‘What’s the rumbling and tumblingThat sets my stomach grumbling?I thought ’twas six Kids, flesh and bones,Now find it’s nought but rolling stones.’
‘What’s the rumbling and tumblingThat sets my stomach grumbling?I thought ’twas six Kids, flesh and bones,Now find it’s nought but rolling stones.’
‘What’s the rumbling and tumblingThat sets my stomach grumbling?I thought ’twas six Kids, flesh and bones,Now find it’s nought but rolling stones.’
The Seven Kids and their mother capered and danced round the spring in their joy.
When he reached the spring, and stooped over the water to drink, the heavy stones dragged him down, and he was drowned miserably.
When the seven Kids saw what had happened, they came running up, and cried aloud—‘The Wolf is dead, the Wolf is dead!’ and they and their mother capered and danced round the spring in their joy.
ONCE upon a time two Princes started off in search of adventure, and, falling into a wild, free mode of life, did not come home again.
The third Brother, who was called the Blockhead, set out to look for the other two. But when at last he found them, they mocked him for thinking of making his way in the world with his simplicity, while they, who were so much cleverer, could not get on.
They all three went on together till they came to an ant-heap. The two elder Princes wanted to disturb it, to see how the little ants crept away, carrying their eggs.
But the Blockhead said: ‘Leave the little creatures alone; I will not allow you to disturb them.’
Then they went on further till they came to a lake, in which a great many ducks were swimming about. The two wanted to catch and roast a pair.
But the Blockhead would not allow it, and said: ‘Leave the creatures alone. You shall not kill them.’
At last they came to a bee’s nest, containing such a quantity of honey that it flowed round the trunk of the tree.
The two Princes wanted to set fire to the tree, and suffocate the bees, so as to remove the honey.
But the Blockhead stopped them again, and said: ‘Leave the creatures alone. I will not let you burn them.’
At last the three Brothers came to a castle, where the stables were full of stone horses, but not a soul was to be seen. They went through all the rooms till they came to a door quite at the end, fastened with three bolts. In the middle of the door was a lattice, through which one could see into the room.
There they saw a little grey Man sitting at a table. They called to him once—twice—but he did not hear them. Finally, when they had called him the third time, he stood up and opened the door, and came out. He said not a word, but led them to a richly-spread table, and when they had eaten and drunk, he took them each to a bedroom.
The next morning the little grey Man came to the eldest Prince, beckoned, and led him to a stone tablet whereon were inscribed three tasks by means of which the castle should be freed from enchantment.
This was the first task: In the wood, under the moss, lay the Princesses’ pearls, a thousand in number. These had all to be found, and if at sunset a single one were missing, the seeker was turned to stone.
The eldest went away, and searched all day, but when evening came, he had only found the first hundred, and it happened as the inscription foretold. He was turned to stone.
The next day the second Brother undertook the quest; but he fared no better than the first, for he only found two hundred pearls, and he too was turned to stone.
At last came the Blockhead’s turn; he searched in the moss, but the pearls were hard to find, and he got on but slowly.
Then he sat down on a rock and cried, and as he was sitting there, the Ant-King, whose life he had saved, came up with five thousand ants, and it was not long before the little creatures had found all the pearls and laid them in a heap.
Now the second task was to get the key of the Princesses’ room out of the lake.
When the Blockhead came to the lake, the ducks he had once saved, swam up, dived, and brought up the key from the depths.
But the third task was the hardest. The Prince had to find out which was the youngest and most charming of the Princesses while they were asleep.
They were exactly alike, and could not be distinguished in any way, except that before going to sleep each had eaten adifferent kind of sweet. The eldest a piece of sugar, the second a little syrup, and the third a spoonful of honey.
Then the Queen of the Bees, whom the Blockhead had saved from burning, came and tried the lips of all three. Finally, she settled on the mouth of the one who had eaten the honey, and so the Prince recognised the right one.
Then the charm was broken and everything in the castle was set free, and those who had been turned to stone took human form again.
And the Blockhead married the youngest and sweetest Princess, and became King after her father’s death, while his two Brothers married the other sisters.
The princesses sleep propped up on one another
The Three Sleeping Princesses.
The Ducks, which he had once saved, dived and brought up the key from the depths.
THERE was once a Shoemaker who, through no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had only leather enough left for one pair of shoes. At evening he cut out the shoes which he intended to begin upon the next morning, and since he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly, said his prayers, and fell asleep.
In the morning when he had said his prayers, and was preparing to sit down to work, he found the pair of shoes standing finished on his table. He was amazed, and could not understand it in the least.
He took the shoes in his hand to examine them more closely. They were so neatly sewn that not a stitch was out of place, and were as good as the work of a master-hand.
Soon after a purchaser came in, and as he was much pleased with the shoes, he paid more than the ordinary price for them, so that the Shoemaker was able to buy leather for two pairs of shoes with the money.
He cut them out in the evening, and next day, with fresh courage, was about to go to work; but he had no need to, for when he got up, the shoes were finished, and buyers were not lacking. These gave him so much money that he was able to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.
Early next morning he found the four pairs finished, and so it went on; what he cut out at evening was finished in the morning, so that he was soon again in comfortable circumstances, and became a well-to-do man.
Now it happened one evening, not long before Christmas, when he had cut out some shoes as usual, that he said to hisWife: ‘How would it be if we were to sit up to-night to see who it is that lends us such a helping hand?’
The Wife agreed, lighted a candle, and they hid themselves in the corner of the room behind the clothes which were hanging there.
At midnight came two little naked men who sat down at the Shoemaker’s table, took up the cut-out work, and began with their tiny fingers to stitch, sew, and hammer so neatly and quickly, that the Shoemaker could not believe his eyes. They did not stop till everything was quite finished, and stood complete on the table; then they ran swiftly away.
The next day the Wife said: ‘The little men have made us rich, and we ought to show our gratitude. They were running about with nothing on, and must freeze with cold. Now I will make them little shirts, coats, waistcoats, and hose, and will even knit them a pair of stockings, and you shall make them each a pair of shoes.’
The Husband agreed, and at evening, when they had everything ready, they laid out the presents on the table, and hid themselves to see how the little men would behave.
At midnight they came skipping in, and were about to set to work; but, instead of the leather ready cut out, they found the charming little clothes.
At first they were surprised, then excessively delighted. With the greatest speed they put on and smoothed down the pretty clothes, singing:
‘Now we’re boys so fine and neat,Why cobble more for other’s feet?’
‘Now we’re boys so fine and neat,Why cobble more for other’s feet?’
‘Now we’re boys so fine and neat,Why cobble more for other’s feet?’
Then they hopped and danced about, and leapt over chairs and tables and out at the door. Henceforward, they came back no more, but the Shoemaker fared well as long as he lived, and had good luck in all his undertakings.
AFOX was one day talking to a Wolf about the strength of man.
‘No animals,’ he said, ‘could withstand man, and they were obliged to use cunning to hold their own against him.’
The Wolf answered, ‘If ever I happened to see a man, I should attack him all the same.’
‘Well, I can help you to that,’ said the Fox. ‘Come to me early to-morrow, and I will show you one!’
The Wolf was early astir, and the Fox took him out to a road in the forest, traversed daily by a Huntsman.
First came an old discharged soldier.
‘Is that a Man?’ asked the Wolf.
‘No,’ answered the Fox. ‘He has been a Man.’
After that, a little boy appeared on his way to school.
‘Is that a Man?’
‘No; he is going to be a Man.’
At last the Huntsman made his appearance, his gun on his back, and his hunting-knife at his side. The Fox said to the Wolf,—
‘Look! There comes a Man. You may attack him, but I will make off to my hole!’
The Wolf set on the Man, who said to himself when he saw him, ‘What a pity my gun isn’t loaded with ball,’ and fired a charge of shot in the Wolf’s face. The Wolf made a wry face, but he was not to be so easily frightened, and attacked him again. Then the Huntsman gave him the second charge. The Wolf swallowed the pain, and rushed at the Huntsman; but he drew his bright hunting-knife, and hit out right and leftwith it, so that, streaming with blood, the Wolf ran back to the Fox.
‘Well, brother Wolf,’ said the Fox, ‘and how did you get on with the Man?’
‘Alas!’ said the Wolf. ‘I never thought the strength of man would be what it is. First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and something flew into my face, which tickled frightfully. Then he blew into it again, and it flew into my eyes and nose like lightning and hail. Then he drew a shining rib out of his body, and struck at me with it till I was more dead than alive.’
‘Now, you see,’ said the Fox, ‘what a braggart you are. You throw your hatchet so far that you can’t get it back again.’
THERE were once two Brothers who both served as soldiers, and one was rich and the other was poor.
The poor one, wishing to better himself, discarded his uniform and worked like a Peasant. Then he dug and hoed his little field and sowed Turnips.
The seed came up, and one of the Turnips grew to such an enormous size, that it seemed as though it would never have finished; and it might have been called the Queen of Turnips, for its like had never been seen before, nor ever will be again.
At last it was so big that it filled a cart, and needed two oxen to draw it; and the Peasant could not imagine what would come of it, whether it would bring good luck or bad.
At last he said to himself: ‘If I sell it what shall I gain? I might eat it, but the little Turnips would do as well for that. The best thing will be to take it to the King and offer it to him.’
So he loaded a cart, harnessed two oxen, and took it to the Court to present it to the King.
‘What is that extraordinary object?’ said the King. ‘I have seen many marvels in my time, but never anything so remarkable as this. What seed did it spring from? Perhaps it belongs to you, especially if you are a child of good luck?’
‘Oh no,’ said the Peasant, ‘lucky I certainly am not, for I am a poor Soldier, who, since he could keep himself no longer, has hung up his uniform on a nail, and tills the earth. Further, I have a Brother who is rich, and well known to you, my Lord King; but I, because I have nothing, am forgotten by all the world.’
Then the King pitied him and said: ‘Your poverty shallbe at an end, and you shall receive such rich presents from me that your wealth will equal that of your Brother.’
Thereupon he gave him plenty of gold, lands, fields, and flocks, and enriched him with precious stones, so that the other Brother’s wealth could not be compared with his.
Now, when the rich Brother heard what his Brother with the single Turnip had acquired, he envied him, and pondered how he might gain a like treasure for himself.
The Turnip is carried off in a cart
So the rich Brother had to put his Brother’s Turnip into a cart, and have it taken home.
But he wanted to show himself much cleverer, so he took gold and horses and presented them to the King, feeling certain that he would give him a far handsomer gift; for if his Brother got so much for a Turnip, what would not he get for his beautiful things.
The King took the present, saying that he could give him in return nothing rarer or better than the huge Turnip.
So the rich Brother had to put his Brother’s Turnip into a cart, and have it taken home.
Then he did not know on whom to expend his wrath and bitterness, till evil thoughts came to him, and he determined to kill his Brother.
He hired Murderers, who were to place themselves inambush, and then he went to his Brother, and said: ‘Dear Brother, I know of a secret treasure which we will carry off and divide.’
The other agreed, and went without suspicion. But when they got out, the Murderers sprang upon him, bound him, and prepared to hang him on a tree.
While they were about it, they heard in the distance the clatter of hoofs and the sound of singing, which frightened them so much that they stuck their Prisoner into a sack, head foremost, slung it up on a branch, and took to flight.
But the Man up in the sack worked a hole in it, and stuck his head through.
Now the traveller turned out to be nothing more than a Student, a young fellow who was riding through the wood, singing cheerily.
When the Man up in the sack saw some one down below, he called out: ‘Good-day. You come in the nick of time.’
The Student looked all round, but could not make out where the voice came from.
At last he said: ‘Who calls?’
A voice from above answered: ‘Raise your eyes, I am sitting up here in the Sack of Wisdom, and in a short time I have learnt so much that the wisdom of the schools is as air compared to mine. Soon I shall be quite perfect, and shall come down and be the wisest of all mankind. I understand the stars and signs of the heavens, the blowing of the winds, the sand of the sea, the healing of sickness, the power of herbs, birds, and stones. If you were once inside, you would feel what wonders flow from the Sack of Knowledge.’
When the Student heard this he was astonished, and said: ‘Blessed be the hour when I met you, if only I too might get into the sack for a little.’
The other answered, as though unwillingly: ‘I will let you in for a little while for payment and kind words, but you must wait an hour, as there is something rather difficult which I must learn first.’
But when the Student had waited a little, he grew impatient and entreated permission to get in, so great was his thirst for knowledge. Then the Man in the sack pretended to give in, and said: ‘In order that I may get out of the sack you must let it down, then you can get in.’
So the Student let it down, undid the sack and released the Prisoner, and said: ‘Now pull me up as fast as possible’; and he tried to get into the sack and stand upright in it.
‘Stop,’ said the other. ‘That won’t do.’ And he packed him in head first, tied it up, and slung up the Disciple of Wisdom, dangling him in the air, and said: ‘How are you, my dear fellow? You will soon feel wisdom coming upon you, and will have a most interesting experience. Sit still till you are wiser.’
Thereupon he mounted the Student’s horse, and rode off, but sent some one in an hour to let him down again.
WHERE are you going, Hans?’ asked his Mother.
‘To see Grettel,’ answered Hans.
‘Behave well, Hans!’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans comes to Grettel.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. What have you brought me?’
‘I’ve not brought you anything. I want a present.’
Grettel gives him a needle. Hans takes the needle, and sticks it in a load of hay, and walks home behind the cart.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘I’ve been to Grettel’s.’
‘What did you give her?’
‘I gave her nothing. But she made me a present.’
‘What did she give you?’
‘She gave me a needle.’
‘What did you do with it?’
‘Stuck it in the hay-cart.’
‘That was stupid, Hans. You should have stuck it in your sleeve.’
‘Never mind, Mother; I’ll do better next time.’
‘Where are you going, Hans?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘Behave well.’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans comes to Grettel.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. What have you brought me?’
‘I’ve brought nothing. But I want something.’
Grettel gives him a knife.
‘Good-bye, Grettel.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans takes the knife, and sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘Been to see Grettel.’
‘What did you give her?’
‘I gave her nothing. But she gave me something.’
‘What did she give you?’
‘She gave me a knife.’
‘Where is the knife, Hans?’
‘I stuck it in my sleeve.’
‘That’s a stupid place, Hans. You should have put it in your pocket.’
‘Never mind, Mother; I’ll do better next time.’
‘Where are you going, Hans?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘Behave well, then.’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans comes to Grettel.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. Have you brought me anything nice?’
‘I’ve brought nothing. What have you got for me?’
Grettel gives him a young kid.
‘Good-bye, Grettel.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans takes the kid, ties its legs together, and puts it in his pocket.
When he got home, it was suffocated.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘Been to see Grettel, Mother.’
‘What did you give her?’
‘I gave her nothing. But I brought away something.’
‘What did Grettel give you?’
‘She gave me a young kid.’
‘What did you do with the kid?’
‘Put it in my pocket, Mother.’
‘That was very stupid. You should have led it by a rope.’
‘Never mind, Mother; I’ll manage better next time.’
‘Where are you going, Hans?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘Manage well, then.’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans comes to Grettel.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. What have you brought me?’
‘I’ve brought you nothing. What have you got for me?’
Grettel gives him a piece of bacon.
‘Good-bye, Grettel.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans takes the bacon, ties a rope round it, and drags it along behind him. The dogs come after him, and eat it up. When he got home he had the rope in his hand, but there was nothing at the end of it.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘What did you take her?’
‘I took nothing. But I brought something away.’
‘What did she give you?’
‘She gave me a piece of bacon.’
‘What did you do with the bacon, Hans?’
‘I tied it to a rope, and dragged it home. But the dogs ate it.’
‘That was a stupid business, Hans. You should have carried it on your head.’
‘Never mind, Mother; I’ll do better next time.’
‘Where are you going, Hans?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘Behave properly, then.’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans comes to Grettel.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. What have you brought me?’
‘I’ve brought nothing. What have you got for me?’
Grettel gives Hans a calf.
‘Good-bye, Grettel.’
‘Good-bye, Hans.’
Hans takes the calf, and puts it on his head. It kicks his face.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘Been to see Grettel, Mother.’
‘What did you take her?’
‘I took her nothing, Mother. She gave me something.’
‘What did she give you, Hans?’
‘She gave me a calf, Mother.’
‘What did you do with the calf?’
‘Put it on my head, Mother, and it kicked my face.’
‘That was very stupid, Hans. You should have led it by a rope, and put it in the cow-stall.’
‘Never mind, Mother; I’ll do better next time.’
‘Where are you going, Hans?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘Mind how you behave, Hans.’
‘All right, Mother. Good-bye.’
Hans goes to Grettel.
Hans is followed by three dogs
When he got home he had the rope in his hand, but there was nothing at the end of it.
‘Good morning, Grettel.’
‘Good morning, Hans. What have you brought me?’
‘I’ve brought you nothing. I want to take away something.’
‘I’ll go with you myself, Hans.’
Hans ties Grettel to a rope, and leads her home, where he puts her in a stall, and ties her up. Then he goes into the house to his Mother.
‘Good evening, Mother.’
‘Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?’
‘To see Grettel, Mother.’
‘What did you take her?’
‘I took nothing.’
‘What did Grettel give you?’
‘She gave me nothing. She came with me.’
‘Where did you leave Grettel?’
‘Tied up in the stable with a rope.’
‘That was stupid. You should have cast sheep’s eyes at her.’
‘Never mind; I’ll do better next time.’
Hans went into the stable, plucked the eyes out of the cows and calves, and threw them in Grettel’s face.
Grettel got angry, broke the rope, and ran away.
Yet she became Hans’ wife.
THERE once lived in Switzerland an old Count, who had an only son; but he was very stupid, and could learn nothing. So his father said to him: ‘Listen to me, my son. I can get nothing into your head, try as hard as I may. You must go away from here, and I will hand you over to a renowned Professor for a whole year.’ At the end of the year he came home again, and his father asked: ‘Now, my son, what have you learnt?’
‘Father, I have learnt the language of dogs.’
‘Mercy on us!’ cried his father, ‘is that all you have learnt? I will send you away again to another Professor in a different town.’ The youth was taken there, and remained with this Professor also for another year. When he came back his father asked him again: ‘My son, what have you learnt?’
He answered: ‘I have learnt bird language.’
Then the father flew into a rage, and said: ‘Oh, you hopeless creature, have you been spending all this precious time and learnt nothing? Aren’t you ashamed to come into my presence? I will send you to a third Professor, but if you learn nothing this time, I won’t be your father any longer.’
The son stopped with the third Professor in the same way for a whole year, and when he came home again and his father asked, ‘My son, what have you learnt?’ he answered—
‘My dear father, this year I have learnt frog language.’
Thereupon his father flew into a fearful passion, and said: ‘This creature is my son no longer. I turn him out of the house and command you to lead him into the forest and take his life.’
The youth listens to the Frogs
On the way he passed a swamp, in which a number of Frogs were croaking.
They led him forth, but when they were about to kill him, for pity’s sake they could not do it, and let him go. Then theycut out the eyes and tongue of a Fawn, in order that they might take back proofs to the old Count.
The youth wandered about, and at length came to a castle, where he begged a night’s lodging.
‘Very well,’ said the Lord of the castle. ‘If you like to pass the night down there in the old tower, you may; but I warn you that it will be at the risk of your life, for it is full of savage dogs. They bark and howl without ceasing, and at certain hours they must have a man thrown to them, and they devour him at once.’
The whole neighbourhood was distressed by the scourge, but no one could do anything to remedy it. But the youth was not a bit afraid, and said: ‘Just let me go down to these barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw to them; they won’t do me any harm.’
As he would not have anything else, they gave him some food for the savage dogs, and took him down to the tower.
The dogs did not bark at him when he entered, but ran round him wagging their tails in a most friendly manner, ate the food he gave them, and did not so much as touch a hair of his head.
The next morning, to the surprise of every one, he made his appearance again, and said to the Lord of the castle, ‘The Dogs have revealed to me in their own language why they live there and bring mischief to the country. They are enchanted, and obliged to guard a great treasure which is hidden under the tower, and will get no rest till it has been dug up; and how that has to be done I have also learnt from them.’
Every one who heard this was delighted, and the Lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished the task successfully. He went down to the tower again, and as he knew how to set to work he accomplished his task, and brought out a chest full of gold. The howling of the savage Dogs was from that time forward heard no more. They entirely disappeared, and the country was delivered from the scourge.
After a time, he took it into his head to go to Rome. Onthe way he passed a swamp, in which a number of Frogs were croaking. He listened, and when he heard what they were saying he became quite pensive and sad.
At last he reached Rome, at a moment when the Pope had just died, and there was great doubt among the Cardinals whom they ought to name as his successor. They agreed at last that the man to whom some divine miracle should be manifested ought to be chosen as Pope. Just as they had come to this decision, the young Count entered the church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew down and alighted on his shoulders.
The clergy recognised in this the sign from Heaven, and asked him on the spot whether he would be Pope.
He was undecided, and knew not whether he was worthy of the post; but the Doves told him that he might accept, and at last he said ‘Yes.’
Thereupon he was anointed and consecrated, and so was fulfilled what he had heard from the Frogs on the way, which had disturbed him so much—namely, that he should become Pope.
Then he had to chant mass, and did not know one word of it. But the two Doves sat upon his shoulders and whispered it to him.
IT happened once that the Cat met Mr. Fox in the wood, and because she thought: ‘He is clever and experienced in all the ways of the world,’ she addressed him in a friendly manner.
‘Good morning, dear Mr. Fox! how are you and how do you get along in these hard times?’
The Fox, full of pride, looked at the Cat from head to foot for some time hardly knowing whether he would deign to answer or not. At last he said—
‘Oh, you poor whisker-wiper, you piebald fool, you starveling mouse-hunter! what has come into your head? How dare you ask me how I am getting on? What sort of education have you had? How many arts are you master of?’
The cat sits on a branch
The Cat crept stealthily up to the topmost branch.
‘Only one,’ said the Cat, meekly.
‘And what might that one be?’ asked the Fox.
‘When the hounds run after me, I can jump into a tree and save myself.’
‘Is that all?’ said the Fox. ‘I am master of a hundred arts, and I have a sack full of cunning tricks in addition. ButI pity you. Come with me, and I will teach you how to escape the hounds.’
Just then, a huntsman came along with four hounds. The Cat sprang trembling into a tree, and crept stealthily up to the topmost branch, where she was entirely hidden by twigs and leaves.
‘Open your sack, Mr. Fox! open your sack!’ cried the Cat; but the hounds had gripped him, and held him fast.
‘O Mr. Fox!’ cried the Cat, ‘you with your hundred arts, and your sack full of tricks, are caught, while I, with my one, am safe. Had you been able to climb up here, you would not have lost your life.’
So the four Brothers took their sticks in their hands, bade their Father good-bye, and passed out of the town gate.
THERE was once a poor man who had four sons, and when they were grown up, he said to them: ‘Dear children, you must go out into the world now, for I have nothing to give you. You must each learn a trade and make your own way in the world.’
So the four Brothers took their sticks in their hands, bid their father good-bye, and passed out of the town gate.
When they had walked some distance, they came to four cross roads, which led into four different districts. Then the eldest one said: ‘We must part here, but this day four years, we will meet here again, having in the meantime done our best to make our fortunes.’
Then each one went his own way. The eldest met an old man, who asked him where he came from, and what he was going to do.
‘I want to learn a trade,’ he answered.
Then the Man said: ‘Come with me and learn to be a Thief.’
‘No,’ answered he, ‘that is no longer considered an honest trade; and the end of that song would be that I should swing as the clapper in a bell.’
‘Oh,’ said the Man, ‘you need not be afraid of the gallows. I will only teach you how to take things no one else wants, or knows how to get hold of, and where no one can find you out.’
So he allowed himself to be persuaded, and under the Man’s instructions he became such an expert thief that nothing was safe from him which he had once made up his mind to have.
The second Brother met a Man who put the same question to him, as to what he was going to do in the world.
‘I don’t know yet,’ he answered.
‘Then come with me and be a Star-gazer. It is the grandest thing in the world, nothing is hidden from you.’
He was pleased with the idea, and became such a clever Star-gazer, that when he had learnt everything and wanted to go away, his master gave him a telescope, and said—
‘With this you can see everything that happens in the sky and on earth, and nothing can remain hidden from you.’
The third Brother was taken in hand by a Huntsman, who taught him everything connected with sport so well, that he became a first-rate Huntsman.
On his departure his master presented him with a gun, and said: ‘This gun will never miss: whatever you aim at you will hit without fail.’
The youngest Brother also met a Man who asked him what he was going to do.
‘Wouldn’t you like to be a Tailor?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know about that,’ said the young man. ‘I don’t much fancy sitting cross-legged from morning till night, and everlastingly pulling a needle in and out, and pushing a flat iron.’
‘Dear, dear!’ said the Man, ‘what are you talking about? If you come to me you will learn quite a different sort of tailoring. It is a most pleasant and agreeable trade, not to say most honourable.’
So he allowed himself to be talked over, and went with the Man, who taught him his trade thoroughly.
On his departure, he gave him a needle, and said: ‘With this needle you will be able to stitch anything together, be it as soft as an egg, or as hard as steel; and it will become like a whole piece of stuff with no seam visible.’
When the four years, which the Brothers had agreed upon, had passed, they met at the cross-roads. They embraced one another and hurried home to their Father.
‘Well!’ said he, quite pleased to see them, ‘has the wind wafted you back to me again?’
They told him all that had happened to them, and that each had mastered a trade. They were sitting in front of the house under a big tree, and their Father said—
‘Now, I will put you to the test, and see what you can do.’
Then he looked up and said to his second son—
‘There is a chaffinch’s nest in the topmost branch of this tree; tell me how many eggs there are in it?’
The Star-gazer took his glass and said: ‘There are five.’
His Father said to the eldest: ‘Bring the eggs down without disturbing the bird sitting on them.’
The cunning Thief climbed up and took the five eggs from under the bird so cleverly that it never noticed they were gone, and he gave them to his Father. His Father took them, and put them one on each corner of the table, and one in the middle, and said to the Sportsman—
‘You must shoot the five eggs through the middle at one shot.’
The Sportsman levelled his gun, and divided each egg in half at one shot, as his Father desired. He certainly must have had some of the powder which shoots round the corner.
‘Now it is your turn,’ said his Father to the fourth son. ‘You will sew the eggs together again, the shells and the young birds inside them; and you will do it in such a manner that they will be none the worse for the shot.’
The Tailor produced his needle, and stitched away as his Father ordered. When he had finished, the Thief had to climb up the tree again, and put the eggs back under the bird without her noticing it. The bird spread herself over the eggs, and a few days later the fledglings crept out of the shell, and they all had a red line round their throats where the Tailor had sewn them together.
‘Yes,’ said the old man to his sons; ‘I can certainly praise your skill. You have learnt something worth knowing, and made the most of your time. I don’t know which of you to give the palm to. I only hope you may soon have a chance of showing your skill so that it may be settled.’
Not long after this there was a great alarm raised in the country: the King’s only daughter had been carried off by a Dragon. The King sorrowed for her day and night, and proclaimed that whoever brought her back should marry her.
The four Brothers said to one another: ‘This would be an opportunity for us to prove what we can do.’ And they decided to go out together to deliver the Princess.
‘I shall soon know where she is,’ said the Star-gazer, as he looked through his telescope; and then he said—
‘I see her already. She is a long way from here, she is sitting on a rock in the middle of the sea, and the Dragon is near, watching her.’
Then he went to the King and asked for a ship for himself and his Brothers to cross the sea in search of the rock.
They found the Princess still on the rock, but the Dragon was asleep with his head on her lap.
The Sportsman said: ‘I dare not shoot. I should kill the beautiful maiden.’
‘Then I will try my luck,’ said the Thief, and he stole her away from beneath the Dragon. He did it so gently and skilfully, that the monster never discovered it, but went snoring on.
Full of joy, they hurried away with her to the ship, and steered for the open sea. But the Dragon on waking had missed the Princess, and now came after them through the air, foaming with rage.
Just as he was hovering over the ship and about to drop on them, the Sportsman took aim with his gun and shot him through the heart. The monster fell down dead, but he was so huge, that in falling, he dragged the whole ship down with him. They managed to seize a few boards, on which they kept themselves afloat.