"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
And the Glass answered:
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,
And no one else is so fair as she."
And so she thought and thought again how she might kill Snow-white, for so long as she was not the fairest in the whole land, envy let her have no rest. And when she had at last thought of something to do, she painted her face and dressed herself like an old peddler-woman, and no one could have known her. Then she went over the seven hills to the seven dwarfs, and knocked at the door and cried:
"Pretty things to sell, very cheap, very cheap." Little Snow-white looked out of the window and called out:
"Good-day, my good woman, what have you to sell?"
"Good things, pretty things," she answered; "stay-laces of all colors," and she pulled out one which was woven of bright silk.
"I may let the good old woman in," thought Snow-white, and she unbolted the door and bought the pretty laces.
"Child," said the old woman, "what a fright you look! Come, I will lace you properly for once."
Little Snow-White and the Peddler-Woman.Little Snow-White and the Peddler-Woman.
Little Snow-White and the Peddler-Woman.
Snow-white stood before her, and let herself be laced with the new laces. But the old woman laced so quickly and laced so tightly that Snow-white lost her breath and fell down as if dead. "Now I am the most beautiful," said the Queen to herself, and ran away.
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Not long after, in the evening, the seven dwarfs came home, but how shocked they were when they saw their dear little Snow-white lying on the ground! She did not stir or move, and seemed to be dead. They lifted her up, and, as they saw that she was laced too tightly, they cut the laces; then she began to breathe a little, and after a while came to life again. When the dwarfs heard what had happened they said:
"The old peddler-woman was no one else than the wicked Queen; take care and let no one come in when we are not with you."
But the wicked woman, when she was at home again, went in front of the Glass and asked:
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
And it answered as before:
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,
And no one else is so fair as she."
When she heard that, all her blood rushed to her heart with fear, for she saw plainly that little Snow-white was again alive.
"But now," she said, "I will think of something that shall put an end to you," and so she made a comb that was full of poison. Then she took the shape of another old woman. So she went over the seven hills to the seven dwarfs, knocked at the door, and cried, "Good things to sell, cheap, cheap!" Little Snow-white looked out and said:
"Go away; I cannot let any one come in."
"I suppose you can look," said the old woman, and pulled the comb out and held it up. It pleased the girl so well that she let herself be coaxed and opened the door. When they had made a bargain the old woman said, "Now I will comb you properly for once." Poor little Snow-white had no fear, and let the old woman do as she pleased, but hardly had she put the comb in her hair than the poison worked, and the girl fell down senseless.
"You piece of beauty," said the wicked woman, "you are done for now," and she went away.
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But as good luck would have it, it was almost evening, and the seven dwarfs soon came home. When they saw Snow-white lying as if dead upon the ground, they knew at once the Queen had been there, and they looked and found the comb. Scarcely had they taken it out when Snow-white came to herself, and told them what had happened. Then they warned her once more to be upon her guard and to open the door to no one.
The Queen, at home, went in front of the Glass, and said:
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
Then it answered as before:
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,Snow-white is still alive and well,And no one else is so fair as she."
"O Queen, thou art fairest of all I see,
But over the hills, where the seven dwarfs dwell,
Snow-white is still alive and well,
And no one else is so fair as she."
When she heard the Glass speak thus she trembled and shook with rage.
"Snow-white shall die," she cried, "even if it costs me my life!"
She went into a quiet, secret, lonely room, where no one ever came, and there she made an apple full of poison. It was white with a red cheek, so that every one who saw it longed for it; but whoever ate a piece of it must surely die.
When the apple was ready she painted her face, and dressed herself up as a country-woman, and so she went over the seven hills to the seven dwarfs. She knocked at the door. Snow-white put her head out of the window and said:
"I cannot let any one in; the seven dwarfs have told me not to."
"It is all the same to me," said the woman. "I shall soon get rid of my apples. There, I will give you one."
"No," said Snow-white, "I dare not take anything."
"Are you afraid of poison?" said the old woman. "Look, I will cut the apple in two pieces; you eat the red cheek, and I will eat the white." The apple was so cunningly made that only the red cheek was poisoned. Snow-white longed for the fine apple, and when she saw that the woman ate part of it[page 311]she could stand it no longer, and stretched out her hand and took the other half. But hardly had she a bit of it in her mouth when she fell down dead. Then the Queen looked at her with a dreadful look, and laughed aloud and said:
"White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony-wood! This time the dwarfs cannot wake you up again."
And when she asked of the Looking-glass at home:
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"
it answered at last:
"O Queen, in this land thou art fairest of all."
"O Queen, in this land thou art fairest of all."
"O Queen, in this land thou art fairest of all."
Then her envious heart had rest, so far as an envious heart can have rest.
When the dwarfs came home in the evening, they found Snow-white lying upon the ground; she breathed no longer, and was dead. They lifted her up, unlaced her, combed her hair, washed her with water and wine, but it was all of no use; the poor child was dead, and stayed dead. They laid her upon a bier, and all seven of them sat round it and wept for her, and wept three whole days.
Then they were going to bury her, but she still looked as if she were living, and still had her pretty red cheeks. They said:
"We could not bury her in the dark ground," and they had a coffin of glass made, so that she could be seen from all sides, and they laid her in it, and wrote her name upon it in golden letters, and that she was a King's daughter. Then they put the coffin out upon the hill, and one of them always stayed by it and watched it. And birds came too, and wept for Snow-white; first an owl, then a raven, and last a dove.
And now Snow-white lay a long, long time in the coffin, and she did not change, but looked as if she were asleep; for she was as white as snow, as red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony.
It happened that a King's son came into the wood, and went to the dwarfs' house to spend the night. He saw the[page 312]coffin on the hill, and the beautiful Snow-white within it, and read what was written upon it in golden letters. Then he said to the dwarfs:
"Let me have the coffin, I will give you whatever you want for it." But the dwarfs answered:
"We will not part with it for all the gold in the world." Then he said:
"Let me have it as a gift, for I cannot live without seeing Snow-white. I will honor and prize her as the dearest thing I have." As he spoke in this way the good dwarfs took pity upon him, and gave him the coffin.
And now the King's son had it carried away by his servants on their shoulders. And it happened that they stumbled over a tree-stump, and with the shock the piece of apple which Snow-white had bitten off came out of her throat. And before long she opened her eyes, lifted up the lid of the coffin, sat up, and was once more alive.
"Oh, heavens, where am I?" she cried. The King's son, full of joy, said:
"You are with me," and told her what had happened, and said, "I love you more than everything in the world; come with me to my father's palace; you shall be my wife."
Snow-white was willing, and went with him, and their wedding was held with great show and splendor. The wicked Queen was also bidden to the feast. When she had put on her beautiful clothes, she went before the Looking-glass, and said:
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
"Looking-glass, Looking-glass, on the wall,
Who in this land is the fairest of all?"
The Glass answered:
"O Queen, of all here the fairest art thou,But the young Queen is fairer by far I trow."
"O Queen, of all here the fairest art thou,But the young Queen is fairer by far I trow."
"O Queen, of all here the fairest art thou,
But the young Queen is fairer by far I trow."
Then the wicked woman gave a scream, and was so wretched, so utterly wretched, that she knew not what to do. At first she would not go to the wedding at all, but she had no peace, and must go to see the young Queen. And when she went in she knew Snow-white; and she stood still with rage and fear,[page 313]and could not stir. But iron slippers had already been put upon the fire, and they were brought in with tongs, and set before her. Then she was forced to put on the red hot shoes, and dance until she dropped down dead.
clover-leaves
A
Nold Queen had a beautiful daughter, who was betrothed to a young Prince of a neighboring kingdom. When the time for the marriage came near, it was arranged that she was to travel to his country accompanied only by her waiting-maid. Her mother, the Queen, provided her with many costly robes and jewels, such as a Princess about to marry the Prince of a great kingdom would require. She also gave her a horse named Falada, which had the gift of speech.
Just before the Princess started on her journey, the Queen pricked her finger, and dropped three drops of blood upon a handkerchief. "Take this," she told her daughter, "and guard it carefully. It will serve you when in danger."
The Princess took the handkerchief, and embraced her mother. They shed many tears at parting, but at last the Princess mounted the wonderful horse and started on the journey. When she and the maid had ridden for some time, they came to a stream of clear, cold water. Being very thirsty, the Princess asked the maid to bring her a drink in the golden cup. The maid insolently replied that she might get the water for herself, as she did not intend to serve her any longer. The Princess was so thirsty that she dismounted and drank from the stream. As she bent over to place her lips to the water, she said to herself, "O, Heaven! what am I to do?" The three drops of blood upon the handkerchief made answer:
"If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"If she knew this, for thy sake
Thy queen-mother's heart would break."
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When the Princess had slaked her thirst, she mounted her horse and resumed her journey, and being gentle and forgiving, she soon forgot the maid's rudeness. The sun shone on them fiercely, and the road was filled with dust, so that they had not gone far before the Princess again became thirsty. When they came to a brook, she called to the maid:
"Pray fetch me a drink in my golden cup."
The maid's answer was even more insolent than before. "If you are thirsty, get down and drink. I do not mean to serve you any longer."
The Princess's throat was parched, so she dismounted and drank from the stream, at the same time murmuring, "O, Heaven! what am I to do?" The three drops of blood again replied:
"If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"If she knew this, for thy sake
Thy queen-mother's heart would break."
As she raised her head from the water, the handkerchief bearing the three drops of blood fell unnoticed from her dress and floated down the stream. The maid, however, had observed the loss with no small satisfaction. Without the three drops of blood, the Princess was completely in her power, and the traitorous servant immediately took advantage of her helplessness. She obliged the Princess to disrobe and exchange the royal dress for her own mean one. After making her swear, on fear of death, never to betray the secret, the maid mounted Falada and left her own horse for the Princess.
Falada bore the false Princess to the palace; but the horse had noted all, and bided his time. The Prince came out to meet them, and took the impostor bride to the royal chamber, while the true one was left waiting in the court below. Seeing her there, forlorn and beautiful, the old King inquired of the bride who it was she had thus left outside.
"Only a woman who kept me company," she carelessly replied. "Give her some work to content her."
The King could think of nothing suitable for such as she; but lacking something better to offer, sent her to help the boy Curdken herd geese. So it happened that the real bride became a goose-girl.
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The false bride at length remembered Falada's gift of speech and became alarmed lest he should betray the secret of her treachery. She told the Prince that the horse which had brought her was vicious and had given her much trouble, and that she desired his head cut off immediately. The Prince at once granted her request, and gave orders that Falada be beheaded.
When the real Princess heard the sad news, she dried her tears and sought the executioner. She could not save her dear Falada from his doom, but with the aid of a gold piece she persuaded the slaughterer to nail his head over the great gate through which she had to pass on her way to and from the goose-pasture.
The next morning, when she and Curdken drove their geese under the gate, the Princess wrung her hands and cried:
"O Falada, hang you there?"
"O Falada, hang you there?"
"O Falada, hang you there?"
And the head replied to her:
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.
If she knew this, for thy sake
Thy queen-mother's heart would break."
When she had driven the geese to the field, she sat down and loosed her golden hair. Curdken, seeing it shining in the sun, caught at it to pull some out. Whereupon she sang:
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,
And take Curdken's hat away.
Keep him chasing o'er the wold,
While I bind my hair of gold."
When Curdken had recovered his hat and returned to where she was sitting, her hair was plaited, and he could get none of it. This made him very angry all day.
The next morning they again came to the gate where Falada's head was nailed, and the goose-girl said as before:
"O Falada, hang you there?"
"O Falada, hang you there?"
"O Falada, hang you there?"
And the head as before replied to her:
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.
If she knew this, for thy sake
Thy queen-mother's heart would break."
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Again she passed on with the geese and Curdken under the gate, and when she came to the field where they were herded, sat down and loosed her hair. The sun shone upon it, and Curdken again caught at its golden threads. The goose-girl called to the wind:
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,
And take Curdken's hat away.
Keep him chasing o'er the wold,
While I bind my hair of gold."
The wind did as she asked, and Curdken ran so far for his hat that when he returned the golden hair was plaited and bound about her head.
Curdken was sullen all day long, and when at night they had driven the geese home, he complained to the King:
"The goose-girl so teases me that I will no longer herd the geese with her."
When asked how she had offended, he told the King that she spoke every morning to the horse's head that was over the gate, and that the head replied and called her Princess. He also related how the goose-girl sat in the sun and combed her golden hair, while she sent him chasing for his hat.
The King bade Curdken go the next day with his flock as usual. When morning came the King arose early and stood in the shadow of the town-gate. He heard the goose-girl say, "O Falada, hang you there?" and he heard the head make answer:
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.If she knew this, for thy sakeThy queen-mother's heart would break."
"'Tis Falada, Princess fair.
If she knew this, for thy sake
Thy queen-mother's heart would break."
Then the King followed on to the field, where he hid behind a bush and watched them herd the geese. After a time the goose-girl undid her glittering hair; and as Curdken snatched at it, the King heard her say:
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,And take Curdken's hat away.Keep him chasing o'er the wold,While I bind my hair of gold."
"Wind, blow gently here, I pray,
And take Curdken's hat away.
Keep him chasing o'er the wold,
While I bind my hair of gold."
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The wind came at her bidding, and carried the herd-boy's hat across the fields; while she combed the shining hair and made it fast.
The King quietly returned to the palace, and that night he sent for the goose-girl. He told her he had watched her at the gate and in the field, and asked her the meaning of her strange actions.
"O King! I may not tell; for I have sworn, if my life were spared, to speak to no one of my woes," she replied.
The King pleaded with her, but she was firm; and at last he told her to tell her troubles to the iron stove, since she would not confide in him. When he had left her, she fell upon her knees before the stove and poured forth her sorrows:
"Here am I, the daughter of a Queen, doomed to the lowly service of a goose-girl, while the false waiting-maid steals my treasures and my bridegroom."
She sobbed and wept, until the King, who had stood outside and heard all, came in and bade her dry her eyes. He ordered her arrayed in royal robes; and then she appeared as lovely as the sun. The Prince was summoned; and the old King told him the story, and showed him the true bride. She was so beautiful that the Prince knelt at her feet in admiration, and knew her to be the real Princess.
A great banquet was given, to which many guests were invited. On one side of the Prince sat the false bride, and on the other the real Princess, who was so radiantly lovely that the maid did not know her. The King at last asked the waiting-maid what punishment should be dealt to a traitor.
Not knowing that she was passing sentence on herself, the waiting-maid's answer was as cruel as she was wicked. Said she:
"Let her be put into a barrel, and drawn by two white horses, up hill and down, till she is dead."
When the wicked maid had been punished according to her own decree, the Princess was wedded to the young Prince, and reigned with him for many happy years over the kingdom where she had first served as a goose-girl.
clover-leaves
[page 318]
T
HEREwas once a King who had a beautiful pleasure-garden behind his palace, in which grew a tree that bore golden apples. As fast as the apples ripened they were counted, but the next day one was always missing.
This was made known to the King, who commanded that a watch should be kept every night under the tree. Now, the King had three sons, and he sent the eldest into the garden when night was coming on; but at midnight he fell fast asleep, and in the morning another apple was missing. The following night the second son had to watch, but he did not succeed any better, and again another apple was missing in the morning. Now came the turn of the youngest son, who was eager to go; but the King did not rely much upon him, and thought he would watch even worse than his brothers; however, at last he consented.
The youth threw himself on the ground under the tree and watched steadily, without letting sleep master him. As twelve o'clock struck, something rustled in the air, and he saw a bird fly by in the moonlight, whose feathers were of shining gold. The bird alighted on the tree and was just picking off one of the apples when the young Prince shot a bolt at it. Away flew the bird, but the arrow had knocked off one of its feathers, which was of the finest gold. The youth picked it up and showed it to the King next morning, and told him all he had seen in the night.
Thereupon the King assembled his council, and each one declared that a single feather like this one was of greater value than the whole kingdom.
"However valuable this feather may be," said the King, "one will not be of much use to me—I must have the whole bird."
So the eldest son went forth on his travels, to look for the wonderful bird, and he had no doubt that he would be able to find it.
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When he had gone a short distance, he saw a fox sitting close to the edge of the forest, so he drew his bow to shoot. But the fox cried out: "Do not shoot me, and I will give you a piece of good advice! You are now on the road to the golden bird, and this evening you will come to a village where two inns stand opposite to each other—one will be brilliantly lighted, and great merriment will be going on inside; do not, however, go in, but rather enter the other, even though it appears but a poor place to you."
"How can such a ridiculous animal give me rational advice?" thought the young Prince, and shot at the fox, but missed it, so it ran away with its tail in the air. The King's son then walked on, and in the evening he came to a village where the two inns stood: in one there was dancing and singing, but the other was quiet, and had a very mean and wretched appearance.
"I should be an idiot," thought he to himself, "if I were to go to this gloomy old inn while the other is so bright and cheerful." Therefore, he went into the merry one, lived there in rioting and revelry, and so forgot the golden bird, his father, and all good behavior.
As time passed away, and the eldest son did not return home, the second son set out on his travels to seek the golden bird. Like the eldest brother, he met with the fox, and did not follow the good advice it gave him. He likewise came to the two inns, and at the window of the noisy one his brother stood entreating him to come in. This he could not resist, so he went in, and began to live a life of pleasure only.
Again a long time passed by without any news, so the youngest Prince wished to try his luck, but his father would not hear of it. At last, for the sake of peace, the King was obliged to consent, for he had no rest as long as he refused. The fox was again sitting at the edge of the forest, and once more it begged for its own life and gave its good advice. The youth was good-hearted, and said:
"Have no fear, little fox; I will not do thee any harm."
"Thou wilt never repent of thy good nature," replied the fox, "and in order that thou mayest travel more quickly, get up behind on my tail."
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Scarcely had the youth seated himself, when away went the fox over hill and dale, so fast that the Prince's hair whistled in the wind. When they came to the village, the youth dismounted, and following the fox's advice, he turned at once into the shabby-looking inn, where he slept peacefully through the night. The next morning, when the Prince went into the fields, the fox was already there, and said:
"I will tell thee what further thou must do. Go straight on, and thou wilt come to a castle before which a whole troop of soldiers will be lying asleep. Go right through the midst of them into the castle, and thou wilt come to a chamber where is hanging a wooden cage containing a golden bird. Close by stands an empty golden cage, for show; but be careful that thou dost not take the bird out of its ugly cage and put it in the splendid one, or it will be very unlucky for thee."
With these words the fox once more stretched out its tail, and the King's son sat upon it again, and away they went over hill and dale, with their hair whistling in the wind.
When they arrived at the castle, the Prince found everything as the fox had said, and he soon discovered the room in which the golden bird was sitting in its wooden cage; by it stood a golden one; while three golden apples were lying about the room. But the Prince thought it would be silly to put such a lovely bird in so ugly and common a cage; so, opening the door, he placed it in the golden cage. In an instant the bird set up a piercing shriek, which awakened all the soldiers, who rushed in and made him prisoner.
The next morning he was brought before a judge, who at once condemned him to death. Still, the King said his life should be spared on one condition, and that was, that he brought him the golden horse, which ran faster than the wind; and if he succeeded he should also receive the golden bird as a reward.
The young Prince set out on his journey, but he sighed and felt very sorrowful, for where was he to find the golden horse? All at once, he saw his old friend, the fox, sitting by the wayside.
"Ah!" exclaimed the fox, "thou seest now what has happened through not listening to me. But be of good courage; I will look after thee, and tell thee how thou mayest discover the[page 321]horse. Thou must travel straight along this road until thou comest to a castle; the horse is there in one of the stables. Thou wilt find a stable boy lying before the stall, but he will be fast asleep and snoring, so thou wilt be able to lead out the golden horse quite quietly. But there is one thing thou must be careful about, and that is to put on the shabby old saddle of wood and leather, and not the golden one which hangs beside it—otherwise everything will go wrong with thee." Then the fox stretched out his tail, the Prince took a seat upon it, and away they went over hill and dale, with their hair whistling in the wind.
Everything happened as the fox had said. The Prince came to the stable where the golden horse was standing, but, as he was about to put on the shabby old saddle, he thought to himself, "It does seem a shame that such a lovely animal should be disgraced with this. The fine saddle is his by right; it must go on."
Scarcely had the golden saddle rested on the horse's back when it began to neigh loudly. This awakened the stable boy, who awakened the grooms, who rushed in and seized the Prince and made him a prisoner. The following morning he was brought to trial and condemned to death, but the King promised him his life, as well as the golden horse, if the youth could find the beautiful daughter of the King of the golden castle. Once more, with a heavy heart, the Prince set out on his journey, and by great good fortune he soon came across the faithful fox.
"I really should have left thee to the consequences of thy folly," said the fox; "but as I feel great compassion for thee, I will help thee out of thy new misfortune. The path to the castle lies straight before thee; thou wilt reach it about the evening. At night, when everything is quiet, the lovely Princess will go to the bath-house, to bathe there. As soon as she enters, thou must spring forward and give her a kiss; then she will follow thee wherever thou carest to lead her; only be careful that she does not take leave of her parents, or everything will go wrong."
Then the fox stretched out his tail, the Prince seated himself[page 322]on it, and away they both went over hill and dale, their hair whistling in the wind.
When the King's son came to the golden palace, everything happened as the fox had predicted. He waited until midnight, and when everyone was soundly asleep the beautiful Princess went into the bath-house, so he sprang forward and kissed her. The Princess then said she would joyfully follow him, but she besought him with tears in her eyes to allow her to say farewell to her parents. At first he withstood her entreaties, but as she wept still more, and fell at his feet, he at last yielded.
Scarcely was the maiden at the bedside of her father, when he awoke, and so did everyone else in the palace; so the foolish youth was captured and put into prison.
On the following morning the King said to him: "Thy life is forfeited, and thou canst only find mercy if thou clearest away the mountain that lies before my windows, and over which I cannot see, but it must be removed within eight days. If thou dost succeed thou shalt have my daughter as a reward."
So the Prince commenced at once to dig and to shovel away the earth without cessation, but when after seven days he saw how little he had been able to accomplish, and that all his labor was as nothing, he fell into a great grief and gave up all hope.
On the evening of the seventh day, however, the fox appeared. "Thou dost not deserve that I should take thy part or befriend thee, but do thou go away and lie down to sleep, and I will do the work for thee."
And the next morning, when he awoke and looked out of the window, the mountain had disappeared! Then the Prince, quite overjoyed, hastened to the King and told him that the conditions were fulfilled, so that the King, whether he would or not, was obliged to keep his word and give him his daughter.
Then these two went away together, and it was not long before the faithful fox came to them.
"Thou hast indeed gained the best of all," said he; "but to the maiden of the golden castle belongs also the golden horse."
"How can I get it?" enquired the youth.
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"I will tell thee," answered the fox; "first of all, take the lovely Princess to the King who sent you to the golden palace. There will then be unheard-of joy; they will gladly lead the golden horse to thee and give it thee. Mount it instantly, and give your hand to everyone at parting, and last of all to the Princess. Grasp her hand firmly; make her spring into the saddle behind thee, and then gallop away; no one will be able to overtake thee, for the golden horse runs faster than the wind."
This was all happily accomplished, and the King's son carried off the beautiful Princess on the golden horse. The fox did not remain behind, and spoke thus to the young Prince:
"Now I will help thee to find the golden bird. When thou comest near the castle where the bird is to be found, let the Princess dismount, and I will take her under my protection. Then ride on the golden horse to the courtyard of the palace, where thy coming will cause great joy, and they will fetch the golden bird for thee. Directly the cage is in thy hands, gallop back to us and fetch the maiden again."
The Prince Starts Homeward with His Treasure.The Prince Starts Homeward with His Treasure.
The Prince Starts Homeward with His Treasure.
When this plot was successfully carried out, and the Prince was about to ride home with his treasure, the fox said, "Now must thou reward me for all my services."
"What is it that thou dost desire?" enquired the Prince.
"When we come to yonder wood, thou must shoot me dead and cut off my head and paws."
"That would be a fine sort of gratitude," said the King's son; "that I cannot possibly promise thee."
"Then," replied the fox, "if thou wilt not, I must leave thee; but before I go I will give thee again some good advice. Beware of two things—buy no gallows'-flesh, and see that thou dost not sit on the brink of a well!"
With this the fox ran off into the forest!
"Ah!" thought the young Prince, "that is a wonderful animal with very whimsical ideas! Who would buy gallows'-flesh, and when have I ever had the slightest desire to sit on the brink of a well?"
So he rode on with the beautiful maiden, and his path led[page 324]him once more through the village in which his two brothers had stopped. Here there was great tumult and lamentation, and when he asked what it all meant, he was told that two men were going to be hanged. When he came nearer, he saw that they were his two brothers, who had committed every kind of wicked folly and had squandered all their money. Then the young Prince asked if they could not be freed.
"Supposing you do pay for them," the people answered, "where is the good of wasting your money in order to free such villains?"
Nevertheless, he did not hesitate, but paid for them, and when the brothers were freed they all rode away together. They came to the forest where they first encountered the fox, and as it was cool and pleasant away from the burning sun, the two brothers said:
"Let us sit and rest a little by this well, and eat and drink something."
The young Prince consented, and while they were all talking together he quite forgot the fox's warning, and suspected no evil.
But suddenly the two brothers threw him backwards into the well, and, seizing the maiden, the horse, and the golden bird, they went home to their father.
"We not only bring you the golden bird," said they, "but we have also found the golden palace."
There was great rejoicing, but the horse would not eat, neither would the bird sing, and the maiden only sat and wept.
But the youngest brother had not perished. By good fortune the well was dry, and he had fallen on soft moss without hurting himself, but he could not get out again.
Even in this misfortune the faithful fox did not desert him, but came springing down to him and scolded him for not following his advice.
"Still I cannot forsake thee," said he, "and I will help to show thee daylight once more."
Then he told him to seize hold of his tail and hold on tightly; and so saying, he lifted him up in the air.
"Even now thou art not out of danger," said the fox, "for[page 325]thy brothers were not certain of thy death, and have set spies to watch for thee in the forest, who will certainly kill thee if they see thee."
There was an old man sitting by the wayside with whom the young Prince changed clothes, and, thus disguised, he reached the court of the King.
No one recognized him, but the golden bird began to sing, and the golden horse commenced to eat, and the lovely maiden ceased to weep.
The King was astonished and asked: "What does this all mean?"
Then said the maiden: "I know not, but I was so sad, and now I feel light-hearted; it is as if my true husband had returned."
Then she told him all that had happened, although the other brothers had threatened to kill her if she betrayed them.
The King then summoned all the people in the castle before him: and there came with them the young Prince dressed as a beggar in his rags, but the maiden recognized him instantly and fell upon his neck.
So the wicked brothers were seized and executed, but the young Prince married the lovely Princess and was made his father's heir.
But what became of the poor fox?
Long afterwards the young Prince went again into the forest, and there he met once more with the fox, who said:
"Thou hast now everything in the world thou canst desire, but to my misfortunes there can be no end, although it is in thy power to release me from them."
So he entreated the Prince to shoot him dead and cut off his head and feet.
At last the Prince consented to do so, and scarcely was the deed done than the fox was changed into a man, who was no other than the brother of the beautiful Princess, at last released from the spell that had bound him.
So now nothing was wanting to the happiness of the Prince and his bride as long as they lived.
clover-leaves
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O
NCEupon a time there was a rich merchant, who had three daughters. They lived in a very fine house in a beautiful city, and had many servants in grand liveries to wait upon them. All their food was served on gold and silver dishes, and their gowns were made of the richest stuff sewn with jewels.
The two eldest were called Marigold and Dressalinda. Never a day passed but these two went out to some feast or junketing; but Beauty, the youngest, loved to stay at home and keep her old father company.
Now, it happened that misfortune came upon the merchant. Ships of his which were sailing the high seas laden with merchandise of great price, were wrecked, and in one day he found that he was no longer the richest merchant in the city, but a very poor man.
There was still left to him a little house in the country, and to this, when everything else had been sold, he retired. His three daughters, of course, went with him.
Marigold and Dressalinda were very cross to think that they had lost all their money, and after being so rich and sought after, they must now live in a miserable cottage.
But Beauty's only thought was to cheer her old father, and while her two sisters sat on wooden chairs and cried and bewailed themselves, Beauty lighted the fire and got the supper ready, for the merchant was now so poor that he could not even keep a servant.
And so it went on. The two eldest sisters would do nothing but sulk in corners, while Beauty swept the floors and washed the dishes, and did her best to make the poor cottage pleasant.[page 327]They led their sister a dreadful life too, with their complaints, for not only did they refuse to do anything themselves, but they said that everything she did was done wrong. But Beauty bore all their unkindness patiently, for her father's sake.
In this way a whole year went by, and then one day a letter came for the merchant.
He hastened to find his daughters, for he was anxious to tell them the good news contained in the letter.
"My dear children," he said, "at last our luck has turned. This letter says that one of the ships supposed to have been lost has come safely home to port, and if that be so, we need no longer live in poverty. We shall not be so rich as before, but we shall have enough to keep us in comfort. Get me my traveling-cloak, Beauty. I will set out at once to claim my ship. And now tell me, girls, what shall I bring you when I come back?"
"A hundred pounds," said Marigold, without hesitating an instant.
"I want a new silk dress," said Dressalinda, "an apple-green one, sewn with seed-pearls, and green shoes with red heels, and a necklace of emeralds, and a box of gloves."
"And what shall I bring for you, my Beauty?" asked the father, as his little daughter helped him to put on his traveling-cloak.
"Oh, bring me a rose," said Beauty hastily.
Her father kissed her fondly, and set out.
"You silly girl," said Marigold, "you just want our father to think you are more unselfish than we are—that's what you want! A rose, indeed!"
"Indeed, sister," said Beauty, "that was not the reason. I thought our father would have enough to do in seeing to the safety of his ship, without being troubled to do shopping for me."
But the sisters were very much offended, and went off to sit in their own room to talk of the fine things they would have when their father came back.
In the meantime the merchant went his way to the city, full of hope and great plans as to what he would do with his money.