Favorite Fairy Tales: The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women
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Title: Favorite Fairy Tales: The Childhood Choice of Representative Men and Women
Author: Various
Illustrator: Peter Newell
Release date: May 15, 2010 [eBook #32389]
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FAVORITE FAIRY TALES: THE CHILDHOOD CHOICE OF REPRESENTATIVE MEN AND WOMEN ***
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Sam W. and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
FAVORITE
FAIRY TALES
THE CHILDHOOD CHOICE
OF REPRESENTATIVE
MEN AND WOMEN
ILLUSTRATED
BY
PETER NEWELL
[Illustration]
NEW YORK AND LONDON
HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS
MCMVII
Copyright, 1907, by Harper & Brothers.
_All rights reserved._
Published October, 1907.
[Illustration: "Can't you render me some assistance?"
See p. 209]
CONTENTS
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. Charles Perrault
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Arthur Twining Hadley
President of Yale University
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
President of Columbia University
Dr. Henry M. Alden
Editor of _Harper's Magazine_
J. F. Hosic
Professor of English, The Chicago Normal School
J. M. Pereles
Chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission
CINDERELLA; OR, THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER. Charles Perrault
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Thomas R. Lounsbury
Professor of English Yale University
Dr. J. H. Canfield
Librarian of Columbia University
The Honorable John Bigelow
Author and Publicist
J. M. Pereles
And the Children of The Honorable Grover Cleveland
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. Charles Perrault
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
President of the New York Free Kindergarten
Association. Associate Editor of _The Outlook_
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. Charles Perrault
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Shailer Mathews
Professor of Systematic Theology in the University
of Chicago. Editor of _The World To-day_
Dr. Hamilton Wright Mabie
Dr. Henry Van Dyke
Author. Professor of English Literature in
Princeton University
LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. Charles Perrault
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Henry M. Alden
THE UGLY DUCKLING. Hans Christian Andersen
_This Story is the Choice of:_
The Honorable William J. Bryan
Publicist and Editor
Miss Jane Addams
Head Resident of Hull House, Chicago
HOP-O'-MY-THUMB.
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Henry James
Author
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. From the French of Madame Gabrielle de
Villeneuve
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe
Author of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"
LITTLE SNOWDROP.
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Howard Pyle
Artist and Author
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS. Robert Southey
_This Story is the Choice of:_
F. A. Kendall
Secretary of the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle
SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED. Grimm
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Frederick Dielman
President of the National Academy of Design
THE WILD SWANS. Hans Christian Andersen
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Henry Van Dyke
Mrs. Alice Meynell
Poet and Essayist
ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP.
"The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Charles William Eliot
President of Harvard University
Dr. Henry Van Dyke
J. M. Pereles
Dr. Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain)
Author
ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES.
"The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Samuel L. Clemens
Dr. Charles William Eliot
Dr. Lyman Abbott
Editor of _The Outlook_
THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR.
"The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. Lyman Abbott
THE HISTORY OF ALI COGIA, A MERCHANT OF BAGDAD.
"The Arabian Nights' Entertainments"
_This Story is the Choice of:_
Dr. William Dean Howells
Author
ILLUSTRATIONS
"CAN'T YOU RENDER ME SOME ASSISTANCE?" _Frontispiece_
"I WILL BROIL YOU FOR MY BREAKFAST" _Facing p._ 2
THE SLIPPER FITTED EXACTLY " 48
JUST AS HE LAID HIS HAND UPON ONE OF THEM,
THE LITTLE DOG BARKED MOST FURIOUSLY " 66
A YOUNG GIRL OF WONDERFUL BEAUTY LAY ASLEEP
ON AN EMBROIDERED BED " 82
HE ASKED HER POLITELY WHERE SHE WAS GOING " 88
SOME LITTLE CHILDREN THREW PIECES OF BREAD
INTO THE WATER " 114
THE CHILDREN BEGAN TO CRY AS LOUD AS THEY COULD " 120
SHE SAW AT HER FEET A HANDSOME, GRACEFUL YOUNG
PRINCE " 170
"OH, HEAVEN," THEY CRIED, "WHAT A LOVELY CHILD!" " 180
THE VOICE OF THE LITTLE, SMALL, WEE BEAR
AWAKENED HER AT ONCE " 200
ELISE SAW AN ICE PALACE, WITH ONE BOLD COLONNADE
BUILT ABOVE ANOTHER " 238
"I AM THE SLAVE OF THE RING, AND WILL OBEY THEE
IN ALL THINGS" " 260
CASSIM FORGETS THE MAGIC WORD " 294
THE MERCHANTS BEGAN THEIR SHOUTING TO FRIGHTEN
THE EAGLES " 318
THE CALIPH LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN'S COURT " 342
_Decorative borders by
Francis I. Bennett_
INTRODUCTION
What are the best fairy stories? Are they not those which have lived
most vividly in active minds? The ripeness of after life works its
changes; but we are not dealing with literary judgments--rather with
the choice of childhood which fortunately lingers in memory, whatever
store of wisdom may come in later years. There is here no question of
the new or unusual. On the contrary, it is the ideas or visions handed
down for generations or centuries and set in final form that remain
with us as types of fancy or wisdom. Of these there are so many that a
selection is essential. No one book can be a complete treasure-house
of all the imagination, humor, and sentiment of the fairy tale. But it
has been possible to obtain a representative judgment for this volume
which we believe to be of peculiar worth.
This book gives us the favorite fairy tales of men and women who have
gained eminence in American life. It is a book, therefore, based upon
an original plan, which stands by itself. Any collection formed by one
person must reflect personal preferences. It must have obvious
limitations, however excellent--as in the case of Miss Mulock or
Laboulaye--the choice of the single editor may be. But to a large
extent such a collection as this represents that consensus of opinion
which invests a given work with the rank of a classic. The desire of
the publishers has been to determine the youthful preferences of those
whose opinions carry weight and to present their selections among the
wealth of fairy tales which the world cherishes from one generation
to another. Such a thing as a collection of _all_ good fairy tales
would be unthinkably cumbersome. We need guidance and selection. For
the expressions of personal choice afforded in the interests of this
book, the publishers desire to offer their grateful acknowledgments.
It has happened naturally that more than one vote has been cast for
the same story. For example, the president of Yale, in his selection
of "Jack the Giant-killer," had the companionship of the president of
Columbia and of the editor of _Harper's Magazine_, who are really
represented, therefore, by a second choice. The three stories
preferred by the chairman of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission had
all been preferred by others.
But "Cinderella" is evidently quite the equal of "Jack the
Giant-killer" in the affections of readers, and the choice of this
well-loved tale has been accompanied by some charming letters from
which it is impossible not to quote.
Thus the Hon. John Bigelow writes: "Perrault's story of Cinderella
made the deepest impression upon me. It is the only one from which I
can now remember to have received a distinct and permanent ethical
impression."
"I am not really conscious of any special preference for one fairy
story over another," wrote Professor Lounsbury, "but as somebody, it
seems to me, ought to stand up for sentiment, I am going to vote for
'Cinderella.' I hesitated a moment about 'The Sleeping Beauty,' but I
leave that for one younger."
In a letter rich in personal quality, the Hon. Grover Cleveland wrote:
"My youthful days are so far away, and fairy stories had so little to
do with their enjoyment, that I do not feel that I ought to venture an
opinion on such an important subject as that to which you refer. For
want of a better thing to do, I have submitted the question to my
children, and so far as I am able to determine, the canvass of their
votes is in favor of 'Cinderella.' It is only fair to say that two of
the three to whom the question was submitted are little girls."
Another glimpse of domestic sympathy comes in the choice of the Hon.
William J. Bryan, editor and author, as well as publicist, who says:
"My wife assures me that I shall make no mistake if I commend the
tales of Hans Christian Andersen, notably that of 'The Ugly
Duckling.'"
It is a change from public life to the world of letters to find Dr.
Van Dyke and Dr. Mabie in agreement with Dr. Shailer Mathews regarding
the rank of "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood." But it is not to this
that Dr. Van Dyke gives precedence. "If my memory serves me right," he
says, "the first fairy story which made a strong impression on my
mind in boyhood was that of 'Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp.' Next
after that in time, and, I think, a little beyond it in interest, came
the story of the 'Seven Wild Swans,' and next to that the story of
'The Sleeping Beauty.'"
As to "Hop o' My Thumb" we may be pardoned for quoting the close of a
singularly delightful letter from Mr. Henry James, who says: "It is
the vague memory of this sense of him, as some small, precious object,
like a lost gem or a rare and beautiful insect on which one might
inadvertently tread, or might find under the sofa or behind the
window-cushion, that leads me to think of 'Hop o' My Thumb' as my
earliest and sweetest and most repeated cupful at the fount of
fiction."
Quite literally a world removed from this was the answer of the modest
Japanese conqueror, General Kuroki, who laughed at first and
disclaimed Japan's possession of fairy tales as we understand them. "I
always tried to forget fairy tales," he said; "but of nursery stories
I think the most popular and the most widely known in Japan is the
story of Momotaro." But this tale of the "son of a peach," which
relates the conquest of a stronghold of devils, and the rescue of two
daughters of daimios does not come within the scope of this volume.
A broader choice than those which have been quoted is afforded by Mrs.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward, who writes: "As a child I was a great
reader and lover (and a small creator) of fairy tales. But of them all
the only ones which come readily to my mind are Hans Christian
Andersen's." Equally comprehensive is the answer of Mrs. Georgia A.
Kendrick, the lady principal of Vassar College: "Grimm's tales stand
to me for the best of that kind of lore."
An even more catholic liking breathes in the answer of President
Woodrow Wilson, who declares: "The truth is that I was so voracious of
fairy tales when I was a small boy, that I loved them all almost
equally well, and cannot now say that I had any favorite. All was
grist that came to my mill. I am very much interested in the
undertaking, and wish it all success."
In some cases, much to the regret of the publishers, it has not been
possible to include a choice. Thus Dr. John S. Billings, librarian of
the New York Public Library, tells us that the story which made the
most impression upon him was the "Nibelungenlied" as presented by
Carlyle in the _Westminster Review_ for July, 1831, of which an odd
number came in his way when he was a boy. "I did not understand one
quarter of it," Dr. Billings writes, "but what I did impressed me
greatly. If I had to select from Perrault's fairy tales, I should
probably agree with Dr. Hadley"--another tribute to the perennial
charm of "Jack the Giant-killer."
The interest of these personal literary experiences justify a
quotation from Dr. E. G. Cooley, superintendent of the Chicago
schools: "I was pretty well grown," he writes, "before any of this
literature reached me. My people were not believers in fairy stories,
and circumstances did not put them in my way. My boyhood hero was
Eumenes, as described in the second volume of Rollin's _Ancient
History_." Unfortunately the scope of the present volume has not
permitted the inclusion of Carlyle's version of the "Nibelungenlied"
or of Rollin's tale of Eumenes, or of the old ballad of "The Children
in the Wood," which was the choice of Dr. W. H. Maxwell, City
Superintendent of Schools in New York.
While the reply of that sincere nature-lover, John Burroughs,
represents a gospel of negation, yet there is a vivid suggestiveness
in the later interest of the man--one whose sympathies and perception
have remained fresh and wholly sincere. "The truth is," he writes, "I
knew no fairy stories in my youth. That kind of literature did not
come within my reach. Our school library held no novels or fairy
books. An old woman who visited our house used to tell us youngsters
the story of 'Jack and the Bean-stalk,' and 'Jack the Giant-killer,'
'Bluebeard,' etc. When I had a boy of my own, I used to read Hans
Christian Andersen to him, and get quite as much interested as he did.
I do not recall that I ever read any fairy tales before Andersen's,
and did not read these till past middle life."
It may be said again that while this book lays no claim to
comprehensiveness, we believe that its personal guidance represents a
high value which is fitly reinforced by the distinctive imagination
of Mr. Peter Newell. In the light of his quaint fancy, unexpected
humor, and sympathetic insight, these classic tales reveal a new store
of riches, and are clothed with a charm which even those of us who
love them had not foreseen.
In the majority of cases these stories reproduce the excellent
versions given in Miss Mulock's _Fairy Book_ (Harper & Brothers). But
the publishers desire to acknowledge the courtesy of Messrs. Longmans,
Green & Co., for their permission to reproduce the admirable versions
of "Aladdin," the "Forty Thieves," and the "Story of the Three Bears"
from their _Blue and Green Fairy Books_, edited by Mr. Andrew Lang.
The "Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor" is from the series edited by
Mr. W. T. Stead, entitled, _Books for the Bairns_.
FAVORITE FAIRY TALES
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
In the reign of the famous King Arthur, there lived, near the Land's
End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer who had an
only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a bold temper; he took pleasure
in hearing or reading stories of wizards, conjurors, giants, and
fairies, and used to listen eagerly while his father talked of the
great deeds of the brave knights of King Arthur's Round Table. When
Jack was sent to take care of the sheep and oxen in the fields, he
used to to amuse himself with planning battles, sieges, and the means
to conquer or surprise a foe. He was above the common sports of
children, but hardly any one could equal him at wrestling; or, if he
met with a match for himself in strength, his skill and address always
made him the victor.
In those days there lived on St. Michael's Mount, of Cornwall, which
rises out of the sea at some distance from the main-land, a huge
giant. He was eighteen feet high and three yards round, and his fierce
and savage looks were the terror of all his neighbors. He dwelt in a
gloomy cavern on the very top of the mountain, and used to wade over
to the main-land in search of his prey. When he came near, the people
left their houses; and after he had glutted his appetite upon their
cattle he would throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie three
times as many sheep and hogs round his waist, and so march back to his
own abode.
[Illustration: "I will broil you for my breakfast"]
The giant had done this for many years, and the coast of Cornwall was
greatly hurt by his thefts, when Jack boldly resolved to destroy him.
He therefore took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, and a dark lantern, and
early in a long winter's evening he swam to the Mount. There he fell
to work at once, and before morning he had dug a pit twenty-two feet
deep and almost as many broad. He covered it over with sticks and
straw, and strewed some of the earth over them, to make it look just
like solid ground. He then put his horn to his mouth, and blew such a
loud and long tantivy that the giant awoke and came towards Jack,
roaring like thunder: "You saucy villain, you shall pay dearly for
breaking my rest; I will broil you for my breakfast." He had scarcely
spoken these words when he came advancing one step farther; but then
he tumbled headlong into the pit, and his fall shook the very
mountain.
"Oho, Mr. Giant!" said Jack, looking into the pit, "have you found
your way so soon to the bottom? How is your appetite now? Will nothing
serve you for breakfast this cold morning but broiling poor Jack?"
The giant now tried to rise, but Jack struck him a blow on the crown
of the head with his pickaxe, which killed him at once. Jack then made
haste back to rejoice his friends with the news of the giant's death.
When the justices of Cornwall heard of this valiant action, they sent
for Jack, and declared that he should always be called Jack the
Giant-killer; and they also gave him a sword and belt, upon which was
written, in letters of gold:
"This is the valiant Cornishman
Who slew the giant Cormoran."
The news of Jack's exploits soon spread over the western parts of
England; and another giant, called Old Blunderbore, vowed to have
revenge on Jack if it should ever be his fortune to get him into his
power. The giant kept an enchanted castle in the midst of a lonely
wood. About four months after the death of Cormoran, as Jack was
taking a journey into Wales, he passed through this wood, and as he
was very weary he sat down to rest by the side of a pleasant fountain,
and there he fell into a deep sleep. The giant came to the fountain
for water just at this time and found Jack there; and as the lines on
Jack's belt showed who he was, the giant lifted him up and laid him
gently upon his shoulder to carry him to his castle; but as he passed
through the thicket the rustling of the leaves waked Jack, and he was
sadly afraid when he found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore.
Yet this was nothing to his fright soon after; for when they reached
the castle he beheld the floor covered all over with the skulls and
bones of men and women. The giant took him into a large room, where
lay the hearts and limbs of persons who had been lately killed; and he
told Jack, with a horrid grin, that men's hearts, eaten with pepper
and vinegar, were his nicest food, and, also, that he thought he
should make a dainty meal on his heart. When he had said this he
locked Jack up in that room, while he went to fetch another giant, who
lived in the same wood, to enjoy a dinner off Jack's flesh with him.
While he was away, Jack heard dreadful shrieks, groans, and cries from
many parts of the castle; and soon after he heard a mournful voice
repeat these lines:
"Haste, valiant stranger, haste away,
Lest you become the giant's prey.
On his return he'll bring another,
Still more savage than his brother;
A horrid, cruel monster who,
Before he kills, will torture you.
Oh, valiant stranger! haste away,
Or you'll become these giants' prey."
This warning was so shocking to poor Jack that he was ready to go
mad. He ran to the window and saw the two giants coming along arm in
arm. This window was right over the gates of the castle. "Now,"
thought Jack, "either my death or freedom is at hand."
There were two strong cords in the room. Jack made a large noose with
a slip-knot at the ends of both these, and, as the giants were coming
through the gates, he threw the ropes over their heads. He then made
the other ends fast to a beam in the ceiling, and pulled with all his
might, till he had almost strangled them. When he saw that they were
both black in the face, and had not the least strength left, he drew
his sword and slid down the ropes; he then killed the giants, and thus
saved himself from a cruel death. Jack next took a great bunch of keys
from the pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the castle again. He
made a strict search through all the rooms, and in them found three
ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost starved to
death. They told him that their husbands had been killed by the
giants, who had then condemned them to be starved to death, because
they would not eat the flesh of their own dead husbands.
"Ladies," said Jack, "I have put an end to the monster and his wicked
brother; and I give you this castle and all the riches it contains, to
make you some amends for the dreadful pains you have felt." He then
very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went farther on
his journey to Wales.
As Jack had not taken any of the giant's riches for himself, and had
very little money of his own, he thought it best to travel as fast as
he could. At length he lost his way, and when night came on he was in
a lonely valley between two lofty mountains. There he walked about for
some hours, without seeing any dwelling-place, so he thought himself
very lucky at last in finding a large and handsome house. He went up
to it boldly, and knocked loudly at the gate; when, to his great
terror and surprise, there came forth a monstrous giant with two
heads. He spoke to Jack very civilly, for he was a Welsh giant, and
all the mischief he did was by private and secret malice, under the
show of friendship and kindness.
Jack told him that he was a traveller who had lost his way, on which
the huge monster made him welcome, and led him into a room where there
was a good bed in which to pass the night. Jack took off his clothes
quickly; but though he was so weary he could not go to sleep. Soon
after this he heard the giant walking backward and forward in the next
room, and saying to himself:
"Though here you lodge with me this night,
You shall not see the morning light;
My club shall dash your brains out quite."
"Say you so?" thought Jack. "Are these your tricks upon travellers?
But I hope to prove as cunning as you." Then, getting out of bed, he
groped about the room, and at last found a large, thick billet of
wood; he laid it in his own place in the bed, and hid himself in a
dark corner of the room. In the middle of the night the giant came
with his great club, and struck many heavy blows on the bed, in the
very place where Jack had laid the billet, and then he went back to
his own room, thinking he had broken all his bones. Early in the
morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the
giant's room to thank him for his lodging.
The giant started when he saw him, and he began to stammer out: "Oh,
dear me! is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or
see anything in the dead of the night?"
"Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, carelessly; "a rat, I believe,
gave me three or four slaps with his tail, and disturbed me a little,
but I soon went to sleep again."
The giant wondered more and more at this, yet he did not answer a
word, and went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their
breakfast.
Jack wished to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as
himself, so he contrived to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and
slipped the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put it
into his mouth. When breakfast was over, he said to the giant, "Now I
will show you a fine trick; I can cure all wounds with a touch; I
could cut off my head one minute, and the next put it sound again on
my shoulders; you shall see an example." He then took hold of the
knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled
out upon the floor.
"Ods splutter hur nails," cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to
be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack; "hur can do that
hurself." So he snatched up the knife, plunged it into his stomach,
and in a moment dropped down dead.
As soon as Jack had thus tricked the Welsh monster, he went farther on
his journey; and a few days after he met with King Arthur's only son,
who had got his father's leave to travel into Wales, to deliver a
beautiful lady from the power of a wicked magician, by whom she was
held in enchantment. When Jack found that the young prince had no
servants with him, he begged leave to attend him; and the prince at
once agreed to this, and gave Jack many thanks for his kindness.
King Arthur's son was a handsome, polite, and brave knight, and so
good-natured that he gave money to everybody he met. At length he gave
his last penny to an old woman, and then turned to Jack. "How shall we
be able to get food for ourselves the rest of our journey?"
"Leave that to me, sir," replied Jack; "I will provide for my prince."
Night now came on, and the prince began to grow uneasy at thinking
where they should lodge.
"Sir," said Jack, "be of good heart; two miles farther lives a large
giant, whom I know well; he has three heads, and will fight five
hundred men, and make them fly before him."
"Alas!" cried the king's son, "we had better never have been born than
meet with such a monster."
"My lord, leave me to manage him, and wait here in quiet till I
return."
The prince now stayed behind, while Jack rode on at full speed; and
when he came to the gates of the castle he gave a loud knock. The
giant, with a voice like thunder, roared out, "Who is there?"
Jack made answer, and said, "No one but your poor cousin Jack."
"Well," said the giant, "what news, Cousin Jack?"
"Dear uncle," said Jack, "I have heavy news."
"Pooh!" said the giant, "what heavy news can come to me? I am a giant
with three heads, and can fight five hundred men, and make them fly
before me."
"Alas!" said Jack, "here's the king's son coming with two thousand men
to kill you, and to destroy the castle and all that you have."
"Oh, Cousin Jack," said the giant, "this is heavy news indeed! But I
have a large cellar underground, where I will hide myself, and you
shall lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys till the king's son
is gone."
Now, when Jack had barred the giant fast in the vault, he went back
and fetched the prince to the castle; they both made themselves merry
with the wine and other dainties that were in the house. So that
night they rested very pleasantly while the poor giant lay trembling
and shaking with fear in the cellar underground. Early in the morning
Jack gave the king's son gold and silver out of the giant's treasure,
and accompanied him three miles forward on his journey. The prince
then sent Jack to let his uncle out of the hole, who asked him what he
should give him as a reward for saving his castle.
"Why, good uncle," said Jack, "I desire nothing but the old coat and
cap, with the old rusty sword and slippers, which are hanging at your
bed's head."
"Then," said the giant, "you shall have them; and pray keep them for
my sake, for they are things of great use. The coat will keep you
invisible, the cap will give you knowledge, the sword will cut through
anything, and the shoes are of vast swiftness; they may be useful to
you in all times of danger, so take them with all my heart."
Jack gave many thanks to the giant, and then set off to the prince.
When he had come up to the king's son, they soon arrived at the
dwelling of the beautiful lady, who was under the power of a wicked
magician. She received the prince very politely and made a noble feast
for him; when it was ended, she rose, and, wiping her mouth with a
fine handkerchief, said, "My lord, you must submit to the custom of my
palace; to-morrow morning I command you to tell me on whom I bestow
this handkerchief, or lose your head." She then left the room.
The young prince went to bed very mournful, but Jack put on his cap of
knowledge, which told him that the lady was forced, by the power of
enchantment, to meet the wicked magician every night in the middle of
the forest. Jack now put on his coat of darkness and his shoes of
swiftness and was there before her. When the lady came she gave the
handkerchief to the magician. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, at
one blow cut off his head; the enchantment was then ended in a moment,
and the lady was restored to her former virtue and goodness. She was
married to the prince on the next day, and soon after went back, with
her royal husband and a great company, to the court of King Arthur,
where they were received with loud and joyful welcomes; and the
valiant hero Jack, for the many great exploits he had done for the
good of his country, was made one of the Knights of the Round Table.
As Jack had been so lucky in all his adventures, he resolved not to be
idle for the future, but still to do what services he could for the
honor of the king and the nation. He therefore humbly begged his
majesty to furnish him with a horse and money, that he might travel in
search of new and strange exploits. "For," said he to the king, "there
are many giants yet living in the remote parts of Wales, to the great
terror and distress of your majesty's subjects; therefore, if it
please you, sire, to favor me in my design, I will soon rid your
kingdom of these giants and monsters in human shape."
Now when the king heard this offer, and began to think of the cruel
deeds of these blood-thirsty giants and savage monsters, he gave Jack
everything proper for such a journey. After this, Jack took leave of
the king, the prince, and all the knights, and set off, taking with
him his cap of knowledge, his sword of sharpness, his shoes of
swiftness, and his invisible coat, the better to perform the great
exploits that might fall in his way. He went along over hills and
mountains, and on the third day he came to a wide forest. He had
hardly entered it when on a sudden he heard dreadful shrieks and
cries, and, forcing his way through the trees, saw a monstrous giant
dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and a
beautiful lady. Their tears and cries melted the heart of honest Jack;
he alighted from his horse, and, tying him to an oak-tree, put on his
invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness.
When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could
not reach his body on account of the enormous height of the terrible
creature; but he wounded his thighs in several places, and at length,
putting both hands to his sword, and aiming with all his might, he cut
off both the giant's legs just below the garter; and the trunk of his
body, tumbling to the ground, made not only the trees shake, but the
earth itself tremble with the force of his fall. Then Jack, setting
his foot upon his neck, exclaimed, "Thou barbarous and savage wretch,
behold, I come to execute upon thee the just reward for all thy
crimes," and instantly plunged his sword into the giant's body. The
huge monster gave a groan, and yielded up his life into the hands of
the victorious Jack the Giant-killer, while the noble knight and the
virtuous lady were both joyful spectators of his sudden death. They
not only returned Jack hearty thanks for their deliverance, but also
invited him to their house, to refresh himself after his dreadful
encounter, as likewise to receive a reward for his good services.
"No," said Jack, "I cannot be at ease till I find out the den that was
the monster's habitation."
The knight, on hearing this, grew very sorrowful, and replied: "Noble
stranger, it is too much to run a second hazard; this monster lived in
a den under yonder mountain, with a brother of his, more fierce and
cruel than himself; therefore, if you should go thither, and perish in
the attempt, it would be a heart-breaking thing to me and my lady; so
let me persuade you to go back with us, and desist from any further
pursuit."
"Nay," answered Jack, "if there be another, even if there were twenty,
I would shed the last drop of blood in my body before one of them
should escape. When I have finished this task, I will come and pay my
respects to you."
So when they had told him where to find them again, he got on his
horse and went after the dead giant's brother.
Jack had not ridden a mile and a half before he came in sight of the
mouth of the cavern, and nigh the entrance of it he saw the other
giant sitting on a huge block of timber, with a knotted iron club
lying by his side, waiting for his brother. His eyes looked like
flames of fire, his face was grim and ugly, and his cheeks were like
two flitches of bacon; the bristles of his beard seemed to be thick
rods of iron wire, and his long locks of hair hung down upon his
broad shoulders like curling snakes. Jack got down from his horse and
turned him into a thicket; then he put on his coat of darkness and
drew a little nearer to behold this figure, and said, softly, "Oh,
monster! are you there? It will not be long before I shall take you
fast by the beard."
The giant all this while could not see him, by reason of his invisible
coat, so Jack came quite close to him, and struck a blow at his head
with his sword of sharpness; but he missed his aim, and only cut off
his nose, which made him roar like loud claps of thunder. He rolled
his glaring eyes round on every side, but could not see who had given
him the blow; so he took up his iron club, and began to lay about him
like one that was mad with pain and fury.
"Nay," said Jack, "if this be the case, I will kill you at once." So
saying, he slipped nimbly behind him, and jumping upon the block of
timber, as the giant rose from it, he stabbed him in the back, when,
after a few howls, he dropped down dead. Jack cut off his head and
sent it, with the head of his brother, to King Arthur by a wagon which
he had hired for that purpose. When Jack had thus killed these two
monsters, he went into their cave in search of their treasure. He
passed through many turnings and windings, which led him to a room
paved with freestone; at the end of it was a boiling caldron, and on
the right hand stood a large table, where the giants used to dine. He
then came to a window that was secured with iron bars, through which
he saw a number of wretched captives, who cried out when they saw
Jack, "Alas! alas! young man, you are come to be one among us in this
horrid den."
"I hope," said Jack, "you will not stay here long; but pray tell me
what is the meaning of your being here at all?"
"Alas!" said one poor old man, "I will tell you, sir. We are persons
that have been taken by the giants who hold this cave, and are kept
till they choose to have a feast; then one of us is to be killed, and
cooked to please their taste. It is not long since they took three for
the same purpose."
"Well," said Jack, "I have given them such a dinner that it will be
long enough before they have any more."
The captives were amazed at his words.
"You may believe me," said Jack, "for I have killed them both with the
edge of this sword, and have sent their large heads to the court of
King Arthur, as marks of my great success."
To show that what he said was true, he unlocked the gate and set the
captives all free. Then he led them to the great room, placed them
round the table, and placed before them two quarters of beef, with
bread and wine, upon which they feasted their fill. When supper was
over they searched the giant's coffers, and Jack divided among them
all the treasures. The next morning they set off to their homes, and
Jack to the knight's house, whom he had left with his lady not long
before.
He was received with the greatest joy by the thankful knight and his
lady, who, in honor of Jack's exploits, gave a grand feast, to which
all the nobles and gentry were invited. When the company were
assembled, the knight declared to them the great actions of Jack, and
gave him, as a mark of respect, a fine ring, on which was engraved the
picture of the giant dragging the knight and the lady by the hair,
with this motto round it:
"Behold in dire distress were we,
Under a giant's fierce command;
But gained our lives and liberty
From valiant Jack's victorious hand."
Among the guests then present were five aged gentlemen, who were
fathers to some of those captives who had been freed by Jack from the
dungeon of the giants. As soon as they heard that he was the person
who had done such wonders, they pressed round him with tears of joy,
to return him thanks for the happiness he had caused them. After this
the bowl went round, and every one drank the health and long life of
the gallant hero. Mirth increased, and the hall was filled with peals
of laughter.
But, on a sudden, a herald, pale and breathless, rushed into the midst
of the company, and told them that Thundel, a savage giant with two
heads, had heard of the death of his two kinsmen, and was come to take
his revenge on Jack, and that he was now within a mile of the house,
the people flying before him like chaff before the wind. At this news
the very boldest of the guests trembled; but Jack drew his sword, and
said: "Let him come; I have a rod for him also. Pray, ladies and
gentlemen, do me the favor to walk into the garden, and you shall soon
behold the giant's defeat and death."
To this they all agreed, and heartily wished him success in his
dangerous attempt.
The knight's house stood in the middle of a moat, thirty feet deep and
twenty wide, over which lay a drawbridge. Jack set men to work to cut
the bridge on both sides, almost to the middle, and then dressed
himself in his coat of darkness and went against the giant with his
sword of sharpness. As he came close to him, though the giant could
not see him for his invisible coat, yet he found some danger was near,
which made him cry out:
"Fa, fe, fi, fo, fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman;
Let him be alive, or let him be dead,
I'll grind his bones to make me bread."
"Say you so, my friend?" said Jack; "you are a monstrous miller,
indeed!"
"Art thou," cried the giant, "the villain that killed my kinsmen? Then
I will tear thee with my teeth and grind thy bones to powder."
"You must catch me first," said Jack; and throwing off his coat of
darkness, and putting on his shoes of swiftness he began to run, the
giant following him like a walking castle, making the earth shake at
every step.
Jack led him round and round the walls of the house, that the company
might see the monster; then, to finish the work, he ran over the
drawbridge, the giant going after him with his club; but when he came
to the middle, where the bridge had been cut on both sides, the great
weight of his body made it break, and he tumbled into the water, where
he rolled about like a large whale. Jack now stood by the side of the
moat, and laughed and jeered at him, saying, "I think you told me you
would grind my bones to powder; when will you begin?"
The giant foamed at both his horrid mouths with fury, and plunged from
side to side of the moat; but he could not get out to have revenge on
his little foe. At last Jack ordered a cart-rope to be brought to him:
he then drew it over the giant's two heads, and, by the help of a team
of horses, dragged him to the edge of the moat, where he cut off his
heads; and before he either ate or drank, sent them both to the court
of King Arthur. He then went back to the table with the company, and
the rest of the day was spent in mirth and good cheer.
After staying with the knight for some time, Jack grew weary of such
an idle life, and set out again in search of new adventures. He went
over hills and dales without meeting any, till he came to the foot of
a very high mountain. Here he knocked at the door of a small and
lonely house, and an old man, with a head as white as snow, let him
in.
"Good father," said Jack, "can you lodge a traveller who has lost his
way?"
"Yes," said the hermit, "I can, if you will accept such fare as my
poor house affords."
Jack entered, and the old man set before him some bread and fruit for
his supper. When Jack had eaten as much as he chose, the hermit said:
"My son, I know you are the famous conqueror of giants; now, at the
top of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept by a giant named
Galligantus, who, by the help of a vile magician, gets many knights
into his castle, where he changes them into the shape of beasts. Above
all, I lament the hard fate of a duke's daughter, whom they seized as
she was walking in her father's garden, and brought hither through the
air in a chariot drawn by two fiery dragons, and turned her into the
shape of a deer. Many knights have tried to destroy the enchantment
and deliver her, yet none have been able to do it, by reason of two
fiery griffins, who guard the gate of the castle, and destroy all who
come nigh; but as you, my son, have an invisible coat, you may pass by
them without being seen; and on the gates of the castle you will find
engraved by what means the enchantment may be broken."
Jack promised that in the morning, at the risk of his life, he would
break the enchantment; and after a sound sleep he arose early, put on
his invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt. When he had climbed
to the top of the mountain he saw the two fiery griffins; but he
passed between them without the least fear of danger, for they could
not see him because of his invisible coat. On the castle gate he found
a golden trumpet, under which were written these lines:
"Whoever can this trumpet blow,
Shall cause the giant's overthrow."
As soon as Jack had read this he seized the trumpet and blew a shrill
blast, which made the gates fly open and the very castle itself
tremble. The giant and the conjuror now knew that their wicked course
was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with
fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and
the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind. All the knights and
beautiful ladies, who had been changed into birds and beasts, returned
to their proper shapes. The castle vanished away like smoke, and the
head of the giant Galligantus was sent to King Arthur. The knights and
ladies rested that night at the old man's hermitage, and the next day
they set out for the court. Jack then went up to the king, and gave
his majesty an account of all his fierce battles. Jack's fame had
spread through the whole country, and at the king's desire the duke
gave him his daughter in marriage, to the joy of all the kingdom.
After this the king gave him a large estate, on which he and his lady
lived the rest of their days in joy and content.
CINDERELLA
OR
THE LITTLE GLASS SLIPPER
There was once an honest gentleman who took for his second wife a
lady, the proudest and most disagreeable in the whole country. She had
two daughters exactly like herself in all things. He also had one
little girl, who resembled her dead mother, the best woman in all the
world. Scarcely had the second marriage taken place than the
stepmother became jealous of the good qualities of the little girl,
who was so great a contrast to her own two daughters. She gave her all
the menial occupations of the house: compelled her to wash the floors
and staircases, to dust the bedrooms, and clean the grates; and while
her sisters occupied carpeted chambers hung with mirrors, where they
could see themselves from head to foot, this poor little damsel was
sent to sleep in an attic, on an old straw mattress, with only one
chair and not a looking-glass in the room.
She suffered all in silence, not daring to complain to her father, who
was entirely ruled by his new wife. When her daily work was done she
used to sit down in the chimney-corner among the ashes, from which the
two sisters gave her the nickname of "Cinderella." But Cinderella,
however shabbily clad, was handsomer than they were with all their
fine clothes.
It happened that the king's son gave a series of balls, to which were
invited all the rank and fashion of the city, and among the rest the
two elder sisters. They were very proud and happy, and occupied their
whole time in deciding what they should wear, a source of new trouble
to Cinderella, whose duty it was to get up their fine linen and laces,
and who never could please them however much she tried. They talked of
nothing but their clothes.
"I," said the elder, "shall wear my velvet gown and my trimmings of
English lace."
"And I," added the younger, "will have but my ordinary silk petticoat,
but I shall adorn it with an upper skirt of flowered brocade, and
shall put on my diamond tiara, which is a great deal finer than
anything of yours."
Here the elder sister grew angry, and dispute began to run so high
that Cinderella, who was known to have excellent taste, was called
upon to decide between them. She gave them the best advice she could,
and gently and submissively offered to dress them herself, and
especially to arrange their hair, an accomplishment in which she
excelled many a noted coiffeur. The important evening came, and she
exercised all her skill to adorn the two young ladies. While she was
combing out the elder's hair, this ill-natured girl said, sharply,
"Cinderella, do you not wish you were going to the ball?"
"Ah, madam" (they obliged her always to say madam), "you are only
mocking me; it is not my fortune to have any such pleasure."
"You are right; people would only laugh to see a little cinder-wench
at a ball."
Any other than Cinderella would have dressed the hair all awry, but
she was good, and dressed it perfectly even and smooth, and as
prettily as she could.
The sisters had scarcely eaten for two days, and had broken a dozen
stay-laces a day, in trying to make themselves slender; but to-night
they broke a dozen more, and lost their tempers over and over again
before they had completed their toilet. When at last the happy moment
arrived, Cinderella followed them to the coach; after it had whirled
them away, she sat down by the kitchen fire and cried.
Immediately her godmother, who was a fairy, appeared beside her. "What
are you crying for, my little maid?"
"Oh, I wish--I wish--" Her sobs stopped her.
"You wish to go to the ball; isn't it so?"
Cinderella nodded.
"Well, then, be a good girl and you shall go. First run into the
garden and fetch me the largest pumpkin you can find."
Cinderella did not comprehend what this had to do with her going to
the ball, but, being obedient and obliging, she went. Her godmother
took the pumpkin, and, having scooped out all its inside, struck it
with her wand; it became a splendid gilt coach lined with rose-colored
satin.
"Now fetch me the mouse-trap out of the pantry, my dear."
Cinderella brought it; it contained six of the fattest, sleekest mice.
The fairy lifted up the wire door, and as each mouse ran out she
struck it and changed it into a beautiful black horse.
"But what shall I do for your coachman, Cinderella?"
Cinderella suggested that she had seen a large black rat in the
rat-trap, and he might do for want of better.
"You are right; go and look again for him."
He was found, and the fairy made him into a most respectable coachman,
with the finest whiskers imaginable. She afterwards took six lizards
from behind the pumpkin frame and changed them into six footmen, all
in splendid livery, who immediately jumped up behind the carriage, as
if they had been footmen all their days. "Well, Cinderella, now you
can go to the ball."
"What, in these clothes?" said Cinderella piteously, looking down on
her ragged frock.
Her godmother laughed, and touched her also with the wand, at which
her wretched, threadbare jacket became stiff with gold and sparkling
with jewels; her woollen petticoat lengthened into a gown of sweeping
satin, from underneath which peeped out her little feet, no longer
bare, but covered with silk stockings and the prettiest glass slippers
in the world. "Now, Cinderella, depart; but remember, if you stay one
instant after midnight, your carriage will become a pumpkin, your
coachman a rat, your horses mice, and your footmen lizards; while you
yourself will be the little cinder-wench you were an hour ago."
Cinderella promised without fear, her heart was so full of joy.
Arrived at the palace, the king's son, whom some one, probably the
fairy, had told to await the coming of an uninvited princess whom
nobody knew, was standing at the entrance ready to receive her. He
offered her his hand, and led her with the utmost courtesy through the
assembled guests, who stood aside to let her pass, whispering to one
another, "Oh, how beautiful she is!" It might have turned the head of
any one but poor Cinderella, who was so used to be despised that she
took it all as if it were something happening in a dream.
Her triumph was complete; even the old king said to the queen, that
never since her majesty's young days had he seen so charming and
elegant a person. All the court ladies scanned her eagerly, clothes
and all, determining to have theirs made next day of exactly the same
pattern. The king's son himself led her out to dance, and she danced
so gracefully that he admired her more and more. Indeed, at supper,
which was fortunately early, his admiration quite took away his
appetite. For Cinderella herself, with an involuntary shyness she
sought out her sisters, placed herself beside them, and offered them
all sorts of civil attentions, which, coming as they supposed from a
stranger, and so magnificent a lady, almost overwhelmed them with
delight.
While she was talking with them she heard the clock strike a quarter
to twelve, and making a courteous adieu to the royal family, she
re-entered her carriage, escorted tenderly by the king's son, and
arrived in safety at her own door. There she found her godmother, who
smiled approval, and of whom she begged permission to go to a second
ball, the following night, to which the queen had earnestly invited
her.
While she was talking the two sisters were heard knocking at the
gate, and the fairy godmother vanished, leaving Cinderella sitting in
the chimney-corner, rubbing her eyes and pretending to be very sleepy.
"Ah," cried the eldest sister, maliciously, "it has been the most
delightful ball, and there was present the most beautiful princess I
ever saw, who was so exceedingly polite to us both."
"Was she?" said Cinderella, indifferently; "and who might she be?"
"Nobody knows, though everybody would give their eyes to know,
especially the king's son."
"Indeed!" replied Cinderella, a little more interested. "I should like
to see her. Miss Javotte"--that was the elder sister's name--"will you
not let me go to-morrow, and lend me your yellow gown that you wear on
Sundays?"
"What, lend my yellow gown to a cinder-wench! I am not so mad as
that." At which refusal Cinderella did not complain, for if her sister
really had lent her the gown she would have been considerably
embarrassed.
The next night came, and the two young ladies, richly dressed in
different toilets, went to the ball. Cinderella, more splendidly
attired and beautiful than ever, followed them shortly after. "Now
remember twelve o'clock," was her godmother's parting speech, and she
thought she certainly should. But the prince's attentions to her were
greater even than the first evening, and, in the delight of listening
to his pleasant conversation, time slipped by unperceived. While she
was sitting beside him in a lovely alcove, and looking at the moon
from under a bower of orange blossoms, she heard a clock strike the
first stroke of twelve. She started up, and fled away as lightly as a
deer.
Amazed, the prince followed, but could not catch her. Indeed, he
missed his lovely princess altogether, and only saw running out of
the palace doors a little dirty lass whom he had never beheld before,
and of whom he certainly would never have taken the least notice.
Cinderella arrived at home breathless and weary, ragged and cold,
without carriage or footmen or coachman, the only remnant of her past
magnificence being one of her little glass slippers--the other she had
dropped in the ballroom as she ran away.
When the two sisters returned they were full of this strange
adventure: how the beautiful lady had appeared at the ball more
beautiful than ever, and enchanted every one who looked at her; and
how as the clock was striking twelve she had suddenly risen up and
fled through the ballroom, disappearing no one knew how or where, and
dropping one of her glass slippers behind her in her flight. How the
king's son had remained inconsolable until he chanced to pick up the
little glass slipper, which he carried away in his pocket, and was
seen to take it out continually, and look at it affectionately, with
the air of a man very much in love; in fact, from his behavior during
the remainder of the evening, all the court and royal family were
convinced that he had become desperately enamoured of the wearer of
the little glass slipper.
Cinderella listened in silence, turning her face to the kitchen fire,
and perhaps it was that which made her look so rosy, but nobody ever
noticed or admired her at home, so it did not signify, and next
morning she went to her weary work again just as before.
A few days after, the whole city was attracted by the sight of a
herald going round with a little glass slipper in his hand,
publishing, with a flourish of trumpets, that the king's son ordered
this to be fitted on the foot of every lady in the kingdom, and that
he wished to marry the lady whom it fitted best, or to whom it and
the fellow-slipper belonged. Princesses, duchesses, countesses, and
simple gentlewomen all tried it on, but, being a fairy slipper, it
fitted nobody; and, besides, nobody could produce its fellow-slipper,
which lay all the time safely in the pocket of Cinderella's old linsey
gown.
At last the herald came to the house of the two sisters, and though
they well knew neither of themselves was the beautiful lady, they made
every attempt to get their clumsy feet into the glass slipper, but in
vain.
"Let me try it on," said Cinderella, from the chimney-corner.
"What, you?" cried the others, bursting into shouts of laughter; but
Cinderella only smiled and held out her hand.
Her sisters could not prevent her, since the command was that every
young maiden in the city should try on the slipper, in order that no
chance might be left untried, for the prince was nearly breaking his
heart; and his father and mother were afraid that, though a prince, he
would actually die for love of the beautiful unknown lady.
So the herald bade Cinderella sit down on a three-legged stool in the
kitchen, and himself put the slipper on her pretty little foot, which
it fitted exactly. She then drew from her pocket the fellow-slipper,
which she also put on, and stood up--for with the touch of the magic
shoes all her dress was changed likewise--no longer the poor, despised
cinder-wench, but the beautiful lady whom the king's son loved.
Her sisters recognized her at once. Filled with astonishment, mingled
with no little alarm, they threw themselves at her feet, begging her
pardon for all their former unkindness. She raised and embraced them,
told them she forgave them with all her heart, and only hoped they
would love her always. Then she departed with the herald to the king's
palace, and told her whole story to his majesty and the royal family,
who were not in the least surprised, for everybody believed in
fairies, and everybody longed to have a fairy godmother.
[Illustration: The slipper fitted exactly]
For the young prince, he found her more lovely and lovable than ever,
and insisted upon marrying her immediately. Cinderella never went home
again, but she sent for her two sisters to the palace, and with the
consent of all parties married them shortly after to two rich
gentlemen of the court.
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK
In the days of King Alfred there lived a poor woman whose cottage was
in a remote country village many miles from London. She had been a
widow some years, and had an only child named Jack, whom she indulged
so much that he never paid the least attention to anything she said,
but was indolent, careless, and extravagant. His follies were not
owing to a bad disposition, but to his mother's foolish partiality. By
degrees he spent all that she had--scarcely anything remained but a
cow.
One day, for the first time in her life, she reproached him: "Cruel,
cruel boy! you have at last brought me to beggary. I have not money
enough to purchase even a bit of bread; nothing now remains to sell
but my poor cow! I am sorry to part with her; it grieves me sadly, but
we cannot starve." For a few minutes Jack felt remorse, but it was
soon over; and he began asking his mother to let him sell the cow at
the next village, teasing her so much that she at last consented.
As he was going along he met a butcher, who inquired why he was
driving the cow from home? Jack replied he was going to sell it. The
butcher held some curious beans in his hat; they were of various
colors and attracted Jack's attention. This did not pass unnoticed by
the man, who, knowing Jack's easy temper, thought now was the time to
take an advantage of it, and, determined not to let slip so good an
opportunity, asked what was the price of the cow, offering at the same
time all the beans in his hat for her. The silly boy could not
conceal the pleasure he felt at what he supposed so great an offer;
the bargain was struck instantly, and the cow exchanged for a few
paltry beans. Jack made the best of his way home, calling aloud to his
mother before he reached the door, thinking to surprise her.
When she saw the beans and heard Jack's account, her patience quite
forsook her; she tossed the beans out of the window, where they fell
on the garden-bed below. Then she threw her apron over her head and
cried bitterly. Jack attempted to console her, but in vain, and, not
having anything to eat, they both went supperless to bed. Jack awoke
early in the morning, and, seeing something uncommon darkening the
window of his bedchamber, ran down-stairs into the garden, where he
found some of the beans had taken root and sprung up surprisingly; the
stalks were of an immense thickness, and had twined together until
they formed a ladder like a chain, and so high that the top appeared
to be lost in the clouds. Jack was an adventurous lad; he determined
to climb up to the top, and ran to tell his mother, not doubting but
that she would be as much pleased as he was. She declared he should
not go, said it would break her heart if he did--entreated and
threatened, but all in vain. Jack set out, and after climbing for some
hours reached the top of the bean-stalk quite exhausted. Looking
around, he found himself in a strange country; it appeared to be a
barren desert--not a tree, shrub, house, or living creature was to be
seen; here and there were scattered fragments of stone; and at unequal
distances small heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.
Jack seated himself pensively upon a block of stone and thought of his
mother; he reflected with sorrow upon his disobedience in climbing
the bean-stalk against her will, and concluded that he must die of
hunger. However, he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might
beg something to eat and drink. He did not find it; but he saw at a
distance a beautiful lady, walking all alone. She was elegantly clad
and carried a white wand, at the top of which sat a peacock of pure
gold.
Jack, who was a gallant fellow, went straight up to her, when, with a
bewitching smile, she asked him how he came there. He told her all
about the bean-stalk. The lady answered him by a question, "Do you
remember your father, young man?"
"No, madam; but I am sure there is some mystery about him, for when I
name him to my mother she always begins to weep, and will tell me
nothing."
"She dare not," replied the lady, "but I can and will. For know,
young man, that I am a fairy and was your father's guardian. But
fairies are bound by laws as well as mortals, and by an error of mine
I lost my power for a term of years, so that I was unable to succour
your father when he most needed it, and he died." Here the fairy
looked so sorrowful that Jack's heart warmed to her, and he begged her
earnestly to tell him more.
"I will; only you must promise to obey me in everything, or you will
perish yourself."
Jack was brave, and, besides, his fortunes were so bad they could not
well be worse, so he promised.
The fairy continued: "Your father, Jack, was a most excellent,
amiable, generous man. He had a good wife, faithful servants, plenty
of money; but he had one misfortune--a false friend. This was a giant,
whom he had succoured in misfortune, and who returned his kindness by
murdering him, and seizing on all his property; also making your
mother take a solemn oath that she would never tell you anything about
your father, or he would murder both her and you. Then he turned her
off with you in her arms, to wander about the wide world as she might.
I could not help her, as my power only returned on the day you went to
sell your cow.
"It was I," added the fairy, "who impelled you to take the beans, who
made the bean-stalk grow, and inspired you with the desire to climb up
it to this strange country; for it is here the wicked giant lives who
was your father's destroyer. It is you who must avenge him, and rid
the world of a monster who never will do anything but evil. I will
assist you. You may lawfully take possession of his house and all his
riches, for everything he has belonged to your father, and is
therefore yours. Now farewell! Do not let your mother know you are
acquainted with your father's history. This is my command, and if you
disobey me you will suffer for it. Now go."
Jack asked where he was to go.
"Along the direct road till you see the house where the giant lives.
You must then act according to your own just judgment, and I will
guide you if any difficulty arises. Farewell!"
She bestowed on the youth a benignant smile, and vanished.
Jack pursued his journey. He walked on till after sunset, when to his
great joy, he espied a large mansion. A plain-looking woman was at the
door; he accosted her, begging she would give him a morsel of bread
and a night's lodging. She expressed the greatest surprise, and said
it was quite uncommon to see a human being near their house; for it
was well known that her husband was a powerful giant, who would never
eat anything but human flesh, if he could possibly get it; that he
would walk fifty miles to procure it, usually being out the whole day
for that purpose.
This account greatly terrified Jack, but still he hoped to elude the
giant, and therefore he again entreated the woman to take him in for
one night only, and hide him where she thought proper. She at last
suffered herself to be persuaded, for she was of a compassionate and
generous disposition, and took him into the house. First they entered
a fine large hall magnificently furnished; they then passed through
several spacious rooms in the same style of grandeur; but all appeared
forsaken and desolate. A long gallery came next; it was very
dark--just light enough to show that, instead of a wall on one side,
there was a grating of iron which parted off a dismal dungeon, from
whence issued the groans of those victims whom the cruel giant
reserved in confinement for his own voracious appetite.
Poor Jack was half dead with fear, and would have given the world to
have been with his mother again, for he now began to doubt if he
should ever see her more; he even mistrusted the good woman, and
thought she had let him into the house for no other purpose than to
lock him up among the unfortunate people in the dungeon. However, she
bade Jack sit down, and gave him plenty to eat and drink; and he, not
seeing anything to make him uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear and
was just beginning to enjoy himself, when he was startled by a loud
knocking at the outer door, which made the whole house shake.
"Ah! that's the giant; and if he sees you he will kill you and me,
too," cried the poor woman, trembling all over. "What shall I do?"
"Hide me in the oven," cried Jack, now as bold as a lion at the
thought of being face to face with his father's cruel murderer. So he
crept into the oven--for there was no fire near it--and listened to
the giant's loud voice and heavy step as he went up and down the
kitchen scolding his wife. At last he seated himself at table, and
Jack, peeping through a crevice in the oven, was amazed to see what a
quantity of food he devoured. It seemed as if he never would have done
eating and drinking; but he did at last, and, leaning back, called to
his wife in a voice like thunder:
"Bring me my hen!"
She obeyed, and placed upon the table a very beautiful live hen.
"Lay!" roared the giant, and the hen laid immediately an egg of solid
gold.
"Lay another!" and every time the giant said this the hen laid a
larger egg than before.
He amused himself a long time with his hen, and then sent his wife to
bed, while he fell asleep by the fireside and snored like the roaring
of cannon.
As soon as he was asleep Jack crept out of the oven, seized the hen,
and ran off with her. He got safely out of the house, and, finding his
way along the road he came, reached the top of the bean-stalk, which
he descended in safety.
His mother was overjoyed to see him. She thought he had come to some
ill end.
"Not a bit of it, mother. Look here!" and he showed her the hen. "Now
lay," and the hen obeyed him as readily as the giant, and laid as many
golden eggs as he desired.
These eggs being sold, Jack and his mother got plenty of money, and
for some months lived very happily together, till Jack got another
great longing to climb the bean-stalk and carry away some more of the
giant's riches. He had told his mother of his adventure, but had been
very careful not to say a word about his father. He thought of his
journey again and again, but still he could not summon resolution
enough to break it to his mother, being well assured that she would
endeavor to prevent his going. However, one day he told her boldly
that he must take another journey up the bean-stalk. She begged and
prayed him not to think of it, and tried all in her power to dissuade
him; she told him that the giant's wife would certainly know him
again, and that the giant would desire nothing better than to get him
into his power, that he might put him to a cruel death, in order to be
revenged for the loss of his hen. Jack, finding that all his arguments
were useless, ceased speaking, though resolved to go at all events. He
had a dress prepared which would disguise him, and something to color
his skin; he thought it impossible for any one to recollect him in
this dress.
A few mornings after he rose very early, and, unperceived by any one,
climbed the bean-stalk a second time. He was greatly fatigued when he
reached the top, and very hungry. Having rested some time on one of
the stones, he pursued his journey to the giant's mansion, which he
reached late in the evening. The woman was at the door as before. Jack
addressed her, at the same time telling her a pitiful tale, and
requesting that she would give him some victuals and drink, and also a
night's lodging.
She told him (what he knew before very well) about her husband's being
a powerful and cruel giant, and also that she had one night admitted a
poor, hungry, friendless boy; that the little ungrateful fellow had
stolen one of the giant's treasures, and ever since that her husband
had been worse than before, using her very cruelly, and continually
upbraiding her with being the cause of his misfortune. Jack felt
sorry for her, but confessed nothing, and did his best to persuade
her to admit him, but found it a very hard task. At last she
consented, and as she led the way, Jack observed that everything was
just as he had found it before. She took him into the kitchen, and
after he had done eating and drinking, she hid him in an old
lumber-closet. The giant returned at the usual time, and walked in so
heavily that the house was shaken to its foundation. He seated himself
by the fire, and soon after exclaimed, "Wife, I smell fresh meat!"
The wife replied it was the crows which had brought a piece of raw
meat and left it at the top of the house. While supper was preparing,
the giant was very ill-tempered and impatient, frequently lifting up
his hand to strike his wife for not being quick enough. He was also
continually upbraiding her with the loss of his wonderful hen.
At last, having ended his supper, he cried, "Give me something to
amuse me--my harp or my money-bags."
"Which will you have, my dear?" said the wife, humbly.
"My money-bags, because they are the heaviest to carry," thundered he.
She brought them, staggering under the weight--two bags, one filled
with new guineas and the other with new shillings. She emptied them
out on the table, and the giant began counting them in great glee.
"Now you may go to bed, you old fool." So the wife crept away.
Jack from his hiding-place watched the counting of the money, which he
knew was his poor father's, and wished it was his own; it would give
him much less trouble than going about selling the golden eggs. The
giant, little thinking he was so narrowly observed, reckoned it all
up, and then replaced it in the two bags, which he tied up very
carefully and put beside his chair, with his little dog to guard them.
At last he fell asleep as before, and snored so loud that Jack
compared his noise to the roaring of the sea in a high wind, when the
tide is coming in. At last Jack, concluding all secure, stole out, in
order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand
upon one of them, the little dog, which he had not perceived before,
started from under the giant's chair and barked most furiously.
Instead of endeavoring to escape, Jack stood still, though expecting
his enemy to awake every instant.
Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound
sleep, and Jack, seeing a piece of meat, threw it to the dog, who at
once ceased barking and began to devour it. So Jack carried off the
bags, one on each shoulder, but they were so heavy that it took him
two whole days to descend the bean-stalk and get back to his mother's
door.
[Illustration: Just as he laid his hand upon one of them, the
little dog barked most furiously]
When he came he found the cottage deserted. He ran from one room to
another without being able to find any one; he then hastened into the
village, hoping to see some of the neighbors, who could inform him
where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a
neighboring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly
shocked at finding her apparently dying, and blamed himself bitterly
as the cause of it all. However, at sight of her dear son, the poor
woman revived and slowly recovered her health. Jack gave her his two
money-bags. They had the cottage rebuilt and well furnished, and lived
happier than they had ever done before.
For three years Jack heard no more of the bean-stalk, but he could not
forget it, though he feared making his mother unhappy. It was in vain
endeavoring to amuse himself; he became thoughtful, and would arise at
the first dawn of day, and sit looking at the bean-stalk for hours
together. His mother saw that something preyed upon his mind, and
endeavored to discover the cause; but Jack knew too well what the
consequence would be should she succeed. He did his utmost, therefore,
to conquer the great desire he had for another journey up the
bean-stalk. Finding, however, that his inclination grew too powerful
for him, he began to make secret preparations for his journey. He
prepared a new disguise, better and more complete than the former, and
when summer came, on the longest day he awoke as soon as it was light,
and, without telling his mother, ascended the bean-stalk. He found the
road, journey, etc., much as it was on the two former times. He
arrived at the giant's mansion in the evening, and found the wife
standing, as usual, at the door. Jack had disguised himself so
completely that she did not appear to have the least recollection of
him; however, when he pleaded hunger and poverty, in order to gain
admittance, he found it very difficult indeed to persuade her. At last
he prevailed, and was concealed in the copper. When the giant returned
he said, furiously, "I smell fresh meat!" But Jack felt quite
composed, since the giant had said this before and had been soon
satisfied. However, the giant started up suddenly, and,
notwithstanding all his wife could say, he searched all round the
room. While this was going forward Jack was exceedingly terrified,
wishing himself at home a thousand times; but when the giant
approached the copper and put his hand upon the lid, Jack thought his
death was certain.
But nothing happened; for the giant did not take the trouble to lift
up the lid, but sat down shortly by the fireside and began to eat his
enormous supper. When he had finished he commanded his wife to fetch
down his harp. Jack peeped under the copper-lid and saw a most
beautiful harp. The giant placed it on the table, said "Play!" and it
played of its own accord, without anybody touching it, the most
exquisite music imaginable. Jack, who was a very good musician, was
delighted, and more anxious to get this than any other of his enemy's
treasures. But the giant not being particularly fond of music, the
harp had only the effect of lulling him to sleep earlier than usual.
As for the wife, she had gone to bed as soon as ever she could.
As soon as he thought all was safe, Jack got out of the copper, and,
seizing the harp, was eagerly running off with it. But the harp was
enchanted by a fairy, and as soon as it found itself in strange hands
it called out loudly, just as if it had been alive, "Master! Master!"
The giant awoke, started up, and saw Jack scampering away as fast as
his legs could carry him.
"Oh, you villain! it is you who have robbed me of my hen and my
money-bags, and now you are stealing my harp also. Wait till I catch
you and I'll eat you up alive!"
"Very well: try!" shouted Jack, who was not a bit afraid, for he saw
the giant was so tipsy he could hardly stand, much less run; and he
himself had young legs and a clear conscience, which carry a man a
long way. So, after leading the giant a considerable race, he
contrived to be first at the top of the bean-stalk, and then scrambled
down it as fast as he could, the harp playing all the while the most
melancholy music till he said "Stop," and it stopped.
Arrived at the bottom, he found his mother sitting at her cottage door
weeping silently.
"Here, mother, don't cry; just give me a hatchet--make haste." For he
knew there was not a moment to spare; he saw the giant beginning to
descend the bean-stalk.
But the monster was too late--his ill deeds had come to an end. Jack
with his hatchet cut the bean-stalk close off at the root. The giant
fell headlong into the garden, and was killed on the spot.
Instantly the fairy appeared and explained everything to Jack's
mother, begging her to forgive Jack, who was his father's own son for
bravery and generosity, and who would be sure to make her happy for
the rest of her days.
So all ended well, and nothing was ever more heard or seen of the
wonderful bean-stalk.
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD
Once there was a royal couple who grieved excessively because they had
no children. When at last, after long waiting, the queen presented her
husband with a little daughter, his majesty showed his joy by giving a
christening feast so grand that the like of it was never known. He
invited all the fairies in the land--there were seven altogether--to
stand godmothers to the little princess, hoping that each might bestow
on her some good gift, as was the custom of good fairies in those
days.
After the ceremony all the guests returned to the palace, where there
was set before each fairy-godmother a magnificent covered dish, with
an embroidered table-napkin, and a knife and fork of pure gold studded
with diamonds and rubies. But alas! as they placed themselves at table
there entered an old fairy who had never been invited, because more
than fifty years since she had left the king's dominion on a tour of
pleasure and had not been heard of until this day. His majesty, much
troubled, desired a cover to be placed for her, but it was of common
delf, for he had ordered from his jeweller only seven gold dishes for
the seven fairies aforesaid. The elderly fairy thought herself
neglected, and muttered angry menaces, which were overheard by one of
the younger fairies, who chanced to sit beside her. This good
godmother, afraid of harm to the pretty baby, hastened to hide herself
behind the tapestry in the hall. She did this because she wished all
the others to speak first--so that if any ill gift were bestowed on
the child she might be able to counteract it.
The six now offered their good wishes--which, unlike most wishes, were
sure to come true. The fortunate little princess was to grow up the
fairest woman in the world; to have a temper sweet as an angel; to be
perfectly graceful and gracious; to sing like a nightingale; to dance
like a leaf on a tree; and to possess every accomplishment under the
sun. Then the old fairy's turn came. Shaking her head spitefully, she
uttered the wish that when the baby grew up into a young lady, and
learned to spin, she might prick her finger with the spindle and die
of the wound.
At this terrible prophecy all the guests shuddered, and some of the
more tender-hearted began to weep. The lately happy parents were
almost out of their wits with grief. Upon which the wise young fairy
appeared from behind the tapestry, saying cheerfully; "Your majesties
may comfort yourselves; the princess shall not die. I have no power to
alter the ill-fortune just wished her by my ancient sister--her finger
must be pierced, and she shall then sink, not into the sleep of death,
but into a sleep that will last a hundred years. After that time is
ended the son of a king will find her, awaken her, and marry her."
Immediately all the fairies vanished.
The king, in the hope of avoiding his daughter's doom, issued an edict
forbidding all persons to spin, and even to have spinning-wheels in
their houses, on pain of instant death. But it was in vain. One day,
when she was just fifteen years of age, the king and queen left their
daughter alone in one of their castles, when, wandering about at her
will, she came to an ancient dungeon tower, climbed to the top of it,
and there found a very old woman--so old and deaf that she had never
heard of the king's edict--busy with her wheel.
"What are you doing, good old woman?" said the princess.
"I'm spinning, my pretty child."
"Ah, how charming! Let me try if I can spin also."
She had no sooner taken up the spindle than, being lively and
obstinate, she handled it so awkwardly and carelessly that the point
pierced her finger. Though it was so small a wound, she fainted away
at once, and dropped silently down on the floor. The poor, frightened
old woman called for help; shortly came the ladies in waiting, who
tried every means to restore their young mistress, but all their care
was useless. She lay, beautiful as an angel, the color still lingering
in her lips and cheeks; her fair bosom softly stirred with her breath;
only her eyes were fast closed. When the king, her father, and the
queen, her mother, beheld her thus, they knew regret was idle--all had
happened as the cruel fairy meant. But they also knew that their
daughter would not sleep forever, though after one hundred years it
was not likely they would either of them behold her awakening. Until
that happy hour should arrive, they determined to leave her in repose.
They sent away all the physicians and attendants, and themselves
sorrowfully laid her upon a bed of embroidery, in the most elegant
apartment of the palace. There she slept and looked like a sleeping
angel still.
When this misfortune happened, the kindly young fairy who had saved
the princess by changing her sleep of death into this sleep of a
hundred years was twelve thousand leagues away in the kingdom of
Mataquin. But being informed of everything, she arrived speedily in a
chariot of fire drawn by dragons. The king was somewhat startled by
the sight, but nevertheless went to the door of his palace, and, with
a mournful countenance, presented her his hand to descend.
The fairy condoled with his majesty, and approved of all he had done.
Then, being a fairy of great common-sense and foresight, she suggested
that the princess, awakening after a hundred years in this ancient
castle, might be a good deal embarrassed, especially with a young
prince by her side, to find herself alone. Accordingly, without asking
any one's leave, she touched with her magic wand the entire population
of the palace, except the king and queen--governesses, ladies of
honor, waiting-maids, gentlemen ushers, cooks, kitchen-girls, pages,
footmen, down to the horses that were in the stables and the grooms
that attended them--she touched each and all. Nay, with kind
consideration for the feelings of the princess, she even touched the
little fat lapdog Puffy, who had laid himself down beside his
mistress on her splendid bed. He, like all the rest, fell fast asleep
in a moment. The very spits that were before the kitchen fire ceased
turning, and the fire itself went out, and everything became as silent
as if it were the middle of the night, or as if the palace were a
palace of the dead.
The king and queen--having kissed their daughter and wept over her a
little, but not much, she looked so sweet and content--departed from
the castle, giving orders that it was to be approached no more. The
command was unnecessary; for in one quarter of an hour there sprung up
around it a wood so thick and thorny that neither beasts nor men could
attempt to penetrate there. Above this dense mass of forest could only
be perceived the top of the high tower where the lovely princess
slept.
A great many changes happen in a hundred years. The king, who never
had a second child, died, and his throne passed into another royal
family. So entirely was the story of the poor princess forgotten, that
when the reigning king's son, being one day out hunting and stopped in
the chase by this formidable wood, inquired what wood it was, and what
were those towers which he saw appearing out of the midst of it, no
one could answer him. At length an old peasant was found who
remembered having heard his grandfather say to his father, that in
this tower was a princess, beautiful as the day, who was doomed to
sleep there for one hundred years, until awakened by a king's son, her
destined bridegroom.
At this the young prince, who had the spirit of a hero, determined to
find out the truth for himself. Spurred on by both generosity and
curiosity, he leaped from his horse and began to force his way through
the thick wood. To his amazement the stiff branches all gave way, and
the ugly thorns sheathed themselves of their own accord, and the
brambles buried themselves in the earth to let him pass. This done,
they closed behind him, allowing none of his suite to follow: but,
ardent and young, he went boldly on alone. The first thing he saw was
enough to smite him with fear. Bodies of men and horses lay extended
on the ground; but the men had faces, not death-white, but red as
peonies, and beside them were glasses half filled with wine, showing
that they had gone to sleep drinking. Next he entered a large court
paved with marble, where stood rows of guards presenting arms, but
motionless as if cut out of stone; then he passed through many
chambers where gentlemen and ladies, all in the costume of the past
century, slept at their ease, some standing, some sitting. The pages
were lurking in corners, the ladies of honor were stooping over
their embroidery frames, or listening apparently with polite attention
to the gentlemen of the court, but all were as silent as statues and
as immovable. Their clothes, strange to say, were fresh and new as
ever; and not a particle of dust or spider-web had gathered over the
furniture, though it had not known a broom for a hundred years.
Finally the astonished prince came to an inner chamber, where was the
fairest sight his eyes had ever beheld.
[Illustration: A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an
embroidered bed]
A young girl of wonderful beauty lay asleep on an embroidered bed, and
she looked as if she had only just closed her eyes. Trembling, the
prince approached and knelt beside her. Some say he kissed her, but as
nobody saw it, and she never told, we cannot be quite sure of the
fact. However, as the end of the enchantment had come, the princess
awakened at once, and, looking at him with eyes of the tenderest
regard, said, drowsily: "Is it you, my prince? I have waited for you
very long."
Charmed with these words, and still more with the tone in which they
were uttered, the prince assured her that he loved her more than his
life. Nevertheless, he was the most embarrassed of the two; for,
thanks to the kind fairy, the princess had plenty of time to dream of
him during her century of slumber, while he had never even heard of
her till an hour before. For a long time did they sit conversing, and
yet had not said half enough. Their only interruption was the little
dog Puffy, who had awakened with his mistress, and now began to be
exceedingly jealous that the princess did not notice him as much as
she was wont to do.
Meantime all the attendants, whose enchantment was also broken, not
being in love, were ready to die of hunger after their fast of a
hundred years. A lady of honor ventured to intimate that dinner was
served; whereupon the prince handed his beloved princess at once to
the great hall. She did not wait to dress for dinner, being already
perfectly and magnificently attired, though in a fashion somewhat out
of date. However, her lover had the politeness not to notice this, nor
to remind her that she was dressed exactly like her royal grandmother,
whose portrait still hung on the palace walls.
During the banquet a concert took place by the attendant musicians,
and considering they had not touched their instruments for a century,
they played extremely well. They ended with a wedding march; for that
very evening the marriage of the prince and princess was celebrated,
and though the bride was nearly one hundred years older than the
bridegroom, it is remarkable that the fact would never had been
discovered by any one unacquainted therewith.
After a few days they went together out of the castle and enchanted
wood, both of which immediately vanished, and were never more beheld
by mortal eyes. The princess was restored to her ancestral kingdom,
but it was not generally declared who she was, as during a hundred
years people had grown so very much cleverer that nobody then living
would ever have believed the story. So nothing was explained, and
nobody presumed to ask any questions about her, for ought not a prince
be able to marry whomsoever he pleases?
Nor--whether or not the day of fairies was over--did the princess ever
see anything further of her seven godmothers. She lived a long and
happy life, like any other ordinary woman, and died at length,
beloved, regretted, but, the prince being already no more, perfectly
contented.
LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD
Once there was a little village maiden, the prettiest ever seen. Her
mother was foolishly fond of her, and her grandmother likewise. The
old woman made for her a little hood, which became the damsel so well
that ever after she went by the name of Little Red-Riding-Hood. One
day, when her mother was making cakes, she said, "My child, you shall
go and see your grandmother, for I hear she is not well; and you shall
take her some of these cakes and a pot of butter."
Little Red-Riding-Hood was delighted to go, though it was a long walk;
but she was a good child, and fond of her kind grandmother. Passing
through a wood, she met a great wolf, who was most eager to eat her
up, but dared not, because of a woodcutter who was busy hard by. So he
only came and asked her politely where she was going. The poor child,
who did not know how dangerous it is to stop and speak to wolves,
replied, "I am going to see my grandmother, and to take her a cake and
a pot of butter, which my mother has sent her."
"Is it very far from hence?" asked the wolf.
"Oh yes; it is just above the mill which you may see up there--the
first house you come to in the village."
"Well," said the wolf, "I will go there also, to inquire after your
excellent grandmother; I will go one way, and you the other, and we
will see who can be there first."
So he ran as fast as ever he could, taking the shortest road, but the
little maiden took the longest; for she stopped to pluck roses in
the wood, to chase butterflies, and gather nosegays of the prettiest
flowers she could find--she was such a happy and innocent little soul.
[Illustration: He asked her politely where she was going]
The wolf was not long in reaching the grandmother's door. He knocked,
Toc--toc, and the grandmother said, "Who is there?"
"It is your child, Little Red-Riding-Hood," replied the wicked beast,
imitating the girl's voice; "I bring you a cake and a pot of butter,
which my mother has sent you."
The grandmother, who was ill in her bed, said, "Very well, my dear,
pull the string and the latch will open." The wolf pulled the
string--the door flew open; he leaped in, fell upon the poor old
woman, and ate her up in less than no time, tough as she was, for he
had not tasted anything for more than three days. Then he carefully
shut the door, and laying himself down snugly in the bed, waited for
Little Red-Riding-Hood, who was not long before she came and knocked,
Toc--toc, at the door.
"Who is there?" said the wolf; and the little maiden, hearing his
gruff voice, felt sure that her poor grandmother must have caught a
bad cold and be very ill indeed.
So she answered, cheerfully, "It is your child, Little
Red-Riding-Hood, who brings you a cake and a pot of butter that my
mother has sent you."
Then the wolf, softening his voice as much as he could, said, "Pull
the string, and the latch will open."
So Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the string and the door opened. The
wolf, seeing her enter, hid himself as much as he could under the
coverlid of the bed, and said in a whisper, "Put the cake and the pot
of butter on the shelf, and then make haste and come to bed, for it is
very late."
Little Red-Riding-Hood did not think so; but, to please her
grandmother, she undressed herself and began to get ready for bed,
when she was very much astonished to find how different the old woman
looked from ordinary.
"Grandmother, what great arms you have!"
"That is to hug you the better, my dear."
"Grandmother, what great ears you have!"
"That is to hear you the better, my dear."
"Grandmother, what great eyes you have!"
"That is to see you the better, my dear."
"Grandmother, what a great mouth you have!"
"That is to eat you up!" cried the wicked wolf; and immediately he
fell upon poor Little Red-Riding-Hood, and ate her up in a moment.
THE UGLY DUCKLING
The country was lovely just then; it was summer! The wheat was golden
and the oats still green; the hay was stacked in the rich, low-lying
meadows, where the stork was marching about on his long red legs,
chattering Egyptian, the language his mother had taught him.
Round about field and meadow lay great woods, in the midst of which
were deep lakes. Yes, the country certainly was delicious. In the
sunniest spot stood an old mansion surrounded by a deep moat, and
great dock leaves grew from the walls of the house right down to the
water's edge, some of them were so tall that a small child could
stand upright under them. In among the leaves it was as secluded as in
the depths of a forest, and there a duck was sitting on her nest. Her
little ducklings were just about to be hatched, but she was nearly
tired of sitting, for it had lasted such a long time. Moreover, she
had very few visitors, as the other ducks liked swimming about in the
moat better than waddling up to sit under the dock leaves and gossip
with her.
At last one egg after another began to crack. "Cheep, cheep!" they
said. All the chicks had come to life, and were poking their heads
out.
"Quack! quack!" said the duck; and then they all quacked their
hardest, and looked about them on all sides among the green leaves;
their mother allowed them to look as much as they liked, for green is
good for the eyes.
"How big the world is to be sure!" said all the young ones; for they
certainly had ever so much more room to move about than when they were
inside the egg-shell.
"Do you imagine this is the whole world?" said the mother. "It
stretches a long way on the other side of the garden, right into the
parson's field; but I have never been as far as that! I suppose you
are all here now?" and she got up. "No! I declare I have not got you
all yet! The biggest egg is still there; how long is it going to
last?" and then she settled herself on the nest again.
"Well, how are you getting on?" said an old duck who had come to pay
her a visit.
"This one egg is taking such a long time," answered the sitting duck,
"the shell will not crack; but now you must look at the others; they
are the finest ducklings I have ever seen! they are all exactly like
their father, the rascal! he never comes to see me."
"Let me look at the egg which won't crack," said the old duck. "You
may be sure that it is a turkey's egg! I have been cheated like that
once, and I had no end of trouble and worry with the creatures, for I
may tell you that they are afraid of the water. I could not get them
into it; I quacked and snapped at them, but it was no good. Let me see
the egg! Yes, it is a turkey's egg! You just leave it alone and teach
the other children to swim."
"I will sit on it a little longer; I have sat so long already that I
may as well go on till the Midsummer Fair comes round."
"Please yourself," said the old duck, and she went away.
At last the big egg cracked. "Cheep, cheep!" said the young one and
tumbled out; how big and ugly he was! The duck looked at him.
"That is a monstrous big duckling," she said; "none of the others
looked like that; can he be a turkey chick? well, we shall soon find
that out; into the water he shall go, if I have to kick him in
myself."
Next day was gloriously fine, and the sun shone on all the green dock
leaves. The mother duck with her whole family went down to the moat.
Splash, into the water she sprang. "Quack, quack!" she said, and one
duckling plumped in after the other. The water dashed over their
heads, but they came up again and floated beautifully; their legs went
of themselves, and they were all there, even the big ugly gray one
swam about with them.
"No, that is no turkey," she said; "see how beautifully he uses his
legs and how erect he holds himself; he is my own chick! after all, he
is not so bad when you come to look at him properly. Quack, quack! Now
come with me and I will take you into the world, and introduce you to
the duckyard; but keep close to me all the time, so that no one may
tread upon you, and beware of the cat!"
Then they went into the duckyard. There was a fearful uproar going on,
for two broods were fighting for the head of an eel, and in the end
the cat captured it.
"That's how things go in this world," said the mother duck; and she
licked her bill, for she wanted the eel's head for herself.
"Use your legs," said she; "mind you quack properly, and bend your
necks to the old duck over there! She is the grandest of them all; she
has Spanish blood in her veins and that accounts for her size, and, do
you see? she has a red rag round her leg; that is a wonderfully fine
thing, and the most extraordinary mark of distinction any duck can
have. It shows clearly that she is not to be parted with, and that she
is worthy of recognition both by beasts and men! Quack now! don't
turn your toes in, a well brought up duckling keeps his legs wide
apart just like father and mother; that's it, now bend your necks, and
say quack!"
They did as they were bid, but the other ducks round about looked at
them and said, quite loud: "Just look there! now we are to have that
tribe! just as if there were not enough of us already, and, oh dear!
how ugly that duckling is, we won't stand him!" and a duck flew at him
at once and bit him in the neck.
"Let him be," said the mother; "he is doing no harm."
"Very likely not, but he is so ungainly and queer," said the biter,
"he must be whacked."
"They are handsome children mother has," said the old duck with the
rag round her leg; "all good looking except this one, and he is not a
good specimen; it's a pity you can't make him over again."
"That can't be done, your grace," said the mother duck; "he is not
handsome, but he is a thorough good creature, and he swims as
beautifully as any of the others; nay, I think I might venture even to
add that I think he will improve as he goes on, or perhaps in time he
may grow smaller! he was too long in the egg, and so he has not come
out with a very good figure." And then she patted his neck and stroked
him down. "Besides, he is a drake," said she; "so it does not matter
so much. I believe he will be very strong, and I don't doubt but he
will make his way in the world."
"The other ducklings are very pretty," said the old duck. "Now make
yourselves quite at home, and if you find the head of an eel you may
bring it to me!"
After that they felt quite at home. But the poor duckling which had
been the last to come out of the shell, and who was so ugly, was
bitten, pushed about, and made fun of both by the ducks and the hens.
"He is too big," they all said; and the turkey-cock, who was born with
his spurs on, and therefore thought himself quite an emperor, puffed
himself up like a vessel in full sail, made for him, and gobbled and
gobbled till he became quite red in the face. The poor duckling was at
his wit's end, and did not know which way to turn; he was in despair
because he was so ugly and the butt of the whole duckyard.
So the first day passed, and afterwards matters grew worse and worse.
The poor duckling was chased and hustled by all of them; even his
brothers and sisters ill-used him, and they were always saying, "If
only the cat would get hold of you, you hideous object!" Even his
mother said, "I wish to goodness you were miles away." The ducks bit
him, the hens pecked him, and the girl who fed them kicked him aside.
Then he ran off and flew right over the hedge, where the little birds
flew up into the air in a fright.
"That is because I am so ugly," thought the poor duckling, shutting
his eyes, but he ran on all the same. Then he came to a great marsh
where the wild ducks lived; he was so tired and miserable that he
stayed there the whole night.
In the morning the wild ducks flew up to inspect their new comrade.
"What sort of a creature are you?" they inquired, as the duckling
turned from side to side and greeted them as well as he could. "You
are frightfully ugly," said the wild ducks; "but that does not matter
to us, so long as you do not marry into our family!" Poor fellow! he
had no thought of marriage; all he wanted was permission to lie among
the rushes, and to drink a little of the marsh water.
He stayed there two whole days; then two wild geese came, or, rather,
two wild ganders; they were not long out of the shell, and therefore
rather pert.
"I say, comrade," they said, "you are so ugly that we have taken quite
a fancy to you; will you join us and be a bird of passage? There is
another marsh close by, and there are some charming wild geese there;
all sweet young ladies, who can say quack! You are ugly enough to make
your fortune among them." Just at that moment, bang! bang! was heard
up above, and both the wild geese fell dead among the reeds, and the
water turned blood red. Bang! bang! went the guns, and whole flocks of
wild geese flew up from the rushes and the shot peppered among them
again.
There was a grand shooting-party, and the sportsmen lay hidden round
the marsh; some even sat on the branches of the trees which overhung
the water; the blue smoke rose like clouds among the dark trees and
swept over the pool.
The water-dogs wandered about in the swamp--splash! splash! The rushes
and reeds bent beneath their tread on all sides. It was terribly
alarming to the poor duckling. He twisted his head round to get it
under his wing, and just at that moment a frightful big dog appeared
close beside him; his tongue hung right out of his mouth and his eyes
glared wickedly. He opened his great chasm of a mouth close to the
duckling, showed his sharp teeth, and--splash!--went on without
touching him.
"Oh, thank Heaven!" sighed the duckling, "I am so ugly that even the
dog won't bite me!"
Then he lay quite still while the shot whistled among the bushes, and
bang after bang rent the air. It only became quiet late in the day,
but even then the poor duckling did not dare to get up; he waited
several hours more before he looked about, and then he hurried away
from the marsh as fast as he could. He ran across fields and meadows,
and there was such a wind that he had hard work to make his way.
Towards night he reached a poor little cottage; it was such a
miserable hovel that it could not make up its mind which way to fall
even, and so it remained standing. The wind whistled so fiercely round
the duckling that he had to sit on his tail to resist it, and it blew
harder and harder; then he saw that the door had fallen off one hinge
and hung so crookedly that he could creep into the house through the
crack, and by this means he made his way into the room. An old woman
lived there with her cat and her hen. The cat, which she called
"Sonnie," could arch his back, purr, and give off electric
sparks--that is to say, if you stroked his fur the wrong way. The hen
had quite tiny short legs, and so she was called "Chuckie-low-legs."
She laid good eggs, and the old woman was as fond of her as if she had
been her own child.
In the morning the strange duckling was discovered immediately, and
the cat began to purr and the hen to cluck.
"What on earth is that!" said the old woman, looking round; but her
sight was not good, and she thought the duckling was a fat duck which
had escaped. "This is a capital find," said she; "now I shall have
duck's eggs if only it is not a drake. We must find out about that!"
So she took the duckling on trial for three weeks, but no eggs made
their appearance. The cat was the master of the house and the hen the
mistress, and they always spoke of "we and the world," for they
thought that they represented the half of the world, and that quite
the better half.
The duckling thought there might be two opinions on the subject, but
the cat would not hear of it.
"Can you lay eggs?" she asked.
"No!"
"Will you have the goodness to hold your tongue, then!"
And the cat said, "Can you arch your back, purr, or give off sparks?"
"No."
"Then you had better keep your opinions to yourself when people of
sense are speaking!"
The duckling sat in the corner nursing his ill-humor; then he began to
think of the fresh air and the sunshine, an uncontrollable longing
seized him to float on the water, and at last he could not help
telling the hen about it.
"What on earth possesses you?" she asked. "You have nothing to do;
that is why you get these freaks into your head. Lay some eggs or take
to purring, and you will get over it."
"But it is so delicious to float, on the water," said the duckling;
"so delicious to feel it rushing over your head when you dive to the
bottom."
"That would be a fine amusement," said the hen. "I think you have gone
mad. Ask the cat about it, he is the wisest creature I know; ask him
if he is fond of floating on the water or diving under it. I say
nothing about myself. Ask our mistress yourself, the old woman; there
is no one in the world cleverer than she is. Do you suppose she has
any desire to float on the water or to duck underneath it?"
"You do not understand me," said the duckling.
"Well, if we don't understand you, who should? I suppose you don't
consider yourself cleverer than the cat or the old woman, not to
mention me. Don't make a fool of yourself, child, and thank your stars
for all the good we have done you! Have you not lived in this warm
room, and in such society that you might have learned something? But
you are an idiot, and there is no pleasure in associating with you.
You may believe me I mean you well, I tell you home truths, and there
is no surer way than that of knowing who are one's friends. You just
see about laying some eggs, or learn to purr, or to emit sparks."
"I think I will go out into the wide world," said the duckling.
"Oh, do so by all means!" said the hen.
So away went the duckling; he floated on the water and ducked
underneath it, but he was looked askance at by every living creature
for his ugliness. Now the autumn came on, the leaves in the woods
turned yellow and brown; the wind took hold of them, and they danced
about. The sky looked very cold, and the clouds hung heavy with snow
and hail. A raven stood on the fence and croaked Caw! Caw! from sheer
cold; it made one shiver only to think of it. The poor duckling
certainly was in a bad case.
One evening the sun was just setting in wintry splendor when a flock
of beautiful large birds appeared out of the bushes. The duckling had
never seen anything so beautiful. They were dazzlingly white with long
waving necks; they were swans; and, uttering a peculiar cry, they
spread out their magnificent broad wings, and flew away from the cold
regions to warmer lands and open seas. They mounted so high, so very
high, and the ugly little duckling became strangely uneasy; he circled
round and round in the water like a wheel, craning his neck up into
the air after them. Then he uttered a shriek so piercing and so
strange that he was quite frightened by it himself. Oh, he could not
forget those beautiful birds, those happy birds! And as soon as they
were out of sight he ducked right down to the bottom, and when he came
up again he was quite beside himself. He did not know what the birds
were or whither they flew, but all the same he was more drawn towards
them than he had ever been by any creatures before. He did not even
envy them in the least. How could it occur to him even to wish to be
such a marvel of beauty; he would have been thankful if only the ducks
would have tolerated him among them--the poor ugly creature!
The winter was so bitterly cold that the duckling was obliged to swim
about in the water to keep it from freezing, but every night the hole
in which he swam got smaller and smaller. Then it froze so hard that
the surface ice cracked, and the duckling had to use his legs all the
time, so that the ice should not close in round him; at last he was so
weary that he could move no more, and he was frozen fast into the ice.
Early in the morning a peasant came along and saw him; he went out
onto the ice and hammered a hole in it with his heavy wooden shoe, and
carried the duckling home to his wife. There it soon revived. The
children wanted to play with it, but the duckling thought they were
going to ill-use him, and rushed in his fright into the milk pan, and
the milk spurted out all over the room. The woman shrieked and threw
up her hands; then it flew into the butter cask, and down into the
meal tub and out again. Just imagine what it looked like by this time!
The woman screamed and tried to hit it with the tongs, and the
children tumbled over one another in trying to catch it, and they
screamed with laughter. By good luck the door stood open, and the
duckling flew out among the bushes and the new fallen snow, and it lay
there thoroughly exhausted.
But it would be too sad to mention all the privation and misery it
had to go through during that hard winter. When the sun began to shine
warmly again the duckling was in the marsh, lying among the rushes;
the larks were singing, and the beautiful spring had come.
Then all at once it raised its wings, and they flapped with much
greater strength than before and bore him off vigorously. Before he
knew where he was he found himself in a large garden where the
apple-trees were in a full blossom, and the air was scented with
lilacs, the long branches of which overhung the indented shores of the
lake. Oh! the spring freshness was so delicious!
Just in front of him he saw three beautiful white swans advancing
towards him from a thicket; with rustling feathers they swam lightly
over the water. The duckling recognized the majestic birds, and he was
overcome by a strange melancholy.
"I will fly to them, the royal birds, and they will hack me to
pieces, because I, who am so ugly, venture to approach them! But it
won't matter; better be killed by them than be snapped at by the
ducks, pecked by the hens, or spurned by the henwife, or suffer so
much misery in the winter."
So he flew into the water, and swam towards the stately swans; they
saw him, and darted towards him with ruffled feathers.
"Kill me, oh, kill me!" said the poor creature, and bowing his head
towards the water he awaited his death. But what did he see reflected
in the transparent water?
He saw below him his own image; but he was no longer a clumsy, dark,
gray bird, ugly and ungainly. He was himself a swan! It does not
matter in the least having been born in a duckyard if only you come
out of a swan's egg!
He felt quite glad of all the misery and tribulation he had gone
through; he was the better able to appreciate his good-fortune now,
and all the beauty which greeted him. The big swans swam round and
round him, and stroked him with their bills.
Some little children came into the garden with corn and pieces of
bread, which they threw into the water; and the smallest one cried
out: "There is a new one!" The other children shouted with joy: "Yes,
a new one has come!" And they clapped their hands and danced about,
running after their father and mother. They threw the bread into the
water, and one and all said that "the new one was the prettiest; he
was so young and handsome." And the old swans bent their heads and did
homage before him.
[Illustration: Some little children threw pieces of bread into the
water]
He felt quite shy, and hid his head under his wing; he did not know
what to think; he was so very happy, but not at all proud; a good
heart never becomes proud. He thought of how he had been pursued and
scorned, and now he heard them all say that he was the most beautiful
of all beautiful birds. The lilacs bent their boughs right down into
the water before him, and the bright sun was warm and cheering, and he
rustled his feathers and raised his slender neck aloft, saying, with
exultation in his heart: "I never dreamed of so much happiness when I
was the Ugly Duckling!"
HOP-O'-MY-THUMB
There once lived in a village a fagot-maker and his wife who had seven
children--all boys; the eldest was no more than ten years old, and the
youngest was only seven. It was odd enough, to be sure, that they
should have so many children in such a short time; but the truth is,
the wife always brought him two and once three at a time. This made
him very poor, for not one of these boys was old enough to get a
living; and what was still worse, the youngest was a puny little
fellow who hardly ever spoke a word. Now this, indeed, was a mark of
his good sense, but it made his father and mother suppose him to be
silly, and they thought that at last he would turn out quite a fool.
This boy was the least size ever seen; for when he was born he was no
bigger than a man's thumb, which made him be christened by the name of
Hop-o'-my-Thumb. The poor child was the drudge of the whole house, and
always bore the blame of everything that was done wrong. For all this,
Hop-o'-my-Thumb was far more clever than any of his brothers; and
though he spoke but little he heard and knew more than people thought.
It happened just at this time that for want of rain the fields had
grown but half as much corn and potatoes as they used to grow; so that
the fagot-maker and his wife could not give the boys the food they had
before, which was always either bread or potatoes.
After the father and mother had grieved some time, they thought that
as they could contrive no other way to live they must somehow get rid
of their children. One night when the boys were gone to bed, and the
fagot-maker and his wife were sitting over a few lighted sticks, to
warm themselves, the husband sighed deeply, and said: "You see, my
dear, we cannot maintain our children any longer, and to see them die
of hunger before my eyes is what I could never bear. I will,
therefore, to-morrow morning take them to the forest, and leave them
in the thickest part of it, so that they will not be able to find
their way back: this will be very easy; for while they amuse
themselves with tying up the fagots, we need only slip away when they
are looking some other way."
"Ah, husband!" cried the poor wife, "you cannot, no, you never can
consent to be the death of your own children."
The husband in vain told her to think how very poor they were.
The wife replied "that this was true, to be sure; but if she was
poor, she was still their mother"; and then she cried as if her heart
would break. At last she thought how shocking it would be to see them
starved to death before their eyes, so she agreed to what her husband
had said, and then went sobbing to bed.
Hop-o'-my-Thumb had been awake all the time; and when he heard his
father talk very seriously, he slipped away from his brothers' side,
and crept under his father's bed, to hear all that was said without
being seen.
When his father and mother had left off talking, he got back to his
own place, and passed the night in thinking what he should do the next
morning.
He rose early, and ran to the river's side, where he filled his
pockets with small white pebbles, and then went back home. In the
morning they all set out, as their father and mother had agreed on;
and Hop-o'-my-Thumb did not say a word to any of his brothers about
what he had heard. They came to a forest that was so very thick that
they could not see each other a few yards off. The fagot-maker set to
work cutting down wood; and the children began to gather the twigs, to
make fagots of them.
When the father and mother saw that the young ones were all very busy,
they slipped away without being seen. The children soon found
themselves alone, and began to cry as loud as they could.
Hop-o'-my-Thumb let them cry on, for he knew well enough how to lead
them safe home, as he had taken care to drop the white pebbles he had
in his pocket along all the way he had come. He only said to them,
"Never mind it, my lads; father and mother have left us here by
ourselves, but only take care to follow me, and I will lead you back
again."
[Illustration: The children began to cry as loud as they could]
When they heard this they left off crying, and followed
Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who soon brought them to their father's house by
the very same path which they had come along. At first they had not
the courage to go in, but stood at the door to hear what their parents
were talking about. Just as the fagot-maker and his wife had come home
without their children a great gentleman of the village sent to pay
them two guineas for work they had done for him, which he had owed
them so long that they never thought of getting a farthing of it. This
money made them quite happy; for the poor creatures were very hungry,
and had no other way of getting anything to eat.
The fagot-maker sent his wife out immediately to buy some meat; and as
it was a long time since she had made a hearty meal, she bought as
much meat as would have been enough for six or eight persons. The
truth was, when she was thinking what would be enough for dinner, she
forgot that her children were not at home; but as soon as she and her
husband had done eating, she cried out: "Alas! where are our poor
children? How they would feast on what we have left! It was all your
fault, husband! I told you we should repent leaving them to starve in
the forest! Oh, mercy! perhaps they have already been eaten by the
hungry wolves!" The poor woman shed plenty of tears. "Alas! alas!"
said she, over and over again, "what is become of my dear children?"
The children, who were all at the door, cried out together, "Here we
are, mother, here we are!"
She flew like lightning to let them in, and kissed every one of them.
The fagot-maker and his wife were charmed at having their children
once more with them, and their joy for this lasted till their money
was all spent; but then they found themselves quite as ill off as
before. So by degrees they again thought of leaving them in the
forest: and that the young ones might not come back a second time,
they said they would take them a great deal farther than they did at
first. They could not talk about this matter so slyly but that
Hop-o'-my-Thumb found means to hear all that passed between them; but
he cared very little about it, for he thought it would be easy for him
to do just the same as he had done before. But although he got up very
early the next morning to go to the river's side to get the pebbles, a
thing which he had not thought of hindered him; for he found that the
house door was double locked. Hop-o'-my-Thumb was now quite at a loss
what to do; but soon after this his mother gave each of the children a
piece of bread for breakfast and then it came into his head that he
could make his share do as well as the pebbles by dropping crumbs of
it all the way as he went. So he did not eat his piece, but put it
into his pocket.
It was not long before they all set out, and their parents took care
to lead them into the very thickest and darkest part of the forest.
They then slipped away by a by-path as before, and left the children
by themselves again. All this did not give Hop-o'-my-Thumb any
concern, for he thought himself quite sure of getting back by means of
the crumbs that he had dropped by the way; but when he came to look
for them he found that not a crumb was left, for the birds had eaten
them all up.
The poor children were now sadly off, for the farther they went the
harder it was for them to get out of the forest. At last night came
on, and the noise of the wind among the trees seemed to them like the
howling of wolves, so that every moment they thought they should be
eaten up. They hardly dared to speak a word, or to move a limb, for
fear. Soon after there came a heavy rain which wetted them to the very
skin, and made the ground so slippery that they fell down at almost
every step and got dirty all over.
Before it was quite dark Hop-o'-my-Thumb climbed up to the top of a
tree, and looked round on all sides to see if he could find any way of
getting help. He saw a small light, like that of a candle, but it was
a very great way off, and beyond the forest. He then came down from
the tree, to try to find the way to it; but he could not see it when
he was on the ground, and he was in the utmost trouble what to do
next. They walked on towards the place where he had seen the light,
and at last reached the end of the forest, and got sight of it again.
They now walked faster; and after being much tired and vexed (for
every time they got into lower ground they lost sight of the light),
came to the house it was in. They knocked at the door, which was
opened by a very poor-natured-looking lady, who asked what brought
them there. Hop-o'-my-Thumb told her that they were poor children who
had lost their way in the forest, and begged that she would give them
a bed till morning. When the lady saw that they had such pretty faces
she began to shed tears, and said: "Ah, my poor children, you do not
know what place you are come to. This is the house of an Ogre, who
eats up little boys and girls."
"Alas! madam," replied Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who trembled from head to
foot, "what shall we do? If we go back to the forest we are sure of
being torn to pieces by the wolves; we would rather, therefore, be
eaten by the gentleman. Besides, when he sees us, perhaps he may take
pity on us and spare our lives."
The Ogre's wife thought she could contrive to hide them from her
husband till morning; so she let them go in and warm themselves by a
good fire, before which there was a whole sheep roasting for the
Ogre's supper. When they had stood a short time by the fire there came
a loud knocking at the door: this was the Ogre come home. His wife
hurried the children under the bed and told them to lie still, and she
then let her husband in.
The Ogre asked if supper were ready, and if the wine were fetched from
the cellar; and then he sat down at the table. The sheep was not quite
done, but he liked it much better half raw. In a minute or two the
Ogre began to snuff to his right and left, and said he smelt child's
flesh.
"It must be this calf, which has just been killed," said his wife.
"I smell child's flesh, I tell thee once more!" cried the Ogre,
looking all about the room--"I smell child's flesh; there is
something going on that I do not know of."
As soon as he had spoken these words he rose from his chair and went
towards the bed.
"Ah! madam," said he, "you thought to cheat me, did you? Wretch! thou
art old and tough thyself, or else I would eat thee up too! But come,
come, this is lucky enough; for the brats will make a nice dish for
three Ogres, who are my particular friends, and who are to dine with
me to-morrow."
He then drew them out one by one from under the bed. The poor children
fell on their knees and begged his pardon as humbly as they could; but
this Ogre was the most cruel of all Ogres, and instead of feeling any
pity, he only began to think how sweet and tender their flesh would
be; so he told his wife they would be nice morsels if she served them
up with plenty of sauce. He then fetched a large knife, and began to
sharpen it on a long whetstone that he held in his left hand; and all
the while he came nearer and nearer to the bed. The Ogre took up one
of the children, and was going to set about cutting him to pieces; but
his wife said to him: "What in the world makes you take the trouble of
killing them to-night? Will it not be time enough to-morrow morning?"
"Hold your prating," replied the Ogre; "they will grow tender by being
kept a little while after they are killed."
"But," said this wife, "you have got so much meat in the house
already; here is a calf, two sheep, and half a pig."
"True," said the Ogre, "so give them all a good supper, that they may
not get lean, and then send them to bed."
The good creature was quite glad at this. She gave them plenty for
their supper, but the poor children were so terrified that they could
not eat a bit.
The Ogre sat down to his wine, very much pleased with the thought of
giving his friends such a dainty dish: this made him drink rather more
than common, and he was soon obliged to go to bed himself. Now the
Ogre had seven daughters, who were all very young like Hop-o'-my-Thumb
and his brothers. These young Ogresses had fair skins, because they
fed on raw meat like their father; but they had small gray eyes, quite
round, and sunk in their heads, hooked noses, wide mouths, and very
long, sharp teeth, standing a great way off each other. They were too
young as yet to do much mischief; but they showed that if they lived
to be as old as their father they would grow quite as cruel as he was,
for they took pleasure already in biting young children and sucking
their blood. The Ogresses had been put to bed very early that night;
they were all in one bed, which was very large, and every one of them
had a crown of gold on her head. There was another bed of the same
size in the room, and in this the Ogre's wife put the seven little
boys, and then went to bed herself along with her husband.
Now Hop-o'-my-Thumb was afraid that the Ogre would wake in the night,
and kill him and his brothers while they were asleep. So he got out of
bed in the middle of the night as softly as he could, took off all his
brothers' nightcaps and his own, and crept with them to the bed that
the Ogre's daughters were in; he then took off their crowns, and put
the nightcaps on their heads instead; next he put the crowns on his
brothers' heads and his own, and got into bed again; expecting, after
this, that, if the Ogre should come, he would take him and his
brothers for his own children. Everything turned out as he wished. The
Ogre waked soon after midnight, and began to be very sorry that he had
put off killing the boys till the morning; so he jumped out of bed,
and took hold of his large knife. "Let us see," said he, "what the
young rogues are about, and do the business at once!" He then walked
softly to the room where they all slept, and went up to the bed the
boys were in, who were all asleep except Hop-o'-my-Thumb. He touched
their heads one at a time, and feeling the crowns of gold, said to
himself: "Oh, oh! I had like to have made such a mistake! I must have
drunk too much wine last night."
He went next to the bed that his own little Ogresses were in, and when
he felt the nightcaps, he said, "Ah! here you are, my lads"; and so in
a moment he cut the throats of all his daughters.
He was very much pleased when he had done this, and then went back to
his own bed. As soon as Hop-o'-my-Thumb heard him snore he awoke his
brothers, and told them to put on their clothes quickly, and follow
him. They stole down softly into the garden, and then jumped from the
wall into the road; they ran as fast as their legs could carry them,
but were so much afraid all the while that they hardly knew which way
to take. When the Ogre waked in the morning he said to his wife,
grinning: "My dear, go and dress the young rogues I saw last night."
The wife was quite surprised at hearing her husband speak so kindly,
and did not dream of the real meaning of his words. She supposed he
wanted her to help them to put on their clothes; so she went
up-stairs, and the first thing she saw was her seven daughters with
their throats cut and all over blood. This threw her into a fainting
fit. The Ogre was afraid his wife might be too long in doing what he
had set her about, so he went himself to help her; but he was as much
shocked as she had been at the dreadful sight of his bleeding
children. "Ah! what have I done?" he cried. "But the little rascals
shall pay for it, I warrant them."
He first threw some water on his wife's face; and, as soon as she came
to herself, he said to her: "Bring me quickly my seven-league boots,
that I may go and catch the little vipers."
The Ogre then put on these boots, and set out with all speed. He
strided over many parts of the country, and at last turned into the
very road in which the poor children were. For they had set off
towards the fagot-maker's cottage, which they had almost reached. They
watched the Ogre stepping from mountain to mountain at one step, and
crossing rivers as if they had been tiny brooks. At this
Hop-o'-my-Thumb thought a little what was to be done; and spying a
hollow place under a large rock, he made his brothers get into it. He
then crept in himself, but kept his eye fixed on the Ogre, to see what
he would do next.
The Ogre found himself quite weary with the journey he had gone, for
seven-league boots are very tiresome to the person who wears them; so
he now began to think of resting, and happened to sit down on the very
rock where the poor children were hid. As he was so tired, and it was
a hot day, he fell fast asleep, and soon began to snore so loud that
the little fellows were terrified.
When Hop-o'-my-Thumb saw this he said to his brothers, "Courage, my
lads! never fear! you have nothing to do but to steal away and get
home while the Ogre is fast asleep, and leave me to shift for myself."
The brothers now were very glad to do whatever he told them, and so
they soon came to their father's house. In the mean time
Hop-o'-my-Thumb went up to the Ogre softly, pulled off his
seven-league boots very gently, and put them on his own legs; for
though the boots were very large, yet being fairy-boots, they could
make themselves small enough to fit any leg they pleased.
As soon as ever Hop-o'-my-Thumb had made sure of the Ogre's
seven-league boots, he went at once to the palace, and offered his
services to carry orders from the King to his army, which was a great
way off, and to bring back the quickest accounts of the battle they
were just at that time fighting with the enemy. In short, he thought
he could be of more use to the King than all his mail-coaches, and so
should make his fortune in this manner. He succeeded so well that in a
short time he made money enough to keep himself, his father, mother,
and six brothers, without the trouble of working, for the rest of
their lives. Having done this, he went back to his father's cottage,
where all the family were delighted to see him again. As the great
fame of his boots had been talked of at court in this time the King
sent for him, and indeed employed him very often in the greatest
affairs of the state, so that he became one of the richest men in the
kingdom.
And now let us see what became of the wicked Ogre. He slept so soundly
that he never discovered the loss of his boots; but having an evil
conscience and bad dreams, he fell in his sleep from the corner of the
rock where Hop-o'-my-Thumb and his brothers had left him, and bruised
himself so much from head to foot that he could not stir; so he was
forced to stretch himself out at full length, and wait for some one to
come and help him.
Now a good many fagot-makers passed near the place where the Ogre lay,
and when they heard him groan they went up to ask him what was the
matter. But the Ogre had eaten such a great number of children in his
lifetime that he had grown so very big and fat that these men could
not even have carried one of his legs, so they were forced to leave
him there. At last night came on, and then a large serpent came out of
a wood just by and stung him, so that he died in great pain.
By and by, Hop-o'-my-Thumb, who had become the King's first favorite,
heard of the Ogre's death; and the first thing he did was to tell his
Majesty all that the good-natured Ogress had done to save the lives of
himself and brothers. The King was so much pleased at what he heard
that he asked Hop-o'-my-Thumb if there was any favor he could bestow
upon her. Hop-o'-my-Thumb thanked the King, and desired that the
Ogress might have the noble title of Duchess of Draggletail given to
her, which was no sooner asked than granted. The Ogress then came to
court, and lived very happily for many years, enjoying the vast
fortune she had found in the Ogre's chests. As for Hop-o'-my-Thumb,
he every day grew more witty and brave; till at last the King made him
the greatest lord in the kingdom, and set him over all his affairs.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
There was once a very rich merchant who had six children--three boys
and three girls. As he was himself a man of great sense, he spared no
expense for their education. The three daughters were all handsome,
but particularly the youngest; indeed, she was so very beautiful that
in her childhood every one called her the Little Beauty; and being
equally lovely when she was grown up, nobody called her by any other
name, which made her sisters very jealous of her. This youngest
daughter was not only more handsome than her sisters, but also was
better tempered. The two eldest were vain of their wealth and
position. They gave themselves a thousand airs, and refused to visit
other merchants' daughters; nor would they condescend to be seen
except with persons of quality. They went every day to balls, plays,
and public walks, and always made game of their youngest sister for
spending her time in reading or other useful employments. As it was
well known that these young ladies would have large fortunes, many
great merchants wished to get them for wives; but the two eldest
always answered that, for their parts, they had no thoughts of
marrying any one below a duke or an earl at least. Beauty had quite as
many offers as her sisters, but she always answered, with the greatest
civility, that though she was much obliged to her lovers, she would
rather live some years longer with her father, as she thought herself
too young to marry.
It happened that, by some unlucky accident, the merchant suddenly
lost all his fortune, and had nothing left but a small cottage in the
country. Upon this he said to his daughters, while the tears ran down
his cheeks, "My children, we must now go and dwell in the cottage, and
try to get a living by labor, for we have no other means of support."
The two eldest replied that they did not know how to work, and would
not leave town; for they had lovers enough who would be glad to marry
them, though they had no longer any fortune. But in this they were
mistaken; for when the lovers heard what had happened, they said, "The
girls were so proud and ill-tempered that all we wanted was their
fortune; we are not sorry at all to see their pride brought down; let
them show off their airs to their cows and sheep." But everybody
pitied poor Beauty, because she was so sweet-tempered and kind to all,
and several gentlemen offered to marry her, though she had not a
penny; but Beauty still refused, and said she could not think of
leaving her poor father in his trouble. At first Beauty could not help
sometimes crying in secret for the hardships she was now obliged to
suffer; but in a very short time she said to herself, "All the crying
in the world will do me no good, so I will try to be happy without a
fortune."
When they had removed to their cottage the merchant and his three sons
employed themselves in ploughing and sowing the fields, and working in
the garden. Beauty also did her part, for she rose by four o'clock
every morning, lighted the fires, cleaned the house, and got ready the
breakfast for the whole family. At first she found all this very hard;
but she soon grew quite used to it, and thought it no hardship;
indeed, the work greatly benefited her health. When she had done she
used to amuse herself with reading, playing her music, or singing
while she spun. But her two sisters were at a loss what to do to pass
the time away: they had their breakfast in bed, and did not rise till
ten o'clock. Then they commonly walked out, but always found
themselves very soon tired, when they would often sit down under a
shady tree, and grieve for the loss of their carriage and fine
clothes, and say to each other, "What a mean-spirited, poor, stupid
creature our young sister is, to be so content with this low way of
life!" But their father thought differently, and loved and admired his
youngest child more than ever.
After they had lived in this manner about a year the merchant received
a letter, which informed him that one of his richest ships, which he
thought was lost, had just come into port. This news made the two
eldest sisters almost mad with joy, for they thought they should now
leave the cottage, and have all their finery again. When they found
that their father must take a journey to the ship, the two eldest
begged he would not fail to bring them back some new gowns, caps,
rings, and all sorts of trinkets. But Beauty asked for nothing; for
she thought in herself that all the ship was worth would hardly buy
everything her sisters wished for. "Beauty," said the merchant, "how
comes it that you ask for nothing? What can I bring you, my child?"
"Since you are so kind as to think of me, dear father," she answered,
"I should be glad if you would bring me a rose, for we have none in
our garden." Now Beauty did not indeed wish for a rose, nor anything
else, but she only said this that she might not affront her sisters;
otherwise they would have said she wanted her father to praise her for
desiring nothing. The merchant took his leave of them, and set out on
his journey; but when he got to the ship some persons went to law with
him about the cargo, and after a deal of trouble he came back to his
cottage as poor as he had left it. When he was within thirty miles of
his home, and thinking of the joy of again meeting his children, he
lost his way in the midst of a dense forest. It rained and snowed very
hard, and, besides, the wind was so high as to throw him twice from
his horse. Night came on, and he feared he should die of cold and
hunger, or be torn to pieces by the wolves that he heard howling round
him. All at once he cast his eyes towards a long avenue, and saw at
the end a light, but it seemed a great way off. He made the best of
his way towards it, and found that it came from a splendid palace, the
windows of which were all blazing with light. It had great bronze
gates, standing wide open, and fine court-yards, through which the
merchant passed; but not a living soul was to be seen. There were
stables too, which his poor, starved horse, less scrupulous than
himself, entered at once, and took a good meal of oats and hay. His
master then tied him up, and walked towards the entrance-hall, but
still without seeing a single creature. He went on to a large
dining-parlor, where he found a good fire, and a table covered with
some very nice dishes, but only one plate with a knife and fork. As
the snow and rain had wetted him to the skin, he went up to the fire
to dry himself. "I hope," said he, "the master of the house or his
servants will excuse me, for it surely will not be long now before I
see them." He waited some time, but still nobody came; at last the
clock struck eleven, and the merchant, being quite faint for the want
of food, helped himself to a chicken, and to a few glasses of wine,
yet all the time trembling with fear. He sat till the clock struck
twelve, and then, taking courage, began to think he might as well look
about him; so he opened a door at the end of the hall, and went
through it into a very grand room, in which there was a fine bed; and
as he was feeling very weary, he shut the door, took off his clothes,
and got into it.
It was ten o'clock in the morning before he awoke, when he was amazed
to see a handsome new suit of clothes laid ready for him, instead of
his own, which were all torn and spoiled. "To be sure," said he to
himself, "this place belongs to some good fairy, who has taken pity on
my ill luck." He looked out of the window, and instead of the
snow-covered wood, where he had lost himself the previous night, he
saw the most charming arbors covered with all kinds of flowers.
Returning to the hall where he had supped, he found a breakfast-table,
ready prepared. "Indeed, my good fairy," said the merchant aloud, "I
am vastly obliged to you for your kind care of me." He then made a
hearty breakfast, took his hat, and was going to the stable to pay
his horse a visit; but as he passed under one of the arbors, which was
loaded with roses, he thought of what Beauty had asked him to bring
back to her, and so he took a bunch of roses to carry home. At the
same moment he heard a loud noise, and saw coming towards him a beast,
so frightful to look at that he was ready to faint with fear.
"Ungrateful man!" said the beast, in a terrible voice, "I have saved
your life by admitting you into my palace, and in return you steal my
roses, which I value more than anything I possess. But you shall atone
for your fault: you shall die in a quarter of an hour."
The merchant fell on his knees, and, clasping his hands, said, "Sir, I
humbly beg your pardon. I did not think it would offend you to gather
a rose for one of my daughters, who had entreated me to bring her one
home. Do not kill me, my lord!"
"I am not a lord, but a beast," replied the monster; "I hate false
compliments, so do not fancy that you can coax me by any such ways.
You tell me that you have daughters; now I will suffer you to escape
if one of them will come and die in your stead. If not, promise that
you will yourself return in three months, to be dealt with as I may
choose."
The tender-hearted merchant had no thoughts of letting any one of his
daughters die for his sake; but he knew that if he seemed to accept
the beast's terms, he should at least have the pleasure of seeing them
once again. So he gave his promise, and was told he might set off as
soon as he liked. "But," said the beast, "I do not wish you to go back
empty-handed. Go to the room you slept in, and you will find a chest
there; fill it with whatsoever you like best, and I will have it taken
to your own house for you."
When the beast had said this he went away. The good merchant, left to
himself, began to consider that as he must die--for he had no thought
of breaking a promise, made even to a beast--he might as well have the
comfort of leaving his children provided for. He returned to the room
he had slept in, and found there heaps of gold pieces lying about. He
filled the chest with them to the very brim, locked it, and, mounting
his horse, left the palace as sorrowful as he had been glad when he
first beheld it. The horse took a path across the forest of his own
accord, and in a few hours they reached the merchant's house. His
children came running round him, but, instead of kissing them with
joy, he could not help weeping as he looked at them. He held in his
hand the bunch of roses, which he gave to Beauty, saying, "Take these
roses, Beauty; but little do you think how dear they have cost your
poor father." And then he gave them an account of all that he had
seen or heard in the palace of the beast.
The two eldest sisters now began to shed tears, and to lay the blame
upon Beauty, who, they said, would be the cause of her father's death.
"See," said they, "what happens from the pride of the little wretch;
why did not she ask for such things as we did? But, to be sure, miss
must not be like other people; and though she will be the cause of her
father's death, yet she does not shed a tear."
"It would be useless," replied Beauty; "for father shall not die. As
the beast will accept of one of his daughters, I will give myself up,
and be only too happy to prove my love for the best of fathers."
"No, sister," said the three brothers, with one voice, "that cannot
be; we will go in search of this monster, and either he or we will
perish."
"Do not hope to kill him," said the merchant; "his power is far too
great. But Beauty's young life shall not be sacrificed; I am old, and
cannot expect to live much longer; so I shall but give up a few years
of my life, and shall only grieve for the sake of my children."
"Never, father!" cried Beauty; "if you go back to the palace, you
cannot hinder my going after you; though young, I am not over-fond of
life; and I would much rather be eaten up by the monster than die of
grief for your loss."
The merchant in vain tried to reason with Beauty, who still
obstinately kept to her purpose; which, in truth, made her two sisters
glad, for they were jealous of her, because everybody loved her.
The merchant was so grieved at the thoughts of losing his child that
he never once thought of the chest filled with gold, but at night, to
his great surprise, he found it standing by his bedside. He said
nothing about his riches to his eldest daughters, for he knew very
well it would at once make them want to return to town; but he told
Beauty his secret, and she then said that while he was away two
gentlemen had been on a visit at their cottage who had fallen in love
with her two sisters. She entreated her father to marry them without
delay, for she was so sweet-natured she only wished them to be happy.
Three months went by only too fast, and then the merchant and Beauty
got ready to set out for the palace of the beast. Upon this the two
sisters rubbed their eyes with an onion to make believe they were
crying; both the merchant and his sons cried in earnest. Only Beauty
shed no tears. They reached the palace in a very few hours, and the
horse, without bidding, went into the same stable as before. The
merchant and Beauty walked towards the large hall, where they found a
table covered with every dainty, and two plates laid ready. The
merchant had very little appetite; but Beauty, that she might the
better hide her grief, placed herself at the table, and helped her
father; she then began to eat herself, and thought all the time that,
to be sure, the beast had a mind to fatten her before he ate her up,
since he had provided such good cheer for her. When they had done
their supper they heard a great noise, and the good old man began to
bid his poor child farewell, for he knew it was the beast coming to
them. When Beauty first saw that frightful form she was very much
terrified, but tried to hide her fear. The creature walked up to her
and eyed her all over; then asked her, in a dreadful voice, if she had
come quite of her own accord.
"Yes," said Beauty.
"Then you are a good girl, and I am very much obliged to you."
This was such an astonishingly civil answer that Beauty's courage
rose; but it sank again when the beast, addressing the merchant,
desired him to leave the palace next morning, and never return to it
again. "And so good-night, merchant. And good-night, Beauty."
"Good-night, beast," she answered, as the monster shuffled out of the
room.
"Ah! my dear child," said the merchant, kissing his daughter, "I am
half dead already, at the thought of leaving you with this dreadful
beast; you shall go back and let me stay in your place."
"No," said Beauty, boldly, "I will never agree to that; you must go
home to-morrow morning."
Then they wished each other good-night and went to bed, both of them
thinking they should not be able to close their eyes; but as soon as
ever they had lain down they fell into a deep sleep, and did not awake
till morning. Beauty dreamed that a lady came up to her, who said: "I
am very much pleased, Beauty, with the goodness you have shown, in
being willing to give your life to save that of your father. Do not be
afraid of anything; you shall not go without a reward."
As soon as Beauty awoke she told her father this dream; but though it
gave him some comfort, he was a long time before he could be persuaded
to leave the palace. At last Beauty succeeded in getting him safely
away.
When her father was out of sight poor Beauty began to weep sorely;
still, having naturally a courageous spirit, she soon resolved not to
make her sad case still worse by sorrow, which she knew was vain, but
to wait and be patient. She walked about to take a view of all the
palace, and the elegance of every part of it much charmed her.
But what was her surprise when she came to a door on which was written
BEAUTY'S ROOM! She opened it in haste, and her eyes were dazzled by
the splendor and taste of the apartment. What made her wonder more
than all the rest was a large library filled with books, a
harpsichord, and many pieces of music. "The beast surely does not mean
to eat me up immediately," said she, "since he takes care I shall not
be at a loss how to amuse myself." She opened the library, and saw
these verses written in letters of gold on the back of one of the
books:
"Beauteous lady, dry your tears,
Here's no cause for sighs or fears.
Command as freely as you may,
For you command and I obey."
"Alas!" said she, sighing, "I wish I could only command a sight of my
poor father, and to know what he is doing at this moment." Just then,
by chance, she cast her eyes on a looking-glass that stood near her,
and in it she saw a picture of her old home, and her father riding
mournfully up to the door. Her sisters came out to meet him, and
although they tried to look sorry, it was easy to see that in their
hearts they were very glad. In a short time all this picture
disappeared, but it caused Beauty to think that the beast, besides
being very powerful, was also very kind. About the middle of the day
she found a table laid ready for her, and a sweet concert of music
played all the time she was dining, without her seeing anybody. But at
supper, when she was going to seat herself at table, she heard the
noise of the beast, and could not help trembling with fear.
"Beauty," said he, "will you give me leave to see you sup?"
"That is as you please," answered she, very much afraid.
"Not in the least," said the beast; "you alone command in this place.
If you should not like my company you need only say so, and I will
leave you that moment. But tell me, Beauty, do you not think me very
ugly?"
"Why, yes," said she, "for I cannot tell a falsehood; but then I
think you are very good."
"Am I?" sadly replied the beast; "yet, besides being ugly, I am also
very stupid: I know well enough that I am but a beast."
"Very stupid people," said Beauty, "are never aware of it themselves."
At which kindly speech the beast looked pleased, and replied, not
without an awkward sort of politeness, "Pray do not let me detain you
from supper, and be sure that you are well served. All you see is your
own, and I should be deeply grieved if you wanted for anything."
"You are very kind--so kind that I almost forgot you are so ugly,"
said Beauty, earnestly.
"Ah! yes," answered the beast, with a great sigh; "I hope I am
good-tempered, but still I am only a monster."
"There is many a monster who wears the form of a man; it is better of
the two to have the heart of a man and the form of a monster."
"I would thank you, Beauty, for this speech, but I am too senseless to
say anything that would please you," returned the beast, in a
melancholy voice; and altogether he seemed so gentle and so unhappy
that Beauty, who had the tenderest heart in the world, felt her fear
of him gradually vanish.
She ate her supper with a good appetite, and conversed in her own
sensible and charming way, till at last, when the beast rose to
depart, he terrified her more than ever by saying, abruptly, in his
gruff voice, "Beauty, will you marry me?"
Now Beauty, frightened as she was, would speak only the exact truth;
besides, her father had told her that the beast liked only to have the
truth spoken to him. So she answered, in a very firm tone, "No,
beast."
He did not go into a passion, or do anything but sigh deeply, and
depart.
When Beauty found herself alone she began to feel pity for the poor
beast. "Oh!" said she, "what a sad thing it is that he should be so
very frightful, since he is so good-tempered!"
Beauty lived three months in this palace very well pleased. The beast
came to see her every night, and talked with her while she supped; and
though what he said was not very clever, yet, as she saw in him every
day some new goodness, instead of dreading the time of his coming, she
soon began continually looking at her watch, to see if it were nine
o'clock; for that was the hour when he never failed to visit her. One
thing only vexed her, which was that every night before he went away
he always made it a rule to ask her if she would be his wife, and
seemed very much grieved at her steadfastly replying "No." At last,
one night, she said to him, "You wound me greatly, beast, by forcing
me to refuse you so often; I wish I could take such a liking to you as
to agree to marry you, but I must tell you plainly that I do not think
it will ever happen. I shall always be your friend, so try to let that
content you."
"I must," sighed the beast, "for I know well enough how frightful I
am; but I love you better than myself. Yet I think I am very lucky in
your being pleased to stay with me; now promise me, Beauty, that you
will never leave me."
Beauty would almost have agreed to this, so sorry was she for him, but
she had that day seen in her magic glass, which she looked at
constantly, that her father was dying of grief for her sake.
"Alas!" she said, "I long so much to see my father that if you do not
give me leave to visit him I shall break my heart."
"I would rather break mine, Beauty," answered the beast; "I will send
you to your father's cottage, you shall stay there, and your poor
beast shall die of sorrow."
"No," said Beauty, crying, "I love you too well to be the cause of
your death; I promise to return in a week. You have shown me that my
sisters are married, and my brothers are gone for soldiers, so that my
father is left all alone. Let me stay a week with him."
"You shall find yourself with him to-morrow morning," replied the
beast; "but mind, do not forget your promise. When you wish to return
you have nothing to do but to put your ring on a table when you go to
bed. Good-bye, Beauty!" The beast sighed as he said these words, and
Beauty went to bed very sorry to see him so much grieved. When she
awoke in the morning she found herself in her father's cottage. She
rang a bell that was at her bedside, and a servant entered; but as
soon as she saw Beauty the woman gave a loud shriek; upon which the
merchant ran up-stairs, and when he beheld his daughter he ran to her
and kissed her a hundred times. At last Beauty began to remember that
she had brought no clothes with her to put on; but the servant told
her she had just found in the next room a large chest full of dresses,
trimmed all over with gold, and adorned with pearls and diamonds.
Beauty, in her own mind, thanked the beast for his kindness, and put
on the plainest gown she could find among them all. She then desired
the servant to lay the rest aside, for she intended to give them to
her sisters; but, as soon as she had spoken these words, the chest was
gone out of sight in a moment. Her father then suggested perhaps the
beast chose for her to keep them all for herself; and as soon as he
had said this, they saw the chest standing again in the same place.
While Beauty was dressing herself a servant brought word to her that
her sisters were come with their husbands to pay her a visit. They
both lived unhappily with the gentlemen they had married. The husband
of the eldest was very handsome, but was so proud of this that he
thought of nothing else from morning till night, and did not care a
pin for the beauty of his wife. The second had married a man of great
learning; but he made no use of it, except to torment and affront all
his friends, and his wife more than any of them. The two sisters were
ready to burst with spite when they saw Beauty dressed like a
princess, and looking so very charming. All the kindness that she
showed them was of no use; for they were vexed more than ever when she
told them how happy she lived at the palace of the beast. The spiteful
creatures went by themselves into the garden, where they cried to
think of her good-fortune.
"Why should the little wretch be better off than we?" said they. "We
are much handsomer than she is."
"Sister," said the eldest, "a thought has just come into my head: Let
us try to keep her here longer than the week for which the beast gave
her leave, and then he will be so angry that perhaps when she goes
back to him he will eat her up in a moment."
"That is well thought of," answered the other, "but to do this we must
pretend to be very kind."
They then went to join her in the cottage, where they showed her so
much false love that Beauty could not help crying for joy.
When the week was ended the two sisters began to pretend such grief at
the thought of her leaving them that she agreed to stay a week more;
but all that time Beauty could not help fretting for the sorrow that
she knew her absence would give her poor beast; for she tenderly
loved him, and much wished for his company again. Among all the grand
and clever people she saw she found nobody who was half so sensible,
so affectionate, so thoughtful, or so kind. The tenth night of her
being at the cottage she dreamed she was in the garden of the palace,
that the beast lay dying on a grass-plot, and with his last breath put
her in mind of her promise, and laid his death to her forsaking him.
Beauty awoke in a great fright, and burst into tears. "Am not I
wicked," said she, "to behave so ill to a beast who has shown me so
much kindness? Why will not I marry him? I am sure I should be more
happy with him than my sisters are with their husbands. He shall not
be wretched any longer on my account; for I should do nothing but
blame myself all the rest of my life."
She then rose, put her ring on the table, got into bed again, and soon
fell asleep. In the morning she with joy found herself in the palace
of the beast. She dressed herself very carefully, that she might
please him the better, and thought she had never known a day pass away
so slowly. At last the clock struck nine, but the beast did not come.
Beauty, dreading lest she might truly have caused his death, ran from
room to room, calling out, "Beast, dear beast!" but there was no
answer. At last she remembered her dream, rushed to the grass-plot,
and there saw him lying apparently dead beside the fountain.
Forgetting all his ugliness, she threw herself upon his body, and,
finding his heart still beat, she fetched some water and sprinkled it
over him, weeping and sobbing the while.
The beast opened his eyes. "You forgot your promise, Beauty, and so I
determined to die; for I could not live without you. I have starved
myself to death, but I shall die content since I have seen your face
once more."
"No, dear beast," cried Beauty, passionately, "you shall not die; you
shall live to be my husband! I thought it was only friendship I felt
for you, but now I know it was love."
The moment Beauty had spoken these words the palace was suddenly
lighted up, and all kinds of rejoicings were heard around them, none
of which she noticed, but hung over her dear beast with the utmost
tenderness. At last, unable to restrain herself, she dropped her head
over her hands, covered her eyes, and cried for joy; and, when she
looked up again, the beast was gone. In his stead she saw at her feet
a handsome, graceful young prince, who thanked her with the tenderest
expressions for having freed him from enchantment.
"But where is my poor beast? I only want him and nobody else," sobbed
Beauty.
[Illustration: She saw at her feet a handsome, graceful young
prince]
"I am he," replied the prince. "A wicked fairy condemned me to this
form, and forbade me to show that I had any wit or sense till a
beautiful lady should consent to marry me. You alone, dearest Beauty,
judged me neither by my looks nor by my talents, but by my heart
alone. Take it, then, and all that I have besides, for all is yours."
Beauty, full of surprise, but very happy, suffered the prince to lead
her to his palace, where she found her father and sisters, who had
been brought there by the fairy-lady whom she had seen in a dream the
first night she came.
"Beauty," said the fairy, "you have chosen well, and you have your
reward, for a true heart is better than either good looks or clever
brains. As for you, ladies," and she turned to the two elder sisters,
"I know all your ill deeds, but I have no worse punishment for you
than to see your sister happy. You shall stand as statues at the door
of her palace, and when you repent of and have amended your faults,
you shall become women again. But, to tell you the truth, I very much
fear you will remain statues forever."
LITTLE SNOWDROP
Once upon a time, in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow
fell like feathers from the sky, a queen sat at a window set in an
ebony frame, and sewed. While she was sewing and watching the snow
fall, she pricked her finger with her needle, and three drops of blood
dropped on the snow. And because the crimson looked so beautiful on
the white snow, she thought: "Oh that I had a child as white as snow,
as red as blood, and as black as the wood of this ebony frame!"
Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, who was as white as snow,
as red as blood, and had hair as black as ebony. And when the child
was born the queen died.
After a year had gone by the king took another wife. She was a
handsome lady, but proud and haughty, and could not endure that any
one should surpass her in beauty. She had a wonderful mirror, and
whenever she walked up to it, and looked at herself in it, she said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
Then the mirror replied:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Thou art the fairest of them all."
And she was satisfied, for she knew the mirror always told the truth.
But Snowdrop grew ever taller and fairer, and at seven years old was
beautiful as the day, and more beautiful than the queen herself. So
once, when the queen asked of her mirror:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
it answered:
"Lady queen, you are grand and tall,
But Snowdrop is fairest of you all."
Then the queen was startled, and turned yellow and green with envy.
From that hour she so hated Snowdrop, that she burned with secret
wrath whenever she saw the maiden. Pride and envy grew apace like
weeds in her heart, till she had no rest day or night. So she called a
huntsman and said: "Take the child out in the forest, for I will
endure her no longer in my sight. Kill her, and bring me her lungs and
liver as tokens that you have done it."
The huntsman obeyed, and led the child away; but when he had drawn his
hunting-knife, and was about to pierce Snowdrop's innocent heart, she
began to weep, and said: "Ah! dear huntsman, spare my life, and I
will run deep into the wild forest, and never more come home."
The huntsman took pity on her, because she looked so lovely, and said,
"Run away then, poor child!" ("The wild beasts will soon make an end
of thee," he thought.) But it seemed as if a stone had been rolled
from his heart because he had avoided taking her life; and as a little
bear came by just then, he killed it, took out its liver and lungs,
and carried them as tokens to the queen. She made the cook dress them
with salt, and then the wicked woman ate them, and thought she had
eaten Snowdrop's lungs and liver. The poor child was now all alone in
the great forest, and she felt frightened as she looked at all the
leafy trees, and knew not what to do. So she began to run, and ran
over the sharp stones, and through the thorns; and the wild beasts
passed close to her, but did her no harm. She ran as long as her feet
could carry her, and when evening closed in, she saw a little house,
and went into it to rest herself. Everything in the house was very
small, but I cannot tell you how pretty and clean it was.
There stood a little table, covered with a white tablecloth, on which
were seven little plates (each little plate with its own little
spoon)--also seven little knives and forks, and seven little cups.
Round the walls stood seven little beds close together, with sheets as
white as snow. Snowdrop being so hungry and thirsty, ate a little of
the vegetables and bread on each plate, and drank a drop of wine from
every cup, for she did not like to empty one entirely.
Then, being very tired, she laid herself down in one of the beds, but
could not make herself comfortable, for one was too long, and another
too short. The seventh, luckily, was just right; so there she stayed,
said her prayers, and fell asleep.
When it was grown quite dark, home came the masters of the house,
seven dwarfs, who delved and mined for iron among the mountains. They
lighted their seven candles, and as soon as there was a light in the
kitchen, they saw that some one had been there, for it was not quite
so orderly as they had left it.
The first said, "Who has been sitting on my stool?"
The second, "Who has eaten off my plate?"
The third, "Who has taken part of my loaf?"
The fourth, "Who has touched my vegetables?"
The fifth, "Who has used my fork?"
The sixth, "Who has cut with my knife?"
The seventh, "Who has drunk out of my little cup?"
Then the first dwarf looked about, and saw that there was a slight
hollow in his bed, so he asked, "Who has been lying in my little bed?"
The others came running, and each called out, "Some one has also been
lying in my bed."
But the seventh, when he looked in his bed, saw Snowdrop there, fast
asleep. He called the others, who flocked round with cries of
surprise, fetched their seven candles, and cast the light on Snowdrop.
"Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!" and were so pleased
that they would not wake her, but let her sleep on in the little bed.
The seventh dwarf slept with all his companions in turn, an hour with
each, and so they spent the night. When it was morning Snowdrop woke
up, and was frightened when she saw the seven dwarfs. They were very
friendly, however, and inquired her name.
"Snowdrop," answered she.
"How have you found your way to our house?" further asked the dwarfs.
So she told them how her stepmother had tried to kill her, how the
huntsman had spared her life, and how she had run the whole day
through, till at last she had found their little house.
Then the dwarfs said, "If thou wilt keep our house, cook, make the
beds, wash, sew and knit, and make all neat and clean, thou canst stay
with us and shalt want for nothing."
"I will, right willingly," said Snowdrop. So she dwelt with them, and
kept their house in order. Every morning they went out among the
mountains, to seek iron and gold, and came home ready for supper in
the evening.
The maiden being left alone all day long, the good dwarfs warned her,
saying, "Beware of thy wicked stepmother, who will soon find out that
thou art here; take care that thou lettest nobody in."
[Illustration: "Oh, Heaven," they cried, "what a lovely child!"]
The queen, however, after having, as she thought, eaten Snowdrop's
lungs and liver, had no doubt that she was again the first and fairest
woman in the world; so she walked up to her mirror, and said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
The mirror replied:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here you are fairest of them all;
But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
She trembled, knowing that the mirror never told a falsehood; she felt
sure that the huntsman had deceived her, and that Snowdrop was still
alive. She pondered once more, late and early, early and late, how
best to kill Snowdrop; for envy gave her no rest, day or night, while
she herself was not the fairest lady in the land. When she had planned
what to do she painted her face, dressed herself like an old
pedler-woman, and altered her appearance so much that no one could
have known her. In this disguise she went over the seven hills to
where the seven dwarfs dwelt, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good
wares, cheap!--very cheap!"
Snowdrop looked out of the window and cried, "Good-morning, good
woman. What have you to sell?"
"Good wares, smart wares," answered the queen--"bodice laces of all
colors;" and drew out one which was woven of colored silk.
"I may surely let this honest dame in!" thought Snowdrop; so she
unfastened the door, and bought for herself the pretty lace.
"Child," said the old woman, "what a figure thou art! Let me lace thee
for once properly." Snowdrop feared no harm, so stepped in front of
her, and allowed her bodice to be fastened up with the new lace.
But the old woman laced so quick and laced so tight that Snowdrop's
breath was stopped, and she fell down as if dead. "Now I am fairest at
last," said the old woman to herself, and sped away.
The seven dwarfs came home soon after, at eventide, but how alarmed
were they to find their poor Snowdrop lifeless on the ground! They
lifted her up, and, seeing that she was laced too tightly, cut the
lace of her bodice; she began to breathe faintly, and slowly returned
to life. When the dwarfs heard what had happened, they said, "The old
pedler-woman was none other than the wicked queen. Be careful of
thyself, and open the door to no one if we are not at home."
The cruel stepmother walked up to her mirror when she reached home,
and said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
To which it answered, as usual:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here you are fairest of them all;
But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
Lives Snowdrop, fairer a hundredfold."
When she heard this she was so alarmed that all the blood rushed to
her heart, for she saw plainly that Snowdrop was still alive.
"This time," said she, "I will think of some means that shall destroy
her utterly;" and with the help of witchcraft, in which she was
skilful, she made a poisoned comb. Then she changed her dress and took
the shape of another old woman.
Again she crossed the seven hills to the home of the seven dwarfs,
knocked at the door, and cried, "Good wares, very cheap!"
Snowdrop looked out and said, "Go away--I dare let no one in."
"You may surely be allowed to look!" answered the old woman, and she
drew out the poisoned comb and held it up. The girl was so pleased
with it that she let herself be cajoled, and opened the door.
When the bargain was struck the dame said, "Now let me dress your hair
properly for once." Poor Snowdrop took no heed, and let the old woman
begin; but the comb had scarcely touched her hair before the poison
worked, and she fell down senseless.
"Paragon of beauty!" said the wicked woman, "all is over with thee
now," and went away.
Luckily it was near evening, and the seven dwarfs soon came home. When
they found Snowdrop lifeless on the ground they at once distrusted her
stepmother. They searched, and found the poisoned comb; and as soon as
they had drawn it out, Snowdrop came to herself, and told them what
had happened. Again they warned her to be careful, and open the door
to no one.
The queen placed herself before the mirror at home and said:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
But it again answered:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here, you are fairest of them all;
But over the hills, with the seven dwarfs old,
Lives Snowdrop, fairer a thousandfold."
When she heard the mirror speak thus she quivered with rage. "Snowdrop
shall die," she cried, "if it costs my own life!"
Then she went to a secret and lonely chamber, where no one ever
disturbed her, and compounded an apple of deadly poison. Ripe and rosy
cheeked, it was so beautiful to look upon that all who saw it longed
for it; but it brought death to any who should eat it. When the apple
was ready she painted her face, disguised herself as a peasant-woman,
and journeyed over the seven hills to where the seven dwarfs dwelt. At
the sound of the knock Snowdrop put her head out of the window, and
said, "I cannot open the door to anybody, for the seven dwarfs have
forbidden me to do so."
"Very well," replied the peasant-woman; "I only want to be rid of my
apples. Here, I will give you one of them!"
"No," said Snowdrop, "I dare not take it."
"Art thou afraid of being poisoned?" asked the old woman. "Look here;
I will cut the apple in two, and you shall eat the rosy side, and I
the white."
Now the fruit was so cunningly made that only the rosy side was
poisoned. Snowdrop longed for the pretty apple; and when she saw the
peasant-woman eating it she could resist no longer, but stretched out
her hand and took the poisoned half. She had scarcely tasted it when
she fell lifeless to the ground.
The queen, laughing loudly, watched her with a barbarous look, and
cried: "Oh, thou who art white as snow, red as blood, and black as
ebony, the seven dwarfs cannot awaken thee this time!"
And when she asked the mirror at home,
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
the mirror at last replied,
"Lady queen, so grand and tall.
You are the fairest of them all."
So her envious heart had as much repose as an envious heart can ever
know.
When the dwarfs came home in the evening they found Snowdrop lying
breathless and motionless on the ground. They lifted her up, searched
whether she had anything poisonous about her, unlaced her, combed her
hair, washed her with water and with wine; but all was useless, for
they could not bring the darling back to life. They laid her on a
bier, and all the seven placed themselves round it, and mourned for
her three long days. Then they would have buried her, but that she
still looked so fresh and lifelike, and had such lovely rosy cheeks.
"We cannot lower her into the dark earth," said they; and caused a
transparent coffin of glass to be made, so that she could be seen on
all sides, and laid her in it, writing her name outside in letters of
gold, which told that she was the daughter of a king. Then they placed
the coffin on the mountain above, and one of them always stayed by it
and guarded it. But there was little need to guard it, for even the
wild animals came and mourned for Snowdrop: the birds likewise--first
an owl, and then a raven, and afterwards a dove.
Long, long years did Snowdrop lay in her coffin unchanged, looking as
though asleep, for she was still white as snow, red as blood, and her
hair was as black as ebony. At last the son of a king chanced to
wander into the forest, and came to the dwarf's house for a night's
shelter. He saw the coffin on the mountain with the beautiful Snowdrop
in it, and read what was written there in letters of gold. Then he
said to the dwarfs, "Let me have the coffin! I will give you whatever
you like to ask for it."
But the dwarfs answered, "We would not part with it for all the gold
in the world."
He said again, "Yet give it me; for I cannot live without seeing
Snowdrop, and though she is dead, I will prize and honor her as my
beloved."
Then the good dwarfs took pity on him, and gave him the coffin. The
prince had it borne away by his servants. They happened to stumble
over a bush, and the shock forced the bit of poisoned apple which
Snowdrop had tasted out of her throat. Immediately she opened her
eyes, raised the coffin-lid, and sat up alive once more. "Oh, heaven!"
cried she, "where am I?"
The prince answered, joyfully. "Thou art with me," and told her what
had happened, saying, "I love thee more dearly than anything else in
the world. Come with me to my father's castle, and be my wife."
Snowdrop, well pleased, went with him, and they were married with much
state and grandeur.
The wicked stepmother was invited to the feast. Richly dressed, she
stood before the mirror, and asked of it:
"Little glass upon the wall,
Who is fairest among us all?"
The mirror answered:
"Lady queen, so grand and tall,
Here, you are fairest among them all;
But the young queen over the mountains old
Is fairer than you a thousandfold."
The evil-hearted woman uttered a curse, and could scarcely endure her
anguish. She first resolved not to attend the wedding, but curiosity
would not allow her to rest. She determined to travel, and see who
that young queen could be, who was the most beautiful in all the
world. When she came, and found that it was Snowdrop alive again, she
stood petrified with terror and despair. Then two iron shoes, heated
burning hot, were drawn out of the fire with a pair of tongs, and laid
before her feet. She was forced to put them on, and to go and dance at
Snowdrop's wedding--dancing, dancing on these red hot shoes till she
fell down dead.
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house
of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and
one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.
They had each a pot for their porridge, a little pot for the Little,
Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear; and a
great pot for the Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a chair to sit
in; a little chair for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized
chair for the Middle Bear; and a great chair for the Great, Huge Bear.
And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little,
Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized bed for the Middle Bear; and a
great bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and
poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood
while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths
by beginning too soon to eat it. And while they were walking a little
old woman came to the house. She could not have been a good, honest
old woman; for, first, she looked in at the window, and then she
peeped in at the key-hole; and, seeing nobody in the house, she lifted
the latch. The door was not fastened, because the bears were good
bears, who did nobody any harm, and never suspected that anybody would
harm them. So the little old woman opened the door and went in, and
well pleased she was when she saw the porridge on the table. If she
had been a good little old woman she would have waited till the bears
came home, and then, perhaps, they would have asked her to breakfast;
for they were good bears--a little rough or so, as the manner of bears
is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But she was an
impudent, bad old woman, and set about helping herself.
So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, and that was
too hot for her; and she said a bad word about that. And then she
tasted the porridge of the Middle Bear, and that was too cold for her;
and she said a bad word about that, too. And then she went to the
porridge of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and tasted that, and that was
neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well
that she ate it all up; but the naughty old woman said a bad word
about the little porridge-pot, because it did not hold enough for her.
Then the little old woman sate down in the chair of the Great, Huge
Bear, and that was too hard for her. And then she sate down in the
chair of the Middle Bear, and that was too soft for her. And then she
sate down in the chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was
neither too hard nor too soft, but just right. So she seated herself
in it, and there she sate till the bottom of the chair came out, and
down came she, plump upon the ground. And the naughty old woman said a
wicked word about that, too.
Then the little old woman went up-stairs into the bedchamber in which
the three bears slept. And first she lay down upon the bed of the
Great, Huge Bear; but that was too high at the head for her. And next
she lay down upon the bed of the Middle Bear; and that was too high at
the foot for her. And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little,
Small, Wee Bear; and that was neither too high at the head nor at the
foot, but just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay
there till she fell fast asleep.
By this time the three bears thought their porridge would be cool
enough, so they came home to breakfast. Now the little old woman had
left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his porridge.
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice. And when
the Middle Bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in
it, too. They were wooden spoons; if they had been silver ones the
naughty old woman would have put them in her pocket.
"Somebody Has Been At My Porridge!"
said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked at his, and there was the
spoon in the porridge-pot, but the porridge was all gone.
"_Somebody has been at my porridge, and has eaten it all
up!_"
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Upon this the three bears, seeing that some one had entered their
house, and eaten up the Little, Small, Wee Bear's breakfast, began to
look about them. Now the little old woman had not put the hard cushion
straight when she rose from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little old woman had squatted down the soft cushion of the
Middle Bear.
"Somebody Has Been Sitting In My Chair!"
said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
And you know what the little old woman had done to the third chair.
"_Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sate
the bottom of it out!_"
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Then the three bears thought it necessary that they should make
further search, so they went up-stairs into their bedchamber. Now the
little old woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of
its place.
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little old woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle Bear
out of its place.
"Somebody Has Been Lying in My Bed!"
said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.
And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there
was the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the
bolster, and upon the pillow was the little old woman's ugly, dirty
head--which was not in its place, for she had no business there.
"_Somebody has been lying in my bed--and here she is!_"
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
[Illustration: The voice of the little, small, wee bear awakened
her at once]
The little old woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff
voice of the Great, Huge Bear; but she was so fast asleep that it was
no more to her than the roaring of wind or the rumbling of thunder.
And she had heard the middle voice of the Middle Bear, but it was
only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when she
heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, it
was so sharp and so shrill that it awakened her at once. Up she
started; and when she saw the Three Bears on one side of the bed she
tumbled herself out at the other and ran to the window. Now the window
was open, because the bears, like good, tidy bears as they were,
always opened their bedchamber window when they got up in the morning.
Out the little old woman jumped; and whether she broke her neck in the
fall, or ran into the wood and was lost there, or found her way out of
the wood and was taken up by the constable and sent to the House of
Correction for a vagrant as she was, I cannot tell. But the Three
Bears never saw anything more of her.
From "The Green Fairy Book," edited by Andrew Lang, by
the courtesy of Longmans, Green & Co.
SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED
A poor widow lived alone in a little cottage, in front of which was a
garden, where stood two little rose-trees: one bore white roses, the
other red. The widow had two children who resembled the two
rose-trees: one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red. They
were two of the best children that ever lived; but Snow-white was
quieter and more gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red liked best to jump
about in the meadows, to look for flowers and catch butterflies; but
Snow-white sat at home with her mother, helped her in the house, or
read to her when there was nothing else to do. The two children loved
one another so much that they always walked hand in hand; and when
Snow-white said, "We will not forsake one another," Rose-red answered,
"Never, as long as we live;" and the mother added, "Yes, my children,
whatever one has, let her divide with the other." They often ran about
in solitary places, and gathered red berries; and the wild creatures
of the wood never hurt them, but came confidingly up to them. The
little hare ate cabbage-leaves out of their hands, the doe grazed at
their side, the stag sprang merrily past them, and the birds remained
sitting on the boughs, and never ceased their songs. They met with no
accident if they loitered in the wood and night came on; they lay down
together on the moss, and slept till morning; and the mother knew
this, and was in no anxiety about them. Once, when they had spent the
night in the wood, and the red morning awoke them, they saw a
beautiful child, in a shining white dress, sitting by the place where
they had slept, who, arising, and looking at them kindly, said
nothing, but went into the wood. And when they looked round they found
out that they had been sleeping close to a precipice, and would
certainly have fallen down it if they had gone a few steps farther in
the dark. Their mother told them it must have been the angel that
takes care of good children who had sat by them all night long.
Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's cottage so clean that it
was a pleasure to look into it. In the summer Rose-red managed the
house, and every morning she gathered a nosegay in which was a rose
off each tree, and set it by her mother's bed before she awoke. In
winter Snow-white lighted the fire, and hung the kettle on the hook;
and though it was only copper it shone like gold, it was rubbed so
clean. In the evening, when the snow fell, the mother said, "Go,
Snow-white, and bolt the door;" and then they seated themselves on the
hearth, and the mother took her spectacles, and read aloud out of a
great book, and the two girls listened, and sat and span. Near them
lay a lamb on the floor, and behind them, on a perch, sat a white
dove, with its head under its wing.
One evening, as they were thus happy together, some one knocked to be
let in. The mother said, "Quick, Rose-red, open the door; perhaps it
is a traveller who seeks shelter." Rose-red went and pushed the bolt
back, and thought it was a poor man; but a bear stretched his thick
black head into the door. Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the
little lamb bleated, the little dove fluttered about, and Snow-white
hid herself behind her mother's bed. However, the bear began to speak,
and said, "Do not be frightened, I will do you no harm; I am half
frozen, and only want to warm myself a little."
"You poor bear," said the mother, "lay yourself down before the fire,
only take care your fur does not burn." Then she called out:
"Snow-white and Rose-red, come out; the bear will not hurt you--he
means honestly by us." Then they both came out, and, by degrees, the
lamb and the dove also approached, and ceased to be afraid. The bear
said, "Children, knock the snow a little out of my fur;" and they
fetched a broom, and swept the bear's skin clean; and he stretched
himself before the fire and growled softly, like a bear that was quite
happy and comfortable. In a short time they all became quite friendly
together, and the children played tricks with the awkward guest. They
pulled his hair, set their feet on his back, and rolled him here and
there; or took a hazel rod and beat him, and when he growled they
laughed. The bear was very much pleased with this frolic, only, when
they became too mischievous, he called out: "Children, leave me alone.
"Little Snow-white and Rose-red,
You will strike your lover dead."
When bedtime came, and the others went to sleep, the mother said to
the bear: "You can lie there on the hearth, and then you will be
sheltered from the cold and the bad weather." At daybreak the two
children let him out, and he trotted over the snow into the wood.
Henceforward the bear came every evening at the same hour, laid
himself on the hearth, and allowed the children to play with him as
much as they liked; and they became so used to him that the door was
never bolted until their black companion had arrived. When spring
came, and everything was green out-of-doors, the bear said one morning
to Snow-white: "Now I must go away, and may not come again the whole
summer."
"Where are you going, dear Bear?" asked Snow-white.
"I must go into the wood, and guard my treasures from the bad dwarfs;
in winter, when the ground is frozen hard, they have to stay
underneath, and cannot work their way through, but now that the sun
has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through, come up, seek,
and steal; what is once in their hands, and lies in their caverns,
does not come so easily into daylight again." Snow-white was quite
sorrowful at parting, and as she unbolted the door for him, and the
bear ran out, the hook of the door caught him, and a piece of his skin
tore off; it seemed to Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining
through, but she was not sure. But the bear ran quickly away, and soon
disappeared behind the trees.
After some time, their mother sent the children into the wood to
collect fagots. They found there a large tree, which had been cut down
and lay on the ground, and by the trunk something was jumping up and
down, but they could not tell what it was. As they came nearer they
saw that it was a dwarf with an old withered face, and a snow-white
beard a yard long. The end of the beard was stuck fast in a cleft in
the tree, and the little fellow jumped about like a dog on a rope, and
did not know how to help himself. He stared at the girls with his
fiery red eyes, and screamed out: "Why do you stand there? Can't you
come and render me some assistance?"
"What is the matter with you, little man?" asked Rose-red.
"Stupid little goose!" answered the dwarf; "I wanted to chop the tree,
so as to have some small pieces of wood for the kitchen; we only want
little bits; with thick logs the small quantity of food that we cook
for ourselves--we are not, like you, great greedy people--burns
directly. I had driven the wedge well in, and it was all going on
right, but the detestable wood was too smooth, and sprang out
unexpectedly; and the tree closed up so quickly that I could not pull
my beautiful white beard out; now it is sticking there, and I can't
get away. There, you foolish, soft, milk-faces, you are laughing and
crying out: 'How ugly you are! how ugly you are!'"
The children took a great deal of trouble, but they could not pull the
beard out; it stuck too fast.
"I will run and fetch somebody," said Rose-red.
"You great ninny!" snarled the dwarf, "to want to call more people;
you are too many for me now. Can't you think of anything better?"
"Only don't be impatient," said Snow-white. "I have thought of
something;" and she took her little scissors out of her pocket, and
cut the end of the beard off.
As soon as the dwarf felt himself free he seized a sack filled with
gold that was sticking between the roots of the tree; pulling it out,
he growled to himself: "You rude people, to cut off a piece of my
beautiful beard! May evil reward you!" Then he threw his sack over his
shoulders, and walked away without once looking at the children.
Some time afterwards Snow-white and Rose-red wished to catch some fish
for dinner. As they came near to the stream they saw that something
like a grasshopper was jumping towards the water, as if it were going
to spring in. They ran on and recognized the dwarf.
"Where are you going?" asked Rose-red. "You don't want to go into the
water?"
"I am not such a fool as that," cried the dwarf. "Don't you see the
detestable fish wants to pull me in?"
The little fellow had been sitting there fishing, and, unluckily, the
wind had entangled his beard with the line. When directly afterwards a
great fish bit at his hook the weak creature could not pull him out,
so the fish was pulling the dwarf into the water. It is true he caught
hold of all the reeds and rushes, but that did not help him much; he
had to follow all the movements of the fish, and was in imminent
danger of being drowned. The girls, coming at the right time, held him
fast and tried to get the beard loose from the line, but in
vain--beard and line were entangled fast together. There was nothing
to do but to pull out the scissors and to cut off the beard, in doing
which a little piece of it was lost. When the dwarf saw that, he cried
out: "Is that manners, you goose! to disfigure one's face so? Is it
not enough that you once cut my beard shorter? But now you have cut
the best part of it off, I dare not be seen by my people. I wish you
had had to run, and had lost the soles of your shoes!" Then he fetched
a sack of pearls that lay among the rushes, and, without saying a word
more, he dragged it away and disappeared behind a stone.
Soon after the mother sent the two girls to the town to buy cotton,
needles, cord, and tape. The road led them by a heath, scattered over
which lay great masses of rock. There they saw a large bird hovering
in the air; it flew round and round just above them, always sinking
lower and lower, and at last it settled down by a rock not far
distant. Directly after they heard a piercing, wailing cry. They ran
up, and saw with horror that the eagle had seized their old
acquaintance, the dwarf, and was going to carry him off. The
compassionate children instantly seized hold of the little man, held
him fast, and struggled so long that the eagle let his prey go.
When the dwarf had recovered from his first fright, he called out, in
his shrill voice: "Could not you deal rather more gently with me? You
have torn my thin coat all in tatters, awkward, clumsy creatures that
you are!" Then he took a sack of precious stones, and slipped behind
the rock again into his den. The girls, who were used to his
ingratitude, went on their way, and completed their business in the
town. As they were coming home again over the heath they surprised the
dwarf, who had emptied his sack of precious stones on a little clean
place, and had not thought that any one would come by there so late.
The evening sun shone on the glittering stones, which looked so
beautiful in all their colors that the children could not help
standing still to gaze.
"Why do you stand there gaping?" cried the dwarf, his ash-colored
face turning vermilion with anger.
With these cross words he was going away when he heard a loud roaring,
and a black bear trotted out of the woods towards them. The dwarf
sprang up terrified, but he could not get to his lurking-hole
again--the bear was already close upon him. Then he called out in
anguish:
"Dear Mr. Bear, spare me, and you shall have all my treasures; look at
the beautiful precious stones that lie there. Give me my life; for
what do you want with a poor thin little fellow like me? You would
scarcely feel me between your teeth. Rather seize those two wicked
girls; they will be tender morsels for you, as fat as young quails;
pray, eat them at once."
The bear, without troubling himself to answer, gave the malicious
creature one single stroke with his paw, and he did not move again.
The girls had run away, but the bear called after them: "Snow-white
and Rose-red, do not be frightened; wait, I will go with you."
Recognizing the voice of their old friend, they stood still, and when
the bear came up to them his skin suddenly fell off; and behold he was
not a bear, but a handsome young man dressed all in gold.
"I am a king's son," said he; "I was changed by the wicked dwarf, who
had stolen all my treasures, into a wild bear, and obliged to run
about in the wood until I should be freed by his death. Now he has
received his well-deserved punishment."
So they all went home together to the widow's cottage, and Snow-white
was married to the prince and Rose-red to his brother. They divided
between them the great treasures which the dwarf had amassed. The old
mother lived many quiet and happy years with her children; but when
she left her cottage for the palace she took the two rose-trees with
her, and they stood before her window and bore every year the most
beautiful roses--one white and the other red.
THE WILD SWANS
Far away, where the swallows take refuge in winter, lived a king who
had eleven sons and one daughter, Elise. The eleven brothers--they
were all princes--used to go to school with stars on their breasts and
swords at their sides. They wrote upon golden slates with diamond
pencils, and could read just as well without a book as with one, so
there was no mistake about their being real princes. Their sister
Elise sat upon a little footstool of looking-glass, and she had a
picture-book which had cost the half of a kingdom. Oh, these children
were very happy; but it was not to last thus forever.
Their father, who was king over all the land, married a wicked queen
who was not at all kind to the poor children; they found that out on
the first day. All was festive at the castle, but when the children
wanted to play at having company, instead of having as many cakes and
baked apples as ever they wanted, she would only let them have some
sand in a tea-cup, and said they must make-believe.
In the following week she sent little Elise into the country to board
with some peasants, and it did not take her long to make the king
believe so m
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