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diff --git a/33002.txt b/33002.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bb877d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/33002.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6428 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Shoemaker's Apron, by Parker Fillmore + +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: The Shoemaker's Apron + A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales + +Author: Parker Fillmore + +Illustrator: Jan Matulka + +Release Date: June 27, 2010 [EBook #33002] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON *** + + + + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Dianne Nolan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + THE SHOEMAKER'S + APRON + + CZECHOSLOVAK FOLK + _and_ FAIRY TALES + + PARKER FILLMORE + + + $3.50 + +THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON + +_A Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales_ + +Retold in English by PARKER FILLMORE. + +With illustrations and decorations by JAN MATULKA. + +A collection of twenty stories, drawn from original sources, and chosen +for their variety of subject and range of interest. Here are fairy tales +conceived with all the gorgeousness of the Slavic imagination; charming +little nursery tales that might be told in nurseries the world over; +folk tales illustrative of the wit of a canny people; and rollicking +devil tales as surprising to the Anglo-Saxon imagination as they are +entertaining. + +They are not in any sense academic translations, but vivid renditions by +a man who, besides being a student of folklore, was an accomplished +story-teller in his own right. + +_Harcourt, Brace and Company_ + +383 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK 17, N.Y. + + + + + THE SHOEMAKER'S + APRON + + _A Second Book of Czechoslovak + Fairy Tales and Folk Tales_ + + RETOLD BY + + PARKER FILLMORE + + WITH ILLUSTRATIONS + AND DECORATIONS BY + + JAN MATULKA + + [Illustration] + + NEW YORK + + HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY + + + COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY + PARKER FILLMORE + + PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA + + + + +[Illustration] + +NOTE + + +The stories in this volume are all of Czech, Moravian, and Slovak +origin, and are to be found in many versions in the books of folk tales +collected by Erben, Nemcova, Kulda, Dobsinsky, Rimavsky, +Benes-Trebizsky, Miksicek. I got them first by word of mouth and +afterwards hunted them out in the old books. My work has been that of +retelling rather than translating since in most cases I have put myself +in the place of a storyteller who knows several forms of the same story, +equally authentic, and from them all fashions a version of his own. It +is of course always the same story although told in one form to a group +of children and in another form to a group of soldiers. The audience +that I hope particularly to interest is the English-speaking child. + +Some few of the stories--such as Nemcova's very beautiful _Twelve +Months_ and Erben's spirited _Zlatovlaska_ and to a less degree +Nemcova's hero tale, _Vitazko_--are already in such definitive form that +it would be profanation to "edit" them. They--especially the first +two--have been told once and for all. But the same cannot be said of +most of the other stories. Nemcova's renderings are too often diffuse +and inconsequential, Kulda's dry, pedantic, and homiletic. Erben, the +scholarly old archivist of Prague, seems to me the greatest literary +artist of them all. His chief interest in folklore was philological, but +he was a poet as well as a scholar and he carried his versions of the +old stories from the realm of crude folklore to the realm of art. + +A small number of the present tales have appeared in earlier English +collections coming, nearly always, by way of German or French +translations. In the one case they have been squeezed dry of their +Slavic exuberance and in the other somewhat dandified. So I make no +apology for offering them afresh. + +Variants of most of the tales are, of course, to be found in other +countries. Grimm's _The White Snake_, for instance, is a variant of +_Zlatovlaska_. My rule of selection has been to take stories that do not +have well-known variants in other languages. I have to confess that _The +White Snake_ is very well known, but here I break my own rule on account +of the greater beauty of the Slavic version. + +In Grimm there are also to be found variants of _A Gullible World (The +Shrewd Farmer)_, _The Devil's Little Brother-in-Law (Bearskin)_, _Clever +Manka (The Peasant's Clever Daughter)_, _The Devil's Gifts (The Magic +Gifts)_, _The Candles of Life (The Strange Godfather and Godfather +Death)_, _The Shoemaker's Apron (Brother Jolly)_. In all these tales the +same incidents are presented but with a difference in spirit and in +background that instantly marks one variant Teutonic and its fellow +Slavic. Moreover, as stories, the German versions of these particular +tales are neither as interesting nor as important as the Slavic +versions. + +Both German and Slavic versions go back, in most cases, to some early +common source. Take _Clever Manka_, for instance, and its German +variant, _The Farmer's Shrewd Daughter_. _Clever Manka_ is very popular +among the Czechs and Slovaks and is considered by them especially +typical of their own folk wisdom and folk humor. And they are right: it +is. But it would be rash to say just how early or how late this story +began to be told among the peoples of the earth. The catch at the end +appears in a story in the Talmud and at that time it has all the marks +of a long and honorable career. The story of the devil marrying a scold, +another great favorite with the Slavs, also has its Talmudic parallel in +the story of Azrael, the Angel of Death, marrying a woman. The Azrael +story contains many of the incidents which are used in different +combinations in some half-dozen of the folk tales in the present +collection. And yet when comparative folklore has said all that it has +to say about variants and versions the fact remains that every people +puts its own mark upon the stories that it retells. The story that, in +the Talmud, is told of Azrael is Hebrew. The same story passed on down +the centuries from people to people appears finally as _Gentle Dora_ or +_Katcha and the Devil_ or _The Candles of Life_ and then it is +essentially Slavic in background, humor, and imagination. + +Besides its fairy tales and folk tales the present volume contains a +cluster of charming little nursery tales and a group of rollicking +devil tales. It is intended as a companion volume to my earlier +collection, _Czechoslovak Fairy Tales_. Together these two books present +in English a selection of tales that are fairly representative of the +folk genius of a small but highly gifted branch of the great Slav +people. + + P. F. + + _May, 1920._ + + + + +[Illustration] + +CONTENTS + + PAGE + + THE TWELVE MONTHS: The Story of Marushka and the Wicked + Holena 1 + + ZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED: The Story of Yirik and the + Snake 23 + + THE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY: The Story of the Princess Who Learned + to say "Please" 45 + + VITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS: The Story of a Hero Whose Mother Loved + a Dragon 57 + + FIVE NURSERY TALES: + I KURATKO THE TERRIBLE: The Story of an Ungrateful Chick 91 + + II SMOLICHECK: The Story of a Little Boy Who Opened the + Door 99 + + III BUDULINEK: The Story of Another Little Boy Who Opened + the Door 109 + + IV THE DEAR LITTLE HEN: The Story of a Rooster that Cheated 123 + + V THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER: The Story of Another Little Hen 133 + + THE NICKERMAN'S WIFE: The Story of Lidushka and the Imprisoned + Doves 139 + + BATCHA AND THE DRAGON: The Story of a Shepherd Who Slept all + Winter 149 + + CLEVER MANKA: The Story of a Girl Who Knew What to Say 165 + + THE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL: The Story of a Man Who Found that + Death was Necessary 177 + + A GULLIBLE WORLD: The Story of a Man Who Didn't Beat His Wife 187 + + THE CANDLES OF LIFE: The Story of a Child for Whom Death Stood + Godmother 197 + + THE DEVIL'S GIFTS: The Story of a Man Whom the Devil Befriended 207 + + GENTLE DORA: The Story of a Devil Who Married a Scold 225 + + THE DEVIL'S MATCH: The Story of a Farmer Who Remembered What + His Grandmother Told Him 239 + + THE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW: The Story of a Youth Who + Couldn't Find Work 251 + + THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON: The Story of the Man Who Sits Near the + Golden Gate 271 + + + + +THE TWELVE MONTHS + +THE STORY OF MARUSHKA AND THE WICKED HOLENA + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE TWELVE MONTHS + + +There was once a woman who had two girls. One was her own daughter, +the other a stepchild. Holena, her own daughter, she loved dearly, +but she couldn't bear even the sight of Marushka, the stepchild. +This was because Marushka was so much prettier than Holena. +Marushka, the dear child, didn't know how pretty she was and so she +never understood why, whenever she stood beside Holena, the +stepmother frowned so crossly. + +Mother and daughter made Marushka do all the housework alone. She +had to cook and wash and sew and spin and take care of the garden +and look after the cow. Holena, on the contrary, spent all her time +decking herself out and sitting around like a grand lady. + +Marushka never complained. She did all she was told to do and bore +patiently their everlasting fault-finding. In spite of all the hard +work she did she grew prettier from day to day, and in spite of her +lazy life Holena grew uglier. + +"This will never do," the stepmother thought to herself. "Soon the +boys will come courting and once they see how pretty Marushka is, +they'll pay no attention at all to my Holena. We had just better do +all we can to get rid of that Marushka as soon as possible." + +So they both nagged Marushka all day long. They made her work harder, +they beat her, they didn't give her enough to eat, they did everything +they could think of to make her ugly and nasty. But all to no avail. +Marushka was so good and sweet that, in spite of all their harsh +treatment, she kept on growing prettier. + +One day in the middle of January Holena took the notion that nothing +would do but she must have a bunch of fragrant violets to put in her +bodice. + +"Marushka!" she ordered sharply. "I want some violets. Go out to the +forest and get me some." + +"Good heavens, my dear sister!" cried poor Marushka. "What can you be +thinking of? Whoever heard of violets growing under the snow in +January?" + +"What, you lazy little slattern!" Holena shouted. "You dare to argue +with me! You go this minute and if you come back without violets I'll +kill you!" + +[Illustration: _Marushka and Holena_] + +The stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka roughly by the +shoulder, she pushed her out of the house and slammed the door. + +The poor child climbed slowly up the mountain side weeping bitterly. All +around the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast in any direction. +Marushka wandered on and on, weak with hunger and shaking with cold. + +"Dear God in heaven," she prayed, "take me to yourself away from all +this suffering." + +Suddenly ahead of her she saw a glowing light. She struggled towards +it and found at last that it came from a great fire that was burning +on the top of the mountain. Around the fire there were twelve +stones, one of them much bigger and higher than the rest. Twelve men +were seated on the stones. Three of them were very old and white; +three were not so old; three were middle-aged; and three were +beautiful youths. They did not talk. They sat silent gazing at the +fire. They were the Twelve Months. + +For a moment Marushka was frightened and hesitated. Then she stepped +forward and said, politely: + +"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold." + +Great January nodded his head and Marushka reached her stiff fingers +towards the flames. + +"This is no place for you, my child," Great January said. "Why are you +here?" + +"I'm hunting for violets," Marushka answered. + +"Violets? This is no time to look for violets with snow on the ground!" + +"I know that, sir, but my sister, Holena, says I must bring her violets +from the forest or she'll kill me and my mother says so, too. Please, +sir, won't you tell me where I can find some?" + +Great January slowly stood up and walked over to the youngest Month. He +handed him a long staff and said: + +"Here, March, you take the high seat." + +So March took the high seat and began waving the staff over the fire. +The fire blazed up and instantly the snow all about began to melt. The +trees burst into bud; the grass revived; the little pink buds of the +daisies appeared; and, lo, it was spring! + +While Marushka looked, violets began to peep out from among the leaves +and soon it was as if a great blue quilt had been spread on the ground. + +"Now, Marushka," March cried, "there are your violets! Pick them +quickly!" + +Marushka was overjoyed. She stooped down and gathered a great bunch. +Then she thanked the Months politely, bade them good-day, and hurried +away. + +Just imagine Holena and the stepmother's surprise when they saw Marushka +coming home through the snow with her hands full of violets. They opened +the door and instantly the fragrance of the flowers filled the cottage. + +"Where did you get them?" Holena demanded rudely. + +"High up in the mountain," Marushka said. "The ground up there is +covered with them." + +Holena snatched the violets and fastened them in her waist. She kept +smelling them herself all afternoon and she let her mother smell them, +but she never once said to Marushka: + +"Dear sister, won't you take a smell?" + +The next day as she was sitting idle in the chimney corner she took the +notion that she must have some strawberries to eat. So she called +Marushka and said: + +"Here you, Marushka, go out to the forest and get me some strawberries." + +"Good heavens, my dear sister," Marushka said, "where can I find +strawberries this time of year? Whoever heard of strawberries growing +under the snow?" + +"What, you lazy little slattern!" Holena shouted. "You dare to argue +with me! You go this minute and if you come back without strawberries, +I'll kill you!" + +Again the stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka roughly by +the shoulder, she pushed her out of the house and slammed the door. + +Again the poor child climbed slowly up the mountain side weeping +bitterly. All around the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast +in any direction. Marushka wandered on and on, weak with hunger and +shaking with cold. At last she saw ahead of her the glow of the same +fire that she had seen the day before. With happy heart she hastened +to it. The Twelve Months were seated as before with Great January on +the high seat. + +Marushka bowed politely and said: + +"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold." + +Great January nodded and Marushka reached her stiff fingers towards the +flames. + +"But Marushka," Great January said, "why are you here again? What are +you hunting now?" + +"I'm hunting for strawberries," Marushka answered. + +"Strawberries? But, Marushka, my child, it is winter and strawberries do +not grow in the snow." + +Marushka shook her head sadly. + +"I know that, sir, but my sister, Holena, says I must bring her +strawberries from the forest or she will kill me and my mother says so, +too. Please, sir, won't you tell me where I can find some?" + +Great January slowly stood up and walked over to the Month who sat +opposite him. He handed him the long staff and said: + +"Here, June, you take the high seat." + +So June took the high seat and began waving the staff over the fire. +The flames blazed high and with the heat the snow all about melted +instantly. The earth grew green; the trees decked themselves in +leaves; the birds began to sing; flowers bloomed and, lo, it was +summer! Presently little starry white blossoms covered the ground +under the beech trees. Soon these turned to fruit, first green, then +pink, then red, and, with a gasp of delight, Marushka saw that they +were ripe strawberries. + +"Now, Marushka," June cried, "there are your strawberries! Pick them +quickly!" + +Marushka picked an apronful of berries. Then she thanked the Months +politely, bade them good-bye, and hurried home. + +Just imagine again Holena and the stepmother's surprise as they saw +Marushka coming through the snow with an apronful of strawberries! + +They opened the door and instantly the fragrance of the berries filled +the house. + +"Where did you get them?" Holena demanded rudely. + +"High up in the mountain," Marushka answered, "under the beech trees." + +Holena took the strawberries and gobbled and gobbled and gobbled. Then +the stepmother ate all she wanted. But it never occurred to either of +them to say: + +"Here, Marushka, you take one." + +The next day when Holena was sitting idle, as usual, in the chimney +corner, the notion took her that she must have some red apples. So she +called Marushka and said: + +"Here you, Marushka, go out to the forest and get me some red apples." + +"But, my dear sister," Marushka gasped, "where can I find red apples in +winter?" + +[Illustration: _Marushka reached up and picked one apple_] + +"What, you lazy little slattern, you dare to argue with me! You go this +minute and if you come back without red apples I'll kill you!" + +For the third time the stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka +roughly by the shoulder, pushed her out of the house and slammed the +door. + +So again the poor child went out to the forest. All around the snow lay +deep with no track of man or beast in any direction. This time Marushka +hurried straight to the mountain top. She found the Months still seated +about their fire with Great January still on the high stone. + +Marushka bowed politely and said: + +"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold." + +Great January nodded and Marushka reached her stiff fingers towards the +flames. + +"Why are you here again, Marushka?" Great January asked. "What are you +looking for now?" + +"Red apples," Marushka answered. "My sister, Holena, says I must bring +her some red apples from the forest or she will kill me, and my mother +says so, too. Please, sir, won't you tell me where I can find some?" + +Great January slowly stood up and walked over to one of the older +Months. He handed him the long staff and said: + +"Here, September, you take the high seat." + +So September took the high seat and began waving the staff over the +fire. The fire burned and glowed. Instantly the snow disappeared. The +fields about looked brown and yellow and dry. From the trees the leaves +dropped one by one and a cool breeze scattered them over the stubble. +There were not many flowers, only wild asters on the hillside, and +meadow saffron in the valleys, and under the beeches ferns and ivy. +Presently Marushka spied an apple-tree weighted down with ripe fruit. + +"There, Marushka," September called, "there are your apples. Gather them +quickly." + +Marushka reached up and picked one apple. Then she picked another. + +"That's enough, Marushka!" September shouted. "Don't pick any more!" + +Marushka obeyed at once. Then she thanked the Months politely, bade them +good-bye, and hurried home. + +Holena and her stepmother were more surprised than ever to see Marushka +coming through the snow with red apples in her hands. They let her in +and grabbed the apples from her. + +"Where did you get them?" Holena demanded. + +"High up on the mountain," Marushka answered. "There are plenty of them +growing there." + +"Plenty of them! And you only brought us two!" Holena cried angrily. "Or +did you pick more and eat them yourself on the way home?" + +"No, no, my dear sister," Marushka said. "I haven't eaten any, truly I +haven't. They wouldn't let me pick any more than two. They shouted to me +not to pick any more." + +"I wish the lightning had struck you dead!" Holena sneered. "I've a good +mind to beat you!" + +After a time the greedy Holena left off her scolding to eat one of the +apples. It had so delicious a flavor that she declared she had never in +all her life tasted anything so good. Her mother said the same. When +they had finished both apples they began to wish for more. + +"Mother," Holena said, "go get me my fur cloak. I'm going up the +mountain myself. No use sending that lazy little slattern again, for she +would only eat up all the apples on the way home. I'll find that tree +and when I pick the apples I'd like to see anybody stop me!" + +The mother begged Holena not to go out in such weather, but Holena was +headstrong and would go. She threw her fur cloak over her shoulders and +put a shawl on her head and off she went up the mountain side. + +All around the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast in any +direction. Holena wandered on and on determined to find those wonderful +apples. At last she saw a light in the distance and when she reached it +she found it was the great fire about which the Twelve Months were +seated. + +At first she was frightened but, soon growing bold, she elbowed her way +through the circle of men and without so much as saying: "By your +leave," she put out her hands to the fire. She hadn't even the courtesy +to say: "Good-day." + +Great January frowned. + +"Who are you?" he asked in a deep voice. "And what do you want?" + +Holena looked at him rudely. + +"You old fool, what business is it of yours who I am or what I want!" + +She tossed her head airily and walked off into the forest. + +The frown deepened on Great January's brow. Slowly he stood up and +waved the staff over his head. The fire died down. Then the sky grew +dark; an icy wind blew over the mountain; and the snow began to fall +so thickly that it looked as if some one in the sky were emptying a +huge feather-bed. + +Holena could not see a step before her. She struggled on and on. Now +she ran into a tree, now she fell into a snowdrift. In spite of her warm +cloak her limbs began to weaken and grow numb. The snow kept on +falling, the icy wind kept on blowing. + +Did Holena at last begin to feel sorry that she had been so wicked and +cruel to Marushka? No, she did not. Instead, the colder she grew, the +more bitterly she reviled Marushka in her heart, the more bitterly she +reviled even the good God Himself. + +Meanwhile at home her mother waited for her and waited. She stood at the +window as long as she could, then she opened the door and tried to peer +through the storm. She waited and waited, but no Holena came. + +"Oh dear, oh dear, what can be keeping her?" she thought to herself. +"Does she like those apples so much that she can't leave them, or what +is it? I think I'll have to go out myself and find her." + +So the stepmother put her fur cloak about her shoulders, threw a shawl +over her head, and started out. + +She called: "Holena! Holena!" but no one answered. + +She struggled on and on up the mountain side. All around the snow lay +deep with no track of man or beast in any direction. + +"Holena! Holena!" + +Still no answer. + +The snow fell fast. The icy wind moaned on. + +At home Marushka prepared the dinner and looked after the cow. Still +neither Holena nor the stepmother returned. + +"What can they be doing all this time?" Marushka thought. + +She ate her dinner alone and then sat down to work at the distaff. + +The spindle filled and daylight faded and still no sign of Holena and +her mother. + +"Dear God in heaven, what can be keeping them!" Marushka cried +anxiously. She peered out the window to see if they were coming. + +The storm had spent itself. The wind had died down. The fields gleamed +white in the snow and up in the sky the frosty stars were twinkling +brightly. But not a living creature was in sight. Marushka knelt down +and prayed for her sister and mother. + +The next morning she prepared breakfast for them. + +"They'll be very cold and hungry," she said to herself. + +She waited for them but they didn't come. She cooked dinner for them but +still they didn't come. In fact they never came, for they both froze to +death on the mountain. + +So our good little Marushka inherited the cottage and the garden and the +cow. After a time she married a farmer. He made her a good husband and +they lived together very happily. + + + + +ZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED + +THE STORY OF YIRIK AND THE SNAKE + +[Illustration] + + + + +ZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED + + +There was once an old king who was so wise that he was able to +understand the speech of all the animals in the world. This is how it +happened. An old woman came to him one day bringing him a snake in a +basket. + +"If you have this snake cooked," she told him, "and eat it as you would +a fish, then you will be able to understand the birds of the air, the +beasts of the earth, and the fishes of the sea." + +The king was delighted. He made the old wise woman a handsome present +and at once ordered his cook, a youth named Yirik, to prepare the "fish" +for dinner. + +"But understand, Yirik," he said severely, "you're to cook this 'fish,' +not eat it! You're not to taste one morsel of it! If you do, you forfeit +your head!" + +Yirik thought this a strange order. + +"What kind of a cook am I," he said to himself, "that I'm not to sample +my own cooking?" + +When he opened the basket and saw the "fish," he was further mystified. + +"Um," he murmured, "it looks like a snake to me." + +He put it on the fire and, when it was broiled to a turn, he ate a +morsel. It had a fine flavor. He was about to take a second bite when +suddenly he heard a little voice that buzzed in his ear these words: + +"Give us some, too! Give us some, too!" + +He looked around to see who was speaking but there was no one in the +kitchen. Only some flies were buzzing about. + +Just then outside a hissing voice called out: + +"Where shall we go? Where shall we go?" + +A higher voice answered: + +"To the miller's barley field! To the miller's barley field!" + +Yirik looked out the window and saw a gander with a flock of geese. + +"Oho!" he said to himself, shaking his head. "Now I understand! Now I +know what kind of 'fish' this is! Now I know why the poor cook was not +to take a bite!" + +He slipped another morsel into his mouth, garnished the "fish" carefully +on a platter, and carried it to the king. + +[Illustration: _Yirik's horse began to prance and neigh_] + +After dinner the king ordered his horse and told +Yirik to come with him for a ride. The king rode on ahead +and Yirik followed. + +As they cantered across a green meadow, Yirik's horse began to prance +and neigh. + +"Ho! Ho!" he said. "I feel so light that I could jump over a mountain!" + +"So could I," the king's horse said, "but I have to remember the old bag +of bones that is perched on my back. If I were to jump he'd tumble off +and break his neck." + +"And a good thing, too!" said Yirik's horse. "Why not? Then instead of +such an old bag of bones you'd get a young man to ride you like Yirik." + +Yirik almost burst out laughing as he listened to the horses' talk, but +he suppressed his merriment lest the king should know that he had eaten +some of the magic snake. + +Now of course the king, too, understood what the horses were saying. He +glanced apprehensively at Yirik and it seemed to him that Yirik was +grinning. + +"What are you laughing at, Yirik?" + +"Me?" Yirik said. "I'm not laughing. I was just thinking of something +funny." + +"Um," said the king. + +His suspicions against Yirik were aroused. Moreover he was afraid to +trust himself to his horse any longer. So he turned back to the palace +at once. + +There he ordered Yirik to pour him out a goblet of wine. + +"And I warn you," he said, "that you forfeit your head if you pour a +drop too much or too little." + +Yirik carefully tilted a great tankard and began filling a goblet. As he +poured a bird suddenly flew into the window pursued by another bird. The +first bird had in its beak three golden hairs. + +"Give them to me! Give them to me! They're mine!" screamed the second +bird. + +"I won't! I won't! They're mine!" the first bird answered. "I picked +them up!" + +"Yes, but I saw them first!" the other cried. "I saw them fall as the +maiden sat and combed her golden tresses. Give me two of them and I'll +let you keep the third." + +"No! No! No! I won't let you have one of them!" + +The second bird darted angrily at the first and after a struggle +succeeded in capturing one of the golden hairs. One hair dropped to the +marble floor, making as it struck a musical tinkle, and the first bird +escaped still holding in its bill a single hair. + +In his excitement over the struggle, Yirik overflowed the goblet. + +"Ha! Ha!" said the king. "See what you've done! You forfeit your head! +However, I'll suspend sentence on condition that you find this +golden-haired maiden and bring her to me for a wife." + +Poor Yirik didn't know who the maiden was nor where she lived. But what +could he say? If he wanted to keep his head, he must undertake the +quest. So he saddled his horse and started off at random. + +His road led him through a forest. Here he came upon a bush under which +some shepherds had kindled a fire. Sparks were falling on an anthill +nearby and the ants in great excitement were running hither and thither +with their eggs. + +"Yirik!" they cried. "Help! Help, or we shall all be burned to death, we +and our young ones in the eggs!" + +Yirik instantly dismounted, cut down the burning bush, and put out the +fire. + +"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!" the ants said. "Your kindness to us this +day will not go unrewarded. If ever you are in trouble, think of us and +we will help you." + +As Yirik rode on through the forest, he came upon two fledgling ravens +lying by the path. + +"Help us, Yirik, help us!" they cawed. "Our father and mother have +thrown us out of the nest in yonder tall fir tree to fend for ourselves. +We are young and helpless and not yet able to fly. Give us some meat to +eat or we shall perish with hunger." + +The sight of the helpless fledglings touched Yirik to pity. He +dismounted instantly, drew his sword, and killed his horse. Then he fed +the starving birds the meat they needed. + +"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!" the little ravens croaked. "You have +saved our lives this day. Your kindness will not go unrewarded. If ever +you are in trouble, think of us and we will help you." + +Yirik left the young ravens and pushed on afoot. The path through the +forest was long and wearisome. It led out finally on the seashore. + +On the beach two fishermen were quarreling over a big fish with golden +scales that lay gasping on the sand. + +"It's mine, I tell you!" one of the men was shouting. "It was caught in +my net, so of course it's mine!" + +To this the other one shouted back: + +"But your net would never have caught a fish if you hadn't been out in +my boat and if I hadn't helped you!" + +"Give me this one," the first man said, "and I'll let you have the next +one." + +"No! You take the next one!" the other said. "This one's mine!" + +So they kept on arguing to no purpose until Yirik went up to them and +said: + +"Let me decide this for you. Suppose you sell me the fish and then +divide the money." + +He offered them all the money the king had given him for his journey. +The fishermen, delighted at the offer, at once agreed. Yirik handed them +over the money and then, taking the gasping fish in his hand, he threw +it back into the sea. + +When the fish had caught its breath, it rose on a wave and called out to +Yirik: + +"Thank you, Yirik, thank you. You have saved my life this day. Your +kindness will not go unrewarded. If ever you are in trouble, think of me +and I will help you." + +With that the golden fish flicked its tail and disappeared in the water. + +"Where are you going, Yirik?" the fishermen asked. + +"I'm going in quest of a golden-haired maiden whom my master, the king, +wished to make his wife." + +"He must mean the Princess Zlatovlaska," the fishermen said to each +other. + +"The Princess Zlatovlaska?" Yirik repeated. "Who is she?" + +"She's the golden-haired daughter of the King of the Crystal Palace. Do +you see the faint outlines of an island over yonder? That's where she +lives. The king has twelve daughters but Zlatovlaska alone has golden +hair. Each morning at dawn a wonderful glow spreads over land and sea. +That's Zlatovlaska combing her golden hair." + +The fishermen conferred apart for a moment and then said: + +"Yirik, you settled our dispute for us and now in return we'll row you +over to the island." + +So they rowed Yirik over to the Island of the Crystal Palace and left +him there with the warning that the king would probably try to palm off +on him one of the dark-haired princesses. + +Yirik at once presented himself at the palace, got an audience with the +king, and declared his mission. + +"H'm," the king said. "So your master desires the hand of my daughter, +the Princess Zlatovlaska, eh? H'm, h'm. Well, I see no objection to your +master as a son-in-law, but of course before I entrust the princess into +your hands you must prove yourself worthy. I tell you what I'll do: I'll +give you three tasks to perform. Be ready for the first one tomorrow." + +Early the next day the king said to Yirik: + +"My daughter, Zlatovlaska, had a precious necklace of pearls. She was +walking in the meadow over yonder when the string broke and the pearls +rolled away in the tall grasses. Now your first task is to gather up +every last one of those pearls and hand them to me before sundown." + +Yirik went to the meadow and when he saw how broad it was and how +thickly covered with tall grasses his heart sank for he realized that he +could never search over the whole of it in one day. However, he got down +on his hands and knees and began to hunt. + +Midday came and he had not yet found a single pearl. + +"Oh dear," he thought to himself in despair, "if only my ants were here, +they could help me!" + +He had no sooner spoken than a million little voices answered: + +"We are here and we're here to help you!" + +And sure enough there they were, the very ants that he supposed were far +away! + +"What do you want us to do?" they asked. + +"Find me all the pearls that are scattered in this meadow. I can't find +one of them." + +Instantly the ants scurried hither and thither and soon they began +bringing him the pearls one by one. Yirik strung them together until the +necklace seemed complete. + +"Are there any more?" he asked. + +He was about to tie the string together when a lame ant, whose foot had +been burned in the fire, hobbled up, crying: + +"Wait, Yirik, don't tie the string yet! Here's the last pearl!" + +Yirik thanked the ants for their help and at sundown carried the +string of pearls to the king. The king counted the pearls and, to his +surprise, found that not one was missing. + +"You've done this well," he said. "Tomorrow I'll give you your second +task." + +The next day when Yirik presented himself, the king said: + +"While my daughter, Zlatovlaska, was bathing in the sea, a golden ring +slipped from her finger and disappeared. Your task is to find me this +ring before sundown." + +Yirik went down to the seashore and as he walked along the beach his +heart grew heavy as he realized the difficulty of the task before him. +The sea was clear but so deep that he couldn't even see the bottom. How +then could he find the ring? + +"Oh dear," he said aloud, "if only the golden fish were here! It could +help me." + +"I am here," a voice said, "and I'm here to help you." + +And there was the golden fish on the crest of a wave, gleaming like a +flash of fire! + +"What do you want me to do?" it said. + +"Find me a golden ring that lies somewhere on the bottom of the sea." + +"Ah, a golden ring? A moment ago I met a pike," the fish said, "that had +just such a golden ring. Wait for me here and I'll go find the pike." + +In a few moments the golden fish returned with the pike and sure enough +it was Zlatovlaska's ring that the pike was carrying. + +That evening at sundown the king acknowledged that Yirik had +accomplished his second task. + +The next day the king said: + +"I could never allow my daughter, Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, to go +to the kingdom of your master unless she carried with her two flasks, +one filled with the Water of Life, the other with the Water of Death. So +today for a third task I set you this: to bring the princess a flask of +the Water of Life and a flask of the Water of Death." + +Yirik had no idea which way to turn. He had heard of the Waters of Life +and Death, but all he knew about them was that their springs were far +away beyond the Red Sea. He left the Crystal Palace and walked off +aimlessly until his feet had carried him of themselves into a dark +forest. + +"If only those young ravens were here," he said aloud, "they could help +me!" + +Instantly he heard a loud, "Caw! Caw!" and two ravens flew down to him, +saying: + +"We are here! We are here to help you! What do you want us to do?" + +"I have to bring the king a flask of the Water of Life and a flask of +the Water of Death and I don't know where the springs are. Do you know?" + +"Yes, we know," the ravens said. "Wait here and we'll soon fetch you +water from both springs." + +They flew off and in a short time returned, each bearing a gourd of the +precious water. + +Yirik thanked the ravens and carefully filled his two flasks. + +As he was leaving the forest, he came upon a great spider web. An ugly +spider sat in the middle of it sucking a fly. Yirik took a drop of the +Water of Death and flicked it on the spider. The spider doubled up dead +and fell to the ground like a ripe cherry. + +Then Yirik sprinkled a drop of Living Water on the fly. The fly +instantly revived, pulled itself out of the web, and flew about happy +and free once again. + +"Thank you, Yirik," it buzzed, "thank you for bringing me back to life. +You won't be sorry. Just wait and you'll soon see that I'll reward you!" + +When Yirik returned to the palace and presented the two flasks, the king +said: + +"But one thing yet remains. You may take Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, +but you must yourself pick her out from among the twelve sisters." + +The king led Yirik into a great hall. The twelve princesses were seated +about a table, beautiful maidens all and each looking much like the +others. Yirik could not tell which was Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, +for each princess wore a long heavy white veil so draped over her head +and shoulders that it completely covered her hair. + +"Here are my twelve daughters," the king said. "One of them is +Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. Pick her out and you may lead her at +once to your master. If you fail to pick her out, then you must depart +without her." + +In dismay Yirik looked from sister to sister. There was nothing to show +him which was Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. How was he to find out? + +Suddenly he heard a buzzing in his ear and a little voice whispered: + +"Courage, Yirik, courage! I'll help you!" + +He turned his head quickly and there was the fly he had rescued from the +spider. + +"Walk slowly by each princess," the fly said, "and I'll tell you when +you come to Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired." + +Yirik did as the fly ordered. He stopped a moment before the first +princess until the fly buzzed: + +"Not that one! Not that one!" + +He went on to the next princess and again the fly buzzed: + +"Not that one! Not that one!" + +So he went on from princess to princess until at last the fly buzzed +out: + +"Yes, that one! That one!" + +So Yirik remained standing where he was and said to the king: + +"This, I think, is Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired." + +"You have guessed right," the king said. + +At that Zlatovlaska removed the white veil from her head and her lovely +hair tumbled down to her feet like a golden cascade. It shimmered and +glowed like the sun in the early morning when he peeps over the mountain +top. Yirik stared until the brightness dimmed his sight. + +The king immediately prepared Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, for her +journey. He gave her the two precious flasks of water; he arranged a +fitting escort; and then with his blessing he sent her forth under +Yirik's care. + +Yirik conducted her safely to his master. + +When the old king saw the lovely princess that Yirik had found for him, +his eyes blinked with satisfaction, he capered about like a spring +lamb, and he ordered that immediate preparations be made for the +wedding. He was most grateful to Yirik and thanked him again and again. + +"My dear boy," he said, "I had expected to have you hanged for your +disobedience and let the ravens pick your bones. But now, to show you +how grateful I am for the beautiful bride you have found me, I'm not +going to have you hanged at all. Instead, I shall have you beheaded and +then given a decent burial." + +The execution took place at once in order to be out of the way before +the wedding. + +"It's a great pity he had to die," the king said as the executioner cut +off Yirik's head. "He has certainly been a faithful servant." + +Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, asked if she might have his severed head +and body. The king who was too madly in love to refuse her anything +said: "Yes." + +So Zlatovlaska took the body and the head and put them together. Then +she sprinkled them with the Water of Death. Instantly the wound closed +and soon it healed so completely that there wasn't even a scar left. + +Yirik lay there lifeless but looking merely as if he were asleep. +Zlatovlaska sprinkled him with the Water of Life and immediately his +dead limbs stirred. Then he opened his eyes and sat up. Life poured +through his veins and he sprang to his feet younger, fresher, handsomer +than before. + +The old king was filled with envy. + +"I, too," he cried, "wish to be made young and handsome!" + +He commanded the executioner to cut off his head and he told Zlatovlaska +to sprinkle him afterwards with the Water of Life. + +The executioner did as he was told. Then Zlatovlaska sprinkled the old +king's head and body with the Water of Life. Nothing happened. +Zlatovlaska kept on sprinkling the Water of Life until there was no more +left. + +"Do you know," the princess said to Yirik, "I believe I should have used +the Water of Death first." + +So now she sprinkled the body and head with the Water of Death and, sure +enough, they grew together at once. But of course there was no life in +them. And of course there was no possible way of putting life into them +because the Water of Life was all gone. So the old king remained dead. + +"This will never do," the people said. "We must have a king. And with +the wedding feast and everything prepared we simply must have a wedding, +too. If Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, cannot marry the old king, +she'll have to marry some one else. Now who shall it be?" + +Some one suggested Yirik because he was young and handsome and because, +like the old king, he could understand the birds and the beasts. + +"Yirik!" the people cried. "Let Yirik be our king!" + +And Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, who had long since fallen in love +with handsome Yirik, consented to have the wedding at once in order that +the feast already prepared might not be wasted. + +So Yirik and Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, were married and they ruled +so well and they lived so happily that to this day when people say of +some one: "He's as happy as a king," they are thinking of King Yirik, +and when they say of some one: "She's as beautiful as a queen," they are +thinking of Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. + + + + +THE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY + +THE STORY OF A PRINCESS WHO LEARNED TO SAY "PLEASE" + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY + + +There was once a king who had a beautiful daughter. When it was time for +her to get a husband, the king set a day and invited all the neighboring +princes to come and see her. + +One of these princes decided that he would like to have a look at the +princess before the others. So he dressed himself in a shepherd's +costume: a broad-brimmed hat, a blue smock, a green vest, tight breeches +to the knees, thick woolen stockings, and sandals. Thus disguised he set +out for the kingdom where the princess lived. All he took with him were +four loaves of bread to eat on the way. + +He hadn't gone far before he met a beggar who begged him, in God's +name, for a piece of bread. The prince at once gave him one of the +four loaves. A little farther on a second beggar held out his hand +and begged for a piece of bread. To him the prince gave the second +loaf. To a third beggar he gave the third loaf, and to a fourth +beggar the last loaf. + +The fourth beggar said to him: + +"Prince in shepherd's guise, your charity will not go unrewarded. Here +are four gifts for you, one for each of the loaves of bread that you +have given away this day. Take this whip which has the power of killing +any one it strikes however gentle the blow. Take this beggar's wallet. +It has in it some bread and cheese, but not common bread and cheese for, +no matter how much of it you eat, there will always be some left. Take +this shepherd's ax. If ever you have to leave your sheep alone, plant it +in the earth and the sheep, instead of straying, will graze around it. +Last, here is a shepherd's pipe. When you blow upon it your sheep will +dance and play. Farewell and good luck go with you." + +The prince thanked the beggar for his gifts and then trudged on to the +kingdom where the beautiful princess lived. He presented himself at the +palace as a shepherd in quest of work and he told them his name was Yan. +The king liked his appearance and so the next day he was put in charge +of a flock of sheep which he drove up the mountain side to pasture. + +He planted his shepherd's ax in the midst of a meadow and, leaving his +sheep to graze about it, he went off into the forest hunting adventures. +There he came upon a castle where a giant was busy cooking his dinner in +a big saucepan. + +"Good-day to you," Yan said politely. + +The giant, who was a rude, unmannerly fellow, bellowed out: + +"It won't take me long to finish you, you young whippersnapper!" + +He raised a great iron club to strike Yan but Yan, quick as thought, +flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow toppled over dead. + +The next day he returned to the castle and found another giant in +possession. + +"Ho, ho!" he roared on sight of Yan. "What, you young whippersnapper, +back again! You killed my brother yesterday and now I'll kill you!" + +He raised his great iron club to strike Yan, but Yan skipped nimbly +aside. Then he flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow +toppled over dead. + +When Yan returned to the castle the third day there were no more giants +about. So he wandered from room to room to see what treasures were +there. + +In one room he found a big chest. He struck it smartly and immediately +two burly men jumped out and, bowing low before him, said: + +"What does the master of the castle desire?" + +"Show me everything there is to be seen," Yan ordered. + +So the two servants of the chest showed him everything--jewels and +treasures and gold. Then they led him out into the gardens where the +most wonderful flowers in the world were blooming. Yan plucked some +of these and made them into a nosegay. + +That afternoon, as he drove home his sheep, he played on his magic pipe +and the sheep, pairing off two by two, began to dance and frisk about +him. All the people in the village ran out to see the strange sight and +laughed and clapped their hands for joy. + +The princess ran to the palace window and when she saw the sheep +dancing two by two she, too, laughed and clapped her hands. Then the +wind whiffed her a smell of the wonderful nosegay that Yan was +carrying and she said to her serving maid: + +"Run down to the shepherd and tell him the princess desires his +nosegay." + +The serving maid delivered the message to Yan, but he shook his head and +said: + +"Tell your mistress that whoever wants this nosegay must come herself +and say: 'Yanitchko, give me that nosegay.'" + +When the princess heard this, she laughed and said: + +"What an odd shepherd! I see I must go myself." + +So the princess herself came out to Yan and said: + +"Yanitchko, give me that nosegay." + +But Yan smiled and shook his head. + +"Whoever wants this nosegay must say: 'Yanitchko, please give me that +nosegay.'" + +The Princess was a merry girl, so she laughed and said: + +"Yanitchko, please give me that nosegay." + +Yan gave it to her at once and she thanked him sweetly. + +The next day Yan went again to the castle garden and plucked another +nosegay. Then in the afternoon he drove his sheep through the village as +before, playing his pipe. The princess was standing at the palace window +waiting to see him. When the wind brought her a whiff of the fresh +nosegay that was even more fragrant than the first one, she ran out to +Yan and said: + +"Yanitchko, please give me that nosegay." + +But Yan smiled and shook his head. + +"Whoever wants this nosegay must say: 'My dear Yanitchko, I beg you most +politely please to give me that nosegay.'" + +"My dear Yanitchko," the princess repeated demurely, "I beg you most +politely please to give me that nosegay." + +So Yan gave her the second nosegay. The princess put it in her window +and the fragrance filled the village until people from far and near came +to see it. + +After that every day Yan gathered a nosegay for the princess and every +day the princess stood at the palace window waiting to see the handsome +shepherd. And always when she asked for the nosegay, she said: "Please." + +In this way a month went by and the day arrived when the neighboring +princes were to come to meet the princess. They were to come in fine +array, the people said, and the princess had ready a kerchief and a ring +for the one who would please her most. + +Yan planted the ax in the meadow and, leaving the sheep to graze about +it, went to the castle where he ordered the servants of the chest to +dress him as befitted his rank. They put a white suit upon him and gave +him a white horse with trappings of silver. + +So he rode to the palace and took his place with the other princes but +behind them so that the princess had to crane her neck to see him. + +One by one the various princes rode by the princess but to none of them +did the princess give her kerchief and ring. Yan was the last to salute +her, and instantly she handed him her favors. + +Then before the king or the other suitors could speak to him, Yan put +spurs to his horse and rode off. + +That evening as usual when he was driving home his sheep, the princess +ran out to him and said: + +"Yan, it was you!" + +But Yan laughed and put her off. + +"How can a poor shepherd be a prince?" he asked. + +The princess was not convinced and she said in another month, when the +princes were to come again, she would find out. + +So for another month Yan tended sheep and plucked nosegays for the +merry little princess and the princess waited for him at the palace +window every afternoon and when she saw him she always spoke to him +politely and said: "Please." + +When the day for the second meeting of the princes came, the servants of +the chest arrayed Yan in a suit of red and gave him a sorrel horse with +trappings of gold. Yan again rode to the palace and took his place with +the other princes but behind them so that the princess had to crane her +neck to see him. + +Again the suitors rode by the princess one by one, but at each of them +she shook her head impatiently and kept her kerchief and ring until Yan +saluted her. + +Instantly the ceremony was over, Yan put spurs to his horse and rode off +and, although the king sent after him to bring him back, Yan was able to +escape. + +That evening when he was driving home his sheep the princess ran out to +him and said: + +"Yanitchko, it was you! I know it was!" + +But again Yan laughed and put her off and asked her how she could think +such a thing of a poor shepherd. + +Again the princess was not convinced and she said in another month, when +the princes were to come for the third and last time, she would make +sure. + +So for another month Yan tended his sheep and plucked nosegays for the +merry little princess and the princess waited for him at the palace +window every afternoon and, when she saw him, she always said politely: +"Please." + +For the third meeting of the princes the servants of the chest arrayed +Yan in a gorgeous suit of black and gave him a black horse with golden +trappings studded in diamonds. He rode to the palace and took his place +behind the other suitors. Things went as before and again the princess +saved her kerchief and ring for him. + +This time when he tried to ride off the other suitors surrounded him +and, before he escaped, one of them wounded him on the foot. + +He galloped back to the castle in the forest, dressed once again in his +shepherd's clothes, and returned to the meadow where his sheep were +grazing. There he sat down and bound up his wounded foot in the kerchief +which the princess had given him. Then, when he had eaten some bread and +cheese from his magic wallet, he stretched himself out in the sun and +fell asleep. + +Meanwhile the princess, who was sorely vexed that her mysterious suitor +had again escaped, slipped out of the palace and ran up the mountain +path to see for herself whether the shepherd were really with his sheep. +She found Yan asleep and, when she saw her kerchief bound about his +foot, she knew that he was the prince. + +She woke him up and cried: + +"You are he! You know you are!" + +Yan looked at her and laughed and he asked: + +"How can I be a prince?" + +"But I know you are!" the princess said. "Oh, Yanitchko, dear +Yanitchko, I beg you please to tell me!" + +So then Yan, because he always did anything the princess asked him when +she said: "Please," told her his true name and his rank. + +The princess, overjoyed to hear that her dear shepherd was really a +prince, carried him off to her father, the king. + +"This is the man I shall marry," she said, "this and none other." + +So Yan and the merry little princess were married and lived very +happily. And the people of the country when they speak of the princess +always say: + +"That's a princess for you! Why, even if she is a princess, she always +says 'Please' to her own husband!" + + + + +VITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS + +THE STORY OF A HERO WHOSE MOTHER LOVED A DRAGON + +[Illustration] + + + + +VITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS + + +There was once a mother who had an only son. "He shall be a hero," she +said, "and his name shall be Vitazko, the Victorious." + +She suckled him for twice seven years and then, to try his strength, she +led him out to the forest and bade him pull up a fir-tree by the roots. + +When the boy was not strong enough to do this, she took him home and +suckled him for another seven years. Then when she had suckled him for +thrice seven years, she led him out to the forest again and ordered him +to pull up a beech-tree by its roots. + +The youth laid hold on the tree and with one mighty pull uprooted it. + +"Now, my son, you are strong enough," the mother said. "Now you are +worthy of your name Vitazko. Forget not the mother who has suckled you +for thrice seven years but, now that you are grown, take care of her." + +"I will, my mother," Vitazko promised. "Only tell me what you want me to +do." + +"First," the mother said, "go out into the world and find me a splendid +dwelling where I may live in peace and plenty." + +Taking in his hand the uprooted beech-tree as a club and armed only with +it, Vitazko set forth. He followed the wind here and there and the other +place and it led him at last to a fine castle. + +This castle was inhabited by dragons. Vitazko pounded on the castle +gates but the dragons refused to admit him. Thereupon the young hero +battered down the gates, pursued the dragons from room to room of the +castle, and slaughtered them all. + +When he had thrown the last of them over the wall, he took possession of +the castle. He found nine spacious chambers and a tenth one the door of +which was closed. + +Vitazko opened the door and in the room he found a dragon. This dragon +was a prisoner. Three iron hoops were fastened about his body and these +were chained to the wall. + +"Oho!" Vitazko cried. "Another dragon! What are you doing here?" + +"Me?" the dragon said. "I'm not doing anything but just sitting here. My +brothers imprisoned me. Unchain me, Vitazko! If you do, I will reward +you richly." + +"I will not!" Vitazko said. "A fine scamp you must be if your own +brothers had to chain you up! No! You stay where you are!" + +With that Vitazko slammed the door in the dragon's face and left him. + +Then he went for his mother and brought her to the castle. + +"Here, my mother," he said, "is the dwelling I have won for you." + +He took her through the nine spacious chambers and showed her +everything. At the tenth door he said: + +"This door is not to be opened. All the castle belongs to you except +this room only. See to it that this door is never opened. If it is +opened, an evil fate will overtake you." + +Then Vitazko took his beechen club and went out hunting. + +He was hardly gone before his mother sat down before the tenth door and +said to herself over and over: + +"I wonder what can be in that room that Vitazko doesn't want me to open +the door." + +At last when she could restrain her curiosity no longer, she opened the +door. + +"Mercy on us!" she said when she saw the dragon. "Who are you? And what +are you doing here?" + +"Me?" the dragon said. "I'm only a poor harmless dragon. They call +me Sharkan. My brothers chained me here. They would have freed me +long ago but Vitazko killed them. Unchain me, dear lady, and I will +reward you richly." + +He begged her and cajoled her until she was half minded to do as he +asked. + +"You are very beautiful," Sharkan said. "If only I were free I would +make you my wife." + +"Ah, but what would Vitazko say to that?" the woman asked. + +"Vitazko?" repeated Sharkan. "Do you fear your own son? A dutiful +son he is, to give you the castle and then forbid you to enter this +room! If you were to marry me, we should soon get rid of this +Vitazko and then live here together in peace and merriment." + +The woman listened to these cajoling words until she was completely won +over. + +"But how, dear Sharkan, shall I unchain you?" + +He told her to go to the cellar and from a certain cask to draw him +a goblet of wine. Instantly he drank the wine, bang! the first iron +hoop burst asunder. He drank a second goblet, and the second iron +hoop fell from him. He drank a third goblet and, lo! he was free. + +Then in dismay at what she had done, the woman cried: + +"Ah me, what will Vitazko say when he comes home!" + +"I have thought out a plan," Sharkan said. "Listen: when he comes +home pretend you're sick and refuse to eat. When he begs you to eat +something, tell him that nothing can tempt you but a suckling from +the Earth Sow. He will at once go out and hunt the Earth Sow and +when he touches one of her sucklings, the Sow will tear him to +pieces." + +Sharkan remained in hiding in the tenth chamber and presently Vitazko +returned from the hunt with a young buck across his shoulders. He found +his mother on the bed, moaning and groaning as if in great pain. + +"What is it, dear mother?" he asked. "Are you sick?" + +"Aye, my son, I'm sick. Leave me and I'll die alone!" + +Vitazko in alarm rubbed her hands and begged her to eat of the venison +he had brought home. + +"Nay, my son," she said, "venison tempts me not. Nothing can tempt my +waning appetite but a suckling from the Earth Sow." + +"Then, my mother, you shall have a suckling from the Earth Sow!" Vitazko +cried, and instantly he rushed out in quest of the Earth Sow and her +litter. + +With his beech-tree in his hand he ranged back and forth through the +forest hunting the Earth Sow. He came at last to a tower in which an +old wise woman lived. Her name was Nedyelka and because she was good +as well as wise people called her St. Nedyelka. + +"Where are you going, Vitazko?" she said, when she saw the young hero. + +"I'm hunting for the Earth Sow," he told her. "My mother is sick and +nothing will tempt her but a suckling from the Earth Sow's litter." + +Nedyelka looked at the young man kindly. + +"That, my son, is a difficult task you have set yourself. However, I +will help you provided you do exactly as I say." + +Vitazko promised and the old woman gave him a long pointed spit. + +[Illustration: _Nedyelka tells Vitazko what to do_] + +"Take this," she said. "Now go to my stable. There you will find my +horse, Tatosh. Mount him and he will carry you on the wind to +where the Earth Sow lies half buried in her wallow and surrounded by +her litter. Reach over and prick one of the sucklings with this spit +and then sit very still without moving. The suckling will squeal and +instantly the Sow will spring up and in a fury race madly around the +world and back in a moment of time. Sit perfectly still and she +won't see either you or Tatosh. Then she'll tell the litter that if +one of them squeals again and disturbs her, she will tear it to +pieces. With that she'll settle back in the wallow and go to sleep. +Then do you pick up the same little suckling on your spit and carry +it off. This time it will be afraid to squeal. The Sow will not be +disturbed and Tatosh, my horse, will bear you safely away." + +Vitazko did exactly as Nedyelka ordered. He mounted Tatosh and the +magic steed carried him swiftly on the wind to where the Earth Sow +lay sleeping in her wallow. + +With his spit, Vitazko pricked one of the sucklings until it squealed in +terror. The Earth Sow jumped up and in fury raced madly around the world +and back in a moment of time. Tatosh stood where he was and Vitazko sat +on his back without moving. The Earth Sow saw neither of them. + +"If one of you squeals again and disturbs me," the Earth Sow said to +the litter, "I'll wake up and tear you to pieces!" + +With that she settled back in the mud and fell asleep. + +Vitazko again reached over and now he picked up the same little suckling +on the end of his spit. This time it made no sound. Instantly Tatosh, +the magic steed, rose on the wind and flew straight home to Nedyelka. + +"How did things go?" the old woman asked. + +"Just as you said they would," Vitazko told her. "See, here is the +suckling." + +"Good, my son. Take it home to your mother." + +So Vitazko returned the spit and led Tatosh back to his stall. Then he +threw the suckling over his beech-tree, thanked old St. Nedyelka, bade +her good-day, and with a happy heart went home. + +At the castle the mother was making merry with the dragon. Suddenly in +the distance they saw Vitazko coming. + +"Here he comes!" the mother cried. "Oh dear, what shall I do?" + +"Don't be afraid," Sharkan advised. "We'll send him off on another quest +and this time he'll surely not come back. Pretend you're sick again and +tell him you're so weak that even the suckling of the Earth Sow doesn't +tempt your appetite. Tell him nothing will help you but the Water of +Life and the Water of Death and if he really loves you he must get you +some of both. Then he'll go off hunting the Water of Life and the Water +of Death and that will be the end of him." + +Sharkan hid himself in the tenth chamber and Vitazko, when he entered +the castle, found his mother alone. + +"It's no use, my son," she moaned. "I can't eat the suckling. Nothing +will help me now but the Water of Life and the Water of Death. Of course +you don't love me well enough to get me some of both." + +"I do! I do!" poor Vitazko cried. "There's nothing I won't get for you +to make you well!" + +He snatched up his beech-tree again and hurried back to St. Nedyelka. + +"What is it now?" the old woman asked. + +"Can you tell me, dear St. Nedyelka, where I can find the Water of Life +and the Water of Death? My poor mother is still sick and she says that +nothing else will cure her." + +"The Waters of Life and of Death are difficult to get," Nedyelka +said. "However, dear boy, I will help you. Take these two pitchers +and again mount the faithful Tatosh. He will carry you to the two +shores under which flow the springs of the Water of Life and the +Water of Death. The right shore opens for a moment on the instant of +noon and under it the Water of Life bubbles up. The left shore opens +for a moment at midnight and under it lies the still pool of the +Water of Death. Wait at each shore until the moment it opens. Then +reach in and scoop up a pitcher of water. Be swift or the shores +will close upon you and kill you." + +Vitazko took the two pitchers and mounted Tatosh. The horse rose on the +wind and carried Vitazko far, far away beyond the Red Sea to the two +shores of which old Nedyelka had told him. + +At the moment of noon the right shore opened for an instant and Vitazko +scooped up a pitcher of the Water of Life. He had scarcely time to draw +back before the opening closed with a crash. + +He waited at the left shore until midnight. At the moment of midnight +the left shore opened for an instant. Vitazko scooped up a pitcher of +water from the still pool of the Water of Death and pulled swiftly back +as the opening closed. + +With the two pitchers safe in his hands, Vitazko mounted Tatosh and the +magic steed rising on the wind carried him home to St. Nedyelka. + +"And how did things go?" the old woman asked. + +"Very well," Vitazko said. "See, here are the Waters." + +St. Nedyelka took the two pitchers and when Vitazko wasn't looking +changed them for two pitchers of ordinary water which she told him to +carry at once to his mother. + +At the castle the mother and Sharkan were again making merry when from +afar they saw Vitazko with two pitchers in his hands. The mother fell +into a great fright and wept and tore her hair, but the dragon again +reassured her. + +"He's come back this time," he said, "but we'll send him off again and +he'll never return. Refuse the Waters and tell him you're so sick that +nothing will help you now but a sight of the bird, Pelikan. Tell him if +he loves you he will go after the bird, Pelikan, and once he goes we +need never fear him again." + +Vitazko when he reached the castle hurried into his mother's chamber and +offered her the Waters. + +"Here, dear mother, is a pitcher of the Water of Life and a pitcher of +the Water of Death. Now you will get well!" + +But his mother pushed both pitchers away and, moaning and groaning as if +she were in great pain, she said: + +"Nay, you are too late with your Water of Life and your Water of Death! +I am so far gone that nothing will cure me now but a sight of the bird, +Pelikan. If you really loved me you would get it for me." + +Vitazko, still trusting his mother, cried out: + +"Of course I love you! Of course I'll get you the bird, Pelikan, if that +is what will cure you!" + +So once more he snatched up his beech-tree and hurried off to St. +Nedyelka. + +"What is it now?" the old woman asked him. + +"It's my poor mother," Vitazko said. "She's too far gone for the Water +of Life and the Water of Death. Nothing will help her now but a sight of +the bird, Pelikan. Tell me, kind Nedyelka, how can I get the bird, +Pelikan?" + +"The bird, Pelikan, my son? Ah, that is a task to capture Pelikan! +However, I will help you. Pelikan is a giant bird with a long, long +neck. When he shakes his wings he raises such a wind that he blows +down the forest trees. Here is a gun. Take it and mount my faithful +Tatosh. He will carry you far away to the vast wilderness where +Pelikan lives. When you get there, note carefully from what +direction the wind blows. Shoot in that direction. Then quickly push +the ramrod into the barrel of the gun and leave it there and come +back to me as fast as you can." + +Vitazko took the gun and mounted Tatosh. The magic steed rose on the +wind and carried him far off to the distant wilderness which was the +home of the bird, Pelikan. There Tatosh sank to earth and Vitazko +dismounted. Immediately he felt a strong wind against his right cheek. +He took aim in that direction and pulled the trigger. The hammer fell +and instantly Vitazko pushed the ramrod into the gun barrel. He threw +the gun over his shoulder and mounted Tatosh. Tatosh rose on the wind +and in a twinkling had carried him back to St. Nedyelka. + +"Well, son, how did things go?" the old woman asked as usual. + +"I don't know," Vitazko said. "I did as you told me. Here is the gun." + +"Let me see," Nedyelka said, squinting into the gun barrel. "Ah, son, +things went very well indeed! Here is Pelikan inside the barrel." + +She drew something out of the gun barrel and sure enough it was the +bird, Pelikan. + +She gave Vitazko another gun and told him to go out and shoot an eagle. +Then she told him to carry Pelikan home to his mother, but instead of +giving him Pelikan she gave him the eagle. + +When Sharkan and his mother saw Vitazko coming, they decided that this +time they would send him after the Golden Apples. These grew in the +garden of the most powerful dragon in the world. + +"If Vitazko goes near him," Sharkan said, "the dragon will tear him to +pieces for he knows that it was Vitazko who killed all his brother +dragons." + +So the mother again feigned sickness and, when Vitazko rushed in to +her and offered her what he supposed was Pelikan, she moaned and +groaned and pushed the bird aside. + +"Too late! Too late! I'm dying!" + +"Don't say that!" poor Vitazko begged. "Will nothing save you?" + +"Yes, the Golden Apples that grow in the garden of Mightiest Dragon +could still save me. If you really loved me you'd get them for me." + +"I do love you, mother," Vitazko cried, "and I'll get you the Golden +Apples wherever they are!" + +So without a moment's rest he hurried back to St. Nedyelka. + +"Well, son, what is it now?" the old woman asked. + +Vitazko wept. + +"It's my poor mother. She's still sick. Pelikan hasn't cured her. +She says now that only the Golden Apples from the garden of +Mightiest Dragon can cure her. Dear, kind Nedyelka, tell me, what +shall I do?" + +"The Golden Apples from the garden of Mightiest Dragon! Ah, my son, +that will be a task for you! For this you will need every ounce of +your strength and more! But never fear! I will again befriend you. +Here is a ring. Put it on a finger of your right hand and when you +are sore pressed twist the ring around your finger and think of me. +Instantly you will have the strength of a hundred fighting men. Now +take this sword, mount the faithful Tatosh, and good luck go with +you." + +Vitazko thanked the dear old woman, mounted Tatosh, and was soon +carried far away to the garden of the dragon. A high wall surrounded +the garden, so high that Vitazko could never have scaled it alone. +But it is as easy for a horse like Tatosh to take a high wall as it +is for a bird. + +Inside the garden Vitazko dismounted and began to look for the tree +that bore the Golden Apples. Presently he met a beautiful young girl who +asked him what he was doing in the dragon's garden. + +"I'm looking for the Golden Apples," he told her. "I want some of them +for my sick mother. Do you know where they are?" + +"I do indeed know where they are," the girl said, "for it is my duty +to guard them. If I were to give you one the wicked dragon would +tear me to pieces. I am a royal princess but I am in the dragon's +power and must do as he says. Dear youth, take my advice and escape +while you can. If the dragon sees you he will kill you as he would a +fly." + +But Vitazko was not to be dissuaded from his quest. + +"Nay, sweet princess, I must get the apples." + +"Well, then," she said, "I will help you all I can. Here is a precious +ring. Put it on a finger of your left hand. When you are sore pressed, +think of me and twist the ring and you will have the strength of a +hundred men. To conquer this horrible monster you will need the strength +of more than a hundred." + +Vitazko put on the ring, thanked the princess, and marched boldly on. In +the center of the garden he found the tree that bore the Golden Apples. +Under it lay the dragon himself. + +On sight of Vitazko he raised his head and bellowed out: + +"Ho, you murderer of dragons, what do you want here?" + +Nothing daunted, Vitazko replied: + +"I am come to shake down some of the Golden Apples." + +"Indeed!" the dragon roared. "Then you will have to shake them down over +my dead body!" + +"I shall be glad to do that!" Vitazko said, springing at the dragon and +at the same time twisting around the ring on his right hand and thinking +of kind old St. Nedyelka. + +The dragon grappled with him and for a moment almost took him off his +feet. Then Vitazko plunged the dragon into the earth up to his ankles. + +Just then there was the rustling of wings overhead and a black raven +cawed out: + +"Which of you wants my help, you, oh Mightiest Dragon, or you, Vitazko, +the Victorious?" + +"Help me!" the dragon roared. + +"Then what will you give me?" + +"As much gold as you want." + +"Nay, raven," Vitazko shouted, "help me and I will give you all the +dragon's horses that are grazing over yonder in the meadow." + +"Very well, Vitazko," the raven croaked. "I'll help you. What shall I +do?" + +"Cool me when I'm hot," Vitazko said, "when the dragon breathes on me +his fiery breath." + +They grappled again and the dragon plunged Vitazko into the ground up to +his ankles. Twisting the ring on his right hand and thinking of St. +Nedyelka, Vitazko gripped the dragon around the waist and plunged him +into the earth up to his knees. + +Then they paused for breath and the raven which had dipped its wings in +a fountain sat on Vitazko's head and shook down drops of cool water on +his heated face. + +Then Vitazko twisted the ring on his left hand, thought of the beautiful +princess, and closed with the dragon again. This time with a mighty +effort he gripped the dragon as if he were a stake of wood and drove him +into the ground up to his very shoulders. Then quickly drawing +Nedyelka's sword, he cut off the dragon's head. + +At once the lovely princess came running and herself plucked two of the +Golden Apples and gave them to Vitazko. She thanked him prettily for +rescuing her and she said to him: + +"You have saved me, Vitazko, from this fierce monster and now I am yours +if you want me." + +"I do want you, dear princess," Vitazko said, "and, if I could, I'd go +with you at once to your father to ask you in marriage. But I cannot. I +must hurry home to my sick mother. If you love me, wait for me a year +and a day and I'll surely return." + +The princess made him this promise and they parted. + +Remembering the raven, Vitazko rode over to the meadow and slaughtered +the dragon's horses. Then rising on Tatosh he flew home on the wind to +St. Nedyelka. + +"Well, son, how did things go?" the old woman asked. + +"Gloriously!" Vitazko answered, showing her the Golden Apples. "But if +the princess hadn't given me a second ring I might have been +vanquished." + +"Take home the Golden Apples to your mother," Nedyelka said, "and this +time ride Tatosh to the castle." + +So Vitazko mounted Tatosh again and flew to the castle. + +Sharkan and his mother were making merry together when they saw him +coming. + +"Here he comes again!" the mother cried. "What shall I do? What shall I +do?" + +But Sharkan could think of nothing further to suggest. So without a word +he hurried to the tenth chamber where he hid himself and the woman had +to meet Vitazko as best she could. + +She laid herself on the bed feigning still to be sick and when Vitazko +appeared she greeted him most affectionately. + +"My dear son, back again? And safe and sound? Thank God!" + +Then when he gave her the Golden Apples she jumped up from the bed, +pretending that the mere sight of them had cured her. + +"Ah, my dear son!" she cried, petting him and caressing him as she used +to when he was a child. "What a hero you are!" + +She prepared food and feasted him royally and Vitazko ate and was very +happy that his mother was herself again. + +When he could eat no more she took a strong woolen cord and, as if in +play, she said to him: + +"Lie down, my son, and let me bind you with this cord as once I bound +your father. Let me see if you are as strong as he was and able to break +the cord." + +Vitazko smiled and lay down and allowed his mother to bind him with the +woolen cord. Then he stretched his muscles and burst the cord asunder. + +"Ah, you are strong!" his mother said. "But come, let me try again with +a thin silken cord." + +Suspecting nothing, Vitazko allowed his mother to bind him hand and foot +with a thin silken cord. Then when he stretched his muscles, the cord +cut into his flesh. So he lay there, helpless as an infant. + +"Sharkan! Sharkan!" the mother called. + +The dragon rushed in with a sword, cut off Vitazko's head, and hacked +his body into small pieces. He picked out Vitazko's heart and hung it by +a string from a beam in the ceiling. + +Then the woman gathered together the pieces of her son's body, tied them +in a bundle, and fastened the bundle on Tatosh who was still waiting +below in the courtyard. + +"You carried him when he was alive," she said. "Take him now that he's +dead--I don't care where." + +Tatosh rose on the wind and flew home to St. Nedyelka. + +The old wise woman who knew already what had happened was waiting for +him. She took the pieces of the body from the bundle and washed them in +the Water of Death. Then she arranged them piece by piece as they should +be and they grew together until the wounds disappeared and there were +not even any scars left. After that she sprinkled the body with the +Water of Life and, lo, life returned to Vitazko and he stood up, well +and healthy. + +"Ah," he said, rubbing his eyes, "I've been asleep, haven't I?" + +"Yes," Nedyelka said, "and but for me you would never have wakened. How +do you feel, my son?" + +"All right," Vitazko said, "except a little strange as if I had no +heart." + +"You have none," Nedyelka told him. "Your heart hangs by a string from a +crossbeam in the castle." + +She told him what had befallen him, how his mother had betrayed him and +how Sharkan had cut him to pieces. + +Vitazko listened but he could feel neither surprise nor grief nor anger +nor anything, for how could he feel since he had no heart? + +"You need your heart, my son," Nedyelka said. "You must go after it." + +[Illustration: _Vitazko disguised as an old village piper_] + +She disguised him as an old village piper and give him a pair of +bagpipes. + +"Go to the castle," she told him, "and play on these pipes. When they +offer to reward you, ask for the heart that hangs by a string from the +ceiling." + +So Vitazko took the bagpipes and went to the castle. He played under the +castle windows and his mother looked out and beckoned him in. + +He went inside and played and Sharkan and his mother danced to his +music. They danced and danced until they could dance no longer. + +Then they gave the old piper food and drink and offered him golden +money. + +But Vitazko said: + +"Nay, what use has an old man for gold?" + +"What then can I give you?" the woman asked. + +Vitazko looked slowly about the chamber as an old man would. + +"Give me that heart," he said, "that hangs from the ceiling. That's all +I want." + +So they gave him the heart and Vitazko thanked them and departed. + +He carried the heart to Nedyelka who washed it at once in the Water of +Death and the Water of Life. Then she placed it in the bill of the +bird, Pelikan, and Pelikan, reaching its long thin neck down Vitazko's +throat, put the heart in its proper place. The heart began to beat and +instantly Vitazko could again feel joy and pain and grief and happiness. + +"Now can you feel?" Nedyelka asked. + +"Yes," Vitazko said. "Now, thank God, I can feel again!" + +"Pelikan," Nedyelka said, "for this service you shall be freed.... As +for you, my son, you must go back to the castle once more and inflict a +just punishment. I shall change you into a pigeon. Fly to the castle and +there, when you wish to be yourself again, think of me." + +So Vitazko took the form of a pigeon and flying to the castle alighted +on the window-sill. + +Inside the castle chamber he saw his mother fondling Sharkan. + +"See!" she cried. "A pigeon is on the window-sill. Quick! Get your +crossbow and shoot it!" + +But before the dragon could move, Vitazko stood in the chamber. + +He seized a sword and with one mighty blow cut off the dragon's head. + +"And you--you wicked, faithless mother!" he cried. "What am I to do to +you!" + +His mother fell on her knees and begged for mercy. + +"Never fear," Vitazko said. "I won't harm you. Let God judge between +us." + +He took his mother by the hand and led her down into the courtyard. Then +he lifted the sword and said: + +"Now, mother, I shall throw this sword in the air and may God judge +between us which of us has been faithless to the other." + +The sword flashed in the air and fell, striking straight to the heart of +the guilty mother and killing her. + +Vitazko buried her in the courtyard and then returned to St. Nedyelka. +He thanked the old woman for all she had done for him and then, picking +up his beech-tree club, he started out to find his beautiful princess. + +She had long since returned to her father and many princes and heroes +had come seeking her in marriage. She had put them all off, saying she +would wed no one for a year and a day. + +Then before the year was up Vitazko appeared and she led him at once to +her father and said: + +"This man will I marry, this and none other, for he it was that rescued +me from the dragon." + +A great wedding feast was spread and all the country rejoiced that their +lovely princess was getting for a husband Vitazko, the Victorious. + + + + +FIVE NURSERY TALES + + I. KURATKO THE TERRIBLE + II. SMOLICHECK + III. BUDULINEK + IV. THE DEAR LITTLE HEN + V. THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER + +[Illustration] + + + + +KURATKO THE TERRIBLE + +THE STORY OF AN UNGRATEFUL CHICK + +[Illustration] + + + + +KURATKO THE TERRIBLE + + +There was once an old couple who had no children. + +"If only we had a chick or a child of our own!" Grandmother used to say. +"Think how we could pet it and take care of it!" + +But Grandfather always answered: + +"Not at all! We are very well off as we are." + +At last the old black hen in the barnyard hatched out a chick. +Grandmother was delighted. + +"See, Grandpa," she said, "now we have a chick of our own!" + +But Grandfather shook his head doubtfully. + +"I don't like the looks of that chick. There's something strange about +it." + +But Grandmother wouldn't listen. To her the chick seemed everything it +should be. She called it Kuratko and petted it and pampered it as though +it were an only child. + +Kuratko grew apace and soon he developed an awful appetite. + +"Cockadoodledoo!" he shouted at all hours of the day. "I'm hungry! Give +me something to eat!" + +"You mustn't feed that chick so much!" Grandfather grumbled. "He's +eating us out of house and home." + +But Grandmother wouldn't listen. She fed Kuratko and fed him until sure +enough there came a day when there was nothing left for herself and the +old man. + +That was a nice how-do-you-do! Grandmother sat working at her +spinning-wheel trying to forget that she was hungry, and Grandfather sat +on his stool nearby too cross to speak to her. + +And then, quite as though nothing were the matter, Kuratko strutted into +the room, flapped his wings, and crowed: + +"Cockadoodledo! I'm hungry! Give me something to eat!" + +"Not another blessed thing will I ever feed you, you greedy chick!" +Grandfather shouted. + +"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko answered. "Then I'll just eat you!" + +With that he made one peck at Grandfather and swallowed him down, stool +and all! + +"Oh, Kuratko!" Grandmother cried. "Where's Grandpa?" + +"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko remarked. "I'm still hungry. I think I'll eat +you!" + +And with that he made one peck at Grandmother and swallowed her down, +spinning-wheel and all! + +Then that terrible chick went strutting down the road, crowing merrily! + +He met a washerwoman at work over her wash-tub. + +"Good gracious, Kuratko!" the woman cried. "What a great big crop you've +got!" + +"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko said. "I should think my crop was big for +haven't I just eaten Grandmother, spinning-wheel and all, and +Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still hungry, so now I'm going to +eat you!" + +Before the poor woman knew what was happening, Kuratko made one peck at +her and swallowed her down, wash-tub and all! + +Then he strutted on down the road, crowing merrily. + +Presently he came to a company of soldiers. + +"Good gracious, Kuratko!" the soldiers cried. "What a great big crop +you've got!" + +"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko replied. "I should think my crop was big, for +haven't I just eaten a washerwoman, tub and all, Grandmother, +spinning-wheel and all, and Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still +hungry, so now I'm going to eat you!" + +Before the soldiers knew what was happening, Kuratko pecked at them and +swallowed them down, bayonets and all, one after another, like so many +grains of wheat! + +Then that terrible chick went on strutting down the road, crowing +merrily. + +Soon he met Kotsor, the cat. Kotsor, the cat, blinked his eyes and +worked his whiskers in surprise. + +"Good gracious, Kuratko, what a great big crop you've got!" + +"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko said. "I should think my crop was big, for +haven't I just eaten a company of soldiers, bayonets and all; a +washerwoman, tub and all; Grandmother, spinning-wheel and all; and +Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still hungry, so now I'm going to +eat you!" + +Before Kotsor, the cat, knew what was happening, Kuratko made one peck +at him and swallowed him down. + +But Kotsor, the cat, was not a person to submit tamely to such an +indignity. The moment he found himself inside Kuratko he unsheathed his +claws and began to scratch and to tear. He worked until he had torn a +great hole in Kuratko's crop. At that Kuratko, the Terrible Chick, when +he tried again to crow, toppled over dead! + +Then Kotsor, the cat, jumped out of Kuratko's crop; after him the +company of soldiers marched out; and after them the washerwoman with her +tub, Grandmother with her spinning-wheel, and Grandfather with his +stool. And they all went about their business. + +Kotsor, the cat, followed Grandmother and Grandfather home and begged +them to give him Kuratko for his dinner. + +"You may have him for all of me," Grandfather said. "But ask +Grandmother. He was her little pet, not mine." + +"Indeed you may have him," Grandmother said. "I see now Grandfather was +right. Kuratko was certainly an ungrateful chick and I never want to +hear his name again." + +So Kotsor, the cat, had a wonderful dinner and to this day when he +remembers it he licks his chops and combs his whiskers. + + + + +SMOLICHECK + +THE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO OPENED THE DOOR + +[Illustration] + + + + +SMOLICHECK + + +Once upon a time there was a little boy named Smolicheck. He lived in a +little house in the woods with a deer whose name was Golden Antlers. + +Every day when Golden Antlers went out he told Smolicheck to lock the +door after him and on no account to open it no matter who knocked. + +"If you disobey me," Golden Antlers said, "something awful may happen." + +"I won't open the door," Smolicheck always promised. "I won't open it +until you come home." + +Now one day there was a knock on the door. + +"Oh!" Smolicheck thought to himself, "I wonder who that is!" and he +called out: + +"Who's there?" + +From the outside sweet voices answered: + + _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door + Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more! + We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, + Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm! + So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ + +But Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he +remembered what Golden Antlers had told him. Golden Antlers was very +kind but he spanked Smolicheck when Smolicheck was disobedient. And +Smolicheck didn't want to get a spanking. So he put his hands over his +ears to shut out the sound of the sweet voices and that time he didn't +open the door. + +"You're a good boy," Golden Antlers said in the evening when he came +home. "Those must have been the wicked little wood maidens. If you had +opened the door they would have carried you off to their cave and then +what would you have done!" + +So Smolicheck was very happy to think he had obeyed Golden Antlers and +he said he would never open the door to strangers, no, never! + +The next day after Golden Antlers had gone out and Smolicheck was left +alone, again there came a knocking on the door, and when Smolicheck +called out: "Who's there?" voices sweeter than before answered: + + _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door + Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more! + We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, + Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm! + So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ + +Smolicheck said, no, he couldn't open the door. He thought to himself +that he would like to have one peep at the wood maidens just to see what +they looked like. But he mustn't open the door even a crack, no, he +mustn't! + +The little wood maidens kept on begging him and shivering and shaking +and telling him how cold they were, until Smolicheck felt very sorry for +them. + +"I don't think it would matter," he said to himself, "if I opened the +door just a weeny teeny bit." + +So he opened the door just a tiny crack. Instantly two little white +fingers popped in, and then two more and two more and two more, and +then little white hands, and then little white arms, and then, +before Smolicheck knew what was happening, a whole bevy of little +wood maidens were in the room! They danced around Smolicheck and +they howled and they yelled and they took hold of him and dragged +him out of the house and away towards the woods! + +Smolicheck was dreadfully frightened and he screamed out with all his +might: + + _"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are + In valley or mountain or pasture afar, + Come quick! Don't delay! + The wicked wood maidens are dragging away + Your little Smolicheck! + Come quick! Don't delay!"_ + +This time by good luck the deer was not far away. When he heard +Smolicheck's cry, he bounded up, drove the little wood maidens off, and +carried Smolicheck home on his antlers. + +When they got home he put Smolicheck across his knee and gave him +something--you know what!--to make him remember not to disobey next +time. Smolicheck cried and he said he never, never, never would open the +door again no matter how sweetly the wood maidens begged. + +For some days no one came to the door. Then again one afternoon there +was a knocking and sweet voices called out: + + _"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door + Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more! + We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm, + Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm! + So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!"_ + +But Smolicheck pretended he didn't hear. Then when the little wood +maidens began to shake and to shiver and to cry with the cold and to beg +him to open the door just a little crack so that they could warm their +hands, he said to them: + +"No, I won't open the door, not even a teeny weeny crack, because if I +do you'll push in as you did before and catch me and drag me off!" + +The wicked little wood maidens said: + +"Oh no, Smolicheck, we wouldn't do that! We'd never think of such a +thing! And besides, if we did take you with us, you'd have a much better +time with us than you have here, shut up in a little house all alone, +while Golden Antlers is off having a good time by himself. We'd give you +pretty toys and we'd play with you and you'd be very happy." + +Just think: Smolicheck listened to them until he believed what they +said! Then he opened the door a little crack and instantly all those +naughty little wood maidens pushed into the room, seized Smolicheck, and +dragged him off. + +They told him they would kill him if he cried for help, but nevertheless +Smolicheck called out with all his might: + + _"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are + In valley or mountain or pasture afar, + Come quick! Don't delay! + The wicked wood maidens are dragging away + Your little Smolicheck! + Come quick! Don't delay!"_ + +But this time Golden Antlers was far away and didn't hear him. So no one +came to help Smolicheck and the wood maidens carried him off to their +cave. + +There, instead of playing with him, they tormented him and teased him +and made faces at him. But they did give him all he wanted to eat. In +fact they stuffed him with food, especially sweets. Then every day they +would pinch him and say to each other: + +"Sister, do you think he's fat enough yet to roast?" + +Imagine poor Smolicheck's feelings when he found they were fattening him +on sweets because they expected to roast him and eat him! + +Finally one day after they had been stuffing him for a long time they +cut his little finger with a knife to see how fat it was. + +"Yum, yum!" the wicked little wood maidens cried. "He's fat enough! +Today we can roast him!" + +So they took off his clothes and laid him in a kneading trough and +prepared him for the oven. + +Smolicheck was so frightened that he just screamed and screamed, but the +louder he screamed the more the little wood maidens laughed and clapped +their hands. + +Just as they were pushing him into the oven, Smolicheck roared out: + + _"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are + In valley or mountain or pasture afar, + Come quick! Don't delay! + The wicked wood maidens are roasting today + Your little Smolicheck! + Come quick! Don't delay!"_ + +Suddenly there was the sound of crashing branches and, before the wood +maidens knew what was happening, Golden Antlers came bounding into the +cave. He tossed Smolicheck upon his antlers and off he sped as swift as +the wind. + +When they got home, he laid Smolicheck across his knee and gave him +something--you know what! And Smolicheck cried and said he was sorry he +had been disobedient. And he said he would never, never, never again +open the door. + +And this time he never did! + + + + +BUDULINEK + +THE STORY OF ANOTHER LITTLE BOY WHO OPENED THE DOOR + +[Illustration] + + + + +BUDULINEK + + +There was once a little boy named Budulinek. He lived with his old +Granny in a cottage near a forest. + +Granny went out to work every day. In the morning when she went away she +always said: + +"There, Budulinek, there's your dinner on the table and mind, you +mustn't open the door no matter who knocks!" + +One morning Granny said: + +"Now, Budulinek, today I'm leaving you some soup for your dinner. Eat it +when dinner time comes. And remember what I always say: don't open the +door no matter who knocks." + +She went away and pretty soon Lishka, the sly old mother fox, came and +knocked on the door. + +"Budulinek!" she called. "You know me! Open the door! Please!" + +Budulinek called back: + +"No, I mustn't open the door." + +But Lishka, the sly old mother fox, kept on knocking. + +"Listen, Budulinek," she said: "if you open the door, do you know what +I'll do? I'll give you a ride on my tail!" + +Now Budulinek thought to himself: + +"Oh, that would be fun to ride on the tail of Lishka, the fox!" + +So Budulinek forgot all about what Granny said to him every day and +opened the door. + +Lishka, the sly old thing, came into the room and what do you think she +did? Do you think she gave Budulinek a ride on her tail? Well, she +didn't. She just went over to the table and gobbled up the bowl of soup +that Granny had put there for Budulinek's dinner and then she ran away. + +When dinner time came Budulinek hadn't anything to eat. + +In the evening when Granny came home, she said: + +"Budulinek, did you open the door and let any one in?" + +Budulinek was crying because he was so hungry, and he said: + +"Yes, I let in Lishka, the old mother fox, and she ate up all my dinner, +too!" + +Granny said: + +"Now, Budulinek, you see what happens when you open the door and let +some one in. Another time remember what Granny says and don't open the +door." + +The next morning Granny cooked some porridge for Budulinek's dinner and +said: + +"Now, Budulinek, here's some porridge for your dinner. Remember: while +I'm gone you must not open the door no matter who knocks." + +Granny was no sooner out of sight than Lishka came again and knocked on +the door. + +"Oh, Budulinek!" she called. "Open the door and let me in!" + +But Budulinek said: + +"No, I won't open the door!" + +"Oh, now, Budulinek, please open the door!" Lishka begged. "You know me! +Do you know what I'll do if you open the door? I'll give you a ride on +my tail! Truly I will!" + +Budulinek thought to himself: + +"This time maybe she will give me a ride on her tail." + +So he opened the door. + +Lishka came into the room, gobbled up Budulinek's porridge, and ran away +without giving him any ride at all. + +When dinner time came Budulinek hadn't anything to eat. + +In the evening when Granny came home she said: + +"Budulinek, did you open the door and let any one in?" + +Budulinek was crying again because he was so hungry, and he said: + +"Yes, I let in Lishka, the old mother fox, and she ate up all my +porridge, too!" + +"Budulinek, you're a bad boy!" Granny said. "If you open the door again, +I'll have to spank you! Do you hear?" + +The next morning before she went to work, Granny cooked some peas for +Budulinek's dinner. + +As soon as Granny was gone he began eating the peas, they were so good. + +Presently Lishka, the fox, came and knocked on the door. + +"Budulinek!" she called. "Open the door! I want to come in!" + +But Budulinek wouldn't open the door. He took his bowl of peas and went +to the window and ate them there where Lishka could see him. + +[Illustration: _An organ-grinder began playing in front of Granny's +cottage_] + +"Oh, Budulinek!" Lishka begged. "You know me! Please open the door! +This time I promise you I'll give you a ride on my tail! Truly I will!" + +She just begged and begged until at last Budulinek opened the door. Then +Lishka jumped into the room and do you know what she did? She put her +nose right into the bowl of peas and gobbled them all up! + +Then she said to Budulinek: + +"Now get on my tail and I'll give you a ride!" + +So Budulinek climbed on Lishka's tail and Lishka went running around the +room faster and faster until Budulinek was dizzy and just had to hold on +with all his might. + +Then, before Budulinek knew what was happening, Lishka slipped out of +the house and ran swiftly off into the forest, home to her hole, with +Budulinek still on her tail! She hid Budulinek down in her hole with her +own three children and she wouldn't let him out. He had to stay there +with the three little foxes and they all teased him and bit him. And +then wasn't he sorry he had disobeyed his Granny! And, oh, how he cried! + +When Granny came home she found the door open and no little Budulinek +anywhere. She looked high and low, but no, there was no little +Budulinek. She asked every one she met had they seen her little +Budulinek, but nobody had. So poor Granny just cried and cried, she was +so lonely and sad. + +One day an organ-grinder with a wooden leg began playing in front of +Granny's cottage. The music made her think of Budulinek. + +"Organ-grinder," Granny said, "here's a penny for you. But, please, +don't play any more. Your music makes me cry." + +"Why does it make you cry?" the organ-grinder asked. + +"Because it reminds me of Budulinek," Granny said, and she told the +organ-grinder all about Budulinek and how somebody had stolen him away. + +The organ-grinder said: + +"Poor Granny! I tell you what I'll do: as I go around and play my organ +I'll keep my eyes open for Budulinek. If I find him I'll bring him back +to you." + +"Will you?" Granny cried. "If you bring me back my little Budulinek I'll +give you a measure of rye and a measure of millet and a measure of poppy +seed and a measure of everything in the house!" + +So the organ-grinder went off and everywhere he played his organ he +looked for Budulinek. But he couldn't find him. + +At last one day while he was walking through the forest he thought he +heard a little boy crying. He looked around everywhere until he found a +fox's hole. + +"Oho!" he said to himself. "I believe that wicked old Lishka must have +stolen Budulinek! She's probably keeping him here with her own three +children! I'll soon find out." + +So he put down his organ and began to play. And as he played he sang +softly: + + _"One old fox + And two, three, four, + And Budulinek + He makes one more!"_ + +Old Lishka heard the music playing and she said to her oldest child: + +"Here, son, give the old man a penny and tell him to go away because my +head aches." + +So the oldest little fox climbed out of the hole and gave the +organ-grinder a penny and said: + +"My mother says, please will you go away because her head aches." + +As the organ-grinder reached over to take the penny, he caught the +oldest little fox and stuffed him into a sack. Then he went on playing +and singing: + + _"One old fox + And two and three + And Budulinek + Makes four for me!"_ + +Presently Lishka sent out her second child with a penny and the +organ-grinder caught the second little fox in the same way and stuffed +it also into the sack. Then he went on grinding his organ and softly +singing: + + _"One old fox + And another for me, + And Budulinek + He makes the three."_ + +"I wonder why that old man still plays his organ," Lishka said and sent +out her third child with a penny. + +So the organ-grinder caught the third little fox and stuffed it also +into the sack. Then he kept on playing and singing softly: + + _"One old fox-- + I'll soon get you!-- + And Budulinek + He makes just two."_ + +At last Lishka herself came out. So he caught her, too, and stuffed her +in with her children. Then he sang: + + _"Four naughty foxes + Caught alive! + And Budulinek + He makes the five!"_ + +The organ-grinder went to the hole and called down: + +"Budulinek! Budulinek! Come out!" + +As there were no foxes left to hold him back, Budulinek was able to +crawl out. + +When he saw the organ-grinder he cried and said: + +"Oh, please, Mr. Organ-Grinder, I want to go home to my Granny!" + +"I'll take you home to your Granny," the organ-grinder said, "but first +I must punish these naughty foxes." + +The organ-grinder cut a strong switch and gave the four foxes in the +sack a terrible beating until they begged him to stop and promised that +they would never again do anything to Budulinek. + +Then the organ-grinder let them go and he took Budulinek home to Granny. + +Granny was delighted to see her little Budulinek and she gave the +organ-grinder a measure of rye and a measure of millet and a measure of +poppy seed and a measure of everything else in the house. + +And Budulinek never again opened the door! + + + + +THE DEAR LITTLE HEN + +THE STORY OF A ROOSTER THAT CHEATED + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DEAR LITTLE HEN + + +Once upon a time a big Rooster and a dear little Hen became close +friends. + +"Let us go to the garden," the Rooster said, "and scratch up some seeds +and worms. I tell you what we'll do: everything you scratch up you +divide with me, and everything I scratch up I'll divide with you." + +The dear little Hen agreed to this and off they went together to the +garden. + +The dear little Hen scratched and scratched and scratched and every time +she scratched up a nice fat worm or a tasty seed she divided with the +Rooster. + +And the Rooster scratched and scratched and scratched and whenever the +Hen saw him scratch up something good he divided with her. But once, +when she wasn't looking, he scratched up a big grain of corn and without +dividing it he tried to gobble it all himself. He gobbled it so fast +that it stuck in his throat and choked him. + +"Oh, dear little Hen!" he gasped. "I'm choking! Run quick and get me +some water or I'll die!" + +And with that he fell over on his back and his feet stuck straight up in +the air. + +The dear little Hen ran to the Well as fast as she could and all out of +breath she gasped: + + _"Oh Well! + Give me + Some Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!"_ + +The Well said: + +"If you want me to give you some Water, you must go to the Dressmaker +and get me a Kerchief." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Dressmaker as fast as she could and +all out of breath she gasped: + + _"Dressmaker! + Give me + Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!"_ + +The Dressmaker said: + +"If you want me to give you a Kerchief, you must go to the Shoemaker and +get me a pair of Slippers." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Shoemaker as fast as she could and all +out of breath she gasped: + + _"Shoemaker! + Give me + Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!"_ + +The Shoemaker said: + +"If you want me to give you a pair of Slippers, you must go to the Sow +and get me some Bristles." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Sow as fast as she could and all out +of breath she gasped: + + _"Oh Sow! + Give me + Some Bristles + For Shoemaker + For Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!"_ + +The Sow said: + +"If you want me to give you some Bristles, you must go to the Brewer and +get me some Malt." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Brewer as fast as she could and all +out of breath she gasped: + + _"Oh Brewer! + Give me + Some Malt + For Sow + For Bristles + For Shoemaker + For Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!"_ + +The Brewer said: + +"If you want me to give you some Malt, you must go to the Cow and get me +some Cream." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Cow as fast as she could and all out +of breath she gasped: + + _"Oh Cow! + Give me + Some Cream + For Brewer + For Malt + For Sow + For Bristles + For Shoemaker + For Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!_" + +The Cow said: + +"If you want me to give you some Cream, you must go to the Meadow and +get me some Grass." + +So the dear little Hen ran to the Meadow as fast as she could and all +out of breath she gasped: + + "_Oh Meadow! + Give me + Some Grass + For Cow + For Cream + For Brewer + For Malt + For Sow + For Bristles + For Shoemaker + For Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh dear! + He'll die!_" + +The Meadow said: + +"If you want me to give you some Grass, you must get me some Dew from +the Sky." + +So the dear little Hen looked up to the Sky and said: + + "_Oh Sky! + Dear Sky! + Give me + Some Dew + For Meadow + For Grass + For Cow + For Cream + For Brewer + For Malt + For Sow + For Bristles + For Shoemaker + For Slippers + For Dressmaker + For Kerchief + For Well + For Water + For Rooster! + Choking! + In garden! + On back! + Feet up! + Oh Dear! + He'll die!_" + +The Sky pitied the dear little Hen and at once gave her some Dew. + +So the Hen gave the Meadow the Dew, and the Meadow gave the Hen some +Grass. + +The Hen gave the Cow the Grass, and the Cow gave the Hen some Cream. + +The Hen gave the Brewer the Cream, and the Brewer gave the Hen some +Malt. + +The Hen gave the Sow the Malt, and the Sow gave the Hen some Bristles. + +The Hen gave the Shoemaker the Bristles, and the Shoemaker gave the Hen +a pair of Slippers. + +The Hen gave the Dressmaker the Slippers, and the Dressmaker gave the +Hen a Kerchief. + +The Hen gave the Well the Kerchief, and the Well gave the Hen some +Water. + +The Hen gave the Rooster the Water, the Water washed down the grain of +corn, and thereupon the Rooster jumped up, flapped his wings, and +merrily crowed: + +"Cockadoodledoo!" + +And after that he never again tried to cheat the dear little Hen but +always whenever he scratched up a nice fat worm or a tasty seed he +divided with her. + + + + +THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER + +THE STORY OF ANOTHER LITTLE HEN + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER + + +There were once a Rooster and a Hen who were very good friends. They +always went about together like brother and sister. + +The Rooster was headstrong and thoughtless and often did foolish things. +The little Hen was very sensible and always looked after the Rooster as +well as she could. + +Whenever he began doing something foolish, she always said: + +"Oh, my dear, you mustn't do that!" + +If the Rooster had always obeyed the little Hen he would be alive to +this day. But, as I have told you, he was careless and headstrong and +often he refused to take the little Hen's advice. + +One day in the spring he ran into the garden and just gorged and gorged +on green gooseberries. + +"Oh, my dear!" the little Hen cried. "You mustn't eat green +gooseberries! Don't you know they'll give you a pain in your stomach!" + +But the Rooster wouldn't listen. He just kept on eating gooseberry after +gooseberry until at last he got a terrible pain in his stomach and then +he had to stop. + +"Little Hen," he cried, "help me! Oh, my stomach! Oh! Oh!" + +He was so sick that the little Hen had to give him some hot peppermint +and put a mustard plaster on his stomach. + +After that shouldn't you suppose he would do what she told him? But he +didn't. As soon as he was well he was just as careless and disobedient +as before. + +One day he went out to the meadow and he just ran and ran and ran until +he got all overheated and perspired. Then he went down to the brook and +began drinking cold water. + +"Oh, my dear," the little Hen cried, "you mustn't drink cold water while +you're overheated! Wait and cool off!" + +But would the Rooster wait and cool off? No! He just drank that cold +water and drank it until he could drink no more. + +Then he got a chill and the poor little Hen had to drag him home and put +him to bed and run for the Doctor. + +The Doctor gave him bitter medicine and he didn't get well for a long +time. In fact it was winter before he got out of the house again. + +Now shouldn't you suppose that after all this the Rooster would never +again disobey the little Hen? If only he had he would be alive to this +day. Listen, now, to what happened: + +One morning when he got up, he saw that ice was beginning to form on the +river. + +"Goody! Goody!" he cried. "Now I can go sliding on the ice!" + +"Oh, my dear," the little Hen said, "you mustn't go sliding on the ice +yet! It's dangerous! Wait a few days until it's frozen harder and then +go sliding." + +But would the Rooster listen to the little Hen? No! He just insisted on +running out that very moment and sliding on the thin ice. + +And do you know what happened? + +The ice broke and he fell in the river and, before the little Hen could +get help, he was drowned! + +And it was all his own fault, too, for the little Hen had begged him to +wait until the ice was safer. + + + + +THE NICKERMAN'S WIFE + +THE STORY OF LIDUSHKA AND THE IMPRISONED DOVES + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE NICKERMAN'S WIFE + + +There was once a young housewife named Lidushka. One day while she +was washing clothes in the river a great frog, all bloated and ugly, +swam up to her. Lidushka jumped back in fright. The frog spread +itself out on the water, just where Lidushka had been rinsing her +clothes, and sat there working its jaws as if it wanted to say +something. + +"Shoo!" Lidushka cried, but the frog stayed where it was and kept on +working its jaws. + +"You ugly old bloated thing! What do you want and why do you sit there +gaping at me?" + +Lidushka struck at the frog with a piece of linen to drive it off so +that she could go on with her work. The frog dived, came up at another +place, and at once swam back to Lidushka. + +Lidushka tried again and again to drive it away. Each time she struck at +it, the frog dived, came up at another place, and then swam back. At +last Lidushka lost all patience. + +"Go away, you old fat thing!" she screamed. "I have to finish my wash! +Go away, I tell you, and when your babies come I'll be their godmother! +Do you hear?" + +As if it accepted this as a promise, the frog croaked: "All right! All +right! All right!" and swam off. + +Some time after this, when Lidushka was again doing her washing at the +river, the same old frog appeared not looking now so fat and bloated. + +"Come! Come, my dear!" it croaked. "You remember your promise! You said +you'd be godmother to my babies. You must come with me now for we're +having the christening today." + +Lidushka, of course, had spoken jokingly, but even so a promise is a +promise and must not be broken. + +"But, you foolish frog," she said, "how can I be godmother to your +babies? I can't go down in the water." + +"Yes, you can!" the old frog croaked. "Come on! Come on! Come with me!" + +It began swimming upstream and Lidushka followed, walking along the +shore and feeling every moment more frightened. + +The old frog swam on until it reached the mill-dam. Then it said to +Lidushka: + +"Now, my dear, don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! Just lift that +stone in front of you. Under it you'll find a flight of stairs that +lead straight down to my house. I'll go on ahead. Do as I say and +you can't miss the way." + +The frog disappeared in the water and Lidushka lifted the stone. +Sure enough there was a flight of stairs going down under the +mill-dam. And what kind of stairs do you suppose they were? They +were not made of wood or stone but of great solid blocks of water, +laid one on another, transparent and clear as crystal. + +Lidushka timidly went down one step, then another, and another, until +halfway down she was met by the old frog who welcomed her with many +noisy croaks. + +"This way, dear godmother! This way! Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!" + +Lidushka picked up courage and took the remaining stairs more bravely. +The frog then led her to its house which, like the stairs, was built of +beautiful crystal water, sparkling and transparent. + +Inside everything was in readiness for the christening. Lidushka at once +took the baby frogs in her arms and held them during the ceremony. + +After the christening came a mighty feast to which many frogs from near +and far had been invited. The old frog presented them all to Lidushka +and they made much ado over her, hopping about her and croaking out +noisy compliments. + +Fish course after fish course was served--nothing but fish, prepared in +every possible manner: boiled and broiled and fried and pickled. And +there was every possible kind of fish: the finest carp and pike and +mullet and trout and whiting and perch and many more of which Lidushka +didn't even know the names. + +When she had eaten all she could, Lidushka slipped away from the other +guests and wandered off alone through the house. + +She opened by chance a door that led into a sort of pantry. It was lined +with long shelves and on the shelves were rows and rows of little +earthenware pots all turned upside down. It seemed strange to Lidushka +that they should all be upside down and she wondered why. + +She lifted one pot up and under it she found a lovely white dove. The +dove, happy at being released, shook out its plumage, spread its wings, +and flew away. + +Lidushka lifted a second pot and under it there was another lovely dove +which at once spread its fluttering wings and flew off as happy as its +fellow. + +Lidushka lifted up a third pot and there was a third dove. + +"There must be doves under all these pots!" she told herself. "What +cruel creature has imprisoned them, I wonder? As the dear God has given +man a soul to live forever, so He has given the birds wings to fly, and +He never intended them to be imprisoned under dark pots. Wait, dear +doves, and I'll set you all free!" + +So Lidushka lifted pot after pot and from under every one of them an +imprisoned dove escaped and flew joyously away. + +Just as she had lifted the last pot, the old frog came hopping in to her +in great excitement. + +"Oh, my dear, my dear!" she croaked. "What have you done setting free +all those souls! Quick and get you a lump of dry earth or a piece of +toasted bread or my husband will catch you and take your soul! Here he +comes now!" + +Lidushka looked up through the crystal walls of the house but could see +no one coming. Then in the distance she saw some beautiful bright red +streamers floating towards her on the top of the water. They came nearer +and nearer. + +"Oh!" she thought to herself in sudden fright. "Those must be the red +streamers of a nickerman!" + +Instantly she remembered the stories her grandmother used to tell her +when she was a child, how the wicked nickerman lured people to their +death with bright red streamers. Many an innocent maid, haying along the +river, has seen the lovely streamers in the water and reached after them +with her rake. That is what the nickerman wants her to do for then he +can catch her and drag her down, down, down, under the water where he +drowns her and takes her soul. The nickerman is so powerful that, if +once he gets you, he can drown you in a teaspoon of water! But if you +clutch in your hand a clod of dry earth or a piece of toasted bread, +then he is powerless to harm you. + +"Oh!" Lidushka cried. "Now I understand! Those white doves were the +souls of poor innocents whom this wicked nickerman has drowned! God help +me to escape him!" + +"Hurry, my dear, hurry!" the old frog croaked. "Run up the crystal +stairs and replace the stone!" + +Lidushka flew up the stairs and as she reached the top she clutched a +handful of dry earth. Then she replaced the stone and the water flowed +over the stairs. + +The nickerman spread out his red streamers close to the shore and tried +to catch her, but she was not to be tempted. + +"I know who you are!" she cried, holding tight her handful of dry +earth. "You'll never get my soul! And you'll never again imprison under +your black pots all the poor innocent souls I liberated!" + +Years afterwards when Lidushka had children of her own, she used to tell +them this story and say to them: + +"And now, my dears, you know why it is dangerous to reach out in the +water for a red streamer or a pretty water lily. The wicked nickerman +may be there just waiting to catch you." + + + + +BATCHA AND THE DRAGON + +THE STORY OF A SHEPHERD WHO SLEPT ALL WINTER + +[Illustration] + + + + +BATCHA AND THE DRAGON + + +Once upon a time there was a shepherd who was called Batcha. During the +summer he pastured his flocks high up on the mountain where he had a +little hut and a sheepfold. + +One day in autumn while he was lying on the ground, idly blowing his +pipes, he chanced to look down the mountain slope. There he saw a most +amazing sight. A great army of snakes, hundreds and hundreds in number, +was slowly crawling to a rocky cliff not far from where he was lying. + +When they reached the cliff, every serpent bit off a leaf from a plant +that was growing there. They then touched the cliff with the leaves and +the rock opened. One by one they crawled inside. When the last one had +disappeared, the rock closed. + +Batcha blinked his eyes in bewilderment. + +"What can this mean?" he asked himself. "Where are they gone? I think +I'll have to climb up there myself and see what that plant is. I wonder +will the rock open for me?" + +He whistled to Dunay, his dog, and left him in charge of the sheep. +Then he made his way over to the cliff and examined the mysterious +plant. It was something he had never seen before. + +He picked a leaf and touched the cliff in the same place where the +serpents had touched it. Instantly the rock opened. + +Batcha stepped inside. He found himself in a huge cavern the walls of +which glittered with gold and silver and precious stones. A golden table +stood in the center and upon it a monster serpent, a very king of +serpents, lay coiled up fast asleep. The other serpents, hundreds and +hundreds of them, lay on the ground around the table. They also were +fast asleep. As Batcha walked about, not one of them stirred. + +Batcha sauntered here and there examining the walls and the golden table +and the sleeping serpents. When he had seen everything he thought to +himself: + +"It's very strange and interesting and all that, but now it's time for +me to get back to my sheep." + +It's easy to say: "Now I'm going," but when Batcha tried to go he found +he couldn't, for the rock had closed. So there he was locked in with the +serpents. + +He was a philosophical fellow and so, after puzzling a moment, he +shrugged his shoulders and said: + +"Well, if I can't get out I suppose I'll have to stay here for the +night." + +With that he drew his cape about him, lay down, and was soon fast +asleep. + +He was awakened by a rustling murmur. Thinking that he was in his own +hut, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he saw the glittering walls of +the cavern and remembered his adventure. + +The old king serpent still lay on the golden table but no longer asleep. +A movement like a slow wave was rippling his great coils. All the other +serpents on the ground were facing the golden table and with darting +tongues were hissing: + +"Is it time? Is it time?" + +The old king serpent slowly lifted his head and with a deep murmurous +hiss said: + +"Yes, it is time." + +He stretched out his long body, slipped off the golden table, and glided +away to the wall of the cavern. All the smaller serpents wriggled after +him. + +Batcha followed them, thinking to himself: + +"I'll go out the way they go." + +The old king serpent touched the wall with his tongue and the rock +opened. Then he glided aside and the serpents crawled out, one by one. +When the last one was out, Batcha tried to follow, but the rock swung +shut in his face, again locking him in. + +The old king serpent hissed at him in a deep breathy voice: + +"Hah, you miserable man creature, you can't get out! You're here and +here you stay!" + +"But I can't stay here," Batcha said. "What can I do in here? I can't +sleep forever! You must let me out! I have sheep at pasture and a +scolding wife at home in the valley. She'll have a thing or two to say +if I'm late in getting back!" + +Batcha pleaded and argued until at last the old serpent said: + +"Very well, I'll let you out, but not until you have made me a triple +oath that you won't tell any one how you came in." + +Batcha agreed to this. Three times he swore a mighty oath not to tell +any one how he had entered the cavern. + +"I warn you," the old serpent said, as he opened the wall, "if you break +this oath a terrible fate will overtake you!" + +Without another word Batcha hurried through the opening. + +Once outside he looked about him in surprise. Everything seemed +changed. It was autumn when he had followed the serpents into the +cavern. Now it was spring! + +"What has happened?" he cried in fright. "Oh, what an unfortunate fellow +I am! Have I slept through the winter? Where are my sheep? And my +wife--what will she say?" + +With trembling knees he made his way to his hut. His wife was busy +inside. He could see her through the open door. He didn't know what to +say to her at first, so he slipped into the sheepfold and hid himself +while he tried to think out some likely story. + +While he was crouching there, he saw a finely dressed gentleman come to +the door of the hut and ask his wife where her husband was. + +The woman burst into tears and explained to the stranger that one day in +the previous autumn her husband had taken out his sheep as usual and had +never come back. + +"Dunay, the dog," she said, "drove home the sheep and from that day to +this nothing has ever been heard of my poor husband. I suppose a wolf +devoured him, or the witches caught him and tore him to pieces and +scattered him over the mountain. And here I am left, a poor forsaken +widow! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!" + +Her grief was so great that Batcha leaped out of the sheepfold to +comfort her. + +"There, there, dear wife, don't cry! Here I am, alive and well! No wolf +ate me, no witches caught me. I've been asleep in the sheepfold--that's +all. I must have slept all winter long!" + +At sight and sound of her husband, the woman stopped crying. Her grief +changed to surprise, then to fury. + +"You wretch!" she cried. "You lazy, good-for-nothing loafer! A nice +kind of shepherd you are to desert your sheep and yourself to idle +away the winter sleeping like a serpent! That's a fine story, isn't +it, and I suppose you think me fool enough to believe it! Oh, +you--you sheep's tick, where have you been and what have you been +doing?" + +She flew at Batcha with both hands and there's no telling what she would +have done to him if the stranger hadn't interfered. + +"There, there," he said, "no use getting excited! Of course he hasn't +been sleeping here in the sheepfold all winter. The question is, where +has he been? Here is some money for you. Take it and go along home to +your cottage in the valley. Leave Batcha to me and I promise you I'll +get the truth out of him." + +The woman abused her husband some more and then, pocketing the money, +went off. + +As soon as she was gone, the stranger changed into a horrible looking +creature with a third eye in the middle of his forehead. + +"Good heavens!" Batcha gasped in fright. "He's the wizard of the +mountain! Now what's going to happen to me!" + +Batcha had often heard terrifying stories of the wizard, how he could +himself take any form he wished and how he could turn a man into a ram. + +"Aha!" the wizard laughed. "I see you know me! Now then, no more lies! +Tell me: where have you been all winter long?" + +At first Batcha remembered his triple oath to the old king serpent and +he feared to break it. But when the wizard thundered out the same +question a second time and a third time, and grew bigger and more +horrible looking each time he spoke, Batcha forgot his oath and +confessed everything. + +"Now come with me," the wizard said. "Show me the cliff. Show me the +magic plant." + +What could Batcha do but obey? He led the wizard to the cliff and +picked a leaf of the magic plant. + +"Open the rock," the wizard commanded. + +Batcha laid the leaf against the cliff and instantly the rock opened. + +"Go inside!" the wizard ordered. + +But Batcha's trembling legs refused to move. + +The wizard took out a book and began mumbling an incantation. Suddenly +the earth trembled, the sky thundered, and with a great hissing +whistling sound a monster dragon flew out of the cavern. It was the old +king serpent whose seven years were up and who was now become a flying +dragon. From his huge mouth he breathed out fire and smoke. With his +long tail he swished right and left among the forest trees and these +snapped and broke like little twigs. + +The wizard, still mumbling from his book, handed Batcha a bridle. + +"Throw this around his neck!" he commanded. + +Batcha took the bridle but was too terrified to act. The wizard spoke +again and Batcha made one uncertain step in the dragon's direction. +He lifted his arm to throw the bridle over the dragon's head, when the +dragon suddenly turned on him, swooped under him, and before Batcha +knew what was happening he found himself on the dragon's back and he +felt himself being lifted up, up, up, above the tops of the forest trees, +above the very mountains themselves. + +[Illustration: _On, on, they went, whizzing through the stars of +heaven_] + +For a moment the sky was so dark that only the fire, spurting from the +dragon's eyes and mouth, lighted them on their way. + +The dragon lashed this way and that in fury, he belched forth great +floods of boiling water, he hissed, he roared, until Batcha, clinging to +his back, was half dead with fright. + +Then gradually his anger cooled. He ceased belching forth boiling water, +he stopped breathing fire, his hisses grew less terrifying. + +"Thank God!" Batcha gasped. "Perhaps now he'll sink to earth and let me +go." + +But the dragon was not yet finished with punishing Batcha for breaking +his oath. He rose still higher until the mountains of the earth looked +like tiny ant-hills, still up until even these had disappeared. On, on +they went, whizzing through the stars of heaven. + +At last the dragon stopped flying and hung motionless in the firmament. +To Batcha this was even more terrifying than moving. + +"What shall I do? What shall I do?" he wept in agony. "If I jump down to +earth I'll kill myself and I can't fly on up to heaven! Oh, dragon, +have mercy on me! Fly back to earth and let me go and I swear before God +that never again until death will I offend you!" + +Batcha's pleading would have moved a stone to pity but the dragon, with +an angry shake of his tail, only hardened his heart. + +Suddenly Batcha heard the sweet voice of the skylark that was mounting +to heaven. + +"Skylark!" he called. "Dear skylark, bird that God loves, help me, for I +am in great trouble! Fly up to heaven and tell God Almighty that Batcha, +the shepherd, is hung in midair on a dragon's back. Tell Him that Batcha +praises Him forever and begs Him to deliver him." + +The skylark carried this message to heaven and God Almighty, pitying the +poor shepherd, took some birch leaves and wrote on them in letters of +gold. He put them in the skylark's bill and told the skylark to drop +them on the dragon's head. + +So the skylark returned from heaven and, hovering over Batcha, dropped +the birch leaves on the dragon's head. + +The dragon instantly sank to earth, so fast that Batcha lost +consciousness. + +When he came to himself he was sitting before his own hut. He looked +about him. The dragon's cliff had disappeared. Otherwise everything was +the same. + +It was late afternoon and Dunay, the dog, was driving home the sheep. +There was a woman coming up the mountain path. + +Batcha heaved a great sigh. + +"Thank God I'm back!" he said to himself. "How fine it is to hear +Dunay's bark! And here comes my wife, God bless her! She'll scold me, I +know, but even if she does, how glad I am to see her!" + + + + +CLEVER MANKA + +THE STORY OF A GIRL WHO KNEW WHAT TO SAY + +[Illustration] + + + + +CLEVER MANKA + + +There was once a rich farmer who was as grasping and unscrupulous as he +was rich. He was always driving a hard bargain and always getting the +better of his poor neighbors. One of these neighbors was a humble +shepherd who in return for service was to receive from the farmer a +heifer. When the time of payment came the farmer refused to give the +shepherd the heifer and the shepherd was forced to lay the matter before +the burgomaster. + +The burgomaster, who was a young man and as yet not very experienced, +listened to both sides and when he had deliberated he said: + +"Instead of deciding this case, I will put a riddle to you both and the +man who makes the best answer shall have the heifer. Are you agreed?" + +The farmer and the shepherd accepted this proposal and the burgomaster +said: + +"Well then, here is my riddle: What is the swiftest thing in the world? +What is the sweetest thing? What is the richest? Think out your answers +and bring them to me at this same hour tomorrow." + +The farmer went home in a temper. + +"What kind of a burgomaster is this young fellow!" he growled. "If he +had let me keep the heifer I'd have sent him a bushel of pears. But now +I'm in a fair way of losing the heifer for I can't think of any answer +to his foolish riddle." + +"What is the matter, husband?" his wife asked. + +"It's that new burgomaster. The old one would have given me the heifer +without any argument, but this young man thinks to decide the case by +asking us riddles." + +When he told his wife what the riddle was, she cheered him greatly by +telling him that she knew the answers at once. + +"Why, husband," said she, "our gray mare must be the swiftest thing in +the world. You know yourself nothing ever passes us on the road. As for +the sweetest, did you ever taste honey any sweeter than ours? And I'm +sure there's nothing richer than our chest of golden ducats that we've +been laying by these forty years." + +The farmer was delighted. + +"You're right, wife, you're right! That heifer remains ours!" + +The shepherd when he got home was downcast and sad. He had a daughter, +a clever girl named Manka, who met him at the door of his cottage and +asked: + +"What is it, father? What did the burgomaster say?" + +The shepherd sighed. + +"I'm afraid I've lost the heifer. The burgomaster set us a riddle and I +know I shall never guess it." + +"Perhaps I can help you," Manka said. "What is it?" + +So the shepherd gave her the riddle and the next day as he was setting +out for the burgomaster's, Manka told him what answers to make. + +When he reached the burgomaster's house, the farmer was already there +rubbing his hands and beaming with self-importance. + +The burgomaster again propounded the riddle and then asked the farmer +his answers. + +The farmer cleared his throat and with a pompous air began: + +"The swiftest thing in the world? Why, my dear sir, that's my gray mare, +of course, for no other horse ever passes us on the road. The sweetest? +Honey from my beehives, to be sure. The richest? What can be richer than +my chest of golden ducats!" + +And the farmer squared his shoulders and smiled triumphantly. + +"H'm," said the young burgomaster, dryly. Then he asked: + +"What answers does the shepherd make?" + +The shepherd bowed politely and said: + +"The swiftest thing in the world is thought for thought can run any +distance in the twinkling of an eye. The sweetest thing of all is sleep +for when a man is tired and sad what can be sweeter? The richest thing +is the earth for out of the earth come all the riches of the world." + +"Good!" the burgomaster cried. "Good! The heifer goes to the shepherd!" + +Later the burgomaster said to the shepherd: + +"Tell me, now, who gave you those answers? I'm sure they never came out +of your own head." + +At first the shepherd tried not to tell, but when the burgomaster +pressed him he confessed that they came from his daughter, Manka. The +burgomaster, who thought he would like to make another test of Manka's +cleverness, sent for ten eggs. He gave them to the shepherd and said: + +"Take these eggs to Manka and tell her to have them hatched out by +tomorrow and to bring me the chicks." + +When the shepherd reached home and gave Manka the burgomaster's message, +Manka laughed and said: "Take a handful of millet and go right back to +the burgomaster. Say to him: 'My daughter sends you this millet. She +says that if you plant it, grow it, and have it harvested by tomorrow, +she'll bring you the ten chicks and you can feed them the ripe grain.'" + +When the burgomaster heard this, he laughed heartily. + +"That's a clever girl of yours," he told the shepherd. "If she's as +comely as she is clever, I think I'd like to marry her. Tell her to come +to see me, but she must come neither by day nor by night, neither riding +nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed." + +When Manka received this message she waited until the next dawn when +night was gone and day not yet arrived. Then she wrapped herself in a +fishnet and, throwing one leg over a goat's back and keeping one foot on +the ground, she went to the burgomaster's house. + +Now I ask you: did she go dressed? No, she wasn't dressed. A fishnet +isn't clothing. Did she go undressed? Of course not, for wasn't she +covered with a fishnet? Did she walk to the burgomaster's? No, she +didn't walk for she went with one leg thrown over a goat. Then did she +ride? Of course she didn't ride for wasn't she walking on one foot? + +When she reached the burgomaster's house she called out: + +"Here I am, Mr. Burgomaster, and I've come neither by day nor by night, +neither riding nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed." + +The young burgomaster was so delighted with Manka's cleverness and so +pleased with her comely looks that he proposed to her at once and in a +short time married her. + +"But understand, my dear Manka," he said, "you are not to use that +cleverness of yours at my expense. I won't have you interfering in any +of my cases. In fact if ever you give advice to any one who comes to me +for judgment, I'll turn you out of my house at once and send you home to +your father." + +All went well for a time. Manka busied herself in her house-keeping and +was careful not to interfere in any of the burgomaster's cases. + +Then one day two farmers came to the burgomaster to have a dispute +settled. One of the farmers owned a mare which had foaled in the +marketplace. The colt had run under the wagon of the other farmer and +thereupon the owner of the wagon claimed the colt as his property. + +The burgomaster, who was thinking of something else while the case was +being presented, said carelessly: + +"The man who found the colt under his wagon is, of course, the owner of +the colt." + +As the owner of the mare was leaving the burgomaster's house, he met +Manka and stopped to tell her about the case. Manka was ashamed of her +husband for making so foolish a decision and she said to the farmer: + +"Come back this afternoon with a fishing net and stretch it across the +dusty road. When the burgomaster sees you he will come out and ask you +what you are doing. Say to him that you're catching fish. When he asks +you how you can expect to catch fish in a dusty road, tell him it's just +as easy for you to catch fish in a dusty road as it is for a wagon to +foal. Then he'll see the injustice of his decision and have the colt +returned to you. But remember one thing: you mustn't let him find out +that it was I who told you to do this." + +That afternoon when the burgomaster chanced to look out the window he +saw a man stretching a fishnet across the dusty road. He went out to +him and asked: + +"What are you doing?" + +"Fishing." + +"Fishing in a dusty road? Are you daft?" + +"Well," the man said, "it's just as easy for me to catch fish in a dusty +road as it is for a wagon to foal." + +Then the burgomaster recognized the man as the owner of the mare and he +had to confess that what he said was true. + +"Of course the colt belongs to your mare and must be returned to you. +But tell me," he said, "who put you up to this? You didn't think of it +yourself." + +The farmer tried not to tell but the burgomaster questioned him until he +found out that Manka was at the bottom of it. This made him very angry. +He went into the house and called his wife. + +"Manka," he said, "do you forget what I told you would happen if you +went interfering in any of my cases? Home you go this very day. I don't +care to hear any excuses. The matter is settled. You may take with you +the one thing you like best in my house for I won't have people saying +that I treated you shabbily." + +Manka made no outcry. + +"Very well, my dear husband, I shall do as you say: I shall go home to +my father's cottage and take with me the one thing I like best in your +house. But don't make me go until after supper. We have been very happy +together and I should like to eat one last meal with you. Let us have no +more words but be kind to each other as we've always been and then part +as friends." + +The burgomaster agreed to this and Manka prepared a fine supper of all +the dishes of which her husband was particularly fond. The burgomaster +opened his choicest wine and pledged Manka's health. Then he set to, and +the supper was so good that he ate and ate and ate. And the more he ate, +the more he drank until at last he grew drowsy and fell sound asleep in +his chair. Then without awakening him Manka had him carried out to the +wagon that was waiting to take her home to her father. + +The next morning when the burgomaster opened his eyes, he found himself +lying in the shepherd's cottage. + +"What does this mean?" he roared out. + +"Nothing, dear husband, nothing!" Manka said. "You know you told me I +might take with me the one thing I liked best in your house, so of +course I took you! That's all." + +For a moment the burgomaster rubbed his eyes in amazement. Then he +laughed loud and heartily to think how Manka had outwitted him. + +"Manka," he said, "you're too clever for me. Come on, my dear, let's go +home." + +So they climbed back into the wagon and drove home. + +The burgomaster never again scolded his wife but thereafter whenever a +very difficult case came up he always said: + +"I think we had better consult my wife. You know she's a very clever +woman." + + + + +THE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL + +THE STORY OF A MAN WHO FOUND THAT DEATH WAS NECESSARY + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL + + +A long time ago when Lord Jesus and the blessed St. Peter walked about +together on earth, it happened one evening that they stopped at a +blacksmith's cottage and asked for a night's lodging. + +"You are welcome," the blacksmith said. "I am a poor man but whatever I +have I will gladly share with you." + +He threw down his hammer and led his guests into the kitchen. There he +entertained them with a good supper and after they had eaten he said to +them: + +"I see that you are tired from your day's journey. There is my bed. Lie +down on it and sleep until morning." + +"And where will you sleep?" St. Peter asked. + +"I? Don't think of me," the blacksmith said. "I'll go out to the barn +and sleep on the straw." + +The next morning he gave his guests a fine breakfast, and then sent them +on their way with good wishes for their journey. + +As they were leaving, St. Peter plucked Lord Jesus by the sleeve and +whispered: + +"Master, aren't you going to reward this man? He is poor but yet has +treated us most hospitably." + +Lord Jesus answered Peter: + +"The reward of this world is an empty reward. I was thinking to prepare +him a place in heaven. However, I will grant him something now." + +Then he turned to the blacksmith and said: + +"Ask what you will. Make three wishes and they will be fulfilled." + +The blacksmith was overjoyed. For his first wish he said: + +"I should like to live for a hundred years and always be as strong and +healthy as I am this moment." + +Lord Jesus said: + +"Very well, that will be granted you. What is your second wish?" + +The blacksmith thought for a moment. Then he said: + +"I wish that I may prosper in this world and always have as much as I +need. May work in my shop always be as plentiful as it is today." + +"This, too, will be granted you," Lord Jesus said. "Now for your third +wish." + +Our blacksmith thought and thought, unable at first to decide on a third +wish. At last he said: + +"Grant that whoever sits on the stool where you sat last night at supper +may be unable to get up until I release him." + +St. Peter laughed at this, but Lord Jesus nodded and said: + +"This wish, too, will be fulfilled." + +So they parted, Lord Jesus and blessed St. Peter going on their way, and +the blacksmith returning home to his forge. + +Things came to pass as Lord Jesus had promised they should. Work in +plenty flowed into the blacksmith's shop. The years went by but they +made no impression on the blacksmith. He was as young as ever and as +vigorous. His friends grew old and one by one died. His children grew +up, married, and had children of their own. These in turn grew up. The +years brought youth and maturity and old age to them all. The blacksmith +alone remained unchanged. + +A hundred years is a long time but at last even it runs out. + +One night as the blacksmith was putting away his tools, there came a +knock at the door. The blacksmith stopped his singing to call out: + +"Who's there?" + +"It is I, Death," a voice answered. "Open the door, blacksmith. Your +time has come." + +The blacksmith threw open the door. + +"Welcome," he said to the woman standing there. "I'll be ready in a +moment when I put away my tools." He smiled a little to himself. "Won't +you sit down on this stool, dear lady, and rest you for a moment? You +must be weary going to and fro over the earth." + +Death, suspecting nothing, seated herself on the stool. + +The blacksmith burst into a loud laugh. + +"Now I have you, my lady! Stay where you are until I release you!" + +Death tried to stand up but could not. She squirmed this way and that. +She rattled her hollow bones. She gnashed her teeth. But do what she +would she could not arise from the stool. + +Chuckling and singing, the blacksmith left her there and went about his +business. + +But soon he found that chaining up Death had unexpected results. To +begin with, he wanted at once to celebrate his escape with a feast. He +had a hog which had been fattening for some time. He would slaughter +this hog and chop it up into fine spicy sausages which his neighbors +and friends would help him eat. The hams he would hang in the chimney to +smoke. + +But when he tried to slaughter the animal, the blow of his axe had no +effect. He struck the hog on the head and, to be sure, it rolled over on +the ground. But when he stopped to cut the throat, the creature jumped +up and with a grunt went scampering off. Before the blacksmith could +recover from his surprise, the hog had disappeared. + +Next he tried to kill a goose. He had a fat one which he had been +stuffing for the village fair. + +"Since those sausages have escaped me," he said. "I'll have to be +satisfied with roast goose." + +But when he tried to cut the goose's throat, the knife drew no blood. In +his surprise he loosened his hold and the goose slipped from his hands +and went cackling off after the hog. + +"What's come over things today?" the blacksmith asked himself. "It seems +I'm not to have sausage or roast goose. I suppose I'll have to be +satisfied with a pair of pigeons." + +He went out to the pigeon-house and caught two pigeons. He put them on +the chopping-block and with one mighty blow of his ax cut off both their +heads. + +"There!" he cried in triumph. "I've got you!" + +But even as he spoke the little severed heads returned to their bodies, +the heads and bodies grew together as if nothing had happened, and +cooing happily the two pigeons flew away. + +Then at last the truth flashed upon the blacksmith's mind. So long as he +kept Death fastened to that stool, nothing could die! Of course not! So +no more spicy sausages, no more smoked hams, no more roast goose--not +even a broiled pigeon! The prospect was not a pleasing one, for the +blacksmith loved good things to eat. But what could he do? Release +Death? Never that! He would be her first victim! Well then, if he could +have no fresh meat, he would have to be content to live on peas and +porridge and wheaten cakes. + +This actually was what he had to do and what every one else had to do +when their old provisions were exhausted. + +Summer passed and winter followed. Then spring came bringing new and +unforeseen miseries. With the first breath of warm weather all the pests +and insects of the summer before revived, for not one of them had been +killed by the winter cold. And the eggs they had laid all hatched out +until the earth and the air and the water swarmed with living creatures. +Birds and rats and grasshoppers, insects and bugs and vermin of every +kind, covered the fields and ate up every green thing. The meadows +looked as if a fire had swept them clean. The orchards were stripped +bare of every leaf and blossom. + +Such hordes of fish and frogs and water creatures filled the lakes and +the rivers that the water was polluted and it was impossible for man to +drink it. + +Water and land alike were swarming with living creatures not one of +which could be killed. Even the air was thick with clouds of mosquitoes +and gnats and flies. + +Men and women walked about looking like tormented ghosts. They had no +desire to live on but they had to live on for they could not die. + +The blacksmith came at last to a realization of all the misery which his +foolish wish was bringing upon the world. + +"I see now," he said, "that God Almighty did well when He sent Death to +the world. She has her work to do and I am wrong to hold her prisoner." + +So he released Death from the stool and made no outcry when she put her +bony fingers to his throat. + + + + +A GULLIBLE WORLD + +THE STORY OF A MAN WHO DIDN'T BEAT HIS WIFE + +[Illustration] + + + + +A GULLIBLE WORLD + + +There was once a poor farm laborer, so poor that all he owned in the +world was a hen. He told his wife to take this hen to market and sell +it. + +"How much shall I ask for it?" the woman wanted to know. + +"Ask as much as they'll pay, of course," the laborer said. + +So the woman took the hen by the feet and set out. Near the village she +met a farmer. + +"Good day," the farmer said. "Where are you going with that hen?" + +"I'm going to market to sell it for as much as they'll pay me." + +The farmer weighed the hen in his hand, pursed his lips, thought a +moment, and said: + +"You better sell it to me. I'll pay you three pennies for it." + +"Three pennies? Are you sure that's as much as you'll pay?" + +"Yes," the farmer said, "three pennies is as much as I'll pay." + +So the laborer's wife sold the hen for three pennies. She went on to the +village and there she bought a pretty little paper bag with one of the +pennies and a piece of ribbon with another penny. She put the third +penny into the bag, tied the bag with the ribbon, slipped the ribbon on +a stick, put the stick over her shoulder, and then, feeling that she had +done a very good day's work, she tramped home to her husband. + +When the laborer heard how stupidly his wife had acted, he flew into a +great rage and at first threatened to give her a sound beating. + +"Was there ever such a foolish woman in the world?" he shouted angrily. + +The poor woman, who by this time was snuffling and weeping, whimpered +out: + +"I don't see why you find so much fault with me! I'm sure I'm not the +only gullible person in the world." + +"Well," the laborer said, "I don't know. Perhaps there are people in the +world as gullible as you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll go out and see +if I can find them. If I do, I won't beat you." + +So the laborer went out into the world to see if he could find any one +as gullible as his wife. He traveled several days until he reached a +countryside where he was unknown. Here he came to a fine castle at the +window of which stood the lady of the castle looking out. + +"Now then, my lady," the laborer said to himself, "we'll see how +gullible you are." + +He stood in the middle of the road, looked intently up at the sky, and +then reaching out his arms as if he were trying to catch hold of +something he began jumping up and down. + +The lady of the castle watched him for a few moments and then dispatched +one of her servants to ask him what he was doing. The servant hurried +out and questioned him and this is the story the clever rascal made up: + +"I'm trying to jump back into heaven. You see I live up there. I was +wrestling up there with one of my comrades and he pitched me out and now +I can't find the hole I fell through." + +With his eyes popping out of his head, the servant hurried back to his +mistress and repeated the laborer's story word for word. + +The lady of the castle instantly sent for the laborer. + +"You say you were in heaven?" she asked him. + +"Yes, my lady, that's where I live and I'm going back at once." + +"I have a dear son in heaven," the lady said. "Do you know him?" + +"Of course I know him. The last time I saw him he was sitting far back +in the chimney corner looking very sad and lonely." + +"What! My son sitting far back in the chimney corner! Poor boy, he must +be in need of money! My good man, will you take him something from me? +I'd like to send him three hundred golden ducats and material for six +fine shirts. And tell him not to be lonely as I'll come to him soon." + +The laborer was delighted at the success of his yarn and he told the +lady of the castle he'd gladly take with him the ducats and the fine +shirting and he asked her to give them to him at once as he had to get +back to heaven without delay. + +The foolish woman wrapped up the shirting and counted out the money and +the laborer hurried off. + +Once out of sight of the castle he sat down by the roadside, stuffed the +fine shirting into the legs of his trousers, and hid the ducats in his +pockets. Then he stretched himself out to rest. + +Meantime the lord of the castle got home and his wife at once told him +the whole story and asked him if he didn't think she was fortunate to +find a man who had consented to deliver to their son in heaven three +hundred golden ducats and material for six fine shirts. + +"What!" cried the husband. "Oh, what a gullible creature you are! Who +ever heard of a man falling out of heaven! And if he were to fall, how +could he climb back? The rogue has swindled you! Which way did he go?" + +And without waiting to hear the poor lady's lamentations, the nobleman +mounted his horse and galloped off in the direction the laborer had +taken. + +The laborer, who was still resting by the wayside, saw him coming and +guessed who he was. + +"Now, my lord, we'll try you," he said to himself. + +He took off his broad-trimmed hat and put it on the ground beside him +over a clod of earth. + +"My good fellow," said the nobleman, "I am looking for a man with a +bundle over his shoulder. Have you seen him pass this way?" + +The laborer scratched his head and pretended to think. + +"Yes, master," he said, "seems to me I did see a man with a bundle. He +was running over there towards the woods and looking back all the time. +He was a stranger to these parts. I remember now thinking to myself that +he looked like one of those rogues that come from big cities to swindle +honest country folk. Yes, master, that's the way he went, over there." + +The laborer seemed such an honest simple fellow that at once the +nobleman told him how the stranger had swindled his wife. + +"Oh, the rogue!" the laborer cried. "To think of his swindling such a +fine lady, too! Master, I wish I could help you. I'd take that horse of +yours and go after him myself if I could. But I can't. I'm carrying a +bird of great value to a gentleman who lives in the next town. I have +the bird here under my hat and I daren't leave it." + +The nobleman thought that as the laborer had seen the swindler he might +be able to catch him. So he said: + +"My good man, if I sat here and guarded your hat, would you be willing +to mount my horse and follow that rascal?" + +"Indeed I would, my lord, in a minute, for I can't bear to think of that +rogue swindling such a fine lady as your wife. But I must beg you to be +very careful of this bird. Don't put your hand under my hat or it might +escape and then I should have to bear the loss of it." + +The nobleman promised to be most careful of the bird and, dismounting, +he handed his bridle to the laborer. That one mounted the nobleman's +horse and galloped off. + +It is needless to say the nobleman never saw either man or horse again. +He waited and waited. At last when he could wait no longer he decided +that he would have to take the bird home with him and let the laborer +follow. So he lifted the edge of the hat very carefully, slipped in his +hand, and clutched--the dry clod of earth! + +Deeply chagrined he went home and had to bear the smiles of his people +as they whispered among themselves that my lord as well as my lady had +been swindled. + +The laborer as he neared his cottage called out to his wife: + +"It's all right, wife! You won't get that beating! I find that the world +is full of people even more gullible than you!" + + + + +THE CANDLES OF LIFE + +THE STORY OF A CHILD FOR WHOM DEATH STOOD GODMOTHER + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE CANDLES OF LIFE + + +There was once a poor man named Martin. He was so very poor that when +his wife gave birth to a little boy, he could find no one who would +stand godmother to the child. + +"No," he told his wife, "there's no one that I've asked who is willing +to hold this infant at the christening." + +The poor mother wept and moaned and he tried to comfort her as best he +could. + +"Don't be discouraged, my dear wife. I promise you your son will be +christened. I'll carry him to church myself and if I can find a +godmother no other way I'll ask some woman I meet on the road." + +So Martin bundled up the baby and carried him to church. On the way he +met a woman whom he asked to be godmother. She took the baby in her arms +at once and held it during the christening. + +Now Martin supposed that she was just an ordinary woman like any other. +But she wasn't. She was Death who walks about among men and takes them +when their time has come. + +After the christening she invited Martin home with her. She showed him +through the various rooms of her house and down into great cellars. They +went a long way underground through cellar after cellar to a place where +thousands upon thousands of candles were burning. There were tall +candles just lighted, candles burned halfway down, and little short ones +nearly burned out. At one end of the place there was a heap of fresh +candles that had not yet been lighted. + +"These," Death said, "are the candles of all the people in the world. +When a man's candle burns out, then it is time for me to go for him." + +"Godmother," Martin said, pointing to a candle that was burning low, +"whose may that be?" + +"That, my friend, is your candle." + +Martin was frightened and begged Death to lengthen his candle, but Death +shook her head. + +"No, my friend," she said, "I can't do that." + +She reached for a fresh candle to light it for the baby just christened. +While her back was turned, Martin snatched a tall candle, lighted it, +and then pressed it on the stub of his own candle that was nearly burned +out. + +When Death turned and saw what he had done, she frowned reprovingly. + +"That, my friend, was an unworthy trick. However, it has lengthened +your life, for what is done is done and can't be undone." + +Then she handed Martin some golden ducats as a christening present, took +the baby again in her arms, and said: + +"Now let us go home and give this young man back to his mother." + +At the cottage she made the sick woman comfortable and talked to her +about her son. Martin went out to the tavern and bought a jug of ale. +Then he spread the table with food, the best he could afford, and +Godmother Death sat down on the bench and they ate and drank together. + +"Martin," she said to him at last, "you are very poor and I must do +something for you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll make you into a great +physician. I will spread sickness in the world and you will cure it. +Your fame will go abroad and people will send for you and pay you +handsomely. This is how we'll work together: when you hear of a person +taken sick, go to his house and offer to cure him. I will be there +invisible to every one but you. If I stand at the foot of the sick man's +bed, you will know that he's going to get well. So then you can +prescribe salves and medicines, and when he recovers he'll think you +have cured him. But if I stand at the head of the sick man's bed, you +will know that he has to die. In that case you must look grave and say +that he is beyond help. When he dies people will say how wise you were +to know beforehand." + +She gave him further instructions and then, after bidding her godchild +and its mother a kind farewell, she left. + +Time went by and Martin's fame as a great physician spread far and wide. +Wherever Godmother Death caused sickness, there Martin went and made +marvelous cures. Dukes and princes heard of him and sent for him. When +he rubbed them with salve or gave them a dose or two of bitter medicine +and they recovered, they felt so grateful to him that they gave him +anything he asked and often more than he asked. + +He always remembered Death's warning not to treat a sick man if she +stood at his head. Once, however, he disobeyed. He was called to +prescribe to a duke of enormous wealth. When he entered the room he saw +Death standing at the duke's head. + +"Can you cure him?" they asked Martin. + +"I can't promise," Martin said, "but I'll do what I can." + +He had the servants turn the duke's bed around until the foot instead +of the head was in front of Death. The duke recovered and rewarded +Martin richly. + +But Death when next she met Martin reproved him: + +"My friend, don't try that trick on me again. Besides, it is not a real +cure. The duke's time has come; he must go to his appointed place; and +it is my duty to conduct him thither. You think you have saved him from +me and he thinks so, but you are both mistaken. All you have given him +is a moment's respite." + +The years went by and Martin grew old. His hair whitened and his muscles +stiffened. The infirmities of age came upon him and life was no longer a +joy. + +"Dear Godmother Death," he cried, "I am old and tired! Take me!" + +But Death shook her head. + +"No, my friend, I can't take you yet. You lengthened the candle of your +life and now you must wait until it burns down." + +At last one day as he was riding home after visiting a sick man, Death +climbed into the carriage with him. She talked with him of old times and +they laughed together. Then jokingly she brushed his chin with a green +branch. Instantly Martin's eyes grew heavy. His head slipped lower and +lower and soon he fell asleep on Death's lap. + +"He's dead," the people said, when they looked in the carriage. "The +famous Doctor Martin is dead! Oh, what a great and good man he was! +Alas, who can take his place!" + +He was buried with great pomp and all the world mourned his death. + +His son, whose name was Josef, was a stupid fellow. One day as he was +going to church, his godmother met him. + +"Well, Josef," she asked, "how are you getting on?" + +"Oh, pretty well, thank you. I can live along for a while on what my +father saved. When that's gone, I don't know what I'll do." + +"Tut! Tut!" said Death. "That's no way to talk. If you only knew it, I'm +your godmother who held you at your christening. I helped your father to +wealth and fame and now I'll help you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll +apprentice you to a successful doctor and I'll see to it that soon +you'll know more than he knows." + +Death rubbed some salve over Josef's ears and led him to a doctor. + +"I wish you to take this youth as an apprentice," she said. "He's a +likely lad and will do you credit. Teach him all you know." + +The doctor accepted Josef as an apprentice and when he went out into the +fields to gather herbs and simples, he took the youth with him. + +Now the magic salve with which Godmother Death had anointed Josef +enabled him to hear and understand the whisperings of the herbs. Each +one as he picked it, whispered to him its secret properties. + +"I cure a fever," one whispered. + +"And I a rash." + +"And I a boil." + +The doctor was amazed at his apprentice's knowledge of herbs. + +"You know them better than I do," he said. "You never make a mistake. It +is I should be apprentice, not you. Let us go into partnership. I will +work under you and together we will make wonderful cures." + +And so, owing to his godmother's gift, Josef became a great physician of +whom it was said that there was no illness for which he could not find a +remedial herb. + +He lived long and happily until at last his candle burned down and +Death, his kind godmother, took him. + + + + +THE DEVIL'S GIFTS + +THE STORY OF A MAN WHOM THE DEVIL BEFRIENDED + +[Illustration] + + + +THE DEVIL'S GIFTS + + +There were once two men, a shoemaker and a farmer, who had been +close friends in youth. The shoemaker married and had many children +to whom the farmer stood godfather. For this reason the two men +called each other "Godfather." When they met it was "Godfather, +this," and "Godfather, that." The shoemaker was an industrious +little man and yet with so many mouths to fill he remained poor. The +farmer on the other hand soon grew rich for he had no children to +eat into his savings. + +Years went by and money and possessions began to change the farmer's +disposition. The more he accumulated, the more he wanted, until +people were whispering behind his back that he was miserly and +avaricious. His wife was like him. She, too, saved and skimped +although, as I have told you, they had neither chick nor child to +provide for. + +The richer the farmer grew, the less he cared for his poor friend +and his poor friend's children. Now when they called him +"Godfather," he frowned impatiently, and whenever he saw any of +them he pretended to be very busy for fear they should ask him a +favor. + +One day when he had slaughtered beef, the poor shoemaker came to him and +said: + +"My dear Godfather, you have just made a killing. Won't you please give +me a little piece of meat? My wife and children are hungry." + +"No!" roared the rich man. "Why should I feed your family? You ought to +save as I do and then you wouldn't have to ask favors of any one." + +Humiliated by the refusal, the shoemaker went home and told his wife +what his friend had said. + +"Go back to him," his wife insisted, "and tell him again that his +godchildren are hungry. I don't think he understood you." + +So the poor little shoemaker returned to the rich man. He cleared his +throat apologetically and stammered: + +"Dear Godfather, you--you don't want your poor godchildren to go hungry, +do you? Give me just one small piece of meat--that's all I ask." + +In a rage, the rich man picked up a hunk of meat and threw it at his +poor friend. + +"There!" he shouted. "And now go to hell, you and the meat with you, and +tell the Devil I sent you." + +The shoemaker picked up the piece of meat. It was all fat and gristle. + +"No use carrying this home," he thought to himself. "I think I better do +as Godfather says. Yes, I'll go to hell and give it to the Devil." + +So he tramped down to hell and presented himself at the gate. The little +devil who stood on guard greeted him merrily. + +"Hello, shoemaker! What do you want here?" + +"I have a present for the Devil, a piece of meat that Godfather gave +me." + +The little devil of a guard nodded his head understandingly. + +"I see, I see. Very well then, come with me and I'll lead you to Prince +Lucifer. But I'll give you a bit of advice first. When the Prince asks +you what present you'd like in return, tell him you'd like the +tablecloth off his own table." + +The little devil of a guard then conducted the shoemaker into Prince +Lucifer's presence and the Prince received him with every mark of +consideration. The shoemaker told him what Godfather had said and +presented him the hunk of meat. Lucifer received it most graciously. +Then he said: + +"Now, my dear shoemaker, let me make you a little present in return. Do +you see anything here that you'd like?" + +"If it pleases your Highness," the shoemaker said, "give me that cloth +that is spread over your table." + +Lucifer at once handed him the cloth and dismissed him with many wishes +for a pleasant journey back to earth. + +As the shoemaker was leaving the friendly little devil of a guard said +to him: + +"I just want to tell you that's no ordinary tablecloth that the Prince +has given you. No, indeed! Whenever you're hungry, all you've got to do +is spread out that cloth and say: 'Meat and drink for one!' or, for as +many as you want, and instantly you will have what you ask." + +Overjoyed at his good fortune the little shoemaker hurried back to +earth. As night came on he stopped at a tavern. He thought this was a +good place to try the tablecloth. So he took it out of his bag, spread +it over the table, and said: + +"Meat and drink for one!" + +Instantly a fine supper appeared and the shoemaker ate and drank his +fill. + +Now the landlord of the tavern was an evil, covetous fellow and when he +saw how the tablecloth worked his fingers itched to own it. He called +his wife aside and told her in guarded whispers what he had seen. + +Her eyes, too, filled with greed. + +"Husband," she whispered back, "we've got to get possession of that +tablecloth! Think what a help it would be to us in our business! I tell +you what we'll do: tonight when the shoemaker is asleep we'll steal his +tablecloth and slip in one of our own in its place. He's a simple fellow +and will never know the difference." + +So that night while the shoemaker was asleep, they tip-toed in, stole +the magic tablecloth out of the bag, and substituted one of their own. + +The next morning when the shoemaker awoke and spread out the cloth which +he found in his bag and said: "Meat and drink for one!" of course +nothing happened. + +"That's strange," he thought to himself. "I'll have to take this back to +the Devil and ask him to give me something else." + +So instead of going home he went back to hell and knocked at the gate. + +"Hello, shoemaker!" the little devil of a guard said. "What do you want +now?" + +"Well, you see it's this way," the shoemaker explained: "this +tablecloth of the Devil's worked all right last night but it doesn't +work this morning." + +The little devil grinned. + +"Oh, I see. And you want Prince Lucifer to take it back and give you +something else, eh? Well, I'm sure he will. If you want my advice, I +should say to ask him for that red rooster that sits in the chimney +corner." + +The Prince received the shoemaker as kindly as before and was perfectly +willing to exchange the tablecloth for the red rooster. + +When the shoemaker got back to the gate, the little devil of a guard +said: + +"I see you've got the red rooster. Now I just want to tell you that's no +ordinary rooster. Whenever you need money, all you have to do is put +that rooster on the table and say: 'Crow, rooster, crow!' He'll crow and +as he crows a golden ducat will drop from his bill!" + +"What a lucky fellow I am!" the little shoemaker thought to himself as +he hurried back to earth. + +As night came on he stopped again at the same tavern and, when it was +time to pay for his supper, he put the red rooster on the table and +said: + +"Crow, rooster, crow!" + +The rooster crowed and sure enough a golden ducat dropped from his bill. + +The covetous landlord licked his greedy lips and hurried off to his +wife. + +"We've got a red rooster," the wife said. "I'll tell you what we'll do: +when the shoemaker's asleep we'll trade roosters. He's a simple fellow +and will never know the difference." + +So the next morning after breakfast, when the shoemaker put what he +thought was his own rooster on the table and said: "Crow, rooster, +crow!" of course nothing happened. + +"I wonder what's the matter with you," he said to the rooster. "I'll +have to take you back to the Devil." + +So again he tramped down to hell and explained to the little devil of a +guard that the rooster no longer dropped golden ducats from his bill. + +The little devil listened and grinned. + +"I suppose you want Prince Lucifer to give you something else, eh?" + +The shoemaker nodded. + +"I'm sure he will," the little devil said. "He seems to have taken quite +a fancy to you. Now take my advice and ask him for the pair of clubs +that are lying under the oven." + +So the shoemaker when he was led again into Lucifer's presence explained +to the Prince that the red rooster no longer worked and please would His +Highness give him something else instead. + +The Prince was most affable. + +"Certainly," he said. + +"Well then, Your Highness, I'd like that pair of clubs I see under the +oven." + +Lucifer gave him the clubs and wished him a pleasant journey home. + +When the shoemaker got back to the gate, the little devil of a guard +wagged his head and blinked his eyes. + +"Shoemaker," he said, "those are fine clubs! You don't know how fine +they are! Why, they'll do anything you tell them! If you point to a man +and say to them: 'Tickle that fellow!' they'll jump about and tickle him +under the ribs. If you say: 'Strike that fellow!' they'll hit him. And +if you say: 'Beat him!' they'll give him a terrible drubbing. Now I want +you to try these clubs on that landlord and his wife for they have been +playing tricks on you. They stole your tablecloth and your rooster. When +you reach the tavern tonight, they'll be entertaining a wedding party +and they'll say they haven't any room for you. Don't argue but quietly +take out your clubs and order them to knock about among the wedding +guests. Then order them to beat the landlord and his wife and those two +will soon cry for mercy and be more than willing to return you your +property." + +The shoemaker thanked the little devil of a guard for his good advice +and, putting the clubs in his bag, climbed back to earth. When he +reached the tavern, sure enough he found a wedding party feasting and +dancing. + +"Get out of here!" the landlord cried. "There's no room for you!" + +Without a word the shoemaker took out his clubs and said: + +"Clubs, knock around among the wedding guests!" + +Instantly the two clubs went knocking about among the wedding guests, +tickling some and throwing down others, until the place was in an +uproar. + +"Now beat the landlord and his wife!" the shoemaker cried. + +At that the clubs hopped over to the landlord and his wife and began +beating them over the head and shoulders until they both dropped on +their knees before the shoemaker and begged for mercy. + +"Are you ready to give me back my tablecloth and rooster?" the shoemaker +asked. + +"Yes, yes!" they cried. "Only call off your clubs and we'll give you +back your tablecloth and rooster--we swear we will!" + +When he thought he had punished them enough, the shoemaker ordered the +clubs to stop and the landlord and his wife tottered off as fast as +their trembling legs could carry them. Presently they returned with the +tablecloth and the rooster. + +So the shoemaker, when he got home, had all three of the Devil's +presents tucked safely away in his bag. + +"Now, wife!" he cried. "Now, children! Now we are going to have a +feast!" + +He spread out the tablecloth and said: + +"Meat and drink for ten!" + +Instantly such a feast appeared that for a moment the poor wife and the +hungry children couldn't believe their eyes. Then they set to, and, oh! +I can't begin to tell you all they ate! + +When they could eat no more, the shoemaker said: + +"That isn't all. I've got something else in my bag." + +He took out the clubs and said: + +"Clubs, tickle the children!" + +Instantly the clubs hopped around among the children and tickled them +under the ribs until they were all roaring with laughter. + +"And that isn't all!" the shoemaker said. "I've got something else in my +bag." + +He pulled out the red rooster, put him on the table, and said: + +"Crow, rooster, crow!" + +The rooster crowed and a golden ducat dropped from his bill. + +"Oh!" the children cried, and the youngest one begged: "Make him do it +again! Make him do it again!" + +So again the shoemaker said: "Crow, rooster, crow!" and again a golden +ducat dropped from the rooster's bill. + +The children were so amused that the shoemaker kept the rooster crowing +all night long until the room was overflowing with a great heap of +shining ducats. + +The next day the shoemaker said to his wife: + +"We must measure our money and see how much we have. Send one of the +children over to Godfather to borrow a bushel measure." + +So the youngest child ran over to the rich man's house and said: + +"Godfather, my father says will you please lend us a bushel measure to +measure our money." + +"Measure your money!" the rich man growled. "Pooh, pooh, what nonsense! +Wife, where's that old worn-out measure that we're going to throw away? +It's the very thing to lend these beggars." + +The woman who was just as disagreeable as the man handed the child an +old broken measure and said, severely: + +"See you bring it back at once!" + +In a short time the little girl returned the measure. + +"Thanks, Godfather," she said. "We've got a hundred bushels." + +"A hundred bushels!" the farmer repeated scornfully after the child was +gone. "A hundred bushels of what? Look inside the measure, wife, and see +if you find a trace of anything." + +The woman peered inside the measure and found a golden ducat lodged in a +slit. She took it out and the mere sight of it made her face and her +husband's face turn sick and pale with envy. + +"Do you suppose those beggars really have got some money?" he said. "We +better go over at once and see." + +So they hurried over to the shoemaker's cottage and they shook hands +with him and his wife most effusively and they rubbed their hands +together and they smiled and they smiled and the rich man said: + +[Illustration: _He led them to Prince Lucifer_] + +"Dear Godfather, how are you? And how are all my dear godchildren? And +what is this good fortune that has come to you?" + +"I owe it all to you," the shoemaker said. + +"To me?" the farmer repeated and, although he began to feel sick inside +to think that any one had benefited through him, he kept on smiling and +rubbing his hands. "Tell me about it, dear Godfather." + +"You know that piece of meat you gave me," the shoemaker said. "You told +me to give it to the Devil. I took your advice and made the Devil a +present of it and he gave me all these wonderful things in return." + +The shoemaker made the tablecloth spread itself, he made the rooster +crow and drop a golden ducat, and he made the clubs dance merrily around +the room and tickle the children under the ribs. + +The farmer and his wife grew sicker and sicker with envy but they kept +on smiling and rubbing their hands and asking questions. + +"Tell us, dear Godfather," they said, "what road do you take to go to +hell? Of course we're not expecting to go ourselves but we'd just like +to know." + +The shoemaker told them the way and they hurried home. They slaughtered +their finest cattle and then, packing on their backs all the choicest +cuts of the meat, they staggered down to hell. + +When the little devil of a guard saw them coming, he grinned and +chuckled. + +"Welcome!" he cried. "We've been waiting for you a long time! Come right +in!" + +He led them to Prince Lucifer and the Prince recognized them instantly. + +"It's very good of you coming before you had to," he said. "This saves +me a trip to earth. I was thinking just the other day it was time to go +after you. And see all that fine meat you've brought with you! I +certainly am glad to see you! It isn't often I have the pleasure of +meeting people as avaricious, as greedy, as mean, as you two have been. +In fact, both of you are such ornaments to hell that I think I'll just +have to keep you here forever!" + +So the rich farmer and his wife were never again seen on earth. + +As for the shoemaker--he and his family lived long and merrily. They +shared their good fortune with others, never forgetting the time when +they, too, suffered from poverty. And because they were good and kind, +the Devil's gifts brought them only happiness. + + + + +GENTLE DORA + +THE STORY OF A DEVIL WHO MARRIED A SCOLD + +[Illustration] + + + +GENTLE DORA + + +There was once a young devil who, as he wandered over the earth, found a +book. He slipped it carelessly into his pocket and carried it down to +hell. Now this book contained a list of the good deeds of a rich man, +and the account of a good deed is of course never allowed to enter hell. + +The devils in hell when they opened the book were greatly incensed over +their comrade's stupidity and at once they dragged him off to Prince +Lucifer for punishment. + +Lucifer when he heard the case shook his head gravely. + +"This is a serious offense," he said to the culprit. "To atone you must +do one of two things: every day for seven years you must bring a soul to +hell, or you must remain on earth for seven years and take service among +men. Which will you do?" + +The young devil was a stupid fellow and he knew he would never be able +to seduce a soul every day for seven years. So he said: + +"If I must choose, Your Majesty, let it be exile on earth for seven +years." + +So Lucifer pronounced sentence and the young devil was driven out of +hell and warned not to return until the seven years were up. + +Sad and forlorn he wandered up and down the world looking for work. +People everywhere were suspicious of his black face and turned him away. + +One day he met a man to whom he told his story. + +"And just because I'm a devil," he said in conclusion, "no one will hire +me." + +"I know where you can get work," the man told him. "Just beyond the next +village there is a big farm which is owned by a woman. She's always in +need of laborers for she has such a sharp tongue and such a mean +disposition that no one can stay with her longer than a month. Her name +is Dora and in mockery the people hereabouts call her Gentle Dora. Why +don't you take service with her? As you're a devil, you may be able to +get the best of her." + +The devil thanked the man for this suggestion and at once presented +himself to Gentle Dora. Gentle Dora, as usual, was in need of laborers +and so she employed the devil instantly in spite of his black face. + +From the start she worked him like a slave from morning till night, +scolded him incessantly, and didn't give him half enough to eat. The +poor fellow grew thin and almost pale. The months went by and each new +month was harder to live through than the one before. + +"I can do a day's work with the best of them," the devil thought to +himself, "but there is no one, either man or devil, who can stand this +woman's everlasting nagging. Oh dear, oh dear, what shall I do?" + +Now Gentle Dora was looking for a husband. She had already had five +husbands all of whom she had nagged to death. On account of this record +every bachelor and widower in the village was a little shy of proposing +himself as a sixth husband. + +The devil, who as I have told you was a simple fellow, finally decided +that it would be a mighty clever thing for him to marry Gentle Dora. He +felt sure that once he was her husband she would give him less work and +more food. So he proposed to her. + +The rich widow didn't much fancy his black face, but on the other hand +she wanted a husband and so, as there was no other prospect in sight, +she accepted him. + +"At least," she thought to herself, "by making him my husband, I'll save +his wages." + +It wasn't long before the devil found out that life as a husband was +even harder than life as a laborer. Now without wages he had ten times +more to do while Gentle Dora did nothing but spend her time hunting work +for him. + +"Why do you think I've married," she would cry, "if it isn't to have +some one take care of me!" + +So she would stand over him and scold and scold and scold while he, poor +devil, toiled and sweated, doing the work of six men. + +Time went by and the devil grew thinner and thinner and paler and paler. +Gentle Dora begrudged him every mouthful he ate and was forever harping +on his enormous appetite. + +At last one day she said to him: + +"You're simply eating me out of house and home. From now on you will +have to board yourself. As I'm an honest woman I'll treat you justly. +This year we'll divide the harvest half and half. Which will you have: +that which grows above the ground, or that which grows below the +ground?" + +This sounded fair enough and the devil said: + +"Give me the part that grows above the ground." + +Thereupon Gentle Dora had the whole farm planted in potatoes and beets +and carrots. When the harvest came she gave the devil the tops and +herself took all the tubers. + +That winter the poor devil would have starved if the neighbors hadn't +taken pity on him and fed him. + +In the spring Gentle Dora asked him what part of the new crop he wanted. + +"This time," he said, "give me the part that grows under the ground." + +Gentle Dora agreed and then planted the entire farm in millet and rye +and poppy seed. At the harvest she took all the grain as her share and +told the devil that the worthless roots belonged to him. + +"What chance has a poor devil with such a woman?" he thought to himself +bitterly. + +Discouraged and unhappy he went out to the roadside where he sat down. +The troubles of domestic life pressed upon him so heavily that soon he +began to cry. + +Presently a journeyman shoemaker came by and said to him: + +"Comrade, what ails you?" + +The devil looked at the shoemaker and, when he saw that the shoemaker +was a friendly sort of person, he told him his story. + +"Why do you stand such treatment?" the shoemaker asked. + +The devil snuffled. + +"How can I help it? I'm married to her." + +"How can you help it?" the shoemaker repeated. "Comrade, look at me. At +home I have just such a wife as your Gentle Dora. There was no living +with her in peace, so one morning bright and early I ups and puts my +tool kit on my shoulder and leaves her. Now I wander about from place to +place, mending a shoe here and a slipper there, and life is much +pleasanter than it used to be. Why don't you leave your Gentle Dora and +come along with me? We'll make out somehow." + +The devil was overjoyed at the suggestion and without a moment's +hesitation he tramped off with the shoemaker. + +"You won't regret the kindness you've done me," the devil said. "I'm so +thin and pale that probably you don't realize I'm a devil. But I am and +I can reward you." + +[Illustration: Soon he began to cry.] + +They wandered about together for a long time living on the shoemaker's +earnings. At last one day the devil said: + +"Comrade, you have befriended me long enough. It is now my turn to do +something for you. I've got a fine idea. You see that big town we're +coming to? Well, I'll hurry on ahead and take possession of the prince's +young daughter. You come along more slowly and when you hear the +proclamation that the prince will richly reward any one who will cure +his daughter, present yourself at the palace. When they lead you to the +princess, make mysterious passes over her and mumble some gibberish. +Then I will quit her body and the prince will reward you." + +The devil's scheme worked perfectly. When the shoemaker reached the town +the herald was already proclaiming the sad news that the princess had +been taken possession of by a devil and that the prince was in search of +a capable exorcist. + +The shoemaker presented himself at the palace, made mysterious passes +over the princess's body, pretended to mumble magic incantations, and in +a short time had apparently succeeded in exorcising the devil. + +In his gratitude for the princess's recovery, the prince paid the +shoemaker a hundred golden ducats. + +The devil waited for the shoemaker outside the town gate. + +"You see," he said when the shoemaker had shown him the money, "I'm not +an ungrateful devil." + +They turned the same trick in several other cities until the shoemaker +had a heavy bag of gold. + +"Now you're a rich man," the devil said, "and we can part company. My +seven years are up and I am going soon to return to hell. But before I +go I'm going to take possession of one more princess. I served Gentle +Dora so long that it's a pleasant change to rule some one. This time +don't you try to exorcise me. You're famous now and the princess's +father will probably hunt you out and beg you to cure his daughter, but +you must excuse yourself. This is all I ask of you. If you allow +yourself to be persuaded, I'll punish you by taking possession of your +body. Don't forget!" + +They bade each other good-bye and parted, the shoemaker going west and +the devil east. + +Soon word began to pass up and down the land that there was a great king +toward the east who needed the services of the famous exorcist to +restore his daughter. Emissaries of the king found the shoemaker and +against his will dragged him to court. He declared he was powerless to +help the princess but the king wouldn't listen to him and threatened him +with torture and death if he refused to make the effort. + +"Well then," the shoemaker said, after much thought, "chain the princess +to her bed, order out all the attendants, and let me see her alone." + +The king had these conditions fulfilled and the shoemaker went boldly +into the princess's chamber. + +"Hist! Devil!" he called softly. + +Instantly the devil jumped out of the princess's mouth and when he saw +the shoemaker he stamped his foot in anger. + +"What!" he cried. "You've come after my warning! Don't you remember what +I told you?" + +The shoemaker put his finger to his lips and winked. + +"Softly, comrade," he whispered, "softly! I'm not come to exorcise you +but to warn you. You know that precious wife of yours, Gentle Dora? +Well, she's traced you here and she's down in the courtyard now waiting +for you." + +The devil turned white with fright. + +"Gentle Dora!" he gasped. "Lucifer, help me!" + +Without another word he jumped out the window and flew straight down to +hell as fast as the wind could carry him. And so great is his fear of +Gentle Dora that he has never dared to show his face on earth again. + +The king rewarded the shoemaker royally and to this day the shoemaker is +wandering merrily about from place to place. Whenever he hears of a +woman who is a scold, he says: + +"Why, she's a regular Gentle Dora, isn't she?" + +And when people ask him: "Who's Gentle Dora?" he tells them this story. + + + + +THE DEVIL'S MATCH + +THE STORY OF A FARMER WHO REMEMBERED WHAT HIS GRANDMOTHER TOLD HIM + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DEVIL'S MATCH + + +Once upon a time there was a poor farmer who lived in a wretched +tumble-down cottage beyond the village and whose farm consisted of a +miserable little field no bigger than your hand. His children were +ragged and hungry and his wife was always worried over getting them +enough to eat. + +Yet the farmer was a clever fellow with a quick shrewd wit and people +used to say that he'd be able to fool the devil if ever he had the +chance. One day the chance came. + +His wife had sent him into the forest to gather a bundle of faggots. +Suddenly without any warning a young man with black face and shiny eyes +stood before him. + +"It's a devil, of course," the farmer told himself. "But even so there's +no use being frightened." + +So he wished the devil a civil good-day and the devil, who was really a +very simple fellow indeed, returned his greeting and asked him what he +was doing in the forest. + +Now the farmer suddenly remembered that his grandmother had once told +him devils were afraid of lime trees because the bast from lime trees is +the one thing in the world they are unable to break. That's why, when +you catch a devil, you must tie his hands together with bast. + +So the farmer, recalling what his grandmother had said, remarked +casually: + +"Oh, I'm looking for a lime tree. I want to strip off some bast. Then +I'm going after _them_"--and when he said _them_ he paused +significantly--"and tie them hand and foot." + +He peeped at the devil out of the corner of his eye and saw that the +devil had turned almost white under his black skin. + +"He is a foolish one!" he thought to himself. + +"Oh, don't do that!" the devil cried. "What have we ever done to you?" + +The farmer pretended to be firm and repeated that that was just what he +was going to do. + +"Please listen to me," the devil begged. "If you promise to let us alone +I tell you what I'll do: I'll bring you such a big bag of gold that it +will make you a rich man." + +At first the farmer, being a shrewd fellow, pretended that he cared +nothing for money. Then gradually he let himself be persuaded and at +last said: + +"Very well. If you bring me the gold within an hour I won't bind you +with bast. But don't keep me waiting or I may change my mind." + +The young devil--oh, you never saw a more stupid young fellow!--scurried +off and, long before the hour was up, he came panting back with a great +big bag of gold. + +"Is that enough?" he asked. + +The farmer who had really never seen so much money in all his life +hemmed and hawed but finally said: + +"Well, it isn't as much as I expected but I'll accept it." + +The young devil, delighted with his bargain, hurried back to hell and +told all his black comrades how grateful they ought to be to him for +saving them from the farmer who was planning to bind them, hand and +foot, with bast. + +When the other devils heard the whole story, they laughed at him loud +and long. + +"You are certainly the stupidest devil in hell!" they said. "Why, that +man has made a fool of you!" + +They discussed the matter among themselves and decided that the devil +would have to get back the bag of gold or the story would leak out and +thereafter the people on earth would have no more respect for devils. + +"Go back to the farmer," they said, "and dare him to a wrestling match. +Tell him that whoever wins the match is to keep the gold." + +So the young devil went back to earth and dared the farmer to a +wrestling match. The farmer, who saw how things were, said: + +"My dear young friend, if I were to wrestle with you I'm afraid I'd hurt +you for I'm awfully strong. I tell you what I'll do: I'll let you +wrestle with my old grandfather. He's ninety-nine years old but even so +he's more nearly in your class." + +The devil agreed to this and the farmer--oh, but that farmer was a sly +one!--led him out into the forest to a cave where a big brown bear lay +asleep. + +"There's my grandfather," the farmer said. "Go wake him up and make him +wrestle." + +The devil shook the bear and said: + +"Wake up, old man! Wake up! We're going to wrestle!" + +The bear opened his little eyes, stood up on his hind legs, and taking +the devil in his arms hugged him until the devil thought his bones would +all be crushed. It was as much as the devil could do to escape with his +life. + +"Oh, my poor ribs! My poor ribs!" he gasped when he was safely back in +hell. "He's a terrible man--that farmer! Why, even his old grandfather +is so strong that I thought he'd squeeze me to death!" + +But when he had told his full story the other devils laughed at him +louder than before and told him that the farmer had again fooled him. + +"You've got to try another match with him," they said. "This time dare +him to a foot race and mind you don't let him fool you." + +So in a day or two when the soreness was gone from his bones the devil +went back to earth and dared the farmer to run a foot race with him. + +"Certainly," the farmer said, "but it's hardly fair to let you run +against me because I go like the wind. I tell you what I'll do: I'll let +you race with my small son. He's only a year old and perhaps you can +beat him." + +The devil--I never knew a more stupid fellow in my life!--agreed to this +and the farmer took him out to a meadow. Under some bushes he showed +him a rabbit's hole. + +"My little boy's asleep in there," he said. "Call him out." + +"Little boy!" the devil called. "Come out and run a race with me!" + +Instantly a rabbit jumped out of the hole and went hoppetylop across the +meadow. The devil tried hard to overtake him but couldn't. He ran on and +on. They came at last to a deep ravine. The rabbit leaped across but the +devil, when he tried to do the same, slipped and fell and went rolling +down over stones and brambles, down, down, down, into a brook. When he +had dragged himself out of the water, bruised and scratched, the rabbit +had disappeared. + +"I've had enough of that farmer," the devil said when he got back to +hell. "Why, do you know, he has a small boy just one year old and I tell +you there isn't one of you can beat that boy running!" + +But the devils when they heard the rest of the story only laughed and +jeered and told their comrade that the farmer had again tricked him. + +"You've got to go back to him another time," they said. "It will never +do for people to get the idea that devils are such fools." + +"But I tell you I won't dare him to another wrestling match," the young +devil said, "nor to a foot race, either." + +"Try whistling this time," his comrades told him. "You ought to be able +to beat him whistling. Now have your wits about you and don't let him +fool you again." + +So the devil went back to earth and said to the farmer: + +"We've got to have another contest for that bag of money. This time +let's try whistling." + +"Very well," the farmer said. "We'll have a whistling match." + +They went off into the forest and the farmer told the devil to whistle +first. + +The devil whistled and all the leaves on the trees shook and trembled. +He whistled again and the twigs began to crackle and break. He whistled +a third time and big branches snapped off and fell to the ground. + +"There!" the devil exclaimed, "Can you beat that?" + +"My poor boy," the farmer said. (Oh, but that farmer was a tricky one!) +"Is that the best you can do? Why, when I whistle, if you don't cover up +your ears you'll be deafened! And as likely as not a tree will fall on +you and kill you! Now shall I begin?" + +"Wait a minute!" the devil begged. "Won't you please tie up my ears +before you begin because I don't want to be deafened." + +This was just what the farmer was hoping the devil would say. So he took +out a big kerchief and put it over the devil's ears and also over his +eyes and tied it behind in a hard knot. + +"Now then!" he shouted. "Take care!" + +With that he began to whistle and as he whistled he picked up a big +branch off the ground and gave the devil an awful crack over the head. + +"My head! My head!" the devil cried. + +"My poor fellow!" the farmer said, pretending to be very sympathetic. "I +hope that tree as it fell down didn't hurt you! Now I'm going to whistle +again and you must be more careful." + +This time when he whistled the farmer struck the devil over the head +harder than before. + +"That's enough!" the devil shouted. "Another tree has fallen on me! +Stop! Stop!" + +"No," the farmer insisted. "You whistled three times and I'm going to +whistle three times. Are you ready?" + +The poor devil had to say: "Yes," and thereupon the farmer began to +whistle and at the same time to beat the devil over his head and +shoulders until the devil supposed that the whole forest was falling on +him. + +"Stop whistling!" he shouted. "Stop or I'll be killed!" + +But the farmer wouldn't stop until he was too exhausted to beat the +devil any longer. + +Then he paused and asked: + +"Shall I whistle some more?" + +"No! No! No!" the devil roared. "Undo the kerchief and let me go and I +swear I'll never come back!" + +So the farmer undid the kerchief and the devil fled, too terrified to +stop even long enough to look around for all those fallen trees. + +He never came back and the farmer was left in undisputed possession of +the gold. + +"I owe all my good fortune to my old grandmother," the farmer used to +say, "for she it was who told me to tie _them_ with bast." + + + + +THE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW + +THE STORY OF A YOUTH WHO COULDN'T FIND WORK + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW + + +Once upon a time there was a youth named Peter. He was the son of a rich +farmer but on his father's death his stepmother robbed him of his +inheritance and drove him out into the world, penniless and destitute. + +"Begone with you now!" she shouted. "Never let me see your face again!" + +"Where shall I go?" Peter asked. + +"Go to the Devil, for all I care!" the stepmother cried and slammed the +door in his face. + +Peter felt very sad at being driven away from the farm that had always +been his home, but he was an able-bodied lad, industrious and energetic, +and he thought he would have no trouble making his way in the world. + +He tramped to the next village and stopped at a big farmhouse. The +farmer was standing at the door, eating a great hunk of buttered bread. + +Peter touched his hat respectfully and said: + +"Let every one praise Lord Jesus!" + +With his mouth stuffed full, the farmer responded: + +"Until the Day of Judgment!" Then in a different tone he demanded: "What +do you want?" + +"I'm looking for work," Peter said. "Do you need a laborer?" + +Peter was well dressed for he had on the last clothes his kind father +had given him. The farmer looked him over and sneered. + +"A fine laborer you would make! You would do good work at meals--I see +that, and spend the rest of your time at cards and teasing the maids! I +know your kind!" + +Peter tried to tell the farmer that he was industrious and steady but +with an oath the farmer told him to go to the Devil. Then stepping +inside the house he slammed the door in Peter's face. + +In the next village he applied for work at the bailiff's house. The +bailiff's wife answered his knock. + +"The master is playing cards with two of his friends," she said. "I'll +go in and ask him if he has anything for you to do." + +Peter heard her speak to some one inside and then a rough voice bellowed +out: + +"No! How often have I told you not to interrupt me when I'm busy! Tell +the fellow to go to the Devil!" + +Without waiting for the bailiff's wife, Peter turned away. Tired and +discouraged he took a path into the woods and sat down. + +"There doesn't seem to be any place for me in all the world," he thought +to himself. "They all tell me to go to the Devil--my stepmother, the +farmer, and now the bailiff. If I knew the way to hell I think I'd take +their advice. I'm sure the Devil would treat me better than they do!" + +Just then a handsome gentleman, dressed in green, walked by. Peter +touched his hat politely and said: + +"Let every one praise Lord Jesus." + +The man passed him without responding. Then he looked back and asked +Peter why he looked so discouraged. + +"I have reason to look discouraged," Peter said. "Everywhere I ask for +work they tell me to go to the Devil. If I knew the way to hell I think +I'd take their advice and go." + +The stranger smiled. + +"But if you saw the Devil, don't you think you'd be afraid of him?" + +Peter shook his head. + +"He can't be any worse than my stepmother, or the farmer, or the +bailiff." + +The man suddenly turned black. + +"Look at me!" he cried. "Here I am, the very person we've been talking +about!" + +With no show of fear Peter looked the Devil up and down. + +Then the Devil said that if Peter still wished to enter his service, he +would take him. The work would be light, the Devil said, and the hours +good, and if Peter did as he was told he would have a pleasant time. The +Devil promised to keep him seven years and at the end of that time to +make him a handsome present and set him free. + +Peter shook hands on the bargain and the Devil, taking him about the +waist, whisked him up into the air, and, pst! before Peter knew what was +happening, they were in hell. + +The Devil gave Peter a leather apron and led him into a room where there +were three big cauldrons. + +"Now it's your duty," the Devil said, "to keep the fires under these +cauldrons always burning. Keep four logs under the first cauldron, eight +logs under the second, and twelve under the third. Be careful never to +let the fires go out. And another thing, Peter: you're never to peep +inside the cauldrons. If you do I'll drive you away without a cent of +wages. Don't forget!" + +So Peter began working for the Devil and the treatment he received was +so much better than that which he had had on earth that, sometimes, it +seemed to him he was in heaven rather than hell. He had plenty of good +food and drink and, as the Devil had promised him, the work was not +heavy. + +For companions he had the young apprentice devils, a merry black crew, +who told droll stories and played amusing pranks. + +Time passed quickly. Peter was faithful at his work and never once +peeped under the lids of his three cauldrons. + +At last he began to grow homesick for the world and one day he asked the +Devil how much longer he had still to serve. + +"Tomorrow," the Devil told him, "your seven years are up." + +The next day while Peter was piling fresh logs under the cauldrons, the +Devil came to him and said: + +"Today, Peter, you are free. You have served me faithfully and well and +I am going to reward you handsomely. Money would be too heavy for you to +carry, so I am going to give you this bag which is a magic bag. +Whenever you open it and say: 'Bag, I need some ducats,' the bag will +always have just as many as you need. Good luck go with you, Peter. +However, I don't believe you'll have a very good time at first for +people will think you're a devil. You know you do look pretty black for +you haven't washed for seven years and you haven't cut your hair or +nails." + +"That's true," said Peter. "I just remember I haven't washed ever since +I've been down here. I certainly must take a bath and get my hair cut +and my nails trimmed." + +The Devil shook his head. + +"No, Peter, one bath won't do it. Water won't wash off the kind of black +you get down here. I know what you must do but I won't tell you just +yet. Go up into the world as you are and, if ever you need me, call me. +If the people up there ask you who you are, tell them you're the Devil's +little brother-in-law. This isn't a joke. It's true as you'll find out +some day." + +Peter then took leave of all the little black apprentices and the Devil, +lifting him on his back, whisked him up to earth and set him down in the +forest on exactly the same spot where they had met seven years before. + +The Devil disappeared and Peter, stuffing the magic bag in his pocket, +walked to the nearest village. + +His appearance created a panic. On sight of him the children ran +screaming home, crying out: + +"The Devil! The Devil is coming!" + +Mothers and fathers ran out of the houses to see what was the matter but +on sight of Peter they ran in again, barred all the doors and windows, +and making the sign of the cross prayed God Almighty to protect them. + +Peter went on to the tavern. The landlord and his wife were standing in +the doorway. As Peter came toward them, they cried out in fright: + +"O Lord, forgive us our sins! The Devil is coming!" + +They tried to run away but they tripped over each other and fell down, +and before they could scramble to their feet Peter stood before them. + +He looked at them for a moment and laughed. Then he went inside the +tavern, sat down, and said: + +"Landlord, bring me a drink!" + +Quaking with fright the landlord went to the cellar and drew a pitcher +of beer. Then he called the little herd who was working in the stable. + +"Yirik," he said to the boy, "take this beer into the house. There's a +man in there waiting for it. He's a little strange looking but you +needn't be afraid. He won't hurt you." + +Yirik took the pitcher of beer and started in. He opened the door and +then, as he caught sight of Peter, he dropped the pitcher and fled. + +The landlord scolded him angrily. + +"What do you mean," he shouted, "not giving the gentleman his beer? And +breaking the pitcher, too! The price of it will be deducted from your +wages! Draw another pitcher of beer and place it at once before the +gentleman." + +Yirik feared Peter but he feared the landlord more. He was an orphan, +poor lad, and served the landlord for his keep and three dollars a year. + +So with trembling fingers he drew a pitcher of beer and then, breathing +a prayer to his patron saint, he slowly dragged himself into the tavern. + +"There, there, boy," Peter called out kindly. "You needn't be afraid. +I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not the Devil. I'm only his little +brother-in-law." + +Yirik took heart and placed the beer in front of Peter. Then he stood +still, not daring to raise his eyes. + +Peter began asking him about himself, who he was, how he came to be +working for the landlord, and what kind of treatment he was receiving. +Yirik stammered out his story and as he talked he forgot his fear, he +forgot that Peter looked like a devil, and presently he was talking to +him freely as one friend to another. + +Peter was touched by the orphan's story and, pulling out his magic money +bag, he filled Yirik's cap with golden ducats. The boy danced about the +room with delight. Then he ran outside and showed the landlord and the +people who had gathered the present which the strange gentleman had made +him. + +"And he says he's not the Devil," Yirik reported, "but only his +brother-in-law." + +When the landlord heard that Peter really hadn't any horns or a flaming +tongue, he picked up courage and going inside he begged Peter to give +him, too, a few golden ducats. But Peter only laughed at him. + +Peter stayed at the tavern overnight. Just as he fell asleep some one +shook his hand and, as he opened his eyes, he saw his old master +standing beside him. + +"Quick!" the Devil whispered. "Get up and hurry out to the shed! The +landlord is about to murder the orphan for his money." + +Peter jumped out of bed and ran outside to the shed where Yirik slept. +He burst open the door just as the landlord was ready to stab the +sleeping boy with a dagger. + +"You sinner!" Peter cried. "I've caught you at last! Off to hell you go +with me this instant to stew forever in boiling oil!" + +The landlord fainted with terror. Peter dragged him senseless into the +house. When he came to himself he fell on his knees before Peter and +begged for mercy. He offered Peter everything he possessed if only Peter +would grant him another chance and he solemnly vowed that he would +repent and give up his evil ways. + +At last Peter said: + +"Very well. I'll give you another chance provided that, from this time +on, you treat Yirik as your son. Be kind to him and send him to school. +The moment you forget your promise and treat him cruelly, I'll come and +carry you off to hell! Remember!" + +There was no need to urge the landlord to remember. From that night he +was a changed man. He became honest in all his dealings and he really +did treat Yirik as though he were his own son. + +Peter stayed on at the tavern and stories about him and his golden +ducats began to spread through the country-side. The prince of the land +heard of him and sent word that he would like to see him at the castle. +Peter answered the prince's messenger that if the prince wished to see +him he could come to the tavern. + +"Who is this prince of yours," Peter asked the landlord, "and why does +he want to see me?" + +"He'd probably like to borrow some money from you," the landlord +said. "He's deep in debt for he has two of the wickedest, most +extravagant daughters in the world. They're the children of his +first marriage. They are proud and haughty and they waste the money +of the realm as though it were so much sand. The people are crying +out against them and their wasteful ways but the prince seems unable +to curb them. The prince has a third daughter, the child of his +second wife. Her name is Angelina and she certainly is as good and +beautiful as an angel. We call her the Princess Linka. There isn't a +man in the country that wouldn't go through fire and water for +her--God bless her! As for the other two--may the Devil take them!" + +Suddenly remembering himself, the landlord clapped his hand to his mouth +in alarm. + +Peter laughed good-humoredly. + +"That's all right, landlord. Don't mind me. As I've told you before I'm +not the Devil. I'm only his little brother-in-law." + +The landlord shook his head. + +"Yes, I know, but I must say it seems much the same to me." + +One afternoon the prince came riding down to the tavern and asked for +Peter. He was horrified at first by Peter's appearance, but he treated +him most politely, invited him to the castle, and ended by begging the +loan of a large sum of money. + +Peter said to the prince: + +"I'll give you as much money as you want provided you let me marry one +of your daughters." + +The prince wasn't prepared for this but he needed money so badly that he +said: + +"H'm, which one of them?" + +"I'm not particular," Peter answered. "Any of them will do." + +When he gave the prince some money in advance, the prince agreed and +Peter promised to come to the castle the next day to meet his bride to +be. + +The prince when he got home told his daughters that he had seen Peter. +They questioned him about Peter's appearance and asked him what sort of +a looking person this brother-in-law of the Devil was. + +"He isn't so very ugly," the prince said, "really he isn't. If he washed +his face and trimmed his hair and nails he'd be fairly good-looking. In +fact I rather like him." + +He then talked to them very seriously about the state of the treasury +and he told them that unless he could raise a large sum of money shortly +there was danger of an uprising among the people. + +"If you, my daughters, wish to see the peace of the country preserved, +if you want to make me happy in my old age, one of you will have to +marry this young man, for I see no other way to raise the money." + +At this the two older princesses tossed their heads scornfully and +laughed loud and long. + +"You may rest assured, dear father, that neither of us will marry such a +creature! We are the daughters of a prince and won't marry beneath us, +no, not even to save the country from ruin!" + +"Then I don't know what I'll do," the prince said. + +"Father," whispered Linka, the youngest. Her voice quavered and her face +turned pale. "Father, if your happiness and the peace of the country +depend on this marriage, I will sacrifice myself, God help me!" + +"My child! My dear child!" the prince cried, taking Linka in his arms +and kissing her tenderly. + +The two elder sisters jeered and ha-ha-ed. + +"Little sister-in-law of the Devil!" they said mockingly. "Now if you +were to marry Prince Lucifer himself that would be something, for at +least you would be a princess! But only to be his sister-in-law--ha! +ha!--what does that amount to?" + +And they laughed with amusement and made nasty evil jokes until poor +little Linka had to put her hands to her ears not to hear them. + +The next day Peter came to the castle. The older sisters when they saw +how black he was were glad enough they had refused to marry him. As for +Linka, the moment she looked at him she fainted dead away. + +When she revived the prince led her over to Peter and gave Peter her +hand. She was trembling violently and her hand was cold as marble. + +"Don't be afraid, little princess," Peter whispered to her gently. "I +know how awful I look. But perhaps I won't always be so ugly. I promise +you, if you marry me, I shall always love you dearly." + +Linka was greatly comforted by the sound of his pleasant voice, but each +time she looked at him she was terrified anew. + +Peter saw this and made his visit short. He handed out to the prince as +much money as he needed and then, after agreeing to return in eight days +for the wedding, he hurried off. + +He went to the place where he had met the Devil the first time and +called him by name with all his might. + +The Devil instantly appeared. + +"What do you want, little brother-in-law?" + +"I want to look like myself again," Peter said. "What good will it do me +to marry a sweet little princess and then have the poor girl faint away +every time she looks at me!" + +"Very well, brother-in-law. If that is how you feel about it, come along +with me and I'll soon make you into a handsome young man." + +Peter leaped on the Devil's back and off they flew over mountains and +forests and distant countries. + +They alighted in a deep forest beside a bubbling spring. + +"Now, little brother-in-law," the Devil said, "wash in this water and +see how handsome you'll soon be." + +Peter threw off his clothes and jumped into the water and when he came +out his skin was as beautiful and fresh as a girl's. He looked at his +own reflection in the spring and it made him so happy that he said to +the Devil: + +"Brother-in-law, I'm more grateful to you for this than for all the +money you've given me. Now my dear Linka will love me!" + +He put his arms about the Devil's neck and off they flew once again. +This time they went to a big city where Peter bought beautiful clothes +and jewels and coaches and horses. He engaged servants in fine livery +and, when he was ready to go to his bride, he had a following that was +worthy of any prince. + +At the castle the Princess Linka paced her chamber pale and trembling. +The two older sisters were with her, laughing heartlessly and making +evil jokes, and running every moment to the window to see if the groom +were coming. + +At last they saw in the distance a long line of shining coaches with +outriders in rich livery. The coaches drew up at the castle gate and +from the first one a handsome youth, arrayed like a prince, alighted. He +hurried into the castle and ran straight upstairs to Linka's chamber. + +At first Linka was afraid to look at him for she supposed he was still +black. But when he took her hand and whispered: "Dear Linka, look at me +now and you won't be frightened," she looked and it seemed to her that +Peter was the very handsomest young man in all the world. She fell in +love with him on sight and I might as well tell you she's been in love +with him ever since. + +The two older sisters stood at the window frozen stiff with envy and +surprise. Suddenly they felt some one clutch them from behind. They +turned in fright and who did they see standing there but the Devil +himself! + +"Don't be afraid, my dear brides," he said. "I'm not a common fellow. +I'm Prince Lucifer himself. So, in becoming my brides you are not losing +rank!" + +Then he turned to Peter and chuckled. + +"You see now, Peter, why you are my brother-in-law. You're marrying one +sister and I'm taking the other two!" + +With that he picked up the two wicked sisters under his arm and _puff!_ +with a whiff of sulphur they all three disappeared through the ceiling. + +The Princess Linka as she clung to her young husband asked a little +fearfully: + +"Peter, do you suppose we'll have to see our brother-in-law often?" + +"Not if you make me a good wife," Peter said. + +And you can understand what a good wife Linka became when I tell you +that never again all her life long did she see the Devil. + + + + +THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON + +THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SITS NEAR THE GOLDEN GATE + +[Illustration] + + + + +THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON + + +There was once a shoemaker who made so little at his trade that his wife +suffered and his children went hungry. In desperation he offered to sell +his soul to a devil. + +"How much do you want for your soul?" the devil asked him. + +"I want work enough to give me a good livelihood," the shoemaker said, +"so that my wife won't suffer nor my children starve." + +The devil agreed to this and the shoemaker put his mark on the contract. +After that trade improved and soon the little shoemaker was happy and +prosperous. + +Now one night it happened that Christ and the blessed St. Peter, who +were walking about on earth, stopped at the little shoemaker's cottage +and asked for a night's lodging. The shoemaker received them most +hospitably. He had his wife cook them a fine supper and after supper he +gave them his own bed to sleep on while he and his wife went to the +garret and slept on straw. + +In the morning he had his wife prepare them a good breakfast and after +breakfast he took them on their way for a mile or two. + +As he was leaving them, St. Peter whispered to Christ: + +"Master, this poor man has given us of his best. Don't you think you +ought to reward him?" + +Christ nodded and, turning to the little shoemaker, he said: + +"For your kindness to us this day I will reward you. Make three wishes +and they will be granted." + +The shoemaker thanked Christ and said: + +"Well then, these are my wishes: first, may whoever sits down on my +cobbler's stool be unable to get up until I permit him; second, may +whoever looks into the window of my cottage have to stand there until I +let him go; and third, may whoever shakes the pear-tree in my garden +stick to the tree until I set him free." + +"Your wishes will be granted," Christ promised. Then he and St. Peter +went on their way and the shoemaker returned to his cottage. + +The years went by and at last one afternoon the devil stood before the +shoemaker and said: + +"Ho, shoemaker, your time has come! Are you ready?" + +"Just let me have a bite of supper first," the shoemaker said. "In the +meantime you sit down here on my stool and rest yourself." + +The devil who had been walking up and down the earth since sunrise was +tired and so was glad enough to sit down. + +After supper the little shoemaker said: + +"Now then, I'm ready. Come on." + +The devil tried to stand up but of course he couldn't. He pulled this +way and that. He stretched, he rolled from side to side until his bones +ached, but all to no avail. He could not get up from the stool. + +"Brother!" he cried in terror, "help me off this cursed stool and I'll +give you seven more years--I swear I will!" + +At that promise the shoemaker allowed the devil to stand up, and the +devil scurried off as fast as he could. + +He was true to his word. He didn't come back for seven years. When he +did come he was too clever to risk sitting down again on the cobbler's +stool. He didn't even venture inside the cottage door. Instead, he stood +at the window and called out: + +"Ho, shoemaker, here I am again! Your time has come! Are you ready?" + +"I'll be ready in a moment," the shoemaker said, "Just let me put a last +stitch in these shoes." + +When the shoemaker had finished sewing the shoes, he put aside his work, +bade his wife good-bye, and said to the devil: + +"Now then, I'm ready. Let us go." + +But the devil when he tried to move away from the window found that he +was held fast. It was as if his feet had been soldered to the earth. In +great fright he cried out: + +"Oh, my dear little shoemaker, help me! I can't move!" + +"What's this trick you're playing on me?" the shoemaker said. "Now I'm +ready to go and you aren't! What do you mean by making a fool of me this +way?" + +"Just help me to get free," the devil cried, "and I'll do anything in +the world for you! I'll give you seven more years! I swear I will!" + +"Very well," the shoemaker said, "then I'll help you this time. But +never again! Now remember: I won't let you make a fool of me a third +time!" + +So the shoemaker freed the devil from the window and the devil without +another word scurried off. + +At the end of another seven years he appeared again. But this time he +was too clever to look in the window. He didn't even come near the +cottage. Instead he stood off in the garden under the pear-tree and +called out: + +"Ho, there, shoemaker! Your time has come and I am here to get you! Are +you ready?" + +"I'll be ready in a moment," the shoemaker said. "Just wait until I put +away my tools. If you feel like it, shake yourself down a nice ripe +pear." + +The devil shook the pear-tree and of course when he tried to stop he +couldn't. He shook until all the pears had fallen. He kept on and +presently he had shaken off all the leaves. + +When the shoemaker came out and saw the tree stripped and bare and the +devil still shaking it, he pretended to fall into a fearful rage. + +"Hi, there, you! What do you mean shaking down all my pears! Stop it! Do +you hear me? Stop it!" + +"But I can't stop it!" the poor devil cried. + +"We'll see about that!" the shoemaker said. + +He ran back into the cottage and got a long leather strap. Then he began +beating the devil unmercifully over his head and shoulders. + +The devil made such an outcry that all the village heard him and came +running to see what was the matter. + +"Help! Help!" the devil cried. "Make the shoemaker stop beating me!" + +But all the people thought the shoemaker was doing just right to punish +the black fellow for shaking down all his pears and they urged the +shoemaker to beat him harder. + +"My poor head! My poor shoulders!" the devil moaned. "If ever I get +loose from this cursed pear-tree I'll never come back here! I swear I +won't!" + +The shoemaker, when he heard this, laughed in his sleeve and let the +devil go. + +The devil was true to his word. He never again returned. So the +shoemaker lived, untroubled, to a ripe old age. + +Just before he died he asked that his cobbler's apron be buried with him +and his sons carried out his wish. + +As soon as he died the little shoemaker trudged up to heaven and knocked +timidly at the golden gate. St. Peter opened the gate a little crack and +peeped out. When he saw the shoemaker he shook his head and said: + +"Little shoemaker, heaven is no place for you. While you were alive you +sold your soul to the ruler of the other place and now you must go +there." + +With that St. Peter shut the golden gate and locked it. + +The little shoemaker sighed and said to himself: + +"Well, I suppose I must go where St. Peter says." + +So he put on a bold front and tramped down to hell. When the devil who +knew him saw him coming, he shouted out to his fellow devils: + +"Brothers, on guard! Here comes that terrible little shoemaker! Lock +every gate! Don't let him in or he'll drive us all out of hell!" + +The devils in great fright scurried about and locked and barred all the +gates, and the little shoemaker when he arrived could not get in. + +He knocked and knocked but no one would answer. + +"They don't seem to want me here," he said to himself. "I suppose I'll +have to try heaven again." + +So he trudged back to St. Peter and explained to him that hell was +locked up tight. + +"No matter," St. Peter said. "As I told you before heaven is no place +for you." + +The little shoemaker, tired and dejected, went back to hell but again +the devils, when they saw him coming, locked every gate and kept him +out. + +In desperation the little shoemaker returned to heaven and pounded +loudly on the golden gate. Thinking from the noise that some very +important saint had arrived, St. Peter flung open the gate. Quick as a +flash the little shoemaker threw his leather apron inside, then hopped +in himself under St. Peter's elbow and squatted down on the apron. + +In great excitement St. Peter tried to turn him out of heaven, but the +little shoemaker shouted: + +"You can't touch me! You can't touch me! I'm sitting on my own property! +Let me alone!" + +He raised such a hubbub that all the angels and the blessed saints came +running to see what was happening. Presently Lord Jesus himself came and +the little shoemaker explained to him how he just had to stay in heaven +as the devils wouldn't let him into hell. + +"Now, Master," St. Peter said, "what am I to do? You know yourself we +can't keep this fellow in heaven." + +But Lord Jesus, looking with pity on the poor little shoemaker, said to +St. Peter: + +"Just let him stay where he is. He won't bother any one sitting here +near the gate." + + + + +STORIES TO TELL + + IT'S PERFECTLY TRUE AND OTHER STORIES. By HANS CHRISTIAN + ANDERSEN. A new translation made from the Danish by Paul + Leyssac. + + THE TREASURE OF LI-PO. By ALICE RITCHIE. Six original fairy + tales of old China told with quiet beauty and real distinction. + + A BAKER'S DOZEN. Selected by MARY GOULD DAVIS. Thirteen stories + which are especially successful in story-telling. + + 13 DANISH TALES. By MARY C. HATCH. Robust, humorous folk tales + retold from J. C. Bay's famous translation. + + MORE DANISH TALES. By MARY C. HATCH. Fifteen lively and amusing + traditional stories. + + CZECHOSLOVAK FAIRY TALES. By PARKER FILLMORE. + + THE WHITE RING. By ENYS TREGARTHEN. Edited by Elizabeth Yates. + "This fairy tale from Cornwall may well turn out to be a classic + ... enhanced by enchanting illustrations."--_New York Times._ + + THE LAUGHING PRINCE. By PARKER FILLMORE. Jugoslav stories. + + THE DANCING KETTLE, AND OTHER JAPANESE FOLK TALES. By YOSHIKO + UCHIDA. A delightful collection of Japanese folk tales. + + TWENTY-FOUR UNUSUAL STORIES. By ANNA COGSWELL TYLER. Mystery + tales, legends, and folklore. + + ROOTABAGA STORIES. By CARL SANDBURG. An omnibus volume + including all the stories originally published in the two books + _Rootabaga Stories_ and _Rootabaga Pigeons_. + + +HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY + +383 Madison Avenue--New York 17, N. Y. + + + * * * * * + + +TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES: + + Punctuation errors corrected without note. + country-side and countryside both used + story-teller and storyteller both used + Page 103, "as" changed to "was" (Smolicheck knew what was happening) + Page 117 Budlinek corrected to Budulinek + Page 185, "hords" changed to "hordes" (hordes of fish and frogs) + Page 194 down corrected to town (lives in the next town.) + Page 220 wornout corrected to worn-out (old worn-out measure) + Page 276, "good-by" changed to "good-bye" for consistency (bade + his wife good-bye) + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Shoemaker's Apron, by Parker Fillmore + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON *** + +***** This file should be named 33002.txt or 33002.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/3/0/0/33002/ + +Produced by Suzanne Shell, Dianne Nolan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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