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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Favorite Fairy Tales
+       The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women
+
+Author: Various
+
+Illustrator: Peter Newell
+
+Release Date: May 15, 2010 [EBook #32389]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                 FAVORITE
+                FAIRY TALES
+
+           THE CHILDHOOD CHOICE
+             OF REPRESENTATIVE
+               MEN AND WOMEN
+
+
+               ILLUSTRATED
+                    BY
+               PETER NEWELL
+
+
+              [Illustration]
+
+
+            NEW YORK AND LONDON
+       HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
+                  MCMVII
+
+
+
+
+  Copyright, 1907, by Harper & Brothers.
+
+          _All rights reserved._
+         Published October, 1907.
+
+
+
+
+    [Illustration: "Can't you render me some assistance?"
+        See p. 209]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Arthur Twining Hadley
+                    President of Yale University
+            Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
+                    President of Columbia University
+            Dr. Henry M. Alden
+                    Editor of _Harper's Magazine_
+            J. F. Hosic
+                    Professor of English, The Chicago Normal School
+            J. M. Pereles
+                    Chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission
+
+
+    CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Thomas R. Lounsbury
+                    Professor of English Yale University
+            Dr. J. H. Canfield
+                    Librarian of Columbia University
+            The Honorable John Bigelow
+                    Author and Publicist
+            J. M. Pereles
+            And the Children of The Honorable Grover Cleveland
+
+
+    JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
+            Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
+                    President of the New York Free Kindergarten
+                      Association. Associate Editor of _The Outlook_
+
+
+    THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Shailer Mathews
+                    Professor of Systematic Theology in the University
+                      of Chicago. Editor of _The World To-day_
+            Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+                    Author. Professor of English Literature in
+                      Princeton University
+
+
+    LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Henry M. Alden
+
+
+    THE UGLY DUCKLING. Hans Christian Andersen
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            The Honorable William J. Bryan
+                    Publicist and Editor
+            Miss Jane Addams
+                    Head Resident of Hull House, Chicago
+
+
+    HOP-O'-MY-THUMB.
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Henry James
+                    Author
+
+
+    BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. From the French of Madame Gabrielle de
+      Villeneuve
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
+                    Author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
+
+
+    LITTLE SNOWDROP.
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Howard Pyle
+                    Artist and Author
+
+
+    THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS. Robert Southey
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            F. A. Kendall
+                    Secretary of the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle
+
+
+    SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED. Grimm
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Frederick Dielman
+                    President of the National Academy of Design
+
+
+    THE WILD SWANS. Hans Christian Andersen
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+            Mrs. Alice Meynell
+                    Poet and Essayist
+
+
+    ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Charles William Eliot
+                    President of Harvard University
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+            J. M. Pereles
+            Dr. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
+                    Author
+
+
+    ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Samuel L. Clemens
+            Dr. Charles William Eliot
+            Dr. Lyman Abbott
+                    Editor of _The Outlook_
+
+
+    THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Lyman Abbott
+
+
+    THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. William Dean Howells
+                    Author
+
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    "CAN'T YOU RENDER ME SOME ASSISTANCE?"              _Frontispiece_
+
+    "I WILL BROIL YOU FOR MY BREAKFAST"              _Facing p._     2
+
+    THE SLIPPER FITTED EXACTLY                            "         48
+
+    JUST AS HE LAID HIS HAND UPON ONE OF THEM,
+      THE LITTLE DOG BARKED MOST FURIOUSLY                "         66
+
+    A YOUNG GIRL OF WONDERFUL BEAUTY LAY ASLEEP
+      ON AN EMBROIDERED BED                               "         82
+
+    HE ASKED HER POLITELY WHERE SHE WAS GOING             "         88
+
+    SOME LITTLE CHILDREN THREW PIECES OF BREAD
+      INTO THE WATER                                      "        114
+
+    THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO CRY AS LOUD AS THEY COULD       "        120
+
+    SHE SAW AT HER FEET A HANDSOME, GRACEFUL YOUNG
+      PRINCE                                              "        170
+
+    "OH, HEAVEN," THEY CRIED, "WHAT A LOVELY CHILD!"      "        180
+
+    THE VOICE OF THE LITTLE, SMALL, WEE BEAR
+      AWAKENED HER AT ONCE                                "        200
+
+    ELISE SAW AN ICE PALACE, WITH ONE BOLD COLONNADE
+      BUILT ABOVE ANOTHER                                 "        238
+
+    "I AM THE SLAVE OF THE RING, AND WILL OBEY THEE
+      IN ALL THINGS"                                      "        260
+
+    CASSIM FORGETS THE MAGIC WORD                         "        294
+
+    THE MERCHANTS BEGAN THEIR SHOUTING TO FRIGHTEN
+      THE EAGLES                                          "        318
+
+    THE CALIPH LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN'S COURT          "        342
+
+
+    _Decorative borders by
+      Francis I. Bennett_
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+
+What are the best fairy stories? Are they not those which have lived
+most vividly in active minds? The ripeness of after life works its
+changes; but we are not dealing with literary judgments--rather with
+the choice of childhood which fortunately lingers in memory, whatever
+store of wisdom may come in later years. There is here no question of
+the new or unusual. On the contrary, it is the ideas or visions handed
+down for generations or centuries and set in final form that remain
+with us as types of fancy or wisdom. Of these there are so many that a
+selection is essential. No one book can be a complete treasure-house
+of all the imagination, humor, and sentiment of the fairy tale. But it
+has been possible to obtain a representative judgment for this volume
+which we believe to be of peculiar worth.
+
+This book gives us the favorite fairy tales of men and women who have
+gained eminence in American life. It is a book, therefore, based upon
+an original plan, which stands by itself. Any collection formed by one
+person must reflect personal preferences. It must have obvious
+limitations, however excellent--as in the case of Miss Mulock or
+Laboulaye--the choice of the single editor may be. But to a large
+extent such a collection as this represents that consensus of opinion
+which invests a given work with the rank of a classic. The desire of
+the publishers has been to determine the youthful preferences of those
+whose opinions carry weight and to present their selections among the
+wealth of fairy tales which the world cherishes from one generation
+to another. Such a thing as a collection of _all_ good fairy tales
+would be unthinkably cumbersome. We need guidance and selection. For
+the expressions of personal choice afforded in the interests of this
+book, the publishers desire to offer their grateful acknowledgments.
+
+It has happened naturally that more than one vote has been cast for
+the same story. For example, the president of Yale, in his selection
+of "Jack the Giant-killer," had the companionship of the president of
+Columbia and of the editor of _Harper's Magazine_, who are really
+represented, therefore, by a second choice. The three stories
+preferred by the chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission had
+all been preferred by others.
+
+But "Cinderella" is evidently quite the equal of "Jack the
+Giant-killer" in the affections of readers, and the choice of this
+well-loved tale has been accompanied by some charming letters from
+which it is impossible not to quote.
+
+Thus the Hon. John Bigelow writes: "Perrault's story of Cinderella
+made the deepest impression upon me. It is the only one from which I
+can now remember to have received a distinct and permanent ethical
+impression."
+
+"I am not really conscious of any special preference for one fairy
+story over another," wrote Professor Lounsbury, "but as somebody, it
+seems to me, ought to stand up for sentiment, I am going to vote for
+'Cinderella.' I hesitated a moment about 'The Sleeping Beauty,' but I
+leave that for one younger."
+
+In a letter rich in personal quality, the Hon. Grover Cleveland wrote:
+"My youthful days are so far away, and fairy stories had so little to
+do with their enjoyment, that I do not feel that I ought to venture an
+opinion on such an important subject as that to which you refer. For
+want of a better thing to do, I have submitted the question to my
+children, and so far as I am able to determine, the canvass of their
+votes is in favor of 'Cinderella.' It is only fair to say that two of
+the three to whom the question was submitted are little girls."
+
+Another glimpse of domestic sympathy comes in the choice of the Hon.
+William J. Bryan, editor and author, as well as publicist, who says:
+"My wife assures me that I shall make no mistake if I commend the
+tales of Hans Christian Andersen, notably that of 'The Ugly
+Duckling.'"
+
+It is a change from public life to the world of letters to find Dr.
+Van Dyke and Dr. Mabie in agreement with Dr. Shailer Mathews regarding
+the rank of "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." But it is not to this
+that Dr. Van Dyke gives precedence. "If my memory serves me right," he
+says, "the first fairy story which made a strong impression on my
+mind in boyhood was that of 'Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp.' Next
+after that in time, and, I think, a little beyond it in interest, came
+the story of the 'Seven Wild Swans,' and next to that the story of
+'The Sleeping Beauty.'"
+
+As to "Hop o' My Thumb" we may be pardoned for quoting the close of a
+singularly delightful letter from Mr. Henry James, who says: "It is
+the vague memory of this sense of him, as some small, precious object,
+like a lost gem or a rare and beautiful insect on which one might
+inadvertently tread, or might find under the sofa or behind the
+window-cushion, that leads me to think of 'Hop o' My Thumb' as my
+earliest and sweetest and most repeated cupful at the fount of
+fiction."
+
+Quite literally a world removed from this was the answer of the modest
+Japanese conqueror, General Kuroki, who laughed at first and
+disclaimed Japan's possession of fairy tales as we understand them. "I
+always tried to forget fairy tales," he said; "but of nursery stories
+I think the most popular and the most widely known in Japan is the
+story of Momotaro." But this tale of the "son of a peach," which
+relates the conquest of a stronghold of devils, and the rescue of two
+daughters of daimios does not come within the scope of this volume.
+
+A broader choice than those which have been quoted is afforded by Mrs.
+Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, who writes: "As a child I was a great
+reader and lover (and a small creator) of fairy tales. But of them all
+the only ones which come readily to my mind are Hans Christian
+Andersen's." Equally comprehensive is the answer of Mrs. Georgia A.
+Kendrick, the lady principal of Vassar College: "Grimm's tales stand
+to me for the best of that kind of lore."
+
+An even more catholic liking breathes in the answer of President
+Woodrow Wilson, who declares: "The truth is that I was so voracious of
+fairy tales when I was a small boy, that I loved them all almost
+equally well, and cannot now say that I had any favorite. All was
+grist that came to my mill. I am very much interested in the
+undertaking, and wish it all success."
+
+In some cases, much to the regret of the publishers, it has not been
+possible to include a choice. Thus Dr. John S. Billings, librarian of
+the New York Public Library, tells us that the story which made the
+most impression upon him was the "Nibelungenlied" as presented by
+Carlyle in the _Westminster Review_ for July, 1831, of which an odd
+number came in his way when he was a boy. "I did not understand one
+quarter of it," Dr. Billings writes, "but what I did impressed me
+greatly. If I had to select from Perrault's fairy tales, I should
+probably agree with Dr. Hadley"--another tribute to the perennial
+charm of "Jack the Giant-killer."
+
+The interest of these personal literary experiences justify a
+quotation from Dr. E. G. Cooley, superintendent of the Chicago
+schools: "I was pretty well grown," he writes, "before any of this
+literature reached me. My people were not believers in fairy stories,
+and circumstances did not put them in my way. My boyhood hero was
+Eumenes, as described in the second volume of Rollin's _Ancient
+History_." Unfortunately the scope of the present volume has not
+permitted the inclusion of Carlyle's version of the "Nibelungenlied"
+or of Rollin's tale of Eumenes, or of the old ballad of "The Children
+in the Wood," which was the choice of Dr. W. H. Maxwell, City
+Superintendent of Schools in New York.
+
+While the reply of that sincere nature-lover, John Burroughs,
+represents a gospel of negation, yet there is a vivid suggestiveness
+in the later interest of the man--one whose sympathies and perception
+have remained fresh and wholly sincere. "The truth is," he writes, "I
+knew no fairy stories in my youth. That kind of literature did not
+come within my reach. Our school library held no novels or fairy
+books. An old woman who visited our house used to tell us youngsters
+the story of 'Jack and the Bean-stalk,' and 'Jack the Giant-killer,'
+'Bluebeard,' etc. When I had a boy of my own, I used to read Hans
+Christian Andersen to him, and get quite as much interested as he did.
+I do not recall that I ever read any fairy tales before Andersen's,
+and did not read these till past middle life."
+
+It may be said again that while this book lays no claim to
+comprehensiveness, we believe that its personal guidance represents a
+high value which is fitly reinforced by the distinctive imagination
+of Mr. Peter Newell. In the light of his quaint fancy, unexpected
+humor, and sympathetic insight, these classic tales reveal a new store
+of riches, and are clothed with a charm which even those of us who
+love them had not foreseen.
+
+In the majority of cases these stories reproduce the excellent
+versions given in Miss Mulock's _Fairy Book_ (Harper & Brothers). But
+the publishers desire to acknowledge the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans,
+Green & Co., for their permission to reproduce the admirable versions
+of "Aladdin," the "Forty Thieves," and the "Story of the Three Bears"
+from their _Blue and Green Fairy Books_, edited by Mr. Andrew Lang.
+The "Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor" is from the series edited by
+Mr. W. T. Stead, entitled, _Books for the Bairns_.
+
+
+
+
+FAVORITE FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
+
+
+In the reign of the famous King Arthur, there lived, near the Land's
+End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer who had an
+only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a bold temper; he took pleasure
+in hearing or reading stories of wizards, conjurors, giants, and
+fairies, and used to listen eagerly while his father talked of the
+great deeds of the brave knights of King Arthur's Round Table. When
+Jack was sent to take care of the sheep and oxen in the fields, he
+used to to amuse himself with planning battles, sieges, and the means
+to conquer or surprise a foe. He was above the common sports of
+children, but hardly any one could equal him at wrestling; or, if he
+met with a match for himself in strength, his skill and address always
+made him the victor.
+
+In those days there lived on St. Michael's Mount, of Cornwall, which
+rises out of the sea at some distance from the main-land, a huge
+giant. He was eighteen feet high and three yards round, and his fierce
+and savage looks were the terror of all his neighbors. He dwelt in a
+gloomy cavern on the very top of the mountain, and used to wade over
+to the main-land in search of his prey. When he came near, the people
+left their houses; and after he had glutted his appetite upon their
+cattle he would throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie three
+times as many sheep and hogs round his waist, and so march back to his
+own abode.
+
+    [Illustration: "I will broil you for my breakfast"]
+
+The giant had done this for many years, and the coast of Cornwall was
+greatly hurt by his thefts, when Jack boldly resolved to destroy him.
+He therefore took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, and a dark lantern, and
+early in a long winter's evening he swam to the Mount. There he fell
+to work at once, and before morning he had dug a pit twenty-two feet
+deep and almost as many broad. He covered it over with sticks and
+straw, and strewed some of the earth over them, to make it look just
+like solid ground. He then put his horn to his mouth, and blew such a
+loud and long tantivy that the giant awoke and came towards Jack,
+roaring like thunder: "You saucy villain, you shall pay dearly for
+breaking my rest; I will broil you for my breakfast." He had scarcely
+spoken these words when he came advancing one step farther; but then
+he tumbled headlong into the pit, and his fall shook the very
+mountain.
+
+"Oho, Mr. Giant!" said Jack, looking into the pit, "have you found
+your way so soon to the bottom? How is your appetite now? Will nothing
+serve you for breakfast this cold morning but broiling poor Jack?"
+
+The giant now tried to rise, but Jack struck him a blow on the crown
+of the head with his pickaxe, which killed him at once. Jack then made
+haste back to rejoice his friends with the news of the giant's death.
+When the justices of Cornwall heard of this valiant action, they sent
+for Jack, and declared that he should always be called Jack the
+Giant-killer; and they also gave him a sword and belt, upon which was
+written, in letters of gold:
+
+    "This is the valiant Cornishman
+    Who slew the giant Cormoran."
+
+The news of Jack's exploits soon spread over the western parts of
+England; and another giant, called Old Blunderbore, vowed to have
+revenge on Jack if it should ever be his fortune to get him into his
+power. The giant kept an enchanted castle in the midst of a lonely
+wood. About four months after the death of Cormoran, as Jack was
+taking a journey into Wales, he passed through this wood, and as he
+was very weary he sat down to rest by the side of a pleasant fountain,
+and there he fell into a deep sleep. The giant came to the fountain
+for water just at this time and found Jack there; and as the lines on
+Jack's belt showed who he was, the giant lifted him up and laid him
+gently upon his shoulder to carry him to his castle; but as he passed
+through the thicket the rustling of the leaves waked Jack, and he was
+sadly afraid when he found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore.
+
+Yet this was nothing to his fright soon after; for when they reached
+the castle he beheld the floor covered all over with the skulls and
+bones of men and women. The giant took him into a large room, where
+lay the hearts and limbs of persons who had been lately killed; and he
+told Jack, with a horrid grin, that men's hearts, eaten with pepper
+and vinegar, were his nicest food, and, also, that he thought he
+should make a dainty meal on his heart. When he had said this he
+locked Jack up in that room, while he went to fetch another giant, who
+lived in the same wood, to enjoy a dinner off Jack's flesh with him.
+While he was away, Jack heard dreadful shrieks, groans, and cries from
+many parts of the castle; and soon after he heard a mournful voice
+repeat these lines:
+
+    "Haste, valiant stranger, haste away,
+    Lest you become the giant's prey.
+    On his return he'll bring another,
+    Still more savage than his brother;
+    A horrid, cruel monster who,
+    Before he kills, will torture you.
+    Oh, valiant stranger! haste away,
+    Or you'll become these giants' prey."
+
+This warning was so shocking to poor Jack that he was ready to go
+mad. He ran to the window and saw the two giants coming along arm in
+arm. This window was right over the gates of the castle. "Now,"
+thought Jack, "either my death or freedom is at hand."
+
+There were two strong cords in the room. Jack made a large noose with
+a slip-knot at the ends of both these, and, as the giants were coming
+through the gates, he threw the ropes over their heads. He then made
+the other ends fast to a beam in the ceiling, and pulled with all his
+might, till he had almost strangled them. When he saw that they were
+both black in the face, and had not the least strength left, he drew
+his sword and slid down the ropes; he then killed the giants, and thus
+saved himself from a cruel death. Jack next took a great bunch of keys
+from the pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the castle again. He
+made a strict search through all the rooms, and in them found three
+ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost starved to
+death. They told him that their husbands had been killed by the
+giants, who had then condemned them to be starved to death, because
+they would not eat the flesh of their own dead husbands.
+
+"Ladies," said Jack, "I have put an end to the monster and his wicked
+brother; and I give you this castle and all the riches it contains, to
+make you some amends for the dreadful pains you have felt." He then
+very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went farther on
+his journey to Wales.
+
+As Jack had not taken any of the giant's riches for himself, and had
+very little money of his own, he thought it best to travel as fast as
+he could. At length he lost his way, and when night came on he was in
+a lonely valley between two lofty mountains. There he walked about for
+some hours, without seeing any dwelling-place, so he thought himself
+very lucky at last in finding a large and handsome house. He went up
+to it boldly, and knocked loudly at the gate; when, to his great
+terror and surprise, there came forth a monstrous giant with two
+heads. He spoke to Jack very civilly, for he was a Welsh giant, and
+all the mischief he did was by private and secret malice, under the
+show of friendship and kindness.
+
+Jack told him that he was a traveller who had lost his way, on which
+the huge monster made him welcome, and led him into a room where there
+was a good bed in which to pass the night. Jack took off his clothes
+quickly; but though he was so weary he could not go to sleep. Soon
+after this he heard the giant walking backward and forward in the next
+room, and saying to himself:
+
+    "Though here you lodge with me this night,
+    You shall not see the morning light;
+    My club shall dash your brains out quite."
+
+"Say you so?" thought Jack. "Are these your tricks upon travellers?
+But I hope to prove as cunning as you." Then, getting out of bed, he
+groped about the room, and at last found a large, thick billet of
+wood; he laid it in his own place in the bed, and hid himself in a
+dark corner of the room. In the middle of the night the giant came
+with his great club, and struck many heavy blows on the bed, in the
+very place where Jack had laid the billet, and then he went back to
+his own room, thinking he had broken all his bones. Early in the
+morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the
+giant's room to thank him for his lodging.
+
+The giant started when he saw him, and he began to stammer out: "Oh,
+dear me! is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or
+see anything in the dead of the night?"
+
+"Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, carelessly; "a rat, I believe,
+gave me three or four slaps with his tail, and disturbed me a little,
+but I soon went to sleep again."
+
+The giant wondered more and more at this, yet he did not answer a
+word, and went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their
+breakfast.
+
+Jack wished to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as
+himself, so he contrived to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and
+slipped the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put it
+into his mouth. When breakfast was over, he said to the giant, "Now I
+will show you a fine trick; I can cure all wounds with a touch; I
+could cut off my head one minute, and the next put it sound again on
+my shoulders; you shall see an example." He then took hold of the
+knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled
+out upon the floor.
+
+"Ods splutter hur nails," cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to
+be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack; "hur can do that
+hurself." So he snatched up the knife, plunged it into his stomach,
+and in a moment dropped down dead.
+
+As soon as Jack had thus tricked the Welsh monster, he went farther on
+his journey; and a few days after he met with King Arthur's only son,
+who had got his father's leave to travel into Wales, to deliver a
+beautiful lady from the power of a wicked magician, by whom she was
+held in enchantment. When Jack found that the young prince had no
+servants with him, he begged leave to attend him; and the prince at
+once agreed to this, and gave Jack many thanks for his kindness.
+
+King Arthur's son was a handsome, polite, and brave knight, and so
+good-natured that he gave money to everybody he met. At length he gave
+his last penny to an old woman, and then turned to Jack. "How shall we
+be able to get food for ourselves the rest of our journey?"
+
+"Leave that to me, sir," replied Jack; "I will provide for my prince."
+
+Night now came on, and the prince began to grow uneasy at thinking
+where they should lodge.
+
+"Sir," said Jack, "be of good heart; two miles farther lives a large
+giant, whom I know well; he has three heads, and will fight five
+hundred men, and make them fly before him."
+
+"Alas!" cried the king's son, "we had better never have been born than
+meet with such a monster."
+
+"My lord, leave me to manage him, and wait here in quiet till I
+return."
+
+The prince now stayed behind, while Jack rode on at full speed; and
+when he came to the gates of the castle he gave a loud knock. The
+giant, with a voice like thunder, roared out, "Who is there?"
+
+Jack made answer, and said, "No one but your poor cousin Jack."
+
+"Well," said the giant, "what news, Cousin Jack?"
+
+"Dear uncle," said Jack, "I have heavy news."
+
+"Pooh!" said the giant, "what heavy news can come to me? I am a giant
+with three heads, and can fight five hundred men, and make them fly
+before me."
+
+"Alas!" said Jack, "here's the king's son coming with two thousand men
+to kill you, and to destroy the castle and all that you have."
+
+"Oh, Cousin Jack," said the giant, "this is heavy news indeed! But I
+have a large cellar underground, where I will hide myself, and you
+shall lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys till the king's son
+is gone."
+
+Now, when Jack had barred the giant fast in the vault, he went back
+and fetched the prince to the castle; they both made themselves merry
+with the wine and other dainties that were in the house. So that
+night they rested very pleasantly while the poor giant lay trembling
+and shaking with fear in the cellar underground. Early in the morning
+Jack gave the king's son gold and silver out of the giant's treasure,
+and accompanied him three miles forward on his journey. The prince
+then sent Jack to let his uncle out of the hole, who asked him what he
+should give him as a reward for saving his castle.
+
+"Why, good uncle," said Jack, "I desire nothing but the old coat and
+cap, with the old rusty sword and slippers, which are hanging at your
+bed's head."
+
+"Then," said the giant, "you shall have them; and pray keep them for
+my sake, for they are things of great use. The coat will keep you
+invisible, the cap will give you knowledge, the sword will cut through
+anything, and the shoes are of vast swiftness; they may be useful to
+you in all times of danger, so take them with all my heart."
+
+Jack gave many thanks to the giant, and then set off to the prince.
+When he had come up to the king's son, they soon arrived at the
+dwelling of the beautiful lady, who was under the power of a wicked
+magician. She received the prince very politely and made a noble feast
+for him; when it was ended, she rose, and, wiping her mouth with a
+fine handkerchief, said, "My lord, you must submit to the custom of my
+palace; to-morrow morning I command you to tell me on whom I bestow
+this handkerchief, or lose your head." She then left the room.
+
+The young prince went to bed very mournful, but Jack put on his cap of
+knowledge, which told him that the lady was forced, by the power of
+enchantment, to meet the wicked magician every night in the middle of
+the forest. Jack now put on his coat of darkness and his shoes of
+swiftness and was there before her. When the lady came she gave the
+handkerchief to the magician. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, at
+one blow cut off his head; the enchantment was then ended in a moment,
+and the lady was restored to her former virtue and goodness. She was
+married to the prince on the next day, and soon after went back, with
+her royal husband and a great company, to the court of King Arthur,
+where they were received with loud and joyful welcomes; and the
+valiant hero Jack, for the many great exploits he had done for the
+good of his country, was made one of the Knights of the Round Table.
+
+As Jack had been so lucky in all his adventures, he resolved not to be
+idle for the future, but still to do what services he could for the
+honor of the king and the nation. He therefore humbly begged his
+majesty to furnish him with a horse and money, that he might travel in
+search of new and strange exploits. "For," said he to the king, "there
+are many giants yet living in the remote parts of Wales, to the great
+terror and distress of your majesty's subjects; therefore, if it
+please you, sire, to favor me in my design, I will soon rid your
+kingdom of these giants and monsters in human shape."
+
+Now when the king heard this offer, and began to think of the cruel
+deeds of these blood-thirsty giants and savage monsters, he gave Jack
+everything proper for such a journey. After this, Jack took leave of
+the king, the prince, and all the knights, and set off, taking with
+him his cap of knowledge, his sword of sharpness, his shoes of
+swiftness, and his invisible coat, the better to perform the great
+exploits that might fall in his way. He went along over hills and
+mountains, and on the third day he came to a wide forest. He had
+hardly entered it when on a sudden he heard dreadful shrieks and
+cries, and, forcing his way through the trees, saw a monstrous giant
+dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and a
+beautiful lady. Their tears and cries melted the heart of honest Jack;
+he alighted from his horse, and, tying him to an oak-tree, put on his
+invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness.
+
+When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could
+not reach his body on account of the enormous height of the terrible
+creature; but he wounded his thighs in several places, and at length,
+putting both hands to his sword, and aiming with all his might, he cut
+off both the giant's legs just below the garter; and the trunk of his
+body, tumbling to the ground, made not only the trees shake, but the
+earth itself tremble with the force of his fall. Then Jack, setting
+his foot upon his neck, exclaimed, "Thou barbarous and savage wretch,
+behold, I come to execute upon thee the just reward for all thy
+crimes," and instantly plunged his sword into the giant's body. The
+huge monster gave a groan, and yielded up his life into the hands of
+the victorious Jack the Giant-killer, while the noble knight and the
+virtuous lady were both joyful spectators of his sudden death. They
+not only returned Jack hearty thanks for their deliverance, but also
+invited him to their house, to refresh himself after his dreadful
+encounter, as likewise to receive a reward for his good services.
+
+"No," said Jack, "I cannot be at ease till I find out the den that was
+the monster's habitation."
+
+The knight, on hearing this, grew very sorrowful, and replied: "Noble
+stranger, it is too much to run a second hazard; this monster lived in
+a den under yonder mountain, with a brother of his, more fierce and
+cruel than himself; therefore, if you should go thither, and perish in
+the attempt, it would be a heart-breaking thing to me and my lady; so
+let me persuade you to go back with us, and desist from any further
+pursuit."
+
+"Nay," answered Jack, "if there be another, even if there were twenty,
+I would shed the last drop of blood in my body before one of them
+should escape. When I have finished this task, I will come and pay my
+respects to you."
+
+So when they had told him where to find them again, he got on his
+horse and went after the dead giant's brother.
+
+Jack had not ridden a mile and a half before he came in sight of the
+mouth of the cavern, and nigh the entrance of it he saw the other
+giant sitting on a huge block of timber, with a knotted iron club
+lying by his side, waiting for his brother. His eyes looked like
+flames of fire, his face was grim and ugly, and his cheeks were like
+two flitches of bacon; the bristles of his beard seemed to be thick
+rods of iron wire, and his long locks of hair hung down upon his
+broad shoulders like curling snakes. Jack got down from his horse and
+turned him into a thicket; then he put on his coat of darkness and
+drew a little nearer to behold this figure, and said, softly, "Oh,
+monster! are you there? It will not be long before I shall take you
+fast by the beard."
+
+The giant all this while could not see him, by reason of his invisible
+coat, so Jack came quite close to him, and struck a blow at his head
+with his sword of sharpness; but he missed his aim, and only cut off
+his nose, which made him roar like loud claps of thunder. He rolled
+his glaring eyes round on every side, but could not see who had given
+him the blow; so he took up his iron club, and began to lay about him
+like one that was mad with pain and fury.
+
+"Nay," said Jack, "if this be the case, I will kill you at once." So
+saying, he slipped nimbly behind him, and jumping upon the block of
+timber, as the giant rose from it, he stabbed him in the back, when,
+after a few howls, he dropped down dead. Jack cut off his head and
+sent it, with the head of his brother, to King Arthur by a wagon which
+he had hired for that purpose. When Jack had thus killed these two
+monsters, he went into their cave in search of their treasure. He
+passed through many turnings and windings, which led him to a room
+paved with freestone; at the end of it was a boiling caldron, and on
+the right hand stood a large table, where the giants used to dine. He
+then came to a window that was secured with iron bars, through which
+he saw a number of wretched captives, who cried out when they saw
+Jack, "Alas! alas! young man, you are come to be one among us in this
+horrid den."
+
+"I hope," said Jack, "you will not stay here long; but pray tell me
+what is the meaning of your being here at all?"
+
+"Alas!" said one poor old man, "I will tell you, sir. We are persons
+that have been taken by the giants who hold this cave, and are kept
+till they choose to have a feast; then one of us is to be killed, and
+cooked to please their taste. It is not long since they took three for
+the same purpose."
+
+"Well," said Jack, "I have given them such a dinner that it will be
+long enough before they have any more."
+
+The captives were amazed at his words.
+
+"You may believe me," said Jack, "for I have killed them both with the
+edge of this sword, and have sent their large heads to the court of
+King Arthur, as marks of my great success."
+
+To show that what he said was true, he unlocked the gate and set the
+captives all free. Then he led them to the great room, placed them
+round the table, and placed before them two quarters of beef, with
+bread and wine, upon which they feasted their fill. When supper was
+over they searched the giant's coffers, and Jack divided among them
+all the treasures. The next morning they set off to their homes, and
+Jack to the knight's house, whom he had left with his lady not long
+before.
+
+He was received with the greatest joy by the thankful knight and his
+lady, who, in honor of Jack's exploits, gave a grand feast, to which
+all the nobles and gentry were invited. When the company were
+assembled, the knight declared to them the great actions of Jack, and
+gave him, as a mark of respect, a fine ring, on which was engraved the
+picture of the giant dragging the knight and the lady by the hair,
+with this motto round it:
+
+    "Behold in dire distress were we,
+      Under a giant's fierce command;
+    But gained our lives and liberty
+      From valiant Jack's victorious hand."
+
+Among the guests then present were five aged gentlemen, who were
+fathers to some of those captives who had been freed by Jack from the
+dungeon of the giants. As soon as they heard that he was the person
+who had done such wonders, they pressed round him with tears of joy,
+to return him thanks for the happiness he had caused them. After this
+the bowl went round, and every one drank the health and long life of
+the gallant hero. Mirth increased, and the hall was filled with peals
+of laughter.
+
+But, on a sudden, a herald, pale and breathless, rushed into the midst
+of the company, and told them that Thundel, a savage giant with two
+heads, had heard of the death of his two kinsmen, and was come to take
+his revenge on Jack, and that he was now within a mile of the house,
+the people flying before him like chaff before the wind. At this news
+the very boldest of the guests trembled; but Jack drew his sword, and
+said: "Let him come; I have a rod for him also. Pray, ladies and
+gentlemen, do me the favor to walk into the garden, and you shall soon
+behold the giant's defeat and death."
+
+To this they all agreed, and heartily wished him success in his
+dangerous attempt.
+
+The knight's house stood in the middle of a moat, thirty feet deep and
+twenty wide, over which lay a drawbridge. Jack set men to work to cut
+the bridge on both sides, almost to the middle, and then dressed
+himself in his coat of darkness and went against the giant with his
+sword of sharpness. As he came close to him, though the giant could
+not see him for his invisible coat, yet he found some danger was near,
+which made him cry out:
+
+    "Fa, fe, fi, fo, fum,
+    I smell the blood of an Englishman;
+    Let him be alive, or let him be dead,
+    I'll grind his bones to make me bread."
+
+"Say you so, my friend?" said Jack; "you are a monstrous miller,
+indeed!"
+
+"Art thou," cried the giant, "the villain that killed my kinsmen? Then
+I will tear thee with my teeth and grind thy bones to powder."
+
+"You must catch me first," said Jack; and throwing off his coat of
+darkness, and putting on his shoes of swiftness he began to run, the
+giant following him like a walking castle, making the earth shake at
+every step.
+
+Jack led him round and round the walls of the house, that the company
+might see the monster; then, to finish the work, he ran over the
+drawbridge, the giant going after him with his club; but when he came
+to the middle, where the bridge had been cut on both sides, the great
+weight of his body made it break, and he tumbled into the water, where
+he rolled about like a large whale. Jack now stood by the side of the
+moat, and laughed and jeered at him, saying, "I think you told me you
+would grind my bones to powder; when will you begin?"
+
+The giant foamed at both his horrid mouths with fury, and plunged from
+side to side of the moat; but he could not get out to have revenge on
+his little foe. At last Jack ordered a cart-rope to be brought to him:
+he then drew it over the giant's two heads, and, by the help of a team
+of horses, dragged him to the edge of the moat, where he cut off his
+heads; and before he either ate or drank, sent them both to the court
+of King Arthur. He then went back to the table with the company, and
+the rest of the day was spent in mirth and good cheer.
+
+After staying with the knight for some time, Jack grew weary of such
+an idle life, and set out again in search of new adventures. He went
+over hills and dales without meeting any, till he came to the foot of
+a very high mountain. Here he knocked at the door of a small and
+lonely house, and an old man, with a head as white as snow, let him
+in.
+
+"Good father," said Jack, "can you lodge a traveller who has lost his
+way?"
+
+"Yes," said the hermit, "I can, if you will accept such fare as my
+poor house affords."
+
+Jack entered, and the old man set before him some bread and fruit for
+his supper. When Jack had eaten as much as he chose, the hermit said:
+"My son, I know you are the famous conqueror of giants; now, at the
+top of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept by a giant named
+Galligantus, who, by the help of a vile magician, gets many knights
+into his castle, where he changes them into the shape of beasts. Above
+all, I lament the hard fate of a duke's daughter, whom they seized as
+she was walking in her father's garden, and brought hither through the
+air in a chariot drawn by two fiery dragons, and turned her into the
+shape of a deer. Many knights have tried to destroy the enchantment
+and deliver her, yet none have been able to do it, by reason of two
+fiery griffins, who guard the gate of the castle, and destroy all who
+come nigh; but as you, my son, have an invisible coat, you may pass by
+them without being seen; and on the gates of the castle you will find
+engraved by what means the enchantment may be broken."
+
+Jack promised that in the morning, at the risk of his life, he would
+break the enchantment; and after a sound sleep he arose early, put on
+his invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt. When he had climbed
+to the top of the mountain he saw the two fiery griffins; but he
+passed between them without the least fear of danger, for they could
+not see him because of his invisible coat. On the castle gate he found
+a golden trumpet, under which were written these lines:
+
+    "Whoever can this trumpet blow,
+    Shall cause the giant's overthrow."
+
+As soon as Jack had read this he seized the trumpet and blew a shrill
+blast, which made the gates fly open and the very castle itself
+tremble. The giant and the conjuror now knew that their wicked course
+was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with
+fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and
+the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind. All the knights and
+beautiful ladies, who had been changed into birds and beasts, returned
+to their proper shapes. The castle vanished away like smoke, and the
+head of the giant Galligantus was sent to King Arthur. The knights and
+ladies rested that night at the old man's hermitage, and the next day
+they set out for the court. Jack then went up to the king, and gave
+his majesty an account of all his fierce battles. Jack's fame had
+spread through the whole country, and at the king's desire the duke
+gave him his daughter in marriage, to the joy of all the kingdom.
+After this the king gave him a large estate, on which he and his lady
+lived the rest of their days in joy and content.
+
+
+
+
+CINDERELLA
+
+OR
+
+THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER
+
+
+There was once an honest gentleman who took for his second wife a
+lady, the proudest and most disagreeable in the whole country. She had
+two daughters exactly like herself in all things. He also had one
+little girl, who resembled her dead mother, the best woman in all the
+world. Scarcely had the second marriage taken place than the
+stepmother became jealous of the good qualities of the little girl,
+who was so great a contrast to her own two daughters. She gave her all
+the menial occupations of the house: compelled her to wash the floors
+and staircases, to dust the bedrooms, and clean the grates; and while
+her sisters occupied carpeted chambers hung with mirrors, where they
+could see themselves from head to foot, this poor little damsel was
+sent to sleep in an attic, on an old straw mattress, with only one
+chair and not a looking-glass in the room.
+
+She suffered all in silence, not daring to complain to her father, who
+was entirely ruled by his new wife. When her daily work was done she
+used to sit down in the chimney-corner among the ashes, from which the
+two sisters gave her the nickname of "Cinderella." But Cinderella,
+however shabbily clad, was handsomer than they were with all their
+fine clothes.
+
+It happened that the king's son gave a series of balls, to which were
+invited all the rank and fashion of the city, and among the rest the
+two elder sisters. They were very proud and happy, and occupied their
+whole time in deciding what they should wear, a source of new trouble
+to Cinderella, whose duty it was to get up their fine linen and laces,
+and who never could please them however much she tried. They talked of
+nothing but their clothes.
+
+"I," said the elder, "shall wear my velvet gown and my trimmings of
+English lace."
+
+"And I," added the younger, "will have but my ordinary silk petticoat,
+but I shall adorn it with an upper skirt of flowered brocade, and
+shall put on my diamond tiara, which is a great deal finer than
+anything of yours."
+
+Here the elder sister grew angry, and dispute began to run so high
+that Cinderella, who was known to have excellent taste, was called
+upon to decide between them. She gave them the best advice she could,
+and gently and submissively offered to dress them herself, and
+especially to arrange their hair, an accomplishment in which she
+excelled many a noted coiffeur. The important evening came, and she
+exercised all her skill to adorn the two young ladies. While she was
+combing out the elder's hair, this ill-natured girl said, sharply,
+"Cinderella, do you not wish you were going to the ball?"
+
+"Ah, madam" (they obliged her always to say madam), "you are only
+mocking me; it is not my fortune to have any such pleasure."
+
+"You are right; people would only laugh to see a little cinder-wench
+at a ball."
+
+Any other than Cinderella would have dressed the hair all awry, but
+she was good, and dressed it perfectly even and smooth, and as
+prettily as she could.
+
+The sisters had scarcely eaten for two days, and had broken a dozen
+stay-laces a day, in trying to make themselves slender; but to-night
+they broke a dozen more, and lost their tempers over and over again
+before they had completed their toilet. When at last the happy moment
+arrived, Cinderella followed them to the coach; after it had whirled
+them away, she sat down by the kitchen fire and cried.
+
+Immediately her godmother, who was a fairy, appeared beside her. "What
+are you crying for, my little maid?"
+
+"Oh, I wish--I wish--" Her sobs stopped her.
+
+"You wish to go to the ball; isn't it so?"
+
+Cinderella nodded.
+
+"Well, then, be a good girl and you shall go. First run into the
+garden and fetch me the largest pumpkin you can find."
+
+Cinderella did not comprehend what this had to do with her going to
+the ball, but, being obedient and obliging, she went. Her godmother
+took the pumpkin, and, having scooped out all its inside, struck it
+with her wand; it became a splendid gilt coach lined with rose-colored
+satin.
+
+"Now fetch me the mouse-trap out of the pantry, my dear."
+
+Cinderella brought it; it contained six of the fattest, sleekest mice.
+The fairy lifted up the wire door, and as each mouse ran out she
+struck it and changed it into a beautiful black horse.
+
+"But what shall I do for your coachman, Cinderella?"
+
+Cinderella suggested that she had seen a large black rat in the
+rat-trap, and he might do for want of better.
+
+"You are right; go and look again for him."
+
+He was found, and the fairy made him into a most respectable coachman,
+with the finest whiskers imaginable. She afterwards took six lizards
+from behind the pumpkin frame and changed them into six footmen, all
+in splendid livery, who immediately jumped up behind the carriage, as
+if they had been footmen all their days. "Well, Cinderella, now you
+can go to the ball."
+
+"What, in these clothes?" said Cinderella piteously, looking down on
+her ragged frock.
+
+Her godmother laughed, and touched her also with the wand, at which
+her wretched, threadbare jacket became stiff with gold and sparkling
+with jewels; her woollen petticoat lengthened into a gown of sweeping
+satin, from underneath which peeped out her little feet, no longer
+bare, but covered with silk stockings and the prettiest glass slippers
+in the world. "Now, Cinderella, depart; but remember, if you stay one
+instant after midnight, your carriage will become a pumpkin, your
+coachman a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen lizards; while you
+yourself will be the little cinder-wench you were an hour ago."
+
+Cinderella promised without fear, her heart was so full of joy.
+
+Arrived at the palace, the king's son, whom some one, probably the
+fairy, had told to await the coming of an uninvited princess whom
+nobody knew, was standing at the entrance ready to receive her. He
+offered her his hand, and led her with the utmost courtesy through the
+assembled guests, who stood aside to let her pass, whispering to one
+another, "Oh, how beautiful she is!" It might have turned the head of
+any one but poor Cinderella, who was so used to be despised that she
+took it all as if it were something happening in a dream.
+
+Her triumph was complete; even the old king said to the queen, that
+never since her majesty's young days had he seen so charming and
+elegant a person. All the court ladies scanned her eagerly, clothes
+and all, determining to have theirs made next day of exactly the same
+pattern. The king's son himself led her out to dance, and she danced
+so gracefully that he admired her more and more. Indeed, at supper,
+which was fortunately early, his admiration quite took away his
+appetite. For Cinderella herself, with an involuntary shyness she
+sought out her sisters, placed herself beside them, and offered them
+all sorts of civil attentions, which, coming as they supposed from a
+stranger, and so magnificent a lady, almost overwhelmed them with
+delight.
+
+While she was talking with them she heard the clock strike a quarter
+to twelve, and making a courteous adieu to the royal family, she
+re-entered her carriage, escorted tenderly by the king's son, and
+arrived in safety at her own door. There she found her godmother, who
+smiled approval, and of whom she begged permission to go to a second
+ball, the following night, to which the queen had earnestly invited
+her.
+
+While she was talking the two sisters were heard knocking at the
+gate, and the fairy godmother vanished, leaving Cinderella sitting in
+the chimney-corner, rubbing her eyes and pretending to be very sleepy.
+
+"Ah," cried the eldest sister, maliciously, "it has been the most
+delightful ball, and there was present the most beautiful princess I
+ever saw, who was so exceedingly polite to us both."
+
+"Was she?" said Cinderella, indifferently; "and who might she be?"
+
+"Nobody knows, though everybody would give their eyes to know,
+especially the king's son."
+
+"Indeed!" replied Cinderella, a little more interested. "I should like
+to see her. Miss Javotte"--that was the elder sister's name--"will you
+not let me go to-morrow, and lend me your yellow gown that you wear on
+Sundays?"
+
+"What, lend my yellow gown to a cinder-wench! I am not so mad as
+that." At which refusal Cinderella did not complain, for if her sister
+really had lent her the gown she would have been considerably
+embarrassed.
+
+The next night came, and the two young ladies, richly dressed in
+different toilets, went to the ball. Cinderella, more splendidly
+attired and beautiful than ever, followed them shortly after. "Now
+remember twelve o'clock," was her godmother's parting speech, and she
+thought she certainly should. But the prince's attentions to her were
+greater even than the first evening, and, in the delight of listening
+to his pleasant conversation, time slipped by unperceived. While she
+was sitting beside him in a lovely alcove, and looking at the moon
+from under a bower of orange blossoms, she heard a clock strike the
+first stroke of twelve. She started up, and fled away as lightly as a
+deer.
+
+Amazed, the prince followed, but could not catch her. Indeed, he
+missed his lovely princess altogether, and only saw running out of
+the palace doors a little dirty lass whom he had never beheld before,
+and of whom he certainly would never have taken the least notice.
+Cinderella arrived at home breathless and weary, ragged and cold,
+without carriage or footmen or coachman, the only remnant of her past
+magnificence being one of her little glass slippers--the other she had
+dropped in the ballroom as she ran away.
+
+When the two sisters returned they were full of this strange
+adventure: how the beautiful lady had appeared at the ball more
+beautiful than ever, and enchanted every one who looked at her; and
+how as the clock was striking twelve she had suddenly risen up and
+fled through the ballroom, disappearing no one knew how or where, and
+dropping one of her glass slippers behind her in her flight. How the
+king's son had remained inconsolable until he chanced to pick up the
+little glass slipper, which he carried away in his pocket, and was
+seen to take it out continually, and look at it affectionately, with
+the air of a man very much in love; in fact, from his behavior during
+the remainder of the evening, all the court and royal family were
+convinced that he had become desperately enamoured of the wearer of
+the little glass slipper.
+
+Cinderella listened in silence, turning her face to the kitchen fire,
+and perhaps it was that which made her look so rosy, but nobody ever
+noticed or admired her at home, so it did not signify, and next
+morning she went to her weary work again just as before.
+
+A few days after, the whole city was attracted by the sight of a
+herald going round with a little glass slipper in his hand,
+publishing, with a flourish of trumpets, that the king's son ordered
+this to be fitted on the foot of every lady in the kingdom, and that
+he wished to marry the lady whom it fitted best, or to whom it and
+the fellow-slipper belonged. Princesses, duchesses, countesses, and
+simple gentlewomen all tried it on, but, being a fairy slipper, it
+fitted nobody; and, besides, nobody could produce its fellow-slipper,
+which lay all the time safely in the pocket of Cinderella's old linsey
+gown.
+
+At last the herald came to the house of the two sisters, and though
+they well knew neither of themselves was the beautiful lady, they made
+every attempt to get their clumsy feet into the glass slipper, but in
+vain.
+
+"Let me try it on," said Cinderella, from the chimney-corner.
+
+"What, you?" cried the others, bursting into shouts of laughter; but
+Cinderella only smiled and held out her hand.
+
+Her sisters could not prevent her, since the command was that every
+young maiden in the city should try on the slipper, in order that no
+chance might be left untried, for the prince was nearly breaking his
+heart; and his father and mother were afraid that, though a prince, he
+would actually die for love of the beautiful unknown lady.
+
+So the herald bade Cinderella sit down on a three-legged stool in the
+kitchen, and himself put the slipper on her pretty little foot, which
+it fitted exactly. She then drew from her pocket the fellow-slipper,
+which she also put on, and stood up--for with the touch of the magic
+shoes all her dress was changed likewise--no longer the poor, despised
+cinder-wench, but the beautiful lady whom the king's son loved.
+
+Her sisters recognized her at once. Filled with astonishment, mingled
+with no little alarm, they threw themselves at her feet, begging her
+pardon for all their former unkindness. She raised and embraced them,
+told them she forgave them with all her heart, and only hoped they
+would love her always. Then she departed with the herald to the king's
+palace, and told her whole story to his majesty and the royal family,
+who were not in the least surprised, for everybody believed in
+fairies, and everybody longed to have a fairy godmother.
+
+    [Illustration: The slipper fitted exactly]
+
+For the young prince, he found her more lovely and lovable than ever,
+and insisted upon marrying her immediately. Cinderella never went home
+again, but she sent for her two sisters to the palace, and with the
+consent of all parties married them shortly after to two rich
+gentlemen of the court.
+
+
+
+
+JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK
+
+
+In the days of King Alfred there lived a poor woman whose cottage was
+in a remote country village many miles from London. She had been a
+widow some years, and had an only child named Jack, whom she indulged
+so much that he never paid the least attention to anything she said,
+but was indolent, careless, and extravagant. His follies were not
+owing to a bad disposition, but to his mother's foolish partiality. By
+degrees he spent all that she had--scarcely anything remained but a
+cow.
+
+One day, for the first time in her life, she reproached him: "Cruel,
+cruel boy! you have at last brought me to beggary. I have not money
+enough to purchase even a bit of bread; nothing now remains to sell
+but my poor cow! I am sorry to part with her; it grieves me sadly, but
+we cannot starve." For a few minutes Jack felt remorse, but it was
+soon over; and he began asking his mother to let him sell the cow at
+the next village, teasing her so much that she at last consented.
+
+As he was going along he met a butcher, who inquired why he was
+driving the cow from home? Jack replied he was going to sell it. The
+butcher held some curious beans in his hat; they were of various
+colors and attracted Jack's attention. This did not pass unnoticed by
+the man, who, knowing Jack's easy temper, thought now was the time to
+take an advantage of it, and, determined not to let slip so good an
+opportunity, asked what was the price of the cow, offering at the same
+time all the beans in his hat for her. The silly boy could not
+conceal the pleasure he felt at what he supposed so great an offer;
+the bargain was struck instantly, and the cow exchanged for a few
+paltry beans. Jack made the best of his way home, calling aloud to his
+mother before he reached the door, thinking to surprise her.
+
+When she saw the beans and heard Jack's account, her patience quite
+forsook her; she tossed the beans out of the window, where they fell
+on the garden-bed below. Then she threw her apron over her head and
+cried bitterly. Jack attempted to console her, but in vain, and, not
+having anything to eat, they both went supperless to bed. Jack awoke
+early in the morning, and, seeing something uncommon darkening the
+window of his bedchamber, ran down-stairs into the garden, where he
+found some of the beans had taken root and sprung up surprisingly; the
+stalks were of an immense thickness, and had twined together until
+they formed a ladder like a chain, and so high that the top appeared
+to be lost in the clouds. Jack was an adventurous lad; he determined
+to climb up to the top, and ran to tell his mother, not doubting but
+that she would be as much pleased as he was. She declared he should
+not go, said it would break her heart if he did--entreated and
+threatened, but all in vain. Jack set out, and after climbing for some
+hours reached the top of the bean-stalk quite exhausted. Looking
+around, he found himself in a strange country; it appeared to be a
+barren desert--not a tree, shrub, house, or living creature was to be
+seen; here and there were scattered fragments of stone; and at unequal
+distances small heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.
+
+Jack seated himself pensively upon a block of stone and thought of his
+mother; he reflected with sorrow upon his disobedience in climbing
+the bean-stalk against her will, and concluded that he must die of
+hunger. However, he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might
+beg something to eat and drink. He did not find it; but he saw at a
+distance a beautiful lady, walking all alone. She was elegantly clad
+and carried a white wand, at the top of which sat a peacock of pure
+gold.
+
+Jack, who was a gallant fellow, went straight up to her, when, with a
+bewitching smile, she asked him how he came there. He told her all
+about the bean-stalk. The lady answered him by a question, "Do you
+remember your father, young man?"
+
+"No, madam; but I am sure there is some mystery about him, for when I
+name him to my mother she always begins to weep, and will tell me
+nothing."
+
+"She dare not," replied the lady, "but I can and will. For know,
+young man, that I am a fairy and was your father's guardian. But
+fairies are bound by laws as well as mortals, and by an error of mine
+I lost my power for a term of years, so that I was unable to succour
+your father when he most needed it, and he died." Here the fairy
+looked so sorrowful that Jack's heart warmed to her, and he begged her
+earnestly to tell him more.
+
+"I will; only you must promise to obey me in everything, or you will
+perish yourself."
+
+Jack was brave, and, besides, his fortunes were so bad they could not
+well be worse, so he promised.
+
+The fairy continued: "Your father, Jack, was a most excellent,
+amiable, generous man. He had a good wife, faithful servants, plenty
+of money; but he had one misfortune--a false friend. This was a giant,
+whom he had succoured in misfortune, and who returned his kindness by
+murdering him, and seizing on all his property; also making your
+mother take a solemn oath that she would never tell you anything about
+your father, or he would murder both her and you. Then he turned her
+off with you in her arms, to wander about the wide world as she might.
+I could not help her, as my power only returned on the day you went to
+sell your cow.
+
+"It was I," added the fairy, "who impelled you to take the beans, who
+made the bean-stalk grow, and inspired you with the desire to climb up
+it to this strange country; for it is here the wicked giant lives who
+was your father's destroyer. It is you who must avenge him, and rid
+the world of a monster who never will do anything but evil. I will
+assist you. You may lawfully take possession of his house and all his
+riches, for everything he has belonged to your father, and is
+therefore yours. Now farewell! Do not let your mother know you are
+acquainted with your father's history. This is my command, and if you
+disobey me you will suffer for it. Now go."
+
+Jack asked where he was to go.
+
+"Along the direct road till you see the house where the giant lives.
+You must then act according to your own just judgment, and I will
+guide you if any difficulty arises. Farewell!"
+
+She bestowed on the youth a benignant smile, and vanished.
+
+Jack pursued his journey. He walked on till after sunset, when to his
+great joy, he espied a large mansion. A plain-looking woman was at the
+door; he accosted her, begging she would give him a morsel of bread
+and a night's lodging. She expressed the greatest surprise, and said
+it was quite uncommon to see a human being near their house; for it
+was well known that her husband was a powerful giant, who would never
+eat anything but human flesh, if he could possibly get it; that he
+would walk fifty miles to procure it, usually being out the whole day
+for that purpose.
+
+This account greatly terrified Jack, but still he hoped to elude the
+giant, and therefore he again entreated the woman to take him in for
+one night only, and hide him where she thought proper. She at last
+suffered herself to be persuaded, for she was of a compassionate and
+generous disposition, and took him into the house. First they entered
+a fine large hall magnificently furnished; they then passed through
+several spacious rooms in the same style of grandeur; but all appeared
+forsaken and desolate. A long gallery came next; it was very
+dark--just light enough to show that, instead of a wall on one side,
+there was a grating of iron which parted off a dismal dungeon, from
+whence issued the groans of those victims whom the cruel giant
+reserved in confinement for his own voracious appetite.
+
+Poor Jack was half dead with fear, and would have given the world to
+have been with his mother again, for he now began to doubt if he
+should ever see her more; he even mistrusted the good woman, and
+thought she had let him into the house for no other purpose than to
+lock him up among the unfortunate people in the dungeon. However, she
+bade Jack sit down, and gave him plenty to eat and drink; and he, not
+seeing anything to make him uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear and
+was just beginning to enjoy himself, when he was startled by a loud
+knocking at the outer door, which made the whole house shake.
+
+"Ah! that's the giant; and if he sees you he will kill you and me,
+too," cried the poor woman, trembling all over. "What shall I do?"
+
+"Hide me in the oven," cried Jack, now as bold as a lion at the
+thought of being face to face with his father's cruel murderer. So he
+crept into the oven--for there was no fire near it--and listened to
+the giant's loud voice and heavy step as he went up and down the
+kitchen scolding his wife. At last he seated himself at table, and
+Jack, peeping through a crevice in the oven, was amazed to see what a
+quantity of food he devoured. It seemed as if he never would have done
+eating and drinking; but he did at last, and, leaning back, called to
+his wife in a voice like thunder:
+
+"Bring me my hen!"
+
+She obeyed, and placed upon the table a very beautiful live hen.
+
+"Lay!" roared the giant, and the hen laid immediately an egg of solid
+gold.
+
+"Lay another!" and every time the giant said this the hen laid a
+larger egg than before.
+
+He amused himself a long time with his hen, and then sent his wife to
+bed, while he fell asleep by the fireside and snored like the roaring
+of cannon.
+
+As soon as he was asleep Jack crept out of the oven, seized the hen,
+and ran off with her. He got safely out of the house, and, finding his
+way along the road he came, reached the top of the bean-stalk, which
+he descended in safety.
+
+His mother was overjoyed to see him. She thought he had come to some
+ill end.
+
+"Not a bit of it, mother. Look here!" and he showed her the hen. "Now
+lay," and the hen obeyed him as readily as the giant, and laid as many
+golden eggs as he desired.
+
+These eggs being sold, Jack and his mother got plenty of money, and
+for some months lived very happily together, till Jack got another
+great longing to climb the bean-stalk and carry away some more of the
+giant's riches. He had told his mother of his adventure, but had been
+very careful not to say a word about his father. He thought of his
+journey again and again, but still he could not summon resolution
+enough to break it to his mother, being well assured that she would
+endeavor to prevent his going. However, one day he told her boldly
+that he must take another journey up the bean-stalk. She begged and
+prayed him not to think of it, and tried all in her power to dissuade
+him; she told him that the giant's wife would certainly know him
+again, and that the giant would desire nothing better than to get him
+into his power, that he might put him to a cruel death, in order to be
+revenged for the loss of his hen. Jack, finding that all his arguments
+were useless, ceased speaking, though resolved to go at all events. He
+had a dress prepared which would disguise him, and something to color
+his skin; he thought it impossible for any one to recollect him in
+this dress.
+
+A few mornings after he rose very early, and, unperceived by any one,
+climbed the bean-stalk a second time. He was greatly fatigued when he
+reached the top, and very hungry. Having rested some time on one of
+the stones, he pursued his journey to the giant's mansion, which he
+reached late in the evening. The woman was at the door as before. Jack
+addressed her, at the same time telling her a pitiful tale, and
+requesting that she would give him some victuals and drink, and also a
+night's lodging.
+
+She told him (what he knew before very well) about her husband's being
+a powerful and cruel giant, and also that she had one night admitted a
+poor, hungry, friendless boy; that the little ungrateful fellow had
+stolen one of the giant's treasures, and ever since that her husband
+had been worse than before, using her very cruelly, and continually
+upbraiding her with being the cause of his misfortune. Jack felt
+sorry for her, but confessed nothing, and did his best to persuade
+her to admit him, but found it a very hard task. At last she
+consented, and as she led the way, Jack observed that everything was
+just as he had found it before. She took him into the kitchen, and
+after he had done eating and drinking, she hid him in an old
+lumber-closet. The giant returned at the usual time, and walked in so
+heavily that the house was shaken to its foundation. He seated himself
+by the fire, and soon after exclaimed, "Wife, I smell fresh meat!"
+
+The wife replied it was the crows which had brought a piece of raw
+meat and left it at the top of the house. While supper was preparing,
+the giant was very ill-tempered and impatient, frequently lifting up
+his hand to strike his wife for not being quick enough. He was also
+continually upbraiding her with the loss of his wonderful hen.
+
+At last, having ended his supper, he cried, "Give me something to
+amuse me--my harp or my money-bags."
+
+"Which will you have, my dear?" said the wife, humbly.
+
+"My money-bags, because they are the heaviest to carry," thundered he.
+
+She brought them, staggering under the weight--two bags, one filled
+with new guineas and the other with new shillings. She emptied them
+out on the table, and the giant began counting them in great glee.
+"Now you may go to bed, you old fool." So the wife crept away.
+
+Jack from his hiding-place watched the counting of the money, which he
+knew was his poor father's, and wished it was his own; it would give
+him much less trouble than going about selling the golden eggs. The
+giant, little thinking he was so narrowly observed, reckoned it all
+up, and then replaced it in the two bags, which he tied up very
+carefully and put beside his chair, with his little dog to guard them.
+
+At last he fell asleep as before, and snored so loud that Jack
+compared his noise to the roaring of the sea in a high wind, when the
+tide is coming in. At last Jack, concluding all secure, stole out, in
+order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand
+upon one of them, the little dog, which he had not perceived before,
+started from under the giant's chair and barked most furiously.
+Instead of endeavoring to escape, Jack stood still, though expecting
+his enemy to awake every instant.
+
+Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound
+sleep, and Jack, seeing a piece of meat, threw it to the dog, who at
+once ceased barking and began to devour it. So Jack carried off the
+bags, one on each shoulder, but they were so heavy that it took him
+two whole days to descend the bean-stalk and get back to his mother's
+door.
+
+    [Illustration: Just as he laid his hand upon one of them, the
+      little dog barked most furiously]
+
+When he came he found the cottage deserted. He ran from one room to
+another without being able to find any one; he then hastened into the
+village, hoping to see some of the neighbors, who could inform him
+where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a
+neighboring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly
+shocked at finding her apparently dying, and blamed himself bitterly
+as the cause of it all. However, at sight of her dear son, the poor
+woman revived and slowly recovered her health. Jack gave her his two
+money-bags. They had the cottage rebuilt and well furnished, and lived
+happier than they had ever done before.
+
+For three years Jack heard no more of the bean-stalk, but he could not
+forget it, though he feared making his mother unhappy. It was in vain
+endeavoring to amuse himself; he became thoughtful, and would arise at
+the first dawn of day, and sit looking at the bean-stalk for hours
+together. His mother saw that something preyed upon his mind, and
+endeavored to discover the cause; but Jack knew too well what the
+consequence would be should she succeed. He did his utmost, therefore,
+to conquer the great desire he had for another journey up the
+bean-stalk. Finding, however, that his inclination grew too powerful
+for him, he began to make secret preparations for his journey. He
+prepared a new disguise, better and more complete than the former, and
+when summer came, on the longest day he awoke as soon as it was light,
+and, without telling his mother, ascended the bean-stalk. He found the
+road, journey, etc., much as it was on the two former times. He
+arrived at the giant's mansion in the evening, and found the wife
+standing, as usual, at the door. Jack had disguised himself so
+completely that she did not appear to have the least recollection of
+him; however, when he pleaded hunger and poverty, in order to gain
+admittance, he found it very difficult indeed to persuade her. At last
+he prevailed, and was concealed in the copper. When the giant returned
+he said, furiously, "I smell fresh meat!" But Jack felt quite
+composed, since the giant had said this before and had been soon
+satisfied. However, the giant started up suddenly, and,
+notwithstanding all his wife could say, he searched all round the
+room. While this was going forward Jack was exceedingly terrified,
+wishing himself at home a thousand times; but when the giant
+approached the copper and put his hand upon the lid, Jack thought his
+death was certain.
+
+But nothing happened; for the giant did not take the trouble to lift
+up the lid, but sat down shortly by the fireside and began to eat his
+enormous supper. When he had finished he commanded his wife to fetch
+down his harp. Jack peeped under the copper-lid and saw a most
+beautiful harp. The giant placed it on the table, said "Play!" and it
+played of its own accord, without anybody touching it, the most
+exquisite music imaginable. Jack, who was a very good musician, was
+delighted, and more anxious to get this than any other of his enemy's
+treasures. But the giant not being particularly fond of music, the
+harp had only the effect of lulling him to sleep earlier than usual.
+As for the wife, she had gone to bed as soon as ever she could.
+
+As soon as he thought all was safe, Jack got out of the copper, and,
+seizing the harp, was eagerly running off with it. But the harp was
+enchanted by a fairy, and as soon as it found itself in strange hands
+it called out loudly, just as if it had been alive, "Master! Master!"
+
+The giant awoke, started up, and saw Jack scampering away as fast as
+his legs could carry him.
+
+"Oh, you villain! it is you who have robbed me of my hen and my
+money-bags, and now you are stealing my harp also. Wait till I catch
+you and I'll eat you up alive!"
+
+"Very well: try!" shouted Jack, who was not a bit afraid, for he saw
+the giant was so tipsy he could hardly stand, much less run; and he
+himself had young legs and a clear conscience, which carry a man a
+long way. So, after leading the giant a considerable race, he
+contrived to be first at the top of the bean-stalk, and then scrambled
+down it as fast as he could, the harp playing all the while the most
+melancholy music till he said "Stop," and it stopped.
+
+Arrived at the bottom, he found his mother sitting at her cottage door
+weeping silently.
+
+"Here, mother, don't cry; just give me a hatchet--make haste." For he
+knew there was not a moment to spare; he saw the giant beginning to
+descend the bean-stalk.
+
+But the monster was too late--his ill deeds had come to an end. Jack
+with his hatchet cut the bean-stalk close off at the root. The giant
+fell headlong into the garden, and was killed on the spot.
+
+Instantly the fairy appeared and explained everything to Jack's
+mother, begging her to forgive Jack, who was his father's own son for
+bravery and generosity, and who would be sure to make her happy for
+the rest of her days.
+
+So all ended well, and nothing was ever more heard or seen of the
+wonderful bean-stalk.
+
+
+
+
+THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD
+
+
+Once there was a royal couple who grieved excessively because they had
+no children. When at last, after long waiting, the queen presented her
+husband with a little daughter, his majesty showed his joy by giving a
+christening feast so grand that the like of it was never known. He
+invited all the fairies in the land--there were seven altogether--to
+stand godmothers to the little princess, hoping that each might bestow
+on her some good gift, as was the custom of good fairies in those
+days.
+
+After the ceremony all the guests returned to the palace, where there
+was set before each fairy-godmother a magnificent covered dish, with
+an embroidered table-napkin, and a knife and fork of pure gold studded
+with diamonds and rubies. But alas! as they placed themselves at table
+there entered an old fairy who had never been invited, because more
+than fifty years since she had left the king's dominion on a tour of
+pleasure and had not been heard of until this day. His majesty, much
+troubled, desired a cover to be placed for her, but it was of common
+delf, for he had ordered from his jeweller only seven gold dishes for
+the seven fairies aforesaid. The elderly fairy thought herself
+neglected, and muttered angry menaces, which were overheard by one of
+the younger fairies, who chanced to sit beside her. This good
+godmother, afraid of harm to the pretty baby, hastened to hide herself
+behind the tapestry in the hall. She did this because she wished all
+the others to speak first--so that if any ill gift were bestowed on
+the child she might be able to counteract it.
+
+The six now offered their good wishes--which, unlike most wishes, were
+sure to come true. The fortunate little princess was to grow up the
+fairest woman in the world; to have a temper sweet as an angel; to be
+perfectly graceful and gracious; to sing like a nightingale; to dance
+like a leaf on a tree; and to possess every accomplishment under the
+sun. Then the old fairy's turn came. Shaking her head spitefully, she
+uttered the wish that when the baby grew up into a young lady, and
+learned to spin, she might prick her finger with the spindle and die
+of the wound.
+
+At this terrible prophecy all the guests shuddered, and some of the
+more tender-hearted began to weep. The lately happy parents were
+almost out of their wits with grief. Upon which the wise young fairy
+appeared from behind the tapestry, saying cheerfully; "Your majesties
+may comfort yourselves; the princess shall not die. I have no power to
+alter the ill-fortune just wished her by my ancient sister--her finger
+must be pierced, and she shall then sink, not into the sleep of death,
+but into a sleep that will last a hundred years. After that time is
+ended the son of a king will find her, awaken her, and marry her."
+
+Immediately all the fairies vanished.
+
+The king, in the hope of avoiding his daughter's doom, issued an edict
+forbidding all persons to spin, and even to have spinning-wheels in
+their houses, on pain of instant death. But it was in vain. One day,
+when she was just fifteen years of age, the king and queen left their
+daughter alone in one of their castles, when, wandering about at her
+will, she came to an ancient dungeon tower, climbed to the top of it,
+and there found a very old woman--so old and deaf that she had never
+heard of the king's edict--busy with her wheel.
+
+"What are you doing, good old woman?" said the princess.
+
+"I'm spinning, my pretty child."
+
+"Ah, how charming! Let me try if I can spin also."
+
+She had no sooner taken up the spindle than, being lively and
+obstinate, she handled it so awkwardly and carelessly that the point
+pierced her finger. Though it was so small a wound, she fainted away
+at once, and dropped silently down on the floor. The poor, frightened
+old woman called for help; shortly came the ladies in waiting, who
+tried every means to restore their young mistress, but all their care
+was useless. She lay, beautiful as an angel, the color still lingering
+in her lips and cheeks; her fair bosom softly stirred with her breath;
+only her eyes were fast closed. When the king, her father, and the
+queen, her mother, beheld her thus, they knew regret was idle--all had
+happened as the cruel fairy meant. But they also knew that their
+daughter would not sleep forever, though after one hundred years it
+was not likely they would either of them behold her awakening. Until
+that happy hour should arrive, they determined to leave her in repose.
+They sent away all the physicians and attendants, and themselves
+sorrowfully laid her upon a bed of embroidery, in the most elegant
+apartment of the palace. There she slept and looked like a sleeping
+angel still.
+
+When this misfortune happened, the kindly young fairy who had saved
+the princess by changing her sleep of death into this sleep of a
+hundred years was twelve thousand leagues away in the kingdom of
+Mataquin. But being informed of everything, she arrived speedily in a
+chariot of fire drawn by dragons. The king was somewhat startled by
+the sight, but nevertheless went to the door of his palace, and, with
+a mournful countenance, presented her his hand to descend.
+
+The fairy condoled with his majesty, and approved of all he had done.
+Then, being a fairy of great common-sense and foresight, she suggested
+that the princess, awakening after a hundred years in this ancient
+castle, might be a good deal embarrassed, especially with a young
+prince by her side, to find herself alone. Accordingly, without asking
+any one's leave, she touched with her magic wand the entire population
+of the palace, except the king and queen--governesses, ladies of
+honor, waiting-maids, gentlemen ushers, cooks, kitchen-girls, pages,
+footmen, down to the horses that were in the stables and the grooms
+that attended them--she touched each and all. Nay, with kind
+consideration for the feelings of the princess, she even touched the
+little fat lapdog Puffy, who had laid himself down beside his
+mistress on her splendid bed. He, like all the rest, fell fast asleep
+in a moment. The very spits that were before the kitchen fire ceased
+turning, and the fire itself went out, and everything became as silent
+as if it were the middle of the night, or as if the palace were a
+palace of the dead.
+
+The king and queen--having kissed their daughter and wept over her a
+little, but not much, she looked so sweet and content--departed from
+the castle, giving orders that it was to be approached no more. The
+command was unnecessary; for in one quarter of an hour there sprung up
+around it a wood so thick and thorny that neither beasts nor men could
+attempt to penetrate there. Above this dense mass of forest could only
+be perceived the top of the high tower where the lovely princess
+slept.
+
+A great many changes happen in a hundred years. The king, who never
+had a second child, died, and his throne passed into another royal
+family. So entirely was the story of the poor princess forgotten, that
+when the reigning king's son, being one day out hunting and stopped in
+the chase by this formidable wood, inquired what wood it was, and what
+were those towers which he saw appearing out of the midst of it, no
+one could answer him. At length an old peasant was found who
+remembered having heard his grandfather say to his father, that in
+this tower was a princess, beautiful as the day, who was doomed to
+sleep there for one hundred years, until awakened by a king's son, her
+destined bridegroom.
+
+At this the young prince, who had the spirit of a hero, determined to
+find out the truth for himself. Spurred on by both generosity and
+curiosity, he leaped from his horse and began to force his way through
+the thick wood. To his amazement the stiff branches all gave way, and
+the ugly thorns sheathed themselves of their own accord, and the
+brambles buried themselves in the earth to let him pass. This done,
+they closed behind him, allowing none of his suite to follow: but,
+ardent and young, he went boldly on alone. The first thing he saw was
+enough to smite him with fear. Bodies of men and horses lay extended
+on the ground; but the men had faces, not death-white, but red as
+peonies, and beside them were glasses half filled with wine, showing
+that they had gone to sleep drinking. Next he entered a large court
+paved with marble, where stood rows of guards presenting arms, but
+motionless as if cut out of stone; then he passed through many
+chambers where gentlemen and ladies, all in the costume of the past
+century, slept at their ease, some standing, some sitting. The pages
+were lurking in corners, the ladies of honor were stooping over
+their embroidery frames, or listening apparently with polite attention
+to the gentlemen of the court, but all were as silent as statues and
+as immovable. Their clothes, strange to say, were fresh and new as
+ever; and not a particle of dust or spider-web had gathered over the
+furniture, though it had not known a broom for a hundred years.
+Finally the astonished prince came to an inner chamber, where was the
+fairest sight his eyes had ever beheld.
+
+    [Illustration: A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an
+      embroidered bed]
+
+A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an embroidered bed, and
+she looked as if she had only just closed her eyes. Trembling, the
+prince approached and knelt beside her. Some say he kissed her, but as
+nobody saw it, and she never told, we cannot be quite sure of the
+fact. However, as the end of the enchantment had come, the princess
+awakened at once, and, looking at him with eyes of the tenderest
+regard, said, drowsily: "Is it you, my prince? I have waited for you
+very long."
+
+Charmed with these words, and still more with the tone in which they
+were uttered, the prince assured her that he loved her more than his
+life. Nevertheless, he was the most embarrassed of the two; for,
+thanks to the kind fairy, the princess had plenty of time to dream of
+him during her century of slumber, while he had never even heard of
+her till an hour before. For a long time did they sit conversing, and
+yet had not said half enough. Their only interruption was the little
+dog Puffy, who had awakened with his mistress, and now began to be
+exceedingly jealous that the princess did not notice him as much as
+she was wont to do.
+
+Meantime all the attendants, whose enchantment was also broken, not
+being in love, were ready to die of hunger after their fast of a
+hundred years. A lady of honor ventured to intimate that dinner was
+served; whereupon the prince handed his beloved princess at once to
+the great hall. She did not wait to dress for dinner, being already
+perfectly and magnificently attired, though in a fashion somewhat out
+of date. However, her lover had the politeness not to notice this, nor
+to remind her that she was dressed exactly like her royal grandmother,
+whose portrait still hung on the palace walls.
+
+During the banquet a concert took place by the attendant musicians,
+and considering they had not touched their instruments for a century,
+they played extremely well. They ended with a wedding march; for that
+very evening the marriage of the prince and princess was celebrated,
+and though the bride was nearly one hundred years older than the
+bridegroom, it is remarkable that the fact would never had been
+discovered by any one unacquainted therewith.
+
+After a few days they went together out of the castle and enchanted
+wood, both of which immediately vanished, and were never more beheld
+by mortal eyes. The princess was restored to her ancestral kingdom,
+but it was not generally declared who she was, as during a hundred
+years people had grown so very much cleverer that nobody then living
+would ever have believed the story. So nothing was explained, and
+nobody presumed to ask any questions about her, for ought not a prince
+be able to marry whomsoever he pleases?
+
+Nor--whether or not the day of fairies was over--did the princess ever
+see anything further of her seven godmothers. She lived a long and
+happy life, like any other ordinary woman, and died at length,
+beloved, regretted, but, the prince being already no more, perfectly
+contented.
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD
+
+
+Once there was a little village maiden, the prettiest ever seen. Her
+mother was foolishly fond of her, and her grandmother likewise. The
+old woman made for her a little hood, which became the damsel so well
+that ever after she went by the name of Little Red-Riding-Hood. One
+day, when her mother was making cakes, she said, "My child, you shall
+go and see your grandmother, for I hear she is not well; and you shall
+take her some of these cakes and a pot of butter."
+
+Little Red-Riding-Hood was delighted to go, though it was a long walk;
+but she was a good child, and fond of her kind grandmother. Passing
+through a wood, she met a great wolf, who was most eager to eat her
+up, but dared not, because of a woodcutter who was busy hard by. So he
+only came and asked her politely where she was going. The poor child,
+who did not know how dangerous it is to stop and speak to wolves,
+replied, "I am going to see my grandmother, and to take her a cake and
+a pot of butter, which my mother has sent her."
+
+"Is it very far from hence?" asked the wolf.
+
+"Oh yes; it is just above the mill which you may see up there--the
+first house you come to in the village."
+
+"Well," said the wolf, "I will go there also, to inquire after your
+excellent grandmother; I will go one way, and you the other, and we
+will see who can be there first."
+
+So he ran as fast as ever he could, taking the shortest road, but the
+little maiden took the longest; for she stopped to pluck roses in
+the wood, to chase butterflies, and gather nosegays of the prettiest
+flowers she could find--she was such a happy and innocent little soul.
+
+    [Illustration: He asked her politely where she was going]
+
+The wolf was not long in reaching the grandmother's door. He knocked,
+Toc--toc, and the grandmother said, "Who is there?"
+
+"It is your child, Little Red-Riding-Hood," replied the wicked beast,
+imitating the girl's voice; "I bring you a cake and a pot of butter,
+which my mother has sent you."
+
+The grandmother, who was ill in her bed, said, "Very well, my dear,
+pull the string and the latch will open." The wolf pulled the
+string--the door flew open; he leaped in, fell upon the poor old
+woman, and ate her up in less than no time, tough as she was, for he
+had not tasted anything for more than three days. Then he carefully
+shut the door, and laying himself down snugly in the bed, waited for
+Little Red-Riding-Hood, who was not long before she came and knocked,
+Toc--toc, at the door.
+
+"Who is there?" said the wolf; and the little maiden, hearing his
+gruff voice, felt sure that her poor grandmother must have caught a
+bad cold and be very ill indeed.
+
+So she answered, cheerfully, "It is your child, Little
+Red-Riding-Hood, who brings you a cake and a pot of butter that my
+mother has sent you."
+
+Then the wolf, softening his voice as much as he could, said, "Pull
+the string, and the latch will open."
+
+So Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the string and the door opened. The
+wolf, seeing her enter, hid himself as much as he could under the
+coverlid of the bed, and said in a whisper, "Put the cake and the pot
+of butter on the shelf, and then make haste and come to bed, for it is
+very late."
+
+Little Red-Riding-Hood did not think so; but, to please her
+grandmother, she undressed herself and began to get ready for bed,
+when she was very much astonished to find how different the old woman
+looked from ordinary.
+
+"Grandmother, what great arms you have!"
+
+"That is to hug you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what great ears you have!"
+
+"That is to hear you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what great eyes you have!"
+
+"That is to see you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what a great mouth you have!"
+
+"That is to eat you up!" cried the wicked wolf; and immediately he
+fell upon poor Little Red-Riding-Hood, and ate her up in a moment.
+
+
+
+
+THE UGLY DUCKLING
+
+
+The country was lovely just then; it was summer! The wheat was golden
+and the oats still green; the hay was stacked in the rich, low-lying
+meadows, where the stork was marching about on his long red legs,
+chattering Egyptian, the language his mother had taught him.
+
+Round about field and meadow lay great woods, in the midst of which
+were deep lakes. Yes, the country certainly was delicious. In the
+sunniest spot stood an old mansion surrounded by a deep moat, and
+great dock leaves grew from the walls of the house right down to the
+water's edge, some of them were so tall that a small child could
+stand upright under them. In among the leaves it was as secluded as in
+the depths of a forest, and there a duck was sitting on her nest. Her
+little ducklings were just about to be hatched, but she was nearly
+tired of sitting, for it had lasted such a long time. Moreover, she
+had very few visitors, as the other ducks liked swimming about in the
+moat better than waddling up to sit under the dock leaves and gossip
+with her.
+
+At last one egg after another began to crack. "Cheep, cheep!" they
+said. All the chicks had come to life, and were poking their heads
+out.
+
+"Quack! quack!" said the duck; and then they all quacked their
+hardest, and looked about them on all sides among the green leaves;
+their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, for green is
+good for the eyes.
+
+"How big the world is to be sure!" said all the young ones; for they
+certainly had ever so much more room to move about than when they were
+inside the egg-shell.
+
+"Do you imagine this is the whole world?" said the mother. "It
+stretches a long way on the other side of the garden, right into the
+parson's field; but I have never been as far as that! I suppose you
+are all here now?" and she got up. "No! I declare I have not got you
+all yet! The biggest egg is still there; how long is it going to
+last?" and then she settled herself on the nest again.
+
+"Well, how are you getting on?" said an old duck who had come to pay
+her a visit.
+
+"This one egg is taking such a long time," answered the sitting duck,
+"the shell will not crack; but now you must look at the others; they
+are the finest ducklings I have ever seen! they are all exactly like
+their father, the rascal! he never comes to see me."
+
+"Let me look at the egg which won't crack," said the old duck. "You
+may be sure that it is a turkey's egg! I have been cheated like that
+once, and I had no end of trouble and worry with the creatures, for I
+may tell you that they are afraid of the water. I could not get them
+into it; I quacked and snapped at them, but it was no good. Let me see
+the egg! Yes, it is a turkey's egg! You just leave it alone and teach
+the other children to swim."
+
+"I will sit on it a little longer; I have sat so long already that I
+may as well go on till the Midsummer Fair comes round."
+
+"Please yourself," said the old duck, and she went away.
+
+At last the big egg cracked. "Cheep, cheep!" said the young one and
+tumbled out; how big and ugly he was! The duck looked at him.
+
+"That is a monstrous big duckling," she said; "none of the others
+looked like that; can he be a turkey chick? well, we shall soon find
+that out; into the water he shall go, if I have to kick him in
+myself."
+
+Next day was gloriously fine, and the sun shone on all the green dock
+leaves. The mother duck with her whole family went down to the moat.
+
+Splash, into the water she sprang. "Quack, quack!" she said, and one
+duckling plumped in after the other. The water dashed over their
+heads, but they came up again and floated beautifully; their legs went
+of themselves, and they were all there, even the big ugly gray one
+swam about with them.
+
+"No, that is no turkey," she said; "see how beautifully he uses his
+legs and how erect he holds himself; he is my own chick! after all, he
+is not so bad when you come to look at him properly. Quack, quack! Now
+come with me and I will take you into the world, and introduce you to
+the duckyard; but keep close to me all the time, so that no one may
+tread upon you, and beware of the cat!"
+
+Then they went into the duckyard. There was a fearful uproar going on,
+for two broods were fighting for the head of an eel, and in the end
+the cat captured it.
+
+"That's how things go in this world," said the mother duck; and she
+licked her bill, for she wanted the eel's head for herself.
+
+"Use your legs," said she; "mind you quack properly, and bend your
+necks to the old duck over there! She is the grandest of them all; she
+has Spanish blood in her veins and that accounts for her size, and, do
+you see? she has a red rag round her leg; that is a wonderfully fine
+thing, and the most extraordinary mark of distinction any duck can
+have. It shows clearly that she is not to be parted with, and that she
+is worthy of recognition both by beasts and men! Quack now! don't
+turn your toes in, a well brought up duckling keeps his legs wide
+apart just like father and mother; that's it, now bend your necks, and
+say quack!"
+
+They did as they were bid, but the other ducks round about looked at
+them and said, quite loud: "Just look there! now we are to have that
+tribe! just as if there were not enough of us already, and, oh dear!
+how ugly that duckling is, we won't stand him!" and a duck flew at him
+at once and bit him in the neck.
+
+"Let him be," said the mother; "he is doing no harm."
+
+"Very likely not, but he is so ungainly and queer," said the biter,
+"he must be whacked."
+
+"They are handsome children mother has," said the old duck with the
+rag round her leg; "all good looking except this one, and he is not a
+good specimen; it's a pity you can't make him over again."
+
+"That can't be done, your grace," said the mother duck; "he is not
+handsome, but he is a thorough good creature, and he swims as
+beautifully as any of the others; nay, I think I might venture even to
+add that I think he will improve as he goes on, or perhaps in time he
+may grow smaller! he was too long in the egg, and so he has not come
+out with a very good figure." And then she patted his neck and stroked
+him down. "Besides, he is a drake," said she; "so it does not matter
+so much. I believe he will be very strong, and I don't doubt but he
+will make his way in the world."
+
+"The other ducklings are very pretty," said the old duck. "Now make
+yourselves quite at home, and if you find the head of an eel you may
+bring it to me!"
+
+After that they felt quite at home. But the poor duckling which had
+been the last to come out of the shell, and who was so ugly, was
+bitten, pushed about, and made fun of both by the ducks and the hens.
+"He is too big," they all said; and the turkey-cock, who was born with
+his spurs on, and therefore thought himself quite an emperor, puffed
+himself up like a vessel in full sail, made for him, and gobbled and
+gobbled till he became quite red in the face. The poor duckling was at
+his wit's end, and did not know which way to turn; he was in despair
+because he was so ugly and the butt of the whole duckyard.
+
+So the first day passed, and afterwards matters grew worse and worse.
+The poor duckling was chased and hustled by all of them; even his
+brothers and sisters ill-used him, and they were always saying, "If
+only the cat would get hold of you, you hideous object!" Even his
+mother said, "I wish to goodness you were miles away." The ducks bit
+him, the hens pecked him, and the girl who fed them kicked him aside.
+
+Then he ran off and flew right over the hedge, where the little birds
+flew up into the air in a fright.
+
+"That is because I am so ugly," thought the poor duckling, shutting
+his eyes, but he ran on all the same. Then he came to a great marsh
+where the wild ducks lived; he was so tired and miserable that he
+stayed there the whole night.
+
+In the morning the wild ducks flew up to inspect their new comrade.
+
+"What sort of a creature are you?" they inquired, as the duckling
+turned from side to side and greeted them as well as he could. "You
+are frightfully ugly," said the wild ducks; "but that does not matter
+to us, so long as you do not marry into our family!" Poor fellow! he
+had no thought of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among
+the rushes, and to drink a little of the marsh water.
+
+He stayed there two whole days; then two wild geese came, or, rather,
+two wild ganders; they were not long out of the shell, and therefore
+rather pert.
+
+"I say, comrade," they said, "you are so ugly that we have taken quite
+a fancy to you; will you join us and be a bird of passage? There is
+another marsh close by, and there are some charming wild geese there;
+all sweet young ladies, who can say quack! You are ugly enough to make
+your fortune among them." Just at that moment, bang! bang! was heard
+up above, and both the wild geese fell dead among the reeds, and the
+water turned blood red. Bang! bang! went the guns, and whole flocks of
+wild geese flew up from the rushes and the shot peppered among them
+again.
+
+There was a grand shooting-party, and the sportsmen lay hidden round
+the marsh; some even sat on the branches of the trees which overhung
+the water; the blue smoke rose like clouds among the dark trees and
+swept over the pool.
+
+The water-dogs wandered about in the swamp--splash! splash! The rushes
+and reeds bent beneath their tread on all sides. It was terribly
+alarming to the poor duckling. He twisted his head round to get it
+under his wing, and just at that moment a frightful big dog appeared
+close beside him; his tongue hung right out of his mouth and his eyes
+glared wickedly. He opened his great chasm of a mouth close to the
+duckling, showed his sharp teeth, and--splash!--went on without
+touching him.
+
+"Oh, thank Heaven!" sighed the duckling, "I am so ugly that even the
+dog won't bite me!"
+
+Then he lay quite still while the shot whistled among the bushes, and
+bang after bang rent the air. It only became quiet late in the day,
+but even then the poor duckling did not dare to get up; he waited
+several hours more before he looked about, and then he hurried away
+from the marsh as fast as he could. He ran across fields and meadows,
+and there was such a wind that he had hard work to make his way.
+
+Towards night he reached a poor little cottage; it was such a
+miserable hovel that it could not make up its mind which way to fall
+even, and so it remained standing. The wind whistled so fiercely round
+the duckling that he had to sit on his tail to resist it, and it blew
+harder and harder; then he saw that the door had fallen off one hinge
+and hung so crookedly that he could creep into the house through the
+crack, and by this means he made his way into the room. An old woman
+lived there with her cat and her hen. The cat, which she called
+"Sonnie," could arch his back, purr, and give off electric
+sparks--that is to say, if you stroked his fur the wrong way. The hen
+had quite tiny short legs, and so she was called "Chuckie-low-legs."
+She laid good eggs, and the old woman was as fond of her as if she had
+been her own child.
+
+In the morning the strange duckling was discovered immediately, and
+the cat began to purr and the hen to cluck.
+
+"What on earth is that!" said the old woman, looking round; but her
+sight was not good, and she thought the duckling was a fat duck which
+had escaped. "This is a capital find," said she; "now I shall have
+duck's eggs if only it is not a drake. We must find out about that!"
+
+So she took the duckling on trial for three weeks, but no eggs made
+their appearance. The cat was the master of the house and the hen the
+mistress, and they always spoke of "we and the world," for they
+thought that they represented the half of the world, and that quite
+the better half.
+
+The duckling thought there might be two opinions on the subject, but
+the cat would not hear of it.
+
+"Can you lay eggs?" she asked.
+
+"No!"
+
+"Will you have the goodness to hold your tongue, then!"
+
+And the cat said, "Can you arch your back, purr, or give off sparks?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Then you had better keep your opinions to yourself when people of
+sense are speaking!"
+
+The duckling sat in the corner nursing his ill-humor; then he began to
+think of the fresh air and the sunshine, an uncontrollable longing
+seized him to float on the water, and at last he could not help
+telling the hen about it.
+
+"What on earth possesses you?" she asked. "You have nothing to do;
+that is why you get these freaks into your head. Lay some eggs or take
+to purring, and you will get over it."
+
+"But it is so delicious to float, on the water," said the duckling;
+"so delicious to feel it rushing over your head when you dive to the
+bottom."
+
+"That would be a fine amusement," said the hen. "I think you have gone
+mad. Ask the cat about it, he is the wisest creature I know; ask him
+if he is fond of floating on the water or diving under it. I say
+nothing about myself. Ask our mistress yourself, the old woman; there
+is no one in the world cleverer than she is. Do you suppose she has
+any desire to float on the water or to duck underneath it?"
+
+"You do not understand me," said the duckling.
+
+"Well, if we don't understand you, who should? I suppose you don't
+consider yourself cleverer than the cat or the old woman, not to
+mention me. Don't make a fool of yourself, child, and thank your stars
+for all the good we have done you! Have you not lived in this warm
+room, and in such society that you might have learned something? But
+you are an idiot, and there is no pleasure in associating with you.
+You may believe me I mean you well, I tell you home truths, and there
+is no surer way than that of knowing who are one's friends. You just
+see about laying some eggs, or learn to purr, or to emit sparks."
+
+"I think I will go out into the wide world," said the duckling.
+
+"Oh, do so by all means!" said the hen.
+
+So away went the duckling; he floated on the water and ducked
+underneath it, but he was looked askance at by every living creature
+for his ugliness. Now the autumn came on, the leaves in the woods
+turned yellow and brown; the wind took hold of them, and they danced
+about. The sky looked very cold, and the clouds hung heavy with snow
+and hail. A raven stood on the fence and croaked Caw! Caw! from sheer
+cold; it made one shiver only to think of it. The poor duckling
+certainly was in a bad case.
+
+One evening the sun was just setting in wintry splendor when a flock
+of beautiful large birds appeared out of the bushes. The duckling had
+never seen anything so beautiful. They were dazzlingly white with long
+waving necks; they were swans; and, uttering a peculiar cry, they
+spread out their magnificent broad wings, and flew away from the cold
+regions to warmer lands and open seas. They mounted so high, so very
+high, and the ugly little duckling became strangely uneasy; he circled
+round and round in the water like a wheel, craning his neck up into
+the air after them. Then he uttered a shriek so piercing and so
+strange that he was quite frightened by it himself. Oh, he could not
+forget those beautiful birds, those happy birds! And as soon as they
+were out of sight he ducked right down to the bottom, and when he came
+up again he was quite beside himself. He did not know what the birds
+were or whither they flew, but all the same he was more drawn towards
+them than he had ever been by any creatures before. He did not even
+envy them in the least. How could it occur to him even to wish to be
+such a marvel of beauty; he would have been thankful if only the ducks
+would have tolerated him among them--the poor ugly creature!
+
+The winter was so bitterly cold that the duckling was obliged to swim
+about in the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the hole
+in which he swam got smaller and smaller. Then it froze so hard that
+the surface ice cracked, and the duckling had to use his legs all the
+time, so that the ice should not close in round him; at last he was so
+weary that he could move no more, and he was frozen fast into the ice.
+
+Early in the morning a peasant came along and saw him; he went out
+onto the ice and hammered a hole in it with his heavy wooden shoe, and
+carried the duckling home to his wife. There it soon revived. The
+children wanted to play with it, but the duckling thought they were
+going to ill-use him, and rushed in his fright into the milk pan, and
+the milk spurted out all over the room. The woman shrieked and threw
+up her hands; then it flew into the butter cask, and down into the
+meal tub and out again. Just imagine what it looked like by this time!
+The woman screamed and tried to hit it with the tongs, and the
+children tumbled over one another in trying to catch it, and they
+screamed with laughter. By good luck the door stood open, and the
+duckling flew out among the bushes and the new fallen snow, and it lay
+there thoroughly exhausted.
+
+But it would be too sad to mention all the privation and misery it
+had to go through during that hard winter. When the sun began to shine
+warmly again the duckling was in the marsh, lying among the rushes;
+the larks were singing, and the beautiful spring had come.
+
+Then all at once it raised its wings, and they flapped with much
+greater strength than before and bore him off vigorously. Before he
+knew where he was he found himself in a large garden where the
+apple-trees were in a full blossom, and the air was scented with
+lilacs, the long branches of which overhung the indented shores of the
+lake. Oh! the spring freshness was so delicious!
+
+Just in front of him he saw three beautiful white swans advancing
+towards him from a thicket; with rustling feathers they swam lightly
+over the water. The duckling recognized the majestic birds, and he was
+overcome by a strange melancholy.
+
+"I will fly to them, the royal birds, and they will hack me to
+pieces, because I, who am so ugly, venture to approach them! But it
+won't matter; better be killed by them than be snapped at by the
+ducks, pecked by the hens, or spurned by the henwife, or suffer so
+much misery in the winter."
+
+So he flew into the water, and swam towards the stately swans; they
+saw him, and darted towards him with ruffled feathers.
+
+"Kill me, oh, kill me!" said the poor creature, and bowing his head
+towards the water he awaited his death. But what did he see reflected
+in the transparent water?
+
+He saw below him his own image; but he was no longer a clumsy, dark,
+gray bird, ugly and ungainly. He was himself a swan! It does not
+matter in the least having been born in a duckyard if only you come
+out of a swan's egg!
+
+He felt quite glad of all the misery and tribulation he had gone
+through; he was the better able to appreciate his good-fortune now,
+and all the beauty which greeted him. The big swans swam round and
+round him, and stroked him with their bills.
+
+Some little children came into the garden with corn and pieces of
+bread, which they threw into the water; and the smallest one cried
+out: "There is a new one!" The other children shouted with joy: "Yes,
+a new one has come!" And they clapped their hands and danced about,
+running after their father and mother. They threw the bread into the
+water, and one and all said that "the new one was the prettiest; he
+was so young and handsome." And the old swans bent their heads and did
+homage before him.
+
+    [Illustration: Some little children threw pieces of bread into the
+      water]
+
+He felt quite shy, and hid his head under his wing; he did not know
+what to think; he was so very happy, but not at all proud; a good
+heart never becomes proud. He thought of how he had been pursued and
+scorned, and now he heard them all say that he was the most beautiful
+of all beautiful birds. The lilacs bent their boughs right down into
+the water before him, and the bright sun was warm and cheering, and he
+rustled his feathers and raised his slender neck aloft, saying, with
+exultation in his heart: "I never dreamed of so much happiness when I
+was the Ugly Duckling!"
+
+
+
+
+HOP-O'-MY-THUMB
+
+
+There once lived in a village a fagot-maker and his wife who had seven
+children--all boys; the eldest was no more than ten years old, and the
+youngest was only seven. It was odd enough, to be sure, that they
+should have so many children in such a short time; but the truth is,
+the wife always brought him two and once three at a time. This made
+him very poor, for not one of these boys was old enough to get a
+living; and what was still worse, the youngest was a puny little
+fellow who hardly ever spoke a word. Now this, indeed, was a mark of
+his good sense, but it made his father and mother suppose him to be
+silly, and they thought that at last he would turn out quite a fool.
+This boy was the least size ever seen; for when he was born he was no
+bigger than a man's thumb, which made him be christened by the name of
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb. The poor child was the drudge of the whole house, and
+always bore the blame of everything that was done wrong. For all this,
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb was far more clever than any of his brothers; and
+though he spoke but little he heard and knew more than people thought.
+It happened just at this time that for want of rain the fields had
+grown but half as much corn and potatoes as they used to grow; so that
+the fagot-maker and his wife could not give the boys the food they had
+before, which was always either bread or potatoes.
+
+After the father and mother had grieved some time, they thought that
+as they could contrive no other way to live they must somehow get rid
+of their children. One night when the boys were gone to bed, and the
+fagot-maker and his wife were sitting over a few lighted sticks, to
+warm themselves, the husband sighed deeply, and said: "You see, my
+dear, we cannot maintain our children any longer, and to see them die
+of hunger before my eyes is what I could never bear. I will,
+therefore, to-morrow morning take them to the forest, and leave them
+in the thickest part of it, so that they will not be able to find
+their way back: this will be very easy; for while they amuse
+themselves with tying up the fagots, we need only slip away when they
+are looking some other way."
+
+"Ah, husband!" cried the poor wife, "you cannot, no, you never can
+consent to be the death of your own children."
+
+The husband in vain told her to think how very poor they were.
+
+The wife replied "that this was true, to be sure; but if she was
+poor, she was still their mother"; and then she cried as if her heart
+would break. At last she thought how shocking it would be to see them
+starved to death before their eyes, so she agreed to what her husband
+had said, and then went sobbing to bed.
+
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb had been awake all the time; and when he heard his
+father talk very seriously, he slipped away from his brothers' side,
+and crept under his father's bed, to hear all that was said without
+being seen.
+
+When his father and mother had left off talking, he got back to his
+own place, and passed the night in thinking what he should do the next
+morning.
+
+He rose early, and ran to the river's side, where he filled his
+pockets with small white pebbles, and then went back home. In the
+morning they all set out, as their father and mother had agreed on;
+and Hop-o'-my-Thumb did not say a word to any of his brothers about
+what he had heard. They came to a forest that was so very thick that
+they could not see each other a few yards off. The fagot-maker set to
+work cutting down wood; and the children began to gather the twigs, to
+make fagots of them.
+
+When the father and mother saw that the young ones were all very busy,
+they slipped away without being seen. The children soon found
+themselves alone, and began to cry as loud as they could.
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb let them cry on, for he knew well enough how to lead
+them safe home, as he had taken care to drop the white pebbles he had
+in his pocket along all the way he had come. He only said to them,
+"Never mind it, my lads; father and mother have left us here by
+ourselves, but only take care to follow me, and I will lead you back
+again."
+
+    [Illustration: The children began to cry as loud as they could]
+
+When they heard this they left off crying, and followed
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who soon brought them to their father's house by
+the very same path which they had come along. At first they had not
+the courage to go in, but stood at the door to hear what their parents
+were talking about. Just as the fagot-maker and his wife had come home
+without their children a great gentleman of the village sent to pay
+them two guineas for work they had done for him, which he had owed
+them so long that they never thought of getting a farthing of it. This
+money made them quite happy; for the poor creatures were very hungry,
+and had no other way of getting anything to eat.
+
+The fagot-maker sent his wife out immediately to buy some meat; and as
+it was a long time since she had made a hearty meal, she bought as
+much meat as would have been enough for six or eight persons. The
+truth was, when she was thinking what would be enough for dinner, she
+forgot that her children were not at home; but as soon as she and her
+husband had done eating, she cried out: "Alas! where are our poor
+children? How they would feast on what we have left! It was all your
+fault, husband! I told you we should repent leaving them to starve in
+the forest! Oh, mercy! perhaps they have already been eaten by the
+hungry wolves!" The poor woman shed plenty of tears. "Alas! alas!"
+said she, over and over again, "what is become of my dear children?"
+
+The children, who were all at the door, cried out together, "Here we
+are, mother, here we are!"
+
+She flew like lightning to let them in, and kissed every one of them.
+
+The fagot-maker and his wife were charmed at having their children
+once more with them, and their joy for this lasted till their money
+was all spent; but then they found themselves quite as ill off as
+before. So by degrees they again thought of leaving them in the
+forest: and that the young ones might not come back a second time,
+they said they would take them a great deal farther than they did at
+first. They could not talk about this matter so slyly but that
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb found means to hear all that passed between them; but
+he cared very little about it, for he thought it would be easy for him
+to do just the same as he had done before. But although he got up very
+early the next morning to go to the river's side to get the pebbles, a
+thing which he had not thought of hindered him; for he found that the
+house door was double locked. Hop-o'-my-Thumb was now quite at a loss
+what to do; but soon after this his mother gave each of the children a
+piece of bread for breakfast and then it came into his head that he
+could make his share do as well as the pebbles by dropping crumbs of
+it all the way as he went. So he did not eat his piece, but put it
+into his pocket.
+
+It was not long before they all set out, and their parents took care
+to lead them into the very thickest and darkest part of the forest.
+They then slipped away by a by-path as before, and left the children
+by themselves again. All this did not give Hop-o'-my-Thumb any
+concern, for he thought himself quite sure of getting back by means of
+the crumbs that he had dropped by the way; but when he came to look
+for them he found that not a crumb was left, for the birds had eaten
+them all up.
+
+The poor children were now sadly off, for the farther they went the
+harder it was for them to get out of the forest. At last night came
+on, and the noise of the wind among the trees seemed to them like the
+howling of wolves, so that every moment they thought they should be
+eaten up. They hardly dared to speak a word, or to move a limb, for
+fear. Soon after there came a heavy rain which wetted them to the very
+skin, and made the ground so slippery that they fell down at almost
+every step and got dirty all over.
+
+Before it was quite dark Hop-o'-my-Thumb climbed up to the top of a
+tree, and looked round on all sides to see if he could find any way of
+getting help. He saw a small light, like that of a candle, but it was
+a very great way off, and beyond the forest. He then came down from
+the tree, to try to find the way to it; but he could not see it when
+he was on the ground, and he was in the utmost trouble what to do
+next. They walked on towards the place where he had seen the light,
+and at last reached the end of the forest, and got sight of it again.
+They now walked faster; and after being much tired and vexed (for
+every time they got into lower ground they lost sight of the light),
+came to the house it was in. They knocked at the door, which was
+opened by a very poor-natured-looking lady, who asked what brought
+them there. Hop-o'-my-Thumb told her that they were poor children who
+had lost their way in the forest, and begged that she would give them
+a bed till morning. When the lady saw that they had such pretty faces
+she began to shed tears, and said: "Ah, my poor children, you do not
+know what place you are come to. This is the house of an Ogre, who
+eats up little boys and girls."
+
+"Alas! madam," replied Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who trembled from head to
+foot, "what shall we do? If we go back to the forest we are sure of
+being torn to pieces by the wolves; we would rather, therefore, be
+eaten by the gentleman. Besides, when he sees us, perhaps he may take
+pity on us and spare our lives."
+
+The Ogre's wife thought she could contrive to hide them from her
+husband till morning; so she let them go in and warm themselves by a
+good fire, before which there was a whole sheep roasting for the
+Ogre's supper. When they had stood a short time by the fire there came
+a loud knocking at the door: this was the Ogre come home. His wife
+hurried the children under the bed and told them to lie still, and she
+then let her husband in.
+
+The Ogre asked if supper were ready, and if the wine were fetched from
+the cellar; and then he sat down at the table. The sheep was not quite
+done, but he liked it much better half raw. In a minute or two the
+Ogre began to snuff to his right and left, and said he smelt child's
+flesh.
+
+"It must be this calf, which has just been killed," said his wife.
+
+"I smell child's flesh, I tell thee once more!" cried the Ogre,
+looking all about the room--"I smell child's flesh; there is
+something going on that I do not know of."
+
+As soon as he had spoken these words he rose from his chair and went
+towards the bed.
+
+"Ah! madam," said he, "you thought to cheat me, did you? Wretch! thou
+art old and tough thyself, or else I would eat thee up too! But come,
+come, this is lucky enough; for the brats will make a nice dish for
+three Ogres, who are my particular friends, and who are to dine with
+me to-morrow."
+
+He then drew them out one by one from under the bed. The poor children
+fell on their knees and begged his pardon as humbly as they could; but
+this Ogre was the most cruel of all Ogres, and instead of feeling any
+pity, he only began to think how sweet and tender their flesh would
+be; so he told his wife they would be nice morsels if she served them
+up with plenty of sauce. He then fetched a large knife, and began to
+sharpen it on a long whetstone that he held in his left hand; and all
+the while he came nearer and nearer to the bed. The Ogre took up one
+of the children, and was going to set about cutting him to pieces; but
+his wife said to him: "What in the world makes you take the trouble of
+killing them to-night? Will it not be time enough to-morrow morning?"
+
+"Hold your prating," replied the Ogre; "they will grow tender by being
+kept a little while after they are killed."
+
+"But," said this wife, "you have got so much meat in the house
+already; here is a calf, two sheep, and half a pig."
+
+"True," said the Ogre, "so give them all a good supper, that they may
+not get lean, and then send them to bed."
+
+The good creature was quite glad at this. She gave them plenty for
+their supper, but the poor children were so terrified that they could
+not eat a bit.
+
+The Ogre sat down to his wine, very much pleased with the thought of
+giving his friends such a dainty dish: this made him drink rather more
+than common, and he was soon obliged to go to bed himself. Now the
+Ogre had seven daughters, who were all very young like Hop-o'-my-Thumb
+and his brothers. These young Ogresses had fair skins, because they
+fed on raw meat like their father; but they had small gray eyes, quite
+round, and sunk in their heads, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very
+long, sharp teeth, standing a great way off each other. They were too
+young as yet to do much mischief; but they showed that if they lived
+to be as old as their father they would grow quite as cruel as he was,
+for they took pleasure already in biting young children and sucking
+their blood. The Ogresses had been put to bed very early that night;
+they were all in one bed, which was very large, and every one of them
+had a crown of gold on her head. There was another bed of the same
+size in the room, and in this the Ogre's wife put the seven little
+boys, and then went to bed herself along with her husband.
+
+Now Hop-o'-my-Thumb was afraid that the Ogre would wake in the night,
+and kill him and his brothers while they were asleep. So he got out of
+bed in the middle of the night as softly as he could, took off all his
+brothers' nightcaps and his own, and crept with them to the bed that
+the Ogre's daughters were in; he then took off their crowns, and put
+the nightcaps on their heads instead; next he put the crowns on his
+brothers' heads and his own, and got into bed again; expecting, after
+this, that, if the Ogre should come, he would take him and his
+brothers for his own children. Everything turned out as he wished. The
+Ogre waked soon after midnight, and began to be very sorry that he had
+put off killing the boys till the morning; so he jumped out of bed,
+and took hold of his large knife. "Let us see," said he, "what the
+young rogues are about, and do the business at once!" He then walked
+softly to the room where they all slept, and went up to the bed the
+boys were in, who were all asleep except Hop-o'-my-Thumb. He touched
+their heads one at a time, and feeling the crowns of gold, said to
+himself: "Oh, oh! I had like to have made such a mistake! I must have
+drunk too much wine last night."
+
+He went next to the bed that his own little Ogresses were in, and when
+he felt the nightcaps, he said, "Ah! here you are, my lads"; and so in
+a moment he cut the throats of all his daughters.
+
+He was very much pleased when he had done this, and then went back to
+his own bed. As soon as Hop-o'-my-Thumb heard him snore he awoke his
+brothers, and told them to put on their clothes quickly, and follow
+him. They stole down softly into the garden, and then jumped from the
+wall into the road; they ran as fast as their legs could carry them,
+but were so much afraid all the while that they hardly knew which way
+to take. When the Ogre waked in the morning he said to his wife,
+grinning: "My dear, go and dress the young rogues I saw last night."
+
+The wife was quite surprised at hearing her husband speak so kindly,
+and did not dream of the real meaning of his words. She supposed he
+wanted her to help them to put on their clothes; so she went
+up-stairs, and the first thing she saw was her seven daughters with
+their throats cut and all over blood. This threw her into a fainting
+fit. The Ogre was afraid his wife might be too long in doing what he
+had set her about, so he went himself to help her; but he was as much
+shocked as she had been at the dreadful sight of his bleeding
+children. "Ah! what have I done?" he cried. "But the little rascals
+shall pay for it, I warrant them."
+
+He first threw some water on his wife's face; and, as soon as she came
+to herself, he said to her: "Bring me quickly my seven-league boots,
+that I may go and catch the little vipers."
+
+The Ogre then put on these boots, and set out with all speed. He
+strided over many parts of the country, and at last turned into the
+very road in which the poor children were. For they had set off
+towards the fagot-maker's cottage, which they had almost reached. They
+watched the Ogre stepping from mountain to mountain at one step, and
+crossing rivers as if they had been tiny brooks. At this
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb thought a little what was to be done; and spying a
+hollow place under a large rock, he made his brothers get into it. He
+then crept in himself, but kept his eye fixed on the Ogre, to see what
+he would do next.
+
+The Ogre found himself quite weary with the journey he had gone, for
+seven-league boots are very tiresome to the person who wears them; so
+he now began to think of resting, and happened to sit down on the very
+rock where the poor children were hid. As he was so tired, and it was
+a hot day, he fell fast asleep, and soon began to snore so loud that
+the little fellows were terrified.
+
+When Hop-o'-my-Thumb saw this he said to his brothers, "Courage, my
+lads! never fear! you have nothing to do but to steal away and get
+home while the Ogre is fast asleep, and leave me to shift for myself."
+
+The brothers now were very glad to do whatever he told them, and so
+they soon came to their father's house. In the mean time
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb went up to the Ogre softly, pulled off his
+seven-league boots very gently, and put them on his own legs; for
+though the boots were very large, yet being fairy-boots, they could
+make themselves small enough to fit any leg they pleased.
+
+As soon as ever Hop-o'-my-Thumb had made sure of the Ogre's
+seven-league boots, he went at once to the palace, and offered his
+services to carry orders from the King to his army, which was a great
+way off, and to bring back the quickest accounts of the battle they
+were just at that time fighting with the enemy. In short, he thought
+he could be of more use to the King than all his mail-coaches, and so
+should make his fortune in this manner. He succeeded so well that in a
+short time he made money enough to keep himself, his father, mother,
+and six brothers, without the trouble of working, for the rest of
+their lives. Having done this, he went back to his father's cottage,
+where all the family were delighted to see him again. As the great
+fame of his boots had been talked of at court in this time the King
+sent for him, and indeed employed him very often in the greatest
+affairs of the state, so that he became one of the richest men in the
+kingdom.
+
+And now let us see what became of the wicked Ogre. He slept so soundly
+that he never discovered the loss of his boots; but having an evil
+conscience and bad dreams, he fell in his sleep from the corner of the
+rock where Hop-o'-my-Thumb and his brothers had left him, and bruised
+himself so much from head to foot that he could not stir; so he was
+forced to stretch himself out at full length, and wait for some one to
+come and help him.
+
+Now a good many fagot-makers passed near the place where the Ogre lay,
+and when they heard him groan they went up to ask him what was the
+matter. But the Ogre had eaten such a great number of children in his
+lifetime that he had grown so very big and fat that these men could
+not even have carried one of his legs, so they were forced to leave
+him there. At last night came on, and then a large serpent came out of
+a wood just by and stung him, so that he died in great pain.
+
+By and by, Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who had become the King's first favorite,
+heard of the Ogre's death; and the first thing he did was to tell his
+Majesty all that the good-natured Ogress had done to save the lives of
+himself and brothers. The King was so much pleased at what he heard
+that he asked Hop-o'-my-Thumb if there was any favor he could bestow
+upon her. Hop-o'-my-Thumb thanked the King, and desired that the
+Ogress might have the noble title of Duchess of Draggletail given to
+her, which was no sooner asked than granted. The Ogress then came to
+court, and lived very happily for many years, enjoying the vast
+fortune she had found in the Ogre's chests. As for Hop-o'-my-Thumb,
+he every day grew more witty and brave; till at last the King made him
+the greatest lord in the kingdom, and set him over all his affairs.
+
+
+
+
+BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
+
+
+There was once a very rich merchant who had six children--three boys
+and three girls. As he was himself a man of great sense, he spared no
+expense for their education. The three daughters were all handsome,
+but particularly the youngest; indeed, she was so very beautiful that
+in her childhood every one called her the Little Beauty; and being
+equally lovely when she was grown up, nobody called her by any other
+name, which made her sisters very jealous of her. This youngest
+daughter was not only more handsome than her sisters, but also was
+better tempered. The two eldest were vain of their wealth and
+position. They gave themselves a thousand airs, and refused to visit
+other merchants' daughters; nor would they condescend to be seen
+except with persons of quality. They went every day to balls, plays,
+and public walks, and always made game of their youngest sister for
+spending her time in reading or other useful employments. As it was
+well known that these young ladies would have large fortunes, many
+great merchants wished to get them for wives; but the two eldest
+always answered that, for their parts, they had no thoughts of
+marrying any one below a duke or an earl at least. Beauty had quite as
+many offers as her sisters, but she always answered, with the greatest
+civility, that though she was much obliged to her lovers, she would
+rather live some years longer with her father, as she thought herself
+too young to marry.
+
+It happened that, by some unlucky accident, the merchant suddenly
+lost all his fortune, and had nothing left but a small cottage in the
+country. Upon this he said to his daughters, while the tears ran down
+his cheeks, "My children, we must now go and dwell in the cottage, and
+try to get a living by labor, for we have no other means of support."
+The two eldest replied that they did not know how to work, and would
+not leave town; for they had lovers enough who would be glad to marry
+them, though they had no longer any fortune. But in this they were
+mistaken; for when the lovers heard what had happened, they said, "The
+girls were so proud and ill-tempered that all we wanted was their
+fortune; we are not sorry at all to see their pride brought down; let
+them show off their airs to their cows and sheep." But everybody
+pitied poor Beauty, because she was so sweet-tempered and kind to all,
+and several gentlemen offered to marry her, though she had not a
+penny; but Beauty still refused, and said she could not think of
+leaving her poor father in his trouble. At first Beauty could not help
+sometimes crying in secret for the hardships she was now obliged to
+suffer; but in a very short time she said to herself, "All the crying
+in the world will do me no good, so I will try to be happy without a
+fortune."
+
+When they had removed to their cottage the merchant and his three sons
+employed themselves in ploughing and sowing the fields, and working in
+the garden. Beauty also did her part, for she rose by four o'clock
+every morning, lighted the fires, cleaned the house, and got ready the
+breakfast for the whole family. At first she found all this very hard;
+but she soon grew quite used to it, and thought it no hardship;
+indeed, the work greatly benefited her health. When she had done she
+used to amuse herself with reading, playing her music, or singing
+while she spun. But her two sisters were at a loss what to do to pass
+the time away: they had their breakfast in bed, and did not rise till
+ten o'clock. Then they commonly walked out, but always found
+themselves very soon tired, when they would often sit down under a
+shady tree, and grieve for the loss of their carriage and fine
+clothes, and say to each other, "What a mean-spirited, poor, stupid
+creature our young sister is, to be so content with this low way of
+life!" But their father thought differently, and loved and admired his
+youngest child more than ever.
+
+After they had lived in this manner about a year the merchant received
+a letter, which informed him that one of his richest ships, which he
+thought was lost, had just come into port. This news made the two
+eldest sisters almost mad with joy, for they thought they should now
+leave the cottage, and have all their finery again. When they found
+that their father must take a journey to the ship, the two eldest
+begged he would not fail to bring them back some new gowns, caps,
+rings, and all sorts of trinkets. But Beauty asked for nothing; for
+she thought in herself that all the ship was worth would hardly buy
+everything her sisters wished for. "Beauty," said the merchant, "how
+comes it that you ask for nothing? What can I bring you, my child?"
+
+"Since you are so kind as to think of me, dear father," she answered,
+"I should be glad if you would bring me a rose, for we have none in
+our garden." Now Beauty did not indeed wish for a rose, nor anything
+else, but she only said this that she might not affront her sisters;
+otherwise they would have said she wanted her father to praise her for
+desiring nothing. The merchant took his leave of them, and set out on
+his journey; but when he got to the ship some persons went to law with
+him about the cargo, and after a deal of trouble he came back to his
+cottage as poor as he had left it. When he was within thirty miles of
+his home, and thinking of the joy of again meeting his children, he
+lost his way in the midst of a dense forest. It rained and snowed very
+hard, and, besides, the wind was so high as to throw him twice from
+his horse. Night came on, and he feared he should die of cold and
+hunger, or be torn to pieces by the wolves that he heard howling round
+him. All at once he cast his eyes towards a long avenue, and saw at
+the end a light, but it seemed a great way off. He made the best of
+his way towards it, and found that it came from a splendid palace, the
+windows of which were all blazing with light. It had great bronze
+gates, standing wide open, and fine court-yards, through which the
+merchant passed; but not a living soul was to be seen. There were
+stables too, which his poor, starved horse, less scrupulous than
+himself, entered at once, and took a good meal of oats and hay. His
+master then tied him up, and walked towards the entrance-hall, but
+still without seeing a single creature. He went on to a large
+dining-parlor, where he found a good fire, and a table covered with
+some very nice dishes, but only one plate with a knife and fork. As
+the snow and rain had wetted him to the skin, he went up to the fire
+to dry himself. "I hope," said he, "the master of the house or his
+servants will excuse me, for it surely will not be long now before I
+see them." He waited some time, but still nobody came; at last the
+clock struck eleven, and the merchant, being quite faint for the want
+of food, helped himself to a chicken, and to a few glasses of wine,
+yet all the time trembling with fear. He sat till the clock struck
+twelve, and then, taking courage, began to think he might as well look
+about him; so he opened a door at the end of the hall, and went
+through it into a very grand room, in which there was a fine bed; and
+as he was feeling very weary, he shut the door, took off his clothes,
+and got into it.
+
+It was ten o'clock in the morning before he awoke, when he was amazed
+to see a handsome new suit of clothes laid ready for him, instead of
+his own, which were all torn and spoiled. "To be sure," said he to
+himself, "this place belongs to some good fairy, who has taken pity on
+my ill luck." He looked out of the window, and instead of the
+snow-covered wood, where he had lost himself the previous night, he
+saw the most charming arbors covered with all kinds of flowers.
+Returning to the hall where he had supped, he found a breakfast-table,
+ready prepared. "Indeed, my good fairy," said the merchant aloud, "I
+am vastly obliged to you for your kind care of me." He then made a
+hearty breakfast, took his hat, and was going to the stable to pay
+his horse a visit; but as he passed under one of the arbors, which was
+loaded with roses, he thought of what Beauty had asked him to bring
+back to her, and so he took a bunch of roses to carry home. At the
+same moment he heard a loud noise, and saw coming towards him a beast,
+so frightful to look at that he was ready to faint with fear.
+"Ungrateful man!" said the beast, in a terrible voice, "I have saved
+your life by admitting you into my palace, and in return you steal my
+roses, which I value more than anything I possess. But you shall atone
+for your fault: you shall die in a quarter of an hour."
+
+The merchant fell on his knees, and, clasping his hands, said, "Sir, I
+humbly beg your pardon. I did not think it would offend you to gather
+a rose for one of my daughters, who had entreated me to bring her one
+home. Do not kill me, my lord!"
+
+"I am not a lord, but a beast," replied the monster; "I hate false
+compliments, so do not fancy that you can coax me by any such ways.
+You tell me that you have daughters; now I will suffer you to escape
+if one of them will come and die in your stead. If not, promise that
+you will yourself return in three months, to be dealt with as I may
+choose."
+
+The tender-hearted merchant had no thoughts of letting any one of his
+daughters die for his sake; but he knew that if he seemed to accept
+the beast's terms, he should at least have the pleasure of seeing them
+once again. So he gave his promise, and was told he might set off as
+soon as he liked. "But," said the beast, "I do not wish you to go back
+empty-handed. Go to the room you slept in, and you will find a chest
+there; fill it with whatsoever you like best, and I will have it taken
+to your own house for you."
+
+When the beast had said this he went away. The good merchant, left to
+himself, began to consider that as he must die--for he had no thought
+of breaking a promise, made even to a beast--he might as well have the
+comfort of leaving his children provided for. He returned to the room
+he had slept in, and found there heaps of gold pieces lying about. He
+filled the chest with them to the very brim, locked it, and, mounting
+his horse, left the palace as sorrowful as he had been glad when he
+first beheld it. The horse took a path across the forest of his own
+accord, and in a few hours they reached the merchant's house. His
+children came running round him, but, instead of kissing them with
+joy, he could not help weeping as he looked at them. He held in his
+hand the bunch of roses, which he gave to Beauty, saying, "Take these
+roses, Beauty; but little do you think how dear they have cost your
+poor father." And then he gave them an account of all that he had
+seen or heard in the palace of the beast.
+
+The two eldest sisters now began to shed tears, and to lay the blame
+upon Beauty, who, they said, would be the cause of her father's death.
+"See," said they, "what happens from the pride of the little wretch;
+why did not she ask for such things as we did? But, to be sure, miss
+must not be like other people; and though she will be the cause of her
+father's death, yet she does not shed a tear."
+
+"It would be useless," replied Beauty; "for father shall not die. As
+the beast will accept of one of his daughters, I will give myself up,
+and be only too happy to prove my love for the best of fathers."
+
+"No, sister," said the three brothers, with one voice, "that cannot
+be; we will go in search of this monster, and either he or we will
+perish."
+
+"Do not hope to kill him," said the merchant; "his power is far too
+great. But Beauty's young life shall not be sacrificed; I am old, and
+cannot expect to live much longer; so I shall but give up a few years
+of my life, and shall only grieve for the sake of my children."
+
+"Never, father!" cried Beauty; "if you go back to the palace, you
+cannot hinder my going after you; though young, I am not over-fond of
+life; and I would much rather be eaten up by the monster than die of
+grief for your loss."
+
+The merchant in vain tried to reason with Beauty, who still
+obstinately kept to her purpose; which, in truth, made her two sisters
+glad, for they were jealous of her, because everybody loved her.
+
+The merchant was so grieved at the thoughts of losing his child that
+he never once thought of the chest filled with gold, but at night, to
+his great surprise, he found it standing by his bedside. He said
+nothing about his riches to his eldest daughters, for he knew very
+well it would at once make them want to return to town; but he told
+Beauty his secret, and she then said that while he was away two
+gentlemen had been on a visit at their cottage who had fallen in love
+with her two sisters. She entreated her father to marry them without
+delay, for she was so sweet-natured she only wished them to be happy.
+
+Three months went by only too fast, and then the merchant and Beauty
+got ready to set out for the palace of the beast. Upon this the two
+sisters rubbed their eyes with an onion to make believe they were
+crying; both the merchant and his sons cried in earnest. Only Beauty
+shed no tears. They reached the palace in a very few hours, and the
+horse, without bidding, went into the same stable as before. The
+merchant and Beauty walked towards the large hall, where they found a
+table covered with every dainty, and two plates laid ready. The
+merchant had very little appetite; but Beauty, that she might the
+better hide her grief, placed herself at the table, and helped her
+father; she then began to eat herself, and thought all the time that,
+to be sure, the beast had a mind to fatten her before he ate her up,
+since he had provided such good cheer for her. When they had done
+their supper they heard a great noise, and the good old man began to
+bid his poor child farewell, for he knew it was the beast coming to
+them. When Beauty first saw that frightful form she was very much
+terrified, but tried to hide her fear. The creature walked up to her
+and eyed her all over; then asked her, in a dreadful voice, if she had
+come quite of her own accord.
+
+"Yes," said Beauty.
+
+"Then you are a good girl, and I am very much obliged to you."
+
+This was such an astonishingly civil answer that Beauty's courage
+rose; but it sank again when the beast, addressing the merchant,
+desired him to leave the palace next morning, and never return to it
+again. "And so good-night, merchant. And good-night, Beauty."
+
+"Good-night, beast," she answered, as the monster shuffled out of the
+room.
+
+"Ah! my dear child," said the merchant, kissing his daughter, "I am
+half dead already, at the thought of leaving you with this dreadful
+beast; you shall go back and let me stay in your place."
+
+"No," said Beauty, boldly, "I will never agree to that; you must go
+home to-morrow morning."
+
+Then they wished each other good-night and went to bed, both of them
+thinking they should not be able to close their eyes; but as soon as
+ever they had lain down they fell into a deep sleep, and did not awake
+till morning. Beauty dreamed that a lady came up to her, who said: "I
+am very much pleased, Beauty, with the goodness you have shown, in
+being willing to give your life to save that of your father. Do not be
+afraid of anything; you shall not go without a reward."
+
+As soon as Beauty awoke she told her father this dream; but though it
+gave him some comfort, he was a long time before he could be persuaded
+to leave the palace. At last Beauty succeeded in getting him safely
+away.
+
+When her father was out of sight poor Beauty began to weep sorely;
+still, having naturally a courageous spirit, she soon resolved not to
+make her sad case still worse by sorrow, which she knew was vain, but
+to wait and be patient. She walked about to take a view of all the
+palace, and the elegance of every part of it much charmed her.
+
+But what was her surprise when she came to a door on which was written
+BEAUTY'S ROOM! She opened it in haste, and her eyes were dazzled by
+the splendor and taste of the apartment. What made her wonder more
+than all the rest was a large library filled with books, a
+harpsichord, and many pieces of music. "The beast surely does not mean
+to eat me up immediately," said she, "since he takes care I shall not
+be at a loss how to amuse myself." She opened the library, and saw
+these verses written in letters of gold on the back of one of the
+books:
+
+    "Beauteous lady, dry your tears,
+    Here's no cause for sighs or fears.
+    Command as freely as you may,
+    For you command and I obey."
+
+"Alas!" said she, sighing, "I wish I could only command a sight of my
+poor father, and to know what he is doing at this moment." Just then,
+by chance, she cast her eyes on a looking-glass that stood near her,
+and in it she saw a picture of her old home, and her father riding
+mournfully up to the door. Her sisters came out to meet him, and
+although they tried to look sorry, it was easy to see that in their
+hearts they were very glad. In a short time all this picture
+disappeared, but it caused Beauty to think that the beast, besides
+being very powerful, was also very kind. About the middle of the day
+she found a table laid ready for her, and a sweet concert of music
+played all the time she was dining, without her seeing anybody. But at
+supper, when she was going to seat herself at table, she heard the
+noise of the beast, and could not help trembling with fear.
+
+"Beauty," said he, "will you give me leave to see you sup?"
+
+"That is as you please," answered she, very much afraid.
+
+"Not in the least," said the beast; "you alone command in this place.
+If you should not like my company you need only say so, and I will
+leave you that moment. But tell me, Beauty, do you not think me very
+ugly?"
+
+"Why, yes," said she, "for I cannot tell a falsehood; but then I
+think you are very good."
+
+"Am I?" sadly replied the beast; "yet, besides being ugly, I am also
+very stupid: I know well enough that I am but a beast."
+
+"Very stupid people," said Beauty, "are never aware of it themselves."
+
+At which kindly speech the beast looked pleased, and replied, not
+without an awkward sort of politeness, "Pray do not let me detain you
+from supper, and be sure that you are well served. All you see is your
+own, and I should be deeply grieved if you wanted for anything."
+
+"You are very kind--so kind that I almost forgot you are so ugly,"
+said Beauty, earnestly.
+
+"Ah! yes," answered the beast, with a great sigh; "I hope I am
+good-tempered, but still I am only a monster."
+
+"There is many a monster who wears the form of a man; it is better of
+the two to have the heart of a man and the form of a monster."
+
+"I would thank you, Beauty, for this speech, but I am too senseless to
+say anything that would please you," returned the beast, in a
+melancholy voice; and altogether he seemed so gentle and so unhappy
+that Beauty, who had the tenderest heart in the world, felt her fear
+of him gradually vanish.
+
+She ate her supper with a good appetite, and conversed in her own
+sensible and charming way, till at last, when the beast rose to
+depart, he terrified her more than ever by saying, abruptly, in his
+gruff voice, "Beauty, will you marry me?"
+
+Now Beauty, frightened as she was, would speak only the exact truth;
+besides, her father had told her that the beast liked only to have the
+truth spoken to him. So she answered, in a very firm tone, "No,
+beast."
+
+He did not go into a passion, or do anything but sigh deeply, and
+depart.
+
+When Beauty found herself alone she began to feel pity for the poor
+beast. "Oh!" said she, "what a sad thing it is that he should be so
+very frightful, since he is so good-tempered!"
+
+Beauty lived three months in this palace very well pleased. The beast
+came to see her every night, and talked with her while she supped; and
+though what he said was not very clever, yet, as she saw in him every
+day some new goodness, instead of dreading the time of his coming, she
+soon began continually looking at her watch, to see if it were nine
+o'clock; for that was the hour when he never failed to visit her. One
+thing only vexed her, which was that every night before he went away
+he always made it a rule to ask her if she would be his wife, and
+seemed very much grieved at her steadfastly replying "No." At last,
+one night, she said to him, "You wound me greatly, beast, by forcing
+me to refuse you so often; I wish I could take such a liking to you as
+to agree to marry you, but I must tell you plainly that I do not think
+it will ever happen. I shall always be your friend, so try to let that
+content you."
+
+"I must," sighed the beast, "for I know well enough how frightful I
+am; but I love you better than myself. Yet I think I am very lucky in
+your being pleased to stay with me; now promise me, Beauty, that you
+will never leave me."
+
+Beauty would almost have agreed to this, so sorry was she for him, but
+she had that day seen in her magic glass, which she looked at
+constantly, that her father was dying of grief for her sake.
+
+"Alas!" she said, "I long so much to see my father that if you do not
+give me leave to visit him I shall break my heart."
+
+"I would rather break mine, Beauty," answered the beast; "I will send
+you to your father's cottage, you shall stay there, and your poor
+beast shall die of sorrow."
+
+"No," said Beauty, crying, "I love you too well to be the cause of
+your death; I promise to return in a week. You have shown me that my
+sisters are married, and my brothers are gone for soldiers, so that my
+father is left all alone. Let me stay a week with him."
+
+"You shall find yourself with him to-morrow morning," replied the
+beast; "but mind, do not forget your promise. When you wish to return
+you have nothing to do but to put your ring on a table when you go to
+bed. Good-bye, Beauty!" The beast sighed as he said these words, and
+Beauty went to bed very sorry to see him so much grieved. When she
+awoke in the morning she found herself in her father's cottage. She
+rang a bell that was at her bedside, and a servant entered; but as
+soon as she saw Beauty the woman gave a loud shriek; upon which the
+merchant ran up-stairs, and when he beheld his daughter he ran to her
+and kissed her a hundred times. At last Beauty began to remember that
+she had brought no clothes with her to put on; but the servant told
+her she had just found in the next room a large chest full of dresses,
+trimmed all over with gold, and adorned with pearls and diamonds.
+
+Beauty, in her own mind, thanked the beast for his kindness, and put
+on the plainest gown she could find among them all. She then desired
+the servant to lay the rest aside, for she intended to give them to
+her sisters; but, as soon as she had spoken these words, the chest was
+gone out of sight in a moment. Her father then suggested perhaps the
+beast chose for her to keep them all for herself; and as soon as he
+had said this, they saw the chest standing again in the same place.
+While Beauty was dressing herself a servant brought word to her that
+her sisters were come with their husbands to pay her a visit. They
+both lived unhappily with the gentlemen they had married. The husband
+of the eldest was very handsome, but was so proud of this that he
+thought of nothing else from morning till night, and did not care a
+pin for the beauty of his wife. The second had married a man of great
+learning; but he made no use of it, except to torment and affront all
+his friends, and his wife more than any of them. The two sisters were
+ready to burst with spite when they saw Beauty dressed like a
+princess, and looking so very charming. All the kindness that she
+showed them was of no use; for they were vexed more than ever when she
+told them how happy she lived at the palace of the beast. The spiteful
+creatures went by themselves into the garden, where they cried to
+think of her good-fortune.
+
+"Why should the little wretch be better off than we?" said they. "We
+are much handsomer than she is."
+
+"Sister," said the eldest, "a thought has just come into my head: Let
+us try to keep her here longer than the week for which the beast gave
+her leave, and then he will be so angry that perhaps when she goes
+back to him he will eat her up in a moment."
+
+"That is well thought of," answered the other, "but to do this we must
+pretend to be very kind."
+
+They then went to join her in the cottage, where they showed her so
+much false love that Beauty could not help crying for joy.
+
+When the week was ended the two sisters began to pretend such grief at
+the thought of her leaving them that she agreed to stay a week more;
+but all that time Beauty could not help fretting for the sorrow that
+she knew her absence would give her poor beast; for she tenderly
+loved him, and much wished for his company again. Among all the grand
+and clever people she saw she found nobody who was half so sensible,
+so affectionate, so thoughtful, or so kind. The tenth night of her
+being at the cottage she dreamed she was in the garden of the palace,
+that the beast lay dying on a grass-plot, and with his last breath put
+her in mind of her promise, and laid his death to her forsaking him.
+Beauty awoke in a great fright, and burst into tears. "Am not I
+wicked," said she, "to behave so ill to a beast who has shown me so
+much kindness? Why will not I marry him? I am sure I should be more
+happy with him than my sisters are with their husbands. He shall not
+be wretched any longer on my account; for I should do nothing but
+blame myself all the rest of my life."
+
+She then rose, put her ring on the table, got into bed again, and soon
+fell asleep. In the morning she with joy found herself in the palace
+of the beast. She dressed herself very carefully, that she might
+please him the better, and thought she had never known a day pass away
+so slowly. At last the clock struck nine, but the beast did not come.
+Beauty, dreading lest she might truly have caused his death, ran from
+room to room, calling out, "Beast, dear beast!" but there was no
+answer. At last she remembered her dream, rushed to the grass-plot,
+and there saw him lying apparently dead beside the fountain.
+Forgetting all his ugliness, she threw herself upon his body, and,
+finding his heart still beat, she fetched some water and sprinkled it
+over him, weeping and sobbing the while.
+
+The beast opened his eyes. "You forgot your promise, Beauty, and so I
+determined to die; for I could not live without you. I have starved
+myself to death, but I shall die content since I have seen your face
+once more."
+
+"No, dear beast," cried Beauty, passionately, "you shall not die; you
+shall live to be my husband! I thought it was only friendship I felt
+for you, but now I know it was love."
+
+The moment Beauty had spoken these words the palace was suddenly
+lighted up, and all kinds of rejoicings were heard around them, none
+of which she noticed, but hung over her dear beast with the utmost
+tenderness. At last, unable to restrain herself, she dropped her head
+over her hands, covered her eyes, and cried for joy; and, when she
+looked up again, the beast was gone. In his stead she saw at her feet
+a handsome, graceful young prince, who thanked her with the tenderest
+expressions for having freed him from enchantment.
+
+"But where is my poor beast? I only want him and nobody else," sobbed
+Beauty.
+
+    [Illustration: She saw at her feet a handsome, graceful young
+      prince]
+
+"I am he," replied the prince. "A wicked fairy condemned me to this
+form, and forbade me to show that I had any wit or sense till a
+beautiful lady should consent to marry me. You alone, dearest Beauty,
+judged me neither by my looks nor by my talents, but by my heart
+alone. Take it, then, and all that I have besides, for all is yours."
+
+Beauty, full of surprise, but very happy, suffered the prince to lead
+her to his palace, where she found her father and sisters, who had
+been brought there by the fairy-lady whom she had seen in a dream the
+first night she came.
+
+"Beauty," said the fairy, "you have chosen well, and you have your
+reward, for a true heart is better than either good looks or clever
+brains. As for you, ladies," and she turned to the two elder sisters,
+"I know all your ill deeds, but I have no worse punishment for you
+than to see your sister happy. You shall stand as statues at the door
+of her palace, and when you repent of and have amended your faults,
+you shall become women again. But, to tell you the truth, I very much
+fear you will remain statues forever."
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE SNOWDROP
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow
+fell like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window set in an
+ebony frame, and sewed. While she was sewing and watching the snow
+fall, she pricked her finger with her needle, and three drops of blood
+dropped on the snow. And because the crimson looked so beautiful on
+the white snow, she thought: "Oh that I had a child as white as snow,
+as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this ebony frame!"
+
+Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, who was as white as snow,
+as red as blood, and had hair as black as ebony. And when the child
+was born the queen died.
+
+After a year had gone by the king took another wife. She was a
+handsome lady, but proud and haughty, and could not endure that any
+one should surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful mirror, and
+whenever she walked up to it, and looked at herself in it, she said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+Then the mirror replied:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Thou art the fairest of them all."
+
+And she was satisfied, for she knew the mirror always told the truth.
+But Snowdrop grew ever taller and fairer, and at seven years old was
+beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. So
+once, when the queen asked of her mirror:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+it answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, you are grand and tall,
+    But Snowdrop is fairest of you all."
+
+Then the queen was startled, and turned yellow and green with envy.
+From that hour she so hated Snowdrop, that she burned with secret
+wrath whenever she saw the maiden. Pride and envy grew apace like
+weeds in her heart, till she had no rest day or night. So she called a
+huntsman and said: "Take the child out in the forest, for I will
+endure her no longer in my sight. Kill her, and bring me her lungs and
+liver as tokens that you have done it."
+
+The huntsman obeyed, and led the child away; but when he had drawn his
+hunting-knife, and was about to pierce Snowdrop's innocent heart, she
+began to weep, and said: "Ah! dear huntsman, spare my life, and I
+will run deep into the wild forest, and never more come home."
+
+The huntsman took pity on her, because she looked so lovely, and said,
+"Run away then, poor child!" ("The wild beasts will soon make an end
+of thee," he thought.) But it seemed as if a stone had been rolled
+from his heart because he had avoided taking her life; and as a little
+bear came by just then, he killed it, took out its liver and lungs,
+and carried them as tokens to the queen. She made the cook dress them
+with salt, and then the wicked woman ate them, and thought she had
+eaten Snowdrop's lungs and liver. The poor child was now all alone in
+the great forest, and she felt frightened as she looked at all the
+leafy trees, and knew not what to do. So she began to run, and ran
+over the sharp stones, and through the thorns; and the wild beasts
+passed close to her, but did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet
+could carry her, and when evening closed in, she saw a little house,
+and went into it to rest herself. Everything in the house was very
+small, but I cannot tell you how pretty and clean it was.
+
+There stood a little table, covered with a white tablecloth, on which
+were seven little plates (each little plate with its own little
+spoon)--also seven little knives and forks, and seven little cups.
+Round the walls stood seven little beds close together, with sheets as
+white as snow. Snowdrop being so hungry and thirsty, ate a little of
+the vegetables and bread on each plate, and drank a drop of wine from
+every cup, for she did not like to empty one entirely.
+
+Then, being very tired, she laid herself down in one of the beds, but
+could not make herself comfortable, for one was too long, and another
+too short. The seventh, luckily, was just right; so there she stayed,
+said her prayers, and fell asleep.
+
+When it was grown quite dark, home came the masters of the house,
+seven dwarfs, who delved and mined for iron among the mountains. They
+lighted their seven candles, and as soon as there was a light in the
+kitchen, they saw that some one had been there, for it was not quite
+so orderly as they had left it.
+
+The first said, "Who has been sitting on my stool?"
+
+The second, "Who has eaten off my plate?"
+
+The third, "Who has taken part of my loaf?"
+
+The fourth, "Who has touched my vegetables?"
+
+The fifth, "Who has used my fork?"
+
+The sixth, "Who has cut with my knife?"
+
+The seventh, "Who has drunk out of my little cup?"
+
+Then the first dwarf looked about, and saw that there was a slight
+hollow in his bed, so he asked, "Who has been lying in my little bed?"
+
+The others came running, and each called out, "Some one has also been
+lying in my bed."
+
+But the seventh, when he looked in his bed, saw Snowdrop there, fast
+asleep. He called the others, who flocked round with cries of
+surprise, fetched their seven candles, and cast the light on Snowdrop.
+
+"Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!" and were so pleased
+that they would not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed.
+The seventh dwarf slept with all his companions in turn, an hour with
+each, and so they spent the night. When it was morning Snowdrop woke
+up, and was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. They were very
+friendly, however, and inquired her name.
+
+"Snowdrop," answered she.
+
+"How have you found your way to our house?" further asked the dwarfs.
+
+So she told them how her stepmother had tried to kill her, how the
+huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day
+through, till at last she had found their little house.
+
+Then the dwarfs said, "If thou wilt keep our house, cook, make the
+beds, wash, sew and knit, and make all neat and clean, thou canst stay
+with us and shalt want for nothing."
+
+"I will, right willingly," said Snowdrop. So she dwelt with them, and
+kept their house in order. Every morning they went out among the
+mountains, to seek iron and gold, and came home ready for supper in
+the evening.
+
+The maiden being left alone all day long, the good dwarfs warned her,
+saying, "Beware of thy wicked stepmother, who will soon find out that
+thou art here; take care that thou lettest nobody in."
+
+    [Illustration: "Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!"]
+
+The queen, however, after having, as she thought, eaten Snowdrop's
+lungs and liver, had no doubt that she was again the first and fairest
+woman in the world; so she walked up to her mirror, and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+The mirror replied:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
+
+She trembled, knowing that the mirror never told a falsehood; she felt
+sure that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still
+alive. She pondered once more, late and early, early and late, how
+best to kill Snowdrop; for envy gave her no rest, day or night, while
+she herself was not the fairest lady in the land. When she had planned
+what to do she painted her face, dressed herself like an old
+pedler-woman, and altered her appearance so much that no one could
+have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven hills to
+where the seven dwarfs dwelt, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good
+wares, cheap!--very cheap!"
+
+Snowdrop looked out of the window and cried, "Good-morning, good
+woman. What have you to sell?"
+
+"Good wares, smart wares," answered the queen--"bodice laces of all
+colors;" and drew out one which was woven of colored silk.
+
+"I may surely let this honest dame in!" thought Snowdrop; so she
+unfastened the door, and bought for herself the pretty lace.
+
+"Child," said the old woman, "what a figure thou art! Let me lace thee
+for once properly." Snowdrop feared no harm, so stepped in front of
+her, and allowed her bodice to be fastened up with the new lace.
+
+But the old woman laced so quick and laced so tight that Snowdrop's
+breath was stopped, and she fell down as if dead. "Now I am fairest at
+last," said the old woman to herself, and sped away.
+
+The seven dwarfs came home soon after, at eventide, but how alarmed
+were they to find their poor Snowdrop lifeless on the ground! They
+lifted her up, and, seeing that she was laced too tightly, cut the
+lace of her bodice; she began to breathe faintly, and slowly returned
+to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, "The old
+pedler-woman was none other than the wicked queen. Be careful of
+thyself, and open the door to no one if we are not at home."
+
+The cruel stepmother walked up to her mirror when she reached home,
+and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+To which it answered, as usual:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
+
+When she heard this she was so alarmed that all the blood rushed to
+her heart, for she saw plainly that Snowdrop was still alive.
+
+"This time," said she, "I will think of some means that shall destroy
+her utterly;" and with the help of witchcraft, in which she was
+skilful, she made a poisoned comb. Then she changed her dress and took
+the shape of another old woman.
+
+Again she crossed the seven hills to the home of the seven dwarfs,
+knocked at the door, and cried, "Good wares, very cheap!"
+
+Snowdrop looked out and said, "Go away--I dare let no one in."
+
+"You may surely be allowed to look!" answered the old woman, and she
+drew out the poisoned comb and held it up. The girl was so pleased
+with it that she let herself be cajoled, and opened the door.
+
+When the bargain was struck the dame said, "Now let me dress your hair
+properly for once." Poor Snowdrop took no heed, and let the old woman
+begin; but the comb had scarcely touched her hair before the poison
+worked, and she fell down senseless.
+
+"Paragon of beauty!" said the wicked woman, "all is over with thee
+now," and went away.
+
+Luckily it was near evening, and the seven dwarfs soon came home. When
+they found Snowdrop lifeless on the ground they at once distrusted her
+stepmother. They searched, and found the poisoned comb; and as soon as
+they had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself, and told them what
+had happened. Again they warned her to be careful, and open the door
+to no one.
+
+The queen placed herself before the mirror at home and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+But it again answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here, you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a thousandfold."
+
+When she heard the mirror speak thus she quivered with rage. "Snowdrop
+shall die," she cried, "if it costs my own life!"
+
+Then she went to a secret and lonely chamber, where no one ever
+disturbed her, and compounded an apple of deadly poison. Ripe and rosy
+cheeked, it was so beautiful to look upon that all who saw it longed
+for it; but it brought death to any who should eat it. When the apple
+was ready she painted her face, disguised herself as a peasant-woman,
+and journeyed over the seven hills to where the seven dwarfs dwelt. At
+the sound of the knock Snowdrop put her head out of the window, and
+said, "I cannot open the door to anybody, for the seven dwarfs have
+forbidden me to do so."
+
+"Very well," replied the peasant-woman; "I only want to be rid of my
+apples. Here, I will give you one of them!"
+
+"No," said Snowdrop, "I dare not take it."
+
+"Art thou afraid of being poisoned?" asked the old woman. "Look here;
+I will cut the apple in two, and you shall eat the rosy side, and I
+the white."
+
+Now the fruit was so cunningly made that only the rosy side was
+poisoned. Snowdrop longed for the pretty apple; and when she saw the
+peasant-woman eating it she could resist no longer, but stretched out
+her hand and took the poisoned half. She had scarcely tasted it when
+she fell lifeless to the ground.
+
+The queen, laughing loudly, watched her with a barbarous look, and
+cried: "Oh, thou who art white as snow, red as blood, and black as
+ebony, the seven dwarfs cannot awaken thee this time!"
+
+And when she asked the mirror at home,
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+the mirror at last replied,
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall.
+    You are the fairest of them all."
+
+So her envious heart had as much repose as an envious heart can ever
+know.
+
+When the dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snowdrop lying
+breathless and motionless on the ground. They lifted her up, searched
+whether she had anything poisonous about her, unlaced her, combed her
+hair, washed her with water and with wine; but all was useless, for
+they could not bring the darling back to life. They laid her on a
+bier, and all the seven placed themselves round it, and mourned for
+her three long days. Then they would have buried her, but that she
+still looked so fresh and lifelike, and had such lovely rosy cheeks.
+"We cannot lower her into the dark earth," said they; and caused a
+transparent coffin of glass to be made, so that she could be seen on
+all sides, and laid her in it, writing her name outside in letters of
+gold, which told that she was the daughter of a king. Then they placed
+the coffin on the mountain above, and one of them always stayed by it
+and guarded it. But there was little need to guard it, for even the
+wild animals came and mourned for Snowdrop: the birds likewise--first
+an owl, and then a raven, and afterwards a dove.
+
+Long, long years did Snowdrop lay in her coffin unchanged, looking as
+though asleep, for she was still white as snow, red as blood, and her
+hair was as black as ebony. At last the son of a king chanced to
+wander into the forest, and came to the dwarf's house for a night's
+shelter. He saw the coffin on the mountain with the beautiful Snowdrop
+in it, and read what was written there in letters of gold. Then he
+said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin! I will give you whatever
+you like to ask for it."
+
+But the dwarfs answered, "We would not part with it for all the gold
+in the world."
+
+He said again, "Yet give it me; for I cannot live without seeing
+Snowdrop, and though she is dead, I will prize and honor her as my
+beloved."
+
+Then the good dwarfs took pity on him, and gave him the coffin. The
+prince had it borne away by his servants. They happened to stumble
+over a bush, and the shock forced the bit of poisoned apple which
+Snowdrop had tasted out of her throat. Immediately she opened her
+eyes, raised the coffin-lid, and sat up alive once more. "Oh, heaven!"
+cried she, "where am I?"
+
+The prince answered, joyfully. "Thou art with me," and told her what
+had happened, saying, "I love thee more dearly than anything else in
+the world. Come with me to my father's castle, and be my wife."
+
+Snowdrop, well pleased, went with him, and they were married with much
+state and grandeur.
+
+The wicked stepmother was invited to the feast. Richly dressed, she
+stood before the mirror, and asked of it:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+The mirror answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here, you are fairest among them all;
+    But the young queen over the mountains old
+    Is fairer than you a thousandfold."
+
+The evil-hearted woman uttered a curse, and could scarcely endure her
+anguish. She first resolved not to attend the wedding, but curiosity
+would not allow her to rest. She determined to travel, and see who
+that young queen could be, who was the most beautiful in all the
+world. When she came, and found that it was Snowdrop alive again, she
+stood petrified with terror and despair. Then two iron shoes, heated
+burning hot, were drawn out of the fire with a pair of tongs, and laid
+before her feet. She was forced to put them on, and to go and dance at
+Snowdrop's wedding--dancing, dancing on these red hot shoes till she
+fell down dead.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
+
+
+Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house
+of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
+one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.
+They had each a pot for their porridge, a little pot for the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear; and a
+great pot for the Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a chair to sit
+in; a little chair for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized
+chair for the Middle Bear; and a great chair for the Great, Huge Bear.
+And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized bed for the Middle Bear; and a
+great bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
+
+One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and
+poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood
+while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths
+by beginning too soon to eat it. And while they were walking a little
+old woman came to the house. She could not have been a good, honest
+old woman; for, first, she looked in at the window, and then she
+peeped in at the key-hole; and, seeing nobody in the house, she lifted
+the latch. The door was not fastened, because the bears were good
+bears, who did nobody any harm, and never suspected that anybody would
+harm them. So the little old woman opened the door and went in, and
+well pleased she was when she saw the porridge on the table. If she
+had been a good little old woman she would have waited till the bears
+came home, and then, perhaps, they would have asked her to breakfast;
+for they were good bears--a little rough or so, as the manner of bears
+is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But she was an
+impudent, bad old woman, and set about helping herself.
+
+So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, and that was
+too hot for her; and she said a bad word about that. And then she
+tasted the porridge of the Middle Bear, and that was too cold for her;
+and she said a bad word about that, too. And then she went to the
+porridge of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and tasted that, and that was
+neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well
+that she ate it all up; but the naughty old woman said a bad word
+about the little porridge-pot, because it did not hold enough for her.
+
+Then the little old woman sate down in the chair of the Great, Huge
+Bear, and that was too hard for her. And then she sate down in the
+chair of the Middle Bear, and that was too soft for her. And then she
+sate down in the chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was
+neither too hard nor too soft, but just right. So she seated herself
+in it, and there she sate till the bottom of the chair came out, and
+down came she, plump upon the ground. And the naughty old woman said a
+wicked word about that, too.
+
+Then the little old woman went up-stairs into the bedchamber in which
+the three bears slept. And first she lay down upon the bed of the
+Great, Huge Bear; but that was too high at the head for her. And next
+she lay down upon the bed of the Middle Bear; and that was too high at
+the foot for her. And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and that was neither too high at the head nor at the
+foot, but just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay
+there till she fell fast asleep.
+
+By this time the three bears thought their porridge would be cool
+enough, so they came home to breakfast. Now the little old woman had
+left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his porridge.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. And when
+the Middle Bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in
+it, too. They were wooden spoons; if they had been silver ones the
+naughty old woman would have put them in her pocket.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been At My Porridge!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked at his, and there was the
+spoon in the porridge-pot, but the porridge was all gone.
+
+    "_Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all
+    up!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+Upon this the three bears, seeing that some one had entered their
+house, and eaten up the Little, Small, Wee Bear's breakfast, began to
+look about them. Now the little old woman had not put the hard cushion
+straight when she rose from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
+
+And the little old woman had squatted down the soft cushion of the
+Middle Bear.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been Sitting In My Chair!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+And you know what the little old woman had done to the third chair.
+
+    "_Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sate
+    the bottom of it out!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+Then the three bears thought it necessary that they should make
+further search, so they went up-stairs into their bedchamber. Now the
+little old woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of
+its place.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
+
+And the little old woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle Bear
+out of its place.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been Lying in My Bed!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there
+was the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the
+bolster, and upon the pillow was the little old woman's ugly, dirty
+head--which was not in its place, for she had no business there.
+
+    "_Somebody has been lying in my bed--and here she is!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+    [Illustration: The voice of the little, small, wee bear awakened
+      her at once]
+
+The little old woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff
+voice of the Great, Huge Bear; but she was so fast asleep that it was
+no more to her than the roaring of wind or the rumbling of thunder.
+And she had heard the middle voice of the Middle Bear, but it was
+only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when she
+heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, it
+was so sharp and so shrill that it awakened her at once. Up she
+started; and when she saw the Three Bears on one side of the bed she
+tumbled herself out at the other and ran to the window. Now the window
+was open, because the bears, like good, tidy bears as they were,
+always opened their bedchamber window when they got up in the morning.
+Out the little old woman jumped; and whether she broke her neck in the
+fall, or ran into the wood and was lost there, or found her way out of
+the wood and was taken up by the constable and sent to the House of
+Correction for a vagrant as she was, I cannot tell. But the Three
+Bears never saw anything more of her.
+
+    From "The Green Fairy Book," edited by Andrew Lang, by
+    the courtesy of Longmans, Green & Co.
+
+
+
+
+SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED
+
+
+A poor widow lived alone in a little cottage, in front of which was a
+garden, where stood two little rose-trees: one bore white roses, the
+other red. The widow had two children who resembled the two
+rose-trees: one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red. They
+were two of the best children that ever lived; but Snow-white was
+quieter and more gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red liked best to jump
+about in the meadows, to look for flowers and catch butterflies; but
+Snow-white sat at home with her mother, helped her in the house, or
+read to her when there was nothing else to do. The two children loved
+one another so much that they always walked hand in hand; and when
+Snow-white said, "We will not forsake one another," Rose-red answered,
+"Never, as long as we live;" and the mother added, "Yes, my children,
+whatever one has, let her divide with the other." They often ran about
+in solitary places, and gathered red berries; and the wild creatures
+of the wood never hurt them, but came confidingly up to them. The
+little hare ate cabbage-leaves out of their hands, the doe grazed at
+their side, the stag sprang merrily past them, and the birds remained
+sitting on the boughs, and never ceased their songs. They met with no
+accident if they loitered in the wood and night came on; they lay down
+together on the moss, and slept till morning; and the mother knew
+this, and was in no anxiety about them. Once, when they had spent the
+night in the wood, and the red morning awoke them, they saw a
+beautiful child, in a shining white dress, sitting by the place where
+they had slept, who, arising, and looking at them kindly, said
+nothing, but went into the wood. And when they looked round they found
+out that they had been sleeping close to a precipice, and would
+certainly have fallen down it if they had gone a few steps farther in
+the dark. Their mother told them it must have been the angel that
+takes care of good children who had sat by them all night long.
+
+Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's cottage so clean that it
+was a pleasure to look into it. In the summer Rose-red managed the
+house, and every morning she gathered a nosegay in which was a rose
+off each tree, and set it by her mother's bed before she awoke. In
+winter Snow-white lighted the fire, and hung the kettle on the hook;
+and though it was only copper it shone like gold, it was rubbed so
+clean. In the evening, when the snow fell, the mother said, "Go,
+Snow-white, and bolt the door;" and then they seated themselves on the
+hearth, and the mother took her spectacles, and read aloud out of a
+great book, and the two girls listened, and sat and span. Near them
+lay a lamb on the floor, and behind them, on a perch, sat a white
+dove, with its head under its wing.
+
+One evening, as they were thus happy together, some one knocked to be
+let in. The mother said, "Quick, Rose-red, open the door; perhaps it
+is a traveller who seeks shelter." Rose-red went and pushed the bolt
+back, and thought it was a poor man; but a bear stretched his thick
+black head into the door. Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the
+little lamb bleated, the little dove fluttered about, and Snow-white
+hid herself behind her mother's bed. However, the bear began to speak,
+and said, "Do not be frightened, I will do you no harm; I am half
+frozen, and only want to warm myself a little."
+
+"You poor bear," said the mother, "lay yourself down before the fire,
+only take care your fur does not burn." Then she called out:
+"Snow-white and Rose-red, come out; the bear will not hurt you--he
+means honestly by us." Then they both came out, and, by degrees, the
+lamb and the dove also approached, and ceased to be afraid. The bear
+said, "Children, knock the snow a little out of my fur;" and they
+fetched a broom, and swept the bear's skin clean; and he stretched
+himself before the fire and growled softly, like a bear that was quite
+happy and comfortable. In a short time they all became quite friendly
+together, and the children played tricks with the awkward guest. They
+pulled his hair, set their feet on his back, and rolled him here and
+there; or took a hazel rod and beat him, and when he growled they
+laughed. The bear was very much pleased with this frolic, only, when
+they became too mischievous, he called out: "Children, leave me alone.
+
+    "Little Snow-white and Rose-red,
+    You will strike your lover dead."
+
+When bedtime came, and the others went to sleep, the mother said to
+the bear: "You can lie there on the hearth, and then you will be
+sheltered from the cold and the bad weather." At daybreak the two
+children let him out, and he trotted over the snow into the wood.
+Henceforward the bear came every evening at the same hour, laid
+himself on the hearth, and allowed the children to play with him as
+much as they liked; and they became so used to him that the door was
+never bolted until their black companion had arrived. When spring
+came, and everything was green out-of-doors, the bear said one morning
+to Snow-white: "Now I must go away, and may not come again the whole
+summer."
+
+"Where are you going, dear Bear?" asked Snow-white.
+
+"I must go into the wood, and guard my treasures from the bad dwarfs;
+in winter, when the ground is frozen hard, they have to stay
+underneath, and cannot work their way through, but now that the sun
+has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through, come up, seek,
+and steal; what is once in their hands, and lies in their caverns,
+does not come so easily into daylight again." Snow-white was quite
+sorrowful at parting, and as she unbolted the door for him, and the
+bear ran out, the hook of the door caught him, and a piece of his skin
+tore off; it seemed to Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining
+through, but she was not sure. But the bear ran quickly away, and soon
+disappeared behind the trees.
+
+After some time, their mother sent the children into the wood to
+collect fagots. They found there a large tree, which had been cut down
+and lay on the ground, and by the trunk something was jumping up and
+down, but they could not tell what it was. As they came nearer they
+saw that it was a dwarf with an old withered face, and a snow-white
+beard a yard long. The end of the beard was stuck fast in a cleft in
+the tree, and the little fellow jumped about like a dog on a rope, and
+did not know how to help himself. He stared at the girls with his
+fiery red eyes, and screamed out: "Why do you stand there? Can't you
+come and render me some assistance?"
+
+"What is the matter with you, little man?" asked Rose-red.
+
+"Stupid little goose!" answered the dwarf; "I wanted to chop the tree,
+so as to have some small pieces of wood for the kitchen; we only want
+little bits; with thick logs the small quantity of food that we cook
+for ourselves--we are not, like you, great greedy people--burns
+directly. I had driven the wedge well in, and it was all going on
+right, but the detestable wood was too smooth, and sprang out
+unexpectedly; and the tree closed up so quickly that I could not pull
+my beautiful white beard out; now it is sticking there, and I can't
+get away. There, you foolish, soft, milk-faces, you are laughing and
+crying out: 'How ugly you are! how ugly you are!'"
+
+The children took a great deal of trouble, but they could not pull the
+beard out; it stuck too fast.
+
+"I will run and fetch somebody," said Rose-red.
+
+"You great ninny!" snarled the dwarf, "to want to call more people;
+you are too many for me now. Can't you think of anything better?"
+
+"Only don't be impatient," said Snow-white. "I have thought of
+something;" and she took her little scissors out of her pocket, and
+cut the end of the beard off.
+
+As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he seized a sack filled with
+gold that was sticking between the roots of the tree; pulling it out,
+he growled to himself: "You rude people, to cut off a piece of my
+beautiful beard! May evil reward you!" Then he threw his sack over his
+shoulders, and walked away without once looking at the children.
+
+Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red wished to catch some fish
+for dinner. As they came near to the stream they saw that something
+like a grasshopper was jumping towards the water, as if it were going
+to spring in. They ran on and recognized the dwarf.
+
+"Where are you going?" asked Rose-red. "You don't want to go into the
+water?"
+
+"I am not such a fool as that," cried the dwarf. "Don't you see the
+detestable fish wants to pull me in?"
+
+The little fellow had been sitting there fishing, and, unluckily, the
+wind had entangled his beard with the line. When directly afterwards a
+great fish bit at his hook the weak creature could not pull him out,
+so the fish was pulling the dwarf into the water. It is true he caught
+hold of all the reeds and rushes, but that did not help him much; he
+had to follow all the movements of the fish, and was in imminent
+danger of being drowned. The girls, coming at the right time, held him
+fast and tried to get the beard loose from the line, but in
+vain--beard and line were entangled fast together. There was nothing
+to do but to pull out the scissors and to cut off the beard, in doing
+which a little piece of it was lost. When the dwarf saw that, he cried
+out: "Is that manners, you goose! to disfigure one's face so? Is it
+not enough that you once cut my beard shorter? But now you have cut
+the best part of it off, I dare not be seen by my people. I wish you
+had had to run, and had lost the soles of your shoes!" Then he fetched
+a sack of pearls that lay among the rushes, and, without saying a word
+more, he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone.
+
+Soon after the mother sent the two girls to the town to buy cotton,
+needles, cord, and tape. The road led them by a heath, scattered over
+which lay great masses of rock. There they saw a large bird hovering
+in the air; it flew round and round just above them, always sinking
+lower and lower, and at last it settled down by a rock not far
+distant. Directly after they heard a piercing, wailing cry. They ran
+up, and saw with horror that the eagle had seized their old
+acquaintance, the dwarf, and was going to carry him off. The
+compassionate children instantly seized hold of the little man, held
+him fast, and struggled so long that the eagle let his prey go.
+
+When the dwarf had recovered from his first fright, he called out, in
+his shrill voice: "Could not you deal rather more gently with me? You
+have torn my thin coat all in tatters, awkward, clumsy creatures that
+you are!" Then he took a sack of precious stones, and slipped behind
+the rock again into his den. The girls, who were used to his
+ingratitude, went on their way, and completed their business in the
+town. As they were coming home again over the heath they surprised the
+dwarf, who had emptied his sack of precious stones on a little clean
+place, and had not thought that any one would come by there so late.
+The evening sun shone on the glittering stones, which looked so
+beautiful in all their colors that the children could not help
+standing still to gaze.
+
+"Why do you stand there gaping?" cried the dwarf, his ash-colored
+face turning vermilion with anger.
+
+With these cross words he was going away when he heard a loud roaring,
+and a black bear trotted out of the woods towards them. The dwarf
+sprang up terrified, but he could not get to his lurking-hole
+again--the bear was already close upon him. Then he called out in
+anguish:
+
+"Dear Mr. Bear, spare me, and you shall have all my treasures; look at
+the beautiful precious stones that lie there. Give me my life; for
+what do you want with a poor thin little fellow like me? You would
+scarcely feel me between your teeth. Rather seize those two wicked
+girls; they will be tender morsels for you, as fat as young quails;
+pray, eat them at once."
+
+The bear, without troubling himself to answer, gave the malicious
+creature one single stroke with his paw, and he did not move again.
+The girls had run away, but the bear called after them: "Snow-white
+and Rose-red, do not be frightened; wait, I will go with you."
+Recognizing the voice of their old friend, they stood still, and when
+the bear came up to them his skin suddenly fell off; and behold he was
+not a bear, but a handsome young man dressed all in gold.
+
+"I am a king's son," said he; "I was changed by the wicked dwarf, who
+had stolen all my treasures, into a wild bear, and obliged to run
+about in the wood until I should be freed by his death. Now he has
+received his well-deserved punishment."
+
+So they all went home together to the widow's cottage, and Snow-white
+was married to the prince and Rose-red to his brother. They divided
+between them the great treasures which the dwarf had amassed. The old
+mother lived many quiet and happy years with her children; but when
+she left her cottage for the palace she took the two rose-trees with
+her, and they stood before her window and bore every year the most
+beautiful roses--one white and the other red.
+
+
+
+
+THE WILD SWANS
+
+
+Far away, where the swallows take refuge in winter, lived a king who
+had eleven sons and one daughter, Elise. The eleven brothers--they
+were all princes--used to go to school with stars on their breasts and
+swords at their sides. They wrote upon golden slates with diamond
+pencils, and could read just as well without a book as with one, so
+there was no mistake about their being real princes. Their sister
+Elise sat upon a little footstool of looking-glass, and she had a
+picture-book which had cost the half of a kingdom. Oh, these children
+were very happy; but it was not to last thus forever.
+
+Their father, who was king over all the land, married a wicked queen
+who was not at all kind to the poor children; they found that out on
+the first day. All was festive at the castle, but when the children
+wanted to play at having company, instead of having as many cakes and
+baked apples as ever they wanted, she would only let them have some
+sand in a tea-cup, and said they must make-believe.
+
+In the following week she sent little Elise into the country to board
+with some peasants, and it did not take her long to make the king
+believe so many bad things about the boys that he cared no more about
+them.
+
+"Fly out into the world and look after yourselves," said the wicked
+queen; "you shall fly about like birds without voices."
+
+But she could not make things as bad for them as she would have liked;
+they turned into eleven beautiful wild swans. They flew out of the
+palace window with a weird scream, right across the park and the
+woods.
+
+It was very early in the morning when they came to the place where
+their sister Elise was sleeping in the peasant's house. They hovered
+over the roof of the house, turning and twisting their long necks, and
+flapping their wings; but no one either heard or saw them. They had to
+fly away again, and they soared up towards the clouds, far out into
+the wide world, and they settled in a big, dark wood, which stretched
+right down to the shore.
+
+Poor little Elise stood in the peasant's room, playing with a green
+leaf, for she had no other toys. She made a little hole in it, which
+she looked through at the sun, and it seemed to her as if she saw her
+brothers' bright eyes. Every time the warm sunbeams shone upon her
+cheek it reminded her of their kisses. One day passed just like
+another. When the wind whistled through the rose-hedges outside the
+house, it whispered to the roses: "Who can be prettier than you are?"
+But the roses shook their heads and answered: "Elise!" And when the
+old woman sat in the doorway reading her Psalms the wind turned over
+the leaves and said to the book: "Who can be more pious than you?"
+"Elise!" answered the book. Both the roses and the book of Psalms only
+spoke the truth.
+
+She was to go home when she was fifteen, but when the queen saw how
+pretty she was she got very angry, and her heart was filled with
+hatred. She would willingly have turned her into a wild swan too, like
+her brothers, but she did not dare to do it at once, for the king
+wanted to see his daughter. The queen always went to the bath in the
+early morning. It was built of marble, and adorned with soft cushions
+and beautiful carpets.
+
+She took three toads, kissed them, and said to the first: "Sit upon
+Elise's head when she comes to the bath, so that she may become
+sluggish like yourself." "Sit upon her forehead," she said to the
+second, "that she may become ugly like you, and then her father won't
+know her! Rest upon her heart," she whispered to the third. "Let an
+evil spirit come over her, which may be a burden to her." Then she put
+the toads into the clean water, and a green tinge immediately came
+over it. She called Elise, undressed her, and made her go into the
+bath; when she ducked under the water, one of the toads got among her
+hair, the other got onto her forehead, and the third onto her bosom.
+But when she stood up three scarlet poppies floated on the water; had
+not the creatures been poisonous, and kissed by the sorceress, they
+would have been changed into crimson roses, but yet they became
+flowers from merely having rested a moment on her head and her heart.
+She was far too good and innocent for the sorcery to have any power
+over her. When the wicked queen saw this she rubbed her over with
+walnut juice, and smeared her face with some evil-smelling salve. She
+also matted up her beautiful hair; it would have been impossible to
+recognize pretty Elise. When her father saw her, he was quite
+horrified, and said that she could not be his daughter. Nobody would
+have anything to say to her, except the yard dog and the swallows, and
+they were only poor dumb animals whose opinion went for nothing.
+
+Poor Elise wept, and thought of her eleven brothers who were all lost.
+She crept sadly out of the palace and wandered about all day, over
+meadows and marshes, and into a big forest. She did not know in the
+least where she wanted to go, but she felt very sad, and longed for
+her brothers, who, no doubt, like herself had been driven out of the
+palace. She made up her mind to go and look for them, but she had only
+been in the wood for a short time when night fell. She had quite lost
+her way, so she lay down upon the soft moss, said her evening prayer,
+and rested her head on a little hillock. It was very still and the air
+was mild; hundreds of glow-worms shone around her on the grass and in
+the marsh like green fire. When she gently moved one of the branches
+over her head the little shining insects fell over her like a shower
+of stars. She dreamed about her brothers all night long. Again they
+were children playing together: they wrote upon the golden slates with
+their diamond pencils, and she looked at the picture-book which had
+cost half a kingdom. But they no longer wrote strokes and noughts upon
+their slates as they used to do; no, they wrote down all their boldest
+exploits, and everything that they had seen and experienced.
+Everything in the picture-book was alive, the birds sang, and the
+people walked out of the book, and spoke to Elise and her brothers.
+When she turned over a page they skipped back into their places again,
+so that there should be no confusion among the pictures.
+
+When she woke the sun was already high; it is true she could not see
+it very well through the thick branches of the lofty forest trees, but
+the sunbeams cast a golden shimmer around beyond the forest. There was
+a fresh, delicious scent of grass and herbs in the air, and the birds
+were almost ready to perch upon her shoulders. She could hear the
+splashing of water, for there were many springs around, which all
+flowed into a pond with a lovely sandy bottom. It was surrounded with
+thick bushes, but there was one place which the stags had trampled
+down, and Elise passed through the opening to the water side. It was
+so transparent that had not the branches been moved by the breeze she
+must have thought that they were painted on the bottom, so plainly was
+every leaf reflected, both those on which the sun played, and those
+which were in shade.
+
+When she saw her own face she was quite frightened, it was so brown
+and ugly; but when she wet her little hand and rubbed her eyes and
+forehead her white skin shone through again. Then she took off all her
+clothes and went into the fresh water. A more beautiful royal child
+than she could not be found in all the world.
+
+When she had put on her clothes again and plaited her long hair she
+went to a sparkling spring, and drank some of the water out of the
+hollow of her hand. Then she wandered farther into the wood, though
+where she was going she had not the least idea. She thought of her
+brothers, and she thought of a merciful God who would not forsake
+her. He let the wild crab-apples grow to feed the hungry. He showed
+her a tree, the branches of which were bending beneath their weight of
+fruit. Here she made her midday meal, and, having put props under the
+branches, she walked on into the thickest part of the forest. It was
+so quiet that she heard her own footsteps; she heard every little
+withered leaf which bent under her feet. Not a bird was to be seen,
+not a ray of sunlight pierced the leafy branches, and the tall trunks
+were so close together that when she looked before her it seemed as if
+a thick fence of heavy beams hemmed her in on every side. The solitude
+was such as she had never known before.
+
+It was a very dark night, not a single glow-worm sparkled in the
+marsh; sadly she lay down to sleep, and it seemed to her as if the
+branches above her parted asunder, and the Saviour looked down upon
+her with His loving eyes, and little angels' heads peeped out above
+His head and under His arms.
+
+When she woke in the morning she was not sure if she had dreamed this,
+or whether it was really true.
+
+She walked a little farther, when she met an old woman with a basket
+full of berries, of which she gave her some. Elise asked if she had
+seen eleven princes ride through the wood. "No," said the old woman,
+"but yesterday I saw eleven swans, with golden crowns upon their
+heads, swimming in the stream close by here."
+
+She led Elise a little farther to a slope, at the foot of which the
+stream meandered. The trees on either bank stretched out their rich,
+leafy branches towards each other, and where, from their natural
+growth, they could not reach each other, they had torn their roots out
+of the ground, and leaned over the water so as to interlace their
+branches.
+
+Elise said good-bye to the old woman and walked along by the river
+till it flowed out into the great open sea.
+
+The beautiful open sea lay before the maiden, but not a sail was to be
+seen on it--not a single boat. How was she ever to get any farther?
+She looked at the numberless little pebbles on the beach; they were
+all worn quite round by the water. Glass, iron, stone, whatever was
+washed up, had taken their shapes from the water, which yet was much
+softer than her little hand. "With all its rolling, it is untiring,
+and everything hard is smoothed down. I will be just as untiring!
+Thank you for your lesson, you clear rolling waves! Some time, so my
+poor heart tells me, you will bear me to my beloved brothers!"
+
+Eleven white swans' feathers were lying on the sea-weed; she picked
+them up and made a bunch of them. There were still drops of water on
+them. Whether these were dew or tears no one could tell. It was very
+lonely there by the shore, but she did not feel it, for the sea was
+ever changing. There were more changes on it in the course of a few
+hours than could be seen on an inland fresh-water lake in a year. If a
+big black cloud arose it was just as if the sea wanted to say, "I can
+look black too," and then the wind blew up and the waves showed their
+white crests. But if the clouds were red and the wind dropped, the sea
+looked like a rose-leaf, now white, now green. But, however still it
+was, there was always a little gentle motion just by the shore; the
+water rose and fell softly, like the bosom of a sleeping child.
+
+When the sun was just about to go down, Elise saw eleven wild swans
+with golden crowns upon their heads flying towards the shore. They
+flew in a swaying line, one behind the other, like a white ribbon
+streamer. Elise climbed up onto the bank and hid behind a bush; the
+swans settled close by her and flapped their great white wings.
+
+As soon as the sun had sunk beneath the water the swans shed their
+feathers and became eleven handsome princes; they were Elise's
+brothers. Although they had altered a good deal, she knew them at
+once; she felt that they must be her brothers, and she sprang into
+their arms, calling them by name. They were delighted when they
+recognized their little sister who had grown so big and beautiful.
+They laughed and cried, and told each other how wickedly their
+stepmother had treated them all.
+
+"We brothers," said the eldest, "have to fly about in the guise of
+swans, as long as the sun is above the horizon. When it goes down we
+regain our human shapes. So we always have to look out for a
+resting-place near sunset, for should we happen to be flying up among
+the clouds when the sun goes down we should be hurled to the depths
+below. We do not live here; there is another land, just as beautiful
+as this, beyond the sea; but the way to it is very long, and we have
+to cross the mighty ocean to get to it. There is not a single island
+on the way where we can spend the night; only one solitary little rock
+juts up above the water midway. It is only just big enough for us to
+stand upon close together, and if there is a heavy sea the water
+splashes over us, yet we thank our God for it. We stay there over
+night in our human forms, and without it we could never revisit our
+beloved Fatherland, for our flight takes two of the longest days in
+the year. We are only permitted to visit the home of our fathers once
+a year, and we dare only stay for eleven days. We hover over this big
+forest from whence we catch a glimpse of the palace where we were
+born, and where our father lives; beyond it we can see the high
+church towers where our mother is buried. We fancy that the trees and
+bushes here are related to us; and the wild horses gallop over the
+moors, as we used to see them in our childhood. The charcoal burners
+still sing the old songs we used to dance to when we were children.
+This is our Fatherland, we are drawn towards it, and here we have
+found you again, dear little sister! We may stay here two days longer,
+and then we must fly away again across the ocean to a lovely country
+indeed, but it is not our own dear Fatherland. How shall we ever take
+you with us! We have neither ship nor boat!"
+
+"How can I deliver you!" said their sister, and they went on talking
+to each other nearly all night; they only dozed for a few hours.
+
+Elise was awakened in the morning by the rustling of the swans' wings
+above her; her brothers were again transformed, and were wheeling
+round in great circles till she lost sight of them in the distance.
+One of them, the youngest, stayed behind. He laid his head against her
+bosom, and she caressed it with her fingers. They remained together
+all day. Towards evening the others came back, and as soon as the sun
+went down they took their natural forms.
+
+"To-morrow we must fly away, and we dare not come back for a whole
+year, but we can't leave you like this! Have you courage to go with
+us? My arm is strong enough to carry you over the forest, so surely
+our united strength ought to be sufficient to bear you across the
+ocean."
+
+"Oh yes; take me with you," said Elise.
+
+They spent the whole night in weaving a kind of net of the elastic
+bark of the willow bound together with tough rushes; they made it both
+large and strong. Elise lay down upon it, and when the sun rose and
+the brothers became swans again they took up the net in their bills
+and flew high up among the clouds with their precious sister, who was
+fast asleep. The sunbeams fell straight onto her face, so one of the
+swans flew over her head so that its broad wings should shade her.
+
+They were far from land when Elise woke; she thought she must still be
+dreaming, it seemed so strange to be carried through the air so high
+up above the sea. By her side lay a branch of beautiful ripe berries
+and a bundle of savory roots which her youngest brother had collected
+for her, and for which she gave him a grateful smile. She knew it was
+he who flew above her head shading her from the sun. They were so high
+up that the first ship they saw looked like a gull floating on the
+water. A great cloud came up behind them like a mountain, and Elise
+saw the shadow of herself on it, and those of the eleven swans
+looking like giants. It was a more beautiful picture than any she had
+ever seen before, but as the sun rose higher, the cloud fell behind,
+and the shadow picture disappeared.
+
+They flew on and on all day like an arrow whizzing through the air,
+but they went slower than usual, for now they had their sister to
+carry. A storm came up, and night was drawing on; Elise saw the sun
+sinking with terror in her heart, for the solitary rock was nowhere to
+be seen. The swans seemed to be taking stronger strokes than ever;
+alas! she was the cause of their not being able to get on faster; as
+soon as the sun went down they would become men, and they would all be
+hurled into the sea and drowned. She prayed to God from the bottom of
+her heart, but still no rock was to be seen! Black clouds gathered,
+and strong gusts of wind announced a storm; the clouds looked like a
+great threatening leaden wave, and the flashes of lightning followed
+each other rapidly.
+
+The sun was now at the edge of the sea. Elise's heart quaked, when
+suddenly the swans shot downward so suddenly that she thought they
+were falling then they hovered again. Half of the sun was below the
+horizon, and there for the first time she saw the little rock below,
+which did not look bigger than the head of a seal above the water. The
+sun sank very quickly, it was no bigger than a star, but her foot
+touched solid earth. The sun went out like the last sparks of a bit of
+burning paper; she saw her brothers stand arm in arm around her, but
+there was only just room enough for them. The waves beat upon the rock
+and washed over them like drenching rain. The heavens shone with
+continuous fire, and the thunder rolled, peal upon peal. But the
+sister and brothers held one another's hands and sang a psalm which
+gave them comfort and courage.
+
+The air was pure and still at dawn. As soon as the sun rose the swans
+flew off with Elise, away from the islet. The sea still ran high; it
+looked from where they were as if the white foam on the dark green
+water were millions of swans floating on the waves.
+
+    [Illustration: Elise saw an ice palace, with one bold colonnade
+      built above another]
+
+When the sun rose higher Elise saw before her, half floating in the
+air, great masses of ice, with shining glaciers on the heights. A
+palace was perched midway a mile in length, with one bold colonnade
+built above another. Beneath them swayed palm-trees and gorgeous
+blossoms as big as mill wheels. She asked if this was the land to
+which she was going, but the swans shook their heads, because what she
+saw was a mirage--the beautiful and ever-changing palace of Fata
+Morgana. No mortal dared enter it. Elise gazed at it; but as she gazed
+the palace, gardens, and mountains melted away, and in their place
+stood twenty proud churches with their high towers and pointed
+windows. She seemed to hear the notes of the organ, but it was the sea
+she heard. When she got close to the seeming churches they changed to
+a great navy sailing beneath her; but it was only a sea mist passing
+before her eyes, and now she saw the real land she was bound to.
+Beautiful blue mountains rose before her with their cedar woods and
+palaces. Long before the sun went down she sat among the hills in
+front of a big cave covered with delicate green creepers. It looked
+like a piece of embroidery.
+
+"Now we shall see what you will dream here to-night," said the
+youngest brother, as he showed her where she was to sleep.
+
+"If only I might dream how I could deliver you," she said, and this
+thought filled her mind entirely. She prayed earnestly to God for His
+help, and even in her sleep she continued her prayer. It seemed to her
+that she was flying up to Fata Morgana in her castle in the air. The
+fairy came towards her; she was charming and brilliant, and yet she
+was very like the old woman who gave her the berries in the wood and
+told her about the swans with the golden crowns.
+
+"Your brothers can be delivered," she said; "but have you courage and
+endurance enough for it? The sea is indeed softer than your hands, and
+it molds the hardest stones; but it does not feel the pain your
+fingers will feel. It has no heart, and does not suffer the pain and
+anguish you must feel. Do you see this stinging nettle I hold in my
+hand? Many of this kind grow round the cave where you sleep; only
+these and the ones which grow in the church-yards may be used. Mark
+that! Those you may pluck, although they will burn and blister your
+hands. Crush the nettles with your feet and you will have flax, and of
+this you must weave eleven coats of mail with long sleeves. Throw
+these over the eleven wild swans and the charm is broken! But remember
+that from the moment you begin this work till it is finished, even if
+it takes years, you must not utter a word! The first word you say will
+fall like a murderer's dagger into the hearts of your brothers. Their
+lives hang on your tongue. Mark this well!"
+
+She touched her hand at the same moment--it was like burning fire--and
+woke Elise. It was bright daylight, and close to where she slept lay a
+nettle like those in her dream. She fell upon her knees with thanks to
+God, and left the cave to begin her work.
+
+She seized the horrid nettles with her delicate hands, and they burnt
+like fire; great blisters rose on her hands and arms, but she
+suffered it willingly if only it would deliver her beloved brothers.
+She crushed every nettle with her bare feet, and twisted it into green
+flax.
+
+When the sun went down and the brothers came back they were alarmed at
+finding her mute; they thought it was some new witchcraft exercised by
+their wicked stepmother. But when they saw her hands they understood
+that it was for their sakes; the youngest brother wept, and wherever
+his tears fell she felt no more pain and the blisters disappeared.
+
+She spent the whole night at her work, for she could not rest till she
+had delivered her dear brothers. All the following day while her
+brothers were away she sat solitary, but never had the time flown so
+fast. One coat of mail was finished, and she began the next. Then a
+hunting-horn sounded among the mountains; she was much frightened;
+the sound came nearer, and she heard dogs barking. In terror she
+rushed into the cave, and tied the nettles she had collected and woven
+into a bundle, upon which she sat.
+
+At this moment a big dog bounded forward from the thicket, and another
+and another; they barked loudly, and ran backward and forward. In a
+few minutes all the huntsmen were standing outside the cave, and the
+handsomest of them was the king of the country. He stepped up to
+Elise; never had he seen so lovely a girl.
+
+"How came you here, beautiful child?" he said.
+
+Elise shook her head; she dared not speak; the salvation and the lives
+of her brothers depended upon her silence. She hid her hands under her
+apron, so that the king should not see what she suffered.
+
+"Come with me," he said; "you cannot stay here. If you are as good as
+you are beautiful I will dress you in silks and velvets, put a golden
+crown upon your head, and you shall live with me and have your home in
+my richest palace!" Then he lifted her upon his horse: she wept and
+wrung her hands, but the king said: "I only think of your happiness;
+you will thank me one day for what I am doing!" Then he darted off
+across the mountains, holding her before him on his horse, and the
+huntsmen followed.
+
+When the sun went down the royal city with churches and cupolas lay
+before them, and the king led her into the palace, where great
+fountains played in the marble halls, and where walls and ceilings
+were adorned with paintings; but she had no eyes for them, she only
+wept and sorrowed. Passively she allowed the women to dress her in
+royal robes, to twist pearls into her hair, and to draw gloves onto
+her blistered hands.
+
+She was dazzlingly lovely as she stood there in all her magnificence;
+the courtiers bent low before her, and the king wooed her as his
+bride, although the archbishop shook his head, and whispered that he
+feared the beautiful wood maiden was a witch who had dazzled their
+eyes and infatuated the king.
+
+The king refused to listen to him; he ordered the music to play, the
+richest food to be brought, and the loveliest girls to dance before
+her. She was led through scented gardens into gorgeous apartments, but
+nothing brought a smile to her lips or into her eyes; sorrow sat there
+like a heritage and a possession for all time. Last of all, the king
+opened the door of a little chamber close by the room where she was to
+sleep. It was adorned with costly green carpets, and made to exactly
+resemble the cave where he found her. On the floor lay the bundle of
+flax she had spun from the nettles, and from the ceiling hung the
+shirt of mail which was already finished. One of the huntsmen had
+brought all these things away as curiosities.
+
+"Here you may dream that you are back in your former home!" said the
+king. "Here is the work upon which you were engaged; in the midst of
+your splendor, it may amuse you to think of those times."
+
+When Elise saw all those things so dear to her heart, a smile for the
+first time played about her lips, and the blood rushed back to her
+cheeks. She thought of the deliverance of her brothers, and she kissed
+the king's hand; he pressed her to his heart, and ordered all the
+church bells to ring marriage peals. The lovely dumb girl from the
+woods was to be queen of the country.
+
+The archbishop whispered evil words into the ear of the king, but they
+did not reach his heart. The wedding was to take place, and the
+archbishop himself had to put the crown upon her head. In his anger
+he pressed the golden circlet so tightly upon her head as to give her
+pain. But a heavier circlet pressed upon her heart--her grief for her
+brothers; so she thought nothing of the bodily pain. Her lips were
+sealed, a single word from her mouth would cost her brothers their
+lives, but her eyes were full of love for the good and handsome king,
+who did everything he could to please her. Every day she grew more and
+more attached to him, and longed to confide in him, tell him her
+sufferings; but dumb she must remain, and in silence must bring her
+labor to completion. Therefore at night she stole away from his side
+into her secret chamber, which was decorated like a cave, and here she
+knitted one shirt after another. When she came to the seventh all her
+flax was worked up; she knew that these nettles which she was to use
+grew in the church-yard, but she had to pluck them herself. How was
+she to get there? "Oh, what is the pain of my fingers compared with
+the anguish of my heart?" she thought. "I must venture out; the good
+God will not desert me!" With as much terror in her heart as if she
+were doing some evil deed she stole down one night into the moonlit
+garden, and through the long alleys out into the silent streets to the
+church-yard. There she saw, sitting on a gravestone, a group of
+hideous ghouls, who took off their tattered garments, as if they were
+about to bathe, and then they dug down into the freshly made graves
+with their skinny fingers, and tore the flesh from the bodies and
+devoured it. Elise had to pass close by them, and they fixed their
+evil eyes upon her; but she said a prayer as she passed, picked the
+stinging nettles, and hurried back to the palace with them.
+
+Only one person saw her, but that was the archbishop, who watched
+while others slept. Surely now all his bad opinions of the queen were
+justified; all was not as it should be with her; she must be a witch,
+and therefore she had bewitched the king and all the people.
+
+He told the king in the confessional what he had seen and what he
+feared. When those bad words passed his lips the pictures of the
+saints shook their heads as if to say: It is not so; Elise is
+innocent. The archbishop, however, took it differently, and thought
+that they were bearing witness against her, and shaking their heads at
+her sin. Two big tears rolled down the king's cheeks, and he went home
+with doubt in his heart. He pretended to sleep at night, but no quiet
+sleep came to his eyes. He perceived how Elise got up and went to her
+private closet. Day by day his face grew darker; Elise saw it, but
+could not imagine what was the cause of it. It alarmed her, and what
+was she not already suffering in her heart because of her brothers?
+Her salt tears ran down upon the royal purple velvet, they lay upon
+it like sparkling diamonds, and all who saw their splendor wished to
+be queen.
+
+She had, however, almost reached the end of her labors, only one shirt
+of mail was wanting; but again she had no more flax, and not a single
+nettle was left. Once more, for the last time, she must go to the
+church-yard to pluck a few handfuls. She thought with dread of the
+solitary walk and the horrible ghouls, but her will was as strong as
+her trust in God.
+
+Elise went, but the king and the archbishop followed her; they saw her
+disappear within the grated gateway of the church-yard. When they
+followed they saw the ghouls sitting on the gravestone as Elise had
+see them before; and the king turned away his head because he thought
+she was among them--she, whose head this very evening had rested on
+his breast.
+
+"The people must judge her," he groaned, and the people judged. "Let
+her be consumed in the glowing flames!"
+
+She was led away from her beautiful royal apartments to a dark, damp
+dungeon, where the wind whistled through the grated window. Instead of
+velvet and silk, they gave her the bundle of nettles she had gathered
+to lay her head upon. The hard, burning shirts of mail were to be her
+covering, but they could have given her nothing more precious.
+
+She set to work again, with many prayers to God. Outside her prison
+the street boys sang derisive songs about her, and not a soul
+comforted her with a kind word.
+
+Towards evening she heard the rustle of swans' wings close to her
+window; it was her youngest brother; at last he had found her. He
+sobbed aloud with joy, although he knew that the coming night might be
+her last; but then her work was almost done, and her brothers were
+there.
+
+The archbishop came to spend his last hours with her, as he had
+promised the king. She shook her head at him, and by looks and
+gestures begged him to leave her. She had only this night in which to
+finish her work, or else all would be wasted, all--her pain, tears,
+and sleepless nights. The archbishop went away with bitter words
+against her, but poor Elise knew that she was innocent, and she went
+on with her work.
+
+The little mice ran about the floor bringing nettles to her feet, so
+as to give what help they could, and a thrush sat on the grating of
+the window where he sang all night as merrily as he could to keep up
+her courage.
+
+It was still only dawn and the sun would not rise for an hour when the
+eleven brothers stood at the gate of the palace, begging to be taken
+to the king. This could not be done was the answer, for it was still
+night; the king was asleep, and no one dared wake him. All their
+entreaties and threats were useless; the watch turned out, and even
+the king himself came to see what was the matter; but just then the
+sun rose, and no more brothers were to be seen--only eleven wild swans
+hovering over the palace.
+
+The whole populace streamed out of the town gates; they were all
+anxious to see the witch burned. A miserable horse drew the cart in
+which Elise was seated. They had put upon her a smock of green
+sacking, and all her beautiful long hair hung loose from the lovely
+head. Her cheeks were deathly pale, and her lips moved softly, while
+her fingers unceasingly twisted the green yarn. Even on the way to her
+death she could not abandon her unfinished work. Ten shirts lay
+completed at her feet; she labored away at the eleventh amid the
+scoffing insults of the populace.
+
+"Look at the witch; how she mutters! She has never a book of psalms
+in her hands; no, there she sits with her loathsome sorcery. Tear it
+away from her into a thousand bits!"
+
+The crowd pressed around her to destroy her work, but just then eleven
+white swans flew down and perched upon the cart flapping their wings.
+The crowd gave way before them in terror.
+
+"It is a sign from Heaven! She is innocent!" they whispered, but they
+dared not say it aloud.
+
+The executioner seized her by the hand. But she hastily threw the
+eleven shirts over the swans, who were immediately transformed to
+eleven handsome princes; but the youngest had a swan's wing in place
+of an arm, for one sleeve was wanting to his shirt of mail; she had
+not been able to finish it.
+
+"Now I may speak! I am innocent."
+
+The populace who saw what had happened bowed down before her as if
+she had been a saint, but she sank lifeless in her brother's arms, so
+great had been the strain, the terror, and the suffering she had
+endured.
+
+"Yes, innocent she is indeed," said the eldest brother, and he told
+them all that had happened.
+
+While he spoke a wonderful fragrance spread around as of millions of
+roses. Every fagot in the pile had taken root and shot out branches,
+and a great high hedge of red roses had arisen. At the very top was
+one pure white blossom; it shone like a star, and the king broke it
+off and laid it on Elise's bosom, and she woke with joy and peace in
+her heart.
+
+All the church bells began to ring of their own accord, and the
+singing birds flocked around them. Surely such a bridal procession
+went back to the palace as no king had ever seen before!
+
+
+
+
+ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP
+
+
+There once lived a poor tailor who had a son called Aladdin, a
+careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the
+streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father
+that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin
+did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as
+usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he was not the son of
+Mustapha the tailor. "I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long
+while ago." On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician,
+fell on his neck and kissed him, saying: "I am your uncle, and knew
+you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I
+am coming." Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found
+uncle. "Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother, but I
+always thought he was dead." However, she prepared supper, and bade
+Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He
+presently fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit,
+bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him
+before, as he had been forty years out of the country. He then turned
+to Aladdin, and asked him his trade, at which the boy hung his head,
+while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle
+and would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock
+it with merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes
+and took him all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought
+him home at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son
+so fine.
+
+Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a long
+way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain, and the
+magician pulled a cake from his girdle which he divided between them.
+They then journeyed onward till they almost reached the mountains.
+Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back, but the magician
+beguiled him with pleasant stories, and led him on in spite of
+himself. At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow
+valley. "We will go no farther," said the false uncle. "I will show
+you something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a
+fire." When it was lit the magician threw on it a powder he had about
+him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a
+little and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone
+with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run
+away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him
+down. "What have I done, uncle?" he said, piteously; whereupon the
+magician said more kindly: "Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this
+stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch
+it, so you must do exactly as I tell you." At the word "treasure"
+Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring as he was told, saying
+the names of his father and grandfather. The stone came up quite
+easily, and some steps appeared. "Go down," said the magician; "at the
+foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three
+large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching
+anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden of
+fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where
+stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains, and bring it me."
+He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him
+prosper.
+
+Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some fruit
+off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the
+cave. The magician cried out in a great hurry: "Make haste and give me
+the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until he was out of the cave.
+The magician flew into a terrible passion, and throwing some more
+powder onto the fire, he said something, and the stone rolled back
+into its place.
+
+The magician left Persia forever, which plainly showed that he was no
+uncle of Aladdin's, but a cunning magician, who had read in his magic
+books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most powerful man
+in the world. Though he alone knew where to find it, he could only
+receive it from the hand of another. He had picked out the foolish
+Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the lamp and kill him
+afterwards.
+
+    [Illustration: "I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee in
+      all things"]
+
+For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting. At
+last he clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring,
+which the magician had forgotten to take from him. Immediately an
+enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying: "What
+wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee
+in all things." Aladdin fearlessly replied: "Deliver me from this
+place!" whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside. As
+soon as his eyes could bear the light he went home, but fainted on the
+threshold. When he came to himself he told his mother what had passed,
+and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden,
+which were in reality precious stones. He then asked for some food.
+"Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun
+a little cotton and will go and sell it." Aladdin bade her keep her
+cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was very dirty she
+began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price. Instantly a
+hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted
+away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly: "Fetch me
+something to eat!" The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve
+silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups, and two bottles
+of wine. Aladdin's mother, when she came to herself, said: "Whence
+comes this splendid feast?" "Ask not, but eat," replied Aladdin. So
+they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin told his
+mother about the lamp. She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to
+do with devils. "No," said Aladdin, "since chance hath made us aware
+of its virtues, we will use it, and the ring likewise, which I shall
+always wear on my finger." When they had eaten all the genie had
+brought Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on until none
+were left. He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set
+of plates, and thus they lived for many years.
+
+One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that every
+one was to stay at home and close his shutters while the Princess, his
+daughter, went to and from the bath. Aladdin was seized by a desire to
+see her face, which was very difficult, as she always went veiled. He
+hid himself behind the door of the bath and peeped through a chink.
+The Princess lifted her veil as she went in, and looked so beautiful
+that Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight. He went home so
+changed that his mother was frightened. He told her he loved the
+Princess so deeply that he could not live without her, and meant to
+ask her in marriage of her father. His mother, on hearing this, burst
+out laughing, but Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to go before the
+Sultan and carry his request. She fetched a napkin and laid in it the
+magic fruits from the enchanted garden, which sparkled and shone like
+the most beautiful jewels. She took these with her to please the
+Sultan, and set out, trusting in the lamp. The Grand Vizier and the
+lords of council had just gone in as she entered the hall and placed
+herself in front of the Sultan. He, however, took no notice of her.
+She went every day for a week, and stood in the same place. When the
+council broke up on the sixth day the Sultan said to his Vizier: "I
+see a certain woman in the audience-chamber every day carrying
+something in a napkin. Call her next time, that I may find out what
+she wants." Next day, at a sign from the Vizier, she went up to the
+foot of the throne and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her:
+"Rise, good woman, and tell me what you want." She hesitated, so the
+Sultan sent away all but the Vizier, and bade her speak freely,
+promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she might say. She
+then told him of her son's violent love for the Princess. "I prayed
+him to forget her," she said, "but in vain; he threatened to do some
+desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the hand of
+the Princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone, but my son
+Aladdin." The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin,
+whereupon she unfolded the jewels and presented them. He was
+thunderstruck, and turning to the Vizier said: "What sayest thou?
+Ought I not to bestow the Princess on one who values her at such a
+price?" The Vizier, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan
+to withhold her for three months, in the course of which he hoped his
+son would contrive to make him a richer present. The Sultan granted
+this, and told Aladdin's mother that, though he consented to the
+marriage, she must not appear before him again for three months.
+
+Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had
+elapsed his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found every one
+rejoicing, and asked what was going on. "Do you not know," was the
+answer, "that the son of the Grand Vizier is to marry the Sultan's
+daughter to-night?" Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was
+overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp. He
+rubbed it, and the genie appeared, saying: "What is thy will?" Aladdin
+replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me,
+and the Vizier's son is to have the Princess. My command is that
+to-night you bring hither the bride and bridegroom." "Master, I
+obey," said the genie. Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure
+enough, at midnight the genie transported the bed containing the
+Vizier's son and the Princess. "Take this new-married man," he said,
+"and put him outside in the cold, and return at daybreak." Whereupon
+the genie took the Vizier's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the
+Princess. "Fear nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my wife,
+promised to me by your unjust father, and no harm shall come to you."
+The Princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most
+miserable night of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and
+slept soundly. At the appointed hour the genie fetched in the
+shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place, and transported the bed
+back to the palace.
+
+Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning. The
+unhappy Vizier's son jumped up and hid himself, while the Princess
+would not say a word, and was very sorrowful. The Sultan sent her
+mother to her, who said: "How comes it, child, that you will not speak
+to your father? What has happened?" The Princess sighed deeply, and at
+last told her mother how, during the night, the bed had been carried
+into some strange house, and what had passed there. Her mother did not
+believe her in the least, but bade her rise and consider it an idle
+dream.
+
+The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning,
+on the Princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off
+her head. She then confessed all, bidding him ask the Vizier's son if
+it were not so. The Sultan told the Vizier to ask his son, who owned
+the truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the Princess, he had rather
+die than go through another such fearful night, and wished to be
+separated from her. His wish was granted, and there was an end of
+feasting and rejoicing.
+
+When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind the
+Sultan of his promise. She stood in the same place as before, and the
+Sultan, who had forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered him, and sent
+for her. On seeing her poverty the Sultan felt less inclined than ever
+to keep his word, and asked his Vizier's advice, who counselled him to
+set so high a value on the Princess that no man living could come up
+to it. The Sultan then turned to Aladdin's mother, saying: "Good
+woman, a sultan must remember his promises, and I will remember mine,
+but your son must first send me forty basins of gold brimful of
+jewels, carried by forty black slaves, led by as many white ones,
+splendidly dressed. Tell him that I await his answer." The mother of
+Aladdin bowed low and went home, thinking all was lost. She gave
+Aladdin the message, adding: "He may wait long enough for your
+answer!" "Not so long, mother, as you think," her son replied. "I
+would do a great deal more than that for the Princess." He summoned
+the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves arrived, and filled
+up the small house and garden. Aladdin made them set out to the palace
+two and two, followed by his mother. They were so richly dressed, with
+such splendid jewels in their girdles, that every one crowded to see
+them and the basins of gold they carried on their heads. They entered
+the palace, and, after kneeling before the Sultan, stood in a
+half-circle round the throne with their arms crossed, while Aladdin's
+mother presented them to the Sultan. He hesitated no longer, but said:
+"Good woman, return and tell your son that I wait for him with open
+arms." She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him make haste.
+But Aladdin first called the genie. "I want a scented bath," he said,
+"a richly embroidered habit, a horse surpassing the Sultan's, and
+twenty slaves to attend me. Besides this, six slaves, beautifully
+dressed, to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten thousand pieces of gold
+in ten purses." No sooner said than done, Aladdin mounted his horse
+and passed through the streets, the slaves strewing gold as they went.
+Those who had played with him in his childhood knew him not, he had
+grown so handsome. When the Sultan saw him he came down from his
+throne, embraced him, and led him into a hall where a feast was
+spread, intending to marry him to the Princess that very day. But
+Aladdin refused, saying: "I must build a palace fit for her," and took
+his leave. Once home, he said to the genie: "Build me a palace of the
+finest marble, set with jasper, agate, and other precious stones. In
+the middle you shall build me a large hall with a dome, its four
+walls of massy gold and silver, each side having six windows, whose
+lattices, all except one which is to be unfinished, must be set with
+diamonds and rubies. There must be stables and horses and grooms and
+slaves; go and see about it!"
+
+The palace was finished by next day, and the genie carried him there
+and showed him all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the
+laying of a velvet carpet from Aladdin's palace to the Sultan's.
+Aladdin's mother then dressed herself carefully, and walked to the
+palace with her slaves, while he followed her on horseback. The Sultan
+sent musicians with trumpets and cymbals to meet them, so that the air
+resounded with music and cheers. She was taken to the Princess, who
+saluted her and treated her with great honor. At night the Princess
+said good-bye to her father, and set out on the carpet for Aladdin's
+palace, with his mother at her side, and followed by the hundred
+slaves. She was charmed at the sight of Aladdin, who ran to receive
+her. "Princess," he said, "blame your beauty for my boldness if I have
+displeased you." She told him that, having seen him, she willingly
+obeyed her father in this matter. After the wedding had taken place
+Aladdin led her into the hall, where a feast was spread, and she
+supped with him, after which they danced till midnight.
+
+Next day Aladdin invited the Sultan to see the palace. On entering the
+hall with the four-and-twenty windows, with their rubies, diamonds,
+and emeralds, he cried: "It's a world's wonder! There is only one
+thing that surprises me. Was it by accident that one window was left
+unfinished?" "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. "I wished your
+Majesty to have the glory of finishing this palace." The Sultan was
+pleased, and sent for the best jewellers in the city. He showed them
+the unfinished window, and bade them fit it up like the others. "Sir,"
+replied their spokesman, "we cannot find jewels enough." The Sultan
+had his own fetched, which they soon used, but to no purpose, for in a
+month's time the work was not half done. Aladdin, knowing that their
+task was vain, bade them undo their work and carry the jewels back,
+and the genie finished the window at his command. The Sultan was
+surprised to receive his jewels again, and visited Aladdin, who showed
+him the window finished. The Sultan embraced him, the envious Vizier
+meanwhile hinting that it was the work of enchantment.
+
+Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing. He was
+made captain of the Sultan's armies, and won several battles for him,
+but remained modest and courteous as before, and lived thus in peace
+and content for several years.
+
+But far away in Africa the magician remembered Aladdin, and by his
+magic arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in
+the cave, had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was
+living in great honor and wealth. He knew that the poor tailor's son
+could only have accomplished this by means of the lamp, and travelled
+night and day till he reached the capital of China, bent on Aladdin's
+ruin. As he passed through the town he heard people talking everywhere
+about a marvellous palace. "Forgive my ignorance," he asked, "what is
+this palace you speak of?" "Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin's
+palace," was the reply, "the greatest wonder of the world? I will
+direct you if you have a mind to see it." The magician thanked him who
+spoke, and having seen the palace knew that it had been raised by the
+Genie of the Lamp, and became half mad with rage. He determined to
+get hold of the lamp, and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest
+poverty.
+
+Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the
+magician plenty of time. He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into
+a basket, and went to the palace, crying: "New lamps for old!"
+followed by a jeering crowd. The Princess, sitting in the hall of
+four-and-twenty windows, sent a slave to find out what the noise was
+about, who came back laughing, so that the Princess scolded her.
+"Madam," replied the slave, "who can help laughing to see an old fool
+offering to exchange fine new lamps for old ones?" Another slave,
+hearing this, said, "There is an old one on the cornice there which he
+can have." Now this was the magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there,
+as he could not take it out hunting with him. The Princess, not
+knowing its value, laughingly bade the slave take it and make the
+exchange. She went and said to the magician: "Give me a new lamp for
+this." He snatched it and bade the slave take her choice, amid the
+jeers of the crowd. Little he cared, but left off crying his lamps,
+and went out of the city gates to a lonely place, where he remained
+till nightfall, when he pulled out the lamp and rubbed it. The genie
+appeared, and at the magician's command carried him, together with the
+palace and the Princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.
+
+Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window towards Aladdin's
+palace and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone. He sent for the Vizier
+and asked what had become of the palace. The Vizier looked out, too,
+and was lost in astonishment. He again put it down to enchantment, and
+this time the Sultan believed him, and sent thirty men on horseback to
+fetch Aladdin in chains. They met him riding home, bound him, and
+forced him to go with them on foot. The people, however, who loved
+him, followed, armed, to see that he came to no harm. He was carried
+before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head.
+The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised
+his scimitar to strike. At that instant the Vizier, who saw that the
+crowd had forced their way into the court-yard and were scaling the
+walls to rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner to stay his hand.
+The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the Sultan gave way and
+ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and pardoned him in the sight of the
+crowd. Aladdin now begged to know what he had done. "False wretch!"
+said the Sultan, "come hither," and showed him from the window the
+place where his palace had stood. Aladdin was so amazed that he could
+not say a word. "Where is my palace and my daughter?" demanded the
+Sultan. "For the first I am not so deeply concerned, but my daughter
+I must have, and you must find her or lose your head." Aladdin begged
+for forty days in which to find her, promising if he failed to return
+and suffer death at the Sultan's pleasure. His prayer was granted, and
+he went forth sadly from the Sultan's presence. For three days he
+wandered about like a madman, asking every one what had become of his
+palace, but they only laughed and pitied him. He came to the banks of
+a river, and knelt down to say his prayers before throwing himself in.
+In so doing he rubbed the magic ring he still wore. The genie he had
+seen in the cave appeared, and asked his will. "Save my life, genie,"
+said Aladdin, "and bring my palace back." "That is not in my power,"
+said the genie; "I am only the Slave of the Ring; you must ask him of
+the lamp." "Even so," said Aladdin, "but thou canst take me to the
+palace, and set me down under my dear wife's window." He at once
+found himself in Africa, under the window of the Princess, and fell
+asleep out of sheer weariness.
+
+He was awakened by the singing of the birds, and his heart was
+lighter. He saw plainly that all his misfortunes were owing to the
+loss of the lamp, and vainly wondered who had robbed him of it.
+
+That morning the Princess rose earlier than she had done since she had
+been carried into Africa by the magician, whose company she was forced
+to endure once a day. She, however, treated him so harshly that he
+dared not live there altogether. As she was dressing, one of her women
+looked out and saw Aladdin. The Princess ran and opened the window,
+and at the noise she made Aladdin looked up. She called to him to come
+to her, and great was the joy of these lovers at seeing each other
+again. After he had kissed her, Aladdin said: "I beg of you,
+Princess, in God's name, before we speak of anything else, for your
+own sake and mine, tell me what has become of an old lamp I left on
+the cornice in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, when I went
+a-hunting." "Alas!" she said, "I am the innocent cause of our
+sorrows," and told him of the exchange of the lamp. "Now I know,"
+cried Aladdin, "that we have to thank the African magician for this!
+Where is the lamp?" "He carries it about with him," said the Princess.
+"I know, for he pulled it out of his breast to show me. He wishes me
+to break my faith with you and marry him, saying that you were
+beheaded by my father's command. He is forever speaking ill of you,
+but I only reply by my tears. If I persist, I doubt not but he will
+use violence." Aladdin comforted her, and left her for a while. He
+changed clothes with the first person he met in the town, and having
+bought a certain powder returned to the Princess, who let him in by a
+little side door. "Put on your most beautiful dress," he said to her,
+"and receive the magician with smiles, leading him to believe that you
+have forgotten me. Invite him to sup with you, and say you wish to
+taste the wine of his country. He will go for some and while he is
+gone I will tell you what to do." She listened carefully to Aladdin,
+and when he left her arrayed herself gayly for the first time since
+she left China. She put on a girdle and head-dress of diamonds, and
+seeing in a glass that she was more beautiful than ever, received the
+magician, saying, to his great amazement: "I have made up my mind that
+Aladdin is dead, and that all my tears will not bring him back to me,
+so I am resolved to mourn no more, and have therefore invited you to
+sup with me; but I am tired of the wines of China, and would fain
+taste those of Africa." The magician flew to his cellar, and the
+Princess put the powder Aladdin had given her in her cup. When he
+returned she asked him to drink her health in the wine of Africa,
+handing him her cup in exchange for his, as a sign she was reconciled
+to him. Before drinking the magician made her a speech in praise of
+her beauty, but the Princess cut him short, saying: "Let us drink
+first, and you shall say what you will afterwards." She set her cup to
+her lips and kept it there, while the magician drained his to the
+dregs and fell back lifeless. The Princess then opened the door to
+Aladdin, and flung her arms round his neck; but Aladdin put her away,
+bidding her leave him, as he had more to do. He then went to the dead
+magician, took the lamp out of his vest, and bade the genie carry the
+palace and all in it back to China. This was done, and the Princess in
+her chamber only felt two little shocks, and little thought she was at
+home again.
+
+The Sultan, who was sitting in his closet, mourning for his lost
+daughter, happened to look up, and rubbed his eyes, for there stood
+the palace as before. He hastened thither, and Aladdin received him in
+the hall of the four-and-twenty windows, with the Princess at his
+side. Aladdin told him what had happened, and showed him the dead body
+of the magician, that he might believe. A ten days' feast was
+proclaimed, and it seemed as if Aladdin might now live the rest of his
+life in peace; but it was not to be.
+
+The African magician had a younger brother, who was, if possible, more
+wicked and more cunning than himself. He travelled to China to avenge
+his brother's death, and went to visit a pious woman called Fatima,
+thinking she might be of use to him. He entered her cell and clapped a
+dagger to her breast, telling her to rise and do his bidding on pain
+of death. He changed clothes with her, colored his face like hers,
+put on her veil, and murdered her, that she might tell no tales. Then
+he went towards the palace of Aladdin, and all the people, thinking he
+was the holy woman, gathered round him, kissing his hands and begging
+his blessing. When he got to the palace there was such a noise going
+on round him that the Princess bade her slave look out of the window
+and ask what was the matter. The slave said it was the holy woman,
+curing people by her touch of their ailments, whereupon the Princess,
+who had long desired to see Fatima, sent for her. On coming to the
+Princess the magician offered up a prayer for her health and
+prosperity. When he had done the Princess made him sit by her, and
+begged him to stay with her always. The false Fatima, who wished for
+nothing better, consented, but kept his veil down for fear of
+discovery. The Princess showed him the hall, and asked him what he
+thought of it. "It is truly beautiful," said the false Fatima. "In my
+mind it wants but one thing." "And what is that?" said the Princess.
+"If only a roc's egg," replied he, "were hung up from the middle of
+this dome, it would be the wonder of the world."
+
+After this the Princess could think of nothing but the roc's egg, and
+when Aladdin returned from hunting he found her in a very ill humor.
+He begged to know what was amiss, and she told him that all her
+pleasure in the hall was spoiled for the want of a roc's egg hanging
+from the dome. "If that is all," replied Aladdin, "you shall soon be
+happy." He left her and rubbed the lamp, and when the genie appeared
+commanded him to bring a roc's egg. The genie gave such a loud and
+terrible shriek that the hall shook. "Wretch!" he cried, "is it not
+enough that I have done everything for you but you must command me to
+bring my master and hang him up in the midst of this dome? You and
+your wife and your palace deserve to be burnt to ashes but that this
+request does not come from you, but from the brother of the African
+magician whom you destroyed. He is now in your palace disguised as the
+holy woman--whom he murdered. He it was who put that wish into your
+wife's head. Take care of yourself, for he means to kill you." So
+saying, the genie disappeared.
+
+Aladdin went back to the Princess, saying his head ached, and
+requesting that the holy Fatima should be fetched to lay her hands on
+it. But when the magician came near, Aladdin, seizing his dagger,
+pierced him to the heart. "What have you done?" cried the Princess.
+"You have killed the holy woman!" "Not so," replied Aladdin, "but a
+wicked magician," and told her of how she had been deceived.
+
+After this Aladdin and his wife lived in peace. He succeeded the
+Sultan when he died, and reigned for many years, leaving behind him a
+long line of kings.
+
+    From "The Blue Fairy Book," edited by Andrew Lang, by
+    permission of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.
+
+
+
+
+ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
+
+
+In a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers, one named Cassim, the
+other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a rich wife and lived in plenty,
+while Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and children by cutting wood
+in a neighboring forest and selling it in the town. One day, when Ali
+Baba was in the forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback coming
+towards him in a cloud of dust. He was afraid they were robbers, and
+climbed into a tree for safety. When they came up to him and
+dismounted, he counted forty of them. They unbridled their horses and
+tied them to trees. The finest man among them, whom Ali Baba took to
+be their captain, went a little way among some bushes, and said:
+"Open, Sesame!"[1] so plainly that Ali Baba heard him. A door opened
+in the rocks, and having made the troop go in, he followed them, and
+the door shut again of itself. They stayed some time inside, and Ali
+Baba, fearing they might come out and catch him, was forced to sit
+patiently in the tree. At last the door opened again, and the Forty
+Thieves came out. As the Captain went in last he came out first, and
+made them all pass by him; he then closed the door, saying: "Shut,
+Sesame!" Every man bridled his horse and mounted, the Captain put
+himself at their head, and they returned as they came.
+
+    [1] Sesame is a kind of grain.
+
+Then Ali Baba climbed down and went to the door concealed among the
+bushes, and said: "Open, Sesame!" and it flew open. Ali Baba, who
+expected a dull, dismal place, was greatly surprised to find it large
+and well lighted, and hollowed by the hand of man in the form of a
+vault, which received the light from an opening in the ceiling. He saw
+rich bales of merchandise--silk, stuff-brocades, all piled together,
+and gold and silver in heaps, and money in leather purses. He went in
+and the door shut behind him. He did not look at the silver, but
+brought out as many bags of gold as he thought his asses, which were
+browsing outside, could carry, loaded them with the bags, and hid it
+all with fagots. Using the words: "Shut, Sesame!" he closed the door
+and went home.
+
+Then he drove his asses into the yard, shut the gates, carried the
+money-bags to his wife, and emptied them out before her. He bade her
+keep the secret, and he would go and bury the gold. "Let me first
+measure it," said his wife. "I will go borrow a measure of some one
+while you dig the hole." So she ran to the wife of Cassim and borrowed
+a measure. Knowing Ali Baba's poverty, the sister was curious to find
+out what sort of grain his wife wished to measure, and artfully put
+some suet at the bottom of the measure. Ali Baba's wife went home and
+set the measure on the heap of gold, and filled it and emptied it
+often, to her great content. She then carried it back to her sister,
+without noticing that a piece of gold was sticking to it, which
+Cassim's wife perceived directly her back was turned. She grew very
+curious, and said to Cassim when he came home: "Cassim, your brother
+is richer than you. He does not count his money, he measures it." He
+begged her to explain this riddle, which she did by showing him the
+piece of money and telling him where she found it. Then Cassim grew so
+envious that he could not sleep, and went to his brother in the
+morning before sunrise. "Ali Baba," he said, showing him the gold
+piece, "you pretend to be poor and yet you measure gold." By this Ali
+Baba perceived that through his wife's folly Cassim and his wife knew
+their secret, so he confessed all and offered Cassim a share. "That I
+expect," said Cassim; "but I must know where to find the treasure,
+otherwise I will discover all, and you will lose all." Ali Baba, more
+out of kindness than fear, told him of the cave, and the very words to
+use. Cassim left Ali Baba, meaning to be beforehand with him and get
+the treasure himself. He rose early next morning, and set out with ten
+mules loaded with great chests. He soon found the place, and the door
+in the rock. He said: "Open, Sesame!" and the door opened and shut
+behind him. He could have feasted his eyes all day on the treasures,
+but he now hastened to gather together as much of it as possible; but
+when he was ready to go he could not remember what to say for
+thinking of his great riches. Instead of "Sesame," he said: "Open,
+Barley!" and the door remained fast. He named several different sorts
+of grain, all but the right one, and the door still stuck fast. He was
+so frightened at the danger he was in that he had as much forgotten
+the word as if he had never heard it.
+
+About noon the robbers returned to their cave, and saw Cassim's mules
+roving about with great chests on their backs. This gave them the
+alarm; they drew their sabres, and went to the door, which opened on
+their Captain's saying: "Open, Sesame!" Cassim, who had heard the
+trampling of their horses' feet, resolved to sell his life dearly, so
+when the door opened he leaped out and threw the Captain down. In
+vain, however, for the robbers with their sabres soon killed him. On
+entering the cave they saw all the bags laid ready, and could not
+imagine how any one had got in without knowing their secret. They cut
+Cassim's body into four quarters, and nailed them up inside the cave,
+in order to frighten any one who should venture in, and went away in
+search of more treasure.
+
+    [Illustration: Cassim forgets the magic word]
+
+As night drew on Cassim's wife grew very uneasy, and ran to her
+brother-in-law, and told him where her husband had gone. Ali Baba did
+his best to comfort her, and set out to the forest in search of
+Cassim. The first thing he saw on entering the cave was his dead
+brother. Full of horror, he put the body on one of his asses, and bags
+of gold on the other two, and, covering all with some fagots, returned
+home. He drove the two asses laden with gold into his own yard, and
+led the other to Cassim's house. The door was opened by the slave
+Morgiana, whom he knew to be both brave and cunning. Unloading the
+ass, he said to her: "This is the body of your master, who has been
+murdered, but whom we must bury as though he had died in his bed. I
+will speak with you again, but now tell your mistress I am come." The
+wife of Cassim, on learning the fate of her husband, broke out into
+cries and tears, but Ali Baba offered to take her to live with him and
+his wife if she would promise to keep his counsel and leave everything
+to Morgiana; whereupon she agreed, and dried her eyes.
+
+Morgiana, meanwhile, sought an apothecary and asked him for some
+lozenges. "My poor master," she said, "can neither eat nor sleep, and
+no one knows what his distemper is." She carried home the lozenges and
+returned next day weeping, and asked for an essence only given to
+those just about to die. Thus, in the evening, no one was surprised to
+hear the wretched shrieks and cries of Cassim's wife and Morgiana
+telling every one that Cassim was dead. The day after, Morgiana went
+to an old cobbler near the gates of the town who opened his stall
+early, put a piece of gold in his hand, and bade him follow with his
+needle and thread. Having bound his eyes with a handkerchief, she took
+him to the room where the body lay, pulled off the bandage, and bade
+him sew the quarters together, after which she covered his eyes again
+and led him home. Then they buried Cassim, and Morgiana his slave
+followed him to the grave, weeping and tearing her hair, while
+Cassim's wife stayed at home uttering lamentable cries. Next day she
+went to live with Ali Baba, who gave Cassim's shop to his eldest son.
+
+The Forty Thieves, on their return to the cave, were much astonished
+to find Cassim's body gone and some of their money-bags. "We are
+certainly discovered," said the Captain, "and shall be undone if we
+cannot find out who it is that knows our secret. Two men must have
+known it; we have killed one, we must now find the other. To this end
+one of you who is bold and artful must go into the city dressed as a
+traveller, and discover whom we have killed, and whether men talk of
+the strange manner of his death. If the messenger fails he must lose
+his life, lest we be betrayed." One of the thieves started up and
+offered to do this, and after the rest had highly commended him for
+his bravery he disguised himself, and happened to enter the town at
+daybreak, just by Baba Mustapha's stall. The thief bade him good-day,
+saying: "Honest man, how can you possibly see to stitch at your age?"
+"Old as I am," replied the cobbler, "I have very good eyes, and you
+will believe me when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a
+place where I had less light than I have now." The robber was
+overjoyed at his good-fortune, and, giving him a piece of gold,
+desired to be shown the house where he stitched up the dead body. At
+first Mustapha refused, saying that he was blindfolded; but when the
+robber gave him another piece of gold he began to think he might
+remember the turnings if blindfolded as before. This means succeeded;
+the robber partly led him, and was partly guided by him, right in
+front of Cassim's house, the door of which the robber marked with a
+piece of chalk. Then, well pleased, he bade farewell to Baba Mustapha
+and returned to the forest. By and by Morgiana, going out, saw the
+mark the robber had made, quickly guessed that some mischief was
+brewing, and, fetching a piece of chalk, marked two or three doors on
+each side, without saying anything to her master or mistress.
+
+The thief, meantime, told his comrades of his discovery. The Captain
+thanked him, and bade him show him the house he had marked. But when
+they came to it they saw that five or six of the houses were chalked
+in the same manner. The guide was so confounded that he knew not what
+answer to make, and when they returned he was at once beheaded for
+having failed. Another robber was despatched, and, having won over
+Baba Mustapha, marked the house in red chalk; but Morgiana being again
+too clever for them, the second messenger was put to death also. The
+Captain now resolved to go himself, but, wiser than the others, he did
+not mark the house, but looked at it so closely that he could not fail
+to remember it. He returned, and ordered his men to go into the
+neighboring villages and buy nineteen mules, and thirty-eight leather
+jars, all empty, except one which was full of oil. The Captain put one
+of his men, fully armed, into each, rubbing the outside of the jars
+with oil from the full vessel. Then the nineteen mules were loaded
+with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, and reached
+the town by dusk. The Captain stopped his mules in front of Ali Baba's
+house, and said to Ali Baba, who was sitting outside for coolness: "I
+have brought some oil from a distance to sell at to-morrow's market,
+but it is now so late that I know not where to pass the night, unless
+you will do me the favor to take me in." Though Ali Baba had seen the
+Captain of the robbers in the forest, he did not recognize him in the
+disguise of an oil merchant. He bade him welcome, opened his gates for
+the mules to enter, and went to Morgiana to bid her prepare a bed and
+supper for his guest. He brought the stranger into his hall, and after
+they had supped went again to speak to Morgiana in the kitchen, while
+the Captain went into the yard under pretence of seeing after his
+mules, but really to tell his men what to do. Beginning at the first
+jar and ending at the last, he said to each man: "As soon as I throw
+some stones from the window of the chamber where I lie, cut the jars
+open with your knives and come out, and I will be with you in a
+trice." He returned to the house, and Morgiana led him to his chamber.
+She then told Abdallah, her fellow-slave, to set on the pot to make
+some broth for her master, who had gone to bed. Meanwhile her lamp
+went out, and she had no more oil in the house. "Do not be uneasy,"
+said Abdallah; "go into the yard and take some out of one of those
+jars." Morgiana thanked him for his advice, took the oil-pot, and went
+into the yard. When she came to the first jar the robber inside said
+softly: "Is it time?"
+
+Any other slave but Morgiana, on finding a man in the jar instead of
+the oil she wanted, would have screamed, and made a noise; but she,
+knowing the danger her master was in, bethought herself of a plan, and
+answered quietly: "Not yet, but presently." She went to all the jars,
+giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil. She now saw
+that her master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let
+thirty-eight robbers into his house. She filled her oil-pot, went back
+to the kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went again to the oil-jar
+and filled a large kettle full of oil. When it boiled she went and
+poured enough oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside.
+When this brave deed was done she went back to the kitchen, put out
+the fire and the lamp, and waited to see what would happen.
+
+In a quarter of an hour the Captain of the robbers awoke, got up, and
+opened the window. As all seemed quiet, he threw down some little
+pebbles which hit the jars. He listened, and as none of his men seemed
+to stir he grew uneasy, and went down into the yard. On going to the
+first jar and saying, "Are you asleep?" he smelled the hot boiled
+oil, and knew at once that his plot to murder Ali Baba and his
+household had been discovered. He found all the gang were dead, and,
+missing the oil out of the last jar, became aware of the manner of
+their death. He then forced the lock of a door leading into a garden,
+and climbing over several walls made his escape. Morgiana heard and
+saw all this, and, rejoicing at her success, went to bed and fell
+asleep.
+
+At daybreak Ali Baba arose, and, seeing the oil-jars there still,
+asked why the merchant had not gone with his mules. Morgiana bade him
+look in the first jar and see if there was any oil. Seeing a man, he
+started back in terror. "Have no fear," said Morgiana; "the man cannot
+harm you: he is dead." Ali Baba, when he had recovered somewhat from
+his astonishment, asked what had become of the merchant. "Merchant!"
+said she, "he is no more a merchant than I am!" and she told him the
+whole story, assuring him that it was a plot of the robbers of the
+forest, of whom only three were left, and that the white-and-red
+chalk-marks had something to do with it. Ali Baba at once gave
+Morgiana her freedom, saying that he owed her his life. They then
+buried the bodies in Ali Baba's garden, while the mules were sold in
+the market by his slaves.
+
+The Captain returned to his lonely cave, which seemed frightful to him
+without his lost companions, and firmly resolved to avenge them by
+killing Ali Baba. He dressed himself carefully, and went into the
+town, where he took lodgings in an inn. In the course of a great many
+journeys to the forest he carried away many rich stuffs and much fine
+linen, and set up a shop opposite that of Ali Baba's son. He called
+himself Cogia Hassan, and as he was both civil and well dressed he
+soon made friends with Ali Baba's son, and through him with Ali Baba,
+whom he was continually asking to sup with him. Ali Baba, wishing to
+return his kindness, invited him into his house and received him
+smiling, thanking him for his kindness to his son. When the merchant
+was about to take his leave Ali Baba stopped him, saying: "Where are
+you going, sir, in such haste? Will you not stay and sup with me?" The
+merchant refused, saying that he had a reason; and on Ali Baba's
+asking him what that was, he replied: "It is, sir, that I can eat no
+victuals that have any salt in them." "If that is all," said Ali Baba,
+"let me tell you that there shall be no salt in either the meat or the
+bread that we eat to-night." He went to give this order to Morgiana,
+who was much surprised. "Who is this man," she said, "who eats no salt
+with his meat?" "He is an honest man, Morgiana," returned her master;
+"therefore do as I bid you." But she could not withstand a desire to
+see this strange man, so she helped Abdallah to carry up the dishes,
+and saw in a moment that Cogia Hassan was the robber Captain, and
+carried a dagger under his garment. "I am not surprised," she said to
+herself, "that this wicked man, who intends to kill my master, will
+eat no salt with him; but I will hinder his plans."
+
+She sent up the supper by Abdallah, while she made ready for one of
+the boldest acts that could be thought on. When the dessert had been
+served, Cogia Hassan was left alone with Ali Baba and his son, whom he
+thought to make drunk and then to murder them. Morgiana, meanwhile,
+put on a head-dress like a dancing-girl's, and clasped a girdle round
+her waist, from which hung a dagger with a silver hilt, and said to
+Abdallah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and divert our master and
+his guest." Abdallah took his tabor and played before Morgiana until
+they came to the door, where Abdallah stopped playing and Morgiana
+made a low courtesy. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba, "and let
+Cogia Hassan see what you can do." And, turning to Cogia Hassan, he
+said: "She's my slave and my housekeeper." Cogia Hassan was by no
+means pleased, for he feared that his chance of killing Ali Baba was
+gone for the present; but he pretended great eagerness to see
+Morgiana, and Abdallah began to play and Morgiana to dance. After she
+had performed several dances, she drew her dagger and made passes with
+it, sometimes pointing it at her own breast, sometimes at her
+master's, as if it were part of the dance. Suddenly, out of breath,
+she snatched the tabor from Abdallah with her left hand, and, holding
+the dagger in her right, held out the tabor to her master. Ali Baba
+and his son put a piece of gold into it, and Cogia Hassan, seeing that
+she was coming to him, pulled out his purse to make her a present;
+but while he was putting his hand into it, Morgiana plunged the dagger
+into his heart.
+
+"Unhappy girl!" cried Ali Baba and his son, "what have you done to
+ruin us?" "It was to preserve you, master, not to ruin you," answered
+Morgiana. "See here," opening the false merchant's garment and showing
+the dagger; "see what an enemy you have entertained! Remember, he
+would eat no salt with you, and what more would you have? Look at him!
+he is both the false oil merchant and the Captain of the Forty
+Thieves."
+
+Ali Baba was so grateful to Morgiana for thus saving his life that he
+offered her to his son in marriage, who readily consented, and a few
+days after the wedding was celebrated with great splendor. At the end
+of a year Ali Baba, hearing nothing of the two remaining robbers,
+judged they were dead, and set out to the cave. The door opened on
+his saying: "Open, Sesame!" He went in, and saw that nobody had been
+there since the Captain left it. He brought away as much gold as he
+could carry, and returned to town. He told his son the secret of the
+cave, which his son handed down in his turn, so the children and
+grandchildren of Ali Baba were rich to the end of their lives.
+
+    By the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.,
+    publishers of "The Blue Fairy Book," edited by Andrew
+    Lang.
+
+
+
+
+THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
+
+
+I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
+Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life, and
+I put to sea a second time, with merchants of known probity. We
+embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
+God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
+with several sorts of fruit trees, but we could see neither man nor
+animal. We walked in the meadows, along the streams that watered them.
+Whilst some diverted themselves with gathering flowers, and others
+fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and sat down near a stream
+betwixt two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good
+meal, and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but
+when I awoke the ship was gone.
+
+In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
+agony, beat my head and breast, and threw myself upon the ground,
+where I lay some time in despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times
+for not being content with the produce of my first voyage, that might
+have sufficed me all my life. But all this was in vain, and my
+repentance came too late. At last I resigned myself to the will of
+God. Not knowing what to do, I climbed up to the top of a lofty tree,
+from whence I looked about on all sides, to see if I could discover
+anything that could give me hopes. When I gazed towards the sea I
+could see nothing but sky and water; but looking over the land I
+beheld something white; and coming down, I took what provision I had
+left, and went towards it, the distance being so great that I could
+not distinguish what it was.
+
+As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
+height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found
+it to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side,
+but saw it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as
+it was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.
+
+By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky
+became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was
+much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it
+occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying towards me.
+I remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous
+bird called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. In short, the bird alighted, and sat over the
+egg. As I perceived her coming I crept close to the egg, so that I had
+before me one of the legs of the bird, which was as big as the trunk
+of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, in hopes that
+the roc next morning would carry me with her out of this desert
+island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird flew
+away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high that I could
+not discern the earth; she afterwards descended with so much rapidity
+that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground I
+speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so when the roc,
+having taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew
+away.
+
+The spot where it left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity;
+so that when I compared this place with the desert island from which
+the roc had brought me, I found that I had gained nothing by the
+change.
+
+As I walked through this valley I perceived it was strewed with
+diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure
+in looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as
+greatly diminished my satisfaction, and which I could not view without
+terror--namely, a great number of serpents, so monstrous that the
+least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. They retired in
+the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves from the roc,
+their enemy, and came out only in the night.
+
+I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at
+times in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on
+I went into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I
+secured the entrance, which was low and narrow, with a great stone, to
+preserve me from the serpents, but not so far as to exclude the light.
+I supped on part of my provisions, but the serpents, which began
+hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear that I did not sleep.
+When day appeared the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave
+trembling. I can justly say that I walked upon diamonds without
+feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat down, and
+notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes during the
+night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my provisions.
+But I had scarcely shut my eyes when something that fell by me with a
+great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and at the
+same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in different
+places.
+
+I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
+relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
+merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
+stated nothing but the truth. For the fact is that the merchants come
+to the neighborhood of this valley, when the eagles have young ones,
+and throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds, upon
+whose points they fall, stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger
+in this country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those
+pieces of meat, and carry them to their nests on the precipices of the
+rocks to feed their young; the merchants at this time run to their
+nests, disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away
+the diamonds that stick to the meat.
+
+I perceived in this device the means of my deliverance.
+
+Having collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put
+them into the leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions, I
+took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with
+the cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my
+face downward, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.
+
+I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when one of the eagles,
+having taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened,
+carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants
+immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they
+had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest
+where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but, recovering
+himself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel
+with me, and asked why I stole his goods. "You will treat me,"
+replied I, "with more civility when you know me better. Do not be
+uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself--more than all the
+other merchants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance; but I
+selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley, those which you see
+in this bag." I had scarcely done speaking when the other merchants
+came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much
+more surprised when I told them my story.
+
+    [Illustration: The merchants began their shouting to frighten the
+      eagles]
+
+They conducted me to their encampment, and there, having opened my
+bag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and
+confessed that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I
+prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried
+(for every merchant had his own) to take as many for his share as he
+pleased. He contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of
+them; and when I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me
+any injury, "No," said he, "I am very well satisfied with this, which
+is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages,
+and will raise as great a fortune as I desire."
+
+I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
+second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I
+could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the
+danger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could
+scarcely believe myself out of danger.
+
+The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
+several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
+had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning, and
+travelled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a
+prodigious length, which we had the good-fortune to escape. We took
+shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle of
+Roha, where the trees grow that yield camphor. The tree is so large,
+and its branches so thick, that one hundred men may easily sit under
+its shade. The juice, of which the camphor is made, exudes from a hole
+bored in the upper part of the tree, is received in a vessel, where it
+thickens to a consistency, and becomes what we call camphor. After the
+juice is thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies.
+
+In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
+elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
+which is solid, and cleft through the middle. The rhinoceros fights
+with the elephant, runs his horn into his belly, and carries him off
+upon his head; but the blood and the fat of the elephant running into
+his eyes and making him blind, he falls to the ground, and then,
+strange to relate, the roc comes and carries them both away in her
+claws, for food for her young ones.
+
+Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From hence we
+went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several trading
+towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I proceeded
+to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the poor, and
+lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought, and gained with so
+much fatigue.
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD
+
+
+In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid there lived at Bagdad a
+merchant named Ali Cogia, who was neither of the richest nor yet of
+the lowest order. He dwelt in his paternal house without either wife
+or children. He lived contented with what his business produced, and
+was as free in his actions as in his will. During this period he had
+for three successive nights a dream, in which an old man appeared to
+him, with a venerable aspect but a severe countenance, who reprimanded
+him for not having yet performed a pilgrimage to Mecca.
+
+This dream troubled Ali Cogia very much. As a good Mussulman, he was
+aware of the necessity for this pilgrimage; but as he was encumbered
+with a house and furniture, and a shop, he had always considered these
+as excuses, and he endeavored to make up for the neglect by charitable
+deeds. But since he had these dreams his conscience disturbed him, and
+he was so fearful of some misfortune that he resolved no longer to
+defer this act of duty.
+
+To enable himself to perform this in the following year, Ali Cogia
+began to sell his furniture; he then disposed of his shop, together
+with the greatest part of the merchandise, reserving only such as
+might be salable at Mecca; and he found a tenant for his house.
+
+Having thus arranged everything, he was ready to set out at the time
+that the caravan for Mecca was to take its departure. The only thing
+which remained to be done was to find some secure place in which he
+could leave the sum of a thousand pieces of gold, which remained over
+and above the money he had set apart for his pilgrimage.
+
+Ali Cogia chose a jar of a proper size, and put the thousand pieces of
+gold into it, and then filled it up with olives. After having closed
+the jar tightly, he took it to a merchant who was his friend.
+"Brother," said he to him, "you are not unacquainted with my intention
+of setting out on a pilgrimage to Mecca with the caravan which goes in
+a few days; I beg the favor of you to take charge of this jar of
+olives till my return." The merchant instantly replied: "Here, this is
+the key of my warehouse; take the jar there yourself, and place it
+where you think fit. I promise you that you shall find it in the same
+place when you come for it again."
+
+The day for departure arriving, Ali Cogia joined the caravan with a
+camel laden with the merchandise he had made choice of, which also
+served him as a sort of saddle to ride on, and he arrived in perfect
+safety at Mecca. He, together with the other pilgrims, visited the
+temple--that edifice, so celebrated and so frequented every year by
+all the Mussulman nations, who repair thither from all parts of the
+globe, to observe the religious ceremonies which are required of them.
+When he had acquitted himself of the duties of his pilgrimage, he
+exposed the merchandise he had brought with him for sale.
+
+Two merchants, who were passing that way, and saw the goods of Ali
+Cogia, found them so beautiful that they stopped to look at them,
+although they did not want to purchase them. When they had satisfied
+their curiosity, one said to the other as he was walking away: "If
+this merchant knew the profit he could make of his goods at Cairo, he
+would take them there in preference to selling them here, where they
+are not of so much value."
+
+This speech did not escape Ali Cogia, and as he had often heard of the
+beauties of Egypt, he instantly resolved to travel to that country.
+Having, therefore, packed up his bales, he joined the caravan that was
+going to Cairo. When he arrived he found it so much to his advantage,
+that in a few days he had disposed of all his merchandise with much
+greater profit than he could possibly have expected. He then purchased
+other goods, intending to go to Damascus, and while he was waiting for
+the convenience of a caravan, which was to go in six weeks, he not
+only visited everything that was worthy of his curiosity in Cairo, but
+also went to view the pyramids, extended his journey to some distance
+up the Nile, and inspected the most celebrated cities that are
+situated on its banks.
+
+As the caravan was passing through Jerusalem, Ali Cogia took the
+opportunity to visit the temple, which is considered by all Mussulmans
+as the most sacred after that of Mecca, and from which the place
+itself has obtained the title of the Holy City. Ali Cogia found the
+city of Damascus so delicious a spot, from the abundance of its
+streams, its meadows, and enchanting gardens, that everything he had
+read of its delights, in different accounts of the place, appeared to
+be far below the truth, and he was tempted to prolong his stay. As,
+however, he did not forget that he had to return to Bagdad, he at
+length took his departure and went to Aleppo, where he also passed
+some time, and from thence, after having crossed the Euphrates, he
+took the road to Moussoul, intending to shorten his journey by going
+down the Tigris.
+
+But when Ali Cogia had reached Moussoul, the Persian merchants with
+whom he had travelled from Aleppo, and had formed an intimacy, gained
+so great an ascendancy over his mind by their obliging manners and
+agreeable conversation, that they had no difficulty in persuading him
+to accompany them to Shiraz, from whence it would be easy for him to
+return to Bagdad, and with considerable profit. They took him through
+the cities of Sultania, Re�, Coam, Kaschan, Ispahan, and then to
+Shiraz, where he was induced to go with them to India, and then return
+again to Shiraz.
+
+In this way, reckoning also the time Ali Cogia resided in each city,
+it was now nearly seven years since he had quitted Bagdad, and he
+determined to return. Till this period the friend to whom he had
+intrusted the jar of olives before he left that city had never thought
+more of him or his jar. At the very time that Ali Cogia was on his
+return with a caravan from Shiraz, one evening as his friend the
+merchant was at supper with his family, the conversation by accident
+turned upon olives, and his wife expressed a desire of eating some,
+adding that it was a long time since any had been produced in her
+house.
+
+"Now you speak of olives," said the merchant, "you remind me that Ali
+Cogia, when he went to Mecca seven years since, left me a jar of them,
+which he himself placed in my warehouse, that he might find them there
+on his return. But I know not what is become of Ali Cogia. Some one,
+it is true, on the return of the caravan, told me that he was gone
+into Egypt. He must have died there, as he has never returned in the
+course of so many years; we may surely eat the olives if they are
+still good. Give me a dish and a light, and I will go and get some,
+that we may taste them."
+
+"In the name of God," replied the wife, "do not, my dear husband,
+commit so disgraceful an action; you well know that nothing is so
+sacred as a trust of this kind. You say that it is seven years since
+Ali Cogia went to Mecca, and he has never returned; but you were
+informed he was gone into Egypt, and how can you ascertain that he has
+not gone still farther? It is enough that you have received no
+intelligence of his death; he may return to-morrow or the day after
+to-morrow. Consider how infamous it would be for you, as well as your
+family, if he were to return, and you could not restore the jar into
+his hands in the same state as when he intrusted it to your care. For
+my part, I declare that I neither wish for any of these olives, nor
+will eat any of them. What I said was merely by way of conversation.
+Besides, do you suppose that, after so long a time, the olives can be
+good? They must be spoiled. And if Ali Cogia returns, as I have a
+foreboding that he will, and he perceives that you have opened the
+jar, what opinion will he form of your friendship and integrity? I
+conjure you to abandon your design."
+
+This good woman argued at length, because she saw, by her husband's
+countenance, that he was resolved to have his own way. In fact, he got
+up, and, taking a light and a dish, went to his warehouse. "Remember
+at least," said the wife, "that I have no share in what you are going
+to do; so do not attribute any fault to me if you have hereafter to
+repent of the action."
+
+The merchant still persisted in his purpose. When he had entered the
+warehouse he opened the jar, and found the olives all spoiled; but to
+see whether those that were underneath were as bad as the upper ones
+he poured some out into the dish, and as he shook the jar to make them
+fall out the easier some pieces of gold fell out also. At the sight of
+this money the merchant, who was naturally avaricious, looked into
+the jar, and perceived that he had emptied almost all the olives into
+the dish, and that what remained was money in pieces of gold. He put
+the olives again into the jar, and, covering it, left the warehouse.
+
+"You spoke the truth, wife," said he, when he returned. "The olives
+are all spoiled, and I have stopped up the jar again, so that if Ali
+Cogia ever comes back he will not discover that I have touched it."
+"You would have done better to take my advice," returned the wife,
+"not to have meddled with it. God grant that no evil may come of it."
+The merchant paid as little attention to these last words of his wife
+as he had done to her former remonstrance. He passed almost the whole
+night in devising means to take possession of Ali Cogia's money in
+such a way that he might enjoy it in security should the owner ever
+return and claim the jar. The next morning, very early, he went out
+to buy some olives of that year's growth. He threw away those which
+had been in Ali Cogia's jar, and, taking out the gold, he put it in a
+place of safety; then filling the jar with the fresh olives he had
+just bought he put on the same cover, and placed it in the same spot
+where Ali Cogia had left it.
+
+About a month after the merchant had committed this treacherous act
+Ali Cogia arrived at Bagdad, after his long absence from that city. As
+he had leased his house before his departure he alighted at a khan,
+where he took a lodging until he had informed his tenant of his
+return, that the latter might procure himself another residence.
+
+The next day Ali Cogia went to see his friend the merchant, who
+received him with open arms, testifying the utmost joy at seeing him
+again, after an absence of so many years, which he said almost made
+him despair of ever beholding him any more.
+
+After the usual compliments, Ali Cogia begged the merchant to return
+him the jar of olives which he had left in his care, at the same time
+apologizing for having troubled him. "My dear friend," replied the
+merchant, "do not think of making excuses; your jar has been no
+encumbrance to me, and I should have done the same with you had I been
+situated as you were. Here is the key of my warehouse, go and take it;
+you will find it where you put it yourself."
+
+Ali Cogia went to the warehouse and took out the jar, and having given
+the key to the merchant, he thanked him for the favor he had done him,
+and returned to the khan where he lodged. He opened the jar, and,
+thrusting his hand to the depth where he supposed the thousand pieces
+of gold might be, he was extremely surprised at not feeling them. He
+thought he must be deceived, and to relieve his doubts he took some of
+the dishes and other utensils of his travelling kitchen and emptied
+out all the olives without finding one single piece of money. He was
+motionless with astonishment, and raising his eyes and hands towards
+heaven, "Is it possible," he at length exclaimed, "that a man whom I
+considered as my friend could be capable of so flagrant a breach of
+trust?"
+
+Ali Cogia, exceedingly alarmed at the idea of so considerable a loss,
+returned to the merchant. "My good friend," said he, "do not be
+surprised that I should return to you so quickly; I confess that I
+knew the jar of olives which I just now took out of your warehouse to
+be mine; but I had put a thousand pieces of gold in it with the
+olives, and these I cannot find; perhaps you have wanted them in your
+trade, and have made use of them. If that be the case, they are much
+at your service; I only beg of you to relieve my fears, and give me
+some acknowledgment for them; after this you will return them to me
+whenever it may be most convenient."
+
+The merchant, who expected Ali Cogia to return to him, had prepared an
+answer. "My friend," replied he, "when you brought me the jar of
+olives, did I touch it? Did I not give you the key of my wareroom? Did
+you not deposit it there yourself? and did you not find it in the same
+place where you put it, exactly in the same state, and covered in the
+same manner? If you put money in it, there you must find it. You told
+me it contained olives, and I believed you. This is all I know about
+the matter; you may believe me or not as you please, but I assure you
+I have not touched it."
+
+Ali Cogia used the gentlest means to enable the merchant to justify
+himself. "I love peaceable measures," said he, "and I should be sorry
+to proceed to extremities, which would not be very creditable to you
+in the eyes of the world. Consider that merchants, such as we are,
+should abandon all private interests to preserve their reputation.
+Once more I tell you that I should be sorry if your obstinacy compels
+me to apply to the forms allowed by justice, for I have always
+preferred losing something of my right to having recourse to those
+means."
+
+"Ali Cogia," resumed the merchant, "you confess that you have
+deposited a jar of olives with me, that you took possession of it
+again, and that you carried it away; and now you come to demand of me
+a thousand pieces of gold. Did you tell me they were contained in the
+jar? I am even ignorant that there were olives in it; you did not show
+them to me! I am surprised that you did not require pearls and
+diamonds rather than money. Take my advice: go home, and do not
+assemble a crowd about my door."
+
+Some people had already stopped before his shop; and these last
+words, pronounced in an angry voice, not only collected a larger
+number, but made the neighboring merchants come out of their shops to
+inquire the reason of the dispute. When Ali Cogia had explained to
+them the subject, the most earnest in the cause asked the merchant
+what reply he had to make.
+
+The merchant owned that he had kept the jar belonging to Ali Cogia in
+his warehouse, but he denied having touched it, and made oath that he
+only knew that it contained olives because Ali Cogia had told him so,
+and that he considered them all as witnesses of the insulting affront
+which had been offered to him in his own house.
+
+"You have drawn the affront on yourself," said Ali Cogia, taking him
+by the arm; "but since you behave so wickedly, I cite you by the law
+of God. Let us see if you will have the face to say the same before
+the cadi."
+
+At this summons, which every true Mussulman must obey, unless he
+rebels against his religion, the merchant had not the courage to offer
+any resistance. "Come," said he, "that is the very thing I wish; we
+shall see who is wrong, you or I."
+
+Ali Cogia conducted the merchant before the tribunal of the cadi,
+where he accused him of having stolen a thousand pieces of gold which
+were deposited in his care, relating the fact as it took place. The
+cadi inquired if he had any witnesses. He replied that he had not
+taken this precaution, because he supposed the person to whom he had
+intrusted his money to be his friend, and till now an honest man.
+
+The merchant urged nothing more in his defence than what he had
+already said to Ali Cogia in the presence of his neighbors, and he
+concluded by offering to take his oath not only that it was false that
+he had taken the thousand pieces of gold, but even that he had any
+knowledge of their being in his possession. The cadi accepted the
+oath, after which he was dismissed as innocent.
+
+Ali Cogia, extremely mortified to find himself condemned to suffer so
+considerable a loss, protested against the sentence, and declared to
+the cadi that he would lay his complaint before the Caliph
+Haroun-al-Raschid, who would do him justice; but the cadi did not
+regard this threat, and he considered it merely as the effect of the
+resentment natural to all who lose their cause, and he thought he had
+performed his duty by acquitting one who was accused without any
+witnesses to prove the fact.
+
+While the merchant was triumphing in his success over Ali Cogia, and
+indulging his joy at having made so good a bargain of the thousand
+pieces of gold, Ali Cogia went to draw up a petition. And the next
+day, having chosen the time when the caliph should return from midday
+prayers, he placed himself in a street which led to the mosque, and
+when he passed, held out his hand with the petition. An officer to
+whom this function belongs, who was walking before the caliph,
+instantly left his place and came to take it, that he might present it
+to his master.
+
+As Ali Cogia knew that it was the usual custom of the Caliph
+Haroun-al-Raschid, when he returned to his palace, to examine with his
+own eyes all the petitions that were presented to him in this way, he
+therefore followed the procession, went into the palace, and waited
+till the officer who had taken the petition should come out of the
+apartment of the caliph. When he made his appearance he told Ali Cogia
+that the caliph had read his petition, and appointed the following day
+to give him an audience; and having inquired of him where the
+merchant lived, he sent to give him notice to attend the next day
+at the same time.
+
+    [Illustration: The caliph listening to the children's court]
+
+On the evening of the same day, the caliph, with the grand vizier
+Giafar and Mesrour, the chief of the eunuchs, all three disguised in
+the same manner, went to make his usual excursion into the city, as it
+was his custom frequently to do. In passing through a street the
+caliph heard a noise. He hastened his pace, and came to a door which
+opened into a court, where ten or twelve children, who had not gone to
+rest, were playing by moonlight, as he perceived by looking through a
+crevice.
+
+The caliph, feeling some curiosity to know what these children were
+playing at, sat down on a stone bench, which was placed very
+conveniently near the door; and as he was looking at them through the
+crevice he heard one of the most lively and intelligent among them say
+to the others: "Let us play at the cadi. I am the cadi. Bring before
+me Ali Cogia and the merchant who stole the thousand pieces of gold
+from him."
+
+These words of the child reminded the caliph of the petition which had
+been presented to him that day, and which he had read; he therefore
+redoubled his attention to hear the result of the trial.
+
+As the affair between Ali Cogia and the merchant was a new thing, and
+much talked of in the city of Bagdad, even among children, the rest of
+this youthful party fully agreed to the proposal, and each chose the
+character he would perform. No one disputed the part of the cadi with
+him who had made choice of it; and when he had taken his seat with all
+the pomp and gravity of a cadi, another, personating the officer who
+attends the tribunal, presented two others to him, one of whom he
+called Ali Cogia, and the next the merchant against whom Ali Cogia
+preferred his complaint.
+
+The pretended cadi then addressed the feigned Ali Cogia. "Ali Cogia,"
+said he, "what do you require of this merchant?" He who personated
+this character then made a low bow, and informed the cadi of the
+facts, and concluded by beseeching him to be pleased to interpose his
+authority to prevent his sustaining so considerable a loss. The
+feigned cadi, after having listened to Ali Cogia, turned to the
+merchant, and asked him why he did not return to Ali Cogia the sum he
+demanded of him. This young merchant made use of the same arguments
+which the real one had alleged before the cadi of Bagdad, and also in
+the same manner asked him to suffer him to swear that what he said was
+the truth.
+
+"Not so fast," replied the pretended cadi; "before we come to swearing
+I should like to see the jar of olives. Ali Cogia," said he,
+addressing the boy who acted this part, "have you brought the jar
+with you?" As the latter replied that he had not, he desired him to go
+and fetch it.
+
+Ali Cogia disappeared for a few minutes, and then returning, pretended
+to bring a jar to the cadi, which he said was the same that had been
+deposited with the merchant, and was now returned to him. Not to omit
+any of the usual forms, the cadi asked the merchant if he owned it to
+be the same jar, and the merchant proving by his silence that he could
+not deny it, he ordered it to be opened. The feigned Ali Cogia then
+made a motion as if he were taking off the cover, and the cadi that of
+looking into the jar. "These are fine olives; let me taste," said he.
+Then, pretending to take one to taste, he added: "They are excellent.
+But," continued he, "I think that olives which have been kept seven
+years would not be so good. Order some olive merchants to be called,
+and let them give their opinion." Two boys were then presented to
+him. "Are you olive merchants?" he inquired; to which they having
+replied in the affirmative, he added: "Tell me, then, if you know how
+long olives, that are prepared by people who make it their business,
+can be preserved good to eat?"
+
+"Sir," replied the feigned merchants, "whatever care may be taken to
+preserve them, they are worth nothing after the third year; they lose
+both their flavor and color, and are only fit to be thrown away." "If
+that be the case," resumed the young cadi, "look at this jar, and tell
+me how long the olives have been kept that are in it."
+
+The feigned merchants then pretended to examine and taste the olives,
+and told the cadi that they were fresh and good. "You are mistaken,"
+replied the cadi; "here is Ali Cogia, who says that he put them into
+the jar seven years ago." "Sir," said the merchants, "we can assure
+you that these olives are of this year's growth, and we will maintain
+that there is not a single merchant in Bagdad who will not be of the
+same way of thinking." The accused merchant was going to protest
+against this testimony of the others, but the cadi did not allow him
+time. "Silence!" said he; "thou art a thief, and shalt be hanged." The
+children then clapped their hands, showed great marks of joy, and
+finished their game by seizing the supposed criminal, and carrying him
+off as if to execution.
+
+It is impossible to express how much the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid
+admired the wisdom and acuteness of the boy, who had pronounced so
+just a sentence on the very case which was to be pleaded before him on
+the morrow. Taking his eyes from the crevice, he rose, and asked the
+grand vizier, who had been attending to all that passed, if he had
+heard the sentence given by the boy, and what he thought of it.
+"Commander of the Faithful," replied Giafar, "I am astonished at the
+wisdom evinced by this boy at so early an age."
+
+"But," resumed the caliph, "do you know that to-morrow I am to give my
+decision on this very affair, and that the true Ali Cogia has this
+morning presented a petition to me on the subject?"
+
+"So I understand from your majesty," replied the grand vizier. "Do you
+think," said the caliph, "that I can give a juster sentence than that
+we have now heard?" "If the affair be the same," returned the grand
+vizier, "it appears to me that your majesty cannot proceed in a better
+manner, nor give any other judgment." "Notice well this house, then,"
+said the caliph, "and bring me the boy to-morrow, that he may judge
+the same cause in my presence. Order the cadi, also, who acquitted the
+merchant, to be at the palace, that he may learn his duty from this
+child, and correct his deficiencies. I desire, too, that you will tell
+Ali Cogia to bring with him his jar of olives, and do you procure two
+olive merchants to be present at the audience." The caliph gave this
+order as he continued his walk, which he finished without meeting with
+anything else that deserved his attention.
+
+On the morrow the grand vizier repaired to the house where the caliph
+had been witness to the game the children had played at, and he asked
+to speak to the master of it, but he being gone out, he was introduced
+to the mistress. He asked her if she had any children; she replied
+that she had three, whom she brought to him. "My children," said he to
+them, "which of you acted the cadi last night as you were playing
+together?" The eldest replied that it was he; and as he was ignorant
+of the reason for this question, he changed color. "My child," said
+the grand vizier, "come with me; the Commander of the Faithful wishes
+to see you."
+
+The mother was extremely alarmed when she saw that the vizier was
+going to take away her son. "Sir," said she, "is it to take away my
+son entirely that the Commander of the Faithful has sent for him?" The
+grand vizier quieted her fears by promising that her son should be
+sent back again in less than an hour, and that when he returned she
+would learn the reason of his being sent for, which would give her
+great pleasure. "If that be the case, sir," replied she, "permit me
+first to change his dress, that he may be more fit to appear before
+the Commander of the Faithful." And she immediately put on her son a
+clean suit.
+
+The grand vizier conducted the boy to the caliph, and presented him at
+the time appointed for hearing Ali Cogia and the merchant.
+
+The caliph, seeing the child rather terrified, and wishing to prepare
+him for what he expected him to do, said to him: "Come here, my boy,
+draw near. Was it you who yesterday passed sentence on the case of Ali
+Cogia and the merchant who robbed him of his gold? I both saw and
+heard you, and am very well satisfied with you." The child began to
+gain confidence, and modestly answered that it was he. "My child,"
+resumed the caliph, "you shall see the true Ali Cogia and the merchant
+to-day; come and sit down next to me."
+
+The caliph then took the boy by the hand, and seated himself on his
+throne, and having placed him next to him, he inquired for the
+parties; they advanced, and the name of each was pronounced as he
+touched with his forehead the carpet that covered the throne. When
+they had risen, the caliph said to them: "Let each of you plead your
+cause; this child will hear and administer justice to you, and if
+anything be deficient, I will remedy it."
+
+Ali Cogia and the merchant each spoke in his turn; and when the
+merchant requested to be allowed to take the same oath he had taken on
+his first examination, the boy answered that it was not yet time, for
+it was first necessary to inspect the jar of olives. At these words
+Ali Cogia produced the jar, placed it at the feet of the caliph, and
+uncovered it. The caliph looked at the olives, and took one, which he
+tasted. The jar was then handed to some skilful merchants who had been
+ordered to appear, and they reported it as their opinion that the
+olives were good, and of that year's growth. The boy told them Ali
+Cogia assured him they had been in the jar seven years, to which the
+real merchants returned the same answer which the children as feigned
+merchants had made on the preceding evening.
+
+Although the accused merchant plainly saw that the two olive
+merchants had thus pronounced his condemnation, yet he nevertheless
+attempted to allege reasons in his justification; the boy, however,
+did not venture to pronounce sentence on him and send him to
+execution. "Commander of the Faithful," said he, "this is not a game;
+it is your majesty alone who can condemn to death seriously, and not
+I; I did it yesterday only in play."
+
+The caliph, fully persuaded of the treachery of the merchant, gave him
+up to the ministers of justice to have him hung; and this sentence was
+executed after he had confessed where the thousand pieces of gold were
+concealed, which were then returned to Ali Cogia. This monarch, in
+short, so celebrated for his justice and equity, after having advised
+the cadi who had passed the first sentence, and who was present, to
+learn from a child to be more exact in the performance of his office,
+embraced the boy, and sent him home again with a purse containing a
+hundred pieces of gold, which he ordered to be given him as a proof of
+his liberality.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Minor typographic errors--for example, punctuation errors, omitted or
+transposed letters--have been repaired. Archaic spelling is preserved
+as printed.
+
+The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page.
+Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are
+not in the middle of a paragraph.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various.
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Favorite Fairy Tales
+       The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women
+
+Author: Various
+
+Illustrator: Peter Newell
+
+Release Date: May 15, 2010 [EBook #32389]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Title page with decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<h1 class="padtop">FAVORITE<br />
+FAIRY TALES</h1>
+
+<p class="center">THE CHILDHOOD CHOICE<br />
+OF REPRESENTATIVE<br />
+MEN AND WOMEN</p>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase"><small>ILLUSTRATED<br />
+BY</small><br />
+PETER NEWELL</p>
+
+
+<div class="figcenter" style="width: 107px;">
+<img src="images/fft01.png" width="107" height="125"
+alt="Publisher's logo" />
+</div>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase">NEW YORK AND LONDON<br />
+HARPER &amp; BROTHERS PUBLISHERS<br />
+MCMVII</p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase">Copyright, 1907, by <span class="smcap">Harper &amp; Brothers</span>.<br />
+&mdash;&mdash;<br />
+<i>All rights reserved.</i><br />
+Published October, 1907.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 390px;">
+<a name="assistance" id="assistance"></a>
+<img src="images/fft02.jpg" width="390" height="600"
+alt="The dwarf asks the girls to help free his beard" />
+<span class="note">See p. <a href="#Page_209">209</a></span>
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Can&rsquo;t you render me some assistance?&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>iii]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="First page of contents">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_1">JACK THE GIANT-KILLER.</a> Charles Perrault</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Arthur Twining Hadley</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">President of Yale University</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Nicholas Murray Butler</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">President of Columbia University</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Henry M. Alden</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Editor of <i>Harper&rsquo;s Magazine</i></p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">J. F. Hosic</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Professor of English, The Chicago Normal School</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">J. M. Pereles</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission</p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_34">CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER.</a> Charles Perrault</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Thomas R. Lounsbury</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Professor of English Yale University</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">J. H. Canfield</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Librarian of Columbia University</p>
+
+<p class="p3">The <span class="smcap">Honorable John Bigelow</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author and Publicist</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">J. M. Pereles</p>
+
+<p class="p3">And the Children of The <span class="smcap">Honorable Grover Cleveland</span></p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>iv]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Second page of contents">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br />
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_50">JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK.</a> Charles Perrault</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Nicholas Murray Butler</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Hamilton Wright Mabie</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">President of the New York Free Kindergarten Association. Associate Editor of <i>The Outlook</i></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_73">THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD.</a> Charles Perrault</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Shailer Mathews</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Professor of Systematic Theology in the University of Chicago. Editor of <i>The World To-day</i></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Hamilton Wright Mabie</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Henry Van Dyke</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author. Professor of English Literature in Princeton University</p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_87">LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD.</a> Charles Perrault</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Henry M. Alden</span></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_92">THE UGLY DUCKLING.</a> Hans Christian Andersen</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">The <span class="smcap">Honorable William J. Bryan</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Publicist and Editor</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Miss <span class="smcap">Jane Addams</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Head Resident of Hull House, Chicago</p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_116">HOP-O&rsquo;-MY-THUMB.</a></p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">Henry James</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author</p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>v]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Third page of contents">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_140">BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.</a> From the French of Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Mrs. <span class="smcap">Julia Ward Howe</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author of &ldquo;The Battle Hymn of the Republic&rdquo;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_173">LITTLE SNOWDROP.</a></p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">Howard Pyle</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Artist and Author<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_193">THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS.</a> Robert Southey</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">F. A. Kendall</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Secretary of the Illinois Pupils&rsquo; Reading Circle<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_202">SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED.</a> Grimm</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">Frederick Dielman</p>
+
+<p class="p4">President of the National Academy of Design<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_218">THE WILD SWANS.</a> Hans Christian Andersen</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Henry Van Dyke</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Mrs. <span class="smcap">Alice Meynell</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Poet and Essayist</p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>vi]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Fourth page of contents">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_256">ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP.</a> &ldquo;The Arabian Nights&rsquo; Entertainments&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Charles William Eliot</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">President of Harvard University</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Henry Van Dyke</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3 smcap">J. M. Pereles</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Samuel L. Clemens</span> (Mark Twain)</p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author</p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_289">ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.</a> &ldquo;The Arabian Nights&rsquo; Entertainments&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Samuel L. Clemens</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Charles William Eliot</span></p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Lyman Abbott</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Editor of <i>The Outlook</i></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_311">THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.</a> &ldquo;The Arabian Nights&rsquo; Entertainments&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">Lyman Abbott</span></p>
+
+<p class="p1"><a href="#Page_323">THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD.</a> &ldquo;The Arabian Nights&rsquo; Entertainments&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="p2">This Story is the Choice of:</p>
+
+<p class="p3">Dr. <span class="smcap">William Dean Howells</span></p>
+
+<p class="p4">Author</p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>vii]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="First page of illustrations">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="List of illustrations">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;CAN&rsquo;T YOU RENDER ME SOME ASSISTANCE?&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr" colspan="2"><a href="#assistance"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;I WILL BROIL YOU FOR MY BREAKFAST&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdc"><i>Facing&nbsp;p.</i></td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#breakfast">2</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">THE SLIPPER FITTED EXACTLY</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#slipper">48</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">JUST AS HE LAID HIS HAND UPON ONE OF THEM, THE LITTLE DOG BARKED MOST FURIOUSLY</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#barked">66</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">A YOUNG GIRL OF WONDERFUL BEAUTY LAY ASLEEP ON AN EMBROIDERED BED</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#girl">82</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">HE ASKED HER POLITELY WHERE SHE WAS GOING</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#wolf">88</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">SOME LITTLE CHILDREN THREW PIECES OF BREAD INTO THE WATER</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#bread">114</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO CRY AS LOUD AS THEY COULD</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#crying">120</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">SHE SAW AT HER FEET A HANDSOME, GRACEFUL YOUNG PRINCE</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#prince">170</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;OH, HEAVEN,&rdquo; THEY CRIED, &ldquo;WHAT A LOVELY CHILD!&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#dwarfs">180</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">THE VOICE OF THE LITTLE, SMALL, WEE BEAR AWAKENED HER AT ONCE</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#bears">200</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>viii]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="bord02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Second page of illustrations">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary="List of illustrations">
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">ELISE SAW AN ICE PALACE, WITH ONE BOLD COLONNADE BUILT ABOVE ANOTHER</td>
+    <td class="tdc"><i>Facing&nbsp;p.</i></td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#palace">238</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">&ldquo;I AM THE SLAVE OF THE RING, AND WILL OBEY THEE IN ALL THINGS&rdquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#genie">260</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">CASSIM FORGETS THE MAGIC WORD</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#sesame">294</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">THE MERCHANTS BEGAN THEIR SHOUTING TO FRIGHTEN THE EAGLES</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#eagles">318</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class="tdl">THE CALIPH LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN&rsquo;S COURT</td>
+    <td class="tdc">&ldquo;</td>
+    <td class="tdr"><a href="#caliph">342</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase"><i>Decorative borders by<br />
+Francis I. Bennett</i></p>
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>ix]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>INTRODUCTION</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">W</span>HAT are the best fairy stories?
+Are they not those which have
+lived most vividly in active minds?
+The ripeness of after life works its
+changes; but we are not dealing with
+literary judgments&mdash;rather with the
+choice of childhood which fortunately
+lingers in memory, whatever store of
+wisdom may come in later years. There
+is here no question of the new or unusual.
+On the contrary, it is the ideas
+or visions handed down for generations
+or centuries and set in final form that
+remain with us as types of fancy or
+wisdom. Of these there are so many
+that a selection is essential. No one
+book can be a complete treasure-house
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>x]</a></span>
+of all the imagination, humor, and sentiment
+of the fairy tale. But it has
+been possible to obtain a representative
+judgment for this volume which we believe
+to be of peculiar worth.</p>
+
+<p>This book gives us the favorite fairy
+tales of men and women who have
+gained eminence in American life. It
+is a book, therefore, based upon an
+original plan, which stands by itself.
+Any collection formed by one person
+must reflect personal preferences. It
+must have obvious limitations, however
+excellent&mdash;as in the case of Miss Mulock
+or Laboulaye&mdash;the choice of the single
+editor may be. But to a large extent
+such a collection as this represents that
+consensus of opinion which invests a
+given work with the rank of a classic.
+The desire of the publishers has been to
+determine the youthful preferences of
+those whose opinions carry weight and
+to present their selections among the
+wealth of fairy tales which the world
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xi]</a></span>
+cherishes from one generation to another.
+Such a thing as a collection of
+<em>all</em> good fairy tales would be unthinkably
+cumbersome. We need guidance
+and selection. For the expressions of
+personal choice afforded in the interests
+of this book, the publishers desire to offer
+their grateful acknowledgments.</p>
+
+<p>It has happened naturally that more
+than one vote has been cast for the
+same story. For example, the president
+of Yale, in his selection of &ldquo;Jack
+the Giant-killer,&rdquo; had the companionship
+of the president of Columbia and
+of the editor of <i>Harper&rsquo;s Magazine</i>, who
+are really represented, therefore, by a
+second choice. The three stories preferred
+by the chairman of the Wisconsin
+Free Library Commission had all
+been preferred by others.</p>
+
+<p>But &ldquo;Cinderella&rdquo; is evidently quite
+the equal of &ldquo;Jack the Giant-killer&rdquo; in
+the affections of readers, and the choice
+of this well-loved tale has been
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xii]</a></span>
+accompanied by some charming letters from
+which it is impossible not to quote.</p>
+
+<p>Thus the Hon. John Bigelow writes:
+&ldquo;Perrault&rsquo;s story of Cinderella made
+the deepest impression upon me. It
+is the only one from which I can now
+remember to have received a distinct
+and permanent ethical impression.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am not really conscious of any
+special preference for one fairy story
+over another,&rdquo; wrote Professor Lounsbury,
+&ldquo;but as somebody, it seems to
+me, ought to stand up for sentiment,
+I am going to vote for &lsquo;Cinderella.&rsquo; I
+hesitated a moment about &lsquo;The Sleeping
+Beauty,&rsquo; but I leave that for one
+younger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In a letter rich in personal quality,
+the Hon. Grover Cleveland wrote: &ldquo;My
+youthful days are so far away, and fairy
+stories had so little to do with their
+enjoyment, that I do not feel that I
+ought to venture an opinion on such
+an important subject as that to which
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xiii]</a></span>
+you refer. For want of a better thing
+to do, I have submitted the question
+to my children, and so far as I am able
+to determine, the canvass of their votes
+is in favor of &lsquo;Cinderella.&rsquo; It is only
+fair to say that two of the three to
+whom the question was submitted are
+little girls.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Another glimpse of domestic sympathy
+comes in the choice of the Hon.
+William J. Bryan, editor and author,
+as well as publicist, who says: &ldquo;My wife
+assures me that I shall make no mistake
+if I commend the tales of Hans Christian
+Andersen, notably that of &lsquo;The
+Ugly Duckling.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It is a change from public life to the
+world of letters to find Dr. Van Dyke
+and Dr. Mabie in agreement with Dr.
+Shailer Mathews regarding the rank of
+&ldquo;The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.&rdquo;
+But it is not to this that Dr. Van Dyke
+gives precedence. &ldquo;If my memory
+serves me right,&rdquo; he says, &ldquo;the first
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xiv]</a></span>
+fairy story which made a strong impression
+on my mind in boyhood was that
+of &lsquo;Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp.&rsquo;
+Next after that in time, and, I think, a
+little beyond it in interest, came the
+story of the &lsquo;Seven Wild Swans,&rsquo; and
+next to that the story of &lsquo;The Sleeping
+Beauty.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As to &ldquo;Hop o&rsquo; My Thumb&rdquo; we may
+be pardoned for quoting the close of a
+singularly delightful letter from Mr.
+Henry James, who says: &ldquo;It is the
+vague memory of this sense of him, as
+some small, precious object, like a lost
+gem or a rare and beautiful insect on
+which one might inadvertently tread,
+or might find under the sofa or behind
+the window-cushion, that leads me to
+think of &lsquo;Hop o&rsquo; My Thumb&rsquo; as my
+earliest and sweetest and most repeated
+cupful at the fount of fiction.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Quite literally a world removed from
+this was the answer of the modest Japanese
+conqueror, General Kuroki, who
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xv]</a></span>
+laughed at first and disclaimed Japan&rsquo;s
+possession of fairy tales as we understand
+them. &ldquo;I always tried to forget
+fairy tales,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;but of nursery
+stories I think the most popular and
+the most widely known in Japan is the
+story of Momotaro.&rdquo; But this tale of
+the &ldquo;son of a peach,&rdquo; which relates the
+conquest of a stronghold of devils, and
+the rescue of two daughters of daimios
+does not come within the scope of this
+volume.</p>
+
+<p>A broader choice than those which
+have been quoted is afforded by Mrs.
+Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, who
+writes: &ldquo;As a child I was a great reader
+and lover (and a small creator) of fairy
+tales. But of them all the only ones
+which come readily to my mind are
+Hans Christian Andersen&rsquo;s.&rdquo; Equally
+comprehensive is the answer of Mrs.
+Georgia A. Kendrick, the lady principal
+of Vassar College: &ldquo;Grimm&rsquo;s tales stand
+to me for the best of that kind of lore.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xvi]</a></span>
+An even more catholic liking breathes
+in the answer of President Woodrow
+Wilson, who declares: &ldquo;The truth is that
+I was so voracious of fairy tales when
+I was a small boy, that I loved them
+all almost equally well, and cannot
+now say that I had any favorite. All
+was grist that came to my mill. I am
+very much interested in the undertaking,
+and wish it all success.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In some cases, much to the regret of
+the publishers, it has not been possible
+to include a choice. Thus Dr. John
+S. Billings, librarian of the New York
+Public Library, tells us that the story
+which made the most impression upon
+him was the &ldquo;Nibelungenlied&rdquo; as presented
+by Carlyle in the <i>Westminster
+Review</i> for July, 1831, of which
+an odd number came in his way when
+he was a boy. &ldquo;I did not understand
+one quarter of it,&rdquo; Dr. Billings writes,
+&ldquo;but what I did impressed me greatly.
+If I had to select from Perrault&rsquo;s fairy
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xvii]</a></span>
+tales, I should probably agree with
+Dr. Hadley&rdquo;&mdash;another tribute to the
+perennial charm of &ldquo;Jack the Giant-killer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The interest of these personal literary
+experiences justify a quotation from
+Dr. E.&nbsp;G. Cooley, superintendent of the
+Chicago schools: &ldquo;I was pretty well
+grown,&rdquo; he writes, &ldquo;before any of this
+literature reached me. My people were
+not believers in fairy stories, and circumstances
+did not put them in my
+way. My boyhood hero was Eumenes,
+as described in the second volume of
+Rollin&rsquo;s <i>Ancient History</i>.&rdquo; Unfortunately
+the scope of the present volume
+has not permitted the inclusion of Carlyle&rsquo;s
+version of the &ldquo;Nibelungenlied&rdquo;
+or of Rollin&rsquo;s tale of Eumenes, or of
+the old ballad of &ldquo;The Children in the
+Wood,&rdquo; which was the choice of Dr.
+W.&nbsp;H. Maxwell, City Superintendent of
+Schools in New York.</p>
+
+<p>While the reply of that sincere
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xviii" id="Page_xviii">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xviii]</a></span>
+nature-lover, John Burroughs, represents
+a gospel of negation, yet there is a vivid
+suggestiveness in the later interest of
+the man&mdash;one whose sympathies and
+perception have remained fresh and
+wholly sincere. &ldquo;The truth is,&rdquo; he
+writes, &ldquo;I knew no fairy stories in my
+youth. That kind of literature did not
+come within my reach. Our school library
+held no novels or fairy books. An
+old woman who visited our house used
+to tell us youngsters the story of &lsquo;Jack
+and the Bean-stalk,&rsquo; and &lsquo;Jack the
+Giant-killer,&rsquo; &lsquo;Bluebeard,&rsquo; etc. When I
+had a boy of my own, I used to read
+Hans Christian Andersen to him, and
+get quite as much interested as he did.
+I do not recall that I ever read any
+fairy tales before Andersen&rsquo;s, and did
+not read these till past middle life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It may be said again that while this
+book lays no claim to comprehensiveness,
+we believe that its personal guidance
+represents a high value which is
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_xix" id="Page_xix">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>xix]</a></span>
+fitly reinforced by the distinctive imagination
+of Mr. Peter Newell. In the
+light of his quaint fancy, unexpected
+humor, and sympathetic insight, these
+classic tales reveal a new store of riches,
+and are clothed with a charm which
+even those of us who love them had not
+foreseen.</p>
+
+<p>In the majority of cases these stories
+reproduce the excellent versions given
+in Miss Mulock&rsquo;s <i>Fairy Book</i> (Harper
+&amp; Brothers). But the publishers desire
+to acknowledge the courtesy of
+Messrs. Longmans, Green &amp; Co., for their
+permission to reproduce the admirable
+versions of &ldquo;Aladdin,&rdquo; the &ldquo;Forty
+Thieves,&rdquo; and the &ldquo;Story of the Three
+Bears&rdquo; from their <i>Blue and Green Fairy
+Books</i>, edited by Mr. Andrew Lang.
+The &ldquo;Second Voyage of Sindbad the
+Sailor&rdquo; is from the series edited by
+Mr. W.&nbsp;T. Stead, entitled, <i>Books for
+the Bairns</i>.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>1]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h1>FAVORITE<br />
+FAIRY TALES</h1>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<h2>JACK THE GIANT-KILLER</h2>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the reign of the famous King
+Arthur, there lived, near the Land&rsquo;s
+End of England, in the county of Cornwall,
+a worthy farmer who had an only
+son named Jack. Jack was a boy of
+a bold temper; he took pleasure in hearing
+or reading stories of wizards, conjurors,
+giants, and fairies, and used to
+listen eagerly while his father talked
+of the great deeds of the brave knights
+of King Arthur&rsquo;s Round Table. When
+Jack was sent to take care of the sheep
+and oxen in the fields, he used to
+to amuse himself with planning battles,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>2]</a></span>
+sieges, and the means to conquer or surprise
+a foe. He was above the common
+sports of children, but hardly any one
+could equal him at wrestling; or, if he
+met with a match for himself in strength,
+his skill and address always made him
+the victor.</p>
+
+<p>In those days there lived on St.
+Michael&rsquo;s Mount, of Cornwall, which
+rises out of the sea at some distance
+from the main-land, a huge giant. He
+was eighteen feet high and three yards
+round, and his fierce and savage looks
+were the terror of all his neighbors.
+He dwelt in a gloomy cavern on the
+very top of the mountain, and used to
+wade over to the main-land in search of
+his prey. When he came near, the people
+left their houses; and after he had
+glutted his appetite upon their cattle
+he would throw half a dozen oxen upon
+his back, and tie three times as many
+sheep and hogs round his waist, and so
+march back to his own abode.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 388px;">
+<a name="breakfast" id="breakfast"></a>
+<img src="images/fft03.jpg" width="388" height="600"
+alt="The giant strides towards Jack" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;I will broil you for my breakfast&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>3]</a></span>
+The giant had done this for many
+years, and the coast of Cornwall was
+greatly hurt by his thefts, when Jack boldly
+resolved to destroy him. He therefore
+took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, and a
+dark lantern, and early in a long winter&rsquo;s
+evening he swam to the Mount. There
+he fell to work at once, and before morning
+he had dug a pit twenty-two feet
+deep and almost as many broad. He
+covered it over with sticks and straw,
+and strewed some of the earth over
+them, to make it look just like solid
+ground. He then put his horn to his
+mouth, and blew such a loud and long
+tantivy that the giant awoke and came
+towards Jack, roaring like thunder:
+&ldquo;You saucy villain, you shall pay dearly
+for breaking my rest; I will broil you
+for my breakfast.&rdquo; He had scarcely
+spoken these words when he came advancing
+one step farther; but then he
+tumbled headlong into the pit, and his
+fall shook the very mountain.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>4]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Oho, Mr. Giant!&rdquo; said Jack, looking
+into the pit, &ldquo;have you found your way
+so soon to the bottom? How is your
+appetite now? Will nothing serve you
+for breakfast this cold morning but
+broiling poor Jack?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant now tried to rise, but Jack
+struck him a blow on the crown of the
+head with his pickaxe, which killed him
+at once. Jack then made haste back to
+rejoice his friends with the news of the
+giant&rsquo;s death. When the justices of
+Cornwall heard of this valiant action,
+they sent for Jack, and declared that
+he should always be called Jack the
+Giant-killer; and they also gave him a
+sword and belt, upon which was written,
+in letters of gold:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;This is the valiant Cornishman<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who slew the giant Cormoran.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The news of Jack&rsquo;s exploits soon
+spread over the western parts of England;
+and another giant, called Old
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>5]</a></span>
+Blunderbore, vowed to have revenge on
+Jack if it should ever be his fortune to
+get him into his power. The giant kept
+an enchanted castle in the midst of a
+lonely wood. About four months after
+the death of Cormoran, as Jack was taking
+a journey into Wales, he passed
+through this wood, and as he was very
+weary he sat down to rest by the side of
+a pleasant fountain, and there he fell
+into a deep sleep. The giant came to
+the fountain for water just at this time
+and found Jack there; and as the lines
+on Jack&rsquo;s belt showed who he was, the
+giant lifted him up and laid him gently
+upon his shoulder to carry him to his
+castle; but as he passed through the
+thicket the rustling of the leaves waked
+Jack, and he was sadly afraid when he
+found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore.</p>
+
+<p>Yet this was nothing to his fright
+soon after; for when they reached the
+castle he beheld the floor covered all
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>6]</a></span>
+over with the skulls and bones of men
+and women. The giant took him into
+a large room, where lay the hearts and
+limbs of persons who had been lately
+killed; and he told Jack, with a horrid
+grin, that men&rsquo;s hearts, eaten with pepper
+and vinegar, were his nicest food,
+and, also, that he thought he should
+make a dainty meal on his heart. When
+he had said this he locked Jack up in
+that room, while he went to fetch another
+giant, who lived in the same wood,
+to enjoy a dinner off Jack&rsquo;s flesh with him.
+While he was away, Jack heard dreadful
+shrieks, groans, and cries from many parts
+of the castle; and soon after he heard a
+mournful voice repeat these lines:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Haste, valiant stranger, haste away,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lest you become the giant&rsquo;s prey.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">On his return he&rsquo;ll bring another,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Still more savage than his brother;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A horrid, cruel monster who,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Before he kills, will torture you.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Oh, valiant stranger! haste away,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Or you&rsquo;ll become these giants&rsquo; prey.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>7]</a></span>
+This warning was so shocking to poor
+Jack that he was ready to go mad. He
+ran to the window and saw the two
+giants coming along arm in arm. This
+window was right over the gates of the
+castle. &ldquo;Now,&rdquo; thought Jack, &ldquo;either
+my death or freedom is at hand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There were two strong cords in the
+room. Jack made a large noose with
+a slip-knot at the ends of both these,
+and, as the giants were coming through
+the gates, he threw the ropes over their
+heads. He then made the other ends
+fast to a beam in the ceiling, and pulled
+with all his might, till he had almost
+strangled them. When he saw that
+they were both black in the face, and
+had not the least strength left, he drew
+his sword and slid down the ropes; he
+then killed the giants, and thus saved
+himself from a cruel death. Jack next
+took a great bunch of keys from the
+pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the
+castle again. He made a strict search
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>8]</a></span>
+through all the rooms, and in them found
+three ladies tied up by the hair of their
+heads, and almost starved to death.
+They told him that their husbands had
+been killed by the giants, who had then
+condemned them to be starved to death,
+because they would not eat the flesh of
+their own dead husbands.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ladies,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;I have put an
+end to the monster and his wicked
+brother; and I give you this castle and
+all the riches it contains, to make you
+some amends for the dreadful pains
+you have felt.&rdquo; He then very politely
+gave them the keys of the castle, and
+went farther on his journey to Wales.</p>
+
+<p>As Jack had not taken any of the
+giant&rsquo;s riches for himself, and had very
+little money of his own, he thought it
+best to travel as fast as he could. At
+length he lost his way, and when night
+came on he was in a lonely valley between
+two lofty mountains. There he
+walked about for some hours, without
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>9]</a></span>
+seeing any dwelling-place, so he thought
+himself very lucky at last in finding a
+large and handsome house. He went
+up to it boldly, and knocked loudly at
+the gate; when, to his great terror and
+surprise, there came forth a monstrous
+giant with two heads. He spoke to
+Jack very civilly, for he was a Welsh
+giant, and all the mischief he did was
+by private and secret malice, under the
+show of friendship and kindness.</p>
+
+<p>Jack told him that he was a traveller
+who had lost his way, on which the huge
+monster made him welcome, and led him
+into a room where there was a good bed
+in which to pass the night. Jack took off
+his clothes quickly; but though he was
+so weary he could not go to sleep. Soon
+after this he heard the giant walking
+backward and forward in the next room,
+and saying to himself:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Though here you lodge with me this night,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">You shall not see the morning light;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">My club shall dash your brains out quite.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>10]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Say you so?&rdquo; thought Jack. &ldquo;Are
+these your tricks upon travellers? But
+I hope to prove as cunning as you.&rdquo;
+Then, getting out of bed, he groped about
+the room, and at last found a large, thick
+billet of wood; he laid it in his own place
+in the bed, and hid himself in a dark
+corner of the room. In the middle of
+the night the giant came with his great
+club, and struck many heavy blows on
+the bed, in the very place where Jack
+had laid the billet, and then he went
+back to his own room, thinking he had
+broken all his bones. Early in the
+morning Jack put a bold face upon the
+matter, and walked into the giant&rsquo;s
+room to thank him for his lodging.</p>
+
+<p>The giant started when he saw him,
+and he began to stammer out: &ldquo;Oh,
+dear me! is it you? Pray how did you
+sleep last night? Did you hear or see
+anything in the dead of the night?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nothing worth speaking of,&rdquo; said
+Jack, carelessly; &ldquo;a rat, I believe, gave
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>11]</a></span>
+me three or four slaps with his tail, and
+disturbed me a little, but I soon went
+to sleep again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant wondered more and more
+at this, yet he did not answer a word,
+and went to bring two great bowls of
+hasty-pudding for their breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>Jack wished to make the giant believe
+that he could eat as much as himself,
+so he contrived to button a leathern bag
+inside his coat, and slipped the hasty-pudding
+into this bag, while he seemed
+to put it into his mouth. When breakfast
+was over, he said to the giant,
+&ldquo;Now I will show you a fine trick; I
+can cure all wounds with a touch; I
+could cut off my head one minute, and
+the next put it sound again on my
+shoulders; you shall see an example.&rdquo;
+He then took hold of the knife, ripped
+up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding
+tumbled out upon the floor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ods splutter hur nails,&rdquo; cried the
+Welsh giant, who was ashamed to be
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>12]</a></span>
+outdone by such a little fellow as Jack;
+&ldquo;hur can do that hurself.&rdquo; So he
+snatched up the knife, plunged it into
+his stomach, and in a moment dropped
+down dead.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Jack had thus tricked the
+Welsh monster, he went farther on his
+journey; and a few days after he met
+with King Arthur&rsquo;s only son, who had
+got his father&rsquo;s leave to travel into
+Wales, to deliver a beautiful lady from
+the power of a wicked magician, by
+whom she was held in enchantment.
+When Jack found that the young prince
+had no servants with him, he begged
+leave to attend him; and the prince at
+once agreed to this, and gave Jack many
+thanks for his kindness.</p>
+
+<p>King Arthur&rsquo;s son was a handsome,
+polite, and brave knight, and so good-natured
+that he gave money to everybody
+he met. At length he gave his
+last penny to an old woman, and then
+turned to Jack. &ldquo;How shall we be able
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>13]</a></span>
+to get food for ourselves the rest of our
+journey?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Leave that to me, sir,&rdquo; replied Jack;
+&ldquo;I will provide for my prince.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Night now came on, and the prince
+began to grow uneasy at thinking where
+they should lodge.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;be of good heart;
+two miles farther lives a large giant,
+whom I know well; he has three heads,
+and will fight five hundred men, and
+make them fly before him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; cried the king&rsquo;s son, &ldquo;we had
+better never have been born than meet
+with such a monster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My lord, leave me to manage him,
+and wait here in quiet till I return.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The prince now stayed behind, while
+Jack rode on at full speed; and when he
+came to the gates of the castle he gave
+a loud knock. The giant, with a voice
+like thunder, roared out, &ldquo;Who is there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack made answer, and said, &ldquo;No one
+but your poor cousin Jack.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>14]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the giant, &ldquo;what news,
+Cousin Jack?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear uncle,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;I have
+heavy news.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pooh!&rdquo; said the giant, &ldquo;what heavy
+news can come to me? I am a giant
+with three heads, and can fight five hundred
+men, and make them fly before me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;here&rsquo;s the king&rsquo;s
+son coming with two thousand men to
+kill you, and to destroy the castle and
+all that you have.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Cousin Jack,&rdquo; said the giant,
+&ldquo;this is heavy news indeed! But I have
+a large cellar underground, where I will
+hide myself, and you shall lock, bolt,
+and bar me in, and keep the keys till
+the king&rsquo;s son is gone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now, when Jack had barred the giant
+fast in the vault, he went back and
+fetched the prince to the castle; they
+both made themselves merry with the
+wine and other dainties that were in the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>15]</a></span>
+house. So that night they rested very
+pleasantly while the poor giant lay
+trembling and shaking with fear in the
+cellar underground. Early in the morning
+Jack gave the king&rsquo;s son gold and
+silver out of the giant&rsquo;s treasure, and
+accompanied him three miles forward
+on his journey. The prince then sent
+Jack to let his uncle out of the hole, who
+asked him what he should give him as
+a reward for saving his castle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, good uncle,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;I
+desire nothing but the old coat and cap,
+with the old rusty sword and slippers,
+which are hanging at your bed&rsquo;s head.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then,&rdquo; said the giant, &ldquo;you shall
+have them; and pray keep them for my
+sake, for they are things of great use.
+The coat will keep you invisible, the
+cap will give you knowledge, the sword
+will cut through anything, and the shoes
+are of vast swiftness; they may be useful
+to you in all times of danger, so take
+them with all my heart.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>16]</a></span>
+Jack gave many thanks to the giant,
+and then set off to the prince. When
+he had come up to the king&rsquo;s son, they
+soon arrived at the dwelling of the beautiful
+lady, who was under the power of
+a wicked magician. She received the
+prince very politely and made a noble
+feast for him; when it was ended, she
+rose, and, wiping her mouth with a fine
+handkerchief, said, &ldquo;My lord, you must
+submit to the custom of my palace; to-morrow
+morning I command you to tell
+me on whom I bestow this handkerchief,
+or lose your head.&rdquo; She then left the
+room.</p>
+
+<p>The young prince went to bed very
+mournful, but Jack put on his cap of
+knowledge, which told him that the
+lady was forced, by the power of enchantment,
+to meet the wicked magician
+every night in the middle of the forest.
+Jack now put on his coat of darkness
+and his shoes of swiftness and was
+there before her. When the lady came
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>17]</a></span>
+she gave the handkerchief to the magician.
+Jack, with his sword of sharpness,
+at one blow cut off his head; the
+enchantment was then ended in a moment,
+and the lady was restored to her
+former virtue and goodness. She was
+married to the prince on the next day,
+and soon after went back, with her royal
+husband and a great company, to the
+court of King Arthur, where they were
+received with loud and joyful welcomes;
+and the valiant hero Jack, for the many
+great exploits he had done for the good
+of his country, was made one of the
+Knights of the Round Table.</p>
+
+<p>As Jack had been so lucky in all his
+adventures, he resolved not to be idle
+for the future, but still to do what services
+he could for the honor of the king
+and the nation. He therefore humbly
+begged his majesty to furnish him with
+a horse and money, that he might travel
+in search of new and strange exploits.
+&ldquo;For,&rdquo; said he to the king, &ldquo;there are
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>18]</a></span>
+many giants yet living in the remote
+parts of Wales, to the great terror and
+distress of your majesty&rsquo;s subjects;
+therefore, if it please you, sire, to favor
+me in my design, I will soon rid your
+kingdom of these giants and monsters
+in human shape.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now when the king heard this offer,
+and began to think of the cruel deeds
+of these blood-thirsty giants and savage
+monsters, he gave Jack everything
+proper for such a journey. After this,
+Jack took leave of the king, the prince,
+and all the knights, and set off, taking
+with him his cap of knowledge, his sword
+of sharpness, his shoes of swiftness, and
+his invisible coat, the better to perform
+the great exploits that might fall in his
+way. He went along over hills and
+mountains, and on the third day he
+came to a wide forest. He had hardly
+entered it when on a sudden he heard
+dreadful shrieks and cries, and, forcing
+his way through the trees, saw a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>19]</a></span>
+monstrous giant dragging along by the hair
+of their heads a handsome knight and a
+beautiful lady. Their tears and cries
+melted the heart of honest Jack; he
+alighted from his horse, and, tying him
+to an oak-tree, put on his invisible coat,
+under which he carried his sword of
+sharpness.</p>
+
+<p>When he came up to the giant he
+made several strokes at him, but could
+not reach his body on account of the
+enormous height of the terrible creature;
+but he wounded his thighs in several
+places, and at length, putting both hands
+to his sword, and aiming with all his
+might, he cut off both the giant&rsquo;s legs
+just below the garter; and the trunk of
+his body, tumbling to the ground, made
+not only the trees shake, but the earth
+itself tremble with the force of his fall.
+Then Jack, setting his foot upon his
+neck, exclaimed, &ldquo;Thou barbarous and
+savage wretch, behold, I come to execute
+upon thee the just reward for all
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>20]</a></span>
+thy crimes,&rdquo; and instantly plunged his
+sword into the giant&rsquo;s body. The huge
+monster gave a groan, and yielded up
+his life into the hands of the victorious
+Jack the Giant-killer, while the noble
+knight and the virtuous lady were both
+joyful spectators of his sudden death.
+They not only returned Jack hearty
+thanks for their deliverance, but also
+invited him to their house, to refresh
+himself after his dreadful encounter, as
+likewise to receive a reward for his good
+services.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;I cannot be at
+ease till I find out the den that was the
+monster&rsquo;s habitation.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The knight, on hearing this, grew very
+sorrowful, and replied: &ldquo;Noble stranger,
+it is too much to run a second hazard;
+this monster lived in a den under yonder
+mountain, with a brother of his, more
+fierce and cruel than himself; therefore,
+if you should go thither, and perish in
+the attempt, it would be a heart-breaking
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>21]</a></span>
+thing to me and my lady; so let me
+persuade you to go back with us, and
+desist from any further pursuit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay,&rdquo; answered Jack, &ldquo;if there be
+another, even if there were twenty, I
+would shed the last drop of blood in my
+body before one of them should escape.
+When I have finished this task, I will
+come and pay my respects to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So when they had told him where to
+find them again, he got on his horse and
+went after the dead giant&rsquo;s brother.</p>
+
+<p>Jack had not ridden a mile and a half
+before he came in sight of the mouth of
+the cavern, and nigh the entrance of it
+he saw the other giant sitting on a huge
+block of timber, with a knotted iron
+club lying by his side, waiting for his
+brother. His eyes looked like flames
+of fire, his face was grim and ugly, and
+his cheeks were like two flitches of bacon;
+the bristles of his beard seemed to be
+thick rods of iron wire, and his long locks
+of hair hung down upon his broad
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>22]</a></span>
+shoulders like curling snakes. Jack got
+down from his horse and turned him
+into a thicket; then he put on his coat
+of darkness and drew a little nearer
+to behold this figure, and said, softly,
+&ldquo;Oh, monster! are you there? It will
+not be long before I shall take you fast
+by the beard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant all this while could not see
+him, by reason of his invisible coat, so
+Jack came quite close to him, and struck
+a blow at his head with his sword of
+sharpness; but he missed his aim, and
+only cut off his nose, which made him
+roar like loud claps of thunder. He
+rolled his glaring eyes round on every
+side, but could not see who had given
+him the blow; so he took up his iron
+club, and began to lay about him like
+one that was mad with pain and fury.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nay,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;if this be the
+case, I will kill you at once.&rdquo; So saying,
+he slipped nimbly behind him, and
+jumping upon the block of timber, as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>23]</a></span>
+the giant rose from it, he stabbed him
+in the back, when, after a few howls, he
+dropped down dead. Jack cut off his
+head and sent it, with the head of his
+brother, to King Arthur by a wagon
+which he had hired for that purpose.
+When Jack had thus killed these two
+monsters, he went into their cave in
+search of their treasure. He passed
+through many turnings and windings,
+which led him to a room paved with
+freestone; at the end of it was a boiling
+caldron, and on the right hand stood
+a large table, where the giants used to
+dine. He then came to a window that
+was secured with iron bars, through
+which he saw a number of wretched captives,
+who cried out when they saw
+Jack, &ldquo;Alas! alas! young man, you
+are come to be one among us in this
+horrid den.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I hope,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;you will not
+stay here long; but pray tell me what
+is the meaning of your being here at all?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>24]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said one poor old man, &ldquo;I
+will tell you, sir. We are persons that
+have been taken by the giants who hold
+this cave, and are kept till they choose
+to have a feast; then one of us is to be
+killed, and cooked to please their taste.
+It is not long since they took three for
+the same purpose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;I have given
+them such a dinner that it will be
+long enough before they have any
+more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The captives were amazed at his
+words.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You may believe me,&rdquo; said Jack,
+&ldquo;for I have killed them both with the
+edge of this sword, and have sent their
+large heads to the court of King Arthur,
+as marks of my great success.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>To show that what he said was true,
+he unlocked the gate and set the captives
+all free. Then he led them to the
+great room, placed them round the
+table, and placed before them two quarters
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>25]</a></span>
+of beef, with bread and wine, upon
+which they feasted their fill. When
+supper was over they searched the
+giant&rsquo;s coffers, and Jack divided among
+them all the treasures. The next morning
+they set off to their homes, and Jack
+to the knight&rsquo;s house, whom he had left
+with his lady not long before.</p>
+
+<p>He was received with the greatest joy
+by the thankful knight and his lady,
+who, in honor of Jack&rsquo;s exploits, gave
+a grand feast, to which all the nobles
+and gentry were invited. When the
+company were assembled, the knight
+declared to them the great actions of
+Jack, and gave him, as a mark of respect,
+a fine ring, on which was engraved
+the picture of the giant dragging
+the knight and the lady by the hair,
+with this motto round it:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Behold in dire distress were we,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Under a giant&rsquo;s fierce command;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But gained our lives and liberty<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">From valiant Jack&rsquo;s victorious hand.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>26]</a></span>
+Among the guests then present were
+five aged gentlemen, who were fathers
+to some of those captives who had been
+freed by Jack from the dungeon of the
+giants. As soon as they heard that he
+was the person who had done such wonders,
+they pressed round him with tears
+of joy, to return him thanks for the happiness
+he had caused them. After this
+the bowl went round, and every one
+drank the health and long life of the
+gallant hero. Mirth increased, and the
+hall was filled with peals of laughter.</p>
+
+<p>But, on a sudden, a herald, pale and
+breathless, rushed into the midst of the
+company, and told them that Thundel,
+a savage giant with two heads, had heard
+of the death of his two kinsmen, and was
+come to take his revenge on Jack, and
+that he was now within a mile of the
+house, the people flying before him like
+chaff before the wind. At this news the
+very boldest of the guests trembled;
+but Jack drew his sword, and said: &ldquo;Let
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>27]</a></span>
+him come; I have a rod for him also.
+Pray, ladies and gentlemen, do me the
+favor to walk into the garden, and you
+shall soon behold the giant&rsquo;s defeat and
+death.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>To this they all agreed, and heartily
+wished him success in his dangerous
+attempt.</p>
+
+<p>The knight&rsquo;s house stood in the middle
+of a moat, thirty feet deep and twenty
+wide, over which lay a drawbridge. Jack
+set men to work to cut the bridge on
+both sides, almost to the middle, and
+then dressed himself in his coat of darkness
+and went against the giant with
+his sword of sharpness. As he came
+close to him, though the giant could not
+see him for his invisible coat, yet he
+found some danger was near, which
+made him cry out:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Fa, fe, fi, fo, fum,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I smell the blood of an Englishman;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Let him be alive, or let him be dead,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I&rsquo;ll grind his bones to make me bread.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>28]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Say you so, my friend?&rdquo; said Jack;
+&ldquo;you are a monstrous miller, indeed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Art thou,&rdquo; cried the giant, &ldquo;the villain
+that killed my kinsmen? Then I
+will tear thee with my teeth and grind
+thy bones to powder.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must catch me first,&rdquo; said Jack;
+and throwing off his coat of darkness,
+and putting on his shoes of swiftness
+he began to run, the giant following him
+like a walking castle, making the earth
+shake at every step.</p>
+
+<p>Jack led him round and round the
+walls of the house, that the company
+might see the monster; then, to finish
+the work, he ran over the drawbridge,
+the giant going after him with his club;
+but when he came to the middle, where
+the bridge had been cut on both sides,
+the great weight of his body made it
+break, and he tumbled into the water,
+where he rolled about like a large whale.
+Jack now stood by the side of the moat,
+and laughed and jeered at him, saying,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>29]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I think you told me you would grind
+my bones to powder; when will you begin?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The giant foamed at both his horrid
+mouths with fury, and plunged from
+side to side of the moat; but he could
+not get out to have revenge on his little
+foe. At last Jack ordered a cart-rope to
+be brought to him: he then drew it over
+the giant&rsquo;s two heads, and, by the help
+of a team of horses, dragged him to the
+edge of the moat, where he cut off his
+heads; and before he either ate or drank,
+sent them both to the court of King
+Arthur. He then went back to the
+table with the company, and the rest
+of the day was spent in mirth and good
+cheer.</p>
+
+<p>After staying with the knight for some
+time, Jack grew weary of such an idle
+life, and set out again in search of new
+adventures. He went over hills and
+dales without meeting any, till he came
+to the foot of a very high mountain.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>30]</a></span>
+Here he knocked at the door of a small
+and lonely house, and an old man, with
+a head as white as snow, let him in.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good father,&rdquo; said Jack, &ldquo;can you
+lodge a traveller who has lost his way?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the hermit, &ldquo;I can, if you
+will accept such fare as my poor house
+affords.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack entered, and the old man set before
+him some bread and fruit for his
+supper. When Jack had eaten as much
+as he chose, the hermit said: &ldquo;My son,
+I know you are the famous conqueror
+of giants; now, at the top of this mountain
+is an enchanted castle, kept by a
+giant named Galligantus, who, by the
+help of a vile magician, gets many
+knights into his castle, where he changes
+them into the shape of beasts. Above
+all, I lament the hard fate of a duke&rsquo;s
+daughter, whom they seized as she was
+walking in her father&rsquo;s garden, and
+brought hither through the air in a
+chariot drawn by two fiery dragons, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>31]</a></span>
+turned her into the shape of a deer.
+Many knights have tried to destroy the
+enchantment and deliver her, yet none
+have been able to do it, by reason of
+two fiery griffins, who guard the gate
+of the castle, and destroy all who come
+nigh; but as you, my son, have an invisible
+coat, you may pass by them
+without being seen; and on the gates of
+the castle you will find engraved by what
+means the enchantment may be broken.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack promised that in the morning,
+at the risk of his life, he would break
+the enchantment; and after a sound
+sleep he arose early, put on his invisible
+coat, and got ready for the attempt.
+When he had climbed to the top of the
+mountain he saw the two fiery griffins;
+but he passed between them without
+the least fear of danger, for they could
+not see him because of his invisible coat.
+On the castle gate he found a golden
+trumpet, under which were written these
+lines:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>32]</a></span>
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Whoever can this trumpet blow,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Shall cause the giant&rsquo;s overthrow.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>As soon as Jack had read this he
+seized the trumpet and blew a shrill
+blast, which made the gates fly open
+and the very castle itself tremble. The
+giant and the conjuror now knew that
+their wicked course was at an end, and
+they stood biting their thumbs and shaking
+with fear. Jack, with his sword of
+sharpness, soon killed the giant, and the
+magician was then carried away by a
+whirlwind. All the knights and beautiful
+ladies, who had been changed into
+birds and beasts, returned to their proper
+shapes. The castle vanished away like
+smoke, and the head of the giant Galligantus
+was sent to King Arthur. The
+knights and ladies rested that night at
+the old man&rsquo;s hermitage, and the next
+day they set out for the court. Jack
+then went up to the king, and gave his
+majesty an account of all his fierce
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>33]</a></span>
+battles. Jack&rsquo;s fame had spread through
+the whole country, and at the king&rsquo;s
+desire the duke gave him his daughter
+in marriage, to the joy of all the kingdom.
+After this the king gave him a
+large estate, on which he and his lady
+lived the rest of their days in joy and
+content.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>34]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>CINDERELLA<br />
+
+<span class="tinyfont">OR</span><br />
+
+<span class="smlfont">THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER</span></h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE was once an honest gentleman
+who took for his second wife a
+lady, the proudest and most disagreeable
+in the whole country. She had
+two daughters exactly like herself in
+all things. He also had one little girl,
+who resembled her dead mother, the
+best woman in all the world. Scarcely
+had the second marriage taken place
+than the stepmother became jealous
+of the good qualities of the little girl,
+who was so great a contrast to her own
+two daughters. She gave her all the
+menial occupations of the house:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>35]</a></span>
+compelled her to wash the floors and staircases,
+to dust the bedrooms, and clean
+the grates; and while her sisters occupied
+carpeted chambers hung with
+mirrors, where they could see themselves
+from head to foot, this poor little
+damsel was sent to sleep in an attic,
+on an old straw mattress, with only one
+chair and not a looking-glass in the
+room.</p>
+
+<p>She suffered all in silence, not daring
+to complain to her father, who was entirely
+ruled by his new wife. When
+her daily work was done she used to
+sit down in the chimney-corner among
+the ashes, from which the two sisters
+gave her the nickname of &ldquo;Cinderella.&rdquo;
+But Cinderella, however shabbily clad,
+was handsomer than they were with all
+their fine clothes.</p>
+
+<p>It happened that the king&rsquo;s son gave
+a series of balls, to which were invited
+all the rank and fashion of the city, and
+among the rest the two elder sisters.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>36]</a></span>
+They were very proud and happy, and
+occupied their whole time in deciding
+what they should wear, a source of new
+trouble to Cinderella, whose duty it was
+to get up their fine linen and laces, and
+who never could please them however
+much she tried. They talked of nothing
+but their clothes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I,&rdquo; said the elder, &ldquo;shall wear my
+velvet gown and my trimmings of English
+lace.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And I,&rdquo; added the younger, &ldquo;will
+have but my ordinary silk petticoat,
+but I shall adorn it with an upper skirt
+of flowered brocade, and shall put on
+my diamond tiara, which is a great deal
+finer than anything of yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Here the elder sister grew angry, and
+dispute began to run so high that Cinderella,
+who was known to have excellent
+taste, was called upon to decide
+between them. She gave them the best
+advice she could, and gently and submissively
+offered to dress them herself,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>37]</a></span>
+and especially to arrange their hair,
+an accomplishment in which she excelled
+many a noted coiffeur. The important
+evening came, and she exercised
+all her skill to adorn the two young
+ladies. While she was combing out the
+elder&rsquo;s hair, this ill-natured girl said,
+sharply, &ldquo;Cinderella, do you not wish
+you were going to the ball?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, madam&rdquo; (they obliged her always
+to say madam), &ldquo;you are only
+mocking me; it is not my fortune to
+have any such pleasure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are right; people would only
+laugh to see a little cinder-wench at a
+ball.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Any other than Cinderella would have
+dressed the hair all awry, but she was
+good, and dressed it perfectly even and
+smooth, and as prettily as she could.</p>
+
+<p>The sisters had scarcely eaten for two
+days, and had broken a dozen stay-laces
+a day, in trying to make themselves
+slender; but to-night they broke a dozen
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>38]</a></span>
+more, and lost their tempers over and
+over again before they had completed
+their toilet. When at last the happy
+moment arrived, Cinderella followed
+them to the coach; after it had whirled
+them away, she sat down by the kitchen
+fire and cried.</p>
+
+<p>Immediately her godmother, who was
+a fairy, appeared beside her. &ldquo;What
+are you crying for, my little maid?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I wish&mdash;I wish&mdash;&rdquo; Her sobs
+stopped her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You wish to go to the ball; isn&rsquo;t it
+so?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella nodded.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, then, be a good girl and you
+shall go. First run into the garden and
+fetch me the largest pumpkin you can
+find.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella did not comprehend what
+this had to do with her going to the
+ball, but, being obedient and obliging,
+she went. Her godmother took the
+pumpkin, and, having scooped out all
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>39]</a></span>
+its inside, struck it with her wand; it
+became a splendid gilt coach lined with
+rose-colored satin.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now fetch me the mouse-trap out
+of the pantry, my dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella brought it; it contained
+six of the fattest, sleekest mice. The
+fairy lifted up the wire door, and as
+each mouse ran out she struck it and
+changed it into a beautiful black
+horse.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But what shall I do for your coachman,
+Cinderella?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella suggested that she had
+seen a large black rat in the rat-trap,
+and he might do for want of better.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are right; go and look again
+for him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He was found, and the fairy made him
+into a most respectable coachman, with
+the finest whiskers imaginable. She afterwards
+took six lizards from behind
+the pumpkin frame and changed them
+into six footmen, all in splendid livery,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>40]</a></span>
+who immediately jumped up behind the
+carriage, as if they had been footmen
+all their days. &ldquo;Well, Cinderella, now
+you can go to the ball.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What, in these clothes?&rdquo; said Cinderella
+piteously, looking down on her
+ragged frock.</p>
+
+<p>Her godmother laughed, and touched
+her also with the wand, at which her
+wretched, threadbare jacket became stiff
+with gold and sparkling with jewels;
+her woollen petticoat lengthened into
+a gown of sweeping satin, from underneath
+which peeped out her little feet,
+no longer bare, but covered with silk
+stockings and the prettiest glass slippers
+in the world. &ldquo;Now, Cinderella,
+depart; but remember, if you stay one
+instant after midnight, your carriage
+will become a pumpkin, your coachman
+a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen
+lizards; while you yourself will be
+the little cinder-wench you were an
+hour ago.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>41]</a></span>
+Cinderella promised without fear, her
+heart was so full of joy.</p>
+
+<p>Arrived at the palace, the king&rsquo;s son,
+whom some one, probably the fairy,
+had told to await the coming of an uninvited
+princess whom nobody knew,
+was standing at the entrance ready to
+receive her. He offered her his hand,
+and led her with the utmost courtesy
+through the assembled guests, who
+stood aside to let her pass, whispering
+to one another, &ldquo;Oh, how beautiful she
+is!&rdquo; It might have turned the head of
+any one but poor Cinderella, who was
+so used to be despised that she took it
+all as if it were something happening
+in a dream.</p>
+
+<p>Her triumph was complete; even the
+old king said to the queen, that never
+since her majesty&rsquo;s young days had he
+seen so charming and elegant a person.
+All the court ladies scanned her eagerly,
+clothes and all, determining to have
+theirs made next day of exactly the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>42]</a></span>
+same pattern. The king&rsquo;s son himself
+led her out to dance, and she danced so
+gracefully that he admired her more and
+more. Indeed, at supper, which was
+fortunately early, his admiration quite
+took away his appetite. For Cinderella
+herself, with an involuntary shyness
+she sought out her sisters, placed herself
+beside them, and offered them all
+sorts of civil attentions, which, coming
+as they supposed from a stranger, and
+so magnificent a lady, almost overwhelmed
+them with delight.</p>
+
+<p>While she was talking with them she
+heard the clock strike a quarter to
+twelve, and making a courteous adieu
+to the royal family, she re-entered her
+carriage, escorted tenderly by the king&rsquo;s
+son, and arrived in safety at her own
+door. There she found her godmother,
+who smiled approval, and of whom she
+begged permission to go to a second
+ball, the following night, to which the
+queen had earnestly invited her.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>43]</a></span>
+While she was talking the two sisters
+were heard knocking at the gate, and
+the fairy godmother vanished, leaving
+Cinderella sitting in the chimney-corner,
+rubbing her eyes and pretending to
+be very sleepy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah,&rdquo; cried the eldest sister, maliciously,
+&ldquo;it has been the most delightful
+ball, and there was present the most
+beautiful princess I ever saw, who was
+so exceedingly polite to us both.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Was she?&rdquo; said Cinderella, indifferently;
+&ldquo;and who might she be?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nobody knows, though everybody
+would give their eyes to know, especially
+the king&rsquo;s son.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Indeed!&rdquo; replied Cinderella, a little
+more interested. &ldquo;I should like to see
+her. Miss Javotte&rdquo;&mdash;that was the elder
+sister&rsquo;s name&mdash;&ldquo;will you not let me go
+to-morrow, and lend me your yellow
+gown that you wear on Sundays?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What, lend my yellow gown to a
+cinder-wench! I am not so mad as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>44]</a></span>
+that.&rdquo; At which refusal Cinderella did
+not complain, for if her sister really had
+lent her the gown she would have been
+considerably embarrassed.</p>
+
+<p>The next night came, and the two
+young ladies, richly dressed in different
+toilets, went to the ball. Cinderella,
+more splendidly attired and beautiful
+than ever, followed them shortly after.
+&ldquo;Now remember twelve o&rsquo;clock,&rdquo; was
+her godmother&rsquo;s parting speech, and she
+thought she certainly should. But the
+prince&rsquo;s attentions to her were greater
+even than the first evening, and, in the
+delight of listening to his pleasant conversation,
+time slipped by unperceived.
+While she was sitting beside him in a
+lovely alcove, and looking at the moon
+from under a bower of orange blossoms,
+she heard a clock strike the first stroke
+of twelve. She started up, and fled
+away as lightly as a deer.</p>
+
+<p>Amazed, the prince followed, but
+could not catch her. Indeed, he missed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>45]</a></span>
+his lovely princess altogether, and only
+saw running out of the palace doors a
+little dirty lass whom he had never beheld
+before, and of whom he certainly
+would never have taken the least notice.
+Cinderella arrived at home breathless
+and weary, ragged and cold, without
+carriage or footmen or coachman, the
+only remnant of her past magnificence
+being one of her little glass slippers&mdash;the
+other she had dropped in the ballroom
+as she ran away.</p>
+
+<p>When the two sisters returned they
+were full of this strange adventure: how
+the beautiful lady had appeared at the
+ball more beautiful than ever, and enchanted
+every one who looked at her;
+and how as the clock was striking twelve
+she had suddenly risen up and fled
+through the ballroom, disappearing no
+one knew how or where, and dropping
+one of her glass slippers behind her in
+her flight. How the king&rsquo;s son had remained
+inconsolable until he chanced
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>46]</a></span>
+to pick up the little glass slipper, which
+he carried away in his pocket, and was
+seen to take it out continually, and
+look at it affectionately, with the air of
+a man very much in love; in fact, from
+his behavior during the remainder of
+the evening, all the court and royal
+family were convinced that he had
+become desperately enamoured of the
+wearer of the little glass slipper.</p>
+
+<p>Cinderella listened in silence, turning
+her face to the kitchen fire, and perhaps
+it was that which made her look so
+rosy, but nobody ever noticed or admired
+her at home, so it did not signify,
+and next morning she went to her
+weary work again just as before.</p>
+
+<p>A few days after, the whole city was
+attracted by the sight of a herald going
+round with a little glass slipper in his
+hand, publishing, with a flourish of
+trumpets, that the king&rsquo;s son ordered
+this to be fitted on the foot of every
+lady in the kingdom, and that he wished
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>47]</a></span>
+to marry the lady whom it fitted best,
+or to whom it and the fellow-slipper belonged.
+Princesses, duchesses, countesses,
+and simple gentlewomen all tried
+it on, but, being a fairy slipper, it fitted
+nobody; and, besides, nobody could produce
+its fellow-slipper, which lay all the
+time safely in the pocket of Cinderella&rsquo;s
+old linsey gown.</p>
+
+<p>At last the herald came to the house
+of the two sisters, and though they well
+knew neither of themselves was the
+beautiful lady, they made every attempt
+to get their clumsy feet into the
+glass slipper, but in vain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me try it on,&rdquo; said Cinderella,
+from the chimney-corner.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What, you?&rdquo; cried the others, bursting
+into shouts of laughter; but Cinderella
+only smiled and held out her
+hand.</p>
+
+<p>Her sisters could not prevent her,
+since the command was that every
+young maiden in the city should try on
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>48]</a></span>
+the slipper, in order that no chance
+might be left untried, for the prince
+was nearly breaking his heart; and his
+father and mother were afraid that,
+though a prince, he would actually die
+for love of the beautiful unknown lady.</p>
+
+<p>So the herald bade Cinderella sit
+down on a three-legged stool in the
+kitchen, and himself put the slipper on
+her pretty little foot, which it fitted
+exactly. She then drew from her pocket
+the fellow-slipper, which she also put
+on, and stood up&mdash;for with the touch
+of the magic shoes all her dress was
+changed likewise&mdash;no longer the poor,
+despised cinder-wench, but the beautiful
+lady whom the king&rsquo;s son loved.</p>
+
+<p>Her sisters recognized her at once.
+Filled with astonishment, mingled with
+no little alarm, they threw themselves
+at her feet, begging her pardon for all
+their former unkindness. She raised
+and embraced them, told them she forgave
+them with all her heart, and only
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>49]</a></span>
+hoped they would love her always.
+Then she departed with the herald to
+the king&rsquo;s palace, and told her whole
+story to his majesty and the royal
+family, who were not in the least surprised,
+for everybody believed in fairies,
+and everybody longed to have a fairy
+godmother.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="slipper" id="slipper"></a>
+<img src="images/fft04.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="A delighted herald and shocked sisters look on" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">The slipper fitted exactly</p>
+
+<p>For the young prince, he found her
+more lovely and lovable than ever, and
+insisted upon marrying her immediately.
+Cinderella never went home again,
+but she sent for her two sisters to the
+palace, and with the consent of all
+parties married them shortly after to
+two rich gentlemen of the court.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>50]</a></span></p>
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the days of King Alfred there
+lived a poor woman whose cottage
+was in a remote country village many
+miles from London. She had been a
+widow some years, and had an only
+child named Jack, whom she indulged
+so much that he never paid the least
+attention to anything she said, but was
+indolent, careless, and extravagant. His
+follies were not owing to a bad disposition,
+but to his mother&rsquo;s foolish partiality.
+By degrees he spent all that
+she had&mdash;scarcely anything remained
+but a cow.</p>
+
+<p>One day, for the first time in her life,
+she reproached him: &ldquo;Cruel, cruel boy!
+you have at last brought me to beggary.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>51]</a></span>
+I have not money enough to purchase
+even a bit of bread; nothing now remains
+to sell but my poor cow! I am
+sorry to part with her; it grieves me
+sadly, but we cannot starve.&rdquo; For a
+few minutes Jack felt remorse, but it
+was soon over; and he began asking his
+mother to let him sell the cow at the
+next village, teasing her so much that
+she at last consented.</p>
+
+<p>As he was going along he met a
+butcher, who inquired why he was
+driving the cow from home? Jack
+replied he was going to sell it. The
+butcher held some curious beans in his
+hat; they were of various colors and
+attracted Jack&rsquo;s attention. This did not
+pass unnoticed by the man, who, knowing
+Jack&rsquo;s easy temper, thought now
+was the time to take an advantage of
+it, and, determined not to let slip so
+good an opportunity, asked what was
+the price of the cow, offering at the
+same time all the beans in his hat for
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>52]</a></span>
+her. The silly boy could not conceal
+the pleasure he felt at what he supposed
+so great an offer; the bargain was struck
+instantly, and the cow exchanged for
+a few paltry beans. Jack made the
+best of his way home, calling aloud to
+his mother before he reached the door,
+thinking to surprise her.</p>
+
+<p>When she saw the beans and heard
+Jack&rsquo;s account, her patience quite forsook
+her; she tossed the beans out of
+the window, where they fell on the
+garden-bed below. Then she threw her
+apron over her head and cried bitterly.
+Jack attempted to console her, but in
+vain, and, not having anything to eat,
+they both went supperless to bed.
+Jack awoke early in the morning, and,
+seeing something uncommon darkening
+the window of his bedchamber, ran
+down-stairs into the garden, where he
+found some of the beans had taken root
+and sprung up surprisingly; the stalks
+were of an immense thickness, and had
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>53]</a></span>
+twined together until they formed a
+ladder like a chain, and so high that
+the top appeared to be lost in the
+clouds. Jack was an adventurous lad;
+he determined to climb up to the top,
+and ran to tell his mother, not doubting
+but that she would be as much
+pleased as he was. She declared he
+should not go, said it would break her
+heart if he did&mdash;entreated and threatened,
+but all in vain. Jack set out, and
+after climbing for some hours reached
+the top of the bean-stalk quite exhausted.
+Looking around, he found himself
+in a strange country; it appeared to be
+a barren desert&mdash;not a tree, shrub,
+house, or living creature was to be seen;
+here and there were scattered fragments
+of stone; and at unequal distances small
+heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.</p>
+
+<p>Jack seated himself pensively upon
+a block of stone and thought of his
+mother; he reflected with sorrow upon
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>54]</a></span>
+his disobedience in climbing the bean-stalk
+against her will, and concluded
+that he must die of hunger. However,
+he walked on, hoping to see a house
+where he might beg something to eat
+and drink. He did not find it; but he
+saw at a distance a beautiful lady, walking
+all alone. She was elegantly clad
+and carried a white wand, at the top
+of which sat a peacock of pure gold.</p>
+
+<p>Jack, who was a gallant fellow, went
+straight up to her, when, with a bewitching
+smile, she asked him how he
+came there. He told her all about the
+bean-stalk. The lady answered him by
+a question, &ldquo;Do you remember your
+father, young man?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, madam; but I am sure there is
+some mystery about him, for when I
+name him to my mother she always
+begins to weep, and will tell me nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She dare not,&rdquo; replied the lady,
+&ldquo;but I can and will. For know, young
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>55]</a></span>
+man, that I am a fairy and was your
+father&rsquo;s guardian. But fairies are bound
+by laws as well as mortals, and by an
+error of mine I lost my power for a term
+of years, so that I was unable to succour
+your father when he most needed
+it, and he died.&rdquo; Here the fairy looked
+so sorrowful that Jack&rsquo;s heart warmed
+to her, and he begged her earnestly to
+tell him more.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will; only you must promise to
+obey me in everything, or you will perish
+yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack was brave, and, besides, his fortunes
+were so bad they could not well be
+worse, so he promised.</p>
+
+<p>The fairy continued: &ldquo;Your father,
+Jack, was a most excellent, amiable,
+generous man. He had a good wife,
+faithful servants, plenty of money; but
+he had one misfortune&mdash;a false friend.
+This was a giant, whom he had succoured
+in misfortune, and who returned
+his kindness by murdering him, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>56]</a></span>
+seizing on all his property; also making
+your mother take a solemn oath that
+she would never tell you anything about
+your father, or he would murder both
+her and you. Then he turned her off
+with you in her arms, to wander about
+the wide world as she might. I could
+not help her, as my power only returned
+on the day you went to sell your cow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It was I,&rdquo; added the fairy, &ldquo;who
+impelled you to take the beans, who
+made the bean-stalk grow, and inspired
+you with the desire to climb up
+it to this strange country; for it is here
+the wicked giant lives who was your
+father&rsquo;s destroyer. It is you who must
+avenge him, and rid the world of a
+monster who never will do anything
+but evil. I will assist you. You may
+lawfully take possession of his house
+and all his riches, for everything he has
+belonged to your father, and is therefore
+yours. Now farewell! Do not let
+your mother know you are acquainted
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>57]</a></span>
+with your father&rsquo;s history. This is my
+command, and if you disobey me you
+will suffer for it. Now go.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jack asked where he was to go.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Along the direct road till you see
+the house where the giant lives. You
+must then act according to your own
+just judgment, and I will guide you if
+any difficulty arises. Farewell!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She bestowed on the youth a benignant
+smile, and vanished.</p>
+
+<p>Jack pursued his journey. He walked
+on till after sunset, when to his great
+joy, he espied a large mansion. A plain-looking
+woman was at the door; he accosted
+her, begging she would give him
+a morsel of bread and a night&rsquo;s lodging.
+She expressed the greatest surprise,
+and said it was quite uncommon to see
+a human being near their house; for it
+was well known that her husband was
+a powerful giant, who would never eat
+anything but human flesh, if he could
+possibly get it; that he would walk fifty
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>58]</a></span>
+miles to procure it, usually being out
+the whole day for that purpose.</p>
+
+<p>This account greatly terrified Jack,
+but still he hoped to elude the giant,
+and therefore he again entreated the
+woman to take him in for one night
+only, and hide him where she thought
+proper. She at last suffered herself to
+be persuaded, for she was of a compassionate
+and generous disposition, and
+took him into the house. First they
+entered a fine large hall magnificently
+furnished; they then passed through
+several spacious rooms in the same
+style of grandeur; but all appeared forsaken
+and desolate. A long gallery
+came next; it was very dark&mdash;just light
+enough to show that, instead of a wall
+on one side, there was a grating of iron
+which parted off a dismal dungeon,
+from whence issued the groans of those
+victims whom the cruel giant reserved
+in confinement for his own voracious
+appetite.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>59]</a></span>
+Poor Jack was half dead with fear,
+and would have given the world to
+have been with his mother again, for
+he now began to doubt if he should ever
+see her more; he even mistrusted the
+good woman, and thought she had let
+him into the house for no other purpose
+than to lock him up among the unfortunate
+people in the dungeon. However,
+she bade Jack sit down, and gave
+him plenty to eat and drink; and he,
+not seeing anything to make him uncomfortable,
+soon forgot his fear and
+was just beginning to enjoy himself,
+when he was startled by a loud knocking
+at the outer door, which made the
+whole house shake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! that&rsquo;s the giant; and if he sees
+you he will kill you and me, too,&rdquo; cried
+the poor woman, trembling all over.
+&ldquo;What shall I do?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hide me in the oven,&rdquo; cried Jack,
+now as bold as a lion at the thought of
+being face to face with his father&rsquo;s cruel
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>60]</a></span>
+murderer. So he crept into the oven&mdash;for
+there was no fire near it&mdash;and listened
+to the giant&rsquo;s loud voice and
+heavy step as he went up and down the
+kitchen scolding his wife. At last he
+seated himself at table, and Jack, peeping
+through a crevice in the oven, was
+amazed to see what a quantity of food
+he devoured. It seemed as if he never
+would have done eating and drinking;
+but he did at last, and, leaning back,
+called to his wife in a voice like thunder:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Bring me my hen!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She obeyed, and placed upon the
+table a very beautiful live hen.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lay!&rdquo; roared the giant, and the hen
+laid immediately an egg of solid gold.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lay another!&rdquo; and every time the
+giant said this the hen laid a larger egg
+than before.</p>
+
+<p>He amused himself a long time with
+his hen, and then sent his wife to bed,
+while he fell asleep by the fireside and
+snored like the roaring of cannon.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>61]</a></span>
+As soon as he was asleep Jack crept
+out of the oven, seized the hen, and ran
+off with her. He got safely out of the
+house, and, finding his way along the
+road he came, reached the top of the
+bean-stalk, which he descended in
+safety.</p>
+
+<p>His mother was overjoyed to see him.
+She thought he had come to some ill
+end.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not a bit of it, mother. Look
+here!&rdquo; and he showed her the hen.
+&ldquo;Now lay,&rdquo; and the hen obeyed him as
+readily as the giant, and laid as many
+golden eggs as he desired.</p>
+
+<p>These eggs being sold, Jack and his
+mother got plenty of money, and for
+some months lived very happily together,
+till Jack got another great longing
+to climb the bean-stalk and carry
+away some more of the giant&rsquo;s riches.
+He had told his mother of his adventure,
+but had been very careful not
+to say a word about his father. He
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>62]</a></span>
+thought of his journey again and again,
+but still he could not summon resolution
+enough to break it to his mother,
+being well assured that she would endeavor
+to prevent his going. However,
+one day he told her boldly that
+he must take another journey up the
+bean-stalk. She begged and prayed him
+not to think of it, and tried all in her
+power to dissuade him; she told him
+that the giant&rsquo;s wife would certainly
+know him again, and that the giant
+would desire nothing better than to
+get him into his power, that he might
+put him to a cruel death, in order to be
+revenged for the loss of his hen. Jack,
+finding that all his arguments were useless,
+ceased speaking, though resolved
+to go at all events. He had a dress
+prepared which would disguise him,
+and something to color his skin; he
+thought it impossible for any one to
+recollect him in this dress.</p>
+
+<p>A few mornings after he rose very
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>63]</a></span>
+early, and, unperceived by any one,
+climbed the bean-stalk a second time.
+He was greatly fatigued when he reached
+the top, and very hungry. Having rested
+some time on one of the stones, he
+pursued his journey to the giant&rsquo;s mansion,
+which he reached late in the evening.
+The woman was at the door as
+before. Jack addressed her, at the
+same time telling her a pitiful tale, and
+requesting that she would give him
+some victuals and drink, and also a
+night&rsquo;s lodging.</p>
+
+<p>She told him (what he knew before
+very well) about her husband&rsquo;s being a
+powerful and cruel giant, and also that
+she had one night admitted a poor,
+hungry, friendless boy; that the little
+ungrateful fellow had stolen one of the
+giant&rsquo;s treasures, and ever since that
+her husband had been worse than before,
+using her very cruelly, and continually
+upbraiding her with being the
+cause of his misfortune. Jack felt sorry
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>64]</a></span>
+for her, but confessed nothing, and did
+his best to persuade her to admit him,
+but found it a very hard task. At last
+she consented, and as she led the way,
+Jack observed that everything was just
+as he had found it before. She took him
+into the kitchen, and after he had done
+eating and drinking, she hid him in an
+old lumber-closet. The giant returned
+at the usual time, and walked in so
+heavily that the house was shaken to
+its foundation. He seated himself by
+the fire, and soon after exclaimed,
+&ldquo;Wife, I smell fresh meat!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wife replied it was the crows
+which had brought a piece of raw meat
+and left it at the top of the house.
+While supper was preparing, the giant
+was very ill-tempered and impatient,
+frequently lifting up his hand to strike
+his wife for not being quick enough.
+He was also continually upbraiding her
+with the loss of his wonderful hen.</p>
+
+<p>At last, having ended his supper, he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>65]</a></span>
+cried, &ldquo;Give me something to amuse
+me&mdash;my harp or my money-bags.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Which will you have, my dear?&rdquo; said
+the wife, humbly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My money-bags, because they are
+the heaviest to carry,&rdquo; thundered he.</p>
+
+<p>She brought them, staggering under
+the weight&mdash;two bags, one filled with
+new guineas and the other with new
+shillings. She emptied them out on the
+table, and the giant began counting them
+in great glee. &ldquo;Now you may go to bed,
+you old fool.&rdquo; So the wife crept away.</p>
+
+<p>Jack from his hiding-place watched
+the counting of the money, which he
+knew was his poor father&rsquo;s, and wished
+it was his own; it would give him much
+less trouble than going about selling the
+golden eggs. The giant, little thinking
+he was so narrowly observed, reckoned
+it all up, and then replaced it in the two
+bags, which he tied up very carefully
+and put beside his chair, with his little
+dog to guard them.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>66]</a></span>
+At last he fell asleep as before, and
+snored so loud that Jack compared
+his noise to the roaring of the sea in
+a high wind, when the tide is coming
+in. At last Jack, concluding all
+secure, stole out, in order to carry off
+the two bags of money; but just as he
+laid his hand upon one of them, the
+little dog, which he had not perceived
+before, started from under the giant&rsquo;s
+chair and barked most furiously. Instead
+of endeavoring to escape, Jack
+stood still, though expecting his enemy
+to awake every instant.</p>
+
+<p>Contrary, however, to his expectation,
+the giant continued in a sound
+sleep, and Jack, seeing a piece of
+meat, threw it to the dog, who at once
+ceased barking and began to devour
+it. So Jack carried off the bags, one
+on each shoulder, but they were so
+heavy that it took him two whole days
+to descend the bean-stalk and get back
+to his mother&rsquo;s door.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="barked" id="barked"></a>
+<img src="images/fft05.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="Jack tries to steal the money-bags" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">Just as he laid his hand upon one of them, the little dog barked
+most furiously</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>67]</a></span>
+When he came he found the cottage
+deserted. He ran from one room to
+another without being able to find any
+one; he then hastened into the village,
+hoping to see some of the neighbors,
+who could inform him where he could
+find his mother. An old woman at last
+directed him to a neighboring house,
+where she was ill of a fever. He was
+greatly shocked at finding her apparently
+dying, and blamed himself bitterly
+as the cause of it all. However, at
+sight of her dear son, the poor woman
+revived and slowly recovered her health.
+Jack gave her his two money-bags.
+They had the cottage rebuilt and well
+furnished, and lived happier than they
+had ever done before.</p>
+
+<p>For three years Jack heard no more
+of the bean-stalk, but he could not forget
+it, though he feared making his
+mother unhappy. It was in vain endeavoring
+to amuse himself; he became
+thoughtful, and would arise at the first
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>68]</a></span>
+dawn of day, and sit looking at the
+bean-stalk for hours together. His
+mother saw that something preyed
+upon his mind, and endeavored to discover
+the cause; but Jack knew too well
+what the consequence would be should
+she succeed. He did his utmost, therefore,
+to conquer the great desire he had
+for another journey up the bean-stalk.
+Finding, however, that his inclination
+grew too powerful for him, he began to
+make secret preparations for his journey.
+He prepared a new disguise,
+better and more complete than the
+former, and when summer came, on the
+longest day he awoke as soon as it was
+light, and, without telling his mother,
+ascended the bean-stalk. He found the
+road, journey, etc., much as it was on
+the two former times. He arrived at
+the giant&rsquo;s mansion in the evening, and
+found the wife standing, as usual, at the
+door. Jack had disguised himself so
+completely that she did not appear to
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>69]</a></span>
+have the least recollection of him; however,
+when he pleaded hunger and
+poverty, in order to gain admittance,
+he found it very difficult indeed to persuade
+her. At last he prevailed, and
+was concealed in the copper. When the
+giant returned he said, furiously, &ldquo;I
+smell fresh meat!&rdquo; But Jack felt quite
+composed, since the giant had said this
+before and had been soon satisfied.
+However, the giant started up suddenly,
+and, notwithstanding all his wife
+could say, he searched all round the
+room. While this was going forward
+Jack was exceedingly terrified, wishing
+himself at home a thousand times; but
+when the giant approached the copper
+and put his hand upon the lid, Jack
+thought his death was certain.</p>
+
+<p>But nothing happened; for the giant
+did not take the trouble to lift up the
+lid, but sat down shortly by the fireside
+and began to eat his enormous
+supper. When he had finished he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>70]</a></span>
+commanded his wife to fetch down
+his harp. Jack peeped under the
+copper-lid and saw a most beautiful
+harp. The giant placed it on the
+table, said &ldquo;Play!&rdquo; and it played of
+its own accord, without anybody touching
+it, the most exquisite music imaginable.
+Jack, who was a very good
+musician, was delighted, and more
+anxious to get this than any other of
+his enemy&rsquo;s treasures. But the giant
+not being particularly fond of music,
+the harp had only the effect of lulling
+him to sleep earlier than usual. As
+for the wife, she had gone to bed as soon
+as ever she could.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he thought all was safe,
+Jack got out of the copper, and, seizing
+the harp, was eagerly running off with
+it. But the harp was enchanted by a
+fairy, and as soon as it found itself in
+strange hands it called out loudly, just
+as if it had been alive, &ldquo;Master! Master!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>71]</a></span>
+The giant awoke, started up, and saw
+Jack scampering away as fast as his
+legs could carry him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you villain! it is you who have
+robbed me of my hen and my money-bags,
+and now you are stealing my harp
+also. Wait till I catch you and I&rsquo;ll eat
+you up alive!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well: try!&rdquo; shouted Jack, who
+was not a bit afraid, for he saw the
+giant was so tipsy he could hardly
+stand, much less run; and he himself
+had young legs and a clear conscience,
+which carry a man a long way. So,
+after leading the giant a considerable
+race, he contrived to be first at the top
+of the bean-stalk, and then scrambled
+down it as fast as he could, the harp
+playing all the while the most melancholy
+music till he said &ldquo;Stop,&rdquo; and
+it stopped.</p>
+
+<p>Arrived at the bottom, he found his
+mother sitting at her cottage door
+weeping silently.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>72]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Here, mother, don&rsquo;t cry; just give
+me a hatchet&mdash;make haste.&rdquo; For he
+knew there was not a moment to spare;
+he saw the giant beginning to descend
+the bean-stalk.</p>
+
+<p>But the monster was too late&mdash;his
+ill deeds had come to an end. Jack
+with his hatchet cut the bean-stalk
+close off at the root. The giant fell
+headlong into the garden, and was killed
+on the spot.</p>
+
+<p>Instantly the fairy appeared and explained
+everything to Jack&rsquo;s mother,
+begging her to forgive Jack, who was
+his father&rsquo;s own son for bravery and
+generosity, and who would be sure to
+make her happy for the rest of her
+days.</p>
+
+<p>So all ended well, and nothing was
+ever more heard or seen of the wonderful
+bean-stalk.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>73]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE SLEEPING BEAUTY<br />
+IN THE WOOD</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE there was a royal couple who
+grieved excessively because they
+had no children. When at last, after
+long waiting, the queen presented her
+husband with a little daughter, his
+majesty showed his joy by giving a
+christening feast so grand that the like
+of it was never known. He invited all
+the fairies in the land&mdash;there were seven
+altogether&mdash;to stand godmothers to the
+little princess, hoping that each might
+bestow on her some good gift, as was
+the custom of good fairies in those
+days.</p>
+
+<p>After the ceremony all the guests
+returned to the palace, where there was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>74]</a></span>
+set before each fairy-godmother a magnificent
+covered dish, with an embroidered
+table-napkin, and a knife and fork
+of pure gold studded with diamonds
+and rubies. But alas! as they placed
+themselves at table there entered an
+old fairy who had never been invited,
+because more than fifty years since she
+had left the king&rsquo;s dominion on a tour
+of pleasure and had not been heard of
+until this day. His majesty, much
+troubled, desired a cover to be placed
+for her, but it was of common delf, for
+he had ordered from his jeweller only
+seven gold dishes for the seven fairies
+aforesaid. The elderly fairy thought
+herself neglected, and muttered angry
+menaces, which were overheard by one
+of the younger fairies, who chanced to
+sit beside her. This good godmother,
+afraid of harm to the pretty baby, hastened
+to hide herself behind the tapestry
+in the hall. She did this because she
+wished all the others to speak first&mdash;so
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>75]</a></span>
+that if any ill gift were bestowed on
+the child she might be able to counteract
+it.</p>
+
+<p>The six now offered their good wishes&mdash;which,
+unlike most wishes, were sure
+to come true. The fortunate little princess
+was to grow up the fairest woman
+in the world; to have a temper sweet
+as an angel; to be perfectly graceful
+and gracious; to sing like a nightingale;
+to dance like a leaf on a tree; and to
+possess every accomplishment under
+the sun. Then the old fairy&rsquo;s turn
+came. Shaking her head spitefully,
+she uttered the wish that when the
+baby grew up into a young lady, and
+learned to spin, she might prick her
+finger with the spindle and die of the
+wound.</p>
+
+<p>At this terrible prophecy all the
+guests shuddered, and some of the
+more tender-hearted began to weep.
+The lately happy parents were almost
+out of their wits with grief. Upon
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>76]</a></span>
+which the wise young fairy appeared
+from behind the tapestry, saying cheerfully;
+&ldquo;Your majesties may comfort
+yourselves; the princess shall not die. I
+have no power to alter the ill-fortune
+just wished her by my ancient sister&mdash;her
+finger must be pierced, and she
+shall then sink, not into the sleep of
+death, but into a sleep that will last a
+hundred years. After that time is ended
+the son of a king will find her,
+awaken her, and marry her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Immediately all the fairies vanished.</p>
+
+<p>The king, in the hope of avoiding his
+daughter&rsquo;s doom, issued an edict forbidding
+all persons to spin, and even to
+have spinning-wheels in their houses,
+on pain of instant death. But it was
+in vain. One day, when she was just
+fifteen years of age, the king and queen
+left their daughter alone in one of their
+castles, when, wandering about at her
+will, she came to an ancient dungeon
+tower, climbed to the top of it, and there
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>77]</a></span>
+found a very old woman&mdash;so old and
+deaf that she had never heard of the
+king&rsquo;s edict&mdash;busy with her wheel.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What are you doing, good old woman?&rdquo;
+said the princess.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m spinning, my pretty child.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, how charming! Let me try
+if I can spin also.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She had no sooner taken up the spindle
+than, being lively and obstinate,
+she handled it so awkwardly and carelessly
+that the point pierced her finger.
+Though it was so small a wound, she
+fainted away at once, and dropped
+silently down on the floor. The poor,
+frightened old woman called for help;
+shortly came the ladies in waiting, who
+tried every means to restore their young
+mistress, but all their care was useless.
+She lay, beautiful as an angel, the color
+still lingering in her lips and cheeks;
+her fair bosom softly stirred with her
+breath; only her eyes were fast closed.
+When the king, her father, and the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>78]</a></span>
+queen, her mother, beheld her thus,
+they knew regret was idle&mdash;all had happened
+as the cruel fairy meant. But
+they also knew that their daughter
+would not sleep forever, though after
+one hundred years it was not likely they
+would either of them behold her awakening.
+Until that happy hour should
+arrive, they determined to leave her in
+repose. They sent away all the physicians
+and attendants, and themselves
+sorrowfully laid her upon a bed of
+embroidery, in the most elegant apartment
+of the palace. There she slept
+and looked like a sleeping angel still.</p>
+
+<p>When this misfortune happened, the
+kindly young fairy who had saved the
+princess by changing her sleep of death
+into this sleep of a hundred years was
+twelve thousand leagues away in the
+kingdom of Mataquin. But being informed
+of everything, she arrived speedily
+in a chariot of fire drawn by dragons.
+The king was somewhat startled
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>79]</a></span>
+by the sight, but nevertheless went to
+the door of his palace, and, with a mournful
+countenance, presented her his hand
+to descend.</p>
+
+<p>The fairy condoled with his majesty,
+and approved of all he had done. Then,
+being a fairy of great common-sense
+and foresight, she suggested that the
+princess, awakening after a hundred
+years in this ancient castle, might be a
+good deal embarrassed, especially with
+a young prince by her side, to find herself
+alone. Accordingly, without asking
+any one&rsquo;s leave, she touched with
+her magic wand the entire population
+of the palace, except the king and
+queen&mdash;governesses, ladies of honor,
+waiting-maids, gentlemen ushers, cooks,
+kitchen-girls, pages, footmen, down to
+the horses that were in the stables and
+the grooms that attended them&mdash;she
+touched each and all. Nay, with kind
+consideration for the feelings of the
+princess, she even touched the little fat
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>80]</a></span>
+lapdog Puffy, who had laid himself
+down beside his mistress on her splendid
+bed. He, like all the rest, fell fast
+asleep in a moment. The very spits
+that were before the kitchen fire ceased
+turning, and the fire itself went out, and
+everything became as silent as if it were
+the middle of the night, or as if the
+palace were a palace of the dead.</p>
+
+<p>The king and queen&mdash;having kissed
+their daughter and wept over her a little,
+but not much, she looked so sweet
+and content&mdash;departed from the castle,
+giving orders that it was to be approached
+no more. The command was
+unnecessary; for in one quarter of an
+hour there sprung up around it a wood
+so thick and thorny that neither beasts
+nor men could attempt to penetrate
+there. Above this dense mass of forest
+could only be perceived the top of the
+high tower where the lovely princess
+slept.</p>
+
+<p>A great many changes happen in a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>81]</a></span>
+hundred years. The king, who never
+had a second child, died, and his throne
+passed into another royal family. So
+entirely was the story of the poor princess
+forgotten, that when the reigning
+king&rsquo;s son, being one day out hunting
+and stopped in the chase by this formidable
+wood, inquired what wood it
+was, and what were those towers which
+he saw appearing out of the midst of
+it, no one could answer him. At length
+an old peasant was found who remembered
+having heard his grandfather say
+to his father, that in this tower was a
+princess, beautiful as the day, who was
+doomed to sleep there for one hundred
+years, until awakened by a king&rsquo;s son,
+her destined bridegroom.</p>
+
+<p>At this the young prince, who had
+the spirit of a hero, determined to find
+out the truth for himself. Spurred on
+by both generosity and curiosity, he
+leaped from his horse and began to
+force his way through the thick wood.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>82]</a></span>
+To his amazement the stiff branches
+all gave way, and the ugly thorns
+sheathed themselves of their own accord,
+and the brambles buried themselves
+in the earth to let him pass.
+This done, they closed behind him,
+allowing none of his suite to follow:
+but, ardent and young, he went boldly
+on alone. The first thing he saw was
+enough to smite him with fear. Bodies
+of men and horses lay extended on the
+ground; but the men had faces, not
+death-white, but red as peonies, and
+beside them were glasses half filled with
+wine, showing that they had gone to
+sleep drinking. Next he entered a
+large court paved with marble, where
+stood rows of guards presenting arms,
+but motionless as if cut out of stone;
+then he passed through many chambers
+where gentlemen and ladies, all in the
+costume of the past century, slept at
+their ease, some standing, some sitting.
+The pages were lurking in corners, the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>83]</a></span>
+ladies of honor were stooping over their
+embroidery frames, or listening apparently
+with polite attention to the gentlemen
+of the court, but all were as silent
+as statues and as immovable. Their
+clothes, strange to say, were fresh and
+new as ever; and not a particle of dust
+or spider-web had gathered over the
+furniture, though it had not known a
+broom for a hundred years. Finally
+the astonished prince came to an inner
+chamber, where was the fairest sight
+his eyes had ever beheld.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 389px;">
+<a name="girl" id="girl"></a>
+<img src="images/fft06.jpg" width="389" height="600"
+alt="The prince leans over the sleeping princess" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an embroidered bed</p>
+
+<p>A young girl of wonderful beauty lay
+asleep on an embroidered bed, and she
+looked as if she had only just closed
+her eyes. Trembling, the prince approached
+and knelt beside her. Some
+say he kissed her, but as nobody saw it,
+and she never told, we cannot be quite
+sure of the fact. However, as the end
+of the enchantment had come, the princess
+awakened at once, and, looking at
+him with eyes of the tenderest regard,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>84]</a></span>
+said, drowsily: &ldquo;Is it you, my prince?
+I have waited for you very long.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Charmed with these words, and still
+more with the tone in which they were
+uttered, the prince assured her that he
+loved her more than his life. Nevertheless,
+he was the most embarrassed of
+the two; for, thanks to the kind fairy,
+the princess had plenty of time to dream
+of him during her century of slumber,
+while he had never even heard of her
+till an hour before. For a long time did
+they sit conversing, and yet had not
+said half enough. Their only interruption
+was the little dog Puffy, who
+had awakened with his mistress, and
+now began to be exceedingly jealous
+that the princess did not notice him as
+much as she was wont to do.</p>
+
+<p>Meantime all the attendants, whose
+enchantment was also broken, not being
+in love, were ready to die of hunger
+after their fast of a hundred years. A
+lady of honor ventured to intimate that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>85]</a></span>
+dinner was served; whereupon the prince
+handed his beloved princess at once to
+the great hall. She did not wait to
+dress for dinner, being already perfectly
+and magnificently attired, though in a
+fashion somewhat out of date. However,
+her lover had the politeness not
+to notice this, nor to remind her that
+she was dressed exactly like her royal
+grandmother, whose portrait still hung
+on the palace walls.</p>
+
+<p>During the banquet a concert took
+place by the attendant musicians, and
+considering they had not touched their
+instruments for a century, they played
+extremely well. They ended with a
+wedding march; for that very evening
+the marriage of the prince and princess
+was celebrated, and though the bride
+was nearly one hundred years older
+than the bridegroom, it is remarkable
+that the fact would never had been discovered
+by any one unacquainted therewith.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>86]</a></span>
+After a few days they went together
+out of the castle and enchanted wood,
+both of which immediately vanished,
+and were never more beheld by mortal
+eyes. The princess was restored to her
+ancestral kingdom, but it was not generally
+declared who she was, as during
+a hundred years people had grown so
+very much cleverer that nobody then
+living would ever have believed the
+story. So nothing was explained, and
+nobody presumed to ask any questions
+about her, for ought not a prince be
+able to marry whomsoever he pleases?</p>
+
+<p>Nor&mdash;whether or not the day of
+fairies was over&mdash;did the princess ever
+see anything further of her seven godmothers.
+She lived a long and happy
+life, like any other ordinary woman,
+and died at length, beloved, regretted,
+but, the prince being already no more,
+perfectly contented.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>87]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE there was a little village maiden,
+the prettiest ever seen. Her
+mother was foolishly fond of her, and
+her grandmother likewise. The old
+woman made for her a little hood,
+which became the damsel so well that
+ever after she went by the name of
+Little Red-Riding-Hood. One day,
+when her mother was making cakes,
+she said, &ldquo;My child, you shall go and
+see your grandmother, for I hear she
+is not well; and you shall take her some
+of these cakes and a pot of butter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Little Red-Riding-Hood was delighted
+to go, though it was a long walk;
+but she was a good child, and fond of
+her kind grandmother. Passing through
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>88]</a></span>
+a wood, she met a great wolf, who was
+most eager to eat her up, but dared
+not, because of a woodcutter who was
+busy hard by. So he only came and
+asked her politely where she was going.
+The poor child, who did not know how
+dangerous it is to stop and speak to
+wolves, replied, &ldquo;I am going to see my
+grandmother, and to take her a cake
+and a pot of butter, which my mother
+has sent her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is it very far from hence?&rdquo; asked
+the wolf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes; it is just above the mill
+which you may see up there&mdash;the first
+house you come to in the village.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said the wolf, &ldquo;I will go
+there also, to inquire after your excellent
+grandmother; I will go one way,
+and you the other, and we will see who
+can be there first.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he ran as fast as ever he could,
+taking the shortest road, but the little
+maiden took the longest; for she stopped
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>89]</a></span>
+to pluck roses in the wood, to chase butterflies,
+and gather nosegays of the
+prettiest flowers she could find&mdash;she
+was such a happy and innocent little
+soul.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="wolf" id="wolf"></a>
+<img src="images/fft07.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">He asked her politely where she was going</p>
+
+<p>The wolf was not long in reaching the
+grandmother&rsquo;s door. He knocked, Toc&mdash;toc,
+and the grandmother said, &ldquo;Who
+is there?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is your child, Little Red-Riding-Hood,&rdquo;
+replied the wicked beast, imitating
+the girl&rsquo;s voice; &ldquo;I bring you a
+cake and a pot of butter, which my
+mother has sent you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The grandmother, who was ill in her
+bed, said, &ldquo;Very well, my dear, pull
+the string and the latch will open.&rdquo;
+The wolf pulled the string&mdash;the door
+flew open; he leaped in, fell upon the
+poor old woman, and ate her up in less
+than no time, tough as she was, for he
+had not tasted anything for more than
+three days. Then he carefully shut the
+door, and laying himself down snugly
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>90]</a></span>
+in the bed, waited for Little Red-Riding-Hood,
+who was not long before
+she came and knocked, Toc&mdash;toc, at the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who is there?&rdquo; said the wolf; and
+the little maiden, hearing his gruff voice,
+felt sure that her poor grandmother
+must have caught a bad cold and be
+very ill indeed.</p>
+
+<p>So she answered, cheerfully, &ldquo;It is
+your child, Little Red-Riding-Hood,
+who brings you a cake and a pot of butter
+that my mother has sent you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the wolf, softening his voice as
+much as he could, said, &ldquo;Pull the string,
+and the latch will open.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the
+string and the door opened. The wolf,
+seeing her enter, hid himself as much
+as he could under the coverlid of the
+bed, and said in a whisper, &ldquo;Put the
+cake and the pot of butter on the shelf,
+and then make haste and come to bed,
+for it is very late.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>91]</a></span>
+Little Red-Riding-Hood did not think
+so; but, to please her grandmother, she
+undressed herself and began to get ready
+for bed, when she was very much astonished
+to find how different the old
+woman looked from ordinary.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, what great arms you
+have!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is to hug you the better, my
+dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, what great ears you
+have!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is to hear you the better, my
+dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, what great eyes you
+have!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is to see you the better, my
+dear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Grandmother, what a great mouth
+you have!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is to eat you up!&rdquo; cried the
+wicked wolf; and immediately he fell
+upon poor Little Red-Riding-Hood, and
+ate her up in a moment.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>92]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE UGLY DUCKLING</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HE country was lovely just then;
+it was summer! The wheat was
+golden and the oats still green; the hay
+was stacked in the rich, low-lying meadows,
+where the stork was marching
+about on his long red legs, chattering
+Egyptian, the language his mother had
+taught him.</p>
+
+<p>Round about field and meadow lay
+great woods, in the midst of which
+were deep lakes. Yes, the country
+certainly was delicious. In the sunniest
+spot stood an old mansion surrounded
+by a deep moat, and great
+dock leaves grew from the walls of the
+house right down to the water&rsquo;s edge,
+some of them were so tall that a small
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>93]</a></span>
+child could stand upright under them.
+In among the leaves it was as secluded
+as in the depths of a forest, and there
+a duck was sitting on her nest. Her
+little ducklings were just about to be
+hatched, but she was nearly tired of
+sitting, for it had lasted such a long
+time. Moreover, she had very few
+visitors, as the other ducks liked swimming
+about in the moat better than
+waddling up to sit under the dock
+leaves and gossip with her.</p>
+
+<p>At last one egg after another began
+to crack. &ldquo;Cheep, cheep!&rdquo; they said.
+All the chicks had come to life, and
+were poking their heads out.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Quack! quack!&rdquo; said the duck; and
+then they all quacked their hardest,
+and looked about them on all sides
+among the green leaves; their mother
+allowed them to look as much as they
+liked, for green is good for the eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How big the world is to be sure!&rdquo;
+said all the young ones; for they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>94]</a></span>
+certainly had ever so much more room to
+move about than when they were inside
+the egg-shell.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you imagine this is the whole
+world?&rdquo; said the mother. &ldquo;It stretches
+a long way on the other side of the
+garden, right into the parson&rsquo;s field;
+but I have never been as far as that!
+I suppose you are all here now?&rdquo; and
+she got up. &ldquo;No! I declare I have not
+got you all yet! The biggest egg is still
+there; how long is it going to last?&rdquo;
+and then she settled herself on the nest
+again.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, how are you getting on?&rdquo;
+said an old duck who had come to pay
+her a visit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This one egg is taking such a long
+time,&rdquo; answered the sitting duck, &ldquo;the
+shell will not crack; but now you must
+look at the others; they are the finest
+ducklings I have ever seen! they are all
+exactly like their father, the rascal! he
+never comes to see me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>95]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Let me look at the egg which won&rsquo;t
+crack,&rdquo; said the old duck. &ldquo;You may
+be sure that it is a turkey&rsquo;s egg! I
+have been cheated like that once, and
+I had no end of trouble and worry with
+the creatures, for I may tell you that
+they are afraid of the water. I could
+not get them into it; I quacked and
+snapped at them, but it was no good.
+Let me see the egg! Yes, it is a turkey&rsquo;s
+egg! You just leave it alone and
+teach the other children to swim.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will sit on it a little longer; I have
+sat so long already that I may as well
+go on till the Midsummer Fair comes
+round.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Please yourself,&rdquo; said the old duck,
+and she went away.</p>
+
+<p>At last the big egg cracked. &ldquo;Cheep,
+cheep!&rdquo; said the young one and tumbled
+out; how big and ugly he was!
+The duck looked at him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is a monstrous big duckling,&rdquo;
+she said; &ldquo;none of the others looked like
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>96]</a></span>
+that; can he be a turkey chick? well,
+we shall soon find that out; into the
+water he shall go, if I have to kick him
+in myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Next day was gloriously fine, and the
+sun shone on all the green dock leaves.
+The mother duck with her whole family
+went down to the moat.</p>
+
+<p>Splash, into the water she sprang.
+&ldquo;Quack, quack!&rdquo; she said, and one
+duckling plumped in after the other.
+The water dashed over their heads, but
+they came up again and floated beautifully;
+their legs went of themselves,
+and they were all there, even the big
+ugly gray one swam about with them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, that is no turkey,&rdquo; she said;
+&ldquo;see how beautifully he uses his legs
+and how erect he holds himself; he is
+my own chick! after all, he is not so
+bad when you come to look at him
+properly. Quack, quack! Now come
+with me and I will take you into the
+world, and introduce you to the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>97]</a></span>
+duckyard; but keep close to me all the time,
+so that no one may tread upon you,
+and beware of the cat!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they went into the duckyard.
+There was a fearful uproar going on,
+for two broods were fighting for the
+head of an eel, and in the end the cat
+captured it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s how things go in this world,&rdquo;
+said the mother duck; and she licked
+her bill, for she wanted the eel&rsquo;s head
+for herself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Use your legs,&rdquo; said she; &ldquo;mind you
+quack properly, and bend your necks to
+the old duck over there! She is the
+grandest of them all; she has Spanish
+blood in her veins and that accounts
+for her size, and, do you see? she has a
+red rag round her leg; that is a wonderfully
+fine thing, and the most extraordinary
+mark of distinction any duck
+can have. It shows clearly that she is
+not to be parted with, and that she is
+worthy of recognition both by beasts
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>98]</a></span>
+and men! Quack now! don&rsquo;t turn your
+toes in, a well brought up duckling keeps
+his legs wide apart just like father and
+mother; that&rsquo;s it, now bend your necks,
+and say quack!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They did as they were bid, but the
+other ducks round about looked at
+them and said, quite loud: &ldquo;Just look
+there! now we are to have that tribe!
+just as if there were not enough of us
+already, and, oh dear! how ugly that
+duckling is, we won&rsquo;t stand him!&rdquo; and
+a duck flew at him at once and bit him
+in the neck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let him be,&rdquo; said the mother; &ldquo;he
+is doing no harm.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very likely not, but he is so ungainly
+and queer,&rdquo; said the biter, &ldquo;he must
+be whacked.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They are handsome children mother
+has,&rdquo; said the old duck with the rag round
+her leg; &ldquo;all good looking except this
+one, and he is not a good specimen; it&rsquo;s
+a pity you can&rsquo;t make him over again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>99]</a></span>
+&ldquo;That can&rsquo;t be done, your grace,&rdquo; said
+the mother duck; &ldquo;he is not handsome,
+but he is a thorough good creature,
+and he swims as beautifully as any of
+the others; nay, I think I might venture
+even to add that I think he will improve
+as he goes on, or perhaps in time
+he may grow smaller! he was too long
+in the egg, and so he has not come out
+with a very good figure.&rdquo; And then
+she patted his neck and stroked him
+down. &ldquo;Besides, he is a drake,&rdquo; said
+she; &ldquo;so it does not matter so much.
+I believe he will be very strong, and I
+don&rsquo;t doubt but he will make his way
+in the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The other ducklings are very pretty,&rdquo;
+said the old duck. &ldquo;Now make yourselves
+quite at home, and if you find the
+head of an eel you may bring it to me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After that they felt quite at home.
+But the poor duckling which had been
+the last to come out of the shell, and
+who was so ugly, was bitten, pushed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>100]</a></span>
+about, and made fun of both by the
+ducks and the hens. &ldquo;He is too big,&rdquo;
+they all said; and the turkey-cock, who
+was born with his spurs on, and therefore
+thought himself quite an emperor,
+puffed himself up like a vessel in full
+sail, made for him, and gobbled and
+gobbled till he became quite red in the
+face. The poor duckling was at his
+wit&rsquo;s end, and did not know which way
+to turn; he was in despair because he
+was so ugly and the butt of the whole
+duckyard.</p>
+
+<p>So the first day passed, and afterwards
+matters grew worse and worse. The
+poor duckling was chased and hustled
+by all of them; even his brothers and
+sisters ill-used him, and they were always
+saying, &ldquo;If only the cat would
+get hold of you, you hideous object!&rdquo;
+Even his mother said, &ldquo;I wish to goodness
+you were miles away.&rdquo; The ducks
+bit him, the hens pecked him, and the
+girl who fed them kicked him aside.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>101]</a></span>
+Then he ran off and flew right over
+the hedge, where the little birds flew
+up into the air in a fright.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is because I am so ugly,&rdquo;
+thought the poor duckling, shutting his
+eyes, but he ran on all the same. Then
+he came to a great marsh where the
+wild ducks lived; he was so tired and
+miserable that he stayed there the
+whole night.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the wild ducks flew
+up to inspect their new comrade.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What sort of a creature are you?&rdquo;
+they inquired, as the duckling turned
+from side to side and greeted them as
+well as he could. &ldquo;You are frightfully
+ugly,&rdquo; said the wild ducks; &ldquo;but that
+does not matter to us, so long as you
+do not marry into our family!&rdquo; Poor
+fellow! he had no thought of marriage;
+all he wanted was permission to lie
+among the rushes, and to drink a little
+of the marsh water.</p>
+
+<p>He stayed there two whole days;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>102]</a></span>
+then two wild geese came, or, rather,
+two wild ganders; they were not long
+out of the shell, and therefore rather
+pert.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I say, comrade,&rdquo; they said, &ldquo;you
+are so ugly that we have taken quite
+a fancy to you; will you join us and be
+a bird of passage? There is another
+marsh close by, and there are some
+charming wild geese there; all sweet
+young ladies, who can say quack! You
+are ugly enough to make your fortune
+among them.&rdquo; Just at that moment,
+bang! bang! was heard up above, and
+both the wild geese fell dead among the
+reeds, and the water turned blood red.
+Bang! bang! went the guns, and whole
+flocks of wild geese flew up from the
+rushes and the shot peppered among
+them again.</p>
+
+<p>There was a grand shooting-party,
+and the sportsmen lay hidden round the
+marsh; some even sat on the branches
+of the trees which overhung the water;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>103]</a></span>
+the blue smoke rose like clouds among
+the dark trees and swept over the pool.</p>
+
+<p>The water-dogs wandered about in
+the swamp&mdash;splash! splash! The rushes
+and reeds bent beneath their tread on
+all sides. It was terribly alarming to
+the poor duckling. He twisted his
+head round to get it under his wing,
+and just at that moment a frightful
+big dog appeared close beside him; his
+tongue hung right out of his mouth
+and his eyes glared wickedly. He
+opened his great chasm of a mouth
+close to the duckling, showed his sharp
+teeth, and&mdash;splash!&mdash;went on without
+touching him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, thank Heaven!&rdquo; sighed the
+duckling, &ldquo;I am so ugly that even the
+dog won&rsquo;t bite me!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then he lay quite still while the shot
+whistled among the bushes, and bang
+after bang rent the air. It only became
+quiet late in the day, but even
+then the poor duckling did not dare to
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>104]</a></span>
+get up; he waited several hours more
+before he looked about, and then he hurried
+away from the marsh as fast as
+he could. He ran across fields and
+meadows, and there was such a wind
+that he had hard work to make his way.</p>
+
+<p>Towards night he reached a poor little
+cottage; it was such a miserable
+hovel that it could not make up its
+mind which way to fall even, and so
+it remained standing. The wind whistled
+so fiercely round the duckling that
+he had to sit on his tail to resist it,
+and it blew harder and harder; then he
+saw that the door had fallen off one
+hinge and hung so crookedly that he
+could creep into the house through the
+crack, and by this means he made his
+way into the room. An old woman
+lived there with her cat and her hen.
+The cat, which she called &ldquo;Sonnie,&rdquo;
+could arch his back, purr, and give off
+electric sparks&mdash;that is to say, if you
+stroked his fur the wrong way. The
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>105]</a></span>
+hen had quite tiny short legs, and so
+she was called &ldquo;Chuckie-low-legs.&rdquo; She
+laid good eggs, and the old woman was
+as fond of her as if she had been her
+own child.</p>
+
+<p>In the morning the strange duckling
+was discovered immediately, and the
+cat began to purr and the hen to cluck.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What on earth is that!&rdquo; said the
+old woman, looking round; but her sight
+was not good, and she thought the
+duckling was a fat duck which had escaped.
+&ldquo;This is a capital find,&rdquo; said
+she; &ldquo;now I shall have duck&rsquo;s eggs if
+only it is not a drake. We must find
+out about that!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So she took the duckling on trial for
+three weeks, but no eggs made their
+appearance. The cat was the master
+of the house and the hen the mistress,
+and they always spoke of &ldquo;we and the
+world,&rdquo; for they thought that they
+represented the half of the world, and
+that quite the better half.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>106]</a></span>
+The duckling thought there might be
+two opinions on the subject, but the
+cat would not hear of it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can you lay eggs?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will you have the goodness to hold
+your tongue, then!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And the cat said, &ldquo;Can you arch
+your back, purr, or give off sparks?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you had better keep your
+opinions to yourself when people of
+sense are speaking!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The duckling sat in the corner nursing
+his ill-humor; then he began to
+think of the fresh air and the sunshine,
+an uncontrollable longing seized him to
+float on the water, and at last he could
+not help telling the hen about it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What on earth possesses you?&rdquo; she
+asked. &ldquo;You have nothing to do; that
+is why you get these freaks into your
+head. Lay some eggs or take to purring,
+and you will get over it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>107]</a></span>
+&ldquo;But it is so delicious to float, on the
+water,&rdquo; said the duckling; &ldquo;so delicious
+to feel it rushing over your head when
+you dive to the bottom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That would be a fine amusement,&rdquo;
+said the hen. &ldquo;I think you have gone
+mad. Ask the cat about it, he is the
+wisest creature I know; ask him if he
+is fond of floating on the water or diving
+under it. I say nothing about myself.
+Ask our mistress yourself, the
+old woman; there is no one in the world
+cleverer than she is. Do you suppose
+she has any desire to float on the water
+or to duck underneath it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You do not understand me,&rdquo; said
+the duckling.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, if we don&rsquo;t understand you,
+who should? I suppose you don&rsquo;t consider
+yourself cleverer than the cat or
+the old woman, not to mention me.
+Don&rsquo;t make a fool of yourself, child,
+and thank your stars for all the good
+we have done you! Have you not
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>108]</a></span>
+lived in this warm room, and in such
+society that you might have learned
+something? But you are an idiot, and
+there is no pleasure in associating with
+you. You may believe me I mean you
+well, I tell you home truths, and there
+is no surer way than that of knowing
+who are one&rsquo;s friends. You just see
+about laying some eggs, or learn to purr,
+or to emit sparks.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think I will go out into the wide
+world,&rdquo; said the duckling.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, do so by all means!&rdquo; said the
+hen.</p>
+
+<p>So away went the duckling; he floated
+on the water and ducked underneath it,
+but he was looked askance at by every
+living creature for his ugliness. Now
+the autumn came on, the leaves in the
+woods turned yellow and brown; the
+wind took hold of them, and they
+danced about. The sky looked very
+cold, and the clouds hung heavy with
+snow and hail. A raven stood on the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>109]</a></span>
+fence and croaked Caw! Caw! from sheer
+cold; it made one shiver only to think
+of it. The poor duckling certainly was
+in a bad case.</p>
+
+<p>One evening the sun was just setting
+in wintry splendor when a flock of beautiful
+large birds appeared out of the
+bushes. The duckling had never seen
+anything so beautiful. They were dazzlingly
+white with long waving necks;
+they were swans; and, uttering a peculiar
+cry, they spread out their magnificent
+broad wings, and flew away from the
+cold regions to warmer lands and open
+seas. They mounted so high, so very
+high, and the ugly little duckling became
+strangely uneasy; he circled round
+and round in the water like a wheel,
+craning his neck up into the air after
+them. Then he uttered a shriek so
+piercing and so strange that he was
+quite frightened by it himself. Oh, he
+could not forget those beautiful birds,
+those happy birds! And as soon as they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>110]</a></span>
+were out of sight he ducked right down
+to the bottom, and when he came up
+again he was quite beside himself. He
+did not know what the birds were or
+whither they flew, but all the same he
+was more drawn towards them than he
+had ever been by any creatures before.
+He did not even envy them in the least.
+How could it occur to him even to wish
+to be such a marvel of beauty; he would
+have been thankful if only the ducks
+would have tolerated him among them&mdash;the
+poor ugly creature!</p>
+
+<p>The winter was so bitterly cold that
+the duckling was obliged to swim about
+in the water to keep it from freezing,
+but every night the hole in which he
+swam got smaller and smaller. Then
+it froze so hard that the surface ice
+cracked, and the duckling had to use
+his legs all the time, so that the ice
+should not close in round him; at last
+he was so weary that he could move no
+more, and he was frozen fast into the ice.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>111]</a></span>
+Early in the morning a peasant came
+along and saw him; he went out onto
+the ice and hammered a hole in it with
+his heavy wooden shoe, and carried the
+duckling home to his wife. There it
+soon revived. The children wanted to
+play with it, but the duckling thought
+they were going to ill-use him, and
+rushed in his fright into the milk pan,
+and the milk spurted out all over the
+room. The woman shrieked and threw
+up her hands; then it flew into the butter
+cask, and down into the meal tub
+and out again. Just imagine what it
+looked like by this time! The woman
+screamed and tried to hit it with the
+tongs, and the children tumbled over
+one another in trying to catch it, and
+they screamed with laughter. By good
+luck the door stood open, and the duckling
+flew out among the bushes and
+the new fallen snow, and it lay there
+thoroughly exhausted.</p>
+
+<p>But it would be too sad to mention
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>112]</a></span>
+all the privation and misery it had to
+go through during that hard winter.
+When the sun began to shine warmly
+again the duckling was in the marsh,
+lying among the rushes; the larks were
+singing, and the beautiful spring had
+come.</p>
+
+<p>Then all at once it raised its wings,
+and they flapped with much greater
+strength than before and bore him off
+vigorously. Before he knew where he
+was he found himself in a large garden
+where the apple-trees were in a full
+blossom, and the air was scented with
+lilacs, the long branches of which overhung
+the indented shores of the lake.
+Oh! the spring freshness was so delicious!</p>
+
+<p>Just in front of him he saw three
+beautiful white swans advancing towards
+him from a thicket; with rustling
+feathers they swam lightly over the
+water. The duckling recognized the
+majestic birds, and he was overcome
+by a strange melancholy.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>113]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I will fly to them, the royal birds,
+and they will hack me to pieces, because
+I, who am so ugly, venture to
+approach them! But it won&rsquo;t matter;
+better be killed by them than be snapped
+at by the ducks, pecked by the hens,
+or spurned by the henwife, or suffer so
+much misery in the winter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So he flew into the water, and swam
+towards the stately swans; they saw
+him, and darted towards him with
+ruffled feathers.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kill me, oh, kill me!&rdquo; said the poor
+creature, and bowing his head towards
+the water he awaited his death. But
+what did he see reflected in the transparent
+water?</p>
+
+<p>He saw below him his own image;
+but he was no longer a clumsy, dark,
+gray bird, ugly and ungainly. He was
+himself a swan! It does not matter in
+the least having been born in a duckyard
+if only you come out of a swan&rsquo;s
+egg!</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>114]</a></span>
+He felt quite glad of all the misery
+and tribulation he had gone through;
+he was the better able to appreciate
+his good-fortune now, and all the beauty
+which greeted him. The big swans
+swam round and round him, and stroked
+him with their bills.</p>
+
+<p>Some little children came into the
+garden with corn and pieces of bread,
+which they threw into the water; and
+the smallest one cried out: &ldquo;There is
+a new one!&rdquo; The other children shouted
+with joy: &ldquo;Yes, a new one has come!&rdquo;
+And they clapped their hands and
+danced about, running after their father
+and mother. They threw the bread
+into the water, and one and all said
+that &ldquo;the new one was the prettiest;
+he was so young and handsome.&rdquo; And
+the old swans bent their heads and did
+homage before him.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="bread" id="bread"></a>
+<img src="images/fft08.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="The ugly duckling grown up" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">Some little children threw pieces of bread into the water</p>
+
+<p>He felt quite shy, and hid his head
+under his wing; he did not know what
+to think; he was so very happy, but
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>115]</a></span>
+not at all proud; a good heart never
+becomes proud. He thought of how
+he had been pursued and scorned, and
+now he heard them all say that he was
+the most beautiful of all beautiful birds.
+The lilacs bent their boughs right down
+into the water before him, and the
+bright sun was warm and cheering,
+and he rustled his feathers and raised
+his slender neck aloft, saying, with exultation
+in his heart: &ldquo;I never dreamed
+of so much happiness when I was the
+Ugly Duckling!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>116]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>HOP-O&rsquo;-MY-THUMB</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE once lived in a village a
+fagot-maker and his wife who had
+seven children&mdash;all boys; the eldest
+was no more than ten years old, and
+the youngest was only seven. It was
+odd enough, to be sure, that they should
+have so many children in such a short
+time; but the truth is, the wife always
+brought him two and once three at a
+time. This made him very poor, for
+not one of these boys was old enough to
+get a living; and what was still worse,
+the youngest was a puny little fellow
+who hardly ever spoke a word. Now
+this, indeed, was a mark of his good
+sense, but it made his father and mother
+suppose him to be silly, and they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>117]</a></span>
+thought that at last he would turn out
+quite a fool. This boy was the least
+size ever seen; for when he was born
+he was no bigger than a man&rsquo;s thumb,
+which made him be christened by the
+name of Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb. The poor
+child was the drudge of the whole house,
+and always bore the blame of everything
+that was done wrong. For all
+this, Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb was far more
+clever than any of his brothers; and
+though he spoke but little he heard
+and knew more than people thought.
+It happened just at this time that for
+want of rain the fields had grown but
+half as much corn and potatoes as they
+used to grow; so that the fagot-maker
+and his wife could not give the boys
+the food they had before, which was
+always either bread or potatoes.</p>
+
+<p>After the father and mother had
+grieved some time, they thought that
+as they could contrive no other way to
+live they must somehow get rid of their
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>118]</a></span>
+children. One night when the boys
+were gone to bed, and the fagot-maker
+and his wife were sitting over a few
+lighted sticks, to warm themselves, the
+husband sighed deeply, and said: &ldquo;You
+see, my dear, we cannot maintain our
+children any longer, and to see them
+die of hunger before my eyes is what I
+could never bear. I will, therefore, to-morrow
+morning take them to the
+forest, and leave them in the thickest
+part of it, so that they will not be able
+to find their way back: this will be very
+easy; for while they amuse themselves
+with tying up the fagots, we need only
+slip away when they are looking some
+other way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah, husband!&rdquo; cried the poor wife,
+&ldquo;you cannot, no, you never can consent
+to be the death of your own children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The husband in vain told her to
+think how very poor they were.</p>
+
+<p>The wife replied &ldquo;that this was true,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>119]</a></span>
+to be sure; but if she was poor, she was
+still their mother&rdquo;; and then she cried
+as if her heart would break. At last
+she thought how shocking it would be
+to see them starved to death before their
+eyes, so she agreed to what her husband
+had said, and then went sobbing to bed.</p>
+
+<p>Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb had been awake all
+the time; and when he heard his father
+talk very seriously, he slipped away
+from his brothers&rsquo; side, and crept under
+his father&rsquo;s bed, to hear all that
+was said without being seen.</p>
+
+<p>When his father and mother had left
+off talking, he got back to his own place,
+and passed the night in thinking what
+he should do the next morning.</p>
+
+<p>He rose early, and ran to the river&rsquo;s
+side, where he filled his pockets with
+small white pebbles, and then went
+back home. In the morning they all
+set out, as their father and mother had
+agreed on; and Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb did
+not say a word to any of his brothers
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>120]</a></span>
+about what he had heard. They came
+to a forest that was so very thick that
+they could not see each other a few
+yards off. The fagot-maker set to
+work cutting down wood; and the children
+began to gather the twigs, to make
+fagots of them.</p>
+
+<p>When the father and mother saw that
+the young ones were all very busy, they
+slipped away without being seen. The
+children soon found themselves alone,
+and began to cry as loud as they could.
+Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb let them cry on, for
+he knew well enough how to lead them
+safe home, as he had taken care to drop
+the white pebbles he had in his pocket
+along all the way he had come. He
+only said to them, &ldquo;Never mind it, my
+lads; father and mother have left us
+here by ourselves, but only take care
+to follow me, and I will lead you back
+again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 387px;">
+<a name="crying" id="crying"></a>
+<img src="images/fft09.jpg" width="387" height="600"
+alt="Hop-o'-my-Thumb waits for the other children to stop crying" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">The children began to cry as loud as they could</p>
+
+<p>When they heard this they left off
+crying, and followed Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>121]</a></span>
+who soon brought them to their father&rsquo;s
+house by the very same path which they
+had come along. At first they had not
+the courage to go in, but stood at the
+door to hear what their parents were
+talking about. Just as the fagot-maker
+and his wife had come home without
+their children a great gentleman
+of the village sent to pay them two
+guineas for work they had done for
+him, which he had owed them so long
+that they never thought of getting a
+farthing of it. This money made them
+quite happy; for the poor creatures
+were very hungry, and had no other
+way of getting anything to eat.</p>
+
+<p>The fagot-maker sent his wife out
+immediately to buy some meat; and as
+it was a long time since she had made
+a hearty meal, she bought as much
+meat as would have been enough for
+six or eight persons. The truth was,
+when she was thinking what would be
+enough for dinner, she forgot that her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>122]</a></span>
+children were not at home; but as soon
+as she and her husband had done eating,
+she cried out: &ldquo;Alas! where are our
+poor children? How they would feast
+on what we have left! It was all your
+fault, husband! I told you we should
+repent leaving them to starve in the
+forest! Oh, mercy! perhaps they have
+already been eaten by the hungry
+wolves!&rdquo; The poor woman shed plenty
+of tears. &ldquo;Alas! alas!&rdquo; said she, over
+and over again, &ldquo;what is become of
+my dear children?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children, who were all at the
+door, cried out together, &ldquo;Here we are,
+mother, here we are!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She flew like lightning to let them in,
+and kissed every one of them.</p>
+
+<p>The fagot-maker and his wife were
+charmed at having their children once
+more with them, and their joy for this
+lasted till their money was all spent;
+but then they found themselves quite
+as ill off as before. So by degrees they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>123]</a></span>
+again thought of leaving them in the
+forest: and that the young ones might
+not come back a second time, they said
+they would take them a great deal
+farther than they did at first. They
+could not talk about this matter so slyly
+but that Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb found
+means to hear all that passed between
+them; but he cared very little about it,
+for he thought it would be easy for him
+to do just the same as he had done before.
+But although he got up very
+early the next morning to go to the
+river&rsquo;s side to get the pebbles, a thing
+which he had not thought of hindered
+him; for he found that the house door
+was double locked. Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+was now quite at a loss what to do; but
+soon after this his mother gave each
+of the children a piece of bread for
+breakfast and then it came into his
+head that he could make his share do
+as well as the pebbles by dropping
+crumbs of it all the way as he went.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>124]</a></span>
+So he did not eat his piece, but put it
+into his pocket.</p>
+
+<p>It was not long before they all set
+out, and their parents took care to lead
+them into the very thickest and darkest
+part of the forest. They then slipped
+away by a by-path as before, and left
+the children by themselves again. All
+this did not give Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+any concern, for he thought himself
+quite sure of getting back by means of
+the crumbs that he had dropped by
+the way; but when he came to look for
+them he found that not a crumb was
+left, for the birds had eaten them all up.</p>
+
+<p>The poor children were now sadly off,
+for the farther they went the harder it
+was for them to get out of the forest.
+At last night came on, and the noise of
+the wind among the trees seemed to
+them like the howling of wolves, so that
+every moment they thought they should
+be eaten up. They hardly dared to
+speak a word, or to move a limb, for
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>125]</a></span>
+fear. Soon after there came a heavy
+rain which wetted them to the very
+skin, and made the ground so slippery
+that they fell down at almost every
+step and got dirty all over.</p>
+
+<p>Before it was quite dark Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+climbed up to the top of a
+tree, and looked round on all sides to
+see if he could find any way of getting
+help. He saw a small light, like that
+of a candle, but it was a very great
+way off, and beyond the forest. He
+then came down from the tree, to try
+to find the way to it; but he could not
+see it when he was on the ground, and
+he was in the utmost trouble what to
+do next. They walked on towards the
+place where he had seen the light, and
+at last reached the end of the forest,
+and got sight of it again. They now
+walked faster; and after being much
+tired and vexed (for every time they
+got into lower ground they lost sight
+of the light), came to the house it was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>126]</a></span>
+in. They knocked at the door, which
+was opened by a very poor-natured-looking
+lady, who asked what brought
+them there. Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb told her
+that they were poor children who had
+lost their way in the forest, and begged
+that she would give them a bed till
+morning. When the lady saw that they
+had such pretty faces she began to
+shed tears, and said: &ldquo;Ah, my poor children,
+you do not know what place you
+are come to. This is the house of an
+Ogre, who eats up little boys and
+girls.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas! madam,&rdquo; replied Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb,
+who trembled from head to foot,
+&ldquo;what shall we do? If we go back to
+the forest we are sure of being torn to
+pieces by the wolves; we would rather,
+therefore, be eaten by the gentleman.
+Besides, when he sees us, perhaps he
+may take pity on us and spare our
+lives.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Ogre&rsquo;s wife thought she could
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>127]</a></span>
+contrive to hide them from her husband
+till morning; so she let them go in and
+warm themselves by a good fire, before
+which there was a whole sheep
+roasting for the Ogre&rsquo;s supper. When
+they had stood a short time by the fire
+there came a loud knocking at the door:
+this was the Ogre come home. His
+wife hurried the children under the bed
+and told them to lie still, and she then
+let her husband in.</p>
+
+<p>The Ogre asked if supper were ready,
+and if the wine were fetched from the
+cellar; and then he sat down at the table.
+The sheep was not quite done, but he
+liked it much better half raw. In a
+minute or two the Ogre began to snuff
+to his right and left, and said he smelt
+child&rsquo;s flesh.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It must be this calf, which has just
+been killed,&rdquo; said his wife.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I smell child&rsquo;s flesh, I tell thee once
+more!&rdquo; cried the Ogre, looking all about
+the room&mdash;&ldquo;I smell child&rsquo;s flesh; there
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>128]</a></span>
+is something going on that I do not
+know of.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he had spoken these words
+he rose from his chair and went towards
+the bed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! madam,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;you thought
+to cheat me, did you? Wretch! thou
+art old and tough thyself, or else I would
+eat thee up too! But come, come, this
+is lucky enough; for the brats will make
+a nice dish for three Ogres, who are my
+particular friends, and who are to dine
+with me to-morrow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He then drew them out one by one
+from under the bed. The poor children
+fell on their knees and begged his pardon
+as humbly as they could; but this
+Ogre was the most cruel of all Ogres,
+and instead of feeling any pity, he only
+began to think how sweet and tender
+their flesh would be; so he told his wife
+they would be nice morsels if she served
+them up with plenty of sauce. He then
+fetched a large knife, and began to
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>129]</a></span>
+sharpen it on a long whetstone that he
+held in his left hand; and all the while
+he came nearer and nearer to the bed.
+The Ogre took up one of the children,
+and was going to set about cutting him
+to pieces; but his wife said to him:
+&ldquo;What in the world makes you take
+the trouble of killing them to-night?
+Will it not be time enough to-morrow
+morning?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hold your prating,&rdquo; replied the
+Ogre; &ldquo;they will grow tender by being
+kept a little while after they are killed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; said this wife, &ldquo;you have got
+so much meat in the house already;
+here is a calf, two sheep, and half a pig.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;True,&rdquo; said the Ogre, &ldquo;so give them
+all a good supper, that they may not
+get lean, and then send them to bed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The good creature was quite glad at
+this. She gave them plenty for their
+supper, but the poor children were so
+terrified that they could not eat a bit.</p>
+
+<p>The Ogre sat down to his wine, very
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>130]</a></span>
+much pleased with the thought of giving
+his friends such a dainty dish: this
+made him drink rather more than common,
+and he was soon obliged to go to
+bed himself. Now the Ogre had seven
+daughters, who were all very young like
+Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb and his brothers.
+These young Ogresses had fair skins,
+because they fed on raw meat like their
+father; but they had small gray eyes,
+quite round, and sunk in their heads,
+hooked noses, wide mouths, and very
+long, sharp teeth, standing a great way
+off each other. They were too young
+as yet to do much mischief; but they
+showed that if they lived to be as old
+as their father they would grow quite
+as cruel as he was, for they took pleasure
+already in biting young children
+and sucking their blood. The Ogresses
+had been put to bed very early that
+night; they were all in one bed, which
+was very large, and every one of them
+had a crown of gold on her head. There
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>131]</a></span>
+was another bed of the same size in the
+room, and in this the Ogre&rsquo;s wife put
+the seven little boys, and then went to
+bed herself along with her husband.</p>
+
+<p>Now Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb was afraid
+that the Ogre would wake in the night,
+and kill him and his brothers while they
+were asleep. So he got out of bed in
+the middle of the night as softly as he
+could, took off all his brothers&rsquo; nightcaps
+and his own, and crept with them
+to the bed that the Ogre&rsquo;s daughters
+were in; he then took off their crowns,
+and put the nightcaps on their heads
+instead; next he put the crowns on his
+brothers&rsquo; heads and his own, and got
+into bed again; expecting, after this,
+that, if the Ogre should come, he would
+take him and his brothers for his own
+children. Everything turned out as
+he wished. The Ogre waked soon after
+midnight, and began to be very sorry
+that he had put off killing the boys till
+the morning; so he jumped out of bed,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>132]</a></span>
+and took hold of his large knife. &ldquo;Let
+us see,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;what the young
+rogues are about, and do the business
+at once!&rdquo; He then walked softly to
+the room where they all slept, and went
+up to the bed the boys were in, who
+were all asleep except Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb.
+He touched their heads one
+at a time, and feeling the crowns of
+gold, said to himself: &ldquo;Oh, oh! I had
+like to have made such a mistake! I
+must have drunk too much wine last
+night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He went next to the bed that his own
+little Ogresses were in, and when he felt
+the nightcaps, he said, &ldquo;Ah! here you
+are, my lads&rdquo;; and so in a moment he
+cut the throats of all his daughters.</p>
+
+<p>He was very much pleased when he
+had done this, and then went back to
+his own bed. As soon as Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+heard him snore he awoke his
+brothers, and told them to put on their
+clothes quickly, and follow him. They
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>133]</a></span>
+stole down softly into the garden, and
+then jumped from the wall into the
+road; they ran as fast as their legs
+could carry them, but were so much
+afraid all the while that they hardly
+knew which way to take. When the
+Ogre waked in the morning he said to
+his wife, grinning: &ldquo;My dear, go and
+dress the young rogues I saw last night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The wife was quite surprised at hearing
+her husband speak so kindly, and
+did not dream of the real meaning of
+his words. She supposed he wanted
+her to help them to put on their clothes;
+so she went up-stairs, and the first thing
+she saw was her seven daughters with
+their throats cut and all over blood.
+This threw her into a fainting fit. The
+Ogre was afraid his wife might be too
+long in doing what he had set her about,
+so he went himself to help her; but he
+was as much shocked as she had been
+at the dreadful sight of his bleeding
+children. &ldquo;Ah! what have I done?&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>134]</a></span>
+he cried. &ldquo;But the little rascals shall
+pay for it, I warrant them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He first threw some water on his
+wife&rsquo;s face; and, as soon as she came
+to herself, he said to her: &ldquo;Bring me
+quickly my seven-league boots, that I
+may go and catch the little vipers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The Ogre then put on these boots,
+and set out with all speed. He strided
+over many parts of the country, and
+at last turned into the very road in
+which the poor children were. For they
+had set off towards the fagot-maker&rsquo;s
+cottage, which they had almost reached.
+They watched the Ogre stepping from
+mountain to mountain at one step, and
+crossing rivers as if they had been tiny
+brooks. At this Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+thought a little what was to be done;
+and spying a hollow place under a large
+rock, he made his brothers get into it.
+He then crept in himself, but kept his
+eye fixed on the Ogre, to see what he
+would do next.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>135]</a></span>
+The Ogre found himself quite weary
+with the journey he had gone, for seven-league
+boots are very tiresome to the
+person who wears them; so he now began
+to think of resting, and happened
+to sit down on the very rock where the
+poor children were hid. As he was so
+tired, and it was a hot day, he fell fast
+asleep, and soon began to snore so loud
+that the little fellows were terrified.</p>
+
+<p>When Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb saw this he
+said to his brothers, &ldquo;Courage, my lads!
+never fear! you have nothing to do but
+to steal away and get home while the
+Ogre is fast asleep, and leave me to
+shift for myself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The brothers now were very glad to
+do whatever he told them, and so they
+soon came to their father&rsquo;s house. In
+the mean time Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb went
+up to the Ogre softly, pulled off his
+seven-league boots very gently, and
+put them on his own legs; for though
+the boots were very large, yet being
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>136]</a></span>
+fairy-boots, they could make themselves
+small enough to fit any leg they
+pleased.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as ever Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+had made sure of the Ogre&rsquo;s seven-league
+boots, he went at once to the
+palace, and offered his services to carry
+orders from the King to his army, which
+was a great way off, and to bring back
+the quickest accounts of the battle they
+were just at that time fighting with the
+enemy. In short, he thought he could
+be of more use to the King than all his
+mail-coaches, and so should make his
+fortune in this manner. He succeeded
+so well that in a short time he made
+money enough to keep himself, his
+father, mother, and six brothers, without
+the trouble of working, for the rest
+of their lives. Having done this, he
+went back to his father&rsquo;s cottage, where
+all the family were delighted to see him
+again. As the great fame of his boots
+had been talked of at court in this time
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>137]</a></span>
+the King sent for him, and indeed employed
+him very often in the greatest
+affairs of the state, so that he became
+one of the richest men in the kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>And now let us see what became of
+the wicked Ogre. He slept so soundly
+that he never discovered the loss of his
+boots; but having an evil conscience
+and bad dreams, he fell in his sleep from
+the corner of the rock where Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+and his brothers had left
+him, and bruised himself so much from
+head to foot that he could not stir;
+so he was forced to stretch himself out
+at full length, and wait for some one
+to come and help him.</p>
+
+<p>Now a good many fagot-makers
+passed near the place where the Ogre
+lay, and when they heard him groan
+they went up to ask him what was the
+matter. But the Ogre had eaten such
+a great number of children in his lifetime
+that he had grown so very big
+and fat that these men could not even
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>138]</a></span>
+have carried one of his legs, so they
+were forced to leave him there. At
+last night came on, and then a large
+serpent came out of a wood just by
+and stung him, so that he died in great
+pain.</p>
+
+<p>By and by, Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb, who
+had become the King&rsquo;s first favorite,
+heard of the Ogre&rsquo;s death; and the first
+thing he did was to tell his Majesty all
+that the good-natured Ogress had done
+to save the lives of himself and brothers.
+The King was so much pleased at what
+he heard that he asked Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+if there was any favor he could
+bestow upon her. Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb
+thanked the King, and desired that the
+Ogress might have the noble title of
+Duchess of Draggletail given to her,
+which was no sooner asked than granted.
+The Ogress then came to court, and
+lived very happily for many years, enjoying
+the vast fortune she had found
+in the Ogre&rsquo;s chests. As for
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>139]</a></span>
+Hop-o&rsquo;-my-Thumb, he every day grew more
+witty and brave; till at last the King
+made him the greatest lord in the kingdom,
+and set him over all his affairs.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>140]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>BEAUTY AND THE BEAST</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE was once a very rich merchant
+who had six children&mdash;three
+boys and three girls. As he was himself
+a man of great sense, he spared no
+expense for their education. The three
+daughters were all handsome, but particularly
+the youngest; indeed, she was
+so very beautiful that in her childhood
+every one called her the Little Beauty;
+and being equally lovely when she was
+grown up, nobody called her by any
+other name, which made her sisters very
+jealous of her. This youngest daughter
+was not only more handsome than her
+sisters, but also was better tempered.
+The two eldest were vain of their wealth
+and position. They gave themselves a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>141]</a></span>
+thousand airs, and refused to visit other
+merchants&rsquo; daughters; nor would they
+condescend to be seen except with persons
+of quality. They went every day
+to balls, plays, and public walks, and
+always made game of their youngest
+sister for spending her time in reading
+or other useful employments. As it
+was well known that these young ladies
+would have large fortunes, many great
+merchants wished to get them for wives;
+but the two eldest always answered
+that, for their parts, they had no
+thoughts of marrying any one below a
+duke or an earl at least. Beauty had
+quite as many offers as her sisters, but
+she always answered, with the greatest
+civility, that though she was much
+obliged to her lovers, she would rather
+live some years longer with her father,
+as she thought herself too young to
+marry.</p>
+
+<p>It happened that, by some unlucky
+accident, the merchant suddenly lost
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>142]</a></span>
+all his fortune, and had nothing left
+but a small cottage in the country.
+Upon this he said to his daughters, while
+the tears ran down his cheeks, &ldquo;My
+children, we must now go and dwell in
+the cottage, and try to get a living by
+labor, for we have no other means of
+support.&rdquo; The two eldest replied that
+they did not know how to work, and
+would not leave town; for they had lovers
+enough who would be glad to marry
+them, though they had no longer any
+fortune. But in this they were mistaken;
+for when the lovers heard what
+had happened, they said, &ldquo;The girls
+were so proud and ill-tempered that
+all we wanted was their fortune; we are
+not sorry at all to see their pride brought
+down; let them show off their airs to
+their cows and sheep.&rdquo; But everybody
+pitied poor Beauty, because she was so
+sweet-tempered and kind to all, and
+several gentlemen offered to marry her,
+though she had not a penny; but Beauty
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>143]</a></span>
+still refused, and said she could not
+think of leaving her poor father in his
+trouble. At first Beauty could not
+help sometimes crying in secret for the
+hardships she was now obliged to suffer;
+but in a very short time she said to herself,
+&ldquo;All the crying in the world will
+do me no good, so I will try to be
+happy without a fortune.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When they had removed to their cottage
+the merchant and his three sons
+employed themselves in ploughing and
+sowing the fields, and working in the
+garden. Beauty also did her part, for
+she rose by four o&rsquo;clock every morning,
+lighted the fires, cleaned the house, and
+got ready the breakfast for the whole
+family. At first she found all this very
+hard; but she soon grew quite used to
+it, and thought it no hardship; indeed,
+the work greatly benefited her health.
+When she had done she used to amuse
+herself with reading, playing her music,
+or singing while she spun. But her two
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>144]</a></span>
+sisters were at a loss what to do to pass
+the time away: they had their breakfast
+in bed, and did not rise till ten
+o&rsquo;clock. Then they commonly walked
+out, but always found themselves very
+soon tired, when they would often sit
+down under a shady tree, and grieve for
+the loss of their carriage and fine clothes,
+and say to each other, &ldquo;What a mean-spirited,
+poor, stupid creature our young
+sister is, to be so content with this low
+way of life!&rdquo; But their father thought
+differently, and loved and admired his
+youngest child more than ever.</p>
+
+<p>After they had lived in this manner
+about a year the merchant received a
+letter, which informed him that one of
+his richest ships, which he thought was
+lost, had just come into port. This
+news made the two eldest sisters almost
+mad with joy, for they thought they
+should now leave the cottage, and have
+all their finery again. When they
+found that their father must take a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>145]</a></span>
+journey to the ship, the two eldest
+begged he would not fail to bring them
+back some new gowns, caps, rings, and
+all sorts of trinkets. But Beauty asked
+for nothing; for she thought in herself
+that all the ship was worth would hardly
+buy everything her sisters wished for.
+&ldquo;Beauty,&rdquo; said the merchant, &ldquo;how
+comes it that you ask for nothing?
+What can I bring you, my child?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Since you are so kind as to think of
+me, dear father,&rdquo; she answered, &ldquo;I
+should be glad if you would bring me a
+rose, for we have none in our garden.&rdquo;
+Now Beauty did not indeed wish for a
+rose, nor anything else, but she only
+said this that she might not affront her
+sisters; otherwise they would have said
+she wanted her father to praise her for
+desiring nothing. The merchant took
+his leave of them, and set out on his
+journey; but when he got to the ship
+some persons went to law with him
+about the cargo, and after a deal of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>146]</a></span>
+trouble he came back to his cottage as
+poor as he had left it. When he was
+within thirty miles of his home, and
+thinking of the joy of again meeting his
+children, he lost his way in the midst
+of a dense forest. It rained and snowed
+very hard, and, besides, the wind was
+so high as to throw him twice from his
+horse. Night came on, and he feared
+he should die of cold and hunger, or be
+torn to pieces by the wolves that he
+heard howling round him. All at once
+he cast his eyes towards a long avenue,
+and saw at the end a light, but it seemed
+a great way off. He made the best of
+his way towards it, and found that it
+came from a splendid palace, the windows
+of which were all blazing with
+light. It had great bronze gates, standing
+wide open, and fine court-yards,
+through which the merchant passed;
+but not a living soul was to be seen.
+There were stables too, which his poor,
+starved horse, less scrupulous than
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>147]</a></span>
+himself, entered at once, and took a good
+meal of oats and hay. His master then
+tied him up, and walked towards the
+entrance-hall, but still without seeing a
+single creature. He went on to a large
+dining-parlor, where he found a good
+fire, and a table covered with some very
+nice dishes, but only one plate with a
+knife and fork. As the snow and rain
+had wetted him to the skin, he went up
+to the fire to dry himself. &ldquo;I hope,&rdquo;
+said he, &ldquo;the master of the house or
+his servants will excuse me, for it surely
+will not be long now before I see
+them.&rdquo; He waited some time, but
+still nobody came; at last the clock
+struck eleven, and the merchant, being
+quite faint for the want of food, helped
+himself to a chicken, and to a few glasses
+of wine, yet all the time trembling with
+fear. He sat till the clock struck twelve,
+and then, taking courage, began to
+think he might as well look about him;
+so he opened a door at the end of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>148]</a></span>
+hall, and went through it into a very
+grand room, in which there was a fine
+bed; and as he was feeling very weary,
+he shut the door, took off his clothes,
+and got into it.</p>
+
+<p>It was ten o&rsquo;clock in the morning before
+he awoke, when he was amazed to
+see a handsome new suit of clothes laid
+ready for him, instead of his own, which
+were all torn and spoiled. &ldquo;To be
+sure,&rdquo; said he to himself, &ldquo;this place
+belongs to some good fairy, who has
+taken pity on my ill luck.&rdquo; He looked
+out of the window, and instead of the
+snow-covered wood, where he had lost
+himself the previous night, he saw the
+most charming arbors covered with all
+kinds of flowers. Returning to the
+hall where he had supped, he found a
+breakfast-table, ready prepared. &ldquo;Indeed,
+my good fairy,&rdquo; said the merchant
+aloud, &ldquo;I am vastly obliged to you for
+your kind care of me.&rdquo; He then made
+a hearty breakfast, took his hat, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>149]</a></span>
+was going to the stable to pay his horse
+a visit; but as he passed under one of
+the arbors, which was loaded with roses,
+he thought of what Beauty had asked
+him to bring back to her, and so he took
+a bunch of roses to carry home. At
+the same moment he heard a loud noise,
+and saw coming towards him a beast,
+so frightful to look at that he was ready
+to faint with fear. &ldquo;Ungrateful man!&rdquo;
+said the beast, in a terrible voice, &ldquo;I
+have saved your life by admitting you
+into my palace, and in return you steal
+my roses, which I value more than anything
+I possess. But you shall atone
+for your fault: you shall die in a quarter
+of an hour.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The merchant fell on his knees, and,
+clasping his hands, said, &ldquo;Sir, I humbly
+beg your pardon. I did not think it
+would offend you to gather a rose for
+one of my daughters, who had entreated
+me to bring her one home. Do not kill
+me, my lord!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>150]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I am not a lord, but a beast,&rdquo; replied
+the monster; &ldquo;I hate false compliments,
+so do not fancy that you can
+coax me by any such ways. You tell
+me that you have daughters; now I
+will suffer you to escape if one of them
+will come and die in your stead. If not,
+promise that you will yourself return
+in three months, to be dealt with as I
+may choose.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The tender-hearted merchant had no
+thoughts of letting any one of his
+daughters die for his sake; but he knew
+that if he seemed to accept the beast&rsquo;s
+terms, he should at least have the pleasure
+of seeing them once again. So he
+gave his promise, and was told he might
+set off as soon as he liked. &ldquo;But,&rdquo;
+said the beast, &ldquo;I do not wish you to
+go back empty-handed. Go to the
+room you slept in, and you will find a
+chest there; fill it with whatsoever you
+like best, and I will have it taken to
+your own house for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>151]</a></span>
+When the beast had said this he
+went away. The good merchant, left
+to himself, began to consider that as
+he must die&mdash;for he had no thought
+of breaking a promise, made even to a
+beast&mdash;he might as well have the comfort
+of leaving his children provided for.
+He returned to the room he had slept
+in, and found there heaps of gold pieces
+lying about. He filled the chest with
+them to the very brim, locked it, and,
+mounting his horse, left the palace as
+sorrowful as he had been glad when he
+first beheld it. The horse took a path
+across the forest of his own accord, and
+in a few hours they reached the merchant&rsquo;s
+house. His children came running
+round him, but, instead of kissing
+them with joy, he could not help weeping
+as he looked at them. He held in
+his hand the bunch of roses, which he
+gave to Beauty, saying, &ldquo;Take these
+roses, Beauty; but little do you think
+how dear they have cost your poor
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>152]</a></span>
+father.&rdquo; And then he gave them an
+account of all that he had seen or heard
+in the palace of the beast.</p>
+
+<p>The two eldest sisters now began to
+shed tears, and to lay the blame upon
+Beauty, who, they said, would be the
+cause of her father&rsquo;s death. &ldquo;See,&rdquo;
+said they, &ldquo;what happens from the
+pride of the little wretch; why did not
+she ask for such things as we did? But,
+to be sure, miss must not be like other
+people; and though she will be the
+cause of her father&rsquo;s death, yet she does
+not shed a tear.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It would be useless,&rdquo; replied Beauty;
+&ldquo;for father shall not die. As the beast
+will accept of one of his daughters, I
+will give myself up, and be only too
+happy to prove my love for the best of
+fathers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, sister,&rdquo; said the three brothers,
+with one voice, &ldquo;that cannot be; we will
+go in search of this monster, and either
+he or we will perish.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>153]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Do not hope to kill him,&rdquo; said the
+merchant; &ldquo;his power is far too great.
+But Beauty&rsquo;s young life shall not be
+sacrificed; I am old, and cannot expect
+to live much longer; so I shall but give
+up a few years of my life, and shall only
+grieve for the sake of my children.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never, father!&rdquo; cried Beauty; &ldquo;if
+you go back to the palace, you cannot
+hinder my going after you; though
+young, I am not over-fond of life; and
+I would much rather be eaten up by
+the monster than die of grief for your
+loss.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The merchant in vain tried to reason
+with Beauty, who still obstinately kept
+to her purpose; which, in truth, made
+her two sisters glad, for they were jealous
+of her, because everybody loved her.</p>
+
+<p>The merchant was so grieved at the
+thoughts of losing his child that he
+never once thought of the chest filled
+with gold, but at night, to his great surprise,
+he found it standing by his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>154]</a></span>
+bedside. He said nothing about his riches
+to his eldest daughters, for he knew
+very well it would at once make them
+want to return to town; but he told
+Beauty his secret, and she then said
+that while he was away two gentlemen
+had been on a visit at their cottage who
+had fallen in love with her two sisters.
+She entreated her father to marry them
+without delay, for she was so sweet-natured
+she only wished them to be happy.</p>
+
+<p>Three months went by only too fast,
+and then the merchant and Beauty got
+ready to set out for the palace of the
+beast. Upon this the two sisters rubbed
+their eyes with an onion to make
+believe they were crying; both the merchant
+and his sons cried in earnest.
+Only Beauty shed no tears. They
+reached the palace in a very few hours,
+and the horse, without bidding, went
+into the same stable as before. The
+merchant and Beauty walked towards
+the large hall, where they found a table
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>155]</a></span>
+covered with every dainty, and two
+plates laid ready. The merchant had
+very little appetite; but Beauty, that she
+might the better hide her grief, placed
+herself at the table, and helped her
+father; she then began to eat herself,
+and thought all the time that, to be
+sure, the beast had a mind to fatten her
+before he ate her up, since he had provided
+such good cheer for her. When
+they had done their supper they heard
+a great noise, and the good old man
+began to bid his poor child farewell,
+for he knew it was the beast coming to
+them. When Beauty first saw that
+frightful form she was very much terrified,
+but tried to hide her fear. The
+creature walked up to her and eyed
+her all over; then asked her, in a dreadful
+voice, if she had come quite of her
+own accord.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Beauty.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you are a good girl, and I am
+very much obliged to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>156]</a></span>
+This was such an astonishingly civil
+answer that Beauty&rsquo;s courage rose; but
+it sank again when the beast, addressing
+the merchant, desired him to leave the
+palace next morning, and never return
+to it again. &ldquo;And so good-night, merchant.
+And good-night, Beauty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good-night, beast,&rdquo; she answered,
+as the monster shuffled out of the room.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! my dear child,&rdquo; said the merchant,
+kissing his daughter, &ldquo;I am half
+dead already, at the thought of leaving
+you with this dreadful beast; you shall
+go back and let me stay in your place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Beauty, boldly, &ldquo;I will
+never agree to that; you must go home
+to-morrow morning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then they wished each other good-night
+and went to bed, both of them
+thinking they should not be able to
+close their eyes; but as soon as ever
+they had lain down they fell into a
+deep sleep, and did not awake till morning.
+Beauty dreamed that a lady came
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>157]</a></span>
+up to her, who said: &ldquo;I am very much
+pleased, Beauty, with the goodness
+you have shown, in being willing to
+give your life to save that of your father.
+Do not be afraid of anything; you shall
+not go without a reward.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Beauty awoke she told her
+father this dream; but though it gave
+him some comfort, he was a long time
+before he could be persuaded to leave
+the palace. At last Beauty succeeded
+in getting him safely away.</p>
+
+<p>When her father was out of sight
+poor Beauty began to weep sorely; still,
+having naturally a courageous spirit,
+she soon resolved not to make her sad
+case still worse by sorrow, which she
+knew was vain, but to wait and be
+patient. She walked about to take a
+view of all the palace, and the elegance
+of every part of it much charmed her.</p>
+
+<p>But what was her surprise when she
+came to a door on which was written
+<span class="smcap">Beauty&rsquo;s Room</span>! She opened it in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>158]</a></span>
+haste, and her eyes were dazzled by the
+splendor and taste of the apartment.
+What made her wonder more than all
+the rest was a large library filled with
+books, a harpsichord, and many pieces
+of music. &ldquo;The beast surely does not
+mean to eat me up immediately,&rdquo; said
+she, &ldquo;since he takes care I shall not be
+at a loss how to amuse myself.&rdquo; She
+opened the library, and saw these verses
+written in letters of gold on the back
+of one of the books:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Beauteous lady, dry your tears,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Here&rsquo;s no cause for sighs or fears.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Command as freely as you may,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">For you command and I obey.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; said she, sighing, &ldquo;I wish I
+could only command a sight of my
+poor father, and to know what he is
+doing at this moment.&rdquo; Just then, by
+chance, she cast her eyes on a looking-glass
+that stood near her, and in it she
+saw a picture of her old home, and her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>159]</a></span>
+father riding mournfully up to the door.
+Her sisters came out to meet him, and
+although they tried to look sorry, it
+was easy to see that in their hearts they
+were very glad. In a short time all
+this picture disappeared, but it caused
+Beauty to think that the beast, besides
+being very powerful, was also very kind.
+About the middle of the day she found
+a table laid ready for her, and a sweet
+concert of music played all the time she
+was dining, without her seeing anybody.
+But at supper, when she was
+going to seat herself at table, she heard
+the noise of the beast, and could not
+help trembling with fear.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Beauty,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;will you give
+me leave to see you sup?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is as you please,&rdquo; answered
+she, very much afraid.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not in the least,&rdquo; said the beast;
+&ldquo;you alone command in this place. If
+you should not like my company you
+need only say so, and I will leave you
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>160]</a></span>
+that moment. But tell me, Beauty,
+do you not think me very ugly?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, yes,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;for I cannot
+tell a falsehood; but then I think you
+are very good.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Am I?&rdquo; sadly replied the beast;
+&ldquo;yet, besides being ugly, I am also
+very stupid: I know well enough that
+I am but a beast.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very stupid people,&rdquo; said Beauty,
+&ldquo;are never aware of it themselves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At which kindly speech the beast
+looked pleased, and replied, not without
+an awkward sort of politeness, &ldquo;Pray do
+not let me detain you from supper, and be
+sure that you are well served. All you
+see is your own, and I should be deeply
+grieved if you wanted for anything.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You are very kind&mdash;so kind that I
+almost forgot you are so ugly,&rdquo; said
+Beauty, earnestly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ah! yes,&rdquo; answered the beast, with
+a great sigh; &ldquo;I hope I am good-tempered,
+but still I am only a monster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>161]</a></span>
+&ldquo;There is many a monster who wears
+the form of a man; it is better of the
+two to have the heart of a man and the
+form of a monster.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would thank you, Beauty, for this
+speech, but I am too senseless to say
+anything that would please you,&rdquo; returned
+the beast, in a melancholy voice;
+and altogether he seemed so gentle and
+so unhappy that Beauty, who had the
+tenderest heart in the world, felt her
+fear of him gradually vanish.</p>
+
+<p>She ate her supper with a good appetite,
+and conversed in her own sensible and
+charming way, till at last, when the beast
+rose to depart, he terrified her more than
+ever by saying, abruptly, in his gruff
+voice, &ldquo;Beauty, will you marry me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now Beauty, frightened as she was,
+would speak only the exact truth; besides,
+her father had told her that the
+beast liked only to have the truth spoken
+to him. So she answered, in a very
+firm tone, &ldquo;No, beast.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>162]</a></span>
+He did not go into a passion, or do
+anything but sigh deeply, and depart.</p>
+
+<p>When Beauty found herself alone she
+began to feel pity for the poor beast.
+&ldquo;Oh!&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;what a sad thing it is
+that he should be so very frightful, since
+he is so good-tempered!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beauty lived three months in this
+palace very well pleased. The beast
+came to see her every night, and talked
+with her while she supped; and though
+what he said was not very clever, yet,
+as she saw in him every day some new
+goodness, instead of dreading the time
+of his coming, she soon began continually
+looking at her watch, to see if it were
+nine o&rsquo;clock; for that was the hour
+when he never failed to visit her. One
+thing only vexed her, which was that
+every night before he went away he
+always made it a rule to ask her if she
+would be his wife, and seemed very
+much grieved at her steadfastly replying
+&ldquo;No.&rdquo; At last, one night, she said
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>163]</a></span>
+to him, &ldquo;You wound me greatly, beast,
+by forcing me to refuse you so often; I
+wish I could take such a liking to you
+as to agree to marry you, but I must
+tell you plainly that I do not think it
+will ever happen. I shall always be
+your friend, so try to let that content
+you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I must,&rdquo; sighed the beast, &ldquo;for I
+know well enough how frightful I am;
+but I love you better than myself. Yet
+I think I am very lucky in your being
+pleased to stay with me; now promise
+me, Beauty, that you will never leave me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beauty would almost have agreed to
+this, so sorry was she for him, but she
+had that day seen in her magic glass,
+which she looked at constantly, that her
+father was dying of grief for her sake.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Alas!&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;I long so much to
+see my father that if you do not give
+me leave to visit him I shall break my
+heart.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I would rather break mine, Beauty,&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>164]</a></span>
+answered the beast; &ldquo;I will send you to
+your father&rsquo;s cottage, you shall stay
+there, and your poor beast shall die of
+sorrow.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Beauty, crying, &ldquo;I love
+you too well to be the cause of your
+death; I promise to return in a week.
+You have shown me that my sisters
+are married, and my brothers are gone
+for soldiers, so that my father is left all
+alone. Let me stay a week with him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You shall find yourself with him to-morrow
+morning,&rdquo; replied the beast;
+&ldquo;but mind, do not forget your promise.
+When you wish to return you have
+nothing to do but to put your ring on
+a table when you go to bed. Good-bye,
+Beauty!&rdquo; The beast sighed as he said
+these words, and Beauty went to bed
+very sorry to see him so much grieved.
+When she awoke in the morning she
+found herself in her father&rsquo;s cottage.
+She rang a bell that was at her bedside,
+and a servant entered; but as soon as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>165]</a></span>
+she saw Beauty the woman gave a loud
+shriek; upon which the merchant ran
+up-stairs, and when he beheld his daughter
+he ran to her and kissed her a hundred
+times. At last Beauty began to
+remember that she had brought no
+clothes with her to put on; but the servant
+told her she had just found in the
+next room a large chest full of dresses,
+trimmed all over with gold, and adorned
+with pearls and diamonds.</p>
+
+<p>Beauty, in her own mind, thanked
+the beast for his kindness, and put on
+the plainest gown she could find among
+them all. She then desired the servant
+to lay the rest aside, for she intended to
+give them to her sisters; but, as soon
+as she had spoken these words, the chest
+was gone out of sight in a moment. Her
+father then suggested perhaps the beast
+chose for her to keep them all for herself;
+and as soon as he had said this,
+they saw the chest standing again in
+the same place. While Beauty was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>166]</a></span>
+dressing herself a servant brought word
+to her that her sisters were come with
+their husbands to pay her a visit. They
+both lived unhappily with the gentlemen
+they had married. The husband
+of the eldest was very handsome, but
+was so proud of this that he thought of
+nothing else from morning till night,
+and did not care a pin for the beauty of
+his wife. The second had married a
+man of great learning; but he made no
+use of it, except to torment and affront
+all his friends, and his wife more than
+any of them. The two sisters were
+ready to burst with spite when they saw
+Beauty dressed like a princess, and looking
+so very charming. All the kindness
+that she showed them was of no use;
+for they were vexed more than ever
+when she told them how happy she
+lived at the palace of the beast. The
+spiteful creatures went by themselves
+into the garden, where they cried to
+think of her good-fortune.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>167]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Why should the little wretch be better
+off than we?&rdquo; said they. &ldquo;We are
+much handsomer than she is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sister,&rdquo; said the eldest, &ldquo;a thought
+has just come into my head: Let us try
+to keep her here longer than the week
+for which the beast gave her leave, and
+then he will be so angry that perhaps
+when she goes back to him he will eat
+her up in a moment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is well thought of,&rdquo; answered
+the other, &ldquo;but to do this we must pretend
+to be very kind.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They then went to join her in the cottage,
+where they showed her so much
+false love that Beauty could not help
+crying for joy.</p>
+
+<p>When the week was ended the two
+sisters began to pretend such grief at
+the thought of her leaving them that
+she agreed to stay a week more; but
+all that time Beauty could not help
+fretting for the sorrow that she knew
+her absence would give her poor beast;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>168]</a></span>
+for she tenderly loved him, and much
+wished for his company again. Among
+all the grand and clever people she saw
+she found nobody who was half so sensible,
+so affectionate, so thoughtful, or
+so kind. The tenth night of her being
+at the cottage she dreamed she was in
+the garden of the palace, that the beast
+lay dying on a grass-plot, and with his
+last breath put her in mind of her promise,
+and laid his death to her forsaking
+him. Beauty awoke in a great fright,
+and burst into tears. &ldquo;Am not I
+wicked,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;to behave so ill
+to a beast who has shown me so much
+kindness? Why will not I marry him?
+I am sure I should be more happy with
+him than my sisters are with their husbands.
+He shall not be wretched any
+longer on my account; for I should do
+nothing but blame myself all the rest
+of my life.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She then rose, put her ring on the
+table, got into bed again, and soon fell
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>169]</a></span>
+asleep. In the morning she with joy
+found herself in the palace of the beast.
+She dressed herself very carefully, that
+she might please him the better, and
+thought she had never known a day
+pass away so slowly. At last the clock
+struck nine, but the beast did not come.
+Beauty, dreading lest she might truly
+have caused his death, ran from room to
+room, calling out, &ldquo;Beast, dear beast!&rdquo;
+but there was no answer. At last she
+remembered her dream, rushed to the
+grass-plot, and there saw him lying apparently
+dead beside the fountain. Forgetting
+all his ugliness, she threw herself
+upon his body, and, finding his
+heart still beat, she fetched some water
+and sprinkled it over him, weeping and
+sobbing the while.</p>
+
+<p>The beast opened his eyes. &ldquo;You forgot
+your promise, Beauty, and so I determined
+to die; for I could not live
+without you. I have starved myself
+to death, but I shall die content
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>170]</a></span>
+since I have seen your face once
+more.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, dear beast,&rdquo; cried Beauty, passionately,
+&ldquo;you shall not die; you shall
+live to be my husband! I thought it
+was only friendship I felt for you, but
+now I know it was love.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The moment Beauty had spoken these
+words the palace was suddenly lighted
+up, and all kinds of rejoicings were heard
+around them, none of which she noticed,
+but hung over her dear beast with the
+utmost tenderness. At last, unable to
+restrain herself, she dropped her head
+over her hands, covered her eyes, and
+cried for joy; and, when she looked up
+again, the beast was gone. In his stead
+she saw at her feet a handsome, graceful
+young prince, who thanked her with
+the tenderest expressions for having
+freed him from enchantment.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where is my poor beast? I
+only want him and nobody else,&rdquo; sobbed
+Beauty.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 386px;">
+<a name="prince" id="prince"></a>
+<img src="images/fft10.jpg" width="386" height="600"
+alt="Beauty is shocked as the beast transforms into the prince" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">She saw at her feet a handsome, graceful young prince</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>171]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I am he,&rdquo; replied the prince. &ldquo;A
+wicked fairy condemned me to this form,
+and forbade me to show that I had any
+wit or sense till a beautiful lady should
+consent to marry me. You alone, dearest
+Beauty, judged me neither by my
+looks nor by my talents, but by my
+heart alone. Take it, then, and all that
+I have besides, for all is yours.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Beauty, full of surprise, but very
+happy, suffered the prince to lead her
+to his palace, where she found her father
+and sisters, who had been brought there
+by the fairy-lady whom she had seen in
+a dream the first night she came.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Beauty,&rdquo; said the fairy, &ldquo;you have
+chosen well, and you have your reward,
+for a true heart is better than either
+good looks or clever brains. As for
+you, ladies,&rdquo; and she turned to the two
+elder sisters, &ldquo;I know all your ill deeds,
+but I have no worse punishment for you
+than to see your sister happy. You
+shall stand as statues at the door of her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>172]</a></span>
+palace, and when you repent of and
+have amended your faults, you shall
+become women again. But, to tell you
+the truth, I very much fear you will
+remain statues forever.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>173]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>LITTLE SNOWDROP</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time, in the middle of
+winter, when the flakes of snow
+fell like feathers from the sky, a queen
+sat at a window set in an ebony frame,
+and sewed. While she was sewing and
+watching the snow fall, she pricked her
+finger with her needle, and three drops
+of blood dropped on the snow. And
+because the crimson looked so beautiful
+on the white snow, she thought: &ldquo;Oh
+that I had a child as white as snow, as
+red as blood, and as black as the wood
+of this ebony frame!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Soon afterwards she had a little
+daughter, who was as white as snow,
+as red as blood, and had hair as black
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>174]</a></span>
+as ebony. And when the child was
+born the queen died.</p>
+
+<p>After a year had gone by the king
+took another wife. She was a handsome
+lady, but proud and haughty, and
+could not endure that any one should
+surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful
+mirror, and whenever she walked
+up to it, and looked at herself in it, she
+said:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then the mirror replied:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Thou art the fairest of them all.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>And she was satisfied, for she knew
+the mirror always told the truth. But
+Snowdrop grew ever taller and fairer,
+and at seven years old was beautiful
+as the day, and more beautiful than the
+queen herself. So once, when the queen
+asked of her mirror:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>175]</a></span>
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>it answered:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, you are grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But Snowdrop is fairest of you all.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then the queen was startled, and
+turned yellow and green with envy.
+From that hour she so hated Snowdrop,
+that she burned with secret wrath
+whenever she saw the maiden. Pride
+and envy grew apace like weeds in her
+heart, till she had no rest day or night.
+So she called a huntsman and said:
+&ldquo;Take the child out in the forest, for
+I will endure her no longer in my sight.
+Kill her, and bring me her lungs and
+liver as tokens that you have done it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The huntsman obeyed, and led the
+child away; but when he had drawn
+his hunting-knife, and was about to
+pierce Snowdrop&rsquo;s innocent heart, she
+began to weep, and said: &ldquo;Ah! dear
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>176]</a></span>
+huntsman, spare my life, and I will run
+deep into the wild forest, and never
+more come home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The huntsman took pity on her, because
+she looked so lovely, and said,
+&ldquo;Run away then, poor child!&rdquo; (&ldquo;The
+wild beasts will soon make an end of
+thee,&rdquo; he thought.) But it seemed as if
+a stone had been rolled from his heart
+because he had avoided taking her life;
+and as a little bear came by just then,
+he killed it, took out its liver and lungs,
+and carried them as tokens to the queen.
+She made the cook dress them with
+salt, and then the wicked woman ate
+them, and thought she had eaten Snowdrop&rsquo;s
+lungs and liver. The poor child
+was now all alone in the great forest,
+and she felt frightened as she looked at
+all the leafy trees, and knew not what
+to do. So she began to run, and ran
+over the sharp stones, and through the
+thorns; and the wild beasts passed close
+to her, but did her no harm. She ran
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>177]</a></span>
+as long as her feet could carry her, and
+when evening closed in, she saw a little
+house, and went into it to rest herself.
+Everything in the house was very small,
+but I cannot tell you how pretty and
+clean it was.</p>
+
+<p>There stood a little table, covered
+with a white tablecloth, on which were
+seven little plates (each little plate with
+its own little spoon)&mdash;also seven little
+knives and forks, and seven little cups.
+Round the walls stood seven little beds
+close together, with sheets as white as
+snow. Snowdrop being so hungry and
+thirsty, ate a little of the vegetables
+and bread on each plate, and drank
+a drop of wine from every cup, for
+she did not like to empty one entirely.</p>
+
+<p>Then, being very tired, she laid herself
+down in one of the beds, but could
+not make herself comfortable, for one
+was too long, and another too short.
+The seventh, luckily, was just right; so
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>178]</a></span>
+there she stayed, said her prayers, and
+fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>When it was grown quite dark, home
+came the masters of the house, seven
+dwarfs, who delved and mined for iron
+among the mountains. They lighted
+their seven candles, and as soon as
+there was a light in the kitchen, they
+saw that some one had been there, for
+it was not quite so orderly as they had
+left it.</p>
+
+<p>The first said, &ldquo;Who has been sitting
+on my stool?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The second, &ldquo;Who has eaten off my
+plate?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The third, &ldquo;Who has taken part of
+my loaf?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The fourth, &ldquo;Who has touched my
+vegetables?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The fifth, &ldquo;Who has used my fork?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The sixth, &ldquo;Who has cut with my
+knife?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The seventh, &ldquo;Who has drunk out
+of my little cup?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>179]</a></span>
+Then the first dwarf looked about,
+and saw that there was a slight hollow
+in his bed, so he asked, &ldquo;Who has been
+lying in my little bed?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The others came running, and each
+called out, &ldquo;Some one has also been
+lying in my bed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the seventh, when he looked in
+his bed, saw Snowdrop there, fast
+asleep. He called the others, who
+flocked round with cries of surprise,
+fetched their seven candles, and cast
+the light on Snowdrop.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Heaven,&rdquo; they cried, &ldquo;what a
+lovely child!&rdquo; and were so pleased that
+they would not wake her, but let her
+sleep on in the little bed. The seventh
+dwarf slept with all his companions in
+turn, an hour with each, and so they
+spent the night. When it was morning
+Snowdrop woke up, and was frightened
+when she saw the seven dwarfs. They
+were very friendly, however, and inquired
+her name.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>180]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Snowdrop,&rdquo; answered she.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How have you found your way to
+our house?&rdquo; further asked the dwarfs.</p>
+
+<p>So she told them how her stepmother
+had tried to kill her, how the huntsman
+had spared her life, and how she had run
+the whole day through, till at last she
+had found their little house.</p>
+
+<p>Then the dwarfs said, &ldquo;If thou wilt
+keep our house, cook, make the beds,
+wash, sew and knit, and make all neat
+and clean, thou canst stay with us and
+shalt want for nothing.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will, right willingly,&rdquo; said Snowdrop.
+So she dwelt with them, and
+kept their house in order. Every
+morning they went out among the
+mountains, to seek iron and gold, and
+came home ready for supper in the
+evening.</p>
+
+<p>The maiden being left alone all day
+long, the good dwarfs warned her, saying,
+&ldquo;Beware of thy wicked stepmother,
+who will soon find out that thou art
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>181]</a></span>
+here; take care that thou lettest nobody
+in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 388px;">
+<a name="dwarfs" id="dwarfs"></a>
+<img src="images/fft11.jpg" width="388" height="600"
+alt="The dwarfs find the sleeping Snowdrop" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;Oh, Heaven,&rdquo; they cried, &ldquo;what a lovely child!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The queen, however, after having, as
+she thought, eaten Snowdrop&rsquo;s lungs
+and liver, had no doubt that she was
+again the first and fairest woman in the
+world; so she walked up to her mirror,
+and said:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The mirror replied:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Here you are fairest of them all;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>She trembled, knowing that the mirror
+never told a falsehood; she felt sure
+that the huntsman had deceived her,
+and that Snowdrop was still alive. She
+pondered once more, late and early,
+early and late, how best to kill Snowdrop;
+for envy gave her no rest, day or
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>182]</a></span>
+night, while she herself was not the
+fairest lady in the land. When she had
+planned what to do she painted her
+face, dressed herself like an old pedler-woman,
+and altered her appearance so
+much that no one could have known
+her. In this disguise she went over the
+seven hills to where the seven dwarfs
+dwelt, knocked at the door, and cried,
+&ldquo;Good wares, cheap!&mdash;very cheap!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Snowdrop looked out of the window
+and cried, &ldquo;Good-morning, good woman.
+What have you to sell?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good wares, smart wares,&rdquo; answered
+the queen&mdash;&ldquo;bodice laces of all
+colors;&rdquo; and drew out one which was
+woven of colored silk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I may surely let this honest dame
+in!&rdquo; thought Snowdrop; so she unfastened
+the door, and bought for herself
+the pretty lace.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Child,&rdquo; said the old woman, &ldquo;what
+a figure thou art! Let me lace thee for
+once properly.&rdquo; Snowdrop feared no
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>183]</a></span>
+harm, so stepped in front of her, and
+allowed her bodice to be fastened up
+with the new lace.</p>
+
+<p>But the old woman laced so quick
+and laced so tight that Snowdrop&rsquo;s
+breath was stopped, and she fell down
+as if dead. &ldquo;Now I am fairest at last,&rdquo;
+said the old woman to herself, and sped
+away.</p>
+
+<p>The seven dwarfs came home soon
+after, at eventide, but how alarmed
+were they to find their poor Snowdrop
+lifeless on the ground! They lifted her
+up, and, seeing that she was laced too
+tightly, cut the lace of her bodice; she
+began to breathe faintly, and slowly
+returned to life. When the dwarfs
+heard what had happened, they said,
+&ldquo;The old pedler-woman was none other
+than the wicked queen. Be careful of
+thyself, and open the door to no one
+if we are not at home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The cruel stepmother walked up to her
+mirror when she reached home, and said:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>184]</a></span>
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>To which it answered, as usual:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Here you are fairest of them all;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>When she heard this she was so
+alarmed that all the blood rushed to her
+heart, for she saw plainly that Snowdrop
+was still alive.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This time,&rdquo; said she, &ldquo;I will think
+of some means that shall destroy her
+utterly;&rdquo; and with the help of witchcraft,
+in which she was skilful, she
+made a poisoned comb. Then she
+changed her dress and took the shape
+of another old woman.</p>
+
+<p>Again she crossed the seven hills to
+the home of the seven dwarfs, knocked
+at the door, and cried, &ldquo;Good wares,
+very cheap!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>185]</a></span>
+Snowdrop looked out and said, &ldquo;Go
+away&mdash;I dare let no one in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You may surely be allowed to look!&rdquo;
+answered the old woman, and she drew
+out the poisoned comb and held it up.
+The girl was so pleased with it that she
+let herself be cajoled, and opened the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>When the bargain was struck the
+dame said, &ldquo;Now let me dress your hair
+properly for once.&rdquo; Poor Snowdrop
+took no heed, and let the old woman
+begin; but the comb had scarcely touched
+her hair before the poison worked,
+and she fell down senseless.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Paragon of beauty!&rdquo; said the wicked
+woman, &ldquo;all is over with thee now,&rdquo;
+and went away.</p>
+
+<p>Luckily it was near evening, and the
+seven dwarfs soon came home. When
+they found Snowdrop lifeless on the
+ground they at once distrusted her
+stepmother. They searched, and found
+the poisoned comb; and as soon as they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>186]</a></span>
+had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to
+herself, and told them what had happened.
+Again they warned her to be
+careful, and open the door to no one.</p>
+
+<p>The queen placed herself before the
+mirror at home and said:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>But it again answered:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Here, you are fairest of them all;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lives Snowdrop, fairer a thousandfold.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>When she heard the mirror speak
+thus she quivered with rage. &ldquo;Snowdrop
+shall die,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;if it costs
+my own life!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then she went to a secret and lonely
+chamber, where no one ever disturbed
+her, and compounded an apple of deadly
+poison. Ripe and rosy cheeked, it was so
+beautiful to look upon that all who saw
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>187]</a></span>
+it longed for it; but it brought death to
+any who should eat it. When the apple
+was ready she painted her face, disguised
+herself as a peasant-woman, and
+journeyed over the seven hills to where
+the seven dwarfs dwelt. At the sound
+of the knock Snowdrop put her head
+out of the window, and said, &ldquo;I cannot
+open the door to anybody, for the seven
+dwarfs have forbidden me to do so.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; replied the peasant-woman;
+&ldquo;I only want to be rid of my
+apples. Here, I will give you one of
+them!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Snowdrop, &ldquo;I dare not
+take it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Art thou afraid of being poisoned?&rdquo;
+asked the old woman. &ldquo;Look here; I
+will cut the apple in two, and you shall
+eat the rosy side, and I the white.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Now the fruit was so cunningly made
+that only the rosy side was poisoned.
+Snowdrop longed for the pretty apple;
+and when she saw the peasant-woman
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>188]</a></span>
+eating it she could resist no longer, but
+stretched out her hand and took the
+poisoned half. She had scarcely tasted
+it when she fell lifeless to the ground.</p>
+
+<p>The queen, laughing loudly, watched
+her with a barbarous look, and cried:
+&ldquo;Oh, thou who art white as snow, red as
+blood, and black as ebony, the seven
+dwarfs cannot awaken thee this time!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And when she asked the mirror at
+home,</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>the mirror at last replied,</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">You are the fairest of them all.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>So her envious heart had as much repose
+as an envious heart can ever know.</p>
+
+<p>When the dwarfs came home in the
+evening they found Snowdrop lying
+breathless and motionless on the ground.
+They lifted her up, searched whether
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>189]</a></span>
+she had anything poisonous about her,
+unlaced her, combed her hair, washed
+her with water and with wine; but all
+was useless, for they could not bring
+the darling back to life. They laid her
+on a bier, and all the seven placed themselves
+round it, and mourned for her
+three long days. Then they would
+have buried her, but that she still looked
+so fresh and lifelike, and had such lovely
+rosy cheeks. &ldquo;We cannot lower her
+into the dark earth,&rdquo; said they; and
+caused a transparent coffin of glass to
+be made, so that she could be seen on
+all sides, and laid her in it, writing her
+name outside in letters of gold, which
+told that she was the daughter of a king.
+Then they placed the coffin on the
+mountain above, and one of them always
+stayed by it and guarded it. But there
+was little need to guard it, for even the
+wild animals came and mourned for Snowdrop:
+the birds likewise&mdash;first an owl,
+and then a raven, and afterwards a dove.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>190]</a></span>
+Long, long years did Snowdrop lay
+in her coffin unchanged, looking as
+though asleep, for she was still white
+as snow, red as blood, and her hair was
+as black as ebony. At last the son of
+a king chanced to wander into the
+forest, and came to the dwarf&rsquo;s house
+for a night&rsquo;s shelter. He saw the coffin
+on the mountain with the beautiful
+Snowdrop in it, and read what was written
+there in letters of gold. Then he
+said to the dwarfs, &ldquo;Let me have the
+coffin! I will give you whatever you
+like to ask for it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the dwarfs answered, &ldquo;We would
+not part with it for all the gold in the
+world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He said again, &ldquo;Yet give it me; for I
+cannot live without seeing Snowdrop,
+and though she is dead, I will prize and
+honor her as my beloved.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Then the good dwarfs took pity on
+him, and gave him the coffin. The
+prince had it borne away by his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>191]</a></span>
+servants. They happened to stumble over
+a bush, and the shock forced the bit of
+poisoned apple which Snowdrop had
+tasted out of her throat. Immediately
+she opened her eyes, raised the coffin-lid,
+and sat up alive once more. &ldquo;Oh,
+heaven!&rdquo; cried she, &ldquo;where am I?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The prince answered, joyfully. &ldquo;Thou
+art with me,&rdquo; and told her what had
+happened, saying, &ldquo;I love thee more
+dearly than anything else in the world.
+Come with me to my father&rsquo;s castle,
+and be my wife.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Snowdrop, well pleased, went with
+him, and they were married with much
+state and grandeur.</p>
+
+<p>The wicked stepmother was invited
+to the feast. Richly dressed, she stood
+before the mirror, and asked of it:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little glass upon the wall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Who is fairest among us all?&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The mirror answered:</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>192]</a></span>
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Lady queen, so grand and tall,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Here, you are fairest among them all;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But the young queen over the mountains old<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Is fairer than you a thousandfold.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>The evil-hearted woman uttered a
+curse, and could scarcely endure her
+anguish. She first resolved not to attend
+the wedding, but curiosity would
+not allow her to rest. She determined
+to travel, and see who that young queen
+could be, who was the most beautiful
+in all the world. When she came, and
+found that it was Snowdrop alive again,
+she stood petrified with terror and despair.
+Then two iron shoes, heated
+burning hot, were drawn out of the fire
+with a pair of tongs, and laid before
+her feet. She was forced to put them
+on, and to go and dance at Snowdrop&rsquo;s
+wedding&mdash;dancing, dancing on these
+red hot shoes till she fell down dead.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>193]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE STORY OF<br />
+THE THREE BEARS</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">O</span>NCE upon a time there were Three
+Bears, who lived together in a house
+of their own in a wood. One of them
+was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
+one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the
+other was a Great, Huge Bear. They
+had each a pot for their porridge, a little
+pot for the Little, Small, Wee Bear;
+and a middle-sized pot for the Middle
+Bear; and a great pot for the Great,
+Huge Bear. And they had each a chair
+to sit in; a little chair for the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized
+chair for the Middle Bear; and a great
+chair for the Great, Huge Bear. And
+they had each a bed to sleep in; a little
+bed for the Little, Small, Wee Bear;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>194]</a></span>
+and a middle-sized bed for the Middle
+Bear; and a great bed for the Great,
+Huge Bear.</p>
+
+<p>One day, after they had made the
+porridge for their breakfast, and poured
+it into their porridge-pots, they walked
+out into the wood while the porridge
+was cooling, that they might not burn
+their mouths by beginning too soon to
+eat it. And while they were walking
+a little old woman came to the house.
+She could not have been a good, honest
+old woman; for, first, she looked in at
+the window, and then she peeped in at
+the key-hole; and, seeing nobody in the
+house, she lifted the latch. The door
+was not fastened, because the bears
+were good bears, who did nobody any
+harm, and never suspected that anybody
+would harm them. So the little
+old woman opened the door and went
+in, and well pleased she was when she
+saw the porridge on the table. If she
+had been a good little old woman she
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>195]</a></span>
+would have waited till the bears came
+home, and then, perhaps, they would
+have asked her to breakfast; for they
+were good bears&mdash;a little rough or so,
+as the manner of bears is, but for all
+that very good-natured and hospitable.
+But she was an impudent, bad old woman,
+and set about helping herself.</p>
+
+<p>So first she tasted the porridge of the
+Great, Huge Bear, and that was too
+hot for her; and she said a bad word
+about that. And then she tasted the
+porridge of the Middle Bear, and that
+was too cold for her; and she said a bad
+word about that, too. And then she
+went to the porridge of the Little, Small,
+Wee Bear, and tasted that, and that
+was neither too hot nor too cold, but
+just right, and she liked it so well that
+she ate it all up; but the naughty old
+woman said a bad word about the little
+porridge-pot, because it did not hold
+enough for her.</p>
+
+<p>Then the little old woman sate down
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>196]</a></span>
+in the chair of the Great, Huge Bear,
+and that was too hard for her. And
+then she sate down in the chair of the
+Middle Bear, and that was too soft for
+her. And then she sate down in the
+chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and
+that was neither too hard nor too soft,
+but just right. So she seated herself
+in it, and there she sate till the bottom
+of the chair came out, and down came
+she, plump upon the ground. And the
+naughty old woman said a wicked word
+about that, too.</p>
+
+<p>Then the little old woman went up-stairs
+into the bedchamber in which
+the three bears slept. And first she
+lay down upon the bed of the Great,
+Huge Bear; but that was too high at
+the head for her. And next she lay
+down upon the bed of the Middle Bear;
+and that was too high at the foot for
+her. And then she lay down upon the
+bed of the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
+that was neither too high at the head
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>197]</a></span>
+nor at the foot, but just right. So she
+covered herself up comfortably, and
+lay there till she fell fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the three bears thought
+their porridge would be cool enough,
+so they came home to breakfast. Now
+the little old woman had left the spoon
+of the Great, Huge Bear standing in
+his porridge.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY
+PORRIDGE!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great,
+rough, gruff voice. And when the Middle
+Bear looked at his, he saw that the
+spoon was standing in it, too. They were
+wooden spoons; if they had been silver
+ones the naughty old woman would
+have put them in her pocket.</p>
+
+<p class="center smcap">&ldquo;Somebody Has Been At My Porridge!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>198]</a></span>
+Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked
+at his, and there was the spoon in
+the porridge-pot, but the porridge was
+all gone.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;<i>Somebody has been at my porridge,
+and has eaten it all up!</i>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his
+little, small, wee voice.</p>
+
+<p>Upon this the three bears, seeing that
+some one had entered their house, and
+eaten up the Little, Small, Wee Bear&rsquo;s
+breakfast, began to look about them.
+Now the little old woman had not put
+the hard cushion straight when she rose
+from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING
+IN MY CHAIR!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great,
+rough, gruff voice.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman had squatted
+down the soft cushion of the Middle
+Bear.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>199]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class="center smcap">&ldquo;Somebody Has Been Sitting In
+My Chair!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Middle Bear, in his middle
+voice.</p>
+
+<p>And you know what the little old
+woman had done to the third chair.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;<i>Somebody has been sitting in my chair,
+and has sate the bottom of it out!</i>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his
+little, small, wee voice.</p>
+
+<p>Then the three bears thought it necessary
+that they should make further
+search, so they went up-stairs into their
+bedchamber. Now the little old woman
+had pulled the pillow of the Great,
+Huge Bear out of its place.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great,
+rough, gruff voice.</p>
+
+<p>And the little old woman had pulled
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>200]</a></span>
+the bolster of the Middle Bear out of
+its place.</p>
+
+<p class="center smcap">&ldquo;Somebody Has Been Lying in My
+Bed!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.</p>
+
+<p>And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear
+came to look at his bed, there was the
+bolster in its place, and the pillow in
+its place upon the bolster, and upon the
+pillow was the little old woman&rsquo;s ugly,
+dirty head&mdash;which was not in its place,
+for she had no business there.</p>
+
+<p class="center">&ldquo;<i>Somebody has been lying in my bed&mdash;and
+here she is!</i>&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his
+little, small, wee voice.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 389px;">
+<a name="bears" id="bears"></a>
+<img src="images/fft12.jpg" width="389" height="600"
+alt="The old woman wakes up to find the bears looking at her" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">The voice of the little, small, wee bear awakened her at once</p>
+
+<p>The little old woman had heard in
+her sleep the great, rough, gruff voice
+of the Great, Huge Bear; but she was so
+fast asleep that it was no more to her
+than the roaring of wind or the rumbling
+of thunder. And she had heard the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>201]</a></span>
+middle voice of the Middle Bear, but it
+was only as if she had heard some one
+speaking in a dream. But when she
+heard the little, small, wee voice of the
+Little, Small, Wee Bear, it was so sharp
+and so shrill that it awakened her at
+once. Up she started; and when she
+saw the Three Bears on one side of the
+bed she tumbled herself out at the other
+and ran to the window. Now the
+window was open, because the bears,
+like good, tidy bears as they were, always
+opened their bedchamber window
+when they got up in the morning.
+Out the little old woman jumped; and
+whether she broke her neck in the fall,
+or ran into the wood and was lost there,
+or found her way out of the wood and
+was taken up by the constable and sent
+to the House of Correction for a vagrant
+as she was, I cannot tell. But the Three
+Bears never saw anything more of her.</p>
+
+<p class="credit">From &ldquo;The Green Fairy Book,&rdquo; edited by Andrew Lang,
+by the courtesy of Longmans, Green &amp; Co.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>202]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">A</span> POOR widow lived alone in a little
+cottage, in front of which was a
+garden, where stood two little rose-trees:
+one bore white roses, the other
+red. The widow had two children who
+resembled the two rose-trees: one was
+called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red.
+They were two of the best children
+that ever lived; but Snow-white was
+quieter and more gentle than Rose-red.
+Rose-red liked best to jump about in
+the meadows, to look for flowers and
+catch butterflies; but Snow-white sat at
+home with her mother, helped her in the
+house, or read to her when there was
+nothing else to do. The two children
+loved one another so much that they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>203]</a></span>
+always walked hand in hand; and
+when Snow-white said, &ldquo;We will not
+forsake one another,&rdquo; Rose-red answered,
+&ldquo;Never, as long as we live;&rdquo; and the
+mother added, &ldquo;Yes, my children, whatever
+one has, let her divide with the
+other.&rdquo; They often ran about in solitary
+places, and gathered red berries;
+and the wild creatures of the wood
+never hurt them, but came confidingly
+up to them. The little hare ate cabbage-leaves
+out of their hands, the doe
+grazed at their side, the stag sprang
+merrily past them, and the birds remained
+sitting on the boughs, and never
+ceased their songs. They met with no
+accident if they loitered in the wood
+and night came on; they lay down together
+on the moss, and slept till morning;
+and the mother knew this, and was
+in no anxiety about them. Once, when
+they had spent the night in the wood,
+and the red morning awoke them, they
+saw a beautiful child, in a shining white
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>204]</a></span>
+dress, sitting by the place where they
+had slept, who, arising, and looking at
+them kindly, said nothing, but went
+into the wood. And when they looked
+round they found out that they had
+been sleeping close to a precipice, and
+would certainly have fallen down it if
+they had gone a few steps farther in the
+dark. Their mother told them it must
+have been the angel that takes care of
+good children who had sat by them all
+night long.</p>
+
+<p>Snow-white and Rose-red kept their
+mother&rsquo;s cottage so clean that it was
+a pleasure to look into it. In the summer
+Rose-red managed the house, and
+every morning she gathered a nosegay
+in which was a rose off each tree, and
+set it by her mother&rsquo;s bed before she
+awoke. In winter Snow-white lighted
+the fire, and hung the kettle on the
+hook; and though it was only copper
+it shone like gold, it was rubbed so
+clean. In the evening, when the snow
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>205]</a></span>
+fell, the mother said, &ldquo;Go, Snow-white,
+and bolt the door;&rdquo; and then they seated
+themselves on the hearth, and the
+mother took her spectacles, and read
+aloud out of a great book, and the two
+girls listened, and sat and span. Near
+them lay a lamb on the floor, and behind
+them, on a perch, sat a white dove, with
+its head under its wing.</p>
+
+<p>One evening, as they were thus happy
+together, some one knocked to be
+let in. The mother said, &ldquo;Quick, Rose-red,
+open the door; perhaps it is a
+traveller who seeks shelter.&rdquo; Rose-red
+went and pushed the bolt back, and
+thought it was a poor man; but a bear
+stretched his thick black head into the
+door. Rose-red screamed and sprang
+back, the little lamb bleated, the little
+dove fluttered about, and Snow-white
+hid herself behind her mother&rsquo;s bed.
+However, the bear began to speak, and
+said, &ldquo;Do not be frightened, I will
+do you no harm; I am half frozen,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>206]</a></span>
+and only want to warm myself a little.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You poor bear,&rdquo; said the mother,
+&ldquo;lay yourself down before the fire,
+only take care your fur does not burn.&rdquo;
+Then she called out: &ldquo;Snow-white and
+Rose-red, come out; the bear will not
+hurt you&mdash;he means honestly by us.&rdquo;
+Then they both came out, and, by
+degrees, the lamb and the dove also
+approached, and ceased to be afraid.
+The bear said, &ldquo;Children, knock the
+snow a little out of my fur;&rdquo; and they
+fetched a broom, and swept the bear&rsquo;s
+skin clean; and he stretched himself
+before the fire and growled softly, like
+a bear that was quite happy and comfortable.
+In a short time they all became
+quite friendly together, and the
+children played tricks with the awkward
+guest. They pulled his hair, set
+their feet on his back, and rolled him
+here and there; or took a hazel rod and
+beat him, and when he growled they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>207]</a></span>
+laughed. The bear was very much
+pleased with this frolic, only, when
+they became too mischievous, he called
+out: &ldquo;Children, leave me alone.</p>
+
+<div class="poem">
+<div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">&ldquo;Little Snow-white and Rose-red,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">You will strike your lover dead.&rdquo;<br /></span>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>When bedtime came, and the others
+went to sleep, the mother said to the
+bear: &ldquo;You can lie there on the hearth,
+and then you will be sheltered from the
+cold and the bad weather.&rdquo; At daybreak
+the two children let him out,
+and he trotted over the snow into the
+wood. Henceforward the bear came
+every evening at the same hour, laid
+himself on the hearth, and allowed the
+children to play with him as much as
+they liked; and they became so used
+to him that the door was never bolted
+until their black companion had arrived.
+When spring came, and everything
+was green out-of-doors, the bear
+said one morning to Snow-white: &ldquo;Now
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>208]</a></span>
+I must go away, and may not come
+again the whole summer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going, dear Bear?&rdquo;
+asked Snow-white.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I must go into the wood, and guard
+my treasures from the bad dwarfs; in
+winter, when the ground is frozen hard,
+they have to stay underneath, and cannot
+work their way through, but now
+that the sun has thawed and warmed
+the earth, they break through, come
+up, seek, and steal; what is once in their
+hands, and lies in their caverns, does
+not come so easily into daylight again.&rdquo;
+Snow-white was quite sorrowful at
+parting, and as she unbolted the door
+for him, and the bear ran out, the hook
+of the door caught him, and a piece of
+his skin tore off; it seemed to Snow-white
+as if she had seen gold shining
+through, but she was not sure. But
+the bear ran quickly away, and soon
+disappeared behind the trees.</p>
+
+<p>After some time, their mother sent
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>209]</a></span>
+the children into the wood to collect
+fagots. They found there a large tree,
+which had been cut down and lay on
+the ground, and by the trunk something
+was jumping up and down, but
+they could not tell what it was. As
+they came nearer they saw that it was
+a dwarf with an old withered face, and
+a snow-white beard a yard long. The
+end of the beard was stuck fast in a
+cleft in the tree, and the little fellow
+jumped about like a dog on a rope, and
+did not know how to help himself. He
+stared at the girls with his fiery red
+eyes, and screamed out: &ldquo;Why do you
+stand there? Can&rsquo;t you come and render
+me some assistance?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is the matter with you, little
+man?&rdquo; asked Rose-red.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Stupid little goose!&rdquo; answered the
+dwarf; &ldquo;I wanted to chop the tree, so
+as to have some small pieces of wood
+for the kitchen; we only want little bits;
+with thick logs the small quantity of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>210]</a></span>
+food that we cook for ourselves&mdash;we
+are not, like you, great greedy people&mdash;burns
+directly. I had driven the
+wedge well in, and it was all going on
+right, but the detestable wood was too
+smooth, and sprang out unexpectedly;
+and the tree closed up so quickly that
+I could not pull my beautiful white
+beard out; now it is sticking there, and
+I can&rsquo;t get away. There, you foolish,
+soft, milk-faces, you are laughing and
+crying out: &lsquo;How ugly you are! how
+ugly you are!&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The children took a great deal of
+trouble, but they could not pull the
+beard out; it stuck too fast.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I will run and fetch somebody,&rdquo;
+said Rose-red.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You great ninny!&rdquo; snarled the
+dwarf, &ldquo;to want to call more people;
+you are too many for me now. Can&rsquo;t
+you think of anything better?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Only don&rsquo;t be impatient,&rdquo; said
+Snow-white. &ldquo;I have thought of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>211]</a></span>
+something;&rdquo; and she took her little scissors
+out of her pocket, and cut the end of
+the beard off.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the dwarf felt himself free
+he seized a sack filled with gold that was
+sticking between the roots of the tree;
+pulling it out, he growled to himself:
+&ldquo;You rude people, to cut off a piece of
+my beautiful beard! May evil reward
+you!&rdquo; Then he threw his sack over
+his shoulders, and walked away without
+once looking at the children.</p>
+
+<p>Some time afterwards Snow-white
+and Rose-red wished to catch some fish
+for dinner. As they came near to the
+stream they saw that something like a
+grasshopper was jumping towards the
+water, as if it were going to spring
+in. They ran on and recognized the
+dwarf.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where are you going?&rdquo; asked Rose-red.
+&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want to go into the
+water?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am not such a fool as that,&rdquo; cried
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>212]</a></span>
+the dwarf. &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t you see the detestable
+fish wants to pull me in?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The little fellow had been sitting there
+fishing, and, unluckily, the wind had entangled
+his beard with the line. When
+directly afterwards a great fish bit at
+his hook the weak creature could not
+pull him out, so the fish was pulling the
+dwarf into the water. It is true he
+caught hold of all the reeds and rushes,
+but that did not help him much; he
+had to follow all the movements of the
+fish, and was in imminent danger of
+being drowned. The girls, coming at
+the right time, held him fast and tried
+to get the beard loose from the line, but
+in vain&mdash;beard and line were entangled
+fast together. There was nothing to
+do but to pull out the scissors and to cut
+off the beard, in doing which a little
+piece of it was lost. When the dwarf
+saw that, he cried out: &ldquo;Is that manners,
+you goose! to disfigure one&rsquo;s face
+so? Is it not enough that you once
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>213]</a></span>
+cut my beard shorter? But now you
+have cut the best part of it off, I dare
+not be seen by my people. I wish you
+had had to run, and had lost the soles
+of your shoes!&rdquo; Then he fetched a sack
+of pearls that lay among the rushes,
+and, without saying a word more, he
+dragged it away and disappeared behind
+a stone.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after the mother sent the two
+girls to the town to buy cotton, needles,
+cord, and tape. The road led them by
+a heath, scattered over which lay great
+masses of rock. There they saw a large
+bird hovering in the air; it flew round
+and round just above them, always sinking
+lower and lower, and at last it settled
+down by a rock not far distant.
+Directly after they heard a piercing,
+wailing cry. They ran up, and saw
+with horror that the eagle had seized
+their old acquaintance, the dwarf, and
+was going to carry him off. The compassionate
+children instantly seized hold
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>214]</a></span>
+of the little man, held him fast, and
+struggled so long that the eagle let his
+prey go.</p>
+
+<p>When the dwarf had recovered from
+his first fright, he called out, in his
+shrill voice: &ldquo;Could not you deal rather
+more gently with me? You have torn
+my thin coat all in tatters, awkward,
+clumsy creatures that you are!&rdquo; Then
+he took a sack of precious stones, and
+slipped behind the rock again into his
+den. The girls, who were used to his
+ingratitude, went on their way, and
+completed their business in the town.
+As they were coming home again over
+the heath they surprised the dwarf,
+who had emptied his sack of precious
+stones on a little clean place, and had
+not thought that any one would come
+by there so late. The evening sun shone
+on the glittering stones, which looked
+so beautiful in all their colors that the
+children could not help standing still
+to gaze.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>215]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Why do you stand there gaping?&rdquo;
+cried the dwarf, his ash-colored face
+turning vermilion with anger.</p>
+
+<p>With these cross words he was going
+away when he heard a loud roaring,
+and a black bear trotted out of the
+woods towards them. The dwarf sprang
+up terrified, but he could not get to his
+lurking-hole again&mdash;the bear was already
+close upon him. Then he called
+out in anguish:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dear Mr. Bear, spare me, and you
+shall have all my treasures; look at the
+beautiful precious stones that lie there.
+Give me my life; for what do you want
+with a poor thin little fellow like me?
+You would scarcely feel me between
+your teeth. Rather seize those two
+wicked girls; they will be tender morsels
+for you, as fat as young quails; pray,
+eat them at once.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The bear, without troubling himself
+to answer, gave the malicious creature
+one single stroke with his paw, and he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>216]</a></span>
+did not move again. The girls had run
+away, but the bear called after them:
+&ldquo;Snow-white and Rose-red, do not be
+frightened; wait, I will go with you.&rdquo;
+Recognizing the voice of their old
+friend, they stood still, and when the
+bear came up to them his skin suddenly
+fell off; and behold he was not a bear,
+but a handsome young man dressed all
+in gold.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am a king&rsquo;s son,&rdquo; said he; &ldquo;I was
+changed by the wicked dwarf, who had
+stolen all my treasures, into a wild bear,
+and obliged to run about in the wood
+until I should be freed by his death.
+Now he has received his well-deserved
+punishment.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So they all went home together to
+the widow&rsquo;s cottage, and Snow-white
+was married to the prince and Rose-red
+to his brother. They divided between
+them the great treasures which
+the dwarf had amassed. The old mother
+lived many quiet and happy years with
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>217]</a></span>
+her children; but when she left her cottage
+for the palace she took the two
+rose-trees with her, and they stood before
+her window and bore every year
+the most beautiful roses&mdash;one white
+and the other red.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>218]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE WILD SWANS</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">F</span>AR away, where the swallows take
+refuge in winter, lived a king who
+had eleven sons and one daughter, Elise.
+The eleven brothers&mdash;they were all
+princes&mdash;used to go to school with stars
+on their breasts and swords at their
+sides. They wrote upon golden slates
+with diamond pencils, and could read
+just as well without a book as with one,
+so there was no mistake about their
+being real princes. Their sister Elise
+sat upon a little footstool of looking-glass,
+and she had a picture-book which
+had cost the half of a kingdom. Oh,
+these children were very happy; but
+it was not to last thus forever.</p>
+
+<p>Their father, who was king over all
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>219]</a></span>
+the land, married a wicked queen who
+was not at all kind to the poor children;
+they found that out on the first day.
+All was festive at the castle, but when
+the children wanted to play at having
+company, instead of having as many
+cakes and baked apples as ever they
+wanted, she would only let them have
+some sand in a tea-cup, and said they
+must make-believe.</p>
+
+<p>In the following week she sent little
+Elise into the country to board with
+some peasants, and it did not take her
+long to make the king believe so many
+bad things about the boys that he
+cared no more about them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Fly out into the world and look
+after yourselves,&rdquo; said the wicked queen;
+&ldquo;you shall fly about like birds without
+voices.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But she could not make things as bad
+for them as she would have liked; they
+turned into eleven beautiful wild swans.
+They flew out of the palace window
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>220]</a></span>
+with a weird scream, right across the
+park and the woods.</p>
+
+<p>It was very early in the morning
+when they came to the place where
+their sister Elise was sleeping in the
+peasant&rsquo;s house. They hovered over
+the roof of the house, turning and twisting
+their long necks, and flapping their
+wings; but no one either heard or saw
+them. They had to fly away again,
+and they soared up towards the clouds,
+far out into the wide world, and they
+settled in a big, dark wood, which
+stretched right down to the shore.</p>
+
+<p>Poor little Elise stood in the peasant&rsquo;s
+room, playing with a green leaf,
+for she had no other toys. She made a
+little hole in it, which she looked through
+at the sun, and it seemed to her as if
+she saw her brothers&rsquo; bright eyes.
+Every time the warm sunbeams shone
+upon her cheek it reminded her of their
+kisses. One day passed just like another.
+When the wind whistled through
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>221]</a></span>
+the rose-hedges outside the house, it
+whispered to the roses: &ldquo;Who can be
+prettier than you are?&rdquo; But the roses
+shook their heads and answered: &ldquo;Elise!&rdquo;
+And when the old woman sat in the
+doorway reading her Psalms the wind
+turned over the leaves and said to the
+book: &ldquo;Who can be more pious than
+you?&rdquo; &ldquo;Elise!&rdquo; answered the book.
+Both the roses and the book of Psalms
+only spoke the truth.</p>
+
+<p>She was to go home when she was
+fifteen, but when the queen saw how
+pretty she was she got very angry, and
+her heart was filled with hatred. She
+would willingly have turned her into
+a wild swan too, like her brothers, but
+she did not dare to do it at once, for
+the king wanted to see his daughter.
+The queen always went to the bath in
+the early morning. It was built of
+marble, and adorned with soft cushions
+and beautiful carpets.</p>
+
+<p>She took three toads, kissed them,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>222]</a></span>
+and said to the first: &ldquo;Sit upon Elise&rsquo;s
+head when she comes to the bath, so
+that she may become sluggish like
+yourself.&rdquo; &ldquo;Sit upon her forehead,&rdquo;
+she said to the second, &ldquo;that she may
+become ugly like you, and then her
+father won&rsquo;t know her! Rest upon her
+heart,&rdquo; she whispered to the third.
+&ldquo;Let an evil spirit come over her, which
+may be a burden to her.&rdquo; Then she
+put the toads into the clean water, and
+a green tinge immediately came over it.
+She called Elise, undressed her, and
+made her go into the bath; when she
+ducked under the water, one of the
+toads got among her hair, the other
+got onto her forehead, and the third
+onto her bosom. But when she stood
+up three scarlet poppies floated on the
+water; had not the creatures been
+poisonous, and kissed by the sorceress,
+they would have been changed into
+crimson roses, but yet they became
+flowers from merely having rested a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>223]</a></span>
+moment on her head and her heart.
+She was far too good and innocent for
+the sorcery to have any power over her.
+When the wicked queen saw this she
+rubbed her over with walnut juice, and
+smeared her face with some evil-smelling
+salve. She also matted up her
+beautiful hair; it would have been impossible
+to recognize pretty Elise. When
+her father saw her, he was quite horrified,
+and said that she could not be his
+daughter. Nobody would have anything
+to say to her, except the yard
+dog and the swallows, and they were
+only poor dumb animals whose opinion
+went for nothing.</p>
+
+<p>Poor Elise wept, and thought of her
+eleven brothers who were all lost. She
+crept sadly out of the palace and wandered
+about all day, over meadows and
+marshes, and into a big forest. She
+did not know in the least where she
+wanted to go, but she felt very sad,
+and longed for her brothers, who, no
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>224]</a></span>
+doubt, like herself had been driven out
+of the palace. She made up her mind
+to go and look for them, but she had
+only been in the wood for a short time
+when night fell. She had quite lost
+her way, so she lay down upon the soft
+moss, said her evening prayer, and
+rested her head on a little hillock. It
+was very still and the air was mild;
+hundreds of glow-worms shone around
+her on the grass and in the marsh like
+green fire. When she gently moved
+one of the branches over her head the
+little shining insects fell over her like
+a shower of stars. She dreamed about
+her brothers all night long. Again
+they were children playing together:
+they wrote upon the golden slates with
+their diamond pencils, and she looked at
+the picture-book which had cost half
+a kingdom. But they no longer wrote
+strokes and noughts upon their slates
+as they used to do; no, they wrote down
+all their boldest exploits, and everything
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>225]</a></span>
+that they had seen and experienced.
+Everything in the picture-book
+was alive, the birds sang, and the people
+walked out of the book, and spoke to
+Elise and her brothers. When she turned
+over a page they skipped back into
+their places again, so that there should
+be no confusion among the pictures.</p>
+
+<p>When she woke the sun was already
+high; it is true she could not see it very
+well through the thick branches of the
+lofty forest trees, but the sunbeams
+cast a golden shimmer around beyond
+the forest. There was a fresh, delicious
+scent of grass and herbs in the air, and
+the birds were almost ready to perch
+upon her shoulders. She could hear
+the splashing of water, for there were
+many springs around, which all flowed
+into a pond with a lovely sandy bottom.
+It was surrounded with thick
+bushes, but there was one place which
+the stags had trampled down, and Elise
+passed through the opening to the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>226]</a></span>
+water side. It was so transparent
+that had not the branches been moved
+by the breeze she must have thought
+that they were painted on the bottom,
+so plainly was every leaf reflected, both
+those on which the sun played, and
+those which were in shade.</p>
+
+<p>When she saw her own face she was
+quite frightened, it was so brown and
+ugly; but when she wet her little hand
+and rubbed her eyes and forehead her
+white skin shone through again. Then
+she took off all her clothes and went
+into the fresh water. A more beautiful
+royal child than she could not be
+found in all the world.</p>
+
+<p>When she had put on her clothes
+again and plaited her long hair she
+went to a sparkling spring, and drank
+some of the water out of the hollow of
+her hand. Then she wandered farther
+into the wood, though where she was
+going she had not the least idea. She
+thought of her brothers, and she thought
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>227]</a></span>
+of a merciful God who would not forsake
+her. He let the wild crab-apples
+grow to feed the hungry. He showed
+her a tree, the branches of which were
+bending beneath their weight of fruit.
+Here she made her midday meal, and,
+having put props under the branches,
+she walked on into the thickest part of
+the forest. It was so quiet that she
+heard her own footsteps; she heard
+every little withered leaf which bent
+under her feet. Not a bird was to be
+seen, not a ray of sunlight pierced the
+leafy branches, and the tall trunks were
+so close together that when she looked
+before her it seemed as if a thick fence
+of heavy beams hemmed her in on
+every side. The solitude was such as
+she had never known before.</p>
+
+<p>It was a very dark night, not a single
+glow-worm sparkled in the marsh; sadly
+she lay down to sleep, and it seemed
+to her as if the branches above her
+parted asunder, and the Saviour looked
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>228]</a></span>
+down upon her with His loving eyes,
+and little angels&rsquo; heads peeped out
+above His head and under His arms.</p>
+
+<p>When she woke in the morning she
+was not sure if she had dreamed this,
+or whether it was really true.</p>
+
+<p>She walked a little farther, when she
+met an old woman with a basket full
+of berries, of which she gave her some.
+Elise asked if she had seen eleven
+princes ride through the wood. &ldquo;No,&rdquo;
+said the old woman, &ldquo;but yesterday I
+saw eleven swans, with golden crowns
+upon their heads, swimming in the
+stream close by here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She led Elise a little farther to a slope,
+at the foot of which the stream meandered.
+The trees on either bank stretched
+out their rich, leafy branches towards
+each other, and where, from their
+natural growth, they could not reach
+each other, they had torn their roots
+out of the ground, and leaned over the
+water so as to interlace their branches.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>229]</a></span>
+Elise said good-bye to the old woman
+and walked along by the river till
+it flowed out into the great open sea.</p>
+
+<p>The beautiful open sea lay before the
+maiden, but not a sail was to be seen
+on it&mdash;not a single boat. How was she
+ever to get any farther? She looked at
+the numberless little pebbles on the
+beach; they were all worn quite round
+by the water. Glass, iron, stone,
+whatever was washed up, had taken their
+shapes from the water, which yet was
+much softer than her little hand.
+&ldquo;With all its rolling, it is untiring, and
+everything hard is smoothed down. I
+will be just as untiring! Thank you
+for your lesson, you clear rolling waves!
+Some time, so my poor heart tells me,
+you will bear me to my beloved brothers!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Eleven white swans&rsquo; feathers were
+lying on the sea-weed; she picked them
+up and made a bunch of them. There were
+still drops of water on them.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>230]</a></span>
+Whether these were dew or tears no
+one could tell. It was very lonely
+there by the shore, but she did not feel
+it, for the sea was ever changing. There
+were more changes on it in the course
+of a few hours than could be seen on
+an inland fresh-water lake in a year.
+If a big black cloud arose it was just
+as if the sea wanted to say, &ldquo;I can look
+black too,&rdquo; and then the wind blew up
+and the waves showed their white
+crests. But if the clouds were red and
+the wind dropped, the sea looked like
+a rose-leaf, now white, now green. But,
+however still it was, there was always
+a little gentle motion just by the shore;
+the water rose and fell softly, like the
+bosom of a sleeping child.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun was just about to go
+down, Elise saw eleven wild swans with
+golden crowns upon their heads flying
+towards the shore. They flew in a
+swaying line, one behind the other, like
+a white ribbon streamer. Elise climbed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>231]</a></span>
+up onto the bank and hid behind a
+bush; the swans settled close by her
+and flapped their great white wings.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sun had sunk beneath
+the water the swans shed their feathers
+and became eleven handsome princes;
+they were Elise&rsquo;s brothers. Although
+they had altered a good deal, she knew
+them at once; she felt that they must
+be her brothers, and she sprang into their
+arms, calling them by name. They
+were delighted when they recognized
+their little sister who had grown so big
+and beautiful. They laughed and cried,
+and told each other how wickedly their
+stepmother had treated them all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We brothers,&rdquo; said the eldest, &ldquo;have
+to fly about in the guise of swans, as
+long as the sun is above the horizon.
+When it goes down we regain our human
+shapes. So we always have to
+look out for a resting-place near sunset,
+for should we happen to be flying
+up among the clouds when the sun goes
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>232]</a></span>
+down we should be hurled to the
+depths below. We do not live here;
+there is another land, just as beautiful
+as this, beyond the sea; but the way to
+it is very long, and we have to cross the
+mighty ocean to get to it. There is not
+a single island on the way where we
+can spend the night; only one solitary
+little rock juts up above the water midway.
+It is only just big enough for us
+to stand upon close together, and if
+there is a heavy sea the water splashes
+over us, yet we thank our God for it.
+We stay there over night in our human
+forms, and without it we could never
+revisit our beloved Fatherland, for our
+flight takes two of the longest days in
+the year. We are only permitted to
+visit the home of our fathers once a
+year, and we dare only stay for eleven
+days. We hover over this big forest
+from whence we catch a glimpse of the
+palace where we were born, and where
+our father lives; beyond it we can see
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>233]</a></span>
+the high church towers where our mother
+is buried. We fancy that the trees
+and bushes here are related to us; and
+the wild horses gallop over the moors,
+as we used to see them in our childhood.
+The charcoal burners still sing the old
+songs we used to dance to when we
+were children. This is our Fatherland,
+we are drawn towards it, and here we
+have found you again, dear little sister!
+We may stay here two days longer, and
+then we must fly away again across the
+ocean to a lovely country indeed, but
+it is not our own dear Fatherland. How
+shall we ever take you with us! We
+have neither ship nor boat!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How can I deliver you!&rdquo; said their
+sister, and they went on talking to each
+other nearly all night; they only dozed
+for a few hours.</p>
+
+<p>Elise was awakened in the morning
+by the rustling of the swans&rsquo; wings
+above her; her brothers were again
+transformed, and were wheeling round
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>234]</a></span>
+in great circles till she lost sight of
+them in the distance. One of them,
+the youngest, stayed behind. He laid
+his head against her bosom, and she
+caressed it with her fingers. They remained
+together all day. Towards evening
+the others came back, and as soon
+as the sun went down they took their
+natural forms.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To-morrow we must fly away, and
+we dare not come back for a whole year,
+but we can&rsquo;t leave you like this! Have
+you courage to go with us? My arm
+is strong enough to carry you over the
+forest, so surely our united strength
+ought to be sufficient to bear you across
+the ocean.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh yes; take me with you,&rdquo; said
+Elise.</p>
+
+<p>They spent the whole night in weaving
+a kind of net of the elastic bark of the
+willow bound together with tough
+rushes; they made it both large and
+strong. Elise lay down upon it, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>235]</a></span>
+when the sun rose and the brothers became
+swans again they took up the net
+in their bills and flew high up among
+the clouds with their precious sister,
+who was fast asleep. The sunbeams
+fell straight onto her face, so one of the
+swans flew over her head so that its
+broad wings should shade her.</p>
+
+<p>They were far from land when Elise
+woke; she thought she must still be
+dreaming, it seemed so strange to be
+carried through the air so high up
+above the sea. By her side lay a
+branch of beautiful ripe berries and
+a bundle of savory roots which her
+youngest brother had collected for her,
+and for which she gave him a grateful
+smile. She knew it was he who flew
+above her head shading her from the
+sun. They were so high up that the
+first ship they saw looked like a gull
+floating on the water. A great cloud
+came up behind them like a mountain,
+and Elise saw the shadow of herself on
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>236]</a></span>
+it, and those of the eleven swans looking
+like giants. It was a more beautiful
+picture than any she had ever seen before,
+but as the sun rose higher, the
+cloud fell behind, and the shadow picture
+disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>They flew on and on all day like an
+arrow whizzing through the air, but
+they went slower than usual, for now
+they had their sister to carry. A storm
+came up, and night was drawing on;
+Elise saw the sun sinking with terror in
+her heart, for the solitary rock was nowhere
+to be seen. The swans seemed
+to be taking stronger strokes than ever;
+alas! she was the cause of their not being
+able to get on faster; as soon as the
+sun went down they would become men,
+and they would all be hurled into the
+sea and drowned. She prayed to God
+from the bottom of her heart, but still
+no rock was to be seen! Black clouds
+gathered, and strong gusts of wind announced
+a storm; the clouds looked like
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>237]</a></span>
+a great threatening leaden wave, and
+the flashes of lightning followed each
+other rapidly.</p>
+
+<p>The sun was now at the edge of the
+sea. Elise&rsquo;s heart quaked, when suddenly
+the swans shot downward so
+suddenly that she thought they were
+falling then they hovered again. Half
+of the sun was below the horizon, and
+there for the first time she saw the little
+rock below, which did not look
+bigger than the head of a seal above the
+water. The sun sank very quickly, it
+was no bigger than a star, but her foot
+touched solid earth. The sun went out
+like the last sparks of a bit of burning
+paper; she saw her brothers stand arm
+in arm around her, but there was only
+just room enough for them. The waves
+beat upon the rock and washed over
+them like drenching rain. The heavens
+shone with continuous fire, and the
+thunder rolled, peal upon peal. But the
+sister and brothers held one another&rsquo;s
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>238]</a></span>
+hands and sang a psalm which gave
+them comfort and courage.</p>
+
+<p>The air was pure and still at dawn.
+As soon as the sun rose the swans flew
+off with Elise, away from the islet.
+The sea still ran high; it looked from
+where they were as if the white foam
+on the dark green water were millions
+of swans floating on the waves.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="palace" id="palace"></a>
+<img src="images/fft13.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="Elise is carried through the air by the swans" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">Elise saw an ice palace, with one bold colonnade built above another</p>
+
+<p>When the sun rose higher Elise saw
+before her, half floating in the air, great
+masses of ice, with shining glaciers on
+the heights. A palace was perched
+midway a mile in length, with one bold
+colonnade built above another. Beneath
+them swayed palm-trees and
+gorgeous blossoms as big as mill wheels.
+She asked if this was the land to which
+she was going, but the swans shook
+their heads, because what she saw was
+a mirage&mdash;the beautiful and ever-changing
+palace of Fata Morgana. No mortal
+dared enter it. Elise gazed at it;
+but as she gazed the palace, gardens,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>239]</a></span>
+and mountains melted away, and in
+their place stood twenty proud churches
+with their high towers and pointed
+windows. She seemed to hear the
+notes of the organ, but it was the sea
+she heard. When she got close to the
+seeming churches they changed to a
+great navy sailing beneath her; but it
+was only a sea mist passing before her
+eyes, and now she saw the real land she
+was bound to. Beautiful blue mountains
+rose before her with their cedar
+woods and palaces. Long before the
+sun went down she sat among the hills
+in front of a big cave covered with
+delicate green creepers. It looked like
+a piece of embroidery.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now we shall see what you will
+dream here to-night,&rdquo; said the youngest
+brother, as he showed her where she
+was to sleep.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If only I might dream how I could
+deliver you,&rdquo; she said, and this thought
+filled her mind entirely. She prayed
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>240]</a></span>
+earnestly to God for His help, and even
+in her sleep she continued her prayer.
+It seemed to her that she was flying up
+to Fata Morgana in her castle in the
+air. The fairy came towards her; she
+was charming and brilliant, and yet she
+was very like the old woman who gave
+her the berries in the wood and told
+her about the swans with the golden
+crowns.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your brothers can be delivered,&rdquo;
+she said; &ldquo;but have you courage and
+endurance enough for it? The sea is
+indeed softer than your hands, and it
+molds the hardest stones; but it does
+not feel the pain your fingers will feel.
+It has no heart, and does not suffer the
+pain and anguish you must feel. Do
+you see this stinging nettle I hold in
+my hand? Many of this kind grow
+round the cave where you sleep; only
+these and the ones which grow in the
+church-yards may be used. Mark that!
+Those you may pluck, although they
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>241]</a></span>
+will burn and blister your hands.
+Crush the nettles with your feet and
+you will have flax, and of this you
+must weave eleven coats of mail with
+long sleeves. Throw these over the
+eleven wild swans and the charm is
+broken! But remember that from the
+moment you begin this work till it is
+finished, even if it takes years, you
+must not utter a word! The first word
+you say will fall like a murderer&rsquo;s dagger
+into the hearts of your brothers.
+Their lives hang on your tongue. Mark
+this well!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She touched her hand at the same
+moment&mdash;it was like burning fire&mdash;and
+woke Elise. It was bright daylight,
+and close to where she slept lay a nettle
+like those in her dream. She fell upon
+her knees with thanks to God, and left
+the cave to begin her work.</p>
+
+<p>She seized the horrid nettles with her
+delicate hands, and they burnt like
+fire; great blisters rose on her hands
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>242]</a></span>
+and arms, but she suffered it willingly
+if only it would deliver her beloved
+brothers. She crushed every nettle
+with her bare feet, and twisted it into
+green flax.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun went down and the
+brothers came back they were alarmed
+at finding her mute; they thought it
+was some new witchcraft exercised by
+their wicked stepmother. But when
+they saw her hands they understood
+that it was for their sakes; the youngest
+brother wept, and wherever his tears
+fell she felt no more pain and the
+blisters disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>She spent the whole night at her work,
+for she could not rest till she had delivered
+her dear brothers. All the following
+day while her brothers were
+away she sat solitary, but never had
+the time flown so fast. One coat of
+mail was finished, and she began the
+next. Then a hunting-horn sounded
+among the mountains; she was much
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>243]</a></span>
+frightened; the sound came nearer, and
+she heard dogs barking. In terror she
+rushed into the cave, and tied the
+nettles she had collected and woven
+into a bundle, upon which she sat.</p>
+
+<p>At this moment a big dog bounded
+forward from the thicket, and another
+and another; they barked loudly, and
+ran backward and forward. In a few
+minutes all the huntsmen were standing
+outside the cave, and the handsomest
+of them was the king of the country.
+He stepped up to Elise; never had he
+seen so lovely a girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How came you here, beautiful
+child?&rdquo; he said.</p>
+
+<p>Elise shook her head; she dared not
+speak; the salvation and the lives of her
+brothers depended upon her silence.
+She hid her hands under her apron, so
+that the king should not see what she
+suffered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come with me,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;you cannot
+stay here. If you are as good as
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>244]</a></span>
+you are beautiful I will dress you in
+silks and velvets, put a golden crown
+upon your head, and you shall live with
+me and have your home in my richest
+palace!&rdquo; Then he lifted her upon his
+horse: she wept and wrung her hands,
+but the king said: &ldquo;I only think of your
+happiness; you will thank me one day
+for what I am doing!&rdquo; Then he darted
+off across the mountains, holding her
+before him on his horse, and the huntsmen
+followed.</p>
+
+<p>When the sun went down the royal
+city with churches and cupolas lay before
+them, and the king led her into the
+palace, where great fountains played in
+the marble halls, and where walls and
+ceilings were adorned with paintings;
+but she had no eyes for them, she only
+wept and sorrowed. Passively she allowed
+the women to dress her in royal robes,
+to twist pearls into her hair, and
+to draw gloves onto her blistered hands.</p>
+
+<p>She was dazzlingly lovely as she stood
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>245]</a></span>
+there in all her magnificence; the courtiers
+bent low before her, and the king
+wooed her as his bride, although the
+archbishop shook his head, and whispered
+that he feared the beautiful wood
+maiden was a witch who had dazzled
+their eyes and infatuated the king.</p>
+
+<p>The king refused to listen to him; he
+ordered the music to play, the richest
+food to be brought, and the loveliest
+girls to dance before her. She was led
+through scented gardens into gorgeous
+apartments, but nothing brought a
+smile to her lips or into her eyes; sorrow
+sat there like a heritage and a possession
+for all time. Last of all, the king
+opened the door of a little chamber
+close by the room where she was to
+sleep. It was adorned with costly
+green carpets, and made to exactly resemble
+the cave where he found her.
+On the floor lay the bundle of flax she
+had spun from the nettles, and from
+the ceiling hung the shirt of mail which
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>246]</a></span>
+was already finished. One of the huntsmen
+had brought all these things away
+as curiosities.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here you may dream that you are
+back in your former home!&rdquo; said the
+king. &ldquo;Here is the work upon which
+you were engaged; in the midst of your
+splendor, it may amuse you to think
+of those times.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When Elise saw all those things so
+dear to her heart, a smile for the first
+time played about her lips, and the
+blood rushed back to her cheeks. She
+thought of the deliverance of her brothers,
+and she kissed the king&rsquo;s hand; he
+pressed her to his heart, and ordered all
+the church bells to ring marriage peals.
+The lovely dumb girl from the woods
+was to be queen of the country.</p>
+
+<p>The archbishop whispered evil words
+into the ear of the king, but they did
+not reach his heart. The wedding was
+to take place, and the archbishop himself
+had to put the crown upon her head.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>247]</a></span>
+In his anger he pressed the golden circlet
+so tightly upon her head as to give
+her pain. But a heavier circlet pressed
+upon her heart&mdash;her grief for her brothers;
+so she thought nothing of the bodily
+pain. Her lips were sealed, a single
+word from her mouth would cost her
+brothers their lives, but her eyes were
+full of love for the good and handsome
+king, who did everything he could to
+please her. Every day she grew more
+and more attached to him, and longed
+to confide in him, tell him her sufferings;
+but dumb she must remain, and in silence
+must bring her labor to completion.
+Therefore at night she stole away from
+his side into her secret chamber, which
+was decorated like a cave, and here she
+knitted one shirt after another. When
+she came to the seventh all her flax
+was worked up; she knew that these
+nettles which she was to use grew in
+the church-yard, but she had to pluck
+them herself. How was she to get
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>248]</a></span>
+there? &ldquo;Oh, what is the pain of my
+fingers compared with the anguish of
+my heart?&rdquo; she thought. &ldquo;I must venture
+out; the good God will not desert
+me!&rdquo; With as much terror in her heart
+as if she were doing some evil deed she
+stole down one night into the moonlit
+garden, and through the long alleys
+out into the silent streets to the church-yard.
+There she saw, sitting on a gravestone,
+a group of hideous ghouls,
+who took off their tattered garments,
+as if they were about to bathe, and then
+they dug down into the freshly made
+graves with their skinny fingers, and
+tore the flesh from the bodies and devoured
+it. Elise had to pass close by
+them, and they fixed their evil eyes
+upon her; but she said a prayer as she
+passed, picked the stinging nettles, and
+hurried back to the palace with them.</p>
+
+<p>Only one person saw her, but that
+was the archbishop, who watched while
+others slept. Surely now all his bad
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>249]</a></span>
+opinions of the queen were justified;
+all was not as it should be with her; she
+must be a witch, and therefore she had
+bewitched the king and all the people.</p>
+
+<p>He told the king in the confessional
+what he had seen and what he feared.
+When those bad words passed his lips
+the pictures of the saints shook their
+heads as if to say: It is not so; Elise is
+innocent. The archbishop, however, took
+it differently, and thought that they
+were bearing witness against her, and
+shaking their heads at her sin. Two
+big tears rolled down the king&rsquo;s cheeks,
+and he went home with doubt in his
+heart. He pretended to sleep at night,
+but no quiet sleep came to his eyes.
+He perceived how Elise got up and went
+to her private closet. Day by day his
+face grew darker; Elise saw it, but could
+not imagine what was the cause of it.
+It alarmed her, and what was she not
+already suffering in her heart because
+of her brothers? Her salt tears ran
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>250]</a></span>
+down upon the royal purple velvet,
+they lay upon it like sparkling diamonds,
+and all who saw their splendor wished
+to be queen.</p>
+
+<p>She had, however, almost reached
+the end of her labors, only one shirt of
+mail was wanting; but again she had no
+more flax, and not a single nettle was
+left. Once more, for the last time, she
+must go to the church-yard to pluck
+a few handfuls. She thought with
+dread of the solitary walk and the horrible
+ghouls, but her will was as strong
+as her trust in God.</p>
+
+<p>Elise went, but the king and the archbishop
+followed her; they saw her disappear
+within the grated gateway of
+the church-yard. When they followed
+they saw the ghouls sitting on the gravestone
+as Elise had see them before; and
+the king turned away his head because
+he thought she was among them&mdash;she,
+whose head this very evening had rested
+on his breast.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>251]</a></span>
+&ldquo;The people must judge her,&rdquo; he
+groaned, and the people judged. &ldquo;Let
+her be consumed in the glowing flames!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She was led away from her beautiful
+royal apartments to a dark, damp dungeon,
+where the wind whistled through
+the grated window. Instead of velvet
+and silk, they gave her the bundle of
+nettles she had gathered to lay her
+head upon. The hard, burning shirts of
+mail were to be her covering, but they
+could have given her nothing more
+precious.</p>
+
+<p>She set to work again, with many
+prayers to God. Outside her prison the
+street boys sang derisive songs about
+her, and not a soul comforted her with
+a kind word.</p>
+
+<p>Towards evening she heard the rustle
+of swans&rsquo; wings close to her window; it
+was her youngest brother; at last he
+had found her. He sobbed aloud with
+joy, although he knew that the coming
+night might be her last; but then her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>252]</a></span>
+work was almost done, and her brothers
+were there.</p>
+
+<p>The archbishop came to spend his last
+hours with her, as he had promised the
+king. She shook her head at him, and
+by looks and gestures begged him to
+leave her. She had only this night in
+which to finish her work, or else all would
+be wasted, all&mdash;her pain, tears, and
+sleepless nights. The archbishop went
+away with bitter words against her, but
+poor Elise knew that she was innocent,
+and she went on with her work.</p>
+
+<p>The little mice ran about the floor
+bringing nettles to her feet, so as to give
+what help they could, and a thrush sat
+on the grating of the window where he
+sang all night as merrily as he could to
+keep up her courage.</p>
+
+<p>It was still only dawn and the sun
+would not rise for an hour when the
+eleven brothers stood at the gate of the
+palace, begging to be taken to the king.
+This could not be done was the answer,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>253]</a></span>
+for it was still night; the king was asleep,
+and no one dared wake him. All their
+entreaties and threats were useless; the
+watch turned out, and even the king himself
+came to see what was the matter;
+but just then the sun rose, and no more
+brothers were to be seen&mdash;only eleven
+wild swans hovering over the palace.</p>
+
+<p>The whole populace streamed out of
+the town gates; they were all anxious
+to see the witch burned. A miserable
+horse drew the cart in which Elise was
+seated. They had put upon her a
+smock of green sacking, and all her
+beautiful long hair hung loose from the
+lovely head. Her cheeks were deathly
+pale, and her lips moved softly, while
+her fingers unceasingly twisted the
+green yarn. Even on the way to her
+death she could not abandon her unfinished
+work. Ten shirts lay completed
+at her feet; she labored away at
+the eleventh amid the scoffing insults
+of the populace.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>254]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Look at the witch; how she mutters!
+She has never a book of psalms in her
+hands; no, there she sits with her loathsome
+sorcery. Tear it away from her
+into a thousand bits!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The crowd pressed around her to destroy
+her work, but just then eleven
+white swans flew down and perched
+upon the cart flapping their wings.
+The crowd gave way before them in
+terror.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It is a sign from Heaven! She is
+innocent!&rdquo; they whispered, but they
+dared not say it aloud.</p>
+
+<p>The executioner seized her by the
+hand. But she hastily threw the eleven
+shirts over the swans, who were immediately
+transformed to eleven handsome
+princes; but the youngest had a
+swan&rsquo;s wing in place of an arm, for one
+sleeve was wanting to his shirt of mail;
+she had not been able to finish it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now I may speak! I am innocent.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The populace who saw what had
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>255]</a></span>
+happened bowed down before her as if she
+had been a saint, but she sank lifeless
+in her brother&rsquo;s arms, so great had been
+the strain, the terror, and the suffering
+she had endured.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, innocent she is indeed,&rdquo; said
+the eldest brother, and he told them all
+that had happened.</p>
+
+<p>While he spoke a wonderful fragrance
+spread around as of millions of roses.
+Every fagot in the pile had taken root
+and shot out branches, and a great high
+hedge of red roses had arisen. At the
+very top was one pure white blossom;
+it shone like a star, and the king broke
+it off and laid it on Elise&rsquo;s bosom, and
+she woke with joy and peace in her
+heart.</p>
+
+<p>All the church bells began to ring of
+their own accord, and the singing birds
+flocked around them. Surely such a
+bridal procession went back to the
+palace as no king had ever seen before!</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>256]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top01" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>ALADDIN<br />
+AND THE WONDERFUL
+LAMP</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">T</span>HERE once lived a poor tailor who
+had a son called Aladdin, a careless,
+idle boy who would do nothing
+but play all day long in the streets with
+little idle boys like himself. This so
+grieved the father that he died; yet, in
+spite of his mother&rsquo;s tears and prayers,
+Aladdin did not mend his ways. One
+day, when he was playing in the streets
+as usual, a stranger asked him his age,
+and if he was not the son of Mustapha
+the tailor. &ldquo;I am, sir,&rdquo; replied Aladdin;
+&ldquo;but he died a long while ago.&rdquo;
+On this the stranger, who was a famous
+African magician, fell on his neck and
+kissed him, saying: &ldquo;I am your uncle,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>257]</a></span>
+and knew you from your likeness to my
+brother. Go to your mother and tell
+her I am coming.&rdquo; Aladdin ran home
+and told his mother of his newly found
+uncle. &ldquo;Indeed, child,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;your
+father had a brother, but I always
+thought he was dead.&rdquo; However, she
+prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek
+his uncle, who came laden with wine
+and fruit. He presently fell down and
+kissed the place where Mustapha used
+to sit, bidding Aladdin&rsquo;s mother not to
+be surprised at not having seen him
+before, as he had been forty years out
+of the country. He then turned to
+Aladdin, and asked him his trade, at
+which the boy hung his head, while his
+mother burst into tears. On learning
+that Aladdin was idle and would learn
+no trade, he offered to take a shop for
+him and stock it with merchandise.
+Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit
+of clothes and took him all over the city,
+showing him the sights, and brought
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>258]</a></span>
+him home at nightfall to his mother,
+who was overjoyed to see her son so
+fine.</p>
+
+<p>Next day the magician led Aladdin
+into some beautiful gardens a long way
+outside the city gates. They sat down
+by a fountain, and the magician pulled
+a cake from his girdle which he divided
+between them. They then journeyed
+onward till they almost reached the
+mountains. Aladdin was so tired that
+he begged to go back, but the magician
+beguiled him with pleasant stories, and
+led him on in spite of himself. At last
+they came to two mountains divided by
+a narrow valley. &ldquo;We will go no farther,&rdquo;
+said the false uncle. &ldquo;I will show
+you something wonderful; only do you
+gather up sticks while I kindle a fire.&rdquo;
+When it was lit the magician threw on
+it a powder he had about him, at the
+same time saying some magical words.
+The earth trembled a little and opened
+in front of them, disclosing a square
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>259]</a></span>
+flat stone with a brass ring in the middle
+to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run
+away, but the magician caught him and
+gave him a blow that knocked him
+down. &ldquo;What have I done, uncle?&rdquo;
+he said, piteously; whereupon the magician
+said more kindly: &ldquo;Fear nothing,
+but obey me. Beneath this stone lies
+a treasure which is to be yours, and no
+one else may touch it, so you must do
+exactly as I tell you.&rdquo; At the word
+&ldquo;treasure&rdquo; Aladdin forgot his fears, and
+grasped the ring as he was told, saying
+the names of his father and grandfather.
+The stone came up quite easily, and
+some steps appeared. &ldquo;Go down,&rdquo;
+said the magician; &ldquo;at the foot of those
+steps you will find an open door leading
+into three large halls. Tuck up your
+gown and go through them without
+touching anything, or you will die instantly.
+These halls lead into a garden
+of fine fruit trees. Walk on till you
+come to a niche in a terrace where
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>260]</a></span>
+stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the
+oil it contains, and bring it me.&rdquo; He
+drew a ring from his finger and gave it
+to Aladdin, bidding him prosper.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin found everything as the
+magician had said, gathered some fruit
+off the trees, and, having got the lamp,
+arrived at the mouth of the cave. The
+magician cried out in a great hurry:
+&ldquo;Make haste and give me the lamp.&rdquo;
+This Aladdin refused to do until he was
+out of the cave. The magician flew
+into a terrible passion, and throwing
+some more powder onto the fire, he said
+something, and the stone rolled back
+into its place.</p>
+
+<p>The magician left Persia forever,
+which plainly showed that he was no
+uncle of Aladdin&rsquo;s, but a cunning magician,
+who had read in his magic books
+of a wonderful lamp, which would make
+him the most powerful man in the
+world. Though he alone knew where
+to find it, he could only receive it from
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>261]</a></span>
+the hand of another. He had picked
+out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose,
+intending to get the lamp and kill him
+afterwards.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 387px;">
+<a name="genie" id="genie"></a>
+<img src="images/fft14.jpg" width="387" height="600"
+alt="The genie appears before Aladdin" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">&ldquo;I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee in all things&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>For two days Aladdin remained in
+the dark, crying and lamenting. At
+last he clasped his hands in prayer, and
+in so doing rubbed the ring, which the
+magician had forgotten to take from
+him. Immediately an enormous and
+frightful genie rose out of the earth,
+saying: &ldquo;What wouldst thou with me?
+I am the Slave of the Ring, and will
+obey thee in all things.&rdquo; Aladdin fearlessly
+replied: &ldquo;Deliver me from this
+place!&rdquo; whereupon the earth opened,
+and he found himself outside. As soon
+as his eyes could bear the light he went
+home, but fainted on the threshold.
+When he came to himself he told his
+mother what had passed, and showed
+her the lamp and the fruits he had
+gathered in the garden, which were in
+reality precious stones. He then asked
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>262]</a></span>
+for some food. &ldquo;Alas! child,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;I have nothing in the house, but I
+have spun a little cotton and will go
+and sell it.&rdquo; Aladdin bade her keep
+her cotton, for he would sell the lamp
+instead. As it was very dirty she began
+to rub it, that it might fetch a higher
+price. Instantly a hideous genie appeared,
+and asked what she would have.
+She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching
+the lamp, said boldly: &ldquo;Fetch me something
+to eat!&rdquo; The genie returned with
+a silver bowl, twelve silver plates containing
+rich meats, two silver cups, and
+two bottles of wine. Aladdin&rsquo;s mother,
+when she came to herself, said: &ldquo;Whence
+comes this splendid feast?&rdquo; &ldquo;Ask not,
+but eat,&rdquo; replied Aladdin. So they sat
+at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and
+Aladdin told his mother about the lamp.
+She begged him to sell it, and have nothing
+to do with devils. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said
+Aladdin, &ldquo;since chance hath made us
+aware of its virtues, we will use it, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>263]</a></span>
+the ring likewise, which I shall always
+wear on my finger.&rdquo; When they had
+eaten all the genie had brought Aladdin
+sold one of the silver plates, and so on
+until none were left. He then had recourse
+to the genie, who gave him another
+set of plates, and thus they lived
+for many years.</p>
+
+<p>One day Aladdin heard an order from
+the Sultan proclaimed that every one
+was to stay at home and close his shutters
+while the Princess, his daughter,
+went to and from the bath. Aladdin was
+seized by a desire to see her face, which
+was very difficult, as she always went
+veiled. He hid himself behind the door
+of the bath and peeped through a chink.
+The Princess lifted her veil as she went
+in, and looked so beautiful that Aladdin
+fell in love with her at first sight. He
+went home so changed that his mother
+was frightened. He told her he loved
+the Princess so deeply that he could not
+live without her, and meant to ask her
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>264]</a></span>
+in marriage of her father. His mother,
+on hearing this, burst out laughing, but
+Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to
+go before the Sultan and carry his request.
+She fetched a napkin and laid
+in it the magic fruits from the enchanted
+garden, which sparkled and shone like
+the most beautiful jewels. She took
+these with her to please the Sultan, and
+set out, trusting in the lamp. The
+Grand Vizier and the lords of council
+had just gone in as she entered the hall
+and placed herself in front of the Sultan.
+He, however, took no notice of her.
+She went every day for a week, and
+stood in the same place. When the
+council broke up on the sixth day the
+Sultan said to his Vizier: &ldquo;I see a certain
+woman in the audience-chamber
+every day carrying something in a napkin.
+Call her next time, that I may
+find out what she wants.&rdquo; Next day,
+at a sign from the Vizier, she went up
+to the foot of the throne and remained
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>265]</a></span>
+kneeling till the Sultan said to her:
+&ldquo;Rise, good woman, and tell me what
+you want.&rdquo; She hesitated, so the Sultan
+sent away all but the Vizier, and
+bade her speak freely, promising to forgive
+her beforehand for anything she
+might say. She then told him of her
+son&rsquo;s violent love for the Princess. &ldquo;I
+prayed him to forget her,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;but in vain; he threatened to do some
+desperate deed if I refused to go and
+ask your Majesty for the hand of the
+Princess. Now I pray you to forgive
+not me alone, but my son Aladdin.&rdquo;
+The Sultan asked her kindly what she
+had in the napkin, whereupon she unfolded
+the jewels and presented them.
+He was thunderstruck, and turning to
+the Vizier said: &ldquo;What sayest thou?
+Ought I not to bestow the Princess on
+one who values her at such a price?&rdquo;
+The Vizier, who wanted her for his own
+son, begged the Sultan to withhold her
+for three months, in the course of which
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>266]</a></span>
+he hoped his son would contrive to
+make him a richer present. The Sultan
+granted this, and told Aladdin&rsquo;s mother
+that, though he consented to the marriage,
+she must not appear before him
+again for three months.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin waited patiently for nearly
+three months, but after two had elapsed
+his mother, going into the city to buy
+oil, found every one rejoicing, and asked
+what was going on. &ldquo;Do you not
+know,&rdquo; was the answer, &ldquo;that the son
+of the Grand Vizier is to marry the
+Sultan&rsquo;s daughter to-night?&rdquo; Breathless,
+she ran and told Aladdin, who was
+overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought
+him of the lamp. He rubbed
+it, and the genie appeared, saying:
+&ldquo;What is thy will?&rdquo; Aladdin replied:
+&ldquo;The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken
+his promise to me, and the Vizier&rsquo;s
+son is to have the Princess. My command
+is that to-night you bring hither
+the bride and bridegroom.&rdquo; &ldquo;Master,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>267]</a></span>
+I obey,&rdquo; said the genie. Aladdin then
+went to his chamber, where, sure enough,
+at midnight the genie transported the
+bed containing the Vizier&rsquo;s son and the
+Princess. &ldquo;Take this new-married man,&rdquo;
+he said, &ldquo;and put him outside in the
+cold, and return at daybreak.&rdquo; Whereupon
+the genie took the Vizier&rsquo;s son out
+of bed, leaving Aladdin with the Princess.
+&ldquo;Fear nothing,&rdquo; Aladdin said to
+her; &ldquo;you are my wife, promised to me
+by your unjust father, and no harm
+shall come to you.&rdquo; The Princess was
+too frightened to speak, and passed the
+most miserable night of her life, while
+Aladdin lay down beside her and slept
+soundly. At the appointed hour the
+genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom,
+laid him in his place, and transported
+the bed back to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>Presently the Sultan came to wish
+his daughter good-morning. The unhappy
+Vizier&rsquo;s son jumped up and hid
+himself, while the Princess would not
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>268]</a></span>
+say a word, and was very sorrowful.
+The Sultan sent her mother to her, who
+said: &ldquo;How comes it, child, that you
+will not speak to your father? What
+has happened?&rdquo; The Princess sighed
+deeply, and at last told her mother how,
+during the night, the bed had been carried
+into some strange house, and what
+had passed there. Her mother did
+not believe her in the least, but bade
+her rise and consider it an idle
+dream.</p>
+
+<p>The following night exactly the same
+thing happened, and next morning, on
+the Princess&rsquo;s refusing to speak, the
+Sultan threatened to cut off her head.
+She then confessed all, bidding him ask
+the Vizier&rsquo;s son if it were not so. The
+Sultan told the Vizier to ask his son,
+who owned the truth, adding that, dearly
+as he loved the Princess, he had
+rather die than go through another
+such fearful night, and wished to be
+separated from her. His wish was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>269]</a></span>
+granted, and there was an end of feasting
+and rejoicing.</p>
+
+<p>When the three months were over,
+Aladdin sent his mother to remind the
+Sultan of his promise. She stood in the
+same place as before, and the Sultan,
+who had forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered
+him, and sent for her. On
+seeing her poverty the Sultan felt less
+inclined than ever to keep his word,
+and asked his Vizier&rsquo;s advice, who counselled
+him to set so high a value on the
+Princess that no man living could come
+up to it. The Sultan then turned to
+Aladdin&rsquo;s mother, saying: &ldquo;Good woman,
+a sultan must remember his promises,
+and I will remember mine, but
+your son must first send me forty basins
+of gold brimful of jewels, carried by
+forty black slaves, led by as many white
+ones, splendidly dressed. Tell him that
+I await his answer.&rdquo; The mother of
+Aladdin bowed low and went home,
+thinking all was lost. She gave Aladdin
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>270]</a></span>
+the message, adding: &ldquo;He may
+wait long enough for your answer!&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Not so long, mother, as you think,&rdquo;
+her son replied. &ldquo;I would do a great
+deal more than that for the Princess.&rdquo;
+He summoned the genie, and in a few
+moments the eighty slaves arrived, and
+filled up the small house and garden.
+Aladdin made them set out to the palace
+two and two, followed by his mother.
+They were so richly dressed, with such
+splendid jewels in their girdles, that
+every one crowded to see them and the
+basins of gold they carried on their
+heads. They entered the palace, and,
+after kneeling before the Sultan, stood
+in a half-circle round the throne with
+their arms crossed, while Aladdin&rsquo;s
+mother presented them to the Sultan.
+He hesitated no longer, but said: &ldquo;Good
+woman, return and tell your son that I
+wait for him with open arms.&rdquo; She
+lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding
+him make haste. But Aladdin first
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>271]</a></span>
+called the genie. &ldquo;I want a scented
+bath,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;a richly embroidered
+habit, a horse surpassing the Sultan&rsquo;s,
+and twenty slaves to attend me. Besides
+this, six slaves, beautifully dressed,
+to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten
+thousand pieces of gold in ten purses.&rdquo;
+No sooner said than done, Aladdin
+mounted his horse and passed through
+the streets, the slaves strewing gold as
+they went. Those who had played with
+him in his childhood knew him not, he
+had grown so handsome. When the
+Sultan saw him he came down from his
+throne, embraced him, and led him into
+a hall where a feast was spread, intending
+to marry him to the Princess that
+very day. But Aladdin refused, saying:
+&ldquo;I must build a palace fit for her,&rdquo;
+and took his leave. Once home, he
+said to the genie: &ldquo;Build me a palace
+of the finest marble, set with jasper,
+agate, and other precious stones. In the
+middle you shall build me a large hall
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>272]</a></span>
+with a dome, its four walls of massy
+gold and silver, each side having six
+windows, whose lattices, all except one
+which is to be unfinished, must be set
+with diamonds and rubies. There must
+be stables and horses and grooms and
+slaves; go and see about it!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The palace was finished by next day,
+and the genie carried him there and
+showed him all his orders faithfully carried
+out, even to the laying of a velvet
+carpet from Aladdin&rsquo;s palace to the
+Sultan&rsquo;s. Aladdin&rsquo;s mother then dressed
+herself carefully, and walked to the
+palace with her slaves, while he followed
+her on horseback. The Sultan sent
+musicians with trumpets and cymbals
+to meet them, so that the air resounded
+with music and cheers. She was taken
+to the Princess, who saluted her and
+treated her with great honor. At night
+the Princess said good-bye to her father,
+and set out on the carpet for Aladdin&rsquo;s
+palace, with his mother at her side, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>273]</a></span>
+followed by the hundred slaves. She
+was charmed at the sight of Aladdin,
+who ran to receive her. &ldquo;Princess,&rdquo; he
+said, &ldquo;blame your beauty for my boldness
+if I have displeased you.&rdquo; She
+told him that, having seen him, she willingly
+obeyed her father in this matter.
+After the wedding had taken place
+Aladdin led her into the hall, where a
+feast was spread, and she supped with
+him, after which they danced till midnight.</p>
+
+<p>Next day Aladdin invited the Sultan
+to see the palace. On entering the hall
+with the four-and-twenty windows, with
+their rubies, diamonds, and emeralds,
+he cried: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a world&rsquo;s wonder! There
+is only one thing that surprises me.
+Was it by accident that one window was
+left unfinished?&rdquo; &ldquo;No, sir, by design,&rdquo;
+returned Aladdin. &ldquo;I wished your
+Majesty to have the glory of finishing
+this palace.&rdquo; The Sultan was pleased,
+and sent for the best jewellers in the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>274]</a></span>
+city. He showed them the unfinished
+window, and bade them fit it up like
+the others. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; replied their spokesman,
+&ldquo;we cannot find jewels enough.&rdquo;
+The Sultan had his own fetched, which
+they soon used, but to no purpose, for
+in a month&rsquo;s time the work was not half
+done. Aladdin, knowing that their task
+was vain, bade them undo their work
+and carry the jewels back, and the genie
+finished the window at his command.
+The Sultan was surprised to receive his
+jewels again, and visited Aladdin, who
+showed him the window finished. The
+Sultan embraced him, the envious
+Vizier meanwhile hinting that it was the
+work of enchantment.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had won the hearts of the
+people by his gentle bearing. He was
+made captain of the Sultan&rsquo;s armies,
+and won several battles for him, but
+remained modest and courteous as before,
+and lived thus in peace and content
+for several years.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>275]</a></span>
+But far away in Africa the magician
+remembered Aladdin, and by his magic
+arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of
+perishing miserably in the cave, had
+escaped, and had married a princess,
+with whom he was living in great honor
+and wealth. He knew that the poor
+tailor&rsquo;s son could only have accomplished
+this by means of the lamp, and
+travelled night and day till he reached
+the capital of China, bent on Aladdin&rsquo;s
+ruin. As he passed through the town
+he heard people talking everywhere
+about a marvellous palace. &ldquo;Forgive
+my ignorance,&rdquo; he asked, &ldquo;what is this
+palace you speak of?&rdquo; &ldquo;Have you not
+heard of Prince Aladdin&rsquo;s palace,&rdquo; was
+the reply, &ldquo;the greatest wonder of the
+world? I will direct you if you have
+a mind to see it.&rdquo; The magician thanked
+him who spoke, and having seen the
+palace knew that it had been raised by
+the Genie of the Lamp, and became
+half mad with rage. He determined
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>276]</a></span>
+to get hold of the lamp, and again plunge
+Aladdin into the deepest poverty.</p>
+
+<p>Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting
+for eight days, which gave the
+magician plenty of time. He bought a
+dozen copper lamps, put them into a
+basket, and went to the palace, crying:
+&ldquo;New lamps for old!&rdquo; followed by a
+jeering crowd. The Princess, sitting
+in the hall of four-and-twenty windows,
+sent a slave to find out what the noise
+was about, who came back laughing,
+so that the Princess scolded her. &ldquo;Madam,&rdquo;
+replied the slave, &ldquo;who can help
+laughing to see an old fool offering to
+exchange fine new lamps for old ones?&rdquo;
+Another slave, hearing this, said, &ldquo;There
+is an old one on the cornice there which
+he can have.&rdquo; Now this was the magic
+lamp, which Aladdin had left there, as
+he could not take it out hunting with
+him. The Princess, not knowing its
+value, laughingly bade the slave take
+it and make the exchange. She went
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>277]</a></span>
+and said to the magician: &ldquo;Give me a
+new lamp for this.&rdquo; He snatched it
+and bade the slave take her choice,
+amid the jeers of the crowd. Little he
+cared, but left off crying his lamps, and
+went out of the city gates to a lonely
+place, where he remained till nightfall,
+when he pulled out the lamp and rubbed
+it. The genie appeared, and at the
+magician&rsquo;s command carried him, together
+with the palace and the Princess
+in it, to a lonely place in Africa.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the Sultan looked out
+of the window towards Aladdin&rsquo;s palace
+and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone.
+He sent for the Vizier and asked what
+had become of the palace. The Vizier
+looked out, too, and was lost in astonishment.
+He again put it down to enchantment,
+and this time the Sultan
+believed him, and sent thirty men on
+horseback to fetch Aladdin in chains.
+They met him riding home, bound him,
+and forced him to go with them on foot.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>278]</a></span>
+The people, however, who loved him,
+followed, armed, to see that he came to
+no harm. He was carried before the
+Sultan, who ordered the executioner to
+cut off his head. The executioner made
+Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes,
+and raised his scimitar to strike. At
+that instant the Vizier, who saw that
+the crowd had forced their way into the
+court-yard and were scaling the walls to
+rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner
+to stay his hand. The people,
+indeed, looked so threatening that the
+Sultan gave way and ordered Aladdin
+to be unbound, and pardoned him in the
+sight of the crowd. Aladdin now begged
+to know what he had done. &ldquo;False
+wretch!&rdquo; said the Sultan, &ldquo;come hither,&rdquo;
+and showed him from the window the
+place where his palace had stood.
+Aladdin was so amazed that he could
+not say a word. &ldquo;Where is my palace
+and my daughter?&rdquo; demanded the
+Sultan. &ldquo;For the first I am not so
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>279]</a></span>
+deeply concerned, but my daughter I
+must have, and you must find her or
+lose your head.&rdquo; Aladdin begged for
+forty days in which to find her, promising
+if he failed to return and suffer
+death at the Sultan&rsquo;s pleasure. His
+prayer was granted, and he went forth
+sadly from the Sultan&rsquo;s presence. For
+three days he wandered about like a
+madman, asking every one what had become
+of his palace, but they only laughed
+and pitied him. He came to the
+banks of a river, and knelt down to say
+his prayers before throwing himself in.
+In so doing he rubbed the magic ring he
+still wore. The genie he had seen in the
+cave appeared, and asked his will.
+&ldquo;Save my life, genie,&rdquo; said Aladdin,
+&ldquo;and bring my palace back.&rdquo; &ldquo;That
+is not in my power,&rdquo; said the genie; &ldquo;I
+am only the Slave of the Ring; you must
+ask him of the lamp.&rdquo; &ldquo;Even so,&rdquo;
+said Aladdin, &ldquo;but thou canst take me
+to the palace, and set me down under
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>280]</a></span>
+my dear wife&rsquo;s window.&rdquo; He at once
+found himself in Africa, under the window
+of the Princess, and fell asleep out
+of sheer weariness.</p>
+
+<p>He was awakened by the singing of
+the birds, and his heart was lighter.
+He saw plainly that all his misfortunes
+were owing to the loss of the lamp, and
+vainly wondered who had robbed him
+of it.</p>
+
+<p>That morning the Princess rose earlier
+than she had done since she had been
+carried into Africa by the magician,
+whose company she was forced to endure
+once a day. She, however, treated
+him so harshly that he dared not live
+there altogether. As she was dressing,
+one of her women looked out and saw
+Aladdin. The Princess ran and opened
+the window, and at the noise she made
+Aladdin looked up. She called to him
+to come to her, and great was the joy
+of these lovers at seeing each other again.
+After he had kissed her, Aladdin said: &ldquo;I
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>281]</a></span>
+beg of you, Princess, in God&rsquo;s name, before
+we speak of anything else, for your
+own sake and mine, tell me what has
+become of an old lamp I left on the cornice
+in the hall of four-and-twenty windows,
+when I went a-hunting.&rdquo; &ldquo;Alas!&rdquo;
+she said, &ldquo;I am the innocent cause of
+our sorrows,&rdquo; and told him of the exchange
+of the lamp. &ldquo;Now I know,&rdquo;
+cried Aladdin, &ldquo;that we have to thank
+the African magician for this! Where
+is the lamp?&rdquo; &ldquo;He carries it about
+with him,&rdquo; said the Princess. &ldquo;I know,
+for he pulled it out of his breast to show
+me. He wishes me to break my faith
+with you and marry him, saying that
+you were beheaded by my father&rsquo;s command.
+He is forever speaking ill of
+you, but I only reply by my tears. If I
+persist, I doubt not but he will use violence.&rdquo;
+Aladdin comforted her, and
+left her for a while. He changed clothes
+with the first person he met in the town,
+and having bought a certain powder
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>282]</a></span>
+returned to the Princess, who let him
+in by a little side door. &ldquo;Put on your
+most beautiful dress,&rdquo; he said to her,
+&ldquo;and receive the magician with smiles,
+leading him to believe that you have
+forgotten me. Invite him to sup with
+you, and say you wish to taste the wine
+of his country. He will go for some
+and while he is gone I will tell you what
+to do.&rdquo; She listened carefully to Aladdin,
+and when he left her arrayed herself
+gayly for the first time since she
+left China. She put on a girdle and
+head-dress of diamonds, and seeing in
+a glass that she was more beautiful than
+ever, received the magician, saying, to
+his great amazement: &ldquo;I have made up
+my mind that Aladdin is dead, and that
+all my tears will not bring him back to
+me, so I am resolved to mourn no more,
+and have therefore invited you to sup
+with me; but I am tired of the wines of
+China, and would fain taste those of
+Africa.&rdquo; The magician flew to his
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>283]</a></span>
+cellar, and the Princess put the powder
+Aladdin had given her in her cup. When
+he returned she asked him to drink her
+health in the wine of Africa, handing
+him her cup in exchange for his, as a
+sign she was reconciled to him. Before
+drinking the magician made her a speech
+in praise of her beauty, but the Princess
+cut him short, saying: &ldquo;Let us drink
+first, and you shall say what you will
+afterwards.&rdquo; She set her cup to her
+lips and kept it there, while the magician
+drained his to the dregs and fell back
+lifeless. The Princess then opened the
+door to Aladdin, and flung her arms
+round his neck; but Aladdin put her
+away, bidding her leave him, as he had
+more to do. He then went to the dead
+magician, took the lamp out of his vest,
+and bade the genie carry the palace and
+all in it back to China. This was done,
+and the Princess in her chamber only
+felt two little shocks, and little thought
+she was at home again.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>284]</a></span>
+The Sultan, who was sitting in his
+closet, mourning for his lost daughter,
+happened to look up, and rubbed his
+eyes, for there stood the palace as before.
+He hastened thither, and Aladdin received
+him in the hall of the four-and-twenty
+windows, with the Princess at
+his side. Aladdin told him what had
+happened, and showed him the dead
+body of the magician, that he might
+believe. A ten days&rsquo; feast was proclaimed,
+and it seemed as if Aladdin
+might now live the rest of his life in
+peace; but it was not to be.</p>
+
+<p>The African magician had a younger
+brother, who was, if possible, more wicked
+and more cunning than himself. He
+travelled to China to avenge his brother&rsquo;s
+death, and went to visit a pious
+woman called Fatima, thinking she
+might be of use to him. He entered her
+cell and clapped a dagger to her breast,
+telling her to rise and do his bidding
+on pain of death. He changed clothes
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>285]</a></span>
+with her, colored his face like hers, put
+on her veil, and murdered her, that she
+might tell no tales. Then he went towards
+the palace of Aladdin, and all the
+people, thinking he was the holy woman,
+gathered round him, kissing his hands
+and begging his blessing. When he got
+to the palace there was such a noise
+going on round him that the Princess
+bade her slave look out of the window
+and ask what was the matter. The
+slave said it was the holy woman, curing
+people by her touch of their ailments,
+whereupon the Princess, who
+had long desired to see Fatima, sent for
+her. On coming to the Princess the
+magician offered up a prayer for her
+health and prosperity. When he had
+done the Princess made him sit by her,
+and begged him to stay with her always.
+The false Fatima, who wished for nothing
+better, consented, but kept his veil
+down for fear of discovery. The Princess
+showed him the hall, and asked
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>286]</a></span>
+him what he thought of it. &ldquo;It is truly
+beautiful,&rdquo; said the false Fatima. &ldquo;In
+my mind it wants but one thing.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;And what is that?&rdquo; said the Princess.
+&ldquo;If only a roc&rsquo;s egg,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;were
+hung up from the middle of this dome,
+it would be the wonder of the world.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After this the Princess could think of
+nothing but the roc&rsquo;s egg, and when
+Aladdin returned from hunting he found
+her in a very ill humor. He begged to
+know what was amiss, and she told him
+that all her pleasure in the hall was
+spoiled for the want of a roc&rsquo;s egg hanging
+from the dome. &ldquo;If that is all,&rdquo;
+replied Aladdin, &ldquo;you shall soon be
+happy.&rdquo; He left her and rubbed the
+lamp, and when the genie appeared
+commanded him to bring a roc&rsquo;s egg.
+The genie gave such a loud and terrible
+shriek that the hall shook. &ldquo;Wretch!&rdquo;
+he cried, &ldquo;is it not enough that I have
+done everything for you but you must
+command me to bring my master and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>287]</a></span>
+hang him up in the midst of this dome?
+You and your wife and your palace deserve
+to be burnt to ashes but that this
+request does not come from you, but
+from the brother of the African magician
+whom you destroyed. He is now
+in your palace disguised as the holy
+woman&mdash;whom he murdered. He it
+was who put that wish into your wife&rsquo;s
+head. Take care of yourself, for he
+means to kill you.&rdquo; So saying, the
+genie disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin went back to the Princess,
+saying his head ached, and requesting
+that the holy Fatima should be fetched
+to lay her hands on it. But when the
+magician came near, Aladdin, seizing
+his dagger, pierced him to the heart.
+&ldquo;What have you done?&rdquo; cried the Princess.
+&ldquo;You have killed the holy woman!&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Not so,&rdquo; replied Aladdin, &ldquo;but
+a wicked magician,&rdquo; and told her of how
+she had been deceived.</p>
+
+<p>After this Aladdin and his wife lived
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>288]</a></span>
+in peace. He succeeded the Sultan
+when he died, and reigned for many
+years, leaving behind him a long line
+of kings.</p>
+
+<p class="credit">From &ldquo;The Blue Fairy Book,&rdquo; edited by Andrew Lang,
+by permission of Messrs. Longmans, Green &amp; Co.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>289]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top02" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>ALI BABA<br />
+AND THE FORTY
+THIEVES</h2>
+<br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N a town in Persia there dwelt two
+brothers, one named Cassim, the other
+Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a
+rich wife and lived in plenty, while
+Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and
+children by cutting wood in a neighboring
+forest and selling it in the town.
+One day, when Ali Baba was in the
+forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback
+coming towards him in a cloud of
+dust. He was afraid they were robbers,
+and climbed into a tree for safety.
+When they came up to him and dismounted,
+he counted forty of them.
+They unbridled their horses and tied
+them to trees. The finest man among
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>290]</a></span>
+them, whom Ali Baba took to be their
+captain, went a little way among some
+bushes, and said: &ldquo;Open, Sesame!&rdquo;<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> so
+plainly that Ali Baba heard him. A
+door opened in the rocks, and having
+made the troop go in, he followed them,
+and the door shut again of itself. They
+stayed some time inside, and Ali Baba,
+fearing they might come out and catch
+him, was forced to sit patiently in the
+tree. At last the door opened again,
+and the Forty Thieves came out. As
+the Captain went in last he came out
+first, and made them all pass by him;
+he then closed the door, saying: &ldquo;Shut,
+Sesame!&rdquo; Every man bridled his horse
+and mounted, the Captain put himself
+at their head, and they returned as they
+came.</p>
+
+<div class="footnote">
+<p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a>
+Sesame is a kind of grain.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Then Ali Baba climbed down and
+went to the door concealed among the
+bushes, and said: &ldquo;Open, Sesame!&rdquo; and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>291]</a></span>
+it flew open. Ali Baba, who expected a
+dull, dismal place, was greatly surprised
+to find it large and well lighted, and
+hollowed by the hand of man in the
+form of a vault, which received the light
+from an opening in the ceiling. He saw
+rich bales of merchandise&mdash;silk, stuff-brocades,
+all piled together, and gold and
+silver in heaps, and money in leather
+purses. He went in and the door shut
+behind him. He did not look at the
+silver, but brought out as many bags
+of gold as he thought his asses, which
+were browsing outside, could carry,
+loaded them with the bags, and hid it
+all with fagots. Using the words:
+&ldquo;Shut, Sesame!&rdquo; he closed the door and
+went home.</p>
+
+<p>Then he drove his asses into the yard,
+shut the gates, carried the money-bags
+to his wife, and emptied them out before
+her. He bade her keep the secret,
+and he would go and bury the gold.
+&ldquo;Let me first measure it,&rdquo; said his wife.
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>292]</a></span>
+&ldquo;I will go borrow a measure of some one
+while you dig the hole.&rdquo; So she ran to
+the wife of Cassim and borrowed a measure.
+Knowing Ali Baba&rsquo;s poverty, the
+sister was curious to find out what sort
+of grain his wife wished to measure,
+and artfully put some suet at the bottom
+of the measure. Ali Baba&rsquo;s wife
+went home and set the measure on the
+heap of gold, and filled it and emptied
+it often, to her great content. She then
+carried it back to her sister, without
+noticing that a piece of gold was sticking
+to it, which Cassim&rsquo;s wife perceived
+directly her back was turned. She grew
+very curious, and said to Cassim when
+he came home: &ldquo;Cassim, your brother
+is richer than you. He does not count
+his money, he measures it.&rdquo; He begged
+her to explain this riddle, which she
+did by showing him the piece of money
+and telling him where she found it.
+Then Cassim grew so envious that he
+could not sleep, and went to his brother
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>293]</a></span>
+in the morning before sunrise. &ldquo;Ali
+Baba,&rdquo; he said, showing him the gold
+piece, &ldquo;you pretend to be poor and yet
+you measure gold.&rdquo; By this Ali Baba
+perceived that through his wife&rsquo;s folly
+Cassim and his wife knew their secret,
+so he confessed all and offered Cassim
+a share. &ldquo;That I expect,&rdquo; said Cassim;
+&ldquo;but I must know where to find the
+treasure, otherwise I will discover all,
+and you will lose all.&rdquo; Ali Baba, more
+out of kindness than fear, told him of
+the cave, and the very words to use.
+Cassim left Ali Baba, meaning to be beforehand
+with him and get the treasure
+himself. He rose early next morning,
+and set out with ten mules loaded with
+great chests. He soon found the place,
+and the door in the rock. He said:
+&ldquo;Open, Sesame!&rdquo; and the door opened
+and shut behind him. He could have
+feasted his eyes all day on the treasures,
+but he now hastened to gather together
+as much of it as possible; but when he
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>294]</a></span>
+was ready to go he could not remember
+what to say for thinking of his great
+riches. Instead of &ldquo;Sesame,&rdquo; he said:
+&ldquo;Open, Barley!&rdquo; and the door remained
+fast. He named several different sorts of
+grain, all but the right one, and the door
+still stuck fast. He was so frightened
+at the danger he was in that he had as
+much forgotten the word as if he had
+never heard it.</p>
+
+<p>About noon the robbers returned to
+their cave, and saw Cassim&rsquo;s mules
+roving about with great chests on their
+backs. This gave them the alarm; they
+drew their sabres, and went to the door,
+which opened on their Captain&rsquo;s saying:
+&ldquo;Open, Sesame!&rdquo; Cassim, who
+had heard the trampling of their horses&rsquo;
+feet, resolved to sell his life dearly, so
+when the door opened he leaped out and
+threw the Captain down. In vain,
+however, for the robbers with their
+sabres soon killed him. On entering the
+cave they saw all the bags laid ready,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>295]</a></span>
+and could not imagine how any one had
+got in without knowing their secret.
+They cut Cassim&rsquo;s body into four quarters,
+and nailed them up inside the cave,
+in order to frighten any one who should
+venture in, and went away in search of
+more treasure.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 385px;">
+<a name="sesame" id="sesame"></a>
+<img src="images/fft15.jpg" width="385" height="600"
+alt="Cassim leans against the door and tries desperately to recall the word" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">Cassim forgets the magic word</p>
+
+<p>As night drew on Cassim&rsquo;s wife grew
+very uneasy, and ran to her brother-in-law,
+and told him where her husband
+had gone. Ali Baba did his best to
+comfort her, and set out to the forest
+in search of Cassim. The first thing
+he saw on entering the cave was his
+dead brother. Full of horror, he put
+the body on one of his asses, and bags
+of gold on the other two, and, covering
+all with some fagots, returned home.
+He drove the two asses laden with gold
+into his own yard, and led the other
+to Cassim&rsquo;s house. The door was opened
+by the slave Morgiana, whom he knew
+to be both brave and cunning. Unloading
+the ass, he said to her: &ldquo;This is
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>296]</a></span>
+the body of your master, who has been
+murdered, but whom we must bury as
+though he had died in his bed. I will
+speak with you again, but now tell
+your mistress I am come.&rdquo; The wife
+of Cassim, on learning the fate of her
+husband, broke out into cries and tears,
+but Ali Baba offered to take her to
+live with him and his wife if she would
+promise to keep his counsel and leave
+everything to Morgiana; whereupon she
+agreed, and dried her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana, meanwhile, sought an
+apothecary and asked him for some
+lozenges. &ldquo;My poor master,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;can neither eat nor sleep, and no one
+knows what his distemper is.&rdquo; She
+carried home the lozenges and returned
+next day weeping, and asked for an
+essence only given to those just about
+to die. Thus, in the evening, no one
+was surprised to hear the wretched
+shrieks and cries of Cassim&rsquo;s wife and
+Morgiana telling every one that Cassim
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>297]</a></span>
+was dead. The day after, Morgiana went
+to an old cobbler near the gates of the
+town who opened his stall early, put a
+piece of gold in his hand, and bade him
+follow with his needle and thread.
+Having bound his eyes with a handkerchief,
+she took him to the room where
+the body lay, pulled off the bandage, and
+bade him sew the quarters together, after
+which she covered his eyes again and
+led him home. Then they buried Cassim,
+and Morgiana his slave followed
+him to the grave, weeping and tearing
+her hair, while Cassim&rsquo;s wife stayed at
+home uttering lamentable cries. Next
+day she went to live with Ali Baba, who
+gave Cassim&rsquo;s shop to his eldest son.</p>
+
+<p>The Forty Thieves, on their return
+to the cave, were much astonished to
+find Cassim&rsquo;s body gone and some of
+their money-bags. &ldquo;We are certainly
+discovered,&rdquo; said the Captain, &ldquo;and
+shall be undone if we cannot find out
+who it is that knows our secret. Two
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>298]</a></span>
+men must have known it; we have killed
+one, we must now find the other. To
+this end one of you who is bold and artful
+must go into the city dressed as a
+traveller, and discover whom we have
+killed, and whether men talk of the
+strange manner of his death. If the
+messenger fails he must lose his life, lest
+we be betrayed.&rdquo; One of the thieves
+started up and offered to do this, and
+after the rest had highly commended
+him for his bravery he disguised himself,
+and happened to enter the town at
+daybreak, just by Baba Mustapha&rsquo;s
+stall. The thief bade him good-day,
+saying: &ldquo;Honest man, how can you
+possibly see to stitch at your age?&rdquo;
+&ldquo;Old as I am,&rdquo; replied the cobbler, &ldquo;I
+have very good eyes, and you will believe
+me when I tell you that I sewed
+a dead body together in a place where
+I had less light than I have now.&rdquo; The
+robber was overjoyed at his good-fortune,
+and, giving him a piece of gold,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>299]</a></span>
+desired to be shown the house where he
+stitched up the dead body. At first
+Mustapha refused, saying that he was
+blindfolded; but when the robber gave
+him another piece of gold he began to
+think he might remember the turnings
+if blindfolded as before. This means
+succeeded; the robber partly led him,
+and was partly guided by him, right in
+front of Cassim&rsquo;s house, the door of
+which the robber marked with a piece
+of chalk. Then, well pleased, he bade
+farewell to Baba Mustapha and returned
+to the forest. By and by Morgiana,
+going out, saw the mark the robber
+had made, quickly guessed that some
+mischief was brewing, and, fetching a
+piece of chalk, marked two or three
+doors on each side, without saying anything
+to her master or mistress.</p>
+
+<p>The thief, meantime, told his comrades
+of his discovery. The Captain
+thanked him, and bade him show him
+the house he had marked. But when
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>300]</a></span>
+they came to it they saw that five or
+six of the houses were chalked in the
+same manner. The guide was so confounded
+that he knew not what answer
+to make, and when they returned he
+was at once beheaded for having failed.
+Another robber was despatched, and,
+having won over Baba Mustapha, marked
+the house in red chalk; but Morgiana
+being again too clever for them, the
+second messenger was put to death also.
+The Captain now resolved to go himself,
+but, wiser than the others, he did
+not mark the house, but looked at it so
+closely that he could not fail to remember
+it. He returned, and ordered his
+men to go into the neighboring villages
+and buy nineteen mules, and thirty-eight
+leather jars, all empty, except one
+which was full of oil. The Captain put
+one of his men, fully armed, into each,
+rubbing the outside of the jars with oil
+from the full vessel. Then the nineteen
+mules were loaded with thirty-seven
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>301]</a></span>
+robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, and
+reached the town by dusk. The Captain
+stopped his mules in front of Ali
+Baba&rsquo;s house, and said to Ali Baba, who
+was sitting outside for coolness: &ldquo;I have
+brought some oil from a distance to sell
+at to-morrow&rsquo;s market, but it is now so
+late that I know not where to pass the
+night, unless you will do me the favor
+to take me in.&rdquo; Though Ali Baba had
+seen the Captain of the robbers in the
+forest, he did not recognize him in the
+disguise of an oil merchant. He bade
+him welcome, opened his gates for the
+mules to enter, and went to Morgiana
+to bid her prepare a bed and supper
+for his guest. He brought the stranger
+into his hall, and after they had supped
+went again to speak to Morgiana in the
+kitchen, while the Captain went into
+the yard under pretence of seeing after
+his mules, but really to tell his men what
+to do. Beginning at the first jar and
+ending at the last, he said to each man:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>302]</a></span>
+&ldquo;As soon as I throw some stones from
+the window of the chamber where I lie,
+cut the jars open with your knives and
+come out, and I will be with you in a
+trice.&rdquo; He returned to the house, and
+Morgiana led him to his chamber. She
+then told Abdallah, her fellow-slave, to
+set on the pot to make some broth for
+her master, who had gone to bed. Meanwhile
+her lamp went out, and she had
+no more oil in the house. &ldquo;Do not be
+uneasy,&rdquo; said Abdallah; &ldquo;go into the
+yard and take some out of one of those
+jars.&rdquo; Morgiana thanked him for his
+advice, took the oil-pot, and went into
+the yard. When she came to the first
+jar the robber inside said softly: &ldquo;Is it
+time?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Any other slave but Morgiana, on
+finding a man in the jar instead of the
+oil she wanted, would have screamed,
+and made a noise; but she, knowing the
+danger her master was in, bethought
+herself of a plan, and answered quietly:
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>303]</a></span>
+&ldquo;Not yet, but presently.&rdquo; She went to
+all the jars, giving the same answer,
+till she came to the jar of oil. She now
+saw that her master, thinking to entertain
+an oil merchant, had let thirty-eight
+robbers into his house. She filled
+her oil-pot, went back to the kitchen,
+and, having lit her lamp, went again to
+the oil-jar and filled a large kettle full
+of oil. When it boiled she went and
+poured enough oil into every jar to
+stifle and kill the robber inside. When
+this brave deed was done she went back
+to the kitchen, put out the fire and the
+lamp, and waited to see what would
+happen.</p>
+
+<p>In a quarter of an hour the Captain of
+the robbers awoke, got up, and opened
+the window. As all seemed quiet, he
+threw down some little pebbles which hit
+the jars. He listened, and as none of
+his men seemed to stir he grew uneasy,
+and went down into the yard. On going
+to the first jar and saying, &ldquo;Are you
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>304]</a></span>
+asleep?&rdquo; he smelled the hot boiled oil,
+and knew at once that his plot to murder
+Ali Baba and his household had
+been discovered. He found all the
+gang were dead, and, missing the oil out
+of the last jar, became aware of the manner
+of their death. He then forced the
+lock of a door leading into a garden, and
+climbing over several walls made his
+escape. Morgiana heard and saw all
+this, and, rejoicing at her success, went
+to bed and fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>At daybreak Ali Baba arose, and,
+seeing the oil-jars there still, asked why
+the merchant had not gone with his
+mules. Morgiana bade him look in the
+first jar and see if there was any oil.
+Seeing a man, he started back in terror.
+&ldquo;Have no fear,&rdquo; said Morgiana; &ldquo;the
+man cannot harm you: he is dead.&rdquo;
+Ali Baba, when he had recovered somewhat
+from his astonishment, asked what
+had become of the merchant. &ldquo;Merchant!&rdquo;
+said she, &ldquo;he is no more a
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>305]</a></span>
+merchant than I am!&rdquo; and she told him the
+whole story, assuring him that it was a
+plot of the robbers of the forest, of
+whom only three were left, and that the
+white-and-red chalk-marks had something
+to do with it. Ali Baba at once
+gave Morgiana her freedom, saying that
+he owed her his life. They then buried
+the bodies in Ali Baba&rsquo;s garden, while
+the mules were sold in the market by
+his slaves.</p>
+
+<p>The Captain returned to his lonely
+cave, which seemed frightful to him
+without his lost companions, and firmly
+resolved to avenge them by killing Ali
+Baba. He dressed himself carefully,
+and went into the town, where he took
+lodgings in an inn. In the course of a
+great many journeys to the forest he
+carried away many rich stuffs and much
+fine linen, and set up a shop opposite
+that of Ali Baba&rsquo;s son. He called himself
+Cogia Hassan, and as he was both
+civil and well dressed he soon made
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>306]</a></span>
+friends with Ali Baba&rsquo;s son, and through
+him with Ali Baba, whom he was continually
+asking to sup with him. Ali
+Baba, wishing to return his kindness,
+invited him into his house and received
+him smiling, thanking him for his kindness
+to his son. When the merchant was
+about to take his leave Ali Baba stopped
+him, saying: &ldquo;Where are you going, sir,
+in such haste? Will you not stay and
+sup with me?&rdquo; The merchant refused,
+saying that he had a reason; and on
+Ali Baba&rsquo;s asking him what that was,
+he replied: &ldquo;It is, sir, that I can eat
+no victuals that have any salt in them.&rdquo;
+&ldquo;If that is all,&rdquo; said Ali Baba, &ldquo;let me
+tell you that there shall be no salt in
+either the meat or the bread that we eat
+to-night.&rdquo; He went to give this order
+to Morgiana, who was much surprised.
+&ldquo;Who is this man,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;who eats
+no salt with his meat?&rdquo; &ldquo;He is an
+honest man, Morgiana,&rdquo; returned her
+master; &ldquo;therefore do as I bid you.&rdquo;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>307]</a></span>
+But she could not withstand a desire
+to see this strange man, so she helped
+Abdallah to carry up the dishes, and
+saw in a moment that Cogia Hassan was
+the robber Captain, and carried a dagger
+under his garment. &ldquo;I am not surprised,&rdquo;
+she said to herself, &ldquo;that this
+wicked man, who intends to kill my
+master, will eat no salt with him; but
+I will hinder his plans.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She sent up the supper by Abdallah,
+while she made ready for one of the
+boldest acts that could be thought on.
+When the dessert had been served,
+Cogia Hassan was left alone with Ali
+Baba and his son, whom he thought to
+make drunk and then to murder them.
+Morgiana, meanwhile, put on a head-dress
+like a dancing-girl&rsquo;s, and clasped
+a girdle round her waist, from which
+hung a dagger with a silver hilt, and
+said to Abdallah: &ldquo;Take your tabor,
+and let us go and divert our master and
+his guest.&rdquo; Abdallah took his tabor
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>308]</a></span>
+and played before Morgiana until they
+came to the door, where Abdallah stopped
+playing and Morgiana made a low
+courtesy. &ldquo;Come in, Morgiana,&rdquo; said Ali
+Baba, &ldquo;and let Cogia Hassan see what
+you can do.&rdquo; And, turning to Cogia
+Hassan, he said: &ldquo;She&rsquo;s my slave and
+my housekeeper.&rdquo; Cogia Hassan was
+by no means pleased, for he feared that
+his chance of killing Ali Baba was gone
+for the present; but he pretended great
+eagerness to see Morgiana, and Abdallah
+began to play and Morgiana to dance.
+After she had performed several dances,
+she drew her dagger and made passes
+with it, sometimes pointing it at her own
+breast, sometimes at her master&rsquo;s, as
+if it were part of the dance. Suddenly,
+out of breath, she snatched the tabor
+from Abdallah with her left hand, and,
+holding the dagger in her right, held out
+the tabor to her master. Ali Baba and
+his son put a piece of gold into it,
+and Cogia Hassan, seeing that she was
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>309]</a></span>
+coming to him, pulled out his purse
+to make her a present; but while he
+was putting his hand into it, Morgiana
+plunged the dagger into his heart.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Unhappy girl!&rdquo; cried Ali Baba and
+his son, &ldquo;what have you done to ruin
+us?&rdquo; &ldquo;It was to preserve you, master,
+not to ruin you,&rdquo; answered Morgiana.
+&ldquo;See here,&rdquo; opening the false merchant&rsquo;s
+garment and showing the dagger; &ldquo;see
+what an enemy you have entertained!
+Remember, he would eat no salt with
+you, and what more would you have?
+Look at him! he is both the false oil
+merchant and the Captain of the Forty
+Thieves.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba was so grateful to Morgiana
+for thus saving his life that he offered
+her to his son in marriage, who readily
+consented, and a few days after the
+wedding was celebrated with great
+splendor. At the end of a year Ali
+Baba, hearing nothing of the two remaining
+robbers, judged they were dead,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>310]</a></span>
+and set out to the cave. The door opened
+on his saying: &ldquo;Open, Sesame!&rdquo; He
+went in, and saw that nobody had been
+there since the Captain left it. He
+brought away as much gold as he could
+carry, and returned to town. He told
+his son the secret of the cave, which his
+son handed down in his turn, so the
+children and grandchildren of Ali Baba
+were rich to the end of their lives.</p>
+
+<p class="credit">By the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans, Green &amp; Co.,
+publishers of &ldquo;The Blue Fairy Book,&rdquo; edited by Andrew
+Lang.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>311]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top03" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE SECOND VOYAGE OF<br />
+SINDBAD THE SAILOR</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span> DESIGNED, after my first voyage,
+to spend the rest of my days at Bagdad,
+but it was not long ere I grew
+weary of an indolent life, and I put to
+sea a second time, with merchants of
+known probity. We embarked on board
+a good ship, and after recommending
+ourselves to God, set sail. We traded
+from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One
+day we landed on an island covered with
+several sorts of fruit trees, but we could
+see neither man nor animal. We walked
+in the meadows, along the streams
+that watered them. Whilst some diverted
+themselves with gathering flowers,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>312]</a></span>
+and others fruits, I took my wine and
+provisions, and sat down near a stream
+betwixt two high trees, which formed
+a thick shade. I made a good meal,
+and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot
+tell how long I slept, but when I awoke
+the ship was gone.</p>
+
+<p>In this sad condition, I was ready to
+die with grief. I cried out in agony,
+beat my head and breast, and threw
+myself upon the ground, where I lay
+some time in despair. I upbraided myself
+a hundred times for not being content
+with the produce of my first voyage,
+that might have sufficed me all my
+life. But all this was in vain, and my
+repentance came too late. At last I
+resigned myself to the will of God. Not
+knowing what to do, I climbed up to
+the top of a lofty tree, from whence I
+looked about on all sides, to see if I
+could discover anything that could give
+me hopes. When I gazed towards the
+sea I could see nothing but sky and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>313]</a></span>
+water; but looking over the land I beheld
+something white; and coming down,
+I took what provision I had left, and
+went towards it, the distance being so
+great that I could not distinguish what
+it was.</p>
+
+<p>As I approached, I thought it to be
+a white dome, of a prodigious height
+and extent; and when I came up to it,
+I touched it, and found it to be very
+smooth. I went round to see if it was
+open on any side, but saw it was not,
+and that there was no climbing up to
+the top, as it was so smooth. It was at
+least fifty paces round.</p>
+
+<p>By this time the sun was about to set,
+and all of a sudden the sky became as
+dark as if it had been covered with a
+thick cloud. I was much astonished
+at this sudden darkness, but much more
+when I found it occasioned by a bird of
+a monstrous size, that came flying towards
+me. I remembered that I had
+often heard mariners speak of a miraculous
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>314]</a></span>
+bird called the roc, and conceived
+that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. In short, the
+bird alighted, and sat over the egg. As
+I perceived her coming I crept close to
+the egg, so that I had before me one of
+the legs of the bird, which was as big
+as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself
+strongly to it with my turban, in hopes
+that the roc next morning would carry
+me with her out of this desert island.
+After having passed the night in this
+condition, the bird flew away as soon as
+it was daylight, and carried me so high
+that I could not discern the earth; she
+afterwards descended with so much
+rapidity that I lost my senses. But
+when I found myself on the ground I
+speedily untied the knot, and had
+scarcely done so when the roc, having
+taken up a serpent of a monstrous
+length in her bill, flew away.</p>
+
+<p>The spot where it left me was encompassed
+on all sides by mountains that
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>315]</a></span>
+seemed to reach above the clouds, and
+so steep that there was no possibility of
+getting out of the valley. This was a
+new perplexity; so that when I compared
+this place with the desert island
+from which the roc had brought me, I
+found that I had gained nothing by the
+change.</p>
+
+<p>As I walked through this valley I
+perceived it was strewed with diamonds,
+some of which were of a surprising bigness.
+I took pleasure in looking upon
+them; but shortly saw at a distance
+such objects as greatly diminished my
+satisfaction, and which I could not view
+without terror&mdash;namely, a great number
+of serpents, so monstrous that the least
+of them was capable of swallowing an
+elephant. They retired in the daytime
+to their dens, where they hid themselves
+from the roc, their enemy, and came out
+only in the night.</p>
+
+<p>I spent the day in walking about in
+the valley, resting myself at times in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>316]</a></span>
+such places as I thought most convenient.
+When night came on I went
+into a cave, where I thought I might
+repose in safety. I secured the entrance,
+which was low and narrow, with
+a great stone, to preserve me from the
+serpents, but not so far as to exclude
+the light. I supped on part of my provisions,
+but the serpents, which began
+hissing round me, put me into such
+extreme fear that I did not sleep. When
+day appeared the serpents retired, and
+I came out of the cave trembling.
+I can justly say that I walked upon
+diamonds without feeling any inclination
+to touch them. At last I sat down,
+and notwithstanding my apprehensions,
+not having closed my eyes during the
+night, fell asleep, after having eaten a
+little more of my provisions. But I
+had scarcely shut my eyes when something
+that fell by me with a great noise
+awaked me. This was a large piece of
+raw meat; and at the same time I saw
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>317]</a></span>
+several others fall down from the rocks
+in different places.</p>
+
+<p>I had always regarded as fabulous
+what I had heard sailors and others relate
+of the valley of diamonds, and of
+the stratagems employed by merchants
+to obtain jewels from thence; but now
+I found that they had stated nothing
+but the truth. For the fact is that the
+merchants come to the neighborhood
+of this valley, when the eagles have
+young ones, and throwing great joints of
+meat into the valley, the diamonds,
+upon whose points they fall, stick to
+them; the eagles, which are stronger in
+this country than anywhere else, pounce
+with great force upon those pieces of
+meat, and carry them to their nests on
+the precipices of the rocks to feed their
+young; the merchants at this time run
+to their nests, disturb and drive off
+the eagles by their shouts, and take
+away the diamonds that stick to the
+meat.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>318]</a></span>
+I perceived in this device the means
+of my deliverance.</p>
+
+<p>Having collected together the largest
+diamonds I could find, and put them
+into the leather bag in which I used to
+carry my provisions, I took the largest
+of the pieces of meat, tied it close round
+me with the cloth of my turban, and
+then laid myself upon the ground with
+my face downward, the bag of diamonds
+being made fast to my girdle.</p>
+
+<p>I had scarcely placed myself in this
+posture when one of the eagles, having
+taken me up with the piece of meat to
+which I was fastened, carried me to his
+nest on the top of the mountain. The
+merchants immediately began their
+shouting to frighten the eagles; and
+when they had obliged them to quit
+their prey, one of them came to the nest
+where I was. He was much alarmed
+when he saw me; but, recovering himself,
+instead of inquiring how I came
+thither, began to quarrel with me, and
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>319]</a></span>
+asked why I stole his goods. &ldquo;You
+will treat me,&rdquo; replied I, &ldquo;with more
+civility when you know me better.
+Do not be uneasy; I have diamonds
+enough for you and myself&mdash;more than
+all the other merchants together. Whatever
+they have they owe to chance;
+but I selected for myself, in the bottom
+of the valley, those which you see in
+this bag.&rdquo; I had scarcely done speaking
+when the other merchants came
+crowding about us, much astonished to
+see me; but they were much more surprised
+when I told them my story.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 384px;">
+<a name="eagles" id="eagles"></a>
+<img src="images/fft16.jpg" width="384" height="600"
+alt="The merchants wave cloths and swords to scare the eagle from its nest" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">The merchants began their shouting to frighten the eagles</p>
+
+<p>They conducted me to their encampment,
+and there, having opened my
+bag, they were surprised at the largeness
+of my diamonds, and confessed
+that they had never seen any of such
+size and perfection. I prayed the merchant
+who owned the nest to which I
+had been carried (for every merchant
+had his own) to take as many for his
+share as he pleased. He contented
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>320]</a></span>
+himself with one, and that, too, the least
+of them; and when I pressed him to take
+more, without fear of doing me any
+injury, &ldquo;No,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;I am very well
+satisfied with this, which is valuable
+enough to save me the trouble of making
+any more voyages, and will raise as
+great a fortune as I desire.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>I spent the night with the merchants,
+to whom I related my story a second
+time, for the satisfaction of those who
+had not heard it. I could not moderate
+my joy when I found myself delivered
+from the danger I have mentioned. I
+thought myself in a dream, and could
+scarcely believe myself out of danger.</p>
+
+<p>The merchants had thrown their
+pieces of meat into the valley for several
+days, and each of them being satisfied
+with the diamonds that had fallen to
+his lot, we left the place the next morning,
+and travelled near high mountains,
+where there were serpents of a prodigious
+length, which we had the good-fortune
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>321]</a></span>
+to escape. We took shipping at
+the first port we reached, and touched at
+the isle of Roha, where the trees grow
+that yield camphor. The tree is so
+large, and its branches so thick, that
+one hundred men may easily sit under
+its shade. The juice, of which the
+camphor is made, exudes from a hole
+bored in the upper part of the tree, is
+received in a vessel, where it thickens
+to a consistency, and becomes what we
+call camphor. After the juice is thus
+drawn out, the tree withers and dies.</p>
+
+<p>In this island is also found the rhinoceros,
+an animal less than the elephant,
+but larger than the buffalo. It has a
+horn upon its nose, which is solid, and
+cleft through the middle. The rhinoceros
+fights with the elephant, runs his
+horn into his belly, and carries him off
+upon his head; but the blood and the
+fat of the elephant running into his
+eyes and making him blind, he falls to
+the ground, and then, strange to relate,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>322]</a></span>
+the roc comes and carries them both
+away in her claws, for food for her
+young ones.</p>
+
+<p>Here I exchanged some of my diamonds
+for merchandise. From hence
+we went to other islands, and at last,
+having touched at several trading towns
+of the continent, we landed at Bussorah,
+from whence I proceeded to Bagdad.
+There I immediately gave large presents
+to the poor, and lived honorably
+upon the vast riches I had brought, and
+gained with so much fatigue.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>323]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<div class="center">
+<table class="top04" style="margin-top: 3em;" summary="Decorative border">
+<tr>
+<td align="left">
+<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
+<h2>THE HISTORY OF<br />
+ALI COGIA,<br />
+A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD</h2>
+<br /><br /><br />
+</td>
+</tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+
+<p><span class="dropcap">I</span>N the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid
+there lived at Bagdad a
+merchant named Ali Cogia, who was
+neither of the richest nor yet of the
+lowest order. He dwelt in his paternal
+house without either wife or children.
+He lived contented with what his business
+produced, and was as free in his
+actions as in his will. During this period
+he had for three successive nights a
+dream, in which an old man appeared
+to him, with a venerable aspect but a
+severe countenance, who reprimanded
+him for not having yet performed a
+pilgrimage to Mecca.</p>
+
+<p>This dream troubled Ali Cogia very
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>324]</a></span>
+much. As a good Mussulman, he was
+aware of the necessity for this pilgrimage;
+but as he was encumbered
+with a house and furniture, and a shop,
+he had always considered these as excuses,
+and he endeavored to make up
+for the neglect by charitable deeds.
+But since he had these dreams his conscience
+disturbed him, and he was so
+fearful of some misfortune that he resolved
+no longer to defer this act of
+duty.</p>
+
+<p>To enable himself to perform this in
+the following year, Ali Cogia began to
+sell his furniture; he then disposed of
+his shop, together with the greatest
+part of the merchandise, reserving only
+such as might be salable at Mecca; and
+he found a tenant for his house.</p>
+
+<p>Having thus arranged everything, he
+was ready to set out at the time that
+the caravan for Mecca was to take its
+departure. The only thing which remained
+to be done was to find some
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>325]</a></span>
+secure place in which he could leave the
+sum of a thousand pieces of gold, which
+remained over and above the money he
+had set apart for his pilgrimage.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia chose a jar of a proper size,
+and put the thousand pieces of gold into
+it, and then filled it up with olives.
+After having closed the jar tightly, he
+took it to a merchant who was his
+friend. &ldquo;Brother,&rdquo; said he to him,
+&ldquo;you are not unacquainted with my
+intention of setting out on a pilgrimage
+to Mecca with the caravan which goes
+in a few days; I beg the favor of you to
+take charge of this jar of olives till my
+return.&rdquo; The merchant instantly replied:
+&ldquo;Here, this is the key of my warehouse;
+take the jar there yourself, and
+place it where you think fit. I promise
+you that you shall find it in the same
+place when you come for it again.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The day for departure arriving, Ali
+Cogia joined the caravan with a camel
+laden with the merchandise he had
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>326]</a></span>
+made choice of, which also served him
+as a sort of saddle to ride on, and he
+arrived in perfect safety at Mecca. He,
+together with the other pilgrims, visited
+the temple&mdash;that edifice, so celebrated
+and so frequented every year by all the
+Mussulman nations, who repair thither
+from all parts of the globe, to observe
+the religious ceremonies which are required
+of them. When he had acquitted
+himself of the duties of his
+pilgrimage, he exposed the merchandise
+he had brought with him for
+sale.</p>
+
+<p>Two merchants, who were passing
+that way, and saw the goods of Ali
+Cogia, found them so beautiful that they
+stopped to look at them, although they
+did not want to purchase them. When
+they had satisfied their curiosity, one
+said to the other as he was walking
+away: &ldquo;If this merchant knew the profit
+he could make of his goods at Cairo, he
+would take them there in preference to
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>327]</a></span>
+selling them here, where they are not
+of so much value.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This speech did not escape Ali Cogia,
+and as he had often heard of the beauties
+of Egypt, he instantly resolved to travel
+to that country. Having, therefore, packed
+up his bales, he joined the caravan
+that was going to Cairo. When he arrived
+he found it so much to his advantage,
+that in a few days he had disposed of
+all his merchandise with much greater
+profit than he could possibly
+have expected. He then purchased
+other goods, intending to go to Damascus,
+and while he was waiting for the
+convenience of a caravan, which was
+to go in six weeks, he not only visited
+everything that was worthy of his
+curiosity in Cairo, but also went to
+view the pyramids, extended his journey
+to some distance up the Nile, and
+inspected the most celebrated cities
+that are situated on its banks.</p>
+
+<p>As the caravan was passing through
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>328]</a></span>
+Jerusalem, Ali Cogia took the opportunity
+to visit the temple, which is considered
+by all Mussulmans as the most sacred after
+that of Mecca, and from
+which the place itself has obtained the
+title of the Holy City. Ali Cogia found
+the city of Damascus so delicious a spot,
+from the abundance of its streams, its
+meadows, and enchanting gardens, that
+everything he had read of its delights,
+in different accounts of the place, appeared
+to be far below the truth, and
+he was tempted to prolong his stay.
+As, however, he did not forget that he
+had to return to Bagdad, he at length
+took his departure and went to Aleppo,
+where he also passed some time, and
+from thence, after having crossed the
+Euphrates, he took the road to Moussoul,
+intending to shorten his journey
+by going down the Tigris.</p>
+
+<p>But when Ali Cogia had reached
+Moussoul, the Persian merchants with
+whom he had travelled from Aleppo,
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>329]</a></span>
+and had formed an intimacy, gained so
+great an ascendancy over his mind by
+their obliging manners and agreeable
+conversation, that they had no difficulty
+in persuading him to accompany them
+to Shiraz, from whence it would be
+easy for him to return to Bagdad, and
+with considerable profit. They took
+him through the cities of Sultania, Re&iuml;,
+Coam, Kaschan, Ispahan, and then to
+Shiraz, where he was induced to go with
+them to India, and then return again
+to Shiraz.</p>
+
+<p>In this way, reckoning also the time
+Ali Cogia resided in each city, it was now
+nearly seven years since he had quitted
+Bagdad, and he determined to return.
+Till this period the friend to whom he
+had intrusted the jar of olives before
+he left that city had never thought more
+of him or his jar. At the very time that
+Ali Cogia was on his return with a caravan
+from Shiraz, one evening as his
+friend the merchant was at supper with
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>330]</a></span>
+his family, the conversation by accident
+turned upon olives, and his wife expressed
+a desire of eating some, adding
+that it was a long time since any had
+been produced in her house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now you speak of olives,&rdquo; said the
+merchant, &ldquo;you remind me that Ali
+Cogia, when he went to Mecca seven
+years since, left me a jar of them, which
+he himself placed in my warehouse, that
+he might find them there on his return.
+But I know not what is become of Ali
+Cogia. Some one, it is true, on the
+return of the caravan, told me that he
+was gone into Egypt. He must have
+died there, as he has never returned in
+the course of so many years; we may
+surely eat the olives if they are still
+good. Give me a dish and a light, and
+I will go and get some, that we may
+taste them.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In the name of God,&rdquo; replied the
+wife, &ldquo;do not, my dear husband, commit
+so disgraceful an action; you well
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>331]</a></span>
+know that nothing is so sacred as a trust
+of this kind. You say that it is seven
+years since Ali Cogia went to Mecca,
+and he has never returned; but you
+were informed he was gone into Egypt,
+and how can you ascertain that he has
+not gone still farther? It is enough that
+you have received no intelligence of his
+death; he may return to-morrow or the
+day after to-morrow. Consider how
+infamous it would be for you, as well as
+your family, if he were to return, and
+you could not restore the jar into his
+hands in the same state as when he intrusted
+it to your care. For my part, I
+declare that I neither wish for any of
+these olives, nor will eat any of them.
+What I said was merely by way of conversation.
+Besides, do you suppose
+that, after so long a time, the olives can
+be good? They must be spoiled. And
+if Ali Cogia returns, as I have a foreboding
+that he will, and he perceives
+that you have opened the jar, what
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>332]</a></span>
+opinion will he form of your friendship
+and integrity? I conjure you to abandon
+your design.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This good woman argued at length,
+because she saw, by her husband&rsquo;s
+countenance, that he was resolved to
+have his own way. In fact, he got up,
+and, taking a light and a dish, went to
+his warehouse. &ldquo;Remember at least,&rdquo;
+said the wife, &ldquo;that I have no share in
+what you are going to do; so do not attribute
+any fault to me if you have
+hereafter to repent of the action.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The merchant still persisted in his
+purpose. When he had entered the
+warehouse he opened the jar, and found
+the olives all spoiled; but to see whether
+those that were underneath were as
+bad as the upper ones he poured some
+out into the dish, and as he shook the
+jar to make them fall out the easier
+some pieces of gold fell out also. At the
+sight of this money the merchant, who
+was naturally avaricious, looked into the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>333]</a></span>
+jar, and perceived that he had emptied
+almost all the olives into the dish, and
+that what remained was money in pieces
+of gold. He put the olives again into
+the jar, and, covering it, left the warehouse.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You spoke the truth, wife,&rdquo; said he,
+when he returned. &ldquo;The olives are all
+spoiled, and I have stopped up the jar
+again, so that if Ali Cogia ever comes
+back he will not discover that I have
+touched it.&rdquo; &ldquo;You would have done
+better to take my advice,&rdquo; returned the
+wife, &ldquo;not to have meddled with it.
+God grant that no evil may come of it.&rdquo;
+The merchant paid as little attention to
+these last words of his wife as he had
+done to her former remonstrance. He
+passed almost the whole night in devising
+means to take possession of Ali
+Cogia&rsquo;s money in such a way that he
+might enjoy it in security should the
+owner ever return and claim the jar.
+The next morning, very early, he went
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>334]</a></span>
+out to buy some olives of that year&rsquo;s
+growth. He threw away those which
+had been in Ali Cogia&rsquo;s jar, and, taking
+out the gold, he put it in a place of
+safety; then filling the jar with the fresh
+olives he had just bought he put on the
+same cover, and placed it in the same
+spot where Ali Cogia had left it.</p>
+
+<p>About a month after the merchant
+had committed this treacherous act Ali
+Cogia arrived at Bagdad, after his long
+absence from that city. As he had
+leased his house before his departure
+he alighted at a khan, where he took a
+lodging until he had informed his tenant
+of his return, that the latter might procure
+himself another residence.</p>
+
+<p>The next day Ali Cogia went to see
+his friend the merchant, who received
+him with open arms, testifying the utmost
+joy at seeing him again, after an
+absence of so many years, which he said
+almost made him despair of ever beholding
+him any more.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>335]</a></span>
+After the usual compliments, Ali
+Cogia begged the merchant to return
+him the jar of olives which he had left
+in his care, at the same time apologizing
+for having troubled him. &ldquo;My dear
+friend,&rdquo; replied the merchant, &ldquo;do not
+think of making excuses; your jar has
+been no encumbrance to me, and I
+should have done the same with you had
+I been situated as you were. Here is the
+key of my warehouse, go and take it; you
+will find it where you put it yourself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia went to the warehouse and
+took out the jar, and having given the
+key to the merchant, he thanked him
+for the favor he had done him, and returned
+to the khan where he lodged.
+He opened the jar, and, thrusting his
+hand to the depth where he supposed
+the thousand pieces of gold might be,
+he was extremely surprised at not feeling
+them. He thought he must be deceived,
+and to relieve his doubts he took
+some of the dishes and other utensils of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>336]</a></span>
+his travelling kitchen and emptied out
+all the olives without finding one single
+piece of money. He was motionless
+with astonishment, and raising his eyes
+and hands towards heaven, &ldquo;Is it possible,&rdquo;
+he at length exclaimed, &ldquo;that
+a man whom I considered as my friend
+could be capable of so flagrant a breach
+of trust?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia, exceedingly alarmed at the
+idea of so considerable a loss, returned
+to the merchant. &ldquo;My good friend,&rdquo;
+said he, &ldquo;do not be surprised that I
+should return to you so quickly; I confess
+that I knew the jar of olives which
+I just now took out of your warehouse
+to be mine; but I had put a thousand
+pieces of gold in it with the olives, and
+these I cannot find; perhaps you have
+wanted them in your trade, and have
+made use of them. If that be the case,
+they are much at your service; I only
+beg of you to relieve my fears, and give
+me some acknowledgment for them;
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>337]</a></span>
+after this you will return them to me
+whenever it may be most convenient.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The merchant, who expected Ali
+Cogia to return to him, had prepared an
+answer. &ldquo;My friend,&rdquo; replied he, &ldquo;when
+you brought me the jar of olives, did I
+touch it? Did I not give you the key
+of my wareroom? Did you not deposit
+it there yourself? and did you not find
+it in the same place where you put it,
+exactly in the same state, and covered
+in the same manner? If you put money
+in it, there you must find it. You told
+me it contained olives, and I believed
+you. This is all I know about the matter;
+you may believe me or not as you
+please, but I assure you I have not
+touched it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia used the gentlest means to
+enable the merchant to justify himself.
+&ldquo;I love peaceable measures,&rdquo; said he,
+&ldquo;and I should be sorry to proceed to
+extremities, which would not be very
+creditable to you in the eyes of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>338]</a></span>
+world. Consider that merchants, such
+as we are, should abandon all private
+interests to preserve their reputation.
+Once more I tell you that I should be
+sorry if your obstinacy compels me to
+apply to the forms allowed by justice,
+for I have always preferred losing something
+of my right to having recourse to
+those means.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ali Cogia,&rdquo; resumed the merchant,
+&ldquo;you confess that you have deposited
+a jar of olives with me, that you took
+possession of it again, and that you
+carried it away; and now you come to
+demand of me a thousand pieces of gold.
+Did you tell me they were contained in
+the jar? I am even ignorant that there
+were olives in it; you did not show them
+to me! I am surprised that you did
+not require pearls and diamonds rather
+than money. Take my advice: go
+home, and do not assemble a crowd
+about my door.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Some people had already stopped
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>339]</a></span>
+before his shop; and these last words, pronounced
+in an angry voice, not only
+collected a larger number, but made
+the neighboring merchants come out
+of their shops to inquire the reason of
+the dispute. When Ali Cogia had explained
+to them the subject, the most
+earnest in the cause asked the merchant
+what reply he had to make.</p>
+
+<p>The merchant owned that he had kept
+the jar belonging to Ali Cogia in his
+warehouse, but he denied having touched
+it, and made oath that he only knew
+that it contained olives because Ali
+Cogia had told him so, and that he considered
+them all as witnesses of the insulting
+affront which had been offered
+to him in his own house.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You have drawn the affront on
+yourself,&rdquo; said Ali Cogia, taking him by
+the arm; &ldquo;but since you behave so
+wickedly, I cite you by the law of God.
+Let us see if you will have the face to
+say the same before the cadi.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>340]</a></span>
+At this summons, which every true
+Mussulman must obey, unless he rebels
+against his religion, the merchant had
+not the courage to offer any resistance.
+&ldquo;Come,&rdquo; said he, &ldquo;that is the very
+thing I wish; we shall see who is wrong,
+you or I.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia conducted the merchant
+before the tribunal of the cadi, where
+he accused him of having stolen a
+thousand pieces of gold which were deposited
+in his care, relating the fact as
+it took place. The cadi inquired if he
+had any witnesses. He replied that
+he had not taken this precaution, because
+he supposed the person to whom
+he had intrusted his money to be his
+friend, and till now an honest man.</p>
+
+<p>The merchant urged nothing more in
+his defence than what he had already
+said to Ali Cogia in the presence of his
+neighbors, and he concluded by offering
+to take his oath not only that it was
+false that he had taken the thousand
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>341]</a></span>
+pieces of gold, but even that he had any
+knowledge of their being in his possession.
+The cadi accepted the oath,
+after which he was dismissed as innocent.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia, extremely mortified to find
+himself condemned to suffer so considerable
+a loss, protested against the sentence,
+and declared to the cadi that
+he would lay his complaint before the
+Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, who would
+do him justice; but the cadi did not regard
+this threat, and he considered it
+merely as the effect of the resentment
+natural to all who lose their cause, and
+he thought he had performed his duty
+by acquitting one who was accused
+without any witnesses to prove the fact.</p>
+
+<p>While the merchant was triumphing
+in his success over Ali Cogia, and indulging
+his joy at having made so good
+a bargain of the thousand pieces of
+gold, Ali Cogia went to draw up a petition.
+And the next day, having chosen
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>342]</a></span>
+the time when the caliph should return
+from midday prayers, he placed himself
+in a street which led to the mosque,
+and when he passed, held out his hand
+with the petition. An officer to whom
+this function belongs, who was walking
+before the caliph, instantly left his place
+and came to take it, that he might present
+it to his master.</p>
+
+<p>As Ali Cogia knew that it was the
+usual custom of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid,
+when he returned to his
+palace, to examine with his own eyes
+all the petitions that were presented to
+him in this way, he therefore followed
+the procession, went into the palace,
+and waited till the officer who had
+taken the petition should come out of
+the apartment of the caliph. When
+he made his appearance he told Ali
+Cogia that the caliph had read his petition,
+and appointed the following day
+to give him an audience; and having
+inquired of him where the merchant
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>343]</a></span>
+lived, he sent to give him notice to
+attend the next day at the same time.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter ipadtop" style="width: 390px;">
+<a name="caliph" id="caliph"></a>
+<img src="images/fft17.jpg" width="390" height="600"
+alt="The caliph and two other men stand and listen to the group of children" />
+</div>
+
+<p class="caption">The caliph listening to the children&rsquo;s court</p>
+
+<p>On the evening of the same day, the
+caliph, with the grand vizier Giafar and
+Mesrour, the chief of the eunuchs, all
+three disguised in the same manner,
+went to make his usual excursion into
+the city, as it was his custom frequently
+to do. In passing through a street the
+caliph heard a noise. He hastened his
+pace, and came to a door which opened
+into a court, where ten or twelve children,
+who had not gone to rest, were
+playing by moonlight, as he perceived
+by looking through a crevice.</p>
+
+<p>The caliph, feeling some curiosity to
+know what these children were playing
+at, sat down on a stone bench, which
+was placed very conveniently near the
+door; and as he was looking at them
+through the crevice he heard one of
+the most lively and intelligent among
+them say to the others: &ldquo;Let us play at
+the cadi. I am the cadi. Bring before
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>344]</a></span>
+me Ali Cogia and the merchant who stole
+the thousand pieces of gold from him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>These words of the child reminded
+the caliph of the petition which had
+been presented to him that day, and
+which he had read; he therefore redoubled
+his attention to hear the result
+of the trial.</p>
+
+<p>As the affair between Ali Cogia and
+the merchant was a new thing, and
+much talked of in the city of Bagdad,
+even among children, the rest of this
+youthful party fully agreed to the proposal,
+and each chose the character he
+would perform. No one disputed the
+part of the cadi with him who had
+made choice of it; and when he had
+taken his seat with all the pomp and
+gravity of a cadi, another, personating
+the officer who attends the tribunal,
+presented two others to him, one of
+whom he called Ali Cogia, and the next
+the merchant against whom Ali Cogia
+preferred his complaint.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>345]</a></span>
+The pretended cadi then addressed
+the feigned Ali Cogia. &ldquo;Ali Cogia,&rdquo;
+said he, &ldquo;what do you require of this
+merchant?&rdquo; He who personated this
+character then made a low bow, and
+informed the cadi of the facts, and concluded
+by beseeching him to be pleased
+to interpose his authority to prevent his
+sustaining so considerable a loss. The
+feigned cadi, after having listened to
+Ali Cogia, turned to the merchant, and
+asked him why he did not return to Ali
+Cogia the sum he demanded of him.
+This young merchant made use of the
+same arguments which the real one had
+alleged before the cadi of Bagdad, and
+also in the same manner asked him to
+suffer him to swear that what he said
+was the truth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not so fast,&rdquo; replied the pretended
+cadi; &ldquo;before we come to swearing I
+should like to see the jar of olives. Ali
+Cogia,&rdquo; said he, addressing the boy who
+acted this part, &ldquo;have you brought the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>346]</a></span>
+jar with you?&rdquo; As the latter replied
+that he had not, he desired him to go
+and fetch it.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia disappeared for a few minutes,
+and then returning, pretended to
+bring a jar to the cadi, which he said
+was the same that had been deposited
+with the merchant, and was now returned
+to him. Not to omit any of the
+usual forms, the cadi asked the merchant
+if he owned it to be the same jar,
+and the merchant proving by his silence
+that he could not deny it, he ordered it
+to be opened. The feigned Ali Cogia
+then made a motion as if he were taking
+off the cover, and the cadi that of
+looking into the jar. &ldquo;These are fine
+olives; let me taste,&rdquo; said he. Then, pretending
+to take one to taste, he added:
+&ldquo;They are excellent. But,&rdquo; continued
+he, &ldquo;I think that olives which have been
+kept seven years would not be so good.
+Order some olive merchants to be called,
+and let them give their opinion.&rdquo; Two
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>347]</a></span>
+boys were then presented to him. &ldquo;Are
+you olive merchants?&rdquo; he inquired; to
+which they having replied in the affirmative,
+he added: &ldquo;Tell me, then, if you
+know how long olives, that are prepared
+by people who make it their business,
+can be preserved good to eat?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; replied the feigned merchants,
+&ldquo;whatever care may be taken to preserve
+them, they are worth nothing after
+the third year; they lose both their
+flavor and color, and are only fit to be
+thrown away.&rdquo; &ldquo;If that be the case,&rdquo;
+resumed the young cadi, &ldquo;look at this
+jar, and tell me how long the olives have
+been kept that are in it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The feigned merchants then pretended
+to examine and taste the olives, and
+told the cadi that they were fresh and
+good. &ldquo;You are mistaken,&rdquo; replied
+the cadi; &ldquo;here is Ali Cogia, who says
+that he put them into the jar seven years
+ago.&rdquo; &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said the merchants, &ldquo;we
+can assure you that these olives are of
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>348]</a></span>
+this year&rsquo;s growth, and we will maintain
+that there is not a single merchant
+in Bagdad who will not be of the same
+way of thinking.&rdquo; The accused merchant
+was going to protest against this
+testimony of the others, but the cadi
+did not allow him time. &ldquo;Silence!&rdquo;
+said he; &ldquo;thou art a thief, and shalt be
+hanged.&rdquo; The children then clapped
+their hands, showed great marks of joy,
+and finished their game by seizing the
+supposed criminal, and carrying him
+off as if to execution.</p>
+
+<p>It is impossible to express how much
+the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid admired
+the wisdom and acuteness of the boy,
+who had pronounced so just a sentence
+on the very case which was to be pleaded
+before him on the morrow. Taking his
+eyes from the crevice, he rose, and asked
+the grand vizier, who had been attending
+to all that passed, if he had heard
+the sentence given by the boy, and what
+he thought of it. &ldquo;Commander of the
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>349]</a></span>
+Faithful,&rdquo; replied Giafar, &ldquo;I am astonished
+at the wisdom evinced by this
+boy at so early an age.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; resumed the caliph, &ldquo;do you
+know that to-morrow I am to give my
+decision on this very affair, and that
+the true Ali Cogia has this morning
+presented a petition to me on the subject?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So I understand from your majesty,&rdquo;
+replied the grand vizier. &ldquo;Do you
+think,&rdquo; said the caliph, &ldquo;that I can give
+a juster sentence than that we have now
+heard?&rdquo; &ldquo;If the affair be the same,&rdquo;
+returned the grand vizier, &ldquo;it appears
+to me that your majesty cannot proceed
+in a better manner, nor give any
+other judgment.&rdquo; &ldquo;Notice well this
+house, then,&rdquo; said the caliph, &ldquo;and
+bring me the boy to-morrow, that he
+may judge the same cause in my presence.
+Order the cadi, also, who acquitted
+the merchant, to be at the
+palace, that he may learn his duty from
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>350]</a></span>
+this child, and correct his deficiencies.
+I desire, too, that you will tell Ali Cogia
+to bring with him his jar of olives, and
+do you procure two olive merchants
+to be present at the audience.&rdquo; The
+caliph gave this order as he continued
+his walk, which he finished without
+meeting with anything else that deserved
+his attention.</p>
+
+<p>On the morrow the grand vizier repaired
+to the house where the caliph had
+been witness to the game the children
+had played at, and he asked to speak to
+the master of it, but he being gone out,
+he was introduced to the mistress. He
+asked her if she had any children; she
+replied that she had three, whom she
+brought to him. &ldquo;My children,&rdquo; said
+he to them, &ldquo;which of you acted the
+cadi last night as you were playing together?&rdquo;
+The eldest replied that it
+was he; and as he was ignorant of the
+reason for this question, he changed
+color. &ldquo;My child,&rdquo; said the grand
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>351]</a></span>
+vizier, &ldquo;come with me; the Commander
+of the Faithful wishes to see you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The mother was extremely alarmed
+when she saw that the vizier was going
+to take away her son. &ldquo;Sir,&rdquo; said she,
+&ldquo;is it to take away my son entirely that
+the Commander of the Faithful has sent
+for him?&rdquo; The grand vizier quieted her
+fears by promising that her son should
+be sent back again in less than an hour,
+and that when he returned she would
+learn the reason of his being sent for,
+which would give her great pleasure.
+&ldquo;If that be the case, sir,&rdquo; replied she,
+&ldquo;permit me first to change his dress,
+that he may be more fit to appear before
+the Commander of the Faithful.&rdquo;
+And she immediately put on her son a
+clean suit.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier conducted the boy
+to the caliph, and presented him at the
+time appointed for hearing Ali Cogia
+and the merchant.</p>
+
+<p>The caliph, seeing the child rather
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>352]</a></span>
+terrified, and wishing to prepare him for
+what he expected him to do, said to him:
+&ldquo;Come here, my boy, draw near. Was
+it you who yesterday passed sentence
+on the case of Ali Cogia and the merchant
+who robbed him of his gold? I
+both saw and heard you, and am very
+well satisfied with you.&rdquo; The child
+began to gain confidence, and modestly
+answered that it was he. &ldquo;My child,&rdquo;
+resumed the caliph, &ldquo;you shall see
+the true Ali Cogia and the merchant
+to-day; come and sit down next to
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The caliph then took the boy by the
+hand, and seated himself on his throne,
+and having placed him next to him, he
+inquired for the parties; they advanced,
+and the name of each was pronounced
+as he touched with his forehead the
+carpet that covered the throne. When
+they had risen, the caliph said to them:
+&ldquo;Let each of you plead your cause; this
+child will hear and administer justice
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>353]</a></span>
+to you, and if anything be deficient, I
+will remedy it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Ali Cogia and the merchant each
+spoke in his turn; and when the merchant
+requested to be allowed to take
+the same oath he had taken on his first
+examination, the boy answered that it
+was not yet time, for it was first necessary
+to inspect the jar of olives. At
+these words Ali Cogia produced the jar,
+placed it at the feet of the caliph, and
+uncovered it. The caliph looked at the
+olives, and took one, which he tasted.
+The jar was then handed to some skilful
+merchants who had been ordered to appear,
+and they reported it as their opinion
+that the olives were good, and of
+that year&rsquo;s growth. The boy told them
+Ali Cogia assured him they had been in
+the jar seven years, to which the real
+merchants returned the same answer
+which the children as feigned merchants
+had made on the preceding
+evening.</p>
+
+<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>354]</a></span>
+Although the accused merchant plainly
+saw that the two olive merchants had
+thus pronounced his condemnation, yet
+he nevertheless attempted to allege reasons
+in his justification; the boy, however,
+did not venture to pronounce
+sentence on him and send him to execution.
+&ldquo;Commander of the Faithful,&rdquo;
+said he, &ldquo;this is not a game; it is your
+majesty alone who can condemn to
+death seriously, and not I; I did it
+yesterday only in play.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The caliph, fully persuaded of the
+treachery of the merchant, gave him
+up to the ministers of justice to have
+him hung; and this sentence was executed
+after he had confessed where the
+thousand pieces of gold were concealed,
+which were then returned to Ali Cogia.
+This monarch, in short, so celebrated
+for his justice and equity, after having
+advised the cadi who had passed the
+first sentence, and who was present, to
+learn from a child to be more exact in
+<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[<span class="hidden">Pg </span>355]</a></span>
+the performance of his office, embraced
+the boy, and sent him home again with
+a purse containing a hundred pieces of
+gold, which he ordered to be given him
+as a proof of his liberality.</p>
+
+
+<p class="center padtop padbase">THE END</p>
+
+
+
+<div class="bbox">
+<p><b>Transcriber's Note</b></p>
+
+<p>Minor typographic errors&mdash;for example, punctuation errors, omitted or
+transposed letters&mdash;have been repaired. Archaic spelling is preserved
+as printed.</p>
+
+<p>The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page.
+Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are not
+in the middle of a paragraph.</p>
+
+<p>The original text had one of four decorative borders on every page. As this
+was not practical in this version of the book, the transcriber has used the full
+borders near the beginning, and part of them as decorative headers through the
+remainder of the book.</p>
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Favorite Fairy Tales, by Various
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Favorite Fairy Tales
+       The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women
+
+Author: Various
+
+Illustrator: Peter Newell
+
+Release Date: May 15, 2010 [EBook #32389]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by The
+Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                 FAVORITE
+                FAIRY TALES
+
+           THE CHILDHOOD CHOICE
+             OF REPRESENTATIVE
+               MEN AND WOMEN
+
+
+               ILLUSTRATED
+                    BY
+               PETER NEWELL
+
+
+              [Illustration]
+
+
+            NEW YORK AND LONDON
+       HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
+                  MCMVII
+
+
+
+
+  Copyright, 1907, by Harper & Brothers.
+
+          _All rights reserved._
+         Published October, 1907.
+
+
+
+
+    [Illustration: "Can't you render me some assistance?"
+        See p. 209]
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+    JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Arthur Twining Hadley
+                    President of Yale University
+            Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
+                    President of Columbia University
+            Dr. Henry M. Alden
+                    Editor of _Harper's Magazine_
+            J. F. Hosic
+                    Professor of English, The Chicago Normal School
+            J. M. Pereles
+                    Chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission
+
+
+    CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Thomas R. Lounsbury
+                    Professor of English Yale University
+            Dr. J. H. Canfield
+                    Librarian of Columbia University
+            The Honorable John Bigelow
+                    Author and Publicist
+            J. M. Pereles
+            And the Children of The Honorable Grover Cleveland
+
+
+    JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
+            Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
+                    President of the New York Free Kindergarten
+                      Association. Associate Editor of _The Outlook_
+
+
+    THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Shailer Mathews
+                    Professor of Systematic Theology in the University
+                      of Chicago. Editor of _The World To-day_
+            Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+                    Author. Professor of English Literature in
+                      Princeton University
+
+
+    LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. Charles Perrault
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Henry M. Alden
+
+
+    THE UGLY DUCKLING. Hans Christian Andersen
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            The Honorable William J. Bryan
+                    Publicist and Editor
+            Miss Jane Addams
+                    Head Resident of Hull House, Chicago
+
+
+    HOP-O'-MY-THUMB.
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Henry James
+                    Author
+
+
+    BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. From the French of Madame Gabrielle de
+      Villeneuve
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
+                    Author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
+
+
+    LITTLE SNOWDROP.
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Howard Pyle
+                    Artist and Author
+
+
+    THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS. Robert Southey
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            F. A. Kendall
+                    Secretary of the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle
+
+
+    SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED. Grimm
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Frederick Dielman
+                    President of the National Academy of Design
+
+
+    THE WILD SWANS. Hans Christian Andersen
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+            Mrs. Alice Meynell
+                    Poet and Essayist
+
+
+    ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Charles William Eliot
+                    President of Harvard University
+            Dr. Henry Van Dyke
+            J. M. Pereles
+            Dr. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
+                    Author
+
+
+    ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Samuel L. Clemens
+            Dr. Charles William Eliot
+            Dr. Lyman Abbott
+                    Editor of _The Outlook_
+
+
+    THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. Lyman Abbott
+
+
+    THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD.
+      "The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
+
+        _This Story is the Choice of:_
+            Dr. William Dean Howells
+                    Author
+
+
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+
+    "CAN'T YOU RENDER ME SOME ASSISTANCE?"              _Frontispiece_
+
+    "I WILL BROIL YOU FOR MY BREAKFAST"              _Facing p._     2
+
+    THE SLIPPER FITTED EXACTLY                            "         48
+
+    JUST AS HE LAID HIS HAND UPON ONE OF THEM,
+      THE LITTLE DOG BARKED MOST FURIOUSLY                "         66
+
+    A YOUNG GIRL OF WONDERFUL BEAUTY LAY ASLEEP
+      ON AN EMBROIDERED BED                               "         82
+
+    HE ASKED HER POLITELY WHERE SHE WAS GOING             "         88
+
+    SOME LITTLE CHILDREN THREW PIECES OF BREAD
+      INTO THE WATER                                      "        114
+
+    THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO CRY AS LOUD AS THEY COULD       "        120
+
+    SHE SAW AT HER FEET A HANDSOME, GRACEFUL YOUNG
+      PRINCE                                              "        170
+
+    "OH, HEAVEN," THEY CRIED, "WHAT A LOVELY CHILD!"      "        180
+
+    THE VOICE OF THE LITTLE, SMALL, WEE BEAR
+      AWAKENED HER AT ONCE                                "        200
+
+    ELISE SAW AN ICE PALACE, WITH ONE BOLD COLONNADE
+      BUILT ABOVE ANOTHER                                 "        238
+
+    "I AM THE SLAVE OF THE RING, AND WILL OBEY THEE
+      IN ALL THINGS"                                      "        260
+
+    CASSIM FORGETS THE MAGIC WORD                         "        294
+
+    THE MERCHANTS BEGAN THEIR SHOUTING TO FRIGHTEN
+      THE EAGLES                                          "        318
+
+    THE CALIPH LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN'S COURT          "        342
+
+
+    _Decorative borders by
+      Francis I. Bennett_
+
+
+
+
+INTRODUCTION
+
+
+What are the best fairy stories? Are they not those which have lived
+most vividly in active minds? The ripeness of after life works its
+changes; but we are not dealing with literary judgments--rather with
+the choice of childhood which fortunately lingers in memory, whatever
+store of wisdom may come in later years. There is here no question of
+the new or unusual. On the contrary, it is the ideas or visions handed
+down for generations or centuries and set in final form that remain
+with us as types of fancy or wisdom. Of these there are so many that a
+selection is essential. No one book can be a complete treasure-house
+of all the imagination, humor, and sentiment of the fairy tale. But it
+has been possible to obtain a representative judgment for this volume
+which we believe to be of peculiar worth.
+
+This book gives us the favorite fairy tales of men and women who have
+gained eminence in American life. It is a book, therefore, based upon
+an original plan, which stands by itself. Any collection formed by one
+person must reflect personal preferences. It must have obvious
+limitations, however excellent--as in the case of Miss Mulock or
+Laboulaye--the choice of the single editor may be. But to a large
+extent such a collection as this represents that consensus of opinion
+which invests a given work with the rank of a classic. The desire of
+the publishers has been to determine the youthful preferences of those
+whose opinions carry weight and to present their selections among the
+wealth of fairy tales which the world cherishes from one generation
+to another. Such a thing as a collection of _all_ good fairy tales
+would be unthinkably cumbersome. We need guidance and selection. For
+the expressions of personal choice afforded in the interests of this
+book, the publishers desire to offer their grateful acknowledgments.
+
+It has happened naturally that more than one vote has been cast for
+the same story. For example, the president of Yale, in his selection
+of "Jack the Giant-killer," had the companionship of the president of
+Columbia and of the editor of _Harper's Magazine_, who are really
+represented, therefore, by a second choice. The three stories
+preferred by the chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission had
+all been preferred by others.
+
+But "Cinderella" is evidently quite the equal of "Jack the
+Giant-killer" in the affections of readers, and the choice of this
+well-loved tale has been accompanied by some charming letters from
+which it is impossible not to quote.
+
+Thus the Hon. John Bigelow writes: "Perrault's story of Cinderella
+made the deepest impression upon me. It is the only one from which I
+can now remember to have received a distinct and permanent ethical
+impression."
+
+"I am not really conscious of any special preference for one fairy
+story over another," wrote Professor Lounsbury, "but as somebody, it
+seems to me, ought to stand up for sentiment, I am going to vote for
+'Cinderella.' I hesitated a moment about 'The Sleeping Beauty,' but I
+leave that for one younger."
+
+In a letter rich in personal quality, the Hon. Grover Cleveland wrote:
+"My youthful days are so far away, and fairy stories had so little to
+do with their enjoyment, that I do not feel that I ought to venture an
+opinion on such an important subject as that to which you refer. For
+want of a better thing to do, I have submitted the question to my
+children, and so far as I am able to determine, the canvass of their
+votes is in favor of 'Cinderella.' It is only fair to say that two of
+the three to whom the question was submitted are little girls."
+
+Another glimpse of domestic sympathy comes in the choice of the Hon.
+William J. Bryan, editor and author, as well as publicist, who says:
+"My wife assures me that I shall make no mistake if I commend the
+tales of Hans Christian Andersen, notably that of 'The Ugly
+Duckling.'"
+
+It is a change from public life to the world of letters to find Dr.
+Van Dyke and Dr. Mabie in agreement with Dr. Shailer Mathews regarding
+the rank of "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." But it is not to this
+that Dr. Van Dyke gives precedence. "If my memory serves me right," he
+says, "the first fairy story which made a strong impression on my
+mind in boyhood was that of 'Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp.' Next
+after that in time, and, I think, a little beyond it in interest, came
+the story of the 'Seven Wild Swans,' and next to that the story of
+'The Sleeping Beauty.'"
+
+As to "Hop o' My Thumb" we may be pardoned for quoting the close of a
+singularly delightful letter from Mr. Henry James, who says: "It is
+the vague memory of this sense of him, as some small, precious object,
+like a lost gem or a rare and beautiful insect on which one might
+inadvertently tread, or might find under the sofa or behind the
+window-cushion, that leads me to think of 'Hop o' My Thumb' as my
+earliest and sweetest and most repeated cupful at the fount of
+fiction."
+
+Quite literally a world removed from this was the answer of the modest
+Japanese conqueror, General Kuroki, who laughed at first and
+disclaimed Japan's possession of fairy tales as we understand them. "I
+always tried to forget fairy tales," he said; "but of nursery stories
+I think the most popular and the most widely known in Japan is the
+story of Momotaro." But this tale of the "son of a peach," which
+relates the conquest of a stronghold of devils, and the rescue of two
+daughters of daimios does not come within the scope of this volume.
+
+A broader choice than those which have been quoted is afforded by Mrs.
+Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, who writes: "As a child I was a great
+reader and lover (and a small creator) of fairy tales. But of them all
+the only ones which come readily to my mind are Hans Christian
+Andersen's." Equally comprehensive is the answer of Mrs. Georgia A.
+Kendrick, the lady principal of Vassar College: "Grimm's tales stand
+to me for the best of that kind of lore."
+
+An even more catholic liking breathes in the answer of President
+Woodrow Wilson, who declares: "The truth is that I was so voracious of
+fairy tales when I was a small boy, that I loved them all almost
+equally well, and cannot now say that I had any favorite. All was
+grist that came to my mill. I am very much interested in the
+undertaking, and wish it all success."
+
+In some cases, much to the regret of the publishers, it has not been
+possible to include a choice. Thus Dr. John S. Billings, librarian of
+the New York Public Library, tells us that the story which made the
+most impression upon him was the "Nibelungenlied" as presented by
+Carlyle in the _Westminster Review_ for July, 1831, of which an odd
+number came in his way when he was a boy. "I did not understand one
+quarter of it," Dr. Billings writes, "but what I did impressed me
+greatly. If I had to select from Perrault's fairy tales, I should
+probably agree with Dr. Hadley"--another tribute to the perennial
+charm of "Jack the Giant-killer."
+
+The interest of these personal literary experiences justify a
+quotation from Dr. E. G. Cooley, superintendent of the Chicago
+schools: "I was pretty well grown," he writes, "before any of this
+literature reached me. My people were not believers in fairy stories,
+and circumstances did not put them in my way. My boyhood hero was
+Eumenes, as described in the second volume of Rollin's _Ancient
+History_." Unfortunately the scope of the present volume has not
+permitted the inclusion of Carlyle's version of the "Nibelungenlied"
+or of Rollin's tale of Eumenes, or of the old ballad of "The Children
+in the Wood," which was the choice of Dr. W. H. Maxwell, City
+Superintendent of Schools in New York.
+
+While the reply of that sincere nature-lover, John Burroughs,
+represents a gospel of negation, yet there is a vivid suggestiveness
+in the later interest of the man--one whose sympathies and perception
+have remained fresh and wholly sincere. "The truth is," he writes, "I
+knew no fairy stories in my youth. That kind of literature did not
+come within my reach. Our school library held no novels or fairy
+books. An old woman who visited our house used to tell us youngsters
+the story of 'Jack and the Bean-stalk,' and 'Jack the Giant-killer,'
+'Bluebeard,' etc. When I had a boy of my own, I used to read Hans
+Christian Andersen to him, and get quite as much interested as he did.
+I do not recall that I ever read any fairy tales before Andersen's,
+and did not read these till past middle life."
+
+It may be said again that while this book lays no claim to
+comprehensiveness, we believe that its personal guidance represents a
+high value which is fitly reinforced by the distinctive imagination
+of Mr. Peter Newell. In the light of his quaint fancy, unexpected
+humor, and sympathetic insight, these classic tales reveal a new store
+of riches, and are clothed with a charm which even those of us who
+love them had not foreseen.
+
+In the majority of cases these stories reproduce the excellent
+versions given in Miss Mulock's _Fairy Book_ (Harper & Brothers). But
+the publishers desire to acknowledge the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans,
+Green & Co., for their permission to reproduce the admirable versions
+of "Aladdin," the "Forty Thieves," and the "Story of the Three Bears"
+from their _Blue and Green Fairy Books_, edited by Mr. Andrew Lang.
+The "Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor" is from the series edited by
+Mr. W. T. Stead, entitled, _Books for the Bairns_.
+
+
+
+
+FAVORITE FAIRY TALES
+
+
+
+
+JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
+
+
+In the reign of the famous King Arthur, there lived, near the Land's
+End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer who had an
+only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a bold temper; he took pleasure
+in hearing or reading stories of wizards, conjurors, giants, and
+fairies, and used to listen eagerly while his father talked of the
+great deeds of the brave knights of King Arthur's Round Table. When
+Jack was sent to take care of the sheep and oxen in the fields, he
+used to to amuse himself with planning battles, sieges, and the means
+to conquer or surprise a foe. He was above the common sports of
+children, but hardly any one could equal him at wrestling; or, if he
+met with a match for himself in strength, his skill and address always
+made him the victor.
+
+In those days there lived on St. Michael's Mount, of Cornwall, which
+rises out of the sea at some distance from the main-land, a huge
+giant. He was eighteen feet high and three yards round, and his fierce
+and savage looks were the terror of all his neighbors. He dwelt in a
+gloomy cavern on the very top of the mountain, and used to wade over
+to the main-land in search of his prey. When he came near, the people
+left their houses; and after he had glutted his appetite upon their
+cattle he would throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie three
+times as many sheep and hogs round his waist, and so march back to his
+own abode.
+
+    [Illustration: "I will broil you for my breakfast"]
+
+The giant had done this for many years, and the coast of Cornwall was
+greatly hurt by his thefts, when Jack boldly resolved to destroy him.
+He therefore took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, and a dark lantern, and
+early in a long winter's evening he swam to the Mount. There he fell
+to work at once, and before morning he had dug a pit twenty-two feet
+deep and almost as many broad. He covered it over with sticks and
+straw, and strewed some of the earth over them, to make it look just
+like solid ground. He then put his horn to his mouth, and blew such a
+loud and long tantivy that the giant awoke and came towards Jack,
+roaring like thunder: "You saucy villain, you shall pay dearly for
+breaking my rest; I will broil you for my breakfast." He had scarcely
+spoken these words when he came advancing one step farther; but then
+he tumbled headlong into the pit, and his fall shook the very
+mountain.
+
+"Oho, Mr. Giant!" said Jack, looking into the pit, "have you found
+your way so soon to the bottom? How is your appetite now? Will nothing
+serve you for breakfast this cold morning but broiling poor Jack?"
+
+The giant now tried to rise, but Jack struck him a blow on the crown
+of the head with his pickaxe, which killed him at once. Jack then made
+haste back to rejoice his friends with the news of the giant's death.
+When the justices of Cornwall heard of this valiant action, they sent
+for Jack, and declared that he should always be called Jack the
+Giant-killer; and they also gave him a sword and belt, upon which was
+written, in letters of gold:
+
+    "This is the valiant Cornishman
+    Who slew the giant Cormoran."
+
+The news of Jack's exploits soon spread over the western parts of
+England; and another giant, called Old Blunderbore, vowed to have
+revenge on Jack if it should ever be his fortune to get him into his
+power. The giant kept an enchanted castle in the midst of a lonely
+wood. About four months after the death of Cormoran, as Jack was
+taking a journey into Wales, he passed through this wood, and as he
+was very weary he sat down to rest by the side of a pleasant fountain,
+and there he fell into a deep sleep. The giant came to the fountain
+for water just at this time and found Jack there; and as the lines on
+Jack's belt showed who he was, the giant lifted him up and laid him
+gently upon his shoulder to carry him to his castle; but as he passed
+through the thicket the rustling of the leaves waked Jack, and he was
+sadly afraid when he found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore.
+
+Yet this was nothing to his fright soon after; for when they reached
+the castle he beheld the floor covered all over with the skulls and
+bones of men and women. The giant took him into a large room, where
+lay the hearts and limbs of persons who had been lately killed; and he
+told Jack, with a horrid grin, that men's hearts, eaten with pepper
+and vinegar, were his nicest food, and, also, that he thought he
+should make a dainty meal on his heart. When he had said this he
+locked Jack up in that room, while he went to fetch another giant, who
+lived in the same wood, to enjoy a dinner off Jack's flesh with him.
+While he was away, Jack heard dreadful shrieks, groans, and cries from
+many parts of the castle; and soon after he heard a mournful voice
+repeat these lines:
+
+    "Haste, valiant stranger, haste away,
+    Lest you become the giant's prey.
+    On his return he'll bring another,
+    Still more savage than his brother;
+    A horrid, cruel monster who,
+    Before he kills, will torture you.
+    Oh, valiant stranger! haste away,
+    Or you'll become these giants' prey."
+
+This warning was so shocking to poor Jack that he was ready to go
+mad. He ran to the window and saw the two giants coming along arm in
+arm. This window was right over the gates of the castle. "Now,"
+thought Jack, "either my death or freedom is at hand."
+
+There were two strong cords in the room. Jack made a large noose with
+a slip-knot at the ends of both these, and, as the giants were coming
+through the gates, he threw the ropes over their heads. He then made
+the other ends fast to a beam in the ceiling, and pulled with all his
+might, till he had almost strangled them. When he saw that they were
+both black in the face, and had not the least strength left, he drew
+his sword and slid down the ropes; he then killed the giants, and thus
+saved himself from a cruel death. Jack next took a great bunch of keys
+from the pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the castle again. He
+made a strict search through all the rooms, and in them found three
+ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost starved to
+death. They told him that their husbands had been killed by the
+giants, who had then condemned them to be starved to death, because
+they would not eat the flesh of their own dead husbands.
+
+"Ladies," said Jack, "I have put an end to the monster and his wicked
+brother; and I give you this castle and all the riches it contains, to
+make you some amends for the dreadful pains you have felt." He then
+very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went farther on
+his journey to Wales.
+
+As Jack had not taken any of the giant's riches for himself, and had
+very little money of his own, he thought it best to travel as fast as
+he could. At length he lost his way, and when night came on he was in
+a lonely valley between two lofty mountains. There he walked about for
+some hours, without seeing any dwelling-place, so he thought himself
+very lucky at last in finding a large and handsome house. He went up
+to it boldly, and knocked loudly at the gate; when, to his great
+terror and surprise, there came forth a monstrous giant with two
+heads. He spoke to Jack very civilly, for he was a Welsh giant, and
+all the mischief he did was by private and secret malice, under the
+show of friendship and kindness.
+
+Jack told him that he was a traveller who had lost his way, on which
+the huge monster made him welcome, and led him into a room where there
+was a good bed in which to pass the night. Jack took off his clothes
+quickly; but though he was so weary he could not go to sleep. Soon
+after this he heard the giant walking backward and forward in the next
+room, and saying to himself:
+
+    "Though here you lodge with me this night,
+    You shall not see the morning light;
+    My club shall dash your brains out quite."
+
+"Say you so?" thought Jack. "Are these your tricks upon travellers?
+But I hope to prove as cunning as you." Then, getting out of bed, he
+groped about the room, and at last found a large, thick billet of
+wood; he laid it in his own place in the bed, and hid himself in a
+dark corner of the room. In the middle of the night the giant came
+with his great club, and struck many heavy blows on the bed, in the
+very place where Jack had laid the billet, and then he went back to
+his own room, thinking he had broken all his bones. Early in the
+morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the
+giant's room to thank him for his lodging.
+
+The giant started when he saw him, and he began to stammer out: "Oh,
+dear me! is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or
+see anything in the dead of the night?"
+
+"Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, carelessly; "a rat, I believe,
+gave me three or four slaps with his tail, and disturbed me a little,
+but I soon went to sleep again."
+
+The giant wondered more and more at this, yet he did not answer a
+word, and went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their
+breakfast.
+
+Jack wished to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as
+himself, so he contrived to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and
+slipped the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put it
+into his mouth. When breakfast was over, he said to the giant, "Now I
+will show you a fine trick; I can cure all wounds with a touch; I
+could cut off my head one minute, and the next put it sound again on
+my shoulders; you shall see an example." He then took hold of the
+knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled
+out upon the floor.
+
+"Ods splutter hur nails," cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to
+be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack; "hur can do that
+hurself." So he snatched up the knife, plunged it into his stomach,
+and in a moment dropped down dead.
+
+As soon as Jack had thus tricked the Welsh monster, he went farther on
+his journey; and a few days after he met with King Arthur's only son,
+who had got his father's leave to travel into Wales, to deliver a
+beautiful lady from the power of a wicked magician, by whom she was
+held in enchantment. When Jack found that the young prince had no
+servants with him, he begged leave to attend him; and the prince at
+once agreed to this, and gave Jack many thanks for his kindness.
+
+King Arthur's son was a handsome, polite, and brave knight, and so
+good-natured that he gave money to everybody he met. At length he gave
+his last penny to an old woman, and then turned to Jack. "How shall we
+be able to get food for ourselves the rest of our journey?"
+
+"Leave that to me, sir," replied Jack; "I will provide for my prince."
+
+Night now came on, and the prince began to grow uneasy at thinking
+where they should lodge.
+
+"Sir," said Jack, "be of good heart; two miles farther lives a large
+giant, whom I know well; he has three heads, and will fight five
+hundred men, and make them fly before him."
+
+"Alas!" cried the king's son, "we had better never have been born than
+meet with such a monster."
+
+"My lord, leave me to manage him, and wait here in quiet till I
+return."
+
+The prince now stayed behind, while Jack rode on at full speed; and
+when he came to the gates of the castle he gave a loud knock. The
+giant, with a voice like thunder, roared out, "Who is there?"
+
+Jack made answer, and said, "No one but your poor cousin Jack."
+
+"Well," said the giant, "what news, Cousin Jack?"
+
+"Dear uncle," said Jack, "I have heavy news."
+
+"Pooh!" said the giant, "what heavy news can come to me? I am a giant
+with three heads, and can fight five hundred men, and make them fly
+before me."
+
+"Alas!" said Jack, "here's the king's son coming with two thousand men
+to kill you, and to destroy the castle and all that you have."
+
+"Oh, Cousin Jack," said the giant, "this is heavy news indeed! But I
+have a large cellar underground, where I will hide myself, and you
+shall lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys till the king's son
+is gone."
+
+Now, when Jack had barred the giant fast in the vault, he went back
+and fetched the prince to the castle; they both made themselves merry
+with the wine and other dainties that were in the house. So that
+night they rested very pleasantly while the poor giant lay trembling
+and shaking with fear in the cellar underground. Early in the morning
+Jack gave the king's son gold and silver out of the giant's treasure,
+and accompanied him three miles forward on his journey. The prince
+then sent Jack to let his uncle out of the hole, who asked him what he
+should give him as a reward for saving his castle.
+
+"Why, good uncle," said Jack, "I desire nothing but the old coat and
+cap, with the old rusty sword and slippers, which are hanging at your
+bed's head."
+
+"Then," said the giant, "you shall have them; and pray keep them for
+my sake, for they are things of great use. The coat will keep you
+invisible, the cap will give you knowledge, the sword will cut through
+anything, and the shoes are of vast swiftness; they may be useful to
+you in all times of danger, so take them with all my heart."
+
+Jack gave many thanks to the giant, and then set off to the prince.
+When he had come up to the king's son, they soon arrived at the
+dwelling of the beautiful lady, who was under the power of a wicked
+magician. She received the prince very politely and made a noble feast
+for him; when it was ended, she rose, and, wiping her mouth with a
+fine handkerchief, said, "My lord, you must submit to the custom of my
+palace; to-morrow morning I command you to tell me on whom I bestow
+this handkerchief, or lose your head." She then left the room.
+
+The young prince went to bed very mournful, but Jack put on his cap of
+knowledge, which told him that the lady was forced, by the power of
+enchantment, to meet the wicked magician every night in the middle of
+the forest. Jack now put on his coat of darkness and his shoes of
+swiftness and was there before her. When the lady came she gave the
+handkerchief to the magician. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, at
+one blow cut off his head; the enchantment was then ended in a moment,
+and the lady was restored to her former virtue and goodness. She was
+married to the prince on the next day, and soon after went back, with
+her royal husband and a great company, to the court of King Arthur,
+where they were received with loud and joyful welcomes; and the
+valiant hero Jack, for the many great exploits he had done for the
+good of his country, was made one of the Knights of the Round Table.
+
+As Jack had been so lucky in all his adventures, he resolved not to be
+idle for the future, but still to do what services he could for the
+honor of the king and the nation. He therefore humbly begged his
+majesty to furnish him with a horse and money, that he might travel in
+search of new and strange exploits. "For," said he to the king, "there
+are many giants yet living in the remote parts of Wales, to the great
+terror and distress of your majesty's subjects; therefore, if it
+please you, sire, to favor me in my design, I will soon rid your
+kingdom of these giants and monsters in human shape."
+
+Now when the king heard this offer, and began to think of the cruel
+deeds of these blood-thirsty giants and savage monsters, he gave Jack
+everything proper for such a journey. After this, Jack took leave of
+the king, the prince, and all the knights, and set off, taking with
+him his cap of knowledge, his sword of sharpness, his shoes of
+swiftness, and his invisible coat, the better to perform the great
+exploits that might fall in his way. He went along over hills and
+mountains, and on the third day he came to a wide forest. He had
+hardly entered it when on a sudden he heard dreadful shrieks and
+cries, and, forcing his way through the trees, saw a monstrous giant
+dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and a
+beautiful lady. Their tears and cries melted the heart of honest Jack;
+he alighted from his horse, and, tying him to an oak-tree, put on his
+invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness.
+
+When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could
+not reach his body on account of the enormous height of the terrible
+creature; but he wounded his thighs in several places, and at length,
+putting both hands to his sword, and aiming with all his might, he cut
+off both the giant's legs just below the garter; and the trunk of his
+body, tumbling to the ground, made not only the trees shake, but the
+earth itself tremble with the force of his fall. Then Jack, setting
+his foot upon his neck, exclaimed, "Thou barbarous and savage wretch,
+behold, I come to execute upon thee the just reward for all thy
+crimes," and instantly plunged his sword into the giant's body. The
+huge monster gave a groan, and yielded up his life into the hands of
+the victorious Jack the Giant-killer, while the noble knight and the
+virtuous lady were both joyful spectators of his sudden death. They
+not only returned Jack hearty thanks for their deliverance, but also
+invited him to their house, to refresh himself after his dreadful
+encounter, as likewise to receive a reward for his good services.
+
+"No," said Jack, "I cannot be at ease till I find out the den that was
+the monster's habitation."
+
+The knight, on hearing this, grew very sorrowful, and replied: "Noble
+stranger, it is too much to run a second hazard; this monster lived in
+a den under yonder mountain, with a brother of his, more fierce and
+cruel than himself; therefore, if you should go thither, and perish in
+the attempt, it would be a heart-breaking thing to me and my lady; so
+let me persuade you to go back with us, and desist from any further
+pursuit."
+
+"Nay," answered Jack, "if there be another, even if there were twenty,
+I would shed the last drop of blood in my body before one of them
+should escape. When I have finished this task, I will come and pay my
+respects to you."
+
+So when they had told him where to find them again, he got on his
+horse and went after the dead giant's brother.
+
+Jack had not ridden a mile and a half before he came in sight of the
+mouth of the cavern, and nigh the entrance of it he saw the other
+giant sitting on a huge block of timber, with a knotted iron club
+lying by his side, waiting for his brother. His eyes looked like
+flames of fire, his face was grim and ugly, and his cheeks were like
+two flitches of bacon; the bristles of his beard seemed to be thick
+rods of iron wire, and his long locks of hair hung down upon his
+broad shoulders like curling snakes. Jack got down from his horse and
+turned him into a thicket; then he put on his coat of darkness and
+drew a little nearer to behold this figure, and said, softly, "Oh,
+monster! are you there? It will not be long before I shall take you
+fast by the beard."
+
+The giant all this while could not see him, by reason of his invisible
+coat, so Jack came quite close to him, and struck a blow at his head
+with his sword of sharpness; but he missed his aim, and only cut off
+his nose, which made him roar like loud claps of thunder. He rolled
+his glaring eyes round on every side, but could not see who had given
+him the blow; so he took up his iron club, and began to lay about him
+like one that was mad with pain and fury.
+
+"Nay," said Jack, "if this be the case, I will kill you at once." So
+saying, he slipped nimbly behind him, and jumping upon the block of
+timber, as the giant rose from it, he stabbed him in the back, when,
+after a few howls, he dropped down dead. Jack cut off his head and
+sent it, with the head of his brother, to King Arthur by a wagon which
+he had hired for that purpose. When Jack had thus killed these two
+monsters, he went into their cave in search of their treasure. He
+passed through many turnings and windings, which led him to a room
+paved with freestone; at the end of it was a boiling caldron, and on
+the right hand stood a large table, where the giants used to dine. He
+then came to a window that was secured with iron bars, through which
+he saw a number of wretched captives, who cried out when they saw
+Jack, "Alas! alas! young man, you are come to be one among us in this
+horrid den."
+
+"I hope," said Jack, "you will not stay here long; but pray tell me
+what is the meaning of your being here at all?"
+
+"Alas!" said one poor old man, "I will tell you, sir. We are persons
+that have been taken by the giants who hold this cave, and are kept
+till they choose to have a feast; then one of us is to be killed, and
+cooked to please their taste. It is not long since they took three for
+the same purpose."
+
+"Well," said Jack, "I have given them such a dinner that it will be
+long enough before they have any more."
+
+The captives were amazed at his words.
+
+"You may believe me," said Jack, "for I have killed them both with the
+edge of this sword, and have sent their large heads to the court of
+King Arthur, as marks of my great success."
+
+To show that what he said was true, he unlocked the gate and set the
+captives all free. Then he led them to the great room, placed them
+round the table, and placed before them two quarters of beef, with
+bread and wine, upon which they feasted their fill. When supper was
+over they searched the giant's coffers, and Jack divided among them
+all the treasures. The next morning they set off to their homes, and
+Jack to the knight's house, whom he had left with his lady not long
+before.
+
+He was received with the greatest joy by the thankful knight and his
+lady, who, in honor of Jack's exploits, gave a grand feast, to which
+all the nobles and gentry were invited. When the company were
+assembled, the knight declared to them the great actions of Jack, and
+gave him, as a mark of respect, a fine ring, on which was engraved the
+picture of the giant dragging the knight and the lady by the hair,
+with this motto round it:
+
+    "Behold in dire distress were we,
+      Under a giant's fierce command;
+    But gained our lives and liberty
+      From valiant Jack's victorious hand."
+
+Among the guests then present were five aged gentlemen, who were
+fathers to some of those captives who had been freed by Jack from the
+dungeon of the giants. As soon as they heard that he was the person
+who had done such wonders, they pressed round him with tears of joy,
+to return him thanks for the happiness he had caused them. After this
+the bowl went round, and every one drank the health and long life of
+the gallant hero. Mirth increased, and the hall was filled with peals
+of laughter.
+
+But, on a sudden, a herald, pale and breathless, rushed into the midst
+of the company, and told them that Thundel, a savage giant with two
+heads, had heard of the death of his two kinsmen, and was come to take
+his revenge on Jack, and that he was now within a mile of the house,
+the people flying before him like chaff before the wind. At this news
+the very boldest of the guests trembled; but Jack drew his sword, and
+said: "Let him come; I have a rod for him also. Pray, ladies and
+gentlemen, do me the favor to walk into the garden, and you shall soon
+behold the giant's defeat and death."
+
+To this they all agreed, and heartily wished him success in his
+dangerous attempt.
+
+The knight's house stood in the middle of a moat, thirty feet deep and
+twenty wide, over which lay a drawbridge. Jack set men to work to cut
+the bridge on both sides, almost to the middle, and then dressed
+himself in his coat of darkness and went against the giant with his
+sword of sharpness. As he came close to him, though the giant could
+not see him for his invisible coat, yet he found some danger was near,
+which made him cry out:
+
+    "Fa, fe, fi, fo, fum,
+    I smell the blood of an Englishman;
+    Let him be alive, or let him be dead,
+    I'll grind his bones to make me bread."
+
+"Say you so, my friend?" said Jack; "you are a monstrous miller,
+indeed!"
+
+"Art thou," cried the giant, "the villain that killed my kinsmen? Then
+I will tear thee with my teeth and grind thy bones to powder."
+
+"You must catch me first," said Jack; and throwing off his coat of
+darkness, and putting on his shoes of swiftness he began to run, the
+giant following him like a walking castle, making the earth shake at
+every step.
+
+Jack led him round and round the walls of the house, that the company
+might see the monster; then, to finish the work, he ran over the
+drawbridge, the giant going after him with his club; but when he came
+to the middle, where the bridge had been cut on both sides, the great
+weight of his body made it break, and he tumbled into the water, where
+he rolled about like a large whale. Jack now stood by the side of the
+moat, and laughed and jeered at him, saying, "I think you told me you
+would grind my bones to powder; when will you begin?"
+
+The giant foamed at both his horrid mouths with fury, and plunged from
+side to side of the moat; but he could not get out to have revenge on
+his little foe. At last Jack ordered a cart-rope to be brought to him:
+he then drew it over the giant's two heads, and, by the help of a team
+of horses, dragged him to the edge of the moat, where he cut off his
+heads; and before he either ate or drank, sent them both to the court
+of King Arthur. He then went back to the table with the company, and
+the rest of the day was spent in mirth and good cheer.
+
+After staying with the knight for some time, Jack grew weary of such
+an idle life, and set out again in search of new adventures. He went
+over hills and dales without meeting any, till he came to the foot of
+a very high mountain. Here he knocked at the door of a small and
+lonely house, and an old man, with a head as white as snow, let him
+in.
+
+"Good father," said Jack, "can you lodge a traveller who has lost his
+way?"
+
+"Yes," said the hermit, "I can, if you will accept such fare as my
+poor house affords."
+
+Jack entered, and the old man set before him some bread and fruit for
+his supper. When Jack had eaten as much as he chose, the hermit said:
+"My son, I know you are the famous conqueror of giants; now, at the
+top of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept by a giant named
+Galligantus, who, by the help of a vile magician, gets many knights
+into his castle, where he changes them into the shape of beasts. Above
+all, I lament the hard fate of a duke's daughter, whom they seized as
+she was walking in her father's garden, and brought hither through the
+air in a chariot drawn by two fiery dragons, and turned her into the
+shape of a deer. Many knights have tried to destroy the enchantment
+and deliver her, yet none have been able to do it, by reason of two
+fiery griffins, who guard the gate of the castle, and destroy all who
+come nigh; but as you, my son, have an invisible coat, you may pass by
+them without being seen; and on the gates of the castle you will find
+engraved by what means the enchantment may be broken."
+
+Jack promised that in the morning, at the risk of his life, he would
+break the enchantment; and after a sound sleep he arose early, put on
+his invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt. When he had climbed
+to the top of the mountain he saw the two fiery griffins; but he
+passed between them without the least fear of danger, for they could
+not see him because of his invisible coat. On the castle gate he found
+a golden trumpet, under which were written these lines:
+
+    "Whoever can this trumpet blow,
+    Shall cause the giant's overthrow."
+
+As soon as Jack had read this he seized the trumpet and blew a shrill
+blast, which made the gates fly open and the very castle itself
+tremble. The giant and the conjuror now knew that their wicked course
+was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with
+fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and
+the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind. All the knights and
+beautiful ladies, who had been changed into birds and beasts, returned
+to their proper shapes. The castle vanished away like smoke, and the
+head of the giant Galligantus was sent to King Arthur. The knights and
+ladies rested that night at the old man's hermitage, and the next day
+they set out for the court. Jack then went up to the king, and gave
+his majesty an account of all his fierce battles. Jack's fame had
+spread through the whole country, and at the king's desire the duke
+gave him his daughter in marriage, to the joy of all the kingdom.
+After this the king gave him a large estate, on which he and his lady
+lived the rest of their days in joy and content.
+
+
+
+
+CINDERELLA
+
+OR
+
+THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER
+
+
+There was once an honest gentleman who took for his second wife a
+lady, the proudest and most disagreeable in the whole country. She had
+two daughters exactly like herself in all things. He also had one
+little girl, who resembled her dead mother, the best woman in all the
+world. Scarcely had the second marriage taken place than the
+stepmother became jealous of the good qualities of the little girl,
+who was so great a contrast to her own two daughters. She gave her all
+the menial occupations of the house: compelled her to wash the floors
+and staircases, to dust the bedrooms, and clean the grates; and while
+her sisters occupied carpeted chambers hung with mirrors, where they
+could see themselves from head to foot, this poor little damsel was
+sent to sleep in an attic, on an old straw mattress, with only one
+chair and not a looking-glass in the room.
+
+She suffered all in silence, not daring to complain to her father, who
+was entirely ruled by his new wife. When her daily work was done she
+used to sit down in the chimney-corner among the ashes, from which the
+two sisters gave her the nickname of "Cinderella." But Cinderella,
+however shabbily clad, was handsomer than they were with all their
+fine clothes.
+
+It happened that the king's son gave a series of balls, to which were
+invited all the rank and fashion of the city, and among the rest the
+two elder sisters. They were very proud and happy, and occupied their
+whole time in deciding what they should wear, a source of new trouble
+to Cinderella, whose duty it was to get up their fine linen and laces,
+and who never could please them however much she tried. They talked of
+nothing but their clothes.
+
+"I," said the elder, "shall wear my velvet gown and my trimmings of
+English lace."
+
+"And I," added the younger, "will have but my ordinary silk petticoat,
+but I shall adorn it with an upper skirt of flowered brocade, and
+shall put on my diamond tiara, which is a great deal finer than
+anything of yours."
+
+Here the elder sister grew angry, and dispute began to run so high
+that Cinderella, who was known to have excellent taste, was called
+upon to decide between them. She gave them the best advice she could,
+and gently and submissively offered to dress them herself, and
+especially to arrange their hair, an accomplishment in which she
+excelled many a noted coiffeur. The important evening came, and she
+exercised all her skill to adorn the two young ladies. While she was
+combing out the elder's hair, this ill-natured girl said, sharply,
+"Cinderella, do you not wish you were going to the ball?"
+
+"Ah, madam" (they obliged her always to say madam), "you are only
+mocking me; it is not my fortune to have any such pleasure."
+
+"You are right; people would only laugh to see a little cinder-wench
+at a ball."
+
+Any other than Cinderella would have dressed the hair all awry, but
+she was good, and dressed it perfectly even and smooth, and as
+prettily as she could.
+
+The sisters had scarcely eaten for two days, and had broken a dozen
+stay-laces a day, in trying to make themselves slender; but to-night
+they broke a dozen more, and lost their tempers over and over again
+before they had completed their toilet. When at last the happy moment
+arrived, Cinderella followed them to the coach; after it had whirled
+them away, she sat down by the kitchen fire and cried.
+
+Immediately her godmother, who was a fairy, appeared beside her. "What
+are you crying for, my little maid?"
+
+"Oh, I wish--I wish--" Her sobs stopped her.
+
+"You wish to go to the ball; isn't it so?"
+
+Cinderella nodded.
+
+"Well, then, be a good girl and you shall go. First run into the
+garden and fetch me the largest pumpkin you can find."
+
+Cinderella did not comprehend what this had to do with her going to
+the ball, but, being obedient and obliging, she went. Her godmother
+took the pumpkin, and, having scooped out all its inside, struck it
+with her wand; it became a splendid gilt coach lined with rose-colored
+satin.
+
+"Now fetch me the mouse-trap out of the pantry, my dear."
+
+Cinderella brought it; it contained six of the fattest, sleekest mice.
+The fairy lifted up the wire door, and as each mouse ran out she
+struck it and changed it into a beautiful black horse.
+
+"But what shall I do for your coachman, Cinderella?"
+
+Cinderella suggested that she had seen a large black rat in the
+rat-trap, and he might do for want of better.
+
+"You are right; go and look again for him."
+
+He was found, and the fairy made him into a most respectable coachman,
+with the finest whiskers imaginable. She afterwards took six lizards
+from behind the pumpkin frame and changed them into six footmen, all
+in splendid livery, who immediately jumped up behind the carriage, as
+if they had been footmen all their days. "Well, Cinderella, now you
+can go to the ball."
+
+"What, in these clothes?" said Cinderella piteously, looking down on
+her ragged frock.
+
+Her godmother laughed, and touched her also with the wand, at which
+her wretched, threadbare jacket became stiff with gold and sparkling
+with jewels; her woollen petticoat lengthened into a gown of sweeping
+satin, from underneath which peeped out her little feet, no longer
+bare, but covered with silk stockings and the prettiest glass slippers
+in the world. "Now, Cinderella, depart; but remember, if you stay one
+instant after midnight, your carriage will become a pumpkin, your
+coachman a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen lizards; while you
+yourself will be the little cinder-wench you were an hour ago."
+
+Cinderella promised without fear, her heart was so full of joy.
+
+Arrived at the palace, the king's son, whom some one, probably the
+fairy, had told to await the coming of an uninvited princess whom
+nobody knew, was standing at the entrance ready to receive her. He
+offered her his hand, and led her with the utmost courtesy through the
+assembled guests, who stood aside to let her pass, whispering to one
+another, "Oh, how beautiful she is!" It might have turned the head of
+any one but poor Cinderella, who was so used to be despised that she
+took it all as if it were something happening in a dream.
+
+Her triumph was complete; even the old king said to the queen, that
+never since her majesty's young days had he seen so charming and
+elegant a person. All the court ladies scanned her eagerly, clothes
+and all, determining to have theirs made next day of exactly the same
+pattern. The king's son himself led her out to dance, and she danced
+so gracefully that he admired her more and more. Indeed, at supper,
+which was fortunately early, his admiration quite took away his
+appetite. For Cinderella herself, with an involuntary shyness she
+sought out her sisters, placed herself beside them, and offered them
+all sorts of civil attentions, which, coming as they supposed from a
+stranger, and so magnificent a lady, almost overwhelmed them with
+delight.
+
+While she was talking with them she heard the clock strike a quarter
+to twelve, and making a courteous adieu to the royal family, she
+re-entered her carriage, escorted tenderly by the king's son, and
+arrived in safety at her own door. There she found her godmother, who
+smiled approval, and of whom she begged permission to go to a second
+ball, the following night, to which the queen had earnestly invited
+her.
+
+While she was talking the two sisters were heard knocking at the
+gate, and the fairy godmother vanished, leaving Cinderella sitting in
+the chimney-corner, rubbing her eyes and pretending to be very sleepy.
+
+"Ah," cried the eldest sister, maliciously, "it has been the most
+delightful ball, and there was present the most beautiful princess I
+ever saw, who was so exceedingly polite to us both."
+
+"Was she?" said Cinderella, indifferently; "and who might she be?"
+
+"Nobody knows, though everybody would give their eyes to know,
+especially the king's son."
+
+"Indeed!" replied Cinderella, a little more interested. "I should like
+to see her. Miss Javotte"--that was the elder sister's name--"will you
+not let me go to-morrow, and lend me your yellow gown that you wear on
+Sundays?"
+
+"What, lend my yellow gown to a cinder-wench! I am not so mad as
+that." At which refusal Cinderella did not complain, for if her sister
+really had lent her the gown she would have been considerably
+embarrassed.
+
+The next night came, and the two young ladies, richly dressed in
+different toilets, went to the ball. Cinderella, more splendidly
+attired and beautiful than ever, followed them shortly after. "Now
+remember twelve o'clock," was her godmother's parting speech, and she
+thought she certainly should. But the prince's attentions to her were
+greater even than the first evening, and, in the delight of listening
+to his pleasant conversation, time slipped by unperceived. While she
+was sitting beside him in a lovely alcove, and looking at the moon
+from under a bower of orange blossoms, she heard a clock strike the
+first stroke of twelve. She started up, and fled away as lightly as a
+deer.
+
+Amazed, the prince followed, but could not catch her. Indeed, he
+missed his lovely princess altogether, and only saw running out of
+the palace doors a little dirty lass whom he had never beheld before,
+and of whom he certainly would never have taken the least notice.
+Cinderella arrived at home breathless and weary, ragged and cold,
+without carriage or footmen or coachman, the only remnant of her past
+magnificence being one of her little glass slippers--the other she had
+dropped in the ballroom as she ran away.
+
+When the two sisters returned they were full of this strange
+adventure: how the beautiful lady had appeared at the ball more
+beautiful than ever, and enchanted every one who looked at her; and
+how as the clock was striking twelve she had suddenly risen up and
+fled through the ballroom, disappearing no one knew how or where, and
+dropping one of her glass slippers behind her in her flight. How the
+king's son had remained inconsolable until he chanced to pick up the
+little glass slipper, which he carried away in his pocket, and was
+seen to take it out continually, and look at it affectionately, with
+the air of a man very much in love; in fact, from his behavior during
+the remainder of the evening, all the court and royal family were
+convinced that he had become desperately enamoured of the wearer of
+the little glass slipper.
+
+Cinderella listened in silence, turning her face to the kitchen fire,
+and perhaps it was that which made her look so rosy, but nobody ever
+noticed or admired her at home, so it did not signify, and next
+morning she went to her weary work again just as before.
+
+A few days after, the whole city was attracted by the sight of a
+herald going round with a little glass slipper in his hand,
+publishing, with a flourish of trumpets, that the king's son ordered
+this to be fitted on the foot of every lady in the kingdom, and that
+he wished to marry the lady whom it fitted best, or to whom it and
+the fellow-slipper belonged. Princesses, duchesses, countesses, and
+simple gentlewomen all tried it on, but, being a fairy slipper, it
+fitted nobody; and, besides, nobody could produce its fellow-slipper,
+which lay all the time safely in the pocket of Cinderella's old linsey
+gown.
+
+At last the herald came to the house of the two sisters, and though
+they well knew neither of themselves was the beautiful lady, they made
+every attempt to get their clumsy feet into the glass slipper, but in
+vain.
+
+"Let me try it on," said Cinderella, from the chimney-corner.
+
+"What, you?" cried the others, bursting into shouts of laughter; but
+Cinderella only smiled and held out her hand.
+
+Her sisters could not prevent her, since the command was that every
+young maiden in the city should try on the slipper, in order that no
+chance might be left untried, for the prince was nearly breaking his
+heart; and his father and mother were afraid that, though a prince, he
+would actually die for love of the beautiful unknown lady.
+
+So the herald bade Cinderella sit down on a three-legged stool in the
+kitchen, and himself put the slipper on her pretty little foot, which
+it fitted exactly. She then drew from her pocket the fellow-slipper,
+which she also put on, and stood up--for with the touch of the magic
+shoes all her dress was changed likewise--no longer the poor, despised
+cinder-wench, but the beautiful lady whom the king's son loved.
+
+Her sisters recognized her at once. Filled with astonishment, mingled
+with no little alarm, they threw themselves at her feet, begging her
+pardon for all their former unkindness. She raised and embraced them,
+told them she forgave them with all her heart, and only hoped they
+would love her always. Then she departed with the herald to the king's
+palace, and told her whole story to his majesty and the royal family,
+who were not in the least surprised, for everybody believed in
+fairies, and everybody longed to have a fairy godmother.
+
+    [Illustration: The slipper fitted exactly]
+
+For the young prince, he found her more lovely and lovable than ever,
+and insisted upon marrying her immediately. Cinderella never went home
+again, but she sent for her two sisters to the palace, and with the
+consent of all parties married them shortly after to two rich
+gentlemen of the court.
+
+
+
+
+JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK
+
+
+In the days of King Alfred there lived a poor woman whose cottage was
+in a remote country village many miles from London. She had been a
+widow some years, and had an only child named Jack, whom she indulged
+so much that he never paid the least attention to anything she said,
+but was indolent, careless, and extravagant. His follies were not
+owing to a bad disposition, but to his mother's foolish partiality. By
+degrees he spent all that she had--scarcely anything remained but a
+cow.
+
+One day, for the first time in her life, she reproached him: "Cruel,
+cruel boy! you have at last brought me to beggary. I have not money
+enough to purchase even a bit of bread; nothing now remains to sell
+but my poor cow! I am sorry to part with her; it grieves me sadly, but
+we cannot starve." For a few minutes Jack felt remorse, but it was
+soon over; and he began asking his mother to let him sell the cow at
+the next village, teasing her so much that she at last consented.
+
+As he was going along he met a butcher, who inquired why he was
+driving the cow from home? Jack replied he was going to sell it. The
+butcher held some curious beans in his hat; they were of various
+colors and attracted Jack's attention. This did not pass unnoticed by
+the man, who, knowing Jack's easy temper, thought now was the time to
+take an advantage of it, and, determined not to let slip so good an
+opportunity, asked what was the price of the cow, offering at the same
+time all the beans in his hat for her. The silly boy could not
+conceal the pleasure he felt at what he supposed so great an offer;
+the bargain was struck instantly, and the cow exchanged for a few
+paltry beans. Jack made the best of his way home, calling aloud to his
+mother before he reached the door, thinking to surprise her.
+
+When she saw the beans and heard Jack's account, her patience quite
+forsook her; she tossed the beans out of the window, where they fell
+on the garden-bed below. Then she threw her apron over her head and
+cried bitterly. Jack attempted to console her, but in vain, and, not
+having anything to eat, they both went supperless to bed. Jack awoke
+early in the morning, and, seeing something uncommon darkening the
+window of his bedchamber, ran down-stairs into the garden, where he
+found some of the beans had taken root and sprung up surprisingly; the
+stalks were of an immense thickness, and had twined together until
+they formed a ladder like a chain, and so high that the top appeared
+to be lost in the clouds. Jack was an adventurous lad; he determined
+to climb up to the top, and ran to tell his mother, not doubting but
+that she would be as much pleased as he was. She declared he should
+not go, said it would break her heart if he did--entreated and
+threatened, but all in vain. Jack set out, and after climbing for some
+hours reached the top of the bean-stalk quite exhausted. Looking
+around, he found himself in a strange country; it appeared to be a
+barren desert--not a tree, shrub, house, or living creature was to be
+seen; here and there were scattered fragments of stone; and at unequal
+distances small heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.
+
+Jack seated himself pensively upon a block of stone and thought of his
+mother; he reflected with sorrow upon his disobedience in climbing
+the bean-stalk against her will, and concluded that he must die of
+hunger. However, he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might
+beg something to eat and drink. He did not find it; but he saw at a
+distance a beautiful lady, walking all alone. She was elegantly clad
+and carried a white wand, at the top of which sat a peacock of pure
+gold.
+
+Jack, who was a gallant fellow, went straight up to her, when, with a
+bewitching smile, she asked him how he came there. He told her all
+about the bean-stalk. The lady answered him by a question, "Do you
+remember your father, young man?"
+
+"No, madam; but I am sure there is some mystery about him, for when I
+name him to my mother she always begins to weep, and will tell me
+nothing."
+
+"She dare not," replied the lady, "but I can and will. For know,
+young man, that I am a fairy and was your father's guardian. But
+fairies are bound by laws as well as mortals, and by an error of mine
+I lost my power for a term of years, so that I was unable to succour
+your father when he most needed it, and he died." Here the fairy
+looked so sorrowful that Jack's heart warmed to her, and he begged her
+earnestly to tell him more.
+
+"I will; only you must promise to obey me in everything, or you will
+perish yourself."
+
+Jack was brave, and, besides, his fortunes were so bad they could not
+well be worse, so he promised.
+
+The fairy continued: "Your father, Jack, was a most excellent,
+amiable, generous man. He had a good wife, faithful servants, plenty
+of money; but he had one misfortune--a false friend. This was a giant,
+whom he had succoured in misfortune, and who returned his kindness by
+murdering him, and seizing on all his property; also making your
+mother take a solemn oath that she would never tell you anything about
+your father, or he would murder both her and you. Then he turned her
+off with you in her arms, to wander about the wide world as she might.
+I could not help her, as my power only returned on the day you went to
+sell your cow.
+
+"It was I," added the fairy, "who impelled you to take the beans, who
+made the bean-stalk grow, and inspired you with the desire to climb up
+it to this strange country; for it is here the wicked giant lives who
+was your father's destroyer. It is you who must avenge him, and rid
+the world of a monster who never will do anything but evil. I will
+assist you. You may lawfully take possession of his house and all his
+riches, for everything he has belonged to your father, and is
+therefore yours. Now farewell! Do not let your mother know you are
+acquainted with your father's history. This is my command, and if you
+disobey me you will suffer for it. Now go."
+
+Jack asked where he was to go.
+
+"Along the direct road till you see the house where the giant lives.
+You must then act according to your own just judgment, and I will
+guide you if any difficulty arises. Farewell!"
+
+She bestowed on the youth a benignant smile, and vanished.
+
+Jack pursued his journey. He walked on till after sunset, when to his
+great joy, he espied a large mansion. A plain-looking woman was at the
+door; he accosted her, begging she would give him a morsel of bread
+and a night's lodging. She expressed the greatest surprise, and said
+it was quite uncommon to see a human being near their house; for it
+was well known that her husband was a powerful giant, who would never
+eat anything but human flesh, if he could possibly get it; that he
+would walk fifty miles to procure it, usually being out the whole day
+for that purpose.
+
+This account greatly terrified Jack, but still he hoped to elude the
+giant, and therefore he again entreated the woman to take him in for
+one night only, and hide him where she thought proper. She at last
+suffered herself to be persuaded, for she was of a compassionate and
+generous disposition, and took him into the house. First they entered
+a fine large hall magnificently furnished; they then passed through
+several spacious rooms in the same style of grandeur; but all appeared
+forsaken and desolate. A long gallery came next; it was very
+dark--just light enough to show that, instead of a wall on one side,
+there was a grating of iron which parted off a dismal dungeon, from
+whence issued the groans of those victims whom the cruel giant
+reserved in confinement for his own voracious appetite.
+
+Poor Jack was half dead with fear, and would have given the world to
+have been with his mother again, for he now began to doubt if he
+should ever see her more; he even mistrusted the good woman, and
+thought she had let him into the house for no other purpose than to
+lock him up among the unfortunate people in the dungeon. However, she
+bade Jack sit down, and gave him plenty to eat and drink; and he, not
+seeing anything to make him uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear and
+was just beginning to enjoy himself, when he was startled by a loud
+knocking at the outer door, which made the whole house shake.
+
+"Ah! that's the giant; and if he sees you he will kill you and me,
+too," cried the poor woman, trembling all over. "What shall I do?"
+
+"Hide me in the oven," cried Jack, now as bold as a lion at the
+thought of being face to face with his father's cruel murderer. So he
+crept into the oven--for there was no fire near it--and listened to
+the giant's loud voice and heavy step as he went up and down the
+kitchen scolding his wife. At last he seated himself at table, and
+Jack, peeping through a crevice in the oven, was amazed to see what a
+quantity of food he devoured. It seemed as if he never would have done
+eating and drinking; but he did at last, and, leaning back, called to
+his wife in a voice like thunder:
+
+"Bring me my hen!"
+
+She obeyed, and placed upon the table a very beautiful live hen.
+
+"Lay!" roared the giant, and the hen laid immediately an egg of solid
+gold.
+
+"Lay another!" and every time the giant said this the hen laid a
+larger egg than before.
+
+He amused himself a long time with his hen, and then sent his wife to
+bed, while he fell asleep by the fireside and snored like the roaring
+of cannon.
+
+As soon as he was asleep Jack crept out of the oven, seized the hen,
+and ran off with her. He got safely out of the house, and, finding his
+way along the road he came, reached the top of the bean-stalk, which
+he descended in safety.
+
+His mother was overjoyed to see him. She thought he had come to some
+ill end.
+
+"Not a bit of it, mother. Look here!" and he showed her the hen. "Now
+lay," and the hen obeyed him as readily as the giant, and laid as many
+golden eggs as he desired.
+
+These eggs being sold, Jack and his mother got plenty of money, and
+for some months lived very happily together, till Jack got another
+great longing to climb the bean-stalk and carry away some more of the
+giant's riches. He had told his mother of his adventure, but had been
+very careful not to say a word about his father. He thought of his
+journey again and again, but still he could not summon resolution
+enough to break it to his mother, being well assured that she would
+endeavor to prevent his going. However, one day he told her boldly
+that he must take another journey up the bean-stalk. She begged and
+prayed him not to think of it, and tried all in her power to dissuade
+him; she told him that the giant's wife would certainly know him
+again, and that the giant would desire nothing better than to get him
+into his power, that he might put him to a cruel death, in order to be
+revenged for the loss of his hen. Jack, finding that all his arguments
+were useless, ceased speaking, though resolved to go at all events. He
+had a dress prepared which would disguise him, and something to color
+his skin; he thought it impossible for any one to recollect him in
+this dress.
+
+A few mornings after he rose very early, and, unperceived by any one,
+climbed the bean-stalk a second time. He was greatly fatigued when he
+reached the top, and very hungry. Having rested some time on one of
+the stones, he pursued his journey to the giant's mansion, which he
+reached late in the evening. The woman was at the door as before. Jack
+addressed her, at the same time telling her a pitiful tale, and
+requesting that she would give him some victuals and drink, and also a
+night's lodging.
+
+She told him (what he knew before very well) about her husband's being
+a powerful and cruel giant, and also that she had one night admitted a
+poor, hungry, friendless boy; that the little ungrateful fellow had
+stolen one of the giant's treasures, and ever since that her husband
+had been worse than before, using her very cruelly, and continually
+upbraiding her with being the cause of his misfortune. Jack felt
+sorry for her, but confessed nothing, and did his best to persuade
+her to admit him, but found it a very hard task. At last she
+consented, and as she led the way, Jack observed that everything was
+just as he had found it before. She took him into the kitchen, and
+after he had done eating and drinking, she hid him in an old
+lumber-closet. The giant returned at the usual time, and walked in so
+heavily that the house was shaken to its foundation. He seated himself
+by the fire, and soon after exclaimed, "Wife, I smell fresh meat!"
+
+The wife replied it was the crows which had brought a piece of raw
+meat and left it at the top of the house. While supper was preparing,
+the giant was very ill-tempered and impatient, frequently lifting up
+his hand to strike his wife for not being quick enough. He was also
+continually upbraiding her with the loss of his wonderful hen.
+
+At last, having ended his supper, he cried, "Give me something to
+amuse me--my harp or my money-bags."
+
+"Which will you have, my dear?" said the wife, humbly.
+
+"My money-bags, because they are the heaviest to carry," thundered he.
+
+She brought them, staggering under the weight--two bags, one filled
+with new guineas and the other with new shillings. She emptied them
+out on the table, and the giant began counting them in great glee.
+"Now you may go to bed, you old fool." So the wife crept away.
+
+Jack from his hiding-place watched the counting of the money, which he
+knew was his poor father's, and wished it was his own; it would give
+him much less trouble than going about selling the golden eggs. The
+giant, little thinking he was so narrowly observed, reckoned it all
+up, and then replaced it in the two bags, which he tied up very
+carefully and put beside his chair, with his little dog to guard them.
+
+At last he fell asleep as before, and snored so loud that Jack
+compared his noise to the roaring of the sea in a high wind, when the
+tide is coming in. At last Jack, concluding all secure, stole out, in
+order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand
+upon one of them, the little dog, which he had not perceived before,
+started from under the giant's chair and barked most furiously.
+Instead of endeavoring to escape, Jack stood still, though expecting
+his enemy to awake every instant.
+
+Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound
+sleep, and Jack, seeing a piece of meat, threw it to the dog, who at
+once ceased barking and began to devour it. So Jack carried off the
+bags, one on each shoulder, but they were so heavy that it took him
+two whole days to descend the bean-stalk and get back to his mother's
+door.
+
+    [Illustration: Just as he laid his hand upon one of them, the
+      little dog barked most furiously]
+
+When he came he found the cottage deserted. He ran from one room to
+another without being able to find any one; he then hastened into the
+village, hoping to see some of the neighbors, who could inform him
+where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a
+neighboring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly
+shocked at finding her apparently dying, and blamed himself bitterly
+as the cause of it all. However, at sight of her dear son, the poor
+woman revived and slowly recovered her health. Jack gave her his two
+money-bags. They had the cottage rebuilt and well furnished, and lived
+happier than they had ever done before.
+
+For three years Jack heard no more of the bean-stalk, but he could not
+forget it, though he feared making his mother unhappy. It was in vain
+endeavoring to amuse himself; he became thoughtful, and would arise at
+the first dawn of day, and sit looking at the bean-stalk for hours
+together. His mother saw that something preyed upon his mind, and
+endeavored to discover the cause; but Jack knew too well what the
+consequence would be should she succeed. He did his utmost, therefore,
+to conquer the great desire he had for another journey up the
+bean-stalk. Finding, however, that his inclination grew too powerful
+for him, he began to make secret preparations for his journey. He
+prepared a new disguise, better and more complete than the former, and
+when summer came, on the longest day he awoke as soon as it was light,
+and, without telling his mother, ascended the bean-stalk. He found the
+road, journey, etc., much as it was on the two former times. He
+arrived at the giant's mansion in the evening, and found the wife
+standing, as usual, at the door. Jack had disguised himself so
+completely that she did not appear to have the least recollection of
+him; however, when he pleaded hunger and poverty, in order to gain
+admittance, he found it very difficult indeed to persuade her. At last
+he prevailed, and was concealed in the copper. When the giant returned
+he said, furiously, "I smell fresh meat!" But Jack felt quite
+composed, since the giant had said this before and had been soon
+satisfied. However, the giant started up suddenly, and,
+notwithstanding all his wife could say, he searched all round the
+room. While this was going forward Jack was exceedingly terrified,
+wishing himself at home a thousand times; but when the giant
+approached the copper and put his hand upon the lid, Jack thought his
+death was certain.
+
+But nothing happened; for the giant did not take the trouble to lift
+up the lid, but sat down shortly by the fireside and began to eat his
+enormous supper. When he had finished he commanded his wife to fetch
+down his harp. Jack peeped under the copper-lid and saw a most
+beautiful harp. The giant placed it on the table, said "Play!" and it
+played of its own accord, without anybody touching it, the most
+exquisite music imaginable. Jack, who was a very good musician, was
+delighted, and more anxious to get this than any other of his enemy's
+treasures. But the giant not being particularly fond of music, the
+harp had only the effect of lulling him to sleep earlier than usual.
+As for the wife, she had gone to bed as soon as ever she could.
+
+As soon as he thought all was safe, Jack got out of the copper, and,
+seizing the harp, was eagerly running off with it. But the harp was
+enchanted by a fairy, and as soon as it found itself in strange hands
+it called out loudly, just as if it had been alive, "Master! Master!"
+
+The giant awoke, started up, and saw Jack scampering away as fast as
+his legs could carry him.
+
+"Oh, you villain! it is you who have robbed me of my hen and my
+money-bags, and now you are stealing my harp also. Wait till I catch
+you and I'll eat you up alive!"
+
+"Very well: try!" shouted Jack, who was not a bit afraid, for he saw
+the giant was so tipsy he could hardly stand, much less run; and he
+himself had young legs and a clear conscience, which carry a man a
+long way. So, after leading the giant a considerable race, he
+contrived to be first at the top of the bean-stalk, and then scrambled
+down it as fast as he could, the harp playing all the while the most
+melancholy music till he said "Stop," and it stopped.
+
+Arrived at the bottom, he found his mother sitting at her cottage door
+weeping silently.
+
+"Here, mother, don't cry; just give me a hatchet--make haste." For he
+knew there was not a moment to spare; he saw the giant beginning to
+descend the bean-stalk.
+
+But the monster was too late--his ill deeds had come to an end. Jack
+with his hatchet cut the bean-stalk close off at the root. The giant
+fell headlong into the garden, and was killed on the spot.
+
+Instantly the fairy appeared and explained everything to Jack's
+mother, begging her to forgive Jack, who was his father's own son for
+bravery and generosity, and who would be sure to make her happy for
+the rest of her days.
+
+So all ended well, and nothing was ever more heard or seen of the
+wonderful bean-stalk.
+
+
+
+
+THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD
+
+
+Once there was a royal couple who grieved excessively because they had
+no children. When at last, after long waiting, the queen presented her
+husband with a little daughter, his majesty showed his joy by giving a
+christening feast so grand that the like of it was never known. He
+invited all the fairies in the land--there were seven altogether--to
+stand godmothers to the little princess, hoping that each might bestow
+on her some good gift, as was the custom of good fairies in those
+days.
+
+After the ceremony all the guests returned to the palace, where there
+was set before each fairy-godmother a magnificent covered dish, with
+an embroidered table-napkin, and a knife and fork of pure gold studded
+with diamonds and rubies. But alas! as they placed themselves at table
+there entered an old fairy who had never been invited, because more
+than fifty years since she had left the king's dominion on a tour of
+pleasure and had not been heard of until this day. His majesty, much
+troubled, desired a cover to be placed for her, but it was of common
+delf, for he had ordered from his jeweller only seven gold dishes for
+the seven fairies aforesaid. The elderly fairy thought herself
+neglected, and muttered angry menaces, which were overheard by one of
+the younger fairies, who chanced to sit beside her. This good
+godmother, afraid of harm to the pretty baby, hastened to hide herself
+behind the tapestry in the hall. She did this because she wished all
+the others to speak first--so that if any ill gift were bestowed on
+the child she might be able to counteract it.
+
+The six now offered their good wishes--which, unlike most wishes, were
+sure to come true. The fortunate little princess was to grow up the
+fairest woman in the world; to have a temper sweet as an angel; to be
+perfectly graceful and gracious; to sing like a nightingale; to dance
+like a leaf on a tree; and to possess every accomplishment under the
+sun. Then the old fairy's turn came. Shaking her head spitefully, she
+uttered the wish that when the baby grew up into a young lady, and
+learned to spin, she might prick her finger with the spindle and die
+of the wound.
+
+At this terrible prophecy all the guests shuddered, and some of the
+more tender-hearted began to weep. The lately happy parents were
+almost out of their wits with grief. Upon which the wise young fairy
+appeared from behind the tapestry, saying cheerfully; "Your majesties
+may comfort yourselves; the princess shall not die. I have no power to
+alter the ill-fortune just wished her by my ancient sister--her finger
+must be pierced, and she shall then sink, not into the sleep of death,
+but into a sleep that will last a hundred years. After that time is
+ended the son of a king will find her, awaken her, and marry her."
+
+Immediately all the fairies vanished.
+
+The king, in the hope of avoiding his daughter's doom, issued an edict
+forbidding all persons to spin, and even to have spinning-wheels in
+their houses, on pain of instant death. But it was in vain. One day,
+when she was just fifteen years of age, the king and queen left their
+daughter alone in one of their castles, when, wandering about at her
+will, she came to an ancient dungeon tower, climbed to the top of it,
+and there found a very old woman--so old and deaf that she had never
+heard of the king's edict--busy with her wheel.
+
+"What are you doing, good old woman?" said the princess.
+
+"I'm spinning, my pretty child."
+
+"Ah, how charming! Let me try if I can spin also."
+
+She had no sooner taken up the spindle than, being lively and
+obstinate, she handled it so awkwardly and carelessly that the point
+pierced her finger. Though it was so small a wound, she fainted away
+at once, and dropped silently down on the floor. The poor, frightened
+old woman called for help; shortly came the ladies in waiting, who
+tried every means to restore their young mistress, but all their care
+was useless. She lay, beautiful as an angel, the color still lingering
+in her lips and cheeks; her fair bosom softly stirred with her breath;
+only her eyes were fast closed. When the king, her father, and the
+queen, her mother, beheld her thus, they knew regret was idle--all had
+happened as the cruel fairy meant. But they also knew that their
+daughter would not sleep forever, though after one hundred years it
+was not likely they would either of them behold her awakening. Until
+that happy hour should arrive, they determined to leave her in repose.
+They sent away all the physicians and attendants, and themselves
+sorrowfully laid her upon a bed of embroidery, in the most elegant
+apartment of the palace. There she slept and looked like a sleeping
+angel still.
+
+When this misfortune happened, the kindly young fairy who had saved
+the princess by changing her sleep of death into this sleep of a
+hundred years was twelve thousand leagues away in the kingdom of
+Mataquin. But being informed of everything, she arrived speedily in a
+chariot of fire drawn by dragons. The king was somewhat startled by
+the sight, but nevertheless went to the door of his palace, and, with
+a mournful countenance, presented her his hand to descend.
+
+The fairy condoled with his majesty, and approved of all he had done.
+Then, being a fairy of great common-sense and foresight, she suggested
+that the princess, awakening after a hundred years in this ancient
+castle, might be a good deal embarrassed, especially with a young
+prince by her side, to find herself alone. Accordingly, without asking
+any one's leave, she touched with her magic wand the entire population
+of the palace, except the king and queen--governesses, ladies of
+honor, waiting-maids, gentlemen ushers, cooks, kitchen-girls, pages,
+footmen, down to the horses that were in the stables and the grooms
+that attended them--she touched each and all. Nay, with kind
+consideration for the feelings of the princess, she even touched the
+little fat lapdog Puffy, who had laid himself down beside his
+mistress on her splendid bed. He, like all the rest, fell fast asleep
+in a moment. The very spits that were before the kitchen fire ceased
+turning, and the fire itself went out, and everything became as silent
+as if it were the middle of the night, or as if the palace were a
+palace of the dead.
+
+The king and queen--having kissed their daughter and wept over her a
+little, but not much, she looked so sweet and content--departed from
+the castle, giving orders that it was to be approached no more. The
+command was unnecessary; for in one quarter of an hour there sprung up
+around it a wood so thick and thorny that neither beasts nor men could
+attempt to penetrate there. Above this dense mass of forest could only
+be perceived the top of the high tower where the lovely princess
+slept.
+
+A great many changes happen in a hundred years. The king, who never
+had a second child, died, and his throne passed into another royal
+family. So entirely was the story of the poor princess forgotten, that
+when the reigning king's son, being one day out hunting and stopped in
+the chase by this formidable wood, inquired what wood it was, and what
+were those towers which he saw appearing out of the midst of it, no
+one could answer him. At length an old peasant was found who
+remembered having heard his grandfather say to his father, that in
+this tower was a princess, beautiful as the day, who was doomed to
+sleep there for one hundred years, until awakened by a king's son, her
+destined bridegroom.
+
+At this the young prince, who had the spirit of a hero, determined to
+find out the truth for himself. Spurred on by both generosity and
+curiosity, he leaped from his horse and began to force his way through
+the thick wood. To his amazement the stiff branches all gave way, and
+the ugly thorns sheathed themselves of their own accord, and the
+brambles buried themselves in the earth to let him pass. This done,
+they closed behind him, allowing none of his suite to follow: but,
+ardent and young, he went boldly on alone. The first thing he saw was
+enough to smite him with fear. Bodies of men and horses lay extended
+on the ground; but the men had faces, not death-white, but red as
+peonies, and beside them were glasses half filled with wine, showing
+that they had gone to sleep drinking. Next he entered a large court
+paved with marble, where stood rows of guards presenting arms, but
+motionless as if cut out of stone; then he passed through many
+chambers where gentlemen and ladies, all in the costume of the past
+century, slept at their ease, some standing, some sitting. The pages
+were lurking in corners, the ladies of honor were stooping over
+their embroidery frames, or listening apparently with polite attention
+to the gentlemen of the court, but all were as silent as statues and
+as immovable. Their clothes, strange to say, were fresh and new as
+ever; and not a particle of dust or spider-web had gathered over the
+furniture, though it had not known a broom for a hundred years.
+Finally the astonished prince came to an inner chamber, where was the
+fairest sight his eyes had ever beheld.
+
+    [Illustration: A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an
+      embroidered bed]
+
+A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an embroidered bed, and
+she looked as if she had only just closed her eyes. Trembling, the
+prince approached and knelt beside her. Some say he kissed her, but as
+nobody saw it, and she never told, we cannot be quite sure of the
+fact. However, as the end of the enchantment had come, the princess
+awakened at once, and, looking at him with eyes of the tenderest
+regard, said, drowsily: "Is it you, my prince? I have waited for you
+very long."
+
+Charmed with these words, and still more with the tone in which they
+were uttered, the prince assured her that he loved her more than his
+life. Nevertheless, he was the most embarrassed of the two; for,
+thanks to the kind fairy, the princess had plenty of time to dream of
+him during her century of slumber, while he had never even heard of
+her till an hour before. For a long time did they sit conversing, and
+yet had not said half enough. Their only interruption was the little
+dog Puffy, who had awakened with his mistress, and now began to be
+exceedingly jealous that the princess did not notice him as much as
+she was wont to do.
+
+Meantime all the attendants, whose enchantment was also broken, not
+being in love, were ready to die of hunger after their fast of a
+hundred years. A lady of honor ventured to intimate that dinner was
+served; whereupon the prince handed his beloved princess at once to
+the great hall. She did not wait to dress for dinner, being already
+perfectly and magnificently attired, though in a fashion somewhat out
+of date. However, her lover had the politeness not to notice this, nor
+to remind her that she was dressed exactly like her royal grandmother,
+whose portrait still hung on the palace walls.
+
+During the banquet a concert took place by the attendant musicians,
+and considering they had not touched their instruments for a century,
+they played extremely well. They ended with a wedding march; for that
+very evening the marriage of the prince and princess was celebrated,
+and though the bride was nearly one hundred years older than the
+bridegroom, it is remarkable that the fact would never had been
+discovered by any one unacquainted therewith.
+
+After a few days they went together out of the castle and enchanted
+wood, both of which immediately vanished, and were never more beheld
+by mortal eyes. The princess was restored to her ancestral kingdom,
+but it was not generally declared who she was, as during a hundred
+years people had grown so very much cleverer that nobody then living
+would ever have believed the story. So nothing was explained, and
+nobody presumed to ask any questions about her, for ought not a prince
+be able to marry whomsoever he pleases?
+
+Nor--whether or not the day of fairies was over--did the princess ever
+see anything further of her seven godmothers. She lived a long and
+happy life, like any other ordinary woman, and died at length,
+beloved, regretted, but, the prince being already no more, perfectly
+contented.
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD
+
+
+Once there was a little village maiden, the prettiest ever seen. Her
+mother was foolishly fond of her, and her grandmother likewise. The
+old woman made for her a little hood, which became the damsel so well
+that ever after she went by the name of Little Red-Riding-Hood. One
+day, when her mother was making cakes, she said, "My child, you shall
+go and see your grandmother, for I hear she is not well; and you shall
+take her some of these cakes and a pot of butter."
+
+Little Red-Riding-Hood was delighted to go, though it was a long walk;
+but she was a good child, and fond of her kind grandmother. Passing
+through a wood, she met a great wolf, who was most eager to eat her
+up, but dared not, because of a woodcutter who was busy hard by. So he
+only came and asked her politely where she was going. The poor child,
+who did not know how dangerous it is to stop and speak to wolves,
+replied, "I am going to see my grandmother, and to take her a cake and
+a pot of butter, which my mother has sent her."
+
+"Is it very far from hence?" asked the wolf.
+
+"Oh yes; it is just above the mill which you may see up there--the
+first house you come to in the village."
+
+"Well," said the wolf, "I will go there also, to inquire after your
+excellent grandmother; I will go one way, and you the other, and we
+will see who can be there first."
+
+So he ran as fast as ever he could, taking the shortest road, but the
+little maiden took the longest; for she stopped to pluck roses in
+the wood, to chase butterflies, and gather nosegays of the prettiest
+flowers she could find--she was such a happy and innocent little soul.
+
+    [Illustration: He asked her politely where she was going]
+
+The wolf was not long in reaching the grandmother's door. He knocked,
+Toc--toc, and the grandmother said, "Who is there?"
+
+"It is your child, Little Red-Riding-Hood," replied the wicked beast,
+imitating the girl's voice; "I bring you a cake and a pot of butter,
+which my mother has sent you."
+
+The grandmother, who was ill in her bed, said, "Very well, my dear,
+pull the string and the latch will open." The wolf pulled the
+string--the door flew open; he leaped in, fell upon the poor old
+woman, and ate her up in less than no time, tough as she was, for he
+had not tasted anything for more than three days. Then he carefully
+shut the door, and laying himself down snugly in the bed, waited for
+Little Red-Riding-Hood, who was not long before she came and knocked,
+Toc--toc, at the door.
+
+"Who is there?" said the wolf; and the little maiden, hearing his
+gruff voice, felt sure that her poor grandmother must have caught a
+bad cold and be very ill indeed.
+
+So she answered, cheerfully, "It is your child, Little
+Red-Riding-Hood, who brings you a cake and a pot of butter that my
+mother has sent you."
+
+Then the wolf, softening his voice as much as he could, said, "Pull
+the string, and the latch will open."
+
+So Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the string and the door opened. The
+wolf, seeing her enter, hid himself as much as he could under the
+coverlid of the bed, and said in a whisper, "Put the cake and the pot
+of butter on the shelf, and then make haste and come to bed, for it is
+very late."
+
+Little Red-Riding-Hood did not think so; but, to please her
+grandmother, she undressed herself and began to get ready for bed,
+when she was very much astonished to find how different the old woman
+looked from ordinary.
+
+"Grandmother, what great arms you have!"
+
+"That is to hug you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what great ears you have!"
+
+"That is to hear you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what great eyes you have!"
+
+"That is to see you the better, my dear."
+
+"Grandmother, what a great mouth you have!"
+
+"That is to eat you up!" cried the wicked wolf; and immediately he
+fell upon poor Little Red-Riding-Hood, and ate her up in a moment.
+
+
+
+
+THE UGLY DUCKLING
+
+
+The country was lovely just then; it was summer! The wheat was golden
+and the oats still green; the hay was stacked in the rich, low-lying
+meadows, where the stork was marching about on his long red legs,
+chattering Egyptian, the language his mother had taught him.
+
+Round about field and meadow lay great woods, in the midst of which
+were deep lakes. Yes, the country certainly was delicious. In the
+sunniest spot stood an old mansion surrounded by a deep moat, and
+great dock leaves grew from the walls of the house right down to the
+water's edge, some of them were so tall that a small child could
+stand upright under them. In among the leaves it was as secluded as in
+the depths of a forest, and there a duck was sitting on her nest. Her
+little ducklings were just about to be hatched, but she was nearly
+tired of sitting, for it had lasted such a long time. Moreover, she
+had very few visitors, as the other ducks liked swimming about in the
+moat better than waddling up to sit under the dock leaves and gossip
+with her.
+
+At last one egg after another began to crack. "Cheep, cheep!" they
+said. All the chicks had come to life, and were poking their heads
+out.
+
+"Quack! quack!" said the duck; and then they all quacked their
+hardest, and looked about them on all sides among the green leaves;
+their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, for green is
+good for the eyes.
+
+"How big the world is to be sure!" said all the young ones; for they
+certainly had ever so much more room to move about than when they were
+inside the egg-shell.
+
+"Do you imagine this is the whole world?" said the mother. "It
+stretches a long way on the other side of the garden, right into the
+parson's field; but I have never been as far as that! I suppose you
+are all here now?" and she got up. "No! I declare I have not got you
+all yet! The biggest egg is still there; how long is it going to
+last?" and then she settled herself on the nest again.
+
+"Well, how are you getting on?" said an old duck who had come to pay
+her a visit.
+
+"This one egg is taking such a long time," answered the sitting duck,
+"the shell will not crack; but now you must look at the others; they
+are the finest ducklings I have ever seen! they are all exactly like
+their father, the rascal! he never comes to see me."
+
+"Let me look at the egg which won't crack," said the old duck. "You
+may be sure that it is a turkey's egg! I have been cheated like that
+once, and I had no end of trouble and worry with the creatures, for I
+may tell you that they are afraid of the water. I could not get them
+into it; I quacked and snapped at them, but it was no good. Let me see
+the egg! Yes, it is a turkey's egg! You just leave it alone and teach
+the other children to swim."
+
+"I will sit on it a little longer; I have sat so long already that I
+may as well go on till the Midsummer Fair comes round."
+
+"Please yourself," said the old duck, and she went away.
+
+At last the big egg cracked. "Cheep, cheep!" said the young one and
+tumbled out; how big and ugly he was! The duck looked at him.
+
+"That is a monstrous big duckling," she said; "none of the others
+looked like that; can he be a turkey chick? well, we shall soon find
+that out; into the water he shall go, if I have to kick him in
+myself."
+
+Next day was gloriously fine, and the sun shone on all the green dock
+leaves. The mother duck with her whole family went down to the moat.
+
+Splash, into the water she sprang. "Quack, quack!" she said, and one
+duckling plumped in after the other. The water dashed over their
+heads, but they came up again and floated beautifully; their legs went
+of themselves, and they were all there, even the big ugly gray one
+swam about with them.
+
+"No, that is no turkey," she said; "see how beautifully he uses his
+legs and how erect he holds himself; he is my own chick! after all, he
+is not so bad when you come to look at him properly. Quack, quack! Now
+come with me and I will take you into the world, and introduce you to
+the duckyard; but keep close to me all the time, so that no one may
+tread upon you, and beware of the cat!"
+
+Then they went into the duckyard. There was a fearful uproar going on,
+for two broods were fighting for the head of an eel, and in the end
+the cat captured it.
+
+"That's how things go in this world," said the mother duck; and she
+licked her bill, for she wanted the eel's head for herself.
+
+"Use your legs," said she; "mind you quack properly, and bend your
+necks to the old duck over there! She is the grandest of them all; she
+has Spanish blood in her veins and that accounts for her size, and, do
+you see? she has a red rag round her leg; that is a wonderfully fine
+thing, and the most extraordinary mark of distinction any duck can
+have. It shows clearly that she is not to be parted with, and that she
+is worthy of recognition both by beasts and men! Quack now! don't
+turn your toes in, a well brought up duckling keeps his legs wide
+apart just like father and mother; that's it, now bend your necks, and
+say quack!"
+
+They did as they were bid, but the other ducks round about looked at
+them and said, quite loud: "Just look there! now we are to have that
+tribe! just as if there were not enough of us already, and, oh dear!
+how ugly that duckling is, we won't stand him!" and a duck flew at him
+at once and bit him in the neck.
+
+"Let him be," said the mother; "he is doing no harm."
+
+"Very likely not, but he is so ungainly and queer," said the biter,
+"he must be whacked."
+
+"They are handsome children mother has," said the old duck with the
+rag round her leg; "all good looking except this one, and he is not a
+good specimen; it's a pity you can't make him over again."
+
+"That can't be done, your grace," said the mother duck; "he is not
+handsome, but he is a thorough good creature, and he swims as
+beautifully as any of the others; nay, I think I might venture even to
+add that I think he will improve as he goes on, or perhaps in time he
+may grow smaller! he was too long in the egg, and so he has not come
+out with a very good figure." And then she patted his neck and stroked
+him down. "Besides, he is a drake," said she; "so it does not matter
+so much. I believe he will be very strong, and I don't doubt but he
+will make his way in the world."
+
+"The other ducklings are very pretty," said the old duck. "Now make
+yourselves quite at home, and if you find the head of an eel you may
+bring it to me!"
+
+After that they felt quite at home. But the poor duckling which had
+been the last to come out of the shell, and who was so ugly, was
+bitten, pushed about, and made fun of both by the ducks and the hens.
+"He is too big," they all said; and the turkey-cock, who was born with
+his spurs on, and therefore thought himself quite an emperor, puffed
+himself up like a vessel in full sail, made for him, and gobbled and
+gobbled till he became quite red in the face. The poor duckling was at
+his wit's end, and did not know which way to turn; he was in despair
+because he was so ugly and the butt of the whole duckyard.
+
+So the first day passed, and afterwards matters grew worse and worse.
+The poor duckling was chased and hustled by all of them; even his
+brothers and sisters ill-used him, and they were always saying, "If
+only the cat would get hold of you, you hideous object!" Even his
+mother said, "I wish to goodness you were miles away." The ducks bit
+him, the hens pecked him, and the girl who fed them kicked him aside.
+
+Then he ran off and flew right over the hedge, where the little birds
+flew up into the air in a fright.
+
+"That is because I am so ugly," thought the poor duckling, shutting
+his eyes, but he ran on all the same. Then he came to a great marsh
+where the wild ducks lived; he was so tired and miserable that he
+stayed there the whole night.
+
+In the morning the wild ducks flew up to inspect their new comrade.
+
+"What sort of a creature are you?" they inquired, as the duckling
+turned from side to side and greeted them as well as he could. "You
+are frightfully ugly," said the wild ducks; "but that does not matter
+to us, so long as you do not marry into our family!" Poor fellow! he
+had no thought of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among
+the rushes, and to drink a little of the marsh water.
+
+He stayed there two whole days; then two wild geese came, or, rather,
+two wild ganders; they were not long out of the shell, and therefore
+rather pert.
+
+"I say, comrade," they said, "you are so ugly that we have taken quite
+a fancy to you; will you join us and be a bird of passage? There is
+another marsh close by, and there are some charming wild geese there;
+all sweet young ladies, who can say quack! You are ugly enough to make
+your fortune among them." Just at that moment, bang! bang! was heard
+up above, and both the wild geese fell dead among the reeds, and the
+water turned blood red. Bang! bang! went the guns, and whole flocks of
+wild geese flew up from the rushes and the shot peppered among them
+again.
+
+There was a grand shooting-party, and the sportsmen lay hidden round
+the marsh; some even sat on the branches of the trees which overhung
+the water; the blue smoke rose like clouds among the dark trees and
+swept over the pool.
+
+The water-dogs wandered about in the swamp--splash! splash! The rushes
+and reeds bent beneath their tread on all sides. It was terribly
+alarming to the poor duckling. He twisted his head round to get it
+under his wing, and just at that moment a frightful big dog appeared
+close beside him; his tongue hung right out of his mouth and his eyes
+glared wickedly. He opened his great chasm of a mouth close to the
+duckling, showed his sharp teeth, and--splash!--went on without
+touching him.
+
+"Oh, thank Heaven!" sighed the duckling, "I am so ugly that even the
+dog won't bite me!"
+
+Then he lay quite still while the shot whistled among the bushes, and
+bang after bang rent the air. It only became quiet late in the day,
+but even then the poor duckling did not dare to get up; he waited
+several hours more before he looked about, and then he hurried away
+from the marsh as fast as he could. He ran across fields and meadows,
+and there was such a wind that he had hard work to make his way.
+
+Towards night he reached a poor little cottage; it was such a
+miserable hovel that it could not make up its mind which way to fall
+even, and so it remained standing. The wind whistled so fiercely round
+the duckling that he had to sit on his tail to resist it, and it blew
+harder and harder; then he saw that the door had fallen off one hinge
+and hung so crookedly that he could creep into the house through the
+crack, and by this means he made his way into the room. An old woman
+lived there with her cat and her hen. The cat, which she called
+"Sonnie," could arch his back, purr, and give off electric
+sparks--that is to say, if you stroked his fur the wrong way. The hen
+had quite tiny short legs, and so she was called "Chuckie-low-legs."
+She laid good eggs, and the old woman was as fond of her as if she had
+been her own child.
+
+In the morning the strange duckling was discovered immediately, and
+the cat began to purr and the hen to cluck.
+
+"What on earth is that!" said the old woman, looking round; but her
+sight was not good, and she thought the duckling was a fat duck which
+had escaped. "This is a capital find," said she; "now I shall have
+duck's eggs if only it is not a drake. We must find out about that!"
+
+So she took the duckling on trial for three weeks, but no eggs made
+their appearance. The cat was the master of the house and the hen the
+mistress, and they always spoke of "we and the world," for they
+thought that they represented the half of the world, and that quite
+the better half.
+
+The duckling thought there might be two opinions on the subject, but
+the cat would not hear of it.
+
+"Can you lay eggs?" she asked.
+
+"No!"
+
+"Will you have the goodness to hold your tongue, then!"
+
+And the cat said, "Can you arch your back, purr, or give off sparks?"
+
+"No."
+
+"Then you had better keep your opinions to yourself when people of
+sense are speaking!"
+
+The duckling sat in the corner nursing his ill-humor; then he began to
+think of the fresh air and the sunshine, an uncontrollable longing
+seized him to float on the water, and at last he could not help
+telling the hen about it.
+
+"What on earth possesses you?" she asked. "You have nothing to do;
+that is why you get these freaks into your head. Lay some eggs or take
+to purring, and you will get over it."
+
+"But it is so delicious to float, on the water," said the duckling;
+"so delicious to feel it rushing over your head when you dive to the
+bottom."
+
+"That would be a fine amusement," said the hen. "I think you have gone
+mad. Ask the cat about it, he is the wisest creature I know; ask him
+if he is fond of floating on the water or diving under it. I say
+nothing about myself. Ask our mistress yourself, the old woman; there
+is no one in the world cleverer than she is. Do you suppose she has
+any desire to float on the water or to duck underneath it?"
+
+"You do not understand me," said the duckling.
+
+"Well, if we don't understand you, who should? I suppose you don't
+consider yourself cleverer than the cat or the old woman, not to
+mention me. Don't make a fool of yourself, child, and thank your stars
+for all the good we have done you! Have you not lived in this warm
+room, and in such society that you might have learned something? But
+you are an idiot, and there is no pleasure in associating with you.
+You may believe me I mean you well, I tell you home truths, and there
+is no surer way than that of knowing who are one's friends. You just
+see about laying some eggs, or learn to purr, or to emit sparks."
+
+"I think I will go out into the wide world," said the duckling.
+
+"Oh, do so by all means!" said the hen.
+
+So away went the duckling; he floated on the water and ducked
+underneath it, but he was looked askance at by every living creature
+for his ugliness. Now the autumn came on, the leaves in the woods
+turned yellow and brown; the wind took hold of them, and they danced
+about. The sky looked very cold, and the clouds hung heavy with snow
+and hail. A raven stood on the fence and croaked Caw! Caw! from sheer
+cold; it made one shiver only to think of it. The poor duckling
+certainly was in a bad case.
+
+One evening the sun was just setting in wintry splendor when a flock
+of beautiful large birds appeared out of the bushes. The duckling had
+never seen anything so beautiful. They were dazzlingly white with long
+waving necks; they were swans; and, uttering a peculiar cry, they
+spread out their magnificent broad wings, and flew away from the cold
+regions to warmer lands and open seas. They mounted so high, so very
+high, and the ugly little duckling became strangely uneasy; he circled
+round and round in the water like a wheel, craning his neck up into
+the air after them. Then he uttered a shriek so piercing and so
+strange that he was quite frightened by it himself. Oh, he could not
+forget those beautiful birds, those happy birds! And as soon as they
+were out of sight he ducked right down to the bottom, and when he came
+up again he was quite beside himself. He did not know what the birds
+were or whither they flew, but all the same he was more drawn towards
+them than he had ever been by any creatures before. He did not even
+envy them in the least. How could it occur to him even to wish to be
+such a marvel of beauty; he would have been thankful if only the ducks
+would have tolerated him among them--the poor ugly creature!
+
+The winter was so bitterly cold that the duckling was obliged to swim
+about in the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the hole
+in which he swam got smaller and smaller. Then it froze so hard that
+the surface ice cracked, and the duckling had to use his legs all the
+time, so that the ice should not close in round him; at last he was so
+weary that he could move no more, and he was frozen fast into the ice.
+
+Early in the morning a peasant came along and saw him; he went out
+onto the ice and hammered a hole in it with his heavy wooden shoe, and
+carried the duckling home to his wife. There it soon revived. The
+children wanted to play with it, but the duckling thought they were
+going to ill-use him, and rushed in his fright into the milk pan, and
+the milk spurted out all over the room. The woman shrieked and threw
+up her hands; then it flew into the butter cask, and down into the
+meal tub and out again. Just imagine what it looked like by this time!
+The woman screamed and tried to hit it with the tongs, and the
+children tumbled over one another in trying to catch it, and they
+screamed with laughter. By good luck the door stood open, and the
+duckling flew out among the bushes and the new fallen snow, and it lay
+there thoroughly exhausted.
+
+But it would be too sad to mention all the privation and misery it
+had to go through during that hard winter. When the sun began to shine
+warmly again the duckling was in the marsh, lying among the rushes;
+the larks were singing, and the beautiful spring had come.
+
+Then all at once it raised its wings, and they flapped with much
+greater strength than before and bore him off vigorously. Before he
+knew where he was he found himself in a large garden where the
+apple-trees were in a full blossom, and the air was scented with
+lilacs, the long branches of which overhung the indented shores of the
+lake. Oh! the spring freshness was so delicious!
+
+Just in front of him he saw three beautiful white swans advancing
+towards him from a thicket; with rustling feathers they swam lightly
+over the water. The duckling recognized the majestic birds, and he was
+overcome by a strange melancholy.
+
+"I will fly to them, the royal birds, and they will hack me to
+pieces, because I, who am so ugly, venture to approach them! But it
+won't matter; better be killed by them than be snapped at by the
+ducks, pecked by the hens, or spurned by the henwife, or suffer so
+much misery in the winter."
+
+So he flew into the water, and swam towards the stately swans; they
+saw him, and darted towards him with ruffled feathers.
+
+"Kill me, oh, kill me!" said the poor creature, and bowing his head
+towards the water he awaited his death. But what did he see reflected
+in the transparent water?
+
+He saw below him his own image; but he was no longer a clumsy, dark,
+gray bird, ugly and ungainly. He was himself a swan! It does not
+matter in the least having been born in a duckyard if only you come
+out of a swan's egg!
+
+He felt quite glad of all the misery and tribulation he had gone
+through; he was the better able to appreciate his good-fortune now,
+and all the beauty which greeted him. The big swans swam round and
+round him, and stroked him with their bills.
+
+Some little children came into the garden with corn and pieces of
+bread, which they threw into the water; and the smallest one cried
+out: "There is a new one!" The other children shouted with joy: "Yes,
+a new one has come!" And they clapped their hands and danced about,
+running after their father and mother. They threw the bread into the
+water, and one and all said that "the new one was the prettiest; he
+was so young and handsome." And the old swans bent their heads and did
+homage before him.
+
+    [Illustration: Some little children threw pieces of bread into the
+      water]
+
+He felt quite shy, and hid his head under his wing; he did not know
+what to think; he was so very happy, but not at all proud; a good
+heart never becomes proud. He thought of how he had been pursued and
+scorned, and now he heard them all say that he was the most beautiful
+of all beautiful birds. The lilacs bent their boughs right down into
+the water before him, and the bright sun was warm and cheering, and he
+rustled his feathers and raised his slender neck aloft, saying, with
+exultation in his heart: "I never dreamed of so much happiness when I
+was the Ugly Duckling!"
+
+
+
+
+HOP-O'-MY-THUMB
+
+
+There once lived in a village a fagot-maker and his wife who had seven
+children--all boys; the eldest was no more than ten years old, and the
+youngest was only seven. It was odd enough, to be sure, that they
+should have so many children in such a short time; but the truth is,
+the wife always brought him two and once three at a time. This made
+him very poor, for not one of these boys was old enough to get a
+living; and what was still worse, the youngest was a puny little
+fellow who hardly ever spoke a word. Now this, indeed, was a mark of
+his good sense, but it made his father and mother suppose him to be
+silly, and they thought that at last he would turn out quite a fool.
+This boy was the least size ever seen; for when he was born he was no
+bigger than a man's thumb, which made him be christened by the name of
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb. The poor child was the drudge of the whole house, and
+always bore the blame of everything that was done wrong. For all this,
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb was far more clever than any of his brothers; and
+though he spoke but little he heard and knew more than people thought.
+It happened just at this time that for want of rain the fields had
+grown but half as much corn and potatoes as they used to grow; so that
+the fagot-maker and his wife could not give the boys the food they had
+before, which was always either bread or potatoes.
+
+After the father and mother had grieved some time, they thought that
+as they could contrive no other way to live they must somehow get rid
+of their children. One night when the boys were gone to bed, and the
+fagot-maker and his wife were sitting over a few lighted sticks, to
+warm themselves, the husband sighed deeply, and said: "You see, my
+dear, we cannot maintain our children any longer, and to see them die
+of hunger before my eyes is what I could never bear. I will,
+therefore, to-morrow morning take them to the forest, and leave them
+in the thickest part of it, so that they will not be able to find
+their way back: this will be very easy; for while they amuse
+themselves with tying up the fagots, we need only slip away when they
+are looking some other way."
+
+"Ah, husband!" cried the poor wife, "you cannot, no, you never can
+consent to be the death of your own children."
+
+The husband in vain told her to think how very poor they were.
+
+The wife replied "that this was true, to be sure; but if she was
+poor, she was still their mother"; and then she cried as if her heart
+would break. At last she thought how shocking it would be to see them
+starved to death before their eyes, so she agreed to what her husband
+had said, and then went sobbing to bed.
+
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb had been awake all the time; and when he heard his
+father talk very seriously, he slipped away from his brothers' side,
+and crept under his father's bed, to hear all that was said without
+being seen.
+
+When his father and mother had left off talking, he got back to his
+own place, and passed the night in thinking what he should do the next
+morning.
+
+He rose early, and ran to the river's side, where he filled his
+pockets with small white pebbles, and then went back home. In the
+morning they all set out, as their father and mother had agreed on;
+and Hop-o'-my-Thumb did not say a word to any of his brothers about
+what he had heard. They came to a forest that was so very thick that
+they could not see each other a few yards off. The fagot-maker set to
+work cutting down wood; and the children began to gather the twigs, to
+make fagots of them.
+
+When the father and mother saw that the young ones were all very busy,
+they slipped away without being seen. The children soon found
+themselves alone, and began to cry as loud as they could.
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb let them cry on, for he knew well enough how to lead
+them safe home, as he had taken care to drop the white pebbles he had
+in his pocket along all the way he had come. He only said to them,
+"Never mind it, my lads; father and mother have left us here by
+ourselves, but only take care to follow me, and I will lead you back
+again."
+
+    [Illustration: The children began to cry as loud as they could]
+
+When they heard this they left off crying, and followed
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who soon brought them to their father's house by
+the very same path which they had come along. At first they had not
+the courage to go in, but stood at the door to hear what their parents
+were talking about. Just as the fagot-maker and his wife had come home
+without their children a great gentleman of the village sent to pay
+them two guineas for work they had done for him, which he had owed
+them so long that they never thought of getting a farthing of it. This
+money made them quite happy; for the poor creatures were very hungry,
+and had no other way of getting anything to eat.
+
+The fagot-maker sent his wife out immediately to buy some meat; and as
+it was a long time since she had made a hearty meal, she bought as
+much meat as would have been enough for six or eight persons. The
+truth was, when she was thinking what would be enough for dinner, she
+forgot that her children were not at home; but as soon as she and her
+husband had done eating, she cried out: "Alas! where are our poor
+children? How they would feast on what we have left! It was all your
+fault, husband! I told you we should repent leaving them to starve in
+the forest! Oh, mercy! perhaps they have already been eaten by the
+hungry wolves!" The poor woman shed plenty of tears. "Alas! alas!"
+said she, over and over again, "what is become of my dear children?"
+
+The children, who were all at the door, cried out together, "Here we
+are, mother, here we are!"
+
+She flew like lightning to let them in, and kissed every one of them.
+
+The fagot-maker and his wife were charmed at having their children
+once more with them, and their joy for this lasted till their money
+was all spent; but then they found themselves quite as ill off as
+before. So by degrees they again thought of leaving them in the
+forest: and that the young ones might not come back a second time,
+they said they would take them a great deal farther than they did at
+first. They could not talk about this matter so slyly but that
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb found means to hear all that passed between them; but
+he cared very little about it, for he thought it would be easy for him
+to do just the same as he had done before. But although he got up very
+early the next morning to go to the river's side to get the pebbles, a
+thing which he had not thought of hindered him; for he found that the
+house door was double locked. Hop-o'-my-Thumb was now quite at a loss
+what to do; but soon after this his mother gave each of the children a
+piece of bread for breakfast and then it came into his head that he
+could make his share do as well as the pebbles by dropping crumbs of
+it all the way as he went. So he did not eat his piece, but put it
+into his pocket.
+
+It was not long before they all set out, and their parents took care
+to lead them into the very thickest and darkest part of the forest.
+They then slipped away by a by-path as before, and left the children
+by themselves again. All this did not give Hop-o'-my-Thumb any
+concern, for he thought himself quite sure of getting back by means of
+the crumbs that he had dropped by the way; but when he came to look
+for them he found that not a crumb was left, for the birds had eaten
+them all up.
+
+The poor children were now sadly off, for the farther they went the
+harder it was for them to get out of the forest. At last night came
+on, and the noise of the wind among the trees seemed to them like the
+howling of wolves, so that every moment they thought they should be
+eaten up. They hardly dared to speak a word, or to move a limb, for
+fear. Soon after there came a heavy rain which wetted them to the very
+skin, and made the ground so slippery that they fell down at almost
+every step and got dirty all over.
+
+Before it was quite dark Hop-o'-my-Thumb climbed up to the top of a
+tree, and looked round on all sides to see if he could find any way of
+getting help. He saw a small light, like that of a candle, but it was
+a very great way off, and beyond the forest. He then came down from
+the tree, to try to find the way to it; but he could not see it when
+he was on the ground, and he was in the utmost trouble what to do
+next. They walked on towards the place where he had seen the light,
+and at last reached the end of the forest, and got sight of it again.
+They now walked faster; and after being much tired and vexed (for
+every time they got into lower ground they lost sight of the light),
+came to the house it was in. They knocked at the door, which was
+opened by a very poor-natured-looking lady, who asked what brought
+them there. Hop-o'-my-Thumb told her that they were poor children who
+had lost their way in the forest, and begged that she would give them
+a bed till morning. When the lady saw that they had such pretty faces
+she began to shed tears, and said: "Ah, my poor children, you do not
+know what place you are come to. This is the house of an Ogre, who
+eats up little boys and girls."
+
+"Alas! madam," replied Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who trembled from head to
+foot, "what shall we do? If we go back to the forest we are sure of
+being torn to pieces by the wolves; we would rather, therefore, be
+eaten by the gentleman. Besides, when he sees us, perhaps he may take
+pity on us and spare our lives."
+
+The Ogre's wife thought she could contrive to hide them from her
+husband till morning; so she let them go in and warm themselves by a
+good fire, before which there was a whole sheep roasting for the
+Ogre's supper. When they had stood a short time by the fire there came
+a loud knocking at the door: this was the Ogre come home. His wife
+hurried the children under the bed and told them to lie still, and she
+then let her husband in.
+
+The Ogre asked if supper were ready, and if the wine were fetched from
+the cellar; and then he sat down at the table. The sheep was not quite
+done, but he liked it much better half raw. In a minute or two the
+Ogre began to snuff to his right and left, and said he smelt child's
+flesh.
+
+"It must be this calf, which has just been killed," said his wife.
+
+"I smell child's flesh, I tell thee once more!" cried the Ogre,
+looking all about the room--"I smell child's flesh; there is
+something going on that I do not know of."
+
+As soon as he had spoken these words he rose from his chair and went
+towards the bed.
+
+"Ah! madam," said he, "you thought to cheat me, did you? Wretch! thou
+art old and tough thyself, or else I would eat thee up too! But come,
+come, this is lucky enough; for the brats will make a nice dish for
+three Ogres, who are my particular friends, and who are to dine with
+me to-morrow."
+
+He then drew them out one by one from under the bed. The poor children
+fell on their knees and begged his pardon as humbly as they could; but
+this Ogre was the most cruel of all Ogres, and instead of feeling any
+pity, he only began to think how sweet and tender their flesh would
+be; so he told his wife they would be nice morsels if she served them
+up with plenty of sauce. He then fetched a large knife, and began to
+sharpen it on a long whetstone that he held in his left hand; and all
+the while he came nearer and nearer to the bed. The Ogre took up one
+of the children, and was going to set about cutting him to pieces; but
+his wife said to him: "What in the world makes you take the trouble of
+killing them to-night? Will it not be time enough to-morrow morning?"
+
+"Hold your prating," replied the Ogre; "they will grow tender by being
+kept a little while after they are killed."
+
+"But," said this wife, "you have got so much meat in the house
+already; here is a calf, two sheep, and half a pig."
+
+"True," said the Ogre, "so give them all a good supper, that they may
+not get lean, and then send them to bed."
+
+The good creature was quite glad at this. She gave them plenty for
+their supper, but the poor children were so terrified that they could
+not eat a bit.
+
+The Ogre sat down to his wine, very much pleased with the thought of
+giving his friends such a dainty dish: this made him drink rather more
+than common, and he was soon obliged to go to bed himself. Now the
+Ogre had seven daughters, who were all very young like Hop-o'-my-Thumb
+and his brothers. These young Ogresses had fair skins, because they
+fed on raw meat like their father; but they had small gray eyes, quite
+round, and sunk in their heads, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very
+long, sharp teeth, standing a great way off each other. They were too
+young as yet to do much mischief; but they showed that if they lived
+to be as old as their father they would grow quite as cruel as he was,
+for they took pleasure already in biting young children and sucking
+their blood. The Ogresses had been put to bed very early that night;
+they were all in one bed, which was very large, and every one of them
+had a crown of gold on her head. There was another bed of the same
+size in the room, and in this the Ogre's wife put the seven little
+boys, and then went to bed herself along with her husband.
+
+Now Hop-o'-my-Thumb was afraid that the Ogre would wake in the night,
+and kill him and his brothers while they were asleep. So he got out of
+bed in the middle of the night as softly as he could, took off all his
+brothers' nightcaps and his own, and crept with them to the bed that
+the Ogre's daughters were in; he then took off their crowns, and put
+the nightcaps on their heads instead; next he put the crowns on his
+brothers' heads and his own, and got into bed again; expecting, after
+this, that, if the Ogre should come, he would take him and his
+brothers for his own children. Everything turned out as he wished. The
+Ogre waked soon after midnight, and began to be very sorry that he had
+put off killing the boys till the morning; so he jumped out of bed,
+and took hold of his large knife. "Let us see," said he, "what the
+young rogues are about, and do the business at once!" He then walked
+softly to the room where they all slept, and went up to the bed the
+boys were in, who were all asleep except Hop-o'-my-Thumb. He touched
+their heads one at a time, and feeling the crowns of gold, said to
+himself: "Oh, oh! I had like to have made such a mistake! I must have
+drunk too much wine last night."
+
+He went next to the bed that his own little Ogresses were in, and when
+he felt the nightcaps, he said, "Ah! here you are, my lads"; and so in
+a moment he cut the throats of all his daughters.
+
+He was very much pleased when he had done this, and then went back to
+his own bed. As soon as Hop-o'-my-Thumb heard him snore he awoke his
+brothers, and told them to put on their clothes quickly, and follow
+him. They stole down softly into the garden, and then jumped from the
+wall into the road; they ran as fast as their legs could carry them,
+but were so much afraid all the while that they hardly knew which way
+to take. When the Ogre waked in the morning he said to his wife,
+grinning: "My dear, go and dress the young rogues I saw last night."
+
+The wife was quite surprised at hearing her husband speak so kindly,
+and did not dream of the real meaning of his words. She supposed he
+wanted her to help them to put on their clothes; so she went
+up-stairs, and the first thing she saw was her seven daughters with
+their throats cut and all over blood. This threw her into a fainting
+fit. The Ogre was afraid his wife might be too long in doing what he
+had set her about, so he went himself to help her; but he was as much
+shocked as she had been at the dreadful sight of his bleeding
+children. "Ah! what have I done?" he cried. "But the little rascals
+shall pay for it, I warrant them."
+
+He first threw some water on his wife's face; and, as soon as she came
+to herself, he said to her: "Bring me quickly my seven-league boots,
+that I may go and catch the little vipers."
+
+The Ogre then put on these boots, and set out with all speed. He
+strided over many parts of the country, and at last turned into the
+very road in which the poor children were. For they had set off
+towards the fagot-maker's cottage, which they had almost reached. They
+watched the Ogre stepping from mountain to mountain at one step, and
+crossing rivers as if they had been tiny brooks. At this
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb thought a little what was to be done; and spying a
+hollow place under a large rock, he made his brothers get into it. He
+then crept in himself, but kept his eye fixed on the Ogre, to see what
+he would do next.
+
+The Ogre found himself quite weary with the journey he had gone, for
+seven-league boots are very tiresome to the person who wears them; so
+he now began to think of resting, and happened to sit down on the very
+rock where the poor children were hid. As he was so tired, and it was
+a hot day, he fell fast asleep, and soon began to snore so loud that
+the little fellows were terrified.
+
+When Hop-o'-my-Thumb saw this he said to his brothers, "Courage, my
+lads! never fear! you have nothing to do but to steal away and get
+home while the Ogre is fast asleep, and leave me to shift for myself."
+
+The brothers now were very glad to do whatever he told them, and so
+they soon came to their father's house. In the mean time
+Hop-o'-my-Thumb went up to the Ogre softly, pulled off his
+seven-league boots very gently, and put them on his own legs; for
+though the boots were very large, yet being fairy-boots, they could
+make themselves small enough to fit any leg they pleased.
+
+As soon as ever Hop-o'-my-Thumb had made sure of the Ogre's
+seven-league boots, he went at once to the palace, and offered his
+services to carry orders from the King to his army, which was a great
+way off, and to bring back the quickest accounts of the battle they
+were just at that time fighting with the enemy. In short, he thought
+he could be of more use to the King than all his mail-coaches, and so
+should make his fortune in this manner. He succeeded so well that in a
+short time he made money enough to keep himself, his father, mother,
+and six brothers, without the trouble of working, for the rest of
+their lives. Having done this, he went back to his father's cottage,
+where all the family were delighted to see him again. As the great
+fame of his boots had been talked of at court in this time the King
+sent for him, and indeed employed him very often in the greatest
+affairs of the state, so that he became one of the richest men in the
+kingdom.
+
+And now let us see what became of the wicked Ogre. He slept so soundly
+that he never discovered the loss of his boots; but having an evil
+conscience and bad dreams, he fell in his sleep from the corner of the
+rock where Hop-o'-my-Thumb and his brothers had left him, and bruised
+himself so much from head to foot that he could not stir; so he was
+forced to stretch himself out at full length, and wait for some one to
+come and help him.
+
+Now a good many fagot-makers passed near the place where the Ogre lay,
+and when they heard him groan they went up to ask him what was the
+matter. But the Ogre had eaten such a great number of children in his
+lifetime that he had grown so very big and fat that these men could
+not even have carried one of his legs, so they were forced to leave
+him there. At last night came on, and then a large serpent came out of
+a wood just by and stung him, so that he died in great pain.
+
+By and by, Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who had become the King's first favorite,
+heard of the Ogre's death; and the first thing he did was to tell his
+Majesty all that the good-natured Ogress had done to save the lives of
+himself and brothers. The King was so much pleased at what he heard
+that he asked Hop-o'-my-Thumb if there was any favor he could bestow
+upon her. Hop-o'-my-Thumb thanked the King, and desired that the
+Ogress might have the noble title of Duchess of Draggletail given to
+her, which was no sooner asked than granted. The Ogress then came to
+court, and lived very happily for many years, enjoying the vast
+fortune she had found in the Ogre's chests. As for Hop-o'-my-Thumb,
+he every day grew more witty and brave; till at last the King made him
+the greatest lord in the kingdom, and set him over all his affairs.
+
+
+
+
+BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
+
+
+There was once a very rich merchant who had six children--three boys
+and three girls. As he was himself a man of great sense, he spared no
+expense for their education. The three daughters were all handsome,
+but particularly the youngest; indeed, she was so very beautiful that
+in her childhood every one called her the Little Beauty; and being
+equally lovely when she was grown up, nobody called her by any other
+name, which made her sisters very jealous of her. This youngest
+daughter was not only more handsome than her sisters, but also was
+better tempered. The two eldest were vain of their wealth and
+position. They gave themselves a thousand airs, and refused to visit
+other merchants' daughters; nor would they condescend to be seen
+except with persons of quality. They went every day to balls, plays,
+and public walks, and always made game of their youngest sister for
+spending her time in reading or other useful employments. As it was
+well known that these young ladies would have large fortunes, many
+great merchants wished to get them for wives; but the two eldest
+always answered that, for their parts, they had no thoughts of
+marrying any one below a duke or an earl at least. Beauty had quite as
+many offers as her sisters, but she always answered, with the greatest
+civility, that though she was much obliged to her lovers, she would
+rather live some years longer with her father, as she thought herself
+too young to marry.
+
+It happened that, by some unlucky accident, the merchant suddenly
+lost all his fortune, and had nothing left but a small cottage in the
+country. Upon this he said to his daughters, while the tears ran down
+his cheeks, "My children, we must now go and dwell in the cottage, and
+try to get a living by labor, for we have no other means of support."
+The two eldest replied that they did not know how to work, and would
+not leave town; for they had lovers enough who would be glad to marry
+them, though they had no longer any fortune. But in this they were
+mistaken; for when the lovers heard what had happened, they said, "The
+girls were so proud and ill-tempered that all we wanted was their
+fortune; we are not sorry at all to see their pride brought down; let
+them show off their airs to their cows and sheep." But everybody
+pitied poor Beauty, because she was so sweet-tempered and kind to all,
+and several gentlemen offered to marry her, though she had not a
+penny; but Beauty still refused, and said she could not think of
+leaving her poor father in his trouble. At first Beauty could not help
+sometimes crying in secret for the hardships she was now obliged to
+suffer; but in a very short time she said to herself, "All the crying
+in the world will do me no good, so I will try to be happy without a
+fortune."
+
+When they had removed to their cottage the merchant and his three sons
+employed themselves in ploughing and sowing the fields, and working in
+the garden. Beauty also did her part, for she rose by four o'clock
+every morning, lighted the fires, cleaned the house, and got ready the
+breakfast for the whole family. At first she found all this very hard;
+but she soon grew quite used to it, and thought it no hardship;
+indeed, the work greatly benefited her health. When she had done she
+used to amuse herself with reading, playing her music, or singing
+while she spun. But her two sisters were at a loss what to do to pass
+the time away: they had their breakfast in bed, and did not rise till
+ten o'clock. Then they commonly walked out, but always found
+themselves very soon tired, when they would often sit down under a
+shady tree, and grieve for the loss of their carriage and fine
+clothes, and say to each other, "What a mean-spirited, poor, stupid
+creature our young sister is, to be so content with this low way of
+life!" But their father thought differently, and loved and admired his
+youngest child more than ever.
+
+After they had lived in this manner about a year the merchant received
+a letter, which informed him that one of his richest ships, which he
+thought was lost, had just come into port. This news made the two
+eldest sisters almost mad with joy, for they thought they should now
+leave the cottage, and have all their finery again. When they found
+that their father must take a journey to the ship, the two eldest
+begged he would not fail to bring them back some new gowns, caps,
+rings, and all sorts of trinkets. But Beauty asked for nothing; for
+she thought in herself that all the ship was worth would hardly buy
+everything her sisters wished for. "Beauty," said the merchant, "how
+comes it that you ask for nothing? What can I bring you, my child?"
+
+"Since you are so kind as to think of me, dear father," she answered,
+"I should be glad if you would bring me a rose, for we have none in
+our garden." Now Beauty did not indeed wish for a rose, nor anything
+else, but she only said this that she might not affront her sisters;
+otherwise they would have said she wanted her father to praise her for
+desiring nothing. The merchant took his leave of them, and set out on
+his journey; but when he got to the ship some persons went to law with
+him about the cargo, and after a deal of trouble he came back to his
+cottage as poor as he had left it. When he was within thirty miles of
+his home, and thinking of the joy of again meeting his children, he
+lost his way in the midst of a dense forest. It rained and snowed very
+hard, and, besides, the wind was so high as to throw him twice from
+his horse. Night came on, and he feared he should die of cold and
+hunger, or be torn to pieces by the wolves that he heard howling round
+him. All at once he cast his eyes towards a long avenue, and saw at
+the end a light, but it seemed a great way off. He made the best of
+his way towards it, and found that it came from a splendid palace, the
+windows of which were all blazing with light. It had great bronze
+gates, standing wide open, and fine court-yards, through which the
+merchant passed; but not a living soul was to be seen. There were
+stables too, which his poor, starved horse, less scrupulous than
+himself, entered at once, and took a good meal of oats and hay. His
+master then tied him up, and walked towards the entrance-hall, but
+still without seeing a single creature. He went on to a large
+dining-parlor, where he found a good fire, and a table covered with
+some very nice dishes, but only one plate with a knife and fork. As
+the snow and rain had wetted him to the skin, he went up to the fire
+to dry himself. "I hope," said he, "the master of the house or his
+servants will excuse me, for it surely will not be long now before I
+see them." He waited some time, but still nobody came; at last the
+clock struck eleven, and the merchant, being quite faint for the want
+of food, helped himself to a chicken, and to a few glasses of wine,
+yet all the time trembling with fear. He sat till the clock struck
+twelve, and then, taking courage, began to think he might as well look
+about him; so he opened a door at the end of the hall, and went
+through it into a very grand room, in which there was a fine bed; and
+as he was feeling very weary, he shut the door, took off his clothes,
+and got into it.
+
+It was ten o'clock in the morning before he awoke, when he was amazed
+to see a handsome new suit of clothes laid ready for him, instead of
+his own, which were all torn and spoiled. "To be sure," said he to
+himself, "this place belongs to some good fairy, who has taken pity on
+my ill luck." He looked out of the window, and instead of the
+snow-covered wood, where he had lost himself the previous night, he
+saw the most charming arbors covered with all kinds of flowers.
+Returning to the hall where he had supped, he found a breakfast-table,
+ready prepared. "Indeed, my good fairy," said the merchant aloud, "I
+am vastly obliged to you for your kind care of me." He then made a
+hearty breakfast, took his hat, and was going to the stable to pay
+his horse a visit; but as he passed under one of the arbors, which was
+loaded with roses, he thought of what Beauty had asked him to bring
+back to her, and so he took a bunch of roses to carry home. At the
+same moment he heard a loud noise, and saw coming towards him a beast,
+so frightful to look at that he was ready to faint with fear.
+"Ungrateful man!" said the beast, in a terrible voice, "I have saved
+your life by admitting you into my palace, and in return you steal my
+roses, which I value more than anything I possess. But you shall atone
+for your fault: you shall die in a quarter of an hour."
+
+The merchant fell on his knees, and, clasping his hands, said, "Sir, I
+humbly beg your pardon. I did not think it would offend you to gather
+a rose for one of my daughters, who had entreated me to bring her one
+home. Do not kill me, my lord!"
+
+"I am not a lord, but a beast," replied the monster; "I hate false
+compliments, so do not fancy that you can coax me by any such ways.
+You tell me that you have daughters; now I will suffer you to escape
+if one of them will come and die in your stead. If not, promise that
+you will yourself return in three months, to be dealt with as I may
+choose."
+
+The tender-hearted merchant had no thoughts of letting any one of his
+daughters die for his sake; but he knew that if he seemed to accept
+the beast's terms, he should at least have the pleasure of seeing them
+once again. So he gave his promise, and was told he might set off as
+soon as he liked. "But," said the beast, "I do not wish you to go back
+empty-handed. Go to the room you slept in, and you will find a chest
+there; fill it with whatsoever you like best, and I will have it taken
+to your own house for you."
+
+When the beast had said this he went away. The good merchant, left to
+himself, began to consider that as he must die--for he had no thought
+of breaking a promise, made even to a beast--he might as well have the
+comfort of leaving his children provided for. He returned to the room
+he had slept in, and found there heaps of gold pieces lying about. He
+filled the chest with them to the very brim, locked it, and, mounting
+his horse, left the palace as sorrowful as he had been glad when he
+first beheld it. The horse took a path across the forest of his own
+accord, and in a few hours they reached the merchant's house. His
+children came running round him, but, instead of kissing them with
+joy, he could not help weeping as he looked at them. He held in his
+hand the bunch of roses, which he gave to Beauty, saying, "Take these
+roses, Beauty; but little do you think how dear they have cost your
+poor father." And then he gave them an account of all that he had
+seen or heard in the palace of the beast.
+
+The two eldest sisters now began to shed tears, and to lay the blame
+upon Beauty, who, they said, would be the cause of her father's death.
+"See," said they, "what happens from the pride of the little wretch;
+why did not she ask for such things as we did? But, to be sure, miss
+must not be like other people; and though she will be the cause of her
+father's death, yet she does not shed a tear."
+
+"It would be useless," replied Beauty; "for father shall not die. As
+the beast will accept of one of his daughters, I will give myself up,
+and be only too happy to prove my love for the best of fathers."
+
+"No, sister," said the three brothers, with one voice, "that cannot
+be; we will go in search of this monster, and either he or we will
+perish."
+
+"Do not hope to kill him," said the merchant; "his power is far too
+great. But Beauty's young life shall not be sacrificed; I am old, and
+cannot expect to live much longer; so I shall but give up a few years
+of my life, and shall only grieve for the sake of my children."
+
+"Never, father!" cried Beauty; "if you go back to the palace, you
+cannot hinder my going after you; though young, I am not over-fond of
+life; and I would much rather be eaten up by the monster than die of
+grief for your loss."
+
+The merchant in vain tried to reason with Beauty, who still
+obstinately kept to her purpose; which, in truth, made her two sisters
+glad, for they were jealous of her, because everybody loved her.
+
+The merchant was so grieved at the thoughts of losing his child that
+he never once thought of the chest filled with gold, but at night, to
+his great surprise, he found it standing by his bedside. He said
+nothing about his riches to his eldest daughters, for he knew very
+well it would at once make them want to return to town; but he told
+Beauty his secret, and she then said that while he was away two
+gentlemen had been on a visit at their cottage who had fallen in love
+with her two sisters. She entreated her father to marry them without
+delay, for she was so sweet-natured she only wished them to be happy.
+
+Three months went by only too fast, and then the merchant and Beauty
+got ready to set out for the palace of the beast. Upon this the two
+sisters rubbed their eyes with an onion to make believe they were
+crying; both the merchant and his sons cried in earnest. Only Beauty
+shed no tears. They reached the palace in a very few hours, and the
+horse, without bidding, went into the same stable as before. The
+merchant and Beauty walked towards the large hall, where they found a
+table covered with every dainty, and two plates laid ready. The
+merchant had very little appetite; but Beauty, that she might the
+better hide her grief, placed herself at the table, and helped her
+father; she then began to eat herself, and thought all the time that,
+to be sure, the beast had a mind to fatten her before he ate her up,
+since he had provided such good cheer for her. When they had done
+their supper they heard a great noise, and the good old man began to
+bid his poor child farewell, for he knew it was the beast coming to
+them. When Beauty first saw that frightful form she was very much
+terrified, but tried to hide her fear. The creature walked up to her
+and eyed her all over; then asked her, in a dreadful voice, if she had
+come quite of her own accord.
+
+"Yes," said Beauty.
+
+"Then you are a good girl, and I am very much obliged to you."
+
+This was such an astonishingly civil answer that Beauty's courage
+rose; but it sank again when the beast, addressing the merchant,
+desired him to leave the palace next morning, and never return to it
+again. "And so good-night, merchant. And good-night, Beauty."
+
+"Good-night, beast," she answered, as the monster shuffled out of the
+room.
+
+"Ah! my dear child," said the merchant, kissing his daughter, "I am
+half dead already, at the thought of leaving you with this dreadful
+beast; you shall go back and let me stay in your place."
+
+"No," said Beauty, boldly, "I will never agree to that; you must go
+home to-morrow morning."
+
+Then they wished each other good-night and went to bed, both of them
+thinking they should not be able to close their eyes; but as soon as
+ever they had lain down they fell into a deep sleep, and did not awake
+till morning. Beauty dreamed that a lady came up to her, who said: "I
+am very much pleased, Beauty, with the goodness you have shown, in
+being willing to give your life to save that of your father. Do not be
+afraid of anything; you shall not go without a reward."
+
+As soon as Beauty awoke she told her father this dream; but though it
+gave him some comfort, he was a long time before he could be persuaded
+to leave the palace. At last Beauty succeeded in getting him safely
+away.
+
+When her father was out of sight poor Beauty began to weep sorely;
+still, having naturally a courageous spirit, she soon resolved not to
+make her sad case still worse by sorrow, which she knew was vain, but
+to wait and be patient. She walked about to take a view of all the
+palace, and the elegance of every part of it much charmed her.
+
+But what was her surprise when she came to a door on which was written
+BEAUTY'S ROOM! She opened it in haste, and her eyes were dazzled by
+the splendor and taste of the apartment. What made her wonder more
+than all the rest was a large library filled with books, a
+harpsichord, and many pieces of music. "The beast surely does not mean
+to eat me up immediately," said she, "since he takes care I shall not
+be at a loss how to amuse myself." She opened the library, and saw
+these verses written in letters of gold on the back of one of the
+books:
+
+    "Beauteous lady, dry your tears,
+    Here's no cause for sighs or fears.
+    Command as freely as you may,
+    For you command and I obey."
+
+"Alas!" said she, sighing, "I wish I could only command a sight of my
+poor father, and to know what he is doing at this moment." Just then,
+by chance, she cast her eyes on a looking-glass that stood near her,
+and in it she saw a picture of her old home, and her father riding
+mournfully up to the door. Her sisters came out to meet him, and
+although they tried to look sorry, it was easy to see that in their
+hearts they were very glad. In a short time all this picture
+disappeared, but it caused Beauty to think that the beast, besides
+being very powerful, was also very kind. About the middle of the day
+she found a table laid ready for her, and a sweet concert of music
+played all the time she was dining, without her seeing anybody. But at
+supper, when she was going to seat herself at table, she heard the
+noise of the beast, and could not help trembling with fear.
+
+"Beauty," said he, "will you give me leave to see you sup?"
+
+"That is as you please," answered she, very much afraid.
+
+"Not in the least," said the beast; "you alone command in this place.
+If you should not like my company you need only say so, and I will
+leave you that moment. But tell me, Beauty, do you not think me very
+ugly?"
+
+"Why, yes," said she, "for I cannot tell a falsehood; but then I
+think you are very good."
+
+"Am I?" sadly replied the beast; "yet, besides being ugly, I am also
+very stupid: I know well enough that I am but a beast."
+
+"Very stupid people," said Beauty, "are never aware of it themselves."
+
+At which kindly speech the beast looked pleased, and replied, not
+without an awkward sort of politeness, "Pray do not let me detain you
+from supper, and be sure that you are well served. All you see is your
+own, and I should be deeply grieved if you wanted for anything."
+
+"You are very kind--so kind that I almost forgot you are so ugly,"
+said Beauty, earnestly.
+
+"Ah! yes," answered the beast, with a great sigh; "I hope I am
+good-tempered, but still I am only a monster."
+
+"There is many a monster who wears the form of a man; it is better of
+the two to have the heart of a man and the form of a monster."
+
+"I would thank you, Beauty, for this speech, but I am too senseless to
+say anything that would please you," returned the beast, in a
+melancholy voice; and altogether he seemed so gentle and so unhappy
+that Beauty, who had the tenderest heart in the world, felt her fear
+of him gradually vanish.
+
+She ate her supper with a good appetite, and conversed in her own
+sensible and charming way, till at last, when the beast rose to
+depart, he terrified her more than ever by saying, abruptly, in his
+gruff voice, "Beauty, will you marry me?"
+
+Now Beauty, frightened as she was, would speak only the exact truth;
+besides, her father had told her that the beast liked only to have the
+truth spoken to him. So she answered, in a very firm tone, "No,
+beast."
+
+He did not go into a passion, or do anything but sigh deeply, and
+depart.
+
+When Beauty found herself alone she began to feel pity for the poor
+beast. "Oh!" said she, "what a sad thing it is that he should be so
+very frightful, since he is so good-tempered!"
+
+Beauty lived three months in this palace very well pleased. The beast
+came to see her every night, and talked with her while she supped; and
+though what he said was not very clever, yet, as she saw in him every
+day some new goodness, instead of dreading the time of his coming, she
+soon began continually looking at her watch, to see if it were nine
+o'clock; for that was the hour when he never failed to visit her. One
+thing only vexed her, which was that every night before he went away
+he always made it a rule to ask her if she would be his wife, and
+seemed very much grieved at her steadfastly replying "No." At last,
+one night, she said to him, "You wound me greatly, beast, by forcing
+me to refuse you so often; I wish I could take such a liking to you as
+to agree to marry you, but I must tell you plainly that I do not think
+it will ever happen. I shall always be your friend, so try to let that
+content you."
+
+"I must," sighed the beast, "for I know well enough how frightful I
+am; but I love you better than myself. Yet I think I am very lucky in
+your being pleased to stay with me; now promise me, Beauty, that you
+will never leave me."
+
+Beauty would almost have agreed to this, so sorry was she for him, but
+she had that day seen in her magic glass, which she looked at
+constantly, that her father was dying of grief for her sake.
+
+"Alas!" she said, "I long so much to see my father that if you do not
+give me leave to visit him I shall break my heart."
+
+"I would rather break mine, Beauty," answered the beast; "I will send
+you to your father's cottage, you shall stay there, and your poor
+beast shall die of sorrow."
+
+"No," said Beauty, crying, "I love you too well to be the cause of
+your death; I promise to return in a week. You have shown me that my
+sisters are married, and my brothers are gone for soldiers, so that my
+father is left all alone. Let me stay a week with him."
+
+"You shall find yourself with him to-morrow morning," replied the
+beast; "but mind, do not forget your promise. When you wish to return
+you have nothing to do but to put your ring on a table when you go to
+bed. Good-bye, Beauty!" The beast sighed as he said these words, and
+Beauty went to bed very sorry to see him so much grieved. When she
+awoke in the morning she found herself in her father's cottage. She
+rang a bell that was at her bedside, and a servant entered; but as
+soon as she saw Beauty the woman gave a loud shriek; upon which the
+merchant ran up-stairs, and when he beheld his daughter he ran to her
+and kissed her a hundred times. At last Beauty began to remember that
+she had brought no clothes with her to put on; but the servant told
+her she had just found in the next room a large chest full of dresses,
+trimmed all over with gold, and adorned with pearls and diamonds.
+
+Beauty, in her own mind, thanked the beast for his kindness, and put
+on the plainest gown she could find among them all. She then desired
+the servant to lay the rest aside, for she intended to give them to
+her sisters; but, as soon as she had spoken these words, the chest was
+gone out of sight in a moment. Her father then suggested perhaps the
+beast chose for her to keep them all for herself; and as soon as he
+had said this, they saw the chest standing again in the same place.
+While Beauty was dressing herself a servant brought word to her that
+her sisters were come with their husbands to pay her a visit. They
+both lived unhappily with the gentlemen they had married. The husband
+of the eldest was very handsome, but was so proud of this that he
+thought of nothing else from morning till night, and did not care a
+pin for the beauty of his wife. The second had married a man of great
+learning; but he made no use of it, except to torment and affront all
+his friends, and his wife more than any of them. The two sisters were
+ready to burst with spite when they saw Beauty dressed like a
+princess, and looking so very charming. All the kindness that she
+showed them was of no use; for they were vexed more than ever when she
+told them how happy she lived at the palace of the beast. The spiteful
+creatures went by themselves into the garden, where they cried to
+think of her good-fortune.
+
+"Why should the little wretch be better off than we?" said they. "We
+are much handsomer than she is."
+
+"Sister," said the eldest, "a thought has just come into my head: Let
+us try to keep her here longer than the week for which the beast gave
+her leave, and then he will be so angry that perhaps when she goes
+back to him he will eat her up in a moment."
+
+"That is well thought of," answered the other, "but to do this we must
+pretend to be very kind."
+
+They then went to join her in the cottage, where they showed her so
+much false love that Beauty could not help crying for joy.
+
+When the week was ended the two sisters began to pretend such grief at
+the thought of her leaving them that she agreed to stay a week more;
+but all that time Beauty could not help fretting for the sorrow that
+she knew her absence would give her poor beast; for she tenderly
+loved him, and much wished for his company again. Among all the grand
+and clever people she saw she found nobody who was half so sensible,
+so affectionate, so thoughtful, or so kind. The tenth night of her
+being at the cottage she dreamed she was in the garden of the palace,
+that the beast lay dying on a grass-plot, and with his last breath put
+her in mind of her promise, and laid his death to her forsaking him.
+Beauty awoke in a great fright, and burst into tears. "Am not I
+wicked," said she, "to behave so ill to a beast who has shown me so
+much kindness? Why will not I marry him? I am sure I should be more
+happy with him than my sisters are with their husbands. He shall not
+be wretched any longer on my account; for I should do nothing but
+blame myself all the rest of my life."
+
+She then rose, put her ring on the table, got into bed again, and soon
+fell asleep. In the morning she with joy found herself in the palace
+of the beast. She dressed herself very carefully, that she might
+please him the better, and thought she had never known a day pass away
+so slowly. At last the clock struck nine, but the beast did not come.
+Beauty, dreading lest she might truly have caused his death, ran from
+room to room, calling out, "Beast, dear beast!" but there was no
+answer. At last she remembered her dream, rushed to the grass-plot,
+and there saw him lying apparently dead beside the fountain.
+Forgetting all his ugliness, she threw herself upon his body, and,
+finding his heart still beat, she fetched some water and sprinkled it
+over him, weeping and sobbing the while.
+
+The beast opened his eyes. "You forgot your promise, Beauty, and so I
+determined to die; for I could not live without you. I have starved
+myself to death, but I shall die content since I have seen your face
+once more."
+
+"No, dear beast," cried Beauty, passionately, "you shall not die; you
+shall live to be my husband! I thought it was only friendship I felt
+for you, but now I know it was love."
+
+The moment Beauty had spoken these words the palace was suddenly
+lighted up, and all kinds of rejoicings were heard around them, none
+of which she noticed, but hung over her dear beast with the utmost
+tenderness. At last, unable to restrain herself, she dropped her head
+over her hands, covered her eyes, and cried for joy; and, when she
+looked up again, the beast was gone. In his stead she saw at her feet
+a handsome, graceful young prince, who thanked her with the tenderest
+expressions for having freed him from enchantment.
+
+"But where is my poor beast? I only want him and nobody else," sobbed
+Beauty.
+
+    [Illustration: She saw at her feet a handsome, graceful young
+      prince]
+
+"I am he," replied the prince. "A wicked fairy condemned me to this
+form, and forbade me to show that I had any wit or sense till a
+beautiful lady should consent to marry me. You alone, dearest Beauty,
+judged me neither by my looks nor by my talents, but by my heart
+alone. Take it, then, and all that I have besides, for all is yours."
+
+Beauty, full of surprise, but very happy, suffered the prince to lead
+her to his palace, where she found her father and sisters, who had
+been brought there by the fairy-lady whom she had seen in a dream the
+first night she came.
+
+"Beauty," said the fairy, "you have chosen well, and you have your
+reward, for a true heart is better than either good looks or clever
+brains. As for you, ladies," and she turned to the two elder sisters,
+"I know all your ill deeds, but I have no worse punishment for you
+than to see your sister happy. You shall stand as statues at the door
+of her palace, and when you repent of and have amended your faults,
+you shall become women again. But, to tell you the truth, I very much
+fear you will remain statues forever."
+
+
+
+
+LITTLE SNOWDROP
+
+
+Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow
+fell like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window set in an
+ebony frame, and sewed. While she was sewing and watching the snow
+fall, she pricked her finger with her needle, and three drops of blood
+dropped on the snow. And because the crimson looked so beautiful on
+the white snow, she thought: "Oh that I had a child as white as snow,
+as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this ebony frame!"
+
+Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, who was as white as snow,
+as red as blood, and had hair as black as ebony. And when the child
+was born the queen died.
+
+After a year had gone by the king took another wife. She was a
+handsome lady, but proud and haughty, and could not endure that any
+one should surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful mirror, and
+whenever she walked up to it, and looked at herself in it, she said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+Then the mirror replied:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Thou art the fairest of them all."
+
+And she was satisfied, for she knew the mirror always told the truth.
+But Snowdrop grew ever taller and fairer, and at seven years old was
+beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. So
+once, when the queen asked of her mirror:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+it answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, you are grand and tall,
+    But Snowdrop is fairest of you all."
+
+Then the queen was startled, and turned yellow and green with envy.
+From that hour she so hated Snowdrop, that she burned with secret
+wrath whenever she saw the maiden. Pride and envy grew apace like
+weeds in her heart, till she had no rest day or night. So she called a
+huntsman and said: "Take the child out in the forest, for I will
+endure her no longer in my sight. Kill her, and bring me her lungs and
+liver as tokens that you have done it."
+
+The huntsman obeyed, and led the child away; but when he had drawn his
+hunting-knife, and was about to pierce Snowdrop's innocent heart, she
+began to weep, and said: "Ah! dear huntsman, spare my life, and I
+will run deep into the wild forest, and never more come home."
+
+The huntsman took pity on her, because she looked so lovely, and said,
+"Run away then, poor child!" ("The wild beasts will soon make an end
+of thee," he thought.) But it seemed as if a stone had been rolled
+from his heart because he had avoided taking her life; and as a little
+bear came by just then, he killed it, took out its liver and lungs,
+and carried them as tokens to the queen. She made the cook dress them
+with salt, and then the wicked woman ate them, and thought she had
+eaten Snowdrop's lungs and liver. The poor child was now all alone in
+the great forest, and she felt frightened as she looked at all the
+leafy trees, and knew not what to do. So she began to run, and ran
+over the sharp stones, and through the thorns; and the wild beasts
+passed close to her, but did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet
+could carry her, and when evening closed in, she saw a little house,
+and went into it to rest herself. Everything in the house was very
+small, but I cannot tell you how pretty and clean it was.
+
+There stood a little table, covered with a white tablecloth, on which
+were seven little plates (each little plate with its own little
+spoon)--also seven little knives and forks, and seven little cups.
+Round the walls stood seven little beds close together, with sheets as
+white as snow. Snowdrop being so hungry and thirsty, ate a little of
+the vegetables and bread on each plate, and drank a drop of wine from
+every cup, for she did not like to empty one entirely.
+
+Then, being very tired, she laid herself down in one of the beds, but
+could not make herself comfortable, for one was too long, and another
+too short. The seventh, luckily, was just right; so there she stayed,
+said her prayers, and fell asleep.
+
+When it was grown quite dark, home came the masters of the house,
+seven dwarfs, who delved and mined for iron among the mountains. They
+lighted their seven candles, and as soon as there was a light in the
+kitchen, they saw that some one had been there, for it was not quite
+so orderly as they had left it.
+
+The first said, "Who has been sitting on my stool?"
+
+The second, "Who has eaten off my plate?"
+
+The third, "Who has taken part of my loaf?"
+
+The fourth, "Who has touched my vegetables?"
+
+The fifth, "Who has used my fork?"
+
+The sixth, "Who has cut with my knife?"
+
+The seventh, "Who has drunk out of my little cup?"
+
+Then the first dwarf looked about, and saw that there was a slight
+hollow in his bed, so he asked, "Who has been lying in my little bed?"
+
+The others came running, and each called out, "Some one has also been
+lying in my bed."
+
+But the seventh, when he looked in his bed, saw Snowdrop there, fast
+asleep. He called the others, who flocked round with cries of
+surprise, fetched their seven candles, and cast the light on Snowdrop.
+
+"Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!" and were so pleased
+that they would not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed.
+The seventh dwarf slept with all his companions in turn, an hour with
+each, and so they spent the night. When it was morning Snowdrop woke
+up, and was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. They were very
+friendly, however, and inquired her name.
+
+"Snowdrop," answered she.
+
+"How have you found your way to our house?" further asked the dwarfs.
+
+So she told them how her stepmother had tried to kill her, how the
+huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day
+through, till at last she had found their little house.
+
+Then the dwarfs said, "If thou wilt keep our house, cook, make the
+beds, wash, sew and knit, and make all neat and clean, thou canst stay
+with us and shalt want for nothing."
+
+"I will, right willingly," said Snowdrop. So she dwelt with them, and
+kept their house in order. Every morning they went out among the
+mountains, to seek iron and gold, and came home ready for supper in
+the evening.
+
+The maiden being left alone all day long, the good dwarfs warned her,
+saying, "Beware of thy wicked stepmother, who will soon find out that
+thou art here; take care that thou lettest nobody in."
+
+    [Illustration: "Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!"]
+
+The queen, however, after having, as she thought, eaten Snowdrop's
+lungs and liver, had no doubt that she was again the first and fairest
+woman in the world; so she walked up to her mirror, and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+The mirror replied:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
+
+She trembled, knowing that the mirror never told a falsehood; she felt
+sure that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still
+alive. She pondered once more, late and early, early and late, how
+best to kill Snowdrop; for envy gave her no rest, day or night, while
+she herself was not the fairest lady in the land. When she had planned
+what to do she painted her face, dressed herself like an old
+pedler-woman, and altered her appearance so much that no one could
+have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven hills to
+where the seven dwarfs dwelt, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good
+wares, cheap!--very cheap!"
+
+Snowdrop looked out of the window and cried, "Good-morning, good
+woman. What have you to sell?"
+
+"Good wares, smart wares," answered the queen--"bodice laces of all
+colors;" and drew out one which was woven of colored silk.
+
+"I may surely let this honest dame in!" thought Snowdrop; so she
+unfastened the door, and bought for herself the pretty lace.
+
+"Child," said the old woman, "what a figure thou art! Let me lace thee
+for once properly." Snowdrop feared no harm, so stepped in front of
+her, and allowed her bodice to be fastened up with the new lace.
+
+But the old woman laced so quick and laced so tight that Snowdrop's
+breath was stopped, and she fell down as if dead. "Now I am fairest at
+last," said the old woman to herself, and sped away.
+
+The seven dwarfs came home soon after, at eventide, but how alarmed
+were they to find their poor Snowdrop lifeless on the ground! They
+lifted her up, and, seeing that she was laced too tightly, cut the
+lace of her bodice; she began to breathe faintly, and slowly returned
+to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, "The old
+pedler-woman was none other than the wicked queen. Be careful of
+thyself, and open the door to no one if we are not at home."
+
+The cruel stepmother walked up to her mirror when she reached home,
+and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+To which it answered, as usual:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
+
+When she heard this she was so alarmed that all the blood rushed to
+her heart, for she saw plainly that Snowdrop was still alive.
+
+"This time," said she, "I will think of some means that shall destroy
+her utterly;" and with the help of witchcraft, in which she was
+skilful, she made a poisoned comb. Then she changed her dress and took
+the shape of another old woman.
+
+Again she crossed the seven hills to the home of the seven dwarfs,
+knocked at the door, and cried, "Good wares, very cheap!"
+
+Snowdrop looked out and said, "Go away--I dare let no one in."
+
+"You may surely be allowed to look!" answered the old woman, and she
+drew out the poisoned comb and held it up. The girl was so pleased
+with it that she let herself be cajoled, and opened the door.
+
+When the bargain was struck the dame said, "Now let me dress your hair
+properly for once." Poor Snowdrop took no heed, and let the old woman
+begin; but the comb had scarcely touched her hair before the poison
+worked, and she fell down senseless.
+
+"Paragon of beauty!" said the wicked woman, "all is over with thee
+now," and went away.
+
+Luckily it was near evening, and the seven dwarfs soon came home. When
+they found Snowdrop lifeless on the ground they at once distrusted her
+stepmother. They searched, and found the poisoned comb; and as soon as
+they had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself, and told them what
+had happened. Again they warned her to be careful, and open the door
+to no one.
+
+The queen placed herself before the mirror at home and said:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+But it again answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here, you are fairest of them all;
+    But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
+    Lives Snowdrop, fairer a thousandfold."
+
+When she heard the mirror speak thus she quivered with rage. "Snowdrop
+shall die," she cried, "if it costs my own life!"
+
+Then she went to a secret and lonely chamber, where no one ever
+disturbed her, and compounded an apple of deadly poison. Ripe and rosy
+cheeked, it was so beautiful to look upon that all who saw it longed
+for it; but it brought death to any who should eat it. When the apple
+was ready she painted her face, disguised herself as a peasant-woman,
+and journeyed over the seven hills to where the seven dwarfs dwelt. At
+the sound of the knock Snowdrop put her head out of the window, and
+said, "I cannot open the door to anybody, for the seven dwarfs have
+forbidden me to do so."
+
+"Very well," replied the peasant-woman; "I only want to be rid of my
+apples. Here, I will give you one of them!"
+
+"No," said Snowdrop, "I dare not take it."
+
+"Art thou afraid of being poisoned?" asked the old woman. "Look here;
+I will cut the apple in two, and you shall eat the rosy side, and I
+the white."
+
+Now the fruit was so cunningly made that only the rosy side was
+poisoned. Snowdrop longed for the pretty apple; and when she saw the
+peasant-woman eating it she could resist no longer, but stretched out
+her hand and took the poisoned half. She had scarcely tasted it when
+she fell lifeless to the ground.
+
+The queen, laughing loudly, watched her with a barbarous look, and
+cried: "Oh, thou who art white as snow, red as blood, and black as
+ebony, the seven dwarfs cannot awaken thee this time!"
+
+And when she asked the mirror at home,
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+the mirror at last replied,
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall.
+    You are the fairest of them all."
+
+So her envious heart had as much repose as an envious heart can ever
+know.
+
+When the dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snowdrop lying
+breathless and motionless on the ground. They lifted her up, searched
+whether she had anything poisonous about her, unlaced her, combed her
+hair, washed her with water and with wine; but all was useless, for
+they could not bring the darling back to life. They laid her on a
+bier, and all the seven placed themselves round it, and mourned for
+her three long days. Then they would have buried her, but that she
+still looked so fresh and lifelike, and had such lovely rosy cheeks.
+"We cannot lower her into the dark earth," said they; and caused a
+transparent coffin of glass to be made, so that she could be seen on
+all sides, and laid her in it, writing her name outside in letters of
+gold, which told that she was the daughter of a king. Then they placed
+the coffin on the mountain above, and one of them always stayed by it
+and guarded it. But there was little need to guard it, for even the
+wild animals came and mourned for Snowdrop: the birds likewise--first
+an owl, and then a raven, and afterwards a dove.
+
+Long, long years did Snowdrop lay in her coffin unchanged, looking as
+though asleep, for she was still white as snow, red as blood, and her
+hair was as black as ebony. At last the son of a king chanced to
+wander into the forest, and came to the dwarf's house for a night's
+shelter. He saw the coffin on the mountain with the beautiful Snowdrop
+in it, and read what was written there in letters of gold. Then he
+said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin! I will give you whatever
+you like to ask for it."
+
+But the dwarfs answered, "We would not part with it for all the gold
+in the world."
+
+He said again, "Yet give it me; for I cannot live without seeing
+Snowdrop, and though she is dead, I will prize and honor her as my
+beloved."
+
+Then the good dwarfs took pity on him, and gave him the coffin. The
+prince had it borne away by his servants. They happened to stumble
+over a bush, and the shock forced the bit of poisoned apple which
+Snowdrop had tasted out of her throat. Immediately she opened her
+eyes, raised the coffin-lid, and sat up alive once more. "Oh, heaven!"
+cried she, "where am I?"
+
+The prince answered, joyfully. "Thou art with me," and told her what
+had happened, saying, "I love thee more dearly than anything else in
+the world. Come with me to my father's castle, and be my wife."
+
+Snowdrop, well pleased, went with him, and they were married with much
+state and grandeur.
+
+The wicked stepmother was invited to the feast. Richly dressed, she
+stood before the mirror, and asked of it:
+
+    "Little glass upon the wall,
+    Who is fairest among us all?"
+
+The mirror answered:
+
+    "Lady queen, so grand and tall,
+    Here, you are fairest among them all;
+    But the young queen over the mountains old
+    Is fairer than you a thousandfold."
+
+The evil-hearted woman uttered a curse, and could scarcely endure her
+anguish. She first resolved not to attend the wedding, but curiosity
+would not allow her to rest. She determined to travel, and see who
+that young queen could be, who was the most beautiful in all the
+world. When she came, and found that it was Snowdrop alive again, she
+stood petrified with terror and despair. Then two iron shoes, heated
+burning hot, were drawn out of the fire with a pair of tongs, and laid
+before her feet. She was forced to put them on, and to go and dance at
+Snowdrop's wedding--dancing, dancing on these red hot shoes till she
+fell down dead.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
+
+
+Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house
+of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
+one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.
+They had each a pot for their porridge, a little pot for the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear; and a
+great pot for the Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a chair to sit
+in; a little chair for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized
+chair for the Middle Bear; and a great chair for the Great, Huge Bear.
+And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized bed for the Middle Bear; and a
+great bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
+
+One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and
+poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood
+while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths
+by beginning too soon to eat it. And while they were walking a little
+old woman came to the house. She could not have been a good, honest
+old woman; for, first, she looked in at the window, and then she
+peeped in at the key-hole; and, seeing nobody in the house, she lifted
+the latch. The door was not fastened, because the bears were good
+bears, who did nobody any harm, and never suspected that anybody would
+harm them. So the little old woman opened the door and went in, and
+well pleased she was when she saw the porridge on the table. If she
+had been a good little old woman she would have waited till the bears
+came home, and then, perhaps, they would have asked her to breakfast;
+for they were good bears--a little rough or so, as the manner of bears
+is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But she was an
+impudent, bad old woman, and set about helping herself.
+
+So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, and that was
+too hot for her; and she said a bad word about that. And then she
+tasted the porridge of the Middle Bear, and that was too cold for her;
+and she said a bad word about that, too. And then she went to the
+porridge of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and tasted that, and that was
+neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well
+that she ate it all up; but the naughty old woman said a bad word
+about the little porridge-pot, because it did not hold enough for her.
+
+Then the little old woman sate down in the chair of the Great, Huge
+Bear, and that was too hard for her. And then she sate down in the
+chair of the Middle Bear, and that was too soft for her. And then she
+sate down in the chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was
+neither too hard nor too soft, but just right. So she seated herself
+in it, and there she sate till the bottom of the chair came out, and
+down came she, plump upon the ground. And the naughty old woman said a
+wicked word about that, too.
+
+Then the little old woman went up-stairs into the bedchamber in which
+the three bears slept. And first she lay down upon the bed of the
+Great, Huge Bear; but that was too high at the head for her. And next
+she lay down upon the bed of the Middle Bear; and that was too high at
+the foot for her. And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little,
+Small, Wee Bear; and that was neither too high at the head nor at the
+foot, but just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay
+there till she fell fast asleep.
+
+By this time the three bears thought their porridge would be cool
+enough, so they came home to breakfast. Now the little old woman had
+left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his porridge.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. And when
+the Middle Bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in
+it, too. They were wooden spoons; if they had been silver ones the
+naughty old woman would have put them in her pocket.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been At My Porridge!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked at his, and there was the
+spoon in the porridge-pot, but the porridge was all gone.
+
+    "_Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all
+    up!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+Upon this the three bears, seeing that some one had entered their
+house, and eaten up the Little, Small, Wee Bear's breakfast, began to
+look about them. Now the little old woman had not put the hard cushion
+straight when she rose from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
+
+And the little old woman had squatted down the soft cushion of the
+Middle Bear.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been Sitting In My Chair!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+And you know what the little old woman had done to the third chair.
+
+    "_Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sate
+    the bottom of it out!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+Then the three bears thought it necessary that they should make
+further search, so they went up-stairs into their bedchamber. Now the
+little old woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of
+its place.
+
+    "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!"
+
+said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
+
+And the little old woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle Bear
+out of its place.
+
+    "Somebody Has Been Lying in My Bed!"
+
+said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
+
+And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there
+was the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the
+bolster, and upon the pillow was the little old woman's ugly, dirty
+head--which was not in its place, for she had no business there.
+
+    "_Somebody has been lying in my bed--and here she is!_"
+
+said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
+
+    [Illustration: The voice of the little, small, wee bear awakened
+      her at once]
+
+The little old woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff
+voice of the Great, Huge Bear; but she was so fast asleep that it was
+no more to her than the roaring of wind or the rumbling of thunder.
+And she had heard the middle voice of the Middle Bear, but it was
+only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when she
+heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, it
+was so sharp and so shrill that it awakened her at once. Up she
+started; and when she saw the Three Bears on one side of the bed she
+tumbled herself out at the other and ran to the window. Now the window
+was open, because the bears, like good, tidy bears as they were,
+always opened their bedchamber window when they got up in the morning.
+Out the little old woman jumped; and whether she broke her neck in the
+fall, or ran into the wood and was lost there, or found her way out of
+the wood and was taken up by the constable and sent to the House of
+Correction for a vagrant as she was, I cannot tell. But the Three
+Bears never saw anything more of her.
+
+    From "The Green Fairy Book," edited by Andrew Lang, by
+    the courtesy of Longmans, Green & Co.
+
+
+
+
+SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED
+
+
+A poor widow lived alone in a little cottage, in front of which was a
+garden, where stood two little rose-trees: one bore white roses, the
+other red. The widow had two children who resembled the two
+rose-trees: one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red. They
+were two of the best children that ever lived; but Snow-white was
+quieter and more gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red liked best to jump
+about in the meadows, to look for flowers and catch butterflies; but
+Snow-white sat at home with her mother, helped her in the house, or
+read to her when there was nothing else to do. The two children loved
+one another so much that they always walked hand in hand; and when
+Snow-white said, "We will not forsake one another," Rose-red answered,
+"Never, as long as we live;" and the mother added, "Yes, my children,
+whatever one has, let her divide with the other." They often ran about
+in solitary places, and gathered red berries; and the wild creatures
+of the wood never hurt them, but came confidingly up to them. The
+little hare ate cabbage-leaves out of their hands, the doe grazed at
+their side, the stag sprang merrily past them, and the birds remained
+sitting on the boughs, and never ceased their songs. They met with no
+accident if they loitered in the wood and night came on; they lay down
+together on the moss, and slept till morning; and the mother knew
+this, and was in no anxiety about them. Once, when they had spent the
+night in the wood, and the red morning awoke them, they saw a
+beautiful child, in a shining white dress, sitting by the place where
+they had slept, who, arising, and looking at them kindly, said
+nothing, but went into the wood. And when they looked round they found
+out that they had been sleeping close to a precipice, and would
+certainly have fallen down it if they had gone a few steps farther in
+the dark. Their mother told them it must have been the angel that
+takes care of good children who had sat by them all night long.
+
+Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's cottage so clean that it
+was a pleasure to look into it. In the summer Rose-red managed the
+house, and every morning she gathered a nosegay in which was a rose
+off each tree, and set it by her mother's bed before she awoke. In
+winter Snow-white lighted the fire, and hung the kettle on the hook;
+and though it was only copper it shone like gold, it was rubbed so
+clean. In the evening, when the snow fell, the mother said, "Go,
+Snow-white, and bolt the door;" and then they seated themselves on the
+hearth, and the mother took her spectacles, and read aloud out of a
+great book, and the two girls listened, and sat and span. Near them
+lay a lamb on the floor, and behind them, on a perch, sat a white
+dove, with its head under its wing.
+
+One evening, as they were thus happy together, some one knocked to be
+let in. The mother said, "Quick, Rose-red, open the door; perhaps it
+is a traveller who seeks shelter." Rose-red went and pushed the bolt
+back, and thought it was a poor man; but a bear stretched his thick
+black head into the door. Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the
+little lamb bleated, the little dove fluttered about, and Snow-white
+hid herself behind her mother's bed. However, the bear began to speak,
+and said, "Do not be frightened, I will do you no harm; I am half
+frozen, and only want to warm myself a little."
+
+"You poor bear," said the mother, "lay yourself down before the fire,
+only take care your fur does not burn." Then she called out:
+"Snow-white and Rose-red, come out; the bear will not hurt you--he
+means honestly by us." Then they both came out, and, by degrees, the
+lamb and the dove also approached, and ceased to be afraid. The bear
+said, "Children, knock the snow a little out of my fur;" and they
+fetched a broom, and swept the bear's skin clean; and he stretched
+himself before the fire and growled softly, like a bear that was quite
+happy and comfortable. In a short time they all became quite friendly
+together, and the children played tricks with the awkward guest. They
+pulled his hair, set their feet on his back, and rolled him here and
+there; or took a hazel rod and beat him, and when he growled they
+laughed. The bear was very much pleased with this frolic, only, when
+they became too mischievous, he called out: "Children, leave me alone.
+
+    "Little Snow-white and Rose-red,
+    You will strike your lover dead."
+
+When bedtime came, and the others went to sleep, the mother said to
+the bear: "You can lie there on the hearth, and then you will be
+sheltered from the cold and the bad weather." At daybreak the two
+children let him out, and he trotted over the snow into the wood.
+Henceforward the bear came every evening at the same hour, laid
+himself on the hearth, and allowed the children to play with him as
+much as they liked; and they became so used to him that the door was
+never bolted until their black companion had arrived. When spring
+came, and everything was green out-of-doors, the bear said one morning
+to Snow-white: "Now I must go away, and may not come again the whole
+summer."
+
+"Where are you going, dear Bear?" asked Snow-white.
+
+"I must go into the wood, and guard my treasures from the bad dwarfs;
+in winter, when the ground is frozen hard, they have to stay
+underneath, and cannot work their way through, but now that the sun
+has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through, come up, seek,
+and steal; what is once in their hands, and lies in their caverns,
+does not come so easily into daylight again." Snow-white was quite
+sorrowful at parting, and as she unbolted the door for him, and the
+bear ran out, the hook of the door caught him, and a piece of his skin
+tore off; it seemed to Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining
+through, but she was not sure. But the bear ran quickly away, and soon
+disappeared behind the trees.
+
+After some time, their mother sent the children into the wood to
+collect fagots. They found there a large tree, which had been cut down
+and lay on the ground, and by the trunk something was jumping up and
+down, but they could not tell what it was. As they came nearer they
+saw that it was a dwarf with an old withered face, and a snow-white
+beard a yard long. The end of the beard was stuck fast in a cleft in
+the tree, and the little fellow jumped about like a dog on a rope, and
+did not know how to help himself. He stared at the girls with his
+fiery red eyes, and screamed out: "Why do you stand there? Can't you
+come and render me some assistance?"
+
+"What is the matter with you, little man?" asked Rose-red.
+
+"Stupid little goose!" answered the dwarf; "I wanted to chop the tree,
+so as to have some small pieces of wood for the kitchen; we only want
+little bits; with thick logs the small quantity of food that we cook
+for ourselves--we are not, like you, great greedy people--burns
+directly. I had driven the wedge well in, and it was all going on
+right, but the detestable wood was too smooth, and sprang out
+unexpectedly; and the tree closed up so quickly that I could not pull
+my beautiful white beard out; now it is sticking there, and I can't
+get away. There, you foolish, soft, milk-faces, you are laughing and
+crying out: 'How ugly you are! how ugly you are!'"
+
+The children took a great deal of trouble, but they could not pull the
+beard out; it stuck too fast.
+
+"I will run and fetch somebody," said Rose-red.
+
+"You great ninny!" snarled the dwarf, "to want to call more people;
+you are too many for me now. Can't you think of anything better?"
+
+"Only don't be impatient," said Snow-white. "I have thought of
+something;" and she took her little scissors out of her pocket, and
+cut the end of the beard off.
+
+As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he seized a sack filled with
+gold that was sticking between the roots of the tree; pulling it out,
+he growled to himself: "You rude people, to cut off a piece of my
+beautiful beard! May evil reward you!" Then he threw his sack over his
+shoulders, and walked away without once looking at the children.
+
+Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red wished to catch some fish
+for dinner. As they came near to the stream they saw that something
+like a grasshopper was jumping towards the water, as if it were going
+to spring in. They ran on and recognized the dwarf.
+
+"Where are you going?" asked Rose-red. "You don't want to go into the
+water?"
+
+"I am not such a fool as that," cried the dwarf. "Don't you see the
+detestable fish wants to pull me in?"
+
+The little fellow had been sitting there fishing, and, unluckily, the
+wind had entangled his beard with the line. When directly afterwards a
+great fish bit at his hook the weak creature could not pull him out,
+so the fish was pulling the dwarf into the water. It is true he caught
+hold of all the reeds and rushes, but that did not help him much; he
+had to follow all the movements of the fish, and was in imminent
+danger of being drowned. The girls, coming at the right time, held him
+fast and tried to get the beard loose from the line, but in
+vain--beard and line were entangled fast together. There was nothing
+to do but to pull out the scissors and to cut off the beard, in doing
+which a little piece of it was lost. When the dwarf saw that, he cried
+out: "Is that manners, you goose! to disfigure one's face so? Is it
+not enough that you once cut my beard shorter? But now you have cut
+the best part of it off, I dare not be seen by my people. I wish you
+had had to run, and had lost the soles of your shoes!" Then he fetched
+a sack of pearls that lay among the rushes, and, without saying a word
+more, he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone.
+
+Soon after the mother sent the two girls to the town to buy cotton,
+needles, cord, and tape. The road led them by a heath, scattered over
+which lay great masses of rock. There they saw a large bird hovering
+in the air; it flew round and round just above them, always sinking
+lower and lower, and at last it settled down by a rock not far
+distant. Directly after they heard a piercing, wailing cry. They ran
+up, and saw with horror that the eagle had seized their old
+acquaintance, the dwarf, and was going to carry him off. The
+compassionate children instantly seized hold of the little man, held
+him fast, and struggled so long that the eagle let his prey go.
+
+When the dwarf had recovered from his first fright, he called out, in
+his shrill voice: "Could not you deal rather more gently with me? You
+have torn my thin coat all in tatters, awkward, clumsy creatures that
+you are!" Then he took a sack of precious stones, and slipped behind
+the rock again into his den. The girls, who were used to his
+ingratitude, went on their way, and completed their business in the
+town. As they were coming home again over the heath they surprised the
+dwarf, who had emptied his sack of precious stones on a little clean
+place, and had not thought that any one would come by there so late.
+The evening sun shone on the glittering stones, which looked so
+beautiful in all their colors that the children could not help
+standing still to gaze.
+
+"Why do you stand there gaping?" cried the dwarf, his ash-colored
+face turning vermilion with anger.
+
+With these cross words he was going away when he heard a loud roaring,
+and a black bear trotted out of the woods towards them. The dwarf
+sprang up terrified, but he could not get to his lurking-hole
+again--the bear was already close upon him. Then he called out in
+anguish:
+
+"Dear Mr. Bear, spare me, and you shall have all my treasures; look at
+the beautiful precious stones that lie there. Give me my life; for
+what do you want with a poor thin little fellow like me? You would
+scarcely feel me between your teeth. Rather seize those two wicked
+girls; they will be tender morsels for you, as fat as young quails;
+pray, eat them at once."
+
+The bear, without troubling himself to answer, gave the malicious
+creature one single stroke with his paw, and he did not move again.
+The girls had run away, but the bear called after them: "Snow-white
+and Rose-red, do not be frightened; wait, I will go with you."
+Recognizing the voice of their old friend, they stood still, and when
+the bear came up to them his skin suddenly fell off; and behold he was
+not a bear, but a handsome young man dressed all in gold.
+
+"I am a king's son," said he; "I was changed by the wicked dwarf, who
+had stolen all my treasures, into a wild bear, and obliged to run
+about in the wood until I should be freed by his death. Now he has
+received his well-deserved punishment."
+
+So they all went home together to the widow's cottage, and Snow-white
+was married to the prince and Rose-red to his brother. They divided
+between them the great treasures which the dwarf had amassed. The old
+mother lived many quiet and happy years with her children; but when
+she left her cottage for the palace she took the two rose-trees with
+her, and they stood before her window and bore every year the most
+beautiful roses--one white and the other red.
+
+
+
+
+THE WILD SWANS
+
+
+Far away, where the swallows take refuge in winter, lived a king who
+had eleven sons and one daughter, Elise. The eleven brothers--they
+were all princes--used to go to school with stars on their breasts and
+swords at their sides. They wrote upon golden slates with diamond
+pencils, and could read just as well without a book as with one, so
+there was no mistake about their being real princes. Their sister
+Elise sat upon a little footstool of looking-glass, and she had a
+picture-book which had cost the half of a kingdom. Oh, these children
+were very happy; but it was not to last thus forever.
+
+Their father, who was king over all the land, married a wicked queen
+who was not at all kind to the poor children; they found that out on
+the first day. All was festive at the castle, but when the children
+wanted to play at having company, instead of having as many cakes and
+baked apples as ever they wanted, she would only let them have some
+sand in a tea-cup, and said they must make-believe.
+
+In the following week she sent little Elise into the country to board
+with some peasants, and it did not take her long to make the king
+believe so many bad things about the boys that he cared no more about
+them.
+
+"Fly out into the world and look after yourselves," said the wicked
+queen; "you shall fly about like birds without voices."
+
+But she could not make things as bad for them as she would have liked;
+they turned into eleven beautiful wild swans. They flew out of the
+palace window with a weird scream, right across the park and the
+woods.
+
+It was very early in the morning when they came to the place where
+their sister Elise was sleeping in the peasant's house. They hovered
+over the roof of the house, turning and twisting their long necks, and
+flapping their wings; but no one either heard or saw them. They had to
+fly away again, and they soared up towards the clouds, far out into
+the wide world, and they settled in a big, dark wood, which stretched
+right down to the shore.
+
+Poor little Elise stood in the peasant's room, playing with a green
+leaf, for she had no other toys. She made a little hole in it, which
+she looked through at the sun, and it seemed to her as if she saw her
+brothers' bright eyes. Every time the warm sunbeams shone upon her
+cheek it reminded her of their kisses. One day passed just like
+another. When the wind whistled through the rose-hedges outside the
+house, it whispered to the roses: "Who can be prettier than you are?"
+But the roses shook their heads and answered: "Elise!" And when the
+old woman sat in the doorway reading her Psalms the wind turned over
+the leaves and said to the book: "Who can be more pious than you?"
+"Elise!" answered the book. Both the roses and the book of Psalms only
+spoke the truth.
+
+She was to go home when she was fifteen, but when the queen saw how
+pretty she was she got very angry, and her heart was filled with
+hatred. She would willingly have turned her into a wild swan too, like
+her brothers, but she did not dare to do it at once, for the king
+wanted to see his daughter. The queen always went to the bath in the
+early morning. It was built of marble, and adorned with soft cushions
+and beautiful carpets.
+
+She took three toads, kissed them, and said to the first: "Sit upon
+Elise's head when she comes to the bath, so that she may become
+sluggish like yourself." "Sit upon her forehead," she said to the
+second, "that she may become ugly like you, and then her father won't
+know her! Rest upon her heart," she whispered to the third. "Let an
+evil spirit come over her, which may be a burden to her." Then she put
+the toads into the clean water, and a green tinge immediately came
+over it. She called Elise, undressed her, and made her go into the
+bath; when she ducked under the water, one of the toads got among her
+hair, the other got onto her forehead, and the third onto her bosom.
+But when she stood up three scarlet poppies floated on the water; had
+not the creatures been poisonous, and kissed by the sorceress, they
+would have been changed into crimson roses, but yet they became
+flowers from merely having rested a moment on her head and her heart.
+She was far too good and innocent for the sorcery to have any power
+over her. When the wicked queen saw this she rubbed her over with
+walnut juice, and smeared her face with some evil-smelling salve. She
+also matted up her beautiful hair; it would have been impossible to
+recognize pretty Elise. When her father saw her, he was quite
+horrified, and said that she could not be his daughter. Nobody would
+have anything to say to her, except the yard dog and the swallows, and
+they were only poor dumb animals whose opinion went for nothing.
+
+Poor Elise wept, and thought of her eleven brothers who were all lost.
+She crept sadly out of the palace and wandered about all day, over
+meadows and marshes, and into a big forest. She did not know in the
+least where she wanted to go, but she felt very sad, and longed for
+her brothers, who, no doubt, like herself had been driven out of the
+palace. She made up her mind to go and look for them, but she had only
+been in the wood for a short time when night fell. She had quite lost
+her way, so she lay down upon the soft moss, said her evening prayer,
+and rested her head on a little hillock. It was very still and the air
+was mild; hundreds of glow-worms shone around her on the grass and in
+the marsh like green fire. When she gently moved one of the branches
+over her head the little shining insects fell over her like a shower
+of stars. She dreamed about her brothers all night long. Again they
+were children playing together: they wrote upon the golden slates with
+their diamond pencils, and she looked at the picture-book which had
+cost half a kingdom. But they no longer wrote strokes and noughts upon
+their slates as they used to do; no, they wrote down all their boldest
+exploits, and everything that they had seen and experienced.
+Everything in the picture-book was alive, the birds sang, and the
+people walked out of the book, and spoke to Elise and her brothers.
+When she turned over a page they skipped back into their places again,
+so that there should be no confusion among the pictures.
+
+When she woke the sun was already high; it is true she could not see
+it very well through the thick branches of the lofty forest trees, but
+the sunbeams cast a golden shimmer around beyond the forest. There was
+a fresh, delicious scent of grass and herbs in the air, and the birds
+were almost ready to perch upon her shoulders. She could hear the
+splashing of water, for there were many springs around, which all
+flowed into a pond with a lovely sandy bottom. It was surrounded with
+thick bushes, but there was one place which the stags had trampled
+down, and Elise passed through the opening to the water side. It was
+so transparent that had not the branches been moved by the breeze she
+must have thought that they were painted on the bottom, so plainly was
+every leaf reflected, both those on which the sun played, and those
+which were in shade.
+
+When she saw her own face she was quite frightened, it was so brown
+and ugly; but when she wet her little hand and rubbed her eyes and
+forehead her white skin shone through again. Then she took off all her
+clothes and went into the fresh water. A more beautiful royal child
+than she could not be found in all the world.
+
+When she had put on her clothes again and plaited her long hair she
+went to a sparkling spring, and drank some of the water out of the
+hollow of her hand. Then she wandered farther into the wood, though
+where she was going she had not the least idea. She thought of her
+brothers, and she thought of a merciful God who would not forsake
+her. He let the wild crab-apples grow to feed the hungry. He showed
+her a tree, the branches of which were bending beneath their weight of
+fruit. Here she made her midday meal, and, having put props under the
+branches, she walked on into the thickest part of the forest. It was
+so quiet that she heard her own footsteps; she heard every little
+withered leaf which bent under her feet. Not a bird was to be seen,
+not a ray of sunlight pierced the leafy branches, and the tall trunks
+were so close together that when she looked before her it seemed as if
+a thick fence of heavy beams hemmed her in on every side. The solitude
+was such as she had never known before.
+
+It was a very dark night, not a single glow-worm sparkled in the
+marsh; sadly she lay down to sleep, and it seemed to her as if the
+branches above her parted asunder, and the Saviour looked down upon
+her with His loving eyes, and little angels' heads peeped out above
+His head and under His arms.
+
+When she woke in the morning she was not sure if she had dreamed this,
+or whether it was really true.
+
+She walked a little farther, when she met an old woman with a basket
+full of berries, of which she gave her some. Elise asked if she had
+seen eleven princes ride through the wood. "No," said the old woman,
+"but yesterday I saw eleven swans, with golden crowns upon their
+heads, swimming in the stream close by here."
+
+She led Elise a little farther to a slope, at the foot of which the
+stream meandered. The trees on either bank stretched out their rich,
+leafy branches towards each other, and where, from their natural
+growth, they could not reach each other, they had torn their roots out
+of the ground, and leaned over the water so as to interlace their
+branches.
+
+Elise said good-bye to the old woman and walked along by the river
+till it flowed out into the great open sea.
+
+The beautiful open sea lay before the maiden, but not a sail was to be
+seen on it--not a single boat. How was she ever to get any farther?
+She looked at the numberless little pebbles on the beach; they were
+all worn quite round by the water. Glass, iron, stone, whatever was
+washed up, had taken their shapes from the water, which yet was much
+softer than her little hand. "With all its rolling, it is untiring,
+and everything hard is smoothed down. I will be just as untiring!
+Thank you for your lesson, you clear rolling waves! Some time, so my
+poor heart tells me, you will bear me to my beloved brothers!"
+
+Eleven white swans' feathers were lying on the sea-weed; she picked
+them up and made a bunch of them. There were still drops of water on
+them. Whether these were dew or tears no one could tell. It was very
+lonely there by the shore, but she did not feel it, for the sea was
+ever changing. There were more changes on it in the course of a few
+hours than could be seen on an inland fresh-water lake in a year. If a
+big black cloud arose it was just as if the sea wanted to say, "I can
+look black too," and then the wind blew up and the waves showed their
+white crests. But if the clouds were red and the wind dropped, the sea
+looked like a rose-leaf, now white, now green. But, however still it
+was, there was always a little gentle motion just by the shore; the
+water rose and fell softly, like the bosom of a sleeping child.
+
+When the sun was just about to go down, Elise saw eleven wild swans
+with golden crowns upon their heads flying towards the shore. They
+flew in a swaying line, one behind the other, like a white ribbon
+streamer. Elise climbed up onto the bank and hid behind a bush; the
+swans settled close by her and flapped their great white wings.
+
+As soon as the sun had sunk beneath the water the swans shed their
+feathers and became eleven handsome princes; they were Elise's
+brothers. Although they had altered a good deal, she knew them at
+once; she felt that they must be her brothers, and she sprang into
+their arms, calling them by name. They were delighted when they
+recognized their little sister who had grown so big and beautiful.
+They laughed and cried, and told each other how wickedly their
+stepmother had treated them all.
+
+"We brothers," said the eldest, "have to fly about in the guise of
+swans, as long as the sun is above the horizon. When it goes down we
+regain our human shapes. So we always have to look out for a
+resting-place near sunset, for should we happen to be flying up among
+the clouds when the sun goes down we should be hurled to the depths
+below. We do not live here; there is another land, just as beautiful
+as this, beyond the sea; but the way to it is very long, and we have
+to cross the mighty ocean to get to it. There is not a single island
+on the way where we can spend the night; only one solitary little rock
+juts up above the water midway. It is only just big enough for us to
+stand upon close together, and if there is a heavy sea the water
+splashes over us, yet we thank our God for it. We stay there over
+night in our human forms, and without it we could never revisit our
+beloved Fatherland, for our flight takes two of the longest days in
+the year. We are only permitted to visit the home of our fathers once
+a year, and we dare only stay for eleven days. We hover over this big
+forest from whence we catch a glimpse of the palace where we were
+born, and where our father lives; beyond it we can see the high
+church towers where our mother is buried. We fancy that the trees and
+bushes here are related to us; and the wild horses gallop over the
+moors, as we used to see them in our childhood. The charcoal burners
+still sing the old songs we used to dance to when we were children.
+This is our Fatherland, we are drawn towards it, and here we have
+found you again, dear little sister! We may stay here two days longer,
+and then we must fly away again across the ocean to a lovely country
+indeed, but it is not our own dear Fatherland. How shall we ever take
+you with us! We have neither ship nor boat!"
+
+"How can I deliver you!" said their sister, and they went on talking
+to each other nearly all night; they only dozed for a few hours.
+
+Elise was awakened in the morning by the rustling of the swans' wings
+above her; her brothers were again transformed, and were wheeling
+round in great circles till she lost sight of them in the distance.
+One of them, the youngest, stayed behind. He laid his head against her
+bosom, and she caressed it with her fingers. They remained together
+all day. Towards evening the others came back, and as soon as the sun
+went down they took their natural forms.
+
+"To-morrow we must fly away, and we dare not come back for a whole
+year, but we can't leave you like this! Have you courage to go with
+us? My arm is strong enough to carry you over the forest, so surely
+our united strength ought to be sufficient to bear you across the
+ocean."
+
+"Oh yes; take me with you," said Elise.
+
+They spent the whole night in weaving a kind of net of the elastic
+bark of the willow bound together with tough rushes; they made it both
+large and strong. Elise lay down upon it, and when the sun rose and
+the brothers became swans again they took up the net in their bills
+and flew high up among the clouds with their precious sister, who was
+fast asleep. The sunbeams fell straight onto her face, so one of the
+swans flew over her head so that its broad wings should shade her.
+
+They were far from land when Elise woke; she thought she must still be
+dreaming, it seemed so strange to be carried through the air so high
+up above the sea. By her side lay a branch of beautiful ripe berries
+and a bundle of savory roots which her youngest brother had collected
+for her, and for which she gave him a grateful smile. She knew it was
+he who flew above her head shading her from the sun. They were so high
+up that the first ship they saw looked like a gull floating on the
+water. A great cloud came up behind them like a mountain, and Elise
+saw the shadow of herself on it, and those of the eleven swans
+looking like giants. It was a more beautiful picture than any she had
+ever seen before, but as the sun rose higher, the cloud fell behind,
+and the shadow picture disappeared.
+
+They flew on and on all day like an arrow whizzing through the air,
+but they went slower than usual, for now they had their sister to
+carry. A storm came up, and night was drawing on; Elise saw the sun
+sinking with terror in her heart, for the solitary rock was nowhere to
+be seen. The swans seemed to be taking stronger strokes than ever;
+alas! she was the cause of their not being able to get on faster; as
+soon as the sun went down they would become men, and they would all be
+hurled into the sea and drowned. She prayed to God from the bottom of
+her heart, but still no rock was to be seen! Black clouds gathered,
+and strong gusts of wind announced a storm; the clouds looked like a
+great threatening leaden wave, and the flashes of lightning followed
+each other rapidly.
+
+The sun was now at the edge of the sea. Elise's heart quaked, when
+suddenly the swans shot downward so suddenly that she thought they
+were falling then they hovered again. Half of the sun was below the
+horizon, and there for the first time she saw the little rock below,
+which did not look bigger than the head of a seal above the water. The
+sun sank very quickly, it was no bigger than a star, but her foot
+touched solid earth. The sun went out like the last sparks of a bit of
+burning paper; she saw her brothers stand arm in arm around her, but
+there was only just room enough for them. The waves beat upon the rock
+and washed over them like drenching rain. The heavens shone with
+continuous fire, and the thunder rolled, peal upon peal. But the
+sister and brothers held one another's hands and sang a psalm which
+gave them comfort and courage.
+
+The air was pure and still at dawn. As soon as the sun rose the swans
+flew off with Elise, away from the islet. The sea still ran high; it
+looked from where they were as if the white foam on the dark green
+water were millions of swans floating on the waves.
+
+    [Illustration: Elise saw an ice palace, with one bold colonnade
+      built above another]
+
+When the sun rose higher Elise saw before her, half floating in the
+air, great masses of ice, with shining glaciers on the heights. A
+palace was perched midway a mile in length, with one bold colonnade
+built above another. Beneath them swayed palm-trees and gorgeous
+blossoms as big as mill wheels. She asked if this was the land to
+which she was going, but the swans shook their heads, because what she
+saw was a mirage--the beautiful and ever-changing palace of Fata
+Morgana. No mortal dared enter it. Elise gazed at it; but as she gazed
+the palace, gardens, and mountains melted away, and in their place
+stood twenty proud churches with their high towers and pointed
+windows. She seemed to hear the notes of the organ, but it was the sea
+she heard. When she got close to the seeming churches they changed to
+a great navy sailing beneath her; but it was only a sea mist passing
+before her eyes, and now she saw the real land she was bound to.
+Beautiful blue mountains rose before her with their cedar woods and
+palaces. Long before the sun went down she sat among the hills in
+front of a big cave covered with delicate green creepers. It looked
+like a piece of embroidery.
+
+"Now we shall see what you will dream here to-night," said the
+youngest brother, as he showed her where she was to sleep.
+
+"If only I might dream how I could deliver you," she said, and this
+thought filled her mind entirely. She prayed earnestly to God for His
+help, and even in her sleep she continued her prayer. It seemed to her
+that she was flying up to Fata Morgana in her castle in the air. The
+fairy came towards her; she was charming and brilliant, and yet she
+was very like the old woman who gave her the berries in the wood and
+told her about the swans with the golden crowns.
+
+"Your brothers can be delivered," she said; "but have you courage and
+endurance enough for it? The sea is indeed softer than your hands, and
+it molds the hardest stones; but it does not feel the pain your
+fingers will feel. It has no heart, and does not suffer the pain and
+anguish you must feel. Do you see this stinging nettle I hold in my
+hand? Many of this kind grow round the cave where you sleep; only
+these and the ones which grow in the church-yards may be used. Mark
+that! Those you may pluck, although they will burn and blister your
+hands. Crush the nettles with your feet and you will have flax, and of
+this you must weave eleven coats of mail with long sleeves. Throw
+these over the eleven wild swans and the charm is broken! But remember
+that from the moment you begin this work till it is finished, even if
+it takes years, you must not utter a word! The first word you say will
+fall like a murderer's dagger into the hearts of your brothers. Their
+lives hang on your tongue. Mark this well!"
+
+She touched her hand at the same moment--it was like burning fire--and
+woke Elise. It was bright daylight, and close to where she slept lay a
+nettle like those in her dream. She fell upon her knees with thanks to
+God, and left the cave to begin her work.
+
+She seized the horrid nettles with her delicate hands, and they burnt
+like fire; great blisters rose on her hands and arms, but she
+suffered it willingly if only it would deliver her beloved brothers.
+She crushed every nettle with her bare feet, and twisted it into green
+flax.
+
+When the sun went down and the brothers came back they were alarmed at
+finding her mute; they thought it was some new witchcraft exercised by
+their wicked stepmother. But when they saw her hands they understood
+that it was for their sakes; the youngest brother wept, and wherever
+his tears fell she felt no more pain and the blisters disappeared.
+
+She spent the whole night at her work, for she could not rest till she
+had delivered her dear brothers. All the following day while her
+brothers were away she sat solitary, but never had the time flown so
+fast. One coat of mail was finished, and she began the next. Then a
+hunting-horn sounded among the mountains; she was much frightened;
+the sound came nearer, and she heard dogs barking. In terror she
+rushed into the cave, and tied the nettles she had collected and woven
+into a bundle, upon which she sat.
+
+At this moment a big dog bounded forward from the thicket, and another
+and another; they barked loudly, and ran backward and forward. In a
+few minutes all the huntsmen were standing outside the cave, and the
+handsomest of them was the king of the country. He stepped up to
+Elise; never had he seen so lovely a girl.
+
+"How came you here, beautiful child?" he said.
+
+Elise shook her head; she dared not speak; the salvation and the lives
+of her brothers depended upon her silence. She hid her hands under her
+apron, so that the king should not see what she suffered.
+
+"Come with me," he said; "you cannot stay here. If you are as good as
+you are beautiful I will dress you in silks and velvets, put a golden
+crown upon your head, and you shall live with me and have your home in
+my richest palace!" Then he lifted her upon his horse: she wept and
+wrung her hands, but the king said: "I only think of your happiness;
+you will thank me one day for what I am doing!" Then he darted off
+across the mountains, holding her before him on his horse, and the
+huntsmen followed.
+
+When the sun went down the royal city with churches and cupolas lay
+before them, and the king led her into the palace, where great
+fountains played in the marble halls, and where walls and ceilings
+were adorned with paintings; but she had no eyes for them, she only
+wept and sorrowed. Passively she allowed the women to dress her in
+royal robes, to twist pearls into her hair, and to draw gloves onto
+her blistered hands.
+
+She was dazzlingly lovely as she stood there in all her magnificence;
+the courtiers bent low before her, and the king wooed her as his
+bride, although the archbishop shook his head, and whispered that he
+feared the beautiful wood maiden was a witch who had dazzled their
+eyes and infatuated the king.
+
+The king refused to listen to him; he ordered the music to play, the
+richest food to be brought, and the loveliest girls to dance before
+her. She was led through scented gardens into gorgeous apartments, but
+nothing brought a smile to her lips or into her eyes; sorrow sat there
+like a heritage and a possession for all time. Last of all, the king
+opened the door of a little chamber close by the room where she was to
+sleep. It was adorned with costly green carpets, and made to exactly
+resemble the cave where he found her. On the floor lay the bundle of
+flax she had spun from the nettles, and from the ceiling hung the
+shirt of mail which was already finished. One of the huntsmen had
+brought all these things away as curiosities.
+
+"Here you may dream that you are back in your former home!" said the
+king. "Here is the work upon which you were engaged; in the midst of
+your splendor, it may amuse you to think of those times."
+
+When Elise saw all those things so dear to her heart, a smile for the
+first time played about her lips, and the blood rushed back to her
+cheeks. She thought of the deliverance of her brothers, and she kissed
+the king's hand; he pressed her to his heart, and ordered all the
+church bells to ring marriage peals. The lovely dumb girl from the
+woods was to be queen of the country.
+
+The archbishop whispered evil words into the ear of the king, but they
+did not reach his heart. The wedding was to take place, and the
+archbishop himself had to put the crown upon her head. In his anger
+he pressed the golden circlet so tightly upon her head as to give her
+pain. But a heavier circlet pressed upon her heart--her grief for her
+brothers; so she thought nothing of the bodily pain. Her lips were
+sealed, a single word from her mouth would cost her brothers their
+lives, but her eyes were full of love for the good and handsome king,
+who did everything he could to please her. Every day she grew more and
+more attached to him, and longed to confide in him, tell him her
+sufferings; but dumb she must remain, and in silence must bring her
+labor to completion. Therefore at night she stole away from his side
+into her secret chamber, which was decorated like a cave, and here she
+knitted one shirt after another. When she came to the seventh all her
+flax was worked up; she knew that these nettles which she was to use
+grew in the church-yard, but she had to pluck them herself. How was
+she to get there? "Oh, what is the pain of my fingers compared with
+the anguish of my heart?" she thought. "I must venture out; the good
+God will not desert me!" With as much terror in her heart as if she
+were doing some evil deed she stole down one night into the moonlit
+garden, and through the long alleys out into the silent streets to the
+church-yard. There she saw, sitting on a gravestone, a group of
+hideous ghouls, who took off their tattered garments, as if they were
+about to bathe, and then they dug down into the freshly made graves
+with their skinny fingers, and tore the flesh from the bodies and
+devoured it. Elise had to pass close by them, and they fixed their
+evil eyes upon her; but she said a prayer as she passed, picked the
+stinging nettles, and hurried back to the palace with them.
+
+Only one person saw her, but that was the archbishop, who watched
+while others slept. Surely now all his bad opinions of the queen were
+justified; all was not as it should be with her; she must be a witch,
+and therefore she had bewitched the king and all the people.
+
+He told the king in the confessional what he had seen and what he
+feared. When those bad words passed his lips the pictures of the
+saints shook their heads as if to say: It is not so; Elise is
+innocent. The archbishop, however, took it differently, and thought
+that they were bearing witness against her, and shaking their heads at
+her sin. Two big tears rolled down the king's cheeks, and he went home
+with doubt in his heart. He pretended to sleep at night, but no quiet
+sleep came to his eyes. He perceived how Elise got up and went to her
+private closet. Day by day his face grew darker; Elise saw it, but
+could not imagine what was the cause of it. It alarmed her, and what
+was she not already suffering in her heart because of her brothers?
+Her salt tears ran down upon the royal purple velvet, they lay upon
+it like sparkling diamonds, and all who saw their splendor wished to
+be queen.
+
+She had, however, almost reached the end of her labors, only one shirt
+of mail was wanting; but again she had no more flax, and not a single
+nettle was left. Once more, for the last time, she must go to the
+church-yard to pluck a few handfuls. She thought with dread of the
+solitary walk and the horrible ghouls, but her will was as strong as
+her trust in God.
+
+Elise went, but the king and the archbishop followed her; they saw her
+disappear within the grated gateway of the church-yard. When they
+followed they saw the ghouls sitting on the gravestone as Elise had
+see them before; and the king turned away his head because he thought
+she was among them--she, whose head this very evening had rested on
+his breast.
+
+"The people must judge her," he groaned, and the people judged. "Let
+her be consumed in the glowing flames!"
+
+She was led away from her beautiful royal apartments to a dark, damp
+dungeon, where the wind whistled through the grated window. Instead of
+velvet and silk, they gave her the bundle of nettles she had gathered
+to lay her head upon. The hard, burning shirts of mail were to be her
+covering, but they could have given her nothing more precious.
+
+She set to work again, with many prayers to God. Outside her prison
+the street boys sang derisive songs about her, and not a soul
+comforted her with a kind word.
+
+Towards evening she heard the rustle of swans' wings close to her
+window; it was her youngest brother; at last he had found her. He
+sobbed aloud with joy, although he knew that the coming night might be
+her last; but then her work was almost done, and her brothers were
+there.
+
+The archbishop came to spend his last hours with her, as he had
+promised the king. She shook her head at him, and by looks and
+gestures begged him to leave her. She had only this night in which to
+finish her work, or else all would be wasted, all--her pain, tears,
+and sleepless nights. The archbishop went away with bitter words
+against her, but poor Elise knew that she was innocent, and she went
+on with her work.
+
+The little mice ran about the floor bringing nettles to her feet, so
+as to give what help they could, and a thrush sat on the grating of
+the window where he sang all night as merrily as he could to keep up
+her courage.
+
+It was still only dawn and the sun would not rise for an hour when the
+eleven brothers stood at the gate of the palace, begging to be taken
+to the king. This could not be done was the answer, for it was still
+night; the king was asleep, and no one dared wake him. All their
+entreaties and threats were useless; the watch turned out, and even
+the king himself came to see what was the matter; but just then the
+sun rose, and no more brothers were to be seen--only eleven wild swans
+hovering over the palace.
+
+The whole populace streamed out of the town gates; they were all
+anxious to see the witch burned. A miserable horse drew the cart in
+which Elise was seated. They had put upon her a smock of green
+sacking, and all her beautiful long hair hung loose from the lovely
+head. Her cheeks were deathly pale, and her lips moved softly, while
+her fingers unceasingly twisted the green yarn. Even on the way to her
+death she could not abandon her unfinished work. Ten shirts lay
+completed at her feet; she labored away at the eleventh amid the
+scoffing insults of the populace.
+
+"Look at the witch; how she mutters! She has never a book of psalms
+in her hands; no, there she sits with her loathsome sorcery. Tear it
+away from her into a thousand bits!"
+
+The crowd pressed around her to destroy her work, but just then eleven
+white swans flew down and perched upon the cart flapping their wings.
+The crowd gave way before them in terror.
+
+"It is a sign from Heaven! She is innocent!" they whispered, but they
+dared not say it aloud.
+
+The executioner seized her by the hand. But she hastily threw the
+eleven shirts over the swans, who were immediately transformed to
+eleven handsome princes; but the youngest had a swan's wing in place
+of an arm, for one sleeve was wanting to his shirt of mail; she had
+not been able to finish it.
+
+"Now I may speak! I am innocent."
+
+The populace who saw what had happened bowed down before her as if
+she had been a saint, but she sank lifeless in her brother's arms, so
+great had been the strain, the terror, and the suffering she had
+endured.
+
+"Yes, innocent she is indeed," said the eldest brother, and he told
+them all that had happened.
+
+While he spoke a wonderful fragrance spread around as of millions of
+roses. Every fagot in the pile had taken root and shot out branches,
+and a great high hedge of red roses had arisen. At the very top was
+one pure white blossom; it shone like a star, and the king broke it
+off and laid it on Elise's bosom, and she woke with joy and peace in
+her heart.
+
+All the church bells began to ring of their own accord, and the
+singing birds flocked around them. Surely such a bridal procession
+went back to the palace as no king had ever seen before!
+
+
+
+
+ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP
+
+
+There once lived a poor tailor who had a son called Aladdin, a
+careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the
+streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father
+that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin
+did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as
+usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he was not the son of
+Mustapha the tailor. "I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long
+while ago." On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician,
+fell on his neck and kissed him, saying: "I am your uncle, and knew
+you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I
+am coming." Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found
+uncle. "Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother, but I
+always thought he was dead." However, she prepared supper, and bade
+Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He
+presently fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit,
+bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him
+before, as he had been forty years out of the country. He then turned
+to Aladdin, and asked him his trade, at which the boy hung his head,
+while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle
+and would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock
+it with merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes
+and took him all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought
+him home at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son
+so fine.
+
+Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a long
+way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain, and the
+magician pulled a cake from his girdle which he divided between them.
+They then journeyed onward till they almost reached the mountains.
+Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back, but the magician
+beguiled him with pleasant stories, and led him on in spite of
+himself. At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow
+valley. "We will go no farther," said the false uncle. "I will show
+you something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a
+fire." When it was lit the magician threw on it a powder he had about
+him, at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a
+little and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone
+with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run
+away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him
+down. "What have I done, uncle?" he said, piteously; whereupon the
+magician said more kindly: "Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this
+stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch
+it, so you must do exactly as I tell you." At the word "treasure"
+Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring as he was told, saying
+the names of his father and grandfather. The stone came up quite
+easily, and some steps appeared. "Go down," said the magician; "at the
+foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three
+large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching
+anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden of
+fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where
+stands a lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains, and bring it me."
+He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him
+prosper.
+
+Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some fruit
+off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the
+cave. The magician cried out in a great hurry: "Make haste and give me
+the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until he was out of the cave.
+The magician flew into a terrible passion, and throwing some more
+powder onto the fire, he said something, and the stone rolled back
+into its place.
+
+The magician left Persia forever, which plainly showed that he was no
+uncle of Aladdin's, but a cunning magician, who had read in his magic
+books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most powerful man
+in the world. Though he alone knew where to find it, he could only
+receive it from the hand of another. He had picked out the foolish
+Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the lamp and kill him
+afterwards.
+
+    [Illustration: "I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee in
+      all things"]
+
+For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting. At
+last he clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring,
+which the magician had forgotten to take from him. Immediately an
+enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying: "What
+wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee
+in all things." Aladdin fearlessly replied: "Deliver me from this
+place!" whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside. As
+soon as his eyes could bear the light he went home, but fainted on the
+threshold. When he came to himself he told his mother what had passed,
+and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden,
+which were in reality precious stones. He then asked for some food.
+"Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun
+a little cotton and will go and sell it." Aladdin bade her keep her
+cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was very dirty she
+began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price. Instantly a
+hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted
+away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly: "Fetch me
+something to eat!" The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve
+silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups, and two bottles
+of wine. Aladdin's mother, when she came to herself, said: "Whence
+comes this splendid feast?" "Ask not, but eat," replied Aladdin. So
+they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin told his
+mother about the lamp. She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to
+do with devils. "No," said Aladdin, "since chance hath made us aware
+of its virtues, we will use it, and the ring likewise, which I shall
+always wear on my finger." When they had eaten all the genie had
+brought Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on until none
+were left. He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set
+of plates, and thus they lived for many years.
+
+One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that every
+one was to stay at home and close his shutters while the Princess, his
+daughter, went to and from the bath. Aladdin was seized by a desire to
+see her face, which was very difficult, as she always went veiled. He
+hid himself behind the door of the bath and peeped through a chink.
+The Princess lifted her veil as she went in, and looked so beautiful
+that Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight. He went home so
+changed that his mother was frightened. He told her he loved the
+Princess so deeply that he could not live without her, and meant to
+ask her in marriage of her father. His mother, on hearing this, burst
+out laughing, but Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to go before the
+Sultan and carry his request. She fetched a napkin and laid in it the
+magic fruits from the enchanted garden, which sparkled and shone like
+the most beautiful jewels. She took these with her to please the
+Sultan, and set out, trusting in the lamp. The Grand Vizier and the
+lords of council had just gone in as she entered the hall and placed
+herself in front of the Sultan. He, however, took no notice of her.
+She went every day for a week, and stood in the same place. When the
+council broke up on the sixth day the Sultan said to his Vizier: "I
+see a certain woman in the audience-chamber every day carrying
+something in a napkin. Call her next time, that I may find out what
+she wants." Next day, at a sign from the Vizier, she went up to the
+foot of the throne and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her:
+"Rise, good woman, and tell me what you want." She hesitated, so the
+Sultan sent away all but the Vizier, and bade her speak freely,
+promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she might say. She
+then told him of her son's violent love for the Princess. "I prayed
+him to forget her," she said, "but in vain; he threatened to do some
+desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the hand of
+the Princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone, but my son
+Aladdin." The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin,
+whereupon she unfolded the jewels and presented them. He was
+thunderstruck, and turning to the Vizier said: "What sayest thou?
+Ought I not to bestow the Princess on one who values her at such a
+price?" The Vizier, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan
+to withhold her for three months, in the course of which he hoped his
+son would contrive to make him a richer present. The Sultan granted
+this, and told Aladdin's mother that, though he consented to the
+marriage, she must not appear before him again for three months.
+
+Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had
+elapsed his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found every one
+rejoicing, and asked what was going on. "Do you not know," was the
+answer, "that the son of the Grand Vizier is to marry the Sultan's
+daughter to-night?" Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was
+overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp. He
+rubbed it, and the genie appeared, saying: "What is thy will?" Aladdin
+replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me,
+and the Vizier's son is to have the Princess. My command is that
+to-night you bring hither the bride and bridegroom." "Master, I
+obey," said the genie. Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure
+enough, at midnight the genie transported the bed containing the
+Vizier's son and the Princess. "Take this new-married man," he said,
+"and put him outside in the cold, and return at daybreak." Whereupon
+the genie took the Vizier's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the
+Princess. "Fear nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my wife,
+promised to me by your unjust father, and no harm shall come to you."
+The Princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most
+miserable night of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and
+slept soundly. At the appointed hour the genie fetched in the
+shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place, and transported the bed
+back to the palace.
+
+Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning. The
+unhappy Vizier's son jumped up and hid himself, while the Princess
+would not say a word, and was very sorrowful. The Sultan sent her
+mother to her, who said: "How comes it, child, that you will not speak
+to your father? What has happened?" The Princess sighed deeply, and at
+last told her mother how, during the night, the bed had been carried
+into some strange house, and what had passed there. Her mother did not
+believe her in the least, but bade her rise and consider it an idle
+dream.
+
+The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning,
+on the Princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off
+her head. She then confessed all, bidding him ask the Vizier's son if
+it were not so. The Sultan told the Vizier to ask his son, who owned
+the truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the Princess, he had rather
+die than go through another such fearful night, and wished to be
+separated from her. His wish was granted, and there was an end of
+feasting and rejoicing.
+
+When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind the
+Sultan of his promise. She stood in the same place as before, and the
+Sultan, who had forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered him, and sent
+for her. On seeing her poverty the Sultan felt less inclined than ever
+to keep his word, and asked his Vizier's advice, who counselled him to
+set so high a value on the Princess that no man living could come up
+to it. The Sultan then turned to Aladdin's mother, saying: "Good
+woman, a sultan must remember his promises, and I will remember mine,
+but your son must first send me forty basins of gold brimful of
+jewels, carried by forty black slaves, led by as many white ones,
+splendidly dressed. Tell him that I await his answer." The mother of
+Aladdin bowed low and went home, thinking all was lost. She gave
+Aladdin the message, adding: "He may wait long enough for your
+answer!" "Not so long, mother, as you think," her son replied. "I
+would do a great deal more than that for the Princess." He summoned
+the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves arrived, and filled
+up the small house and garden. Aladdin made them set out to the palace
+two and two, followed by his mother. They were so richly dressed, with
+such splendid jewels in their girdles, that every one crowded to see
+them and the basins of gold they carried on their heads. They entered
+the palace, and, after kneeling before the Sultan, stood in a
+half-circle round the throne with their arms crossed, while Aladdin's
+mother presented them to the Sultan. He hesitated no longer, but said:
+"Good woman, return and tell your son that I wait for him with open
+arms." She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him make haste.
+But Aladdin first called the genie. "I want a scented bath," he said,
+"a richly embroidered habit, a horse surpassing the Sultan's, and
+twenty slaves to attend me. Besides this, six slaves, beautifully
+dressed, to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten thousand pieces of gold
+in ten purses." No sooner said than done, Aladdin mounted his horse
+and passed through the streets, the slaves strewing gold as they went.
+Those who had played with him in his childhood knew him not, he had
+grown so handsome. When the Sultan saw him he came down from his
+throne, embraced him, and led him into a hall where a feast was
+spread, intending to marry him to the Princess that very day. But
+Aladdin refused, saying: "I must build a palace fit for her," and took
+his leave. Once home, he said to the genie: "Build me a palace of the
+finest marble, set with jasper, agate, and other precious stones. In
+the middle you shall build me a large hall with a dome, its four
+walls of massy gold and silver, each side having six windows, whose
+lattices, all except one which is to be unfinished, must be set with
+diamonds and rubies. There must be stables and horses and grooms and
+slaves; go and see about it!"
+
+The palace was finished by next day, and the genie carried him there
+and showed him all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the
+laying of a velvet carpet from Aladdin's palace to the Sultan's.
+Aladdin's mother then dressed herself carefully, and walked to the
+palace with her slaves, while he followed her on horseback. The Sultan
+sent musicians with trumpets and cymbals to meet them, so that the air
+resounded with music and cheers. She was taken to the Princess, who
+saluted her and treated her with great honor. At night the Princess
+said good-bye to her father, and set out on the carpet for Aladdin's
+palace, with his mother at her side, and followed by the hundred
+slaves. She was charmed at the sight of Aladdin, who ran to receive
+her. "Princess," he said, "blame your beauty for my boldness if I have
+displeased you." She told him that, having seen him, she willingly
+obeyed her father in this matter. After the wedding had taken place
+Aladdin led her into the hall, where a feast was spread, and she
+supped with him, after which they danced till midnight.
+
+Next day Aladdin invited the Sultan to see the palace. On entering the
+hall with the four-and-twenty windows, with their rubies, diamonds,
+and emeralds, he cried: "It's a world's wonder! There is only one
+thing that surprises me. Was it by accident that one window was left
+unfinished?" "No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. "I wished your
+Majesty to have the glory of finishing this palace." The Sultan was
+pleased, and sent for the best jewellers in the city. He showed them
+the unfinished window, and bade them fit it up like the others. "Sir,"
+replied their spokesman, "we cannot find jewels enough." The Sultan
+had his own fetched, which they soon used, but to no purpose, for in a
+month's time the work was not half done. Aladdin, knowing that their
+task was vain, bade them undo their work and carry the jewels back,
+and the genie finished the window at his command. The Sultan was
+surprised to receive his jewels again, and visited Aladdin, who showed
+him the window finished. The Sultan embraced him, the envious Vizier
+meanwhile hinting that it was the work of enchantment.
+
+Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing. He was
+made captain of the Sultan's armies, and won several battles for him,
+but remained modest and courteous as before, and lived thus in peace
+and content for several years.
+
+But far away in Africa the magician remembered Aladdin, and by his
+magic arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in
+the cave, had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was
+living in great honor and wealth. He knew that the poor tailor's son
+could only have accomplished this by means of the lamp, and travelled
+night and day till he reached the capital of China, bent on Aladdin's
+ruin. As he passed through the town he heard people talking everywhere
+about a marvellous palace. "Forgive my ignorance," he asked, "what is
+this palace you speak of?" "Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin's
+palace," was the reply, "the greatest wonder of the world? I will
+direct you if you have a mind to see it." The magician thanked him who
+spoke, and having seen the palace knew that it had been raised by the
+Genie of the Lamp, and became half mad with rage. He determined to
+get hold of the lamp, and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest
+poverty.
+
+Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the
+magician plenty of time. He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into
+a basket, and went to the palace, crying: "New lamps for old!"
+followed by a jeering crowd. The Princess, sitting in the hall of
+four-and-twenty windows, sent a slave to find out what the noise was
+about, who came back laughing, so that the Princess scolded her.
+"Madam," replied the slave, "who can help laughing to see an old fool
+offering to exchange fine new lamps for old ones?" Another slave,
+hearing this, said, "There is an old one on the cornice there which he
+can have." Now this was the magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there,
+as he could not take it out hunting with him. The Princess, not
+knowing its value, laughingly bade the slave take it and make the
+exchange. She went and said to the magician: "Give me a new lamp for
+this." He snatched it and bade the slave take her choice, amid the
+jeers of the crowd. Little he cared, but left off crying his lamps,
+and went out of the city gates to a lonely place, where he remained
+till nightfall, when he pulled out the lamp and rubbed it. The genie
+appeared, and at the magician's command carried him, together with the
+palace and the Princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.
+
+Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window towards Aladdin's
+palace and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone. He sent for the Vizier
+and asked what had become of the palace. The Vizier looked out, too,
+and was lost in astonishment. He again put it down to enchantment, and
+this time the Sultan believed him, and sent thirty men on horseback to
+fetch Aladdin in chains. They met him riding home, bound him, and
+forced him to go with them on foot. The people, however, who loved
+him, followed, armed, to see that he came to no harm. He was carried
+before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head.
+The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised
+his scimitar to strike. At that instant the Vizier, who saw that the
+crowd had forced their way into the court-yard and were scaling the
+walls to rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner to stay his hand.
+The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the Sultan gave way and
+ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and pardoned him in the sight of the
+crowd. Aladdin now begged to know what he had done. "False wretch!"
+said the Sultan, "come hither," and showed him from the window the
+place where his palace had stood. Aladdin was so amazed that he could
+not say a word. "Where is my palace and my daughter?" demanded the
+Sultan. "For the first I am not so deeply concerned, but my daughter
+I must have, and you must find her or lose your head." Aladdin begged
+for forty days in which to find her, promising if he failed to return
+and suffer death at the Sultan's pleasure. His prayer was granted, and
+he went forth sadly from the Sultan's presence. For three days he
+wandered about like a madman, asking every one what had become of his
+palace, but they only laughed and pitied him. He came to the banks of
+a river, and knelt down to say his prayers before throwing himself in.
+In so doing he rubbed the magic ring he still wore. The genie he had
+seen in the cave appeared, and asked his will. "Save my life, genie,"
+said Aladdin, "and bring my palace back." "That is not in my power,"
+said the genie; "I am only the Slave of the Ring; you must ask him of
+the lamp." "Even so," said Aladdin, "but thou canst take me to the
+palace, and set me down under my dear wife's window." He at once
+found himself in Africa, under the window of the Princess, and fell
+asleep out of sheer weariness.
+
+He was awakened by the singing of the birds, and his heart was
+lighter. He saw plainly that all his misfortunes were owing to the
+loss of the lamp, and vainly wondered who had robbed him of it.
+
+That morning the Princess rose earlier than she had done since she had
+been carried into Africa by the magician, whose company she was forced
+to endure once a day. She, however, treated him so harshly that he
+dared not live there altogether. As she was dressing, one of her women
+looked out and saw Aladdin. The Princess ran and opened the window,
+and at the noise she made Aladdin looked up. She called to him to come
+to her, and great was the joy of these lovers at seeing each other
+again. After he had kissed her, Aladdin said: "I beg of you,
+Princess, in God's name, before we speak of anything else, for your
+own sake and mine, tell me what has become of an old lamp I left on
+the cornice in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, when I went
+a-hunting." "Alas!" she said, "I am the innocent cause of our
+sorrows," and told him of the exchange of the lamp. "Now I know,"
+cried Aladdin, "that we have to thank the African magician for this!
+Where is the lamp?" "He carries it about with him," said the Princess.
+"I know, for he pulled it out of his breast to show me. He wishes me
+to break my faith with you and marry him, saying that you were
+beheaded by my father's command. He is forever speaking ill of you,
+but I only reply by my tears. If I persist, I doubt not but he will
+use violence." Aladdin comforted her, and left her for a while. He
+changed clothes with the first person he met in the town, and having
+bought a certain powder returned to the Princess, who let him in by a
+little side door. "Put on your most beautiful dress," he said to her,
+"and receive the magician with smiles, leading him to believe that you
+have forgotten me. Invite him to sup with you, and say you wish to
+taste the wine of his country. He will go for some and while he is
+gone I will tell you what to do." She listened carefully to Aladdin,
+and when he left her arrayed herself gayly for the first time since
+she left China. She put on a girdle and head-dress of diamonds, and
+seeing in a glass that she was more beautiful than ever, received the
+magician, saying, to his great amazement: "I have made up my mind that
+Aladdin is dead, and that all my tears will not bring him back to me,
+so I am resolved to mourn no more, and have therefore invited you to
+sup with me; but I am tired of the wines of China, and would fain
+taste those of Africa." The magician flew to his cellar, and the
+Princess put the powder Aladdin had given her in her cup. When he
+returned she asked him to drink her health in the wine of Africa,
+handing him her cup in exchange for his, as a sign she was reconciled
+to him. Before drinking the magician made her a speech in praise of
+her beauty, but the Princess cut him short, saying: "Let us drink
+first, and you shall say what you will afterwards." She set her cup to
+her lips and kept it there, while the magician drained his to the
+dregs and fell back lifeless. The Princess then opened the door to
+Aladdin, and flung her arms round his neck; but Aladdin put her away,
+bidding her leave him, as he had more to do. He then went to the dead
+magician, took the lamp out of his vest, and bade the genie carry the
+palace and all in it back to China. This was done, and the Princess in
+her chamber only felt two little shocks, and little thought she was at
+home again.
+
+The Sultan, who was sitting in his closet, mourning for his lost
+daughter, happened to look up, and rubbed his eyes, for there stood
+the palace as before. He hastened thither, and Aladdin received him in
+the hall of the four-and-twenty windows, with the Princess at his
+side. Aladdin told him what had happened, and showed him the dead body
+of the magician, that he might believe. A ten days' feast was
+proclaimed, and it seemed as if Aladdin might now live the rest of his
+life in peace; but it was not to be.
+
+The African magician had a younger brother, who was, if possible, more
+wicked and more cunning than himself. He travelled to China to avenge
+his brother's death, and went to visit a pious woman called Fatima,
+thinking she might be of use to him. He entered her cell and clapped a
+dagger to her breast, telling her to rise and do his bidding on pain
+of death. He changed clothes with her, colored his face like hers,
+put on her veil, and murdered her, that she might tell no tales. Then
+he went towards the palace of Aladdin, and all the people, thinking he
+was the holy woman, gathered round him, kissing his hands and begging
+his blessing. When he got to the palace there was such a noise going
+on round him that the Princess bade her slave look out of the window
+and ask what was the matter. The slave said it was the holy woman,
+curing people by her touch of their ailments, whereupon the Princess,
+who had long desired to see Fatima, sent for her. On coming to the
+Princess the magician offered up a prayer for her health and
+prosperity. When he had done the Princess made him sit by her, and
+begged him to stay with her always. The false Fatima, who wished for
+nothing better, consented, but kept his veil down for fear of
+discovery. The Princess showed him the hall, and asked him what he
+thought of it. "It is truly beautiful," said the false Fatima. "In my
+mind it wants but one thing." "And what is that?" said the Princess.
+"If only a roc's egg," replied he, "were hung up from the middle of
+this dome, it would be the wonder of the world."
+
+After this the Princess could think of nothing but the roc's egg, and
+when Aladdin returned from hunting he found her in a very ill humor.
+He begged to know what was amiss, and she told him that all her
+pleasure in the hall was spoiled for the want of a roc's egg hanging
+from the dome. "If that is all," replied Aladdin, "you shall soon be
+happy." He left her and rubbed the lamp, and when the genie appeared
+commanded him to bring a roc's egg. The genie gave such a loud and
+terrible shriek that the hall shook. "Wretch!" he cried, "is it not
+enough that I have done everything for you but you must command me to
+bring my master and hang him up in the midst of this dome? You and
+your wife and your palace deserve to be burnt to ashes but that this
+request does not come from you, but from the brother of the African
+magician whom you destroyed. He is now in your palace disguised as the
+holy woman--whom he murdered. He it was who put that wish into your
+wife's head. Take care of yourself, for he means to kill you." So
+saying, the genie disappeared.
+
+Aladdin went back to the Princess, saying his head ached, and
+requesting that the holy Fatima should be fetched to lay her hands on
+it. But when the magician came near, Aladdin, seizing his dagger,
+pierced him to the heart. "What have you done?" cried the Princess.
+"You have killed the holy woman!" "Not so," replied Aladdin, "but a
+wicked magician," and told her of how she had been deceived.
+
+After this Aladdin and his wife lived in peace. He succeeded the
+Sultan when he died, and reigned for many years, leaving behind him a
+long line of kings.
+
+    From "The Blue Fairy Book," edited by Andrew Lang, by
+    permission of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.
+
+
+
+
+ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
+
+
+In a town in Persia there dwelt two brothers, one named Cassim, the
+other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a rich wife and lived in plenty,
+while Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and children by cutting wood
+in a neighboring forest and selling it in the town. One day, when Ali
+Baba was in the forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback coming
+towards him in a cloud of dust. He was afraid they were robbers, and
+climbed into a tree for safety. When they came up to him and
+dismounted, he counted forty of them. They unbridled their horses and
+tied them to trees. The finest man among them, whom Ali Baba took to
+be their captain, went a little way among some bushes, and said:
+"Open, Sesame!"[1] so plainly that Ali Baba heard him. A door opened
+in the rocks, and having made the troop go in, he followed them, and
+the door shut again of itself. They stayed some time inside, and Ali
+Baba, fearing they might come out and catch him, was forced to sit
+patiently in the tree. At last the door opened again, and the Forty
+Thieves came out. As the Captain went in last he came out first, and
+made them all pass by him; he then closed the door, saying: "Shut,
+Sesame!" Every man bridled his horse and mounted, the Captain put
+himself at their head, and they returned as they came.
+
+    [1] Sesame is a kind of grain.
+
+Then Ali Baba climbed down and went to the door concealed among the
+bushes, and said: "Open, Sesame!" and it flew open. Ali Baba, who
+expected a dull, dismal place, was greatly surprised to find it large
+and well lighted, and hollowed by the hand of man in the form of a
+vault, which received the light from an opening in the ceiling. He saw
+rich bales of merchandise--silk, stuff-brocades, all piled together,
+and gold and silver in heaps, and money in leather purses. He went in
+and the door shut behind him. He did not look at the silver, but
+brought out as many bags of gold as he thought his asses, which were
+browsing outside, could carry, loaded them with the bags, and hid it
+all with fagots. Using the words: "Shut, Sesame!" he closed the door
+and went home.
+
+Then he drove his asses into the yard, shut the gates, carried the
+money-bags to his wife, and emptied them out before her. He bade her
+keep the secret, and he would go and bury the gold. "Let me first
+measure it," said his wife. "I will go borrow a measure of some one
+while you dig the hole." So she ran to the wife of Cassim and borrowed
+a measure. Knowing Ali Baba's poverty, the sister was curious to find
+out what sort of grain his wife wished to measure, and artfully put
+some suet at the bottom of the measure. Ali Baba's wife went home and
+set the measure on the heap of gold, and filled it and emptied it
+often, to her great content. She then carried it back to her sister,
+without noticing that a piece of gold was sticking to it, which
+Cassim's wife perceived directly her back was turned. She grew very
+curious, and said to Cassim when he came home: "Cassim, your brother
+is richer than you. He does not count his money, he measures it." He
+begged her to explain this riddle, which she did by showing him the
+piece of money and telling him where she found it. Then Cassim grew so
+envious that he could not sleep, and went to his brother in the
+morning before sunrise. "Ali Baba," he said, showing him the gold
+piece, "you pretend to be poor and yet you measure gold." By this Ali
+Baba perceived that through his wife's folly Cassim and his wife knew
+their secret, so he confessed all and offered Cassim a share. "That I
+expect," said Cassim; "but I must know where to find the treasure,
+otherwise I will discover all, and you will lose all." Ali Baba, more
+out of kindness than fear, told him of the cave, and the very words to
+use. Cassim left Ali Baba, meaning to be beforehand with him and get
+the treasure himself. He rose early next morning, and set out with ten
+mules loaded with great chests. He soon found the place, and the door
+in the rock. He said: "Open, Sesame!" and the door opened and shut
+behind him. He could have feasted his eyes all day on the treasures,
+but he now hastened to gather together as much of it as possible; but
+when he was ready to go he could not remember what to say for
+thinking of his great riches. Instead of "Sesame," he said: "Open,
+Barley!" and the door remained fast. He named several different sorts
+of grain, all but the right one, and the door still stuck fast. He was
+so frightened at the danger he was in that he had as much forgotten
+the word as if he had never heard it.
+
+About noon the robbers returned to their cave, and saw Cassim's mules
+roving about with great chests on their backs. This gave them the
+alarm; they drew their sabres, and went to the door, which opened on
+their Captain's saying: "Open, Sesame!" Cassim, who had heard the
+trampling of their horses' feet, resolved to sell his life dearly, so
+when the door opened he leaped out and threw the Captain down. In
+vain, however, for the robbers with their sabres soon killed him. On
+entering the cave they saw all the bags laid ready, and could not
+imagine how any one had got in without knowing their secret. They cut
+Cassim's body into four quarters, and nailed them up inside the cave,
+in order to frighten any one who should venture in, and went away in
+search of more treasure.
+
+    [Illustration: Cassim forgets the magic word]
+
+As night drew on Cassim's wife grew very uneasy, and ran to her
+brother-in-law, and told him where her husband had gone. Ali Baba did
+his best to comfort her, and set out to the forest in search of
+Cassim. The first thing he saw on entering the cave was his dead
+brother. Full of horror, he put the body on one of his asses, and bags
+of gold on the other two, and, covering all with some fagots, returned
+home. He drove the two asses laden with gold into his own yard, and
+led the other to Cassim's house. The door was opened by the slave
+Morgiana, whom he knew to be both brave and cunning. Unloading the
+ass, he said to her: "This is the body of your master, who has been
+murdered, but whom we must bury as though he had died in his bed. I
+will speak with you again, but now tell your mistress I am come." The
+wife of Cassim, on learning the fate of her husband, broke out into
+cries and tears, but Ali Baba offered to take her to live with him and
+his wife if she would promise to keep his counsel and leave everything
+to Morgiana; whereupon she agreed, and dried her eyes.
+
+Morgiana, meanwhile, sought an apothecary and asked him for some
+lozenges. "My poor master," she said, "can neither eat nor sleep, and
+no one knows what his distemper is." She carried home the lozenges and
+returned next day weeping, and asked for an essence only given to
+those just about to die. Thus, in the evening, no one was surprised to
+hear the wretched shrieks and cries of Cassim's wife and Morgiana
+telling every one that Cassim was dead. The day after, Morgiana went
+to an old cobbler near the gates of the town who opened his stall
+early, put a piece of gold in his hand, and bade him follow with his
+needle and thread. Having bound his eyes with a handkerchief, she took
+him to the room where the body lay, pulled off the bandage, and bade
+him sew the quarters together, after which she covered his eyes again
+and led him home. Then they buried Cassim, and Morgiana his slave
+followed him to the grave, weeping and tearing her hair, while
+Cassim's wife stayed at home uttering lamentable cries. Next day she
+went to live with Ali Baba, who gave Cassim's shop to his eldest son.
+
+The Forty Thieves, on their return to the cave, were much astonished
+to find Cassim's body gone and some of their money-bags. "We are
+certainly discovered," said the Captain, "and shall be undone if we
+cannot find out who it is that knows our secret. Two men must have
+known it; we have killed one, we must now find the other. To this end
+one of you who is bold and artful must go into the city dressed as a
+traveller, and discover whom we have killed, and whether men talk of
+the strange manner of his death. If the messenger fails he must lose
+his life, lest we be betrayed." One of the thieves started up and
+offered to do this, and after the rest had highly commended him for
+his bravery he disguised himself, and happened to enter the town at
+daybreak, just by Baba Mustapha's stall. The thief bade him good-day,
+saying: "Honest man, how can you possibly see to stitch at your age?"
+"Old as I am," replied the cobbler, "I have very good eyes, and you
+will believe me when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a
+place where I had less light than I have now." The robber was
+overjoyed at his good-fortune, and, giving him a piece of gold,
+desired to be shown the house where he stitched up the dead body. At
+first Mustapha refused, saying that he was blindfolded; but when the
+robber gave him another piece of gold he began to think he might
+remember the turnings if blindfolded as before. This means succeeded;
+the robber partly led him, and was partly guided by him, right in
+front of Cassim's house, the door of which the robber marked with a
+piece of chalk. Then, well pleased, he bade farewell to Baba Mustapha
+and returned to the forest. By and by Morgiana, going out, saw the
+mark the robber had made, quickly guessed that some mischief was
+brewing, and, fetching a piece of chalk, marked two or three doors on
+each side, without saying anything to her master or mistress.
+
+The thief, meantime, told his comrades of his discovery. The Captain
+thanked him, and bade him show him the house he had marked. But when
+they came to it they saw that five or six of the houses were chalked
+in the same manner. The guide was so confounded that he knew not what
+answer to make, and when they returned he was at once beheaded for
+having failed. Another robber was despatched, and, having won over
+Baba Mustapha, marked the house in red chalk; but Morgiana being again
+too clever for them, the second messenger was put to death also. The
+Captain now resolved to go himself, but, wiser than the others, he did
+not mark the house, but looked at it so closely that he could not fail
+to remember it. He returned, and ordered his men to go into the
+neighboring villages and buy nineteen mules, and thirty-eight leather
+jars, all empty, except one which was full of oil. The Captain put one
+of his men, fully armed, into each, rubbing the outside of the jars
+with oil from the full vessel. Then the nineteen mules were loaded
+with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, and reached
+the town by dusk. The Captain stopped his mules in front of Ali Baba's
+house, and said to Ali Baba, who was sitting outside for coolness: "I
+have brought some oil from a distance to sell at to-morrow's market,
+but it is now so late that I know not where to pass the night, unless
+you will do me the favor to take me in." Though Ali Baba had seen the
+Captain of the robbers in the forest, he did not recognize him in the
+disguise of an oil merchant. He bade him welcome, opened his gates for
+the mules to enter, and went to Morgiana to bid her prepare a bed and
+supper for his guest. He brought the stranger into his hall, and after
+they had supped went again to speak to Morgiana in the kitchen, while
+the Captain went into the yard under pretence of seeing after his
+mules, but really to tell his men what to do. Beginning at the first
+jar and ending at the last, he said to each man: "As soon as I throw
+some stones from the window of the chamber where I lie, cut the jars
+open with your knives and come out, and I will be with you in a
+trice." He returned to the house, and Morgiana led him to his chamber.
+She then told Abdallah, her fellow-slave, to set on the pot to make
+some broth for her master, who had gone to bed. Meanwhile her lamp
+went out, and she had no more oil in the house. "Do not be uneasy,"
+said Abdallah; "go into the yard and take some out of one of those
+jars." Morgiana thanked him for his advice, took the oil-pot, and went
+into the yard. When she came to the first jar the robber inside said
+softly: "Is it time?"
+
+Any other slave but Morgiana, on finding a man in the jar instead of
+the oil she wanted, would have screamed, and made a noise; but she,
+knowing the danger her master was in, bethought herself of a plan, and
+answered quietly: "Not yet, but presently." She went to all the jars,
+giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil. She now saw
+that her master, thinking to entertain an oil merchant, had let
+thirty-eight robbers into his house. She filled her oil-pot, went back
+to the kitchen, and, having lit her lamp, went again to the oil-jar
+and filled a large kettle full of oil. When it boiled she went and
+poured enough oil into every jar to stifle and kill the robber inside.
+When this brave deed was done she went back to the kitchen, put out
+the fire and the lamp, and waited to see what would happen.
+
+In a quarter of an hour the Captain of the robbers awoke, got up, and
+opened the window. As all seemed quiet, he threw down some little
+pebbles which hit the jars. He listened, and as none of his men seemed
+to stir he grew uneasy, and went down into the yard. On going to the
+first jar and saying, "Are you asleep?" he smelled the hot boiled
+oil, and knew at once that his plot to murder Ali Baba and his
+household had been discovered. He found all the gang were dead, and,
+missing the oil out of the last jar, became aware of the manner of
+their death. He then forced the lock of a door leading into a garden,
+and climbing over several walls made his escape. Morgiana heard and
+saw all this, and, rejoicing at her success, went to bed and fell
+asleep.
+
+At daybreak Ali Baba arose, and, seeing the oil-jars there still,
+asked why the merchant had not gone with his mules. Morgiana bade him
+look in the first jar and see if there was any oil. Seeing a man, he
+started back in terror. "Have no fear," said Morgiana; "the man cannot
+harm you: he is dead." Ali Baba, when he had recovered somewhat from
+his astonishment, asked what had become of the merchant. "Merchant!"
+said she, "he is no more a merchant than I am!" and she told him the
+whole story, assuring him that it was a plot of the robbers of the
+forest, of whom only three were left, and that the white-and-red
+chalk-marks had something to do with it. Ali Baba at once gave
+Morgiana her freedom, saying that he owed her his life. They then
+buried the bodies in Ali Baba's garden, while the mules were sold in
+the market by his slaves.
+
+The Captain returned to his lonely cave, which seemed frightful to him
+without his lost companions, and firmly resolved to avenge them by
+killing Ali Baba. He dressed himself carefully, and went into the
+town, where he took lodgings in an inn. In the course of a great many
+journeys to the forest he carried away many rich stuffs and much fine
+linen, and set up a shop opposite that of Ali Baba's son. He called
+himself Cogia Hassan, and as he was both civil and well dressed he
+soon made friends with Ali Baba's son, and through him with Ali Baba,
+whom he was continually asking to sup with him. Ali Baba, wishing to
+return his kindness, invited him into his house and received him
+smiling, thanking him for his kindness to his son. When the merchant
+was about to take his leave Ali Baba stopped him, saying: "Where are
+you going, sir, in such haste? Will you not stay and sup with me?" The
+merchant refused, saying that he had a reason; and on Ali Baba's
+asking him what that was, he replied: "It is, sir, that I can eat no
+victuals that have any salt in them." "If that is all," said Ali Baba,
+"let me tell you that there shall be no salt in either the meat or the
+bread that we eat to-night." He went to give this order to Morgiana,
+who was much surprised. "Who is this man," she said, "who eats no salt
+with his meat?" "He is an honest man, Morgiana," returned her master;
+"therefore do as I bid you." But she could not withstand a desire to
+see this strange man, so she helped Abdallah to carry up the dishes,
+and saw in a moment that Cogia Hassan was the robber Captain, and
+carried a dagger under his garment. "I am not surprised," she said to
+herself, "that this wicked man, who intends to kill my master, will
+eat no salt with him; but I will hinder his plans."
+
+She sent up the supper by Abdallah, while she made ready for one of
+the boldest acts that could be thought on. When the dessert had been
+served, Cogia Hassan was left alone with Ali Baba and his son, whom he
+thought to make drunk and then to murder them. Morgiana, meanwhile,
+put on a head-dress like a dancing-girl's, and clasped a girdle round
+her waist, from which hung a dagger with a silver hilt, and said to
+Abdallah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and divert our master and
+his guest." Abdallah took his tabor and played before Morgiana until
+they came to the door, where Abdallah stopped playing and Morgiana
+made a low courtesy. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba, "and let
+Cogia Hassan see what you can do." And, turning to Cogia Hassan, he
+said: "She's my slave and my housekeeper." Cogia Hassan was by no
+means pleased, for he feared that his chance of killing Ali Baba was
+gone for the present; but he pretended great eagerness to see
+Morgiana, and Abdallah began to play and Morgiana to dance. After she
+had performed several dances, she drew her dagger and made passes with
+it, sometimes pointing it at her own breast, sometimes at her
+master's, as if it were part of the dance. Suddenly, out of breath,
+she snatched the tabor from Abdallah with her left hand, and, holding
+the dagger in her right, held out the tabor to her master. Ali Baba
+and his son put a piece of gold into it, and Cogia Hassan, seeing that
+she was coming to him, pulled out his purse to make her a present;
+but while he was putting his hand into it, Morgiana plunged the dagger
+into his heart.
+
+"Unhappy girl!" cried Ali Baba and his son, "what have you done to
+ruin us?" "It was to preserve you, master, not to ruin you," answered
+Morgiana. "See here," opening the false merchant's garment and showing
+the dagger; "see what an enemy you have entertained! Remember, he
+would eat no salt with you, and what more would you have? Look at him!
+he is both the false oil merchant and the Captain of the Forty
+Thieves."
+
+Ali Baba was so grateful to Morgiana for thus saving his life that he
+offered her to his son in marriage, who readily consented, and a few
+days after the wedding was celebrated with great splendor. At the end
+of a year Ali Baba, hearing nothing of the two remaining robbers,
+judged they were dead, and set out to the cave. The door opened on
+his saying: "Open, Sesame!" He went in, and saw that nobody had been
+there since the Captain left it. He brought away as much gold as he
+could carry, and returned to town. He told his son the secret of the
+cave, which his son handed down in his turn, so the children and
+grandchildren of Ali Baba were rich to the end of their lives.
+
+    By the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co.,
+    publishers of "The Blue Fairy Book," edited by Andrew
+    Lang.
+
+
+
+
+THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR
+
+
+I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
+Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life, and
+I put to sea a second time, with merchants of known probity. We
+embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
+God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
+with several sorts of fruit trees, but we could see neither man nor
+animal. We walked in the meadows, along the streams that watered them.
+Whilst some diverted themselves with gathering flowers, and others
+fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and sat down near a stream
+betwixt two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good
+meal, and afterwards fell asleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but
+when I awoke the ship was gone.
+
+In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
+agony, beat my head and breast, and threw myself upon the ground,
+where I lay some time in despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times
+for not being content with the produce of my first voyage, that might
+have sufficed me all my life. But all this was in vain, and my
+repentance came too late. At last I resigned myself to the will of
+God. Not knowing what to do, I climbed up to the top of a lofty tree,
+from whence I looked about on all sides, to see if I could discover
+anything that could give me hopes. When I gazed towards the sea I
+could see nothing but sky and water; but looking over the land I
+beheld something white; and coming down, I took what provision I had
+left, and went towards it, the distance being so great that I could
+not distinguish what it was.
+
+As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
+height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found
+it to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side,
+but saw it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as
+it was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.
+
+By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky
+became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was
+much astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it
+occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying towards me.
+I remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous
+bird called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. In short, the bird alighted, and sat over the
+egg. As I perceived her coming I crept close to the egg, so that I had
+before me one of the legs of the bird, which was as big as the trunk
+of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, in hopes that
+the roc next morning would carry me with her out of this desert
+island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird flew
+away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high that I could
+not discern the earth; she afterwards descended with so much rapidity
+that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground I
+speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so when the roc,
+having taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew
+away.
+
+The spot where it left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity;
+so that when I compared this place with the desert island from which
+the roc had brought me, I found that I had gained nothing by the
+change.
+
+As I walked through this valley I perceived it was strewed with
+diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure
+in looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as
+greatly diminished my satisfaction, and which I could not view without
+terror--namely, a great number of serpents, so monstrous that the
+least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. They retired in
+the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves from the roc,
+their enemy, and came out only in the night.
+
+I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at
+times in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on
+I went into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I
+secured the entrance, which was low and narrow, with a great stone, to
+preserve me from the serpents, but not so far as to exclude the light.
+I supped on part of my provisions, but the serpents, which began
+hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear that I did not sleep.
+When day appeared the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave
+trembling. I can justly say that I walked upon diamonds without
+feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat down, and
+notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes during the
+night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my provisions.
+But I had scarcely shut my eyes when something that fell by me with a
+great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and at the
+same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in different
+places.
+
+I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
+relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
+merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
+stated nothing but the truth. For the fact is that the merchants come
+to the neighborhood of this valley, when the eagles have young ones,
+and throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds, upon
+whose points they fall, stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger
+in this country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those
+pieces of meat, and carry them to their nests on the precipices of the
+rocks to feed their young; the merchants at this time run to their
+nests, disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away
+the diamonds that stick to the meat.
+
+I perceived in this device the means of my deliverance.
+
+Having collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put
+them into the leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions, I
+took the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with
+the cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my
+face downward, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.
+
+I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when one of the eagles,
+having taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened,
+carried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants
+immediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they
+had obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest
+where I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but, recovering
+himself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel
+with me, and asked why I stole his goods. "You will treat me,"
+replied I, "with more civility when you know me better. Do not be
+uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself--more than all the
+other merchants together. Whatever they have they owe to chance; but I
+selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley, those which you see
+in this bag." I had scarcely done speaking when the other merchants
+came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but they were much
+more surprised when I told them my story.
+
+    [Illustration: The merchants began their shouting to frighten the
+      eagles]
+
+They conducted me to their encampment, and there, having opened my
+bag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and
+confessed that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I
+prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried
+(for every merchant had his own) to take as many for his share as he
+pleased. He contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of
+them; and when I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me
+any injury, "No," said he, "I am very well satisfied with this, which
+is valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages,
+and will raise as great a fortune as I desire."
+
+I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
+second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I
+could not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the
+danger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could
+scarcely believe myself out of danger.
+
+The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
+several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
+had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning, and
+travelled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a
+prodigious length, which we had the good-fortune to escape. We took
+shipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle of
+Roha, where the trees grow that yield camphor. The tree is so large,
+and its branches so thick, that one hundred men may easily sit under
+its shade. The juice, of which the camphor is made, exudes from a hole
+bored in the upper part of the tree, is received in a vessel, where it
+thickens to a consistency, and becomes what we call camphor. After the
+juice is thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies.
+
+In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
+elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
+which is solid, and cleft through the middle. The rhinoceros fights
+with the elephant, runs his horn into his belly, and carries him off
+upon his head; but the blood and the fat of the elephant running into
+his eyes and making him blind, he falls to the ground, and then,
+strange to relate, the roc comes and carries them both away in her
+claws, for food for her young ones.
+
+Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From hence we
+went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several trading
+towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I proceeded
+to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the poor, and
+lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought, and gained with so
+much fatigue.
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD
+
+
+In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid there lived at Bagdad a
+merchant named Ali Cogia, who was neither of the richest nor yet of
+the lowest order. He dwelt in his paternal house without either wife
+or children. He lived contented with what his business produced, and
+was as free in his actions as in his will. During this period he had
+for three successive nights a dream, in which an old man appeared to
+him, with a venerable aspect but a severe countenance, who reprimanded
+him for not having yet performed a pilgrimage to Mecca.
+
+This dream troubled Ali Cogia very much. As a good Mussulman, he was
+aware of the necessity for this pilgrimage; but as he was encumbered
+with a house and furniture, and a shop, he had always considered these
+as excuses, and he endeavored to make up for the neglect by charitable
+deeds. But since he had these dreams his conscience disturbed him, and
+he was so fearful of some misfortune that he resolved no longer to
+defer this act of duty.
+
+To enable himself to perform this in the following year, Ali Cogia
+began to sell his furniture; he then disposed of his shop, together
+with the greatest part of the merchandise, reserving only such as
+might be salable at Mecca; and he found a tenant for his house.
+
+Having thus arranged everything, he was ready to set out at the time
+that the caravan for Mecca was to take its departure. The only thing
+which remained to be done was to find some secure place in which he
+could leave the sum of a thousand pieces of gold, which remained over
+and above the money he had set apart for his pilgrimage.
+
+Ali Cogia chose a jar of a proper size, and put the thousand pieces of
+gold into it, and then filled it up with olives. After having closed
+the jar tightly, he took it to a merchant who was his friend.
+"Brother," said he to him, "you are not unacquainted with my intention
+of setting out on a pilgrimage to Mecca with the caravan which goes in
+a few days; I beg the favor of you to take charge of this jar of
+olives till my return." The merchant instantly replied: "Here, this is
+the key of my warehouse; take the jar there yourself, and place it
+where you think fit. I promise you that you shall find it in the same
+place when you come for it again."
+
+The day for departure arriving, Ali Cogia joined the caravan with a
+camel laden with the merchandise he had made choice of, which also
+served him as a sort of saddle to ride on, and he arrived in perfect
+safety at Mecca. He, together with the other pilgrims, visited the
+temple--that edifice, so celebrated and so frequented every year by
+all the Mussulman nations, who repair thither from all parts of the
+globe, to observe the religious ceremonies which are required of them.
+When he had acquitted himself of the duties of his pilgrimage, he
+exposed the merchandise he had brought with him for sale.
+
+Two merchants, who were passing that way, and saw the goods of Ali
+Cogia, found them so beautiful that they stopped to look at them,
+although they did not want to purchase them. When they had satisfied
+their curiosity, one said to the other as he was walking away: "If
+this merchant knew the profit he could make of his goods at Cairo, he
+would take them there in preference to selling them here, where they
+are not of so much value."
+
+This speech did not escape Ali Cogia, and as he had often heard of the
+beauties of Egypt, he instantly resolved to travel to that country.
+Having, therefore, packed up his bales, he joined the caravan that was
+going to Cairo. When he arrived he found it so much to his advantage,
+that in a few days he had disposed of all his merchandise with much
+greater profit than he could possibly have expected. He then purchased
+other goods, intending to go to Damascus, and while he was waiting for
+the convenience of a caravan, which was to go in six weeks, he not
+only visited everything that was worthy of his curiosity in Cairo, but
+also went to view the pyramids, extended his journey to some distance
+up the Nile, and inspected the most celebrated cities that are
+situated on its banks.
+
+As the caravan was passing through Jerusalem, Ali Cogia took the
+opportunity to visit the temple, which is considered by all Mussulmans
+as the most sacred after that of Mecca, and from which the place
+itself has obtained the title of the Holy City. Ali Cogia found the
+city of Damascus so delicious a spot, from the abundance of its
+streams, its meadows, and enchanting gardens, that everything he had
+read of its delights, in different accounts of the place, appeared to
+be far below the truth, and he was tempted to prolong his stay. As,
+however, he did not forget that he had to return to Bagdad, he at
+length took his departure and went to Aleppo, where he also passed
+some time, and from thence, after having crossed the Euphrates, he
+took the road to Moussoul, intending to shorten his journey by going
+down the Tigris.
+
+But when Ali Cogia had reached Moussoul, the Persian merchants with
+whom he had travelled from Aleppo, and had formed an intimacy, gained
+so great an ascendancy over his mind by their obliging manners and
+agreeable conversation, that they had no difficulty in persuading him
+to accompany them to Shiraz, from whence it would be easy for him to
+return to Bagdad, and with considerable profit. They took him through
+the cities of Sultania, Rei, Coam, Kaschan, Ispahan, and then to
+Shiraz, where he was induced to go with them to India, and then return
+again to Shiraz.
+
+In this way, reckoning also the time Ali Cogia resided in each city,
+it was now nearly seven years since he had quitted Bagdad, and he
+determined to return. Till this period the friend to whom he had
+intrusted the jar of olives before he left that city had never thought
+more of him or his jar. At the very time that Ali Cogia was on his
+return with a caravan from Shiraz, one evening as his friend the
+merchant was at supper with his family, the conversation by accident
+turned upon olives, and his wife expressed a desire of eating some,
+adding that it was a long time since any had been produced in her
+house.
+
+"Now you speak of olives," said the merchant, "you remind me that Ali
+Cogia, when he went to Mecca seven years since, left me a jar of them,
+which he himself placed in my warehouse, that he might find them there
+on his return. But I know not what is become of Ali Cogia. Some one,
+it is true, on the return of the caravan, told me that he was gone
+into Egypt. He must have died there, as he has never returned in the
+course of so many years; we may surely eat the olives if they are
+still good. Give me a dish and a light, and I will go and get some,
+that we may taste them."
+
+"In the name of God," replied the wife, "do not, my dear husband,
+commit so disgraceful an action; you well know that nothing is so
+sacred as a trust of this kind. You say that it is seven years since
+Ali Cogia went to Mecca, and he has never returned; but you were
+informed he was gone into Egypt, and how can you ascertain that he has
+not gone still farther? It is enough that you have received no
+intelligence of his death; he may return to-morrow or the day after
+to-morrow. Consider how infamous it would be for you, as well as your
+family, if he were to return, and you could not restore the jar into
+his hands in the same state as when he intrusted it to your care. For
+my part, I declare that I neither wish for any of these olives, nor
+will eat any of them. What I said was merely by way of conversation.
+Besides, do you suppose that, after so long a time, the olives can be
+good? They must be spoiled. And if Ali Cogia returns, as I have a
+foreboding that he will, and he perceives that you have opened the
+jar, what opinion will he form of your friendship and integrity? I
+conjure you to abandon your design."
+
+This good woman argued at length, because she saw, by her husband's
+countenance, that he was resolved to have his own way. In fact, he got
+up, and, taking a light and a dish, went to his warehouse. "Remember
+at least," said the wife, "that I have no share in what you are going
+to do; so do not attribute any fault to me if you have hereafter to
+repent of the action."
+
+The merchant still persisted in his purpose. When he had entered the
+warehouse he opened the jar, and found the olives all spoiled; but to
+see whether those that were underneath were as bad as the upper ones
+he poured some out into the dish, and as he shook the jar to make them
+fall out the easier some pieces of gold fell out also. At the sight of
+this money the merchant, who was naturally avaricious, looked into
+the jar, and perceived that he had emptied almost all the olives into
+the dish, and that what remained was money in pieces of gold. He put
+the olives again into the jar, and, covering it, left the warehouse.
+
+"You spoke the truth, wife," said he, when he returned. "The olives
+are all spoiled, and I have stopped up the jar again, so that if Ali
+Cogia ever comes back he will not discover that I have touched it."
+"You would have done better to take my advice," returned the wife,
+"not to have meddled with it. God grant that no evil may come of it."
+The merchant paid as little attention to these last words of his wife
+as he had done to her former remonstrance. He passed almost the whole
+night in devising means to take possession of Ali Cogia's money in
+such a way that he might enjoy it in security should the owner ever
+return and claim the jar. The next morning, very early, he went out
+to buy some olives of that year's growth. He threw away those which
+had been in Ali Cogia's jar, and, taking out the gold, he put it in a
+place of safety; then filling the jar with the fresh olives he had
+just bought he put on the same cover, and placed it in the same spot
+where Ali Cogia had left it.
+
+About a month after the merchant had committed this treacherous act
+Ali Cogia arrived at Bagdad, after his long absence from that city. As
+he had leased his house before his departure he alighted at a khan,
+where he took a lodging until he had informed his tenant of his
+return, that the latter might procure himself another residence.
+
+The next day Ali Cogia went to see his friend the merchant, who
+received him with open arms, testifying the utmost joy at seeing him
+again, after an absence of so many years, which he said almost made
+him despair of ever beholding him any more.
+
+After the usual compliments, Ali Cogia begged the merchant to return
+him the jar of olives which he had left in his care, at the same time
+apologizing for having troubled him. "My dear friend," replied the
+merchant, "do not think of making excuses; your jar has been no
+encumbrance to me, and I should have done the same with you had I been
+situated as you were. Here is the key of my warehouse, go and take it;
+you will find it where you put it yourself."
+
+Ali Cogia went to the warehouse and took out the jar, and having given
+the key to the merchant, he thanked him for the favor he had done him,
+and returned to the khan where he lodged. He opened the jar, and,
+thrusting his hand to the depth where he supposed the thousand pieces
+of gold might be, he was extremely surprised at not feeling them. He
+thought he must be deceived, and to relieve his doubts he took some of
+the dishes and other utensils of his travelling kitchen and emptied
+out all the olives without finding one single piece of money. He was
+motionless with astonishment, and raising his eyes and hands towards
+heaven, "Is it possible," he at length exclaimed, "that a man whom I
+considered as my friend could be capable of so flagrant a breach of
+trust?"
+
+Ali Cogia, exceedingly alarmed at the idea of so considerable a loss,
+returned to the merchant. "My good friend," said he, "do not be
+surprised that I should return to you so quickly; I confess that I
+knew the jar of olives which I just now took out of your warehouse to
+be mine; but I had put a thousand pieces of gold in it with the
+olives, and these I cannot find; perhaps you have wanted them in your
+trade, and have made use of them. If that be the case, they are much
+at your service; I only beg of you to relieve my fears, and give me
+some acknowledgment for them; after this you will return them to me
+whenever it may be most convenient."
+
+The merchant, who expected Ali Cogia to return to him, had prepared an
+answer. "My friend," replied he, "when you brought me the jar of
+olives, did I touch it? Did I not give you the key of my wareroom? Did
+you not deposit it there yourself? and did you not find it in the same
+place where you put it, exactly in the same state, and covered in the
+same manner? If you put money in it, there you must find it. You told
+me it contained olives, and I believed you. This is all I know about
+the matter; you may believe me or not as you please, but I assure you
+I have not touched it."
+
+Ali Cogia used the gentlest means to enable the merchant to justify
+himself. "I love peaceable measures," said he, "and I should be sorry
+to proceed to extremities, which would not be very creditable to you
+in the eyes of the world. Consider that merchants, such as we are,
+should abandon all private interests to preserve their reputation.
+Once more I tell you that I should be sorry if your obstinacy compels
+me to apply to the forms allowed by justice, for I have always
+preferred losing something of my right to having recourse to those
+means."
+
+"Ali Cogia," resumed the merchant, "you confess that you have
+deposited a jar of olives with me, that you took possession of it
+again, and that you carried it away; and now you come to demand of me
+a thousand pieces of gold. Did you tell me they were contained in the
+jar? I am even ignorant that there were olives in it; you did not show
+them to me! I am surprised that you did not require pearls and
+diamonds rather than money. Take my advice: go home, and do not
+assemble a crowd about my door."
+
+Some people had already stopped before his shop; and these last
+words, pronounced in an angry voice, not only collected a larger
+number, but made the neighboring merchants come out of their shops to
+inquire the reason of the dispute. When Ali Cogia had explained to
+them the subject, the most earnest in the cause asked the merchant
+what reply he had to make.
+
+The merchant owned that he had kept the jar belonging to Ali Cogia in
+his warehouse, but he denied having touched it, and made oath that he
+only knew that it contained olives because Ali Cogia had told him so,
+and that he considered them all as witnesses of the insulting affront
+which had been offered to him in his own house.
+
+"You have drawn the affront on yourself," said Ali Cogia, taking him
+by the arm; "but since you behave so wickedly, I cite you by the law
+of God. Let us see if you will have the face to say the same before
+the cadi."
+
+At this summons, which every true Mussulman must obey, unless he
+rebels against his religion, the merchant had not the courage to offer
+any resistance. "Come," said he, "that is the very thing I wish; we
+shall see who is wrong, you or I."
+
+Ali Cogia conducted the merchant before the tribunal of the cadi,
+where he accused him of having stolen a thousand pieces of gold which
+were deposited in his care, relating the fact as it took place. The
+cadi inquired if he had any witnesses. He replied that he had not
+taken this precaution, because he supposed the person to whom he had
+intrusted his money to be his friend, and till now an honest man.
+
+The merchant urged nothing more in his defence than what he had
+already said to Ali Cogia in the presence of his neighbors, and he
+concluded by offering to take his oath not only that it was false that
+he had taken the thousand pieces of gold, but even that he had any
+knowledge of their being in his possession. The cadi accepted the
+oath, after which he was dismissed as innocent.
+
+Ali Cogia, extremely mortified to find himself condemned to suffer so
+considerable a loss, protested against the sentence, and declared to
+the cadi that he would lay his complaint before the Caliph
+Haroun-al-Raschid, who would do him justice; but the cadi did not
+regard this threat, and he considered it merely as the effect of the
+resentment natural to all who lose their cause, and he thought he had
+performed his duty by acquitting one who was accused without any
+witnesses to prove the fact.
+
+While the merchant was triumphing in his success over Ali Cogia, and
+indulging his joy at having made so good a bargain of the thousand
+pieces of gold, Ali Cogia went to draw up a petition. And the next
+day, having chosen the time when the caliph should return from midday
+prayers, he placed himself in a street which led to the mosque, and
+when he passed, held out his hand with the petition. An officer to
+whom this function belongs, who was walking before the caliph,
+instantly left his place and came to take it, that he might present it
+to his master.
+
+As Ali Cogia knew that it was the usual custom of the Caliph
+Haroun-al-Raschid, when he returned to his palace, to examine with his
+own eyes all the petitions that were presented to him in this way, he
+therefore followed the procession, went into the palace, and waited
+till the officer who had taken the petition should come out of the
+apartment of the caliph. When he made his appearance he told Ali Cogia
+that the caliph had read his petition, and appointed the following day
+to give him an audience; and having inquired of him where the
+merchant lived, he sent to give him notice to attend the next day
+at the same time.
+
+    [Illustration: The caliph listening to the children's court]
+
+On the evening of the same day, the caliph, with the grand vizier
+Giafar and Mesrour, the chief of the eunuchs, all three disguised in
+the same manner, went to make his usual excursion into the city, as it
+was his custom frequently to do. In passing through a street the
+caliph heard a noise. He hastened his pace, and came to a door which
+opened into a court, where ten or twelve children, who had not gone to
+rest, were playing by moonlight, as he perceived by looking through a
+crevice.
+
+The caliph, feeling some curiosity to know what these children were
+playing at, sat down on a stone bench, which was placed very
+conveniently near the door; and as he was looking at them through the
+crevice he heard one of the most lively and intelligent among them say
+to the others: "Let us play at the cadi. I am the cadi. Bring before
+me Ali Cogia and the merchant who stole the thousand pieces of gold
+from him."
+
+These words of the child reminded the caliph of the petition which had
+been presented to him that day, and which he had read; he therefore
+redoubled his attention to hear the result of the trial.
+
+As the affair between Ali Cogia and the merchant was a new thing, and
+much talked of in the city of Bagdad, even among children, the rest of
+this youthful party fully agreed to the proposal, and each chose the
+character he would perform. No one disputed the part of the cadi with
+him who had made choice of it; and when he had taken his seat with all
+the pomp and gravity of a cadi, another, personating the officer who
+attends the tribunal, presented two others to him, one of whom he
+called Ali Cogia, and the next the merchant against whom Ali Cogia
+preferred his complaint.
+
+The pretended cadi then addressed the feigned Ali Cogia. "Ali Cogia,"
+said he, "what do you require of this merchant?" He who personated
+this character then made a low bow, and informed the cadi of the
+facts, and concluded by beseeching him to be pleased to interpose his
+authority to prevent his sustaining so considerable a loss. The
+feigned cadi, after having listened to Ali Cogia, turned to the
+merchant, and asked him why he did not return to Ali Cogia the sum he
+demanded of him. This young merchant made use of the same arguments
+which the real one had alleged before the cadi of Bagdad, and also in
+the same manner asked him to suffer him to swear that what he said was
+the truth.
+
+"Not so fast," replied the pretended cadi; "before we come to swearing
+I should like to see the jar of olives. Ali Cogia," said he,
+addressing the boy who acted this part, "have you brought the jar
+with you?" As the latter replied that he had not, he desired him to go
+and fetch it.
+
+Ali Cogia disappeared for a few minutes, and then returning, pretended
+to bring a jar to the cadi, which he said was the same that had been
+deposited with the merchant, and was now returned to him. Not to omit
+any of the usual forms, the cadi asked the merchant if he owned it to
+be the same jar, and the merchant proving by his silence that he could
+not deny it, he ordered it to be opened. The feigned Ali Cogia then
+made a motion as if he were taking off the cover, and the cadi that of
+looking into the jar. "These are fine olives; let me taste," said he.
+Then, pretending to take one to taste, he added: "They are excellent.
+But," continued he, "I think that olives which have been kept seven
+years would not be so good. Order some olive merchants to be called,
+and let them give their opinion." Two boys were then presented to
+him. "Are you olive merchants?" he inquired; to which they having
+replied in the affirmative, he added: "Tell me, then, if you know how
+long olives, that are prepared by people who make it their business,
+can be preserved good to eat?"
+
+"Sir," replied the feigned merchants, "whatever care may be taken to
+preserve them, they are worth nothing after the third year; they lose
+both their flavor and color, and are only fit to be thrown away." "If
+that be the case," resumed the young cadi, "look at this jar, and tell
+me how long the olives have been kept that are in it."
+
+The feigned merchants then pretended to examine and taste the olives,
+and told the cadi that they were fresh and good. "You are mistaken,"
+replied the cadi; "here is Ali Cogia, who says that he put them into
+the jar seven years ago." "Sir," said the merchants, "we can assure
+you that these olives are of this year's growth, and we will maintain
+that there is not a single merchant in Bagdad who will not be of the
+same way of thinking." The accused merchant was going to protest
+against this testimony of the others, but the cadi did not allow him
+time. "Silence!" said he; "thou art a thief, and shalt be hanged." The
+children then clapped their hands, showed great marks of joy, and
+finished their game by seizing the supposed criminal, and carrying him
+off as if to execution.
+
+It is impossible to express how much the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid
+admired the wisdom and acuteness of the boy, who had pronounced so
+just a sentence on the very case which was to be pleaded before him on
+the morrow. Taking his eyes from the crevice, he rose, and asked the
+grand vizier, who had been attending to all that passed, if he had
+heard the sentence given by the boy, and what he thought of it.
+"Commander of the Faithful," replied Giafar, "I am astonished at the
+wisdom evinced by this boy at so early an age."
+
+"But," resumed the caliph, "do you know that to-morrow I am to give my
+decision on this very affair, and that the true Ali Cogia has this
+morning presented a petition to me on the subject?"
+
+"So I understand from your majesty," replied the grand vizier. "Do you
+think," said the caliph, "that I can give a juster sentence than that
+we have now heard?" "If the affair be the same," returned the grand
+vizier, "it appears to me that your majesty cannot proceed in a better
+manner, nor give any other judgment." "Notice well this house, then,"
+said the caliph, "and bring me the boy to-morrow, that he may judge
+the same cause in my presence. Order the cadi, also, who acquitted the
+merchant, to be at the palace, that he may learn his duty from this
+child, and correct his deficiencies. I desire, too, that you will tell
+Ali Cogia to bring with him his jar of olives, and do you procure two
+olive merchants to be present at the audience." The caliph gave this
+order as he continued his walk, which he finished without meeting with
+anything else that deserved his attention.
+
+On the morrow the grand vizier repaired to the house where the caliph
+had been witness to the game the children had played at, and he asked
+to speak to the master of it, but he being gone out, he was introduced
+to the mistress. He asked her if she had any children; she replied
+that she had three, whom she brought to him. "My children," said he to
+them, "which of you acted the cadi last night as you were playing
+together?" The eldest replied that it was he; and as he was ignorant
+of the reason for this question, he changed color. "My child," said
+the grand vizier, "come with me; the Commander of the Faithful wishes
+to see you."
+
+The mother was extremely alarmed when she saw that the vizier was
+going to take away her son. "Sir," said she, "is it to take away my
+son entirely that the Commander of the Faithful has sent for him?" The
+grand vizier quieted her fears by promising that her son should be
+sent back again in less than an hour, and that when he returned she
+would learn the reason of his being sent for, which would give her
+great pleasure. "If that be the case, sir," replied she, "permit me
+first to change his dress, that he may be more fit to appear before
+the Commander of the Faithful." And she immediately put on her son a
+clean suit.
+
+The grand vizier conducted the boy to the caliph, and presented him at
+the time appointed for hearing Ali Cogia and the merchant.
+
+The caliph, seeing the child rather terrified, and wishing to prepare
+him for what he expected him to do, said to him: "Come here, my boy,
+draw near. Was it you who yesterday passed sentence on the case of Ali
+Cogia and the merchant who robbed him of his gold? I both saw and
+heard you, and am very well satisfied with you." The child began to
+gain confidence, and modestly answered that it was he. "My child,"
+resumed the caliph, "you shall see the true Ali Cogia and the merchant
+to-day; come and sit down next to me."
+
+The caliph then took the boy by the hand, and seated himself on his
+throne, and having placed him next to him, he inquired for the
+parties; they advanced, and the name of each was pronounced as he
+touched with his forehead the carpet that covered the throne. When
+they had risen, the caliph said to them: "Let each of you plead your
+cause; this child will hear and administer justice to you, and if
+anything be deficient, I will remedy it."
+
+Ali Cogia and the merchant each spoke in his turn; and when the
+merchant requested to be allowed to take the same oath he had taken on
+his first examination, the boy answered that it was not yet time, for
+it was first necessary to inspect the jar of olives. At these words
+Ali Cogia produced the jar, placed it at the feet of the caliph, and
+uncovered it. The caliph looked at the olives, and took one, which he
+tasted. The jar was then handed to some skilful merchants who had been
+ordered to appear, and they reported it as their opinion that the
+olives were good, and of that year's growth. The boy told them Ali
+Cogia assured him they had been in the jar seven years, to which the
+real merchants returned the same answer which the children as feigned
+merchants had made on the preceding evening.
+
+Although the accused merchant plainly saw that the two olive
+merchants had thus pronounced his condemnation, yet he nevertheless
+attempted to allege reasons in his justification; the boy, however,
+did not venture to pronounce sentence on him and send him to
+execution. "Commander of the Faithful," said he, "this is not a game;
+it is your majesty alone who can condemn to death seriously, and not
+I; I did it yesterday only in play."
+
+The caliph, fully persuaded of the treachery of the merchant, gave him
+up to the ministers of justice to have him hung; and this sentence was
+executed after he had confessed where the thousand pieces of gold were
+concealed, which were then returned to Ali Cogia. This monarch, in
+short, so celebrated for his justice and equity, after having advised
+the cadi who had passed the first sentence, and who was present, to
+learn from a child to be more exact in the performance of his office,
+embraced the boy, and sent him home again with a purse containing a
+hundred pieces of gold, which he ordered to be given him as a proof of
+his liberality.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Minor typographic errors--for example, punctuation errors, omitted or
+transposed letters--have been repaired. Archaic spelling is preserved
+as printed.
+
+The frontispiece illustration has been moved to follow the title page.
+Other illustrations have been moved where necessary so that they are
+not in the middle of a paragraph.
+
+
+
+
+
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author	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-14 19:57:32 -0700
committer	Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org>	2025-10-14 19:57:32 -0700
commit	66056309c8f1381ea33773cc397c5f476e5a6e63 (patch)
tree	722f17207989ce8be48b3158d2f552964f0b2845