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+Project Gutenberg's Etext The Crimson Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang
+#24 in our series by Andrew Lang
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+The Crimson Fairy Book
+
+Edited by
+
+Andrew Lang
+
+December, 2000  [Etext #2435]
+
+
+Project Gutenberg's Etext The Crimson Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang
+******This file should be named crfry10.txt or crfry10.zip******
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+
+The Crimson Fairy Book
+
+Edited by
+
+Andrew Lang
+
+
+
+Preface
+
+Each Fairy Book demands a preface from the Editor, and these
+introductions are inevitably both monotonous and unavailing. A
+sense of literary honesty compels the Editor to keep repeating that
+he is the Editor, and not the author of the Fairy Tales, just as a
+distinguished man of science is only the Editor, not the Author of
+Nature. Like nature, popular tales are too vast to be the creation of
+a single modern mind. The Editor's business is to hunt for
+collections of these stories told by peasant or savage grandmothers
+in many climes, from New Caledonia to Zululand; from the frozen
+snows of the Polar regions to Greece, or Spain, or Italy, or far
+Lochaber. When the tales are found they are adapted to the needs
+of British children by various hands, the Editor doing little beyond
+guarding the interests of propriety, and toning down to mild
+reproofs the tortures inflicted on wicked stepmothers, and other
+naughty characters.
+
+These explanations have frequently been offered already; but, as far
+as ladies and children are concerned, to no purpose. They still ask
+the Editor how he can invent so many stories--more than
+Shakespeare, Dumas, and Charles Dickens could have invented in a
+century. And the Editor still avers, in Prefaces, that he did not
+invent one of the stories; that nobody knows, as a rule, who
+invented them, or where, or when. It is only plain that, perhaps a
+hundred thousand years ago, some savage grandmother told a tale
+to a savage granddaughter; that the granddaughter told it in her
+turn; that various tellers made changes to suit their taste, adding or
+omitting features and incidents; that, as the world grew civilised,
+other alterations were made, and that, at last, Homer composed the
+'Odyssey,' and somebody else composed the Story of Jason and the
+Fleece of Gold, and the enchantress Medea, out of a set of
+wandering popular tales, which are still told among Samoyeds and
+Samoans, Hindoos and Japanese.
+
+All this has been known to the wise and learned for centuries, and
+especially since the brothers Grimm wrote in the early years of the
+Nineteenth Century. But children remain unaware of the facts, and
+so do their dear mothers; whence the Editor infers that they do not
+read his prefaces, and are not members of the FolkLore Society, or
+students of Herr Kohler and M. Cosquin, and M. Henri Guidoz and
+Professor Child, and Mr. Max Muller. Though these explanations
+are not attended to by the Editor's customers, he makes them once
+more, for the relief of his conscience. Many tales in this book are
+translated, or adapted, from those told by mothers and nurses in
+Hungary; others are familiar to Russian nurseries; the Servians are
+responsible for some; a rather peculiarly fanciful set of stories are
+adapted from the Roumanians; others are from the Baltic shores;
+others from sunny Sicily; a few are from Finland, and Iceland, and
+Japan, and Tunis, and Portugal. No doubt many children will like to
+look out these places on the map, and study their mountains, rivers,
+soil, products, and fiscal policies, in the geography books. The
+peoples who tell the stories differ in colour; language, religion, and
+almost everything else; but they all love a nursery tale. The stories
+have mainly been adapted or translated by Mrs. Lang, a few by
+Miss Lang and Miss Blackley.
+
+
+
+Contents
+
+Lovely Ilonka
+Lucky Luck
+The Hairy Man
+To your Good Health!
+The Story of the Seven Simons
+The Language of Beasts
+The Boy who could keep a Secret
+The Prince and the Dragon
+Little Wildrose
+Tiidu the Piper
+Paperarello
+The Gifts of the Magician
+The Strong Prince
+The Treasure Seeker
+The Cottager and his Cat
+The Prince who would seek Immortality
+The Stone-cutter
+The Gold-bearded Man
+Tritill, Litill, and the Birds
+The Three Robes
+The Six Hungry Beasts
+How the Beggar Boy turned into Count Piro
+The Rogue and the Herdsman
+Eisenkopf
+The Death of Abu Nowas and of his Wife
+Motikatika
+Niels and the Giants
+Shepherd Paul
+How the wicked Tanuki was punished
+The Crab and the Monkey
+The Horse Gullfaxi and the Sword Gunnfoder
+The Story of the Sham Prince, or the Ambitious Tailor
+The Colony of Cats
+How to find out a True Friend
+Clever Maria
+The Magic Kettle
+
+
+
+Lovely Ilonka
+
+There was once a king's son who told his father that he wished to
+marry.
+
+'No, no!' said the king; 'you must not be in such a hurry. Wait till
+you have done some great deed. My father did not let me marry till
+I had won the golden sword you see me wear.'
+
+The prince was much disappointed, but he never dreamed of
+disobeying his father, and he began to think with all his might what
+he could do. It was no use staying at home, so one day he
+wandered out into the world to try his luck, and as he walked along
+he came to a little hut in which he found an old woman crouching
+over the fire.
+
+'Good evening, mother. I see you have lived long in this world; do
+you know anything about the three bulrushes?'
+
+'Yes, indeed, I've lived long and been much about in the world, but
+I have never seen or heard anything of what you ask. Still, if you
+will wait till to-morrow I may be able to tell you something.'
+
+Well, he waited till the morning, and quite early the old woman
+appeared and took out a little pipe and blew in it, and in a moment
+all the crows in the world were flying about her. Not one was
+missing. Then she asked if they knew anything about the three
+bulrushes, but not one of them did.
+
+The prince went on his way, and a little further on he found another
+hut in which lived an old man. On being questioned the old man
+said he knew nothing, but begged the prince to stay overnight, and
+the next morning the old man called all the ravens together, but
+they too had nothing to tell.
+
+The prince bade him farewell and set out. He wandered so far that
+he crossed seven kingdoms, and at last, one evening, he came to a
+little house in which was an old woman.
+
+'Good evening, dear mother,' said he politely.
+
+'Good evening to you, my dear son,' answered the old woman. 'It
+is lucky for you that you spoke to me or you would have met with a
+horrible death. But may I ask where are you going?'
+
+'I am seeking the three bulrushes. Do you know anything about
+them?'
+
+'I don't know anything myself, but wait till to-morrow. Perhaps I
+can tell you then.' So the next morning she blew on her pipe, and lo!
+and behold every magpie in the world flew up. That is to say, all
+the magpies except one who had broken a leg and a wing. The old
+woman sent after it at once, and when she questioned the magpies
+the crippled one was the only one who knew where the three
+bulrushes were.
+
+Then the prince started off with the lame magpie. They went on
+and on till they reached a great stone wall, many, many feet high.
+
+'Now, prince,' said the magpie, 'the three bulrushes are behind that
+wall.'
+
+The prince wasted no time. He set his horse at the wall and leaped
+over it. Then he looked about for the three bulrushes, pulled them
+up and set off with them on his way home. As he rode along one of
+the bulrushes happened to knock against something. It split open
+and, only think! out sprang a lovely girl, who said: 'My heart's love,
+you are mine and I am yours; do give me a glass of water.'
+
+But how could the prince give it her when there was no water at
+hand? So the lovely maiden flew away. He split the second bulrush
+as an experiment and just the same thing happened.
+
+How careful he was of the third bulrush! He waited till he came to a
+well, and there he split it open, and out sprang a maiden seven times
+lovelier than either of the others, and she too said: 'My heart's love,
+I am yours and you are mine; do give me a glass of water.'
+
+This time the water was ready and the girl did not fly away, but she
+and the prince promised to love each other always. Then they set
+out for home.
+
+They soon reached the prince's country, and as he wished to bring
+his promised bride back in a fine coach he went on to the town to
+fetch one. In the field where the well was, the king's swineherds
+and cowherds were feeding their droves, and the prince left Ilonka
+(for that was her name) in their care.
+
+Unluckily the chief swineherd had an ugly old daughter, and whilst
+the prince was away he dressed her up in fine clothes, and threw
+Ilonka into the well.
+
+The prince returned before long, bringing with him his father and
+mother and a great train of courtiers to escort Ilonka home. But
+how they all stared when they saw the swineherd's ugly daughter! 
+However, there was nothing for it but to take her home; and, two
+days later, the prince married her, and his father gave up the crown
+to him.
+
+But he had no peace! He knew very well he had been cheated,
+though he could not think how. Once he desired to have some
+water brought him from the well into which Ilonka had been
+thrown. The coachman went for it and, in the bucket he pulled up,
+a pretty little duck was swimming. He looked wonderingly at it,
+and all of a sudden it disappeared and he found a dirty looking girl
+standing near him. The girl returned with him and managed to get a
+place as housemaid in the palace.
+
+Of course she was very busy all day long, but whenever she had a
+little spare time she sat down to spin. Her distaff turned of itself
+and her spindle span by itself and the flax wound itself off; and
+however much she might use there was always plenty left.
+
+When the queen--or, rather, the swineherd's daughter--heard of
+this, she very much wished to have the distaff, but the girl flatly
+refused to give it to her. However, at last she consented on
+condition that she might sleep one night in the king's room. The
+queen was very angry, and scolded her well; but as she longed to
+have the distaff she consented, though she gave the king a sleeping
+draught at supper.
+
+Then the girl went to the king's room looking seven times lovelier
+than ever. She bent over the sleeper and said: 'My heart's love, I
+am yours and you are mine. Speak to me but once; I am your
+Ilonka.' But the king was so sound asleep he neither heard nor
+spoke, and Ilonka left the room, sadly thinking he was ashamed to
+own her.
+
+Soon after the queen again sent to say that she wanted to buy the
+spindle. The girl agreed to let her have it on the same conditions as
+before; but this time, also, the queen took care to give the king a
+sleeping draught. And once more Ilonka went to the king's room
+and spoke to him; whisper as sweetly as she might she could get no
+answer.
+
+Now some of the king's servants had taken note of the matter, and
+warned their master not to eat and drink anything that the queen
+offered him, as for two nights running she had given him a sleeping
+draught. The queen had no idea that her doings had been
+discovered; and when, a few days later, she wanted the flax, and
+had to pay the same price for it, she felt no fears at all.
+
+At supper that night the queen offered the king all sorts of nice
+things to eat and drink, but he declared he was not hungry, and
+went early to bed.
+
+The queen repented bitterly her promise to the girl, but it was too
+late to recall it; for Ilonka had already entered the king's room,
+where he lay anxiously waiting for something, he knew not what.
+All of a sudden he saw a lovely maiden who bent over him and said:
+'My dearest love, I am yours and you are mine. Speak to me, for I
+am your Ilonka.'
+
+At these words the king's heart bounded within him. He sprang up
+and embraced and kissed her, and she told him all her adventures
+since the moment he had left her. And when he heard all that
+Ilonka had suffered, and how he had been deceived, he vowed he
+would be revenged; so he gave orders that the swineherd, his wife
+and daughter should all be hanged; and so they were.
+
+The next day the king was married, with great rejoicings, to the fair
+Ilonka; and if they are not yet dead--why, they are still living.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrehen.]
+
+
+
+Lucky Luck
+
+Once upon a time there was a king who had an only son. When the
+lad was about eighteen years old his father had to go to fight in a
+war against a neighbouring country, and the king led his troops in
+person. He bade his son act as Regent in his absence, but ordered
+him on no account to marry till his return.
+
+Time went by. The prince ruled the country and never even thought
+of marrying. But when he reached his twenty-fifth birthday he
+began to think that it might be rather nice to have a wife, and he
+thought so much that at last he got quite eager about it. He
+remembered, however, what his father had said, and waited some
+time longer, till at last it was ten years since the king went out to
+war. Then the prince called his courtiers about him and set off with
+a great retinue to seek a bride. He hardly knew which way to go, so
+he wandered about for twenty days, when, suddenly, he found
+himself in his father's camp.
+
+The king was delighted to see his son, and had a great many
+questions to ask and answer; but when he heard that instead of
+quietly waiting for him at home the prince was starting off to seek a
+wife he was very angry, and said: 'You may go where you please
+but I will not leave any of my people with you.'
+
+Only one faithful servant stayed with the prince and refused to part
+from him. They journeyed over hill and dale till they came to a
+place called Goldtown. The King of Goldtown had a lovely
+daughter, and the prince, who soon heard about her beauty, could
+not rest till he saw her.
+
+He was very kindly received, for he was extremely good-looking
+and had charming manners, so he lost no time in asking for her hand
+and her parents gave her to him with joy. The wedding took place
+at once, and the feasting and rejoicings went on for a whole month.
+At the end of the month they set off for home, but as the journey
+was a long one they spent the first evening at an inn. Everyone in
+the house slept, and only the faithful servant kept watch. About
+midnight he heard three crows, who had flown to the roof, talking
+together.
+
+'That's a handsome couple which arrived here tonight. It seems
+quite a pity they should lose their lives so soon.'
+
+'Truly,' said the second crow; 'for to-morrow, when midday
+strikes, the bridge over the Gold Stream will break just as they are
+driving over it. But, listen! whoever overhears and tells what we
+have said will be turned to stone up to his knees.'
+
+The crows had hardly done speaking when away they flew. And
+close upon them followed three pigeons.
+
+'Even if the prince and princess get safe over the bridge they will
+perish,' said they; 'for the king is going to send a carriage to meet
+them which looks as new as paint. But when they are seated in it a
+raging wind will rise and whirl the carriage away into the clouds.
+Then it will fall suddenly to earth, and they will be killed. But
+anyone who hears and betrays what we have said will be turned to
+stone up to his waist.'
+
+With that the pigeons flew off and three eagles took their places,
+and this is what they said:
+
+'If the young couple does manage to escape the dangers of the
+bridge and the carriage, the king means to send them each a
+splendid gold embroidered robe. When they put these on they will
+be burnt up at once. But whoever hears and repeats this will turn to
+stone from head to foot.'
+
+Early next morning the travellers got up and breakfasted. They
+began to tell each other their dreams. At last the servant said:
+
+'Gracious prince, I dreamt that if your Royal Highness would grant
+all I asked we should get home safe and sound; but if you did not
+we should certainly be lost. My dreams never deceive me, so I
+entreat you to follow my advice during the rest of the journey.'
+
+'Don't make such a fuss about a dream,' said the prince; 'dreams are
+but clouds. Still, to prevent your being anxious I will promise to do
+as you wish.'
+
+With that they set out on their journey.
+
+At midday they reached the Gold Stream. When they got to the
+bridge the servant said: 'Let us leave the carriage here, my prince,
+and walk a little way. The town is not far off and we can easily get
+another carriage there, for the wheels of this one are bad and will
+not hold out much longer.'
+
+The prince looked well at the carriage. He did not think it looked so
+unsafe as his servant said; but he had given his word and he held to
+it.
+
+They got down and loaded the horses with the luggage. The prince
+and his bride walked over the bridge, but the servant said he would
+ride the horses through the stream so as to water and bathe them.
+
+They reached the other side without harm, and bought a new
+carriage in the town, which was quite near, and set off once more
+on their travels; but they had not gone far when they met a
+messenger from the king who said to the prince: 'His Majesty has
+sent your Royal Highness this beautiful carriage so that you may
+make a fitting entry into your own country and amongst your own
+people.'
+
+The prince was so delighted that he could not speak. But the
+servant said: 'My lord, let me examine this carriage first and then
+you can get in if I find it is all right; otherwise we had better stay in
+our own.'
+
+The prince made no objections, and after looking the carriage well
+over the servant said: 'It is as bad as it is smart'; and with that he
+knocked it all to pieces, and they went on in the one that they had
+bought.
+
+At last they reached the frontier; there another messenger was
+waiting for them, who said that the king had sent two splendid
+robes for the prince and his bride, and begged that they would wear
+them for their state entry. But the servant implored the prince to
+have nothing to do with them, and never gave him any peace till he
+had obtained leave to destroy the robes.
+
+The old king was furious when he found that all his arts had failed;
+that his son still lived and that he would have to give up the crown
+to him now he was married, for that was the law of the land. He
+longed to know how the prince had escaped, and said: 'My dear
+son, I do indeed rejoice to have you safely back, but I cannot
+imagine why the beautiful carriage and the splendid robes I sent did
+not please you; why you had them destroyed.'
+
+'Indeed, sire,' said the prince, 'I was myself much annoyed at their
+destruction; but my servant had begged to direct everything on the
+journey and I had promised him that he should do so. He declared
+that we could not possibly get home safely unless I did as he told
+me.'
+
+The old king fell into a tremendous rage. He called his Council
+together and condemned the servant to death.
+
+The gallows was put up in the square in front of the palace. The
+servant was led out and his sentence read to him.
+
+The rope was being placed round his neck, when he begged to be
+allowed a few last words. 'On our journey home,' he said, 'we spent
+the first night at an inn. I did not sleep but kept watch all night.'
+And then he went on to tell what the crows had said, and as he
+spoke he turned to stone up to his knees. The prince called to him
+to say no more as he had proved his innocence. But the servant paid
+no heed to him, and by the time his story was done he had turned to
+stone from head to foot.
+
+Oh! how grieved the prince was to lose his faithful servant! And
+what pained him most was the thought that he was lost through his
+very faithfulness, and he determined to travel all over the world and
+never rest till he found some means of restoring him to life.
+
+Now there lived at Court an old woman who had been the prince's
+nurse. To her he confided all his plans, and left his wife, the
+princess, in her care. 'You have a long way before you, my son,'
+said the old woman; 'you must never return till you have met with
+Lucky Luck. If he cannot help you no one on earth can.'
+
+So the prince set off to try to find Lucky Luck. He walked and
+walked till he got beyond his own country, and he wandered
+through a wood for three days but did not meet a living being in it.
+At the end of the third day he came to a river near which stood a
+large mill. Here he spent the night. When he was leaving next
+morning the miller asked him: 'My gracious lord, where are you
+going all alone?'
+
+And the prince told him.
+
+'Then I beg your Highness to ask Lucky Luck this question: Why is
+it that though I have an excellent mill, with all its machinery
+complete, and get plenty of grain to grind, I am so poor that I
+hardly know how to live from one day to another?'
+
+The prince promised to inquire, and went on his way. He wandered
+about for three days more, and at the end of the third day saw a
+little town. It was quite late when he reached it, but he could
+discover no light anywhere, and walked almost right through it
+without finding a house where he could turn in. But far away at the
+end of the town he saw a light in a window. He went straight to it
+and in the house were three girls playing a game together. The
+prince asked for a night's lodging and they took him in, gave him
+some supper and got a room ready for him, where he slept.
+
+Next morning when he was leaving they asked where he was going
+and he told them his story. 'Gracious prince,' said the maidens, 'do
+ask Lucky Luck how it happens that here we are over thirty years
+old and no lover has come to woo us, though we are good, pretty,
+and very industrious.'
+
+The prince promised to inquire, and went on his way.
+
+Then he came to a great forest and wandered about in it from
+morning to night and from night to morning before he got near the
+other end. Here he found a pretty stream which was different from
+other streams as, instead of flowing, it stood still and began to talk:
+'Sir prince, tell me what brings you into these wilds? I must have
+been flowing here a hundred years and more and no one has ever
+yet come by.'
+
+'I will tell you,' answered the prince, 'if you will divide yourself so
+that I may walk through.'
+
+The stream parted at once, and the prince walked through without
+wetting his feet; and directly he got to the other side he told his
+story as he had promised.
+
+'Oh, do ask Lucky Luck,' cried the brook, 'why, though I am such a
+clear, bright, rapid stream I never have a fish or any other living
+creature in my waters.'
+
+The prince said he would do so, and continued his journey.
+
+When he got quite clear of the forest he walked on through a lovely
+valley till he reached a little house thatched with rushes, and he
+went in to rest for he was very tired.
+
+Everything in the house was beautifully clean and tidy, and a
+cheerful honest-looking old woman was sitting by the fire.
+
+'Good-morning, mother,' said the prince.
+
+'May Luck be with you, my son. What brings you into these parts?'
+
+'I am looking for Lucky Luck,' replied the prince.
+
+'Then you have come to the right place, my son, for I am his
+mother. He is not at home just now, he is out digging in the
+vineyard. Do you go too. Here are two spades. When you find him
+begin to dig, but don't speak a word to him. It is now eleven
+o'clock. When he sits down to eat his dinner sit beside him and eat
+with him. After dinner he will question you, and then tell him all
+your troubles freely. He will answer whatever you may ask.'
+
+With that she showed him the way, and the prince went and did just
+as she had told him. After dinner they lay down to rest.
+
+All of a sudden Lucky Luck began to speak and said: 'Tell me, what
+sort of man are you, for since you came here you have not spoken a
+word?'
+
+'I am not dumb,' replied the young man, 'but I am that unhappy
+prince whose faithful servant has been turned to stone, and I want
+to know how to help him.'
+
+'And you do well, for he deserves everything. Go back, and when
+you get home your wife will just have had a little boy. Take three
+drops of blood from the child's little finger, rub them on your
+servant's wrists with a blade of grass and he will return to life.'
+
+'I have another thing to ask,' said the prince, when he had thanked
+him. 'In the forest near here is a fine stream but not a fish or other
+living creature in it. Why is this?'
+
+'Because no one has ever been drowned in the stream. But take
+care, in crossing, to get as near the other side as you can before you
+say so, or you may be the first victim yourself.'
+
+'Another question, please, before I go. On my way here I lodged
+one night in the house of three maidens. All were well-mannered,
+hard-working, and pretty, and yet none has had a wooer. Why was
+this?'
+
+'Because they always throw out their sweepings in the face of the
+sun.'
+
+'And why is it that a miller, who has a large mill with all the best
+machinery and gets plenty of corn to grind is so poor that he can
+hardly live from day to day?'
+
+'Because the miller keeps everything for himself, and does not give
+to those who need it.'
+
+The prince wrote down the answers to his questions, took a friendly
+leave of Lucky Luck, and set off for home.
+
+When he reached the stream it asked if he brought it any good
+news. 'When I get across I will tell you,' said he. So the stream
+parted; he walked through and on to the highest part of the bank.
+He stopped and shouted out:
+
+'Listen, oh stream! Lucky Luck says you will never have any living
+creature in your waters until someone is drowned in you.'
+
+The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stream swelled
+and overflowed till it reached the rock up which he had climbed,
+and dashed so far up it that the spray flew over him. But he clung
+on tight, and after failing to reach him three times the stream
+returned to its proper course. Then the prince climbed down, dried
+himself in the sun, and set out on his march home.
+
+He spent the night once more at the mill and gave the miller his
+answer, and by-and-by he told the three sisters not to throw out all
+their sweepings in the face of the sun.
+
+The prince had hardly arrived at home when some thieves tried to
+ford the stream with a fine horse they had stolen. When they were
+half-way across, the stream rose so suddenly that it swept them all
+away. From that time it became the best fishing stream in the
+country-side.
+
+The miller, too, began to give alms and became a very good man,
+and in time grew so rich that he hardly knew how much he had.
+
+And the three sisters, now that they no longer insulted the sun, had
+each a wooer within a week.
+
+When the prince got home he found that his wife had just got a fine
+little boy. He did not lose a moment in pricking the baby's finger till
+the blood ran, and he brushed it on the wrists of the stone figure,
+which shuddered all over and split with a loud noise in seven parts
+and there was the faithful servant alive and well.
+
+When the old king saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly
+about, flung himself on the ground and died.
+
+The servant stayed on with his royal master and served him
+faithfully all the rest of his life; and, if neither of them is dead, he is
+serving him still.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Hairy Man
+
+Somewhere or other, but I don't know where, there lived a king
+who owned two remarkably fine fields of rape, but every night two
+of the rape heaps were burnt down in one of the fields. The king
+was extremely angry at this, and sent out soldiers to catch whoever
+had set fire to the ricks; but it was all of no use--not a soul could
+they see. Then he offered nine hundred crowns to anyone who
+caught the evil-doer, and at the same time ordered that whoever did
+not keep proper watch over the fields should be killed; but though
+there were a great many people, none seemed able to protect the
+fields.
+
+The king had already put ninety-nine people to death, when a little
+swineherd came to him who had two dogs; one was called 'Psst,'
+and the other 'Hush'; and the boy told the king that he would watch
+over the ricks.
+
+When it grew dark he climbed up on the top of the fourth rick, from
+where he could see the whole field. About eleven o'clock he
+thought he saw someone going to a rick and putting a light to it. 
+'Just you wait,' thought he, and called out to his dogs: 'Hi! Psst,
+Hush, catch him! ' But Psst and Hush had not waited for orders,
+and in five minutes the man was caught.
+
+Next morning he was brought bound before the king, who was so
+pleased with the boy that he gave him a thousand crowns at once. 
+The prisoner was all covered with hair, almost like an animal; and
+altogether he was so curious to look at that the king locked him up
+in a strong room and sent out letters of invitation to all the other
+kings and princes asking them to come and see this wonder.
+
+That was all very well; but the king had a little boy of ten years old
+who went to look at the hairy man also, and the man begged so
+hard to be set free that the boy took pity on him. He stole the key
+of the strong room from his mother and opened the door. Then he
+took the key back, but the hairy man escaped and went off into the
+world.
+
+Then the kings and princes began to arrive one after another, and all
+were most anxious to see the hairy man; but he was gone! The king
+nearly burst with rage and with the shame he felt. He questioned
+his wife sharply, and told her that if she could not find and bring
+back the hairy man he would put her in a hut made of rushes and
+burn her there. The queen declared she had had nothing to do with
+the matter; if her son had happened to take the key it had not been
+with her knowledge.
+
+So they fetched the little prince and asked him all sorts of questions,
+and at last he owned that he had let the hairy man out. The king
+ordered his servants to take the boy into the forest and to kill him
+there, and to bring back part of his liver and lungs.
+
+There was grief all over the palace when the king's command was
+known, for he was a great favourite. But there was no help for it,
+and they took the boy out into the forest. But the man was sorry
+for him, and shot a dog and carried pieces of his lungs and liver to
+the king, who was satisfied, and did not trouble himself any more.
+
+The prince wandered about in the forest and lived as best he could
+for five years. One day he came upon a poor little cottage in which
+was an old man. They began to talk, and the prince told his story
+and sad fate. Then they recognised each other, for the old fellow
+was no other than the hairy man whom the prince had set free, and
+who had lived ever since in the forest.
+
+The prince stayed here for two years; then he wished to go further. 
+The old man begged him hard to stay, but he would not, so his
+hairy friend gave him a golden apple out of which came a horse
+with a golden mane, and a golden staff with which to guide the
+horse. The old man also gave him a silver apple out of which came
+the most beautiful hussars and a silver staff; and a copper apple
+from which he could draw as many foot soldiers as ever he wished,
+and a copper staff. He made the prince swear solemnly to take the
+greatest care of these presents, and then he let him go.
+
+The boy wandered on and on till he came to a large town. Here he
+took service in the king's palace, and as no one troubled themselves
+about him he lived quietly on.
+
+One day news was brought to the king that he must go out to war. 
+He was horribly frightened for he had a very small army, but he had
+to go all the same.
+
+When they had all left, the prince said to the housekeeper:
+
+'Give me leave to go to the next village--I owe a small bill there,
+and I want to go and pay it'; and as there was nothing to be done in
+the palace the housekeeper gave him leave.
+
+When he got beyond the town he took out his golden apple, and
+when the horse sprang out he swung himself into the saddle. Then
+he took the silver and the copper apples, and with all these fine
+soldiers he joined the king's army.
+
+The king saw them approach with fear in his heart, for he did not
+know if it might not be an enemy; but the prince rode up, and
+bowed low before him. 'I bring your Majesty reinforcements,' said
+he.
+
+The king was delighted, and all dread of his enemy at once
+disappeared. The princesses were there too, and they were very
+friendly with the prince and begged him to get into their carriage so
+as to talk to them. But he declined, and remained on horseback, as
+he did not know at what moment the battle might begin; and whilst
+they were all talking together the youngest princess, who was also
+the loveliest, took off her ring, and her sister tore her handkerchief
+in two pieces, and they gave these gifts to the prince.
+
+Suddenly the enemy came in sight. The king asked whether his
+army or the prince's should lead the way; but the prince set off first
+and with his hussars he fought so bravely that only two of the
+enemy were left alive, and these two were only spared to act as
+messengers.
+
+The king was overjoyed and so were his daughters at this brilliant
+victory. As they drove home they begged the prince to join them,
+but he would not come, and galloped off with his hussars.
+
+When he got near the town he packed his soldiers and his fine horse
+all carefully into the apple again, and then strolled into the town.
+On his return to the palace he was well scolded by the housekeeper
+for staying away so long.
+
+Well, the whole matter might have ended there; but it so happened
+that the younger princess had fallen in love with the prince, as he
+had with her. And as he had no jewels with him, he gave her the
+copper apple and staff.
+
+One day, as the princesses were talking with their father, the
+younger one asked him whether it might not have been their servant
+who had helped him so much. The king was quite angry at the idea;
+but, to satisfy her, he ordered the servant's room to be searched. 
+And there, to everyone's surprise, they found the golden ring and
+the half of the handkerchief. When these were brought to the king
+he sent for the prince at once and asked if it had been he who had
+come to their rescue.
+
+'Yes, your Majesty, it was I,' answered the prince.
+
+'But where did you get your army?'
+
+'If you wish to see it, I can show it you outside the city walls.'
+
+And so he did; but first he asked for the copper apple from the
+younger princess, and when all the soldiers were drawn up there
+were such numbers that there was barely room for them.
+
+The king gave him his daughter and kingdom as a reward for his
+aid, and when he heard that the prince was himself a king's son his
+joy knew no bounds. The prince packed all his soldiers carefully
+up once more, and they went back into the town.
+
+Not long after there was a grand wedding; perhaps they may all be
+alive still, but I don't know.
+
+
+
+To Your Good Health!
+                    
+Long, long ago there lived a king who was such a mighty monarch
+that whenever he sneezed every one in the whole country had to say
+'To your good health!' Every one said it except the shepherd with
+the staring eyes, and he would not say it.
+
+The king heard of this and was very angry, and sent for the
+shepherd to appear before him.
+
+The shepherd came and stood before the throne, where the king sat
+looking very grand and powerful. But however grand or powerful
+he might be the shepherd did not feel a bit afraid of him.
+
+'Say at once, "To my good health!"' cried the king.
+
+'To my good health!' replied the shepherd.
+
+'To mine--to mine, you rascal, you vagabond!' stormed the king.
+
+'To mine, to mine, your Majesty,' was the answer.
+
+'But to mine--to my own,' roared the king, and beat on his breast in
+a rage.
+
+'Well, yes; to mine, of course, to my own,' cried the shepherd, and
+gently tapped his breast.
+
+The king was beside himself with fury and did not know what to
+do, when the Lord Chamberlain interfered:
+
+'Say at once--say this very moment: "To your health, your
+Majesty"; for if you don't say it you'll lose your life, whispered he.
+
+'No, I won't say it till I get the princess for my wife,' was the
+shepherd's answer. Now the princess was sitting on a little throne
+beside the king, her father, and she looked as sweet and lovely as a
+little golden dove. When she heard what the shepherd said she
+could not help laughing, for there is no denying the fact that this
+young shepherd with the staring eyes pleased her very much; indeed
+he pleased her better than any king's son she had yet seen.
+
+But the king was not as pleasant as his daughter, and he gave
+orders to throw the shepherd into the white bear's pit.
+
+The guards led him away and thrust him into the pit with the white
+bear, who had had nothing to eat for two days and was very
+hungry. The door of the pit was hardly closed when the bear
+rushed at the shepherd; but when it saw his eyes it was so
+frightened that it was ready to eat itself. It shrank away into a
+corner and gazed at him from there, and, in spite of being so
+famished, did not dare to touch him, but sucked its own paws from
+sheer hunger. The shepherd felt that if he once removed his eyes
+off the beast he was a dead man, and in order to keep himself
+awake he made songs and sang them, and so the night went by.
+
+Next morning the Lord Chamberlain came to see the shepherd's
+bones, and was amazed to find him alive and well. He led him to
+the king, who fell into a furious passion, and said: 'Well, you have
+learned what it is to be very near death, and now will you say "To
+my good health"?'
+
+But the shepherd answered: 'I am not afraid of ten deaths! I will
+only say it if I may have the princess for my wife.'
+
+'Then go to your death,' cried the king; and ordered him to be
+thrown into the den with the wild boars. The wild boars had not
+been fed for a week, and when the shepherd was thrust into their
+don they rushed at him to tear him to pieces. But the shepherd
+took a little flute out of the sleeve of his jacket and began to play a
+merry tune, on which the wild boars first of all shrank shyly away,
+and then got up on their hind legs and danced gaily. The shepherd
+would have given anything to be able to laugh, they looked so
+funny; but he dared not stop playing, for he knew well enough that
+the moment he stopped they would fall upon him and tear him to
+pieces. His eyes were of no use to him here, for he could not have
+stared ten wild boars in the face at once; so he kept on playing, and
+the wild boars danced very slowly, as if in a minuet, then by degrees
+he played faster and faster till they could hardly twist and turn
+quickly enough, and ended by all falling over each other in a heap,
+quite exhausted and out of breath.
+
+Then the shepherd ventured to laugh at last; and he laughed so long
+and so loud that when the Lord Chamberlain came early in the
+morning, expecting to find only his bones, the tears were still
+running down his cheeks from laughter.
+
+As soon as the king was dressed the shepherd was again brought
+before him; but he was more angry than ever to think the wild boars
+had not torn the man to bits, and he said: 'Well, you have learned
+what it feels to be near ten deaths, now say "To my good health!"'
+
+But the shepherd broke in with, 'I do not fear a hundred deaths, and
+I will only say it if I may have the princess for my wife.'
+
+'Then go to a hundred deaths!' roared the king, and ordered the
+shepherd to be thrown down the deep vault of scythes.
+
+The guards dragged him away to a dark dungeon, in the middle of
+which was a deep well with sharp scythes all round it. At the
+bottom of the well was a little light by which one could see if
+anyone was thrown in whether he had fallen to the bottom.
+
+When the shepherd was dragged to the dungeons he begged the
+guards to leave him alone a little while that he might look down
+into the pit of scythes; perhaps he might after all make up his mind
+to say 'To your good health' to the king. So the guards left him
+alone and he stuck up his long stick near the well, hung his cloak
+round the stick and put his hat on the top. He also hung his
+knapsack up inside the cloak so that it might seem to have some
+body within it. When this was done he called out to the guards and
+said that he had considered the matter but after all he could not
+make up his mind to say what the king wished. The guards came
+in, threw the hat and cloak, knapsack and stick all down the well
+together, watched to see how they put out the light at the bottom
+and came away, thinking that now there really was an end of the
+shepherd. But he had hidden in a dark corner and was laughing to
+himself all the time.
+
+Quite early next morning came the Lord Chamberlain, carrying a
+lamp and he nearly fell backwards with surprise when he saw the
+shepherd alive and well. He brought him to the king, whose fury
+was greater than ever, but who cried:
+
+'Well, now you have been near a hundred deaths; will you say: "To
+your good health"?'
+
+But the shepherd only gave the same answer:
+
+'I won't say it till the princess is my wife.'
+
+'Perhaps after all you may do it for less,' said the king, who saw that
+there was no chance of making away with the shepherd; and he
+ordered the state coach to be got ready, then he made the shepherd
+get in with him and sit beside him, and ordered the coachman to
+drive to the silver wood. When they reached it he said: 'Do you see
+this silver wood?  Well, if you will say, "To your good health," I
+will give it to you.'
+
+The shepherd turned hot and cold by turns, but he still persisted:
+
+'I will not say it till the princess is my wife.'
+
+The king was much vexed; he drove further on till they came to a
+splendid castle, all of gold, and then he said:
+
+'Do you see this golden castle?  Well, I will give you that too, the
+silver wood and the golden castle, if only you will say that one thing
+to me: "To your good health."'
+
+The shepherd gaped and wondered and was quite dazzled, but he
+still said:
+
+'No; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'
+
+This time the king was overwhelmed with grief, and gave orders to
+drive on to the diamond pond, and there he tried once more.
+
+'Do you see this diamond pond?  I will give you that too, the silver
+wood and the golden castle and the diamond pond. You shall have
+them all--all--if you will but say: "To your good health!"'
+
+The shepherd had to shut his staring eyes tight not to be dazzled
+with the brilliant pond, but still he said:
+
+'No, no; I will not say it till I have the princess for my wife.'
+
+Then the king saw that all his efforts were useless, and that he
+might as well give in, so he said:
+
+'Well, well, it's all the same to me--I will give you my daughter to
+wife; but, then, you really and truly must say to me: "To your good
+health."'
+
+'Of course I'll say it; why should I not say it? It stands to reason
+that I shall say it then.'
+
+At this the king was more delighted than anyone could have
+believed. He made it known all through the country that there were
+to be great rejoicings, as the princess was going to be married. And
+everyone rejoiced to think that the princess, who had refused so
+many royal suitors, should have ended by falling in love with the
+staring-eyed shepherd.
+
+There was such a wedding as had never been seen. Everyone ate
+and drank and danced. Even the sick were feasted, and quite tiny
+new-born children had presents given them.
+
+But the greatest merry-making was in the king's palace; there the
+best bands played and the best food was cooked; a crowd of people
+sat down to table, and all was fun and merry-making.
+
+And when the groomsman, according to custom, brought in the
+great boar's head on a big dish and placed it before the king so that
+he might carve it and give everyone a share, the savoury smell was
+so strong that the king began to sneeze with all his might.
+
+'To your very good health,' cried the shepherd before anyone else,
+and the king was so delighted that he did not regret having given
+him his daughter.
+
+In time, when the old king died, the shepherd succeeded him. He
+made a very good king and never expected his people to wish him
+well against their wills; but, all the same, everyone did wish him
+well, for they all loved him.
+
+[From Russische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Story of the Seven Simons
+
+Far, far away, beyond all sorts of countries, seas and rivers, there
+stood a splendid city where lived King Archidej, who was as good
+as he was rich and handsome. His great army was made up of men
+ready to obey his slightest wish; he owned forty times forty cities,
+and in each city he had ten palaces with silver doors, golden roofs,
+and crystal windows. His council consisted of the twelve wisest
+men in the country, whose long beards flowed down over their
+breasts, each of whom was as learned as a whole college. This
+council always told the king the exact truth.
+
+Now the king had everything to make him happy, but he did not
+enjoy anything because he could not find a bride to his mind.
+
+One day, as he sat in his palace looking out to sea, a great ship
+sailed into the harbour and several merchants came on shore. Said
+the king to himself: 'These people have travelled far and beheld
+many lands. I will ask them if they have seen any princess who is as
+clever and as handsome as I am.'
+
+So he ordered the merchants to be brought before him, and when
+they came he said: 'You have travelled much and visited many
+wonders. I wish to ask you a question, and I beg you to answer
+truthfully.
+
+'Have you anywhere seen or heard of the daughter of an emperor,
+king, or a prince, who is as clever and as handsome as I am, and
+who would be worthy to be my wife and the queen of my country?'
+
+The merchants considered for some time. At last the eldest of them
+said: 'I have heard that across many seas, in the Island of Busan,
+there is a mighty king, whose daughter, the Princess Helena, is so
+lovely that she can certainly not be plainer than your Majesty, and
+so clever that the wisest greybeard cannot guess her riddles.'
+
+'Is the island far off, and which is the way to it?'
+
+'It is not near,' was the answer. 'The journey would take ten years,
+and we do not know the way. And even if we did, what use would
+that be? The princess is no bride for you.'
+
+'How dare you say so?' cried the king angrily.
+
+'Your Majesty must pardon us; but just think for a moment. Should
+you send an envoy to the island he will take ten years to get there
+and ten more to return--twenty years in all. Will not the princess
+have grown old in that time and have lost all her beauty?'
+
+The king reflected gravely. Then he thanked the merchants, gave
+them leave to trade in his country without paying any duties, and
+dismissed them.
+
+After they were gone the king remained deep in thought. He felt
+puzzled and anxious; so he decided to ride into the country to
+distract his mind, and sent for his huntsmen and falconers. The
+huntsmen blew their horns, the falconers took their hawks on their
+wrists, and off they all set out across country till they came to a
+green hedge. On the other side of the hedge stretched a great field
+of maize as far as the eye could reach, and the yellow ears swayed
+to and fro in the gentle breeze like a rippling sea of gold.
+
+The king drew rein and admired the field. 'Upon my word,' said he,
+'whoever dug and planted it must be good workmen. If all the
+fields in my kingdom were as well cared for as this, there would be
+more bread than my people could eat.' And he wished to know to
+whom the field belonged.
+
+Off rushed all his followers at once to do his bidding, and found a
+nice, tidy farmhouse, in front of which sat seven peasants, lunching
+on rye bread and drinking water. They wore red shirts bound with
+gold braid, and were so much alike that one could hardly tell one
+from another.
+
+The messengers asked: 'Who owns this field of golden maize?' And
+the seven brothers answered: 'The field is ours.'
+
+'And who are you?'
+
+'We are King Archidej's labourers.'
+
+These answers were repeated to the king, who ordered the brothers
+to be brought before him at once. On being asked who they were,
+the eldest said, bowing low:
+
+'We, King Archidej, are your labourers, children of one father and
+mother, and we all have the same name, for each of us is called
+Simon. Our father taught us to be true to our king, and to till the
+ground, and to be kind to our neighbours. He also taught each of
+us a different trade which he thought might be useful to us, and he
+bade us not neglect our mother earth, which would be sure amply
+to repay our labour.'
+
+The king was pleased with the honest peasant, and said: 'You have
+done well, good people, in planting your field, and now you have a
+golden harvest. But I should like each of you to tell me what
+special trades your father taught you.'
+
+'My trade, O king!' said the first Simon, 'is not an easy one. If you
+will give me some workmen and materials I will build you a great
+white pillar that shall reach far above the clouds.'
+
+'Very good,' replied the king. 'And you, Simon the second, what is
+your trade?'
+
+'Mine, your Majesty, needs no great cleverness. When my brother
+has built the pillar I can mount it, and from the top, far above the
+clouds, I can see what is happening: in every country under the sun.'
+
+'Good,' said the king; 'and Simon the third?'
+
+'My work is very simple, sire. You have many ships built by
+learned men, with all sorts of new and clever improvements. If you
+wish it I will build you quite a simple boat--one, two, three, and it's
+done! But my plain little home-made ship is not grand enough for a
+king. Where other ships take a year, mine makes the voyage in a
+day, and where they would require ten years mine will do the
+distance in a week.'
+
+'Good,' said the king again; 'and what has Simon the fourth learnt?'
+
+'My trade, O king, is really of no importance. Should my brother
+build you a ship, then let me embark in it. If we should be pursued
+by an enemy I can seize our boat by the prow and sink it to the
+bottom of the sea. When the enemy has sailed off, I can draw it up
+to the top again.'
+
+'That is very clever of you,' answered the king; 'and what does
+Simon the fifth do?'
+
+'My work, your Majesty, is mere smith's work. Order me to build a
+smithy and I will make you a cross-bow, but from which neither the
+eagle in the sky nor the wild beast in the forest is safe. The bolt hits
+whatever the eye sees.'
+
+'That sounds very useful,' said the king. 'And now, Simon the sixth,
+tell me your trade.'
+
+'Sire, it is so simple I am almost ashamed to mention it. If my
+brother hits any creature I catch it quicker than any dog can. If it
+falls into the water I pick it up out of the greatest depths, and if it is
+in a dark forest I can find it even at midnight.'
+
+The king was much pleased with the trades and talk of the six
+brothers, and said: 'Thank you, good people; your father did well
+to teach you all these things. Now follow me to the town, as I want
+to see what you can do. I need such people as you about me; but
+when harvest time comes I will send you home with royal presents.'
+
+The brothers bowed and said: 'As the king wills.' Suddenly the king
+remembered that he had not questioned the seventh Simon, so he
+turned to him and said: 'Why are you silent? What is your
+handicraft?'
+
+And the seventh Simon answered: 'I have no handicraft, O king; I
+have learnt nothing. I could not manage it. And if I do know how
+to do anything it is not what might properly be called a real trade--it
+is rather a sort of performance; but it is one which no one--not the
+king himself--must watch me doing, and I doubt whether this
+performance of mine would please your Majesty.'
+
+'Come, come,' cried the king; 'I will have no excuses, what is this
+trade?'
+
+'First, sire, give me your royal word that you will not kill me when I
+have told you. Then you shall hear.'
+
+'So be it, then; I give you my royal word.'
+
+Then the seventh Simon stepped back a little, cleared his throat,
+and said: 'My trade, King Archidej, is of such a kind that the man
+who follows it in your kingdom generally loses his life and has no
+hopes of pardon. There is only one thing I can do really well, and
+that is--to steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have
+stolen. Not the deepest vault, even if its lock were enchanted,
+could prevent my stealing anything out of it that I wished to have.'
+
+When the king heard this he fell into a passion. 'I will not pardon
+you, you rascal,' he cried; 'I will shut you up in my deepest dungeon
+on bread and water till you have forgotten such a trade. Indeed, it
+would be better to put you to death at once, and I've a good mind
+to do so.'
+
+'Don't kill me, O king! I am really not as bad as you think. Why,
+had I chosen, I could have robbed the royal treasury, have bribed
+your judges to let me off, and built a white marble palace with what
+was left. But though I know how to steal I don't do it. You
+yourself asked me my trade. If you kill me you will break your
+royal word.'
+
+'Very well,' said the king, 'I will not kill you. I pardon you. But
+from this hour you shall be shut up in a dark dungeon. Here,
+guards! away with him to the prison. But you six Simons follow
+me and be assured of my royal favour.'
+
+So the six Simons followed the king. The seventh Simon was
+seized by the guards, who put him in chains and threw him in prison
+with only bread and water for food. Next day the king gave the
+first Simon carpenters, masons, smiths and labourers, with great
+stores of iron, mortar, and the like, and Simon began to build. And
+he built his great white pillar far, far up into the clouds, as high as
+the nearest stars; but the other stars were higher still.
+
+Then the second Simon climbed up the pillar and saw and heard all
+that was going on through the whole world. When he came down
+he had all sorts of wonderful things to tell. How one king was
+marching in battle against another, and which was likely to be the
+victor. How, in another place, great rejoicings were going on,
+while in a third people were dying of famine. In fact there was not
+the smallest event going on over the earth that was hidden from
+him.
+
+Next the third Simon began. He stretched out his arms, once,
+twice, thrice, and the wonder-ship was ready. At a sign from the
+king it was launched, and floated proudly and safely like a bird on
+the waves. Instead of ropes it had wires for rigging, and musicians
+played on them with fiddle bows and made lovely music. As the
+ship swam about, the fourth Simon seized the prow with his strong
+hand, and in a moment it was gone--sunk to the bottom of the sea.
+An hour passed, and then the ship floated again, drawn up by
+Simon's left hand, while in his right he brought a gigantic fish from
+the depth of the ocean for the royal table.
+
+Whilst this was going on the fifth Simon had built his forge and
+hammered out his iron, and when the king returned from the
+harbour the magic cross-bow was made.
+
+His Majesty went out into an open field at once, looked up into the
+sky and saw, far, far away, an eagle flying up towards the sun and
+looking like a little speck.
+
+'Now,' said the king, 'if you can shoot that bird I will reward you.'
+
+Simon only smiled; he lifted his cross-bow, took aim, fired, and the
+eagle fell. As it was falling the sixth Simon ran with a dish, caught
+the bird before it fell to earth and brought it to the king.
+
+'Many thanks, my brave lads,' said the king; 'I see that each of you
+is indeed a master of his trade. You shall be richly rewarded. But
+now rest and have your dinner.'
+
+The six Simons bowed and went to dinner. But they had hardly
+begun before a messenger came to say that the king wanted to see
+them. They obeyed at once and found him surrounded by all his
+court and men of state.
+
+'Listen, my good fellows,' cried the king, as soon as he saw them. 
+'Hear what my wise counsellors have thought of. As you, Simon
+the second, can see the whole world from the top of the great pillar,
+I want you to climb up and to see and hear. For I am told that, far
+away, across many seas, is the great kingdom of the Island of
+Busan, and that the daughter of the king is the beautiful Princess
+Helena.'
+
+Off ran the second Simon and clambered quickly up the pillar. He
+gazed around, listened on all sides, and then slid down to report to
+the king.
+
+'Sire, I have obeyed your orders. Far away I saw the Island of
+Busan. The king is a mighty monarch, but full of pride, harsh and
+cruel. He sits on his throne and declares that no prince or king on
+earth is good enough for his lovely daughter, that he will give her to
+none, and that if any king asks for her hand he will declare war
+against him and destroy his kingdom.'
+
+'Has the king of Busan a great army?' asked King Archidej; 'is his
+country far off?'
+
+'As far as I could judge,' replied Simon, 'it would take you nearly
+ten years in fair weather to sail there. But if the weather were
+stormy we might say twelve. I saw the army being reviewed. It is
+not so very large--a hundred thousand men at arms and a hundred
+thousand knights. Besides these, he has a strong bodyguard and a
+good many cross-bowmen. Altogether you may say another
+hundred thousand, and there is a picked body of heroes who
+reserve themselves for great occasions requiring particular courage.'
+
+The king sat for some time lost in thought. At last he said to the
+nobles and courtiers standing round: 'I am determined to marry the
+Princess Helena, but how shall I do it?'
+
+The nobles, courtiers and counsellors said nothing, but tried to hide
+behind each other. Then the third Simon said:
+
+'Pardon me, your Majesty, if I offer my advice. You wish to go to
+the Island of Busan? What can be easier? In my ship you will get
+there in a week instead of in ten years. But ask your council to
+advise you what to do when you arrive--in one word, whether you
+will win the princess peacefully or by war?'
+
+But the wise men were as silent as ever.
+
+The king frowned, and was about to say something sharp, when the
+Court Fool pushed his way to the front and said: 'Dear me, what are
+all you clever people so puzzled about? The matter is quite clear. 
+As it seems it will not take long to reach the island why not send
+the seventh Simon? He will steal the fair maiden fast enough, and
+then the king, her father, may consider how he is going to bring his
+army over here--it will take him ten years to do it!---no less! What
+do you think of my plan?'
+
+'What do I think? Why, that your idea is capital, and you shall be
+rewarded for it. Come, guards, hurry as fast as you can and bring
+the seventh Simon before me.'
+
+Not many minutes later, Simon the seventh stood before the king,
+who explained to him what he wished done, and also that to steal
+for the benefit of his king and country was by no means a wrong
+thing, though it was very wrong to steal for his own advantage.
+
+The youngest Simon, who looked very pale and hungry, only
+nodded his head.
+
+'Come,' said the king, 'tell me truly. Do you think you could steal
+the Princess Helena?'
+
+'Why should I not steal her, sire? The thing is easy enough. Let my
+brother's ship be laden with rich stuffs, brocades, Persian carpets,
+pearls and jewels. Send me in the ship. Give me my four middle
+brothers as companions, and keep the two others as hostages.'
+
+When the king heard these words his heart became filled with
+longing, and he ordered all to be done as Simon wished. Every one
+ran about to do his bidding; and in next to no time the wonder-ship
+was laden and ready to start.
+
+The five Simons took leave of the king, went on board, and had no
+sooner set sail than they were almost out of sight. The ship cut
+through the waters like a falcon through the air, and just a week
+after starting sighted the Island of Busan. The coast appeared to be
+strongly guarded, and from afar the watchman on a high tower
+called out: 'Halt and anchor! Who are you? Where do you come
+from, and what do you want?'
+
+The seventh Simon answered from the ship: 'We are peaceful
+people. We come from the country of the great and good King
+Archidej, and we bring foreign wares--rich brocades, carpets, and
+costly jewels, which we wish to show to your king and the princess. 
+We desire to trade--to sell, to buy, and to exchange.'
+
+The brothers launched a small boat, took some of their valuable
+goods with them, rowed to shore and went up to the palace. The
+princess sat in a rose-red room, and when she saw the brothers
+coming near she called her nurse and other women, and told them
+to inquire who and what these people were, and what they wanted.
+
+The seventh Simon answered the nurse: 'We come from the country
+of the wise and good King Archidej,' said he, 'and we have brought
+all sorts of goods for sale. We trust the king of this country may
+condescend to welcome us, and to let his servants take charge of
+our wares. If he considers them worthy to adorn his followers we
+shall be content.'
+
+This speech was repeated to the princess, who ordered the brothers
+to be brought to the red-room at once. They bowed respectfully to
+her and displayed some splendid velvets and brocades, and opened
+cases of pearls and precious stones. Such beautiful things had
+never been seen in the island, and the nurse and waiting women
+stood bewildered by all the magnificence. They whispered together
+that they had never beheld anything like it. The princess too saw
+and wondered, and her eyes could not weary of looking at the
+lovely things, or her fingers of stroking the rich soft stuffs, and of
+holding up the sparkling jewels to the light.
+
+'Fairest of princesses,' said Simon. 'Be pleased to order your
+waiting-maids to accept the silks and velvets, and let your women
+trim their head-dresses with the jewels; these are no special
+treasures. But permit me to say that they are as nothing to the
+many coloured tapestries, the gorgeous stones and ropes of pearls
+in our ship. We did not like to bring more with us, not knowing
+what your royal taste might be; but if it seems good to you to
+honour our ship with a visit, you might condescend to choose such
+things as were pleasing in your eyes.'
+
+This polite speech pleased the princess very much. She went to the
+king and said: 'Dear father, some merchants have arrived with the
+most splendid wares. Pray allow me to go to their ship and choose
+out what I like.'
+
+The king thought and thought, frowned hard and rubbed his ear.
+At last he gave consent, and ordered out his royal yacht, with 100
+cross-bows, 100 knights, and 1,000 soldiers, to escort the Princess
+Helena.
+
+Off sailed the yacht with the princess and her escort. The brothers
+Simon came on board to conduct the princess to their ship, and, led
+by the brothers and followed by her nurse and other women, she
+crossed the crystal plank from one vessel to another.
+
+The seventh Simon spread out his goods, and had so many curious
+and interesting tales to tell about them, that the princess forgot
+everything else in looking and listening, so that she did not know
+that the fourth Simon had seized the prow of the ship, and that all
+of a sudden it had vanished from sight, and was racing along in the
+depths of the sea.
+
+The crew of the royal yacht shouted aloud, the knights stood still
+with terror, the soldiers were struck dumb and hung their heads.
+There was nothing to be done but to sail back and tell the king of
+his loss.
+
+How he wept and stormed! 'Oh, light of my eyes,' he sobbed; 'I am
+indeed punished for my pride. I thought no one good enough to be
+your husband, and now you are lost in the depths of the sea, and
+have left me alone! As for all of you who saw this thing--away with
+you! Let them be put in irons and lock them up in prison, whilst I
+think how I can best put them to death!'
+
+Whilst the King of Busan was raging and lamenting in this fashion,
+Simon's ship was swimming like any fish under the sea, and when
+the island was well out of sight he brought it up to the surface
+again. At that moment the princess recollected herself. 'Nurse,'
+said she, 'we have been gazing at these wonders only too long. I
+hope my father won't be vexed at our delay.'
+
+She tore herself away and stepped on deck. Neither the yacht nor
+the island was in sight! Helena wrung her hands and beat her breast. 
+Then she changed herself into a white swan and flew off. But the
+fifth Simon seized his bow and shot the swan, and the sixth Simon
+did not let it fall into the water but caught it in the ship, and the
+swan turned into a silver fish, but Simon lost no time and caught the
+fish, when, quick as thought, the fish turned into a black mouse and
+ran about the ship. It darted towards a hole, but before it could
+reach it Simon sprang upon it more swiftly than any cat, and then
+the little mouse turned once more into the beautiful Princess
+Helena.
+
+Early one morning King Archidej sat thoughtfully at his window
+gazing out to sea. His heart was sad and he would neither eat nor
+drink. His thoughts were full of the Princess Helena, who was as
+lovely as a dream. Is that a white gull he sees flying towards the
+shore, or is it a sail? No, it is no gull, it is the wonder-ship flying
+along with billowing sails. Its flags wave, the fiddlers play on the
+wire rigging, the anchor is thrown out and the crystal plank laid
+from the ship to the pier. The lovely Helena steps across the plank. 
+She shines like the sun, and the stars of heaven seem to sparkle in
+her eyes.
+
+Up sprang King Archidej in haste: 'Hurry, hurry,' he cried. 'Let us
+hasten to meet her! Let the bugles sound and the joy bells be rung!'
+
+And the whole Court swarmed with courtiers and servants. Golden
+carpets were laid down and the great gates thrown open to
+welcome the princess.
+
+King Archidej went out himself, took her by the hand and led her
+into the royal apartments.
+
+'Madam,' said he, 'the fame of your beauty had reached me, but I
+had not dared to expect such loveliness. Still I will not keep you
+here against your will. If you wish it, the wonder-ship shall take
+you back to your father and your own country; but if you will
+consent to stay here, then reign over me and my country as our
+queen.'
+
+What more is there to tell? It is not hard to guess that the princess
+listened to the king's wooing, and their betrothal took place with
+great pomp and rejoicings.
+
+The brothers Simon were sent again to the Island of Busan with a
+letter to the king from his daughter to invite him to their wedding. 
+And the wonder-ship arrived at the Island of Busan just as all the
+knights and soldiers who had escorted the princess were being led
+out to execution.
+
+Then the seventh Simon cried out from the ship: 'Stop! stop! I
+bring a letter from the Princess Helena!'
+
+The King of Busan read the letter over and over again, and ordered
+the knights and soldiers to be set free. He entertained King
+Archidej's ambassadors hospitably, and sent his blessing to his
+daughter, but he could not be brought to attend the wedding.
+
+When the wonder-ship got home King Archidej and Princess
+Helena were enchanted with the news it brought.
+
+The king sent for the seven Simons. 'A thousand thanks to you, my
+brave fellows,' he cried. 'Take what gold, silver, and precious
+stones you will out of my treasury. Tell me if there is anything else
+you wish for and I will give it you, my good friends. Do you wish
+to be made nobles, or to govern towns? Only speak.'
+
+Then the eldest Simon bowed and said: 'We are plain folk, your
+Majesty, and understand simple things best. What figures should
+we cut as nobles or governors? Nor do we desire gold. We have
+our fields which give us food, and as much money as we need. If
+you wish to reward us then grant that our land may be free of taxes,
+and of your goodness pardon the seventh Simon. He is not the first
+who has been a thief by trade and he will certainly not be the last.'
+
+'So be it,' said the king; 'your land shall be free of all taxes, and
+Simon the seventh is pardoned.'
+
+Then the king gave each brother a goblet of wine and invited them
+to the wedding feast. And what a feast that was!
+
+[From Ungarischen Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Language of Beasts
+                 
+Once upon a time a man had a shepherd who served him many
+years faithfully and honestly. One day, whilst herding his flock, this
+shepherd heard a hissing sound, coming out of the forest near by,
+which he could not account for. So he went into the wood in the
+direction of the noise to try to discover the cause. When he
+approached the place he found that the dry grass and leaves were
+on fire, and on a tree, surrounded by flames, a snake was coiled,
+hissing with terror.
+
+The shepherd stood wondering how the poor snake could escape,
+for the wind was blowing the flames that way, and soon that tree
+would be burning like the rest. Suddenly the snake cried: 'O
+shepherd! for the love of heaven save me from this fire!'
+
+Then the shepherd stretched his staff out over the flames and the
+snake wound itself round the staff and up to his hand, and from his
+hand it crept up his arm, and twined itself about his neck. The
+shepherd trembled with fright, expecting every instant to be stung
+to death, and said: 'What an unlucky man I am! Did I rescue you
+only to be destroyed myself?' But the snake answered: 'Have no
+fear; only carry me home to my father who is the King of the
+Snakes.' The shepherd, however, was much too frightened to listen,
+and said that he could not go away and leave his flock alone; but
+the snake said: 'You need not be afraid to leave your flock, no evil
+shall befall them; but make all the haste you can.'
+
+So he set off through the wood carrying the snake, and after a time
+he came to a great gateway, made entirely of snakes intertwined
+one with another. The shepherd stood still with surprise, but the
+snake round his neck whistled, and immediately all the arch
+unwound itself.
+
+'When we are come to my father's house,' said his own snake to
+him, 'he will reward you with anything you like to ask--silver, gold,
+jewels, or whatever on this earth is most precious; but take none of
+all these things, ask rather to understand the language of beasts. He
+will refuse it to you a long time, but in the end he will grant it to
+you.'
+
+Soon after that they arrived at the house of the King of the Snakes,
+who burst into tears of joy at the sight of his daughter, as he had
+given her up for dead. 'Where have you been all this time?' he
+asked, directly he could speak, and she told him that she had been
+caught in a forest fire, and had been rescued from the flames by the
+shepherd. The King of the Snakes, then turning to the shepherd,
+said to him: 'What reward will you choose for saving my child?'
+
+'Make me to know the language of beasts,' answered the shepherd,
+'that is all I desire.'
+
+The king replied: 'Such knowledge would be of no benefit to you,
+for if I granted it to you and you told any one of it, you would
+immediately die; ask me rather for whatever else you would most
+like to possess, and it shall be yours.'
+
+But the shepherd answered him: 'Sir, if you wish to reward me for
+saving your daughter, grant me, I pray you, to know the language
+of beasts. I desire nothing else'; and he turned as if to depart.
+
+Then the king called him back, saying: 'If nothing else will satisfy
+you, open your mouth.' The man obeyed, and the king spat into it,
+and said: 'Now spit into my mouth.' The shepherd did as he was
+told, then the King of the Snakes spat again into the shepherd's
+mouth. When they had spat into each other's mouths three times,
+the king said:
+
+'Now you know the language of beasts, go in peace; but, if you
+value your life, beware lest you tell any one of it, else you will
+immediately die.'
+
+So the shepherd set out for home, and on his way through the
+wood he heard and understood all that was said by the birds, and by
+every living creature. When he got back to his sheep he found the
+flock grazing peacefully, and as he was very tired he laid himself
+down by them to rest a little. Hardly had he done so when two
+ravens flew down and perched on a tree near by, and began to talk
+to each other in their own language: 'If that shepherd only knew
+that there is a vault full of gold and silver beneath where that lamb
+is lying, what would he not do?' When the shepherd heard these
+words he went straight to his master and told him, and the master at
+once took a waggon, and broke open the door of the vault, and
+they carried off the treasure. But instead of keeping it for himself,
+the master, who was an honourable man, gave it all up to the
+shepherd, saying: 'Take it, it is yours. The gods have given it to
+you.' So the shepherd took the treasure and built himself a house. 
+He married a wife, and they lived in great peace and happiness, and
+he was acknowledged to be the richest man, not only of his native
+village, but of all the country-side. He had flocks of sheep, and
+cattle, and horses without end, as well as beautiful clothes and
+jewels.
+
+One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife: 'Prepare
+everything for a great feast, to-morrow we will take things with us
+to the farm that the shepherds there may make merry.' The wife
+obeyed, and all was prepared as he desired. Next day they both
+went to the farm, and in the evening the master said to the
+shepherds: 'Now come, all of you, eat, drink, and make merry. I
+will watch the flocks myself to-night in your stead.' Then he went
+out to spend the night with the flocks.
+
+When midnight struck the wolves howled and the dogs barked, and
+the wolves spoke in their own tongue, saying:
+
+'Shall we come in and work havoc, and you too shall eat flesh?' And
+the dogs answered in their tongue: 'Come in, and for once we shall
+have enough to eat.'
+
+Now amongst the dogs there was one so old that he had only two
+teeth left in his head, and he spoke to the wolves, saying: 'So long
+as I have my two teeth still in my head, I will let no harm be done to
+my master.'
+
+All this the master heard and understood, and as soon as morning
+dawned he ordered all the dogs to be killed excepting the old dog. 
+The farm servants wondered at this order, and exclaimed: 'But
+surely, sir, that would be a pity?'
+
+The master answered: 'Do as I bid you'; and made ready to return
+home with his wife, and they mounted their horses, her steed being
+a mare. As they went on their way, it happened that the husband
+rode on ahead, while the wife was a little way behind. The
+husband's horse, seeing this, neighed, and said to the mare: 'Come
+along, make haste; why are you so slow?' And the mare answered:
+'It is very easy for you, you carry only your master, who is a thin
+man, but I carry my mistress, who is so fat that she weights as much
+as three.' When the husband heard that he looked back and laughed,
+which the wife perceiving, she urged on the mare till she caught up
+with her husband, and asked him why he laughed. 'For nothing at
+all,' he answered; 'just because it came into my head.' She would not
+be satisfied with this answer, and urged him more and more to tell
+her why he had laughed. But he controlled himself and said: 'Let
+me be, wife; what ails you? I do not know myself why I laughed.'
+But the more he put her off, the more she tormented him to tell her
+the cause of his laughter. At length he said to her: 'Know, then,
+that if I tell it you I shall immediately and surely die.' But even this
+did not quiet her; she only besought him the more to tell her.
+
+Meanwhile they had reached home, and before getting down from
+his horse the man called for a coffin to be brought; and when it was
+there he placed it in front of the house, and said to his wife:
+
+'See, I will lay myself down in this coffin, and will then tell you why
+I laughed, for as soon as I have told you I shall surely die.' So he lay
+down in the coffin, and while he took a last look around him, his
+old dog came out from the farm and sat down by him, and whined. 
+When the master saw this, he called to his wife: 'Bring a piece of
+bread to give to the dog.' The wife brought some bread and threw it
+to the dog, but he would not look at it. Then the farm cock came
+and pecked at the bread; but the dog said to it: 'Wretched glutton,
+you can eat like that when you see that your master is dying?' The
+cock answered: 'Let him die, if he is so stupid. I have a hundred
+wives, which I call together when I find a grain of corn, and as soon
+as they are there I swallow it myself; should one of them dare to be
+angry, I would give her a lesson with my beak. He has only one
+wife, and he cannot keep her in order.'
+
+As soon as the man understood this, he got up out of the coffin,
+seized a stick, and called his wife into the room, saying: 'Come, and
+I will tell you what you so much want to know'; and then he began
+to beat her with the stick, saying with each blow: 'It is that, wife, it
+is that!' And in this way he taught her never again to ask why he
+had laughed.
+
+
+
+The Boy Who Could Keep A Secret
+
+Once upon a time there lived a poor widow who had one little boy. 
+At first sight you would not have thought that he was different from
+a thousand other little boys; but then you noticed that by his side
+hung the scabbard of a sword, and as the boy grew bigger the
+scabbard grew bigger too. The sword which belonged to the
+scabbard was found by the little boy sticking out of the ground in
+the garden, and every day he pulled it up to see if it would go into
+the scabbard. But though it was plainly becoming longer and
+longer, it was some time before the two would fit.
+
+However, there came a day at last when it slipped in quite easily. 
+The child was so delighted that he could hardly believe his eyes, so
+he tried it seven times, and each time it slipped in more easily than
+before. But pleased though the boy was, he determined not to tell
+anyone about it, particularly not his mother, who never could keep
+anything from her neighbours.
+
+Still, in spite of his resolutions, he could not hide altogether that
+something had happened, and when he went in to breakfast his
+mother asked him what was the matter.
+
+'Oh, mother, I had such a nice dream last night,' said he; 'but I can't
+tell it to anybody.'
+
+'You can tell it to me,' she answered. 'It must have been a nice
+dream, or you wouldn't look so happy.'
+
+'No, mother; I can't tell it to anybody,' returned the boy, 'till it
+comes true.'
+
+'I want to know what it was, and know it I will,' cried she, 'and I
+will beat you till you tell me.'
+
+But it was no use, neither words nor blows would get the secret out
+of the boy; and when her arm was quite tired and she had to leave
+off, the child, sore and aching, ran into the garden and knelt
+weeping beside his little sword. It was working round and round in
+its hole all by itself, and if anyone except the boy had tried to catch
+hold of it, he would have been badly cut. But the moment he
+stretched out his hand it stopped and slid quietly into the scabbard.
+
+For a long time the child sat sobbing, and the noise was heard by
+the king as he was driving by. 'Go and see who it is that is crying
+so,' said he to one of his servants, and the man went. In a few
+minutes he returned saying: 'Your Majesty, it is a little boy who is
+kneeling there sobbing because his mother has beaten him.'
+
+'Bring him to me at once,' commanded the monarch, 'and tell him
+that it is the king who sends for him, and that he has never cried in
+all his life and cannot bear anyone else to do so.' On receiving this
+message the boy dried his tears and went with the servant to the
+royal carriage. 'Will you be my son?' asked the king.
+
+'Yes, if my mother will let me,' answered the boy. And the king
+bade the servant go back to the mother and say that if she would
+give her boy to him, he should live in the palace and marry his
+prettiest daughter as soon as he was a man.
+
+The widow's anger now turned into joy, and she came running to
+the splendid coach and kissed the king's hand. 'I hope you will be
+more obedient to his Majesty than you were to me,' she said; and
+the boy shrank away half-frightened. But when she had gone back
+to her cottage, he asked the king if he might fetch something that he
+had left in the garden, and when he was given permission, he pulled
+up his little sword, which he slid into the scabbard.
+
+Then he climbed into the coach and was driven away.
+
+After they had gone some distance the king said: 'Why were you
+crying so bitterly in the garden just now?'
+
+'Because my mother had been beating me,' replied the boy.
+
+'And what did she do that for?' asked the king again.
+
+'Because I would not tell her my dream.'
+
+'And why wouldn't you tell it to her?'
+
+'Because I will never tell it to anyone till it comes true,' answered
+the boy.
+
+'And won't you tell it to me either?' asked the king in surprise.
+
+'No, not even to you, your Majesty,' replied he.
+
+'Oh, I am sure you will when we get home,' said the king smiling,
+and he talked to him about other things till they came to the palace.
+
+'I have brought you such a nice present,' he said to his daughters,
+and as the boy was very pretty they were delighted to have him and
+gave him all their best toys.
+
+'You must not spoil him,' observed the king one day, when he had
+been watching them playing together. He has a secret which he
+won't tell to anyone.'
+
+'He will tell me,' answered the eldest princess; but the boy only
+shook his head.
+
+'He will tell me,' said the second girl.
+
+'Not I,' replied the boy.
+
+'He will tell me,' cried the youngest, who was the prettiest too.
+
+'I will tell nobody till it comes true,' said the boy, as he had said
+before; 'and I will beat anybody who asks me.'
+
+The king was very sorry when he heard this, for he loved the boy
+dearly; but he thought it would never do to keep anyone near him
+who would not do as he was bid. So he commanded his servants to
+take him away and not to let him enter the palace again until he had
+come to his right senses.
+
+The sword clanked loudly as the boy was led away, but the child
+said nothing, though he was very unhappy at being treated so badly
+when he had done nothing. However, the servants were very kind
+to him, and their children brought him fruit and all sorts of nice
+things, and he soon grew merry again, and lived amongst them for
+many years till his seventeenth birthday.
+
+Meanwhile the two eldest princesses had become women, and had
+married two powerful kings who ruled over great countries across
+the sea. The youngest one was old enough to be married too, but
+she was very particular, and turned up her nose at all the young
+princes who had sought her hand.
+
+One day she was sitting in the palace feeling rather dull and lonely,
+and suddenly she began to wonder what the servants were doing,
+and whether it was not more amusing down in their quarters. The
+king was at his council and the queen was ill in bed, so there was no
+one to stop the princess, and she hastily ran across the gardens to
+the houses where the servants lived. Outside she noticed a youth
+who was handsomer than any prince she had ever seen, and in a
+moment she knew him to be the little boy she had once played with.
+
+'Tell me your secret and I will marry you,' she said to him; but the
+boy only gave her the beating he had promised her long ago, when
+she asked him the same question. The girl was very angry, besides
+being hurt, and ran home to complain to her father.
+
+'If he had a thousand souls, I would kill them all,' swore the king.
+
+That very day a gallows was built outside the town, and all the
+people crowded round to see the execution of the young man who
+had dared to beat the king's daughter. The prisoner, with his hands
+tied behind his back, was brought out by the hangman, and amidst
+dead silence his sentence was being read by the judge when
+suddenly the sword clanked against his side. Instantly a great noise
+was heard and a golden coach rumbled over the stones, with a
+white flag waving out of the window. It stopped underneath the
+gallows, and from it stepped the king of the Magyars, who begged
+that the life of the boy might be spared.
+
+'Sir, he has beaten my daughter, who only asked him to tell her his
+secret. I cannot pardon that,' answered the princess's father.
+
+'Give him to me, I'm sure he will tell me the secret; or, if not, I have
+a daughter who is like the Morning Star, and he is sure to tell it to
+her.'
+
+The sword clanked for the third time, and the king said angrily:
+'Well, if you want him so much you can have him; only never let me
+see his face again.' And he made a sign to the hangman. The
+bandage was removed from the young man's eyes, and the cords
+from his wrists, and he took his seat in the golden coach beside the
+king of the Magyars. Then the coachman whipped up his horses,
+and they set out for Buda.
+
+The king talked very pleasantly for a few miles, and when he
+thought that his new companion was quite at ease with him, he
+asked him what was the secret which had brought him into such
+trouble. ' That I cannot tell you,' answered the youth, 'until it
+comes true.'
+
+'You will tell my daughter,' said the king, smiling.
+
+'I will tell nobody,' replied the youth, and as he spoke the sword
+clanked loudly. The king said no more, but trusted to his daughter's
+beauty to get the secret from him.
+
+The journey to Buda was long, and it was several days before they
+arrived there. The beautiful princess happened to be picking roses
+in the garden, when her father's coach drove up.
+
+'Oh, what a handsome youth! Have you brought him from
+fairyland?' cried she, when they all stood upon the marble steps in
+front of the castle.
+
+'I have brought him from the gallows,' answered the king; rather
+vexed at his daughter's words, as never before had she consented to
+speak to any man.
+
+'I don't care where you brought him from,' said the spoilt girl. 'I
+will marry him and nobody else, and we will live together till we
+die.'
+
+'You will tell another tale,' replied the king, 'when you ask him his
+secret. After all he is no better than a servant.'
+
+'That is nothing to me,' said the princess, 'for I love him. He will
+tell his secret to me, and will find a place in the middle of my heart.'
+
+But the king shook his head, and gave orders that the lad was to be
+lodged in the summer-house.
+
+One day, about a week later, the princess put on her finest dress,
+and went to pay him a visit. She looked so beautiful that, at the
+sight of her, the book dropped from his hand, and he stood up
+speechless. 'Tell me,' she said, coaxingly, 'what is this wonderful
+secret? Just whisper it in my ear, and I will give you a kiss.'
+
+'My angel,' he answered, 'be wise, and ask no questions, if you wish
+to get safely back to your father's palace; I have kept my secret all
+these years, and do not mean to tell it now.'
+
+However, the girl would not listen, and went on pressing him, till at
+last he slapped her face so hard that her nose bled. She shrieked
+with pain and rage, and ran screaming back to the palace, where her
+father was waiting to hear if she had succeeded. 'I will starve you
+to death, you son of a dragon,' cried he, when he saw her dress
+streaming with blood; and he ordered all the masons and bricklayers
+in the town to come before him.
+
+'Build me a tower as fast as you can,' he said, 'and see that there is
+room for a stool and a small table, and for nothing else. The men
+set to work, and in two hours the tower was built, and they
+proceeded to the palace to inform the king that his commands were
+fulfilled. On the way they met the princess, who began to talk to
+one of the masons, and when the rest were out of hearing she asked
+if he could manage to make a hole in the tower, which nobody
+could see, large enough for a bottle of wine and some food to pass
+through.
+
+'To be sure I can,' said the mason, turning back, and in a few
+minutes the hole was bored.
+
+At sunset a large crowd assembled to watch the youth being led to
+the tower, and after his misdeeds had been proclaimed he was
+solemnly walled up. But every morning the princess passed him in
+food through the hole, and every third day the king sent his
+secretary to climb up a ladder and look down through a little
+window to see if he was dead. But the secretary always brought
+back the report that he was fat and rosy.
+
+'There is some magic about this,' said the king.
+
+This state of affairs lasted some time, till one day a messenger
+arrived from the Sultan bearing a letter for the king, and also three
+canes. 'My master bids me say,' said the messenger, bowing low,
+'that if you cannot tell him which of these three canes grows nearest
+the root, which in the middle, and which at the top, he will declare
+war against you.
+
+The king was very much frightened when he heard this, and though
+he took the canes and examined them closely, he could see no
+difference between them. He looked so sad that his daughter
+noticed it, and inquired the reason.
+
+'Alas! my daughter,' he answered, 'how can I help being sad? The
+Sultan has sent me three canes, and says that if I cannot tell him
+which of them grows near the root, which in the middle, and which
+at the top, he will make war upon me. And you know that his army
+is far greater than mine.'
+
+'Oh, do not despair, my father,' said she. 'We shall be sure to find
+out the answer'; and she ran away to the tower, and told the young
+man what had occurred.
+
+'Go to bed as usual,' replied he, 'and when you wake, tell your
+father that you have dreamed that the canes must be placed in warm
+water. After a little while one will sink to the bottom; that is the
+one that grows nearest the root. The one which neither sinks nor
+comes to the surface is the cane that is cut from the middle; and the
+one that floats is from the top.'
+
+So, the next morning, the princess told her father of her dream, and
+by her advice he cut notches in each of the canes when he took
+them out of the water, so that he might make no mistake when he
+handed them back to the messenger. The Sultan could not imagine
+how he had found out, but he did not declare war.
+
+The following year the Sultan again wanted to pick a quarrel with
+the king of the Magyars, so he sent another messenger to him with
+three foals, begging him to say which of the animals was born in the
+morning, which at noon, and which in the evening. If an answer
+was not ready in three days, war would be declared at once. The
+king's heart sank when he read the letter. He could not expect his
+daughter to be lucky enough to dream rightly a second time, and as
+a plague had been raging through the country, and had carried off
+many of his soldiers, his army was even weaker than before. At this
+thought his face became so gloomy that his daughter noticed it, and
+inquired what was the matter.
+
+'I have had another letter from the Sultan,' replied the king, 'and he
+says that if I cannot tell him which of three foals was born in the
+morning, which at noon, and which in the evening, he will declare
+war at once.'
+
+'Oh, don't be cast down,' said she, 'something is sure to happen'; and
+she ran down to the tower to consult the youth.
+
+'Go home, idol of my heart, and when night comes, pretend to
+scream out in your sleep, so that your father hears you. Then tell
+him that you have dreamt that he was just being carried off by the
+Turks because he could not answer the question about the foals,
+when the lad whom he had shut up in the tower ran up and told
+them which was foaled in the morning, which at noon, and which in
+the evening.'
+
+So the princess did exactly as the youth had bidden her; and no
+sooner had she spoken than the king ordered the tower to be pulled
+down, and the prisoner brought before him.
+
+'I did not think that you could have lived so long without food,' said
+he, 'and as you have had plenty of time to repent your wicked
+conduct, I will grant you pardon, on condition that you help me in a
+sore strait. Read this letter from the Sultan; you will see that if I
+fail to answer his question about the foals, a dreadful war will be
+the result.'
+
+The youth took the letter and read it through. 'Yes, I can help you,'
+replied he; 'but first you must bring me three troughs, all exactly
+alike. Into one you must put oats, into another wheat, and into the
+third barley. The foal which eats the oats is that which was foaled
+in the morning; the foal which eats the wheat is that which was
+foaled at noon; and the foal which eats the barley is that which was
+foaled at night.' The king followed the youth's directions, and,
+marking the foals, sent them back to Turkey, and there was no war
+that year.
+
+Now the Sultan was very angry that both his plots to get possession
+of Hungary had been such total failures, and he sent for his aunt,
+who was a witch, to consult her as to what he should do next.
+
+'It is not the king who has answered your questions,' observed the
+aunt, when he had told his story. 'He is far too stupid ever to have
+done that! The person who has found out the puzzle is the son of a
+poor woman, who, if he lives, will become King of Hungary. 
+Therefore, if you want the crown yourself, you must get him here
+and kill him.'
+
+After this conversation another letter was written to the Court of
+Hungary, saying that if the youth, now in the palace, was not sent
+to Turkey within three days, a large army would cross the border. 
+The king's heart was sorrowful as he read, for he was grateful to
+the lad for what he had done to help him; but the boy only laughed,
+and bade the king fear nothing, but to search the town instantly for
+two youths just like each other, and he would paint himself a mask
+that was just like them. And the sword at his side clanked loudly.
+
+After a long search twin brothers were found, so exactly resembling
+each other that even their own mother could not tell the difference. 
+The youth painted a mask that was the precise copy of them, and
+when he had put it on, no one would have known one boy from the
+other. They set out at once for the Sultan's palace, and when they
+reached it, they were taken straight into his presence. He made a
+sign for them to come near; they all bowed low in greeting. He
+asked them about their journey; they answered his questions all
+together, and in the same words. If one sat down to supper, the
+others sat down at the same instant. When one got up, the others
+got up too, as if there had been only one body between them. The
+Sultan could not detect any difference between them, and he told
+his aunt that he would not be so cruel as to kill all three.
+
+'Well, you will see a difference to-morrow,' replied the witch, 'for
+one will have a cut on his sleeve. That is the youth you must kill.'
+And one hour before midnight, when witches are invisible, she
+glided into the room where all three lads were sleeping in the same
+bed. She took out a pair of scissors and cut a small piece out of the
+boy's coat-sleeve which was hanging on the wall, and then crept
+silently from the room. But in the morning the youth saw the slit,
+and he marked the sleeves of his two companions in the same way,
+and all three went down to breakfast with the Sultan. The old
+witch was standing in the window and pretended not to see them;
+but all witches have eyes in the backs of their heads, and she knew
+at once that not one sleeve but three were cut, and they were all as
+alike as before. After breakfast, the Sultan, who was getting tired
+of the whole affair and wanted to be alone to invent some other
+plan, told them they might return home. So, bowing low with one
+accord, they went.
+
+The princess welcomed the boy back joyfully, but the poor youth
+was not allowed to rest long in peace, for one day a fresh letter
+arrived from the Sultan, saying that he had discovered that the
+young man was a very dangerous person, and that he must be sent
+to Turkey at once, and alone. The girl burst into tears when the
+boy told her what was in the letter which her father had bade her to
+carry to him. 'Do not weep, love of my heart,' said the boy, 'all will
+be well. I will start at sunrise to-morrow.'
+
+So next morning at sunrise the youth set forth, and in a few days he
+reached the Sultan's palace. The old witch was waiting for him at
+the gate, and whispered as he passed: 'This is the last time you will
+ever enter it.' But the sword clanked, and the lad did not even look
+at her. As he crossed the threshold fifteen armed Turks barred his
+way, with the Sultan at their head. Instantly the sword darted forth
+and cut off the heads of everyone but the Sultan, and then went
+quietly back to its scabbard. The witch, who was looking on, saw
+that as long as the youth had possession of the sword, all her
+schemes would be in vain, and tried to steal the sword in the night,
+but it only jumped out of its scabbard and sliced off her nose, which
+was of iron. And in the morning, when the Sultan brought a great
+army to capture the lad and deprive him of his sword, they were all
+cut to pieces, while he remained without a scratch.
+
+Meanwhile the princess was in despair because the days slipped by,
+and the young man did not return, and she never rested until her
+father let her lead some troops against the Sultan. She rode
+proudly before them, dressed in uniform; but they had not left the
+town more than a mile behind them, when they met the lad and his
+little sword. When he told them what he had done they shouted for
+joy, and carried him back in triumph to the palace; and the king
+declared that as the youth had shown himself worthy to become his
+son-in-law, he should marry the princess and succeed to the throne
+at once, as he himself was getting old, and the cares of government
+were too much for him. But the young man said he must first go
+and see his mother, and the king sent him in state, with a troop of
+soldiers as his bodyguard.
+
+The old woman was quite frightened at seeing such an array draw
+up before her little house, and still more surprised when a handsome
+young man, whom she did not know, dismounted and kissed her
+hand, saying: 'Now, dear mother, you shall hear my secret at last! I
+dreamed that I should become King of Hungary, and my dream has
+come true. When I was a child, and you begged me to tell you, I
+had to keep silence, or the Magyar king would have killed me. And
+if you had not beaten me nothing would have happened that has
+happened, and I should not now be King of Hungary.'
+
+[From the Folk Tales of the Magyars.]
+
+
+
+The Prince And The Dragon
+
+Once upon a time there lived an emperor who had three sons. They
+were all fine young men, and fond of hunting, and scarcely a day
+passed without one or other of them going out to look for game.
+
+One morning the eldest of the three princes mounted his horse and
+set out for a neighbouring forest, where wild animals of all sorts
+were to be found. He had not long left the castle, when a hare
+sprang out of a thicket and dashed across the road in front. The
+young man gave chase at once, and pursued it over hill and dale, till
+at last the hare took refuge in a mill which was standing by the side
+of a river. The prince followed and entered the mill, but stopped in
+terror by the door, for, instead of a hare, before him stood a
+dragon, breathing fire and flame. At this fearful sight the prince
+turned to fly, but a fiery tongue coiled round his waist, and drew
+him into the dragon's mouth, and he was seen no more.
+
+A week passed away, and when the prince never came back
+everyone in the town began to grow uneasy. At last his next
+brother told the emperor that he likewise would go out to hunt, and
+that perhaps he would find some clue as to his brother's
+disappearance. But hardly had the castle gates closed on the prince
+than the hare sprang out of the bushes as before, and led the
+huntsman up hill and down dale, till they reached the mill. Into this
+the hare flew with the prince at his heels, when, lo! instead of the
+hare, there stood a dragon breathing fire and flame; and out shot a
+fiery tongue which coiled round the prince's waist, and lifted him
+straight into the dragon's mouth, and he was seen no more.
+
+Days went by, and the emperor waited and waited for the sons who
+never came, and could not sleep at night for wondering where they
+were and what had become of them. His youngest son wished to
+go in search of his brothers, but for long the emperor refused to
+listen to him, lest he should lose him also. But the prince prayed so
+hard for leave to make the search, and promised so often that he
+would be very cautious and careful, that at length the emperor gave
+him permission, and ordered the best horse in the stables to be
+saddled for him.
+
+Full of hope the young prince started on his way, but no sooner was
+he outside the city walls than a hare sprang out of the bushes and
+ran before him, till they reached the mill. As before, the animal
+dashed in through the open door, but this time he was not followed
+by the prince. Wiser than his brothers, the young man turned away,
+saying to himself: 'There are as good hares in the forest as any that
+have come out of it, and when I have caught them, I can come back
+and look for you.'
+
+For many hours he rode up and down the mountain, but saw
+nothing, and at last, tired of waiting, he went back to the mill. Here
+he found an old woman sitting, whom he greeted pleasantly.
+
+'Good morning to you, little mother,' he said; and the old woman
+answered: 'Good morning, my son.'
+
+'Tell me, little mother,' went on the prince, 'where shall I find my
+hare?'
+
+'My son,' replied the old woman, 'that was no hare, but a dragon
+who has led many men hither, and then has eaten them all.' At
+these words the prince's heart grew heavy, and he cried, 'Then my
+brothers must have come here, and have been eaten by the dragon!'
+
+'You have guessed right,' answered the old woman; 'and I can give
+you no better counsel than to go home at once, before the same fate
+overtakes you.'
+
+'Will you not come with me out of this dreadful place?' said the
+young man.
+
+'He took me prisoner, too,' answered she, 'and I cannot shake off
+his chains.'
+
+'Then listen to me,' cried the prince. 'When the dragon comes back,
+ask him where he always goes when he leaves here, and what
+makes him so strong; and when you have coaxed the secret from
+him, tell me the next time I come.'
+
+So the prince went home, and the old woman remained in the mill,
+and as soon as the dragon returned she said to him:
+
+'Where have you been all this time--you must have travelled far?'
+
+'Yes, little mother, I have indeed travelled far.' answered he. Then
+the old woman began to flatter him, and to praise his cleverness;
+and when she thought she had got him into a good temper, she said:
+'I have wondered so often where you get your strength from; I do
+wish you would tell me. I would stoop and kiss the place out of
+pure love!' The dragon laughed at this, and answered:
+
+'In the hearthstone yonder lies the secret of my strength.'
+
+Then the old woman jumped up and kissed the hearth; whereat the
+dragon laughed the more, and said:
+
+'You foolish creature! I was only jesting. It is not in the
+hearthstone, but in that tall tree that lies the secret of my strength.' 
+Then the old woman jumped up again and put her arms round the
+tree, and kissed it heartily. Loudly laughed the dragon when he saw
+what she was doing.
+
+'Old fool,' he cried, as soon as he could speak, 'did you really
+believe that my strength came from that tree?'
+
+'Where is it then?' asked the old woman, rather crossly, for she did
+not like being made fun of.
+
+'My strength,' replied the dragon, 'lies far away; so far that you
+could never reach it. Far, far from here is a kingdom, and by its
+capital city is a lake, and in the lake is a dragon, and inside the
+dragon is a wild boar, and inside the wild boar is a pigeon, and
+inside the pigeon a sparrow, and inside the sparrow is my strength.'
+And when the old woman heard this, she thought it was no use
+flattering him any longer, for never, never, could she take his
+strength from him.
+
+The following morning, when the dragon had left the mill, the
+prince came back, and the old woman told him all that the creature
+had said. He listened in silence, and then returned to the castle,
+where he put on a suit of shepherd's clothes, and taking a staff in his
+hand, he went forth to seek a place as tender of sheep.
+
+For some time he wandered from village to village and from town
+to town, till he came at length to a large city in a distant kingdom,
+surrounded on three sides by a great lake, which happened to be the
+very lake in which the dragon lived. As was his custom, he stopped
+everybody whom he met in the streets that looked likely to want a
+shepherd and begged them to engage him, but they all seemed to
+have shepherds of their own, or else not to need any. The prince
+was beginning to lose heart, when a man who had overheard his
+question turned round and said that he had better go and ask the
+emperor, as he was in search of some one to see after his flocks.
+
+'Will you take care of my sheep?' said the emperor, when the young
+man knelt before him.
+
+'Most willingly, your Majesty,' answered the young man, and he
+listened obediently while the emperor told him what he was to do.
+
+'Outside the city walls,' went on the emperor, 'you will find a large
+lake, and by its banks lie the richest meadows in my kingdom. 
+When you are leading out your flocks to pasture, they will all run
+straight to these meadows, and none that have gone there have ever
+been known to come back. Take heed, therefore, my son, not to
+suffer your sheep to go where they will, but drive them to any spot
+that you think best.'
+
+With a low bow the prince thanked the emperor for his warning,
+and promised to do his best to keep the sheep safe. Then he left the
+palace and went to the market-place, where he bought two
+greyhounds, a hawk, and a set of pipes; after that he took the sheep
+out to pasture. The instant the animals caught sight of the lake
+lying before them, they trotted off as fast as their legs would go to
+the green meadows lying round it. The prince did not try to stop
+them; he only placed his hawk on the branch of a tree, laid his pipes
+on the grass, and bade the greyhounds sit still; then, rolling up his
+sleeves and trousers, he waded into the water crying as he did so:
+'Dragon! dragon! if you are not a coward, come out and fight with
+me!' And a voice answered from the depths of the lake:
+
+'I am waiting for you, O prince'; and the next minute the dragon
+reared himself out of the water, huge and horrible to see. The
+prince sprang upon him and they grappled with each other and
+fought together till the sun was high, and it was noonday. Then the
+dragon gasped:
+
+'O prince, let me dip my burning head once into the lake, and I will
+hurl you up to the top of the sky.' But the prince answered, 'Oh, ho!
+my good dragon, do not crow too soon! If the emperor's daughter
+were only here, and would kiss me on the forehead, I would throw
+you up higher still!' And suddenly the dragon's hold loosened, and
+he fell back into the lake.
+
+As soon as it was evening, the prince washed away all signs of the
+fight, took his hawk upon his shoulder, and his pipes under his arm,
+and with his greyhounds in front and his flock following after him
+he set out for the city. As they all passed through the streets the
+people stared in wonder, for never before had any flock returned
+from the lake.
+
+The next morning he rose early, and led his sheep down the road to
+the lake. This time, however, the emperor sent two men on
+horseback to ride behind him, with orders to watch the prince all
+day long. The horsemen kept the prince and his sheep in sight,
+without being seen themselves. As soon as they beheld the sheep
+running towards the meadows, they turned aside up a steep hill,
+which overhung the lake. When the shepherd reached the place he
+laid, as before, his pipes on the grass and bade the greyhounds sit
+beside them, while the hawk he perched on the branch of the tree. 
+Then he rolled up his trousers and his sleeves, and waded into the
+water crying:
+
+'Dragon! dragon! if you are not a coward, come out and fight with
+me!' And the dragon answered:
+
+'I am waiting for you, O prince,' and the next minute he reared
+himself out of the water, huge and horrible to see. Again they
+clasped each other tight round the body and fought till it was noon,
+and when the sun was at its hottest, the dragon gasped:
+
+'O prince, let me dip my burning head once in the lake, and I will
+hurl you up to the top of the sky.' But the prince answered:
+
+'Oh, ho! my good dragon, do not crow too soon! If the emperor's
+daughter were only here, and would kiss me on the forehead, I
+would throw you up higher still!' And suddenly the dragon's hold
+loosened, and he fell back into the lake.
+
+As soon as it was evening the prince again collected his sheep, and
+playing on his pipes he marched before them into the city. When he
+passed through the gates all the people came out of their houses to
+stare in wonder, for never before had any flock returned from the
+lake.
+
+Meanwhile the two horsemen had ridden quickly back, and told the
+emperor all that they had seen and heard. The emperor listened
+eagerly to their tale, then called his daughter to him and repeated it
+to her.
+
+'To-morrow,' he said, when he had finished, 'you shall go with the
+shepherd to the lake, and then you shall kiss him on the forehead as
+he wishes.'
+
+But when the princess heard these words, she burst into tears, and
+sobbed out:
+
+'Will you really send me, your only child, to that dreadful place,
+from which most likely I shall never come back?'
+
+'Fear nothing, my little daughter, all will be well. Many shepherds
+have gone to that lake and none have ever returned; but this one
+has in these two days fought twice with the dragon and has escaped
+without a wound. So I hope to-morrow he will kill the dragon
+altogether, and deliver this land from the monster who has slain so
+many of our bravest men.'
+
+Scarcely had the sun begun to peep over the hills next morning,
+when the princess stood by the shepherd's side, ready to go to the
+lake. The shepherd was brimming over with joy, but the princess
+only wept bitterly. 'Dry your tears, I implore you,' said he. 'If you
+will just do what I ask you, and when the time comes, run and kiss
+my forehead, you have nothing to fear.'
+
+Merrily the shepherd blew on his pipes as he marched at the head of
+his flock, only stopping every now and then to say to the weeping
+girl at his side:
+
+'Do not cry so, Heart of Gold; trust me and fear nothing.' And so
+they reached the lake.
+
+In an instant the sheep were scattered all over the meadows, and
+the prince placed his hawk on the tree, and his pipes on the grass,
+while he bade his greyhounds lie beside them. Then he rolled up his
+trousers and his sleeves, and waded into the water, calling:
+
+'Dragon! dragon! if you are not a coward, come forth, and let us
+have one more fight together.' And the dragon answered: 'I am
+waiting for you, O prince'; and the next minute he reared himself
+out of the water, huge and horrible to see. Swiftly he drew near to
+the bank, and the prince sprang to meet him, and they grasped each
+other round the body and fought till it was noon. And when the sun
+was at its hottest, the dragon cried:
+
+'O prince, let me dip my burning head in the lake, and I will hurl
+you to the top of the sky.' But the prince answered:
+
+'Oh, ho! my good dragon, do not crow too soon! If the emperor's
+daughter were only here, and she would kiss my forehead, I would
+throw you higher still.'
+
+Hardly had he spoken, when the princess, who had been listening,
+ran up and kissed him on the forehead. Then the prince swung the
+dragon straight up into the clouds, and when he touched the earth
+again, he broke into a thousand pieces. Out of the pieces there
+sprang a wild boar and galloped away, but the prince called his
+hounds to give chase, and they caught the boar and tore it to bits. 
+Out of the pieces there sprang a hare, and in a moment the
+greyhounds were after it, and they caught it and killed it; and out of
+the hare there came a pigeon. Quickly the prince let loose his
+hawk, which soared straight into the air, then swooped upon the
+bird and brought it to his master. The prince cut open its body and
+found the sparrow inside, as the old woman had said.
+
+'Now,' cried the prince, holding the sparrow in his hand, 'now you
+shall tell me where I can find my brothers.'
+
+'Do not hurt me,' answered the sparrow, 'and I will tell you with all
+my heart.' Behind your father's castle stands a mill, and in the mill
+are three slender twigs. Cut off these twigs and strike their roots
+with them, and the iron door of a cellar will open. In the cellar you
+will find as many people, young and old, women and children, as
+would fill a kingdom, and among them are your brothers.'
+
+By this time twilight had fallen, so the prince washed himself in the
+lake, took the hawk on his shoulder and the pipes under his arm,
+and with his greyhounds before him and his flock behind him,
+marched gaily into the town, the princess following them all, still
+trembling with fright. And so they passed through the streets,
+thronged with a wondering crowd, till they reached the castle.
+
+Unknown to anyone, the emperor had stolen out on horseback, and
+had hidden himself on the hill, where he could see all that happened. 
+When all was over, and the power of the dragon was broken for
+ever, he rode quickly back to the castle, and was ready to receive
+the prince with open arms, and to promise him his daughter to wife. 
+The wedding took place with great splendour, and for a whole
+week the town was hung with coloured lamps, and tables were
+spread in the hall of the castle for all who chose to come and eat. 
+And when the feast was over, the prince told the emperor and the
+people who he really was, and at this everyone rejoiced still more,
+and preparations were made for the prince and princess to return to
+their own kingdom, for the prince was impatient to set free his
+brothers.
+
+The first thing he did when he reached his native country was to
+hasten to the mill, where he found the three twigs as the sparrow
+had told him. The moment that he struck the root the iron door
+flew open, and from the cellar a countless multitude of men and
+women streamed forth. He bade them go one by one wheresoever
+they would, while he himself waited by the door till his brothers
+passed through. How delighted they were to meet again, and to
+hear all that the prince had done to deliver them from their
+enchantment. And they went home with him and served him all the
+days of their lives, for they said that he only who had proved
+himself brave and faithful was fit to be king.
+
+[From Volksmarehen der Serben.]
+
+
+
+Little Wildrose
+
+Once upon a time the things in this story happened, and if they had
+not happened then the story would never have been told. But that
+was the time when wolves and lambs lay peacefully together in one
+stall, and shepherds dined on grassy banks with kings and queens.
+
+Once upon a time, then, my dear good children, there lived a man. 
+Now this man was really a hundred years old, if not fully twenty
+years more. And his wife was very old too--how old I do not
+know; but some said she was as old as the goddess Venus herself. 
+They had been very happy all these years, but they would have been
+happier still if they had had any children; but old though they were
+they had never made up their minds to do without them, and often
+they would sit over the fire and talk of how they would have
+brought up their children if only some had come to their house.
+
+One day the old man seemed sadder and more thoughtful than was
+common with him, and at last he said to his wife: 'Listen to me, old
+woman!'
+
+'What do you want?' asked she.
+
+'Get me some money out of the chest, for I am going a long
+journey--all through the world--to see if I cannot find a child, for
+my heart aches to think that after I am dead my house will fall into
+the hands of a stranger. And this let me tell you: that if I never find
+a child I shall not come home again.'
+
+Then the old man took a bag and filled it with food and money, and
+throwing it over his shoulders, bade his wife farewell.
+
+For long he wandered, and wandered, and wandered, but no child
+did he see; and one morning his wanderings led him to a forest
+which was so thick with trees that no light could pass through the
+branches. The old man stopped when he saw this dreadful place,
+and at first was afraid to go in; but he remembered that, after all, as
+the proverb says: 'It is the unexpected that happens,' and perhaps in
+the midst of this black spot he might find the child he was seeking. 
+So summoning up all his courage he plunged boldly in.
+
+How long he might have been walking there he never could have
+told you, when at last he reached the mouth of a cave where the
+darkness seemed a hundred times darker than the wood itself. 
+Again he paused, but he felt as if something was driving him to
+enter, and with a beating heart he stepped in.
+
+For some minutes the silence and darkness so appalled him that he
+stood where he was, not daring to advance one step. Then he made
+a great effort and went on a few paces, and suddenly, far before
+him, he saw the glimmer of a light. This put new heart into him,
+and he directed his steps straight towards the faint rays, till he could
+see, sitting by it, an old hermit, with a long white beard.
+
+The hermit either did not hear the approach of his visitor, or
+pretended not to do so, for he took no notice, and continued to
+read his book. After waiting patiently for a little while, the old man
+fell on his knees, and said: 'Good morning, holy father!' But he
+might as well have spoken to the rock. 'Good morning, holy father,'
+he said again, a little louder than before, and this time the hermit
+made a sign to him to come nearer. 'My son,' whispered he, in a
+voice that echoed through the cavern, 'what brings you to this dark
+and dismal place? Hundreds of years have passed since my eyes
+have rested on the face of a man, and I did not think to look on one
+again.'.
+
+'My misery has brought me here,' replied the old man; 'I have no
+child, and all our lives my wife and I have longed for one. So I left
+my home, and went out into the world, hoping that somewhere I
+might find what I was seeking.'
+
+Then the hermit picked up an apple from the ground, and gave it to
+him, saying: 'Eat half of this apple, and give the rest to your wife,
+and cease wandering through the world.'
+
+The old man stooped and kissed the feet of the hermit for sheer joy,
+and left the cave. He made his way through the forest as fast as the
+darkness would let him, and at length arrived in flowery fields,
+which dazzled him with their brightness. Suddenly he was seized
+with a desperate thirst, and a burning in his throat. He looked for a
+stream but none was to be seen, and his tongue grew more parched
+every moment. At length his eyes fell on the apple, which all this
+while he had been holding in his hand, and in his thirst he forgot
+what the hermit had told him, and instead of eating merely his own
+half, he ate up the old woman's also; after that he went to sleep.
+
+When he woke up he saw something strange lying on a bank a little
+way off, amidst long trails of pink roses. The old man got up,
+rubbed his eyes, and went to see what it was, when, to his surprise
+and joy, it proved to be a little girl about two years old, with a skin
+as pink and white as the roses above her. He took her gently in his
+arms, but she did not seem at all frightened, and only jumped and
+crowed with delight; and the old man wrapped his cloak round her,
+and set off for home as fast as his legs would carry him.
+
+When they were close to the cottage where they lived he laid the
+child in a pail that was standing near the door, and ran into the
+house, crying: 'Come quickly, wife, quickly, for I have brought you
+a daughter, with hair of gold and eyes like stars!'
+
+At this wonderful news the old woman flew downstairs, almost
+tumbling down ill her eagerness to see the treasure; but when her
+husband led her to the pail it was perfectly empty! The old man was
+nearly beside himself with horror, while his wife sat down and
+sobbed with grief and disappointment. There was not a spot round
+about which they did not search, thinking that somehow the child
+might have got out of the pail and hidden itself for fun; but the little
+girl was not there, and there was no sign of her.
+
+'Where can she be?' moaned the old man, in despair. 'Oh, why did I
+ever leave her, even for a moment? Have the fairies taken her, or
+has some wild beast carried her off?' And they began their search all
+over again; but neither fairies nor wild beasts did they meet with,
+and with sore hearts they gave it up at last and turned sadly into the
+hut.
+
+And what had become of the baby? Well, finding herself left alone
+in a strange place she began to cry with fright, and an eagle
+hovering near, heard her, and went to see what the sound came
+from. When he beheld the fat pink and white creature he thought of
+his hungry little ones at home, and swooping down he caught her
+up in his claws and was soon flying with her over the tops of the
+trees. In a few minutes he reached the one in which he had built his
+nest, and laying little Wildrose (for so the old man had called her)
+among his downy young eaglets, he flew away. The eaglets
+naturally were rather surprised at this strange animal, so suddenly
+popped down in their midst, but instead of beginning to eat her, as
+their father expected, they nestled up close to her and spread out
+their tiny wings to shield her from the sun.
+
+Now, in the depths of the forest where the eagle had built his nest,
+there ran a stream whose waters were poisonous, and on the banks
+of this stream dwelt a horrible lindworm with seven heads. The
+lindworm had often watched the eagle flying about the top of the
+tree, carrying food to his young ones and, accordingly, he watched
+carefully for the moment when the eaglets began to try their wings
+and to fly away from the nest. Of course, if the eagle himself was
+there to protect them even the lindworm, big and strong as he was,
+knew that he could do nothing; but when he was absent, any little
+eaglets who ventured too near the ground would be sure to
+disappear down the monster's throat. Their brothers, who had been
+left behind as too young and weak to see the world, knew nothing
+of all this, but supposed their turn would soon come to see the
+world also. And in a few days their eyes, too, opened and their
+wings flapped impatiently, and they longed to fly away above the
+waving tree-tops to mountain and the bright sun beyond. But that
+very midnight the lindworm, who was hungry and could not wait
+for his supper, came out of the brook with a rushing noise, and
+made straight for the tree. Two eyes of flame came creeping
+nearer, nearer, and two fiery tongues were stretching themselves
+out closer, closer, to the little birds who were trembling and
+shuddering in the farthest corner of the nest. But just as the
+tongues had almost reached them, the lindworm gave a fearful cry,
+and turned and fell backwards. Then came the sound of battle from
+the ground below, and the tree shook, though there was no wind,
+and roars and snarls mixed together, till the eaglets felt more
+frightened than ever, and thought their last hour had come. Only
+Wildrose was undisturbed, and slept sweetly through it all.
+
+In the morning the eagle returned and saw traces of a fight below
+the tree, and here and there a handful of yellow mane lying about,
+and here and there a hard scaly substance; when he saw that he
+rejoiced greatly, and hastened to the nest.
+
+'Who has slain the lindworm?' he asked of his children; there were
+so many that he did not at first miss the two which the lindworm
+had eaten. But the eaglets answered that they could not tell, only
+that they had been in danger of their lives, and at the last moment
+they had been delivered. Then the sunbeam had struggled through
+the thick branches and caught Wildrose's golden hair as she lay
+curled up in the corner, and the eagle wondered, as he looked,
+whether the little girl had brought him luck, and it was her magic
+which had killed his enemy.
+
+'Children,' he said, 'I brought her here for your dinner, and you have
+not touched her; what is the meaning of this?' But the eaglets did
+not answer, and Wildrose opened her eyes, and seemed seven times
+lovelier than before.
+
+>From that day Wildrose lived like a little princess. The eagle flew
+about the wood and collected the softest, greenest moss he could
+find to make her a bed, and then he picked with his beak all the
+brightest and prettiest flowers in the fields or on the mountains to
+decorate it. So cleverly did he manage it that there was not a fairy
+in the whole of the forest who would not have been pleased to sleep
+there, rocked to and fro by the breeze on the treetops. And when
+the little ones were able to fly from their nest he taught them where
+to look for the fruits and berries which she loved.
+
+So the time passed by, and with each year Wildrose grew taller and
+more beautiful, and she lived happily in her nest and never wanted
+to go out of it, only standing at the edge in the sunset, and looking
+upon the beautiful world. For company she had all the birds in the
+forest, who came and talked to her, and for playthings the strange
+flowers which they brought her from far, and the butterflies which
+danced with her. And so the days slipped away, and she was
+fourteen years old.
+
+One morning the emperor's son went out to hunt, and he had not
+ridden far, before a deer started from under a grove of trees, and
+ran before him. The prince instantly gave chase, and where the stag
+led he followed, till at length he found himself in the depths of the
+forest, where no man before had trod.
+
+The trees were so thick and the wood so dark, that he paused for a
+moment and listened, straining his ears to catch some sound to
+break a silence which almost frightened him. But nothing came, not
+even the baying of a hound or the note of a horn. He stood still,
+and wondered if he should go on, when, on looking up, a stream of
+light seemed to flow from the top of a tall tree. In its rays he could
+see the nest with the young eaglets, who were watching him over
+the side. The prince fitted an arrow into his bow and took his aim,
+but, before he could let fly, another ray of light dazzled him; so
+brilliant was it, that his bow dropped, and he covered his face with
+his hands. When at last he ventured to peep, Wildrose, with her
+golden hair flowing round her, was looking at him. This was the
+first time she had seen a man.
+
+'Tell me how I can reach you?' cried he; but Wildrose smiled and
+shook her head, and sat down quietly.
+
+The prince saw that it was no use, and turned and made his way out
+of the forest. But he might as well have stayed there, for any good
+he was to his father, so full was his heart of longing for Wildrose. 
+Twice he returned to the forest in the hopes of finding her, but this
+time fortune failed him, and he went home as sad as ever.
+
+At length the emperor, who could not think what had caused this
+change, sent for his son and asked him what was the matter. Then
+the prince confessed that the image of Wildrose filled his soul, and
+that he would never be happy without her. At first the emperor felt
+rather distressed. He doubted whether a girl from a tree top would
+make a good empress; but he loved his son so much that he
+promised to do all he could to find her. So the next morning
+heralds were sent forth throughout the whole land to inquire if
+anyone knew where a maiden could be found who lived in a forest
+on the top of a tree, and to promise great riches and a place at court
+to any person who should find her. But nobody knew. All the girls
+in the kingdom had their homes on the ground, and laughed at the
+notion of being brought up in a tree. 'A nice kind of empress she
+would make,' they said, as the emperor had done, tossing their
+heads with disdain; for, having read many books, they guessed what
+she was wanted for.
+
+The heralds were almost in despair, when an old woman stepped
+out of the crowd and came and spoke to them. She was not only
+very old, but she was very ugly, with a hump on her back and a bald
+head, and when the heralds saw her they broke into rude laughter. 
+'I can show you the maiden who lives in the tree-top,' she said, but
+they only laughed the more loudly.
+
+'Get away, old witch!' they cried, 'you will bring us bad luck'; but
+the old woman stood firm, and declared that she alone knew where
+to find the maiden.
+
+'Go with her,' said the eldest of the heralds at last. 'The emperor's
+orders are clear, that whoever knew anything of the maiden was to
+come at once to court. Put her in the coach and take her with us.'
+
+So in this fashion the old woman was brought to court.
+
+'You have declared that you can bring hither the maiden from the
+wood?' said the emperor, who was seated on his throne.
+
+'Yes, your Majesty, and I will keep my word,' said she.
+
+'Then bring her at once,' said the emperor.
+
+'Give me first a kettle and a tripod,' asked the old w omen, and the
+emperor ordered them to be brought instantly. The old woman
+picked them up, and tucking them under her arm went on her way,
+keeping at a little distance behind the royal huntsmen, who in their
+turn followed the prince.
+
+Oh, what a noise that old woman made as she walked along! She
+chattered to herself so fast and clattered her kettle so loudly that
+you would have thought that a whole campful of gipsies must be
+coming round the next corner. But when they reached the forest,
+she bade them all wait outside, and entered the dark wood by
+herself.
+
+She stopped underneath the tree where the maiden dwelt and,
+gathering some dry sticks, kindled a fire. Next, she placed the
+tripod over it, and the kettle on top. But something was the matter
+with the kettle. As fast as the old woman put it where it was to
+stand, that kettle was sure to roll off, falling to the ground with a
+crash.
+
+It really seemed bewitched, and no one knows what might have
+happened if Wildrose, who had been all the time peeping out of her
+nest, had not lost patience at the old woman's stupidity, and cried
+out: 'The tripod won't stand on that hill, you must move it!'
+
+'But where am I to move it to, my child?' asked the old woman,
+looking up to the nest, and at the same moment trying to steady the
+kettle with one hand and the tripod with the other.
+
+'Didn't I tell you that it was no good doing that,' said Wildrose,
+more impatiently than before. 'Make a fire near a tree and hang the
+kettle from one of the branches.'
+
+The old woman took the kettle and hung it on a little twig, which
+broke at once, and the kettle fell to the ground.
+
+'If you would only show me how to do it, perhaps I should
+understand,' said she.
+
+Quick as thought, the maiden slid down the smooth trunk of the
+tree, and stood beside the stupid old woman, to teach her how
+things ought to be done. But in an instant the old woman had
+caught up the girl and swung her over her shoulders, and was
+running as fast as she could go to the edge of the forest, where she
+had left the prince. When he saw them coming he rushed eagerly to
+meet them, and he took the maiden in his arms and kissed her
+tenderly before them all. Then a golden dress was put on her, and
+pearls were twined in her hair, and she took her seat in the
+emperor's carriage which was drawn by six of the whitest horses in
+the world, and they carried her, without stopping to draw breath, to
+the gates of the palace. And in three days the wedding was
+celebrated, and the wedding feast was held, and everyone who saw
+the bride declared that if anybody wanted a perfect wife they must
+go to seek her on top of a tree.
+
+[ Adapted from file Roumanian.]
+
+
+
+Tiidu The Piper
+
+Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had more children
+than bread to feed them with. However, they were strong and
+willing, and soon learned to make themselves of use to their father
+and mother, and when they were old enough they went out to
+service, and everyone was very glad to get them for servants, for
+they worked hard and were always cheerful. Out of all the ten or
+eleven, there was only one who gave his parents any trouble, and
+this was a big lazy boy whose name was Tiidu. Neither scoldings
+nor beatings nor kind words had any effect on him, and the older he
+grew the idler he got. He spent his winters crouching close to a
+warm stove, and his summers asleep under a shady tree; and if he
+was not doing either of these things he was playing tunes on his
+flute.
+
+One day he was sitting under a bush playing so sweetly that you
+might easily have mistaken the notes for those of a bird, when an
+old man passed by. 'What trade do you wish to follow, my son?' he
+asked in a friendly voice, stopping as he did so in front of the youth.
+
+'If I were only a rich man, and had no need to work,' replied the
+boy, 'I should not follow any. I could not bear to be anybody's
+servant, as all my brothers and sisters are.'
+
+The old man laughed as he heard this answer, and said: 'But I do
+not exactly see where your riches are to come from if you do not
+work for them. Sleeping cats catch no mice. He who wishes to
+become rich must use either his hands or his head, and be ready to
+toil night and day, or else--'
+
+But here the youth broke in rudely:
+
+'Be silent, old man! I have been told all that a hundred times over;
+and it runs off me like water off a duck's back. No one will ever
+make a worker out of me.'
+
+'You have one gift,' replied the old man, taking no notice of this
+speech, 'and if you would only go about and play the pipes, you
+would easily earn, not only your daily bread, but a little money into
+the bargain. Listen to me; get yourself a set of pipes, and learn to
+play on them as well as you do on your flute, and wherever there
+are men to hear you, I promise you will never lack money.'
+
+'But where am I to get the pipes from?' asked the youth.
+
+'Blow on your flute for a few days,' replied the old man, 'and you
+will soon be able to buy your pipes. By-and-by I will come back
+again and see if you have taken my advice, and whether you are
+likely to grow rich.' And so saying he went his way.
+
+Tiidu stayed where he was a little longer, thinking of all the old man
+had told him, and the more he thought the surer he felt that the old
+man was right. He determined to try whether his plan would really
+bring luck; but as he did not like being laughed at he resolved not to
+tell anyone a word about it. So next morning he left home--and
+never came back! His parents did not take his loss much to heart,
+but were rather glad that their useless son had for once shown a
+little spirit, and they hoped that time and hardship might cure Tiidu
+of his idle folly.
+
+For some weeks Tiidu wandered from one village to another, and
+proved for himself the truth of the old man's promise. The people
+he met were all friendly and kind, and enjoyed his flute-playing,
+giving him his food in return, and even a few pence. These pence
+the youth hoarded carefully till he had collected enough to buy a
+beautiful pair of pipes. Then he felt himself indeed on the high road
+to riches. Nowhere could pipes be found as fine as his, or played in
+so masterly a manner. Tiidu's pipes set everybody's legs dancing. 
+Wherever there was a marriage, a christening, or a feast of any
+kind, Tiidu must be there, or the evening would be a failure. In a
+few years he had become so noted a piper that people would travel
+far and wide to hear him.
+
+One day he was invited to a christening where many rich men from
+the neighbouring town were present, and all agreed that never in all
+their lives had they heard such playing as his. They crowded round
+him, and praised him, and pressed him to come to their homes,
+declaring that it was a shame not to give their friends the chance of
+hearing such music. Of course all this delighted Tiidu, who
+accepted gladly, and left their houses laden with money and
+presents of every kind; one great lord clothed him in a magnificent
+dress, a second hung a chain of pearls round his neck, while a third
+handed him a set of new pipes encrusted in silver. As for the ladies,
+the girls twisted silken scarves round his plumed hat, and their
+mothers knitted him gloves of all colours, to keep out the cold. 
+Any other man in Tiidu's place would have been contented and
+happy in this life; but his craving for riches gave him no rest, and
+only goaded him day by day to fresh exertions, so that even his own
+mother would not have known him for the lazy boy who was always lying 
+asleep in one place or the other.
+
+Now Tiidu saw quite clearly that he could only hope to become rich
+by means of his pipes, and set about thinking if there was nothing
+he could do to make the money flow in faster. At length he
+remembered having heard some stories of a kingdom in the Kungla
+country, where musicians of all sorts were welcomed and highly
+paid; but where it was, or how it was reached, he could not
+recollect, however hard he thought. In despair, he wandered along
+the coast, hoping to see some ship or sailing boat that would take
+him where he wished to go, and at length he reached the town of
+Narva, where several merchantmen were lying at anchor. To his
+great joy, he found that one of them was sailing for Kungla in a few
+days, and he hastily went on board, and asked for the captain. But
+the cost of the passage was more than the prudent Tiidu cared to
+pay, and though he played his best on his pipes, the captain refused
+to lower his price, and Tiidu was just thinking of returning on shore
+when his usual luck flew to his aid. A young sailor, who had heard
+him play, came secretly to him, and offered to hide him on board, in
+the absence of the captain. So the next night, as soon as it was
+dark, Tiidu stepped softly on deck, and was hidden by his friend
+down in the hold in a corner between two casks. Unseen by the
+rest of the crew the sailor managed to bring him food and drink,
+and when they were well out of sight of land he proceeded to carry
+out a plan he had invented to deliver Tiidu from his cramped
+quarters. At midnight, while he was keeping watch and everyone
+else was sleeping, the man bade his friend Tiidu follow him on
+deck, where he tied a rope round Tiidu's body, fastening the other
+end carefully to one of the ship's ropes. 'Now,' he said, 'I will
+throw you into the sea, and you must shout for help; and when you
+see the sailors coming untie the rope from your waist, and tell them
+that you have swum after the ship all the way from shore.'
+
+At first Tiidu did not much like this scheme, for the sea ran high,
+but he was a good swimmer, and the sailor assured him that there
+was no danger. As soon as he was in the water, his friend hastened
+to rouse his mates, declaring that he was sure that there was a man
+in the sea, following the ship. They all came on deck, and what was
+their surprise when they recognised the person who had bargained
+about a passage the previous day with the captain.
+
+'Are you a ghost, or a dying man?' they asked him trembling, as
+they stooped over the side of the ship.
+
+'I shall soon indeed be a dead man if you do not help me,' answered
+Tiidu, 'for my strength is going fast.'
+
+Then the captain seized a rope and flung it out to him, and Tiidu
+held it between his teeth, while, unseen by the sailors; he loosed the
+one tied round his waist.
+
+'Where have you come from?' said the captain, when Tiidu was
+brought up on board the ship.
+
+'I have followed you from the harbour,' answered he, 'and have been
+often in sore dread lest my strength should fail me. I hoped that by
+swimming after the ship I might at last reach Kungla, as I had no
+money to pay my passage.' The captain's heart melted at these
+words, and he said kindly: 'You may be thankful that you were not
+drowned. I will land you at Kungla free of payment, as you are so
+anxious to get there. So he gave him dry clothes to wear, and a
+berth to sleep in, and Tiidu and his friend secretly made merry over
+their cunning trick.
+
+For the rest of the voyage the ship's crew treated Tiidu as
+something higher than themselves, seeing that in all their lives they
+had never met with any man that could swim for as many hours as
+he had done. This pleased Tiidu very much, though he knew that
+he had really done nothing to deserve it, and in return he delighted
+them by tunes on his pipes. When, after some days, they cast
+anchor at Kungla, the story of his wonderful swim brought him
+many friends, for everybody wished to hear him tell the tale himself. 
+This might have been all very well, had not Tiidu lived in dread that
+some day he would be asked to give proof of his marvellous
+swimming powers, and then everything would be found out. 
+Meanwhile he was dazzled with the splendour around him, and
+more than ever he longed for part of the riches, about which the
+owners seemed to care so little.
+
+He wandered through the streets for many days, seeking some one
+who wanted a servant; but though more than one person would
+have been glad to engage him, they seemed to Tiidu not the sort of
+people to help him to get rich quickly. At last, when he had almost
+made up his mind that he must accept the next place offered him, he
+happened to knock at the door of a rich merchant who was in need
+of a scullion, and gladly agreed to do the cook's bidding, and it was
+in this merchant's house that he first learned how great were the
+riches of the land of Kungla. All the vessels which in other
+countries are made of iron, copper, brass, or tin, in Kungla were
+made of silver, or even of gold. The food was cooked in silver
+saucepans, the bread baked in a silver oven, while the dishes and
+their covers were all of gold. Even the very pigs' troughs were of
+silver too. But the sight of these things only made Tiidu more
+covetous than before. 'What is the use of all this wealth that I have
+constantly before my eyes,' thought he, 'if none of it is mine? I shall
+never grow rich by what I earn as a scullion, even though I am paid
+as much in a month as I should get elsewhere in a year.'
+
+By this time he had been in his place for two years, and had put by
+quite a large sum of money. His passion of saving had increased to
+such a pitch that it was only by his master's orders that he ever
+bought any new clothes, 'For,' said the merchant, 'I will not have
+dirty people in my house.' So with a heavy heart Tiidu spent some
+of his next month's wages on a cheap coat.
+
+One day the merchant held a great feast in honour of the christening
+of his youngest child, and he gave each of his servants a handsome
+garment for the occasion. The following Sunday, Tiidu, who liked
+fine clothes when he did not have to pay for them, put on his new
+coat, and went for a walk to some beautiful pleasure gardens, which
+were always full of people on a sunny day. He sat down under a
+shady tree, and watched the passers-by, but after a little he began to
+feel rather lonely, for he knew nobody and nobody knew him. 
+Suddenly his eyes fell on the figure of an old man, which seemed
+familiar to him, though he could not tell when or where he had seen
+it. He watched the figure for some time, till at length the old man
+left the crowded paths, and threw himself on the soft grass under a
+lime tree, which stood at some distance from where Tiidu was
+sitting. Then the young man walked slowly past, in order that he
+might look at him more closely, and as he did so the old man
+smiled, and held out his hand.
+
+'What have you done with your pipes?' asked he; and then in a
+moment Tiidu knew him. Taking his arm he drew him into a quiet
+place and told him all that had happened since they had last met. 
+The old man shook his head as he listened, and when Tiidu had
+finished his tale, he said: 'A fool you are, and a fool you will always
+be! Was there ever such a piece of folly as to exchange your pipes
+for a scullion's ladle? You could have made as much by the pipes in
+a day as your wages would have come to in half a year. Go home
+and fetch your pipes, and play them here, and you will soon see if I
+have spoken the truth.'
+
+Tiidu did not like this advice--he was afraid that the people would
+laugh at him; and, besides, it was long since he had touched his
+pipes--but the old man persisted, and at last Tiidu did as he was
+told.
+
+'Sit down on the bank by me,' said the old man, when he came back,
+'and begin to play, and in a little while the people will flock round
+you.' Tiidu obeyed, at first without much heart; but somehow the
+tone of the pipes was sweeter than he had remembered, and as he
+played, the crowd ceased to walk and chatter, and stood still and
+silent round him. When he had played for some time he took off his
+hat and passed it round, and dollars, and small silver coins, and
+even gold pieces, came tumbling in. Tiidu played a couple more
+tunes by way of thanks, then turned to go home, hearing on all
+sides murmurs of 'What a wonderful piper! Come back, we pray
+you, next Sunday to give us another treat.'
+
+'What did I tell you?' said the old man, as they passed through the
+garden gate. 'Was it not pleasanter to play for a couple of hours on
+the pipes than to be stirring sauces all day long? For the second
+time I have shown you the path to follow; try to learn wisdom, and
+take the bull by the horns, lest your luck should slip from you! I
+can be your guide no longer, therefore listen to what I say, and
+obey me. Go every Sunday afternoon to those gardens; and sit
+under the lime tree and play to the people, and bring a felt hat with
+a deep crown, and lay it on the ground at your feet, so that
+everyone can throw some money into it. If you are invited to play
+at a feast, accept willingly, but beware of asking a fixed price; say
+you will take whatever they may feel inclined to give. You will get
+far more money in the end. Perhaps, some day, our paths may
+cross, and then I shall see how far you have followed my advice. 
+Till then, farewell'; and the old man went his way.
+
+As before, his words came true, though Tiidu could not at once do
+his bidding, as he had first to fulfil his appointed time of service. 
+Meanwhile he ordered some fine clothes, in which he played every
+Sunday in the gardens, and when he counted his gains in the
+evening they were always more than on the Sunday before. At
+length he was free to do as he liked, and he had more invitations to
+play than he could manage to accept, and at night, when the citizens
+used to go and drink in the inn, the landlord always begged Tiidu to
+come and play to them. Thus he grew so rich that very soon he had
+his silver pipes covered with gold, so that they glistened in the light
+of the sun or the fire. In all Kungla there was no prouder man than
+Tiidu.
+
+In a few years he had saved such a large sum of money that he was
+considered a rich man even in Kungla, where everybody was rich. 
+And then he had leisure to remember that he had once had a home,
+and a family, and that he should like to see them both again, and
+show them how well he could play. This time he would not need to
+hide in the ship's hold, but could hire the best cabin if he wished to,
+or even have a vessel all to himself. So he packed all his treasures
+in large chests, and sent them on board the first ship that was sailing
+to his native land, and followed them with a light heart. The wind
+at starting was fair, but it soon freshened, and in the night rose to a
+gale. For two days they ran before it, and hoped that by keeping
+well out to sea they might be able to weather the storm, when,
+suddenly, the ship struck on a rock, and began to fill. Orders were
+given to lower the boats, and Tiidu with three sailors got into one
+of them, but before they could push away from the ship a huge
+wave overturned it, and all four were flung into the water. Luckily
+for Tiidu an oar was floating near him, and with its help he was able
+to keep on the surface of the water; and when the sun rose, and the
+mist cleared away, he saw that he was not far from shore. By hard
+swimming, for the sea still ran high, he managed to reach it, and
+pulled himself out of the water, more dead than alive. Then he
+flung himself down on the ground and fell fast asleep.
+
+When he awoke he got up to explore the island, and see if there
+were any men upon it; but though he found streams and fruit trees
+in abundance, there was no trace either of man or beast. Then,
+tired with his wanderings he sat down and began to think.
+
+For perhaps the first time in his life his thoughts did not instantly
+turn to money. It was not on his lost treasures that his mind dwelt,
+but on his conduct to his parents: his laziness and disobedience as a
+boy; his forgetfulness of them as a man. 'If wild animals were to
+come and tear me to pieces,' he said to himself bitterly, 'it would be
+only what I deserve!  My gains are all at the bottom of the sea--well!
+lightly won, lightly lost--but it is odd that I feel I should not
+care for that if only my pipes were left me.'  Then he rose and
+walked a little further, till he saw a tree with great red apples
+shining amidst the leaves, and he pulled some down, and ate them
+greedily. After that he stretched himself out on the soft moss and
+went to sleep.
+
+In the morning he ran to the nearest stream to wash himself, but to
+his horror, when he caught sight of his face, he saw his nose had
+grown the colour of an apple, and reached nearly to his waist. He
+started back thinking he was dreaming, and put up his hand; but,
+alas! the dreadful thing was true. 'Oh, why does not some wild
+beast devour me?' he cried to himself; 'never, never, can I go again
+amongst my fellow-men! If only the sea had swallowed me up,
+how much happier it had been for me!' And he hid his head in his
+hands and wept. His grief was so violent, that it exhausted him,
+and growing hungry he looked about for something to eat. Just
+above him was a bough of ripe, brown nuts, end he picked them
+and ate a handful. To his surprise, as he was eating them, he felt his
+nose grow shorter and shorter, and after a while he ventured to feel
+it with his hand, and even to look in the stream again! Yes, there
+was no mistake, it was as short as before, or perhaps a little shorter. 
+In his joy at this discovery Tiidu did a very bold thing. He took one
+of the apples out of his pocket, and cautiously bit a piece out of it. 
+In an instant his nose was as long as his chin, and in a deadly fear
+lest it should stretch further, he hastily swallowed a nut, and
+awaited the result with terror. Supposing that the shrinking of his
+nose had only been an accident before! Supposing that that nut and
+no other was able to cause its shrinking! In that case he had, by his
+own folly, in not letting well alone, ruined his life completely. But,
+no! he had guessed rightly, for in no more time than his nose had
+taken to grow long did it take to return to its proper size. 'This
+may make my fortune,' he said joyfully to himself; and he gathered
+some of the apples, which he put into one pocket, and a good
+supply of nuts which he put into the other. Next day he wove a
+basket out of some rushes, so that if he ever left the island he might
+be able to carry his treasures about.
+
+That night he dreamed that his friend the old man appeared to him
+and said: 'Because you did not mourn for your lost treasure, but
+only for your pipes, I will give you a new set to replace them.' And,
+behold! in the morning when he got up a set of pipes was lying in
+the basket. With what joy did he seize them and begin one of his
+favourite tunes; and as he played hope sprang up in his heart, and
+he looked out to sea, to try to detect the sign of a sail. Yes! there
+it was, making straight for the island; and Tiidu, holding his pipes in
+his hand, dashed down to the shore.
+
+The sailors knew the island to be uninhabited, and were much
+surprised to see a man standing on the beach, waving his arms in
+welcome to them. A boat was put off, and two sailors rowed to the
+shore to discover how he came there, and if he wished to be taken
+away. Tiidu told them the story of his shipwreck, and the captain
+promised that he should come on board, and sail with them back to
+Kungla; and thankful indeed was Tiidu to accept the offer, and to
+show his gratitude by playing on his pipes whenever he was asked
+to do so.
+
+They had a quick voyage, and it was not long before Tiidu found
+himself again in the streets of the capital of Kungla, playing as he
+went along. The people had heard no music like his since he went
+away, and they crowded round him, and in their joy gave him
+whatever money they had in their pockets. His first care was to buy
+himself some new clothes, which he sadly needed, taking care,
+however, that they should be made after a foreign fashion. When
+they were ready, he set out one day with a small basket of his
+famous apples, and went up to the palace. He did not have to wait
+long before one of the royal servants passed by and bought all the
+apples, begging as he did so that the merchant should return and
+bring some more. This Tiidu promised, and hastened away as if he
+had a mad bull behind him, so afraid was he that the man should
+begin to eat an apple at once.
+
+It is needless to say that for some days he took no more apples back
+to the palace, but kept well away on the other side of the town,
+wearing other clothes, and disguised by a long black beard, so that
+even his own mother would not have known him.
+
+The morning after his visit to the castle the whole city was in an
+uproar about the dreadful misfortune that had happened to the
+Royal Family, for not only the king but his wife and children, had
+eaten of the stranger's apples, and all, so said the rumour, were very
+ill. The most famous doctors and the greatest magicians were
+hastily summoned to the palace, but they shook their heads and
+came away again; never had they met with such a disease in all the
+course of their experience. By-and-bye a story went round the
+town, started no one knew how, that the malady was in some way
+connected with the nose; and men rubbed their own anxiously, to
+be sure that nothing catching was in the air.
+
+Matters had been in this state for more than a week when it reached
+the ears of the king that a man was living in an inn on the other side
+of the town who declared himself able to cure all manner of
+diseases. Instantly the royal carriage was commanded to drive with
+all speed and bring back this magician, offering him riches untold if
+he could restore their noses to their former length. Tiidu had
+expected this summons, and had sat up all night changing his
+appearance, and so well had he succeeded that not a trace remained
+either of the piper or of the apple seller. He stepped into the
+carriage, and was driven post haste to the king, who was feverishly
+counting every moment, for both his nose and the queen's were by
+this time more than a yard long, and they did not know where they
+would stop.
+
+Now Tiidu thought it would not look well to cure the royal family
+by giving them the raw nuts; he felt that it might arouse suspicion. 
+So he had carefully pounded them into a powder, and divided the
+powder up into small doses, which were to be put on the tongue
+and swallowed at once. He gave one of these to the king and
+another to the queen, and told them that before taking them they
+were to get into bed in a dark room and not to move for some
+hours, after which they might be sure that they would come out
+cured.
+
+The king's joy was so great at this news that he would gladly have
+given Tiidu half of his kingdom; but the piper was no longer so
+greedy of money as he once was, before he had been shipwrecked
+on the island. If he could get enough to buy a small estate and live
+comfortably on it for the rest of his life, that was all he now cared
+for. However, the king ordered his treasure to pay him three times
+as much as he asked, and with this Tiidu went down to the harbour
+and engaged a small ship to carry him back to his native country. 
+The wind was fair, and in ten days the coast, which he had almost
+forgotten, stood clear before him. In a few hours he was standing
+in his old home, where his father, three sisters, and two brothers
+gave him a hearty welcome. His mother and his other brothers had
+died some years before.
+
+When the meeting was over, he began to make inquiries about a
+small estate that was for sale near the town, and after he had bought
+it the next thing was to find a wife to share it with him. This did
+not take long either; and people who were at the wedding feast
+declared that the best part of the whole day was the hour when
+Tiidu played to them on the pipes before they bade each other
+farewell and returned to their homes.
+
+[From Esthnische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+Paperarelloo
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen who had one son. 
+The king loved the boy very much, but the queen, who was a
+wicked woman, hated the sight of him; and this was the more
+unlucky for, when he was twelve years old, his father died, and he
+was left alone in the world.
+
+Now the queen was very angry because the people, who knew how
+bad she was, seated her son on the throne instead of herself, and
+she never rested till she had formed a plan to get him out of the
+way. Fortunately, however, the young king was wise and prudent,
+and knew her too well to trust her.
+
+One day, when his mourning was over, he gave orders that
+everything should be made ready for a grand hunt. The queen
+pretended to be greatly delighted that he was going to amuse
+himself once more, and declared that she would accompany him. 
+'No, mother, I cannot let you come,' he answered; 'the ground is
+rough, and you are not strong.' But he might as well have spoken
+to the winds: when the horn was sounded at daybreak the queen
+was there with the rest.
+
+All that day they rode, for game was plentiful, but towards evening
+the mother and son found themselves alone in a part of the country
+that was strange to them. They wandered on for some time,
+without knowing where they were going, till they met with a man
+whom they begged to give them shelter. 'Come with me,' said the
+man gladly, for he was an ogre, and fed on human flesh; and the
+king and his mother went with him, and he led them to his house. 
+When they got there they found to what a dreadful place they had
+come, and, falling on their knees, they offered him great sums of
+money, if he would only spare their lives. The ogre's heart was
+moved at the sight of the queen's beauty, and he promised that he
+would do her no harm; but he stabbed the boy at once, and binding
+his body on a horse, turned him loose in the forest.
+
+The ogre had happened to choose a horse which he had bought
+only the day before, and he did not know it was a magician, or he
+would not have been so foolish as to fix upon it on this occasion. 
+The horse no sooner had been driven off with the prince's body on
+its back than it galloped straight to the home of the fairies, and
+knocked at the door with its hoof. The fairies heard the knock, but
+were afraid to open till they had peeped from an upper window to
+see that it was no giant or ogre who could do them harm. 'Oh,
+look, sister!' cried the first to reach the window, 'it is a horse that
+has knocked, and on its back there is bound a dead boy, the most
+beautiful boy in all the world!' Then the fairies ran to open the
+door, and let in the horse and unbound the ropes which fastened the
+young king on its back. And they gathered round to admire his
+beauty, and whispered one to the other: 'We will make him alive
+again, and will keep him for our brother.' And so they did, and for
+many years they all lived together as brothers and sisters.
+
+By-and-by the boy grew into a man, as boys will, and then the
+oldest of the fairies said to her sisters: 'Now I will marry him, and
+he shall be really your brother.' So the young king married the
+fairy, and they lived happily together in the castle; but though he
+loved his wife he still longed to see the world.
+
+At length this longing grew so strong on him that he could bear it
+no more; and, calling the fairies together, he said to them: 'Dear
+wife and sisters, I must leave you for a time, and go out and see the
+world. But I shall think of you often, and one day I shall come
+back to you.'
+
+The fairies wept and begged him to stay, but he would not listen,
+and at last the eldest, who was his wife, said to him: 'If you really
+will abandon us, take this lock of my hair with you; you will find it
+useful in time of need.' So she cut off a long curl, and handed it to
+him.
+
+The prince mounted his horse, and rode on all day without stopping
+once. Towards evening he found himself in a desert, and, look
+where he would, there was no such thing as a house or a man to be
+seen. 'What am I to do now?' he thought. 'If I go to sleep here
+wild beasts will come and eat me! Yet both I and my horse are
+worn out, and can go no further.' Then suddenly he remembered
+the fairy's gift, and taking out the curl he said to it: 'I want a castle
+here, and servants, and dinner, and everything to make me
+comfortable tonight; and besides that, I must have a stable and
+fodder for my horse.' And in a moment the castle was before him
+just as he had wished.
+
+In this way he travelled through many countries, till at last he came
+to a land that was ruled over by a great king. Leaving his horse
+outside the walls, he clad himself in the dress of a poor man, and
+went up to the palace. The queen, who was looking out of the
+window, saw him approaching, and filled with pity sent a servant to
+ask who he was and what he wanted. 'I am a stranger here,'
+answered the young king, 'and very poor. I have come to beg for
+some work.' 'We have everybody we want,' said the queen, when
+the servant told her the young man's reply. 'We have a gate-keeper,
+and a hall porter, and servants of all sorts in the palace; the only
+person we have not got is a goose-boy. Tell him that he can he our
+goose-boy if he likes.' The youth answered that he was quite
+content to be goose-boy; and that was how he got his nickname of
+Paperarello. And in order that no one should guess that he was any
+better than a goose-boy should be, he rubbed his face and his rags
+over with mud, and made himself altogether such a disgusting
+object that every one crossed over to the other side of the road
+when he was seen coming.
+
+'Do go and wash yourself, Paperarello!' said the queen sometimes,
+for he did his work so well that she took an interest in him. 'Oh, I
+should not feel comfortable if I was clean, your Majesty,' answered
+he, and went whistling after his geese.
+
+It happened one day that, owing to some accident to the great flour
+mills which supplied the city, there was no bread to be had, and the
+king's army had to do without. When the king heard of it, he sent
+for the cook, and told him that by the next morning he must have all
+the bread that the oven, heated seven times over, could bake. 'But,
+your Majesty, it is not possible,' cried the poor man in despair. 
+'The mills have only just begun working, and the flour will not be
+ground till evening, and how can I heat the oven seven times in one
+night?' 'That is your affair,' answered the King, who, when he took
+anything into his head, would listen to nothing. 'If you succeed in
+baking the bread you shall have my daughter to wife, but if you fail
+your head will pay for it.'
+
+Now Paperarello, who was passing through the hall where the king
+was giving his orders, heard these words, and said: 'Your Majesty,
+have no fears; I will bake your bread.' 'Very well,' answered the
+king; 'but if you fail, you will pay for it with your head!' and signed
+that both should leave his presence.
+
+The cook was still trembling with the thought of what he had
+escaped, but to his surprise Paperarello did not seem disturbed at
+all, and when night came he went to sleep as usual. 'Paperarello,'
+cried the other servants, when they saw him quietly taking off his
+clothes, 'you cannot go to bed; you will need every moment of the
+night for your work. Remember, the king is not to be played with!'
+
+'I really must have some sleep first,' replied Paperarello, stretching
+himself and yawning; and he flung himself on his bed, and was fast
+asleep in a moment. In an hour's time, the servants came and shook
+him by the shoulder. 'Paperarello, are you mad?' said they. 'Get up,
+or you will lose your head.' 'Oh, do let me sleep a little more,
+answered he. And this was all he would say, though the servants
+returned to wake him many times in the night.
+
+At last the dawn broke, and the servants rushed to his room, crying:
+'Paperarello! Paperarello! get up, the king is coming. You have
+baked no bread, and of a surety he will have your head.'
+
+'Oh, don't scream so,' replied Paperarello, jumping out of bed as he
+spoke; and taking the lock of hair in his hand, he went into the
+kitchen. And, behold! there stood the bread piled high--four, five,
+six ovens full, and the seventh still waiting to be taken out of the
+oven. The servants stood and stared in surprise, and the king said: 
+'Well done, Paperarello, you have won my daughter.' And he
+thought to himself: 'This fellow must really be a magician.'
+
+But when the princess heard what was in store for her she wept
+bitterly, and declared that never, never would she marry that dirty
+Paperarello! However, the king paid no heed to her tears and
+prayers, and before many days were over the wedding was
+celebrated with great splendour, though the bridegroom had not
+taken the trouble to wash himself, and was as dirty as before.
+
+When night came he went as usual to sleep among his geese, and
+the princess went to the king and said: 'Father, I entreat you to have
+that horrible Paperarello put to death.' 'No, no!' replied her father,
+'he is a great magician, and before I put him to death, I must first
+find out the secret of his power, and then--we shall see.'
+
+Soon after this a war broke out, and everybody about the palace
+was very busy polishing up armour and sharpening swords, for the
+king and his sons were to ride at the head of the army. Then
+Paperarello left his geese, and came and told the king that he
+wished to go to fight also. The king gave him leave, and told him
+that he might go to the stable and take any horse he liked from the
+stables. So Paperarello examined the horses carefully, but instead
+of picking out one of the splendid well-groomed creatures, whose
+skin shone like satin, he chose a poor lame thing, put a saddle on it,
+and rode after the other men-at-arms who were attending the king. 
+In a short time he stopped, and said to them: 'My horse can go no
+further; you must go on to the war without me, and I will stay here,
+and make some little clay soldiers, and will play at a battle.' The
+men laughed at him for being so childish, and rode on after their
+master.
+
+Scarcely were they out of sight than Paperarello took out his curl,
+and wished himself the best armour, the sharpest sword, and the
+swiftest horse in the world, and the next minute was riding as fast
+as he could to the field of battle. The fight had already begun, and
+the enemy was getting the best of it, when Paperarello rode up, and
+in a moment the fortunes of the day had changed. Right and left
+this strange knight laid about him, and his sword pierced the
+stoutest breast-plate, and the strongest shield. He was indeed 'a
+host in himself,' and his foes fled before him thinking he was only
+the first of a troop of such warriors, whom no one could withstand. 
+When the battle was over, the king sent for him to thank him for his
+timely help, and to ask what reward he should give him. 'Nothing
+but your little finger, your Majesty,' was his answer; and the king
+cut off his little finger and gave it to Paperarello, who bowed and
+hid it in his surcoat. Then he left the field, and when the soldiers
+rode back they found him still sitting in the road making whole
+rows of little clay dolls.
+
+The next day the king went out to fight another battle, and again
+Paperarello appeared, mounted on his lame horse. As on the day
+before, he halted on the road, and sat down to make his clay
+soldiers; then a second time he wished himself armour, sword, and a
+horse, all sharper and better than those he had previously had, and
+galloped after the rest. He was only just in time: the enemy had
+almost beaten the king's army back, and men whispered to each
+other that if the strange knight did not soon come to their aid, they
+would be all dead men. Suddenly someone cried: 'Hold on a little
+longer, I see him in the distance; and his armour shines brighter, and
+his horse runs swifter, than yesterday.' Then they took fresh heart
+and fought desperately on till the knight came up, and threw himself
+into the thick of the battle. As before, the enemy gave way before
+him, and in a few minutes the victory remained with the king.
+
+The first thing that the victor did was to send for the knight to
+thank him for his timely help, and to ask what gift he could bestow
+on him in token of gratitude. 'Your Majesty's ear,' answered the
+knight; and as the king could not go back from his word, he cut it
+off and gave it to him. Paperarello bowed, fastened the ear inside
+his surcoat and rode away. In the evening, when they all returned
+from the battle, there he was, sitting in the road, making clay dolls.
+
+On the third day the same thing happened, and this time he asked
+for the king's nose as the reward of his aid. Now, to lose one's
+nose, is worse even than losing one's ear or one's finger, and the
+king hesitated as to whether he should comply. However, he had
+always prided himself on being an honourable man, so he cut off his
+nose, and handed it to Paperarello. Paperarello bowed, put the
+nose in his surcoat, and rode away. In the evening, when the king
+returned from the battle, he found Paperarello sitting in the road
+making clay dolls. And Paperarello got up and said to him: 'Do you
+know who I am? I am your dirty goose-boy, yet you have given me
+your finger, and your ear, and your nose.'
+
+That night, when the king sat at dinner, Paperarello came in, and
+laying down the ear, and the nose, and the finger on the table,
+turned and said to the nobles and courtiers who were waiting on the
+king: 'I am the invincible knight, who rode three times to your help,
+and I also am a king's son, and no goose-boy as you all think.' And
+he went away and washed himself, and dressed himself in fine
+clothes and entered the hall again, looking so handsome that the
+proud princess fell in love with him on the spot. But Paperarello
+took no notice of her, and said to the king: 'It was kind of you to
+offer me your daughter in marriage, and for that I thank you; but I
+have a wife at home whom I love better, and it is to her that I am
+going. But as a token of farewell, I wish that your ear, and nose,
+and finger may be restored to their proper places.' So saying, he
+bade them all goodbye, and went back to his home and his fairy
+bride, with whom he lived happily till the end of his life.
+
+[From Sicilianisohen Mahrchen.] 
+
+
+
+The Gifts Of The Magician
+
+Once upon a time there was an old man who lived in a little hut in
+the middle of a forest. His wife was dead, and he had only one son,
+whom he loved dearly. Near their hut was a group of birch trees, in
+which some black-game had made their nests, and the youth had
+often begged his father's permission to shoot the birds, but the old
+man always strictly forbade him to do anything of the kind.
+
+One day, however, when the father had gone to a little distance to
+collect some sticks for the fire, the boy fetched his bow, and shot at
+a bird that was just flying towards its nest. But he had not taken
+proper aim, and the bird was only wounded, and fluttered along the
+ground. The boy ran to catch it, but though he ran very fast, and
+the bird seemed to flutter along very slowly, he never could quite
+come up with it; it was always just a little in advance. But so
+absorbed was he in the chase that he did not notice for some time
+that he was now deep in the forest, in a place where he had never
+been before. Then he felt it would be foolish to go any further, and
+he turned to find his way home.
+
+He thought it would be easy enough to follow the path along which
+he had come, but somehow it was always branching off in
+unexpected directions. He looked about for a house where he
+might stop and ask his way, but there was not a sign of one
+anywhere, and he was afraid to stand still, for it was cold, and there
+were many stories of wolves being seen in that part of the forest. 
+Night fell, and he was beginning to start at every sound, when
+suddenly a magician came running towards him, with a pack of
+wolves snapping at his heels. Then all the boy's courage returned to
+him. He took his bow, and aiming an arrow at the largest wolf,
+shot him through the heart, and a few more arrows soon put the
+rest to flight. The magician was full of gratitude to his deliverer,
+and promised him a reward for his help if the youth would go back
+with him to his house.
+
+'Indeed there is nothing that would be more welcome to me than a
+night's lodging,' answered the boy; 'I have been wandering all day in
+the forest, and did not know how to get home again.
+
+'Come with me, you must be hungry as well as tired,' said the
+magician, and led the way to his house, where the guest flung
+himself on a bed, and went fast asleep. But his host returned to the
+forest to get some food, for the larder was empty.
+
+While he was absent the housekeeper went to the boy's room and
+tried to wake him. She stamped on the floor, and shook him and
+called to him, telling him that he was in great danger, and must take
+flight at once. But nothing would rouse him, and if he did ever
+open his eyes he shut them again directly.
+
+Soon after, the magician came back from the forest, and told the
+housekeeper to bring them something to eat. The meal was quickly
+ready, and the magician called to the boy to come down and eat it,
+but he could not be wakened, and they had to sit down to supper
+without him. By-and-by the magician went out into the wood again
+for some more hunting, and on his return he tried afresh to waken
+the youth. But finding it quite impossible, he went back for the
+third time to the forest.
+
+While he was absent the boy woke up and dressed himself. Then he
+came downstairs and began to talk to the housekeeper. The girl
+had heard how he had saved her master's life, so she said nothing
+more about his running away, but instead told him that if the
+magician offered him the choice of a reward, he was to ask for the
+horse which stood in the third stall of the stable.
+
+By-and-by the old man came back and they all sat down to dinner. 
+When they had finished the magician said: 'Now, my son, tell me
+what you will have as the reward of your courage?'
+
+'Give me the horse that stands in the third stall of your stable,'
+answered the youth. 'For I have a long way to go before I get
+home, and my feet will not carry me so far.'
+
+'Ah! my son,' replied the magician, 'it is the best horse in my stable
+that you want! Will not anything else please you as well?'
+
+But the youth declared that it was the horse, and the horse only,
+that he desired, and in the end the old man gave way. And besides
+the horse, the magician gave him a zither, a fiddle, and a flute,
+saying: 'If you are in danger, touch the zither; and if no one comes
+to your aid, then play on the fiddle; but if that brings no help, blow
+on the flute.'
+
+The youth thanked the magician, and fastening his treasures about
+him mounted the horse and rode off. He had already gone some
+miles when, to his great surprise, the horse spoke, and said: 'It is no
+use your returning home just now, your father will only beat you. 
+Let us visit a few towns first, and something lucky will be sure to
+happen to us.'
+
+This advice pleased the boy, for he felt himself almost a man by this
+time, and thought it was high time he saw the world. When they
+entered the capital of the country everyone stopped to admire the
+beauty of the horse. Even the king heard of it, and came to see the
+splendid creature with his own eyes. Indeed, he wanted directly to
+buy it, and told the youth he would give any price he liked. The
+young man hesitated for a moment, but before he could speak, the
+horse contrived to whisper to him:
+
+'Do not sell me, but ask the king to take me to his stable, and feed
+me there; then his other horses will become just as beautiful as I.'
+
+The king was delighted when he was told what the horse had said,
+and took the animal at once to the stables, and placed it in his own
+particular stall. Sure enough, the horse had scarcely eaten a
+mouthful of corn out of the manger, when the rest of the horses
+seemed to have undergone a transformation. Some of them were
+old favourites which the king had ridden in many wars, and they
+bore the signs of age and of service. But now they arched their
+heads, and pawed the ground with their slender legs as they had
+been wont to do in days long gone by. The king's heart beat with
+delight, but the old groom who had had the care of them stood
+crossly by, and eyed the owner of this wonderful creature with hate
+and envy. Not a day passed without his bringing some story against
+the youth to his master, but the king understood all about the
+matter and paid no attention. At last the groom declared that the
+young man had boasted that he could find the king's war horse
+which had strayed into the forest several years ago, and had not
+been heard of since. Now the king had never ceased to mourn for
+his horse, so this time he listened to the tale which the groom had
+invented, and sent for the youth. 'Find me my horse in three days,'
+said he, 'or it will be the worse for you.'
+
+The youth was thunderstruck at this command, but he only bowed,
+and went off at once to the stable.
+
+'Do not worry yourself,' answered his own horse. 'Ask the king to
+give you a hundred oxen, and to let them be killed and cut into
+small pieces. Then we will start on our journey, and ride till we
+reach a certain river. There a horse will come up to you, but take
+no notice of him. Soon another will appear, and this also you must
+leave alone, but when the third horse shows itself, throw my bridle
+over it.'
+
+Everything happened just as the horse had said, and the third horse
+was safely bridled. Then the other horse spoke again: 'The
+magician's raven will try to eat us as we ride away, but throw it
+some of the oxen's flesh, and then I will gallop like the wind, and
+carry you safe out of the dragon's clutches.'
+
+So the young man did as he was told, and brought the horse back to
+the king.
+
+The old stableman was very jealous, when he heard of it, and
+wondered what he could do to injure the youth in the eyes of his
+royal master. At last he hit upon a plan, and told the king that the
+young man had boasted that he could bring home the king's wife,
+who had vanished many months before, without leaving a trace
+behind her. Then the king bade the young man come into his
+presence, and desired him to fetch the queen home again, as he had
+boasted he could do. And if he failed, his head would pay the
+penalty.
+
+The poor youth's heart stood still as he listened. Find the queen? 
+But how was he to do that, when nobody in the palace had been
+able to do so! Slowly he walked to the stable, and laying his head
+on his horse's shoulder, he said: 'The king has ordered me to bring
+his wife home again, and how can I do that when she disappeared
+so long ago, and no one can tell me anything about her?'
+
+'Cheer up!' answered the horse, 'we will manage to find her. You
+have only got to ride me back to the same river that we went to
+yesterday, and I will plunge into it and take my proper shape again. 
+For I am the king's wife, who was turned into a horse by the
+magician from whom you saved me.'
+
+Joyfully the young man sprang into the saddle and rode away to the
+banks of the river. Then he threw himself off, and waited while the
+horse plunged in. The moment it dipped its head into the water its
+black skin vanished, and the most beautiful woman in the world was
+floating on the water. She came smiling towards the youth, and
+held out her hand, and he took it and led her back to the palace. 
+Great was the king's surprise and happiness when he beheld his lost
+wife stand before him, and in gratitude to her rescuer he loaded him
+with gifts.
+
+You would have thought that after this the poor youth would have
+been left in peace; but no, his enemy the stableman hated him as
+much as ever, and laid a new plot for his undoing. This time he
+presented himself before the king and told him that the youth was
+so puffed up with what he had done that he had declared he would
+seize the king's throne for himself.
+
+At this news the king waxed so furious that he ordered a gallows to
+be erected at once, and the young man to be hanged without a trial. 
+He was not even allowed to speak in his own defence, but on the
+very steps of the gallows he sent a message to the king and begged,
+as a last favour, that he might play a tune on his zither. Leave was
+given him, and taking the instrument from under his cloak he
+touched the strings. Scarcely had the first notes sounded than the
+hangman and his helper began to dance, and the louder grew the
+music the higher they capered, till at last they cried for mercy. But
+the youth paid no heed, and the tunes rang out more merrily than
+before, and by the time the sun set they both sank on the ground
+exhausted, and declared that the hanging must be put off till
+to-morrow.
+
+The story of the zither soon spread through the town, and on the
+following morning the king and his whole court and a large crowd
+of people were gathered at the foot of the gallows to see the youth
+hanged. Once more he asked a favour--permission to play on his
+fiddle, and this the king was graciously pleased to grant. But with
+the first notes, the leg of every man in the crowd was lifted high,
+and they danced to the sound of the music the whole day till
+darkness fell, and there was no light to hang the musician by.
+
+The third day came, and the youth asked leave to play on his flute. 
+'No, no,' said the king, 'you made me dance all day yesterday, and if
+I do it again it will certainly be my death. You shall play no more
+tunes. Quick! the rope round his neck.'
+
+At these words the young man looked so sorrowful that the
+courtiers said to the king: 'He is very young to die. Let him play a
+tune if it will make him happy.' So, very unwillingly, the king gave
+him leave; but first he had himself bound to a big fir tree, for fear
+that he should be made to dance.
+
+When he was made fast, the young man began to blow softly on his
+flute, and bound though he was, the king's body moved to the
+sound, up and down the fir tree till his clothes were in tatters, and
+the skin nearly rubbed off his back. But the youth had no pity, and
+went on blowing, till suddenly the old magician appeared and
+asked: 'What danger are you in, my son, that you have sent for me?'
+
+'They want to hang me,' answered the young man; 'the gallows are
+all ready and the hangman is only waiting for me to stop playing.'
+
+'Oh, I will put that right,' said the magician; and taking the gallows,
+he tore it up and flung it into the air, and no one knows where it
+came down. 'Who has ordered you to be hanged?' asked he.
+
+The young man pointed to the king, who was still bound to the fir;
+and without wasting words the magician took hold of the tree also,
+and with a mighty heave both fir and man went spinning through
+the air, and vanished in the clouds after the gallows.
+
+Then the youth was declared to be free, and the people elected him
+for their king; and the stable helper drowned himself from envy, for,
+after all, if it had not been for him the young man would have
+remained poor all the days of his life.
+
+[From Finnische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Strong Prince
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king who was so fond of wine that
+he could not go to sleep unless he knew he had a great flaskful tied
+to his bed-post. All day long he drank till he was too stupid to
+attend to his business, and everything in the kingdom went to rack
+and ruin. But one day an accident happened to him, and he was
+struck on the head by a falling bough, so that he fell from his horse
+and lay dead upon the ground.
+
+His wife and son mourned his loss bitterly, for, in spite of his faults,
+he had always been kind to them. So they abandoned the crown
+and forsook their country, not knowing or caring where they went.
+
+At length they wandered into a forest, and being very tired, sat
+down under a tree to eat some bread that they had brought with
+them. When they had finished the queen said: 'My son, I am thirsty;
+fetch me some water.'
+
+The prince got up at once and went to a brook which he heard
+gurgling near at hand. He stooped and filled his hat with the water,
+which he brought to his mother; then he turned and followed the
+stream up to its source in a rock, where it bubbled out clear and
+fresh and cold. He knelt down to take a draught from the deep
+pool below the rock, when he saw the reflection of a sword hanging
+from the branch of a tree over his head. The young man drew back
+with a start; but in a moment he climbed the tree, cutting the rope
+which held the sword, and carried the weapon to his mother.
+
+The queen was greatly surprised at the sight of anything so splendid
+in such a lonely place, and took it in her hands to examine it closely. 
+It was of curious workmanship, wrought with gold, and on its
+handle was written: 'The man who can buckle on this sword will
+become stronger than other men.' The queen's heart swelled with
+joy as she read these words, and she bade her son lose no time in
+testing their truth. So he fastened it round his waist, and instantly a
+glow of strength seemed to run through his veins. He took hold of
+a thick oak tree and rooted it up as easily as if it had been a weed.
+
+This discovery put new life into the queen and her son, and they
+continued their walk through the forest. But night was drawing on,
+and the darkness grew so thick that it seemed as if it could be cut
+with a knife. They did not want to sleep in the wood, for they were
+afraid of wolves and other wild beasts, so they groped their way
+along, hand in hand, till the prince tripped over something which lay
+across the path. He could not see what it was, but stooped down
+and tried to lift it. The thing was very heavy, and he thought his
+back would break under the strain. At last with a great heave he
+moved it out of the road, and as it fell he knew it was a huge rock. 
+Behind the rock was a cave which it was quite clear was the home
+of some robbers, though not one of the band was there.
+
+Hastily putting out the fire which burned brightly at the back, and
+bidding his mother come in and keep very still, the prince began to
+pace up and down, listening for the return of the robbers. But he
+was very sleepy, and in spite of all his efforts he felt he could not
+keep awake much longer, when he heard the sound of the robbers
+returning, shouting and singing as they marched along. Soon the
+singing ceased, and straining his ears he heard them discussing
+anxiously what had become of their cave, and why they could not
+see the fire as usual. 'This must be the place,' said a voice, which
+the prince took to be that of the captain. 'Yes, I feel the ditch
+before the entrance. Someone forgot to pile up the fire before we
+left and it has burnt itself out! But it is all right. Let every man
+jump across, and as he does so cry out "Hop! I am here." I will go
+last. Now begin.'
+
+The man who stood nearest jumped across, but he had no time to
+give the call which the captain had ordered, for with one swift,
+silent stroke of the prince's sword, his head rolled into a corner. 
+Then the young man cried instead, 'Hop! I am here.'
+
+The second man, hearing the signal, leapt the ditch in confidence,
+and was met by the same fate, and in a few minutes eleven of the
+robbers lay dead, and there remained only the captain.
+
+Now the captain had wound round his neck the shawl of his lost
+wife, and the stroke of the prince's sword fell harmless. Being very
+cunning, however, he made no resistance, and rolled over as if he
+were as dead as the other men. Still, the prince was no fool, and
+wondered if indeed he was as dead as he seemed to be; but the
+captain lay so stiff and stark, that at last he was taken in.
+
+The prince next dragged the headless bodies into a chamber in the
+cave, and locked the door. Then he and his mother ransacked the
+place for some food, and when they had eaten it they lay down and
+slept in peace.
+
+With the dawn they were both awake again, and found that, instead
+of the cave which they had come to the night before, they now were
+in a splendid castle, full of beautiful rooms. The prince went round
+all these and carefully locked them up, bidding his mother take care
+of the keys while he was hunting.
+
+Unfortunately, the queen, like all women, could not bear to think
+that there was anything which she did not know. So the moment
+that her son had turned his back, she opened the doors of all the
+rooms, and peeped in, till she came to the one where the robbers
+lay. But if the sight of the blood on the ground turned her faint, the
+sight of the robber captain walking up and down was a greater
+shock still. She quickly turned the key in the lock, and ran back to
+the chamber she had slept in.
+
+Soon after her son came in, bringing with him a large bear, which
+he had killed for supper. As there was enough food to last them for
+many days, the prince did not hunt the next morning, but, instead,
+began to explore the castle. He found that a secret way led from it
+into the forest; and following the path, he reached another castle
+larger and more splendid than the one belonging to the robbers. He
+knocked at the door with his fist, and said that he wanted to enter;
+but the giant, to whom the castle belonged, only answered: 'I know
+who you are. I have nothing to do with robbers.'
+
+'I am no robber,' answered the prince. 'I am the son of a king, and I
+have killed all the band. If you do not open to me at once I will
+break in the door, and your head shall go to join the others.'
+
+He waited a little, but the door remained shut as tightly as before. 
+Then he just put his shoulder to it, and immediately the wood began
+to crack. When the giant found that it was no use keeping it shut,
+he opened it, saying: 'I see you are a brave youth. Let there be
+peace between us.'
+
+And the prince was glad to make peace, for he had caught a
+glimpse of the giant's beautiful daughter, and from that day he often
+sought the giant's house.
+
+Now the queen led a dull life all alone in the castle, and to amuse
+herself she paid visits to the robber captain, who flattered her till at
+last she agreed to marry him. But as she was much afraid of her
+son, she told the robber that the next time the prince went to bathe
+in the river, he was to steal the sword from its place above the bed,
+for without it the young man would have no power to punish him
+for his boldness.
+
+The robber captain thought this good counsel, and the next
+morning, when the young man went to bathe, he unhooked the
+sword from its nail and buckled it round his waist. On his return to
+the castle, the prince found the robber waiting for him on the steps,
+waving the sword above his head, and knowing that some horrible
+fate was in store, fell on his knees and begged for mercy. But he
+might as well have tried to squeeze blood out of a stone. The
+robber, indeed, granted him his life, but took out both his eyes,
+which he thrust into the prince's hand, saying brutally:
+
+'Here, you had better keep them! You may find them useful!'
+
+Weeping, the blind youth felt his way to the giant's house, and told
+him all the story.
+
+The giant was full of pity for the poor young man, but inquired
+anxiously what he had done with the eyes. The prince drew them
+out of his pocket, and silently handed them to the giant, who
+washed them well, and then put them back in the prince's head. For
+three days he lay in utter darkness; then the light began to come
+back, till soon he saw as well as ever.
+
+But though he could not rejoice enough over the recovery of his
+eyes, he bewailed bitterly the loss of his sword, and that it should
+have fallen to the lot of his bitter enemy.
+
+'Never mind, my friend,' said the giant, 'I will get it back for you.'
+And he sent for the monkey who was his head servant.
+
+'Tell the fox and the squirrel that they are to go with you, and fetch
+me back the prince's sword,' ordered he.
+
+The three servants set out at once, one seated on the back of the
+others, the ape, who disliked walking, being generally on top. 
+Directly they came to the window of the robber captain's room, the
+monkey sprang from the backs of the fox and the squirrel, and
+climbed in. The room was empty, and the sword hanging from a
+nail. He took it down, and buckling it round his waist, as he had
+seen the prince do, swung himself down again, and mounting on the
+backs of his two companions, hastened to his master. The giant
+bade him give the sword to the prince, who girded himself with it,
+and returned with all speed to the castle.
+
+'Come out, you rascal! come out, you villain!' cried he, 'and answer
+to me for the wrong you have done. I will show you who is the
+master in this house!'
+
+The noise he made brought the robber into the room. He glanced
+up to where the sword usually hung, but it was gone; and
+instinctively he looked at the prince's hand, where he saw it
+gleaming brightly. In his turn he fell on his knees to beg for mercy,
+but it was too late. As he had done to the prince, so the prince did
+to him, and, blinded, he was thrust forth, and fell down a deep hole,
+where he is to this day. His mother the prince sent back to her
+father, and never would see her again. After this he returned to the
+giant, and said to him:
+
+'My friend, add one more kindness to those you have already
+heaped on me. Give me your daughter as my wife.'
+
+So they were married, and the wedding feast was so splendid that
+there was not a kingdom in the world that did not hear of it. And
+the prince never went back to his father's throne, but lived
+peacefully with his wife in the forest, where, if they are not dead,
+they are living still.
+
+[From Ungarische Volksmarchen.]
+
+
+
+The Treasure Seeker
+
+Once, long ago, in a little town that lay in the midst of high hills and
+wild forests, a party of shepherds sat one night in the kitchen of the
+inn talking over old times, and telling of the strange things that had
+befallen them in their youth.
+
+Presently up spoke the silver-haired Father Martin.
+
+'Comrades,' said he, 'you have had wonderful adventures; but I will
+tell you something still more astonishing that happened to myself. 
+When I was a young lad I had no home and no one to care for me,
+and I wandered from village to village all over the country with my
+knapsack on my back; but as soon as I was old enough I took
+service with a shepherd in the mountains, and helped him for three
+years. One autumn evening as we drove the flock homeward ten
+sheep were missing, and the master bade me go and seek them in
+the forest. I took my dog with me, but he could find no trace of
+them, though we searched among the bushes till night fell; and then,
+as I did not know the country and could not find my way home in
+the dark, I decided to sleep under a tree. At midnight my dog
+became uneasy, and began to whine and creep close to me with his
+tail between his legs; by this I knew that something was wrong,
+and, looking about, I saw in the bright moonlight a figure standing
+beside me. It seemed to be a man with shaggy hair, and a long
+beard which hung down to his knees. He had a garland upon his
+head, and a girdle of oak-leaves about his body, and carried an
+uprooted fir-tree in his right hand. I shook like an aspen leaf at the
+sight, and my spirit quaked for fear. The strange being beckoned
+with his hand that I should follow him; but as I did not stir from the
+spot he spoke in a hoarse, grating voice: "Take courage,
+fainthearted shepherd. I am the Treasure Seeker of the mountain. 
+If you will come with me you shall dig up much gold."
+
+'Though I was still deadly cold with terror I plucked up my courage
+and said: "Get away from me, evil spirit; I do not desire your
+treasures."
+
+'At this the spectre grinned in my face and cried mockingly:
+
+'"Simpleton! Do you scorn your good fortune? Well, then, remain a
+ragamuffin all your days."
+
+'He turned as if to go away from me, then came back again and
+said: "Bethink yourself, bethink yourself, rogue. I will fill your
+knapsack--I will fill your pouch."
+
+'"Away from me, monster," I answered, "I will have nothing to do
+with you."
+
+'When the apparition saw that I gave no heed to him he ceased to
+urge me, saying only: "Some day you will rue this," and looked at
+me sadly. Then he cried: "Listen to what I say, and lay it well to
+heart, it may be of use to you when you come to your senses. A
+vast treasure of gold and precious stones lies in safety deep under
+the earth. At twilight and at high noon it is hidden, but at midnight
+it may be dug up. For seven hundred years have I watched over it,
+but now my time has come; it is common property, let him find it
+who can. So I thought to give it into your hand, having a kindness
+for you because you feed your flock upon my mountain."
+
+'Thereupon the spectre told me exactly where the treasure lay, and
+how to find it. It might be only yesterday so well do I remember
+every word he spoke.
+
+'"Go towards the little mountains," said he, "and ask there for the
+Black King's Valley, and when you come to a tiny brook follow the
+stream till you reach the stone bridge beside the saw-mill. Do not
+cross the bridge, but keep to your right along the bank till a high
+rock stands before you. A bow-shot from that you will discover a
+little hollow like a grave. When you find this hollow dig it out; but
+it will be hard work, for the earth has been pressed down into it
+with care. Still, work away till you find solid rock on all sides of
+you, and soon you will come to a square slab of stone; force it out
+of the wall, and you will stand at the entrance of the treasure house. 
+Into this opening you must crawl, holding a lamp in your mouth. 
+Keep your hands free lest you knock your nose against a stone, for
+the way is steep and the stones sharp. If it bruises your knees never
+mind; you are on the road to fortune. Do not rest till you reach a
+wide stairway, down which you will go till you come out into a
+spacious hall, in which there are three doors; two of them stand
+open, the third is fastened with locks and bolts of iron. Do not go
+through the door to the right lest you disturb the bones of the lords
+of the treasure. Neither must you go through the door to the left, it
+leads to the snake's chamber, where adders and serpents lodge; but
+open the fast-closed door by means of the well-known spring-root,
+which you must on no account forget to take with you, or all your
+trouble will be for naught, for no crowbar or mortal tools will help
+you. If you want to procure the root ask a wood-seller; it is a
+common thing for hunters to need, and it is not hard to find. If the
+door bursts open suddenly with great crackings and groanings do
+not be afraid, the noise is caused by the power of the magic root,
+and you will not be hurt. Now trim your lamp that it may not fail
+you, for you will be nearly blinded by the flash and glitter of the
+gold and precious stones on the walls and pillars of the vault; but
+beware how you stretch out a hand towards the jewels! In the midst
+of the cavern stands a copper chest, in that you will find gold and
+silver, enough and to spare, and you may help yourself to your
+heart's content. If you take as much as you can carry you will have
+sufficient to last your lifetime, and you may return three times; but
+woe betide you if you venture to come a fourth time. You would
+have your trouble for your pains, and would be punished for your
+greediness by falling down the stone steps and breaking your leg. 
+Do not neglect each time to heap back the loose earth which
+concealed the entrance of the king's treasure chamber."
+
+'As the apparition left off speaking my dog pricked up his ears and
+began to bark. I heard the crack of a carter's whip and the noise of
+wheels in the distance, and when I looked again the spectre had
+disappeared.'
+
+So ended the shepherd's tale; and the landlord who was listening
+with the rest, said shrewdly:
+
+'Tell us now, Father Martin, did you go to the mountain and find
+what the spirit promised you; or is it a fable?'
+
+'Nay, nay,' answered the graybeard. 'I cannot tell if the spectre lied,
+for never a step did I go towards finding the hollow, for two
+reasons:--one was that my neck was too precious for me to risk it in
+such a snare as that; the other, that no one could ever tell me where
+the spring-root was to be found.'
+
+Then Blaize, another aged shepherd, lifted up his voice.
+
+"Tis a pity, Father Martin, that your secret has grown old with you. 
+If you had told it forty years ago truly you would not long have
+been lacking the spring-root. Even though you will never climb the
+mountain now, I will tell you, for a joke, how it is to be found. The
+easiest way to get it is by the help of a black woodpecker. Look, in
+the spring, where she builds her nest in a hole in a tree, and when
+the time comes for her brood to fly off block up the entrance to the
+nest with a hard sod, and lurk in ambush behind the tree till the bird
+returns to feed her nestlings. When she perceives that she cannot
+get into her nest she will fly round the tree uttering cries of distress,
+and then dart off towards the sun-setting. When you see her do
+this, take a scarlet cloak, or if that be lacking to you, buy a few
+yards of scarlet cloth, and hurry back to the tree before the
+woodpecker returns with the spring-root in her beak. So soon as
+she touches with the root the sod that blocks the nest, it will fly
+violently out of the hole. Then spread the red cloth quickly under
+the tree, so that the woodpecker may think it is a fire, and in her
+terror drop the root. Some people really light a fire and strew
+spikenard blossoms in it; but that is a clumsy method, for if the
+flames do not shoot up at the right moment away will fly the
+woodpecker, carrying the root with her.'
+
+The party had listened with interest to this speech, but by the time it
+was ended the hour was late, and they went their ways homeward,
+leaving only one man who had sat unheeded in a corner the whole
+evening through.
+
+Master Peter Bloch had once been a prosperous innkeeper, and a
+master-cook; but he had gone steadily down in the world for some
+time, and was now quite poor.
+
+Formerly he had been a merry fellow, fond of a joke, and in the art
+of cooking had no equal in the town. He could make fish-jelly, and
+quince fritters, and even wafer-cakes; and he gilded the ears of all
+his boars' heads. Peter had looked about him for a wife early in life,
+but unluckily his choice fell upon a woman whose evil tongue was
+well known in the town. Ilse was hated by everybody, and the
+young folks would go miles out of their way rather than meet her,
+for she had some ill-word for everyone. Therefore, when Master
+Peter came along, and let himself be taken in by her boasted skill as
+a housewife, she jumped at his offer, and they were married the
+next day. But they had not got home before they began to quarrel. 
+In the joy of his heart Peter had tasted freely of his own good wine,
+and as the bride hung upon his arm he stumbled and fell, dragging
+her down with him; whereupon she beat him soundly, and the
+neighbours said truly that things did not promise well for Master
+Peter's comfort. Even when the ill-matched couple were presently
+blessed with children, his happiness was but short lived, the savage
+temper of his quarrelsome wife seemed to blight them from the
+first, and they died like little kids in a cold winter.
+
+Though Master Peter had no great wealth to leave behind him, still
+it was sad to him to be childless; and he would bemoan himself to
+his friends, when he laid one baby after another in the grave, saying:
+'The lightning has been among the cherry-blossoms again, so there
+will be no fruit to grow ripe.'
+
+But, by-and-by, he had a little daughter so strong and healthy that
+neither her mother's temper nor her father's spoiling could keep her
+from growing up tall and beautiful. Meanwhile the fortunes of the
+family had changed. From his youth up, Master Peter had hated
+trouble; when he had money he spent it freely, and fed all the
+hungry folk who asked him for bread. If his pockets were empty he
+borrowed of his neighbours, but he always took good care to
+prevent his scolding wife from finding out that he had done so. His
+motto was: 'It will all come right in the end'; but what it did come to
+was ruin for Master Peter. He was at his wits' end to know how to
+earn an honest living, for try as he might ill-luck seemed to pursue
+him, and he lost one post after another, till at last all he could do
+was to carry sacks of corn to the mill for his wife, who scolded him
+well if he was slow about it, and grudged him his portion of food.
+
+This grieved the tender heart of his pretty daughter, who loved him
+dearly, and was the comfort of his life.
+
+Peter was thinking of her as he sat in the inn kitchen and heard the
+shepherds talking about the buried treasure, and for her sake he
+resolved to go and seek for it. Before he rose from the landlord's
+arm-chair his plan was made, and Master Peter went home more
+joyful and full of hope than he had been for many a long day; but on
+the way he suddenly remembered that he was not yet possessed of
+the magic spring-root, and he stole into the house with a heavy
+heart, and threw himself down upon his hard straw bed. He could
+neither sleep nor rest; but as soon as it was light he got up and
+wrote down exactly all that was to be done to find the treasure, that
+he might not forget anything, and when it lay clear and plain before
+his eyes he comforted himself with the thought that, though he must
+do the rough work for his wife during one more winter at least, he
+would not have to tread the path to the mill for the rest of his life. 
+Soon he heard his wife's harsh voice singing its morning song as she
+went about her household affairs, scolding her daughter the while. 
+She burst open his door while he was still dressing: 'Well, Toper!'
+was her greeting, 'have you been drinking all night, wasting money
+that you steal from my housekeeping? For shame, drunkard!'
+
+Master Peter, who was well used to this sort of talk, did not disturb
+himself, but waited till the storm blew over, then he said calmly:
+
+'Do not be annoyed, dear wife. I have a good piece of business in
+hand which may turn out well for us.'
+
+'You with a good business?' cried she, 'you are good for nothing
+but talk!'
+
+'I am making my will,' said he, 'that when my hour comes my house
+may be in order.'
+
+These unexpected words cut his daughter to the heart; she
+remembered that all night long she had dreamed of a newly dug
+grave, and at this thought she broke out into loud lamentations. 
+But her mother only cried: 'Wretch! have you not wasted goods and
+possessions, and now do you talk of making a will?'
+
+And she seized him like a fury, and tried to scratch out his eyes. 
+But by-and-by the quarrel was patched up, and everything went on
+as before. From that day Peter saved up every penny that his
+daughter Lucia gave him on the sly, and bribed the boys of his
+acquaintance to spy out a black woodpecker's nest for him. He sent
+them into the woods and fields, but instead of looking for a nest
+they only played pranks on him. They led him miles over hill and
+vale, stock and stone, to find a raven's brood, or a nest of squirrels
+in a hollow tree, and when he was angry with them they laughed in
+his face and ran away. This went on for some time, but at last one
+of the boys spied out a woodpecker in the meadow-lands among
+the wood-pigeons, and when he had found her nest in a half-dead
+alder tree, came running to Peter with the news of his discovery. 
+Peter could hardly believe his good fortune, and went quickly to see
+for himself if it was really true; and when he reached the tree there
+certainly was a bird flying in and out as if she had a nest in it. Peter
+was overjoyed at this fortunate discovery, and instantly set himself
+to obtain a red cloak. Now in the whole town there was only one
+red cloak, and that belonged to a man of whom nobody ever
+willingly asked a favour--Master Hammerling the hangman. It cost
+Master Peter many struggles before he could bring himself to visit
+such a person, but there was no help for it, and, little as he liked it,
+he ended by making his request to the hangman, who was flattered
+that so respectable a man as Peter should borrow his robe of office,
+and willingly lent it to him.
+
+Peter now had all that was necessary to secure the magic root; he
+stopped up the entrance to the nest, and everything fell out exactly
+as Blaize had foretold. As soon as the woodpecker came back with
+the root in her beak out rushed Master Peter from behind the tree
+and displayed the fiery red cloak so adroitly that the terrified bird
+dropped the root just where it could be easily seen. All Peter's
+plans had succeeded, and he actually held in his hand the magic
+root--that master-key which would unlock all doors, and bring its
+possessor unheard-of luck. His thoughts now turned to the
+mountain, and he secretly made preparations for his journey. He
+took with him only a staff, a strong sack, and a little box which his
+daughter Lucia had given him.
+
+It happened that on the very day Peter had chosen for setting out,
+Lucia and her mother went off early to the town, leaving him to
+guard the house; but in spite of that he was on the point of taking
+his departure when it occurred to him that it might be as well first
+to test the much-vaunted powers of the magic root for himself. 
+Dame Ilse had a strong cupboard with seven locks built into the
+wall of her room, in which she kept all the money she had saved,
+and she wore the key of it always hung about her neck. Master
+Peter had no control at all of the money affairs of the household, so
+the contents of this secret hoard were quite unknown to him, and
+this seemed to be a good opportunity for finding out what they
+were. He held the magic root to the keyhole, and to his
+astonishment heard all the seven locks creaking and turning, the
+door flew suddenly wide open, and his greedy wife's store of gold
+pieces lay before his eyes. He stood still in sheer amazement, not
+knowing which to rejoice over most--this unexpected find, or the
+proof of the magic root's real power; but at last he remembered that
+it was quite time to be starting on his journey. So, filling his
+pockets with the gold, he carefully locked the empty cupboard
+again and left the house without further delay. When Dame Ilse
+and her daughter returned they wondered to find the house door
+shut, and Master Peter nowhere to be seen. They knocked and
+called, but nothing stirred within but the house cat, and at last the
+blacksmith had to be fetched to open the door. Then the house was
+searched from garret to cellar, but no Master Peter was to be
+found.
+
+'Who knows?' cried Dame Ilse at last, 'the wretch may have been
+idling in some tavern since early morning.'
+
+Then a sudden thought startled her, and she felt for her keys. 
+Suppose they had fallen into her good-for-nothing husband's hands
+and he had helped himself to her treasure! But no, the keys were
+safe in their usual place, and the cupboard looked quite untouched. 
+Mid-day came, then evening, then midnight, and still no Master
+Peter appeared, and the matter became really serious. Dame Ilse
+knew right well what a torment she had been to her husband, and
+remorse caused her the gloomiest forebodings.
+
+'Ah! Lucia,' she cried, 'I greatly fear that your father has done
+himself a mischief.' And they sat till morning weeping over their
+own fancies.
+
+As soon as it was light they searched every corner of the house
+again, and examined every nail in the wall and every beam; but,
+luckily, Master Peter was not hanging from any of them. After that
+the neighbours went out with long poles to fish in every ditch and
+pond, but they found nothing, and then Dame Ilse gave up the idea
+of ever seeing her husband again and very soon consoled herself,
+only wondering how the sacks of corn were to be carried to the mill
+in future. She decided to buy a strong ass to do the work, and
+having chosen one, and after some bargaining with the owner as to
+its price, she went to the cupboard in the wall to fetch the money. 
+But what were her feelings when she perceived that every shelf lay
+empty and bare before her! For a moment she stood bewildered,
+then broke into such frightful ravings that Lucia ran to her in alarm;
+but as soon as she heard of the disappearance of the money she was
+heartily glad, and no longer feared that her father had come to any
+harm, but understood that he must have gone out into the world to
+seek his fortune in some new way.
+
+About a month after this, someone knocked at Dame Ilse's door
+one day, and she went to see if it was a customer for meal; but in
+stepped a handsome young man, dressed like a duke's son, who
+greeted her respectfully, and asked after her pretty daughter as if he
+were an old friend, though she could not remember having ever set
+eyes upon him before.
+
+However, she invited him to step into the house and be seated while
+he unfolded his business. With a great air of mystery he begged
+permission to speak to the fair Lucia, of whose skill in needlework
+he had heard so much, as he had a commission to give her. Dame
+Ilse had her own opinion as to what kind of commission it was
+likely to be--brought by a young stranger to a pretty maiden;
+however, as the meeting would be under her own eye, she made no
+objection, but called to her industrious daughter, who left off
+working and came obediently; but when she saw the stranger she
+stopped short, blushing, and casting down her eyes. He looked at
+her fondly, and took her hand, which she tried to draw away,
+crying:
+
+'Ah! Friedlin, why are you here? I thought you were a hundred
+miles away. Are you come to grieve me again?'
+
+'No, dearest girl,' answered he; 'I am come to complete your
+happiness and my own. Since we last met my fortune has utterly
+changed; I am no longer the poor vagabond that I was then. My
+rich uncle has died, leaving me money and goods in plenty, so that I
+dare to present myself to your mother as a suitor for your hand. 
+That I love you I know well; if you can love me I am indeed a
+happy man.'
+
+Lucia's pretty blue eyes had looked up shyly as he spoke, and now a
+smile parted her rosy lips; and she stole a glance at her mother to
+see what she thought about it all; but the dame stood lost in
+amazement to find that her daughter, whom she could have
+declared had never been out of her sight, was already well
+acquainted with the handsome stranger, and quite willing to be his
+bride. Before she had done staring, this hasty wooer had smoothed
+his way by covering the shining table with gold pieces as a wedding
+gift to the bride's mother, and had filled Lucia's apron into the
+bargain; after which the dame made no difficulties, and the matter
+was speedily settled.
+
+While Ilse gathered up the gold and hid it away safely, the lovers
+whispered together, and what Friedlin told her seemed to make
+Lucia every moment more happy and contented.
+
+Now a great hurry-burly began in the house, and preparations for
+the wedding went on apace. A few days later a heavily laden
+waggon drove up, and out of it came so many boxes and bales that
+Dame Ilse was lost in wonder at the wealth of her future
+son-in-law. The day for the wedding was chosen, and all their
+friends and neighbours were bidden to the feast. As Lucia was
+trying on her bridal wreath she said to her mother: 'This
+wedding-garland would please me indeed if father Peter could lead
+me to the church. If only he could come back again! Here we are
+rolling in riches while he may be nibbling at hunger's table.' And the
+very idea of such a thing made her weep, while even Dame Ilse
+said:
+
+'I should not be sorry myself to see him come back--there is always
+something lacking in a house when the good man is away.'
+
+But the fact was that she was growing quite tired of having no one
+to scold. And what do you think happened?
+
+On the very eve of the wedding a man pushing a wheelbarrow
+arrived at the city gate, and paid toll upon a barrel of nails which it
+contained, and then made the best of his way to the bride's dwelling
+and knocked at the door.
+
+The bride herself peeped out of the window to see who it could be,
+and there stood father Peter! Then there was great rejoicing in the
+house; Lucia ran to embrace him, and even Dame Ilse held out her
+hand in welcome, and only said: 'Rogue, mend your ways,' when
+she remembered the empty treasure cupboard. Father Peter greeted
+the bridegroom, looking at him shrewdly, while the mother and
+daughter hastened to say all they knew in his favour, and appeared
+to be satisfied with him as a son-in-law. When Dame Ilse had set
+something to eat before her husband, she was curious to hear his
+adventures, and questioned him eagerly as to why he had gone
+away.
+
+'God bless my native place,' said he. 'I have been marching through
+the country, and have tried every kind of work, but now I have
+found a job in the iron trade; only, so far, I have put more into it
+than I have earned by it. This barrel of nails is my whole fortune,
+which I wish to give as my contribution towards the bride's house
+furnishing.'
+
+This speech roused Dame Ilse to anger, and she broke out into such
+shrill reproaches that the bystanders were fairly deafened, and
+Friedlin hastily offered Master Peter a home with Lucia and himself,
+promising that he should live in comfort, and be always welcome. 
+So Lucia had her heart's desire, and father Peter led her to the
+church next day, and the marriage took place very happily. Soon
+afterwards the young people settled in a fine house which Friedlin
+had bought, and had a garden and meadows, a fishpond, and a hill
+covered with vines, and were as happy as the day was long. Father
+Peter also stayed quietly with them, living, as everybody believed,
+upon the generosity of his rich son-in law. No one suspected that
+his barrel of nails was the real 'Horn of Plenty,' from which all this
+prosperity overflowed.
+
+Peter had made the journey to the treasure mountain successfully,
+without being found out by anybody. He had enjoyed himself by
+the way, and taken his own time, until he actually reached the little
+brook in the valley which it had cost him some trouble to find. 
+Then he pressed on eagerly, and soon came to the little hollow in
+the wood; down he went, burrowing like a mole into the earth; the
+magic root did its work, and at last the treasure lay before his eyes. 
+You may imagine how gaily Peter filled his sack with as much gold
+as he could carry, and how he staggered up the seventy-seven steps
+with a heart full of hope and delight. He did not quite trust the
+gnome's promises of safety, and was in such haste to find himself
+once more in the light of day that he looked neither to the right nor
+the left, and could not afterwards remember whether the walls and
+pillars had sparkled with jewels or not.
+
+However, all went well--he neither saw nor heard anything
+alarming; the only thing that happened was that the great
+iron-barred door shut with a crash as soon as he was fairly outside
+it, and then he remembered that he had left the magic root behind
+him, so he could not go back for another load of treasure. But even
+that did not trouble Peter much; he was quite satisfied with what he
+had already. After he had faithfully done everything according to
+Father Martin's instructions, and pressed the earth well back into
+the hollow, he sat down to consider how he could bring his treasure
+back to his native place, and enjoy it there, without being forced to
+share it with his scolding wife, who would give him no peace if she
+once found out about it. At last, after much thinking, he hit upon a
+plan. He carried his sack to the nearest village, and there bought a
+wheelbarrow, a strong barrel, and a quantity of nails. Then he
+packed his gold into the barrel, covered it well with a layer of nails,
+hoisted it on to the wheelbarrow with some difficulty, and set off
+with it upon his homeward way. At one place upon the road he met
+a handsome young man who seemed by his downcast air to be in
+some great trouble. Father Peter, who wished everybody to be as
+happy as he was himself, greeted him cheerfully, and asked where
+he was going, to which he answered sadly:
+
+'Into the wide world, good father, or out of it, where ever my feet
+may chance to carry me.'
+
+'Why out of it?' said Peter. 'What has the world been doing to you?'
+
+'It has done nothing to me, nor I to it,' he replied. 'Nevertheless
+there is not anything left in it for me.'
+
+Father Peter did his best to cheer the young man up, and invited
+him to sup with him at the first inn they came to, thinking that
+perhaps hunger and poverty were causing the stranger's trouble. 
+But when good food was set before him he seemed to forget to eat. 
+So Peter perceived that what ailed his guest was sorrow of heart,
+and asked him kindly to tell him his story.
+
+'Where is the good, father?' said he. 'You can give me neither help
+nor comfort.'
+
+'Who knows?' answered Master Peter. 'I might be able to do
+something for you. Often enough in life help comes to us from the
+most unexpected quarter.'
+
+The young man, thus encouraged, began his tale.
+
+'I am,' said he, 'a crossbow-man in the service of a noble count, in
+whose castle I was brought up. Not long ago my master went on a
+journey, and brought back with him, amongst other treasures, the
+portrait of a fair maiden so sweet and lovely that I lost my heart at
+first sight of it, and could think of nothing but how I might seek her
+out and marry her. The count had told me her name, and where she
+lived, but laughed at my love, and absolutely refused to give me
+leave to go in search of her, so I was forced to run away from the
+castle by night. I soon reached the little town where the maiden
+dwelt; but there fresh difficulties awaited me. She lived under the
+care of her mother, who was so severe that she was never allowed
+to look out of the window, or set her foot outside the door alone,
+and how to make friends with her I did not know. But at last I
+dressed myself as an old woman, and knocked boldly at her door. 
+The lovely maiden herself opened it, and so charmed me that I came
+near forgetting my disguise; but I soon recovered my wits, and
+begged her to work a fine table-cloth for me, for she is reported to
+be the best needlewoman in all the country round. Now I was free
+to go and see her often under the presence of seeing how the work
+was going oil, and one day, when her mother had gone to the town,
+I ventured to throw off my disguise, and tell her of my love. She
+was startled at first; but I persuaded her to listen to me, and I soon
+saw that I was not displeasing to her, though she scolded me gently
+for my disobedience to my master, and my deceit in disguising
+myself. But when I begged her to marry me, she told me sadly that
+her mother would scorn a penniless wooer, and implored me to go
+away at once, lest trouble should fall upon her.
+
+'Bitter as it was to me, I was forced to go when she bade me, and I
+have wandered about ever since, with grief gnawing at my heart;
+for how can a masterless man, without money or goods, ever hope
+to win the lovely Lucia?'
+
+Master Peter, who had been listening attentively, pricked up his
+ears at the sound of his daughter's name, and very soon found out
+that it was indeed with her that this young man was so deeply in
+love.
+
+'Your story is strange indeed,' said he. 'But where is the father of
+this maiden--why do you not ask him for her hand? He might well
+take your part, and be glad to have you for his son-in-law.'
+
+'Alas!' said the young man, 'her father is a wandering
+good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and gone off--
+who knows where? The wife complains of him bitterly enough, and
+scolds my dear maiden when she takes her father's part.'
+
+Father Peter was somewhat amused by this speech; but he liked the
+young man well, and saw that he was the very person he needed to
+enable him to enjoy his wealth in peace, without being separated
+from his dear daughter.
+
+'If you will take my advice,' said he, 'I promise you that you shall
+marry this maiden whom you love so much, and that before you are
+many days older.'
+
+'Comrade,' cried Friedlin indignantly, for he thought Peter did but
+jest with him, 'it is ill done to mock at an unhappy man; you had
+better find someone else who will let himself be taken in with your
+fine promises.' And up he sprang, and was going off hastily, when
+Master Peter caught him by the arm.
+
+'Stay, hothead!' he cried; 'it is no jest, and I am prepared to make
+good my words.'
+
+Thereupon he showed him the treasure hidden under the nails, and
+unfolded to him his plan, which was that Friedlin should play the
+part of the rich son-in-law, and keep a still tongue, that they might
+enjoy their wealth together in peace.
+
+The young man was overjoyed at this sudden change in his
+fortunes, and did not know how to thank father Peter for his
+generosity. They took the road again at dawn the next morning,
+and soon reached a town, where Friedlin equipped himself as a
+gallant wooer should. Father Peter filled his pockets with gold for
+the wedding dowry, and agreed with him that when all was settled
+he should secretly send him word that Peter might send off the
+waggon load of house plenishings with which the rich bridegroom
+was to make such a stir in the little town where the bride lived. As
+they parted, father Peter's last commands to Friedlin were to guard
+well their secret, and not even to tell it to Lucia till she was his
+wife.
+
+Master Peter long enjoyed the profits of his journey to the
+mountain, and no rumour of it ever got abroad. In his old age his
+prosperity was so great that he himself did not know how rich he
+was; but it was always supposed that the money was Friedlin's. He
+and his beloved wife lived in the greatest happiness and peace, and
+rose to great honour in the town. And to this day, when the
+citizens wish to describe a wealthy man, they say: 'As rich as Peter
+Bloch's son-in-law!'
+
+
+
+The Cottager And His Cat
+
+Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife in a dirty,
+tumble-down cottage, not very far from the splendid palace where
+the king and queen dwelt. In spite of the wretched state of the hut,
+which many people declared was too bad even for a pig to live in,
+the old man was very rich, for he was a great miser, and lucky
+besides, and would often go without food all day sooner than
+change one of his beloved gold pieces.
+
+But after a while he found that he had starved himself once too
+often. He fell ill, and had no strength to get well again, and in a few
+days he died, leaving his wife and one son behind him.
+
+The night following his death, the son dreamed that an unknown
+man appeared to him and said: 'Listen to me; your father is dead
+and your mother will soon die, and all their riches will belong to
+you. Half of his wealth is ill-gotten, and this you must give back to
+the poor from whom he squeezed it. The other half you must
+throw into the sea. Watch, however, as the money sinks into the
+water, and if anything should swim, catch it and keep it, even if it is
+nothing more than a bit of paper.'
+
+Then the man vanished, and the youth awoke.
+
+The remembrance of his dream troubled him greatly. He did not
+want to part with the riches that his father had left him, for he had
+known all his life what it was to be cold and hungry, and now he
+had hoped for a little comfort and pleasure. Still, he was honest
+and good-hearted, and if his father had come wrongfully by his
+wealth he felt he could never enjoy it, and at last he made up his
+mind to do as he had been bidden. He found out who were the
+people who were poorest in the village, and spent half of his money
+in helping them, and the other half he put in his pocket. From a
+rock that jutted right out into the sea he flung it in. In a moment it
+was out of sight, and no man could have told the spot where it had
+sunk, except for a tiny scrap of paper floating on the water. He
+stretched down carefully and managed to reach it, and on opening it
+found six shillings wrapped inside. This was now all the money he
+had in the world.
+
+The young man stood and looked at it thoughtfully. 'Well, I can't
+do much with this,' he said to himself; but, after all, six shillings
+were better than nothing, and he wrapped them up again and
+slipped them into his coat.
+
+He worked in his garden for the next few weeks, and he and his
+mother contrived to live on the fruit and vegetables he got out of it,
+and then she too died suddenly. The poor fellow felt very sad when
+he had laid her in her grave, and with a heavy heart he wandered
+into the forest, not knowing where he was going. By-and-by he
+began to get hungry, and seeing a small hut in front of him, he
+knocked at the door and asked if they could give him some milk. 
+The old woman who opened it begged him to come in, adding
+kindly, that if he wanted a night's lodging he might have it without
+its costing him anything.
+
+Two women and three men were at supper when he entered, and
+silently made room for him to sit down by them. When he had
+eaten he began to look about him, and was surprised to see an
+animal sitting by the fire different from anything he had ever noticed
+before. It was grey in colour, and not very big; but its eyes were
+large and very bright, and it seemed to be singing in an odd way,
+quite unlike any animal in the forest. 'What is the name of that
+strange little creature?' asked he. And they answered, 'We call it a
+cat.'
+
+'I should like to buy it--if it is not too dear,' said the young man; 'it
+would be company for me.' And they told him that he might have it
+for six shillings, if he cared to give so much. The young man took
+out his precious bit of paper, handed them the six shillings, and the
+next morning bade them farewell, with the cat lying snugly in his
+cloak.
+
+For the whole day they wandered through meadows and forests, till
+in the evening they reached a house. The young fellow knocked at
+the door and asked the old man who opened it if he could rest there
+that night, adding that he had no money to pay for it. 'Then I must
+give it to you,' answered the man, and led him into a room where
+two women and two men were sitting at supper. One of the
+women was the old man's wife, the other his daughter. He placed
+the cat on the mantel shelf, and they all crowded round to examine
+this strange beast, and the cat rubbed itself against them, and held
+out its paw, and sang to them; and the women were delighted, and
+gave it everything that a cat could eat, and a great deal more
+besides.
+
+After hearing the youth's story, and how he had nothing in the
+world left him except his cat, the old man advised him to go to the
+palace, which was only a few miles distant, and take counsel of the
+king, who was kind to everyone, and would certainly be his friend. 
+The young man thanked him, and said he would gladly take his
+advice; and early next morning he set out for the royal palace.
+
+He sent a message to the king to beg for an audience, and received
+a reply that he was to go into the great hall, where he would find
+his Majesty.
+
+The king was at dinner with his court when the young man entered,
+and he signed to him to come near. The youth bowed low, and
+then gazed in surprise at the crowd of little black creatures who
+were running about the floor, and even on the table itself. Indeed,
+they were so bold that they snatched pieces of food from the King's
+own plate, and if he drove them away, tried to bite his hands, so
+that he could not eat his food, and his courtiers fared no better.
+
+'What sort of animals are these?' asked the youth of one of the
+ladies sitting near him.
+
+'They are called rats,' answered the king, who had overheard the
+question, 'and for years we have tried some way of putting an end
+to them, but it is impossible. They come into our very beds.'
+
+At this moment something was seen flying through the air. The cat
+was on the table, and with two or three shakes a number of rats
+were lying dead round him. Then a great scuffling of feet was
+heard, and in a few minutes the hall was clear.
+
+For some minutes the King and his courtiers only looked at each
+other in astonishment. 'What kind of animal is that which can work
+magic of this sort?' asked he. And the young man told him that it
+was called a cat, and that he had bought it for six shillings.
+
+And the King answered: 'Because of the luck you have brought me,
+in freeing my palace from the plague which has tormented me for
+many years, I will give you the choice of two things. Either you
+shall be my Prime Minister, or else you shall marry my daughter and
+reign after me. Say, which shall it be?'
+
+'The princess and the kingdom,' said the young man.
+
+And so it was.
+
+[From Islandische Marchen.]
+
+
+
+The Prince Who Would Seek Immortality
+
+Once upon a time, in the very middle of the middle of a large
+kingdom, there was a town, and in the town a palace, and in the
+palace a king. This king had one son whom his father thought was
+wiser and cleverer than any son ever was before, and indeed his
+father had spared no pains to make him so. He had been very
+careful in choosing his tutors and governors when he was a boy,
+and when he became a youth he sent him to travel, so that he might
+see the ways of other people, and find that they were often as good
+as his own.
+
+It was now a year since the prince had returned home, for his father
+felt that it was time that his son should learn how to rule the
+kingdom which would one day be his. But during his long absence
+the prince seemed to have changed his character altogether. From
+being a merry and light-hearted boy, he had grown into a gloomy
+and thoughtful man. The king knew of nothing that could have
+produced such an alteration. He vexed himself about it from
+morning till night, till at length an explanation occurred to him--the
+young man was in love!
+
+Now the prince never talked about his feelings--for the matter of
+that he scarcely talked at all; and the father knew that if he was to
+come to the bottom of the prince's dismal face, he would have to
+begin. So one day, after dinner, he took his son by the arm and led
+him into another room, hung entirely with the pictures of beautiful
+maidens, each one more lovely than the other.
+
+'My dear boy,' he said, 'you are very sad; perhaps after all your
+wanderings it is dull for you here all alone with me. It would be
+much better if you would marry, and I have collected here the
+portraits of the most beautiful women in the world of a rank equal
+to your own. Choose which among them you would like for a wife,
+and I will send an embassy to her father to ask for her hand.'
+
+'Alas! your Majesty,' answered the prince, 'it is not love or marriage
+that makes me so gloomy; but the thought, which haunts me day
+and night, that all men, even kings, must die. Never shall I be
+happy again till I have found a kingdom where death is unknown. 
+And I have determined to give myself no rest till I have discovered
+the Land of Immortality.
+
+The old king heard him with dismay; things were worse than he
+thought. He tried to reason with his son, and told him that during
+all these years he had been looking forward to his return, in order to
+resign his throne and its cares, which pressed so heavily upon him. 
+But it was in vain that he talked; the prince would listen to nothing,
+and the following morning buckled on his sword and set forth on
+his journey.
+
+He had been travelling for many days, and had left his fatherland
+behind him, when close to the road he came upon a huge tree, and
+on its topmost bough an eagle was sitting shaking the branches with
+all his might. This seemed so strange and so unlike an eagle, that
+the prince stood still with surprise, and the bird saw him and flew to
+the ground. The moment its feet touched the ground he changed
+into a king.
+
+'Why do you look so astonished?' he asked.
+
+'I was wondering why you shook the boughs so fiercely,' answered
+the prince.
+
+'I am condemned to do this, for neither I nor any of my kindred can
+die till I have rooted up this great tree,' replied the king of the
+eagles. 'But it is now evening, and I need work no more to-day. 
+Come to my house with me, and be my guest for the night.'
+
+The prince accepted gratefully the eagle's invitation, for he was
+tired and hungry. They were received at the palace by the king's
+beautiful daughter, who gave orders that dinner should be laid for
+them at once. While they were eating, the eagle questioned his
+guest about his travels, and if he was wandering for pleasure's sake,
+or with any special aim. Then the prince told him everything, and
+how he could never turn back till he had discovered the Land of
+Immortality.
+
+'Dear brother,' said the eagle, 'you have discovered it already, and it
+rejoices my heart to think that you will stay with us. Have you not
+just heard me say that death has no power either over myself or any
+of my kindred till that great tree is rooted up? It will take me six
+hundred years' hard work to do that; so marry my daughter and let
+us all live happily together here. After all, six hundred years is an
+eternity!'
+
+'Ah, dear king,' replied the young man, 'your offer is very tempting! 
+But at the end of six hundred years we should have to die, so we
+should be no better off! No, I must go on till I find the country
+where there is no death at all.'
+
+Then the princess spoke, and tried to persuade the guest to change
+his mind, but he sorrowfully shook his head. At length, seeing that
+his resolution was firmly fixed, she took from a cabinet a little box
+which contained her picture, and gave it to him saying:
+
+'As you will not stay with us, prince, accept this box, which will
+sometimes recall us to your memory. If you are tired of travelling
+before you come to the Land of Immortality, open this box and
+look at my picture, and you will be borne along either on earth or in
+the air, quick as thought, or swift as the whirlwind.'
+
+The prince thanked her for her gift, which he placed in his tunic,
+and sorrowfully bade the eagle and his daughter farewell.
+
+Never was any present in the world as useful as that little box, and
+many times did he bless the kind thought of the princess. One
+evening it had carried him to the top of a high mountain, where he
+saw a man with a bald head, busily engaged in digging up spadefuls
+of earth and throwing them in a basket. When the basket was full
+he took it away and returned with an empty one, which he likewise
+filled. The prince stood and watched him for a little, till the
+bald-headed man looked up and said to him: 'Dear brother, what
+surprises you so much?'
+
+'I was wondering why you were filling the basket,' replied the
+prince.
+
+'Oh!' replied the man, 'I am condemned to do this, for neither I nor
+any of my family can die till I have dug away the whole of this
+mountain and made it level with the plain. But, come, it is almost
+dark, and I shall work no longer.' And he plucked a leaf from a tree
+close by, and from a rough digger he was changed into a stately
+bald-headed king. 'Come home with me,' he added; 'you must be
+tired and hungry, and my daughter will have supper ready for us.' 
+The prince accepted gladly, and they went back to the palace,
+where the bald-headed king's daughter, who was still more beautiful
+than the other princess, welcomed them at the door and led the way
+into a large hall and to a table covered with silver dishes. While
+they were eating, the bald-headed king asked the prince how he had
+happened to wander so far, and the young man told him all about it,
+and how he was seeking the Land of Immortality. 'You have found
+it already,' answered the king, 'for, as I said, neither I nor my family
+can die till I have levelled this great mountain; and that will take full
+eight hundred years longer. Stay here with us and marry my
+daughter. Eight hundred years is surely long enough to live.'
+
+'Oh, certainly,' answered the prince; 'but, all the same, I would
+rather go and seek the land where there is no death at all.'
+
+So next morning he bade them farewell, though the princess begged
+him to stay with all her might; and when she found that she could
+not persuade him she gave him as a remembrance a gold ring. This
+ring was still more useful than the box, because when one wished
+oneself at any place one was there directly, without even the trouble
+of flying to it through the air. The prince put it on his finger, and
+thanking her heartily, went his way.
+
+He walked on for some distance, and then he recollected the ring
+and thought he would try if the princess had spoken truly as to its
+powers. 'I wish I was at the end of the world,' he said, shutting his
+eyes, and when he opened them he was standing in a street full of
+marble palaces. The men who passed him were tall and strong, and
+their clothes were magnificent. He stopped some of them and
+asked in all the twenty-seven languages he knew what was the
+name of the city, but no one answered him. Then his heart sank
+within him; what should he do in this strange place if nobody could
+understand anything? he said. Suddenly his eyes fell upon a man
+dressed after the fashion of his native country, and he ran up to him
+and spoke to him in his own tongue. 'What city is this, my friend?'
+he inquired.
+
+'It is the capital city of the Blue Kingdom,' replied the man, 'but the
+king himself is dead, and his daughter is now the ruler.'
+
+With this news the prince was satisfied, and begged his countryman
+to show him the way to the young queen's palace. The man led him
+through several streets into a large square, one side of which was
+occupied by a splendid building that seemed borne up on slender
+pillars of soft green marble. In front was a flight of steps, and on
+these the queen was sitting wrapped in a veil of shining silver mist,
+listening to the complaints of her people and dealing out justice. 
+When the prince came up she saw directly that he was no ordinary
+man, and telling her chamberlain to dismiss the rest of her
+petitioners for that day, she signed to the prince to follow her into
+the palace. Luckily she had been taught his language as a child, so
+they had no difficulty in talking together.
+
+The prince told all his story and how he was journeying in search of
+the Land of Immortality. When he had finished, the princess, who
+had listened attentively, rose, and taking his arm, led him to the
+door of another room, the floor of which was made entirely of
+needles, stuck so close together that there was not room for a
+single needle more.
+
+'Prince,' she said, turning to him, 'you see these needles? Well,
+know that neither I nor any of my family can die till I have worn out
+these needles in sewing. It will take at least a thousand years for
+that. Stay here, and share my throne; a thousand years is long
+enough to live!'
+
+'Certainly,' answered he; 'still, at the end of the thousand years I
+should have to die!  No, I must find the land where there is no
+death.'
+
+The queen did all she could to persuade him to stay, but as her
+words proved useless, at length she gave it up. Then she said to
+him: 'As you will not stay, take this little golden rod as a
+remembrance of me. It has the power to become anything you wish
+it to be, when you are in need.'
+
+So the prince thanked her, and putting the rod in his pocket, went
+his way.
+
+Scarcely had he left the town behind him when he came to a broad
+river which no man might pass, for he was standing at the end of
+the world, and this was the river which flowed round it. Not
+knowing what to do next, he walked a little distance up the bank,
+and there, over his head, a beautiful city was floating in the air. He
+longed to get to it, but how? neither road nor bridge was anywhere
+to be seen, yet the city drew him upwards, and he felt that here at
+last was the country which he sought. Suddenly he remembered the
+golden rod which the mist-veiled queen had given him. With a
+beating heart he flung it to the ground, wishing with all his might
+that it should turn into a bridge, and fearing that, after all, this
+might prove beyond its power. But no, instead of the rod, there
+stood a golden ladder, leading straight up to the city of the air. He
+was about to enter the golden gates, when there sprang at him a
+wondrous beast, whose like he had never seen. 'Out sword from
+the sheath,' cried the prince, springing back with a cry. And the
+sword leapt from the scabbard and cut off some of the monster's
+heads, but others grew again directly, so that the prince, pale with
+terror, stood where he was, calling for help, and put his sword back
+in the sheath again.
+
+The queen of the city heard the noise and looked from her window
+to see what was happening. Summoning one of her servants, she
+bade him go and rescue the stranger, and bring him to her. The
+prince thankfully obeyed her orders, and entered her presence.
+
+The moment she looked at him, the queen also felt that he was no
+ordinary man, and she welcomed him graciously, and asked him
+what had brought him to the city. In answer the prince told all his
+story, and how he had travelled long and far in search of the Land
+of Immortality.
+
+'You have found it,' said she, 'for I am queen over life and over
+death. Here you can dwell among the immortals.'
+
+A thousand years had passed since the prince first entered the city,
+but they had flown so fast that the time seemed no more than six
+months. There had not been one instant of the thousand years that
+the prince was not happy till one night when he dreamed of his
+father and mother. Then the longing for his home came upon him
+with a rush, and in the morning he told the Queen of the Immortals
+that he must go and see his father and mother once more. The
+queen stared at him with amazement, and cried: 'Why, prince, are
+you out of your senses?  It is more than eight hundred years since
+your father and mother died!  There will not even be their dust
+remaining.'
+
+'I must go all the same,' said he.
+
+'Well, do not be in a hurry,' continued the queen, understanding that
+he would not be prevented.  'Wait till I make some preparations for
+your journey.'  So she unlocked her great treasure chest, and took
+out two beautiful flasks, one of gold and one of silver, which she
+hung round his neck. Then she showed him a little trap-door in one
+corner of the room, and said: 'Fill the silver flask with this water,
+which is below the trap-door. It is enchanted, and whoever you
+sprinkle with the water will become a dead man at once, even if he
+had lived a thousand years. The golden flask you must fill with the
+water here,' she added, pointing to a well in another corner. 'It
+springs from the rock of eternity; you have only to sprinkle a few
+drops on a body and it will come to life again, if it had been a
+thousand years dead.'
+
+The prince thanked the queen for her gifts, and, bidding her
+farewell, went on his journey.
+
+He soon arrived in the town where the mist-veiled queen reigned in
+her palace, but the whole city had changed, and he could scarcely
+find his way through the streets. In the palace itself all was still,
+and he wandered through the rooms without meeting anyone to
+stop him. At last he entered the queen's own chamber, and there
+she lay, with her embroidery still in her hands, fast asleep. He
+pulled at her dress, but she did not waken. Then a dreadful idea
+came over him, and he ran to the chamber where the needles had
+been kept, but it was quite empty. The queen had broken the last
+over the work she held in her hand, and with it the spell was broken
+too, and she lay dead.
+
+Quick as thought the prince pulled out the golden flask, and
+sprinkled some drops of the water over the queen. In a moment she
+moved gently, and raising her head, opened her eyes.
+
+'Oh, my dear friend, I am so glad you wakened me; I must have
+slept a long while!'
+
+'You would have slept till eternity,' answered the prince, 'if I had
+not been here to waken you.'
+
+At these words the queen remembered about the needles. She
+knew now that she had been dead, and that the prince had restored
+her to life. She gave him thanks from her heart for what he had
+done, and vowed she would repay him if she ever got a chance.
+
+The prince took his leave, and set out for the country of the
+bald-headed king. As he drew near the place he saw that the whole
+mountain had been dug away, and that the king was lying dead on
+the ground, his spade and bucket beside him. But as soon as the
+water from the golden flask touched him he yawned and stretched
+himself, and slowly rose to his feet. 'Oh, my dear friend, I am so
+glad to see you,' cried he, 'I must have slept a long while!'
+
+'You would have slept till eternity if I had not been here to waken
+you,' answered the prince. And the king remembered the mountain,
+and the spell, and vowed to repay the service if he ever had a
+chance.
+
+Further along the road which led to his old home the prince found
+the great tree torn up by its roots, and the king of the eagles sitting
+dead on the ground, with his wings outspread as if for flight. A
+flutter ran through the feathers as the drops of water fell on them,
+and the eagle lifted his beak from the ground and said: 'Oh, how
+long I must have slept! How can I thank you for having awakened
+me, my dear, good friend!'
+
+'You would have slept till eternity if I had not been here to waken
+you'; answered the prince. Then the king remembered about the
+tree, and knew that he had been dead, and promised, if ever he had
+the chance, to repay what the prince had done for him.
+
+At last he reached the capital of his father's kingdom, but on
+reaching the place where the royal palace had stood, instead of the
+marble galleries where he used to play, there lay a great sulphur
+lake, its blue flames darting into the air. How was he to find his
+father and mother, and bring them back to life, if they were lying at
+the bottom of that horrible water?  He turned away sadly and
+wandered back into the streets, hardly knowing where he was
+going; when a voice behind him cried: 'Stop, prince, I have caught
+you at last! It is a thousand years since I first began to seek you.'
+And there beside him stood the old, white-bearded, figure of Death. 
+Swiftly he drew the ring from his finger, and the king of the eagles,
+the bald-headed king, and the mist-veiled queen, hastened to his
+rescue. In an instant they had seized upon Death and held him
+tight, till the prince should have time to reach the Land of
+Immortality. But they did not know how quickly Death could fly,
+and the prince had only one foot across the border, when he felt the
+other grasped from behind, and the voice of Death calling: 'Halt!
+now you are mine.'
+
+The Queen of the Immortals was watching from her window, and
+cried to Death that he had no power in her kingdom, and that he
+must seek his prey elsewhere.
+
+'Quite true,' answered Death; 'but his foot is in my kingdom, and
+that belongs to me!'
+
+'At any rate half of him is mine,' replied the Queen, 'and what good
+can the other half do you? Half a man is no use, either to you or to
+me! But this once I will allow you to cross into my kingdom, and
+we will decide by a wager whose he is.'
+
+And so it was settled. Death stepped across the narrow line that
+surrounds the Land of Immortality, and the queen proposed the
+wager which was to decide the prince's fate. 'I will throw him up
+into the sky,' she said, 'right to the back of the morning star, and if
+he falls down into this city, then he is mine. But if he should fall
+outside the walls, he shall belong to you.'
+
+In the middle of the city was a great open square, and here the
+queen wished the wager to take place. When all was ready, she put
+her foot under the foot of the prince and swung him into the air. 
+Up, up, he went, high amongst the stars, and no man's eyes could
+follow him. Had she thrown him up straight? the queen wondered
+anxiously, for, if not, he would fall outside the walls, and she would
+lose him for ever. The moments seemed long while she and Death
+stood gazing up into the air, waiting to know whose prize the
+prince would be. Suddenly they both caught sight of a tiny speck
+no bigger than a wasp, right up in the blue. Was he coming
+straight?  No! Yes!  But as he was nearing the city, a light wind
+sprang up, and swayed him in the direction of the wall. Another
+second and he would have fallen half over it, when the queen
+sprang forward, seized him in her arms, and flung him into the
+castle. Then she commanded her servants to cast Death out of the
+city, which they did, with such hard blows that he never dared to
+show his face again in the Land of Immortality.
+
+[From Ungarischen Volksmurchen.]
+
+
+
+
+The Stone-Cutter
+
+Once upon a time there lived a stone-cutter, who went every day to
+a great rock in the side of a big mountain and cut out slabs for
+gravestones or for houses. He understood very well the kinds of
+stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a careful
+workman he had plenty of customers. For a long time he was quite
+happy and contented, and asked for nothing better than what he
+had.
+
+Now in the mountain dwelt a spirit which now and then appeared to
+men, and helped them in many ways to become rich and
+prosperous. The stone-cutter, however, had never seen this spirit,
+and only shook his head, with an unbelieving air, when anyone
+spoke of it. But a time was coming when he learned to change his
+opinion.
+
+One day the stone-cutter carried a gravestone to the house of a rich
+man, and saw there all sorts of beautiful things, of which he had
+never even dreamed. Suddenly his daily work seemed to grow
+harder and heavier, and he said to himself: 'Oh, if only I were a rich
+man, and could sleep in a bed with silken curtains and golden
+tassels, how happy I should be!'
+
+And a voice answered him: 'Your wish is heard; a rich man you
+shall be!'
+
+At the sound of the voice the stone-cutter looked round, but could
+see nobody. He thought it was all his fancy, and picked up his tools
+and went home, for he did not feel inclined to do any more work
+that day. But when he reached the little house where he lived, he
+stood still with amazement, for instead of his wooden hut was a
+stately palace filled with splendid furniture, and most splendid of all
+was the bed, in every respect like the one he had envied. He was
+nearly beside himself with joy, and in his new life the old one was
+soon forgotten.
+
+It was now the beginning of summer, and each day the sun blazed
+more fiercely. One morning the heat was so great that the
+stone-cutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would
+stay at home till the evening. He was rather dull, for he had never
+learned how to amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed
+blinds to see what was going on in the street, when a little carriage
+passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the
+carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held,
+to protect him from the sun's rays.
+
+'Oh, if I were only a prince!' said the stone-cutter to himself, as the
+carriage vanished round the corner. 'Oh, if I were only a prince,
+and could go in such a carriage and have a golden umbrella held
+over me, how happy I should be!'
+
+And the voice of the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard;
+a prince you shall be.'
+
+And a prince he was. Before his carriage rode one company of men
+and another behind it; servants dressed in scarlet and gold bore him
+along, the coveted umbrella was held over his head, everything
+heart could desire was his. But yet it was not enough. He looked
+round still for something to wish for, and when he saw that in spite
+of the water he poured on his grass the rays of the sun scorched it,
+and that in spite of the umbrella held over his head each day his face
+grew browner and browner, he cried in his anger: 'The sun is
+mightier than I; oh, if I were only the sun!'
+
+And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the sun you
+shall be.'
+
+And the sun he was, and felt himself proud in his power. He shot
+his beams above and below, on earth and in heaven; he burnt up the
+grass in the fields and scorched the faces of princes as well as of
+poorer folk. But in a short time he began to grow tired of his
+might, for there seemed nothing left for him to do. Discontent once
+more filled his soul, and when a cloud covered his face, and hid the
+earth from him, he cried in his anger: 'Does the cloud hold captive
+my rays, and is it mightier than I? Oh, that I were a cloud, and
+mightier than any!'
+
+And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; a cloud you
+shall be!'
+
+And a cloud he was, and lay between the sun and the earth. He
+caught the sun's beams and held them, and to his joy the earth grew
+green again and flowers blossomed. But that was not enough for
+him, and for days and weeks he poured forth rain till the rivers
+overflowed their banks, and the crops of rice stood in water. 
+Towns and villages were destroyed by the power of the rain, only
+the great rock on the mountain side remained unmoved. The cloud
+was amazed at the sight, and cried in wonder: 'Is the rock, then,
+mightier than I? Oh, if I were only the rock!'
+
+And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard; the rock
+you shall be!
+
+And the rock he was, and gloried in his power. Proudly he stood,
+and neither the heat of the sun nor the force of the rain could move
+him. 'This is better than all!' he said to himself. But one day he
+heard a strange noise at his feet, and when he looked down to see
+what it could be, he saw a stone-cutter driving tools into his
+surface. Even while he looked a trembling feeling ran all through
+him, and a great block broke off and fell upon the ground. Then he
+cried in his wrath: 'Is a mere child of earth mightier than a rock?
+Oh, if I were only a man!'
+
+And the mountain spirit answered: 'Your wish is heard. A man
+once more you shall be!'
+
+And a man he was, and in the sweat of his brow he toiled again at
+his trade of stone-cutting. His bed was hard and his food scanty,
+but he had learned to be satisfied with it, and did not long to be
+something or somebody else. And as he never asked for things he
+had not got, or desired to be greater and mightier than other
+people, he was happy at last, and heard the voice of the mountain
+spirit no longer.
+
+[From Japanische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Gold-Bearded Man
+
+Once upon a time there lived a great king who had a wife and one
+son whom he loved very much. The boy was still young when, one
+day, the king said to his wife: 'I feel that the hour of my death
+draws near, and I want you to promise that you will never take
+another husband but will give up your life to the care of our son.'
+
+The queen burst into tears at these words, and sobbed out that she
+would never, never marry again, and that her son's welfare should
+be her first thought as long as she lived. Her promise comforted
+the troubled heart of the king, and a few days after he died, at peace
+with himself and with the world.
+
+But no sooner was the breath out of his body, than the queen said
+to herself, 'To promise is one thing, and to keep is quite another.' 
+And hardly was the last spadeful of earth flung over the coffin than
+she married a noble from a neighbouring country, and got him made
+king instead of the young prince. Her new husband was a cruel,
+wicked man, who treated his stepson very badly, and gave him
+scarcely anything to eat, and only rags to wear; and he would
+certainly have killed the boy but for fear of the people.
+
+Now by the palace grounds there ran a brook, but instead of being a
+water-brook it was a milk-brook, and both rich and poor flocked to
+it daily and drew as much milk as they chose. The first thing the
+new king did when he was seated on the throne, was to forbid
+anyone to go near the brook, on pain of being seized by the
+watchmen. And this was purely spite, for there was plenty of milk
+for everybody.
+
+For some days no one dared venture near the banks of the stream,
+but at length some of the watchmen noticed that early in the
+mornings, just at dawn, a man with a gold beard came down to the
+brook with a pail, which he filled up to the brim with milk, and then
+vanished like smoke before they could get near enough to see who
+he was. So they went and told the king what they had seen.
+
+At first the king would not believe their story, but as they persisted
+it was quite true, he said that he would go and watch the stream
+that night himself. With the earliest streaks of dawn the
+gold-bearded man appeared, and filled his pail as before. Then in
+an instant he had vanished, as if the earth had swallowed him up.
+
+The king stood staring with eyes and mouth open at the place
+where the man had disappeared. He had never seen him before,
+that was certain; but what mattered much more was how to catch
+him, and what should be done with him when he was caught? He
+would have a cage built as a prison for him, and everyone would
+talk of it, for in other countries thieves were put in prison, and it
+was long indeed since any king had used a cage. It was all very
+well to plan, and even to station a watchman behind every bush, but
+it was of no use, for the man was never caught. They would creep
+up to him softly on the grass, as he was stooping to fill his pail, and
+just as they stretched out their hands to seize him, he vanished
+before their eyes. Time after time this happened, till the king grew
+mad with rage, and offered a large reward to anyone who could tell
+him how to capture his enemy.
+
+The first person that came with a scheme was an old soldier who
+promised the king that if he would only put some bread and bacon
+and a flask of wine on the bank of the stream, the gold-bearded man
+would be sure to eat and drink, and they could shake some powder
+into the wine, which would send him to sleep at once. After that
+there was nothing to do but to shut him in the cage.
+
+This idea pleased the king, and he ordered bread and bacon and a
+flask of drugged wine to be placed on the bank of the stream, and
+the watchers to be redoubled. Then, full of hope, he awaited the
+result.
+
+Everything turned out just as the soldier had said. Early next
+morning the gold-bearded man came down to the brook, ate, drank,
+and fell sound asleep, so that the watchers easily bound him, and
+carried him off to the palace. In a moment the king had him fast in
+the golden cage, and showed him, with ferocious joy, to the
+strangers who were visiting his court. The poor captive, when he
+awoke from his drunken sleep, tried to talk to them, but no one
+would listen to him, so he shut himself up altogether, and the
+people who came to stare took him for a dumb man of the woods. 
+He wept and moaned to himself all day, and would hardly touch
+food, though, in dread that he should die and escape his tormentors,
+the king ordered his head cook to send him dishes from the royal
+table.
+
+The gold-bearded man had been in captivity about a month, when
+the king was forced to make war upon a neighbouring country, and
+left the palace, to take command of his army. But before he went
+he called his stepson to him and said:
+
+'Listen, boy, to what I tell you. While I am away I trust the care of
+my prisoner to you. See that he has plenty to eat and drink, but he
+careful that he does not escape, or even walk about the room. If I
+return and find him gone, you will pay for it by a terrible death.'
+
+The young prince was thankful that his stepfather was going to the
+war, and secretly hoped he might never come back. Directly he had
+ridden off the boy went to the room where the cage was kept, and
+never left it night and day. He even played his games beside it.
+
+One day he was shooting at a mark with a silver bow; one of his
+arrows fell into the golden cage.
+
+'Please give me my arrow,' said the prince, running up to him; but
+the gold-bearded man answered:
+
+'No, I shall not give it to you unless you let me out of my cage.'
+
+'I may not let you out,' replied the boy, 'for if I do my stepfather
+says that I shall have to die a horrible death when he returns from
+the war. My arrow can be of no use to you, so give it to me.'
+
+The man handed the arrow through the bars, but when he had done
+so he begged harder than ever that the prince would open the door
+and set him free. Indeed, he prayed so earnestly that the prince's
+heart was touched, for he was a tender-hearted boy who pitied the
+sorrows of other people. So he shot back the bolt, and the
+gold-bearded man stepped out into the world.
+
+'I will repay you a thousand fold for that good deed.' said the man,
+and then he vanished. The prince began to think what he should
+say to the king when he came back; then he wondered whether it
+would be wise to wait for his stepfather's return and run the risk of
+the dreadful death which had been promised him. 'No,' he said to
+himself, 'I am afraid to stay. Perhaps the world will be kinder to me
+than he has been.'
+
+Unseen he stole out when twilight fell, and for many days he
+wandered over mountains and through forests and valleys without
+knowing where he was going or what he should do. He had only
+the berries for food, when, one morning, he saw a wood-pigeon
+sitting on a bough. In an instant he had fitted an arrow to his bow,
+and was taking aim at the bird, thinking what a good meal he would
+make off him, when his weapon fell to the ground at the sound of
+the pigeon's voice:
+
+'Do not shoot, I implore you, noble prince!  I have two little sons at
+home, and they will die of hunger if I am not there to bring them
+food.'
+
+And the young prince had pity, and unstrung his bow.
+
+'Oh, prince, I will repay your deed of mercy, said the grateful
+wood-pigeon.
+
+'Poor thing! how can you repay me?' asked the prince.
+
+'You have forgotten,' answered the wood-pigeon, 'the proverb that
+runs, "mountain and mountain can never meet, but one living
+creature can always come across another."'  The boy laughed at this
+speech and went his way.
+
+By-and-by he reached the edge of a lake, and flying towards some
+rushes which grew near the shore he beheld a wild duck. Now, in
+the days that the king, his father, was alive, and he had everything
+to eat he could possibly wish for, the prince always had wild duck
+for his birthday dinner, so he quickly fitted an arrow to his bow and
+took a careful aim.
+
+'Do not shoot, I pray you, noble prince!' cried the wild duck; 'I have
+two little sons at home; they will die of hunger if I am not there to
+bring them food.'
+
+And the prince had pity, and let fall his arrow and unstrung his bow.
+
+'Oh, prince! I will repay your deed of mercy,' exclaimed the grateful
+wild duck.
+
+'You poor thing! how can you repay me?' asked the prince.
+
+'You have forgotten,' answered the wild duck, 'the proverb that
+runs, "mountain and mountain can never meet, but one living
+creature can always come across another."' The boy laughed at this
+speech and went his way.
+
+He had not wandered far from the shores of the lake, when he
+noticed a stork standing on one leg, and again he raised his bow and
+prepared to take aim.
+
+'Do not shoot, I pray you, noble prince,' cried the stork; 'I have two
+little sons at home; they will die of hunger if I am not there to bring
+them food.'
+
+Again the prince was filled with pity, and this time also he did not
+shoot.
+
+'Oh, prince, I will repay your deed of mercy,' cried the stork.
+
+'You poor stork! how can you repay me?' asked the prince.
+
+'You have forgotten,' answered the stork, 'the proverb that runs,
+"mountain and mountain can never meet, but one living creature
+can always come across another."'
+
+The boy laughed at hearing these words again, and walked slowly
+on. He had not gone far, when he fell in with two discharged
+soldiers.
+
+'Where are you going, little brother?' asked one.
+
+'I am seeking work,' answered the prince.
+
+'So are we,' replied the soldier. 'We can all go together.'
+
+The boy was glad of company and they went on, and on, and on,
+through seven kingdoms, without finding anything they were able
+to do. At length they reached a palace, and there was the king
+standing on the steps.
+
+'You seem to be looking for something,' said he.
+
+'It is work we want,' they all answered.
+
+So the king told the soldiers that they might become his coachmen;
+but he made the boy his companion, and gave him rooms near his
+own. The soldiers were dreadfully angry when they heard this, for
+of course they did not know that the boy was really a prince; and
+they soon began to lay their heads together to plot his ruin.
+
+Then they went to the king.
+
+'Your Majesty,' they said, 'we think it our duty to tell you that your
+new companion has boasted to us that if he were only your steward
+he would not lose a single grain of corn out of the storehouses. 
+Now, if your Majesty would give orders that a sack of wheat
+should be mixed with one of barley, and would send for the youth,
+and command him to separate the grains one from another, in two
+hours' time, you would soon see what his talk was worth.'
+
+The king, who was weak, listened to what these wicked men had
+told him, and desired the prince to have the contents of the sack
+piled into two heaps by the time that he returned from his council. 
+'If you succeed,' he added, 'you shall be my steward, but if you fail,
+I will put you to death on the spot.'
+
+The unfortunate prince declared that he had never made any such
+boast as was reported; but it was all in vain. The king did not
+believe him, and turning him into an empty room, bade his servants
+carry in the huge sack filled with wheat and barley, and scatter them
+in a heap on the floor.
+
+The prince hardly knew where to begin, and indeed if he had had a
+thousand people to help him, and a week to do it in, he could never
+have finished his task. So he flung himself on the ground in despair,
+and covered his face with his hands.
+
+While he lay thus, a wood-pigeon flew in through the window.
+
+'Why are you weeping, noble prince?' asked the wood-pigeon.
+
+'How can I help weeping at the task set me by the king. For he
+says, if I fail to do it, I shall die a horrible death.'
+
+'Oh, there is really nothing to cry about,' answered the wood-pigeon
+soothingly. 'I am the king of the wood-pigeons, whose life you
+spared when you were hungry. And now I will repay my debt, as I
+promised.'  So saying he flew out of the window, leaving the prince
+with some hope in his heart.
+
+In a few minutes he returned, followed by a cloud of wood-pigeons,
+so dense that it seemed to fill the room. Their king showed them
+what they had to do, and they set to work so hard that the grain
+was sorted into two heaps long before the council was over. When
+the king came back he could not believe his eyes; but search as he
+might through the two heaps, he could not find any barley among
+the wheat, or any wheat amongst the barley. So he praised the
+prince for his industry and cleverness, and made him his steward at
+once.
+
+This made the two soldiers more envious still, and they began to
+hatch another plot.
+
+'Your Majesty,' they said to the king, one day, as he was standing
+on the steps of the palace, 'that fellow has been boasting again, that
+if he had the care of your treasures not so much as a gold pin
+should ever be lost. Put this vain fellow to the proof, we pray you,
+and throw the ring from the princess's finger into the brook, and bid
+him find it. We shall soon see what his talk is worth.'
+
+And the foolish king listened to them, and ordered the prince to be
+brought before him.
+
+'My son,' he said, 'I have heard that you have declared that if I
+made you keeper of my treasures you would never lose so much as
+a gold pin. Now, in order to prove the truth of your words, I am
+going to throw the ring from the princess's finger into the brook,
+and if you do not find it before I come back from council, you will
+have to die a horrible death.'
+
+It was no use denying that he had said anything of the kind. The
+king did not believe him; in fact he paid no attention at all, and
+hurried off, leaving the poor boy speechless with despair in the
+corner. However, he soon remembered that though it was very
+unlikely that he should find the ring in the brook, it was impossible
+that he should find it by staying in the palace.
+
+For some time the prince wandered up and down peering into the
+bottom of the stream, but though the water was very clear, nothing
+could he see of the ring. At length he gave it up in despair, and
+throwing himself down at the foot of the tree, he wept bitterly.
+
+'What is the matter, dear prince?' said a voice just above him, and
+raising his head, he saw the wild duck.
+
+'The king of this country declares I must die a horrible death if I
+cannot find the princess's ring which he has thrown into the brook,'
+answered the prince.
+
+'Oh, you must not vex yourself about that, for I can help you,'
+replied the bird. 'I am the king of the wild ducks, whose life you
+spared, and now it is my turn to save yours.'  Then he flew away,
+and in a few minutes a great flock of wild ducks were swimming all
+up and down the stream looking with all their might, and long
+before the king came back from his council there it was, safe on the
+grass beside the prince.
+
+At this sight the king was yet more astonished at the cleverness of
+his steward, and at once promoted him to be the keeper of his
+jewels.
+
+Now you would have thought that by this time the king would have
+been satisfied with the prince, and would have left him alone; but
+people's natures are very hard to change, and when the two envious
+soldiers came to him with a new falsehood, he was as ready to
+listen to them as before.
+
+'Gracious Majesty,' said they, 'the youth whom you have made
+keeper of your jewels has declared to us that a child shall be born in
+the palace this night, which will be able to speak every language in
+the world and to play every instrument of music. Is he then become
+a prophet, or a magician, that he should know things which have
+not yet come to pass?'
+
+At these words the king became more angry than ever. He had
+tried to learn magic himself, but somehow or other his spells would
+never work, and he was furious to hear that the prince claimed a
+power that he did not possess. Stammering with rage, he ordered
+the youth to be brought before him, and vowed that unless this
+miracle was accomplished he would have the prince dragged at a
+horse's tail until he was dead.
+
+In spite of what the soldiers had said, the boy knew no more magic
+than the king did, and his task seemed more hopeless than before. 
+He lay weeping in the chamber which he was forbidden to leave,
+when suddenly he heard a sharp tapping at the window, and,
+looking up, he beheld a stork.
+
+'What makes you so sad, prince?' asked he.
+
+'Someone has told the king that I have prophesied that a child shall
+be born this night in the palace, who can speak all the languages in
+the world and play every musical instrument. I am no magician to
+bring these things to pass, but he says that if it does not happen he
+will have me dragged through the city at a horse's tail till I die.'
+
+'Do not trouble yourself,' answered the stork. 'I will manage to find
+such a child, for I am the king of the storks whose life you spared,
+and now I can repay you for it.'
+
+The stork flew away and soon returned carrying in his beak a baby
+wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid it down near a lute. In an
+instant the baby stretched out its little hands and began to play a
+tune so beautiful that even the prince forgot his sorrows as he
+listened. Then he was given a flute and a zither, but he was just as
+well able to draw music from them; and the prince, whose courage
+was gradually rising, spoke to him in all the languages he knew. 
+The baby answered him in all, and no one could have told which
+was his native tongue!
+
+The next morning the king went straight to the prince's room, and
+saw with his own eyes the wonders that baby could do. 'If your
+magic can produce such a baby,' he said, 'you must be greater than
+any wizard that ever lived, and shall have my daughter in marriage.' 
+And, being a king, and therefore accustomed to have everything the
+moment he wanted it, he commanded the ceremony to be
+performed without delay, and a splendid feast to be made for the
+bride and bridegroom. When it was over, he said to the prince:
+
+'Now that you are really my son, tell me by what arts you were able
+to fulfil the tasks I set you?'
+
+'My noble father-in-law,' answered the prince, 'I am ignorant of all
+spells and arts. But somehow I have always managed to escape the
+death which has threatened me.'  And he told the king how he had
+been forced to run away from his stepfather, and how he had spared
+the three birds, and had joined the two soldiers, who had from envy
+done their utmost to ruin him.
+
+The king was rejoiced in his heart that his daughter had married a
+prince, and not a common man, and he chased the two soldiers
+away with whips, and told them that if they ever dared to show
+their faces across the borders of his kingdom, they should die the
+same death he had prepared for the prince.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrchen]
+
+
+
+Tritill, Litill, And The Birds
+
+Once upon a time there lived a princess who was so beautiful and
+so good that everybody loved her. Her father could hardly bear her
+out of his sight, and he almost died of grief when, one day, she
+disappeared, and though the whole kingdom was searched through
+and through, she could not be found in any corner of it. In despair,
+the king ordered a proclamation to be made that whoever could
+bring her back to the palace should have her for his wife. This
+made the young men start afresh on the search, but they were no
+more successful than before, and returned sorrowfully to their
+homes.
+
+Now there dwelt, not far from the palace, an old man who had
+three sons. The two eldest were allowed by their parents to do just
+as they liked, but the youngest was always obliged to give way to
+his brothers. When they were all grown up, the eldest told his
+father that he was tired of leading such a quiet life, and that he
+meant to go away and see the world.
+
+The old people were very unhappy at the thought that they must
+part with him, but they said nothing, and began to collect all that he
+would want for his travels, and were careful to add a pair of new
+boots. When everything was ready, he bade them farewell, and
+started merrily on his way.
+
+For some miles his road lay through a wood, and when he left it he
+suddenly came out on a bare hillside. Here he sat down to rest, and
+pulling out his wallet prepared to eat his dinner.
+
+He had only eaten a few mouthfuls when an old man badly dressed
+passed by, and seeing the food, asked if the young man could not
+spare him a little.
+
+'Not I, indeed!' answered he; 'why I have scarcely enough for
+myself. If you want food you must earn it.' And the beggar went
+on.
+
+After the young man had finished his dinner he rose and walked on
+for several hours, till he reached a second hill, where he threw
+himself down on the grass, and took some bread and milk from his
+wallet. While he was eating and drinking, there came by an old
+man, yet more wretched than the first, and begged for a few
+mouthfuls. But instead of food he only got hard words, and limped
+sadly away.
+
+Towards evening the young man reached an open space in the
+wood, and by this time he thought he would like some supper. The
+birds saw the food, and flew round his head in numbers hoping for
+some crumbs, but he threw stones at them, and frightened them off. 
+Then he began to wonder where he should sleep. Not in the open
+space he was in, for that was bare and cold, and though he had
+walked a long way that day, and was tired, he dragged himself up,
+and went on seeking for a shelter.
+
+At length he saw a deep sort of hole or cave under a great rock,
+and as it seemed quite empty, he went in, and lay down in a corner. 
+About midnight he was awakened by a noise, and peeping out he
+beheld a terrible ogress approaching. He implored her not to hurt
+him, but to let him stay there for the rest of the night, to which she
+consented, on condition that he should spend the next day in doing
+any task which she might choose to set him. To this the young man
+willingly agreed, and turned over and went to sleep again. In the
+morning, the ogress bade him sweep the dust out of the cave, and
+to have it clean before her return in the evening, otherwise it would
+be the worse for him. Then she left the cave.
+
+The young man took the spade, and began to clean the floor of the
+cave, but try as he would to move it the dirt still stuck to its place. 
+He soon gave up the task, and sat sulkily in the corner, wondering
+what punishment the ogress would find for him, and why she had
+set him to do such an impossible thing.
+
+He had not long to wait, after the ogress came home, before he
+knew what his punishment was to be! She just gave one look at the
+floor of the cave, then dealt him a blow on the head which cracked
+his skull, and there was an end of him.
+
+Meanwhile his next brother grew tired of staying at home, and let
+his parents have no rest till they had consented that he also should
+be given some food and some new boots, and go out to see the
+world. On his road, he also met the two old beggars, who prayed
+for a little of his bread and milk, but this young man had never been
+taught to help other people, and had made it a rule through his life
+to keep all he had to himself. So he turned a deaf ear and finished
+his dinner.
+
+By-and-by he, too, came to the cave, and was bidden by the ogress
+to clean the floor, but he was no more successful than his brother,
+and his fate was the same.
+
+Anyone would have thought that when the old people had only one
+son left that at least they would have been kind to him, even if they
+did not love him. But for some reason they could hardly bear the
+sight of him, though he tried much harder to make them
+comfortable than his brothers had ever done. So when he asked
+their leave to go out into the world they gave it at once, and
+seemed quite glad to be rid of him. They felt it was quite generous
+of them to provide him with a pair of new boots and some bread
+and milk for his journey.
+
+Besides the pleasure of seeing the world, the youth was very
+anxious to discover what had become of his brothers, and he
+determined to trace, as far as he could, the way that they must have
+gone. He followed the road that led from his father's cottage to the
+hill, where he sat down to rest, saying to himself: 'I am sure my
+brothers must have stopped here, and I will do the same.'
+
+He was hungry as well as tired, and took out some of the food his
+parents had given him. He was just going to begin to eat when the
+old man appeared, and asked if he could not spare him a little. The
+young man at once broke off some of the bread, begging the old
+man to sit down beside him, and treating him as if he was an old
+friend. At last the stranger rose, and said to him: 'If ever you are in
+trouble call me, and I will help you. My name is Tritill.'  Then he
+vanished, and the young man could not tell where he had gone.
+
+However, he felt he had now rested long enough, and that he had
+better be going his way. At the next hill he met with the second old
+man, and to him also he gave food and drink. And when this old
+man had finished he said, like the first: 'If you ever want help in the
+smallest thing call to me. My name is Litill.'
+
+The young man walked on till he reached the open space in the
+wood, where he stopped for dinner. In a moment all the birds in
+the world seemed flying round his head, and he crumbled some of
+his bread for them and watched them as they darted down to pick it
+up. When they had cleared off every crumb the largest bird with
+the gayest plumage said to him: 'If you are in trouble and need help
+say, "My birds, come to me!" and we will come.' Then they flew
+away.
+
+Towards evening the young man reached the cave where his
+brothers had met their deaths, and, like them, he thought it would
+be a good place to sleep in. Looking round, he saw some pieces of
+the dead men's clothes and of their bones. The sight made him
+shiver, but he would not move away, and resolved to await the
+return of the ogress, for such he knew she must be.
+
+Very soon she came striding in, and he asked politely if she would
+give him a night's lodging. She answered as before, that he might
+stay on condition that he should do any work that she might set him
+to next morning. So the bargain being concluded, the young man
+curled himself up in his corner and went to sleep.
+
+The dirt lay thicker than ever on the floor of the cave when the
+young man took the spade and began his work. He could not clear
+it any more than his brothers had done, and at last the spade itself
+stuck in the earth so that he could not pull it out. The youth stared
+at it in despair, then the old beggar's words flashed into his mind,
+and he cried: 'Tritill, Tritill, come and help me!'
+
+And Tritill stood beside him and asked what he wanted. The youth
+told him all his story, and when he had finished, the old man said:
+'Spade and shovel do your duty,' and they danced about the cave
+till, in a short time, there was not a speck of dust left on the floor. 
+As soon as it was quite clean Tritill went his way.
+
+With a light heart the young man awaited the return of the ogress. 
+When she came in she looked carefully round, and then said to him:
+'You did not do that quite alone. However, as the floor is clean I
+will leave your head on.'
+
+The following morning the ogress told the young man that he must
+take all the feathers out of her pillows and spread them to dry in the
+sun. But if one feather was missing when she came back at night
+his head should pay for it.'
+
+The young man fetched the pillows, and shook out all the feathers,
+and oh! what quantities of them there were! He was thinking to
+himself, as he spread them out carefully, how lucky it was that the
+sun was so bright and that there was no wind, when suddenly a
+breeze sprang up, and in a moment the feathers were dancing high
+in the air. At first the youth tried to collect them again, but he soon
+found that it was no use, and he cried in despair: 'Tritill, Litill, and
+all my birds, come and help me!'
+
+He had hardly said the words when there they all were; and when
+the birds had brought all the feathers back again, Tritill, and Litill,
+and he, put them away in the pillows, as the ogress had bidden him. 
+But one little feather they kept out, and told the young man that if
+the ogress missed it he was to thrust it up her nose. Then they all
+vanished, Tritill, Litill, and the birds.
+
+Directly the ogress returned home she flung herself with all her
+weight on the bed, and the whole cave quivered under her. The
+pillows were soft and full instead of being empty, which surprised
+her, but that did not content her. She got up, shook out the
+pillow-cases one by one, and began to count the feathers that were
+in each. 'If one is missing I will have your head,' said she, and at
+that the young man drew the feather from his pocket and thrust it
+up her nose, crying 'If you want your feather, here it is.'
+
+'You did not sort those feathers alone,' answered the ogress calmly;
+'however, this time I will let that pass.'
+
+That night the young man slept soundly in his corner, and in the
+morning the ogress told him that his work that day would be to slay
+one of her great oxen, to cook its heart, and to make drinking cups
+of its horns, before she returned home 'There are fifty oxen,' added
+she, 'and you must guess which of the herd I want killed. If you
+guess right, to-morrow you shall be free to go where you will, and
+you shall choose besides three things as a reward for your service. 
+But if you slay the wrong ox your head shall pay for it.'
+
+Left alone, the young man stood thinking for a little. Then he
+called: 'Tritill, Litill, come to my help!'
+
+In a moment he saw them, far away, driving the biggest ox the
+youth had ever seen. When they drew near, Tritill killed it, Litill
+took out its heart for the young man to cook, and both began
+quickly to turn the horns into drinking cups. The work went
+merrily on, and they talked gaily, and the young man told his friends
+of the payment promised him by the ogress if he had done her
+bidding. The old men warned him that he must ask her for the
+chest which stood at the foot of her bed, for whatever lay on the
+top of the bed, and for what lay under the side of the cave. The
+young man thanked them for their counsel, and Tritill and Litill then
+took leave of him, saying that for the present he would need them
+no more.
+
+Scarcely had they disappeared when the ogress came back, and
+found everything ready just as she had ordered. Before she sat
+down to eat the bullock's heart she turned to the young man, and
+said: 'You did not do that all alone, my friend; but, nevertheless, I
+will keep my word, and to-morrow you shall go your way.' So they
+went to bed and slept till dawn.
+
+When the sun rose the ogress awoke the young man, and called to
+him to choose any three things out of her house.
+
+'I choose,' answered he, 'the chest which stands at the foot of your
+bed; whatever lies on the top of the bed, and whatever is under the
+side of the cave.'
+
+'You did not choose those things by yourself, my friend,' said the
+ogress; 'but what I have promised, that will I do.'
+
+And then she gave him his reward.
+
+'The thing which lay on the top of the bed' turned out to be the lost
+princess. 'The chest which stood at the foot of the bed' proved full
+of gold and precious stones; and 'what was under the side of the
+cave' he found to be a great ship, with oars and sails that went of
+itself as well on land as in the water. 'You are the luckiest man that
+ever was born,' said the ogress as she went out of the cave as usual.
+
+With much difficulty the youth put the heavy chest on his shoulders
+and carried it on board the ship, the princess walking by his side. 
+Then he took the helm and steered the vessel back to her father's
+kingdom. The king's joy at receiving back his lost daughter was so
+great that he almost fainted, but when he recovered himself he
+made the young man tell him how everything had really happened. 
+'You have found her, and you shall marry her,' said the king; and so
+it was done. And this is the end of the story.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Three Robes
+
+Long, long ago, a king and queen reigned over a large and powerful
+country. What their names were nobody knows, but their son was
+called Sigurd, and their daughter Lineik, and these young people
+were famed throughout the whole kingdom for their wisdom and
+beauty.
+
+There was only a year between them, and they loved each other so
+much that they could do nothing apart. When they began to grow
+up the king gave them a house of their own to live in, with servants
+and carriages, and everything they could possibly want.
+
+For many years they all lived happily together, and then the queen
+fell ill, and knew that she would never get better.
+
+'Promise me two things,' she said one day to the king; 'one, that if
+you marry again, as indeed you must, you will not choose as your
+wife a woman from some small state or distant island, who knows
+nothing of the world, and will be taken up with thoughts of her
+grandeur. But rather seek out a princess of some great kingdom,
+who has been used to courts all her life, and holds them at their true
+worth. The other thing I have to ask is, that you will never cease to
+watch over our children, who will soon become your greatest joy.'
+
+These were the queen's last words, and a few hours later she was
+dead. The king was so bowed down with sorrow that he would not
+attend even to the business of the kingdom, and at last his Prime
+Minister had to tell him that the people were complaining that they
+had nobody to right their wrongs. 'You must rouse yourself, sir,'
+went on the minister, 'and put aside your own sorrows for the sake
+of your country.'
+
+'You do not spare me,' answered the king; 'but what you say is just,
+and your counsel is good. I have heard that men say, likewise, that
+it will be for the good of my kingdom for me to marry again,
+though my heart will never cease to be with my lost wife. But it
+was her wish also; therefore, to you I entrust the duty of finding a
+lady fitted to share my throne; only, see that she comes neither from
+a small town nor a remote island.'
+
+So an embassy was prepared, with the minister at its head, to visit
+the greatest courts in the world, and to choose out a suitable
+princess. But the vessel which carried them had not been gone
+many days when a thick fog came on, and the captain could see
+neither to the right nor to the left. For a whole month the ship
+drifted about in darkness, till at length the fog lifted and they beheld
+a cliff jutting out just in front. On one side of the cliff lay a
+sheltered bay, in which the vessel was soon anchored, and though
+they did not know where they were, at any rate they felt sure of
+fresh fruit and water.
+
+The minister left the rest of his followers on board the ship, and
+taking a small boat rowed himself to land, in order to look about
+him and to find out if the island was really as deserted as it seemed.
+
+He had not gone far, when he heard the sound of music, and,
+turning in its direction, he saw a woman of marvellous beauty
+sitting on a low stool playing on a harp, while a girl beside her sang. 
+The minister stopped and greeted the lady politely, and she replied
+with friendliness, asking him why he had come to such an
+out-of-the way place. In answer he told her of the object of his
+journey.
+
+'I am in the same state as your master,' replied the lady; 'I was
+married to a mighty king who ruled over this land, till Vikings
+[sea-robbers] came and slew him and put all the people to death. 
+But I managed to escape, and hid myself here with my daughter.'
+
+And the daughter listened, and said softly to her mother: 'Are you
+speaking the truth now?'
+
+'Remember your promise,' answered the mother angrily, giving her
+a pinch which was unseen by the minister.
+
+'What is your name, madam?' asked he, much touched by this sad
+story.
+
+'Blauvor,' she replied 'and my daughter is called Laufer'; and then
+she inquired the name of the minister, and of the king his master. 
+After this they talked of many things, and the lady showed herself
+learned in all that a woman should know, and even in much that
+men only were commonly taught. 'What a wife she would make for
+the king,' thought the minister to himself, and before long he had
+begged the honour of her hand for his master. She declared at first
+that she was too unworthy to accept the position offered her, and
+that the minister would soon repent his choice; but this only made
+him the more eager, and in the end he gained her consent, and
+prevailed on her to return with him at once to his own country.
+
+The minister then conducted the mother and daughter back to the
+ship; the anchor was raised, the sails spread, and a fair wind was
+behind them.
+
+Now that the fog had lifted they could see as they looked back that,
+except just along the shore, the island was bare and deserted and
+not fit for men to live in; but about that nobody cared. They had a
+quick voyage, and in six days they reached the land, and at once set
+out for the capital, a messenger being sent on first by the minister to
+inform the king of what had happened.
+
+When his Majesty's eyes fell on the two beautiful women, clad in
+dresses of gold and silver, he forgot his sorrows and ordered
+preparations for the wedding to be made without delay. In his joy
+he never remembered to inquire in what kind of country the future
+queen had been found. In fact his head was so turned by the beauty
+of the two ladies that when the invitations were sent by his orders
+to all the great people in the kingdom, he did not even recollect his
+two children, who remained shut up in their own house!
+
+After the marriage the king ceased to have any will of his own and
+did nothing without consulting his wife. She was present at all his
+councils, and her opinion was asked before making peace or war. 
+But when a few months had passed the king began to have doubts
+as to whether the minister's choice had really been a wise one, and
+he noticed that his children lived more and more in their palace and
+never came near their stepmother.
+
+It always happens that if a person's eyes are once opened they see a
+great deal more than they ever expected; and soon it struck the king
+that the members of his court had a way of disappearing one after
+the other without any reason. At first he had not paid much
+attention to the fact, but merely appointed some fresh person to the
+vacant place. As, however, man after man vanished without leaving
+any trace, he began to grow uncomfortable and to wonder if the
+queen could have anything to do with it.
+
+Things were in this state when, one day, his wife said to him that it
+was time for him to make a progress through his kingdom and see
+that his governors were not cheating him of the money that was his
+due. 'And you need not be anxious about going,' she added, 'for I
+will rule the country while you are away as carefully as you could
+yourself.'
+
+The king had no great desire to undertake this journey, but the
+queen's will was stronger than his, and he was too lazy to make a
+fight for it. So he said nothing and set about his preparations,
+ordering his finest ship to be ready to carry him round the coast. 
+Still his heart was heavy, and he felt uneasy, though he could not
+have told why; and the night before he was to start he went to the
+children's palace to take leave of his son and daughter.
+
+He had not seen them for some time, and they gave him a warm
+welcome, for they loved him dearly and he had always been kind to
+them. They had much to tell him, but after a while he checked their
+merry talk and said:
+
+'If I should never come back from this journey I fear that it may not
+be safe for you to stay here; so directly there are no more hopes of
+my return go instantly and take the road eastwards till you reach a
+high mountain, which you must cross. Once over the mountain
+keep along by the side of a little bay till you come to two trees, one
+green and the other red, standing in a thicket, and so far back from
+the road that without looking for them you would never see them. 
+Hide each in the trunk of one of the trees and there you will be safe
+from all your enemies.'
+
+With these words the king bade them farewell and entered sadly
+into his ship. For a few days the wind was fair, and everything
+seemed going smoothly; then, suddenly, a gale sprang up, and a
+fearful storm of thunder and lightning, such as had never happened
+within the memory of man. In spite of the efforts of the frightened
+sailors the vessel was driven on the rocks, and not a man on board
+was saved.
+
+That very night Prince Sigurd had a dream, in which he thought his
+father appeared to him in dripping clothes, and, taking the crown
+from his head, laid it at his son's feet, leaving the room as silently as
+he had entered it.
+
+Hastily the prince awoke his sister Lineik, and they agreed that their
+father must be dead, and that they must lose no time in obeying his
+orders and putting themselves in safety. So they collected their
+jewels and a few clothes and left the house without being observed
+by anyone.
+
+
+They hurried on till they arrived at the mountain without once
+looking back. Then Sigurd glanced round and saw that their
+stepmother was following them, with an expression on her face
+which made her uglier than the ugliest old witch. Between her and
+them lay a thick wood, and Sigurd stopped for a moment to set it
+on fire; then he and his sister hastened on more swiftly than before,
+till they reached the grove with the red and green trees, into which
+they jumped, and felt that at last they were safe.
+
+Now, at that time there reigned over Greece a king who was very
+rich and powerful, although his name has somehow been forgotten. 
+He had two children, a son and a daughter, who were more
+beautiful and accomplished than any Greeks had been before, and
+they were the pride of their father's heart.
+
+The prince had no sooner grown out of boyhood than he prevailed
+on his father to make war during the summer months on a
+neighbouring nation, so as to give him a chance of making himself
+famous. In winter, however, when it was difficult to get food and
+horses in that wild country, the army was dispersed, and the prince
+returned home.
+
+During one of these wars he had heard reports of the Princess
+Lineik's beauty, and he resolved to seek her out, and to ask for her
+hand in marriage. All this Blauvor, the queen, found out by means
+of her black arts, and when the prince drew near the capital she put
+a splendid dress on her own daughter and then went to meet her
+guest.
+
+She bade him welcome to her palace, and when they had finished
+supper she told him of the loss of her husband, and how there was
+no one left to govern the kingdom but herself.
+
+'But where is the Princess Lineik?' asked the prince when she had
+ended her tale.
+
+'Here,' answered the queen, bringing forward the girl, whom she
+had hitherto kept in the background.
+
+The prince looked at her and was rather disappointed. The maiden
+was pretty enough, but not much out of the common.
+
+'Oh, you must not wonder at her pale face and heavy eyes,' said the
+queen hastily, for she saw what was passing in his mind. 'She has
+never got over the loss of both father and mother.'
+
+'That shows a good heart,' thought the prince; 'and when she is
+happy her beauty will soon come back.' And without any further
+delay he begged the queen to consent to their betrothal, for the
+marriage must take place in his own country.
+
+The queen was enchanted. She had hardly expected to succeed so
+soon, and she at once set about her preparations. Indeed she
+wished to travel with the young couple, to make sure that nothing
+should go wrong; but here the prince was firm, that he would take
+no one with him but Laufer, whom he thought was Lineik.
+
+They soon took leave of the queen, and set sail in a splendid ship;
+but in a short time a dense fog came on, and in the dark the captain
+steered out of his course, and they found themselves in a bay which
+was quite strange to all the crew. The prince ordered a boat to be
+lowered, and went on shore to look about him, and it was not long
+before he noticed the two beautiful trees, quite different from any
+that grew in Greece. Calling one of the sailors, he bade him cut
+them down, and carry them on board the ship. This was done, and
+as the sky was now clear they put out to sea, and arrived in Greece
+without any more adventures.
+
+The news that the prince had brought home a bride had gone before
+them, and they were greeted with flowery arches and crowns of
+coloured lights. The king and queen met them on the steps of the
+palace, and conducted the girl to the women's house, where she
+would have to remain until her marriage. The prince then went to
+his own rooms and ordered that the trees should be brought in to
+him.
+
+The next morning the prince bade his attendants bring his future
+bride to his own apartments, and when she came he gave her silk
+which she was to weave into three robes--one red, one green, and
+one blue--and these must all be ready before the wedding. The blue
+one was to be done first and the green last, and this was to be the
+most splendid of all, 'for I will wear it at our marriage,' said he.
+
+Left alone, Laufer sat and stared at the heap of shining silk before
+her. She did not know how to weave, and burst into tears as she
+thought that everything would be discovered, for Lineik's skill in
+weaving was as famous as her beauty. As she sat with her face
+hidden and her body shaken by sobs, Sigurd in his tree heard her
+and was moved to pity. 'Lineik, my sister,' he called, softly, 'Laufer
+is weeping; help her, I pray you.'
+
+'Have you forgotten the wrongs her mother did to us' answered
+Lineik, 'and that it is owing to her that we are banished from home?'
+
+But she was not really unforgiving, and very soon she slid quietly
+out of her hiding-place, and taking the silk from Laufer's hands
+began to weave it. So quick and clever was she that the blue dress
+was not only woven but embroidered, and Lineik was safe back in
+her tree before the prince returned.
+
+'It is the most beautiful work I have ever seen,' said he, taking up a
+bit. 'And I am sure that the red one will be still better, because the
+stuff is richer,' and with a low bow he left the room.
+
+Laufer had hoped secretly that when the prince had seen the blue
+dress finished he would have let her off the other two; but when she
+found she was expected to fulfil the whole task, her heart sank and
+she began to cry loudly. Again Sigurd heard her, and begged
+Lineik to come to her help, and Lineik, feeling sorry for her
+distress, wove and embroidered the second dress as she had done
+the first, mixing gold thread and precious stones till you could
+hardly see the red of the stuff. When it was done she glided into
+her tree just as the prince came in.
+
+'You are as quick as you are clever,' said he, admiringly. 'This
+looks as if it had been embroidered by the fairies! But as the green
+robe must outshine the other two I will give you three days in
+which to finish it. After it is ready we will be married at once.'
+
+Now, as he spoke, there rose up in Laufer's mind all the unkind
+things that she and her mother had done to Lineik. Could she hope
+that they would be forgotten, and that Lineik would come to her
+rescue for the third time? And perhaps Lineik, who had not
+forgotten the past either, might have left her alone, to get on as best
+she could, had not Sigurd, her brother, implored her to help just
+once more. So Lineik again slid out of her tree, and, to Laufer's
+great relief, set herself to work. When the shining green silk was
+ready she caught the sun's rays and the moon's beams on the point
+of her needle and wove them into a pattern such as no man had ever
+seen. But it took a long time, and on the third morning, just as she
+was putting the last stitches into the last flower the prince came in.
+
+Lineik jumped up quickly, and tried to get past him back to her
+tree; but the folds of the silk were wrapped round her, and she
+would have fallen had not the prince caught her.
+
+'I have thought for some time that all was not quite straight here,'
+said he. 'Tell me who you are, and where you come from?'
+
+Lineik then told her name and her story. When she had ended the
+prince turned angrily to Laufer, and declared that, as a punishment
+for her wicked lies, she deserved to die a shameful death.
+
+But Laufer fell at his feet and begged for mercy. It was her
+mother's fault, she said: 'It was she, and not I, who passed me off as
+the Princess Lineik. The only lie I have ever told you was about the
+robes, and I do not deserve death for that.'
+
+She was still on her knees when Prince Sigurd entered the room. 
+He prayed the Prince of Greece to forgive Laufer, which he did, on
+condition that Lineik would consent to marry him. 'Not till my
+stepmother is dead,' answered she, 'for she has brought misery to all
+that came near her.' Then Laufer told them that Blauvor was not the
+wife of a king, but an ogress who had stolen her from a
+neighbouring palace and had brought her up as her daughter. And
+besides being an ogress she was also a witch, and by her black arts
+had sunk the ship in which the father of Sigurd and Lineik had set
+sail. It was she who had caused the disappearance of the courtiers,
+for which no one could account, by eating them during the night,
+and she hoped to get rid of all the people in the country, and then to
+fill the land with ogres and ogresses like herself.
+
+So Prince Sigurd and the Prince of Greece collected an army
+swiftly, and marched upon the town where Blauvor had her palace. 
+They came so suddenly that no one knew of it, and if they had,
+Blauvor had eaten most of the strong men; and others, fearful of
+something they could not tell what, had secretly left the place. 
+Therefore she was easily captured, and the next day was beheaded
+in the market-place. Afterwards the two princes marched back to
+Greece.
+
+Lineik had no longer any reason for putting off her wedding, and
+married the Prince of Greece at the same time that Sigurd married
+the princess. And Laufer remained with Lineik as her friend and
+sister, till they found a husband for her in a great nobleman; and all
+three couples lived happily until they died.
+
+[From Islandische Muhrchen Poestion Wien.]
+
+
+
+
+The Six Hungry Beasts
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man who dwelt with his wife in a
+little hut, far away from any neighbours. But they did not mind
+being alone, and would have been quite happy, if it had not been for
+a marten, who came every night to their poultry yard, and carried
+off one of their fowls. The man laid all sorts of traps to catch the
+thief, but instead of capturing the foe, it happened that one day he
+got caught himself, and falling down, struck his head against a
+stone, and was killed.
+
+Not long after the marten came by on the look out for his supper. 
+Seeing the dead man lying there, he said to himself: 'That is a prize,
+this time I have done well'; and dragging the body with great
+difficulty to the sledge which was waiting for him, drove off with
+his booty. He had not driven far when he met a squirrel, who
+bowed and said: 'Good-morning, godfather! what have you got
+behind you?'
+
+The marten laughed and answered: 'Did you ever hear anything so
+strange? The old man that you see here set traps about his
+hen-house, thinking to catch me but he fell into his own trap, and
+broke his own neck. He is very heavy; I wish you would help me to
+draw the sledge.'  The squirrel did as he was asked, and the sledge
+moved slowly along.
+
+By-and-by a hare came running across a field, but stopped to see
+what wonderful thing was coming. 'What have you got there?' she
+asked, and the marten told his story and begged the hare to help
+them pull.
+
+The hare pulled her hardest, and after a while they were joined by a
+fox, and then by a wolf, and at length a bear was added to the
+company, and he was of more use than all the other five beasts put
+together. Besides, when the whole six had supped off the man he
+was not so heavy to draw.
+
+The worst of it was that they soon began to get hungry again, and
+the wolf, who was the hungriest of all, said to the rest:
+
+'What shall we eat now, my friends, as there is no more man?'
+
+'I suppose we shall have to eat the smallest of us,' replied the bear,
+and the marten turned round to seize the squirrel who was much
+smaller than any of the rest. But the squirrel ran up a tree like
+lightning, and the marten remembering, just in time, that he was the
+next in size, slipped quick as thought into a hole in the rocks.
+
+'What shall we eat now?' asked the wolf again, when he had
+recovered from his surprise.
+
+'We must eat the smallest of us,' repeated the bear, stretching out a
+paw towards the hare; but the hare was not a hare for nothing, and
+before the paw had touched her, she had darted deep into the
+wood.
+
+Now that the squirrel, the marten, and the hare had all gone, the fox
+was the smallest of the three who were left, and the wolf and the
+bear explained that they were very sorry, but they would have to
+eat him. Michael, the fox, did not run away as the others had done,
+but smiled in a friendly manner, and remarked: 'Things taste so stale
+in a valley; one's appetite is so much better up on a mountain.'  The
+wolf and the bear agreed, and they turned out of the hollow where
+they had been walking, and chose a path that led up the mountain
+side. The fox trotted cheerfully by his two big companions, but on
+the way he managed to whisper to the wolf: 'Tell me, Peter, when I
+am eaten, what will you have for your next dinner?'
+
+This simple question seemed to put out the wolf very much. What
+would they have for their next dinner, and, what was more
+important still, who would there be to eat it?  They had made a rule
+always to dine off the smallest of the party, and when the fox was
+gone, why of course, he was smaller than the bear.
+
+These thoughts flashed quickly through his head, and he said
+hastily:
+
+'Dear brothers, would it not be better for us to live together as
+comrades, and everyone to hunt for the common dinner?  Is not my
+plan a good one?'
+
+'It is the best thing I have ever heard,' answered the fox; and as they
+were two to one the bear had to be content, though in his heart he
+would much have preferred a good dinner at once to any friendship.
+
+For a few days all went well; there was plenty of game in the forest,
+and even the wolf had as much to eat as he could wish. One
+morning the fox as usual was going his rounds when he noticed a
+tall, slender tree, with a magpie's nest in one of the top branches. 
+Now the fox was particularly fond of young magpies, and he set
+about making a plan by which he could have one for dinner. At last
+he hit upon something which he thought would do, and accordingly
+he sat down near the tree and began to stare hard at it.
+
+'What are you looking at, Michael?' asked the magpie, who was
+watching him from a bough.
+
+'I'm looking at this tree. It has just struck me what a good tree it
+would be to cut my new snow-shoes out of.'  But at this answer the
+magpie screeched loudly, and exclaimed: 'Oh, not this tree, dear
+brother, I implore you! I have built my nest on it, and my young
+ones are not yet old enough to fly.'
+
+'It will not be easy to find another tree that would make such good
+snow-shoes,' answered the fox, cocking his head on one side, and
+gazing at the tree thoughtfully; 'but I do not like to be ill-natured,
+so if you will give me one of your young ones I will seek my
+snow-shoes elsewhere.'
+
+Not knowing what to do the poor magpie had to agree, and flying
+back, with a heavy heart, he threw one of his young ones out of the
+nest. The fox seized it in his mouth and ran off in triumph, while
+the magpie, though deeply grieved for the loss of his little one,
+found some comfort in the thought that only a bird of extraordinary
+wisdom would have dreamed of saving the rest by the sacrifice of
+the one. But what do you think happened? Why, a few days later,
+Michael the fox might have been seen sitting under the very same
+tree, and a dreadful pang shot through the heart of the magpie as he
+peeped at him from a hole in the nest.
+
+'What are you looking at?' he asked in a trembling voice.
+
+'At this tree. I was just thinking what good snowshoes it would
+make,' answered the fox in an absent voice, as if he was not
+thinking of what he was saying.
+
+'Oh, my brother, my dear little brother, don't do that,' cried the
+magpie, hopping about in his anguish. 'You know you promised
+only a few days ago that you would get your snow-shoes
+elsewhere.'
+
+'So I did; but though I have searched through the whole forest,
+there is not a single tree that is as good as this. I am very sorry to
+put you out, but really it is not my fault. The only thing I can do
+for you is to offer to give up my snow-shoes altogether if you will
+throw me down one of your young ones in exchange.'
+
+And the poor magpie, in spite of his wisdom, was obliged to throw
+another of his little ones out of the nest; and this time he was not
+able to console himself with the thought that he had been much
+cleverer than other people.
+
+He sat on the edge of his nest, his head drooping and his feathers all
+ruffled, looking the picture of misery. Indeed he was so different
+from the gay, jaunty magpie whom every creature in the forest
+knew, that a crow who was flying past, stopped to inquire what
+was the matter. 'Where are the two young ones who are not in the
+nest?' asked he.
+
+'I had to give them to the fox,' replied the magpie in a quivering
+voice; 'he has been here twice in the last week, and wanted to cut
+down my tree for the purpose of making snow-shoes out of it, and
+the only way I could buy him off was by giving him two of my
+young ones.'
+
+Oh, you fool,' cried the crow, 'the fox was only trying to frighten
+you. He could not have cut down the tree, for he has neither axe
+nor knife. Dear me, to think that you have sacrificed your young
+ones for nothing! Dear, dear! how could you be so very foolish!'
+And the crow flew away, leaving the magpie overcome with shame
+and sorrow.
+
+The next morning the fox came to his usual place in front of the
+tree, for he was hungry, and a nice young magpie would have suited
+him very well for dinner. But this time there was no cowering,
+timid magpie to do his bidding, but a bird with his head erect and a
+determined voice.
+
+'My good fox,' said the magpie putting his head on one side and
+looking very wise--'my good fox, if you take my advice, you will go
+home as fast as you can. There is no use your talking about making
+snow-shoes out of this tree, when you have neither knife nor axe to
+cut it down with!'
+
+'Who has been teaching you wisdom?' asked the fox, forgetting his
+manners in his surprise at this new turn of affairs.
+
+'The crow, who paid me a visit yesterday,' answered the magpie.
+
+'The crow was it?' said the fox, 'well, the crow had better not meet
+me for the future, or it may be the worse for him.'
+
+As Michael, the cunning beast, had no desire to continue the
+conversation, he left the forest; but when he came to the high road
+he laid himself at full length on the ground, stretching himself out,
+just as if he was dead. Very soon he noticed, out of the corner of
+his eye, that the crow was flying towards him, and he kept stiller
+and stifer than ever, with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. The
+crow, who wanted her supper very badly, hopped quickly towards
+him, and was stooping forward to peck at his tongue when the fox
+gave a snap, and caught him by the wing. The crow knew that it
+was of no use struggling, so he said:
+
+'Ah, brother, if you are really going to eat me, do it, I beg of you, in
+good style. Throw me first over this precipice, so that my feathers
+may be strewn here and there, and that all who see them may know
+that your cunning is greater than mine.' This idea pleased the fox,
+for he had not yet forgiven the crow for depriving him of the young
+magpies, so he carried the crow to the edge of the precipice and
+threw him over, intending to go round by a path he knew and pick
+him up at the bottom. But no sooner had the fox let the crow go
+than he soared up into the air, and hovering just out of teach of his
+enemy's jaws, he cried with a laugh: 'Ah, fox! you know well how
+to catch, but you cannot keep.'
+
+With his tail between his legs, the fox slunk into the forest. He did
+not know where to look for a dinner, as he guessed that the crow
+would have flown back before him, and put every one on their
+guard. The notion of going to bed supperless was very unpleasant
+to him, and he was wondering what in the world he should do,
+when he chanced to meet with his old friend the bear.
+
+This poor animal had just lost his wife, and was going to get some
+one to mourn over her, for he felt her loss greatly. He had hardly
+left his comfortable cave when he had come across the wolf, who
+inquired where he was going. 'I am going to find a mourner,'
+answered the bear, and told his story.
+
+'Oh, let me mourn for you,' cried the wolf.
+
+'Do you understand how to howl?' said the bear.
+
+'Oh, certainly, godfather, certainly,' replied the wolf; but the bear
+said he should like to have a specimen of his howling, to make sure
+that he knew his business. So the wolf broke forth in his song of
+lament: 'Hu, hu, hu, hum, hoh,' he shouted, and he made such a
+noise that the bear put up his paws to his ears, and begged him to
+stop.
+
+'You have no idea how it is done. Be off with you,' said he angrily.
+
+A little further down the road the hare was resting in a ditch, but
+when she saw the bear, she came out and spoke to him, and
+inquired why he looked so sad. The bear told her of the loss of his
+wife, and of his search after a mourner that could lament over her in
+the proper style. The hare instantly offered her services, but the
+bear took care to ask her to give him a proof of her talents, before
+he accepted them. 'Pu, pu, pu, pum, poh,' piped the hare; but this
+time her voice was so small that the bear could hardly hear her. 
+'That is not what I want,' he said, 'I will bid you good morning.'
+
+It was after this that the fox came up, and he also was struck with
+the bear's altered looks, and stopped. 'What is the matter with you,
+godfather?' asked he, 'and where are you going?'
+
+'I am going to find a mourner for my wife,' answered the bear.
+
+'Oh, do choose me,' cried the fox, and the bear looked at him
+thoughtfully.
+
+'Can you howl well?' he said.
+
+'Yes, beautifully, just listen,' and the fox lifted up his voice and
+sang weeping: 'Lou, lou, lou! the famous spinner, the baker of
+good cakes, the prudent housekeeper is torn from her husband! 
+Lou, lou, lou! she is gone! she is gone!'
+
+'Now at last I have found some one who knows the art of
+lamentation,' exclaimed the bear, quite delighted; and he led the fox
+back to his cave, and bade him begin his lament over the dead wife
+who was lying stretched out on her bed of grey moss. But this did
+not suit the fox at all.
+
+'One cannot wail properly in this cave,' he said, 'it is much too
+damp. You had better take the body to the storehouse. It will
+sound much finer there.'  So the bear carried his wife's body to the
+storehouse, while he himself went back to the cave to cook some
+pap for the mourner. From time to time he paused and listened for
+the sound of wailing, but he heard nothing. At last he went to the
+door of the storehouse, and called to the fox:
+
+'Why don't you howl, godfather? What are you about?'
+
+And the fox, who, instead of weeping over the dead bear, had been
+quietly eating her, answered:
+
+'There only remain now her legs and the soles of her feet. Give me
+five minutes more and they will be gone also!'
+
+When the bear heard that he ran back for the kitchen ladle, to give
+the traitor the beating he deserved. But as he opened the door of
+the storehouse, Michael was ready for him, and slipping between
+his legs, dashed straight off into the forest. The bear, seeing that
+the traitor had escaped, flung the ladle after him, and it just caught
+the tip of his tail, and that is how there comes to be a spot of white
+on the tails of all foxes.
+
+[From Finnische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+HOW THE BEGGAR BOY TURNED INTO COUNT PIRO
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man who had only one son, a lazy,
+stupid boy, who would never do anything he was told. When the
+father was dying, he sent for his son and told him that he would
+soon be left alone in the world, with no possessions but the small
+cottage they lived in and a pear tree which grew behind it, and that,
+whether he liked it or not, he would have to work, or else he would
+starve. Then the old man died.
+
+But the boy did not work; instead, he idled about as before,
+contenting himself with eating the pears off his tree, which, unlike
+other pear trees before or since, bore fruit the whole year round. 
+Indeed, the pears were so much finer than any you could get even
+in the autumn, that one day, in the middle of the winter, they
+attracted the notice of a fox who was creeping by.
+
+'Dear me; what lovely pears!' he said to the youth. 'Do give me a
+basket of them. It will bring you luck!'
+
+'Ah, little fox, but if I give you a basketful, what am I to eat?' asked
+the boy.
+
+'Oh, trust me, and do what I tell you,' said the fox; 'I know it will
+bring you luck.'  So the boy got up and picked some of the ripest
+pears and put them into a rush basket. The fox thanked him, and,
+taking the basket in his mouth, trotted off to the king's palace and
+made his way straight to the king.
+
+'Your Majesty, my master sends you a few of his best pears, and
+begs you will graciously accept them,' he said, laying the basket at
+the feet of the king.
+
+'Pears! at this season?' cried the king, peering down to look at them;
+'and, pray, who is your master?'
+
+'The Count Piro,' answered the fox.
+
+'But how does he manage to get pears in midwinter?' asked the
+king.
+
+'Oh, he has everything he wants,' replied the fox; 'he is richer even
+than you are, your Majesty.'
+
+'Then what can I send him in return for his pears?' said the king.
+
+'Nothing, your Majesty, or you would hurt his feelings,' answered
+the fox.
+
+'Well, tell him how heartily I thank him, and how much I shall enjoy
+them.' And the fox went away.
+
+He trotted back to the cottage with his empty basket and told his
+tale, but the youth did not seem as pleased to hear as the fox was to
+tell.
+
+'But, my dear little fox,' said he, ' you have brought me nothing in
+return, and I am so hungry!'
+
+'Let me alone,' replied the fox; 'I know what I am doing. You will
+see, it will bring you luck.'
+
+A few days after this the fox came back again.
+
+'I must have another basket of pears,' said he.
+
+'Ah, little fox, what shall I eat if you take away all my pears?'
+answered the youth.
+
+'Be quiet, it will be all right,' said the fox; and taking a bigger basket
+than before, he filled it quite full of pears. Then he picked it up in
+his mouth, and trotted off to the palace.
+
+'Your Majesty, as you seemed to like the first basket of pears, I
+have brought you some more,' said he, 'with my master, the Count
+Piro's humble respects.'
+
+'Now, surely it is not possible to grow such pears with deep snow
+on the ground?' cried the king.
+
+'Oh, that never affects them,' answered the fox lightly; 'he is rich
+enough to do anything. But to-day he sends me to ask if you will
+give him your daughter in marriage?'
+
+'If he is so much richer than I am,' said the king, 'I shall be obliged
+to refuse. My honour would not permit me to accept his offer.'
+
+'Oh, your Majesty, you must not think that,' replied the fox; 'and do
+not let the question of a dowry trouble you. The Count Piro would
+not dream of asking anything but the hand of the princess.'
+
+'Is he really so rich that he can do without a dowry?' asked the king.
+
+'Did I not tell your Majesty that he was richer than you?' answered
+the fox reproachfully.
+
+'Well, beg him to come here, that we may talk together,' said the
+king.
+
+So the fox went back to the young man and said: 'I have told the
+king that you are Count Piro, and have asked his daughter in
+marriage.'
+
+'Oh, little fox, what have you done?' cried the youth in dismay;
+'when the king sees me he will order my head to be cut off.'
+
+'Oh, no, he won't!' replied the fox; 'just do as I tell you.' And he
+went off to the town, and stopped at the house of the best tailor.
+
+'My master, the Count Piro, begs that you will send him at once the
+finest coat that you have in your shop,' said the fox, putting on his
+grandest air, 'and if it fits him I will call and pay for it to-morrow! 
+Indeed, as he is in a great hurry, perhaps it might be as well if I
+took it round myself.'  The tailor was not accustomed to serve
+counts, and he at once got out all the coats he had ready. The fox
+chose out a beautiful one of white and silver, bade the tailor tie it
+up in a parcel, and carrying the string in his teeth, he left the shop,
+and went to a horse-dealer's, whom he persuaded to send his finest
+horse round to the cottage, saying that the king had bidden his
+master to the palace.
+
+Very unwillingly the young man put on the coat and mounted the
+horse, and rode up to meet the king, with the fox running before
+him.
+
+'What am I to say to his Majesty, little fox?' he asked anxiously;
+'you know that I have never spoken to a king before.'
+
+'Say nothing,' answered the fox, 'but leave the talking to me. "Good
+morning, your Majesty," will be all that is necessary for you.'
+
+By this time they had reached the palace, and the king came to the
+door to receive Count Piro, and led him to the great hall, where a
+feast was spread. The princess was already seated at the table, but
+was as dumb as Count Piro himself.
+
+'The Count speaks very little,' the king said at last to the fox, and
+the fox answered: 'He has so much to think about in the
+management of his property that he cannot afford to talk like
+ordinary people.' The king was quite satisfied, and they finished
+dinner, after which Count Piro and the fox took leave.
+
+The next morning the fox came round again.
+
+'Give me another basket of pears,' he said.
+
+'Very well, little fox; but remember it may cost me my life,'
+answered the youth.
+
+'Oh, leave it to me, and do as I tell you, and you will see that in the
+end it will bring you luck,' answered the fox; and plucking the pears
+he took them up to the king.
+
+'My master, Count Piro, sends you these pears,' he said, 'and asks
+for an answer to his proposal.'
+
+'Tell the count that the wedding can take place whenever he
+pleases,' answered the king, and, filled with pride, the fox trotted
+back to deliver his message.
+
+'But I can't bring the princess here, little fox?' cried the young man
+in dismay.
+
+'You leave everything to me,' answered the fox; ' have I not
+managed well so far?'
+
+And up at the palace preparations were made for a grand wedding,
+and the youth was married to the princess.
+
+After a week of feasting, the fox said to the king: 'My master
+wishes to take his young bride home to his own castle.'
+
+'Very well, I will accompany them,' replied the king; and he ordered
+his courtiers and attendants to get ready, and the best horses in his
+stable to be brought out for himself, Count Piro and the princess. 
+So they all set out, and rode across the plain, the little fox running
+before them.
+
+He stopped at the sight of a great flock of sheep, which was feeding
+peacefully on the rich grass. 'To whom do these sheep belong?'
+asked he of the shepherd. 'To an ogre,' replied the shepherd.
+
+'Hush,' said the fox in a mysterious manner. 'Do you see that crowd
+of armed men riding along? If you were to tell them that those
+sheep belonged to an ogre, they would kill them, and then the ogre
+would kill you!  If they ask, just say the sheep belong to Count
+Piro; it will be better for everybody.'  And the fox ran hastily on, as
+he did not wish to be seen talking to the shepherd.
+
+Very soon the king came up.
+
+'What beautiful sheep!' he said, drawing up his horse. 'I have none
+so fine in my pastures. Whose are they?'
+
+'Count Piro's,' answered the shepherd, who did not know the king.
+
+'Well, he must be a very rich man,' thought the king to himself, and
+rejoiced that he had such a wealthy son-in-law.
+
+Meanwhile the fox had met with a huge herd of pigs, snuffling
+about the roots of some trees.
+
+'To whom do these pigs belong?' he asked of the swineherd.
+
+'To an ogre,' replied he.
+
+'Hush!' whispered the fox, though nobody could hear him; 'do you
+see that troop of armed men riding towards us?  If you tell them
+that the pigs belong to the ogre they will kill them, and then the
+ogre will kill you!  If they ask, just say that the pigs belong to
+Count Piro; it will be better for everybody.'  And he ran hastily on.
+
+Soon after the king rode up.
+
+'What fine pigs!' he said, reining in his horse. 'They are fatter than
+any I have got on my farms. Whose are they?'
+
+'Count Piro's,' answered the swineherd, who did not know the king;
+and again the king felt he was lucky to have such a rich son-in-law.
+
+This time the fox ran faster than before, and in a flowery meadow
+he found a troop of horses feeding. 'Whose horses are these?' he
+asked of the man who was watching them.
+
+'An ogre's,' replied he.
+
+'Hush!' whispered the fox, 'do you see that crowd of armed men
+coming towards us?  If you tell them the horses belong to an ogre
+they will drive them off, and then the ogre will kill you!  If they ask,
+just say they are Count Piro's; it will be better for everybody.'  And
+he ran on again.
+
+In a few minutes the king rode up.
+
+'Oh, what lovely creatures! how I wish they were mine!' he
+exclaimed. 'Whose are they?'
+
+Count Piro's,' answered the man, who did not know the king; and
+the king's heart leapt as he thought that if they belonged to his rich
+son-in-law they were as good as his.
+
+At last the fox came to the castle of the ogre himself. He ran up the
+steps, with tears falling from his eyes, and crying:
+
+'Oh, you poor, poor people, what a sad fate is yours!'
+
+'What has happened?' asked the ogre, trembling with fright.
+
+'Do you see that troop of horsemen who are riding along the road? 
+They are sent by the king to kill you!'
+
+'Oh, dear little fox, help us, we implore you!' cried the ogre and his
+wife.
+
+'Well, I will do what I can,' answered the fox. 'The best place is for
+you both to hide in the big oven, and when the soldiers have gone
+by I will let you out.'
+
+The ogre and ogress scrambled into the oven as quick as thought,
+and the fox banged the door on them; just as he did so the king
+came up.
+
+'Do us the honour to dismount, your Majesty,' said the fox, bowing
+low. 'This is the palace of Count Piro!'
+
+'Why it is more splendid than my own!' exclaimed the king, looking
+round on all the beautiful things that filled the hall. But why are
+there no servants?'
+
+'His Excellency the Count Piro wished the princess to choose them
+for herself,' answered the fox, and the king nodded his approval. 
+He then rode on, leaving the bridal pair in the castle. But when it
+was dark and all was still, the fox crept downstairs and lit the
+kitchen fire, and the ogre and his wife were burned to death. The
+next morning the fox said to Count Piro:
+
+'Now that you are rich and happy, you have no more need of me;
+but, before I go, there is one thing I must ask of you in return:
+when I die, promise me that you will give me a magnificent coffin,
+and bury me with due honours.'
+
+'Oh, little, little fox, don't talk of dying,' cried the princess, nearly
+weeping, for she had taken a great liking to the fox.
+
+After some time the fox thought he would see if the Count Piro was
+really grateful to him for all he had done, and went back to the
+castle, where he lay down on the door-step, and pretended to be
+dead. The princess was just going out for a walk, and directly she
+saw him lying there, she burst into tears and fell on her knees beside
+him.
+
+'My dear little fox, you are not dead,' she wailed; 'you poor, poor
+little creature, you shall have the finest coffin in the world!'
+
+'A coffin for an animal?' said Count Piro. 'What nonsense! just take
+him by the leg and throw him into the ditch.'
+
+Then the fox sprang up and cried: 'You wretched, thankless beggar;
+have you forgotten that you owe all your riches to me?'
+
+Count Piro was frightened when he heard these words, as he
+thought that perhaps the fox might have power to take away the
+castle, and leave him as poor as when he had nothing to eat but the
+pears off his tree. So he tried to soften the fox's anger, saying that
+he had only spoken in joke, as he had known quite well that he was
+not really dead. For the sake of the princess, the fox let himself be
+softened, and he lived in the castle for many years, and played with
+Count Piro's children. And when he actually did die, his coffin was
+made of silver, and Count Piro and his wife followed him to the
+grave.
+
+[From Sicilianische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Rogue And The Herdsman
+
+In a tiny cottage near the king's palace there once lived an old man,
+his wife, and his son, a very lazy fellow, who would never do a
+stroke of work. He could not be got even to look after their one
+cow, but left her to look after herself, while he lay on a bank and
+went to sleep in the sun. For a long time his father bore with him,
+hoping that as he grew older he might gain more sense; but at last
+the old man's patience was worn out, and he told his son that he
+should not stay at house in idleness, and must go out into the world
+to seek his fortune.
+
+The young man saw that there was no help for it, and he set out
+with a wallet full of food over his shoulder. At length he came to a
+large house, at the door of which he knocked.
+
+'What do you want?' asked the old man who opened it. And the
+youth told him how his father had turned him out of his house
+because he was so lazy and stupid, and he needed shelter for the
+night.
+
+'That you shall have,' replied the man; 'but to-morrow I shall give
+you some work to do, for you must know that I am the chief
+herdsman of the king.'
+
+The youth made no answer to this. He felt, if he was to be made to
+work after all, that he might as well have stayed where he was. But
+as he did not see any other way of getting a bed, he went slowly in.
+
+The herdsman's two daughters and their mother were sitting at
+supper, and invited him to join them. Nothing more was said about
+work, and when the meal was over they all went to bed.
+
+In the morning, when the young man was dressed, the herdsman
+called to him and said:
+
+'Now listen, and I will tell you what you have to do.'
+
+'What is it?' asked the youth, sulkily.
+
+'Nothing less than to look after two hundred pigs,' was the reply.
+
+'Oh, I am used to that,' answered the youth.
+
+'Yes; but this time you will have to do it properly,' said the
+herdsman; and he took the youth to the place where the pigs were
+feeding, and told him to drive them to the woods on the side of the
+mountain. This the young man did, but as soon as they reached the
+outskirts of the mountain they grew quite wild, and would have run
+away altogether, had they not luckily gone towards a narrow
+ravine, from which the youth easily drove them home to his father's
+cottage.
+
+'Where do all these pigs come from, and how did you get them?'
+asked the old man in surprise, when his son knocked at the door of
+the hut he had left only the day before.
+
+'They belong to the king's chief herdsman,' answered his son. 'He
+gave them to me to look after, but I knew I could not do it, so I
+drove them straight to you. Now make the best of your good
+fortune, and kill them and hang them up at once.'
+
+'What are you talking about?' cried the father, pale with horror. 
+'We should certainly both be put to death if I did any such thing.'
+
+'No, no; do as I tell you, and I will get out of it somehow,' replied
+the young man. And in the end he had his way. The pigs were
+killed, and laid side by side in a row. Then he cut off the tails and
+tied them together with a piece of cord, and swinging the bundle
+over his back, he returned to the place where they should have been
+feeding. Here there was a small swamp, which was just what he
+wanted, and finding a large stone, he fastened the rope to it, and
+sank it in the swamp, after which he arranged the tails carefully one
+by one, so that only their points were seen sticking out of the water. 
+When everything was in order, he hastened home to his master with
+such a sorrowful face that the herdsman saw at once that something
+dreadful had happened.
+
+'Where are the pigs?' asked he.
+
+'Oh, don't speak of them!' answered the young man; 'I really can
+hardly tell you. The moment they got into the field they became
+quite mad, and each ran in a different direction. I ran too, hither
+and thither, but as fast as I caught one, another was off, till I was in
+despair. At last, however, I collected them all and was about to
+drive them back, when suddenly they rushed down the hill into the
+swamp, where they vanished completely, leaving only the points of
+their tails, which you can see for yourself.'
+
+'You have made up that story very well,' replied the herdsman.
+
+'No, it is the real truth; come with me and I'll prove it.' And they
+went together to the spot, and there sure enough were the points of
+the tails sticking up out of the water. The herdsman laid hold of the
+nearest, and pulled at it with all his might, but it was no use, for the
+stone and the rope held them all fast. He called to the young man
+to help him, but the two did not succeed any better than the one
+had done.
+
+'Yes, your story was true after all; it is a wonderful thing,' said the
+herdsman. 'But I see it is no fault of yours. and I must put up with
+my loss as well as I can. Now let us return home, for it is time for
+supper.
+
+Next morning the herdsman said to the young man: 'I have got
+some other work for you to do. To-day you must take a hundred
+sheep to graze; but be careful that no harm befalls them.'
+
+'I will do my best,' replied the youth. And he opened the gate of
+the fold, where the sheep had been all night, and drove them out
+into the meadow. But in a short time they grew as wild as the pigs
+had done, and scattered in all directions. The young man could not
+collect them, try as he would, and he thought to himself that this
+was the punishment for his laziness in refusing to look after his
+father's one cow.
+
+At last, however, the sheep seemed tired of running about, and then
+the youth managed to gather them together, and drove them, as
+before, straight to his father's house.
+
+'Whose sheep are these, and what are they doing here?' asked the
+old man in wonder, and his son told him. But when the tale was
+ended the father shook his head.
+
+'Give up these bad ways and take them back to your master,' said
+he.
+
+'No, no,' answered the youth; 'I am not so stupid as that!  We will
+kill them and have them for dinner.'
+
+'You will lose your life if you do,' replied the father.
+
+'Oh, I am not sure of that!' said the son, 'and, anyway, I will have
+my will for once.'  And he killed all the sheep and laid them on the
+grass. But he cut off the head of the ram which always led the
+flock and had bells round its horns. This he took back to the place
+where they should have been feeding, for here he had noticed a high
+rock, with a patch of green grass in the middle and two or three
+thick bushes growing on the edge. Up this rock he climbed with
+great difficulty, and fastened the ram's head to the bushes with a
+cord, leaving only the tips of the horns with the bells visible. As
+there was a soft breeze blowing, the bushes to which the head was
+tied moved gently, and the bells rang. When all was done to his
+liking he hastened quickly back to his master.
+
+'Where are the sheep?' asked the herdsman as the young man ran
+panting up the steps.
+
+'Oh! don't speak of them,' answered he. 'It is only by a miracle that
+I am here myself.'
+
+'Tell me at once what has happened,' said the herdsman sternly.
+
+The youth began to sob, and stammered out: 'I--I hardly know how
+to tell you! They--they--they were so--so troublesome--that I could
+not manage them at all. They--ran about in--in all directions, and I-
+-I--ran after them and nearly died of fatigue. Then I heard a--a
+noise, which I--I thought was the wind. But--but--it was the sheep,
+which, be--before my very eyes, were carried straight up--up into
+the air. I stood watching them as if I was turned to stone, but there
+kept ringing in my ears the sound of the bells on the ram which led
+them.'
+
+'That is nothing but a lie from beginning to end,' said the herdsman.
+
+'No, it is as true as that there is a sun in heaven,' answered the
+young man.
+
+'Then give me a proof of it,' cried his master.
+
+'Well, come with me,' said the youth. By this time it was evening
+and the dusk was falling. The young man brought the herdsman to
+the foot of the great rock, but it was so dark you could hardly see. 
+Still the sound of sheep bells rang softly from above, and the
+herdsman knew them to be those he had hung on the horns of his
+ram.
+
+'Do you hear?' asked the youth.
+
+'Yes, I hear; you have spoken the truth, and I cannot blame you for
+what has happened. I must bear the loss as best as I can.'
+
+He turned and went home, followed by the young man, who felt
+highly pleased with his own cleverness.
+
+'I should not be surprised if the tasks I set you were too difficult,
+and that you were tired of them,' said the herdsman next morning;
+'but to-day I have something quite easy for you to do. You must
+look after forty oxen, and be sure you are very careful, for one of
+them has gold-tipped horns and hoofs, and the king reckons it
+among his greatest treasures.'
+
+The young man drove out the oxen into the meadow, and no sooner
+had they got there than, like the sheep and the pigs, they began to
+scamper in all directions, the precious bull being the wildest of all. 
+As the youth stood watching them, not knowing what to do next, it
+came into his head that his father's cow was put out to grass at no
+great distance; and he forthwith made such a noise that he quite
+frightened the oxen, who were easily persuaded to take the path he
+wished. When they heard the cow lowing they galloped all the
+faster, and soon they all arrived at his father's house.
+
+The old man was standing before the door of his hut when the great
+herd of animals dashed round a corner of the road, with his son and
+his own cow at their head.
+
+'Whose cattle are these, and why are they here?' he asked; and his
+son told him the story.
+
+'Take them back to your master as soon as you can,' said the old
+man; but the son only laughed, and said:
+
+'No, no; they are a present to you! They will make you fat!'
+
+For a long while the old man refused to have anything to do with
+such a wicked scheme; but his son talked him over in the end, and
+they killed the oxen as they had killed the sheep and the pigs. Last
+of all they came to the king's cherished ox.
+
+The son had a rope ready to cast round its horns, and throw it to
+the ground, but the ox was stronger than the rope, and soon tore it
+in pieces. Then it dashed away to the wood, the youth following;
+over hedges and ditches they both went, till they reached the rocky
+pass which bordered the herdsman's land. Here the ox, thinking
+itself safe, stopped to rest, and thus gave the young man a chance
+to come up with it. Not knowing how to catch it, he collected all
+the wood he could find and made a circle of fire round the ox, who
+by this time had fallen asleep, and did not wake till the fire had
+caught its head, and it was too late for it to escape. Then the young
+man, who had been watching, ran home to his master.
+
+'You have been away a long while,' said the herdsman. 'Where are
+the cattle?'
+
+The young man gasped, and seemed as if he was unable to speak. 
+At last he answered:
+
+'It is always the same story! The oxen are--gone--gone!'
+
+'G-g-gone?' cried the herdsman. 'Scoundrel, you lie!'
+
+'I am telling you the exact truth,' answered the young man. 
+'Directly we came to the meadow they grew so wild that I could not
+keep them together. Then the big ox broke away, and the others
+followed till they all disappeared down a deep hole into the earth. 
+It seemed to me that I heard sounds of bellowing, and I thought I
+recognised the voice of the golden horned ox; but when I got to the
+place from which the sounds had come, I could neither see nor hear
+anything in the hole itself, though there were traces of a fire all
+round it.'
+
+'Wretch!' cried the herdsman, when he had heard this story, 'even if
+you did not lie before, you are lying now.'
+
+'No, master, I am speaking the truth. Come and see for yourself.'
+
+'If I find you have deceived me, you are a dead man, said the
+herdsman; and they went out together.
+
+'What do you call that?' asked the youth. And the herdsman looked
+and saw the traces of a fire, which seemed to have sprung up from
+under the earth.
+
+'Wonder upon wonder,' he exclaimed, 'so you really did speak the
+truth after all!  Well, I cannot reproach you, though I shall have to
+pay heavily to my royal master for the value of that ox. But come,
+let us go home!  I will never set you to herd cattle again,
+henceforward I will give you something easier to do.'
+
+'I have thought of exactly the thing for you,' said the herdsman as
+they walked along, ' and it is so simple that you cannot make a
+mistake. Just make me ten scythes, one for every man, for I want
+the grass mown in one of my meadows to-morrow.'
+
+At these words the youth's heart sank, for he had never been trained
+either as a smith or a joiner. However, he dared not say no, but
+smiled and nodded.
+
+Slowly and sadly he went to bed, but he could not sleep, for
+wondering how the scythes were to be made. All the skill and
+cunning he had shown before was of no use to him now, and after
+thinking about the scythes for many hours, there seemed only one
+way open to him. So, listening to make sure that all was still, he
+stole away to his parents, and told them the whole story. When
+they had heard everything, they hid him where no one could find
+him.
+
+Time passed away, and the young man stayed at home doing all his
+parents bade him, and showing himself very different from what he
+had been before he went out to see the world; but one day he said
+to his father that he should like to marry, and have a house of his
+own.
+
+'When I served the king's chief herdsman,' added he, 'I saw his
+daughter, and I am resolved to try if I cannot win her for my wife.'
+
+'It will cost you your life, if you do,' answered the father, shaking
+his head.
+
+'Well, I will do my best,' replied his son; 'but first give me the sword
+which hangs over your bed!'
+
+The old man did not understand what good the sword would do,
+however he took it down, and the young man went his way.
+
+Late in the evening he arrived at the house of the herdsman, and
+knocked at the door, which was opened by a little boy.
+
+'I want to speak to your master,' said he.
+
+'So it is you?' cried the herdsman, when he had received the
+message. 'Well, you can sleep here to-night if you wish.'
+
+'I have come for something else besides a bed,' replied the young
+man, drawing his sword, 'and if you do not promise to give me your
+youngest daughter as my wife I will stab you through the heart.'
+
+What could the poor man do but promise? And he fetched his
+youngest daughter, who seemed quite pleased at the proposed
+match, and gave the youth her hand.
+
+Then the young man went home to his parents, and bade them get
+ready to welcome his bride. And when the wedding was over he
+told his father-in-law, the herdsman, what he had done with the
+sheep, and pigs, and cattle. By-and-by the story came to the king's
+ears, and he thought that a man who was so clever was just the man
+to govern the country; so he made him his minister, and after the
+king himself there was no one so great as he.
+
+[From Islandische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+Eisenkopf
+
+Once upon a time there lived an old man who had only one son,
+whom he loved dearly; but they were very poor, and often had
+scarcely enough to eat. Then the old man fell ill, and things grew
+worse than ever, so he called his son and said to him:
+
+'My dear boy, I have no longer any food to give you, and you must
+go into the world and get it for yourself. It does not matter what
+work you do, but remember if you do it well and are faithful to
+your master, you will always have your reward.'
+
+So Peter put a piece of black bread in his knapsack, and strapping it
+on his back, took a stout stick in his hand, and set out to seek his
+fortune. For a long while he travelled on and on, and nobody
+seemed to want him; but one day he met an old man, and being a
+polite youth, he took off his hat and said: 'Good morning,' in a
+pleasant voice. 'Good morning,' answered the old man; 'and where
+are you going?'
+
+'I am wandering through the country trying to get work,' replied
+Peter.
+
+'Then stay with me, for I can give you plenty,' said the old man, and
+Peter stayed.
+
+His work did not seem hard, for he had only two horses and a cow
+to see after, and though he had been hired for a year, the year
+consisted of but three days, so that it was not long before he
+received his wages. In payment the old man gave him a nut, and
+offered to keep him for another year; but Peter was home-sick; and,
+besides, he would rather have been paid ever so small a piece of
+money than a nut; for, thought he, nuts grow on every tree, and I
+can gather as many as I like. However, he did not say this to the
+old man, who had been kind to him, but just bade him farewell.
+
+The nearer Peter drew to his father's house the more ashamed he
+felt at having brought back such poor wages. What could one nut
+do for him? Why, it would not buy even a slice of bacon. It was no
+use taking it home, he might as well eat it. So he sat down on a
+stone and cracked it with his teeth, and then took it out of his
+mouth to break off the shell. But who could ever guess what came
+out of that nut? Why, horses and oxen and sheep stepped out in
+such numbers that they seemed as if they would stretch to the
+world's end! The sight gave Peter such a shock that he wrung his
+hands in dismay. What was he to do with all these creatures, where
+was he to put them? He stood and gazed in terror, and at this
+moment Eisenkopf came by.
+
+'What is the matter, young man?' asked he.
+
+'Oh, my friend, there is plenty the matter,' answered Peter. 'I have
+gained a nut as my wages, and when I cracked it this crowd of
+beasts came out, and I don't know what to do with them all!'
+
+'Listen to me, my son,' said Eisenkopf. 'If you will promise never
+to marry I will drive them all back into the nut again.'
+
+In his trouble Peter would have promised far harder things than
+this, so he gladly gave the promise Eisenkopf asked for; and at a
+whistle from the stranger the animals all began crowding into the
+nut again, nearly tumbling over each other in their haste. When the
+last foot had got inside, the two halves of the shell shut close. Then
+Peter put it in his pocket and went on to the house.
+
+No sooner had he reached it than he cracked his nut for the second
+time, and out came the horses, sheep, and oxen again. Indeed Peter
+thought that there were even more of them than before. The old
+man could not believe his eyes when he saw the multitudes of
+horses, oxen and sheep standing before his door.
+
+'How did you come by all these?' he gasped, as soon as he could
+speak; and the son told him the whole story, and of the promise he
+had given Eisenkopf.
+
+The next day some of the cattle were driven to market and sold,
+and with the money the old man was able to buy some of the fields
+and gardens round his house, and in a few months had grown the
+richest and most prosperous man in the whole village. Everything
+seemed to turn to gold in his hands, till one day, when he and his
+son were sitting in the orchard watching their herds of cattle
+grazing in the meadows, he suddenly said: ' Peter, my boy, it is time
+that you were thinking of marrying.'
+
+'But, my dear father, I told you I can never marry, because of the
+promise I gave to Eisenkopf.'
+
+'Oh, one promises here and promises there, but no one ever thinks
+of keeping such promises. If Eisenkopf does not like your
+marrying, he will have to put up with it all the same! Besides, there
+stands in the stable a grey horse which is saddled night and day; and
+if Eisenkopf should show his face, you have only got to jump on the
+horse's back and ride away, and nobody on earth can catch you. 
+When all is safe you will come back again, and we shall live as
+happily as two fish in the sea.'
+
+And so it all happened. The young man found a pretty,
+brown-skinned girl who was willing to have him for a husband, and
+the whole village came to the wedding feast. The music was at its
+gayest, and the dance at its merriest, when Eisenkopf looked in at
+the window.
+
+'Oh, ho, my brother! what is going on here? It has the air of being a
+wedding feast. Yet I fancied--was I mistaken?--that you had given
+me a promise that you never would marry.'  But Peter had not
+waited for the end of this speech. Scarcely had he seen Eisenkopf
+than he darted like the wind to the stable and flung himself on the
+horse's back. In another moment he was away over the mountain,
+with Eisenkopf running fast behind him.
+
+On they went through thick forests where the sun never shone, over
+rivers so wide that it took a whole day to sail across them, up hills
+whose sides were all of glass; on they went through seven times
+seven countries till Peter reined in his horse before the house of an
+old woman.
+
+'Good day, mother,' said he, jumping down and opening the door.
+
+'Good day, my son,' answered she, 'and what are you doing here, at
+the world's end?'
+
+'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world which is beyond
+all worlds; for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'
+
+'Come in and rest then, and have some food, for I have a little dog
+who will begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off.'
+
+So Peter went in and warmed himself and ate and drank, till
+suddenly the dog began to howl.
+
+'Quick, my son, quick, you must go,' cried the old woman. And the
+lightning itself was not quicker than Peter.
+
+'Stop a moment,' cried the old woman again, just as he was
+mounting his horse, 'take this napkin and this cake, and put them in
+your bag where you can get hold of them easily.' Peter took them
+and put them into his bag, and waving his thanks for her kindness,
+he was off like the wind.
+
+Round and round he rode, through seven times seven countries,
+through forests still thicker, and rivers still wider, and mountains
+still more slippery than the others he had passed, till at length he
+reached a house where dwelt another old woman.
+
+'Good day, mother,' said he.
+
+'Good day, my son! What are you seeking here at the world's end?'
+
+'I am flying for my life, mother, flying to the world that is beyond all
+worlds, for Eisenkopf is at my heels.'
+
+'Come in, my son, and have some food. I have a little dog who will
+begin to howl when Eisenkopf is still seven miles off; so lie on this
+bed and rest yourself in peace.'
+
+Then she went to the kitchen and baked a number of cakes, more
+than Peter could have eaten in a whole month. He had not finished
+a quarter of them, when the dog began to howl.
+
+'Now, my son, you must go,' cried the old woman 'but first put
+these cakes and this napkin in your bag, where you can easily get at
+them.'  So Peter thanked her and was off like the wind.
+
+On he rode, through seven times seven countries, till he came to the
+house of a third old woman, who welcomed him as the others had
+done. But when the dog howled, and Peter sprang up to go, she
+said, as she gave him the same gifts for his journey: 'You have now
+three cakes and three napkins, for I know that my sisters have each
+given you one. Listen to me, and do what I tell you. Ride seven
+days and nights straight before you, and on the eighth morning you
+will see a great fire. Strike it three times with the three napkins and
+it will part in two. Then ride into the opening, and when you are in
+the middle of the opening, throw the three cakes behind your back
+with your left hand.'
+
+Peter thanked her for her counsel, and was careful to do exactly all
+the old woman had told him. On the eighth morning he reached a
+fire so large that he could see nothing else on either side, but when
+he struck it with the napkins it parted, and stood on each hand like
+a wall. As he rode through the opening he threw the cakes behind
+him. From each cake there sprang a huge dog, and he gave them
+the names of World's-weight, Ironstrong, and Quick-ear. They
+bayed with joy at the sight of him, and as Peter turned to pat them,
+he beheld Eisenkopf at the edge of the fire, but the opening had
+closed up behind Peter, and he could not get through.
+
+'Stop, you promise-breaker,' shrieked he; 'you have slipped
+through my hands once, but wait till I catch you again!'
+
+Then he lay down by the fire and watched to see what would
+happen.
+
+When Peter knew that he had nothing more to fear from Eisenkopf,
+he rode on slowly till he came to a small white house. Here he
+entered and found himself in a room where a gray-haired woman
+was spinning and a beautiful girl was sitting in the window combing
+her golden hair.
+'What brings you here, my son?' asked the old woman.
+
+'I am seeking for a place, mother,' answered Peter.
+
+'Stay with me, then, for I need a servant,' said the old woman.
+
+'With pleasure, mother,' replied he.
+
+After that Peter's life was a very happy one. He sowed and
+ploughed all day, except now and then when he took his dogs and
+went to hunt. And whatever game he brought back the maiden
+with the golden hair knew how to dress it.
+
+One day the old woman had gone to the town to buy some flour,
+and Peter and the maiden were left alone in the house. They fell
+into talk, and she asked him where his home was, and how he had
+managed to come through the fire. Peter then told her the whole
+story, and of his striking the flames with the three napkins as he had
+been told to do. The maiden listened attentively and wondered in
+herself whether what he said was true. So after Peter had gone out
+to the fields, she crept up to his room and stole the napkins and
+then set off as fast as she could to the fire by a path she knew of
+over the hill.
+
+At the third blow she gave the flames divided, and Eisenkopf, who
+had been watching and hoping for a chance of this kind, ran down
+the opening and stood before her. At this sight the maiden was
+almost frightened to death, but with a great effort she recovered
+herself and ran home as fast as her legs would carry her, closely
+pursued by Eisenkopf. Panting for breath she rushed into the house
+and fell fainting on the floor; but Eisenkopf entered behind her, and
+hid himself in the kitchen under the hearth.
+
+Not long after, Peter came in and picked up the three napkins which
+the maiden had dropped on the threshold. He wondered how they
+got there, for he knew he had left them in his room; but what was
+his horror when he saw the form of the fainting girl lying where she
+had dropped, as still and white as if she had been dead. He lifted
+her up and carried her to her bed, where she soon revived, but she
+did not tell Peter about Eisenkopf, who had been almost crushed to
+death under the hearth-stone by the body of World's-weight.
+
+The next morning Peter locked up his dogs and went out into the
+forest alone. Eisenkopf, however, had seen him go, and followed
+so closely at his heels that Peter had barely time to clamber up a tall
+tree, where Eisenkopf could not reach him. 'Come down at once,
+you gallows bird,' he cried. 'Have you forgotten your promise that
+you never would marry?'
+
+'Oh, I know it is all up with me,' answered Peter, 'but let me call
+out three times.'
+
+'You can call a hundred times if you like,' returned Eisenkopf, 'for
+now I have got you in my power, and you shall pay for what you
+have done.'
+
+'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried
+Peter; and Quick-ear heard, and said to his brothers: 'Listen, our
+master is calling us.'
+
+'You are dreaming, fool,' answered World's-weight; 'why he has not
+finished his breakfast.' And he gave Quick-ear a slap with his paw,
+for he was young and needed to be taught sense.
+
+'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help!' cried Peter
+again.
+
+This time World's-weight heard also, and he said, 'Ah, now our
+master is really calling.'
+
+'How silly you are!' answered Iron-strong; 'you know that at this
+hour he is always eating.' And he gave World's-weight a cuff,
+because he was old enough to know better.
+
+Peter sat trembling on the tree dreading lest his dogs had never
+heard, or else that, having heard, they had refused to come. It was
+his last chance, so making a mighty effort he shrieked once more:
+
+'Iron-strong, World's-weight, Quick-ear, fly to my help, or I am a
+dead man!'
+
+And Iron-strong heard, and said: 'Yes, he is certainly calling, we
+must go at once.' And in an instant he had burst open the door, and
+all three were bounding away in the direction of the voice. When
+they reached the foot of the tree Peter just said: 'At him!'  And in a
+few minutes there was nothing left of Eisenkopf.
+
+As soon as his enemy was dead Peter got down and returned to the
+house, where he bade farewell to the old woman and her daughter,
+who gave him a beautiful ring, all set with diamonds. It was really a
+magic ring, but neither Peter nor the maiden knew that.
+
+Peter's heart was heavy as he set out for home. He had ceased to
+love the wife whom he had left at his wedding feast, and his heart
+had gone out to the golden-haired girl. However, it was no use
+thinking of that, so he rode forward steadily.
+
+The fire had to be passed through before he had gone very far, and
+when he came to it, Peter shook the napkins three times in the
+flames and a passage opened for trim. But then a curious thing
+happened; the three dogs, who had followed at his heels all the way,
+now became three cakes again, which Peter put into his bag with
+the napkins. After that he stopped at the houses of the three old
+women, and gave each one back her napkin and her cake.
+
+'Where is my wife?' asked Peter, when he reached home.
+
+'Oh, my dear son, why did you ever leave us? After you had
+vanished, no one knew where, your poor wife grew more and more
+wretched, and would neither eat nor drink. Little by little she faded
+away, and a month ago we laid her in her grave, to hide her
+sorrows under the earth.'
+
+At this news Peter began to weep, for he had loved his wife before
+he went away and had seen the golden-haired maiden.
+
+He went sorrowfully about his work for the space of half a year,
+when, one night, he dreamed that he moved the diamond ring given
+him by the maiden from his right hand and put it on the wedding
+finger of the left. The dream was so real that he awoke at once and
+changed the ring from one hand to the other. And as he did so
+guess what he saw? Why, the golden-haired girl standing before
+him. And he sprang up and kissed her, and said: 'Now you are mine
+for ever and ever, and when we die we will both be buried in one
+grave.'
+
+And so they were.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Death Of Abu Nowas And Of His Wife
+
+Once upon a time there lived a man whose name was Abu Nowas,
+and he was a great favourite with the Sultan of the country, who
+had a palace in the same town where Abu Nowas dwelt.
+
+One day Abu Nowas came weeping into the hall of the palace
+where the Sultan was sitting, and said to him: 'Oh, mighty Sultan,
+my wife is dead.'
+
+'That is bad news,' replied the Sultan; 'I must get you another wife.' 
+And he bade his Grand Vizir send for the Sultana.
+
+'This poor Abu Nowas has lost his wife,' said he, when she entered
+the hall.
+
+'Oh, then we must get him another,' answered the Sultana; 'I have a
+girl that will suit him exactly,' and clapped her hands loudly. At this
+signal a maiden appeared and stood before her.
+
+'I have got a husband for you,' said the Sultana.
+
+'Who is he?' asked the girl.
+
+'Abu Nowas, the jester,' replied the Sultana.
+
+'I will take him,' answered the maiden; and as Abu Nowas made no
+objection, it was all arranged. The Sultana had the most beautiful
+clothes made for the bride, and the Sultan gave the bridegroom his
+wedding suit, and a thousand gold pieces into the bargain, and soft
+carpets for the house.
+
+So Abu Nowas took his wife home, and for some time they were
+very happy, and spent the money freely which the Sultan had given
+them, never thinking what they should do for more when that was
+gone. But come to an end it did, and they had to sell their fine
+things one by one, till at length nothing was left but a cloak apiece,
+and one blanket to cover them. 'We have run through our fortune,'
+said Abu Nowas, 'what are we to do now?  I am afraid to go back
+to the Sultan, for he will command his servants to turn me from the
+door. But you shall return to your mistress, and throw yourself at
+her feet and weep, and perhaps she will help us.'
+
+'Oh, you had much better go,' said the wife. 'I shall not know what
+to say.'
+
+'Well, then, stay at home, if you like,' answered Abu Nowas, 'and I
+will ask to be admitted to the Sultan's presence, and will tell him,
+with sobs, that my wife is dead, and that I have no money for her
+burial. When he hears that perhaps he will give us something.'
+
+'Yes, that is a good plan,' said the wife; and Abu Nowas set out.
+
+The Sultan was sitting in the hall of justice when Abu Nowas
+entered, his eyes streaming with tears, for he had rubbed some
+pepper into them. They smarted dreadfully, and he could hardly see
+to walk straight, and everyone wondered what was the matter with
+him.
+
+'Abu Nowas! What has happened?' cried the Sultan.
+
+'Oh, noble Sultan, my wife is dead,' wept he.
+
+'We must all die,' answered the Sultan; but this was not the reply
+for which Abu Nowas had hoped.
+
+'True, O Sultan, but I have neither shroud to wrap her in, nor
+money to bury her with,' went on Abu Nowas, in no wise abashed
+by the way the Sultan had received his news.
+
+'Well, give him a hundred pieces of gold,' said the Sultan, turning to
+the Grand Vizir. And when the money was counted out Abu
+Nowas bowed low, and left the hall, his tears still flowing, but with
+joy in his heart.
+
+'Have you got anything?' cried his wife, who was waiting for him
+anxiously.
+
+'Yes, a hundred gold pieces,' said he, throwing down the bag, 'but
+that will not last us any time. Now you must go to the Sultana,
+clothed in sackcloth and robes of mourning, and tell her that your
+husband, Abu Nowas, is dead, and you have no money for his
+burial. When she hears that, she will be sure to ask you what has
+become of the money and the fine clothes she gave us on our
+marriage, and you will answer, "before he died he sold everything."'
+
+The wife did as she was told, and wrapping herself in sackcloth
+went up to the Sultana's own palace, and as she was known to have
+been one of Subida's favourite attendants, she was taken without
+difficulty into the private apartments.
+
+'What is the matter?' inquired the Sultana, at the sight of the dismal
+figure.
+
+'My husband lies dead at home, and he has spent all our money, and
+sold everything, and I have nothing left to bury him with,' sobbed
+the wife.
+
+Then Subida took up a purse containing two hundred gold pieces,
+and said: 'Your husband served us long and faithfully. You must
+see that he has a fine funeral.'
+
+The wife took the money, and, kissing the feet of the Sultana, she
+joyfully hastened home. They spent some happy hours planning
+how they should spend it, and thinking how clever they had been. 
+'When the Sultan goes this evening to Subida's palace,' said Abu
+Nowas, 'she will be sure to tell him that Abu Nowas is dead. "Not
+Abu Nowas, it is his wife," he will reply, and they will quarrel over
+it, and all the time we shall be sitting here enjoying ourselves. Oh,
+if they only knew, how angry they would be!'
+
+As Abu Nowas had foreseen, the Sultan went, in the evening after
+his business was over, to pay his usual visit to the Sultana.
+
+ 
+'Poor Abu Nowas is dead!' said Subida when he entered the room.
+
+'It is not Abu Nowas, but his wife who is dead,' answered the
+Sultan.
+
+'No; really you are quite wrong. She came to tell me herself only a
+couple of hours ago,' replied Subida, 'and as he had spent all their
+money, I gave her something to bury him with.'
+
+'You must be dreaming,' exclaimed the Sultan. 'Soon after midday
+Abu Nowas came into the hall, his eyes streaming with tears, and
+when I asked him the reason he answered that his wife was dead,
+and they had sold everything they had, and he had nothing left, not
+so much as would buy her a shroud, far less for her burial.'
+
+For a long time they talked, and neither would listen to the other,
+till the Sultan sent for the door-keeper and bade him go instantly to
+the house of Abu Nowas and see if it was the man or his wife who
+was dead. But Abu Nowas happened to be sitting with his wife
+behind the latticed window, which looked on the street, and he saw
+the man coming, and sprang up at once. 'There is the Sultan's
+door-keeper! They have sent him here to find out the truth. Quick!
+throw yourself on the bed and pretend that you are dead.'  And in a
+moment the wife was stretched out stiffly, with a linen sheet spread
+across her, like a corpse.
+
+She was only just in time, for the sheet was hardly drawn across her
+when the door opened and the porter came in. 'Has anything
+happened?' asked he.
+
+'My poor wife is dead,' replied Abu Nowas. 'Look! she is laid out
+here.' And the porter approached the bed, which was in a corner of
+the room, and saw the stiff form lying underneath.
+
+'We must all die,' said he, and went back to the Sultan.
+
+'Well, have you found out which of them is dead?' asked the Sultan.
+
+'Yes, noble Sultan; it is the wife,' replied the porter.
+
+'He only says that to please you,' cried Subida in a rage; and calling
+to her chamberlain, she ordered him to go at once to the dwelling of
+Abu Nowas and see which of the two was dead. 'And be sure you
+tell the truth about it,' added she, 'or it will be the worse for you.'
+
+As her chamberlain drew near the house, Abu Nowas caught sight
+of him. 'There is the Sultana's chamberlain,' he exclaimed in a
+fright. 'Now it is my turn to die. Be quick and spread the sheet
+over me.' And he laid himself on the bed, and held his breath when
+the chamberlain came in. 'What are you weeping for?' asked the
+man, finding the wife in tears.
+
+'My husband is dead,' answered she, pointing to the bed; and the
+chamberlain drew back the sheet and beheld Abu Nowas lying stiff
+and motionless. Then he gently replaced the sheet and returned to
+the palace.
+
+'Well, have you found out this time?' asked the Sultan.
+
+'My lord, it is the husband who is dead.'
+
+'But I tell you he was with me only a few hours ago,' cried the
+Sultan angrily. 'I must get to the bottom of this before I sleep! Let
+my golden coach be brought round at once.'
+
+The coach was before the door in another five minutes, and the
+Sultan and Sultana both got in. Abu Nowas had ceased being a
+dead man, and was looking into the street when he saw the coach
+coming. 'Quick! quick!' he called to his wife. 'The Sultan will be
+here directly, and we must both be dead to receive him.' So they
+laid themselves down, and spread the sheet over them, and held
+their breath. At that instant the Sultan entered, followed by the
+Sultana and the chamberlain, and he went up to the bed and found
+the corpses stiff and motionless. 'I would give a thousand gold
+pieces to anyone who would tell me the truth about this,' cried he,
+and  at the words Abu Nowas sat up. 'Give them to me, then,' said
+he, holding out his hand. 'You cannot give them to anyone who
+needs them more.'
+
+'Oh, Abu Nowas, you impudent dog!' exclaimed the Sultan,
+bursting into a laugh, in which the Sultana joined. 'I might have
+known it was one of your tricks!' But he sent Abu Nowas the gold
+he had promised, and let us hope that it did not fly so fast as the last
+had done.
+
+[From Tunische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+Motiratika
+
+Once upon a time, in a very hot country, a man lived with his wife
+in a little hut, which was surrounded by grass and flowers. They
+were perfectly happy together till, by-and-by, the woman fell ill and
+refused to take any food. The husband tried to persuade her to eat
+all sorts of delicious fruits that he had found in the forest, but she
+would have none of them, and grew so thin he feared she would
+die. 'Is there nothing you would like?' he said at last in despair.
+
+'Yes, I think I could eat some wild honey,' answered she. The
+husband was overjoyed, for he thought this sounded easy enough to
+get, and he went off at once in search of it.
+
+He came back with a wooden pan quite full, and gave it to his wife. 
+'I can't eat that,' she said, turning away in disgust. 'Look! there are
+some dead bees in it!  I want honey that is quite pure.' And the man
+threw the rejected honey on the grass, and started off to get some
+fresh. When he got back he offered it to his wife, who treated it as
+she had done the first bowlful. 'That honey has got ants in it: throw
+it away,' she said, and when he brought her some more, she
+declared it was full of earth. In his fourth journey he managed to
+find some that she would eat, and then she begged him to get her
+some water. This took him some time, but at length he came to a
+lake whose waters were sweetened with sugar. He filled a pannikin
+quite full, and carried it home to his wife, who drank it eagerly, and
+said that she now felt quite well. When she was up and had dressed
+herself, her husband lay down in her place, saying: 'You have given
+me a great deal of trouble, and now it is my turn!'
+
+'What is the matter with you?' asked the wife.
+
+'I am thirsty and want some water,' answered he; and she took a
+large pot and carried it to the nearest spring, which was a good way
+off. 'Here is the water,' she said to her husband, lifting the heavy
+pot from her head; but he turned away in disgust.
+
+'You have drawn it from the pool that is full of frogs and willows;
+you must get me some more.' So the woman set out again and
+walked still further to another lake.
+
+'This water tastes of rushes,' he exclaimed, 'go and get some fresh.' 
+But when she brought back a third supply he declared that it
+seemed made up of water-lilies, and that he must have water that
+was pure, and not spoilt by willows, or frogs, or rushes. So for the
+fourth time she put her jug on her head, and passing all the lakes
+she had hitherto tried, she came to another, where the water was
+golden like honey. She stooped down to drink, when a horrible
+head bobbed up on the surface.
+
+'How dare you steal my water?' cried the head.
+
+'It is my husband who has sent me,' she replied, trembling all over. 
+'But do not kill me!  You shall have my baby, if you will only let me
+go.'
+
+'How am I to know which is your baby?' asked the Ogre.
+
+'Oh, that is easily managed. I will shave both sides of his head, and
+hang some white beads round his neck. And when you come to the
+hut you have only to call "Motikatika!" and he will run to meet you,
+and you can eat him.'
+
+'Very well,' said the ogre, 'you can go home.'  And after filling the
+pot she returned, and told her husband of the dreadful danger she
+had been in.
+
+Now, though his mother did not know it, the baby was a magician
+and he had heard all that his mother had promised the ogre; and he
+laughed to himself as he planned how to outwit her.
+
+The next morning she shaved his head on both sides, and hung the
+white beads round his neck, and said to him: 'I am going to the
+fields to work, but you must stay at home. Be sure you do not go
+outside, or some wild beast may eat you.'
+
+'Very well,' answered he.
+
+As soon as his mother was out of sight, the baby took out some
+magic bones, and placed them in a row before him. 'You are my
+father,' he told one bone, 'and you are my mother. You are the
+biggest,' he said to the third, 'so you shall be the ogre who wants to
+eat me; and you,' to another, 'are very little, therefore you shall be
+me. Now, then, tell me what I am to do.'
+
+'Collect all the babies in the village the same size as yourself,'
+answered the bones; 'shave the sides of their heads, and hang white
+beads round their necks, and tell them that when anybody calls
+"Motikatika," they are to answer to it. And be quick for you have
+no time to lose.'
+
+Motikatika went out directly, and brought back quite a crowd of
+babies, and shaved their heads and hung white beads round their
+little black necks, and just as he had finished, the ground began to
+shake, and the huge ogre came striding along, crying: 'Motikatika!
+Motikatika!'
+
+'Here we are! here we are!' answered the babies, all running to meet
+him.
+
+'It is Motikatika I want,' said the ogre.
+
+'We are all Motikatika,' they replied. And the ogre sat down in
+bewilderment, for he dared not eat the children of people who had
+done him no wrong, or a heavy punishment would befall him. The
+children waited for a little, wondering, and then they went away.
+
+The ogre remained where he was, till the evening, when the woman
+returned from the fields.
+
+'I have not seen Motikatika,' said he.
+
+'But why did you not call him by his name, as I told you?' she
+asked.
+
+'I did, but all the babies in the village seemed to be named
+Motikatika,' answered the ogre; 'you cannot think the number who
+came running to me.'
+
+The woman did not know what to make of it, so, to keep him in a
+good temper, she entered the hut and prepared a bowl of maize,
+which she brought him.
+
+'I do not want maize, I want the baby,' grumbled he 'and I will have
+him.'
+
+'Have patience,' answered she; 'I will call him, and you can eat him
+at once.' And she went into the hut and cried, 'Motikatika!'
+
+'I am coming, mother,' replied he; but first he took out his bones,
+and, crouching down on the ground behind the hut, asked them
+how he should escape the ogre.
+
+'Change yourself into a mouse,' said the bones; and so he did, and
+the ogre grew tired of waiting, and told the woman she must invent
+some other plan.
+
+'To-morrow I will send him into the field to pick some beans for
+me, and you will find him there, and can eat him.'
+
+'Very well,' replied the ogre, 'and this time I will take care to have
+him,' and he went back to his lake.
+
+Next morning Motikatika was sent out with a basket, and told to
+pick some beans for dinner. On the way to the field he took out his
+bones and asked them what he was to do to escape from the ogre. 
+'Change yourself into a bird and snap off the beans,' said the bones. 
+And the ogre chased away the bird, not knowing that it was
+Motikatika.
+
+The ogre went back to the hut and told the woman that she had
+deceived him again, and that he would not be put off any longer.
+
+'Return here this evening,' answered she, 'and you will find him in
+bed under this white coverlet. Then you can carry him away, and
+eat him at once.'
+
+But the boy heard, and consulted his bones, which said: 'Take the
+red coverlet from your father's bed, and put yours on his,' and so he
+did. And when the ogre came, he seized Motikatika's father and
+carried him outside the hut and ate him. When his wife found out
+the mistake, she cried bitterly; but Motikatika said: 'It is only just
+that he should be eaten, and not I; for it was he, and not I, who sent
+you to fetch the water.'
+
+[Adapted from the Ba-Ronga (H. Junod).]
+
+
+
+Niels And The Giants
+
+On one of the great moors over in Jutland, where trees won't grow
+because the soil is so sandy and the wind so strong, there once lived
+a man and his wife, who had a little house and some sheep, and two
+sons who helped them to herd them. The elder of the two was
+called Rasmus, and the younger Niels. Rasmus was quite content
+to look after sheep, as his father had done before him, but Niels had
+a fancy to be a hunter, and was not happy till he got hold of a gun
+and learned to shoot. It was only an old muzzle-loading flint-lock
+after all, but Niels thought it a great prize, and went about shooting
+at everything he could see. So much did he practice that in the long
+run he became a wonderful shot, and was heard of even where he
+had never been seen. Some people said there was very little in him
+beyond this, but that was an idea they found reason to change in the
+course of time.
+
+The parents of Rasmus and Niels were good Catholics, and when
+they were getting old the mother took it into her head that she
+would like to go to Rome and see the Pope. The others didn't see
+much use in this, but she had her way in the end: they sold all the
+sheep, shut up the house, and set out for Rome on foot. Niels took
+his gun with him.
+
+'What do you want with that?' said Rasmus; 'we have plenty to
+carry without it.'  But Niels could not be happy without his gun,
+and took it all the same.
+
+It was in the hottest part of summer that they began their journey,
+so hot that they could not travel at all in the middle of the day, and
+they were afraid to do it by night lest they might lose their way or
+fall into the hands of robbers. One day, a little before sunset, they
+came to an inn which lay at the edge of a forest.
+
+'We had better stay here for the night,' said Rasmus.
+
+'What an idea!' said Niels, who was growing impatient at the slow
+progress they were making. 'We can't travel by day for the heat,
+and we remain where we are all night. It will be long enough
+before we get to Rome if we go on at this rate.'
+
+Rasmus was unwilling to go on, but the two old people sided with
+Niels, who said, 'The nights aren't dark, and the moon will soon be
+up. We can ask at the inn here, and find out which way we ought
+to take.'
+
+So they held on for some time, but at last they came to a small
+opening in the forest, and here they found that the road split in two. 
+There was no sign-post to direct them, and the people in the inn
+had not told them which of the two roads to take.
+
+'What's to be done now?' said Rasmus. 'I think we had better have
+stayed at the inn.'
+
+'There's no harm done,' said Niels. 'The night is warm, and we can
+wait here till morning. One of us will keep watch till midnight, and
+then waken the other.'
+
+Rasmus chose to take the first watch, and the others lay down to
+sleep. It was very quiet in the forest, and Rasmus could hear the
+deer and foxes and other animals moving about among the rustling
+leaves. After the moon rose he could see them occasionally, and
+when a big stag came quite close to him he got hold of Niels' gun
+and shot it.
+
+Niels was wakened by the report. 'What's that?' he said.
+
+'I've just shot a stag,' said Rasmus, highly pleased with himself.
+
+'That's nothing,' said Niels. 'I've often shot a sparrow, which is a
+much more difficult thing to do.'
+
+It was now close on midnight, so Niels began his watch, and
+Rasmus went to sleep. It began to get colder, and Niels began to
+walk about a little to keep himself warm. He soon found that they
+were not far from the edge of the forest, and when he climbed up
+one of the trees there he could see out over the open country
+beyond. At a little distance he saw a fire, and beside it there sat
+three giants, busy with broth and beef. They were so huge that the
+spoons they used were as large as spades, and their forks as big as
+hay-forks: with these they lifted whole bucketfuls of broth and great
+joints of meat out of an enormous pot which was set on the ground
+between them. Niels was startled and rather scared at first, but he
+comforted himself with the thought that the giants were a good way
+off, and that if they came nearer he could easily hide among the
+bushes. After watching them for a little, however, he began to get
+over his alarm, and finally slid down the tree again, resolved to get
+his gun and play some tricks with them.
+
+When he had climbed back to his former position, he took good
+aim, and waited till one of the giants was just in the act of putting a
+large piece of meat into his mouth. Bang! went Niels' gun, and the
+bullet struck the handle of the fork so hard that the point went into
+the giant's chin, instead of his mouth.
+
+'None of your tricks,' growled the giant to the one who sat next
+him. 'What do you mean by hitting my fork like that, and making
+me prick myself?'
+
+'I never touched your fork,' said the other. 'Don't try to get up a
+quarrel with me.'
+
+'Look at it, then,' said the first. 'Do you suppose I stuck it into my
+own chin for fun?'
+
+The two got so angry over the matter that each offered to fight the
+other there and then, but the third giant acted as peace-maker, and
+they again fell to their eating.
+
+While the quarrel was going on, Niels had loaded the gun again,
+and just as the second giant was about to put a nice tit-bit into his
+mouth, bang! went the gun again, and the fork flew into a dozen
+pieces.
+
+This giant was even more furious than the first had been, and words
+were just coming to blows, when the third giant again interposed.
+
+'Don't be fools,' he said to them; 'what's the good of beginning to
+fight among ourselves, when it is so necessary for the three of us to
+work together and get the upper hand over the king of this country. 
+It will be a hard enough task as it is, but it will be altogether
+hopeless if we don't stick together. Sit down again, and let us finish
+our meal; I shall sit between you, and then neither of you can blame
+the other.'
+
+Niels was too far away to hear their talk, but from their gestures he
+could guess what was happening, and thought it good fun.
+
+'Thrice is lucky,' said he to himself; 'I'll have another shot yet.'
+
+This time it was the third giant's fork that caught the bullet, and
+snapped in two.
+
+'Well,' said he, 'if I were as foolish as you two, I would also fly into
+a rage, but I begin to see what time of day it is, and I'm going off
+this minute to see who it is that's playing these tricks with us.'
+
+So well had the giant made his observations, that though Niels
+climbed down the tree as fast as he could, so as to hide among the
+bushes, he had just got to the ground when the enemy was upon
+him.
+
+'Stay where you are,' said the giant, 'or I'll put my foot on you, and
+there won't be much of you left after that.'
+
+Niels gave in, and the giant carried him back to his comrades.
+
+'You don't deserve any mercy at our hands,' said his captor 'but as
+you are such a good shot you may be of great use to us, so we shall
+spare your life, if you will do us a service. Not far from here there
+stands a castle, in which the king's daughter lives; we are at war
+with the king, and want to get the upper hand of him by carrying off
+the princess, but the castle is so well guarded that there is no
+getting into it. By our skill in magic we have cast sleep on every
+living thing in the castle, except a little black dog, and, as long as he
+is awake, we are no better off than before; for, as soon as we begin
+to climb over the wall, the little dog will hear us, and its barking
+will waken all the others again. Having got you, we can place you
+where you will be able to shoot the dog before it begins to bark,
+and then no one can hinder us from getting the princess into our
+hands. If you do that, we shall not only let you off, but reward you
+handsomely.'
+
+Niels had to consent, and the giants set out for the castle at once. 
+It was surrounded by a very high rampart, so high that even the
+giants could not touch the top of it. 'How am I to get over that?'
+said Niels.
+
+'Quite easily,' said the third giant; ' I'll throw you up on it.'
+
+'No, thanks,' said Niels. 'I might fall down on the other side, or
+break my leg or neck, and then the little dog wouldn't get shot after
+all.'
+
+'No fear of that,' said the giant; 'the rampart is quite wide on the
+top, and covered with long grass, so that you will come down as
+softly as though you fell on a feather-bed.'
+
+Niels had to believe him, and allowed the giant to throw him up. 
+He came down on his feet quite unhurt, but the little black dog
+heard the dump, and rushed out of its kennel at once. It was just
+opening its mouth to bark, when Niels fired, and it fell dead on the
+spot.
+
+'Go down on the inside now,' said the giant, 'and see if you can
+open the gate to us.'
+
+Niels made his way down into the courtyard, but on his way to the
+outer gate he found himself at the entrance to the large hall of the
+castle. The door was open, and the hall was brilliantly lighted,
+though there was no one to be seen. Niels went in here and looked
+round him: on the wall there hung a huge sword without a sheath,
+and beneath it was a large drinking-horn, mounted with silver. 
+Niels went closer to look at these, and saw that the horn had letters
+engraved on the silver rim: when he took it down and turned it
+round, he found that the inscription was:--
+
+     Whoever drinks the wine I hold
+     Can wield the sword that hangs above;
+     Then let him use it for the right,
+     And win a royal maiden's love.
+
+Niels took out the silver stopper of the horn, and drank some of the
+wine, but when he tried to take down the sword he found himself
+unable to move it. So he hung up the horn again, and went further
+in to the castle. 'The giants can wait a little,' he said.
+
+Before long he came to an apartment in which a beautiful princess
+lay asleep in a bed, and on a table by her side there lay a
+gold-hemmed handkerchief. Niels tore this in two, and put one half
+in his pocket, leaving the other half on the table. On the floor he
+saw a pair of gold-embroidered slippers, and one of these he also
+put in his pocket. After that he went back to the hall, and took
+down the horn again. 'Perhaps I have to drink all that is in it before
+I can move the sword,' he thought; so he put it to his lips again and
+drank till it was quite empty. When he had done this, he could
+wield the sword with the greatest of ease, and felt himself strong
+enough to do anything, even to fight the giants he had left outside,
+who were no doubt wondering why he had not opened the gate to
+them before this time. To kill the giants, he thought, would be
+using the sword for the right; but as to winning the love of the
+princess, that was a thing which the son of a poor sheep-farmer
+need not hope for.
+
+When Niels came to the gate of the castle, he found that there was
+a large door and a small one, so he opened the latter.
+
+'Can't you open the big door?' said the giants; 'we shall hardly be
+able to get in at this one.'
+
+'The bars are too heavy for me to draw,' said Niels; 'if you stoop a
+little you can quite well come in here.'  The first giant accordingly
+bent down and entered in a stooping posture, but before he had
+time to straighten his back again Niels made a sweep with the
+sword, and oft went the giant's head. To push the body aside as it
+fell was quite easy for Niels, so strong had the wine made him, and
+the second giant as he entered met the same reception. The third
+was slower in coming, so Niels called out to him: 'Be quick,' he
+said, 'you are surely the oldest of the three, since you are so slow in
+your movements, but I can't wait here long; I must get back to my
+own people as soon as possible.'  So the third also came in, and was
+served in the same way. It appears from the story that giants were
+not given fair play!
+
+By this time day was beginning to break, and Niels thought that his
+folks might already be searching for him, so, instead of waiting to
+see what took place at the castle, he ran off to the forest as fast as
+he could, taking the sword with him. He found the others still
+asleep, so he woke them up, and they again set out on their journey. 
+Of the night's adventures he said not a word, and when they asked
+where he got the sword, he only pointed in the direction of the
+castle, and said, 'Over that way.'  They thought he had found it, and
+asked no more questions.
+
+When Niels left the castle, he shut the door behind him, and it
+closed with such a bang that the porter woke up. He could scarcely
+believe his eyes when he saw the three headless giants lying in a
+heap in the courtyard, and could not imagine what had taken place. 
+The whole castle was soon aroused, and then everybody wondered
+at the affair: it was soon seen that the bodies were those of the
+king's great enemies, but how they came to be there and in that
+condition was a perfect mystery. Then it was noticed that the
+drinking-horn was empty and the sword gone, while the princess
+reported that half of her handkerchief and one of her slippers had
+been taken away. How the giants had been killed seemed a little
+clearer now, but who had done it was as great a puzzle as before. 
+The old knight who had charge of the castle said that in his opinion
+it must have been some young knight, who had immediately set off
+to the king to claim the hand of the princess. This sounded likely,
+but the messenger who was sent to the Court returned with the
+news that no one there knew anything about the matter.
+
+'We must find him, however,' said the princess; 'for if he is willing
+to marry me I cannot in honour refuse him, after what my father put
+on the horn.'  She took council with her father's wisest men as to
+what ought to be done, and among other things they advised her to
+build a house beside the highway, and put over the door this
+inscription:--'Whoever will tell the story of his life, may stay here
+three nights for nothing.'  This was done, and many strange tales
+were told to the princess, but none of the travellers said a word
+about the three giants.
+
+In the meantime Niels and the others tramped on towards Rome. 
+Autumn passed, and winter was just beginning when they came to
+the foot of a great range of mountains, towering up to the sky. 
+'Must we go over these?' said they. 'We shall be frozen to death or
+buried in the snow.'
+
+'Here comes a man,' said Niels; 'let us ask him the way to Rome.' 
+They did so, and were told that there was no other way.
+
+'And is it far yet?' said the old people, who were beginning to be
+worn out by the long journey. The man held up his foot so that
+they could see the sole of his shoe; it was worn as thin as paper,
+and there was a hole in the middle of it.
+
+'These shoes were quite new when I left Rome,' he said, 'and look
+at them now; that will tell you whether you are far from it or not.'
+
+This discouraged the old people so much that they gave up all
+thought of finishing the journey, and only wished to get back to
+Denmark as quickly as they could. What with the winter and bad
+roads they took longer to return than they had taken to go, but in
+the end they found themselves in sight of the forest where they had
+slept before.
+
+'What's this?' said Rasmus. 'Here's a big house built since we
+passed this way before.'
+
+'So it is,' said Peter; 'let's stay all night in it.'
+
+'No, we can't afford that,' said the old people; 'it will be too dear for
+the like of us.'
+
+However, when they saw what was written above the door, they
+were all well pleased to get a night's lodging for nothing. They
+were well received, and had so much attention given to them, that
+the old people were quite put out by it. After they had got time to
+rest themselves, the princess's steward came to hear their story.
+
+'You saw what was written above the door,' he said to the father. 
+'Tell me who you are and what your history has been.'
+
+'Dear me, I have nothing of any importance to tell you,' said the old
+man, 'and I am sure we should never have made so bold as to
+trouble you at all if it hadn't been for the youngest of our two sons
+here.'
+
+'Never mind that,' said the steward; ' you are very welcome if you
+will only tell me the story of your life.'
+
+'Well, well, I will,' said he, 'but there is nothing to tell about it. I
+and my wife have lived all our days on a moor in North Jutland,
+until this last year, when she took a fancy to go to Rome. We set
+out with our two sons but turned back long before we got there,
+and are now on our way home again. That's all my own story, and
+our two sons have lived with us all their days, so there is nothing
+more to be told about them either.'
+
+'Yes there is,' said Rasmus; 'when we were on our way south, we
+slept in the wood near here one night, and I shot a stag.'
+
+The steward was so much accustomed to hearing stories of no
+importance that he thought there was no use going further with
+this, but reported to the princess that the newcomers had nothing to
+tell.
+
+'Did you question them all?' she said.
+
+'Well, no; not directly,' said he; 'but the father said that none of
+them could tell me any more than he had done.'
+
+'You are getting careless,' said the princess; 'I shall go and talk to
+them myself.'
+
+Niels knew the princess again as soon as she entered the room, and
+was greatly alarmed, for he immediately supposed that all this was a
+device to discover the person who had run away with the sword,
+the slipper and the half of the handkerchief, and that it would fare
+badly with him if he were discovered. So he told his story much the
+same as the others did (Niels was not very particular), and thought
+he had escaped all further trouble, when Rasmus put in his word. 
+'You've forgotten something, Niels,' he said; 'you remember you
+found a sword near here that night I shot the stag.'
+
+'Where is the sword?' said the princess.
+
+'I know,' said the steward, 'I saw where he laid it down when they
+came in;' and off he went to fetch it, while Niels wondered whether
+he could make his escape in the meantime. Before he had made up
+his mind, however, the steward was back with the sword, which the
+princess recognised at once.
+
+'Where did you get this?' she said to Niels.
+
+Niels was silent, and wondered what the usual penalty was for a
+poor sheep-farmer's son who was so unfortunate as to deliver a
+princess and carry off things from her bed-room.
+
+'See what else he has about him,' said the princess to the steward,
+and Niels had to submit to be searched: out of one pocket came a
+gold-embroidered slipper, and out of another the half of a
+gold-hemmed handkerchief.
+
+'That is enough,' said the princess; 'now we needn't ask any more
+questions. Send for my father the king at once.'
+
+'Please let me go,' said Niels; 'I did you as much good as harm, at
+any rate.'
+
+'Why, who said anything about doing harm?' said the princess. 
+'You must stay here till my father comes.'
+
+The way in which the princess smiled when she said this gave Niels
+some hope that things might not be bad for him after all, and he was
+yet more encouraged when he thought of the words engraver on the
+horn, though the last line still seemed too good to be true. 
+However, the arrival of the king soon settled the matter: the
+princess was willing and so was Niels, and in a few days the
+wedding bells were ringing. Niels was made an earl by that time,
+and looked as handsome as any of them when dressed in all his
+robes. Before long the old king died, and Niels reigned after him;
+but whether his father and mother stayed with him, or went back to
+the moor in Jutland, or were sent to Rome in a carriage and four, is
+something that all the historians of his reign have forgotten to
+mention.
+
+
+
+Shepherd Paul
+
+Once upon a time a shepherd was taking his flock out to pasture,
+when he found a little baby lying in a meadow, left there by some
+wicked person, who thought it was too much trouble to look after
+it. The shepherd was fond of children, so he took the baby home
+with him and gave it plenty of milk, and by the time the boy was
+fourteen he could tear up oaks as if they were weeds. Then Paul, as
+the shepherd had called him, grew tired of living at home, and went
+out into the world to try his luck.
+
+He walked on for many miles, seeing nothing that surprised him,
+but in an open space of the wood he was astonished at finding a
+man combing trees as another man would comb flax.
+
+'Good morning, friend,' said Paul; 'upon my word, you must be a
+strong man!'
+
+The man stopped his work and laughed. 'I am Tree Comber,' he
+answered proudly; 'and the greatest wish of my life is to wrestle
+with Shepherd Paul.'
+
+'May all your wishes be fulfilled as easily, for I am Shepherd Paul,
+and can wrestle with you at once,' replied the lad; and he seized
+Tree Comber and flung him with such force to the ground that he
+sank up to his knees in the earth. However, in a moment he was up
+again, and catching hold of Paul, threw him so that he sank up to
+his waist; but then it was Paul's turn again, and this time the man
+was buried up to his neck. 'That is enough,' cried he; 'I see you are
+a smart fellow, let us become friends.'
+
+'Very good,' answered Paul, and they continued their journey
+together.
+
+By-and-by they reached a man who was grinding stones to powder
+in his hands, as if they had been nuts.
+
+'Good morning,' said Paul politely; 'upon my word, you must be a
+strong fellow!'
+
+'I am Stone Crusher,' answered the man, and the greatest wish of
+my life is to wrestle with Shepherd Paul.'
+
+'May all your wishes be as easily fulfilled, for I am Shepherd Paul,
+and will wrestle with you at once,' and the sport began. After a
+short time the man declared himself beaten, and begged leave to go
+with them; so they all three travelled together.
+
+A little further on they came upon a man who was kneading iron as
+if it had been dough. 'Good morning,' said Paul, 'you must be a
+strong fellow.'
+
+'I am Iron Kneader, and should like to fight Shepherd Paul,'
+answered he.
+
+'Let us begin at once then,' replied Paul; and on this occasion also,
+Paul got the better of his foe, and they all four continued their
+journey.
+
+At midday they entered a forest, and Paul stopped suddenly. 'We
+three will go and look for game,' he said, 'and you, Tree Comber,
+will stay behind and prepare a good supper for us.'  So Tree
+Comber set to work to boil and roast, and when dinner was nearly
+ready, a little dwarf with a pointed beard strolled up to the place. 
+'What are you cooking?' asked he, 'give me some of it.'
+
+'I'll give you some on your back, if you like,' answered Tree
+Comber rudely. The dwarf took no notice, but waited patiently till
+the dinner was cooked, then suddenly throwing Tree Comber on
+the ground, he ate up the contents of the saucepan and vanished. 
+Tree Comber felt rather ashamed of himself, and set about boiling
+some more vegetables, but they were still very hard when the
+hunters returned, and though they complained of his bad cooking,
+he did not tell them about the dwarf.
+
+Next day Stone Crusher was left behind, and after him Iron
+Kneader, and each time the dwarf appeared, and they fared no
+better than Tree Comber had done. The fourth day Paul said to
+them: 'My friends, there must be some reason why your cooking
+has always been so bad, now you shall go and hunt and I will stay
+behind.'  So they went off, amusing themselves by thinking what
+was in store for Paul.
+
+He set to work at once, and had just got all his vegetables
+simmering in the pot when the dwarf appeared as before, and asked
+to have some of the stew. 'Be off,' cried Paul, snatching up the
+saucepan as he spoke. The dwarf tried to get hold of his collar, but
+Paul seized him by the beard, and tied him to a big tree so that he
+could not stir, and went on quietly with his cooking. The hunters
+came back early, longing to see how Paul had got on, and, to their
+surprise, dinner was quite ready for them.
+
+'You are great useless creatures,' said he, 'who couldn't even outwit
+that little dwarf. When we have finished supper I will show you
+what I have done with him!'  But when they reached the place
+where Paul had left the dwarf, neither he nor the tree was to be
+seen, for the little fellow had pulled it up by the roots and run away,
+dragging it after him. The four friends followed the track of the
+tree and found that it ended in a deep hole. 'He must have gone
+down here,' said Paul, 'and I will go after him. See! there is a
+basket that will do for me to sit in, and a cord to lower me with. 
+But when I pull the cord again, lose no time in drawing the basket
+up.'
+
+And he stepped into the basket, which was lowered by his friends.
+
+At last it touched the ground and he jumped out and looked about
+him. He was in a beautiful valley, full of meadows and streams,
+with a splendid castle standing by. As the door was open he
+walked in, but a lovely maiden met him and implored him to go
+back, for the owner of the castle was a dragon with six heads, who
+had stolen her from her home and brought her down to this
+underground spot. But Paul refused to listen to all her entreaties,
+and declared that he was not afraid of the dragon, and did not care
+how many heads he had; and he sat down calmly to wait for him.
+
+In a little while the dragon came in, and all the long teeth in his six
+heads chattered with anger at the sight of the stranger.
+
+'I am Shepherd Paul,' said the young man, 'and I have come to fight
+you, and as I am in a hurry we had better begin at once.'
+
+'Very good,' answered the dragon. 'I am sure of my supper, but let
+us have a mouthful of something first, just to give us an appetite.'
+
+Whereupon he began to eat some huge boulders as if they had been
+cakes, and when he had quite finished, he offered Paul one. Paul
+was not fond of boulders, but he took a wooden knife and cut one
+in two, then he snatched up both halves in his hands and threw them
+with all his strength at the dragon, so that two out of the six heads
+were smashed in. At this the dragon, with a mighty roar, rushed
+upon Paul, but he sprang on one side, and with a swinging blow cut
+off two of the other heads. Then, seizing the monster by the neck,
+he dashed the remaining heads against the rock.
+
+When the maiden heard that the dragon was dead, she thanked her
+deliverer with tears in her eyes, but told him that her two younger
+sisters were in the power of dragons still fiercer and more horrible
+than this one. He vowed that his sword should never rest in its
+sheath till they were set free, and bade the girl come with him, and
+show him the way.
+
+The maiden gladly consented to go with him, but first she gave him
+a golden rod, and bade him strike the castle with it. He did so, and
+it instantly changed into a golden apple, which he put in his pocket. 
+After that, they started on their search.
+
+They had not gone far before they reached the castle where the
+second girl was confined by the power of the dragon with twelve
+heads, who had stolen her from her home. She was overjoyed at
+the sight of her sister and of Paul, and brought him a shirt belonging
+to the dragon, which made every one who wore it twice as strong
+as they were before. Scarcely had he put it on when the dragon
+came back, and the fight began. Long and hard was the struggle,
+but Paul's sword and his shirt helped him, and the twelve heads lay
+dead upon the ground.
+
+Then Paul changed the castle into an apple, which he put into his
+pocket, and set out with the two girls in search of the third castle.
+
+It was not long before they found it, and within the walls was the
+third sister, who was younger and prettier than either of the other
+two. Her husband had eighteen heads, but when he quitted the
+lower regions for the surface of the earth, he left them all at home
+except one, which he changed for the head of a little dwarf, with a
+pointed beard.
+
+The moment that Paul knew that this terrible dragon was no other
+than the dwarf whom he had tied to the tree, he longed more than
+ever to fly at his throat. But the thought of the eighteen heads
+warned him to be careful, and the third sister brought him a silk
+shirt which would make him ten times stronger than he was before.
+
+He had scarcely put it on, when the whole castle began to shake
+violently, and the dragon flew up the steps into the hall.
+
+'Well, my friend, so we meet once more!  Have you forgotten me? 
+I am Shepherd Paul, and I have come to wrestle with you, and to
+free your wife from your clutches.'
+
+'Ah, I am glad to see you again,' said the dragon. 'Those were my
+two brothers whom you killed, and now your blood shall pay for
+them.' And he went into his room to look for his shirt and to drink
+some magic wine, but the shirt was on Paul's back, and as for the
+wine, the girl had given a cupful to Paul and then had allowed the
+rest to run out of the cask.
+
+At this the dragon grew rather frightened, but in a moment had
+recollected his eighteen heads, and was bold again.
+
+'Come on,' he cried, rearing himself up and preparing to dart all his
+heads at once at Paul. But Paul jumped underneath, and gave an
+upward cut so that six of the heads went rolling down. They were
+the best heads too, and very soon the other twelve lay beside them. 
+Then Paul changed the castle into an apple, and put it in his pocket. 
+Afterwards he and the three girls set off for the opening which led
+upwards to the earth.
+
+The basket was still there, dangling from the rope, but it was only
+big enough to hold the three girls, so Paul sent them up, and told
+them to be sure and let down the basket for him. Unluckily, at the
+sight of the maidens' beauty, so far beyond anything they had ever
+seen, the friends forgot all about Paul, and carried the girls straight
+away into a far country, so that they were not much better off than
+before. Meanwhile Paul, mad with rage at the ingratitude of the
+three sisters, vowed he would be revenged upon them, and set
+about finding some way of getting back to earth. But it was not
+very easy, and for months, and months, and months, he wandered
+about underground, and, at the end, seemed no nearer to fulfilling
+his purpose than he was at the beginning.
+
+At length, one day, he happened to pass the nest of a huge griffin,
+who had left her young ones all alone. Just as Paul came along a
+cloud containing fire instead of rain burst overhead, and all the little
+griffins would certainly have been killed had not Paul spread his
+cloak over the nest and saved them. When their father returned the
+young ones told him what Paul had done, and he lost no time in
+flying after Paul, and asking how he could reward him for his
+goodness.
+
+'By carrying me up to the earth,' answered Paul; and the griffin
+agreed, but first went to get some food to eat on the way, as it was
+a long journey.
+
+'Now get on my back,' he said to Paul, 'and when I turn my head to
+the right, cut a slice off the bullock that hangs on that side, and put
+it in my mouth, and when I turn my head to the left, draw a cupful
+of wine from the cask that hangs on that side, and pour it down my
+throat.'
+
+For three days and three nights Paul and the griffin flew upwards,
+and on the fourth morning it touched the ground just outside the
+city where Paul's friends had gone to live. Then Paul thanked him
+and bade him farewell, and he returned home again.
+
+At first Paul was too tired to do anything but sleep, but as soon as
+he was rested he started off in search of the three faithless ones,
+who almost died from fright at the sight of him, for they had
+thought he would never come back to reproach them for their
+wickedness.
+
+'You know what to expect,' Paul said to them quietly. 'You shall
+never see me again. Off with you!'  He next took the three apples
+out of his pocket and placed them all in the prettiest places he could
+find; after which he tapped them with his golden rod, and they
+became castles again. He gave two of the castles to the eldest
+sisters, and kept the other for himself and the youngest, whom he
+married, and there they are living still.
+
+[From Ungarische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+How The Wicked Tanuki Was Punished
+
+The hunters had hunted the wood for so many years that no wild
+animal was any more to be found in it. You might walk from one
+end to the other without ever seeing a hare, or a deer, or a boar, or
+hearing the cooing of the doves in their nest. If they were not dead,
+they had flown elsewhere. Only three creatures remained alive, and
+they had hidden themselves in the thickest part of the forest, high
+up the mountain. These were a grey-furred, long-tailed tanuki, his
+wife the fox, who was one of his own family, and their little son.
+
+The fox and the tanuki were very clever, prudent beasts, and they
+also were skilled in magic, and by this means had escaped the fate
+of their unfortunate friends. If they heard the twang of an arrow or
+saw the glitter of a spear, ever so far off, they lay very still, and
+were not to be tempted from their hiding-place, if their hunger was
+ever so great, or the game ever so delicious. 'We are not so foolish
+as to risk our lives,' they said to each other proudly. But at length
+there came a day when, in spite of their prudence, they seemed
+likely to die of starvation, for no more food was to be had. 
+Something had to be done, but they did not know what.
+
+Suddenly a bright thought struck the tanuki. 'I have got a plan,' he
+cried joyfully to his wife. 'I will pretend to be dead, and you must
+change yourself into a man, and take me to the village for sale. It
+will be easy to find a buyer, tanukis' skins are always wanted; then
+buy some food with the money and come home again. I will
+manage to escape somehow, so do not worry about me.'
+
+The fox laughed with delight, and rubbed her paws together with
+satisfaction. 'Well, next time I will go,' she said, 'and you can sell
+me.'  And then she changed herself into a man, and picking up the
+stiff body of the tanuki, set off towards the village. She found him
+rather heavy, but it would never have done to let him walk through
+the wood and risk his being seen by somebody.
+
+As the tanaki had foretold, buyers were many, and the fox handed
+him over to the person who offered the largest price, and hurried to
+get some food with the money. The buyer took the tanuki back to
+his house, and throwing him into a corner went out. Directly the
+tanaki found he was alone, he crept cautiously through a chink of
+the window, thinking, as he did so, how lucky it was that he was
+not a fox, and was able to climb. Once outside, he hid himself in a
+ditch till it grew dusk, and then galloped away into the forest.
+
+While the food lasted they were all three as happy as kings; but
+there soon arrived a day when the larder was as empty as ever. 'It
+is my turn now to pretend to be dead,' cried the fox. So the tanuki
+changed himself into a peasant, and started for the village, with his
+wife's body hanging over his shoulder. A buyer was not long in
+coming forward, and while they were making the bargain a wicked
+thought darted into the tanuki's head, that if he got rid of the fox
+there would be more food for him and his son. So as he put the
+money in his pocket he whispered softly to the buyer that the fox
+was not really dead, and that if he did not take care she might run
+away from him. The man did not need twice telling. He gave the
+poor fox a blow on the head, which put an end to her, and the
+wicked tanuki went smiling to the nearest shop.
+
+In former times he had been very fond of his little son; but since he
+had betrayed his wife he seemed to have changed all in a moment,
+for he would not give him as much as a bite, and the poor little
+fellow would have starved had he not found some nuts and berries
+to eat, and he waited on, always hoping that his mother would
+come back.
+
+At length some notion of the truth began to dawn on him; but he
+was careful to let the old tanuki see nothing, though in his own
+mind he turned over plans from morning till night, wondering how
+best he might avenge his mother.
+
+One morning, as the little tanuki was sitting with his father, he
+remembered, with a start, that his mother had taught him all she
+knew of magic, and that he could work spells as well as his father,
+or perhaps better. 'I am as good a wizard as you,' he said suddenly,
+and a cold chill ran through the tanuki as he heard him, though he
+laughed, and pretended to think it a joke. But the little tanaki stuck
+to his point, and at last the father proposed they should have a
+wager.
+
+'Change yourself into any shape you like,' said he, 'and I will
+undertake to know you. I will go and wait on the bridge which
+leads over the river to the village, and you shall transform yourself
+into anything you please, but I will know you through any disguise.' 
+The little tanuki agreed, and went down the road which his father
+had pointed out. But instead of transforming himself into a
+different shape, he just hid himself in a corner of the bridge, where
+he could see without being seen.
+
+He had not been there long when his father arrived and took up his
+place near the middle of the bridge, and soon after the king came
+by, followed by a troop of guards and all his court.
+
+'Ah! he thinks that now he has changed himself into a king I shall
+not know him,' thought the old tanuki, and as the king passed in his
+splendid carriage, borne by his servants, he jumped upon it crying: 'I
+have won my wager; you cannot deceive me.'  But in reality it was
+he who had deceived himself. The soldiers, conceiving that their
+king was being attacked, seized the tanuki by the legs and flung him
+over into the river, and the water closed over him.
+
+And the little tanoki saw it all, and rejoiced that his mother's death
+had been avenged. Then he went back to the forest, and if he has
+not found it too lonely, he is probably living there still.
+
+[From Japanische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Crab And The Monkey
+
+There was once a crab who lived in a hole on the shady side of a
+mountain. She was a very good housewife, and so careful and
+industrious that there was no creature in the whole country whose
+hole was so neat and clean as hers, and she took great pride in it.
+
+One day she saw lying near the mouth of her hole a handful of
+cooked rice which some pilgrim must have let fall when he was
+stopping to eat his dinner. Delighted at this discovery, she hastened
+to the spot, and was carrying the rice back to her hole when a
+monkey, who lived in some trees near by, came down to see what
+the crab was doing. His eyes shone at the sight of the rice, for it
+was his favourite food, and like the sly fellow he was, he proposed
+a bargain to the crab. She was to give him half the rice in exchange
+for the kernel of a sweet red kaki fruit which he had just eaten. He
+half expected that the crab would laugh in his face at this impudent
+proposal, but instead of doing so she only looked at him for a
+moment with her head on one side and then said that she would
+agree to the exchange. So the monkey went off with his rice, and
+the crab returned to her hole with the kernel.
+
+For some time the crab saw no more of the monkey, who had gone
+to pay a visit on the sunny side of the mountain; but one morning he
+happened to pass by her hole, and found her sitting under the
+shadow of a beautiful kaki tree.
+
+'Good day,' he said politely, 'you have some very fine fruit there! I
+am very hungry, could you spare me one or two?'
+
+'Oh, certainly,' replied the crab, 'but you must forgive me if I cannot
+get them for you myself. I am no tree-climber.'
+
+'Pray do not apologise,' answered the monkey. 'Now that I have
+your permission I can get them myself quite easily.'  And the crab
+consented to let him go up, merely saying that he must throw her
+down half the fruit.
+
+In another moment he was swinging himself from branch to branch,
+eating all the ripest kakis and filling his pockets with the rest, and
+the poor crab saw to her disgust that the few he threw down to her
+were either not ripe at all or else quite rotten.
+
+'You are a shocking rogue,' she called in a rage; but the monkey
+took no notice, and went on eating as fast as he could. The crab
+understood that it was no use her scolding, so she resolved to try
+what cunning would do.
+
+'Sir Monkey,' she said, ' you are certainly a very good climber, but
+now that you have eaten so much, I am quite sure you would never
+be able to turn one of your somersaults.'  The monkey prided
+himself on turning better somersaults than any of his family, so he
+instantly went head over heels three times on the bough on which
+he was sitting, and all the beautiful kakis that he had in his pockets
+rolled to the ground. Quick as lightning the crab picked them up
+and carried a quantity of them into her house, but when she came
+up for another the monkey sprang on her, and treated her so badly
+that he left her for dead. When he had beaten her till his arm ached
+he went his way.
+
+It was a lucky thing for the poor crab that she had some friends to
+come to her help or she certainly would have died then and there. 
+The wasp flew to her, and took her back to bed and looked after
+her, and then he consulted with a rice-mortar and an egg which had
+fallen out of a nest near by, and they agreed that when the monkey
+returned, as he was sure to do, to steal the rest of the fruit, that
+they would punish him severely for the manner in which he had
+behaved to the crab. So the mortar climbed up to the beam over
+the front door, and the egg lay quite still on the ground, while the
+wasp set down the water-bucket in a corner. Then the crab dug
+itself a deep hole in the ground, so that not even the tip of her claws
+might be seen.
+
+Soon after everything was ready the monkey jumped down from his
+tree, and creeping to the door began a long hypocritical speech,
+asking pardon for all he had done. He waited for an answer of
+some sort, but none came. He listened, but all was still; then he
+peeped, and saw no one; then he went in. He peered about for the
+crab, but in vain; however, his eyes fell on the egg, which he
+snatched up and set on the fire. But in a moment the egg had burst
+into a thousand pieces, and its sharp shell struck him in the face and
+scratched him horribly. Smarting with pain he ran to the bucket and
+stooped down to throw some water over his head. As he stretched
+out his hand up started the wasp and stung him on the nose. The
+monkey shrieked and ran to the door, but as he passed through
+down fell the mortar and struck him dead. 'After that the crab lived
+happily for many years, and at length died in peace under her own
+kaki tree.
+
+ [From Japanische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Horse Gullfaxi And The Sword Gunnfoder
+
+Many many years ago there lived a king and queen who had one
+only son, called Sigurd. When the little boy was only ten years old
+the queen, his mother, fell ill and died, and the king, who loved her
+dearly, built a splendid monument to his wife's memory, and day
+after day he sat by it and bewailed his sad loss.
+
+One morning, as he sat by the grave, he noticed a richly dressed
+lady close to him. He asked her name and she answered that it was
+Ingiborg, and seemed surprised to see the king there all alone. 
+Then he told her how he had lost his queen, and how he came daily
+to weep at her grave. In return, the lady informed him that she had
+lately lost her husband, and suggested that they might both find it a
+comfort if they made friends.
+
+This pleased the king so much that he invited her to his palace,
+where they saw each other often; and after a time he married her.
+
+After the wedding was over he soon regained his good spirits, and
+used to ride out hunting as in old days; but Sigurd, who was very
+fond of his stepmother, always stayed at home with her.
+
+One evening Ingiborg said to Sigurd: 'To-morrow your father is
+going out hunting, and you must go with him.'  But Sigurd said he
+would much rather stay at home, and the next day when the king
+rode off Sigurd refused to accompany him. The stepmother was
+very angry, but he would not listen, and at last she assured him that
+he would be sorry for his disobedience, and that in future he had
+better do as he was told.
+
+After the hunting party had started she hid Sigurd under her bed,
+and bade him be sure to lie there till she called him.
+
+Sigurd lay very still for a long while, and was just thinking it was no
+good staying there any more, when he felt the floor shake under
+him as if there were an earthquake, and peeping out he saw a great
+giantess wading along ankle deep through the ground and
+ploughing it up as she walked.
+
+'Good morning, Sister Ingiborg,' cried she as she entered the room,
+'is Prince Sigurd at home?'
+
+'No,' said Ingiborg; 'he rode off to the forest with his father this
+morning.'  And she laid the table for her sister and set food before
+her. After they had both done eating the giantess said: 'Thank you,
+sister, for your good dinner--the best lamb, the best can of beer and
+the best drink I have ever had; but--is not Prince Sigurd at home?'
+
+Ingiborg again said 'No'; and the giantess took leave of her and
+went away. When she was quite out of sight Ingiborg told Sigurd
+to come out of his hiding-place.
+
+The king returned home at night, but his wife told him nothing of
+what had happened, and the next morning she again begged the
+prince to go out hunting with his father. Sigurd, however, replied
+as before, that he would much rather stay at home.
+
+So once more the king rode off alone. This time Ingiborg hid
+Sigurd under the table, and scolded him well for not doing as she
+bade him. For some time he lay quite still, and then suddenly the
+floor began to shake, and a giantess came along wading half way to
+her knees through the ground.
+
+As she entered the house she asked, as the first one had done: 'Well,
+Sister Ingiborg, is Prince Sigurd at home?'
+
+'No,' answered Ingiborg,' he rode off hunting with his father this
+morning'; and going to the cupboard she laid the table for her sister. 
+When they had finished their meal the giantess rose and said: 'Thank
+you for all these nice dishes, and for the best lamb, the best can of
+beer and the nicest drink I have ever had; but--is Prince Sigurd really
+not at home?'
+
+'No, certainly not!' replied Ingiborg; and with that they took leave
+of each other.
+
+When she was well out of sight Sigurd crept from under the table,
+and his stepmother declared that it was most important that he
+should not stay at home next day; but he said he did not see what
+harm could come of it, and he did not mean to go out hunting, and
+the next morning, when the king prepared to start, Ingiborg
+implored Sigurd to accompany his father. But it was all no use, he
+was quite obstinate and would not listen to a word she said. 'You
+will have to hide me again,' said he, so no sooner had the king gone
+than Ingiborg hid Sigurd between the wall and the panelling, and
+by-and-by there was heard once more a sound like an earthquake,
+as a great giantess, wading knee deep through the ground, came in
+at the door.
+
+'Good day, Sister Ingiborg!' she cried, in a voice like thunder; 'is
+Prince Sigurd at home?'
+
+'Oh, no,' answered Ingiborg, 'he is enjoying himself out there in the
+forest. I expect it will be quite dark before he comes back again.'
+
+'That's a lie!' shouted the giantess. And they squabbled about it till
+they were tired, after which Ingiborg laid the table; and when the
+giantess had done eating she said: 'Well, I must thank you for all
+these good things, and for the best lamb, the best can of beer and
+the best drink I have had for a long time; but--are you quite sure
+Prince Sigurd is not at home?'
+
+'Quite,' said Ingiborg. 'I've told you already that he rode off with
+his father this morning to hunt in the forest.'
+
+At this the giantess roared out with a terrible voice: 'If he is near
+enough to hear my words, I lay this spell on him: Let him be half
+scorched and half withered; and may he have neither rest nor peace
+till he finds me.'  And with these words she stalked off.
+
+For a moment Ingiborg stood as if turned to stone, then she fetched
+Sigurd from his hiding-place, and, to her horror, there he was, half
+scorched and half withered.
+
+'Now you see what has happened through your own obstinacy,' said
+she; 'but we must lose no time, for your father will soon be coming
+home.'
+
+Going quickly into the next room she opened a chest and took out a
+ball of string and three gold rings, and gave them to Sigurd, saying:
+'If you throw this ball on the ground it will roll along till it reaches
+some high cliffs. There you will see a giantess looking out over the
+rocks. She will call down to you and say: "Ah, this is just what I
+wanted!  Here is Prince Sigurd. He shall go into the pot to-night";
+but don't be frightened by her. She will draw you up with a long
+boat-hook, and you must greet her from me, and give her the
+smallest ring as a present. This will please her, and she will ask you
+to wrestle with her. When you are exhausted, she will offer you a
+horn to drink out of, and though she does not know it, the wine will
+make you so strong that you will easily be able to conquer her. 
+After that she will let you stay there all night. The same thing will
+happen with my two other sisters. But, above all, remember this:
+should my little dog come to you and lay his paws on you, with
+tears running down his face, then hurry home, for my life will be in
+danger. Now, good-bye, and don't forget your stepmother.'
+
+Then Ingiborg dropped the ball on the ground, and Sigurd bade her
+farewell.
+
+That same evening the ball stopped rolling at the foot of some high
+rocks, and on glancing up, Sigurd saw the giantess looking out at
+the top.
+
+'Ah, just what I wanted!' she cried out when she saw him; 'here is
+Prince Sigurd. He shall go into the pot to-night. Come up, my
+friend, and wrestle with me.'
+
+With these words she reached out a long boat hook and hauled him
+up the cliff. At first Sigurd was rather frightened, but he
+remembered what Ingiborg had said, and gave the giantess her
+sister's message and the ring.
+
+The giantess was delighted, and challenged him to wrestle with her. 
+Sigurd was fond of all games, and began to wrestle with joy; but he
+was no match for the giantess, and as she noticed that he was
+getting faint she gave him a horn to drink out of, which was very
+foolish on her part, as it made Sigurd so strong that he soon
+overthrew her.
+
+'You may stay here to-night,' said she; and he was glad of the rest.
+
+Next morning Sigurd threw down the ball again and away it rolled
+for some time, till it stopped at the foot of another high rock. Then
+he looked up and saw another giantess, even bigger and uglier than
+the first one, who called out to him: 'Ah, this is just what I wanted!
+Here is Prince Sigurd. He shall go into the pot to-night. Come up
+quickly and wrestle with me.' And she lost no time in hauling him
+up.
+
+The prince gave her his stepmother's message and the second
+largest ring. The giantess was greatly pleased when she saw the
+ring, and at once challenged Sigurd to wrestle with her.
+
+They struggled for a long time, till at last Sigurd grew faint; so she
+handed him a horn to drink from, and when he had drunk he
+became so strong that he threw her down with one hand.
+
+On the third morning Sigurd once more laid down his ball, and it
+rolled far away, till at last it stopped under a very high rock indeed,
+over the top of which the most hideous giantess that ever was seen
+looked down.
+
+When she saw who was there she cried out: 'Ah, this is just what I
+wanted! Here comes Prince Sigurd. Into the pot he goes this very
+night. Come up here, my friend, and wrestle with me.' And she
+hauled him up just as her sisters had done.
+
+Sigurd then gave her his stepmother's message and the last and
+largest ring. The sight of the red gold delighted the giantess, and
+she challenged Sigurd to a wrestling match. This time the fight was
+fierce and long, but when at length Sigurd's strength was failing the
+giantess gave him something to drink, and after he had drunk it he
+soon brought her to her knees. 'You have beaten me,' she gasped,
+so now, listen to me. 'Not far from here is a lake. Go there; you
+will find a little girl playing with a boat. Try to make friends with
+her, and give her this little gold ring. You are stronger than ever
+you were, and I wish you good luck.'
+
+With these words they took leave of each other, and Sigurd
+wandered on till he reached the lake, where he found the little girl
+playing with a boat, just as he had been told. He went up to her
+and asked what her name was.
+
+She was called Helga, she answered, and she lived near by.
+
+So Sigurd gave her the little gold ring, and proposed that they
+should have a game. The little girl was delighted, for she had no
+brothers or sisters, and they played together all the rest of the day.
+
+When evening came Sigurd asked leave to go home with her, but
+Helga at first forbade him, as no stranger had ever managed to
+enter their house without being found out by her father, who was a
+very fierce giant.
+
+However, Sigurd persisted, and at length she gave way; but when
+they came near the door she held her glove over him and Sigurd
+was at once transformed into a bundle of wool. Helga tucked the
+bundle under her arm and threw it on the bed in her room.
+
+Almost at the same moment her father rushed in and hunted round
+in every corner, crying out: 'This place smells of men. What's that
+you threw on the bed, Helga?'
+
+'A bundle of wool,' said she.
+
+'Oh, well, perhaps it was that I smelt,' said the old man, and
+troubled himself no more.
+
+The following day Helga went out to play and took the bundle of
+wool with her under her arm. When she reached the lake she held
+her glove over it again and Sigurd resumed his own shape.
+
+They played the whole day, and Sigurd taught Helga all sorts of
+games she had never even heard of. As they walked home in the
+evening she said: 'We shall be able to play better still to-morrow,
+for my father will have to go to the town, so we can stay at home.'
+
+When they were near the house Helga again held her glove over
+Sigurd, and once more he was turned into a bundle of wool, and
+she carried him in without his being seen.
+
+Very early next morning Helga's father went to the town, and as
+soon as he was well out of the way the girl held up her glove and
+Sigurd was himself again. Then she took him all over the house to
+amuse him, and opened every room, for her father had given her the
+keys before he left; but when they came to the last room Sigurd
+noticed one key on the bunch which had not been used and asked
+which room it belonged to.'
+
+Helga grew red and did not answer.
+
+'I suppose you don't mind my seeing the room which it opens?'
+asked Sigurd, and as he spoke he saw a heavy iron door and begged
+Helga to unlock it for him. But she told him she dared not do so, at
+least if she did open the door it must only be a very tiny chink; and
+Sigurd declared that would do quite well.
+
+The door was so heavy, that it took Helga some time to open it,
+and Sigurd grew so impatient that he pushed it wide open and
+walked in. There he saw a splendid horse, all ready saddled, and
+just above it hung a richly ornamented sword on the handle of
+which was engraved these words: 'He who rides this horse and
+wears this sword will find happiness.'
+
+At the sight of the horse Sigurd was so filled with wonder that he
+was not able to speak, but at last he gasped out: 'Oh, do let me
+mount him and ride him round the house! Just once; I promise not
+to ask any more.'
+
+'Ride him round the house! ' cried Helga, growing pale at the mere
+idea. 'Ride Gullfaxi! Why father would never, never forgive me, if I
+let you do that.'
+
+'But it can't do him any harm,' argued Sigurd; 'you don't know how
+careful I will be. I have ridden all sorts of horses at home, and have
+never fallen off not once. Oh, Helga, do!'
+
+'Well, perhaps, if you come back directly,' replied Helga, doubtfully;
+'but you must be very quick, or father will find out!'
+
+But, instead of mounting Gullfaxi, as she expected, Sigurd stood
+still.
+
+'And the sword,' he said, looking fondly up to the place where it
+hung. 'My father is a king, but he has not got any sword so
+beautiful as that. Why, the jewels in the scabbard are more splendid
+than the big ruby in his crown!  Has it got a name?  Some swords
+have, you know.'
+
+'It is called "Gunnfjoder," the "Battle Plume,"' answered Helga, 'and
+"Gullfaxi" means "Golden Mane." I don't suppose, if you are to get
+on the horse at all, it would matter your taking the sword too. And
+if you take the sword you will have to carry the stick and the stone
+and the twig as well.'
+
+'They are easily carried,' said Sigurd, gazing at them with scorn;
+'what wretched dried-up things!  Why in the world do you keep
+them?'
+
+'Bather says that he would rather lose Gullfaxi than lose them,'
+replied Helga, 'for if the man who rides the horse is pursued he has
+only to throw the twig behind him and it will turn into a forest, so
+thick that even a bird could hardly fly through. But if his enemy
+happens to know magic, and can throw down the forest, the man
+has only to strike the stone with the stick, and hailstones as large as
+pigeons' eggs will rain down from the sky and will kill every one for
+twenty miles round.'
+
+Having said all this she allowed Sigurd to ride 'just once' round the
+house, taking the sword and other things with him. But when he
+had ridden round, instead of dismounting, he suddenly turned the
+horse's head and galloped away.
+
+Soon after this Helga's father came home and found his daughter in
+tears. He asked what was the matter, and when he heard all that
+had happened, he rushed off as fast as he could to pursue Sigurd.
+
+Now, as Sigurd happened to look behind him he saw the giant
+coming after him with great strides, and in all haste he threw the
+twig behind him. Immediately such a thick wood sprang up at once
+between him and his enemy that the giant was obliged to run home
+for an axe with which to cut his way through.
+
+The next time Sigurd glanced round, the giant was so near that he
+almost touched Gullfaxi's tail. In an agony of fear Sigurd turned
+quickly in his saddle and hit the stone with the stick. No sooner
+had he done this than a terrible hailstorm burst behind, and the giant
+was killed on the spot.
+
+But had Sigurd struck the stone without turning round, the hail
+would have driven right into his face and killed him instead.
+
+After the giant was dead Sigurd rode on towards his own home,
+and on the way he suddenly met his stepmother's little dog, running
+to meet him, with tears pouring down its face. He galloped on as
+hard as he could, and on arriving found nine men-servants in the act
+of tying Queen Ingiborg to a post in the courtyard of the palace,
+where they intended to burn her.
+
+Wild with anger Prince Sigurd sprang from his horse and, sword in
+hand, fell on the men and killed them all. Then he released his
+stepmother, and went in with her to see his father.
+
+The king lay in bed sick with sorrow, and neither eating nor
+drinking, for he thought that his son had been killed by the queen. 
+He could hardly believe his own eyes for joy when he saw the
+prince, and Sigurd told him all his adventures.
+
+After that Prince Sigurd rode back to fetch Helga, and a great feast
+was made which lasted three days; and every one said no bride was
+ever seen so beautiful as Helga, and they lived happily for many,
+many years, and everybody loved them.
+
+[From Islandische Mahrchen.]
+
+
+
+The Story Of The Sham Prince, Or The Ambitious Tailor
+
+Once upon a time there lived a respectable young tailor called
+Labakan, who worked for a clever master in Alexandria. No one
+could call Labakan either stupid or lazy, for he could work
+extremely well and quickly--when he chose; but there was
+something not altogether right about him. Sometimes he would
+stitch away as fast as if he had a red-hot needle and a burning
+thread, and at other times he would sit lost in thought, and with
+such a queer look about him that his fellow-workmen used to say,
+'Labakan has got on his aristocratic face today.'
+
+On Fridays he would put on his fine robe which he had bought with
+the money he had managed to save up, and go to the mosque. As
+he came back, after prayers, if he met any friend who said
+'Good-day,' or 'How are you, friend Labakan?' he would wave his
+hand graciously or nod in a condescending way; and if his master
+happened to say to him, as he sometimes did, 'Really, Labakan, you
+look like a prince,' he was delighted, and would answer, 'Have you
+noticed it too?' or 'Well, so I have long thought.'
+
+Things went on like this for some time, and the master put up with
+Labakan's absurdities because he was, on the whole, a good fellow
+and a clever workman.
+
+One day, the sultan's brother happened to be passing through
+Alexandria, and wanted to have one of his state robes altered, so he
+sent for the master tailor, who handed the robe over to Labakan as
+his best workman.
+
+In the evening, when every one had left the workshop and gone
+home, a great longing drove Labakan back to the place where the
+royal robe hung. He stood a long time gazing at it, admiring the
+rich material and the splendid embroidery in it. At last he could
+hold out no longer. He felt he must try it on, and lo! and behold, it
+fitted as though it had been made for him.
+
+'Am not I as good a prince as any other?' he asked himself, as he
+proudly paced up and down the room. 'Has not the master often
+said that I seemed born to be a prince?'
+
+It seemed to him that he must be the son of some unknown
+monarch, and at last he determined to set out at once and travel in
+search of his proper rank.
+
+He felt as if the splendid robe had been sent him by some kind fairy,
+and he took care not to neglect such a precious gift. He collected
+all his savings, and, concealed by the darkness of the night, he
+passed through the gates of Alexandria.
+
+The new prince excited a good deal of curiosity where ever he
+went, for his splendid robe and majestic manner did not seem quite
+suitable to a person travelling on foot. If anyone asked questions,
+he only replied with an important air of mystery that he had his own
+reasons for not riding.
+
+However, he soon found out that walking made him ridiculous, so
+at last he bought a quiet, steady old horse, which he managed to get
+cheap.
+
+One day, as he was ambling along upon Murva (that was the horse's
+name), a horseman overtook him and asked leave to join him, so
+that they might both beguile the journey with pleasant talk. The
+newcomer was a bright, cheerful, good-looking young man, who
+soon plunged into conversation and asked many questions. He told
+Labakan that his own name was Omar, that he was a nephew of Elfi
+Bey, and was travelling in order to carry out a command given him
+by his uncle on his death bed. Labakan was not quite so open in his
+confidences, but hinted that he too was of noble birth and was
+travelling for pleasure.
+
+The two young men took a fancy to each other and rode on
+together. On the second day of their journey Labakan questioned
+Omar as to the orders he had to carry out, and to his surprise heard
+this tale.
+
+Elfi Bey, Pacha of Cairo, had brought up Omar from his earliest
+childhood, and the boy had never known his parents. On his
+deathbed Elfi Bey called Omar to him, and then told him that he
+was not his nephew, but the son of a great king, who, having been
+warned of coming dangers by his astrologers, had sent the young
+prince away and made a vow not to see him till his twenty-second
+birthday.
+
+Elfi Bey did not tell Omar his father's name, but expressly desired
+him to be at a great pillar four days' journey east of Alexandria on
+the fourth day of the coming month, on which day he would be
+twenty-two years old. Here he would meet some men, to whom he
+was to hand a dagger which Elfi Bey gave him, and to say 'Here am
+I for whom you seek.'
+
+If they answered: 'Praised be the Prophet who has preserved you,'
+he was to follow them, and they would take him to his father.
+
+Labakan was greatly surprised and interested by this story, but after
+hearing it he could not help looking on Prince Omar with envious
+eyes, angry that his friend should have the position he himself
+longed so much for. He began to make comparisons between the
+prince and himself, and was obliged to confess that he was a
+fine-looking young man with very good manners and a pleasant
+expression.
+
+At the same time, he felt sure that had he been in the prince's place
+any royal father might have been glad to own him.
+
+These thoughts haunted him all day, and he dreamt them all night. 
+He woke very early, and as he saw Omar sleeping quietly, with a
+happy smile on his face, a wish arose in his mind to take by force or
+by cunning the things which an unkind fate had denied him.
+
+The dagger which was to act as a passport was sticking in Omar's
+girdle. Labakan drew it gently out, and hesitated for a moment
+whether or not to plunge it into the heart of the sleeping prince. 
+However, he shrank from the idea of murder, so he contented
+himself with placing the dagger in his own belt, and, saddling
+Omar's swift horse for himself, was many miles away before the
+prince woke up to realise his losses.
+
+For two days Labakan rode on steadily, fearing lest, after all, Omar
+might reach the meeting place before him. At the end of the second
+day he saw the great pillar at a distance. It stood on a little hill in
+the middle of a plain, and could be seen a very long way off. 
+Labakan's heart beat fast at the sight. Though he had had some
+time in which to think over the part he meant to play his conscience
+made him rather uneasy. However, the thought that he must
+certainly have been born to be a king supported him, and he bravely
+rode on.
+
+The neighbourhood was quite bare and desert, and it was a good
+thing that the new prince had brought food for some time with him,
+as two days were still wanting till the appointed time.
+
+Towards the middle of the next day he saw a long procession of
+horses and camels coming towards him. It halted at the bottom of
+the hill, and some splendid tents were pitched. Everything looked
+like the escort of some great man. Labakan made a shrewd guess
+that all these people had come here on his account; but he checked
+his impatience, knowing that only on the fourth day could his
+wishes be fulfilled.
+
+The first rays of the rising sun woke the happy tailor. As he began
+to saddle his horse and prepare to ride to the pillar, he could not
+help having some remorseful thoughts of the trick he had played
+and the blighted hopes of the real prince. But the die was cast, and
+his vanity whispered that he was as fine looking a young man as the
+proudest king might wish his son to be, and that, moreover, what
+had happened had happened.
+
+With these thoughts he summoned up all his courage sprang on his
+horse, and in less than a quarter of an hour was at the foot of the
+hill. Here he dismounted, tied the horse to a bush, and, drawing out
+Prince Omar's dagger climbed up the hill.
+
+At the foot of the pillar stood six men round a tall and stately
+person. His superb robe of cloth of gold was girt round him by a
+white cashmere shawl, and his white, richly jewelled turban showed
+that he was a man of wealth and high rank.
+
+Labakan went straight up to him, and, bending low, handed him the
+dagger, saying: 'Here am I whom you seek.'
+
+'Praised be the Prophet who has preserved you! replied the old man
+with tears of joy. 'Embrace me, my dear son Omar!'
+
+The proud tailor was deeply moved by these solemn words, and
+with mingled shame and joy sank into the old king's arms.
+
+But his happiness was not long unclouded. As he raised his head he
+saw a horseman who seemed trying to urge a tired or unwilling
+horse across the plain.
+
+Only too soon Labakan recognised his own old horse, Murva, and
+the real Prince Omar, but having once told a lie he made up his
+mind not to own his deceit.
+
+At last the horseman reached the foot of the hill. Here he flung
+himself from the saddle and hurried up to the pillar.
+
+'Stop!' he cried, 'whoever you may be, and do not let a disgraceful
+impostor take you in. My name is Omar, and let no one attempt to
+rob me of it.'
+
+This turn of affairs threw the standers-by into great surprise. The
+old king in particular seemed much moved as he looked from one
+face to the other. At last Labakan spoke with forced calmness,
+'Most gracious lord and father, do not let yourself be deceived by
+this man. As far as I know, he is a half-crazy tailor's apprentice
+from Alexandria, called Labakan, who really deserves more pity
+than anger.'
+
+These words infuriated the prince. Foaming with rage, he tried to
+press towards Labakan, but the attendants threw themselves upon
+him and held him fast, whilst the king said, 'Truly, my dear son, the
+poor fellow is quite mad. Let him be bound and placed on a
+dromedary. Perhaps we may be able to get some help for him.'
+
+The prince's first rage was over, and with tears he cried to the king,
+'My heart tells me that you are my father, and in my mother's name
+I entreat you to hear me.'
+
+'Oh! heaven forbid!' was the reply. 'He is talking nonsense again. 
+How can the poor man have got such notions into his head?'
+
+With these words the king took Labakan's arm to support him
+down the hill. They both mounted richly caparisoned horses and
+rode across the plain at the head of their followers.
+
+The unlucky prince was tied hand and foot, and fastened on a
+dromedary, a guard riding on either side and keeping a sharp
+look-out on him.
+
+The old king was Sached, Sultan of the Wachabites. For many
+years he had had no children, but at length the son he had so long
+wished for was born. But the sooth-sayers and magicians whom he
+consulted as to the child's future all said that until he was
+twenty-two years old he stood in danger of being injured by an
+enemy. So, to make all safe, the sultan had confided the prince to
+his trusty friend Elfi Bey, and deprived himself of the happiness of
+seeing him for twenty-two years. All this the sultan told Labakan,
+and was much pleased by his appearance and dignified manner.
+
+When they reached their own country they were received with
+every sign of joy, for the news of the prince's safe return had spread
+like wildfire, and every town and village was decorated, whilst the
+inhabitants thronged to greet them with cries of joy and
+thankfulness. All this filled Labakan's proud heart with rapture,
+whilst the unfortunate Omar followed in silent rage and despair.
+
+At length they arrived in the capital, where the public rejoicings
+were grander and more brilliant than anywhere else. The queen
+awaited them in the great hall of the palace, surrounded by her
+entire court. It was getting dark, and hundreds of coloured hanging
+lamps were lit to turn night into day.
+
+The brightest hung round the throne on which the queen sat, and
+which stood above four steps of pure gold inlaid with great
+amethysts. The four greatest nobles in the kingdom held a canopy
+of crimson silk over the queen, and the Sheik of Medina fanned her
+with a peacock-feather fan.
+
+In this state she awaited her husband and her son. She, too, had not
+seen Omar since his birth, but so many dreams had shown her what
+he would look like that she felt she would know him among a
+thousand.
+
+And now the sound of trumpets and drums and of shouts and
+cheers outside announced the long looked for moment. The doors
+flew open, and between rows of lowbending courtiers and servants
+the king approached the throne, leading his pretended son by the
+hand.
+
+'Here,' said he, 'is he for whom you have been longing so many
+years.'
+
+But the queen interrupted him, 'That is not my son!' she cried. 
+'That is not the face the Prophet has shown me in my dreams!'
+
+Just as the king was about to reason with her, the door was thrown
+violently open, and Prince Omar rushed in, followed by his keepers,
+whom he had managed to get away from. He flung himself down
+before the throne, panting out, 'Here will I die; kill me at once,
+cruel father, for I cannot bear this shame any longer.'
+
+Everyone pressed round the unhappy man, and the guards were
+about to seize him, when the queen, who at first was dumb with
+surprise, sprang up from her throne.
+
+'Hold!' cried she. 'This and no other is the right one; this is the one
+whom my eyes have never yet seen, but whom my heart recognises.'
+
+The guards had stepped back, but the king called to them in a
+furious voice to secure the madman.
+
+'It is I who must judge,' he said in tones of command; 'and this
+matter cannot be decided by women's dreams, but by certain
+unmistakable signs. This one' (pointing to Labakan) 'is my son, for
+it was he who brought me the token from my friend Elfi--the
+dagger.'
+
+'He stole it from me,' shrieked Omar; 'he betrayed my unsuspicious
+confidence.'
+
+But the king would not listen to his son's voice, for he had always
+been accustomed to depend on his own judgment. He let the
+unhappy Omar be dragged from the hall, whilst he himself retired
+with Labakan to his own rooms, full of anger with the queen his
+wife, in spite of their many years of happy life together.
+
+The queen, on her side, was plunged in grief, for she felt certain
+that an impostor had won her husband's heart and taken the place of
+her real son.
+
+When the first shock was over she began to think how she could
+manage to convince the king of his mistake. Of course it would be
+a difficult matter, as the man who declared he was Omar had
+produced the dagger as a token, besides talking of all sorts of things
+which happened when he was a child. She called her oldest and
+wisest ladies about her and asked their advice, but none of them had
+any to give. At last one very clever old woman said: 'Did not the
+young man who brought the dagger call him whom your majesty
+believes to be your son Labakan, and say he was a crazy tailor? '
+
+'Yes,' replied the queen; 'but what of that?'
+
+'Might it not be,' said the old lady, 'that the impostor has called your
+real son by his own name?  If this should be the case, I know of a
+capital way to find out the truth.'
+
+And she whispered some words to the queen, who seemed much
+pleased, and went off at once to see the king.
+
+Now the queen was a very wise woman, so she pretended to think
+she might have made a mistake, and only begged to be allowed to
+put a test to the two young men to prove which was the real prince.
+
+The king, who was feeling much ashamed of the rage he had been
+in with his dear wife, consented at once, and she said: 'No doubt
+others would make them ride or shoot, or something of that sort,
+but every one learns these things. I wish to set them a task which
+requires sharp wits and clever hands, and I want them to try which
+of them can best make a kaftan and pair of trousers.'
+
+The king laughed. 'No, no, that will never do. Do you suppose my
+son would compete with that crazy tailor as to which could make
+the best clothes? Oh, dear, no, that won't do at all.'
+
+But the queen claimed his promise, and as he was a man of his
+word the king gave in at last. He went to his son and begged that
+he would humour his mother, who had set her heart on his making a
+kaftan.
+
+The worthy Labakan laughed to himself. 'If that is all she wants,'
+thought he, 'her majesty will soon be pleased to own me.'
+
+Two rooms were prepared, with pieces of material, scissors,
+needles and threads, and each young man was shut up in one of
+them.
+
+The king felt rather curious as to what sort of garment his son
+would make, and the queen, too, was very anxious as to the result
+of her experiment.
+
+On the third day they sent for the two young men and their work. 
+Labakan came first and spread out his kaftan before the eyes of the
+astonished king. 'See, father,' he said; 'see, my honoured mother, if
+this is not a masterpiece of work. I'll bet the court tailor himself
+cannot do better.
+
+The queen smiled and turned to Omar: 'And what have you done,
+my son?'
+
+Impatiently he threw the stuff and scissors down on the floor. 'I
+have been taught how to manage a horse, to draw a sword, and to
+throw a lance some sixty paces, but I never learnt to sew, and such
+a thing would have been thought beneath the notice of the pupil of
+Elfi Bey, the ruler of Cairo.'
+
+'Ah, true son of your father,' cried the queen; 'if only I might
+embrace you and call you son! Forgive me, my lord and husband,'
+she added, turning to the king, 'for trying to find out the truth in this
+way. Do you not see yourself now which is the prince and which
+the tailor? Certainly this kaftan is a very fine one, but I should like
+to know what master taught this young man how to make clothes.'
+
+The king sat deep in thought, looking now at his wife and now at
+Labakan, who was doing his best to hide his vexation at his own
+stupidity. At last the king said: 'Even this trial does not satisfy me;
+but happily I know of a sure way to discover whether or not I have
+been deceived.'
+
+He ordered his swiftest horse to be saddled, mounted, and rode off
+alone into a forest at some little distance. Here lived a kindly fairy
+called Adolzaide, who had often helped the kings of his race with
+her good advice, and to her he betook himself.
+
+In the middle of the forest was a wide open space surrounded by
+great cedar trees, and this was supposed to be the fairy's favourite
+spot. When the king reached this place he dismounted, tied his
+horse to the tree, and standing in the middle of the open place said:
+'If it is true that you have helped my ancestors in their time of need,
+do not despise their descendant, but give me counsel, for that of
+men has failed me.'
+
+He had hardly finished speaking when one of the cedar trees
+opened, and a veiled figure all dressed in white stepped from it.
+
+'I know your errand, King Sached,' she said; 'it is an honest one, and
+I will give you my help. Take these two little boxes and let the two
+men who claim to be your son choose between them. I know that
+the real prince will make no mistake.'
+
+She then handed him two little boxes made of ivory set with gold
+and pearls. On the lid of each (which the king vainly tried to open)
+was an inscription in diamonds. On one stood the words 'Honour
+and Glory,' and on the other 'Wealth and Happiness.'
+
+'It would be a hard choice,' thought the king as he rode home.
+
+He lost no time in sending for the queen and for all his court, and
+when all were assembled he made a sign, and Labakan was led in. 
+With a proud air he walked up to the throne, and kneeling down,
+asked:
+
+'What does my lord and father command?'
+
+The king replied: 'My son, doubts have been thrown on your claim
+to that name. One of these boxes contains the proofs of your birth. 
+Choose for yourself. No doubt you will choose right.'
+
+He then pointed to the ivory boxes, which were placed on two little
+tables near the throne.
+
+Labakan rose and looked at the boxes. He thought for some
+minutes, and then said: 'My honoured father, what can be better
+than the happiness of being your son, and what nobler than the
+riches of your love. I choose the box with the words "Wealth and
+Happiness."'
+
+'We shall see presently if you have chosen the right one. For the
+present take a seat there beside the Pacha of Medina,' replied the
+king.
+
+Omar was next led in, looking sad and sorrowful. He threw himself
+down before the throne and asked what was the king's pleasure. 
+The king pointed out the two boxes to him, and he rose and went to
+the tables. He carefully read the two mottoes and said: 'The last
+few days have shown me how uncertain is happiness and how easily
+riches vanish away. Should I lose a crown by it I make my choice
+of "Honour and Glory."'
+
+He laid his hand on the box as he spoke, but the king signed to him
+to wait, and ordered Labakan to come to the other table and lay his
+hand on the box he had chosen.
+
+Then the king rose from his throne, and in solemn silence all present
+rose too, whilst he said: 'Open the boxes, and may Allah show us
+the truth.'
+
+The boxes were opened with the greatest ease. In the one Omar
+had chosen lay a little gold crown and sceptre on a velvet cushion. 
+In Labakan's box was found--a large needle with some thread!
+
+The king told the two young men to bring him their boxes. They
+did so. He took the crown in his hand, and as he held it, it grew
+bigger and bigger, till it was as large as a real crown. He placed it
+on the head of his son Omar, kissed him on the forehead, and
+placed him on his right hand. Then, turning to Labakan, he said:
+'There is an old proverb, "The cobbler sticks to his last." It seems as
+though you were to stick to your needle. You have not deserved
+any mercy, but I cannot be harsh on this day. I give you your life,
+but I advise you to leave this country as fast as you can.'
+
+Full of shame, the unlucky tailor could not answer. He flung
+himself down before Omar, and with tears in his eyes asked: 'Can
+you forgive me, prince?'
+
+'Go in peace,' said Omar as he raised him.
+
+'Oh, my true son!' cried the king as he clasped the prince in his
+arms, whilst all the pachas and emirs shouted, 'Long live Prince
+Omar!'
+
+In the midst of all the noise and rejoicing Labakan slipped off with
+his little box under his arm. He went to the stables, saddled his old
+horse, Murva, and rode out of the gate towards Alexandria. 
+Nothing but the ivory box with its diamond motto was left to show
+him that the last few weeks had not been a dream.
+
+When he reached Alexandria he rode up to his old master's door. 
+When he entered the shop, his master came forward to ask what
+was his pleasure, but as soon as he saw who it was he called his
+workmen, and they all fell on Labakan with blows and angry words,
+till at last he fell, half fainting, on a heap of old clothes.
+
+The master then scolded him soundly about the stolen robe, but in
+vain Labakan told him he had come to pay for it and offered three
+times its price. They only fell to beating him again, and at last
+pushed him out of the house more dead than alive.
+
+He could do nothing but remount his horse and ride to an inn. Here
+he found a quiet place in which to rest his bruised and battered
+limbs and to think over his many misfortunes. He fell asleep fully
+determined to give up trying to be great, but to lead the life of an
+honest workman.
+
+Next morning he set to work to fulfil his good resolutions. He sold
+his little box to a jeweller for a good price, bought a house and
+opened a workshop. Then he hung up a sign with, 'Labakan,
+Tailor,' over his door, and sat down to mend his own torn clothes
+with the very needle which had been in the ivory box.
+
+After a while he was called away, and when he went back to his
+work he found a wonderful thing had happened!  The needle was
+sewing away all by itself and making the neatest little stitches, such
+as Labakan had never been able to make even at his best.
+
+Certainly even the smallest gift of a kind fairy is of great value, and
+this one had yet another advantage, for the thread never came to an
+end, however much the needle sewed.
+
+Labakan soon got plenty of customers. He used to cut out the
+clothes, make the first stitch with the magic needle, and then leave
+it to do the rest. Before long the whole town went to him, for his
+work was both so good and so cheap. The only puzzle was how he
+could do so much, working all alone, and also why he worked with
+closed doors.
+
+And so the promise on the ivory box of 'Wealth and Happiness'
+came true for him, and when he heard of all the brave doings of
+Prince Omar, who was the pride and darling of his people and the
+terror of his enemies, the ex-prince thought to himself, 'After all, I
+am better off as a tailor, for "Honour and Glory" are apt to be very
+dangerous things.'
+
+
+
+The Colony Of Cats
+
+Long, long ago, as far back as the time when animals spoke, there
+lived a community of cats in a deserted house they had taken
+possession of not far from a large town. They had everything they
+could possibly desire for their comfort, they were well fed and well
+lodged, and if by any chance an unlucky mouse was stupid enough
+to venture in their way, they caught it, not to eat it, but for the pure
+pleasure of catching it. The old people of the town related how
+they had heard their parents speak of a time when the whole
+country was so overrun with rats and mice that there was not so
+much as a grain of corn nor an ear of maize to be gathered in the
+fields; and it might be out of gratitude to the cats who had rid the
+country of these plagues that their descendants were allowed to live
+in peace. No one knows where they got the money to pay for
+everything, nor who paid it, for all this happened so very long ago. 
+But one thing is certain, they were rich enough to keep a servant;
+for though they lived very happily together, and did not scratch nor
+fight more than human beings would have done, they were not
+clever enough to do the housework themselves, and preferred at all
+events to have some one to cook their meat, which they would have
+scorned to eat raw. Not only were they very difficult to please
+about the housework, but most women quickly tired of living alone
+with only cats for companions, consequently they never kept a
+servant long; and it had become a saying in the town, when anyone
+found herself reduced to her last penny: 'I will go and live with the
+cats,' and so many a poor woman actually did.
+
+Now Lizina was not happy at home, for her mother, who was a
+widow, was much fonder of her elder daughter; so that often the
+younger one fared very badly, and had not enough to eat, while the
+elder could have everything she desired, and if Lizina dared to
+complain she was certain to have a good beating.
+
+At last the day came when she was at the end of her courage and
+patience, and exclaimed to her mother and sister:
+
+'As you hate me so much you will be glad to be rid of me, so I am
+going to live with the cats!'
+
+'Be off with you!' cried her mother, seizing an old broom-handle
+from behind the door. Poor Lizina did not wait to be told twice,
+but ran off at once and never stopped till she reached the door of
+the cats' house. Their cook had left them that very morning, with
+her face all scratched, the result of such a quarrel with the head of
+the house that he had very nearly scratched out her eyes. Lizina
+therefore was warmly welcomed, and she set to work at once to
+prepare the dinner, not without many misgivings as to the tastes of
+the cats, and whether she would be able to satisfy them.
+
+Going to and fro about her work, she found herself frequently
+hindered by a constant succession of cats who appeared one after
+another in the kitchen to inspect the new servant; she had one in
+front of her feet, another perched on the back of her chair while she
+peeled the vegetables, a third sat on the table beside her, and five or
+six others prowled about among the pots and pans on the shelves
+against the wall. The air resounded with their purring, which meant
+that they were pleased with their new maid, but Lizina had not yet
+learned to understand their language, and often she did not know
+what they wanted her to do. However, as she was a good,
+kindhearted girl, she set to work to pick up the little kittens which
+tumbled about on the floor, she patched up quarrels, and nursed on
+her lap a big tabby--the oldest of the community--which had a lame
+paw. All these kindnesses could hardly fail to make a favourable
+impression on the cats, and it was even better after a while, when
+she had had time to grow accustomed to their strange ways. Never
+had the house been kept so clean, the meats so well served, nor the
+sick cats so well cared for. After a time they had a visit from an old
+cat, whom they called their father, who lived by himself in a barn at
+the top of the hill, and came down from time to time to inspect the
+little colony. He too was much taken with Lizina, and inquired, on
+first seeing her: 'Are you well served by this nice, black-eyed little
+person?' and the cats answered with one voice: 'Oh, yes, Father
+Gatto, we have never had so good a servant!'
+
+At each of his visits the answer was always the same; but after a
+time the old cat, who was very observant, noticed that the little
+maid had grown to look sadder and sadder. 'What is the matter, my
+child has any one been unkind to you?' he asked one day, when he
+found her crying in her kitchen. She burst into tears and answered
+between her sobs: 'Oh, no! they are all very good to me; but I long
+for news from home, and I pine to see my mother and my sister.'
+
+Old Gatto, being a sensible old cat, understood the little servant's
+feelings. 'You shall go home,' he said, 'and you shall not come back
+here unless you please. But first you must be rewarded for all your
+kind services to my children. Follow me down into the inner cellar,
+where you have never yet been, for I always keep it locked and
+carry the key away with me.'
+
+Lizina looked round her in astonishment as they went down into the
+great vaulted cellar underneath the kitchen. Before her stood the
+big earthenware water jars, one of which contained oil, the other a
+liquid shining like gold. 'In which of these jars shall I dip you?'
+asked Father Gatto, with a grin that showed all his sharp white
+teeth, while his moustaches stood out straight on either side of his
+face. The little maid looked at the two jars from under her long
+dark lashes: 'In the oil jar,' she answered timidly, thinking to
+herself: 'I could not ask to be bathed in gold.'
+
+But Father Gatto replied: 'No, no; you have deserved something
+better than that.' And seizing her in his strong paws he plunged her
+into the liquid gold. Wonder of wonders! when Lizina came out of
+the jar she shone from head to foot like the sun in the heavens on a
+fine summer's day. Her pretty pink cheeks and long black hair
+alone kept their natural colour, otherwise she had become like a
+statue of pure gold. Father Gatto purred loudly with satisfaction. 
+'Go home,' he said, 'and see your mother and sisters; but take care if
+you hear the cock crow to turn towards it; if on the contrary the ass
+brays, you must look the other way.'
+
+The little maid, having gratefully kissed the white paw of the old
+cat, set off for home; but just as she got near her mother's house the
+cock crowed, and quickly she turned towards it. Immediately a
+beautiful golden star appeared on her forehead, crowning her glossy
+black hair. At the same time the ass began to bray, but Lizina took
+care not to look over the fence into the field where the donkey was
+feeding. Her mother and sister, who were in front of their house,
+uttered cries of admiration and astonishment when they saw her,
+and their cries became still louder when Lizina, taking her
+handkerchief from her pocket, drew out also a handful of gold.
+
+For some days the mother and her two daughters lived very happily
+together, for Lizina had given them everything she had brought
+away except her golden clothing, for that would not come off, in
+spite of all the efforts of her sister, who was madly jealous of her
+good fortune. The golden star, too, could not be removed from her
+forehead. But all the gold pieces she drew from her pockets had
+found their way to her mother and sister.
+
+'I will go now and see what I can get out of the pussies,' said
+Peppina, the elder girl, one morning, as she took Lizina's basket and
+fastened her pockets into her own skirt. 'I should like some of the
+cats' gold for myself,' she thought, as she left her mother's house
+before the sun rose.
+
+The cat colony had not yet taken another servant, for they knew
+they could never get one to replace Lizina, whose loss they had not
+yet ceased to mourn. When they heard that Peppina was her sister,
+they all ran to meet her. 'She is not the least like her,' the kittens
+whispered among themselves.
+
+'Hush, be quiet!' the older cats said; 'all servants cannot be pretty.'
+
+No, decidedly she was not at all like Lizina. Even the most
+reasonable and large-minded of the cats soon acknowledged that.
+
+The very first day she shut the kitchen door in the face of the
+tom-cats who used to enjoy watching Lizina at her work, and a
+young and mischievous cat who jumped in by the open kitchen
+window and alighted on the table got such a blow with the
+rolling-pin that he squalled for an hour.
+
+With every day that passed the household became more and more
+aware of its misfortune.
+
+The work was as badly done as the servant was surly and
+disagreeable; in the corners of the rooms there were collected heaps
+of dust; spiders' webs hung from the ceilings and in front of the
+window-panes; the beds were hardly ever made, and the feather
+beds, so beloved by the old and feeble cats, had never once been
+shaken since Lizina left the house. At Father Gatto's next visit he
+found the whole colony in a state of uproar.
+
+'Caesar has one paw so badly swollen that it looks as if it were
+broken,' said one. 'Peppina kicked him with her great wooden
+shoes on. Hector has an abscess in his back where a wooden chair
+was flung at him; and Agrippina's three little kittens have died of
+hunger beside their mother, because Peppina forgot them in their
+basket up in the attic. There is no putting up with the creature--do
+send her away, Father Gatto! Lizina herself would not be angry
+with us; she must know very well what her sister is like.'
+
+'Come here,' said Father Gatto, in his most severe tones to Peppina. 
+And he took her down into the cellar and showed her the same two
+great jars that he had showed Lizina. 'In which of these shall I dip
+you?' he asked; and she made haste to answer: 'In the liquid gold,'
+for she was no more modest than she was good and kind.
+
+Father Gatto's yellow eyes darted fire. 'You have not deserved it,'
+he uttered, in a voice like thunder, and seizing her he flung her into
+the jar of oil, where she was nearly suffocated. When she came to
+the surface screaming and struggling, the vengeful cat seized her
+again and rolled her in the ash-heap on the floor; then when she
+rose, dirty, blinded, and disgusting to behold, he thrust her from the
+door, saying: 'Begone, and when you meet a braying ass be careful
+to turn your head towards it.'
+
+Stumbling and raging, Peppina set off for home, thinking herself
+fortunate to find a stick by the wayside with which to support
+herself. She was within sight of her mother's house when she heard
+in the meadow on the right, the voice of a donkey loudly braying. 
+Quickly she turned her head towards it, and at the same time put
+her hand up to her forehead, where, waving like a plume, was a
+donkey's tail. She ran home to her mother at the top of her speed,
+yelling with rage and despair; and it took Lizina two hours with a
+big basin of hot water and two cakes of soap to get rid of the layer
+of ashes with which Father Gatto had adorned her. As for the
+donkey's tail, it was impossible to get rid of that; it was as firmly
+fixed on her forehead as was the golden star on Lizina's. Their
+mother was furious. She first beat Lizina unmercifully with the
+broom, then she took her to the mouth of the well and lowered her
+into it, leaving her at the bottom weeping and crying for help.
+
+Before this happened, however, the king's son in passing the
+mother's house had seen Lizina sitting sewing in the parlour, and
+had been dazzled by her beauty. After coming back two or three
+times, he at last ventured to approach the window and to whisper in
+the softest voice: 'Lovely maiden, will you be my bride?' and she
+had answered: 'I will.'
+
+Next morning, when the prince arrived to claim his bride, he found
+her wrapped in a large white veil. 'It is so that maidens are received
+from their parents' hands,' said the mother, who hoped to make the
+king's son marry Peppina in place of her sister, and had fastened the
+donkey's tail round her head like a lock of hair under the veil. The
+prince was young and a little timid, so he made no objections, and
+seated Peppina in the carriage beside him.
+
+Their way led past the old house inhabited by the cats, who were all
+at the window, for the report had got about that the prince was
+going to marry the most beautiful maiden in the world, on whose
+forehead shone a golden star, and they knew that this could only be
+their adored Lizina. As the carriage slowly passed in front of the
+old house, where cats from all parts of world seemed to be gathered
+a song burst from every throat:!
+
+Mew, mew, mew! Prince, look quick behind you! In the well is fair
+Lizina, And you've got nothing but Peppina.
+
+When he heard this the coachman, who understood the cat's
+language better than the prince, his master, stopped his horses and
+asked:
+
+'Does your highness know what the grimalkins are saying?' and the
+song broke forth again louder than ever.
+
+With a turn of his hand the prince threw back the veil, and
+discovered the puffed-up, swollen face of Peppina, with the
+donkey's tail twisted round her head. 'Ah, traitress!' he exclaimed,
+and ordering the horses to be turned round, he drove the elder
+daughter, quivering with rage, to the old woman who had sought to
+deceive him. With his hand on the hilt of his sword he demanded
+Lizina in so terrific a voice that the mother hastened to the well to
+draw her prisoner out. Lizina's clothing and her star shone so
+brilliantly that when the prince led her home to the king, his father,
+the whole palace was lit up. Next day they were married, and lived
+happy ever after; and all the cats, headed by old Father Gatto, were
+present at the wedding.
+
+
+
+How To Find Out A True Friend
+
+Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who longed to have
+a son. As none came, one day they made a vow at the shrine of St. 
+James that if their prayers were granted the boy should set out on a
+pilgrimage as soon as he had passed his eighteenth birthday. And
+fancy their delight when one evening the king returned home from
+hunting and saw a baby lying in the cradle.
+
+All the people came crowding round to peep at it, and declared it
+was the most beautiful baby that ever was seen. Of course that is
+what they always say, but this time it happened to be true. And
+every day the boy grew bigger and stronger till he was twelve years
+old, when the king died, and he was left alone to take care of his
+mother.
+
+In this way six years passed by, and his eighteenth birthday drew
+near. When she thought of this the queen's heart sank within her,
+for he was the light of her eyes' and how was she to send him forth
+to the unknown dangers that beset a pilgrim?  So day by day she
+grew more and more sorrowful, and when she was alone wept
+bitterly.
+
+Now the queen imagined that no one but herself knew how sad she
+was, but one morning her son said to her, 'Mother, why do you cry
+the whole day long?'
+
+'Nothing, nothing, my son; there is only one thing in the world that
+troubles me.'
+
+'What is that one thing?' asked he. 'Are you afraid your property is
+badly managed? Let me go and look into the matter.'
+
+This pleased the queen, and he rode off to the plain country, where
+his mother owned great estates; but everything was in beautiful
+order, and he returned with a joyful heart, and said, 'Now, mother,
+you can be happy again, for your lands are better managed than
+anyone else's I have seen. The cattle are thriving; the fields are
+thick with corn, and soon they will be ripe for harvest.'
+
+'That is good news indeed,' answered she; but it did not seem to
+make any difference to her, and the next morning she was weeping
+and wailing as loudly as ever.
+
+'Dear mother,' said her son in despair, 'if you will not tell me what is
+the cause of all this misery I shall leave home and wander far
+through the world.'
+
+'Ah, my son, my son,' cried the queen, 'it is the thought that I must
+part from you which causes me such grief; for before you were born
+we vowed a vow to St. James that when your eighteenth birthday
+was passed you should make a pilgrimage to his shrine, and very
+soon you will be eighteen, and I shall lose you. And for a whole
+year my eyes will never be gladdened by the sight of you, for the
+shrine is far away.'
+
+'Will it take no longer than that to reach it?' said he. 'Oh, don't be
+so wretched; it is only dead people who never return. As long as I
+am alive you may be sure I will come back to you.'
+
+After this manner he comforted his mother, and on his eighteenth
+birthday his best horse was led to the door of the palace, and he
+took leave of the queen in these words, 'Dear mother, farewell, and
+by the help of fate I shall return to you as soon as I can.'
+
+The queen burst into tears and wept sore; then amidst her sobs she
+drew three apples from her pocket and held them out, saying, 'My
+son, take these apples and give heed unto my words. You will need
+a companion in the long journey on which you are going. If you
+come across a young man who pleases you beg him to accompany
+you, and when you get to an inn invite him to have dinner with you. 
+After you have eaten cut one of these apples in two unequal parts,
+and ask him to take one. If he takes the larger bit, then part from
+him, for he is no true friend to you. But if he takes the smaller bit
+treat him as your brother, and share with him all you have.' Then
+she kissed her son once more, and blessed him, and let him go.
+
+The young man rode a long way without meeting a single creature,
+but at last he saw a youth in the distance about the same age as
+himself, and he spurred his horse till he came up with the stranger,
+who stopped and asked:
+
+'Where are you going, my fine fellow?'
+
+'I am making a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James, for before I
+was born my mother vowed that I should go forth with a thank
+offering on my eighteenth birthday.'
+
+'That is my case too,' said the stranger, 'and, as we must both travel
+in the same direction, let us bear each other company.'
+
+The young man agreed to this proposal, but he took care not to get
+on terms of familiarity with the new comer until he had tried him
+with the apple.
+
+By-and-by they reached an inn, and at sight of it the king's son said,
+'I am very hungry. Let us enter and order something to eat.'  The
+other consented, and they were soon sitting before a good dinner.
+
+When they had finished the king's son drew an apple from his
+pocket, and cut it into a big half and a little half, and offered both to
+the stranger, who took the biggest bit. 'You are no friend of mine,'
+thought the king's son, and in order to part company with him he
+pretended to be ill and declared himself unable to proceed on his
+journey.
+
+'Well, I can't wait for you,' replied the other; 'I am in haste to push
+on, so farewell.'
+
+'Farewell,' said the king's son, glad in his heart to get rid of him so
+easily. The king's son remained in the inn for some time, so as to
+let the young man have a good start; them he ordered his horse and
+rode after him. But he was very sociable and the way seemed long
+and dull by himself. 'Oh, if I could only meet with a true friend,' he
+thought, 'so that I should have some one to speak to. I hate being
+alone.'
+
+Soon after he came up with a young man, who stopped and asked
+him, 'Where are you going, my fine fellow?'  The king's son
+explained the object of his journey, and the young man answered, as
+the other had done, that he also was fulfilling the vow of his mother
+made at his birth.
+
+'Well, we can ride on together,' said the king's son, and the road
+seemed much shorter now that he had some one to talk to.
+
+At length they reached an inn, and the king's son exclaimed, 'I am
+very hungry; let us go in and get something to eat.'
+
+When they had finished the king's son drew an apple out of his
+pocket and cut it in two; he held the big bit and the little bit out to
+his companion, who took the big bit at once and soon ate it up. 
+'You are no friend of mine,' thought the king's son, and began to
+declare he felt so ill he could not continue his journey. When he
+had given the young man a good start he set off himself, but the
+way seemed even longer and duller than before. 'Oh, if I could only
+meet with a true friend he should be as a brother to me,' he sighed
+sadly; and as the thought passed through his mind, he noticed a
+youth going the same road as himself.
+
+The youth came up to him and said, 'Which way are you going, my
+fine fellow?' And for the third time the king's son explained all
+about his mother's vow. Why, that is just like me,' cried the youth.
+
+'Then let us ride on together,' answered the king's son. 
+
+Now the miles seemed to slip by, for the new comer was so lively
+and entertaining that the king's son could not help hoping that he
+indeed might prove to be the true friend.
+
+More quickly than he could have thought possible they reached an
+inn by the road-side, and turning to his companion the king's son
+said, 'I am hungry; let us go in and have something to eat.'  So they
+went in and ordered dinner, and when they had finished the king's
+son drew out of his pocket the last apple, and cut it into two
+unequal parts, and held both out to the stranger. And the stranger
+took the little piece, and the heart of the king's son was glad within
+him, for at last he had found the friend he had been looking for. 
+'Good youth,' he cried, 'we will be brothers, and what is mine shall
+be thine, and what is thine shall be mine. And together we will
+push on to the shrine, and if one of us dies on the road the other
+shall carry his body there.' And the stranger agreed to all he said,
+and they rode forward together.
+
+It took them a whole year to reach the shrine, and they passed
+through many different lands on their way. One day they arrived
+tired and half-starved in a big city, and said to one another, 'Let us
+stay here for a little and rest before we set forth again.'  So they
+hired a small house close to the royal castle, and took up their
+abode there.
+
+The following morning the king of the country happened to step on
+to his balcony, and saw the young men in the garden, and said to
+himself, 'Dear me, those are wonderfully handsome youths; but one
+is handsomer than the other, and to him will I give my daughter to
+wife;' and indeed the king's son excelled his friend in beauty.
+
+In order to set about his plan the king asked both the young men to
+dinner, and when they arrived at the castle he received them with
+the utmost kindness, and sent for his daughter, who was more
+lovely than both the sun and moon put together. But at bed-time
+the king caused the other young man to be given a poisoned drink,
+which killed him in a few minutes, for he thought to himself, 'If his
+friend dies the other will forget his pilgrimage, and will stay here
+and marry my daughter.'
+
+When the king's son awoke the next morning he inquired of the
+servants where his friend had gone, as he did not see him. 'He died
+suddenly last night,' said they, 'and is to be buried immediately.'
+
+But the king's son sprang up, and cried, 'If my friend is dead I can
+stay here no longer, and cannot linger an hour in this house.'
+
+'Oh, give up your journey and remain here,' exclaimed the king, 'and
+you shall have my daughter for your wife.'  'No,' answered the
+king's son, 'I cannot stay; but, I pray you, grant my request, and
+give me a good horse, and let me go in peace, and when I have
+fulfilled my vow then I will return and marry your daughter.'
+
+So the king, seeing no words would move him, ordered a horse to
+be brought round, and the king's son mounted it, and took his dead
+friend before him on the saddle, and rode away.
+
+Now the young man was not really dead, but only in a deep sleep.
+
+When the king's son reached the shrine of St. James he got down
+from his horse, took his friend in his arms as if he had been a child,
+and laid him before the altar. 'St. James,' he said, 'I have fulfilled
+the vow my parents made for me. I have come myself to your
+shrine, and have brought my friend. I place him in your hands. 
+Restore him to life, I pray, for though he be dead yet has he fulfilled
+his vow also.' And, behold! while he yet prayed his friend got up
+and stood before him as well as ever. And both the young men
+gave thanks, and set their faces towards home.
+
+When they arrived at the town where the king dwelt they entered
+the small house over against the castle. The news of their coming
+spread very soon, and the king rejoiced greatly that the handsome
+young prince had come back again, and commanded great feasts to
+be prepared, for in a few days his daughter should marry the king's
+son. The young man himself could imagine no greater happiness,
+and when the marriage was over they spent some months at the
+court making merry.
+
+At length the king's son said, 'My mother awaits me at home, full of
+care and anxiety. Here I must remain no longer, and to-morrow I
+will take my wife and my friend and start for home.' And the king
+was content that he should do so, and gave orders to prepare for
+their journey.
+
+Now in his heart the king cherished a deadly hate towards the poor
+young man whom he had tried to kill, but who had returned to him
+living, and in order to do him hurt sent him on a message to some
+distant spot. 'See that you are quick,' said he, 'for your friend will
+await your return before he starts.' The youth put spurs to his horse
+and departed, bidding the prince farewell, so that the king's message
+might be delivered the sooner. As soon as he had started the king
+went to the chamber of the prince, and said to him, 'If you do not
+start immediately, you will never reach the place where you must
+camp for the night.'
+
+'I cannot start without my friend,' replied the king's son.
+
+'Oh, he will be back in an hour,' replied the king, 'and I will give him
+my best horse, so that he will be sure to catch you up.' The king's
+son allowed himself to be persuaded and took leave of his
+father-in-law, and set out with his wife on his journey home.
+
+Meanwhile the poor friend had been unable to get through his task
+in the short time appointed by the king, and when at last he
+returned the king said to him,
+
+'Your comrade is a long way off by now; you had better see if you
+can overtake him.'
+
+So the young man bowed and left the king's presence, and followed
+after his friend on foot, for he had no horse. Night and day he ran,
+till at length he reached the place where the king's son had pitched
+his tent, and sank down before him, a miserable object, worn out
+and covered with mud and dust. But the king's son welcomed him
+with joy, and tended him as he would his brother.
+
+And at last they came home again, and the queen was waiting and
+watching in the palace, as she had never ceased to do since her son
+had rode away. She almost died of joy at seeing him again, but
+after a little she remembered his sick friend, and ordered a bed to be
+made ready and the best doctors in all the country to be sent for. 
+When they heard of the queen's summons they flocked from all
+parts, but none could cure him. After everyone had tried and failed
+a servant entered and informed the queen that a strange old man
+had just knocked at the palace gate and declared that he was able to
+heal the dying youth. Now this was a holy man, who had heard of
+the trouble the king's son was in, and had come to help.
+
+It happened that at this very time a little daughter was born to the
+king's son, but in his distress for his friend he had hardly a thought
+to spare for the baby. He could not be prevailed on to leave the
+sick bed, and he was bending over it when the holy man entered the
+room. 'Do you wish your friend to be cured?' asked the new comer
+of the king's son. 'And what price would you pay?'
+
+'What price?' answered the king's son; 'only tell me what I can do to
+heal him.'
+
+'Listen to me, then,' said the old man. 'This evening you must take
+your child, and open her veins, and smear the wounds of your
+friend with her blood. And you will see, he will get well in an
+instant.'
+
+At these words the king's son shrieked with horror, for he loved the
+baby dearly, but he answered, 'I have sworn that I would treat my
+friend as if he were my brother, and if there is no other way my
+child must be sacrificed.'
+
+As by this time evening had already fallen he took the child and
+opened its veins, and smeared the blood over the wounds of the
+sick man, and the look of death departed from him, and he grew
+strong and rosy once more. But the little child lay as white and still
+as if she had been dead. They laid her in the cradle and wept
+bitterly, for they thought that by the next morning she would be lost
+to them.
+
+At sunrise the old man returned and asked after the sick man.
+
+'He is as well as ever,' answered the king's son.
+
+'And where is your baby?'
+
+'In the cradle yonder, and I think she is dead,' replied the father
+sadly.
+
+'Look at her once more,' said the holy man, and as they drew near
+the cradle there lay the baby smiling up at them.
+
+'I am St. James of Lizia,,' said the old man, 'and I have come to
+help you, for I have seen that you are a true friend. From
+henceforward live happily, all of you, together, and if troubles
+should draw near you send for me, and I will aid you to get through
+them.'
+
+With these words he lifted his hand in blessing and vanished.
+
+And they obeyed him, and were happy and content, and tried to
+make the people of the land happy and contented too.
+
+[From Sicilianische Mahrehen Gonzenbach.]
+
+
+
+Clever Maria
+
+There was once a merchant who lived close to the royal palace, and
+had three daughters. They were all pretty, but Maria, the youngest,
+was the prettiest of the three. One day the king sent for the
+merchant, who was a widower, to give him directions about a
+journey he wished the good man to take. The merchant would
+rather not have gone, as he did not like leaving his daughters at
+home, but he could not refuse to obey the king's commands, and
+with a heavy heart he returned home to say farewell to them. 
+Before he left, he took three pots of basil, and gave one to each
+girl, saying, 'I am going a journey, but I leave these pots. You must
+let nobody into the house. When I come back, they will tell me
+what has happened.'  'Nothing will have happened,' said the girls.
+
+The father went away, and the following day the king, accompanied
+by two friends, paid a visit to the three girls, who were sitting at
+supper. When they saw who was there, Maria said, 'Let us go and
+get a bottle of wine from the cellar. I will carry the key, my eldest
+sister can take the light, while the other brings the bottle.'  But the
+king replied, 'Oh, do not trouble; we are not thirsty.' 'Very well, we
+will not go,' answered the two elder girls; but Maria merely said, 'I
+shall go, anyhow.'  She left the room, and went to the hall where
+she put out the light, and putting down the key and the bottle, ran
+to the house of a neighbour, and knocked at the door. 'Who is
+there so late?' asked the old woman, thrusting her head out of the
+window.
+
+'Oh, let me in,' answered Maria. 'I have quarrelled with my eldest
+sister, and as I do not want to fight any more, I have come to beg
+you to allow me to sleep with you.'
+
+So the old woman opened the door and Maria slept in her house. 
+The king was very angry at her for playing truant, but when she
+returned home the next day, she found the plants of her sisters
+withered away, because they had disobeyed their father. Now the
+window in the room of the eldest overlooked the gardens of the
+king, and when she saw how fine and ripe the medlars were on the
+trees, she longed to eat some, and begged Maria to scramble down
+by a rope and pick her a few, and she would draw her up again. 
+Maria, who was good-natured, swung herself into the garden by the
+rope, and got the medlars, and was just making the rope fast under
+her arms so as to be hauled up, when her sister cried: 'Oh, there are
+such delicious lemons a little farther on. You might bring me one
+or two.'  Maria turned round to pluck them, and found herself face
+to face with the gardener, who caught hold of her, exclaiming,
+'What are you doing here, you little thief?'  'Don't call me names,'
+she said, 'or you will get the worst of it,' giving him as she spoke
+such a violent push that he fell panting into the lemon bushes. Then
+she seized the cord and clambered up to the window.
+
+The next day the second sister had a fancy for bananas and begged
+so hard, that, though Maria had declared she would never do such a
+thing again, at last she consented, and went down the rope into the
+king's garden. This time she met the king, who said to her, 'Ah,
+here you are again, cunning one!  Now you shall pay for your
+misdeeds.'
+
+And he began to cross-question her about what she had done. 
+Maria denied nothing, and when she had finished, the king said
+again, 'Follow me to the house, and there you shall pay the penalty.' 
+As he spoke, he started for the house, looking back from time to
+time to make sure that Maria had not run away. All of a sudden,
+when he glanced round, he found she had vanished completely,
+without leaving a trace of where she had gone. Search was made
+all through the town, and there was not a hole or corner which was
+not ransacked, but there was no sign of her anywhere. This so
+enraged the king that he became quite ill, and for many months his
+life was despaired of.
+
+Meanwhile the two elder sisters had married the two friends of the
+king, and were the mothers of little daughters. Now one day Maria
+stole secretly to the house where her elder sister lived, and
+snatching up the children put them into a beautiful basket she had
+with her, covered with flowers inside and out, so that no one would
+ever guess it held two babies. Then she dressed herself as a boy,
+and placing the basket on her head, she walked slowly past the
+palace, crying as she went:
+
+'Who will carry these flowers to the king, who lies sick of love?'
+
+And the king in his bed heard what she said, and ordered one of his
+attendants to go out and buy the basket. It was brought to his
+bedside, and as he raised the lid cries were heard, and peeping in he
+saw two little children. He was furious at this new trick which he
+felt had been played on him by Maria, and was still looking at them,
+wondering how he should pay her out, when he was told that the
+merchant, Maria's father, had finished the business on which he had
+been sent and returned home. Then the king remembered how
+Maria had refused to receive his visit, and how she had stolen his
+fruit, and he determined to be revenged on her. So he sent a
+message by one of his pages that the merchant was to come to see
+him the next day, and bring with him a coat made of stone, or else
+he would be punished. Now the poor man had been very sad since
+he got home the evening before, for though his daughters had
+promised that nothing should happen while he was away, he had
+found the two elder ones married without asking his leave. And
+now there was this fresh misfortune, for how was he to make a coat
+of stone?  He wrung his hands and declared that the king would be
+the ruin of him, when Maria suddenly entered. 'Do not grieve about
+the coat of stone, dear father; but take this bit of chalk, and go to
+the palace and say you have come to measure the king.'  The old
+man did not see the use of this, but Maria had so often helped him
+before that he had confidence in her, so he put the chalk in his
+pocket and went to the palace.
+
+'That is no good,' said the king, when the merchant had told him
+what he had come for.
+
+'Well, I can't make the coat you want,' replied he.
+
+'Then if you would save your head, hand over to me your daughter
+Maria.'
+
+The merchant did not reply, but went sorrowfully back to his house,
+where Maria sat waiting for him.
+
+'Oh, my dear child, why was I born?  The king says that, instead of
+the coat, I must deliver you up to him.'
+
+'Do not be unhappy, dear father, but get a doll made, exactly like
+me, with a string attached to its head, which I can pull for "Yes"
+and "No."'
+
+So the old man went out at once to see about it.
+
+The king remained patiently in his palace, feeling sure that this time
+Maria could not escape him; and he said to his pages, 'If a
+gentleman should come here with his daughter and ask to be
+allowed to speak with me, put the young lady in my room and see
+she does not leave it.'
+
+When the door was shut on Maria, who had concealed the doll
+under her cloak, she hid herself under the couch, keeping fast hold
+of the string which was fastened to its head.
+
+'Senhora Maria, I hope you are well,' said the king when he entered
+the room. The doll nodded. 'Now we will reckon up accounts,'
+continued he, and he began at the beginning, and ended up with the
+flower-basket, and at each fresh misdeed Maria pulled the string, so
+that the doll's head nodded assent. 'Who-so mocks at me merits
+death,' declared the king when he had ended, and drawing his
+sword, cut off the doll's head. It fell towards him, and as he felt the
+touch of a kiss, he exclaimed, 'Ah, Maria, Maria, so sweet in death,
+so hard to me in life!  The man who could kill you deserves to die!' 
+And he was about to turn his sword on himself, when the true
+Maria sprung out from under the bed, and flung herself into his
+arms. And the next day they were married and lived happily for
+many years.
+
+[From the Portuguese.]
+
+
+
+The Magic Kettle
+
+Right in the middle of Japan, high up among the mountains, an old
+man lived in his little house. He was very proud of it, and never
+tired of admiring the whiteness of his straw mats, and the pretty
+papered walls, which in warm weather always slid back, so that the
+smell of the trees and flowers might come in.
+
+One day he was standing looking at the mountain opposite, when
+he heard a kind of rumbling noise in the room behind him. He
+turned round, and in the corner he beheld a rusty old iron kettle,
+which could not have seen the light of day for many years. How
+the kettle got there the old man did not know, but he took it up and
+looked it over carefully, and when he found that it was quite whole
+he cleaned the dust off it and carried it into his kitchen.
+
+'That was a piece of luck,' he said, smiling to himself; 'a good kettle
+costs money, and it is as well to have a second one at hand in case
+of need; mine is getting worn out, and the water is already
+beginning to come through its bottom.'
+
+Then he took the other kettle off the fire, filled the new one with
+water, and put it in its place.
+
+No sooner was the water in the kettle getting warm than a strange
+thing happened, and the man, who was standing by, thought he
+must be dreaming. First the handle of the kettle gradually changed
+its shape and became a head, and the spout grew into a tail, while
+out of the body sprang four paws, and in a few minutes the man
+found himself watching, not a kettle, but a tanuki!  The creature
+jumped off the fire, and bounded about the room like a kitten,
+running up the walls and over the ceiling, till the old man was in an
+agony lest his pretty room should be spoilt. He cried to a
+neighbour for help, and between them they managed to catch the
+tanuki, and shut him up safely in a wooden chest. Then, quite
+exhausted, they sat down on the mats, and consulted together what
+they should do with this troublesome beast. At length they decided
+to sell him, and bade a child who was passing send them a certain
+tradesman called Jimmu.
+
+When Jimmu arrived, the old man told him that he had something
+which he wished to get rid of, and lifted the lid of the wooden
+chest, where he had shut up the tanuki. But, to his surprise, no
+tanuki was there, nothing but the kettle he had found in the corner. 
+It was certainly very odd, but the man remembered what had taken
+place on the fire, and did not want to keep the kettle any more, so
+after a little bargaining about the price, Jimmu went away carrying
+the kettle with him.
+
+Now Jimmu had not gone very far before he felt that the kettle was
+getting heavier and heavier, and by the time he reached home he
+was so tired that he was thankful to put it down in the corner of his
+room, and then forgot all about it. In the middle of the night,
+however, he was awakened by a loud noise in the corner where the
+kettle stood, and raised himself up in bed to see what it was. But
+nothing was there except the kettle, which seemed quiet enough. 
+He thought that he must have been dreaming, and fell asleep again,
+only to be roused a second time by the same disturbance. He
+jumped up and went to the corner, and by the light of the lamp that
+he always kept burning he saw that the kettle had become a tanuki,
+which was running round after his tail. After he grew weary of
+that, he ran on the balcony, where he turned several somersaults,
+from pure gladness of heart. The tradesman was much troubled as
+to what to do with the animal, and it was only towards morning that
+he managed to get any sleep; but when he opened his eyes again
+there was no tanuki, only the old kettle he had left there the night
+before.
+
+As soon as he had tidied his house, Jimmu set off to tell his story to
+a friend next door. The man listened quietly, and did not appear so
+surprised as Jimmu expected, for he recollected having heard, in his
+youth, something about a wonder-working kettle. 'Go and travel
+with it, and show it off,' said he, 'and you will become a rich man;
+but be careful first to ask the tanuki's leave, and also to perform
+some magic ceremonies to prevent him from running away at the
+sight of the people.'
+
+Jimmu thanked his friend for his counsel, which he followed
+exactly. The tanuki's consent was obtained, a booth was built, and
+a notice was hung up outside it inviting the people to come and
+witness the most wonderful transformation that ever was seen.
+
+They came in crowds, and the kettle was passed from hand to hand,
+and they were allowed to examine it all over, and even to look
+inside. Then Jimmu took it back, and setting it on the platform,
+commanded it to become a tanuki. In an instant the handle began
+to change into a head, and the spout into a tail, while the four paws
+appeared at the sides. 'Dance,' said Jimmu, and the tanuki did his
+steps, and moved first on one side and then on the other, till the
+people could not stand still any longer, and began to dance too. 
+Gracefully he led the fan dance, and glided without a pause into the
+shadow dance and the umbrella dance, and it seemed as if he might
+go on dancing for ever. And so very likely he would, if Jimmu had
+not declared he had danced enough, and that the booth must now
+be closed.
+
+Day after day the booth was so full it was hardly possible to enter
+it, and what the neighbour foretold had come to pass, and Jimmu
+was a rich man. Yet he did not feel happy. He was an honest man,
+and he thought that he owed some of his wealth to the man from
+whom he had bought the kettle. So, one morning, he put a hundred
+gold pieces into it, and hanging the kettle once more on his arm, he
+returned to the seller of it. 'I have no right to keep it any longer,' he
+added when he had ended his tale, 'so I have brought it back to you,
+and inside you will find a hundred gold pieces as the price of its
+hire.'
+
+The man thanked Jimmu, and said that few people would have been
+as honest as he. And the kettle brought them both luck, and
+everything went well with them till they died, which they did when
+they were very old, respected by everyone.
+
+[Adapted from Japanische Mahrchen]
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Etext The Crimson Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang
+