many years ago , there was an emperor , who was so excessively fond of new clothes , that he spent all his money in dress .
he did not trouble himself in the least about his soldiers ; nor did he care to go either to the theatre or the chase , except for the opportunities then afforded him for displaying his new clothes .
he had a different suit for each hour of the day ; and as of any other king or emperor , one is accustomed to say , " he is sitting in council , " it was always said of him , " the emperor is sitting in his wardrobe . "
time passed merrily in the large town which was his capital ; strangers arrived every day at the court .
one day , two rogues , calling themselves weavers , made their appearance .
they gave out that they knew how to weave stuffs of the most beautiful colors and elaborate patterns , the clothes manufactured from which should have the wonderful property of remaining invisible to everyone who was unfit for the office he held , or who was extraordinarily simple in character .
" these must , indeed , be splendid clothes ! " thought the emperor .
" had i such a suit , i might at once find out what men in my realms are unfit for their office , and also be able to distinguish the wise from the foolish !
this stuff must be woven for me immediately . "
and he caused large sums of money to be given to both the weavers in order that they might begin their work directly .
so the two pretended weavers set up two looms , and affected to work very busily , though in reality they did nothing at all .
they asked for the most delicate silk and the purest gold thread ; put both into their own knapsacks ; and then continued their pretended work at the empty looms until late at night .
" i should like to know how the weavers are getting on with my cloth , " said the emperor to himself , after some little time had elapsed ; he was , however , rather embarrassed , when he remembered that a simpleton , or one unfit for his office , would be unable to see the manufacture .
to be sure , he thought he had nothing to risk in his own person ; but yet , he would prefer sending somebody else , to bring him intelligence about the weavers , and their work , before he troubled himself in the affair .
all the people throughout the city had heard of the wonderful property the cloth was to possess ; and all were anxious to learn how wise , or how ignorant , their neighbors might prove to be .
" i will send my faithful old minister to the weavers , " said the emperor at last , after some deliberation , " he will be best able to see how the cloth looks ; for he is a man of sense , and no one can be more suitable for his office than he is . "
so the faithful old minister went into the hall , where the knaves were working with all their might , at their empty looms .
" what can be the meaning of this ? " thought the old man , opening his eyes very wide .
" i cannot discover the least bit of thread on the looms . "
however , he did not express his thoughts aloud .
the impostors requested him very courteously to be so good as to come nearer their looms ; and then asked him whether the design pleased him , and whether the colors were not very beautiful ; at the same time pointing to the empty frames .
the poor old minister looked and looked , he could not discover anything on the looms , for a very good reason , viz : there was nothing there .
" what ! " thought he again .
" is it possible that i am a simpleton ?
i have never thought so myself ; and no one must know it now if i am so .
can it be , that i am unfit for my office ?
no , that must not be said either .
i will never confess that i could not see the stuff . "
" well , sir minister ! " said one of the knaves , still pretending to work .
" you do not say whether the stuff pleases you . "
" oh , it is excellent ! " replied the old minister , looking at the loom through his spectacles .
" this pattern , and the colors , yes , i will tell the emperor without delay , how very beautiful i think them . "
" we shall be much obliged to you , " said the impostors , and then they named the different colors and described the pattern of the pretended stuff .
the old minister listened attentively to their words , in order that he might repeat them to the emperor ; and then the knaves asked for more silk and gold , saying that it was necessary to complete what they had begun .
however , they put all that was given them into their knapsacks ; and continued to work with as much apparent diligence as before at their empty looms .
the emperor now sent another officer of his court to see how the men were getting on , and to ascertain whether the cloth would soon be ready .
it was just the same with this gentleman as with the minister ; he surveyed the looms on all sides , but could see nothing at all but the empty frames .
" does not the stuff appear as beautiful to you , as it did to my lord the minister ? " asked the impostors of the emperor's second ambassador ; at the same time making the same gestures as before , and talking of the design and colors which were not there .
" i certainly am not stupid ! " thought the messenger .
" it must be , that i am not fit for my good , profitable office !
that is very odd ; however , no one shall know anything about it . "
and accordingly he praised the stuff he could not see , and declared that he was delighted with both colors and patterns .
" indeed , please your imperial majesty , " said he to his sovereign when he returned , " the cloth which the weavers are preparing is extraordinarily magnificent . "
the whole city was talking of the splendid cloth which the emperor had ordered to be woven at his own expense .
and now the emperor himself wished to see the costly manufacture , while it was still in the loom .
accompanied by a select number of officers of the court , among whom were the two honest men who had already admired the cloth , he went to the crafty impostors , who , as soon as they were aware of the emperor's approach , went on working more diligently than ever ; although they still did not pass a single thread through the looms .
" is not the work absolutely magnificent ? " said the two officers of the crown , already mentioned .
" if your majesty will only be pleased to look at it !
what a splendid design !
what glorious colors ! " and at the same time they pointed to the empty frames ; for they imagined that everyone else could see this exquisite piece of workmanship .
" how is this ? " said the emperor to himself .
" i can see nothing !
this is indeed a terrible affair !
am i a simpleton , or am i unfit to be an emperor ?
that would be the worst thing that could happen--oh ! the cloth is charming , " said he , aloud .
" it has my complete approbation . "
and he smiled most graciously , and looked closely at the empty looms ; for on no account would he say that he could not see what two of the officers of his court had praised so much .
all his retinue now strained their eyes , hoping to discover something on the looms , but they could see no more than the others ; nevertheless , they all exclaimed , " oh , how beautiful ! " and advised his majesty to have some new clothes made from this splendid material , for the approaching procession .
" magnificent !
charming !
excellent ! " resounded on all sides ; and everyone was uncommonly gay .
the emperor shared in the general satisfaction ; and presented the impostors with the riband of an order of knighthood , to be worn in their button-holes , and the title of " gentlemen weavers . "
the rogues sat up the whole of the night before the day on which the procession was to take place , and had sixteen lights burning , so that everyone might see how anxious they were to finish the emperor's new suit .
they pretended to roll the cloth off the looms ; cut the air with their scissors ; and sewed with needles without any thread in them .
" see ! " cried they , at last .
" the emperor's new clothes are ready ! "
and now the emperor , with all the grandees of his court , came to the weavers ; and the rogues raised their arms , as if in the act of holding something up , saying , " here are your majesty's trousers !
here is the scarf !
here is the mantle !
the whole suit is as light as a cobweb ; one might fancy one has nothing at all on , when dressed in it ; that , however , is the great virtue of this delicate cloth . "
" yes indeed ! " said all the courtiers , although not one of them could see anything of this exquisite manufacture .
" if your imperial majesty will be graciously pleased to take off your clothes , we will fit on the new suit , in front of the looking glass . "
the emperor was accordingly undressed , and the rogues pretended to array him in his new suit ; the emperor turning round , from side to side , before the looking glass .
" how splendid his majesty looks in his new clothes , and how well they fit ! " everyone cried out .
" what a design !
what colors !
these are indeed royal robes ! "
" the canopy which is to be borne over your majesty , in the procession , is waiting , " announced the chief master of the ceremonies .
" i am quite ready , " answered the emperor .
" do my new clothes fit well ? " asked he , turning himself round again before the looking glass , in order that he might appear to be examining his handsome suit .
the lords of the bedchamber , who were to carry his majesty's train felt about on the ground , as if they were lifting up the ends of the mantle ; and pretended to be carrying something ; for they would by no means betray anything like simplicity , or unfitness for their office .
so now the emperor walked under his high canopy in the midst of the procession , through the streets of his capital ; and all the people standing by , and those at the windows , cried out , " oh !
how beautiful are our emperor's new clothes !
what a magnificent train there is to the mantle ; and how gracefully the scarf hangs ! " in short , no one would allow that he could not see these much-admired clothes ; because , in doing so , he would have declared himself either a simpleton or unfit for his office .
certainly , none of the emperor's various suits , had ever made so great an impression , as these invisible ones .
" but the emperor has nothing at all on ! " said a little child .
" listen to the voice of innocence ! " exclaimed his father ; and what the child had said was whispered from one to another .
" but he has nothing at all on ! " at last cried out all the people .
the emperor was vexed , for he knew that the people were right ; but he thought the procession must go on now !
and the lords of the bedchamber took greater pains than ever , to appear holding up a train , although , in reality , there was no train to hold .
there was once a poor prince , who had a kingdom .
his kingdom was very small , but still quite large enough to marry upon ; and he wished to marry .
it was certainly rather cool of him to say to the emperor's daughter , " will you have me ? "
but so he did ; for his name was renowned far and wide ; and there were a hundred princesses who would have answered , " yes ! " and " thank you kindly . "
we shall see what this princess said .
listen !
it happened that where the prince's father lay buried , there grew a rose tree--a most beautiful rose tree , which blossomed only once in every five years , and even then bore only one flower , but that was a rose !
it smelt so sweet that all cares and sorrows were forgotten by him who inhaled its fragrance .
and furthermore , the prince had a nightingale , who could sing in such a manner that it seemed as though all sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat .
so the princess was to have the rose , and the nightingale ; and they were accordingly put into large silver caskets , and sent to her .
the emperor had them brought into a large hall , where the princess was playing at " visiting , " with the ladies of the court ; and when she saw the caskets with the presents , she clapped her hands for joy .
" ah , if it were but a little pussy-cat ! " said she ; but the rose tree , with its beautiful rose came to view .
" oh , how prettily it is made ! " said all the court ladies .
" it is more than pretty , " said the emperor , " it is charming ! "
but the princess touched it , and was almost ready to cry .
" fie , papa ! " said she .
" it is not made at all , it is natural ! "
" let us see what is in the other casket , before we get into a bad humor , " said the emperor .
so the nightingale came forth and sang so delightfully that at first no one could say anything ill-humored of her .
" superbe !
charmant ! " exclaimed the ladies ; for they all used to chatter french , each one worse than her neighbor .
" how much the bird reminds me of the musical box that belonged to our blessed empress , " said an old knight .
" oh yes !
these are the same tones , the same execution . "
" yes ! yes ! " said the emperor , and he wept like a child at the remembrance .
" i will still hope that it is not a real bird , " said the princess .
" yes , it is a real bird , " said those who had brought it .
" well then let the bird fly , " said the princess ; and she positively refused to see the prince .
however , he was not to be discouraged ; he daubed his face over brown and black ; pulled his cap over his ears , and knocked at the door .
" good day to my lord , the emperor ! " said he .
" can i have employment at the palace ? "
" why , yes , " said the emperor .
" i want some one to take care of the pigs , for we have a great many of them . "
so the prince was appointed " imperial swineherd . "
he had a dirty little room close by the pigsty ; and there he sat the whole day , and worked .
by the evening he had made a pretty little kitchen-pot .
little bells were hung all round it ; and when the pot was boiling , these bells tinkled in the most charming manner , and played the old melody , " ach ! du lieber augustin , alles ist weg , weg , weg ! " * * " ah ! dear augustine !
all is gone , gone , gone ! "
but what was still more curious , whoever held his finger in the smoke of the kitchen-pot , immediately smelt all the dishes that were cooking on every hearth in the city--this , you see , was something quite different from the rose .
now the princess happened to walk that way ; and when she heard the tune , she stood quite still , and seemed pleased ; for she could play " lieber augustine " ; it was the only piece she knew ; and she played it with one finger .
" why there is my piece , " said the princess .
" that swineherd must certainly have been well educated !
go in and ask him the price of the instrument . "
so one of the court-ladies must run in ; however , she drew on wooden slippers first .
" what will you take for the kitchen-pot ? " said the lady .
" i will have ten kisses from the princess , " said the swineherd .
" yes , indeed ! " said the lady .
" i cannot sell it for less , " rejoined the swineherd .
" he is an impudent fellow ! " said the princess , and she walked on ; but when she had gone a little way , the bells tinkled so prettily " ach ! du lieber augustin , alles ist weg , weg , weg ! "
" stay , " said the princess .
" ask him if he will have ten kisses from the ladies of my court . "
" no , thank you ! " said the swineherd .
" ten kisses from the princess , or i keep the kitchen-pot myself . "
" that must not be , either ! " said the princess .
" but do you all stand before me that no one may see us . "
and the court-ladies placed themselves in front of her , and spread out their dresses--the swineherd got ten kisses , and the princess--the kitchen-pot .
that was delightful !
the pot was boiling the whole evening , and the whole of the following day .
they knew perfectly well what was cooking at every fire throughout the city , from the chamberlain's to the cobbler's ; the court-ladies danced and clapped their hands .
" we know who has soup , and who has pancakes for dinner to-day , who has cutlets , and who has eggs .
how interesting ! "
" yes , but keep my secret , for i am an emperor's daughter . "
the swineherd--that is to say--the prince , for no one knew that he was other than an ill-favored swineherd , let not a day pass without working at something ; he at last constructed a rattle , which , when it was swung round , played all the waltzes and jig tunes , which have ever been heard since the creation of the world .
" ah , that is superbe ! " said the princess when she passed by .
" i have never heard prettier compositions !
go in and ask him the price of the instrument ; but mind , he shall have no more kisses ! "
" he will have a hundred kisses from the princess ! " said the lady who had been to ask .
" i think he is not in his right senses ! " said the princess , and walked on , but when she had gone a little way , she stopped again .
" one must encourage art , " said she , " i am the emperor's daughter .
tell him he shall , as on yesterday , have ten kisses from me , and may take the rest from the ladies of the court . "
" oh--but we should not like that at all ! " said they .
" what are you muttering ? " asked the princess .
" if i can kiss him , surely you can .
remember that you owe everything to me . "
so the ladies were obliged to go to him again .
" a hundred kisses from the princess , " said he , " or else let everyone keep his own ! "
" stand round ! " said she ; and all the ladies stood round her whilst the kissing was going on .
" what can be the reason for such a crowd close by the pigsty ? " said the emperor , who happened just then to step out on the balcony ; he rubbed his eyes , and put on his spectacles .
" they are the ladies of the court ; i must go down and see what they are about ! "
so he pulled up his slippers at the heel , for he had trodden them down .
as soon as he had got into the court-yard , he moved very softly , and the ladies were so much engrossed with counting the kisses , that all might go on fairly , that they did not perceive the emperor .
he rose on his tiptoes .
" what is all this ? " said he , when he saw what was going on , and he boxed the princess's ears with his slipper , just as the swineherd was taking the eighty-sixth kiss .
" march out ! " said the emperor , for he was very angry ; and both princess and swineherd were thrust out of the city .
the princess now stood and wept , the swineherd scolded , and the rain poured down .
" alas !
unhappy creature that i am ! " said the princess .
" if i had but married the handsome young prince !
ah ! how unfortunate i am ! "
and the swineherd went behind a tree , washed the black and brown color from his face , threw off his dirty clothes , and stepped forth in his princely robes ; he looked so noble that the princess could not help bowing before him .
" i am come to despise thee , " said he .
" thou would'st not have an honorable prince !
thou could'st not prize the rose and the nightingale , but thou wast ready to kiss the swineherd for the sake of a trumpery plaything .
thou art rightly served . "
he then went back to his own little kingdom , and shut the door of his palace in her face .
now she might well sing , " ach ! du lieber augustin , alles ist weg , weg , weg ! "
there was once a prince who wished to marry a princess ; but then she must be a real princess .
he travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady ; but there was always something wrong .
princesses he found in plenty ; but whether they were real princesses it was impossible for him to decide , for now one thing , now another , seemed to him not quite right about the ladies .
at last he returned to his palace quite cast down , because he wished so much to have a real princess for his wife .
one evening a fearful tempest arose , it thundered and lightened , and the rain poured down from the sky in torrents : besides , it was as dark as pitch .
all at once there was heard a violent knocking at the door , and the old king , the prince's father , went out himself to open it .
it was a princess who was standing outside the door .
what with the rain and the wind , she was in a sad condition ; the water trickled down from her hair , and her clothes clung to her body .
she said she was a real princess .
" ah ! we shall soon see that ! " thought the old queen-mother ; however , she said not a word of what she was going to do ; but went quietly into the bedroom , took all the bed-clothes off the bed , and put three little peas on the bedstead .
she then laid twenty mattresses one upon another over the three peas , and put twenty feather beds over the mattresses .
upon this bed the princess was to pass the night .
the next morning she was asked how she had slept .
" oh , very badly indeed ! " she replied .
" i have scarcely closed my eyes the whole night through .
i do not know what was in my bed , but i had something hard under me , and am all over black and blue .
it has hurt me so much ! "
now it was plain that the lady must be a real princess , since she had been able to feel the three little peas through the twenty mattresses and twenty feather beds .
none but a real princess could have had such a delicate sense of feeling .
the prince accordingly made her his wife ; being now convinced that he had found a real princess .
the three peas were however put into the cabinet of curiosities , where they are still to be seen , provided they are not lost .
wasn't this a lady of real delicacy ?
i .
a beginning every author has some peculiarity in his descriptions or in his style of writing .
those who do not like him , magnify it , shrug up their shoulders , and exclaim--there he is again !
i , for my part , know very well how i can bring about this movement and this exclamation .
it would happen immediately if i were to begin here , as i intended to do , with : " rome has its corso , naples its toledo"--"ah ! that andersen ; there he is again ! " they would cry ; yet i must , to please my fancy , continue quite quietly , and add : " but copenhagen has its east street . "
here , then , we will stay for the present .
in one of the houses not far from the new market a party was invited--a very large party , in order , as is often the case , to get a return invitation from the others .
one half of the company was already seated at the card-table , the other half awaited the result of the stereotype preliminary observation of the lady of the house : " now let us see what we can do to amuse ourselves . "
they had got just so far , and the conversation began to crystallise , as it could but do with the scanty stream which the commonplace world supplied .
amongst other things they spoke of the middle ages : some praised that period as far more interesting , far more poetical than our own too sober present ; indeed councillor knap defended this opinion so warmly , that the hostess declared immediately on his side , and both exerted themselves with unwearied eloquence .
the councillor boldly declared the time of king hans to be the noblest and the most happy period . *
while the conversation turned on this subject , and was only for a moment interrupted by the arrival of a journal that contained nothing worth reading , we will just step out into the antechamber , where cloaks , mackintoshes , sticks , umbrellas , and shoes , were deposited .
here sat two female figures , a young and an old one .
one might have thought at first they were servants come to accompany their mistresses home ; but on looking nearer , one soon saw they could scarcely be mere servants ; their forms were too noble for that , their skin too fine , the cut of their dress too striking .
two fairies were they ; the younger , it is true , was not dame fortune herself , but one of the waiting-maids of her handmaidens who carry about the lesser good things that she distributes ; the other looked extremely gloomy--it was care .
she always attends to her own serious business herself , as then she is sure of having it done properly .
they were telling each other , with a confidential interchange of ideas , where they had been during the day .
the messenger of fortune had only executed a few unimportant commissions , such as saving a new bonnet from a shower of rain , etc . ; but what she had yet to perform was something quite unusual .
" i must tell you , " said she , " that to-day is my birthday ; and in honor of it , a pair of walking-shoes or galoshes has been entrusted to me , which i am to carry to mankind .
these shoes possess the property of instantly transporting him who has them on to the place or the period in which he most wishes to be ; every wish , as regards time or place , or state of being , will be immediately fulfilled , and so at last man will be happy , here below . "
" do you seriously believe it ? " replied care , in a severe tone of reproach .
" no ; he will be very unhappy , and will assuredly bless the moment when he feels that he has freed himself from the fatal shoes . "
" stupid nonsense ! " said the other angrily .
" i will put them here by the door .
some one will make a mistake for certain and take the wrong ones--he will be a happy man . "
such was their conversation .
ii .
what happened to the councillor it was late ; councillor knap , deeply occupied with the times of king hans , intended to go home , and malicious fate managed matters so that his feet , instead of finding their way to his own galoshes , slipped into those of fortune .
thus caparisoned the good man walked out of the well-lighted rooms into east street .
by the magic power of the shoes he was carried back to the times of king hans ; on which account his foot very naturally sank in the mud and puddles of the street , there having been in those days no pavement in copenhagen .
" well !
this is too bad !
how dirty it is here ! " sighed the councillor .
" as to a pavement , i can find no traces of one , and all the lamps , it seems , have gone to sleep . "
the moon was not yet very high ; it was besides rather foggy , so that in the darkness all objects seemed mingled in chaotic confusion .
at the next corner hung a votive lamp before a madonna , but the light it gave was little better than none at all ; indeed , he did not observe it before he was exactly under it , and his eyes fell upon the bright colors of the pictures which represented the well-known group of the virgin and the infant jesus .
" that is probably a wax-work show , " thought he ; " and the people delay taking down their sign in hopes of a late visitor or two . "
a few persons in the costume of the time of king hans passed quickly by him .
" how strange they look !
the good folks come probably from a masquerade ! "
suddenly was heard the sound of drums and fifes ; the bright blaze of a fire shot up from time to time , and its ruddy gleams seemed to contend with the bluish light of the torches .
the councillor stood still , and watched a most strange procession pass by .
first came a dozen drummers , who understood pretty well how to handle their instruments ; then came halberdiers , and some armed with cross-bows .
the principal person in the procession was a priest .
astonished at what he saw , the councillor asked what was the meaning of all this mummery , and who that man was .
" that's the bishop of zealand , " was the answer .
" good heavens !
what has taken possession of the bishop ? " sighed the councillor , shaking his head .
it certainly could not be the bishop ; even though he was considered the most absent man in the whole kingdom , and people told the drollest anecdotes about him .
reflecting on the matter , and without looking right or left , the councillor went through east street and across the habro-platz .
the bridge leading to palace square was not to be found ; scarcely trusting his senses , the nocturnal wanderer discovered a shallow piece of water , and here fell in with two men who very comfortably were rocking to and fro in a boat .
" does your honor want to cross the ferry to the holme ? " asked they .
" across to the holme ! " said the councillor , who knew nothing of the age in which he at that moment was .
" no , i am going to christianshafen , to little market street . "
both men stared at him in astonishment .
" only just tell me where the bridge is , " said he .
" it is really unpardonable that there are no lamps here ; and it is as dirty as if one had to wade through a morass . "
the longer he spoke with the boatmen , the more unintelligible did their language become to him .
" i don't understand your bornholmish dialect , " said he at last , angrily , and turning his back upon them .
he was unable to find the bridge : there was no railway either .
" it is really disgraceful what a state this place is in , " muttered he to himself .
never had his age , with which , however , he was always grumbling , seemed so miserable as on this evening .
" i'll take a hackney-coach ! " thought he .
but where were the hackney-coaches ?
not one was to be seen .
" i must go back to the new market ; there , it is to be hoped , i shall find some coaches ; for if i don't , i shall never get safe to christianshafen . "
so off he went in the direction of east street , and had nearly got to the end of it when the moon shone forth .
" god bless me !
what wooden scaffolding is that which they have set up there ? " cried he involuntarily , as he looked at east gate , which , in those days , was at the end of east street .
he found , however , a little side-door open , and through this he went , and stepped into our new market of the present time .
it was a huge desolate plain ; some wild bushes stood up here and there , while across the field flowed a broad canal or river .
some wretched hovels for the dutch sailors , resembling great boxes , and after which the place was named , lay about in confused disorder on the opposite bank .
" i either behold a fata morgana , or i am regularly tipsy , " whimpered out the councillor .
" but what's this ? "
he turned round anew , firmly convinced that he was seriously ill .
he gazed at the street formerly so well known to him , and now so strange in appearance , and looked at the houses more attentively : most of them were of wood , slightly put together ; and many had a thatched roof .
" no--i am far from well , " sighed he ; " and yet i drank only one glass of punch ; but i cannot suppose it--it was , too , really very wrong to give us punch and hot salmon for supper .
i shall speak about it at the first opportunity .
i have half a mind to go back again , and say what i suffer .
but no , that would be too silly ; and heaven only knows if they are up still . "
he looked for the house , but it had vanished .
" it is really dreadful , " groaned he with increasing anxiety ; " i cannot recognise east street again ; there is not a single decent shop from one end to the other !
nothing but wretched huts can i see anywhere ; just as if i were at ringstead .
oh !
i am ill !
i can scarcely bear myself any longer .
where the deuce can the house be ?
it must be here on this very spot ; yet there is not the slightest idea of resemblance , to such a degree has everything changed this night !
at all events here are some people up and stirring .
oh ! oh !
i am certainly very ill . "
he now hit upon a half-open door , through a chink of which a faint light shone .
it was a sort of hostelry of those times ; a kind of public-house .
the room had some resemblance to the clay-floored halls in holstein ; a pretty numerous company , consisting of seamen , copenhagen burghers , and a few scholars , sat here in deep converse over their pewter cans , and gave little heed to the person who entered .
" by your leave ! " said the councillor to the hostess , who came bustling towards him .
" i've felt so queer all of a sudden ; would you have the goodness to send for a hackney-coach to take me to christianshafen ? "
the woman examined him with eyes of astonishment , and shook her head ; she then addressed him in german .
the councillor thought she did not understand danish , and therefore repeated his wish in german .
this , in connection with his costume , strengthened the good woman in the belief that he was a foreigner .
that he was ill , she comprehended directly ; so she brought him a pitcher of water , which tasted certainly pretty strong of the sea , although it had been fetched from the well .
the councillor supported his head on his hand , drew a long breath , and thought over all the wondrous things he saw around him .
" is this the daily news of this evening ? " he asked mechanically , as he saw the hostess push aside a large sheet of paper .
the meaning of this councillorship query remained , of course , a riddle to her , yet she handed him the paper without replying .
it was a coarse wood-cut , representing a splendid meteor " as seen in the town of cologne , " which was to be read below in bright letters .
" that is very old ! " said the councillor , whom this piece of antiquity began to make considerably more cheerful .
" pray how did you come into possession of this rare print ?
it is extremely interesting , although the whole is a mere fable .
such meteorous appearances are to be explained in this way--that they are the reflections of the aurora borealis , and it is highly probable they are caused principally by electricity . "
those persons who were sitting nearest him and heard his speech , stared at him in wonderment ; and one of them rose , took off his hat respectfully , and said with a serious countenance , " you are no doubt a very learned man , monsieur . "
" oh no , " answered the councillor , " i can only join in conversation on this topic and on that , as indeed one must do according to the demands of the world at present . "
" modestia is a fine virtue , " continued the gentleman ; " however , as to your speech , i must say mihi secus videtur : yet i am willing to suspend my judicium . "
" may i ask with whom i have the pleasure of speaking ? " asked the councillor .
" i am a bachelor in theologia , " answered the gentleman with a stiff reverence .
this reply fully satisfied the councillor ; the title suited the dress .
" he is certainly , " thought he , " some village schoolmaster--some queer old fellow , such as one still often meets with in jutland . "
" this is no locus docendi , it is true , " began the clerical gentleman ; " yet i beg you earnestly to let us profit by your learning .
your reading in the ancients is , sine dubio , of vast extent ? "
" oh yes , i've read something , to be sure , " replied the councillor .
" i like reading all useful works ; but i do not on that account despise the modern ones ; ' tis only the unfortunate ' tales of every-day life ' that i cannot bear--we have enough and more than enough such in reality . " " ' tales of every-day life ? ' " said our bachelor inquiringly .
" i mean those new fangled novels , twisting and writhing themselves in the dust of commonplace , which also expect to find a reading public . "
" oh , " exclaimed the clerical gentleman smiling , " there is much wit in them ; besides they are read at court .
the king likes the history of sir iffven and sir gaudian particularly , which treats of king arthur , and his knights of the round table ; he has more than once joked about it with his high vassals . "
" i have not read that novel , " said the councillor ; " it must be quite a new one , that heiberg has published lately . "
" no , " answered the theologian of the time of king hans : " that book is not written by a heiberg , but was imprinted by godfrey von gehmen . "
" oh , is that the author's name ? " said the councillor .
" it is a very old name , and , as well as i recollect , he was the first printer that appeared in denmark . "
" yes , he is our first printer , " replied the clerical gentleman hastily .
so far all went on well .
some one of the worthy burghers now spoke of the dreadful pestilence that had raged in the country a few years back , meaning that of 1484 .
the councillor imagined it was the cholera that was meant , which people made so much fuss about ; and the discourse passed off satisfactorily enough .
the war of the buccaneers of 1490 was so recent that it could not fail being alluded to ; the english pirates had , they said , most shamefully taken their ships while in the roadstead ; and the councillor , before whose eyes the herostratic [ * ] event of 1801 still floated vividly , agreed entirely with the others in abusing the rascally english .
with other topics he was not so fortunate ; every moment brought about some new confusion , and threatened to become a perfect babel ; for the worthy bachelor was really too ignorant , and the simplest observations of the councillor sounded to him too daring and phantastical .
they looked at one another from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet ; and when matters grew to too high a pitch , then the bachelor talked latin , in the hope of being better understood--but it was of no use after all . * herostratus , or eratostratus--an ephesian , who wantonly set fire to the famous temple of diana , in order to commemorate his name by so uncommon an action .
" what's the matter ? " asked the hostess , plucking the councillor by the sleeve ; and now his recollection returned , for in the course of the conversation he had entirely forgotten all that had preceded it .
" merciful god , where am i ! " exclaimed he in agony ; and while he so thought , all his ideas and feelings of overpowering dizziness , against which he struggled with the utmost power of desperation , encompassed him with renewed force .
" let us drink claret and mead , and bremen beer , " shouted one of the guests--"and you shall drink with us ! "
two maidens approached .
one wore a cap of two staring colors , denoting the class of persons to which she belonged .
they poured out the liquor , and made the most friendly gesticulations ; while a cold perspiration trickled down the back of the poor councillor .
" what's to be the end of this !
what's to become of me ! " groaned he ; but he was forced , in spite of his opposition , to drink with the rest .
they took hold of the worthy man ; who , hearing on every side that he was intoxicated , did not in the least doubt the truth of this certainly not very polite assertion ; but on the contrary , implored the ladies and gentlemen present to procure him a hackney-coach : they , however , imagined he was talking russian .
never before , he thought , had he been in such a coarse and ignorant company ; one might almost fancy the people had turned heathens again .
" it is the most dreadful moment of my life : the whole world is leagued against me ! "
but suddenly it occurred to him that he might stoop down under the table , and then creep unobserved out of the door .
he did so ; but just as he was going , the others remarked what he was about ; they laid hold of him by the legs ; and now , happily for him , off fell his fatal shoes--and with them the charm was at an end .
the councillor saw quite distinctly before him a lantern burning , and behind this a large handsome house .
all seemed to him in proper order as usual ; it was east street , splendid and elegant as we now see it .
he lay with his feet towards a doorway , and exactly opposite sat the watchman asleep .
" gracious heaven ! " said he .
" have i lain here in the street and dreamed ?
yes ; ' tis east street !
how splendid and light it is !
but really it is terrible what an effect that one glass of punch must have had on me ! "
two minutes later , he was sitting in a hackney-coach and driving to frederickshafen .
he thought of the distress and agony he had endured , and praised from the very bottom of his heart the happy reality--our own time--which , with all its deficiencies , is yet much better than that in which , so much against his inclination , he had lately been .
iii .
the watchman's adventure " why , there is a pair of galoshes , as sure as i'm alive ! " said the watchman , awaking from a gentle slumber .
" they belong no doubt to the lieutenant who lives over the way .
they lie close to the door . "
the worthy man was inclined to ring and deliver them at the house , for there was still a light in the window ; but he did not like disturbing the other people in their beds , and so very considerately he left the matter alone .
" such a pair of shoes must be very warm and comfortable , " said he ; " the leather is so soft and supple . "
they fitted his feet as though they had been made for him . " ' tis a curious world we live in , " continued he , soliloquizing .
" there is the lieutenant , now , who might go quietly to bed if he chose , where no doubt he could stretch himself at his ease ; but does he do it ?
no ; he saunters up and down his room , because , probably , he has enjoyed too many of the good things of this world at his dinner .
that's a happy fellow !
he has neither an infirm mother , nor a whole troop of everlastingly hungry children to torment him .
every evening he goes to a party , where his nice supper costs him nothing : would to heaven i could but change with him !
how happy should i be ! "
while expressing his wish , the charm of the shoes , which he had put on , began to work ; the watchman entered into the being and nature of the lieutenant .
he stood in the handsomely furnished apartment , and held between his fingers a small sheet of rose-colored paper , on which some verses were written--written indeed by the officer himself ; for who has not , at least once in his life , had a lyrical moment ?
and if one then marks down one's thoughts , poetry is produced .
but here was written :
" oh , were i rich !
such was my wish , yea such when hardly three feet high , i longed for much .
oh , were i rich ! an officer were i , with sword , and uniform , and plume so high .
and the time came , and officer was i !
but yet i grew not rich .
alas , poor me !
have pity , thou , who all man's wants dost see .
" i sat one evening sunk in dreams of bliss , a maid of seven years old gave me a kiss , i at that time was rich in poesy and tales of old , though poor as poor could be ; but all she asked for was this poesy .
then was i rich , but not in gold , poor me !
as thou dost know , who all men's hearts canst see .
" oh , were i rich !
oft asked i for this boon .
the child grew up to womanhood full soon .
she is so pretty , clever , and so kind oh , did she know what's hidden in my mind - - a tale of old .
would she to me were kind !
but i'm condemned to silence ! oh , poor me !
as thou dost know , who all men's hearts canst see .
" oh , were i rich in calm and peace of mind , my grief you then would not here written find !
o thou , to whom i do my heart devote , oh read this page of glad days now remote , a dark , dark tale , which i tonight devote !
dark is the future now .
alas , poor me !
have pity thou , who all men's pains dost see . "
such verses as these people write when they are in love !
but no man in his senses ever thinks of printing them .
here one of the sorrows of life , in which there is real poetry , gave itself vent ; not that barren grief which the poet may only hint at , but never depict in its detail--misery and want : that animal necessity , in short , to snatch at least at a fallen leaf of the bread-fruit tree , if not at the fruit itself .
the higher the position in which one finds oneself transplanted , the greater is the suffering .
everyday necessity is the stagnant pool of life--no lovely picture reflects itself therein .
lieutenant , love , and lack of money--that is a symbolic triangle , or much the same as the half of the shattered die of fortune .
this the lieutenant felt most poignantly , and this was the reason he leant his head against the window , and sighed so deeply .
" the poor watchman out there in the street is far happier than i .
he knows not what i term privation .
he has a home , a wife , and children , who weep with him over his sorrows , who rejoice with him when he is glad .
oh , far happier were i , could i exchange with him my being--with his desires and with his hopes perform the weary pilgrimage of life !
oh , he is a hundred times happier than i ! "
in the same moment the watchman was again watchman .
it was the shoes that caused the metamorphosis by means of which , unknown to himself , he took upon him the thoughts and feelings of the officer ; but , as we have just seen , he felt himself in his new situation much less contented , and now preferred the very thing which but some minutes before he had rejected .
so then the watchman was again watchman .
" that was an unpleasant dream , " said he ; " but ' twas droll enough altogether .
i fancied that i was the lieutenant over there : and yet the thing was not very much to my taste after all .
i missed my good old mother and the dear little ones ; who almost tear me to pieces for sheer love . "
he seated himself once more and nodded : the dream continued to haunt him , for he still had the shoes on his feet .
a falling star shone in the dark firmament .
" there falls another star , " said he : " but what does it matter ; there are always enough left .
i should not much mind examining the little glimmering things somewhat nearer , especially the moon ; for that would not slip so easily through a man's fingers .
when we die--so at least says the student , for whom my wife does the washing--we shall fly about as light as a feather from one such a star to the other .
that's , of course , not true : but ' twould be pretty enough if it were so .
if i could but once take a leap up there , my body might stay here on the steps for what i care . "
behold--there are certain things in the world to which one ought never to give utterance except with the greatest caution ; but doubly careful must one be when we have the shoes of fortune on our feet .
now just listen to what happened to the watchman .
as to ourselves , we all know the speed produced by the employment of steam ; we have experienced it either on railroads , or in boats when crossing the sea ; but such a flight is like the travelling of a sloth in comparison with the velocity with which light moves .
it flies nineteen million times faster than the best race-horse ; and yet electricity is quicker still .
death is an electric shock which our heart receives ; the freed soul soars upwards on the wings of electricity .
the sun's light wants eight minutes and some seconds to perform a journey of more than twenty million of our danish [ * ] miles ; borne by electricity , the soul wants even some minutes less to accomplish the same flight .
to it the space between the heavenly bodies is not greater than the distance between the homes of our friends in town is for us , even if they live a short way from each other ; such an electric shock in the heart , however , costs us the use of the body here below ; unless , like the watchman of east street , we happen to have on the shoes of fortune . * a danish mile is nearly 4 3/4 english .
in a few seconds the watchman had done the fifty-two thousand of our miles up to the moon , which , as everyone knows , was formed out of matter much lighter than our earth ; and is , so we should say , as soft as newly-fallen snow .
he found himself on one of the many circumjacent mountain-ridges with which we are acquainted by means of dr .
madler's " map of the moon . "
within , down it sunk perpendicularly into a caldron , about a danish mile in depth ; while below lay a town , whose appearance we can , in some measure , realize to ourselves by beating the white of an egg in a glass of water .
the matter of which it was built was just as soft , and formed similar towers , and domes , and pillars , transparent and rocking in the thin air ; while above his head our earth was rolling like a large fiery ball .
he perceived immediately a quantity of beings who were certainly what we call " men " ; yet they looked different to us .
a far more correct imagination than that of the pseudo-herschel * had created them ; and if they had been placed in rank and file , and copied by some skilful painter's hand , one would , without doubt , have exclaimed involuntarily , " what a beautiful arabesque ! " * this relates to a book published some years ago in germany , and said to be by herschel , which contained a description of the moon and its inhabitants , written with such a semblance of truth that many were deceived by the imposture .
probably a translation of the celebrated moon hoax , written by richard a .
locke , and originally published in new york .
they had a language too ; but surely nobody can expect that the soul of the watchman should understand it .
be that as it may , it did comprehend it ; for in our souls there germinate far greater powers than we poor mortals , despite all our cleverness , have any notion of .
does she not show us--she the queen in the land of enchantment--her astounding dramatic talent in all our dreams ?
there every acquaintance appears and speaks upon the stage , so entirely in character , and with the same tone of voice , that none of us , when awake , were able to imitate it .
how well can she recall persons to our mind , of whom we have not thought for years ; when suddenly they step forth " every inch a man , " resembling the real personages , even to the finest features , and become the heroes or heroines of our world of dreams .
in reality , such remembrances are rather unpleasant : every sin , every evil thought , may , like a clock with alarm or chimes , be repeated at pleasure ; then the question is if we can trust ourselves to give an account of every unbecoming word in our heart and on our lips .
the watchman's spirit understood the language of the inhabitants of the moon pretty well .
the selenites * disputed variously about our earth , and expressed their doubts if it could be inhabited : the air , they said , must certainly be too dense to allow any rational dweller in the moon the necessary free respiration .
they considered the moon alone to be inhabited : they imagined it was the real heart of the universe or planetary system , on which the genuine cosmopolites , or citizens of the world , dwelt .
what strange things men--no , what strange things selenites sometimes take into their heads ! * dwellers in the moon .
about politics they had a good deal to say .
but little denmark must take care what it is about , and not run counter to the moon ; that great realm , that might in an ill-humor bestir itself , and dash down a hail-storm in our faces , or force the baltic to overflow the sides of its gigantic basin .
we will , therefore , not listen to what was spoken , and on no condition run in the possibility of telling tales out of school ; but we will rather proceed , like good quiet citizens , to east street , and observe what happened meanwhile to the body of the watchman .
he sat lifeless on the steps : the morning-star , * that is to say , the heavy wooden staff , headed with iron spikes , and which had nothing else in common with its sparkling brother in the sky , had glided from his hand ; while his eyes were fixed with glassy stare on the moon , looking for the good old fellow of a spirit which still haunted it . * the watchmen in germany , had formerly , and in some places they still carry with them , on their rounds at night , a sort of mace or club , known in ancient times by the above denomination .
" what's the hour , watchman ? " asked a passer-by .
but when the watchman gave no reply , the merry roysterer , who was now returning home from a noisy drinking bout , took it into his head to try what a tweak of the nose would do , on which the supposed sleeper lost his balance , the body lay motionless , stretched out on the pavement : the man was dead .
when the patrol came up , all his comrades , who comprehended nothing of the whole affair , were seized with a dreadful fright , for dead he was , and he remained so .
the proper authorities were informed of the circumstance , people talked a good deal about it , and in the morning the body was carried to the hospital .
now that would be a very pretty joke , if the spirit when it came back and looked for the body in east street , were not to find one .
no doubt it would , in its anxiety , run off to the police , and then to the " hue and cry " office , to announce that " the finder will be handsomely rewarded , " and at last away to the hospital ; yet we may boldly assert that the soul is shrewdest when it shakes off every fetter , and every sort of leading-string--the body only makes it stupid .
the seemingly dead body of the watchman wandered , as we have said , to the hospital , where it was brought into the general viewing-room : and the first thing that was done here was naturally to pull off the galoshes--when the spirit , that was merely gone out on adventures , must have returned with the quickness of lightning to its earthly tenement .
it took its direction towards the body in a straight line ; and a few seconds after , life began to show itself in the man .
he asserted that the preceding night had been the worst that ever the malice of fate had allotted him ; he would not for two silver marks again go through what he had endured while moon-stricken ; but now , however , it was over .
the same day he was discharged from the hospital as perfectly cured ; but the shoes meanwhile remained behind .
iv .
a moment of head importance--an evening's " dramatic readings"--a most strange journey every inhabitant of copenhagen knows , from personal inspection , how the entrance to frederick's hospital looks ; but as it is possible that others , who are not copenhagen people , may also read this little work , we will beforehand give a short description of it .
the extensive building is separated from the street by a pretty high railing , the thick iron bars of which are so far apart , that in all seriousness , it is said , some very thin fellow had of a night occasionally squeezed himself through to go and pay his little visits in the town .
the part of the body most difficult to manage on such occasions was , no doubt , the head ; here , as is so often the case in the world , long-headed people get through best .
so much , then , for the introduction .
one of the young men , whose head , in a physical sense only , might be said to be of the thickest , had the watch that evening .
the rain poured down in torrents ; yet despite these two obstacles , the young man was obliged to go out , if it were but for a quarter of an hour ; and as to telling the door-keeper about it , that , he thought , was quite unnecessary , if , with a whole skin , he were able to slip through the railings .
there , on the floor lay the galoshes , which the watchman had forgotten ; he never dreamed for a moment that they were those of fortune ; and they promised to do him good service in the wet ; so he put them on .
the question now was , if he could squeeze himself through the grating , for he had never tried before .
well , there he stood .
" would to heaven i had got my head through ! " said he , involuntarily ; and instantly through it slipped , easily and without pain , notwithstanding it was pretty large and thick .
but now the rest of the body was to be got through !
" ah !
i am much too stout , " groaned he aloud , while fixed as in a vice .
" i had thought the head was the most difficult part of the matter--oh ! oh !
i really cannot squeeze myself through ! "
he now wanted to pull his over-hasty head back again , but he could not .
for his neck there was room enough , but for nothing more .
his first feeling was of anger ; his next that his temper fell to zero .
the shoes of fortune had placed him in the most dreadful situation ; and , unfortunately , it never occurred to him to wish himself free .
the pitch-black clouds poured down their contents in still heavier torrents ; not a creature was to be seen in the streets .
to reach up to the bell was what he did not like ; to cry aloud for help would have availed him little ; besides , how ashamed would he have been to be found caught in a trap , like an outwitted fox !
how was he to twist himself through !
he saw clearly that it was his irrevocable destiny to remain a prisoner till dawn , or , perhaps , even late in the morning ; then the smith must be fetched to file away the bars ; but all that would not be done so quickly as he could think about it .
the whole charity school , just opposite , would be in motion ; all the new booths , with their not very courtier-like swarm of seamen , would join them out of curiosity , and would greet him with a wild " hurrah ! " while he was standing in his pillory : there would be a mob , a hissing , and rejoicing , and jeering , ten times worse than in the rows about the jews some years ago--"oh , my blood is mounting to my brain ; ' tis enough to drive one mad !
i shall go wild !
i know not what to do .
oh ! were i but loose ; my dizziness would then cease ; oh , were my head but loose ! "
you see he ought to have said that sooner ; for the moment he expressed the wish his head was free ; and cured of all his paroxysms of love , he hastened off to his room , where the pains consequent on the fright the shoes had prepared for him , did not so soon take their leave .
but you must not think that the affair is over now ; it grows much worse .
the night passed , the next day also ; but nobody came to fetch the shoes .
in the evening " dramatic readings " were to be given at the little theatre in king street .
the house was filled to suffocation ; and among other pieces to be recited was a new poem by h .
c .
andersen , called , my aunt's spectacles ; the contents of which were pretty nearly as follows : " a certain person had an aunt , who boasted of particular skill in fortune-telling with cards , and who was constantly being stormed by persons that wanted to have a peep into futurity .
but she was full of mystery about her art , in which a certain pair of magic spectacles did her essential service .
her nephew , a merry boy , who was his aunt's darling , begged so long for these spectacles , that , at last , she lent him the treasure , after having informed him , with many exhortations , that in order to execute the interesting trick , he need only repair to some place where a great many persons were assembled ; and then , from a higher position , whence he could overlook the crowd , pass the company in review before him through his spectacles .
immediately ' the inner man ' of each individual would be displayed before him , like a game of cards , in which he unerringly might read what the future of every person presented was to be .
well pleased the little magician hastened away to prove the powers of the spectacles in the theatre ; no place seeming to him more fitted for such a trial .
he begged permission of the worthy audience , and set his spectacles on his nose .
a motley phantasmagoria presents itself before him , which he describes in a few satirical touches , yet without expressing his opinion openly : he tells the people enough to set them all thinking and guessing ; but in order to hurt nobody , he wraps his witty oracular judgments in a transparent veil , or rather in a lurid thundercloud , shooting forth bright sparks of wit , that they may fall in the powder-magazine of the expectant audience . "
the humorous poem was admirably recited , and the speaker much applauded .
among the audience was the young man of the hospital , who seemed to have forgotten his adventure of the preceding night .
he had on the shoes ; for as yet no lawful owner had appeared to claim them ; and besides it was so very dirty out-of-doors , they were just the thing for him , he thought .
the beginning of the poem he praised with great generosity : he even found the idea original and effective .
but that the end of it , like the rhine , was very insignificant , proved , in his opinion , the author's want of invention ; he was without genius , etc .
this was an excellent opportunity to have said something clever .
meanwhile he was haunted by the idea--he should like to possess such a pair of spectacles himself ; then , perhaps , by using them circumspectly , one would be able to look into people's hearts , which , he thought , would be far more interesting than merely to see what was to happen next year ; for that we should all know in proper time , but the other never .
" i can now , " said he to himself , " fancy the whole row of ladies and gentlemen sitting there in the front row ; if one could but see into their hearts--yes , that would be a revelation--a sort of bazar .
in that lady yonder , so strangely dressed , i should find for certain a large milliner's shop ; in that one the shop is empty , but it wants cleaning plain enough .
but there would also be some good stately shops among them .
alas ! " sighed he , " i know one in which all is stately ; but there sits already a spruce young shopman , which is the only thing that's amiss in the whole shop .
all would be splendidly decked out , and we should hear , ' walk in , gentlemen , pray walk in ; here you will find all you please to want . ' ah !
i wish to heaven i could walk in and take a trip right through the hearts of those present ! "
and behold ! to the shoes of fortune this was the cue ; the whole man shrunk together and a most uncommon journey through the hearts of the front row of spectators , now began .
the first heart through which he came , was that of a middle-aged lady , but he instantly fancied himself in the room of the " institution for the cure of the crooked and deformed , " where casts of mis-shapen limbs are displayed in naked reality on the wall .
yet there was this difference , in the institution the casts were taken at the entry of the patient ; but here they were retained and guarded in the heart while the sound persons went away .
they were , namely , casts of female friends , whose bodily or mental deformities were here most faithfully preserved .
with the snake-like writhings of an idea he glided into another female heart ; but this seemed to him like a large holy fane . [ * ] the white dove of innocence fluttered over the altar .
how gladly would he have sunk upon his knees ; but he must away to the next heart ; yet he still heard the pealing tones of the organ , and he himself seemed to have become a newer and a better man ; he felt unworthy to tread the neighboring sanctuary which a poor garret , with a sick bed-rid mother , revealed .
but god's warm sun streamed through the open window ; lovely roses nodded from the wooden flower-boxes on the roof , and two sky-blue birds sang rejoicingly , while the sick mother implored god's richest blessings on her pious daughter . * temple he now crept on hands and feet through a butcher's shop ; at least on every side , and above and below , there was nought but flesh .
it was the heart of a most respectable rich man , whose name is certain to be found in the directory .
he was now in the heart of the wife of this worthy gentleman .
it was an old , dilapidated , mouldering dovecot .
the husband's portrait was used as a weather-cock , which was connected in some way or other with the doors , and so they opened and shut of their own accord , whenever the stern old husband turned round .
hereupon he wandered into a boudoir formed entirely of mirrors , like the one in castle rosenburg ; but here the glasses magnified to an astonishing degree .
on the floor , in the middle of the room , sat , like a dalai-lama , the insignificant " self " of the person , quite confounded at his own greatness .
he then imagined he had got into a needle-case full of pointed needles of every size .
" this is certainly the heart of an old maid , " thought he .
but he was mistaken .
it was the heart of a young military man ; a man , as people said , of talent and feeling .
in the greatest perplexity , he now came out of the last heart in the row ; he was unable to put his thoughts in order , and fancied that his too lively imagination had run away with him .
" good heavens ! " sighed he .
" i have surely a disposition to madness--'tis dreadfully hot here ; my blood boils in my veins and my head is burning like a coal . "
and he now remembered the important event of the evening before , how his head had got jammed in between the iron railings of the hospital .
" that's what it is , no doubt , " said he .
" i must do something in time : under such circumstances a russian bath might do me good .
i only wish i were already on the upper bank . " [ * ] * in these russian ( vapor ) baths the person extends himself on a bank or form , and as he gets accustomed to the heat , moves to another higher up towards the ceiling , where , of course , the vapor is warmest .
in this manner he ascends gradually to the highest .
and so there he lay on the uppermost bank in the vapor-bath ; but with all his clothes on , in his boots and galoshes , while the hot drops fell scalding from the ceiling on his face .
" holloa ! " cried he , leaping down .
the bathing attendant , on his side , uttered a loud cry of astonishment when he beheld in the bath , a man completely dressed .
the other , however , retained sufficient presence of mind to whisper to him , " ' tis a bet , and i have won it ! "
but the first thing he did as soon as he got home , was to have a large blister put on his chest and back to draw out his madness .
the next morning he had a sore chest and a bleeding back ; and , excepting the fright , that was all that he had gained by the shoes of fortune .
v .
metamorphosis of the copying-clerk the watchman , whom we have certainly not forgotten , thought meanwhile of the galoshes he had found and taken with him to the hospital ; he now went to fetch them ; and as neither the lieutenant , nor anybody else in the street , claimed them as his property , they were delivered over to the police-office . * * as on the continent , in all law and police practices nothing is verbal , but any circumstance , however trifling , is reduced to writing , the labor , as well as the number of papers that thus accumulate , is enormous .
in a police-office , consequently , we find copying-clerks among many other scribes of various denominations , of which , it seems , our hero was one .
" why , i declare the shoes look just like my own , " said one of the clerks , eying the newly-found treasure , whose hidden powers , even he , sharp as he was , was not able to discover .
" one must have more than the eye of a shoemaker to know one pair from the other , " said he , soliloquizing ; and putting , at the same time , the galoshes in search of an owner , beside his own in the corner .
" here , sir ! " said one of the men , who panting brought him a tremendous pile of papers .
the copying-clerk turned round and spoke awhile with the man about the reports and legal documents in question ; but when he had finished , and his eye fell again on the shoes , he was unable to say whether those to the left or those to the right belonged to him .
" at all events it must be those which are wet , " thought he ; but this time , in spite of his cleverness , he guessed quite wrong , for it was just those of fortune which played as it were into his hands , or rather on his feet .
and why , i should like to know , are the police never to be wrong ?
so he put them on quickly , stuck his papers in his pocket , and took besides a few under his arm , intending to look them through at home to make the necessary notes .
it was noon ; and the weather , that had threatened rain , began to clear up , while gaily dressed holiday folks filled the streets .
" a little trip to fredericksburg would do me no great harm , " thought he ; " for i , poor beast of burden that i am , have so much to annoy me , that i don't know what a good appetite is . ' tis a bitter crust , alas ! at which i am condemned to gnaw ! "
nobody could be more steady or quiet than this young man ; we therefore wish him joy of the excursion with all our heart ; and it will certainly be beneficial for a person who leads so sedentary a life .
in the park he met a friend , one of our young poets , who told him that the following day he should set out on his long-intended tour .
" so you are going away again ! " said the clerk .
" you are a very free and happy being ; we others are chained by the leg and held fast to our desk . "
" yes ; but it is a chain , friend , which ensures you the blessed bread of existence , " answered the poet .
" you need feel no care for the coming morrow : when you are old , you receive a pension . "
" true , " said the clerk , shrugging his shoulders ; " and yet you are the better off .
to sit at one's ease and poetise--that is a pleasure ; everybody has something agreeable to say to you , and you are always your own master .
no , friend , you should but try what it is to sit from one year's end to the other occupied with and judging the most trivial matters . "
the poet shook his head , the copying-clerk did the same .
each one kept to his own opinion , and so they separated .
" it's a strange race , those poets ! " said the clerk , who was very fond of soliloquizing .
" i should like some day , just for a trial , to take such nature upon me , and be a poet myself ; i am very sure i should make no such miserable verses as the others .
today , methinks , is a most delicious day for a poet .
nature seems anew to celebrate her awakening into life .
the air is so unusually clear , the clouds sail on so buoyantly , and from the green herbage a fragrance is exhaled that fills me with delight .
for many a year have i not felt as at this moment . "
we see already , by the foregoing effusion , that he is become a poet ; to give further proof of it , however , would in most cases be insipid , for it is a most foolish notion to fancy a poet different from other men .
among the latter there may be far more poetical natures than many an acknowledged poet , when examined more closely , could boast of ; the difference only is , that the poet possesses a better mental memory , on which account he is able to retain the feeling and the thought till they can be embodied by means of words ; a faculty which the others do not possess .
but the transition from a commonplace nature to one that is richly endowed , demands always a more or less breakneck leap over a certain abyss which yawns threateningly below ; and thus must the sudden change with the clerk strike the reader .
" the sweet air ! " continued he of the police-office , in his dreamy imaginings ; " how it reminds me of the violets in the garden of my aunt magdalena !
yes , then i was a little wild boy , who did not go to school very regularly .
o heavens ! ' tis a long time since i have thought on those times .
the good old soul !
she lived behind the exchange .
she always had a few twigs or green shoots in water--let the winter rage without as it might .
the violets exhaled their sweet breath , whilst i pressed against the windowpanes covered with fantastic frost-work the copper coin i had heated on the stove , and so made peep-holes .
what splendid vistas were then opened to my view !
what change--what magnificence !
yonder in the canal lay the ships frozen up , and deserted by their whole crews , with a screaming crow for the sole occupant .
but when the spring , with a gentle stirring motion , announced her arrival , a new and busy life arose ; with songs and hurrahs the ice was sawn asunder , the ships were fresh tarred and rigged , that they might sail away to distant lands .
but i have remained here--must always remain here , sitting at my desk in the office , and patiently see other people fetch their passports to go abroad .
such is my fate !
alas!"--sighed he , and was again silent .
" great heaven !
what is come to me !
never have i thought or felt like this before !
it must be the summer air that affects me with feelings almost as disquieting as they are refreshing . "
he felt in his pocket for the papers .
" these police-reports will soon stem the torrent of my ideas , and effectually hinder any rebellious overflowing of the time-worn banks of official duties " ; he said to himself consolingly , while his eye ran over the first page .
" dame tigbrith , tragedy in five acts . "
" what is that ?
and yet it is undeniably my own handwriting .
have i written the tragedy ?
wonderful , very wonderful!--and this--what have i here ? ' intrigue on the ramparts ; or the day of repentance : vaudeville with new songs to the most favorite airs . ' the deuce !
where did i get all this rubbish ?
some one must have slipped it slyly into my pocket for a joke .
there is too a letter to me ; a crumpled letter and the seal broken . "
yes ; it was not a very polite epistle from the manager of a theatre , in which both pieces were flatly refused .
" hem ! hem ! " said the clerk breathlessly , and quite exhausted he seated himself on a bank .
his thoughts were so elastic , his heart so tender ; and involuntarily he picked one of the nearest flowers .
it is a simple daisy , just bursting out of the bud .
what the botanist tells us after a number of imperfect lectures , the flower proclaimed in a minute .
it related the mythus of its birth , told of the power of the sun-light that spread out its delicate leaves , and forced them to impregnate the air with their incense--and then he thought of the manifold struggles of life , which in like manner awaken the budding flowers of feeling in our bosom .
light and air contend with chivalric emulation for the love of the fair flower that bestowed her chief favors on the latter ; full of longing she turned towards the light , and as soon as it vanished , rolled her tender leaves together and slept in the embraces of the air .
" it is the light which adorns me , " said the flower .
" but ' tis the air which enables thee to breathe , " said the poet's voice .
close by stood a boy who dashed his stick into a wet ditch .
the drops of water splashed up to the green leafy roof , and the clerk thought of the million of ephemera which in a single drop were thrown up to a height , that was as great doubtless for their size , as for us if we were to be hurled above the clouds .
while he thought of this and of the whole metamorphosis he had undergone , he smiled and said , " i sleep and dream ; but it is wonderful how one can dream so naturally , and know besides so exactly that it is but a dream .
if only to-morrow on awaking , i could again call all to mind so vividly !
i seem in unusually good spirits ; my perception of things is clear , i feel as light and cheerful as though i were in heaven ; but i know for a certainty , that if to-morrow a dim remembrance of it should swim before my mind , it will then seem nothing but stupid nonsense , as i have often experienced already--especially before i enlisted under the banner of the police , for that dispels like a whirlwind all the visions of an unfettered imagination .
all we hear or say in a dream that is fair and beautiful is like the gold of the subterranean spirits ; it is rich and splendid when it is given us , but viewed by daylight we find only withered leaves .
alas ! " he sighed quite sorrowful , and gazed at the chirping birds that hopped contentedly from branch to branch , " they are much better off than i !
to fly must be a heavenly art ; and happy do i prize that creature in which it is innate .
yes !
could i exchange my nature with any other creature , i fain would be such a happy little lark ! "
he had hardly uttered these hasty words when the skirts and sleeves of his coat folded themselves together into wings ; the clothes became feathers , and the galoshes claws .
he observed it perfectly , and laughed in his heart .
" now then , there is no doubt that i am dreaming ; but i never before was aware of such mad freaks as these . "
and up he flew into the green roof and sang ; but in the song there was no poetry , for the spirit of the poet was gone .
the shoes , as is the case with anybody who does what he has to do properly , could only attend to one thing at a time .
he wanted to be a poet , and he was one ; he now wished to be a merry chirping bird : but when he was metamorphosed into one , the former peculiarities ceased immediately .
" it is really pleasant enough , " said he : " the whole day long i sit in the office amid the driest law-papers , and at night i fly in my dream as a lark in the gardens of fredericksburg ; one might really write a very pretty comedy upon it . "
he now fluttered down into the grass , turned his head gracefully on every side , and with his bill pecked the pliant blades of grass , which , in comparison to his present size , seemed as majestic as the palm-branches of northern africa .
unfortunately the pleasure lasted but a moment .
presently black night overshadowed our enthusiast , who had so entirely missed his part of copying-clerk at a police-office ; some vast object seemed to be thrown over him .
it was a large oil-skin cap , which a sailor-boy of the quay had thrown over the struggling bird ; a coarse hand sought its way carefully in under the broad rim , and seized the clerk over the back and wings .
in the first moment of fear , he called , indeed , as loud as he could--"you impudent little blackguard !
i am a copying-clerk at the police-office ; and you know you cannot insult any belonging to the constabulary force without a chastisement .
besides , you good-for-nothing rascal , it is strictly forbidden to catch birds in the royal gardens of fredericksburg ; but your blue uniform betrays where you come from . "
this fine tirade sounded , however , to the ungodly sailor-boy like a mere " pippi-pi . "
he gave the noisy bird a knock on his beak , and walked on .
he was soon met by two schoolboys of the upper class--that is to say as individuals , for with regard to learning they were in the lowest class in the school ; and they bought the stupid bird .
so the copying-clerk came to copenhagen as guest , or rather as prisoner in a family living in gother street . " ' tis well that i'm dreaming , " said the clerk , " or i really should get angry .
first i was a poet ; now sold for a few pence as a lark ; no doubt it was that accursed poetical nature which has metamorphosed me into such a poor harmless little creature .
it is really pitiable , particularly when one gets into the hands of a little blackguard , perfect in all sorts of cruelty to animals : all i should like to know is , how the story will end . "
the two schoolboys , the proprietors now of the transformed clerk , carried him into an elegant room .
a stout stately dame received them with a smile ; but she expressed much dissatisfaction that a common field-bird , as she called the lark , should appear in such high society .
for to-day , however , she would allow it ; and they must shut him in the empty cage that was standing in the window .
" perhaps he will amuse my good polly , " added the lady , looking with a benignant smile at a large green parrot that swung himself backwards and forwards most comfortably in his ring , inside a magnificent brass-wired cage .
" to-day is polly's birthday , " said she with stupid simplicity : " and the little brown field-bird must wish him joy . "
mr .
polly uttered not a syllable in reply , but swung to and fro with dignified condescension ; while a pretty canary , as yellow as gold , that had lately been brought from his sunny fragrant home , began to sing aloud .
" noisy creature !
will you be quiet ! " screamed the lady of the house , covering the cage with an embroidered white pocket handkerchief .
" chirp , chirp ! " sighed he .
" that was a dreadful snowstorm " ; and he sighed again , and was silent .
the copying-clerk , or , as the lady said , the brown field-bird , was put into a small cage , close to the canary , and not far from " my good polly . "
the only human sounds that the parrot could bawl out were , " come , let us be men ! "
everything else that he said was as unintelligible to everybody as the chirping of the canary , except to the clerk , who was now a bird too : he understood his companion perfectly .
" i flew about beneath the green palms and the blossoming almond-trees , " sang the canary ; " i flew around , with my brothers and sisters , over the beautiful flowers , and over the glassy lakes , where the bright water-plants nodded to me from below .
there , too , i saw many splendidly-dressed paroquets , that told the drollest stories , and the wildest fairy tales without end . "
" oh ! those were uncouth birds , " answered the parrot .
" they had no education , and talked of whatever came into their head .
" if my mistress and all her friends can laugh at what i say , so may you too , i should think .
it is a great fault to have no taste for what is witty or amusing--come , let us be men . "
" ah , you have no remembrance of love for the charming maidens that danced beneath the outspread tents beside the bright fragrant flowers ?
do you no longer remember the sweet fruits , and the cooling juice in the wild plants of our never-to-be-forgotten home ? " said the former inhabitant of the canary isles , continuing his dithyrambic .
" oh , yes , " said the parrot ; " but i am far better off here .
i am well fed , and get friendly treatment .
i know i am a clever fellow ; and that is all i care about .
come , let us be men .
you are of a poetical nature , as it is called--i , on the contrary , possess profound knowledge and inexhaustible wit .
you have genius ; but clear-sighted , calm discretion does not take such lofty flights , and utter such high natural tones .
for this they have covered you over--they never do the like to me ; for i cost more .
besides , they are afraid of my beak ; and i have always a witty answer at hand .
come , let us be men ! "
" o warm spicy land of my birth , " sang the canary bird ; " i will sing of thy dark-green bowers , of the calm bays where the pendent boughs kiss the surface of the water ; i will sing of the rejoicing of all my brothers and sisters where the cactus grows in wanton luxuriance . "
" spare us your elegiac tones , " said the parrot giggling .
" rather speak of something at which one may laugh heartily .
laughing is an infallible sign of the highest degree of mental development .
can a dog , or a horse laugh ?
no , but they can cry .
the gift of laughing was given to man alone .
ha ! ha ! ha ! " screamed polly , and added his stereotype witticism .
" come , let us be men ! "
" poor little danish grey-bird , " said the canary ; " you have been caught too .
it is , no doubt , cold enough in your woods , but there at least is the breath of liberty ; therefore fly away .
in the hurry they have forgotten to shut your cage , and the upper window is open .
fly , my friend ; fly away .
farewell ! "
instinctively the clerk obeyed ; with a few strokes of his wings he was out of the cage ; but at the same moment the door , which was only ajar , and which led to the next room , began to creak , and supple and creeping came the large tomcat into the room , and began to pursue him .
the frightened canary fluttered about in his cage ; the parrot flapped his wings , and cried , " come , let us be men ! "
the clerk felt a mortal fright , and flew through the window , far away over the houses and streets .
at last he was forced to rest a little .
the neighboring house had a something familiar about it ; a window stood open ; he flew in ; it was his own room .
he perched upon the table .
" come , let us be men ! " said he , involuntarily imitating the chatter of the parrot , and at the same moment he was again a copying-clerk ; but he was sitting in the middle of the table .
" heaven help me ! " cried he .
" how did i get up here--and so buried in sleep , too ?
after all , that was a very unpleasant , disagreeable dream that haunted me !
the whole story is nothing but silly , stupid nonsense ! "
vi .
the best that the galoshes gave the following day , early in the morning , while the clerk was still in bed , someone knocked at his door .
it was his neighbor , a young divine , who lived on the same floor .
he walked in .
" lend me your galoshes , " said he ; " it is so wet in the garden , though the sun is shining most invitingly .
i should like to go out a little . "
he got the galoshes , and he was soon below in a little duodecimo garden , where between two immense walls a plumtree and an apple-tree were standing .
even such a little garden as this was considered in the metropolis of copenhagen as a great luxury .
the young man wandered up and down the narrow paths , as well as the prescribed limits would allow ; the clock struck six ; without was heard the horn of a post-boy .
" to travel ! to travel ! " exclaimed he , overcome by most painful and passionate remembrances .
" that is the happiest thing in the world !
that is the highest aim of all my wishes !
then at last would the agonizing restlessness be allayed , which destroys my existence !
but it must be far , far away !
i would behold magnificent switzerland ; i would travel to italy , and - - " it was a good thing that the power of the galoshes worked as instantaneously as lightning in a powder-magazine would do , otherwise the poor man with his overstrained wishes would have travelled about the world too much for himself as well as for us .
in short , he was travelling .
he was in the middle of switzerland , but packed up with eight other passengers in the inside of an eternally-creaking diligence ; his head ached till it almost split , his weary neck could hardly bear the heavy load , and his feet , pinched by his torturing boots , were terribly swollen .
he was in an intermediate state between sleeping and waking ; at variance with himself , with his company , with the country , and with the government .
in his right pocket he had his letter of credit , in the left , his passport , and in a small leathern purse some double louis d'or , carefully sewn up in the bosom of his waistcoat .
every dream proclaimed that one or the other of these valuables was lost ; wherefore he started up as in a fever ; and the first movement which his hand made , described a magic triangle from the right pocket to the left , and then up towards the bosom , to feel if he had them all safe or not .
from the roof inside the carriage , umbrellas , walking-sticks , hats , and sundry other articles were depending , and hindered the view , which was particularly imposing .
he now endeavored as well as he was able to dispel his gloom , which was caused by outward chance circumstances merely , and on the bosom of nature imbibe the milk of purest human enjoyment .
grand , solemn , and dark was the whole landscape around .
the gigantic pine-forests , on the pointed crags , seemed almost like little tufts of heather , colored by the surrounding clouds .
it began to snow , a cold wind blew and roared as though it were seeking a bride .
" augh ! " sighed he , " were we only on the other side the alps , then we should have summer , and i could get my letters of credit cashed .
the anxiety i feel about them prevents me enjoying switzerland .
were i but on the other side ! "
and so saying he was on the other side in italy , between florence and rome .
lake thracymene , illumined by the evening sun , lay like flaming gold between the dark-blue mountain-ridges ; here , where hannibal defeated flaminius , the rivers now held each other in their green embraces ; lovely , half-naked children tended a herd of black swine , beneath a group of fragrant laurel-trees , hard by the road-side .
could we render this inimitable picture properly , then would everybody exclaim , " beautiful , unparalleled italy ! "
but neither the young divine said so , nor anyone of his grumbling companions in the coach of the vetturino .
the poisonous flies and gnats swarmed around by thousands ; in vain one waved myrtle-branches about like mad ; the audacious insect population did not cease to sting ; nor was there a single person in the well-crammed carriage whose face was not swollen and sore from their ravenous bites .
the poor horses , tortured almost to death , suffered most from this truly egyptian plague ; the flies alighted upon them in large disgusting swarms ; and if the coachman got down and scraped them off , hardly a minute elapsed before they were there again .
the sun now set : a freezing cold , though of short duration pervaded the whole creation ; it was like a horrid gust coming from a burial-vault on a warm summer's day--but all around the mountains retained that wonderful green tone which we see in some old pictures , and which , should we not have seen a similar play of color in the south , we declare at once to be unnatural .
it was a glorious prospect ; but the stomach was empty , the body tired ; all that the heart cared and longed for was good night-quarters ; yet how would they be ?
for these one looked much more anxiously than for the charms of nature , which every where were so profusely displayed .
the road led through an olive-grove , and here the solitary inn was situated .
ten or twelve crippled-beggars had encamped outside .
the healthiest of them resembled , to use an expression of marryat's , " hunger's eldest son when he had come of age " ; the others were either blind , had withered legs and crept about on their hands , or withered arms and fingerless hands .
it was the most wretched misery , dragged from among the filthiest rags .
" excellenza , miserabili ! " sighed they , thrusting forth their deformed limbs to view .
even the hostess , with bare feet , uncombed hair , and dressed in a garment of doubtful color , received the guests grumblingly .
the doors were fastened with a loop of string ; the floor of the rooms presented a stone paving half torn up ; bats fluttered wildly about the ceiling ; and as to the smell therein--no--that was beyond description .
" you had better lay the cloth below in the stable , " said one of the travellers ; " there , at all events , one knows what one is breathing . "
the windows were quickly opened , to let in a little fresh air .
quicker , however , than the breeze , the withered , sallow arms of the beggars were thrust in , accompanied by the eternal whine of " miserabili , miserabili , excellenza ! "
on the walls were displayed innumerable inscriptions , written in nearly every language of europe , some in verse , some in prose , most of them not very laudatory of " bella italia . "
the meal was served .
it consisted of a soup of salted water , seasoned with pepper and rancid oil .
the last ingredient played a very prominent part in the salad ; stale eggs and roasted cocks'-combs furnished the grand dish of the repast ; the wine even was not without a disgusting taste--it was like a medicinal draught .
at night the boxes and other effects of the passengers were placed against the rickety doors .
one of the travellers kept watch while the others slept .
the sentry was our young divine .
how close it was in the chamber !
the heat oppressive to suffocation--the gnats hummed and stung unceasingly--the " miserabili " without whined and moaned in their sleep .
" travelling would be agreeable enough , " said he groaning , " if one only had no body , or could send it to rest while the spirit went on its pilgrimage unhindered , whither the voice within might call it .
wherever i go , i am pursued by a longing that is insatiable--that i cannot explain to myself , and that tears my very heart .
i want something better than what is but what is fled in an instant .
but what is it , and where is it to be found ?
yet , i know in reality what it is i wish for .
oh ! most happy were i , could i but reach one aim--could but reach the happiest of all ! "
and as he spoke the word he was again in his home ; the long white curtains hung down from the windows , and in the middle of the floor stood the black coffin ; in it he lay in the sleep of death .
his wish was fulfilled--the body rested , while the spirit went unhindered on its pilgrimage .
" let no one deem himself happy before his end , " were the words of solon ; and here was a new and brilliant proof of the wisdom of the old apothegm .
every corpse is a sphynx of immortality ; here too on the black coffin the sphynx gave us no answer to what he who lay within had written two days before : " o mighty death ! thy silence teaches nought , thou leadest only to the near grave's brink ; is broken now the ladder of my thoughts ?
do i instead of mounting only sink ?
our heaviest grief the world oft seeth not , our sorest pain we hide from stranger eyes : and for the sufferer there is nothing left but the green mound that o'er the coffin lies . "
two figures were moving in the chamber .
we knew them both ; it was the fairy of care , and the emissary of fortune .
they both bent over the corpse .
" do you now see , " said care , " what happiness your galoshes have brought to mankind ? "
" to him , at least , who slumbers here , they have brought an imperishable blessing , " answered the other .
" ah no ! " replied care .
" he took his departure himself ; he was not called away .
his mental powers here below were not strong enough to reach the treasures lying beyond this life , and which his destiny ordained he should obtain .
i will now confer a benefit on him . "
and she took the galoshes from his feet ; his sleep of death was ended ; and he who had been thus called back again to life arose from his dread couch in all the vigor of youth .
care vanished , and with her the galoshes .
she has no doubt taken them for herself , to keep them to all eternity .
out in the woods stood a nice little fir tree .
the place he had was a very good one : the sun shone on him : as to fresh air , there was enough of that , and round him grew many large-sized comrades , pines as well as firs .
but the little fir wanted so very much to be a grown-up tree .
he did not think of the warm sun and of the fresh air ; he did not care for the little cottage children that ran about and prattled when they were in the woods looking for wild-strawberries .
the children often came with a whole pitcher full of berries , or a long row of them threaded on a straw , and sat down near the young tree and said , " oh , how pretty he is !
what a nice little fir ! "
but this was what the tree could not bear to hear .
at the end of a year he had shot up a good deal , and after another year he was another long bit taller ; for with fir trees one can always tell by the shoots how many years old they are .
" oh !
were i but such a high tree as the others are , " sighed he .
" then i should be able to spread out my branches , and with the tops to look into the wide world !
then would the birds build nests among my branches : and when there was a breeze , i could bend with as much stateliness as the others ! "
neither the sunbeams , nor the birds , nor the red clouds which morning and evening sailed above him , gave the little tree any pleasure .
in winter , when the snow lay glittering on the ground , a hare would often come leaping along , and jump right over the little tree .
oh , that made him so angry !
but two winters were past , and in the third the tree was so large that the hare was obliged to go round it .
" to grow and grow , to get older and be tall , " thought the tree--"that , after all , is the most delightful thing in the world ! "
in autumn the wood-cutters always came and felled some of the largest trees .
this happened every year ; and the young fir tree , that had now grown to a very comely size , trembled at the sight ; for the magnificent great trees fell to the earth with noise and cracking , the branches were lopped off , and the trees looked long and bare ; they were hardly to be recognised ; and then they were laid in carts , and the horses dragged them out of the wood .
where did they go to ?
what became of them ?
in spring , when the swallows and the storks came , the tree asked them , " don't you know where they have been taken ?
have you not met them anywhere ? "
the swallows did not know anything about it ; but the stork looked musing , nodded his head , and said , " yes ; i think i know ; i met many ships as i was flying hither from egypt ; on the ships were magnificent masts , and i venture to assert that it was they that smelt so of fir .
i may congratulate you , for they lifted themselves on high most majestically ! "
" oh , were i but old enough to fly across the sea !
but how does the sea look in reality ?
what is it like ? "
" that would take a long time to explain , " said the stork , and with these words off he went .
" rejoice in thy growth ! " said the sunbeams .
" rejoice in thy vigorous growth , and in the fresh life that moveth within thee ! "
and the wind kissed the tree , and the dew wept tears over him ; but the fir understood it not .
when christmas came , quite young trees were cut down : trees which often were not even as large or of the same age as this fir tree , who could never rest , but always wanted to be off .
these young trees , and they were always the finest looking , retained their branches ; they were laid on carts , and the horses drew them out of the wood .
" where are they going to ? " asked the fir .
" they are not taller than i ; there was one indeed that was considerably shorter ; and why do they retain all their branches ?
whither are they taken ? "
" we know !
we know ! " chirped the sparrows .
" we have peeped in at the windows in the town below !
we know whither they are taken !
the greatest splendor and the greatest magnificence one can imagine await them .
we peeped through the windows , and saw them planted in the middle of the warm room and ornamented with the most splendid things , with gilded apples , with gingerbread , with toys , and many hundred lights ! "
" and then ? " asked the fir tree , trembling in every bough .
" and then ?
what happens then ? "
" we did not see anything more : it was incomparably beautiful . "
" i would fain know if i am destined for so glorious a career , " cried the tree , rejoicing .
" that is still better than to cross the sea !
what a longing do i suffer !
were christmas but come !
i am now tall , and my branches spread like the others that were carried off last year !
oh ! were i but already on the cart !
were i in the warm room with all the splendor and magnificence !
yes ; then something better , something still grander , will surely follow , or wherefore should they thus ornament me ?
something better , something still grander must follow--but what ?
oh , how i long , how i suffer !
i do not know myself what is the matter with me ! "
" rejoice in our presence ! " said the air and the sunlight .
" rejoice in thy own fresh youth ! "
but the tree did not rejoice at all ; he grew and grew , and was green both winter and summer .
people that saw him said , " what a fine tree ! " and towards christmas he was one of the first that was cut down .
the axe struck deep into the very pith ; the tree fell to the earth with a sigh ; he felt a pang--it was like a swoon ; he could not think of happiness , for he was sorrowful at being separated from his home , from the place where he had sprung up .
he well knew that he should never see his dear old comrades , the little bushes and flowers around him , anymore ; perhaps not even the birds !
the departure was not at all agreeable .
the tree only came to himself when he was unloaded in a court-yard with the other trees , and heard a man say , " that one is splendid !
we don't want the others . "
then two servants came in rich livery and carried the fir tree into a large and splendid drawing-room .
portraits were hanging on the walls , and near the white porcelain stove stood two large chinese vases with lions on the covers .
there , too , were large easy-chairs , silken sofas , large tables full of picture-books and full of toys , worth hundreds and hundreds of crowns--at least the children said so .
and the fir tree was stuck upright in a cask that was filled with sand ; but no one could see that it was a cask , for green cloth was hung all round it , and it stood on a large gaily-colored carpet .
oh ! how the tree quivered !
what was to happen ?
the servants , as well as the young ladies , decorated it .
on one branch there hung little nets cut out of colored paper , and each net was filled with sugarplums ; and among the other boughs gilded apples and walnuts were suspended , looking as though they had grown there , and little blue and white tapers were placed among the leaves .
dolls that looked for all the world like men--the tree had never beheld such before--were seen among the foliage , and at the very top a large star of gold tinsel was fixed .
it was really splendid--beyond description splendid .
" this evening ! " they all said .
" how it will shine this evening ! "
" oh ! " thought the tree .
" if the evening were but come !
if the tapers were but lighted !
and then i wonder what will happen !
perhaps the other trees from the forest will come to look at me !
perhaps the sparrows will beat against the windowpanes !
i wonder if i shall take root here , and winter and summer stand covered with ornaments ! "
he knew very much about the matter--but he was so impatient that for sheer longing he got a pain in his back , and this with trees is the same thing as a headache with us .
the candles were now lighted--what brightness !
what splendor !
the tree trembled so in every bough that one of the tapers set fire to the foliage .
it blazed up famously .
" help !
help ! " cried the young ladies , and they quickly put out the fire .
now the tree did not even dare tremble .
what a state he was in !
he was so uneasy lest he should lose something of his splendor , that he was quite bewildered amidst the glare and brightness ; when suddenly both folding-doors opened and a troop of children rushed in as if they would upset the tree .
the older persons followed quietly ; the little ones stood quite still .
but it was only for a moment ; then they shouted that the whole place re-echoed with their rejoicing ; they danced round the tree , and one present after the other was pulled off .
" what are they about ? " thought the tree .
" what is to happen now ! "
and the lights burned down to the very branches , and as they burned down they were put out one after the other , and then the children had permission to plunder the tree .
so they fell upon it with such violence that all its branches cracked ; if it had not been fixed firmly in the ground , it would certainly have tumbled down .
the children danced about with their beautiful playthings ; no one looked at the tree except the old nurse , who peeped between the branches ; but it was only to see if there was a fig or an apple left that had been forgotten .
" a story !
a story ! " cried the children , drawing a little fat man towards the tree .
he seated himself under it and said , " now we are in the shade , and the tree can listen too .
but i shall tell only one story .
now which will you have ; that about ivedy-avedy , or about humpy-dumpy , who tumbled downstairs , and yet after all came to the throne and married the princess ? "
" ivedy-avedy , " cried some ; " humpy-dumpy , " cried the others .
there was such a bawling and screaming--the fir tree alone was silent , and he thought to himself , " am i not to bawl with the rest ?
am i to do nothing whatever ? " for he was one of the company , and had done what he had to do .
and the man told about humpy-dumpy that tumbled down , who notwithstanding came to the throne , and at last married the princess .
and the children clapped their hands , and cried .
" oh , go on !
do go on ! "
they wanted to hear about ivedy-avedy too , but the little man only told them about humpy-dumpy .
the fir tree stood quite still and absorbed in thought ; the birds in the wood had never related the like of this .
" humpy-dumpy fell downstairs , and yet he married the princess !
yes , yes !
that's the way of the world ! " thought the fir tree , and believed it all , because the man who told the story was so good-looking .
" well , well ! who knows , perhaps i may fall downstairs , too , and get a princess as wife ! "
and he looked forward with joy to the morrow , when he hoped to be decked out again with lights , playthings , fruits , and tinsel .
" i won't tremble to-morrow ! " thought the fir tree .
" i will enjoy to the full all my splendor !
to-morrow i shall hear again the story of humpy-dumpy , and perhaps that of ivedy-avedy too . "
and the whole night the tree stood still and in deep thought .
in the morning the servant and the housemaid came in .
" now then the splendor will begin again , " thought the fir .
but they dragged him out of the room , and up the stairs into the loft : and here , in a dark corner , where no daylight could enter , they left him .
" what's the meaning of this ? " thought the tree .
" what am i to do here ?
what shall i hear now , i wonder ? "
and he leaned against the wall lost in reverie .
time enough had he too for his reflections ; for days and nights passed on , and nobody came up ; and when at last somebody did come , it was only to put some great trunks in a corner , out of the way .
there stood the tree quite hidden ; it seemed as if he had been entirely forgotten . " ' tis now winter out-of-doors ! " thought the tree .
" the earth is hard and covered with snow ; men cannot plant me now , and therefore i have been put up here under shelter till the spring-time comes !
how thoughtful that is !
how kind man is , after all !
if it only were not so dark here , and so terribly lonely !
not even a hare !
and out in the woods it was so pleasant , when the snow was on the ground , and the hare leaped by ; yes--even when he jumped over me ; but i did not like it then !
it is really terribly lonely here ! "
" squeak !
squeak ! " said a little mouse , at the same moment , peeping out of his hole .
and then another little one came .
they snuffed about the fir tree , and rustled among the branches .
" it is dreadfully cold , " said the mouse .
" but for that , it would be delightful here , old fir , wouldn't it ? "
" i am by no means old , " said the fir tree .
" there's many a one considerably older than i am . "
" where do you come from , " asked the mice ; " and what can you do ? "
they were so extremely curious .
" tell us about the most beautiful spot on the earth .
have you never been there ?
were you never in the larder , where cheeses lie on the shelves , and hams hang from above ; where one dances about on tallow candles : that place where one enters lean , and comes out again fat and portly ? "
" i know no such place , " said the tree .
" but i know the wood , where the sun shines and where the little birds sing . "
and then he told all about his youth ; and the little mice had never heard the like before ; and they listened and said , " well , to be sure !
how much you have seen !
how happy you must have been ! "
" i ! " said the fir tree , thinking over what he had himself related .
" yes , in reality those were happy times . "
and then he told about christmas-eve , when he was decked out with cakes and candles .
" oh , " said the little mice , " how fortunate you have been , old fir tree ! "
" i am by no means old , " said he .
" i came from the wood this winter ; i am in my prime , and am only rather short for my age . "
" what delightful stories you know , " said the mice : and the next night they came with four other little mice , who were to hear what the tree recounted : and the more he related , the more he remembered himself ; and it appeared as if those times had really been happy times .
" but they may still come--they may still come !
humpy-dumpy fell downstairs , and yet he got a princess ! " and he thought at the moment of a nice little birch tree growing out in the woods : to the fir , that would be a real charming princess .
" who is humpy-dumpy ? " asked the mice .
so then the fir tree told the whole fairy tale , for he could remember every single word of it ; and the little mice jumped for joy up to the very top of the tree .
next night two more mice came , and on sunday two rats even ; but they said the stories were not interesting , which vexed the little mice ; and they , too , now began to think them not so very amusing either .
" do you know only one story ? " asked the rats .
" only that one , " answered the tree .
" i heard it on my happiest evening ; but i did not then know how happy i was . "
" it is a very stupid story !
don't you know one about bacon and tallow candles ?
can't you tell any larder stories ? "
" no , " said the tree .
" then good-bye , " said the rats ; and they went home .
at last the little mice stayed away also ; and the tree sighed : " after all , it was very pleasant when the sleek little mice sat round me , and listened to what i told them .
now that too is over .
but i will take good care to enjoy myself when i am brought out again . "
but when was that to be ?
why , one morning there came a quantity of people and set to work in the loft .
the trunks were moved , the tree was pulled out and thrown--rather hard , it is true--down on the floor , but a man drew him towards the stairs , where the daylight shone .
" now a merry life will begin again , " thought the tree .
he felt the fresh air , the first sunbeam--and now he was out in the courtyard .
all passed so quickly , there was so much going on around him , the tree quite forgot to look to himself .
the court adjoined a garden , and all was in flower ; the roses hung so fresh and odorous over the balustrade , the lindens were in blossom , the swallows flew by , and said , " quirre-vit !
my husband is come ! " but it was not the fir tree that they meant .
" now , then , i shall really enjoy life , " said he exultingly , and spread out his branches ; but , alas , they were all withered and yellow !
it was in a corner that he lay , among weeds and nettles .
the golden star of tinsel was still on the top of the tree , and glittered in the sunshine .
in the court-yard some of the merry children were playing who had danced at christmas round the fir tree , and were so glad at the sight of him .
one of the youngest ran and tore off the golden star .
" only look what is still on the ugly old christmas tree ! " said he , trampling on the branches , so that they all cracked beneath his feet .
and the tree beheld all the beauty of the flowers , and the freshness in the garden ; he beheld himself , and wished he had remained in his dark corner in the loft ; he thought of his first youth in the wood , of the merry christmas-eve , and of the little mice who had listened with so much pleasure to the story of humpy-dumpy . " ' tis over--'tis past ! " said the poor tree .
" had i but rejoiced when i had reason to do so !
but now ' tis past , ' tis past ! "
and the gardener's boy chopped the tree into small pieces ; there was a whole heap lying there .
the wood flamed up splendidly under the large brewing copper , and it sighed so deeply !
each sigh was like a shot .
the boys played about in the court , and the youngest wore the gold star on his breast which the tree had had on the happiest evening of his life .
however , that was over now--the tree gone , the story at an end .
all , all was over--every tale must end at last .
first story .
which treats of a mirror and of the splinters now then , let us begin .
when we are at the end of the story , we shall know more than we know now : but to begin .
once upon a time there was a wicked sprite , indeed he was the most mischievous of all sprites .
one day he was in a very good humor , for he had made a mirror with the power of causing all that was good and beautiful when it was reflected therein , to look poor and mean ; but that which was good-for-nothing and looked ugly was shown magnified and increased in ugliness .
in this mirror the most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach , and the best persons were turned into frights , or appeared to stand on their heads ; their faces were so distorted that they were not to be recognised ; and if anyone had a mole , you might be sure that it would be magnified and spread over both nose and mouth .
" that's glorious fun ! " said the sprite .
if a good thought passed through a man's mind , then a grin was seen in the mirror , and the sprite laughed heartily at his clever discovery .
all the little sprites who went to his school--for he kept a sprite school--told each other that a miracle had happened ; and that now only , as they thought , it would be possible to see how the world really looked .
they ran about with the mirror ; and at last there was not a land or a person who was not represented distorted in the mirror .
so then they thought they would fly up to the sky , and have a joke there .
the higher they flew with the mirror , the more terribly it grinned : they could hardly hold it fast .
higher and higher still they flew , nearer and nearer to the stars , when suddenly the mirror shook so terribly with grinning , that it flew out of their hands and fell to the earth , where it was dashed in a hundred million and more pieces .
and now it worked much more evil than before ; for some of these pieces were hardly so large as a grain of sand , and they flew about in the wide world , and when they got into people's eyes , there they stayed ; and then people saw everything perverted , or only had an eye for that which was evil .
this happened because the very smallest bit had the same power which the whole mirror had possessed .
some persons even got a splinter in their heart , and then it made one shudder , for their heart became like a lump of ice .
some of the broken pieces were so large that they were used for windowpanes , through which one could not see one's friends .
other pieces were put in spectacles ; and that was a sad affair when people put on their glasses to see well and rightly .
then the wicked sprite laughed till he almost choked , for all this tickled his fancy .
the fine splinters still flew about in the air : and now we shall hear what happened next .
second story .
a little boy and a little girl in a large town , where there are so many houses , and so many people , that there is no roof left for everybody to have a little garden ; and where , on this account , most persons are obliged to content themselves with flowers in pots ; there lived two little children , who had a garden somewhat larger than a flower-pot .
they were not brother and sister ; but they cared for each other as much as if they were .
their parents lived exactly opposite .
they inhabited two garrets ; and where the roof of the one house joined that of the other , and the gutter ran along the extreme end of it , there was to each house a small window : one needed only to step over the gutter to get from one window to the other .
the children's parents had large wooden boxes there , in which vegetables for the kitchen were planted , and little rosetrees besides : there was a rose in each box , and they grew splendidly .
they now thought of placing the boxes across the gutter , so that they nearly reached from one window to the other , and looked just like two walls of flowers .
the tendrils of the peas hung down over the boxes ; and the rose-trees shot up long branches , twined round the windows , and then bent towards each other : it was almost like a triumphant arch of foliage and flowers .
the boxes were very high , and the children knew that they must not creep over them ; so they often obtained permission to get out of the windows to each other , and to sit on their little stools among the roses , where they could play delightfully .
in winter there was an end of this pleasure .
the windows were often frozen over ; but then they heated copper farthings on the stove , and laid the hot farthing on the windowpane , and then they had a capital peep-hole , quite nicely rounded ; and out of each peeped a gentle friendly eye--it was the little boy and the little girl who were looking out .
his name was kay , hers was gerda .
in summer , with one jump , they could get to each other ; but in winter they were obliged first to go down the long stairs , and then up the long stairs again : and out-of-doors there was quite a snow-storm .
" it is the white bees that are swarming , " said kay's old grandmother .
" do the white bees choose a queen ? " asked the little boy ; for he knew that the honey-bees always have one .
" yes , " said the grandmother , " she flies where the swarm hangs in the thickest clusters .
she is the largest of all ; and she can never remain quietly on the earth , but goes up again into the black clouds .
many a winter's night she flies through the streets of the town , and peeps in at the windows ; and they then freeze in so wondrous a manner that they look like flowers . "
" yes , i have seen it , " said both the children ; and so they knew that it was true .
" can the snow queen come in ? " said the little girl .
" only let her come in ! " said the little boy .
" then i'd put her on the stove , and she'd melt . "
and then his grandmother patted his head and told him other stories .
in the evening , when little kay was at home , and half undressed , he climbed up on the chair by the window , and peeped out of the little hole .
a few snow-flakes were falling , and one , the largest of all , remained lying on the edge of a flower-pot .
the flake of snow grew larger and larger ; and at last it was like a young lady , dressed in the finest white gauze , made of a million little flakes like stars .
she was so beautiful and delicate , but she was of ice , of dazzling , sparkling ice ; yet she lived ; her eyes gazed fixedly , like two stars ; but there was neither quiet nor repose in them .
she nodded towards the window , and beckoned with her hand .
the little boy was frightened , and jumped down from the chair ; it seemed to him as if , at the same moment , a large bird flew past the window .
the next day it was a sharp frost--and then the spring came ; the sun shone , the green leaves appeared , the swallows built their nests , the windows were opened , and the little children again sat in their pretty garden , high up on the leads at the top of the house .
that summer the roses flowered in unwonted beauty .
the little girl had learned a hymn , in which there was something about roses ; and then she thought of her own flowers ; and she sang the verse to the little boy , who then sang it with her : " the rose in the valley is blooming so sweet , and angels descend there the children to greet . "
and the children held each other by the hand , kissed the roses , looked up at the clear sunshine , and spoke as though they really saw angels there .
what lovely summer-days those were !
how delightful to be out in the air , near the fresh rose-bushes , that seem as if they would never finish blossoming !
kay and gerda looked at the picture-book full of beasts and of birds ; and it was then--the clock in the church-tower was just striking five--that kay said , " oh !
i feel such a sharp pain in my heart ; and now something has got into my eye ! "
the little girl put her arms around his neck .
he winked his eyes ; now there was nothing to be seen .
" i think it is out now , " said he ; but it was not .
it was just one of those pieces of glass from the magic mirror that had got into his eye ; and poor kay had got another piece right in his heart .
it will soon become like ice .
it did not hurt any longer , but there it was .
" what are you crying for ? " asked he .
" you look so ugly !
there's nothing the matter with me .
ah , " said he at once , " that rose is cankered !
and look , this one is quite crooked !
after all , these roses are very ugly !
they are just like the box they are planted in ! "
and then he gave the box a good kick with his foot , and pulled both the roses up .
" what are you doing ? " cried the little girl ; and as he perceived her fright , he pulled up another rose , got in at the window , and hastened off from dear little gerda .
afterwards , when she brought her picture-book , he asked , " what horrid beasts have you there ? "
and if his grandmother told them stories , he always interrupted her ; besides , if he could manage it , he would get behind her , put on her spectacles , and imitate her way of speaking ; he copied all her ways , and then everybody laughed at him .
he was soon able to imitate the gait and manner of everyone in the street .
everything that was peculiar and displeasing in them--that kay knew how to imitate : and at such times all the people said , " the boy is certainly very clever ! "
but it was the glass he had got in his eye ; the glass that was sticking in his heart , which made him tease even little gerda , whose whole soul was devoted to him .
his games now were quite different to what they had formerly been , they were so very knowing .
one winter's day , when the flakes of snow were flying about , he spread the skirts of his blue coat , and caught the snow as it fell .
" look through this glass , gerda , " said he .
and every flake seemed larger , and appeared like a magnificent flower , or beautiful star ; it was splendid to look at !
" look , how clever ! " said kay .
" that's much more interesting than real flowers !
they are as exact as possible ; there is not a fault in them , if they did not melt ! "
it was not long after this , that kay came one day with large gloves on , and his little sledge at his back , and bawled right into gerda's ears , " i have permission to go out into the square where the others are playing " ; and off he was in a moment .
there , in the market-place , some of the boldest of the boys used to tie their sledges to the carts as they passed by , and so they were pulled along , and got a good ride .
it was so capital !
just as they were in the very height of their amusement , a large sledge passed by : it was painted quite white , and there was someone in it wrapped up in a rough white mantle of fur , with a rough white fur cap on his head .
the sledge drove round the square twice , and kay tied on his sledge as quickly as he could , and off he drove with it .
on they went quicker and quicker into the next street ; and the person who drove turned round to kay , and nodded to him in a friendly manner , just as if they knew each other .
every time he was going to untie his sledge , the person nodded to him , and then kay sat quiet ; and so on they went till they came outside the gates of the town .
then the snow began to fall so thickly that the little boy could not see an arm's length before him , but still on he went : when suddenly he let go the string he held in his hand in order to get loose from the sledge , but it was of no use ; still the little vehicle rushed on with the quickness of the wind .
he then cried as loud as he could , but no one heard him ; the snow drifted and the sledge flew on , and sometimes it gave a jerk as though they were driving over hedges and ditches .
he was quite frightened , and he tried to repeat the lord's prayer ; but all he could do , he was only able to remember the multiplication table .
the snow-flakes grew larger and larger , till at last they looked just like great white fowls .
suddenly they flew on one side ; the large sledge stopped , and the person who drove rose up .
it was a lady ; her cloak and cap were of snow .
she was tall and of slender figure , and of a dazzling whiteness .
it was the snow queen .
" we have travelled fast , " said she ; " but it is freezingly cold .
come under my bearskin . "
and she put him in the sledge beside her , wrapped the fur round him , and he felt as though he were sinking in a snow-wreath .
" are you still cold ? " asked she ; and then she kissed his forehead .
ah ! it was colder than ice ; it penetrated to his very heart , which was already almost a frozen lump ; it seemed to him as if he were about to die--but a moment more and it was quite congenial to him , and he did not remark the cold that was around him .
" my sledge !
do not forget my sledge ! "
it was the first thing he thought of .
it was there tied to one of the white chickens , who flew along with it on his back behind the large sledge .
the snow queen kissed kay once more , and then he forgot little gerda , grandmother , and all whom he had left at his home .
" now you will have no more kisses , " said she , " or else i should kiss you to death ! "
kay looked at her .
she was very beautiful ; a more clever , or a more lovely countenance he could not fancy to himself ; and she no longer appeared of ice as before , when she sat outside the window , and beckoned to him ; in his eyes she was perfect , he did not fear her at all , and told her that he could calculate in his head and with fractions , even ; that he knew the number of square miles there were in the different countries , and how many inhabitants they contained ; and she smiled while he spoke .
it then seemed to him as if what he knew was not enough , and he looked upwards in the large huge empty space above him , and on she flew with him ; flew high over the black clouds , while the storm moaned and whistled as though it were singing some old tune .
on they flew over woods and lakes , over seas , and many lands ; and beneath them the chilling storm rushed fast , the wolves howled , the snow crackled ; above them flew large screaming crows , but higher up appeared the moon , quite large and bright ; and it was on it that kay gazed during the long long winter's night ; while by day he slept at the feet of the snow queen .
third story .
of the flower-garden at the old woman's who understood witchcraft but what became of little gerda when kay did not return ?
where could he be ?
nobody knew ; nobody could give any intelligence .
all the boys knew was , that they had seen him tie his sledge to another large and splendid one , which drove down the street and out of the town .
nobody knew where he was ; many sad tears were shed , and little gerda wept long and bitterly ; at last she said he must be dead ; that he had been drowned in the river which flowed close to the town .
oh ! those were very long and dismal winter evenings !
at last spring came , with its warm sunshine .
" kay is dead and gone ! " said little gerda .
" that i don't believe , " said the sunshine .
" kay is dead and gone ! " said she to the swallows .
" that i don't believe , " said they : and at last little gerda did not think so any longer either .
" i'll put on my red shoes , " said she , one morning ; " kay has never seen them , and then i'll go down to the river and ask there . "
it was quite early ; she kissed her old grandmother , who was still asleep , put on her red shoes , and went alone to the river .
" is it true that you have taken my little playfellow ?
i will make you a present of my red shoes , if you will give him back to me . "
and , as it seemed to her , the blue waves nodded in a strange manner ; then she took off her red shoes , the most precious things she possessed , and threw them both into the river .
but they fell close to the bank , and the little waves bore them immediately to land ; it was as if the stream would not take what was dearest to her ; for in reality it had not got little kay ; but gerda thought that she had not thrown the shoes out far enough , so she clambered into a boat which lay among the rushes , went to the farthest end , and threw out the shoes .
but the boat was not fastened , and the motion which she occasioned , made it drift from the shore .
she observed this , and hastened to get back ; but before she could do so , the boat was more than a yard from the land , and was gliding quickly onward .
little gerda was very frightened , and began to cry ; but no one heard her except the sparrows , and they could not carry her to land ; but they flew along the bank , and sang as if to comfort her , " here we are !
here we are ! "
the boat drifted with the stream , little gerda sat quite still without shoes , for they were swimming behind the boat , but she could not reach them , because the boat went much faster than they did .
the banks on both sides were beautiful ; lovely flowers , venerable trees , and slopes with sheep and cows , but not a human being was to be seen .
" perhaps the river will carry me to little kay , " said she ; and then she grew less sad .
she rose , and looked for many hours at the beautiful green banks .
presently she sailed by a large cherry-orchard , where was a little cottage with curious red and blue windows ; it was thatched , and before it two wooden soldiers stood sentry , and presented arms when anyone went past .
gerda called to them , for she thought they were alive ; but they , of course , did not answer .
she came close to them , for the stream drifted the boat quite near the land .
gerda called still louder , and an old woman then came out of the cottage , leaning upon a crooked stick .
she had a large broad-brimmed hat on , painted with the most splendid flowers .
" poor little child ! " said the old woman .
" how did you get upon the large rapid river , to be driven about so in the wide world ! "
and then the old woman went into the water , caught hold of the boat with her crooked stick , drew it to the bank , and lifted little gerda out .
and gerda was so glad to be on dry land again ; but she was rather afraid of the strange old woman .
" but come and tell me who you are , and how you came here , " said she .
and gerda told her all ; and the old woman shook her head and said , " a-hem ! a-hem ! " and when gerda had told her everything , and asked her if she had not seen little kay , the woman answered that he had not passed there , but he no doubt would come ; and she told her not to be cast down , but taste her cherries , and look at her flowers , which were finer than any in a picture-book , each of which could tell a whole story .
she then took gerda by the hand , led her into the little cottage , and locked the door .
the windows were very high up ; the glass was red , blue , and green , and the sunlight shone through quite wondrously in all sorts of colors .
on the table stood the most exquisite cherries , and gerda ate as many as she chose , for she had permission to do so .
while she was eating , the old woman combed her hair with a golden comb , and her hair curled and shone with a lovely golden color around that sweet little face , which was so round and so like a rose .
" i have often longed for such a dear little girl , " said the old woman .
" now you shall see how well we agree together " ; and while she combed little gerda's hair , the child forgot her foster-brother kay more and more , for the old woman understood magic ; but she was no evil being , she only practised witchcraft a little for her own private amusement , and now she wanted very much to keep little gerda .
she therefore went out in the garden , stretched out her crooked stick towards the rose-bushes , which , beautifully as they were blowing , all sank into the earth and no one could tell where they had stood .
the old woman feared that if gerda should see the roses , she would then think of her own , would remember little kay , and run away from her .
she now led gerda into the flower-garden .
oh , what odour and what loveliness was there !
every flower that one could think of , and of every season , stood there in fullest bloom ; no picture-book could be gayer or more beautiful .
gerda jumped for joy , and played till the sun set behind the tall cherry-tree ; she then had a pretty bed , with a red silken coverlet filled with blue violets .
she fell asleep , and had as pleasant dreams as ever a queen on her wedding-day .
the next morning she went to play with the flowers in the warm sunshine , and thus passed away a day .
gerda knew every flower ; and , numerous as they were , it still seemed to gerda that one was wanting , though she did not know which .
one day while she was looking at the hat of the old woman painted with flowers , the most beautiful of them all seemed to her to be a rose .
the old woman had forgotten to take it from her hat when she made the others vanish in the earth .
but so it is when one's thoughts are not collected .
" what ! " said gerda .
" are there no roses here ? " and she ran about amongst the flowerbeds , and looked , and looked , but there was not one to be found .
she then sat down and wept ; but her hot tears fell just where a rose-bush had sunk ; and when her warm tears watered the ground , the tree shot up suddenly as fresh and blooming as when it had been swallowed up .
gerda kissed the roses , thought of her own dear roses at home , and with them of little kay .
" oh , how long i have stayed ! " said the little girl .
" i intended to look for kay !
don't you know where he is ? " she asked of the roses .
" do you think he is dead and gone ? "
" dead he certainly is not , " said the roses .
" we have been in the earth where all the dead are , but kay was not there . "
" many thanks ! " said little gerda ; and she went to the other flowers , looked into their cups , and asked , " don't you know where little kay is ? "
but every flower stood in the sunshine , and dreamed its own fairy tale or its own story : and they all told her very many things , but not one knew anything of kay .
well , what did the tiger-lily say ?
" hearest thou not the drum ?
bum !
bum !
those are the only two tones .
always bum !
bum !
hark to the plaintive song of the old woman , to the call of the priests !
the hindoo woman in her long robe stands upon the funeral pile ; the flames rise around her and her dead husband , but the hindoo woman thinks on the living one in the surrounding circle ; on him whose eyes burn hotter than the flames--on him , the fire of whose eyes pierces her heart more than the flames which soon will burn her body to ashes .
can the heart's flame die in the flame of the funeral pile ? "
" i don't understand that at all , " said little gerda .
" that is my story , " said the lily .
what did the convolvulus say ?
" projecting over a narrow mountain-path there hangs an old feudal castle .
thick evergreens grow on the dilapidated walls , and around the altar , where a lovely maiden is standing : she bends over the railing and looks out upon the rose .
no fresher rose hangs on the branches than she ; no appleblossom carried away by the wind is more buoyant !
how her silken robe is rustling ! " ' is he not yet come ? ' " " is it kay that you mean ? " asked little gerda .
" i am speaking about my story--about my dream , " answered the convolvulus .
what did the snowdrops say ?
" between the trees a long board is hanging--it is a swing .
two little girls are sitting in it , and swing themselves backwards and forwards ; their frocks are as white as snow , and long green silk ribands flutter from their bonnets .
their brother , who is older than they are , stands up in the swing ; he twines his arms round the cords to hold himself fast , for in one hand he has a little cup , and in the other a clay-pipe .
he is blowing soap-bubbles .
the swing moves , and the bubbles float in charming changing colors : the last is still hanging to the end of the pipe , and rocks in the breeze .
the swing moves .
the little black dog , as light as a soap-bubble , jumps up on his hind legs to try to get into the swing .
it moves , the dog falls down , barks , and is angry .
they tease him ; the bubble bursts !
a swing , a bursting bubble--such is my song ! "
" what you relate may be very pretty , but you tell it in so melancholy a manner , and do not mention kay . "
what do the hyacinths say ?
" there were once upon a time three sisters , quite transparent , and very beautiful .
the robe of the one was red , that of the second blue , and that of the third white .
they danced hand in hand beside the calm lake in the clear moonshine .
they were not elfin maidens , but mortal children .
a sweet fragrance was smelt , and the maidens vanished in the wood ; the fragrance grew stronger--three coffins , and in them three lovely maidens , glided out of the forest and across the lake : the shining glow-worms flew around like little floating lights .
do the dancing maidens sleep , or are they dead ?
the odour of the flowers says they are corpses ; the evening bell tolls for the dead ! "
" you make me quite sad , " said little gerda .
" i cannot help thinking of the dead maidens .
oh ! is little kay really dead ?
the roses have been in the earth , and they say no . "
" ding , dong ! " sounded the hyacinth bells .
" we do not toll for little kay ; we do not know him .
that is our way of singing , the only one we have . "
and gerda went to the ranunculuses , that looked forth from among the shining green leaves .
" you are a little bright sun ! " said gerda .
" tell me if you know where i can find my playfellow . "
and the ranunculus shone brightly , and looked again at gerda .
what song could the ranunculus sing ?
it was one that said nothing about kay either .
" in a small court the bright sun was shining in the first days of spring .
the beams glided down the white walls of a neighbor's house , and close by the fresh yellow flowers were growing , shining like gold in the warm sun-rays .
an old grandmother was sitting in the air ; her grand-daughter , the poor and lovely servant just come for a short visit .
she knows her grandmother .
there was gold , pure virgin gold in that blessed kiss .
there , that is my little story , " said the ranunculus .
" my poor old grandmother ! " sighed gerda .
" yes , she is longing for me , no doubt : she is sorrowing for me , as she did for little kay .
but i will soon come home , and then i will bring kay with me .
it is of no use asking the flowers ; they only know their own old rhymes , and can tell me nothing . "
and she tucked up her frock , to enable her to run quicker ; but the narcissus gave her a knock on the leg , just as she was going to jump over it .
so she stood still , looked at the long yellow flower , and asked , " you perhaps know something ? " and she bent down to the narcissus .
and what did it say ?
" i can see myself--i can see myself !
oh , how odorous i am !
up in the little garret there stands , half-dressed , a little dancer .
she stands now on one leg , now on both ; she despises the whole world ; yet she lives only in imagination .
she pours water out of the teapot over a piece of stuff which she holds in her hand ; it is the bodice ; cleanliness is a fine thing .
the white dress is hanging on the hook ; it was washed in the teapot , and dried on the roof .
she puts it on , ties a saffron-colored kerchief round her neck , and then the gown looks whiter .
i can see myself--i can see myself ! "
" that's nothing to me , " said little gerda .
" that does not concern me . "
and then off she ran to the further end of the garden .
the gate was locked , but she shook the rusted bolt till it was loosened , and the gate opened ; and little gerda ran off barefooted into the wide world .
she looked round her thrice , but no one followed her .
at last she could run no longer ; she sat down on a large stone , and when she looked about her , she saw that the summer had passed ; it was late in the autumn , but that one could not remark in the beautiful garden , where there was always sunshine , and where there were flowers the whole year round .
" dear me , how long i have staid ! " said gerda .
" autumn is come .
i must not rest any longer . "
and she got up to go further .
oh , how tender and wearied her little feet were !
all around it looked so cold and raw : the long willow-leaves were quite yellow , and the fog dripped from them like water ; one leaf fell after the other : the sloes only stood full of fruit , which set one's teeth on edge .
oh , how dark and comfortless it was in the dreary world !
fourth story .
the prince and princess gerda was obliged to rest herself again , when , exactly opposite to her , a large raven came hopping over the white snow .
he had long been looking at gerda and shaking his head ; and now he said , " caw !
caw ! "
good day !
good day !
he could not say it better ; but he felt a sympathy for the little girl , and asked her where she was going all alone .
the word " alone " gerda understood quite well , and felt how much was expressed by it ; so she told the raven her whole history , and asked if he had not seen kay .
the raven nodded very gravely , and said , " it may be--it may be ! "
" what , do you really think so ? " cried the little girl ; and she nearly squeezed the raven to death , so much did she kiss him .
" gently , gently , " said the raven .
" i think i know ; i think that it may be little kay .
but now he has forgotten you for the princess . "
" does he live with a princess ? " asked gerda .
" yes--listen , " said the raven ; " but it will be difficult for me to speak your language .
if you understand the raven language i can tell you better . "
" no , i have not learnt it , " said gerda ; " but my grandmother understands it , and she can speak gibberish too .
i wish i had learnt it . "
" no matter , " said the raven ; " i will tell you as well as i can ; however , it will be bad enough . "
and then he told all he knew .
" in the kingdom where we now are there lives a princess , who is extraordinarily clever ; for she has read all the newspapers in the whole world , and has forgotten them again--so clever is she .
she was lately , it is said , sitting on her throne--which is not very amusing after all--when she began humming an old tune , and it was just , ' oh , why should i not be married ? ' ' that song is not without its meaning , ' said she , and so then she was determined to marry ; but she would have a husband who knew how to give an answer when he was spoken to--not one who looked only as if he were a great personage , for that is so tiresome .
she then had all the ladies of the court drummed together ; and when they heard her intention , all were very pleased , and said , ' we are very glad to hear it ; it is the very thing we were thinking of . ' you may believe every word i say , " said the raven ; " for i have a tame sweetheart that hops about in the palace quite free , and it was she who told me all this .
" the newspapers appeared forthwith with a border of hearts and the initials of the princess ; and therein you might read that every good-looking young man was at liberty to come to the palace and speak to the princess ; and he who spoke in such wise as showed he felt himself at home there , that one the princess would choose for her husband .
" yes , yes , " said the raven , " you may believe it ; it is as true as i am sitting here .
people came in crowds ; there was a crush and a hurry , but no one was successful either on the first or second day .
they could all talk well enough when they were out in the street ; but as soon as they came inside the palace gates , and saw the guard richly dressed in silver , and the lackeys in gold on the staircase , and the large illuminated saloons , then they were abashed ; and when they stood before the throne on which the princess was sitting , all they could do was to repeat the last word they had uttered , and to hear it again did not interest her very much .
it was just as if the people within were under a charm , and had fallen into a trance till they came out again into the street ; for then--oh , then--they could chatter enough .
there was a whole row of them standing from the town-gates to the palace .
i was there myself to look , " said the raven .
" they grew hungry and thirsty ; but from the palace they got nothing whatever , not even a glass of water .
some of the cleverest , it is true , had taken bread and butter with them : but none shared it with his neighbor , for each thought , ' let him look hungry , and then the princess won't have him . ' " " but kay--little kay , " said gerda , " when did he come ?
was he among the number ? "
" patience , patience ; we are just come to him .
it was on the third day when a little personage without horse or equipage , came marching right boldly up to the palace ; his eyes shone like yours , he had beautiful long hair , but his clothes were very shabby . "
" that was kay , " cried gerda , with a voice of delight .
" oh , now i've found him ! " and she clapped her hands for joy .
" he had a little knapsack at his back , " said the raven .
" no , that was certainly his sledge , " said gerda ; " for when he went away he took his sledge with him . "
" that may be , " said the raven ; " i did not examine him so minutely ; but i know from my tame sweetheart , that when he came into the court-yard of the palace , and saw the body-guard in silver , the lackeys on the staircase , he was not the least abashed ; he nodded , and said to them , ' it must be very tiresome to stand on the stairs ; for my part , i shall go in . ' the saloons were gleaming with lustres--privy councillors and excellencies were walking about barefooted , and wore gold keys ; it was enough to make any one feel uncomfortable .
his boots creaked , too , so loudly , but still he was not at all afraid . "
" that's kay for certain , " said gerda .
" i know he had on new boots ; i have heard them creaking in grandmama's room . "
" yes , they creaked , " said the raven .
" and on he went boldly up to the princess , who was sitting on a pearl as large as a spinning-wheel .
all the ladies of the court , with their attendants and attendants ' attendants , and all the cavaliers , with their gentlemen and gentlemen's gentlemen , stood round ; and the nearer they stood to the door , the prouder they looked .
it was hardly possible to look at the gentleman's gentleman , so very haughtily did he stand in the doorway . "
" it must have been terrible , " said little gerda .
" and did kay get the princess ? "
" were i not a raven , i should have taken the princess myself , although i am promised .
it is said he spoke as well as i speak when i talk raven language ; this i learned from my tame sweetheart .
he was bold and nicely behaved ; he had not come to woo the princess , but only to hear her wisdom .
she pleased him , and he pleased her . "
" yes , yes ; for certain that was kay , " said gerda .
" he was so clever ; he could reckon fractions in his head .
oh , won't you take me to the palace ? "
" that is very easily said , " answered the raven .
" but how are we to manage it ?
i'll speak to my tame sweetheart about it : she must advise us ; for so much i must tell you , such a little girl as you are will never get permission to enter . "
" oh , yes i shall , " said gerda ; " when kay hears that i am here , he will come out directly to fetch me . "
" wait for me here on these steps , " said the raven .
he moved his head backwards and forwards and flew away .
the evening was closing in when the raven returned .
" caw--caw ! " said he .
" she sends you her compliments ; and here is a roll for you .
she took it out of the kitchen , where there is bread enough .
you are hungry , no doubt .
it is not possible for you to enter the palace , for you are barefooted : the guards in silver , and the lackeys in gold , would not allow it ; but do not cry , you shall come in still .
my sweetheart knows a little back stair that leads to the bedchamber , and she knows where she can get the key of it . "
and they went into the garden in the large avenue , where one leaf was falling after the other ; and when the lights in the palace had all gradually disappeared , the raven led little gerda to the back door , which stood half open .
oh , how gerda's heart beat with anxiety and longing !
it was just as if she had been about to do something wrong ; and yet she only wanted to know if little kay was there .
yes , he must be there .
she called to mind his intelligent eyes , and his long hair , so vividly , she could quite see him as he used to laugh when they were sitting under the roses at home .
" he will , no doubt , be glad to see you--to hear what a long way you have come for his sake ; to know how unhappy all at home were when he did not come back . "
oh , what a fright and a joy it was !
they were now on the stairs .
a single lamp was burning there ; and on the floor stood the tame raven , turning her head on every side and looking at gerda , who bowed as her grandmother had taught her to do .
" my intended has told me so much good of you , my dear young lady , " said the tame raven .
" your tale is very affecting .
if you will take the lamp , i will go before .
we will go straight on , for we shall meet no one . "
" i think there is somebody just behind us , " said gerda ; and something rushed past : it was like shadowy figures on the wall ; horses with flowing manes and thin legs , huntsmen , ladies and gentlemen on horseback .
" they are only dreams , " said the raven .
" they come to fetch the thoughts of the high personages to the chase ; ' tis well , for now you can observe them in bed all the better .
but let me find , when you enjoy honor and distinction , that you possess a grateful heart . "
" tut !
that's not worth talking about , " said the raven of the woods .
they now entered the first saloon , which was of rose-colored satin , with artificial flowers on the wall .
here the dreams were rushing past , but they hastened by so quickly that gerda could not see the high personages .
one hall was more magnificent than the other ; one might indeed well be abashed ; and at last they came into the bedchamber .
the ceiling of the room resembled a large palm-tree with leaves of glass , of costly glass ; and in the middle , from a thick golden stem , hung two beds , each of which resembled a lily .
one was white , and in this lay the princess ; the other was red , and it was here that gerda was to look for little kay .
she bent back one of the red leaves , and saw a brown neck .
oh ! that was kay !
she called him quite loud by name , held the lamp towards him--the dreams rushed back again into the chamber--he awoke , turned his head , and--it was not little kay !
the prince was only like him about the neck ; but he was young and handsome .
and out of the white lily leaves the princess peeped , too , and asked what was the matter .
then little gerda cried , and told her her whole history , and all that the ravens had done for her .
" poor little thing ! " said the prince and the princess .
they praised the ravens very much , and told them they were not at all angry with them , but they were not to do so again .
however , they should have a reward .
" will you fly about here at liberty , " asked the princess ; " or would you like to have a fixed appointment as court ravens , with all the broken bits from the kitchen ? "
and both the ravens nodded , and begged for a fixed appointment ; for they thought of their old age , and said , " it is a good thing to have a provision for our old days . "
and the prince got up and let gerda sleep in his bed , and more than this he could not do .
she folded her little hands and thought , " how good men and animals are ! " and she then fell asleep and slept soundly .
all the dreams flew in again , and they now looked like the angels ; they drew a little sledge , in which little kay sat and nodded his head ; but the whole was only a dream , and therefore it all vanished as soon as she awoke .
the next day she was dressed from head to foot in silk and velvet .
they offered to let her stay at the palace , and lead a happy life ; but she begged to have a little carriage with a horse in front , and for a small pair of shoes ; then , she said , she would again go forth in the wide world and look for kay .
shoes and a muff were given her ; she was , too , dressed very nicely ; and when she was about to set off , a new carriage stopped before the door .
it was of pure gold , and the arms of the prince and princess shone like a star upon it ; the coachman , the footmen , and the outriders , for outriders were there , too , all wore golden crowns .
the prince and the princess assisted her into the carriage themselves , and wished her all success .
the raven of the woods , who was now married , accompanied her for the first three miles .
he sat beside gerda , for he could not bear riding backwards ; the other raven stood in the doorway , and flapped her wings ; she could not accompany gerda , because she suffered from headache since she had had a fixed appointment and ate so much .
the carriage was lined inside with sugar-plums , and in the seats were fruits and gingerbread .
" farewell !
farewell ! " cried prince and princess ; and gerda wept , and the raven wept .
thus passed the first miles ; and then the raven bade her farewell , and this was the most painful separation of all .
he flew into a tree , and beat his black wings as long as he could see the carriage , that shone from afar like a sunbeam .
fifth story .
the little robber maiden they drove through the dark wood ; but the carriage shone like a torch , and it dazzled the eyes of the robbers , so that they could not bear to look at it . " ' tis gold ! ' tis gold ! " they cried ; and they rushed forward , seized the horses , knocked down the little postilion , the coachman , and the servants , and pulled little gerda out of the carriage .
" how plump , how beautiful she is !
she must have been fed on nut-kernels , " said the old female robber , who had a long , scrubby beard , and bushy eyebrows that hung down over her eyes .
" she is as good as a fatted lamb !
how nice she will be ! "
and then she drew out a knife , the blade of which shone so that it was quite dreadful to behold .
" oh ! " cried the woman at the same moment .
she had been bitten in the ear by her own little daughter , who hung at her back ; and who was so wild and unmanageable , that it was quite amusing to see her .
" you naughty child ! " said the mother : and now she had not time to kill gerda .
" she shall play with me , " said the little robber child .
" she shall give me her muff , and her pretty frock ; she shall sleep in my bed ! "
and then she gave her mother another bite , so that she jumped , and ran round with the pain ; and the robbers laughed , and said , " look , how she is dancing with the little one ! "
" i will go into the carriage , " said the little robber maiden ; and she would have her will , for she was very spoiled and very headstrong .
she and gerda got in ; and then away they drove over the stumps of felled trees , deeper and deeper into the woods .
the little robber maiden was as tall as gerda , but stronger , broader-shouldered , and of dark complexion ; her eyes were quite black ; they looked almost melancholy .
she embraced little gerda , and said , " they shall not kill you as long as i am not displeased with you .
you are , doubtless , a princess ? "
" no , " said little gerda ; who then related all that had happened to her , and how much she cared about little kay .
the little robber maiden looked at her with a serious air , nodded her head slightly , and said , " they shall not kill you , even if i am angry with you : then i will do it myself " ; and she dried gerda's eyes , and put both her hands in the handsome muff , which was so soft and warm .
at length the carriage stopped .
they were in the midst of the court-yard of a robber's castle .
it was full of cracks from top to bottom ; and out of the openings magpies and rooks were flying ; and the great bull-dogs , each of which looked as if he could swallow a man , jumped up , but they did not bark , for that was forbidden .
in the midst of the large , old , smoking hall burnt a great fire on the stone floor .
the smoke disappeared under the stones , and had to seek its own egress .
in an immense caldron soup was boiling ; and rabbits and hares were being roasted on a spit .
" you shall sleep with me to-night , with all my animals , " said the little robber maiden .
they had something to eat and drink ; and then went into a corner , where straw and carpets were lying .
beside them , on laths and perches , sat nearly a hundred pigeons , all asleep , seemingly ; but yet they moved a little when the robber maiden came .
" they are all mine , " said she , at the same time seizing one that was next to her by the legs and shaking it so that its wings fluttered .
" kiss it , " cried the little girl , and flung the pigeon in gerda's face .
" up there is the rabble of the wood , " continued she , pointing to several laths which were fastened before a hole high up in the wall ; " that's the rabble ; they would all fly away immediately , if they were not well fastened in .
and here is my dear old bac " ; and she laid hold of the horns of a reindeer , that had a bright copper ring round its neck , and was tethered to the spot .
" we are obliged to lock this fellow in too , or he would make his escape .
every evening i tickle his neck with my sharp knife ; he is so frightened at it ! " and the little girl drew forth a long knife , from a crack in the wall , and let it glide over the reindeer's neck .
the poor animal kicked ; the girl laughed , and pulled gerda into bed with her .
" do you intend to keep your knife while you sleep ? " asked gerda ; looking at it rather fearfully .
" i always sleep with the knife , " said the little robber maiden .
" there is no knowing what may happen .
but tell me now , once more , all about little kay ; and why you have started off in the wide world alone . "
and gerda related all , from the very beginning : the wood-pigeons cooed above in their cage , and the others slept .
the little robber maiden wound her arm round gerda's neck , held the knife in the other hand , and snored so loud that everybody could hear her ; but gerda could not close her eyes , for she did not know whether she was to live or die .
the robbers sat round the fire , sang and drank ; and the old female robber jumped about so , that it was quite dreadful for gerda to see her .
then the wood-pigeons said , " coo !
coo !
we have seen little kay !
a white hen carries his sledge ; he himself sat in the carriage of the snow queen , who passed here , down just over the wood , as we lay in our nest .
she blew upon us young ones ; and all died except we two .
coo !
coo ! "
" what is that you say up there ? " cried little gerda .
" where did the snow queen go to ?
do you know anything about it ? "
" she is no doubt gone to lapland ; for there is always snow and ice there .
only ask the reindeer , who is tethered there . "
" ice and snow is there !
there it is , glorious and beautiful ! " said the reindeer .
" one can spring about in the large shining valleys !
the snow queen has her summer-tent there ; but her fixed abode is high up towards the north pole , on the island called spitzbergen . "
" oh , kay !
poor little kay ! " sighed gerda .
" do you choose to be quiet ? " said the robber maiden .
" if you don't , i shall make you . "
in the morning gerda told her all that the wood-pigeons had said ; and the little maiden looked very serious , but she nodded her head , and said , " that's no matter--that's no matter .
do you know where lapland lies ! " she asked of the reindeer .
" who should know better than i ? " said the animal ; and his eyes rolled in his head .
" i was born and bred there--there i leapt about on the fields of snow . "
" listen , " said the robber maiden to gerda .
" you see that the men are gone ; but my mother is still here , and will remain .
however , towards morning she takes a draught out of the large flask , and then she sleeps a little : then i will do something for you . "
she now jumped out of bed , flew to her mother ; with her arms round her neck , and pulling her by the beard , said , " good morrow , my own sweet nanny-goat of a mother . "
and her mother took hold of her nose , and pinched it till it was red and blue ; but this was all done out of pure love .
when the mother had taken a sup at her flask , and was having a nap , the little robber maiden went to the reindeer , and said , " i should very much like to give you still many a tickling with the sharp knife , for then you are so amusing ; however , i will untether you , and help you out , so that you may go back to lapland .
but you must make good use of your legs ; and take this little girl for me to the palace of the snow queen , where her playfellow is .
you have heard , i suppose , all she said ; for she spoke loud enough , and you were listening . "
the reindeer gave a bound for joy .
the robber maiden lifted up little gerda , and took the precaution to bind her fast on the reindeer's back ; she even gave her a small cushion to sit on .
" here are your worsted leggins , for it will be cold ; but the muff i shall keep for myself , for it is so very pretty .
but i do not wish you to be cold .
here is a pair of lined gloves of my mother's ; they just reach up to your elbow .
on with them !
now you look about the hands just like my ugly old mother ! "
and gerda wept for joy .
" i can't bear to see you fretting , " said the little robber maiden .
" this is just the time when you ought to look pleased .
here are two loaves and a ham for you , so that you won't starve . "
the bread and the meat were fastened to the reindeer's back ; the little maiden opened the door , called in all the dogs , and then with her knife cut the rope that fastened the animal , and said to him , " now , off with you ; but take good care of the little girl ! "
and gerda stretched out her hands with the large wadded gloves towards the robber maiden , and said , " farewell ! " and the reindeer flew on over bush and bramble through the great wood , over moor and heath , as fast as he could go .
" ddsa !
ddsa ! " was heard in the sky .
it was just as if somebody was sneezing .
" these are my old northern-lights , " said the reindeer , " look how they gleam ! "
and on he now sped still quicker--day and night on he went : the loaves were consumed , and the ham too ; and now they were in lapland .
sixth story .
the lapland woman and the finland woman suddenly they stopped before a little house , which looked very miserable .
the roof reached to the ground ; and the door was so low , that the family were obliged to creep upon their stomachs when they went in or out .
nobody was at home except an old lapland woman , who was dressing fish by the light of an oil lamp .
and the reindeer told her the whole of gerda's history , but first of all his own ; for that seemed to him of much greater importance .
gerda was so chilled that she could not speak .
" poor thing , " said the lapland woman , " you have far to run still .
you have more than a hundred miles to go before you get to finland ; there the snow queen has her country-house , and burns blue lights every evening .
i will give you a few words from me , which i will write on a dried haberdine , for paper i have none ; this you can take with you to the finland woman , and she will be able to give you more information than i can . "
when gerda had warmed herself , and had eaten and drunk , the lapland woman wrote a few words on a dried haberdine , begged gerda to take care of them , put her on the reindeer , bound her fast , and away sprang the animal .
" ddsa !
ddsa ! " was again heard in the air ; the most charming blue lights burned the whole night in the sky , and at last they came to finland .
they knocked at the chimney of the finland woman ; for as to a door , she had none .
there was such a heat inside that the finland woman herself went about almost naked .
she was diminutive and dirty .
she immediately loosened little gerda's clothes , pulled off her thick gloves and boots ; for otherwise the heat would have been too great--and after laying a piece of ice on the reindeer's head , read what was written on the fish-skin .
she read it three times : she then knew it by heart ; so she put the fish into the cupboard--for it might very well be eaten , and she never threw anything away .
then the reindeer related his own story first , and afterwards that of little gerda ; and the finland woman winked her eyes , but said nothing .
" you are so clever , " said the reindeer ; " you can , i know , twist all the winds of the world together in a knot .
if the seaman loosens one knot , then he has a good wind ; if a second , then it blows pretty stiffly ; if he undoes the third and fourth , then it rages so that the forests are upturned .
will you give the little maiden a potion , that she may possess the strength of twelve men , and vanquish the snow queen ? "
" the strength of twelve men ! " said the finland woman .
" much good that would be ! "
then she went to a cupboard , and drew out a large skin rolled up .
when she had unrolled it , strange characters were to be seen written thereon ; and the finland woman read at such a rate that the perspiration trickled down her forehead .
but the reindeer begged so hard for little gerda , and gerda looked so imploringly with tearful eyes at the finland woman , that she winked , and drew the reindeer aside into a corner , where they whispered together , while the animal got some fresh ice put on his head . " ' tis true little kay is at the snow queen's , and finds everything there quite to his taste ; and he thinks it the very best place in the world ; but the reason of that is , he has a splinter of glass in his eye , and in his heart .
these must be got out first ; otherwise he will never go back to mankind , and the snow queen will retain her power over him . "
" but can you give little gerda nothing to take which will endue her with power over the whole ? "
" i can give her no more power than what she has already .
don't you see how great it is ?
don't you see how men and animals are forced to serve her ; how well she gets through the world barefooted ?
she must not hear of her power from us ; that power lies in her heart , because she is a sweet and innocent child !
if she cannot get to the snow queen by herself , and rid little kay of the glass , we cannot help her .
two miles hence the garden of the snow queen begins ; thither you may carry the little girl .
set her down by the large bush with red berries , standing in the snow ; don't stay talking , but hasten back as fast as possible . "
and now the finland woman placed little gerda on the reindeer's back , and off he ran with all imaginable speed .
" oh !
i have not got my boots !
i have not brought my gloves ! " cried little gerda .
she remarked she was without them from the cutting frost ; but the reindeer dared not stand still ; on he ran till he came to the great bush with the red berries , and there he set gerda down , kissed her mouth , while large bright tears flowed from the animal's eyes , and then back he went as fast as possible .
there stood poor gerda now , without shoes or gloves , in the very middle of dreadful icy finland .
she ran on as fast as she could .
there then came a whole regiment of snow-flakes , but they did not fall from above , and they were quite bright and shining from the aurora borealis .
the flakes ran along the ground , and the nearer they came the larger they grew .
gerda well remembered how large and strange the snow-flakes appeared when she once saw them through a magnifying-glass ; but now they were large and terrific in another manner--they were all alive .
they were the outposts of the snow queen .
they had the most wondrous shapes ; some looked like large ugly porcupines ; others like snakes knotted together , with their heads sticking out ; and others , again , like small fat bears , with the hair standing on end : all were of dazzling whiteness--all were living snow-flakes .
little gerda repeated the lord's prayer .
the cold was so intense that she could see her own breath , which came like smoke out of her mouth .
it grew thicker and thicker , and took the form of little angels , that grew more and more when they touched the earth .
all had helms on their heads , and lances and shields in their hands ; they increased in numbers ; and when gerda had finished the lord's prayer , she was surrounded by a whole legion .
they thrust at the horrid snow-flakes with their spears , so that they flew into a thousand pieces ; and little gerda walked on bravely and in security .
the angels patted her hands and feet ; and then she felt the cold less , and went on quickly towards the palace of the snow queen .
but now we shall see how kay fared .
he never thought of gerda , and least of all that she was standing before the palace .
seventh story .
what took place in the palace of the snow queen , and what happened afterward .
the walls of the palace were of driving snow , and the windows and doors of cutting winds .
there were more than a hundred halls there , according as the snow was driven by the winds .
the largest was many miles in extent ; all were lighted up by the powerful aurora borealis , and all were so large , so empty , so icy cold , and so resplendent !
mirth never reigned there ; there was never even a little bear-ball , with the storm for music , while the polar bears went on their hind legs and showed off their steps .
never a little tea-party of white young lady foxes ; vast , cold , and empty were the halls of the snow queen .
the northern-lights shone with such precision that one could tell exactly when they were at their highest or lowest degree of brightness .
in the middle of the empty , endless hall of snow , was a frozen lake ; it was cracked in a thousand pieces , but each piece was so like the other , that it seemed the work of a cunning artificer .
in the middle of this lake sat the snow queen when she was at home ; and then she said she was sitting in the mirror of understanding , and that this was the only one and the best thing in the world .
little kay was quite blue , yes nearly black with cold ; but he did not observe it , for she had kissed away all feeling of cold from his body , and his heart was a lump of ice .
he was dragging along some pointed flat pieces of ice , which he laid together in all possible ways , for he wanted to make something with them ; just as we have little flat pieces of wood to make geometrical figures with , called the chinese puzzle .
kay made all sorts of figures , the most complicated , for it was an ice-puzzle for the understanding .
in his eyes the figures were extraordinarily beautiful , and of the utmost importance ; for the bit of glass which was in his eye caused this .
he found whole figures which represented a written word ; but he never could manage to represent just the word he wanted--that word was " eternity " ; and the snow queen had said , " if you can discover that figure , you shall be your own master , and i will make you a present of the whole world and a pair of new skates . "
but he could not find it out .
" i am going now to warm lands , " said the snow queen .
" i must have a look down into the black caldrons . "
it was the volcanoes vesuvius and etna that she meant .
" i will just give them a coating of white , for that is as it ought to be ; besides , it is good for the oranges and the grapes . "
and then away she flew , and kay sat quite alone in the empty halls of ice that were miles long , and looked at the blocks of ice , and thought and thought till his skull was almost cracked .
there he sat quite benumbed and motionless ; one would have imagined he was frozen to death .
suddenly little gerda stepped through the great portal into the palace .
the gate was formed of cutting winds ; but gerda repeated her evening prayer , and the winds were laid as though they slept ; and the little maiden entered the vast , empty , cold halls .
there she beheld kay : she recognised him , flew to embrace him , and cried out , her arms firmly holding him the while , " kay , sweet little kay !
have i then found you at last ? "
but he sat quite still , benumbed and cold .
then little gerda shed burning tears ; and they fell on his bosom , they penetrated to his heart , they thawed the lumps of ice , and consumed the splinters of the looking-glass ; he looked at her , and she sang the hymn : " the rose in the valley is blooming so sweet , and angels descend there the children to greet . "
hereupon kay burst into tears ; he wept so much that the splinter rolled out of his eye , and he recognised her , and shouted , " gerda , sweet little gerda !
where have you been so long ?
and where have i been ? "
he looked round him .
" how cold it is here ! " said he .
" how empty and cold ! "
and he held fast by gerda , who laughed and wept for joy .
it was so beautiful , that even the blocks of ice danced about for joy ; and when they were tired and laid themselves down , they formed exactly the letters which the snow queen had told him to find out ; so now he was his own master , and he would have the whole world and a pair of new skates into the bargain .
gerda kissed his cheeks , and they grew quite blooming ; she kissed his eyes , and they shone like her own ; she kissed his hands and feet , and he was again well and merry .
the snow queen might come back as soon as she liked ; there stood his discharge written in resplendent masses of ice .
they took each other by the hand , and wandered forth out of the large hall ; they talked of their old grandmother , and of the roses upon the roof ; and wherever they went , the winds ceased raging , and the sun burst forth .
and when they reached the bush with the red berries , they found the reindeer waiting for them .
he had brought another , a young one , with him , whose udder was filled with milk , which he gave to the little ones , and kissed their lips .
they then carried kay and gerda--first to the finland woman , where they warmed themselves in the warm room , and learned what they were to do on their journey home ; and they went to the lapland woman , who made some new clothes for them and repaired their sledges .
the reindeer and the young hind leaped along beside them , and accompanied them to the boundary of the country .
here the first vegetation peeped forth ; here kay and gerda took leave of the lapland woman .
" farewell !
farewell ! " they all said .
and the first green buds appeared , the first little birds began to chirrup ; and out of the wood came , riding on a magnificent horse , which gerda knew ( it was one of the leaders in the golden carriage ) , a young damsel with a bright-red cap on her head , and armed with pistols .
it was the little robber maiden , who , tired of being at home , had determined to make a journey to the north ; and afterwards in another direction , if that did not please her .
she recognised gerda immediately , and gerda knew her too .
it was a joyful meeting .
" you are a fine fellow for tramping about , " said she to little kay ; " i should like to know , faith , if you deserve that one should run from one end of the world to the other for your sake ? "
but gerda patted her cheeks , and inquired for the prince and princess .
" they are gone abroad , " said the other .
" but the raven ? " asked little gerda .
" oh !
the raven is dead , " she answered .
" his tame sweetheart is a widow , and wears a bit of black worsted round her leg ; she laments most piteously , but it's all mere talk and stuff !
now tell me what you've been doing and how you managed to catch him . "
and gerda and kay both told their story .
and " schnipp-schnapp-schnurre-basselurre , " said the robber maiden ; and she took the hands of each , and promised that if she should some day pass through the town where they lived , she would come and visit them ; and then away she rode .
kay and gerda took each other's hand : it was lovely spring weather , with abundance of flowers and of verdure .
the church-bells rang , and the children recognised the high towers , and the large town ; it was that in which they dwelt .
they entered and hastened up to their grandmother's room , where everything was standing as formerly .
the clock said " tick ! tack ! " and the finger moved round ; but as they entered , they remarked that they were now grown up .
the roses on the leads hung blooming in at the open window ; there stood the little children's chairs , and kay and gerda sat down on them , holding each other by the hand ; they both had forgotten the cold empty splendor of the snow queen , as though it had been a dream .
the grandmother sat in the bright sunshine , and read aloud from the bible : " unless ye become as little children , ye cannot enter the kingdom of heaven . "
and kay and gerda looked in each other's eyes , and all at once they understood the old hymn : " the rose in the valley is blooming so sweet , and angels descend there the children to greet . "
there sat the two grown-up persons ; grown-up , and yet children ; children at least in heart ; and it was summer-time ; summer , glorious summer !
a flea , a grasshopper , and a leap-frog once wanted to see which could jump highest ; and they invited the whole world , and everybody else besides who chose to come to see the festival .
three famous jumpers were they , as everyone would say , when they all met together in the room .
" i will give my daughter to him who jumps highest , " exclaimed the king ; " for it is not so amusing where there is no prize to jump for . "
the flea was the first to step forward .
he had exquisite manners , and bowed to the company on all sides ; for he had noble blood , and was , moreover , accustomed to the society of man alone ; and that makes a great difference .
then came the grasshopper .
he was considerably heavier , but he was well-mannered , and wore a green uniform , which he had by right of birth ; he said , moreover , that he belonged to a very ancient egyptian family , and that in the house where he then was , he was thought much of .
the fact was , he had been just brought out of the fields , and put in a pasteboard house , three stories high , all made of court-cards , with the colored side inwards ; and doors and windows cut out of the body of the queen of hearts .
" i sing so well , " said he , " that sixteen native grasshoppers who have chirped from infancy , and yet got no house built of cards to live in , grew thinner than they were before for sheer vexation when they heard me . "
it was thus that the flea and the grasshopper gave an account of themselves , and thought they were quite good enough to marry a princess .
the leap-frog said nothing ; but people gave it as their opinion , that he therefore thought the more ; and when the housedog snuffed at him with his nose , he confessed the leap-frog was of good family .
the old councillor , who had had three orders given him to make him hold his tongue , asserted that the leap-frog was a prophet ; for that one could see on his back , if there would be a severe or mild winter , and that was what one could not see even on the back of the man who writes the almanac .
" i say nothing , it is true , " exclaimed the king ; " but i have my own opinion , notwithstanding . "
now the trial was to take place .
the flea jumped so high that nobody could see where he went to ; so they all asserted he had not jumped at all ; and that was dishonorable .
the grasshopper jumped only half as high ; but he leaped into the king's face , who said that was ill-mannered .
the leap-frog stood still for a long time lost in thought ; it was believed at last he would not jump at all .
" i only hope he is not unwell , " said the house-dog ; when , pop ! he made a jump all on one side into the lap of the princess , who was sitting on a little golden stool close by .
hereupon the king said , " there is nothing above my daughter ; therefore to bound up to her is the highest jump that can be made ; but for this , one must possess understanding , and the leap-frog has shown that he has understanding .
he is brave and intellectual . "
and so he won the princess .
" it's all the same to me , " said the flea .
" she may have the old leap-frog , for all i care .
i jumped the highest ; but in this world merit seldom meets its reward .
a fine exterior is what people look at now-a-days . "
the flea then went into foreign service , where , it is said , he was killed .
the grasshopper sat without on a green bank , and reflected on worldly things ; and he said too , " yes , a fine exterior is everything--a fine exterior is what people care about . "
and then he began chirping his peculiar melancholy song , from which we have taken this history ; and which may , very possibly , be all untrue , although it does stand here printed in black and white .
once upon a time there was a little boy who had taken cold .
he had gone out and got his feet wet ; though nobody could imagine how it had happened , for it was quite dry weather .
so his mother undressed him , put him to bed , and had the tea-pot brought in , to make him a good cup of elderflower tea .
just at that moment the merry old man came in who lived up a-top of the house all alone ; for he had neither wife nor children--but he liked children very much , and knew so many fairy tales , that it was quite delightful .
" now drink your tea , " said the boy's mother ; " then , perhaps , you may hear a fairy tale . "
" if i had but something new to tell , " said the old man .
" but how did the child get his feet wet ? "
" that is the very thing that nobody can make out , " said his mother .
" am i to hear a fairy tale ? " asked the little boy .
" yes , if you can tell me exactly--for i must know that first--how deep the gutter is in the little street opposite , that you pass through in going to school . "
" just up to the middle of my boot , " said the child ; " but then i must go into the deep hole . "
" ah , ah !
that's where the wet feet came from , " said the old man .
" i ought now to tell you a story ; but i don't know any more . "
" you can make one in a moment , " said the little boy .
" my mother says that all you look at can be turned into a fairy tale : and that you can find a story in everything . "
" yes , but such tales and stories are good for nothing .
the right sort come of themselves ; they tap at my forehead and say , ' here we are . ' " " won't there be a tap soon ? " asked the little boy .
and his mother laughed , put some elder-flowers in the tea-pot , and poured boiling water upon them .
" do tell me something !
pray do ! "
" yes , if a fairy tale would come of its own accord ; but they are proud and haughty , and come only when they choose .
stop ! " said he , all on a sudden .
" i have it !
pay attention !
there is one in the tea-pot ! "
and the little boy looked at the tea-pot .
the cover rose more and more ; and the elder-flowers came forth so fresh and white , and shot up long branches .
out of the spout even did they spread themselves on all sides , and grew larger and larger ; it was a splendid elderbush , a whole tree ; and it reached into the very bed , and pushed the curtains aside .
how it bloomed !
and what an odour !
in the middle of the bush sat a friendly-looking old woman in a most strange dress .
it was quite green , like the leaves of the elder , and was trimmed with large white elder-flowers ; so that at first one could not tell whether it was a stuff , or a natural green and real flowers .
" what's that woman's name ? " asked the little boy .
" the greeks and romans , " said the old man , " called her a dryad ; but that we do not understand .
the people who live in the new booths [ * ] have a much better name for her ; they call her ' old granny'--and she it is to whom you are to pay attention .
now listen , and look at the beautiful elderbush . * a row of buildings for seamen in copenhagen .
" just such another large blooming elder tree stands near the new booths .
it grew there in the corner of a little miserable court-yard ; and under it sat , of an afternoon , in the most splendid sunshine , two old people ; an old , old seaman , and his old , old wife .
they had great-grand-children , and were soon to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their marriage ; but they could not exactly recollect the date : and old granny sat in the tree , and looked as pleased as now . ' i know the date , ' said she ; but those below did not hear her , for they were talking about old times . " ' yes , can't you remember when we were very little , ' said the old seaman , ' and ran and played about ?
it was the very same court-yard where we now are , and we stuck slips in the ground , and made a garden . ' " ' i remember it well , ' said the old woman ; ' i remember it quite well .
we watered the slips , and one of them was an elderbush .
it took root , put forth green shoots , and grew up to be the large tree under which we old folks are now sitting . ' " ' to be sure , ' said he . ' and there in the corner stood a waterpail , where i used to swim my boats . ' " ' true ; but first we went to school to learn somewhat , ' said she ; ' and then we were confirmed .
we both cried ; but in the afternoon we went up the round tower , and looked down on copenhagen , and far , far away over the water ; then we went to friedericksberg , where the king and the queen were sailing about in their splendid barges . ' " ' but i had a different sort of sailing to that , later ; and that , too , for many a year ; a long way off , on great voyages . ' " ' yes , many a time have i wept for your sake , ' said she . ' i thought you were dead and gone , and lying down in the deep waters .
many a night have i got up to see if the wind had not changed : and changed it had , sure enough ; but you never came .
i remember so well one day , when the rain was pouring down in torrents , the scavengers were before the house where i was in service , and i had come up with the dust , and remained standing at the door--it was dreadful weather--when just as i was there , the postman came and gave me a letter .
it was from you !
what a tour that letter had made !
i opened it instantly and read : i laughed and wept .
i was so happy .
in it i read that you were in warm lands where the coffee-tree grows .
what a blessed land that must be !
you related so much , and i saw it all the while the rain was pouring down , and i standing there with the dust-box .
at the same moment came someone who embraced me . ' " ' yes ; but you gave him a good box on his ear that made it tingle ! ' " ' but i did not know it was you .
you arrived as soon as your letter , and you were so handsome--that you still are--and had a long yellow silk handkerchief round your neck , and a bran new hat on ; oh , you were so dashing !
good heavens !
what weather it was , and what a state the street was in ! ' " ' and then we married , ' said he . ' don't you remember ?
and then we had our first little boy , and then mary , and nicholas , and peter , and christian . ' " ' yes , and how they all grew up to be honest people , and were beloved by everybody . ' " ' and their children also have children , ' said the old sailor ; ' yes , those are our grand-children , full of strength and vigor .
it was , methinks about this season that we had our wedding . ' " ' yes , this very day is the fiftieth anniversary of the marriage , ' said old granny , sticking her head between the two old people ; who thought it was their neighbor who nodded to them .
they looked at each other and held one another by the hand .
soon after came their children , and their grand-children ; for they knew well enough that it was the day of the fiftieth anniversary , and had come with their gratulations that very morning ; but the old people had forgotten it , although they were able to remember all that had happened many years ago .
and the elderbush sent forth a strong odour in the sun , that was just about to set , and shone right in the old people's faces .
they both looked so rosy-cheeked ; and the youngest of the grandchildren danced around them , and called out quite delighted , that there was to be something very splendid that evening--they were all to have hot potatoes .
and old nanny nodded in the bush , and shouted ' hurrah ! ' with the rest . "
" but that is no fairy tale , " said the little boy , who was listening to the story .
" the thing is , you must understand it , " said the narrator ; " let us ask old nanny . "
" that was no fairy tale , ' tis true , " said old nanny ; " but now it's coming .
the most wonderful fairy tales grow out of that which is reality ; were that not the case , you know , my magnificent elderbush could not have grown out of the tea-pot . "
and then she took the little boy out of bed , laid him on her bosom , and the branches of the elder tree , full of flowers , closed around her .
they sat in an aerial dwelling , and it flew with them through the air .
oh , it was wondrous beautiful !
old nanny had grown all of a sudden a young and pretty maiden ; but her robe was still the same green stuff with white flowers , which she had worn before .
on her bosom she had a real elderflower , and in her yellow waving hair a wreath of the flowers ; her eyes were so large and blue that it was a pleasure to look at them ; she kissed the boy , and now they were of the same age and felt alike .
hand in hand they went out of the bower , and they were standing in the beautiful garden of their home .
near the green lawn papa's walking-stick was tied , and for the little ones it seemed to be endowed with life ; for as soon as they got astride it , the round polished knob was turned into a magnificent neighing head , a long black mane fluttered in the breeze , and four slender yet strong legs shot out .
the animal was strong and handsome , and away they went at full gallop round the lawn .
" huzza !
now we are riding miles off , " said the boy .
" we are riding away to the castle where we were last year ! "
and on they rode round the grass-plot ; and the little maiden , who , we know , was no one else but old nanny , kept on crying out , " now we are in the country !
don't you see the farm-house yonder ?
and there is an elder tree standing beside it ; and the cock is scraping away the earth for the hens , look , how he struts !
and now we are close to the church .
it lies high upon the hill , between the large oak-trees , one of which is half decayed .
and now we are by the smithy , where the fire is blazing , and where the half-naked men are banging with their hammers till the sparks fly about .
away ! away !
to the beautiful country-seat ! "
and all that the little maiden , who sat behind on the stick , spoke of , flew by in reality .
the boy saw it all , and yet they were only going round the grass-plot .
then they played in a side avenue , and marked out a little garden on the earth ; and they took elder-blossoms from their hair , planted them , and they grew just like those the old people planted when they were children , as related before .
they went hand in hand , as the old people had done when they were children ; but not to the round tower , or to friedericksberg ; no , the little damsel wound her arms round the boy , and then they flew far away through all denmark .
and spring came , and summer ; and then it was autumn , and then winter ; and a thousand pictures were reflected in the eye and in the heart of the boy ; and the little girl always sang to him , " this you will never forget . "
and during their whole flight the elder tree smelt so sweet and odorous ; he remarked the roses and the fresh beeches , but the elder tree had a more wondrous fragrance , for its flowers hung on the breast of the little maiden ; and there , too , did he often lay his head during the flight .
" it is lovely here in spring ! " said the young maiden .
and they stood in a beech-wood that had just put on its first green , where the woodroof [ * ] at their feet sent forth its fragrance , and the pale-red anemony looked so pretty among the verdure .
" oh , would it were always spring in the sweetly-smelling danish beech-forests ! " * asperula odorata .
" it is lovely here in summer ! " said she .
and she flew past old castles of by-gone days of chivalry , where the red walls and the embattled gables were mirrored in the canal , where the swans were swimming , and peered up into the old cool avenues .
in the fields the corn was waving like the sea ; in the ditches red and yellow flowers were growing ; while wild-drone flowers , and blooming convolvuluses were creeping in the hedges ; and towards evening the moon rose round and large , and the haycocks in the meadows smelt so sweetly .
" this one never forgets ! "
" it is lovely here in autumn ! " said the little maiden .
and suddenly the atmosphere grew as blue again as before ; the forest grew red , and green , and yellow-colored .
the dogs came leaping along , and whole flocks of wild-fowl flew over the cairn , where blackberry-bushes were hanging round the old stones .
the sea was dark blue , covered with ships full of white sails ; and in the barn old women , maidens , and children were sitting picking hops into a large cask ; the young sang songs , but the old told fairy tales of mountain-sprites and soothsayers .
nothing could be more charming .
" it is delightful here in winter ! " said the little maiden .
and all the trees were covered with hoar-frost ; they looked like white corals ; the snow crackled under foot , as if one had new boots on ; and one falling star after the other was seen in the sky .
the christmas-tree was lighted in the room ; presents were there , and good-humor reigned .
in the country the violin sounded in the room of the peasant ; the newly-baked cakes were attacked ; even the poorest child said , " it is really delightful here in winter ! "
yes , it was delightful ; and the little maiden showed the boy everything ; and the elder tree still was fragrant , and the red flag , with the white cross , was still waving : the flag under which the old seaman in the new booths had sailed .
and the boy grew up to be a lad , and was to go forth in the wide world-far , far away to warm lands , where the coffee-tree grows ; but at his departure the little maiden took an elder-blossom from her bosom , and gave it him to keep ; and it was placed between the leaves of his prayer-book ; and when in foreign lands he opened the book , it was always at the place where the keepsake-flower lay ; and the more he looked at it , the fresher it became ; he felt as it were , the fragrance of the danish groves ; and from among the leaves of the flowers he could distinctly see the little maiden , peeping forth with her bright blue eyes--and then she whispered , " it is delightful here in spring , summer , autumn , and winter " ; and a hundred visions glided before his mind .
thus passed many years , and he was now an old man , and sat with his old wife under the blooming tree .
they held each other by the hand , as the old grand-father and grand-mother yonder in the new booths did , and they talked exactly like them of old times , and of the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding .
the little maiden , with the blue eyes , and with elder-blossoms in her hair , sat in the tree , nodded to both of them , and said , " to-day is the fiftieth anniversary ! "
and then she took two flowers out of her hair , and kissed them .
first , they shone like silver , then like gold ; and when they laid them on the heads of the old people , each flower became a golden crown .
so there they both sat , like a king and a queen , under the fragrant tree , that looked exactly like an elder : the old man told his wife the story of " old nanny , " as it had been told him when a boy .
and it seemed to both of them it contained much that resembled their own history ; and those parts that were like it pleased them best .
" thus it is , " said the little maiden in the tree , " some call me ' old nanny , ' others a ' dryad , ' but , in reality , my name is ' remembrance ' ; ' tis i who sit in the tree that grows and grows !
i can remember ; i can tell things !
let me see if you have my flower still ? "
and the old man opened his prayer-book .
there lay the elder-blossom , as fresh as if it had been placed there but a short time before ; and remembrance nodded , and the old people , decked with crowns of gold , sat in the flush of the evening sun .
they closed their eyes , and--and - - !
yes , that's the end of the story !
the little boy lay in his bed ; he did not know if he had dreamed or not , or if he had been listening while someone told him the story .
the tea-pot was standing on the table , but no elder tree was growing out of it !
and the old man , who had been talking , was just on the point of going out at the door , and he did go .
" how splendid that was ! " said the little boy .
" mother , i have been to warm countries . "
" so i should think , " said his mother .
" when one has drunk two good cupfuls of elder-flower tea , ' tis likely enough one goes into warm climates " ; and she tucked him up nicely , least he should take cold .
" you have had a good sleep while i have been sitting here , and arguing with him whether it was a story or a fairy tale . "
" and where is old nanny ? " asked the little boy .
" in the tea-pot , " said his mother ; " and there she may remain . "
people said " the evening bell is sounding , the sun is setting . "
for a strange wondrous tone was heard in the narrow streets of a large town .
it was like the sound of a church-bell : but it was only heard for a moment , for the rolling of the carriages and the voices of the multitude made too great a noise .
those persons who were walking outside the town , where the houses were farther apart , with gardens or little fields between them , could see the evening sky still better , and heard the sound of the bell much more distinctly .
it was as if the tones came from a church in the still forest ; people looked thitherward , and felt their minds attuned most solemnly .
a long time passed , and people said to each other--"i wonder if there is a church out in the wood ?
the bell has a tone that is wondrous sweet ; let us stroll thither , and examine the matter nearer . "
and the rich people drove out , and the poor walked , but the way seemed strangely long to them ; and when they came to a clump of willows which grew on the skirts of the forest , they sat down , and looked up at the long branches , and fancied they were now in the depth of the green wood .
the confectioner of the town came out , and set up his booth there ; and soon after came another confectioner , who hung a bell over his stand , as a sign or ornament , but it had no clapper , and it was tarred over to preserve it from the rain .
when all the people returned home , they said it had been very romantic , and that it was quite a different sort of thing to a pic-nic or tea-party .
there were three persons who asserted they had penetrated to the end of the forest , and that they had always heard the wonderful sounds of the bell , but it had seemed to them as if it had come from the town .
one wrote a whole poem about it , and said the bell sounded like the voice of a mother to a good dear child , and that no melody was sweeter than the tones of the bell .
the king of the country was also observant of it , and vowed that he who could discover whence the sounds proceeded , should have the title of " universal bell-ringer , " even if it were not really a bell .
many persons now went to the wood , for the sake of getting the place , but one only returned with a sort of explanation ; for nobody went far enough , that one not further than the others .
however , he said that the sound proceeded from a very large owl , in a hollow tree ; a sort of learned owl , that continually knocked its head against the branches .
but whether the sound came from his head or from the hollow tree , that no one could say with certainty .
so now he got the place of " universal bell-ringer , " and wrote yearly a short treatise " on the owl " ; but everybody was just as wise as before .
it was the day of confirmation .
the clergyman had spoken so touchingly , the children who were confirmed had been greatly moved ; it was an eventful day for them ; from children they become all at once grown-up-persons ; it was as if their infant souls were now to fly all at once into persons with more understanding .
the sun was shining gloriously ; the children that had been confirmed went out of the town ; and from the wood was borne towards them the sounds of the unknown bell with wonderful distinctness .
they all immediately felt a wish to go thither ; all except three .
one of them had to go home to try on a ball-dress ; for it was just the dress and the ball which had caused her to be confirmed this time , for otherwise she would not have come ; the other was a poor boy , who had borrowed his coat and boots to be confirmed in from the innkeeper's son , and he was to give them back by a certain hour ; the third said that he never went to a strange place if his parents were not with him--that he had always been a good boy hitherto , and would still be so now that he was confirmed , and that one ought not to laugh at him for it : the others , however , did make fun of him , after all .
there were three , therefore , that did not go ; the others hastened on .
the sun shone , the birds sang , and the children sang too , and each held the other by the hand ; for as yet they had none of them any high office , and were all of equal rank in the eye of god .
but two of the youngest soon grew tired , and both returned to town ; two little girls sat down , and twined garlands , so they did not go either ; and when the others reached the willow-tree , where the confectioner was , they said , " now we are there !
in reality the bell does not exist ; it is only a fancy that people have taken into their heads ! "
at the same moment the bell sounded deep in the wood , so clear and solemnly that five or six determined to penetrate somewhat further .
it was so thick , and the foliage so dense , that it was quite fatiguing to proceed .
woodroof and anemonies grew almost too high ; blooming convolvuluses and blackberry-bushes hung in long garlands from tree to tree , where the nightingale sang and the sunbeams were playing : it was very beautiful , but it was no place for girls to go ; their clothes would get so torn .
large blocks of stone lay there , overgrown with moss of every color ; the fresh spring bubbled forth , and made a strange gurgling sound .
" that surely cannot be the bell , " said one of the children , lying down and listening .
" this must be looked to . "
so he remained , and let the others go on without him .
they afterwards came to a little house , made of branches and the bark of trees ; a large wild apple-tree bent over it , as if it would shower down all its blessings on the roof , where roses were blooming .
the long stems twined round the gable , on which there hung a small bell .
was it that which people had heard ?
yes , everybody was unanimous on the subject , except one , who said that the bell was too small and too fine to be heard at so great a distance , and besides it was very different tones to those that could move a human heart in such a manner .
it was a king's son who spoke ; whereon the others said , " such people always want to be wiser than everybody else . "
they now let him go on alone ; and as he went , his breast was filled more and more with the forest solitude ; but he still heard the little bell with which the others were so satisfied , and now and then , when the wind blew , he could also hear the people singing who were sitting at tea where the confectioner had his tent ; but the deep sound of the bell rose louder ; it was almost as if an organ were accompanying it , and the tones came from the left hand , the side where the heart is placed .
a rustling was heard in the bushes , and a little boy stood before the king's son , a boy in wooden shoes , and with so short a jacket that one could see what long wrists he had .
both knew each other : the boy was that one among the children who could not come because he had to go home and return his jacket and boots to the innkeeper's son .
this he had done , and was now going on in wooden shoes and in his humble dress , for the bell sounded with so deep a tone , and with such strange power , that proceed he must .
" why , then , we can go together , " said the king's son .
but the poor child that had been confirmed was quite ashamed ; he looked at his wooden shoes , pulled at the short sleeves of his jacket , and said that he was afraid he could not walk so fast ; besides , he thought that the bell must be looked for to the right ; for that was the place where all sorts of beautiful things were to be found .
" but there we shall not meet , " said the king's son , nodding at the same time to the poor boy , who went into the darkest , thickest part of the wood , where thorns tore his humble dress , and scratched his face and hands and feet till they bled .
the king's son got some scratches too ; but the sun shone on his path , and it is him that we will follow , for he was an excellent and resolute youth .
" i must and will find the bell , " said he , " even if i am obliged to go to the end of the world . "
the ugly apes sat upon the trees , and grinned .
" shall we thrash him ? " said they .
" shall we thrash him ?
he is the son of a king ! "
but on he went , without being disheartened , deeper and deeper into the wood , where the most wonderful flowers were growing .
there stood white lilies with blood-red stamina , skyblue tulips , which shone as they waved in the winds , and apple-trees , the apples of which looked exactly like large soapbubbles : so only think how the trees must have sparkled in the sunshine !
around the nicest green meads , where the deer were playing in the grass , grew magnificent oaks and beeches ; and if the bark of one of the trees was cracked , there grass and long creeping plants grew in the crevices .
and there were large calm lakes there too , in which white swans were swimming , and beat the air with their wings .
the king's son often stood still and listened .
he thought the bell sounded from the depths of these still lakes ; but then he remarked again that the tone proceeded not from there , but farther off , from out the depths of the forest .
the sun now set : the atmosphere glowed like fire .
it was still in the woods , so very still ; and he fell on his knees , sung his evening hymn , and said : " i cannot find what i seek ; the sun is going down , and night is coming--the dark , dark night .
yet perhaps i may be able once more to see the round red sun before he entirely disappears .
i will climb up yonder rock . "
and he seized hold of the creeping-plants , and the roots of trees--climbed up the moist stones where the water-snakes were writhing and the toads were croaking--and he gained the summit before the sun had quite gone down .
how magnificent was the sight from this height !
the sea--the great , the glorious sea , that dashed its long waves against the coast--was stretched out before him .
and yonder , where sea and sky meet , stood the sun , like a large shining altar , all melted together in the most glowing colors .
and the wood and the sea sang a song of rejoicing , and his heart sang with the rest : all nature was a vast holy church , in which the trees and the buoyant clouds were the pillars , flowers and grass the velvet carpeting , and heaven itself the large cupola .
the red colors above faded away as the sun vanished , but a million stars were lighted , a million lamps shone ; and the king's son spread out his arms towards heaven , and wood , and sea ; when at the same moment , coming by a path to the right , appeared , in his wooden shoes and jacket , the poor boy who had been confirmed with him .
he had followed his own path , and had reached the spot just as soon as the son of the king had done .
they ran towards each other , and stood together hand in hand in the vast church of nature and of poetry , while over them sounded the invisible holy bell : blessed spirits floated around them , and lifted up their voices in a rejoicing hallelujah !
in the street , up there , was an old , a very old house--it was almost three hundred years old , for that might be known by reading the great beam on which the date of the year was carved : together with tulips and hop-binds there were whole verses spelled as in former times , and over every window was a distorted face cut out in the beam .
the one story stood forward a great way over the other ; and directly under the eaves was a leaden spout with a dragon's head ; the rain-water should have run out of the mouth , but it ran out of the belly , for there was a hole in the spout .
all the other houses in the street were so new and so neat , with large window panes and smooth walls , one could easily see that they would have nothing to do with the old house : they certainly thought , " how long is that old decayed thing to stand here as a spectacle in the street ?
and then the projecting windows stand so far out , that no one can see from our windows what happens in that direction !
the steps are as broad as those of a palace , and as high as to a church tower .
the iron railings look just like the door to an old family vault , and then they have brass tops--that's so stupid ! "
on the other side of the street were also new and neat houses , and they thought just as the others did ; but at the window opposite the old house there sat a little boy with fresh rosy cheeks and bright beaming eyes : he certainly liked the old house best , and that both in sunshine and moonshine .
and when he looked across at the wall where the mortar had fallen out , he could sit and find out there the strangest figures imaginable ; exactly as the street had appeared before , with steps , projecting windows , and pointed gables ; he could see soldiers with halberds , and spouts where the water ran , like dragons and serpents .
that was a house to look at ; and there lived an old man , who wore plush breeches ; and he had a coat with large brass buttons , and a wig that one could see was a real wig .
every morning there came an old fellow to him who put his rooms in order , and went on errands ; otherwise , the old man in the plush breeches was quite alone in the old house .
now and then he came to the window and looked out , and the little boy nodded to him , and the old man nodded again , and so they became acquaintances , and then they were friends , although they had never spoken to each other--but that made no difference .
the little boy heard his parents say , " the old man opposite is very well off , but he is so very , very lonely ! "
the sunday following , the little boy took something , and wrapped it up in a piece of paper , went downstairs , and stood in the doorway ; and when the man who went on errands came past , he said to him - - " i say , master ! will you give this to the old man over the way from me ?
i have two pewter soldiers--this is one of them , and he shall have it , for i know he is so very , very lonely . "
and the old errand man looked quite pleased , nodded , and took the pewter soldier over to the old house .
afterwards there came a message ; it was to ask if the little boy himself had not a wish to come over and pay a visit ; and so he got permission of his parents , and then went over to the old house .
and the brass balls on the iron railings shone much brighter than ever ; one would have thought they were polished on account of the visit ; and it was as if the carved-out trumpeters--for there were trumpeters , who stood in tulips , carved out on the door--blew with all their might , their cheeks appeared so much rounder than before .
yes , they blew--"trateratra !
the little boy comes !
trateratra!"--and then the door opened .
the whole passage was hung with portraits of knights in armor , and ladies in silken gowns ; and the armor rattled , and the silken gowns rustled !
and then there was a flight of stairs which went a good way upwards , and a little way downwards , and then one came on a balcony which was in a very dilapidated state , sure enough , with large holes and long crevices , but grass grew there and leaves out of them altogether , for the whole balcony outside , the yard , and the walls , were overgrown with so much green stuff , that it looked like a garden ; only a balcony .
here stood old flower-pots with faces and asses ' ears , and the flowers grew just as they liked .
one of the pots was quite overrun on all sides with pinks , that is to say , with the green part ; shoot stood by shoot , and it said quite distinctly , " the air has cherished me , the sun has kissed me , and promised me a little flower on sunday ! a little flower on sunday ! "
and then they entered a chamber where the walls were covered with hog's leather , and printed with gold flowers .
" the gilding decays , but hog's leather stays ! " said the walls .
and there stood easy-chairs , with such high backs , and so carved out , and with arms on both sides .
" sit down ! sit down ! " said they .
" ugh ! how i creak ; now i shall certainly get the gout , like the old clothespress , ugh ! "
and then the little boy came into the room where the projecting windows were , and where the old man sat .
" i thank you for the pewter soldier , my little friend ! " said the old man .
" and i thank you because you come over to me . "
" thankee ! thankee ! " or " cranky ! cranky ! " sounded from all the furniture ; there was so much of it , that each article stood in the other's way , to get a look at the little boy .
in the middle of the wall hung a picture representing a beautiful lady , so young , so glad , but dressed quite as in former times , with clothes that stood quite stiff , and with powder in her hair ; she neither said " thankee , thankee ! " nor " cranky , cranky ! " but looked with her mild eyes at the little boy , who directly asked the old man , " where did you get her ? "
" yonder , at the broker's , " said the old man , " where there are so many pictures hanging .
no one knows or cares about them , for they are all of them buried ; but i knew her in by-gone days , and now she has been dead and gone these fifty years ! "
under the picture , in a glazed frame , there hung a bouquet of withered flowers ; they were almost fifty years old ; they looked so very old !
the pendulum of the great clock went to and fro , and the hands turned , and everything in the room became still older ; but they did not observe it .
" they say at home , " said the little boy , " that you are so very , very lonely ! "
" oh ! " said he .
" the old thoughts , with what they may bring with them , come and visit me , and now you also come !
i am very well off ! "
then he took a book with pictures in it down from the shelf ; there were whole long processions and pageants , with the strangest characters , which one never sees now-a-days ; soldiers like the knave of clubs , and citizens with waving flags : the tailors had theirs , with a pair of shears held by two lions--and the shoemakers theirs , without boots , but with an eagle that had two heads , for the shoemakers must have everything so that they can say , it is a pair !
yes , that was a picture book !
the old man now went into the other room to fetch preserves , apples , and nuts--yes , it was delightful over there in the old house .
" i cannot bear it any longer ! " said the pewter soldier , who sat on the drawers .
" it is so lonely and melancholy here !
but when one has been in a family circle one cannot accustom oneself to this life !
i cannot bear it any longer !
the whole day is so long , and the evenings are still longer !
here it is not at all as it is over the way at your home , where your father and mother spoke so pleasantly , and where you and all your sweet children made such a delightful noise .
nay , how lonely the old man is--do you think that he gets kisses ?
do you think he gets mild eyes , or a christmas tree ?
he will get nothing but a grave !
i can bear it no longer ! "
" you must not let it grieve you so much , " said the little boy .
" i find it so very delightful here , and then all the old thoughts , with what they may bring with them , they come and visit here . "
" yes , it's all very well , but i see nothing of them , and i don't know them ! " said the pewter soldier .
" i cannot bear it ! "
" but you must ! " said the little boy .
then in came the old man with the most pleased and happy face , the most delicious preserves , apples , and nuts , and so the little boy thought no more about the pewter soldier .
the little boy returned home happy and pleased , and weeks and days passed away , and nods were made to the old house , and from the old house , and then the little boy went over there again .
the carved trumpeters blew , " trateratra !
there is the little boy !
trateratra ! " and the swords and armor on the knights ' portraits rattled , and the silk gowns rustled ; the hog's leather spoke , and the old chairs had the gout in their legs and rheumatism in their backs : ugh ! it was exactly like the first time , for over there one day and hour was just like another .
" i cannot bear it ! " said the pewter soldier .
" i have shed pewter tears !
it is too melancholy !
rather let me go to the wars and lose arms and legs !
it would at least be a change .
i cannot bear it longer !
now , i know what it is to have a visit from one's old thoughts , with what they may bring with them !
i have had a visit from mine , and you may be sure it is no pleasant thing in the end ; i was at last about to jump down from the drawers .
" i saw you all over there at home so distinctly , as if you really were here ; it was again that sunday morning ; all you children stood before the table and sung your psalms , as you do every morning .
you stood devoutly with folded hands ; and father and mother were just as pious ; and then the door was opened , and little sister mary , who is not two years old yet , and who always dances when she hears music or singing , of whatever kind it may be , was put into the room--though she ought not to have been there--and then she began to dance , but could not keep time , because the tones were so long ; and then she stood , first on the one leg , and bent her head forwards , and then on the other leg , and bent her head forwards--but all would not do .
you stood very seriously all together , although it was difficult enough ; but i laughed to myself , and then i fell off the table , and got a bump , which i have still--for it was not right of me to laugh .
but the whole now passes before me again in thought , and everything that i have lived to see ; and these are the old thoughts , with what they may bring with them .
" tell me if you still sing on sundays ?
tell me something about little mary !
and how my comrade , the other pewter soldier , lives !
yes , he is happy enough , that's sure !
i cannot bear it any longer ! "
" you are given away as a present ! " said the little boy .
" you must remain .
can you not understand that ? "
the old man now came with a drawer , in which there was much to be seen , both " tin boxes " and " balsam boxes , " old cards , so large and so gilded , such as one never sees them now .
and several drawers were opened , and the piano was opened ; it had landscapes on the inside of the lid , and it was so hoarse when the old man played on it ! and then he hummed a song .
" yes , she could sing that ! " said he , and nodded to the portrait , which he had bought at the broker's , and the old man's eyes shone so bright !
" i will go to the wars !
i will go to the wars ! " shouted the pewter soldier as loud as he could , and threw himself off the drawers right down on the floor .
what became of him ?
the old man sought , and the little boy sought ; he was away , and he stayed away .
" i shall find him ! " said the old man ; but he never found him .
the floor was too open--the pewter soldier had fallen through a crevice , and there he lay as in an open tomb .
that day passed , and the little boy went home , and that week passed , and several weeks too .
the windows were quite frozen , the little boy was obliged to sit and breathe on them to get a peep-hole over to the old house , and there the snow had been blown into all the carved work and inscriptions ; it lay quite up over the steps , just as if there was no one at home--nor was there any one at home--the old man was dead !
in the evening there was a hearse seen before the door , and he was borne into it in his coffin : he was now to go out into the country , to lie in his grave .
he was driven out there , but no one followed ; all his friends were dead , and the little boy kissed his hand to the coffin as it was driven away .
some days afterwards there was an auction at the old house , and the little boy saw from his window how they carried the old knights and the old ladies away , the flower-pots with the long ears , the old chairs , and the old clothes-presses .
something came here , and something came there ; the portrait of her who had been found at the broker's came to the broker's again ; and there it hung , for no one knew her more--no one cared about the old picture .
in the spring they pulled the house down , for , as people said , it was a ruin .
one could see from the street right into the room with the hog's-leather hanging , which was slashed and torn ; and the green grass and leaves about the balcony hung quite wild about the falling beams .
and then it was put to rights .
" that was a relief , " said the neighboring houses .
a fine house was built there , with large windows , and smooth white walls ; but before it , where the old house had in fact stood , was a little garden laid out , and a wild grapevine ran up the wall of the neighboring house .
before the garden there was a large iron railing with an iron door , it looked quite splendid , and people stood still and peeped in , and the sparrows hung by scores in the vine , and chattered away at each other as well as they could , but it was not about the old house , for they could not remember it , so many years had passed--so many that the little boy had grown up to a whole man , yes , a clever man , and a pleasure to his parents ; and he had just been married , and , together with his little wife , had come to live in the house here , where the garden was ; and he stood by her there whilst she planted a field-flower that she found so pretty ; she planted it with her little hand , and pressed the earth around it with her fingers .
oh ! what was that ?
she had stuck herself .
there sat something pointed , straight out of the soft mould .
it was--yes , guess !
it was the pewter soldier , he that was lost up at the old man's , and had tumbled and turned about amongst the timber and the rubbish , and had at last laid for many years in the ground .
the young wife wiped the dirt off the soldier , first with a green leaf , and then with her fine handkerchief--it had such a delightful smell , that it was to the pewter soldier just as if he had awaked from a trance .
" let me see him , " said the young man .
he laughed , and then shook his head .
" nay , it cannot be he ; but he reminds me of a story about a pewter soldier which i had when i was a little boy ! "
and then he told his wife about the old house , and the old man , and about the pewter soldier that he sent over to him because he was so very , very lonely ; and he told it as correctly as it had really been , so that the tears came into the eyes of his young wife , on account of the old house and the old man .
" it may possibly be , however , that it is the same pewter soldier ! " said she .
" i will take care of it , and remember all that you have told me ; but you must show me the old man's grave ! "
" but i do not know it , " said he , " and no one knows it !
all his friends were dead , no one took care of it , and i was then a little boy ! "
" how very , very lonely he must have been ! " said she .
" very , very lonely ! " said the pewter soldier .
" but it is delightful not to be forgotten ! "
" delightful ! " shouted something close by ; but no one , except the pewter soldier , saw that it was a piece of the hog's-leather hangings ; it had lost all its gilding , it looked like a piece of wet clay , but it had an opinion , and it gave it : " the gilding decays , but hog's leather stays ! "
this the pewter soldier did not believe .
really , the largest green leaf in this country is a dock-leaf ; if one holds it before one , it is like a whole apron , and if one holds it over one's head in rainy weather , it is almost as good as an umbrella , for it is so immensely large .
the burdock never grows alone , but where there grows one there always grow several : it is a great delight , and all this delightfulness is snails ' food .
the great white snails which persons of quality in former times made fricassees of , ate , and said , " hem , hem ! how delicious ! " for they thought it tasted so delicate--lived on dock-leaves , and therefore burdock seeds were sown .
now , there was an old manor-house , where they no longer ate snails , they were quite extinct ; but the burdocks were not extinct , they grew and grew all over the walks and all the beds ; they could not get the mastery over them--it was a whole forest of burdocks .
here and there stood an apple and a plum-tree , or else one never would have thought that it was a garden ; all was burdocks , and there lived the two last venerable old snails .
they themselves knew not how old they were , but they could remember very well that there had been many more ; that they were of a family from foreign lands , and that for them and theirs the whole forest was planted .
they had never been outside it , but they knew that there was still something more in the world , which was called the manor-house , and that there they were boiled , and then they became black , and were then placed on a silver dish ; but what happened further they knew not ; or , in fact , what it was to be boiled , and to lie on a silver dish , they could not possibly imagine ; but it was said to be delightful , and particularly genteel .
neither the chafers , the toads , nor the earth-worms , whom they asked about it could give them any information--none of them had been boiled or laid on a silver dish .
the old white snails were the first persons of distinction in the world , that they knew ; the forest was planted for their sake , and the manor-house was there that they might be boiled and laid on a silver dish .
now they lived a very lonely and happy life ; and as they had no children themselves , they had adopted a little common snail , which they brought up as their own ; but the little one would not grow , for he was of a common family ; but the old ones , especially dame mother snail , thought they could observe how he increased in size , and she begged father , if he could not see it , that he would at least feel the little snail's shell ; and then he felt it , and found the good dame was right .
one day there was a heavy storm of rain .
" hear how it beats like a drum on the dock-leaves ! " said father snail .
" there are also rain-drops ! " said mother snail .
" and now the rain pours right down the stalk !
you will see that it will be wet here !
i am very happy to think that we have our good house , and the little one has his also !
there is more done for us than for all other creatures , sure enough ; but can you not see that we are folks of quality in the world ?
we are provided with a house from our birth , and the burdock forest is planted for our sakes !
i should like to know how far it extends , and what there is outside ! "
" there is nothing at all , " said father snail .
" no place can be better than ours , and i have nothing to wish for ! "
" yes , " said the dame .
" i would willingly go to the manorhouse , be boiled , and laid on a silver dish ; all our forefathers have been treated so ; there is something extraordinary in it , you may be sure ! "
" the manor-house has most likely fallen to ruin ! " said father snail .
" or the burdocks have grown up over it , so that they cannot come out .
there need not , however , be any haste about that ; but you are always in such a tremendous hurry , and the little one is beginning to be the same .
has he not been creeping up that stalk these three days ?
it gives me a headache when i look up to him ! "
" you must not scold him , " said mother snail .
" he creeps so carefully ; he will afford us much pleasure--and we have nothing but him to live for !
but have you not thought of it ?
where shall we get a wife for him ?
do you not think that there are some of our species at a great distance in the interior of the burdock forest ? "
" black snails , i dare say , there are enough of , " said the old one .
" black snails without a house--but they are so common , and so conceited .
but we might give the ants a commission to look out for us ; they run to and fro as if they had something to do , and they certainly know of a wife for our little snail ! "
" i know one , sure enough--the most charming one ! " said one of the ants .
" but i am afraid we shall hardly succeed , for she is a queen ! "
" that is nothing ! " said the old folks .
" has she a house ? "
" she has a palace ! " said the ant .
" the finest ant's palace , with seven hundred passages ! "
" i thank you ! " said mother snail .
" our son shall not go into an ant-hill ; if you know nothing better than that , we shall give the commission to the white gnats .
they fly far and wide , in rain and sunshine ; they know the whole forest here , both within and without . "
" we have a wife for him , " said the gnats .
" at a hundred human paces from here there sits a little snail in her house , on a gooseberry bush ; she is quite lonely , and old enough to be married .
it is only a hundred human paces ! "
" well , then , let her come to him ! " said the old ones .
" he has a whole forest of burdocks , she has only a bush ! "
and so they went and fetched little miss snail .
it was a whole week before she arrived ; but therein was just the very best of it , for one could thus see that she was of the same species .
and then the marriage was celebrated .
six earth-worms shone as well as they could .
in other respects the whole went off very quietly , for the old folks could not bear noise and merriment ; but old dame snail made a brilliant speech .
father snail could not speak , he was too much affected ; and so they gave them as a dowry and inheritance , the whole forest of burdocks , and said--what they had always said--that it was the best in the world ; and if they lived honestly and decently , and increased and multiplied , they and their children would once in the course of time come to the manor-house , be boiled black , and laid on silver dishes .
after this speech was made , the old ones crept into their shells , and never more came out .
they slept ; the young couple governed in the forest , and had a numerous progeny , but they were never boiled , and never came on the silver dishes ; so from this they concluded that the manor-house had fallen to ruins , and that all the men in the world were extinct ; and as no one contradicted them , so , of course it was so .
and the rain beat on the dock-leaves to make drum-music for their sake , and the sun shone in order to give the burdock forest a color for their sakes ; and they were very happy , and the whole family was happy ; for they , indeed were so .
a mother sat there with her little child .
she was so downcast , so afraid that it should die !
it was so pale , the small eyes had closed themselves , and it drew its breath so softly , now and then , with a deep respiration , as if it sighed ; and the mother looked still more sorrowfully on the little creature .
then a knocking was heard at the door , and in came a poor old man wrapped up as in a large horse-cloth , for it warms one , and he needed it , as it was the cold winter season !
everything out-of-doors was covered with ice and snow , and the wind blew so that it cut the face .
as the old man trembled with cold , and the little child slept a moment , the mother went and poured some ale into a pot and set it on the stove , that it might be warm for him ; the old man sat and rocked the cradle , and the mother sat down on a chair close by him , and looked at her little sick child that drew its breath so deep , and raised its little hand .
" do you not think that i shall save him ? " said she .
" our lord will not take him from me ! "
and the old man--it was death himself--he nodded so strangely , it could just as well signify yes as no .
and the mother looked down in her lap , and the tears ran down over her cheeks ; her head became so heavy--she had not closed her eyes for three days and nights ; and now she slept , but only for a minute , when she started up and trembled with cold .
" what is that ? " said she , and looked on all sides ; but the old man was gone , and her little child was gone--he had taken it with him ; and the old clock in the corner burred , and burred , the great leaden weight ran down to the floor , bump ! and then the clock also stood still .
but the poor mother ran out of the house and cried aloud for her child .
out there , in the midst of the snow , there sat a woman in long , black clothes ; and she said , " death has been in thy chamber , and i saw him hasten away with thy little child ; he goes faster than the wind , and he never brings back what he takes ! "
" oh , only tell me which way he went ! " said the mother .
" tell me the way , and i shall find him ! "
" i know it ! " said the woman in the black clothes .
" but before i tell it , thou must first sing for me all the songs thou hast sung for thy child !
i am fond of them .
i have heard them before ; i am night ; i saw thy tears whilst thou sang'st them ! "
" i will sing them all , all ! " said the mother .
" but do not stop me now--i may overtake him--i may find my child ! "
but night stood still and mute .
then the mother wrung her hands , sang and wept , and there were many songs , but yet many more tears ; and then night said , " go to the right , into the dark pine forest ; thither i saw death take his way with thy little child ! "
the roads crossed each other in the depths of the forest , and she no longer knew whither she should go ! then there stood a thorn-bush ; there was neither leaf nor flower on it , it was also in the cold winter season , and ice-flakes hung on the branches .
" hast thou not seen death go past with my little child ? " said the mother .
" yes , " said the thorn-bush ; " but i will not tell thee which way he took , unless thou wilt first warm me up at thy heart .
i am freezing to death ; i shall become a lump of ice ! "
and she pressed the thorn-bush to her breast , so firmly , that it might be thoroughly warmed , and the thorns went right into her flesh , and her blood flowed in large drops , but the thornbush shot forth fresh green leaves , and there came flowers on it in the cold winter night , the heart of the afflicted mother was so warm ; and the thorn-bush told her the way she should go .
she then came to a large lake , where there was neither ship nor boat .
the lake was not frozen sufficiently to bear her ; neither was it open , nor low enough that she could wade through it ; and across it she must go if she would find her child !
then she lay down to drink up the lake , and that was an impossibility for a human being , but the afflicted mother thought that a miracle might happen nevertheless .
" oh , what would i not give to come to my child ! " said the weeping mother ; and she wept still more , and her eyes sunk down in the depths of the waters , and became two precious pearls ; but the water bore her up , as if she sat in a swing , and she flew in the rocking waves to the shore on the opposite side , where there stood a mile-broad , strange house , one knew not if it were a mountain with forests and caverns , or if it were built up ; but the poor mother could not see it ; she had wept her eyes out .
" where shall i find death , who took away my little child ? " said she .
" he has not come here yet ! " said the old grave woman , who was appointed to look after death's great greenhouse !
" how have you been able to find the way hither ?
and who has helped you ? "
" our lord has helped me , " said she .
" he is merciful , and you will also be so !
where shall i find my little child ? "
" nay , i know not , " said the woman , " and you cannot see !
many flowers and trees have withered this night ; death will soon come and plant them over again !
you certainly know that every person has his or her life's tree or flower , just as everyone happens to be settled ; they look like other plants , but they have pulsations of the heart .
children's hearts can also beat ; go after yours , perhaps you may know your child's ; but what will you give me if i tell you what you shall do more ? "
" i have nothing to give , " said the afflicted mother , " but i will go to the world's end for you ! "
" nay , i have nothing to do there ! " said the woman .
" but you can give me your long black hair ; you know yourself that it is fine , and that i like !
you shall have my white hair instead , and that's always something ! "
" do you demand nothing else ? " said she .
" that i will gladly give you ! "
and she gave her her fine black hair , and got the old woman's snow-white hair instead .
so they went into death's great greenhouse , where flowers and trees grew strangely into one another .
there stood fine hyacinths under glass bells , and there stood strong-stemmed peonies ; there grew water plants , some so fresh , others half sick , the water-snakes lay down on them , and black crabs pinched their stalks .
there stood beautiful palm-trees , oaks , and plantains ; there stood parsley and flowering thyme : every tree and every flower had its name ; each of them was a human life , the human frame still lived--one in china , and another in greenland--round about in the world .
there were large trees in small pots , so that they stood so stunted in growth , and ready to burst the pots ; in other places , there was a little dull flower in rich mould , with moss round about it , and it was so petted and nursed .
but the distressed mother bent down over all the smallest plants , and heard within them how the human heart beat ; and amongst millions she knew her child's .
" there it is ! " cried she , and stretched her hands out over a little blue crocus , that hung quite sickly on one side .
" don't touch the flower ! " said the old woman .
" but place yourself here , and when death comes--i expect him every moment--do not let him pluck the flower up , but threaten him that you will do the same with the others .
then he will be afraid !
he is responsible for them to our lord , and no one dares to pluck them up before he gives leave . "
all at once an icy cold rushed through the great hall , and the blind mother could feel that it was death that came .
" how hast thou been able to find thy way hither ? " he asked .
" how couldst thou come quicker than i ? "
" i am a mother , " said she .
and death stretched out his long hand towards the fine little flower , but she held her hands fast around his , so tight , and yet afraid that she should touch one of the leaves .
then death blew on her hands , and she felt that it was colder than the cold wind , and her hands fell down powerless .
" thou canst not do anything against me ! " said death .
" but our lord can ! " said she .
" i only do his bidding ! " said death .
" i am his gardener , i take all his flowers and trees , and plant them out in the great garden of paradise , in the unknown land ; but how they grow there , and how it is there i dare not tell thee . "
" give me back my child ! " said the mother , and she wept and prayed .
at once she seized hold of two beautiful flowers close by , with each hand , and cried out to death , " i will tear all thy flowers off , for i am in despair . "
" touch them not ! " said death .
" thou say'st that thou art so unhappy , and now thou wilt make another mother equally unhappy . "
" another mother ! " said the poor woman , and directly let go her hold of both the flowers .
" there , thou hast thine eyes , " said death ; " i fished them up from the lake , they shone so bright ; i knew not they were thine .
take them again , they are now brighter than before ; now look down into the deep well close by ; i shall tell thee the names of the two flowers thou wouldst have torn up , and thou wilt see their whole future life--their whole human existence : and see what thou wast about to disturb and destroy . "
and she looked down into the well ; and it was a happiness to see how the one became a blessing to the world , to see how much happiness and joy were felt everywhere .
and she saw the other's life , and it was sorrow and distress , horror , and wretchedness .
" both of them are god's will ! " said death .
" which of them is misfortune's flower and which is that of happiness ? " asked she .
" that i will not tell thee , " said death ; " but this thou shalt know from me , that the one flower was thy own child ! it was thy child's fate thou saw'st--thy own child's future life ! "
then the mother screamed with terror , " which of them was my child ?
tell it me !
save the innocent !
save my child from all that misery !
rather take it away !
take it into god's kingdom !
forget my tears , forget my prayers , and all that i have done ! "
" i do not understand thee ! " said death .
" wilt thou have thy child again , or shall i go with it there , where thou dost not know ! "
then the mother wrung her hands , fell on her knees , and prayed to our lord : " oh , hear me not when i pray against thy will , which is the best ! hear me not ! hear me not ! "
and she bowed her head down in her lap , and death took her child and went with it into the unknown land .
there was once a fine gentleman , all of whose moveables were a boot-jack and a hair-comb : but he had the finest false collars in the world ; and it is about one of these collars that we are now to hear a story .
it was so old , that it began to think of marriage ; and it happened that it came to be washed in company with a garter .
" nay ! " said the collar .
" i never did see anything so slender and so fine , so soft and so neat .
may i not ask your name ? "
" that i shall not tell you ! " said the garter .
" where do you live ? " asked the collar .
but the garter was so bashful , so modest , and thought it was a strange question to answer .
" you are certainly a girdle , " said the collar ; " that is to say an inside girdle .
i see well that you are both for use and ornament , my dear young lady . "
" i will thank you not to speak to me , " said the garter .
" i think i have not given the least occasion for it . "
" yes !
when one is as handsome as you , " said the collar , " that is occasion enough . "
" don't come so near me , i beg of you ! " said the garter .
" you look so much like those men-folks . "
" i am also a fine gentleman , " said the collar .
" i have a bootjack and a hair-comb . "
but that was not true , for it was his master who had them : but he boasted .
" don't come so near me , " said the garter : " i am not accustomed to it . "
" prude ! " exclaimed the collar ; and then it was taken out of the washing-tub .
it was starched , hung over the back of a chair in the sunshine , and was then laid on the ironing-blanket ; then came the warm box-iron .
" dear lady ! " said the collar .
" dear widow-lady !
i feel quite hot .
i am quite changed .
i begin to unfold myself .
you will burn a hole in me .
oh !
i offer you my hand . "
" rag ! " said the box-iron ; and went proudly over the collar : for she fancied she was a steam-engine , that would go on the railroad and draw the waggons .
" rag ! " said the box-iron .
the collar was a little jagged at the edge , and so came the long scissors to cut off the jagged part .
" oh ! " said the collar .
" you are certainly the first opera dancer .
how well you can stretch your legs out !
it is the most graceful performance i have ever seen .
no one can imitate you . "
" i know it , " said the scissors .
" you deserve to be a baroness , " said the collar .
" all that i have is a fine gentleman , a boot-jack , and a hair-comb .
if i only had the barony ! "
" do you seek my hand ? " said the scissors ; for she was angry ; and without more ado , she cut him , and then he was condemned .
" i shall now be obliged to ask the hair-comb .
it is surprising how well you preserve your teeth , miss , " said the collar .
" have you never thought of being betrothed ? "
" yes , of course ! you may be sure of that , " said the hair-comb .
" i am betrothed--to the boot-jack ! "
" betrothed ! " exclaimed the collar .
now there was no other to court , and so he despised it .
a long time passed away , then the collar came into the rag chest at the paper mill ; there was a large company of rags , the fine by themselves , and the coarse by themselves , just as it should be .
they all had much to say , but the collar the most ; for he was a real boaster .
" i have had such an immense number of sweethearts ! " said the collar .
" i could not be in peace !
it is true , i was always a fine starched-up gentleman !
i had both a boot-jack and a hair-comb , which i never used !
you should have seen me then , you should have seen me when i lay down !
i shall never forget my first love--she was a girdle , so fine , so soft , and so charming , she threw herself into a tub of water for my sake !
there was also a widow , who became glowing hot , but i left her standing till she got black again ; there was also the first opera dancer , she gave me that cut which i now go with , she was so ferocious !
my own hair-comb was in love with me , she lost all her teeth from the heart-ache ; yes , i have lived to see much of that sort of thing ; but i am extremely sorry for the garter--i mean the girdle--that went into the water-tub .
i have much on my conscience , i want to become white paper ! "
and it became so , all the rags were turned into white paper ; but the collar came to be just this very piece of white paper we here see , and on which the story is printed ; and that was because it boasted so terribly afterwards of what had never happened to it .
it would be well for us to beware , that we may not act in a similar manner , for we can never know if we may not , in the course of time , also come into the rag chest , and be made into white paper , and then have our whole life's history printed on it , even the most secret , and be obliged to run about and tell it ourselves , just like this collar .
it is in the hot lands that the sun burns , sure enough ! there the people become quite a mahogany brown , ay , and in the hottest lands they are burnt to negroes .
but now it was only to the hot lands that a learned man had come from the cold ; there he thought that he could run about just as when at home , but he soon found out his mistake .
he , and all sensible folks , were obliged to stay within doors--the window-shutters and doors were closed the whole day ; it looked as if the whole house slept , or there was no one at home .
the narrow street with the high houses , was built so that the sunshine must fall there from morning till evening--it was really not to be borne .
the learned man from the cold lands--he was a young man , and seemed to be a clever man--sat in a glowing oven ; it took effect on him , he became quite meagre--even his shadow shrunk in , for the sun had also an effect on it .
it was first towards evening when the sun was down , that they began to freshen up again .
in the warm lands every window has a balcony , and the people came out on all the balconies in the street--for one must have air , even if one be accustomed to be mahogany ! * it was lively both up and down the street .
tailors , and shoemakers , and all the folks , moved out into the street--chairs and tables were brought forth--and candles burnt--yes , above a thousand lights were burning--and the one talked and the other sung ; and people walked and church-bells rang , and asses went along with a dingle-dingle-dong ! for they too had bells on .
the street boys were screaming and hooting , and shouting and shooting , with devils and detonating balls--and there came corpse bearers and hood wearers--for there were funerals with psalm and hymn--and then the din of carriages driving and company arriving : yes , it was , in truth , lively enough down in the street .
only in that single house , which stood opposite that in which the learned foreigner lived , it was quite still ; and yet some one lived there , for there stood flowers in the balcony--they grew so well in the sun's heat ! and that they could not do unless they were watered--and some one must water them--there must be somebody there .
the door opposite was also opened late in the evening , but it was dark within , at least in the front room ; further in there was heard the sound of music .
the learned foreigner thought it quite marvellous , but now--it might be that he only imagined it--for he found everything marvellous out there , in the warm lands , if there had only been no sun .
the stranger's landlord said that he didn't know who had taken the house opposite , one saw no person about , and as to the music , it appeared to him to be extremely tiresome .
" it is as if some one sat there , and practised a piece that he could not master--always the same piece . ' i shall master it ! ' says he ; but yet he cannot master it , however long he plays . " * the word mahogany can be understood , in danish , as having two meanings .
in general , it means the reddish-brown wood itself ; but in jest , it signifies " excessively fine , " which arose from an anecdote of nyboder , in copenhagen , ( the seamen's quarter . ) a sailor's wife , who was always proud and fine , in her way , came to her neighbor , and complained that she had got a splinter in her finger .
" what of ? " asked the neighbor's wife .
" it is a mahogany splinter , " said the other .
" mahogany !
it cannot be less with you ! " exclaimed the woman--and thence the proverb , " it is so mahogany!"--(that is , so excessively fine)--is derived .
one night the stranger awoke--he slept with the doors of the balcony open--the curtain before it was raised by the wind , and he thought that a strange lustre came from the opposite neighbor's house ; all the flowers shone like flames , in the most beautiful colors , and in the midst of the flowers stood a slender , graceful maiden--it was as if she also shone ; the light really hurt his eyes .
he now opened them quite wide--yes , he was quite awake ; with one spring he was on the floor ; he crept gently behind the curtain , but the maiden was gone ; the flowers shone no longer , but there they stood , fresh and blooming as ever ; the door was ajar , and , far within , the music sounded so soft and delightful , one could really melt away in sweet thoughts from it .
yet it was like a piece of enchantment .
and who lived there ?
where was the actual entrance ?
the whole of the ground-floor was a row of shops , and there people could not always be running through .
one evening the stranger sat out on the balcony .
the light burnt in the room behind him ; and thus it was quite natural that his shadow should fall on his opposite neighbor's wall .
yes ! there it sat , directly opposite , between the flowers on the balcony ; and when the stranger moved , the shadow also moved : for that it always does .
" i think my shadow is the only living thing one sees over there , " said the learned man .
" see , how nicely it sits between the flowers .
the door stands half-open : now the shadow should be cunning , and go into the room , look about , and then come and tell me what it had seen .
come , now !
be useful , and do me a service , " said he , in jest .
" have the kindness to step in .
now !
art thou going ? " and then he nodded to the shadow , and the shadow nodded again .
" well then , go !
but don't stay away . "
the stranger rose , and his shadow on the opposite neighbor's balcony rose also ; the stranger turned round and the shadow also turned round .
yes ! if anyone had paid particular attention to it , they would have seen , quite distinctly , that the shadow went in through the half-open balcony-door of their opposite neighbor , just as the stranger went into his own room , and let the long curtain fall down after him .
next morning , the learned man went out to drink coffee and read the newspapers .
" what is that ? " said he , as he came out into the sunshine .
" i have no shadow !
so then , it has actually gone last night , and not come again .
it is really tiresome ! "
this annoyed him : not so much because the shadow was gone , but because he knew there was a story about a man without a shadow . * it was known to everybody at home , in the cold lands ; and if the learned man now came there and told his story , they would say that he was imitating it , and that he had no need to do .
he would , therefore , not talk about it at all ; and that was wisely thought . * peter schlemihl , the shadowless man .
in the evening he went out again on the balcony .
he had placed the light directly behind him , for he knew that the shadow would always have its master for a screen , but he could not entice it .
he made himself little ; he made himself great : but no shadow came again .
he said , " hem ! hem ! " but it was of no use .
it was vexatious ; but in the warm lands everything grows so quickly ; and after the lapse of eight days he observed , to his great joy , that a new shadow came in the sunshine .
in the course of three weeks he had a very fair shadow , which , when he set out for his home in the northern lands , grew more and more in the journey , so that at last it was so long and so large , that it was more than sufficient .
the learned man then came home , and he wrote books about what was true in the world , and about what was good and what was beautiful ; and there passed days and years--yes ! many years passed away .
one evening , as he was sitting in his room , there was a gentle knocking at the door .
" come in ! " said he ; but no one came in ; so he opened the door , and there stood before him such an extremely lean man , that he felt quite strange .
as to the rest , the man was very finely dressed--he must be a gentleman .
" whom have i the honor of speaking ? " asked the learned man .
" yes !
i thought as much , " said the fine man .
" i thought you would not know me .
i have got so much body .
i have even got flesh and clothes .
you certainly never thought of seeing me so well off .
do you not know your old shadow ?
you certainly thought i should never more return .
things have gone on well with me since i was last with you .
i have , in all respects , become very well off .
shall i purchase my freedom from service ?
if so , i can do it " ; and then he rattled a whole bunch of valuable seals that hung to his watch , and he stuck his hand in the thick gold chain he wore around his neck--nay ! how all his fingers glittered with diamond rings ; and then all were pure gems .
" nay ; i cannot recover from my surprise ! " said the learned man .
" what is the meaning of all this ? "
" something common , is it not , " said the shadow .
" but you yourself do not belong to the common order ; and i , as you know well , have from a child followed in your footsteps .
as soon as you found i was capable to go out alone in the world , i went my own way .
i am in the most brilliant circumstances , but there came a sort of desire over me to see you once more before you die ; you will die , i suppose ?
i also wished to see this land again--for you know we always love our native land .
i know you have got another shadow again ; have i anything to pay to it or you ?
if so , you will oblige me by saying what it is . "
" nay , is it really thou ? " said the learned man .
" it is most remarkable : i never imagined that one's old shadow could come again as a man . "
" tell me what i have to pay , " said the shadow ; " for i don't like to be in any sort of debt . "
" how canst thou talk so ? " said the learned man .
" what debt is there to talk about ?
make thyself as free as anyone else .
i am extremely glad to hear of thy good fortune : sit down , old friend , and tell me a little how it has gone with thee , and what thou hast seen at our opposite neighbor's there--in the warm lands . "
" yes , i will tell you all about it , " said the shadow , and sat down : " but then you must also promise me , that , wherever you may meet me , you will never say to anyone here in the town that i have been your shadow .
i intend to get betrothed , for i can provide for more than one family . "
" be quite at thy ease about that , " said the learned man ; " i shall not say to anyone who thou actually art : here is my hand--i promise it , and a man's bond is his word . "
" a word is a shadow , " said the shadow , " and as such it must speak . "
it was really quite astonishing how much of a man it was .
it was dressed entirely in black , and of the very finest cloth ; it had patent leather boots , and a hat that could be folded together , so that it was bare crown and brim ; not to speak of what we already know it had--seals , gold neck-chain , and diamond rings ; yes , the shadow was well-dressed , and it was just that which made it quite a man .
" now i shall tell you my adventures , " said the shadow ; and then he sat , with the polished boots , as heavily as he could , on the arm of the learned man's new shadow , which lay like a poodle-dog at his feet .
now this was perhaps from arrogance ; and the shadow on the ground kept itself so still and quiet , that it might hear all that passed : it wished to know how it could get free , and work its way up , so as to become its own master .
" do you know who lived in our opposite neighbor's house ? " said the shadow .
" it was the most charming of all beings , it was poesy !
i was there for three weeks , and that has as much effect as if one had lived three thousand years , and read all that was composed and written ; that is what i say , and it is right .
i have seen everything and i know everything ! "
" poesy ! " cried the learned man .
" yes , yes , she often dwells a recluse in large cities !
poesy !
yes , i have seen her--a single short moment , but sleep came into my eyes !
she stood on the balcony and shone as the aurora borealis shines .
go on , go on--thou wert on the balcony , and went through the doorway , and then - - " " then i was in the antechamber , " said the shadow .
" you always sat and looked over to the antechamber .
there was no light ; there was a sort of twilight , but the one door stood open directly opposite the other through a long row of rooms and saloons , and there it was lighted up .
i should have been completely killed if i had gone over to the maiden ; but i was circumspect , i took time to think , and that one must always do . "
" and what didst thou then see ? " asked the learned man .
" i saw everything , and i shall tell all to you : but--it is no pride on my part--as a free man , and with the knowledge i have , not to speak of my position in life , my excellent circumstances--i certainly wish that you would say you * to me ! " * it is the custom in denmark for intimate acquaintances to use the second person singular , " du , " ( thou ) when speaking to each other .
when a friendship is formed between men , they generally affirm it , when occasion offers , either in public or private , by drinking to each other and exclaiming , " thy health , " at the same time striking their glasses together .
this is called drinking " duus " : they are then , " duus brodre , " ( thou brothers ) and ever afterwards use the pronoun " thou , " to each other , it being regarded as more familiar than " de , " ( you ) .
father and mother , sister and brother say thou to one another--without regard to age or rank .
master and mistress say thou to their servants the superior to the inferior .
but servants and inferiors do not use the same term to their masters , or superiors--nor is it ever used when speaking to a stranger , or anyone with whom they are but slightly acquainted--they then say as in english--you .
" i beg your pardon , " said the learned man ; " it is an old habit with me .
you are perfectly right , and i shall remember it ; but now you must tell me all you saw ! "
" everything ! " said the shadow .
" for i saw everything , and i know everything ! "
" how did it look in the furthest saloon ? " asked the learned man .
" was it there as in the fresh woods ?
was it there as in a holy church ?
were the saloons like the starlit firmament when we stand on the high mountains ? "
" everything was there ! " said the shadow .
" i did not go quite in , i remained in the foremost room , in the twilight , but i stood there quite well ; i saw everything , and i know everything !
i have been in the antechamber at the court of poesy . "
" but what did you see ?
did all the gods of the olden times pass through the large saloons ?
did the old heroes combat there ?
did sweet children play there , and relate their dreams ? "
" i tell you i was there , and you can conceive that i saw everything there was to be seen .
had you come over there , you would not have been a man ; but i became so !
and besides , i learned to know my inward nature , my innate qualities , the relationship i had with poesy .
at the time i was with you , i thought not of that , but always--you know it well--when the sun rose , and when the sun went down , i became so strangely great ; in the moonlight i was very near being more distinct than yourself ; at that time i did not understand my nature ; it was revealed to me in the antechamber !
i became a man !
i came out matured ; but you were no longer in the warm lands ; as a man i was ashamed to go as i did .
i was in want of boots , of clothes , of the whole human varnish that makes a man perceptible .
i took my way--i tell it to you , but you will not put it in any book--i took my way to the cake woman--i hid myself behind her ; the woman didn't think how much she concealed .
i went out first in the evening ; i ran about the streets in the moonlight ; i made myself long up the walls--it tickles the back so delightfully !
i ran up , and ran down , peeped into the highest windows , into the saloons , and on the roofs , i peeped in where no one could peep , and i saw what no one else saw , what no one else should see !
this is , in fact , a base world !
i would not be a man if it were not now once accepted and regarded as something to be so !
i saw the most unimaginable things with the women , with the men , with parents , and with the sweet , matchless children ; i saw , " said the shadow , " what no human being must know , but what they would all so willingly know--what is bad in their neighbor .
had i written a newspaper , it would have been read !
but i wrote direct to the persons themselves , and there was consternation in all the towns where i came .
they were so afraid of me , and yet they were so excessively fond of me .
the professors made a professor of me ; the tailors gave me new clothes--i am well furnished ; the master of the mint struck new coin for me , and the women said i was so handsome !
and so i became the man i am .
and i now bid you farewell .
here is my card--i live on the sunny side of the street , and am always at home in rainy weather ! "
and so away went the shadow .
" that was most extraordinary ! " said the learned man .
years and days passed away , then the shadow came again .
" how goes it ? " said the shadow .
" alas ! " said the learned man .
" i write about the true , and the good , and the beautiful , but no one cares to hear such things ; i am quite desperate , for i take it so much to heart ! "
" but i don't ! " said the shadow .
" i become fat , and it is that one wants to become !
you do not understand the world .
you will become ill by it .
you must travel !
i shall make a tour this summer ; will you go with me ?
i should like to have a travelling companion !
will you go with me , as shadow ?
it will be a great pleasure for me to have you with me ; i shall pay the travelling expenses ! "
" nay , this is too much ! " said the learned man .
" it is just as one takes it ! " said the shadow .
" it will do you much good to travel !
will you be my shadow ?
you shall have everything free on the journey ! "
" nay , that is too bad ! " said the learned man .
" but it is just so with the world ! " said the shadow , " and so it will be ! " and away it went again .
the learned man was not at all in the most enviable state ; grief and torment followed him , and what he said about the true , and the good , and the beautiful , was , to most persons , like roses for a cow !
he was quite ill at last .
" you really look like a shadow ! " said his friends to him ; and the learned man trembled , for he thought of it .
" you must go to a watering-place ! " said the shadow , who came and visited him .
" there is nothing else for it !
i will take you with me for old acquaintance ' sake ; i will pay the travelling expenses , and you write the descriptions--and if they are a little amusing for me on the way !
i will go to a watering-place--my beard does not grow out as it ought--that is also a sickness--and one must have a beard !
now you be wise and accept the offer ; we shall travel as comrades ! "
and so they travelled ; the shadow was master , and the master was the shadow ; they drove with each other , they rode and walked together , side by side , before and behind , just as the sun was ; the shadow always took care to keep itself in the master's place .
now the learned man didn't think much about that ; he was a very kind-hearted man , and particularly mild and friendly , and so he said one day to the shadow : " as we have now become companions , and in this way have grown up together from childhood , shall we not drink ' thou ' together , it is more familiar ? "
" you are right , " said the shadow , who was now the proper master .
" it is said in a very straight-forward and well-meant manner .
you , as a learned man , certainly know how strange nature is .
some persons cannot bear to touch grey paper , or they become ill ; others shiver in every limb if one rub a pane of glass with a nail : i have just such a feeling on hearing you say thou to me ; i feel myself as if pressed to the earth in my first situation with you .
you see that it is a feeling ; that it is not pride : i cannot allow you to say thou to me , but i will willingly say thou to you , so it is half done ! "
so the shadow said thou to its former master .
" this is rather too bad , " thought he , " that i must say you and he say thou , " but he was now obliged to put up with it .
so they came to a watering-place where there were many strangers , and amongst them was a princess , who was troubled with seeing too well ; and that was so alarming !
she directly observed that the stranger who had just come was quite a different sort of person to all the others ; " he has come here in order to get his beard to grow , they say , but i see the real cause , he cannot cast a shadow . "
she had become inquisitive ; and so she entered into conversation directly with the strange gentleman , on their promenades .
as the daughter of a king , she needed not to stand upon trifles , so she said , " your complaint is , that you cannot cast a shadow ? "
" your royal highness must be improving considerably , " said the shadow , " i know your complaint is , that you see too clearly , but it has decreased , you are cured .
i just happen to have a very unusual shadow !
do you not see that person who always goes with me ?
other persons have a common shadow , but i do not like what is common to all .
we give our servants finer cloth for their livery than we ourselves use , and so i had my shadow trimmed up into a man : yes , you see i have even given him a shadow .
it is somewhat expensive , but i like to have something for myself ! "
" what ! " thought the princess .
" should i really be cured !
these baths are the first in the world !
in our time water has wonderful powers .
but i shall not leave the place , for it now begins to be amusing here .
i am extremely fond of that stranger : would that his beard should not grow , for in that case he will leave us ! "
in the evening , the princess and the shadow danced together in the large ball-room .
she was light , but he was still lighter ; she had never had such a partner in the dance .
she told him from what land she came , and he knew that land ; he had been there , but then she was not at home ; he had peeped in at the window , above and below--he had seen both the one and the other , and so he could answer the princess , and make insinuations , so that she was quite astonished ; he must be the wisest man in the whole world !
she felt such respect for what he knew !
so that when they again danced together she fell in love with him ; and that the shadow could remark , for she almost pierced him through with her eyes .
so they danced once more together ; and she was about to declare herself , but she was discreet ; she thought of her country and kingdom , and of the many persons she would have to reign over .
" he is a wise man , " said she to herself--"it is well ; and he dances delightfully--that is also good ; but has he solid knowledge ?
that is just as important !
he must be examined . "
so she began , by degrees , to question him about the most difficult things she could think of , and which she herself could not have answered ; so that the shadow made a strange face .
" you cannot answer these questions ? " said the princess .
" they belong to my childhood's learning , " said the shadow .
" i really believe my shadow , by the door there , can answer them ! "
" your shadow ! " said the princess .
" that would indeed be marvellous ! "
" i will not say for a certainty that he can , " said the shadow , " but i think so ; he has now followed me for so many years , and listened to my conversation--i should think it possible .
but your royal highness will permit me to observe , that he is so proud of passing himself off for a man , that when he is to be in a proper humor--and he must be so to answer well--he must be treated quite like a man . "
" oh !
i like that ! " said the princess .
so she went to the learned man by the door , and she spoke to him about the sun and the moon , and about persons out of and in the world , and he answered with wisdom and prudence .
" what a man that must be who has so wise a shadow ! " thought she .
" it will be a real blessing to my people and kingdom if i choose him for my consort--i will do it ! "
they were soon agreed , both the princess and the shadow ; but no one was to know about it before she arrived in her own kingdom .
" no one--not even my shadow ! " said the shadow , and he had his own thoughts about it !
now they were in the country where the princess reigned when she was at home .
" listen , my good friend , " said the shadow to the learned man .
" i have now become as happy and mighty as anyone can be ; i will , therefore , do something particular for thee !
thou shalt always live with me in the palace , drive with me in my royal carriage , and have ten thousand pounds a year ; but then thou must submit to be called shadow by all and everyone ; thou must not say that thou hast ever been a man ; and once a year , when i sit on the balcony in the sunshine , thou must lie at my feet , as a shadow shall do !
i must tell thee : i am going to marry the king's daughter , and the nuptials are to take place this evening ! "
" nay , this is going too far ! " said the learned man .
" i will not have it ; i will not do it !
it is to deceive the whole country and the princess too !
i will tell everything !
that i am a man , and that thou art a shadow--thou art only dressed up ! "
" there is no one who will believe it ! " said the shadow .
" be reasonable , or i will call the guard ! "
" i will go directly to the princess ! " said the learned man .
" but i will go first ! " said the shadow .
" and thou wilt go to prison ! " and that he was obliged to do--for the sentinels obeyed him whom they knew the king's daughter was to marry .
" you tremble ! " said the princess , as the shadow came into her chamber .
" has anything happened ?
you must not be unwell this evening , now that we are to have our nuptials celebrated . "
" i have lived to see the most cruel thing that anyone can live to see ! " said the shadow .
" only imagine--yes , it is true , such a poor shadow-skull cannot bear much--only think , my shadow has become mad ; he thinks that he is a man , and that i--now only think--that i am his shadow ! "
" it is terrible ! " said the princess ; " but he is confined , is he not ? "
" that he is .
i am afraid that he will never recover . "
" poor shadow ! " said the princess .
" he is very unfortunate ; it would be a real work of charity to deliver him from the little life he has , and , when i think properly over the matter , i am of opinion that it will be necessary to do away with him in all stillness ! "
" it is certainly hard , " said the shadow , " for he was a faithful servant ! " and then he gave a sort of sigh .
" you are a noble character ! " said the princess .
the whole city was illuminated in the evening , and the cannons went off with a bum ! bum ! and the soldiers presented arms .
that was a marriage !
the princess and the shadow went out on the balcony to show themselves , and get another hurrah !
the learned man heard nothing of all this--for they had deprived him of life .
most terribly cold it was ; it snowed , and was nearly quite dark , and evening--the last evening of the year .
in this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl , bareheaded , and with naked feet .
when she left home she had slippers on , it is true ; but what was the good of that ?
they were very large slippers , which her mother had hitherto worn ; so large were they ; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street , because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast .
one slipper was nowhere to be found ; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin , and off he ran with it ; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself .
so the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet , that were quite red and blue from cold .
she carried a quantity of matches in an old apron , and she held a bundle of them in her hand .
nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day ; no one had given her a single farthing .
she crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow , the poor little thing !
the flakes of snow covered her long fair hair , which fell in beautiful curls around her neck ; but of that , of course , she never once now thought .
from all the windows the candles were gleaming , and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose , for you know it was new year's eve ; yes , of that she thought .
in a corner formed by two houses , of which one advanced more than the other , she seated herself down and cowered together .
her little feet she had drawn close up to her , but she grew colder and colder , and to go home she did not venture , for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money : from her father she would certainly get blows , and at home it was cold too , for above her she had only the roof , through which the wind whistled , even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags .
her little hands were almost numbed with cold .
oh ! a match might afford her a world of comfort , if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle , draw it against the wall , and warm her fingers by it .
she drew one out .
" rischt ! " how it blazed , how it burnt !
it was a warm , bright flame , like a candle , as she held her hands over it : it was a wonderful light .
it seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove , with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top .
the fire burned with such blessed influence ; it warmed so delightfully .
the little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too ; but--the small flame went out , the stove vanished : she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand .
she rubbed another against the wall : it burned brightly , and where the light fell on the wall , there the wall became transparent like a veil , so that she could see into the room .
on the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth ; upon it was a splendid porcelain service , and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums .
and what was still more capital to behold was , the goose hopped down from the dish , reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast , till it came up to the poor little girl ; when--the match went out and nothing but the thick , cold , damp wall was left behind .
she lighted another match .
now there she was sitting under the most magnificent christmas tree : it was still larger , and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house .
thousands of lights were burning on the green branches , and gaily-colored pictures , such as she had seen in the shop-windows , looked down upon her .
the little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out .
the lights of the christmas tree rose higher and higher , she saw them now as stars in heaven ; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire .
" someone is just dead ! " said the little girl ; for her old grandmother , the only person who had loved her , and who was now no more , had told her , that when a star falls , a soul ascends to god .
she drew another match against the wall : it was again light , and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother , so bright and radiant , so mild , and with such an expression of love .
" grandmother ! " cried the little one .
" oh , take me with you !
you go away when the match burns out ; you vanish like the warm stove , like the delicious roast goose , and like the magnificent christmas tree ! "
and she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall , for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her .
and the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day : never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall .
she took the little maiden , on her arm , and both flew in brightness and in joy so high , so very high , and then above was neither cold , nor hunger , nor anxiety--they were with god .
but in the corner , at the cold hour of dawn , sat the poor girl , with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth , leaning against the wall--frozen to death on the last evening of the old year .
stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches , of which one bundle had been burnt .
" she wanted to warm herself , " people said .
no one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen ; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which , with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year .
ah ! yes , that was little tuk : in reality his name was not tuk , but that was what he called himself before he could speak plain : he meant it for charles , and it is all well enough if one does but know it .
he had now to take care of his little sister augusta , who was much younger than himself , and he was , besides , to learn his lesson at the same time ; but these two things would not do together at all .
there sat the poor little fellow , with his sister on his lap , and he sang to her all the songs he knew ; and he glanced the while from time to time into the geography-book that lay open before him .
by the next morning he was to have learnt all the towns in zealand by heart , and to know about them all that is possible to be known .
his mother now came home , for she had been out , and took little augusta on her arm .
tuk ran quickly to the window , and read so eagerly that he pretty nearly read his eyes out ; for it got darker and darker , but his mother had no money to buy a candle .
" there goes the old washerwoman over the way , " said his mother , as she looked out of the window .
" the poor woman can hardly drag herself along , and she must now drag the pail home from the fountain .
be a good boy , tukey , and run across and help the old woman , won't you ? "
so tuk ran over quickly and helped her ; but when he came back again into the room it was quite dark , and as to a light , there was no thought of such a thing .
he was now to go to bed ; that was an old turn-up bedstead ; in it he lay and thought about his geography lesson , and of zealand , and of all that his master had told him .
he ought , to be sure , to have read over his lesson again , but that , you know , he could not do .
he therefore put his geography-book under his pillow , because he had heard that was a very good thing to do when one wants to learn one's lesson ; but one cannot , however , rely upon it entirely .
well , there he lay , and thought and thought , and all at once it was just as if someone kissed his eyes and mouth : he slept , and yet he did not sleep ; it was as though the old washerwoman gazed on him with her mild eyes and said , " it were a great sin if you were not to know your lesson tomorrow morning .
you have aided me , i therefore will now help you ; and the loving god will do so at all times . "
and all of a sudden the book under tuk's pillow began scraping and scratching .
" kickery-ki ! kluk ! kluk ! kluk!"--that was an old hen who came creeping along , and she was from kjoge .
" i am a kjoger hen , " [ * ] said she , and then she related how many inhabitants there were there , and about the battle that had taken place , and which , after all , was hardly worth talking about . * kjoge , a town in the bay of kjoge .
" to see the kjoge hens , " is an expression similar to " showing a child london , " which is said to be done by taking his head in both bands , and so lifting him off the ground .
at the invasion of the english in 1807 , an encounter of a no very glorious nature took place between the british troops and the undisciplined danish militia .
" kribledy , krabledy--plump ! " down fell somebody : it was a wooden bird , the popinjay used at the shooting-matches at prastoe .
now he said that there were just as many inhabitants as he had nails in his body ; and he was very proud .
" thorwaldsen lived almost next door to me . * plump !
here i lie capitally . " * prastoe , a still smaller town than kjoge .
some hundred paces from it lies the manor-house ny soe , where thorwaldsen , the famed sculptor , generally sojourned during his stay in denmark , and where he called many of his immortal works into existence .
but little tuk was no longer lying down : all at once he was on horseback .
on he went at full gallop , still galloping on and on .
a knight with a gleaming plume , and most magnificently dressed , held him before him on the horse , and thus they rode through the wood to the old town of bordingborg , and that was a large and very lively town .
high towers rose from the castle of the king , and the brightness of many candles streamed from all the windows ; within was dance and song , and king waldemar and the young , richly-attired maids of honor danced together .
the morn now came ; and as soon as the sun appeared , the whole town and the king's palace crumbled together , and one tower after the other ; and at last only a single one remained standing where the castle had been before , * and the town was so small and poor , and the school boys came along with their books under their arms , and said , " 2000 inhabitants ! " but that was not true , for there were not so many . * bordingborg , in the reign of king waldemar , a considerable place , now an unimportant little town .
one solitary tower only , and some remains of a wall , show where the castle once stood .
and little tukey lay in his bed : it seemed to him as if he dreamed , and yet as if he were not dreaming ; however , somebody was close beside him .
" little tukey !
little tukey ! " cried someone near .
it was a seaman , quite a little personage , so little as if he were a midshipman ; but a midshipman it was not .
" many remembrances from corsor . * that is a town that is just rising into importance ; a lively town that has steam-boats and stagecoaches : formerly people called it ugly , but that is no longer true .
i lie on the sea , " said corsor ; " i have high roads and gardens , and i have given birth to a poet who was witty and amusing , which all poets are not .
i once intended to equip a ship that was to sail all round the earth ; but i did not do it , although i could have done so : and then , too , i smell so deliciously , for close before the gate bloom the most beautiful roses . " * corsor , on the great belt , called , formerly , before the introduction of steam-vessels , when travellers were often obliged to wait a long time for a favorable wind , " the most tiresome of towns . "
the poet baggesen was born here .
little tuk looked , and all was red and green before his eyes ; but as soon as the confusion of colors was somewhat over , all of a sudden there appeared a wooded slope close to the bay , and high up above stood a magnificent old church , with two high pointed towers .
from out the hill-side spouted fountains in thick streams of water , so that there was a continual splashing ; and close beside them sat an old king with a golden crown upon his white head : that was king hroar , near the fountains , close to the town of roeskilde , as it is now called .
and up the slope into the old church went all the kings and queens of denmark , hand in hand , all with their golden crowns ; and the organ played and the fountains rustled .
little tuk saw all , heard all .
" do not forget the diet , " said king hroar . * * roeskilde , once the capital of denmark .
the town takes its name from king hroar , and the many fountains in the neighborhood .
in the beautiful cathedral the greater number of the kings and queens of denmark are interred .
in roeskilde , too , the members of the danish diet assemble .
again all suddenly disappeared .
yes , and whither ?
it seemed to him just as if one turned over a leaf in a book .
and now stood there an old peasant-woman , who came from soroe , * where grass grows in the market-place .
she had an old grey linen apron hanging over her head and back : it was so wet , it certainly must have been raining .
" yes , that it has , " said she ; and she now related many pretty things out of holberg's comedies , and about waldemar and absalon ; but all at once she cowered together , and her head began shaking backwards and forwards , and she looked as she were going to make a spring .
" croak ! croak ! " said she .
" it is wet , it is wet ; there is such a pleasant deathlike stillness in sorbe ! "
she was now suddenly a frog , " croak " ; and now she was an old woman .
" one must dress according to the weather , " said she .
" it is wet ; it is wet .
my town is just like a bottle ; and one gets in by the neck , and by the neck one must get out again !
in former times i had the finest fish , and now i have fresh rosy-cheeked boys at the bottom of the bottle , who learn wisdom , hebrew , greek--croak ! " * sorbe , a very quiet little town , beautifully situated , surrounded by woods and lakes .
holberg , denmark's moliere , founded here an academy for the sons of the nobles .
the poets hauch and ingemann were appointed professors here .
the latter lives there still .
when she spoke it sounded just like the noise of frogs , or as if one walked with great boots over a moor ; always the same tone , so uniform and so tiring that little tuk fell into a good sound sleep , which , by the bye , could not do him any harm .
but even in this sleep there came a dream , or whatever else it was : his little sister augusta , she with the blue eyes and the fair curling hair , was suddenly a tall , beautiful girl , and without having wings was yet able to fly ; and she now flew over zealand--over the green woods and the blue lakes .
" do you hear the cock crow , tukey ?
cock-a-doodle-doo !
the cocks are flying up from kjoge !
you will have a farm-yard , so large , oh ! so very large !
you will suffer neither hunger nor thirst !
you will get on in the world !
you will be a rich and happy man !
your house will exalt itself like king waldemar's tower , and will be richly decorated with marble statues , like that at prastoe .
you understand what i mean .
your name shall circulate with renown all round the earth , like unto the ship that was to have sailed from corsor ; and in roeskilde - - " " do not forget the diet ! " said king hroar .
" then you will speak well and wisely , little tukey ; and when at last you sink into your grave , you shall sleep as quietly - - " " as if i lay in soroe , " said tuk , awaking .
it was bright day , and he was now quite unable to call to mind his dream ; that , however , was not at all necessary , for one may not know what the future will bring .
and out of bed he jumped , and read in his book , and now all at once he knew his whole lesson .
and the old washerwoman popped her head in at the door , nodded to him friendly , and said , " thanks , many thanks , my good child , for your help !
may the good ever-loving god fulfil your loveliest dream ! "
little tukey did not at all know what he had dreamed , but the loving god knew it .
along time ago , there lived an old poet , a thoroughly kind old poet .
as he was sitting one evening in his room , a dreadful storm arose without , and the rain streamed down from heaven ; but the old poet sat warm and comfortable in his chimney-corner , where the fire blazed and the roasting apple hissed .
" those who have not a roof over their heads will be wetted to the skin , " said the good old poet .
" oh let me in !
let me in !
i am cold , and i'm so wet ! " exclaimed suddenly a child that stood crying at the door and knocking for admittance , while the rain poured down , and the wind made all the windows rattle .
" poor thing ! " said the old poet , as he went to open the door .
there stood a little boy , quite naked , and the water ran down from his long golden hair ; he trembled with cold , and had he not come into a warm room he would most certainly have perished in the frightful tempest .
" poor child ! " said the old poet , as he took the boy by the hand .
" come in , come in , and i will soon restore thee !
thou shalt have wine and roasted apples , for thou art verily a charming child ! "
and the boy was so really .
his eyes were like two bright stars ; and although the water trickled down his hair , it waved in beautiful curls .
he looked exactly like a little angel , but he was so pale , and his whole body trembled with cold .
he had a nice little bow in his hand , but it was quite spoiled by the rain , and the tints of his many-colored arrows ran one into the other .
the old poet seated himself beside his hearth , and took the little fellow on his lap ; he squeezed the water out of his dripping hair , warmed his hands between his own , and boiled for him some sweet wine .
then the boy recovered , his cheeks again grew rosy , he jumped down from the lap where he was sitting , and danced round the kind old poet .
" you are a merry fellow , " said the old man .
" what's your name ? "
" my name is cupid , " answered the boy .
" don't you know me ?
there lies my bow ; it shoots well , i can assure you !
look , the weather is now clearing up , and the moon is shining clear again through the window . "
" why , your bow is quite spoiled , " said the old poet .
" that were sad indeed , " said the boy , and he took the bow in his hand and examined it on every side .
" oh , it is dry again , and is not hurt at all ; the string is quite tight .
i will try it directly . "
and he bent his bow , took aim , and shot an arrow at the old poet , right into his heart .
" you see now that my bow was not spoiled , " said he laughing ; and away he ran .
the naughty boy , to shoot the old poet in that way ; he who had taken him into his warm room , who had treated him so kindly , and who had given him warm wine and the very best apples !
the poor poet lay on the earth and wept , for the arrow had really flown into his heart .
" fie ! " said he .
" how naughty a boy cupid is !
i will tell all children about him , that they may take care and not play with him , for he will only cause them sorrow and many a heartache . "
and all good children to whom he related this story , took great heed of this naughty cupid ; but he made fools of them still , for he is astonishingly cunning .
when the university students come from the lectures , he runs beside them in a black coat , and with a book under his arm .
it is quite impossible for them to know him , and they walk along with him arm in arm , as if he , too , were a student like themselves ; and then , unperceived , he thrusts an arrow to their bosom .
when the young maidens come from being examined by the clergyman , or go to church to be confirmed , there he is again close behind them .
yes , he is forever following people .
at the play , he sits in the great chandelier and burns in bright flames , so that people think it is really a flame , but they soon discover it is something else .
he roves about in the garden of the palace and upon the ramparts : yes , once he even shot your father and mother right in the heart .
ask them only and you will hear what they'll tell you .
oh , he is a naughty boy , that cupid ; you must never have anything to do with him .
he is forever running after everybody .
only think , he shot an arrow once at your old grandmother !
but that is a long time ago , and it is all past now ; however , a thing of that sort she never forgets .
fie , naughty cupid !
but now you know him , and you know , too , how ill-behaved he is !
a certain king had a beautiful garden , and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples .
these apples were always counted , and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone .
the king became very angry at this , and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree .
the gardener set his eldest son to watch ; but about twelve o"clock he fell asleep , and in the morning another of the apples was missing .
then the second son was ordered to watch ; and at midnight he too fell asleep , and in the morning another apple was gone .
then the third son offered to keep watch ; but the gardener at first would not let him , for fear some harm should come to him : however , at last he consented , and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch .
as the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air , and a bird came flying that was of pure gold ; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak , the gardener"s son jumped up and shot an arrow at it .
but the arrow did the bird no harm ; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail , and then flew away .
the golden feather was brought to the king in the morning , and all the council was called together .
everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom : but the king said , " one feather is of no use to me , i must have the whole bird . "
then the gardener"s eldest son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily ; and when he had gone but a little way , he came to a wood , and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting ; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it .
then the fox said , " do not shoot me , for i will give you good counsel ; i know what your business is , and that you want to find the golden bird .
you will reach a village in the evening ; and when you get there , you will see two inns opposite to each other , one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at : go not in there , but rest for the night in the other , though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean . "
but the son thought to himself , " what can such a beast as this know about the matter ? "
so he shot his arrow at the fox ; but he missed it , and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood .
then he went his way , and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were ; and in one of these were people singing , and dancing , and feasting ; but the other looked very dirty , and poor .
" i should be very silly , " said he , " if i went to that shabby house , and left this charming place " ; so he went into the smart house , and ate and drank at his ease , and forgot the bird , and his country too .
time passed on ; and as the eldest son did not come back , and no tidings were heard of him , the second son set out , and the same thing happened to him .
he met the fox , who gave him the good advice : but when he came to the two inns , his eldest brother was standing at the window where the merrymaking was , and called to him to come in ; and he could not withstand the temptation , but went in , and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner .
time passed on again , and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird ; but his father would not listen to it for a long while , for he was very fond of his son , and was afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also , and prevent his coming back .
however , at last it was agreed he should go , for he would not rest at home ; and as he came to the wood , he met the fox , and heard the same good counsel .
but he was thankful to the fox , and did not attempt his life as his brothers had done ; so the fox said , " sit upon my tail , and you will travel faster . "
so he sat down , and the fox began to run , and away they went over stock and stone so quick that their hair whistled in the wind .
when they came to the village , the son followed the fox"s counsel , and without looking about him went to the shabby inn and rested there all night at his ease .
in the morning came the fox again and met him as he was beginning his journey , and said , " go straight forward , till you come to a castle , before which lie a whole troop of soldiers fast asleep and snoring : take no notice of them , but go into the castle and pass on and on till you come to a room , where the golden bird sits in a wooden cage ; close by it stands a beautiful golden cage ; but do not try to take the bird out of the shabby cage and put it into the handsome one , otherwise you will repent it . "
then the fox stretched out his tail again , and the young man sat himself down , and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind .
before the castle gate all was as the fox had said : so the son went in and found the chamber where the golden bird hung in a wooden cage , and below stood the golden cage , and the three golden apples that had been lost were lying close by it .
then thought he to himself , " it will be a very droll thing to bring away such a fine bird in this shabby cage " ; so he opened the door and took hold of it and put it into the golden cage .
but the bird set up such a loud scream that all the soldiers awoke , and they took him prisoner and carried him before the king .
the next morning the court sat to judge him ; and when all was heard , it sentenced him to die , unless he should bring the king the golden horse which could run as swiftly as the wind ; and if he did this , he was to have the golden bird given him for his own .
so he set out once more on his journey , sighing , and in great despair , when on a sudden his friend the fox met him , and said , " you see now what has happened on account of your not listening to my counsel .
i will still , however , tell you how to find the golden horse , if you will do as i bid you .
you must go straight on till you come to the castle where the horse stands in his stall : by his side will lie the groom fast asleep and snoring : take away the horse quietly , but be sure to put the old leathern saddle upon him , and not the golden one that is close by it . "
then the son sat down on the fox"s tail , and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind .
all went right , and the groom lay snoring with his hand upon the golden saddle .
but when the son looked at the horse , he thought it a great pity to put the leathern saddle upon it .
" i will give him the good one , " said he ; " i am sure he deserves it . "
as he took up the golden saddle the groom awoke and cried out so loud , that all the guards ran in and took him prisoner , and in the morning he was again brought before the court to be judged , and was sentenced to die .
but it was agreed , that , if he could bring thither the beautiful princess , he should live , and have the bird and the horse given him for his own .
then he went his way very sorrowful ; but the old fox came and said , " why did not you listen to me ?
if you had , you would have carried away both the bird and the horse ; yet will i once more give you counsel .
go straight on , and in the evening you will arrive at a castle .
at twelve o"clock at night the princess goes to the bathing-house : go up to her and give her a kiss , and she will let you lead her away ; but take care you do not suffer her to go and take leave of her father and mother . "
then the fox stretched out his tail , and so away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled again .
as they came to the castle , all was as the fox had said , and at twelve o"clock the young man met the princess going to the bath and gave her the kiss , and she agreed to run away with him , but begged with many tears that he would let her take leave of her father .
at first he refused , but she wept still more and more , and fell at his feet , till at last he consented ; but the moment she came to her father"s house the guards awoke and he was taken prisoner again .
then he was brought before the king , and the king said , " you shall never have my daughter unless in eight days you dig away the hill that stops the view from my window . "
now this hill was so big that the whole world could not take it away : and when he had worked for seven days , and had done very little , the fox came and said .
" lie down and go to sleep ; i will work for you . "
and in the morning he awoke and the hill was gone ; so he went merrily to the king , and told him that now that it was removed he must give him the princess .
then the king was obliged to keep his word , and away went the young man and the princess ; and the fox came and said to him , " we will have all three , the princess , the horse , and the bird . "
" ah ! " said the young man , " that would be a great thing , but how can you contrive it ? "
" if you will only listen , " said the fox , " it can be done .
when you come to the king , and he asks for the beautiful princess , you must say , " here she is ! " then he will be very joyful ; and you will mount the golden horse that they are to give you , and put out your hand to take leave of them ; but shake hands with the princess last .
then lift her quickly on to the horse behind you ; clap your spurs to his side , and gallop away as fast as you can . "
all went right : then the fox said , " when you come to the castle where the bird is , i will stay with the princess at the door , and you will ride in and speak to the king ; and when he sees that it is the right horse , he will bring out the bird ; but you must sit still , and say that you want to look at it , to see whether it is the true golden bird ; and when you get it into your hand , ride away . "
this , too , happened as the fox said ; they carried off the bird , the princess mounted again , and they rode on to a great wood .
then the fox came , and said , " pray kill me , and cut off my head and my feet . "
but the young man refused to do it : so the fox said , " i will at any rate give you good counsel : beware of two things ; ransom no one from the gallows , and sit down by the side of no river . "
then away he went .
" well , " thought the young man , " it is no hard matter to keep that advice . "
he rode on with the princess , till at last he came to the village where he had left his two brothers .
and there he heard a great noise and uproar ; and when he asked what was the matter , the people said , " two men are going to be hanged . "
as he came nearer , he saw that the two men were his brothers , who had turned robbers ; so he said , " cannot they in any way be saved ? "
but the people said " no , " unless he would bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty .
then he did not stay to think about the matter , but paid what was asked , and his brothers were given up , and went on with him towards their home .
and as they came to the wood where the fox first met them , it was so cool and pleasant that the two brothers said , " let us sit down by the side of the river , and rest a while , to eat and drink . "
so he said , " yes , " and forgot the fox"s counsel , and sat down on the side of the river ; and while he suspected nothing , they came behind , and threw him down the bank , and took the princess , the horse , and the bird , and went home to the king their master , and said .
" all this have we won by our labour . "
then there was great rejoicing made ; but the horse would not eat , the bird would not sing , and the princess wept .
the youngest son fell to the bottom of the river"s bed : luckily it was nearly dry , but his bones were almost broken , and the bank was so steep that he could find no way to get out .
then the old fox came once more , and scolded him for not following his advice ; otherwise no evil would have befallen him : " yet , " said he , " i cannot leave you here , so lay hold of my tail and hold fast . "
then he pulled him out of the river , and said to him , as he got upon the bank , " your brothers have set watch to kill you , if they find you in the kingdom . "
so he dressed himself as a poor man , and came secretly to the king"s court , and was scarcely within the doors when the horse began to eat , and the bird to sing , and the princess left off weeping .
then he went to the king , and told him all his brothers " roguery ; and they were seized and punished , and he had the princess given to him again ; and after the king"s death he was heir to his kingdom .
a long while after , he went to walk one day in the wood , and the old fox met him , and besought him with tears in his eyes to kill him , and cut off his head and feet .
and at last he did so , and in a moment the fox was changed into a man , and turned out to be the brother of the princess , who had been lost a great many many years .
some men are born to good luck : all they do or try to do comes right--all that falls to them is so much gain--all their geese are swans--all their cards are trumps--toss them which way you will , they will always , like poor puss , alight upon their legs , and only move on so much the faster .
the world may very likely not always think of them as they think of themselves , but what care they for the world ? what can it know about the matter ?
one of these lucky beings was neighbour hans .
seven long years he had worked hard for his master .
at last he said , " master , my time is up ; i must go home and see my poor mother once more : so pray pay me my wages and let me go . "
and the master said , " you have been a faithful and good servant , hans , so your pay shall be handsome . "
then he gave him a lump of silver as big as his head .
hans took out his pocket-handkerchief , put the piece of silver into it , threw it over his shoulder , and jogged off on his road homewards .
as he went lazily on , dragging one foot after another , a man came in sight , trotting gaily along on a capital horse .
" ah ! " said hans aloud , " what a fine thing it is to ride on horseback !
there he sits as easy and happy as if he was at home , in the chair by his fireside ; he trips against no stones , saves shoe-leather , and gets on he hardly knows how . "
hans did not speak so softly but the horseman heard it all , and said , " well , friend , why do you go on foot then ? "
" ah ! " said he , " i have this load to carry : to be sure it is silver , but it is so heavy that i can"t hold up my head , and you must know it hurts my shoulder sadly . "
" what do you say of making an exchange ? " said the horseman .
" i will give you my horse , and you shall give me the silver ; which will save you a great deal of trouble in carrying such a heavy load about with you . "
" with all my heart , " said hans : " but as you are so kind to me , i must tell you one thing--you will have a weary task to draw that silver about with you . "
however , the horseman got off , took the silver , helped hans up , gave him the bridle into one hand and the whip into the other , and said , " when you want to go very fast , smack your lips loudly together , and cry " jip ! " " hans was delighted as he sat on the horse , drew himself up , squared his elbows , turned out his toes , cracked his whip , and rode merrily off , one minute whistling a merry tune , and another singing , " no care and no sorrow , a fig for the morrow !
we"ll laugh and be merry , sing neigh down derry ! "
after a time he thought he should like to go a little faster , so he smacked his lips and cried " jip ! "
away went the horse full gallop ; and before hans knew what he was about , he was thrown off , and lay on his back by the road-side .
his horse would have ran off , if a shepherd who was coming by , driving a cow , had not stopped it .
hans soon came to himself , and got upon his legs again , sadly vexed , and said to the shepherd , " this riding is no joke , when a man has the luck to get upon a beast like this that stumbles and flings him off as if it would break his neck .
however , i"m off now once for all : i like your cow now a great deal better than this smart beast that played me this trick , and has spoiled my best coat , you see , in this puddle ; which , by the by , smells not very like a nosegay .
one can walk along at one"s leisure behind that cow--keep good company , and have milk , butter , and cheese , every day , into the bargain .
what would i give to have such a prize ! "
" well , " said the shepherd , " if you are so fond of her , i will change my cow for your horse ; i like to do good to my neighbours , even though i lose by it myself . "
" done ! " said hans , merrily .
" what a noble heart that good man has ! " thought he .
then the shepherd jumped upon the horse , wished hans and the cow good morning , and away he rode .
hans brushed his coat , wiped his face and hands , rested a while , and then drove off his cow quietly , and thought his bargain a very lucky one .
" if i have only a piece of bread ( and i certainly shall always be able to get that ) , i can , whenever i like , eat my butter and cheese with it ; and when i am thirsty i can milk my cow and drink the milk : and what can i wish for more ? "
when he came to an inn , he halted , ate up all his bread , and gave away his last penny for a glass of beer .
when he had rested himself he set off again , driving his cow towards his mother"s village .
but the heat grew greater as soon as noon came on , till at last , as he found himself on a wide heath that would take him more than an hour to cross , he began to be so hot and parched that his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth .
" i can find a cure for this , " thought he ; " now i will milk my cow and quench my thirst " : so he tied her to the stump of a tree , and held his leathern cap to milk into ; but not a drop was to be had .
who would have thought that this cow , which was to bring him milk and butter and cheese , was all that time utterly dry ?
hans had not thought of looking to that .
while he was trying his luck in milking , and managing the matter very clumsily , the uneasy beast began to think him very troublesome ; and at last gave him such a kick on the head as knocked him down ; and there he lay a long while senseless .
luckily a butcher soon came by , driving a pig in a wheelbarrow .
" what is the matter with you , my man ? " said the butcher , as he helped him up .
hans told him what had happened , how he was dry , and wanted to milk his cow , but found the cow was dry too .
then the butcher gave him a flask of ale , saying , " there , drink and refresh yourself ; your cow will give you no milk : don"t you see she is an old beast , good for nothing but the slaughter-house ? "
" alas , alas ! " said hans , " who would have thought it ?
what a shame to take my horse , and give me only a dry cow !
if i kill her , what will she be good for ?
i hate cow-beef ; it is not tender enough for me .
if it were a pig now--like that fat gentleman you are driving along at his ease--one could do something with it ; it would at any rate make sausages . "
" well , " said the butcher , " i don"t like to say no , when one is asked to do a kind , neighbourly thing .
to please you i will change , and give you my fine fat pig for the cow . "
" heaven reward you for your kindness and self-denial ! " said hans , as he gave the butcher the cow ; and taking the pig off the wheel-barrow , drove it away , holding it by the string that was tied to its leg .
so on he jogged , and all seemed now to go right with him : he had met with some misfortunes , to be sure ; but he was now well repaid for all .
how could it be otherwise with such a travelling companion as he had at last got ?
the next man he met was a countryman carrying a fine white goose .
the countryman stopped to ask what was o"clock ; this led to further chat ; and hans told him all his luck , how he had so many good bargains , and how all the world went gay and smiling with him .
the countryman then began to tell his tale , and said he was going to take the goose to a christening .
" feel , " said he , " how heavy it is , and yet it is only eight weeks old .
whoever roasts and eats it will find plenty of fat upon it , it has lived so well ! "
" you"re right , " said hans , as he weighed it in his hand ; " but if you talk of fat , my pig is no trifle . "
meantime the countryman began to look grave , and shook his head .
" hark ye ! " said he , " my worthy friend , you seem a good sort of fellow , so i can"t help doing you a kind turn .
your pig may get you into a scrape .
in the village i just came from , the squire has had a pig stolen out of his sty .
i was dreadfully afraid when i saw you that you had got the squire"s pig .
if you have , and they catch you , it will be a bad job for you .
the least they will do will be to throw you into the horse-pond .
can you swim ? "
poor hans was sadly frightened .
" good man , " cried he , " pray get me out of this scrape .
i know nothing of where the pig was either bred or born ; but he may have been the squire"s for aught i can tell : you know this country better than i do , take my pig and give me the goose . "
" i ought to have something into the bargain , " said the countryman ; " give a fat goose for a pig , indeed !
" tis not everyone would do so much for you as that .
however , i will not be hard upon you , as you are in trouble . "
then he took the string in his hand , and drove off the pig by a side path ; while hans went on the way homewards free from care .
" after all , " thought he , " that chap is pretty well taken in .
i don"t care whose pig it is , but wherever it came from it has been a very good friend to me .
i have much the best of the bargain .
first there will be a capital roast ; then the fat will find me in goose-grease for six months ; and then there are all the beautiful white feathers .
i will put them into my pillow , and then i am sure i shall sleep soundly without rocking .
how happy my mother will be !
talk of a pig , indeed !
give me a fine fat goose . "
as he came to the next village , he saw a scissor-grinder with his wheel , working and singing , " o"er hill and o"er dale so happy i roam , work light and live well , all the world is my home ; then who so blythe , so merry as i ? "
hans stood looking on for a while , and at last said , " you must be well off , master grinder ! you seem so happy at your work . "
" yes , " said the other , " mine is a golden trade ; a good grinder never puts his hand into his pocket without finding money in it--but where did you get that beautiful goose ? "
" i did not buy it , i gave a pig for it . "
" and where did you get the pig ? "
" i gave a cow for it . "
" and the cow ? "
" i gave a horse for it . "
" and the horse ? "
" i gave a lump of silver as big as my head for it . "
" and the silver ? "
" oh !
i worked hard for that seven long years . "
" you have thriven well in the world hitherto , " said the grinder , " now if you could find money in your pocket whenever you put your hand in it , your fortune would be made . "
" very true : but how is that to be managed ? "
" how ?
why , you must turn grinder like myself , " said the other ; " you only want a grindstone ; the rest will come of itself .
here is one that is but little the worse for wear : i would not ask more than the value of your goose for it--will you buy ? "
" how can you ask ? " said hans ; " i should be the happiest man in the world , if i could have money whenever i put my hand in my pocket : what could i want more ? there"s the goose . "
" now , " said the grinder , as he gave him a common rough stone that lay by his side , " this is a most capital stone ; do but work it well enough , and you can make an old nail cut with it . "
hans took the stone , and went his way with a light heart : his eyes sparkled for joy , and he said to himself , " surely i must have been born in a lucky hour ; everything i could want or wish for comes of itself .
people are so kind ; they seem really to think i do them a favour in letting them make me rich , and giving me good bargains . "
meantime he began to be tired , and hungry too , for he had given away his last penny in his joy at getting the cow .
at last he could go no farther , for the stone tired him sadly : and he dragged himself to the side of a river , that he might take a drink of water , and rest a while .
so he laid the stone carefully by his side on the bank : but , as he stooped down to drink , he forgot it , pushed it a little , and down it rolled , plump into the stream .
for a while he watched it sinking in the deep clear water ; then sprang up and danced for joy , and again fell upon his knees and thanked heaven , with tears in his eyes , for its kindness in taking away his only plague , the ugly heavy stone .
" how happy am i ! " cried he ; " nobody was ever so lucky as i . "
then up he got with a light heart , free from all his troubles , and walked on till he reached his mother"s house , and told her how very easy the road to good luck was .
there was once an old castle , that stood in the middle of a deep gloomy wood , and in the castle lived an old fairy .
now this fairy could take any shape she pleased .
all the day long she flew about in the form of an owl , or crept about the country like a cat ; but at night she always became an old woman again .
when any young man came within a hundred paces of her castle , he became quite fixed , and could not move a step till she came and set him free ; which she would not do till he had given her his word never to come there again : but when any pretty maiden came within that space she was changed into a bird , and the fairy put her into a cage , and hung her up in a chamber in the castle .
there were seven hundred of these cages hanging in the castle , and all with beautiful birds in them .
now there was once a maiden whose name was jorinda .
she was prettier than all the pretty girls that ever were seen before , and a shepherd lad , whose name was jorindel , was very fond of her , and they were soon to be married .
one day they went to walk in the wood , that they might be alone ; and jorindel said , " we must take care that we don"t go too near to the fairy"s castle . "
it was a beautiful evening ; the last rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees upon the green underwood beneath , and the turtle-doves sang from the tall birches .
jorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun ; jorindel sat by her side ; and both felt sad , they knew not why ; but it seemed as if they were to be parted from one another for ever .
they had wandered a long way ; and when they looked to see which way they should go home , they found themselves at a loss to know what path to take .
the sun was setting fast , and already half of its circle had sunk behind the hill : jorindel on a sudden looked behind him , and saw through the bushes that they had , without knowing it , sat down close under the old walls of the castle .
then he shrank for fear , turned pale , and trembled .
jorinda was just singing , " the ring-dove sang from the willow spray , well-a-day !
well-a-day !
he mourn"d for the fate of his darling mate , well-a-day ! " when her song stopped suddenly .
jorindel turned to see the reason , and beheld his jorinda changed into a nightingale , so that her song ended with a mournful _ jug , jug _ .
an owl with fiery eyes flew three times round them , and three times screamed : " tu whu !
tu whu !
tu whu ! "
jorindel could not move ; he stood fixed as a stone , and could neither weep , nor speak , nor stir hand or foot .
and now the sun went quite down ; the gloomy night came ; the owl flew into a bush ; and a moment after the old fairy came forth pale and meagre , with staring eyes , and a nose and chin that almost met one another .
she mumbled something to herself , seized the nightingale , and went away with it in her hand .
poor jorindel saw the nightingale was gone--but what could he do ?
he could not speak , he could not move from the spot where he stood .
at last the fairy came back and sang with a hoarse voice : " till the prisoner is fast , and her doom is cast , there stay !
oh , stay !
when the charm is around her , and the spell has bound her , hie away ! away ! "
on a sudden jorindel found himself free .
then he fell on his knees before the fairy , and prayed her to give him back his dear jorinda : but she laughed at him , and said he should never see her again ; then she went her way .
he prayed , he wept , he sorrowed , but all in vain .
" alas ! " he said , " what will become of me ? "
he could not go back to his own home , so he went to a strange village , and employed himself in keeping sheep .
many a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he dared go , but all in vain ; he heard or saw nothing of jorinda .
at last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower , and that in the middle of it lay a costly pearl ; and he dreamt that he plucked the flower , and went with it in his hand into the castle , and that everything he touched with it was disenchanted , and that there he found his jorinda again .
in the morning when he awoke , he began to search over hill and dale for this pretty flower ; and eight long days he sought for it in vain : but on the ninth day , early in the morning , he found the beautiful purple flower ; and in the middle of it was a large dewdrop , as big as a costly pearl .
then he plucked the flower , and set out and travelled day and night , till he came again to the castle .
he walked nearer than a hundred paces to it , and yet he did not become fixed as before , but found that he could go quite close up to the door .
jorindel was very glad indeed to see this .
then he touched the door with the flower , and it sprang open ; so that he went in through the court , and listened when he heard so many birds singing .
at last he came to the chamber where the fairy sat , with the seven hundred birds singing in the seven hundred cages .
when she saw jorindel she was very angry , and screamed with rage ; but she could not come within two yards of him , for the flower he held in his hand was his safeguard .
he looked around at the birds , but alas ! there were many , many nightingales , and how then should he find out which was his jorinda ?
while he was thinking what to do , he saw the fairy had taken down one of the cages , and was making the best of her way off through the door .
he ran or flew after her , touched the cage with the flower , and jorinda stood before him , and threw her arms round his neck looking as beautiful as ever , as beautiful as when they walked together in the wood .
then he touched all the other birds with the flower , so that they all took their old forms again ; and he took jorinda home , where they were married , and lived happily together many years : and so did a good many other lads , whose maidens had been forced to sing in the old fairy"s cages by themselves , much longer than they liked .
an honest farmer had once an ass that had been a faithful servant to him a great many years , but was now growing old and every day more and more unfit for work .
his master therefore was tired of keeping him and began to think of putting an end to him ; but the ass , who saw that some mischief was in the wind , took himself slyly off , and began his journey towards the great city , " for there , " thought he , " i may turn musician . "
after he had travelled a little way , he spied a dog lying by the roadside and panting as if he were tired .
" what makes you pant so , my friend ? " said the ass .
" alas ! " said the dog , " my master was going to knock me on the head , because i am old and weak , and can no longer make myself useful to him in hunting ; so i ran away ; but what can i do to earn my livelihood ? "
" hark ye ! " said the ass , " i am going to the great city to turn musician : suppose you go with me , and try what you can do in the same way ? "
the dog said he was willing , and they jogged on together .
they had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face .
" pray , my good lady , " said the ass , " what"s the matter with you ?
you look quite out of spirits ! "
" ah , me ! " said the cat , " how can one be in good spirits when one"s life is in danger ?
because i am beginning to grow old , and had rather lie at my ease by the fire than run about the house after the mice , my mistress laid hold of me , and was going to drown me ; and though i have been lucky enough to get away from her , i do not know what i am to live upon . "
" oh , " said the ass , " by all means go with us to the great city ; you are a good night singer , and may make your fortune as a musician . "
the cat was pleased with the thought , and joined the party .
soon afterwards , as they were passing by a farmyard , they saw a cock perched upon a gate , and screaming out with all his might and main .
" bravo ! " said the ass ; " upon my word , you make a famous noise ; pray what is all this about ? "
" why , " said the cock , " i was just now saying that we should have fine weather for our washing-day , and yet my mistress and the cook don"t thank me for my pains , but threaten to cut off my head tomorrow , and make broth of me for the guests that are coming on sunday ! "
" heaven forbid ! " said the ass , " come with us master chanticleer ; it will be better , at any rate , than staying here to have your head cut off !
besides , who knows ?
if we care to sing in tune , we may get up some kind of a concert ; so come along with us . "
" with all my heart , " said the cock : so they all four went on jollily together .
they could not , however , reach the great city the first day ; so when night came on , they went into a wood to sleep .
the ass and the dog laid themselves down under a great tree , and the cat climbed up into the branches ; while the cock , thinking that the higher he sat the safer he should be , flew up to the very top of the tree , and then , according to his custom , before he went to sleep , looked out on all sides of him to see that everything was well .
in doing this , he saw afar off something bright and shining and calling to his companions said , " there must be a house no great way off , for i see a light . "
" if that be the case , " said the ass , " we had better change our quarters , for our lodging is not the best in the world ! "
" besides , " added the dog , " i should not be the worse for a bone or two , or a bit of meat . "
so they walked off together towards the spot where chanticleer had seen the light , and as they drew near it became larger and brighter , till they at last came close to a house in which a gang of robbers lived .
the ass , being the tallest of the company , marched up to the window and peeped in .
" well , donkey , " said chanticleer , " what do you see ? "
" what do i see ? " replied the ass .
" why , i see a table spread with all kinds of good things , and robbers sitting round it making merry . "
" that would be a noble lodging for us , " said the cock .
" yes , " said the ass , " if we could only get in " ; so they consulted together how they should contrive to get the robbers out ; and at last they hit upon a plan .
the ass placed himself upright on his hind legs , with his forefeet resting against the window ; the dog got upon his back ; the cat scrambled up to the dog"s shoulders , and the cock flew up and sat upon the cat"s head .
when all was ready a signal was given , and they began their music .
the ass brayed , the dog barked , the cat mewed , and the cock screamed ; and then they all broke through the window at once , and came tumbling into the room , amongst the broken glass , with a most hideous clatter !
the robbers , who had been not a little frightened by the opening concert , had now no doubt that some frightful hobgoblin had broken in upon them , and scampered away as fast as they could .
the coast once clear , our travellers soon sat down and dispatched what the robbers had left , with as much eagerness as if they had not expected to eat again for a month .
as soon as they had satisfied themselves , they put out the lights , and each once more sought out a resting-place to his own liking .
the donkey laid himself down upon a heap of straw in the yard , the dog stretched himself upon a mat behind the door , the cat rolled herself up on the hearth before the warm ashes , and the cock perched upon a beam on the top of the house ; and , as they were all rather tired with their journey , they soon fell asleep .
but about midnight , when the robbers saw from afar that the lights were out and that all seemed quiet , they began to think that they had been in too great a hurry to run away ; and one of them , who was bolder than the rest , went to see what was going on .
finding everything still , he marched into the kitchen , and groped about till he found a match in order to light a candle ; and then , espying the glittering fiery eyes of the cat , he mistook them for live coals , and held the match to them to light it .
but the cat , not understanding this joke , sprang at his face , and spat , and scratched at him .
this frightened him dreadfully , and away he ran to the back door ; but there the dog jumped up and bit him in the leg ; and as he was crossing over the yard the ass kicked him ; and the cock , who had been awakened by the noise , crowed with all his might .
at this the robber ran back as fast as he could to his comrades , and told the captain how a horrid witch had got into the house , and had spat at him and scratched his face with her long bony fingers ; how a man with a knife in his hand had hidden himself behind the door , and stabbed him in the leg ; how a black monster stood in the yard and struck him with a club , and how the devil had sat upon the top of the house and cried out , " throw the rascal up here ! "
after this the robbers never dared to go back to the house ; but the musicians were so pleased with their quarters that they took up their abode there ; and there they are , i dare say , at this very day .
a shepherd had a faithful dog , called sultan , who was grown very old , and had lost all his teeth .
and one day when the shepherd and his wife were standing together before the house the shepherd said , " i will shoot old sultan tomorrow morning , for he is of no use now . "
but his wife said , " pray let the poor faithful creature live ; he has served us well a great many years , and we ought to give him a livelihood for the rest of his days . "
" but what can we do with him ? " said the shepherd , " he has not a tooth in his head , and the thieves don"t care for him at all ; to be sure he has served us , but then he did it to earn his livelihood ; tomorrow shall be his last day , depend upon it . "
poor sultan , who was lying close by them , heard all that the shepherd and his wife said to one another , and was very much frightened to think tomorrow would be his last day ; so in the evening he went to his good friend the wolf , who lived in the wood , and told him all his sorrows , and how his master meant to kill him in the morning .
" make yourself easy , " said the wolf , " i will give you some good advice .
your master , you know , goes out every morning very early with his wife into the field ; and they take their little child with them , and lay it down behind the hedge in the shade while they are at work .
now do you lie down close by the child , and pretend to be watching it , and i will come out of the wood and run away with it ; you must run after me as fast as you can , and i will let it drop ; then you may carry it back , and they will think you have saved their child , and will be so thankful to you that they will take care of you as long as you live . "
the dog liked this plan very well ; and accordingly so it was managed .
the wolf ran with the child a little way ; the shepherd and his wife screamed out ; but sultan soon overtook him , and carried the poor little thing back to his master and mistress .
then the shepherd patted him on the head , and said , " old sultan has saved our child from the wolf , and therefore he shall live and be well taken care of , and have plenty to eat .
wife , go home , and give him a good dinner , and let him have my old cushion to sleep on as long as he lives . "
so from this time forward sultan had all that he could wish for .
soon afterwards the wolf came and wished him joy , and said , " now , my good fellow , you must tell no tales , but turn your head the other way when i want to taste one of the old shepherd"s fine fat sheep . "
" no , " said the sultan ; " i will be true to my master . "
however , the wolf thought he was in joke , and came one night to get a dainty morsel .
but sultan had told his master what the wolf meant to do ; so he laid wait for him behind the barn door , and when the wolf was busy looking out for a good fat sheep , he had a stout cudgel laid about his back , that combed his locks for him finely .
then the wolf was very angry , and called sultan " an old rogue , " and swore he would have his revenge .
so the next morning the wolf sent the boar to challenge sultan to come into the wood to fight the matter .
now sultan had nobody he could ask to be his second but the shepherd"s old three-legged cat ; so he took her with him , and as the poor thing limped along with some trouble , she stuck up her tail straight in the air .
the wolf and the wild boar were first on the ground ; and when they espied their enemies coming , and saw the cat"s long tail standing straight in the air , they thought she was carrying a sword for sultan to fight with ; and every time she limped , they thought she was picking up a stone to throw at them ; so they said they should not like this way of fighting , and the boar lay down behind a bush , and the wolf jumped up into a tree .
sultan and the cat soon came up , and looked about and wondered that no one was there .
the boar , however , had not quite hidden himself , for his ears stuck out of the bush ; and when he shook one of them a little , the cat , seeing something move , and thinking it was a mouse , sprang upon it , and bit and scratched it , so that the boar jumped up and grunted , and ran away , roaring out , " look up in the tree , there sits the one who is to blame . "
so they looked up , and espied the wolf sitting amongst the branches ; and they called him a cowardly rascal , and would not suffer him to come down till he was heartily ashamed of himself , and had promised to be good friends again with old sultan .
in a village dwelt a poor old woman , who had gathered together a dish of beans and wanted to cook them .
so she made a fire on her hearth , and that it might burn the quicker , she lighted it with a handful of straw .
when she was emptying the beans into the pan , one dropped without her observing it , and lay on the ground beside a straw , and soon afterwards a burning coal from the fire leapt down to the two .
then the straw began and said : " dear friends , from whence do you come here ? "
the coal replied : " i fortunately sprang out of the fire , and if i had not escaped by sheer force , my death would have been certain,--i should have been burnt to ashes . "
the bean said : " i too have escaped with a whole skin , but if the old woman had got me into the pan , i should have been made into broth without any mercy , like my comrades . "
" and would a better fate have fallen to my lot ? " said the straw .
" the old woman has destroyed all my brethren in fire and smoke ; she seized sixty of them at once , and took their lives .
i luckily slipped through her fingers . "
" but what are we to do now ? " said the coal .
" i think , " answered the bean , " that as we have so fortunately escaped death , we should keep together like good companions , and lest a new mischance should overtake us here , we should go away together , and repair to a foreign country . "
the proposition pleased the two others , and they set out on their way together .
soon , however , they came to a little brook , and as there was no bridge or foot-plank , they did not know how they were to get over it .
the straw hit on a good idea , and said : " i will lay myself straight across , and then you can walk over on me as on a bridge . "
the straw therefore stretched itself from one bank to the other , and the coal , who was of an impetuous disposition , tripped quite boldly on to the newly-built bridge .
but when she had reached the middle , and heard the water rushing beneath her , she was after all , afraid , and stood still , and ventured no farther .
the straw , however , began to burn , broke in two pieces , and fell into the stream .
the coal slipped after her , hissed when she got into the water , and breathed her last .
the bean , who had prudently stayed behind on the shore , could not but laugh at the event , was unable to stop , and laughed so heartily that she burst .
it would have been all over with her , likewise , if , by good fortune , a tailor who was travelling in search of work , had not sat down to rest by the brook .
as he had a compassionate heart he pulled out his needle and thread , and sewed her together .
the bean thanked him most prettily , but as the tailor used black thread , all beans since then have a black seam .
a king and queen once upon a time reigned in a country a great way off , where there were in those days fairies .
now this king and queen had plenty of money , and plenty of fine clothes to wear , and plenty of good things to eat and drink , and a coach to ride out in every day : but though they had been married many years they had no children , and this grieved them very much indeed .
but one day as the queen was walking by the side of the river , at the bottom of the garden , she saw a poor little fish , that had thrown itself out of the water , and lay gasping and nearly dead on the bank .
then the queen took pity on the little fish , and threw it back again into the river ; and before it swam away it lifted its head out of the water and said , " i know what your wish is , and it shall be fulfilled , in return for your kindness to me--you will soon have a daughter . "
what the little fish had foretold soon came to pass ; and the queen had a little girl , so very beautiful that the king could not cease looking on it for joy , and said he would hold a great feast and make merry , and show the child to all the land .
so he asked his kinsmen , and nobles , and friends , and neighbours .
but the queen said , " i will have the fairies also , that they might be kind and good to our little daughter . "
now there were thirteen fairies in the kingdom ; but as the king and queen had only twelve golden dishes for them to eat out of , they were forced to leave one of the fairies without asking her .
so twelve fairies came , each with a high red cap on her head , and red shoes with high heels on her feet , and a long white wand in her hand : and after the feast was over they gathered round in a ring and gave all their best gifts to the little princess .
one gave her goodness , another beauty , another riches , and so on till she had all that was good in the world .
just as eleven of them had done blessing her , a great noise was heard in the courtyard , and word was brought that the thirteenth fairy was come , with a black cap on her head , and black shoes on her feet , and a broomstick in her hand : and presently up she came into the dining-hall .
now , as she had not been asked to the feast she was very angry , and scolded the king and queen very much , and set to work to take her revenge .
so she cried out , " the king"s daughter shall , in her fifteenth year , be wounded by a spindle , and fall down dead . "
then the twelfth of the friendly fairies , who had not yet given her gift , came forward , and said that the evil wish must be fulfilled , but that she could soften its mischief ; so her gift was , that the king"s daughter , when the spindle wounded her , should not really die , but should only fall asleep for a hundred years .
however , the king hoped still to save his dear child altogether from the threatened evil ; so he ordered that all the spindles in the kingdom should be bought up and burnt .
but all the gifts of the first eleven fairies were in the meantime fulfilled ; for the princess was so beautiful , and well behaved , and good , and wise , that everyone who knew her loved her .
it happened that , on the very day she was fifteen years old , the king and queen were not at home , and she was left alone in the palace .
so she roved about by herself , and looked at all the rooms and chambers , till at last she came to an old tower , to which there was a narrow staircase ending with a little door .
in the door there was a golden key , and when she turned it the door sprang open , and there sat an old lady spinning away very busily .
" why , how now , good mother , " said the princess ; " what are you doing there ? "
" spinning , " said the old lady , and nodded her head , humming a tune , while buzz ! went the wheel .
" how prettily that little thing turns round ! " said the princess , and took the spindle and began to try and spin .
but scarcely had she touched it , before the fairy"s prophecy was fulfilled ; the spindle wounded her , and she fell down lifeless on the ground .
however , she was not dead , but had only fallen into a deep sleep ; and the king and the queen , who had just come home , and all their court , fell asleep too ; and the horses slept in the stables , and the dogs in the court , the pigeons on the house-top , and the very flies slept upon the walls .
even the fire on the hearth left off blazing , and went to sleep ; the jack stopped , and the spit that was turning about with a goose upon it for the king"s dinner stood still ; and the cook , who was at that moment pulling the kitchen-boy by the hair to give him a box on the ear for something he had done amiss , let him go , and both fell asleep ; the butler , who was slyly tasting the ale , fell asleep with the jug at his lips : and thus everything stood still , and slept soundly .
a large hedge of thorns soon grew round the palace , and every year it became higher and thicker ; till at last the old palace was surrounded and hidden , so that not even the roof or the chimneys could be seen .
but there went a report through all the land of the beautiful sleeping briar rose ( for so the king"s daughter was called ) : so that , from time to time , several kings " sons came , and tried to break through the thicket into the palace .
this , however , none of them could ever do ; for the thorns and bushes laid hold of them , as it were with hands ; and there they stuck fast , and died wretchedly .
after many , many years there came a king"s son into that land : and an old man told him the story of the thicket of thorns ; and how a beautiful palace stood behind it , and how a wonderful princess , called briar rose , lay in it asleep , with all her court .
he told , too , how he had heard from his grandfather that many , many princes had come , and had tried to break through the thicket , but that they had all stuck fast in it , and died .
then the young prince said , " all this shall not frighten me ; i will go and see this briar rose . "
the old man tried to hinder him , but he was bent upon going .
now that very day the hundred years were ended ; and as the prince came to the thicket he saw nothing but beautiful flowering shrubs , through which he went with ease , and they shut in after him as thick as ever .
then he came at last to the palace , and there in the court lay the dogs asleep ; and the horses were standing in the stables ; and on the roof sat the pigeons fast asleep , with their heads under their wings .
and when he came into the palace , the flies were sleeping on the walls ; the spit was standing still ; the butler had the jug of ale at his lips , going to drink a draught ; the maid sat with a fowl in her lap ready to be plucked ; and the cook in the kitchen was still holding up her hand , as if she was going to beat the boy .
then he went on still farther , and all was so still that he could hear every breath he drew ; till at last he came to the old tower , and opened the door of the little room in which briar rose was ; and there she lay , fast asleep on a couch by the window .
she looked so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her , so he stooped down and gave her a kiss .
but the moment he kissed her she opened her eyes and awoke , and smiled upon him ; and they went out together ; and soon the king and queen also awoke , and all the court , and gazed on each other with great wonder .
and the horses shook themselves , and the dogs jumped up and barked ; the pigeons took their heads from under their wings , and looked about and flew into the fields ; the flies on the walls buzzed again ; the fire in the kitchen blazed up ; round went the jack , and round went the spit , with the goose for the king"s dinner upon it ; the butler finished his draught of ale ; the maid went on plucking the fowl ; and the cook gave the boy the box on his ear .
and then the prince and briar rose were married , and the wedding feast was given ; and they lived happily together all their lives long .
a shepherd"s dog had a master who took no care of him , but often let him suffer the greatest hunger .
at last he could bear it no longer ; so he took to his heels , and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood .
on the road he met a sparrow that said to him , " why are you so sad , my friend ? "
" because , " said the dog , " i am very very hungry , and have nothing to eat . "
" if that be all , " answered the sparrow , " come with me into the next town , and i will soon find you plenty of food . "
so on they went together into the town : and as they passed by a butcher"s shop , the sparrow said to the dog , " stand there a little while till i peck you down a piece of meat . "
so the sparrow perched upon the shelf : and having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was watching her , she pecked and scratched at a steak that lay upon the edge of the shelf , till at last down it fell .
then the dog snapped it up , and scrambled away with it into a corner , where he soon ate it all up .
" well , " said the sparrow , " you shall have some more if you will ; so come with me to the next shop , and i will peck you down another steak . "
when the dog had eaten this too , the sparrow said to him , " well , my good friend , have you had enough now ? "
" i have had plenty of meat , " answered he , " but i should like to have a piece of bread to eat after it . "
" come with me then , " said the sparrow , " and you shall soon have that too . "
so she took him to a baker"s shop , and pecked at two rolls that lay in the window , till they fell down : and as the dog still wished for more , she took him to another shop and pecked down some more for him .
when that was eaten , the sparrow asked him whether he had had enough now .
" yes , " said he ; " and now let us take a walk a little way out of the town . "
so they both went out upon the high road ; but as the weather was warm , they had not gone far before the dog said , " i am very much tired--i should like to take a nap . "
" very well , " answered the sparrow , " do so , and in the meantime i will perch upon that bush . "
so the dog stretched himself out on the road , and fell fast asleep .
whilst he slept , there came by a carter with a cart drawn by three horses , and loaded with two casks of wine .
the sparrow , seeing that the carter did not turn out of the way , but would go on in the track in which the dog lay , so as to drive over him , called out , " stop ! stop !
mr carter , or it shall be the worse for you . "
but the carter , grumbling to himself , " you make it the worse for me , indeed ! what can you do ? " cracked his whip , and drove his cart over the poor dog , so that the wheels crushed him to death .
" there , " cried the sparrow , " thou cruel villain , thou hast killed my friend the dog .
now mind what i say .
this deed of thine shall cost thee all thou art worth . "
" do your worst , and welcome , " said the brute , " what harm can you do me ? " and passed on .
but the sparrow crept under the tilt of the cart , and pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it ; and then all the wine ran out , without the carter seeing it .
at last he looked round , and saw that the cart was dripping , and the cask quite empty .
" what an unlucky wretch i am ! " cried he .
" not wretch enough yet ! " said the sparrow , as she alighted upon the head of one of the horses , and pecked at him till he reared up and kicked .
when the carter saw this , he drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the sparrow , meaning to kill her ; but she flew away , and the blow fell upon the poor horse"s head with such force , that he fell down dead .
" unlucky wretch that i am ! " cried he .
" not wretch enough yet ! " said the sparrow .
and as the carter went on with the other two horses , she again crept under the tilt of the cart , and pecked out the bung of the second cask , so that all the wine ran out .
when the carter saw this , he again cried out , " miserable wretch that i am ! "
but the sparrow answered , " not wretch enough yet ! " and perched on the head of the second horse , and pecked at him too .
the carter ran up and struck at her again with his hatchet ; but away she flew , and the blow fell upon the second horse and killed him on the spot .
" unlucky wretch that i am ! " said he .
" not wretch enough yet ! " said the sparrow ; and perching upon the third horse , she began to peck him too .
the carter was mad with fury ; and without looking about him , or caring what he was about , struck again at the sparrow ; but killed his third horse as he done the other two .
" alas ! miserable wretch that i am ! " cried he .
" not wretch enough yet ! " answered the sparrow as she flew away ; " now will i plague and punish thee at thy own house . "
the carter was forced at last to leave his cart behind him , and to go home overflowing with rage and vexation .
" alas ! " said he to his wife , " what ill luck has befallen me!--my wine is all spilt , and my horses all three dead . "
" alas ! husband , " replied she , " and a wicked bird has come into the house , and has brought with her all the birds in the world , i am sure , and they have fallen upon our corn in the loft , and are eating it up at such a rate ! "
away ran the husband upstairs , and saw thousands of birds sitting upon the floor eating up his corn , with the sparrow in the midst of them .
" unlucky wretch that i am ! " cried the carter ; for he saw that the corn was almost all gone .
" not wretch enough yet ! " said the sparrow ; " thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life yet ! " and away she flew .
the carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had , went down into his kitchen ; and was still not sorry for what he had done , but sat himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner .
but the sparrow sat on the outside of the window , and cried " carter ! thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life ! "
with that he jumped up in a rage , seized his hatchet , and threw it at the sparrow ; but it missed her , and only broke the window .
the sparrow now hopped in , perched upon the window-seat , and cried , " carter ! it shall cost thee thy life ! "
then he became mad and blind with rage , and struck the window-seat with such force that he cleft it in two : and as the sparrow flew from place to place , the carter and his wife were so furious , that they broke all their furniture , glasses , chairs , benches , the table , and at last the walls , without touching the bird at all .
in the end , however , they caught her : and the wife said , " shall i kill her at once ? "
" no , " cried he , " that is letting her off too easily : she shall die a much more cruel death ; i will eat her . "
but the sparrow began to flutter about , and stretch out her neck and cried , " carter ! it shall cost thee thy life yet ! "
with that he could wait no longer : so he gave his wife the hatchet , and cried , " wife , strike at the bird and kill her in my hand . "
and the wife struck ; but she missed her aim , and hit her husband on the head so that he fell down dead , and the sparrow flew quietly home to her nest .
there was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters .
they slept in twelve beds all in one room ; and when they went to bed , the doors were shut and locked up ; but every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night ; and yet nobody could find out how it happened , or where they had been .
then the king made it known to all the land , that if any person could discover the secret , and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night , he should have the one he liked best for his wife , and should be king after his death ; but whoever tried and did not succeed , after three days and nights , should be put to death .
a king"s son soon came .
he was well entertained , and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds .
there he was to sit and watch where they went to dance ; and , in order that nothing might pass without his hearing it , the door of his chamber was left open .
but the king"s son soon fell asleep ; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing , for the soles of their shoes were full of holes .
the same thing happened the second and third night : so the king ordered his head to be cut off .
after him came several others ; but they had all the same luck , and all lost their lives in the same manner .
now it chanced that an old soldier , who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer , passed through the country where this king reigned : and as he was travelling through a wood , he met an old woman , who asked him where he was going .
" i hardly know where i am going , or what i had better do , " said the soldier ; " but i think i should like very well to find out where it is that the princesses dance , and then in time i might be a king . "
" well , " said the old dame , " that is no very hard task : only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening ; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep . "
then she gave him a cloak , and said , " as soon as you put that on you will become invisible , and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go . "
when the soldier heard all this good counsel , he determined to try his luck : so he went to the king , and said he was willing to undertake the task .
he was as well received as the others had been , and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him ; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber .
just as he was going to lie down , the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine ; but the soldier threw it all away secretly , taking care not to drink a drop .
then he laid himself down on his bed , and in a little while began to snore very loud as if he was fast asleep .
when the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily ; and the eldest said , " this fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way ! "
then they rose up and opened their drawers and boxes , and took out all their fine clothes , and dressed themselves at the glass , and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing .
but the youngest said , " i don"t know how it is , while you are so happy i feel very uneasy ; i am sure some mischance will befall us . "
" you simpleton , " said the eldest , " you are always afraid ; have you forgotten how many kings " sons have already watched in vain ?
and as for this soldier , even if i had not given him his sleeping draught , he would have slept soundly enough . "
when they were all ready , they went and looked at the soldier ; but he snored on , and did not stir hand or foot : so they thought they were quite safe ; and the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands , and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open .
the soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another , the eldest leading the way ; and thinking he had no time to lose , he jumped up , put on the cloak which the old woman had given him , and followed them ; but in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess , and she cried out to her sisters , " all is not right ; someone took hold of my gown . "
" you silly creature ! " said the eldest , " it is nothing but a nail in the wall . "
then down they all went , and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees ; and the leaves were all of silver , and glittered and sparkled beautifully .
the soldier wished to take away some token of the place ; so he broke off a little branch , and there came a loud noise from the tree .
then the youngest daughter said again , " i am sure all is not right--did not you hear that noise ?
that never happened before . "
but the eldest said , " it is only our princes , who are shouting for joy at our approach . "
then they came to another grove of trees , where all the leaves were of gold ; and afterwards to a third , where the leaves were all glittering diamonds .
and the soldier broke a branch from each ; and every time there was a loud noise , which made the youngest sister tremble with fear ; but the eldest still said , it was only the princes , who were crying for joy .
so they went on till they came to a great lake ; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them , who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses .
one of the princesses went into each boat , and the soldier stepped into the same boat with the youngest .
as they were rowing over the lake , the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said , " i do not know why it is , but though i am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual , and i am quite tired : the boat seems very heavy today . "
" it is only the heat of the weather , " said the princess : " i feel it very warm too . "
on the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle , from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets .
there they all landed , and went into the castle , and each prince danced with his princess ; and the soldier , who was all the time invisible , danced with them too ; and when any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her , he drank it all up , so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty .
at this , too , the youngest sister was terribly frightened , but the eldest always silenced her .
they danced on till three o"clock in the morning , and then all their shoes were worn out , so that they were obliged to leave off .
the princes rowed them back again over the lake ( but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess ) ; and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other , the princesses promising to come again the next night .
when they came to the stairs , the soldier ran on before the princesses , and laid himself down ; and as the twelve sisters slowly came up very much tired , they heard him snoring in his bed ; so they said , " now all is quite safe " ; then they undressed themselves , put away their fine clothes , pulled off their shoes , and went to bed .
in the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened , but determined to see more of this strange adventure , and went again the second and third night ; and every thing happened just as before ; the princesses danced each time till their shoes were worn to pieces , and then returned home .
however , on the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been .
as soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret , he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup ; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say .
and when the king asked him .
" where do my twelve daughters dance at night ? " he answered , " with twelve princes in a castle under ground . "
and then he told the king all that had happened , and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him .
then the king called for the princesses , and asked them whether what the soldier said was true : and when they saw that they were discovered , and that it was of no use to deny what had happened , they confessed it all .
and the king asked the soldier which of them he would choose for his wife ; and he answered , " i am not very young , so i will have the eldest."--and they were married that very day , and the soldier was chosen to be the king"s heir .
there was once a fisherman who lived with his wife in a pigsty , close by the seaside .
the fisherman used to go out all day long a-fishing ; and one day , as he sat on the shore with his rod , looking at the sparkling waves and watching his line , all on a sudden his float was dragged away deep into the water : and in drawing it up he pulled out a great fish .
but the fish said , " pray let me live !
i am not a real fish ; i am an enchanted prince : put me in the water again , and let me go ! "
" oh , ho ! " said the man , " you need not make so many words about the matter ; i will have nothing to do with a fish that can talk : so swim away , sir , as soon as you please ! "
then he put him back into the water , and the fish darted straight down to the bottom , and left a long streak of blood behind him on the wave .
when the fisherman went home to his wife in the pigsty , he told her how he had caught a great fish , and how it had told him it was an enchanted prince , and how , on hearing it speak , he had let it go again .
" did not you ask it for anything ? " said the wife , " we live very wretchedly here , in this nasty dirty pigsty ; do go back and tell the fish we want a snug little cottage . "
the fisherman did not much like the business : however , he went to the seashore ; and when he came back there the water looked all yellow and green .
and he stood at the water"s edge , and said : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
then the fish came swimming to him , and said , " well , what is her will ?
what does your wife want ? "
" ah ! " said the fisherman , " she says that when i had caught you , i ought to have asked you for something before i let you go ; she does not like living any longer in the pigsty , and wants a snug little cottage . "
" go home , then , " said the fish ; " she is in the cottage already ! "
so the man went home , and saw his wife standing at the door of a nice trim little cottage .
" come in , come in ! " said she ; " is not this much better than the filthy pigsty we had ? "
and there was a parlour , and a bedchamber , and a kitchen ; and behind the cottage there was a little garden , planted with all sorts of flowers and fruits ; and there was a courtyard behind , full of ducks and chickens .
" ah ! " said the fisherman , " how happily we shall live now ! "
" we will try to do so , at least , " said his wife .
everything went right for a week or two , and then dame ilsabill said , " husband , there is not near room enough for us in this cottage ; the courtyard and the garden are a great deal too small ; i should like to have a large stone castle to live in : go to the fish again and tell him to give us a castle . "
" wife , " said the fisherman , " i don"t like to go to him again , for perhaps he will be angry ; we ought to be easy with this pretty cottage to live in . "
" nonsense ! " said the wife ; " he will do it very willingly , i know ; go along and try ! "
the fisherman went , but his heart was very heavy : and when he came to the sea , it looked blue and gloomy , though it was very calm ; and he went close to the edge of the waves , and said : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
" well , what does she want now ? " said the fish .
" ah ! " said the man , dolefully , " my wife wants to live in a stone castle . "
" go home , then , " said the fish ; " she is standing at the gate of it already . "
so away went the fisherman , and found his wife standing before the gate of a great castle .
" see , " said she , " is not this grand ? "
with that they went into the castle together , and found a great many servants there , and the rooms all richly furnished , and full of golden chairs and tables ; and behind the castle was a garden , and around it was a park half a mile long , full of sheep , and goats , and hares , and deer ; and in the courtyard were stables and cow-houses .
" well , " said the man , " now we will live cheerful and happy in this beautiful castle for the rest of our lives . "
" perhaps we may , " said the wife ; " but let us sleep upon it , before we make up our minds to that . "
so they went to bed .
the next morning when dame ilsabill awoke it was broad daylight , and she jogged the fisherman with her elbow , and said , " get up , husband , and bestir yourself , for we must be king of all the land . "
" wife , wife , " said the man , " why should we wish to be the king ?
i will not be king . "
" then i will , " said she .
" but , wife , " said the fisherman , " how can you be king--the fish cannot make you a king ? "
" husband , " said she , " say no more about it , but go and try !
i will be king . "
so the man went away quite sorrowful to think that his wife should want to be king .
this time the sea looked a dark grey colour , and was overspread with curling waves and the ridges of foam as he cried out : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
" well , what would she have now ? " said the fish .
" alas ! " said the poor man , " my wife wants to be king . "
" go home , " said the fish ; " she is king already . "
then the fisherman went home ; and as he came close to the palace he saw a troop of soldiers , and heard the sound of drums and trumpets .
and when he went in he saw his wife sitting on a throne of gold and diamonds , with a golden crown upon her head ; and on each side of her stood six fair maidens , each a head taller than the other .
" well , wife , " said the fisherman , " are you king ? "
" yes , " said she , " i am king . "
and when he had looked at her for a long time , he said , " ah , wife ! what a fine thing it is to be king !
now we shall never have anything more to wish for as long as we live . "
" i don"t know how that may be , " said she ; " never is a long time .
i am king , it is true ; but i begin to be tired of that , and i think i should like to be emperor . "
" alas , wife ! why should you wish to be emperor ? " said the fisherman .
" husband , " said she , " go to the fish !
i say i will be emperor . "
" ah , wife ! " replied the fisherman , " the fish cannot make an emperor , i am sure , and i should not like to ask him for such a thing . "
" i am king , " said ilsabill , " and you are my slave ; so go at once ! "
so the fisherman was forced to go ; and he muttered as he went along , " this will come to no good , it is too much to ask ; the fish will be tired at last , and then we shall be sorry for what we have done . "
he soon came to the seashore ; and the water was quite black and muddy , and a mighty whirlwind blew over the waves and rolled them about , but he went as near as he could to the water"s brink , and said : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
" what would she have now ? " said the fish .
" ah ! " said the fisherman , " she wants to be emperor . "
" go home , " said the fish ; " she is emperor already . "
so he went home again ; and as he came near he saw his wife ilsabill sitting on a very lofty throne made of solid gold , with a great crown on her head full two yards high ; and on each side of her stood her guards and attendants in a row , each one smaller than the other , from the tallest giant down to a little dwarf no bigger than my finger .
and before her stood princes , and dukes , and earls : and the fisherman went up to her and said , " wife , are you emperor ? "
" yes , " said she , " i am emperor . "
" ah ! " said the man , as he gazed upon her , " what a fine thing it is to be emperor ! "
" husband , " said she , " why should we stop at being emperor ?
i will be pope next . "
" o wife , wife ! " said he , " how can you be pope ? there is but one pope at a time in christendom . "
" husband , " said she , " i will be pope this very day . "
" but , " replied the husband , " the fish cannot make you pope . "
" what nonsense ! " said she ; " if he can make an emperor , he can make a pope : go and try him . "
so the fisherman went .
but when he came to the shore the wind was raging and the sea was tossed up and down in boiling waves , and the ships were in trouble , and rolled fearfully upon the tops of the billows .
in the middle of the heavens there was a little piece of blue sky , but towards the south all was red , as if a dreadful storm was rising .
at this sight the fisherman was dreadfully frightened , and he trembled so that his knees knocked together : but still he went down near to the shore , and said : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
" what does she want now ? " said the fish .
" ah ! " said the fisherman , " my wife wants to be pope . "
" go home , " said the fish ; " she is pope already . "
then the fisherman went home , and found ilsabill sitting on a throne that was two miles high .
and she had three great crowns on her head , and around her stood all the pomp and power of the church .
and on each side of her were two rows of burning lights , of all sizes , the greatest as large as the highest and biggest tower in the world , and the least no larger than a small rushlight .
" wife , " said the fisherman , as he looked at all this greatness , " are you pope ? "
" yes , " said she , " i am pope . "
" well , wife , " replied he , " it is a grand thing to be pope ; and now you must be easy , for you can be nothing greater . "
" i will think about that , " said the wife .
then they went to bed : but dame ilsabill could not sleep all night for thinking what she should be next .
at last , as she was dropping asleep , morning broke , and the sun rose .
" ha ! " thought she , as she woke up and looked at it through the window , " after all i cannot prevent the sun rising . "
at this thought she was very angry , and wakened her husband , and said , " husband , go to the fish and tell him i must be lord of the sun and moon . "
the fisherman was half asleep , but the thought frightened him so much that he started and fell out of bed .
" alas , wife ! " said he , " cannot you be easy with being pope ? "
" no , " said she , " i am very uneasy as long as the sun and moon rise without my leave .
go to the fish at once ! "
then the man went shivering with fear ; and as he was going down to the shore a dreadful storm arose , so that the trees and the very rocks shook .
and all the heavens became black with stormy clouds , and the lightnings played , and the thunders rolled ; and you might have seen in the sea great black waves , swelling up like mountains with crowns of white foam upon their heads .
and the fisherman crept towards the sea , and cried out , as well as he could : " o man of the sea !
hearken to me !
my wife ilsabill will have her own will , and hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! "
" what does she want now ? " said the fish .
" ah ! " said he , " she wants to be lord of the sun and moon . "
" go home , " said the fish , " to your pigsty again . "
and there they live to this very day .
once in summer-time the bear and the wolf were walking in the forest , and the bear heard a bird singing so beautifully that he said : " brother wolf , what bird is it that sings so well ? "
" that is the king of birds , " said the wolf , " before whom we must bow down . "
in reality the bird was the willow-wren .
" if that"s the case , " said the bear , " i should very much like to see his royal palace ; come , take me thither . "
" that is not done quite as you seem to think , " said the wolf ; " you must wait until the queen comes , " soon afterwards , the queen arrived with some food in her beak , and the lord king came too , and they began to feed their young ones .
the bear would have liked to go at once , but the wolf held him back by the sleeve , and said : " no , you must wait until the lord and lady queen have gone away again . "
so they took stock of the hole where the nest lay , and trotted away .
the bear , however , could not rest until he had seen the royal palace , and when a short time had passed , went to it again .
the king and queen had just flown out , so he peeped in and saw five or six young ones lying there .
" is that the royal palace ? " cried the bear ; " it is a wretched palace , and you are not king"s children , you are disreputable children ! "
when the young wrens heard that , they were frightfully angry , and screamed : " no , that we are not !
our parents are honest people !
bear , you will have to pay for that ! "
the bear and the wolf grew uneasy , and turned back and went into their holes .
the young willow-wrens , however , continued to cry and scream , and when their parents again brought food they said : " we will not so much as touch one fly"s leg , no , not if we were dying of hunger , until you have settled whether we are respectable children or not ; the bear has been here and has insulted us ! "
then the old king said : " be easy , he shall be punished , " and he at once flew with the queen to the bear"s cave , and called in : " old growler , why have you insulted my children ?
you shall suffer for it--we will punish you by a bloody war . "
thus war was announced to the bear , and all four-footed animals were summoned to take part in it , oxen , asses , cows , deer , and every other animal the earth contained .
and the willow-wren summoned everything which flew in the air , not only birds , large and small , but midges , and hornets , bees and flies had to come .
when the time came for the war to begin , the willow-wren sent out spies to discover who was the enemy"s commander-in-chief .
the gnat , who was the most crafty , flew into the forest where the enemy was assembled , and hid herself beneath a leaf of the tree where the password was to be announced .
there stood the bear , and he called the fox before him and said : " fox , you are the most cunning of all animals , you shall be general and lead us . "
" good , " said the fox , " but what signal shall we agree upon ? "
no one knew that , so the fox said : " i have a fine long bushy tail , which almost looks like a plume of red feathers .
when i lift my tail up quite high , all is going well , and you must charge ; but if i let it hang down , run away as fast as you can . "
when the gnat had heard that , she flew away again , and revealed everything , down to the minutest detail , to the willow-wren .
when day broke , and the battle was to begin , all the four-footed animals came running up with such a noise that the earth trembled .
the willow-wren with his army also came flying through the air with such a humming , and whirring , and swarming that every one was uneasy and afraid , and on both sides they advanced against each other .
but the willow-wren sent down the hornet , with orders to settle beneath the fox"s tail , and sting with all his might .
when the fox felt the first string , he started so that he lifted one leg , from pain , but he bore it , and still kept his tail high in the air ; at the second sting , he was forced to put it down for a moment ; at the third , he could hold out no longer , screamed , and put his tail between his legs .
when the animals saw that , they thought all was lost , and began to flee , each into his hole , and the birds had won the battle .
then the king and queen flew home to their children and cried : " children , rejoice , eat and drink to your heart"s content , we have won the battle ! "
but the young wrens said : " we will not eat yet , the bear must come to the nest , and beg for pardon and say that we are honourable children , before we will do that . "
then the willow-wren flew to the bear"s hole and cried : " growler , you are to come to the nest to my children , and beg their pardon , or else every rib of your body shall be broken . "
so the bear crept thither in the greatest fear , and begged their pardon .
and now at last the young wrens were satisfied , and sat down together and ate and drank , and made merry till quite late into the night .
one fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs , and went out to take a walk by herself in a wood ; and when she came to a cool spring of water , that rose in the midst of it , she sat herself down to rest a while .
now she had a golden ball in her hand , which was her favourite plaything ; and she was always tossing it up into the air , and catching it again as it fell .
after a time she threw it up so high that she missed catching it as it fell ; and the ball bounded away , and rolled along upon the ground , till at last it fell down into the spring .
the princess looked into the spring after her ball , but it was very deep , so deep that she could not see the bottom of it .
then she began to bewail her loss , and said , " alas ! if i could only get my ball again , i would give all my fine clothes and jewels , and everything that i have in the world . "
whilst she was speaking , a frog put its head out of the water , and said , " princess , why do you weep so bitterly ? "
" alas ! " said she , " what can you do for me , you nasty frog ?
my golden ball has fallen into the spring . "
the frog said , " i want not your pearls , and jewels , and fine clothes ; but if you will love me , and let me live with you and eat from off your golden plate , and sleep upon your bed , i will bring you your ball again . "
" what nonsense , " thought the princess , " this silly frog is talking !
he can never even get out of the spring to visit me , though he may be able to get my ball for me , and therefore i will tell him he shall have what he asks . "
so she said to the frog , " well , if you will bring me my ball , i will do all you ask . "
then the frog put his head down , and dived deep under the water ; and after a little while he came up again , with the ball in his mouth , and threw it on the edge of the spring .
as soon as the young princess saw her ball , she ran to pick it up ; and she was so overjoyed to have it in her hand again , that she never thought of the frog , but ran home with it as fast as she could .
the frog called after her , " stay , princess , and take me with you as you said , " but she did not stop to hear a word .
the next day , just as the princess had sat down to dinner , she heard a strange noise--tap , tap--plash , plash--as if something was coming up the marble staircase : and soon afterwards there was a gentle knock at the door , and a little voice cried out and said : " open the door , my princess dear , open the door to thy true love here !
and mind the words that thou and i said by the fountain cool , in the greenwood shade . "
then the princess ran to the door and opened it , and there she saw the frog , whom she had quite forgotten .
at this sight she was sadly frightened , and shutting the door as fast as she could came back to her seat .
the king , her father , seeing that something had frightened her , asked her what was the matter .
" there is a nasty frog , " said she , " at the door , that lifted my ball for me out of the spring this morning : i told him that he should live with me here , thinking that he could never get out of the spring ; but there he is at the door , and he wants to come in . "
while she was speaking the frog knocked again at the door , and said : " open the door , my princess dear , open the door to thy true love here !
and mind the words that thou and i said by the fountain cool , in the greenwood shade . "
then the king said to the young princess , " as you have given your word you must keep it ; so go and let him in . "
she did so , and the frog hopped into the room , and then straight on--tap , tap--plash , plash--from the bottom of the room to the top , till he came up close to the table where the princess sat .
" pray lift me upon chair , " said he to the princess , " and let me sit next to you . "
as soon as she had done this , the frog said , " put your plate nearer to me , that i may eat out of it . "
this she did , and when he had eaten as much as he could , he said , " now i am tired ; carry me upstairs , and put me into your bed . "
and the princess , though very unwilling , took him up in her hand , and put him upon the pillow of her own bed , where he slept all night long .
as soon as it was light he jumped up , hopped downstairs , and went out of the house .
" now , then , " thought the princess , " at last he is gone , and i shall be troubled with him no more . "
but she was mistaken ; for when night came again she heard the same tapping at the door ; and the frog came once more , and said : " open the door , my princess dear , open the door to thy true love here !
and mind the words that thou and i said by the fountain cool , in the greenwood shade . "
and when the princess opened the door the frog came in , and slept upon her pillow as before , till the morning broke .
and the third night he did the same .
but when the princess awoke on the following morning she was astonished to see , instead of the frog , a handsome prince , gazing on her with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen , and standing at the head of her bed .
he told her that he had been enchanted by a spiteful fairy , who had changed him into a frog ; and that he had been fated so to abide till some princess should take him out of the spring , and let him eat from her plate , and sleep upon her bed for three nights .
" you , " said the prince , " have broken his cruel charm , and now i have nothing to wish for but that you should go with me into my father"s kingdom , where i will marry you , and love you as long as you live . "
the young princess , you may be sure , was not long in saying " yes " to all this ; and as they spoke a gay coach drove up , with eight beautiful horses , decked with plumes of feathers and a golden harness ; and behind the coach rode the prince"s servant , faithful heinrich , who had bewailed the misfortunes of his dear master during his enchantment so long and so bitterly , that his heart had well-nigh burst .
they then took leave of the king , and got into the coach with eight horses , and all set out , full of joy and merriment , for the prince"s kingdom , which they reached safely ; and there they lived happily a great many years .
a certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse , and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her , that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together .
" but we must make a provision for winter , or else we shall suffer from hunger , " said the cat ; " and you , little mouse , cannot venture everywhere , or you will be caught in a trap some day . "
the good advice was followed , and a pot of fat was bought , but they did not know where to put it .
at length , after much consideration , the cat said : " i know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church , for no one dares take anything away from there .
we will set it beneath the altar , and not touch it until we are really in need of it . "
so the pot was placed in safety , but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it , and said to the mouse : " i want to tell you something , little mouse ; my cousin has brought a little son into the world , and has asked me to be godmother ; he is white with brown spots , and i am to hold him over the font at the christening .
let me go out today , and you look after the house by yourself . "
" yes , yes , " answered the mouse , " by all means go , and if you get anything very good to eat , think of me .
i should like a drop of sweet red christening wine myself . "
all this , however , was untrue ; the cat had no cousin , and had not been asked to be godmother .
she went straight to the church , stole to the pot of fat , began to lick at it , and licked the top of the fat off .
then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town , looked out for opportunities , and then stretched herself in the sun , and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat , and not until it was evening did she return home .
" well , here you are again , " said the mouse , " no doubt you have had a merry day . "
" all went off well , " answered the cat .
" what name did they give the child ? "
" top off ! " said the cat quite coolly .
" top off ! " cried the mouse , " that is a very odd and uncommon name , is it a usual one in your family ? "
" what does that matter , " said the cat , " it is no worse than crumb-stealer , as your godchildren are called . "
before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning .
she said to the mouse : " you must do me a favour , and once more manage the house for a day alone .
i am again asked to be godmother , and , as the child has a white ring round its neck , i cannot refuse . "
the good mouse consented , but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church , and devoured half the pot of fat .
" nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself , " said she , and was quite satisfied with her day"s work .
when she went home the mouse inquired : " and what was the child christened ? "
" half-done , " answered the cat .
" half-done !
what are you saying ?
i never heard the name in my life , i"ll wager anything it is not in the calendar ! "
the cat"s mouth soon began to water for some more licking .
" all good things go in threes , " said she , " i am asked to stand godmother again .
the child is quite black , only it has white paws , but with that exception , it has not a single white hair on its whole body ; this only happens once every few years , you will let me go , won"t you ? "
" top-off !
half-done ! " answered the mouse , " they are such odd names , they make me very thoughtful . "
" you sit at home , " said the cat , " in your dark-grey fur coat and long tail , and are filled with fancies , that"s because you do not go out in the daytime . "
during the cat"s absence the mouse cleaned the house , and put it in order , but the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat .
" when everything is eaten up one has some peace , " said she to herself , and well filled and fat she did not return home till night .
the mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child .
" it will not please you more than the others , " said the cat .
" he is called all-gone . "
" all-gone , " cried the mouse " that is the most suspicious name of all !
i have never seen it in print .
all-gone ; what can that mean ? " and she shook her head , curled herself up , and lay down to sleep .
from this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother , but when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside , the mouse thought of their provision , and said : " come , cat , we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves--we shall enjoy that . "
" yes , " answered the cat , " you will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window . "
they set out on their way , but when they arrived , the pot of fat certainly was still in its place , but it was empty .
" alas ! " said the mouse , " now i see what has happened , now it comes to light !
you are a true friend !
you have devoured all when you were standing godmother .
first top off , then half-done , then - - " " will you hold your tongue , " cried the cat , " one word more , and i will eat you too . "
" all-gone " was already on the poor mouse"s lips ; scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her , seized her , and swallowed her down .
verily , that is the way of the world .
the king of a great land died , and left his queen to take care of their only child .
this child was a daughter , who was very beautiful ; and her mother loved her dearly , and was very kind to her .
and there was a good fairy too , who was fond of the princess , and helped her mother to watch over her .
when she grew up , she was betrothed to a prince who lived a great way off ; and as the time drew near for her to be married , she got ready to set off on her journey to his country .
then the queen her mother , packed up a great many costly things ; jewels , and gold , and silver ; trinkets , fine dresses , and in short everything that became a royal bride .
and she gave her a waiting-maid to ride with her , and give her into the bridegroom"s hands ; and each had a horse for the journey .
now the princess"s horse was the fairy"s gift , and it was called falada , and could speak .
when the time came for them to set out , the fairy went into her bed-chamber , and took a little knife , and cut off a lock of her hair , and gave it to the princess , and said , " take care of it , dear child ; for it is a charm that may be of use to you on the road . "
then they all took a sorrowful leave of the princess ; and she put the lock of hair into her bosom , got upon her horse , and set off on her journey to her bridegroom"s kingdom .
one day , as they were riding along by a brook , the princess began to feel very thirsty : and she said to her maid , " pray get down , and fetch me some water in my golden cup out of yonder brook , for i want to drink . "
" nay , " said the maid , " if you are thirsty , get off yourself , and stoop down by the water and drink ; i shall not be your waiting-maid any longer . "
then she was so thirsty that she got down , and knelt over the little brook , and drank ; for she was frightened , and dared not bring out her golden cup ; and she wept and said , " alas ! what will become of me ? "
and the lock answered her , and said : " alas ! alas ! if thy mother knew it , sadly , sadly , would she rue it . "
but the princess was very gentle and meek , so she said nothing to her maid"s ill behaviour , but got upon her horse again .
then all rode farther on their journey , till the day grew so warm , and the sun so scorching , that the bride began to feel very thirsty again ; and at last , when they came to a river , she forgot her maid"s rude speech , and said , " pray get down , and fetch me some water to drink in my golden cup . "
but the maid answered her , and even spoke more haughtily than before : " drink if you will , but i shall not be your waiting-maid . "
then the princess was so thirsty that she got off her horse , and lay down , and held her head over the running stream , and cried and said , " what will become of me ? "
and the lock of hair answered her again : " alas ! alas ! if thy mother knew it , sadly , sadly , would she rue it . "
and as she leaned down to drink , the lock of hair fell from her bosom , and floated away with the water .
now she was so frightened that she did not see it ; but her maid saw it , and was very glad , for she knew the charm ; and she saw that the poor bride would be in her power , now that she had lost the hair .
so when the bride had done drinking , and would have got upon falada again , the maid said , " i shall ride upon falada , and you may have my horse instead " ; so she was forced to give up her horse , and soon afterwards to take off her royal clothes and put on her maid"s shabby ones .
at last , as they drew near the end of their journey , this treacherous servant threatened to kill her mistress if she ever told anyone what had happened .
but falada saw it all , and marked it well .
then the waiting-maid got upon falada , and the real bride rode upon the other horse , and they went on in this way till at last they came to the royal court .
there was great joy at their coming , and the prince flew to meet them , and lifted the maid from her horse , thinking she was the one who was to be his wife ; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber ; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below .
now the old king happened just then to have nothing else to do ; so he amused himself by sitting at his kitchen window , looking at what was going on ; and he saw her in the courtyard .
as she looked very pretty , and too delicate for a waiting-maid , he went up into the royal chamber to ask the bride who it was she had brought with her , that was thus left standing in the court below .
" i brought her with me for the sake of her company on the road , " said she ; " pray give the girl some work to do , that she may not be idle . "
the old king could not for some time think of any work for her to do ; but at last he said , " i have a lad who takes care of my geese ; she may go and help him . "
now the name of this lad , that the real bride was to help in watching the king"s geese , was curdken .
but the false bride said to the prince , " dear husband , pray do me one piece of kindness . "
" that i will , " said the prince .
" then tell one of your slaughterers to cut off the head of the horse i rode upon , for it was very unruly , and plagued me sadly on the road " ; but the truth was , she was very much afraid lest falada should some day or other speak , and tell all she had done to the princess .
she carried her point , and the faithful falada was killed ; but when the true princess heard of it , she wept , and begged the man to nail up falada"s head against a large dark gate of the city , through which she had to pass every morning and evening , that there she might still see him sometimes .
then the slaughterer said he would do as she wished ; and cut off the head , and nailed it up under the dark gate .
early the next morning , as she and curdken went out through the gate , she said sorrowfully : " falada , falada , there thou hangest ! " and the head answered : " bride , bride , there thou gangest !
alas ! alas ! if thy mother knew it , sadly , sadly , would she rue it . "
then they went out of the city , and drove the geese on .
and when she came to the meadow , she sat down upon a bank there , and let down her waving locks of hair , which were all of pure silver ; and when curdken saw it glitter in the sun , he ran up , and would have pulled some of the locks out , but she cried : " blow , breezes , blow !
let curdken"s hat go !
blow , breezes , blow !
let him after it go !
o"er hills , dales , and rocks , away be it whirl"d till the silvery locks are all comb"d and curl"d !
then there came a wind , so strong that it blew off curdken"s hat ; and away it flew over the hills : and he was forced to turn and run after it ; till , by the time he came back , she had done combing and curling her hair , and had put it up again safe .
then he was very angry and sulky , and would not speak to her at all ; but they watched the geese until it grew dark in the evening , and then drove them homewards .
the next morning , as they were going through the dark gate , the poor girl looked up at falada"s head , and cried : " falada , falada , there thou hangest ! " and the head answered : " bride , bride , there thou gangest !
alas ! alas ! if thy mother knew it , sadly , sadly , would she rue it . "
then she drove on the geese , and sat down again in the meadow , and began to comb out her hair as before ; and curdken ran up to her , and wanted to take hold of it ; but she cried out quickly : " blow , breezes , blow !
let curdken"s hat go !
blow , breezes , blow !
let him after it go !
o"er hills , dales , and rocks , away be it whirl"d till the silvery locks are all comb"d and curl"d !
then the wind came and blew away his hat ; and off it flew a great way , over the hills and far away , so that he had to run after it ; and when he came back she had bound up her hair again , and all was safe .
so they watched the geese till it grew dark .
in the evening , after they came home , curdken went to the old king , and said , " i cannot have that strange girl to help me to keep the geese any longer . "
" why ? " said the king .
" because , instead of doing any good , she does nothing but tease me all day long . "
then the king made him tell him what had happened .
and curdken said , " when we go in the morning through the dark gate with our flock of geese , she cries and talks with the head of a horse that hangs upon the wall , and says : " falada , falada , there thou hangest ! " and the head answers : " bride , bride , there thou gangest !
alas ! alas ! if thy mother knew it , sadly , sadly , would she rue it . "
and curdken went on telling the king what had happened upon the meadow where the geese fed ; how his hat was blown away ; and how he was forced to run after it , and to leave his flock of geese to themselves .
but the old king told the boy to go out again the next day : and when morning came , he placed himself behind the dark gate , and heard how she spoke to falada , and how falada answered .
then he went into the field , and hid himself in a bush by the meadow"s side ; and he soon saw with his own eyes how they drove the flock of geese ; and how , after a little time , she let down her hair that glittered in the sun .
and then he heard her say : " blow , breezes , blow !
let curdken"s hat go !
blow , breezes , blow !
let him after it go !
o"er hills , dales , and rocks , away be it whirl"d till the silvery locks are all comb"d and curl"d !
and soon came a gale of wind , and carried away curdken"s hat , and away went curdken after it , while the girl went on combing and curling her hair .
all this the old king saw : so he went home without being seen ; and when the little goose-girl came back in the evening he called her aside , and asked her why she did so : but she burst into tears , and said , " that i must not tell you or any man , or i shall lose my life . "
but the old king begged so hard , that she had no peace till she had told him all the tale , from beginning to end , word for word .
and it was very lucky for her that she did so , for when she had done the king ordered royal clothes to be put upon her , and gazed on her with wonder , she was so beautiful .
then he called his son and told him that he had only a false bride ; for that she was merely a waiting-maid , while the true bride stood by .
and the young king rejoiced when he saw her beauty , and heard how meek and patient she had been ; and without saying anything to the false bride , the king ordered a great feast to be got ready for all his court .
the bridegroom sat at the top , with the false princess on one side , and the true one on the other ; but nobody knew her again , for her beauty was quite dazzling to their eyes ; and she did not seem at all like the little goose-girl , now that she had her brilliant dress on .
when they had eaten and drank , and were very merry , the old king said he would tell them a tale .
so he began , and told all the story of the princess , as if it was one that he had once heard ; and he asked the true waiting-maid what she thought ought to be done to anyone who would behave thus .
" nothing better , " said this false bride , " than that she should be thrown into a cask stuck round with sharp nails , and that two white horses should be put to it , and should drag it from street to street till she was dead . "
" thou art she ! " said the old king ; " and as thou has judged thyself , so shall it be done to thee . "
and the young king was then married to his true wife , and they reigned over the kingdom in peace and happiness all their lives ; and the good fairy came to see them , and restored the faithful falada to life again .
" the nuts are quite ripe now , " said chanticleer to his wife partlet , " suppose we go together to the mountains , and eat as many as we can , before the squirrel takes them all away . "
" with all my heart , " said partlet , " let us go and make a holiday of it together . "
so they went to the mountains ; and as it was a lovely day , they stayed there till the evening .
now , whether it was that they had eaten so many nuts that they could not walk , or whether they were lazy and would not , i do not know : however , they took it into their heads that it did not become them to go home on foot .
so chanticleer began to build a little carriage of nutshells : and when it was finished , partlet jumped into it and sat down , and bid chanticleer harness himself to it and draw her home .
" that"s a good joke ! " said chanticleer ; " no , that will never do ; i had rather by half walk home ; i"ll sit on the box and be coachman , if you like , but i"ll not draw . "
while this was passing , a duck came quacking up and cried out , " you thieving vagabonds , what business have you in my grounds ?
i"ll give it you well for your insolence ! " and upon that she fell upon chanticleer most lustily .
but chanticleer was no coward , and returned the duck"s blows with his sharp spurs so fiercely that she soon began to cry out for mercy ; which was only granted her upon condition that she would draw the carriage home for them .
this she agreed to do ; and chanticleer got upon the box , and drove , crying , " now , duck , get on as fast as you can . "
and away they went at a pretty good pace .
after they had travelled along a little way , they met a needle and a pin walking together along the road : and the needle cried out , " stop , stop ! " and said it was so dark that they could hardly find their way , and such dirty walking they could not get on at all : he told them that he and his friend , the pin , had been at a public-house a few miles off , and had sat drinking till they had forgotten how late it was ; he begged therefore that the travellers would be so kind as to give them a lift in their carriage .
chanticleer observing that they were but thin fellows , and not likely to take up much room , told them they might ride , but made them promise not to dirty the wheels of the carriage in getting in , nor to tread on partlet"s toes .
late at night they arrived at an inn ; and as it was bad travelling in the dark , and the duck seemed much tired , and waddled about a good deal from one side to the other , they made up their minds to fix their quarters there : but the landlord at first was unwilling , and said his house was full , thinking they might not be very respectable company : however , they spoke civilly to him , and gave him the egg which partlet had laid by the way , and said they would give him the duck , who was in the habit of laying one every day : so at last he let them come in , and they bespoke a handsome supper , and spent the evening very jollily .
early in the morning , before it was quite light , and when nobody was stirring in the inn , chanticleer awakened his wife , and , fetching the egg , they pecked a hole in it , ate it up , and threw the shells into the fireplace : they then went to the pin and needle , who were fast asleep , and seizing them by the heads , stuck one into the landlord"s easy chair and the other into his handkerchief ; and , having done this , they crept away as softly as possible .
however , the duck , who slept in the open air in the yard , heard them coming , and jumping into the brook which ran close by the inn , soon swam out of their reach .
an hour or two afterwards the landlord got up , and took his handkerchief to wipe his face , but the pin ran into him and pricked him : then he walked into the kitchen to light his pipe at the fire , but when he stirred it up the eggshells flew into his eyes , and almost blinded him .
" bless me ! " said he , " all the world seems to have a design against my head this morning " : and so saying , he threw himself sulkily into his easy chair ; but , oh dear ! the needle ran into him ; and this time the pain was not in his head .
he now flew into a very great passion , and , suspecting the company who had come in the night before , he went to look after them , but they were all off ; so he swore that he never again would take in such a troop of vagabonds , who ate a great deal , paid no reckoning , and gave him nothing for his trouble but their apish tricks .
another day , chanticleer and partlet wished to ride out together ; so chanticleer built a handsome carriage with four red wheels , and harnessed six mice to it ; and then he and partlet got into the carriage , and away they drove .
soon afterwards a cat met them , and said , " where are you going ? "
and chanticleer replied , " all on our way a visit to pay to mr korbes , the fox , today . "
then the cat said , " take me with you , " chanticleer said , " with all my heart : get up behind , and be sure you do not fall off . "
" take care of this handsome coach of mine , nor dirty my pretty red wheels so fine !
now , mice , be ready , and , wheels , run steady !
for we are going a visit to pay to mr korbes , the fox , today . "
soon after came up a millstone , an egg , a duck , and a pin ; and chanticleer gave them all leave to get into the carriage and go with them .
when they arrived at mr korbes"s house , he was not at home ; so the mice drew the carriage into the coach-house , chanticleer and partlet flew upon a beam , the cat sat down in the fireplace , the duck got into the washing cistern , the pin stuck himself into the bed pillow , the millstone laid himself over the house door , and the egg rolled himself up in the towel .
when mr korbes came home , he went to the fireplace to make a fire ; but the cat threw all the ashes in his eyes : so he ran to the kitchen to wash himself ; but there the duck splashed all the water in his face ; and when he tried to wipe himself , the egg broke to pieces in the towel all over his face and eyes .
then he was very angry , and went without his supper to bed ; but when he laid his head on the pillow , the pin ran into his cheek : at this he became quite furious , and , jumping up , would have run out of the house ; but when he came to the door , the millstone fell down on his head , and killed him on the spot .
another day chanticleer and partlet agreed to go again to the mountains to eat nuts ; and it was settled that all the nuts which they found should be shared equally between them .
now partlet found a very large nut ; but she said nothing about it to chanticleer , and kept it all to herself : however , it was so big that she could not swallow it , and it stuck in her throat .
then she was in a great fright , and cried out to chanticleer , " pray run as fast as you can , and fetch me some water , or i shall be choked . "
chanticleer ran as fast as he could to the river , and said , " river , give me some water , for partlet lies in the mountain , and will be choked by a great nut . "
the river said , " run first to the bride , and ask her for a silken cord to draw up the water . "
chanticleer ran to the bride , and said , " bride , you must give me a silken cord , for then the river will give me water , and the water i will carry to partlet , who lies on the mountain , and will be choked by a great nut . "
but the bride said , " run first , and bring me my garland that is hanging on a willow in the garden . "
then chanticleer ran to the garden , and took the garland from the bough where it hung , and brought it to the bride ; and then the bride gave him the silken cord , and he took the silken cord to the river , and the river gave him water , and he carried the water to partlet ; but in the meantime she was choked by the great nut , and lay quite dead , and never moved any more .
then chanticleer was very sorry , and cried bitterly ; and all the beasts came and wept with him over poor partlet .
and six mice built a little hearse to carry her to her grave ; and when it was ready they harnessed themselves before it , and chanticleer drove them .
on the way they met the fox .
" where are you going , chanticleer ? " said he .
" to bury my partlet , " said the other .
" may i go with you ? " said the fox .
" yes ; but you must get up behind , or my horses will not be able to draw you . "
then the fox got up behind ; and presently the wolf , the bear , the goat , and all the beasts of the wood , came and climbed upon the hearse .
so on they went till they came to a rapid stream .
" how shall we get over ? " said chanticleer .
then said a straw , " i will lay myself across , and you may pass over upon me . "
but as the mice were going over , the straw slipped away and fell into the water , and the six mice all fell in and were drowned .
what was to be done ?
then a large log of wood came and said , " i am big enough ; i will lay myself across the stream , and you shall pass over upon me . "
so he laid himself down ; but they managed so clumsily , that the log of wood fell in and was carried away by the stream .
then a stone , who saw what had happened , came up and kindly offered to help poor chanticleer by laying himself across the stream ; and this time he got safely to the other side with the hearse , and managed to get partlet out of it ; but the fox and the other mourners , who were sitting behind , were too heavy , and fell back into the water and were all carried away by the stream and drowned .
thus chanticleer was left alone with his dead partlet ; and having dug a grave for her , he laid her in it , and made a little hillock over her .
then he sat down by the grave , and wept and mourned , till at last he died too ; and so all were dead .
there were once a man and a woman who had long in vain wished for a child .
at length the woman hoped that god was about to grant her desire .
these people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen , which was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs .
it was , however , surrounded by a high wall , and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an enchantress , who had great power and was dreaded by all the world .
one day the woman was standing by this window and looking down into the garden , when she saw a bed which was planted with the most beautiful rampion ( rapunzel ) , and it looked so fresh and green that she longed for it , she quite pined away , and began to look pale and miserable .
then her husband was alarmed , and asked : " what ails you , dear wife ? "
" ah , " she replied , " if i can"t eat some of the rampion , which is in the garden behind our house , i shall die . "
the man , who loved her , thought : " sooner than let your wife die , bring her some of the rampion yourself , let it cost what it will . "
at twilight , he clambered down over the wall into the garden of the enchantress , hastily clutched a handful of rampion , and took it to his wife .
she at once made herself a salad of it , and ate it greedily .
it tasted so good to her--so very good , that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before .
if he was to have any rest , her husband must once more descend into the garden .
in the gloom of evening therefore , he let himself down again ; but when he had clambered down the wall he was terribly afraid , for he saw the enchantress standing before him .
" how can you dare , " said she with angry look , " descend into my garden and steal my rampion like a thief ?
you shall suffer for it ! "
" ah , " answered he , " let mercy take the place of justice , i only made up my mind to do it out of necessity .
my wife saw your rampion from the window , and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat . "
then the enchantress allowed her anger to be softened , and said to him : " if the case be as you say , i will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you will , only i make one condition , you must give me the child which your wife will bring into the world ; it shall be well treated , and i will care for it like a mother . "
the man in his terror consented to everything , and when the woman was brought to bed , the enchantress appeared at once , gave the child the name of rapunzel , and took it away with her .
rapunzel grew into the most beautiful child under the sun .
when she was twelve years old , the enchantress shut her into a tower , which lay in a forest , and had neither stairs nor door , but quite at the top was a little window .
when the enchantress wanted to go in , she placed herself beneath it and cried : " rapunzel , rapunzel , let down your hair to me . "
rapunzel had magnificent long hair , fine as spun gold , and when she heard the voice of the enchantress she unfastened her braided tresses , wound them round one of the hooks of the window above , and then the hair fell twenty ells down , and the enchantress climbed up by it .
after a year or two , it came to pass that the king"s son rode through the forest and passed by the tower .
then he heard a song , which was so charming that he stood still and listened .
this was rapunzel , who in her solitude passed her time in letting her sweet voice resound .
the king"s son wanted to climb up to her , and looked for the door of the tower , but none was to be found .
he rode home , but the singing had so deeply touched his heart , that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it .
once when he was thus standing behind a tree , he saw that an enchantress came there , and he heard how she cried : " rapunzel , rapunzel , let down your hair to me . "
then rapunzel let down the braids of her hair , and the enchantress climbed up to her .
" if that is the ladder by which one mounts , i too will try my fortune , " said he , and the next day when it began to grow dark , he went to the tower and cried : " rapunzel , rapunzel , let down your hair to me . "
immediately the hair fell down and the king"s son climbed up .
at first rapunzel was terribly frightened when a man , such as her eyes had never yet beheld , came to her ; but the king"s son began to talk to her quite like a friend , and told her that his heart had been so stirred that it had let him have no rest , and he had been forced to see her .
then rapunzel lost her fear , and when he asked her if she would take him for her husband , and she saw that he was young and handsome , she thought : " he will love me more than old dame gothel does " ; and she said yes , and laid her hand in his .
she said : " i will willingly go away with you , but i do not know how to get down .
bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come , and i will weave a ladder with it , and when that is ready i will descend , and you will take me on your horse . "
they agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening , for the old woman came by day .
the enchantress remarked nothing of this , until once rapunzel said to her : " tell me , dame gothel , how it happens that you are so much heavier for me to draw up than the young king"s son--he is with me in a moment . "
" ah ! you wicked child , " cried the enchantress .
" what do i hear you say !
i thought i had separated you from all the world , and yet you have deceived me ! "
in her anger she clutched rapunzel"s beautiful tresses , wrapped them twice round her left hand , seized a pair of scissors with the right , and snip , snap , they were cut off , and the lovely braids lay on the ground .
and she was so pitiless that she took poor rapunzel into a desert where she had to live in great grief and misery .
on the same day that she cast out rapunzel , however , the enchantress fastened the braids of hair , which she had cut off , to the hook of the window , and when the king"s son came and cried : " rapunzel , rapunzel , let down your hair to me . " she let the hair down .
the king"s son ascended , but instead of finding his dearest rapunzel , he found the enchantress , who gazed at him with wicked and venomous looks .
" aha ! " she cried mockingly , " you would fetch your dearest , but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest ; the cat has got it , and will scratch out your eyes as well .
rapunzel is lost to you ; you will never see her again . "
the king"s son was beside himself with pain , and in his despair he leapt down from the tower .
he escaped with his life , but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes .
then he wandered quite blind about the forest , ate nothing but roots and berries , and did naught but lament and weep over the loss of his dearest wife .
thus he roamed about in misery for some years , and at length came to the desert where rapunzel , with the twins to which she had given birth , a boy and a girl , lived in wretchedness .
he heard a voice , and it seemed so familiar to him that he went towards it , and when he approached , rapunzel knew him and fell on his neck and wept .
two of her tears wetted his eyes and they grew clear again , and he could see with them as before .
he led her to his kingdom where he was joyfully received , and they lived for a long time afterwards , happy and contented .
there was once a forester who went into the forest to hunt , and as he entered it he heard a sound of screaming as if a little child were there .
he followed the sound , and at last came to a high tree , and at the top of this a little child was sitting , for the mother had fallen asleep under the tree with the child , and a bird of prey had seen it in her arms , had flown down , snatched it away , and set it on the high tree .
the forester climbed up , brought the child down , and thought to himself : " you will take him home with you , and bring him up with your lina . "
he took it home , therefore , and the two children grew up together .
and the one , which he had found on a tree was called fundevogel , because a bird had carried it away .
fundevogel and lina loved each other so dearly that when they did not see each other they were sad .
now the forester had an old cook , who one evening took two pails and began to fetch water , and did not go once only , but many times , out to the spring .
lina saw this and said , " listen , old sanna , why are you fetching so much water ? "
" if you will never repeat it to anyone , i will tell you why . "
so lina said , no , she would never repeat it to anyone , and then the cook said : " early tomorrow morning , when the forester is out hunting , i will heat the water , and when it is boiling in the kettle , i will throw in fundevogel , and will boil him in it . "
early next morning the forester got up and went out hunting , and when he was gone the children were still in bed .
then lina said to fundevogel : " if you will never leave me , i too will never leave you . "
fundevogel said : " neither now , nor ever will i leave you . "
then said lina : " then will i tell you .
last night , old sanna carried so many buckets of water into the house that i asked her why she was doing that , and she said that if i would promise not to tell anyone , and she said that early tomorrow morning when father was out hunting , she would set the kettle full of water , throw you into it and boil you ; but we will get up quickly , dress ourselves , and go away together . "
the two children therefore got up , dressed themselves quickly , and went away .
when the water in the kettle was boiling , the cook went into the bedroom to fetch fundevogel and throw him into it .
but when she came in , and went to the beds , both the children were gone .
then she was terribly alarmed , and she said to herself : " what shall i say now when the forester comes home and sees that the children are gone ?
they must be followed instantly to get them back again . "
then the cook sent three servants after them , who were to run and overtake the children .
the children , however , were sitting outside the forest , and when they saw from afar the three servants running , lina said to fundevogel : " never leave me , and i will never leave you . "
fundevogel said : " neither now , nor ever . "
then said lina : " do you become a rose-tree , and i the rose upon it . "
when the three servants came to the forest , nothing was there but a rose-tree and one rose on it , but the children were nowhere .
then said they : " there is nothing to be done here , " and they went home and told the cook that they had seen nothing in the forest but a little rose-bush with one rose on it .
then the old cook scolded and said : " you simpletons , you should have cut the rose-bush in two , and have broken off the rose and brought it home with you ; go , and do it at once . "
they had therefore to go out and look for the second time .
the children , however , saw them coming from a distance .
then lina said : " fundevogel , never leave me , and i will never leave you . "
fundevogel said : " neither now ; nor ever . "
said lina : " then do you become a church , and i"ll be the chandelier in it . "
so when the three servants came , nothing was there but a church , with a chandelier in it .
they said therefore to each other : " what can we do here , let us go home . "
when they got home , the cook asked if they had not found them ; so they said no , they had found nothing but a church , and there was a chandelier in it .
and the cook scolded them and said : " you fools ! why did you not pull the church to pieces , and bring the chandelier home with you ? "
and now the old cook herself got on her legs , and went with the three servants in pursuit of the children .
the children , however , saw from afar that the three servants were coming , and the cook waddling after them .
then said lina : " fundevogel , never leave me , and i will never leave you . "
then said fundevogel : " neither now , nor ever . "
said lina : " be a fishpond , and i will be the duck upon it . "
the cook , however , came up to them , and when she saw the pond she lay down by it , and was about to drink it up .
but the duck swam quickly to her , seized her head in its beak and drew her into the water , and there the old witch had to drown .
then the children went home together , and were heartily delighted , and if they have not died , they are living still .
one summer"s morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window ; he was in good spirits , and sewed with all his might .
then came a peasant woman down the street crying : " good jams , cheap !
good jams , cheap ! "
this rang pleasantly in the tailor"s ears ; he stretched his delicate head out of the window , and called : " come up here , dear woman ; here you will get rid of your goods . "
the woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket , and he made her unpack all the pots for him .
he inspected each one , lifted it up , put his nose to it , and at length said : " the jam seems to me to be good , so weigh me out four ounces , dear woman , and if it is a quarter of a pound that is of no consequence . "
the woman who had hoped to find a good sale , gave him what he desired , but went away quite angry and grumbling .
" now , this jam shall be blessed by god , " cried the little tailor , " and give me health and strength " ; so he brought the bread out of the cupboard , cut himself a piece right across the loaf and spread the jam over it .
" this won"t taste bitter , " said he , " but i will just finish the jacket before i take a bite . "
he laid the bread near him , sewed on , and in his joy , made bigger and bigger stitches .
in the meantime the smell of the sweet jam rose to where the flies were sitting in great numbers , and they were attracted and descended on it in hosts .
" hi ! who invited you ? " said the little tailor , and drove the unbidden guests away .
the flies , however , who understood no german , would not be turned away , but came back again in ever-increasing companies .
the little tailor at last lost all patience , and drew a piece of cloth from the hole under his work-table , and saying : " wait , and i will give it to you , " struck it mercilessly on them .
when he drew it away and counted , there lay before him no fewer than seven , dead and with legs stretched out .
" are you a fellow of that sort ? " said he , and could not help admiring his own bravery .
" the whole town shall know of this ! "
and the little tailor hastened to cut himself a girdle , stitched it , and embroidered on it in large letters : " seven at one stroke ! "
" what , the town ! " he continued , " the whole world shall hear of it ! " and his heart wagged with joy like a lamb"s tail .
the tailor put on the girdle , and resolved to go forth into the world , because he thought his workshop was too small for his valour .
before he went away , he sought about in the house to see if there was anything which he could take with him ; however , he found nothing but an old cheese , and that he put in his pocket .
in front of the door he observed a bird which had caught itself in the thicket .
it had to go into his pocket with the cheese .
now he took to the road boldly , and as he was light and nimble , he felt no fatigue .
the road led him up a mountain , and when he had reached the highest point of it , there sat a powerful giant looking peacefully about him .
the little tailor went bravely up , spoke to him , and said : " good day , comrade , so you are sitting there overlooking the wide-spread world !
i am just on my way thither , and want to try my luck .
have you any inclination to go with me ? "
the giant looked contemptuously at the tailor , and said : " you ragamuffin !
you miserable creature ! "
" oh , indeed ? " answered the little tailor , and unbuttoned his coat , and showed the giant the girdle , " there may you read what kind of a man i am ! "
the giant read : " seven at one stroke , " and thought that they had been men whom the tailor had killed , and began to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow .
nevertheless , he wished to try him first , and took a stone in his hand and squeezed it together so that water dropped out of it .
" do that likewise , " said the giant , " if you have strength . "
" is that all ? " said the tailor , " that is child"s play with us ! " and put his hand into his pocket , brought out the soft cheese , and pressed it until the liquid ran out of it .
" faith , " said he , " that was a little better , wasn"t it ? "
the giant did not know what to say , and could not believe it of the little man .
then the giant picked up a stone and threw it so high that the eye could scarcely follow it .
" now , little mite of a man , do that likewise , " " well thrown , " said the tailor , " but after all the stone came down to earth again ; i will throw you one which shall never come back at all , " and he put his hand into his pocket , took out the bird , and threw it into the air .
the bird , delighted with its liberty , rose , flew away and did not come back .
" how does that shot please you , comrade ? " asked the tailor .
" you can certainly throw , " said the giant , " but now we will see if you are able to carry anything properly . "
he took the little tailor to a mighty oak tree which lay there felled on the ground , and said : " if you are strong enough , help me to carry the tree out of the forest . "
" readily , " answered the little man ; " take you the trunk on your shoulders , and i will raise up the branches and twigs ; after all , they are the heaviest . "
the giant took the trunk on his shoulder , but the tailor seated himself on a branch , and the giant , who could not look round , had to carry away the whole tree , and the little tailor into the bargain : he behind , was quite merry and happy , and whistled the song : " three tailors rode forth from the gate , " as if carrying the tree were child"s play .
the giant , after he had dragged the heavy burden part of the way , could go no further , and cried : " hark you , i shall have to let the tree fall ! "
the tailor sprang nimbly down , seized the tree with both arms as if he had been carrying it , and said to the giant : " you are such a great fellow , and yet cannot even carry the tree ! "
they went on together , and as they passed a cherry-tree , the giant laid hold of the top of the tree where the ripest fruit was hanging , bent it down , gave it into the tailor"s hand , and bade him eat .
but the little tailor was much too weak to hold the tree , and when the giant let it go , it sprang back again , and the tailor was tossed into the air with it .
when he had fallen down again without injury , the giant said : " what is this ?
have you not strength enough to hold the weak twig ? "
" there is no lack of strength , " answered the little tailor .
" do you think that could be anything to a man who has struck down seven at one blow ?
i leapt over the tree because the huntsmen are shooting down there in the thicket .
jump as i did , if you can do it . "
the giant made the attempt but he could not get over the tree , and remained hanging in the branches , so that in this also the tailor kept the upper hand .
the giant said : " if you are such a valiant fellow , come with me into our cavern and spend the night with us . "
the little tailor was willing , and followed him .
when they went into the cave , other giants were sitting there by the fire , and each of them had a roasted sheep in his hand and was eating it .
the little tailor looked round and thought : " it is much more spacious here than in my workshop . "
the giant showed him a bed , and said he was to lie down in it and sleep .
the bed , however , was too big for the little tailor ; he did not lie down in it , but crept into a corner .
when it was midnight , and the giant thought that the little tailor was lying in a sound sleep , he got up , took a great iron bar , cut through the bed with one blow , and thought he had finished off the grasshopper for good .
with the earliest dawn the giants went into the forest , and had quite forgotten the little tailor , when all at once he walked up to them quite merrily and boldly .
the giants were terrified , they were afraid that he would strike them all dead , and ran away in a great hurry .
the little tailor went onwards , always following his own pointed nose .
after he had walked for a long time , he came to the courtyard of a royal palace , and as he felt weary , he lay down on the grass and fell asleep .
whilst he lay there , the people came and inspected him on all sides , and read on his girdle : " seven at one stroke . "
" ah ! " said they , " what does the great warrior want here in the midst of peace ?
he must be a mighty lord . "
they went and announced him to the king , and gave it as their opinion that if war should break out , this would be a weighty and useful man who ought on no account to be allowed to depart .
the counsel pleased the king , and he sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor to offer him military service when he awoke .
the ambassador remained standing by the sleeper , waited until he stretched his limbs and opened his eyes , and then conveyed to him this proposal .
" for this very reason have i come here , " the tailor replied , " i am ready to enter the king"s service . "
he was therefore honourably received , and a special dwelling was assigned him .
the soldiers , however , were set against the little tailor , and wished him a thousand miles away .
" what is to be the end of this ? " they said among themselves .
" if we quarrel with him , and he strikes about him , seven of us will fall at every blow ; not one of us can stand against him . "
they came therefore to a decision , betook themselves in a body to the king , and begged for their dismissal .
" we are not prepared , " said they , " to stay with a man who kills seven at one stroke . "
the king was sorry that for the sake of one he should lose all his faithful servants , wished that he had never set eyes on the tailor , and would willingly have been rid of him again .
but he did not venture to give him his dismissal , for he dreaded lest he should strike him and all his people dead , and place himself on the royal throne .
he thought about it for a long time , and at last found good counsel .
he sent to the little tailor and caused him to be informed that as he was a great warrior , he had one request to make to him .
in a forest of his country lived two giants , who caused great mischief with their robbing , murdering , ravaging , and burning , and no one could approach them without putting himself in danger of death .
if the tailor conquered and killed these two giants , he would give him his only daughter to wife , and half of his kingdom as a dowry , likewise one hundred horsemen should go with him to assist him .
" that would indeed be a fine thing for a man like me ! " thought the little tailor .
" one is not offered a beautiful princess and half a kingdom every day of one"s life ! "
" oh , yes , " he replied , " i will soon subdue the giants , and do not require the help of the hundred horsemen to do it ; he who can hit seven with one blow has no need to be afraid of two . "
the little tailor went forth , and the hundred horsemen followed him .
when he came to the outskirts of the forest , he said to his followers : " just stay waiting here , i alone will soon finish off the giants . "
then he bounded into the forest and looked about right and left .
after a while he perceived both giants .
they lay sleeping under a tree , and snored so that the branches waved up and down .
the little tailor , not idle , gathered two pocketsful of stones , and with these climbed up the tree .
when he was halfway up , he slipped down by a branch , until he sat just above the sleepers , and then let one stone after another fall on the breast of one of the giants .
for a long time the giant felt nothing , but at last he awoke , pushed his comrade , and said : " why are you knocking me ? "
" you must be dreaming , " said the other , " i am not knocking you . "
they laid themselves down to sleep again , and then the tailor threw a stone down on the second .
" what is the meaning of this ? " cried the other " why are you pelting me ? "
" i am not pelting you , " answered the first , growling .
they disputed about it for a time , but as they were weary they let the matter rest , and their eyes closed once more .
the little tailor began his game again , picked out the biggest stone , and threw it with all his might on the breast of the first giant .
" that is too bad ! " cried he , and sprang up like a madman , and pushed his companion against the tree until it shook .
the other paid him back in the same coin , and they got into such a rage that they tore up trees and belaboured each other so long , that at last they both fell down dead on the ground at the same time .
then the little tailor leapt down .
" it is a lucky thing , " said he , " that they did not tear up the tree on which i was sitting , or i should have had to sprint on to another like a squirrel ; but we tailors are nimble . "
he drew out his sword and gave each of them a couple of thrusts in the breast , and then went out to the horsemen and said : " the work is done ; i have finished both of them off , but it was hard work !
they tore up trees in their sore need , and defended themselves with them , but all that is to no purpose when a man like myself comes , who can kill seven at one blow . "
" but are you not wounded ? " asked the horsemen .
" you need not concern yourself about that , " answered the tailor , " they have not bent one hair of mine . "
the horsemen would not believe him , and rode into the forest ; there they found the giants swimming in their blood , and all round about lay the torn-up trees .
the little tailor demanded of the king the promised reward ; he , however , repented of his promise , and again bethought himself how he could get rid of the hero .
" before you receive my daughter , and the half of my kingdom , " said he to him , " you must perform one more heroic deed .
in the forest roams a unicorn which does great harm , and you must catch it first . "
" i fear one unicorn still less than two giants .
seven at one blow , is my kind of affair . "
he took a rope and an axe with him , went forth into the forest , and again bade those who were sent with him to wait outside .
he had not long to seek .
the unicorn soon came towards him , and rushed directly on the tailor , as if it would gore him with its horn without more ado .
" softly , softly ; it can"t be done as quickly as that , " said he , and stood still and waited until the animal was quite close , and then sprang nimbly behind the tree .
the unicorn ran against the tree with all its strength , and stuck its horn so fast in the trunk that it had not the strength enough to draw it out again , and thus it was caught .
" now , i have got the bird , " said the tailor , and came out from behind the tree and put the rope round its neck , and then with his axe he hewed the horn out of the tree , and when all was ready he led the beast away and took it to the king .
the king still would not give him the promised reward , and made a third demand .
before the wedding the tailor was to catch him a wild boar that made great havoc in the forest , and the huntsmen should give him their help .
" willingly , " said the tailor , " that is child"s play ! "
he did not take the huntsmen with him into the forest , and they were well pleased that he did not , for the wild boar had several times received them in such a manner that they had no inclination to lie in wait for him .
when the boar perceived the tailor , it ran on him with foaming mouth and whetted tusks , and was about to throw him to the ground , but the hero fled and sprang into a chapel which was near and up to the window at once , and in one bound out again .
the boar ran after him , but the tailor ran round outside and shut the door behind it , and then the raging beast , which was much too heavy and awkward to leap out of the window , was caught .
the little tailor called the huntsmen thither that they might see the prisoner with their own eyes .
the hero , however , went to the king , who was now , whether he liked it or not , obliged to keep his promise , and gave his daughter and the half of his kingdom .
had he known that it was no warlike hero , but a little tailor who was standing before him , it would have gone to his heart still more than it did .
the wedding was held with great magnificence and small joy , and out of a tailor a king was made .
after some time the young queen heard her husband say in his dreams at night : " boy , make me the doublet , and patch the pantaloons , or else i will rap the yard-measure over your ears . "
then she discovered in what state of life the young lord had been born , and next morning complained of her wrongs to her father , and begged him to help her to get rid of her husband , who was nothing else but a tailor .
the king comforted her and said : " leave your bedroom door open this night , and my servants shall stand outside , and when he has fallen asleep shall go in , bind him , and take him on board a ship which shall carry him into the wide world . "
the woman was satisfied with this ; but the king"s armour-bearer , who had heard all , was friendly with the young lord , and informed him of the whole plot .
" i"ll put a screw into that business , " said the little tailor .
at night he went to bed with his wife at the usual time , and when she thought that he had fallen asleep , she got up , opened the door , and then lay down again .
the little tailor , who was only pretending to be asleep , began to cry out in a clear voice : " boy , make me the doublet and patch me the pantaloons , or i will rap the yard-measure over your ears .
i smote seven at one blow .
i killed two giants , i brought away one unicorn , and caught a wild boar , and am i to fear those who are standing outside the room . "
when these men heard the tailor speaking thus , they were overcome by a great dread , and ran as if the wild huntsman were behind them , and none of them would venture anything further against him .
so the little tailor was and remained a king to the end of his life .
hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children .
the boy was called hansel and the girl gretel .
he had little to bite and to break , and once when great dearth fell on the land , he could no longer procure even daily bread .
now when he thought over this by night in his bed , and tossed about in his anxiety , he groaned and said to his wife : " what is to become of us ?
how are we to feed our poor children , when we no longer have anything even for ourselves ? "
" i"ll tell you what , husband , " answered the woman , " early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest ; there we will light a fire for them , and give each of them one more piece of bread , and then we will go to our work and leave them alone .
they will not find the way home again , and we shall be rid of them . "
" no , wife , " said the man , " i will not do that ; how can i bear to leave my children alone in the forest?--the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces . "
" o , you fool ! " said she , " then we must all four die of hunger , you may as well plane the planks for our coffins , " and she left him no peace until he consented .
" but i feel very sorry for the poor children , all the same , " said the man .
the two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger , and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father .
gretel wept bitter tears , and said to hansel : " now all is over with us . "
" be quiet , gretel , " said hansel , " do not distress yourself , i will soon find a way to help us . "
and when the old folks had fallen asleep , he got up , put on his little coat , opened the door below , and crept outside .
the moon shone brightly , and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies .
hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in .
then he went back and said to gretel : " be comforted , dear little sister , and sleep in peace , god will not forsake us , " and he lay down again in his bed .
when day dawned , but before the sun had risen , the woman came and awoke the two children , saying : " get up , you sluggards ! we are going into the forest to fetch wood . "
she gave each a little piece of bread , and said : " there is something for your dinner , but do not eat it up before then , for you will get nothing else . "
gretel took the bread under her apron , as hansel had the pebbles in his pocket .
then they all set out together on the way to the forest .
when they had walked a short time , hansel stood still and peeped back at the house , and did so again and again .
his father said : " hansel , what are you looking at there and staying behind for ?
pay attention , and do not forget how to use your legs . "
" ah , father , " said hansel , " i am looking at my little white cat , which is sitting up on the roof , and wants to say goodbye to me . "
the wife said : " fool , that is not your little cat , that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys . "
hansel , however , had not been looking back at the cat , but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road .
when they had reached the middle of the forest , the father said : " now , children , pile up some wood , and i will light a fire that you may not be cold . "
hansel and gretel gathered brushwood together , as high as a little hill .
the brushwood was lighted , and when the flames were burning very high , the woman said : " now , children , lay yourselves down by the fire and rest , we will go into the forest and cut some wood .
when we have done , we will come back and fetch you away . "
hansel and gretel sat by the fire , and when noon came , each ate a little piece of bread , and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near .
it was not the axe , however , but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards .
and as they had been sitting such a long time , their eyes closed with fatigue , and they fell fast asleep .
when at last they awoke , it was already dark night .
gretel began to cry and said : " how are we to get out of the forest now ? "
but hansel comforted her and said : " just wait a little , until the moon has risen , and then we will soon find the way . "
and when the full moon had risen , hansel took his little sister by the hand , and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces , and showed them the way .
they walked the whole night long , and by break of day came once more to their father"s house .
they knocked at the door , and when the woman opened it and saw that it was hansel and gretel , she said : " you naughty children , why have you slept so long in the forest?--we thought you were never coming back at all ! "
the father , however , rejoiced , for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone .
not long afterwards , there was once more great dearth throughout the land , and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father : " everything is eaten again , we have one half loaf left , and that is the end .
the children must go , we will take them farther into the wood , so that they will not find their way out again ; there is no other means of saving ourselves ! "
the man"s heart was heavy , and he thought : " it would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children . "
the woman , however , would listen to nothing that he had to say , but scolded and reproached him .
he who says a must say b , likewise , and as he had yielded the first time , he had to do so a second time also .
the children , however , were still awake and had heard the conversation .
when the old folks were asleep , hansel again got up , and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before , but the woman had locked the door , and hansel could not get out .
nevertheless he comforted his little sister , and said : " do not cry , gretel , go to sleep quietly , the good god will help us . "
early in the morning came the woman , and took the children out of their beds .
their piece of bread was given to them , but it was still smaller than the time before .
on the way into the forest hansel crumbled his in his pocket , and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground .
" hansel , why do you stop and look round ? " said the father , " go on . "
" i am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof , and wants to say goodbye to me , " answered hansel .
" fool ! " said the woman , " that is not your little pigeon , that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney . "
hansel , however little by little , threw all the crumbs on the path .
the woman led the children still deeper into the forest , where they had never in their lives been before .
then a great fire was again made , and the mother said : " just sit there , you children , and when you are tired you may sleep a little ; we are going into the forest to cut wood , and in the evening when we are done , we will come and fetch you away . "
when it was noon , gretel shared her piece of bread with hansel , who had scattered his by the way .
then they fell asleep and evening passed , but no one came to the poor children .
they did not awake until it was dark night , and hansel comforted his little sister and said : " just wait , gretel , until the moon rises , and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which i have strewn about , they will show us our way home again . "
when the moon came they set out , but they found no crumbs , for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up .
hansel said to gretel : " we shall soon find the way , " but they did not find it .
they walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening , but they did not get out of the forest , and were very hungry , for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries , which grew on the ground .
and as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer , they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep .
it was now three mornings since they had left their father"s house .
they began to walk again , but they always came deeper into the forest , and if help did not come soon , they must die of hunger and weariness .
when it was mid-day , they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough , which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it .
and when its song was over , it spread its wings and flew away before them , and they followed it until they reached a little house , on the roof of which it alighted ; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes , but that the windows were of clear sugar .
" we will set to work on that , " said hansel , " and have a good meal .
i will eat a bit of the roof , and you gretel , can eat some of the window , it will taste sweet . "
hansel reached up above , and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted , and gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes .
then a soft voice cried from the parlour : " nibble , nibble , gnaw , who is nibbling at my little house ? "
the children answered : " the wind , the wind , the heaven-born wind , " and went on eating without disturbing themselves .
hansel , who liked the taste of the roof , tore down a great piece of it , and gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane , sat down , and enjoyed herself with it .
suddenly the door opened , and a woman as old as the hills , who supported herself on crutches , came creeping out .
hansel and gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands .
the old woman , however , nodded her head , and said : " oh , you dear children , who has brought you here ? do come in , and stay with me .
no harm shall happen to you . "
she took them both by the hand , and led them into her little house .
then good food was set before them , milk and pancakes , with sugar , apples , and nuts .
afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen , and hansel and gretel lay down in them , and thought they were in heaven .
the old woman had only pretended to be so kind ; she was in reality a wicked witch , who lay in wait for children , and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there .
when a child fell into her power , she killed it , cooked and ate it , and that was a feast day with her .
witches have red eyes , and cannot see far , but they have a keen scent like the beasts , and are aware when human beings draw near .
when hansel and gretel came into her neighbourhood , she laughed with malice , and said mockingly : " i have them , they shall not escape me again ! "
early in the morning before the children were awake , she was already up , and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty , with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself : " that will be a dainty mouthful ! "
then she seized hansel with her shrivelled hand , carried him into a little stable , and locked him in behind a grated door .
scream as he might , it would not help him .
then she went to gretel , shook her till she awoke , and cried : " get up , lazy thing , fetch some water , and cook something good for your brother , he is in the stable outside , and is to be made fat .
when he is fat , i will eat him . "
gretel began to weep bitterly , but it was all in vain , for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded .
and now the best food was cooked for poor hansel , but gretel got nothing but crab-shells .
every morning the woman crept to the little stable , and cried : " hansel , stretch out your finger that i may feel if you will soon be fat . "
hansel , however , stretched out a little bone to her , and the old woman , who had dim eyes , could not see it , and thought it was hansel"s finger , and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him .
when four weeks had gone by , and hansel still remained thin , she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer .
" now , then , gretel , " she cried to the girl , " stir yourself , and bring some water .
let hansel be fat or lean , tomorrow i will kill him , and cook him . "
ah , how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water , and how her tears did flow down her cheeks !
" dear god , do help us , " she cried .
" if the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us , we should at any rate have died together . "
" just keep your noise to yourself , " said the old woman , " it won"t help you at all . "
early in the morning , gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water , and light the fire .
" we will bake first , " said the old woman , " i have already heated the oven , and kneaded the dough . "
she pushed poor gretel out to the oven , from which flames of fire were already darting .
" creep in , " said the witch , " and see if it is properly heated , so that we can put the bread in . "
and once gretel was inside , she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it , and then she would eat her , too .
but gretel saw what she had in mind , and said : " i do not know how i am to do it ; how do i get in ? "
" silly goose , " said the old woman .
" the door is big enough ; just look , i can get in myself ! " and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven .
then gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it , and shut the iron door , and fastened the bolt .
oh ! then she began to howl quite horribly , but gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death .
gretel , however , ran like lightning to hansel , opened his little stable , and cried : " hansel , we are saved !
the old witch is dead ! "
then hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened .
how they did rejoice and embrace each other , and dance about and kiss each other !
and as they had no longer any need to fear her , they went into the witch"s house , and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels .
" these are far better than pebbles ! " said hansel , and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in , and gretel said : " i , too , will take something home with me , " and filled her pinafore full .
" but now we must be off , " said hansel , " that we may get out of the witch"s forest . "
when they had walked for two hours , they came to a great stretch of water .
" we cannot cross , " said hansel , " i see no foot-plank , and no bridge . "
" and there is also no ferry , " answered gretel , " but a white duck is swimming there : if i ask her , she will help us over . "
then she cried : " little duck , little duck , dost thou see , hansel and gretel are waiting for thee ?
there"s never a plank , or bridge in sight , take us across on thy back so white . "
the duck came to them , and hansel seated himself on its back , and told his sister to sit by him .
" no , " replied gretel , " that will be too heavy for the little duck ; she shall take us across , one after the other . "
the good little duck did so , and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time , the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them , and at length they saw from afar their father"s house .
then they began to run , rushed into the parlour , and threw themselves round their father"s neck .
the man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest ; the woman , however , was dead .
gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room , and hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them .
then all anxiety was at an end , and they lived together in perfect happiness .
my tale is done , there runs a mouse ; whosoever catches it , may make himself a big fur cap out of it .
once upon a time , a mouse , a bird , and a sausage , entered into partnership and set up house together .
for a long time all went well ; they lived in great comfort , and prospered so far as to be able to add considerably to their stores .
the bird"s duty was to fly daily into the wood and bring in fuel ; the mouse fetched the water , and the sausage saw to the cooking .
when people are too well off they always begin to long for something new .
and so it came to pass , that the bird , while out one day , met a fellow bird , to whom he boastfully expatiated on the excellence of his household arrangements .
but the other bird sneered at him for being a poor simpleton , who did all the hard work , while the other two stayed at home and had a good time of it .
for , when the mouse had made the fire and fetched in the water , she could retire into her little room and rest until it was time to set the table .
the sausage had only to watch the pot to see that the food was properly cooked , and when it was near dinner-time , he just threw himself into the broth , or rolled in and out among the vegetables three or four times , and there they were , buttered , and salted , and ready to be served .
then , when the bird came home and had laid aside his burden , they sat down to table , and when they had finished their meal , they could sleep their fill till the following morning : and that was really a very delightful life .
influenced by those remarks , the bird next morning refused to bring in the wood , telling the others that he had been their servant long enough , and had been a fool into the bargain , and that it was now time to make a change , and to try some other way of arranging the work .
beg and pray as the mouse and the sausage might , it was of no use ; the bird remained master of the situation , and the venture had to be made .
they therefore drew lots , and it fell to the sausage to bring in the wood , to the mouse to cook , and to the bird to fetch the water .
and now what happened ?
the sausage started in search of wood , the bird made the fire , and the mouse put on the pot , and then these two waited till the sausage returned with the fuel for the following day .
but the sausage remained so long away , that they became uneasy , and the bird flew out to meet him .
he had not flown far , however , when he came across a dog who , having met the sausage , had regarded him as his legitimate booty , and so seized and swallowed him .
the bird complained to the dog of this bare-faced robbery , but nothing he said was of any avail , for the dog answered that he found false credentials on the sausage , and that was the reason his life had been forfeited .
he picked up the wood , and flew sadly home , and told the mouse all he had seen and heard .
they were both very unhappy , but agreed to make the best of things and to remain with one another .
so now the bird set the table , and the mouse looked after the food and , wishing to prepare it in the same way as the sausage , by rolling in and out among the vegetables to salt and butter them , she jumped into the pot ; but she stopped short long before she reached the bottom , having already parted not only with her skin and hair , but also with life .
presently the bird came in and wanted to serve up the dinner , but he could nowhere see the cook .
in his alarm and flurry , he threw the wood here and there about the floor , called and searched , but no cook was to be found .
then some of the wood that had been carelessly thrown down , caught fire and began to blaze .
the bird hastened to fetch some water , but his pail fell into the well , and he after it , and as he was unable to recover himself , he was drowned .
once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters ; one of them was beautiful and industrious , the other ugly and lazy .
the mother , however , loved the ugly and lazy one best , because she was her own daughter , and so the other , who was only her stepdaughter , was made to do all the work of the house , and was quite the cinderella of the family .
her stepmother sent her out every day to sit by the well in the high road , there to spin until she made her fingers bleed .
now it chanced one day that some blood fell on to the spindle , and as the girl stopped over the well to wash it off , the spindle suddenly sprang out of her hand and fell into the well .
she ran home crying to tell of her misfortune , but her stepmother spoke harshly to her , and after giving her a violent scolding , said unkindly , " as you have let the spindle fall into the well you may go yourself and fetch it out . "
the girl went back to the well not knowing what to do , and at last in her distress she jumped into the water after the spindle .
she remembered nothing more until she awoke and found herself in a beautiful meadow , full of sunshine , and with countless flowers blooming in every direction .
she walked over the meadow , and presently she came upon a baker"s oven full of bread , and the loaves cried out to her , " take us out , take us out , or alas ! we shall be burnt to a cinder ; we were baked through long ago . "
so she took the bread-shovel and drew them all out .
she went on a little farther , till she came to a tree full of apples .
" shake me , shake me , i pray , " cried the tree ; " my apples , one and all , are ripe . "
so she shook the tree , and the apples came falling down upon her like rain ; but she continued shaking until there was not a single apple left upon it .
then she carefully gathered the apples together in a heap and walked on again .
the next thing she came to was a little house , and there she saw an old woman looking out , with such large teeth , that she was terrified , and turned to run away .
but the old woman called after her , " what are you afraid of , dear child ?
stay with me ; if you will do the work of my house properly for me , i will make you very happy .
you must be very careful , however , to make my bed in the right way , for i wish you always to shake it thoroughly , so that the feathers fly about ; then they say , down there in the world , that it is snowing ; for i am mother holle . "
the old woman spoke so kindly , that the girl summoned up courage and agreed to enter into her service .
she took care to do everything according to the old woman"s bidding and every time she made the bed she shook it with all her might , so that the feathers flew about like so many snowflakes .
the old woman was as good as her word : she never spoke angrily to her , and gave her roast and boiled meats every day .
so she stayed on with mother holle for some time , and then she began to grow unhappy .
she could not at first tell why she felt sad , but she became conscious at last of great longing to go home ; then she knew she was homesick , although she was a thousand times better off with mother holle than with her mother and sister .
after waiting awhile , she went to mother holle and said , " i am so homesick , that i cannot stay with you any longer , for although i am so happy here , i must return to my own people . "
then mother holle said , " i am pleased that you should want to go back to your own people , and as you have served me so well and faithfully , i will take you home myself . "
thereupon she led the girl by the hand up to a broad gateway .
the gate was opened , and as the girl passed through , a shower of gold fell upon her , and the gold clung to her , so that she was covered with it from head to foot .
" that is a reward for your industry , " said mother holle , and as she spoke she handed her the spindle which she had dropped into the well .
the gate was then closed , and the girl found herself back in the old world close to her mother"s house .
as she entered the courtyard , the cock who was perched on the well , called out : " cock-a-doodle-doo !
your golden daughter"s come back to you . "
then she went in to her mother and sister , and as she was so richly covered with gold , they gave her a warm welcome .
she related to them all that had happened , and when the mother heard how she had come by her great riches , she thought she should like her ugly , lazy daughter to go and try her fortune .
so she made the sister go and sit by the well and spin , and the girl pricked her finger and thrust her hand into a thorn-bush , so that she might drop some blood on to the spindle ; then she threw it into the well , and jumped in herself .
like her sister she awoke in the beautiful meadow , and walked over it till she came to the oven .
" take us out , take us out , or alas ! we shall be burnt to a cinder ; we were baked through long ago , " cried the loaves as before .
but the lazy girl answered , " do you think i am going to dirty my hands for you ? " and walked on .
presently she came to the apple-tree .
" shake me , shake me , i pray ; my apples , one and all , are ripe , " it cried .
but she only answered , " a nice thing to ask me to do , one of the apples might fall on my head , " and passed on .
at last she came to mother holle"s house , and as she had heard all about the large teeth from her sister , she was not afraid of them , and engaged herself without delay to the old woman .
the first day she was very obedient and industrious , and exerted herself to please mother holle , for she thought of the gold she should get in return .
the next day , however , she began to dawdle over her work , and the third day she was more idle still ; then she began to lie in bed in the mornings and refused to get up .
worse still , she neglected to make the old woman"s bed properly , and forgot to shake it so that the feathers might fly about .
so mother holle very soon got tired of her , and told her she might go .
the lazy girl was delighted at this , and thought to herself , " the gold will soon be mine . "
mother holle led her , as she had led her sister , to the broad gateway ; but as she was passing through , instead of the shower of gold , a great bucketful of pitch came pouring over her .
" that is in return for your services , " said the old woman , and she shut the gate .
so the lazy girl had to go home covered with pitch , and the cock on the well called out as she saw her : " cock-a-doodle-doo !
your dirty daughter"s come back to you . "
but , try what she would , she could not get the pitch off and it stuck to her as long as she lived .
once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her , but most of all by her grandmother , and there was nothing that she would not have given to the child .
once she gave her a little cap of red velvet , which suited her so well that she would never wear anything else ; so she was always called " little red-cap . "
one day her mother said to her : " come , little red-cap , here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine ; take them to your grandmother , she is ill and weak , and they will do her good .
set out before it gets hot , and when you are going , walk nicely and quietly and do not run off the path , or you may fall and break the bottle , and then your grandmother will get nothing ; and when you go into her room , don"t forget to say , " good morning " , and don"t peep into every corner before you do it . "
" i will take great care , " said little red-cap to her mother , and gave her hand on it .
the grandmother lived out in the wood , half a league from the village , and just as little red-cap entered the wood , a wolf met her .
red-cap did not know what a wicked creature he was , and was not at all afraid of him .
" good day , little red-cap , " said he .
" thank you kindly , wolf . "
" whither away so early , little red-cap ? "
" to my grandmother"s . "
" what have you got in your apron ? "
" cake and wine ; yesterday was baking-day , so poor sick grandmother is to have something good , to make her stronger . "
" where does your grandmother live , little red-cap ? "
" a good quarter of a league farther on in the wood ; her house stands under the three large oak-trees , the nut-trees are just below ; you surely must know it , " replied little red-cap .
the wolf thought to himself : " what a tender young creature ! what a nice plump mouthful--she will be better to eat than the old woman .
i must act craftily , so as to catch both . "
so he walked for a short time by the side of little red-cap , and then he said : " see , little red-cap , how pretty the flowers are about here--why do you not look round ?
i believe , too , that you do not hear how sweetly the little birds are singing ; you walk gravely along as if you were going to school , while everything else out here in the wood is merry . "
little red-cap raised her eyes , and when she saw the sunbeams dancing here and there through the trees , and pretty flowers growing everywhere , she thought : " suppose i take grandmother a fresh nosegay ; that would please her too .
it is so early in the day that i shall still get there in good time " ; and so she ran from the path into the wood to look for flowers .
and whenever she had picked one , she fancied that she saw a still prettier one farther on , and ran after it , and so got deeper and deeper into the wood .
meanwhile the wolf ran straight to the grandmother"s house and knocked at the door .
" who is there ? "
" little red-cap , " replied the wolf .
" she is bringing cake and wine ; open the door . "
" lift the latch , " called out the grandmother , " i am too weak , and cannot get up . "
the wolf lifted the latch , the door sprang open , and without saying a word he went straight to the grandmother"s bed , and devoured her .
then he put on her clothes , dressed himself in her cap laid himself in bed and drew the curtains .
little red-cap , however , had been running about picking flowers , and when she had gathered so many that she could carry no more , she remembered her grandmother , and set out on the way to her .
she was surprised to find the cottage-door standing open , and when she went into the room , she had such a strange feeling that she said to herself : " oh dear ! how uneasy i feel today , and at other times i like being with grandmother so much . "
she called out : " good morning , " but received no answer ; so she went to the bed and drew back the curtains .
there lay her grandmother with her cap pulled far over her face , and looking very strange .
" oh ! grandmother , " she said , " what big ears you have ! "
" the better to hear you with , my child , " was the reply .
" but , grandmother , what big eyes you have ! " she said .
" the better to see you with , my dear . "
" but , grandmother , what large hands you have ! "
" the better to hug you with . "
" oh ! but , grandmother , what a terrible big mouth you have ! "
" the better to eat you with ! "
and scarcely had the wolf said this , than with one bound he was out of bed and swallowed up red-cap .
when the wolf had appeased his appetite , he lay down again in the bed , fell asleep and began to snore very loud .
the huntsman was just passing the house , and thought to himself : " how the old woman is snoring !
i must just see if she wants anything . "
so he went into the room , and when he came to the bed , he saw that the wolf was lying in it .
" do i find you here , you old sinner ! " said he .
" i have long sought you ! "
then just as he was going to fire at him , it occurred to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother , and that she might still be saved , so he did not fire , but took a pair of scissors , and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf .
when he had made two snips , he saw the little red-cap shining , and then he made two snips more , and the little girl sprang out , crying : " ah , how frightened i have been !
how dark it was inside the wolf " ; and after that the aged grandmother came out alive also , but scarcely able to breathe .
red-cap , however , quickly fetched great stones with which they filled the wolf"s belly , and when he awoke , he wanted to run away , but the stones were so heavy that he collapsed at once , and fell dead .
then all three were delighted .
the huntsman drew off the wolf"s skin and went home with it ; the grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine which red-cap had brought , and revived , but red-cap thought to herself : " as long as i live , i will never by myself leave the path , to run into the wood , when my mother has forbidden me to do so . "
it also related that once when red-cap was again taking cakes to the old grandmother , another wolf spoke to her , and tried to entice her from the path .
red-cap , however , was on her guard , and went straight forward on her way , and told her grandmother that she had met the wolf , and that he had said " good morning " to her , but with such a wicked look in his eyes , that if they had not been on the public road she was certain he would have eaten her up .
" well , " said the grandmother , " we will shut the door , that he may not come in . "
soon afterwards the wolf knocked , and cried : " open the door , grandmother , i am little red-cap , and am bringing you some cakes . "
but they did not speak , or open the door , so the grey-beard stole twice or thrice round the house , and at last jumped on the roof , intending to wait until red-cap went home in the evening , and then to steal after her and devour her in the darkness .
but the grandmother saw what was in his thoughts .
in front of the house was a great stone trough , so she said to the child : " take the pail , red-cap ; i made some sausages yesterday , so carry the water in which i boiled them to the trough . "
red-cap carried until the great trough was quite full .
then the smell of the sausages reached the wolf , and he sniffed and peeped down , and at last stretched out his neck so far that he could no longer keep his footing and began to slip , and slipped down from the roof straight into the great trough , and was drowned .
but red-cap went joyously home , and no one ever did anything to harm her again .
there was once a miller who had one beautiful daughter , and as she was grown up , he was anxious that she should be well married and provided for .
he said to himself , " i will give her to the first suitable man who comes and asks for her hand . "
not long after a suitor appeared , and as he appeared to be very rich and the miller could see nothing in him with which to find fault , he betrothed his daughter to him .
but the girl did not care for the man as a girl ought to care for her betrothed husband .
she did not feel that she could trust him , and she could not look at him nor think of him without an inward shudder .
one day he said to her , " you have not yet paid me a visit , although we have been betrothed for some time . "
" i do not know where your house is , " she answered .
" my house is out there in the dark forest , " he said .
she tried to excuse herself by saying that she would not be able to find the way thither .
her betrothed only replied , " you must come and see me next sunday ; i have already invited guests for that day , and that you may not mistake the way , i will strew ashes along the path . "
when sunday came , and it was time for the girl to start , a feeling of dread came over her which she could not explain , and that she might be able to find her path again , she filled her pockets with peas and lentils to sprinkle on the ground as she went along .
on reaching the entrance to the forest she found the path strewed with ashes , and these she followed , throwing down some peas on either side of her at every step she took .
she walked the whole day until she came to the deepest , darkest part of the forest .
there she saw a lonely house , looking so grim and mysterious , that it did not please her at all .
she stepped inside , but not a soul was to be seen , and a great silence reigned throughout .
suddenly a voice cried : " turn back , turn back , young maiden fair , linger not in this murderers " lair . "
the girl looked up and saw that the voice came from a bird hanging in a cage on the wall .
again it cried : " turn back , turn back , young maiden fair , linger not in this murderers " lair . "
the girl passed on , going from room to room of the house , but they were all empty , and still she saw no one .
at last she came to the cellar , and there sat a very , very old woman , who could not keep her head from shaking .
" can you tell me , " asked the girl , " if my betrothed husband lives here ? "
" ah , you poor child , " answered the old woman , " what a place for you to come to !
this is a murderers " den .
you think yourself a promised bride , and that your marriage will soon take place , but it is with death that you will keep your marriage feast .
look , do you see that large cauldron of water which i am obliged to keep on the fire !
as soon as they have you in their power they will kill you without mercy , and cook and eat you , for they are eaters of men .
if i did not take pity on you and save you , you would be lost . "
thereupon the old woman led her behind a large cask , which quite hid her from view .
" keep as still as a mouse , " she said ; " do not move or speak , or it will be all over with you .
tonight , when the robbers are all asleep , we will flee together .
i have long been waiting for an opportunity to escape . "
the words were hardly out of her mouth when the godless crew returned , dragging another young girl along with them .
they were all drunk , and paid no heed to her cries and lamentations .
they gave her wine to drink , three glasses full , one of white wine , one of red , and one of yellow , and with that her heart gave way and she died .
then they tore off her dainty clothing , laid her on a table , and cut her beautiful body into pieces , and sprinkled salt upon it .
the poor betrothed girl crouched trembling and shuddering behind the cask , for she saw what a terrible fate had been intended for her by the robbers .
one of them now noticed a gold ring still remaining on the little finger of the murdered girl , and as he could not draw it off easily , he took a hatchet and cut off the finger ; but the finger sprang into the air , and fell behind the cask into the lap of the girl who was hiding there .
the robber took a light and began looking for it , but he could not find it .
" have you looked behind the large cask ? " said one of the others .
but the old woman called out , " come and eat your suppers , and let the thing be till tomorrow ; the finger won"t run away . "
" the old woman is right , " said the robbers , and they ceased looking for the finger and sat down .
the old woman then mixed a sleeping draught with their wine , and before long they were all lying on the floor of the cellar , fast asleep and snoring .
as soon as the girl was assured of this , she came from behind the cask .
she was obliged to step over the bodies of the sleepers , who were lying close together , and every moment she was filled with renewed dread lest she should awaken them .
but god helped her , so that she passed safely over them , and then she and the old woman went upstairs , opened the door , and hastened as fast as they could from the murderers " den .
they found the ashes scattered by the wind , but the peas and lentils had sprouted , and grown sufficiently above the ground , to guide them in the moonlight along the path .
all night long they walked , and it was morning before they reached the mill .
then the girl told her father all that had happened .
the day came that had been fixed for the marriage .
the bridegroom arrived and also a large company of guests , for the miller had taken care to invite all his friends and relations .
as they sat at the feast , each guest in turn was asked to tell a tale ; the bride sat still and did not say a word .
" and you , my love , " said the bridegroom , turning to her , " is there no tale you know ?
tell us something . "
" i will tell you a dream , then , " said the bride .
" i went alone through a forest and came at last to a house ; not a soul could i find within , but a bird that was hanging in a cage on the wall cried : " turn back , turn back , young maiden fair , linger not in this murderers " lair . " and again a second time it said these words . "
" my darling , this is only a dream . "
" i went on through the house from room to room , but they were all empty , and everything was so grim and mysterious .
at last i went down to the cellar , and there sat a very , very old woman , who could not keep her head still .
i asked her if my betrothed lived here , and she answered , " ah , you poor child , you are come to a murderers " den ; your betrothed does indeed live here , but he will kill you without mercy and afterwards cook and eat you . " " " my darling , this is only a dream . "
" the old woman hid me behind a large cask , and scarcely had she done this when the robbers returned home , dragging a young girl along with them .
they gave her three kinds of wine to drink , white , red , and yellow , and with that she died . "
" my darling , this is only a dream . "
" then they tore off her dainty clothing , and cut her beautiful body into pieces and sprinkled salt upon it . "
" my darling , this is only a dream . "
" and one of the robbers saw that there was a gold ring still left on her finger , and as it was difficult to draw off , he took a hatchet and cut off her finger ; but the finger sprang into the air and fell behind the great cask into my lap .
and here is the finger with the ring . "
and with these words the bride drew forth the finger and shewed it to the assembled guests .
the bridegroom , who during this recital had grown deadly pale , up and tried to escape , but the guests seized him and held him fast .
they delivered him up to justice , and he and all his murderous band were condemned to death for their wicked deeds .
a poor woodman sat in his cottage one night , smoking his pipe by the fireside , while his wife sat by his side spinning .
" how lonely it is , wife , " said he , as he puffed out a long curl of smoke , " for you and me to sit here by ourselves , without any children to play about and amuse us while other people seem so happy and merry with their children ! "
" what you say is very true , " said the wife , sighing , and turning round her wheel ; " how happy should i be if i had but one child !
if it were ever so small--nay , if it were no bigger than my thumb--i should be very happy , and love it dearly . "
now--odd as you may think it--it came to pass that this good woman"s wish was fulfilled , just in the very way she had wished it ; for , not long afterwards , she had a little boy , who was quite healthy and strong , but was not much bigger than my thumb .
so they said , " well , we cannot say we have not got what we wished for , and , little as he is , we will love him dearly . "
and they called him thomas thumb .
they gave him plenty of food , yet for all they could do he never grew bigger , but kept just the same size as he had been when he was born .
still , his eyes were sharp and sparkling , and he soon showed himself to be a clever little fellow , who always knew well what he was about .
one day , as the woodman was getting ready to go into the wood to cut fuel , he said , " i wish i had someone to bring the cart after me , for i want to make haste . "
" oh , father , " cried tom , " i will take care of that ; the cart shall be in the wood by the time you want it . "
then the woodman laughed , and said , " how can that be ? you cannot reach up to the horse"s bridle . "
" never mind that , father , " said tom ; " if my mother will only harness the horse , i will get into his ear and tell him which way to go . "
" well , " said the father , " we will try for once . "
when the time came the mother harnessed the horse to the cart , and put tom into his ear ; and as he sat there the little man told the beast how to go , crying out , " go on ! " and " stop ! " as he wanted : and thus the horse went on just as well as if the woodman had driven it himself into the wood .
it happened that as the horse was going a little too fast , and tom was calling out , " gently ! gently ! " two strangers came up .
" what an odd thing that is ! " said one : " there is a cart going along , and i hear a carter talking to the horse , but yet i can see no one . "
" that is queer , indeed , " said the other ; " let us follow the cart , and see where it goes . "
so they went on into the wood , till at last they came to the place where the woodman was .
then tom thumb , seeing his father , cried out , " see , father , here i am with the cart , all right and safe ! now take me down ! "
so his father took hold of the horse with one hand , and with the other took his son out of the horse"s ear , and put him down upon a straw , where he sat as merry as you please .
the two strangers were all this time looking on , and did not know what to say for wonder .
at last one took the other aside , and said , " that little urchin will make our fortune , if we can get him , and carry him about from town to town as a show ; we must buy him . "
so they went up to the woodman , and asked him what he would take for the little man .
" he will be better off , " said they , " with us than with you . "
" i won"t sell him at all , " said the father ; " my own flesh and blood is dearer to me than all the silver and gold in the world . "
but tom , hearing of the bargain they wanted to make , crept up his father"s coat to his shoulder and whispered in his ear , " take the money , father , and let them have me ; i"ll soon come back to you . "
so the woodman at last said he would sell tom to the strangers for a large piece of gold , and they paid the price .
" where would you like to sit ? " said one of them .
" oh , put me on the rim of your hat ; that will be a nice gallery for me ; i can walk about there and see the country as we go along . "
so they did as he wished ; and when tom had taken leave of his father they took him away with them .
they journeyed on till it began to be dusky , and then the little man said , " let me get down , i"m tired . "
so the man took off his hat , and put him down on a clod of earth , in a ploughed field by the side of the road .
but tom ran about amongst the furrows , and at last slipped into an old mouse-hole .
" good night , my masters ! " said he , " i"m off ! mind and look sharp after me the next time . "
then they ran at once to the place , and poked the ends of their sticks into the mouse-hole , but all in vain ; tom only crawled farther and farther in ; and at last it became quite dark , so that they were forced to go their way without their prize , as sulky as could be .
when tom found they were gone , he came out of his hiding-place .
" what dangerous walking it is , " said he , " in this ploughed field !
if i were to fall from one of these great clods , i should undoubtedly break my neck . "
at last , by good luck , he found a large empty snail-shell .
" this is lucky , " said he , " i can sleep here very well " ; and in he crept .
just as he was falling asleep , he heard two men passing by , chatting together ; and one said to the other , " how can we rob that rich parson"s house of his silver and gold ? "
" i"ll tell you ! " cried tom .
" what noise was that ? " said the thief , frightened ; " i"m sure i heard someone speak . "
they stood still listening , and tom said , " take me with you , and i"ll soon show you how to get the parson"s money . "
" but where are you ? " said they .
" look about on the ground , " answered he , " and listen where the sound comes from . "
at last the thieves found him out , and lifted him up in their hands .
" you little urchin ! " they said , " what can you do for us ? "
" why , i can get between the iron window-bars of the parson"s house , and throw you out whatever you want . "
" that"s a good thought , " said the thieves ; " come along , we shall see what you can do . "
when they came to the parson"s house , tom slipped through the window-bars into the room , and then called out as loud as he could bawl , " will you have all that is here ? "
at this the thieves were frightened , and said , " softly , softly !
speak low , that you may not awaken anybody . "
but tom seemed as if he did not understand them , and bawled out again , " how much will you have ?
shall i throw it all out ? "
now the cook lay in the next room ; and hearing a noise she raised herself up in her bed and listened .
meantime the thieves were frightened , and ran off a little way ; but at last they plucked up their hearts , and said , " the little urchin is only trying to make fools of us . "
so they came back and whispered softly to him , saying , " now let us have no more of your roguish jokes ; but throw us out some of the money . "
then tom called out as loud as he could , " very well ! hold your hands ! here it comes . "
the cook heard this quite plain , so she sprang out of bed , and ran to open the door .
the thieves ran off as if a wolf was at their tails : and the maid , having groped about and found nothing , went away for a light .
by the time she came back , tom had slipped off into the barn ; and when she had looked about and searched every hole and corner , and found nobody , she went to bed , thinking she must have been dreaming with her eyes open .
the little man crawled about in the hay-loft , and at last found a snug place to finish his night"s rest in ; so he laid himself down , meaning to sleep till daylight , and then find his way home to his father and mother .
but alas ! how woefully he was undone ! what crosses and sorrows happen to us all in this world !
the cook got up early , before daybreak , to feed the cows ; and going straight to the hay-loft , carried away a large bundle of hay , with the little man in the middle of it , fast asleep .
he still , however , slept on , and did not awake till he found himself in the mouth of the cow ; for the cook had put the hay into the cow"s rick , and the cow had taken tom up in a mouthful of it .
" good lack-a-day ! " said he , " how came i to tumble into the mill ? "
but he soon found out where he really was ; and was forced to have all his wits about him , that he might not get between the cow"s teeth , and so be crushed to death .
at last down he went into her stomach .
" it is rather dark , " said he ; " they forgot to build windows in this room to let the sun in ; a candle would be no bad thing . "
though he made the best of his bad luck , he did not like his quarters at all ; and the worst of it was , that more and more hay was always coming down , and the space left for him became smaller and smaller .
at last he cried out as loud as he could , " don"t bring me any more hay !
don"t bring me any more hay ! "
the maid happened to be just then milking the cow ; and hearing someone speak , but seeing nobody , and yet being quite sure it was the same voice that she had heard in the night , she was so frightened that she fell off her stool , and overset the milk-pail .
as soon as she could pick herself up out of the dirt , she ran off as fast as she could to her master the parson , and said , " sir , sir , the cow is talking ! "
but the parson said , " woman , thou art surely mad ! "
however , he went with her into the cow-house , to try and see what was the matter .
scarcely had they set foot on the threshold , when tom called out , " don"t bring me any more hay ! "
then the parson himself was frightened ; and thinking the cow was surely bewitched , told his man to kill her on the spot .
so the cow was killed , and cut up ; and the stomach , in which tom lay , was thrown out upon a dunghill .
tom soon set himself to work to get out , which was not a very easy task ; but at last , just as he had made room to get his head out , fresh ill-luck befell him .
a hungry wolf sprang out , and swallowed up the whole stomach , with tom in it , at one gulp , and ran away .
tom , however , was still not disheartened ; and thinking the wolf would not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along , he called out , " my good friend , i can show you a famous treat . "
" where"s that ? " said the wolf .
" in such and such a house , " said tom , describing his own father"s house .
" you can crawl through the drain into the kitchen and then into the pantry , and there you will find cakes , ham , beef , cold chicken , roast pig , apple-dumplings , and everything that your heart can wish . "
the wolf did not want to be asked twice ; so that very night he went to the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen , and then into the pantry , and ate and drank there to his heart"s content .
as soon as he had had enough he wanted to get away ; but he had eaten so much that he could not go out by the same way he came in .
this was just what tom had reckoned upon ; and now he began to set up a great shout , making all the noise he could .
" will you be easy ? " said the wolf ; " you"ll awaken everybody in the house if you make such a clatter . "
" what"s that to me ? " said the little man ; " you have had your frolic , now i"ve a mind to be merry myself " ; and he began , singing and shouting as loud as he could .
the woodman and his wife , being awakened by the noise , peeped through a crack in the door ; but when they saw a wolf was there , you may well suppose that they were sadly frightened ; and the woodman ran for his axe , and gave his wife a scythe .
" do you stay behind , " said the woodman , " and when i have knocked him on the head you must rip him up with the scythe . "
tom heard all this , and cried out , " father , father !
i am here , the wolf has swallowed me . "
and his father said , " heaven be praised ! we have found our dear child again " ; and he told his wife not to use the scythe for fear she should hurt him .
then he aimed a great blow , and struck the wolf on the head , and killed him on the spot ! and when he was dead they cut open his body , and set tommy free .
" ah ! " said the father , " what fears we have had for you ! "
" yes , father , " answered he ; " i have travelled all over the world , i think , in one way or other , since we parted ; and now i am very glad to come home and get fresh air again . "
" why , where have you been ? " said his father .
" i have been in a mouse-hole--and in a snail-shell--and down a cow"s throat--and in the wolf"s belly ; and yet here i am again , safe and sound . "
" well , " said they , " you are come back , and we will not sell you again for all the riches in the world . "
then they hugged and kissed their dear little son , and gave him plenty to eat and drink , for he was very hungry ; and then they fetched new clothes for him , for his old ones had been quite spoiled on his journey .
so master thumb stayed at home with his father and mother , in peace ; for though he had been so great a traveller , and had done and seen so many fine things , and was fond enough of telling the whole story , he always agreed that , after all , there"s no place like home !
by the side of a wood , in a country a long way off , ran a fine stream of water ; and upon the stream there stood a mill .
the miller"s house was close by , and the miller , you must know , had a very beautiful daughter .
she was , moreover , very shrewd and clever ; and the miller was so proud of her , that he one day told the king of the land , who used to come and hunt in the wood , that his daughter could spin gold out of straw .
now this king was very fond of money ; and when he heard the miller"s boast his greediness was raised , and he sent for the girl to be brought before him .
then he led her to a chamber in his palace where there was a great heap of straw , and gave her a spinning-wheel , and said , " all this must be spun into gold before morning , as you love your life . "
it was in vain that the poor maiden said that it was only a silly boast of her father , for that she could do no such thing as spin straw into gold : the chamber door was locked , and she was left alone .
she sat down in one corner of the room , and began to bewail her hard fate ; when on a sudden the door opened , and a droll-looking little man hobbled in , and said , " good morrow to you , my good lass ; what are you weeping for ? "
" alas ! " said she , " i must spin this straw into gold , and i know not how . "
" what will you give me , " said the hobgoblin , " to do it for you ? "
" my necklace , " replied the maiden .
he took her at her word , and sat himself down to the wheel , and whistled and sang : " round about , round about , lo and behold !
reel away , reel away , straw into gold ! "
and round about the wheel went merrily ; the work was quickly done , and the straw was all spun into gold .
when the king came and saw this , he was greatly astonished and pleased ; but his heart grew still more greedy of gain , and he shut up the poor miller"s daughter again with a fresh task .
then she knew not what to do , and sat down once more to weep ; but the dwarf soon opened the door , and said , " what will you give me to do your task ? "
" the ring on my finger , " said she .
so her little friend took the ring , and began to work at the wheel again , and whistled and sang : " round about , round about , lo and behold !
reel away , reel away , straw into gold ! " till , long before morning , all was done again .
the king was greatly delighted to see all this glittering treasure ; but still he had not enough : so he took the miller"s daughter to a yet larger heap , and said , " all this must be spun tonight ; and if it is , you shall be my queen . "
as soon as she was alone that dwarf came in , and said , " what will you give me to spin gold for you this third time ? "
" i have nothing left , " said she .
" then say you will give me , " said the little man , " the first little child that you may have when you are queen . "
" that may never be , " thought the miller"s daughter : and as she knew no other way to get her task done , she said she would do what he asked .
round went the wheel again to the old song , and the manikin once more spun the heap into gold .
the king came in the morning , and , finding all he wanted , was forced to keep his word ; so he married the miller"s daughter , and she really became queen .
at the birth of her first little child she was very glad , and forgot the dwarf , and what she had said .
but one day he came into her room , where she was sitting playing with her baby , and put her in mind of it .
then she grieved sorely at her misfortune , and said she would give him all the wealth of the kingdom if he would let her off , but in vain ; till at last her tears softened him , and he said , " i will give you three days " grace , and if during that time you tell me my name , you shall keep your child . "
now the queen lay awake all night , thinking of all the odd names that she had ever heard ; and she sent messengers all over the land to find out new ones .
the next day the little man came , and she began with timothy , ichabod , benjamin , jeremiah , and all the names she could remember ; but to all and each of them he said , " madam , that is not my name . "
the second day she began with all the comical names she could hear of , bandy-legs , hunchback , crook-shanks , and so on ; but the little gentleman still said to every one of them , " madam , that is not my name . "
the third day one of the messengers came back , and said , " i have travelled two days without hearing of any other names ; but yesterday , as i was climbing a high hill , among the trees of the forest where the fox and the hare bid each other good night , i saw a little hut ; and before the hut burnt a fire ; and round about the fire a funny little dwarf was dancing upon one leg , and singing : " merrily the feast i"ll make .
today i"ll brew , tomorrow bake ; merrily i"ll dance and sing , for next day will a stranger bring .
little does my lady dream rumpelstiltskin is my name ! " when the queen heard this she jumped for joy , and as soon as her little friend came she sat down upon her throne , and called all her court round to enjoy the fun ; and the nurse stood by her side with the baby in her arms , as if it was quite ready to be given up .
then the little man began to chuckle at the thought of having the poor child , to take home with him to his hut in the woods ; and he cried out , " now , lady , what is my name ? "
" is it john ? " asked she .
" no , madam ! "
" is it tom ? "
" no , madam ! "
" is it jemmy ? "
" it is not . "
" can your name be rumpelstiltskin ? " said the lady slyly .
" some witch told you that!--some witch told you that ! " cried the little man , and dashed his right foot in a rage so deep into the floor , that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out .
then he made the best of his way off , while the nurse laughed and the baby crowed ; and all the court jeered at him for having had so much trouble for nothing , and said , " we wish you a very good morning , and a merry feast , mr rumplestiltskin ! "
there was once a cook named gretel , who wore shoes with red heels , and when she walked out with them on , she turned herself this way and that , was quite happy and thought : " you certainly are a pretty girl ! "
and when she came home she drank , in her gladness of heart , a draught of wine , and as wine excites a desire to eat , she tasted the best of whatever she was cooking until she was satisfied , and said : " the cook must know what the food is like . "
it came to pass that the master one day said to her : " gretel , there is a guest coming this evening ; prepare me two fowls very daintily . "
" i will see to it , master , " answered gretel .
she killed two fowls , scalded them , plucked them , put them on the spit , and towards evening set them before the fire , that they might roast .
the fowls began to turn brown , and were nearly ready , but the guest had not yet arrived .
then gretel called out to her master : " if the guest does not come , i must take the fowls away from the fire , but it will be a sin and a shame if they are not eaten the moment they are at their juiciest . "
the master said : " i will run myself , and fetch the guest . "
when the master had turned his back , gretel laid the spit with the fowls on one side , and thought : " standing so long by the fire there , makes one sweat and thirsty ; who knows when they will come ?
meanwhile , i will run into the cellar , and take a drink . "
she ran down , set a jug , said : " god bless it for you , gretel , " and took a good drink , and thought that wine should flow on , and should not be interrupted , and took yet another hearty draught .
then she went and put the fowls down again to the fire , basted them , and drove the spit merrily round .
but as the roast meat smelt so good , gretel thought : " something might be wrong , it ought to be tasted ! "
she touched it with her finger , and said : " ah ! how good fowls are !
it certainly is a sin and a shame that they are not eaten at the right time ! "
she ran to the window , to see if the master was not coming with his guest , but she saw no one , and went back to the fowls and thought : " one of the wings is burning !
i had better take it off and eat it . "
so she cut it off , ate it , and enjoyed it , and when she had done , she thought : " the other must go down too , or else master will observe that something is missing . "
when the two wings were eaten , she went and looked for her master , and did not see him .
it suddenly occurred to her : " who knows ?
they are perhaps not coming at all , and have turned in somewhere . "
then she said : " well , gretel , enjoy yourself , one fowl has been cut into , take another drink , and eat it up entirely ; when it is eaten you will have some peace , why should god"s good gifts be spoilt ? "
so she ran into the cellar again , took an enormous drink and ate up the one chicken in great glee .
when one of the chickens was swallowed down , and still her master did not come , gretel looked at the other and said : " what one is , the other should be likewise , the two go together ; what"s right for the one is right for the other ; i think if i were to take another draught it would do me no harm . "
so she took another hearty drink , and let the second chicken follow the first .
while she was making the most of it , her master came and cried : " hurry up , gretel , the guest is coming directly after me ! "
" yes , sir , i will soon serve up , " answered gretel .
meantime the master looked to see that the table was properly laid , and took the great knife , wherewith he was going to carve the chickens , and sharpened it on the steps .
presently the guest came , and knocked politely and courteously at the house-door .
gretel ran , and looked to see who was there , and when she saw the guest , she put her finger to her lips and said : " hush ! hush ! go away as quickly as you can , if my master catches you it will be the worse for you ; he certainly did ask you to supper , but his intention is to cut off your two ears .
just listen how he is sharpening the knife for it ! "
the guest heard the sharpening , and hurried down the steps again as fast as he could .
gretel was not idle ; she ran screaming to her master , and cried : " you have invited a fine guest ! "
" why , gretel ?
what do you mean by that ? "
" yes , " said she , " he has taken the chickens which i was just going to serve up , off the dish , and has run away with them ! "
" that"s a nice trick ! " said her master , and lamented the fine chickens .
" if he had but left me one , so that something remained for me to eat . "
he called to him to stop , but the guest pretended not to hear .
then he ran after him with the knife still in his hand , crying : " just one , just one , " meaning that the guest should leave him just one chicken , and not take both .
the guest , however , thought no otherwise than that he was to give up one of his ears , and ran as if fire were burning under him , in order to take them both with him .
there was once a very old man , whose eyes had become dim , his ears dull of hearing , his knees trembled , and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon , and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth .
his son and his son"s wife were disgusted at this , so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove , and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl , and not even enough of it .
and he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears .
once , too , his trembling hands could not hold the bowl , and it fell to the ground and broke .
the young wife scolded him , but he said nothing and only sighed .
then they brought him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence , out of which he had to eat .
they were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground .
" what are you doing there ? " asked the father .
" i am making a little trough , " answered the child , " for father and mother to eat out of when i am big . "
the man and his wife looked at each other for a while , and presently began to cry .
then they took the old grandfather to the table , and henceforth always let him eat with them , and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything .
there was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich peasants , and just one poor one , whom they called the little peasant .
he had not even so much as a cow , and still less money to buy one , and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one .
one day he said to her : " listen , i have a good idea , there is our gossip the carpenter , he shall make us a wooden calf , and paint it brown , so that it looks like any other , and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow . " the woman also liked the idea , and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf , and painted it as it ought to be , and made it with its head hanging down as if it were eating .
next morning when the cows were being driven out , the little peasant called the cow-herd in and said : " look , i have a little calf there , but it is still small and has to be carried . "
the cow-herd said : " all right , " and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture , and set it among the grass .
the little calf always remained standing like one which was eating , and the cow-herd said : " it will soon run by itself , just look how it eats already ! "
at night when he was going to drive the herd home again , he said to the calf : " if you can stand there and eat your fill , you can also go on your four legs ; i don"t care to drag you home again in my arms . "
but the little peasant stood at his door , and waited for his little calf , and when the cow-herd drove the cows through the village , and the calf was missing , he inquired where it was .
the cow-herd answered : " it is still standing out there eating .
it would not stop and come with us . "
but the little peasant said : " oh , but i must have my beast back again . "
then they went back to the meadow together , but someone had stolen the calf , and it was gone .
the cow-herd said : " it must have run away . "
the peasant , however , said : " don"t tell me that , " and led the cow-herd before the mayor , who for his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away .
and now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had so long wished , and they were heartily glad , but they had no food for it , and could give it nothing to eat , so it soon had to be killed .
they salted the flesh , and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell the skin there , so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds .
on the way he passed by a mill , and there sat a raven with broken wings , and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin .
but as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind , he could go no farther , and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter .
the miller"s wife was alone in the house , and said to the peasant : " lay yourself on the straw there , " and gave him a slice of bread and cheese .
the peasant ate it , and lay down with his skin beside him , and the woman thought : " he is tired and has gone to sleep . "
in the meantime came the parson ; the miller"s wife received him well , and said : " my husband is out , so we will have a feast . "
the peasant listened , and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese .
then the woman served up four different things , roast meat , salad , cakes , and wine .
just as they were about to sit down and eat , there was a knocking outside .
the woman said : " oh , heavens !
it is my husband ! " she quickly hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove , the wine under the pillow , the salad on the bed , the cakes under it , and the parson in the closet on the porch .
then she opened the door for her husband , and said : " thank heaven , you are back again !
there is such a storm , it looks as if the world were coming to an end . "
the miller saw the peasant lying on the straw , and asked , " what is that fellow doing there ? "
" ah , " said the wife , " the poor knave came in the storm and rain , and begged for shelter , so i gave him a bit of bread and cheese , and showed him where the straw was . "
the man said : " i have no objection , but be quick and get me something to eat . "
the woman said : " but i have nothing but bread and cheese . "
" i am contented with anything , " replied the husband , " so far as i am concerned , bread and cheese will do , " and looked at the peasant and said : " come and eat some more with me . "
the peasant did not require to be invited twice , but got up and ate .
after this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was , lying on the ground , and asked : " what have you there ? "
the peasant answered : " i have a soothsayer inside it . "
" can he foretell anything to me ? " said the miller .
" why not ? " answered the peasant : " but he only says four things , and the fifth he keeps to himself . "
the miller was curious , and said : " let him foretell something for once . "
then the peasant pinched the raven"s head , so that he croaked and made a noise like krr , krr .
the miller said : " what did he say ? "
the peasant answered : " in the first place , he says that there is some wine hidden under the pillow . "
" bless me ! " cried the miller , and went there and found the wine .
" now go on , " said he .
the peasant made the raven croak again , and said : " in the second place , he says that there is some roast meat in the tiled stove . "
" upon my word ! " cried the miller , and went thither , and found the roast meat .
the peasant made the raven prophesy still more , and said : " thirdly , he says that there is some salad on the bed . "
" that would be a fine thing ! " cried the miller , and went there and found the salad .
at last the peasant pinched the raven once more till he croaked , and said : " fourthly , he says that there are some cakes under the bed . "
" that would be a fine thing ! " cried the miller , and looked there , and found the cakes .
and now the two sat down to the table together , but the miller"s wife was frightened to death , and went to bed and took all the keys with her .
the miller would have liked much to know the fifth , but the little peasant said : " first , we will quickly eat the four things , for the fifth is something bad . "
so they ate , and after that they bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy , until they agreed on three hundred talers .
then the peasant once more pinched the raven"s head till he croaked loudly .
the miller asked : " what did he say ? "
the peasant replied : " he says that the devil is hiding outside there in the closet on the porch . "
the miller said : " the devil must go out , " and opened the house-door ; then the woman was forced to give up the keys , and the peasant unlocked the closet .
the parson ran out as fast as he could , and the miller said : " it was true ; i saw the black rascal with my own eyes . "
the peasant , however , made off next morning by daybreak with the three hundred talers .
at home the small peasant gradually launched out ; he built a beautiful house , and the peasants said : " the small peasant has certainly been to the place where golden snow falls , and people carry the gold home in shovels . "
then the small peasant was brought before the mayor , and bidden to say from whence his wealth came .
he answered : " i sold my cow"s skin in the town , for three hundred talers . "
when the peasants heard that , they too wished to enjoy this great profit , and ran home , killed all their cows , and stripped off their skins in order to sell them in the town to the greatest advantage .
the mayor , however , said : " but my servant must go first . "
when she came to the merchant in the town , he did not give her more than two talers for a skin , and when the others came , he did not give them so much , and said : " what can i do with all these skins ? "
then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus outwitted them , wanted to take vengeance on him , and accused him of this treachery before the mayor .
the innocent little peasant was unanimously sentenced to death , and was to be rolled into the water , in a barrel pierced full of holes .
he was led forth , and a priest was brought who was to say a mass for his soul .
the others were all obliged to retire to a distance , and when the peasant looked at the priest , he recognized the man who had been with the miller"s wife .
he said to him : " i set you free from the closet , set me free from the barrel . "
at this same moment up came , with a flock of sheep , the very shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor , so he cried with all his might : " no , i will not do it ; if the whole world insists on it , i will not do it ! "
the shepherd hearing that , came up to him , and asked : " what are you about ?
what is it that you will not do ? "
the peasant said : " they want to make me mayor , if i will but put myself in the barrel , but i will not do it . "
the shepherd said : " if nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor , i would get into the barrel at once . "
the peasant said : " if you will get in , you will be mayor . "
the shepherd was willing , and got in , and the peasant shut the top down on him ; then he took the shepherd"s flock for himself , and drove it away .
the parson went to the crowd , and declared that the mass had been said .
then they came and rolled the barrel towards the water .
when the barrel began to roll , the shepherd cried : " i am quite willing to be mayor . "
they believed no otherwise than that it was the peasant who was saying this , and answered : " that is what we intend , but first you shall look about you a little down below there , " and they rolled the barrel down into the water .
after that the peasants went home , and as they were entering the village , the small peasant also came quietly in , driving a flock of sheep and looking quite contented .
then the peasants were astonished , and said : " peasant , from whence do you come ?
have you come out of the water ? "
" yes , truly , " replied the peasant , " i sank deep , deep down , until at last i got to the bottom ; i pushed the bottom out of the barrel , and crept out , and there were pretty meadows on which a number of lambs were feeding , and from thence i brought this flock away with me . "
said the peasants : " are there any more there ? "
" oh , yes , " said he , " more than i could want . "
then the peasants made up their minds that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves , a flock apiece , but the mayor said : " i come first . "
so they went to the water together , and just then there were some of the small fleecy clouds in the blue sky , which are called little lambs , and they were reflected in the water , whereupon the peasants cried : " we already see the sheep down below ! "
the mayor pressed forward and said : " i will go down first , and look about me , and if things promise well i"ll call you . "
so he jumped in ; splash ! went the water ; it sounded as if he were calling them , and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man .
then the entire village was dead , and the small peasant , as sole heir , became a rich man .
there was once a man called frederick : he had a wife whose name was catherine , and they had not long been married .
one day frederick said .
" kate !
i am going to work in the fields ; when i come back i shall be hungry so let me have something nice cooked , and a good draught of ale . "
" very well , " said she , " it shall all be ready . "
when dinner-time drew nigh , catherine took a nice steak , which was all the meat she had , and put it on the fire to fry .
the steak soon began to look brown , and to crackle in the pan ; and catherine stood by with a fork and turned it : then she said to herself , " the steak is almost ready , i may as well go to the cellar for the ale . "
so she left the pan on the fire and took a large jug and went into the cellar and tapped the ale cask .
the beer ran into the jug and catherine stood looking on .
at last it popped into her head , " the dog is not shut up--he may be running away with the steak ; that"s well thought of . "
so up she ran from the cellar ; and sure enough the rascally cur had got the steak in his mouth , and was making off with it .
away ran catherine , and away ran the dog across the field : but he ran faster than she , and stuck close to the steak .
" it"s all gone , and " what can"t be cured must be endured " , " said catherine .
so she turned round ; and as she had run a good way and was tired , she walked home leisurely to cool herself .
now all this time the ale was running too , for catherine had not turned the cock ; and when the jug was full the liquor ran upon the floor till the cask was empty .
when she got to the cellar stairs she saw what had happened .
" my stars ! " said she , " what shall i do to keep frederick from seeing all this slopping about ? "
so she thought a while ; and at last remembered that there was a sack of fine meal bought at the last fair , and that if she sprinkled this over the floor it would suck up the ale nicely .
" what a lucky thing , " said she , " that we kept that meal ! we have now a good use for it . "
so away she went for it : but she managed to set it down just upon the great jug full of beer , and upset it ; and thus all the ale that had been saved was set swimming on the floor also .
" ah ! well , " said she , " when one goes another may as well follow . "
then she strewed the meal all about the cellar , and was quite pleased with her cleverness , and said , " how very neat and clean it looks ! "
at noon frederick came home .
" now , wife , " cried he , " what have you for dinner ? "
" o frederick ! " answered she , " i was cooking you a steak ; but while i went down to draw the ale , the dog ran away with it ; and while i ran after him , the ale ran out ; and when i went to dry up the ale with the sack of meal that we got at the fair , i upset the jug : but the cellar is now quite dry , and looks so clean ! "
" kate , kate , " said he , " how could you do all this ? "
why did you leave the steak to fry , and the ale to run , and then spoil all the meal ? "
" why , frederick , " said she , " i did not know i was doing wrong ; you should have told me before . "
the husband thought to himself , " if my wife manages matters thus , i must look sharp myself . "
now he had a good deal of gold in the house : so he said to catherine , " what pretty yellow buttons these are !
i shall put them into a box and bury them in the garden ; but take care that you never go near or meddle with them . "
" no , frederick , " said she , " that i never will . "
as soon as he was gone , there came by some pedlars with earthenware plates and dishes , and they asked her whether she would buy .
" oh dear me , i should like to buy very much , but i have no money : if you had any use for yellow buttons , i might deal with you . "
" yellow buttons ! " said they : " let us have a look at them . "
" go into the garden and dig where i tell you , and you will find the yellow buttons : i dare not go myself . "
so the rogues went : and when they found what these yellow buttons were , they took them all away , and left her plenty of plates and dishes .
then she set them all about the house for a show : and when frederick came back , he cried out , " kate , what have you been doing ? "
" see , " said she , " i have bought all these with your yellow buttons : but i did not touch them myself ; the pedlars went themselves and dug them up . "
" wife , wife , " said frederick , " what a pretty piece of work you have made ! those yellow buttons were all my money : how came you to do such a thing ? "
" why , " answered she , " i did not know there was any harm in it ; you should have told me . "
catherine stood musing for a while , and at last said to her husband , " hark ye , frederick , we will soon get the gold back : let us run after the thieves . "
" well , we will try , " answered he ; " but take some butter and cheese with you , that we may have something to eat by the way . "
" very well , " said she ; and they set out : and as frederick walked the fastest , he left his wife some way behind .
" it does not matter , " thought she : " when we turn back , i shall be so much nearer home than he . "
presently she came to the top of a hill , down the side of which there was a road so narrow that the cart wheels always chafed the trees on each side as they passed .
" ah , see now , " said she , " how they have bruised and wounded those poor trees ; they will never get well . "
so she took pity on them , and made use of the butter to grease them all , so that the wheels might not hurt them so much .
while she was doing this kind office one of her cheeses fell out of the basket , and rolled down the hill .
catherine looked , but could not see where it had gone ; so she said , " well , i suppose the other will go the same way and find you ; he has younger legs than i have . "
then she rolled the other cheese after it ; and away it went , nobody knows where , down the hill .
but she said she supposed that they knew the road , and would follow her , and she could not stay there all day waiting for them .
at last she overtook frederick , who desired her to give him something to eat .
then she gave him the dry bread .
" where are the butter and cheese ? " said he .
" oh ! " answered she , " i used the butter to grease those poor trees that the wheels chafed so : and one of the cheeses ran away so i sent the other after it to find it , and i suppose they are both on the road together somewhere . "
" what a goose you are to do such silly things ! " said the husband .
" how can you say so ? " said she ; " i am sure you never told me not . "
they ate the dry bread together ; and frederick said , " kate , i hope you locked the door safe when you came away . "
" no , " answered she , " you did not tell me . "
" then go home , and do it now before we go any farther , " said frederick , " and bring with you something to eat . "
catherine did as he told her , and thought to herself by the way , " frederick wants something to eat ; but i don"t think he is very fond of butter and cheese : i"ll bring him a bag of fine nuts , and the vinegar , for i have often seen him take some . "
when she reached home , she bolted the back door , but the front door she took off the hinges , and said , " frederick told me to lock the door , but surely it can nowhere be so safe if i take it with me . "
so she took her time by the way ; and when she overtook her husband she cried out , " there , frederick , there is the door itself , you may watch it as carefully as you please . "
" alas ! alas ! " said he , " what a clever wife i have !
i sent you to make the house fast , and you take the door away , so that everybody may go in and out as they please--however , as you have brought the door , you shall carry it about with you for your pains . "
" very well , " answered she , " i"ll carry the door ; but i"ll not carry the nuts and vinegar bottle also--that would be too much of a load ; so if you please , i"ll fasten them to the door . "
frederick of course made no objection to that plan , and they set off into the wood to look for the thieves ; but they could not find them : and when it grew dark , they climbed up into a tree to spend the night there .
scarcely were they up , than who should come by but the very rogues they were looking for .
they were in truth great rascals , and belonged to that class of people who find things before they are lost ; they were tired ; so they sat down and made a fire under the very tree where frederick and catherine were .
frederick slipped down on the other side , and picked up some stones .
then he climbed up again , and tried to hit the thieves on the head with them : but they only said , " it must be near morning , for the wind shakes the fir-apples down . "
catherine , who had the door on her shoulder , began to be very tired ; but she thought it was the nuts upon it that were so heavy : so she said softly , " frederick , i must let the nuts go . "
" no , " answered he , " not now , they will discover us . "
" i can"t help that : they must go . "
" well , then , make haste and throw them down , if you will . "
then away rattled the nuts down among the boughs and one of the thieves cried , " bless me , it is hailing . "
a little while after , catherine thought the door was still very heavy : so she whispered to frederick , " i must throw the vinegar down . "
" pray don"t , " answered he , " it will discover us . "
" i can"t help that , " said she , " go it must . "
so she poured all the vinegar down ; and the thieves said , " what a heavy dew there is ! "
at last it popped into catherine"s head that it was the door itself that was so heavy all the time : so she whispered , " frederick , i must throw the door down soon . "
but he begged and prayed her not to do so , for he was sure it would betray them .
" here goes , however , " said she : and down went the door with such a clatter upon the thieves , that they cried out " murder ! " and not knowing what was coming , ran away as fast as they could , and left all the gold .
so when frederick and catherine came down , there they found all their money safe and sound .
there was once upon a time a woman who was a real witch and had two daughters , one ugly and wicked , and this one she loved because she was her own daughter , and one beautiful and good , and this one she hated , because she was her stepdaughter .
the stepdaughter once had a pretty apron , which the other fancied so much that she became envious , and told her mother that she must and would have that apron .
" be quiet , my child , " said the old woman , " and you shall have it .
your stepsister has long deserved death ; tonight when she is asleep i will come and cut her head off .
only be careful that you are at the far side of the bed , and push her well to the front . "
it would have been all over with the poor girl if she had not just then been standing in a corner , and heard everything .
all day long she dared not go out of doors , and when bedtime had come , the witch"s daughter got into bed first , so as to lie at the far side , but when she was asleep , the other pushed her gently to the front , and took for herself the place at the back , close by the wall .
in the night , the old woman came creeping in , she held an axe in her right hand , and felt with her left to see if anyone were lying at the outside , and then she grasped the axe with both hands , and cut her own child"s head off .
when she had gone away , the girl got up and went to her sweetheart , who was called roland , and knocked at his door .
when he came out , she said to him : " listen , dearest roland , we must fly in all haste ; my stepmother wanted to kill me , but has struck her own child .
when daylight comes , and she sees what she has done , we shall be lost . "
" but , " said roland , " i counsel you first to take away her magic wand , or we cannot escape if she pursues us . "
the maiden fetched the magic wand , and she took the dead girl"s head and dropped three drops of blood on the ground , one in front of the bed , one in the kitchen , and one on the stairs .
then she hurried away with her lover .
when the old witch got up next morning , she called her daughter , and wanted to give her the apron , but she did not come .
then the witch cried : " where are you ? "
" here , on the stairs , i am sweeping , " answered the first drop of blood .
the old woman went out , but saw no one on the stairs , and cried again : " where are you ? "
" here in the kitchen , i am warming myself , " cried the second drop of blood .
she went into the kitchen , but found no one .
then she cried again : " where are you ? "
" ah , here in the bed , i am sleeping , " cried the third drop of blood .
she went into the room to the bed .
what did she see there ?
her own child , whose head she had cut off , bathed in her blood .
the witch fell into a passion , sprang to the window , and as she could look forth quite far into the world , she perceived her stepdaughter hurrying away with her sweetheart roland .
" that shall not help you , " cried she , " even if you have got a long way off , you shall still not escape me . "
she put on her many-league boots , in which she covered an hour"s walk at every step , and it was not long before she overtook them .
the girl , however , when she saw the old woman striding towards her , changed , with her magic wand , her sweetheart roland into a lake , and herself into a duck swimming in the middle of it .
the witch placed herself on the shore , threw breadcrumbs in , and went to endless trouble to entice the duck ; but the duck did not let herself be enticed , and the old woman had to go home at night as she had come .
at this the girl and her sweetheart roland resumed their natural shapes again , and they walked on the whole night until daybreak .
then the maiden changed herself into a beautiful flower which stood in the midst of a briar hedge , and her sweetheart roland into a fiddler .
it was not long before the witch came striding up towards them , and said to the musician : " dear musician , may i pluck that beautiful flower for myself ? "
" oh , yes , " he replied , " i will play to you while you do it . "
as she was hastily creeping into the hedge and was just going to pluck the flower , knowing perfectly well who the flower was , he began to play , and whether she would or not , she was forced to dance , for it was a magical dance .
the faster he played , the more violent springs was she forced to make , and the thorns tore her clothes from her body , and pricked her and wounded her till she bled , and as he did not stop , she had to dance till she lay dead on the ground .
as they were now set free , roland said : " now i will go to my father and arrange for the wedding . "
" then in the meantime i will stay here and wait for you , " said the girl , " and that no one may recognize me , i will change myself into a red stone landmark . "
then roland went away , and the girl stood like a red landmark in the field and waited for her beloved .
but when roland got home , he fell into the snares of another , who so fascinated him that he forgot the maiden .
the poor girl remained there a long time , but at length , as he did not return at all , she was sad , and changed herself into a flower , and thought : " someone will surely come this way , and trample me down . "
it befell , however , that a shepherd kept his sheep in the field and saw the flower , and as it was so pretty , plucked it , took it with him , and laid it away in his chest .
from that time forth , strange things happened in the shepherd"s house .
when he arose in the morning , all the work was already done , the room was swept , the table and benches cleaned , the fire in the hearth was lighted , and the water was fetched , and at noon , when he came home , the table was laid , and a good dinner served .
he could not conceive how this came to pass , for he never saw a human being in his house , and no one could have concealed himself in it .
he was certainly pleased with this good attendance , but still at last he was so afraid that he went to a wise woman and asked for her advice .
the wise woman said : " there is some enchantment behind it , listen very early some morning if anything is moving in the room , and if you see anything , no matter what it is , throw a white cloth over it , and then the magic will be stopped . "
the shepherd did as she bade him , and next morning just as day dawned , he saw the chest open , and the flower come out .
swiftly he sprang towards it , and threw a white cloth over it .
instantly the transformation came to an end , and a beautiful girl stood before him , who admitted to him that she had been the flower , and that up to this time she had attended to his house-keeping .
she told him her story , and as she pleased him he asked her if she would marry him , but she answered : " no , " for she wanted to remain faithful to her sweetheart roland , although he had deserted her .
nevertheless , she promised not to go away , but to continue keeping house for the shepherd .
and now the time drew near when roland"s wedding was to be celebrated , and then , according to an old custom in the country , it was announced that all the girls were to be present at it , and sing in honour of the bridal pair .
when the faithful maiden heard of this , she grew so sad that she thought her heart would break , and she would not go thither , but the other girls came and took her .
when it came to her turn to sing , she stepped back , until at last she was the only one left , and then she could not refuse .
but when she began her song , and it reached roland"s ears , he sprang up and cried : " i know the voice , that is the true bride , i will have no other ! "
everything he had forgotten , and which had vanished from his mind , had suddenly come home again to his heart .
then the faithful maiden held her wedding with her sweetheart roland , and grief came to an end and joy began .
it was the middle of winter , when the broad flakes of snow were falling around , that the queen of a country many thousand miles off sat working at her window .
the frame of the window was made of fine black ebony , and as she sat looking out upon the snow , she pricked her finger , and three drops of blood fell upon it .
then she gazed thoughtfully upon the red drops that sprinkled the white snow , and said , " would that my little daughter may be as white as that snow , as red as that blood , and as black as this ebony windowframe ! "
and so the little girl really did grow up ; her skin was as white as snow , her cheeks as rosy as the blood , and her hair as black as ebony ; and she was called snowdrop .
but this queen died ; and the king soon married another wife , who became queen , and was very beautiful , but so vain that she could not bear to think that anyone could be handsomer than she was .
she had a fairy looking-glass , to which she used to go , and then she would gaze upon herself in it , and say : " tell me , glass , tell me true !
of all the ladies in the land , who is fairest , tell me , who ? "
and the glass had always answered : " thou , queen , art the fairest in all the land . "
but snowdrop grew more and more beautiful ; and when she was seven years old she was as bright as the day , and fairer than the queen herself .
then the glass one day answered the queen , when she went to look in it as usual : " thou , queen , art fair , and beauteous to see , but snowdrop is lovelier far than thee ! "
when she heard this she turned pale with rage and envy , and called to one of her servants , and said , " take snowdrop away into the wide wood , that i may never see her any more . "
then the servant led her away ; but his heart melted when snowdrop begged him to spare her life , and he said , " i will not hurt you , thou pretty child . "
so he left her by herself ; and though he thought it most likely that the wild beasts would tear her in pieces , he felt as if a great weight were taken off his heart when he had made up his mind not to kill her but to leave her to her fate , with the chance of someone finding and saving her .
then poor snowdrop wandered along through the wood in great fear ; and the wild beasts roared about her , but none did her any harm .
in the evening she came to a cottage among the hills , and went in to rest , for her little feet would carry her no further .
everything was spruce and neat in the cottage : on the table was spread a white cloth , and there were seven little plates , seven little loaves , and seven little glasses with wine in them ; and seven knives and forks laid in order ; and by the wall stood seven little beds .
as she was very hungry , she picked a little piece of each loaf and drank a very little wine out of each glass ; and after that she thought she would lie down and rest .
so she tried all the little beds ; but one was too long , and another was too short , till at last the seventh suited her : and there she laid herself down and went to sleep .
by and by in came the masters of the cottage .
now they were seven little dwarfs , that lived among the mountains , and dug and searched for gold .
they lighted up their seven lamps , and saw at once that all was not right .
the first said , " who has been sitting on my stool ? "
the second , " who has been eating off my plate ? "
the third , " who has been picking my bread ? "
the fourth , " who has been meddling with my spoon ? "
the fifth , " who has been handling my fork ? "
the sixth , " who has been cutting with my knife ? "
the seventh , " who has been drinking my wine ? "
then the first looked round and said , " who has been lying on my bed ? "
and the rest came running to him , and everyone cried out that somebody had been upon his bed .
but the seventh saw snowdrop , and called all his brethren to come and see her ; and they cried out with wonder and astonishment and brought their lamps to look at her , and said , " good heavens ! what a lovely child she is ! "
and they were very glad to see her , and took care not to wake her ; and the seventh dwarf slept an hour with each of the other dwarfs in turn , till the night was gone .
in the morning snowdrop told them all her story ; and they pitied her , and said if she would keep all things in order , and cook and wash and knit and spin for them , she might stay where she was , and they would take good care of her .
then they went out all day long to their work , seeking for gold and silver in the mountains : but snowdrop was left at home ; and they warned her , and said , " the queen will soon find out where you are , so take care and let no one in . "
but the queen , now that she thought snowdrop was dead , believed that she must be the handsomest lady in the land ; and she went to her glass and said : " tell me , glass , tell me true !
of all the ladies in the land , who is fairest , tell me , who ? "
and the glass answered : " thou , queen , art the fairest in all this land : but over the hills , in the greenwood shade , where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made , there snowdrop is hiding her head ; and she is lovelier far , o queen ! than thee . "
then the queen was very much frightened ; for she knew that the glass always spoke the truth , and was sure that the servant had betrayed her .
and she could not bear to think that anyone lived who was more beautiful than she was ; so she dressed herself up as an old pedlar , and went her way over the hills , to the place where the dwarfs dwelt .
then she knocked at the door , and cried , " fine wares to sell ! "
snowdrop looked out at the window , and said , " good day , good woman ! what have you to sell ? "
" good wares , fine wares , " said she ; " laces and bobbins of all colours . "
" i will let the old lady in ; she seems to be a very good sort of body , " thought snowdrop , as she ran down and unbolted the door .
" bless me ! " said the old woman , " how badly your stays are laced !
let me lace them up with one of my nice new laces . "
snowdrop did not dream of any mischief ; so she stood before the old woman ; but she set to work so nimbly , and pulled the lace so tight , that snowdrop"s breath was stopped , and she fell down as if she were dead .
" there"s an end to all thy beauty , " said the spiteful queen , and went away home .
in the evening the seven dwarfs came home ; and i need not say how grieved they were to see their faithful snowdrop stretched out upon the ground , as if she was quite dead .
however , they lifted her up , and when they found what ailed her , they cut the lace ; and in a little time she began to breathe , and very soon came to life again .
then they said , " the old woman was the queen herself ; take care another time , and let no one in when we are away . "
when the queen got home , she went straight to her glass , and spoke to it as before ; but to her great grief it still said : " thou , queen , art the fairest in all this land : but over the hills , in the greenwood shade , where the seven dwarfs their dwelling have made , there snowdrop is hiding her head ; and she is lovelier far , o queen ! than thee . "
then the blood ran cold in her heart with spite and malice , to see that snowdrop still lived ; and she dressed herself up again , but in quite another dress from the one she wore before , and took with her a poisoned comb .
when she reached the dwarfs " cottage , she knocked at the door , and cried , " fine wares to sell ! "
but snowdrop said , " i dare not let anyone in . "
then the queen said , " only look at my beautiful combs ! " and gave her the poisoned one .
and it looked so pretty , that she took it up and put it into her hair to try it ; but the moment it touched her head , the poison was so powerful that she fell down senseless .
" there you may lie , " said the queen , and went her way .
but by good luck the dwarfs came in very early that evening ; and when they saw snowdrop lying on the ground , they thought what had happened , and soon found the poisoned comb .
and when they took it away she got well , and told them all that had passed ; and they warned her once more not to open the door to anyone .
meantime the queen went home to her glass , and shook with rage when she read the very same answer as before ; and she said , " snowdrop shall die , if it cost me my life . "
so she went by herself into her chamber , and got ready a poisoned apple : the outside looked very rosy and tempting , but whoever tasted it was sure to die .
then she dressed herself up as a peasant"s wife , and travelled over the hills to the dwarfs " cottage , and knocked at the door ; but snowdrop put her head out of the window and said , " i dare not let anyone in , for the dwarfs have told me not . "
" do as you please , " said the old woman , " but at any rate take this pretty apple ; i will give it you . "
" no , " said snowdrop , " i dare not take it . "
" you silly girl ! " answered the other , " what are you afraid of ?
do you think it is poisoned ?
come ! do you eat one part , and i will eat the other . "
now the apple was so made up that one side was good , though the other side was poisoned .
then snowdrop was much tempted to taste , for the apple looked so very nice ; and when she saw the old woman eat , she could wait no longer .
but she had scarcely put the piece into her mouth , when she fell down dead upon the ground .
" this time nothing will save thee , " said the queen ; and she went home to her glass , and at last it said : " thou , queen , art the fairest of all the fair . "
and then her wicked heart was glad , and as happy as such a heart could be .
when evening came , and the dwarfs had gone home , they found snowdrop lying on the ground : no breath came from her lips , and they were afraid that she was quite dead .
they lifted her up , and combed her hair , and washed her face with wine and water ; but all was in vain , for the little girl seemed quite dead .
so they laid her down upon a bier , and all seven watched and bewailed her three whole days ; and then they thought they would bury her : but her cheeks were still rosy ; and her face looked just as it did while she was alive ; so they said , " we will never bury her in the cold ground . "
and they made a coffin of glass , so that they might still look at her , and wrote upon it in golden letters what her name was , and that she was a king"s daughter .
and the coffin was set among the hills , and one of the dwarfs always sat by it and watched .
and the birds of the air came too , and bemoaned snowdrop ; and first of all came an owl , and then a raven , and at last a dove , and sat by her side .
and thus snowdrop lay for a long , long time , and still only looked as though she was asleep ; for she was even now as white as snow , and as red as blood , and as black as ebony .
at last a prince came and called at the dwarfs " house ; and he saw snowdrop , and read what was written in golden letters .
then he offered the dwarfs money , and prayed and besought them to let him take her away ; but they said , " we will not part with her for all the gold in the world . "
at last , however , they had pity on him , and gave him the coffin ; but the moment he lifted it up to carry it home with him , the piece of apple fell from between her lips , and snowdrop awoke , and said , " where am i ? "
and the prince said , " thou art quite safe with me . "
then he told her all that had happened , and said , " i love you far better than all the world ; so come with me to my father"s palace , and you shall be my wife . "
and snowdrop consented , and went home with the prince ; and everything was got ready with great pomp and splendour for their wedding .
to the feast was asked , among the rest , snowdrop"s old enemy the queen ; and as she was dressing herself in fine rich clothes , she looked in the glass and said : " tell me , glass , tell me true !
of all the ladies in the land , who is fairest , tell me , who ? "
and the glass answered : " thou , lady , art loveliest here , i ween ; but lovelier far is the new-made queen . "
when she heard this she started with rage ; but her envy and curiosity were so great , that she could not help setting out to see the bride .
and when she got there , and saw that it was no other than snowdrop , who , as she thought , had been dead a long while , she choked with rage , and fell down and died : but snowdrop and the prince lived and reigned happily over that land many , many years ; and sometimes they went up into the mountains , and paid a visit to the little dwarfs , who had been so kind to snowdrop in her time of need .
there was once upon a time a queen to whom god had given no children .
every morning she went into the garden and prayed to god in heaven to bestow on her a son or a daughter .
then an angel from heaven came to her and said : " be at rest , you shall have a son with the power of wishing , so that whatsoever in the world he wishes for , that shall he have . "
then she went to the king , and told him the joyful tidings , and when the time was come she gave birth to a son , and the king was filled with gladness .
every morning she went with the child to the garden where the wild beasts were kept , and washed herself there in a clear stream .
it happened once when the child was a little older , that it was lying in her arms and she fell asleep .
then came the old cook , who knew that the child had the power of wishing , and stole it away , and he took a hen , and cut it in pieces , and dropped some of its blood on the queen"s apron and on her dress .
then he carried the child away to a secret place , where a nurse was obliged to suckle it , and he ran to the king and accused the queen of having allowed her child to be taken from her by the wild beasts .
when the king saw the blood on her apron , he believed this , fell into such a passion that he ordered a high tower to be built , in which neither sun nor moon could be seen and had his wife put into it , and walled up .
here she was to stay for seven years without meat or drink , and die of hunger .
but god sent two angels from heaven in the shape of white doves , which flew to her twice a day , and carried her food until the seven years were over .
the cook , however , thought to himself : " if the child has the power of wishing , and i am here , he might very easily get me into trouble . "
so he left the palace and went to the boy , who was already big enough to speak , and said to him : " wish for a beautiful palace for yourself with a garden , and all else that pertains to it . "
scarcely were the words out of the boy"s mouth , when everything was there that he had wished for .
after a while the cook said to him : " it is not well for you to be so alone , wish for a pretty girl as a companion . "
then the king"s son wished for one , and she immediately stood before him , and was more beautiful than any painter could have painted her .
the two played together , and loved each other with all their hearts , and the old cook went out hunting like a nobleman .
the thought occurred to him , however , that the king"s son might some day wish to be with his father , and thus bring him into great peril .
so he went out and took the maiden aside , and said : " tonight when the boy is asleep , go to his bed and plunge this knife into his heart , and bring me his heart and tongue , and if you do not do it , you shall lose your life . "
thereupon he went away , and when he returned next day she had not done it , and said : " why should i shed the blood of an innocent boy who has never harmed anyone ? "
the cook once more said : " if you do not do it , it shall cost you your own life . "
when he had gone away , she had a little hind brought to her , and ordered her to be killed , and took her heart and tongue , and laid them on a plate , and when she saw the old man coming , she said to the boy : " lie down in your bed , and draw the clothes over you . "
then the wicked wretch came in and said : " where are the boy"s heart and tongue ? "
the girl reached the plate to him , but the king"s son threw off the quilt , and said : " you old sinner , why did you want to kill me ?
now will i pronounce thy sentence .
you shall become a black poodle and have a gold collar round your neck , and shall eat burning coals , till the flames burst forth from your throat . "
and when he had spoken these words , the old man was changed into a poodle dog , and had a gold collar round his neck , and the cooks were ordered to bring up some live coals , and these he ate , until the flames broke forth from his throat .
the king"s son remained there a short while longer , and he thought of his mother , and wondered if she were still alive .
at length he said to the maiden : " i will go home to my own country ; if you will go with me , i will provide for you . "
" ah , " she replied , " the way is so long , and what shall i do in a strange land where i am unknown ? "
as she did not seem quite willing , and as they could not be parted from each other , he wished that she might be changed into a beautiful pink , and took her with him .
then he went away to his own country , and the poodle had to run after him .
he went to the tower in which his mother was confined , and as it was so high , he wished for a ladder which would reach up to the very top .
then he mounted up and looked inside , and cried : " beloved mother , lady queen , are you still alive , or are you dead ? "
she answered : " i have just eaten , and am still satisfied , " for she thought the angels were there .
said he : " i am your dear son , whom the wild beasts were said to have torn from your arms ; but i am alive still , and will soon set you free . "
then he descended again , and went to his father , and caused himself to be announced as a strange huntsman , and asked if he could offer him service .
the king said yes , if he was skilful and could get game for him , he should come to him , but that deer had never taken up their quarters in any part of the district or country .
then the huntsman promised to procure as much game for him as he could possibly use at the royal table .
so he summoned all the huntsmen together , and bade them go out into the forest with him .
and he went with them and made them form a great circle , open at one end where he stationed himself , and began to wish .
two hundred deer and more came running inside the circle at once , and the huntsmen shot them .
then they were all placed on sixty country carts , and driven home to the king , and for once he was able to deck his table with game , after having had none at all for years .
now the king felt great joy at this , and commanded that his entire household should eat with him next day , and made a great feast .
when they were all assembled together , he said to the huntsman : " as you are so clever , you shall sit by me . "
he replied : " lord king , your majesty must excuse me , i am a poor huntsman . "
but the king insisted on it , and said : " you shall sit by me , " until he did it .
whilst he was sitting there , he thought of his dearest mother , and wished that one of the king"s principal servants would begin to speak of her , and would ask how it was faring with the queen in the tower , and if she were alive still , or had perished .
hardly had he formed the wish than the marshal began , and said : " your majesty , we live joyously here , but how is the queen living in the tower ?
is she still alive , or has she died ? "
but the king replied : " she let my dear son be torn to pieces by wild beasts ; i will not have her named . "
then the huntsman arose and said : " gracious lord father she is alive still , and i am her son , and i was not carried away by wild beasts , but by that wretch the old cook , who tore me from her arms when she was asleep , and sprinkled her apron with the blood of a chicken . "
thereupon he took the dog with the golden collar , and said : " that is the wretch ! " and caused live coals to be brought , and these the dog was compelled to devour before the sight of all , until flames burst forth from its throat .
on this the huntsman asked the king if he would like to see the dog in his true shape , and wished him back into the form of the cook , in which he stood immediately , with his white apron , and his knife by his side .
when the king saw him he fell into a passion , and ordered him to be cast into the deepest dungeon .
then the huntsman spoke further and said : " father , will you see the maiden who brought me up so tenderly and who was afterwards to murder me , but did not do it , though her own life depended on it ? "
the king replied : " yes , i would like to see her . "
the son said : " most gracious father , i will show her to you in the form of a beautiful flower , " and he thrust his hand into his pocket and brought forth the pink , and placed it on the royal table , and it was so beautiful that the king had never seen one to equal it .
then the son said : " now will i show her to you in her own form , " and wished that she might become a maiden , and she stood there looking so beautiful that no painter could have made her look more so .
and the king sent two waiting-maids and two attendants into the tower , to fetch the queen and bring her to the royal table .
but when she was led in she ate nothing , and said : " the gracious and merciful god who has supported me in the tower , will soon set me free . "
she lived three days more , and then died happily , and when she was buried , the two white doves which had brought her food to the tower , and were angels of heaven , followed her body and seated themselves on her grave .
the aged king ordered the cook to be torn in four pieces , but grief consumed the king"s own heart , and he soon died .
his son married the beautiful maiden whom he had brought with him as a flower in his pocket , and whether they are still alive or not , is known to god .
there was once a man who had a daughter who was called clever elsie .
and when she had grown up her father said : " we will get her married . "
" yes , " said the mother , " if only someone would come who would have her . "
at length a man came from a distance and wooed her , who was called hans ; but he stipulated that clever elsie should be really smart .
" oh , " said the father , " she has plenty of good sense " ; and the mother said : " oh , she can see the wind coming up the street , and hear the flies coughing . "
" well , " said hans , " if she is not really smart , i won"t have her . "
when they were sitting at dinner and had eaten , the mother said : " elsie , go into the cellar and fetch some beer . "
then clever elsie took the pitcher from the wall , went into the cellar , and tapped the lid briskly as she went , so that the time might not appear long .
when she was below she fetched herself a chair , and set it before the barrel so that she had no need to stoop , and did not hurt her back or do herself any unexpected injury .
then she placed the can before her , and turned the tap , and while the beer was running she would not let her eyes be idle , but looked up at the wall , and after much peering here and there , saw a pick-axe exactly above her , which the masons had accidentally left there .
then clever elsie began to weep and said : " if i get hans , and we have a child , and he grows big , and we send him into the cellar here to draw beer , then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him . "
then she sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body , over the misfortune which lay before her .
those upstairs waited for the drink , but clever elsie still did not come .
then the woman said to the servant : " just go down into the cellar and see where elsie is . "
the maid went and found her sitting in front of the barrel , screaming loudly .
" elsie why do you weep ? " asked the maid .
" ah , " she answered , " have i not reason to weep ?
if i get hans , and we have a child , and he grows big , and has to draw beer here , the pick-axe will perhaps fall on his head , and kill him . "
then said the maid : " what a clever elsie we have ! " and sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the misfortune .
after a while , as the maid did not come back , and those upstairs were thirsty for the beer , the man said to the boy : " just go down into the cellar and see where elsie and the girl are . "
the boy went down , and there sat clever elsie and the girl both weeping together .
then he asked : " why are you weeping ? "
" ah , " said elsie , " have i not reason to weep ?
if i get hans , and we have a child , and he grows big , and has to draw beer here , the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him . "
then said the boy : " what a clever elsie we have ! " and sat down by her , and likewise began to howl loudly .
upstairs they waited for the boy , but as he still did not return , the man said to the woman : " just go down into the cellar and see where elsie is ! "
the woman went down , and found all three in the midst of their lamentations , and inquired what was the cause ; then elsie told her also that her future child was to be killed by the pick-axe , when it grew big and had to draw beer , and the pick-axe fell down .
then said the mother likewise : " what a clever elsie we have ! " and sat down and wept with them .
the man upstairs waited a short time , but as his wife did not come back and his thirst grew ever greater , he said : " i must go into the cellar myself and see where elsie is . "
but when he got into the cellar , and they were all sitting together crying , and he heard the reason , and that elsie"s child was the cause , and the elsie might perhaps bring one into the world some day , and that he might be killed by the pick-axe , if he should happen to be sitting beneath it , drawing beer just at the very time when it fell down , he cried : " oh , what a clever elsie ! " and sat down , and likewise wept with them .
the bridegroom stayed upstairs alone for a long time ; then as no one would come back he thought : " they must be waiting for me below : i too must go there and see what they are about . "
when he got down , the five of them were sitting screaming and lamenting quite piteously , each out-doing the other .
" what misfortune has happened then ? " asked he .
" ah , dear hans , " said elsie , " if we marry each other and have a child , and he is big , and we perhaps send him here to draw something to drink , then the pick-axe which has been left up there might dash his brains out if it were to fall down , so have we not reason to weep ? "
" come , " said hans , " more understanding than that is not needed for my household , as you are such a clever elsie , i will have you , " and seized her hand , took her upstairs with him , and married her .
after hans had had her some time , he said : " wife , i am going out to work and earn some money for us ; go into the field and cut the corn that we may have some bread . "
" yes , dear hans , i will do that . "
after hans had gone away , she cooked herself some good broth and took it into the field with her .
when she came to the field she said to herself : " what shall i do ; shall i cut first , or shall i eat first ?
oh , i will eat first . "
then she drank her cup of broth and when she was fully satisfied , she once more said : " what shall i do ?
shall i cut first , or shall i sleep first ?
i will sleep first . "
then she lay down among the corn and fell asleep .
hans had been at home for a long time , but elsie did not come ; then said he : " what a clever elsie i have ; she is so industrious that she does not even come home to eat . "
but when evening came and she still stayed away , hans went out to see what she had cut , but nothing was cut , and she was lying among the corn asleep .
then hans hastened home and brought a fowler"s net with little bells and hung it round about her , and she still went on sleeping .
then he ran home , shut the house-door , and sat down in his chair and worked .
at length , when it was quite dark , clever elsie awoke and when she got up there was a jingling all round about her , and the bells rang at each step which she took .
then she was alarmed , and became uncertain whether she really was clever elsie or not , and said : " is it i , or is it not i ? "
but she knew not what answer to make to this , and stood for a time in doubt ; at length she thought : " i will go home and ask if it be i , or if it be not i , they will be sure to know . "
she ran to the door of her own house , but it was shut ; then she knocked at the window and cried : " hans , is elsie within ? "
" yes , " answered hans , " she is within . "
hereupon she was terrified , and said : " ah , heavens !
then it is not i , " and went to another door ; but when the people heard the jingling of the bells they would not open it , and she could get in nowhere .
then she ran out of the village , and no one has seen her since .
a farmer had a faithful and diligent servant , who had worked hard for him three years , without having been paid any wages .
at last it came into the man"s head that he would not go on thus without pay any longer ; so he went to his master , and said , " i have worked hard for you a long time , i will trust to you to give me what i deserve to have for my trouble . "
the farmer was a sad miser , and knew that his man was very simple-hearted ; so he took out threepence , and gave him for every year"s service a penny .
the poor fellow thought it was a great deal of money to have , and said to himself , " why should i work hard , and live here on bad fare any longer ?
i can now travel into the wide world , and make myself merry . "
with that he put his money into his purse , and set out , roaming over hill and valley .
as he jogged along over the fields , singing and dancing , a little dwarf met him , and asked him what made him so merry .
" why , what should make me down-hearted ? " said he ; " i am sound in health and rich in purse , what should i care for ?
i have saved up my three years " earnings and have it all safe in my pocket . "
" how much may it come to ? " said the little man .
" full threepence , " replied the countryman .
" i wish you would give them to me , " said the other ; " i am very poor . "
then the man pitied him , and gave him all he had ; and the little dwarf said in return , " as you have such a kind honest heart , i will grant you three wishes--one for every penny ; so choose whatever you like . "
then the countryman rejoiced at his good luck , and said , " i like many things better than money : first , i will have a bow that will bring down everything i shoot at ; secondly , a fiddle that will set everyone dancing that hears me play upon it ; and thirdly , i should like that everyone should grant what i ask . "
the dwarf said he should have his three wishes ; so he gave him the bow and fiddle , and went his way .
our honest friend journeyed on his way too ; and if he was merry before , he was now ten times more so .
he had not gone far before he met an old miser : close by them stood a tree , and on the topmost twig sat a thrush singing away most joyfully .
" oh , what a pretty bird ! " said the miser ; " i would give a great deal of money to have such a one . "
" if that"s all , " said the countryman , " i will soon bring it down . "
then he took up his bow , and down fell the thrush into the bushes at the foot of the tree .
the miser crept into the bush to find it ; but directly he had got into the middle , his companion took up his fiddle and played away , and the miser began to dance and spring about , capering higher and higher in the air .
the thorns soon began to tear his clothes till they all hung in rags about him , and he himself was all scratched and wounded , so that the blood ran down .
" oh , for heaven"s sake ! " cried the miser , " master ! master ! pray let the fiddle alone .
what have i done to deserve this ? "
" thou hast shaved many a poor soul close enough , " said the other ; " thou art only meeting thy reward " : so he played up another tune .
then the miser began to beg and promise , and offered money for his liberty ; but he did not come up to the musician"s price for some time , and he danced him along brisker and brisker , and the miser bid higher and higher , till at last he offered a round hundred of florins that he had in his purse , and had just gained by cheating some poor fellow .
when the countryman saw so much money , he said , " i will agree to your proposal . "
so he took the purse , put up his fiddle , and travelled on very pleased with his bargain .
meanwhile the miser crept out of the bush half-naked and in a piteous plight , and began to ponder how he should take his revenge , and serve his late companion some trick .
at last he went to the judge , and complained that a rascal had robbed him of his money , and beaten him into the bargain ; and that the fellow who did it carried a bow at his back and a fiddle hung round his neck .
then the judge sent out his officers to bring up the accused wherever they should find him ; and he was soon caught and brought up to be tried .
the miser began to tell his tale , and said he had been robbed of his money .
" no , you gave it me for playing a tune to you . " said the countryman ; but the judge told him that was not likely , and cut the matter short by ordering him off to the gallows .
so away he was taken ; but as he stood on the steps he said , " my lord judge , grant me one last request . "
" anything but thy life , " replied the other .
" no , " said he , " i do not ask my life ; only to let me play upon my fiddle for the last time . "
the miser cried out , " oh , no ! no ! for heaven"s sake don"t listen to him ! don"t listen to him ! "
but the judge said , " it is only this once , he will soon have done . "
the fact was , he could not refuse the request , on account of the dwarf"s third gift .
then the miser said , " bind me fast , bind me fast , for pity"s sake . "
but the countryman seized his fiddle , and struck up a tune , and at the first note judge , clerks , and jailer were in motion ; all began capering , and no one could hold the miser .
at the second note the hangman let his prisoner go , and danced also , and by the time he had played the first bar of the tune , all were dancing together--judge , court , and miser , and all the people who had followed to look on .
at first the thing was merry and pleasant enough ; but when it had gone on a while , and there seemed to be no end of playing or dancing , they began to cry out , and beg him to leave off ; but he stopped not a whit the more for their entreaties , till the judge not only gave him his life , but promised to return him the hundred florins .
then he called to the miser , and said , " tell us now , you vagabond , where you got that gold , or i shall play on for your amusement only , " " i stole it , " said the miser in the presence of all the people ; " i acknowledge that i stole it , and that you earned it fairly . "
then the countryman stopped his fiddle , and left the miser to take his place at the gallows .
the wife of a rich man fell sick ; and when she felt that her end drew nigh , she called her only daughter to her bed-side , and said , " always be a good girl , and i will look down from heaven and watch over you . "
soon afterwards she shut her eyes and died , and was buried in the garden ; and the little girl went every day to her grave and wept , and was always good and kind to all about her .
and the snow fell and spread a beautiful white covering over the grave ; but by the time the spring came , and the sun had melted it away again , her father had married another wife .
this new wife had two daughters of her own , that she brought home with her ; they were fair in face but foul at heart , and it was now a sorry time for the poor little girl .
" what does the good-for-nothing want in the parlour ? " said they ; " they who would eat bread should first earn it ; away with the kitchen-maid ! "
then they took away her fine clothes , and gave her an old grey frock to put on , and laughed at her , and turned her into the kitchen .
there she was forced to do hard work ; to rise early before daylight , to bring the water , to make the fire , to cook and to wash .
besides that , the sisters plagued her in all sorts of ways , and laughed at her .
in the evening when she was tired , she had no bed to lie down on , but was made to lie by the hearth among the ashes ; and as this , of course , made her always dusty and dirty , they called her ashputtel .
it happened once that the father was going to the fair , and asked his wife"s daughters what he should bring them .
" fine clothes , " said the first ; " pearls and diamonds , " cried the second .
" now , child , " said he to his own daughter , " what will you have ? "
" the first twig , dear father , that brushes against your hat when you turn your face to come homewards , " said she .
then he bought for the first two the fine clothes and pearls and diamonds they had asked for : and on his way home , as he rode through a green copse , a hazel twig brushed against him , and almost pushed off his hat : so he broke it off and brought it away ; and when he got home he gave it to his daughter .
then she took it , and went to her mother"s grave and planted it there ; and cried so much that it was watered with her tears ; and there it grew and became a fine tree .
three times every day she went to it and cried ; and soon a little bird came and built its nest upon the tree , and talked with her , and watched over her , and brought her whatever she wished for .
now it happened that the king of that land held a feast , which was to last three days ; and out of those who came to it his son was to choose a bride for himself .
ashputtel"s two sisters were asked to come ; so they called her up , and said , " now , comb our hair , brush our shoes , and tie our sashes for us , for we are going to dance at the king"s feast . "
then she did as she was told ; but when all was done she could not help crying , for she thought to herself , she should so have liked to have gone with them to the ball ; and at last she begged her mother very hard to let her go .
" you , ashputtel ! " said she ; " you who have nothing to wear , no clothes at all , and who cannot even dance--you want to go to the ball ?
and when she kept on begging , she said at last , to get rid of her , " i will throw this dishful of peas into the ash-heap , and if in two hours " time you have picked them all out , you shall go to the feast too . "
then she threw the peas down among the ashes , but the little maiden ran out at the back door into the garden , and cried out : " hither , hither , through the sky , turtle-doves and linnets , fly !
blackbird , thrush , and chaffinch gay , hither , hither , haste away !
one and all come help me , quick !
haste ye , haste ye!--pick , pick , pick ! "
then first came two white doves , flying in at the kitchen window ; next came two turtle-doves ; and after them came all the little birds under heaven , chirping and fluttering in : and they flew down into the ashes .
and the little doves stooped their heads down and set to work , pick , pick , pick ; and then the others began to pick , pick , pick : and among them all they soon picked out all the good grain , and put it into a dish but left the ashes .
long before the end of the hour the work was quite done , and all flew out again at the windows .
then ashputtel brought the dish to her mother , overjoyed at the thought that now she should go to the ball .
but the mother said , " no , no ! you slut , you have no clothes , and cannot dance ; you shall not go . "
and when ashputtel begged very hard to go , she said , " if you can in one hour"s time pick two of those dishes of peas out of the ashes , you shall go too . "
and thus she thought she should at least get rid of her .
so she shook two dishes of peas into the ashes .
but the little maiden went out into the garden at the back of the house , and cried out as before : " hither , hither , through the sky , turtle-doves and linnets , fly !
blackbird , thrush , and chaffinch gay , hither , hither , haste away !
one and all come help me , quick !
haste ye , haste ye!--pick , pick , pick ! "
then first came two white doves in at the kitchen window ; next came two turtle-doves ; and after them came all the little birds under heaven , chirping and hopping about .
and they flew down into the ashes ; and the little doves put their heads down and set to work , pick , pick , pick ; and then the others began pick , pick , pick ; and they put all the good grain into the dishes , and left all the ashes .
before half an hour"s time all was done , and out they flew again .
and then ashputtel took the dishes to her mother , rejoicing to think that she should now go to the ball .
but her mother said , " it is all of no use , you cannot go ; you have no clothes , and cannot dance , and you would only put us to shame " : and off she went with her two daughters to the ball .
now when all were gone , and nobody left at home , ashputtel went sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree , and cried out : " shake , shake , hazel-tree , gold and silver over me ! "
then her friend the bird flew out of the tree , and brought a gold and silver dress for her , and slippers of spangled silk ; and she put them on , and followed her sisters to the feast .
but they did not know her , and thought it must be some strange princess , she looked so fine and beautiful in her rich clothes ; and they never once thought of ashputtel , taking it for granted that she was safe at home in the dirt .
the king"s son soon came up to her , and took her by the hand and danced with her , and no one else : and he never left her hand ; but when anyone else came to ask her to dance , he said , " this lady is dancing with me . "
thus they danced till a late hour of the night ; and then she wanted to go home : and the king"s son said , " i shall go and take care of you to your home " ; for he wanted to see where the beautiful maiden lived .
but she slipped away from him , unawares , and ran off towards home ; and as the prince followed her , she jumped up into the pigeon-house and shut the door .
then he waited till her father came home , and told him that the unknown maiden , who had been at the feast , had hid herself in the pigeon-house .
but when they had broken open the door they found no one within ; and as they came back into the house , ashputtel was lying , as she always did , in her dirty frock by the ashes , and her dim little lamp was burning in the chimney .
for she had run as quickly as she could through the pigeon-house and on to the hazel-tree , and had there taken off her beautiful clothes , and put them beneath the tree , that the bird might carry them away , and had lain down again amid the ashes in her little grey frock .
the next day when the feast was again held , and her father , mother , and sisters were gone , ashputtel went to the hazel-tree , and said : " shake , shake , hazel-tree , gold and silver over me ! "
and the bird came and brought a still finer dress than the one she had worn the day before .
and when she came in it to the ball , everyone wondered at her beauty : but the king"s son , who was waiting for her , took her by the hand , and danced with her ; and when anyone asked her to dance , he said as before , " this lady is dancing with me . "
when night came she wanted to go home ; and the king"s son followed here as before , that he might see into what house she went : but she sprang away from him all at once into the garden behind her father"s house .
in this garden stood a fine large pear-tree full of ripe fruit ; and ashputtel , not knowing where to hide herself , jumped up into it without being seen .
then the king"s son lost sight of her , and could not find out where she was gone , but waited till her father came home , and said to him , " the unknown lady who danced with me has slipped away , and i think she must have sprung into the pear-tree . "
the father thought to himself , " can it be ashputtel ? "
so he had an axe brought ; and they cut down the tree , but found no one upon it .
and when they came back into the kitchen , there lay ashputtel among the ashes ; for she had slipped down on the other side of the tree , and carried her beautiful clothes back to the bird at the hazel-tree , and then put on her little grey frock .
the third day , when her father and mother and sisters were gone , she went again into the garden , and said : " shake , shake , hazel-tree , gold and silver over me ! "
then her kind friend the bird brought a dress still finer than the former one , and slippers which were all of gold : so that when she came to the feast no one knew what to say , for wonder at her beauty : and the king"s son danced with nobody but her ; and when anyone else asked her to dance , he said , " this lady is _ my _ partner , sir . "
when night came she wanted to go home ; and the king"s son would go with her , and said to himself , " i will not lose her this time " ; but , however , she again slipped away from him , though in such a hurry that she dropped her left golden slipper upon the stairs .
the prince took the shoe , and went the next day to the king his father , and said , " i will take for my wife the lady that this golden slipper fits . "
then both the sisters were overjoyed to hear it ; for they had beautiful feet , and had no doubt that they could wear the golden slipper .
the eldest went first into the room where the slipper was , and wanted to try it on , and the mother stood by .
but her great toe could not go into it , and the shoe was altogether much too small for her .
then the mother gave her a knife , and said , " never mind , cut it off ; when you are queen you will not care about toes ; you will not want to walk . "
so the silly girl cut off her great toe , and thus squeezed on the shoe , and went to the king"s son .
then he took her for his bride , and set her beside him on his horse , and rode away with her homewards .
but on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that ashputtel had planted ; and on the branch sat a little dove singing : " back again ! back again ! look to the shoe !
the shoe is too small , and not made for you !
prince ! prince ! look again for thy bride , for she"s not the true one that sits by thy side . "
then the prince got down and looked at her foot ; and he saw , by the blood that streamed from it , what a trick she had played him .
so he turned his horse round , and brought the false bride back to her home , and said , " this is not the right bride ; let the other sister try and put on the slipper . "
then she went into the room and got her foot into the shoe , all but the heel , which was too large .
but her mother squeezed it in till the blood came , and took her to the king"s son : and he set her as his bride by his side on his horse , and rode away with her .
but when they came to the hazel-tree the little dove sat there still , and sang : " back again ! back again ! look to the shoe !
the shoe is too small , and not made for you !
prince ! prince ! look again for thy bride , for she"s not the true one that sits by thy side . "
then he looked down , and saw that the blood streamed so much from the shoe , that her white stockings were quite red .
so he turned his horse and brought her also back again .
" this is not the true bride , " said he to the father ; " have you no other daughters ? "
" no , " said he ; " there is only a little dirty ashputtel here , the child of my first wife ; i am sure she cannot be the bride . "
the prince told him to send her .
but the mother said , " no , no , she is much too dirty ; she will not dare to show herself . "
however , the prince would have her come ; and she first washed her face and hands , and then went in and curtsied to him , and he reached her the golden slipper .
then she took her clumsy shoe off her left foot , and put on the golden slipper ; and it fitted her as if it had been made for her .
and when he drew near and looked at her face he knew her , and said , " this is the right bride . "
but the mother and both the sisters were frightened , and turned pale with anger as he took ashputtel on his horse , and rode away with her .
and when they came to the hazel-tree , the white dove sang : " home ! home ! look at the shoe !
princess ! the shoe was made for you !
prince ! prince ! take home thy bride , for she is the true one that sits by thy side ! "
and when the dove had done its song , it came flying , and perched upon her right shoulder , and so went home with her .
a long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land .
nothing was hidden from him , and it seemed as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air .
but he had a strange custom ; every day after dinner , when the table was cleared , and no one else was present , a trusty servant had to bring him one more dish .
it was covered , however , and even the servant did not know what was in it , neither did anyone know , for the king never took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite alone .
this had gone on for a long time , when one day the servant , who took away the dish , was overcome with such curiosity that he could not help carrying the dish into his room .
when he had carefully locked the door , he lifted up the cover , and saw a white snake lying on the dish .
but when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it , so he cut of a little bit and put it into his mouth .
no sooner had it touched his tongue than he heard a strange whispering of little voices outside his window .
he went and listened , and then noticed that it was the sparrows who were chattering together , and telling one another of all kinds of things which they had seen in the fields and woods .
eating the snake had given him power of understanding the language of animals .
now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most beautiful ring , and suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty servant , who was allowed to go everywhere .
the king ordered the man to be brought before him , and threatened with angry words that unless he could before the morrow point out the thief , he himself should be looked upon as guilty and executed .
in vain he declared his innocence ; he was dismissed with no better answer .
in his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took thought how to help himself out of his trouble .
now some ducks were sitting together quietly by a brook and taking their rest ; and , whilst they were making their feathers smooth with their bills , they were having a confidential conversation together .
the servant stood by and listened .
they were telling one another of all the places where they had been waddling about all the morning , and what good food they had found ; and one said in a pitiful tone : " something lies heavy on my stomach ; as i was eating in haste i swallowed a ring which lay under the queen"s window . "
the servant at once seized her by the neck , carried her to the kitchen , and said to the cook : " here is a fine duck ; pray , kill her . "
" yes , " said the cook , and weighed her in his hand ; " she has spared no trouble to fatten herself , and has been waiting to be roasted long enough . "
so he cut off her head , and as she was being dressed for the spit , the queen"s ring was found inside her .
the servant could now easily prove his innocence ; and the king , to make amends for the wrong , allowed him to ask a favour , and promised him the best place in the court that he could wish for .
the servant refused everything , and only asked for a horse and some money for travelling , as he had a mind to see the world and go about a little .
when his request was granted he set out on his way , and one day came to a pond , where he saw three fishes caught in the reeds and gasping for water .
now , though it is said that fishes are dumb , he heard them lamenting that they must perish so miserably , and , as he had a kind heart , he got off his horse and put the three prisoners back into the water .
they leapt with delight , put out their heads , and cried to him : " we will remember you and repay you for saving us ! "
he rode on , and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice in the sand at his feet .
he listened , and heard an ant-king complain : " why cannot folks , with their clumsy beasts , keep off our bodies ?
that stupid horse , with his heavy hoofs , has been treading down my people without mercy ! "
so he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried out to him : " we will remember you--one good turn deserves another ! "
the path led him into a wood , and there he saw two old ravens standing by their nest , and throwing out their young ones .
" out with you , you idle , good-for-nothing creatures ! " cried they ; " we cannot find food for you any longer ; you are big enough , and can provide for yourselves . "
but the poor young ravens lay upon the ground , flapping their wings , and crying : " oh , what helpless chicks we are !
we must shift for ourselves , and yet we cannot fly !
what can we do , but lie here and starve ? "
so the good young fellow alighted and killed his horse with his sword , and gave it to them for food .
then they came hopping up to it , satisfied their hunger , and cried : " we will remember you--one good turn deserves another ! "
and now he had to use his own legs , and when he had walked a long way , he came to a large city .
there was a great noise and crowd in the streets , and a man rode up on horseback , crying aloud : " the king"s daughter wants a husband ; but whoever seeks her hand must perform a hard task , and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life . "
many had already made the attempt , but in vain ; nevertheless when the youth saw the king"s daughter he was so overcome by her great beauty that he forgot all danger , went before the king , and declared himself a suitor .
so he was led out to the sea , and a gold ring was thrown into it , before his eyes ; then the king ordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea , and added : " if you come up again without it you will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves . "
all the people grieved for the handsome youth ; then they went away , leaving him alone by the sea .
he stood on the shore and considered what he should do , when suddenly he saw three fishes come swimming towards him , and they were the very fishes whose lives he had saved .
the one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth , which it laid on the shore at the youth"s feet , and when he had taken it up and opened it , there lay the gold ring in the shell .
full of joy he took it to the king and expected that he would grant him the promised reward .
but when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth , she scorned him , and required him first to perform another task .
she went down into the garden and strewed with her own hands ten sacksful of millet-seed on the grass ; then she said : " tomorrow morning before sunrise these must be picked up , and not a single grain be wanting . "
the youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible to perform this task , but he could think of nothing , and there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day , when he should be led to death .
but as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the garden he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side , quite full , and not a single grain was missing .
the ant-king had come in the night with thousands and thousands of ants , and the grateful creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into the sacks .
presently the king"s daughter herself came down into the garden , and was amazed to see that the young man had done the task she had given him .
but she could not yet conquer her proud heart , and said : " although he has performed both the tasks , he shall not be my husband until he had brought me an apple from the tree of life . "
the youth did not know where the tree of life stood , but he set out , and would have gone on for ever , as long as his legs would carry him , though he had no hope of finding it .
after he had wandered through three kingdoms , he came one evening to a wood , and lay down under a tree to sleep .
but he heard a rustling in the branches , and a golden apple fell into his hand .
at the same time three ravens flew down to him , perched themselves upon his knee , and said : " we are the three young ravens whom you saved from starving ; when we had grown big , and heard that you were seeking the golden apple , we flew over the sea to the end of the world , where the tree of life stands , and have brought you the apple . "
the youth , full of joy , set out homewards , and took the golden apple to the king"s beautiful daughter , who had now no more excuses left to make .
they cut the apple of life in two and ate it together ; and then her heart became full of love for him , and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age .
there was once upon a time an old goat who had seven little kids , and loved them with all the love of a mother for her children .
one day she wanted to go into the forest and fetch some food .
so she called all seven to her and said : " dear children , i have to go into the forest , be on your guard against the wolf ; if he comes in , he will devour you all--skin , hair , and everything .
the wretch often disguises himself , but you will know him at once by his rough voice and his black feet . "
the kids said : " dear mother , we will take good care of ourselves ; you may go away without any anxiety . "
then the old one bleated , and went on her way with an easy mind .
it was not long before someone knocked at the house-door and called : " open the door , dear children ; your mother is here , and has brought something back with her for each of you . "
but the little kids knew that it was the wolf , by the rough voice .
" we will not open the door , " cried they , " you are not our mother .
she has a soft , pleasant voice , but your voice is rough ; you are the wolf ! "
then the wolf went away to a shopkeeper and bought himself a great lump of chalk , ate this and made his voice soft with it .
then he came back , knocked at the door of the house , and called : " open the door , dear children , your mother is here and has brought something back with her for each of you . "
but the wolf had laid his black paws against the window , and the children saw them and cried : " we will not open the door , our mother has not black feet like you : you are the wolf ! "
then the wolf ran to a baker and said : " i have hurt my feet , rub some dough over them for me . "
and when the baker had rubbed his feet over , he ran to the miller and said : " strew some white meal over my feet for me . "
the miller thought to himself : " the wolf wants to deceive someone , " and refused ; but the wolf said : " if you will not do it , i will devour you . "
then the miller was afraid , and made his paws white for him .
truly , this is the way of mankind .
so now the wretch went for the third time to the house-door , knocked at it and said : " open the door for me , children , your dear little mother has come home , and has brought every one of you something back from the forest with her . "
the little kids cried : " first show us your paws that we may know if you are our dear little mother . "
then he put his paws in through the window and when the kids saw that they were white , they believed that all he said was true , and opened the door .
but who should come in but the wolf !
they were terrified and wanted to hide themselves .
one sprang under the table , the second into the bed , the third into the stove , the fourth into the kitchen , the fifth into the cupboard , the sixth under the washing-bowl , and the seventh into the clock-case .
but the wolf found them all , and used no great ceremony ; one after the other he swallowed them down his throat .
the youngest , who was in the clock-case , was the only one he did not find .
when the wolf had satisfied his appetite he took himself off , laid himself down under a tree in the green meadow outside , and began to sleep .
soon afterwards the old goat came home again from the forest .
ah ! what a sight she saw there !
the house-door stood wide open .
the table , chairs , and benches were thrown down , the washing-bowl lay broken to pieces , and the quilts and pillows were pulled off the bed .
she sought her children , but they were nowhere to be found .
she called them one after another by name , but no one answered .
at last , when she came to the youngest , a soft voice cried : " dear mother , i am in the clock-case . "
she took the kid out , and it told her that the wolf had come and had eaten all the others .
then you may imagine how she wept over her poor children .
at length in her grief she went out , and the youngest kid ran with her .
when they came to the meadow , there lay the wolf by the tree and snored so loud that the branches shook .
she looked at him on every side and saw that something was moving and struggling in his gorged belly .
" ah , heavens , " she said , " is it possible that my poor children whom he has swallowed down for his supper , can be still alive ? "
then the kid had to run home and fetch scissors , and a needle and thread , and the goat cut open the monster"s stomach , and hardly had she made one cut , than one little kid thrust its head out , and when she had cut farther , all six sprang out one after another , and were all still alive , and had suffered no injury whatever , for in his greediness the monster had swallowed them down whole .
what rejoicing there was !
they embraced their dear mother , and jumped like a tailor at his wedding .
the mother , however , said : " now go and look for some big stones , and we will fill the wicked beast"s stomach with them while he is still asleep . "
then the seven kids dragged the stones thither with all speed , and put as many of them into this stomach as they could get in ; and the mother sewed him up again in the greatest haste , so that he was not aware of anything and never once stirred .
when the wolf at length had had his fill of sleep , he got on his legs , and as the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty , he wanted to go to a well to drink .
but when he began to walk and to move about , the stones in his stomach knocked against each other and rattled .
then cried he : " what rumbles and tumbles against my poor bones ?
i thought " twas six kids , but it feels like big stones . "
and when he got to the well and stooped over the water to drink , the heavy stones made him fall in , and he drowned miserably .
when the seven kids saw that , they came running to the spot and cried aloud : " the wolf is dead !
the wolf is dead ! " and danced for joy round about the well with their mother .
two kings " sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes ; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living , so that they could not return home again .
then their brother , who was a little insignificant dwarf , went out to seek for his brothers : but when he had found them they only laughed at him , to think that he , who was so young and simple , should try to travel through the world , when they , who were so much wiser , had been unable to get on .
however , they all set out on their journey together , and came at last to an ant-hill .
the two elder brothers would have pulled it down , in order to see how the poor ants in their fright would run about and carry off their eggs .
but the little dwarf said , " let the poor things enjoy themselves , i will not suffer you to trouble them . "
so on they went , and came to a lake where many many ducks were swimming about .
the two brothers wanted to catch two , and roast them .
but the dwarf said , " let the poor things enjoy themselves , you shall not kill them . "
next they came to a bees"-nest in a hollow tree , and there was so much honey that it ran down the trunk ; and the two brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree and kill the bees , so as to get their honey .
but the dwarf held them back , and said , " let the pretty insects enjoy themselves , i cannot let you burn them . "
at length the three brothers came to a castle : and as they passed by the stables they saw fine horses standing there , but all were of marble , and no man was to be seen .
then they went through all the rooms , till they came to a door on which were three locks : but in the middle of the door was a wicket , so that they could look into the next room .
there they saw a little grey old man sitting at a table ; and they called to him once or twice , but he did not hear : however , they called a third time , and then he rose and came out to them .
he said nothing , but took hold of them and led them to a beautiful table covered with all sorts of good things : and when they had eaten and drunk , he showed each of them to a bed-chamber .
the next morning he came to the eldest and took him to a marble table , where there were three tablets , containing an account of the means by which the castle might be disenchanted .
the first tablet said : " in the wood , under the moss , lie the thousand pearls belonging to the king"s daughter ; they must all be found : and if one be missing by set of sun , he who seeks them will be turned into marble . "
the eldest brother set out , and sought for the pearls the whole day : but the evening came , and he had not found the first hundred : so he was turned into stone as the tablet had foretold .
the next day the second brother undertook the task ; but he succeeded no better than the first ; for he could only find the second hundred of the pearls ; and therefore he too was turned into stone .
at last came the little dwarf"s turn ; and he looked in the moss ; but it was so hard to find the pearls , and the job was so tiresome!--so he sat down upon a stone and cried .
and as he sat there , the king of the ants ( whose life he had saved ) came to help him , with five thousand ants ; and it was not long before they had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap .
the second tablet said : " the key of the princess"s bed-chamber must be fished up out of the lake . "
and as the dwarf came to the brink of it , he saw the two ducks whose lives he had saved swimming about ; and they dived down and soon brought in the key from the bottom .
the third task was the hardest .
it was to choose out the youngest and the best of the king"s three daughters .
now they were all beautiful , and all exactly alike : but he was told that the eldest had eaten a piece of sugar , the next some sweet syrup , and the youngest a spoonful of honey ; so he was to guess which it was that had eaten the honey .
then came the queen of the bees , who had been saved by the little dwarf from the fire , and she tried the lips of all three ; but at last she sat upon the lips of the one that had eaten the honey : and so the dwarf knew which was the youngest .
thus the spell was broken , and all who had been turned into stones awoke , and took their proper forms .
and the dwarf married the youngest and the best of the princesses , and was king after her father"s death ; but his two brothers married the other two sisters .
there was once a shoemaker , who worked very hard and was very honest : but still he could not earn enough to live upon ; and at last all he had in the world was gone , save just leather enough to make one pair of shoes .
then he cut his leather out , all ready to make up the next day , meaning to rise early in the morning to his work .
his conscience was clear and his heart light amidst all his troubles ; so he went peaceably to bed , left all his cares to heaven , and soon fell asleep .
in the morning after he had said his prayers , he sat himself down to his work ; when , to his great wonder , there stood the shoes all ready made , upon the table .
the good man knew not what to say or think at such an odd thing happening .
he looked at the workmanship ; there was not one false stitch in the whole job ; all was so neat and true , that it was quite a masterpiece .
the same day a customer came in , and the shoes suited him so well that he willingly paid a price higher than usual for them ; and the poor shoemaker , with the money , bought leather enough to make two pairs more .
in the evening he cut out the work , and went to bed early , that he might get up and begin betimes next day ; but he was saved all the trouble , for when he got up in the morning the work was done ready to his hand .
soon in came buyers , who paid him handsomely for his goods , so that he bought leather enough for four pair more .
he cut out the work again overnight and found it done in the morning , as before ; and so it went on for some time : what was got ready in the evening was always done by daybreak , and the good man soon became thriving and well off again .
one evening , about christmas-time , as he and his wife were sitting over the fire chatting together , he said to her , " i should like to sit up and watch tonight , that we may see who it is that comes and does my work for me . "
the wife liked the thought ; so they left a light burning , and hid themselves in a corner of the room , behind a curtain that was hung up there , and watched what would happen .
as soon as it was midnight , there came in two little naked dwarfs ; and they sat themselves upon the shoemaker"s bench , took up all the work that was cut out , and began to ply with their little fingers , stitching and rapping and tapping away at such a rate , that the shoemaker was all wonder , and could not take his eyes off them .
and on they went , till the job was quite done , and the shoes stood ready for use upon the table .
this was long before daybreak ; and then they bustled away as quick as lightning .
the next day the wife said to the shoemaker .
" these little wights have made us rich , and we ought to be thankful to them , and do them a good turn if we can .
i am quite sorry to see them run about as they do ; and indeed it is not very decent , for they have nothing upon their backs to keep off the cold .
i"ll tell you what , i will make each of them a shirt , and a coat and waistcoat , and a pair of pantaloons into the bargain ; and do you make each of them a little pair of shoes . "
the thought pleased the good cobbler very much ; and one evening , when all the things were ready , they laid them on the table , instead of the work that they used to cut out , and then went and hid themselves , to watch what the little elves would do .
about midnight in they came , dancing and skipping , hopped round the room , and then went to sit down to their work as usual ; but when they saw the clothes lying for them , they laughed and chuckled , and seemed mightily delighted .
then they dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye , and danced and capered and sprang about , as merry as could be ; till at last they danced out at the door , and away over the green .
the good couple saw them no more ; but everything went well with them from that time forward , as long as they lived .
long , long ago , some two thousand years or so , there lived a rich man with a good and beautiful wife .
they loved each other dearly , but sorrowed much that they had no children .
so greatly did they desire to have one , that the wife prayed for it day and night , but still they remained childless .
in front of the house there was a court , in which grew a juniper-tree .
one winter"s day the wife stood under the tree to peel some apples , and as she was peeling them , she cut her finger , and the blood fell on the snow .
" ah , " sighed the woman heavily , " if i had but a child , as red as blood and as white as snow , " and as she spoke the words , her heart grew light within her , and it seemed to her that her wish was granted , and she returned to the house feeling glad and comforted .
a month passed , and the snow had all disappeared ; then another month went by , and all the earth was green .
so the months followed one another , and first the trees budded in the woods , and soon the green branches grew thickly intertwined , and then the blossoms began to fall .
once again the wife stood under the juniper-tree , and it was so full of sweet scent that her heart leaped for joy , and she was so overcome with her happiness , that she fell on her knees .
presently the fruit became round and firm , and she was glad and at peace ; but when they were fully ripe she picked the berries and ate eagerly of them , and then she grew sad and ill .
a little while later she called her husband , and said to him , weeping .
" if i die , bury me under the juniper-tree . "
then she felt comforted and happy again , and before another month had passed she had a little child , and when she saw that it was as white as snow and as red as blood , her joy was so great that she died .
her husband buried her under the juniper-tree , and wept bitterly for her .
by degrees , however , his sorrow grew less , and although at times he still grieved over his loss , he was able to go about as usual , and later on he married again .
he now had a little daughter born to him ; the child of his first wife was a boy , who was as red as blood and as white as snow .
the mother loved her daughter very much , and when she looked at her and then looked at the boy , it pierced her heart to think that he would always stand in the way of her own child , and she was continually thinking how she could get the whole of the property for her .
this evil thought took possession of her more and more , and made her behave very unkindly to the boy .
she drove him from place to place with cuffings and buffetings , so that the poor child went about in fear , and had no peace from the time he left school to the time he went back .
one day the little daughter came running to her mother in the store-room , and said , " mother , give me an apple . "
" yes , my child , " said the wife , and she gave her a beautiful apple out of the chest ; the chest had a very heavy lid and a large iron lock .
" mother , " said the little daughter again , " may not brother have one too ? "
the mother was angry at this , but she answered , " yes , when he comes out of school . "
just then she looked out of the window and saw him coming , and it seemed as if an evil spirit entered into her , for she snatched the apple out of her little daughter"s hand , and said , " you shall not have one before your brother . "
she threw the apple into the chest and shut it to .
the little boy now came in , and the evil spirit in the wife made her say kindly to him , " my son , will you have an apple ? " but she gave him a wicked look .
" mother , " said the boy , " how dreadful you look !
yes , give me an apple . "
the thought came to her that she would kill him .
" come with me , " she said , and she lifted up the lid of the chest ; " take one out for yourself . "
and as he bent over to do so , the evil spirit urged her , and crash ! down went the lid , and off went the little boy"s head .
then she was overwhelmed with fear at the thought of what she had done .
" if only i can prevent anyone knowing that i did it , " she thought .
so she went upstairs to her room , and took a white handkerchief out of her top drawer ; then she set the boy"s head again on his shoulders , and bound it with the handkerchief so that nothing could be seen , and placed him on a chair by the door with an apple in his hand .
soon after this , little marleen came up to her mother who was stirring a pot of boiling water over the fire , and said , " mother , brother is sitting by the door with an apple in his hand , and he looks so pale ; and when i asked him to give me the apple , he did not answer , and that frightened me . "
" go to him again , " said her mother , " and if he does not answer , give him a box on the ear . "
so little marleen went , and said , " brother , give me that apple , " but he did not say a word ; then she gave him a box on the ear , and his head rolled off .
she was so terrified at this , that she ran crying and screaming to her mother .
" oh ! " she said , " i have knocked off brother"s head , " and then she wept and wept , and nothing would stop her .
" what have you done ! " said her mother , " but no one must know about it , so you must keep silence ; what is done can"t be undone ; we will make him into puddings . "
and she took the little boy and cut him up , made him into puddings , and put him in the pot .
but marleen stood looking on , and wept and wept , and her tears fell into the pot , so that there was no need of salt .
presently the father came home and sat down to his dinner ; he asked , " where is my son ? "
the mother said nothing , but gave him a large dish of black pudding , and marleen still wept without ceasing .
the father again asked , " where is my son ? "
" oh , " answered the wife , " he is gone into the country to his mother"s great uncle ; he is going to stay there some time . "
" what has he gone there for , and he never even said goodbye to me ! "
" well , he likes being there , and he told me he should be away quite six weeks ; he is well looked after there . "
" i feel very unhappy about it , " said the husband , " in case it should not be all right , and he ought to have said goodbye to me . "
with this he went on with his dinner , and said , " little marleen , why do you weep ?
brother will soon be back . "
then he asked his wife for more pudding , and as he ate , he threw the bones under the table .
little marleen went upstairs and took her best silk handkerchief out of her bottom drawer , and in it she wrapped all the bones from under the table and carried them outside , and all the time she did nothing but weep .
then she laid them in the green grass under the juniper-tree , and she had no sooner done so , then all her sadness seemed to leave her , and she wept no more .
and now the juniper-tree began to move , and the branches waved backwards and forwards , first away from one another , and then together again , as it might be someone clapping their hands for joy .
after this a mist came round the tree , and in the midst of it there was a burning as of fire , and out of the fire there flew a beautiful bird , that rose high into the air , singing magnificently , and when it could no more be seen , the juniper-tree stood there as before , and the silk handkerchief and the bones were gone .
little marleen now felt as lighthearted and happy as if her brother were still alive , and she went back to the house and sat down cheerfully to the table and ate .
the bird flew away and alighted on the house of a goldsmith and began to sing : " my mother killed her little son ; my father grieved when i was gone ; my sister loved me best of all ; she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
the goldsmith was in his workshop making a gold chain , when he heard the song of the bird on his roof .
he thought it so beautiful that he got up and ran out , and as he crossed the threshold he lost one of his slippers .
but he ran on into the middle of the street , with a slipper on one foot and a sock on the other ; he still had on his apron , and still held the gold chain and the pincers in his hands , and so he stood gazing up at the bird , while the sun came shining brightly down on the street .
" bird , " he said , " how beautifully you sing !
sing me that song again . "
" nay , " said the bird , " i do not sing twice for nothing .
give that gold chain , and i will sing it you again . "
" here is the chain , take it , " said the goldsmith .
" only sing me that again . "
the bird flew down and took the gold chain in his right claw , and then he alighted again in front of the goldsmith and sang : " my mother killed her little son ; my father grieved when i was gone ; my sister loved me best of all ; she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
then he flew away , and settled on the roof of a shoemaker"s house and sang : " my mother killed her little son ; my father grieved when i was gone ; my sister loved me best of all ; she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
the shoemaker heard him , and he jumped up and ran out in his shirt-sleeves , and stood looking up at the bird on the roof with his hand over his eyes to keep himself from being blinded by the sun .
" bird , " he said , " how beautifully you sing ! "
then he called through the door to his wife : " wife , come out ; here is a bird , come and look at it and hear how beautifully it sings . "
then he called his daughter and the children , then the apprentices , girls and boys , and they all ran up the street to look at the bird , and saw how splendid it was with its red and green feathers , and its neck like burnished gold , and eyes like two bright stars in its head .
" bird , " said the shoemaker , " sing me that song again . "
" nay , " answered the bird , " i do not sing twice for nothing ; you must give me something . "
" wife , " said the man , " go into the garret ; on the upper shelf you will see a pair of red shoes ; bring them to me . "
the wife went in and fetched the shoes .
" there , bird , " said the shoemaker , " now sing me that song again . "
the bird flew down and took the red shoes in his left claw , and then he went back to the roof and sang : " my mother killed her little son ; my father grieved when i was gone ; my sister loved me best of all ; she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
when he had finished , he flew away .
he had the chain in his right claw and the shoes in his left , and he flew right away to a mill , and the mill went " click clack , click clack , click clack . "
inside the mill were twenty of the miller"s men hewing a stone , and as they went " hick hack , hick hack , hick hack , " the mill went " click clack , click clack , click clack . "
the bird settled on a lime-tree in front of the mill and sang : " my mother killed her little son ; then one of the men left off , my father grieved when i was gone ; two more men left off and listened , my sister loved me best of all ; then four more left off , she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie now there were only eight at work , underneath and now only five , the juniper-tree .
and now only one , kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! " then he looked up and the last one had left off work .
" bird , " he said , " what a beautiful song that is you sing !
let me hear it too ; sing it again . "
" nay , " answered the bird , " i do not sing twice for nothing ; give me that millstone , and i will sing it again . "
" if it belonged to me alone , " said the man , " you should have it . "
" yes , yes , " said the others : " if he will sing again , he can have it . "
the bird came down , and all the twenty millers set to and lifted up the stone with a beam ; then the bird put his head through the hole and took the stone round his neck like a collar , and flew back with it to the tree and sang - - " my mother killed her little son ; my father grieved when i was gone ; my sister loved me best of all ; she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
and when he had finished his song , he spread his wings , and with the chain in his right claw , the shoes in his left , and the millstone round his neck , he flew right away to his father"s house .
the father , the mother , and little marleen were having their dinner .
" how lighthearted i feel , " said the father , " so pleased and cheerful . "
" and i , " said the mother , " i feel so uneasy , as if a heavy thunderstorm were coming . "
but little marleen sat and wept and wept .
then the bird came flying towards the house and settled on the roof .
" i do feel so happy , " said the father , " and how beautifully the sun shines ; i feel just as if i were going to see an old friend again . "
" ah ! " said the wife , " and i am so full of distress and uneasiness that my teeth chatter , and i feel as if there were a fire in my veins , " and she tore open her dress ; and all the while little marleen sat in the corner and wept , and the plate on her knees was wet with her tears .
the bird now flew to the juniper-tree and began singing : " my mother killed her little son ; the mother shut her eyes and her ears , that she might see and hear nothing , but there was a roaring sound in her ears like that of a violent storm , and in her eyes a burning and flashing like lightning : my father grieved when i was gone ; " look , mother , " said the man , " at the beautiful bird that is singing so magnificently ; and how warm and bright the sun is , and what a delicious scent of spice in the air ! "
my sister loved me best of all ; then little marleen laid her head down on her knees and sobbed .
" i must go outside and see the bird nearer , " said the man .
" ah , do not go ! " cried the wife .
" i feel as if the whole house were in flames ! "
but the man went out and looked at the bird .
she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
with that the bird let fall the gold chain , and it fell just round the man"s neck , so that it fitted him exactly .
he went inside , and said , " see , what a splendid bird that is ; he has given me this beautiful gold chain , and looks so beautiful himself . "
but the wife was in such fear and trouble , that she fell on the floor , and her cap fell from her head .
then the bird began again : " my mother killed her little son ; " ah me ! " cried the wife , " if i were but a thousand feet beneath the earth , that i might not hear that song . "
my father grieved when i was gone ; then the woman fell down again as if dead .
my sister loved me best of all ; " well , " said little marleen , " i will go out too and see if the bird will give me anything . "
so she went out .
she laid her kerchief over me , and took my bones that they might lie and he threw down the shoes to her , underneath the juniper-tree kywitt , kywitt , what a beautiful bird am i ! "
and she now felt quite happy and lighthearted ; she put on the shoes and danced and jumped about in them .
" i was so miserable , " she said , " when i came out , but that has all passed away ; that is indeed a splendid bird , and he has given me a pair of red shoes . "
the wife sprang up , with her hair standing out from her head like flames of fire .
" then i will go out too , " she said , " and see if it will lighten my misery , for i feel as if the world were coming to an end . "
but as she crossed the threshold , crash ! the bird threw the millstone down on her head , and she was crushed to death .
the father and little marleen heard the sound and ran out , but they only saw mist and flame and fire rising from the spot , and when these had passed , there stood the little brother , and he took the father and little marleen by the hand ; then they all three rejoiced , and went inside together and sat down to their dinners and ate .
there were two brothers who were both soldiers ; the one was rich and the other poor .
the poor man thought he would try to better himself ; so , pulling off his red coat , he became a gardener , and dug his ground well , and sowed turnips .
when the seed came up , there was one plant bigger than all the rest ; and it kept getting larger and larger , and seemed as if it would never cease growing ; so that it might have been called the prince of turnips for there never was such a one seen before , and never will again .
at last it was so big that it filled a cart , and two oxen could hardly draw it ; and the gardener knew not what in the world to do with it , nor whether it would be a blessing or a curse to him .
one day he said to himself , " what shall i do with it ? if i sell it , it will bring no more than another ; and for eating , the little turnips are better than this ; the best thing perhaps is to carry it and give it to the king as a mark of respect . "
then he yoked his oxen , and drew the turnip to the court , and gave it to the king .
" what a wonderful thing ! " said the king ; " i have seen many strange things , but such a monster as this i never saw .
where did you get the seed ? or is it only your good luck ?
if so , you are a true child of fortune . "
" ah , no ! " answered the gardener , " i am no child of fortune ; i am a poor soldier , who never could get enough to live upon ; so i laid aside my red coat , and set to work , tilling the ground .
i have a brother , who is rich , and your majesty knows him well , and all the world knows him ; but because i am poor , everybody forgets me . "
the king then took pity on him , and said , " you shall be poor no longer .
i will give you so much that you shall be even richer than your brother . "
then he gave him gold and lands and flocks , and made him so rich that his brother"s fortune could not at all be compared with his .
when the brother heard of all this , and how a turnip had made the gardener so rich , he envied him sorely , and bethought himself how he could contrive to get the same good fortune for himself .
however , he determined to manage more cleverly than his brother , and got together a rich present of gold and fine horses for the king ; and thought he must have a much larger gift in return ; for if his brother had received so much for only a turnip , what must his present be worth ?
the king took the gift very graciously , and said he knew not what to give in return more valuable and wonderful than the great turnip ; so the soldier was forced to put it into a cart , and drag it home with him .
when he reached home , he knew not upon whom to vent his rage and spite ; and at length wicked thoughts came into his head , and he resolved to kill his brother .
so he hired some villains to murder him ; and having shown them where to lie in ambush , he went to his brother , and said , " dear brother , i have found a hidden treasure ; let us go and dig it up , and share it between us . "
the other had no suspicions of his roguery : so they went out together , and as they were travelling along , the murderers rushed out upon him , bound him , and were going to hang him on a tree .
but whilst they were getting all ready , they heard the trampling of a horse at a distance , which so frightened them that they pushed their prisoner neck and shoulders together into a sack , and swung him up by a cord to the tree , where they left him dangling , and ran away .
meantime he worked and worked away , till he made a hole large enough to put out his head .
when the horseman came up , he proved to be a student , a merry fellow , who was journeying along on his nag , and singing as he went .
as soon as the man in the sack saw him passing under the tree , he cried out , " good morning ! good morning to thee , my friend ! "
the student looked about everywhere ; and seeing no one , and not knowing where the voice came from , cried out , " who calls me ? "
then the man in the tree answered , " lift up thine eyes , for behold here i sit in the sack of wisdom ; here have i , in a short time , learned great and wondrous things .
compared to this seat , all the learning of the schools is as empty air .
a little longer , and i shall know all that man can know , and shall come forth wiser than the wisest of mankind .
here i discern the signs and motions of the heavens and the stars ; the laws that control the winds ; the number of the sands on the seashore ; the healing of the sick ; the virtues of all simples , of birds , and of precious stones .
wert thou but once here , my friend , though wouldst feel and own the power of knowledge .
the student listened to all this and wondered much ; at last he said , " blessed be the day and hour when i found you ; cannot you contrive to let me into the sack for a little while ? "
then the other answered , as if very unwillingly , " a little space i may allow thee to sit here , if thou wilt reward me well and entreat me kindly ; but thou must tarry yet an hour below , till i have learnt some little matters that are yet unknown to me . "
so the student sat himself down and waited a while ; but the time hung heavy upon him , and he begged earnestly that he might ascend forthwith , for his thirst for knowledge was great .
then the other pretended to give way , and said , " thou must let the sack of wisdom descend , by untying yonder cord , and then thou shalt enter . "
so the student let him down , opened the sack , and set him free .
" now then , " cried he , " let me ascend quickly . "
as he began to put himself into the sack heels first , " wait a while , " said the gardener , " that is not the way . "
then he pushed him in head first , tied up the sack , and soon swung up the searcher after wisdom dangling in the air .
" how is it with thee , friend ? " said he , " dost thou not feel that wisdom comes unto thee ?
rest there in peace , till thou art a wiser man than thou wert . "
so saying , he trotted off on the student"s nag , and left the poor fellow to gather wisdom till somebody should come and let him down .
the mother of hans said : " whither away , hans ? "
hans answered : " to gretel . "
" behave well , hans . "
" oh , i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans .
what do you bring that is good ? "
" i bring nothing , i want to have something given me . "
gretel presents hans with a needle , hans says : " goodbye , gretel . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans takes the needle , sticks it into a hay-cart , and follows the cart home .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
" what did you take her ? "
" took nothing ; had something given me . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" gave me a needle . "
" where is the needle , hans ? "
" stuck in the hay-cart . "
" that was ill done , hans .
you should have stuck the needle in your sleeve . "
" never mind , i"ll do better next time . "
" whither away , hans ? "
" to gretel , mother . "
" behave well , hans . "
" oh , i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans .
what do you bring that is good ? "
" i bring nothing .
i want to have something given to me . "
gretel presents hans with a knife .
" goodbye , gretel . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans takes the knife , sticks it in his sleeve , and goes home .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
what did you take her ? "
" took her nothing , she gave me something . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" gave me a knife . "
" where is the knife , hans ? "
" stuck in my sleeve . "
" that"s ill done , hans , you should have put the knife in your pocket . "
" never mind , will do better next time . "
" whither away , hans ? "
" to gretel , mother . "
" behave well , hans . "
" oh , i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans .
what good thing do you bring ? "
" i bring nothing , i want something given me . "
gretel presents hans with a young goat .
" goodbye , gretel . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans takes the goat , ties its legs , and puts it in his pocket .
when he gets home it is suffocated .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
" what did you take her ? "
" took nothing , she gave me something . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" she gave me a goat . "
" where is the goat , hans ? "
" put it in my pocket . "
" that was ill done , hans , you should have put a rope round the goat"s neck . "
" never mind , will do better next time . "
" whither away , hans ? "
" to gretel , mother . "
" behave well , hans . "
" oh , i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans .
what good thing do you bring ? "
" i bring nothing , i want something given me . "
gretel presents hans with a piece of bacon .
" goodbye , gretel . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans takes the bacon , ties it to a rope , and drags it away behind him .
the dogs come and devour the bacon .
when he gets home , he has the rope in his hand , and there is no longer anything hanging on to it .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
" what did you take her ? "
" i took her nothing , she gave me something . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" gave me a bit of bacon . "
" where is the bacon , hans ? "
" i tied it to a rope , brought it home , dogs took it . "
" that was ill done , hans , you should have carried the bacon on your head . "
" never mind , will do better next time . "
" whither away , hans ? "
" to gretel , mother . "
" behave well , hans . "
" i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans , what good thing do you bring ? "
" i bring nothing , but would have something given . "
gretel presents hans with a calf .
" goodbye , gretel . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans takes the calf , puts it on his head , and the calf kicks his face .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
" what did you take her ? "
" i took nothing , but had something given me . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" a calf . "
" where have you the calf , hans ? "
" i set it on my head and it kicked my face . "
" that was ill done , hans , you should have led the calf , and put it in the stall . "
" never mind , will do better next time . "
" whither away , hans ? "
" to gretel , mother . "
" behave well , hans . "
" i"ll behave well .
goodbye , mother . "
" goodbye , hans . "
hans comes to gretel .
" good day , gretel . "
" good day , hans .
what good thing do you bring ? "
" i bring nothing , but would have something given . "
gretel says to hans : " i will go with you . "
hans takes gretel , ties her to a rope , leads her to the rack , and binds her fast .
then hans goes to his mother .
" good evening , mother . "
" good evening , hans .
where have you been ? "
" with gretel . "
" what did you take her ? "
" i took her nothing . "
" what did gretel give you ? "
" she gave me nothing , she came with me . "
" where have you left gretel ? "
" i led her by the rope , tied her to the rack , and scattered some grass for her . "
" that was ill done , hans , you should have cast friendly eyes on her . "
" never mind , will do better . "
hans went into the stable , cut out all the calves " and sheep"s eyes , and threw them in gretel"s face .
then gretel became angry , tore herself loose and ran away , and was no longer the bride of hans .
an aged count once lived in switzerland , who had an only son , but he was stupid , and could learn nothing .
then said the father : " hark you , my son , try as i will i can get nothing into your head .
you must go from hence , i will give you into the care of a celebrated master , who shall see what he can do with you . "
the youth was sent into a strange town , and remained a whole year with the master .
at the end of this time , he came home again , and his father asked : " now , my son , what have you learnt ? "
" father , i have learnt what the dogs say when they bark . "
" lord have mercy on us ! " cried the father ; " is that all you have learnt ?
i will send you into another town , to another master . "
the youth was taken thither , and stayed a year with this master likewise .
when he came back the father again asked : " my son , what have you learnt ? "
he answered : " father , i have learnt what the birds say . "
then the father fell into a rage and said : " oh , you lost man , you have spent the precious time and learnt nothing ; are you not ashamed to appear before my eyes ?
i will send you to a third master , but if you learn nothing this time also , i will no longer be your father . "
the youth remained a whole year with the third master also , and when he came home again , and his father inquired : " my son , what have you learnt ? " he answered : " dear father , i have this year learnt what the frogs croak . "
then the father fell into the most furious anger , sprang up , called his people thither , and said : " this man is no longer my son , i drive him forth , and command you to take him out into the forest , and kill him . "
they took him forth , but when they should have killed him , they could not do it for pity , and let him go , and they cut the eyes and tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old man as a token .
the youth wandered on , and after some time came to a fortress where he begged for a night"s lodging .
" yes , " said the lord of the castle , " if you will pass the night down there in the old tower , go thither ; but i warn you , it is at the peril of your life , for it is full of wild dogs , which bark and howl without stopping , and at certain hours a man has to be given to them , whom they at once devour . "
the whole district was in sorrow and dismay because of them , and yet no one could do anything to stop this .
the youth , however , was without fear , and said : " just let me go down to the barking dogs , and give me something that i can throw to them ; they will do nothing to harm me . "
as he himself would have it so , they gave him some food for the wild animals , and led him down to the tower .
when he went inside , the dogs did not bark at him , but wagged their tails quite amicably around him , ate what he set before them , and did not hurt one hair of his head .
next morning , to the astonishment of everyone , he came out again safe and unharmed , and said to the lord of the castle : " the dogs have revealed to me , in their own language , why they dwell there , and bring evil on the land .
they are bewitched , and are obliged to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower , and they can have no rest until it is taken away , and i have likewise learnt , from their discourse , how that is to be done . "
then all who heard this rejoiced , and the lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it successfully .
he went down again , and as he knew what he had to do , he did it thoroughly , and brought a chest full of gold out with him .
the howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more ; they had disappeared , and the country was freed from the trouble .
after some time he took it in his head that he would travel to rome .
on the way he passed by a marsh , in which a number of frogs were sitting croaking .
he listened to them , and when he became aware of what they were saying , he grew very thoughtful and sad .
at last he arrived in rome , where the pope had just died , and there was great doubt among the cardinals as to whom they should appoint as his successor .
they at length agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should be distinguished by some divine and miraculous token .
and just as that was decided on , the young count entered into the church , and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there .
the ecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above , and asked him on the spot if he would be pope .
he was undecided , and knew not if he were worthy of this , but the doves counselled him to do it , and at length he said yes .
then was he anointed and consecrated , and thus was fulfilled what he had heard from the frogs on his way , which had so affected him , that he was to be his holiness the pope .
then he had to sing a mass , and did not know one word of it , but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders , and said it all in his ear .
it happened that the cat met the fox in a forest , and as she thought to herself : " he is clever and full of experience , and much esteemed in the world , " she spoke to him in a friendly way .
" good day , dear mr fox , how are you ?
how is all with you ?
how are you getting on in these hard times ? "
the fox , full of all kinds of arrogance , looked at the cat from head to foot , and for a long time did not know whether he would give any answer or not .
at last he said : " oh , you wretched beard-cleaner , you piebald fool , you hungry mouse-hunter , what can you be thinking of ?
have you the cheek to ask how i am getting on ?
what have you learnt ?
how many arts do you understand ? "
" i understand but one , " replied the cat , modestly .
" what art is that ? " asked the fox .
" when the hounds are following me , i can spring into a tree and save myself . "
" is that all ? " said the fox .
" i am master of a hundred arts , and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning .
you make me sorry for you ; come with me , i will teach you how people get away from the hounds . "
just then came a hunter with four dogs .
the cat sprang nimbly up a tree , and sat down at the top of it , where the branches and foliage quite concealed her .
" open your sack , mr fox , open your sack , " cried the cat to him , but the dogs had already seized him , and were holding him fast .
" ah , mr fox , " cried the cat .
" you with your hundred arts are left in the lurch !
had you been able to climb like me , you would not have lost your life . "
" dear children , " said a poor man to his four sons , " i have nothing to give you ; you must go out into the wide world and try your luck .
begin by learning some craft or another , and see how you can get on . "
so the four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands , and their little bundles on their shoulders , and after bidding their father goodbye , went all out at the gate together .
when they had got on some way they came to four crossways , each leading to a different country .
then the eldest said , " here we must part ; but this day four years we will come back to this spot , and in the meantime each must try what he can do for himself . "
so each brother went his way ; and as the eldest was hastening on a man met him , and asked him where he was going , and what he wanted .
" i am going to try my luck in the world , and should like to begin by learning some art or trade , " answered he .
" then , " said the man , " go with me , and i will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever was . "
" no , " said the other , " that is not an honest calling , and what can one look to earn by it in the end but the gallows ? "
" oh ! " said the man , " you need not fear the gallows ; for i will only teach you to steal what will be fair game : i meddle with nothing but what no one else can get or care anything about , and where no one can find you out . "
so the young man agreed to follow his trade , and he soon showed himself so clever , that nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon .
the second brother also met a man , who , when he found out what he was setting out upon , asked him what craft he meant to follow .
" i do not know yet , " said he .
" then come with me , and be a star-gazer .
it is a noble art , for nothing can be hidden from you , when once you understand the stars . "
the plan pleased him much , and he soon became such a skilful star-gazer , that when he had served out his time , and wanted to leave his master , he gave him a glass , and said , " with this you can see all that is passing in the sky and on earth , and nothing can be hidden from you . "
the third brother met a huntsman , who took him with him , and taught him so well all that belonged to hunting , that he became very clever in the craft of the woods ; and when he left his master he gave him a bow , and said , " whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure to hit . "
the youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished to do .
" would not you like , " said he , " to be a tailor ? "
" oh , no ! " said the young man ; " sitting cross-legged from morning to night , working backwards and forwards with a needle and goose , will never suit me . "
" oh ! " answered the man , " that is not my sort of tailoring ; come with me , and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that . "
not knowing what better to do , he came into the plan , and learnt tailoring from the beginning ; and when he left his master , he gave him a needle , and said , " you can sew anything with this , be it as soft as an egg or as hard as steel ; and the joint will be so fine that no seam will be seen . "
after the space of four years , at the time agreed upon , the four brothers met at the four cross-roads ; and having welcomed each other , set off towards their father"s home , where they told him all that had happened to them , and how each had learned some craft .
then , one day , as they were sitting before the house under a very high tree , the father said , " i should like to try what each of you can do in this way . "
so he looked up , and said to the second son , " at the top of this tree there is a chaffinch"s nest ; tell me how many eggs there are in it . "
the star-gazer took his glass , looked up , and said , " five . "
" now , " said the father to the eldest son , " take away the eggs without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them know anything of what you are doing . "
so the cunning thief climbed up the tree , and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the bird ; and it never saw or felt what he was doing , but kept sitting on at its ease .
then the father took the eggs , and put one on each corner of the table , and the fifth in the middle , and said to the huntsman , " cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot . "
the huntsman took up his bow , and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished .
" now comes your turn , " said he to the young tailor ; " sew the eggs and the young birds in them together again , so neatly that the shot shall have done them no harm . "
then the tailor took his needle , and sewed the eggs as he was told ; and when he had done , the thief was sent to take them back to the nest , and put them under the bird without its knowing it .
then she went on sitting , and hatched them : and in a few days they crawled out , and had only a little red streak across their necks , where the tailor had sewn them together .
" well done , sons ! " said the old man ; " you have made good use of your time , and learnt something worth the knowing ; but i am sure i do not know which ought to have the prize .
oh , that a time might soon come for you to turn your skill to some account ! "
not long after this there was a great bustle in the country ; for the king"s daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon , and the king mourned over his loss day and night , and made it known that whoever brought her back to him should have her for a wife .
then the four brothers said to each other , " here is a chance for us ; let us try what we can do . "
and they agreed to see whether they could not set the princess free .
" i will soon find out where she is , however , " said the star-gazer , as he looked through his glass ; and he soon cried out , " i see her afar off , sitting upon a rock in the sea , and i can spy the dragon close by , guarding her . "
then he went to the king , and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers ; and they sailed together over the sea , till they came to the right place .
there they found the princess sitting , as the star-gazer had said , on the rock ; and the dragon was lying asleep , with his head upon her lap .
" i dare not shoot at him , " said the huntsman , " for i should kill the beautiful young lady also . "
" then i will try my skill , " said the thief , and went and stole her away from under the dragon , so quietly and gently that the beast did not know it , but went on snoring .
then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards the ship ; but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air ; for he awoke and missed the princess .
but when he got over the boat , and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess , the huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so that he fell down dead .
they were still not safe ; for he was such a great beast that in his fall he overset the boat , and they had to swim in the open sea upon a few planks .
so the tailor took his needle , and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together ; and he sat down upon these , and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the boat ; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon ready , and they then reached the ship and got home safe .
when they had brought home the princess to her father , there was great rejoicing ; and he said to the four brothers , " one of you shall marry her , but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to be . "
then there arose a quarrel between them ; and the star-gazer said , " if i had not found the princess out , all your skill would have been of no use ; therefore she ought to be mine . "
" your seeing her would have been of no use , " said the thief , " if i had not taken her away from the dragon ; therefore she ought to be mine . "
" no , she is mine , " said the huntsman ; " for if i had not killed the dragon , he would , after all , have torn you and the princess into pieces . "
" and if i had not sewn the boat together again , " said the tailor , " you would all have been drowned , therefore she is mine . "
then the king put in a word , and said , " each of you is right ; and as all cannot have the young lady , the best way is for neither of you to have her : for the truth is , there is somebody she likes a great deal better .
but to make up for your loss , i will give each of you , as a reward for his skill , half a kingdom . "
so the brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them .
and the king then gave to each half a kingdom , as he had said ; and they lived very happily the rest of their days , and took good care of their father ; and somebody took better care of the young lady , than to let either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again .
a merchant , who had three daughters , was once setting out upon a journey ; but before he went he asked each daughter what gift he should bring back for her .
the eldest wished for pearls ; the second for jewels ; but the third , who was called lily , said , " dear father , bring me a rose . "
now it was no easy task to find a rose , for it was the middle of winter ; yet as she was his prettiest daughter , and was very fond of flowers , her father said he would try what he could do .
so he kissed all three , and bid them goodbye .
and when the time came for him to go home , he had bought pearls and jewels for the two eldest , but he had sought everywhere in vain for the rose ; and when he went into any garden and asked for such a thing , the people laughed at him , and asked him whether he thought roses grew in snow .
this grieved him very much , for lily was his dearest child ; and as he was journeying home , thinking what he should bring her , he came to a fine castle ; and around the castle was a garden , in one half of which it seemed to be summer-time and in the other half winter .
on one side the finest flowers were in full bloom , and on the other everything looked dreary and buried in the snow .
" a lucky hit ! " said he , as he called to his servant , and told him to go to a beautiful bed of roses that was there , and bring him away one of the finest flowers .
this done , they were riding away well pleased , when up sprang a fierce lion , and roared out , " whoever has stolen my roses shall be eaten up alive ! "
then the man said , " i knew not that the garden belonged to you ; can nothing save my life ? "
" no ! " said the lion , " nothing , unless you undertake to give me whatever meets you on your return home ; if you agree to this , i will give you your life , and the rose too for your daughter . "
but the man was unwilling to do so and said , " it may be my youngest daughter , who loves me most , and always runs to meet me when i go home . "
then the servant was greatly frightened , and said , " it may perhaps be only a cat or a dog . "
and at last the man yielded with a heavy heart , and took the rose ; and said he would give the lion whatever should meet him first on his return .
and as he came near home , it was lily , his youngest and dearest daughter , that met him ; she came running , and kissed him , and welcomed him home ; and when she saw that he had brought her the rose , she was still more glad .
but her father began to be very sorrowful , and to weep , saying , " alas , my dearest child !
i have bought this flower at a high price , for i have said i would give you to a wild lion ; and when he has you , he will tear you in pieces , and eat you . "
then he told her all that had happened , and said she should not go , let what would happen .
but she comforted him , and said , " dear father , the word you have given must be kept ; i will go to the lion , and soothe him : perhaps he will let me come safe home again . "
the next morning she asked the way she was to go , and took leave of her father , and went forth with a bold heart into the wood .
but the lion was an enchanted prince .
by day he and all his court were lions , but in the evening they took their right forms again .
and when lily came to the castle , he welcomed her so courteously that she agreed to marry him .
the wedding-feast was held , and they lived happily together a long time .
the prince was only to be seen as soon as evening came , and then he held his court ; but every morning he left his bride , and went away by himself , she knew not whither , till the night came again .
after some time he said to her , " tomorrow there will be a great feast in your father"s house , for your eldest sister is to be married ; and if you wish to go and visit her my lions shall lead you thither . "
then she rejoiced much at the thoughts of seeing her father once more , and set out with the lions ; and everyone was overjoyed to see her , for they had thought her dead long since .
but she told them how happy she was , and stayed till the feast was over , and then went back to the wood .
her second sister was soon after married , and when lily was asked to go to the wedding , she said to the prince , " i will not go alone this time--you must go with me . "
but he would not , and said that it would be a very hazardous thing ; for if the least ray of the torch-light should fall upon him his enchantment would become still worse , for he should be changed into a dove , and be forced to wander about the world for seven long years .
however , she gave him no rest , and said she would take care no light should fall upon him .
so at last they set out together , and took with them their little child ; and she chose a large hall with thick walls for him to sit in while the wedding-torches were lighted ; but , unluckily , no one saw that there was a crack in the door .
then the wedding was held with great pomp , but as the train came from the church , and passed with the torches before the hall , a very small ray of light fell upon the prince .
in a moment he disappeared , and when his wife came in and looked for him , she found only a white dove ; and it said to her , " seven years must i fly up and down over the face of the earth , but every now and then i will let fall a white feather , that will show you the way i am going ; follow it , and at last you may overtake and set me free . "
this said , he flew out at the door , and poor lily followed ; and every now and then a white feather fell , and showed her the way she was to journey .
thus she went roving on through the wide world , and looked neither to the right hand nor to the left , nor took any rest , for seven years .
then she began to be glad , and thought to herself that the time was fast coming when all her troubles should end ; yet repose was still far off , for one day as she was travelling on she missed the white feather , and when she lifted up her eyes she could nowhere see the dove .
" now , " thought she to herself , " no aid of man can be of use to me . "
so she went to the sun and said , " thou shinest everywhere , on the hill"s top and the valley"s depth--hast thou anywhere seen my white dove ? "
" no , " said the sun , " i have not seen it ; but i will give thee a casket--open it when thy hour of need comes . "
so she thanked the sun , and went on her way till eventide ; and when the moon arose , she cried unto it , and said , " thou shinest through the night , over field and grove--hast thou nowhere seen my white dove ? "
" no , " said the moon , " i cannot help thee but i will give thee an egg--break it when need comes . "
then she thanked the moon , and went on till the night-wind blew ; and she raised up her voice to it , and said , " thou blowest through every tree and under every leaf--hast thou not seen my white dove ? "
" no , " said the night-wind , " but i will ask three other winds ; perhaps they have seen it . "
then the east wind and the west wind came , and said they too had not seen it , but the south wind said , " i have seen the white dove--he has fled to the red sea , and is changed once more into a lion , for the seven years are passed away , and there he is fighting with a dragon ; and the dragon is an enchanted princess , who seeks to separate him from you . "
then the night-wind said , " i will give thee counsel .
go to the red sea ; on the right shore stand many rods--count them , and when thou comest to the eleventh , break it off , and smite the dragon with it ; and so the lion will have the victory , and both of them will appear to you in their own forms .
then look round and thou wilt see a griffin , winged like bird , sitting by the red sea ; jump on to his back with thy beloved one as quickly as possible , and he will carry you over the waters to your home .
i will also give thee this nut , " continued the night-wind .
" when you are half-way over , throw it down , and out of the waters will immediately spring up a high nut-tree on which the griffin will be able to rest , otherwise he would not have the strength to bear you the whole way ; if , therefore , thou dost forget to throw down the nut , he will let you both fall into the sea . "
so our poor wanderer went forth , and found all as the night-wind had said ; and she plucked the eleventh rod , and smote the dragon , and the lion forthwith became a prince , and the dragon a princess again .
but no sooner was the princess released from the spell , than she seized the prince by the arm and sprang on to the griffin"s back , and went off carrying the prince away with her .
thus the unhappy traveller was again forsaken and forlorn ; but she took heart and said , " as far as the wind blows , and so long as the cock crows , i will journey on , till i find him once again . "
she went on for a long , long way , till at length she came to the castle whither the princess had carried the prince ; and there was a feast got ready , and she heard that the wedding was about to be held .
" heaven aid me now ! " said she ; and she took the casket that the sun had given her , and found that within it lay a dress as dazzling as the sun itself .
so she put it on , and went into the palace , and all the people gazed upon her ; and the dress pleased the bride so much that she asked whether it was to be sold .
" not for gold and silver . " said she , " but for flesh and blood . "
the princess asked what she meant , and she said , " let me speak with the bridegroom this night in his chamber , and i will give thee the dress . "
at last the princess agreed , but she told her chamberlain to give the prince a sleeping draught , that he might not hear or see her .
when evening came , and the prince had fallen asleep , she was led into his chamber , and she sat herself down at his feet , and said : " i have followed thee seven years .
i have been to the sun , the moon , and the night-wind , to seek thee , and at last i have helped thee to overcome the dragon .
wilt thou then forget me quite ? "
but the prince all the time slept so soundly , that her voice only passed over him , and seemed like the whistling of the wind among the fir-trees .
then poor lily was led away , and forced to give up the golden dress ; and when she saw that there was no help for her , she went out into a meadow , and sat herself down and wept .
but as she sat she bethought herself of the egg that the moon had given her ; and when she broke it , there ran out a hen and twelve chickens of pure gold , that played about , and then nestled under the old one"s wings , so as to form the most beautiful sight in the world .
and she rose up and drove them before her , till the bride saw them from her window , and was so pleased that she came forth and asked her if she would sell the brood .
" not for gold or silver , but for flesh and blood : let me again this evening speak with the bridegroom in his chamber , and i will give thee the whole brood . "
then the princess thought to betray her as before , and agreed to what she asked : but when the prince went to his chamber he asked the chamberlain why the wind had whistled so in the night .
and the chamberlain told him all--how he had given him a sleeping draught , and how a poor maiden had come and spoken to him in his chamber , and was to come again that night .
then the prince took care to throw away the sleeping draught ; and when lily came and began again to tell him what woes had befallen her , and how faithful and true to him she had been , he knew his beloved wife"s voice , and sprang up , and said , " you have awakened me as from a dream , for the strange princess had thrown a spell around me , so that i had altogether forgotten you ; but heaven hath sent you to me in a lucky hour . "
and they stole away out of the palace by night unawares , and seated themselves on the griffin , who flew back with them over the red sea .
when they were half-way across lily let the nut fall into the water , and immediately a large nut-tree arose from the sea , whereon the griffin rested for a while , and then carried them safely home .
there they found their child , now grown up to be comely and fair ; and after all their troubles they lived happily together to the end of their days .
a farmer had a horse that had been an excellent faithful servant to him : but he was now grown too old to work ; so the farmer would give him nothing more to eat , and said , " i want you no longer , so take yourself off out of my stable ; i shall not take you back again until you are stronger than a lion . "
then he opened the door and turned him adrift .
the poor horse was very melancholy , and wandered up and down in the wood , seeking some little shelter from the cold wind and rain .
presently a fox met him : " what"s the matter , my friend ? " said he , " why do you hang down your head and look so lonely and woe-begone ? "
" ah ! " replied the horse , " justice and avarice never dwell in one house ; my master has forgotten all that i have done for him so many years , and because i can no longer work he has turned me adrift , and says unless i become stronger than a lion he will not take me back again ; what chance can i have of that ? he knows i have none , or he would not talk so . "
however , the fox bid him be of good cheer , and said , " i will help you ; lie down there , stretch yourself out quite stiff , and pretend to be dead . "
the horse did as he was told , and the fox went straight to the lion who lived in a cave close by , and said to him , " a little way off lies a dead horse ; come with me and you may make an excellent meal of his carcase . "
the lion was greatly pleased , and set off immediately ; and when they came to the horse , the fox said , " you will not be able to eat him comfortably here ; i"ll tell you what--i will tie you fast to his tail , and then you can draw him to your den , and eat him at your leisure . "
this advice pleased the lion , so he laid himself down quietly for the fox to make him fast to the horse .
but the fox managed to tie his legs together and bound all so hard and fast that with all his strength he could not set himself free .
when the work was done , the fox clapped the horse on the shoulder , and said , " jip !
dobbin !
jip ! "
then up he sprang , and moved off , dragging the lion behind him .
the beast began to roar and bellow , till all the birds of the wood flew away for fright ; but the horse let him sing on , and made his way quietly over the fields to his master"s house .
" here he is , master , " said he , " i have got the better of him " : and when the farmer saw his old servant , his heart relented , and he said .
" thou shalt stay in thy stable and be well taken care of . "
and so the poor old horse had plenty to eat , and lived--till he died .
there was once upon a time a soldier who for many years had served the king faithfully , but when the war came to an end could serve no longer because of the many wounds which he had received .
the king said to him : " you may return to your home , i need you no longer , and you will not receive any more money , for he only receives wages who renders me service for them . "
then the soldier did not know how to earn a living , went away greatly troubled , and walked the whole day , until in the evening he entered a forest .
when darkness came on , he saw a light , which he went up to , and came to a house wherein lived a witch .
" do give me one night"s lodging , and a little to eat and drink , " said he to her , " or i shall starve . "
" oho ! " she answered , " who gives anything to a run-away soldier ?
yet will i be compassionate , and take you in , if you will do what i wish . "
" what do you wish ? " said the soldier .
" that you should dig all round my garden for me , tomorrow . "
the soldier consented , and next day laboured with all his strength , but could not finish it by the evening .
" i see well enough , " said the witch , " that you can do no more today , but i will keep you yet another night , in payment for which you must tomorrow chop me a load of wood , and chop it small . "
the soldier spent the whole day in doing it , and in the evening the witch proposed that he should stay one night more .
" tomorrow , you shall only do me a very trifling piece of work .
behind my house , there is an old dry well , into which my light has fallen , it burns blue , and never goes out , and you shall bring it up again . "
next day the old woman took him to the well , and let him down in a basket .
he found the blue light , and made her a signal to draw him up again .
she did draw him up , but when he came near the edge , she stretched down her hand and wanted to take the blue light away from him .
" no , " said he , perceiving her evil intention , " i will not give you the light until i am standing with both feet upon the ground . "
the witch fell into a passion , let him fall again into the well , and went away .
the poor soldier fell without injury on the moist ground , and the blue light went on burning , but of what use was that to him ?
he saw very well that he could not escape death .
he sat for a while very sorrowfully , then suddenly he felt in his pocket and found his tobacco pipe , which was still half full .
" this shall be my last pleasure , " thought he , pulled it out , lit it at the blue light and began to smoke .
when the smoke had circled about the cavern , suddenly a little black dwarf stood before him , and said : " lord , what are your commands ? "
" what my commands are ? " replied the soldier , quite astonished .
" i must do everything you bid me , " said the little man .
" good , " said the soldier ; " then in the first place help me out of this well . "
the little man took him by the hand , and led him through an underground passage , but he did not forget to take the blue light with him .
on the way the dwarf showed him the treasures which the witch had collected and hidden there , and the soldier took as much gold as he could carry .
when he was above , he said to the little man : " now go and bind the old witch , and carry her before the judge . "
in a short time she came by like the wind , riding on a wild tom-cat and screaming frightfully .
nor was it long before the little man reappeared .
" it is all done , " said he , " and the witch is already hanging on the gallows .
what further commands has my lord ? " inquired the dwarf .
" at this moment , none , " answered the soldier ; " you can return home , only be at hand immediately , if i summon you . "
" nothing more is needed than that you should light your pipe at the blue light , and i will appear before you at once . "
thereupon he vanished from his sight .
the soldier returned to the town from which he came .
he went to the best inn , ordered himself handsome clothes , and then bade the landlord furnish him a room as handsome as possible .
when it was ready and the soldier had taken possession of it , he summoned the little black manikin and said : " i have served the king faithfully , but he has dismissed me , and left me to hunger , and now i want to take my revenge . "
" what am i to do ? " asked the little man .
" late at night , when the king"s daughter is in bed , bring her here in her sleep , she shall do servant"s work for me . "
the manikin said : " that is an easy thing for me to do , but a very dangerous thing for you , for if it is discovered , you will fare ill . "
when twelve o"clock had struck , the door sprang open , and the manikin carried in the princess .
" aha ! are you there ? " cried the soldier , " get to your work at once !
fetch the broom and sweep the chamber . "
when she had done this , he ordered her to come to his chair , and then he stretched out his feet and said : " pull off my boots , " and then he threw them in her face , and made her pick them up again , and clean and brighten them .
she , however , did everything he bade her , without opposition , silently and with half-shut eyes .
when the first cock crowed , the manikin carried her back to the royal palace , and laid her in her bed .
next morning when the princess arose she went to her father , and told him that she had had a very strange dream .
" i was carried through the streets with the rapidity of lightning , " said she , " and taken into a soldier"s room , and i had to wait upon him like a servant , sweep his room , clean his boots , and do all kinds of menial work .
it was only a dream , and yet i am just as tired as if i really had done everything . "
" the dream may have been true , " said the king .
" i will give you a piece of advice .
fill your pocket full of peas , and make a small hole in the pocket , and then if you are carried away again , they will fall out and leave a track in the streets . "
but unseen by the king , the manikin was standing beside him when he said that , and heard all .
at night when the sleeping princess was again carried through the streets , some peas certainly did fall out of her pocket , but they made no track , for the crafty manikin had just before scattered peas in every street there was .
and again the princess was compelled to do servant"s work until cock-crow .
next morning the king sent his people out to seek the track , but it was all in vain , for in every street poor children were sitting , picking up peas , and saying : " it must have rained peas , last night . "
" we must think of something else , " said the king ; " keep your shoes on when you go to bed , and before you come back from the place where you are taken , hide one of them there , i will soon contrive to find it . "
the black manikin heard this plot , and at night when the soldier again ordered him to bring the princess , revealed it to him , and told him that he knew of no expedient to counteract this stratagem , and that if the shoe were found in the soldier"s house it would go badly with him .
" do what i bid you , " replied the soldier , and again this third night the princess was obliged to work like a servant , but before she went away , she hid her shoe under the bed .
next morning the king had the entire town searched for his daughter"s shoe .
it was found at the soldier"s , and the soldier himself , who at the entreaty of the dwarf had gone outside the gate , was soon brought back , and thrown into prison .
in his flight he had forgotten the most valuable things he had , the blue light and the gold , and had only one ducat in his pocket .
and now loaded with chains , he was standing at the window of his dungeon , when he chanced to see one of his comrades passing by .
the soldier tapped at the pane of glass , and when this man came up , said to him : " be so kind as to fetch me the small bundle i have left lying in the inn , and i will give you a ducat for doing it . "
his comrade ran thither and brought him what he wanted .
as soon as the soldier was alone again , he lighted his pipe and summoned the black manikin .
" have no fear , " said the latter to his master .
" go wheresoever they take you , and let them do what they will , only take the blue light with you . "
next day the soldier was tried , and though he had done nothing wicked , the judge condemned him to death .
when he was led forth to die , he begged a last favour of the king .
" what is it ? " asked the king .
" that i may smoke one more pipe on my way . "
" you may smoke three , " answered the king , " but do not imagine that i will spare your life . "
then the soldier pulled out his pipe and lighted it at the blue light , and as soon as a few wreaths of smoke had ascended , the manikin was there with a small cudgel in his hand , and said : " what does my lord command ? "
" strike down to earth that false judge there , and his constable , and spare not the king who has treated me so ill . "
then the manikin fell on them like lightning , darting this way and that way , and whosoever was so much as touched by his cudgel fell to earth , and did not venture to stir again .
the king was terrified ; he threw himself on the soldier"s mercy , and merely to be allowed to live at all , gave him his kingdom for his own , and his daughter to wife .
there was once a queen who had a little daughter , still too young to run alone .
one day the child was very troublesome , and the mother could not quiet it , do what she would .
she grew impatient , and seeing the ravens flying round the castle , she opened the window , and said : " i wish you were a raven and would fly away , then i should have a little peace . "
scarcely were the words out of her mouth , when the child in her arms was turned into a raven , and flew away from her through the open window .
the bird took its flight to a dark wood and remained there for a long time , and meanwhile the parents could hear nothing of their child .
long after this , a man was making his way through the wood when he heard a raven calling , and he followed the sound of the voice .
as he drew near , the raven said , " i am by birth a king"s daughter , but am now under the spell of some enchantment ; you can , however , set me free . "
" what am i to do ? " he asked .
she replied , " go farther into the wood until you come to a house , wherein lives an old woman ; she will offer you food and drink , but you must not take of either ; if you do , you will fall into a deep sleep , and will not be able to help me .
in the garden behind the house is a large tan-heap , and on that you must stand and watch for me .
i shall drive there in my carriage at two o"clock in the afternoon for three successive days ; the first day it will be drawn by four white , the second by four chestnut , and the last by four black horses ; but if you fail to keep awake and i find you sleeping , i shall not be set free . "
the man promised to do all that she wished , but the raven said , " alas !
i know even now that you will take something from the woman and be unable to save me . "
the man assured her again that he would on no account touch a thing to eat or drink .
when he came to the house and went inside , the old woman met him , and said , " poor man ! how tired you are !
come in and rest and let me give you something to eat and drink . "
" no , " answered the man , " i will neither eat not drink . "
but she would not leave him alone , and urged him saying , " if you will not eat anything , at least you might take a draught of wine ; one drink counts for nothing , " and at last he allowed himself to be persuaded , and drank .
as it drew towards the appointed hour , he went outside into the garden and mounted the tan-heap to await the raven .
suddenly a feeling of fatigue came over him , and unable to resist it , he lay down for a little while , fully determined , however , to keep awake ; but in another minute his eyes closed of their own accord , and he fell into such a deep sleep , that all the noises in the world would not have awakened him .
at two o"clock the raven came driving along , drawn by her four white horses ; but even before she reached the spot , she said to herself , sighing , " i know he has fallen asleep . "
when she entered the garden , there she found him as she had feared , lying on the tan-heap , fast asleep .
she got out of her carriage and went to him ; she called him and shook him , but it was all in vain , he still continued sleeping .
the next day at noon , the old woman came to him again with food and drink which he at first refused .
at last , overcome by her persistent entreaties that he would take something , he lifted the glass and drank again .
towards two o"clock he went into the garden and on to the tan-heap to watch for the raven .
he had not been there long before he began to feel so tired that his limbs seemed hardly able to support him , and he could not stand upright any longer ; so again he lay down and fell fast asleep .
as the raven drove along her four chestnut horses , she said sorrowfully to herself , " i know he has fallen asleep . "
she went as before to look for him , but he slept , and it was impossible to awaken him .
the following day the old woman said to him , " what is this ?
you are not eating or drinking anything , do you want to kill yourself ? "
he answered , " i may not and will not either eat or drink . "
but she put down the dish of food and the glass of wine in front of him , and when he smelt the wine , he was unable to resist the temptation , and took a deep draught .
when the hour came round again he went as usual on to the tan-heap in the garden to await the king"s daughter , but he felt even more overcome with weariness than on the two previous days , and throwing himself down , he slept like a log .
at two o"clock the raven could be seen approaching , and this time her coachman and everything about her , as well as her horses , were black .
she was sadder than ever as she drove along , and said mournfully , " i know he has fallen asleep , and will not be able to set me free . "
she found him sleeping heavily , and all her efforts to awaken him were of no avail .
then she placed beside him a loaf , and some meat , and a flask of wine , of such a kind , that however much he took of them , they would never grow less .
after that she drew a gold ring , on which her name was engraved , off her finger , and put it upon one of his .
finally , she laid a letter near him , in which , after giving him particulars of the food and drink she had left for him , she finished with the following words : " i see that as long as you remain here you will never be able to set me free ; if , however , you still wish to do so , come to the golden castle of stromberg ; this is well within your power to accomplish . "
she then returned to her carriage and drove to the golden castle of stromberg .
when the man awoke and found that he had been sleeping , he was grieved at heart , and said , " she has no doubt been here and driven away again , and it is now too late for me to save her . "
then his eyes fell on the things which were lying beside him ; he read the letter , and knew from it all that had happened .
he rose up without delay , eager to start on his way and to reach the castle of stromberg , but he had no idea in which direction he ought to go .
he travelled about a long time in search of it and came at last to a dark forest , through which he went on walking for fourteen days and still could not find a way out .
once more the night came on , and worn out he lay down under a bush and fell asleep .
again the next day he pursued his way through the forest , and that evening , thinking to rest again , he lay down as before , but he heard such a howling and wailing that he found it impossible to sleep .
he waited till it was darker and people had begun to light up their houses , and then seeing a little glimmer ahead of him , he went towards it .
he found that the light came from a house which looked smaller than it really was , from the contrast of its height with that of an immense giant who stood in front of it .
he thought to himself , " if the giant sees me going in , my life will not be worth much . "
however , after a while he summoned up courage and went forward .
when the giant saw him , he called out , " it is lucky for that you have come , for i have not had anything to eat for a long time .
i can have you now for my supper . "
" i would rather you let that alone , " said the man , " for i do not willingly give myself up to be eaten ; if you are wanting food i have enough to satisfy your hunger . "
" if that is so , " replied the giant , " i will leave you in peace ; i only thought of eating you because i had nothing else . "
so they went indoors together and sat down , and the man brought out the bread , meat , and wine , which although he had eaten and drunk of them , were still unconsumed .
the giant was pleased with the good cheer , and ate and drank to his heart"s content .
when he had finished his supper the man asked him if he could direct him to the castle of stromberg .
the giant said , " i will look on my map ; on it are marked all the towns , villages , and houses . "
so he fetched his map , and looked for the castle , but could not find it .
" never mind , " he said , " i have larger maps upstairs in the cupboard , we will look on those , " but they searched in vain , for the castle was not marked even on these .
the man now thought he should like to continue his journey , but the giant begged him to remain for a day or two longer until the return of his brother , who was away in search of provisions .
when the brother came home , they asked him about the castle of stromberg , and he told them he would look on his own maps as soon as he had eaten and appeased his hunger .
accordingly , when he had finished his supper , they all went up together to his room and looked through his maps , but the castle was not to be found .
then he fetched other older maps , and they went on looking for the castle until at last they found it , but it was many thousand miles away .
" how shall i be able to get there ? " asked the man .
" i have two hours to spare , " said the giant , " and i will carry you into the neighbourhood of the castle ; i must then return to look after the child who is in our care . "
the giant , thereupon , carried the man to within about a hundred leagues of the castle , where he left him , saying , " you will be able to walk the remainder of the way yourself . "
the man journeyed on day and night till he reached the golden castle of stromberg .
he found it situated , however , on a glass mountain , and looking up from the foot he saw the enchanted maiden drive round her castle and then go inside .
he was overjoyed to see her , and longed to get to the top of the mountain , but the sides were so slippery that every time he attempted to climb he fell back again .
when he saw that it was impossible to reach her , he was greatly grieved , and said to himself , " i will remain here and wait for her , " so he built himself a little hut , and there he sat and watched for a whole year , and every day he saw the king"s daughter driving round her castle , but still was unable to get nearer to her .
looking out from his hut one day he saw three robbers fighting and he called out to them , " god be with you . "
they stopped when they heard the call , but looking round and seeing nobody , they went on again with their fighting , which now became more furious .
" god be with you , " he cried again , and again they paused and looked about , but seeing no one went back to their fighting .
a third time he called out , " god be with you , " and then thinking he should like to know the cause of dispute between the three men , he went out and asked them why they were fighting so angrily with one another .
one of them said that he had found a stick , and that he had but to strike it against any door through which he wished to pass , and it immediately flew open .
another told him that he had found a cloak which rendered its wearer invisible ; and the third had caught a horse which would carry its rider over any obstacle , and even up the glass mountain .
they had been unable to decide whether they would keep together and have the things in common , or whether they would separate .
on hearing this , the man said , " i will give you something in exchange for those three things ; not money , for that i have not got , but something that is of far more value .
i must first , however , prove whether all you have told me about your three things is true . "
the robbers , therefore , made him get on the horse , and handed him the stick and the cloak , and when he had put this round him he was no longer visible .
then he fell upon them with the stick and beat them one after another , crying , " there , you idle vagabonds , you have got what you deserve ; are you satisfied now ! "
after this he rode up the glass mountain .
when he reached the gate of the castle , he found it closed , but he gave it a blow with his stick , and it flew wide open at once and he passed through .
he mounted the steps and entered the room where the maiden was sitting , with a golden goblet full of wine in front of her .
she could not see him for he still wore his cloak .
he took the ring which she had given him off his finger , and threw it into the goblet , so that it rang as it touched the bottom .
" that is my own ring , " she exclaimed , " and if that is so the man must also be here who is coming to set me free . "
she sought for him about the castle , but could find him nowhere .
meanwhile he had gone outside again and mounted his horse and thrown off the cloak .
when therefore she came to the castle gate she saw him , and cried aloud for joy .
then he dismounted and took her in his arms ; and she kissed him , and said , " now you have indeed set me free , and tomorrow we will celebrate our marriage . "
there was a man who had three sons , the youngest of whom was called dummling , [ * ] and was despised , mocked , and sneered at on every occasion .
it happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood , and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst .
when he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who bade him good day , and said : " do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket , and let me have a draught of your wine ; i am so hungry and thirsty . "
but the clever son answered : " if i give you my cake and wine , i shall have none for myself ; be off with you , " and he left the little man standing and went on .
but when he began to hew down a tree , it was not long before he made a false stroke , and the axe cut him in the arm , so that he had to go home and have it bound up .
and this was the little grey man"s doing .
after this the second son went into the forest , and his mother gave him , like the eldest , a cake and a bottle of wine .
the little old grey man met him likewise , and asked him for a piece of cake and a drink of wine .
but the second son , too , said sensibly enough : " what i give you will be taken away from myself ; be off ! " and he left the little man standing and went on .
his punishment , however , was not delayed ; when he had made a few blows at the tree he struck himself in the leg , so that he had to be carried home .
then dummling said : " father , do let me go and cut wood . "
the father answered : " your brothers have hurt themselves with it , leave it alone , you do not understand anything about it . "
but dummling begged so long that at last he said : " just go then , you will get wiser by hurting yourself . "
his mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders , and with it a bottle of sour beer .
when he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise , and greeting him , said : " give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of your bottle ; i am so hungry and thirsty . "
dummling answered : " i have only cinder-cake and sour beer ; if that pleases you , we will sit down and eat . "
so they sat down , and when dummling pulled out his cinder-cake , it was a fine sweet cake , and the sour beer had become good wine .
so they ate and drank , and after that the little man said : " since you have a good heart , and are willing to divide what you have , i will give you good luck .
there stands an old tree , cut it down , and you will find something at the roots . "
then the little man took leave of him .
dummling went and cut down the tree , and when it fell there was a goose sitting in the roots with feathers of pure gold .
he lifted her up , and taking her with him , went to an inn where he thought he would stay the night .
now the host had three daughters , who saw the goose and were curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be , and would have liked to have one of its golden feathers .
the eldest thought : " i shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a feather , " and as soon as dummling had gone out she seized the goose by the wing , but her finger and hand remained sticking fast to it .
the second came soon afterwards , thinking only of how she might get a feather for herself , but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast .
at last the third also came with the like intent , and the others screamed out : " keep away ; for goodness " sake keep away ! "
but she did not understand why she was to keep away .
" the others are there , " she thought , " i may as well be there too , " and ran to them ; but as soon as she had touched her sister , she remained sticking fast to her .
so they had to spend the night with the goose .
the next morning dummling took the goose under his arm and set out , without troubling himself about the three girls who were hanging on to it .
they were obliged to run after him continually , now left , now right , wherever his legs took him .
in the middle of the fields the parson met them , and when he saw the procession he said : " for shame , you good-for-nothing girls , why are you running across the fields after this young man ?
is that seemly ? "
at the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her away , but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast , and was himself obliged to run behind .
before long the sexton came by and saw his master , the parson , running behind three girls .
he was astonished at this and called out : " hi ! your reverence , whither away so quickly ?
do not forget that we have a christening today ! " and running after him he took him by the sleeve , but was also held fast to it .
whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other , two labourers came with their hoes from the fields ; the parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton free .
but they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast , and now there were seven of them running behind dummling and the goose .
soon afterwards he came to a city , where a king ruled who had a daughter who was so serious that no one could make her laugh .
so he had put forth a decree that whosoever should be able to make her laugh should marry her .
when dummling heard this , he went with his goose and all her train before the king"s daughter , and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and on , one behind the other , she began to laugh quite loudly , and as if she would never stop .
thereupon dummling asked to have her for his wife ; but the king did not like the son-in-law , and made all manner of excuses and said he must first produce a man who could drink a cellarful of wine .
dummling thought of the little grey man , who could certainly help him ; so he went into the forest , and in the same place where he had felled the tree , he saw a man sitting , who had a very sorrowful face .
dummling asked him what he was taking to heart so sorely , and he answered : " i have such a great thirst and cannot quench it ; cold water i cannot stand , a barrel of wine i have just emptied , but that to me is like a drop on a hot stone ! "
" there , i can help you , " said dummling , " just come with me and you shall be satisfied . "
he led him into the king"s cellar , and the man bent over the huge barrels , and drank and drank till his loins hurt , and before the day was out he had emptied all the barrels .
then dummling asked once more for his bride , but the king was vexed that such an ugly fellow , whom everyone called dummling , should take away his daughter , and he made a new condition ; he must first find a man who could eat a whole mountain of bread .
dummling did not think long , but went straight into the forest , where in the same place there sat a man who was tying up his body with a strap , and making an awful face , and saying : " i have eaten a whole ovenful of rolls , but what good is that when one has such a hunger as i ?
my stomach remains empty , and i must tie myself up if i am not to die of hunger . "
at this dummling was glad , and said : " get up and come with me ; you shall eat yourself full . "
he led him to the king"s palace where all the flour in the whole kingdom was collected , and from it he caused a huge mountain of bread to be baked .
the man from the forest stood before it , began to eat , and by the end of one day the whole mountain had vanished .
then dummling for the third time asked for his bride ; but the king again sought a way out , and ordered a ship which could sail on land and on water .
" as soon as you come sailing back in it , " said he , " you shall have my daughter for wife . "
dummling went straight into the forest , and there sat the little grey man to whom he had given his cake .
when he heard what dummling wanted , he said : " since you have given me to eat and to drink , i will give you the ship ; and i do all this because you once were kind to me . "
then he gave him the ship which could sail on land and water , and when the king saw that , he could no longer prevent him from having his daughter .
the wedding was celebrated , and after the king"s death , dummling inherited his kingdom and lived for a long time contentedly with his wife . [ * ] simpleton
long before you or i were born , there reigned , in a country a great way off , a king who had three sons .
this king once fell very ill--so ill that nobody thought he could live .
his sons were very much grieved at their father"s sickness ; and as they were walking together very mournfully in the garden of the palace , a little old man met them and asked what was the matter .
they told him that their father was very ill , and that they were afraid nothing could save him .
" i know what would , " said the little old man ; " it is the water of life .
if he could have a draught of it he would be well again ; but it is very hard to get . "
then the eldest son said , " i will soon find it " : and he went to the sick king , and begged that he might go in search of the water of life , as it was the only thing that could save him .
" no , " said the king .
" i had rather die than place you in such great danger as you must meet with in your journey . "
but he begged so hard that the king let him go ; and the prince thought to himself , " if i bring my father this water , he will make me sole heir to his kingdom . "
then he set out : and when he had gone on his way some time he came to a deep valley , overhung with rocks and woods ; and as he looked around , he saw standing above him on one of the rocks a little ugly dwarf , with a sugarloaf cap and a scarlet cloak ; and the dwarf called to him and said , " prince , whither so fast ? "
" what is that to thee , you ugly imp ? " said the prince haughtily , and rode on .
but the dwarf was enraged at his behaviour , and laid a fairy spell of ill-luck upon him ; so that as he rode on the mountain pass became narrower and narrower , and at last the way was so straitened that he could not go to step forward : and when he thought to have turned his horse round and go back the way he came , he heard a loud laugh ringing round him , and found that the path was closed behind him , so that he was shut in all round .
he next tried to get off his horse and make his way on foot , but again the laugh rang in his ears , and he found himself unable to move a step , and thus he was forced to abide spellbound .
meantime the old king was lingering on in daily hope of his son"s return , till at last the second son said , " father , i will go in search of the water of life . "
for he thought to himself , " my brother is surely dead , and the kingdom will fall to me if i find the water . "
the king was at first very unwilling to let him go , but at last yielded to his wish .
so he set out and followed the same road which his brother had done , and met with the same elf , who stopped him at the same spot in the mountains , saying , as before , " prince , prince , whither so fast ? "
" mind your own affairs , busybody ! " said the prince scornfully , and rode on .
but the dwarf put the same spell upon him as he put on his elder brother , and he , too , was at last obliged to take up his abode in the heart of the mountains .
thus it is with proud silly people , who think themselves above everyone else , and are too proud to ask or take advice .
when the second prince had thus been gone a long time , the youngest son said he would go and search for the water of life , and trusted he should soon be able to make his father well again .
so he set out , and the dwarf met him too at the same spot in the valley , among the mountains , and said , " prince , whither so fast ? "
and the prince said , " i am going in search of the water of life , because my father is ill , and like to die : can you help me ?
pray be kind , and aid me if you can ! "
" do you know where it is to be found ? " asked the dwarf .
" no , " said the prince , " i do not .
pray tell me if you know . "
" then as you have spoken to me kindly , and are wise enough to seek for advice , i will tell you how and where to go .
the water you seek springs from a well in an enchanted castle ; and , that you may be able to reach it in safety , i will give you an iron wand and two little loaves of bread ; strike the iron door of the castle three times with the wand , and it will open : two hungry lions will be lying down inside gaping for their prey , but if you throw them the bread they will let you pass ; then hasten on to the well , and take some of the water of life before the clock strikes twelve ; for if you tarry longer the door will shut upon you for ever . "
then the prince thanked his little friend with the scarlet cloak for his friendly aid , and took the wand and the bread , and went travelling on and on , over sea and over land , till he came to his journey"s end , and found everything to be as the dwarf had told him .
the door flew open at the third stroke of the wand , and when the lions were quieted he went on through the castle and came at length to a beautiful hall .
around it he saw several knights sitting in a trance ; then he pulled off their rings and put them on his own fingers .
in another room he saw on a table a sword and a loaf of bread , which he also took .
further on he came to a room where a beautiful young lady sat upon a couch ; and she welcomed him joyfully , and said , if he would set her free from the spell that bound her , the kingdom should be his , if he would come back in a year and marry her .
then she told him that the well that held the water of life was in the palace gardens ; and bade him make haste , and draw what he wanted before the clock struck twelve .
he walked on ; and as he walked through beautiful gardens he came to a delightful shady spot in which stood a couch ; and he thought to himself , as he felt tired , that he would rest himself for a while , and gaze on the lovely scenes around him .
so he laid himself down , and sleep fell upon him unawares , so that he did not wake up till the clock was striking a quarter to twelve .
then he sprang from the couch dreadfully frightened , ran to the well , filled a cup that was standing by him full of water , and hastened to get away in time .
just as he was going out of the iron door it struck twelve , and the door fell so quickly upon him that it snapped off a piece of his heel .
when he found himself safe , he was overjoyed to think that he had got the water of life ; and as he was going on his way homewards , he passed by the little dwarf , who , when he saw the sword and the loaf , said , " you have made a noble prize ; with the sword you can at a blow slay whole armies , and the bread will never fail you . "
then the prince thought to himself , " i cannot go home to my father without my brothers " ; so he said , " my dear friend , cannot you tell me where my two brothers are , who set out in search of the water of life before me , and never came back ? "
" i have shut them up by a charm between two mountains , " said the dwarf , " because they were proud and ill-behaved , and scorned to ask advice . "
the prince begged so hard for his brothers , that the dwarf at last set them free , though unwillingly , saying , " beware of them , for they have bad hearts . "
their brother , however , was greatly rejoiced to see them , and told them all that had happened to him ; how he had found the water of life , and had taken a cup full of it ; and how he had set a beautiful princess free from a spell that bound her ; and how she had engaged to wait a whole year , and then to marry him , and to give him the kingdom .
then they all three rode on together , and on their way home came to a country that was laid waste by war and a dreadful famine , so that it was feared all must die for want .
but the prince gave the king of the land the bread , and all his kingdom ate of it .
and he lent the king the wonderful sword , and he slew the enemy"s army with it ; and thus the kingdom was once more in peace and plenty .
in the same manner he befriended two other countries through which they passed on their way .
when they came to the sea , they got into a ship and during their voyage the two eldest said to themselves , " our brother has got the water which we could not find , therefore our father will forsake us and give him the kingdom , which is our right " ; so they were full of envy and revenge , and agreed together how they could ruin him .
then they waited till he was fast asleep , and poured the water of life out of the cup , and took it for themselves , giving him bitter sea-water instead .
when they came to their journey"s end , the youngest son brought his cup to the sick king , that he might drink and be healed .
scarcely , however , had he tasted the bitter sea-water when he became worse even than he was before ; and then both the elder sons came in , and blamed the youngest for what they had done ; and said that he wanted to poison their father , but that they had found the water of life , and had brought it with them .
he no sooner began to drink of what they brought him , than he felt his sickness leave him , and was as strong and well as in his younger days .
then they went to their brother , and laughed at him , and said , " well , brother , you found the water of life , did you ?
you have had the trouble and we shall have the reward .
pray , with all your cleverness , why did not you manage to keep your eyes open ?
next year one of us will take away your beautiful princess , if you do not take care .
you had better say nothing about this to our father , for he does not believe a word you say ; and if you tell tales , you shall lose your life into the bargain : but be quiet , and we will let you off . "
the old king was still very angry with his youngest son , and thought that he really meant to have taken away his life ; so he called his court together , and asked what should be done , and all agreed that he ought to be put to death .
the prince knew nothing of what was going on , till one day , when the king"s chief huntsmen went a-hunting with him , and they were alone in the wood together , the huntsman looked so sorrowful that the prince said , " my friend , what is the matter with you ? "
" i cannot and dare not tell you , " said he .
but the prince begged very hard , and said , " only tell me what it is , and do not think i shall be angry , for i will forgive you . "
" alas ! " said the huntsman ; " the king has ordered me to shoot you . "
the prince started at this , and said , " let me live , and i will change dresses with you ; you shall take my royal coat to show to my father , and do you give me your shabby one . "
" with all my heart , " said the huntsman ; " i am sure i shall be glad to save you , for i could not have shot you . "
then he took the prince"s coat , and gave him the shabby one , and went away through the wood .
some time after , three grand embassies came to the old king"s court , with rich gifts of gold and precious stones for his youngest son ; now all these were sent from the three kings to whom he had lent his sword and loaf of bread , in order to rid them of their enemy and feed their people .
this touched the old king"s heart , and he thought his son might still be guiltless , and said to his court , " o that my son were still alive ! how it grieves me that i had him killed ! "
" he is still alive , " said the huntsman ; " and i am glad that i had pity on him , but let him go in peace , and brought home his royal coat . "
at this the king was overwhelmed with joy , and made it known throughout all his kingdom , that if his son would come back to his court he would forgive him .
meanwhile the princess was eagerly waiting till her deliverer should come back ; and had a road made leading up to her palace all of shining gold ; and told her courtiers that whoever came on horseback , and rode straight up to the gate upon it , was her true lover ; and that they must let him in : but whoever rode on one side of it , they must be sure was not the right one ; and that they must send him away at once .
the time soon came , when the eldest brother thought that he would make haste to go to the princess , and say that he was the one who had set her free , and that he should have her for his wife , and the kingdom with her .
as he came before the palace and saw the golden road , he stopped to look at it , and he thought to himself , " it is a pity to ride upon this beautiful road " ; so he turned aside and rode on the right-hand side of it .
but when he came to the gate , the guards , who had seen the road he took , said to him , he could not be what he said he was , and must go about his business .
the second prince set out soon afterwards on the same errand ; and when he came to the golden road , and his horse had set one foot upon it , he stopped to look at it , and thought it very beautiful , and said to himself , " what a pity it is that anything should tread here ! "
then he too turned aside and rode on the left side of it .
but when he came to the gate the guards said he was not the true prince , and that he too must go away about his business ; and away he went .
now when the full year was come round , the third brother left the forest in which he had lain hid for fear of his father"s anger , and set out in search of his betrothed bride .
so he journeyed on , thinking of her all the way , and rode so quickly that he did not even see what the road was made of , but went with his horse straight over it ; and as he came to the gate it flew open , and the princess welcomed him with joy , and said he was her deliverer , and should now be her husband and lord of the kingdom .
when the first joy at their meeting was over , the princess told him she had heard of his father having forgiven him , and of his wish to have him home again : so , before his wedding with the princess , he went to visit his father , taking her with him .
then he told him everything ; how his brothers had cheated and robbed him , and yet that he had borne all those wrongs for the love of his father .
and the old king was very angry , and wanted to punish his wicked sons ; but they made their escape , and got into a ship and sailed away over the wide sea , and where they went to nobody knew and nobody cared .
and now the old king gathered together his court , and asked all his kingdom to come and celebrate the wedding of his son and the princess .
and young and old , noble and squire , gentle and simple , came at once on the summons ; and among the rest came the friendly dwarf , with the sugarloaf hat , and a new scarlet cloak .
and the wedding was held , and the merry bells run .
and all the good people they danced and they sung , and feasted and frolick"d i can"t tell how long .
there was once a king"s son who had a bride whom he loved very much .
and when he was sitting beside her and very happy , news came that his father lay sick unto death , and desired to see him once again before his end .
then he said to his beloved : " i must now go and leave you , i give you a ring as a remembrance of me .
when i am king , i will return and fetch you . "
so he rode away , and when he reached his father , the latter was dangerously ill , and near his death .
he said to him : " dear son , i wished to see you once again before my end , promise me to marry as i wish , " and he named a certain king"s daughter who was to be his wife .
the son was in such trouble that he did not think what he was doing , and said : " yes , dear father , your will shall be done , " and thereupon the king shut his eyes , and died .
when therefore the son had been proclaimed king , and the time of mourning was over , he was forced to keep the promise which he had given his father , and caused the king"s daughter to be asked in marriage , and she was promised to him .
his first betrothed heard of this , and fretted so much about his faithfulness that she nearly died .
then her father said to her : " dearest child , why are you so sad ?
you shall have whatsoever you will . "
she thought for a moment and said : " dear father , i wish for eleven girls exactly like myself in face , figure , and size . "
the father said : " if it be possible , your desire shall be fulfilled , " and he caused a search to be made in his whole kingdom , until eleven young maidens were found who exactly resembled his daughter in face , figure , and size .
when they came to the king"s daughter , she had twelve suits of huntsmen"s clothes made , all alike , and the eleven maidens had to put on the huntsmen"s clothes , and she herself put on the twelfth suit .
thereupon she took her leave of her father , and rode away with them , and rode to the court of her former betrothed , whom she loved so dearly .
then she asked if he required any huntsmen , and if he would take all of them into his service .
the king looked at her and did not know her , but as they were such handsome fellows , he said : " yes , " and that he would willingly take them , and now they were the king"s twelve huntsmen .
the king , however , had a lion which was a wondrous animal , for he knew all concealed and secret things .
it came to pass that one evening he said to the king : " you think you have twelve huntsmen ? "
" yes , " said the king , " they are twelve huntsmen . "
the lion continued : " you are mistaken , they are twelve girls . "
the king said : " that cannot be true !
how will you prove that to me ? "
" oh , just let some peas be strewn in the ante-chamber , " answered the lion , " and then you will soon see .
men have a firm step , and when they walk over peas none of them stir , but girls trip and skip , and drag their feet , and the peas roll about . "
the king was well pleased with the counsel , and caused the peas to be strewn .
there was , however , a servant of the king"s who favoured the huntsmen , and when he heard that they were going to be put to this test he went to them and repeated everything , and said : " the lion wants to make the king believe that you are girls . "
then the king"s daughter thanked him , and said to her maidens : " show some strength , and step firmly on the peas . "
so next morning when the king had the twelve huntsmen called before him , and they came into the ante-chamber where the peas were lying , they stepped so firmly on them , and had such a strong , sure walk , that not one of the peas either rolled or stirred .
then they went away again , and the king said to the lion : " you have lied to me , they walk just like men . "
the lion said : " they have been informed that they were going to be put to the test , and have assumed some strength .
just let twelve spinning-wheels be brought into the ante-chamber , and they will go to them and be pleased with them , and that is what no man would do . "
the king liked the advice , and had the spinning-wheels placed in the ante-chamber .
but the servant , who was well disposed to the huntsmen , went to them , and disclosed the project .
so when they were alone the king"s daughter said to her eleven girls : " show some constraint , and do not look round at the spinning-wheels . "
and next morning when the king had his twelve huntsmen summoned , they went through the ante-chamber , and never once looked at the spinning-wheels .
then the king again said to the lion : " you have deceived me , they are men , for they have not looked at the spinning-wheels . "
the lion replied : " they have restrained themselves . "
the king , however , would no longer believe the lion .
the twelve huntsmen always followed the king to the chase , and his liking for them continually increased .
now it came to pass that once when they were out hunting , news came that the king"s bride was approaching .
when the true bride heard that , it hurt her so much that her heart was almost broken , and she fell fainting to the ground .
the king thought something had happened to his dear huntsman , ran up to him , wanted to help him , and drew his glove off .
then he saw the ring which he had given to his first bride , and when he looked in her face he recognized her .
then his heart was so touched that he kissed her , and when she opened her eyes he said : " you are mine , and i am yours , and no one in the world can alter that . "
he sent a messenger to the other bride , and entreated her to return to her own kingdom , for he had a wife already , and someone who had just found an old key did not require a new one .
thereupon the wedding was celebrated , and the lion was again taken into favour , because , after all , he had told the truth .
there was once a merchant who had only one child , a son , that was very young , and barely able to run alone .
he had two richly laden ships then making a voyage upon the seas , in which he had embarked all his wealth , in the hope of making great gains , when the news came that both were lost .
thus from being a rich man he became all at once so very poor that nothing was left to him but one small plot of land ; and there he often went in an evening to take his walk , and ease his mind of a little of his trouble .
one day , as he was roaming along in a brown study , thinking with no great comfort on what he had been and what he now was , and was like to be , all on a sudden there stood before him a little , rough-looking , black dwarf .
" prithee , friend , why so sorrowful ? " said he to the merchant ; " what is it you take so deeply to heart ? "
" if you would do me any good i would willingly tell you , " said the merchant .
" who knows but i may ? " said the little man : " tell me what ails you , and perhaps you will find i may be of some use . "
then the merchant told him how all his wealth was gone to the bottom of the sea , and how he had nothing left but that little plot of land .
" oh , trouble not yourself about that , " said the dwarf ; " only undertake to bring me here , twelve years hence , whatever meets you first on your going home , and i will give you as much as you please . "
the merchant thought this was no great thing to ask ; that it would most likely be his dog or his cat , or something of that sort , but forgot his little boy heinel ; so he agreed to the bargain , and signed and sealed the bond to do what was asked of him .
but as he drew near home , his little boy was so glad to see him that he crept behind him , and laid fast hold of his legs , and looked up in his face and laughed .
then the father started , trembling with fear and horror , and saw what it was that he had bound himself to do ; but as no gold was come , he made himself easy by thinking that it was only a joke that the dwarf was playing him , and that , at any rate , when the money came , he should see the bearer , and would not take it in .
about a month afterwards he went upstairs into a lumber-room to look for some old iron , that he might sell it and raise a little money ; and there , instead of his iron , he saw a large pile of gold lying on the floor .
at the sight of this he was overjoyed , and forgetting all about his son , went into trade again , and became a richer merchant than before .
meantime little heinel grew up , and as the end of the twelve years drew near the merchant began to call to mind his bond , and became very sad and thoughtful ; so that care and sorrow were written upon his face .
the boy one day asked what was the matter , but his father would not tell for some time ; at last , however , he said that he had , without knowing it , sold him for gold to a little , ugly-looking , black dwarf , and that the twelve years were coming round when he must keep his word .
then heinel said , " father , give yourself very little trouble about that ; i shall be too much for the little man . "
when the time came , the father and son went out together to the place agreed upon : and the son drew a circle on the ground , and set himself and his father in the middle of it .
the little black dwarf soon came , and walked round and round about the circle , but could not find any way to get into it , and he either could not , or dared not , jump over it .
at last the boy said to him .
" have you anything to say to us , my friend , or what do you want ? "
now heinel had found a friend in a good fairy , that was fond of him , and had told him what to do ; for this fairy knew what good luck was in store for him .
" have you brought me what you said you would ? " said the dwarf to the merchant .
the old man held his tongue , but heinel said again , " what do you want here ? "
the dwarf said , " i come to talk with your father , not with you . "
" you have cheated and taken in my father , " said the son ; " pray give him up his bond at once . "
" fair and softly , " said the little old man ; " right is right ; i have paid my money , and your father has had it , and spent it ; so be so good as to let me have what i paid it for . "
" you must have my consent to that first , " said heinel , " so please to step in here , and let us talk it over . "
the old man grinned , and showed his teeth , as if he should have been very glad to get into the circle if he could .
then at last , after a long talk , they came to terms .
heinel agreed that his father must give him up , and that so far the dwarf should have his way : but , on the other hand , the fairy had told heinel what fortune was in store for him , if he followed his own course ; and he did not choose to be given up to his hump-backed friend , who seemed so anxious for his company .
so , to make a sort of drawn battle of the matter , it was settled that heinel should be put into an open boat , that lay on the sea-shore hard by ; that the father should push him off with his own hand , and that he should thus be set adrift , and left to the bad or good luck of wind and weather .
then he took leave of his father , and set himself in the boat , but before it got far off a wave struck it , and it fell with one side low in the water , so the merchant thought that poor heinel was lost , and went home very sorrowful , while the dwarf went his way , thinking that at any rate he had had his revenge .
the boat , however , did not sink , for the good fairy took care of her friend , and soon raised the boat up again , and it went safely on .
the young man sat safe within , till at length it ran ashore upon an unknown land .
as he jumped upon the shore he saw before him a beautiful castle but empty and dreary within , for it was enchanted .
" here , " said he to himself , " must i find the prize the good fairy told me of . "
so he once more searched the whole palace through , till at last he found a white snake , lying coiled up on a cushion in one of the chambers .
now the white snake was an enchanted princess ; and she was very glad to see him , and said , " are you at last come to set me free ?
twelve long years have i waited here for the fairy to bring you hither as she promised , for you alone can save me .
this night twelve men will come : their faces will be black , and they will be dressed in chain armour .
they will ask what you do here , but give no answer ; and let them do what they will--beat , whip , pinch , prick , or torment you--bear all ; only speak not a word , and at twelve o"clock they must go away .
the second night twelve others will come : and the third night twenty-four , who will even cut off your head ; but at the twelfth hour of that night their power is gone , and i shall be free , and will come and bring you the water of life , and will wash you with it , and bring you back to life and health . "
and all came to pass as she had said ; heinel bore all , and spoke not a word ; and the third night the princess came , and fell on his neck and kissed him .
joy and gladness burst forth throughout the castle , the wedding was celebrated , and he was crowned king of the golden mountain .
they lived together very happily , and the queen had a son .
and thus eight years had passed over their heads , when the king thought of his father ; and he began to long to see him once again .
but the queen was against his going , and said , " i know well that misfortunes will come upon us if you go . "
however , he gave her no rest till she agreed .
at his going away she gave him a wishing-ring , and said , " take this ring , and put it on your finger ; whatever you wish it will bring you ; only promise never to make use of it to bring me hence to your father"s house . "
then he said he would do what she asked , and put the ring on his finger , and wished himself near the town where his father lived .
heinel found himself at the gates in a moment ; but the guards would not let him go in , because he was so strangely clad .
so he went up to a neighbouring hill , where a shepherd dwelt , and borrowed his old frock , and thus passed unknown into the town .
when he came to his father"s house , he said he was his son ; but the merchant would not believe him , and said he had had but one son , his poor heinel , who he knew was long since dead : and as he was only dressed like a poor shepherd , he would not even give him anything to eat .
the king , however , still vowed that he was his son , and said , " is there no mark by which you would know me if i am really your son ? "
" yes , " said his mother , " our heinel had a mark like a raspberry on his right arm . "
then he showed them the mark , and they knew that what he had said was true .
he next told them how he was king of the golden mountain , and was married to a princess , and had a son seven years old .
but the merchant said , " that can never be true ; he must be a fine king truly who travels about in a shepherd"s frock ! "
at this the son was vexed ; and forgetting his word , turned his ring , and wished for his queen and son .
in an instant they stood before him ; but the queen wept , and said he had broken his word , and bad luck would follow .
he did all he could to soothe her , and she at last seemed to be appeased ; but she was not so in truth , and was only thinking how she should punish him .
one day he took her to walk with him out of the town , and showed her the spot where the boat was set adrift upon the wide waters .
then he sat himself down , and said , " i am very much tired ; sit by me , i will rest my head in your lap , and sleep a while . "
as soon as he had fallen asleep , however , she drew the ring from his finger , and crept softly away , and wished herself and her son at home in their kingdom .
and when he awoke he found himself alone , and saw that the ring was gone from his finger .
" i can never go back to my father"s house , " said he ; " they would say i am a sorcerer : i will journey forth into the world , till i come again to my kingdom . "
so saying he set out and travelled till he came to a hill , where three giants were sharing their father"s goods ; and as they saw him pass they cried out and said , " little men have sharp wits ; he shall part the goods between us . "
now there was a sword that cut off an enemy"s head whenever the wearer gave the words , " heads off ! " ; a cloak that made the owner invisible , or gave him any form he pleased ; and a pair of boots that carried the wearer wherever he wished .
heinel said they must first let him try these wonderful things , then he might know how to set a value upon them .
then they gave him the cloak , and he wished himself a fly , and in a moment he was a fly .
" the cloak is very well , " said he : " now give me the sword . "
" no , " said they ; " not unless you undertake not to say , " heads off ! " for if you do we are all dead men . "
so they gave it him , charging him to try it on a tree .
he next asked for the boots also ; and the moment he had all three in his power , he wished himself at the golden mountain ; and there he was at once .
so the giants were left behind with no goods to share or quarrel about .
as heinel came near his castle he heard the sound of merry music ; and the people around told him that his queen was about to marry another husband .
then he threw his cloak around him , and passed through the castle hall , and placed himself by the side of the queen , where no one saw him .
but when anything to eat was put upon her plate , he took it away and ate it himself ; and when a glass of wine was handed to her , he took it and drank it ; and thus , though they kept on giving her meat and drink , her plate and cup were always empty .
upon this , fear and remorse came over her , and she went into her chamber alone , and sat there weeping ; and he followed her there .
" alas ! " said she to herself , " was i not once set free ?
why then does this enchantment still seem to bind me ? "
" false and fickle one ! " said he .
" one indeed came who set thee free , and he is now near thee again ; but how have you used him ?
ought he to have had such treatment from thee ? "
then he went out and sent away the company , and said the wedding was at an end , for that he was come back to the kingdom .
but the princes , peers , and great men mocked at him .
however , he would enter into no parley with them , but only asked them if they would go in peace or not .
then they turned upon him and tried to seize him ; but he drew his sword .
" heads off ! " cried he ; and with the word the traitors " heads fell before him , and heinel was once more king of the golden mountain .
there was once upon a time a poor peasant called crabb , who drove with two oxen a load of wood to the town , and sold it to a doctor for two talers .
when the money was being counted out to him , it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table , and when the peasant saw how well he ate and drank , his heart desired what he saw , and would willingly have been a doctor too .
so he remained standing a while , and at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor .
" oh , yes , " said the doctor , " that is soon managed . "
" what must i do ? " asked the peasant .
" in the first place buy yourself an a b c book of the kind which has a cock on the frontispiece ; in the second , turn your cart and your two oxen into money , and get yourself some clothes , and whatsoever else pertains to medicine ; thirdly , have a sign painted for yourself with the words : " i am doctor knowall , " and have that nailed up above your house-door . "
the peasant did everything that he had been told to do .
when he had doctored people awhile , but not long , a rich and great lord had some money stolen .
then he was told about doctor knowall who lived in such and such a village , and must know what had become of the money .
so the lord had the horses harnessed to his carriage , drove out to the village , and asked crabb if he were doctor knowall .
yes , he was , he said .
then he was to go with him and bring back the stolen money .
" oh , yes , but grete , my wife , must go too . "
the lord was willing , and let both of them have a seat in the carriage , and they all drove away together .
when they came to the nobleman"s castle , the table was spread , and crabb was told to sit down and eat .
" yes , but my wife , grete , too , " said he , and he seated himself with her at the table .
and when the first servant came with a dish of delicate fare , the peasant nudged his wife , and said : " grete , that was the first , " meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish .
the servant , however , thought he intended by that to say : " that is the first thief , " and as he actually was so , he was terrified , and said to his comrade outside : " the doctor knows all : we shall fare ill , he said i was the first . "
the second did not want to go in at all , but was forced .
so when he went in with his dish , the peasant nudged his wife , and said : " grete , that is the second . "
this servant was equally alarmed , and he got out as fast as he could .
the third fared no better , for the peasant again said : " grete , that is the third . "
the fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered , and the lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill , and guess what was beneath the cover .
actually , there were crabs .
the doctor looked at the dish , had no idea what to say , and cried : " ah , poor crabb . "
when the lord heard that , he cried : " there ! he knows it ; he must also know who has the money ! "
on this the servants looked terribly uneasy , and made a sign to the doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment .
when therefore he went out , all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the money , and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a heavy sum into the bargain , if he would not denounce them , for if he did they would be hanged .
they led him to the spot where the money was concealed .
with this the doctor was satisfied , and returned to the hall , sat down to the table , and said : " my lord , now will i search in my book where the gold is hidden . "
the fifth servant , however , crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more .
but the doctor sat still and opened his a b c book , turned the pages backwards and forwards , and looked for the cock .
as he could not find it immediately he said : " i know you are there , so you had better come out ! "
then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him , and full of terror , sprang out , crying : " that man knows everything ! "
then doctor knowall showed the lord where the money was , but did not say who had stolen it , and received from both sides much money in reward , and became a renowned man .
there was once a man who had seven sons , and last of all one daughter .
although the little girl was very pretty , she was so weak and small that they thought she could not live ; but they said she should at once be christened .
so the father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to get some water , but the other six ran with him .
each wanted to be first at drawing the water , and so they were in such a hurry that all let their pitchers fall into the well , and they stood very foolishly looking at one another , and did not know what to do , for none dared go home .
in the meantime the father was uneasy , and could not tell what made the young men stay so long .
" surely , " said he , " the whole seven must have forgotten themselves over some game of play " ; and when he had waited still longer and they yet did not come , he flew into a rage and wished them all turned into ravens .
scarcely had he spoken these words when he heard a croaking over his head , and looked up and saw seven ravens as black as coal flying round and round .
sorry as he was to see his wish so fulfilled , he did not know how what was done could be undone , and comforted himself as well as he could for the loss of his seven sons with his dear little daughter , who soon became stronger and every day more beautiful .
for a long time she did not know that she had ever had any brothers ; for her father and mother took care not to speak of them before her : but one day by chance she heard the people about her speak of them .
" yes , " said they , " she is beautiful indeed , but still " tis a pity that her brothers should have been lost for her sake . "
then she was much grieved , and went to her father and mother , and asked if she had any brothers , and what had become of them .
so they dared no longer hide the truth from her , but said it was the will of heaven , and that her birth was only the innocent cause of it ; but the little girl mourned sadly about it every day , and thought herself bound to do all she could to bring her brothers back ; and she had neither rest nor ease , till at length one day she stole away , and set out into the wide world to find her brothers , wherever they might be , and free them , whatever it might cost her .
she took nothing with her but a little ring which her father and mother had given her , a loaf of bread in case she should be hungry , a little pitcher of water in case she should be thirsty , and a little stool to rest upon when she should be weary .
thus she went on and on , and journeyed till she came to the world"s end ; then she came to the sun , but the sun looked much too hot and fiery ; so she ran away quickly to the moon , but the moon was cold and chilly , and said , " i smell flesh and blood this way ! " so she took herself away in a hurry and came to the stars , and the stars were friendly and kind to her , and each star sat upon his own little stool ; but the morning star rose up and gave her a little piece of wood , and said , " if you have not this little piece of wood , you cannot unlock the castle that stands on the glass-mountain , and there your brothers live . "
the little girl took the piece of wood , rolled it up in a little cloth , and went on again until she came to the glass-mountain , and found the door shut .
then she felt for the little piece of wood ; but when she unwrapped the cloth it was not there , and she saw she had lost the gift of the good stars .
what was to be done ?
she wanted to save her brothers , and had no key of the castle of the glass-mountain ; so this faithful little sister took a knife out of her pocket and cut off her little finger , that was just the size of the piece of wood she had lost , and put it in the door and opened it .
as she went in , a little dwarf came up to her , and said , " what are you seeking for ? "
" i seek for my brothers , the seven ravens , " answered she .
then the dwarf said , " my masters are not at home ; but if you will wait till they come , pray step in . "
now the little dwarf was getting their dinner ready , and he brought their food upon seven little plates , and their drink in seven little glasses , and set them upon the table , and out of each little plate their sister ate a small piece , and out of each little glass she drank a small drop ; but she let the ring that she had brought with her fall into the last glass .
on a sudden she heard a fluttering and croaking in the air , and the dwarf said , " here come my masters . "
when they came in , they wanted to eat and drink , and looked for their little plates and glasses .
then said one after the other , " who has eaten from my little plate ?
and who has been drinking out of my little glass ? "
" caw !
caw ! well i ween mortal lips have this way been . "
when the seventh came to the bottom of his glass , and found there the ring , he looked at it , and knew that it was his father"s and mother"s , and said , " o that our little sister would but come ! then we should be free . "
when the little girl heard this ( for she stood behind the door all the time and listened ) , she ran forward , and in an instant all the ravens took their right form again ; and all hugged and kissed each other , and went merrily home .
there was once upon a time an old fox with nine tails , who believed that his wife was not faithful to him , and wished to put her to the test .
he stretched himself out under the bench , did not move a limb , and behaved as if he were stone dead .
mrs fox went up to her room , shut herself in , and her maid , miss cat , sat by the fire , and did the cooking .
when it became known that the old fox was dead , suitors presented themselves .
the maid heard someone standing at the house-door , knocking .
she went and opened it , and it was a young fox , who said : " what may you be about , miss cat ?
do you sleep or do you wake ? "
she answered : " i am not sleeping , i am waking , would you know what i am making ?
i am boiling warm beer with butter , will you be my guest for supper ? "
" no , thank you , miss , " said the fox , " what is mrs fox doing ? "
the maid replied : " she is sitting in her room , moaning in her gloom , weeping her little eyes quite red , because old mr fox is dead . "
" do just tell her , miss , that a young fox is here , who would like to woo her . "
" certainly , young sir . "
the cat goes up the stairs trip , trap , the door she knocks at tap , tap , tap , " mistress fox , are you inside ? "
" oh , yes , my little cat , " she cried .
" a wooer he stands at the door out there . "
" what does he look like , my dear ? "
" has he nine as beautiful tails as the late mr fox ? "
" oh , no , " answered the cat , " he has only one . "
" then i will not have him . "
miss cat went downstairs and sent the wooer away .
soon afterwards there was another knock , and another fox was at the door who wished to woo mrs fox .
he had two tails , but he did not fare better than the first .
after this still more came , each with one tail more than the other , but they were all turned away , until at last one came who had nine tails , like old mr fox .
when the widow heard that , she said joyfully to the cat : " now open the gates and doors all wide , and carry old mr fox outside . "
but just as the wedding was going to be solemnized , old mr fox stirred under the bench , and cudgelled all the rabble , and drove them and mrs fox out of the house .
when old mr fox was dead , the wolf came as a suitor , and knocked at the door , and the cat who was servant to mrs fox , opened it for him .
the wolf greeted her , and said : " good day , mrs cat of kehrewit , how comes it that alone you sit ?
what are you making good ? "
the cat replied : " in milk i"m breaking bread so sweet , will you be my guest , and eat ? "
" no , thank you , mrs cat , " answered the wolf .
" is mrs fox not at home ? "
the cat said : " she sits upstairs in her room , bewailing her sorrowful doom , bewailing her trouble so sore , for old mr fox is no more . "
the wolf answered : " if she"s in want of a husband now , then will it please her to step below ? "
the cat runs quickly up the stair , and lets her tail fly here and there , until she comes to the parlour door .
with her five gold rings at the door she knocks : " are you within , good mistress fox ?
if you"re in want of a husband now , then will it please you to step below ?
mrs fox asked : " has the gentleman red stockings on , and has he a pointed mouth ? "
" no , " answered the cat .
" then he won"t do for me . "
when the wolf was gone , came a dog , a stag , a hare , a bear , a lion , and all the beasts of the forest , one after the other .
but one of the good qualities which old mr fox had possessed , was always lacking , and the cat had continually to send the suitors away .
at length came a young fox .
then mrs fox said : " has the gentleman red stockings on , and has a little pointed mouth ? "
" yes , " said the cat , " he has . "
" then let him come upstairs , " said mrs fox , and ordered the servant to prepare the wedding feast .
" sweep me the room as clean as you can , up with the window , fling out my old man !
for many a fine fat mouse he brought , yet of his wife he never thought , but ate up every one he caught . "
then the wedding was solemnized with young mr fox , and there was much rejoicing and dancing ; and if they have not left off , they are dancing still .
as a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a wood , there came up a little old woman , and said to him , " good day , good day ; you seem merry enough , but i am hungry and thirsty ; do pray give me something to eat . "
the huntsman took pity on her , and put his hand in his pocket and gave her what he had .
then he wanted to go his way ; but she took hold of him , and said , " listen , my friend , to what i am going to tell you ; i will reward you for your kindness ; go your way , and after a little time you will come to a tree where you will see nine birds sitting on a cloak .
shoot into the midst of them , and one will fall down dead : the cloak will fall too ; take it , it is a wishing-cloak , and when you wear it you will find yourself at any place where you may wish to be .
cut open the dead bird , take out its heart and keep it , and you will find a piece of gold under your pillow every morning when you rise .
it is the bird"s heart that will bring you this good luck . "
the huntsman thanked her , and thought to himself , " if all this does happen , it will be a fine thing for me . "
when he had gone a hundred steps or so , he heard a screaming and chirping in the branches over him , and looked up and saw a flock of birds pulling a cloak with their bills and feet ; screaming , fighting , and tugging at each other as if each wished to have it himself .
" well , " said the huntsman , " this is wonderful ; this happens just as the old woman said " ; then he shot into the midst of them so that their feathers flew all about .
off went the flock chattering away ; but one fell down dead , and the cloak with it .
then the huntsman did as the old woman told him , cut open the bird , took out the heart , and carried the cloak home with him .
the next morning when he awoke he lifted up his pillow , and there lay the piece of gold glittering underneath ; the same happened next day , and indeed every day when he arose .
he heaped up a great deal of gold , and at last thought to himself , " of what use is this gold to me whilst i am at home ?
i will go out into the world and look about me . "
then he took leave of his friends , and hung his bag and bow about his neck , and went his way .
it so happened that his road one day led through a thick wood , at the end of which was a large castle in a green meadow , and at one of the windows stood an old woman with a very beautiful young lady by her side looking about them .
now the old woman was a witch , and said to the young lady , " there is a young man coming out of the wood who carries a wonderful prize ; we must get it away from him , my dear child , for it is more fit for us than for him .
he has a bird"s heart that brings a piece of gold under his pillow every morning . "
meantime the huntsman came nearer and looked at the lady , and said to himself , " i have been travelling so long that i should like to go into this castle and rest myself , for i have money enough to pay for anything i want " ; but the real reason was , that he wanted to see more of the beautiful lady .
then he went into the house , and was welcomed kindly ; and it was not long before he was so much in love that he thought of nothing else but looking at the lady"s eyes , and doing everything that she wished .
then the old woman said , " now is the time for getting the bird"s heart . "
so the lady stole it away , and he never found any more gold under his pillow , for it lay now under the young lady"s , and the old woman took it away every morning ; but he was so much in love that he never missed his prize .
" well , " said the old witch , " we have got the bird"s heart , but not the wishing-cloak yet , and that we must also get . "
" let us leave him that , " said the young lady ; " he has already lost his wealth . "
then the witch was very angry , and said , " such a cloak is a very rare and wonderful thing , and i must and will have it . "
so she did as the old woman told her , and set herself at the window , and looked about the country and seemed very sorrowful ; then the huntsman said , " what makes you so sad ? "
" alas ! dear sir , " said she , " yonder lies the granite rock where all the costly diamonds grow , and i want so much to go there , that whenever i think of it i cannot help being sorrowful , for who can reach it ? only the birds and the flies--man cannot . "
" if that"s all your grief , " said the huntsman , " i"ll take you there with all my heart " ; so he drew her under his cloak , and the moment he wished to be on the granite mountain they were both there .
the diamonds glittered so on all sides that they were delighted with the sight and picked up the finest .
but the old witch made a deep sleep come upon him , and he said to the young lady , " let us sit down and rest ourselves a little , i am so tired that i cannot stand any longer . "
so they sat down , and he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep ; and whilst he was sleeping on she took the cloak from his shoulders , hung it on her own , picked up the diamonds , and wished herself home again .
when he awoke and found that his lady had tricked him , and left him alone on the wild rock , he said , " alas ! what roguery there is in the world ! " and there he sat in great grief and fear , not knowing what to do .
now this rock belonged to fierce giants who lived upon it ; and as he saw three of them striding about , he thought to himself , " i can only save myself by feigning to be asleep " ; so he laid himself down as if he were in a sound sleep .
when the giants came up to him , the first pushed him with his foot , and said , " what worm is this that lies here curled up ? "
" tread upon him and kill him , " said the second .
" it"s not worth the trouble , " said the third ; " let him live , he"ll go climbing higher up the mountain , and some cloud will come rolling and carry him away . "
and they passed on .
but the huntsman had heard all they said ; and as soon as they were gone , he climbed to the top of the mountain , and when he had sat there a short time a cloud came rolling around him , and caught him in a whirlwind and bore him along for some time , till it settled in a garden , and he fell quite gently to the ground amongst the greens and cabbages .
then he looked around him , and said , " i wish i had something to eat , if not i shall be worse off than before ; for here i see neither apples nor pears , nor any kind of fruits , nothing but vegetables . "
at last he thought to himself , " i can eat salad , it will refresh and strengthen me . "
so he picked out a fine head and ate of it ; but scarcely had he swallowed two bites when he felt himself quite changed , and saw with horror that he was turned into an ass .
however , he still felt very hungry , and the salad tasted very nice ; so he ate on till he came to another kind of salad , and scarcely had he tasted it when he felt another change come over him , and soon saw that he was lucky enough to have found his old shape again .
then he laid himself down and slept off a little of his weariness ; and when he awoke the next morning he broke off a head both of the good and the bad salad , and thought to himself , " this will help me to my fortune again , and enable me to pay off some folks for their treachery . "
so he went away to try and find the castle of his friends ; and after wandering about a few days he luckily found it .
then he stained his face all over brown , so that even his mother would not have known him , and went into the castle and asked for a lodging ; " i am so tired , " said he , " that i can go no farther . "
" countryman , " said the witch , " who are you ? and what is your business ? "
" i am , " said he , " a messenger sent by the king to find the finest salad that grows under the sun .
i have been lucky enough to find it , and have brought it with me ; but the heat of the sun scorches so that it begins to wither , and i don"t know that i can carry it farther . "
when the witch and the young lady heard of his beautiful salad , they longed to taste it , and said , " dear countryman , let us just taste it . "
" to be sure , " answered he ; " i have two heads of it with me , and will give you one " ; so he opened his bag and gave them the bad .
then the witch herself took it into the kitchen to be dressed ; and when it was ready she could not wait till it was carried up , but took a few leaves immediately and put them in her mouth , and scarcely were they swallowed when she lost her own form and ran braying down into the court in the form of an ass .
now the servant-maid came into the kitchen , and seeing the salad ready , was going to carry it up ; but on the way she too felt a wish to taste it as the old woman had done , and ate some leaves ; so she also was turned into an ass and ran after the other , letting the dish with the salad fall on the ground .
the messenger sat all this time with the beautiful young lady , and as nobody came with the salad and she longed to taste it , she said , " i don"t know where the salad can be . "
then he thought something must have happened , and said , " i will go into the kitchen and see . "
and as he went he saw two asses in the court running about , and the salad lying on the ground .
" all right ! " said he ; " those two have had their share . "
then he took up the rest of the leaves , laid them on the dish and brought them to the young lady , saying , " i bring you the dish myself that you may not wait any longer . "
so she ate of it , and like the others ran off into the court braying away .
then the huntsman washed his face and went into the court that they might know him .
" now you shall be paid for your roguery , " said he ; and tied them all three to a rope and took them along with him till he came to a mill and knocked at the window .
" what"s the matter ? " said the miller .
" i have three tiresome beasts here , " said the other ; " if you will take them , give them food and room , and treat them as i tell you , i will pay you whatever you ask . "
" with all my heart , " said the miller ; " but how shall i treat them ? "
then the huntsman said , " give the old one stripes three times a day and hay once ; give the next ( who was the servant-maid ) stripes once a day and hay three times ; and give the youngest ( who was the beautiful lady ) hay three times a day and no stripes " : for he could not find it in his heart to have her beaten .
after this he went back to the castle , where he found everything he wanted .
some days after , the miller came to him and told him that the old ass was dead ; " the other two , " said he , " are alive and eat , but are so sorrowful that they cannot last long . "
then the huntsman pitied them , and told the miller to drive them back to him , and when they came , he gave them some of the good salad to eat .
and the beautiful young lady fell upon her knees before him , and said , " o dearest huntsman ! forgive me all the ill i have done you ; my mother forced me to it , it was against my will , for i always loved you very much .
your wishing-cloak hangs up in the closet , and as for the bird"s heart , i will give it you too . "
but he said , " keep it , it will be just the same thing , for i mean to make you my wife . "
so they were married , and lived together very happily till they died .
a certain father had two sons , the elder of who was smart and sensible , and could do everything , but the younger was stupid and could neither learn nor understand anything , and when people saw him they said : " there"s a fellow who will give his father some trouble ! "
when anything had to be done , it was always the elder who was forced to do it ; but if his father bade him fetch anything when it was late , or in the night-time , and the way led through the churchyard , or any other dismal place , he answered : " oh , no father , i"ll not go there , it makes me shudder ! " for he was afraid .
or when stories were told by the fire at night which made the flesh creep , the listeners sometimes said : " oh , it makes us shudder ! "
the younger sat in a corner and listened with the rest of them , and could not imagine what they could mean .
" they are always saying : " it makes me shudder , it makes me shudder ! " it does not make me shudder , " thought he .
" that , too , must be an art of which i understand nothing ! "
now it came to pass that his father said to him one day : " hearken to me , you fellow in the corner there , you are growing tall and strong , and you too must learn something by which you can earn your bread .
look how your brother works , but you do not even earn your salt . "
" well , father , " he replied , " i am quite willing to learn something--indeed , if it could but be managed , i should like to learn how to shudder .
i don"t understand that at all yet . "
the elder brother smiled when he heard that , and thought to himself : " goodness , what a blockhead that brother of mine is !
he will never be good for anything as long as he lives !
he who wants to be a sickle must bend himself betimes . "
the father sighed , and answered him : " you shall soon learn what it is to shudder , but you will not earn your bread by that . "
soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit , and the father bewailed his trouble , and told him how his younger son was so backward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt nothing .
" just think , " said he , " when i asked him how he was going to earn his bread , he actually wanted to learn to shudder . "
" if that be all , " replied the sexton , " he can learn that with me .
send him to me , and i will soon polish him . "
the father was glad to do it , for he thought : " it will train the boy a little . "
the sexton therefore took him into his house , and he had to ring the church bell .
after a day or two , the sexton awoke him at midnight , and bade him arise and go up into the church tower and ring the bell .
" you shall soon learn what shuddering is , " thought he , and secretly went there before him ; and when the boy was at the top of the tower and turned round , and was just going to take hold of the bell rope , he saw a white figure standing on the stairs opposite the sounding hole .
" who is there ? " cried he , but the figure made no reply , and did not move or stir .
" give an answer , " cried the boy , " or take yourself off , you have no business here at night . "
the sexton , however , remained standing motionless that the boy might think he was a ghost .
the boy cried a second time : " what do you want here?--speak if you are an honest fellow , or i will throw you down the steps ! "
the sexton thought : " he can"t mean to be as bad as his words , " uttered no sound and stood as if he were made of stone .
then the boy called to him for the third time , and as that was also to no purpose , he ran against him and pushed the ghost down the stairs , so that it fell down the ten steps and remained lying there in a corner .
thereupon he rang the bell , went home , and without saying a word went to bed , and fell asleep .
the sexton"s wife waited a long time for her husband , but he did not come back .
at length she became uneasy , and wakened the boy , and asked : " do you know where my husband is ?
he climbed up the tower before you did . "
" no , i don"t know , " replied the boy , " but someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other side of the steps , and as he would neither give an answer nor go away , i took him for a scoundrel , and threw him downstairs .
just go there and you will see if it was he .
i should be sorry if it were . "
the woman ran away and found her husband , who was lying moaning in the corner , and had broken his leg .
she carried him down , and then with loud screams she hastened to the boy"s father , " your boy , " cried she , " has been the cause of a great misfortune !
he has thrown my husband down the steps so that he broke his leg .
take the good-for-nothing fellow out of our house . "
the father was terrified , and ran thither and scolded the boy .
" what wicked tricks are these ? " said he .
" the devil must have put them into your head . "
" father , " he replied , " do listen to me .
i am quite innocent .
he was standing there by night like one intent on doing evil .
i did not know who it was , and i entreated him three times either to speak or to go away . "
" ah , " said the father , " i have nothing but unhappiness with you .
go out of my sight .
i will see you no more . "
" yes , father , right willingly , wait only until it is day .
then will i go forth and learn how to shudder , and then i shall , at any rate , understand one art which will support me . "
" learn what you will , " spoke the father , " it is all the same to me .
here are fifty talers for you .
take these and go into the wide world , and tell no one from whence you come , and who is your father , for i have reason to be ashamed of you . "
" yes , father , it shall be as you will .
if you desire nothing more than that , i can easily keep it in mind . "
when the day dawned , therefore , the boy put his fifty talers into his pocket , and went forth on the great highway , and continually said to himself : " if i could but shudder !
if i could but shudder ! "
then a man approached who heard this conversation which the youth was holding with himself , and when they had walked a little farther to where they could see the gallows , the man said to him : " look , there is the tree where seven men have married the ropemaker"s daughter , and are now learning how to fly .
sit down beneath it , and wait till night comes , and you will soon learn how to shudder . "
" if that is all that is wanted , " answered the youth , " it is easily done ; but if i learn how to shudder as fast as that , you shall have my fifty talers .
just come back to me early in the morning . "
then the youth went to the gallows , sat down beneath it , and waited till evening came .
and as he was cold , he lighted himself a fire , but at midnight the wind blew so sharply that in spite of his fire , he could not get warm .
and as the wind knocked the hanged men against each other , and they moved backwards and forwards , he thought to himself : " if you shiver below by the fire , how those up above must freeze and suffer ! "
and as he felt pity for them , he raised the ladder , and climbed up , unbound one of them after the other , and brought down all seven .
then he stoked the fire , blew it , and set them all round it to warm themselves .
but they sat there and did not stir , and the fire caught their clothes .
so he said : " take care , or i will hang you up again . "
the dead men , however , did not hear , but were quite silent , and let their rags go on burning .
at this he grew angry , and said : " if you will not take care , i cannot help you , i will not be burnt with you , " and he hung them up again each in his turn .
then he sat down by his fire and fell asleep , and the next morning the man came to him and wanted to have the fifty talers , and said : " well do you know how to shudder ? "
" no , " answered he , " how should i know ?
those fellows up there did not open their mouths , and were so stupid that they let the few old rags which they had on their bodies get burnt . "
then the man saw that he would not get the fifty talers that day , and went away saying : " such a youth has never come my way before . "
the youth likewise went his way , and once more began to mutter to himself : " ah , if i could but shudder !
ah , if i could but shudder ! "
a waggoner who was striding behind him heard this and asked : " who are you ? "
" i don"t know , " answered the youth .
then the waggoner asked : " from whence do you come ? "
" i know not . "
" who is your father ? "
" that i may not tell you . "
" what is it that you are always muttering between your teeth ? "
" ah , " replied the youth , " i do so wish i could shudder , but no one can teach me how . "
" enough of your foolish chatter , " said the waggoner .
" come , go with me , i will see about a place for you . "
the youth went with the waggoner , and in the evening they arrived at an inn where they wished to pass the night .
then at the entrance of the parlour the youth again said quite loudly : " if i could but shudder !
if i could but shudder ! "
the host who heard this , laughed and said : " if that is your desire , there ought to be a good opportunity for you here . "
" ah , be silent , " said the hostess , " so many prying persons have already lost their lives , it would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyes as these should never see the daylight again . "
but the youth said : " however difficult it may be , i will learn it .
for this purpose indeed have i journeyed forth . "
he let the host have no rest , until the latter told him , that not far from thence stood a haunted castle where anyone could very easily learn what shuddering was , if he would but watch in it for three nights .
the king had promised that he who would venture should have his daughter to wife , and she was the most beautiful maiden the sun shone on .
likewise in the castle lay great treasures , which were guarded by evil spirits , and these treasures would then be freed , and would make a poor man rich enough .
already many men had gone into the castle , but as yet none had come out again .
then the youth went next morning to the king , and said : " if it be allowed , i will willingly watch three nights in the haunted castle . "
the king looked at him , and as the youth pleased him , he said : " you may ask for three things to take into the castle with you , but they must be things without life . "
then he answered : " then i ask for a fire , a turning lathe , and a cutting-board with the knife . "
the king had these things carried into the castle for him during the day .
when night was drawing near , the youth went up and made himself a bright fire in one of the rooms , placed the cutting-board and knife beside it , and seated himself by the turning-lathe .
" ah , if i could but shudder ! " said he , " but i shall not learn it here either . "
towards midnight he was about to poke his fire , and as he was blowing it , something cried suddenly from one corner : " au , miau ! how cold we are ! "
" you fools ! " cried he , " what are you crying about ?
if you are cold , come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves . "
and when he had said that , two great black cats came with one tremendous leap and sat down on each side of him , and looked savagely at him with their fiery eyes .
after a short time , when they had warmed themselves , they said : " comrade , shall we have a game of cards ? "
" why not ? " he replied , " but just show me your paws . "
then they stretched out their claws .
" oh , " said he , " what long nails you have !
wait , i must first cut them for you . "
thereupon he seized them by the throats , put them on the cutting-board and screwed their feet fast .
" i have looked at your fingers , " said he , " and my fancy for card-playing has gone , " and he struck them dead and threw them out into the water .
but when he had made away with these two , and was about to sit down again by his fire , out from every hole and corner came black cats and black dogs with red-hot chains , and more and more of them came until he could no longer move , and they yelled horribly , and got on his fire , pulled it to pieces , and tried to put it out .
he watched them for a while quietly , but at last when they were going too far , he seized his cutting-knife , and cried : " away with you , vermin , " and began to cut them down .
some of them ran away , the others he killed , and threw out into the fish-pond .
when he came back he fanned the embers of his fire again and warmed himself .
and as he thus sat , his eyes would keep open no longer , and he felt a desire to sleep .
then he looked round and saw a great bed in the corner .
" that is the very thing for me , " said he , and got into it .
when he was just going to shut his eyes , however , the bed began to move of its own accord , and went over the whole of the castle .
" that"s right , " said he , " but go faster . "
then the bed rolled on as if six horses were harnessed to it , up and down , over thresholds and stairs , but suddenly hop , hop , it turned over upside down , and lay on him like a mountain .
but he threw quilts and pillows up in the air , got out and said : " now anyone who likes , may drive , " and lay down by his fire , and slept till it was day .
in the morning the king came , and when he saw him lying there on the ground , he thought the evil spirits had killed him and he was dead .
then said he : " after all it is a pity,--for so handsome a man . "
the youth heard it , got up , and said : " it has not come to that yet . "
then the king was astonished , but very glad , and asked how he had fared .
" very well indeed , " answered he ; " one night is past , the two others will pass likewise . "
then he went to the innkeeper , who opened his eyes very wide , and said : " i never expected to see you alive again !
have you learnt how to shudder yet ? "
" no , " said he , " it is all in vain .
if someone would but tell me ! "
the second night he again went up into the old castle , sat down by the fire , and once more began his old song : " if i could but shudder ! "
when midnight came , an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard ; at first it was low , but it grew louder and louder .
then it was quiet for a while , and at length with a loud scream , half a man came down the chimney and fell before him .
" hullo ! " cried he , " another half belongs to this .
this is not enough ! "
then the uproar began again , there was a roaring and howling , and the other half fell down likewise .
" wait , " said he , " i will just stoke up the fire a little for you . "
when he had done that and looked round again , the two pieces were joined together , and a hideous man was sitting in his place .
" that is no part of our bargain , " said the youth , " the bench is mine . "
the man wanted to push him away ; the youth , however , would not allow that , but thrust him off with all his strength , and seated himself again in his own place .
then still more men fell down , one after the other ; they brought nine dead men"s legs and two skulls , and set them up and played at nine-pins with them .
the youth also wanted to play and said : " listen you , can i join you ? "
" yes , if you have any money . "
" money enough , " replied he , " but your balls are not quite round . "
then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turned them till they were round .
" there , now they will roll better ! " said he .
" hurrah ! now we"ll have fun ! "
he played with them and lost some of his money , but when it struck twelve , everything vanished from his sight .
he lay down and quietly fell asleep .
next morning the king came to inquire after him .
" how has it fared with you this time ? " asked he .
" i have been playing at nine-pins , " he answered , " and have lost a couple of farthings . "
" have you not shuddered then ? "
" what ? " said he , " i have had a wonderful time !
if i did but know what it was to shudder ! "
the third night he sat down again on his bench and said quite sadly : " if i could but shudder . "
when it grew late , six tall men came in and brought a coffin .
then he said : " ha , ha , that is certainly my little cousin , who died only a few days ago , " and he beckoned with his finger , and cried : " come , little cousin , come . "
they placed the coffin on the ground , but he went to it and took the lid off , and a dead man lay therein .
he felt his face , but it was cold as ice .
" wait , " said he , " i will warm you a little , " and went to the fire and warmed his hand and laid it on the dead man"s face , but he remained cold .
then he took him out , and sat down by the fire and laid him on his breast and rubbed his arms that the blood might circulate again .
as this also did no good , he thought to himself : " when two people lie in bed together , they warm each other , " and carried him to the bed , covered him over and lay down by him .
after a short time the dead man became warm too , and began to move .
then said the youth , " see , little cousin , have i not warmed you ? "
the dead man , however , got up and cried : " now will i strangle you . "
" what ! " said he , " is that the way you thank me ?
you shall at once go into your coffin again , " and he took him up , threw him into it , and shut the lid .
then came the six men and carried him away again .
" i cannot manage to shudder , " said he .
" i shall never learn it here as long as i live . "
then a man entered who was taller than all others , and looked terrible .
he was old , however , and had a long white beard .
" you wretch , " cried he , " you shall soon learn what it is to shudder , for you shall die . "
" not so fast , " replied the youth .
" if i am to die , i shall have to have a say in it . "
" i will soon seize you , " said the fiend .
" softly , softly , do not talk so big .
i am as strong as you are , and perhaps even stronger . "
" we shall see , " said the old man .
" if you are stronger , i will let you go--come , we will try . "
then he led him by dark passages to a smith"s forge , took an axe , and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground .
" i can do better than that , " said the youth , and went to the other anvil .
the old man placed himself near and wanted to look on , and his white beard hung down .
then the youth seized the axe , split the anvil with one blow , and in it caught the old man"s beard .
" now i have you , " said the youth .
" now it is your turn to die . "
then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man till he moaned and entreated him to stop , when he would give him great riches .
the youth drew out the axe and let him go .
the old man led him back into the castle , and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold .
" of these , " said he , " one part is for the poor , the other for the king , the third yours . "
in the meantime it struck twelve , and the spirit disappeared , so that the youth stood in darkness .
" i shall still be able to find my way out , " said he , and felt about , found the way into the room , and slept there by his fire .
next morning the king came and said : " now you must have learnt what shuddering is ? "
" no , " he answered ; " what can it be ?
my dead cousin was here , and a bearded man came and showed me a great deal of money down below , but no one told me what it was to shudder . "
" then , " said the king , " you have saved the castle , and shall marry my daughter . "
" that is all very well , " said he , " but still i do not know what it is to shudder ! "
then the gold was brought up and the wedding celebrated ; but howsoever much the young king loved his wife , and however happy he was , he still said always : " if i could but shudder--if i could but shudder . "
and this at last angered her .
her waiting-maid said : " i will find a cure for him ; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder . "
she went out to the stream which flowed through the garden , and had a whole bucketful of gudgeons brought to her .
at night when the young king was sleeping , his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucket full of cold water with the gudgeons in it over him , so that the little fishes would sprawl about him .
then he woke up and cried : " oh , what makes me shudder so?--what makes me shudder so , dear wife ?
ah ! now i know what it is to shudder ! "
a great king of a land far away in the east had a daughter who was very beautiful , but so proud , and haughty , and conceited , that none of the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her , and she only made sport of them .
once upon a time the king held a great feast , and asked thither all her suitors ; and they all sat in a row , ranged according to their rank--kings , and princes , and dukes , and earls , and counts , and barons , and knights .
then the princess came in , and as she passed by them she had something spiteful to say to every one .
the first was too fat : " he"s as round as a tub , " said she .
the next was too tall : " what a maypole ! " said she .
the next was too short : " what a dumpling ! " said she .
the fourth was too pale , and she called him " wallface . "
the fifth was too red , so she called him " coxcomb . "
the sixth was not straight enough ; so she said he was like a green stick , that had been laid to dry over a baker"s oven .
and thus she had some joke to crack upon every one : but she laughed more than all at a good king who was there .
" look at him , " said she ; " his beard is like an old mop ; he shall be called grisly-beard . "
so the king got the nickname of grisly-beard .
but the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved , and how she ill-treated all his guests ; and he vowed that , willing or unwilling , she should marry the first man , be he prince or beggar , that came to the door .
two days after there came by a travelling fiddler , who began to play under the window and beg alms ; and when the king heard him , he said , " let him come in . "
so they brought in a dirty-looking fellow ; and when he had sung before the king and the princess , he begged a boon .
then the king said , " you have sung so well , that i will give you my daughter for your wife . "
the princess begged and prayed ; but the king said , " i have sworn to give you to the first comer , and i will keep my word . "
so words and tears were of no avail ; the parson was sent for , and she was married to the fiddler .
when this was over the king said , " now get ready to go--you must not stay here--you must travel on with your husband . "
then the fiddler went his way , and took her with him , and they soon came to a great wood .
" pray , " said she , " whose is this wood ? "
" it belongs to king grisly-beard , " answered he ; " hadst thou taken him , all had been thine . "
" ah ! unlucky wretch that i am ! " sighed she ; " would that i had married king grisly-beard ! "
next they came to some fine meadows .
" whose are these beautiful green meadows ? " said she .
" they belong to king grisly-beard , hadst thou taken him , they had all been thine . "
" ah ! unlucky wretch that i am ! " said she ; " would that i had married king grisly-beard ! "
then they came to a great city .
" whose is this noble city ? " said she .
" it belongs to king grisly-beard ; hadst thou taken him , it had all been thine . "
" ah ! wretch that i am ! " sighed she ; " why did i not marry king grisly-beard ? "
" that is no business of mine , " said the fiddler : " why should you wish for another husband ?
am not i good enough for you ? "
at last they came to a small cottage .
" what a paltry place ! " said she ; " to whom does that little dirty hole belong ? "
then the fiddler said , " that is your and my house , where we are to live . "
" where are your servants ? " cried she .
" what do we want with servants ? " said he ; " you must do for yourself whatever is to be done .
now make the fire , and put on water and cook my supper , for i am very tired . "
but the princess knew nothing of making fires and cooking , and the fiddler was forced to help her .
when they had eaten a very scanty meal they went to bed ; but the fiddler called her up very early in the morning to clean the house .
thus they lived for two days : and when they had eaten up all there was in the cottage , the man said , " wife , we can"t go on thus , spending money and earning nothing .
you must learn to weave baskets . "
then he went out and cut willows , and brought them home , and she began to weave ; but it made her fingers very sore .
" i see this work won"t do , " said he : " try and spin ; perhaps you will do that better . "
so she sat down and tried to spin ; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran .
" see now , " said the fiddler , " you are good for nothing ; you can do no work : what a bargain i have got !
however , i"ll try and set up a trade in pots and pans , and you shall stand in the market and sell them . "
" alas ! " sighed she , " if any of my father"s court should pass by and see me standing in the market , how they will laugh at me ! "
but her husband did not care for that , and said she must work , if she did not wish to die of hunger .
at first the trade went well ; for many people , seeing such a beautiful woman , went to buy her wares , and paid their money without thinking of taking away the goods .
they lived on this as long as it lasted ; and then her husband bought a fresh lot of ware , and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market ; but a drunken soldier soon came by , and rode his horse against her stall , and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces .
then she began to cry , and knew not what to do .
" ah ! what will become of me ? " said she ; " what will my husband say ? "
so she ran home and told him all .
" who would have thought you would have been so silly , " said he , " as to put an earthenware stall in the corner of the market , where everybody passes ? but let us have no more crying ; i see you are not fit for this sort of work , so i have been to the king"s palace , and asked if they did not want a kitchen-maid ; and they say they will take you , and there you will have plenty to eat . "
thus the princess became a kitchen-maid , and helped the cook to do all the dirtiest work ; but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat that was left , and on this they lived .
she had not been there long before she heard that the king"s eldest son was passing by , going to be married ; and she went to one of the windows and looked out .
everything was ready , and all the pomp and brightness of the court was there .
then she bitterly grieved for the pride and folly which had brought her so low .
and the servants gave her some of the rich meats , which she put into her basket to take home .
all on a sudden , as she was going out , in came the king"s son in golden clothes ; and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door , he took her by the hand , and said she should be his partner in the dance ; but she trembled for fear , for she saw that it was king grisly-beard , who was making sport of her .
however , he kept fast hold , and led her in ; and the cover of the basket came off , so that the meats in it fell about .
then everybody laughed and jeered at her ; and she was so abashed , that she wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth .
she sprang to the door to run away ; but on the steps king grisly-beard overtook her , and brought her back and said , " fear me not !
i am the fiddler who has lived with you in the hut .
i brought you there because i really loved you .
i am also the soldier that overset your stall .
i have done all this only to cure you of your silly pride , and to show you the folly of your ill-treatment of me .
now all is over : you have learnt wisdom , and it is time to hold our marriage feast . "
then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes ; and her father and his whole court were there already , and welcomed her home on her marriage .
joy was in every face and every heart .
the feast was grand ; they danced and sang ; all were merry ; and i only wish that you and i had been of the party .
there was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near his palace , full of all kinds of wild animals .
one day he sent out a huntsman to shoot him a roe , but he did not come back .
" perhaps some accident has befallen him , " said the king , and the next day he sent out two more huntsmen who were to search for him , but they too stayed away .
then on the third day , he sent for all his huntsmen , and said : " scour the whole forest through , and do not give up until you have found all three . "
but of these also , none came home again , none were seen again .
from that time forth , no one would any longer venture into the forest , and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude , and nothing was seen of it , but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flying over it .
this lasted for many years , when an unknown huntsman announced himself to the king as seeking a situation , and offered to go into the dangerous forest .
the king , however , would not give his consent , and said : " it is not safe in there ; i fear it would fare with you no better than with the others , and you would never come out again . "
the huntsman replied : " lord , i will venture it at my own risk , of fear i know nothing . "
the huntsman therefore betook himself with his dog to the forest .
it was not long before the dog fell in with some game on the way , and wanted to pursue it ; but hardly had the dog run two steps when it stood before a deep pool , could go no farther , and a naked arm stretched itself out of the water , seized it , and drew it under .
when the huntsman saw that , he went back and fetched three men to come with buckets and bale out the water .
when they could see to the bottom there lay a wild man whose body was brown like rusty iron , and whose hair hung over his face down to his knees .
they bound him with cords , and led him away to the castle .
there was great astonishment over the wild man ; the king , however , had him put in an iron cage in his courtyard , and forbade the door to be opened on pain of death , and the queen herself was to take the key into her keeping .
and from this time forth everyone could again go into the forest with safety .
the king had a son of eight years , who was once playing in the courtyard , and while he was playing , his golden ball fell into the cage .
the boy ran thither and said : " give me my ball out . "
" not till you have opened the door for me , " answered the man .
" no , " said the boy , " i will not do that ; the king has forbidden it , " and ran away .
the next day he again went and asked for his ball ; the wild man said : " open my door , " but the boy would not .
on the third day the king had ridden out hunting , and the boy went once more and said : " i cannot open the door even if i wished , for i have not the key . "
then the wild man said : " it lies under your mother"s pillow , you can get it there . "
the boy , who wanted to have his ball back , cast all thought to the winds , and brought the key .
the door opened with difficulty , and the boy pinched his fingers .
when it was open the wild man stepped out , gave him the golden ball , and hurried away .
the boy had become afraid ; he called and cried after him : " oh , wild man , do not go away , or i shall be beaten ! "
the wild man turned back , took him up , set him on his shoulder , and went with hasty steps into the forest .
when the king came home , he observed the empty cage , and asked the queen how that had happened .
she knew nothing about it , and sought the key , but it was gone .
she called the boy , but no one answered .
the king sent out people to seek for him in the fields , but they did not find him .
then he could easily guess what had happened , and much grief reigned in the royal court .
when the wild man had once more reached the dark forest , he took the boy down from his shoulder , and said to him : " you will never see your father and mother again , but i will keep you with me , for you have set me free , and i have compassion on you .
if you do all i bid you , you shall fare well .
of treasure and gold have i enough , and more than anyone in the world . "
he made a bed of moss for the boy on which he slept , and the next morning the man took him to a well , and said : " behold , the gold well is as bright and clear as crystal , you shall sit beside it , and take care that nothing falls into it , or it will be polluted .
i will come every evening to see if you have obeyed my order . "
the boy placed himself by the brink of the well , and often saw a golden fish or a golden snake show itself therein , and took care that nothing fell in .
as he was thus sitting , his finger hurt him so violently that he involuntarily put it in the water .
he drew it quickly out again , but saw that it was quite gilded , and whatsoever pains he took to wash the gold off again , all was to no purpose .
in the evening iron hans came back , looked at the boy , and said : " what has happened to the well ? "
" nothing nothing , " he answered , and held his finger behind his back , that the man might not see it .
but he said : " you have dipped your finger into the water , this time it may pass , but take care you do not again let anything go in . "
by daybreak the boy was already sitting by the well and watching it .
his finger hurt him again and he passed it over his head , and then unhappily a hair fell down into the well .
he took it quickly out , but it was already quite gilded .
iron hans came , and already knew what had happened .
" you have let a hair fall into the well , " said he .
" i will allow you to watch by it once more , but if this happens for the third time then the well is polluted and you can no longer remain with me . "
on the third day , the boy sat by the well , and did not stir his finger , however much it hurt him .
but the time was long to him , and he looked at the reflection of his face on the surface of the water .
and as he still bent down more and more while he was doing so , and trying to look straight into the eyes , his long hair fell down from his shoulders into the water .
he raised himself up quickly , but the whole of the hair of his head was already golden and shone like the sun .
you can imagine how terrified the poor boy was !
he took his pocket-handkerchief and tied it round his head , in order that the man might not see it .
when he came he already knew everything , and said : " take the handkerchief off . "
then the golden hair streamed forth , and let the boy excuse himself as he might , it was of no use .
" you have not stood the trial and can stay here no longer .
go forth into the world , there you will learn what poverty is .
but as you have not a bad heart , and as i mean well by you , there is one thing i will grant you ; if you fall into any difficulty , come to the forest and cry : " iron hans , " and then i will come and help you .
my power is great , greater than you think , and i have gold and silver in abundance . "
then the king"s son left the forest , and walked by beaten and unbeaten paths ever onwards until at length he reached a great city .
there he looked for work , but could find none , and he learnt nothing by which he could help himself .
at length he went to the palace , and asked if they would take him in .
the people about court did not at all know what use they could make of him , but they liked him , and told him to stay .
at length the cook took him into his service , and said he might carry wood and water , and rake the cinders together .
once when it so happened that no one else was at hand , the cook ordered him to carry the food to the royal table , but as he did not like to let his golden hair be seen , he kept his little cap on .
such a thing as that had never yet come under the king"s notice , and he said : " when you come to the royal table you must take your hat off . "
he answered : " ah , lord , i cannot ; i have a bad sore place on my head . "
then the king had the cook called before him and scolded him , and asked how he could take such a boy as that into his service ; and that he was to send him away at once .
the cook , however , had pity on him , and exchanged him for the gardener"s boy .
and now the boy had to plant and water the garden , hoe and dig , and bear the wind and bad weather .
once in summer when he was working alone in the garden , the day was so warm he took his little cap off that the air might cool him .
as the sun shone on his hair it glittered and flashed so that the rays fell into the bedroom of the king"s daughter , and up she sprang to see what that could be .
then she saw the boy , and cried to him : " boy , bring me a wreath of flowers . "
he put his cap on with all haste , and gathered wild field-flowers and bound them together .
when he was ascending the stairs with them , the gardener met him , and said : " how can you take the king"s daughter a garland of such common flowers ?
go quickly , and get another , and seek out the prettiest and rarest . "
" oh , no , " replied the boy , " the wild ones have more scent , and will please her better . "
when he got into the room , the king"s daughter said : " take your cap off , it is not seemly to keep it on in my presence . "
he again said : " i may not , i have a sore head . "
she , however , caught at his cap and pulled it off , and then his golden hair rolled down on his shoulders , and it was splendid to behold .
he wanted to run out , but she held him by the arm , and gave him a handful of ducats .
with these he departed , but he cared nothing for the gold pieces .
he took them to the gardener , and said : " i present them to your children , they can play with them . "
the following day the king"s daughter again called to him that he was to bring her a wreath of field-flowers , and then he went in with it , she instantly snatched at his cap , and wanted to take it away from him , but he held it fast with both hands .
she again gave him a handful of ducats , but he would not keep them , and gave them to the gardener for playthings for his children .
on the third day things went just the same ; she could not get his cap away from him , and he would not have her money .
not long afterwards , the country was overrun by war .
the king gathered together his people , and did not know whether or not he could offer any opposition to the enemy , who was superior in strength and had a mighty army .
then said the gardener"s boy : " i am grown up , and will go to the wars also , only give me a horse . "
the others laughed , and said : " seek one for yourself when we are gone , we will leave one behind us in the stable for you . "
when they had gone forth , he went into the stable , and led the horse out ; it was lame of one foot , and limped hobblety jib , hobblety jib ; nevertheless he mounted it , and rode away to the dark forest .
when he came to the outskirts , he called " iron hans " three times so loudly that it echoed through the trees .
thereupon the wild man appeared immediately , and said : " what do you desire ? "
" i want a strong steed , for i am going to the wars . "
" that you shall have , and still more than you ask for . "
then the wild man went back into the forest , and it was not long before a stable-boy came out of it , who led a horse that snorted with its nostrils , and could hardly be restrained , and behind them followed a great troop of warriors entirely equipped in iron , and their swords flashed in the sun .
the youth made over his three-legged horse to the stable-boy , mounted the other , and rode at the head of the soldiers .
when he got near the battlefield a great part of the king"s men had already fallen , and little was wanting to make the rest give way .
then the youth galloped thither with his iron soldiers , broke like a hurricane over the enemy , and beat down all who opposed him .
they began to flee , but the youth pursued , and never stopped , until there was not a single man left .
instead of returning to the king , however , he conducted his troop by byways back to the forest , and called forth iron hans .
" what do you desire ? " asked the wild man .
" take back your horse and your troops , and give me my three-legged horse again . "
all that he asked was done , and soon he was riding on his three-legged horse .
when the king returned to his palace , his daughter went to meet him , and wished him joy of his victory .
" i am not the one who carried away the victory , " said he , " but a strange knight who came to my assistance with his soldiers . "
the daughter wanted to hear who the strange knight was , but the king did not know , and said : " he followed the enemy , and i did not see him again . "
she inquired of the gardener where his boy was , but he smiled , and said : " he has just come home on his three-legged horse , and the others have been mocking him , and crying : " here comes our hobblety jib back again ! " they asked , too : " under what hedge have you been lying sleeping all the time ? " so he said : " i did the best of all , and it would have gone badly without me . " and then he was still more ridiculed . "
the king said to his daughter : " i will proclaim a great feast that shall last for three days , and you shall throw a golden apple .
perhaps the unknown man will show himself . "
when the feast was announced , the youth went out to the forest , and called iron hans .
" what do you desire ? " asked he .
" that i may catch the king"s daughter"s golden apple . "
" it is as safe as if you had it already , " said iron hans .
" you shall likewise have a suit of red armour for the occasion , and ride on a spirited chestnut-horse . "
when the day came , the youth galloped to the spot , took his place amongst the knights , and was recognized by no one .
the king"s daughter came forward , and threw a golden apple to the knights , but none of them caught it but he , only as soon as he had it he galloped away .
on the second day iron hans equipped him as a white knight , and gave him a white horse .
again he was the only one who caught the apple , and he did not linger an instant , but galloped off with it .
the king grew angry , and said : " that is not allowed ; he must appear before me and tell his name . "
he gave the order that if the knight who caught the apple , should go away again they should pursue him , and if he would not come back willingly , they were to cut him down and stab him .
on the third day , he received from iron hans a suit of black armour and a black horse , and again he caught the apple .
but when he was riding off with it , the king"s attendants pursued him , and one of them got so near him that he wounded the youth"s leg with the point of his sword .
the youth nevertheless escaped from them , but his horse leapt so violently that the helmet fell from the youth"s head , and they could see that he had golden hair .
they rode back and announced this to the king .
the following day the king"s daughter asked the gardener about his boy .
" he is at work in the garden ; the queer creature has been at the festival too , and only came home yesterday evening ; he has likewise shown my children three golden apples which he has won . "
the king had him summoned into his presence , and he came and again had his little cap on his head .
but the king"s daughter went up to him and took it off , and then his golden hair fell down over his shoulders , and he was so handsome that all were amazed .
" are you the knight who came every day to the festival , always in different colours , and who caught the three golden apples ? " asked the king .
" yes , " answered he , " and here the apples are , " and he took them out of his pocket , and returned them to the king .
" if you desire further proof , you may see the wound which your people gave me when they followed me .
but i am likewise the knight who helped you to your victory over your enemies . "
" if you can perform such deeds as that , you are no gardener"s boy ; tell me , who is your father ? "
" my father is a mighty king , and gold have i in plenty as great as i require . "
" i well see , " said the king , " that i owe my thanks to you ; can i do anything to please you ? "
" yes , " answered he , " that indeed you can .
give me your daughter to wife . "
the maiden laughed , and said : " he does not stand much on ceremony , but i have already seen by his golden hair that he was no gardener"s boy , " and then she went and kissed him .
his father and mother came to the wedding , and were in great delight , for they had given up all hope of ever seeing their dear son again .
and as they were sitting at the marriage-feast , the music suddenly stopped , the doors opened , and a stately king came in with a great retinue .
he went up to the youth , embraced him and said : " i am iron hans , and was by enchantment a wild man , but you have set me free ; all the treasures which i possess , shall be your property . "
there was once a king , whose queen had hair of the purest gold , and was so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole face of the earth .
but this beautiful queen fell ill , and when she felt that her end drew near she called the king to her and said , " promise me that you will never marry again , unless you meet with a wife who is as beautiful as i am , and who has golden hair like mine . "
then when the king in his grief promised all she asked , she shut her eyes and died .
but the king was not to be comforted , and for a long time never thought of taking another wife .
at last , however , his wise men said , " this will not do ; the king must marry again , that we may have a queen . "
so messengers were sent far and wide , to seek for a bride as beautiful as the late queen .
but there was no princess in the world so beautiful ; and if there had been , still there was not one to be found who had golden hair .
so the messengers came home , and had had all their trouble for nothing .
now the king had a daughter , who was just as beautiful as her mother , and had the same golden hair .
and when she was grown up , the king looked at her and saw that she was just like this late queen : then he said to his courtiers , " may i not marry my daughter ?
she is the very image of my dead wife : unless i have her , i shall not find any bride upon the whole earth , and you say there must be a queen . "
when the courtiers heard this they were shocked , and said , " heaven forbid that a father should marry his daughter !
out of so great a sin no good can come . "
and his daughter was also shocked , but hoped the king would soon give up such thoughts ; so she said to him , " before i marry anyone i must have three dresses : one must be of gold , like the sun ; another must be of shining silver , like the moon ; and a third must be dazzling as the stars : besides this , i want a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur put together , to which every beast in the kingdom must give a part of his skin . "
and thus she thought he would think of the matter no more .
but the king made the most skilful workmen in his kingdom weave the three dresses : one golden , like the sun ; another silvery , like the moon ; and a third sparkling , like the stars : and his hunters were told to hunt out all the beasts in his kingdom , and to take the finest fur out of their skins : and thus a mantle of a thousand furs was made .
when all were ready , the king sent them to her ; but she got up in the night when all were asleep , and took three of her trinkets , a golden ring , a golden necklace , and a golden brooch , and packed the three dresses--of the sun , the moon , and the stars--up in a nutshell , and wrapped herself up in the mantle made of all sorts of fur , and besmeared her face and hands with soot .
then she threw herself upon heaven for help in her need , and went away , and journeyed on the whole night , till at last she came to a large wood .
as she was very tired , she sat herself down in the hollow of a tree and soon fell asleep : and there she slept on till it was midday .
now as the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it , his dogs came to the tree , and began to snuff about , and run round and round , and bark .
" look sharp ! " said the king to the huntsmen , " and see what sort of game lies there . "
and the huntsmen went up to the tree , and when they came back again said , " in the hollow tree there lies a most wonderful beast , such as we never saw before ; its skin seems to be of a thousand kinds of fur , but there it lies fast asleep . "
" see , " said the king , " if you can catch it alive , and we will take it with us . "
so the huntsmen took it up , and the maiden awoke and was greatly frightened , and said , " i am a poor child that has neither father nor mother left ; have pity on me and take me with you . "
then they said , " yes , miss cat-skin , you will do for the kitchen ; you can sweep up the ashes , and do things of that sort . "
so they put her into the coach , and took her home to the king"s palace .
then they showed her a little corner under the staircase , where no light of day ever peeped in , and said , " cat-skin , you may lie and sleep there . "
and she was sent into the kitchen , and made to fetch wood and water , to blow the fire , pluck the poultry , pick the herbs , sift the ashes , and do all the dirty work .
thus cat-skin lived for a long time very sorrowfully .
" ah ! pretty princess ! " thought she , " what will now become of thee ? "
but it happened one day that a feast was to be held in the king"s castle , so she said to the cook , " may i go up a little while and see what is going on ?
i will take care and stand behind the door . "
and the cook said , " yes , you may go , but be back again in half an hour"s time , to rake out the ashes . "
then she took her little lamp , and went into her cabin , and took off the fur skin , and washed the soot from off her face and hands , so that her beauty shone forth like the sun from behind the clouds .
she next opened her nutshell , and brought out of it the dress that shone like the sun , and so went to the feast .
everyone made way for her , for nobody knew her , and they thought she could be no less than a king"s daughter .
but the king came up to her , and held out his hand and danced with her ; and he thought in his heart , " i never saw any one half so beautiful . "
when the dance was at an end she curtsied ; and when the king looked round for her , she was gone , no one knew wither .
the guards that stood at the castle gate were called in : but they had seen no one .
the truth was , that she had run into her little cabin , pulled off her dress , blackened her face and hands , put on the fur-skin cloak , and was cat-skin again .
when she went into the kitchen to her work , and began to rake the ashes , the cook said , " let that alone till the morning , and heat the king"s soup ; i should like to run up now and give a peep : but take care you don"t let a hair fall into it , or you will run a chance of never eating again . "
as soon as the cook went away , cat-skin heated the king"s soup , and toasted a slice of bread first , as nicely as ever she could ; and when it was ready , she went and looked in the cabin for her little golden ring , and put it into the dish in which the soup was .
when the dance was over , the king ordered his soup to be brought in ; and it pleased him so well , that he thought he had never tasted any so good before .
at the bottom he saw a gold ring lying ; and as he could not make out how it had got there , he ordered the cook to be sent for .
the cook was frightened when he heard the order , and said to cat-skin , " you must have let a hair fall into the soup ; if it be so , you will have a good beating . "
then he went before the king , and he asked him who had cooked the soup .
" i did , " answered the cook .
but the king said , " that is not true ; it was better done than you could do it . "
then he answered , " to tell the truth i did not cook it , but cat-skin did . "
" then let cat-skin come up , " said the king : and when she came he said to her , " who are you ? "
" i am a poor child , " said she , " that has lost both father and mother . "
" how came you in my palace ? " asked he .
" i am good for nothing , " said she , " but to be scullion-girl , and to have boots and shoes thrown at my head . "
" but how did you get the ring that was in the soup ? " asked the king .
then she would not own that she knew anything about the ring ; so the king sent her away again about her business .
after a time there was another feast , and cat-skin asked the cook to let her go up and see it as before .
" yes , " said he , " but come again in half an hour , and cook the king the soup that he likes so much . "
then she ran to her little cabin , washed herself quickly , and took her dress out which was silvery as the moon , and put it on ; and when she went in , looking like a king"s daughter , the king went up to her , and rejoiced at seeing her again , and when the dance began he danced with her .
after the dance was at an end she managed to slip out , so slyly that the king did not see where she was gone ; but she sprang into her little cabin , and made herself into cat-skin again , and went into the kitchen to cook the soup .
whilst the cook was above stairs , she got the golden necklace and dropped it into the soup ; then it was brought to the king , who ate it , and it pleased him as well as before ; so he sent for the cook , who was again forced to tell him that cat-skin had cooked it .
cat-skin was brought again before the king , but she still told him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her head .
but when the king had ordered a feast to be got ready for the third time , it happened just the same as before .
" you must be a witch , cat-skin , " said the cook ; " for you always put something into your soup , so that it pleases the king better than mine . "
however , he let her go up as before .
then she put on her dress which sparkled like the stars , and went into the ball-room in it ; and the king danced with her again , and thought she had never looked so beautiful as she did then .
so whilst he was dancing with her , he put a gold ring on her finger without her seeing it , and ordered that the dance should be kept up a long time .
when it was at an end , he would have held her fast by the hand , but she slipped away , and sprang so quickly through the crowd that he lost sight of her : and she ran as fast as she could into her little cabin under the stairs .
but this time she kept away too long , and stayed beyond the half-hour ; so she had not time to take off her fine dress , and threw her fur mantle over it , and in her haste did not blacken herself all over with soot , but left one of her fingers white .
then she ran into the kitchen , and cooked the king"s soup ; and as soon as the cook was gone , she put the golden brooch into the dish .
when the king got to the bottom , he ordered cat-skin to be called once more , and soon saw the white finger , and the ring that he had put on it whilst they were dancing : so he seized her hand , and kept fast hold of it , and when she wanted to loose herself and spring away , the fur cloak fell off a little on one side , and the starry dress sparkled underneath it .
then he got hold of the fur and tore it off , and her golden hair and beautiful form were seen , and she could no longer hide herself : so she washed the soot and ashes from her face , and showed herself to be the most beautiful princess upon the face of the earth .
but the king said , " you are my beloved bride , and we will never more be parted from each other . "
and the wedding feast was held , and a merry day it was , as ever was heard of or seen in that country , or indeed in any other .