearance that he insisted upon his +getting into the carriage to take a drive with them. + +The Cat, delighted with the way his plans were turning out, ran on +before. He reached a meadow where some peasants were making hay. + +"Good people," said he, "if you do not tell the King, when he comes this +way, that the meadow you are mowing belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, +you shall all be chopped up into little pieces." + +When the King came by, he stopped to ask the haymakers to whom the +meadow belonged. + +"To the Marquis of Carabas, if it please Your Majesty," answered they, +trembling, for the Cat's threat had frightened them terribly. + +The Cat, who continued to run before the carriage, now came to some +reapers. + +"Good people," said he, "if you do not tell the King that all this corn +belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, you shall all be chopped up into +little pieces." + +[Illustration] + +The King again stopped to ask to whom the land belonged, and the +reapers, obedient to the Cat's command, answered-- + +"To the Marquis of Carabas, please Your Majesty." + +And all the way the Cat kept running on before the carriage, repeating +the same instructions to all the laborers he came to; so that the King +became very astonished at the vast possessions of the Marquis of +Carabas. + +At last the Cat arrived at a great castle, where an Ogre lived who was +very rich, for all the lands through which the King had been riding were +part of his estate. The Cat knocked at the castle door, and asked to see +the Ogre. + +The Ogre received him very civilly, and asked him what he wanted. + +"If you please, sir," said the Cat, "I have heard that you have the +power of changing yourself into any sort of animal you please--and I +came to see if it could possibly be true." + +"So I have," replied the Ogre, and in a moment he turned himself into a +lion. This gave the Cat a great fright, and he scrambled up the curtains +to the ceiling. + +"Indeed, sir," he said, "I am now quite convinced of your power to turn +yourself into such a huge animal as a lion; but I do not suppose you can +change yourself into a small one--such as a mouse, for instance?" + +"Indeed, I can," cried the Ogre, indignantly; and in a moment the lion +had vanished, while a little brown mouse frisked about the floor. + +In less than half a second the Cat sprang down from the curtains and, +pouncing upon the mouse, ate him all up before the Ogre had time to +return to any other shape. + +And when the King arrived at the castle gates, there stood the Cat upon +the doorstep, bowing and saying-- + +"Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas!" + +The Marquis helped the King and the Princess to alight, and the Cat led +them into a great hall, where a feast had been spread for the Ogre. + +The King was so delighted with the good looks, the charming manners, and +the great wealth of the Marquis of Carabas, that he said the Marquis +must marry his daughter. + +The Marquis, of course, replied that he should be only too happy; and +the very next day he and the Princess were married. + +As for the Cat, he was given the title of Puss-in-Boots, and ever after +only caught mice for his own amusement. + +[Illustration] + + + + +ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB + +[Illustration] + + +A long time ago, a woodcutter lived with his wife in a small cottage not +far from a great forest. They had seven children--all boys; and the +youngest was the smallest little fellow ever seen. He was called Tom +Thumb. But though he was so small, he was far cleverer than any of his +brothers, and he heard a great deal more than anybody ever imagined. + +It happened that just at this time there was a famine in the land, and +the woodcutter and his wife became so poor that they could no longer +give their boys enough to eat. + +One night--after the boys had gone to bed--the husband sighing deeply, +said-- + +"We cannot feed our children any longer, and to see them starve before +our eyes is more than I can bear. To-morrow morning, therefore, we will +take them into the forest and leave them in the thickest part of it, so +that they will not be able to find their way back." + +[Illustration] + +His wife wept bitterly at the thought of leaving their children to +perish in the forest; but she, too, thought it better than to see them +die before her eyes. So she consented to her husband's plan. + +But all this time Tom Thumb had been awake, and he had overheard all +the conversation. He lay awake a long while thinking what to do. Then, +slipping quietly out of bed, he ran down to the river and filled his +pocket with small white pebbles from the river's brink. + +In the morning the parents called the children, and, after giving them a +crust of bread, they all set out for the wood. Tom Thumb did not say a +word to his brothers of what he had overheard; but, lingering behind, he +dropped the pebbles from his pocket one by one, as they walked, so that +he should be able to find his way home. When they reached a very thick +part of the forest, the father and mother told the children to wait +while they went a little farther to cut wood, but as soon as they were +out of sight they turned and went home by another way. + +When darkness fell, the children began to realize that they were +deserted, and they began to cry loudly. Tom Thumb, however, did not cry. + +"Do not weep, my brothers," he said encouragingly. "Only wait until the +moon rises, and we shall soon be able to find our way home." + +When at length the moon rose, it shone down upon the white pebbles +which Tom Thumb had scattered; and, following this path, the children +soon reached their father's house. + +But at first they were afraid to go in, and waited outside the door to +hear what their parents were talking about. + +[Illustration] + +Now, it happened that when the father and mother reached home, they +found a rich gentleman had sent them ten crowns, in payment for work +which had been done long before. The wife went out at once and bought +bread and meat, and she and her husband sat down to make a hearty meal. +But the mother could not forget her little ones; and at last she cried +to her husband: + +"Alas! where are our poor children? How they would have enjoyed this +good feast!" + +The children, listening at the door, heard this and cried out, "Here we +are, mother; here we are!" and, overjoyed, the mother flew to let them +in and kissed them all round. + +Their parents were delighted to have their little ones with them again; +but soon the ten crowns were spent, and they found themselves as badly +off as before. Once more they agreed to leave the children in the +forest, and once again Tom Thumb overheard them. This time he did not +trouble himself very much; he thought it would be easy for him to do as +he had done before. He got up very early the next morning to go and get +the pebbles; but, to his dismay, he found the house door securely +locked. Then, indeed, he did not know what to do, and for a little while +he was in great distress. However, at breakfast the mother gave each of +the children a slice of bread, and Tom Thumb thought he would manage to +make his piece of bread do as well as the pebbles, by breaking it up and +dropping the crumbs as he went. + +This time the father and mother took the children still deeper and +farther into the wood, and then, slipping away, left them alone. + +Tom Thumb consoled his brothers as before; but when he came to look for +the crumbs of bread, not one of them was left. The birds had eaten them +all up, and the poor children were lost in the forest, with no possible +means of finding their way home. + +[Illustration] + +Tom Thumb did not lose courage. He climbed to the top of a high tree and +looked round to see if there was any way of getting help. In the +distance he saw a light burning, and, coming down from the tree, he led +his brothers toward the house from which it came. + +When they knocked at the door, it was opened by a pleasant-looking +woman, and Tom Thumb told her they were poor children who had lost their +road, and begged her to give them a night's shelter. + +"Alas, my poor children!" said the woman, "you do not know where you +have come to. This is the house of an ogre who eats up little boys and +girls." + +"But, madam," replied Tom Thumb, "what shall we do? If we go back to the +forest we are certain to be torn to pieces by the wolves. We had better, +I think, stay and be eaten by the ogre." + +The ogre's wife had pity on the little things, and she thought she would +be able to hide them from her husband for one night. She took them in, +gave them food, and let them warm themselves by the fire. + +Very soon there came a loud knocking at the door. It was the ogre come +home. His wife hid the children under the bed, and then hurried to let +her husband in. + +No sooner had the ogre entered than he began to sniff this way and +that. "I smell flesh," he said, looking round the room. + +"It must be the calf which has just been killed," said his wife. + +"I smell child's flesh, I tell you!" cried the ogre, and he suddenly +made a dive under the bed, and drew out the children one by one. + +[Illustration] + +"Oh, ho, madam!" said he; "so you thought to cheat me, did you? But, +really, this is very lucky! I have invited three ogres to dinner +to-morrow; these brats will make a nice dish." + +He fetched a huge knife and began sharpening it, while the poor boys +fell on their knees and begged for mercy. But their prayers and +entreaties were useless. The ogre seized one of the children and was +just about to kill him, when his wife said-- + +"What in the world makes you take the trouble of killing them to-night? +Why don't you leave them till the morning? There will be plenty of time, +and they will be much fresher." + +"That is very true," said the ogre, throwing down the knife. "Give them +a good supper, so that they may not get lean, and send them to bed." + +[Illustration] + +Now, the ogre had seven young daughters, who were all about the same age +as Tom Thumb and his brothers. These young ogresses all slept together +in one large bed, and every one of them had a crown of gold on her head. +There was another bed of the same size in the room, and in this the +ogre's wife, having provided them all with nightcaps, put the seven +little boys. + +[Illustration] + +But Tom Thumb was afraid that the ogre might change his mind in the +night, and kill him and his brothers while they were asleep. So he crept +softly out of bed, took off his brothers' nightcaps and his own, and +stole over to the bed where the young ogresses lay. He drew off their +crowns very gently, and put the nightcaps on their heads instead. Then +he put the crowns on his brothers' heads and his own, and got into bed +again. + +[Illustration] + +In the middle of the night the ogre woke up, and began to be sorry that +he had put off killing the boys until the morning. + +"Never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day," he said; and, +jumping out of bed, he got his knife and walked stealthily to the room +where the boys were. He walked up to the bed, and they were all asleep +except Tom Thumb, who, however, kept his eyes fast shut, and did not +show that he was awake. The ogre touched their heads, one after another, +and feeling the crowns of gold, he said to himself: + +"What a mistake I was going to make!" He then went to bed where his own +daughters were sleeping, and, feeling the nightcaps, he said: + +"Oh, ho, here you are, my lads!" and in a moment he had killed them all. +He then went back to his own room to sleep till morning. + +[Illustration] + +As soon as Tom Thumb heard him snoring, he roused his brothers, and told +them to dress quickly and follow him. He led them downstairs and out of +the house; and then, stealing on tiptoe through the garden, they jumped +down from the wall into the road and ran swiftly away. + +In the morning, when the ogre found what a dreadful thing he had done, +he was terribly shocked. + +"Fetch me my seven-league boots," he cried to his wife. "I will go and +catch those young vipers. They shall pay for this piece of work!" And, +drawing on the magic boots, the ogre set out. + +[Illustration] + +He went striding over the country, stepping from mountain to mountain, +and crossing rivers as if they had been streams. The poor children +watched him coming in fear and trembling. They had found the way to +their father's home, and had very nearly reached it when they saw the +ogre racing after them. + +Tom Thumb thought for a moment what was to be done. Then he saw a hollow +place under a large rock. + +"Get in there," he said to his brothers. + +When they were all in he crept in himself, but kept his eyes fixed on +the ogre, to see what he would do. + +[Illustration] + +The ogre, seeing nothing of the children, sat down to rest himself on +the very rock under which the poor boys were hiding. He was tired with +his journey, and soon fell fast asleep, and began to snore so loudly +that the little fellows were terrified. Tom Thumb told his brothers to +creep out softly and run home; which they did. Then he crept up to the +ogre, pulled off the seven-league boots very gently and put them on his +own feet, for being fairy boots they could fit themselves to any foot, +however small. + +As soon as Tom Thumb had put on the ogre's seven-league boots, he took +ten steps to the Palace, which was seventy miles off, and asked to see +the King. He offered to carry news to the King's army, which was then a +long way off; and so useful was he with his magic boots, that in a short +time he had made money enough to keep himself, his father, his mother +and his six brothers without the trouble of working for the rest of +their lives. + +And now let us see what has become of the wicked ogre, whom we left +sleeping on the rock. + +When he awoke he missed his seven-league boots, and set off for home +very angry. + +On his way he had to cross a bog; and, forgetting that he was no longer +wearing his magic boots, he tried to cross it with one stride. But, +instead, he put his foot down in the middle and began to sink. As fast +as he tried to pull out one foot, the other sank deeper, until at last +he was swallowed up in the black slime--and that was the end of him. + + + + +THE THREE BEARS + +[Illustration] + + +There were once three bears who lived together in a little house in the +middle of a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; one was a +Middle-Sized Bear; and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. + +And they each had a pot to eat their porridge from: a little pot for the +Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized pot for the Middle-Sized Bear; +and a great big pot for the Great, Huge Bear. + +And they each had a chair to sit on: a little chair for the Little, +Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized chair for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a +great big chair for the Great, Huge Bear. + +And they each had a bed to sleep in: a little bed for the Little, Small, +Wee Bear; a middle-sized bed for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big +bed for the Great, Huge Bear. + +[Illustration] + +One day they made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into +their porridge-pots, and then went out in the wood for a walk while the +porridge for their breakfast was cooling. And while they were out +walking, a little Old Woman came to the house in the wood and peeped +inside. + +First she peeped through the keyhole; then she peeped through the +window. Then she lifted the latch and peeped through the doorway; and, +seeing nobody in the house, she walked in. And when she saw the porridge +cooling on the table she was very pleased, for she had walked a long +way, and was getting hungry. + +So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was +too hot. Then she tasted the porridge of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that +was too cold. And then she tasted the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee +Bear, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. And +she liked it so much that she ate it all up! + +Then the little Old Woman sat down in the chair of the Great, Huge +Bear, but that was too hard. Then she sat down in the chair of the +Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too soft. Then she sat down in the +chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was neither too hard +nor too soft, but just right. And she liked it so much that she sat +in it until suddenly the bottom came out, and she fell down plump +upon the ground. + +Then the little Old Woman went upstairs into the bedroom, where the +three Bears slept. And first she lay down on the bed of the Great, Huge +Bear, but that was too high at the head for her. Then she lay down on +the bed of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too high at the foot for +her. So then she lay down on the bed of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and +that was neither too high at the head nor too high at the foot, but just +right. And she liked it so much that she covered herself up and lay +there till she fell fast asleep! + +[Illustration] + +By and by the three Bears came home to breakfast. Now, the little Old +Woman had left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his +porridge pot. + + "=Somebody has been at my porridge!=" + +said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. + +And when the Middle-Sized Bear looked, she saw that the spoon was +standing in her porridge-pot too. + + "=Somebody has been at my porridge!=" + +said the Middle-Sized Bear in her middle-sized voice. + +Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked, and there was the spoon in +his porridge-pot; but the porridge was all gone. + + "=Somebody has been at my porridge and has eaten it all up!=" + +said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice. + +[Illustration] + +Then the three Bears began to look about them. Now, the little Old Woman +had not put the hard cushion straight after she had sat in the chair of +the Great, Huge Bear. + + "=Somebody has been sitting in my chair!=" + +said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. + +And the little Old Woman had squashed the soft cushion of the +Middle-Sized Bear. + + "=Somebody has been sitting in my chair!=" + +said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice. + +And you know what the little Old Woman had done to the third chair. + + "=Somebody has been sitting in my chair and has sat the bottom out!=" + +said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice. + +Then the three Bears went upstairs into their bedroom. Now, the little +Old Woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of its +place. + + "=Somebody has been lying in my bed!=" + +said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. + +And the little Old Woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle-Sized Bear +out of its place. + + "=Somebody has been lying in my bed!=" + +said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice. + +And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there was +the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the bolster; +and upon the pillow was the little Old Woman's head, which was not in +its place, for she had no business there at all. + + "=Somebody has been lying in my bed--and here she is!=" + +cried the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice. + +[Illustration] + +The little Old Woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff +voice of the Great, Huge Bear, but she was so fast asleep that it seemed +to her no more than the roaring of the wind, or the rumbling of thunder. +And she had heard the middle-sized voice of the Middle-Sized Bear, but +it was only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when +she heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, +it was so sharp and shrill that it woke her up at once. Up she started, +and when she saw the three Bears, on one side of the bed, she tumbled +out at the other, jumped out of the window and ran away through the wood +to her own home. And the three Bears never saw anything more of her. + + + + +THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL + + +It was dreadfully cold, it was snowing fast, and almost dark; the +evening--the last evening of the Old Year--was drawing in. But cold and +dark as it was, a poor little girl, with bare head and feet, was still +wandering about the streets. When she left her home she had slippers on, +but they were much too large for her--indeed, really, they belonged to +her mother--and had dropped off her feet while she was running very fast +across the road, to get out of the way of two carriages. One of the +slippers was not to be found; the other had been snatched up by a little +boy, who ran off with it thinking it might serve him as a doll's cradle. + +[Illustration] + +So the little girl now walked on, her bare feet quite red and blue with +the cold. She carried a small bundle of matches in her hand, and a good +many more in her tattered apron. No one had bought any of them the +livelong day--no one had given her a single penny. Trembling with cold +and hunger she crept on, the picture of sorrow; poor little child! + +The snowflakes fell on her long fair hair, which curled in such pretty +ringlets over her shoulders; but she thought not of her own beauty, nor +of the cold. Lights were glimmering through every window, and the savor +of roast goose reached her from several houses. It was New Year's Eve, +and it was of this that she thought. + +In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the +other, she sat down, drawing her little feet close under her, but in +vain--she could not warm them. She dared not go home, she had sold no +matches, earned not a single penny, and perhaps her father would beat +her. Besides her home was almost as cold as the street--it was an attic; +and although the larger of the many chinks in the roof were stopped up +with straw and rags, the wind and snow often came through. + +[Illustration] + +Her hands were nearly dead with cold; one little match from her bundle +would warm them, perhaps, if she dare light it. She drew one out, and +struck it against the wall. Bravo! it was a bright, warm flame, and she +held her hands over it. It was quite an illumination for that poor +little girl--nay, call it rather a magic taper--for it seemed to her as +though she were sitting before a large iron stove with brass ornaments, +so beautifully blazed the fire within! The child stretched out her feet +to warm them also. Alas! in an instant the flame had died away, the +stove vanished, the little girl sat cold and comfortless, with the +burnt match in her hand. + +A second match was struck against the wall. It kindled and blazed, and +wherever its light fell the wall became transparent as a veil--the +little girl could see into the room within. She saw the table spread +with a snow-white damask cloth, whereon were ranged shining china +dishes; the roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums, stood at +one end, smoking hot, and--which was pleasantest of all to see-the +goose, with knife and fork still in her breast, jumped down from the +dish, and waddled along the floor right up to the poor child. Then the +match went out, and only the thick, hard wall was beside her. + +She kindled a third match. Again up shot the flame. And now she was +sitting under a most beautiful Christmas tree, far larger, and far more +prettily decked out, than the one she had seen last Christmas Eve +through the glass doors of the rich merchant's house. Hundreds of wax +tapers lighted up the green branches, and tiny painted figures, such as +she had seen in the shop windows, looked down from the tree upon her. +The child stretched out her hands towards them in delight, and in that +moment the light of the match was quenched. Still, however, the +Christmas candles burned higher and higher--she beheld them beaming +like stars in heaven. One of them fell, the lights streaming behind +it like a long, fiery tail. + +[Illustration] + +"Now someone is dying," said the little girl softly, for she had been +told by her old grandmother--the only person who had ever been kind to +her, and who was now dead--that whenever a star falls an immortal spirit +returns to God who gave it. + +She struck yet another match against the wall. It flamed up, and, +surrounded by its light, appeared before her that same dear grandmother, +gentle and loving as always, but bright and happy as she had never +looked during her lifetime. + +"Grandmother!" exclaimed the child, "Oh, take me with you! I know you +will leave me as soon as the match goes out. You will vanish like the +warm fire in the stove, like the splendid New Year's feast, like the +beautiful large Christmas tree!" And she hastily lighted all the +remaining matches in the bundle, lest her grandmother should disappear. +And the matches burned with such a blaze of splendor, that noonday could +scarcely have been brighter. Never had the good old grandmother looked +so tall and stately, so beautiful and kind. She took the little girl in +her arms, and they both flew together--joyfully and gloriously they +flew--higher and higher, till they were in that place where neither +cold, nor hunger, nor pain is ever known--they were in Paradise. + +But in the cold morning hour, crouching in the corner of the wall, the +poor little girl was found--her cheeks glowing, her lips smiling--frozen +to death on the last night of the Old Year. The New Year's sun shone on +the lifeless child. Motionless she sat there with the matches in her +lap, one bundle of them quite burnt out. + +"She has been trying to warm herself, poor thing!" the people said; but +no one knew of the sweet visions she had beheld, or how gloriously she +and her grandmother were celebrating their New Year's festival. + + + + +BEAUTY AND THE BEAST + +[Illustration] + + +There was once a Merchant who had three daughters, the youngest of whom +was so beautiful that everybody called her Beauty. This made the two +eldest very jealous; and, as they were spiteful and bad-tempered by +nature, instead of loving their younger sister they felt nothing but +envy and hatred towards her. + +[Illustration] + +After some years there came a terrible storm at sea, and most of the +Merchant's ships were sunk, and he became very poor. He and his family +were obliged to live in a very small house and do without the servants +and fine clothes to which they had been used. The two eldest sisters did +nothing but weep and lament for their lost fortune, but Beauty did her +best to keep the house bright and cheerful, so that her father might not +miss too much all the comfort and luxury to which he was used. + +One day the Merchant told his daughters that he was going to take a +journey into foreign lands in the hope of recovering some of his +property. Then he asked them what they would like him to bring them +home in case he should be successful. The eldest daughter asked for +fine gowns and beautiful clothing; the second for jewels and gold +and silver trinkets. + +"And Beauty--what would Beauty like?" asked the father. + +Beauty was so happy and contented always that there was scarcely +anything for which she longed. She thought for a moment, then she said: + +[Illustration] + +"I should like best of all a red rose!" The other sisters burst out +laughing and scoffed at Beauty's simple request; but her father promised +to bring her what she wanted. Then he said good-bye to his children and +set out on his travels. + +He was away for nearly a year, and was so fortunate as to win back a +great part of his lost wealth. When the time came for his return, he +was easily able to buy the things his eldest daughters wished for; but +nowhere could he find a red rose to take home to Beauty, and at last he +was obliged to set off without one. + +When he was within a few miles journey of his home, he lost himself in +a thick wood. Darkness came on, and he began to be afraid that he would +have to pass the night under a tree, when suddenly he saw a bright light +shining in the distance. He went towards it, and on his approach found +it came from a great castle that was set right in the heart of the +forest. + +The Merchant made up his mind to ask if he might spend the night there; +but to his surprise, when he reached the door he found it set wide open, +and nobody about. After awhile, finding that no one came in answer to +his repeated knocking, he walked inside. There he found a table laid +with every delicacy, and, being very hungry, he sat down and made a +good repast. After he had finished his supper he laid himself down +on a luxurious couch, and in a few minutes was fast asleep. + +In the morning, after eating a hearty breakfast, which he found prepared +for him, he left the mysterious castle, without having set eyes on a +single person. As he was passing through the garden he found himself in +an avenue of rose-trees, all covered with beautiful red roses. + +[Illustration] + +"Here are such thousands of flowers," he said to himself, "that, surely, +one bud will not be missed;" and, thinking of Beauty, he broke off a +rose from one of the bushes. + +[Illustration] + +Scarcely had he done so when he heard a terrible noise, and, turning +round, he saw coming towards him a hideous Beast, who exclaimed in an +awful tone: + +"Ungrateful wretch! You have partaken of my hospitality, have eaten of +my food, have slept in my house, and in return you try to rob me of my +roses. For this theft you shall die!" + +The Merchant fell on his knees and begged for pardon, but the Beast +would not listen to him. + +"Either you must die now, or else you must swear to send me in your +stead the first living thing that meets you on your return home," he +said; and the Merchant, overcome with terror, and thinking that one of +his dogs would be sure to be the first creature to greet him, gave his +promise. + +But to his horror and dismay, it was his youngest daughter, Beauty, who +first ran out to greet him on his return. She had seen him coming from +afar, and hastened to welcome him home. + +She did not at first understand her father's grief at seeing her; but +when he told her the story of the Beast and his promise she did her +best to comfort him. + +"Do not fear, dear father," she said, "perhaps the Beast will not prove +so terrible as he looks. He spared your life; he may spare mine, since I +have done him no harm." + +Her father shook his head mournfully; but there was no help for it. He +had promised to send the Beast the first living creature that met him +on his return, so he was obliged to send Beauty herself in his place. + +[Illustration] + +When he left Beauty at the palace of the Beast she found everything +prepared for her comfort and convenience. A beautiful bedchamber was +ready for her use; the rooms were filled with everything that she could +possibly want, and in the great hall of the castle a table was set with +every delicacy. And everywhere there were bowls full of red roses. No +servants were visible; but there was no lack of service, for invisible +hands waited upon her and attended to her every want. She had but to +wish, and whatever she wanted was at once placed before her. + +Beauty was filled with astonishment at all this luxury and magnificence. + +"Surely the Beast does not wish to harm me," she thought, "or he would +never have so ordered everything for my comfort." And she waited with a +good courage for the coming of the Lord of the Castle. + +In the evening the beast appeared. He was certainly very terrible to +look at, and Beauty trembled at the sight of the hideous monster. But +she forced herself to appear brave, and, indeed, there was no cause for +her alarm. The Beast was kindness itself, and so gentle and respectful +in his attentions to her that Beauty soon lost all fear. She soon became +very fond of him, and would have been quite happy had it not been for +the thought of her father and sisters, and the grief which she knew her +father would be suffering on her account. The thought of his sorrow made +her sorrowful too; and one night, when the Beast came to visit her at +his usual hour, she was so sad that he asked her what was the matter. + +Then Beauty begged him to let her go and visit her father. The Beast was +very unwilling to grant her request. + +"If I let you go, I am afraid you will never come back to me," he said, +"and then I shall die of grief." + +Beauty promised most earnestly to come back to him if he would only +allow her to spend a few days with her family; and at last the Beast +yielded to her entreaties. + +[Illustration] + +He gave her a ring, saying: + +"Put this on your little finger when you go to bed to-night, and wish; +and in the morning you will find yourself at home in your father's +house. But if you do not return to me at the end of a week, I shall +die of sorrow." + +Beauty's father was almost overcome with joy at seeing his daughter +again, and he was delighted to hear of her happiness and good fortune. +But her two sisters--who in the meantime had married--were more jealous +than ever of their beautiful sister. They were not very happy with their +husbands, who were poor and not over-lovable; and they were very envious +of Beauty's clothes and of all the luxuries with which she told them she +was surrounded. They tried to think of a plan by which they could +prevent their sister from enjoying her good fortune. + +"Let us keep her beyond the week that the Beast has allowed her," they +said; "then, doubtless, he will be so angry that he will kill her." + +So they pretended to be very fond of Beauty, and when the time came for +her return, they overwhelmed her with tears and caresses, begging her +not to leave them, and to stay at least one more day with them. Beauty +was distressed at their grief, and at last she consented to stay just +one more day; though her heart misgave her sorely when she thought of +the poor Beast. + +That night, as she lay in bed, she had a dream. She dreamt that she saw +the Beast dying of sorrow at her forgetfulness; and so real did it seem +that she woke up in an agony of dismay. + +[Illustration] + +"How could I have been so cruel and ungrateful," she cried. "I promised +faithfully that I would return at the end of the week. What will he +think of me for breaking my promise!" + +Hastily rising from bed, she searched for the ring the Beast had given +her. Then putting it on her little finger she wished to be at the Palace +of the Beast again. In a moment she found herself there; and quickly +putting on her clothes she hurried out to look for the Beast. She +searched through room after room; but nowhere could she find him. At +last she ran out into the garden; and there, on a plot of grass, where +he and she had often sat together, she found him lying as if dead upon +the ground. + +With a bitter cry she sank on her knees beside the poor Beast. + +"Oh, Beast; my dear, dear Beast!" she cried. "How could I have been so +cruel and wicked and unkind? He has died of sorrow as he said he would!" +And the tears fell down from her eyes as she spoke. Overcome with grief +and remorse, she stooped down and tenderly kissed the ugly Beast. + +In a moment there was a sudden noise, and Beauty was startled to find +that the ugly Beast had vanished. The Beast was a beast no longer, but a +handsome Prince, who knelt at her feet, thanking her for having broken +his enchantment. + +"A wicked fairy," he said, "condemned me to keep the form of a beast +until a beautiful maiden should forget my ugliness and kiss me. You, by +your love and tenderness, have broken the spell and released me from my +horrible disguise. Now, thanks to you, I can take my proper form again." +And then he begged Beauty to become his bride. + +So Beauty married the Prince who had been a Beast, and they lived +together in the castle and ruled over the Prince's country, and were +happy ever after. + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE STORY OF CINDERELLA + +[Illustration] + + +There was once a rich man, whose wife died, leaving him with one little +girl. After some years, hoping to give his child a mother's love and +care, he married again, this time a widow, with two grown-up daughters. +But his second wife was haughty and proud, and her two daughters were +even worse than their mother; and the poor little girl had a very +unhappy time with her new relations. Her stepsisters were jealous of +her, for she was very beautiful, and they themselves were plain and +ugly. They did all they could to make her miserable; and, at length, +through their wicked spite and envy, her life became a burden to her. +The poor child was sent to live in the kitchen, where she had to do all +the rough and dirty work; and because she was always dressed in rags, +and sat beside the cinders in the grate, they called her Cinderella. + +It happened that the King of the country had an only son. He was very +anxious that the Prince should be married; so he gave a great ball, and +invited all the grand ladies in the country to come to it. It was to be +a very splendid affair, lasting for three nights, and people were very +eager to be invited to it, for it was known that the Prince would choose +his bride from among the ladies present. + +Cinderella's sisters received invitations; and from the day they arrived +they talked of nothing but of what they should wear, for each of them +secretly hoped that she would be chosen as the Prince's bride. + +When the great day came at last, they began to dress for the ball +directly after breakfast. Cinderella had to help them; and they kept +her busy all day doing their hair, and running messages, and helping +them to lace up their fine dresses. + +When Cinderella saw their beautiful clothes she wished that she could +go to the ball as well; but when she timidly asked if she might, they +laughed in mocking scorn. + +"You go to the ball!" they cried. "What would you do at the ball, with +your rags and tatters and your dirty face? No, no, Cinderella, go back +to your seat amongst the ashes--that is the place for a little kitchen +girl like you!" + +So the two sisters and their mother drove away in a carriage and pair to +the King's palace, and Cinderella was left behind. She sat down on the +hearth before the kitchen fire and began to cry softly to herself, +because she felt so very lonely and miserable. + +As she sat there in the dusk, with the firelight dancing over her, and +her face buried in her hands, she heard a voice calling: + +"Cinderella, Cinderella!" and with a start she looked up to see who it +could be. + +There on the hearth in front of her stood an old woman, leaning upon a +stick. She was dressed in a long red cloak, and she wore high-heeled +shoes and a tall black hat. + +[Illustration] + +Where she had come from Cinderella could not imagine. She certainly had +not come in through the door, nor yet through the window for both were +shut. + +Cinderella was so surprised to see her that she stopped crying, and +stared at her in astonishment. + +"What are you crying for?" asked the old woman. + +"Because my mother and sisters have gone to the ball, and I am left here +all alone," said Cinderella. + +"Do you want to go to the ball, too!" said the old lady. + +"Yes, but it is no good; I have nothing but rags to wear," sobbed poor +Cinderella. + +"Well, well, be a good child and don't cry any more," said the old +woman, briskly. "I am your Fairy Godmother, and if you do what I tell +you, perhaps you shall go after all. Run out into the garden and bring +me in a pumpkin!" + +Cinderella ran out into the garden and brought in the biggest pumpkin +that she could find. + +"Now go and fetch the mouse-trap out of the cellar," said her Godmother, +and Cinderella hurried to get it. There were six mice in the trap, and +the old woman harnessed them to the pumpkin, put a rat on the top to +drive them, and two lizards behind, and then waved her wand over them. +Immediately the pumpkin turned into a gorgeous coach, the mice into six +beautiful horses, the rat into a stately coachman, and the lizards into +tall footmen, with powdered hair and silk stockings. "There," said the +old woman; "there's a carriage to take you to the ball." + +[Illustration] + +"Alas," said Cinderella, "how can I go to the ball? I have nothing to +wear but this!" and she touched her ragged frock. + +"Is that all?" said the Fairy Godmother. Once more she waved her wand, +and Cinderella's rags turned into the most beautiful dress in the world, +all shining with gold and silver threads and covered with costly gems. +In her hair was a circlet of pearls, and her feet were shod with the +prettiest and daintiest pair of glass slippers that ever were seen. + +"Now," said the Fairy Godmother, "now you can go to the ball. But mind +you come away before the clock strikes twelve, for should you linger +beyond that hour, all your splendor will vanish, and your dress will +turn into rags again." + +Cinderella promised to obey her Godmother's instructions. Then she got +into the beautiful coach. The footman shut the door, the coachman +whipped up the horses, and away she went to the ball. + +When she arrived there was a great stir in the Palace. So lovely a face +and so costly and rich a dress had never before been seen, and everybody +thought it must be some great Princess arrived from foreign lands. + +[Illustration] + +All the courtiers and other guests stood back to let her pass, and when +the Prince caught sight of her he fell in love with her on the spot. He +danced with her the whole of the evening, and people thought there was +no doubt as to whom he would choose for his bride. + +At a quarter to twelve, Cinderella, remembering her Godmother's +instructions, said good-bye to the Prince and came away. + +She arrived home just as the clock struck twelve. At once the coachman +and footmen turned back into rats and mice, and the coach into a +pumpkin; and when the sisters came home a little later, there was +Cinderella, dressed in her old shabby frock, sitting in her usual place +amongst the cinders. + +The two ugly sisters were full of the strange Princess who had come to +the ball. They talked about her all the next day, little dreaming that +all the while the beautiful lady was their despised sister Cinderella. + +In the evening after they had gone again to the ball, the Fairy +Godmother made her appearance. Once more Cinderella drove to the Palace +in her coach and six; this time arrayed in a still more gorgeous and +beautiful dress; and once more the Prince danced with her all the +evening. + +[Illustration] + +But when the third night came Cinderella was enjoying herself so much +that she quite forgot what her Fairy Godmother had said, until suddenly +she heard the clock begin to strike twelve. She remembered that as soon +as it finished striking, all her fine clothes would turn to rags again; +and, jumping up in alarm, she ran out of the room. The Prince ran after +her, trying to overtake her; and Cinderella in her fright ran so fast +that she left one of her little glass slippers on the floor behind her. + +The Prince stopped to pick it up, and this gave Cinderella time to +escape; but she was only just in time. Just as she was crossing the +Palace yard, the clock finished striking, and immediately all her finery +vanished; and there she was, dressed in her old ragged frock again. + +When the Prince came out upon the Palace steps, he could see no sign of +the lovely Princess. The guards at the gate told him that nobody at all +had passed that way, except a little ragged kitchenmaid; and the Prince +had to go back to the ball with only a little glass slipper to remind +him of the beautiful lady with whom he was so desperately in love. + +The next day the King sent out all his heralds and trumpeters with a +Proclamation, saying that the Prince would marry the lady whose foot +the slipper fitted. But though all the ladies in the land tried on the +slipper it would fit none of them--their feet were all too big! + +At last the heralds came to the house where Cinderella lived. The eldest +stepsister tried the slipper on first, but it was quite impossible for +her to get her foot into it, for her great toe was too big. Then her +mother, who was watching eagerly, fetched a carving-knife. + +[Illustration] + +"Be quick, cut the toe off," she said; "what does it matter if you are +lame--if you are the Prince's bride you will always ride in a carriage!" + +So the eldest sister cut off her big toe, but it was no use, the slipper +would not fit, and at last she was obliged to hand it to her sister. + +But the other sister had no better luck. She did, indeed, get her toes +inside, but her foot was much too long, and her heel stuck out behind. +The mother urged her to cut it off. + +"What does it matter?" she said. "If you are the Prince's bride you will +never need to walk any more." + +But although she cut her heel off, the slipper was still too small; and +at length she, too, had to give up the attempt to force her foot into +it. + +Then Cinderella came shyly out from behind the door where she had been +standing out of sight, and asked if she might try on the slipper. Her +stepmother and sisters were very angry, and were about to drive her away +with blows, but the herald stopped them. + +"The Prince wishes every woman in the land to try on this slipper," he +said; and asking Cinderella to sit on a chair, he knelt down and tried +the slipper on her foot. + +And it fitted her exactly! + +While everyone stood and stared in astonishment, Cinderella drew from +her pocket the other slipper and put it on. No sooner had she done so +than her ragged frock changed into the beautiful ball dress again, and +she stood up before them all--the beautiful lady with whom the Prince +had fallen in love at the ball. + +The Prince was overjoyed to find her again; and they were married at +once with much pomp amid great rejoicings. + +As for the wicked sisters they were so jealous that they both turned +green with envy. They grew uglier and uglier every day, until at last +they grew so dreadfully ugly that nobody could bear to look at them any +longer. But Cinderella became more and more beautiful, and lived happily +with the Prince for ever afterwards. + + + + +JACK THE GIANT KILLER + +[Illustration] + + +In the reign of King Arthur there lived in the County of Cornwall a +worthy farmer, who had an only son, named Jack. Jack was strong and +brave and very daring, and was never backward when danger was in the +way. + +Now, in those days there lived a huge giant in a gloomy cavern on St. +Michael's Mount, which rises out of the sea near the shores of Cornwall. +The Cornish people had suffered greatly from his thefts and pillaging; +for he used to wade through the sea to the mainland, and carry off half +a dozen or more of their oxen at a time. + +At last Jack made up his mind to destroy this monster. He took a horn, +a shovel, a pickaxe, and a dark lantern, and one winter's evening swam +over the sea to the Mount. Then he set to work, and before morning had +dug a great pit. He covered it carefully over with sticks and straw, +and strewed some earth on the top to make it look like solid ground. +And then he blew his horn so loudly that the Giant awoke, and came +out roaring like thunder: + +"You impudent villain--you shall pay dearly for disturbing my rest. I +will broil you for my breakfast!" + +But almost as he spoke, he tumbled headlong into the pit. + +"Oh, ho, Mr. Giant!" said Jack. "How is your appetite now! Will nothing +serve you for breakfast but broiling poor Jack?" Then he struck the +giant such a blow on the head with a pickaxe that he killed him. + +When the Justices of Cornwall heard of this valiant deed, they sent +for Jack, and declared that he should always be called Jack the Giant +Killer; and they gave him a sword, and a belt upon which was written, +in letters of gold: + + "This is the valiant Cornishman + Who slew the giant Cormoran." + +[Illustration] + +There was another giant in England called Blunderbore, who vowed to take +revenge on Jack for this exploit. One day, as Jack was passing through a +wood on a journey to Wales, he fell asleep by the side of a fountain. +The Giant, coming along, found him there; and, seeing by the writing on +the belt who Jack was, he lifted him on his shoulder and carried him off +to his castle. + +When Jack awoke and found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore he was +terribly frightened. The giant carried him into a room and locked him +up, while he went to fetch another giant who lived close by to help him +eat Jack for dinner. While he was gone, Jack heard dreadful shrieks and +groans from different parts of the castle, and soon after he heard a +mournful voice saying: + + "Haste, valiant stranger, haste away, + Lest you become the giant's prey. + On his return he'll bring another, + Still more savage than his brother; + A horrid, cruel monster, who + Before he kills will torture you!" + +Poor Jack looked out of the window, which was just over the gate of the +castle, and saw two giants coming along arm in arm. + +[Illustration] + +"Now," thought he, "death or freedom is at hand." There happened to +be two strong cords in the room, and Jack made a large noose with a +slip-knot in each of them. Then, just as the giants were coming through +the gate he threw the ropes over their heads, and, fastening the other +ends to a beam in the ceiling, he pulled the ropes with all his might +until he had nearly strangled the giants. Then he drew his sword and +slipped down the ropes and killed them both. + +Next Jack took the keys from Giant Blunderbore and searched through the +castle. In one of the rooms he found three ladies who told him that +their husbands had been killed by the giant, who had afterwards +condemned them to be starved to death. + +[Illustration] + +Jack gave them the castle and all the riches it contained to make some +amends for the dreadful pains they had suffered, and then went on his +way. + +After traveling some days, he lost himself in a lonely valley; but, when +he had wandered about some while, he at length succeeded in finding a +large house. He went up to it and knocked loudly at the gate, when, to +his great horror, a monstrous giant with two heads came forth. He spoke +very civilly, however, and took Jack into the house, leading him to a +room where there was a good bed, in which he could pass the night. + +Jack took off his clothes; but, though he was very tired, he could not +go to sleep. Presently he heard the giant walking about in the +bedchamber, which was the next room, saying to himself: + + "Though here you lodge with me this night; + You shall not see the morning light; + My club shall dash your brains out quite." + +When he heard this, Jack got out of bed, and, taking a large, thick +piece of wood, he laid it in his own place in the bed, and hid himself +in a dark corner of the room. + +In the middle of the night, the giant came with his great club, and +struck several heavy blows upon the bed. Then he went off, thinking he +had broken all Jack's bones. + +Early next morning Jack walked into the giant's room and thanked him +for the night's lodging. The giant was terribly startled to see him, +and stammered out: + +"Oh, dear me! Is it you? Pray, how did you sleep last night? Did you +hear or see anything to disturb you?" + +"Nothing worth speaking of, thank you," answered Jack, carelessly. "A +rat, I believe, gave me three or four slaps with his tail; but that was +all." + +The giant said nothing; but went and fetched two bowls of hasty pudding +for their breakfast. + +Jack did not wish the giant to think that he could not eat as much as +himself, so he contrived to fasten a leathern bag inside his coat. He +then managed to slip the pudding into this bag, while pretending to eat +it. When breakfast was done, he said to the giant: + +"Now I will show you a fine trick. I can cure all wounds with a touch. +You shall see an example." He then took a knife, ripped up the leathern +bag, and all the hasty pudding tumbled out upon the floor. + +"Ods splutter hur nails!" cried the giant, who was ashamed to be outdone +by such a little fellow. "Hur can do that hurself!" and, snatching up +the knife, he plunged it into his stomach and fell down dead. + +[Illustration] + +After this, Jack went farther on his journey. In a few days he met King +Arthur's only son, who was traveling into Wales to deliver a beautiful +lady from the power of a wicked magician. Jack attached himself to the +Prince, and they traveled on together. + +The Prince was very generous, and soon gave away all the money he +possessed. + +After having parted with his last penny to an old beggar-woman, he was +very uneasy as to where they were to pass the night. + +[Illustration] + +"Sir," said Jack, "two miles farther on there lives a giant with three +heads, who can fight five hundred men at once and make them fly. I will +go on and visit him--do you wait here until I return." + +Jack rode on to the gates of the castle, and gave a loud knock. The +giant, with a voice like thunder, roared out: + +"Who is there?" + +"No one but your poor Cousin Jack." + +"Well, what news, Cousin Jack?" + +"Dear Uncle, I have bad news for you. Here is the King's son coming +with two thousand men to kill you!" + +"Cousin Jack, this is bad news indeed! But I have a large cellar +underground, where I shall hide myself, and you shall lock, bolt +and bar me in until the King's son is gone." + +So Jack locked, bolted and barred the giant in the cellar, and then +went back and fetched the Prince, and they feasted and made merry, +and spent the night very comfortably in the castle. + +[Illustration] + +In the morning Jack gave the Prince gold and silver from the giant's +treasury. Then the Prince set forth on his journey, while Jack let +the giant out of the cellar. + +The giant thanked Jack very much for saving him, and asked what he +should give him as a reward? + +"Why, good Uncle," said Jack, "I desire nothing but the coat and cap, +with the rusty sword and the slippers which are hanging beside the +bed." + +"Take them," said the giant, "and keep them for my sake. They will be +very useful to you. The coat will make you invisible; the cap will give +you knowledge; the sword will cut through anything, no matter what it +may be, and the shoes are of vast swiftness." + +Jack took the gifts, thanked the giant, and then quickly caught up with +the Prince. + +After a few day's further journey they reached the dwelling of the +beautiful lady whom the Prince had come to rescue. + +She received the Prince very graciously and made a feast for him. When +it was ended she rose, and, taking her handkerchief, said: + +"My lord; to-morrow morning I command you to tell me on whom I have +bestowed this handkerchief--or else lose your head." + +[Illustration] + +The Prince went to bed very mournfully; but Jack put on the cap of +knowledge, which told him that the lady was forced by the power of +enchantment to meet the wicked magician every night in the forest. + +He, therefore, put on his coat of darkness, and his shoes of swiftness, +and was there before her. When the lady came, she gave the handkerchief +to the magician. Jack with his sword of sharpness cut off his head with +one blow; and the enchantment was ended in a minute. + +The next day the lady was married to the Prince, and soon after went +with her husband to the Court of King Arthur, where Jack was made one +of the Knights of the Round Table for his heroism. + +[Illustration] + +Very soon Jack set off in search of new adventures. On the third day of +his travel he came to a wide forest. Hardly had he entered it when he +heard dreadful shrieks and cries, and soon he saw a monstrous giant +dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and a +beautiful lady. Their tears and cries melted Jack's heart. He alighted +from his horse, and put on his invisible coat, and immediately attacked +the giant. He could not reach up to the giant's body; so, taking a +mighty blow, he cut off both the monster's legs just below the garter, +so that he fell full length upon the ground. Then Jack set his foot upon +his neck and plunged his sword into the giant's body. + +[Illustration] + +The knight and the lady, overjoyed, begged Jack to come to their house +to refresh himself after this fight; but Jack, hearing that the giant +had a brother who was more cruel and wicked even than himself, would +not rest until he had also destroyed him. + +Soon he came in sight of the cavern where the giants lived. There was +the other giant sitting on a huge block of timber, with a knotted iron +club lying by his side. Jack, in his coat of darkness, was quite +invisible. He drew close up to the giant and struck a blow at his head +with his sword of sharpness; but he missed his aim and only cut off his +nose. The giant roared with pain, and his roars were like claps of +thunder. He took up his iron club and began to lay about him, but not +being able to see Jack, he could not hit him; for Jack slipped nimbly +behind, and jumping upon the block of wood, stabbed the giant in the +back; and after a few howls, the monster dropped down dead. + +Having thus killed the two monsters Jack entered the cave to search for +the treasure. One room contained a great boiling cauldron and a dining +table, where the giants feasted. Another part of the cave was barred +with iron and was full of miserable men and women whom the giants had +imprisoned. Jack set them all free and divided the treasure among them. + +Jack cut off the giant's head, and sent it with the head of his brother +to the Court of King Arthur; then he returned to the house of the knight +and his lady. + +He was received with the greatest joy; and the knight gave a grand feast +in his honor. When all the company was gathered together, the knight +presented Jack with a ring, on which was engraved the picture of the +giant dragging the knight and the lady by the hair, with this motto +round it-- + + "Behold, in dire distress were we, + Under a giant's fierce command, + But gained our lives and liberty + From valiant Jack's victorious hand." + +But while the merriment was at its height, a herald rushed into the room +and told the company that Thundel, a savage giant with two heads, had +heard of the death of his two kinsmen, and was come to take his revenge +on Jack. The guests trembled with terror and fright; but Jack only drew +his sword and said, "Let him come!" + +[Illustration] + +The knight's house was surrounded by a moat over which there was a +drawbridge. Jack set men to work to cut the bridge on both sides, nearly +to the middle, and then, dressed in his magic coat, went out to meet the +giant. As the giant came along, although he could not see Jack, yet he +could tell that someone was near for he cried out: + + "Fa, fe, fi, fo, fum, + I smell the blood of an Englishman + Be he alive, or be he dead, + I'll grind his bones to make my bread." + +"Say you so, my friend," cried Jack. "You are indeed a monstrous +miller!" + +"Ah!" cried the giant; "you are the villain that killed my kinsmen! I +will tear you with my teeth, and grind your bones to powder!" + +[Illustration] + +"You must catch me first!" said Jack. Then he threw off his coat and put +on his shoes of swiftness, and began to run, the giant following him +like a walking castle. Jack led him round and round the house, and then +he ran over the drawbridge, while the giant rushed after him with his +club. But when he came to the middle of the bridge, where it had been +cut on both sides, his great weight broke it, and he tumbled into the +water. + +Jack now got a cart rope and flung it over his two heads, and then, by +the help of a team of horses, drew him to the edge of the moat, where +he cut off his heads. + +Once again, Jack set out in search of new adventures. He went over +fields and dales without meeting with any, until he came to the foot of +a high mountain. Here was a little, lonely house; and when he knocked at +the door it was opened by an old man with a beard as white as snow. This +old man was a good hermit, and when Jack had eaten well, he said: + +[Illustration] + +"My son, I know that you are the famous conqueror of giants. I know, at +the top of this mountain there is an enchanted castle, kept by a giant +named Galligantes, who, by the help of a magician, gets many knights +into his power--whom he changes into beasts. Above all, I lament the +hard fate of a duke's daughter, whom they have changed into a deer. Many +knights have tried to destroy the enchantment, yet none have been able +to do so, because of two fiery griffins who guard the gates of the +castle. But as you, my son, have an invisible coat, you may pass them by +without being seen. On the gates of the castle you will find engraved +the means by which the enchantment may be broken." + +Jack promised that in the morning he would risk his life in an endeavor +to break the enchantment; and, after a sound sleep, he arose early and +set out on his attempt. + +He passed by the fiery griffins without the least fear of danger; for +they could not see him, because of his invisible coat. + +On the castle gate he found a golden trumpet hanging, under which were +written these words-- + + "Whoever can this trumpet blow, + Shall cause the giant's overthrow." + +Jack seized the golden trumpet and blew a mighty blast, which made the +gates fly open and shook the castle to its foundations. The giant and +the magician, knowing that their end was now near, stood biting their +thumbs and shaking with terror. Jack, with his magic sword, soon killed +the giant, and the magician was carried off by a whirlwind. The castle +vanished away like smoke, and the duke's daughter and all the knights +and lovely ladies who had been turned into birds and beasts returned to +their proper shape. + +Jack's fame rang through the whole country, and the King gave him a +large estate to reward him for all his brave and knightly deeds. And +Jack married the duke's daughter, and lived in joy and contentment for +the rest of his days. + + + + +JACK AND THE BEANSTALK + +[Illustration] + + +Jack was an idle, lazy boy who would do no work to support his widowed +mother; and at last they both came to such poverty that the poor woman +had to sell her cow to buy food to keep them from starving. She sent +Jack to market with the cow, telling him to be sure and sell it for a +good price. + +[Illustration] + +As Jack was going along the road to market he met a butcher. The butcher +offered to buy the cow in exchange for a hatful of colored beans. Jack +thought the beans looked very pretty, and he was glad to be saved the +long hot walk to market; so he struck the bargain on the spot and went +back to his mother with the beans, while the butcher went off with the +cow. + +But the poor widow was very disappointed. She scolded her son for an +idle, lazy, good-for-nothing boy, and flung the beans out of the window +in a passion. + +[Illustration] + +Now the beans were magic beans, and the next morning, when Jack awoke, +he found some of them had taken root in the night and had grown so tall, +that they reached right up into the sky. + +Jack was full of wonder and curiosity; and, being fond of adventure and +excitement, he set out at once to climb the beanstalk, to see what was +up at the top of it. + +And he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he +climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed--until at last he climbed right +up to the very tiptop of the beanstalk. + +Then he found himself standing in a strange country. In the distance +he could see a big castle; and, as he was hot and tired with his long +climb, he thought he would go and ask for something to eat and drink. + +He had not gone very far before he met a fairy, who told him that the +castle belonged to a wicked ogre, who had killed and eaten a great +number of people. + +[Illustration] + +"It was he who killed your father," she said. "And it is your duty to do +your utmost to destroy the wicked monster. Go now, and see what you can +do. If you can carry off any of his treasures you are at liberty to do +so--for none of them really belongs to him. He has taken them all by +force from the people whom he has robbed and killed." + +Jack was delighted at the idea of this adventure, and set off in high +spirits towards the castle. + +The castle was farther off than he had thought, and by the time he +reached the gates, it was so late that he made up his mind to ask +for a night's lodging. There was a woman standing in the doorway; +but when Jack made his request, she was very frightened, and said-- + +"Indeed, I dare not take you in and give you food and lodging. My +husband is an ogre who lives on human flesh. If he were to find you +here, he would think nothing of eating you up in three mouthfuls. I +advise you to go away at once, before he comes home." + +But when she saw how tired and hungry Jack really was, she took him into +the house and gave him plenty to eat and drink. While Jack was eating +his food in the kitchen there came a loud knocking at the door. The +ogre's wife, in a great flurry, hid Jack in the oven, and then hurried +to let her husband in. Jack peeped through the oven door, and saw a +terrible-looking ogre, who came stamping into the kitchen, and said in +a voice like thunder-- + +"Wife, I smell fresh meat!" + +"It is only the people you are fattening in the dungeon," said the wife. + +So the ogre sat down and ate his supper. After supper, he commanded his +wife to bring him his money-bags. He then began to count his +money--thousands and thousands of pieces of gold and silver. + +[Illustration] + +Jack wished he could take some of this money home to his mother; and, +presently, when the ogre fell asleep, he crept out of his hiding-place, +and hoisting the bags upon his shoulder, slipped quietly away with them. +The ogre was snoring so loudly that it sounded like the wind in the +chimney on a stormy night. So he never heard the little noise Jack +made, and Jack got safely away and escaped down the beanstalk. + +His mother was overjoyed to see him, for she had been very anxious about +him when he did not come home the night before; and she was delighted +with the bags of money, which were enough to keep them in comfort and +luxury for some time. + +For many months Jack and his mother lived happily together; but after a +while the money came to an end, and Jack made up his mind to climb the +beanstalk again, and carry off some more of the ogre's treasures. So one +morning he got up early, put on a different suit of clothes, so that the +ogre's wife should not recognize him, and set out to climb the +beanstalk. + +[Illustration: _Jack and the Beanstalk_ +Down Came the Beanstalk, Down Came the Ogre] + +And he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he +climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed--until at last he climbed to the +very top and found himself in the ogre's country again. + +When he reached the castle the ogre's wife was again standing in the +doorway. But when Jack asked for a night's lodging, she said she dared +not give him one, for only a few months before she had taken in a poor +boy who seemed half dead with fatigue and hunger, and in return for her +kindness, he had stolen some of her husband's money and run away in the +night. + +But Jack begged so hard that at last she relented. She gave him a good +supper and hid him in a closet before her husband came home. + +Presently there was a great noise outside and heavy footsteps that shook +the castle to its foundations. It was the ogre come home. As soon as he +entered the kitchen, he sniffed suspiciously, and said: + +"I smell fresh meat!" + +"It is only the crows on the housetops," said his wife. "They have +brought home a piece of carrion for their young." + +After supper, the ogre told his wife to fetch his hen. This hen was a +very wonderful bird. Whenever the ogre said "Lay" she laid an egg of +solid gold. Jack thought that if he could only get this wonderful hen +to take home to his mother, they would never want any more. So when +the ogre fell asleep--as he did after a little while--he came out of +the closet, and, seizing the hen in his arms, made off with her. The +hen squawked, but the ogre's snoring was like the roaring of the sea +when the tide is coming in, and Jack got safely down the beanstalk. + +The hen laid so many golden eggs that Jack and his mother became quite +rich and prosperous; and there was really no need for Jack to go again +to the ogre's country. But he liked the danger and excitement, and he +remembered that the fairy had told him to take as many of the ogre's +treasures as he could; and at last, without saying a word to anybody, +he started off once more to climb the magic beanstalk. + +And he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed, and he +climbed, and he climbed, and he climbed--until at last he reached the +very tiptop, and stood in the ogre's country. + +This time when he reached the castle he began to be afraid that the +ogre's wife really would not let him in. + +"Indeed and indeed, I dare not," she said. "Twice lately have I +given shelter to a wayfaring youth, and each time he stole some of +my husband's treasures, and made off with them. Now my husband has +forbidden me, on pain of instant death, to give food or lodging +to any traveler." + +But Jack pleaded and pleaded, and at last the good-natured woman, moved +to pity by his travel-stained appearance, gave way and let him into the +castle. + +[Illustration] + +When the ogre came home, the wife hid Jack in the copper. As usual, the +ogre's first words were: + +"Wife, wife, I smell fresh meat!" And, in spite of all his wife could +say, he insisted upon searching all round the room. Jack was in a +terrible fright whilst he was hunting: but fortunately, he forgot to +look in the copper, and after a time he sat down to his supper. + +When supper was over, the ogre told his wife to fetch his harp. Jack +peeped out of the copper and saw the harp brought in and set down +before the ogre. It was marvelously made; and when the ogre said "Play!" +it played the finest music without being touched. Jack was enchanted, +for he had never before heard such wonderful music, and he felt that he +must have the harp for his own. + +The ogre was soon lulled to sleep by the sweet sound of the harp; and +when he was snoring heavily, Jack crept out of the copper, and taking up +the harp was about to make off with it. But the harp was a fairy harp, +and it called out loudly: "Master, master, master;" and, although the +ogre was snoring so noisily that it was like the sound of a hundred +dragons roaring at once, yet to Jack's dismay and horror he heard the +voice of his harp, and, starting to his feet with a bellow of anger, +rushed after the daring thief. + +Jack ran faster than he had ever run in his life before--still carrying +the precious harp--while the ogre ran after him, shouting and roaring +and making such a noise that it sounded like a thousand thunder storms +all going at once. If he had not drunk so much wine for supper, the ogre +must very soon have caught Jack; but as it was, the wine had got into +his head, and so he could not run nearly so fast as usual, and Jack +reached the beanstalk just in front of him. + +It was a very close shave. Jack slid down the beanstalk at his top +speed, calling at the top of his voice for his mother to fetch him an +axe. The ogre came tumbling down the beanstalk after him; but Jack +seized the axe and chopped the beanstalk off close to the root. Down +came the beanstalk, down came the ogre, and falling headlong into the +garden he was killed on the spot. + +After this, Jack quite gave up his lazy, idle ways, and he and his +mother, with the magic hen and the wonderful harp, lived in happiness +and prosperity the rest of their lives. + +[Illustration] + + + + +DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT + +[Illustration] + + +In the reign of King Edward the Third there was a poor orphan boy, named +Dick Whittington, living in a country village a long way from London. He +was a sharp little lad, and the stories that he heard of London being +paved with gold made him long to visit that city. + +One day, a large wagon and eight horses, with bells at their heads, +drove through the village. Dick thought it must be going to London, so +he asked the driver to let him walk by the side of the wagon. As soon as +the driver heard that poor Dick had neither father nor mother, and saw +by his ragged clothes that he could not be worse off than he was, he +told him he might go if he would; so they set off together. + +Dick got safely to London, and was in such a hurry to see the fine +streets paved with gold, that he ran through many of them, thinking +every moment to come to those that were paved with gold; for Dick had +seen a guinea three times in his own little village, and remembered what +a lot of money it brought in change; so he thought he had nothing to do +but to take up some little bits of pavement, and he would then have as +much money as he could wish for. Poor Dick ran till he was tired, and +had quite forgotten his friend the driver. At last, finding it grow +dark, and that every way he turned he saw nothing but dirt instead of +gold, he sat down in a dark corner, and cried himself to sleep. Next +morning, being very hungry, he got up and walked about, and asked +everybody he met to give him a halfpenny to keep him from starving. +At last, a good-natured-looking gentleman saw how hungry he looked. + +"Why don't you go to work, my lad?" said he. + +"I would," answered Dick, "but I do not know how to get any." + +"If you are willing," said the gentleman, "come with me;" and so +saying, he took him to a hayfield, where Dick worked briskly, and lived +merrily till the hay was all made. After this, he found himself as badly +off as before; and being almost starved again, he laid himself down at +the door of Mr. Fitzwarren, a rich merchant. Here the cook, an +ill-tempered woman, called out to poor Dick: + +"What business have you there, you lazy rogue? If you do not take +yourself away, we will see how you like a sousing of some dish-water I +have here, that is hot enough to make you jump." + +[Illustration] + +At this time Mr. Fitzwarren himself came home to dinner; and when he saw +a dirty ragged boy lying at the door, he said, in a kind and gentle +voice: + +"Why do you lie there, my lad? you seem old enough to work; I am afraid +you are lazy." + +"No, sir," said Dick to him. "I would work with all my heart; but I do +not know anybody, and I am sick for want of food." + +"Poor fellow!" answered Mr. Fitzwarren; "get up, and let me see what +ails you." + +Dick tried to rise, but was too weak to stand, for he had not eaten +anything for three days. So the kind merchant ordered him to be taken +into the house, and have a good dinner given to him; and to be kept to +do what dirty work he could for the cook. + +Dick would have lived happily in this good family, if it had not been +for the ill-natured cook, who was finding fault and scolding him from +morning till night; and, besides, she was so fond of basting, that, +when she had no roast meat to baste, she would be basting poor Dick. + +But though the cook was so ill-tempered, the footman was quite +different. He had lived in the family many years, and was an elderly +man, and very kind-hearted. He had once a little son of his own, who +died when about the age of Dick; so he could not help feeling pity for +the poor boy, and sometimes gave him a halfpenny to buy gingerbread or +a top. The footman was fond of reading, and used often in the evening to +entertain the other servants with some amusing book. Little Dick took +pleasure in hearing this good man, which made him wish very much to +learn to read too; so the next time the footman gave him a halfpenny, +he bought a little book with it; and with the footman's help, Dick soon +learnt his letters, and afterwards to read. + +[Illustration] + +About this time, Miss Alice, Mr. Fitzwarren's daughter, was going out +one morning for a walk, and Dick was told to put on a suit of good +clothes that Mr. Fitzwarren gave him, and walk behind her. As they went, +Miss Alice saw a poor woman with one child in her arms and another on +her back. She pulled out her purse and gave the woman some money; but as +she was putting it into her pocket again, she dropped it on the ground +and walked on. It was lucky that Dick was behind, and saw what she had +done, for he picked up the purse and gave it to her again. Another time, +when Miss Alice was sitting with the window open and amusing herself +with a favorite parrot, it suddenly flew away to the branch of a high +tree, where all the servants were afraid to venture after it. As soon as +Dick heard of this, he pulled off his coat, and climbed up the tree as +nimbly as a squirrel; and, after a great deal of trouble, caught her and +brought her down safely to his mistress. Miss Alice thanked him, and +liked him ever after for this. + +The ill-humored cook was now a little kinder; but, besides this, Dick +had another hardship to get over. His bed stood in a garret, where there +were so many holes in the floor and the walls, that every night he was +waked in his sleep by the rats and mice, which ran over his face, and +made such a noise that he sometimes thought the walls were tumbling down +about him. One day, a gentleman who came to see Mr. Fitzwarren wanted +his shoes polished; Dick took great pains to make them shine, and the +gentleman gave him a penny. With this he thought he would buy a cat; so +the next day, seeing a little girl with a cat under her arm, he went up +to her, and asked if she would let him have it for a penny. The girl +said she would, and that it was a very good mouser. Dick hid the cat in +the garret, and always took care to carry a part of his dinner to her; +and in a short time he had no more trouble from the rats and mice. + +[Illustration] + +Soon after, his master had a ship ready to sail; and as he thought it +right all his servants should have some chance for good fortune as well +as himself, he called them into the parlor, and asked them if they +wanted to take a share in the trading trip. They all had some money that +they were willing to venture, except poor Dick, who had neither money +nor goods. For this reason he did not come into the parlor with the +rest; but Miss Alice guessed what was the matter, and ordered him to be +called in. She then said she would put in money for him from her own +purse; but her father told her this would not do, for Dick must send +something of his own. When poor Dick heard this, he said he had nothing +but a cat. + +"Fetch your cat then, my good boy," said Mr. Fitzwarren, "and let her +go." + +Dick went upstairs and brought down poor puss, and gave her to the +captain with tears in his eyes. All the company laughed at Dick's odd +venture; and Miss Alice, who felt pity for the poor boy, gave him some +halfpence to buy another cat. + +This, and other marks of kindness shown him by Miss Alice, made the +ill-tempered cook jealous of poor Dick; and she began to use him more +cruelly than ever, and always made fun of him for sending his cat to +sea. She asked him if he thought his cat would sell for as much money as +would buy a stick to beat him. At last, poor Dick could not bear this +any longer, and thought he would run away from his place; so he packed +up his few things, and set out very early in the morning on the first +of November. He walked as far as Highgate, and there sat down on a +stone, which to this day is called Whittington's stone, and began to +think which road he should take farther. While he was thinking what he +should do, the bells of Bow Church began to ring, and he fancied their +sounds seemed to say: + + "Turn again, Whittington, + Lord Mayor of London." + +[Illustration] + +"Lord Mayor of London!" said he to himself. "Why, to be sure I would put +up with almost anything, now, to be Lord Mayor of London, and ride in a +fine coach, when I grow to be a man! I will go back and think nothing of +the cuffing and scolding of the old cook, if I am to be Lord Mayor of +London at last." + +Dick went back, and was lucky enough to get into the house and set about +his work before the cook came down. + +The ship, with the cat on board, was a long time at sea; and was at last +driven by the winds on a part of the coast of Barbary. The people came +in great numbers to see the sailors, and treated them very civilly; and, +when they became better acquainted, were eager to buy the fine things +with which the ship was laden. When the captain saw this, he sent +patterns of the best things he had to the King of the country; who was +so much pleased with them, that he sent for the captain and the chief +mate to the palace. Here they were placed, as is the custom of the +country, on rich carpets, marked with gold and silver flowers. The King +and Queen were seated at the upper end of the room; and a number of +dishes, of the greatest rarities, were brought in for dinner; but, +before they had been on the table a minute, a vast number of rats and +mice rushed in, and helped themselves from every dish. The captain +wondered at this, and asked if these vermin were not very unpleasant. + +"Oh, yes!" they said, "and the King would give half of his riches to get +rid of them; for they not only waste his dinner, as you see, but disturb +him in his bedroom, so that he is obliged to be watched while he is +asleep." + +The captain was ready to jump for joy when he heard of this. He thought +of poor Dick's cat, and told the King he had a creature on board his +ship that would kill all the rats and mice. The King was still more +glad than the captain. + +"Bring this creature to me," said he, "and if it can do what you say, I +will give you your ship full of gold for her." + +The captain, to make quite sure of his good luck, answered, that she was +such a clever cat for catching rats and mice, that he could hardly bear +to part with her; but that to oblige His Majesty he would fetch her. + +"Run, run!" said the Queen, "for I long to see the creature that will +do such service." Away went the captain to the ship while another dinner +was got ready. He came back to the palace soon enough to see the table +full of rats and mice again, and the second dinner likely to be lost in +the same way as the first. The cat did not wait for bidding, but jumped +out of the captain's arm, and in a few moments laid almost all the rats +and mice dead at her feet. The rest, in a fright, scampered away to +their holes. + +[Illustration] + +The King and Queen were delighted to get rid of such a plague so easily. +They desired that the creature might be brought for them to look at. On +this, the captain called out: "Puss, puss!" and the cat ran and jumped +upon his knee. He then held her out to the Queen, who was afraid to +touch an animal that was able to kill so many rats and mice; but when +she saw how gentle the cat seemed, and how glad she was at being stroked +by the captain, she ventured to touch her too, saying all the time: +"Poot, poot," for she could not speak English. At last the Queen took +puss on her lap, and by degrees became quite free with her, till puss +purred herself to sleep. When the King had seen the actions of mistress +puss, and was told that she would soon have young ones, which might in +time kill all the rats and mice in his country, he bought the captain's +whole ship's cargo; and afterwards gave him a great deal of gold +besides, which was worth still more, for the cat. The captain then took +leave, and set sail with a fair wind, and arrived safe at London. + +One morning, when Mr. Fitzwarren had come into the counting house, and +seated himself at the desk, somebody came tap, tap, tap, at the door. + +"Who is there?" asked Mr. Fitzwarren. + +"A friend," answered someone; and who should it be but the captain, +followed by several men carrying vast lumps of gold, that had been paid +him by the King of Barbary for the ship's cargo. They then told the +story of the cat, and showed the rich present that the King had sent to +Dick for her; upon which the merchantman called out to his servants: + + "Go fetch him, we will tell him of the same; + Pray call him Mr. Whittington by name." + +Mr. Fitzwarren now showed himself a really good man, for while some of +his clerks said so great a treasure was too much for such a boy as +Dick, he answered: + +"I will not keep the value of a single penny from him! It is all his +own, and he shall have every farthing's worth of it." + +He sent for Dick, who happened to be scouring the cook's kettles, and +was quite dirty; so that he wanted to excuse himself from going to his +master. Mr. Fitzwarren, however, made him come in, and ordered a chair +to be set for him, so that poor Dick thought they were making fun of +him, and began to beg his master not to play tricks with a poor boy, +but to let him go again to his work. + +"Indeed, Mr. Whittington," said the merchant, "we are all in earnest +with you; and I heartily rejoice in the news these gentlemen have +brought you; for the captain has sold your cat to the King of Barbary, +and brought you, in return for her, more riches than I possess; and I +wish you may long enjoy them!" + +Mr. Fitzwarren then told the men to open the great treasure they had +brought with them, and said, "Mr. Whittington has now nothing to do +but to put it in some place of safety." + +Poor Dick hardly knew how to behave himself for joy. He begged his +master to take what part of it he pleased, since he owed it all to +his kindness. + +[Illustration] + +"No, no," answered Mr. Fitzwarren, "this is all your own; and I have no +doubt you will use it well." + +Dick next asked his mistress, and then Miss Alice, to accept a part of +his good fortune; but they would not, and at the same time told him that +his success afforded them great pleasure. But the poor fellow was too +kind-hearted to keep it all to himself; so he made a handsome present to +the captain, the mate, and every one of the sailors, and afterwards to +his good friend the footman, and the rest of Mr. Fitzwarren's servants; +and even to the ill-natured cook. After this, Mr. Fitzwarren advised +him to get himself dressed like a gentleman; and told him he was welcome +to live in his house till he could provide himself with a better. + +When Whittington's face was washed, his hair curled, his hat cocked, +and he was dressed in a nice suit of clothes, he was as handsome as any +young man who visited at Mr. Fitzwarren's; so that Miss Alice, who had +been so kind to him, and thought of him with pity, now looked upon him +as fit to be her sweetheart; and the more so, no doubt, because +Whittington was now always thinking what he could do to oblige her, +and making her the prettiest presents that could be. Mr. Fitzwarren +soon saw their love for each other, and proposed to join them in +marriage; and to this they both readily agreed. A day for the wedding +was soon fixed; and they were attended to church by the Lord Mayor, +the Court of Aldermen, the Sheriffs, and a great number of the richest +merchants in London, whom they afterwards treated with a fine feast. + +History tells us that Mr. Whittington and his lady lived in great +splendor, and were very happy. They had several children. He was Sheriff +of London in the year 1360, and several times afterwards Lord Mayor; +the last time, he entertained King Henry the Fifth, on his Majesty's +return from the famous Battle of Agincourt. In this company, the King, +on account of Whittington's gallantry, said: + +"Never had prince such a subject;" and when Whittington was told this at +the table, he answered: + +"Never had subject such a king." + +Going with an address from the city, on one of the King's victories, he +received the honor of knighthood. Sir Richard Whittington supported many +poor; he built a church, and also a college, with a yearly allowance to +poor scholars, and near it raised a hospital. The figure of Sir Richard +Whittington, with his cat in his arms, carved in stone, was to be seen +till the year 1780, over the archway of the old prison of Newgate, that +stood across Newgate Street. + + + + +THE STORY OF BLUE BEARD + +[Illustration] + + +Many years ago there was a rich man who had a singular blue beard, which +made him very ugly. Being left a widower, he wished to marry one of the +two beautiful daughters of a neighboring lady, and at last the younger +of these girls consented to be his wife. + +About a month after the marriage, Blue Beard told his bride that he must +leave her for a time, as he had some business to attend to at a +distance. He gave her his keys, and told her to make free of everything +and entertain her friends while he was absent, but ending by drawing +one key from the bunch and saying: + +"This small key belongs to the room at the end of the long gallery--and +that, my dear, is the one room you must not enter, nor even put the key +into the lock. Should you disobey, your punishment would be dreadful." + +[Illustration] + +Blue Beard set out on his journey, and for a time his wife found +pleasure in showing her friends all her magnificence; but again and +again she wondered what could be the reason why she was not to visit the +room at the end of the long gallery. At last her curiosity became such +that she could not resist the temptation to take just one peep within +the forbidden door. When she reached the door she stopped for a few +moments to think of her husband's warning, that he would not fail to +keep his word should she disobey him. But she was so very curious to +know what was inside, that she determined to venture in spite of +everything. + +So, with a trembling hand, she put the key into the lock, and the door +immediately opened. The window shutters being closed, she at first saw +nothing; but in a short time she noticed that the floor was covered with +clotted blood, on which the bodies of several dead women were lying. +(These were all the wives whom Blue Beard had married, and murdered one +after another!) She was ready to sink with fear, and the key of the +door, which she held in her hand, fell on the floor. When she had +somewhat recovered from her fright, she took it up, locked the door +and hurried to her own room, terrified by what she had seen. + +As she observed that the key had got stained with blood in falling on +the floor, she wiped it two or three times to clean it; but the blood +still remained; she next washed it; but the blood did not go; she then +scoured it with brickdust, and afterwards with sand. But notwithstanding +all she could do, the blood was still there, for the key was a fairy, +who was Blue Beard's friend, so that as fast as she got the stain off +one side it appeared again on the other. Early in the evening Blue +Beard returned, saying he had not proceeded far before he was met by a +messenger, who told him that the business was concluded without his +presence being necessary. His wife said everything she could think of +to make him believe that she was delighted at his unexpected return. + +[Illustration] + +The next morning, he asked for the keys. She gave them, but, as she +could not help showing her fright, Blue Beard easily guessed what had +happened. + +"How is it," said he, "that the key of the closet upon the ground floor +is not here." + +"Is it not?" said the wife. "I must have left it on my dressing table." + +"Be sure you give it me by and by," replied Blue Beard. + +After going several times backwards and forwards, pretending to look for +the key, she was at last obliged to give it to Blue Beard. He looked at +it attentively, and then said: + +"How came this blood upon the key?" + +"I am sure I do not know," replied the lady, turning as pale as death. + +"You do not know?" said Blue Beard sternly. "But I know well enough. You +have been in the closet on the ground floor. Very well, madam; since you +are so mightily fond of this closet, you shall certainly take your place +among the ladies you saw there." + +[Illustration] + +His wife, almost dead with fear, fell upon her knees, asked his pardon +a thousand times for her disobedience, and begged him to forgive her, +looking all the time so sorrowful and lovely that she would have melted +any heart that was not harder than a rock. + +But Blue Beard answered: + +"No, no, madam; you shall die this very minute." + +"Alas," said the poor creature, "if I must die, allow me, at least, a +little time to say my prayers!" + +"I give you," replied the cruel Blue Beard, "half a quarter of an +hour--not one moment longer." + +When Bluebeard had left her to herself, she called her sister; and, +after telling her that she had but half a quarter of an hour to live: + +"Please," said she, "Sister Ann" (this was her sister's name), "run up +to the tower, and see if my brothers are in sight; they promised to come +and visit me to-day; and if you see them, make a sign for them to gallop +on as fast as possible." + +Her sister instantly did as she was desired, and the terrified lady +every minute called out: + +"Sister Ann, do you see anyone coming?" + +And her sister answered: + +"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which +looks green." + +In the meanwhile, Blue Beard, with a great simitar in his hand, bawled +as loud as he could: + +"Come down instantly, or I will fetch you." + +"One moment longer, I beseech you," replied she, and again called softly +to her sister: + +"Sister Ann, do you see anyone coming?" + +To which she answered: + +"I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which +looks green." + +Blue Beard again bawled out: + +"Come down, I say, this very moment, or I shall come and fetch you." + +"I am coming; indeed I will come in one minute," sobbed his unhappy +wife. Then she once more cried out: + +"Sister Ann, do you see anyone coming?" + +"I see," said her sister, "a cloud of dust a little to the left." + +"Do you think it is my brothers?" continued the wife. + +"Alas, no, dear sister," replied she, "it is only a flock of sheep!" + +"Will you come down or not, madam?" said Blue Beard, in the greatest +rage imaginable. + +[Illustration] + +"Only one moment more," answered she. And then she called out for the +last time: + +"Sister Ann! do you see no one coming?" + +"I see," replied her sister, "two men on horseback coming to the house; +but they are still at a great distance." + +"God be praised!" cried she; "it is my brothers. Give them a sign to +make what haste they can." + +At the same moment Blue Beard cried out so loud for her to come down, +that his voice shook the whole house. The poor lady, with her hair +loose and her eyes swimming in tears, came down, and fell on her knees +before Blue Beard, and was going to beg him to spare her life, but he +interrupted her, saying: "All this is of no use, for you shall die;" +then, seizing her with one hand by the hair, and raising the simitar he +held in the other, he was going with one blow to strike off her head. + +The unfortunate woman, turning toward him, desired to have a single +moment allowed her to compose herself. + +"No, no," said Blue Beard; "I will give you no more time, I am +determined. You have had too much already." + +Again he raised his arm. Just at this instant a loud knocking was +heard at the gates, which made Blue Beard wait for a moment to see +who it was. The gates were opened, and two officers entered with +their swords in their hands. Blue Beard, seeing they were his wife's +brothers, endeavored to escape, but they pursued and seized him +before he had got twenty steps, and, plunging their swords into +his body, laid him dead at their feet. + +The poor wife, who was almost as dead as her husband, was unable at +first to rise and embrace her brothers, but she soon recovered. + +As Blue Beard had no heirs, she found herself the possessor of his great +riches. She used part of her vast fortune in giving a marriage dowry to +her sister Ann, who soon after was married. With another part she bought +captains' commissions for her two brothers; and the rest she presented +to a most worthy gentleman whom she married soon after, and whose kind +treatment soon made her forget Blue Beard's cruelty. + + + + +LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD + +[Illustration] + + +Once upon a time there lived a little girl, who was so sweet and pretty +and good that everybody loved her. Her old grandmother, who was very +fond of her, made her a little red cloak and hood, which suited her so +well that everyone called her "Little Red Riding-Hood." + +One day, Little Red Riding-Hood's mother told her to take a basket with +some butter and eggs and fresh-baked cake to her grandmother, who was +ill. The little girl, who was always willing and obliging, ran at once +to fetch her red cloak, and, taking her basket, set out on her journey. + +On her way she met a wolf, who wished very much to eat her up; but who +dared not do so because some wood-cutters were working close by. So he +only said: + +"Good-morning, Little Red Riding-Hood; where are you off to so early?" + +Little Red Riding-Hood, who did not know how dangerous it was to talk to +a wolf, replied: + +"I am going to see my grandmother, who is ill in bed, to take her some +butter and eggs and a fresh-baked cake that my mother has made for her!" + +"Where does your grandmother live?" asked the wolf. + +"In the little white cottage at the other side of the wood," answered +Red Riding-Hood. + +"Well," said the wolf, "I am going that way, too. If you will let me, I +will walk part of the way with you." So Little Red Riding-Hood, who +suspected no harm, set off with the wolf for her companion. + +Presently Red Riding-Hood stopped to gather a nosegay of wild flowers +for her grandmother, and the wolf, who had thought of a plan to get the +little girl for his dinner, said "Good morning," and trotted away. + +[Illustration] + +As soon as he was out of sight, he began to run as fast as he could. In +a short time he reached the grandmother's cottage and knocked at the +door. + +"Who is there?" asked the old grandmother, as she lay in bed. + +"It is Little Red Riding-Hood," answered the wolf. "I have brought you +some butter and eggs and a fresh-baked cake which mother has made for +you." + +"Pull the bobbin and the latch will go up," said the old grandmother. So +the wolf pulled the bobbin and opened the door, and sprang upon the poor +old grandmother and ate her all up in a twinkling. + +Then he put on her night-cap and got into bed, and lay down to wait for +Red Riding-Hood. + +Very soon there came a little soft tap at the door. + +"Who is there?" called out the wolf. + +"It is Little Red Riding-Hood, grandmother dear. I have brought you some +butter and eggs and a fresh-baked cake which mother has made for you." + +Then the wolf called out, disguising his voice as much as he could: + +"Pull the bobbin and the latch will go up." So Little Red Riding-Hood +pulled the bobbin and went inside. + +[Illustration] + +"Good morning, dear grandmother," she said. "How are you feeling today?" + +"Very bad indeed, my dear," answered the wolf, trying to hide himself +under the bedclothes. + +"How strange and hoarse your voice sounds, grandmother," said the little +girl. + +"I have got a bad cold, my dear," said the wicked wolf. + +"Grandmother, what very bright eyes you have!" went on Red Riding-Hood, +surprised to see how strange her grandmother looked in her nightclothes. + +"The better to see you with, my dear," said the wolf. + +"Grandmother, what very big ears you have!" + +"The better to hear you with, my child." + +"Grandmother, what very long arms you have!" + +"The better to hug you with, my dear." + +"But, grandmother, what great big teeth you have," said Red Riding-Hood, +who was beginning to get frightened. + +"The better to eat you with," roared the wolf, suddenly jumping out of +bed. He seized hold of poor Little Red Riding-Hood, and was just about +to eat her up, when there was a great noise outside, and the door burst +open and in rushed the wood-cutters, who had seen the wolf talking to +the little girl in the wood, and came to see what mischief he was up to. + +They killed the wicked wolf quite dead; and so Little Red Riding-Hood +was saved, and ran home to tell her mother all about her terrible +adventure. + +[Illustration] + + + + +SINDBAD THE SAILOR + +[Illustration] + + +Sindbad the sailor, after all his adventures and wanderings, settled +down in happiness and prosperity in Bagdad. Here are the stories which +he told to his friends of his seven marvelous voyages. + + +THE FIRST VOYAGE + +My father died while I was young and left me a fortune. Having no one to +restrain me, I fell into bad ways, by which I not only wasted my time, +but injured my health, and destroyed my property. + +When I recovered, I collected together what was left of my fortune, and +bought merchandise, which I loaded on board a vessel for the port of +Balsora. + +[Illustration] + +During the voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or +exchanged our goods. We were one day becalmed near a small island. As +its appearance was inviting, we determined to dine upon it. But while we +were laughing and preparing for dinner, the island began to move, and at +the same moment the people in the ship called out that we were on the +back of a monstrous whale. Some jumped into the boat, and others swam to +the ship; but before I could get off the animal dived into the sea, and +I had only time to catch hold of a piece of wood that had been brought +from the ship to serve as a table. Upon this piece of timber I was +carried away by the current. The others reached the vessel, but a gale +sprang up and the ship sailed without me. I floated during that and the +next night, but the following morning was thrown on a small island. + +I found fresh water and fruit. I looked about for some house, but found +none. There were a number of colts grazing together, but no traces of +other animals. When evening approached I took some more fruit and +climbed in a tree to sleep. About midnight the sound of trumpets and +drums seemed to pass around the island, which continued until morning, +when again it seemed to be uninhabited. On the next day I found that the +island was small, and that no other land was in sight. I therefore gave +myself up as lost. Nor were my fears lessened when I found that the +shore abounded with enormous serpents and other sea monsters. I found, +however, that they were timid, and that the rattling of sticks would +make them dive into the water. + +[Illustration: _Sindbad the Sailor_ +We Rowed as Fast as we Could] + +I climbed the tree next night, and the drums and trumpets returned as +before. On the third day, I had the satisfaction of seeing a body of +men, who, on landing, were astonished to see me there. Having related +to them how I came hither, they told me they were grooms of King +Mihrage; that the island belonged to genii, who visited it every night +with drums and trumpets; that the genii had allowed their sovereign to +train his colts upon the island; and that they, being sent every six +months to select some, had arrived for that purpose. + +The grooms carried me to King Mihrage, who allowed me apartments in his +palace. + +One day I saw men unloading a ship in the harbor, and saw that some of +the bales were those which I had sent to Balsora. Going up to the +captain, I said: + +"Captain, I am Sindbad." + +"Surely," said he, "I and the passengers saw Sindbad swallowed in the +waves many hundred miles away." + +Some others, however, coming up, I was recognized; and the captain then +restored me the bales, with many congratulations. I made a valuable +present to King Mihrage, who bestowed a rich gift on me in return; and, +having made some advantageous purchases, I arrived at Balsora, where, +after I had sold my goods, I found myself possessed of a hundred +thousand sequins. + + +THE SECOND VOYAGE + +[Illustration] + +Becoming weary of a quiet life in Balsora, and having bought trading +goods, I again went to sea with some merchants. After touching at +several places, we landed at an uninhabited island. We amused ourselves +in different ways, but I, having taken my wine and provisions, sat down +and fell asleep. When I awoke, I found that my companions were gone, and +that the ship had sailed. I climbed to the top of a very high tree, and +perceived at a distance an object that was very large and white. I +descended to the ground, and ran toward this strange-looking object. +When I approached it I found it was about fifty paces in circumference, +quite round, and as smooth as ivory, but had no sort of opening. It was +now almost sunset, and suddenly the sky became darkened. I looked up and +beheld a bird of enormous size, moving like a prodigious cloud toward +me. I recollected that I had heard of a bird called the roc, so large +that it could carry away young elephants, and I therefore conjectured +that the large object I had been looking at was the egg of this bird. + +As the bird approached I crept close to the egg, so that I had one of +the legs of this winged animal before me when it alighted. This limb +being as large as the trunk of a tree, I tied myself firmly to it with +my turban. + +[Illustration] + +The next morning the bird flew away, and carried me from this desert +island. I was borne so high that I could not see the earth, and then +carried downward so swiftly that I lost my senses. When I recovered, I +was on the ground. I quickly untied the cloth that bound me, and +scarcely was I free when the bird, having taken up a large serpent, +again flew away. I found myself in a deep valley, the sides of which +were too steep to be climbed. As I walked up and down in despair I +noticed that the valley was covered with diamonds of enormous size. But +I soon saw other objects of much less agreeable appearance. Immense +serpents were peeping out of holes on every side. When night came, I +took shelter in a cave, the entrance of which I guarded with the largest +stones I could find, but the hissing of the serpents entirely deprived +me of sleep. When day returned, the serpents retired to their holes; and +I came out of my cave, but with extreme fear. I walked heedless of the +serpents until I became weary, and then sat down and fell asleep. I was +awakened by something which fell near me. It was a large piece of fresh +meat, and presently I saw several other pieces. + +I was now convinced that I must be in the famous valley of diamonds, and +that the pieces of meat were thrown in by merchants, who expected eagles +to pounce upon the flesh, to which diamonds were almost sure to +adhere. I hastened to pick up some of the largest diamonds I could find, +which I put into a little bag, and fastened it to my girdle. I then +selected the largest piece of flesh in the valley, which I tied to my +waist with the cloth of my turban, and then lay down upon my face to +wait for the eagles. Very soon one of the strongest pounced upon the +meat on my back, and flew with me to its nest on the top of the +mountain. The merchants began shouting to frighten the eagles, and when +they had forced the birds to quit their prey, one of them came to the +nest where I was. At first the man was frightened when he saw me there, +but after recovering himself, asked me how I got there. I told him and +the rest of the merchants my story. I then opened my bag, and they +declared that they had never seen diamonds of equal luster and size with +mine. The merchants having gathered their diamonds together, we left the +place the next morning, and crossed the mountains until we reached a +port. We there took ship and proceeded to the island of Roha. At that +place I exchanged some of my diamonds for other merchandise, and we went +on to Balsora. From Balsora I reached my native city, Bagdad, in which I +lived easily upon the vast riches I had won. + +[Illustration] + + +THE THIRD VOYAGE + +I soon resolved upon a third voyage, and once more took ship at Balsora. +After we had been at sea a few weeks, we were overtaken by a dreadful +storm, and were obliged to cast anchor near an island which the captain +had endeavored to avoid; for he assured us that it was inhabited by +pigmy savages, covered with hair, who would speedily attack us in great +numbers. Soon an innumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two +feet high, boarded the ship. Resistance was useless. They took down our +sails, cut our cable, towed the ship to land, and made us all go on +shore. We went towards the interior of the island and discovered a large +building. It was a lofty palace, having a gate of ebony, which we pushed +open, and soon discovered a room in which were human bones and roasting +spits. Presently there appeared a hideous black man, who was as tall as +a palm tree. He had but one eye, his teeth were long and sharp, and his +nails like the talons of a bird. He took me up as I would a kitten, but +finding I was little better than skin and bone, put me down with +contempt. The captain, being the fattest of the party, was sacrificed +to his appetite. When the monster had finished his meal he stretched +himself upon a great stone bench in the portico, and fell asleep, +snoring louder than thunder. In this manner he slept till morning. In +the morning he went out. I said to my companions: + +"Do not waste time in useless sorrow; let us hurry to look for timber +to make rafts." + +[Illustration] + +We found some timber on the seashore, and labored hard; but having no +tools, it was evening before we had finished; and while we were on the +point of pushing the raft off the beach, our hideous tyrant returned +and drove us to his palace, as if we had been a flock of sheep. We saw +another of our companions sacrificed, and the giant lay down to sleep as +before. Our desperate condition gave us courage; nine of us got up very +softly, and held the points of the roasting spits in the fire until we +made them red-hot; we then thrust them at once into the monster's eye. +He uttered a frightful scream, and having tried in vain to find us, +opened the ebony gate and left the palace. We did not stay long behind +him, but ran to the seashore, got our rafts ready, and waited for +daylight to embark. But at dawn we beheld our monstrous enemy, led by +two giants of equal size, and followed by many others. We jumped upon +our rafts, and pushed them from the shore, the tide helping us. The +giants seeing us likely to escape, tore great pieces of rock, and wading +in the water up to their waists, hurled them at us with all their might. +They sank every one of the rafts but that on which I was; thus all my +companions, except two, were drowned. We rowed as fast as we could, and +got out of the reach of these monsters. We were at sea two days, but at +last found a pleasant island. After eating some fruit, we lay down to +sleep, but were soon awakened by the hissing of an enormous serpent. One +of my comrades was instantly devoured by this terrific creature. I +climbed up a tree as fast as I could, and reached the topmost branches; +my remaining companion was following me, but the dreadful reptile +entwined itself round the tree and caught him. The serpent then went +down and glided away. I waited until late the next day before I ventured +to descend. Evening again approached, and I gathered together a great +quantity of small wood, brambles, and thorns. Having made them into +fagots, I formed a circle round the tree, and fastened the uppermost to +the branches of the tree. I then climbed up to the highest branches. At +night the serpent came again, but could not reach the tree; and crawling +vainly round and round my little fortification until daylight, he went +away. The next day I spied a ship in full sail a long way off. With the +linen of my turban I made a signal, which was perceived. I was taken on +board the ship and there told my adventures. The captain was very kind +to me. He said that he had some bales of goods which had belonged to a +merchant who had unintentionally left him some time ago on an +uninhabited island. As this man was undoubtedly dead, he intended to +sell the goods for the benefit of his relatives, and I should have the +profit of selling them. I now recollected this was the captain with whom +I sailed on my second voyage. I soon convinced him that I was really +Sindbad, whom he supposed to have been lost. He was delighted at the +discovery, and eagerly acknowledged that the property was mine. I +continued my voyage, sold my goods to great advantage, and returned +to Bagdad. + + +MY FOURTH VOYAGE + +[Illustration] + +My desire of seeing foreign countries rendered my pleasures at home +unsatisfactory. I therefore arranged my affairs, commenced a voyage to +Persia, and having bought a large stock of goods loaded a ship and again +embarked. The ship struck upon a rock, and the cargo was lost. A few +others and myself were borne by the current to an island, on which we +were surrounded by black savages, and carried to their huts. The savages +offered us herbs; my companions eagerly took them, for they were hungry. +Grief would not allow me to eat; and presently I saw that the herbs had +made my comrades senseless. Rice, mixed with oil of cocoanuts, was then +offered to us, which my companions ate greedily and grew fat. My unhappy +friends were then devoured one after another, having become appetizing +to the cannibals. But I languished so much that they did not think me +fit to eat. They left me to the care of an old man, from whom I managed +to escape; and taking care to go a contrary way from that which the +savages had taken I never stopped till night. At the end of seven days, +on the seashore I found a number of white persons gathering pepper. They +asked me in Arabic who I was, and whence I came; and I gave them an +account of the shipwreck, and of my escape. They treated me kindly and +presented me to their King, who treated me with great liberality. During +my stay with them, I observed that when the King and his nobles went +hunting, they rode their horses without bridle or saddle. With the +assistance of some workmen I made a bridle and saddle, and having put +them upon one of the King's horses, presented the animal, thus +equipped, to His Majesty. He was so delighted that he instantly mounted +and rode about the grounds almost the whole day. All the ministers of +state and the nobility induced me to make saddles and bridles for them, +for which they made me such magnificent presents that I soon became very +rich. The King at last requested that I would marry, and become one of +his nation. From a variety of circumstances I could not refuse, and he +therefore gave me one of the ladies of his Court, who was young, rich, +beautiful, and virtuous. We lived in the greatest harmony in a palace +belonging to my wife. I had made a good friend of a very worthy man who +lived in this place. Hearing one day that his wife had just died, I went +to condole with him on this unexpected calamity. We were alone together, +and he appeared to be in the deepest grief. After I had talked with him +some time on the uselessness of so much sorrow, he told me that it was +an established law that the living husband should be buried with the +deceased wife, and that within an hour he must submit. I shuddered at +the dreadful custom. In a short time the woman was attired in her most +costly dress and jewels, and placed in an open coffin. The procession +then began, the husband following the corpse. They ascended to the top +of an exceedingly high mountain, and a great stone was removed, which +covered the mouth of a deep pit. The corpse was let down, and the +husband, having taken leave of his friends, was put into another open +coffin, with a pot of water and seven small loaves, and he was let down. +The stone was replaced and they all returned. The horror of this was +still fresh upon my mind, when my wife fell sick and died. The King and +the whole Court, out of respect to me, instantly prepared to assist at a +similar ceremony with me. I restrained the feeling of despair until we +arrived at the top of the mountain, when I fell at the feet of the King +and begged him to spare my life. All I said was ineffectual, and after +my wife was let down, I also was put into the deep pit, everyone being +totally indifferent to my cries and lamentations. I made the cave echo +with my vain complaints. I lived some days on the bread and water which +had been put into my coffin, but this supply was at length exhausted. I +then wandered to a remote part of this frightful cave and lay down to +prepare for death. I was thus wishing only for a speedy termination of +my misery, when I heard something walking and panting. I started up, +upon which the thing panted still more, and then ran away. I pursued it, +and sometimes it seemed to stop, but on my approach continued to go on +before me. I pursued it, until at last I saw a glimmering light like a +star. This redoubled my eagerness, until at last I discovered a hole +large enough to allow my escape. I crept through the aperture, and found +myself on the seashore, and discovered that the creature was a sea +monster which had been accustomed to enter at that hole to feed upon the +dead bodies. Having eaten some shellfish, I returned to the cave, where +I collected all the jewels I could find in the dark. These I carried to +the seashore, and tied them up very neatly into bales with the cords +that let down the coffins. I laid them on the beach, waiting till some +ship should pass. In two days a ship came out of the harbor, and passed +by that part of the coast. I made a signal, and a boat took me on board. +I was obliged to say that I had been wrecked; for, had they known my +real story, I should have been carried back, as the captain was a +native of this country. We touched at several islands, and at the port +of Kela, where I found a ship ready to sail for Balsora; and having +presented some jewels to the captain who had brought me to Kela, I +sailed, and at last arrived at Bagdad. + +[Illustration] + + +THE FIFTH VOYAGE + +[Illustration] + +Having forgotten my former perils, I built a ship at my own expense, +loaded it with a rich cargo, and, taking with me other merchants, once +more set sail. We were much driven about by a storm, and at length +landed upon a desert island to search for fresh water. There we found a +roc's egg, equal in size to the one I had seen before. The merchants and +sailors gathered round it, and though I advised them not to meddle with +it, they nevertheless made a hole in it with their hatchets, and picked +out the young roc, piece after piece, and roasted it. They had scarcely +finished when two of the old birds appeared in the air. We hurried on +board ship and set sail, but had not gone far before we saw the immense +birds approaching us, and soon after they hovered over the ship. One of +them let fall an enormous fragment of stone, which fell into the sea +close beside the ship, but the other let fall a piece which split our +ship. I caught hold of a bit of the wreck, on which I was borne by the +wind and tide to an island, the shore of which was very steep. I reached +the dry land, and found the most delicious fruits and excellent water, +which refreshed me. Farther in the island I saw a feeble old man sitting +near a rivulet. When I enquired of him how he came there, he only +answered by signs for me to carry him over the rivulet, that he might +eat some fruit. I took him on my back, and crossed the brook, but +instead of getting down, he clasped his legs so firmly round my throat +that I thought he would strangle me. I soon fainted with pain and +fright. When I recovered, the old fellow was still sitting on my neck, +and he quickly made me rise up and walk under the trees, while he +gathered the fruit at his ease. This lasted a long time. One day, while +carrying him about, I picked up a large gourd called a calabash, and, +having cleared out the inside, I pressed into it the juice of grapes. +Having filled it, I left it for several days, and at length found that +it became excellent wine. I drank of this, and for a while forgot my +sorrows, so that I began to sing with cheerfulness. The old man made me +give him the calabash, and liking the flavor of the wine, he drank it +off, soon became intoxicated, fell from my shoulders, and, died in +convulsions. I hastened to the seaside, and presently found the crew of +a ship. They told me I had fallen into the hands of the Old Man of the +Sea, and was the first person that had ever escaped. I sailed with them, +and the captain, when we landed, took me to some persons whose +employment was to gather cocoanuts. We all took up stones and pelted the +monkeys that were at the very top of the cocoanut trees, and these +animals in return pelted us with cocoanuts. When we had obtained as +many as we could carry, we returned to the town. I soon obtained a +considerable sum by the cocoanuts I thus gathered, and at length sailed +for my native land. + + +THE SIXTH VOYAGE + +[Illustration] + +At the expiration of another year, I prepared for a sixth voyage. This +proved very long and unfortunate, for the pilot lost his course and knew +not where to steer. At length he told us we must inevitably be dashed to +pieces against a rock, which we were fast approaching. In a few moments +the vessel was a complete wreck. We saved our lives, our provisions, and +our goods. + +The shore on which we were cast was at the foot of a mountain which it +was impossible to climb, so that I shortly beheld my companions die one +after another. There was a frightful cavern in the rock, through which +flowed a river. To this, in a fit of desperation, I resolved to trust +myself. I went to work and made a long raft. I loaded it with bales of +rich stuffs, and large pieces of rock crystal, of which the mountain was +in a great measure formed. I went on board the raft, and the current +carried me along. I was carried in darkness during many days, and at +last fell asleep. When I awoke, I found myself in a pleasant country. +My raft was tied up and some blacks, who were near me, said that they +had found me floating in the river which waters their land. They took me +to their King, and carefully conducted my cargo with me. When we came to +the city of Serindib, I related my story to the monarch, who ordered it +to be written in letters of gold. I presented the King with some of the +most beautiful pieces of rock crystal, and entreated him to let me +return to my own country, which he readily agreed to, and even gave me +a letter and a present to my sovereign, the Caliph Haroun Alrashid. The +present consisted of a ruby made into a cup, and decorated with pearls; +the skin of a serpent, which appeared like burnished gold, and which +could repel disease; some aloe-wood, camphire, and a beautiful female +slave. I returned to my native country, delivered the present to the +Caliph, and received his thanks, with a reward. + + +THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE + +[Illustration] + +The Caliph Haroun Alrashid one day sent for me, and told me I must bear +a present to the King of Serindib. I ventured to protest on account of +my age, but I could not persuade him to give up his plan. I arrived at +Serindib, and prayed an audience with the King. I was conducted to the +palace with great respect, and delivered to the monarch the Caliph's +letter and present. The present consisted of the most ingenious and +valuable works of art, with which the King was exceedingly delighted, +and he was also pleased to acknowledge how much he esteemed my services. +When I departed, the monarch bestowed on me some rich gifts; but the +ship had not long been at sea, before it was attacked by pirates, who +seized the vessel, and carried us away as slaves. I was sold to a +merchant. When my master found that I could use the bow and arrow with +skill, he took me upon an elephant, and carried me to a vast forest in +the country. My master ordered me to climb a high tree, and wait there +until I saw a troop of elephants pass by. I was then to shoot at them, +and if one of them fell, I was to go to the city and give the merchant +notice. Having given me these directions, and a bag of provisions, he +left me. On the morning of the second day, I saw a great number of +elephants. I succeeded in shooting one of them, upon which the others +went away, and I returned to the city and told my employer, who praised +my work. We went back to the forest and dug a hole, in which the +elephant was to remain until it decayed and left the teeth free. I +continued this trade nearly two months, and killed an elephant almost +every day. One morning all the elephants came up to the tree in which I +was and trumpeted dreadfully. One of them fastened his trunk round the +tree and tore it up by the roots. I fell with the tree; the animal took +me up with his trunk, and placed me on his back, and then, at the head +of his troop, he brought me to a place where he gently laid me on the +ground, and they all went away. I discovered that I was upon a large +broad hill, covered all over with the bones and teeth of elephants, and +was soon convinced that this was their burying-place. I reached the city +once more; my master thought I was lost, for he had seen the torn tree, +and found my bow and arrows. I told him what had happened, and led him +to the hill. We loaded the elephant on which we had come, and thus +collected more teeth than a man could have obtained in his whole life. +The merchant told me that not only he himself, but the whole city, was +indebted to me, and that I should return to my own country with +sufficient wealth to make me happy. My patron loaded a ship with ivory, +and the other merchants made me valuable presents. I reached Balsora +and landed my ivory, which I found to be more valuable than I had +expected. I set out with caravans to travel overland, and at last +reached Bagdad, where I presented myself to the Caliph, and gave an +account of my embassy. He was so astonished at my adventure with the +elephants that he ordered the narrative of it to be written in letters +of gold and to be deposited in his treasury. + +[Illustration] + + + + +HANSEL AND GRETEL + +[Illustration] + + +Once upon a time there dwelt near a large wood a poor wood-cutter, with +his wife and two children by his former marriage, a little boy called +Hansel and a girl named Gretel. He had little enough to eat; and once, +when there was a great famine in the land, he could not get even his +daily bread. As he lay thinking in his bed one evening, rolling about +for trouble, he sighed, and said to his wife, "What will become of us? +How can we feed our children, when we have no more than we can eat +ourselves?" + +"Well, then, my husband," answered she, "we will lead them away, quite +early in the morning, into the thickest part of the wood, and there make +them a fire, and give them each a little piece of bread. Then we will go +to our work and leave them alone, so they will not find the way home +again, and we shall be freed from them." + +"No, wife," replied he; "that I can never do. How can you bring your +heart to leave my children all alone in the wood; for the wild beasts +will soon come and tear them to pieces?" + +"Oh, you simpleton!" said she. "Then we must all four die of hunger." + +But she gave him no peace until he consented, saying, "Ah, but I shall +regret the poor children." + +The two children, however, had not gone to sleep for very hunger, and so +they overheard what the stepmother said to their father. Gretel wept +bitterly, and said to Hansel, "What will become of us?" + +[Illustration] + +"Be quiet, Gretel," said he. "Do not cry--I will soon help you." And as +soon as their parents had fallen asleep he got up, put on his coat, +and, unbarring the back door, slipped out. The moon shone brightly, and +the white pebbles which lay before the door seemed like silver pieces, +they glittered so brightly. Hansel stooped down, and put as many into +his pocket as it would hold; and then, going back, he said to Gretel, +"Be comforted, dear sister, and sleep in peace; God will not forsake +us." And so saying, he went to bed again. + +The next morning, before the sun arose, the wife went and awoke the two +children. "Get up, you lazy things; we are going into the forest to chop +wood." Then she gave them each a piece of bread, saying, "There is +something for your dinner; do not eat it before the time, for you will +get nothing else." + +Gretel took the bread in her apron, for Hansel's pocket was full of +pebbles; and so they all set out upon their way. When they had gone a +little distance, Hansel stood still, and peeped back at the house; and +this he repeated several times, till his father said, "Hansel, what are +you peeping at, and why do you lag behind? Take care, and remember +your legs." + +[Illustration] + +"Ah, father," said Hansel, "I am looking at my white cat sitting upon +the roof of the house, and trying to say good-bye." + +"You simpleton!" said the wife, "that is not a cat; it is only the sun +shining on the white chimney." + +But in reality Hansel was not looking at a cat; but every time he +stopped he dropped a pebble out of his pocket upon the path. + +[Illustration] + +When they came to the middle of the wood the father told the children to +collect wood, and he would make them a fire, so that they should not be +cold. So Hansel and Gretel gathered together quite a little mountain of +twigs. Then they set fire to them; and as the flame burnt up high, the +wife said, "Now, you children, lie down near the fire, and rest +yourselves, while we go into the forest and chop wood. When we are +ready I will come and call you." + +Hansel and Gretel sat down by the fire, and when it was noon each ate +the piece of bread; and because they could hear the blows of an axe, +they thought their father was near; but it was not an axe, but a branch +which he had bound to a withered tree, so as to be blown to and fro by +the wind. + +They waited so long, that at last their eyes closed from weariness, and +they fell fast asleep. When they awoke it was quite dark, and Gretel +began to cry, "How shall we get out of the wood?" But Hansel tried to +comfort her, saying, "Wait a little while till the moon rises, and then +we will quickly find the way." + +The moon soon shone forth, and Hansel, taking his sister's hand, +followed the pebbles, which glittered like new-coined silver pieces, and +showed them the path. All night long they walked on, and as day broke +they came to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when +the wife opened it and saw Hansel and Gretel, she exclaimed, "You wicked +children! why did you sleep so long in the wood? We thought you were +never coming home again." But their father was very glad, for it had +grieved his heart to leave them all alone. + +Not long afterwards there was again great scarcity in every corner of +the land; and one night the children overheard their mother saying to +their father, "Everything is again eaten. We have only half a loaf left, +and then we must starve. The children must be sent away. We will take +them deeper into the wood, so that they may not find the way out again; +it is the only means of escape for us." + +But her husband felt heavy at heart, and thought. "It were better to +share the last crust with the children." His wife, however, would listen +to nothing that he said, and scolded and reproached him without end. + +Now the children had heard what had been said as they lay awake, and as +soon as the old people went to sleep Hansel got up, intending to pick up +some pebbles as before; but the wife had locked the door, so that he +could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted Gretel, saying, "Do not +cry; sleep in peace; the good God will not forsake us." + +Early in the morning the stepmother came and pulled them out of bed, and +gave them each a slice of bread, which was still smaller than the one +they had last time. On the way Hansel broke his in his pocket, and, +stooping every now and then, dropped a crumb upon the path. + +"Hansel, why do you stop and look about?" said the father. "Keep in the +path." + +"I am looking at my little dove," answered Hansel, "nodding a good-bye +to me." + +"Simpleton!" said the wife, "that is no dove, but only the sun shining +on the chimney." + +But Hansel kept still dropping crumbs as he went along. + +The mother led the children deep into the wood, where they had never +been before, and there, making an immense fire, she said to them, "Sit +down here and rest, and when you feel tired you can sleep for a little +while. We are going into the forest to hew wood, and in the evening, +when we are ready, we will come and fetch you." + +When noon came Gretel shared her bread with Hansel, who had strewn his +on the path. They then went to sleep; but the evening arrived and no one +came to visit the poor children, and in the dark night they awoke, and +Hansel comforted his sister by saying, "Only wait, Gretel, till the moon +comes out, then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have dropped, +and they will show us the way home." + +When the moon shone they got up, but they could not see any crumbs, for +the thousands of birds which had been flying about in the woods and +fields had picked them all up. Hansel kept saying to Gretel, "We will +soon find the way." But they did not. They walked the whole night long +and the next day, but still they did not come out of the wood; and they +got very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but the berries which they +found upon the bushes. Soon they got so tired that they could not drag +themselves along, so they lay down under a tree and went to sleep. + +It was now the third morning since they had left their father's house, +and they still walked on; but they only got deeper and deeper into the +wood, and Hansel saw that if help did not come very soon they would die +of hunger. About the middle of the day they saw a beautiful snow-white +bird sitting on a bough, which sang so sweetly that they stood still and +listened to it. It soon left off and, spreading its wings, flew away. +They followed it until it arrived at a cottage, upon the roof of which +it perched; and when they went close up to it they saw that the cottage +was made of bread and cakes, and the window-panes were of clear sugar. + +"We will go in there," said Hansel, "and have a glorious feast. I will +eat a piece of the roof, and you can eat the window. Will they not be +sweet?" + +So Hansel reached up and broke a piece off the roof, in order to see how +it tasted; while Gretel stepped up to the window and began to bite it. +Then a sweet voice called out in the room, "Tip-tap, tip-tap, who raps +at my door?" and the children answered, "The wind, the wind, the child +of heaven;" and they went on eating. + +Hansel thought the roof tasted very nice, and so he tore off a great +piece; while Gretel broke a large round pane out of the window and sat +down quite contentedly. Just then the door opened, and a very old +woman, walking upon crutches, came out. Hansel and Gretel were so +frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands; but the +old woman, nodding her head, said, "Ah, you dear children, what has +brought you here? Come in and stay with me, and no harm shall befall +you." And so saying, she took them both by the hand and led them into +her cottage. + +[Illustration] + +A good meal of milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples and nuts, was +spread on the table, and in the back room were two nice little beds, +covered with white, where Hansel and Gretel laid themselves down, and +rested happily after all their hardships. The old woman was very kind +to them, but in reality she was a wicked witch who waylaid children, +and built the bread-house in order to entice them in; then as soon as +they were in her power she killed them, cooked and ate them, and made +a great festival of the day. + +Witches have red eyes and cannot see very far; but they have a fine +sense of smell, like wild beasts, so that they know when children +approach them. When Hansel and Gretel came near the witch's house she +laughed wickedly, saying, "Here come two who shall not escape me." And +early in the morning, before they awoke, she went up to them, and saw +how lovingly they lay sleeping, with their chubby red cheeks; and she +mumbled to herself, "That will be a good bite." Then she took up +Hansel with her rough hand, and shut him up in a little cage with a +lattice-door; and although he screamed loudly it was of no use. Gretel +came next, and, shaking her till she awoke, she said, "Get up, you lazy +thing, and fetch some water to cook something good for your brother, who +must remain in that stall and get fat; when he is fat enough I shall eat +him." + +Gretel began to cry, but it was all useless, for the old witch made her +do as she wished. So a nice meal was cooked for Hansel, but Gretel got +nothing but a crab's claw. + +Every morning the old witch came to the cage and said, "Hansel, stretch +out your finger that I may feel whether you are getting fat." But Hansel +used to stretch out a bone, and the old woman, having very bad sight, +thought that it was his finger, and wondered very much that he did not +get fatter. + +When four weeks had passed, and Hansel was still quite lean, she lost +all her patience, and would not wait any longer. "Gretel," she called +out in a passion, "get some water quickly; be Hansel fat or lean, this +morning I will kill and cook him." + +Oh, how the poor little sister grieved, as she was forced to fetch the +water, and fast the tears ran down her cheeks! "Dear good God, help us +now!" she exclaimed. "Had we only been eaten by the wild beasts in the +wood, then we should have died together." + +[Illustration] + +But the old witch called out, "Stop that noise; it will not help you a +bit." + +So, early in the morning, Gretel was forced to go out and fill the +kettle, and make a fire. + +"First, we will bake, however," said the old woman; "I have already +heated the oven and kneaded the dough;" and so saying, she pushed poor +Gretel up to the oven, out of which the flames were burning fiercely. +"Creep in," said the witch, "and see if it is hot enough, and then we +will put in the bread." But she intended when Gretel got in to shut up +the oven and let her bake, so that she might eat her as well as Hansel. + +Gretel saw what her thoughts were and said, "I do not know how to do it; +how shall I get in?" + +"You stupid goose," said she, "the opening is big enough. See, I could +even get in myself!" And she got up, and put her head into the oven. + +Then Gretel gave her a push, so that she fell right in, and then, +shutting the iron door, she bolted it. Oh! how horribly she howled; but +Gretel ran away, and left the wicked witch to burn to ashes. + +Now she ran to Hansel, and, opening his door, called out, "Hansel we are +saved; the old witch is dead!" So he sprang out, like a bird out of his +cage when the door is opened; and they were so glad that they fell upon +each other's neck, and kissed each other over and over again. + +And now, as there was nothing to fear, they went into the witch's house, +where, in every corner, were caskets full of pearls and precious stones. +"These are better than pebbles," said Hansel, putting as many into his +pocket as it would hold; while Gretel thought, "I will take some home +too," and filled her apron full. "We must be off now," said Hansel, "and +get out of this enchanted forest." + +When they had walked for two hours they came to a large piece of water. +"We cannot get over," said Hansel. "I can see no bridge at all." + +"And there is no boat, either," said Gretel; "but there swims a white +duck--I will ask her to help us over," and she sang: + + "Little Duck so blithe and merry, + Hansel, Gretel, here we stand; + There is neither bridge nor ferry, + Row us on your back to land." + +So the Duck came to them, and Hansel sat himself on her back, and bade +his sister sit behind him. + +"No," answered Gretel, "that will be too much for the Duck; she shall +take us over one at a time." + +This the good little bird did, and when both were happily arrived on the +other side, and had gone a little way, they came to a wood, which they +knew the better every step they went, and at last they saw their +father's house. Then they began to run, and, bursting into the house, +they fell on their father's neck. + +He had not had one happy hour since he had left the children in the +forest; and his wife was dead. Gretel shook her apron, and the pearls +and precious stones rolled out on the floor, and Hansel threw down one +handful after another out of his pocket. Then all their sorrows were +ended, and they lived together in great happiness. + + + + +THE GOOSE GIRL + + +Once upon a time there lived an old Queen, whose husband had been dead +some years, and left her with one child, a beautiful daughter. When this +daughter grew up she was to be married to a King's son, who lived far +away. + +[Illustration] + +Now when the time came for her to leave, the mother gave her daughter a +lock of hair, saying, "Dear child, preserve this well, and it will help +you out of trouble." + +Afterwards the mother and daughter took a sorrowful leave of each other, +and the princess placed the lock of hair in her bosom, mounted her horse +Falada, and rode away to her intended bridegroom. Now this horse could +speak. After she had ridden for about an hour she became very thirsty, +and said to her servant, "Dismount, and bring me some water from yonder +stream in the cup which you carry with you, for I am very thirsty." + +"If you are thirsty," replied the servant, "dismount yourself, and stoop +down to drink the water, for I will not be your maid!" + +The Princess, on account of her great thirst, did as she was bid, and +bending over the brook she drank of its water without daring to use her +golden cup. While she did so the lock of hair said, "Ah! if thy mother +knew this, her heart would break." + +As she leaned over the water, the lock of hair fell out of her bosom and +floated down the stream without her noticing it, because of her great +anguish. But her servant had seen what happened, and she was glad, for +now she had power over her mistress, because with the loss of the lock +of hair, she became weak and helpless. When, then, the Princess was +going to mount her horse again, the maid said, "No, Falada belongs to +me; you must get upon this horse:" and she was forced to yield. Then +the servant bade her take off her royal clothes, and put on her common +ones instead; and, lastly, she made the Princess promise and swear by +the open sky that she would say nought of what had passed at the King's +palace; for if she had not sworn she would have been murdered. But +Falada, the horse, observed all that passed with great attention. + +[Illustration] + +Then the servant mounted upon Falada, and the rightful Princess upon +a sorry hack; and in that way they traveled on till they came to the +King's palace. On their arrival there were great rejoicings, and the +young Prince, running towards them, lifted the servant off her horse, +supposing that she was the true bride; and she was led up the steps in +state, while the real Princess had to stop below. Just then the old King +chanced to look out of his window and saw her standing in the court, +and he remarked how delicate and beautiful she was; and, going to the +royal apartments, he inquired there of the bride who it was she had +brought with her and left below in the courtyard. + +[Illustration] + +"Only a girl whom I brought with me for company," said the bride. "Give +the wench some work to do, that she may not grow idle." + +The old King, however, had no work for her, and knew of nothing; until +at last he said, "Ah! there is a boy who keeps the geese: she can help +him." This youth was called Conrad, and the true bride was set to keep +geese with him. + +Soon after this, the false bride said to her betrothed, "Dearest, will +you grant me a favor?" + +"Yes," said he; "with the greatest pleasure." + +"Then let the butcher be summoned, that he may cut off the head of the +horse on which I rode hither, for it has angered me on the way." In +reality she feared lest the horse might tell how she had used the +rightful Princess, and she was glad when it was decided that Falada +should die. + +This came to the ears of the Princess, and she promised secretly to the +butcher to give him a piece of gold if he would show her a kindness, +which was, that he would nail the head of Falada over a certain large +and gloomy arch, through which she had to pass daily with the geese, so +that then she might still see her old steed as she had been accustomed. +The butcher promised, and, after killing the horse, nailed the head in +the place which the Princess pointed out, over the door of the arch. + +Early in the morning, when she and Conrad drove the geese through the +arch, she said in passing: + + "Ah, Falada, that you + hang so high!" + +and the head replied: + + "Ah Princess, that you go humbly by! + Thy mother's heart would surely break + Were she to know of your heart-ache!" + +[Illustration] + +Then she drove on through the town to a field. When they arrived in the +meadow, she sat down and unloosened her hair, which was of pure gold. +Its shining appearance so charmed Conrad that he tried to pull out a +couple of locks. So she sang: + + "Blow, blow, thou wind, + Blow Conrad's hat away." + +Immediately there came a strong wind, which snatched Conrad's hat off +his head, and led him a rare chase; and when he returned what with +combing and curling, the Princess had rearranged her hair, so that he +could not catch a loose lock. This made Conrad very angry, and he would +not speak to her; so all day long they tended their geese in silence. + +[Illustration] + +After they returned home Conrad went to the old King and declared he +would no longer keep geese with the servant. + +"Why not?" asked the old King. + +"Oh! she vexes me the whole day long," said Conrad; and then the King +bade him tell all that had happened. So Conrad did, and told how, in +the morning, when they passed through a certain archway, she spoke to +a horse's head, which was nailed up over the door, and said: + + "Ah, Falada, that you hang so high!" + +and it replied: + + "Ah, Princess, that you go humbly by! + Thy mother's heart would surely break + Were she to know of your heart-ache!" + +[Illustration] + +And, further, he told how when they arrived in the meadow, she caused +the wind to blow his hat off, so that he had to run after it ever so +far. When he had finished his tale, the old King ordered him to drive +the geese out again the next morning; and he himself, when morning came, +stationed himself behind the gloomy archway, and heard the servant talk +to the head of Falada. Then he followed them also into the fields. There +he saw with his own eyes the Goose Girl and boy drive in the geese; and +after a while she sat down and, unloosening her hair, which shone like +gold, began to sing the old rhyme: + + "Blow, blow, thou wind, + Blow Conrad's hat away." + +Then the King felt a breeze come, which took off Conrad's hat, so that +he had to run a long way after it; while the Goose Girl combed out her +hair and put it back in proper trim before his return. All this the King +observed, and then went home unnoticed; and when the Goose Girl returned +at evening, he called her aside, and asked her what it all meant. + +"That I dare not tell you, nor any other man," replied she; "for I have +sworn by the free sky not to speak of my griefs, else lose my life." + +The King pressed her to say what it was, and left her no peace about it; +but still she refused. So at last he said, "If you will not tell me, +tell your griefs to this fireplace;" and he went away. + +Then she crept into the fireplace and began to weep and groan; and soon +she relieved her heart by telling her tale. "Here sit I," she said +"forsaken by all the world, and yet I am a King's daughter; and a false +servant has exercised some charm over me, whereby I was compelled to lay +aside my royal clothes; and she has also taken my place at the +bridegroom's side, and I am forced to perform the common duties of a +Goose Girl. Oh, if my mother knew this, her heart would break with +grief!" + +The old King, meanwhile, stood outside by the chimney and listened to +what she said; and when she had finished he came in, and called her away +from the fireplace. Then her royal clothes were put on, and the old +King, calling his son, showed him that he had taken a false bride, who +was only a servant-girl, and that the true bride stood there as a Goose +Girl. + +The prince was glad indeed at heart when he saw her beauty and virtue. +Then there was a great feast, at which the bridegroom sat, with the +Princess on one side and the servant-girl on the other. But the latter +was dazzled, and recognized her mistress no longer in her shining dress. + +When they had finished their feasting, and were beginning to be gay, the +old King set a riddle to the real servant-girl: What such an one were +worthy of who had, in such and such a manner, deceived her masters; and +he related all that had happened to the true bride. The servant-girl +replied, "Such an one deserves nothing better than to be put into a +cask, lined with sharp nails, and then to be dragged by two horses +through the streets till the wretch be killed." + +"You are the woman then!" exclaimed the King; "You have proclaimed your +own punishment, and it shall be strictly fulfilled." + +The sentence was at once carried out, and afterwards the Prince married +his rightful bride, and they lived long in peace and happiness. + + + + +FAVORITE FAIRY TALES + +This is a collection of the fairy tales that children love best, told in +simple language and lavishly illustrated. They are written by various +authors, a selection of the best and most popular fairy stories, culled +from many sources and here collected and presented in most attractive +form, printed in large clear type, with many pictures, some of them +colored. + + +THE CHILDREN'S BOOKSHELF + +BOOKS EVERY CHILD SHOULD OWN + + * * * * * + +Wonder Book of Myths and Legends +The Wonder Book of Bible Stories +Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes +Dickens' Stories About Children +King Arthur and His Knights +The Man Without a Country +The Boy's Story of Lindbergh +Folk Tales from the Far East +Fairy Tales of Many Lands +The Wings of the Morning +Tales From Shakespeare +The Story of a Bad Boy +Swiss Family Robinson +An Old-Fashioned Girl +Andersen's Fairy Tales +Alice in Wonderland +Favorite Fairy Tales +Grimm's Fairy Tales +Robinson Crusoe +Treasure Island +Arabian Nights +Hans Brinker +Water Babies +Little Women +Black Beauty +Robin Hood +Little Men +Kidnapped +Pinocchio +Heidi + +Each volume is bound in cloth, with colored inlay on front cover, also +with an attractive jacket in full colors. This Children's Bookshelf +series is made up of titles taken from the most popular children's +books. Each volume contains 262 to 320 pages. Size, 6-3/4 x 8-3/4 +inches. 1-1/4 inches thick. + + * * * * * + +PRICE $1.25 + + * * * * * + +THE JOHN C. WINSTON CO. + +_Publishers_ PHILADELPHIA + + ++----------------------------------------------+ +|Transcriber's Notes: | +| | +|Variations between stories in the spelling of | +|today and to-day, woodcutter and wood-cutter, | +|and toward and towards, have been retained. | ++----------------------------------------------+ + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Logan Marshall + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES *** + +***** This file should be named 20748.txt or 20748.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/7/4/20748/ + +Produced by Bruce Albrecht, Jacqueline Jeremy and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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