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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7dbc21 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #66919 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/66919) diff --git a/old/66919-0.txt b/old/66919-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 37ae0bf..0000000 --- a/old/66919-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6215 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fairy tales from far and near, by Katharine -Pyle - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Fairy tales from far and near - -Author: Katharine Pyle - -Release Date: December 10, 2021 [eBook #66919] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Carlos Colon, Chuck Greif, the Library of Congress and the - University of Florida 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.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR *** - - - - - FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR - - By Katherine Pyle - - - THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL - AS THE GOOSE FLIES - NANCY RUTLEDGE - IN THE GREEN FOREST - WONDER TALES RETOLD - TALES OF FOLK AND FAIRIES - TALES OF WONDER AND MAGIC - FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR - - [Illustration: Then the two old Eagles flew away. FRONTISPIECE. - - _See Page 4_] - - - - - FAIRY TALES FROM - FAR AND NEAR - - WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED - - BY - - KATHARINE PYLE - - [Illustration] - - BOSTON - LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY - 1922 - - - _Copyright, 1922_, - BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. - - _All rights reserved_ - - Published September, 1922 - - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -LITTLE SURYA BAI. _A Hindoo Story_ 1 - -THE PRINCES AND THE FRIENDLY ANIMALS. _A Lithuanian Story_ 25 - -GRACIOSA AND PERCINET. _A French Story_ 52 - -THE GIANT’S CLIFF. _An Irish Story_ 97 - -THE STORY OF CONN-EDA. _An Irish Tale_ 112 - -THE BLUE BELT. _A Norse Tale_ 138 - -THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER. _A Korean Story_ 175 - -THE OAT CAKE. _A Scotch Story_ 202 - -THE DREAMER. _An English Story_ 210 - -THE STORY OF HARKA. _An American Indian Tale_ 221 - -SCHIPPEITARO. _A Japanese Story_ 235 - -EROS AND PSYCHE. _A Greek Tale_ 245 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - -Then the two old Eagles flew away _Frontispiece_ - -As fast as she touched them each one -was turned into a stone figure PAGE 43 - -The serpents reared up and opened their -fiery jaws “ 128 - -When she saw the bear she cried aloud -with terror “ 169 - -The king bade her step into the flower. -She did so, and at once the leaves -closed about her “ 193 - -As soon as he saw the oat cake he was -wide awake again in a moment “ 209 - -When he reached the farther shore, he -turned and looked back “ 232 - -Soon she came to the river and saw the -boat lying there “ 270 - - - - -FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR - - - - -LITTLE SURYA BAI - -A HINDOO STORY - - -There was once a poor peasant woman who sold milk. Every day she filled -her cans with milk and went to a near-by town and sold it, returning -with her cans empty. - -One day, when she set out she took her little baby daughter with her. In -each hand the mother carried a milk can, and the baby held to her skirt -and walked close beside her. - -Suddenly two great eagles appeared, wheeling about in the sky, and one -of them dropped down and seized the child and flew away with it; the -other eagle, which was its mate, followed it. - -The woman cried aloud and dropped her milk cans, and ran along after the -eagles, but they quickly disappeared in the distance. The woman beat -upon her breast and wailed bitterly, but nothing she could say or do -could bring her child back to her. - -The eagle flew on and on with the baby until they reached the tree where -they lived. There the father eagle, who had carried her, laid her gently -on the grass. - -He and his mate were so delighted with the child and her pretty ways -that they determined to keep her. - -They built a house for her high in the top of the tree. The house was -made of iron, and was very strong, and it had seven iron doors and there -was a key for each one of them so it could be locked. In this house the -little girl lived with a little dog and cat the eagles had brought her -for company. - -The eagles loved the child dearly and named her Surya Bai, which means -Sun Lady. They brought her food and beautiful clothes,--clothes such as -princesses wear, and magnificent jewels. Each day, after they had set -forth, Surya Bai locked the doors so she would be safe. Then she played -about the house with the little dog and cat and was well contented. In -the evening, when the eagles came home, they would knock, and Surya Bai -would unlock the seven doors, one after another, and let them in. Always -they brought her some pretty present. - -One day the mother eagle said, “Our Surya Bai has now everything she -needs except a diamond ring to wear upon her finger. It makes me sad -that she should not have a diamond ring.” - -“Yes,” replied the father eagle, “she ought to have one, and I will go -out and find one for her.” - -“But an ordinary diamond ring will not do,” said his mate. “Once, far -away, upon the borders of the Red Sea, I saw a princess walking, and on -her finger she wore a ring so bright and dazzling it was like the sun in -splendor. It is such a ring as that that I wish to give to our Sun -Lady.” - -“In that case we will fly away to the Red Sea and get one for her,” said -the father eagle. - -So the two birds arranged to set out the next day, and as it would take -a long time to make the journey, they brought to Surya Bai enough food -to last for six months. They then cautioned her not to open the door to -any one while they were gone, and not to leave the house for any reason -whatever, and to keep the fire always burning on the hearthstone. Then -the two old eagles flew away, and they were sad to leave her. - -Now after they had gone, Surya Bai went about the house and set it in -order. Every day she cooked food for herself and the little dog and cat, -and fed them, and she played with them, and they were very happy -together. Then one day, when she was cooking dinner, the little cat -crept close to her, and while Surya Bai was not looking stole the very -choicest bits of the dinner and ate them up very quickly. - -When Surya Bai turned round and saw what the cat had done, she was very -angry. “Now I shall punish you because you are a thief,” she said. - -She took a little switch and beat the cat with it. That made the cat -very angry, and it ran over to the hearth and upset the pot of water -over the fire and put it out. Then Surya Bai did not know what to do. -She had now no way to cook the food for herself and the little dog and -cat, and as they could not eat it raw, for three days they went hungry. - -At the end of that time Surya Bai made up her mind to go out and try to -get some fire some place. She said to the dog and cat, “If the eagles -could know how hungry we are, I am sure they would be willing for me to -go.” - -“Yes,” said the little cat, “but you must not go too far, for just -beyond here is the Rakshas’ country; and if you go there, some Rakshas -may catch you and never let you come back.” - -“What is a Rakshas?” asked Surya Bai. - -Now Rakshas are demons and very dangerous, but the cat would not tell -Surya Bai that, because she thought if Surya Bai knew about them she -would be afraid to go for the fire. So she said, “I cannot tell you what -they are,” and then she sat down in a corner and washed her fur and -would not answer any more questions. - -“At any rate, we must have the fire,” said Surya Bai. So she unlocked -the seven doors, one after another, and climbed down from the tree and -set out on her journey. - -She went on and on for a long way and then, without knowing it, she -really did come into the country of the Rakshas. There she saw a house, -and in it was an old, old woman, bending over a fire. She was so old -that her nose and chin almost met, and so crooked she was like a bent -stick. Her gray hair fell over her eyes in a mat, and her teeth were -long and yellow, and she was a Rakshas. - -When she saw the maiden, she asked her who she was, and where she had -come from, and what was her errand. - -Surya Bai told her she came from a little house that had been built for -her by a pair of eagles in a tree top far away. She told her the eagles -were away from home, for they had gone to fetch her a diamond ring from -far away and had left her with only a little dog and cat for companions. -“And now the cat has put out the fire,” said she, “and I have no way to -cook the food. We are very hungry, so give me, I beg of you, a little of -your fire to carry home with me.” - -Now the old woman Rakshas had a son who was very strong and terrible, -but he was away from home on some business. “What a pity he is not -here,” thought the old woman. “This pretty little girl would make a fine -morsel for him. I will try to keep her until he returns, so that he may -have her for his supper.” - -So she made her voice as soft and friendly as she could, and said, “You -may have the fire and welcome, but pound this rice for me before you go, -for my arms are too weak and old for pounding. After that you shall have -the fire.” - -Surya Bai was very obliging. She pounded the rice and pounded and -pounded, but still the young Rakshas did not come, and presently she had -finished. - -“Now give me the fire,” said the maiden. - -But the old woman still wished to keep her. “I have no daughter to help -me,” said she. “Grind this corn for me, I beg of you, and then I will -give you the fire.” - -Surya Bai ground the corn, but still the Rakshas had not come. - -“I have pounded the rice and ground the corn; now give me the fire that -I may be gone,” said the maiden. - -But still the old woman detained her. “Why should you be in such a -hurry? Just fetch me some water from the well, and then you shall have -the fire.” - -Surya Bai went to the well and fetched the old woman the water. Still -the Rakshas had not returned. - -“I have served you willingly,” said the maiden, “and now I must be gone, -and if you will not give me the fire, I must seek it elsewhere.” - -Then the old woman knew she could keep Surya Bai no longer. “You may -have the fire,” said she, “and you are more than welcome to it. I will -also give you a bag of corn, and as you go you can strew it along, so as -to make a little golden pathway between your house and mine.” - -This the old woman said because she thought if the girl left a trail -behind her, the Rakshas could follow her to where she lived and catch -her there. - -But Surya Bai had no fear of evil, for she had always been treated -kindly. She thought the old Rakshas was a very friendly old woman. - -She took the fire and the corn also, and as she went home she scattered -the corn along the way. - -When the girl reached the tree where the house was, she climbed up and -went inside, shutting and locking the seven iron doors behind her, one -after the other. She cooked the meal and fed the dog and fed the cat, -and then as she was very tired, she lay down and fell fast asleep. - -Now very soon after she left the Rakshas’ house, the young Rakshas came -home, and he was very fierce and terrible to look at. At once his mother -began to scold at him. - -“Why are you so late?” she cried. “A young maiden has been here, a fine -and dainty morsel, all pink and white, and as tender as a bird, and you -might have had her for your supper if only you had returned earlier, in -time to catch her.” - -When the Rakshas heard this, his eyes grew red as fire, and he gnashed -his teeth together with rage. - -“Which way did she go?” he bellowed. “Which way did she go? I’ll follow -her and catch her however far she’s gone.” - -“You’ll have no trouble finding the way,” replied his mother, “for I -gave her corn to scatter as she went along, so as to make a pathway. -Just follow the corn, and you’ll soon find her.” - -At once the Rakshas set off. So fast he went that the ground was burned -up beneath him. It did not take him long to reach the little house in -the tree top, but Surya Bai was safely inside, and all the seven iron -doors were locked behind her. - -The Rakshas beat on the door and called to her to come and open. “I am -your father, the eagle, returned from his journey,” he called to her. -“Open quickly, dear child, that I may put the diamond ring upon your -pretty finger.” - -But Surya Bai did not open the door or answer, for she was fast asleep -and the little cat and dog were asleep also. - -The Rakshas began to tear at the iron door, but he could not stir it, -and all he did was to break off one of his long brown nails, and then -off he went, howling horribly, and leaving the nail still sticking in -the crack of the door. - -A little while after he had gone, the cat awoke and wakened Surya Bai. -“Surya Bai,” mewed the cat, “I dreamed the eagles had returned and were -calling at the door for you to open it. You had better go and see if -they are there.” - -Surya Bai at once arose and took the keys and opened the doors, one -after another, and when she opened the seventh door, the Rakshas’ nail -that he had broken off ran into her hand, so that she fell down as -though she were dead; for the fingernail of a Rakshas is very poisonous. - -Not long after that the eagles came home, and there they saw the doors -all open and little Surya Bai lying on the threshold, seemingly dead. -Then they were very sorrowful. They put the diamond ring upon her -finger, and after that they flew away, uttering loud cries, and were -never seen again; but the cat and the dog stayed beside her and mourned -over her. - -Now the very next day a handsome young Rajah[1] came by that way, -hunting, and stopped under the very tree where the house was. He -happened to look up, and there, high above him in the tree top, he saw -something dark and large, and he could not tell what it was. So he bade -one of his attendants climb up and see. - -[1] King. - -The man climbed up as the Rajah bade him, and presently he came sliding -down again, and he told his master that what he saw up there was a -curious little house made of iron. The man told him the house had iron -doors, but they were all open, and on the threshold of the first of the -doors lay a lovely maiden. She lay there seemingly dead, but so -beautiful he had never seen anything like her, and beside her sat a -little cat and dog mourning for her. - -When the Rajah heard this, he became very curious to see the maiden, and -he bade some of his people climb up and bring her down to where he was. - -This they did, and the little cat and dog came with them. No sooner had -the young Rajah seen the maiden than he fell violently in love with her -because of her beauty, and he felt he could not live unless he could -awaken her to life and have her for a wife. She did not look to him as -though she were really dead, for her cheeks and lips had kept their -color, and when he lifted her hand, it was soft and warm in his fingers. -Then he saw something long and dark, that looked like a thorn, sticking -in her hand. This was the Rakshas’ nail. - -The Rajah drew it out very slowly and carefully, so as not to hurt her, -and no sooner had he withdrawn it than life came back to the maiden, and -she opened her eyes and breathed again. - -When the Rajah saw the change that had come over her he was filled with -joy, and he told her who he was and what had happened, and he asked her -whether she would come back to his palace with him and be his Ranee.[2] - -[2] Queen. - -To this Surya Bai willingly agreed, for he was so handsome and kind -looking that she loved him the moment she saw him. So Surya Bai went -home with the young Rajah, and they were married with great magnificence -and rejoicing, and every one loved the young Ranee for her gentleness. -Only the Rajah’s mother hated her. She was very angry that her son -should have married a girl who had a pair of eagles for parents, and who -had lived in an iron hut in the forest. She also envied Surya Bai -because the Rajah had given her all the most magnificent jewels in the -palace. Nothing was too good for the little new Ranee. - -“This girl has bewitched him,” the mother said to herself, “but if she -were only gone and out of his sight, he would soon forget her.” So she -was always plotting and planning to get rid of the young Ranee. - -Now there was an old woman about the palace, and she was very wise. She -said to Surya Bai, “Do not trust the old Ranee. She is certainly -planning some evil against you. I know her. She is jealous of you and so -wicked that she would stop at nothing.” - -But Surya Bai would not listen to her. She was so good and gentle that -she could not believe evil of any one. - -One day Surya Bai and the Rajah’s mother were walking in the gardens, -and the old woman was with them, for she was one of Surya Bai’s favorite -attendants. - -Then the old Ranee said to the young Ranee, “Your jewels are very -beautiful and fine. Even when I was a young Ranee my husband never gave -me such beautiful jewels as those you have. Let me put them on just for -a short time, I beg of you, that I also may know how it feels to be as -magnificent as you are.” - -Then the old woman whispered in the girl’s ear, “Do not lend her your -jewels. I know she is planning some evil against you.” - -But Surya Bai would not listen to her. She took off her jewels, all of -them, and helped the old Ranee to put them on. She put the bracelets on -the old Ranee’s arms, and the necklaces on her neck, and the earrings in -her ears,--all her jewels she lent to the old Ranee. She hung them about -her until she shone like the sun with the splendor of them all. - -When this was done the Rajah’s mother bade the old woman go back to the -palace for a hand mirror that she might look at herself and see how fine -she was now that she was dressed in all those jewels. - -The old woman did not want to go, but she was obliged to. - -When the old Ranee was alone with Surya Bai, she said to her, “Come, -Surya Bai, let us go over to the bathing tank while we wait for the -mirror, that I may look at myself in the water.” - -Still thinking no evil, Surya Bai went with her. - -Now the bathing tank was very deep; it was only for people to swim in. -When they came near the edge, the old Ranee leaned over and Surya Bai -leaned over, too, to look in the water. Then the old Ranee gave her a -push so that she fell in and sank out of sight below the waters. - -The wicked old Ranee waited for awhile, and then, as she saw nothing -more of Surya Bai, she was satisfied that the girl was drowned, and she -hurried back to her chamber and hid all the jewels. - -That night the Rajah could not find Surya Bai anywhere. No one knew what -had become of her. The Rajah was like one distracted. He hunted for her -everywhere. - -Then his mother said to him, “I saw her walking in the garden this -morning with that old woman. If any harm has come to her, it is because -of that wretch; I feel sure of it.” - -The Rajah at once sent for the old woman and questioned her, but she -could tell him nothing about the young Ranee, for she had not seen her -after she left her there in the garden with the Rajah’s mother. The old -Ranee managed to make the Rajah feel very suspicious of the old woman, -so he had her thrown into prison, and she lay there, very miserable. - -But Surya Bai had not been altogether drowned when she sank down into -the tank. Instead she had changed into a beautiful golden flower that -rose up and up through the waters until it reached the air. - -The next time the Rajah came to the gardens he saw something shining -over in the bathing tank, and when he went nearer he found a beautiful -golden flower growing up out of the water. Then at once he became quite -happy. The flower made him think of little Surya Bai, and a load seemed -lifted from his heart. Now every day he went out to the tank and spent -long hours looking at the flower, and he talked to it as though it could -hear him, and it never changed or withered. - -But soon the old Ranee became very anxious. “This flower certainly has -something to do with Surya Bai. There is some magic about it,” she said -to herself. - -So one night she took several men with her and went secretly out to -where the flower was blooming, and made the men cut it down and take it -away into the jungle and burn it. - -The next morning, when the Rajah went to the garden to visit the flower, -he found it was gone. Then he was very unhappy, and he questioned the -keepers of the garden, but they could tell him nothing about it. - -But even when the flower was burned, that was not the end of the young -Ranee. - -The wind caught up the ashes of the flower and blew them back into the -garden, and they fell close beside the wall. From these ashes grew up a -mango tree. It grew and grew until its top was higher than the garden -walls and could be seen from the road outside the garden. Then upon the -very topmost bough there bloomed a flower. In due time the petals of the -flower fell, and the mango fruit was seen. The fruit grew larger and -larger. Every day it grew, and it shone with a rosy light as though -there were a flame within it, and every day the Rajah came and looked at -it, and when he looked he was happy, just as he had been when he looked -at the golden flower. - -The fruit was almost ripe, but no one was allowed to touch it, for it -was to be for the Rajah alone. - -Now one day the old milk woman who was Surya Bai’s mother was going home -with her empty milk cans, and she sat down to rest outside the wall of -the Rajah’s garden. She sat near where the mango tree was growing, but -it was inside the garden and she was outside. Then the mango bent its -top and leaned farther and farther across the wall, and, quite suddenly, -the great, rosy mango fell down and into the empty milk can of Surya -Bai’s mother. - -The old woman was terrified. She thought, “If any one should see this -mango in my milk can, they would think I was a thief and had stolen it, -and I would be punished.” So she caught up her can and hurried home with -it. Then she put it in the corner and heaped up ever so many other -empty milk cans on top of it. - -She said nothing about what had happened until that evening, when she -and her husband and her eldest son were alone together and the other -children were in bed, for she had a large family. Then she told them the -whole story,--she told how she had sat down to rest in the shade of the -wall, and how the mango had fallen into her milk can, and how she had -brought it home and had put the can in the corner under all the other -milk cans. - -“And now do you go and fetch the mango,” said she to her husband, “and -we will cut it and have a fine feast.” - -The husband went out to where the milk cans had been heaped up and began -lifting them down, one after another, until he had come to the last one. -Then he gave a great cry. - -“You told me a mango was in the milk can,” he cried to his wife, “but -here is something very different.” - -The woman came running and looked into the can, and there was a tiny -lady very magnificently dressed, like a Ranee, and when she stepped out -from the can she was so beautiful that the whole room shone as though -there were a star in it. - -The old man and woman could hardly believe their eyes. They were -frightened, and yet they were delighted. - -The old woman said, “Now I am happy again as I have never been happy -since the eagles flew away with my little baby daughter.” - -When she said that, the small Ranee looked at her wonderingly, but she -said nothing, for it seemed she could not speak. - -After that the beautiful stranger lived there in the house with the old -man and woman, and every day she grew so fast that at the end of a month -she was as tall as an ordinary woman, but still she could not speak. - -It was not long before people knew that a most beautiful lady dressed -like a Ranee was living with the old peasants. The news came even to the -palace, so the Rajah heard about it, and he began to wonder whether it -were possible this beautiful lady could be his lost Ranee. One day he -set out with only his faithful councilor for company, and went to the -house of the old peasants and knocked on the door. - -The old woman who was Surya Bai’s mother looked out of the window, and -when she saw the Rajah there, she was very much frightened. She took -Surya Bai and hid her behind a heap of milk cans, for she feared if the -Rajah saw the girl he might begin to ask questions and find how the -mango had dropped into the can. - -After the girl was hidden, the old woman opened the door. - -“I wish to see the stranger who is living here with you, and who is so -beautiful, and is dressed like a Ranee,” said the Rajah. - -“I do not know what you mean,” cried the old woman. “No one lives here -but me and my husband and children.” - -(This was true, only the old woman did not know it.) - -The Rajah questioned her, but she would make no other answer, and when -he went through the house, he could see no one except the woman’s -husband, who was very much frightened, and the children she had spoken -of. - -Then the young Rajah went away, very sorrowful, but still he could not -help wondering whether the peasant had deceived him. So he sent for the -old woman who had been Surya Bai’s companion, and who was in prison. - -“I wish you to go to such and such a place,” said he, “and make friends -with the peasant woman who lives there. Then, after you are friends, -find out, if you can, whether a stranger has been living with her, and -if so, who she is.” - -The old attendant did as the Rajah bade her. It did not take long for -her to make friends with the peasant woman, and one day the old peasant -allowed her to see the strange lady who was living with her. - -At once the attendant knew the stranger to be the lost Ranee, and she -fell down and kissed her feet, and wept over her. - -Then she told the old peasant the whole story. She told her of how Surya -Bai had lived with the eagles, and how the Rajah had found her and made -her his wife, and how she had then disappeared, and how the Rajah had -mourned for her and sought her. - -When the old peasant heard this story, she was filled with wonder and -with joy, for she knew then that Surya Bai was no other than the little -daughter who had been carried away by the eagles. - -She could now no longer refuse to let the Rajah see Surya Bai, and he -was sent for. When he came and saw his dear wife as well and as -beautiful as ever, he could hardly contain himself for happiness. He -took her in his arms, and wept over her and kissed her, and no sooner -had he kissed her than her powers of speech came back, and she was no -longer dumb. - -Then she told him the story of what had happened to her, and of how she -had been pushed into the tank, and how she had come to be where she was. - -The Rajah was very angry. He took Surya Bai back to the palace with him, -and the wicked old Ranee was shut up in a tower where she was very -miserable all the rest of her life, but the peasants and their children -were raised to great wealth and honor, and Surya Bai and the Rajah lived -happy forever after. - - - - -THE PRINCES AND THE FRIENDLY ANIMALS - -A LITHUANIAN STORY - - -There was once a King who had three sons, and he had also a -stepdaughter. They all lived together in peace and happiness and had -everything their hearts could desire. But after a time an enemy of the -King came against him with a great army, and slew him, and took the -kingdom and drove forth the Princes into the world, and their stepsister -with them. - -The three and the one journeyed on and on together until they came to a -deep forest, and there they saw a mother bear, and her three cubs were -with her. - -The eldest Prince was about to shoot at her, but the bear cried out, “Do -not shoot, Prince, and I will give you my three cubs for servants, one -for you, and one for each of your brothers.” - -To this the Prince agreed. He let the bear go away unharmed, and the -three cubs followed after the three Princes, each one behind his own -master. - -After they had gone a bit farther into the forest, they saw a lioness, -and she also had three young ones with her. - -Now it was the second Prince who was about to shoot, but the lioness -called to him, “Do not slay me, Prince, and I will give my three cubs to -you and your brothers, one to each of you.” - -Thereupon the Prince allowed her to go unharmed and the three young -lions followed after the Princes with the bear cubs. - -Soon after that they saw a mother fox, and three little ones were with -her. This time it was the youngest Prince who would have shot, but the -fox called to him, imploring him to spare her life and offering instead -her three young ones to the Princes. - -She too was allowed to escape, and now each Prince had a young fox, a -young lion and a young bear to follow him. - -After that the Princes met a hare and a boar, and these animals were -also allowed to go unharmed because they each gave a young one to each -one of the Princes to follow after and serve him. - -And now the Princes came to a place where the road divided. - -“I,” said the youngest, “shall take the road toward the East, where the -sun rises each morning.” - -“And I,” said the second, “shall journey toward the West, where it is -golden at sunset.” - -But the eldest Prince would take neither of these roads. “My way shall -be neither toward the East nor toward the West,” said he, “but straight -ahead, and when I come to a place to dwell in, there will I stop.” - -The three brothers then asked their stepsister which of them she would -follow, and she said she would go with the eldest Prince, for she too -wished nothing better than a place to dwell in, where she could live in -peace and safety. - -So the three brothers parted, but first the eldest Prince cut three -notches in a tree that stood at the parting of the ways. He cut one at -the East, and one at the West, and one in the center between them, one -for each of his brothers, and one for himself. - -He told them the notch to the East was for the youngest brother, the -notch to the West was for the second brother, and the one in the center -belonged to himself. - -“When any one of us returns to this spot,” said he, “let him place his -finger first upon one notch, and then upon the other. If milk flows -forth from the notch, then all is well with the one to whom it belongs, -but if blood flows forth, then it means death or misfortune to that -one.” - -After that they bade each other farewell and set forth, each on his own -way, and each with his animals following after him, and the stepsister -went with the eldest brother, as she had chosen. - -For a long time the eldest Prince and his sister journeyed on without -seeing any one, but toward evening they came to a house and there was a -red light shining out from the window. When they looked inside they saw -a band of robbers sitting there, counting the gold they had taken from -the people they had killed. - -The stepsister was so frightened that her teeth chattered in her head, -and she was for going farther, but the Prince said no. “Hither we have -come, and here we shall stop,” said he. - -Then he called his animals to him and threw open the door of the house. - -When the robbers saw him, they started up and seized their weapons to -slay him, but they had no time, for the faithful animals flew at them -and tore them almost to pieces, so that they were dead, all except one; -and he lay there with the others as though he had been killed also. - -Then the Prince threw them down into the cellar and locked the door, and -he and his stepsister got out food and drink and feasted to their -hearts’ content, and the animals feasted also. - -The next morning the Prince went out hunting and he told his stepsister -she might go all over the house and look at everything in it; only into -the cellar she must not look, for there the robbers were lying, and that -door must remain fastened. - -After he had gone, the girl went about through the house and looked at -everything. After she had seen all there was to be seen in the house, -she began to think about the cellar, and more and more she wished to -open the door and look at the robbers lying there. - -At last she could resist no longer. She unfastened the door and looked -down into the cellar. As soon as she did so, the robber who was only -wounded lifted his head and spoke to her. - -The girl was terribly frightened, and was for shutting the door at once, -but the robber called to her so piteously that she could but stay and -listen to him. - -“Do not fear me,” cried the robber. “Even if I desired it, I am too weak -to harm you, but I wish you only good.” - -The robber then told her that if she would do as he said, he would soon -be well and strong again. Then they would rid themselves of her brother -and would be married, and the house and all the wealth that had been -gathered would belong to their own two selves alone, and they would be -very happy together. - -The girl listened; and the longer she listened, the more the plan of the -robber pleased her. She asked him what she must do to heal him. - -“You must go into the kitchen and look in the cupboard,” said the -robber. “There you will find three flasks. Make haste and bring them -here. In the first is an ointment. Rub it upon my wounds, and at once -they will heal themselves. Hold the second flask to my lips, and all -pain will leave me. Give me to drink from the third, and I will be -perfectly well again and stronger than ever.” - -The girl did as the robber told her, and all happened as he had said. -Then, after his wounds were healed and he was well again, he and the -girl consulted as to how they could get rid of her brother. - -“This is how it can be managed,” said the robber. “You shall ask your -brother how strong he is, and then, as a test of his strength you shall -say you will tie his thumbs behind him with a cord, and he shall try if -he can break it. If he cannot break it, then he will be helpless, and -you must call to me, and I will come and slay him.” - -This plan pleased the girl, and at once she agreed to it. - -That evening, when her brother came home, they sat at the table and ate -and drank together, but the animals were left outside in the courtyard -with the door locked and barred against them. - -After supper, the stepsister began to talk to her brother and to -question him as to how strong he was. - -“I am so strong,” replied the Prince, “that there are few bonds that -could hold me.” - -“Suppose, I were to tie your thumbs together behind your back with a -silken cord, could you break it?” asked the sister. - -The Prince bade her try, and he put his hands behind him, and she tied -his thumbs together with a silken cord the robber had given her. But no -sooner did the Prince strain with his thumbs against the cord than it -snapped in two and dropped from him. - -“Sister, you must bind me with something stouter than the cord if you -would hold me,” said the brother. - -The next day the Prince went hunting again, and as soon as he had gone, -the girl went down to the cellar to talk to the robber. “You must give -me something stronger than that to bind him with,” said the stepsister. -“He broke the cord as though it were no more than a spider’s web.” - -The robber gave her a cord twice as strong. - -“Now see if that will hold him,” said he. - -When the Prince came home that evening and he and the girl sat together -at supper, she again began to talk of his strength. - -“Here is a cord that is twice as strong as the other. If I tied your -thumbs together behind your back, could you break this also?” she asked -of him. - -The brother told her to try. She tied his thumbs together as before with -the second cord the robber had given her, but he snapped this also in -two the moment he strained against it. - -“Sister, you will need a stronger cord than that if you would hold me,” -said he. - -The next day, as soon as the brother had left the house, the stepsister -hastened down to talk again with the robber. - -“It is of no use,” said she. “He snaps the cords as easily as though -there were nothing to them. To-night I will tie his thumbs together with -my girdle, and if he can break that, as he did the cords, then there is -nothing that will hold him.” - -To this the robber agreed, so the next day, when the Prince came home, -the girl asked him to let her once more tie his thumbs behind his back. -“And this time,” said she, “I will tie them with my girdle.” - -The lad put his hands behind him and the girl tied the thumbs together -with her girdle. And now, though the Prince strained against it with all -his power, he could not break it. - -“Sister,” said he, laughing. “You will have to untie it, for now indeed -I am held prisoner.” - -“Then it is as I would have it,” cried the girl, and she threw open the -cellar door and called to the robber to come forth and slay him. - -No sooner did the Prince see the robber than he knew the trick that had -been played against him. - -“I am indeed helpless,” said he, “and if I must die, I must. But one -little favor I would ask of you before I perish. Give me leave to blow -three blasts upon my hunting-horn, and I will ask nothing else of you.” - -That seemed a harmless favor for the Prince to ask, and neither the -robber nor the girl refused him. Still they would not untie the girdle. -The stepsister held the horn to his mouth, and the Prince blew upon it -so strong and loud that the girl and the robber were like to have been -deafened by it. Three times he blew. The first blast woke the animals -where they lay sleeping, and they raised their heads and listened. At -the second blast they aroused themselves and gathered at the door of the -house; and at the third blast they threw themselves against the door so -that locks and bars were broken, and the wood itself was splintered. -Then in a moment they rushed into the room and sprang upon the robber -and tore him into shreds. - -They would have torn the stepsister to pieces, too, but this the Prince -would not permit. “I will not kill you,” said he to the girl, “but you -shall be punished.” - -He then took a chain and fastened it around her waist and to a staple in -the wall. He placed food and drink within reach and an empty bowl before -her. “When you have filled this bowl full of tears of repentance, the -chain will drop from you,” he said, “and you will be free; but until -that time you shall remain a prisoner.” - -He then went away and left her, and the animals followed at his heels. - -He went on and on until he came to another country, and there he stopped -at an inn for food and rest. But there was little feasting at the inn, -or resting either. Every one was weeping and lamenting. The food had -burned on the fire, and the malt had all run out of the barrels and was -wasted. - -The Prince called to the landlord and asked him the cause of all this -sorrow. - -“A sad and grievous cause, indeed,” replied the landlord. “This day the -King’s daughter is to be sacrificed to a mighty dragon that is to come -up out of the water. She must be left on the seashore over beyond the -cliffs you see yonder, for him to devour her; and unless this is done, -the dragon will ravage the whole country.” - -“But is there no one strong enough and brave enough to destroy this -dragon?” asked the Prince. - -“There is no one. Many have come hither to try it, for the King has -promised that if any one will do battle with the dragon and destroy him, -he shall have the hand of the Princess in marriage, and she is so -beautiful, that any man might well risk death to gain her. But every one -who has seen the dragon as he lies out in the sea has been so filled -with terror that he has fled away. Not one has stayed even to look upon -him twice.” - -When the Prince heard this he made up his mind that he would at least -have a look at the dragon, so he asked the landlord how he must go to -reach the place where the monster lay. As soon as he had been told, off -he set in that direction, and the animals were not far behind him. - -It did not take him long to reach the seashore and when he looked off -across the water he could see the dragon lying there. He was so long -that his back looked like an island, and from his nostrils rose up -streams of smoke that were full of fiery cinders. - -The Prince hid himself behind a heap of rocks and lay there watching, -and presently he heard a great noise. It was made by a procession of -people who were bringing the Princess down to the seashore. She was very -beautiful, but so sad looking that the Prince’s heart melted within him -for pity of her. - -They brought her to the seashore and left her there, and every one went -away except two nobles of the Court. One of them was driving the coach -that brought the Princess, and the other one sat beside him as footman. -They were to wait until all was over, and then they were to take the -news back to the King, but they kept the coach high up on top of the -cliff where they would be out of danger. - -The Prince waited until all the others had left her, and then he came -out from behind the rocks and went to speak to the Princess; but when -she saw him she was frightened, for she did not know who he was nor -whence he came. - -“Do not fear me,” the Prince said to her. “I mean you no harm, but -instead I have come hither to do battle with the dragon, and if it may -be, to save you.” - -When the Princess heard this, she begged and implored him to leave her. -“Why should you perish also? None can ever do battle with yonder monster -and come out alive.” - -But the Prince would not listen to her. - -And now the dragon bestirred itself and turned and came slowly toward -the shore, and as it came they could smell the smoke of its breathing. - -The Prince drew his sword and stood waiting for it. Then as it came -still nearer, the fox sprang out on a rock, dipped his tail in the salty -water and slashed it across the eyes of the monster so that it was -almost blinded. The lion and the bear also splashed up the water; the -boar ripped at the dragon with his sharp tusks; the hare sprang upon its -head and struck with its paws; and the Prince drew his sword and plunged -it into the monster’s heart, so that the life blood ran out from it into -the sea, and it was dead. - -Then he went to the Princess, and they kissed each other on the lips, -and she gave him the half of her handkerchief and the half of her ring -to show that they were true lovers. He also took the tongue and the ears -of the dragon, and then they went back to the coach where it was waiting -on the cliff, and the Princess bade the nobleman drive them to the -palace of the King, that she and the Prince might be married as her -father had promised. - -But on the way, the two noblemen talked together. - -“Why should we drive this stranger to the palace?” said they. “No one -knows who he is or whence he comes. Let us slay him, and then we will -draw lots as to which of us shall claim the Princess.” - -So that was what they did. They made the Prince step down from the coach -and slew him, and they made the Princess swear that she would tell no -one that it was not they who had killed the dragon. Then they drew lots -as to which should marry her, and the lot fell to the coachman. - -But after they had driven on and left the Prince lying there, the -faithful animals did not desert him. They stayed beside him and mourned -over him, and the lion licked his face and hands, but it could not -revive him. - -Then the fox, which was very clever, reminded the animals of the flasks -of ointment and healing water in the robbers’ house. - -The hare, which was very swift, said it would go and fetch the flasks, -and it sped away to get them. - -Now the stepsister had wept the bowl full of tears of repentance and -was free again; and when the hare came to the door and told her what it -wanted, she gladly gave it the flasks and hung them about its neck in a -little wicker basket. - -Then the hare fled back again to where the animals were waiting beside -the Prince. With its tusks the boar broke the flask that held the -ointment, and the bear rubbed it on the Prince’s wounds so that they -were healed. Then they poured some drops from the second bottle between -his lips, and the color came back to his cheeks and the light to his -eyes. When they gave him to drink from the third bottle, he became quite -well again and stronger than ever. - -After that he rose and set out to follow the Princess. But the way was -long, and before he reached the palace, night overtook him, and he had -no place to sleep. He was about to make a bed among the grasses when he -saw, not far in front of him, the light of a fire. He went on toward it, -and as he came nearer, he saw an old, old woman standing beside it and - -[Illustration: As fast as she touched them each one was turned into a -stone figure. _Page 43_] - -cooking her supper in a pot. She was so old that her chin and nose -almost met, and so skinny she was scarcely more than bones, and the eyes -under her brows were red and evil. - -“Good evening, mother,” said the Prince. - -“Good evening, son,” replied the woman. - -“May I and my animals warm ourselves beside the fire?” asked the Prince. - -“As for yourself, you’re welcome,” said the old woman; “but as for your -animals, I am afraid of them. Just let me give each one of them a little -blow with my staff to show them I’m mistress, and then they may rest by -the fire also.” - -The Prince did not say no, so the old woman took up her staff and with -it she quickly touched one animal after the other, beginning with the -lion and ending with the hare, and as soon as she touched them, each one -was turned into a stone figure, for the old woman was a witch and as -wicked as she was ugly. Then she touched the Prince with her staff, and -he also became a stone image without life or motion. - -Then the old hag laughed with glee and counted them over. They were not -the only ones she had either. All about were other stones that had once -been living beings. - -Now some time after this, the second Prince, who had traveled far and -was weary of journeying, came back to the branching road where the tree -stood with its notches, and he wished to see how his brothers were -faring. - -He touched the notch that belonged to the youngest Prince, and milk -flowed out from it. So he knew all was well with his youngest brother. -Then he touched the notch that belonged to the eldest Prince, and forth -from that flowed blood. Then he was grieved to the heart because he knew -death or disaster must have come upon his brother. - -“Now will I set forth in search of him,” said he, “and never will I stop -nor stay until I find what has become of him and whether I can give him -succor.” - -So the second Prince journeyed on and on, along the road his eldest -brother had gone before him, and it was not long until he came to the -place where the old woman was tending her fire. All about in the shadows -stood figures of stone, some big and some little, but the Prince did not -think to look at them. - -He asked if he and his animals might rest a bit beside the fire and warm -themselves. - -“You yourself are welcome,” said the old woman, “but I fear that your -animals, may tear at me or eat me.” She then asked the Prince’s -permission to touch each animal with her rod, that it might know her as -its mistress. “Then I will no longer fear them,” said she. - -The Prince was willing, so she took the rod that leaned against a tree -near by and struck the animals lightly, first one and then another, and -as she touched them, they were turned to stone. Last of all she touched -the Prince, and he too became a stone image. - -Then the old hag laughed aloud for joy of her wickedness, and put aside -her rod once more, and went on with her cooking. - -Now it happened that not so very long after this the youngest Prince, -who had journeyed far and wide in his wanderings, began to think of his -two brothers and to wonder how it had gone with them in the world. - -So he came back to the place where the three roads parted, and the tree -stood with the three notches in it. - -He put his finger on the notch that was his eldest brother’s, and blood -ran down from it; and his heart was heavy within him, for he knew that -harm must have come to his brother. Then he put his finger upon the -notch of the second brother, and from that, too, trickled down the -blood. Then the young Prince cried aloud in his sorrow. “Never will I -rest or stay,” cried he, “until I know what has happened to my brothers -and whether or no I can do aught to aid them.” - -So he set out the way the second brother had gone, and before long he, -too, came to where the old woman was tending her fire. - -The old hag laughed in her heart, when she saw him, for she thought, -“here will be more stone images to be set round me.” She spoke to the -Prince and made him welcome, and bade him sit beside the fire to rest -himself. But she said she feared his animals, and she took her staff in -her hand and asked the Prince’s leave to touch them each one with it. -“Then,” said she, “they will know me as their mistress and will not -touch or harm me.” - -But the Prince replied, “Not so! No one but I must strike my faithful -servants, no matter how lightly. Give me the rod, and then if needs be I -will touch them.” - -So he took the rod from the old woman, though she indeed was loth to -yield it, and first he touched the fox with it, for it was growling. - -As soon as he did this, the fox was turned to stone, and then the Prince -knew that here was evil magic. He looked about him and saw the stone -images of his brothers and their animals, and many other stones as well, -that had once been living, breathing people. - -Then the Prince’s heart was hot within him and he demanded of the hag -that she should bring these people back to life, living and breathing as -they had been before, and he threatened that unless she did this, his -animals should tear her limb from limb and scatter the pieces of her -through the forest. - -The old woman was terrified, and she bade the Prince turn the staff that -he held end for end and touch the people with it; then they would return -to life. - -This the Prince did, and at once, as she had promised, the cold dead -stones became living flesh once more, all the people and all the -animals. - -Then they all rejoiced greatly, and they gathered about the Prince and -thanked him, but none rejoiced more greatly than the brothers. - -Then the others all went away to their own homes, and the youngest -Prince broke the rod to pieces that the witch might no more use it for -harm to others. - -The three brothers talked together, and the eldest told them all about -the Princess, and how he had saved her from the dragon. And he told -them, too, how the noblemen had slain him and stolen the Princess from -him, and how the faithful animals had brought him back to life. - -After he had made an end of the story the youngest Prince said, “Now we -must set out for the palace of the King at once, for it may be it is not -yet too late for you to claim the Princess.” So the three brothers set -forth, with all the animals following behind them. - -When they reached the palace, none dared to hinder them from entering, -because of the animals, and the three went on through one room after -another till they came to where the King was, and his daughter and the -nobleman were with him. - -The nobleman was very merry, for the wedding feast was even then -preparing, and that night he was to be married to the lovely Princess. -The King, too, was happy, for he was pleased at the thought of having -such a brave hero for a son-in-law. Only the Princess was sad and would -do nothing but weep and bemoan herself, but she could not tell her -father the cause of her grief because of the oath she had sworn to the -nobleman. - -Now when the Prince and his two brothers entered the room where the King -was sitting, the Princess gave a shriek of joy, but the nobleman turned -pale and trembled, for he knew the Prince at once as the true hero who -had saved the Princess from the dragon, and whom he and his companion -had slain by the roadside. - -Then the Prince began and told the King the whole story, and as the King -listened, he wondered. When the Prince had made an end of the tale, the -King turned to the nobleman. “And what answer have you to make to all -this?” he asked him. - -“That it is false and doubly false,” cried the nobleman. “’Tis I and I -alone who saved the Princess.” - -Then the Prince asked him what proof he had of the truth of his story, -and when the nobleman could give no proof, the lad drew out a -handkerchief and opened it, and there were the ears and the tongue of -the dragon. He also showed the half of the handkerchief and the half of -the ring the Princess had given him, and then it was clear to every one -that it was he and he alone who had slain the dragon. - -Then the nobleman was punished as he deserved, but the Prince was -married to the Princess, and his two brothers were married to the King’s -two younger daughters, and they all lived together in great joy and -happiness forever. - - - - -GRACIOSA AND PERCINET - -A FRENCH STORY - - -There was once a King who was so rich that it would have been impossible -for him to spend all his money, and yet his greatest wish was still to -keep adding to his treasure. - -The King’s wife had died and left him but one child, a daughter named -Graciosa. This Princess was so beautiful, so kind and so gentle that she -was beloved by all about her. The King also loved her dearly,--more -dearly indeed than anything in the world except his treasure, but that -was always first in his thoughts and his affections. - -One day the King set out with his attendants to hunt in a forest near -by. - -The huntsmen soon started a deer that bounded away through the forest. -The King followed it for a long distance, farther than he had ever gone -before. Suddenly he came out on the other side of the forest, and there, -in front of him, stood a vast castle with towers and turrets, and a -moat around it. - -The King called his chief huntsman to him and asked him whether he knew -who lived in the castle. - -The man replied that it belonged to the Duchess Grognon, and she was -said to be so rich that she had never been able to count all her -treasures. - -As soon as the King heard this, he at once determined to stop at the -castle and ask for refreshment. He was not only weary and thirsty from -the chase, but he also had a great desire to see any one as rich as the -Duchess, and perhaps he would be shown her treasures as well. - -Grognon had already seen him from her window, and as soon as he turned -toward the castle, she hastened down to meet him. She herself opened the -door for him and smiling she bade him welcome. - -When the King first looked at her he was amazed. Never had he seen any -one so ugly. She was as dark and rough and broad as a toad. Her eyes -were little and red, and her mouth was like a slit that stretched from -ear to ear. But she was magnificently dressed and so covered with -jewels that the King was dazzled by them and quite forgot how hideous -was the one who wore them. - -The Duchess invited the King to enter and at once commanded that a -repast should be brought him with all sorts of cakes and sweets and -fruits, and also a pipe of wine. - -The King, who was very thirsty, was pleased to hear this order, and when -the pipe of wine was brought in he waited impatiently for it to be -opened. But when the Duchess struck the head of the pipe, instead of -wine a great heap of gold fell out upon the floor. - -The Duchess pretended to be very much surprised. “This is a strange -thing,” said she. “I cannot imagine how they came to bring this gold -instead of the wine I ordered. I pray your Majesty’s pardon for the -mistake, which shall be well punished, I promise you.” - -She then commanded that another pipe should be brought in, but when she -struck this, out poured a heap of rubies. - -The King was filled with wonder and admiration at the sight of all this -treasure, but the Duchess pretended to be still more angry. - -“The servant who made this mistake shall be well beaten, I promise you,” -she cried. “Bring in another pipe, and this time be sure it is filled -with good wine instead of all these stones.” - -But she had no more success with the third pipe than with the second, -for when she struck it, out poured emeralds. The Duchess pretended to -fly into a fury and scornfully pushed the jewels aside with her foot. -Pipe after pipe was brought, but one was full of sapphires, one of -pearls, and still another of diamonds. The whole floor was covered with -her treasures. - -The King was bewildered. He scarcely knew how to express his wonder. - -“Sire,” said the Duchess, smiling, “since you feel such an admiration -for these poor trifles, perhaps you would like to see the treasure -chambers from which these have been brought.” - -Nothing could please the King better, and after Grognon had shown him -all her treasures, which indeed seemed endless, he determined, if -possible, to make her his wife that all this wealth might become his. - -This plan suited the Duchess perfectly. Indeed it was for this purpose -that she had shown her wealth to the King, and it was agreed between -them that they should be married as soon as possible. - -When the news of this intended marriage was brought to Graciosa, she was -filled with grief and dismay. She had already heard of the Duchess -Grognon and knew her to be not only a monster of ugliness, but of such -an evil nature that nothing delighted her more than to tease and torment -those around her and make their lives a misery to them. Nor could she -understand how her father could make up his mind to take such a creature -as his wife. - -However, she hid her feelings as well as she could and determined to be -obedient and patient with Grognon, hoping that in this way she might -live with her at peace, and even perhaps win from her a little -affection. - -The day for the wedding drew near, and one morning word was brought to -the King that Grognon would that day set forth on her way to his -palace. - -Wishing to do all honor to his bride, the King determined to ride forth -and meet her, and he gave orders that Graciosa should make herself ready -and ride with him to meet the Duchess. - -Poor Graciosa had withdrawn to the palace gardens to weep in secret, for -she did not wish others to know of the grief she felt over her father’s -marriage. As she sat beside a fountain, her tears falling as clear and -bright as the leaping waters, she saw a page coming toward her across -the garden. He was a stranger to the Princess, and he was so tall and -handsome, and his air so noble that Graciosa gazed at him with wonder. - -When he reached the place where Graciosa was sitting he bent his knee -before her. “Princess,” said he, “the King is waiting for you. He rides -forth to-day to meet the Duchess Grognon, who has already set out from -her castle, and he wishes you to ride with him.” - -“Tell him I will come upon the moment,” said Graciosa. “But stay! First -tell me who you are, for your face is strange to me. Are you one of the -Duchess’s pages who has been sent on before her?” - -“No, Princess,” replied the page. “I am indeed a stranger here, but no -one has sent me hither. I have come hither because my greatest desire in -life is to serve you, and, if it may be, to ease your sorrows in small -measure by my love and devotion.” - -“How!” cried the Princess. “Do you, a page, dare to speak to me of love -and devotion? You should be well punished for your insolence, and no -doubt you will be when I report the matter to the King, as rest assured -I shall do as soon as I find an opportunity.” - -“In truth, you have no cause for anger, Princess,” replied the stranger. -“I am not a page, but Prince Percinet, the son of a King as rich and -powerful as your own father. Long ago my father died, and I live in the -palace of my mother, the Fairy Finetta. Through her I am possessed of -many magic powers and can render myself invisible at will. It is only -because of my desire to help you that I have come here dressed as a -page.” - -Graciosa was filled with wonder at this story. She had often heard of -the fairy Prince Percinet, of his beauty and wit and power, but little -had she thought to meet him. She could scarcely believe it possible that -he loved her, and that it was for her sake he had come to the palace to -serve as a page. - -Still full of wonder, she arose and hastened away to where her father -was waiting impatiently for her coming. He and his attendants were ready -to set out at once, and a page was holding Graciosa’s palfrey. - -She was about to mount when Percinet appeared, leading a snow-white -horse so graceful and so beautiful that every one who saw it marveled. -This horse, he said, had just come as a gift to the Princess Graciosa -from one who refused to let his name be known. - -It was not difficult for Graciosa to guess that the one who had given -her the horse was Prince Percinet himself, but her father could not -wonder enough over both the gift and the giver. - -When the Princess had mounted the horse and gathered up the reins, it at -once moved forward with such grace and lightness that all were filled -with admiration. The King, at whose side she rode, kept admiring the -steed and wondering as to whence it had come. - -They had not traveled far when they saw Grognon and her train -approaching them. The Duchess rode in a golden coach, drawn by six -spotted horses, their harness glittering with gold and jewels. Grognon -herself was magnificently dressed and covered with gems that fairly -dazzled the eyes with their glitter, but this magnificence only made her -look more hideous, like a toad peering out from a jeweled glove. - -No sooner did the King come to the side of the chariot than he began to -pay his compliments to Grognon, but the Duchess scarcely listened to -him. Her eyes were fixed upon the horse upon which the Princess Graciosa -was riding. - -“That is a very beautiful horse,” said she. “Indeed it is finer than any -in my stables, or, I am sure, in yours, either. I should have thought it -would have been kept for me instead of your allowing your daughter to -ride upon such a wonder.” - -The King, seeing she was in a rage, tried to make excuses, but Grognon -would not listen to him. Nothing would satisfy her but that Graciosa -should light down from the horse and allow her to mount upon it instead, -and ride beside the King as they returned to the palace. - -To this Graciosa eagerly agreed. The fury shown by the Duchess terrified -her, and her only wish was to turn aside Grognon’s anger and perhaps win -from her a kindly word. - -But no sooner had Grognon mounted the horse than it began to prance and -curvette and leap from side to side so roughly that the Duchess thought -her teeth would be loosened in her head; then suddenly it started off at -full gallop, with Grognon screaming and clutching it by the mane. So -swiftly sped the horse that no one could overtake it, and when it -reached the palace it stopped with such suddenness that the Duchess was -thrown violently off upon the stones of the courtyard. - -When the King and Graciosa, followed by the courtiers and attendants, -arrived at the palace, they were horrified to find Grognon lying on the -stones of the courtyard, screaming and groaning. - -She was lifted up and carried into the castle, and physicians were -called to attend to her bruises and scratches. - -“It is all the fault of that miserable girl,” Grognon screamed again and -again. “It is some trick she arranged for me, and she had no other hope -than that I should be killed outright. But she shall be punished for her -wickedness. She shall find that she cannot treat me in such a manner -without suffering for it.” - -She then demanded that the King should send Graciosa to her and allow -her to punish the Princess as she saw fit. - -The King was loth to agree to this, and yet he dared not refuse, for he -feared that Grognon might fall into such a fury that she would refuse to -marry him and would return to her own castle, and so he would lose her -treasures. He felt himself obliged to allow Grognon to carry out her -wishes. - -Graciosa was sent to the Duchess’s chamber and went with fear and -trembling. - -No sooner had she entered than the door was locked behind her. She saw, -with terror, that back of Grognon’s couch stood four tall and -terrible-looking attendants, each armed with a heavy staff. - -“Now, my beauty,” cried Grognon furiously, “it is my turn. No doubt you -were vastly amused by my misadventure, but now you yourself shall know -how it feels to be covered with wounds and bruises.” - -She then bade her attendants seize Graciosa and beat her as long as -their strength held out, or until their staves were broken. - -Graciosa would have begged for mercy, but suddenly a whisper sounded in -her ear. “Fear not, Graciosa. I, Percinet, am beside thee. The blows -shall not harm thee, but when they fall, cry out as though they were -beyond all bearing.” - -Graciosa at once recognized the voice of Percinet, and knowing he was -there, all fear left her, and she could have laughed aloud for joy. -However, she pretended to be almost fainting from terror. - -Grognon now ordered the attendants to begin; they at once seized -Graciosa and raised their staves, but she now saw that by Percinet’s -magic the staves had been changed into rose-colored plumes, so soft and -feathery that the blows she received from them were like the tenderest -of caresses. But, remembering Percinet’s bidding, she cried aloud under -the strokes as though she could scarcely bear the suffering. - -The eyes of Grognon and her attendants were blinded so that they did not -see the rods had been changed to plumes. The Duchess wondered at the -strength of the Princess. She had expected to see her sink down, bruised -and senseless under the rain of blows, but the harder the attendants -beat her, the less did Graciosa feel the strokes. - -At last the men, outwearied, dropped their rods, and Graciosa, -pretending to weep, gathered her garments about her as though to hide -her bruises. - -“Go,” said Grognon harshly, pointing to the door. “You have received no -more than you deserve, but this beating is nothing to what you shall -receive, if you again try your tricks upon me.” - -Graciosa crept away to her room and to her bed, pretending to be ill, -which delighted Grognon and was as a soothing salve to her bruises. - -Soon after the King and Grognon were married with great magnificence. -The new Queen was dressed in cloth of gold and wore her most magnificent -jewels; she received with satisfaction the compliments of the courtiers -who pretended to admire her and praised her beauty and grace, while they -laughed at her behind her back and wondered how the King had ever -brought himself to marry such a hideous creature. - -Graciosa was obliged to wear a hideous dress, and her ornaments were -only common pebbles gathered from beside the road, with holes bored -through them and strung together, but in spite of this her beauty shone -out as the moon shines through the clouds at night time. - -Soon after, a grand tournament was given in honor of the Queen. The -knight who was chosen to ride for Grognon declared her to be the most -beautiful creature in the world, and challenged all others to prove the -contrary against him. - -Many knights rode against him, but he overcame them all, for, knowing -him to be the favorite of the Queen, none of them dared to try to -overthrow him. - -The heralds were about to proclaim him victor when a new and unknown -knight rode into the field. - -This knight rode a snow-white horse and was clad in silver armor. The -only color he wore was a green silken scarf, that being Graciosa’s -color. - -This silver knight declared Graciosa to be the most beautiful and -perfect creature in the world, even as he held Queen Grognon to be the -most hideous and detestable, and this he would prove against any who -dared to ride against him. - -When the Queen heard what the knight said, her face grew as red as -blood, and she gave such a cry of fury that the King trembled, and -Graciosa almost fainted with terror. However, the Queen had no doubt but -that her chosen knight would overthrow the newcomer, as he had all -others. - -The two knights reined back their horses and set their lances at rest, -and then at the given signal they charged at each other. But it seemed -the silver knight scarce needed to touch the other before he sent him -rolling in the dust, and so sore wounded that it was difficult to revive -him. - -At once the silver knight disappeared, and no one was able to guess who -he was or whence he had come, nor could they tell whither he had gone. -Graciosa alone guessed, even when he first appeared, that the silver -knight was no other than her fairy lover Percinet. - -Grognon was in such a rage that she was like to lose her senses. She -declared that Graciosa had arranged the whole plan so as to disgrace her -before the court and demanded that the Princess should be left to her to -punish as she pleased. - -The King was afraid to refuse, for Grognon threatened that if he did she -would take all her treasure and depart at once, and not one single jewel -of it should he ever see again. With an anxious heart he at last agreed -to her wishes, and Grognon, filled with triumph, determined to rid -herself once and for all of the Princess. - -That night, soon after the Princess had gone to her chamber, a number of -armed men entered it and forced her to come away with them. They -brought her to a closed carriage which was in waiting, and into this she -was obliged to enter. After that she was driven on and on for a long -distance. - -At last the coach stopped, the door was opened, and Graciosa was forced -to descend. She found the men had brought her into the midst of a deep -and gloomy forest, and that here they meant to leave her. - -Graciosa was filled with terror. She knew the forest to be full of -lions, bears, and other savage creatures, and she could not forbear from -weeping and complaining of the cruelty that could leave her there to be -torn to pieces by the fangs of wild beasts. She even pleaded with the -men to kill her at once, that her sufferings might the sooner be ended. - -The attendants, however, paid little heed to her prayers and tears -except to tell her they were acting under the Queen’s command, and soon -the poor child found herself alone and helpless. Kneeling down, she said -her prayers, and then meekly laid herself down to await whatever fate -might befall her. - -Suddenly the forest all around her was lighted up as though by the glow -of thousands upon thousands of candles, and she saw before her a broad -avenue, paved with stones of changing colors and leading up to a shining -palace. - -Graciosa gazed with wonder upon the sight, scarcely able to believe her -eyes. “It must be the work of Prince Percinet,” she murmured. “He is -guarding me from the savage beasts, even as he guarded me before from -the fury of the cruel Grognon.” - -A sound from behind startled her, and she turned with a cry, fearing one -of the beasts might have stolen up to her unheard. - -Instead there stood Prince Percinet himself, looking upon her with -tenderness and admiration. Graciosa had never seen him appear so -handsome. He was dressed in white satin, richly embroidered with silver, -and around his neck hung a broad collar of emeralds. - -“Do not be afraid, beautiful Graciosa,” said he. “I have come to lead -you to the palace of my mother, the Fairy Finetta. She is waiting -impatiently to welcome you, and be sure that in her palace you will be -treated with only the greatest care and tenderness.” - -At these words all fear left Graciosa. Blushing, she allowed Percinet to -take her hand and to lead her up the avenue to the palace. - -No sooner did they arrive at the foot of the steps than the golden doors -swung open, and a tall and beautiful lady dressed in a shimmering green -robe bordered with emeralds appeared, and after making herself known as -the Fairy Finetta, she welcomed Graciosa with the greatest grace and -dignity. - -Graciosa was led into the palace, and everything she saw about her was -so beautiful and wonderful that she hardly knew how to express her -admiration. Wherever they went they were accompanied by soft music; -doors opened before them as they approached, and in one apartment a -feast was set forth for them with every sort of delicious food that can -be imagined. It was served to them without hands, and nowhere did -Graciosa see any one but themselves. This gave the Princess some -anxiety. - -“After all,” thought she to herself, “all this is magic and may at any -moment vanish suddenly, even as it appeared, and I may find myself again -in the forest, helpless and alone.” She therefore, as soon as she found -an opportunity, asked the Fairy Finetta whether it would not be possible -to send her back to her father’s palace again. - -The fairy seemed both surprised and displeased at this question. -“Nothing would be easier,” she replied, “but have you so soon wearied of -our company that you should wish to leave us? You know how Percinet -adores you. He will be miserable if he finds he is unable to make you -happy even for a few short hours.” - -Graciosa murmured something about her father. - -“Your father is well and in good spirits,” replied the fairy; “he has -not even missed you.” - -The Princess could now no longer urge to be sent home. She agreed to -remain in the castle for a while, at least. Percinet showed the greatest -joy when he heard this. “Ah, Graciosa,” said he, “you cannot but know -that I am miserable without you, and if you would accept my love and -devotion, I would be the happiest creature in the world.” - -The Princess blushed, but made no answer and Percinet dared not press -her further. - -The next few days passed like a dream for Graciosa. Every day she found -herself provided with clothes and jewels more beautiful than any she had -ever imagined. Every day invisible hands served her with food that was -strange to her, yet very delicious. Often she walked in the gardens or -amused herself by feeding the fish in the fountains. Percinet was almost -constantly with her and found a thousand ways in which to please her and -show his devotion, and the Fairy Finetta was always gracious and -charming. But one day, when Percinet had left her for a short time, -Graciosa began to think of her father, and she was seized with such a -great desire to see him that she grew very sad, and could not forbear -from weeping. - -When Percinet returned and saw her tears, he at once asked her, with the -greatest concern, what was troubling her. - -“I am sad because I am thinking of my father,” replied Graciosa. “Oh, -Percinet! Is it not possible for me to see him? I have been parted from -him for so long.” - -Percinet became very thoughtful, but presently he said, “It is indeed -quite possible for you to see him and that without even leaving the -palace, but I fear harm may come of it. However, as you know, I can -refuse you nothing, so come with me.” - -Percinet then led Graciosa to a high tower from which they could see a -great stretch of country in every direction. He bade her place her right -foot on his left foot, and her little finger on his thumb, and look in -the direction he pointed out to her. - -As soon as Graciosa had done this, she no longer saw Percinet or the -tower, or anything around her. It seemed to her that she was back again -in her father’s palace, in the chamber where the King sometimes went to -be alone. She saw him there and in his hand he held a little picture of -herself painted when she was a child and he was weeping and grieving -over it so bitterly that Graciosa’s heart was wrung with pity for him. -She wished to speak to him and throw her arms about his neck, but no -sooner did she step forward toward him than she found herself back again -on the tower with Percinet, and the vision of her father was gone. - -Graciosa turned to the Prince, her face bathed with tears. “Dearest -Percinet, if you love me, let me return to my father,” she cried. “He is -grieving for me, and I cannot bear the thought of his sorrow.” - -Percinet looked at her reproachfully. “And is my sorrow nothing to you?” -he asked her. “You know how it would grieve me to the heart to lose you. -The King was willing to leave you to the cruelty of Grognon, and I have -treated you always with the tenderest respect, and yet you would gladly -leave me to return to him.” - -Graciosa could make no answer to this, and after a moment Percinet added -with a sigh, “So be it.” - -He then led her to the fairy and told her of Graciosa’s wish to leave -them. - -Finetta looked at her with a severe expression. “I fear Graciosa, that -you are very ungrateful,” said she. “But if you wish to leave us, we -will not keep you. Only, when you find yourself again in the power of -the Queen, remember that it is of your own choice you are there.” - -So saying, the fairy waved her hand, and at once the castle and all in -it vanished away like mist. Graciosa found herself again in her father’s -palace. With eager steps she hastened to the chamber where she had seen -him sitting. He was still there, and weeping. She ran to him and threw -her arms about him. - -“Dearest father, do not grieve any longer,” she cried. “Your Graciosa -has returned to you, loving you better than ever.” - -The King was filled with joy at the sight of his daughter and embraced -her and caressed her with so much tenderness that Graciosa hoped her -sorrows were now ended, and that nothing but happiness lay before her. - -But she had forgotten Grognon. The stepmother was furious when she heard -that the Princess had returned to the castle. “Will I never be able to -rid myself of this wretched girl!” she cried. “But wait a bit! I will -make her so miserable that she will be glad enough to leave the palace -herself, of her own will and desire.” - -She then hastened away to the King, who was again alone, as Graciosa had -gone to her chamber. - -“I hear that Graciosa has returned!” cried Grognon. “The girl thinks she -can come and go at pleasure and cares nothing for any anxiety or sorrow -she may cause us. But leave her to me, and I will teach her a lesson in -obedience that may save us much trouble in the future.” - -The King was troubled at hearing this. He could not bear the thought of -again putting the Princess in the power of her stepmother, and yet he -knew Grognon’s furious temper and was afraid of awakening it. In the -end, however, he agreed to what the Queen asked and promised that she -should do as she wished with Graciosa. - -Grognon had learned a lesson from the return of the Princess, and she -now determined to call to her aid a fairy who was a friend of hers and -was as wicked as herself. “This girl,” thought she, “is surely protected -by some magic, and if I would succeed against her, I must call upon -some power that is greater than my own.” - -The fairy came in haste at the Queen’s summons, and when she found what -was required of her, her little eyes sparkled with malice. - -“This is indeed a matter to my own taste,” said she. “I will tell you -how to set a task for the Princess that she cannot possibly accomplish. -Then, when she fails, you can say she is disobedient and obstinate, and -this will give you an excuse for breaking every bone in her body.” - -The advice delighted Grognon. “Quick!” said she. “Tell me what I am to -do, for I can hardly wait to rid myself of this creature.” - -The fairy then drew from an enormous pocket in her gown a great mass of -tangled threads of silk. They were of all colors of the rainbow, and -each thread was so twisted in with the others that there seemed neither -beginning nor end to it and yet was so fine that one could scarcely -breathe upon it without breaking it. - -“Take this silk to Graciosa,” said the fairy, “and tell her that before -to-morrow she must separate the different colors from each other and -wind them into skeins, each color to itself, and that not a single -thread of them must be broken. This she will find it impossible to do, -and when you visit her to-morrow and find that she has failed, it will -give you an excuse to punish her as you see fit.” - -This advice delighted the Queen. She took the skeins and hastened away -to the place where she had had Graciosa imprisoned. The Princess was -weeping and looked so beautiful in her tears that any heart less hard -than Grognon’s would have pitied her. But her beauty only increased the -Queen’s fury against her. - -“Come, lazybones!” cried the Queen. “Here is something to give work to -your idle fingers. Take these silks and separate them from each other, -winding each color into a skein by itself. See that not a thread of it -is broken, and do you have the task done before to-morrow, or else you -shall suffer for it.” - -“Alas, Madam!” cried the poor Princess. “You know that this is an -impossible thing to do.” - -“That is your concern,” cried Grognon harshly. “But this I will tell -you; if you are too lazy and obstinate to do as I bid you, it is only -right and proper that you should be punished.” - -So saying, she gave Graciosa a push so violent that it almost threw her -upon the floor and went on out, locking the door behind her. - -Left alone, Graciosa took up the mass of silk and with careful fingers -began to try to separate the strands, but hardly could she touch them -before they broke, and she soon found the task was indeed impossible. - -In despair she threw aside the silks and burst into tears. - -“Alas! Alas! My sorrows are well deserved,” wept the poor Princess. “Had -I but listened to Percinet and to the fairy’s warnings, I might even now -be safe and happy in her palace with Percinet for my companion.” - -Hardly had she spoken thus when the Prince himself stood before her. - -“Ah, Graciosa,” said he, “are you perhaps beginning to learn at last the -worth of my affection? You have indeed brought this sorrow on yourself, -but I love you too dearly to be willing to see you suffer.” - -He then struck the silk three times with a silver wand he carried. -Immediately the tangles and knots were smoothed away, the different -colors separated themselves one from another, and broken ends rejoined. -In less time than it takes to tell, the task was done, and the different -silks lay smoothly wound and side by side upon the table. - -Graciosa hardly knew how to thank Percinet. - -“Do not thank me,” said the Prince gravely. “I wish no thanks from you. -You know how dearly I love you, and I, on my part, am sure that now you -also love me. Come away with me from all these fears and sufferings and -live with me in the palace my mother is eager to provide for us.” - -But Graciosa could not yet make up her mind to marry one who was half a -fairy. - -“Ah, Percinet, forgive me!” she cried. “I know that you love me, but you -are a fairy and I am a mortal, and I fear your love for me may not be -lasting. Let us wait and see whether the Queen’s heart may not soften -toward me. Perhaps she has only set me this task as a trial of my -patience and does not really intend evil to me.” - -“In other words, you trust to her cruelty rather than to my tenderness,” -cried the Prince with some anger. “So be it. But at least I have saved -you from a beating.” - -Thus saying, he disappeared, and the Princess was left alone. - -Early the next morning Grognon hastened to Graciosa’s prison. Already -she was planning what was the most cruel punishment she could give the -Princess, for she had no other thought but that Graciosa would have -found the task impossible. - -What was her amazement to see, when she opened the door, that all the -silks had been separated and wound into skeins, and that they lay upon -the table so beautifully arranged that to see them was like looking upon -a rainbow. - -Graciosa met her with a smile. “Madam, I have done your bidding,” said -she, “and the silks are ready for you, as you can see.” - -Grognon could think of no reply to make. She snatched up the silks and -left the room, casting upon Graciosa a look so furious and so malignant -that the poor girl trembled. - -No sooner had Grognon reached her own chamber than she sent for the -wicked fairy and at once began to reproach her for setting such an easy -task for the Princess. - -The fairy frowned and shook her head. “I do not understand it,” she -said. “Some magic power must be helping Graciosa, for never could mortal -fingers have separated the skeins after I had tangled them. However, I -will set her another task even harder than the first, and which I am -very sure will put her in your power.” - -The fairy then caused a great tub to appear, and it was full of the -feathers of hundreds and hundreds of different birds. - -“Give her these feathers to separate,” said the fairy. “Tell her that -the feathers of each kind of bird must be put by themselves, and all -must be separated by the earliest break of day to-morrow. She will -certainly find it impossible to do this task, and you will then have her -in your power.” - -At this advice all of Grognon’s anger disappeared and she thanked the -fairy smilingly. She called for two of her attendants and bade them -carry the feathers to the room where Graciosa was kept prisoner, and she -herself also went there. - -The poor Princess was terrified when she saw Grognon appear once more, -for she knew it could only mean some new trouble for her. - -The tub was set upon the floor, and Grognon motioned Graciosa to it. -“Idle one,” she cried, “here is something that will keep you busy for a -few hours at least. Your task is to separate these feathers, putting the -ones that belong to each kind of bird by themselves, and see that they -are all separated by morning, or woe betide you.” - -She then left the room, taking the attendants with her and locking and -double-locking the door behind her. - -As soon as Graciosa examined the tub of feathers, she knew the task to -be hopeless, but nevertheless she sat down and made some attempt to -separate the feathers; but she did not even know which ones belonged -together, and there were, besides, thousands and thousands of them. - -In despair she threw them back again into the tub, and burst into tears. -“What will become of me?” she sobbed. “Percinet I have offended so -deeply that I dare not call upon him for help, and he is the only one -who can aid me. Ah, how ungrateful I have been! I would that that noble -Prince were here that I might ask for his pardon before the Queen -destroys me.” - -“I _am_ here, beautiful Graciosa! And not only ready but eager to help -you. Do not fear. This task the Queen has set you is not as impossible -as you seem to think it.” - -It was Percinet who spoke. He had appeared before her, handsome and -graceful as ever. He now approached the tub of feathers and touched it -with the silver wand which he carried. - -No sooner had he done this than the feathers arose in a many-colored -cloud, and each kind, separating itself from the others, gathered in a -little heap by itself. - -Graciosa hardly knew how to thank the Prince. - -“I desire no gratitude, but love only,” exclaimed Percinet. “Has not -this taught you that as long as you are in the Queen’s power there is no -safety for you? Oh, Graciosa, delay no longer. Come with me to my -mother, and let us tell her you have consented to our marriage.” - -But Graciosa could not yet make up her mind to trust him. “Dear -Percinet,” she said, weeping, “do not think me ungrateful, but how can -I, a mortal maiden, ever mate with one who is half a fairy? No, no. We -could never be happy. Be to me a friend, as I will be to you, but do not -ask me to marry you.” - -Percinet was deeply offended; he could not help showing his resentment. - -“Farewell, proud Princess,” he said to her. “You say you are not -ungrateful, and yet with every word you show your lack of trust in me. -Heaven send that you may not suffer for the scorn you show me.” - -So saying, Percinet again disappeared, leaving the Princess alone and -weeping. - -The next day, at earliest dawn, Grognon hastened to Graciosa’s prison, -and nothing could be greater than was her wonder and fury when she found -the feathers separated and each kind lying neatly by itself. - -Her rage was so great that she could not forbear from shaking Graciosa -till the poor Princess’s teeth rattled in her head, giving, as an -excuse, that the feathers were not laid evenly. - -She then went away in a rage to her own room, and calling the fairy to -her, she scolded her at such a rate that her voice could be heard all -over the castle. - -The fairy was confounded when she found this second task had also been -accomplished, and, it seemed, as easily and quickly as the first. - -“It is some magic,” she repeated. “Some one is helping her who is as -powerful as I--perhaps even more so. But this is not the end of the -matter. You shall still have a chance to punish the Princess at your -pleasure. I have here a box. Give it to Graciosa, and bid her carry it -to your castle, and leave it in a certain cabinet in the hall, but not -by any means to open it on the way. Her curiosity will prove too much -for her, she will think it no harm to peep into the box after she is -out of sight and if she once opens it, she will find it impossible to -close the lid on its contents and you can then punish her for her -disobedience.” - -The fairy at once disappeared, and Grognon sent for the Princess to come -before her. - -Graciosa obeyed the summons, wondering what new sorrow was to come upon -her, but to her surprise the Queen met her with a smiling face. “My dear -Graciosa,” said she, “I have here a box which I wish to send to my -palace, and what is within it is so precious and wonderful that I do not -dare to trust it to any one but you. It is not locked, and there is no -key to it, but do not open it on your way, whatever you do. Place it -upon the central cabinet in the main hall, and then return to me in -haste, that you may assure me that you have carried it there in safety.” - -Graciosa at once hastened to her room for a cloak, which she threw about -her. She took the box that the Queen handed to her, and holding it in -such a way that the folds of the cloak hid it, she set out upon her -journey. - -The Queen looked after her with an evil smile. - -“This time she shall not escape me,” she muttered. “Never will she be -able to withstand her wish to see what it is that the box holds.” - -Graciosa, indeed, was very curious. As she hastened along, clasping the -box to her, she wondered more and more what could possibly be in it that -was so precious that the Queen dared not trust it to any one but -herself. The way was long, and the Princess was unused to walking, and -so at last when she came to a green meadow with a brook flowing through -it, she sat down to rest. As she sat there, she became so tormented by -curiosity as to what was in the box, that at last she determined to -raise the lid very carefully just a hair’s breadth, and take one look -within. - -But scarcely had her fingers touched the lid when it flew open in her -hands, and out from the box there streamed a host of little people. -There were lords and ladies in fine clothes, and workmen, who at once -set about putting up silken tents as a shelter from the sun. There were -tiny coaches of gold, drawn by horses even smaller, and driven by -coachmen with powdered wigs, and there were little footmen sitting -beside them. There were cooks, who directed tiny scullions to build up -fires and at once set about preparing a grand feast. Tables were spread, -and small musicians began to play gay music to which the fine folk -danced. - -It was all so wonderful and pretty that Graciosa watched them, smiling, -and with the greatest delight, quite forgetting that she had disobeyed -the strict orders of the Queen, and that she would suffer for it. - -Suddenly a cloud came over the sun, and a few drops of rain fell. - -This brought Graciosa to herself. Laying down the box, she ran over to -the tent where the little lords and ladies had taken shelter, and tried -to gather them up so as to return them to the box again. But this they -would not have. As soon as they found she intended to catch them, they -ran away and hid themselves among the tufts of grasses and back of -stones. Soon they had all disappeared. Not one of them was to be seen, -though Graciosa looked for them all about. - -She was now so frightened that she was like one distracted. She ran -about the meadow, calling to the little people to return, and at last, -quite worn out with her exertions, she fell upon the ground and burst -into tears. - -“Ah, Percinet, you will be well revenged,” she sobbed. “Whatever will -become of the poor Graciosa, and how shall I ever withstand the rage of -the cruel Grognon?” - -Suddenly she heard a deep sigh, and looking up, she saw that Percinet -was standing beside her. Seeing him there, she could not restrain a cry -of joy, but the Prince gazed upon her with a sad and sorrowful look. - -“Ah, Graciosa, would you ever remember me,” he asked, “if it were not -for the cruel Grognon?” - -Graciosa, ashamed, did not dare to raise her eyes to his. - -“Cruelly as you have treated me,” said Percinet, “I cannot leave you to -suffer.” - -With these words he struck three times upon the lid of the box. At once, -as though this were a signal, the little people came running out from -their hiding places, and, as though each one wished to be the first, -they hastened back into the box, pushing and hustling each other in -their hurry. The workmen hastily folded the tents, the cook and his -scullions gathered up their cooking utensils, the coachmen cracked their -whips and shouted to their horses. Back into the box they crowded, the -box closed of itself, and the meadow lay green and deserted in the -sunlight. - -Graciosa would have thanked Percinet, but when she turned to speak to -him, he was gone. - -“Alas, he is so angry I fear he no longer loves me,” sighed Graciosa, -“while I have at last learned both to love and trust him. If he had but -asked me again to return with him to the fairy palace, how gladly I -would have agreed!” - -Sadly the Princess again set out for Grognon’s castle, and in due time -arrived there without having had any more adventures, and placed the box -in the cabinet in the main hall as the Queen had directed. - -When Grognon found that again Graciosa had accomplished her task, and so -escaped punishment, her rage was so great that she was like one who has -suddenly gone crazy. She sent for the fairy, and as soon as she -appeared, the Queen flew at her with teeth and nails. - -“Miserable creature!” she shrieked. “You have deceived me. Three times -you have promised to put Graciosa in my power. And what has happened? -Every time she has accomplished the tasks and met me smiling. Begone, or -I will tear you limb from limb.” - -Powerful as the fairy was, she was frightened by the fierceness of -Grognon. She made haste to take herself out of the way and fled back to -her castle, glad to have escaped with her life. - -Grognon now made up her mind to take matters again into her own hands. -She caused a deep pit to be dug in the garden, too deep for any one who -fell into it to have any chance of escaping. Over this a great stone was -rolled, so that the mouth of the pit was hidden. - -The Queen then sent for Graciosa to come and walk with her in the -garden. She also took several attendants with her. - -Though Grognon met Graciosa with a smile and seemed to have forgotten -all her rage against her, the Princess was very uneasy. She feared the -Queen’s plots and felt sure that some new evil was being planned against -her, but she did not know from what direction the danger would come. - -As they walked along, the Queen so arranged it that presently they came -to the place where the great stone was lying. Grognon pointed it out to -Graciosa. “I am told,” said she, “that a great treasure lies hidden -under that stone. We will roll it away and see whether those who told me -of it have spoken the truth.” - -She then bade her attendants push the stone aside, and Graciosa, who was -very good-natured, put her hands against the stone, and pushed, also. - -This was exactly what Grognon wished. She crept up back of Graciosa, and -as soon as the pit was uncovered, she pushed the Princess so that she -fell down into it, and the stone was then allowed to fall back into its -place. - -At last the Queen was satisfied. She felt very sure that Graciosa could -not escape from the pit, herself, and Grognon would see to it that no -one went there to help her. She returned to the palace well pleased with -her morning’s work. - -As for Graciosa, she was in despair. “Alas, Percinet! Why did I not -listen to you?” she wept. “Would that I might see you but once more -before I perish, that I might tell you that at last I know the worth of -all your love and devotion.” - -Suddenly, as she thus bemoaned herself, Graciosa saw, in the side of the -pit a little door which she had not noticed before. She opened it, and -to her joy and amazement saw before her the same avenue of many-colored -stones which she had followed when she was lost in the forest, and -there, at the end of the avenue, was the shining castle that she knew as -the one belonging to Finetta. - -With a beating heart, Graciosa hurried along the avenue, and as she drew -near the castle, the doors opened to her of their own accord, and -standing within she saw the Fairy Finetta and Percinet. - -They looked upon her smiling, and Finetta said, “So you have at last -returned to us, Graciosa, and I hope with wisdom enough to value the -love that Percinet still feels for you.” - -“Indeed, Madam,” said the Princess, blushing, “my love is as great as -that of Percinet himself, and my trust in him is as unbounded.” - -With a cry of joy Percinet clasped her in his arms, while the fairy -stood and smiled upon them. - -There was no reason now why they should not be married at once, and -fairies were bidden from far and near to come to the ceremony, which was -celebrated with the greatest magnificence. - -Among those who came was the fairy who had helped Grognon in her schemes -against Graciosa. When she heard the story of the Princess and knew that -she had all this time been under the protection of Prince Percinet, she -became furious against Grognon. At once she mounted her chariot drawn by -dragons, and flew to the palace of the King. Seeking Grognon out, she -strangled her with a strand of the very silk that had been given to -Graciosa, and so quick the fairy was about it that none of the courtiers -had time to interfere. - -As for the Princess and Percinet, they lived happy forever after, in a -magnificent palace of their own which Finetta provided for them, but she -would never allow Graciosa to return even for a visit to the King who -had treated her so cruelly. - - - - -THE GIANT’S CLIFF - -AN IRISH STORY - - -There was once a giant in Ireland, and his name was Mahon McMahon and he -lived inside the cliffs that rose up straight from the sea. No one had -ever seen door or window in the cliffs, and no one knew how the giant -got in or out, but still it was said that he lived there, and there were -those who told of how they had heard a strange sound of beating and the -ringing of metal sounding from within, and had seen smoke rising up from -the crevices. - -Back from the sea, but yet not so very far from the cliffs, there was a -fine big house, and a man by the name of Thomas Renardy lived in it. He -was a married man, and he and his wife had one son, a pretty little boy -named Philip, and he was the joy of their life and the light of their -eyes. - -With every year the boy grew handsomer and finer, till he was the -admiration of all who saw him. All day he played about in the sun and -the wind, and when his mother called him in to meals he came, and as -soon as he had finished he was out again. - -So he grew till he was seven years old, and then one day his mother -called him, but he did not come. She hunted him high, and she hunted him -low, but nowhere could she find him. Then the neighbors joined in the -search. They were out hallooing over the hills and through the forest, -and over by the cliffs where the sea beats high, but there was no answer -to their calling, nor did they see aught of him, and his mother was left -sorrowing. - -A sad and smileless woman was she after that, and months rolled up into -years, until the years were seven; and at the end of that time her grief -for him was as green as at the beginning. - -Now there was a blacksmith in that country who was a great reader of -dreams. People came from far and near to tell him their dreams and to -ask the meaning of them. - -The name of the blacksmith was Robert Kelly, and he was a great hand at -the forge. - -One night the blacksmith had a dream of his own, and a curious dream it -was. - -He dreamed a little lad came riding up on a great white horse. He was a -handsome little fellow, with yellow hair and blue eyes, and Robert took -him, from his size and looks, to be about seven years old, but at the -same time there was something curious about him that made the blacksmith -think he might be older. - -“Robert Kelly, do you remember me?” asked the lad. - -“I can’t say that I do,” answered the blacksmith, “and yet there’s -something about you that makes me feel I may have seen you before.” - -“Then have you forgotten Phil Renardy that was lost away seven long -years ago?” - -Now the blacksmith knew of whom the boy had reminded him. It was of that -little lost lad of the Renardys. - -“But that was seven long years ago, as you said,” replied the -blacksmith, “and by this time Phil would be about fourteen years old. -You will never be him.” - -“Nevertheless I am,” said the boy. “It was the giant Mahon McMahon that -stole me away seven years ago when I was playing near the cliffs, and I -have been living with him and serving him ever since, and in the halls -of the giant we who serve him never grow old, but stay as we were when -he first brought us there.” - -Now all the while the blacksmith knew he was asleep, and he thought this -dream of his was the strangest dream he had ever heard of. - -“Now I will tell you why I have come here,” the boy went on; and he told -Kelly how the very next night the seven years of his service were up. -“Every seven years,” said he, “the giant’s door stands open from the -stroke of midnight till cock’s crow the next morning. There is only one -way to get to his door, and that is by way of the sea.” - -The lad then begged and implored the blacksmith to get a boat and row -out to the cliff the next night, and to wait there until midnight, when -the house opened. The blacksmith was then to seek through it until he -found the lad and then he was to bring him away with him. - -“And to-morrow, when my first seven years of service is up, is the only -time you can do it,” said he. “If you will not, then I can never escape, -but must stay there in service to the giant for always.” - -Then Kelly, who still knew he was asleep, said, “But after all, this is -all in a dream, and when I waken I’ll think there’s no meaning to it.” - -“Then I’ll give you a token to prove to you that this is no common -dreaming,” said Philip. - -With that he turned his horse about, and the horse lashed out at the -blacksmith with his hind leg, and the hoof struck him on the forehead -with such force that it seemed as though his head would be crushed in. - -The blacksmith cried out with the blow and woke to find the blood -streaming down his face, and when he had wiped it away and was able to -examine his forehead, there was the mark of a horseshoe on it. - -Robert said nothing to any one about his dream, not even when they saw -the mark on his forehead and wondered about it, so they thought that in -some way when he was shoeing a horse it must have managed to kick him. -But that night he went secretly to a friend of his who had a boat and -asked him whether he would row him out in front of the cliffs just -before midnight. - -The friend was loth to do it, for he had small liking for going out at -night on the sea and to a place that was but ill thought of; for there -were all these tales about sounds that had been heard from inside the -cliff and that they might be made by Mahon McMahon. - -However, in the end Robert persuaded him, and a little before midnight -they set out. There was enough moonlight for them to see the way to go, -and as they rowed toward the cliffs, Robert told his friend, for the -first time, why he was coming there and what he hoped to do. - -“And whether it was a dream or no I can’t tell you,” said he, “for I was -sleeping, and yet here, all the same, is the mark of the horse’s hoof on -my forehead.” - -Well, the friend thought it a strange tale. “And it’s hard to believe -there’s any truth in it,” said he; “but here we are in front of the -cliffs, and this night will prove the worth of your dreaming.” - -He held the boat there in front of the rocks with his oars, and the -minutes slipped by, and neither of the men spoke, and everything was -silent. Then from far away, and faintly, they heard the village clock -strike twelve. - -Again they waited, and then suddenly and without a sound the front of -the cliff opened, and they saw a portico down almost on a level with the -water, and a great door opening out upon it. Inside the door were steps -cut in the rock and leading up and out of sight. A light shone out -through the door and across the water, but it was not very bright. - -“Here is where I chance it,” said the blacksmith. “Row me up close so -that I may step out on the portico, for according to my dream, it’s in -there I must go if I am to find little Philip Renardy.” - -The whole matter was so strange that his friend tried to dissuade him -from going, but the blacksmith would not listen to him. - -“I’ve a sign from him on my forehead,” he said, “and go I must and will. -Do you wait here for me till cock’s crow, and if I haven’t come by then, -there’s no use in your waiting longer.” - -His friend rowed him up close to the edge of the portico, and the -blacksmith climbed out on it, and watchfully he crept over to the door -and peered in. Everything was still, and he saw nothing but the steps -leading upward, and they were so high, each one of them, that it was as -much as he could do to climb them. - -He carried a plowshare that he had brought with him from his smithy, for -somehow he thought a plowshare might be a good weapon if he needed one. -And anyhow, it gave him some sort of a feeling of courage to have hold -of it. - -He climbed the steps, one after another, and that took him some time, -and then he came into a great hall, and in the center of it was a table -hewn out of rock. - -Around this table sat seven giants. They sat there bending forward as -though they were consulting with each other, but none of them moved or -spoke, or even so much as winked an eyelid. They might have been carven -figures, for all the signs of life they gave. - -At the head of the table sat a giant with a long beard, and he had been -sitting there so long that his beard had grown into the slab of rock -that was the top of the table. - -Robert Kelly stood there looking at them for a while, and then, as none -of them took any notice of him, he called in a loud voice, “Is any one -among you named Mahon McMahon?” - -At that the giant at the head of the table started up so suddenly that -the pulling out of his beard split the rock of the table into pieces, -but none of the others stirred nor looked at him. - -“I am Mahon McMahon,” cried the giant. “And what do you come seeking me -for?” - -“I have come here in search of little Phil Renardy,” cried the -blacksmith boldly, “and I have been told that you are the one who can -tell me where to find him.” - -The giant looked at him in silence for a bit, and then he said, “Yes, I -can tell you where to find him, and better than that, I can even show -you where he is.” - -He then led the way into a great stone chamber on beyond the hall, and -it was glowing with fires, and there in it were a great number of young -lads. It seemed to the blacksmith that there were hundreds of them, and -they were all busy at some kind or other of metal work. - -When Mahon McMahon came in, they stopped their work and stood back -against the wall, and the blacksmith saw that not one among them looked -to be more than seven years old, and they were all so much alike that -they might have been brothers. - -“If you are a friend of Phil Renardy, no doubt you can choose him from -all others,” said the giant. “And now look about you, and if you can -tell me at the first telling which is he, then you may take him away -with you, and no harm to any one. But if you cannot tell me, then it -was an ill hour for you when you entered my house, for you’ll never go -out again.” - -This frightened the blacksmith, but still he kept his wits about him and -looked carefully from one lad to the other, but for the life of him he -could not tell of a surety which was Phil Renardy, for he had no clear -remembrance of him. - -In order to gain time he said to the giant, “And are all these fine lads -servants of yours?” - -“They are,” replied Mahon McMahon, “and it has taken me a long time to -gather them together.” - -“You must be a good master,” went on Robert Kelly, “for they all look -rosy and in good condition, and I’m sure you treat them well, and they -must be fond of you.” He thought by talking in this way he might flatter -the giant and put him in a good humor. - -“That is a true word you have spoken,” said the giant, “and I’m sure you -must be an honest man, so let us shake hands upon it.” - -He held out his hand to the blacksmith, but when Bob Kelly looked at -it, it was so thick and broad and cruel looking that he was afraid to -trust his own hand to it. “For if he were to take the fancy,” thought -Bob, “he could crush it as easily as I could crush a rotten potato.” So, -instead of putting his hand into the giant’s, he put the plowshare in -it, and the giant shut his fingers tight on it, so that it crumpled up -as though the iron had no more strength in it than a piece of paper. - -“Praises be it was not my hand he was squeezing,” thought Robert Kelly. - -“You have a strong hand,” said the giant, “but you need a stronger than -that if you’re to shake hands with Mahon McMahon.” - -Then all the little lads burst into laughter, but through their laughter -he thought he heard some one sighing, “Robert Kelly! Robert Kelly! I am -here behind you.” - -He turned about quickly, and there behind him was one lad among them who -was not laughing. And like a flash the blacksmith seized hold of him and -cried out, “This is Phil Renardy, and the one I would take with me.” - -“Bad cess to you!” cried the giant, “but you’ve chosen rightly.” - -Then all grew dark, but Robert Kelly kept tight hold of the boy he had -chosen, and he could hear many voices about him, crying, “Happy Philip -Renardy! Happy Philip Renardy!” - -The next he knew the sun was shining, and he was lying on the grass at -the top of the cliff, and the little lad was watching beside him. - -“And are you of a truth the little Philip Renardy that’s been lost for -so long?” asked Kelly. - -“I am that one,” replied the lad, “and it is you that have saved me; and -now let us be up and off, for my heart is aching within me for a sight -of my mother.” - -So the blacksmith rose up, and took the little lad’s hand and led him to -the big house of the Renardys, and the lad seemed to know the way better -than he did. And no sooner did Mrs. Renardy see him than she knew the -lad as her son and was like to have gone distracted with the joy of it. -That was a comfort to Bob Kelly, too, for all the time he had kept -wondering whether by chance he might not have brought back the wrong boy -with him. - -When he at last left them and went back to his smithy, he found quite a -crowd gathered there, talking about him, for when he hadn’t come back to -the boat his friend had made sure the cliff had closed on him, and that -mortal eye would never again behold him. - -But when the people who had gathered heard his tale, there was great -rejoicing, and all the bells of the village were rung, and a great crowd -hurried away to the Renardy’s house, to get a glimpse of the boy who had -been stolen by the giant. - -Soon after his return, the boy began to grow again, but he never became -very big, and there was always something a bit strange about him, though -after a while he married and had children of his own who were fine stout -fellows, and all of them were wonderful workers in metals. - -As for Robert Kelly, his adventures were the making of him, for people -came from everywhere to have him do their work for them, so as to have -a chance to hear him tell his story. Moreover, Philip taught him some of -the secrets of working with metal that he had learned in the giant’s -house, so that he became quite famous. - -But the giant was never heard of again, and no more sounds came from -within the cliff house, so it was supposed that he had left that part of -the country and chosen some other place as his dwelling. - - - - -THE STORY OF CONN-EDA - -AN IRISH TALE - - -King Conn of Ireland had one noble son named Conn-eda, and he was as -dear to his father as the apple of his eye,--none dearer. - -His mother had died while he was still a child, and after a while the -King, his father, married again. He married the young daughter of his -chief priest, but he did not marry her because he loved her, and that is -the truth. He married her because his councilors told him that it was a -wise thing for him to do, for this chief priest was very powerful. - -The new Queen was a cruel woman, and her hatred of Conn-eda was bitter -and deep. She hated him because he was so handsome and free-hearted, and -she hated him because he was so dear to his father, but most of all she -hated him because every one looked to him as the one who would sometime -be their king, and there was no knowing how soon that would be, for -already his father was old and feeble. - -After a while the young Queen had a child of her own, and then she hated -Conn-eda worse than ever and was always plotting how she could get rid -of him, for she wanted the kingdom to come to her own son. - -Now there was a woman who lived down back of the castle in a poor -tumble-down hut, and it was said that she knew more than a little about -magic, and every one was afraid of her. She was the hen-wife, and had -charge of all the chickens that belonged to the castle. She was a -handsome woman and a strange one, and no one could tell whether she were -young or old, and she might have been either. - -One day the Queen went by herself down to the hut to visit the hen-wife, -for she wished to ask her advice. She was not ashamed to go, either, -because of the woman being an enchantress. - -“Queen Durfulla,” said the hen-wife, “I know why you have come to me, -and what you are after wanting.” - -That surprised the Queen, and she said, “What is it I am wanting, then?” - -“You are wanting to rid yourself of young Conn-eda, and it is for my -advice you have come hither. But I am not one to give something for -nothing. What reward will I have if I give you my advice?” - -“What reward will you be wanting?” asked the Queen. - -“It’s none so much and none so little. Give me enough wool to fill the -hole between my arm and body when I set my hand on my hip with my elbow -out, and give me enough red wheat to fill the hole I shall bore with my -distaff, and my advice is yours for the asking.” - -Well, the Queen could not help smiling at that, for it seemed but a -small reward for any one to ask, and she gladly agreed to give it. - -“Then have the wool and the wheat brought here to-morrow,” said the -hen-wife. “Twenty cartloads of wool, and twenty cartloads of wheat will -be none too much to fill the hollow between my arm and body and the hole -I’ll make.” - -The Queen thought that was a strange thing to say, and that the hen-wife -must be dreaming, but all the same she was back at the hen-wife’s door -the next day, and close after her came twenty cartloads of wool and -twenty cartloads of wheat, with the horses pulling and the carters -cracking their whips. - -The hen-wife stood in the doorway with her hand on her hip and her elbow -out, and the men took an armful of wool and put it in the hollow of her -arm, but it fell through the hollow and inside the house. They stuffed -another armful in between her arm and body, and the same thing happened -to it. Not until the house was so full of wool that it could hold no -more were they able to fill the hollow of the hen-wife’s arm as she -stood in the doorway. - -“And now for the wheat,” said the hen-wife. - -Then she led them to her brother’s house which was close by, and climbed -up on the roof. The roof was of peat, and she bored a hole down through -the peat with her distaff, so that as fast as they poured the wheat into -the hole, it ran down into the house, and not until the house was so -full that it could hold no more could they fill the hole, too. - -“Now I am satisfied,” said the hen-wife, but that was more than the -Queen could say, for she was a mean woman. However, if the hen-wife -could tell her how to rid herself of Prince Conn-eda, it was more to her -than all the wheat and wool that ever were grown. - -“Now listen well to what I tell you,” said the hen-wife. “You have paid -me faithfully and fully, and I am ready to keep my part of the bargain, -too. Far and far enough from here, there lies a great dark lake, and the -name of it is Lough Erne. Under its waters lives the King of the Fiborg -race, a race that lives in the water most happily. There, in the King’s -garden, grow three golden apples. In his stable stands a grand black -steed. In his castle lies the puppy-hound Samur, and great are the magic -powers of that hound. You must send Conn-eda to get these things for -you, and to fetch them back within a year and a day and it’s not a -living being who can seek those things and not lose his life in the -seeking, unless he has magic to help him.” - -“But how can I send Conn-eda?” asked the Queen, “for he is not a child -that he must do my bidding.” - -“That also I will tell you,” replied the hen-wife. - -She then brought out a chessboard and chessmen and gave them to the -Queen. “Do you take these home with you,” she said, “and call Conn-eda -to come and play a game of chess with you. I have set a charm on the -men, and I have set a charm on the board, so that you will be sure to -win; but before you play you must make a bargain with the Prince that -whichever loses shall pay a forfeit to the winner, and the forfeit you -shall ask of him is that he fetch to you the three things I have told -you of. But be sure that you play only the one game, for after that is -played the charm will lose its power.” - -The Queen was pleased with the advice the hen-wife gave her, and she -took the chessboard and the chessmen and promised to do in all things as -she had been told. Then she hastened back to the castle. - -No sooner was she there than she sent for Conn-eda to come and have a -game of chess, and he came at her command and sat down at the board with -her. - -“It is not for nothing we will play together this day,” said the Queen, -“but whichever loses shall pay a forfeit to the other, and the forfeit -shall be whatever the winner chooses to demand.” - -To this Conn-eda agreed. He had it in his head that the Queen was -planning some trick against him, but he did not fear her, for he made -sure he could beat her at the game. - -So they sat down to play, and Conn-eda was a good player, and the Queen -was a poor one, but it seemed as though there were a mist before the -Prince’s eyes, and when he thought he had made one play he found he had -made another, and presently he saw he had lost the game, and the Queen -was the winner. - -Then she laughed aloud and pushed the board from her. “The game is mine, -Conn-eda,” she cried, “and it is for you to pay the forfeit. Whatever I -ask for, that shall you pay, no matter what be the cost.” - -When the Prince heard that, his heart was troubled within him, and he -said to her, “What is that forfeit that you will demand of me?” - -“This is the forfeit,” the Queen replied. “Within a year and a day you -shall bring to me three golden apples, and a grand black steed, and the -magic puppy-hound Samur and they all belong to the King of the Fiborg -people. He lives at the bottom of Lough Erne, but where that is I know -not, and you must find it for yourself.” - -When the Prince Conn-eda heard that, he knew the Queen had indeed -tricked him, and the forfeit he was like to pay was that of his life. -But he dissembled and hid his fear, and said, “The forfeit I will pay, -if it be in mortal power to do so. And now we will play another game, -and again it shall be for a forfeit, with the loser to pay it.” - -The Queen was so full of triumph that she forgot the warning of the -hen-wife and willingly agreed to play once more with Conn-eda. - -But now the magic had gone out of the board, and this time the Prince -was the winner. - -When the Queen found she had lost, her face grew pale, and her heart -sank down within her. - -“You have won, Conn-eda,” said she. “And what is the forfeit I must pay -to you?” - -“The forfeit is this,” said Conn-eda. “For the year and the day that I -am away, you must sit at the top of the highest tower of the castle and -eat nothing but as much red wheat as you can pick up with the point of -your bodkin.” - -That was a hard fate for the Queen, but after all, it would be only for -a year and a day, and at the end of that time she would be free again -and rid of Prince Conn-eda forever, so the bargain was not so hard as it -seemed at first hearing. So the Queen went up and took her place in the -high tower, and the Prince mounted his horse and rode out into the world -in search of the golden apples, the grand black steed, and the magic -puppy-hound Samur. - -But first Conn-eda went to a Wise Man he knew, who was a friend of his. -Many and many a favor the Prince had done for him, and now it was time -to ask one in return. - -The Wise Man heard Conn-eda galloping up and came out of the house to -meet him, and the Prince lighted down from his horse and greeted him -respectfully. - -“I am in great trouble,” Conn-eda began, “and I have come to you to see -if you can help me.” - -“That I guessed at once from your face,” replied the Wise Man, “and you -had best begin at the beginning and tell me the whole story, for it’s -only after I’ve heard the whole of it that I’ll best know how to help -you.” - -So the Prince began and told the Wise Man the whole matter from -beginning to end. He told of the Queen’s hatred toward him and of the -ways she had tried to injure him; he told of how she had bidden him to -play a game of chess with her, and of how he had feared her and yet made -no doubt of winning the game; and he told of how in some strange way he -had become the loser, and how the Queen had claimed a forfeit from him, -and what it was she had claimed. - -“And we played still again, and that time it was for her to pay the -forfeit”; and he told what the forfeit was that he had demanded of her. - -“And it was no more than her just dues,” said the Wise Man. “I make no -doubt but that the Queen has sought to make you lose your life in this -business, and it was a clever brain that thought out this trick. There -is some one back of it other than the Queen.” - -He thought for a while, and then he spoke again. “There is but one -person who would have known of the golden apples, the grand black steed, -and the magic hound Samur, and that one is the Wise Woman who lives in -the hut down back of the palace. She calls herself a hen-wife, but of a -truth she is Carlleach of Lough Corib, and the sister of the Water King -himself. There are four of the water people, three brothers and one -sister. The first is King of the Fiborgs, and the second is under some -enchantment. The third lives in a house next to that of the hen-wife, -and the fourth is Carlleach herself. And now, my son, I will do what I -can to help you. Where Lough Corib is I know not, but out in my stable -is a little shaggy black horse. He is not much to look at, but he is -great in power. Take him and ride whithersoever he carries you, and -leave the rein loose on his neck that he may choose his own way. He will -take you to the crag where the Bird of Wisdom sits. Three days in every -three years the bird sits there, and it’s little that goes on in the -world that he does not know about. This is the time for him to be -sitting on the crag, and if he will but speak, he can tell you how to -set about finding the lake and the Water King’s treasures.” - -The Wise Man then took out a very beautiful and very precious jewel from -a box that stood on a shelf behind the door and gave it to Conn-eda. - -“If the Bird of Wisdom will not speak,” said he, “give him this jewel in -his claw, and then it may be that he will answer you.” - -Conn-eda took the jewel and thanked the Wise Man kindly, and then he -went out to the stable and led forth the shaggy little black horse and -mounted himself on him, instead of his own fine steed, and indeed the -little horse was not much to look at. But no sooner was Conn-eda on his -back than he found what a worth-while horse he was, for away he went -lighter than a bird and swifter than the wind, and it was like no other -riding that Conn-eda had ever done. - -A long way and a short way went the shaggy black horse, and all the -while Conn-eda let the rein lie loose, so that the horse was free to -choose his own way, and then they came within sight of a cliff, and on -the cliff sat a great gray bird. It sat so still it might have been a -part of the rocks for any motion that it had, and the eyes in its head -were as dull as cold, dead stones. - -The horse halted before the cliff and bade the Prince speak to the bird. -“For it is the Bird of Wisdom of which the Wise Man spoke,” said he, -“and unless it can tell us what to do next we might as well turn back -the way we came for we’ll never win to the lake where the King of the -Fiborgs lives.” - -Then Conn-eda lifted up his voice and called to the bird. Three times he -called to it, but the bird never stirred even a feather, but sat there -still as though it were carved from the rocks. - -Then the shaggy steed said, “Give it the jewel, Conn-eda, and perchance -it will speak.” - -The Prince took the jewel from his bosom where he carried it and held it -up so that it sparkled in the sunlight, and again he called to the bird; -and this time it turned its head and looked at him, and its eyes grew -bright as though a fire were lighted within it. Then it flew down and -caught the jewel in its claw and flew back with it to the cliff. - -There it sat, and opened its beak, and cried in a harsh voice, -“Conn-eda! Conn-eda! Son of the King of Cruachan, I know why you have -come and what you would have of me. Light down and lift the stone that -is close to the right forefoot of your steed. Under it you will find a -ball and a cup. Take them up, for you will have need of both of them. -The ball you must roll before you and follow wherever it leads you. It -will bring you to the place whither you would go. The cup you will need -later.” - -Then the Bird of Wisdom closed its beak, and the light died out of its -eyes, and again it sat as still and gray as though there were no breath -of life in it. - -Conn-eda lighted down and looked for the stone the bird had told him of, -and he could not miss it for the horse’s right fore hoof was against it. -He lifted it up and there he found a cup and ball. The cup he placed in -the bosom of his shirt, but the ball he threw before him, according to -the bird’s bidding, and on and on it rolled, up hill and down dale, over -bog and through briars, with Conn-eda on the shaggy steed following hard -after it. - -After a while it led them to the edge of a lake so dark and deep you -might have thought there was no bottom to it, and into this lake the -ball bounded and so was lost to sight. - -The Prince was in despair. “Now what are we to do?” cried he. “If we -follow the ball, we are like to be drowned in the deep waters of the -lough, and if we do not follow it, we will never win to the palace of -the Water King.” - -But the shaggy steed bade him take heart. “We must indeed still follow -the ball,” said he, “but even so it is possible no harm may come to us. -And now sit tight, my master.” With that the horse plunged into the -lough, and down and down through the still cold waters. - -Conn-eda sat close, as the steed bade him, and presently they came -through the water and out into a land of pleasant meadows and flowing -streams. The lake was above them like a sky, with the sun shining down -through it, and not a hair of either of them was wet, and the ball was -lying there at their feet. - -“Now Conn-eda, light down,” said the steed “and reach your hand first -into one of my ears and then into the other. In the one you will find a -small wicker basket, and in the other a flask of heal-all water. We will -need them both, for now we are drawing near to the dangerous part of the -adventure.” - -The Prince did as he was told and put his hand into the horse’s ears, -first into one and then into the other. In the one he found the wicker -basket and in the other the flask of water. Then he mounted again and -off he rode, and the ball that had been lying still all this time rolled -before them to show the way, and they followed close after it. - -After a bit they came to the end of the meadow and there was a great -stretch of water with a causeway leading across it, and along the -causeway rolled the ball. But Conn-eda drew rein, and no wonder, for the -causeway was guarded by three great fiery serpents. They lay there -stretched across and across it, and the smoke rose up from their -breathing in three great columns, and as the Prince looked at them, his -heart melted within him like wax, for they were a fearful sight. - -But the shaggy steed bade him take heart. “It’s the truth, Conn-eda, -that we must pass those fiery serpents,” he said. “Backward we cannot -go, so forward we must. Now open the basket, and you will find in it -three pieces of meat. As I leap over the serpents you must throw one -piece into the mouth of each of them. If you do this, we may pass safely -over them, and pray that your aim be good, for if you miss the mouth of -any of them, it will be death both for you and me.” - -So Conn-eda opened the lid of the basket and found the pieces of meat -and took them out, and the steed set out along the causeway, straight -toward where the monsters lay. - -As horse and rider came near them, the serpents reared up and opened -their fiery jaws, and made at Conn-eda and his steed as though to devour -them; but the Prince was ready, and as the steed leaped over them -Conn-eda threw a - -[Illustration: The serpents reared up and opened their fiery jaws. _Page -128_] - -piece of meat into each of the flaming mouths; not one of them did he -miss. - -At once the serpents were satisfied, and their heads sank down, and they -lay as though asleep. - -But the steed alighted on the causeway far beyond them, and Conn-eda’s -hands held lightly to the reins. - -“Conn-eda, are you still astride of me?” - -“I am,” answered the Prince, “and none the worse for the danger we -passed over.” - -“Now it comes to me that you are a noble and heroic Prince,” said the -steed, “and I have high hopes that we may win through all our adventures -with great reward to both of us at the end of them.” - -Then on they went, and on they went until they came to a flaming -mountain, and the heat of it was very great. - -“Are you sitting firm on my back?” asked the shaggy black horse. - -“I am sitting firm,” replied the Prince. - -“Then stir not. Look neither to the right nor left, nor up nor down, for -I am going to leap over the mountain, and if my leap is broken by so -much as a hairbreadth, we will both fall into the flames, and that will -be the end of us.” - -When Conn-eda heard this, fear seemed to clutch at the very heart of -him, but he settled himself in the saddle, and when the horse leaped, he -kept in mind what had been said to him, and looked neither to the right -hand nor the left, nor up nor down, nor stirred so much as a hairbreadth -in his seat. - -The good steed carried him over, but they were not so high above the -mountain but what the flames came up and licked Conn-eda’s feet and his -clothing. - -“Are you still alive, Conn-eda?” asked the steed, when they alighted -upon the other side of it. - -“I am just alive, and no more,” replied Conn-eda, “for I am greatly -scorched.” - -“That is both well and ill,” said the horse. “Well that you are still -alive, and ill that you are so sore burned. Take the flask and rub some -of the heal-all that is in it on your burns, and they will pass away.” - -This Conn-eda did, and at once his burns disappeared as though they had -never been there, and his flesh and skin were all well and sound again. - -“The worst of our dangers are over now,” said the shaggy black horse, -“but other things are still to be done that you may find hard in the -doing. Now mount and ride again, and I can tell you we are not far from -the palace of the Water King, whither we would be going.” - -Conn-eda mounted again, and on they rode and fast they went, and then -they came within sight of a castle, with shining domes and turrets, and -great golden gateways. - -Here the shaggy steed bade the Prince again light down. - -“Now, Conn-eda, listen well and answer truly,” said the steed, “for on -what happens next hangs both your fate and my own. So now tell me of a -truth, have I served you well?” - -“None could have served better,” replied the Prince. - -“Have I saved your life, or have I risked it?” - -“You have saved it, and except for you I would have lost it far back on -the road.” - -“And now the time has come to prove whether or no you are grateful. Put -your hand in my ear and take out the dagger you will find there. Fear -not and shrink not, but drive it into my heart, for thus and thus only -can you reward me for what I have done for you.” - -When the Prince heard these words from the steed, he was filled with -horror. “Never, never will I do such a cruel and wicked thing,” he -cried. “Rather would I drive the dagger into my own heart than into -yours.” - -“If you will not, you will not,” said the shaggy black horse, “but this -I tell you plainly; except you do this thing, both you and I must -perish.” - -Well, the steed talked on and on, and at last Conn-eda consented to do -as he was asked, though it seemed to him his hand must wither in the -doing. - -“That is well,” cried the steed, as soon as he had consented. “And now I -will tell you what further you must do. As soon as you have driven the -dagger into me, strip off my hide, and get into it yourself. You will -then be free to go in and out of the castle as you please, though -otherwise you would be slain by the people there the moment you -entered. Go through the golden gateway in the center, and the first -thing you will see is a leaping silver fountain. Fill the cup you found -beneath the stone with this water and bring it back and sprinkle the -water over me. Then all will be well. But oh, Conn-eda, haste in your -going and coming, for as soon as you have left me, the birds of prey -will gather about me, and if they tear me to pieces, there will be no -further help for me.” - -Conn-eda promised to do in all things as the steed bade him, and he then -put his hand in its ear and found the dagger it had told him about. But -he trembled so that he had scarce strength to even so much as point the -dagger at the steed, let alone strike him. But this was all that was -needed, for as soon as the dagger was turned toward him, it flew -forward, carrying Conn-eda’s hand with it, and buried itself to the hilt -in the steed’s heart, so that he fell dead. - -Then the Prince wept bitter tears over his dead companion. After awhile -he arose and took the dagger to strip off the hide as he had promised; -but there was no need of cutting, for no sooner did he catch hold of the -hide than it came off like a loose glove from the hand within it, and -the hide was as soft and fine as though it had been tanned by the king -of tanners. - -Conn-eda got into the hide, and then he did not stay nor tarry but -hastened away to the castle, as the steed had bidden him, and in through -the golden gateway. - -There within was a great hall with many people moving about in it, and -warders at the door, but no one spoke to him nor stayed him. In the -center of the hall was the leaping silver fountain of which the steed -had told him, and to this the Prince hastened and he filled his cup with -its water, and then back he ran the way he had come, to where the steed -was lying. - -But swift as had been his going and coming, he was only just in time, -for already the birds of prey were gathering, and he had to fight them -with his sword before he could drive them away. - -Then he sprinkled the water from the cup upon the body of the steed, and -no sooner had he done this than a strange thing happened, for at once -the steed was gone, and there in its place stood a young and handsome -prince, and he was so tall and so noble in his air that Conn-eda had -never seen the like of him. - -The young man came over to Conn-eda and took him in his arms, and his -face was streaming with tears, but they were tears of joy. - -“Conn-eda,” said he, “you have saved me from a hard and cruel fate, and -little did I think I would ever come back into my own shape again and -live as other men do. I am own brother to the Water King, and it was -because of a cruel enchantment that I was obliged to go about in the -shape of a shaggy little black horse. - -“The enchantment held me fast, and only if one would ride me back to the -castle and through true love would slay me and sprinkle me with water -from the fountain, could the spell be broken. - -“This you have done for me, Conn-eda, and never will I forget what I owe -you. And now come with me back to the castle of my brother, that he may -make you welcome.” - -So Conn-eda and his companion went back to the castle, and there the joy -was so great that it was beyond all telling, because the enchantment -had been broken, and the young Prince had come back to his own again. - -The Water King made Conn-eda welcome and gladly promised him the golden -apples, the grand black steed and the magic hound Samur. Nothing would -he have refused Conn-eda because he had saved his brother from his -enchantment. - -A great feast was prepared, and there was shouting and rejoicing, and -the Water King begged of Conn-eda that he would stay there till the time -given him for his searching was near an end. - -To this the Prince gladly agreed, and he lingered there with the Water -King and his brother until a year and a day had almost passed, and then -he set off for his father’s kingdom. He rode the grand black steed, and -in his bosom he bore the golden apples, and the magic hound Samur ran -beside him. So he rode; and now the way was clear with nothing to stop -nor stay him. Thus he came again to his home, and there, on the high -tower, the wicked queen was still sitting, feeding on red wheat, that -she took up on the point of her bodkin. - -But though the living was lean, her heart rejoiced within her, for she -made no doubt but what the Prince Conn-eda was dead, and her own son -would reign in the kingdom. And then, on the last day of her forfeit, -she looked out from the tower where she was sitting, and there came -Conn-eda riding the black steed, and with the hound beside him, and she -guessed well that he had also the apples with him. - -Then her rage and fear were so great that she threw herself down from -the tower and so perished miserably. - -But Conn-eda sent for the hen-wife, who was a Princess, and when he saw -her she was so handsome and so stately, and withal so tender, that his -heart went out to her, and he wished for nothing so much as to have her -for a wife. - -To this she consented, and they were married with great magnificence. -The Water King and his brother came to the wedding, and the third -Prince, who had been living near her, was given a high position in the -court, and so they all lived in great love and happiness forever. - - - - -THE BLUE BELT - -A NORSE TALE - - -A beggar woman and her son were walking along through the country, and -they came to a crossroad, and there, right in the dust of the road, lay -a handsome belt of blue leather. - -The lad asked his mother’s leave to pick it up and wear it. - -“Let it alone,” said the woman crossly. “For all we know, there may be -some magic about it. Indeed, I am almost sure there is, for I don’t like -the looks of it.” - -The lad begged and pleaded to be allowed to pick it up, but the old -woman would not hear to it, and so in the end he was obliged to go on -without it. But all the same, as they trudged along, he kept thinking -and thinking about the belt, and the farther they went the more he -wished he had it. - -After a while they came to where the road led through a forest, and the -lad made some excuse to step aside for a moment. He slipped along from -one tree to another until he was out of his mother’s sight; and then he -ran back to where the blue belt was lying. He picked it up and buckled -it around him under his shirt where it could not be seen. - -No sooner had he done this, than he felt as though the strength of ten -men had passed into him. It seemed to him as though he could tear up -trees by the roots if he chose, or carry a mountain on his shoulders and -think nothing of it. - -When he came back, his mother was in a fine rage. “I ought to beat you -for keeping me waiting all this time,” she cried, “and I would do it, -too, if I were not so tired. Wherever we’re to sleep I’m sure I don’t -know, for it’s too late now to get on to the next village.” - -The boy answered nothing, but he trudged along at his mother’s side, and -all the while he was feeling stronger and stronger. - -After a while the old woman said she was tired, and she would have to -sit down and rest a bit. - -The lad asked leave to go to the top of a cliff close by, so as to look -about and see whether he could not see a house somewhere near. - -“Go if you choose,” said his mother, “but if you stay away as you did -before, I’ll give you a good beating when you get back, however tired I -am.” - -The lad ran quickly to the top of the cliff and looked about him, and -there, sure enough, off toward the North, he saw the light of a house, -and it was not so very far away, either. - -He ran down and told his mother what he had seen. “Mother, let us go -there and ask for a bite to eat, for if we don’t, we’ll have to go -hungry till to-morrow,” he cried. “And maybe the people who live there -will let us spend the night there, too.” - -The mother began to groan and lament. “Never in the world could I climb -up that cliff and over,” said she. “I’m so tired I can scarce put one -foot before the other, and that’s the truth of the matter.” - -“Never bemoan yourself about that,” cried the lad, “for I’ll carry you -over”; and so saying, he caught her up as though she weighed no more -than a feather, and ran up the cliff and over, and down on the other -side with her; and when he put her down he was not even breathing fast -from carrying her. - -“You’ve grown to be a strong, stout lad, and there’s no doubt about -that,” said his mother. - -After that they went along again until they came to the house with the -light in it, and when they got up close to it, the mother began to shake -and tremble. - -“Come away! Come away!” said she. “This is a Troll’s house, and it would -be a bad thing for us if he were to get hold of us.” - -But the lad was not one whit afraid. He knocked at the door, and then, -before any one could answer the knock, he opened the door and stepped -inside, dragging his mother with him. - -There, on a great settle by the fire, sat a man at least twenty feet -high, and it was easy enough to tell by the look of him that he was a -Troll. - -The mother almost fainted with terror, but the lad spoke up as bold as -bold could be, for he felt the strength inside of him and feared nobody. -He told the Troll that he and his mother were footsore and weary, and he -asked whether they might come in and rest a bit. - -The Troll told him he and his mother were welcome, and then he made the -lad sit down and they talked of one thing and another, but the woman was -so frightened she just crept into a corner and groaned every time the -Troll looked at her. - -After a while the lad asked the Troll whether he could not give him and -his mother a bite of supper, for they were hungry as well as weary. - -Yes, the Troll could do that, too. - -He went outside and came back with a whole load of wood in his arms, as -much as two horses could haul. This he threw upon the fire and stirred -it up into a blaze. - -And now the woman began to shake and shiver as though she would fall to -pieces, for she thought for sure the Troll was making ready to cook her -and her son for supper; but instead he brought in a whole ox and put it -over the fire to roast. When it was done, he took out a great silver -platter from the cupboard, and the platter was so large that when he put -the ox on it, not any part of the ox hung over the edge. He also set out -on the table knives and forks, each six feet long, and a great hogshead -for a drinking cup. - -When all this was done, he said to the lad, “Draw up and eat and drink -as you are able.” - -The lad bade his mother come, too, but she would not, so he took up the -knife and fork with no trouble at all to himself and cut a slice from -the ox and carried it to her. After she had eaten, he lifted the -hogshead down from the table, and then he carried her over to it and -lowered her down into it so she could drink. - -He himself, after he had eaten, climbed to the edge of the hogshead and -hung himself over into it head downward, and drank till he was -satisfied. After a while the Troll said he might as well have a bite of -supper himself. So he went to the table and ate all that was left of the -ox--the meat and the bones and the horns and hoofs of it--and drained -off all that was in the hogshead at one draught. - -Not long afterward it was time to go to bed, and the Troll did not know -how to manage that. - -“There’s only the bed I sleep in, and a cradle,” said the Troll. - -But when the lad came to look at the cradle, it was as long and wide as -any bed he had ever seen. - -“This will do for me,” said he. - -So it was settled that he should sleep in the cradle and his mother in -the bed, though it was so enormous that she shook and shivered at the -very thought of getting into it, and if she had had her choice, she -would have stayed all night in the corner. - -After they were all settled, the lad thought to himself, “I’d best stay -awake and listen how things go on through the night, for there’s no -knowing what this Troll may intend to do to us before morning.” But he -lay there very quiet and kept his eyes shut, and now and then he snored -a bit, so the Troll thought he was asleep. - -Presently the Troll began to talk to the woman. “Do you think that lad -of yours is asleep?” he asked of her. - -“He must be from the way he’s snoring,” she answered. - -“Then, listen,” said the Troll. “It has come into my head that you and I -could live here very happily together if we could only get rid of him, -for to tell you the truth I have no liking for the way he goes about -things.” - -“I’m sure I don’t know how you can do anything with him,” said the -woman, “for he seems to have grown very strong all of a sudden.” - -Oh, the Troll had a plan that would do for the lad. The next morning he -would ask the woman and her son to stay there with him for a day or so, -and she was to agree. Then sometime in the morning he would take the lad -out to the quarry with him to get out some cornerstones, and once there, -it would be easy enough in one way or another to send him down to the -bottom of the quarry, and then roll a rock down on him and crush him. - -To this plan the woman consented, and all the while they talked the boy -lay there and listened, though he breathed with his mouth open as though -he were still sleeping. - -The next day the woman got up early and cooked breakfast for them, and -after they had all eaten, the Troll said, wouldn’t she stay there and -keep house for him for a day or so. - -“There’s nothing to take me elsewhere,” answered the woman. - -Not long after, the Troll took up a crowbar that he kept over in a -corner. - -“I’ll just go over to the quarry and get out a few cornerstones while -you are cooking the dinner,” said he. He then asked the lad whether he -would go along with him. - -“Yes, and gladly,” answered the lad; so the two set out together. - -They worked for awhile at the top of the quarry, and then the Troll told -the lad to go down to the bottom of it and see whether there were any -loose stones lying around down there. - -The lad was willing to do that, too. He went on down toward the bottom -of the quarry. No sooner was he gone than the Troll set to work with his -crowbar. He worked so hard that he groaned and sweated, and presently he -loosened a whole crag and sent it rolling down on the boy. - -But the lad saw it coming and was ready for it. He put out his hands and -stopped it until he could get out of the way, and then he let it roll on -to the bottom. After that he went back to where the Troll was. - -“I couldn’t find any loose rocks down there so now do you go down and -look for some,” he said. - -The Troll was frightened when he saw the lad had come back to the top of -the quarry unharmed. He thought he would certainly have been crushed -under the crag that had rolled down on him. Neither did the Troll want -to go down there below, but he had to. - -Then the lad took up the crowbar and pried out another crag, and it -rolled down on the Troll and hurt him so that he could not move, but lay -where he was groaning. The boy had to go down and roll the crag off him -and pick him up and carry him back to the house, and all the while the -Troll kept on groaning most terribly. When they got home, the lad put -the Troll to bed and he was hurt so badly he had to lie there. - -That night the lad stayed awake again and listened, and presently the -Troll and the woman began to talk things over again. - -“I tell you he’s a dangerous one,” said the woman, “and I’m sure I don’t -see how you’re ever to get rid of him.” - -“I have a brother,” said the Troll, “and he has a walled-in garden, and -in the garden are twelve fierce lions. If we could find some excuse for -getting the lad there, they would very quickly tear him to pieces.” - -“Then I will find the excuse,” said the woman. “To-morrow I will say -that I am very poorly, and that nothing in the world will cure me except -a few drops of lions’ milk. Then you must tell about the lions in your -brother’s garden, and I’ll beg and entreat him until he’ll agree to go -off there to get some for me.” - -This plan pleased the Troll, and it was settled between them that as she -said so they would do. - -The next morning the woman did not get up to cook the breakfast, but lay -in bed, moaning. - -“What ails you, mother?” asked the lad. - -“Oh I’m ill. I’m very ill,” replied the woman. - -“I’m sorry for that,” said her son, “but I’m sure I don’t know what -would make you better.” - -“If I had but a few drops of lions’ milk, that would cure me,” groaned -the woman. - -“That’s a hard thing to get,” replied the lad; “and if that’s the only -thing to cure you, I fear you’ll be ailing a long time.” - -Then the Troll spoke up and said he knew where such milk was to be had. -“But it takes a brave heart and a strong arm to get it, and that’s the -truth,” said the Troll. He then told about his brother’s walled-in -garden and the lions that were in it, and he said that if any one had -the courage to go for it, ’twas there the milk was to be had. - -The woman at once began to beg and entreat the lad to go and get it for -her. He did not say no. “Though,” said he, “I think it is but little -good the milk will do you, and that’s the truth.” - -The Troll told him exactly where the garden was, and he gave him a key -to the gate of it, so he would have no trouble in getting in. The lad -took the key and a milking pail, and off he set. The Troll and the woman -had no other thought than that was the end of him. - -On and on he went, one foot before the other, and after a while he came -to the garden, and then he took out the key and unlocked the door and -stepped inside. - -No sooner had he done this than he saw twelve great lions, each one -fiercer and larger than the other, and they came at him ramping and -roaring so that he was almost deafened by the noise of it, and their -teeth were terrible to see. - -But the lad was no whit frightened. He caught hold of the foremost lion, -and tore it in two, and scattered it in pieces all about him. - -When the other lions saw that, all the fierceness went out of them, and -they crawled to his feet, and fawned on him, and became as tame as dogs. - -The lad patted them, and then he milked a few drops into the milk pail -and started for home with it, but the lions would not be left behind. -They followed after him close at his heels, as dogs follow their master. - -After a while he came within sight of the Troll’s house, and at that -very moment the woman happened to be looking out of the window, and -there she saw him coming along, with the eleven lions following after -him. Then she was terribly frightened, and she called to the Troll, and -together they barred all the doors and windows, so the lions could not -get in at them. - -The lad came to the door and tried to open it, and when he found it was -fastened, he called to them to let him in, but they would not until he -made the lions lie down outside, and promised they should stay there. - -When he went in, there stood his mother shaking and trembling. - -“Well, mother, here is the lions’ milk,” he said, “and I’m sure I hope -it may make you well again.” - -The woman was obliged to drink the milk, though she did not want it. - -That night the Troll and she began talking together after they thought -the lad was sleeping. But he was wide awake and heard all they said -between them, though they spoke in whispers. - -“This son of yours is so strong I don’t see how we’re ever to get rid of -him,” said the Troll. - -“Well, if you don’t know, I’m sure I don’t,” replied the woman. - -“There’s one other plan we might try,” said the Troll. “I have two more -brothers who live not so very far away from here in a castle, and they -are very strong and terrible. Round about the castle is an orchard that -bears apples all the year round, and any one who so much as tastes of -those apples at once falls into a deep sleep, and nothing can waken him -till he has had his sleep out, and the sleep lasts for three days and -three nights. If we could but send the lad there after the apples, he -would be sure to eat of them, and fall asleep, and then my brothers -would find him there and tear him to pieces for they come out every day -to walk in the garden and so would be sure to find him.” - -“If that is the way of it, we’ve no need to worry,” said the woman, “for -I’ll find a way to send him there.” - -The next day the woman said she still was not able to get up. She lay -there in the bed, moaning and groaning. - -“I’m sorry to see you so ailing, mother, but I’m sure I don’t know what -to do about it.” - -“If I but had some apples from the orchard that belongs to the Troll’s -brothers, I’d be well enough,” said the woman, “and if you were but the -good son you pretend to be, I know you’d fetch them for me.” - -“I’ll fetch you the apples soon enough,” replied her son. “No trouble -about that. Though to tell you the truth, I doubt whether they’ll cure -you.” - -The lad made no more ado about it, but off he set for the orchard, and -the eleven lions followed close at his heels. - -When he came to where the apple trees were, he climbed up into the one -that bore the finest fruit, and ate and ate until he could eat no more. -Then he came down and stretched himself out on the soft grass and fell -into a deep sleep. - -The eleven lions gathered about him and guarded him while he slept. - -Now not long after this, the Troll’s two brothers came out into the -orchard for a stroll, and there, the first thing they saw, was the lad -lying under the finest of the apple trees fast asleep, with the apples -lying all about him and one in his hand. - -At that sight they flew into a fine rage, and they turned themselves -into fierce man-eating steeds, and rushed at him to destroy him. - -But before they had a chance even so much as to touch him, the eleven -lions rose up and rushed at the two steeds and fought them, and tore -them into small pieces and scattered them around like dung. - -At the end of three days and three nights, the lad awoke and looked -about him, and there were the lions still guarding him, but the ground -was all dug up as though a battle had been fought there, and there were -deep hoof marks, and pieces of the steeds were scattered all about the -orchard. The lad looked and wondered, and he could not think what had -been happening, but he was not a bit afraid, and he thought as long as -he was there, he might as well go and have a look at the castle. - -When he drew near to it, he saw a most beautiful maiden looking out from -one of the windows, and at sight of her the lad’s heart melted within -him for love of her, she was so beautiful. - -“It is lucky for you that you had your lions with you just now,” said -the maiden. - -“Why is that?” asked the lad. - -Then the maiden told him how the Trolls had gone out into the orchard a -bit ago, when he was asleep under the apple tree, and how they had -changed themselves into man-eating steeds and come at him to destroy -him, and how the lions had then risen up and torn the Trolls to pieces. - -The lad listened to her until she had made an end of the story, and then -he said, “That is as it should be, and it was to guard me that I brought -them hither.” Then he asked the maiden whether he might come in, and at -first she would not let him, because she was afraid of the lions, but -when he promised they should not harm her, but would lie down at the -threshold as quiet as house cats, she opened the door to him. - -The lad looked about him, and it seemed to him the castle was but a -rough place for such a beauty to live in. - -“I wonder,” said he, “that such a one as you should be living here with -no better company than those two Trolls were.” - -“It is not of my own will I am living here,” replied the maiden. Then -she told him she was the daughter of the King of Arabia, and that she -had been walking in her father’s garden one day, and the Trolls had -appeared out of a forest near by, and carried her away with them, and -she had been well-nigh scared out of her wits by it. But they had done -her no harm, though they had kept her a prisoner here, and they intended -that after a while one or other of them should take her as a wife. Then -she asked the lad who he was, and where he had come from, and he told -her all about it. - -“You may be the son of a beggar, but all the same it seems to me you are -something of a hero,” said the Princess, “and now we will see whether I -am right about it.” - -Then she led him into another room and showed him where two great swords -were hanging on the wall. - -“Those are the Trolls’ swords,” said the Princess, “and they are very -heavy to handle. Now try whether you can lift one of them down from the -wall, though I doubt whether you are strong enough.” - -“That is an easy task you are setting me,” said the lad. He took a chair -and set it on a table, and another chair on top of that; and then he -climbed up on them, for the swords were so high on the wall that only in -that way could he reach the place where they were hanging. Then he -reached out and set one finger under the point of one of the swords, and -tossed it up in the air and caught it, and he leaped down and flourished -the sword about him, so that it whistled. - -“Yes, I can see that you are indeed a hero,” said the Princess; “so now -tell me: shall I go home to my father, the King of Arabia, or shall I -stay here and be your wife?” - -It did not take the lad long to make his choice in that matter. - -“You shall stay here and be my wife,” said he, “for indeed I love you so -dearly that if I cannot marry you, then I shall never marry any one.” - -So the Princess stayed on in the castle, and she and the lad were very -happy together. - -But after some time had passed, the Princess said she ought to go back -and see her father, for he did not know what had become of her, and no -doubt he had grieved bitterly, thinking she was dead. - -This reminded the lad that he had promised to take back the apples to -his mother, and it was agreed between them that she should go back to -Arabia, and that he should take the apples to his mother, and that then -he should come after her to her father’s kingdom and claim her. - -So the next day they set out, and the Princess went to the nearest -seaport, and hired a vessel with some of the jewels she wore, and sailed -back to Arabia. But the lad set out for the Troll’s house with the bosom -of his shirt full of apples, and the lions following close at his heels. - -When he came near the Troll’s house, his mother was looking out of the -window, and no sooner did she see him than she began to shake and -shiver. - -“There is my son back again,” said she, “and indeed I feel terribly -frightened.” - -“He’s a strong one, and that’s the truth,” said the Troll, “and I wish -we could find out what makes him so, for it’s not in nature for any one -to be as strong as he is.” - -“Perhaps there is indeed some secret about it,” said the woman, “and if -there is, I may be able in some way to wheedle it out of him. At least I -can do no better then try.” - -So she made haste to open the door and welcome the lad back to his home -again, but the lions had to stay outside, because both she and the Troll -were afraid of them. - -“And did you get the apples?” she asked of him. - -Yes, he had the apples. “And I hope they’ll cure you, mother,” said he, -“though I think you have little need of them, for I never saw you -looking better.” - -“Oh I’m still very ailing,” said she, “and I’ll eat the apples after a -bit; but first do you sit down and have a bite of the good supper I’ve -cooked for you.” - -So the lad sat down, and the mother gave him his supper, and while he -ate it, she sat beside him and talked to him. - -“You’re a strong one,” said she, “and there’s no doubt about that.” - -“Strong enough,” replied her son, still eating. - -“And how did it all come about?” asked the woman. “For only a while ago -you were a weakling, and it was I who had to help you over the rough -places.” - -“Now I’ll tell you,” said the lad, for he was sleepy from eating so much -supper and scarce knew what he was saying. “It’s all because of that -blue belt that we saw at the crossroads and that I wanted to pick up, -and you forbade me.” - -Then he told his mother the whole story, and the woman sat and listened, -and the Troll listened, too, only he was hidden behind a door and the -lad did not see him. - -“And that’s the way the strength came to me,” said the lad, when he had -made an end of the telling. - -“And have you the belt on you now?” asked the woman. - -“Yes, I have,” said the lad, and he opened his shirt and showed it to -her. - -Then, before he could stop her, the woman caught hold of the belt and -tore it from him, and at once all his strength went out of him, so that -he was helpless before her. - -Then the Troll came from behind the door, and he and the woman made -merry together because the lad was so helpless, and they talked together -about what they should do with the lad to get rid of him. The woman was -for taking him out to a high cliff and throwing him over, but the Troll -said no, that was not bad enough for him. In the end the Troll put out -the lad’s eyes, and set him adrift in a boat on the sea, and he and the -woman thought that was the end of him. - -But it was not, for the lions were faithful, and they had followed -after, and when they saw the boat drifting away, they swam after it and -caught the edge of the boat with their teeth, and brought it ashore on -an island. - -There they and the lad lived, and the lions took care of him, for the -lad was helpless because he was blind. The lions found a cave for him to -live in and caught birds and wild animals for him to eat, and the lad -picked the feathers off the birds, and took the skins of the animals, -and made a soft bed for himself, and always, while some of the lions -were out hunting, others stayed with him to guard him and see that no -harm came to him. - -One day the oldest lion went out hunting, and he went a long way before -he found anything. Then, after a while, he started up a hare, and it was -blind. The lion chased the hare, and it went leaping along, and -presently, because it was blind, it fell into a pool of water. As soon -as the water touched its eyes, it could see again, and it scrambled out -from the pool and escaped the lion. - -The lion went back to where the lad was sitting in his cave, and took -hold of his clothes, and began to pull at them. The lad did not know -what the lion wanted of him, but he got up and allowed the lion to lead -him. It led him on and on, until they came to the edge of the pool, and -then the lion loosed his clothing and gave the lad such a push that he -fell head over heels into the water. No sooner did the water touch his -eyes than the blindness was all gone, and he could see again even better -than before. - -Then the lad rejoiced greatly, and he got into the boat and went back -to the place where the Troll lived, and the lions swam after. - -After he landed, he crept up toward the house very carefully, so that no -one saw him, and peeped in at the door. The woman was busy at the -dough-trough making up bread, and her back was toward him, and there was -the blue belt hanging from a nail in the wall. - -The lad crept in and seized it and put it around him, and then he began -to shout and stamp about, and call to the woman and the Troll to come -and catch hold of him. - -The woman turned about, and when she saw the lad was there and the belt -gone from the wall, she knew what had happened. She was terribly -frightened, and began to coax and cajole him, and beg him to let her -have the belt again. - -But the lad would not listen to her. He threw open the door and called -in the lions, and they soon made an end of her. Then they ran out and -found the Troll, too, and tore him to pieces in spite of all his cries -and prayers for mercy. - -That was the end of them, and after that the lad was ready to set out -for Arabia to claim the Princess as his wife, but he would not let the -lions go with him for there was no need for them in that business. - -The lad journeyed on and on, and after a while he came to Arabia, and -there he heard a story of how the daughter of the King of that country -had been stolen away by Trolls, and kept a prisoner for a long time but -now she was home, and the King was so glad to have her back he said he -would never let her leave him again. He had hidden her away, no one knew -where, and when any one came to ask her hand in marriage the King said -no one might have her but he who could find her, and if any one tried to -find her and failed, he should have his head cut off. - -Many kings and princes had lost their lives in this manner. - -The lad listened and listened to everything that was said, and he -thought to himself that he would be the next to have a try at finding -the Princess, but he said nothing about it to any one. - -One day the lad met a man who was selling white bearskins, and the lad -stopped him and began talking to him. “I will tell you what we will do,” -said he. “I will put on one of those bearskins, and then do you fasten a -collar around my neck and lead me through the town by a chain, and I -will dance and perform tricks.” - -This plan pleased the man, and he readily agreed to it; so the lad put -on the bearskin, and the man led him about by a chain, and everywhere -the lad danced and performed in such a wonderful way that the people -were amazed. - -After a while it came to the King’s ears that such a beast was in the -town, and that not only could it dance and perform tricks, but it could -understand everything that was said to it. - -The King became very curious to see the animal, and he sent word for the -man to come to the palace and bring the bear with him. - -The man at once set out for the palace, and on the way he said to the -lad, “Now you must do your best, for if you can succeed in pleasing the -King, he will be sure to pay us well.” - -“Yes,” said the lad, “but when we come to the palace, you must warn -everybody that they are not to laugh at me, for if the people there -laugh at me, I may become so enraged that I will tear them to pieces -before I know what I am doing.” - -So as soon as the man came to the palace, he said that no one was to -laugh at the bear, whatever happened, and the King promised that no one -should. - -Then the lad began to perform his tricks, but in the very midst of -things one of the maids began to laugh, and at once the pretended bear -flew at her and tore her to pieces before any one could stop him. - -The man was terrified, but the King said, “It does not matter; she was -only a maid, after all.” - -After that the King said the man and the bear must spend the night at -the castle. The man might sleep in the kitchen, but the bear should stay -in the little room that opened out from the King’s own chamber. The man -had nothing to sleep on but hard boards, but the bear was given a bed -made of feathers and soft cushions to lay his head on. - -That night, when all the palace was still, and no one awake to see him, -the King came to the room where the pretended bear was lying, and roused -him and bade him come with him, for the King had a mind to show the bear -to his daughter, and have her see the tricks and the dancing. - -The King led the pretended bear upstairs and downstairs, and through -cellars and long galleries and around corners, and all the while the lad -kept his eyes open, and watched carefully just where they were going, so -that he might know how to come the next time. - -After a while, the King still leading him, they came out on a long pier -with the water washing about it. Here the King pulled and pushed at -different posts and wooden pegs, and all the while the lad watched him -carefully. Presently a little house came floating, floating across the -water until it lay close up against the pier, and then the King took out -a bunch of keys and unlocked the door and - -[Illustration: When she saw the bear she cried aloud with terror. _Page -169_] - -led the bear inside, and there, in a little golden room, sat the -beautiful Princess. - -The Princess started up when the King entered, and when she saw the bear -she cried aloud with terror. But the King bade her not to fear it, for -it was a trained bear, and there was no danger from it unless some one -laughed at it. - -The Princess promised she would not laugh, and then the King bade the -bear perform its tricks. All went well until the Princess’ waiting-maid -quite forgot the warning the King had given, and began to laugh. At once -the pretended bear flew at her and tore her in pieces. - -The Princess screamed, but the King said, “Why should you be troubled? -It was her own fault, for I warned her. Besides, she was nothing but a -waiting-maid.” - -Then he said he would leave the bear there until morning, for he had no -mind to lead it back through all those galleries and cellars and -windings at that time of night. - -The Princess was very unwilling to have the beast left there, and so -she told the King, but while she and her father were talking, the bear -curled down in the corner and pretended to go to sleep. So then the -Princess agreed that it might stay there, but she made the King promise -to come back and get it the first thing in the morning. - -Then the King went away, locking the door behind him, and as soon as he -had gone, the bear rose up and came over to the Princess, and begged her -to undo his collar. The Princess was like to die of terror at this, but -the bear spoke so gently and pleaded with her so piteously that at last -she took courage and felt in among his fur and unfastened the collar. - -At once the lad threw off the bear skin, and there the Princess saw her -own dear husband standing before her. Then there was great joy between -them, and the lad told the Princess all that had happened to him since -they had parted, and they spent the night together very happily. - -But at earliest dawn the lad put on the bearskin again, and made the -Princess fasten the collar, for so he would have it, and when the King -came again, there was the bear still slumbering in his corner, and the -Princess asleep among her pillows. - -The King took hold of the chain that was fastened to the bear’s collar, -and made it get up and follow, and he led it out of the house to the -pier. Then he pulled and pushed at the posts and pivots, and the little -house floated away across the water, to some place where no one could -see it. After that the King led the bear back to its master, and gave -the man a handful of gold as a reward, and bade him be off with it. - -As soon as the man and the lad were back where they lived, the lad made -him undo the collar, and he took off the bearskin. Then it was not long -before he was back at the palace and asking to see the King, for he said -he had come there to have a hunt for the Princess. - -When the King saw the lad he had pity on him because he was so young and -handsome. - -“This is a very foolish thing that you would do,” said he. “Do you not -know how many kings and nobles have lost their lives in searching for -the Princess? Why should you wish to perish also?” - -But the lad would not listen to him. Hunt for the Princess he must and -would. - -“Very well”, said the King at last. “Since your heart is set on it, you -must go your own way, but remember you will be allowed only twenty-four -hours in which to find her.” - -Very well! That suited the lad well enough. - -Now there were many pretty girls in the palace, and music and dancing, -and the lad joined in and danced and laughed with the best of them. He -amused himself all day, and at last only one hour was left of all the -twenty-four in which he was to search for the Princess. - -“There!” said the King. “Now you have danced your life away, and it is -time for the headsman.” - -“Not so,” said the lad, “for I have still one hour left, and now I will -go and look for the Princess.” - -With that he set out, and the King and the court were obliged to follow. -The lad went upstairs and downstairs, through cellars and along -galleries, along the way the King had led him the night before, and all -the while the King kept saying, “This is not the way to go. You are all -wrong, and you will never find her this way.” - -When they came out on the pier, the lad began pulling and pushing at -posts and pivots, and the King did not dare to stop him. - -Presently the little house came floating up to the pier, and there were -only two minutes left of all the twenty-four hours. - -“And now unlock the door,” cried the lad, “for within here sits the -Princess.” - -The King took out his keys, and he fumbled and fumbled, and then he said -he had no key there to unlock it. - -“Then if you have not, I have,” said the lad, and he raised his fist and -with one blow the door was shattered and burst open, and he stepped -inside,--and there was the Princess. - -Then she rose up and threw her arms about him and kissed him, and she -told her father the lad was her own true love who had saved her from the -Trolls and had come all this way to find her, and how if she might not -have him for her husband, she would pine away with grief and longing. - -When the King heard this, he could no longer refuse to let her marry the -lad, and indeed he was well enough pleased to have such a clever fellow -for a son-in-law, for the lad soon told him of the trick he had played -upon him. - -So he and the Princess were married and with much rejoicing, and the lad -sent back to the Troll’s house for the lions that had been waiting for -him there all this time. And when they came, they were given a whole -park to roam about in, and the lad and the Princess lived happy forever -after, with no misfortunes to trouble them. - - - - -THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER - -A KOREAN STORY - - -There once lived in Korea a rich merchant and his wife who had no -children, though they greatly desired them and prayed every day that a -child might be granted them. - -They had been married sixteen years and were no longer young, when the -wife had a wonderful dream. - -In her dream she walked in a garden full of beauteous fruits and flowers -and singing birds, and as she walked, suddenly a star fell from heaven -into her bosom. - -As soon as the wife awoke, she told this dream to her husband. “I feel -assured,” said she, “that this dream can mean only one thing, and that -is that heaven is about to send us a child, and that this child will be -as a star for beauty and wonder and grace.” - -The merchant could hardly believe that this good fortune was really to -be theirs; but it was indeed as the wife had said, and in due time a -daughter was born to the couple, and this child was so beautiful that -she was the wonder of all who saw her. - -The husband and wife, who had hoped for a son, were greatly disappointed -that the long-wished-for child was only a daughter, but their -disappointment was soon forgotten in the joy and pride they felt in her -beauty and wit and goodness. - -Unhappily, while Sim Ching (for so the girl was named) was still a -child, her mother died, and her father’s grief over the loss of his wife -was so great that he became completely blind. He was now obliged to -leave the most of his business affairs in the hands of his servants, and -these servants were so dishonest and so idle that they either wasted or -stole all his money. At last he became so poor that he could scarcely -provide enough food to keep himself and his daughter alive. - -One day the merchant in his unhappiness wandered away from home, and -being blind and so unable to tell where he was going, he fell into a -deep pit out of which he was unable to climb. - -He feared he would die there, but presently, hearing footsteps on the -road above, he called out loudly for help. - -The footsteps he heard were those of a greedy and dishonest priest who -lived near by. Every day he passed by this way on his walks to and from -the temple. - -Hearing the voice from the pit, the priest went to the edge of it and -looking down into it, saw the blind man there below. - -“Who are you?” asked the priest, “and how have you fallen into this -pit?” - -“I am a poor blind man, who was once a rich merchant,” replied the man -in the pit. “I lost at once both my sight and my wealth, and because I -cannot see I fell into this pit from which I am not able to climb. For -the sake of mercy reach down your hand and draw me out.” - -“Not so,” replied the priest. “That would be a foolish thing for me to -do. Instead of drawing you out, I might myself be pulled in. But if you -will promise to give me a hundred and fifty bags of rice that I may -offer them up in the temple, I will go and get a rope, and throw the end -of it down to you, and by that means I may be able to pull you out -without danger to either of us.” - -The priest asked for the rice for the temple not because he really -wished to make an offering of it, for indeed he meant to keep it for -himself, but he thought, “If this man was once rich, no doubt he must -still know some wealthy people, and if he goes to them and asks for rice -to offer up in the temple they will be more likely to give it to him -than if he told them it was for me.” - -When the poor man heard that the priest demanded his promise of a -hundred and fifty bags of rice before he would help him, he cried aloud -with grief and wonder. - -“How is it possible I should promise you such a thing as that?” he -cried. “None but a very rich man could make such a gift to the temple, -and I am so poor that I cannot even provide food enough for myself and -my daughter.” - -“Your daughter!” cried the priest. “You have then a daughter?” - -“Yes; and she is so beautiful that no one in the whole land can compare -with her for fairness, and she is as good as she is beautiful, and as -witty as she is good.” - -“Now listen!” said the priest. “If you will swear to give me the bags of -rice, not only will I pull you out of the pit, but I foresee that -because of this gift your daughter will be raised to the highest place -in the land, and you yourself will receive great wealth and honor, and -your sight will return to you.” - -This the priest said, not because he really foresaw anything of the -kind, but because he wished to tempt the blind man into making him the -promise of the rice. - -The poor man still declared that he had no means of making such an -offering, but the priest urged and begged and threatened, until at last -the blind man gave his promise. - -The priest then ran and got a rope, and soon pulled the blind merchant -out of the pit. - -“Now remember!” said he. “Exactly a month from now I will send my -servants for the rice, and you must in some way have it ready, whether -you beg or borrow or steal it, and if you do not, you shall receive a -good beating for breaking your bargain with me, and be thrown into a -prison that is worse than any pit.” - -The priest then went on to the temple, while the blind man returned -home, very sad and sorrowful. - -As soon as he entered the door, his daughter saw by his look that -something unfortunate had happened and begged him to tell her what it -was. - -At first he would not say because he feared to frighten her, but she -asked him so many questions that at last he was obliged to tell her the -whole story. - -Sim Ching was indeed terrified when she heard what her father had -promised the priest. - -“Alas! Alas!” she cried. “How can we possibly get the rice ready for -him? You know it is only by the kindness of the neighbors that we have -the handful that I have cooked for our dinner to-day.” - -The poor man began to weep. “What you say is true,” he cried. “Better -that I should have died in the pit than be thrown into prison as will -surely happen to me if I cannot give the priest the hundred and fifty -bags that I promised him.” - -The blind man now set out to beg, telling every one his sad story and -asking them to help him to collect the rice, but the people of the -village were themselves poor and had no more than enough food for their -own families. - -Time slipped by, until at last the day arrived when the priest’s -servants were to come to demand the rice, and the blind man had not yet -been able to get together even one bagful of rice, let alone a hundred -and fifty. - -He and his daughter sat together very sorrowful, and now and then the -blind man bemoaned himself as he thought of how he was to be beaten and -thrown into prison, for he had now learned enough about the priest to -know that he could expect no mercy from one as cruel and greedy as he. - -Now there lived in another city, not far away, a very rich merchant who -owned many ships that traded in foreign lands. This merchant had become -so proud of his wealth and his power that he called himself the Prince -of the Sea, and so it was that he obliged others to address him. This -greatly offended a powerful Water Spirit who lived under the sea over -which the ships of the merchant sailed. And now, in order to punish the -merchant, the Water Spirit sent storms down upon the ships. Many were -destroyed, and others were driven on to reefs, or back to the ports they -sailed from. So many misfortunes overtook the vessels that sailors -became afraid to sail on them, and the merchant began to fear he would -be ruined. - -In his trouble he sent for a number of wise men and magicians and asked -them why he was now so unlucky, and what he could do to bring back good -fortune. - -The wise men and magicians studied their books and consulted together -for a long time, and then they came to the merchant and said, “We have -found why you are so unlucky. Your pride has offended a powerful Water -Spirit, and it is he who is wrecking your ships or driving them back -into port. There is only one way in which to turn aside his anger. If a -young and beautiful maiden can be found who will willingly offer herself -as a sacrifice to him, then he will be satisfied and will punish you no -further. Otherwise he will certainly destroy every vessel you send out, -and so in the end you will be ruined.” - -When the merchant heard this, he was in despair. “Now indeed there is no -hope for me,” he cried, “for I am very sure there is not, in the whole -of Korea, a maiden who would be willing to be sacrificed to this Water -Spirit, however great the reward I might offer. For indeed of what use -would any reward be to her, if in order to gain it she must be drowned -in the sea.” - -However, his head steward, who had charge of his affairs, begged him at -least to send out a proclamation and to offer a reward to the family of -any maiden who would consent to the sacrifice. “It may be that such a -one will be found,” said he;--“some one who values the fortunes of her -parents even above her own life.” - -The merchant finally agreed to the wishes of his steward, and messengers -were sent forth to read the proclamation aloud in every city, town and -village in the country. They went this way and that, East, West, North -and South, and finally one of them came to the place where the blind man -and his daughter lived. The day the messenger came to the village was -the very day when the servants of the wicked priest were to come and -demand the hundred and fifty bags of rice from the blind man. - -The merchant’s messenger took his stand not far from the blind man’s -house, and from there he read aloud the proclamation as to the sacrifice -and the reward that would be paid to the parents of any maiden who would -be willing to be thrown to the Water Spirit. - -The people of the village gathered about him in a great crowd to listen, -but after they had heard what he said, they began to make a great noise, -with cries and laughter. - -“Some parents there may be,” they cried, “who would be wicked enough to -sacrifice their daughters for the sake of the reward, but what girl -would ever go willingly to such a fate; and the messenger himself tells -us that unless the maiden went willingly, the sacrifice would be -useless.” - -Sim Ching heard the noise outside, the voice of the messenger, and the -laughter of the crowd, and as she was of a very curious nature, she went -to the door to hear what was going on. - -The man was already turning away, and Sim Ching asked a woman who was -standing near what the man had been saying. The woman told her, laughing -as she spoke. “How could any one suppose that any maiden would consent -to be thrown to this monster in order that her family might have the -reward!” cried the woman. - -But Sim Ching ran after the man and caught him by the sleeve. - -“Wait!” cried she. “Do not go until you have told me something. You say -your master will richly reward the family of any maiden who will -willingly give herself to this Water Spirit. Would he give as much as a -hundred and fifty bags of rice to such a family?” - -“That and more,” replied the messenger. “My master is very rich, and -the reward will be generous.” - -“Then I will go with you and be the sacrifice,” said Sim Ching. “Permit -me only to go and bid farewell to my father, and then I will be ready.” - -The messenger was rejoiced that he had been able to secure the maiden -for his master and gladly consented to wait until she had spoken with -her father. - -But when Sim Ching went back into the house and told her father what she -intended to do he was in despair. He wept aloud and rent his clothes. -“Never, never will I consent to such a sacrifice,” cried he. - -But his daughter comforted him. “Do you forget,” said she, “what the -priest promised you? Did he not tell you that if you offered up this -rice to the temple, all would be well with us, and that I would be -raised to the highest place in the kingdom? Let us have faith and -believe that the gods of the temple can save me at the last even though -I be thrown into the sea.” - -As her father listened to her, he grew quieter, and at last gave his -consent for her to go. - -The neighbors who had heard what she meant to do gathered about to bid -her farewell and could not but weep for pity, even while they praised -her for her dutifulness toward her father. - -Sim Ching at once set out with the messenger, who was in haste to bring -her before his master. Indeed he feared that if she thought too long of -what she had consented to do, she might repent of her bargain. - -When he reached the merchant’s house and told him he had found a maiden -for the sacrifice, his master could scarcely believe him. “Does she -understand what is required of her, and is she willing?” he asked. - -The messenger assured him that she understood perfectly and was rejoiced -at the thought of securing the reward for her father. - -Sim Ching was now brought before the merchant, and when he saw her -beauty and youth, and her modest, gentle air, he was filled with pity -for her. He would even have commanded that she should be taken back -again to her father, but to this Sim Ching would not consent. - -“No,” said she. “I have come here to do a certain thing. I have -promised, and I do not wish to break my word. All I ask is to be assured -that the bags of rice will certainly be sent to my father, and that at -once.” - -“Let it then be as you desire,” said the merchant. “And be assured that -my part of the bargain shall be kept as faithfully as yours.” He then -ordered that one hundred and fifty bags of rice should be loaded on as -many mules and sent to the blind man at once, that Sim Ching might -herself have the comfort of seeing them set forth. - -This was done, and after the train of mules had departed, Sim Ching was -taken to a chamber where magnificent robes and veils and jewels had been -laid ready for her. Her attendants dressed her and hung the jewels on -her neck and arms, and when all was done, she was so beautiful that even -the attendants wept to think she must be sacrificed. - -A barge had been made ready and hung about with garlands, and in it sat -musicians to make sweet music while the rowers rowed to where the -sacrifice was to be made. - -And now Sim Ching would have been afraid, but she fixed her thoughts -upon her father and on how he would now be saved from the cruelty of the -priest, and then she became quite happy and was no longer frightened. - -When the barge came to the place under which the Water Spirit lived, Sim -Ching leaned over the side of the boat and looked down into the water. -It was very deep and green, and it seemed to her that beneath she could -see shining walls and towers, as though of some great castle, and that -the spirits of the water were beckoning to her to come. Lower and lower -she leaned, until, as though drawn by some power beneath, she sank over -the side of the vessel and down and down through the water until she was -lost to the sight of those above her. - -Then the rowers took the barge back to the shore and told the merchant -the sacrifice had been accepted. - -The merchant was glad that now again his ships might sail in safety; but -at the same time he felt pity for Sim Ching, believing she had been -drowned. - -But such was not the case. After she had sunk down and down through the -waters for what seemed to her a long distance, she came to the land -where the Water Spirit is king. All about her were things strange and -beautiful. There were water weeds so tall they were like trees waving -high above her, and through them, like birds, darted the shining fishes. -There were water flowers of colors she had never seen before, and -shining shells, and before her rose a castle made of mother of pearl and -studded with precious stones that shone and glittered like stars in the -light that came down through the water. - -While she was looking at it, the doors of the castle swung open, and a -train of attendants came out to meet her. These attendants were all -dressed in green, and many of them would have been very handsome except -that they themselves were green. Their faces, their hands, their hair, -and eyes,--everything about them was green. - -They spoke to Sim Ching in a strange language, but soon she understood -them and knew they had come to bring her before their King who was -waiting for her. - -Sim Ching felt no doubt but that this King was the Water Spirit himself, -and she was very much frightened, but still she did not hesitate, but -went with them willingly, for it was for this purpose she had come -hither. - -The attendants led her through one room after another, until they came -to the place where the Water Spirit sat upon a crystal throne, and he, -too, was green, but his crown was of gold, and his garments were set all -over with pearls and precious stones. - -The King looked at Sim Ching kindly and bade her have no fear. “I intend -you no harm,” said he, “and indeed I wished for no sacrifice. My only -wish was to punish the rich merchant for his pride, and so it was that I -set him a task that I thought impossible for him to perform. But because -of your dutifulness and your love for your father, he has been able to -make the sacrifice. Now you must stay here patiently for a year and -teach the sea-maidens the ways of the world above, and at the end of -that time you shall return to the earth, and receive the happiness you -deserve.” - -Sim Ching listened to him wondering, and when he had made an end of -speaking, she gladly agreed to serve for a time in the palace and to -teach the sea-people all she knew. So for a twelvemonth Sim Ching stayed -there and was very happy, for though the ways and manners of the -sea-people were strange to her, they themselves were kind and gentle, so -that she soon lost all fear of them. - -At the end of the twelve months, the King sent for Sim Ching, and when -she had come before him, he said, “Sim Ching, for a year you have served -us both faithfully and well, and now the time has come for you to return -to the upper world. But in that world there are many dangers, and you -have no one to protect you. I have, therefore, caused a great flower to -be prepared for you. When you enter into this flower, the leaves will -fold about you and hide you, so that none may suspect you are within it. -The leaves will afford you food and drink as well as shelter. In this -way you can live protected and in safety until fate sends you a husband -to love and guard you.” - -[Illustration: The King bade her step into the flower. She did so, and -at once the leaves closed about her. _Page 193_] - -After speaking thus, the Water Spirit led Sim Ching into another room -and there showed her the flower that he had caused to be prepared for -her. This flower was very large and of a beautiful rose color, and the -leaves were of some rich, thick substance that had a most delicious -smell and was good to eat. The juice of the leaves also afforded a -delicious drink. Sim Ching, as she examined it, knew not how to express -her wonder and admiration. - -The King bade her step into the flower. She did so, and at once the -leaves closed about her, so that she was completely hidden, and at the -same time the most delightful music breathed softly from the flower. It -now floated softly up and up, through the roof of the palace, and -through the waters above, until it reached the surface of the sea. There -it rested, rocking gently with the motion of the waves. - -Now it so happened that the place where the flower floated on the sea -was not far from the palace of the young King of that country. The -morning it arose through the waters, the King was looking from a window -across the sea toward a pleasure island where he sometimes went. -Suddenly, between himself and the island, he saw something glittering in -the sunlight out upon the waters. - -He could not make out what the object was, and he ordered that some of -the castle servants should row out to it, see what it was, and if -possible bring it back with them. This was done and when the rowers -returned, they brought the flower with them and carried it in to where -the young King was awaiting them. - -When the King saw the flower, he was filled with wonder and admiration. -Never before had he seen such a blossom. He examined it on all sides and -exclaimed over its size and beauty. - -“It must be some magic,” said he, “that has created such a flower. A -room shall be built for it, and there I will keep it, and if indeed, it -has been made by magic, as I suspect, it may be that in time some fruit -will come from it that will be even more beautiful than the flower -itself.” - -The room that was now prepared for the flower was so magnificent that no -other apartment in the palace could compare with it. The walls were of -gold, overlaid with paintings and hung with silken embroidered hangings. -The floors were set with precious stones. There were fountains, and -couches heaped with soft cushions, and from the ceiling hung seven -alabaster lamps that were kept burning both night and day. - -When the room was finished, the King caused the flower to be carefully -carried into it and placed in the center upon a raised dais covered with -embroidered velvet. After this no one was allowed to enter the room -except himself, and he carried the key of it hung on a jeweled chain -about his neck. Every day he spent long hours with the flower admiring -its beauty, enjoying its delicious perfume, and listening to the -delicate music that sometimes breathed out from among its leaves. - -All the while Sim Ching lay hidden in the center of the flower without -the King’s once suspecting it. All day the leaves were closed about her, -and only at night did they open to allow her to come forth. - -The first time they unfolded, she was very much surprised to find -herself in a room of a palace, instead of out upon the sea as she had -supposed. Wondering, she looked about her, and then she stepped from the -flower and began, timidly, to examine the apartment to which she had -been brought. The beauty of it delighted her. She rested among the soft -cushions, and bathed in the fountains, and dressed her hair. But toward -morning she reëntered the flower, and the leaves closed about her so -that she was again hidden from view. - -For some time life went on in this manner. All day Sim Ching slept in -the flower, and only at night did she come forth, and as the King only -visited the room in the daytime he never saw her, nor even guessed that -a living maiden was inclosed by the leaves of the flower he admired so -greatly. - -But it so happened that one night the King could not sleep, and he took -a fancy to visit the flower and see it by the light of the lamps. He -therefore made his way along the corridors, and fitting the key into -the lock, he turned it without having made a sound. - -What was his surprise, when he opened the door, to see a maiden of -surpassing beauty sitting beside a fountain and amusing herself by -catching the water in her hands. - -When Sim Ching saw the King, she gave a cry, and would have run back -into the flower to hide, but the King called to her gently, bidding her -stay. - -“I will not harm you,” said he. “Do but tell me who you are and how you -have come here. It must be you are some spirit or fairy, for no human -being could be as beautiful as you.” - -“I am no spirit, nor am I a fairy,” answered Sim Ching, “but only the -daughter of a poor blind beggar, and as to how I came here I know not. I -was placed inside that flower by a Water Spirit, but who has brought the -flower here, or why, I cannot tell.” - -The King then told her of how he had seen the flower floating on the -sea, and how he had had it brought to the palace, and had ordered this -room to be built for it, and after he had made an end of speaking, Sim -Ching told him her history from the time her father had become blind and -fallen into the pit, to the hour when the Water Spirit had bade her -enter the flower and the leaves had closed about her. - -The young King listened and wondered. “Yours is indeed a strange story,” -said he, “and this mischievous priest shall be sought out and punished -as he deserves. And yet it may be his promises shall all come true, and -you shall indeed be exalted to the highest place in the kingdom.” - -He then told Sim Ching he loved her and desired nothing in the world so -much as to make her his wife. - -To this Sim Ching joyfully consented for the young King was so handsome -and gracious, and spoke so well and wisely, that she could not but love -him with all her heart, even as he loved her. - -All night they sat and talked together, and in the morning he opened the -door of the chamber and led her forth, and called the courtiers and -nobles together, and told them she was to be his bride. - -Then there was great rejoicing, and every one who saw Sim Ching wondered -at her beauty and loved her for her gentle and gracious manner. - -Soon after she and the King were married, and they loved each other so -dearly that Sim Ching would have been perfectly happy except for the -thought of her old father and his griefs and sorrows. - -Immediately after she was married, she sent messengers to the village -where she had lived, bidding them find her father and bring him to her, -but the old man had disappeared, and no one knew what had become of him. - -Then the Queen had a great feast prepared and sent word throughout the -length and breadth of the Kingdom that all who were both poor and blind -were bidden to the palace to eat of it. All would be welcome, and none -should be turned away. - -Then from far and near the blind and poor came flocking to the palace, -scores and hundreds of them. The tables for the feast were laid in a -great hall, and the young King and Queen sat on raised thrones at one -end of it. All who came to the feast were obliged to pass before this -throne before they might take their places at the table, and as each one -passed, the Queen looked at him eagerly, hoping to recognize her father, -but none of all the multitude was the one she sought. At last every one -was seated; the attendants were about to close the doors, when another -beggar, the last of all, came stumbling into the hall. He was so feeble -and so old that he could scarcely make his way to the throne, but no -sooner did the Queen see him than she knew him as her father. - -Then she gave a great cry, and came down from the throne, and threw her -arms about him, and wept over him. - -“It is I, oh, my father! It is thy daughter, Sim Ching,” she wept. - -Then her father knew her voice and cried aloud with joy. “Oh, my -daughter, I had thought thee dead,” he cried, “and now thou art alive -and I can feel thy arms about me.” - -As he spoke the tears of joy ran down his cheeks, and these tears washed -away the mists of sorrow that had clouded his eyes and he found he could -see again. - -Then there was great rejoicing, and the King called the old man father -and made him welcome, and in due time he who had been blind and now -could see was raised to great wealth and honor, and so the words of the -priest, that he had spoken without believing, came true. - -But as for the priest himself, the King had him sought for, and when he -was found, he was thrown into prison and punished as he deserved for his -greed and cruelty. - - - - -THE OAT CAKE - -A SCOTCH STORY - - -One time the farmer’s wife made two oat cakes. She shaped them, and -patted them and put them down in front of the fire to bake. “They will -do for the good man’s dinner,” said she. - -Then said one cake to the other cake, “It is all very well for the woman -to say that, but I have no wish to be eaten. I will wait until I am -baked hard, and then I shall set out to see the world.” - -“That is a poor way to talk, brother,” replied the other. “Oat cakes -were made to be eaten, and you should be proud to think the master -himself is to have you for dinner.” - -“Master or no master, I have no wish to be eaten,” repeated the first -oat cake. - -Not long after that, the farmer came home, and he was very hungry. First -he ate the oat cake that wished to be eaten, and after he had finished -it, he stretched out his hand for the other, but it slipped through his -fingers and away it rolled, out of the door and on down the road. - -It rolled along and rolled along until it came to a neat, tidy house -with a thatched roof. - -“This looks like a good and proper place for me to stop,” said the oat -cake, so it rolled on in through the doorway. - -There inside were a tailor and his two apprentices, all of them sitting -cross-legged and sewing away; and the tailor’s wife stood by the fire, -stirring the porridge. - -When the tailor and the boys saw the oat cake come rolling in across the -floor so boldly, they were frightened, and jumped up and hid behind the -woman. - -“Now out upon you! To be frightened by an oat cake!” cried the good -wife. “Quick! Catch hold of it and divide it among you, and I’ll give -you some milk to drink with it.” - -When the tailor and his apprentices heard this, they took courage and -ran out and tried to catch the oat cake; but it dodged them and rolled -under the table and under the chairs, and while they were chasing it and -the woman watching them, the porridge boiled over into the fire and was -burned. - -But the oat cake escaped them, and rolled out through the door, and on -down the road again. “I’d better go a bit farther before I settle down -for the night,” it thought to itself. - -Presently it came to a little small house. “I’ll try how it is in here,” -said the oat cake, and in it rolled. - -There sat a weaver at his loom, and his wife was winding some yarn. - -“What’s that that just came in at the door?” asked the weaver, for his -eyesight was not very good. - -“It’s an oat cake!” said his wife staring. - -“Catch it woman! Catch it, before it rolls away again!” cried the -weaver. - -The woman chased the oat cake up and down and round about, and the -weaver left his work and joined in the chase, but the oat cake was too -lively for them. Every time they thought they had it, it slipped -through their fingers as though it were buttered. - -“Throw your yarn over it and snare it,” cried the weaver. - -The woman threw her yarn over the oat cake, but the cake tangled up the -yarn so that later on it took the woman a good two days to straighten it -out again. But the oat cake escaped and rolled out and down the road. - -“That’s too lively a place for me to stay,” said the oat cake to itself. - -At the next place where the oat cake stopped, a woman was churning. - -“Oh, the dear little, pretty little oat cake!” cried she. “I have good -thick cream to-day, and plenty of it, and the oat cake will taste good -with it.” - -“But first you must catch me,” said the oat cake. - -It rolled round and round the churn, and the woman ran after it, and in -the end she fell against the churn and upset it. - -While she was cleaning up the mess, the oat cake set out on further -adventures. - -“So far I’ve found no place in the world where an oat cake can rest in -peace and quiet,” said the cake. “But, there must be such a place -somewhere, and if there is, I mean to find it.” - -Soon it came to a bit of a stream, with a mill beside it. - -The oat cake rolled into the mill, and there stood a miller at work, and -he was all white with flour. “Oat cake and a bit of cheese taste well -together,” said the miller. “The cheese I already have. Come in, come in -and make the other half of the feast.” - -But the oat cake was frightened and rolled on out, and the miller never -bothered his head further about it. - -The next place the oat cake stopped was at a smithy. The smith was busy -beating out a horseshoe, but when he saw the oat cake he laid aside the -shoe. - -“Welcome! Welcome! I like an oat cake and a drink of ale as well as the -next man. Come in and let us feast together.” - -“Not I,” cried the oat cake, and away it rolled in haste, and as the -road was downhill now, it made good time. - -The smith ran after it, and when he found the cake was going too fast -for him, he threw his hammer after it, and the hammer fell into a -thicket, and the smith had a great time finding it. - -But the oat cake hid in a crack between two rocks, and lay there quiet -until the smith had found his hammer and gone back to his smithy again -grumbling. Then out it came and away it rolled, but it was getting tired -now. - -“Maybe it would have been better if I had gone to rest in the good man’s -stomach,” said the oat cake, “but here we go, and I have no mind to be -eaten by the first stranger who takes a fancy to me,--no, nor by the -second either.” - -In the next house the oat cake entered, the good wife was cooking -supper, and her husband sat plaiting straw rope. - -“Look at that!” cried the woman. “You’re always asking me for oat cake, -and there is one ready to your hand. Quick! Quick! Shut the door and -catch it.” - -The man jumped up to shut the door, but he caught his foot in the rope -he was plaiting and fell flat on the floor. The woman threw her porridge -stick at the cake, but away it went and off down the road. - -“Now I’ll have to find some place to sleep,” said it to itself. “No -knowing what will happen if I lay me down by the roadside.” - -It saw an open door, and in it rolled. The good man of the house had -just taken off his breeches, and the woman was tucking the children into -bed. - -“Look! Look!” cried the woman. “There is an oat cake rolling in at the -door, and no one coming after to claim it. Catch it before it can get -away again.” - -The good man jumped up and threw his breeches at it. They fell on the -oat cake and almost smothered it, but it managed to roll out from under -them and away it went, with the man and his wife in full chase after it, -and the children crying after them. - -But the oat cake was too quick, even for the two of them. It outran them -both, and - -[Illustration: As soon as he saw the oat cake he was wide awake again in -a moment. _Page 209_] - -the man and his wife had to go back home without it, the man with his -bare legs, and the neighbors peeking out at him from behind their window -curtains. - -By this time it was dark. “I’ll have to hurry if I want to find a place -to-night where I can sleep in quiet,” said the oat cake. - -So now it rolled along more briskly, and presently it came to a pasture, -and it leaped and bounded across it at a great rate, for it was all -downhill, and then suddenly--plunk!--it fell down into a fox’s hole. - -The fox was at home and half asleep, but as soon as he saw the oat cake, -he was wide awake again in a moment. The fox had had nothing to eat all -day, and he did not stop to look twice at the oat cake, but bit it in -half and swallowed it down in a trice and with no words about it. - -So the oat cake slept quiet after all its wanderings, but it might as -well have been eaten by the farmer in the first place. - - - - -THE DREAMER - -AN ENGLISH STORY - - -There once lived a man and his wife, named Peter and Kate, and they were -so poor that they had scarcely enough bread to put in their mouths. They -lived in a wretched, miserable hut, and in front of the hut was a river, -and back of it a patch of ground and a gnarled old apple tree. - -One night when Peter was sleeping he dreamed a dream, and in this dream -a tall old man dressed in gray, and with a long gray beard came to him -and said, “Peter, I know that you have had a hard life, and have neither -grumbled nor complained, and now I have a mind to help you. Follow down -the river until you come to a bridge. On the other side of the river you -will see a town. Take up your stand on the bridge and wait there -patiently. It may be that nothing will happen the first day, and it may -be that nothing will happen the second day either, but if you do not -lose courage, but still wait patiently, some time during the third day -some one will come to you, and tell you something that will make your -fortune for you.” - -In the morning, when Peter awoke, he told his dream to Kate, his wife. -“It would be a curious thing if I should do as the old man told me and -really become rich,” said he. - -“Nonsense!” answered his wife. “Dreams are nothing but foolishness. Do -you go over to Neighbor Goodkin and see whether he has not some wood to -be cut, so you can earn a few pence to buy meal for to-morrow.” - -So Peter did as his wife told him, and went over to his neighbor’s and -worked there all day, and by evening he had almost forgotten his dream. - -But that night, as soon as he fell asleep, the old man appeared before -him again. “Why have you not done as I told you, Peter?” said he. -“Remember, good luck will not wait forever. To-morrow do you set out for -the bridge and town I told you of, and believe, for it is the truth; if -you wait there for three days and make the best of what will then be -told you you will become a rich man.” - -When Peter awoke the next morning, his first thought was to set out in -search of the bridge and town of which the old man had told him, but -still his wife dissuaded him. - -“Do not be so foolish,” said she. “Sit down and eat your breakfast and -be thankful that you have it. You earned a few pence yesterday, and who -knows but what you may be lucky enough to earn even more to-day.” - -So Peter did not set out on his journey in search of fortune that day -either. - -But the next night for the third time the old man appeared before him, -and now his look was stern and forbidding. “Thou fool!” said he. “Three -times have I come to thee, and now I will come no more. Go to the bridge -of which I have spoken and listen well to what is there said to thee. -Otherwise want and poverty will still be thy portion, even as they have -been heretofore.” - -With this the old man disappeared, and Peter awoke. And now it was of no -use for his wife to scold and argue. As the old man had commanded so -Peter would do. He only stopped to put some food in his stomach and more -in his pockets, and off he set, one foot before another. - -For a long time Peter journeyed on down the river till he was both -footsore and weary, and then he came to a bridge that crossed the -stream, and on the other side was a town, and Peter felt almost sure -this was the place to which the old man of his dreams had told him to -come. - -So he took his stand on the fridge and stayed there all day. The -passers-by stared at him, and some of them spoke to him, but none of -them said to him anything that might, by any chance, lead him on to -fortune. All that day he waited on the bridge, and all of the day after, -and by the time the third day came, he had eaten all the food he had -brought with him except one hard, dry crust of bread. Then he began to -wonder whether he were not a simpleton to be loitering there day after -day, all because of a dream, when he might, perhaps, be earning a few -pennies at home in one way or another. - -Now just beyond this bridge there was a tailor’s shop, and the tailor -who lived there was a very curious man. Ever since Peter had taken his -stand on the bridge the tailor had been peeping out at him, and -wondering why he was standing there, and what his business might be; and -the longer Peter stayed the more curious the tailor became. He fussed -and he fidgeted, and along toward the afternoon of the third day he -could bear it no longer, and he put aside his work and went out to the -bridge to find out what he could about Peter and what he was doing -there. - -When he came where Peter was he bade him good-day. - -“Good-day,” answered Peter. - -“Are you waiting here on the bridge for some one?” asked the tailor. - -“I am and I am not,” replied Peter. - -“Now what may be the meaning of that?” asked the tailor. “How can you be -waiting and still not be waiting all at one and the same time?” - -“I am waiting for some one--that is true”; said Peter, “but I know not -who he is nor whence he will come, nor, for the matter of that, whether -any one will come at all.” And then he related to the tailor his dream, -and how he had been told that if he waited on the bridge for three days -some one would come along and tell him something that would make him -rich for life. - -“Why, what a silly fellow you are,” said the tailor. “I, too, have -dreamed dreams, but I have too much sense to pay any attention to them. -Only last week I dreamed three times that an old man came to me and told -me to follow up along the bank of the river until I came to a hut where -a man and his wife lived,--the man’s name was Peter, and his wife’s name -was Kate. I was to go and dig among the roots of an apple tree back of -this house, and there, buried among the roots of the tree, I would find -a chest of golden money. That was what I dreamed. But did I go wandering -off in search of such a place? No, indeed, I am not such a simpleton. I -stick to my work, and I can manage to keep a warm roof over my head, -and have plenty of food to eat, and when I am dressed in my best there -is not one of the neighbors that looks half as fine as I do. No, no; go -back to where you belong and set to work, my man, and maybe you can earn -something better than those miserable rags you are wearing now.” - -So said the tailor, and then he went back to his tailor’s bench and his -sewing. - -But Peter stood and scratched his head. “A man named Peter, and his wife -named Kate! And an apple tree behind the house!” said he. “Now it’s a -strange thing if a fortune’s been lying there under the roots of the -apple tree all this while, and I had to come to this town and this -bridge to hear about it!” - -So said Peter as he stood there on the bridge. But then, after he had -scratched his head and thought a bit longer, he pulled his hat down over -his ears and off he set for home. The farther he went, the more of a -hurry he was in, and at last, when he came within sight of his house -again, he was all out of breath with the haste he had made. - -He did not wait to go inside, but he bawled to his wife to fetch him a -pick and shovel, and ran around the house to where the apple tree stood. - -His wife did not know what had happened to him. She thought he must have -lost his wits, but she brought him the pick and shovel, and he began -digging around about the roots of the apple tree. - -He had not dug for so very long when his pick struck something hard. He -flung the pick aside and seized his spade, and presently he uncovered a -great chest made of stout oak wood and bound about with iron. - -The chest was so heavy that he could not lift it out of the hole -himself, and his wife had to help him. The chest was locked, but that -mattered little to Peter. He took his pick, and with a few blows he -broke the hinges and fastenings, and lifted the lid from its place. At -once he gave a loud cry, and fell on his knees beside the chest. He and -his wife could scarce believe in their good fortune. It was brimming -over with golden money, enough to make them rich for life. - -They carried the chest into the house, and barred the door, and set -about counting the money, and there was so much of it, they were all -evening and part of the night counting it. - -That was the way good fortune came to Peter, and all by way of a dream. - -Now he and his wife built themselves a great house, and had fine food, -and coaches, and horses, and handsome clothes, and they feasted the -neighbors, and never a poor man came to the door but what they gave him -as much food as he could eat and a piece of silver to put in his pocket. - -One day Peter put on his finest clothes and made his wife dress herself -in her best, and then they stepped into one of their coaches, and Peter -bade the coachman drive to the town where he had stood on the bridge and -listened to the tailor tell his dream of the chest of money buried under -the apple tree. - -Peter made the coachman drive up in front of the tailor’s shop, and -when the tailor saw the coach stopping at his door, and the fine people -sitting in it, he thought it was some great nobleman and his wife, come -perhaps to order a suit of clothes of him. - -He came out, bowing and smiling and smirking, and Peter said to him, “Do -you remember me?” - -“No, your lordship,” answered the tailor, still bowing and smiling, “I -have not that honor, your lordship.” - -Then Peter told him he was the ragged fellow who had stood out there on -the bridge waiting for good luck to come to him; and sure enough it had, -for if it had not been for the dream the tailor told him, he would have -known nothing about the gold buried under the apple tree and would never -have become the rich man he was now. - -When the tailor heard this tale, he was ready to tear his hair out, for -if he had believed his dream he might have found the gold himself and -have kept a share of it. - -However, Peter gave him a hundred gold pieces to comfort him and -ordered a fine suit. He also promised that after that he would buy all -his clothes from the tailor and pay him a good price for them, so the -tailor, too, got some good from all the dreaming. - - - - -THE STORY OF HARKA - -AN AMERICAN INDIAN TALE - - -It was evening, and the Indians had gathered around their camp fires. -Among the youths sat Harka, the tallest and handsomest of them all. - -From the lodge his mother called to him, “Harka, go down to the spring -in the forest and bring me some water.” - -Without moving, Harka answered, “It is dark down in the forest, and I am -afraid to go where it is dark.” - -Then from all the Indians around there rose a shout of laughter and of -jeering. “He is afraid of the dark!” they shouted. “He has said it!” And -even the children laughed and jeered at him. - -Then Harka arose and cried, “You think I am a coward, but I will prove -to you before long that I am as brave as any man in the tribe, either -youth or warrior.” - -“How will you prove it, Harka?” they mocked at him; and one cried, -“Bring us the head of Pahundootah! Then we will believe you.” - -Now Pahundootah was a sorcerer, so powerful and wicked that he was the -terror of all the villages. Even the warriors feared him, and women and -children shuddered at his name. - -But in his anger Harka answered rashly, “I will bring you the head of -Pahundootah.” - -Then again the shouts arose, mocking and jeering at him. None believed -him, but they thought him an idle boaster. - -But Harka wrapped his blanket about him and went back in silence to his -lodge, and the sound of laughter followed him, and his heart was -troubled within him. He had said that he would bring them the head of -the sorcerer, and now unless he kept his promise he would be ashamed to -face again his people and have them taunt him for his boasting. - -Early the next morning Harka arose, and without saying anything to any -one, he took from a bag that hung in the lodge three magic arrows -belonging to his father, and set out upon a journey. He had determined -to seek out Pahundootah and either slay him or be slain. - -All the morning he traveled on without stopping, and at noon he shot one -of the magic arrows high into the air. He carefully noted the direction -in which it went and then followed, running swiftly and lightly. - -Toward evening he came to where a deer lay dead, with the arrow sticking -in it. - -Without troubling to withdraw the arrow, Harka cut some slices of -venison and cooked and ate. - -All night he tended the fire that it might not die down and leave him in -darkness, and in the early morning he again set out upon his journey. - -At noon he shot his second arrow into the air, and toward evening he -found it buried in the heart of an elk. That night he had elk meat for -supper, and the next day he went on his way, traveling swiftly, but he -forgot the arrow. - -He waited till noonday and then shot from his bow his third and last -arrow. That evening he came to where a buffalo lay dead, slain by the -arrow. Once more he ate and rested by the fire, and at dawning he set -out again upon his journey. - -When noon came he had no arrow to shoot, for he had left them all behind -him. - -By evening Harka was very hungry, but there was nothing for him to eat. - -Suddenly he saw the light of a fire just ahead of him. He advanced -toward it, slowly and cautiously, fearing it might be the encampment of -some enemy, but he saw no one except an old woman who was stirring -something in a pot that hung over the fire. Never was seen an old woman -half so horrible and terrifying as she. Her face was more like that of a -skull than of a human being. Her gray hair hung down about her like a -mat; her eyes were as red as fire, and her nails so long that she could -hardly close her hands. About her neck was a necklace of bones, and -about her waist a girdle of scalps. - -After looking at her for awhile, Harka was about to steal quietly away -when, without looking up, the old woman called to him, “Come nearer to -the fire, Harka. Supper is almost ready.” - -Harka came forward into the firelight, and the old witch, still without -looking up, bade him be seated. - -Suddenly the scalps about her waist burst into a shout of laughter, and -the hag joined in with them, laughing loudly. Then they fell silent, and -the old woman too became quiet, scowling and muttering to herself as she -bent over the pot. - -Presently she filled a dish with food and brought it to Harka. The youth -was hungry, and in spite of the strange look of the old woman, he ate -heartily. - -When he had finished, she took away the bowl. Again the scalps burst -into wild laughter, and the hag laughed with them. - -After they were silent, she came over and sat down beside Harka and -began talking. - -“I know why you have come here, Harka,” she said. “You are in search of -Pahundootah. I am the Witch Wokonkatonzooeyepekahaichu and Pahundootah -is my bitterest enemy. I myself cannot destroy him, but you may be able -to do it with my help. It will be a very dangerous business, and you -will have to be careful. Now sleep, and to-morrow I will tell you what -you must do in order to destroy the sorcerer.” - -Harka lay down beside the fire and slept soundly. - -The next morning, when he awoke, the breakfast was ready, and after he -had eaten, the old woman went into the lodge and brought out a magic -pouch. From this she drew a leaden comb, a golden cup, and a blade of -sword grass. She also took from the bag a woman’s dress most beautifully -shaped and colored. - -“Now listen carefully,” said the witch. “Only as a maiden can you come -near Pahundootah. Put on the dress, and then I will comb your hair for -you.” - -Harka did as the old witch bade him. He dressed himself in the -beautiful garments, and then the old witch took the leaden comb and -combed his hair; and as she combed, his hair grew longer and longer -until it hung down below his knees in beautiful shining tresses. His -eyes also looked larger, and his face finer, so that any one who saw him -would have thought him a surpassingly beautiful young maiden. - -The old witch looked at him and burst into laughter, and all the scalps -laughed with her. - -Then she gave Harka the golden goblet and the blade of sword grass. “Put -the grass in your girdle,” said she. “With that and that alone can -Pahundootah’s head be severed from his shoulders. Now walk forward until -you come to a lake with an island in the middle of it. Upon that island -live the sorcerer and his people. As soon as you reach the lake you must -begin to dip up the water in the golden cup. The sorcerer will see the -gleam of it and come in his canoe to capture you. This you must allow -him to do, though you must seem frightened and reluctant, as would a -timid maiden. He will take you back to the island with him, and then -you must find some way to draw him apart from the others and lull him to -sleep. Then you can cut off his head with the blade of grass I have -given you and escape before the others find what you have done.” - -Harka took the cup and the blade of grass she offered him and strode off -through the forest in the direction the witch pointed out to him. Soon -he came out from the forest and found himself upon the borders of a wide -lake, in the midst of which lay an island. - -Harka now walked more slowly and delicately, trying to move with the -soft grace of a young and timid maiden. - -At the edge of the lake he stooped and dipped the cup into the water. -The sunlight striking on the gold was reflected with a dazzling -brightness that could be seen even as far as the island. - -Scarcely had he lifted the dripping cup from the water when he saw a -canoe shoot out from among the reeds of the island and come swiftly -toward the spot where he was standing. In it sat the sorcerer -Pahundootah, driving it forward with strong strokes. - -As Harka looked at him, his heart beat heavy within him, for the -sorcerer was terrible to see, so hideous and cruel and treacherous was -his appearance. - -But the youth managed to hide his feelings and turned aside with the shy -and downcast air of a timid maiden, and moved slowly toward the forest. -Charmed by his grace and beauty, Pahundootah followed him. He praised -the pretended maiden’s eyes, her lips, her hair, the grace with which -she moved, and poured words of love into Harka’s ears, begging him to -return with him to his island home and share his lodge, his food, and -fire. - -Harka pretended to hesitate, but finally he allowed himself to be -persuaded, and entering the canoe, he sat down opposite the sorcerer, -giving him shy glances and trailing his hand through the water. - -Pahundootah was as one bewitched. Hardly could he take his eyes from -Harka’s beauty. With strong strokes he drove the canoe through the -water and over to the island. Then he took Harka’s hand and led him to -where a fire was burning and an old hag was cooking supper. He spread a -robe for his love to sit on and threw himself at her feet. The hag who -was his mother watched them, muttering. Again and again she looked -suspiciously at Harka. At last the supper was cooked. She called Harka -to come and carry a bowl of it to the sorcerer. Harka moved toward her -softly, trying still to bear himself as a maiden, but the old woman -watched him suspiciously, and as he drew nearer she looked deep into his -eyes. - -“Pahundootah,” she cried, “what magic has bewitched you? Can you not see -that this is no maiden, but a brave and daring warrior who has put on -this appearance in order to deceive you?” - -Pahundootah sprang to his feet and looked at Harka with anger and -suspicion, but Harka turned away his head with an offended air. “Your -mother has insulted me,” he said. “She is angry because you have brought -me here and because you have spoken to me of love. Now I will go away -back to my own tribe where I will be free from insults.” - -Slowly he walked away from the fire and down toward the reedy shore of -the island. - -As Pahundootah watched the grace with which he walked and noted again -his long and glossy hair, he could not doubt but that his mother was -mistaken, and that this was really a maiden. He followed, begging Harka -to turn and smile upon him and return with him to the fire. - -“No,” repeated Harka, “your mother has insulted me. It is better I -should return to my own people.” - -By the side of the lake Harka sat down, and the sorcerer threw himself -down beside him, and laid his head in Harka’s lap. - -Softly Harka passed his fingers through Pahundootah’s hair. Lulled by -his love and the touch of Harka’s fingers, the sorcerer’s eyelids -closed, and he sank into slumber. Then softly the lad drew from his -girdle the blade of grass the witch had given him and with one stroke -severed the head of Pahundootah from the body. Swiftly wrapping it in a -cloth he had brought for that purpose, he sped to where the canoe lay -among the rushes, and stepping into it, he drove it off across the water -with silent, powerful strokes. - -When he reached the farther shore, he turned and looked back. Already -lights were moving about on the island. The old mother, grown -suspicious, was hunting for the sorcerer. Then suddenly across the water -sounded loud fierce wails and cries. By that, Harka knew they had -discovered Pahundootah’s body. - -Without waiting longer, he sped back to the camp of the old witch. As -she saw him coming, she began to clap her hands, shouting, “You have -slain him! You have slain him! Harka has slain the enemy of -Wokonkatonzooeyepekahaichu!” and all the scalps that hung about her -shouted with her. “Now,” she cried, “you are a great warrior! Now no one -can laugh at you or scorn you.” - -All that night as Harka lay beside the witch’s fire, he could hear, now -louder now fainter, the cries of Pahundootah’s people, and always, - -[Illustration: When he reached the farther shore, he turned and looked -back. _Page 232_] - -as they sounded louder, the old witch laughed with joy, and the scalps -laughed with her. - -Early in the morning Harka set out to journey back to his tribe. For -three days he journeyed, and then he came within sight of the village. -It was toward dusk, and the Indians were gathered once more about their -fires. It was the children who saw him first, and they shouted, -laughing, “Here comes Harka! Here comes Harka. Hasten, Harka, or the -dark may catch you.” And the youths joined them in their laughter. “Have -you slain the sorcerer, Harka? Have you his head to show us?” - -Then Harka answered proudly, “Look!” and uncovering the head, he held it -up before them. - -For a moment all were silent, gazing awe-struck. Then a great shout -arose, “He has slain him! Harka has slain Pahundootah! He has brought -his head to show us!” - -Then all gathered around him, youths and warriors, and the women and the -children also, and all wondered and hailed him as a hero. And from that -time Harka sat no more with those of his own age, but with the wise ones -and the warriors, and joined in their councils, and when the old chief -died, Harka was chosen chief and ruled his tribe and reared up children -and killed many enemies. And always he was known as Harka, the slayer of -Pahundootah. - - - - -SCHIPPEITARO - -A JAPANESE STORY - - -There was once a brave Japanese lad who wished to go out into the world -and prove his courage in some great adventure. His father and mother did -not say no to this. Instead they gave him their blessing, and allowed -him to set forth. - -For a long time he traveled along, crossing streams and passing through -villages, but nowhere did he meet with any adventures. - -One evening, as dusk drew on, he found himself in a dark forest, and he -did not know which way to turn in order to get out of it. He wandered -this way and that, and always the night grew darker and the way rougher, -and then suddenly, between the tree trunks, he saw a red light shine -out; sometimes it shone brighter and sometimes dimmer, but never with a -steady shining. - -He went toward the light, and before long he found himself near an old -ruined temple. Within a fire was burning, and the temple was full of -demon cats. They were leaping and whirling and dancing around the fire, -and as they danced they sang. The song had words and they sang them over -and over again, always the same thing. - -At first the lad could not make out what the words were, but after he -had listened carefully for a while he understood; and this was what they -sang: - - “To-night we dance, to-night we sing; - To-morrow the maiden they will bring.” - -They would sing this over and over and over, and then suddenly they -would cease their bounding and whirling, and would stand still and all -cry together,-- - - “But Schippeitaro must not know! - But Schippeitaro must not know!” - -The lad stayed there for a long time watching them, and the longer he -watched, the more he wondered. - -After a while the fire burned low, they bounded less wildly, and their -songs were still. Then the fire died out, and soon afterward the lad -fell into a deep sleep. - -When he awoke the next morning, he was both cold and stiff, and as he -rubbed his eyes and looked about him, he thought that all he had seen -the night before must have been only a dream, for the temple lay silent -and deserted, and there were no signs of the demon cats or their revels, -except a heap of burned-out ashes on the temple floor. - -The lad arose from where he lay and went on his way wondering. Not long -after he came to the edge of the forest and saw before him a village. He -entered the village and looked about him, and everything was in mourning -and all the people seemed very sad. In front of one of the principal -houses a great crowd had gathered, and from within came a sound of -weeping and lamenting. - -The lad joined the crowd, and looked in through the door of the house. -There he saw a maiden dressed as though for a festival, but she was very -pale, and tears were running down her face; an old man and an old -woman, who seemed to be her father and mother, sat one each side of -her, holding her hands, and they also were weeping, with the tears -running down their wrinkled faces. Two men were busy over a great chest -bound around with iron, and with iron hasps, and every time the old man -and woman looked at the chest, they shuddered and wept more bitterly -than ever. - -This sight made the youth very curious, and he turned to a man beside -him and asked why the village was all in mourning, and why the beautiful -young girl and her parents were weeping so bitterly. - -“Are you a stranger in these parts that you ask such questions?” -inquired the man. - -“I come from beyond the other side of the forest, from far away,” -replied the youth, “and I know nothing of this village or what has -happened here.” - -“Then I will tell you,” said the man. “Over in the forest yonder there -dwells a terrible demon. Every year he requires that a maiden shall be -offered up to him as a sacrifice. Many of our most beautiful maidens -have already been sacrificed to him, and to-day it is the turn of the -one you see within there, and she is the fairest of them all.” - -“But why do not your men go into the forest and try to destroy this -demon?” asked the youth. - -“It would be useless, for we have been told and know that no mortal arm -can prevail against him. He comes, as a cat, to the ruined temple over -yonder in the forest, and with him comes a great company of seeming -cats--but they also are demons and are his servants.” - -When the youth heard this, he remembered the cats he had seen dancing in -the temple the night before and the song they had sung; and presently he -asked, “Who is Schippeitaro?” - -When he asked this, those around who heard him began to laugh. “You -speak as though Schippeitaro were a man,” said they. “Schippeitaro is a -great dog that belongs to the Prince of this country. The Prince values -him highly, for he is as big as a lion and twice as fierce. Never -before was his like seen for strength and bigness, nor ever will be -again.” - -The youth asked where the Prince kept the hound, and as soon as he had -learned this, he set off walking very rapidly in the direction the man -pointed out to him. - -After a while he came to a house with a walled garden back of it. In -this house lived the man who had charge of Schippeitaro, and the walled -garden was for the dog to roam about in. - -The youth knocked at the door, and presently the keeper of the dog -opened it and asked him what he wanted. - -“I want to borrow your great hound, Schippeitaro, for the night, and I -will pay you well for lending him to me,” said the lad. - -“That you will not do,” replied the keeper, “for I will not lend him to -you. He is the favorite dog of the Prince of this country, and it would -be as much as my life is worth to lend him to any one.” - -Then the lad began to bargain with him. First he offered the man a third -of all his money if he might have the dog just until morning; then he -offered him the half of all his money, and then he offered him all of -it. - -That was more than the man could withstand. “Very well”, said he, “you -may take the dog; but remember it is only for this one night, and you -must bring him back the first thing in the morning, and you need never -ask to borrow him again for I shall not lend him to you.” - -A collar was then put around Schippeitaro’s neck, and a chain fastened -to it, and the lad took the chain in his hand and led the great dog back -to the village he had just come from. - -When he came to the house where he had seen the maiden, they were just -about to put her in the chest, for that was always the way the maidens -who were to be sacrificed were carried to the temple. - -But the youth bade them stay their hands. “Listen to me,” said he, “for -I know whereof I speak. I have seen these demons, and I have a plan by -which you may rid yourselves of them forever. Instead of the maiden, do -you put Schippeitaro into the chest, carry him to the temple and leave -him there. I myself will accompany you, and after you have gone, I will -stay there and watch. Believe me, no harm shall come from this, but -instead it will put an end to your having to offer up sacrifices to the -demon.” - -At first the people would not listen to him, but afterward they agreed -to do as he wished, though they were very much frightened. The great -hound was put into the chest, the lid was fastened, and he was carried -away and placed in the temple instead of the maiden. After that the men -hastened back to the village, but the lad hid himself near by to wait -and watch for the demons as he had promised. - -After a while it grew dark, and then, toward midnight, a dull red fire -shone in the temple, and the lad saw that it was full of demon cats -whirling and bounding and singing as they had before, but this time -there was with them a great fierce black cat, larger than any of them, -and he was the king of them all, and he leaped higher and sang louder -than any of them. This time their song was of how a maiden had been -brought to them as a sacrifice, and of what a tender morsel she would -be. Then they all shouted together: - - “And Schippeitaro does not know! - And Schippeitaro does not know!” - -Nearer and nearer they came to the chest. Almost they brushed against it -as they whirled about it. Then, with a cry, they bounded at it, and tore -it open. - -At once, out from the box leaped Schippeitaro. The demons shrieked at -the sight of him and the great hound rushed at them and tore them. He -seized the King Demon by the throat and shook him till the life was -quite shaken out of him. Then he flew at the other cats, and when they -tried to escape out through the doors or windows, the youth stood there -with his sword and drove them back. - -Many of the demons did Schippeitaro destroy that night; many of them he -scattered over the floor in pieces, and those who escaped fled so far -away that they were never seen in that neighborhood again. - -But the youth returned to the house of the parents of the maiden and -asked them for her hand in marriage, for he had loved her from the -first moment he had seen her, because of her beauty, and her gentle air. -Gladly her parents agreed to give her to him, and the Prince himself -came to the marriage, bringing with him gifts both rich and rare, for he -had heard of the bravery and wit the youth had shown in ridding his -people of the demons who had distressed them, and he brought -Schippeitaro with him as a welcome guest. - -After that the youth and his young wife returned to his own home, and -there they lived happy forever after, honored and admired by all who -knew them. - - - - -EROS AND PSYCHE - -A GREEK TALE - - -There was once a Princess named Psyche who was so beautiful that no one -on earth could compare with her in fairness. When she went abroad the -people gathered in crowds to gaze upon her, and children strewed flowers -before her and offered her garlands, as though she were a goddess. - -Now when Aphrodite, herself the Goddess of Beauty, heard of this, she -became very jealous of Psyche, and she called to her Eros, her son who -was the God of Love, and bade him cause Psyche to fall in love with the -ugliest and wickedest man in all the world. - -“In this way she shall be punished for her pride and for her beauty,” -said Aphrodite, who was herself most proud and beautiful. - -Now Eros was very curious to see this beauty of beauties, and so, in -invisible form, he visited the palace of Psyche’s father and went from -room to room until he came to where she sat with her two sisters. They -were all beautiful, but Psyche so far outshone the others that they -seemed pale beside her. - -No sooner had Eros looked upon her, than he fell deeply in love with her -and determined to make her his bride. He therefore put it into her -father’s mind to consult an oracle as to what should be done with -Psyche, for already the King was fearful, lest her beauty bring down -upon him the anger of the gods. - -So the King traveled secretly to the temple of Phoebus at Miletus, and -there he consulted the oracle; the oracle told him that Psyche must be -taken to the top of a high mountain and there left to be devoured by a -monster that the gods would send, and that in this way, and this way -alone, could the whole kingdom be saved from destruction. - -When the King heard this, his heart was heavy within him, for of all his -daughters Psyche was the dearest to him, so he returned home very -sorrowful. The two older sisters cared little for his sadness, but -Psyche, who loved him tenderly, was grieved, and she went to him and -said, “My father, why are you so sorrowful and downcast?” - -For a long time the King would not tell her what it was that troubled -him, but she was so urgent in her questions that at last he could keep -silence no longer, and he said, “My daughter, thy beauty is so great -that it has drawn upon us the anger of the gods, and even Aphrodite -herself is jealous of thee. The oracle at Miletus has spoken and has -told me that I and thou and thy sisters and all the city with us will be -destroyed, unless a certain sacrifice is made.” - -Then Psyche asked him what was the sacrifice the gods demanded, and her -father answered, “Thou thyself, Psyche, art the sacrifice.” - -When Psyche heard that, she cried aloud with terror, but presently she -asked her father how she was to be sacrificed, and he told her what else -the oracle had said, that she was to be taken out to a high mountain and -left there to be devoured by a monster the gods would send. - -Then Psyche wept bitterly, but at last she said, “It is better that one -should perish than that all should be destroyed together. So let the -sacrifice be made, even as the oracle has directed.” - -Then, soon afterward, Psyche was made ready; she was dressed as a bride, -in shining garments, and hung about with jewels, and at the time set by -the oracle, she was taken out and left alone upon the mountain. None -might stay to comfort her or to watch with her for the coming of the -monster. - -But no sooner was she alone than Eros caused her to fall into a deep -sleep, and while she slept he carried her away to a secret palace he had -prepared for her. All about the palace were gardens, with shining -temples and fountains and winding paths and trees that bore all sorts of -strange and delicious fruits. The palace itself was very beautiful. The -walls were of ivory and cedar, and the roof was of gold. The ceilings -were of shining blue, set with precious stones like stars, and the -pillars that supported it were also of gold, wrought with shapes of -flowers and leaves and birds; and the floor was of stones of beautiful -colors set in strange patterns. - -It was in this palace that Psyche awakened and, wondering, looked about -her. - -Suddenly the voices of unseen maidens spoke to her sweetly, bidding her -have no fear. “We are your servants, Psyche,” they told her. “This -palace, these gardens, and we who are to serve you are the gift of one -who loves you. He desires only your happiness, and for you to be his -bride.” - -Then all fear left Psyche, and she rose up and wandered through the -gardens, and from room to room of the palace, and everywhere she saw new -beauties. Soft music followed her, and in one place a feast of strange -and delicious foods and drinks was served to her, but she saw no one. -Everything was done for her by invisible hands. - -All day Psyche amused herself by examining the beautiful things about -the palace and garden, and then, as night drew on, and she became weary, -she laid herself down upon a magnificent couch that had been prepared -for her. - -Then suddenly, in the darkness, Psyche heard footsteps coming nearer and -nearer. Filled with terror, she listened. She feared it was the monster -that the gods were to send, and that it was coming now to destroy her. -But a voice, softer and sweeter than any she had ever heard, spoke to -her out of the darkness, bidding her have no fear. - -“I am thy own true lover, Psyche,” said the voice. “It is for thee I -prepared this palace and these gardens. Only love me in return, and our -happiness will be so great that even the gods themselves can know no -greater.” - -Then Psyche was filled with joy and with love for the one who spoke to -her so tenderly, and who had prepared all this happiness for her. - -All night he stayed with her, and they held sweet talk together, but in -the early morning, before it was light, he left her, and she knew -nothing of how this unknown lover looked, but only that he was wise and -kind and tender. - -Now every day Psyche wandered through the gardens or amused herself in -the palace, and feasted and heard sweet music, and was served in every -thing by unseen hands, and every night her unknown lover came to her, -but always he left before the morning and so she never saw him. - -For a long time Psyche was very happy, but after a while she began to -think of her father and her sisters, and her heart yearned for them so -that she became sad and lonely. - -One night she said to her lover, “Am I never again to see my father, nor -the sisters who are so dear to me?” - -Then the unknown one asked her, “Are you so soon weary of me, Psyche?” - -“I am not weary of you,” answered the Princess, “but I long with all my -heart to see my sisters that I may know that it is well with them, and -that they may know that it is well with me also. If I could see them but -once only, then I would be contented.” - -Her unknown lover was silent for a while, and then he said. “I love you -so dearly that I can refuse you nothing, Psyche. I will bring your -sisters here to visit you, but they may stay with you only for three -days, and you must tell them nothing of me, however they may question -you, and if they offer you advice, you must not take it. Do not even -listen to it. Remember, if you disobey me, great sorrow will come upon -you and upon me also.” - -Psyche was filled with joy at the thought that she was once more to see -her sisters, and eagerly she promised to heed the warnings of her lover -and to obey him in all things. But all night Eros (for it was he who was -her lover) was very sad and silent, for he feared that this wish of -Psyche’s would bring some misfortune on them. - -The next night Eros caused Psyche’s sisters to fall into a deep sleep, -and while they were sleeping Zephyrus, who governs the winds, lifted -them up and carried them to a room in Psyche’s palace and left them -there. - -In the morning, when the sisters awoke, they were amazed to find -themselves in an unknown palace, and their wonder was even greater when -Psyche came hastening to greet them, and when they found the palace and -all that was in it and the gardens round about it were hers, and were -all the gift of a lover, who had brought her there the day she was left -upon the mountain. - -Psyche questioned them about their father and all that had happened -since she had left them, and after she had heard all there was to tell, -she took them through the palace and showed them the treasures, and led -them through the gardens, and they heard the music, and were served by -unseen hands. The more they saw, the more they wondered, and they became -very envious of Psyche. They asked her about the one who had given her -all these things, but Psyche turned these questions aside and would not -talk with them of her lover. - -At the end of three days, when the time came for her sisters to leave -her, Psyche bade them choose what they would have of all they had seen -in the palace. She loaded them with jewels and treasures, and nothing -they asked for was refused them. Then they fell asleep, and in their -sleep Zephyrus carried them back again to their father’s castle, to the -place whence he had brought them, and the gifts that Psyche had given -them he left beside them. - -After this Psyche was contented for a time and then once more she began -to long to see her sisters, and she begged Eros to bring them to visit -her as before. - -“Psyche, do not ask me,” said Eros. “I feel that if they come again, -some misfortune will surely fall upon us.” - -But still Psyche begged and entreated him to bring them to her, until he -could refuse no longer. Again he caused the sisters to fall into a deep -sleep, and again Zephyrus bore them to the palace where Psyche awaited -them. - -But this time the sisters brought but little joy with them. All the -while they had been away they had been growing more and more envious of -Psyche, so that now they could scarcely hide from her their jealousy of -her good fortune. - -“Why should Psyche have all these things,” said they to each other, “and -we have nothing except such gifts as she is pleased to make to us?” - -Then they began to talk to her about her husband. “He must be some -horrible monster,” said they. “Otherwise why should he only come in -darkness and never let you see him? No doubt he is the very monster for -whom you were left upon the mountain. Oh, Psyche! Your fate is surely -most unhappy in that you are married to such a creature.” - -At first Psyche tried not to listen to them, but still they talked and -whispered until at last she became frightened, and each night she -dreaded the coming of her husband, fearing he was indeed some monster, -and that, in the end, he would devour her. - -Then came the last night that her sisters were to be with her, and just -before they went to rest they called Psyche to their chamber and gave -her a lamp and a dagger. - -“Dearest sister, we wish, if possible to save you,” said they. “Here are -a lamp and a dagger. To-night, when your husband is sleeping, you must -rise quietly from his side and take the lamp and look at him. Then if, -as we believe, you find he is a monster, drive this dagger into his -heart. So you will rid the world of him and save yourself alive, for -unless you do this, he will certainly sometime destroy you.” - -Trembling Psyche took the lamp and the dagger and promised to hide them -in the little room that was beyond her sleeping chamber and to use the -dagger as they directed if she found that what they feared were so. Then -she kissed her sisters farewell, for she knew the time had come for them -to leave her. - -That night Eros came to Psyche as usual, and she let him know nothing of -what she and her sisters had planned against him. He was so gentle -toward her, and so tender that she could not but love him, and then she -remembered her sisters’ warnings and hardened her heart against him. - -She waited until he was sleeping, and then she slipped away and took up -the lamp in one hand and the dagger in the other. Returning, she held -the lamp above him and looked down at him. - -What were her joy and awe and wonder to find it was no monster, but -Eros, the God of Love himself who was her husband. - -As she still bent above him, entranced by his beauty, one drop of hot -oil from the lamp fell upon his shoulder. - -Then Eros sprang up from his slumbers and looked at her with grief and -indignation. - -“What have you done!” he cried. “Oh, unhappy one! Why did you not obey -my warnings? Now I must leave you, and grief and sorrow must be your -portion. Farewell, unhappy Psyche.” - -With these words he vanished from before her, and at the same time the -palace and the gardens and all that were in them faded away like the -mist of the morning. - -Psyche was alone upon a wide and desolate plain. Dawn was breaking, and -a cold wind blew about her. - -“Eros! Eros!” cried Psyche; but no one answered. - -Then Psyche wept aloud in bitter despair; and she rose and wrapped her -garments about her against the wind and set off across the plain. - -For a long time she journeyed on, but whither she knew not, until at -last she came to a wood and heard a sound of piping. She followed the -sound and presently came to a place where the god Pan sat, playing upon -his pipes, and all about him creatures of the wood, both large and -small, had gathered to listen to his music. - -Then Psyche cried to him in her grief. “Oh, Pan, you who wander far and -near, tell me where is Eros, that I may follow him and find him.” - -But Pan answered, “I know not, Psyche. Ask Demeter, the Earth-mother. -She is very wise, and if he is on this earth, she is the one who can -tell you where to find him.” - -So Psyche went on farther and came to where Demeter, the kind -Earth-mother, was watching the fields and meadows and the harvesters at -their work. - -Then Psyche said to her, “Oh, Demeter, you who know all things, tell me -where my husband Eros has fled to that I may follow and find him.” - -The Earth-mother answered, “He is not on earth, Psyche. When the hot -oil fell upon him and burned him, he fled back to Olympus, the home of -the gods, for it is there his mother Aphrodite dwells. Now he is with -her, for she and she alone can heal the wound that you have caused him.” - -Then Psyche wept even more bitterly still, and she said, “I will go to -Aphrodite and tell her of my grief and sorrow, and then it may be that -she will let me speak with Eros, and that he will forgive me.” - -But Demeter replied, “Be careful, Psyche, for Aphrodite hates you with a -bitter hatred, and if she could she would gladly destroy you. Eros, too, -is angry with you, and you can hardly hope he will forgive you, for you -have caused him great sorrow and suffering.” - -“Nevertheless,” said Psyche, “I will go to Aphrodite, for unless Eros -will forgive me and take me back into his love, I do not care to live.” - -So Psyche journeyed on and on until at last she came to Olympus and to -the place where Aphrodite had her dwelling. When the goddess saw Psyche -she was glad at heart, for she thought, “Now Psyche has come to me it -will be a strange thing if I cannot get her entirely into my power and -punish her as she deserves.” But even as she thought thus, she wondered -at Psyche’s beauty, for it was very great. - -Then Psyche asked if she might speak with Eros, but the goddess answered -harshly, “Eros has no wish to see you. You deceived and wounded him so -that he fled to me for comfort. But I will set you a task to prove you, -and if you can perform it, then perhaps I will speak of you to Eros and -plead with him to forgive you; but if you fail, then you shall give -yourself over to me, for me to do with you as I please.” - -And Psyche answered, “No task is too hard for me if only Eros will -forgive me.” - -So Aphrodite took her into a room where there was a great heap of every -kind of grain, barley and millet and wheat and poppy and beans and many -others, and they were all mixed together so that it was difficult to -tell one from another. - -Then Aphrodite said, “Your task is to separate these seeds one from -another. Each kind must be put by itself in a separate heap, and all -this must be done before evening.” So saying, Aphrodite turned away and -left her. - -As Psyche looked at the heap of grain, she knew the task that Aphrodite -had set her was one that it was impossible to perform, and she was -frightened at the thought of what Aphrodite might do to her if she -failed. - -Now though Eros was still angry with Psyche, he had no wish to leave her -entirely to the cruelty of his mother, so he sent an army of ants to -help her. Thousands upon thousands he sent, and the ants seized the -grains and dragged them apart, each kind to itself, while Psyche watched -and wondered. As if by magic the heap was separated, and each kind of -grain was gathered off by itself, and when the task was finished the -ants disappeared again; not one of them was left. - -Toward evening Aphrodite came to the room where she had left Psyche, and -her heart was filled with triumph, for she had no doubt but that she -would find the task unfinished and would then have the Princess in her -power. - -But what was her rage and wonder to find the grains separated and lying -in different heaps about the room, each kind by itself as she had -commanded. - -“And now will you ask Eros to forgive me?” asked Psyche timidly. - -But Aphrodite answered, “Wait until to-morrow. Then we will talk of it.” - -But the next day the goddess set another task for Psyche. She bade her -go out to where her sheep were pastured, and fetch her back a bagful of -their golden wool. - -Now the sheep of Aphrodite were very fierce and terrible, so that no one -might approach them without being torn to pieces. This Psyche knew, but -she thought, “Better to perish at once than suffer from the wrath of -Aphrodite.” - -So she took the bag the goddess gave her and set out for the pasture. -But on the way she met Pan, and he had pity on her because of her beauty -and her sorrow. - -“Psyche, do not venture near the pasture,” he warned her. “Wait until -evening when the sheep are resting and then turn aside into yonder wood, -and gather the wool you will find there in the thickets; for in the heat -of the day the sheep take shelter there, and their wool catches on the -thorns and briers and is torn from them.” - -Gratefully Psyche thanked him for his advice, and she waited until on -toward evening, and then stole into the wood and there about her, on -thorny branches, glittered the tufts of golden wool the sheep had left -behind them. Psyche gathered them, handful after handful, until her bag -was full, and then she hastened back with it to Aphrodite. - -When the goddess saw that again Psyche had succeeded, her heart was hot -within her. But when the Princess asked her, “Will you not yet plead for -me with Eros?” the goddess answered, “Wait until to-morrow. It may be -that he himself may wish to see you.” - -But on the morrow it was a new task that she set for Psyche. She gave -her a crystal urn, and bade her take it to the fountain of Oblivion, -and there fill it with water, and fetch it back with her. - -Now the fountain of Oblivion flows forth black and cold as ice from a -deep crevice in a rock at the top of a high mountain, and the rock is so -steep that it is impossible for any human being to climb it. Thence the -waters pour down through a deep channel, and this channel is guarded on -either side by dragons that never sleep. - -Psyche took the urn and set forth upon her journey, and as she journeyed -on her way she wept, for she knew that no one could go near the stream -of Oblivion and live, because of the dragons that guarded it. - -But once more Eros had pity on her, and he asked of Zeus, the -All-Father, that he would lend him his eagle, that it might take the urn -and carry it to the fountain and fill it, and return with it to Psyche. - -Zeus, the All-Father did not refuse, and so as Psyche sat resting by the -wayside, the eagle swept down upon her, and caught the urn from her -hand, and flew away with it. - -And now Psyche believed she was indeed lost, for how could she return to -Aphrodite and tell her that not only had she failed to fetch the water, -but that the crystal urn had been stolen from her also. - -But while she stood there, afraid either to return or to go forward, she -heard again a great beating of wings, and the eagle returned to her. She -saw that he still had the urn, but now it was full of the dark and icy -water for which she had been sent. - -Then Psyche rejoiced and took the urn from the eagle and hastened back -to Aphrodite. When the goddess saw that once more Psyche had fulfilled -her bidding, her brow grew black with fury. - -“One more task, and one more only will I set you,” said the goddess. -“Take this box and journey to the lower regions where Persephone is -Queen; beg from her a bit of her beauty and bring it back to me in this -box, for the Feast of the Gods is soon to be given, and I wish to adorn -myself with it.” - -And now Psyche indeed believed herself lost, for never had human being -journeyed to those lower regions where Persephone was Queen and returned -again to the green earth above. In her despair she thought, “Better that -I should perish at once than suffer longer from the anger of Aphrodite,” -and she went up to the top of a high tower, intending to throw herself -from it and so put an end to her sorrows. - -But this tower was an enchanted place, and when she had climbed to the -top of it, a voice spoke to her and bade her take courage. - -“It is possible to do as Aphrodite has commanded and still live,” said -the voice. “Only listen carefully and do in all things as thou shalt now -be directed, and thou mayest win for her the beauty she asks.” - -The voice then told her she must go to the city of Achaia. Near to it -was a mountain; in this mountain was a gap, narrow and dark, and from -this gap a pathway led down to the lower regions where Persephone was -Queen. It was this path that Psyche must follow. - -“But take with thee in thy mouth two pieces of silver money,” said the -voice, “and in each hand a piece of barley bread soaked in honey, for -these thou wilt need if thou wouldst reach the palace of Persephone in -safety.” The voice also told her that after she had followed the path -for a short distance, she would meet an old man driving a lame ass -loaded with wood. This old man would beg and beseech her to help him, -but she must pay no heed, but pass on in silence, for it was Aphrodite -who would send him there to tempt her to give up either the bread or -money. - -Soon after she would come to the great black river Styx, and there she -would find the boatman Charon waiting. He it is who ferries the souls of -the dead across the water. After she had entered the boat she was to -allow Charon to take from her lips one of the two pieces of money in -payment for ferrying her over. As she crossed a face would rise above -the water and beg her for the other piece of money, but still she must -keep silence and pay no heed to any entreaties, for this face also was a -snare set for her by Aphrodite, to make her give up the other piece of -money. - -After she had crossed the river, she would see before her the palace of -Persephone, and at the gate the fierce three-headed dog Cerberus, who -stands ever guarding it against those who would enter. To him she must -give a piece of the bread, still without speaking, and then he would -allow her to pass by him. - -She would then be brought before Persephone, but here, also, would -danger await her. A feast would be set before her, and she would be -urged to eat, but no crumb or drop must pass her lips, for whosoever -eats or drinks with Persephone may never again return from her palace to -the green world of sunshine above. But if she were steadfast and neither -ate nor drank, nor spoke one word, Persephone would give her in the box -the beauty that Aphrodite desired. Then on her return she must give the -second piece of bread to Cerberus, that he might let her pass, and to -Charon the other piece of money, that he might ferry her over in safety. - -“But oh, Psyche, open not the box, nor look within it,” counseled the -voice, “for if thou shouldst raise the lid, then all thy labors will -have been in vain, and the wrath of Aphrodite will surely overtake -thee.” - -Until the voice was silent, Psyche stood and listened, and all that was -said she stored away in her heart and remembered; and when it was still -she came down at once from the tower and set out for the city of Achaia. - -Long and rough was the journey, but at last she came to the city, and -there she procured for herself the two pieces of silver money and the -barley bread soaked with honey. With these she set out for the mountain -that lay over beyond the city. There she found the gap of which the -voice had told her, and she followed the path that led down from it, and -always away from the green and sunlit world above her and toward the -darker world of the lower regions where Persephone reigns. - -Before she had gone far, she met the old man driving the ass, even as -the voice had warned her, and he looked so poor and miserable, and -begged so piteously for help, that Psyche’s heart melted within her, and -she longed to give him either bread or money, but she remembered the -voice and its warnings and passed by him without speaking. - -Soon she came to the river, and saw the boat lying there, and the dark -boatman Charon. She stepped into the boat, and he took from her lips one -of the pieces of silver. In silence he rowed her out upon the river. - -Then up through the water rose a face, and two hands were stretched out -to her; and it seemed to Psyche the face was the face of her father. He -begged and pleaded with her to give him the other piece of money, that -Charon might row him also across the water. - -Then it seemed to Psyche that it would break her heart to refuse him, -but again she remembered the voice that had warned her, and she knew -that the face and the hands were only an appearance caused by Aphrodite, -and that it was sent there to tempt her so that she would give up her -money and never be able to return from those lower regions. So she kept -silence, and the face and hands sank back under the water out of her -sight. - -[Illustration: Soon she came to the river, and saw the boat lying there. -_Page 270_] - -Soon after she came to the other side of the river and stepped out from -the boat; there she saw before her a palace more beautiful than any she -had ever beheld except the one where she had lived in joy with Eros. But -before the gateway stood the three-headed dog Cerberus, and his -appearance was very terrible, and his barkings so loud and fierce that -Psyche trembled. - -Then she threw to him one of the pieces of bread soaked in honey, and at -once he was silent and allowed her to pass by him and enter the palace. - -There within the palace everything was very beautiful, but the most -beautiful thing in it was Persephone. She made Psyche welcome, and soft -cushions were given her to rest on, and a magnificent feast was set -before her. Psyche looked at it with longing. - -“Eat, my child,” said Persephone, “for your journey has been long, and -this food and drink will refresh you.” But Psyche refused. - -Then at last Persephone said, “I know why you have come,--that it is to -carry back with you a portion of my beauty. Give me the box you brought -with you.” - -Half doubting her, Psyche gave her the box and Persephone took it and -went away; but soon she returned again and gave the box back into -Psyche’s hands. - -“Take it,” said Persephone. “Well and wisely hast thou performed thy -task. Now return to Aphrodite and give her the box, for in it is the -beauty for which she sent thee.” - -Then Psyche, still in silence, took the box, and hastened away from the -castle and returned the way she had come. When Cerberus raised his -dreadful barking, she threw him the other piece of bread, and he was -silent and allowed her once more to pass in safety. - -Soon she came again to the river, and found the dark boatman waiting, -and she entered his boat, and he took from her the second piece of money -and rowed her back to the other side. - -There Psyche left him and followed in haste along the path that led to -the upper world and sunlight, but on the way she was weary and sat down -to rest. Then she looked at the box she carried, and more and more she -longed to see the gift of beauty that Persephone had sent to Aphrodite. -At last her curiosity grew so great that it was like a fire burning her, -and she could bear it no longer, but opened the box and looked inside. - -Then at once the beauty that was in it rose like a pale mist and hovered -over Psyche’s head, and she fell into a deep slumber. - -Now indeed the wrath of Aphrodite would have destroyed her as she lay -there helpless, had not Eros come to her to protect and save her. For he -was now cured of his wound, and his love for Psyche had returned, and -his pain and the anger he had felt toward her were forgotten. So he came -to where she lay, and caught her up, and carried her to Zeus, who reigns -high on Olympus. And Eros entreated Zeus to protect Psyche from the -anger of his mother and to make her also a goddess, so that she need no -longer fear Aphrodite. - -To this Zeus consented, and he touched Psyche, and woke her from her -sleep, and made of her a goddess. - -Then she was made welcome by all the other gods and goddesses, and -Aphrodite was obliged to give up her anger, for it is the will of Zeus -that there shall be peace among all those who dwell on high Olympus. - -After that a great marriage feast was prepared in honor of Eros and -Psyche, and to it came all the gods and goddesses, and drank and -feasted. Then Eros took his bride away to a palace that Zeus had given -them, and which was even more magnificent than the one where Eros had -first carried Psyche; and there they lived together in great joy and -happiness. - -But Psyche’s two sisters were punished as they deserved, for Eros -appeared to each one of them in a dream and promised that if she would -go to the top of a high cliff and throw herself over, then he would take -her as a wife in place of Psyche. Each of them believed her dream, and -each secretly, and unknown to the other, went to the cliff and threw -herself over, and so perished miserably. - -But Psyche lived happy forever after in the palace in high Olympus with -her husband Eros. - -[Illustration] - - * * * * * - - _Fairy Tales from Old Worlds Across the Sea_ - - TALES OF FOLK AND FAIRIES - - _By_ KATHARINE PYLE - - Author of - - “Wonder Tales Retold,” “In the Green Forest,” etc. - - With Illustrations by the author. - - -From the old worlds across the seas come these fairy tales,--from -Scotland and Scandinavia, from the Cossacks and the Russians and the -Serbians, from Persia and India and Arabia and Bengal. There are stories -of enchanted princes and bewitched princesses, of brave deeds and clever -ones, of wonderful things like talking eggs and a magic pipe and a -carpet that flew and a turban that made its wearer invisible. There are -tales for boys, like that one of the brave lad who killed the -“Stoorworm”; there are stories for girls, as that one about the wise -girl who could guess the hardest riddle the King could ask. And there -are stories about animals and birds for both boys and girls, such as -“The Jackal and the Alligator” and the story of the beautiful black -horse that befriended the widow’s son. - -They have all been translated directly from the folk-lore of these -far-away countries and tell of the wonderful things that used to happen -there commonly enough when the world was young and people had not lost -their faith in witches and enchantments. American children will enjoy -them quite as much as do their little cousins across the water. - - - LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS - 34 BEACON STREET, BOSTON - - * * * * * - - _Fifteen old-world fairy tales, taken from the folk-lore of a dozen - different lands_ - - TALES OF WONDER AND MAGIC - - _By_ KATHARINE PYLE - - Author of - - “Wonder Tales Retold,” “In the Green Forest,” “Tales of Folk and - Fairies,” etc. - - With illustrations by the author. - - _12 mo._ _Cloth._ _314 pages_ - - -This volume of fairy tales includes stories from Ireland, Wales, Japan, -the East Indies, Sweden, Denmark, etc. They tell of enchanted princes -and princesses, of brave and wonderful deeds, of magic worked by evil -demons and overcome by the greater power of good spirits. - -Sometimes there is a beautiful princess to be rescued; sometimes a -fortune to be won; sometimes a hard task to be performed,--an impossible -feat for ordinary lads and lassies. But in fairy tales nothing is -impossible to youth and beauty and courage, so these shepherd lads and -princesses, kings’ sons and peasant maidens set forth on their wonderful -adventures with brave hearts, and always win through to safety. They are -the sort of stories to enthrall the young folk of to-day. - - - LITTLE, BROWN & CO., PUBLISHERS - 34 BEACON STREET, BOSTON - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Fairy tales from far and near</p> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Katharine Pyle</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: December 10, 2021 [eBook #66919]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Carlos Colon, Chuck Greif, the Library of Congress and the University of Florida 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.)</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR ***</div> -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/cover.jpg"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" -height="550" alt="[Image of -the book's cover unavailable.]" /></a> -</p> - -<table cellpadding="0" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:1em auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td> - -<p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents.</a></p> -<p class="c"><a href="#LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS">List of Illustrations</a><br /> <span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking on the image will bring up a larger version.)</span></p> - -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - - -<p class="cb">FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR</p> - -<div class="bbox"> -<p class="eng">By Katherine Pyle</p> - -<p class="nind"> -<span class="smcap">The Christmas Angel</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">As the Goose Flies</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Nancy Rutledge</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">In the Green Forest</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Wonder Tales Retold</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Tales of Folk and Fairies</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Tales of Wonder and Magic</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Fairy Tales from Far and Near</span><br /> -</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_001" style="width: 444px;"> -<a href="images/front.jpg"> -<img src="images/front.jpg" width="444" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Then the two old Eagles flew away. <span class="smcap">Frontispiece.</span></p> - -<p><i>See <a href="#page_4">Page 4</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<h1>FAIRY TALES FROM<br /> -FAR AND NEAR</h1> - -<p class="cb">WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED<br /> -<br /> -BY<br /> -<br /> -KATHARINE PYLE<br /> -<br /> -<img src="images/colophon.png" -width="80" -alt="[Image unavailable.]" /> -<br /> -<br /> -BOSTON<br /> -LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY<br /> -1922<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<i>Copyright, 1922</i>,<br /> -<span class="smcap">By Little, Brown, and Company</span>.<br /> -———<br /> -<i>All rights reserved</i><br /> -<br /><small> -Published September, 1922<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br /></small></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table cellpadding="3"> -<tr><td> </td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#LITTLE_SURYA_BAI">Little Surya Bai.</a> <i>A Hindoo Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_1">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_PRINCES_AND_THE_FRIENDLY_ANIMALS">The Princes and the Friendly Animals.</a> <i>A Lithuanian Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_25">25</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#GRACIOSA_AND_PERCINET">Graciosa and Percinet.</a> <i>A French Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_52">52</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_GIANTS_CLIFF">The Giant’s Cliff.</a> <i>An Irish Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_97">97</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_STORY_OF_CONN-EDA">The Story of Conn-Eda.</a> <i>An Irish Tale</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_112">112</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_BLUE_BELT">The Blue Belt.</a> <i>A Norse Tale</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_138">138</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_DUTIFUL_DAUGHTER">The Dutiful Daughter.</a> <i>A Korean Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_175">175</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_OAT_CAKE">The Oat Cake.</a> <i>A Scotch Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_202">202</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_DREAMER">The Dreamer.</a> <i>An English Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_210">210</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#THE_STORY_OF_HARKA">The Story of Harka.</a> <i>An American Indian Tale</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_221">221</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#SCHIPPEITARO">Schippeitaro.</a> <i>A Japanese Story</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_235">235</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd1"><a href="#EROS_AND_PSYCHE">Eros and Psyche.</a> <i>A Greek Tale</i></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_245">245</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<h2><a name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table cellpadding="3"> -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_001">Then the two old Eagles flew away</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#ill_001"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_002">As fast as she touched them each one was turned into a stone figure </a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_43"><small>PAGE</small> 43</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_003">The serpents reared up and opened their fiery jaws</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_128">“ 128</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_004">When she saw the bear she cried aloud with terror</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_169">“ 169</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_005">The king bade her step into the flower. She did so, and at once the leaves closed about her</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_193">“ 193</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_006">As soon as he saw the oat cake he was wide awake again in a moment</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_209">“ 209</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_007">When he reached the farther shore, he turned and looked back</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_232">“ 232</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="pdd"><a href="#ill_008">Soon she came to the river and saw the boat lying there</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_270">“ 270</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1">{1}</a></span></p> - -<h1>FAIRY TALES FROM<br /> FAR AND NEAR</h1> - -<h2><a name="LITTLE_SURYA_BAI" id="LITTLE_SURYA_BAI"></a>LITTLE SURYA BAI<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Hindoo Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a poor peasant woman who sold milk. Every day she filled -her cans with milk and went to a near-by town and sold it, returning -with her cans empty.</p> - -<p>One day, when she set out she took her little baby daughter with her. In -each hand the mother carried a milk can, and the baby held to her skirt -and walked close beside her.</p> - -<p>Suddenly two great eagles appeared, wheeling about in the sky, and one -of them dropped down and seized the child and flew away with it; the -other eagle, which was its mate, followed it.</p> - -<p>The woman cried aloud and dropped her milk cans, and ran along after the -eagles, but they quickly disappeared in the distance. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2">{2}</a></span> woman beat -upon her breast and wailed bitterly, but nothing she could say or do -could bring her child back to her.</p> - -<p>The eagle flew on and on with the baby until they reached the tree where -they lived. There the father eagle, who had carried her, laid her gently -on the grass.</p> - -<p>He and his mate were so delighted with the child and her pretty ways -that they determined to keep her.</p> - -<p>They built a house for her high in the top of the tree. The house was -made of iron, and was very strong, and it had seven iron doors and there -was a key for each one of them so it could be locked. In this house the -little girl lived with a little dog and cat the eagles had brought her -for company.</p> - -<p>The eagles loved the child dearly and named her Surya Bai, which means -Sun Lady. They brought her food and beautiful clothes,—clothes such as -princesses wear, and magnificent jewels. Each day, after they had set -forth, Surya Bai locked the doors so she would be safe. Then she played -about the house with the little dog and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3">{3}</a></span> cat and was well contented. In -the evening, when the eagles came home, they would knock, and Surya Bai -would unlock the seven doors, one after another, and let them in. Always -they brought her some pretty present.</p> - -<p>One day the mother eagle said, “Our Surya Bai has now everything she -needs except a diamond ring to wear upon her finger. It makes me sad -that she should not have a diamond ring.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied the father eagle, “she ought to have one, and I will go -out and find one for her.”</p> - -<p>“But an ordinary diamond ring will not do,” said his mate. “Once, far -away, upon the borders of the Red Sea, I saw a princess walking, and on -her finger she wore a ring so bright and dazzling it was like the sun in -splendor. It is such a ring as that that I wish to give to our Sun -Lady.”</p> - -<p>“In that case we will fly away to the Red Sea and get one for her,” said -the father eagle.</p> - -<p>So the two birds arranged to set out the next day, and as it would take -a long time to make the journey, they brought to Surya Bai enough food -to last for six months. They then cautioned her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4">{4}</a></span> not to open the door to -any one while they were gone, and not to leave the house for any reason -whatever, and to keep the fire always burning on the hearthstone. Then -the two old eagles flew away, and they were sad to leave her.</p> - -<p>Now after they had gone, Surya Bai went about the house and set it in -order. Every day she cooked food for herself and the little dog and cat, -and fed them, and she played with them, and they were very happy -together. Then one day, when she was cooking dinner, the little cat -crept close to her, and while Surya Bai was not looking stole the very -choicest bits of the dinner and ate them up very quickly.</p> - -<p>When Surya Bai turned round and saw what the cat had done, she was very -angry. “Now I shall punish you because you are a thief,” she said.</p> - -<p>She took a little switch and beat the cat with it. That made the cat -very angry, and it ran over to the hearth and upset the pot of water -over the fire and put it out. Then Surya Bai did not know what to do. -She had now no way to cook the food for herself and the little dog and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5">{5}</a></span> -cat, and as they could not eat it raw, for three days they went hungry.</p> - -<p>At the end of that time Surya Bai made up her mind to go out and try to -get some fire some place. She said to the dog and cat, “If the eagles -could know how hungry we are, I am sure they would be willing for me to -go.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the little cat, “but you must not go too far, for just -beyond here is the Rakshas’ country; and if you go there, some Rakshas -may catch you and never let you come back.”</p> - -<p>“What is a Rakshas?” asked Surya Bai.</p> - -<p>Now Rakshas are demons and very dangerous, but the cat would not tell -Surya Bai that, because she thought if Surya Bai knew about them she -would be afraid to go for the fire. So she said, “I cannot tell you what -they are,” and then she sat down in a corner and washed her fur and -would not answer any more questions.</p> - -<p>“At any rate, we must have the fire,” said Surya Bai. So she unlocked -the seven doors, one after another, and climbed down from the tree and -set out on her journey.</p> - -<p>She went on and on for a long way and then,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6">{6}</a></span> without knowing it, she -really did come into the country of the Rakshas. There she saw a house, -and in it was an old, old woman, bending over a fire. She was so old -that her nose and chin almost met, and so crooked she was like a bent -stick. Her gray hair fell over her eyes in a mat, and her teeth were -long and yellow, and she was a Rakshas.</p> - -<p>When she saw the maiden, she asked her who she was, and where she had -come from, and what was her errand.</p> - -<p>Surya Bai told her she came from a little house that had been built for -her by a pair of eagles in a tree top far away. She told her the eagles -were away from home, for they had gone to fetch her a diamond ring from -far away and had left her with only a little dog and cat for companions. -“And now the cat has put out the fire,” said she, “and I have no way to -cook the food. We are very hungry, so give me, I beg of you, a little of -your fire to carry home with me.”</p> - -<p>Now the old woman Rakshas had a son who was very strong and terrible, -but he was away from home on some business. “What a pity he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7">{7}</a></span> is not -here,” thought the old woman. “This pretty little girl would make a fine -morsel for him. I will try to keep her until he returns, so that he may -have her for his supper.”</p> - -<p>So she made her voice as soft and friendly as she could, and said, “You -may have the fire and welcome, but pound this rice for me before you go, -for my arms are too weak and old for pounding. After that you shall have -the fire.”</p> - -<p>Surya Bai was very obliging. She pounded the rice and pounded and -pounded, but still the young Rakshas did not come, and presently she had -finished.</p> - -<p>“Now give me the fire,” said the maiden.</p> - -<p>But the old woman still wished to keep her. “I have no daughter to help -me,” said she. “Grind this corn for me, I beg of you, and then I will -give you the fire.”</p> - -<p>Surya Bai ground the corn, but still the Rakshas had not come.</p> - -<p>“I have pounded the rice and ground the corn; now give me the fire that -I may be gone,” said the maiden.</p> - -<p>But still the old woman detained her. “Why<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8">{8}</a></span> should you be in such a -hurry? Just fetch me some water from the well, and then you shall have -the fire.”</p> - -<p>Surya Bai went to the well and fetched the old woman the water. Still -the Rakshas had not returned.</p> - -<p>“I have served you willingly,” said the maiden, “and now I must be gone, -and if you will not give me the fire, I must seek it elsewhere.”</p> - -<p>Then the old woman knew she could keep Surya Bai no longer. “You may -have the fire,” said she, “and you are more than welcome to it. I will -also give you a bag of corn, and as you go you can strew it along, so as -to make a little golden pathway between your house and mine.”</p> - -<p>This the old woman said because she thought if the girl left a trail -behind her, the Rakshas could follow her to where she lived and catch -her there.</p> - -<p>But Surya Bai had no fear of evil, for she had always been treated -kindly. She thought the old Rakshas was a very friendly old woman.</p> - -<p>She took the fire and the corn also, and as she went home she scattered -the corn along the way.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9">{9}</a></span></p> - -<p>When the girl reached the tree where the house was, she climbed up and -went inside, shutting and locking the seven iron doors behind her, one -after the other. She cooked the meal and fed the dog and fed the cat, -and then as she was very tired, she lay down and fell fast asleep.</p> - -<p>Now very soon after she left the Rakshas’ house, the young Rakshas came -home, and he was very fierce and terrible to look at. At once his mother -began to scold at him.</p> - -<p>“Why are you so late?” she cried. “A young maiden has been here, a fine -and dainty morsel, all pink and white, and as tender as a bird, and you -might have had her for your supper if only you had returned earlier, in -time to catch her.”</p> - -<p>When the Rakshas heard this, his eyes grew red as fire, and he gnashed -his teeth together with rage.</p> - -<p>“Which way did she go?” he bellowed. “Which way did she go? I’ll follow -her and catch her however far she’s gone.”</p> - -<p>“You’ll have no trouble finding the way,” replied his mother, “for I -gave her corn to scatter<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10">{10}</a></span> as she went along, so as to make a pathway. -Just follow the corn, and you’ll soon find her.”</p> - -<p>At once the Rakshas set off. So fast he went that the ground was burned -up beneath him. It did not take him long to reach the little house in -the tree top, but Surya Bai was safely inside, and all the seven iron -doors were locked behind her.</p> - -<p>The Rakshas beat on the door and called to her to come and open. “I am -your father, the eagle, returned from his journey,” he called to her. -“Open quickly, dear child, that I may put the diamond ring upon your -pretty finger.”</p> - -<p>But Surya Bai did not open the door or answer, for she was fast asleep -and the little cat and dog were asleep also.</p> - -<p>The Rakshas began to tear at the iron door, but he could not stir it, -and all he did was to break off one of his long brown nails, and then -off he went, howling horribly, and leaving the nail still sticking in -the crack of the door.</p> - -<p>A little while after he had gone, the cat awoke and wakened Surya Bai. -“Surya Bai,” mewed the cat, “I dreamed the eagles had returned and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11">{11}</a></span> were -calling at the door for you to open it. You had better go and see if -they are there.”</p> - -<p>Surya Bai at once arose and took the keys and opened the doors, one -after another, and when she opened the seventh door, the Rakshas’ nail -that he had broken off ran into her hand, so that she fell down as -though she were dead; for the fingernail of a Rakshas is very poisonous.</p> - -<p>Not long after that the eagles came home, and there they saw the doors -all open and little Surya Bai lying on the threshold, seemingly dead. -Then they were very sorrowful. They put the diamond ring upon her -finger, and after that they flew away, uttering loud cries, and were -never seen again; but the cat and the dog stayed beside her and mourned -over her.</p> - -<p>Now the very next day a handsome young Rajah<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> came by that way, -hunting, and stopped under the very tree where the house was. He -happened to look up, and there, high above him in the tree top, he saw -something dark and large, and he could not tell what it was. So he bade -one of his attendants climb up and see.</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> King.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12">{12}</a></span></p></div> - -<p>The man climbed up as the Rajah bade him, and presently he came sliding -down again, and he told his master that what he saw up there was a -curious little house made of iron. The man told him the house had iron -doors, but they were all open, and on the threshold of the first of the -doors lay a lovely maiden. She lay there seemingly dead, but so -beautiful he had never seen anything like her, and beside her sat a -little cat and dog mourning for her.</p> - -<p>When the Rajah heard this, he became very curious to see the maiden, and -he bade some of his people climb up and bring her down to where he was.</p> - -<p>This they did, and the little cat and dog came with them. No sooner had -the young Rajah seen the maiden than he fell violently in love with her -because of her beauty, and he felt he could not live unless he could -awaken her to life and have her for a wife. She did not look to him as -though she were really dead, for her cheeks and lips had kept their -color, and when he lifted her hand, it was soft and warm in his fingers. -Then he saw something long and dark, that looked like<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13">{13}</a></span> a thorn, sticking -in her hand. This was the Rakshas’ nail.</p> - -<p>The Rajah drew it out very slowly and carefully, so as not to hurt her, -and no sooner had he withdrawn it than life came back to the maiden, and -she opened her eyes and breathed again.</p> - -<p>When the Rajah saw the change that had come over her he was filled with -joy, and he told her who he was and what had happened, and he asked her -whether she would come back to his palace with him and be his Ranee.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> Queen.</p></div> - -<p>To this Surya Bai willingly agreed, for he was so handsome and kind -looking that she loved him the moment she saw him. So Surya Bai went -home with the young Rajah, and they were married with great magnificence -and rejoicing, and every one loved the young Ranee for her gentleness. -Only the Rajah’s mother hated her. She was very angry that her son -should have married a girl who had a pair of eagles for parents, and who -had lived in an iron hut in the forest. She also envied Surya Bai -because the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14">{14}</a></span> Rajah had given her all the most magnificent jewels in the -palace. Nothing was too good for the little new Ranee.</p> - -<p>“This girl has bewitched him,” the mother said to herself, “but if she -were only gone and out of his sight, he would soon forget her.” So she -was always plotting and planning to get rid of the young Ranee.</p> - -<p>Now there was an old woman about the palace, and she was very wise. She -said to Surya Bai, “Do not trust the old Ranee. She is certainly -planning some evil against you. I know her. She is jealous of you and so -wicked that she would stop at nothing.”</p> - -<p>But Surya Bai would not listen to her. She was so good and gentle that -she could not believe evil of any one.</p> - -<p>One day Surya Bai and the Rajah’s mother were walking in the gardens, -and the old woman was with them, for she was one of Surya Bai’s favorite -attendants.</p> - -<p>Then the old Ranee said to the young Ranee, “Your jewels are very -beautiful and fine. Even when I was a young Ranee my husband never<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15">{15}</a></span> gave -me such beautiful jewels as those you have. Let me put them on just for -a short time, I beg of you, that I also may know how it feels to be as -magnificent as you are.”</p> - -<p>Then the old woman whispered in the girl’s ear, “Do not lend her your -jewels. I know she is planning some evil against you.”</p> - -<p>But Surya Bai would not listen to her. She took off her jewels, all of -them, and helped the old Ranee to put them on. She put the bracelets on -the old Ranee’s arms, and the necklaces on her neck, and the earrings in -her ears,—all her jewels she lent to the old Ranee. She hung them about -her until she shone like the sun with the splendor of them all.</p> - -<p>When this was done the Rajah’s mother bade the old woman go back to the -palace for a hand mirror that she might look at herself and see how fine -she was now that she was dressed in all those jewels.</p> - -<p>The old woman did not want to go, but she was obliged to.</p> - -<p>When the old Ranee was alone with Surya Bai, she said to her, “Come, -Surya Bai, let us go<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16">{16}</a></span> over to the bathing tank while we wait for the -mirror, that I may look at myself in the water.”</p> - -<p>Still thinking no evil, Surya Bai went with her.</p> - -<p>Now the bathing tank was very deep; it was only for people to swim in. -When they came near the edge, the old Ranee leaned over and Surya Bai -leaned over, too, to look in the water. Then the old Ranee gave her a -push so that she fell in and sank out of sight below the waters.</p> - -<p>The wicked old Ranee waited for awhile, and then, as she saw nothing -more of Surya Bai, she was satisfied that the girl was drowned, and she -hurried back to her chamber and hid all the jewels.</p> - -<p>That night the Rajah could not find Surya Bai anywhere. No one knew what -had become of her. The Rajah was like one distracted. He hunted for her -everywhere.</p> - -<p>Then his mother said to him, “I saw her walking in the garden this -morning with that old woman. If any harm has come to her, it is because -of that wretch; I feel sure of it.”</p> - -<p>The Rajah at once sent for the old woman and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17">{17}</a></span> questioned her, but she -could tell him nothing about the young Ranee, for she had not seen her -after she left her there in the garden with the Rajah’s mother. The old -Ranee managed to make the Rajah feel very suspicious of the old woman, -so he had her thrown into prison, and she lay there, very miserable.</p> - -<p>But Surya Bai had not been altogether drowned when she sank down into -the tank. Instead she had changed into a beautiful golden flower that -rose up and up through the waters until it reached the air.</p> - -<p>The next time the Rajah came to the gardens he saw something shining -over in the bathing tank, and when he went nearer he found a beautiful -golden flower growing up out of the water. Then at once he became quite -happy. The flower made him think of little Surya Bai, and a load seemed -lifted from his heart. Now every day he went out to the tank and spent -long hours looking at the flower, and he talked to it as though it could -hear him, and it never changed or withered.</p> - -<p>But soon the old Ranee became very anxious.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18">{18}</a></span> “This flower certainly has -something to do with Surya Bai. There is some magic about it,” she said -to herself.</p> - -<p>So one night she took several men with her and went secretly out to -where the flower was blooming, and made the men cut it down and take it -away into the jungle and burn it.</p> - -<p>The next morning, when the Rajah went to the garden to visit the flower, -he found it was gone. Then he was very unhappy, and he questioned the -keepers of the garden, but they could tell him nothing about it.</p> - -<p>But even when the flower was burned, that was not the end of the young -Ranee.</p> - -<p>The wind caught up the ashes of the flower and blew them back into the -garden, and they fell close beside the wall. From these ashes grew up a -mango tree. It grew and grew until its top was higher than the garden -walls and could be seen from the road outside the garden. Then upon the -very topmost bough there bloomed a flower. In due time the petals of the -flower fell, and the mango fruit was seen. The fruit grew larger and -larger. Every day it grew, and it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19">{19}</a></span> shone with a rosy light as though -there were a flame within it, and every day the Rajah came and looked at -it, and when he looked he was happy, just as he had been when he looked -at the golden flower.</p> - -<p>The fruit was almost ripe, but no one was allowed to touch it, for it -was to be for the Rajah alone.</p> - -<p>Now one day the old milk woman who was Surya Bai’s mother was going home -with her empty milk cans, and she sat down to rest outside the wall of -the Rajah’s garden. She sat near where the mango tree was growing, but -it was inside the garden and she was outside. Then the mango bent its -top and leaned farther and farther across the wall, and, quite suddenly, -the great, rosy mango fell down and into the empty milk can of Surya -Bai’s mother.</p> - -<p>The old woman was terrified. She thought, “If any one should see this -mango in my milk can, they would think I was a thief and had stolen it, -and I would be punished.” So she caught up her can and hurried home with -it. Then she put it in the corner and heaped up<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20">{20}</a></span> ever so many other -empty milk cans on top of it.</p> - -<p>She said nothing about what had happened until that evening, when she -and her husband and her eldest son were alone together and the other -children were in bed, for she had a large family. Then she told them the -whole story,—she told how she had sat down to rest in the shade of the -wall, and how the mango had fallen into her milk can, and how she had -brought it home and had put the can in the corner under all the other -milk cans.</p> - -<p>“And now do you go and fetch the mango,” said she to her husband, “and -we will cut it and have a fine feast.”</p> - -<p>The husband went out to where the milk cans had been heaped up and began -lifting them down, one after another, until he had come to the last one. -Then he gave a great cry.</p> - -<p>“You told me a mango was in the milk can,” he cried to his wife, “but -here is something very different.”</p> - -<p>The woman came running and looked into the can, and there was a tiny -lady very magnificently<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21">{21}</a></span> dressed, like a Ranee, and when she stepped out -from the can she was so beautiful that the whole room shone as though -there were a star in it.</p> - -<p>The old man and woman could hardly believe their eyes. They were -frightened, and yet they were delighted.</p> - -<p>The old woman said, “Now I am happy again as I have never been happy -since the eagles flew away with my little baby daughter.”</p> - -<p>When she said that, the small Ranee looked at her wonderingly, but she -said nothing, for it seemed she could not speak.</p> - -<p>After that the beautiful stranger lived there in the house with the old -man and woman, and every day she grew so fast that at the end of a month -she was as tall as an ordinary woman, but still she could not speak.</p> - -<p>It was not long before people knew that a most beautiful lady dressed -like a Ranee was living with the old peasants. The news came even to the -palace, so the Rajah heard about it, and he began to wonder whether it -were possible this beautiful lady could be his lost Ranee. One day he -set out with only his faithful councilor<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22">{22}</a></span> for company, and went to the -house of the old peasants and knocked on the door.</p> - -<p>The old woman who was Surya Bai’s mother looked out of the window, and -when she saw the Rajah there, she was very much frightened. She took -Surya Bai and hid her behind a heap of milk cans, for she feared if the -Rajah saw the girl he might begin to ask questions and find how the -mango had dropped into the can.</p> - -<p>After the girl was hidden, the old woman opened the door.</p> - -<p>“I wish to see the stranger who is living here with you, and who is so -beautiful, and is dressed like a Ranee,” said the Rajah.</p> - -<p>“I do not know what you mean,” cried the old woman. “No one lives here -but me and my husband and children.”</p> - -<p>(This was true, only the old woman did not know it.)</p> - -<p>The Rajah questioned her, but she would make no other answer, and when -he went through the house, he could see no one except the woman’s -husband, who was very much frightened, and the children she had spoken -of.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23">{23}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then the young Rajah went away, very sorrowful, but still he could not -help wondering whether the peasant had deceived him. So he sent for the -old woman who had been Surya Bai’s companion, and who was in prison.</p> - -<p>“I wish you to go to such and such a place,” said he, “and make friends -with the peasant woman who lives there. Then, after you are friends, -find out, if you can, whether a stranger has been living with her, and -if so, who she is.”</p> - -<p>The old attendant did as the Rajah bade her. It did not take long for -her to make friends with the peasant woman, and one day the old peasant -allowed her to see the strange lady who was living with her.</p> - -<p>At once the attendant knew the stranger to be the lost Ranee, and she -fell down and kissed her feet, and wept over her.</p> - -<p>Then she told the old peasant the whole story. She told her of how Surya -Bai had lived with the eagles, and how the Rajah had found her and made -her his wife, and how she had then disappeared, and how the Rajah had -mourned for her and sought her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24">{24}</a></span></p> - -<p>When the old peasant heard this story, she was filled with wonder and -with joy, for she knew then that Surya Bai was no other than the little -daughter who had been carried away by the eagles.</p> - -<p>She could now no longer refuse to let the Rajah see Surya Bai, and he -was sent for. When he came and saw his dear wife as well and as -beautiful as ever, he could hardly contain himself for happiness. He -took her in his arms, and wept over her and kissed her, and no sooner -had he kissed her than her powers of speech came back, and she was no -longer dumb.</p> - -<p>Then she told him the story of what had happened to her, and of how she -had been pushed into the tank, and how she had come to be where she was.</p> - -<p>The Rajah was very angry. He took Surya Bai back to the palace with him, -and the wicked old Ranee was shut up in a tower where she was very -miserable all the rest of her life, but the peasants and their children -were raised to great wealth and honor, and Surya Bai and the Rajah lived -happy forever after.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25">{25}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_PRINCES_AND_THE_FRIENDLY_ANIMALS" id="THE_PRINCES_AND_THE_FRIENDLY_ANIMALS"></a>THE PRINCES AND THE FRIENDLY ANIMALS<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Lithuanian Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a King who had three sons, and he had also a -stepdaughter. They all lived together in peace and happiness and had -everything their hearts could desire. But after a time an enemy of the -King came against him with a great army, and slew him, and took the -kingdom and drove forth the Princes into the world, and their stepsister -with them.</p> - -<p>The three and the one journeyed on and on together until they came to a -deep forest, and there they saw a mother bear, and her three cubs were -with her.</p> - -<p>The eldest Prince was about to shoot at her, but the bear cried out, “Do -not shoot, Prince, and I will give you my three cubs for servants, one -for you, and one for each of your brothers.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26">{26}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>To this the Prince agreed. He let the bear go away unharmed, and the -three cubs followed after the three Princes, each one behind his own -master.</p> - -<p>After they had gone a bit farther into the forest, they saw a lioness, -and she also had three young ones with her.</p> - -<p>Now it was the second Prince who was about to shoot, but the lioness -called to him, “Do not slay me, Prince, and I will give my three cubs to -you and your brothers, one to each of you.”</p> - -<p>Thereupon the Prince allowed her to go unharmed and the three young -lions followed after the Princes with the bear cubs.</p> - -<p>Soon after that they saw a mother fox, and three little ones were with -her. This time it was the youngest Prince who would have shot, but the -fox called to him, imploring him to spare her life and offering instead -her three young ones to the Princes.</p> - -<p>She too was allowed to escape, and now each Prince had a young fox, a -young lion and a young bear to follow him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27">{27}</a></span></p> - -<p>After that the Princes met a hare and a boar, and these animals were -also allowed to go unharmed because they each gave a young one to each -one of the Princes to follow after and serve him.</p> - -<p>And now the Princes came to a place where the road divided.</p> - -<p>“I,” said the youngest, “shall take the road toward the East, where the -sun rises each morning.”</p> - -<p>“And I,” said the second, “shall journey toward the West, where it is -golden at sunset.”</p> - -<p>But the eldest Prince would take neither of these roads. “My way shall -be neither toward the East nor toward the West,” said he, “but straight -ahead, and when I come to a place to dwell in, there will I stop.”</p> - -<p>The three brothers then asked their stepsister which of them she would -follow, and she said she would go with the eldest Prince, for she too -wished nothing better than a place to dwell in, where she could live in -peace and safety.</p> - -<p>So the three brothers parted, but first the eldest Prince cut three -notches in a tree that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28">{28}</a></span> stood at the parting of the ways. He cut one at -the East, and one at the West, and one in the center between them, one -for each of his brothers, and one for himself.</p> - -<p>He told them the notch to the East was for the youngest brother, the -notch to the West was for the second brother, and the one in the center -belonged to himself.</p> - -<p>“When any one of us returns to this spot,” said he, “let him place his -finger first upon one notch, and then upon the other. If milk flows -forth from the notch, then all is well with the one to whom it belongs, -but if blood flows forth, then it means death or misfortune to that -one.”</p> - -<p>After that they bade each other farewell and set forth, each on his own -way, and each with his animals following after him, and the stepsister -went with the eldest brother, as she had chosen.</p> - -<p>For a long time the eldest Prince and his sister journeyed on without -seeing any one, but toward evening they came to a house and there was a -red light shining out from the win<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29">{29}</a></span>dow. When they looked inside they saw -a band of robbers sitting there, counting the gold they had taken from -the people they had killed.</p> - -<p>The stepsister was so frightened that her teeth chattered in her head, -and she was for going farther, but the Prince said no. “Hither we have -come, and here we shall stop,” said he.</p> - -<p>Then he called his animals to him and threw open the door of the house.</p> - -<p>When the robbers saw him, they started up and seized their weapons to -slay him, but they had no time, for the faithful animals flew at them -and tore them almost to pieces, so that they were dead, all except one; -and he lay there with the others as though he had been killed also.</p> - -<p>Then the Prince threw them down into the cellar and locked the door, and -he and his stepsister got out food and drink and feasted to their -hearts’ content, and the animals feasted also.</p> - -<p>The next morning the Prince went out hunting and he told his stepsister -she might go all over the house and look at everything in it;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30">{30}</a></span> only into -the cellar she must not look, for there the robbers were lying, and that -door must remain fastened.</p> - -<p>After he had gone, the girl went about through the house and looked at -everything. After she had seen all there was to be seen in the house, -she began to think about the cellar, and more and more she wished to -open the door and look at the robbers lying there.</p> - -<p>At last she could resist no longer. She unfastened the door and looked -down into the cellar. As soon as she did so, the robber who was only -wounded lifted his head and spoke to her.</p> - -<p>The girl was terribly frightened, and was for shutting the door at once, -but the robber called to her so piteously that she could but stay and -listen to him.</p> - -<p>“Do not fear me,” cried the robber. “Even if I desired it, I am too weak -to harm you, but I wish you only good.”</p> - -<p>The robber then told her that if she would do as he said, he would soon -be well and strong again. Then they would rid themselves of her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31">{31}</a></span> brother -and would be married, and the house and all the wealth that had been -gathered would belong to their own two selves alone, and they would be -very happy together.</p> - -<p>The girl listened; and the longer she listened, the more the plan of the -robber pleased her. She asked him what she must do to heal him.</p> - -<p>“You must go into the kitchen and look in the cupboard,” said the -robber. “There you will find three flasks. Make haste and bring them -here. In the first is an ointment. Rub it upon my wounds, and at once -they will heal themselves. Hold the second flask to my lips, and all -pain will leave me. Give me to drink from the third, and I will be -perfectly well again and stronger than ever.”</p> - -<p>The girl did as the robber told her, and all happened as he had said. -Then, after his wounds were healed and he was well again, he and the -girl consulted as to how they could get rid of her brother.</p> - -<p>“This is how it can be managed,” said the robber. “You shall ask your -brother how strong he is, and then, as a test of his strength<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32">{32}</a></span> you shall -say you will tie his thumbs behind him with a cord, and he shall try if -he can break it. If he cannot break it, then he will be helpless, and -you must call to me, and I will come and slay him.”</p> - -<p>This plan pleased the girl, and at once she agreed to it.</p> - -<p>That evening, when her brother came home, they sat at the table and ate -and drank together, but the animals were left outside in the courtyard -with the door locked and barred against them.</p> - -<p>After supper, the stepsister began to talk to her brother and to -question him as to how strong he was.</p> - -<p>“I am so strong,” replied the Prince, “that there are few bonds that -could hold me.”</p> - -<p>“Suppose, I were to tie your thumbs together behind your back with a -silken cord, could you break it?” asked the sister.</p> - -<p>The Prince bade her try, and he put his hands behind him, and she tied -his thumbs together with a silken cord the robber had given her. But no -sooner did the Prince strain with his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33">{33}</a></span> thumbs against the cord than it -snapped in two and dropped from him.</p> - -<p>“Sister, you must bind me with something stouter than the cord if you -would hold me,” said the brother.</p> - -<p>The next day the Prince went hunting again, and as soon as he had gone, -the girl went down to the cellar to talk to the robber. “You must give -me something stronger than that to bind him with,” said the stepsister. -“He broke the cord as though it were no more than a spider’s web.”</p> - -<p>The robber gave her a cord twice as strong.</p> - -<p>“Now see if that will hold him,” said he.</p> - -<p>When the Prince came home that evening and he and the girl sat together -at supper, she again began to talk of his strength.</p> - -<p>“Here is a cord that is twice as strong as the other. If I tied your -thumbs together behind your back, could you break this also?” she asked -of him.</p> - -<p>The brother told her to try. She tied his thumbs together as before with -the second cord the robber had given her, but he snapped<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34">{34}</a></span> this also in -two the moment he strained against it.</p> - -<p>“Sister, you will need a stronger cord than that if you would hold me,” -said he.</p> - -<p>The next day, as soon as the brother had left the house, the stepsister -hastened down to talk again with the robber.</p> - -<p>“It is of no use,” said she. “He snaps the cords as easily as though -there were nothing to them. To-night I will tie his thumbs together with -my girdle, and if he can break that, as he did the cords, then there is -nothing that will hold him.”</p> - -<p>To this the robber agreed, so the next day, when the Prince came home, -the girl asked him to let her once more tie his thumbs behind his back. -“And this time,” said she, “I will tie them with my girdle.”</p> - -<p>The lad put his hands behind him and the girl tied the thumbs together -with her girdle. And now, though the Prince strained against it with all -his power, he could not break it.</p> - -<p>“Sister,” said he, laughing. “You will have to untie it, for now indeed -I am held prisoner.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35">{35}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“Then it is as I would have it,” cried the girl, and she threw open the -cellar door and called to the robber to come forth and slay him.</p> - -<p>No sooner did the Prince see the robber than he knew the trick that had -been played against him.</p> - -<p>“I am indeed helpless,” said he, “and if I must die, I must. But one -little favor I would ask of you before I perish. Give me leave to blow -three blasts upon my hunting-horn, and I will ask nothing else of you.”</p> - -<p>That seemed a harmless favor for the Prince to ask, and neither the -robber nor the girl refused him. Still they would not untie the girdle. -The stepsister held the horn to his mouth, and the Prince blew upon it -so strong and loud that the girl and the robber were like to have been -deafened by it. Three times he blew. The first blast woke the animals -where they lay sleeping, and they raised their heads and listened. At -the second blast they aroused themselves and gathered at the door of the -house; and at the third blast they threw themselves<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36">{36}</a></span> against the door so -that locks and bars were broken, and the wood itself was splintered. -Then in a moment they rushed into the room and sprang upon the robber -and tore him into shreds.</p> - -<p>They would have torn the stepsister to pieces, too, but this the Prince -would not permit. “I will not kill you,” said he to the girl, “but you -shall be punished.”</p> - -<p>He then took a chain and fastened it around her waist and to a staple in -the wall. He placed food and drink within reach and an empty bowl before -her. “When you have filled this bowl full of tears of repentance, the -chain will drop from you,” he said, “and you will be free; but until -that time you shall remain a prisoner.”</p> - -<p>He then went away and left her, and the animals followed at his heels.</p> - -<p>He went on and on until he came to another country, and there he stopped -at an inn for food and rest. But there was little feasting at the inn, -or resting either. Every one was weeping and lamenting. The food had -burned on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37">{37}</a></span> fire, and the malt had all run out of the barrels and was -wasted.</p> - -<p>The Prince called to the landlord and asked him the cause of all this -sorrow.</p> - -<p>“A sad and grievous cause, indeed,” replied the landlord. “This day the -King’s daughter is to be sacrificed to a mighty dragon that is to come -up out of the water. She must be left on the seashore over beyond the -cliffs you see yonder, for him to devour her; and unless this is done, -the dragon will ravage the whole country.”</p> - -<p>“But is there no one strong enough and brave enough to destroy this -dragon?” asked the Prince.</p> - -<p>“There is no one. Many have come hither to try it, for the King has -promised that if any one will do battle with the dragon and destroy him, -he shall have the hand of the Princess in marriage, and she is so -beautiful, that any man might well risk death to gain her. But every one -who has seen the dragon as he lies out in the sea has been so filled -with terror that he has fled away. Not one has stayed even to look upon -him twice.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38">{38}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>When the Prince heard this he made up his mind that he would at least -have a look at the dragon, so he asked the landlord how he must go to -reach the place where the monster lay. As soon as he had been told, off -he set in that direction, and the animals were not far behind him.</p> - -<p>It did not take him long to reach the seashore and when he looked off -across the water he could see the dragon lying there. He was so long -that his back looked like an island, and from his nostrils rose up -streams of smoke that were full of fiery cinders.</p> - -<p>The Prince hid himself behind a heap of rocks and lay there watching, -and presently he heard a great noise. It was made by a procession of -people who were bringing the Princess down to the seashore. She was very -beautiful, but so sad looking that the Prince’s heart melted within him -for pity of her.</p> - -<p>They brought her to the seashore and left her there, and every one went -away except two nobles of the Court. One of them was driving the coach -that brought the Princess,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39">{39}</a></span> and the other one sat beside him as footman. -They were to wait until all was over, and then they were to take the -news back to the King, but they kept the coach high up on top of the -cliff where they would be out of danger.</p> - -<p>The Prince waited until all the others had left her, and then he came -out from behind the rocks and went to speak to the Princess; but when -she saw him she was frightened, for she did not know who he was nor -whence he came.</p> - -<p>“Do not fear me,” the Prince said to her. “I mean you no harm, but -instead I have come hither to do battle with the dragon, and if it may -be, to save you.”</p> - -<p>When the Princess heard this, she begged and implored him to leave her. -“Why should you perish also? None can ever do battle with yonder monster -and come out alive.”</p> - -<p>But the Prince would not listen to her.</p> - -<p>And now the dragon bestirred itself and turned and came slowly toward -the shore, and as it came they could smell the smoke of its breathing.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40">{40}</a></span></p> - -<p>The Prince drew his sword and stood waiting for it. Then as it came -still nearer, the fox sprang out on a rock, dipped his tail in the salty -water and slashed it across the eyes of the monster so that it was -almost blinded. The lion and the bear also splashed up the water; the -boar ripped at the dragon with his sharp tusks; the hare sprang upon its -head and struck with its paws; and the Prince drew his sword and plunged -it into the monster’s heart, so that the life blood ran out from it into -the sea, and it was dead.</p> - -<p>Then he went to the Princess, and they kissed each other on the lips, -and she gave him the half of her handkerchief and the half of her ring -to show that they were true lovers. He also took the tongue and the ears -of the dragon, and then they went back to the coach where it was waiting -on the cliff, and the Princess bade the nobleman drive them to the -palace of the King, that she and the Prince might be married as her -father had promised.</p> - -<p>But on the way, the two noblemen talked together.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41">{41}</a></span></p> - -<p>“Why should we drive this stranger to the palace?” said they. “No one -knows who he is or whence he comes. Let us slay him, and then we will -draw lots as to which of us shall claim the Princess.”</p> - -<p>So that was what they did. They made the Prince step down from the coach -and slew him, and they made the Princess swear that she would tell no -one that it was not they who had killed the dragon. Then they drew lots -as to which should marry her, and the lot fell to the coachman.</p> - -<p>But after they had driven on and left the Prince lying there, the -faithful animals did not desert him. They stayed beside him and mourned -over him, and the lion licked his face and hands, but it could not -revive him.</p> - -<p>Then the fox, which was very clever, reminded the animals of the flasks -of ointment and healing water in the robbers’ house.</p> - -<p>The hare, which was very swift, said it would go and fetch the flasks, -and it sped away to get them.</p> - -<p>Now the stepsister had wept the bowl full<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42">{42}</a></span> of tears of repentance and -was free again; and when the hare came to the door and told her what it -wanted, she gladly gave it the flasks and hung them about its neck in a -little wicker basket.</p> - -<p>Then the hare fled back again to where the animals were waiting beside -the Prince. With its tusks the boar broke the flask that held the -ointment, and the bear rubbed it on the Prince’s wounds so that they -were healed. Then they poured some drops from the second bottle between -his lips, and the color came back to his cheeks and the light to his -eyes. When they gave him to drink from the third bottle, he became quite -well again and stronger than ever.</p> - -<p>After that he rose and set out to follow the Princess. But the way was -long, and before he reached the palace, night overtook him, and he had -no place to sleep. He was about to make a bed among the grasses when he -saw, not far in front of him, the light of a fire. He went on toward it, -and as he came nearer, he saw an old, old woman standing beside it and</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_002" style="width: 514px;"> -<a href="images/p043.jpg"> -<img src="images/p043.jpg" width="514" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>As fast as she touched them each one was turned into a -stone figure. <i><a href="#page_43">Page 43</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43">{43}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">cooking her supper in a pot. She was so old that her chin and nose -almost met, and so skinny she was scarcely more than bones, and the eyes -under her brows were red and evil.</p> - -<p>“Good evening, mother,” said the Prince.</p> - -<p>“Good evening, son,” replied the woman.</p> - -<p>“May I and my animals warm ourselves beside the fire?” asked the Prince.</p> - -<p>“As for yourself, you’re welcome,” said the old woman; “but as for your -animals, I am afraid of them. Just let me give each one of them a little -blow with my staff to show them I’m mistress, and then they may rest by -the fire also.”</p> - -<p>The Prince did not say no, so the old woman took up her staff and with -it she quickly touched one animal after the other, beginning with the -lion and ending with the hare, and as soon as she touched them, each one -was turned into a stone figure, for the old woman was a witch and as -wicked as she was ugly. Then she touched the Prince with her staff, and -he also became a stone image without life or motion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44">{44}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then the old hag laughed with glee and counted them over. They were not -the only ones she had either. All about were other stones that had once -been living beings.</p> - -<p>Now some time after this, the second Prince, who had traveled far and -was weary of journeying, came back to the branching road where the tree -stood with its notches, and he wished to see how his brothers were -faring.</p> - -<p>He touched the notch that belonged to the youngest Prince, and milk -flowed out from it. So he knew all was well with his youngest brother. -Then he touched the notch that belonged to the eldest Prince, and forth -from that flowed blood. Then he was grieved to the heart because he knew -death or disaster must have come upon his brother.</p> - -<p>“Now will I set forth in search of him,” said he, “and never will I stop -nor stay until I find what has become of him and whether I can give him -succor.”</p> - -<p>So the second Prince journeyed on and on, along the road his eldest -brother had gone before him, and it was not long until he came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45">{45}</a></span> to the -place where the old woman was tending her fire. All about in the shadows -stood figures of stone, some big and some little, but the Prince did not -think to look at them.</p> - -<p>He asked if he and his animals might rest a bit beside the fire and warm -themselves.</p> - -<p>“You yourself are welcome,” said the old woman, “but I fear that your -animals, may tear at me or eat me.” She then asked the Prince’s -permission to touch each animal with her rod, that it might know her as -its mistress. “Then I will no longer fear them,” said she.</p> - -<p>The Prince was willing, so she took the rod that leaned against a tree -near by and struck the animals lightly, first one and then another, and -as she touched them, they were turned to stone. Last of all she touched -the Prince, and he too became a stone image.</p> - -<p>Then the old hag laughed aloud for joy of her wickedness, and put aside -her rod once more, and went on with her cooking.</p> - -<p>Now it happened that not so very long after this the youngest Prince, -who had journeyed far and wide in his wanderings, began<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46">{46}</a></span> to think of his -two brothers and to wonder how it had gone with them in the world.</p> - -<p>So he came back to the place where the three roads parted, and the tree -stood with the three notches in it.</p> - -<p>He put his finger on the notch that was his eldest brother’s, and blood -ran down from it; and his heart was heavy within him, for he knew that -harm must have come to his brother. Then he put his finger upon the -notch of the second brother, and from that, too, trickled down the -blood. Then the young Prince cried aloud in his sorrow. “Never will I -rest or stay,” cried he, “until I know what has happened to my brothers -and whether or no I can do aught to aid them.”</p> - -<p>So he set out the way the second brother had gone, and before long he, -too, came to where the old woman was tending her fire.</p> - -<p>The old hag laughed in her heart, when she saw him, for she thought, -“here will be more stone images to be set round me.” She spoke to the -Prince and made him welcome, and bade him sit beside the fire to rest -himself. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47">{47}</a></span> she said she feared his animals, and she took her staff in -her hand and asked the Prince’s leave to touch them each one with it. -“Then,” said she, “they will know me as their mistress and will not -touch or harm me.”</p> - -<p>But the Prince replied, “Not so! No one but I must strike my faithful -servants, no matter how lightly. Give me the rod, and then if needs be I -will touch them.”</p> - -<p>So he took the rod from the old woman, though she indeed was loth to -yield it, and first he touched the fox with it, for it was growling.</p> - -<p>As soon as he did this, the fox was turned to stone, and then the Prince -knew that here was evil magic. He looked about him and saw the stone -images of his brothers and their animals, and many other stones as well, -that had once been living, breathing people.</p> - -<p>Then the Prince’s heart was hot within him and he demanded of the hag -that she should bring these people back to life, living and breathing as -they had been before, and he threatened that unless she did this, his -animals<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48">{48}</a></span> should tear her limb from limb and scatter the pieces of her -through the forest.</p> - -<p>The old woman was terrified, and she bade the Prince turn the staff that -he held end for end and touch the people with it; then they would return -to life.</p> - -<p>This the Prince did, and at once, as she had promised, the cold dead -stones became living flesh once more, all the people and all the -animals.</p> - -<p>Then they all rejoiced greatly, and they gathered about the Prince and -thanked him, but none rejoiced more greatly than the brothers.</p> - -<p>Then the others all went away to their own homes, and the youngest -Prince broke the rod to pieces that the witch might no more use it for -harm to others.</p> - -<p>The three brothers talked together, and the eldest told them all about -the Princess, and how he had saved her from the dragon. And he told -them, too, how the noblemen had slain him and stolen the Princess from -him, and how the faithful animals had brought him back to life.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49">{49}</a></span></p> - -<p>After he had made an end of the story the youngest Prince said, “Now we -must set out for the palace of the King at once, for it may be it is not -yet too late for you to claim the Princess.” So the three brothers set -forth, with all the animals following behind them.</p> - -<p>When they reached the palace, none dared to hinder them from entering, -because of the animals, and the three went on through one room after -another till they came to where the King was, and his daughter and the -nobleman were with him.</p> - -<p>The nobleman was very merry, for the wedding feast was even then -preparing, and that night he was to be married to the lovely Princess. -The King, too, was happy, for he was pleased at the thought of having -such a brave hero for a son-in-law. Only the Princess was sad and would -do nothing but weep and bemoan herself, but she could not tell her -father the cause of her grief because of the oath she had sworn to the -nobleman.</p> - -<p>Now when the Prince and his two brothers entered the room where the King -was sitting,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50">{50}</a></span> the Princess gave a shriek of joy, but the nobleman turned -pale and trembled, for he knew the Prince at once as the true hero who -had saved the Princess from the dragon, and whom he and his companion -had slain by the roadside.</p> - -<p>Then the Prince began and told the King the whole story, and as the King -listened, he wondered. When the Prince had made an end of the tale, the -King turned to the nobleman. “And what answer have you to make to all -this?” he asked him.</p> - -<p>“That it is false and doubly false,” cried the nobleman. “<span class="lftspc">’</span>Tis I and I -alone who saved the Princess.”</p> - -<p>Then the Prince asked him what proof he had of the truth of his story, -and when the nobleman could give no proof, the lad drew out a -handkerchief and opened it, and there were the ears and the tongue of -the dragon. He also showed the half of the handkerchief and the half of -the ring the Princess had given him, and then it was clear to every one -that it was he and he alone who had slain the dragon.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51">{51}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then the nobleman was punished as he deserved, but the Prince was -married to the Princess, and his two brothers were married to the King’s -two younger daughters, and they all lived together in great joy and -happiness forever.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52">{52}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="GRACIOSA_AND_PERCINET" id="GRACIOSA_AND_PERCINET"></a>GRACIOSA AND PERCINET<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A French Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a King who was so rich that it would have been impossible -for him to spend all his money, and yet his greatest wish was still to -keep adding to his treasure.</p> - -<p>The King’s wife had died and left him but one child, a daughter named -Graciosa. This Princess was so beautiful, so kind and so gentle that she -was beloved by all about her. The King also loved her dearly,—more -dearly indeed than anything in the world except his treasure, but that -was always first in his thoughts and his affections.</p> - -<p>One day the King set out with his attendants to hunt in a forest near -by.</p> - -<p>The huntsmen soon started a deer that bounded away through the forest. -The King followed it for a long distance, farther than he had ever gone -before. Suddenly he came out on the other side of the forest, and there, -in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53">{53}</a></span> front of him, stood a vast castle with towers and turrets, and a -moat around it.</p> - -<p>The King called his chief huntsman to him and asked him whether he knew -who lived in the castle.</p> - -<p>The man replied that it belonged to the Duchess Grognon, and she was -said to be so rich that she had never been able to count all her -treasures.</p> - -<p>As soon as the King heard this, he at once determined to stop at the -castle and ask for refreshment. He was not only weary and thirsty from -the chase, but he also had a great desire to see any one as rich as the -Duchess, and perhaps he would be shown her treasures as well.</p> - -<p>Grognon had already seen him from her window, and as soon as he turned -toward the castle, she hastened down to meet him. She herself opened the -door for him and smiling she bade him welcome.</p> - -<p>When the King first looked at her he was amazed. Never had he seen any -one so ugly. She was as dark and rough and broad as a toad. Her eyes -were little and red, and her mouth was like a slit that stretched from -ear to ear. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54">{54}</a></span> she was magnificently dressed and so covered with -jewels that the King was dazzled by them and quite forgot how hideous -was the one who wore them.</p> - -<p>The Duchess invited the King to enter and at once commanded that a -repast should be brought him with all sorts of cakes and sweets and -fruits, and also a pipe of wine.</p> - -<p>The King, who was very thirsty, was pleased to hear this order, and when -the pipe of wine was brought in he waited impatiently for it to be -opened. But when the Duchess struck the head of the pipe, instead of -wine a great heap of gold fell out upon the floor.</p> - -<p>The Duchess pretended to be very much surprised. “This is a strange -thing,” said she. “I cannot imagine how they came to bring this gold -instead of the wine I ordered. I pray your Majesty’s pardon for the -mistake, which shall be well punished, I promise you.”</p> - -<p>She then commanded that another pipe should be brought in, but when she -struck this, out poured a heap of rubies.</p> - -<p>The King was filled with wonder and admi<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55">{55}</a></span>ration at the sight of all this -treasure, but the Duchess pretended to be still more angry.</p> - -<p>“The servant who made this mistake shall be well beaten, I promise you,” -she cried. “Bring in another pipe, and this time be sure it is filled -with good wine instead of all these stones.”</p> - -<p>But she had no more success with the third pipe than with the second, -for when she struck it, out poured emeralds. The Duchess pretended to -fly into a fury and scornfully pushed the jewels aside with her foot. -Pipe after pipe was brought, but one was full of sapphires, one of -pearls, and still another of diamonds. The whole floor was covered with -her treasures.</p> - -<p>The King was bewildered. He scarcely knew how to express his wonder.</p> - -<p>“Sire,” said the Duchess, smiling, “since you feel such an admiration -for these poor trifles, perhaps you would like to see the treasure -chambers from which these have been brought.”</p> - -<p>Nothing could please the King better, and after Grognon had shown him -all her treasures, which indeed seemed endless, he determined, if<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56">{56}</a></span> -possible, to make her his wife that all this wealth might become his.</p> - -<p>This plan suited the Duchess perfectly. Indeed it was for this purpose -that she had shown her wealth to the King, and it was agreed between -them that they should be married as soon as possible.</p> - -<p>When the news of this intended marriage was brought to Graciosa, she was -filled with grief and dismay. She had already heard of the Duchess -Grognon and knew her to be not only a monster of ugliness, but of such -an evil nature that nothing delighted her more than to tease and torment -those around her and make their lives a misery to them. Nor could she -understand how her father could make up his mind to take such a creature -as his wife.</p> - -<p>However, she hid her feelings as well as she could and determined to be -obedient and patient with Grognon, hoping that in this way she might -live with her at peace, and even perhaps win from her a little -affection.</p> - -<p>The day for the wedding drew near, and one morning word was brought to -the King that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57">{57}</a></span> Grognon would that day set forth on her way to his -palace.</p> - -<p>Wishing to do all honor to his bride, the King determined to ride forth -and meet her, and he gave orders that Graciosa should make herself ready -and ride with him to meet the Duchess.</p> - -<p>Poor Graciosa had withdrawn to the palace gardens to weep in secret, for -she did not wish others to know of the grief she felt over her father’s -marriage. As she sat beside a fountain, her tears falling as clear and -bright as the leaping waters, she saw a page coming toward her across -the garden. He was a stranger to the Princess, and he was so tall and -handsome, and his air so noble that Graciosa gazed at him with wonder.</p> - -<p>When he reached the place where Graciosa was sitting he bent his knee -before her. “Princess,” said he, “the King is waiting for you. He rides -forth to-day to meet the Duchess Grognon, who has already set out from -her castle, and he wishes you to ride with him.”</p> - -<p>“Tell him I will come upon the moment,” said Graciosa. “But stay! First -tell me who you are, for your face is strange to me. Are you<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58">{58}</a></span> one of the -Duchess’s pages who has been sent on before her?”</p> - -<p>“No, Princess,” replied the page. “I am indeed a stranger here, but no -one has sent me hither. I have come hither because my greatest desire in -life is to serve you, and, if it may be, to ease your sorrows in small -measure by my love and devotion.”</p> - -<p>“How!” cried the Princess. “Do you, a page, dare to speak to me of love -and devotion? You should be well punished for your insolence, and no -doubt you will be when I report the matter to the King, as rest assured -I shall do as soon as I find an opportunity.”</p> - -<p>“In truth, you have no cause for anger, Princess,” replied the stranger. -“I am not a page, but Prince Percinet, the son of a King as rich and -powerful as your own father. Long ago my father died, and I live in the -palace of my mother, the Fairy Finetta. Through her I am possessed of -many magic powers and can render myself invisible at will. It is only -because of my desire to help you that I have come here dressed as a -page.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59">{59}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>Graciosa was filled with wonder at this story. She had often heard of -the fairy Prince Percinet, of his beauty and wit and power, but little -had she thought to meet him. She could scarcely believe it possible that -he loved her, and that it was for her sake he had come to the palace to -serve as a page.</p> - -<p>Still full of wonder, she arose and hastened away to where her father -was waiting impatiently for her coming. He and his attendants were ready -to set out at once, and a page was holding Graciosa’s palfrey.</p> - -<p>She was about to mount when Percinet appeared, leading a snow-white -horse so graceful and so beautiful that every one who saw it marveled. -This horse, he said, had just come as a gift to the Princess Graciosa -from one who refused to let his name be known.</p> - -<p>It was not difficult for Graciosa to guess that the one who had given -her the horse was Prince Percinet himself, but her father could not -wonder enough over both the gift and the giver.</p> - -<p>When the Princess had mounted the horse and gathered up the reins, it at -once moved forward<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60">{60}</a></span> with such grace and lightness that all were filled -with admiration. The King, at whose side she rode, kept admiring the -steed and wondering as to whence it had come.</p> - -<p>They had not traveled far when they saw Grognon and her train -approaching them. The Duchess rode in a golden coach, drawn by six -spotted horses, their harness glittering with gold and jewels. Grognon -herself was magnificently dressed and covered with gems that fairly -dazzled the eyes with their glitter, but this magnificence only made her -look more hideous, like a toad peering out from a jeweled glove.</p> - -<p>No sooner did the King come to the side of the chariot than he began to -pay his compliments to Grognon, but the Duchess scarcely listened to -him. Her eyes were fixed upon the horse upon which the Princess Graciosa -was riding.</p> - -<p>“That is a very beautiful horse,” said she. “Indeed it is finer than any -in my stables, or, I am sure, in yours, either. I should have thought it -would have been kept for me instead of your allowing your daughter to -ride upon such a wonder.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61">{61}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>The King, seeing she was in a rage, tried to make excuses, but Grognon -would not listen to him. Nothing would satisfy her but that Graciosa -should light down from the horse and allow her to mount upon it instead, -and ride beside the King as they returned to the palace.</p> - -<p>To this Graciosa eagerly agreed. The fury shown by the Duchess terrified -her, and her only wish was to turn aside Grognon’s anger and perhaps win -from her a kindly word.</p> - -<p>But no sooner had Grognon mounted the horse than it began to prance and -curvette and leap from side to side so roughly that the Duchess thought -her teeth would be loosened in her head; then suddenly it started off at -full gallop, with Grognon screaming and clutching it by the mane. So -swiftly sped the horse that no one could overtake it, and when it -reached the palace it stopped with such suddenness that the Duchess was -thrown violently off upon the stones of the courtyard.</p> - -<p>When the King and Graciosa, followed by the courtiers and attendants, -arrived at the palace, they were horrified to find Grognon lying on the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62">{62}</a></span> -stones of the courtyard, screaming and groaning.</p> - -<p>She was lifted up and carried into the castle, and physicians were -called to attend to her bruises and scratches.</p> - -<p>“It is all the fault of that miserable girl,” Grognon screamed again and -again. “It is some trick she arranged for me, and she had no other hope -than that I should be killed outright. But she shall be punished for her -wickedness. She shall find that she cannot treat me in such a manner -without suffering for it.”</p> - -<p>She then demanded that the King should send Graciosa to her and allow -her to punish the Princess as she saw fit.</p> - -<p>The King was loth to agree to this, and yet he dared not refuse, for he -feared that Grognon might fall into such a fury that she would refuse to -marry him and would return to her own castle, and so he would lose her -treasures. He felt himself obliged to allow Grognon to carry out her -wishes.</p> - -<p>Graciosa was sent to the Duchess’s chamber and went with fear and -trembling.</p> - -<p>No sooner had she entered than the door was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63">{63}</a></span> locked behind her. She saw, -with terror, that back of Grognon’s couch stood four tall and -terrible-looking attendants, each armed with a heavy staff.</p> - -<p>“Now, my beauty,” cried Grognon furiously, “it is my turn. No doubt you -were vastly amused by my misadventure, but now you yourself shall know -how it feels to be covered with wounds and bruises.”</p> - -<p>She then bade her attendants seize Graciosa and beat her as long as -their strength held out, or until their staves were broken.</p> - -<p>Graciosa would have begged for mercy, but suddenly a whisper sounded in -her ear. “Fear not, Graciosa. I, Percinet, am beside thee. The blows -shall not harm thee, but when they fall, cry out as though they were -beyond all bearing.”</p> - -<p>Graciosa at once recognized the voice of Percinet, and knowing he was -there, all fear left her, and she could have laughed aloud for joy. -However, she pretended to be almost fainting from terror.</p> - -<p>Grognon now ordered the attendants to begin;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64">{64}</a></span> they at once seized -Graciosa and raised their staves, but she now saw that by Percinet’s -magic the staves had been changed into rose-colored plumes, so soft and -feathery that the blows she received from them were like the tenderest -of caresses. But, remembering Percinet’s bidding, she cried aloud under -the strokes as though she could scarcely bear the suffering.</p> - -<p>The eyes of Grognon and her attendants were blinded so that they did not -see the rods had been changed to plumes. The Duchess wondered at the -strength of the Princess. She had expected to see her sink down, bruised -and senseless under the rain of blows, but the harder the attendants -beat her, the less did Graciosa feel the strokes.</p> - -<p>At last the men, outwearied, dropped their rods, and Graciosa, -pretending to weep, gathered her garments about her as though to hide -her bruises.</p> - -<p>“Go,” said Grognon harshly, pointing to the door. “You have received no -more than you deserve, but this beating is nothing to what you shall -receive, if you again try your tricks upon me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65">{65}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>Graciosa crept away to her room and to her bed, pretending to be ill, -which delighted Grognon and was as a soothing salve to her bruises.</p> - -<p>Soon after the King and Grognon were married with great magnificence. -The new Queen was dressed in cloth of gold and wore her most magnificent -jewels; she received with satisfaction the compliments of the courtiers -who pretended to admire her and praised her beauty and grace, while they -laughed at her behind her back and wondered how the King had ever -brought himself to marry such a hideous creature.</p> - -<p>Graciosa was obliged to wear a hideous dress, and her ornaments were -only common pebbles gathered from beside the road, with holes bored -through them and strung together, but in spite of this her beauty shone -out as the moon shines through the clouds at night time.</p> - -<p>Soon after, a grand tournament was given in honor of the Queen. The -knight who was chosen to ride for Grognon declared her to be the most -beautiful creature in the world, and challenged all others to prove the -contrary against him.</p> - -<p>Many knights rode against him, but he over<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66">{66}</a></span>came them all, for, knowing -him to be the favorite of the Queen, none of them dared to try to -overthrow him.</p> - -<p>The heralds were about to proclaim him victor when a new and unknown -knight rode into the field.</p> - -<p>This knight rode a snow-white horse and was clad in silver armor. The -only color he wore was a green silken scarf, that being Graciosa’s -color.</p> - -<p>This silver knight declared Graciosa to be the most beautiful and -perfect creature in the world, even as he held Queen Grognon to be the -most hideous and detestable, and this he would prove against any who -dared to ride against him.</p> - -<p>When the Queen heard what the knight said, her face grew as red as -blood, and she gave such a cry of fury that the King trembled, and -Graciosa almost fainted with terror. However, the Queen had no doubt but -that her chosen knight would overthrow the newcomer, as he had all -others.</p> - -<p>The two knights reined back their horses and set their lances at rest, -and then at the given sig<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67">{67}</a></span>nal they charged at each other. But it seemed -the silver knight scarce needed to touch the other before he sent him -rolling in the dust, and so sore wounded that it was difficult to revive -him.</p> - -<p>At once the silver knight disappeared, and no one was able to guess who -he was or whence he had come, nor could they tell whither he had gone. -Graciosa alone guessed, even when he first appeared, that the silver -knight was no other than her fairy lover Percinet.</p> - -<p>Grognon was in such a rage that she was like to lose her senses. She -declared that Graciosa had arranged the whole plan so as to disgrace her -before the court and demanded that the Princess should be left to her to -punish as she pleased.</p> - -<p>The King was afraid to refuse, for Grognon threatened that if he did she -would take all her treasure and depart at once, and not one single jewel -of it should he ever see again. With an anxious heart he at last agreed -to her wishes, and Grognon, filled with triumph, determined to rid -herself once and for all of the Princess.</p> - -<p>That night, soon after the Princess had gone to her chamber, a number of -armed men entered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68">{68}</a></span> it and forced her to come away with them. They -brought her to a closed carriage which was in waiting, and into this she -was obliged to enter. After that she was driven on and on for a long -distance.</p> - -<p>At last the coach stopped, the door was opened, and Graciosa was forced -to descend. She found the men had brought her into the midst of a deep -and gloomy forest, and that here they meant to leave her.</p> - -<p>Graciosa was filled with terror. She knew the forest to be full of -lions, bears, and other savage creatures, and she could not forbear from -weeping and complaining of the cruelty that could leave her there to be -torn to pieces by the fangs of wild beasts. She even pleaded with the -men to kill her at once, that her sufferings might the sooner be ended.</p> - -<p>The attendants, however, paid little heed to her prayers and tears -except to tell her they were acting under the Queen’s command, and soon -the poor child found herself alone and helpless. Kneeling down, she said -her prayers, and then meekly laid herself down to await whatever fate -might befall her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69">{69}</a></span></p> - -<p>Suddenly the forest all around her was lighted up as though by the glow -of thousands upon thousands of candles, and she saw before her a broad -avenue, paved with stones of changing colors and leading up to a shining -palace.</p> - -<p>Graciosa gazed with wonder upon the sight, scarcely able to believe her -eyes. “It must be the work of Prince Percinet,” she murmured. “He is -guarding me from the savage beasts, even as he guarded me before from -the fury of the cruel Grognon.”</p> - -<p>A sound from behind startled her, and she turned with a cry, fearing one -of the beasts might have stolen up to her unheard.</p> - -<p>Instead there stood Prince Percinet himself, looking upon her with -tenderness and admiration. Graciosa had never seen him appear so -handsome. He was dressed in white satin, richly embroidered with silver, -and around his neck hung a broad collar of emeralds.</p> - -<p>“Do not be afraid, beautiful Graciosa,” said he. “I have come to lead -you to the palace of my mother, the Fairy Finetta. She is waiting -impatiently to welcome you, and be sure that in her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70">{70}</a></span> palace you will be -treated with only the greatest care and tenderness.”</p> - -<p>At these words all fear left Graciosa. Blushing, she allowed Percinet to -take her hand and to lead her up the avenue to the palace.</p> - -<p>No sooner did they arrive at the foot of the steps than the golden doors -swung open, and a tall and beautiful lady dressed in a shimmering green -robe bordered with emeralds appeared, and after making herself known as -the Fairy Finetta, she welcomed Graciosa with the greatest grace and -dignity.</p> - -<p>Graciosa was led into the palace, and everything she saw about her was -so beautiful and wonderful that she hardly knew how to express her -admiration. Wherever they went they were accompanied by soft music; -doors opened before them as they approached, and in one apartment a -feast was set forth for them with every sort of delicious food that can -be imagined. It was served to them without hands, and nowhere did -Graciosa see any one but themselves. This gave the Princess some -anxiety.</p> - -<p>“After all,” thought she to herself, “all this is<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71">{71}</a></span> magic and may at any -moment vanish suddenly, even as it appeared, and I may find myself again -in the forest, helpless and alone.” She therefore, as soon as she found -an opportunity, asked the Fairy Finetta whether it would not be possible -to send her back to her father’s palace again.</p> - -<p>The fairy seemed both surprised and displeased at this question. -“Nothing would be easier,” she replied, “but have you so soon wearied of -our company that you should wish to leave us? You know how Percinet -adores you. He will be miserable if he finds he is unable to make you -happy even for a few short hours.”</p> - -<p>Graciosa murmured something about her father.</p> - -<p>“Your father is well and in good spirits,” replied the fairy; “he has -not even missed you.”</p> - -<p>The Princess could now no longer urge to be sent home. She agreed to -remain in the castle for a while, at least. Percinet showed the greatest -joy when he heard this. “Ah, Graciosa,” said he, “you cannot but know -that I am miserable without you, and if you would accept my love<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72">{72}</a></span> and -devotion, I would be the happiest creature in the world.”</p> - -<p>The Princess blushed, but made no answer and Percinet dared not press -her further.</p> - -<p>The next few days passed like a dream for Graciosa. Every day she found -herself provided with clothes and jewels more beautiful than any she had -ever imagined. Every day invisible hands served her with food that was -strange to her, yet very delicious. Often she walked in the gardens or -amused herself by feeding the fish in the fountains. Percinet was almost -constantly with her and found a thousand ways in which to please her and -show his devotion, and the Fairy Finetta was always gracious and -charming. But one day, when Percinet had left her for a short time, -Graciosa began to think of her father, and she was seized with such a -great desire to see him that she grew very sad, and could not forbear -from weeping.</p> - -<p>When Percinet returned and saw her tears, he at once asked her, with the -greatest concern, what was troubling her.</p> - -<p>“I am sad because I am thinking of my<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73">{73}</a></span> father,” replied Graciosa. “Oh, -Percinet! Is it not possible for me to see him? I have been parted from -him for so long.”</p> - -<p>Percinet became very thoughtful, but presently he said, “It is indeed -quite possible for you to see him and that without even leaving the -palace, but I fear harm may come of it. However, as you know, I can -refuse you nothing, so come with me.”</p> - -<p>Percinet then led Graciosa to a high tower from which they could see a -great stretch of country in every direction. He bade her place her right -foot on his left foot, and her little finger on his thumb, and look in -the direction he pointed out to her.</p> - -<p>As soon as Graciosa had done this, she no longer saw Percinet or the -tower, or anything around her. It seemed to her that she was back again -in her father’s palace, in the chamber where the King sometimes went to -be alone. She saw him there and in his hand he held a little picture of -herself painted when she was a child and he was weeping and grieving -over it so bitterly that Graciosa’s heart was wrung<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74">{74}</a></span> with pity for him. -She wished to speak to him and throw her arms about his neck, but no -sooner did she step forward toward him than she found herself back again -on the tower with Percinet, and the vision of her father was gone.</p> - -<p>Graciosa turned to the Prince, her face bathed with tears. “Dearest -Percinet, if you love me, let me return to my father,” she cried. “He is -grieving for me, and I cannot bear the thought of his sorrow.”</p> - -<p>Percinet looked at her reproachfully. “And is my sorrow nothing to you?” -he asked her. “You know how it would grieve me to the heart to lose you. -The King was willing to leave you to the cruelty of Grognon, and I have -treated you always with the tenderest respect, and yet you would gladly -leave me to return to him.”</p> - -<p>Graciosa could make no answer to this, and after a moment Percinet added -with a sigh, “So be it.”</p> - -<p>He then led her to the fairy and told her of Graciosa’s wish to leave -them.</p> - -<p>Finetta looked at her with a severe expression. “I fear Graciosa, that -you are very ungrateful,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75">{75}</a></span>” said she. “But if you wish to leave us, we -will not keep you. Only, when you find yourself again in the power of -the Queen, remember that it is of your own choice you are there.”</p> - -<p>So saying, the fairy waved her hand, and at once the castle and all in -it vanished away like mist. Graciosa found herself again in her father’s -palace. With eager steps she hastened to the chamber where she had seen -him sitting. He was still there, and weeping. She ran to him and threw -her arms about him.</p> - -<p>“Dearest father, do not grieve any longer,” she cried. “Your Graciosa -has returned to you, loving you better than ever.”</p> - -<p>The King was filled with joy at the sight of his daughter and embraced -her and caressed her with so much tenderness that Graciosa hoped her -sorrows were now ended, and that nothing but happiness lay before her.</p> - -<p>But she had forgotten Grognon. The stepmother was furious when she heard -that the Princess had returned to the castle. “Will I never be able to -rid myself of this wretched girl!” she cried. “But wait a bit! I will -make<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76">{76}</a></span> her so miserable that she will be glad enough to leave the palace -herself, of her own will and desire.”</p> - -<p>She then hastened away to the King, who was again alone, as Graciosa had -gone to her chamber.</p> - -<p>“I hear that Graciosa has returned!” cried Grognon. “The girl thinks she -can come and go at pleasure and cares nothing for any anxiety or sorrow -she may cause us. But leave her to me, and I will teach her a lesson in -obedience that may save us much trouble in the future.”</p> - -<p>The King was troubled at hearing this. He could not bear the thought of -again putting the Princess in the power of her stepmother, and yet he -knew Grognon’s furious temper and was afraid of awakening it. In the -end, however, he agreed to what the Queen asked and promised that she -should do as she wished with Graciosa.</p> - -<p>Grognon had learned a lesson from the return of the Princess, and she -now determined to call to her aid a fairy who was a friend of hers and -was as wicked as herself. “This girl,” thought she, “is surely protected -by some<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77">{77}</a></span> magic, and if I would succeed against her, I must call upon -some power that is greater than my own.”</p> - -<p>The fairy came in haste at the Queen’s summons, and when she found what -was required of her, her little eyes sparkled with malice.</p> - -<p>“This is indeed a matter to my own taste,” said she. “I will tell you -how to set a task for the Princess that she cannot possibly accomplish. -Then, when she fails, you can say she is disobedient and obstinate, and -this will give you an excuse for breaking every bone in her body.”</p> - -<p>The advice delighted Grognon. “Quick!” said she. “Tell me what I am to -do, for I can hardly wait to rid myself of this creature.”</p> - -<p>The fairy then drew from an enormous pocket in her gown a great mass of -tangled threads of silk. They were of all colors of the rainbow, and -each thread was so twisted in with the others that there seemed neither -beginning nor end to it and yet was so fine that one could scarcely -breathe upon it without breaking it.</p> - -<p>“Take this silk to Graciosa,” said the fairy, “and tell her that before -to-morrow she must<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78">{78}</a></span> separate the different colors from each other and -wind them into skeins, each color to itself, and that not a single -thread of them must be broken. This she will find it impossible to do, -and when you visit her to-morrow and find that she has failed, it will -give you an excuse to punish her as you see fit.”</p> - -<p>This advice delighted the Queen. She took the skeins and hastened away -to the place where she had had Graciosa imprisoned. The Princess was -weeping and looked so beautiful in her tears that any heart less hard -than Grognon’s would have pitied her. But her beauty only increased the -Queen’s fury against her.</p> - -<p>“Come, lazybones!” cried the Queen. “Here is something to give work to -your idle fingers. Take these silks and separate them from each other, -winding each color into a skein by itself. See that not a thread of it -is broken, and do you have the task done before to-morrow, or else you -shall suffer for it.”</p> - -<p>“Alas, Madam!” cried the poor Princess. “You know that this is an -impossible thing to do.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79">{79}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“That is your concern,” cried Grognon harshly. “But this I will tell -you; if you are too lazy and obstinate to do as I bid you, it is only -right and proper that you should be punished.”</p> - -<p>So saying, she gave Graciosa a push so violent that it almost threw her -upon the floor and went on out, locking the door behind her.</p> - -<p>Left alone, Graciosa took up the mass of silk and with careful fingers -began to try to separate the strands, but hardly could she touch them -before they broke, and she soon found the task was indeed impossible.</p> - -<p>In despair she threw aside the silks and burst into tears.</p> - -<p>“Alas! Alas! My sorrows are well deserved,” wept the poor Princess. “Had -I but listened to Percinet and to the fairy’s warnings, I might even now -be safe and happy in her palace with Percinet for my companion.”</p> - -<p>Hardly had she spoken thus when the Prince himself stood before her.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Graciosa,” said he, “are you perhaps beginning to learn at last the -worth of my affection? You have indeed brought this sorrow on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80">{80}</a></span> yourself, -but I love you too dearly to be willing to see you suffer.”</p> - -<p>He then struck the silk three times with a silver wand he carried. -Immediately the tangles and knots were smoothed away, the different -colors separated themselves one from another, and broken ends rejoined. -In less time than it takes to tell, the task was done, and the different -silks lay smoothly wound and side by side upon the table.</p> - -<p>Graciosa hardly knew how to thank Percinet.</p> - -<p>“Do not thank me,” said the Prince gravely. “I wish no thanks from you. -You know how dearly I love you, and I, on my part, am sure that now you -also love me. Come away with me from all these fears and sufferings and -live with me in the palace my mother is eager to provide for us.”</p> - -<p>But Graciosa could not yet make up her mind to marry one who was half a -fairy.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Percinet, forgive me!” she cried. “I know that you love me, but you -are a fairy and I am a mortal, and I fear your love for me may not be -lasting. Let us wait and see whether the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81">{81}</a></span> Queen’s heart may not soften -toward me. Perhaps she has only set me this task as a trial of my -patience and does not really intend evil to me.”</p> - -<p>“In other words, you trust to her cruelty rather than to my tenderness,” -cried the Prince with some anger. “So be it. But at least I have saved -you from a beating.”</p> - -<p>Thus saying, he disappeared, and the Princess was left alone.</p> - -<p>Early the next morning Grognon hastened to Graciosa’s prison. Already -she was planning what was the most cruel punishment she could give the -Princess, for she had no other thought but that Graciosa would have -found the task impossible.</p> - -<p>What was her amazement to see, when she opened the door, that all the -silks had been separated and wound into skeins, and that they lay upon -the table so beautifully arranged that to see them was like looking upon -a rainbow.</p> - -<p>Graciosa met her with a smile. “Madam, I have done your bidding,” said -she, “and the silks are ready for you, as you can see.”</p> - -<p>Grognon could think of no reply to make.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82">{82}</a></span> She snatched up the silks and -left the room, casting upon Graciosa a look so furious and so malignant -that the poor girl trembled.</p> - -<p>No sooner had Grognon reached her own chamber than she sent for the -wicked fairy and at once began to reproach her for setting such an easy -task for the Princess.</p> - -<p>The fairy frowned and shook her head. “I do not understand it,” she -said. “Some magic power must be helping Graciosa, for never could mortal -fingers have separated the skeins after I had tangled them. However, I -will set her another task even harder than the first, and which I am -very sure will put her in your power.”</p> - -<p>The fairy then caused a great tub to appear, and it was full of the -feathers of hundreds and hundreds of different birds.</p> - -<p>“Give her these feathers to separate,” said the fairy. “Tell her that -the feathers of each kind of bird must be put by themselves, and all -must be separated by the earliest break of day to-morrow. She will -certainly find it impossible to do this task, and you will then have her -in your power.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83">{83}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>At this advice all of Grognon’s anger disappeared and she thanked the -fairy smilingly. She called for two of her attendants and bade them -carry the feathers to the room where Graciosa was kept prisoner, and she -herself also went there.</p> - -<p>The poor Princess was terrified when she saw Grognon appear once more, -for she knew it could only mean some new trouble for her.</p> - -<p>The tub was set upon the floor, and Grognon motioned Graciosa to it. -“Idle one,” she cried, “here is something that will keep you busy for a -few hours at least. Your task is to separate these feathers, putting the -ones that belong to each kind of bird by themselves, and see that they -are all separated by morning, or woe betide you.”</p> - -<p>She then left the room, taking the attendants with her and locking and -double-locking the door behind her.</p> - -<p>As soon as Graciosa examined the tub of feathers, she knew the task to -be hopeless, but nevertheless she sat down and made some attempt to -separate the feathers; but she did not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84">{84}</a></span> even know which ones belonged -together, and there were, besides, thousands and thousands of them.</p> - -<p>In despair she threw them back again into the tub, and burst into tears. -“What will become of me?” she sobbed. “Percinet I have offended so -deeply that I dare not call upon him for help, and he is the only one -who can aid me. Ah, how ungrateful I have been! I would that that noble -Prince were here that I might ask for his pardon before the Queen -destroys me.”</p> - -<p>“I <i>am</i> here, beautiful Graciosa! And not only ready but eager to help -you. Do not fear. This task the Queen has set you is not as impossible -as you seem to think it.”</p> - -<p>It was Percinet who spoke. He had appeared before her, handsome and -graceful as ever. He now approached the tub of feathers and touched it -with the silver wand which he carried.</p> - -<p>No sooner had he done this than the feathers arose in a many-colored -cloud, and each kind, separating itself from the others, gathered in a -little heap by itself.</p> - -<p>Graciosa hardly knew how to thank the Prince.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85">{85}</a></span></p> - -<p>“I desire no gratitude, but love only,” exclaimed Percinet. “Has not -this taught you that as long as you are in the Queen’s power there is no -safety for you? Oh, Graciosa, delay no longer. Come with me to my -mother, and let us tell her you have consented to our marriage.”</p> - -<p>But Graciosa could not yet make up her mind to trust him. “Dear -Percinet,” she said, weeping, “do not think me ungrateful, but how can -I, a mortal maiden, ever mate with one who is half a fairy? No, no. We -could never be happy. Be to me a friend, as I will be to you, but do not -ask me to marry you.”</p> - -<p>Percinet was deeply offended; he could not help showing his resentment.</p> - -<p>“Farewell, proud Princess,” he said to her. “You say you are not -ungrateful, and yet with every word you show your lack of trust in me. -Heaven send that you may not suffer for the scorn you show me.”</p> - -<p>So saying, Percinet again disappeared, leaving the Princess alone and -weeping.</p> - -<p>The next day, at earliest dawn, Grognon has<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86">{86}</a></span>tened to Graciosa’s prison, -and nothing could be greater than was her wonder and fury when she found -the feathers separated and each kind lying neatly by itself.</p> - -<p>Her rage was so great that she could not forbear from shaking Graciosa -till the poor Princess’s teeth rattled in her head, giving, as an -excuse, that the feathers were not laid evenly.</p> - -<p>She then went away in a rage to her own room, and calling the fairy to -her, she scolded her at such a rate that her voice could be heard all -over the castle.</p> - -<p>The fairy was confounded when she found this second task had also been -accomplished, and, it seemed, as easily and quickly as the first.</p> - -<p>“It is some magic,” she repeated. “Some one is helping her who is as -powerful as I—perhaps even more so. But this is not the end of the -matter. You shall still have a chance to punish the Princess at your -pleasure. I have here a box. Give it to Graciosa, and bid her carry it -to your castle, and leave it in a certain cabinet in the hall, but not -by any means to open it on the way. Her curiosity will prove too much -for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87">{87}</a></span> her, she will think it no harm to peep into the box after she is -out of sight and if she once opens it, she will find it impossible to -close the lid on its contents and you can then punish her for her -disobedience.”</p> - -<p>The fairy at once disappeared, and Grognon sent for the Princess to come -before her.</p> - -<p>Graciosa obeyed the summons, wondering what new sorrow was to come upon -her, but to her surprise the Queen met her with a smiling face. “My dear -Graciosa,” said she, “I have here a box which I wish to send to my -palace, and what is within it is so precious and wonderful that I do not -dare to trust it to any one but you. It is not locked, and there is no -key to it, but do not open it on your way, whatever you do. Place it -upon the central cabinet in the main hall, and then return to me in -haste, that you may assure me that you have carried it there in safety.”</p> - -<p>Graciosa at once hastened to her room for a cloak, which she threw about -her. She took the box that the Queen handed to her, and holding it in -such a way that the folds of the cloak hid it, she set out upon her -journey.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88">{88}</a></span></p> - -<p>The Queen looked after her with an evil smile.</p> - -<p>“This time she shall not escape me,” she muttered. “Never will she be -able to withstand her wish to see what it is that the box holds.”</p> - -<p>Graciosa, indeed, was very curious. As she hastened along, clasping the -box to her, she wondered more and more what could possibly be in it that -was so precious that the Queen dared not trust it to any one but -herself. The way was long, and the Princess was unused to walking, and -so at last when she came to a green meadow with a brook flowing through -it, she sat down to rest. As she sat there, she became so tormented by -curiosity as to what was in the box, that at last she determined to -raise the lid very carefully just a hair’s breadth, and take one look -within.</p> - -<p>But scarcely had her fingers touched the lid when it flew open in her -hands, and out from the box there streamed a host of little people. -There were lords and ladies in fine clothes, and workmen, who at once -set about putting up silken tents as a shelter from the sun. There were -tiny coaches of gold, drawn by horses even<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89">{89}</a></span> smaller, and driven by -coachmen with powdered wigs, and there were little footmen sitting -beside them. There were cooks, who directed tiny scullions to build up -fires and at once set about preparing a grand feast. Tables were spread, -and small musicians began to play gay music to which the fine folk -danced.</p> - -<p>It was all so wonderful and pretty that Graciosa watched them, smiling, -and with the greatest delight, quite forgetting that she had disobeyed -the strict orders of the Queen, and that she would suffer for it.</p> - -<p>Suddenly a cloud came over the sun, and a few drops of rain fell.</p> - -<p>This brought Graciosa to herself. Laying down the box, she ran over to -the tent where the little lords and ladies had taken shelter, and tried -to gather them up so as to return them to the box again. But this they -would not have. As soon as they found she intended to catch them, they -ran away and hid themselves among the tufts of grasses and back of -stones. Soon they had all disappeared. Not one of them was to be seen, -though Graciosa looked for them all about.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90">{90}</a></span></p> - -<p>She was now so frightened that she was like one distracted. She ran -about the meadow, calling to the little people to return, and at last, -quite worn out with her exertions, she fell upon the ground and burst -into tears.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Percinet, you will be well revenged,” she sobbed. “Whatever will -become of the poor Graciosa, and how shall I ever withstand the rage of -the cruel Grognon?”</p> - -<p>Suddenly she heard a deep sigh, and looking up, she saw that Percinet -was standing beside her. Seeing him there, she could not restrain a cry -of joy, but the Prince gazed upon her with a sad and sorrowful look.</p> - -<p>“Ah, Graciosa, would you ever remember me,” he asked, “if it were not -for the cruel Grognon?”</p> - -<p>Graciosa, ashamed, did not dare to raise her eyes to his.</p> - -<p>“Cruelly as you have treated me,” said Percinet, “I cannot leave you to -suffer.”</p> - -<p>With these words he struck three times upon the lid of the box. At once, -as though this were a signal, the little people came running out from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91">{91}</a></span> -their hiding places, and, as though each one wished to be the first, -they hastened back into the box, pushing and hustling each other in -their hurry. The workmen hastily folded the tents, the cook and his -scullions gathered up their cooking utensils, the coachmen cracked their -whips and shouted to their horses. Back into the box they crowded, the -box closed of itself, and the meadow lay green and deserted in the -sunlight.</p> - -<p>Graciosa would have thanked Percinet, but when she turned to speak to -him, he was gone.</p> - -<p>“Alas, he is so angry I fear he no longer loves me,” sighed Graciosa, -“while I have at last learned both to love and trust him. If he had but -asked me again to return with him to the fairy palace, how gladly I -would have agreed!”</p> - -<p>Sadly the Princess again set out for Grognon’s castle, and in due time -arrived there without having had any more adventures, and placed the box -in the cabinet in the main hall as the Queen had directed.</p> - -<p>When Grognon found that again Graciosa had accomplished her task, and so -escaped<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92">{92}</a></span> punishment, her rage was so great that she was like one who has -suddenly gone crazy. She sent for the fairy, and as soon as she -appeared, the Queen flew at her with teeth and nails.</p> - -<p>“Miserable creature!” she shrieked. “You have deceived me. Three times -you have promised to put Graciosa in my power. And what has happened? -Every time she has accomplished the tasks and met me smiling. Begone, or -I will tear you limb from limb.”</p> - -<p>Powerful as the fairy was, she was frightened by the fierceness of -Grognon. She made haste to take herself out of the way and fled back to -her castle, glad to have escaped with her life.</p> - -<p>Grognon now made up her mind to take matters again into her own hands. -She caused a deep pit to be dug in the garden, too deep for any one who -fell into it to have any chance of escaping. Over this a great stone was -rolled, so that the mouth of the pit was hidden.</p> - -<p>The Queen then sent for Graciosa to come and walk with her in the -garden. She also took several attendants with her.</p> - -<p>Though Grognon met Graciosa with a smile<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93">{93}</a></span> and seemed to have forgotten -all her rage against her, the Princess was very uneasy. She feared the -Queen’s plots and felt sure that some new evil was being planned against -her, but she did not know from what direction the danger would come.</p> - -<p>As they walked along, the Queen so arranged it that presently they came -to the place where the great stone was lying. Grognon pointed it out to -Graciosa. “I am told,” said she, “that a great treasure lies hidden -under that stone. We will roll it away and see whether those who told me -of it have spoken the truth.”</p> - -<p>She then bade her attendants push the stone aside, and Graciosa, who was -very good-natured, put her hands against the stone, and pushed, also.</p> - -<p>This was exactly what Grognon wished. She crept up back of Graciosa, and -as soon as the pit was uncovered, she pushed the Princess so that she -fell down into it, and the stone was then allowed to fall back into its -place.</p> - -<p>At last the Queen was satisfied. She felt very sure that Graciosa could -not escape from the pit,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94">{94}</a></span> herself, and Grognon would see to it that no -one went there to help her. She returned to the palace well pleased with -her morning’s work.</p> - -<p>As for Graciosa, she was in despair. “Alas, Percinet! Why did I not -listen to you?” she wept. “Would that I might see you but once more -before I perish, that I might tell you that at last I know the worth of -all your love and devotion.”</p> - -<p>Suddenly, as she thus bemoaned herself, Graciosa saw, in the side of the -pit a little door which she had not noticed before. She opened it, and -to her joy and amazement saw before her the same avenue of many-colored -stones which she had followed when she was lost in the forest, and -there, at the end of the avenue, was the shining castle that she knew as -the one belonging to Finetta.</p> - -<p>With a beating heart, Graciosa hurried along the avenue, and as she drew -near the castle, the doors opened to her of their own accord, and -standing within she saw the Fairy Finetta and Percinet.</p> - -<p>They looked upon her smiling, and Finetta said, “So you have at last -returned to us,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95">{95}</a></span> Graciosa, and I hope with wisdom enough to value the -love that Percinet still feels for you.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed, Madam,” said the Princess, blushing, “my love is as great as -that of Percinet himself, and my trust in him is as unbounded.”</p> - -<p>With a cry of joy Percinet clasped her in his arms, while the fairy -stood and smiled upon them.</p> - -<p>There was no reason now why they should not be married at once, and -fairies were bidden from far and near to come to the ceremony, which was -celebrated with the greatest magnificence.</p> - -<p>Among those who came was the fairy who had helped Grognon in her schemes -against Graciosa. When she heard the story of the Princess and knew that -she had all this time been under the protection of Prince Percinet, she -became furious against Grognon. At once she mounted her chariot drawn by -dragons, and flew to the palace of the King. Seeking Grognon out, she -strangled her with a strand of the very silk that had been given to -Graciosa, and so quick the fairy was about it that none of the courtiers -had time to interfere.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96">{96}</a></span></p> - -<p>As for the Princess and Percinet, they lived happy forever after, in a -magnificent palace of their own which Finetta provided for them, but she -would never allow Graciosa to return even for a visit to the King who -had treated her so cruelly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97">{97}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_GIANTS_CLIFF" id="THE_GIANTS_CLIFF"></a>THE GIANT’S CLIFF<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">An Irish Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a giant in Ireland, and his name was Mahon McMahon and he -lived inside the cliffs that rose up straight from the sea. No one had -ever seen door or window in the cliffs, and no one knew how the giant -got in or out, but still it was said that he lived there, and there were -those who told of how they had heard a strange sound of beating and the -ringing of metal sounding from within, and had seen smoke rising up from -the crevices.</p> - -<p>Back from the sea, but yet not so very far from the cliffs, there was a -fine big house, and a man by the name of Thomas Renardy lived in it. He -was a married man, and he and his wife had one son, a pretty little boy -named Philip, and he was the joy of their life and the light of their -eyes.</p> - -<p>With every year the boy grew handsomer and finer, till he was the -admiration of all who saw him. All day he played about in the sun<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98">{98}</a></span> and -the wind, and when his mother called him in to meals he came, and as -soon as he had finished he was out again.</p> - -<p>So he grew till he was seven years old, and then one day his mother -called him, but he did not come. She hunted him high, and she hunted him -low, but nowhere could she find him. Then the neighbors joined in the -search. They were out hallooing over the hills and through the forest, -and over by the cliffs where the sea beats high, but there was no answer -to their calling, nor did they see aught of him, and his mother was left -sorrowing.</p> - -<p>A sad and smileless woman was she after that, and months rolled up into -years, until the years were seven; and at the end of that time her grief -for him was as green as at the beginning.</p> - -<p>Now there was a blacksmith in that country who was a great reader of -dreams. People came from far and near to tell him their dreams and to -ask the meaning of them.</p> - -<p>The name of the blacksmith was Robert Kelly, and he was a great hand at -the forge.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99">{99}</a></span></p> - -<p>One night the blacksmith had a dream of his own, and a curious dream it -was.</p> - -<p>He dreamed a little lad came riding up on a great white horse. He was a -handsome little fellow, with yellow hair and blue eyes, and Robert took -him, from his size and looks, to be about seven years old, but at the -same time there was something curious about him that made the blacksmith -think he might be older.</p> - -<p>“Robert Kelly, do you remember me?” asked the lad.</p> - -<p>“I can’t say that I do,” answered the blacksmith, “and yet there’s -something about you that makes me feel I may have seen you before.”</p> - -<p>“Then have you forgotten Phil Renardy that was lost away seven long -years ago?”</p> - -<p>Now the blacksmith knew of whom the boy had reminded him. It was of that -little lost lad of the Renardys.</p> - -<p>“But that was seven long years ago, as you said,” replied the -blacksmith, “and by this time Phil would be about fourteen years old. -You will never be him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100">{100}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“Nevertheless I am,” said the boy. “It was the giant Mahon McMahon that -stole me away seven years ago when I was playing near the cliffs, and I -have been living with him and serving him ever since, and in the halls -of the giant we who serve him never grow old, but stay as we were when -he first brought us there.”</p> - -<p>Now all the while the blacksmith knew he was asleep, and he thought this -dream of his was the strangest dream he had ever heard of.</p> - -<p>“Now I will tell you why I have come here,” the boy went on; and he told -Kelly how the very next night the seven years of his service were up. -“Every seven years,” said he, “the giant’s door stands open from the -stroke of midnight till cock’s crow the next morning. There is only one -way to get to his door, and that is by way of the sea.”</p> - -<p>The lad then begged and implored the blacksmith to get a boat and row -out to the cliff the next night, and to wait there until midnight, when -the house opened. The blacksmith was then to seek through it until he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101">{101}</a></span> -found the lad and then he was to bring him away with him.</p> - -<p>“And to-morrow, when my first seven years of service is up, is the only -time you can do it,” said he. “If you will not, then I can never escape, -but must stay there in service to the giant for always.”</p> - -<p>Then Kelly, who still knew he was asleep, said, “But after all, this is -all in a dream, and when I waken I’ll think there’s no meaning to it.”</p> - -<p>“Then I’ll give you a token to prove to you that this is no common -dreaming,” said Philip.</p> - -<p>With that he turned his horse about, and the horse lashed out at the -blacksmith with his hind leg, and the hoof struck him on the forehead -with such force that it seemed as though his head would be crushed in.</p> - -<p>The blacksmith cried out with the blow and woke to find the blood -streaming down his face, and when he had wiped it away and was able to -examine his forehead, there was the mark of a horseshoe on it.</p> - -<p>Robert said nothing to any one about his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102">{102}</a></span> dream, not even when they saw -the mark on his forehead and wondered about it, so they thought that in -some way when he was shoeing a horse it must have managed to kick him. -But that night he went secretly to a friend of his who had a boat and -asked him whether he would row him out in front of the cliffs just -before midnight.</p> - -<p>The friend was loth to do it, for he had small liking for going out at -night on the sea and to a place that was but ill thought of; for there -were all these tales about sounds that had been heard from inside the -cliff and that they might be made by Mahon McMahon.</p> - -<p>However, in the end Robert persuaded him, and a little before midnight -they set out. There was enough moonlight for them to see the way to go, -and as they rowed toward the cliffs, Robert told his friend, for the -first time, why he was coming there and what he hoped to do.</p> - -<p>“And whether it was a dream or no I can’t tell you,” said he, “for I was -sleeping, and yet here, all the same, is the mark of the horse’s hoof on -my forehead.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103">{103}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>Well, the friend thought it a strange tale. “And it’s hard to believe -there’s any truth in it,” said he; “but here we are in front of the -cliffs, and this night will prove the worth of your dreaming.”</p> - -<p>He held the boat there in front of the rocks with his oars, and the -minutes slipped by, and neither of the men spoke, and everything was -silent. Then from far away, and faintly, they heard the village clock -strike twelve.</p> - -<p>Again they waited, and then suddenly and without a sound the front of -the cliff opened, and they saw a portico down almost on a level with the -water, and a great door opening out upon it. Inside the door were steps -cut in the rock and leading up and out of sight. A light shone out -through the door and across the water, but it was not very bright.</p> - -<p>“Here is where I chance it,” said the blacksmith. “Row me up close so -that I may step out on the portico, for according to my dream, it’s in -there I must go if I am to find little Philip Renardy.”</p> - -<p>The whole matter was so strange that his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104">{104}</a></span> friend tried to dissuade him -from going, but the blacksmith would not listen to him.</p> - -<p>“I’ve a sign from him on my forehead,” he said, “and go I must and will. -Do you wait here for me till cock’s crow, and if I haven’t come by then, -there’s no use in your waiting longer.”</p> - -<p>His friend rowed him up close to the edge of the portico, and the -blacksmith climbed out on it, and watchfully he crept over to the door -and peered in. Everything was still, and he saw nothing but the steps -leading upward, and they were so high, each one of them, that it was as -much as he could do to climb them.</p> - -<p>He carried a plowshare that he had brought with him from his smithy, for -somehow he thought a plowshare might be a good weapon if he needed one. -And anyhow, it gave him some sort of a feeling of courage to have hold -of it.</p> - -<p>He climbed the steps, one after another, and that took him some time, -and then he came into a great hall, and in the center of it was a table -hewn out of rock.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105">{105}</a></span></p> - -<p>Around this table sat seven giants. They sat there bending forward as -though they were consulting with each other, but none of them moved or -spoke, or even so much as winked an eyelid. They might have been carven -figures, for all the signs of life they gave.</p> - -<p>At the head of the table sat a giant with a long beard, and he had been -sitting there so long that his beard had grown into the slab of rock -that was the top of the table.</p> - -<p>Robert Kelly stood there looking at them for a while, and then, as none -of them took any notice of him, he called in a loud voice, “Is any one -among you named Mahon McMahon?”</p> - -<p>At that the giant at the head of the table started up so suddenly that -the pulling out of his beard split the rock of the table into pieces, -but none of the others stirred nor looked at him.</p> - -<p>“I am Mahon McMahon,” cried the giant. “And what do you come seeking me -for?”</p> - -<p>“I have come here in search of little Phil Renardy,” cried the -blacksmith boldly, “and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106">{106}</a></span> I have been told that you are the one who can -tell me where to find him.”</p> - -<p>The giant looked at him in silence for a bit, and then he said, “Yes, I -can tell you where to find him, and better than that, I can even show -you where he is.”</p> - -<p>He then led the way into a great stone chamber on beyond the hall, and -it was glowing with fires, and there in it were a great number of young -lads. It seemed to the blacksmith that there were hundreds of them, and -they were all busy at some kind or other of metal work.</p> - -<p>When Mahon McMahon came in, they stopped their work and stood back -against the wall, and the blacksmith saw that not one among them looked -to be more than seven years old, and they were all so much alike that -they might have been brothers.</p> - -<p>“If you are a friend of Phil Renardy, no doubt you can choose him from -all others,” said the giant. “And now look about you, and if you can -tell me at the first telling which is he, then you may take him away -with you, and no harm to any one. But if you cannot<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107">{107}</a></span> tell me, then it -was an ill hour for you when you entered my house, for you’ll never go -out again.”</p> - -<p>This frightened the blacksmith, but still he kept his wits about him and -looked carefully from one lad to the other, but for the life of him he -could not tell of a surety which was Phil Renardy, for he had no clear -remembrance of him.</p> - -<p>In order to gain time he said to the giant, “And are all these fine lads -servants of yours?”</p> - -<p>“They are,” replied Mahon McMahon, “and it has taken me a long time to -gather them together.”</p> - -<p>“You must be a good master,” went on Robert Kelly, “for they all look -rosy and in good condition, and I’m sure you treat them well, and they -must be fond of you.” He thought by talking in this way he might flatter -the giant and put him in a good humor.</p> - -<p>“That is a true word you have spoken,” said the giant, “and I’m sure you -must be an honest man, so let us shake hands upon it.”</p> - -<p>He held out his hand to the blacksmith, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108">{108}</a></span> when Bob Kelly looked at -it, it was so thick and broad and cruel looking that he was afraid to -trust his own hand to it. “For if he were to take the fancy,” thought -Bob, “he could crush it as easily as I could crush a rotten potato.” So, -instead of putting his hand into the giant’s, he put the plowshare in -it, and the giant shut his fingers tight on it, so that it crumpled up -as though the iron had no more strength in it than a piece of paper.</p> - -<p>“Praises be it was not my hand he was squeezing,” thought Robert Kelly.</p> - -<p>“You have a strong hand,” said the giant, “but you need a stronger than -that if you’re to shake hands with Mahon McMahon.”</p> - -<p>Then all the little lads burst into laughter, but through their laughter -he thought he heard some one sighing, “Robert Kelly! Robert Kelly! I am -here behind you.”</p> - -<p>He turned about quickly, and there behind him was one lad among them who -was not laughing. And like a flash the blacksmith seized hold of him and -cried out, “This is Phil Renardy, and the one I would take with me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109">{109}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“Bad cess to you!” cried the giant, “but you’ve chosen rightly.”</p> - -<p>Then all grew dark, but Robert Kelly kept tight hold of the boy he had -chosen, and he could hear many voices about him, crying, “Happy Philip -Renardy! Happy Philip Renardy!”</p> - -<p>The next he knew the sun was shining, and he was lying on the grass at -the top of the cliff, and the little lad was watching beside him.</p> - -<p>“And are you of a truth the little Philip Renardy that’s been lost for -so long?” asked Kelly.</p> - -<p>“I am that one,” replied the lad, “and it is you that have saved me; and -now let us be up and off, for my heart is aching within me for a sight -of my mother.”</p> - -<p>So the blacksmith rose up, and took the little lad’s hand and led him to -the big house of the Renardys, and the lad seemed to know the way better -than he did. And no sooner did Mrs. Renardy see him than she knew the -lad as her son and was like to have gone distracted with the joy of it. -That was a com<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110">{110}</a></span>fort to Bob Kelly, too, for all the time he had kept -wondering whether by chance he might not have brought back the wrong boy -with him.</p> - -<p>When he at last left them and went back to his smithy, he found quite a -crowd gathered there, talking about him, for when he hadn’t come back to -the boat his friend had made sure the cliff had closed on him, and that -mortal eye would never again behold him.</p> - -<p>But when the people who had gathered heard his tale, there was great -rejoicing, and all the bells of the village were rung, and a great crowd -hurried away to the Renardy’s house, to get a glimpse of the boy who had -been stolen by the giant.</p> - -<p>Soon after his return, the boy began to grow again, but he never became -very big, and there was always something a bit strange about him, though -after a while he married and had children of his own who were fine stout -fellows, and all of them were wonderful workers in metals.</p> - -<p>As for Robert Kelly, his adventures were the making of him, for people -came from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111">{111}</a></span> everywhere to have him do their work for them, so as to have -a chance to hear him tell his story. Moreover, Philip taught him some of -the secrets of working with metal that he had learned in the giant’s -house, so that he became quite famous.</p> - -<p>But the giant was never heard of again, and no more sounds came from -within the cliff house, so it was supposed that he had left that part of -the country and chosen some other place as his dwelling.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112">{112}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_CONN-EDA" id="THE_STORY_OF_CONN-EDA"></a>THE STORY OF CONN-EDA<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">An Irish Tale</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">King Conn</span> of Ireland had one noble son named Conn-eda, and he was as -dear to his father as the apple of his eye,—none dearer.</p> - -<p>His mother had died while he was still a child, and after a while the -King, his father, married again. He married the young daughter of his -chief priest, but he did not marry her because he loved her, and that is -the truth. He married her because his councilors told him that it was a -wise thing for him to do, for this chief priest was very powerful.</p> - -<p>The new Queen was a cruel woman, and her hatred of Conn-eda was bitter -and deep. She hated him because he was so handsome and free-hearted, and -she hated him because he was so dear to his father, but most of all she -hated him because every one looked to him as the one who would sometime -be their king, and there was no knowing how soon that would be, for -already his father was old and feeble.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113">{113}</a></span></p> - -<p>After a while the young Queen had a child of her own, and then she hated -Conn-eda worse than ever and was always plotting how she could get rid -of him, for she wanted the kingdom to come to her own son.</p> - -<p>Now there was a woman who lived down back of the castle in a poor -tumble-down hut, and it was said that she knew more than a little about -magic, and every one was afraid of her. She was the hen-wife, and had -charge of all the chickens that belonged to the castle. She was a -handsome woman and a strange one, and no one could tell whether she were -young or old, and she might have been either.</p> - -<p>One day the Queen went by herself down to the hut to visit the hen-wife, -for she wished to ask her advice. She was not ashamed to go, either, -because of the woman being an enchantress.</p> - -<p>“Queen Durfulla,” said the hen-wife, “I know why you have come to me, -and what you are after wanting.”</p> - -<p>That surprised the Queen, and she said, “What is it I am wanting, then?”</p> - -<p>“You are wanting to rid yourself of young<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114">{114}</a></span> Conn-eda, and it is for my -advice you have come hither. But I am not one to give something for -nothing. What reward will I have if I give you my advice?”</p> - -<p>“What reward will you be wanting?” asked the Queen.</p> - -<p>“It’s none so much and none so little. Give me enough wool to fill the -hole between my arm and body when I set my hand on my hip with my elbow -out, and give me enough red wheat to fill the hole I shall bore with my -distaff, and my advice is yours for the asking.”</p> - -<p>Well, the Queen could not help smiling at that, for it seemed but a -small reward for any one to ask, and she gladly agreed to give it.</p> - -<p>“Then have the wool and the wheat brought here to-morrow,” said the -hen-wife. “Twenty cartloads of wool, and twenty cartloads of wheat will -be none too much to fill the hollow between my arm and body and the hole -I’ll make.”</p> - -<p>The Queen thought that was a strange thing to say, and that the hen-wife -must be dreaming, but all the same she was back at the hen-wife’s door -the next day, and close after her came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115">{115}</a></span> twenty cartloads of wool and -twenty cartloads of wheat, with the horses pulling and the carters -cracking their whips.</p> - -<p>The hen-wife stood in the doorway with her hand on her hip and her elbow -out, and the men took an armful of wool and put it in the hollow of her -arm, but it fell through the hollow and inside the house. They stuffed -another armful in between her arm and body, and the same thing happened -to it. Not until the house was so full of wool that it could hold no -more were they able to fill the hollow of the hen-wife’s arm as she -stood in the doorway.</p> - -<p>“And now for the wheat,” said the hen-wife.</p> - -<p>Then she led them to her brother’s house which was close by, and climbed -up on the roof. The roof was of peat, and she bored a hole down through -the peat with her distaff, so that as fast as they poured the wheat into -the hole, it ran down into the house, and not until the house was so -full that it could hold no more could they fill the hole, too.</p> - -<p>“Now I am satisfied,” said the hen-wife, but that was more than the -Queen could say, for she<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116">{116}</a></span> was a mean woman. However, if the hen-wife -could tell her how to rid herself of Prince Conn-eda, it was more to her -than all the wheat and wool that ever were grown.</p> - -<p>“Now listen well to what I tell you,” said the hen-wife. “You have paid -me faithfully and fully, and I am ready to keep my part of the bargain, -too. Far and far enough from here, there lies a great dark lake, and the -name of it is Lough Erne. Under its waters lives the King of the Fiborg -race, a race that lives in the water most happily. There, in the King’s -garden, grow three golden apples. In his stable stands a grand black -steed. In his castle lies the puppy-hound Samur, and great are the magic -powers of that hound. You must send Conn-eda to get these things for -you, and to fetch them back within a year and a day and it’s not a -living being who can seek those things and not lose his life in the -seeking, unless he has magic to help him.”</p> - -<p>“But how can I send Conn-eda?” asked the Queen, “for he is not a child -that he must do my bidding.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117">{117}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“That also I will tell you,” replied the hen-wife.</p> - -<p>She then brought out a chessboard and chessmen and gave them to the -Queen. “Do you take these home with you,” she said, “and call Conn-eda -to come and play a game of chess with you. I have set a charm on the -men, and I have set a charm on the board, so that you will be sure to -win; but before you play you must make a bargain with the Prince that -whichever loses shall pay a forfeit to the winner, and the forfeit you -shall ask of him is that he fetch to you the three things I have told -you of. But be sure that you play only the one game, for after that is -played the charm will lose its power.”</p> - -<p>The Queen was pleased with the advice the hen-wife gave her, and she -took the chessboard and the chessmen and promised to do in all things as -she had been told. Then she hastened back to the castle.</p> - -<p>No sooner was she there than she sent for Conn-eda to come and have a -game of chess, and he came at her command and sat down at the board with -her.</p> - -<p>“It is not for nothing we will play together this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118">{118}</a></span> day,” said the Queen, -“but whichever loses shall pay a forfeit to the other, and the forfeit -shall be whatever the winner chooses to demand.”</p> - -<p>To this Conn-eda agreed. He had it in his head that the Queen was -planning some trick against him, but he did not fear her, for he made -sure he could beat her at the game.</p> - -<p>So they sat down to play, and Conn-eda was a good player, and the Queen -was a poor one, but it seemed as though there were a mist before the -Prince’s eyes, and when he thought he had made one play he found he had -made another, and presently he saw he had lost the game, and the Queen -was the winner.</p> - -<p>Then she laughed aloud and pushed the board from her. “The game is mine, -Conn-eda,” she cried, “and it is for you to pay the forfeit. Whatever I -ask for, that shall you pay, no matter what be the cost.”</p> - -<p>When the Prince heard that, his heart was troubled within him, and he -said to her, “What is that forfeit that you will demand of me?”</p> - -<p>“This is the forfeit,” the Queen replied.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119">{119}</a></span> “Within a year and a day you -shall bring to me three golden apples, and a grand black steed, and the -magic puppy-hound Samur and they all belong to the King of the Fiborg -people. He lives at the bottom of Lough Erne, but where that is I know -not, and you must find it for yourself.”</p> - -<p>When the Prince Conn-eda heard that, he knew the Queen had indeed -tricked him, and the forfeit he was like to pay was that of his life. -But he dissembled and hid his fear, and said, “The forfeit I will pay, -if it be in mortal power to do so. And now we will play another game, -and again it shall be for a forfeit, with the loser to pay it.”</p> - -<p>The Queen was so full of triumph that she forgot the warning of the -hen-wife and willingly agreed to play once more with Conn-eda.</p> - -<p>But now the magic had gone out of the board, and this time the Prince -was the winner.</p> - -<p>When the Queen found she had lost, her face grew pale, and her heart -sank down within her.</p> - -<p>“You have won, Conn-eda,” said she. “And what is the forfeit I must pay -to you?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120">{120}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“The forfeit is this,” said Conn-eda. “For the year and the day that I -am away, you must sit at the top of the highest tower of the castle and -eat nothing but as much red wheat as you can pick up with the point of -your bodkin.”</p> - -<p>That was a hard fate for the Queen, but after all, it would be only for -a year and a day, and at the end of that time she would be free again -and rid of Prince Conn-eda forever, so the bargain was not so hard as it -seemed at first hearing. So the Queen went up and took her place in the -high tower, and the Prince mounted his horse and rode out into the world -in search of the golden apples, the grand black steed, and the magic -puppy-hound Samur.</p> - -<p>But first Conn-eda went to a Wise Man he knew, who was a friend of his. -Many and many a favor the Prince had done for him, and now it was time -to ask one in return.</p> - -<p>The Wise Man heard Conn-eda galloping up and came out of the house to -meet him, and the Prince lighted down from his horse and greeted him -respectfully.</p> - -<p>“I am in great trouble,” Conn-eda began,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121">{121}</a></span> “and I have come to you to see -if you can help me.”</p> - -<p>“That I guessed at once from your face,” replied the Wise Man, “and you -had best begin at the beginning and tell me the whole story, for it’s -only after I’ve heard the whole of it that I’ll best know how to help -you.”</p> - -<p>So the Prince began and told the Wise Man the whole matter from -beginning to end. He told of the Queen’s hatred toward him and of the -ways she had tried to injure him; he told of how she had bidden him to -play a game of chess with her, and of how he had feared her and yet made -no doubt of winning the game; and he told of how in some strange way he -had become the loser, and how the Queen had claimed a forfeit from him, -and what it was she had claimed.</p> - -<p>“And we played still again, and that time it was for her to pay the -forfeit”; and he told what the forfeit was that he had demanded of her.</p> - -<p>“And it was no more than her just dues,” said the Wise Man. “I make no -doubt but that the Queen has sought to make you lose your life in this -business, and it was a clever brain that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122">{122}</a></span> thought out this trick. There -is some one back of it other than the Queen.”</p> - -<p>He thought for a while, and then he spoke again. “There is but one -person who would have known of the golden apples, the grand black steed, -and the magic hound Samur, and that one is the Wise Woman who lives in -the hut down back of the palace. She calls herself a hen-wife, but of a -truth she is Carlleach of Lough Corib, and the sister of the Water King -himself. There are four of the water people, three brothers and one -sister. The first is King of the Fiborgs, and the second is under some -enchantment. The third lives in a house next to that of the hen-wife, -and the fourth is Carlleach herself. And now, my son, I will do what I -can to help you. Where Lough Corib is I know not, but out in my stable -is a little shaggy black horse. He is not much to look at, but he is -great in power. Take him and ride whithersoever he carries you, and -leave the rein loose on his neck that he may choose his own way. He will -take you to the crag where the Bird of Wisdom sits. Three days in every<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123">{123}</a></span> -three years the bird sits there, and it’s little that goes on in the -world that he does not know about. This is the time for him to be -sitting on the crag, and if he will but speak, he can tell you how to -set about finding the lake and the Water King’s treasures.”</p> - -<p>The Wise Man then took out a very beautiful and very precious jewel from -a box that stood on a shelf behind the door and gave it to Conn-eda.</p> - -<p>“If the Bird of Wisdom will not speak,” said he, “give him this jewel in -his claw, and then it may be that he will answer you.”</p> - -<p>Conn-eda took the jewel and thanked the Wise Man kindly, and then he -went out to the stable and led forth the shaggy little black horse and -mounted himself on him, instead of his own fine steed, and indeed the -little horse was not much to look at. But no sooner was Conn-eda on his -back than he found what a worth-while horse he was, for away he went -lighter than a bird and swifter than the wind, and it was like no other -riding that Conn-eda had ever done.</p> - -<p>A long way and a short way went the shaggy black horse, and all the -while Conn-eda let the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124">{124}</a></span> rein lie loose, so that the horse was free to -choose his own way, and then they came within sight of a cliff, and on -the cliff sat a great gray bird. It sat so still it might have been a -part of the rocks for any motion that it had, and the eyes in its head -were as dull as cold, dead stones.</p> - -<p>The horse halted before the cliff and bade the Prince speak to the bird. -“For it is the Bird of Wisdom of which the Wise Man spoke,” said he, -“and unless it can tell us what to do next we might as well turn back -the way we came for we’ll never win to the lake where the King of the -Fiborgs lives.”</p> - -<p>Then Conn-eda lifted up his voice and called to the bird. Three times he -called to it, but the bird never stirred even a feather, but sat there -still as though it were carved from the rocks.</p> - -<p>Then the shaggy steed said, “Give it the jewel, Conn-eda, and perchance -it will speak.”</p> - -<p>The Prince took the jewel from his bosom where he carried it and held it -up so that it sparkled in the sunlight, and again he called to the bird; -and this time it turned its head and looked at him, and its eyes grew -bright as though<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125">{125}</a></span> a fire were lighted within it. Then it flew down and -caught the jewel in its claw and flew back with it to the cliff.</p> - -<p>There it sat, and opened its beak, and cried in a harsh voice, -“Conn-eda! Conn-eda! Son of the King of Cruachan, I know why you have -come and what you would have of me. Light down and lift the stone that -is close to the right forefoot of your steed. Under it you will find a -ball and a cup. Take them up, for you will have need of both of them. -The ball you must roll before you and follow wherever it leads you. It -will bring you to the place whither you would go. The cup you will need -later.”</p> - -<p>Then the Bird of Wisdom closed its beak, and the light died out of its -eyes, and again it sat as still and gray as though there were no breath -of life in it.</p> - -<p>Conn-eda lighted down and looked for the stone the bird had told him of, -and he could not miss it for the horse’s right fore hoof was against it. -He lifted it up and there he found a cup and ball. The cup he placed in -the bosom of his shirt, but the ball he threw before him, according<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126">{126}</a></span> to -the bird’s bidding, and on and on it rolled, up hill and down dale, over -bog and through briars, with Conn-eda on the shaggy steed following hard -after it.</p> - -<p>After a while it led them to the edge of a lake so dark and deep you -might have thought there was no bottom to it, and into this lake the -ball bounded and so was lost to sight.</p> - -<p>The Prince was in despair. “Now what are we to do?” cried he. “If we -follow the ball, we are like to be drowned in the deep waters of the -lough, and if we do not follow it, we will never win to the palace of -the Water King.”</p> - -<p>But the shaggy steed bade him take heart. “We must indeed still follow -the ball,” said he, “but even so it is possible no harm may come to us. -And now sit tight, my master.” With that the horse plunged into the -lough, and down and down through the still cold waters.</p> - -<p>Conn-eda sat close, as the steed bade him, and presently they came -through the water and out into a land of pleasant meadows and flowing -streams. The lake was above them like a sky, with the sun shining down -through it, and not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127">{127}</a></span> a hair of either of them was wet, and the ball was -lying there at their feet.</p> - -<p>“Now Conn-eda, light down,” said the steed “and reach your hand first -into one of my ears and then into the other. In the one you will find a -small wicker basket, and in the other a flask of heal-all water. We will -need them both, for now we are drawing near to the dangerous part of the -adventure.”</p> - -<p>The Prince did as he was told and put his hand into the horse’s ears, -first into one and then into the other. In the one he found the wicker -basket and in the other the flask of water. Then he mounted again and -off he rode, and the ball that had been lying still all this time rolled -before them to show the way, and they followed close after it.</p> - -<p>After a bit they came to the end of the meadow and there was a great -stretch of water with a causeway leading across it, and along the -causeway rolled the ball. But Conn-eda drew rein, and no wonder, for the -causeway was guarded by three great fiery serpents. They lay there -stretched across and across it, and the smoke<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128">{128}</a></span> rose up from their -breathing in three great columns, and as the Prince looked at them, his -heart melted within him like wax, for they were a fearful sight.</p> - -<p>But the shaggy steed bade him take heart. “It’s the truth, Conn-eda, -that we must pass those fiery serpents,” he said. “Backward we cannot -go, so forward we must. Now open the basket, and you will find in it -three pieces of meat. As I leap over the serpents you must throw one -piece into the mouth of each of them. If you do this, we may pass safely -over them, and pray that your aim be good, for if you miss the mouth of -any of them, it will be death both for you and me.”</p> - -<p>So Conn-eda opened the lid of the basket and found the pieces of meat -and took them out, and the steed set out along the causeway, straight -toward where the monsters lay.</p> - -<p>As horse and rider came near them, the serpents reared up and opened -their fiery jaws, and made at Conn-eda and his steed as though to devour -them; but the Prince was ready, and as the steed leaped over them -Conn-eda threw a</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_003" style="width: 468px;"> -<a href="images/p128.jpg"> -<img src="images/p128.jpg" width="468" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The serpents reared up and opened their fiery jaws. <i><a href="#page_128">Page -128</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129">{129}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">piece of meat into each of the flaming mouths; not one of them did he -miss.</p> - -<p>At once the serpents were satisfied, and their heads sank down, and they -lay as though asleep.</p> - -<p>But the steed alighted on the causeway far beyond them, and Conn-eda’s -hands held lightly to the reins.</p> - -<p>“Conn-eda, are you still astride of me?”</p> - -<p>“I am,” answered the Prince, “and none the worse for the danger we -passed over.”</p> - -<p>“Now it comes to me that you are a noble and heroic Prince,” said the -steed, “and I have high hopes that we may win through all our adventures -with great reward to both of us at the end of them.”</p> - -<p>Then on they went, and on they went until they came to a flaming -mountain, and the heat of it was very great.</p> - -<p>“Are you sitting firm on my back?” asked the shaggy black horse.</p> - -<p>“I am sitting firm,” replied the Prince.</p> - -<p>“Then stir not. Look neither to the right nor left, nor up nor down, for -I am going to leap over the mountain, and if my leap is broken by so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130">{130}</a></span> -much as a hairbreadth, we will both fall into the flames, and that will -be the end of us.”</p> - -<p>When Conn-eda heard this, fear seemed to clutch at the very heart of -him, but he settled himself in the saddle, and when the horse leaped, he -kept in mind what had been said to him, and looked neither to the right -hand nor the left, nor up nor down, nor stirred so much as a hairbreadth -in his seat.</p> - -<p>The good steed carried him over, but they were not so high above the -mountain but what the flames came up and licked Conn-eda’s feet and his -clothing.</p> - -<p>“Are you still alive, Conn-eda?” asked the steed, when they alighted -upon the other side of it.</p> - -<p>“I am just alive, and no more,” replied Conn-eda, “for I am greatly -scorched.”</p> - -<p>“That is both well and ill,” said the horse. “Well that you are still -alive, and ill that you are so sore burned. Take the flask and rub some -of the heal-all that is in it on your burns, and they will pass away.”</p> - -<p>This Conn-eda did, and at once his burns dis<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131">{131}</a></span>appeared as though they had -never been there, and his flesh and skin were all well and sound again.</p> - -<p>“The worst of our dangers are over now,” said the shaggy black horse, -“but other things are still to be done that you may find hard in the -doing. Now mount and ride again, and I can tell you we are not far from -the palace of the Water King, whither we would be going.”</p> - -<p>Conn-eda mounted again, and on they rode and fast they went, and then -they came within sight of a castle, with shining domes and turrets, and -great golden gateways.</p> - -<p>Here the shaggy steed bade the Prince again light down.</p> - -<p>“Now, Conn-eda, listen well and answer truly,” said the steed, “for on -what happens next hangs both your fate and my own. So now tell me of a -truth, have I served you well?”</p> - -<p>“None could have served better,” replied the Prince.</p> - -<p>“Have I saved your life, or have I risked it?”</p> - -<p>“You have saved it, and except for you I would have lost it far back on -the road.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132">{132}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“And now the time has come to prove whether or no you are grateful. Put -your hand in my ear and take out the dagger you will find there. Fear -not and shrink not, but drive it into my heart, for thus and thus only -can you reward me for what I have done for you.”</p> - -<p>When the Prince heard these words from the steed, he was filled with -horror. “Never, never will I do such a cruel and wicked thing,” he -cried. “Rather would I drive the dagger into my own heart than into -yours.”</p> - -<p>“If you will not, you will not,” said the shaggy black horse, “but this -I tell you plainly; except you do this thing, both you and I must -perish.”</p> - -<p>Well, the steed talked on and on, and at last Conn-eda consented to do -as he was asked, though it seemed to him his hand must wither in the -doing.</p> - -<p>“That is well,” cried the steed, as soon as he had consented. “And now I -will tell you what further you must do. As soon as you have driven the -dagger into me, strip off my hide, and get into it yourself. You will -then be free to go in and out of the castle as you please, though -other<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133">{133}</a></span>wise you would be slain by the people there the moment you -entered. Go through the golden gateway in the center, and the first -thing you will see is a leaping silver fountain. Fill the cup you found -beneath the stone with this water and bring it back and sprinkle the -water over me. Then all will be well. But oh, Conn-eda, haste in your -going and coming, for as soon as you have left me, the birds of prey -will gather about me, and if they tear me to pieces, there will be no -further help for me.”</p> - -<p>Conn-eda promised to do in all things as the steed bade him, and he then -put his hand in its ear and found the dagger it had told him about. But -he trembled so that he had scarce strength to even so much as point the -dagger at the steed, let alone strike him. But this was all that was -needed, for as soon as the dagger was turned toward him, it flew -forward, carrying Conn-eda’s hand with it, and buried itself to the hilt -in the steed’s heart, so that he fell dead.</p> - -<p>Then the Prince wept bitter tears over his dead companion. After awhile -he arose and took the dagger to strip off the hide as he had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134">{134}</a></span> promised; -but there was no need of cutting, for no sooner did he catch hold of the -hide than it came off like a loose glove from the hand within it, and -the hide was as soft and fine as though it had been tanned by the king -of tanners.</p> - -<p>Conn-eda got into the hide, and then he did not stay nor tarry but -hastened away to the castle, as the steed had bidden him, and in through -the golden gateway.</p> - -<p>There within was a great hall with many people moving about in it, and -warders at the door, but no one spoke to him nor stayed him. In the -center of the hall was the leaping silver fountain of which the steed -had told him, and to this the Prince hastened and he filled his cup with -its water, and then back he ran the way he had come, to where the steed -was lying.</p> - -<p>But swift as had been his going and coming, he was only just in time, -for already the birds of prey were gathering, and he had to fight them -with his sword before he could drive them away.</p> - -<p>Then he sprinkled the water from the cup upon the body of the steed, and -no sooner had he done this than a strange thing happened, for at once<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135">{135}</a></span> -the steed was gone, and there in its place stood a young and handsome -prince, and he was so tall and so noble in his air that Conn-eda had -never seen the like of him.</p> - -<p>The young man came over to Conn-eda and took him in his arms, and his -face was streaming with tears, but they were tears of joy.</p> - -<p>“Conn-eda,” said he, “you have saved me from a hard and cruel fate, and -little did I think I would ever come back into my own shape again and -live as other men do. I am own brother to the Water King, and it was -because of a cruel enchantment that I was obliged to go about in the -shape of a shaggy little black horse.</p> - -<p>“The enchantment held me fast, and only if one would ride me back to the -castle and through true love would slay me and sprinkle me with water -from the fountain, could the spell be broken.</p> - -<p>“This you have done for me, Conn-eda, and never will I forget what I owe -you. And now come with me back to the castle of my brother, that he may -make you welcome.”</p> - -<p>So Conn-eda and his companion went back to the castle, and there the joy -was so great that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136">{136}</a></span> it was beyond all telling, because the enchantment -had been broken, and the young Prince had come back to his own again.</p> - -<p>The Water King made Conn-eda welcome and gladly promised him the golden -apples, the grand black steed and the magic hound Samur. Nothing would -he have refused Conn-eda because he had saved his brother from his -enchantment.</p> - -<p>A great feast was prepared, and there was shouting and rejoicing, and -the Water King begged of Conn-eda that he would stay there till the time -given him for his searching was near an end.</p> - -<p>To this the Prince gladly agreed, and he lingered there with the Water -King and his brother until a year and a day had almost passed, and then -he set off for his father’s kingdom. He rode the grand black steed, and -in his bosom he bore the golden apples, and the magic hound Samur ran -beside him. So he rode; and now the way was clear with nothing to stop -nor stay him. Thus he came again to his home, and there, on the high -tower, the wicked queen was still sitting, feeding on red wheat, that -she took up on the point of her bodkin.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137">{137}</a></span></p> - -<p>But though the living was lean, her heart rejoiced within her, for she -made no doubt but what the Prince Conn-eda was dead, and her own son -would reign in the kingdom. And then, on the last day of her forfeit, -she looked out from the tower where she was sitting, and there came -Conn-eda riding the black steed, and with the hound beside him, and she -guessed well that he had also the apples with him.</p> - -<p>Then her rage and fear were so great that she threw herself down from -the tower and so perished miserably.</p> - -<p>But Conn-eda sent for the hen-wife, who was a Princess, and when he saw -her she was so handsome and so stately, and withal so tender, that his -heart went out to her, and he wished for nothing so much as to have her -for a wife.</p> - -<p>To this she consented, and they were married with great magnificence. -The Water King and his brother came to the wedding, and the third -Prince, who had been living near her, was given a high position in the -court, and so they all lived in great love and happiness forever.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138">{138}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_BLUE_BELT" id="THE_BLUE_BELT"></a>THE BLUE BELT<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Norse Tale</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">A beggar</span> woman and her son were walking along through the country, and -they came to a crossroad, and there, right in the dust of the road, lay -a handsome belt of blue leather.</p> - -<p>The lad asked his mother’s leave to pick it up and wear it.</p> - -<p>“Let it alone,” said the woman crossly. “For all we know, there may be -some magic about it. Indeed, I am almost sure there is, for I don’t like -the looks of it.”</p> - -<p>The lad begged and pleaded to be allowed to pick it up, but the old -woman would not hear to it, and so in the end he was obliged to go on -without it. But all the same, as they trudged along, he kept thinking -and thinking about the belt, and the farther they went the more he -wished he had it.</p> - -<p>After a while they came to where the road led through a forest, and the -lad made some<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139">{139}</a></span> excuse to step aside for a moment. He slipped along from -one tree to another until he was out of his mother’s sight; and then he -ran back to where the blue belt was lying. He picked it up and buckled -it around him under his shirt where it could not be seen.</p> - -<p>No sooner had he done this, than he felt as though the strength of ten -men had passed into him. It seemed to him as though he could tear up -trees by the roots if he chose, or carry a mountain on his shoulders and -think nothing of it.</p> - -<p>When he came back, his mother was in a fine rage. “I ought to beat you -for keeping me waiting all this time,” she cried, “and I would do it, -too, if I were not so tired. Wherever we’re to sleep I’m sure I don’t -know, for it’s too late now to get on to the next village.”</p> - -<p>The boy answered nothing, but he trudged along at his mother’s side, and -all the while he was feeling stronger and stronger.</p> - -<p>After a while the old woman said she was tired, and she would have to -sit down and rest a bit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140">{140}</a></span></p> - -<p>The lad asked leave to go to the top of a cliff close by, so as to look -about and see whether he could not see a house somewhere near.</p> - -<p>“Go if you choose,” said his mother, “but if you stay away as you did -before, I’ll give you a good beating when you get back, however tired I -am.”</p> - -<p>The lad ran quickly to the top of the cliff and looked about him, and -there, sure enough, off toward the North, he saw the light of a house, -and it was not so very far away, either.</p> - -<p>He ran down and told his mother what he had seen. “Mother, let us go -there and ask for a bite to eat, for if we don’t, we’ll have to go -hungry till to-morrow,” he cried. “And maybe the people who live there -will let us spend the night there, too.”</p> - -<p>The mother began to groan and lament. “Never in the world could I climb -up that cliff and over,” said she. “I’m so tired I can scarce put one -foot before the other, and that’s the truth of the matter.”</p> - -<p>“Never bemoan yourself about that,” cried the lad, “for I’ll carry you -over”; and so saying,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141">{141}</a></span> he caught her up as though she weighed no more -than a feather, and ran up the cliff and over, and down on the other -side with her; and when he put her down he was not even breathing fast -from carrying her.</p> - -<p>“You’ve grown to be a strong, stout lad, and there’s no doubt about -that,” said his mother.</p> - -<p>After that they went along again until they came to the house with the -light in it, and when they got up close to it, the mother began to shake -and tremble.</p> - -<p>“Come away! Come away!” said she. “This is a Troll’s house, and it would -be a bad thing for us if he were to get hold of us.”</p> - -<p>But the lad was not one whit afraid. He knocked at the door, and then, -before any one could answer the knock, he opened the door and stepped -inside, dragging his mother with him.</p> - -<p>There, on a great settle by the fire, sat a man at least twenty feet -high, and it was easy enough to tell by the look of him that he was a -Troll.</p> - -<p>The mother almost fainted with terror, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142">{142}</a></span> the lad spoke up as bold as -bold could be, for he felt the strength inside of him and feared nobody. -He told the Troll that he and his mother were footsore and weary, and he -asked whether they might come in and rest a bit.</p> - -<p>The Troll told him he and his mother were welcome, and then he made the -lad sit down and they talked of one thing and another, but the woman was -so frightened she just crept into a corner and groaned every time the -Troll looked at her.</p> - -<p>After a while the lad asked the Troll whether he could not give him and -his mother a bite of supper, for they were hungry as well as weary.</p> - -<p>Yes, the Troll could do that, too.</p> - -<p>He went outside and came back with a whole load of wood in his arms, as -much as two horses could haul. This he threw upon the fire and stirred -it up into a blaze.</p> - -<p>And now the woman began to shake and shiver as though she would fall to -pieces, for she thought for sure the Troll was making ready to cook her -and her son for supper; but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143">{143}</a></span> instead he brought in a whole ox and put it -over the fire to roast. When it was done, he took out a great silver -platter from the cupboard, and the platter was so large that when he put -the ox on it, not any part of the ox hung over the edge. He also set out -on the table knives and forks, each six feet long, and a great hogshead -for a drinking cup.</p> - -<p>When all this was done, he said to the lad, “Draw up and eat and drink -as you are able.”</p> - -<p>The lad bade his mother come, too, but she would not, so he took up the -knife and fork with no trouble at all to himself and cut a slice from -the ox and carried it to her. After she had eaten, he lifted the -hogshead down from the table, and then he carried her over to it and -lowered her down into it so she could drink.</p> - -<p>He himself, after he had eaten, climbed to the edge of the hogshead and -hung himself over into it head downward, and drank till he was -satisfied. After a while the Troll said he might as well have a bite of -supper himself. So he went to the table and ate all that was left of the -ox—the meat and the bones and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144">{144}</a></span> the horns and hoofs of it—and drained -off all that was in the hogshead at one draught.</p> - -<p>Not long afterward it was time to go to bed, and the Troll did not know -how to manage that.</p> - -<p>“There’s only the bed I sleep in, and a cradle,” said the Troll.</p> - -<p>But when the lad came to look at the cradle, it was as long and wide as -any bed he had ever seen.</p> - -<p>“This will do for me,” said he.</p> - -<p>So it was settled that he should sleep in the cradle and his mother in -the bed, though it was so enormous that she shook and shivered at the -very thought of getting into it, and if she had had her choice, she -would have stayed all night in the corner.</p> - -<p>After they were all settled, the lad thought to himself, “I’d best stay -awake and listen how things go on through the night, for there’s no -knowing what this Troll may intend to do to us before morning.” But he -lay there very quiet and kept his eyes shut, and now and then he snored -a bit, so the Troll thought he was asleep.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145">{145}</a></span></p> - -<p>Presently the Troll began to talk to the woman. “Do you think that lad -of yours is asleep?” he asked of her.</p> - -<p>“He must be from the way he’s snoring,” she answered.</p> - -<p>“Then, listen,” said the Troll. “It has come into my head that you and I -could live here very happily together if we could only get rid of him, -for to tell you the truth I have no liking for the way he goes about -things.”</p> - -<p>“I’m sure I don’t know how you can do anything with him,” said the -woman, “for he seems to have grown very strong all of a sudden.”</p> - -<p>Oh, the Troll had a plan that would do for the lad. The next morning he -would ask the woman and her son to stay there with him for a day or so, -and she was to agree. Then sometime in the morning he would take the lad -out to the quarry with him to get out some cornerstones, and once there, -it would be easy enough in one way or another to send him down to the -bottom of the quarry, and then roll a rock down on him and crush him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146">{146}</a></span></p> - -<p>To this plan the woman consented, and all the while they talked the boy -lay there and listened, though he breathed with his mouth open as though -he were still sleeping.</p> - -<p>The next day the woman got up early and cooked breakfast for them, and -after they had all eaten, the Troll said, wouldn’t she stay there and -keep house for him for a day or so.</p> - -<p>“There’s nothing to take me elsewhere,” answered the woman.</p> - -<p>Not long after, the Troll took up a crowbar that he kept over in a -corner.</p> - -<p>“I’ll just go over to the quarry and get out a few cornerstones while -you are cooking the dinner,” said he. He then asked the lad whether he -would go along with him.</p> - -<p>“Yes, and gladly,” answered the lad; so the two set out together.</p> - -<p>They worked for awhile at the top of the quarry, and then the Troll told -the lad to go down to the bottom of it and see whether there were any -loose stones lying around down there.</p> - -<p>The lad was willing to do that, too. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147">{147}</a></span> went on down toward the bottom -of the quarry. No sooner was he gone than the Troll set to work with his -crowbar. He worked so hard that he groaned and sweated, and presently he -loosened a whole crag and sent it rolling down on the boy.</p> - -<p>But the lad saw it coming and was ready for it. He put out his hands and -stopped it until he could get out of the way, and then he let it roll on -to the bottom. After that he went back to where the Troll was.</p> - -<p>“I couldn’t find any loose rocks down there so now do you go down and -look for some,” he said.</p> - -<p>The Troll was frightened when he saw the lad had come back to the top of -the quarry unharmed. He thought he would certainly have been crushed -under the crag that had rolled down on him. Neither did the Troll want -to go down there below, but he had to.</p> - -<p>Then the lad took up the crowbar and pried out another crag, and it -rolled down on the Troll and hurt him so that he could not move, but lay -where he was groaning. The boy had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148">{148}</a></span> to go down and roll the crag off him -and pick him up and carry him back to the house, and all the while the -Troll kept on groaning most terribly. When they got home, the lad put -the Troll to bed and he was hurt so badly he had to lie there.</p> - -<p>That night the lad stayed awake again and listened, and presently the -Troll and the woman began to talk things over again.</p> - -<p>“I tell you he’s a dangerous one,” said the woman, “and I’m sure I don’t -see how you’re ever to get rid of him.”</p> - -<p>“I have a brother,” said the Troll, “and he has a walled-in garden, and -in the garden are twelve fierce lions. If we could find some excuse for -getting the lad there, they would very quickly tear him to pieces.”</p> - -<p>“Then I will find the excuse,” said the woman. “To-morrow I will say -that I am very poorly, and that nothing in the world will cure me except -a few drops of lions’ milk. Then you must tell about the lions in your -brother’s garden, and I’ll beg and entreat him until he’ll agree to go -off there to get some for me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149">{149}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>This plan pleased the Troll, and it was settled between them that as she -said so they would do.</p> - -<p>The next morning the woman did not get up to cook the breakfast, but lay -in bed, moaning.</p> - -<p>“What ails you, mother?” asked the lad.</p> - -<p>“Oh I’m ill. I’m very ill,” replied the woman.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry for that,” said her son, “but I’m sure I don’t know what -would make you better.”</p> - -<p>“If I had but a few drops of lions’ milk, that would cure me,” groaned -the woman.</p> - -<p>“That’s a hard thing to get,” replied the lad; “and if that’s the only -thing to cure you, I fear you’ll be ailing a long time.”</p> - -<p>Then the Troll spoke up and said he knew where such milk was to be had. -“But it takes a brave heart and a strong arm to get it, and that’s the -truth,” said the Troll. He then told about his brother’s walled-in -garden and the lions that were in it, and he said that if any one had -the courage to go for it, ’twas there the milk was to be had.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150">{150}</a></span></p> - -<p>The woman at once began to beg and entreat the lad to go and get it for -her. He did not say no. “Though,” said he, “I think it is but little -good the milk will do you, and that’s the truth.”</p> - -<p>The Troll told him exactly where the garden was, and he gave him a key -to the gate of it, so he would have no trouble in getting in. The lad -took the key and a milking pail, and off he set. The Troll and the woman -had no other thought than that was the end of him.</p> - -<p>On and on he went, one foot before the other, and after a while he came -to the garden, and then he took out the key and unlocked the door and -stepped inside.</p> - -<p>No sooner had he done this than he saw twelve great lions, each one -fiercer and larger than the other, and they came at him ramping and -roaring so that he was almost deafened by the noise of it, and their -teeth were terrible to see.</p> - -<p>But the lad was no whit frightened. He caught hold of the foremost lion, -and tore it in two, and scattered it in pieces all about him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151">{151}</a></span></p> - -<p>When the other lions saw that, all the fierceness went out of them, and -they crawled to his feet, and fawned on him, and became as tame as dogs.</p> - -<p>The lad patted them, and then he milked a few drops into the milk pail -and started for home with it, but the lions would not be left behind. -They followed after him close at his heels, as dogs follow their master.</p> - -<p>After a while he came within sight of the Troll’s house, and at that -very moment the woman happened to be looking out of the window, and -there she saw him coming along, with the eleven lions following after -him. Then she was terribly frightened, and she called to the Troll, and -together they barred all the doors and windows, so the lions could not -get in at them.</p> - -<p>The lad came to the door and tried to open it, and when he found it was -fastened, he called to them to let him in, but they would not until he -made the lions lie down outside, and promised they should stay there.</p> - -<p>When he went in, there stood his mother shaking and trembling.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152">{152}</a></span></p> - -<p>“Well, mother, here is the lions’ milk,” he said, “and I’m sure I hope -it may make you well again.”</p> - -<p>The woman was obliged to drink the milk, though she did not want it.</p> - -<p>That night the Troll and she began talking together after they thought -the lad was sleeping. But he was wide awake and heard all they said -between them, though they spoke in whispers.</p> - -<p>“This son of yours is so strong I don’t see how we’re ever to get rid of -him,” said the Troll.</p> - -<p>“Well, if you don’t know, I’m sure I don’t,” replied the woman.</p> - -<p>“There’s one other plan we might try,” said the Troll. “I have two more -brothers who live not so very far away from here in a castle, and they -are very strong and terrible. Round about the castle is an orchard that -bears apples all the year round, and any one who so much as tastes of -those apples at once falls into a deep sleep, and nothing can waken him -till he has had his sleep out, and the sleep lasts for three days and -three nights. If we could<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153">{153}</a></span> but send the lad there after the apples, he -would be sure to eat of them, and fall asleep, and then my brothers -would find him there and tear him to pieces for they come out every day -to walk in the garden and so would be sure to find him.”</p> - -<p>“If that is the way of it, we’ve no need to worry,” said the woman, “for -I’ll find a way to send him there.”</p> - -<p>The next day the woman said she still was not able to get up. She lay -there in the bed, moaning and groaning.</p> - -<p>“I’m sorry to see you so ailing, mother, but I’m sure I don’t know what -to do about it.”</p> - -<p>“If I but had some apples from the orchard that belongs to the Troll’s -brothers, I’d be well enough,” said the woman, “and if you were but the -good son you pretend to be, I know you’d fetch them for me.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll fetch you the apples soon enough,” replied her son. “No trouble -about that. Though to tell you the truth, I doubt whether they’ll cure -you.”</p> - -<p>The lad made no more ado about it, but off<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154">{154}</a></span> he set for the orchard, and -the eleven lions followed close at his heels.</p> - -<p>When he came to where the apple trees were, he climbed up into the one -that bore the finest fruit, and ate and ate until he could eat no more. -Then he came down and stretched himself out on the soft grass and fell -into a deep sleep.</p> - -<p>The eleven lions gathered about him and guarded him while he slept.</p> - -<p>Now not long after this, the Troll’s two brothers came out into the -orchard for a stroll, and there, the first thing they saw, was the lad -lying under the finest of the apple trees fast asleep, with the apples -lying all about him and one in his hand.</p> - -<p>At that sight they flew into a fine rage, and they turned themselves -into fierce man-eating steeds, and rushed at him to destroy him.</p> - -<p>But before they had a chance even so much as to touch him, the eleven -lions rose up and rushed at the two steeds and fought them, and tore -them into small pieces and scattered them around like dung.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155">{155}</a></span></p> - -<p>At the end of three days and three nights, the lad awoke and looked -about him, and there were the lions still guarding him, but the ground -was all dug up as though a battle had been fought there, and there were -deep hoof marks, and pieces of the steeds were scattered all about the -orchard. The lad looked and wondered, and he could not think what had -been happening, but he was not a bit afraid, and he thought as long as -he was there, he might as well go and have a look at the castle.</p> - -<p>When he drew near to it, he saw a most beautiful maiden looking out from -one of the windows, and at sight of her the lad’s heart melted within -him for love of her, she was so beautiful.</p> - -<p>“It is lucky for you that you had your lions with you just now,” said -the maiden.</p> - -<p>“Why is that?” asked the lad.</p> - -<p>Then the maiden told him how the Trolls had gone out into the orchard a -bit ago, when he was asleep under the apple tree, and how they had -changed themselves into man-eating steeds and come at him to destroy -him, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156">{156}</a></span> how the lions had then risen up and torn the Trolls to pieces.</p> - -<p>The lad listened to her until she had made an end of the story, and then -he said, “That is as it should be, and it was to guard me that I brought -them hither.” Then he asked the maiden whether he might come in, and at -first she would not let him, because she was afraid of the lions, but -when he promised they should not harm her, but would lie down at the -threshold as quiet as house cats, she opened the door to him.</p> - -<p>The lad looked about him, and it seemed to him the castle was but a -rough place for such a beauty to live in.</p> - -<p>“I wonder,” said he, “that such a one as you should be living here with -no better company than those two Trolls were.”</p> - -<p>“It is not of my own will I am living here,” replied the maiden. Then -she told him she was the daughter of the King of Arabia, and that she -had been walking in her father’s garden one day, and the Trolls had -appeared out of a forest near by, and carried her away with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157">{157}</a></span> them, and -she had been well-nigh scared out of her wits by it. But they had done -her no harm, though they had kept her a prisoner here, and they intended -that after a while one or other of them should take her as a wife. Then -she asked the lad who he was, and where he had come from, and he told -her all about it.</p> - -<p>“You may be the son of a beggar, but all the same it seems to me you are -something of a hero,” said the Princess, “and now we will see whether I -am right about it.”</p> - -<p>Then she led him into another room and showed him where two great swords -were hanging on the wall.</p> - -<p>“Those are the Trolls’ swords,” said the Princess, “and they are very -heavy to handle. Now try whether you can lift one of them down from the -wall, though I doubt whether you are strong enough.”</p> - -<p>“That is an easy task you are setting me,” said the lad. He took a chair -and set it on a table, and another chair on top of that; and then he -climbed up on them, for the swords were so high on the wall that only in -that way<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158">{158}</a></span> could he reach the place where they were hanging. Then he -reached out and set one finger under the point of one of the swords, and -tossed it up in the air and caught it, and he leaped down and flourished -the sword about him, so that it whistled.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I can see that you are indeed a hero,” said the Princess; “so now -tell me: shall I go home to my father, the King of Arabia, or shall I -stay here and be your wife?”</p> - -<p>It did not take the lad long to make his choice in that matter.</p> - -<p>“You shall stay here and be my wife,” said he, “for indeed I love you so -dearly that if I cannot marry you, then I shall never marry any one.”</p> - -<p>So the Princess stayed on in the castle, and she and the lad were very -happy together.</p> - -<p>But after some time had passed, the Princess said she ought to go back -and see her father, for he did not know what had become of her, and no -doubt he had grieved bitterly, thinking she was dead.</p> - -<p>This reminded the lad that he had promised<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159">{159}</a></span> to take back the apples to -his mother, and it was agreed between them that she should go back to -Arabia, and that he should take the apples to his mother, and that then -he should come after her to her father’s kingdom and claim her.</p> - -<p>So the next day they set out, and the Princess went to the nearest -seaport, and hired a vessel with some of the jewels she wore, and sailed -back to Arabia. But the lad set out for the Troll’s house with the bosom -of his shirt full of apples, and the lions following close at his heels.</p> - -<p>When he came near the Troll’s house, his mother was looking out of the -window, and no sooner did she see him than she began to shake and -shiver.</p> - -<p>“There is my son back again,” said she, “and indeed I feel terribly -frightened.”</p> - -<p>“He’s a strong one, and that’s the truth,” said the Troll, “and I wish -we could find out what makes him so, for it’s not in nature for any one -to be as strong as he is.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps there is indeed some secret about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160">{160}</a></span> it,” said the woman, “and if -there is, I may be able in some way to wheedle it out of him. At least I -can do no better then try.”</p> - -<p>So she made haste to open the door and welcome the lad back to his home -again, but the lions had to stay outside, because both she and the Troll -were afraid of them.</p> - -<p>“And did you get the apples?” she asked of him.</p> - -<p>Yes, he had the apples. “And I hope they’ll cure you, mother,” said he, -“though I think you have little need of them, for I never saw you -looking better.”</p> - -<p>“Oh I’m still very ailing,” said she, “and I’ll eat the apples after a -bit; but first do you sit down and have a bite of the good supper I’ve -cooked for you.”</p> - -<p>So the lad sat down, and the mother gave him his supper, and while he -ate it, she sat beside him and talked to him.</p> - -<p>“You’re a strong one,” said she, “and there’s no doubt about that.”</p> - -<p>“Strong enough,” replied her son, still eating.</p> - -<p>“And how did it all come about?” asked<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161">{161}</a></span> the woman. “For only a while ago -you were a weakling, and it was I who had to help you over the rough -places.”</p> - -<p>“Now I’ll tell you,” said the lad, for he was sleepy from eating so much -supper and scarce knew what he was saying. “It’s all because of that -blue belt that we saw at the crossroads and that I wanted to pick up, -and you forbade me.”</p> - -<p>Then he told his mother the whole story, and the woman sat and listened, -and the Troll listened, too, only he was hidden behind a door and the -lad did not see him.</p> - -<p>“And that’s the way the strength came to me,” said the lad, when he had -made an end of the telling.</p> - -<p>“And have you the belt on you now?” asked the woman.</p> - -<p>“Yes, I have,” said the lad, and he opened his shirt and showed it to -her.</p> - -<p>Then, before he could stop her, the woman caught hold of the belt and -tore it from him, and at once all his strength went out of him, so that -he was helpless before her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162">{162}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then the Troll came from behind the door, and he and the woman made -merry together because the lad was so helpless, and they talked together -about what they should do with the lad to get rid of him. The woman was -for taking him out to a high cliff and throwing him over, but the Troll -said no, that was not bad enough for him. In the end the Troll put out -the lad’s eyes, and set him adrift in a boat on the sea, and he and the -woman thought that was the end of him.</p> - -<p>But it was not, for the lions were faithful, and they had followed -after, and when they saw the boat drifting away, they swam after it and -caught the edge of the boat with their teeth, and brought it ashore on -an island.</p> - -<p>There they and the lad lived, and the lions took care of him, for the -lad was helpless because he was blind. The lions found a cave for him to -live in and caught birds and wild animals for him to eat, and the lad -picked the feathers off the birds, and took the skins of the animals, -and made a soft bed for himself, and always, while some of the lions -were out hunt<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163">{163}</a></span>ing, others stayed with him to guard him and see that no -harm came to him.</p> - -<p>One day the oldest lion went out hunting, and he went a long way before -he found anything. Then, after a while, he started up a hare, and it was -blind. The lion chased the hare, and it went leaping along, and -presently, because it was blind, it fell into a pool of water. As soon -as the water touched its eyes, it could see again, and it scrambled out -from the pool and escaped the lion.</p> - -<p>The lion went back to where the lad was sitting in his cave, and took -hold of his clothes, and began to pull at them. The lad did not know -what the lion wanted of him, but he got up and allowed the lion to lead -him. It led him on and on, until they came to the edge of the pool, and -then the lion loosed his clothing and gave the lad such a push that he -fell head over heels into the water. No sooner did the water touch his -eyes than the blindness was all gone, and he could see again even better -than before.</p> - -<p>Then the lad rejoiced greatly, and he got<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164">{164}</a></span> into the boat and went back -to the place where the Troll lived, and the lions swam after.</p> - -<p>After he landed, he crept up toward the house very carefully, so that no -one saw him, and peeped in at the door. The woman was busy at the -dough-trough making up bread, and her back was toward him, and there was -the blue belt hanging from a nail in the wall.</p> - -<p>The lad crept in and seized it and put it around him, and then he began -to shout and stamp about, and call to the woman and the Troll to come -and catch hold of him.</p> - -<p>The woman turned about, and when she saw the lad was there and the belt -gone from the wall, she knew what had happened. She was terribly -frightened, and began to coax and cajole him, and beg him to let her -have the belt again.</p> - -<p>But the lad would not listen to her. He threw open the door and called -in the lions, and they soon made an end of her. Then they ran out and -found the Troll, too, and tore him to pieces in spite of all his cries -and prayers for mercy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165">{165}</a></span></p> - -<p>That was the end of them, and after that the lad was ready to set out -for Arabia to claim the Princess as his wife, but he would not let the -lions go with him for there was no need for them in that business.</p> - -<p>The lad journeyed on and on, and after a while he came to Arabia, and -there he heard a story of how the daughter of the King of that country -had been stolen away by Trolls, and kept a prisoner for a long time but -now she was home, and the King was so glad to have her back he said he -would never let her leave him again. He had hidden her away, no one knew -where, and when any one came to ask her hand in marriage the King said -no one might have her but he who could find her, and if any one tried to -find her and failed, he should have his head cut off.</p> - -<p>Many kings and princes had lost their lives in this manner.</p> - -<p>The lad listened and listened to everything that was said, and he -thought to himself that he would be the next to have a try at finding -the Princess, but he said nothing about it to any one.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166">{166}</a></span></p> - -<p>One day the lad met a man who was selling white bearskins, and the lad -stopped him and began talking to him. “I will tell you what we will do,” -said he. “I will put on one of those bearskins, and then do you fasten a -collar around my neck and lead me through the town by a chain, and I -will dance and perform tricks.”</p> - -<p>This plan pleased the man, and he readily agreed to it; so the lad put -on the bearskin, and the man led him about by a chain, and everywhere -the lad danced and performed in such a wonderful way that the people -were amazed.</p> - -<p>After a while it came to the King’s ears that such a beast was in the -town, and that not only could it dance and perform tricks, but it could -understand everything that was said to it.</p> - -<p>The King became very curious to see the animal, and he sent word for the -man to come to the palace and bring the bear with him.</p> - -<p>The man at once set out for the palace, and on the way he said to the -lad, “Now you must do your best, for if you can succeed in pleasing the -King, he will be sure to pay us well.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167">{167}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the lad, “but when we come to the palace, you must warn -everybody that they are not to laugh at me, for if the people there -laugh at me, I may become so enraged that I will tear them to pieces -before I know what I am doing.”</p> - -<p>So as soon as the man came to the palace, he said that no one was to -laugh at the bear, whatever happened, and the King promised that no one -should.</p> - -<p>Then the lad began to perform his tricks, but in the very midst of -things one of the maids began to laugh, and at once the pretended bear -flew at her and tore her to pieces before any one could stop him.</p> - -<p>The man was terrified, but the King said, “It does not matter; she was -only a maid, after all.”</p> - -<p>After that the King said the man and the bear must spend the night at -the castle. The man might sleep in the kitchen, but the bear should stay -in the little room that opened out from the King’s own chamber. The man -had nothing to sleep on but hard boards, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168">{168}</a></span> the bear was given a bed -made of feathers and soft cushions to lay his head on.</p> - -<p>That night, when all the palace was still, and no one awake to see him, -the King came to the room where the pretended bear was lying, and roused -him and bade him come with him, for the King had a mind to show the bear -to his daughter, and have her see the tricks and the dancing.</p> - -<p>The King led the pretended bear upstairs and downstairs, and through -cellars and long galleries and around corners, and all the while the lad -kept his eyes open, and watched carefully just where they were going, so -that he might know how to come the next time.</p> - -<p>After a while, the King still leading him, they came out on a long pier -with the water washing about it. Here the King pulled and pushed at -different posts and wooden pegs, and all the while the lad watched him -carefully. Presently a little house came floating, floating across the -water until it lay close up against the pier, and then the King took out -a bunch of keys and unlocked the door and</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_004" style="width: 480px;"> -<a href="images/p169.jpg"> -<img src="images/p169.jpg" width="480" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>When she saw the bear she cried aloud with terror. <i><a href="#page_169">Page -169</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169">{169}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">led the bear inside, and there, in a little golden room, sat the -beautiful Princess.</p> - -<p>The Princess started up when the King entered, and when she saw the bear -she cried aloud with terror. But the King bade her not to fear it, for -it was a trained bear, and there was no danger from it unless some one -laughed at it.</p> - -<p>The Princess promised she would not laugh, and then the King bade the -bear perform its tricks. All went well until the Princess’ waiting-maid -quite forgot the warning the King had given, and began to laugh. At once -the pretended bear flew at her and tore her in pieces.</p> - -<p>The Princess screamed, but the King said, “Why should you be troubled? -It was her own fault, for I warned her. Besides, she was nothing but a -waiting-maid.”</p> - -<p>Then he said he would leave the bear there until morning, for he had no -mind to lead it back through all those galleries and cellars and -windings at that time of night.</p> - -<p>The Princess was very unwilling to have<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170">{170}</a></span> the beast left there, and so -she told the King, but while she and her father were talking, the bear -curled down in the corner and pretended to go to sleep. So then the -Princess agreed that it might stay there, but she made the King promise -to come back and get it the first thing in the morning.</p> - -<p>Then the King went away, locking the door behind him, and as soon as he -had gone, the bear rose up and came over to the Princess, and begged her -to undo his collar. The Princess was like to die of terror at this, but -the bear spoke so gently and pleaded with her so piteously that at last -she took courage and felt in among his fur and unfastened the collar.</p> - -<p>At once the lad threw off the bear skin, and there the Princess saw her -own dear husband standing before her. Then there was great joy between -them, and the lad told the Princess all that had happened to him since -they had parted, and they spent the night together very happily.</p> - -<p>But at earliest dawn the lad put on the bear<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171">{171}</a></span>skin again, and made the -Princess fasten the collar, for so he would have it, and when the King -came again, there was the bear still slumbering in his corner, and the -Princess asleep among her pillows.</p> - -<p>The King took hold of the chain that was fastened to the bear’s collar, -and made it get up and follow, and he led it out of the house to the -pier. Then he pulled and pushed at the posts and pivots, and the little -house floated away across the water, to some place where no one could -see it. After that the King led the bear back to its master, and gave -the man a handful of gold as a reward, and bade him be off with it.</p> - -<p>As soon as the man and the lad were back where they lived, the lad made -him undo the collar, and he took off the bearskin. Then it was not long -before he was back at the palace and asking to see the King, for he said -he had come there to have a hunt for the Princess.</p> - -<p>When the King saw the lad he had pity on him because he was so young and -handsome.</p> - -<p>“This is a very foolish thing that you would<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172">{172}</a></span> do,” said he. “Do you not -know how many kings and nobles have lost their lives in searching for -the Princess? Why should you wish to perish also?”</p> - -<p>But the lad would not listen to him. Hunt for the Princess he must and -would.</p> - -<p>“Very well”, said the King at last. “Since your heart is set on it, you -must go your own way, but remember you will be allowed only twenty-four -hours in which to find her.”</p> - -<p>Very well! That suited the lad well enough.</p> - -<p>Now there were many pretty girls in the palace, and music and dancing, -and the lad joined in and danced and laughed with the best of them. He -amused himself all day, and at last only one hour was left of all the -twenty-four in which he was to search for the Princess.</p> - -<p>“There!” said the King. “Now you have danced your life away, and it is -time for the headsman.”</p> - -<p>“Not so,” said the lad, “for I have still one hour left, and now I will -go and look for the Princess.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173">{173}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>With that he set out, and the King and the court were obliged to follow. -The lad went upstairs and downstairs, through cellars and along -galleries, along the way the King had led him the night before, and all -the while the King kept saying, “This is not the way to go. You are all -wrong, and you will never find her this way.”</p> - -<p>When they came out on the pier, the lad began pulling and pushing at -posts and pivots, and the King did not dare to stop him.</p> - -<p>Presently the little house came floating up to the pier, and there were -only two minutes left of all the twenty-four hours.</p> - -<p>“And now unlock the door,” cried the lad, “for within here sits the -Princess.”</p> - -<p>The King took out his keys, and he fumbled and fumbled, and then he said -he had no key there to unlock it.</p> - -<p>“Then if you have not, I have,” said the lad, and he raised his fist and -with one blow the door was shattered and burst open, and he stepped -inside,—and there was the Princess.</p> - -<p>Then she rose up and threw her arms about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174">{174}</a></span> him and kissed him, and she -told her father the lad was her own true love who had saved her from the -Trolls and had come all this way to find her, and how if she might not -have him for her husband, she would pine away with grief and longing.</p> - -<p>When the King heard this, he could no longer refuse to let her marry the -lad, and indeed he was well enough pleased to have such a clever fellow -for a son-in-law, for the lad soon told him of the trick he had played -upon him.</p> - -<p>So he and the Princess were married and with much rejoicing, and the lad -sent back to the Troll’s house for the lions that had been waiting for -him there all this time. And when they came, they were given a whole -park to roam about in, and the lad and the Princess lived happy forever -after, with no misfortunes to trouble them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175">{175}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_DUTIFUL_DAUGHTER" id="THE_DUTIFUL_DAUGHTER"></a>THE DUTIFUL DAUGHTER<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Korean Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> once lived in Korea a rich merchant and his wife who had no -children, though they greatly desired them and prayed every day that a -child might be granted them.</p> - -<p>They had been married sixteen years and were no longer young, when the -wife had a wonderful dream.</p> - -<p>In her dream she walked in a garden full of beauteous fruits and flowers -and singing birds, and as she walked, suddenly a star fell from heaven -into her bosom.</p> - -<p>As soon as the wife awoke, she told this dream to her husband. “I feel -assured,” said she, “that this dream can mean only one thing, and that -is that heaven is about to send us a child, and that this child will be -as a star for beauty and wonder and grace.”</p> - -<p>The merchant could hardly believe that this good fortune was really to -be theirs; but it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176">{176}</a></span> indeed as the wife had said, and in due time a -daughter was born to the couple, and this child was so beautiful that -she was the wonder of all who saw her.</p> - -<p>The husband and wife, who had hoped for a son, were greatly disappointed -that the long-wished-for child was only a daughter, but their -disappointment was soon forgotten in the joy and pride they felt in her -beauty and wit and goodness.</p> - -<p>Unhappily, while Sim Ching (for so the girl was named) was still a -child, her mother died, and her father’s grief over the loss of his wife -was so great that he became completely blind. He was now obliged to -leave the most of his business affairs in the hands of his servants, and -these servants were so dishonest and so idle that they either wasted or -stole all his money. At last he became so poor that he could scarcely -provide enough food to keep himself and his daughter alive.</p> - -<p>One day the merchant in his unhappiness wandered away from home, and -being blind and so unable to tell where he was going, he fell<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177">{177}</a></span> into a -deep pit out of which he was unable to climb.</p> - -<p>He feared he would die there, but presently, hearing footsteps on the -road above, he called out loudly for help.</p> - -<p>The footsteps he heard were those of a greedy and dishonest priest who -lived near by. Every day he passed by this way on his walks to and from -the temple.</p> - -<p>Hearing the voice from the pit, the priest went to the edge of it and -looking down into it, saw the blind man there below.</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” asked the priest, “and how have you fallen into this -pit?”</p> - -<p>“I am a poor blind man, who was once a rich merchant,” replied the man -in the pit. “I lost at once both my sight and my wealth, and because I -cannot see I fell into this pit from which I am not able to climb. For -the sake of mercy reach down your hand and draw me out.”</p> - -<p>“Not so,” replied the priest. “That would be a foolish thing for me to -do. Instead of drawing you out, I might myself be pulled in. But if you -will promise to give me a hundred and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178">{178}</a></span> fifty bags of rice that I may -offer them up in the temple, I will go and get a rope, and throw the end -of it down to you, and by that means I may be able to pull you out -without danger to either of us.”</p> - -<p>The priest asked for the rice for the temple not because he really -wished to make an offering of it, for indeed he meant to keep it for -himself, but he thought, “If this man was once rich, no doubt he must -still know some wealthy people, and if he goes to them and asks for rice -to offer up in the temple they will be more likely to give it to him -than if he told them it was for me.”</p> - -<p>When the poor man heard that the priest demanded his promise of a -hundred and fifty bags of rice before he would help him, he cried aloud -with grief and wonder.</p> - -<p>“How is it possible I should promise you such a thing as that?” he -cried. “None but a very rich man could make such a gift to the temple, -and I am so poor that I cannot even provide food enough for myself and -my daughter.”</p> - -<p>“Your daughter!” cried the priest. “You have then a daughter?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179">{179}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and she is so beautiful that no one in the whole land can compare -with her for fairness, and she is as good as she is beautiful, and as -witty as she is good.”</p> - -<p>“Now listen!” said the priest. “If you will swear to give me the bags of -rice, not only will I pull you out of the pit, but I foresee that -because of this gift your daughter will be raised to the highest place -in the land, and you yourself will receive great wealth and honor, and -your sight will return to you.”</p> - -<p>This the priest said, not because he really foresaw anything of the -kind, but because he wished to tempt the blind man into making him the -promise of the rice.</p> - -<p>The poor man still declared that he had no means of making such an -offering, but the priest urged and begged and threatened, until at last -the blind man gave his promise.</p> - -<p>The priest then ran and got a rope, and soon pulled the blind merchant -out of the pit.</p> - -<p>“Now remember!” said he. “Exactly a month from now I will send my -servants for the rice, and you must in some way have it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180">{180}</a></span> ready, whether -you beg or borrow or steal it, and if you do not, you shall receive a -good beating for breaking your bargain with me, and be thrown into a -prison that is worse than any pit.”</p> - -<p>The priest then went on to the temple, while the blind man returned -home, very sad and sorrowful.</p> - -<p>As soon as he entered the door, his daughter saw by his look that -something unfortunate had happened and begged him to tell her what it -was.</p> - -<p>At first he would not say because he feared to frighten her, but she -asked him so many questions that at last he was obliged to tell her the -whole story.</p> - -<p>Sim Ching was indeed terrified when she heard what her father had -promised the priest.</p> - -<p>“Alas! Alas!” she cried. “How can we possibly get the rice ready for -him? You know it is only by the kindness of the neighbors that we have -the handful that I have cooked for our dinner to-day.”</p> - -<p>The poor man began to weep. “What you say is true,” he cried. “Better -that I should<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181">{181}</a></span> have died in the pit than be thrown into prison as will -surely happen to me if I cannot give the priest the hundred and fifty -bags that I promised him.”</p> - -<p>The blind man now set out to beg, telling every one his sad story and -asking them to help him to collect the rice, but the people of the -village were themselves poor and had no more than enough food for their -own families.</p> - -<p>Time slipped by, until at last the day arrived when the priest’s -servants were to come to demand the rice, and the blind man had not yet -been able to get together even one bagful of rice, let alone a hundred -and fifty.</p> - -<p>He and his daughter sat together very sorrowful, and now and then the -blind man bemoaned himself as he thought of how he was to be beaten and -thrown into prison, for he had now learned enough about the priest to -know that he could expect no mercy from one as cruel and greedy as he.</p> - -<p>Now there lived in another city, not far away, a very rich merchant who -owned many ships that traded in foreign lands. This merchant had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182">{182}</a></span> become -so proud of his wealth and his power that he called himself the Prince -of the Sea, and so it was that he obliged others to address him. This -greatly offended a powerful Water Spirit who lived under the sea over -which the ships of the merchant sailed. And now, in order to punish the -merchant, the Water Spirit sent storms down upon the ships. Many were -destroyed, and others were driven on to reefs, or back to the ports they -sailed from. So many misfortunes overtook the vessels that sailors -became afraid to sail on them, and the merchant began to fear he would -be ruined.</p> - -<p>In his trouble he sent for a number of wise men and magicians and asked -them why he was now so unlucky, and what he could do to bring back good -fortune.</p> - -<p>The wise men and magicians studied their books and consulted together -for a long time, and then they came to the merchant and said, “We have -found why you are so unlucky. Your pride has offended a powerful Water -Spirit, and it is he who is wrecking your ships or driving them back -into port. There is only one way in<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183">{183}</a></span> which to turn aside his anger. If a -young and beautiful maiden can be found who will willingly offer herself -as a sacrifice to him, then he will be satisfied and will punish you no -further. Otherwise he will certainly destroy every vessel you send out, -and so in the end you will be ruined.”</p> - -<p>When the merchant heard this, he was in despair. “Now indeed there is no -hope for me,” he cried, “for I am very sure there is not, in the whole -of Korea, a maiden who would be willing to be sacrificed to this Water -Spirit, however great the reward I might offer. For indeed of what use -would any reward be to her, if in order to gain it she must be drowned -in the sea.”</p> - -<p>However, his head steward, who had charge of his affairs, begged him at -least to send out a proclamation and to offer a reward to the family of -any maiden who would consent to the sacrifice. “It may be that such a -one will be found,” said he;—“some one who values the fortunes of her -parents even above her own life.”</p> - -<p>The merchant finally agreed to the wishes of his steward, and messengers -were sent forth to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184">{184}</a></span> read the proclamation aloud in every city, town and -village in the country. They went this way and that, East, West, North -and South, and finally one of them came to the place where the blind man -and his daughter lived. The day the messenger came to the village was -the very day when the servants of the wicked priest were to come and -demand the hundred and fifty bags of rice from the blind man.</p> - -<p>The merchant’s messenger took his stand not far from the blind man’s -house, and from there he read aloud the proclamation as to the sacrifice -and the reward that would be paid to the parents of any maiden who would -be willing to be thrown to the Water Spirit.</p> - -<p>The people of the village gathered about him in a great crowd to listen, -but after they had heard what he said, they began to make a great noise, -with cries and laughter.</p> - -<p>“Some parents there may be,” they cried, “who would be wicked enough to -sacrifice their daughters for the sake of the reward, but what girl -would ever go willingly to such a fate; and the messenger himself tells -us that unless the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185">{185}</a></span> maiden went willingly, the sacrifice would be -useless.”</p> - -<p>Sim Ching heard the noise outside, the voice of the messenger, and the -laughter of the crowd, and as she was of a very curious nature, she went -to the door to hear what was going on.</p> - -<p>The man was already turning away, and Sim Ching asked a woman who was -standing near what the man had been saying. The woman told her, laughing -as she spoke. “How could any one suppose that any maiden would consent -to be thrown to this monster in order that her family might have the -reward!” cried the woman.</p> - -<p>But Sim Ching ran after the man and caught him by the sleeve.</p> - -<p>“Wait!” cried she. “Do not go until you have told me something. You say -your master will richly reward the family of any maiden who will -willingly give herself to this Water Spirit. Would he give as much as a -hundred and fifty bags of rice to such a family?”</p> - -<p>“That and more,” replied the messenger.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186">{186}</a></span> “My master is very rich, and -the reward will be generous.”</p> - -<p>“Then I will go with you and be the sacrifice,” said Sim Ching. “Permit -me only to go and bid farewell to my father, and then I will be ready.”</p> - -<p>The messenger was rejoiced that he had been able to secure the maiden -for his master and gladly consented to wait until she had spoken with -her father.</p> - -<p>But when Sim Ching went back into the house and told her father what she -intended to do he was in despair. He wept aloud and rent his clothes. -“Never, never will I consent to such a sacrifice,” cried he.</p> - -<p>But his daughter comforted him. “Do you forget,” said she, “what the -priest promised you? Did he not tell you that if you offered up this -rice to the temple, all would be well with us, and that I would be -raised to the highest place in the kingdom? Let us have faith and -believe that the gods of the temple can save me at the last even though -I be thrown into the sea.”</p> - -<p>As her father listened to her, he grew quieter, and at last gave his -consent for her to go.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187">{187}</a></span></p> - -<p>The neighbors who had heard what she meant to do gathered about to bid -her farewell and could not but weep for pity, even while they praised -her for her dutifulness toward her father.</p> - -<p>Sim Ching at once set out with the messenger, who was in haste to bring -her before his master. Indeed he feared that if she thought too long of -what she had consented to do, she might repent of her bargain.</p> - -<p>When he reached the merchant’s house and told him he had found a maiden -for the sacrifice, his master could scarcely believe him. “Does she -understand what is required of her, and is she willing?” he asked.</p> - -<p>The messenger assured him that she understood perfectly and was rejoiced -at the thought of securing the reward for her father.</p> - -<p>Sim Ching was now brought before the merchant, and when he saw her -beauty and youth, and her modest, gentle air, he was filled with pity -for her. He would even have commanded that she should be taken back -again to her father, but to this Sim Ching would not consent.</p> - -<p>“No,” said she. “I have come here to do<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188">{188}</a></span> a certain thing. I have -promised, and I do not wish to break my word. All I ask is to be assured -that the bags of rice will certainly be sent to my father, and that at -once.”</p> - -<p>“Let it then be as you desire,” said the merchant. “And be assured that -my part of the bargain shall be kept as faithfully as yours.” He then -ordered that one hundred and fifty bags of rice should be loaded on as -many mules and sent to the blind man at once, that Sim Ching might -herself have the comfort of seeing them set forth.</p> - -<p>This was done, and after the train of mules had departed, Sim Ching was -taken to a chamber where magnificent robes and veils and jewels had been -laid ready for her. Her attendants dressed her and hung the jewels on -her neck and arms, and when all was done, she was so beautiful that even -the attendants wept to think she must be sacrificed.</p> - -<p>A barge had been made ready and hung about with garlands, and in it sat -musicians to make sweet music while the rowers rowed to where the -sacrifice was to be made.</p> - -<p>And now Sim Ching would have been afraid,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189">{189}</a></span> but she fixed her thoughts -upon her father and on how he would now be saved from the cruelty of the -priest, and then she became quite happy and was no longer frightened.</p> - -<p>When the barge came to the place under which the Water Spirit lived, Sim -Ching leaned over the side of the boat and looked down into the water. -It was very deep and green, and it seemed to her that beneath she could -see shining walls and towers, as though of some great castle, and that -the spirits of the water were beckoning to her to come. Lower and lower -she leaned, until, as though drawn by some power beneath, she sank over -the side of the vessel and down and down through the water until she was -lost to the sight of those above her.</p> - -<p>Then the rowers took the barge back to the shore and told the merchant -the sacrifice had been accepted.</p> - -<p>The merchant was glad that now again his ships might sail in safety; but -at the same time he felt pity for Sim Ching, believing she had been -drowned.</p> - -<p>But such was not the case. After she had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190">{190}</a></span> sunk down and down through the -waters for what seemed to her a long distance, she came to the land -where the Water Spirit is king. All about her were things strange and -beautiful. There were water weeds so tall they were like trees waving -high above her, and through them, like birds, darted the shining fishes. -There were water flowers of colors she had never seen before, and -shining shells, and before her rose a castle made of mother of pearl and -studded with precious stones that shone and glittered like stars in the -light that came down through the water.</p> - -<p>While she was looking at it, the doors of the castle swung open, and a -train of attendants came out to meet her. These attendants were all -dressed in green, and many of them would have been very handsome except -that they themselves were green. Their faces, their hands, their hair, -and eyes,—everything about them was green.</p> - -<p>They spoke to Sim Ching in a strange language, but soon she understood -them and knew they had come to bring her before their King who was -waiting for her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191">{191}</a></span></p> - -<p>Sim Ching felt no doubt but that this King was the Water Spirit himself, -and she was very much frightened, but still she did not hesitate, but -went with them willingly, for it was for this purpose she had come -hither.</p> - -<p>The attendants led her through one room after another, until they came -to the place where the Water Spirit sat upon a crystal throne, and he, -too, was green, but his crown was of gold, and his garments were set all -over with pearls and precious stones.</p> - -<p>The King looked at Sim Ching kindly and bade her have no fear. “I intend -you no harm,” said he, “and indeed I wished for no sacrifice. My only -wish was to punish the rich merchant for his pride, and so it was that I -set him a task that I thought impossible for him to perform. But because -of your dutifulness and your love for your father, he has been able to -make the sacrifice. Now you must stay here patiently for a year and -teach the sea-maidens the ways of the world above, and at the end of -that time you shall return to the earth, and receive the happiness you -deserve.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192">{192}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>Sim Ching listened to him wondering, and when he had made an end of -speaking, she gladly agreed to serve for a time in the palace and to -teach the sea-people all she knew. So for a twelvemonth Sim Ching stayed -there and was very happy, for though the ways and manners of the -sea-people were strange to her, they themselves were kind and gentle, so -that she soon lost all fear of them.</p> - -<p>At the end of the twelve months, the King sent for Sim Ching, and when -she had come before him, he said, “Sim Ching, for a year you have served -us both faithfully and well, and now the time has come for you to return -to the upper world. But in that world there are many dangers, and you -have no one to protect you. I have, therefore, caused a great flower to -be prepared for you. When you enter into this flower, the leaves will -fold about you and hide you, so that none may suspect you are within it. -The leaves will afford you food and drink as well as shelter. In this -way you can live protected and in safety until fate sends you a husband -to love and guard you.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_005" style="width: 472px;"> -<a href="images/p193.jpg"> -<img src="images/p193.jpg" width="472" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The King bade her step into the flower. She did so, and -at once the leaves closed about her. <i><a href="#page_193">Page 193</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193">{193}</a></span></p> - -<p>After speaking thus, the Water Spirit led Sim Ching into another room -and there showed her the flower that he had caused to be prepared for -her. This flower was very large and of a beautiful rose color, and the -leaves were of some rich, thick substance that had a most delicious -smell and was good to eat. The juice of the leaves also afforded a -delicious drink. Sim Ching, as she examined it, knew not how to express -her wonder and admiration.</p> - -<p>The King bade her step into the flower. She did so, and at once the -leaves closed about her, so that she was completely hidden, and at the -same time the most delightful music breathed softly from the flower. It -now floated softly up and up, through the roof of the palace, and -through the waters above, until it reached the surface of the sea. There -it rested, rocking gently with the motion of the waves.</p> - -<p>Now it so happened that the place where the flower floated on the sea -was not far from the palace of the young King of that country. The -morning it arose through the waters, the King was looking from a window -across the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194">{194}</a></span> sea toward a pleasure island where he sometimes went. -Suddenly, between himself and the island, he saw something glittering in -the sunlight out upon the waters.</p> - -<p>He could not make out what the object was, and he ordered that some of -the castle servants should row out to it, see what it was, and if -possible bring it back with them. This was done and when the rowers -returned, they brought the flower with them and carried it in to where -the young King was awaiting them.</p> - -<p>When the King saw the flower, he was filled with wonder and admiration. -Never before had he seen such a blossom. He examined it on all sides and -exclaimed over its size and beauty.</p> - -<p>“It must be some magic,” said he, “that has created such a flower. A -room shall be built for it, and there I will keep it, and if indeed, it -has been made by magic, as I suspect, it may be that in time some fruit -will come from it that will be even more beautiful than the flower -itself.”</p> - -<p>The room that was now prepared for the flower was so magnificent that no -other apart<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195">{195}</a></span>ment in the palace could compare with it. The walls were of -gold, overlaid with paintings and hung with silken embroidered hangings. -The floors were set with precious stones. There were fountains, and -couches heaped with soft cushions, and from the ceiling hung seven -alabaster lamps that were kept burning both night and day.</p> - -<p>When the room was finished, the King caused the flower to be carefully -carried into it and placed in the center upon a raised dais covered with -embroidered velvet. After this no one was allowed to enter the room -except himself, and he carried the key of it hung on a jeweled chain -about his neck. Every day he spent long hours with the flower admiring -its beauty, enjoying its delicious perfume, and listening to the -delicate music that sometimes breathed out from among its leaves.</p> - -<p>All the while Sim Ching lay hidden in the center of the flower without -the King’s once suspecting it. All day the leaves were closed about her, -and only at night did they open to allow her to come forth.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196">{196}</a></span></p> - -<p>The first time they unfolded, she was very much surprised to find -herself in a room of a palace, instead of out upon the sea as she had -supposed. Wondering, she looked about her, and then she stepped from the -flower and began, timidly, to examine the apartment to which she had -been brought. The beauty of it delighted her. She rested among the soft -cushions, and bathed in the fountains, and dressed her hair. But toward -morning she reëntered the flower, and the leaves closed about her so -that she was again hidden from view.</p> - -<p>For some time life went on in this manner. All day Sim Ching slept in -the flower, and only at night did she come forth, and as the King only -visited the room in the daytime he never saw her, nor even guessed that -a living maiden was inclosed by the leaves of the flower he admired so -greatly.</p> - -<p>But it so happened that one night the King could not sleep, and he took -a fancy to visit the flower and see it by the light of the lamps. He -therefore made his way along the corridors, and fitting the key into -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197">{197}</a></span> lock, he turned it without having made a sound.</p> - -<p>What was his surprise, when he opened the door, to see a maiden of -surpassing beauty sitting beside a fountain and amusing herself by -catching the water in her hands.</p> - -<p>When Sim Ching saw the King, she gave a cry, and would have run back -into the flower to hide, but the King called to her gently, bidding her -stay.</p> - -<p>“I will not harm you,” said he. “Do but tell me who you are and how you -have come here. It must be you are some spirit or fairy, for no human -being could be as beautiful as you.”</p> - -<p>“I am no spirit, nor am I a fairy,” answered Sim Ching, “but only the -daughter of a poor blind beggar, and as to how I came here I know not. I -was placed inside that flower by a Water Spirit, but who has brought the -flower here, or why, I cannot tell.”</p> - -<p>The King then told her of how he had seen the flower floating on the -sea, and how he had had it brought to the palace, and had ordered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198">{198}</a></span> this -room to be built for it, and after he had made an end of speaking, Sim -Ching told him her history from the time her father had become blind and -fallen into the pit, to the hour when the Water Spirit had bade her -enter the flower and the leaves had closed about her.</p> - -<p>The young King listened and wondered. “Yours is indeed a strange story,” -said he, “and this mischievous priest shall be sought out and punished -as he deserves. And yet it may be his promises shall all come true, and -you shall indeed be exalted to the highest place in the kingdom.”</p> - -<p>He then told Sim Ching he loved her and desired nothing in the world so -much as to make her his wife.</p> - -<p>To this Sim Ching joyfully consented for the young King was so handsome -and gracious, and spoke so well and wisely, that she could not but love -him with all her heart, even as he loved her.</p> - -<p>All night they sat and talked together, and in the morning he opened the -door of the chamber and led her forth, and called the courtiers<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199">{199}</a></span> and -nobles together, and told them she was to be his bride.</p> - -<p>Then there was great rejoicing, and every one who saw Sim Ching wondered -at her beauty and loved her for her gentle and gracious manner.</p> - -<p>Soon after she and the King were married, and they loved each other so -dearly that Sim Ching would have been perfectly happy except for the -thought of her old father and his griefs and sorrows.</p> - -<p>Immediately after she was married, she sent messengers to the village -where she had lived, bidding them find her father and bring him to her, -but the old man had disappeared, and no one knew what had become of him.</p> - -<p>Then the Queen had a great feast prepared and sent word throughout the -length and breadth of the Kingdom that all who were both poor and blind -were bidden to the palace to eat of it. All would be welcome, and none -should be turned away.</p> - -<p>Then from far and near the blind and poor came flocking to the palace, -scores and hun<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200">{200}</a></span>dreds of them. The tables for the feast were laid in a -great hall, and the young King and Queen sat on raised thrones at one -end of it. All who came to the feast were obliged to pass before this -throne before they might take their places at the table, and as each one -passed, the Queen looked at him eagerly, hoping to recognize her father, -but none of all the multitude was the one she sought. At last every one -was seated; the attendants were about to close the doors, when another -beggar, the last of all, came stumbling into the hall. He was so feeble -and so old that he could scarcely make his way to the throne, but no -sooner did the Queen see him than she knew him as her father.</p> - -<p>Then she gave a great cry, and came down from the throne, and threw her -arms about him, and wept over him.</p> - -<p>“It is I, oh, my father! It is thy daughter, Sim Ching,” she wept.</p> - -<p>Then her father knew her voice and cried aloud with joy. “Oh, my -daughter, I had thought thee dead,” he cried, “and now thou art alive -and I can feel thy arms about me.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201">{201}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>As he spoke the tears of joy ran down his cheeks, and these tears washed -away the mists of sorrow that had clouded his eyes and he found he could -see again.</p> - -<p>Then there was great rejoicing, and the King called the old man father -and made him welcome, and in due time he who had been blind and now -could see was raised to great wealth and honor, and so the words of the -priest, that he had spoken without believing, came true.</p> - -<p>But as for the priest himself, the King had him sought for, and when he -was found, he was thrown into prison and punished as he deserved for his -greed and cruelty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202">{202}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_OAT_CAKE" id="THE_OAT_CAKE"></a>THE OAT CAKE<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Scotch Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">One</span> time the farmer’s wife made two oat cakes. She shaped them, and -patted them and put them down in front of the fire to bake. “They will -do for the good man’s dinner,” said she.</p> - -<p>Then said one cake to the other cake, “It is all very well for the woman -to say that, but I have no wish to be eaten. I will wait until I am -baked hard, and then I shall set out to see the world.”</p> - -<p>“That is a poor way to talk, brother,” replied the other. “Oat cakes -were made to be eaten, and you should be proud to think the master -himself is to have you for dinner.”</p> - -<p>“Master or no master, I have no wish to be eaten,” repeated the first -oat cake.</p> - -<p>Not long after that, the farmer came home, and he was very hungry. First -he ate the oat cake that wished to be eaten, and after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203">{203}</a></span> he had finished -it, he stretched out his hand for the other, but it slipped through his -fingers and away it rolled, out of the door and on down the road.</p> - -<p>It rolled along and rolled along until it came to a neat, tidy house -with a thatched roof.</p> - -<p>“This looks like a good and proper place for me to stop,” said the oat -cake, so it rolled on in through the doorway.</p> - -<p>There inside were a tailor and his two apprentices, all of them sitting -cross-legged and sewing away; and the tailor’s wife stood by the fire, -stirring the porridge.</p> - -<p>When the tailor and the boys saw the oat cake come rolling in across the -floor so boldly, they were frightened, and jumped up and hid behind the -woman.</p> - -<p>“Now out upon you! To be frightened by an oat cake!” cried the good -wife. “Quick! Catch hold of it and divide it among you, and I’ll give -you some milk to drink with it.”</p> - -<p>When the tailor and his apprentices heard this, they took courage and -ran out and tried to catch the oat cake; but it dodged them<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204">{204}</a></span> and rolled -under the table and under the chairs, and while they were chasing it and -the woman watching them, the porridge boiled over into the fire and was -burned.</p> - -<p>But the oat cake escaped them, and rolled out through the door, and on -down the road again. “I’d better go a bit farther before I settle down -for the night,” it thought to itself.</p> - -<p>Presently it came to a little small house. “I’ll try how it is in here,” -said the oat cake, and in it rolled.</p> - -<p>There sat a weaver at his loom, and his wife was winding some yarn.</p> - -<p>“What’s that that just came in at the door?” asked the weaver, for his -eyesight was not very good.</p> - -<p>“It’s an oat cake!” said his wife staring.</p> - -<p>“Catch it woman! Catch it, before it rolls away again!” cried the -weaver.</p> - -<p>The woman chased the oat cake up and down and round about, and the -weaver left his work and joined in the chase, but the oat cake was too -lively for them. Every time they thought<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205">{205}</a></span> they had it, it slipped -through their fingers as though it were buttered.</p> - -<p>“Throw your yarn over it and snare it,” cried the weaver.</p> - -<p>The woman threw her yarn over the oat cake, but the cake tangled up the -yarn so that later on it took the woman a good two days to straighten it -out again. But the oat cake escaped and rolled out and down the road.</p> - -<p>“That’s too lively a place for me to stay,” said the oat cake to itself.</p> - -<p>At the next place where the oat cake stopped, a woman was churning.</p> - -<p>“Oh, the dear little, pretty little oat cake!” cried she. “I have good -thick cream to-day, and plenty of it, and the oat cake will taste good -with it.”</p> - -<p>“But first you must catch me,” said the oat cake.</p> - -<p>It rolled round and round the churn, and the woman ran after it, and in -the end she fell against the churn and upset it.</p> - -<p>While she was cleaning up the mess, the oat cake set out on further -adventures.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206">{206}</a></span></p> - -<p>“So far I’ve found no place in the world where an oat cake can rest in -peace and quiet,” said the cake. “But, there must be such a place -somewhere, and if there is, I mean to find it.”</p> - -<p>Soon it came to a bit of a stream, with a mill beside it.</p> - -<p>The oat cake rolled into the mill, and there stood a miller at work, and -he was all white with flour. “Oat cake and a bit of cheese taste well -together,” said the miller. “The cheese I already have. Come in, come in -and make the other half of the feast.”</p> - -<p>But the oat cake was frightened and rolled on out, and the miller never -bothered his head further about it.</p> - -<p>The next place the oat cake stopped was at a smithy. The smith was busy -beating out a horseshoe, but when he saw the oat cake he laid aside the -shoe.</p> - -<p>“Welcome! Welcome! I like an oat cake and a drink of ale as well as the -next man. Come in and let us feast together.”</p> - -<p>“Not I,” cried the oat cake, and away it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207">{207}</a></span> rolled in haste, and as the -road was downhill now, it made good time.</p> - -<p>The smith ran after it, and when he found the cake was going too fast -for him, he threw his hammer after it, and the hammer fell into a -thicket, and the smith had a great time finding it.</p> - -<p>But the oat cake hid in a crack between two rocks, and lay there quiet -until the smith had found his hammer and gone back to his smithy again -grumbling. Then out it came and away it rolled, but it was getting tired -now.</p> - -<p>“Maybe it would have been better if I had gone to rest in the good man’s -stomach,” said the oat cake, “but here we go, and I have no mind to be -eaten by the first stranger who takes a fancy to me,—no, nor by the -second either.”</p> - -<p>In the next house the oat cake entered, the good wife was cooking -supper, and her husband sat plaiting straw rope.</p> - -<p>“Look at that!” cried the woman. “You’re always asking me for oat cake, -and there is one ready to your hand. Quick! Quick! Shut the door and -catch it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208">{208}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>The man jumped up to shut the door, but he caught his foot in the rope -he was plaiting and fell flat on the floor. The woman threw her porridge -stick at the cake, but away it went and off down the road.</p> - -<p>“Now I’ll have to find some place to sleep,” said it to itself. “No -knowing what will happen if I lay me down by the roadside.”</p> - -<p>It saw an open door, and in it rolled. The good man of the house had -just taken off his breeches, and the woman was tucking the children into -bed.</p> - -<p>“Look! Look!” cried the woman. “There is an oat cake rolling in at the -door, and no one coming after to claim it. Catch it before it can get -away again.”</p> - -<p>The good man jumped up and threw his breeches at it. They fell on the -oat cake and almost smothered it, but it managed to roll out from under -them and away it went, with the man and his wife in full chase after it, -and the children crying after them.</p> - -<p>But the oat cake was too quick, even for the two of them. It outran them -both, and</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_006" style="width: 467px;"> -<a href="images/p209.jpg"> -<img src="images/p209.jpg" width="467" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>As soon as he saw the oat cake he was wide awake again in -a moment. <i><a href="#page_209">Page 209</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209">{209}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">the man and his wife had to go back home without it, the man with his -bare legs, and the neighbors peeking out at him from behind their window -curtains.</p> - -<p>By this time it was dark. “I’ll have to hurry if I want to find a place -to-night where I can sleep in quiet,” said the oat cake.</p> - -<p>So now it rolled along more briskly, and presently it came to a pasture, -and it leaped and bounded across it at a great rate, for it was all -downhill, and then suddenly—plunk!—it fell down into a fox’s hole.</p> - -<p>The fox was at home and half asleep, but as soon as he saw the oat cake, -he was wide awake again in a moment. The fox had had nothing to eat all -day, and he did not stop to look twice at the oat cake, but bit it in -half and swallowed it down in a trice and with no words about it.</p> - -<p>So the oat cake slept quiet after all its wanderings, but it might as -well have been eaten by the farmer in the first place.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210">{210}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_DREAMER" id="THE_DREAMER"></a>THE DREAMER<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">An English Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> once lived a man and his wife, named Peter and Kate, and they were -so poor that they had scarcely enough bread to put in their mouths. They -lived in a wretched, miserable hut, and in front of the hut was a river, -and back of it a patch of ground and a gnarled old apple tree.</p> - -<p>One night when Peter was sleeping he dreamed a dream, and in this dream -a tall old man dressed in gray, and with a long gray beard came to him -and said, “Peter, I know that you have had a hard life, and have neither -grumbled nor complained, and now I have a mind to help you. Follow down -the river until you come to a bridge. On the other side of the river you -will see a town. Take up your stand on the bridge and wait there -patiently. It may be that nothing will happen the first day, and it may -be that nothing will happen the second day either, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211">{211}</a></span> if you do not -lose courage, but still wait patiently, some time during the third day -some one will come to you, and tell you something that will make your -fortune for you.”</p> - -<p>In the morning, when Peter awoke, he told his dream to Kate, his wife. -“It would be a curious thing if I should do as the old man told me and -really become rich,” said he.</p> - -<p>“Nonsense!” answered his wife. “Dreams are nothing but foolishness. Do -you go over to Neighbor Goodkin and see whether he has not some wood to -be cut, so you can earn a few pence to buy meal for to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>So Peter did as his wife told him, and went over to his neighbor’s and -worked there all day, and by evening he had almost forgotten his dream.</p> - -<p>But that night, as soon as he fell asleep, the old man appeared before -him again. “Why have you not done as I told you, Peter?” said he. -“Remember, good luck will not wait forever. To-morrow do you set out for -the bridge and town I told you of, and believe, for it is the truth; if -you wait there for three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212">{212}</a></span> days and make the best of what will then be -told you you will become a rich man.”</p> - -<p>When Peter awoke the next morning, his first thought was to set out in -search of the bridge and town of which the old man had told him, but -still his wife dissuaded him.</p> - -<p>“Do not be so foolish,” said she. “Sit down and eat your breakfast and -be thankful that you have it. You earned a few pence yesterday, and who -knows but what you may be lucky enough to earn even more to-day.”</p> - -<p>So Peter did not set out on his journey in search of fortune that day -either.</p> - -<p>But the next night for the third time the old man appeared before him, -and now his look was stern and forbidding. “Thou fool!” said he. “Three -times have I come to thee, and now I will come no more. Go to the bridge -of which I have spoken and listen well to what is there said to thee. -Otherwise want and poverty will still be thy portion, even as they have -been heretofore.”</p> - -<p>With this the old man disappeared, and Peter awoke. And now it was of no -use for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213">{213}</a></span> his wife to scold and argue. As the old man had commanded so -Peter would do. He only stopped to put some food in his stomach and more -in his pockets, and off he set, one foot before another.</p> - -<p>For a long time Peter journeyed on down the river till he was both -footsore and weary, and then he came to a bridge that crossed the -stream, and on the other side was a town, and Peter felt almost sure -this was the place to which the old man of his dreams had told him to -come.</p> - -<p>So he took his stand on the fridge and stayed there all day. The -passers-by stared at him, and some of them spoke to him, but none of -them said to him anything that might, by any chance, lead him on to -fortune. All that day he waited on the bridge, and all of the day after, -and by the time the third day came, he had eaten all the food he had -brought with him except one hard, dry crust of bread. Then he began to -wonder whether he were not a simpleton to be loitering there day after -day, all because of a dream, when he might, perhaps, be earn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214">{214}</a></span>ing a few -pennies at home in one way or another.</p> - -<p>Now just beyond this bridge there was a tailor’s shop, and the tailor -who lived there was a very curious man. Ever since Peter had taken his -stand on the bridge the tailor had been peeping out at him, and -wondering why he was standing there, and what his business might be; and -the longer Peter stayed the more curious the tailor became. He fussed -and he fidgeted, and along toward the afternoon of the third day he -could bear it no longer, and he put aside his work and went out to the -bridge to find out what he could about Peter and what he was doing -there.</p> - -<p>When he came where Peter was he bade him good-day.</p> - -<p>“Good-day,” answered Peter.</p> - -<p>“Are you waiting here on the bridge for some one?” asked the tailor.</p> - -<p>“I am and I am not,” replied Peter.</p> - -<p>“Now what may be the meaning of that?” asked the tailor. “How can you be -waiting and still not be waiting all at one and the same time?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215">{215}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“I am waiting for some one—that is true”; said Peter, “but I know not -who he is nor whence he will come, nor, for the matter of that, whether -any one will come at all.” And then he related to the tailor his dream, -and how he had been told that if he waited on the bridge for three days -some one would come along and tell him something that would make him -rich for life.</p> - -<p>“Why, what a silly fellow you are,” said the tailor. “I, too, have -dreamed dreams, but I have too much sense to pay any attention to them. -Only last week I dreamed three times that an old man came to me and told -me to follow up along the bank of the river until I came to a hut where -a man and his wife lived,—the man’s name was Peter, and his wife’s name -was Kate. I was to go and dig among the roots of an apple tree back of -this house, and there, buried among the roots of the tree, I would find -a chest of golden money. That was what I dreamed. But did I go wandering -off in search of such a place? No, indeed, I am not such a simpleton. I -stick to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216">{216}</a></span> my work, and I can manage to keep a warm roof over my head, -and have plenty of food to eat, and when I am dressed in my best there -is not one of the neighbors that looks half as fine as I do. No, no; go -back to where you belong and set to work, my man, and maybe you can earn -something better than those miserable rags you are wearing now.”</p> - -<p>So said the tailor, and then he went back to his tailor’s bench and his -sewing.</p> - -<p>But Peter stood and scratched his head. “A man named Peter, and his wife -named Kate! And an apple tree behind the house!” said he. “Now it’s a -strange thing if a fortune’s been lying there under the roots of the -apple tree all this while, and I had to come to this town and this -bridge to hear about it!”</p> - -<p>So said Peter as he stood there on the bridge. But then, after he had -scratched his head and thought a bit longer, he pulled his hat down over -his ears and off he set for home. The farther he went, the more of a -hurry he was in, and at last, when he came within sight<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217">{217}</a></span> of his house -again, he was all out of breath with the haste he had made.</p> - -<p>He did not wait to go inside, but he bawled to his wife to fetch him a -pick and shovel, and ran around the house to where the apple tree stood.</p> - -<p>His wife did not know what had happened to him. She thought he must have -lost his wits, but she brought him the pick and shovel, and he began -digging around about the roots of the apple tree.</p> - -<p>He had not dug for so very long when his pick struck something hard. He -flung the pick aside and seized his spade, and presently he uncovered a -great chest made of stout oak wood and bound about with iron.</p> - -<p>The chest was so heavy that he could not lift it out of the hole -himself, and his wife had to help him. The chest was locked, but that -mattered little to Peter. He took his pick, and with a few blows he -broke the hinges and fastenings, and lifted the lid from its place. At -once he gave a loud cry, and fell on his knees beside the chest. He and -his wife could scarce<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218">{218}</a></span> believe in their good fortune. It was brimming -over with golden money, enough to make them rich for life.</p> - -<p>They carried the chest into the house, and barred the door, and set -about counting the money, and there was so much of it, they were all -evening and part of the night counting it.</p> - -<p>That was the way good fortune came to Peter, and all by way of a dream.</p> - -<p>Now he and his wife built themselves a great house, and had fine food, -and coaches, and horses, and handsome clothes, and they feasted the -neighbors, and never a poor man came to the door but what they gave him -as much food as he could eat and a piece of silver to put in his pocket.</p> - -<p>One day Peter put on his finest clothes and made his wife dress herself -in her best, and then they stepped into one of their coaches, and Peter -bade the coachman drive to the town where he had stood on the bridge and -listened to the tailor tell his dream of the chest of money buried under -the apple tree.</p> - -<p>Peter made the coachman drive up in front<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219">{219}</a></span> of the tailor’s shop, and -when the tailor saw the coach stopping at his door, and the fine people -sitting in it, he thought it was some great nobleman and his wife, come -perhaps to order a suit of clothes of him.</p> - -<p>He came out, bowing and smiling and smirking, and Peter said to him, “Do -you remember me?”</p> - -<p>“No, your lordship,” answered the tailor, still bowing and smiling, “I -have not that honor, your lordship.”</p> - -<p>Then Peter told him he was the ragged fellow who had stood out there on -the bridge waiting for good luck to come to him; and sure enough it had, -for if it had not been for the dream the tailor told him, he would have -known nothing about the gold buried under the apple tree and would never -have become the rich man he was now.</p> - -<p>When the tailor heard this tale, he was ready to tear his hair out, for -if he had believed his dream he might have found the gold himself and -have kept a share of it.</p> - -<p>However, Peter gave him a hundred gold<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220">{220}</a></span> pieces to comfort him and -ordered a fine suit. He also promised that after that he would buy all -his clothes from the tailor and pay him a good price for them, so the -tailor, too, got some good from all the dreaming.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221">{221}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_HARKA" id="THE_STORY_OF_HARKA"></a>THE STORY OF HARKA<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">An American Indian Tale</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was evening, and the Indians had gathered around their camp fires. -Among the youths sat Harka, the tallest and handsomest of them all.</p> - -<p>From the lodge his mother called to him, “Harka, go down to the spring -in the forest and bring me some water.”</p> - -<p>Without moving, Harka answered, “It is dark down in the forest, and I am -afraid to go where it is dark.”</p> - -<p>Then from all the Indians around there rose a shout of laughter and of -jeering. “He is afraid of the dark!” they shouted. “He has said it!” And -even the children laughed and jeered at him.</p> - -<p>Then Harka arose and cried, “You think I am a coward, but I will prove -to you before long that I am as brave as any man in the tribe, either -youth or warrior.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222">{222}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>“How will you prove it, Harka?” they mocked at him; and one cried, -“Bring us the head of Pahundootah! Then we will believe you.”</p> - -<p>Now Pahundootah was a sorcerer, so powerful and wicked that he was the -terror of all the villages. Even the warriors feared him, and women and -children shuddered at his name.</p> - -<p>But in his anger Harka answered rashly, “I will bring you the head of -Pahundootah.”</p> - -<p>Then again the shouts arose, mocking and jeering at him. None believed -him, but they thought him an idle boaster.</p> - -<p>But Harka wrapped his blanket about him and went back in silence to his -lodge, and the sound of laughter followed him, and his heart was -troubled within him. He had said that he would bring them the head of -the sorcerer, and now unless he kept his promise he would be ashamed to -face again his people and have them taunt him for his boasting.</p> - -<p>Early the next morning Harka arose, and without saying anything to any -one, he took from a bag that hung in the lodge three magic<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223">{223}</a></span> arrows -belonging to his father, and set out upon a journey. He had determined -to seek out Pahundootah and either slay him or be slain.</p> - -<p>All the morning he traveled on without stopping, and at noon he shot one -of the magic arrows high into the air. He carefully noted the direction -in which it went and then followed, running swiftly and lightly.</p> - -<p>Toward evening he came to where a deer lay dead, with the arrow sticking -in it.</p> - -<p>Without troubling to withdraw the arrow, Harka cut some slices of -venison and cooked and ate.</p> - -<p>All night he tended the fire that it might not die down and leave him in -darkness, and in the early morning he again set out upon his journey.</p> - -<p>At noon he shot his second arrow into the air, and toward evening he -found it buried in the heart of an elk. That night he had elk meat for -supper, and the next day he went on his way, traveling swiftly, but he -forgot the arrow.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224">{224}</a></span></p> - -<p>He waited till noonday and then shot from his bow his third and last -arrow. That evening he came to where a buffalo lay dead, slain by the -arrow. Once more he ate and rested by the fire, and at dawning he set -out again upon his journey.</p> - -<p>When noon came he had no arrow to shoot, for he had left them all behind -him.</p> - -<p>By evening Harka was very hungry, but there was nothing for him to eat.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw the light of a fire just ahead of him. He advanced -toward it, slowly and cautiously, fearing it might be the encampment of -some enemy, but he saw no one except an old woman who was stirring -something in a pot that hung over the fire. Never was seen an old woman -half so horrible and terrifying as she. Her face was more like that of a -skull than of a human being. Her gray hair hung down about her like a -mat; her eyes were as red as fire, and her nails so long that she could -hardly close her hands. About her neck was a necklace of bones, and -about her waist a girdle of scalps.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225">{225}</a></span></p> - -<p>After looking at her for awhile, Harka was about to steal quietly away -when, without looking up, the old woman called to him, “Come nearer to -the fire, Harka. Supper is almost ready.”</p> - -<p>Harka came forward into the firelight, and the old witch, still without -looking up, bade him be seated.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the scalps about her waist burst into a shout of laughter, and -the hag joined in with them, laughing loudly. Then they fell silent, and -the old woman too became quiet, scowling and muttering to herself as she -bent over the pot.</p> - -<p>Presently she filled a dish with food and brought it to Harka. The youth -was hungry, and in spite of the strange look of the old woman, he ate -heartily.</p> - -<p>When he had finished, she took away the bowl. Again the scalps burst -into wild laughter, and the hag laughed with them.</p> - -<p>After they were silent, she came over and sat down beside Harka and -began talking.</p> - -<p>“I know why you have come here, Harka,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226">{226}</a></span>” she said. “You are in search of -Pahundootah. I am the Witch Wokonkatonzooeyepekahaichu and Pahundootah -is my bitterest enemy. I myself cannot destroy him, but you may be able -to do it with my help. It will be a very dangerous business, and you -will have to be careful. Now sleep, and to-morrow I will tell you what -you must do in order to destroy the sorcerer.”</p> - -<p>Harka lay down beside the fire and slept soundly.</p> - -<p>The next morning, when he awoke, the breakfast was ready, and after he -had eaten, the old woman went into the lodge and brought out a magic -pouch. From this she drew a leaden comb, a golden cup, and a blade of -sword grass. She also took from the bag a woman’s dress most beautifully -shaped and colored.</p> - -<p>“Now listen carefully,” said the witch. “Only as a maiden can you come -near Pahundootah. Put on the dress, and then I will comb your hair for -you.”</p> - -<p>Harka did as the old witch bade him. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227">{227}</a></span> dressed himself in the -beautiful garments, and then the old witch took the leaden comb and -combed his hair; and as she combed, his hair grew longer and longer -until it hung down below his knees in beautiful shining tresses. His -eyes also looked larger, and his face finer, so that any one who saw him -would have thought him a surpassingly beautiful young maiden.</p> - -<p>The old witch looked at him and burst into laughter, and all the scalps -laughed with her.</p> - -<p>Then she gave Harka the golden goblet and the blade of sword grass. “Put -the grass in your girdle,” said she. “With that and that alone can -Pahundootah’s head be severed from his shoulders. Now walk forward until -you come to a lake with an island in the middle of it. Upon that island -live the sorcerer and his people. As soon as you reach the lake you must -begin to dip up the water in the golden cup. The sorcerer will see the -gleam of it and come in his canoe to capture you. This you must allow -him to do, though you must seem frightened and reluctant, as would a -timid<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228">{228}</a></span> maiden. He will take you back to the island with him, and then -you must find some way to draw him apart from the others and lull him to -sleep. Then you can cut off his head with the blade of grass I have -given you and escape before the others find what you have done.”</p> - -<p>Harka took the cup and the blade of grass she offered him and strode off -through the forest in the direction the witch pointed out to him. Soon -he came out from the forest and found himself upon the borders of a wide -lake, in the midst of which lay an island.</p> - -<p>Harka now walked more slowly and delicately, trying to move with the -soft grace of a young and timid maiden.</p> - -<p>At the edge of the lake he stooped and dipped the cup into the water. -The sunlight striking on the gold was reflected with a dazzling -brightness that could be seen even as far as the island.</p> - -<p>Scarcely had he lifted the dripping cup from the water when he saw a -canoe shoot out from among the reeds of the island and come swiftly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229">{229}</a></span> -toward the spot where he was standing. In it sat the sorcerer -Pahundootah, driving it forward with strong strokes.</p> - -<p>As Harka looked at him, his heart beat heavy within him, for the -sorcerer was terrible to see, so hideous and cruel and treacherous was -his appearance.</p> - -<p>But the youth managed to hide his feelings and turned aside with the shy -and downcast air of a timid maiden, and moved slowly toward the forest. -Charmed by his grace and beauty, Pahundootah followed him. He praised -the pretended maiden’s eyes, her lips, her hair, the grace with which -she moved, and poured words of love into Harka’s ears, begging him to -return with him to his island home and share his lodge, his food, and -fire.</p> - -<p>Harka pretended to hesitate, but finally he allowed himself to be -persuaded, and entering the canoe, he sat down opposite the sorcerer, -giving him shy glances and trailing his hand through the water.</p> - -<p>Pahundootah was as one bewitched. Hardly could he take his eyes from -Harka’s beauty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230">{230}</a></span> With strong strokes he drove the canoe through the -water and over to the island. Then he took Harka’s hand and led him to -where a fire was burning and an old hag was cooking supper. He spread a -robe for his love to sit on and threw himself at her feet. The hag who -was his mother watched them, muttering. Again and again she looked -suspiciously at Harka. At last the supper was cooked. She called Harka -to come and carry a bowl of it to the sorcerer. Harka moved toward her -softly, trying still to bear himself as a maiden, but the old woman -watched him suspiciously, and as he drew nearer she looked deep into his -eyes.</p> - -<p>“Pahundootah,” she cried, “what magic has bewitched you? Can you not see -that this is no maiden, but a brave and daring warrior who has put on -this appearance in order to deceive you?”</p> - -<p>Pahundootah sprang to his feet and looked at Harka with anger and -suspicion, but Harka turned away his head with an offended air. “Your -mother has insulted me,” he said. “She is angry because you have brought -me here<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231">{231}</a></span> and because you have spoken to me of love. Now I will go away -back to my own tribe where I will be free from insults.”</p> - -<p>Slowly he walked away from the fire and down toward the reedy shore of -the island.</p> - -<p>As Pahundootah watched the grace with which he walked and noted again -his long and glossy hair, he could not doubt but that his mother was -mistaken, and that this was really a maiden. He followed, begging Harka -to turn and smile upon him and return with him to the fire.</p> - -<p>“No,” repeated Harka, “your mother has insulted me. It is better I -should return to my own people.”</p> - -<p>By the side of the lake Harka sat down, and the sorcerer threw himself -down beside him, and laid his head in Harka’s lap.</p> - -<p>Softly Harka passed his fingers through Pahundootah’s hair. Lulled by -his love and the touch of Harka’s fingers, the sorcerer’s eyelids -closed, and he sank into slumber. Then softly the lad drew from his -girdle the blade of grass the witch had given him and with one stroke -severed the head of Pahundootah from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232">{232}</a></span> the body. Swiftly wrapping it in a -cloth he had brought for that purpose, he sped to where the canoe lay -among the rushes, and stepping into it, he drove it off across the water -with silent, powerful strokes.</p> - -<p>When he reached the farther shore, he turned and looked back. Already -lights were moving about on the island. The old mother, grown -suspicious, was hunting for the sorcerer. Then suddenly across the water -sounded loud fierce wails and cries. By that, Harka knew they had -discovered Pahundootah’s body.</p> - -<p>Without waiting longer, he sped back to the camp of the old witch. As -she saw him coming, she began to clap her hands, shouting, “You have -slain him! You have slain him! Harka has slain the enemy of -Wokonkatonzooeyepekahaichu!” and all the scalps that hung about her -shouted with her. “Now,” she cried, “you are a great warrior! Now no one -can laugh at you or scorn you.”</p> - -<p>All that night as Harka lay beside the witch’s fire, he could hear, now -louder now fainter, the cries of Pahundootah’s people, and always,</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_007" style="width: 454px;"> -<a href="images/p232.jpg"> -<img src="images/p232.jpg" width="454" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>When he reached the farther shore, he turned and looked -back. <i><a href="#page_232">Page 232</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233">{233}</a></span></p> - -<p class="nind">as they sounded louder, the old witch laughed with joy, and the scalps -laughed with her.</p> - -<p>Early in the morning Harka set out to journey back to his tribe. For -three days he journeyed, and then he came within sight of the village. -It was toward dusk, and the Indians were gathered once more about their -fires. It was the children who saw him first, and they shouted, -laughing, “Here comes Harka! Here comes Harka. Hasten, Harka, or the -dark may catch you.” And the youths joined them in their laughter. “Have -you slain the sorcerer, Harka? Have you his head to show us?”</p> - -<p>Then Harka answered proudly, “Look!” and uncovering the head, he held it -up before them.</p> - -<p>For a moment all were silent, gazing awe-struck. Then a great shout -arose, “He has slain him! Harka has slain Pahundootah! He has brought -his head to show us!”</p> - -<p>Then all gathered around him, youths and warriors, and the women and the -children also, and all wondered and hailed him as a hero.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234">{234}</a></span> And from that -time Harka sat no more with those of his own age, but with the wise ones -and the warriors, and joined in their councils, and when the old chief -died, Harka was chosen chief and ruled his tribe and reared up children -and killed many enemies. And always he was known as Harka, the slayer of -Pahundootah.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235">{235}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="SCHIPPEITARO" id="SCHIPPEITARO"></a>SCHIPPEITARO<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Japanese Story</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a brave Japanese lad who wished to go out into the world -and prove his courage in some great adventure. His father and mother did -not say no to this. Instead they gave him their blessing, and allowed -him to set forth.</p> - -<p>For a long time he traveled along, crossing streams and passing through -villages, but nowhere did he meet with any adventures.</p> - -<p>One evening, as dusk drew on, he found himself in a dark forest, and he -did not know which way to turn in order to get out of it. He wandered -this way and that, and always the night grew darker and the way rougher, -and then suddenly, between the tree trunks, he saw a red light shine -out; sometimes it shone brighter and sometimes dimmer, but never with a -steady shining.</p> - -<p>He went toward the light, and before long<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236">{236}</a></span> he found himself near an old -ruined temple. Within a fire was burning, and the temple was full of -demon cats. They were leaping and whirling and dancing around the fire, -and as they danced they sang. The song had words and they sang them over -and over again, always the same thing.</p> - -<p>At first the lad could not make out what the words were, but after he -had listened carefully for a while he understood; and this was what they -sang:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“To-night we dance, to-night we sing;<br /></span> -<span class="i1">To-morrow the maiden they will bring.”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>They would sing this over and over and over, and then suddenly they -would cease their bounding and whirling, and would stand still and all -cry together,—</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“But Schippeitaro must not know!<br /></span> -<span class="i1">But Schippeitaro must not know!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>The lad stayed there for a long time watching them, and the longer he -watched, the more he wondered.</p> - -<p>After a while the fire burned low, they bounded less wildly, and their -songs were still.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237">{237}</a></span> Then the fire died out, and soon afterward the lad -fell into a deep sleep.</p> - -<p>When he awoke the next morning, he was both cold and stiff, and as he -rubbed his eyes and looked about him, he thought that all he had seen -the night before must have been only a dream, for the temple lay silent -and deserted, and there were no signs of the demon cats or their revels, -except a heap of burned-out ashes on the temple floor.</p> - -<p>The lad arose from where he lay and went on his way wondering. Not long -after he came to the edge of the forest and saw before him a village. He -entered the village and looked about him, and everything was in mourning -and all the people seemed very sad. In front of one of the principal -houses a great crowd had gathered, and from within came a sound of -weeping and lamenting.</p> - -<p>The lad joined the crowd, and looked in through the door of the house. -There he saw a maiden dressed as though for a festival, but she was very -pale, and tears were running down her face; an old man and an old -woman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238">{238}</a></span> who seemed to be her father and mother, sat one each side of -her, holding her hands, and they also were weeping, with the tears -running down their wrinkled faces. Two men were busy over a great chest -bound around with iron, and with iron hasps, and every time the old man -and woman looked at the chest, they shuddered and wept more bitterly -than ever.</p> - -<p>This sight made the youth very curious, and he turned to a man beside -him and asked why the village was all in mourning, and why the beautiful -young girl and her parents were weeping so bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Are you a stranger in these parts that you ask such questions?” -inquired the man.</p> - -<p>“I come from beyond the other side of the forest, from far away,” -replied the youth, “and I know nothing of this village or what has -happened here.”</p> - -<p>“Then I will tell you,” said the man. “Over in the forest yonder there -dwells a terrible demon. Every year he requires that a maiden shall be -offered up to him as a sacrifice. Many<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239">{239}</a></span> of our most beautiful maidens -have already been sacrificed to him, and to-day it is the turn of the -one you see within there, and she is the fairest of them all.”</p> - -<p>“But why do not your men go into the forest and try to destroy this -demon?” asked the youth.</p> - -<p>“It would be useless, for we have been told and know that no mortal arm -can prevail against him. He comes, as a cat, to the ruined temple over -yonder in the forest, and with him comes a great company of seeming -cats—but they also are demons and are his servants.”</p> - -<p>When the youth heard this, he remembered the cats he had seen dancing in -the temple the night before and the song they had sung; and presently he -asked, “Who is Schippeitaro?”</p> - -<p>When he asked this, those around who heard him began to laugh. “You -speak as though Schippeitaro were a man,” said they. “Schippeitaro is a -great dog that belongs to the Prince of this country. The Prince values -him highly, for he is as big as a lion and twice as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240">{240}</a></span> fierce. Never -before was his like seen for strength and bigness, nor ever will be -again.”</p> - -<p>The youth asked where the Prince kept the hound, and as soon as he had -learned this, he set off walking very rapidly in the direction the man -pointed out to him.</p> - -<p>After a while he came to a house with a walled garden back of it. In -this house lived the man who had charge of Schippeitaro, and the walled -garden was for the dog to roam about in.</p> - -<p>The youth knocked at the door, and presently the keeper of the dog -opened it and asked him what he wanted.</p> - -<p>“I want to borrow your great hound, Schippeitaro, for the night, and I -will pay you well for lending him to me,” said the lad.</p> - -<p>“That you will not do,” replied the keeper, “for I will not lend him to -you. He is the favorite dog of the Prince of this country, and it would -be as much as my life is worth to lend him to any one.”</p> - -<p>Then the lad began to bargain with him. First he offered the man a third -of all his money<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241">{241}</a></span> if he might have the dog just until morning; then he -offered him the half of all his money, and then he offered him all of -it.</p> - -<p>That was more than the man could withstand. “Very well”, said he, “you -may take the dog; but remember it is only for this one night, and you -must bring him back the first thing in the morning, and you need never -ask to borrow him again for I shall not lend him to you.”</p> - -<p>A collar was then put around Schippeitaro’s neck, and a chain fastened -to it, and the lad took the chain in his hand and led the great dog back -to the village he had just come from.</p> - -<p>When he came to the house where he had seen the maiden, they were just -about to put her in the chest, for that was always the way the maidens -who were to be sacrificed were carried to the temple.</p> - -<p>But the youth bade them stay their hands. “Listen to me,” said he, “for -I know whereof I speak. I have seen these demons, and I have a plan by -which you may rid yourselves of them forever. Instead of the maiden, do -you put Schippeitaro into the chest, carry<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242">{242}</a></span> him to the temple and leave -him there. I myself will accompany you, and after you have gone, I will -stay there and watch. Believe me, no harm shall come from this, but -instead it will put an end to your having to offer up sacrifices to the -demon.”</p> - -<p>At first the people would not listen to him, but afterward they agreed -to do as he wished, though they were very much frightened. The great -hound was put into the chest, the lid was fastened, and he was carried -away and placed in the temple instead of the maiden. After that the men -hastened back to the village, but the lad hid himself near by to wait -and watch for the demons as he had promised.</p> - -<p>After a while it grew dark, and then, toward midnight, a dull red fire -shone in the temple, and the lad saw that it was full of demon cats -whirling and bounding and singing as they had before, but this time -there was with them a great fierce black cat, larger than any of them, -and he was the king of them all, and he leaped higher and sang louder -than any of them. This time their song was of how a maiden had been -brought to them as a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243">{243}</a></span> sacrifice, and of what a tender morsel she would -be. Then they all shouted together:</p> - -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“And Schippeitaro does not know!<br /></span> -<span class="i1">And Schippeitaro does not know!”<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p>Nearer and nearer they came to the chest. Almost they brushed against it -as they whirled about it. Then, with a cry, they bounded at it, and tore -it open.</p> - -<p>At once, out from the box leaped Schippeitaro. The demons shrieked at -the sight of him and the great hound rushed at them and tore them. He -seized the King Demon by the throat and shook him till the life was -quite shaken out of him. Then he flew at the other cats, and when they -tried to escape out through the doors or windows, the youth stood there -with his sword and drove them back.</p> - -<p>Many of the demons did Schippeitaro destroy that night; many of them he -scattered over the floor in pieces, and those who escaped fled so far -away that they were never seen in that neighborhood again.</p> - -<p>But the youth returned to the house of the parents of the maiden and -asked them for her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244">{244}</a></span> hand in marriage, for he had loved her from the -first moment he had seen her, because of her beauty, and her gentle air. -Gladly her parents agreed to give her to him, and the Prince himself -came to the marriage, bringing with him gifts both rich and rare, for he -had heard of the bravery and wit the youth had shown in ridding his -people of the demons who had distressed them, and he brought -Schippeitaro with him as a welcome guest.</p> - -<p>After that the youth and his young wife returned to his own home, and -there they lived happy forever after, honored and admired by all who -knew them.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245">{245}</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="EROS_AND_PSYCHE" id="EROS_AND_PSYCHE"></a>EROS AND PSYCHE<br /><br /> -<small><span class="smcap">A Greek Tale</span></small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">There</span> was once a Princess named Psyche who was so beautiful that no one -on earth could compare with her in fairness. When she went abroad the -people gathered in crowds to gaze upon her, and children strewed flowers -before her and offered her garlands, as though she were a goddess.</p> - -<p>Now when Aphrodite, herself the Goddess of Beauty, heard of this, she -became very jealous of Psyche, and she called to her Eros, her son who -was the God of Love, and bade him cause Psyche to fall in love with the -ugliest and wickedest man in all the world.</p> - -<p>“In this way she shall be punished for her pride and for her beauty,” -said Aphrodite, who was herself most proud and beautiful.</p> - -<p>Now Eros was very curious to see this beauty of beauties, and so, in -invisible form, he visited the palace of Psyche’s father and went<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246">{246}</a></span> from -room to room until he came to where she sat with her two sisters. They -were all beautiful, but Psyche so far outshone the others that they -seemed pale beside her.</p> - -<p>No sooner had Eros looked upon her, than he fell deeply in love with her -and determined to make her his bride. He therefore put it into her -father’s mind to consult an oracle as to what should be done with -Psyche, for already the King was fearful, lest her beauty bring down -upon him the anger of the gods.</p> - -<p>So the King traveled secretly to the temple of Phoebus at Miletus, and -there he consulted the oracle; the oracle told him that Psyche must be -taken to the top of a high mountain and there left to be devoured by a -monster that the gods would send, and that in this way, and this way -alone, could the whole kingdom be saved from destruction.</p> - -<p>When the King heard this, his heart was heavy within him, for of all his -daughters Psyche was the dearest to him, so he returned home very -sorrowful. The two older sisters cared little for his sadness, but -Psyche, who<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247">{247}</a></span> loved him tenderly, was grieved, and she went to him and -said, “My father, why are you so sorrowful and downcast?”</p> - -<p>For a long time the King would not tell her what it was that troubled -him, but she was so urgent in her questions that at last he could keep -silence no longer, and he said, “My daughter, thy beauty is so great -that it has drawn upon us the anger of the gods, and even Aphrodite -herself is jealous of thee. The oracle at Miletus has spoken and has -told me that I and thou and thy sisters and all the city with us will be -destroyed, unless a certain sacrifice is made.”</p> - -<p>Then Psyche asked him what was the sacrifice the gods demanded, and her -father answered, “Thou thyself, Psyche, art the sacrifice.”</p> - -<p>When Psyche heard that, she cried aloud with terror, but presently she -asked her father how she was to be sacrificed, and he told her what else -the oracle had said, that she was to be taken out to a high mountain and -left there to be devoured by a monster the gods would send.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248">{248}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then Psyche wept bitterly, but at last she said, “It is better that one -should perish than that all should be destroyed together. So let the -sacrifice be made, even as the oracle has directed.”</p> - -<p>Then, soon afterward, Psyche was made ready; she was dressed as a bride, -in shining garments, and hung about with jewels, and at the time set by -the oracle, she was taken out and left alone upon the mountain. None -might stay to comfort her or to watch with her for the coming of the -monster.</p> - -<p>But no sooner was she alone than Eros caused her to fall into a deep -sleep, and while she slept he carried her away to a secret palace he had -prepared for her. All about the palace were gardens, with shining -temples and fountains and winding paths and trees that bore all sorts of -strange and delicious fruits. The palace itself was very beautiful. The -walls were of ivory and cedar, and the roof was of gold. The ceilings -were of shining blue, set with precious stones like stars, and the -pillars that supported it were also of gold, wrought with shapes of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249">{249}</a></span> -flowers and leaves and birds; and the floor was of stones of beautiful -colors set in strange patterns.</p> - -<p>It was in this palace that Psyche awakened and, wondering, looked about -her.</p> - -<p>Suddenly the voices of unseen maidens spoke to her sweetly, bidding her -have no fear. “We are your servants, Psyche,” they told her. “This -palace, these gardens, and we who are to serve you are the gift of one -who loves you. He desires only your happiness, and for you to be his -bride.”</p> - -<p>Then all fear left Psyche, and she rose up and wandered through the -gardens, and from room to room of the palace, and everywhere she saw new -beauties. Soft music followed her, and in one place a feast of strange -and delicious foods and drinks was served to her, but she saw no one. -Everything was done for her by invisible hands.</p> - -<p>All day Psyche amused herself by examining the beautiful things about -the palace and garden, and then, as night drew on, and she became weary, -she laid herself down upon a magnificent couch that had been prepared -for her.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250">{250}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then suddenly, in the darkness, Psyche heard footsteps coming nearer and -nearer. Filled with terror, she listened. She feared it was the monster -that the gods were to send, and that it was coming now to destroy her. -But a voice, softer and sweeter than any she had ever heard, spoke to -her out of the darkness, bidding her have no fear.</p> - -<p>“I am thy own true lover, Psyche,” said the voice. “It is for thee I -prepared this palace and these gardens. Only love me in return, and our -happiness will be so great that even the gods themselves can know no -greater.”</p> - -<p>Then Psyche was filled with joy and with love for the one who spoke to -her so tenderly, and who had prepared all this happiness for her.</p> - -<p>All night he stayed with her, and they held sweet talk together, but in -the early morning, before it was light, he left her, and she knew -nothing of how this unknown lover looked, but only that he was wise and -kind and tender.</p> - -<p>Now every day Psyche wandered through<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251">{251}</a></span> the gardens or amused herself in -the palace, and feasted and heard sweet music, and was served in every -thing by unseen hands, and every night her unknown lover came to her, -but always he left before the morning and so she never saw him.</p> - -<p>For a long time Psyche was very happy, but after a while she began to -think of her father and her sisters, and her heart yearned for them so -that she became sad and lonely.</p> - -<p>One night she said to her lover, “Am I never again to see my father, nor -the sisters who are so dear to me?”</p> - -<p>Then the unknown one asked her, “Are you so soon weary of me, Psyche?”</p> - -<p>“I am not weary of you,” answered the Princess, “but I long with all my -heart to see my sisters that I may know that it is well with them, and -that they may know that it is well with me also. If I could see them but -once only, then I would be contented.”</p> - -<p>Her unknown lover was silent for a while, and then he said. “I love you -so dearly that I can refuse you nothing, Psyche. I will bring<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252">{252}</a></span> your -sisters here to visit you, but they may stay with you only for three -days, and you must tell them nothing of me, however they may question -you, and if they offer you advice, you must not take it. Do not even -listen to it. Remember, if you disobey me, great sorrow will come upon -you and upon me also.”</p> - -<p>Psyche was filled with joy at the thought that she was once more to see -her sisters, and eagerly she promised to heed the warnings of her lover -and to obey him in all things. But all night Eros (for it was he who was -her lover) was very sad and silent, for he feared that this wish of -Psyche’s would bring some misfortune on them.</p> - -<p>The next night Eros caused Psyche’s sisters to fall into a deep sleep, -and while they were sleeping Zephyrus, who governs the winds, lifted -them up and carried them to a room in Psyche’s palace and left them -there.</p> - -<p>In the morning, when the sisters awoke, they were amazed to find -themselves in an unknown palace, and their wonder was even greater when -Psyche came hastening to greet<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253">{253}</a></span> them, and when they found the palace and -all that was in it and the gardens round about it were hers, and were -all the gift of a lover, who had brought her there the day she was left -upon the mountain.</p> - -<p>Psyche questioned them about their father and all that had happened -since she had left them, and after she had heard all there was to tell, -she took them through the palace and showed them the treasures, and led -them through the gardens, and they heard the music, and were served by -unseen hands. The more they saw, the more they wondered, and they became -very envious of Psyche. They asked her about the one who had given her -all these things, but Psyche turned these questions aside and would not -talk with them of her lover.</p> - -<p>At the end of three days, when the time came for her sisters to leave -her, Psyche bade them choose what they would have of all they had seen -in the palace. She loaded them with jewels and treasures, and nothing -they asked for was refused them. Then they fell asleep, and in their -sleep Zephyrus carried them back again<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254">{254}</a></span> to their father’s castle, to the -place whence he had brought them, and the gifts that Psyche had given -them he left beside them.</p> - -<p>After this Psyche was contented for a time and then once more she began -to long to see her sisters, and she begged Eros to bring them to visit -her as before.</p> - -<p>“Psyche, do not ask me,” said Eros. “I feel that if they come again, -some misfortune will surely fall upon us.”</p> - -<p>But still Psyche begged and entreated him to bring them to her, until he -could refuse no longer. Again he caused the sisters to fall into a deep -sleep, and again Zephyrus bore them to the palace where Psyche awaited -them.</p> - -<p>But this time the sisters brought but little joy with them. All the -while they had been away they had been growing more and more envious of -Psyche, so that now they could scarcely hide from her their jealousy of -her good fortune.</p> - -<p>“Why should Psyche have all these things,” said they to each other, “and -we have nothing except such gifts as she is pleased to make to us?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255">{255}</a></span>”</p> - -<p>Then they began to talk to her about her husband. “He must be some -horrible monster,” said they. “Otherwise why should he only come in -darkness and never let you see him? No doubt he is the very monster for -whom you were left upon the mountain. Oh, Psyche! Your fate is surely -most unhappy in that you are married to such a creature.”</p> - -<p>At first Psyche tried not to listen to them, but still they talked and -whispered until at last she became frightened, and each night she -dreaded the coming of her husband, fearing he was indeed some monster, -and that, in the end, he would devour her.</p> - -<p>Then came the last night that her sisters were to be with her, and just -before they went to rest they called Psyche to their chamber and gave -her a lamp and a dagger.</p> - -<p>“Dearest sister, we wish, if possible to save you,” said they. “Here are -a lamp and a dagger. To-night, when your husband is sleeping, you must -rise quietly from his side and take the lamp and look at him. Then if, -as we believe, you find he is a monster, drive this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256">{256}</a></span> dagger into his -heart. So you will rid the world of him and save yourself alive, for -unless you do this, he will certainly sometime destroy you.”</p> - -<p>Trembling Psyche took the lamp and the dagger and promised to hide them -in the little room that was beyond her sleeping chamber and to use the -dagger as they directed if she found that what they feared were so. Then -she kissed her sisters farewell, for she knew the time had come for them -to leave her.</p> - -<p>That night Eros came to Psyche as usual, and she let him know nothing of -what she and her sisters had planned against him. He was so gentle -toward her, and so tender that she could not but love him, and then she -remembered her sisters’ warnings and hardened her heart against him.</p> - -<p>She waited until he was sleeping, and then she slipped away and took up -the lamp in one hand and the dagger in the other. Returning, she held -the lamp above him and looked down at him.</p> - -<p>What were her joy and awe and wonder to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257">{257}</a></span> find it was no monster, but -Eros, the God of Love himself who was her husband.</p> - -<p>As she still bent above him, entranced by his beauty, one drop of hot -oil from the lamp fell upon his shoulder.</p> - -<p>Then Eros sprang up from his slumbers and looked at her with grief and -indignation.</p> - -<p>“What have you done!” he cried. “Oh, unhappy one! Why did you not obey -my warnings? Now I must leave you, and grief and sorrow must be your -portion. Farewell, unhappy Psyche.”</p> - -<p>With these words he vanished from before her, and at the same time the -palace and the gardens and all that were in them faded away like the -mist of the morning.</p> - -<p>Psyche was alone upon a wide and desolate plain. Dawn was breaking, and -a cold wind blew about her.</p> - -<p>“Eros! Eros!” cried Psyche; but no one answered.</p> - -<p>Then Psyche wept aloud in bitter despair; and she rose and wrapped her -garments about her against the wind and set off across the plain.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258">{258}</a></span></p> - -<p>For a long time she journeyed on, but whither she knew not, until at -last she came to a wood and heard a sound of piping. She followed the -sound and presently came to a place where the god Pan sat, playing upon -his pipes, and all about him creatures of the wood, both large and -small, had gathered to listen to his music.</p> - -<p>Then Psyche cried to him in her grief. “Oh, Pan, you who wander far and -near, tell me where is Eros, that I may follow him and find him.”</p> - -<p>But Pan answered, “I know not, Psyche. Ask Demeter, the Earth-mother. -She is very wise, and if he is on this earth, she is the one who can -tell you where to find him.”</p> - -<p>So Psyche went on farther and came to where Demeter, the kind -Earth-mother, was watching the fields and meadows and the harvesters at -their work.</p> - -<p>Then Psyche said to her, “Oh, Demeter, you who know all things, tell me -where my husband Eros has fled to that I may follow and find him.”</p> - -<p>The Earth-mother answered, “He is not on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259">{259}</a></span> earth, Psyche. When the hot -oil fell upon him and burned him, he fled back to Olympus, the home of -the gods, for it is there his mother Aphrodite dwells. Now he is with -her, for she and she alone can heal the wound that you have caused him.”</p> - -<p>Then Psyche wept even more bitterly still, and she said, “I will go to -Aphrodite and tell her of my grief and sorrow, and then it may be that -she will let me speak with Eros, and that he will forgive me.”</p> - -<p>But Demeter replied, “Be careful, Psyche, for Aphrodite hates you with a -bitter hatred, and if she could she would gladly destroy you. Eros, too, -is angry with you, and you can hardly hope he will forgive you, for you -have caused him great sorrow and suffering.”</p> - -<p>“Nevertheless,” said Psyche, “I will go to Aphrodite, for unless Eros -will forgive me and take me back into his love, I do not care to live.”</p> - -<p>So Psyche journeyed on and on until at last she came to Olympus and to -the place where Aphrodite had her dwelling. When the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260">{260}</a></span> goddess saw Psyche -she was glad at heart, for she thought, “Now Psyche has come to me it -will be a strange thing if I cannot get her entirely into my power and -punish her as she deserves.” But even as she thought thus, she wondered -at Psyche’s beauty, for it was very great.</p> - -<p>Then Psyche asked if she might speak with Eros, but the goddess answered -harshly, “Eros has no wish to see you. You deceived and wounded him so -that he fled to me for comfort. But I will set you a task to prove you, -and if you can perform it, then perhaps I will speak of you to Eros and -plead with him to forgive you; but if you fail, then you shall give -yourself over to me, for me to do with you as I please.”</p> - -<p>And Psyche answered, “No task is too hard for me if only Eros will -forgive me.”</p> - -<p>So Aphrodite took her into a room where there was a great heap of every -kind of grain, barley and millet and wheat and poppy and beans and many -others, and they were all mixed together so that it was difficult to -tell one from another.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261">{261}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then Aphrodite said, “Your task is to separate these seeds one from -another. Each kind must be put by itself in a separate heap, and all -this must be done before evening.” So saying, Aphrodite turned away and -left her.</p> - -<p>As Psyche looked at the heap of grain, she knew the task that Aphrodite -had set her was one that it was impossible to perform, and she was -frightened at the thought of what Aphrodite might do to her if she -failed.</p> - -<p>Now though Eros was still angry with Psyche, he had no wish to leave her -entirely to the cruelty of his mother, so he sent an army of ants to -help her. Thousands upon thousands he sent, and the ants seized the -grains and dragged them apart, each kind to itself, while Psyche watched -and wondered. As if by magic the heap was separated, and each kind of -grain was gathered off by itself, and when the task was finished the -ants disappeared again; not one of them was left.</p> - -<p>Toward evening Aphrodite came to the room where she had left Psyche, and -her heart was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262">{262}</a></span> filled with triumph, for she had no doubt but that she -would find the task unfinished and would then have the Princess in her -power.</p> - -<p>But what was her rage and wonder to find the grains separated and lying -in different heaps about the room, each kind by itself as she had -commanded.</p> - -<p>“And now will you ask Eros to forgive me?” asked Psyche timidly.</p> - -<p>But Aphrodite answered, “Wait until to-morrow. Then we will talk of it.”</p> - -<p>But the next day the goddess set another task for Psyche. She bade her -go out to where her sheep were pastured, and fetch her back a bagful of -their golden wool.</p> - -<p>Now the sheep of Aphrodite were very fierce and terrible, so that no one -might approach them without being torn to pieces. This Psyche knew, but -she thought, “Better to perish at once than suffer from the wrath of -Aphrodite.”</p> - -<p>So she took the bag the goddess gave her and set out for the pasture. -But on the way she met Pan, and he had pity on her because of her beauty -and her sorrow.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263">{263}</a></span></p> - -<p>“Psyche, do not venture near the pasture,” he warned her. “Wait until -evening when the sheep are resting and then turn aside into yonder wood, -and gather the wool you will find there in the thickets; for in the heat -of the day the sheep take shelter there, and their wool catches on the -thorns and briers and is torn from them.”</p> - -<p>Gratefully Psyche thanked him for his advice, and she waited until on -toward evening, and then stole into the wood and there about her, on -thorny branches, glittered the tufts of golden wool the sheep had left -behind them. Psyche gathered them, handful after handful, until her bag -was full, and then she hastened back with it to Aphrodite.</p> - -<p>When the goddess saw that again Psyche had succeeded, her heart was hot -within her. But when the Princess asked her, “Will you not yet plead for -me with Eros?” the goddess answered, “Wait until to-morrow. It may be -that he himself may wish to see you.”</p> - -<p>But on the morrow it was a new task that she set for Psyche. She gave -her a crystal urn, and bade her take it to the fountain of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264">{264}</a></span> Oblivion, -and there fill it with water, and fetch it back with her.</p> - -<p>Now the fountain of Oblivion flows forth black and cold as ice from a -deep crevice in a rock at the top of a high mountain, and the rock is so -steep that it is impossible for any human being to climb it. Thence the -waters pour down through a deep channel, and this channel is guarded on -either side by dragons that never sleep.</p> - -<p>Psyche took the urn and set forth upon her journey, and as she journeyed -on her way she wept, for she knew that no one could go near the stream -of Oblivion and live, because of the dragons that guarded it.</p> - -<p>But once more Eros had pity on her, and he asked of Zeus, the -All-Father, that he would lend him his eagle, that it might take the urn -and carry it to the fountain and fill it, and return with it to Psyche.</p> - -<p>Zeus, the All-Father did not refuse, and so as Psyche sat resting by the -wayside, the eagle swept down upon her, and caught the urn from her -hand, and flew away with it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265">{265}</a></span></p> - -<p>And now Psyche believed she was indeed lost, for how could she return to -Aphrodite and tell her that not only had she failed to fetch the water, -but that the crystal urn had been stolen from her also.</p> - -<p>But while she stood there, afraid either to return or to go forward, she -heard again a great beating of wings, and the eagle returned to her. She -saw that he still had the urn, but now it was full of the dark and icy -water for which she had been sent.</p> - -<p>Then Psyche rejoiced and took the urn from the eagle and hastened back -to Aphrodite. When the goddess saw that once more Psyche had fulfilled -her bidding, her brow grew black with fury.</p> - -<p>“One more task, and one more only will I set you,” said the goddess. -“Take this box and journey to the lower regions where Persephone is -Queen; beg from her a bit of her beauty and bring it back to me in this -box, for the Feast of the Gods is soon to be given, and I wish to adorn -myself with it.”</p> - -<p>And now Psyche indeed believed herself<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266">{266}</a></span> lost, for never had human being -journeyed to those lower regions where Persephone was Queen and returned -again to the green earth above. In her despair she thought, “Better that -I should perish at once than suffer longer from the anger of Aphrodite,” -and she went up to the top of a high tower, intending to throw herself -from it and so put an end to her sorrows.</p> - -<p>But this tower was an enchanted place, and when she had climbed to the -top of it, a voice spoke to her and bade her take courage.</p> - -<p>“It is possible to do as Aphrodite has commanded and still live,” said -the voice. “Only listen carefully and do in all things as thou shalt now -be directed, and thou mayest win for her the beauty she asks.”</p> - -<p>The voice then told her she must go to the city of Achaia. Near to it -was a mountain; in this mountain was a gap, narrow and dark, and from -this gap a pathway led down to the lower regions where Persephone was -Queen. It was this path that Psyche must follow.</p> - -<p>“But take with thee in thy mouth two pieces of silver money,” said the -voice, “and in each<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267">{267}</a></span> hand a piece of barley bread soaked in honey, for -these thou wilt need if thou wouldst reach the palace of Persephone in -safety.” The voice also told her that after she had followed the path -for a short distance, she would meet an old man driving a lame ass -loaded with wood. This old man would beg and beseech her to help him, -but she must pay no heed, but pass on in silence, for it was Aphrodite -who would send him there to tempt her to give up either the bread or -money.</p> - -<p>Soon after she would come to the great black river Styx, and there she -would find the boatman Charon waiting. He it is who ferries the souls of -the dead across the water. After she had entered the boat she was to -allow Charon to take from her lips one of the two pieces of money in -payment for ferrying her over. As she crossed a face would rise above -the water and beg her for the other piece of money, but still she must -keep silence and pay no heed to any entreaties, for this face also was a -snare set for her by Aphrodite, to make her give up the other piece of -money.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268">{268}</a></span></p> - -<p>After she had crossed the river, she would see before her the palace of -Persephone, and at the gate the fierce three-headed dog Cerberus, who -stands ever guarding it against those who would enter. To him she must -give a piece of the bread, still without speaking, and then he would -allow her to pass by him.</p> - -<p>She would then be brought before Persephone, but here, also, would -danger await her. A feast would be set before her, and she would be -urged to eat, but no crumb or drop must pass her lips, for whosoever -eats or drinks with Persephone may never again return from her palace to -the green world of sunshine above. But if she were steadfast and neither -ate nor drank, nor spoke one word, Persephone would give her in the box -the beauty that Aphrodite desired. Then on her return she must give the -second piece of bread to Cerberus, that he might let her pass, and to -Charon the other piece of money, that he might ferry her over in safety.</p> - -<p>“But oh, Psyche, open not the box, nor look within it,” counseled the -voice, “for if<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269">{269}</a></span> thou shouldst raise the lid, then all thy labors will -have been in vain, and the wrath of Aphrodite will surely overtake -thee.”</p> - -<p>Until the voice was silent, Psyche stood and listened, and all that was -said she stored away in her heart and remembered; and when it was still -she came down at once from the tower and set out for the city of Achaia.</p> - -<p>Long and rough was the journey, but at last she came to the city, and -there she procured for herself the two pieces of silver money and the -barley bread soaked with honey. With these she set out for the mountain -that lay over beyond the city. There she found the gap of which the -voice had told her, and she followed the path that led down from it, and -always away from the green and sunlit world above her and toward the -darker world of the lower regions where Persephone reigns.</p> - -<p>Before she had gone far, she met the old man driving the ass, even as -the voice had warned her, and he looked so poor and miserable, and -begged so piteously for help, that Psyche’s heart melted within her, and -she longed to give him<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270">{270}</a></span> either bread or money, but she remembered the -voice and its warnings and passed by him without speaking.</p> - -<p>Soon she came to the river, and saw the boat lying there, and the dark -boatman Charon. She stepped into the boat, and he took from her lips one -of the pieces of silver. In silence he rowed her out upon the river.</p> - -<p>Then up through the water rose a face, and two hands were stretched out -to her; and it seemed to Psyche the face was the face of her father. He -begged and pleaded with her to give him the other piece of money, that -Charon might row him also across the water.</p> - -<p>Then it seemed to Psyche that it would break her heart to refuse him, -but again she remembered the voice that had warned her, and she knew -that the face and the hands were only an appearance caused by Aphrodite, -and that it was sent there to tempt her so that she would give up her -money and never be able to return from those lower regions. So she kept -silence, and the face and hands sank back under the water out of her -sight.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" id="ill_008" style="width: 487px;"> -<a href="images/p270.jpg"> -<img src="images/p270.jpg" width="487" height="600" alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Soon she came to the river, and saw the boat lying there. -<i><a href="#page_270">Page 270</a></i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271">{271}</a></span></p> - -<p>Soon after she came to the other side of the river and stepped out from -the boat; there she saw before her a palace more beautiful than any she -had ever beheld except the one where she had lived in joy with Eros. But -before the gateway stood the three-headed dog Cerberus, and his -appearance was very terrible, and his barkings so loud and fierce that -Psyche trembled.</p> - -<p>Then she threw to him one of the pieces of bread soaked in honey, and at -once he was silent and allowed her to pass by him and enter the palace.</p> - -<p>There within the palace everything was very beautiful, but the most -beautiful thing in it was Persephone. She made Psyche welcome, and soft -cushions were given her to rest on, and a magnificent feast was set -before her. Psyche looked at it with longing.</p> - -<p>“Eat, my child,” said Persephone, “for your journey has been long, and -this food and drink will refresh you.” But Psyche refused.</p> - -<p>Then at last Persephone said, “I know why you have come,—that it is to -carry back with<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272">{272}</a></span> you a portion of my beauty. Give me the box you brought -with you.”</p> - -<p>Half doubting her, Psyche gave her the box and Persephone took it and -went away; but soon she returned again and gave the box back into -Psyche’s hands.</p> - -<p>“Take it,” said Persephone. “Well and wisely hast thou performed thy -task. Now return to Aphrodite and give her the box, for in it is the -beauty for which she sent thee.”</p> - -<p>Then Psyche, still in silence, took the box, and hastened away from the -castle and returned the way she had come. When Cerberus raised his -dreadful barking, she threw him the other piece of bread, and he was -silent and allowed her once more to pass in safety.</p> - -<p>Soon she came again to the river, and found the dark boatman waiting, -and she entered his boat, and he took from her the second piece of money -and rowed her back to the other side.</p> - -<p>There Psyche left him and followed in haste along the path that led to -the upper world and sunlight, but on the way she was weary and sat down -to rest. Then she looked at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273">{273}</a></span> box she carried, and more and more she -longed to see the gift of beauty that Persephone had sent to Aphrodite. -At last her curiosity grew so great that it was like a fire burning her, -and she could bear it no longer, but opened the box and looked inside.</p> - -<p>Then at once the beauty that was in it rose like a pale mist and hovered -over Psyche’s head, and she fell into a deep slumber.</p> - -<p>Now indeed the wrath of Aphrodite would have destroyed her as she lay -there helpless, had not Eros come to her to protect and save her. For he -was now cured of his wound, and his love for Psyche had returned, and -his pain and the anger he had felt toward her were forgotten. So he came -to where she lay, and caught her up, and carried her to Zeus, who reigns -high on Olympus. And Eros entreated Zeus to protect Psyche from the -anger of his mother and to make her also a goddess, so that she need no -longer fear Aphrodite.</p> - -<p>To this Zeus consented, and he touched Psyche, and woke her from her -sleep, and made of her a goddess.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274">{274}</a></span></p> - -<p>Then she was made welcome by all the other gods and goddesses, and -Aphrodite was obliged to give up her anger, for it is the will of Zeus -that there shall be peace among all those who dwell on high Olympus.</p> - -<p>After that a great marriage feast was prepared in honor of Eros and -Psyche, and to it came all the gods and goddesses, and drank and -feasted. Then Eros took his bride away to a palace that Zeus had given -them, and which was even more magnificent than the one where Eros had -first carried Psyche; and there they lived together in great joy and -happiness.</p> - -<p>But Psyche’s two sisters were punished as they deserved, for Eros -appeared to each one of them in a dream and promised that if she would -go to the top of a high cliff and throw herself over, then he would take -her as a wife in place of Psyche. Each of them believed her dream, and -each secretly, and unknown to the other, went to the cliff and threw -herself over, and so perished miserably.</p> - -<p>But Psyche lived happy forever after in the palace in high Olympus with -her husband Eros.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275">{275}</a></span></p> - -<p class="c"> <br /><img src="images/colophon.png" -width="80" -alt="[Image unavailable.]" /></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277">{277}</a></span><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276">{276}</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c"><i>Fairy Tales from Old Worlds Across the Sea</i></p> - -<div class="bboxx"> - -<p class="cbig250">TALES OF FOLK AND FAIRIES</p> -</div> - -<p class="c"><i>By</i> KATHARINE PYLE</p> - -<p class="c">Author of</p> - -<p class="c">“Wonder Tales Retold,” “In the Green Forest,” etc.</p> - -<p class="c">With Illustrations by the author.</p> - -<hr class="fift" /> - -<p>From the old worlds across the seas come these fairy tales,—from -Scotland and Scandinavia, from the Cossacks and the Russians and the -Serbians, from Persia and India and Arabia and Bengal. There are stories -of enchanted princes and bewitched princesses, of brave deeds and clever -ones, of wonderful things like talking eggs and a magic pipe and a -carpet that flew and a turban that made its wearer invisible. There are -tales for boys, like that one of the brave lad who killed the -“Stoorworm”; there are stories for girls, as that one about the wise -girl who could guess the hardest riddle the King could ask. And there -are stories about animals and birds for both boys and girls, such as -“The Jackal and the Alligator” and the story of the beautiful black -horse that befriended the widow’s son.</p> - -<p>They have all been translated directly from the folk-lore of these -far-away countries and tell of the wonderful things that used to happen -there commonly enough when the world was young and people had not lost -their faith in witches and enchantments. American children will enjoy -them quite as much as do their little cousins across the water.</p> - -<hr class="fift" /> - -<p class="c"> -LITTLE, BROWN & CO., <span class="smcap">Publishers</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">34 Beacon Street, Boston</span><br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278">{278}</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c"><i>Fifteen old-world fairy tales, taken from the folk-lore of a dozen -different lands</i></p> - -<div class="bboxx"> - -<p class="cbig250">TALES OF WONDER AND MAGIC</p> -</div> - -<p class="c"><i>By</i> KATHARINE PYLE</p> - -<p class="c">Author of</p> - -<p class="c">“Wonder Tales Retold,” “In the Green Forest,” “Tales of Folk and -Fairies,” etc.</p> - -<hr class="fift" /> - -<p class="c">With illustrations by the author.</p> - -<p class="c"> -<i>12 mo.</i> <span style="margin-left: 2em; -margin-right:2em;"><i>Cloth.</i></span> <i>314 pages</i><br /> -</p> - -<p>This volume of fairy tales includes stories from Ireland, Wales, Japan, -the East Indies, Sweden, Denmark, etc. They tell of enchanted princes -and princesses, of brave and wonderful deeds, of magic worked by evil -demons and overcome by the greater power of good spirits.</p> - -<p>Sometimes there is a beautiful princess to be rescued; sometimes a -fortune to be won; sometimes a hard task to be performed,—an impossible -feat for ordinary lads and lassies. But in fairy tales nothing is -impossible to youth and beauty and courage, so these shepherd lads and -princesses, kings’ sons and peasant maidens set forth on their wonderful -adventures with brave hearts, and always win through to safety. They are -the sort of stories to enthrall the young folk of to-day.</p> - -<hr class="fift" /> - -<p class="c"> -LITTLE, BROWN & CO., <span class="smcap">Publishers</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">34 Beacon Street, Boston</span><br /> -</p> - -<hr class="full" /> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAIRY TALES FROM FAR AND NEAR ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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