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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..daecc19 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #67777 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67777) diff --git a/old/67777-0.txt b/old/67777-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 3d19b4d..0000000 --- a/old/67777-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3631 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fairy Tales, Volume II (of 2), by -Marion Florence Lansing - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Fairy Tales, Volume II (of 2) - -Author: Marion Florence Lansing - -Illustrator: Charles Copeland - -Release Date: March 24, 2022 [eBook #67777] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This - file was produced from images generously made available by - the Library of Congress) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES, VOLUME II (OF -2) *** - - - - - THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY - OF JUVENILE LITERATURE - - - FAIRY TALES - - - COMPILED AND EDITED BY - MARION FLORENCE LANSING M.A. - - VOL. II - - ILLUSTRATED BY - CHARLES COPELAND - - - GINN AND COMPANY - BOSTON · NEW YORK - CHICAGO · LONDON - - - - - - - - -PREFACE - - -The division of Fairy Tales into two volumes was rather for the sake of -keeping the books small and of uniform size in the series, “The Open -Road Library,” than because there was any difference in the age of -children addressed. Some of the best stories have been reserved for -this book. - -The plan has been to gratify interest awakened in the tales of the -first volume by a parallel in the second. Thus in the first we had the -droll of “Hans in Luck,” to which “Clever Alice” corresponds in this. -The “Frog Prince” and “Beauty and the Beast” are paralleled by the -“White Cat,” in which a princess instead of a prince is restored from -the spell of an animal disguise. The first volume recounts in -“Doll-in-the-Grass” the story of twelve sons sent out into the world by -their royal father to win their fortunes; the second tells of six sons, -who later become Pleiades, sent forth to learn trades. And so the -comparison might be continued. The incidents of fairy and folk lore -appear in numberless combinations. Close similarity of plot has been -avoided, and stories which correspond in general motif have been put in -different volumes. About an equal number of tales from each of the -great story-tellers—Perrault, Andersen, Grimm, etc.—is to be found in -each book. - -The atmosphere of these tales is healthful, and their tone, while not -in most cases didactic, is distinctly moral and uplifting. In a simple -and direct way right is rewarded and wrong is discountenanced; the -thief among the six brothers has to be the palest star in the Pleiades. -The grotesque and horrible have been introduced only where they are so -exaggerated that no sane child would fail to appreciate their -extravagance. Cruel stepmothers are a tradition of fairy lore, but -tales of cruel brothers and sisters do not appear in these volumes. - -We have discriminated between these fairy tales and stories of a more -heroic nature, which lay claim to having actually happened in some -stated place. Tales like “Jack the Giant Killer” and “Tom Thumb,” in -which this saga element is predominant, have been carried forward into -a succeeding volume, Tales of Old England. As in the last pages of the -Rhymes and Stories a few of the simplest fairy tales were introduced, -so this book leads from the supernatural of the fairy tale to the -heroic of the saga. - - -M. F. LANSING - -Cambridge, Massachusetts - - - - - - - - -CONTENTS - - - Page - - The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood 1 - The Emperor’s New Clothes 16 - The Golden Goose 27 - The Elves and the Shoemaker 34 - The King of the Cats 38 - The Fir Tree 41 - Pleiades, or the Seven Stars 62 - Bluebeard 67 - Thumbelina 79 - Clever Alice 105 - Riquet with the Tuft 114 - Snowdrop 130 - The White Cat 152 - - NOTES 179 - - - - - - - - -FAIRY TALES - - -THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD - - -Once upon a time there lived in a distant land a King and Queen who -were very unhappy because they had no children; they were more sorry -than words can tell. - -At last, however, the Queen had a daughter. There was a very fine -christening. For her godmothers the little Princess had all the fairies -that could be found in the land (there were seven in all), so that each -of them might give her a gift, as was the custom of fairies in those -days. By this means the Princess would be sure to have all the -perfections imaginable. - -After the christening was over, all the company returned to the palace, -where a great feast was spread for the fairies. Before each fairy was -placed a magnificent cover, with a case of massive gold in which were a -spoon, a fork, and a knife, all of pure gold set with diamonds and -rubies. But as they were all sitting at table, they saw coming into the -hall a very old fairy, who had not been invited because it was more -than fifty years since she had been out of a certain tower, and she was -believed to be either dead or enchanted. - -The King ordered a cover laid for her, but he could not give her a case -of gold such as had been given to the others, for only seven had been -made. The old fairy fancied she was slighted, and muttered some threats -between her teeth. One of the young fairies who sat beside her heard -these threats, and judging that she might give the little Princess some -unlucky gift, went, as soon as they rose from the table, and hid -herself behind the hangings. In this way she could be the one to speak -last, and might be able to repair, in so far as it was possible, any -evil which the old fairy might intend to do. - -Meanwhile the fairies began to bestow their gifts upon the Princess. -The youngest gave for her gift that she should be the most beautiful -person in the world; the next, that she should have the wisdom and -understanding of an angel; the third, that she should have wonderful -grace in everything that she did; the fourth, that she should dance -perfectly; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the -sixth, that she should play with the greatest charm and skill on every -kind of musical instrument. - -When the old fairy’s turn came she stepped forward, shaking her head -more with spite than with age, and said that the Princess should pierce -her hand with a spindle and die of the wound. This terrible gift made -the whole company tremble, and everybody began to weep. At this very -instant the young fairy came out from behind the hangings and, in a -clear voice, said: “Be of good cheer, O King and Queen; not so shall -your daughter die. It is true that I have not the power to undo -entirely what my elder has done. The Princess shall indeed pierce her -hand with a spindle; but instead of dying of the wound she shall only -fall into a deep sleep, which shall last a hundred years, at the end of -which a King’s son shall come and wake her.” - -The King resolved to do all in his power to avoid the misfortune -foretold by the old fairy. He immediately issued an edict forbidding -any one, on pain of death, to spin with a distaff and spindle, or even -to have a spindle in his house. - -Fifteen or sixteen years afterward, when the King and Queen were at one -of their country villas, the young Princess was running about one day -in the castle. She went from room to room till she came to the top of a -tower, where a good old woman was sitting alone, spinning with her -spindle. This good woman had never heard of the King’s edict against -spindles. - -“What are you doing there, my good woman?” said the Princess. - -“I am spinning, my pretty child,” said the old woman, who did not know -who she was. - -“Oh, how pretty!” exclaimed the Princess. “How do you do it? Let me see -if I can do it.” - -She had no sooner taken the spindle than, either because she was very -quick and a trifle heedless, or because the decree of the fairy has so -ordained, she pierced her hand with it and fell in a swoon. - -The good old woman, in great alarm, cried out for help. People came -running in from all directions. They threw water on the Princess’s -face; they unlaced her; they struck her on the palms of her hands and -rubbed her temples with cologne water; but nothing would bring her to. - -Then the King, who had come up on hearing the noise, remembered the -prediction of the fairies. He knew very well that this must come to -pass, since the fairies had decreed it. He had the Princess carried -into the finest apartment in the palace, and laid upon a bed -embroidered with gold and silver. One would have taken her for a little -angel, she was so beautiful; her cheeks were carnation, and her lips -like coral. Her eyes were closed, it is true, but she was heard to -breathe softly, which satisfied those about her that she was not dead. -The King gave orders that they should let her sleep quietly until the -time came for her to awake. - -The good fairy who had saved her life by condemning her to sleep a -hundred years was in the kingdom of Mataquin, twelve thousand leagues -away, when this accident happened to the Princess; but she was promptly -told of it by a little dwarf who had a pair of seven-league boots,—that -is, boots with which he could cover seven leagues of ground at a single -stride. The fairy set out immediately, and arrived at the castle about -an hour later in a fiery chariot drawn by dragons. - -The King handed her out of the chariot. She approved everything he had -done; but, as she had great foresight, she thought that when the -Princess awoke she would be much perplexed and troubled at finding -herself all alone in this old palace. So this is what she did. She -touched with her wand everything in the palace except the King and -Queen,—governesses, maids of honor, ladies of the bedchamber, -gentlemen, officers, stewards, cooks, scullions, guards, porters, -pages, and footmen; she touched also all the horses in the stable with -their grooms, the great mastiffs in the courtyard, and even little -Pouste, the Princess’s tiny spaniel that was lying on the bed beside -her. - -The moment she touched them they all fell asleep, not to wake again -till their mistress did. This was done in order that they might be -ready to serve her again when she had need of them. Even the spits that -stood before the fire, as full as they could hold of partridges and -pheasants, fell asleep, and the fire itself as well. All this was done -in a moment. Fairies are not long in doing their business! - -And now the King and Queen, having kissed their dear child without -waking her, left the castle, issuing a proclamation that no one should -come near it. These commands were not necessary, for in less than a -quarter of an hour there grew up all around the park such a vast number -of trees great and small, and of bushes and brambles, twining one -within another, that neither man nor beast could pass through, and -nothing could be seen but the very top of the towers of the palace, and -that, too, only from a great distance. Every one knew that this was the -work of the fairy in order that the Princess, while she slept, should -have nothing to fear from curious people. - -A hundred years passed, and the kingdom was in the hands of another -royal family. The son of the reigning King was hunting one day in that -part of the country, and asked what those towers were which he saw in -the middle of a great dense wood. Every one answered according as he -had heard. Some said it was an old haunted castle; others, that all the -witches of the country held their revels there. But the common opinion -was that an ogre lived there, and that he carried thither all the -little children he could catch, secure that no one would follow him, -for he alone had power to make his way through the wood. - -The Prince did not know what to believe; but finally an aged man spoke -to him thus: “May it please your Highness, more than fifty years ago I -heard my father tell that there was in that castle a Princess, the most -beautiful ever seen; and that she was to sleep there a hundred years, -and that she would be wakened by a King’s son for whom she was -waiting.” - -The young Prince was all on fire at these words. He had not a moment’s -doubt that he was the one to carry through this rare adventure, and -filled with love and longing for glory he instantly resolved to look -into the matter. As soon as he drew near the wood, all the great trees, -the bushes, and the brambles gave way of themselves to let him pass -through. He walked toward the castle which he saw at the end of a long -avenue. As he looked around he was surprised to see that none of his -people had been able to follow him, for the trees had closed in again -as soon as he had passed between them. He did not stop or turn back for -this; a young Prince, drawn on by love and the desire for glory, is -always valiant. - -He came into a spacious outer court where the sight that met his eyes -was of a kind to freeze him with horror. A frightful silence reigned -over all; the appearance of death was everywhere, and there was nothing -to be seen but the bodies of men and animals stretched out on every -side, and apparently lifeless. He noticed, however, that the faces of -the guards were ruddy, and he knew that they were only asleep; besides, -the goblets standing by them, with a few drops of wine left in them, -plainly showed that they had fallen asleep while drinking their wine. - -He then crossed a court paved with marble, went up the stairs, and came -into the guardroom, where soldiers were standing. They were drawn up in -ranks, with muskets on their shoulders, and were snoring loudly. He -went through several rooms full of gentlemen and ladies, some standing -and others sitting, but all asleep. He entered a gilded chamber and saw -on a bed, the curtains of which were all drawn back, the most beautiful -sight he had ever looked upon,—a Princess, who appeared to be about -fifteen or sixteen years old, and who was so dazzlingly beautiful that -she seemed to belong to another world. He approached with trembling and -admiration, and fell down upon his knees before her. - -Then, as the end of the enchantment was come, the Princess awoke, and -looking tenderly at the young man, said: “Is it you, my Prince? You -have waited a long while.” - -The Prince, charmed with these words, and much more with the manner in -which they were spoken, did not know how to show his joy and gratitude. -He assured her that he loved her better than himself. Then they forgot -all else as they talked together of their love. She was perhaps more -prepared for it than he, for it is very probable (though history says -nothing of it) that the good fairy, during so long a sleep, had given -her pleasant dreams. They talked together for four hours, and still -they had not said half that they wished to say. - -In the meantime, all the palace had been awakened with the Princess. -Every one thought at once of his particular business, and as they were -not in love they realized that they were extremely hungry. The chief -lady in waiting, who was as hungry as the rest, finally became -impatient and announced to the Princess that the meal was served. The -Prince took the Princess by the hand. She was magnificently dressed, -but he took care not to tell her that her costume was like that of his -great-grandmother as he had seen it in pictures. She looked not a bit -the less charming and beautiful for that. - -They passed into the great hall lined with mirrors, where they supped, -attended by the officers of the Princess. The violins and clarinets -played old tunes, but they were excellent, though they had not been -played for a hundred years. After supper, without losing any time, the -lord almoner married them in the chapel of the castle. - -When they left the castle the next day to return to the home of the -Prince, they were followed by all the retinue of the Princess. They -marched down the long avenue, and the wood opened before them to let -them pass through. Outside they met the Prince’s followers, who had -been waiting in great anxiety and were overjoyed to see their master -again. When they had gone a little way they turned to look back at the -castle, but behold! there was no castle to be seen, and no wood; castle -and wood had vanished, but the Prince and Princess went gayly away, and -when the old King and Queen died they reigned in their stead. - - - - - - - - -THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES - - -Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so fond of new clothes -that he spent all his money on them. He cared nothing about his -soldiers, or about the theater, or about driving, except for the sake -of showing off his new clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the -day; and just as they say of a King, “He is in the council chamber,” -here they always said, “The Emperor is in his wardrobe.” - -In the great city in which he lived life was very gay. Every day many -strangers arrived. One day two rogues came who gave themselves out to -be weavers, and said that they could weave the finest cloth any one -could imagine. Not only were its colors and patterns uncommonly -beautiful, but the clothes which were made of this material possessed -the wonderful property of becoming invisible to any one who was not fit -for the office he held, or who was uncommonly stupid. - -“Those must indeed be capital clothes,” thought the Emperor. “If I wore -them I could find out which men in my kingdom are unfit for the offices -they hold; I could distinguish the wise men from the stupid. Yes, some -of that cloth must be woven for me at once.” - -So he paid both the rogues a large sum of money in advance so that they -might begin their work at once. - -They put up two looms and went through all the motions of weaving, but -they had nothing at all on their looms. They also demanded the finest -silk and the purest gold thread,—all of which they put into their own -pockets; and they went on working away at the empty looms all day long -and far into the night. - -“I should like to know how those weavers are getting on with the -stuff,” thought the Emperor. But he felt a little queer when he -remembered that any one who was stupid or unfit for his post would not -be able to see it. He felt very sure that he had nothing to fear for -himself, but still he preferred to send some one else first to see how -the weaving was getting on. Everybody in the town knew what a wonderful -power the cloth had, and all were curious to see how bad or how stupid -their neighbors were. - -“I will send my faithful and honored old minister to the weavers,” -thought the Emperor. “He can judge best what the stuff is like, for he -is clever, and no one fulfills his duties better than he does.” - -So the good old minister went to the hall where the two rogues sat -working at the empty looms. - -“Heaven preserve us!” thought the old minister, opening his eyes wide. -“I cannot see anything at all.” But he did not say so. - -Both the rogues begged him to be so good as to step a little closer, -and asked him if he did not think the pattern and the colors beautiful. -They pointed to the empty loom, and the poor old minister walked -forward, rubbing his eyes; but he could see nothing, for there was -nothing there. “Mercy on us!” thought he; “can I be so stupid? I have -never thought so, and nobody must know it. Can it be that I am not fit -for my office? No, it will certainly never do to say that I cannot see -the cloth.” - -“Have you nothing to say about it?” asked one of the weavers. - -“Oh, it is beautiful! quite charming!” answered the old minister, -looking through his spectacles. “What a fine pattern! and what colors! -Yes, I will tell the Emperor that it pleases me very much.” - -“Now we are delighted to hear you say so,” said both the weavers, and -then they named all the colors, and described the peculiar pattern. - -The old minister paid great attention, so that he might be able to -repeat it to the Emperor when he got back. - -Then the rogues wanted more money, more silk, and more gold, to use in -their weaving, but they put it all into their own pockets; not a single -thread was ever put on the loom, but they went on working at the empty -looms as before. - -Soon the Emperor sent another worthy statesman to see how the weaving -was getting on, and how soon the cloth would be finished. It was the -same with him as with the first one: he looked and looked, but as there -was nothing on the loom he could see nothing. - -“Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?” asked the rogues, and they -pointed to and described the splendid material that was not there at -all. - -“I am not stupid,” thought the man, “so it must be that I am not fit -for my good office. It is very strange, but I must not let it be -noticed.” - -So he praised the cloth which he did not see, and expressed to them his -delight in the beautiful colors and the charming pattern. - -“Yes, it is perfectly beautiful,” he reported to the Emperor. - -Everybody in the town was talking of the magnificent cloth. The Emperor -himself wished to see it while it was still on the loom. With a great -crowd of carefully selected men, among whom were the two worthy -statesmen who had been before, he went to visit the cunning rogues, who -were weaving away with might and main, but without fiber or thread. - -“Is it not splendid?” said both the old statesmen. “See, Your Majesty, -what a pattern! what colors!” And they pointed to the empty loom, for -they believed others could see the cloth quite well. - -“What!” thought the Emperor; “I can see nothing. This is terrible! Am I -stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? That would be the most dreadful -thing that could happen to me. Oh, it is very beautiful!” he said -aloud. “It has my highest approval.” And then he nodded pleasantly as -he examined the empty loom, for he would not say that he could see -nothing. - -His whole suite gazed and gazed, and saw no more than the others; but, -like the Emperor, they all exclaimed, “Oh, it is beautiful! beautiful!” -and they advised him to wear the splendid new clothes for the first -time at the great procession which was soon to take place. - -“Splendid! Gorgeous! Magnificent!” went from mouth to mouth. Every one -seemed delighted, and the Emperor gave the rogues the title of “Court -Weavers of the Emperor.” - -During the whole night before the day on which the procession was to -take place, the rogues sat up and worked by the light of sixteen -candles. The people could see that they were hard at work, finishing -the Emperor’s new clothes. They pretended to take the cloth from the -loom; they cut into the air with huge scissors; they stitched with -needles with no thread; and at last they said, “Now the clothes are -finished!” - -The Emperor came himself, with his noblest courtiers, and each rogue -lifted his arm just as if he were holding something, and said, “See! -here are the trousers! here is the coat! here is the cloak!” and so on. - -“It is as light as a spider’s web. One would almost think one had -nothing on; but that is the beauty of it!” - -“Yes!” said all the courtiers, but they could see nothing, for there -was nothing there. - -“Will your Majesty be graciously pleased to take off your clothes,” -said the rogues; “then we will put on the new clothes here before the -great mirror.” - -The Emperor took off his clothes, and the rogues pretended to put upon -him one garment after another. The Emperor turned round and round in -front of the mirror. - -“How well they look! How beautifully they fit!” said everybody. “What -material! and what colors! That is a splendid costume!” - -“The canopy which is to be carried over your Majesty in the procession -is waiting outside,” announced the master of ceremonies. - -“Well, I am ready,” replied the Emperor. “Don’t the clothes look well?” -and he turned round again in front of the mirror to appear as if he -were admiring his costume. - -The chamberlains who were to carry the train stooped and put their -hands near the floor as if they were lifting it; then they pretended to -be holding something in the air. They would not have it noticed that -they could see nothing. - -So the Emperor went along in the procession under the splendid canopy, -and all the people in the streets and at the windows said: “How -beautiful the Emperor’s new clothes are! That train is splendid! and -how well they fit!” - -No one wanted it to be noticed that he could see nothing, for in that -case he would be unfit for his office, or else very stupid. None of the -Emperor’s clothes had been such a success as these. - -“But he has nothing on,” said a little child. - -“Just hear the innocent!” said the father; and each one whispered to -his neighbor what the child had said. - -“But he has nothing on,” cried out all the people at last. - -This struck the Emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but -he thought to himself, “I must go through with the procession now.” - -So he held himself stiffer than ever, and the chamberlains held on -tightly, carrying the train which was not there at all. - - - - - - - - -THE GOLDEN GOOSE - - -There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was -thought to be very stupid and silly. Everybody used to tease and mock -him. - -One day the eldest son wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and -before he started, his mother gave him a fine sweet cake and a bottle -of wine to take with him. In the forest he met a gray old man, who bade -him “good day,” and said, “Give me a piece of your cake and a sip of -your wine, for I am very hungry and thirsty.” - -But the prudent youth replied: “If I give you my cake and wine, I shall -have none for myself. Be off with you!” - -And he left the little man standing there and went on his way. He began -to cut down a tree, but he had not been at work long before he made a -false stroke, and the ax cut so deeply into his arm that he had to go -home and have it bound up. This was the little gray man’s doing. - -The second son was now the one to go into the forest to cut wood, and -the mother gave him, as she had given the eldest, a sweet cake and a -bottle of wine. The little old gray man met him, too, and asked for a -piece of cake and a drink of wine; but the second son made the same -sensible answer: “What I give to you I cannot have for myself. Be off!” - -And he left the little man standing there and went on his way. His -punishment, however, was not long delayed; when he had made a few -strokes at the tree he struck himself in the leg, and had to be carried -home. - -Then the stupid son said to his father, “Father, let me go and cut -wood.” - -The father replied: “Your brothers have hurt themselves. Leave it -alone. You know nothing about it.” - -But he begged so long that at last the father said, “Well, go then; you -will be wiser when you have hurt yourself.” - -His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders, -and with it a bottle of sour beer. When he came to the forest the -little old gray man met him in the same way, greeted him, and said, -“Give me a piece of your cake and a taste of your wine; I am very -hungry and thirsty.” - -“I have only a cake baked in ashes,” replied the simple youth, “and -sour beer. If that will suit you, we will sit down and eat together.” - -So they sat down; but when the youth took out his cake it was a fine -sweet cake, and the sour beer was good wine. They ate and drank, and -then the little man said: “Because you have a good heart and are -willing to share what you have, I will give you good luck. There stands -an old tree. Cut it down and you will find something at the roots.” -Then the old man took leave of him. - -The youth went and cut down the tree, and when it fell, there sitting -among the roots was a goose, whose feathers were of pure gold. He -picked it up, and, taking it with him, went to an inn where he meant to -pass the night. The landlord had three daughters, who, as soon as they -saw the goose, were very curious as to what kind of a bird it could be, -and wanted to have one of its golden feathers. - -The eldest thought to herself, “I’ll soon find a chance to pull out a -feather”; and as soon as the youth went out of the room she seized the -goose by the wing; but her hand stuck fast and she could not get away. - -Very soon the second sister came in, thinking only of how she might -pluck a feather for herself; but she had hardly touched her sister when -she found herself held fast. - -At last the third sister came also, with the same intention. Then the -others screamed out: “Keep away! For goodness’ sake, keep away!” - -But she did not understand why she should keep away. “If the others are -there by the bird, why should not I be, too?” she thought, and ran to -them; but as soon as she had touched her sister she was made fast, too. -So they had to spend the night with the goose. - -The next morning the youth took the goose under his arm and started -off, without troubling himself about the three girls, who were still -hanging on. They were obliged to keep on the run behind him, now to the -right and now to the left, as the fancy seized him. - -In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the -procession he said: “For shame, you good-for-nothing girls! What are -you running across the fields after this young man for? Is that -seemly?” - -He took the youngest by the hand to pull her away, but as soon as he -touched her hand he also stuck fast, and was obliged himself to run -along behind. - -Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running -along after three girls. He was astonished, and called after him: -“Halloo, your reverence! whither away so quickly? Do not forget that we -have a christening to-day!” and running after him he took him by his -gown, but was also held fast to it. - -While the five were trotting along thus, one behind the other, two -laborers came by, with their hoes, from the fields. The parson called -out to them and begged them to release him and the sexton; but they had -hardly touched the sexton when they, too, were caught fast, and now -there were seven of them running behind the youth and the goose. - -After a while the youth came to a city where a King ruled who had a -daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So the -King had made a decree that whoever could make her laugh should have -her in marriage. When the youth heard this he went with his goose and -all his train before the Princess, and as soon as she saw the seven -people continually on the trot, one behind the other, she began to -laugh heartily, as if she could never stop. Then the youth asked to -have her for his wife, and the wedding was celebrated. After the King’s -death he inherited the kingdom, and lived long and happily with his -wife. - - - - - - - - -THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER - - -There was once a shoemaker who, through no fault of his own, had become -so poor that at last he had only leather enough for one pair of shoes. -So in the evening he cut out the shoes which he intended to begin upon -the next morning, and since he had a good conscience he lay down -quietly, said his prayers, and fell asleep. - -In the morning he was preparing to sit down to work, when he looked, -and there stood the shoes all finished on his table. He was so -astonished that he did not know what to say. He took the shoes in his -hand to examine them inside and out; and they were so neatly made that -not a stitch was out of place, showing that they were done by a master -hand. - -Very soon a customer came in, and because the shoes pleased him so much -he paid more than the ordinary price for them. With this money the -shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut -them out in the evening, and next day was about to go to work with -fresh courage; but there was no need for him to work, for the two pairs -of shoes stood beautifully finished on his table. Presently customers -came in, who paid him so well that he was able to buy leather for four -pairs of shoes. The following morning he found the four pairs finished, -and so it went on; what he cut out in the evening was finished in the -morning, so that he was soon in comfortable circumstances again, and at -last was becoming really prosperous. - -One evening, not long before Christmas, the shoemaker said to his wife, -“What do you think of staying up to-night to see who it is that lends -us this helping hand?” - -The wife liked the idea; so they lighted a candle and hid themselves in -a corner of the room behind some clothes which were hanging there. At -midnight came two little naked men, who sat down at the shoemaker’s -table, took up the work which was cut out, and set to work so nimbly, -stitching, sewing, and hammering with their little fingers, that the -shoemaker could not take his eyes off them. They did not stop till -everything was finished and the shoes stood ready on the table; then -they ran quickly away. - -The next day the wife said to her husband: “The little men have made us -rich, and we must show them how grateful we are. They must be almost -frozen, running about with nothing on. I’ll tell you what we’ll do; I -will make them little shirts, and coats, and vests, and trousers, and -knit them stockings, and you shall make each of them a little pair of -shoes.” - -The shoemaker was pleased with this plan, and on Christmas Eve, when -everything was ready, they laid out the presents on the table instead -of the usual work, and hid themselves to see how the little men would -behave. - -At midnight they came bounding in, and were about to set to work; but -there was no leather to be seen, only these charming little clothes. At -first they were astonished, and then perfectly delighted. With the -greatest speed they put on and smoothed down the pretty clothes, -singing, - - - “Now we are boys so fine to see, - Why should we longer cobblers be?” - - -Then they danced and skipped, and leaped over chairs and benches. At -last they danced out at the door. From this time on they came no more; -but the shoemaker prospered as long as he lived, and succeeded in all -his undertakings. - - - - - - - - -THE KING OF THE CATS - - -Many years ago there lived in the north of Scotland, in a very lonely -house, far from all other houses, two young men who were brothers. An -old woman used to do their cooking, and there was no one else, unless -we count her cat and their dogs, within miles of them. - -One autumn afternoon the elder of the two said he would not go out; so -the younger one went alone to follow the path where they had been -shooting the day before. He intended to return home before sunset. -However, he did not do so, and the older brother became very uneasy as -he watched and waited in vain, till long after their usual supper-time. -At last he returned, wet and exhausted, nor did he explain why he was -so late. But after supper, when the two brothers were seated before the -fire, the dogs lying at their feet and the old woman’s black cat -sitting gravely, with half-shut eyes, on the hearth, the young man -began to tell his story. - -“You must be wondering,” said he, “what made me so late. I have had a -very strange adventure to-day; I hardly know what to say about it. I -went, as I told you I should, along our yesterday’s route. A mountain -fog came on just as I was about to turn homeward, and I completely lost -my way. I wandered about for a long time, not knowing where I was, till -at last I saw a light, and made for it, hoping to get help. As I came -near it disappeared, and I found myself close to a large oak tree. I -climbed into the branches the better to look for the light, and behold! -there it was right beneath me, inside the hollow trunk of the tree. I -seemed to be looking down into a church, where a funeral was taking -place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by torches, all -carried by—But there! I know you won’t believe me if I tell you.” - -His brother eagerly begged him to go on. The dogs were sleeping -quietly, but the cat was sitting up and seemed to be listening as -carefully and attentively as the man. Both brothers found themselves -watching the cat as the young man took up the story. - -“Yes,” he continued, “it is as true as I sit here. The coffin and the -torches were both carried by cats, and upon the coffin was marked a -crown and scepter!” - -He got no further, for the black cat started up, shrieking, “Good -gracious! old Peter’s dead, and I’m King o’ the Cats!” then rushed up -the chimney and was seen no more. - - - - - - - - -THE FIR TREE - - -Far away in the forest stood a pretty little fir tree. The warm sun -shone upon it, the fresh breezes blew about it, but the fir tree was -not happy. All about it were many tall companions, pines and firs, and -the little fir tree wanted to be tall like them. So it did not heed the -warm sunlight, or the soft air which fluttered its leaves, or even the -little peasant children who passed by, prattling merrily. Sometimes the -children would bring a basketful of raspberries or strawberries, and -seat themselves near the fir tree, saying of the tree, “What a pretty -little one this is!” which made it feel more unhappy than ever. - -And yet, all this time, the tree grew a whole joint or ring taller -every year; for by the number of rings on the trunk of a fir tree we -can tell its age. - -Still, as it grew, it complained, “Oh, if I were only as tall as the -other trees! then I should spread out my branches on every side, and my -crown would overlook the wide world. The birds would build their nests -in my branches, and when the wind blew, I should bow with stately -dignity like the others.” - -So discontented was the tree that it took no pleasure in the sunshine, -or the birds, or in the rosy clouds that floated over it morning and -evening. - -Sometimes in winter, when the snow lay white and sparkling on the -ground, a hare would come leaping along and jump right over the little -tree’s head; then how mortified it felt! - -Two winters passed; and when the third came, the tree had grown so tall -that the hare was obliged to run round it. - -“Ah, to grow and grow! to become tall and old! That is the only thing -in the world worth caring for,” the fir tree sighed. - -In the autumn the woodcutters always came and cut down several of the -tallest trees, and the young fir, which had now grown to a very good -height, shuddered as the noble trees fell to the ground with a crash. -After the branches were lopped off, the trunks looked so slender and -bare that they could scarcely be recognized. Then the trees were -placed, one upon another, on wagons, and dragged by horses out of the -forest. “Where were they going? What was going to become of them?” The -young fir tree wondered a great deal about it. - -So in the spring, when the swallows and the storks came, it asked them: -“Do you know where those trees were taken? Did you meet them?” - -The swallows knew nothing of them, but the stork, after a little -reflection, nodded his head and said: “Yes, I think I know. As I flew -from Egypt I met several new ships, and they had fine masts that smelt -like fir. These must have been the trees, and I assure you they were -most stately and grand; they towered majestically.” - -“Oh, how I wish I were tall enough to go on the sea!” said the fir -tree. “Tell me, what is this sea, and what does it look like?” - -“It would take too much time to explain,—a great deal too much,” said -the stork, flying quickly away. - -“Rejoice in thy youth,” said the sunbeam; “rejoice in the fresh growing -time, and in the young life that is within thee!” - -And the wind kissed the tree, and the dew wept tears over it; but the -fir tree did not understand. - -Christmas time drew near, and many young trees were cut down; some that -were even smaller and younger than the fir tree, which had no peace or -rest from its longing to leave the forest. These young trees, which -were chosen for their beauty, kept their branches, but were also laid -on wagons and drawn by horses out of the forest. - -“Where are they going?” asked the fir tree. “They are not taller than I -am; indeed, one was not so tall. And why do they keep all their -branches? Where are they going?” - -“We know! we know!” sang the sparrows. “We have looked in at the -windows of the houses in the town, and we know what is done with them. -Oh, you cannot think what honor and glory they receive! They are -dressed up in the most splendid manner. We have looked in and seen them -standing in the middle of a warm room, adorned with all sorts of -beautiful things,—gilded apples, sweetmeats, playthings, and hundreds -of candles.” - -“And then,” asked the fir tree, trembling in all its branches, “and -then what happens?” - -“We did not see any more,” said the sparrows; “but, indeed, it was -simply wonderful!” - -“I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to me,” -thought the fir tree. “That would be even better than sailing over the -sea. Oh, when will Christmas be here! I am now as tall and well grown -as those which were taken away last year. O that I were now laid on the -wagon, or standing in the warm room with all that brightness and -splendor about me! Something better and more beautiful is sure to -follow, or the trees would not be so decked out. Yes, something better, -something still more splendid must follow—but what can it be? I am -weary with longing. I scarcely know myself what is the matter with me.” - -“Rejoice in our love,” said the air and the sunlight; “rejoice in thine -own bright life in the fresh air.” - -But the tree would not rejoice, though it grew taller every day; and, -winter and summer, its evergreen foliage might be seen in the forest, -and passers-by would say, “What a beautiful tree!” - -A short time before the next Christmas the discontented fir tree was -the first to fall. As the ax cut sharply into its trunk, deep in -through the pith, the tree fell to the ground with a groan, conscious -only of pain and faintness, and forgetting all its dreams of happiness -in the sorrow of leaving its home in the forest. It knew that it would -never again see its dear old companions the trees, nor the little -bushes, nor the flowers that had grown by its side—perhaps not even the -birds. - -Nor was the journey at all pleasant. The tree first recovered itself -while it was being unloaded, with several other trees, in the courtyard -of a house; and it heard a man say: “We want only one, and this is the -prettiest. This one is beautiful!” - -Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir tree into a -large and beautiful room. Pictures hung on the walls, and near the -large stove stood great china jars with lions on the lids. There were -rocking-chairs, silken sofas, large tables with picture books and toys -that had cost a hundred times a hundred dollars,—at least, so the -children said. - -Then the fir tree was placed in a great tub full of sand, but no one -could see that it was a tub, for it was hung with green cloth, and it -stood on a very handsome carpet. Oh, how the tree trembled! What was -going to happen to it now? Some young ladies came, and the servants -helped them to adorn the tree. - -On some branches they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and -each bag was full of sweetmeats; from other branches there hung gilded -apples and walnuts, as if they had grown there; and above and all -around were hundreds of red, blue, and white candles, which were -fastened upon the branches. Dolls, exactly like real men and women, -were placed under the green leaves,—the fir tree had never seen any -before,—and at the very top was fastened a glittering star, made of -gold tinsel. Oh, it was very beautiful! - -“This evening,” they all exclaimed, “this evening how bright it will -be!” - -“O that evening were come,” thought the tree, “and the candles were -lighted! Then I shall know what else is going to happen. Will the trees -come from the forest to see me? Will the sparrows peep in at the -windows, I wonder? Shall I grow faster here, and keep on all these -ornaments during summer and winter?” - -But guessing was of very little use. Its back ached with trying; and -this pain is as bad for a slender tree as headache is for us. - -At last the candles were lighted, and then what a shining blaze of -splendor the tree presented! It trembled so with joy in all its -branches that one of the candles fell on a green twig and set fire to -it. “Help! help!” exclaimed the young ladies, and they quickly -extinguished the fire. - -After this the tree did not dare even to tremble (though the fire -frightened it), it was so anxious not to hurt any of the beautiful -ornaments which so dazzled and bewildered it by their brilliance. - -And now the folding doors were thrown open, and a troop of children -rushed in as if they intended to upset the tree. They were followed -more slowly by the older people. For a moment the little ones stood -silent with delight, and then they shouted for joy till the room rang; -and they danced merrily round the tree, and snatched off one present -after another. - -“What are they doing?” thought the tree. “What will happen next?” - -The candles burned down to the branches and were put out one by one. -Then the children were given permission to plunder the tree. - -Oh, how they rushed upon it! Its branches creaked with the strain, and -if it had not been fastened by the gold star to the ceiling, it must -have been thrown down. - -Then the children danced about with their pretty toys, and no one paid -any attention to the tree except the old nurse, who came and peeped -among the branches to see if an apple or a fig had been forgotten. - -“A story! a story!” cried the children, and dragged a little stout man -toward the tree. - -“Now we are in the greenwood,” said the man, as he sat down beneath it, -“and the tree will have the pleasure of hearing, too. But I am going to -tell only one story. What shall it be? Henny Penny? or Humpty Dumpty, -who fell downstairs, but soon got up again, and at last married a -princess?” - -“Henny Penny!” cried some. “Humpty Dumpty!” cried others; and there was -a great uproar. But the fir tree kept silent and thought: “What am I -supposed to do now? Have I nothing to do with all this?” But it had -already been in the entertainment, and had played out its part. - -Then the old man told the story of Humpty Dumpty,—how he fell -downstairs, but soon got up again, and married a princess. And the -children clapped their hands and cried, “Another! another!” for they -wanted to hear the story of Henny Penny too; but this time they got -only Humpty Dumpty. The fir tree stood quiet and thoughtful. The birds -in the forest had never told anything like that,—how Humpty Dumpty fell -downstairs, and yet married a princess. - -“Ah, yes, that is the way it happens in the world, I suppose,” thought -the fir tree. And it believed the story because such a nice man had -told it. - -“Well,” it thought, “who knows? Perhaps I shall fall downstairs, too, -and marry a princess”; and it looked forward eagerly to the next -evening, expecting to be again decked out with candles and toys, tinsel -and fruit. “To-morrow I will not tremble,” thought the tree; “I will -enjoy to the full all my splendor, and I shall hear the story of Humpty -Dumpty again, and perhaps Henny Penny too.” And the tree stood silent -and lost in thought all night. - -In the morning the servants came in. “Now,” thought the tree, “all the -decking me out will begin again.” But they dragged it out of the room -and upstairs to the garret, and threw it on the floor in a dark corner -where no daylight shone, and there they left it. “What does this mean?” -thought the tree. “What am I to do here? What is there for me to hear -in a place like this?” and it leaned against the wall, and thought and -thought. - -And it had time enough to think, for days and nights passed and no one -came near it; and when at last some one did come, it was only to put -some great boxes into a corner. So the tree was completely hidden from -sight; it seemed as if it had been quite forgotten. - -“It is winter now out of doors,” thought the tree. “The ground is hard -and covered with snow, so that people cannot plant me yet. That is -doubtless why I am left here under cover till the spring comes. How -thoughtful and kind everybody is to me! Still, I wish it were not so -dark here, and so terribly lonely, with not even a little hare to look -at. How pleasant it was out in the forest while the snow lay on the -ground, when the hare would run by—yes, and jump over me, too; but I -did not like it at all then. Oh, it is terribly lonely here!” - -“Squeak, squeak!” said a little mouse, stealing out of his hole and -creeping cautiously toward the tree; then came another, and they both -sniffed at the fir tree, and crept in and out between its branches. - -“Oh, it is very cold!” said the little mouse. “If it were not, we -should be very comfortable here, shouldn’t we, old fir tree?” - -“I am not old at all,” said the fir tree. “There are many who are much -older than I am.” - -“Where do you come from?” asked the mice, who were full of curiosity; -“and what do you know? What is the most beautiful place on earth that -you know about? Do tell us all about it! Have you been in the -storeroom, where cheeses lie on the shelves, and hams hang from the -ceiling? One can run about on tallow candles there. Ah! that is the -place where one goes in thin and comes out fat.” - -“I know nothing about that,” said the fir tree; “but I know of the -wood, where the sun shines and the birds sing.” - -And then the tree told the little mice all about its youth. The mice -had never heard anything like that before, and they listened with all -their ears, and said: “How much you have seen! How happy you must have -been!” - -“Happy!” exclaimed the fir tree; and then, as it thought over what it -had been telling them, it added, “Ah, yes, those were happy days.” - -But when it went on and told them about Christmas Eve, and how it had -been adorned with sweetmeats and candles, the mice repeated once more, -“How happy, how very fortunate you have been, you old fir tree!” - -“I am not old at all,” replied the tree. “I only came from the forest -this winter. I am now checked in my growth.” - -“What splendid stories you do know!” said the little mice. And the next -night they came with four others, to have them hear what the tree had -to tell. The more it talked, the more it remembered, and then it -thought to itself: “Yes, those were happy days, but they may come -again. Humpty Dumpty fell downstairs, and yet he married the princess. -Perhaps I, too, may marry a princess.” And the tree thought of a pretty -little birch tree that grew in the forest; she was a princess, a real -princess, to the fir tree. - -“Who is Humpty Dumpty?” asked the little mice. And then the tree told -the whole story; it could remember every single word. And the little -mice were so delighted with it that they were ready to jump with joy up -to the very top of the tree. The next night a great many more mice made -their appearance, and on Sunday two rats came; but they did not care -about the story at all, and that troubled the mice, for it made them -also think less of it. - -“Is that the only story you know?” asked the rats. - -“The only one,” answered the tree. “I heard it on the happiest evening -of my life; but I did not know I was so happy at the time.” - -“We think it is a very poor story,” said the rats. “Don’t you know any -story about bacon or tallow candles in the storeroom?” - -“No,” replied the tree. - -“Then we are much obliged to you,” said the rats, and they went their -way. - -The little mice also kept away after this, and the tree sighed and -said, “Really, it was very pleasant when the lively little mice sat -around me and listened, while I told them stories. Now that is all -past, too. However, I shall consider myself happy when some one comes -to take me out of this place.” - -But would this ever happen? Yes; one morning people came to clear up -the garret; the boxes were moved aside and the tree was pulled out of -the corner and thrown roughly on the floor; then the servants dragged -it out to the stairs, where the daylight shone. - -“Now life is beginning again,” thought the tree, rejoicing in the -sunshine and fresh air. - -It was carried downstairs and out into the yard so quickly that it -forgot to look at itself, and gazed about it, for there was so much to -be seen. - -The yard opened into a garden where everything was blooming. Fresh and -sweet roses hung over a little trellis; the linden trees were in -blossom; and swallows flew here and there, calling, “Twit, twit, twit, -my mate is coming”; but it was not the fir tree they meant. - -“Now I shall live,” thought the tree joyfully, stretching out its -branches; but alas! they were all withered and yellow, and it was lying -in a corner among weeds and nettles. - -The star of gold paper still stuck in the top of the tree and glittered -in the sunshine. In the yard two of the merry children who had danced -round the tree at Christmas were playing. One of them saw the gilded -star, and ran up and tore it off. - -“See what is sticking to the ugly old fir tree,” he cried, and stamped -on the boughs till they crackled under his boots. - -And the tree saw all the fresh, bright flowers in the garden, and -looked at itself, and wished it had been left lying in the dark corner -of the garret. It thought of its fresh youth in the forest, of the -merry Christmas Eve, and of the little mice that had listened so -happily to the tale of Humpty Dumpty. - -“Past! past!” said the poor tree. “O had I only enjoyed myself while I -could! But now it is too late,—it is all past.” - -Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, till a large -pile lay heaped on the ground. The pieces were placed in a fire, where -they blazed up brightly, and the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh -was like a pistol shot. Then the children who were at play came and sat -in front of the fire and looked at it, and cried, “Piff! puff! bang!” -But at each “bang,” which was a deep sigh, the tree was thinking of a -summer day in the forest, or of some winter night out there, when the -stars were shining brightly, or of Christmas Eve, or of Humpty Dumpty, -the only story it had ever heard or could tell,—till at last the tree -burned away. - -The children played on in the garden, and the youngest wore on his -breast the golden star which the tree had worn on the happiest evening -of its life. Now that was past,—all was past; the tree’s life was past, -and this story, too, is past, for all stories must come to an end some -time or other. - - - - - - - - -PLEIADES, OR THE SEVEN STARS - - -There was once a man who had six sons. He did not give them names like -other people, but only called them according to their ages,—Eldest, -Next-Eldest, Third-Eldest, Third-Youngest, Next-Youngest, and Youngest. -They had no other names. - -When Eldest was eighteen, and Youngest twelve, their father told them -that they must all go out into the world, and each must learn a trade. - -They set out together, but when they came to a place where there were -six roads, all leading different ways, they agreed to part company, and -each chose a road. But they promised one another that just two years -from that day they would meet there again, and go home together to -their father. - -On the appointed day they met, and went home together. Their father -questioned each of them as to what trade he had learned. Eldest said he -had learned to be a shipbuilder; he could build ships that went of -themselves. Next-Eldest had been to sea; he was a helmsman, and could -steer a ship as easily on the land as on the sea. Third-Eldest had only -learned the art of listening, but now he could hear in one country what -was going on in another. Third-Youngest had learned to shoot, and he -had become a crack shot. Next-Youngest had learned to climb; he could -go up and down a wall like a fly,—there was nothing too steep for him. - -Now when their father had listened to what these five had to tell about -what they could do, he said that although upon the whole they had done -fairly well, yet he had expected something more of them. What they had -learned to do most people could do also. Now he must hear what Youngest -could do. - -Youngest had always been his darling, and in him he had the greatest -confidence. Youngest was delighted that at last it was his turn to -speak, and said in the most cheerful manner that he had become a master -thief. When his father heard that, he was so angry that he gave -Youngest a sound box on the ear, saying, “Fie! for shame! You are a -disgrace to me and to all your family.” - -Now it so happened that just at this very time the King’s fair young -daughter had been stolen away by a dwarf, and the King had promised -that whoever should find her and deliver her from the dwarfs power -should have her for his wife, and half the kingdom with her as her -marriage portion. - -The six brothers determined to try their luck. The shipbuilder built a -ship that would go of itself. Then they all went on board, and the -helmsman steered the ship over the land and over the sea. The listener -kept on listening all the time, and at last he could hear the Princess -inside a glass mountain. So they sailed up to the glass mountain. - -The climber climbed immediately to the top, and looking down he saw the -dwarf lying asleep with his ugly head on the Princess’s lap. Then he -ran down again, took the little master thief on his back, and climbed -right down inside the mountain with him. The master thief stole away -the Princess without waking the dwarf, and the climber helped them both -back to the ship. They got on board and sailed away. - -The listener kept a strict watch on the dwarf all the time, and when -they had gone some little way he called to the others, “Now the dwarf -is waking; now he is stretching himself; now he misses the Princess; -and now he is coming!” - -The Princess was dreadfully frightened, and said it was all over with -them now, unless they had some one on board who was a crack shot. The -dwarf could fly through the air, so that he would overtake them -directly; but he was shot-proof, except in one little black spot about -the size of a pin’s head, which was just in the middle of his chest. - -Then came the dwarf, whirling and rushing through the air. But the -marksman was ready for him; he took aim and hit him right in the center -of the little black spot. Instantly the dwarf fell into the water dead. - -So the six brothers came sailing home with the Princess, and took her -to her father’s palace. They were all in love with her, and each one of -them could say with truth that without him she could not have been set -free. The King was in a great strait. He could not tell to which of the -brothers he ought to give his daughter, and the Princess herself was -greatly troubled, for she did not know which one of them she liked -best. - -But now it did not please the good God that there should be any -quarreling amongst them; so he made all six brothers and the Princess -die on the selfsame night, and he turned them all seven into stars, and -fixed them in the sky. And now people call them Pleiades, or the Seven -Stars. And the star that shines brightest of all the seven is the -Princess, but the palest is the master thief. - - - - - - - - -BLUEBEARD - - -Once upon a time there was a man who was very rich. He had fine houses, -both in town and in the country; in them he had a great deal of gold -and silver plate; his furniture was richly embroidered and his coaches -were all gilded over. But this man had the misfortune to have a blue -beard, which made him so ugly and terrible that there was not a woman -nor a girl who did not shun and avoid him. - -One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were -perfect beauties. He asked her for one of them in marriage, leaving to -her the choice of which she would bestow on him. They would neither of -them have him, but sent him backwards and forwards from one to the -other, for neither could make up her mind to marry a man who had a blue -beard. Another thing which made them object to him was that he had been -married several times already, and nobody knew what had ever become of -his wives. - -As Bluebeard was very anxious to become better acquainted with them, he -took them, with their mother and three or four of their best friends, -and some other young people of the neighborhood, to one of his country -seats, where they spent a week. The whole time was given up to pleasure -parties,—to excursions, to hunting and fishing, to dancing, banqueting, -and feasting. No one even thought of going to bed, but the nights were -passed in merrymaking of all kinds. In short, all went off so well that -the younger daughter began to think that the beard of the master of the -house was not so very blue, after all, and that he was a very civil -gentleman. So as soon as they returned home the marriage was concluded. - -About a month afterward Bluebeard told his wife that he was obliged to -take a journey into the country, for six weeks at least, upon business -of importance. He desired her to amuse herself and have a good time in -his absence, to send for her friends, to take them into the country if -she wished, and to live bountifully wherever she was. - -“Here,” he said, “are the keys of the two great storerooms for -furniture; these smaller ones are for the chests which contain my -silver and gold plate which is not in everyday use; these open my -strong boxes which hold my money, both gold and silver; these, my -caskets of jewels; and this is the master key to all the rooms. But -this little one here is the key of the closet at the end of the great -gallery on the ground floor. Open them all; go everywhere else; but -into this little closet I forbid you to enter, and I forbid you so -strictly that if you do open it, there is nothing you may not expect -from my anger.” - -She promised to obey all his orders exactly; and Bluebeard, after -having embraced her, got into his coach and set out on his journey. - -The neighbors and friends of the young wife did not wait to be sent -for, so eager were they to see all the riches of her house; for they -had not dared to come while her husband was there because of his blue -beard, which frightened them. As soon as they were inside the house -they ran about from room to room, and even through all the closets and -wardrobes, saying that each one seemed finer and richer than the last. -They went up into the storerooms, where they could not say enough in -admiration of the number and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, -cabinets, stands, tables, and looking-glasses in which you might see -yourself from head to foot. - -Some of these mirrors were framed with glass, others with silver, plain -and gilded; they were the most beautiful and most magnificent ever -seen. - -The visitors never stopped admiring and envying the happiness of their -friend, who meanwhile was not at all entertained in looking at all -these rich things because of her impatience to go and open the closet -on the ground floor. She was so beside herself with curiosity that, -without once thinking that it was rude to leave her guests, she slipped -away down a little back staircase with such excessive haste that two or -three times she came near falling and breaking her neck. When she -reached the closet door she stood still for some moments, thinking of -her husband’s orders and considering how unhappiness might come upon -her if she were disobedient; but the temptation was so strong that she -could not overcome it. She took the little key and, trembling, opened -the door. - -At first she could not see anything because the windows were shut. -After some moments she began to see that there was blood on the floor, -and that the bodies of several dead women were lying there. (These were -the wives whom Bluebeard had married and murdered one after another.) -She thought she would surely die of fear, and the key, which she had -pulled out of the lock, fell from her hand. - -When she had recovered a little from the shock she picked up the key, -locked the door, and went upstairs into her chamber to compose herself; -but she could not do it, for she was too much upset by her fright. - -As she noticed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she -tried two or three times to wipe it off, but the stain remained. It did -no good to wash it, or even to rub it with soap and sand. The stain was -still there, for the key was a magic key, and she could never make it -quite clean; when the stain was gone from one side, it came on the -other. - -Bluebeard returned from his journey that same evening, and said that he -had received letters upon the road, which told him that the business on -which he was called away had been settled to his advantage. His wife -did all she could to convince him that she was overjoyed at his speedy -return. - -Next morning he asked her for the keys. She gave them to him, but with -such a trembling hand that he easily guessed what had happened. - -“How is it,” said he, “that the key of my closet is not here with the -rest?” - -“I must,” she said, “have left it upstairs on my table.” - -“Do not fail,” said Bluebeard, “to bring it to me presently.” - -After putting it off several times she was forced to bring him the key. -Bluebeard examined it closely, and then said to his wife, “How comes -this stain upon the key?” - -“I do not know,” cried the poor woman, turning paler than death. - -“You do not know!” replied Bluebeard. “Well, I know very well. You -wanted to go into the closet, did you? Very well, madam; you shall go -in and take your place among the ladies you saw there.” - -She threw herself weeping at her husband’s feet, and begged his pardon -with all the signs of true repentance for her disobedience. She would -have melted a stone, so beautiful and sorrowful was she; but Bluebeard -had a heart harder than any stone. - -“You must die, madam,” said he, “and that at once.” - -“Since I must die,” she answered, looking up at him through her tears, -“give me a little time to say my prayers.” - -“I give you,” replied Bluebeard, “half a quarter of an hour, but not -one moment more.” - -When she was alone she called her sister, and said: “Sister Anne,”—for -that was her name,—“go up, I beg you, to the top of the tower, and see -if my brothers are not coming. They promised me they would come to-day; -and if you see them, give them a sign to make haste.” - -Her sister Anne went up to the top of the tower, and the poor wife -cried out from time to time, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see no one -coming?” - -And sister Anne said, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, -and the grass, which looks green.” - -In the meantime Bluebeard, holding a great cutlass in his hand, cried -out to his wife as loud as he could, “Come down quickly, or I shall -come up to you.” - -“One moment longer, if you please,” said his wife; and she cried out -very softly, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see no one coming?” - -And sister Anne answered, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a -dust, and the grass, which looks green.” - -“Come down at once,” cried Bluebeard, “or I shall come up to you.” - -“I am coming,” answered his wife; and she cried, “Anne, sister Anne, do -you see no one coming?” - -“I see,” replied sister Anne, “a great dust, that comes from this -side.” - -“Is it my brothers?” - -“Alas, no, my sister! I see a flock of sheep.” - -“Will you not come down?” cried Bluebeard. - -“One moment longer,” said his wife; and then she cried out, “Anne, -sister Anne, do you see no one coming?” - -“I see,” she said, “two horsemen coming, but they are yet a great way -off.” - -“God be praised,” replied the poor wife joyfully; “they are my -brothers. I will make them a sign, as well as I can, for them to make -haste.” - -Then Bluebeard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. -The poor wife came down and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, -with her hair about her shoulders. - -“All this does not help you,” said Bluebeard; “you must die.” Then, -taking hold of her hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the -other, he was going to strike off her head. The poor lady, turning -toward him and looking at him with dying eyes, begged him to give her -one little moment to collect her thoughts. - -“No, no,” said he, “commend thyself to God,” and again lifting his -arm.... - -At this moment there was such a loud knocking at the gate that -Bluebeard stopped suddenly. The gate was opened and presently two -horsemen entered, who with their swords in their hands ran straight to -Bluebeard. He saw they were his wife’s brothers, one a dragoon, the -other a musketeer. He fled immediately to save himself, but the two -brothers pursued so closely that they overtook him before he could gain -the steps of the porch. There they ran their swords through his body, -and left him dead. The poor wife was so overcome that she had not -strength to rise and welcome her brothers. - -Bluebeard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his -estate. She made use of one portion of it to marry her sister Anne to a -young gentleman who had loved her for a long while; another portion to -buy captains’ commissions for her brothers; and the rest to marry -herself to a very worthy gentleman who made her forget the distressing -time she had passed with Bluebeard. - - - - - - - - -THUMBELINA - - -There was once a woman who wished so very much to have a little child -that she went to a fairy and said: “I should so very much like to have -a little child. Can you tell me where I can get one?” - -“Oh, that can be easily managed,” said the fairy. “Here is a -barleycorn; it is not of the same kind as those which grow in the -farmers’ fields, and which the chickens eat. Put it in a flowerpot, and -see what will happen.” - -“Thank you, thank you,” said the woman; and she gave the fairy twelve -shillings, which was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home, -and immediately there grew up a large, handsome flower, which looked -like a tulip, except that its leaves were tightly closed as if it were -still a bud. - -“What a beautiful flower!” exclaimed the woman, and she kissed the red -and yellow leaves; and as she kissed them the flower opened. It was a -real tulip, but within the flower, upon the green velvety stamens, sat -a very delicate and graceful tiny maiden. She was scarcely half as long -as a thumb, so they called her Thumbelina. - -A walnut shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle, blue -violet petals were her mattress, and a rose leaf her counterpane. - -Here she slept at night, but in the daytime she played upon the table, -where the woman had put a bowl full of water. Round this bowl was a -wreath of flowers with their stems in the water, and upon it floated a -large tulip leaf, which served the little one for a boat. Here she sat -and rowed herself from side to side with two white horsehairs for oars. -It was a very pretty sight. Thumbelina could sing, too, so sweetly and -softly that nothing like it had ever before been heard. - -One night while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad -crept through a broken pane of glass in the window, and hopped down on -the table where Thumbelina lay sleeping under the rose-leaf quilt. - -“What a pretty little wife this would make for my son,” said the toad; -and she took up the walnut shell in which Thumbelina lay asleep, and -jumped through the window with it into the garden. - -On the marshy bank of a broad stream in the garden lived the toad with -her son. He was as ugly as his mother; and when he saw the lovely -little maiden in the walnut shell, all he could say was, “Croak, croak, -croak!” - -“Don’t speak so loud, or you will wake her,” said the old toad; “and -then she might run away, for she is light as swan’s-down. We will take -her out in the stream and put her on one of the water-lily leaves; it -will be like an island to her, she is so light and small Then she can’t -run away from us while we are preparing the apartments under the marsh, -in which you are to live when you are married.” - -Far out in the stream grew a number of water lilies, with broad green -leaves which looked as if they were floating on the top of the water. -The leaf that was farthest away was also the largest, and to this the -old toad swam with the walnut shell in which Thumbelina lay still -asleep. The tiny maiden woke very early in the morning, and began to -cry bitterly when she saw where she was, for she could see nothing but -water on every side of the large green leaf, and there was no way of -reaching land. - -Meanwhile the old toad was very busy down under the marsh, decking her -room with rushes and yellow wild flowers to make it look pretty for her -new daughter-in-law. Then she swam out with her ugly son to the leaf on -which she had placed Thumbelina. She wanted to get the pretty bed that -she might put it in the bridal chamber before Thumbelina herself came -there. The old toad bowed low in the water and said, “Here is my son; -he will be your husband, and you will live happily together in the -marsh by the stream.” - -“Croak, croak, croak!” was all the son could say for himself. - -Then the toad took up the delicate little bed and swam away with it, -leaving Thumbelina all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept. -She could not bear to think of living with the old toad and having her -ugly son for a husband. - -The little fishes who swam about in the water beneath had seen the toad -and heard what she said; so now they lifted their heads above the water -to look at the little maiden. As soon as they caught sight of her and -saw how very pretty she was, they felt sorry that she must go to live -with the ugly toads. - -“No, that must never be!” they said to one another. So they crowded -together in the water round the green stalk which held the leaf on -which the little maiden stood, and gnawed it away at the root with -their teeth. The leaf floated down the stream, carrying Thumbelina far -away out of the reach of the toad. - -Thumbelina sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes -saw her and sang, “What a lovely little creature!” So the leaf floated -farther and farther away with her till it brought her to other lands. - -A pretty little white butterfly fluttered round her for a long time and -at last alighted on the leaf. The maiden pleased him, and she was glad -she did, for she was lonely. Taking off her girdle she tied one end of -it round the butterfly, fastening the other end to the leaf, which was -now gliding on much faster than before. - -Presently a large cockchafer flew by. The moment he caught sight of -Thumbelina he seized her round her slender waist with his claws and -flew with her to a tree. The green leaf floated away down the stream, -and the butterfly with it, for he was fastened to the leaf and could -not get away. - -Oh, how frightened Thumbelina was when the cockchafer flew with her to -the tree! But especially was she distressed for the beautiful white -butterfly which she had fastened to the leaf, for if he could not free -himself he would die of hunger. But the cockchafer did not trouble -himself at all about that; he seated himself beside her on a large -green leaf, gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her -she was very pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer. - -Before long all the cockchafers who lived in the tree came to pay -Thumbelina a visit. They stared at her, and then the young lady -cockchafers turned up their feelers and said, “Why, she has only two -legs! How very ugly!” - -“She has no feelers,” said one. - -“Her waist is quite slim. Pooh! she is like a human being,” said -another. - -“How ugly she is!” said all the lady cockchafers. - -Then the cockchafer who had run away with her began to wonder why he -had thought her so pretty, and to believe that she was as ugly as the -others said. He would have nothing more to say to her, but told her she -might go where she liked. Then he flew down with her from the tree and -placed her on a daisy. There she sat and wept at the thought that she -was so ugly that the cockchafers would have nothing to do with her. And -all the while she was really the loveliest little being that one could -imagine, and as tender and delicate as a beautiful rose leaf. - -During the whole summer poor little Thumbelina lived quite alone in the -wide forest. She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it -under a broad leaf to protect herself from the rain. She sucked honey -from the flowers for food, and drank the dew from the leaves every -morning. - -So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter,—the -long cold winter. All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly had -flown away, and the trees and flowers had withered. The large shamrock -under the shelter of which she had lived shriveled up, leaving nothing -but a yellow, withered stalk. She was dreadfully cold, for her clothes -were thin and torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate that she -nearly froze to death. It began to snow, too, and the snowflakes as -they fell upon her were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, -for we are tall, but she was only an inch high. She wrapped herself in -a dry leaf, but it cracked in the middle and gave her no warmth, and -she shivered with cold. - -Close to the wood in which she was living was a large cornfield, but -the corn had been cut a long time; nothing remained but the bare, dry -stubble, standing up out of the frozen ground. It was to her like -wandering about in a large wood. Oh, how she shivered with cold! All at -once she came to the door of a field mouse who had a little den under -the corn stubble. There lived the field mouse in warmth and comfort, -with a storeroom full of corn and a splendid kitchen and dining room. -Poor Thumbelina stood before the door just like a little beggar girl, -and asked for a little piece of barleycorn, for she had been without a -morsel to eat for two days. - -“You poor little creature,” said the field mouse, for she was a good, -kind-hearted old mouse; “come into my warm room and dine with me.” - -Then she was pleased with Thumbelina; so she said, “You are quite -welcome to stay with me all winter if you like; but you must keep my -room clean and neat, and tell me stories, for I like very much to hear -them.” - -And Thumbelina did all that the field mouse asked her, and found -herself very comfortable. - -“To-night I expect a visitor,” said the field mouse one day. “My -neighbor pays me a visit once a week. He is better off than I am; he -has large rooms, and wears a beautiful black velvet coat. If you could -only have him for a husband, you would be well provided for indeed. But -he is blind. You must tell him some of your prettiest stories.” - -Thumbelina had no interest in this neighbor, for he was a mole. -However, he came and paid them a visit, dressed in his black velvet -coat. - -“He is very rich and learned,” the field mouse told her, “and his house -is twenty times as large as mine.” - -He was rich and learned, no doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of -the sun and the pretty flowers because he had never seen them. -Thumbelina had to sing to him, “Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,” and -many other pretty songs. And the mole fell in love with her because she -had so sweet a voice; but he said nothing yet, for he was very prudent -and cautious. A short time before, the mole had dug a long passage -under the earth, which led from his house to that of the field mouse, -and here he gave the field mouse and Thumbelina permission to walk -whenever they liked. But he warned them not to be alarmed at the sight -of a dead bird that lay in the passage. It was a perfect bird with a -beak and feathers and could not have been dead long. It was lying just -where the mole had made his passage. The mole took in his mouth a piece -of decaying wood, for that will often glow in the dark like fire, and -went before them, lighting them through the long, dark passage. When -they came to the spot where the dead bird lay, the mole pushed his -broad nose through the ceiling, so that the earth gave way and daylight -shone into the passage. - -In the middle of the path lay a swallow, his pretty wings pressed close -to his sides, his feet and head drawn up under his feathers; the poor -bird had evidently died of cold. It made little Thumbelina very sad to -see it, for she did so love the birds; all through the summer they had -sung and twittered for her so beautifully. But the mole pushed it aside -with his crooked legs and said: “Now he can’t sing any more! How -miserable it must be to be born a little bird! I am thankful that none -of my children will ever be birds, for they can do nothing but cry -‘Tweet, tweet,’ and must always die of hunger in the winter.” - -“Yes, you speak like a sensible man!” exclaimed the field mouse. “What -is the use of his twittering if when winter comes he must either starve -or be frozen to death? That may be high-bred, but it is certainly not -pleasant.” - -Thumbelina said nothing, but when the two others had turned their backs -on the bird she stooped down and stroked aside the soft feathers which -covered the head, and kissed the closed eyelids. - -“Perhaps it was he who sang to me so sweetly in the summer,” she said. -“How much pleasure it gave me, you dear, pretty bird!” - -The mole stopped up the hole through which the daylight shone and -escorted the ladies home. But Thumbelina could not sleep that night for -thinking of the cold bird; so she got out of bed and wove a large, -beautiful blanket of hay. She carried it out and spread it over the -dead bird, and piled upon it thistledown which she had found in the -field mouse’s room, so that he might lie warmly in the cold earth. - -“Farewell, pretty bird!” she said; “farewell, and thank you for your -beautiful songs in the summer, when all the trees were green and the -sun shone down warmly upon us.” - -Then she laid her head on the bird’s breast, but she was startled, for -it seemed as if something inside the bird went “thump, thump.” It was -the bird’s heart; for he was not really dead, only benumbed with the -cold, and the warmth had restored him to life. In autumn all the -swallows fly away to warmer countries; but if one happens to linger it -becomes so stiff with cold that it drops down as if it were dead, and -then the snow comes and covers it. - -Thumbelina trembled very much; she was quite frightened, for the bird -was large, a great deal larger than herself,—she was only an inch high. -But she took courage, piled up the down more thickly over the poor -swallow, and then took a leaf she had used for her own counterpane and -laid it over his head. - -The next night she stole out again to see him. He was alive but very -weak; he could only open his eyes for a moment to look at Thumbelina, -who stood by him with the piece of decayed wood in her hand, for she -had no other lantern. - -“Thank you, pretty little maiden,” said the sick swallow; “I have been -so beautifully warmed that soon I shall regain my strength and be able -to fly about again in the warm sunshine.” - -“Oh, no!” said she; “it is very cold out of doors now; it snows and -freezes. Stay in your warm bed; I will take care of you.” - -She brought the swallow water in a flower leaf; and after he had drunk, -he told her that he had torn one of his wings on a thorn bush and could -not fly as fast as the others, who had flown far away to warm -countries. At last he had fallen to the ground and could remember -nothing more, nor how he came to be where she had found him. - -All winter the swallow remained underground, and Thumbelina nursed and -cared for him tenderly. Neither the mole nor the field mouse knew -anything about it, for they could not bear swallows. - -Very soon the springtime came, and the sun warmed the earth. Then the -swallow bade farewell to Thumbelina and opened the hole in the roof -which the mole had made. The sun shone in upon them so beautifully that -the swallow asked her if she would go with him. She could sit on his -back, he said, and he would fly away with her into the green woods. But -she knew it would grieve the field mouse if she left her in that -manner, so she said, “No, I cannot.” - -“Farewell then, farewell, you good, pretty little maiden,” said the -swallow; and he flew out into the sunshine. - -Thumbelina looked after him, and the tears rose in her eyes. She was -very fond of the swallow. - -“Tweet, tweet,” sang the bird as he flew out into the green woods, and -Thumbelina felt very sad. She was not allowed to go out into the warm -sunshine. The corn which had been sown in the field over the house of -the field mouse had grown up high in the air, and made a thick forest -for Thumbelina, who was only an inch high. - -“You are going to be married, little one,” said the field mouse. “My -neighbor has asked for you. What good fortune for a poor child like -you! Now we will set to work at your wedding clothes. You must have -woolen and linen. Nothing must be wanting if you are to become the wife -of the mole.” - -Thumbelina had to turn the spindle, and the field mouse hired four -spiders to weave for her day and night. Every evening the mole visited -her and talked of the time when the summer would be over. Then he would -set the wedding day for Thumbelina; but now the heat of the sun was so -great that it burned the earth and made it hard like stone. Yes, as -soon as the summer was over the wedding should take place. But -Thumbelina was not at all pleased, for she did not like the tiresome -mole. - -Every morning when the sun rose, and every evening when it went down, -she would steal out of the door, and when the wind blew the ears of -corn aside so that she could see the blue sky, she thought how -beautiful and bright it seemed out there and wished so much to see her -dear swallow again. But he never came; for by this time he had flown -far away into the lovely green forest. - -When autumn came Thumbelina had her outfit all ready, and the field -mouse said to her, “In four weeks the wedding must take place.” - -But Thumbelina wept and said she would not marry the disagreeable mole. - -“Nonsense,” replied the field mouse. “Now don’t be obstinate or I shall -bite you with my white teeth. He is a very fine mole; the Queen herself -has not such a beautiful velvet coat His kitchens and cellars are quite -full. You ought to be very thankful for such good fortune.” - -So the wedding day came, on which the mole was to take her away to live -with him, deep under the earth, and never again to come out into the -warm sunshine, because he did not like it. The poor child was very -unhappy at the thought of saying farewell to the beautiful sun; she -went to the door to look at it once more. - -“Farewell, bright sun,” she cried, stretching out her arms towards it; -and then she walked a short distance from the house, for the corn had -been cut and only the dry stubble remained in the fields. - -“Farewell, farewell,” she repeated, and threw her arms round a little -red flower that grew just by her side. “Greet the little swallow for me -if you should see him again.” - -“Tweet, tweet,” sounded over her head suddenly. She looked up and there -was the swallow flying close by. He was delighted to see Thumbelina. -She told him how unwilling she was to marry the ugly mole and to live -always deep under the earth where the sun never shone. And as she told -him she wept. - -“The cold winter is coming,” said the swallow, “and I am going to fly -away into warmer countries. Will you go with me? You can sit on my back -and fasten yourself on with your sash. Then we can fly away from the -ugly mole and his dark rooms,—far away over the mountains into warmer -countries, where the sun shines more brightly than here, where it is -always summer, and there are beautiful flowers. Do come with me, dear -little Thumbelina; you saved my life when I lay frozen in that dark, -dreary passage.” - -“Yes, I will go with you,” said Thumbelina, and she seated herself on -the bird’s back with her feet on his outstretched wings, and bound her -sash to one of his strongest feathers. - -Up he flew into the air and far away, over forest and over sea, high -above the highest mountains where the snow never melts. Thumbelina -would have frozen in the cold air had she not crept under the bird’s -warm feathers, keeping only her little head out so that she might -admire the beautiful things in the world beneath. At length they -reached the warm countries, where the sun shines brightly and the sky -seems so much higher above the earth. Here on hedges grew the finest -green, purple, and white grapes; lemons and oranges hung from the trees -in the woods; and the air was fragrant with myrtles and orange -blossoms. Beautiful children ran along the roads playing with gay -butterflies. And as the swallow flew farther and farther south, -everything became more and more beautiful. - -At last they came to a blue lake, and by the side of it, shaded by -magnificent trees, stood a palace of dazzling white marble, built in -olden times. Vines clustered round its lofty pillars, and at the top -were many swallows’ nests, and one of these was the home of the swallow -who carried Thumbelina. - -“That is my house,” said the swallow, “but it would not do for you to -live there; you would not be comfortable. Choose for yourself one of -those lovely flowers and I will put you down on it, and then you shall -have everything you wish to make you happy.” - -“That will be delightful,” she said, and clapped her little hands for -joy. - -On the ground lay a large marble pillar, which in falling had broken -into three pieces. Between these fragments grew the most beautiful -great white flowers. So the swallow flew down with Thumbelina and set -her on one of the broad leaves. But how surprised he was to see, -sitting in the middle of the flower, a tiny little man, as white and -transparent as if he had been made of crystal! He had the prettiest -gold crown on his head, and delicate wings at his shoulders, and was no -bigger than Thumbelina. He was the fairy of the flower; for in every -flower dwelt a tiny man or woman, and this was the King over them all. - -“Oh, how beautiful he is!” whispered Thumbelina to the swallow. - -The little Prince was very much frightened at the swallow, who was like -a giant compared to such a tiny little being as he; but when he saw -Thumbelina he was delighted, for he thought her the prettiest little -maiden he had ever seen. He took the gold crown from his head and -placed it on hers, and asked her name, and if she would be his wife and -Queen over all the flowers. - -This was certainly a very different kind of husband from the son of the -toad or the mole with his black velvet coat; so she said Yes to the -handsome Prince. Then out of each flower came a little lady or a tiny -lord, all so pretty that it was a pleasure to look at them. Each -brought Thumbelina a present; but the best gift of all was a pair of -beautiful white wings, which were fastened to her shoulders, and now -she, too, could fly from flower to flower. - -Then there was much rejoicing, and the swallow sat in his nest above -and sang the wedding song as well as he could; but in his heart he felt -sad, for he was very fond of Thumbelina and would have liked never to -part with her. - -“You must not be called Thumbelina any more,” said the Prince to her; -“for that is an ugly name, and you are so very lovely. We will call you -Maia.” - -“Farewell, farewell,” sang the swallow with a heavy heart as he left -the warm countries to fly back again to Denmark. There he had a nest -over the window of a man who wrote fairy tales. The swallow sang his -“Tweet, tweet,” and from his song we have the whole story. - - - - - - - - -CLEVER ALICE - - -There was once a man who had a daughter called Clever Alice. When she -was grown up her father said, “We must get her married.” - -“Yes,” said her mother; “if only some one would come who would have -her.” - -At last a young man named Hans came from a distance and wooed her; but -he made one condition,—that Clever Alice should be as clever as she was -said to be. - -“Oh,” said her father, “she’s sharp enough.” - -“Yes, indeed!” said her mother; “she can see the wind coming up the -street, and hear the flies coughing.” - -“Very well,” replied Hans; “but if she is not really clever, I won’t -have her.” - -When they were all sitting together at dinner the mother said, “Alice, -go down into the cellar and draw some beer.” - -So Clever Alice took the jug from the nail on the wall, and went into -the cellar, tapping the lid up and down as she went to pass away the -time. When she reached the cellar she fetched a chair and put it in -front of the cask so that she need not stoop and hurt her back. Then -she held the jug in her hand and turned the tap. While the beer was -running, as she did not wish to be idle, she let her eyes wander all -over the wall, looking first this way and then that. All at once she -saw just above her head a pickax, which the masons had accidentally -left there. - -Then Clever Alice began to cry, saying, “If I marry Hans, and we have a -child, and he grows up, and we send him into the cellar here to draw -beer, then the pickax will fall on his head and kill him.” - -So she sat and wept and cried with all her might over the misfortune -which lay before her. - -The people upstairs waited for the beer, but still Clever Alice did not -come. At last her mother said to the maid, “Go down into the cellar and -see why Clever Alice is staying so long.” - -The maid went and found her sitting before the cask, crying bitterly. - -“Alice, what are you crying about?” she asked. - -“Alas!” she answered, “have I not reason to weep? If I marry Hans, and -we have a child, and he grows up and has to draw beer here, perhaps -that pickax will fall on his head and kill him.” - -Then the maid said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and she, too, sat -down by Alice and began to weep over this misfortune. - -After a while, as the maid did not come back and the people upstairs -were getting very thirsty, the husband said to the boy, “Go down cellar -and see what has become of Alice and the maid.” - -The boy went down, and there sat Alice and the maid weeping together. -So he said, “What are you crying for?” - -“Alas!” said Alice, “have I not reason to cry? If I marry Hans, and we -have a child, and he grows up and has to draw beer here, that pickax -will fall on his head and kill him.” - -Then the boy said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and he sat down by -Alice and began to howl lustily. - -Upstairs they waited for the boy, but when he did not come the husband -said, “Do go down cellar, wife, and see why Alice does not come back.” - -The wife went downstairs and found the three in the midst of their -lamentations. She asked the reason, and Alice told her, also, how her -future child, when it grew up and was sent to draw beer, would be -killed by the pickax which would fall down. Then the mother likewise -exclaimed, “What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept with -them. - -The husband upstairs waited a short time, but at last, as his wife did -not return and his thirst grew greater, he said, “I must go down into -the cellar myself and see what has become of Alice.” - -But when he entered the cellar and found them all sitting there -together crying, and heard the reason, how Alice’s child was the cause -of it all, because she might possibly have a child, who might be killed -by the pickax, if he should happen to be sitting beneath it drawing -beer just at the moment when the pickax fell down, then he, too, said, -“What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept with them. - -The bridegroom waited upstairs alone for a long time; then, as nobody -came, he said: “They must be waiting downstairs for me. I will go down -and see what they are about.” When he got downstairs there sat all -five, weeping and lamenting in a heartrending way, each a little louder -than the others. - -“What misfortune can possibly have happened?” he asked. - -“Alas! dear Hans,” said Alice, “if we marry and have a child, and he -grows up, and we happen to send him into the cellar here to draw beer, -then that pickax which has been hanging up there might kill him if it -were to fall down upon his head; so have we not reason to weep?” - -“Well,” said Hans, “more cleverness than that is not needed to keep -house for me; and as you are such a clever Alice I will have you for my -wife.” So he took her by the hand, led her upstairs with him, and -married her. - -When they had been married some time, Hans said, “Wife, I am going out -to work and earn some money for us; do you go into the field and cut -the corn, so that we may have some bread.” - -“Yes, my dear Hans, I will do so.” - -After Hans went away Alice cooked some nice broth for herself and took -it into the field with her. When she got there she said to herself: -“Now which shall I do? Shall I reap first, or eat first? I will eat -first.” - -So she emptied her bowl of broth, and when she was satisfied she said -again: “Now which shall I do? Shall I reap first, or sleep first? I -will sleep first.” - -Then she lay down in the corn and fell asleep. - -Meanwhile Hans had been at home some time, but Alice did not come. - -“What a clever Alice she is!” said he; “she is so industrious that she -does not even come home to eat.” - -But as she still did not come, Hans went out to see how much she had -reaped; but nothing was cut, and there lay Alice fast asleep in the -corn. Hans hurried home and brought back a fowler’s net with little -bells on it; this he hung about her, and still she did not wake. Then -he ran home, shut the house door, and sat down to work. - -At last, when it was quite dark, Clever Alice woke. When she stood up -the net fell rattling about her, and the bells jingled at every step -she took. This frightened her, and made her wonder whether she was -really Clever Alice or not, and she said to herself, “Is it I, or is it -not I?” - -But she did not know how to answer, and stood for a long time in doubt. -At last she thought, “I will go home and ask if it is I, or if it is -not I; they will be sure to know.” - -She ran to the door of her house, but it was locked. Then she knocked -on the window, and cried, “Hans, is Alice at home?” - -“Yes,” answered Hans, “she is at home.” - -Then she was frightened and cried, “Alas! then it is not I,” and she -ran to the next door; but when the people heard the jingling of the -bells they would not open for her, and she could get in nowhere. So she -ran away out of the village, and no one has ever seen her since. - - - - - - - - -RIQUET WITH THE TUFT - - -There was once a queen who had a son so ugly and misshapen that it was -questioned for a long time whether he was a human creature or not. A -fairy who was present at his birth declared that he would be none the -less amiable for all his ugliness, because he would have uncommon -intelligence and wit. She added that he would have the power, by virtue -of a gift which she had just bestowed upon him, to give the same -talents which he possessed to the person whom he should love best. All -this was some comfort to the poor Queen, who was in great distress at -having such an unsightly child. - -As soon as the child began to talk he said a thousand pretty things, -and in everything he did he was so unusually clever that every one was -delighted with him. I forgot to tell you that he was born with a little -tuft of hair on his head, and on this account they called him Riquet -with the Tuft; for Riquet was the family name. - -Seven or eight years after this the Queen of a neighboring kingdom had -twin daughters. The firstborn was more beautiful than the day. The -Queen was so very happy over this that it was feared that such excess -of joy would do her harm. The same fairy who had been present at the -birth of little Riquet with the Tuft was here too; and to moderate the -Queen’s joy she told her that this little Princess should have no sense -at all, but should be as stupid as she was pretty. This mortified the -Queen very much, but soon she had a still greater sorrow, for the -second daughter was extremely ugly. - -“Do not afflict yourself so much, madam,” said the fairy. “Your -daughter shall have it made up to her in other ways; she shall have so -much intelligence and wit that her want of beauty will hardly be -noticed.” - -“God grant it may be so,” replied the Queen; “but is there no way to -make the elder, who is so pretty, have a little sense?” - -“I can do nothing for her in the matter of sense,” said the fairy, “but -everything in the matter of beauty; and therefore, as there is nothing -I would not do for your satisfaction, I will bestow on her as a gift -the power to make handsome the person whom she likes best.” - -As the two Princesses grew older, their perfections grew with them. -Everywhere people talked of the beauty of the elder and of the wit of -the younger. It is true that their defects increased considerably with -their years. The younger grew visibly uglier, and the elder became more -stupid every day; either she made no reply to what was asked her, or -she said something very silly. She was, besides, so clumsy that she -could not place four pieces of china on the mantelpiece without -breaking one, nor drink a glass of water without spilling half of it on -her clothes. - -Although beauty is a great advantage to a young girl, in society the -younger sister was almost always preferred to the elder. People would -go first to the more beautiful to see and admire her; but they very -soon left her for the more clever sister, to enjoy listening to her -pleasant conversation; and it was amazing to see how in less than a -quarter of an hour the elder was without a person near her, while the -whole company was crowding about the younger. The elder, dull as she -was, noticed this very plainly, and would have given, without a moment -of regret, all her beauty to have half the wit of her sister. The -Queen, for all her good sense, could not help reproaching her often for -her stupidity; this made the poor Princess ready to die of grief. - -One day, when she had withdrawn to a wood near by to lament her -misfortune, she saw coming towards her an ugly little man, very -unpleasant to look at, but most magnificently dressed. It was the young -Prince Riquet with the Tuft, who had fallen in love with her from her -portraits, which were scattered everywhere, and had now left his -father’s kingdom to have the pleasure of seeing her and talking with -her. He was charmed at finding her thus alone, and addressed her with -all imaginable respect and politeness. Having observed, after he had -paid her all the usual compliments, that she seemed very melancholy, he -said to her, “I cannot understand, madam, how a person as beautiful as -you are can be also as sorrowful as you appear to be; for although I -can boast of having seen a great number of beautiful ladies, I declare -to you that I never saw any one whose beauty approaches yours.” - -“You are very kind to say so, sir,” answered the Princess; and here she -stopped. - -“Beauty,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “is so great an advantage that -it ought to make up for all else; and when any one possesses it, I do -not see that there is anything that can afflict her very much.” - -“I would much rather,” said the Princess, “be as ugly as you are and -have sense, than have the beauty which I possess, and be as stupid as I -am.” - -“There is nothing, madam, which shows more plainly that we have sense -than to believe we have none; and it is the nature of that gift that -the more people have it, the more they believe they lack it.” - -“I do not know how that may be,” said the Princess, “but I know very -well that I am extremely stupid, and that is the cause of my grief.” - -“If that is all which troubles you, madam, I can very easily put an end -to your sorrow.” - -“And how will you do that?” said the Princess. - -“I have the power, madam,” said Riquet with the Tuft, “of giving to -that person whom it is my fortune to love best as much wit as it is -possible to have; and as you, madam, are that person, it will only -depend on yourself if you have not as much wit as any one can have, -provided only you are pleased to marry me.” - -The Princess was much confused and did not speak a word. - -“I see,” continued Riquet with the Tuft, “that this proposal disturbs -you, and I do not wonder at it; but I will give you a whole year in -which to make up your mind about it.” - -The Princess had so little sense, and at the same time so great a -desire to have some, that she imagined that the end of this year would -never come; so she accepted the proposal which was made to her. She had -no sooner promised Riquet with the Tuft that she would marry him in a -year from that day than she realized a great change in herself; she -found herself saying with incredible ease whatever she wished, and -saying it, too, in a clever, fluent, and natural manner. - -She began at that moment a brilliant conversation with Riquet with the -Tuft, which she sustained with such ease that Riquet began to think -that he had given her more wit than he had reserved for himself. - -When she returned to the palace the court did not know what to think of -so sudden and extraordinary a change; for now she said as many sensible -and extremely clever things as before she had said stupid and silly -ones. The whole court was delighted beyond measure over it; the younger -sister was the only one who did not share the general happiness; for, -having no longer any advantage over her sister in the line of wit and -sense, she appeared beside her a homely, disagreeable girl. - -The King himself was now guided by the advice of the elder sister, and -sometimes would even hold a meeting of the council in her apartments. -As the report of this change spread everywhere, all the young Princes -of neighboring kingdoms made efforts to gain her favor, and almost all -of them asked for her hand in marriage; but she did not find any one -who had enough wit to satisfy her. So she heard them all without -binding herself to any one of them. - -However, there came one so powerful, so rich, so witty, and so handsome -that she could not help feeling a great liking for him. When her father -saw this he told her that he was leaving her to be her own mistress in -the matter of choosing a husband, and that she had only to express her -wishes. She was so sensible that she knew so serious a matter deserved -her careful consideration; so she thanked her father and asked him to -give her time to think it over. - -She went, by chance, to walk in the same wood where she had met Riquet -with the Tuft, to deliberate on what she should do. While she was -walking in deep reflection she heard a dull noise under her feet, as of -a great many people running busily to and fro. Listening more -attentively she heard one say, “Bring me that saucepan”; another, “Give -me that kettle”; and a third, “Put some wood on the fire.” - -At that moment the ground opened, and she saw under her feet a great -kitchen full of cooks, scullions, and all sorts of servants and people -necessary to prepare a magnificent feast. There came forward a company -of twenty or thirty cooks, with larding needles in their hands and -foxtails in their caps, who took their places in one avenue of the wood -about a very long table, and went to work busily, keeping time with a -tuneful song. - -The Princess, in astonishment at the sight, asked them for whom they -were working. - -“For Prince Riquet with the Tuft, madam, whose wedding takes place -to-morrow,” replied their chief. - -The Princess, more surprised than ever, remembered all at once that it -was that day twelvemonth on which she had promised to marry Prince -Riquet. At the thought she was ready to sink into the ground. What made -her forget was that when she made the promise she was very silly; and -when she took the new sense that the Prince bestowed on her, she forgot -all that she had done in the days of her stupidity. She walked on, but -had not taken thirty steps before Riquet with the Tuft presented -himself before her, magnificently attired like a man who was going to -be married. - -“You see, madam,” said he, “that I am exact in keeping my word; and I -do not doubt that you are come to fulfill yours, and to make me, by -giving me your hand, the happiest man in the world.” - -“I will confess frankly to you,” replied the Princess, “that I have not -yet made up my mind in this matter, and that I do not believe that I -shall ever be able to consent to what you desire.” - -“You astonish me, madam,” said Riquet with the Tuft. - -“That I can well believe,” said the Princess; “and assuredly if I had -to do with a clown or a man of no sense, I should find myself very much -at a loss. ‘A Princess always keeps her word,’ he would say to me, ‘and -you must marry me, since you have promised to do so.’ But as he to whom -I speak is the man of all others in the world who has the most sense, I -am sure he will hear reason. You know that when I was only a fool I -could hardly make up my mind to marry you. Now that I have the sense -which you gave me, which makes me much harder to please, how can you -expect me to come to a decision to-day which I could not agree to -before? If you thought seriously of marrying me, you made a great -mistake in removing my stupidity and making me see things more plainly -than I did before.” - -“If a man without wit or sense,” replied Riquet, “would be justified in -reproaching you for breaking your word, why do you wish, madam, that I -should not make use of the same right in a matter where the happiness -of my whole life is at stake? Is it reasonable that persons of wit and -sense should be worse off than those who have none? Can you pretend -this,—you who are so wise and who wished so much to be? But come to the -point, if you please. Except for my ugliness is there anything in me -which displeases you? Do you object to my birth, my sense, my temper, -or my manners?” - -“Not at all,” said the Princess; “I like in you all that you have -mentioned.” - -“If that is the case,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “I shall soon be -happy, for you have the power to make me the most handsome of men.” - -“How can that be?” asked the Princess. - -“It can be done,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “if you love me enough -to desire that it should be; and in order that you may have no doubt -about it, know that the same fairy who at my birth bestowed on me the -power of making clever the person I love best, has given you the power -of making as handsome as you please him whom you love best and for whom -you desire this favor.” - -“If that be the case,” said the Princess, “I wish with all my heart -that you may be the comeliest and handsomest Prince in the world, and I -bestow on you this gift in so far as I am able.” - -The Princess had no sooner pronounced these words than Riquet with the -Tuft seemed to her eyes the comeliest, handsomest, and most pleasing -man she had ever seen. - -Some people say that it was not the fairy’s charm, but love alone which -made this great change. They declare that the Princess, when she had -reflected upon the perseverance of her lover, upon his discretion, and -all the good qualities of his heart and mind, saw no longer the -deformity of his body nor the ugliness of his face; that his hump -seemed to her no more than the grand air of a man who put on a look of -importance; that where before she had noticed that he limped badly, she -now found it nothing more than a careless grace of carriage which -charmed her. They tell, too, how his eyes, which were squinting, -appeared to her on that account the more brilliant, while their -irregularity passed in her judgment as a mark of the warmth of his -love; and finally that his great red nose gave, in her opinion, a -martial and heroic air to his appearance. - -However that may be, the Princess promised immediately to marry him, -provided he obtained the consent of the King her father. The King knew -that his daughter had a high esteem for Riquet with the Tuft, and was -well informed, too, as to the cleverness and prudence of the Prince. So -he received him gladly as his son-in-law. The next day their wedding -was celebrated as Riquet with the Tuft had foreseen, and according to -the orders which he had given long before. - - - - - - - - -SNOWDROP - - -Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the snowflakes were -falling like feathers from the sky, a queen sat sewing at a window -framed in black ebony. And as she sat sewing and looking out upon the -snow, she pricked her finger with the needle, and three drops of blood -fell on the snow outside. Because the red looked so beautiful on the -white snow, she thought to herself, “How I should like to have a child -as white as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this -ebony frame!” - -Very soon after this she had a little daughter whose hair was black as -ebony, and whose cheeks were red as blood, while her skin was white as -snow; so they called her Snowdrop. But not long after her birth the -Queen died. - -When Snowdrop was a year old the King took another wife. She was a -beautiful woman, but so proud and haughty that she could not bear to -have any one surpass her in beauty. She had a magic mirror, and when -she stood before it gazing at herself, she would say, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -Then the mirror would reply, - - - “Queen, so beautiful and tall, - Thou art fairest of them all.” - - -Then she was content, for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth. - -But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she -was seven years old she was so beautiful that she was even fairer than -the Queen herself. One day when the Queen asked her mirror the usual -question, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -it answered, - - - “Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, - But Snowdrop is fairer far, ’tis clear.” - - -Then the Queen was terrified and turned every shade of green in her -jealousy. From that hour she hated Snowdrop so bitterly that she was -thrown into a secret passion every time she saw her. And every day envy -and pride grew up swiftly like evil weeds in her heart, till she had no -rest day or night. - -At last she sent for a huntsman and said to him: “Take the child out -into the wood, and never let me see her again. You are to kill her and -bring me her heart as a token that you have done it.” - -The huntsman obeyed, and took Snowdrop into the wood; but when he drew -out his hunting knife to kill her, she began to weep and said, “O dear -huntsman, spare my life; I will run away into the wild forest and never -come home again.” - -And because she was so beautiful the huntsman took pity on her and -said, “Well, run away then, poor child.” For he thought to himself, -“The wild beasts will soon devour her.” But yet it seemed as if a stone -had been rolled from his heart because he did not have to kill her. - -As a young boar came running by just then, he stabbed it, and took the -heart to the Queen as proof that Snowdrop was dead. The wicked woman -had it cooked in salt and ate it, thinking she had made an end of -Snowdrop. - -But when the poor child found herself all alone in the great forest, -even the trees and their leaves began to seem terrible to her, and she -was so frightened that she did not know what to do. She began to run, -and ran over the sharp stones and through the brambles, and the wild -beasts ran past her, but they did her no harm. She ran as far as her -feet would carry her, till it was nearly evening. Then she saw a little -house and went into it to rest herself. Everything in the little house -was very small, but cleaner and neater than anything you can think of. -A small table covered with a white cloth stood ready with seven small -plates, and by each plate were a spoon, knife, fork, and cup. Against -the wall stood seven little beds, side by side, covered with snow-white -counterpanes. - -Snowdrop was so hungry and so thirsty that she ate a bit of bread and a -little stew from each plate, and drank a drop of wine out of each cup, -for she did not wish to take all from one portion. Then feeling very -tired she lay down on one of the little beds, but it was not -comfortable. She tried them all in turn, but one was too long, another -too short, till she came to the seventh, which was just right; so she -lay down upon it, said her prayers, and fell asleep. - -When it was quite dark the masters of the little house came home. They -were seven little dwarfs, who dug and delved in the mountains for ore. -They lighted their seven little lamps, and as soon as the room was full -of light they saw that some one had been there, for all was not in the -same order in which they had left it. - -The first said, “Who has been sitting on my chair?” - -The second said, “Who has been eating off my plate?” - -The third said, “Who has been eating some of my bread?” - -The fourth said, “Who has been tasting my stew?” - -The fifth said, “Who has been using my fork?” - -The sixth said, “Who has been cutting with my knife?” - -The seventh said, “Who has been drinking out of my cup?” - -Then the first dwarf looked around and saw a little hollow in his bed, -and asked, “Who has been lying on my bed?” The others came running up -and exclaimed, “And mine! and mine!” But the seventh, when he came to -his bed, saw Snowdrop lying there fast asleep. He called the others, -who cried out in astonishment and held up their little lamps to see -better when they found Snowdrop sleeping there. - -“Heavens!” they cried; “what a beautiful child!” and were so pleased -that they did not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed. The -seventh dwarf slept with his companions, one hour in each bed, and so -got through the night. - -When Snowdrop awoke in the morning and saw the seven little dwarfs, she -was frightened. But they were so friendly and asked her name so kindly -that she took courage and answered, “I am called Snowdrop.” - -“How came you to our house?” they asked. - -Then she told them how her stepmother had wanted to have her killed, -how the huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run all day until -she had found their little house. - -The dwarfs talked a little together and then said: “Will you stay and -keep house for us,—cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit? If you -will, then you shall stay with us and want for nothing.” - -“Oh, I should love to,” said Snowdrop. So she stayed with them and kept -the house in order. Every morning the dwarfs went out into the -mountains to dig for gold, and in the evening when they came back -Snowdrop had their supper ready. But during the day she was left all -alone and the good dwarfs warned her, saying, “Beware of your -stepmother. She will soon find out that you are here. Whatever you do, -don’t let any one into the house.” - -Now the Queen, believing that she had eaten Snowdrop’s heart, had no -doubt that she was again the most beautiful woman in the world; so -stepping before her mirror one day she said, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -Then the mirror replied, - - - “Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, - But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, - Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, - A thousand times fairer doth appear.” - - -Then she was startled and angry, for she knew that the mirror always -spoke the truth, and she saw that the huntsman must have deceived her, -and that Snowdrop was still alive. Once more she pondered day and night -how she might destroy Snowdrop, for as long as she herself was not the -fairest in all the land her jealous heart gave her no peace. At last -she thought of a plan. She stained her face and dressed herself like an -old peddler woman, and was so changed that no one could have known her. -In this disguise she went over the hills to the home of the seven -dwarfs. There she knocked at the door, calling out, “Fine wares to -sell! fine wares to sell!” - -Snowdrop peeped out of the window and said, “Good day, my good woman, -what have you to sell?” - -“Good wares, fine wares,” she answered; “bodice laces of all colors,” -and she pulled out one that was woven of gay-colored silk. - -“Surely I may let this honest woman in,” thought Snowdrop; so she -unbarred the door and bought the pretty lace. - -“Child, child,” said the old woman, “what a figure you have! Come, let -me lace you properly for once.” - -Snowdrop had no suspicion, but stood before the woman and let her lace -her with the new lace. But the old woman laced her so quickly and so -tightly that it took Snowdrop’s breath away, and she fell down as -though dead. - -“Now you are no longer the fairest,” said the Queen, and she hurried -away. - -Not long after, toward evening, the seven dwarfs came home and were -terribly frightened to see their dear little Snowdrop lying on the -floor, still and motionless as if she were dead. They lifted her up, -and when they saw how tightly she was laced, they cut the laces in two; -then she began to breathe a little and gradually came back to life. -When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said: “The old peddler -woman was none other than the wicked Queen. Snowdrop, you must take -care and let no one in when we are not at home.” - -The wicked Queen went straight to her mirror the minute she got home -and said, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -Then the mirror answered as before, - - - “Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, - But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, - Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, - A thousand times fairer doth appear.” - - -When she heard this she turned pale with fright and anger, for she knew -that Snowdrop must have come back to life again. - -“I will think of some way to make an end of her once for all,” she said -to herself. - -By means of witchcraft, in which she was skilled, she prepared a -poisoned comb. Then she took the form of another old woman. She went -over the hills till she came to the house of the seven dwarfs, and -knocking at the door she called out, “Wares, fine wares, to sell!” - -Snowdrop looked out of the window and said, “Go away; I am not to let -any one in.” - -“But surely you are allowed to look out,” said the old woman; and she -held up the poisoned comb for her to see. - -The child was so pleased with it that she let herself be beguiled, and -opened the door. When they had settled their bargain the old woman -said, “Now I will comb your hair properly for once.” - -Poor little Snowdrop had no thought of evil and let the woman do as she -pleased, but hardly had she put the comb in the child’s hair when the -poison took effect, and she fell down unconscious. - -“Well, my beauty, you are really done for now,” said the wicked woman, -and she went away. - -Fortunately it was near evening, when the seven dwarfs always came -home. When they saw Snowdrop lying on the floor as if she were dead, -they at once suspected the stepmother had been there again; so they -searched till they found the poisoned comb, and as soon as they had -drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself and told them what had happened. -Again they warned her to be on her guard and to open the door to no -one. - -As soon as the Queen got home she went to her mirror and said, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -But the mirror replied as before, - - - “Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, - But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, - Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, - A thousand times fairer doth appear.” - - -When she heard these words she actually trembled and shook with rage. - -Then she went into a secret room, which no one but herself ever -entered, and there she prepared a poisoned apple. Outwardly it looked -very pretty, with such rosy cheeks that every one who saw it would long -to eat it, but any one who ate a piece of it would be sure to die. When -the apple was ready she stained her face and dressed herself as a -peasant woman, and so she went over the hills to the home of the seven -dwarfs. She knocked at the door as usual, but Snowdrop put her head out -of the window and said, “I am not to let any one in; the seven dwarfs -have forbidden me.” - -“It is all the same to me,” answered the woman. “I shall soon get rid -of my apples. There, I will give you one.” - -“No,” said Snowdrop, “I am not to take anything.” - -“Are you afraid of poison?” said the woman. “See, I will cut the apple -in two. You eat the red cheek and I will eat the white.” - -The apple was so cunningly made that only the red side was poisoned. -Snowdrop longed to eat the fine apple, and when she saw that the -peasant woman was eating it herself, she could resist no longer, but -stretched out her hand and took the poisoned half. But hardly had she -touched the first bite to her lips before she fell down dead. Then the -cruel Queen looked down on her with fiendish delight, and laughing -aloud she cried, “As white as snow, as red as blood, as black as ebony; -this time the dwarfs cannot wake you.” - -When she got home and asked the mirror, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -it answered at last, - - - “Queen, so beautiful and tall, - Thou art fairest of them all.” - - -Then her jealous heart was at rest—at least, as far as a jealous heart -can ever be at rest. - -When the dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snowdrop lying on -the floor, and she neither breathed nor moved. They lifted her up and -looked to see if they could find anything poisonous. They unlaced her -bodice, washed her with water and wine, but all in vain; the child was -dead, and remained dead. Then they laid her on a bier, and the seven -dwarfs seated themselves round her, and wept for her, and mourned for -three days. They were going to bury her, but she looked so fresh and -lifelike and had such pretty color in her cheeks that they said, “We -cannot lay her away in the dark ground.” - -So they had a transparent coffin made of glass, and they laid her in -it, and wrote on the lid in letters of gold her name, and that she was -a King’s daughter. Then they put the coffin on the top of the mountain, -and one of the dwarfs always stayed by it and kept watch over it. And -the birds came, too, and mourned for Snowdrop,—first an owl, then a -raven, and last of all a little white dove. - -Snowdrop lay a long, long time in the coffin unchanged, looking as if -she were asleep; for she was still as white as snow, as red as blood, -and her hair as black as ebony. - -Now it happened that one day a King’s son came into the wood and went -to the dwarfs’ house to spend the night. He saw the coffin on the -mountain with beautiful Snowdrop lying in it, and when he had read what -was written on the lid in letters of gold, he said to the dwarfs: “Let -me have the coffin. I will give you whatever you like for it.” - -But the dwarfs said, “No; we would not part with it for all the gold in -the world.” - -But he replied: “Then give it to me as a gift, for I cannot live -without Snowdrop to gaze upon. I will honor and prize it as my dearest -possession.” - -When he spoke in this way the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him -the coffin, and the Prince had his servants bear it away upon their -shoulders. Now it happened that one of them stumbled over a tree stump. -This jolted the coffin so sharply that the poisoned piece of apple -which Snowdrop had bitten fell out of her throat. Before long she -slowly opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the coffin, and sat up -alive once more. - -“Oh, dear!” she cried, “where am I?” - -The Prince answered joyfully, “You are with me,” and told her all that -happened, saying as he finished the story: “I love you better than any -one in the world. Will you come with me to my father’s palace and be my -wife?” - -Snowdrop consented and went with him, and their wedding was celebrated -with great state and splendor. - -Now Snowdrop’s wicked stepmother was one of those invited to the feast. -When she had arrayed herself in beautiful clothes, for the occasion she -went to the mirror and said, - - - “Mirror, mirror on the wall, - Who is fairest of us all?” - - -The mirror answered, - - - “Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, - But the young Queen now at the palace near - A thousand times fairer doth appear.” - - -Then the wicked woman uttered a curse and was so beside herself with -anger and mortification that she did not know what to do. At first she -resolved not to go to the wedding at all, but she felt she could have -no peace till she had seen the young Queen. When she went in she -recognized Snowdrop and stood stock-still with rage and fear. She knew -she could not be again the most beautiful woman in the world, and her -anger was so great that she fell dead at the feast. - - - - - - - - -THE WHITE CAT - - -Once upon a time there was a King who had three brave and handsome -sons. As they grew to be fine, tall young men, he began to be afraid -that they might want to rule over the kingdom before he was dead. The -King was old, but was as vigorous in mind as ever he had been, and did -not wish to give up his crown. He thought that the best way to live in -peace was to divert their minds by promises he could always avoid -fulfilling. - -He called his sons to him and said: “You will agree with me, my dear -children, that I shall soon be getting too old to reign any longer. I -want, therefore, to give my crown to one of you. But it is only fair -that in return for such a gift you should do something to make life -pleasant for me after I have retired into the country. I should like to -have a pretty, clever, faithful little dog who would be good company -for me. So without any regard to your ages, I declare to you that the -one who brings me the most beautiful little dog shall be my heir.” - -The Princes were surprised at their father’s sudden fancy for a little -dog, but were well pleased with the plan. They took leave of the King, -who gave them plenty of money and told them that in a year without fail -they must all return, and on the same day at the same hour bring him -their little dogs. - -Before they started they went to a castle outside the town and held a -great feast, at which they promised always to be friends, and not be -jealous of one another in this matter. They agreed that the successful -one should share his good fortune with the others. Then they set out, -deciding that they would meet at the same castle on their return and go -together to the King. Each took a different road. All three met with -many adventures, but I am only going to tell you about those of the -youngest. - -He was young, and gay, and handsome, and had all the accomplishments a -Prince should have; as for his courage, he was simply fearless. - -No day passed without his buying some dogs. He bought big dogs and -little dogs, house dogs, hunting dogs, mastiffs, greyhounds, spaniels, -and lapdogs,—dogs of every kind. As soon as he bought a pretty one he -was sure to see another that was prettier, and then he had to sell the -others and get that one, for he found it impossible to take thirty or -forty thousand dogs about with him. - -One evening he entered a great forest. Night came on suddenly and with -it a violent storm of thunder and lightning; the rain began to pour -down. He took the first path he came to, and after he had walked a long -time he saw a faint light and hoped he was coming to some house where -he might find shelter for the night. Guided by the light he reached the -gates of the most magnificent castle that could be imagined. The gate -was of gold, covered with rubies, and it was the bright, red light -which shone from them that the Prince had seen. The walls were of -transparent porcelain, painted in many colors with pictures out of -fairy tales, the adventures of the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, and of -Cinderella, and a hundred others. - -Upon the door was a deer’s foot fastened by a chain of diamonds. The -Prince pulled it and heard a silver bell ring. Instantly the door flew -open, but he could see nothing but a dozen hands in the air, each -holding a torch. He was so astonished that he hesitated to enter, but -he felt himself pushed forward from behind by other hands. He was -somewhat uneasy, but put his hand on his sword and walked on. He -entered a hall paved with lapis lazuli, where he heard two enchanting -voices singing these words, - - - “Fear not these hands that float in space, - Nor anything else that here you see, - Unless from the charms of a beautiful face - You would keep your heart still fancy free.” - - -This welcome reassured the Prince. The hands guided him toward a large -door of coral, which opened of itself and admitted him to a hall of -mother-of-pearl. Out of this opened other rooms so richly adorned with -paintings and precious stones and so brilliantly lighted with thousands -of hanging lamps that he was dazzled by their magnificence. When he had -passed through sixty rooms the hands that were guiding him stopped, and -a most comfortable armchair moved of itself toward the fireplace. At -the same moment the fire was lighted, and hands which he noticed were -very beautiful—small, white, plump, and well proportioned—took off his -wet clothes. Then they presented him with new garments made of the -finest materials and richly embroidered with gold and emeralds. They -combed his hair and waited on him with the greatest skill, though -sometimes they appeared so suddenly that they made him start. - -When his toilet was complete—and I assure you the fine costume became -him well—the hands conducted him to a splendid room, upon the walls of -which were painted the histories of Puss in Boots and other famous -cats. The table was laid for two, with gold knife, fork, and spoon for -each; the sideboard was covered with vessels and glasses of crystal set -with precious stones. The Prince was wondering who the second cover was -for, when in came a company of cats, carrying guitars. They took their -places on a little platform, and, under the leadership of a cat who had -a book of music before her and beat time with a roll of paper, they -began to mew each in a different key, and to draw their claws across -the strings of their guitars, making the strangest music that was ever -heard. The Prince stopped his ears, but even then he could not keep -from laughing heartily at the positions and grimaces of these novel -musicians. - -He was wondering what queer thing would happen to him next when he saw -a tiny figure enter the room. It was covered by a long black veil. Two -cats bearing black cloaks and carrying swords conducted it, and a -retinue of cats followed. - -The Prince was more astonished than ever; he did not know what to -think. The little black figure approached him and threw back the veil. -Then he saw the most beautiful white cat that ever was or ever will be. -She looked very young and sad, and in a sweet voice that went straight -to the Prince’s heart she said to him, “King’s Son, you are welcome; -the Queen of cats is glad to see you.” - -“Madam Cat,” said the Prince, “it is very kind of you to receive me -with such courtesy, but surely you are no ordinary cat. Your gift of -speech and your magnificent castle are strong proof to the contrary.” - -“King’s Son,” replied the White Cat, “I beg of you to spare me these -compliments, for I am very simple in my speech. But now,” she added, -“let supper be served and let the musicians be silent, for the Prince -does not understand what they are saying.” - -“Are they really saying anything, madam?” asked the Prince. - -“Certainly,” she answered. “We have excellent music here. If you stay -with us a little while, you will soon learn to appreciate it.” - -“Indeed, I shall be a ready scholar,” said the Prince, politely. - -Supper was now served by the mysterious hands. Soup made of white mice -was brought to the White Cat. When a plate was put before the Prince he -did not like to taste it. But the White Cat assured him that his soup -was made of pigeons, and that none of the dishes intended for him -contained either rats or mice. They talked together on different -subjects, and the Prince found that she knew all about what was going -on in the world, and was well informed along many lines. - -After supper the White Cat invited her guest into another room fitted -up with a stage, where the cats danced and acted for their amusement. -Then the White Cat said good night to him, and the hands conducted him -to an apartment just opposite the one he had been in before. It was -hung with butterflies’ wings of every color; there were mirrors that -reached from the floor to the ceiling; and his bed was draped in gauze, -fastened with a thousand knots of ribbon. The Prince went to bed in -silence, for he did not know how to begin a conversation with the hands -that waited on him. - -In the morning he was awakened by noise and confusion outside, and the -hands came quickly and dressed him in hunting costume. He looked out -into the courtyard and saw more than five hundred cats making -preparation for this holiday, for the White Cat was going hunting. He -was led to a wooden horse, which he seemed to be expected to mount. He -did so, and to his surprise it galloped off gayly. - -The White Cat was riding a monkey, which went very fast and carried her -even to the tops of trees when she wanted to reach eagles’ nests. The -cats ran after rabbits and hares and caught them, and the kittens -climbed everywhere for birds. The Prince had never enjoyed a hunt more. -When the hunt was over they returned to the castle, and the Prince and -the White Cat supped together as before. - -So the days passed in all kinds of amusements, and the Prince thought -only of the little White Cat with whom he was so happy. But she knew -when he ought to return, and as he had quite forgotten, she reminded -him. - -“Do you know,” she said, “that you have only three days in which to -look for the little dog your father wants, and that your brothers have -found beauties?” - -The Prince came to himself and was astonished at his forgetfulness. - -“Why, how came I to forget such an important errand?” he said. “What -shall I do? I can never get home in time, much less find a dog.” And he -began to be very much vexed and distressed. - -But the White Cat comforted him, saying, “King’s Son, do not vex -yourself; I am your friend. You can stay here another day, for the good -wooden horse will take you to your country in less than twelve hours.” - -“I thank you, beautiful White Cat,” said the Prince; “but it is not -enough that I return to my father; I must take him a little dog.” - -“Look,” said the White Cat; “here is an acorn in which is a little dog -prettier even than the one in the dog star.” - -“O Madam Cat,” said the Prince, “you are making fun of me.” - -“Put the acorn to your ear,” said she. - -He obeyed and heard a little sound inside, “Bow-wow!” The Prince was -delighted, for a dog that could be shut up in an acorn must be very -tiny. He was so eager to see it that he wanted to open the acorn, but -the White Cat told him it might be cold on the journey, and it would -therefore be better to wait until he was in his father’s presence. He -thanked her a thousand times, and said good-by very sadly when he -started out. - -“The days with you have passed so quickly,” he said, “I only wish I -could take you along with me.” - -But at this proposal the White Cat only sighed deeply. - -The Prince was the first to arrive at the place where the three -brothers agreed to meet. They embraced each other affectionately and -began to tell their adventures. But the Prince did not tell his real -adventures, and showed only a common cur, letting his brothers think -that this was the one he was going to show the King. They laughed at -him and showed him two beautiful little dogs in baskets. - -When they reached the palace every one crowded about to welcome them. -They went into the King’s hall. He did not know in whose favor to -decide, for the dogs of the two elder sons seemed equally beautiful. -They were already making their plans about sharing the crown when the -youngest drew out of his pocket the acorn which the White Cat had given -him. He opened it, and there was a wonderful little dog with silky -white hair and long ears lying on cotton wool. The Prince put it -through a ring without its touching the sides. Then he placed it on the -ground, and it got up at once and began to dance. The King did not know -what to say, for it was impossible to imagine anything more beautiful -than this little dog. - -But he had not the least desire to part with his crown. The tiniest gem -of it was dearer to him than all the dogs in the world. He told his -children that as they had all succeeded so well the first time, he -would ask them to go once more. This time he would give them a year to -seek by land and sea a piece of linen so fine that it could be drawn -through the eye of the finest needle. - -Each departed his own way. Our Prince mounted the wooden horse again -and rode back with all speed to the White Cat. He found all the doors -open and the windows, roofs, towers, and walls lighted brilliantly. The -hands came to meet him and led the wooden horse off to the stable, -while the Prince hastened to the room of the White Cat. She was asleep -in a little basket on a white satin cushion, but she started up when -the Prince came in and received him with the greatest joy. - -“How could I hope that you would come back to me, King’s Son?” - -The Prince caressed and petted her and told her of his journey. Then he -told her what the King wanted this time and asked her for help, for the -request seemed impossible to him. The White Cat looked serious and said -she must think the matter over; fortunately there were cats in the -castle who spun very well; if it could be done they could do it. She -would set them to it, and he need take no care. - -The second year passed as quickly and happily as the first. Presently -the White Cat told him that the year was gone, and that he need not be -at all anxious about the linen, as she had a piece ready for him. - -“This time I can give you an equipage suited to your rank,” she added; -and bade him look out into the courtyard. There stood a splendid open -carriage enameled in flame-colored gold. Twelve snow-white horses -harnessed in fours drew it; their trappings were of flame-colored -velvet embroidered with diamonds. A hundred coaches, each drawn by -eight horses and filled with richly dressed nobles, were ready to -accompany him. A thousand guards were in waiting behind to end the -procession. - -“Go!” she said to the Prince; “and when you appear at your father’s -court in such state, he will surely not refuse you the crown you -deserve. Here is a walnut; do not crack it until you are before him. -Then you will find in it the piece of linen you asked of me.” - -“Dear White Cat,” said the Prince, “how can I ever thank you? If you -will only consent to it, I will gladly give up all thought of ever -being King and stay here with you.” - -“King’s Son,” she replied, “it is very good of you to care so much for -a little white cat who is good for nothing but to catch mice; but you -must go.” - -So the Prince kissed her paw and set out. They did not stop at all -until they came to the King’s palace where the two elder brothers had -already arrived. They displayed their pieces of linen, which were -indeed so fine that they would go through the eye of a big needle; but -the King, who was very glad of some excuse, sent for a very small -needle that he had selected and had kept locked with the State -treasure. Through this the linen would not go. The Princes were angry, -and said that this was a trick that the King was playing on them. - -But all at once there was a sound of trumpets and the youngest son -appeared. The King and his two elder sons were astonished at his -magnificence. After the young Prince had greeted them he took out the -walnut and cracked it, thinking to find in it the piece of linen, but -instead there was only a hazelnut. He cracked that and was surprised to -see a cherry stone. The people who were looking on began to smile, and -the King laughed to himself at the idea that a walnut should contain a -piece of linen. The Prince cracked the cherry stone, which contained a -kernel. He opened that and found a grain of wheat, and in that was a -millet seed. Then he began to wonder too, and murmured, “Why, White -Cat, you have made game of me.” - -At that moment he felt a cat’s claw on his hand, which scratched him so -sharply that he bled. He hoped this was to encourage him, and opened -the millet seed. Then, to the astonishment of every one, he drew forth -a piece of linen four hundred ells long. Into it were woven all the -kinds of birds and beasts and fishes in the world; the sun, moon, and -stars; every sort of plant and tree that grows; and pictures of all the -Kings and Queens in the world, and all their children. When the needle -was brought the linen went through the eye six times with ease. The -King and the two elder brothers sat still and did not say a word, for -no one could help seeing that this linen was so beautiful and rare that -nothing in the world could be compared to it. - -Presently the King turned to his sons and said with a deep sigh: -“Nothing consoles me more in my old age than to see your deference to -my wishes. I desire to put you to further proof. Go once more and -travel for a year, and at the end of that time he who brings back the -most beautiful girl shall marry her and be crowned King on his wedding -day. It is necessary that my successor should marry. I promise that I -will not then put off the reward.” - -So they set out again, and our Prince returned in his splendid carriage -to his dear White Cat. This time she knew the day and hour of his -arrival, and had the road strewn with flowers and grand preparations -made to celebrate his return. Seated in a gallery from which she could -see him coming, the White Cat awaited him. - -“Well, King’s Son,” she said, “you have again returned without a -crown.” - -“Madam,” he replied, “your kindness has earned me one twice over, but I -am persuaded that my father is unwilling to part with it himself.” - -“No matter,” she said; “you must not give up trying to deserve it. As -you must take back a lovely maiden next time, I will find you one that -will gain you the prize. Now let us take no more care about the -matter.” - -Nothing passes more quickly than days spent without trouble or care. If -the White Cat had not taken pains to remember the time when he must -return to the court, the Prince would have surely forgotten it. But one -evening she told him that it depended on himself alone whether he would -take to the court one of the most beautiful Princesses in the world. - -“To do this,” she said, “you must take your sword and cut off my head -and tail and throw them quickly into the fire.” - -“I!” he exclaimed; “I cut off your head and tail! My dear White Cat, my -love, am I to do such a cruel deed? Ah! perhaps you are testing my -affections, but you need not doubt me.” - -But she begged and begged, telling him that he must trust her and do as -she said. The tears came into his eyes at the thought of killing his -dear White Cat, and he begged her to spare him. But she was determined, -and at last with a trembling hand he drew his sword, cut off her head -and tail, and threw them in the fire. Immediately the most charming -change imaginable took place. The body of the White Cat grew tall and -became that of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. - -The Prince was so overwhelmed with astonishment and delight that he -could not speak. As he stood gazing at her, the door opened and a long -train of lords and ladies entered the room, each with a cat’s skin -thrown over the shoulder. They bowed low before the Queen and showed -their great joy at seeing her once more restored to her natural state. -She received them graciously, but after a few moments dismissed them, -saying that she wished to be alone with the Prince. To him she -explained that she was a Princess who had been turned into a cat by -some angry fairies. All her lords and ladies had been turned into cats, -too, and her servants had been made invisible, all but their hands. To -free them from this enchantment a handsome young Prince must come and -love her well enough to do her bidding. - -Together they set out for the King’s court. Their chariot was more -magnificent than any the Prince had ever seen. Even the horses’ shoes -were of emerald with diamond nails. Since the Princess was as lovely as -she appeared, the Prince loved her more dearly than ever, and they had -a most delightful journey together. - -When they came near the palace the Princess stepped into a chair made -of crystal, carried by her guards, and drew the silken curtains about -her so that she could not be seen. The Prince remained in the chariot -and soon met his brothers walking in the palace grounds with two very -beautiful Princesses. They asked him if he, too, had found a Princess. -He said that the most beautiful thing he had seen was a little white -cat, and her he had brought. They laughed at his simplicity. - -“A cat!” they said. “Are you afraid that our palace will be eaten up by -mice?” - -The elder brothers and their Princesses got into carriages of gold and -azure; the horses were decked with plumes, and nothing could have been -more brilliant than the cavalcade. Our young Prince followed, and then -came the crystal chair at which every one looked with admiration. The -courtiers hastened to tell the King that the three Princes had arrived. - -“Do they bring beautiful women with them?” asked the King. - -“It is impossible that they should be surpassed,” was the reply, which -did not seem to please the King. - -The elder brothers entered first. The King received them kindly but -could not choose between them. He turned to the youngest and said, -“This time you come alone.” - -“Your Majesty,” said the Prince, “will find in the crystal chair a -little white cat which mews so prettily and has such soft paws that I -am sure you will be charmed with her.” - -The King smiled and went to draw back the curtains, but the Princess, -by touching a spring, shattered the crystal and stood forth like the -sun appearing from behind a cloud. Her fair hair floated over her -shoulders; her soft white robe was lined with pink. She bowed -gracefully before the King, who exclaimed, “This is the matchless woman -who deserves my crown!” - -“Sire,” she said, “I am not come to deprive you of a crown you fill so -worthily. I have by inheritance six kingdoms; permit me to offer one to -you and give one to each of your sons. I ask no other return but your -friendship and your consent to my marriage with your youngest son. We -shall have quite enough with three kingdoms.” - -The King and all the court were carried away with joy and astonishment. -The three weddings took place at once. Many months were spent in -festivities. Then each King and Queen went to rule their own kingdom, -and all lived happily ever after. - - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -Page 1. The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. Source: “Contes de Ma Mère -l’Oye,” by Charles Perrault (1628–1703). Parallel: Grimm’s “Little -Briar Rose.” The Perrault conclusion, describing at length the later -adventures of the characters, we follow Grimm’s example in omitting. - -Page 16. The Emperor’s New Clothes. Source: “Wonder Stories Told for -Children,” by Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). - -Page 27. The Golden Goose. Source: “Kinder- und Hausmärchen,” by Jacob -Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859). Three folklore motifs -are united,—that of simple kindness rewarded, of the magic touch, which -here creates an amusing situation, and of the unconscious success of a -simpleton in making a royal personage laugh. - -Page 34. The Elves and the Shoemaker. Source: Grimm. Parallels: Beside -a wealth of tales in which elves or pixies help mortals, this very -incident of their being kindly provided with clothes and refusing -thereafter to work appears in several Scottish and English -versions,—notably in “The Cauld Lad of Hilton.” Elves always disappear -when clothed. - -Page 38. The King of the Cats. Source: The Folk-Lore Journal, II, 22. -The best of five English variants of this tale. - -Page 41. The Fir Tree. Source: Andersen. - -Page 62. Pleiades. Source: “Fairy Tales from Afar, Translated from the -Danish Popular Tales of Svend Grundtvig,” by Jane Mulley. A good -presentation of coöperation. - -Page 67. Bluebeard. Source: Perrault. Parallels: Several, three in -Grimm. Mr. Lang says, “Perrault’s tale has a great advantage over its -popular rivals. It is at once more sober and more terrible, and -possesses an epical unity of idea and action. The leading idea, of -curiosity punished, of the box or door which may not be opened, and of -the prohibition infringed with evil results, is of world-wide -distribution.” - -Page 79. Thumbelina. Source: Andersen. In the tales of Hans Andersen we -see the difference between the unconscious art of traditional folklore -and the introspective, studied productions of a writer for children. - -Page 105. Clever Alice. Source: Grimm. The first part is a typical -satire on cleverness; the second recalls the old woman of the nursery -rhyme who depended for identity on her little dog at home. One of a -succession of Hans and Alice stories. - -Page 114. Riquet with the Tuft. Source: Perrault. “The touch of the -traditional and popular manner in the story is the love of a woman -redeeming the ugliness of a man.” - -Page 130. Snowdrop. Source: Grimm. Parallels: A characteristic German -tale with many variants. The symbolism of color, the wicked stepmother, -the dwarfs in their little house, the child in the forest, and most of -all the atmosphere and style make this a typical German story. - -Page 152. The White Cat. Source: Madame D’Aulnoy. French text in -“Cabinet des Fées,” Vol. 3; English translation in “Novels and Tales of -the Fairies, London, 1749.” Parallel: Grimm’s “The Three Feathers.” Our -version is much abridged. The delicacy and charm of Madame D’Aulnoy’s -style can be best appreciated in the descriptions of life in the -enchanted palace and of the graceful little White Cat. The rude details -of other stories, in which the older princes bring home farmer lasses -who try to jump through a ring and break their arms and legs in the -attempt, are here omitted. With characteristic refinement the -story-teller allows no one to be discomfited; all live happily ever -after, as the heroes and heroines of real fairy tales should. - - - - - - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES, VOLUME II (OF -2) *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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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 <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Fairy Tales, Volume II (of 2)</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Marion Florence Lansing</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Illustrator: Charles Copeland</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: March 24, 2022 [eBook #67777]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Library of Congress)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES, VOLUME II (OF 2) ***</div> -<div class="front"> -<div class="div1 cover"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure cover-imagewidth"><img src="images/new-cover.jpg" alt="Newly Designed Front Cover." width="480" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 frontispiece"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure insidefront-imagewidth"><img src="images/insidefront.png" alt="THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY" width="451" height="720"><p class="figureHead">THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY</p> -<p class="first">“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before -me<span class="corr" id="xd31e108" title="Not in source">.</span>”</p> -</div><p> -</p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 titlepage"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure titlepage-imagewidth"><img src="images/titlepage.png" alt="Original Title Page." width="427" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="titlePage"> -<div class="docTitle"> -<div class="seriesTitle">THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY OF JUVENILE LITERATURE</div> -<div class="mainTitle">FAIRY TALES</div> -</div> -<div class="byline">COMPILED AND EDITED BY<br> -<span class="docAuthor">MARION FLORENCE LANSING M.A.</span> -<br> -VOL. II -<br> -ILLUSTRATED BY<br> -<span class="docAuthor">CHARLES COPELAND</span></div> -<div class="docImprint">GINN AND COMPANY<br> -BOSTON · NEW YORK<br> -CHICAGO · LONDON</div> -</div> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb.iv">[<a href="#pb.iv">iv</a>]</span></p> -<div class="div1 copyright"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first xd31e145"><span class="sc">Copyright, 1908, by</span> <br> -MARION FLORENCE LANSING -</p> -<p class="xd31e145">ALL RIGHTS RESERVED -</p> -<p class="xd31e145">78.6 -</p> -<p class="xd31e145">The Athenæum Press <br> -GINN & COMPANY · PROPRIETORS <br> -· BOSTON · U.S.A. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb.v">[<a href="#pb.v">v</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 copyright"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">PREFACE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">The division of <i>Fairy Tales</i> into two volumes was rather for the sake of keeping the books small and of uniform -size in the series, “The Open Road Library,” than because there was any difference -in the age of children addressed. Some of the best stories have been reserved for -this book. -</p> -<p>The plan has been to gratify interest awakened in the tales of the first volume by -a parallel in the second. Thus in the first we had the droll of “Hans in Luck,” to -which “Clever Alice” corresponds in this. The “Frog Prince” and “Beauty and the Beast” -are paralleled by the “White Cat,” in which a princess instead of a prince is restored -from the spell of an animal disguise. The first volume recounts in “Doll-in-the-Grass” -the story of twelve sons sent out into the world by their royal father to win their -fortunes; the second tells of six sons, who later become Pleiades, sent forth to learn -trades. And so the comparison might be continued. The incidents of fairy and folk -lore appear in numberless combinations. Close similarity of plot has been avoided, -and stories which correspond in general motif have been put in different volumes. -About an equal number of tales from <span class="pageNum" id="pb.vi">[<a href="#pb.vi">vi</a>]</span>each of the great story-tellers—Perrault, Andersen, Grimm, etc.—is to be found in -each book. -</p> -<p>The atmosphere of these tales is healthful, and their tone, while not in most cases -didactic, is distinctly moral and uplifting. In a simple and direct way right is rewarded -and wrong is discountenanced; the thief among the six brothers has to be the palest -star in the Pleiades. The grotesque and horrible have been introduced only where they -are so exaggerated that no sane child would fail to appreciate their extravagance. -Cruel stepmothers are a tradition of fairy lore, but tales of cruel brothers and sisters -do not appear in these volumes. -</p> -<p>We have discriminated between these fairy tales and stories of a more heroic nature, -which lay claim to having actually happened in some stated place. Tales like “Jack -the Giant Killer” and “Tom Thumb,” in which this saga element is predominant, have -been carried forward into a succeeding volume, <i>Tales of Old England</i>. As in the last pages of the <i>Rhymes and Stories</i> a few of the simplest fairy tales were introduced, so this book leads from the supernatural -of the fairy tale to the heroic of the saga. -</p> -<p class="signed">M. F. LANSING -</p> -<p class="dateline"><span class="sc">Cambridge, Massachusetts</span> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb.vii">[<a href="#pb.vii">vii</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="toc" class="div1 contents"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">CONTENTS</h2> -<table class="tocList"> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum"><span class="sc">Page</span></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.1" id="xd31e196"><span class="sc">The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.2" id="xd31e203"><span class="sc">The Emperor’s New Clothes</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">16</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.3" id="xd31e210"><span class="sc">The Golden Goose</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">27</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.4" id="xd31e217"><span class="sc">The Elves and the Shoemaker</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">34</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.5" id="xd31e224"><span class="sc">The King of the Cats</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">38</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.6" id="xd31e231"><span class="sc">The Fir Tree</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">41</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.7" id="xd31e238"><span class="sc">Pleiades, or the Seven Stars</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">62</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.8" id="xd31e245"><span class="sc">Bluebeard</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">67</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.9" id="xd31e252"><span class="sc">Thumbelina</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">79</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.10" id="xd31e259"><span class="sc">Clever Alice</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">105</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.11" id="xd31e267"><span class="sc">Riquet with the Tuft</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">114</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.12" id="xd31e274"><span class="sc">Snowdrop</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">130</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#ch2.13" id="xd31e281"><span class="sc">The White Cat</span></a> -</td> -<td class="tocPageNum">152</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tocDivNum"></td> -<td class="tocDivTitle" colspan="7"><a href="#notes" id="xd31e289"><span class="asc">NOTES</span></a> </td> -<td class="tocPageNum">179</td> -</tr> -</table> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb.viii">[<a href="#pb.viii">viii</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 frontispiece"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure pviiiwidth"><img src="images/pviii.png" alt="At this very instant the young fairy came out from behind the hangings." width="450" height="720"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb1">[<a href="#pb1">1</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="body"> -<div id="ch2.1" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e196">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="super">FAIRY TALES</h2> -<h2 class="main">THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Once upon a time there lived in a distant land a King and Queen who were very unhappy -because they had no children; they were more sorry than words can tell. -</p> -<p>At last, however, the Queen had a daughter. There was a very fine christening. For -her godmothers the little Princess had all the fairies that could be found in the -land (there were seven in all), so that each of them might give her a gift, as was -the custom of fairies in those days. By this means the Princess would be sure to have -all the perfections imaginable. -</p> -<p>After the christening was over, all the company returned to the palace, where a great -feast was spread for the fairies. Before <span class="pageNum" id="pb2">[<a href="#pb2">2</a>]</span>each fairy was placed a magnificent cover, with a case of massive gold in which were -a spoon, a fork, and a knife, all of pure gold set with diamonds and rubies. But as -they were all sitting at table, they saw coming into the hall a very old fairy, who -had not been invited because it was more than fifty years since she had been out of -a certain tower, and she was believed to be either dead or enchanted. -</p> -<p>The King ordered a cover laid for her, but he could not give her a case of gold such -as had been given to the others, for only seven had been made. The old fairy fancied -she was slighted, and muttered some threats between her teeth. One of the young fairies -who sat beside her heard these threats, and judging that she might give the little -Princess some unlucky gift, went, as soon as they rose from the table, and hid herself -behind the hangings. In this way she could be the one to speak last, and might be -able to repair, in so far as it was possible, any evil which the old fairy might intend -to do. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb3">[<a href="#pb3">3</a>]</span> -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p003width"><img src="images/p003.png" alt="The old fairy fancied she was slighted." width="547" height="406"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Meanwhile the fairies began to bestow their gifts upon the Princess. The youngest -gave for her gift that she should be the most beautiful person in the world; the next, -that she should have the wisdom and understanding of an angel; the third, that she -should have wonderful grace in everything that she did; the fourth, that she should -dance perfectly; the fifth, that she should sing like a nightingale; and the sixth, -that she should play with the greatest charm and skill on every kind of musical instrument. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb4">[<a href="#pb4">4</a>]</span></p> -<p>When the old fairy’s turn came she stepped forward, shaking her head more with spite -than with age, and said that the Princess should pierce her hand with a spindle and -die of the wound. This terrible gift made the whole company tremble, and everybody -began to weep. At this very instant the young fairy came out from behind the hangings -and, in a clear voice, said: “Be of good cheer, O King and Queen; not so shall your -daughter die. It is true that I have not the power to undo entirely what my elder -has done. The Princess shall indeed pierce her hand with a spindle; but instead of -dying of the wound she shall only fall into a deep sleep, which shall last a hundred -years, at the end of which a King’s son shall come and wake her.” -</p> -<p>The King resolved to do all in his power to avoid the misfortune foretold by the old -fairy. He immediately issued an edict forbidding any one, on pain of death, to spin -with a distaff and spindle, or even to have a spindle in his house. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb5">[<a href="#pb5">5</a>]</span></p> -<p>Fifteen or sixteen years afterward, when the King and Queen were at one of their country -villas, the young Princess was running about one day in the castle. She went from -room to room till she came to the top of a tower, where a good old woman was sitting -alone, spinning with her spindle. This good woman had never heard of the King’s edict -against spindles. -</p> -<p>“What are you doing there, my good woman?” said the Princess. -</p> -<p>“I am spinning, my pretty child,” said the old woman, who did not know who she was. -</p> -<p>“Oh, how pretty!” exclaimed the Princess. “How do you do it? Let me see if I can do -it.” -</p> -<p>She had no sooner taken the spindle than, either because she was very quick and a -trifle heedless, or because the decree of the fairy has so ordained, she pierced her -hand with it and fell in a swoon. -</p> -<p>The good old woman, in great alarm, cried out for help. People came running in from -all directions. They threw water on <span class="pageNum" id="pb6">[<a href="#pb6">6</a>]</span>the Princess’s face; they unlaced her; they struck her on the palms of her hands and -rubbed her temples with cologne water; but nothing would bring her to. -</p> -<p>Then the King, who had come up on hearing the noise, remembered the prediction of -the fairies. He knew very well that this must come to pass, since the fairies had -decreed it. He had the Princess carried into the finest apartment in the palace, and -laid upon a bed embroidered with gold and silver. One would have taken her for a little -angel, she was so beautiful; her cheeks were carnation, and her lips like coral. Her -eyes were closed, it is true, but she was heard to breathe softly, which satisfied -those about her that she was not dead. The King gave orders that they should let her -sleep quietly until the time came for her to awake. -</p> -<p>The good fairy who had saved her life by condemning her to sleep a hundred years was -in the kingdom of Mataquin, twelve thousand leagues away, when this accident happened -to the Princess; but she was promptly told of <span class="pageNum" id="pb7">[<a href="#pb7">7</a>]</span>it by a little dwarf who had a pair of seven-league boots,—that is, boots with which -he could cover seven leagues of ground at a single stride. The fairy set out immediately, -and arrived at the castle about an hour later in a fiery chariot drawn by dragons. -</p> -<p>The King handed her out of the chariot. She approved everything he had done; but, -as she had great foresight, she thought that when the Princess awoke she would be -much perplexed and troubled at finding herself all alone in this old palace. So this -is what she did. She touched with her wand everything in the palace except the King -and Queen,—governesses, maids of honor, ladies of the bedchamber, gentlemen, officers, -stewards, cooks, scullions, guards, porters, pages, and footmen; she touched also -all the horses in the stable with their grooms, the great mastiffs in the courtyard, -and even little Pouste, the Princess’s tiny spaniel that was lying on the bed beside -her. -</p> -<p>The moment she touched them they all fell asleep, not to wake again till their mistress -<span class="pageNum" id="pb8">[<a href="#pb8">8</a>]</span>did. This was done in order that they might be ready to serve her again when she had -need of them. Even the spits that stood before the fire, as full as they could hold -of partridges and pheasants, fell asleep, and the fire itself as well. All this was -done in a moment. Fairies are not long in doing their business! -</p> -<p>And now the King and Queen, having kissed their dear child without waking her, left -the castle, issuing a proclamation that no one should come near it. These commands -were not necessary, for in less than a quarter of an hour there grew up all around -the park such a vast number of trees great and small, and of bushes and brambles, -twining one within another, that neither man nor beast could pass through, and nothing -could be seen but the very top of the towers of the palace, and that, too, only from -a great distance. Every one knew that this was the work of the fairy in order that -the Princess, while she slept, should have nothing to fear from curious people. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb9">[<a href="#pb9">9</a>]</span></p> -<p>A hundred years passed, and the kingdom was in the hands of another royal family. -The son of the reigning King was hunting one day in that part of the country, and -asked what those towers were which he saw in the middle of a great dense wood. Every -one answered according as he had heard. Some said it was an old haunted castle; others, -that all the witches of the country held their revels there. But the common opinion -was that an ogre lived there, and that he carried thither all the little children -he could catch, secure that no one would follow him, for he alone had power to make -his way through the wood. -</p> -<p>The Prince did not know what to believe; but finally an aged man spoke to him thus: -“May it please your Highness, more than fifty years ago I heard my father tell that -there was in that castle a Princess, the most beautiful ever seen; and that she was -to sleep there a hundred years, and that she would be wakened by a King’s son for -whom she was waiting.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb10">[<a href="#pb10">10</a>]</span></p> -<p>The young Prince was all on fire at these words. He had not a moment’s doubt that -he was the one to carry through this rare adventure, and filled with love and longing -for glory he instantly resolved to look into the matter. As soon as he drew near the -wood, all the great trees, the bushes, and the brambles gave way of themselves to -let him pass through. He walked toward the castle which he saw at the end of a long -avenue. As he looked around he was surprised to see that none of his people had been -able to follow him, for the trees had closed in again as soon as he had passed between -them. He did not stop or turn back for this; a young Prince, drawn on by love and -the desire for glory, is always valiant. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p011width"><img src="images/p011.png" alt="He entered a gilded chamber and saw on a bed the most beautiful sight he had ever looked upon." width="451" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>He came into a spacious outer court where the sight that met his eyes was of a kind -to freeze him with horror. A frightful silence reigned over all; the appearance of -death was everywhere, and there was nothing to be seen but the bodies of men and animals -stretched out on every side, and apparently <span class="pageNum" id="pb12">[<a href="#pb12">12</a>]</span>lifeless. He noticed, however, that the faces of the guards were ruddy, and he knew -that they were only asleep; besides, the goblets standing by them, with a few drops -of wine left in them, plainly showed that they had fallen asleep while drinking their -wine. -</p> -<p>He then crossed a court paved with marble, went up the stairs, and came into the guardroom, -where soldiers were standing. They were drawn up in ranks, with muskets on their shoulders, -and were snoring loudly. He went through several rooms full of gentlemen and ladies, -some standing and others sitting, but all asleep. He entered a gilded chamber and -saw on a bed, the curtains of which were all drawn back, the most beautiful sight -he had ever looked upon,—a Princess, who appeared to be about fifteen or sixteen years -old, and who was so dazzlingly beautiful that she seemed to belong to another world. -He approached with trembling and admiration, and fell down upon his knees before her. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb13">[<a href="#pb13">13</a>]</span></p> -<p>Then, as the end of the enchantment was come, the Princess awoke, and looking tenderly -at the young man, said: “Is it you, my Prince? You have waited a long while.” -</p> -<p>The Prince, charmed with these words, and much more with the manner in which they -were spoken, did not know how to show his joy and gratitude. He assured her that he -loved her better than himself. Then they forgot all else as they talked together of -their love. She was perhaps more prepared for it than he, for it is very probable -(though history says nothing of it) that the good fairy, during so long a sleep, had -given her pleasant dreams. They talked together for four hours, and still they had -not said half that they wished to say. -</p> -<p>In the meantime, all the palace had been awakened with the Princess. Every one thought -at once of his particular business, and as they were not in love they realized that -they were extremely hungry. The chief lady in waiting, who was as hungry as the rest, -finally became impatient and announced <span class="pageNum" id="pb14">[<a href="#pb14">14</a>]</span>to the Princess that the meal was served. The Prince took the Princess by the hand. -She was magnificently dressed, but he took care not to tell her that her costume was -like that of his great-grandmother as he had seen it in pictures. She looked not a -bit the less charming and beautiful for that. -</p> -<p>They passed into the great hall lined with mirrors, where they supped, attended by -the officers of the Princess. The violins and clarinets played old tunes, but they -were excellent, though they had not been played for a hundred years. After supper, -without losing any time, the lord almoner married them in the chapel of the castle. -</p> -<p>When they left the castle the next day to return to the home of the Prince, they were -followed by all the retinue of the Princess. They marched down the long avenue, and -the wood opened before them to let them pass through. Outside they met the Prince’s -followers, who had been waiting in great anxiety and were overjoyed to see their master -again. When they had gone a little way <span class="pageNum" id="pb15">[<a href="#pb15">15</a>]</span>they turned to look back at the castle, but behold! there was no castle to be seen, -and no wood; castle and wood had vanished, but the Prince and Princess went gayly -away, and when the old King and Queen died they reigned in their stead. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p015width"><img src="images/p015.png" alt="Behold! there was no castle to be seen." width="560" height="673"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb16">[<a href="#pb16">16</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.2" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e203">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so fond of new clothes that he spent -all his money on them. He cared nothing about his soldiers, or about the theater, -or about driving, except for the sake of showing off his new clothes. He had a coat -for every hour of the day; and just as they say of a King, “He is in the council chamber,” -here they always said, “The Emperor is in his wardrobe.” -</p> -<p>In the great city in which he lived life was very gay. Every day many strangers arrived. -One day two rogues came who gave themselves out to be weavers, and said that they -could weave the finest cloth any one could imagine. Not only were its colors and patterns -uncommonly beautiful, but the clothes which were made of this material possessed the -wonderful property of becoming invisible to any one who was not <span class="pageNum" id="pb17">[<a href="#pb17">17</a>]</span>fit for the office he held, or who was uncommonly stupid. -</p> -<p>“Those must indeed be capital clothes,” thought the Emperor. “If I wore them I could -find out which men in my kingdom are unfit for the offices they hold; I could distinguish -the wise men from the stupid. Yes, some of that cloth must be woven for me at once.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p017width"><img src="images/p017.png" alt="So he paid both the rogues a large sum of money in advance." width="551" height="256"></div><p> -</p> -<p>So he paid both the rogues a large sum of money in advance so that they might begin -their work at once. -</p> -<p>They put up two looms and went through all the motions of weaving, but they had nothing -at all on their looms. They also demanded the finest silk and the purest gold <span class="pageNum" id="pb18">[<a href="#pb18">18</a>]</span>thread,—all of which they put into their own pockets; and they went on working away -at the empty looms all day long and far into the night. -</p> -<p>“I should like to know how those weavers are getting on with the stuff,” thought the -Emperor. But he felt a little queer when he remembered that any one who was stupid -or unfit for his post would not be able to see it. He felt very sure that he had nothing -to fear for himself, but still he preferred to send some one else first to see how -the weaving was getting on. Everybody in the town knew what a wonderful power the -cloth had, and all were curious to see how bad or how stupid their neighbors were. -</p> -<p>“I will send my faithful and honored old minister to the weavers,” thought the Emperor. -“He can judge best what the stuff is like, for he is clever, and no one fulfills his -duties better than he does.” -</p> -<p>So the good old minister went to the hall where the two rogues sat working at the -empty looms. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb19">[<a href="#pb19">19</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Heaven preserve us!” thought the old minister, opening his eyes wide. “I cannot see -anything at all.” But he did not say so. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p019width"><img src="images/p019.png" alt="They pointed to the empty loom." width="557" height="391"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Both the rogues begged him to be so good as to step a little closer, and asked him -if he did not think the pattern and the colors beautiful. They pointed to the empty -loom, and the poor old minister walked forward, rubbing his eyes; but he could see -nothing, for there was nothing there. “Mercy on us!” thought he; “can I be so stupid? -I have never thought so, and nobody must know it. Can it be that I am not fit for -my <span class="pageNum" id="pb20">[<a href="#pb20">20</a>]</span>office? No, it will certainly never do to say that I cannot see the cloth.” -</p> -<p>“Have you nothing to say about it?” asked one of the weavers. -</p> -<p>“Oh, it is beautiful! quite charming!” answered the old minister, looking through -his spectacles. “What a fine pattern! and what colors! Yes, I will tell the Emperor -that it pleases me very much.” -</p> -<p>“Now we are delighted to hear you say so,” said both the weavers, and then they named -all the colors, and described the peculiar pattern. -</p> -<p>The old minister paid great attention, so that he might be able to repeat it to the -Emperor when he got back. -</p> -<p>Then the rogues wanted more money, more silk, and more gold, to use in their weaving, -but they put it all into their own pockets; not a single thread was ever put on the -loom, but they went on working at the empty looms as before. -</p> -<p>Soon the Emperor sent another worthy statesman to see how the weaving was <span class="pageNum" id="pb21">[<a href="#pb21">21</a>]</span>getting on, and how soon the cloth would be finished. It was the same with him as -with the first one: he looked and looked, but as there was nothing on the loom he -could see nothing. -</p> -<p>“Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?” asked the rogues, and they pointed to and -described the splendid material that was not there at all. -</p> -<p>“I am not stupid,” thought the man, “so it must be that I am not fit for my good office. -It is very strange, but I must not let it be noticed.” -</p> -<p>So he praised the cloth which he did not see, and expressed to them his delight in -the beautiful colors and the charming pattern. -</p> -<p>“Yes, it is perfectly beautiful,” he reported to the Emperor. -</p> -<p>Everybody in the town was talking of the magnificent cloth. The Emperor himself wished -to see it while it was still on the loom. With a great crowd of carefully selected -men, among whom were the two worthy statesmen who had been before, he <span class="pageNum" id="pb22">[<a href="#pb22">22</a>]</span>went to visit the cunning rogues, who were weaving away with might and main, but without -fiber or thread. -</p> -<p>“Is it not splendid?” said both the old statesmen. “See, Your Majesty, what a pattern! -what colors!” And they pointed to the empty loom, for they believed others could see -the cloth quite well. -</p> -<p>“What!” thought the Emperor; “I can see nothing. This is terrible! Am I stupid? Am -I not fit to be Emperor? That would be the most dreadful thing that could happen to -me. Oh, it is <i>very</i> beautiful!” he said aloud. “It has my highest approval.” And then he nodded pleasantly -as he examined the empty loom, for he would not say that he could see nothing. -</p> -<p>His whole suite gazed and gazed, and saw no more than the others; but, like the Emperor, -they all exclaimed, “Oh, it is beautiful! beautiful!” and they advised him to wear -the splendid new clothes for the first time at the great procession which was soon -to take place. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb23">[<a href="#pb23">23</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Splendid! Gorgeous! Magnificent!” went from mouth to mouth. Every one seemed delighted, -and the Emperor gave the rogues the title of “Court Weavers of the Emperor.” -</p> -<p>During the whole night before the day on which the procession was to take place, the -rogues sat up and worked by the light of sixteen candles. The people could see that -they were hard at work, finishing the Emperor’s new clothes. They pretended to take -the cloth from the loom; they cut into the air with huge scissors; they stitched with -needles with no thread; and at last they said, “Now the clothes are finished!” -</p> -<p>The Emperor came himself, with his noblest courtiers, and each rogue lifted his arm -just as if he were holding something, and said, “See! here are the trousers! here -is the coat! here is the cloak!” and so on. -</p> -<p>“It is as light as a spider’s web. One would almost think one had nothing on; but -that is the beauty of it!” -</p> -<p>“Yes!” said all the courtiers, but they could see nothing, for there was nothing there. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb24">[<a href="#pb24">24</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Will your Majesty be graciously pleased to take off your clothes,” said the rogues; -“then we will put on the new clothes here before the great mirror.” -</p> -<p>The Emperor took off his clothes, and the rogues pretended to put upon him one garment -after another. The Emperor turned round and round in front of the mirror. -</p> -<p>“How well they look! How beautifully they fit!” said everybody. “What material! and -what colors! That is a splendid costume!” -</p> -<p>“The canopy which is to be carried over your Majesty in the procession is waiting -outside,” announced the master of ceremonies. -</p> -<p>“Well, I am ready,” replied the Emperor. “Don’t the clothes look well?” and he turned -round again in front of the mirror to appear as if he were admiring his costume. -</p> -<p>The chamberlains who were to carry the train stooped and put their hands near the -floor as if they were lifting it; then they pretended to be holding something in the -air. They would not have it noticed that they could see nothing. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb25">[<a href="#pb25">25</a>]</span> -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p025width"><img src="images/p025.png" alt="They pretended to be holding something in the air." width="452" height="720"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb26">[<a href="#pb26">26</a>]</span></p> -<p>So the Emperor went along in the procession under the splendid canopy, and all the -people in the streets and at the windows said: “How beautiful the Emperor’s new clothes -are! That train is splendid! and how well they fit!” -</p> -<p>No one wanted it to be noticed that he could see nothing, for in that case he would -be unfit for his office, or else very stupid. None of the Emperor’s clothes had been -such a success as these. -</p> -<p>“But he has nothing on,” said a little child. -</p> -<p>“Just hear the innocent!” said the father; and each one whispered to his neighbor -what the child had said. -</p> -<p>“But he has nothing on,” cried out all the people at last. -</p> -<p>This struck the Emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought -to himself, “I must go through with the procession now.” -</p> -<p>So he held himself stiffer than ever, and the chamberlains held on tightly, carrying -the train which was not there at all. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb27">[<a href="#pb27">27</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.3" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e210">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THE GOLDEN GOOSE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was thought to be very -stupid and silly. Everybody used to tease and mock him. -</p> -<p>One day the eldest son wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he started, -his mother gave him a fine sweet cake and a bottle of wine to take with him. In the -forest he met a gray old man, who bade him “good day,” and said, “Give me a piece -of your cake and a sip of your wine, for I am very hungry and thirsty.” -</p> -<p>But the prudent youth replied: “If I give you my cake and wine, I shall have none -for myself. Be off with you!” -</p> -<p>And he left the little man standing there and went on his way. He began to cut down -a tree, but he had not been at work long before he made a false stroke, and the ax -cut so deeply into his arm that he had to go <span class="pageNum" id="pb28">[<a href="#pb28">28</a>]</span>home and have it bound up. This was the little gray man’s doing. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p028width"><img src="images/p028.png" alt="The little old gray man met him and asked for a piece of cake and a drink of wine." width="549" height="389"></div><p> -</p> -<p>The second son was now the one to go into the forest to cut wood, and the mother gave -him, as she had given the eldest, a sweet cake and a bottle of wine. The little old -gray man met him, too, and asked for a piece of cake and a drink of wine; but the -second son made the same sensible answer: “What I give to you I cannot have for myself. -Be off!” -</p> -<p>And he left the little man standing there and went on his way. His punishment, <span class="pageNum" id="pb29">[<a href="#pb29">29</a>]</span>however, was not long delayed; when he had made a few strokes at the tree he struck -himself in the leg, and had to be carried home. -</p> -<p>Then the stupid son said to his father, “Father, let me go and cut wood.” -</p> -<p>The father replied: “Your brothers have hurt themselves. Leave it alone. You know -nothing about it.” -</p> -<p>But he begged so long that at last the father said, “Well, go then; you will be wiser -when you have hurt yourself.” -</p> -<p>His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders, and with it a -bottle of sour beer. When he came to the forest the little old gray man met him in -the same way, greeted him, and said, “Give me a piece of your cake and a taste of -your wine; I am very hungry and thirsty.” -</p> -<p>“I have only a cake baked in ashes,” replied the simple youth, “and sour beer. If -that will suit you, we will sit down and eat together.” -</p> -<p>So they sat down; but when the youth took out his cake it was a fine sweet cake, <span class="pageNum" id="pb30">[<a href="#pb30">30</a>]</span>and the sour beer was good wine. They ate and drank, and then the little man said: -“Because you have a good heart and are willing to share what you have, I will give -you good luck. There stands an old tree. Cut it down and you will find something at -the roots.” Then the old man took leave of him. -</p> -<p>The youth went and cut down the tree, and when it fell, there sitting among the roots -was a goose, whose feathers were of pure gold. He picked it up, and, taking it with -him, went to an inn where he meant to pass the night. The landlord had three daughters, -who, as soon as they saw the goose, were very curious as to what kind of a bird it -could be, and wanted to have one of its golden feathers. -</p> -<p>The eldest thought to herself, “I’ll soon find a chance to pull out a feather”; and -as soon as the youth went out of the room she seized the goose by the wing; but her -hand stuck fast and she could not get away. -</p> -<p>Very soon the second sister came in, thinking only of how she might pluck a <span class="pageNum" id="pb31">[<a href="#pb31">31</a>]</span>feather for herself; but she had hardly touched her sister when she found herself -held fast. -</p> -<p>At last the third sister came also, with the same intention. Then the others screamed -out: “Keep away! For goodness’ sake, keep away!” -</p> -<p>But she did not understand why she should keep away. “If the others are there by the -bird, why should not I be, too?” she thought, and ran to them; but as soon as she -had touched her sister she was made fast, too. So they had to spend the night with -the goose. -</p> -<p>The next morning the youth took the goose under his arm and started off, without troubling -himself about the three girls, who were still hanging on. They were obliged to keep -on the run behind him, now to the right and now to the left, as the fancy seized him. -</p> -<p>In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the procession he -said: “For shame, you good-for-nothing girls! <span class="pageNum" id="pb32">[<a href="#pb32">32</a>]</span>What are you running across the fields after this young man for? Is that seemly?” -</p> -<p>He took the youngest by the hand to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her hand -he also stuck fast, and was obliged himself to run along behind. -</p> -<p>Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running along after -three girls. He was astonished, and called after him: “Halloo, your reverence! whither -away so quickly? Do not forget that we have a christening to-day!” and running after -him he took him by his gown, but was also held fast to it. -</p> -<p>While the five were trotting along thus, one behind the other, two laborers came by, -with their hoes, from the fields. The parson called out to them and begged them to -release him and the sexton; but they had hardly touched the sexton when they, too, -were caught fast, and now there were seven of them running behind the youth and the -goose. -</p> -<p>After a while the youth came to a city where a King ruled who had a daughter who <span class="pageNum" id="pb33">[<a href="#pb33">33</a>]</span>was so serious that no one could make her laugh. So the King had made a decree that -whoever could make her laugh should have her in marriage. When the youth heard this -he went with his goose and all his train before the Princess, and as soon as she saw -the seven people continually on the trot, one behind the other, she began to laugh -heartily, as if she could never stop. Then the youth asked to have her for his wife, -and the wedding was celebrated. After the King’s death he inherited the kingdom, and -lived long and happily with his wife. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p033width"><img src="images/p033.png" alt="He went with his goose and all his train." width="573" height="418"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb34">[<a href="#pb34">34</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.4" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e217">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a shoemaker who, through no fault of his own, had become so poor that -at last he had only leather enough for one pair of shoes. So in the evening he cut -out the shoes which he intended to begin upon the next morning, and since he had a -good conscience he lay down quietly, said his prayers, and fell asleep. -</p> -<p>In the morning he was preparing to sit down to work, when he looked, and there stood -the shoes all finished on his table. He was so astonished that he did not know what -to say. He took the shoes in his hand to examine them inside and out; and they were -so neatly made that not a stitch was out of place, showing that they were done by -a master hand. -</p> -<p>Very soon a customer came in, and because the shoes pleased him so much he paid more -<span class="pageNum" id="pb35">[<a href="#pb35">35</a>]</span>than the ordinary price for them. With this money the shoemaker was able to purchase -leather for two pairs of shoes. He cut them out in the evening, and next day was about -to go to work with fresh courage; but there was no need for him to work, for the two -pairs of shoes stood beautifully finished on his table. Presently customers came in, -who paid him so well that he was able to buy leather for four pairs of shoes. The -following morning he found the four pairs finished, and so it went on; what he cut -out in the evening was finished in the morning, so that he was soon in comfortable -circumstances again, and at last was becoming really prosperous. -</p> -<p>One evening, not long before Christmas, the shoemaker said to his wife, “What do you -think of staying up to-night to see who it is that lends us this helping hand?” -</p> -<p>The wife liked the idea; so they lighted a candle and hid themselves in a corner of -the room behind some clothes which were hanging there. At midnight came two little -naked men, who sat down at the shoemaker’s <span class="pageNum" id="pb36">[<a href="#pb36">36</a>]</span>table, took up the work which was cut out, and set to work so nimbly, stitching, sewing, -and hammering with their little fingers, that the shoemaker could not take his eyes -off them. They did not stop till everything was finished and the shoes stood ready -on the table; then they ran quickly away. -</p> -<p>The next day the wife said to her husband: “The little men have made us rich, and -we must show them how grateful we are. They must be almost frozen, running about with -nothing on. I’ll tell you what we’ll do; I will make them little shirts, and coats, -and vests, and trousers, and knit them stockings, and you shall make each of them -a little pair of shoes.” -</p> -<p>The shoemaker was pleased with this plan, and on Christmas Eve, when everything was -ready, they laid out the presents on the table instead of the usual work, and hid -themselves to see how the little men would behave. -</p> -<p>At midnight they came bounding in, and were about to set to work; but there was no -leather to be seen, only these charming little clothes. At first they were astonished, -and <span class="pageNum" id="pb37">[<a href="#pb37">37</a>]</span>then perfectly delighted. With the greatest speed they put on and smoothed down the -pretty clothes, singing, -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p037width"><img src="images/p037.png" alt="There was no leather to be seen, only these charming little clothes." width="560" height="425"></div><p> -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Now we are boys so fine to see, -</p> -<p class="line">Why should we longer cobblers be?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then they danced and skipped, and leaped over chairs and benches. At last they danced -out at the door. From this time on they came no more; but the shoemaker prospered -as long as he lived, and succeeded in all his undertakings. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb38">[<a href="#pb38">38</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.5" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e224">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THE KING OF THE CATS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Many years ago there lived in the north of Scotland, in a very lonely house, far from -all other houses, two young men who were brothers. An old woman used to do their cooking, -and there was no one else, unless we count her cat and their dogs, within miles of -them. -</p> -<p>One autumn afternoon the elder of the two said he would not go out; so the younger -one went alone to follow the path where they had been shooting the day before. He -intended to return home before sunset. However, he did not do so, and the older brother -became very uneasy as he watched and waited in vain, till long after their usual supper-time. -At last he returned, wet and exhausted, nor did he explain why he was so late. But -after supper, when the two brothers were seated before the fire, the dogs lying at -their feet and the old woman’s black cat sitting gravely, <span class="pageNum" id="pb39">[<a href="#pb39">39</a>]</span>with half-shut eyes, on the hearth, the young man began to tell his story. -</p> -<p>“You must be wondering,” said he, “what made me so late. I have had a very strange -adventure to-day; I hardly know what to say about it. I went, as I told you I should, -along our yesterday’s route. A mountain fog came on just as I was about to turn homeward, -and I completely lost my way. I wandered about for a long time, not knowing where -I was, till at last I saw a light, and made for it, hoping to get help. As I came -near it disappeared, and I found myself close to a large oak tree. I climbed into -the branches the better to look for the light, and behold! there it was right beneath -me, inside the hollow trunk of the tree. I seemed to be looking down into a church, -where a funeral was taking place. I heard singing, and saw a coffin surrounded by -torches, all carried by—But there! I know you won’t believe me if I tell you.” -</p> -<p>His brother eagerly begged him to go on. The dogs were sleeping quietly, but the cat -<span class="pageNum" id="pb40">[<a href="#pb40">40</a>]</span>was sitting up and seemed to be listening as carefully and attentively as the man. -Both brothers found themselves watching the cat as the young man took up the story. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p040width"><img src="images/p040.png" alt="The black cat started up, shrieking, “Good gracious! old Peter’s dead, and I’m King o’ the Cats!”" width="537" height="448"></div><p> -</p> -<p>“Yes,” he continued, “it is as true as I sit here. The coffin and the torches were -both carried by cats, and upon the coffin was marked a crown and scepter!” -</p> -<p>He got no further, for the black cat started up, shrieking, “Good gracious! old Peter’s -dead, and I’m King o’ the Cats!” then rushed up the chimney and was seen no more. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb41">[<a href="#pb41">41</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.6" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e231">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THE FIR TREE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Far away in the forest stood a pretty little fir tree. The warm sun shone upon it, -the fresh breezes blew about it, but the fir tree was not happy. All about it were -many tall companions, pines and firs, and the little fir tree wanted to be tall like -them. So it did not heed the warm sunlight, or the soft air which fluttered its leaves, -or even the little peasant children who passed by, prattling merrily. Sometimes the -children would bring a basketful of raspberries or strawberries, and seat themselves -near the fir tree, saying of the tree, “What a pretty little one this is!” which made -it feel more unhappy than ever. -</p> -<p>And yet, all this time, the tree grew a whole joint or ring taller every year; for -by the number of rings on the trunk of a fir tree we can tell its age. -</p> -<p>Still, as it grew, it complained, “Oh, if I were only as tall as the other trees! -then I <span class="pageNum" id="pb42">[<a href="#pb42">42</a>]</span>should spread out my branches on every side, and my crown would overlook the wide -world. The birds would build their nests in my branches, and when the wind blew, I -should bow with stately dignity like the others.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p042width"><img src="images/p042.png" alt="A hare came leaping along and jumped right over the little tree." width="556" height="448"></div><p> -</p> -<p>So discontented was the tree that it took no pleasure in the sunshine, or the birds, -or in the rosy clouds that floated over it morning and evening. -</p> -<p>Sometimes in winter, when the snow lay white and sparkling on the ground, a hare <span class="pageNum" id="pb43">[<a href="#pb43">43</a>]</span>would come leaping along and jump right over the little tree’s head; then how mortified -it felt! -</p> -<p>Two winters passed; and when the third came, the tree had grown so tall that the hare -was obliged to run round it. -</p> -<p>“Ah, to grow and grow! to become tall and old! That is the only thing in the world -worth caring for,” the fir tree sighed. -</p> -<p>In the autumn the woodcutters always came and cut down several of the tallest trees, -and the young fir, which had now grown to a very good height, shuddered as the noble -trees fell to the ground with a crash. After the branches were lopped off, the trunks -looked so slender and bare that they could scarcely be recognized. Then the trees -were placed, one upon another, on wagons, and dragged by horses out of the forest. -“Where were they going? What was going to become of them?” The young fir tree wondered -a great deal about it. -</p> -<p>So in the spring, when the swallows and the storks came, it asked them: “Do you <span class="pageNum" id="pb44">[<a href="#pb44">44</a>]</span>know where those trees were taken? Did you meet them?” -</p> -<p>The swallows knew nothing of them, but the stork, after a little reflection, nodded -his head and said: “Yes, I think I know. As I flew from Egypt I met several new ships, -and they had fine masts that smelt like fir. These must have been the trees, and I -assure you they were most stately and grand; they towered majestically.” -</p> -<p>“Oh, how I wish I were tall enough to go on the sea!” said the fir tree. “Tell me, -what is this sea, and what does it look like?” -</p> -<p>“It would take too much time to explain,—a great deal too much,” said the stork, flying -quickly away. -</p> -<p>“Rejoice in thy youth,” said the sunbeam; “rejoice in the fresh growing time, and -in the young life that is within thee!” -</p> -<p>And the wind kissed the tree, and the dew wept tears over it; but the fir tree did -not understand. -</p> -<p>Christmas time drew near, and many young trees were cut down; some that were even -<span class="pageNum" id="pb45">[<a href="#pb45">45</a>]</span>smaller and younger than the fir tree, which had no peace or rest from its longing -to leave the forest. These young trees, which were chosen for their beauty, kept their -branches, but were also laid on wagons and drawn by horses out of the forest. -</p> -<p>“Where are they going?” asked the fir tree. “They are not taller than I am; indeed, -one was not so tall. And why do they keep all their branches? Where are they going?” -</p> -<p>“We know! we know!” sang the sparrows. “We have looked in at the windows of the houses -in the town, and we know what is done with them. Oh, you cannot think what honor and -glory they receive! They are dressed up in the most splendid manner. We have looked -in and seen them standing in the middle of a warm room, adorned with all sorts of -beautiful things,—gilded apples, sweetmeats, playthings, and hundreds of candles.” -</p> -<p>“And then,” asked the fir tree, trembling in all its branches, “and then what happens?” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb46">[<a href="#pb46">46</a>]</span></p> -<p>“We did not see any more,” said the sparrows; “but, indeed, it was simply wonderful!” -</p> -<p>“I wonder whether anything so brilliant will ever happen to me,” thought the fir tree. -“That would be even better than sailing over the sea. Oh, when will Christmas be here! -I am now as tall and well grown as those which were taken away last year. O that I -were now laid on the wagon, or standing in the warm room with all that brightness -and splendor about me! Something better and more beautiful is sure to follow, or the -trees would not be so decked out. Yes, something better, something still more splendid -must follow—but what can it be? I am weary with longing. I scarcely know myself what -is the matter with me.” -</p> -<p>“Rejoice in our love,” said the air and the sunlight; “rejoice in thine own bright -life in the fresh air.” -</p> -<p>But the tree would not rejoice, though it grew taller every day; and, winter and summer, -its evergreen foliage might be seen in <span class="pageNum" id="pb47">[<a href="#pb47">47</a>]</span>the forest, and passers-by would say, “What a beautiful tree!” -</p> -<p>A short time before the next Christmas the discontented fir tree was the first to -fall. As the ax cut sharply into its trunk, deep in through the pith, the tree fell -to the ground with a groan, conscious only of pain and faintness, and forgetting all -its dreams of happiness in the sorrow of leaving its home in the forest. It knew that -it would never again see its dear old companions the trees, nor the little bushes, -nor the flowers that had grown by its side—perhaps not even the birds. -</p> -<p>Nor was the journey at all pleasant. The tree first recovered itself while it was -being unloaded, with several other trees, in the courtyard of a house; and it heard -a man say: “We want only one, and this is the prettiest. This one is beautiful!” -</p> -<p>Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir tree into a large and -beautiful room. Pictures hung on the walls, and near the large stove stood great china -<span class="pageNum" id="pb48">[<a href="#pb48">48</a>]</span>jars with lions on the lids. There were rocking-chairs, silken sofas, large tables -with picture books and toys that had cost a hundred times a hundred dollars,—at least, -so the children said. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p048width"><img src="images/p048.png" alt="Then came two servants in grand livery, and carried the fir tree into a large and beautiful room." width="562" height="292"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Then the fir tree was placed in a great tub full of sand, but no one could see that -it was a tub, for it was hung with green cloth, and it stood on a very handsome carpet. -Oh, how the tree trembled! What was going to happen to it now? Some young ladies came, -and the servants helped them to adorn the tree. -</p> -<p>On some branches they hung little bags cut out of colored paper, and each bag was -full of sweetmeats; from other branches there <span class="pageNum" id="pb49">[<a href="#pb49">49</a>]</span>hung gilded apples and walnuts, as if they had grown there; and above and all around -were hundreds of red, blue, and white candles, which were fastened upon the branches. -Dolls, exactly like real men and women, were placed under the green leaves,—the fir -tree had never seen any before,—and at the very top was fastened a glittering star, -made of gold tinsel. Oh, it was very beautiful! -</p> -<p>“This evening,” they all exclaimed, “this evening how bright it will be!” -</p> -<p>“O that evening were come,” thought the tree, “and the candles were lighted! Then -I shall know what else is going to happen. Will the trees come from the forest to -see me? Will the sparrows peep in at the windows, I wonder? Shall I grow faster here, -and keep on all these ornaments during summer and winter?” -</p> -<p>But guessing was of very little use. Its back ached with trying; and this pain is -as bad for a slender tree as headache is for us. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p050width"><img src="images/p050.png" alt="The candles were lighted, and then what a shining blaze of splendor the tree presented!" width="472" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>At last the candles were lighted, and then what a shining blaze of splendor the tree -<span class="pageNum" id="pb51">[<a href="#pb51">51</a>]</span>presented! It trembled so with joy in all its branches that one of the candles fell -on a green twig and set fire to it. “Help! help!” exclaimed the young ladies, and -they quickly extinguished the fire. -</p> -<p>After this the tree did not dare even to tremble (though the fire frightened it), -it was so anxious not to hurt any of the beautiful ornaments which so dazzled and -bewildered it by their brilliance. -</p> -<p>And now the folding doors were thrown open, and a troop of children rushed in as if -they intended to upset the tree. They were followed more slowly by the older people. -For a moment the little ones stood silent with delight, and then they shouted for -joy till the room rang; and they danced merrily round the tree, and snatched off one -present after another. -</p> -<p>“What are they doing?” thought the tree. “What will happen next?<span class="corr" id="xd31e656" title="Not in source">”</span> -</p> -<p>The candles burned down to the branches and were put out one by one. Then the children -were given permission to plunder the tree. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb52">[<a href="#pb52">52</a>]</span></p> -<p>Oh, how they rushed upon it! Its branches creaked with the strain, and if it had not -been fastened by the gold star to the ceiling, it must have been thrown down. -</p> -<p>Then the children danced about with their pretty toys, and no one paid any attention -to the tree except the old nurse, who came and peeped among the branches to see if -an apple or a fig had been forgotten. -</p> -<p>“A story! a story!” cried the children, and dragged a little stout man toward the -tree. -</p> -<p>“Now we are in the greenwood,” said the man, as he sat down beneath it, “and the tree -will have the pleasure of hearing, too. But I am going to tell only one story. What -shall it be? Henny Penny? or Humpty Dumpty, who fell downstairs, but soon got up again, -and at last married a princess?” -</p> -<p>“Henny Penny!” cried some. “Humpty Dumpty!” cried others; and there was a great uproar. -But the fir tree kept silent and thought: “What am I supposed to do now? Have I nothing -to do with all this?” <span class="pageNum" id="pb53">[<a href="#pb53">53</a>]</span>But it had already been in the entertainment, and had played out its part. -</p> -<p>Then the old man told the story of Humpty Dumpty,—how he fell downstairs, but soon -got up again, and married a princess. And the children clapped their hands and cried, -“Another! another!” for they wanted to hear the story of Henny Penny too; but this -time they got only Humpty Dumpty. The fir tree stood quiet and thoughtful. The birds -in the forest had never told anything like that,—how Humpty Dumpty fell downstairs, -and yet married a princess. -</p> -<p>“Ah, yes, that is the way it happens in the world, I suppose,” thought the fir tree. -And it believed the story because such a nice man had told it. -</p> -<p>“Well,” it thought, “who knows? Perhaps I shall fall downstairs, too, and marry a -princess”; and it looked forward eagerly to the next evening, expecting to be again -decked out with candles and toys, tinsel and fruit. “To-morrow I will not tremble,” -thought the tree; “I will enjoy to the full <span class="pageNum" id="pb54">[<a href="#pb54">54</a>]</span>all my splendor, and I shall hear the story of Humpty Dumpty again, and perhaps Henny -Penny too.” And the tree stood silent and lost in thought all night. -</p> -<p>In the morning the servants came in. “Now,” thought the tree, “all the decking me -out will begin again.” But they dragged it out of the room and upstairs to the garret, -and threw it on the floor in a dark corner where no daylight shone, and there they -left it. “What does this mean?” thought the tree. “What am I to do here? What is there -for me to hear in a place like this?” and it leaned against the wall, and thought -and thought. -</p> -<p>And it had time enough to think, for days and nights passed and no one came near it; -and when at last some one did come, it was only to put some great boxes into a corner. -So the tree was completely hidden from sight; it seemed as if it had been quite forgotten. -</p> -<p>“It is winter now out of doors,” thought the tree. “The ground is hard and covered -<span class="pageNum" id="pb55">[<a href="#pb55">55</a>]</span>with snow, so that people cannot plant me yet. That is doubtless why I am left here -under cover till the spring comes. How thoughtful and kind everybody is to me! Still, -I wish it were not so dark here, and so terribly lonely, with not even a little hare -to look at. How pleasant it was out in the forest while the snow lay on the ground, -when the hare would run by—yes, and jump over me, too; but I did not like it at all -then. Oh, it is terribly lonely here!” -</p> -<p>“Squeak, squeak!” said a little mouse, stealing out of his hole and creeping cautiously -toward the tree; then came another, and they both sniffed at the fir tree, and crept -in and out between its branches. -</p> -<p>“Oh, it is very cold!” said the little mouse. “If it were not, we should be very comfortable -here, shouldn’t we, old fir tree?” -</p> -<p>“I am not old at all,” said the fir tree. “There are many who are much older than -I am.” -</p> -<p>“Where do you come from?” asked the mice, who were full of curiosity; “and what do -you know? What is the most beautiful <span class="pageNum" id="pb56">[<a href="#pb56">56</a>]</span>place on earth that you know about? Do tell us all about it! Have you been in the -storeroom, where cheeses lie on the shelves, and hams hang from the ceiling? One can -run about on tallow candles there. Ah! that is the place where one goes in thin and -comes out fat.” -</p> -<p>“I know nothing about that,” said the fir tree; “but I know of the wood, where the -sun shines and the birds sing.” -</p> -<p>And then the tree told the little mice all about its youth. The mice had never heard -anything like that before, and they listened with all their ears, and said: “How much -you have seen! How happy you must have been!” -</p> -<p>“Happy!” exclaimed the fir tree; and then, as it thought over what it had been telling -them, it added, “Ah, yes, those were happy days.” -</p> -<p>But when it went on and told them about Christmas Eve, and how it had been adorned -with sweetmeats and candles, the mice repeated once more, “How happy, how very fortunate -you have been, you old fir tree!” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb57">[<a href="#pb57">57</a>]</span></p> -<p>“I am not old at all,” replied the tree. “I only came from the forest this winter. -I am now checked in my growth.” -</p> -<p>“What splendid stories you do know!” said the little mice. And the next night they -came with four others, to have them hear what the tree had to tell. The more it talked, -the more it remembered, and then it thought to itself: “Yes, those were happy days, -but they may come again. Humpty Dumpty fell downstairs, and yet he married the princess. -Perhaps I, too, may marry a princess.” And the tree thought of a pretty little birch -tree that grew in the forest; she was a princess, a real princess, to the fir tree. -</p> -<p>“Who is Humpty Dumpty?” asked the little mice. And then the tree told the whole story; -it could remember every single word. And the little mice were so delighted with it -that they were ready to jump with joy up to the very top of the tree. The next night -a great many more mice made their appearance, and on Sunday two rats came; but they -did not care about the story at all, and <span class="pageNum" id="pb58">[<a href="#pb58">58</a>]</span>that troubled the mice, for it made them also think less of it. -</p> -<p>“Is that the only story you know?” asked the rats. -</p> -<p>“The only one,” answered the tree. “I heard it on the happiest evening of my life; -but I did not know I was so happy at the time.” -</p> -<p>“We think it is a very poor story,” said the rats. “Don’t you know any story about -bacon or tallow candles in the storeroom?” -</p> -<p>“No,” replied the tree. -</p> -<p>“Then we are much obliged to you,” said the rats, and they went their way. -</p> -<p>The little mice also kept away after this, and the tree sighed and said, “Really, -it was very pleasant when the lively little mice sat around me and listened, while -I told them stories. Now that is all past, too. However, I shall consider myself happy -when some one comes to take me out of this place.” -</p> -<p>But would this ever happen? Yes; one morning people came to clear up the garret; the -boxes were moved aside and the tree was <span class="pageNum" id="pb59">[<a href="#pb59">59</a>]</span>pulled out of the corner and thrown roughly on the floor; then the servants dragged -it out to the stairs, where the daylight shone. -</p> -<p>“Now life is beginning again,” thought the tree, rejoicing in the sunshine and fresh -air. -</p> -<p>It was carried downstairs and out into the yard so quickly that it forgot to look -at itself, and gazed about it, for there was so much to be seen. -</p> -<p>The yard opened into a garden where everything was blooming. Fresh and sweet roses -hung over a little trellis; the linden trees were in blossom; and swallows flew here -and there, calling, “Twit, twit, twit, my mate is coming”; but it was not the fir -tree they meant. -</p> -<p>“Now I shall live,” thought the tree joyfully, stretching out its branches; but alas! -they were all withered and yellow, and it was lying in a corner among weeds and nettles. -</p> -<p>The star of gold paper still stuck in the top of the tree and glittered in the sunshine. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb60">[<a href="#pb60">60</a>]</span>In the yard two of the merry children who had danced round the tree at Christmas were -playing. One of them saw the gilded star, and ran up and tore it off. -</p> -<p>“See what is sticking to the ugly old fir tree,” he cried, and stamped on the boughs -till they crackled under his boots. -</p> -<p>And the tree saw all the fresh, bright flowers in the garden, and looked at itself, -and wished it had been left lying in the dark corner of the garret. It thought of -its fresh youth in the forest, of the merry Christmas Eve, and of the little mice -that had listened so happily to the tale of Humpty Dumpty. -</p> -<p>“Past! past!” said the poor tree. “O had I only enjoyed myself while I could! But -now it is too late,—it is all past.” -</p> -<p>Then a lad came and chopped the tree into small pieces, till a large pile lay heaped -on the ground. The pieces were placed in a fire, where they blazed up brightly, and -the tree sighed so deeply that each sigh was like a pistol shot. Then the children -who were at play came and sat in front of the fire and <span class="pageNum" id="pb61">[<a href="#pb61">61</a>]</span>looked at it, and cried, “Piff! puff! bang!” But at each “bang,” which was a deep -sigh, the tree was thinking of a summer day in the forest, or of some winter night -out there, when the stars were shining brightly, or of Christmas Eve, or of Humpty -Dumpty, the only story it had ever heard or could tell,—till at last the tree burned -away. -</p> -<p>The children played on in the garden, and the youngest wore on his breast the golden -star which the tree had worn on the happiest evening of its life. Now that was past,—all -was past; the tree’s life was past, and this story, too, is past, for all stories -must come to an end some time or other. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p061width"><img src="images/p061.png" alt="At last the tree burned away." width="601" height="341"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb62">[<a href="#pb62">62</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.7" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e238">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">PLEIADES, OR THE SEVEN STARS</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a man who had six sons. He did not give them names like other people, -but only called them according to their ages,—Eldest, Next-Eldest, Third-Eldest, Third-Youngest, -Next-Youngest, and Youngest. They had no other names. -</p> -<p>When Eldest was eighteen, and Youngest twelve, their father told them that they must -all go out into the world, and each must learn a trade. -</p> -<p>They set out together, but when they came to a place where there were six roads, all -leading different ways, they agreed to part company, and each chose a road. But they -promised one another that just two years from that day they would meet there again, -and go home together to their father. -</p> -<p>On the appointed day they met, and went home together. Their father questioned each -<span class="pageNum" id="pb63">[<a href="#pb63">63</a>]</span>of them as to what trade he had learned. Eldest said he had learned to be a shipbuilder; -he could build ships that went of themselves. Next-Eldest had been to sea; he was -a helmsman, and could steer a ship as easily on the land as on the sea. Third-Eldest -had only learned the art of listening, but now he could hear in one country what was -going on in another. Third-Youngest had learned to shoot, and he had become a crack -shot. Next-Youngest had learned to climb; he could go up and down a wall like a fly,—there -was nothing too steep for him. -</p> -<p>Now when their father had listened to what these five had to tell about what they -could do, he said that although upon the whole they had done fairly well, yet he had -expected something more of them. What they had learned to do most people could do -also. Now he must hear what Youngest could do. -</p> -<p>Youngest had always been his darling, and in him he had the greatest confidence. Youngest -was delighted that at last it was <span class="pageNum" id="pb64">[<a href="#pb64">64</a>]</span>his turn to speak, and said in the most cheerful manner that he had become a master -thief. When his father heard that, he was so angry that he gave Youngest a sound box -on the ear, saying, “Fie! for shame! You are a disgrace to me and to all your family.” -</p> -<p>Now it so happened that just at this very time the King’s fair young daughter had -been stolen away by a dwarf, and the King had promised that whoever should find her -and deliver her from the dwarfs power should have her for his wife, and half the kingdom -with her as her marriage portion. -</p> -<p>The six brothers determined to try their luck. The shipbuilder built a ship that would -go of itself. Then they all went on board, and the helmsman steered the ship over -the land and over the sea. The listener kept on listening all the time, and at last -he could hear the Princess inside a glass mountain. So they sailed up to the glass -mountain. -</p> -<p>The climber climbed immediately to the top, and looking down he saw the dwarf lying -<span class="pageNum" id="pb65">[<a href="#pb65">65</a>]</span>asleep with his ugly head on the Princess’s lap. Then he ran down again, took the -little master thief on his back, and climbed right down inside the mountain with him. -The master thief stole away the Princess without waking the dwarf, and the climber -helped them both back to the ship. They got on board and sailed away. -</p> -<p>The listener kept a strict watch on the dwarf all the time, and when they had gone -some little way he called to the others, “Now the dwarf is waking; now he is stretching -himself; now he misses the Princess; and now he is coming!” -</p> -<p>The Princess was dreadfully frightened, and said it was all over with them now, unless -they had some one on board who was a crack shot. The dwarf could fly through the air, -so that he would overtake them directly; but he was shot-proof, except in one little -black spot about the size of a pin’s head, which was just in the middle of his chest. -</p> -<p>Then came the dwarf, whirling and rushing through the air. But the marksman was <span class="pageNum" id="pb66">[<a href="#pb66">66</a>]</span>ready for him; he took aim and hit him right in the center of the little black spot. -Instantly the dwarf fell into the water dead. -</p> -<p>So the six brothers came sailing home with the Princess, and took her to her father’s -palace. They were all in love with her, and each one of them could say with truth -that <i>without him</i> she could not have been set free. The King was in a great strait. He could not tell -to which of the brothers he ought to give his daughter, and the Princess herself was -greatly troubled, for she did not know which one of them she liked best. -</p> -<p>But now it did not please the good God that there should be any quarreling amongst -them; so he made all six brothers and the Princess die on the selfsame night, and -he turned them all seven into stars, and fixed them in the sky. And now people call -them Pleiades, or the Seven Stars. And the star that shines brightest of all the seven -is the Princess, but the palest is the master thief. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb67">[<a href="#pb67">67</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.8" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e245">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">BLUEBEARD</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">Once upon a time there was a man who was very rich. He had fine houses, both in town -and in the country; in them he had a great deal of gold and silver plate; his furniture -was richly embroidered and his coaches were all gilded over. But this man had the -misfortune to have a blue beard, which made him so ugly and terrible that there was -not a woman nor a girl who did not shun and avoid him. -</p> -<p>One of his neighbors, a lady of quality, had two daughters who were perfect beauties. -He asked her for one of them in marriage, leaving to her the choice of which she would -bestow on him. They would neither of them have him, but sent him backwards and forwards -from one to the other, for neither could make up her mind to marry a man who had a -blue beard. Another thing which made them object to him was that he had been <span class="pageNum" id="pb68">[<a href="#pb68">68</a>]</span>married several times already, and nobody knew what had ever become of his wives. -</p> -<p>As Bluebeard was very anxious to become better acquainted with them, he took them, -with their mother and three or four of their best friends, and some other young people -of the neighborhood, to one of his country seats, where they spent a week. The whole -time was given up to pleasure parties,—to excursions, to hunting and fishing, to dancing, -banqueting, and feasting. No one even thought of going to bed, but the nights were -passed in merrymaking of all kinds. In short, all went off so well that the younger -daughter began to think that the beard of the master of the house was not so very -blue, after all, and that he was a very civil gentleman. So as soon as they returned -home the marriage was concluded. -</p> -<p>About a month afterward Bluebeard told his wife that he was obliged to take a journey -into the country, for six weeks at least, upon business of importance. He desired -her to amuse herself and have a good time in his <span class="pageNum" id="pb69">[<a href="#pb69">69</a>]</span>absence, to send for her friends, to take them into the country if she wished, and -to live bountifully wherever she was. -</p> -<p>“Here,” he said, “are the keys of the two great storerooms for furniture; these smaller -ones are for the chests which contain my silver and gold plate which is not in everyday -use; these open my strong boxes which hold my money, both gold and silver; these, -my caskets of jewels; and this is the master key to all the rooms. But this little -one here is the key of the closet at the end of the great gallery on the ground floor. -Open them all; go everywhere else; but into this little closet I forbid you to enter, -and I forbid you so strictly that if you do open it, there is nothing you may not -expect from my anger.” -</p> -<p>She promised to obey all his orders exactly; and Bluebeard, after having embraced -her, got into his coach and set out on his journey. -</p> -<p>The neighbors and friends of the young wife did not wait to be sent for, so eager -were they to see all the riches of her house; for they had not dared to come while -her <span class="pageNum" id="pb70">[<a href="#pb70">70</a>]</span>husband was there because of his blue beard, which frightened them. As soon as they -were inside the house they ran about from room to room, and even through all the closets -and wardrobes, saying that each one seemed finer and richer than the last. They went -up into the storerooms, where they could not say enough in admiration of the number -and beauty of the tapestry, beds, couches, cabinets, stands, tables, and looking-glasses -in which you might see yourself from head to foot. -</p> -<p>Some of these mirrors were framed with glass, others with silver, plain and gilded; -they were the most beautiful and most magnificent ever seen. -</p> -<p>The visitors never stopped admiring and envying the happiness of their friend, who -meanwhile was not at all entertained in looking at all these rich things because of -her impatience to go and open the closet on the ground floor. She was so beside herself -with curiosity that, without once thinking that it was rude to leave her guests, she -<span class="pageNum" id="pb71">[<a href="#pb71">71</a>]</span>slipped away down a little back staircase with such excessive haste that two or three -times she came near falling and breaking her neck. When she reached the closet door -she stood still for some moments, thinking of her husband’s orders and considering -how unhappiness might come upon her if she were disobedient; but the temptation was -so strong that she could not overcome it. She took the little key and, trembling, -opened the door. -</p> -<p>At first she could not see anything because the windows were shut. After some moments -she began to see that there was blood on the floor, and that the bodies of several -dead women were lying there. (These were the wives whom Bluebeard had married and -murdered one after another.) She thought she would surely die of fear, and the key, -which she had pulled out of the lock, fell from her hand. -</p> -<p>When she had recovered a little from the shock she picked up the key, locked the door, -and went upstairs into her chamber to <span class="pageNum" id="pb72">[<a href="#pb72">72</a>]</span>compose herself; but she could not do it, for she was too much upset by her fright. -</p> -<p>As she noticed that the key of the closet was stained with blood, she tried two or -three times to wipe it off, but the stain remained. It did no good to wash it, or -even to rub it with soap and sand. The stain was still there, for the key was a magic -key, and she could never make it quite clean; when the stain was gone from one side, -it came on the other. -</p> -<p>Bluebeard returned from his journey that same evening, and said that he had received -letters upon the road, which told him that the business on which he was called away -had been settled to his advantage. His wife did all she could to convince him that -she was overjoyed at his speedy return. -</p> -<p>Next morning he asked her for the keys. She gave them to him, but with such a trembling -hand that he easily guessed what had happened. -</p> -<p>“How is it,” said he, “that the key of my closet is not here with the rest?” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb73">[<a href="#pb73">73</a>]</span></p> -<p>“I must,” she said, “have left it upstairs on my table.” -</p> -<p>“Do not fail,” said Bluebeard, “to bring it to me presently.” -</p> -<p>After putting it off several times she was forced to bring him the key. Bluebeard -examined it closely, and then said to his wife, “How comes this stain upon the key?” -</p> -<p>“I do not know,” cried the poor woman, turning paler than death. -</p> -<p>“You do not know!” replied Bluebeard. “Well, I know very well. You wanted to go into -the closet, did you? Very well, madam; you shall go in and take your place among the -ladies you saw there.” -</p> -<p>She threw herself weeping at her husband’s feet, and begged his pardon with all the -signs of true repentance for her disobedience. She would have melted a stone, so beautiful -and sorrowful was she; but Bluebeard had a heart harder than any stone. -</p> -<p>“You must die, madam,” said he, “and that at once.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p074width"><img src="images/p074.png" alt="“You must die, madam,” said he, “and that at once.”" width="443" height="720"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb75">[<a href="#pb75">75</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Since I must die,” she answered, looking up at him through her tears, “give me a -little time to say my prayers.” -</p> -<p>“I give you,” replied Bluebeard, “half a quarter of an hour, but not one moment more.” -</p> -<p>When she was alone she called her sister, and said: “Sister Anne,”—for that was her -name,—“go up, I beg you, to the top of the tower, and see if my brothers are not coming. -They promised me they would come to-day; and if you see them, give them a sign to -make haste.” -</p> -<p>Her sister Anne went up to the top of the tower, and the poor wife cried out from -time to time, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see no one coming?” -</p> -<p>And sister Anne said, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, -which looks green.” -</p> -<p>In the meantime Bluebeard, holding a great cutlass in his hand, cried out to his wife -as loud as he could, “Come down quickly, or I shall come up to you.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb76">[<a href="#pb76">76</a>]</span></p> -<p>“One moment longer, if you please,” said his wife; and she cried out very softly, -“Anne, sister Anne, do you see no one coming?” -</p> -<p>And sister Anne answered, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the -grass, which looks green.<span class="corr" id="xd31e828" title="Source: ’">”</span> -</p> -<p>“Come down at once,” cried Bluebeard, “or I shall come up to you.” -</p> -<p>“I am coming,” answered his wife; and she cried, “Anne, sister Anne, do you see no -one coming?” -</p> -<p>“I see,” replied sister Anne, “a great dust, that comes from this side.” -</p> -<p>“Is it my brothers?” -</p> -<p>“Alas, no, my sister! I see a flock of sheep.” -</p> -<p>“Will you not come down?” cried Bluebeard. -</p> -<p>“One moment longer,” said his wife; and then she cried out, “Anne, sister Anne, do -you see no one coming?” -</p> -<p>“I see,” she said, “two horsemen coming, but they are yet a great way off.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb77">[<a href="#pb77">77</a>]</span></p> -<p>“God be praised,” replied the poor wife joyfully; “they are my brothers. I will make -them a sign, as well as I can, for them to make haste.” -</p> -<p>Then Bluebeard bawled out so loud that he made the whole house tremble. The poor wife -came down and threw herself at his feet, all in tears, with her hair about her shoulders. -</p> -<p>“All this does not help you,” said Bluebeard; “you must die.” Then, taking hold of -her hair with one hand, and raising his cutlass with the other, he was going to strike -off her head. The poor lady, turning toward him and looking at him with dying eyes, -begged him to give her one little moment to collect her thoughts. -</p> -<p>“No, no,” said he, “commend thyself to God,” and again lifting his arm.… -</p> -<p>At this moment there was such a loud knocking at the gate that Bluebeard stopped suddenly. -The gate was opened and presently two horsemen entered, who with their swords in their -hands ran straight to Bluebeard. He saw they were his wife’s brothers, <span class="pageNum" id="pb78">[<a href="#pb78">78</a>]</span>one a dragoon, the other a musketeer. He fled immediately to save himself, but the -two brothers pursued so closely that they overtook him before he could gain the steps -of the porch. There they ran their swords through his body, and left him dead. The -poor wife was so overcome that she had not strength to rise and welcome her brothers. -</p> -<p>Bluebeard had no heirs, and so his wife became mistress of all his estate. She made -use of one portion of it to marry her sister Anne to a young gentleman who had loved -her for a long while; another portion to buy captains’ commissions for her brothers; -and the rest to marry herself to a very worthy gentleman who made her forget the distressing -time she had passed with Bluebeard. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb79">[<a href="#pb79">79</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.9" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e252">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">THUMBELINA</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a woman who wished so very much to have a little child that she went -to a fairy and said: “I should so very much like to have a little child. Can you tell -me where I can get one?” -</p> -<p>“Oh, that can be easily managed,” said the fairy. “Here is a barleycorn; it is not -of the same kind as those which grow in the farmers’ fields, and which the chickens -eat. Put it in a flowerpot, and see what will happen.” -</p> -<p>“Thank you, thank you,” said the woman; and she gave the fairy twelve shillings, which -was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home, and immediately there grew up -a large, handsome flower, which looked like a tulip, except that its leaves were tightly -closed as if it were still a bud. -</p> -<p>“What a beautiful flower!” exclaimed the woman, and she kissed the red and yellow -<span class="pageNum" id="pb80">[<a href="#pb80">80</a>]</span>leaves; and as she kissed them the flower opened. It was a real tulip, but within -the flower, upon the green velvety stamens, sat a very delicate and graceful tiny -maiden. She was scarcely half as long as a thumb, so they called her Thumbelina. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure floatLeft p080width"><img src="images/p080.png" alt="Within the flower sat a very delicate and graceful tiny maiden." width="357" height="454"></div><p> -</p> -<p>A walnut shell, elegantly polished, served her for a cradle, blue violet petals were -her mattress, and a rose leaf her counterpane. -</p> -<p>Here she slept at night, but in the daytime she played upon the table, where the woman -had put a bowl full of water. Round this bowl was a wreath of flowers with their stems -in the water, and upon it floated a large tulip leaf, which served the little one -for a boat. Here she sat and rowed herself from side to <span class="pageNum" id="pb81">[<a href="#pb81">81</a>]</span>side with two white horsehairs for oars. It was a very pretty sight. Thumbelina could -sing, too, so sweetly and softly that nothing like it had ever before been heard. -</p> -<p>One night while she lay in her pretty bed, a large, ugly, wet toad crept through a -broken pane of glass in the window, and hopped down on the table where Thumbelina -lay sleeping under the rose-leaf quilt. -</p> -<p>“What a pretty little wife this would make for my son,” said the toad; and she took -up the walnut shell in which Thumbelina lay asleep, and jumped through the window -with it into the garden. -</p> -<p>On the marshy bank of a broad stream in the garden lived the toad with her son. He -was as ugly as his mother; and when he saw the lovely little maiden in the walnut -shell, all he could say was, “Croak, croak, croak!” -</p> -<p>“Don’t speak so loud, or you will wake her,” said the old toad; “and then she might -run away, for she is light as swan’s-down. We will take her out in the stream and -put her on one of the water-lily leaves; it will <span class="pageNum" id="pb82">[<a href="#pb82">82</a>]</span>be like an island to her, she is so light and small Then she can’t run away from us -while we are preparing the apartments under the marsh, in which you are to live when -you are married.” -</p> -<p>Far out in the stream grew a number of water lilies, with broad green leaves which -looked as if they were floating on the top of the water. The leaf that was farthest -away was also the largest, and to this the old toad swam with the walnut shell in -which Thumbelina lay still asleep. The tiny maiden woke very early in the morning, -and began to cry bitterly when she saw where she was, for she could see nothing but -water on every side of the large green leaf, and there was no way of reaching land. -</p> -<p>Meanwhile the old toad was very busy down under the marsh, decking her room with rushes -and yellow wild flowers to make it look pretty for her new daughter-in-law. Then she -swam out with her ugly son to the leaf on which she had placed Thumbelina. She wanted -to get the pretty bed that <span class="pageNum" id="pb83">[<a href="#pb83">83</a>]</span>she might put it in the bridal chamber before Thumbelina herself came there. The old -toad bowed low in the water and said, “Here is my son; he will be your husband, and -you will live happily together in the marsh by the stream.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p083width"><img src="images/p083.png" alt="She could see nothing but water on every side of the large green leaf." width="541" height="425"></div><p> -</p> -<p>“Croak, croak, croak!” was all the son could say for himself. -</p> -<p>Then the toad took up the delicate little bed and swam away with it, leaving Thumbelina -all alone on the green leaf, where she sat and wept. She could not bear to think <span class="pageNum" id="pb84">[<a href="#pb84">84</a>]</span>of living with the old toad and having her ugly son for a husband. -</p> -<p>The little fishes who swam about in the water beneath had seen the toad and heard -what she said; so now they lifted their heads above the water to look at the little -maiden. As soon as they caught sight of her and saw how very pretty she was, they -felt sorry that she must go to live with the ugly toads. -</p> -<p>“No, that must never be!” they said to one another. So they crowded together in the -water round the green stalk which held the leaf on which the little maiden stood, -and gnawed it away at the root with their teeth. The leaf floated down the stream, -carrying Thumbelina far away out of the reach of the toad. -</p> -<p>Thumbelina sailed past many towns, and the little birds in the bushes saw her and -sang, “What a lovely little creature!” So the leaf floated farther and farther away -with her till it brought her to other lands. -</p> -<p>A pretty little white butterfly fluttered round her for a long time and at last <span class="pageNum" id="pb85">[<a href="#pb85">85</a>]</span>alighted on the leaf. The maiden pleased him, and she was glad she did, for she was -lonely. Taking off her girdle she tied one end of it round the butterfly, fastening -the other end to the leaf, which was now gliding on much faster than before. -</p> -<p>Presently a large cockchafer flew by. The moment he caught sight of Thumbelina he -seized her round her slender waist with his claws and flew with her to a tree. The -green leaf floated away down the stream, and the butterfly with it, for he was fastened -to the leaf and could not get away. -</p> -<p>Oh, how frightened Thumbelina was when the cockchafer flew with her to the tree! But -especially was she distressed for the beautiful white butterfly which she had fastened -to the leaf, for if he could not free himself he would die of hunger. But the cockchafer -did not trouble himself at all about that; he seated himself beside her on a large -green leaf, gave her some honey from the flowers to eat, and told her she was very -pretty, though not in the least like a cockchafer. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb86">[<a href="#pb86">86</a>]</span></p> -<p>Before long all the cockchafers who lived in the tree came to pay Thumbelina a visit. -They stared at her, and then the young lady cockchafers turned up their feelers and -said, “Why, she has only two legs! How very ugly!” -</p> -<p>“She has no feelers,” said one. -</p> -<p>“Her waist is quite slim. Pooh! she is like a human being,” said another. -</p> -<p>“How ugly she is!” said all the lady cockchafers. -</p> -<p>Then the cockchafer who had run away with her began to wonder why he had thought her -so pretty, and to believe that she was as ugly as the others said. He would have nothing -more to say to her, but told her she might go where she liked. Then he flew down with -her from the tree and placed her on a daisy. There she sat and wept at the thought -that she was so ugly that the cockchafers would have nothing to do with her. And all -the while she was really the loveliest little being that one could imagine, and as -tender and delicate as a beautiful rose leaf. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb87">[<a href="#pb87">87</a>]</span></p> -<p>During the whole summer poor little Thumbelina lived quite alone in the wide forest. -She wove herself a bed with blades of grass, and hung it under a broad leaf to protect -herself from the rain. She sucked honey from the flowers for food, and drank the dew -from the leaves every morning. -</p> -<p>So passed away the summer and the autumn, and then came the winter,—the long cold -winter. All the birds who had sung to her so sweetly had flown away, and the trees -and flowers had withered. The large shamrock under the shelter of which she had lived -shriveled up, leaving nothing but a yellow, withered stalk. She was dreadfully cold, -for her clothes were thin and torn, and she was herself so frail and delicate that -she nearly froze to death. It began to snow, too, and the snowflakes as they fell -upon her were like a whole shovelful falling upon one of us, for we are tall, but -she was only an inch high. She wrapped herself in a dry leaf, but it cracked in the -middle and gave her no warmth, and she shivered with cold. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb88">[<a href="#pb88">88</a>]</span> -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p088width"><img src="images/p088.png" alt="All at once she came to the door of a field mouse." width="526" height="346"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Close to the wood in which she was living was a large cornfield, but the corn had -been cut a long time; nothing remained but the bare, dry stubble, standing up out -of the frozen ground. It was to her like wandering about in a large wood. Oh, how -she shivered with cold! All at once she came to the door of a field mouse who had -a little den under the corn stubble. There lived the field mouse in warmth and comfort, -with a storeroom full of corn and a splendid kitchen and dining room. Poor Thumbelina -stood before the door just like a little beggar girl, and asked for a little piece -of barleycorn, <span class="pageNum" id="pb89">[<a href="#pb89">89</a>]</span>for she had been without a morsel to eat for two days. -</p> -<p>“You poor little creature,” said the field mouse, for she was a good, kind-hearted -old mouse; “come into my warm room and dine with me.” -</p> -<p>Then she was pleased with Thumbelina; so she said, “You are quite welcome to stay -with me all winter if you like; but you must keep my room clean and neat, and tell -me stories, for I like very much to hear them.” -</p> -<p>And Thumbelina did all that the field mouse asked her, and found herself very comfortable. -</p> -<p>“To-night I expect a visitor,” said the field mouse one day. “My neighbor pays me -a visit once a week. He is better off than I am; he has large rooms, and wears a beautiful -black velvet coat. If you could only have him for a husband, you would be well provided -for indeed. But he is blind. You must tell him some of your prettiest stories.” -</p> -<p>Thumbelina had no interest in this neighbor, for he was a mole. However, he came <span class="pageNum" id="pb90">[<a href="#pb90">90</a>]</span>and paid them a visit, dressed in his black velvet coat. -</p> -<p>“He is very rich and learned,” the field mouse told her, “and his house is twenty -times as large as mine.” -</p> -<p>He was rich and learned, no doubt, but he always spoke slightingly of the sun and -the pretty flowers because he had never seen them. Thumbelina had to sing to him, -“Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home,” and many other pretty songs. And the mole fell -in love with her because she had so sweet a voice; but he said nothing yet, for he -was very prudent and cautious. A short time before, the mole had dug a long passage -under the earth, which led from his house to that of the field mouse, and here he -gave the field mouse and Thumbelina permission to walk whenever they liked. But he -warned them not to be alarmed at the sight of a dead bird that lay in the passage. -It was a perfect bird with a beak and feathers and could not have been dead long. -It was lying just where the mole had made his passage. <span class="pageNum" id="pb91">[<a href="#pb91">91</a>]</span>The mole took in his mouth a piece of decaying wood, for that will often glow in the -dark like fire, and went before them, lighting them through the long, dark passage. -When they came to the spot where the dead bird lay, the mole pushed his broad nose -through the ceiling, so that the earth gave way and daylight shone into the passage. -</p> -<p>In the middle of the path lay a swallow, his pretty wings pressed close to his sides, -his feet and head drawn up under his feathers; the poor bird had evidently died of -cold. It made little Thumbelina very sad to see it, for she did so love the birds; -all through the summer they had sung and twittered for her so beautifully. But the -mole pushed it aside with his crooked legs and said: “Now he can’t sing any more! -How miserable it must be to be born a little bird! I am thankful that none of my children -will ever be birds, for they can do nothing but cry ‘Tweet, tweet,’ and must always -die of hunger in the winter.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb92">[<a href="#pb92">92</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Yes, you speak like a sensible man!” exclaimed the field mouse. “What is the use -of his twittering if when winter comes he must either starve or be frozen to death? -That may be high-bred, but it is certainly not pleasant.” -</p> -<p>Thumbelina said nothing, but when the two others had turned their backs on the bird -she stooped down and stroked aside the soft feathers which covered the head, and kissed -the closed eyelids. -</p> -<p>“Perhaps it was he who sang to me so sweetly in the summer,” she said. “How much pleasure -it gave me, you dear, pretty bird!” -</p> -<p>The mole stopped up the hole through which the daylight shone and escorted the ladies -home. But Thumbelina could not sleep that night for thinking of the cold bird; so -she got out of bed and wove a large, beautiful blanket of hay. She carried it out -and spread it over the dead bird, and piled upon it thistledown which she had found -in the field mouse’s room, so that he might lie warmly in the cold earth. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb93">[<a href="#pb93">93</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Farewell, pretty bird!” she said; “farewell, and thank you for your beautiful songs -in the summer, when all the trees were green and the sun shone down warmly upon us.” -</p> -<p>Then she laid her head on the bird’s breast, but she was startled, for it seemed as -if something inside the bird went “thump, thump.” It was the bird’s heart; for he -was not really dead, only benumbed with the cold, and the warmth had restored him -to life. In autumn all the swallows fly away to warmer countries; but if one happens -to linger it becomes so stiff with cold that it drops down as if it were dead, and -then the snow comes and covers it. -</p> -<p>Thumbelina trembled very much; she was quite frightened, for the bird was large, a -great deal larger than herself,—she was only an inch high. But she took courage, piled -up the down more thickly over the poor swallow, and then took a leaf she had used -for her own counterpane and laid it over his head. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb94">[<a href="#pb94">94</a>]</span></p> -<p>The next night she stole out again to see him. He was alive but very weak; he could -only open his eyes for a moment to look at Thumbelina, who stood by him with the piece -of decayed wood in her hand, for she had no other lantern. -</p> -<p>“Thank you, pretty little maiden,” said the sick swallow; “I have been so beautifully -warmed that soon I shall regain my strength and be able to fly about again in the -warm sunshine.” -</p> -<p>“Oh, no!” said she; “it is very cold out of doors now; it snows and freezes. Stay -in your warm bed; I will take care of you.” -</p> -<p>She brought the swallow water in a flower leaf; and after he had drunk, he told her -that he had torn one of his wings on a thorn bush and could not fly as fast as the -others, who had flown far away to warm countries. At last he had fallen to the ground -and could remember nothing more, nor how he came to be where she had found him. -</p> -<p>All winter the swallow remained underground, and Thumbelina nursed and cared <span class="pageNum" id="pb95">[<a href="#pb95">95</a>]</span>for him tenderly. Neither the mole nor the field mouse knew anything about it, for -they could not bear swallows. -</p> -<p>Very soon the springtime came, and the sun warmed the earth. Then the swallow bade -farewell to Thumbelina and opened the hole in the roof which the mole had made. The -sun shone in upon them so beautifully that the swallow asked her if she would go with -him. She could sit on his back, he said, and he would fly away with her into the green -woods. But she knew it would grieve the field mouse if she left her in that manner, -so she said, “No, I cannot.” -</p> -<p>“Farewell then, farewell, you good, pretty little maiden,” said the swallow; and he -flew out into the sunshine. -</p> -<p>Thumbelina looked after him, and the tears rose in her eyes. She was very fond of -the swallow. -</p> -<p>“Tweet, tweet,” sang the bird as he flew out into the green woods, and Thumbelina -felt very sad. She was not allowed to go out into the warm sunshine. The corn <span class="pageNum" id="pb96">[<a href="#pb96">96</a>]</span>which had been sown in the field over the house of the field mouse had grown up high -in the air, and made a thick forest for Thumbelina, who was only an inch high. -</p> -<p>“You are going to be married, little one,” said the field mouse. “My neighbor has -asked for you. What good fortune for a poor child like you! Now we will set to work -at your wedding clothes. You must have woolen and linen. Nothing must be wanting if -you are to become the wife of the mole.” -</p> -<p>Thumbelina had to turn the spindle, and the field mouse hired four spiders to weave -for her day and night. Every evening the mole visited her and talked of the time when -the summer would be over. Then he would set the wedding day for Thumbelina; but now -the heat of the sun was so great that it burned the earth and made it hard like stone. -Yes, as soon as the summer was over the wedding should take place. But Thumbelina -was not at all pleased, for she did not like the tiresome mole. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb97">[<a href="#pb97">97</a>]</span></p> -<p>Every morning when the sun rose, and every evening when it went down, she would steal -out of the door, and when the wind blew the ears of corn aside so that she could see -the blue sky, she thought how beautiful and bright it seemed out there and wished -so much to see her dear swallow again. But he never came; for by this time he had -flown far away into the lovely green forest. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p097width"><img src="images/p097.png" alt="Every evening the mole visited her and talked of the time when the summer would be over." width="510" height="501"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb98">[<a href="#pb98">98</a>]</span></p> -<p>When autumn came Thumbelina had her outfit all ready, and the field mouse said to -her, “In four weeks the wedding must take place.” -</p> -<p>But Thumbelina wept and said she would not marry the disagreeable mole. -</p> -<p>“Nonsense,” replied the field mouse. “Now don’t be obstinate or I shall bite you with -my white teeth. He is a very fine mole; the Queen herself has not such a beautiful -velvet coat His kitchens and cellars are quite full. You ought to be very thankful -for such good fortune.” -</p> -<p>So the wedding day came, on which the mole was to take her away to live with him, -deep under the earth, and never again to come out into the warm sunshine, because -he did not like it. The poor child was very unhappy at the thought of saying farewell -to the beautiful sun; she went to the door to look at it once more. -</p> -<p>“Farewell, bright sun,” she cried, stretching out her arms towards it; and then she -walked a short distance from the house, for <span class="pageNum" id="pb99">[<a href="#pb99">99</a>]</span>the corn had been cut and only the dry stubble remained in the fields. -</p> -<p>“Farewell, farewell,” she repeated, and threw her arms round a little red flower that -grew just by her side. “Greet the little swallow for me if you should see him again.” -</p> -<p>“Tweet, tweet,” sounded over her head suddenly. She looked up and there was the swallow -flying close by. He was delighted to see Thumbelina. She told him how unwilling she -was to marry the ugly mole and to live always deep under the earth where the sun never -shone. And as she told him she wept. -</p> -<p>“The cold winter is coming,” said the swallow, “and I am going to fly away into warmer -countries. Will you go with me? You can sit on my back and fasten yourself on with -your sash. Then we can fly away from the ugly mole and his dark rooms,—far away over -the mountains into warmer countries, where the sun shines more brightly than here, -where it is always summer, and there are beautiful flowers. Do come with <span class="pageNum" id="pb100">[<a href="#pb100">100</a>]</span>me, dear little Thumbelina; you saved my life when I lay frozen in that dark, dreary -passage.” -</p> -<p>“Yes, I will go with you,” said Thumbelina, and she seated herself on the bird’s back -with her feet on his outstretched wings, and bound her sash to one of his strongest -feathers. -</p> -<p>Up he flew into the air and far away, over forest and over sea, high above the highest -mountains where the snow never melts. Thumbelina would have frozen in the cold air -had she not crept under the bird’s warm feathers, keeping only her little head out -so that she might admire the beautiful things in the world beneath. At length they -reached the warm countries, where the sun shines brightly and the sky seems so much -higher above the earth. Here on hedges grew the finest green, purple, and white grapes; -lemons and oranges hung from the trees in the woods; and the air was fragrant with -myrtles and orange blossoms. Beautiful children ran along the roads playing <span class="pageNum" id="pb101">[<a href="#pb101">101</a>]</span>with gay butterflies. And as the swallow flew farther and farther south, everything -became more and more beautiful. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p101width"><img src="images/p101.png" alt="She seated herself on the bird’s back with her feet on his outstretched wings." width="547" height="374"></div><p> -</p> -<p>At last they came to a blue lake, and by the side of it, shaded by magnificent trees, -stood a palace of dazzling white marble, built in olden times. Vines clustered round -its lofty pillars, and at the top were many swallows’ nests, and one of these was -the home of the swallow who carried Thumbelina. -</p> -<p>“That is my house,” said the swallow, “but it would not do for you to live there; -you would not be comfortable. Choose for <span class="pageNum" id="pb102">[<a href="#pb102">102</a>]</span>yourself one of those lovely flowers and I will put you down on it, and then you shall -have everything you wish to make you happy.” -</p> -<p>“That will be delightful,” she said, and clapped her little hands for joy. -</p> -<p>On the ground lay a large marble pillar, which in falling had broken into three pieces. -Between these fragments grew the most beautiful great white flowers. So the swallow -flew down with Thumbelina and set her on one of the broad leaves. But how surprised -he was to see, sitting in the middle of the flower, a tiny little man, as white and -transparent as if he had been made of crystal! He had the prettiest gold crown on -his head, and delicate wings at his shoulders, and was no bigger than Thumbelina. -He was the fairy of the flower; for in every flower dwelt a tiny man or woman, and -this was the King over them all. -</p> -<p>“Oh, how beautiful he is!” whispered Thumbelina to the swallow. -</p> -<p>The little Prince was very much frightened at the swallow, who was like a giant <span class="pageNum" id="pb103">[<a href="#pb103">103</a>]</span>compared to such a tiny little being as he; but when he saw Thumbelina he was delighted, -for he thought her the prettiest little maiden he had ever seen. He took the gold -crown from his head and placed it on hers, and asked her name, and if she would be -his wife and Queen over all the flowers. -</p> -<p>This was certainly a very different kind of husband from the son of the toad or the -mole with his black velvet coat; so she said Yes to the handsome Prince. Then out -of each flower came a little lady or a tiny lord, all so pretty that it was a pleasure -to look at them. Each brought Thumbelina a present; but the best gift of all was a -pair of beautiful white wings, which were fastened to her shoulders, and now she, -too, could fly from flower to flower. -</p> -<p>Then there was much rejoicing, and the swallow sat in his nest above and sang the -wedding song as well as he could; but in his heart he felt sad, for he was very fond -of Thumbelina and would have liked never to part with her. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb104">[<a href="#pb104">104</a>]</span></p> -<p>“You must not be called Thumbelina any more,” said the Prince to her; “for that is -an ugly name, and you are so very lovely. We will call you Maia.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p104width"><img src="images/p104.png" alt="The swallow sat in his nest above and sang the wedding song as well as he could." width="558" height="474"></div><p> -</p> -<p>“Farewell, farewell,” sang the swallow with a heavy heart as he left the warm countries -to fly back again to Denmark. There he had a nest over the window of a man who wrote -fairy tales. The swallow sang his “Tweet, tweet,” and from his song we have the whole -story. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb105">[<a href="#pb105">105</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.10" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e259">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">CLEVER ALICE</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a man who had a daughter called Clever Alice. When she was grown up -her father said, “We must get her married.” -</p> -<p>“Yes,” said her mother; “if only some one would come who would have her.” -</p> -<p>At last a young man named Hans came from a distance and wooed her; but he made one -condition,—that Clever Alice should be as clever as she was said to be. -</p> -<p>“Oh,” said her father, “she’s sharp enough.” -</p> -<p>“Yes, indeed!” said her mother; “she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear -the flies coughing.” -</p> -<p>“Very well,” replied Hans; “but if she is not really clever, I won’t have her.” -</p> -<p>When they were all sitting together at dinner the mother said, “Alice, go down into -the cellar and draw some beer.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb106">[<a href="#pb106">106</a>]</span> -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p106width"><img src="images/p106.png" alt="Then she held the jug in her hand and turned the tap." width="448" height="720"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb107">[<a href="#pb107">107</a>]</span></p> -<p>So Clever Alice took the jug from the nail on the wall, and went into the cellar, -tapping the lid up and down as she went to pass away the time. When she reached the -cellar she fetched a chair and put it in front of the cask so that she need not stoop -and hurt her back. Then she held the jug in her hand and turned the tap. While the -beer was running, as she did not wish to be idle, she let her eyes wander all over -the wall, looking first this way and then that. All at once she saw just above her -head a pickax, which the masons had accidentally left there. -</p> -<p>Then Clever Alice began to cry, saying, “If I marry Hans, and we have a child, and -he grows up, and we send him into the cellar here to draw beer, then the pickax will -fall on his head and kill him.” -</p> -<p>So she sat and wept and cried with all her might over the misfortune which lay before -her. -</p> -<p>The people upstairs waited for the beer, but still Clever Alice did not come. At last -her mother said to the maid, “Go down into <span class="pageNum" id="pb108">[<a href="#pb108">108</a>]</span>the cellar and see why Clever Alice is staying so long.” -</p> -<p>The maid went and found her sitting before the cask, crying bitterly. -</p> -<p>“Alice, what are you crying about?” she asked. -</p> -<p>“Alas!” she answered, “have I not reason to weep? If I marry Hans, and we have a child, -and he grows up and has to draw beer here, perhaps that pickax will fall on his head -and kill him.” -</p> -<p>Then the maid said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and she, too, sat down by Alice -and began to weep over this misfortune. -</p> -<p>After a while, as the maid did not come back and the people upstairs were getting -very thirsty, the husband said to the boy, “Go down cellar and see what has become -of Alice and the maid.” -</p> -<p>The boy went down, and there sat Alice and the maid weeping together. So he said, -“What are you crying for?” -</p> -<p>“Alas!” said Alice, “have I not reason to cry? If I marry Hans, and we have a child, -<span class="pageNum" id="pb109">[<a href="#pb109">109</a>]</span>and he grows up and has to draw beer here, that pickax will fall on his head and kill -him.” -</p> -<p>Then the boy said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and he sat down by Alice and began -to howl lustily. -</p> -<p>Upstairs they waited for the boy, but when he did not come the husband said, “Do go -down cellar, wife, and see why Alice does not come back.” -</p> -<p>The wife went downstairs and found the three in the midst of their lamentations. She -asked the reason, and Alice told her, also, how her future child, when it grew up -and was sent to draw beer, would be killed by the pickax which would fall down. Then -the mother likewise exclaimed, “What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept -with them. -</p> -<p>The husband upstairs waited a short time, but at last, as his wife did not return -and his thirst grew greater, he said, “I must go down into the cellar myself and see -what has become of Alice.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb110">[<a href="#pb110">110</a>]</span></p> -<p>But when he entered the cellar and found them all sitting there together crying, and -heard the reason, how Alice’s child was the cause of it all, because she might possibly -have a child, who might be killed by the pickax, if he should happen to be sitting -beneath it drawing beer just at the moment when the pickax fell down, then he, too, -said, “What a clever Alice we have!” and sat down and wept with them. -</p> -<p>The bridegroom waited upstairs alone for a long time; then, as nobody came, he said: -“They must be waiting downstairs for me. I will go down and see what they are about.” -When he got downstairs there sat all five, weeping and lamenting in a heartrending -way, each a little louder than the others. -</p> -<p>“What misfortune can possibly have happened?” he asked. -</p> -<p>“Alas! dear Hans,” said Alice, “if we marry and have a child, and he grows up, and -we happen to send him into the cellar here to draw beer, then that pickax which has -been hanging up there might kill him <span class="pageNum" id="pb111">[<a href="#pb111">111</a>]</span>if it were to fall down upon his head; so have we not reason to weep?” -</p> -<p>“Well,” said Hans, “more cleverness than that is not needed to keep house for me; -and as you are such a clever Alice I will have you for my wife.” So he took her by -the hand, led her upstairs with him, and married her. -</p> -<p>When they had been married some time, Hans said, “Wife, I am going out to work and -earn some money for us; do you go into the field and cut the corn, so that we may -have some bread.” -</p> -<p>“Yes, my dear Hans, I will do so.” -</p> -<p>After Hans went away Alice cooked some nice broth for herself and took it into the -field with her. When she got there she said to herself: “Now which shall I do? Shall -I reap first, or eat first? I will eat first.” -</p> -<p>So she emptied her bowl of broth, and when she was satisfied she said again: “Now -which shall I do? Shall I reap first, or sleep first? I will sleep first.” -</p> -<p>Then she lay down in the corn and fell asleep. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb112">[<a href="#pb112">112</a>]</span></p> -<p>Meanwhile Hans had been at home some time, but Alice did not come. -</p> -<p>“What a clever Alice she is!” said he; “she is so industrious that she does not even -come home to eat.” -</p> -<p>But as she still did not come, Hans went out to see how much she had reaped; but nothing -was cut, and there lay Alice fast asleep in the corn. Hans hurried home and brought -back a fowler’s net with little bells on it; this he hung about her, and still she -did not wake. Then he ran home, shut the house door, and sat down to work. -</p> -<p>At last, when it was quite dark, Clever Alice woke. When she stood up the net fell -rattling about her, and the bells jingled at every step she took. This frightened -her, and made her wonder whether she was really Clever Alice or not, and she said -to herself, “Is it I, or is it not I?” -</p> -<p>But she did not know how to answer, and stood for a long time in doubt. At last she -thought, “I will go home and ask if it is I, or if it is not I; they will be sure -to know.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb113">[<a href="#pb113">113</a>]</span></p> -<p>She ran to the door of her house, but it was locked. Then she knocked on the window, -and cried, “Hans, is Alice at home?” -</p> -<p>“Yes,” answered Hans, “she is at home.” -</p> -<p>Then she was frightened and cried, “Alas! then it is not I,” and she ran to the next -door; but when the people heard the jingling of the bells they would not open for -her, and she could get in nowhere. So she ran away out of the village, and no one -has ever seen her since. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p113width"><img src="images/p113.png" alt="She ran away out of the village, and no one has ever seen her since." width="559" height="463"></div><p> -<span class="pageNum" id="pb114">[<a href="#pb114">114</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.11" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e267">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">RIQUET WITH THE TUFT</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first">There was once a queen who had a son so ugly and misshapen that it was questioned -for a long time whether he was a human creature or not. A fairy who was present at -his birth declared that he would be none the less amiable for all his ugliness, because -he would have uncommon intelligence and wit. She added that he would have the power, -by virtue of a gift which she had just bestowed upon him, to give the same talents -which he possessed to the person whom he should love best. All this was some comfort -to the poor Queen, who was in great distress at having such an unsightly child. -</p> -<p>As soon as the child began to talk he said a thousand pretty things, and in everything -he did he was so unusually clever that every one was delighted with him. I forgot -to tell you that he was born with a little tuft of hair on his head, and on this account -they <span class="pageNum" id="pb115">[<a href="#pb115">115</a>]</span>called him Riquet with the Tuft; for Riquet was the family name. -</p> -<p>Seven or eight years after this the Queen of a neighboring kingdom had twin daughters. -The firstborn was more beautiful than the day. The Queen was so very happy over this -that it was feared that such excess of joy would do her harm. The same fairy who had -been present at the birth of little Riquet with the Tuft was here too; and to moderate -the Queen’s joy she told her that this little Princess should have no sense at all, -but should be as stupid as she was pretty. This mortified the Queen very much, but -soon she had a still greater sorrow, for the second daughter was extremely ugly. -</p> -<p>“Do not afflict yourself so much, madam,” said the fairy. “Your daughter shall have -it made up to her in other ways; she shall have so much intelligence and wit that -her want of beauty will hardly be noticed.” -</p> -<p>“God grant it may be so,” replied the Queen; “but is there no way to make the elder, -who is so pretty, have a little sense?” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb116">[<a href="#pb116">116</a>]</span></p> -<p>“I can do nothing for her in the matter of sense,” said the fairy, “but everything -in the matter of beauty; and therefore, as there is nothing I would not do for your -satisfaction, I will bestow on her as a gift the power to make handsome the person -whom she likes best.” -</p> -<p>As the two Princesses grew older, their perfections grew with them. Everywhere people -talked of the beauty of the elder and of the wit of the younger. It is true that their -defects increased considerably with their years. The younger grew visibly uglier, -and the elder became more stupid every day; either she made no reply to what was asked -her, or she said something very silly. She was, besides, so clumsy that she could -not place four pieces of china on the mantelpiece without breaking one, nor drink -a glass of water without spilling half of it on her clothes. -</p> -<p>Although beauty is a great advantage to a young girl, in society the younger sister -was almost always preferred to the elder. People would go first to the more beautiful -<span class="pageNum" id="pb117">[<a href="#pb117">117</a>]</span>to see and admire her; but they very soon left her for the more clever sister, to -enjoy listening to her pleasant conversation; and it was amazing to see how in less -than a quarter of an hour the elder was without a person near her, while the whole -company was crowding about the younger. The elder, dull as she was, noticed this very -plainly, and would have given, without a moment of regret, all her beauty to have -half the wit of her sister. The Queen, for all her good sense, could not help reproaching -her often for her stupidity; this made the poor Princess ready to die of grief. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p118width"><img src="images/p118.png" alt="She saw coming towards her an ugly little man." width="448" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>One day, when she had withdrawn to a wood near by to lament her misfortune, she saw -coming towards her an ugly little man, very unpleasant to look at, but most magnificently -dressed. It was the young Prince Riquet with the Tuft, who had fallen in love with -her from her portraits, which were scattered everywhere, and had now left his father’s -kingdom to have the pleasure of seeing her and talking with her. He was charmed at -<span class="pageNum" id="pb119">[<a href="#pb119">119</a>]</span>finding her thus alone, and addressed her with all imaginable respect and politeness. -Having observed, after he had paid her all the usual compliments, that she seemed -very melancholy, he said to her, “I cannot understand, madam, how a person as beautiful -as you are can be also as sorrowful as you appear to be; for although I can boast -of having seen a great number of beautiful ladies, I declare to you that I never saw -any one whose beauty approaches yours.” -</p> -<p>“You are very kind to say so, sir,” answered the Princess; and here she stopped. -</p> -<p>“Beauty,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “is so great an advantage that it ought to -make up for all else; and when any one possesses it, I do not see that there is anything -that can afflict her very much.” -</p> -<p>“I would much rather,” said the Princess, “be as ugly as you are and have sense, than -have the beauty which I possess, and be as stupid as I am.” -</p> -<p>“There is nothing, madam, which shows more plainly that we have sense than to <span class="pageNum" id="pb120">[<a href="#pb120">120</a>]</span>believe we have none; and it is the nature of that gift that the more people have -it, the more they believe they lack it.” -</p> -<p>“I do not know how that may be,” said the Princess, “but I know very well that I am -extremely stupid, and that is the cause of my grief.” -</p> -<p>“If that is all which troubles you, madam, I can very easily put an end to your sorrow.” -</p> -<p>“And how will you do that?” said the Princess. -</p> -<p>“I have the power, madam,” said Riquet with the Tuft, “of giving to that person whom -it is my fortune to love best as much wit as it is possible to have; and as you, madam, -are that person, it will only depend on yourself if you have not as much wit as any -one can have, provided only you are pleased to marry me.” -</p> -<p>The Princess was much confused and did not speak a word. -</p> -<p>“I see,” continued Riquet with the Tuft, “that this proposal disturbs you, and I do -not wonder at it; but I will give you a <span class="pageNum" id="pb121">[<a href="#pb121">121</a>]</span>whole year in which to make up your mind about it.” -</p> -<p>The Princess had so little sense, and at the same time so great a desire to have some, -that she imagined that the end of this year would never come; so she accepted the -proposal which was made to her. She had no sooner promised Riquet with the Tuft that -she would marry him in a year from that day than she realized a great change in herself; -she found herself saying with incredible ease whatever she wished, and saying it, -too, in a clever, fluent, and natural manner. -</p> -<p>She began at that moment a brilliant conversation with Riquet with the Tuft, which -she sustained with such ease that Riquet began to think that he had given her more -wit than he had reserved for himself. -</p> -<p>When she returned to the palace the court did not know what to think of so sudden -and extraordinary a change; for now she said as many sensible and extremely clever -things as before she had said stupid and silly ones. The whole court was delighted -beyond <span class="pageNum" id="pb122">[<a href="#pb122">122</a>]</span>measure over it; the younger sister was the only one who did not share the general -happiness; for, having no longer any advantage over her sister in the line of wit -and sense, she appeared beside her a homely, disagreeable girl. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p122width"><img src="images/p122.png" alt="The whole court was delighted beyond measure." width="551" height="357"></div><p> -</p> -<p>The King himself was now guided by the advice of the elder sister, and sometimes would -even hold a meeting of the council in her apartments. As the report of this change -spread everywhere, all the young Princes of neighboring kingdoms made efforts to gain -her favor, and almost all of them asked for her hand in marriage; but she did not -find <span class="pageNum" id="pb123">[<a href="#pb123">123</a>]</span>any one who had enough wit to satisfy her. So she heard them all without binding herself -to any one of them. -</p> -<p>However, there came one so powerful, so rich, so witty, and so handsome that she could -not help feeling a great liking for him. When her father saw this he told her that -he was leaving her to be her own mistress in the matter of choosing a husband, and -that she had only to express her wishes. She was so sensible that she knew so serious -a matter deserved her careful consideration; so she thanked her father and asked him -to give her time to think it over. -</p> -<p>She went, by chance, to walk in the same wood where she had met Riquet with the Tuft, -to deliberate on what she should do. While she was walking in deep reflection she -heard a dull noise under her feet, as of a great many people running busily to and -fro. Listening more attentively she heard one say, “Bring me that saucepan”; another, -“Give me that kettle”; and a third, “Put some wood on the fire.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb124">[<a href="#pb124">124</a>]</span></p> -<p>At that moment the ground opened, and she saw under her feet a great kitchen full -of cooks, scullions, and all sorts of servants and people necessary to prepare a magnificent -feast. There came forward a company of twenty or thirty cooks, with larding needles -in their hands and foxtails in their caps, who took their places in one avenue of -the wood about a very long table, and went to work busily, keeping time with a tuneful -song. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p124width"><img src="images/p124.png" alt="The Princess asked them for whom they were working." width="559" height="356"></div><p> -</p> -<p>The Princess, in astonishment at the sight, asked them for whom they were working. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb125">[<a href="#pb125">125</a>]</span></p> -<p>“For Prince Riquet with the Tuft, madam, whose wedding takes place to-morrow,” replied -their chief. -</p> -<p>The Princess, more surprised than ever, remembered all at once that it was that day -twelvemonth on which she had promised to marry Prince Riquet. At the thought she was -ready to sink into the ground. What made her forget was that when she made the promise -she was very silly; and when she took the new sense that the Prince bestowed on her, -she forgot all that she had done in the days of her stupidity. She walked on, but -had not taken thirty steps before Riquet with the Tuft presented himself before her, -magnificently attired like a man who was going to be married. -</p> -<p>“You see, madam,” said he, “that I am exact in keeping my word; and I do not doubt -that you are come to fulfill yours, and to make me, by giving me your hand, the happiest -man in the world.” -</p> -<p>“I will confess frankly to you,” replied the Princess, “that I have not yet made up -<span class="pageNum" id="pb126">[<a href="#pb126">126</a>]</span>my mind in this matter, and that I do not believe that I shall ever be able to consent -to what you desire.” -</p> -<p>“You astonish me, madam,” said Riquet with the Tuft. -</p> -<p>“That I can well believe,” said the Princess; “and assuredly if I had to do with a -clown or a man of no sense, I should find myself very much at a loss. ‘A Princess -always keeps her word,’ he would say to me, ‘and you must marry me, since you have -promised to do so.’ But as he to whom I speak is the man of all others in the world -who has the most sense, I am sure he will hear reason. You know that when I was only -a fool I could hardly make up my mind to marry you. Now that I have the sense which -you gave me, which makes me much harder to please, how can you expect me to come to -a decision to-day which I could not agree to before? If you thought seriously of marrying -me, you made a great mistake in removing my stupidity and making me see things more -plainly than I did before.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb127">[<a href="#pb127">127</a>]</span></p> -<p>“If a man without wit or sense,” replied Riquet, “would be justified in reproaching -you for breaking your word, why do you wish, madam, that I should not make use of -the same right in a matter where the happiness of my whole life is at stake? Is it -reasonable that persons of wit and sense should be worse off than those who have none? -Can you pretend this,—you who are so wise and who wished so much to be? But come to -the point, if you please. Except for my ugliness is there anything in me which displeases -you? Do you object to my birth, my sense, my temper, or my manners?” -</p> -<p>“Not at all,” said the Princess; “I like in you all that you have mentioned.” -</p> -<p>“If that is the case,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “I shall soon be happy, for you -have the power to make me the most handsome of men.” -</p> -<p>“How can that be?” asked the Princess. -</p> -<p>“It can be done,” replied Riquet with the Tuft, “if you love me enough to desire that -it should be; and in order that you may <span class="pageNum" id="pb128">[<a href="#pb128">128</a>]</span>have no doubt about it, know that the same fairy who at my birth bestowed on me the -power of making clever the person I love best, has given you the power of making as -handsome as you please him whom you love best and for whom you desire this favor.” -</p> -<p>“If that be the case,” said the Princess, “I wish with all my heart that you may be -the comeliest and handsomest Prince in the world, and I bestow on you this gift in -so far as I am able.” -</p> -<p>The Princess had no sooner pronounced these words than Riquet with the Tuft seemed -to her eyes the comeliest, handsomest, and most pleasing man she had ever seen. -</p> -<p>Some people say that it was not the fairy’s charm, but love alone which made this -great change. They declare that the Princess, when she had reflected upon the perseverance -of her lover, upon his discretion, and all the good qualities of his heart and mind, -saw no longer the deformity of his body nor the ugliness of his face; that <span class="pageNum" id="pb129">[<a href="#pb129">129</a>]</span>his hump seemed to her no more than the grand air of a man who put on a look of importance; -that where before she had noticed that he limped badly, she now found it nothing more -than a careless grace of carriage which charmed her. They tell, too, how his eyes, -which were squinting, appeared to her on that account the more brilliant, while their -irregularity passed in her judgment as a mark of the warmth of his love; and finally -that his great red nose gave, in her opinion, a martial and heroic air to his appearance. -</p> -<p>However that may be, the Princess promised immediately to marry him, provided he obtained -the consent of the King her father. The King knew that his daughter had a high esteem -for Riquet with the Tuft, and was well informed, too, as to the cleverness and prudence -of the Prince. So he received him gladly as his son-in-law. The next day their wedding -was celebrated as Riquet with the Tuft had foreseen, and according to the orders which -he had given long before. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb130">[<a href="#pb130">130</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.12" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e274">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<div class="figure p130width"><img src="images/p130.png" alt="A queen sat sewing at a window framed in black ebony." width="535" height="355"></div> -<h2 class="main">SNOWDROP</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p>Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers -from the sky, a queen sat sewing at a window framed in black ebony. And as she sat -sewing and looking out upon the snow, she pricked her finger with the needle, and -three drops of blood fell on the snow outside. Because the red looked so beautiful -on the white snow, she thought to herself, “How I should like to have a child as white -as snow, as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this ebony frame!” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb131">[<a href="#pb131">131</a>]</span></p> -<p>Very soon after this she had a little daughter whose hair was black as ebony, and -whose cheeks were red as blood, while her skin was white as snow; so they called her -Snowdrop. But not long after her birth the Queen died. -</p> -<p>When Snowdrop was a year old the King took another wife. She was a beautiful woman, -but so proud and haughty that she could not bear to have any one surpass her in beauty. -She had a magic mirror, and when she stood before it gazing at herself, she would -say, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then the mirror would reply, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Queen, so beautiful and tall, -</p> -<p class="line">Thou art fairest of them all.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then she was content, for she knew the mirror always spoke the truth. -</p> -<p>But Snowdrop was growing prettier and prettier every day, and when she was seven years -old she was so beautiful that she was <span class="pageNum" id="pb132">[<a href="#pb132">132</a>]</span>even fairer than the Queen herself. One day when the Queen asked her mirror the usual -question, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">it answered, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, -</p> -<p class="line">But Snowdrop is fairer far, ’tis clear.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then the Queen was terrified and turned every shade of green in her jealousy. From -that hour she hated Snowdrop so bitterly that she was thrown into a secret passion -every time she saw her. And every day envy and pride grew up swiftly like evil weeds -in her heart, till she had no rest day or night. -</p> -<p>At last she sent for a huntsman and said to him: “Take the child out into the wood, -and never let me see her again. You are to kill her and bring me her heart as a token -that you have done it.” -</p> -<p>The huntsman obeyed, and took Snowdrop into the wood; but when he drew out his hunting -knife to kill her, she began to <span class="pageNum" id="pb133">[<a href="#pb133">133</a>]</span>weep and said, “O dear huntsman, spare my life; I will run away into the wild forest -and never come home again.” -</p> -<p>And because she was so beautiful the huntsman took pity on her and said, “Well, run -away then, poor child.” For he thought to himself, “The wild beasts will soon devour -her.” But yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart because he did -not have to kill her. -</p> -<p>As a young boar came running by just then, he stabbed it, and took the heart to the -Queen as proof that Snowdrop was dead. The wicked woman had it cooked in salt and -ate it, thinking she had made an end of Snowdrop. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p134width"><img src="images/p134.png" alt="She began to run, and ran over the sharp stones and through the brambles." width="450" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>But when the poor child found herself all alone in the great forest, even the trees -and their leaves began to seem terrible to her, and she was so frightened that she -did not know what to do. She began to run, and ran over the sharp stones and through -the brambles, and the wild beasts ran past her, but they did her no harm. She ran -as far <span class="pageNum" id="pb135">[<a href="#pb135">135</a>]</span>as her feet would carry her, till it was nearly evening. Then she saw a little house -and went into it to rest herself. Everything in the little house was very small, but -cleaner and neater than anything you can think of. A small table covered with a white -cloth stood ready with seven small plates, and by each plate were a spoon, knife, -fork, and cup. Against the wall stood seven little beds, side by side, covered with -snow-white counterpanes. -</p> -<p>Snowdrop was so hungry and so thirsty that she ate a bit of bread and a little stew -from each plate, and drank a drop of wine out of each cup, for she did not wish to -take all from one portion. Then feeling very tired she lay down on one of the little -beds, but it was not comfortable. She tried them all in turn, but one was too long, -another too short, till she came to the seventh, which was just right; so she lay -down upon it, said her prayers, and fell asleep. -</p> -<p>When it was quite dark the masters of the little house came home. They were <span class="pageNum" id="pb136">[<a href="#pb136">136</a>]</span>seven little dwarfs, who dug and delved in the mountains for ore. They lighted their -seven little lamps, and as soon as the room was full of light they saw that some one -had been there, for all was not in the same order in which they had left it. -</p> -<p>The first said, “Who has been sitting on my chair?” -</p> -<p>The second said, “Who has been eating off my plate?” -</p> -<p>The third said, “Who has been eating some of my bread?” -</p> -<p>The fourth said, “Who has been tasting my stew?” -</p> -<p>The fifth said, “Who has been using my fork?” -</p> -<p>The sixth said, “Who has been cutting with my knife?” -</p> -<p>The seventh said, “Who has been drinking out of my cup?” -</p> -<p>Then the first dwarf looked around and saw a little hollow in his bed, and asked, -“Who has been lying on my bed?” The others came running up and exclaimed, <span class="pageNum" id="pb137">[<a href="#pb137">137</a>]</span>“And mine! and mine!” But the seventh, when he came to his bed, saw Snowdrop lying -there fast asleep. He called the others, who cried out in astonishment and held up -their little lamps to see better when they found Snowdrop sleeping there. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p137width"><img src="images/p137.png" alt="The first dwarf asked, “Who has been lying on my bed?”" width="533" height="348"></div><p> -</p> -<p>“Heavens!” they cried; “what a beautiful child!” and were so pleased that they did -not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed. The seventh dwarf slept with -his companions, one hour in each bed, and so got through the night. -</p> -<p>When Snowdrop awoke in the morning and saw the seven little dwarfs, she was <span class="pageNum" id="pb138">[<a href="#pb138">138</a>]</span>frightened. But they were so friendly and asked her name so kindly that she took courage -and answered, “I am called Snowdrop.” -</p> -<p>“How came you to our house?” they asked. -</p> -<p>Then she told them how her stepmother had wanted to have her killed, how the huntsman -had spared her life, and how she had run all day until she had found their little -house. -</p> -<p>The dwarfs talked a little together and then said: “Will you stay and keep house for -us,—cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit? If you will, then you shall stay with -us and want for nothing.” -</p> -<p>“Oh, I should love to,” said Snowdrop. So she stayed with them and kept the house -in order. Every morning the dwarfs went out into the mountains to dig for gold, and -in the evening when they came back Snowdrop had their supper ready. But during the -day she was left all alone and the good dwarfs warned her, saying, “Beware of your -stepmother. She will soon find out <span class="pageNum" id="pb139">[<a href="#pb139">139</a>]</span>that you are here. Whatever you do, don’t let any one into the house.” -</p> -<p>Now the Queen, believing that she had eaten Snowdrop’s heart, had no doubt that she -was again the most beautiful woman in the world; so stepping before her mirror one -day she said, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then the mirror replied, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, -</p> -<p class="line">But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, -</p> -<p class="line">Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, -</p> -<p class="line">A thousand times fairer doth appear.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then she was startled and angry, for she knew that the mirror always spoke the truth, -and she saw that the huntsman must have deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still -alive. Once more she pondered day and night how she might destroy Snowdrop, for as -long as she herself was not the fairest in all the land her jealous heart gave her -no peace. At last she thought of a plan. She <span class="pageNum" id="pb140">[<a href="#pb140">140</a>]</span>stained her face and dressed herself like an old peddler woman, and was so changed -that no one could have known her. In this disguise she went over the hills to the -home of the seven dwarfs. There she knocked at the door, calling out, “Fine wares -to sell! fine wares to sell!” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p140width"><img src="images/p140.png" alt="Snowdrop peeped out of the window and said, “Good day, my good woman, what have you to sell?”" width="553" height="513"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Snowdrop peeped out of the window and said, “Good day, my good woman, what have you -to sell?” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb141">[<a href="#pb141">141</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Good wares, fine wares,” she answered; <span class="corr" id="xd31e1310" title="Not in source">“</span>bodice laces of all colors,” and she pulled out one that was woven of gay-colored -silk. -</p> -<p>“Surely I may let this honest woman in,” thought Snowdrop; so she unbarred the door -and bought the pretty lace. -</p> -<p>“Child, child,” said the old woman, “what a figure you have! Come, let me lace you -properly for once.” -</p> -<p>Snowdrop had no suspicion, but stood before the woman and let her lace her with the -new lace. But the old woman laced her so quickly and so tightly that it took Snowdrop’s -breath away, and she fell down as though dead. -</p> -<p>“Now you are no longer the fairest,” said the Queen, and she hurried away. -</p> -<p>Not long after, toward evening, the seven dwarfs came home and were terribly frightened -to see their dear little Snowdrop lying on the floor, still and motionless as if she -were dead. They lifted her up, and when they saw how tightly she was laced, they cut -the laces in two; then she began to <span class="pageNum" id="pb142">[<a href="#pb142">142</a>]</span>breathe a little and gradually came back to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened -they said: “The old peddler woman was none other than the wicked Queen. Snowdrop, -you must take care and let no one in when we are not at home.” -</p> -<p>The wicked Queen went straight to her mirror the minute she got home and said, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then the mirror answered as before, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, -</p> -<p class="line">But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, -</p> -<p class="line">Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, -</p> -<p class="line">A thousand times fairer doth appear.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">When she heard this she turned pale with fright and anger, for she knew that Snowdrop -must have come back to life again. -</p> -<p>“I will think of some way to make an end of her once for all,” she said to herself. -</p> -<p>By means of witchcraft, in which she was skilled, she prepared a poisoned comb. Then -she took the form of another old <span class="pageNum" id="pb143">[<a href="#pb143">143</a>]</span>woman. She went over the hills till she came to the house of the seven dwarfs, and -knocking at the door she called out, “Wares, fine wares, to sell!” -</p> -<p>Snowdrop looked out of the window and said, “Go away; I am not to let any one in.” -</p> -<p>“But surely you are allowed to look out,” said the old woman; and she held up the -poisoned comb for her to see. -</p> -<p>The child was so pleased with it that she let herself be beguiled, and opened the -door. When they had settled their bargain the old woman said, “Now I will comb your -hair properly for once.” -</p> -<p>Poor little Snowdrop had no thought of evil and let the woman do as she pleased, but -hardly had she put the comb in the child’s hair when the poison took effect, and she -fell down unconscious. -</p> -<p>“Well, my beauty, you are really done for now,” said the wicked woman, and she went -away. -</p> -<p>Fortunately it was near evening, when the seven dwarfs always came home. When <span class="pageNum" id="pb144">[<a href="#pb144">144</a>]</span>they saw Snowdrop lying on the floor as if she were dead, they at once suspected the -stepmother had been there again; so they searched till they found the poisoned comb, -and as soon as they had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself and told them what -had happened. Again they warned her to be on her guard and to open the door to no -one. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p144width"><img src="images/p144.png" alt="She fell down unconscious." width="498" height="438"></div><p> -</p> -<p>As soon as the Queen got home she went to her mirror and said, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb145">[<a href="#pb145">145</a>]</span></p> -<p>But the mirror replied as before, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, -</p> -<p class="line">But Snowdrop up in the mountains near, -</p> -<p class="line">Who lives with the seven dwarfs, odd and queer, -</p> -<p class="line">A thousand times fairer doth appear.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">When she heard these words she actually trembled and shook with rage. -</p> -<p>Then she went into a secret room, which no one but herself ever entered, and there -she prepared a poisoned apple. Outwardly it looked very pretty, with such rosy cheeks -that every one who saw it would long to eat it, but any one who ate a piece of it -would be sure to die. When the apple was ready she stained her face and dressed herself -as a peasant woman, and so she went over the hills to the home of the seven dwarfs. -She knocked at the door as usual, but Snowdrop put her head out of the window and -said, “I am not to let any one in; the seven dwarfs have forbidden me.” -</p> -<p>“It is all the same to me,” answered the woman. “I shall soon get rid of my apples. -There, I will give you one.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb146">[<a href="#pb146">146</a>]</span></p> -<p>“No,” said Snowdrop, “I am not to take anything.” -</p> -<p>“Are you afraid of poison?” said the woman. “See, I will cut the apple in two. You -eat the red cheek and I will eat the white.” -</p> -<p>The apple was so cunningly made that only the red side was poisoned. Snowdrop longed -to eat the fine apple, and when she saw that the peasant woman was eating it herself, -she could resist no longer, but stretched out her hand and took the poisoned half. -But hardly had she touched the first bite to her lips before she fell down dead. Then -the cruel Queen looked down on her with fiendish delight, and laughing aloud she cried, -“As white as snow, as red as blood, as black as ebony; this time the dwarfs cannot -wake you.” -</p> -<p>When she got home and asked the mirror, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">it answered at last, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Queen, so beautiful and tall, -</p> -<p class="line">Thou art fairest of them all.”</p> -</div> -<p><span class="pageNum" id="pb147">[<a href="#pb147">147</a>]</span></p> -<p>Then her jealous heart was at rest—at least, as far as a jealous heart can ever be -at rest. -</p> -<p>When the dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snowdrop lying on the floor, and -she neither breathed nor moved. They lifted her up and looked to see if they could -find anything poisonous. They unlaced her bodice, washed her with water and wine, -but all in vain; the child was dead, and remained dead. Then they laid her on a bier, -and the seven dwarfs seated themselves round her, and wept for her, and mourned for -three days. They were going to bury her, but she looked so fresh and lifelike and -had such pretty color in her cheeks that they said, “We cannot lay her away in the -dark ground.” -</p> -<p>So they had a transparent coffin made of glass, and they laid her in it, and wrote -on the lid in letters of gold her name, and that she was a King’s daughter. Then they -put the coffin on the top of the mountain, and one of the dwarfs always stayed by -it and <span class="pageNum" id="pb149">[<a href="#pb149">149</a>]</span>kept watch over it. And the birds came, too, and mourned for Snowdrop,—first an owl, -then a raven, and last of all a little white dove. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p148width"><img src="images/p148.png" alt="He saw the coffin on the mountain with beautiful Snowdrop lying in it." width="449" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>Snowdrop lay a long, long time in the coffin unchanged, looking as if she were asleep; -for she was still as white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair as black as ebony. -</p> -<p>Now it happened that one day a King’s son came into the wood and went to the dwarfs’ -house to spend the night. He saw the coffin on the mountain with beautiful Snowdrop -lying in it, and when he had read what was written on the lid in letters of gold, -he said to the dwarfs: “Let me have the coffin. I will give you whatever you like -for it.” -</p> -<p>But the dwarfs said, “No; we would not part with it for all the gold in the world.” -</p> -<p>But he replied: “Then give it to me as a gift, for I cannot live without Snowdrop -to gaze upon. I will honor and prize it as my dearest possession.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb150">[<a href="#pb150">150</a>]</span></p> -<p>When he spoke in this way the good dwarfs took pity on him and gave him the coffin, -and the Prince had his servants bear it away upon their shoulders. Now it happened -that one of them stumbled over a tree stump. This jolted the coffin so sharply that -the poisoned piece of apple which Snowdrop had bitten fell out of her throat. Before -long she slowly opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the coffin, and sat up alive -once more. -</p> -<p>“Oh, dear!” she cried, “where am I?” -</p> -<p>The Prince answered joyfully, “You are with me,” and told her all that happened, saying -as he finished the story: “I love you better than any one in the world. Will you come -with me to my father’s palace and be my wife?” -</p> -<p>Snowdrop consented and went with him, and their wedding was celebrated with great -state and splendor. -</p> -<p>Now Snowdrop’s wicked stepmother was one of those invited to the feast. When she had -arrayed herself in beautiful clothes, for <span class="pageNum" id="pb151">[<a href="#pb151">151</a>]</span>the occasion she went to the mirror and said, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Mirror, mirror on the wall, -</p> -<p class="line">Who is fairest of us all?”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">The mirror answered, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Lady Queen, thou art fairest here, -</p> -<p class="line">But the young Queen now at the palace near -</p> -<p class="line">A thousand times fairer doth appear.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">Then the wicked woman uttered a curse and was so beside herself with anger and mortification -that she did not know what to do. At first she resolved not to go to the wedding at -all, but she felt she could have no peace till she had seen the young Queen. When -she went in she recognized Snowdrop and stood stock-still with rage and fear. She -knew she could not be again the most beautiful woman in the world, and her anger was -so great that she fell dead at the feast. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb152">[<a href="#pb152">152</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div id="ch2.13" class="div1 chapter"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e281">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<div class="figure p152width"><img src="images/p152.png" alt="The White Cat." width="521" height="357"></div> -<h2 class="main">THE WHITE CAT</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p>Once upon a time there was a King who had three brave and handsome sons. As they grew -to be fine, tall young men, he began to be afraid that they might want to rule over -the kingdom before he was dead. The King was old, but was as vigorous in mind as ever -he had been, and did not wish to give up his crown. He thought that the best way to -live in peace was to divert their minds by promises he could always avoid fulfilling. -</p> -<p>He called his sons to him and said: “You will agree with me, my dear children, that -I <span class="pageNum" id="pb153">[<a href="#pb153">153</a>]</span>shall soon be getting too old to reign any longer. I want, therefore, to give my crown -to one of you. But it is only fair that in return for such a gift you should do something -to make life pleasant for me after I have retired into the country. I should like -to have a pretty, clever, faithful little dog who would be good company for me. So -without any regard to your ages, I declare to you that the one who brings me the most -beautiful little dog shall be my heir.” -</p> -<p>The Princes were surprised at their father’s sudden fancy for a little dog, but were -well pleased with the plan. They took leave of the King, who gave them plenty of money -and told them that in a year without fail they must all return, and on the same day -at the same hour bring him their little dogs. -</p> -<p>Before they started they went to a castle outside the town and held a great feast, -at which they promised always to be friends, and not be jealous of one another in -this matter. They agreed that the successful <span class="pageNum" id="pb154">[<a href="#pb154">154</a>]</span>one should share his good fortune with the others. Then they set out, deciding that -they would meet at the same castle on their return and go together to the King. Each -took a different road. All three met with many adventures, but I am only going to -tell you about those of the youngest. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p154width"><img src="images/p154.png" alt="No day passed without his buying some dogs." width="534" height="363"></div><p> -</p> -<p>He was young, and gay, and handsome, and had all the accomplishments a Prince should -have; as for his courage, he was simply fearless. -</p> -<p>No day passed without his buying some dogs. He bought big dogs and little dogs, <span class="pageNum" id="pb155">[<a href="#pb155">155</a>]</span>house dogs, hunting dogs, mastiffs, greyhounds, spaniels, and lapdogs,—dogs of every -kind. As soon as he bought a pretty one he was sure to see another that was prettier, -and then he had to sell the others and get that one, for he found it impossible to -take thirty or forty thousand dogs about with him. -</p> -<p>One evening he entered a great forest. Night came on suddenly and with it a violent -storm of thunder and lightning; the rain began to pour down. He took the first path -he came to, and after he had walked a long time he saw a faint light and hoped he -was coming to some house where he might find shelter for the night. Guided by the -light he reached the gates of the most magnificent castle that could be imagined. -The gate was of gold, covered with rubies, and it was the bright, red light which -shone from them that the Prince had seen. The walls were of transparent porcelain, -painted in many colors with pictures out of fairy tales, the adventures of the Sleeping -<span class="pageNum" id="pb156">[<a href="#pb156">156</a>]</span>Beauty in the Wood, and of Cinderella, and a hundred others. -</p> -<p>Upon the door was a deer’s foot fastened by a chain of diamonds. The Prince pulled -it and heard a silver bell ring. Instantly the door flew open, but he could see nothing -but a dozen hands in the air, each holding a torch. He was so astonished that he hesitated -to enter, but he felt himself pushed forward from behind by other hands. He was somewhat -uneasy, but put his hand on his sword and walked on. He entered a hall paved with -lapis lazuli, where he heard two enchanting voices singing these words, -</p> -<div class="lgouter"> -<p class="line">“Fear not these hands that float in space, -</p> -<p class="line">Nor anything else that here you see, -</p> -<p class="line">Unless from the charms of a beautiful face -</p> -<p class="line">You would keep your heart still fancy free.”</p> -</div> -<p class="first">This welcome reassured the Prince. The hands guided him toward a large door of coral, -which opened of itself and admitted him to a hall of mother-of-pearl. Out of this -opened other rooms so richly adorned with paintings and precious stones and so <span class="pageNum" id="pb157">[<a href="#pb157">157</a>]</span>brilliantly lighted with thousands of hanging lamps that he was dazzled by their magnificence. -When he had passed through sixty rooms the hands that were guiding him stopped, and -a most comfortable armchair moved of itself toward the fireplace. At the same moment -the fire was lighted, and hands which he noticed were very beautiful—small, white, -plump, and well proportioned—took off his wet clothes. Then they presented him with -new garments made of the finest materials and richly embroidered with gold and emeralds. -They combed his hair and waited on him with the greatest skill, though sometimes they -appeared so suddenly that they made him start. -</p> -<p>When his toilet was complete—and I assure you the fine costume became him well—the -hands conducted him to a splendid room, upon the walls of which were painted the histories -of Puss in Boots and other famous cats. The table was laid for two, with gold knife, -fork, and spoon for each; the sideboard was covered with vessels <span class="pageNum" id="pb158">[<a href="#pb158">158</a>]</span>and glasses of crystal set with precious stones. The Prince was wondering who the -second cover was for, when in came a company of cats, carrying guitars. They took -their places on a little platform, and, under the leadership of a cat who had a book -of music before her and beat time with a roll of paper, they began to mew each in -a different key, and to draw their claws across the strings of their guitars, making -the strangest music that was ever heard. The Prince stopped his ears, but even then -he could not keep from laughing heartily at the positions and grimaces of these novel -musicians. -</p> -<p>He was wondering what queer thing would happen to him next when he saw a tiny figure -enter the room. It was covered by a long black veil. Two cats bearing black cloaks -and carrying swords conducted it, and a retinue of cats followed. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p159width"><img src="images/p159.png" alt="He saw a tiny figure enter the room." width="457" height="720"></div><p> -</p> -<p>The Prince was more astonished than ever; he did not know what to think. The little -black figure approached him and threw <span class="pageNum" id="pb160">[<a href="#pb160">160</a>]</span>back the veil. Then he saw the most beautiful white cat that ever was or ever will -be. She looked very young and sad, and in a sweet voice that went straight to the -Prince’s heart she said to him, “King’s Son, you are welcome; the Queen of cats is -glad to see you.” -</p> -<p>“Madam Cat,” said the Prince, “it is very kind of you to receive me with such courtesy, -but surely you are no ordinary cat. Your gift of speech and your magnificent castle -are strong proof to the contrary.” -</p> -<p>“King’s Son,” replied the White Cat, “I beg of you to spare me these compliments, -for I am very simple in my speech. But now,” she added, “let supper be served and -let the musicians be silent, for the Prince does not understand what they are saying.” -</p> -<p>“Are they really saying anything, madam?” asked the Prince. -</p> -<p>“Certainly,” she answered. “We have excellent music here. If you stay with us a little -while, you will soon learn to appreciate it.” -<span class="pageNum" id="pb161">[<a href="#pb161">161</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Indeed, I shall be a ready scholar,” said the Prince, politely. -</p> -<p>Supper was now served by the mysterious hands. Soup made of white mice was brought -to the White Cat. When a plate was put before the Prince he did not like to taste -it. But the White Cat assured him that his soup was made of pigeons, and that none -of the dishes intended for him contained either rats or mice. They talked together -on different subjects, and the Prince found that she knew all about what was going -on in the world, and was well informed along many lines. -</p> -<p>After supper the White Cat invited her guest into another room fitted up with a stage, -where the cats danced and acted for their amusement. Then the White Cat said good -night to him, and the hands conducted him to an apartment just opposite the one he -had been in before. It was hung with butterflies’ wings of every color; there were -mirrors that reached from the floor to the ceiling; and his bed was draped in <span class="pageNum" id="pb162">[<a href="#pb162">162</a>]</span>gauze, fastened with a thousand knots of ribbon. The Prince went to bed in silence, -for he did not know how to begin a conversation with the hands that waited on him. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p162width"><img src="images/p162.png" alt="He was led to a wooden horse." width="541" height="428"></div><p> -</p> -<p>In the morning he was awakened by noise and confusion outside, and the hands came -quickly and dressed him in hunting costume. He looked out into the courtyard and saw -more than five hundred cats making preparation for this holiday, for the White Cat -was going hunting. He was led to a wooden horse, which he seemed to be <span class="pageNum" id="pb163">[<a href="#pb163">163</a>]</span>expected to mount. He did so, and to his surprise it galloped off gayly. -</p> -<p>The White Cat was riding a monkey, which went very fast and carried her even to the -tops of trees when she wanted to reach eagles’ nests. The cats ran after rabbits and -hares and caught them, and the kittens climbed everywhere for birds. The Prince had -never enjoyed a hunt more. When the hunt was over they returned to the castle, and -the Prince and the White Cat supped together as before. -</p> -<p>So the days passed in all kinds of amusements, and the Prince thought only of the -little White Cat with whom he was so happy. But she knew when he ought to return, -and as he had quite forgotten, she reminded him. -</p> -<p>“Do you know,” she said, “that you have only three days in which to look for the little -dog your father wants, and that your brothers have found beauties?” -</p> -<p>The Prince came to himself and was astonished at his forgetfulness. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb164">[<a href="#pb164">164</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Why, how came I to forget such an important errand?” he said. “What shall I do? I -can never get home in time, much less find a dog.” And he began to be very much vexed -and distressed. -</p> -<p>But the White Cat comforted him, saying, “King’s Son, do not vex yourself; I am your -friend. You can stay here another day, for the good wooden horse will take you to -your country in less than twelve hours.” -</p> -<p>“I thank you, beautiful White Cat,” said the Prince; “but it is not enough that I -return to my father; I must take him a little dog.” -</p> -<p>“Look,” said the White Cat; “here is an acorn in which is a little dog prettier even -than the one in the dog star.” -</p> -<p>“O Madam Cat,” said the Prince, “you are making fun of me.” -</p> -<p>“Put the acorn to your ear,” said she. -</p> -<p>He obeyed and heard a little sound inside, “Bow-wow!” The Prince was delighted, for -a dog that could be shut up in an acorn must be very tiny. He was so eager to see -<span class="pageNum" id="pb165">[<a href="#pb165">165</a>]</span>it that he wanted to open the acorn, but the White Cat told him it might be cold on -the journey, and it would therefore be better to wait until he was in his father’s -presence. He thanked her a thousand times, and said good-by very sadly when he started -out. -</p> -<p>“The days with you have passed so quickly,” he said, “I only wish I could take you -along with me.” -</p> -<p>But at this proposal the White Cat only sighed deeply. -</p> -<p>The Prince was the first to arrive at the place where the three brothers agreed to -meet. They embraced each other affectionately and began to tell their adventures. -But the Prince did not tell his real adventures, and showed only a common cur, letting -his brothers think that this was the one he was going to show the King. They laughed -at him and showed him two beautiful little dogs in baskets. -</p> -<p>When they reached the palace every one crowded about to welcome them. They went into -the King’s hall. He did not know <span class="pageNum" id="pb166">[<a href="#pb166">166</a>]</span>in whose favor to decide, for the dogs of the two elder sons seemed equally beautiful. -They were already making their plans about sharing the crown when the youngest drew -out of his pocket the acorn which the White Cat had given him. He opened it, and there -was a wonderful little dog with silky white hair and long ears lying on cotton wool. -The Prince put it through a ring without its touching the sides. Then he placed it -on the ground, and it got up at once and began to dance. The King did not know what -to say, for it was impossible to imagine anything more beautiful than this little -dog. -</p> -<p>But he had not the least desire to part with his crown. The tiniest gem of it was -dearer to him than all the dogs in the world. He told his children that as they had -all succeeded so well the first time, he would ask them to go once more. This time -he would give them a year to seek by land and sea a piece of linen so fine that it -could be drawn through the eye of the finest needle. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb167">[<a href="#pb167">167</a>]</span></p> -<p>Each departed his own way. Our Prince mounted the wooden horse again and rode back -with all speed to the White Cat. He found all the doors open and the windows, roofs, -towers, and walls lighted brilliantly. The hands came to meet him and led the wooden -horse off to the stable, while the Prince hastened to the room of the White Cat. She -was asleep in a little basket on a white satin cushion, but she started up when the -Prince came in and received him with the greatest joy. -</p> -<p>“How could I hope that you would come back to me, King’s Son?” -</p> -<p>The Prince caressed and petted her and told her of his journey. Then he told her what -the King wanted this time and asked her for help, for the request seemed impossible -to him. The White Cat looked serious and said she must think the matter over; fortunately -there were cats in the castle who spun very well; if it could be done they could do -it. She would set them to it, and he need take no care. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb168">[<a href="#pb168">168</a>]</span></p> -<p>The second year passed as quickly and happily as the first. Presently the White Cat -told him that the year was gone, and that he need not be at all anxious about the -linen, as she had a piece ready for him. -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p168width"><img src="images/p168.png" alt="She bade him look out into the courtyard." width="548" height="505"></div><p> -</p> -<p>“This time I can give you an equipage suited to your rank,” she added; and bade him -look out into the courtyard. There stood a splendid open carriage enameled in flame-colored -gold. Twelve snow-white horses <span class="pageNum" id="pb169">[<a href="#pb169">169</a>]</span>harnessed in fours drew it; their trappings were of flame-colored velvet embroidered -with diamonds. A hundred coaches, each drawn by eight horses and filled with richly -dressed nobles, were ready to accompany him. A thousand guards were in waiting behind -to end the procession. -</p> -<p>“Go!” she said to the Prince; “and when you appear at your father’s court in such -state, he will surely not refuse you the crown you deserve. Here is a walnut; do not -crack it until you are before him. Then you will find in it the piece of linen you -asked of me.” -</p> -<p>“Dear White Cat,” said the Prince, “how can I <span class="corr" id="xd31e1537" title="Source: ver">ever</span> thank you? If you will only consent to it, I will gladly give up all thought of ever -being King and stay here with you.” -</p> -<p>“King’s Son,” she replied, “it is very good of you to care so much for a little white -cat who is good for nothing but to catch mice; but you must go.” -</p> -<p>So the Prince kissed her paw and set out. They did not stop at all until they came -to <span class="pageNum" id="pb170">[<a href="#pb170">170</a>]</span>the King’s palace where the two elder brothers had already arrived. They displayed -their pieces of linen, which were indeed so fine that they would go through the eye -of a big needle; but the King, who was very glad of some excuse, sent for a very small -needle that he had selected and had kept locked with the State treasure. Through this -the linen would not go. The Princes were angry, and said that this was a trick that -the King was playing on them. -</p> -<p>But all at once there was a sound of trumpets and the youngest son appeared. The King -and his two elder sons were astonished at his magnificence. After the young Prince -had greeted them he took out the walnut and cracked it, thinking to find in it the -piece of linen, but instead there was only a hazelnut. He cracked that and was surprised -to see a cherry stone. The people who were looking on began to smile, and the King -laughed to himself at the idea that a walnut should contain a piece of linen. The -Prince cracked the cherry stone, <span class="pageNum" id="pb171">[<a href="#pb171">171</a>]</span>which contained a kernel. He opened that and found a grain of wheat, and in that was -a millet seed. Then he began to wonder too, and murmured, “Why, White Cat, you have -made game of me.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p171width"><img src="images/p171.png" alt="The young Prince had greeted them he took out the walnut and cracked it." width="567" height="440"></div><p> -</p> -<p>At that moment he felt a cat’s claw on his hand, which scratched him so sharply that -he bled. He hoped this was to encourage him, and opened the millet seed. Then, to -the astonishment of every one, he drew forth a piece of linen four hundred ells long. -Into it were woven all the kinds of birds <span class="pageNum" id="pb172">[<a href="#pb172">172</a>]</span>and beasts and fishes in the world; the sun, moon, and stars; every sort of plant -and tree that grows; and pictures of all the Kings and Queens in the world, and all -their children. When the needle was brought the linen went through the eye six times -with ease. The King and the two elder brothers sat still and did not say a word, for -no one could help seeing that this linen was so beautiful and rare that nothing in -the world could be compared to it. -</p> -<p>Presently the King turned to his sons and said with a deep sigh: “Nothing consoles -me more in my old age than to see your deference to my wishes. I desire to put you -to further proof. Go once more and travel for a year, and at the end of that time -he who brings back the most beautiful girl shall marry her and be crowned King on -his wedding day. It is necessary that my successor should marry. I promise that I -will not then put off the reward.” -</p> -<p>So they set out again, and our Prince returned in his splendid carriage to his dear -<span class="pageNum" id="pb173">[<a href="#pb173">173</a>]</span>White Cat. This time she knew the day and hour of his arrival, and had the road strewn -with flowers and grand preparations made to celebrate his return. Seated in a gallery -from which she could see him coming, the White Cat awaited him. -</p> -<p>“Well, King’s Son,” she said, “you have again returned without a crown.” -</p> -<p>“Madam,” he replied, “your kindness has earned me one twice over, but I am persuaded -that my father is unwilling to part with it himself.” -</p> -<p>“No matter,” she said; “you must not give up trying to deserve it. As you must take -back a lovely maiden next time, I will find you one that will gain you the prize. -Now let us take no more care about the matter.” -</p> -<p>Nothing passes more quickly than days spent without trouble or care. If the White -Cat had not taken pains to remember the time when he must return to the court, the -Prince would have surely forgotten it. But one evening she told him that it depended -on himself alone whether he would take to <span class="pageNum" id="pb174">[<a href="#pb174">174</a>]</span>the court one of the most beautiful Princesses in the world. -</p> -<p>“To do this,” she said, “you must take your sword and cut off my head and tail and -throw them quickly into the fire.” -</p> -<p>“I!” he exclaimed; “I cut off your head and tail! My dear White Cat, my love, am I -to do such a cruel deed? Ah! perhaps you are testing my affections, but you need not -doubt me.” -</p> -<p>But she begged and begged, telling him that he must trust her and do as she said. -The tears came into his eyes at the thought of killing his dear White Cat, and he -begged her to spare him. But she was determined, and at last with a trembling hand -he drew his sword, cut off her head and tail, and threw them in the fire. Immediately -the most charming change imaginable took place. The body of the White Cat grew tall -and became that of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. -</p> -<p>The Prince was so overwhelmed with astonishment and delight that he could not <span class="pageNum" id="pb175">[<a href="#pb175">175</a>]</span>speak. As he stood gazing at her, the door opened and a long train of lords and ladies -entered the room, each with a cat’s skin thrown over the shoulder. They bowed low -before the Queen and showed their great joy at seeing her once more restored to her -natural state. She received them graciously, but after a few moments dismissed them, -saying that she wished to be alone with the Prince. To him she explained that she -was a Princess who had been turned into a cat by some angry fairies. All her lords -and ladies had been turned into cats, too, and her servants had been made invisible, -all but their hands. To free them from this enchantment a handsome young Prince must -come and love her well enough to do her bidding. -</p> -<p>Together they set out for the King’s court. Their chariot was more magnificent than -any the Prince had ever seen. Even the horses’ shoes were of emerald with diamond -nails. Since the Princess was as lovely as she appeared, the Prince loved her <span class="pageNum" id="pb176">[<a href="#pb176">176</a>]</span>more dearly than ever, and they had a most delightful journey together. -</p> -<p>When they came near the palace the Princess stepped into a chair made of crystal, -carried by her guards, and drew the silken curtains about her so that she could not -be seen. The Prince remained in the chariot and soon met his brothers walking in the -palace grounds with two very beautiful Princesses. They asked him if he, too, had -found a Princess. He said that the most beautiful thing he had seen was a little white -cat, and her he had brought. They laughed at his simplicity. -</p> -<p>“A cat!” they said. “Are you afraid that our palace will be eaten up by mice?” -</p> -<p>The elder brothers and their Princesses got into carriages of gold and azure; the -horses were decked with plumes, and nothing could have been more brilliant than the -cavalcade. Our young Prince followed, and then came the crystal chair at which every -one looked with admiration. The courtiers hastened to tell the King that the three -Princes had arrived. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb177">[<a href="#pb177">177</a>]</span></p> -<p>“Do they bring beautiful women with them?” asked the King. -</p> -<p>“It is impossible that they should be surpassed,” was the reply, which did not seem -to please the King. -</p> -<p>The elder brothers entered first. The King received them kindly but could not choose -between them. He turned to the youngest and said, “This time you come alone.” -</p> -<p>“Your Majesty,” said the Prince, “will find in the crystal chair a little white cat -which mews so prettily and has such soft paws that I am sure you will be charmed with -her.” -</p> -<p>The King smiled and went to draw back the curtains, but the Princess, by touching -a spring, shattered the crystal and stood forth like the sun appearing from behind -a cloud. Her fair hair floated over her shoulders; her soft white robe was lined with -pink. She bowed gracefully before the King, who exclaimed, “This is the matchless -woman who deserves my crown!” -</p> -<p>“Sire,” she said, “I am not come to deprive you of a crown you fill so worthily. <span class="pageNum" id="pb178">[<a href="#pb178">178</a>]</span>I have by inheritance six kingdoms; permit me to offer one to you and give one to -each of your sons. I ask no other return but your friendship and your consent to my -marriage with your youngest son. We shall have quite enough with three kingdoms.” -</p> -<p></p> -<div class="figure p178width"><img src="images/p178.png" alt="“Sire,” she said, “I am not come to deprive you of a crown." width="533" height="448"></div><p> -</p> -<p>The King and all the court were carried away with joy and astonishment. The three -weddings took place at once. Many months were spent in festivities. Then each King -and Queen went to rule their own kingdom, and all lived happily ever after. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb179">[<a href="#pb179">179</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -</div> -<div class="back"> -<div id="notes" class="div1 notes"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#xd31e289">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divHead"> -<h2 class="main">NOTES</h2> -</div> -<div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"><b>Page 1. <a href="#ch2.1">The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: “<span lang="fr">Contes de Ma Mère l’Oye</span>,” by Charles Perrault (1628–1703). <i>Parallel</i>: Grimm’s “Little Briar Rose.” The Perrault conclusion, describing at length the later -adventures of the characters, we follow Grimm’s example in omitting. -</p> -<p><b>Page 16. <a href="#ch2.2">The Emperor’s New Clothes</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: “Wonder Stories Told for Children,” by Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). -</p> -<p><b>Page 27. <a href="#ch2.3">The Golden Goose</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: “<span lang="de">Kinder- und Hausmärchen</span>,” by Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859). Three folklore motifs -are united,—that of simple kindness rewarded, of the magic touch, which here creates -an amusing situation, and of the unconscious success of a simpleton in making a royal -personage laugh. -</p> -<p><b>Page 34. <a href="#ch2.4">The Elves and the Shoemaker</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Grimm. <i>Parallels</i>: Beside a wealth of tales in which elves or pixies help mortals, this very incident -of their being kindly provided with clothes and refusing thereafter to work appears -in several Scottish and English versions,—notably in “The Cauld Lad of Hilton.” Elves -always disappear when clothed. -</p> -<p><b>Page 38. <a href="#ch2.5">The King of the Cats</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: The Folk-Lore Journal, II, 22. The best of five English variants of this tale. -</p> -<p><b>Page 41. <a href="#ch2.6">The Fir Tree</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Andersen. -</p> -<p><b>Page 62. <a href="#ch2.7">Pleiades</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: “Fairy Tales from Afar, Translated from the Danish Popular Tales of Svend Grundtvig,” -by Jane Mulley. A good presentation of coöperation. -</p> -<p><b>Page 67. <a href="#ch2.8">Bluebeard</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Perrault. <i>Parallels</i>: Several, three in Grimm. Mr. Lang says, “Perrault’s tale has a <span class="pageNum" id="pb180">[<a href="#pb180">180</a>]</span>great advantage over its popular rivals. It is at once more sober and more terrible, -and possesses an epical unity of idea and action. The leading idea, of curiosity punished, -of the box or door which may not be opened, and of the prohibition infringed with -evil results, is of world-wide distribution.” -</p> -<p><b>Page 79. <a href="#ch2.9">Thumbelina</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Andersen. In the tales of Hans Andersen we see the difference between the unconscious -art of traditional folklore and the introspective, studied productions of a writer -for children. -</p> -<p><b>Page 105. <a href="#ch2.10">Clever Alice</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Grimm. The first part is a typical satire on cleverness; the second recalls the -old woman of the nursery rhyme who depended for identity on her little dog at home. -One of a succession of Hans and Alice stories. -</p> -<p><b>Page 114. <a href="#ch2.11">Riquet with the Tuft</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Perrault. “The touch of the traditional and popular manner in the story is the love -of a woman redeeming the ugliness of a man.” -</p> -<p><b>Page 130. <a href="#ch2.12">Snowdrop</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Grimm. <i>Parallels</i>: A characteristic German tale with many variants. The symbolism of color, the wicked -stepmother, the dwarfs in their little house, the child in the forest, and most of -all the atmosphere and style make this a typical German story. -</p> -<p><b>Page 152. <a href="#ch2.13">The White Cat</a>.</b> <i>Source</i>: Madame D’Aulnoy. French text in “<span lang="fr">Cabinet des Fées</span>,” Vol. 3; English translation in “Novels and Tales of the Fairies, London, 1749.” -<i>Parallel</i>: Grimm’s “The Three Feathers.” Our version is much abridged. The delicacy and charm -of Madame D’Aulnoy’s style can be best appreciated in the descriptions of life in -the enchanted palace and of the graceful little White Cat. The rude details of other -stories, in which the older princes bring home farmer lasses who try to jump through -a ring and break their arms and legs in the attempt, are here omitted. With characteristic -refinement the story-teller allows no one to be discomfited; all live happily ever -after, as the heroes and heroines of real fairy tales should. -<span class="pageNum" id="pb181">[<a href="#pb181">181</a>]</span></p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="div1 notes"><span class="pageNum">[<a href="#toc">Contents</a>]</span><div class="divBody"> -<p class="first"></p> -<div class="figure insideback-imagewidth"><img src="images/insideback.png" alt="THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY" width="452" height="720"><p class="figureHead">THE OPEN ROAD LIBRARY</p> -<p class="first">“The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”</p> -</div><p> -</p> -</div> -</div> -<div class="transcriberNote"> -<h2 class="main">Colophon</h2> -<h3 class="main">Availability</h3> -<p class="first">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 <a class="seclink xd31e44" title="External link" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</p> -<p>This eBook is produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at <a class="seclink xd31e44" title="External link" href="https://www.pgdp.net/">www.pgdp.net</a>. -</p> -<p>This is volume two of a two volume set. Volume one is ebook number <a class="pglink xd31e44" title="Link to Project Gutenberg ebook" href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67776">67776</a>. -</p> -<p>Scans for this book are available from the Internet Archive (<a class="seclink xd31e44" title="External link" href="https://archive.org/details/fairytales01lans">Vol. 1</a>, <a class="seclink xd31e44" title="External link" href="https://archive.org/details/fairytales02lans">Vol. 2</a>). -</p> -<h3 class="main">Metadata</h3> -<table class="colophonMetadata" summary="Metadata"> -<tr> -<td><b>Title:</b></td> -<td>Fairy Tales (Volume 2 of 2)</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Author:</b></td> -<td>Marion Florence Lansing (1883–1966)</td> -<td><a href="https://viaf.org/viaf/10948080/" class="seclink">Info</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Illustrator:</b></td> -<td>Charles Copeland (1858–1945)</td> -<td><a href="https://viaf.org/viaf/56202685/" class="seclink">Info</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Language:</b></td> -<td>English</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Original publication date:</b></td> -<td>1908</td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>Project Gutenberg:</b></td> -<td><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67777" class="seclink">67777</a></td> -<td></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><b>QR-code:</b></td> -<td colspan="2"><img src="images/qr67777.png" alt="QR-code of Project Gutenberg URL" width="148" height="148"></td> -</tr> -</table> -<h3 class="main">Revision History</h3> -<ul> -<li>2022-03-20 Started. -</li> -</ul> -<h3 class="main">External References</h3> -<p>This Project Gutenberg eBook contains external references. These links may not work -for you.</p> -<h3 class="main">Corrections</h3> -<p>The following corrections have been applied to the text:</p> -<table class="correctionTable" summary="Overview of corrections applied to the text."> -<tr> -<th>Page</th> -<th>Source</th> -<th>Correction</th> -<th>Edit distance</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e108">N.A.</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom"> -[<i>Not in source</i>] -</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">.</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e656">51</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom"> -[<i>Not in source</i>] -</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">”</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e828">76</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom">’</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">”</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e1310">141</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom"> -[<i>Not in source</i>] -</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">“</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="width20"><a class="pageref" href="#xd31e1537">169</a></td> -<td class="width40 bottom">ver</td> -<td class="width40 bottom">ever</td> -<td class="bottom">1</td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> -</div> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES, VOLUME II (OF 2) ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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