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diff --git a/36668.txt b/36668.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..710c739 --- /dev/null +++ b/36668.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3113 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Polish Fairy Tales, by A. J. Glinski + +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: Polish Fairy Tales + +Author: A. J. Glinski + +Illustrator: Cecile Walton + +Translator: Maude Ashurst Biggs + +Release Date: July 8, 2011 [EBook #36668] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK POLISH FAIRY TALES *** + + + + +Produced by Jana Srna, Matthew Wheaton and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + POLISH FAIRY TALES + + [Illustration: THE FAIRY GIRLS MAKE THE CARPET] + + + + + POLISH FAIRY TALES + + + TRANSLATED FROM A J GLINSKI + By MAUDE ASHURST BIGGS + + ILLUSTRATED By CECILE WALTON + + + LONDON: JOHN LANE THE BODLEY HEAD + NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY 1920 + + + _The Mayflower Press, Plymouth, England._ William Brendon & Son, Ltd. + + + [Illustration: The pictures in this book are dedicated to + my sons ... Gavril and Teddy. Cecile Walton.] + + + + +TALES FROM POLAND + + +These are selections from a large collection made by A. J. Glinski, +printed at Wilna in 1862. These fairy tales come from a far past and may +even date from primitive Aryan times. They represent the folklore +current among the peasantry of the Eastern provinces of Poland, and also +in those provinces usually known as White Russia. + +They were set down by Glinski just as they were related to him by the +peasants. + +In the translation it was of course necessary to shorten them +considerably; the continual repetition--however quaint and fascinating +in the original--cannot easily be reproduced. Portions, too, are often +told in rhyme, or in a species of rhyming prose that we associate with +the ancient ballad. The obvious likenesses between these and the +folklore of Germany, the Celtic nations, or to the Indian fairy-tales, +will strike every reader. + MAUDE ASHURST BIGGS. + + + + + CONTENTS + + + THE FROG PRINCESS + + PRINCESS MIRANDA AND PRINCE HERO + + THE EAGLES + + THE WHIRLWIND + + THE GOOD FERRYMAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS + + THE PRINCESS OF THE BRAZEN MOUNTAIN + + THE BEAR IN THE FOREST HUT + + APPENDIX + + + + +THE FROG PRINCESS + + +There was once a king, who was very old; but he had three grown-up sons. +So he called them to him, and said: + +"My dear sons, I am very old, and the cares of government press heavily +upon me. I must therefore give them over to one of you. But as it is the +law among us, that no unmarried prince may be King, I wish you all to +get married, and whoever chooses the best wife shall be my successor." + +So they determined each to go a different way, and settled it thus. +They went to the top of a very high tower, and each one at a given +signal shot an arrow in a different direction to the others. Wherever +their arrows fell they were to go in search of their future wives. + +The eldest prince's arrow fell on a palace in the city, where lived a +senator, who had a beautiful daughter; so he went there, and married +her. + +The second prince's arrow struck upon a country-house, where a very +pretty young lady, the daughter of a rich gentleman, was sitting; so he +went there, and proposed to her, and they were married. + +But the youngest prince's arrow shot through a green wood, and fell into +a lake. He saw his arrow floating among the reeds, and a frog sitting +thereon, looking fixedly at him. + +But the marshy ground was so unsafe that he could not venture upon it; +so he sat down in despair. + +"What is the matter, prince?" asked the frog. + +"What is the matter? Why, I cannot reach that arrow on which you are +sitting." + +"Take me for your wife, and I will give it to you." + +"But how can you be my wife, little frog?" + +"That is just what has got to be. You know that you shot your arrow from +the tower, thinking that where it fell, you would find a loving wife; so +you will have her in me." + +"You are very wise, I see, little frog. But tell me, how can I marry +you, or introduce you to my father? And what will the world say?" + +"Take me home with you, and let nobody see me. Tell them that you have +married an Eastern lady, who must not be seen by any man, except her +husband, nor even by another woman." + +The prince considered a little. The arrow had now floated to the margin +of the lake; he took the arrow from the little frog, put her in his +pocket, carried her home, and then went to bed, sighing very deeply. + +Next morning the king was told that all his sons had got married; so he +called them all together, and said: + +"Well children, are you all pleased with your wives?" + +"Very pleased indeed, father and king." + +"Well, we shall see who has chosen best. Let each of my daughters-in-law +weave me a carpet by to-morrow, and the one whose carpet is the most +beautiful shall be queen." + +The elder princes hastened at once to their ladies; but the youngest, +when he reached home, was in despair. + +"What is the matter, prince?" asked the frog. + +"What is the matter? My father has ordered that each of his +daughters-in-law shall weave him a carpet, and the one whose carpet +proves the most beautiful shall be first in rank. My brothers' wives are +most likely working at their looms already. But you, little frog, +although you can give back an arrow, and talk like a human being, will +not be able to weave a carpet, as far as I can see." + +"Don't be afraid," she said; "go to sleep, and before you wake the +carpet shall be ready." + +So he lay down, and went to sleep. + +But the little frog stood on her hind-legs in the window and sang: + + "Ye breezes that blow, ye winds that sigh, + Come hither on airy wing; + And all of you straight to my dwelling hie, + And various treasures bring. + Two fleeces I crave of the finest wool, + And of the loveliest flowers a basketful; + From the depths of the ocean bring sands of gold, + And pearl-drops of lustre manifold; + That so I may fashion a carpet bright, + Adorned with fair flow'rets and gems of light, + And weave it in one short day and night, + When my true love's hands must the treasure hold." + +There was a gentle murmur of the breezes, and from the sunbeams +descended seven lovely maidens, who floated into the room, carrying +baskets of various coloured wools, pearls, and flowers. They curtsied +deeply to the little frog, and in a few minutes they wove a wonderfully +beautiful carpet; then they curtsied again, and flew away. + +Meanwhile the wives of the other princes bought the most beautifully +coloured wools, and the best designs they could find, and worked hard at +their looms all the next day. + +Then all the princes came before the king, and spread out their carpets +before him. + +The king looked at the first and the second; but when he came to the +third, he exclaimed: + +"That's the carpet for me! I give the first place to my youngest son's +wife; but there must be another trial yet." + +And he ordered that each of his daughters-in-law should make him a cake +next day; and the husband of the one whose cake proved the best should +be his successor. + +The youngest prince came back to his frog wife; he looked very +thoughtful, and sighed deeply. + +"What is the matter, prince?" she asked. + +"My father demands another proof of skill; and I am not so sure that we +shall succeed so well as before; for how can you bake a cake?" + +"Do not be afraid," she said: "Lie down, and sleep; and when you wake +you will be in a happier frame of mind." + +The prince went to sleep; and the frog sprang up to the window, and +sang: + + "Ye breezes that blow, ye winds that sigh, + Come hither on airy wing; + And all of you straight to my dwelling hie, + These various gifts to bring. + From the sunbeams bright + Bring me heat and light; + And soft waters distil + From the pure flowing rill. + From the flowers of the field + The sweet odours they yield. + From the wheatfields obtain + Five full measures of grain, + That so I may bake + In the night-time a cake, + For my true love's sake." + +The winds began to rise, and the seven beautiful maidens floated down +into the room, carrying baskets, with flour, water, sweetmeats, and all +sorts of dainties. They curtsied to the little frog, and got the cake +ready in a few minutes; curtsied again, and flew away. + +The next day the three princes brought their cakes to the king. They +were all very good; but when he tasted the one made by his youngest +son's wife, he exclaimed: + +"That is the cake for me! light, floury, white, and delicious! I see, my +son, you have made the best choice; but we must wait a little longer." + +The two elder sons went away much depressed; but the youngest greatly +elated. When he reached home he took up his little frog, stroked and +kissed her, and said: + +"Tell me, my love, how it was that you, being only a little frog, could +weave such a beautiful carpet, or make such a delicious cake?" + +"Because, my prince, I am not what I seem. I am a princess, and my +mother is the renowned Queen of Light, and a great enchantress. But she +has many enemies, who, as they could not injure her, were always seeking +to destroy me. To conceal me from them she was obliged to turn me into a +frog; and for seven years I have been forced to stay in the marsh where +you found me. But under this frog-skin I am really more beautiful than +you can imagine; yet until my mother has conquered all her enemies I +must wear this disguise; after that takes place you shall see me as I +really am." + +While they were talking two courtiers entered, with the king's orders to +the young prince, to come to a banquet at the king's palace, and bring +his wife with him, as his brothers were doing by theirs. + +He knew not what to do; but the little frog said: + +"Do not be afraid, my prince. Go to your father alone; and when he asks +for me, it will begin to rain. You must then say that your wife will +follow you; but she is now bathing in May-dew. When it lightens say that +I am dressing; and when it thunders, that I am coming." + +The prince, trusting to her word, set out for the palace; and the frog +jumped up to the window, and standing on her hind-legs, began to sing: + + "Ye breezes that blow, ye winds that sigh, + Come hither on airy wing; + And all of you straight to my dwelling hie, + These several gifts to bring. + My beauty of yore; + And my bright youth once more; + All my dresses so fair; + And my jewels so rare; + And let me delight + My dear love by the sight." + +Then the seven beautiful damsels, who were the handmaidens of the +princess--when she lived with her mother--floated on the sunbeams into +the room. They curtsied, walked three times round her, and pronounced +some magical words. + +Then the frog-skin fell off her, and she stood among them a miracle of +beauty, and the lovely princess she was. + +Meanwhile the prince, her husband, had arrived at the royal +banquet-hall, which was already full of guests. The old king welcomed +him warmly, and asked him: + +"Where is your wife, my son?" + +Then a light rain began to fall, and the prince said: + +"She will not be long; she is now bathing herself in May-dew." + +Then came a flash of lightning, which illuminated all the palace, and he +said: + +"She is now adorning herself." + +But when it thundered, he ran to the door exclaiming: + +"Here she is!" + +And the lovely princess came in, seeming to bring the sunshine with her. +They all stood amazed at her beauty. The king could not contain his +delight; and she seemed to him all the more beautiful, because he +thought her the very image of his long-deceased queen. The prince +himself was no less astonished and overjoyed to find such loveliness in +her, whom he had only as yet seen in the shape of a little frog. + +"Tell me, my son," said the king, "why you did not let me know what a +fortunate choice you had made?" + +The prince told him everything in a whisper; and the king said: + +"Go home then, my son, at once, and pick up that frog-skin of hers; +throw it in the fire, and come back here as fast as you can. Then she +will have to remain just as she is now." + +The prince did as his father told him, went home, and threw the +frog-skin into the fire, where it was at once consumed. + +But things did not turn out as they expected; for the lovely princess, +on coming home, sought for her frog-skin, and not finding it, began to +cry bitterly. When the prince confessed the truth, she shrieked aloud, +and taking out a green poppy-head, threw it at him. He went to sleep at +once; but she sprang up to the window, sang her songs to the winds; upon +which she was changed into a duck, and flew away. + +The prince woke up in the morning, and grieved sadly, when he found his +beautiful princess gone. + +Then he got on horseback, and set out to find her, inquiring everywhere +for the kingdom of the Queen of Light--his princess's mother--to whom he +supposed she must have fled. + +He rode on for a very, very long time, till one day he came into a wide +plain, all covered with poppies in full flower, the odour of which so +overpowered him, that he could scarce keep upright in his saddle. Then +he saw a queer little house, supported on four crooked legs. There was +no door to the house; but knowing what he ought to do, he said: + + "Little house, move + On your crooked legs free; + Turn your back to the wood, + And your front door to me." + +The hut with the crooked legs made a creaking noise, and turned round, +with its door towards the prince. He went straight in, and found an old +fury, whose name was Jandza,[1] inside; she was spinning from a distaff, +and singing. + +[1] _Jandza_ pronounced Yen-jar. + +"How are you, prince?" she said, "what brings you here?" + +So the prince told her, and she said: + +"You have done wisely to tell me the truth. I know your bride, the +beautiful daughter of the Queen of Light; she flies to my house +daily, in the shape of a duck, and this is where she sits. Hide yourself +under the table, and watch your opportunity to lay hold of her. Hold her +fast, whatever shapes she assumes; when she is tired she will turn into +a spindle; you must then break the spindle in two, and you will find +that which you are seeking." + +[Illustration: THE LITTLE HOUSE TURNS] + +Presently the duck flew in, sat down beside the old fury, and began to +preen her feathers with her beak. The prince seized her by the wing. The +duck quacked, fluttered, and struggled to get loose. But seeing this was +useless she changed herself into a pigeon, then into a hawk, and then +into a serpent, which so frightened the prince, that he let her go; on +which she became a duck again, quacked aloud, and flew out of the +window. + +The prince saw his mistake, and the old woman cried aloud: + +"What have you done, you careless fellow! you have frightened her away +from me for ever. But as she is your bride, I must find some other way +to help you. Take this ball of thread, throw it before you, and wherever +it goes follow after it; you will then come to my sister's house, and +she will tell you what to do next." + +So the prince went on day and night, following the ball of thread, till +he came to another queer little house, like the first, to which he said +the same rhyme, and going in, found the second old fury, and told her +his story. + +"Hide under the bench," she exclaimed; "your bride is just coming in." + +The duck flew in, as before, and the prince caught her by the wing; she +quacked, and tried to get away. Then she changed herself into a turkey, +then into a dog, then into a cat, then into an eel, so that she slipped +through his hands, and glided out of the window. + +The prince was in despair; but the old woman gave him another ball of +thread, and he again followed it, determining not to let the princess +escape again so easily. So going on after the thread, as it kept +unwinding, he came to a funny little house, like the two first, and +said: + + "Little house, move + On your crooked legs free; + Turn your back to the wood, + And your front door to me." + +The little house turned round, so that he could go in, and he found a +third old fury inside; much older than her sisters, and having white +hair. He told her his story, and begged for help. + +"Why did you go against the wishes of your clever and sensible wife?" +said the old woman. "You see she knew better than you what her frog-skin +was good for; but you must needs be in such a hurry to display her +beauty, to gain the world's applause, that you have lost her; and she +was forced to fly away from you." + +[Illustration: THE WAY HOME] + +The prince hid himself under the bench: the duck flew in and sat at the +old woman's feet; on which he caught her by the wings. + +She struggled hard; but she felt his strength was too great for her to +resist; so she turned herself into a spindle at once. He broke it across +his knee.... And lo! and behold! instead of the two halves of the +spindle he held the hands of his beautiful princess, who looked at him +lovingly with her beautiful eyes, and smiled sweetly. + +And she promised him that she would always remain as she was then, for +since her mother's enemies were all dead she had nothing to fear. + +They embraced each other, and went out of the old fury's hut. Then the +princess spoke some magical spells; and in the twinkling of an eye there +appeared a wonderful bridge, reaching from where they stood hundreds of +miles, up to the very gallery of the palace, belonging to the prince's +father. It was all made of crystal, with golden hand-rails, and diamond +bosses upon them. + +The princess spoke some more magical words, and a golden coach appeared, +drawn by eight horses, and a coachman, and two tall footmen, all in +golden liveries. And there were four outriders on splendid horses, +riding by the side of the coach, and an equerry, riding in front, and +blowing a brazen trumpet. And a long procession of followers, in +splendid dresses, came after them. + +Then the prince and princess got into the golden coach, and drove away, +thus accompanied, along the crystal bridge, till they reached home, when +the old king came out to meet them, and embraced them both tenderly. He +appointed the prince his successor; and such magnificent festivities +were held on the occasion, as never were seen or heard of before. + +[Illustration: THROUGH THE TELESCOPE] + + + + +PRINCESS MIRANDA AND PRINCE HERO + + +Far away, in the wide ocean there was once a green island where lived +the most beautiful princess in the world, named Miranda. She had lived +there ever since her birth, and was queen of the island. Nobody knew who +were her parents, or how she had come there. But she was not alone; for +there were twelve beautiful maidens, who had grown up with her on the +island, and were her ladies-in-waiting. + +But a few strangers had visited the island, and spoken of the princess's +great beauty; and many more came in time, and became her subjects, and +built a magnificent city, in which she had a splendid palace of white +marble to live in. + +And in course of time a great many young princes came to woo her. But +she did not care to marry any of them; and if anyone persisted, and +tried to compel her by force to be his wife, she could turn him and all +his soldiers into ice, by merely fixing her eyes upon them. + +One day the wicked Kosciey,[2] the king of the Underground realm, came +out into the upper world, and began to gaze all round it with his +telescope. Various empires and kingdoms passed in review before him; and +at last he saw the green island, and the rich city upon it; and the +marble palace in this city, and in this palace the twelve beautiful +young ladies-of-honour, and among them he beheld, lying on a rich couch +of swansdown, the Princess Miranda asleep. She slept like an innocent +child, but she was dreaming of a young knight, wearing a golden helmet, +on a gallant steed, and carrying an invisible mace, that fought of +itself; ... and she loved him better than life. + +[2] _Kosciey_ pronounced Kosh-che-eh, literally "Boney." + +Kosciey looked at her; he was delighted with her beauty; he struck the +earth three times, and stood upon the green island. + +Princess Miranda called together her brave army, and led them into the +field, to fight the wicked Kosciey. But he, blowing on them with his +poisonous breath, sent them all fast asleep, and he was just going to +lay hands upon the princess, when she, throwing a glance of scorn at +him, changed him into a lump of ice, and fled to her capital. + +Kosciey did not long remain ice. So soon as the princess was away, he +freed himself from the power of her glance, and regaining his usual +form, followed her to her city. Then he sent all the inhabitants of the +island to sleep, and among them the princess's twelve faithful damsels. + +She was the only one whom he could not injure; but being afraid of her +glances, he surrounded the castle--which stood upon a high hill--with an +iron rampart, and placed a dragon with twelve heads on guard before the +gate, and waited for the princess to give herself up of her own accord. + +The days passed by, then weeks, then months, while her kingdom became a +desert; all her people were asleep, and her faithful soldiers also lay +sleeping on the open fields, their steel armour all rusted, and wild +plants were growing over them undisturbed. Her twelve maidens were all +asleep in different rooms of the palace, just where they happened to be +at the time; and she herself, all alone, kept walking sadly to and fro +in a little room up in a tower, where she had taken refuge--wringing her +white hands, weeping, and her bosom heaving with sighs. + +Around her all were silent, as though dead; only every now and then, +Kosciey, not daring to encounter her angry glance, knocked at the door +asking her to surrender, promising to make her queen of his Underground +realm. But it was all of no use; the princess was silent, and only +threatened him with her looks. + +But grieving in her lonely prison Princess Miranda could not forget the +lover of whom she had been dreaming; she saw him just as he had appeared +to her in her dream. + +And she looked up with her blue eyes to heaven, and seeing a cloud +floating by, she said: + + "O cloud! through the bright sky flying! + Stay, and hearken my piteous sighing! + In my sorrow I call upon thee; + Oh! where is my loved one? say! + Oh! where do his footsteps stray? + And does he now think of me?" + +"I know not," the cloud replied. "Ask the wind." + +And she looked out into the wide plain, and seeing how the wind was +blowing freely, she said: + + "O wind! o'er the wide world flying! + Do thou pity my grief and crying! + Have pity on me! + Oh! where is my loved one? say! + Oh! where do his footsteps stray? + And does he now think of me?" + +"Ask the stars," the wind replied; "they know more than I do." + +So she cried to the stars: + + "O stars! with your bright beams glowing! + Look down on my tears fast flowing! + Have pity, have pity on me! + Oh! where is my loved one? say! + Oh! where do his footsteps stray? + And does he now think of me?" + +"Ask the moon," said the stars; "who being nearer to the earth, knows +more of what happens there than we do." + +So she said to the moon: + + "Bright moon, as your watch you keep, + From the starry skies, o'er this land of sleep, + Look down now, and pity me! + Oh! where is my loved one? say! + Where? where do his footsteps stray? + And does he now think of me?" + +"I know nothing about your loved one, princess," replied the moon; "but +here comes the sun, who will surely be able to tell you." + +And the sun rose up in the dawn, and at noontide stood just over the +princess's tower, and she said: + + "Thou soul of the world! bright sun! + Look on me, in this prison undone! + Have pity on me! + Oh! where is my loved one? say! + Through what lands do his footsteps stray? + And does he now think of me?" + +"Princess Miranda," said the sun; "dry your tears, comfort your heart; +your lover is hastening to you, from the bottom of the deep sea, from +under the coral reefs; he has won the enchanted ring; when he puts it on +his finger, his army will increase by thousands, regiment after +regiment, with horse and foot; the drums are beating, the sabres +gleaming, the colours flying, the cannon roaring, they are bearing down +on the empire of Kosciey. But he cannot conquer him by force of mortal +weapons. I will teach him a surer way; and there is good hope that he +will be able to deliver you from Kosciey, and save your country. I will +hasten to your prince. Farewell." + +The sun stood over a wide country, beyond the deep seas, beyond high +mountains, where Prince Hero in a golden helmet, on a gallant horse, was +drawing up his army, and preparing to march against Kosciey, the +besieger of the fair princess. He had seen her three times in a dream, +and had heard much about her, for her beauty was famous throughout the +world. + +"Dismiss your army," said the sun. "No army can conquer Kosciey, no +bullet can reach him; you can only free Princess Miranda by killing him, +and how you are to do it, you must learn from the old woman Jandza; I +can only tell you where you will find the horse, that must carry you to +her. Go hence towards the East; you will come to a green meadow, in +which there are three oak trees; and among them you will find hidden in +the ground an iron door, with a brazen padlock; behind this door you +will find a battle charger, and a mace; the rest you will learn +afterwards; ... farewell!" + +Prince Hero was most surprised; but he took off his enchanted ring and +threw it into the sea; with it all his great army vanished directly into +mist, leaving no trace behind. He turned to the East and travelled +onwards. + +After three days he came to the green meadow, where he found the three +oak trees, and the iron door, as he had been told. It opened upon a +narrow, crooked stairway, going downwards, leading into a deep dungeon, +where he found another iron door, closed by a heavy iron padlock. Behind +this he heard a horse neighing, so loudly that it made the door fall to +the ground, and at the same moment eleven other doors flew open and +there came out a war-horse, which had been shut up there for ages by a +wizard. + +The prince whistled to the horse; the horse tugged at his fastenings, +and broke twelve chains by which he had been fettered. He had eyes like +stars, flaming nostrils, and a mane like a thunder-cloud; ... he was a +horse of horses, the wonder of the world. + +"Prince Hero!" said the horse, "I have long waited for such a rider as +you, and I am ready to serve you for ever. Mount on my back, take that +mace in your hand, which you see hanging to the saddle; you need not +fight with it yourself, for it will strike wherever you command it, and +beat a whole army. I know the way everywhere; tell me where you want to +go, and you will presently be there." + +The prince told him everything; took the self-fighting mace in his hand, +and sprang on his back. + +The horse reared, snorted, spurned the ground, and they flew over +mountains and forests, higher than the flying clouds, over rapid rivers, +and deep seas; but when they flew along the ground the charger's light +feet never trampled down a blade of grass, nor raised an atom of dust on +the sandy soil. + +Before sunset Prince Hero had reached the primeval forest in which the +old woman Jandza lived. + +He was amazed at the size and age of the mighty oaks, pine trees and +firs, where there reigned a perpetual twilight. And there was absolute +silence--not a leaf or a blade of grass stirring; and no living thing, +not so much as a bird, or the hum of an insect; only amidst this +grave-like stillness the sound of his horse's hoofs. + +The prince stopped before a little house, supported on crooked legs, and +said: + + "Little house, move + On your crooked legs free: + Turn your back to the wood, + And your front to me." + +The house turned round, with the door towards him; the prince went in, +and the old woman Jandza asked him: + +"How did you get here, Prince Hero, where no living soul has penetrated +till now?" + +"Don't ask me; but welcome your guest politely." + +So the old woman gave the prince food and drink, made up a soft bed for +him, to rest on after his journey, and left him for the night. + +Next morning he told her all, and what he had come for. + +"You have undertaken a great and splendid task, prince; so I will tell +you how to kill Kosciey. In the Ocean-Sea, on the island of Everlasting +Life, there is an old oak tree; under this tree is buried a coffer bound +with iron; in this coffer is a hare; under the hare sits a grey duck; +this duck carries within her an egg; and in this egg is enclosed the +life of Kosciey. When you break the egg he will die at once. Now +good-bye, prince; and good luck go with you; your horse will show you +the way." + +The prince got on horseback, and they soon left the forest behind them, +and came to the shore of the ocean. + +On the beach was a fisherman's net, and in the net was a great fish, who +when he saw the prince, cried out piteously: + +"Prince Hero! take me out of the net, and throw me back into the sea; I +will repay you!" + +The prince took the fish out of the net, and threw it into the sea; it +splashed in the water, and vanished. + +The prince looked over the sea, and saw the island in the grey distance, +far, far away; but how was he to get there? He leaned upon his mace, +deep in thought. + +"What are you thinking of, prince?" asked the horse. + +"I am thinking how I am to get to the island, when I cannot swim over +that breadth of sea." + +"Sit on my back, prince, and hold fast." + +So the prince sat firm on the horse's back, and held fast by the thick +mane; a wind arose, and the sea was somewhat rough; but rider and horse +pushed on, through the billows, and at last came to shore on the island +of Everlasting Life. + +The prince took off his horse's bridle, and let him loose to feed in a +meadow of luxuriant grass, and walked on quickly to a high hill, where +grew the old oak tree. Taking it in both hands he tugged at it; the oak +resisted all his efforts; he tugged again, the oak began to creak, and +moved a little; he mustered all his strength, and tugged again. The oak +fell with a crash to the ground, with its roots uppermost, and there, +where they had stood firmly fixed so many hundred years, was a deep +hole. + +Looking down he saw the iron-bound coffer; he fetched it up, broke open +the lock with a stone, raised the lid, picked up the hare lying in it by +its ears; but at that moment the duck, which had been sitting under the +hare, took the alarm, and flew off straight to sea. + +The prince fired a shot after her; the bullet hit the duck; she gave one +loud quack, and fell; but in that same instant the egg fell from +her--down to the bottom of the sea. The prince gave a cry of despair; +but just then a great fish came swimming, dived down to the depths of +the sea, and coming to the shore, with the egg in its jaws, left it on +the sand. + +[Illustration: THE DRAGON WHO KEPT WATCH] + +The fish swam away; but the prince, taking up the egg, mounted his horse +once more; and they swam till they reached Princess Miranda's island, +where they saw a great iron wall stretching all round her white marble +palace. + +There was only one entrance through this iron wall to the palace, and +before this lay the monstrous dragon with the twelve heads, six of which +kept guard alternately; when the one half slept the other six remained +awake. If anyone were to approach the gate he could not escape the +horrid jaws. Nobody could hurt the dragon; for he could only suffer +death by his own act. + +The prince stood on the hill before that gate, and commanded his +self-fighting mace, which also had the faculty of becoming invisible, to +go and clear his entrance to the palace. + +The invisible, self-fighting mace fell upon the dragon and began to +thunder on all his heads with such force, that all his eyes became +bloodshot, and he began to hiss fiercely; he shook his twelve heads, and +stretched wide his twelve horrid jaws; he spread out his forest of +claws; but this helped him not at all, the mace kept on smiting him, +moving about so fast, that not a single head escaped, but could only +hiss, groan, and shriek wildly! Now it had given a thousand blows, the +blood gushed from a thousand wounds, and there was no help for the +dragon; he raged, writhed about, and shrieked in despair; finally, as +blow followed blow, and he could not see who gave them, he gnashed his +teeth, belched forth flame, and at length turned his claws upon himself, +plunging them deep into his own flesh, struggled, writhed, twisted +himself round, and in and out; his blood flowed freely from his wounds +... and now it was all over with the dragon. + +The prince, seeing this, went into the courtyard of the palace, put his +horse into the stable, and went up by a winding stair, towards the +tower, whence the Princess Miranda, having seen him, addressed him: + +"Welcome, Prince Hero! I saw how you disposed of the dragon; but do be +careful, for my enemy, Kosciey, is in this palace; he is most powerful, +both through his own strength, and through his sorceries; and if he +kills you I can live no longer. + +"Princess Miranda, do not trouble about me. I have the life of Kosciey +in this egg." Then he called out: + +"Invisible self-fighting mace, go into the palace and beat Kosciey." + +The mace bestirred itself quickly, battered in the iron doors, and set +upon Kosciey; it smote him on the neck, till he crouched all together, +the sparks flew from his eyes, and there was a noise of so many mills in +his ears. + +If he had been an ordinary mortal it would have been all over with him +at once; as it was, he was horribly tormented, and puzzled--feeling all +these blows, and never seeing whence they came. He sprang about, raved, +and raged, till the whole island resounded with his roaring. + +At last he looked through the window, and behold there he saw Prince +Hero. "Ah! that is all your doing!" he exclaimed; and sprang out into +the courtyard, to rush straight at him, and beat him to a jelly! But the +prince held the egg in one hand ready; and he squeezed it so hard, that +the shell cracked and the yolk and the white were all spilled together +... and Kosciey fell lifeless! + +And with the death of the enchanter all his charms were dissolved at +once; all the people in the island who were asleep woke up, and began to +stir. The soldiers woke from sleep, and the drums began to beat; they +formed their ranks, massed themselves in order, and began to march +towards the palace. + +And in the palace there was great joy; for Princess Miranda came towards +the prince, gave him her white hand, and thanked him warmly. They went +to the throne-room, and following the princess's example, her twelve +waiting-maids paired off with twelve young officers of the army, and +the couples grouped themselves round the throne, on which the prince and +princess were sitting. + +And then a priest, arrayed in all his vestments, came in at the open +door, and the prince and princess exchanged rings, and were married. + +And all the other couples were married at the same time, and after the +wedding there was a feast, dancing, and music, which it is a pleasure to +think of. Everywhere there was rejoicing. + +[Illustration: THE CHILDREN TRANSFORMED] + + + + +THE EAGLES + + +There was once a king, who had lost his wife. They had a family of +thirteen--twelve gallant sons, and one daughter, who was exquisitely +beautiful. + +For twelve years after his wife's death the king grieved very much; he +used to go daily to her tomb, and there weep, and pray, and give away +alms to the poor. He thought never to marry again; for he had promised +his dying wife never to give her children a stepmother. + +One day, when visiting his dead wife's grave as usual, he saw beside him +a maiden so entrancingly fair, that he fell in love with her, and soon +made her his second queen. But before long he found out that he had made +a great mistake. Though she was so beautiful she turned out to be a +wicked sorceress, and not only made the king himself unhappy, but +proved most unkind to his children, whom she wished out of the way, so +that her own little son might inherit the kingdom. + +One day, when the king was far away, at war against his enemies, the +queen went into her stepchildren's apartments, and pronounced some +magical words--on which every one of the twelve princes flew away in the +shape of an eagle, and the princess was changed into a dove. + +The queen looked out of the window, to see in what direction they would +fly, when she saw right under the window an old man, with a beard as +white as snow. + +"What are you here for, old man?" she asked. + +"To be witness of your deed," he answered. + +"Then you saw it?" + +"I saw it." + +"Then be what I command!" + +She whispered some magical words. The old man disappeared in a blaze of +sunshine; and the queen, as she stood there, dumb with terror, was +changed into a basilisk. + +The basilisk ran off in fright; trying to hide herself underground. But +her glance was so deadly, that it killed every one she looked at; so +that all the people in the palace were soon dead, including her own son, +whom she slew by merely looking at him. And this once populous and +happy royal residence quickly became an uninhabited ruin, which no one +dared approach, for fear of the basilisk lurking in its underground +vaults. + +[Illustration: THE OLD MAN BLESSES THE PRINCESS] + +Meanwhile the princess, who had been changed into a dove, flew after her +brothers the eagles, but not being able to overtake them, she rested +under a wayside cross, and began cooing mournfully. + +"What are you grieving for, pretty dove?" asked an old man, with a +snow-white beard, who just then came by. + +"I am grieving for my poor dear father, who is fighting in the wars far +away; for my loved brothers, who have flown away from me into the +clouds. I am grieving also for myself. Not long ago I was a happy +princess; and now I must wander over the world as a dove, to hide from +the birds of prey--and be parted for ever from my dear father and +brothers!" + +"You may grieve and weep, little dove; but do not lose hope," said the +old man. "Sorrow is only for a time, and all will come right in the +end." + +So saying he stroked the little dove, and she at once regained her +natural shape. She kissed the old man's hand in her gratitude, saying: + +"How can I ever thank you enough! But since you are so kind, will you +not tell me how to rescue my brothers?" + +The old man gave her an ever-growing loaf, and said: + +"This loaf is enough to sustain, not only you, but a thousand people for +a thousand years, without ever diminishing. Go towards the sunset, and +weep your tears into this little bottle. And when it is full...." + +And the old man told her what else to do, blessed her, and disappeared. + +The princess travelled on towards the sunset; and in about a year she +reached the boundary of the next world, and stood before an iron door, +where Death was keeping guard with his scythe. + +"Stop, princess!" he said; "You can proceed no further, for you are not +yet parted by death from your own world." + +"But what am I to do?" she asked. "Must I go back without my poor +brothers?" + +"Your brothers," said Death, "fly here every day in the guise of eagles. +They want to reach the other side of this door, which leads into the +other world; for they hate the one they live in; nevertheless they, and +you also, must remain there, until your time be come. Therefore every +day I must compel them to go back, which they can do, because they are +eagles. But how are you going to get back yourself?--look there!" + +The princess looked around her, and wept bitterly. For though she had +not perceived this before, nor seen how she got there, she saw now that +she was in a deep abyss, shut in on all sides by such high precipices, +that she wondered how her brothers, even with eagle wings, could fly to +the top. + +But remembering what the mysterious old man had said she took courage, +and began to pray and weep, till she had filled the little bottle with +her tears. Soon she heard the sound of wings over her head, and saw +twelve eagles flying. + +The eagles dashed themselves against the iron portal, beating their +wings upon it, and imploring Death to open it to them. But Death only +threatened them with his scythe, saying: + +"Hence! ye enchanted princes! you must fulfil your penance on earth, +till I come for you myself." + +The eagles were about to turn and fly, when all at once they perceived +their sister. They came round her, and caressed her hands lovingly with +their beaks. + +She at once began to sprinkle them with her tears from the lachrymatory; +and in one moment the twelve eagles were changed back into the twelve +princes, and joyfully embraced their sister. + +The princess then fed them all round from her ever-growing loaf; but +when their hunger was appeased they began to be troubled as to how they +were to ascend from the abyss, since they had no longer eagles' wings to +fly up. + +But the princess knelt down and prayed: + + "Bird of heavenly pity here, + By each labour, prayer and tear, + Come in thine unvanquished power, + Come and aid us in this hour!" + +And all at once there shot down from heaven to the depth of the abyss a +ray of sunshine, on which descended a gigantic bird, with rainbow wings, +a bright sparkling crest, and peacock's eyes all over his body, a golden +tail, and silvery breast. + +"What are your commands, princess?" asked the bird. + +"Carry us from this threshold of eternity to our own world." + +"I will, but you must know, princess, that before I can reach the top of +this precipice with you on my back, three days and nights must pass; and +I must have food on the way, or my strength will fail me, and I shall +fall down with you to the bottom, and we shall all perish." + +"I have an ever-growing loaf, which will suffice both for you and +ourselves," replied the princess. + +"Then climb upon my back, and whenever I look round, give me some bread +to eat." + +The bird was so large that all the princes, and the princess in the +midst of them, could easily find place on his back, and he began to fly +upwards. + +He flew higher and higher, and whenever he looked round at her, she gave +him bits of the loaf, and he flew on, and upwards. + +So they went on steadily for two nights and days; but upon the third +day, when they were hoping in a short time to view the summit of the +precipice, and to land upon the borders of this world, the bird looked +round as usual for a piece of the loaf. + +The princess was just going to break off some to give him, when a sudden +violent gust of wind from the bottom of the abyss snatched the loaf from +her hand, and sent it whistling downwards. + +Not having received his usual meal the bird became sensibly weaker, and +looked round once more. + +The princess trembled with fear; she had nothing more to give him, and +she felt that he was becoming exhausted. In utter desperation she cut +off a piece of her flesh, and gave it to him. + +Having eaten this the bird recovered strength, and flew upwards faster +than before; but after an hour or two he looked round once more. + +So she cut off another piece of her flesh; the bird seized it greedily, +and flew on so fast that in a few minutes he reached the ground at the +top of the precipice. When they alighted, and he asked her: + +"Princess, what were those two delicious morsels you gave me last? I +never ate anything so good before." + +"They were part of my flesh, I had nothing else for you," replied the +princess in a faint voice, for she was swooning away with pain and loss +of blood. + +The bird breathed upon her wounds; and the flesh at once healed over, +and grew again as before. Then he flew up again to heaven, and was lost +in the clouds. + +The princess and her brothers resumed their journey, this time towards +the sunrise, and at last arrived in their own country, where they met +their father, returning from the wars. + +The king was coming back victorious over his enemies, and on his way +home had first heard of the sudden disappearance of his children and of +the queen, and how his palace was tenanted only by a basilisk with a +death-dealing glance. + +He was therefore most surprised and overjoyed to meet his dear children +once more, and on the way his daughter told him all that had come to +pass. + +When they got back to the palace the king sent one of his nobles with a +looking-glass down into the underground vaults. The basilisk saw herself +reflected in this mirror, and her own glance slew her immediately. + +They gathered up the remains of the basilisk, and burnt them in a great +fire in the courtyard, afterwards scattering the ashes to the four +winds. When this was done the king, his sons, and his daughter, returned +to live in their former home and were all as happy as could be ever +after. + +[Illustration: TO TRICK THE BASILISK] + +[Illustration: THE BRIDE CARRIED OFF BY THE WHIRLWIND] + + + + +THE WHIRLWIND + + +In a far-off country, beyond the sea and the mountains, there lived a +king and queen, with a beautiful daughter, who was called Princess +Ladna. + +A great many princes came to woo her; but she liked only one of them, +called Prince Dobrotek; so they confessed their love for one another to +the king, who gave his consent, and the wedding-day was fixed. + +Now among the princess's rejected suitors there was one, who though he +had changed himself into the shape of a prince, in order to come to +court and make love to her, really was an ugly dwarf, only seven inches +high, but with a beard more than seven feet long, and a great hump on +his back. He was so offended with the princess for refusing him, that he +determined to carry her off; so he watched his opportunity. + +As the young couple, with all their followers and their guests, were +leaving the palace to go to church, a violent wind began to blow, a +regular whirlwind, raising a column of sand, and lifting the princess +off her feet. She was carried up over the clouds, to the top of some +inaccessible mountains, and dropped down into a magnificent palace, with +a golden roof, and a high wall all round. + +After a while the princess woke up from the fainting-fit into which she +had fallen. She looked round the splendid apartment in which she was, +and came to the conclusion that some young and handsome prince must have +carried her off. + +In the room there was a table ready spread; all the plates and dishes, +as well as the knives, forks, and spoons, were of silver and gold; and +the dinner itself was so good, that in spite of her grief and terror, +she could not refrain from tasting it; and she had no sooner tasted, +than she ate, till her appetite was appeased. + +Then the doors opened, and there came in a company of negroes, bearing a +great chair, in which sat the ugly dwarf, with the long beard and the +great hump. + +The dwarf now began to pay his court to the princess, and explain how he +had carried her off in the guise of the whirlwind, because he loved her +so much. But she would not listen to him, and gave him a sounding slap +with her open hand right in his face, so that sparks danced before his +eyes. Of course he was in a great passion; but for love of her he +managed to keep his temper, and turned round to leave the room. But in +his haste he caught his feet in his long beard, and was thrown down on +the threshold, and in his fall he dropped his cap, which he was holding +in one hand. + +The negroes helped him again into the chair, and carried him out; but +the princess jumped up, locked the door, and took up the cap that was +lying on the ground. She put it on; and went to the glass to see how she +looked in it. But what was her surprise to find that she could not see +herself, till she took it off! So she came to the wise conclusion that +this was an invisible cap; at which she was highly delighted; she put on +the cap again, and began to walk about the room. + +The door opened once more with a loud noise, and the dwarf came in with +his long beard thrown back and twisted all round his hump, to be out of +the way. But not seeing either his cap, or the princess, he guessed what +had happened; so full of wild despair he began to rush madly about the +room, knocking himself against the tables and chairs, while the princess +made her escape through the door, and ran out into the garden. + +The garden was very extensive, and full of beautiful fruit-trees; so she +lived upon these fruits, and drank the water of a spring in the garden +for some time. She used to make fun of the dwarf's impotent rage. +Sometimes when he rushed wildly about the garden, she would tease him +by taking off the invisible cap, so that he saw her before him, in all +her beauty; but when he made a rush after her she would put it on again, +and become invisible to him; she would then throw cherry-stones at him, +come close to him, and laugh loudly: and then run away again. + +One day, when she was playing about in this manner, her cap got caught +in the boughs of a tree, and fell upon a gooseberry bush. The dwarf saw +it, and seized hold of the princess with one hand, and of the cap with +the other. But just then--from the summit of the mountain, above the +garden itself, was heard the sound of a trumpet-challenge, three times +repeated. + +At this the dwarf trembled with rage; but first breathing upon the +princess, he put her to sleep with his breath, then placed his invisible +cap on her head. Having done this he seized his two-edged sword, and +flew up into the clouds, so as to strike the knight who had challenged +him from above, and destroy him at one stroke. + +But where did this knight come from? + +When Princess Ladna had been carried off on her wedding-day by the +whirlwind, there was the greatest consternation among all the +bystanders. Her distracted father and her bridegroom rushed about in all +directions, and sent courtiers everywhere in search of her; but the +princess had been neither seen nor heard of, nor was any trace left of +her. + +The king (very unnecessarily) told Prince Dobrotek that if he did not +get back his daughter, the princess, he would not only put him to death, +but would reduce his whole country to ashes. He also told all the +princes there that whoever should bring back his daughter should have +her to wife, and receive half of his kingdom into the bargain. + +When they heard this they all got to horse, and galloped in various +directions; among them Prince Dobrotek. + +He went on for three days, never stopping for food or rest; but on the +fourth day, at dusk, he felt overcome by sleep; so he let his horse go +free in a meadow, and himself lay down on the grass. Then all at once he +heard a piercing shriek, and straight before him beheld a hare, and an +owl perched upon it--its claws digging into the poor creature's side. + +The prince caught up the first thing that lay near him, and aimed at the +screech-owl, so truly that he killed it on the spot, and the hare ran up +to him, like a tame creature, licked his hands, and ran away. + +Then the prince saw that the thing he had thrown at the owl was a human +skull. And it spoke to him, in these words: + +"Prince Dobrotek, I thank you for what you have done for me. When I was +alive I committed suicide, and was therefore condemned to lie unburied +at this cross-way, till I should be the means of saving life. I have +lain here for seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and Heaven knows +how much longer I should have had to remain, if you had not chanced to +throw me at the screech-owl, and so saved the life of the poor hare. Now +bury me, so that I may lie peacefully in the ground at this same place, +and I will tell you how to summon the Grey Seer-horse, with the golden +mane, who will always help you in case of need. Go out into a plain, and +without looking behind you, call out: + + "Grey Seer-horse, with golden mane! + Like a bird--and not like steed, + On the blast--and not the mead, + Fly thou hither unto me!" + +Thus having spoken, the head was silent; but a blue light shot up from +it towards the sky; it was the soul of the deceased, which having now +expiated its sin by its long imprisonment in the skull, had attained +heaven. + +The prince then dug a grave, and buried the skull. He then called out: + + "Grey Seer-horse, with golden mane! + Like a bird--and not like steed, + On the blast--and not the mead, + Do thou hither fly to me!" + +The wind rose, the lightning flashed, the thunder roared, and the +wonderful horse with the golden mane appeared. He flew as fast as the +storm-wind, flames shot from his nostrils, sparks from his eyes, and +clouds of smoke from his mouth. He stood still, and said in human tones: + +[Illustration: THE HORSE APPEARS IN THE STORM] + +"What are your commands, Prince Dobrotek?" + +"I am in trouble; I wish you to help me." + +And he told him all that had occurred. + +"Creep in at my left ear," said the horse, "and creep out again at the +right." + +So the prince crept in at the horse's left ear, and came out again at +the right one, all clad in golden armour. He also found himself +miraculously increased in strength, so that when he stamped on the +ground it trembled; and when he shouted a storm arose, which shook the +leaves from the trees. + +Then he asked the horse: + +"What is to be done next?" + +"Your betrothed, Princess Ladna," said the horse, "was carried off by +the seven-inch-high dwarf, with the seven-foot-long beard; he is a +powerful magician; he dwells beyond the seven seas, among inaccessible +mountains. He can only be conquered by the All-Cutting Sword, which +sword is jealously guarded by his own brother, the Giant-Head, with +basilisk eye. To this Giant-Head we must therefore go." + +Prince Dobrotek mounted on horseback, and they flew like an arrow, over +lands and seas, high mountains and wide oceans. They stopped at length +upon a wide plain strewn with bones, before a moving mountain. And the +horse said: + +"This moving mountain, which you see before you, is the giant's head +with the basilisk eyes; and the bones strewn so thickly hereabouts prove +how deadly his looks are--so be careful. He is now asleep from the heat +of the sun; but only two steps before him lies the sword, with which +alone you can conquer your enemy. Lie down along my back, so that his +glance cannot reach you through my neck and mane; but when you get near +to it, lay hold of the sword; when you have it you will not only be safe +from his basilisk glances, but you will even have the giant's head at +your mercy." + +And the horse drew near lightly, and the prince bent down, and secured +the wonderful sword; but he shouted so loud that the Giant-Head woke up, +sniffed hard, and looked about with his bloodshot eyes; and seeing the +wonderful sword in the prince's hand, he called out: + +"Sir knight! are you weary of the world, that you court speedy death?" + +"You need not boast like that, you empty head!" replied Prince Dobrotek. +"Your looks cannot hurt me now; and you shall die by this All-Cutting +Sword! But I would first know who, and what you are." + +"Then I confess, prince," replied the head; "that I am in your power; +but be merciful to me, for I am worthy of pity. I am a knight of the +race of giants, and were it not for the envy of my brother, I should +still have been happy. He was the black sheep of our family, and was +born an ugly dwarf, with a long beard; and my handsome giant-like +proportions caused him to hate me bitterly. His only good point is his +great strength, and it all resides in his long beard, and so long as it +is not cut he cannot be conquered, and this can only be done by that +sword, which you now hold. + +"One day, being bent upon my destruction, he said to me: + +"'Brother, do not refuse to help me. I have read in my books of magic +that beyond the mountains, on a plain lies buried a certain sword, +whereby a knight, seeking for his betrothed, shall compass the +destruction of us both; let us therefore go and dig it up, so that we +shall escape the threatened doom!' + +"To this I agreed. I took a hundred-year-old pine--torn up from its +roots--on one arm, and carried my brother on my other. We set out; he +showed me the spot, and I dug up the sword, on this same plain. Then we +began to quarrel about who should possess it. After a long dispute he +said: + +"'We were best decide it by lot, brother. Let each of us lay his ear to +the ground, and whoever first hears the sound of the evening bell shall +have the sword.' + +"So he laid his ear to the ground, and I mine. I listened; but heard +nothing; and he meantime, having got hold of the sword, crept up to me, +and cut my head from my shoulders. + +"My headless trunk, left unburied, rotted away, and the grass grew over +it; but my head, endowed with supernatural life by the malicious dwarf, +my brother, was left here, with charge to guard this sword, and kill +every one who came near with my deadly glance. After many centuries you +have won it; so I implore you to cut off his seven-foot beard, and make +him into mince-meat; and avenge me." + +"You shall be avenged," said the prince; "and at once. Grey Seer-Horse, +carry me to the kingdom of the dwarf magician, with the seven-foot-long +beard." + +So they set off at once, flying with lightning speed through the air, +over the seas and over the forests. In an hour or two they halted on the +summit of a high mountain, and the horse said: + +"These mountains are the kingdom of the dwarf magician, who carried off +your betrothed, and they are both now in the garden; challenge him to +fight." + +Prince Dobrotek sounded a challenge three times, and the dwarf, as we +have seen, flew up into the air, so as to swoop down upon his +antagonist, unperceived of him. + +All at once the prince heard a murmuring sound above him, and he saw +when he looked up, the dwarf soaring above him, like an eagle in the +clouds--for he had the magic power of increasing his size and +strength--with his sword drawn, ready to fall upon him. + +The prince sprang aside, and the dwarf came down, with such an impetus, +that his head and neck were rammed into the ground. + +The prince dismounted, seized the dwarf by the beard, wound it about his +left hand, and began to sever it with the All-Cutting Sword. + +The dwarf saw that he had to do with no feather-bed knight; so he tugged +with all his strength, and flew up again into the clouds; but the +prince, holding fast with his left hand to the beard, kept on severing +it with his sword, so that he had nearly cut half of it through; and the +dwarf became weaker and weaker the more hair he lost, so he began to cry +for mercy. + +"Drop down to the ground, off which you took me," said the prince. + +The dwarf dropped down slowly, but the prince cut off the remainder of +his beard and threw him--when thus deprived of his charms and his +strength alike--on to the ground, wreathed the severed beard round his +own helmet, and entered the palace. + +The invisible servants of the dwarf, seeing their master's beard, +wreathed about the prince's helmet, threw open all the doors to him at +once. + +He went through all the rooms; but not finding his princess anywhere, +went into the garden, traversing all the paths and lawns, and calling +her name. He could find her nowhere. + +But thus running from one place to another he chanced to touch the +invisible cap; he caught hold of it, and pulled it away from where it +was, on the head of the princess, and saw her at once in all her +loveliness, but fast asleep. + +Overcome with joy, he called her by her name; but she had been cast into +such a deep sleep by the dwarf's poisonous breath, that he could not +rouse her. + +He took her up in his arms, put the invisible cap into his pocket, also +picking up the wicked dwarf, whom he carried along with him. He then +mounted his horse, flew like an arrow, and in a few minutes stood before +the Giant-Head, with the basilisk eyes. + +He threw the dwarf into its open jaws, where he was ground at once into +powder; the prince then cut up the monstrous head into small pieces, and +scattered them all over the plain. + +Thus having got rid of both the dwarf and the giant, the prince rode on +with the sleeping princess, upon the Golden-Mane horse, and at sunset +they came to the same cross-roads, where he had first summoned him. + +"Here, prince, we must part," said the Golden-Mane; "but here in the +meadow is your own horse, and it is not far to your own home, so +creep into my right ear, and come out at my left." + +[Illustration: THE DWARF DEFEATED] + +The prince did as he was told, and came out as he was before. His own +horse recognized him, and came running with a joyful neigh to meet his +master. + +The prince was tired out with the long journey, so, having laid down his +betrothed wife, still sleeping, on the soft grass, and covered her up +from the cold, he laid down himself and went to sleep. + +But that very night, one of Princess Ladna's rejected suitors, riding +that way, saw by the light of the moon those two asleep, and he +recognized in them the princess, and the prince, his fortunate rival. So +first stabbing the latter through with his sabre, he carried off the +princess, and bore her on horseback before him to her father. + +The king welcomed him rapturously, as his daughter's deliverer. But when +he found, to his dismay, that he could not awake her, with all his +caresses, he asked the supposed rescuer what this meant. + +"I do not know, Sir King," replied the knight. "After I had overtaken +and slain the great enchanter, who was carrying off the princess, I +found her as she is now, sound asleep." + +Prince Dobrotek meanwhile, mortally wounded, had just strength enough +left to summon the Wonderful Grey Horse, who came instantly; and seeing +what was the matter, flew off to the top of the mountain of Everlasting +Life. On its summit were three springs--the Water of Loosening, the +Water of Healing, and the Water of Life. He sprinkled the dead prince +with all three; Prince Dobrotek opened his eyes, and exclaimed: + +"Oh! how well I have slept!" + +"You were sleeping the sleep of death," returned the Golden-Mane; "one +of your rivals killed you sleeping, and carried off your princess home +to her father, pretending to be her deliverer, in the hope of gaining +her hand. But do not be afraid; she is still asleep, and only you can +awaken her, by touching her forehead with the beard of the dwarf, which +you have with you. Go then to her; I must be elsewhere." + +The Golden-Mane vanished, and the prince, calling his own horse, and +taking with him his invisible cap, betook himself to the court of his +loved one's father. + +But when he drew near he found that the city was all surrounded by +enemies, who had already mastered the outer defences, and were +threatening the town itself; and half of its defenders being slain, the +rest were thinking of surrender. + +Prince Dobrotek put on his invisible cap, and drawing his All-Cutting +Sword, fell upon the enemy. + +They fell to right and left as the sword smote them on each side, till +one half of them were slain, and the rest ran away into the forest. + +Unseen by anyone the prince entered the city, and arrived at the royal +palace, where the king, surrounded by his knights, was hearing the +account of this sudden attack, whereby his foes had been discomfited; +but by whom no one could inform him. + +Then Prince Dobrotek took off his invisible cap, and appearing suddenly +in the midst of the assembly, said: + +"King and father! it was I who beat your enemies. But where is my +betrothed, Princess Ladna, whom I rescued from the wizard dwarf, with +the seven-foot beard? whom one of your knights treacherously stole from +me? Let me see her, that I may waken her from her magic sleep." + +When the traitor knight heard this he took to his heels; Prince Dobrotek +touched the sleeping princess's forehead with the beard, she woke up +directly, gazed at him fondly with her lovely eyes, but could not at +first understand where she was, or what had happened to her. + +The king caught her in his arms, pressed her to his heart, and that very +evening he married her to Prince Dobrotek. He gave them half his +kingdom, and there was a splendid wedding, such as had never been seen +or heard of before. + +[Illustration: THE GOOD FERRYMAN CAPTURES THE MERMAID] + + + + +THE GOOD FERRYMAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS + + +There was once an old man, very poor, with three sons. They lived +chiefly by ferrying people over a river; but he had had nothing but +ill-luck all his life. And to crown all, on the night he died, there was +a great storm, and in it the crazy old ferry-boat, on which his sons +depended for a living, was sunk. + +As they were lamenting both their father and their poverty, an old man +came by, and learning the reason of their sorrow said: + +"Never mind; all will come right in time. Look! there is your boat as +good as new." + +And there was a fine new ferry-boat on the water, in place of the old +one, and a number of people waiting to be ferried over. + +The three brothers arranged to take turns with the boat, and divide the +fares they took. + +They were however very different in disposition. The two elder brothers +were greedy and avaricious, and would never take anyone over the river, +without being handsomely paid for it. + +But the youngest brother took over poor people, who had no money, for +nothing; and moreover frequently relieved their wants out of his own +pocket. + +One day, at sunset, when the eldest brother was at the ferry the same +old man, who had visited them on the night their father died, came, and +asked for a passage. + +"I have nothing to pay you with, but this empty purse," he said. + +"Go and get something to put in it then first," replied the ferry-man; +"and be off with you now!" + +Next day it was the second brother's turn; and the same old man came, +and offered his empty purse as his fare. But he met with a like reply. + +The third day it was the youngest brother's turn; and when the old man +arrived, and asked to be ferried over for charity, he answered: + +"Yes, get in, old man." + +"And what is the fare?" asked the old man. + +"That depends upon whether you can pay or not," was the reply; "but if +you cannot, it is all the same to me." + +"A good deed is never without its reward," said the old man: "but in the +meantime take this empty purse; though it is very worn, and looks +worth nothing. But if you shake it, and say: + + 'For his sake who gave it, this purse I hold, + I wish may always be full of gold;' + +it will always afford you as much gold as you wish for." + +[Illustration: THE PURSE THAT WAS EVER FULL] + +The youngest brother came home, and his brothers, who were sitting over +a good supper, laughed at him, because he had taken only a few copper +coins that day, and they told him he should have no supper. But when he +began to shake his purse and scatter gold coins all about, they jumped +up from the table, and began picking them up eagerly. + +And as it was share and share alike, they all grew rich very quickly. +The youngest brother made good use of his riches, for he gave away money +freely to the poor. But the greedy elder brothers envied him the +possession of the wonderful purse, and contrived to steal it from him. +Then they left their old home; and the one bought a ship, laded it with +all sorts of merchandize, for a trading voyage. But the ship ran upon a +rock, and every one on board was drowned. The second brother was no more +fortunate, for as he was travelling through a forest, with an enormous +treasure of precious stones, in which he had laid out his wealth, to +sell at a profit, he was waylaid by robbers, who murdered him, and +shared the spoil among them. + +The youngest brother, who remained at home, having lost his purse, +became as poor as before. But he still did as formerly, took pay from +passengers who could afford it, ferried over poor folks for nothing, and +helped those who were poorer than himself so far as he could. + +One day the same old man with the long white beard came by; the +ferry-man welcomed him as an old friend, and while rowing him over the +river, told him all that had happened since he last saw him. + +"Your brothers did very wrong, and they have paid for it," said the old +man; "but you were in fault yourself. Still, I will give you one more +chance. Take this hook and line; and whatever you catch, mind you hold +fast, and not let it escape you; or you will bitterly repent it." + +The old man then disappeared, and the ferry-man looked in wonder at his +new fishing-tackle--a diamond hook, a silver line, and a golden rod. + +All at once the hook sprang of itself into the water; the line +lengthened out along the river current, and there came a strong pull +upon it. The fisherman drew it in, and beheld a most lovely creature, +upwards from the waist a woman, but with a fish's tail. + +"Good ferry-man, let me go," she said; "take your hook out of my hair! +The sun is setting, and after sunset I can no longer be a water-nymph +again." + +But without answering, the ferry-man only held her fast, and covered +her over with his coat, to prevent her escaping. Then the sun set, and +she lost her fish-tail. + +"Now," she said: "I am yours; so let us go to the nearest church and get +married." + +She was already dressed as a bride, with a myrtle garland on her head, +in a white dress, with a rainbow-coloured girdle, and rich jewels in her +hair and on her neck. And she held in her hand the wonderful purse, that +was always full of gold. + +They found the priest and all ready at the church; were married in a few +minutes; and then came home to their wedding-feast, to which all the +neighbours were invited. They were royally entertained, and when they +were about to leave the bride shook the wonderful purse, and sent a +shower of gold pieces flying among the guests; so they all went home +very well pleased. + +The good ferry-man and his marvellous wife lived most happily together; +they never wanted for anything, and gave freely to all who came. He +continued to ply his ferry-boat; but he now took all passengers over for +nothing, and gave them each a piece of gold into the bargain. + +Now there was a king over that country, who a year ago had just +succeeded to his elder brother. He had heard of the ferry-man, who was +so marvellously rich, and wishing to ascertain the truth of the story he +had heard, came on purpose to see for himself. But when he saw the +ferry-man's beautiful young wife, he resolved to have her for himself, +and determined to get rid of her husband somehow. + +At that time there was an eclipse of the sun; and the king sent for the +ferry-man, and told him he must find out the cause of this eclipse, or +be put to death. + +He came home in great distress to his wife; but she replied: + +"Never mind, my dear. I will tell you what to do, and how to gratify the +king's curiosity." + +So she gave him a wonderful ball of thread, which he was to throw before +him, and follow the thread as it kept unwinding--towards the East. + +He went on a long way, over high mountains, deep rivers, and wide +regions. At last he came to a ruined city, where a number of corpses +were lying about unburied, tainting the air with pestilence. + +The good man was sorry to see this, and took the pains to summon men +from the neighbouring cities, and get the bodies properly buried. He +then resumed his journey. + +He came at last to the ends of the earth. Here he found a magnificent +golden palace, with an amber roof, and diamond doors and windows. + +The ball of thread went straight into the palace, and the ferry-man +found himself in a vast apartment, where sat a very dignified old lady, +spinning from a golden distaff. + +"Wretched man! what are you here for?" she exclaimed, when she saw him. +"My son will come back presently and burn you up." + +He explained to her how he had been forced to come, out of sheer +necessity. + +"Well, I must help you," replied the old lady, who was no less than the +Mother of the Sun, "because you did Sol that good turn some days ago, in +burying the inhabitants of that town, when they were killed by a dragon. +He journeys every day across the wide arch of heaven, in a diamond car, +drawn by twelve grey horses, with golden manes, giving heat and light to +the whole world. He will soon be back here, to rest for the night.... +But ... here he comes; hide yourself, and take care to observe what +follows." + +So saying she changed her visitor into a lady-bird, and let him fly to +the window. + +Then the neighing of the wonderful horses and the rattling of chariot +wheels were heard, and the bright Sun himself presently came in, and +stretching himself upon a coral bed, remarked to his mother: + +"I smell a human being here!" + +"What nonsense you talk!" replied his mother. "How could any human being +come here? You know it is impossible." + +The Sun, as if he did not quite believe her, began to peer anxiously +about the room. + +"Don't be so restless," said the old lady; "but tell me why you suffered +eclipse a month or two ago." + +"How could I help it?" answered the Sun; "When the dragon from the deep +abyss attacked me, and I had to fight him? Perhaps I should have been +fighting with the monster till now, if a wonderful mermaid had not come +to help me. When she began to sing, and looked at the dragon with her +beautiful eyes, all his rage softened at once; he was absorbed in gazing +upon her beauty, and I meanwhile burnt him to ashes, and threw them into +the sea." + +The Sun then went to sleep, and his mother again touched the ferry-man +with her spindle; he then returned to his natural shape, and slipped out +of the palace. Following the ball of thread he reached home at last, and +next day went to the king, and told him all. + +But the king was so enchanted at the description of the beautiful +sea-maiden, that he ordered the ferry-man to go and bring her to him, on +pain of death. + +He went home very sad to his wife, but she told him she would manage +this also. So saying she gave him another ball of thread, to show him +which way to go, and she also gave him a carriage-load of costly lady's +apparel and jewels, and ornaments--told him what he was to do, and they +took leave of one another. + +On the way the ferry-man met a youth, riding on a fine grey horse, who +asked: + +"What have you got there, man?" + +"A woman's wearing apparel, most costly and beautiful"--he had several +dresses, not simply one. + +"I say, give me some of those as a present for my intended, whom I am +going to see. I can be of use to you, for I am the Storm-wind. I will +come, whenever you call upon me thus: + + 'Storm-wind! Storm-wind! come with speed! + Help me in my sudden need!'" + +The ferry-man gave him some of the most beautiful things he had, and the +Storm-wind passed. + +A little further on he met an old man, grey-haired, but strong and +vigorous-looking, who also said: + +"What have you got there?" + +"Women's garments costly and beautiful." + +"I am going to my daughter's wedding; she is to marry the Storm-wind; +give me something as a wedding present for her, and I will be of use to +you. I am the Frost; if you need me call upon me thus: + + 'Frost, I call thee; come with speed; + Help me in my sudden need!'" + +The ferry-man let him take all he wanted and went on. + +And now he came to the sea-coast; here the ball of thread stopped, and +would go no further. + +The ferry-man waded up to his waist into the sea, and set up two high +poles, with cross-bars between them, upon which he hung dresses of +various colours, scarves, and ribbons, gold chains, and diamond earrings +and pins, shoes, and looking-glasses, and then hid himself, with his +wonderful hook and line ready. + +As soon as the morning rose from the sea, there appeared far away on the +smooth waters a silvery boat, in which stood a beautiful maiden, with a +golden oar in one hand, while with the other she gathered together her +long golden hair, all the while singing so beautifully to the rising +sun, that, if the ferry-man had not quickly stopped his ears, he would +have fallen into a delicious reverie, and then asleep. + +She sailed along a long time in her silver boat, and round her leaped +and played golden fishes with rainbow wings and diamond eyes. But all at +once she perceived the rich clothes and ornaments, hung up on the poles, +and as she came nearer, the ferry-man called out: + + "Storm-wind! Storm-wind! come with speed! + Help me in my sudden need!" + +"What do you want?" asked the Storm-wind. + +The ferry-man without answering him, called out: + + "Frost, I call thee; come with speed, + Help me in my sudden need!" + +"What do you want?" asked the Frost. + +"I want to capture the sea-maiden." + +Then the wind blew and blew, so that the silver boat was capsized, +and the frost breathed on the sea till it was frozen over. + +[Illustration: THE MEETING OF THE SISTERS] + +Then the ferryman rushed up to the sea-maiden, entangling his hook in +her golden hair; lifted her on his horse, and rode off as swift as the +wind after his wonderful ball of thread. + +She kept weeping and lamenting all the way; but as soon as they reached +the ferry-man's home, and saw his wife, all her sorrow changed into joy; +she laughed with delight, and threw herself into her arms. + +And then it turned out that the two were sisters. + +Next morning the ferry-man went to court with both his wife and +sister-in-law, and the king was so delighted with the beauty of the +latter, that he at once offered to marry her. But she could give him no +answer until he had the Self-playing Guitar. + +So the king ordered the ferry-man to procure him this wonderful guitar, +or be put to death. + +His wife told him what to do, and gave him a handkerchief of hers, +embroidered with gold, telling him to use this in case of need. + +Following the ball of thread he came at last to a great lake, in the +midst of which was a green island. + +He began to wonder how he was to get there, when he saw a boat +approaching, in which was an old man, with a long white beard, and he +recognized him with delight, as his former benefactor. + +"How are you, ferry-man?" he asked. "Where are you going?" + +"I am going wherever the ball of thread leads me, for I must fetch the +Self-playing Guitar." + +"This guitar," said the old man, "belongs to Goldmore, the lord of that +island. It is a difficult matter to have to do with him; but perhaps you +may succeed. You have often ferried me over the water; I will ferry you +now." + +The old man pushed off, and they reached the island. + +On arriving the ball of thread went straight into a palace, where +Goldmore came out to meet the traveller, and asked him where he was +going and what he wanted. + +He explained: + +"I am come for the Self-playing Guitar." + +"I will only let you have it on condition that you do not go to sleep +for three days and nights. And if you do, you will not only lose all +chance of the Self-playing Guitar; but you must die." + +What could the poor man do, but agree to this? + +So Goldmore conducted him to a great room, and locked him in. The floor +was strewn with sleepy-grass, so he fell asleep directly. + +Next morning in came Goldmore, and on waking him up said: + +"So you went to sleep! Very well, you shall die!" + +And he touched a spring in the floor, and the unhappy ferry-man fell +down into an apartment beneath, where the walls were of looking-glass, +and there were great heaps of gold and precious stones lying about. + +For three days and nights he lay there; he was fearfully hungry. And +then it dawned upon him that he was to be starved to death! + +He called out, and entreated in vain; nobody answered, and though he had +piles of gold and jewels about him, they could not purchase him a morsel +of food. + +He sought in vain for any means of exit. There was a window, of clearest +crystal, but it was barred by a heavy iron grating. But the window +looked into a garden whence he could hear nightingales singing, doves +cooing, and the murmur of a brook. But inside he saw only heaps of +useless gold and jewels, and his own face, worn and haggard, reflected a +thousand times. + +He could now only pray for a speedy death, and took out a little iron +cross, which he had kept by him since his boyhood. But in doing so he +also drew out the gold-embroidered handkerchief, given him by his wife, +and which he had quite forgotten till now. + +Goldmore had been looking on, as he often did, from an opening in the +ceiling to enjoy the sight of his prisoner's sufferings. All at once he +recognized the handkerchief, as belonging to his own sister, the +ferry-man's wife. + +He at once changed his treatment of his brother-in-law, as he had +discovered him to be; took him out of prison, led him to his own +apartments, gave him food and drink, and the Self-playing Guitar into +the bargain. + +Coming home, the ferry-man met his wife half-way. + +"The ball of thread came home alone," she explained; "so I judged that +some misfortune had befallen you, and I was coming to help you." + +He told her all his adventures, and they returned home together. + +The king was all eagerness to see and hear the Self-playing Guitar; so +he ordered the ferry-man, his wife, and her sister to come with it to +the palace at once. + +Now the property of this Self-playing Guitar was such that wherever its +music was heard, the sick became well, those who were sad merry, ugly +folks became handsome, sorceries were dissolved, and those who had been +murdered rose from the dead, and slew their murderers. + +So when the king, having been told the charm to set the guitar playing, +said the words, all the court began to be merry, and dance--except the +king himself!... For all at once the door opened, the music ceased, and +the figure of the late king stood up in his shroud, and said: + +"I was the rightful possessor of the throne! and you, wicked brother, +who caused me to be murdered, shall now reap your reward!" + +So saying he breathed upon him, and the king fell dead--on which the +phantom vanished. + +But as soon as they recovered from their fright, all the nobility who +were present acclaimed the ferry-man as their king. + +The next day, after the burial of the late king, the beautiful +sea-maiden, the beloved of the Sun, went back to the sea, to float about +in her silvery canoe, in the company of the rainbow fishes, and to +rejoice in the sunbeams. + +But the good ferry-man and his wife lived happily ever after, as king +and queen. And they gave a grand ball to the nobility and to the +people.... The Self-playing Guitar furnished the music, the wonderful +purse scattered gold all the time, and the king entertained all the +guests right royally. + +[Illustration: THE FIGHT FOR THE MAGIC BOOTS] + + + + +THE PRINCESS OF THE BRAZEN MOUNTAIN + + +There was a young prince, who was not only most handsome and well-grown, +but also most kind-hearted and good. Now sooner or later kindness always +meets its reward, though it may not seem so at first. + +One summer's evening the prince was walking on the banks of a lake, when +he looked up, and saw to his great surprise, in the air, against the +rosy clouds of the sunset, three beautiful beings with wings--not +angels, nor birds--but three beautiful damsels. + +And having alighted on the ground they dropped their wings and their +garments, and left them lying on the shore and leaped into the cool +water, and began splashing and playing about in it, like so many +waterfowl. + +As soon as the prince saw this he came out from his hiding-place in the +bushes, picked up one pair of wings and hid himself again. + +When they had been long enough in the water, the beautiful damsels came +again to land, and dressed themselves quickly. + +Two of them soon had on both their white dresses and their wings; but +the youngest could not find hers. + +They held a short consultation, and the result was, that the two elder +flew away in the shape of birds, as fast as they could, to fetch another +pair of wings for their younger sister. + +They soon vanished in the blue sky; but she remained alone, wringing her +hands, and crying. + +"What are you crying for, you lovely maiden?" asked the prince, emerging +from the bushes. + +"Oh! I am so unhappy!" she replied. "I am a princess of the Brazen +Mountain; my sisters and I came here to bathe in the lake; and somebody +has stolen my wings; so I must wait here, until they bring me another +pair." + +"I am a prince," he replied; "this is my father's kingdom; be my wife, +and I will give you back your wings." + +"Very well," she said; "I consent, only you must give me back my wings +at once." + +"Let us first go to church, and get married," he answered, and taking +the lovely princess by the hand, he brought her to his father and +mother, and asked their permission to marry her. + +[Illustration: THE PRINCE STEALS THE WINGS] + +The king and queen were delighted with their beautiful daughter-in-law, +gave them their blessing, and all was got ready for the wedding. + +And directly they came back from church the prince, overcome with joy, +kissed his bride, and gave her back her wings. + +She took them joyfully, fastened them to her shoulders; then flew out of +the window, and vanished. + +All the wedding-guests were in consternation; the king looked very +serious; the queen wept bitterly; but the prince so grieved after his +bride, that, having obtained his parents' consent, he went out into the +wide world to search for that Brazen Mountain, where he hoped to find +her. + +He travelled for a long time, inquiring about it of every one he met; +but nobody had ever heard of such a mountain; and he began to give up +all hope of ever finding it. + +Late one evening he saw a twinkling light before him, which he followed, +in the hope of coming to some habitation. It led him on a long way, +across level plains, through deep defiles, and at length some way into a +dark forest. But at last he came to whence the light proceeded--from a +solitary hermitage. + +He went in; but found the hermit lying dead, with six wax candles +burning around him. He had evidently been dead for some time. Yet there +seemed to be nobody near him, nor any inhabitants at all in this +desolate region. + +The prince's first thought was how to get him buried, and with proper +rites, when there was no priest--nor indeed any people at all--to be +found in the neighbourhood. + +While he was thinking over this, something fell from a peg in the wall, +close beside him; it was a leather whip. + +The prince took it up, and read on the handle these words: + +"The Magic Whip." + +As he knew its virtue, he called out: + + "Ho! Magical Whip! + To right and left skip! + And do what I will!" + +The whip jumped from his hand, became invisible, and flew away. + +In a short time there was the hum of a multitude through the forest; and +the head-forester entered, breathless, followed by a crowd of +under-keepers, and many more people with them. + +Some set about making a coffin, others began digging a grave, and the +head-keeper rode off to fetch a priest. + +And as soon as it was dawn mass was said; the bells began ringing from +several far-distant churches; and at sunrise the corpse was decently +buried. When the funeral was over all the people dispersed to their +homes, and the Magical Whip returned of itself to the prince's hand. + +He stuck it into his girdle, and went on, till after an hour or two he +came to a clearing in the forest, where twelve men were fighting +desperately among themselves. + +"Stop, you fellows!" exclaimed the prince. "Who are you? and what are +you fighting about?" + +"We are robbers," they replied, "and we are fighting for these boots, +which were the property of our deceased leader. Whoever has them can go +seven leagues at one step; and he who gets them will be our leader. As +you are a stranger we will abide by your decision, as to whom this pair +of boots shall belong, and give you a heap of gold into the bargain for +your trouble." + +The prince drew on the boots, took the Magical Whip from his girdle, and +said: + + "Ho! Magical Whip! + To right and left skip! + And do what I will!" + +The whip jumped from his hand, became invisible, and well thrashed the +robbers. In the midst of the confusion the prince made his escape, and +having the boots on he went seven miles at every step, and was soon far +enough away from the robbers' den. + +But as he was no nearer to finding out where the Brazen Mountain was, he +had no need to go quite so fast; so he took off the seven-league boots, +put them under his arm, and the Magic Whip in his girdle, and went at +his ordinary pace, till he came to a narrow path between some rocks, +where again he came upon twelve men fighting. + +They explained that they were fighting for an invisible cap, which had +belonged to their late leader; and asked him, as a stranger, to decide +who should have it. + +So he set the Magical Whip, as before, to work; and there was a nice +confusion among these robbers, for not seeing where the blows came from +they fell upon one another; and at last, frightened out of their senses, +they took flight, and scattered in all directions. The prince, having +put on the invisible cap, was able to walk among them, and talk to them; +and they all heard, though they could not see him. + +He now began to consider whether he could not use all these treasures to +help him to find the Brazen Mountain. So he drew on the seven-league +boots, settled the invisible cap on his forehead, and taking the Magical +Whip from his girdle, said: + + "Oh! thou wondrous Magic Whip! + Lead me on; I'll follow thee! + Onward to the Brazen Mountain + Lead me, where I fain would be!" + +The whip sprang from his hand. It did not become invisible this time, +but glided rapidly a little above the ground, like a boat over a calm +sea. Though it flew like a bird, the prince was quite able to keep pace +with it, because he had on the seven-league boots. He was scarcely +aware of the fact, when in less than a quarter of an hour they came to a +standstill--at the Brazen Mountain. + +At first the prince was overjoyed at having reached the goal of his +wishes; but when he looked more closely at its smooth perpendicular +sides, hard as adamant--its summit lost in the clouds--he was in +despair; for how was he ever to get to the top of it? + +However, he thought there must be some way up after all; so taking off +his boots and cap, he set off to walk round the base of the mountain. + +In half an hour he came to a mill, with twelve millstones. The miller +was an old wizard, with a long beard down to the ground. He stood beside +a stove--whereupon a kettle was boiling--stirring the contents with a +long iron spoon, and piling wood on the fire. + +The prince looked into the kettle. + +"Good morning to you, gaffer. What are you doing there?" + +"That's my own business," replied the miller gruffly. + +"What mill is this?" the prince next asked. + +"That's no business of yours," replied the miller. + +The prince was not going to be satisfied with this; so he gave his usual +orders to the Magical Whip, which forthwith became invisible, and began +to lash the miller soundly. He tried to run away; but it was no use; +till the prince took pity on him, and called the whip back again. He +put it up, and then said: + +"Whose mill is this?" + +"It belongs to the three princesses of the Brazen Mountain," replied the +miller. "They let down a rope here every day, and draw up all the flour +they want by the rope." + +As he said this a thick silken rope came down, with a loop at the end, +which struck the threshold of the mill. + +The prince made ready; and when the usual sack of wheat flour was bound +fast in the loop, he climbed upon it, having first put on his invisible +cap, and was thus drawn up to the top of the Brazen Mountain. + +The three princesses, having drawn up their supply of flour, put it into +their storehouse, and went back to their dwelling. + +Their palace was most beautiful, all silver without, and all gold +within. All the windows were of crystal; the chairs and tables were made +of diamonds, and the floors of looking-glass. The ceilings were like the +sky, with mimic stars and moon shining therein; and in the principal +saloon there was a sun, with rays all round; beautiful birds were +singing, monkeys were telling fairy tales; and in their midst amongst +all this sat three most beautiful princesses. + +The two eldest were weaving golden threads in their looms; but the +youngest, the prince's wife, sat silently apart from her sisters, +listening to the murmur of a fountain, her head leaning on her hand, +in deep thought. And as she sat there two pearly tears coursed down her +lovely face. + +[Illustration: THE TRUANT WIFE IS CAPTURED] + +"What are you thinking of, sister?" asked the two elder princesses. + +"I am thinking of the prince, my husband. I love to think of him, and I +am so sorry for him, poor fellow! To think I left him for no fault at +all; and when we loved one another so dearly! Oh! sisters! I shall have +to leave you, and go back to him; only I fear he will never forgive me, +however I entreat him, for having behaved so unkindly to him." + +"I forgive you, I forgive you everything, darling!" exclaimed the prince +throwing off the invisible cap, and embracing her rapturously. + +Then she gave him wings like her own, and they flew away together. In an +hour or two they arrived in his father's kingdom. + +The king and queen welcomed them joyfully, and all was greatest joy and +happiness henceforward. + +[Illustration: THE MOUSE SAVES THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL] + + + + +THE BEAR IN THE FOREST HUT. + + +There was once an old man, who was a widower, and he had married an old +woman, who was a widow. Both had had children by their first marriage; +and now the old man had a daughter of his own still living, and the old +woman also had a daughter. + +The old man was an honest, hard-working, and good-natured old fellow, +but too much under his wife's thumb. This was very unfortunate, because +she was wicked, cunning, and sly, and a bad old witch. + +Her daughter was only too like her in disposition; but she was her +mother's darling. + +But the old man's daughter was a very good sweet girl; nevertheless her +stepmother hated her; she was always tormenting her, and wishing her +dead. + +One day she had beaten her very cruelly, and pushed her out of doors; +then she said to the old man: + +"Your wretched daughter is always giving me trouble; she is such an +ill-tempered, spoilt hussy, that I cannot do anything with her. So if +you wish for peace in the house, you must put her into your waggon, +drive her away into the forest, and come back without her." + +The old man was very sorry to have to do this; for he loved his own +little daughter most dearly. But he was so afraid of his wife that he +dared not refuse; so he put the poor girl into his waggon, drove a long +way into the forest, took her out, and left her there alone. + +She wandered about a long time, gathering wild strawberries, to eat with +a little piece of bread, which her father had given her. Towards evening +she came to the door of a hut in the forest, and knocked at the door. + +Nobody answered her knock. So she lifted the latch, went in, and looked +round--there was nobody there. + +But there was a table in one corner, and benches all round the walls, +and an oven by the door. And near the table, close to the window, was a +spinning-wheel, and a quantity of flax. + +The girl sat down to the spinning-wheel, and opened the window, looked +out, and listened; but nobody came. + +[Illustration: THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL IS SENT AWAY] + +But as it grew dusk she heard a rustle not far off, and from somewhere +not far from the hut, a voice was heard, singing: + + "Wanderer, outcast, forsaken! + Whom the night has overtaken; + If no crime your conscience stain, + In this hut to-night remain." + +When the voice ceased, she answered: + + "I am outcast and forsaken; + Yet unstained by crime am I: + Be you rich, or be you poor; + For this night here let me lie!" + +Once more there was a rustle in the branches; the door opened, and there +came into the room--a bear! + +The girl started up, very frightened; but the bear only said: + +"Good evening, pretty maiden!" + +"Good evening to you, whoever you are," she replied, somewhat reassured. + +"How did you come here?" he asked. "Was it of your own free will, or by +compulsion?" + +The maiden told him all, weeping; but the bear sat down beside her, and +stroking her face with his paw, replied: + +"Do not cry, pretty one; you shall be happy yet. But in the meantime you +must do just what I tell you. Do you see that flax? You must spin it +into thread; of that thread you must weave cloth, and of that cloth you +must make me a shirt. I shall come here to-morrow at this same time, and +if the shirt is ready I will reward you. Good-bye!" + +So saying the bear made her a parting bow, and went out. At first the +girl began to cry, and said to herself: + +"How can I do this in only twenty-four hours--spin all that flax, weave +it into cloth, and make a shirt out of it? Well! I must set to work! and +do what I can.... He will at least see that my will was good, though I +was unable to perform the task." + +Thus saying, she dried her tears, ate some of her bread and +strawberries, sat down to the spinning-wheel, and began to spin by the +light of the moon. + +The time went by quickly, as she worked, and it was daylight before she +knew. + +And there was no more flax left; she had spun out the last distaff-full. + +She was astonished to see how fast the work had gone, and began to +wonder how she was to weave the thread without any loom. + +Thinking, she fell asleep. + +When she woke the sun was already high in the heavens. There was +breakfast ready on the table, and a loom under the window. + +She ran down to the neighbouring brook, washed her face and hands, came +back, said grace, and ate her breakfast; then she sat down to the loom. + +The shuttle flew so fast that the cloth was all ready by noon. + +She took it out into a meadow, sprinkled it from the brook, spread it +out in the sun, and in one hour the cloth was bleached. + +She came back with it to the hut, cut out the shirt, and began to stitch +at it diligently. + +The twilight was falling, and she was just putting in the last stitch, +when the door opened, and the bear came in, and asked: + +"Is the shirt ready?" + +She gave it to him. + +"Thank you, my good girl; now I must reward you. You told me you had a +bad stepmother; if you like, I will send my bears to tear her and her +daughter in pieces." + +"Oh! don't do that! I don't want to be revenged; let them live!" + +"Let it be so then! Meanwhile make yourself useful in the kitchen; get +me some porridge for supper. You will find everything you want in the +cupboard in the wall; but I will go and fetch my bedding, for I shall +spend to-night at home." + +The bear left the room, and the maiden made up the fire in the oven, and +began to get the porridge ready. + +Just then she heard a sound under the bench, and there ran out a poor, +lean little mouse, which stood up on its hind-legs, and said in human +tones: + + "Mistress! help me lest I die + A poor weak, little mouse am I! + I am hungry, give me food; + And to you will I be good." + +The girl was sorry for the mouse, and threw it a spoonful of porridge. + +The mouse ate it, thanked her, and ran away to its hole. + +The bear soon came in, with a load of wood and stones; these he laid +upon the stove, and having eaten a basin of porridge, he climbed upon +the stove, and said: + +"Here, girl, is a bunch of keys on a steel ring. Put out the fire; but +you must walk about the room all night, and keep on jingling these keys, +till I get up; and if I find you alive in the morning you shall be +happy." + +The bear began snoring directly, and the old man's daughter kept walking +about the hut, jingling the keys. + +Soon the mouse ran out of its hole, and said: + +"Give me the keys, mistress, I will jingle them for you; but you must +hide yourself behind the stove, for the stones will soon be flying +about." + +So the mouse began to run up and down by the wall, under the bench. The +maiden hid behind the oven, and about midnight the bear woke up, and +threw out a stone into the middle of the room. + +But the mouse kept running about, and jingling the keys. And the bear +asked: + +"Are you alive?" + +"I am," replied the girl, from behind the oven. + +The bear began to throw stones and billets of wood, thick and fast from +the stove, and every time he did so, he asked: + +"Are you alive?" + +"I am," replied the girl's voice from behind the oven; and the mouse +still ran up and down, jingling the keys. + +With the dawn the cocks began to crow, but the bear did not wake. The +mouse gave up the keys, and ran back to its hole; but the old man's +daughter began to walk about the room, and jingled the keys. + +At sunrise the bear came off the stove, and said: + +"O daughter of the old man! you are blest of heaven! For here was I, a +powerful monarch, changed by enchantment into a bear, until some living +soul should spend two nights in this hut. And now I shall soon become a +man again, and return to my kingdom, taking you for my wife. But before +this comes to pass, do you look into my right ear." + +The old man's daughter threw back her hair, and looked into the right +ear of the bear. And she saw a beautiful country, with millions of +people, with high mountains, deep rivers, impenetrable forests, and +pastures covered with flocks, well-to-do villages, and rich cities. + +"What seest thou?" asked the bear. + +"I see a lovely country." + +"That is my kingdom. Look into my left ear." + +She looked, and could not enough admire what she saw--a magnificent +palace, with many carriages and horses in the courtyard, and in the +carriages rich robes, jewels, and all kinds of rarities. + +"What do you see?" asked the bear. + +She described it all. + +"Which of those carriages do you prefer?" + +"The one with four horses," she replied. + +"That is yours then," answered the bear, as he opened the window. + +There was a sound of wheels in the forest, and a golden carriage +presently drew up before the cottage drawn by four splendid horses, +although there was no driver. + +The bear adorned his beloved with a gown of cloth-of-gold, with diamond +ear-rings, a necklace set with various precious stones, and diamond +rings, saying: + +"Wait here a little while; your father will come for you presently; and +in a few days, when the power of the enchantment is over, and I am a +king again, I will come for you, and you shall be my queen." + +So saying the bear disappeared into the forest, and the old man's +daughter looked out of the window to watch for her father's coming. + +The old man, having left his daughter in the wood, came home very sad; +but on the third day he harnessed his waggon again, and drove into the +forest, to see if she were alive or dead; and if she were dead at least +to bury her. + +Towards evening the old woman and her own daughter looked out of the +window, and a dog, the favourite of the old man's daughter, suddenly +rushed to the door, and began to bark: + + "Bow! wow! wow! the old man's here! + Bringing home his daughter dear, + Decked with gold and diamonds' sheen, + Gifts to please a royal queen." + +The old woman gave the dog an angry kick. "You lie, you big ugly dog! +Bark like this! + + 'Bow! wow! wow! the old man's come! + His daughter's bones he's bringing home!'" + +So saying she opened the door; the dog leaped forth; and she went with +her daughter into the courtyard. They stood as if transfixed! + +For in drove the carriage with four galloping horses, the old man +sitting on the box, cracking his whip, and his daughter sat inside, +dressed in cloth of gold, and adorned with jewels. + +The old woman pretended she was overjoyed to see her, welcomed her with +many kisses, and was anxious to know where she got all these rich and +beautiful things. + +The girl told her that they were all given to her by the bear in the +forest hut. + +Next day the old woman baked some delicious cakes, and gave them to her +own daughter, saying to the old man: + +"If your wretched, worthless daughter has had such good luck, I am sure +my sweet, pretty darling will get a deal more from the bear, if he can +only see her. So you must drive her out in the waggon, leave her in the +forest, and come back without her." + +And she gave the old man a good push, to hasten his departure, shut the +door of the cottage in his face, and looked out of the window to see +what would happen. + +The old man went to the stable, got out the waggon, put the horse to, +helped his stepdaughter in, and drove away with her into the forest. + +There he left her, turned his horse's head, and drove quickly home. + +The old woman's daughter was not long in finding out the hut in the +forest. Confident in the power of her charms she went straight into the +little room. There was nobody within; but there was the same table in +one corner, the benches round the walls, the oven by the door, and the +spinning-wheel, under the window, with a great bundle of flax. + +She sat down on one of the benches, undid her bundle, and began eating +the cakes with great relish, looking from the window all the time. + +It soon began to get dark, a strong wind began to blow, and a voice was +heard singing outside: + + "Wanderer! outcast, forsaken! + Whom the night has overtaken; + If no crime your conscience stain, + Here this night you may remain." + +When the voice ceased she answered: + + "I am outcast and forsaken; + Yet unstained by crime am I: + Be you rich, or be you poor, + For this night here let me lie." + +Then the door opened, and the bear walked in. + +The girl stood up, gave him a winning smile, and waited for him to bow +first. + +The bear looked at her narrowly, made a bow, and said: + +"Welcome, maiden ... but I have not much time to stay here. I must go +back to the forest; but between now and to-morrow evening you must make +me a shirt, out of this flax; so you must set at once about spinning, +weaving, bleaching, washing, and then about sewing it. Good-bye!" + +So saying the bear turned, and went out. + +"That's not what I came here for," said the girl, so soon as his back +was turned, "to do your spinning, weaving, and sewing! You may do +without a shirt for me!" + +So saying, she made herself comfortable on one of the benches, and went +to sleep. + +Next day, at evening twilight, the bear came back, and asked: + +"Is the shirt ready?" + +She made no answer. + +"What's this? the distaff has not been touched." + +Silence as before. + +"Get me ready my supper at once. You will find water in that pail, and +the groats in that cupboard. I must go and fetch my bedding, for +to-night I will sleep at home." + +The bear went out, and the old woman's daughter lit the fire in the +stove, and began to prepare the porridge. Then the little mouse came +out, stood on its hind-legs, and said: + + "Mistress! help me, or I die! + A poor, weak little mouse am I! + I am hungry, give me food; + And to you will I be good." + +But the unkind girl only caught up the spoon with which she was stirring +the porridge, and flung it at the poor mouse, which ran away in a +fright. + +The bear soon came back with a huge load of stones and wood; instead of +a mattress he arranged a layer of stones on the top of the stove, and +covered this with the wood, in place of a sheet. He ate up the porridge, +and said: + +"Here! take these keys; walk all night about the hut, and keep on +jingling them. And if, when I get up to-morrow, I find you still alive, +you shall be happy." + +The bear was snoring at once, and the old woman's daughter walked up and +down drowsily, jingling the keys. + +But about midnight the bear woke up, and flung a stone towards the +quarter whence he heard the jingling. It hit the old woman's daughter. + +She gave one shriek, fell, and expired instantly. + +Next morning the bear descended from the top of the oven, looked once at +the dead girl, opened the cottage door, stood upon the threshold, and +stamped upon it three times with all his force. It thundered and +lightened; and in one moment the bear became a handsome young king, with +a golden sceptre in his hand, and a diamond crown on his head. + +And now there drew up before the cottage a carriage, bright as sunshine, +with six horses. The coachman cracked his whip, till the leaves fell +from the trees, and the king got into the carriage, and drove away from +the forest to his own capital city. + +The old man having left his stepdaughter in the forest came home +rejoicing in his daughter's joy. She was expecting the king every day. +In the meantime he busied himself with looking after the four splendid +horses, cleaning the golden carriage, and airing the costly +horse-clothes. + +On the third day after his return the old woman came down upon him and +said: + +"Go and fetch my darling; she is no doubt all dressed in gold by this +time, or married to a king; so I shall be a queen's mother." + +The old man, obedient as ever, harnessed the waggon, and drove off. + +When evening came the old woman gazed from the window; when the dog +began to bark: + + "Bow! wow! wow! the old man's come! + Your daughter's bones he's bringing home!" + +"You lie!" exclaimed the old woman; "bark like this: + + 'Bow! wow! wow! the old man's here! + Driving home your daughter dear, + Decked in gold and diamonds' sheen, + Gifts to please a royal queen.'" + +So saying she ran out of the house to meet the old man, coming back in +the waggon; but she stood as if thunderstruck, sobbed, and wept, and was +hardly able to articulate: + +"Where is my sweetest daughter?" + +The old man scratched his head, and replied: + +"She has met with a great misfortune; this is all I have found of her--a +few bare bones, and blood-stained garments; in the wood, in the old hut +... she has been devoured by wolves." + +The old woman, wild with grief and despair, gathered up her +daughter's bones, went to some neighbouring cross-ways, and when a +number of people had gathered together, she buried them there with +weeping and lamentation; then she fell face downward on the grave--and +was turned to stone. + +[Illustration: THE REWARD OF THE GOOD LITTLE GIRL] + +Meanwhile a royal carriage drew up in the courtyard of the old man's +cottage, bright as the sun, with four splendid horses, and the coachman +cracked his whip--till the cottage fell to pieces with the sound. + +The king took both the old man and his daughter into the carriage, and +they drove away to his capital, where the marriage soon took place. + +The old man lived happily in his declining years, as the father-in-law +of a king, and with his sweet daughter, who had once been so miserable, +a queen. + + + + +APPENDIX + + +NOTE I + +THE FROG PRINCESS + +This is certainly a "Nature story." The princess and her attendants are +clearly personification of the elemental forces. The classical scholar +cannot fail to be struck by the likeness of her metamorphoses to the +story of Peleus and Thetis. Indeed the "Protean myth" so repeatedly +occurs in these primitive Slavonic stories that it is impossible not to +suspect a common origin. + + +NOTE II + +PRINCESS MIRANDA AND PRINCE HERO + +The old woman "Jandza"--which word Polish dictionary-makers translate by +"fury"--appears very often both in Polish and Russian fairy tales, as a +witch of witches. She is sometimes "Jaga"; and seems pretty malevolent, +though capable of serving those who know how to manage her. + +This story--probably a symbolic one--of the Spring and Winter, or the +triumph of Light over Darkness, might be read at the present moment into +an allegory of Poland, overrun, her people oppressed, starved, and all +but extirpated by the malignant spirit of German militarism. Princess +Miranda, herself unsleeping, awake, and watching, while all is +desolation and despair around her, might be taken for the Spirit of +Poland herself, undying, but waiting for deliverance. But where is the +Prince Hero, who shall deliver her? + +_Princess Miranda_--her name is _cud-dziewica_, i.e. "Wonder +Maiden"--but is not "admired Miranda" the most obvious rendering? + + +NOTE III + +THE WHIRLWIND + +The name of the heroine "Ladna" signifies "pretty" or "beautiful" in +Polish. It is not the word originally used; but being nearly equivalent, +and of similar meaning, appears preferable. + +The prince's name "Dobrotek," signifies "good," or "benefactor." Being +easy of pronunciation, but not easily Englished into a proper name, it +seemed best to retain it. + +The whole story has a very Eastern cast. The mention of the "Seven +seas," and the high mountains beyond them, suggest Persian or Indian +influence. The ugly dwarf, with the long beard and diminutive stature, +seems a malignant "Jinn," and to have his counterpart in a well-known +legend of the Arabian Nights. But this is not the only Polish tale that +gives this impression; more than one appears directly taken from these +tales. + +P. 50. "The Water of Loosening." Loosening is not perhaps an exact +rendering, which is rather "unstiffening," or destroying the _rigor +mortis_, as a preparative to healing a mortal wound, and breaking the +sleep of death. These three waters always appear in stories, where this +incident is used. + + +NOTE IV + +THE PRINCESS OF THE BRAZEN MOUNTAIN + +This story is rather freely translated, and much shortened from the +original. There is much pious reflection, too long for insertion. The +conversation between the prince and the sorcerer-miller is somewhat +changed as much of it seemed rather irrelevant to the chief interest of +the story, and lacking in pithiness. + +The story of a supernatural maiden, compelled by the theft of her wings +to remain temporarily as a mortal with a mortal husband, has its +counterpart in many lands. The oldest perhaps is a Persian story, +related in Keightly's "Fairy Mythology," of a Peri, who being thus +entrapped, lives several years as an ordinary woman; but accidently +finding her wings again, puts them on, and deserts her mortal husband +and children, remarking as she does so: "I loved you well enough, while +we remained together; but I love my former husband better"--and so +vanishes away to Peristan. + +The parallel legend of "Little Sealskin" will readily occur to memory. + + + THE END + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + + +The two footnotes in the original text were indicated by small symbols +rather than numbers as shown here. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Polish Fairy Tales, by A. J. 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