PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES
COLLECTED BY
CONSIGLIERI PEDROSO,
AND
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL MS.
BY
MISS HENRIQUETA MONTEIRO.
With an Introduction by W. R. S. RALSTON, M.A.
LONDON:
PUBLISHED FOR THE FOLK LORE SOCIETY BY
Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row.
1882.
WESTMINSTER:
PRINTED BY NICHOLS AND SONS,
25, PARLIAMENT STREET.
CONTENTS AND STORY LIST.
| PAGE | |
| Introduction, by W. R. S. Ralston, M.A. | |
| Introductory | 1 |
| The Vain Queen | 3 |
| The Maid and the Negress | 6 |
| The Three Citrons of Love | 9 |
| The Daughter of the Witch | 14 |
| May you vanish like the Wind | 20 |
| Pedro and the Prince | 25 |
| The Rabbit | 29 |
| The Spell-bound Giant | 33 |
| The Enchanted Maiden | 37 |
| The Maiden and the Beast | 41 |
| The Tower of Ill Luck | 45 |
| The Step-Mother | 49 |
| Saint Peter's Goddaughter | 53 |
| The Two Children and the Witch | 59 |
| The Maiden with the Rose on her Forehead | 62 |
| The Princess who would not marry her Father | 66 |
| The Baker's Idle Son | 72 |
| The Hearth-Cat | 75 |
| The Aunts | 79 |
| The Cabbage Stalk | 81 |
| The Seven Iron Slippers | 85 |
| The Maiden from whose Head Pearls fell on combing herself | 90 |
| The Three Princes and the Maiden | 94 |
| The Maiden and the Fish | 97 |
| The Slices of Fish | 100 |
| The Prince who had the head of a Horse | 105 |
| The Spider | 111 |
| The Little Tick | 113 |
| The Three Little Blue Stones | 116 |
| The Hind of the Golden Apple | 121 |
INTRODUCTION.
The thirty stories which Prof. Consiglieri Pedroso has selected from his collection of five hundred inedited Portuguese Folk-Tales have this great merit—they are evidently genuine. Just as it is easy to decide in the case of certain tales which their collectors profess to have gathered from rustic lips that they have been submitted to literary manipulation, so is there no difficulty in recognising the justice of the claim made by these Portuguese stories to be considered as "popular" in the technical sense of the word. Their occasional clumsiness and obscurity, their frequent forgetfulness of their original meaning, and some of their other peculiarities, may be objected to by lovers of neat and trim fairy-tales, but those characteristics will be accepted by more serious students of folk-lore as trustworthy evidence in favour of Prof. Consiglieri Pedroso's conscientiousness as a collector and a reporter.
As he has postponed for a time his comments on the stories he has published, it may be useful to say a few words here as regards their principal themes. The group of folk-tales, which is most largely represented in the present collection, is that which treats of a supernatural spouse who is temporarily condemned to assume an unattractive appearance. For the sake of convenience it is often designated the Beauty and the Beast, or the Cupid and Psyche, group. To it belong five tales. No. 10, "The Maiden and the Beast," resembles that form of the story with which we are best acquainted, except in its termination; for in it the forgotten Beast dies, and soon afterwards the penitent Beauty does the same. No. 26, "The Prince who had the Head of a Horse," has remained more faithful to its leading idea, which is that of a transformation terminated by a wife's self-sacrificing pertinacity. The best-known form of the story is probably the Countess d'Aulnoy's "Prince Marcassin," an adaptation of one of Straparola's tales: one of the most interesting of its variants is the Calmuc legend of the Bird-husband, which forms the seventh of Jülg's Kalmükische Märchen. No. 20, "The Cabbage Stalk," resembles the Cupid and Psyche variant of the same theme, its supernatural hero being obliged to fly when he is looked at by candle-light at night, and three drops of grease fall upon him. Its main features bear a strong resemblance to those of the Sicilian "Re d'Amuri" (Pitre, No. 18), but it is also closely akin to such tales, current everywhere, as the Norse "King Valemon, the White Bear," and "East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon." In Nos. 27 and 28 the Beast is not the husband but the wife, there being, as is usual, a feminine as well as a masculine form of the story. In the one case, a young man, in the most improbable manner, without the slightest compulsion, marries a spider; in the other, a youth weds something "which felt very cold and clammy," and which turns out to be "a little tick." In both of these stories the idea which lent an air of comparative probability to their eastern originals has been forgotten or misunderstood. In most of the Indian stories of this class, and their variants in other Asiatic lands, there exists the notion that a celestial being may be condemned to live on earth, generally cased in a bestial husk, but having the power of, at times, laying that husk aside, until the spell under which the fallen divinity labours is brought to an end by the destruction of the husk during the temporary absence of its celestial tenant.
The story of Cinderella occurs twice, Nos. 18 and 24, or three times if the "Katie Woodencloak" form of the tale in No. 16 is included. In the first and second of these the heroine is styled "the Hearth-Cat," because "she was fond of assisting the servant in. the kitchen." In neither of them is it stated that she was assisted, as no doubt was the case, by her dead mother. In No. 18 a cow protects her, and in No. 24 a fish, which she had rescued from the frying-pan; but the narrator was evidently unaware that these creatures had a maternal interest in the Hearth-Cat, The troubles of Maria do Pau, the heroine of No. 16, are very much the same as those of the German Allerleirauh, the Norse Katie Woodencloak, the English Catskin, the Scotch Rashie-Coat, and all the rest of her sister sufferers in divers lands—mysterious maidens of high degree, who to escape from an incestuous marriage voluntarily envelope themselves in a rough husk, represented in the present instance by a dress made of wood.
The widely-spread story to which the name of "The Supplanted Bride" may be given, in which the real bride is set on one side, and sometimes even put to death by a step-sister, or serving-maid, or some other impostor who assumes her place, appears four times. No. 2 begins with the Rapunzel's hair-ladder opening. The impostor is a negro woman, who transforms the heroine into a bird by running a pin into her head. No. 3 is the same narrative with a different opening, being the strange story of the three citrons, out of each of which when opened emerges "a most lovely maid," who immediately dies if she is not supplied with water to drink. The story is familiar to the South of Europe, and has even made its way to the North, being No. 66 of Asbjörnsen's Norse Tales ("Tales from the Fjeld," No. 25). In No. 9 the supplanted bride loses not only her husband but her eyes. These, however, she recovers, obtaining them as the price of a nosegay. In No. 22 the supplanted heroine is a girl, whose mother, when dying, gives her a towel and a comb, on the application of which to her head pearls fall therefrom. Her supplanter contrives to have her thrown, in a state of trance, into the sea, where she is swallowed by a whale, from which, after a time, she emerges unhurt. In the first two variants there is a characteristic touch of ferocity at the close. When the true bride was asked what the prince ought to do to the impostor, "the maiden replied that he should kill her, and with her bones make bed-steps for her to climb into her bed, and with her skin to make a drum."
Another group of narratives, describing undeserved suffering, tell the story of what may be called "The Calumniated Wife," the innocent mother who is accused of having killed, and sometimes eaten, her beloved children. A specimen of this group occurs in No. 29. One of its characteristic features is the mention of three little blue stones, which bear witness to the truth of the victim's asseveration of innocence. A confidant somewhat resembling these blue stones is the stone talisman to which the heroine of No. 15, "The Maiden with the Rose on her Forehead," tells the story of her wrongs,—how she has been killed, and hidden away in an iron chest in a secret chamber of the Bluebeard story type, and scorched all over with a hot iron, after having been brought back to life and the light of day, to the temporary destruction of her beauty. This tale seems to be a mixture of several story-scraps.
Enchantment is, of course, the leading feature of many of these stories. No. 1, which is like No. 15, a medley, tells how a vain queen tried to kill a girl who surpassed her in beauty, and how the girl escaped and took refuge in a swineherd's hut, and how, all of a sudden, "it was transformed into a palace, the man who had sheltered the girl was turned into a powerful emperor, the pigs into dukes, the maiden into a beautiful princess." No. 7 deals with a prince who is under a spell, and No. 8 with a "spell-bound giant." The well-known story of the wicked step-mother, who illtreats the girl whom she first cajoles into asking her father to marry again, as in the opening of "the three little men in the wood" (Grimm, No. 13), occupies the whole of No. 12, and the opening of No. 16. Nos. 11 and 25 contain the well-known account of the hag who succeeded in killing, or at least bewitching, the elder brothers of a family, but who was at last overcome by the youngest brother, who rescued his dead or entranced relatives. In these two stories each of the brothers is protected by a horse and a lion, but the hag induces her victims to tie them up with one of her hairs, which acquires irresistible strength when she calls upon it to do so. In the Russian variants of the story the witch usually petrifies her victims. No. 14 contains the widely-spread story of the ogress who intended to bake her human guests, but was baked herself instead. One of its incidents, the testing of the tenderness of her prisoners, closely resembles a passage in the Norse story of "Boots and the Troll." The "Three Spinsters" (Grimm, 14), who attribute their ugliness to the amount of work they have done, and thereby rescue a girl in whom they are interested from a life of industry, figure here in No. 19. "The Seven Iron Slippers" of No. 21 are the counterparts of "The Shoes which were danced to pieces" (Grimm, No. 133). No. 17, "The Baker's Idle Son," is a variant of a tale which is popular everywhere, but especially in the East of Europe. In Russia it is generally known as the story of "Emilian the Fool," or "By the Pike's Will" (Afanasief, Skazki, v. No. 55, vi. No. 32, vii. No. 31). The opening is the same as that of the German story of "The Fisherman and his Wife" (Grimm, No. 19), in which a fish, in return for its life being spared, enables its sparer to obtain everything which he wishes. In the variant in Hahn's Griechische Märchen (No. 8) the hero is a "half man," a lad who has only "half a head, half a nose, half a mouth, half a body, one hand, and one foot." The aim of the original narrator seems to have been to show that even a very inferior man, a cripple, a sluggard, or an imbecile, may achieve great things if aided by a supernatural power. In Asia the story would probably assume a comparatively reasonable form. In Europe it has taken one which is quite unreasonable and not remarkably edifying. No. 30, "The Hind of the Golden Apple," is a variant of one of the numerous Eastern tales about grateful beasts. A Norse rendering of the same theme is given in Dasent's "Tales from the Fjeld" (Asbjörnsen, No. 63).
No. 4, "The Daughter of the Witch," is a variant of a very widely-spread story, describing how a hero escapes from a demon by the help of the demon's daughter, whom he marries, but after a while temporily forgets. The most important parallel which can be cited is "The Story of Sringabhuja and the Daughter of the Rákshasa," in the seventh book of the Sanskrit Kathá Sarit Ságara.[1] Another thoroughly Oriental tale is that of "The Three Princes and the Maiden." She dies, but is resuscitated by their united efforts. Unable to say on which of the three she ought to bestow her hand, she shuts herself up in a tower, and they do likewise. The story figures in several collections of Eastern tales. Its best form is that which it assumes in the second of the "Twenty-five tales of a Vetala," the "Story of three young Bráhmans who restored a young lady to life."[2] But the most thoroughly Indian of the Portuguese tales is "Pedro and the Prince" (No. 6), in which a trusty retainer saves his master's life, and is, in consequence of his self-sacrificing loyalty, turned into a marble statue. It is best known as the story of "Der treue Johannes" (Grimm, No. 22), and that of "Rama and Luxman," in Miss Frere's "Old Deccan Days" (No. 5). An Indian variant of the story, in which no mention is made of the human sacrifice by which the faithful servant is restored to life, will be found at p. 253 of the first volume of Mr. Tawney's translation of the Kathá Sarit Ságara.
PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
INTRODUCTORY.
Later on, when the plan of my researches shall have been completed, the Society may in a special publication, and in a separate volume, assist in bringing forward a Portuguese popular Mythology the existence of which for years, even in Portugal, has been unknown.
Lisbon, December 1880.
I. the Vain Queen.
There was a very vain Queen who, turning towards her maids of honour, asked them, "Is there a face more beautiful than mine?" To which they replied that there was not; and on asking the same question of her servants they made the same answer. One day she turned towards her chamberlain and asked him, "Is there a more beautiful face than mine?" The chamberlain replied, "Be it known to your august majesty that there is." The queen, on hearing this, desired to know who it could be, and the chamberlain informed her that it was her daughter. The queen then immediately ordered a carriage to be prepared, and placing the princess in it ordered her servants to take her far away into the country and there to cut off her head, and to bring back her tongue. The servants departed as the Queen had ordered them, but, on arriving at the place agreed upon, they turned towards the princess and said, "Your highness is not aware for what purpose we have brought you here; but we shall do you no harm." They found a small bitch and killed her, and cut her tongue off, telling the princess that they had done this to take it to her majesty, for she had commanded them to behead her, and to take her back the tongue. They then begged of the princess to flee to some distant part and never to return to the city, so as not to betray them. The maiden departed and went on walking through several lonely wild places until she descried at a distance a small farm-house, and on approaching it she found nothing whatever inside the hut but the trail of some pigs. She walked on, and, on entering the first room she came to, she found a very old chest made of pinewood; in the second room she found a bed with a very old straw mattress upon it; and in the third room a fire-place and a table. She went to the table, drew open the drawer, and found some food, which she put on the fire to cook. She laid the cloth, and when she was beginning to eat she heard a man coming in. The maiden, who was very much frightened, hid herself under the table, but the man, who had seen her hiding away, called her to him. He told her not to be ashamed; and they both afterwards dined at the table, and at night they also supped together. At the end of supper the man asked the princess which she would prefer, to remain as his wife or as his daughter. The princess replied that she should like to remain as his daughter. The man then arranged a separate bed for himself and they each retired to rest. They lived in this way very happily. One day the man told the maiden to go and take a walk to amuse herself. The maiden replied that the dress she wore was too old to go out in, but the man opening a cupboard showed her a complete suit of a country-woman's clothes. The maiden dressed herself in them and went out. When she was out walking she saw a gentleman coming towards her. The maiden immediately turned back very much alarmed, and hid herself at home. At night when the man returned home he asked her if she had enjoyed her walk, to which she replied that she had, but this she said in a timid tone of voice. The next day the man again sent her out to take a walk. The maiden did so and again saw the same gentleman coming towards her, and as before she fled home in great fright to hide herself. When the man saw her in the evening and asked her whether she had enjoyed her walk the maiden replied that she had not, because she had seen a man approach as though he wished to speak to her, and therefore she did not wish ever to go out again. To this the man made no reply. The gentleman was a prince, who, on returning twice to the same place, and failing to meet the maiden, fell love-sick. The wisest physicians attended him; and they gave an account of the illness the prince was suffering from. The queen immediately commanded a proclamation to be issued to the effect that the country lass who had seen the prince should at once proceed to the palace, for which she would be recompensed and marry the prince. But as the maiden now never left her home she knew nothing of the proclamation. The queen, seeing that no one presented herself at the palace, sent a guard to search the place. The guard went and knocked at the door, and told the maiden that her majesty sent for her to the palace, and that she would be well rewarded if she came. The maiden told the guard to return next day for her answer. When she saw the man again in the evening she related to him all that had passed. He told her that when the guard should return for the answer she was to tell him that the queen must come to her as she would not go to the queen. When the guard returned next day for the answer, the girl told him that she did not dare inform him of her decision. The guard told her to say whatever she liked, that he would repeat it to the queen. The girl then told him what the man had advised her to say. When the guard arrived at the palace he also feared to give the girl's answer; but the queen obliged him to do so. The guard then recounted all that the girl had said. The queen was very angry, but as at that very moment the prince was attacked with a severe fit of convulsions, and the queen feared he might die of it, she resolved to go. She ordered a carriage to be brought and she went to see the maiden; but as she was approaching the house it was transformed into a palace, the man who had sheltered the girl was turned into a powerful emperor, the pigs into dukes, the maiden into a beautiful princess, and all the rest into wealth and riches. When the queen saw all this she was very much astonished, and made many apologies for having summoned the girl to the palace. She told the maiden that seeing that her son the prince was so greatly in love with her she begged of her, if such was pleasing to her, to consent to marry the prince, as otherwise he would most certainly die. The maiden was willing and acceded to the request of the queen, and the marriage was celebrated with great pomp, and they all lived very happily.
II. The Maid and the Negress.
There was once a maiden who was imprisoned in a tower. She was very much attached to a prince, who used to come every afternoon to speak to her. This girl would let down her hair from the tower, and by this means the prince was enabled to come up and hold a conversation with her. One day, just as a witch happened to be passing that way, she saw the prince ascend. What should she do? She came next day to the place, earlier than the prince was in the habit of doing, and, imitating the prince's voice and speech, she called out to the girl. The girl threw down her hair as usual, and the witch caught hold of the long tress and ascended. She then commenced to tell the maiden not to care for the prince, and to discard him, and in fact gave her much bad advice; and when she found that it was near the hour when the prince would arrive as usual at the tower, she again laid hold of the girl's hair and slipped down to the ground. As soon as the maiden saw the prince she recounted to him all the witch had said to her, and how she had deceived her in order to ascend the tower. When the prince heard this he at once ordered a carriage in order to run away with the maiden. Before the girl left the tower she took leave of everything in it, but she forgot to take leave of the besom and the broomstick. She took away with her a glass with water, a little bag with stones, and another with sand, and she ran away. A little while after the witch came again to the foot of the tower, and began calling out to the girl as she had done the day before. To this the table and the chairs replied, "The maiden is very ill." But the broomstick and the besom which had remained, very much hurt and angry on account of the girl not having taken leave of them, came to the window and said to the witch, "What they say is not true; the girl ran away with the prince!" As soon as the witch knew this, she began to run to overtake her. The girl, who felt distrustful of the consequences, put her head out of the carriage to look out, and when she saw the witch following she emptied the bag of sand she had with her, and immediately a sand waste was formed. The witch found great difficulty in getting over the sand, but she managed to pass it, and still continued to run after the carriage. When the maiden saw that the witch was nearly overtaking her, she threw out the stones she carried in the other bag, and instantly a great wall rose up. The witch found great difficulty in getting over this wall, but succeeded in clearing it, and continued running to reach the carriage. But when the maiden saw that the witch had succeeded in getting over the wall, and was nearly upon her, she threw out the water she carried in the glass, and instantly a large wide river was formed; this time, however, the witch was unable to pass.
When the prince arrived at the gates of the city, he said to the maiden, "You must remain here on the top of this tree whilst I go and summon my court together, for I cannot make my public entry without them;" and he gave her his word that he would return for her. The maiden remained on the top of the tree, which grew close to a fountain, and whose branches fell over it. A little while after a negro woman came with a pitcher for water: she saw the reflection of the girl's face upon it, and, thinking it was her own figure, she saw, she cried out, "Oh! beautiful negress! break the pitcher!" She knocked the pitcher against the fountain and broke it. She then went away, but came back with another pitcher. She looked upon the limpid water, and seeing the girl's reflection upon it, she repeated, "Oh! beautiful negress! break the pitcher!" and again she broke the pitcher. The negro woman departed, and a third time returned with a tin jug. She looked towards the fountain, and again seeing the reflection of the maiden's figure, she said, "Oh! beautiful negress! break the pitcher!" But, as the pitcher was made of tin, she could not succeed in breaking it as she knocked it against the fountain. The negro woman, already very angry because she could not break the jug, said to herself, "Oh, what manner of a beautiful negro woman must this be that cannot break the pitcher!" She looked up to the tree, and, on seeing the maiden, she said, "Oh, poor girl! you are up there quite by yourself; would you like me to stay with you?" And she also went up the tree. She inquired of the maiden what she was doing there, and then said to her, "Oh, my girl! what a beautiful head of hair you have got! Would you like me to comb you?" Saying this, she pierced her head with a long pin. The girl at once became transformed into a dove, and flew about. When the prince returned he was much surprised at this, and said, "What ails you, my girl, who were so beautiful, and now you are so black?" "What would you have?" replied the black woman; "you left me here exposed to the heat of the sun, and I became sunburnt." The prince had certainly doubts about the truth of this, as ho was convinced that this negress was not the girl he had left there; yet, as he had given his word to the maid, he took her to the palace and married her.
Every day a beautiful dove came to the garden which would coo, "Oh, gardener, how does the prince fare with his black Maria?" and the gardener replied, "Pretty well; be off." When the gardener met the prince coming into the garden, he related what had taken place. The prince told him that when the dove should come on the following day he was to lay a snare of ribbon to catch her. The next day the dove returned. "Oh, gardener, how does the prince fare with black Maria?" she cried. The gardener then threw at her the lasso of ribbon, but the dove merely replied, "Ha! ha! ha! Snares of ribbon were not made to catch me!" and flew away. When the prince came to inquire what had occurred, the gardener told him what the dove had said. The prince then said, "To-morrow throw over her a snare made of silver." The dove returned again and said, "Ha! ha! ha! Snares of silver are not made for me!" and flew away. And when the prince heard this, he ordered the gardener to lay a golden snare; and the little dove this time was caught. The gardener then took her to the prince. But when the black woman saw the dove she began telling the prince to kill it; the prince however would not, because he had already grown very fond of the little dove, and esteemed her more and more. One day as the prince was petting her he discovered a pin stuck in her pretty head which he at once extricated, and instantly the dove was transformed into the maiden. She then related to the prince all that had taken place, and he told her he would marry her. After this the prince asked her what she wished him to do to the black woman. The maiden replied that he should kill her and with her bones make bed-steps for her to climb into her bed, and with her skin to make a drum.
III.—The Three Citrons of Love.
There was once a king who had a son passionately fond of hunting. And as he was one day going through some fields he met an old woman in great affliction, and who was nearly starved with hunger. The prince had no money with him, but carried some food which he had brought with him to eat whilst he should be out. He called his servants to him and ordered them to serve her with every thing he had brought for himself. The old woman eat and drank, and when she had satisfied her wants she thanked the prince very much, saying that she had no other way of showing her gratitude to him as she did not possess anything, "Yet here are three citrons which I give you as a mark of my gratitude." At the same time she recommended him never to break them open except when standing by a fountain, and that when he did so he should cut them open lengthways and not across. The prince kept the citrons, took leave of the old woman, and continued his journey.
When he had proceeded on his way for some length of time he thought he would open one of the citrons, but forgot to open it at the foot of a fountain, as the old woman had enjoined him; the instant he opened one a most lovely maid came out of the citron, who said to him, "Give me water to drink, if not I shall die." As there was no water there the poor girl died. The prince was struck very sad indeed, but as he had still two more citrons he became more consoled and reconciled to his loss, and continued his journey. Further on he opened another, but again forgot that he should do it at the foot of a fountain, and at the moment he did so a most beautiful girl made her appearance, who said to him, "Give me water or else I shall die." As there was no water there the poor girl died. The prince was extremely sad at the event, and now he did not dare open the third citron fearing lest the same thing should happen again. However, he had such a great wish to see what was inside it that, looking out for a spot where there was a fountain, he opened the third citron. That moment a most lovely maid stepped out from the citron, much more beautiful than any of the others, who also said to him, "Give me water to drink, or I shall die." The prince, who had brought a shell with him, filled it with water and gave the maiden to drink, who was greatly refreshed; but, as she was very delicate and very thin and spare, the prince, fearing to take her as far as the palace, which was yet very distant, lest the journey should be more than she could bear, told her to go up a tree which stood there, whilst he went for a carriage for her. The maiden did so, and the prince departed. A short while after a negro woman made her appearance, who was very ugly, and had come to draw water for her master. The black woman began to look at the water which, as it was very clear and limpid, reflected the maiden's face in it. The black woman believing that it was her own face, began to say, "What, little black woman, who art so very beautiful, do you come for water? Break, break the pitcher!" And she began to strike the ground with the pitcher, but as the pitcher was made of copper it would not break. The negress again looked at the water, and seeing the maiden's face reflected, repeated, "Little negress, who are so beautiful, how is it that you come to draw water? Break, break the pitcher," and she again struck the ground with it. All this time the maiden was very much amused at what she saw and heard, and felt inclined to laugh, but feared to do so lest the black woman should hear and see her, but at last, unable to contain herself, she laughed outright. This made the negress look on every side, but she was unable to discover any one, until at last looking up she saw the maiden in the tree. She then began to ingratiate herself with her by all manner of affectionate and endearing expressions and caresses, and asked her to come down the tree, but the maiden refused, saying that she was there waiting for the prince. But the negress, being a witch, began to renew her caresses, and said to her, "Come here, my girl, and let me at least clean your pretty little head." The witch said and did so much that at last the maiden decided to come down from the tree. As soon as the witch seized the girl she began to pretend to clean her hair, and ask her many questions about the prince, which the maiden answered her with all truth; and when the negress knew all she wished to know she drew out a large pin which she had upon her, and stuck it into the girl's head. At that moment the maiden was transformed into a dove and flew away. The negress now went up the tree instead of the girl, and there waited for the prince, who arrived before long. He looked up the tree and was much surprised that, after having left such a beautiful girl there, he should find an ugly black woman instead. He began to grow very angry, but the negress commenced to cry and say that it was all owing to an unfortunate spell which pursued her, and that she was as beautiful at one moment as she was an ugly black woman the next. The prince, believing all she said, took compassion upon her, and told her to come down from the tree, and then he took her to the palace. Next day he rose up very early in the morning and went to the garden to take a walk; shortly after he saw a beautiful dove who flew close up to the gardener and said, "Gardener of my own garden, how does the prince get on with his negress, the black, ugly, and evil-eyed bitch?" As she finished speaking she flew away. The gardener made no reply but went up to the prince and told him what the dove had said, and inquired of him, "What does your highness wish me to say in answer to the dove's question?" "Tell her that I live happily and lead a good life," replied the prince. Next day the dove returned and said, "Gardener of my own garden, how does the prince fare with his negress, so black, ugly, and squinting?" The gardener replied, "He lives happily, and leads a good life." The dove then said, "Poor me! who fly about lost and without aim in life." The gardener then went and informed the prince of what the dove had said in answer. The prince ordered him to set up a snare of ribbon to see if they could entangle her leg and catch her, because he liked her very much. Next day the dove returned again and made the same speech as before and the gardener replied as he had done before, and when the dove looked towards the snare laid for her she gave a loud laugh and said, "Ha! ha! ha! A snare of ribbon was never meant for my leg," and she flew away. The gardener again went and told the prince what had occurred this time with the dove; and the prince ordered him to lay a snare of silver cords. The dove came, repeated what she had said before, looked towards the snare laid, and laughingly said, "Ha! ha! ha! Snares of silver cord were not made for my leg." The gardener now repeated to the prince what the dove had said, and the prince ordered a snare of gold cord to be prepared for her. The dove came again next day, said the same words as before, and, looking towards the snare, said, as she laughed, "Ha! ha! ha! Snares of gold were never made for me," and again flew away as she had done each time. When the gardener told the prince what the dove had said he was very angry indeed, and, being resolved to catch her in desperation, ordered a snare of brilliants to be laid for the dove. When next day the dove appeared, she had hardly seen the expensive snare when she flew right into it, saying, "Yes, this snare is the one fit for my leg," and allowed herself to be caught. The moment that the black woman saw that the little dove had been caught, she began to say that she felt very ill and wished a broth to be made with the dove. The prince in deep distress at this said that the dove was not to be killed, and commenced to caress and fondle her, and as he stroked her pretty head he found a pin buried in it which he drew out. That very instant the dove was transformed into a lovely maiden, and the very same form that the prince had left on the tree. The prince was much astonished to see her so suddenly before him; and the maiden related to the prince all that the black woman had done to her. The prince then commanded the woman to be killed, and a drum to be made of her skin and with her bones steps for the maiden to get to her bed. He then married the maiden and they were very happy.
IV. The Daughter of the Witch.
There was once a witch, and she had a daughter called Guiomar, who was much attached to a certain prince. Her mother did not wish her to marry him, but the maiden told the prince to dress himself like a poor man, and some day, when her mother was not at home, to come begging, for she would open the door for him. The prince did as he was told, and the girl made him stand behind the door, and instructed him that when her mother came home he should say that he was a poor man, and to ask her to give him shelter for the night. When the witch returned home, she said, "I smell royal blood." "No, mother," said the girl, "it is a poor man who asks alms, and who would be glad to have shelter given him, as he has no place to go to." "Well, then, let him remain," replied the witch; "but he must present me to-morrow with a potful of guano of little birds." The prince, distressed to tears, asked the girl to tell him how he could possibly procure the guano. The girl, who knew something of witchcraft, replied, "Do not distress yourself about that, for I will show you how you are to do that." She then told him to go and place an earthenware pot at the foot of a certain great wall, which she indicated to him, and that he was to go at night for it, and he would find it full of little birds' guano; but she enjoined him very particularly not to mention to her mother what she had told him, as it was she who had instructed her. The prince did as the girl told him, and placed the earthenware pot at the foot of the wall, and at night he found the pot full of guano of little birds; and he then gave it to the mother. When the witch saw the pot, she said, "Ha! ha! ha! Guiomar has had a hand in this." But the prince said that she had not. The witch then said, "To-morrow you must plant a number of vines, and at night you must bring me a basket full of grapes from them." The prince, weeping, again went to the girl, and recounted all that the mother had ordered him to do. The girl told him not to be distressed, but to go and plant the vines, and that at night he was to go to the spot and he would find the vines full of grapes. The prince did so: he planted the vines, and at night he returned to the spot and found the grapes, and gave them to the mother. When the witch saw them, she said, "Ha! ha! ha! Guiomar has had a hand again in this." But the prince again assured her that she had not; and he went away contentedly to tell the girl the result. They afterwards agreed to run away on the following day, when the mother should go out. Next day, when they found that the mother had gone out of the house, they arranged everything for their flight. The girl spat three times on the ground at the threshold as she left the house, and they then ran away. When the witch returned and knocked at the door, one of the spits answered, "Who is there?" The witch replied, "Open to me, Guiomar." The other spit then said, "Guiomar has ran away." The witch asked, "With whom?" And the third spit answered, "With a young man." The witch then told the girl's father to go and run after them, for he might yet catch them. The father set to running; and the girl, when she was half way on the road, looked back and saw her father. She then said to the prince, "There comes my father; what shall I do?" He replied, in great fright, "Indeed, what shall we do!" But the girl said that she would arrange everything satisfactorily, and then continued saying, "Let my boy be converted into a public road, and myself into an old man with a sack on his back." And so it all took place. The father then coming up to the spot, and seeing the old man, he said, "Pray, my little neighbour, have you seen a girl, with a young man, on this road?" The old man replied—
"I sell nuts, and buy garlics;
I buy garlics, and sell nuts.
I sell nuts, and buy garlics;
I buy garlics, and sell nuts."
The father, annoyed at the answer, turned back towards home. The witch had scarcely caught sight of him when she asked, "Well, did you meet with Guiomar?" "No, I did not; I met an old man with a sack on his back, and I asked him if he had seen a girl with a young man pass that way; and he replied to my inquiries thus—
'I sell nuts, and buy garlics;
I buy garlics, and sell nuts.
I sell nuts, and buy garlics;
I buy garlics, and sell nuts.'
and, feeling much annoyed at the stupid answer, I came away." The witch then said, "Lo! catch her, for it was Guiomar you saw!" And she hurried him back in pursuit of the girl, telling him that should he find the old man again with the sack on his back, to lay hold of him, for it was no other than Guiomar. The father renewed his pursuit; and when the girl saw him she said to the prince, "Let my lad be turned into a hermitage, and I into a hermit." When the father arrived at the spot, he asked, "Oh, my good uncle, did you happen to see a girl with a young man on this road?" The hermit replied—
"Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Quick! for the priest is at the altar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
For the priest is at the altar."
"I am not inquiring for this," said the father; "but I wanted to know if your reverence has seen on this road a girl accompanied by a young man." The hermit gave the same answer as before—
"Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Quick! for the priest is at the altar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.
The bell goes for mass,
For the priest is at the altar."
The father, weary and annoyed, turned back home, and when he arrived he related to the witch what had taken place. "Lo! Catch her, for the hermit is no other than Guiomar! And since you are not clever and discriminating enough for the purpose I shall myself go there." When the girl had nearly come to the end of her journey she looked back and said, breathless and in great trepidation, "Oh! there comes my mother! I have saved myself from my father, but now I do not know how to escape from my mother!" But, after a short pause, she said, "My lad, be transformed into a river, and I into an eel!" When the mother arrived she at once found her daughter out; she came close to the edge of the river and called out three times, "Guiomar, come here!" whilst the eel replied significantly every time with her tail that she would not come. The witch then said, "The curse which I invoke to fall upon you is, that when the prince arrives at his own palace, the first person that shall give him a kiss shall make him forget you." And saying ^this she went away. They now returned to their original form and continued to walk on. The girl said to the prince, "Be on your guard that no one gives you a kiss, for my mother's imprecations never fail to take effect." The prince on entering the palace was on his guard that neither his mother or his sisters should give him a kiss. As he arrived very tired he laid down to sleep. One of the sisters who was passing through his room, seeing that he was quietly asleep, gave him a kiss. When the prince awoke and Guiomar spoke to him he did not know her. And when the girl perceived it she remembered her mother's imprecation and went to live in a separate house which stood in front of the palace; and every day she dressed and adorned herself very well, and sat at one of the windows looking out. One day, as three of the chamberlains were at the palace window, they said one to the other "Who can that girl be, opposite to us? I have a mind to go and ask her if she will allow me to speak to her." The chamberlain went and passed under her window and asked the girl to allow him to have a chat with her. The girl replied that she was quite willing and appointed him to come at four o'clock in the afternoon. When the chamberlain entered in and saw the girl he sat down to converse with her, until it was nearly dark; and then the girl said, "It is now almost night and my servant does not come to light a candle for me." The chamberlain said that he would go and do it for her. He tried to strike fire with the steel and flint, but do what he would he could not succeed in lighting the tinder, whilst his fingers were hurt and bleeding. He left the house very much mortified and vexed at what had happened to him, and returned to the palace. The girl had done all this to fascinate the prince by means of witchcraft, and to induce him, as will be seen, to come and speak to her. The chamberlain related what had happened to him, and one of the other three chamberlains said, "I lay a wager that I shall go there to-morrow and that she will not treat me in the same way." He therefore passed under her window next day, asked her if he could have a chat with her, and she answered that he might come when he liked. The chamberlain entered and commenced to converse with the girl; and when they had been chatting for some time the girl said, "I am very thirsty, but my servant does not come to give me water." The chamberlain said he would go and get it for her. He took up a glass and from a jar on the table commenced to pour out water, but the water instead of being poured into the glass went over him, so that he was thoroughly drenched. He left the house vexed and mortified, and returned to the palace. He recounted what had happened to him, and then the third chamberlain said, "I lay a wager that if I go and see the girl she will not treat me in this way." Next day he passed under her window and asked the girl if she would allow him to come up and have a chat with her, and the girl said "Yes." When they were deep in conversation, a great wind began to rise, and the girl said to the chamberlain, " Oh! there is so much wind in the room, and the servant does not come to shut the window." The chamberlain immediately offered to shut the window himself; but the window began to slam and to beat him in the chest, and the more ho tried to shut it the more did the window beat against him, and to such a degree that he began to spit blood profusely.
The prince found all three chamberlains very bitterly complaining of pain and vexation, and he asked them what was the matter, and they told him what had happened to them. The curiosity of the prince being roused, he said, "I also shall go to see the girl and try if the same thing will happen to me." He passed under the girl's window and asked her when he could go and speak to her. "At once," replied the girl, "and the sooner the better." The prince entered the house, and at the same time the girl threw a spell over him, so that he might remember what had passed on the highroad when they ran away from her mother's house. The prince went up the stairs, pushed open a door he came to, and he there found a public road along which an old man with a sack on his back was trudging along. He asked him the way to the queen's room, and the old man replied,
"I sell nuts, and buy garlics,
I buy garlics, and sell nuts.
I sell nuts, and buy garlics,
I buy garlics and sell nuts."
"Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Quick! for the priest is at the altar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Quick! for the priest is at the altar."
At this the prince commenced to recollect that he had heard that before. He went on further and he came to another door, and inside he found that there was a river and the eel. That moment he recollected everything that had been dismissed from his mind, and falling upon his knees he begged the girl's pardon for his forgetfulness of her. The girl transformed herself back into her natural state, married the prince, and they lived happily ever after.
V.—May You Vanish Like the Wind.
There was once a king who had a daughter whom he dearly loved. The princess had the habit of combing herself, and on being ready dressed would go to the garden for a flower to place in her hair. But when she was there she invariably heard a voice which said, "When will you have your troubles, when you are young or when you are old?" This happened several times, and the princess, full of curiosity and tired of hearing always the same question, went one day into the palace and said to her maid of honour, "Do you know what has happened to me the last few days? I hear always a voice which says to me, when I go and gather a flower, 'Which will you do, go through your troubles in your youth or in your old age?'" The maid of honour replied, "Listen, royal lady; for my part I should say that I prefer having my troubles when young; with my old age I would acquire more power." The princess combed and dressed herself next day, and went to the garden. She heard the same voice which always spoke to her, and when it asked her the usual question the princess replied that she would rather go through her troubles in her youth than in her old age. Then the voice rejoined, "Take leave here of every thing that is yours." The princess took leave of the palace, of her father, of her mother, and of the servants. After this the voice led her through the air, and placed her on the top of a windmill. The owner of the windmill said that he missed the flour, and he began to throw stones at the princess. Next day the voice came for her at the same hour as the day before, and again took her through the air, and went and placed her on the banks of a river where some washerwomen were washing their clothes. The washerwomen began to say one to the other, "Just see, there goes the thief who steals the clothes which we have missed." And they all commenced to throw stones at her. The next day the same voice came for her at the same hour, and again led her through the air, and placed her at the gate of a garden. The gardener had hardly seen her when he began to say that it was she who was in the habit of stealing his fruit, and went in and began to pelt her with stones. Next day at the same hour the voice came back for her and took her through the air, and placed her at the door of a beautiful garden close to a palace. The voice then asked the princess if she remembered the time when she used to go to the garden. She replied that she did not recollect. A while after the cook looked out of a window of the palace, and seeing there a maiden that appeared to him to be very beautiful, in spite of her being now so unrecognizable, went in and told the prince that there was a most lovely maiden in the garden. The prince bade him call her in, but the princess said she would not go in, because she was waiting that the voice should come for her as it always did. The prince again said, "Go and call her, for she will recognise me!" The princess then remembered a lover she had had, and she said, "Perhaps it is he;" and, rising quickly, she entered the palace. When the prince saw her he said to her, "Do you not recollect how one day you said to me, 'May you vanish like the wind.' It is that you might know what troubles I went through that you have now passed through the same, but I was fortunate because I became enchanted. It was not I in person, but it was my voice that spoke to you in the garden." The princess replied, "It is true that I often wondered to hear a voice without seeing any one, but 1 soon found out that it was enchantment." The prince then asked her, "Now, tell me, do you wish to return to your father's house?" The princess replied, "No, now I shall remain in your company." "But listen," said the prince, "I shall not marry you before twenty years' time, because if I marry before then I shall dispel my enchantment." "I shall wait for you even if it should be thirty years," said the princess; and she asked him what he did all the time, and he answered that he eat, and walked, and sauntered about. The prince then said, "It is now three years since you left your father's house. The day after to-morrow we must go there, for he and your family are badly off. Here you have this pin; do not lose it or give it to any one, for you would break my enchantment." The day arrived when they were to take their departure, and they proceeded through the air to their destination. The prince went and placed her in the very same spot from whence he had sought and carried her away, and said to her, "Now bear in mind that you are only to stay here two days." When the princess was about to ascend the stairs of the palace, her father was then sitting at table. She gave a rap at the door, and asked if they required a maid to dress the queen. The king, who was sitting down, imagined that he heard the voice of his daughter, and on rising, as he was very weak, he fell and broke his head. The princess, in great distress, said, deliberately and slowly, "Oh, pin! help me here." That moment the voice appeared to her, which was the lover in enchantment, and he said to her, "What is the matter?" The princess told him what ailed her father. The voice then said, "It is better that you should come away with me;" and he took her through the air. When the princess arrived at the palace she received news that her father had died.
One day the prince said to her, "Remember, that to-morrow is to be the day of our marriage." "Then to-morrow it will be twenty years since I came here?" asked the princess. "Yes, that is so," replied the prince. After this he ordered all the kings to be invited, whilst the father of the princess was also asked, and came. The father had hardly set his eyes upon the princess when he said, "Is this the way you have repaid me, you ungrateful girl? On your account I broke my head, and you left me and went away." "Yes, my father," said the princess, "I came away because I did not wish to break the prince's enchantment, and you had already seen the pin, and you broke your head on purpose, so that I should remain longer than the two days, and the spell should be broken." The father said that it was not so; and then he gave her a walnut. "Here you have this walnut, do not break it open before your husband." The princess replied, "I shall neither break it open, nor shall I eat it." The father, much annoyed, hurriedly went away from the palace. After the marriage the prince ordered another palace to be built in another spot. The princess had the walnut which her father gave her always well guarded; but when everything was taken away from the palace they were in, to remove to the other one newly erected, the princess, who had the walnut in her hands, allowed it to fall to the ground. At that moment the palace was set on fire, and everything was burned. Being very much alarmed, she went and told everything to the prince. "Do you see now, yourself, how your father wished to harm us all?" The princess was with child, and the prince said that what the father wished was to kill the child.
After a time the princess gave birth to a prince—a very pretty boy. A great banquet was given, and the prince was on the point of inviting the father to it, but, fearing that he should kill the child, did not do so. One day, when the child was older, they took it out for a walk. As they proceeded through a certain road, they met a servant of the princess's father. "Where are you going to?" asked the princess to the servant. "I came to kill the child," answered the servant. The prince then asked him who it was had sent him, and the servant confessed that it was the princess's father. She asked him not to kill the child, but go and be her servant; and he therefore joined them to go to the palace. The princess now returned home, and every river they crossed presented a different appearance to her,—the first was a river of milk, the next one further on was of water covered with a mist, and further on still she came to another filled with blood. The princess, very much alarmed, asked the prince, "What can all this mean?" The servant answered her question instead, "It is the blood of the child you see." The prince on hearing this said, "Then it shall be yours!" . . . and aiming at him, fired, and shot him dead; then turning round to the princess he said,
"I went out shooting, I made a good bag,
Instead of shooting little birds
I killed a bird of prey."
VI.—Pedro and the Prince.
There was once a king who had an only son, and opposite to the palace lived a man who had a son named Pedro, of the same age as the prince. One day the prince said to the king that he was very desirous to take a journey, but that he would like to go with Pedro. The king then said, "Then my son do you wish to go with Pedro instead of proceeding with your retinue?" The prince replied that it was so. The king then ordered two of the best and finest horses in the army to be got ready, one for the prince and the other for Pedro. They travelled much, they saw many beautiful lands, and when they arrived at a certain place they dismounted. The prince told Pedro to mind his horse whilst he should go to drink some water. Meanwhile the prince disappeared. Pedro, very much distressed, ran everywhere seeking him; but not finding him he returned to the city, and as he was passing by a pond where there were many washerwomen who were witches, he heard much laughing among them, and they were saying, "How foolish he is, he thought he was going to accompany the prince, and that he would be recompensed by the king for his services! Now go and disenchant him from where he is!" Pedro went up to the washerwomen and entreated them to tell him where the prince was to be found. One of them, taking compassion upon him, bade him go to an old palace which was close by. Pedro did so, went in, but did not see anything but orange and lemon trees, and did not meet with any one. Full of rage he commenced to pluck the oranges and lemons, and to throw them on the ground. Each lemon and orange that he threw on the ground was a prince and a princess, who had been until then under a spell, whilst his own prince became disenchanted. Full of joy Pedro entreated him to return with him to his own country; but the prince saw one of the princesses who had been disenchanted and fell in love with her.
He told Pedro that he wished to take her with him; they therefore proceeded on their journey, taking the princess with them. They were much fatigued after a time, and as they could not find a house where they could remain and rest Pedro told them that they could take shelter and pass the night in a shed which stood in a court-yard which he had discovered. The prince and princess accepted the offer very willingly, for they were very tired and travel-worn, and instead of lying down Pedro remained as sentry to keep watch, well armed to defend them. In the middle of the night he heard the witches on the top of the shed in fits of laughter, and he heard one of them say "What a foolish man he is! he thought that he was going to accompany the prince and princess home! . . . . but the first thing that will happen to the princess will be that she will find a handsome little mule, and she will take a great fancy to ride upon it. On her riding it, it will break down, and whoever shall hear this and repeat it shall be turned into marble." Another witch replied to this, "From this mishap she shall be delivered, but she will see a pear tree with very good pears upon it which she will desire much to taste; as she eats them she will be poisoned, but whoever shall hear this and shall repeat it into hard marble shall be turned!" To this one other witch replied, "From this danger she will be delivered, but she will come to a fine bridge, and she will desire to cross it; as she crosses it the bridge will break down, but whoever shall hear this and shall relate it, into hard marble will be converted!" At last to this the fourth witch replied, "Of this she shall be delivered, but on the night of their marriage I shall take the guise of a phantom, and I shall enter their room through the window and behead her as well as the prince, but whoever shall hear this and relate it shall inevitably be turned into hard marble." As she finished saying this the witches took their departure. Shortly after the day dawned, and Pedro was in great distress of mind. They continued their journey, and when they reached a certain spot there appeared a very handsome mule, and the princess immediately coveted to ride upon it as she felt very tired. The instant Pedro heard her say so he ran before her and killed the animal. The prince was very much surprised at this act of Pedro, but as he was fond of him said nothing about it. They went further on and saw a pear tree. The princess longed to taste a pear, but Pedro ran before them and buried the pears. The prince here manifested his annoyance at the act. They proceeded on further and Pedro saw a bridge at a distance; he ran in front and paid some workmen to destroy the bridge that the princess should not be able to cross it. The prince was very angry and reprehended Pedro, but he replied that later on he would give his highness a satisfactory reason for acting as he did.
On their arrival at the palace there was much rejoicing in the capital on receiving the prince and the princess. Their marriage was solemnised and Pedro said that he must perforce sleep in the same room on the first night as the bride and bridegroom. The prince urged that it was impossible, but Pedro remained firm and said that it must be; and he remained armed standing by the window. Far into the night he saw the witch, like a phantom, come in sword in hand in order to behead the princess and the prince. Pedro raised his sword and wrestled with the phantom, but without any such intention he struck the princess's face and drew blood. The princess awoke with a start and commenced to cry out that Pedro was a traitor who wanted to behead her. The prince was very wrathful and said that Pedro must die. He however said to the prince that he did not mind that, but that before he was put to death he would ask the king to give a banquet to all his court, as he had something to declare. The king acceded to his petition, gave a great banquet to the court, and Pedro on the occasion sat at the royal table. At the end of the banquet Pedro took occasion to narrate all he had heard the witches say on the night when they remained and took shelter under a shed. As he narrated the part which referred to the mule his legs began to harden into stone. As he began to recount what the second witch had said he was already turned into stone as far as his knees. The Prince seeing which asked Pedro not to continue any further to relate what he had heard the witches say, as he had already commuted the sentence of death passed upon him, satisfied of his innocence. But Pedro determined to declare all he had heard the witches say, and as he finished narrating what the last one had said he was turned completely into a marble statue. The prince, much distressed, ordered the statue of marble to be placed under the bed in his room.
At the end of the year the princess had a boy; and when the prince was once in his room, sometime after the event, alone with the child, the witch appeared and said to him, "You are a great friend and patron of Pedro, but you are not capable of killing your son and bathing the marble statue with his blood; did you do so, the marble statue would turn again into Pedro himself." The prince was in great affliction about what was required of him and his poor son, but before long he took into consideration that his son was yet very young, and that Pedro's life was more necessary, as he might yet save many lives and persons from danger; he therefore drew first a very small drop of blood from the boy's arm, and poured it over the stone. Pedro began to move! and the prince, seeing that he was alive, took courage and killed the boy. He then proceeded to bathe the statue with its blood, and immediately the stone was turned again into Pedro. When the princess returned to the room the prince told her that the little boy her son had fallen from the bed to the floor and had died. The princess in great affliction and grief ordered a beautiful mausoleum to be erected in the garden to place the child's corpse in it. The following day when they were all celebrating with a great feast the event that Pedro had come to life again, the little boy also returned to life. He was found playing in the garden with some little stones. Great was their joy, and they all lived very happily and contentedly.
VII. The Rabbit.
A man used to go about the streets crying out, "Who'll buy troubles?" And as he passed by the king's palace, the queen, looking out of window, saw that he was selling flowers; and turning towards her maid of honour she told her to buy them. The maid bought the flowers and planted them in the garden, and the queen went every day to watch their growth and tend them. One day, as she was taking a walk in the garden, she saw a rabbit running past, and she told her maid of honour to try and catch it. The maid seized it, and then fastened it up with her garter. They then continued their walk, and, whilst they were giving a turn round the garden, the rabbit escaped with the garter round its neck. The princess was very sorry to lose it, and the following day, at the same hour, took another turn round the garden, and she again saw the same rabbit running. She told her maid to catch hold of it, which she did, and this time she fastened it up with a handkerchief. They took another turn round the garden, and whilst they did so the rabbit escaped with the handkerchief. When the princess, with her maid of honour, returned to the spot where they had left the rabbit, she was grieved to find that the little animal was gone. Next day, at the same hour, the princess took her usual walk in the pleasure ground, and again saw the rabbit. She then threw down the gold necklet with the king's portrait which she wore, and told her maid to fasten the rabbit with it, as they could now take their walk without anxiety, because the little animal thus secured would not be able to run away. But the moment they turned round to take their walk, the rabbit went away with the necklet and portrait. When the queen returned, and missed the rabbit in its place, she went into the palace and fell ill from sorrow. The court physicians came, and said that what her highness suffered was from being in love, and gave orders that she was to be taken out for walks and amused. Many persons were called in to relate the most beautiful stories known to the princess, but she paid no heed to them.
There were two old women living together who were sisters; and one day one of them said to the other, "Oh! sister, I feel quite equal to going up to the palace with my stories, and try if I can amuse the princess with them." The sister endeavoured to dissuade her by saying that the princess was sure to have much prettier stories than she could relate. But the old woman remained obstinate, and said, "Never mind, any way I shall go to the palace with mine!" and started off, taking with her some Indian corn loaves and some roasted sardines. After that she saw an ass with gold panniers come out from under the milestone which she sat upon; and saw hands that led the ass, but could see no one. The old woman waited for the donkey to return, and when it did so she held on by the panniers, and descended some steps until she reached a palace of great splendour. There was a table laid with every good thing, and the woman sat down to it, and partook of everything. When she had finished her repast she began to look about her, and she saw many hands doing the work, but she could see no one, nor anything else whatever; she could only see hands. When night set in she laid down; and, very early in the morning, she saw a rabbit enter from the garden. The rabbit went and bathed in a tub, and became transformed into a handsome prince; he went to the looking-glass and began combing himself, and repeated:
"Oh! comb that smooths my hair,
Oh! ribbons which bind my tresses,
Would that you could shew me
She who pines in love for me."
He then again bathed himself in the tub, and once more became changed into the rabbit, and it departed.
The old woman then had her breakfast, and, when she saw that the ass with the golden panniers was going out, she held on by them and went out with the ass also. When she found herself in the high road she walked on to the palace of the princess, and on arriving there she said that she wished to see the princess, to relate a story to her which she was sure would amuse her. The princess was reposing on a couch, and when she saw the old woman she turned towards the wall. The old woman paid no heed to that, but began her story. The princess had scarcely commenced to hear the story about the rabbit than she instantly sat up, asked for some broth to take, and told the old woman to continue. When the story was finished, the princess said to the old woman that she would go with her to see the palace and the rabbit she had seen. Her health then began to improve, and one day, when she had perfectly recovered from her attack, she went with the maid of honour and the old woman to where the milestone was, and waited there to see if the ass with the golden panniers would come forth from whence the old woman had sat before. Shortly after this the ass made its appearance; they all three held on to the donkey, and down they went descending, whilst the princess was greatly astonished to find and behold so much splendour, and to see the hands busy doing all the work without any one being seen. More and more surprised at what she saw, she went further into the palace, until she had seen every part of it, and all it contained. They came to a house, and when the maid was entering she suddenly uttered a scream and ran out; the princess asked her what made her scream, and the maid replied that it was the sight of a dead man. The princess told her to go in and not to mind it, but the maid would not because she felt much frightened; and the princess, finding that she would not, went in herself; she threw water over the corpse and commenced to pray, and suddenly the dead man returned to life and transformed himself into a very handsome prince, and was the same one that the old woman had seen transform himself into a rabbit. In an instant all the hands took the form of persons, and were those that composed the magnificent court which were spell-bound. The prince expressed his grateful acknowledgments to the princess for having broken the spell he was under. The princess asked him for what purpose were all these preparations and work in the palace. The prince replied that it was for the marriage of the princess of Naples; in great surprise, she said, "I am the princess of Naples!" "Then you are destined for me," replied the prince. The princess, in great delight and filled with joy, said that she would marry him. The marriage was solemnized with great pomp, and they all remained in the same palace, living very happily together. The old woman was held in much esteem by all, but she went about looking very sad; and, when they asked her what ailed her, she said that she wished to return to her own home. They loaded her with many riches, and sent her back accompanied by a page. The old woman left the palace, and on arriving at her home she said:
"Oh! my house, my own little house;
There's no place like my own little home;
So let go to the devil my lady queen! ho!"
VIII.—The Spell-bound Giant.
There was a widow who had three sons. They lived in great poverty; and the eldest son said one day, "Oh! mother, things cannot go on any longer in this manner; I am old enough now to do something; so I shall go through different countries seeking a livelihood." The mother, not wishing him to go, began crying; but the son, keeping his resolve, endeavoured to persuade her to consent, until at last, one day she prepared his outfit, and he departed at day-dawn on his journey. He travelled on, and on arriving at a certain country he inquired if any one there required a servant. He was told that a magician, who lived in that part, was always wanting servants, and that he had better apply at the house. The young man went to the house, and inquired if a servant was required to wait upon them. "You have come at an opportune time," replied the magician, "and this very day you may enter my service; you shall earn one coin a-day, but you will have to accompany me wherever I go." The young man was delighted to earn so much, and said, "Oh, Sir, I am ready to go with you to the very ends of the world, and anywhere you wish." "Very well," replied the magician, "let's go now and get our horses ready to depart." They filled several bags with provisions, and all they could require; they prepared and harnessed two good horses with wallets, and whatever else they might want for the journey, and at midnight the master and his servant left the house and began to travel through dismal places and dark roads. The young man, who was unaccustomed to long journeys, began to get very tired, and did nothing else but ask, "Oh! Sir, have we not yet arrived?" But the magician always answered him by saying, "Don't be troubled, we are sure to get there sometime or another." Thus they journeyed on all the night, and at day-dawn they sighted a very high mountain, and the magician said, "Do you see that mountain? it is there where we have to go." They arrived at the foot of the mountain before long, when the magician told the young man to dismount, and said to him, "Now you must fire a shot at the belly of your horse." The lad, very much frightened, replied, "Oh! Sir, that is just what I shall not do!" "Well, then," rejoined the magician, "I must fire the shot at you instead." The lad, full of fear and terror, fired at the horse. The magician took out the entrails of the horse, filled a bag with them, and then told the lad to get inside the empty belly of the horse, and he put in several bags as well. He then took out a book and commenced to read, and the horse began to ascend the mount until the lad reached the top. The lad came out of the horse, while the magician from the foot of the mount cried out to the boy, "What do you see?" "I see much gold, much silver, many brilliants, many precious stones, and many bones," replied the lad. "Well, then, fill all the bags you have with all those riches," said the magician, "and send the horse down here with them, and I shall send the horse back for you." The lad did as he was told, took out the bags from the horse's belly, filled them with all the richest things that were strewed there, and sent the horse laden with the bags down the hill to his master. When the magician had got the horse safe at the bottom of the hill, he started off with it, leaving the lad quite alone on the top of the mountain. The moment the boy found himself forsaken he commeneed to cry, and to seek for some herbs to eat, as he felt very hungry. When he had rambled about for some time, he found a little herb which grew very luxuriantly, and had very large roots, which made it very difficult for him to root up. But when he had succeeded in rooting up some, he found in the hole which was left a massive iron ring of great size and thickness. The lad, curious to know what it was, began to pull it out; and when the ring was pulled out he saw some steps, which were strewed with gold coins and many rich things. The lad, astonished at what he saw, went down the stairs, and at the bottom of the stairs found himself in a magnificent palace. He saw a table loaded with the most delicious viands, and, as he felt very hungry, he sat down at once to eat. He then left the dinner table and proceeded to another apartment; and as he was about entering the chamber, he saw a giant lying down; and the moment he drew near to him, the giant cried out, "Who has authorised you to enter here?" The lad, terrified, fell upon his knees at the giant's feet, and begged him to pardon him; and he then recounted all that had happened to him. "Well, then," said the giant, when the boy had ceased to speak, "your master is the cause of my being spellbound. You had not the good fortune to kill him; and so long as he lives I shall not get out of this. But you have still one way of saving me: to-morrow before sunrise you must hide behind that tank; after that, three doves will come—a white one, a grey one, and one cinnamon-coloured. If you succeed in catching the white one, you will bring about mine and your happiness." The lad, in his excitement, never laid down to sleep, but spent the night concealed behind the tank. When day began to dawn, the doves appeared; they bathed themselves in the tank, and when the lad tried to catch them, two of their feathers remained in his hand and the birds flew away. The lad, feeling very sad, went to the giant, and said to him, "Oh! sir, the proof that I did my best is, that here I bring two feathers in my hand, but I promise you that they shall not escape me to-morrow." He procured some ribbon, and the following day prepared a snare in the tank, and concealed himself to wait for the doves' return. Day had scarcely dawned when the doves appeared, bathed themselves, and when the white dove was about to fly away she fell into the snare. The lad, very pleased at this, went to put his hands upon her; but at that very instant the dove transformed itself into a lovely maiden. The maiden felt very much ashamed at finding herself in the young man's hand. He then took her to the giant, who was very pleased to see her, and said, "Now, were the magician to die, my enchantment would cease!" Hardly had the maiden approached the giant, than many servants and maids appeared to wait upon her, and bringing many robes of the richest materials for her to wear. Yet the palace remained enchanted,
The young man's brothers, seeing that he did not return, said one day to their mother, "Oh! dear mother, we have never heard any news of our brother; it would be as well if one of us were to go and search for him." The mother replied, "Very well, let one of you go." The youngest of her sons went out in search because he was considered more sharp-witted. He travelled and journeyed on until he arrived at the same country where his brother had gone, and he inquired if any one could give him any information of a boy who had many months ago travelled to that country; but no one could give him any news. They told him that such a lad had gone as servant to a magician's house. He therefore went up to the house, knocked at the door, and the magician answered the call, who put to him the same questions that he had done to his brother, and took him at last into his service. At midnight, after having prepared everything, they started off, and on arriving at the mountain he ordered the boy to shoot at the horse's belly. The boy as he was very sharp-witted saw at once that there was some mystification in all this, and shot at the horse. The master placed the entrails of the horse into a bag and then ordered the boy to get into the horse's belly, and he began to read from the book. The horse began to ascend the mount until it reached the top, and once on the top of the mountain the magician asked the boy, "What do you see?" "I see much wealth," replied the lad. "Very well, then," said the magician, "fill all the bags with them and send them with the horse to me, and the horse shall return for you." What did the boy do? The lad filled the bags with bones, and when the horse was descending he threw a large stone at the master and broke his legs. At this moment the giant suddenly experienced great joy and summoned the boy who was still in his palace and said to him, "Do you know that my spell is broken? some one has killed the magician." And by degrees as the magician's life was ebbing away so the giant's palace kept rising and rising. On awaking in the morning the lad looked out of his chamber window and he saw his mother's house standing near. The mother, who had also risen from her couch at the same hour as her son had done, on opening the front door saw that opposite to her house a splendid palace had risen up. She was much astonished at what she saw, and at that moment her son and his brother, the one who had killed the magician, both stood before her. The other two doves had also broken their spell and were transformed into beautiful maidens, and they married the two brothers. The giant was also disenchanted because he was a prince, and he married the beautiful maiden who in the shape of a white dove had been flying round about his palace.
IX.—The Enchanted Maiden.
There was once a man who had three daughters. In the country where he lived it was the custom to hang up a gold ball at the door when they wanted husbands for the girls who were single, as a sign to the young men. When the eldest daughter wished to get married the father hung a gold ball over the street door. Many persons passed the door, and as they saw the gold ball hanging up they did not dare enter, and would say "Oh, no, it's too rich for me, evidently it is not meant for me." One day, however, a prince passed the house, and seeing the ball, as he knew the custom of the country, he entered the house and asked the father to give him his daughter in marriage. The girl was delighted, everything was arranged, and they were married. After a time the father again hung up a gold ball outside the door to find a husband for the second daughter. Another prince passed and saw the ball and married the girl. The third daughter, seeing that both her sisters had married princes, one day told her father that she also wanted to get married. The father replied that he had no money left to order another gold ball to be made; but she said that she did not doubt him, but that at least he might have one made of silver. The father did so. A prince then passed, and seeing the silver ball, said to himself, "Oh, no, this is too poor for me; it is evidently not meant for me." After that a man passed, and looking towards the ball said, "This, in truth, is meant for me." He went into the house, asked the girl in marriage, and he espoused her; after which he went with her to a distant land. When the two girls who had married princes knew of this they were very displeased and would have nothing to do with the sister. At the end of nine months the girl gave birth to a daughter. At the moment that the father went out to get some medicine for her some fairies passed by the house and asked for shelter. The girl replied that it could not be as she was very ill; but, as they so begged and entreated to be allowed to remain, the mother at last allowed them to remain.
The fairies thanked the girl very much for her kindness, and when they were on the point of leaving they approached the child, and stroking her with the divining rod one said, "I now throw a charm over you that you may be the most beautiful woman in the world." The next fairy then said, "I endow you with all riches, that you may be the richest woman in the world." The third fairy then said, "I throw a sweet spell over you, that when you speak flowers may drop out from between your lips." They then struck the furniture with their rod and everything became of the richest form and material, and the house was also transformed into a palace; and when they had done all this the three fairies went away.
When the two sisters knew of this, and the poor sister had now become very rich, they were reconciled and became friends again with her. The enchanted maiden grew day by day more and more beautiful. There was a prince who lived quite near to them and was engaged to be married to the daughter of one of the two sisters who had espoused princes; but when he saw the enchanted little maiden he liked her better, and no longer paid any attentions to the other, who felt very jealous, but pretended she did not care. One day after this the prince became very ill and the physicians ordered him to travel. The enchanted maiden went up to the highest tower there was to take leave of him and be able to see him for a long distance as he went along. Whilst the engaged girl went behind her, and when the enchanted maiden was looking out towards the prince, the other girl went behind her with a pointed rod and pierced her eyes with it and plucked them out. After which she ran away. The enchanted maid was very much distressed to find herself blind, and began to weep. A man passed who took compassion upon her and led her to his own house. After some time the prince returned from his travels. The engaged girl presented herself to him saying that she was the enchanted maiden; but the prince said that she was not; but she persisted that she was. Meanwhile the enchanted maiden was told that the prince had arrived, but as she was blind she did not dare to go and see him; but when she knew that the prince was at last going to marry the other girl she sent to ask the girl if she would like to have a nosegay of flowers to present the prince with. She sent back to say that she would very much. The enchanted girl then replied that she should send her, her eyes, and she on her part would send her the flowers. And so it happened. The other girl who was very desirous of presenting the prince with a nosegay sent the enchanted maiden her eyes. What did she do then?—Next day just before the marriage was to take place she dressed herself in deep black and put a veil on. She knocked at the door of the palace, but they would not admit her. At last, after many entreaties, she was allowed to enter, and she went straight into the prince's room and begged him most beseechingly not to marry. The prince replied that he could not put off the marriage as the invited guests had arrived. The maiden reiterated her demand, and stretched out her hand to the prince, the hand which had on the ring that he had given her, the prince seeing which raised up her veil and at once recognized her. As the maiden had with her the divining-rod that the fairies had left her, she touched her clothes with it, and immediately she found herself richly dressed. The prince then went to meet his invited guests and said to them, "I lost something, and instead I bought another. I have now recovered that which I lost. Which ought I to make use of—that which I lost, or what I bought?" They all exclaimed with one accord, "Surely, make use of what you have recovered." The prince then went to his room to seek the enchanted maiden, who related all that had occurred to her to the guests. And it was she whom he married.
X.—The Maiden and the Beast.
There was once a man who had three daughters; he loved them all, but there was one he loved more than the others. As he was going to the fair one day he inquired what they would like him to bring them. One said she would like to have a hat arid some boots, the other one asked for a dress and a shawl, but the one he loved most did not ask for anything. The man, in surprise, said, "Oh! my child, do you not want anything?" "No, I want nothing; I only wish that my dear father may enjoy health." "You must ask for something, it matters not what it is, I shall bring it to you," replied the father. But, in order that the father should not continue to importune her, she said, "I wish my father to bring me a slice of roach off a green meadow." The good man set off to the fair, bought all the things that his daughters had asked him, and searched everywhere for the "slice of roach off a green meadow," but could not find it, for it was something that was not to be had. He therefore came home in great distress of mind, because she was the daughter he loved most and wished most to please. As he was walking along he happened to see a light shining on the road, and, as it was already night, he walked on and on until he reached the light. The light came from a hut in which lived a shepherd; the man went in and inquired of him, "Can you tell me what palace is that yonder, and do you think they would give me shelter there?" The shepherd replied, in great astonishment, "Oh! sir, but in that palace no one resides, something is seen there which terrifies people from living in it." "What does it matter, it will not eat me up; and, as there is no one living in it, I shall go and sleep there to-night." He went up to the building, found it all lit up very splendidly, and, on entering into the palace, he found a table ready laid. As he approached the table, he heard a voice which said, "Eat and lie down on the bed which you see there, and in the morning rise and take with you what you will find on that table, which is what your daughter asked you for; but at the end of three days you must bring her here." The man was very pleased to be able to take home what his daughter had asked him for, but at the same time was distressed at what the voice had said it required him to do. He threw himself on the bed, and on the following morning he arose, went straight to the table, and found upon it the slice of roach off a green meadow. He took it up and went home; the moment he arrived his daughters surrounded him: "Father, what have you brought us? let us see what it is;" the father gave them what he had brought them. The third daughter, the one he loved most, did not ask him for anything, but simply if he was well. The father answered her, "My daughter, I come back both happy and sad! Here you have what you asked me for." "Oh! father, I asked you for this because it was a thing which did not exist; but why do you come back sad?" "Because I must take you at the end of three days to the place where this was given to me." He recounted all that had occurred to him in the place, and what the voice had told him to do. When the daughter heard all she replied, "Do not distress yourself, father, for I shall go, and whatever God wills, will happen." And so it happened that at the end of three days the father took her to the enchanted palace It was all illuminated and in a blaze of light; the table was laid, and two beds had been prepared. As they entered they heard a voice saying, "Eat and remain with your daughter three days that she may not feel frightened." The man remained the three days in the palace, and at the end went away leaving the daughter alone! The voice spoke to her every day but no form was seen. At the end of a few days the girl heard a bird singing in the garden. The voice said to her, "Do you hear that bird sing?" "Yes, I hear him," replied the girl, "Does it bring any news?"; "It is your eldest sister who is going to be married, would you like to be present?" asked the voice. The girl in great delight said, "Yes, I should like to go very much,—will you let me go?" "I will allow you," rejoined the voice, "but you will not return!" "Yes, I shall come back," said the girl. The voice gave her then a ring so that she should not forget her promise, saying, "Now mind that at the end of three days a white horse will go for you; it will give three knocks,—the first is for you to dress, and get ready,—the second for you to take leave of your family,—and the third for you to mount it. If at the third knock you are not on the horse, it will go away and leave you there." The girl wont home. A great feast had been prepared, and the sister was married. At the end of three days the white horse came to give the three knocks.
At the first the girl commenced to get ready, at the second knock she took leave of her family, and at the third she mounted on the horse. The voice had given the girl a box with money to take to her father and her sisters; on that account they did not wish her to return to the enchanted palace, because she was now very rich. But the girl remembered what she had promised, and the moment she found herself on the horse she darted off. After a certain time the bird returned and began to sing very contentedly in the garden. The voice said to her, "Do you hear the bird sing?" "Yes I hear it," replied the girl, "Does it bring any news?" "It is that another of your sisters is about to marry;[3] "and do you wish to go?" "Yes, I wish to go; and would you allow me to go?" "I will let you go," replied the voice; "but you will not return!" "Yes, I shall return," said the girl. The voice then said, "Remember that if at the end of three days you do not come back you shall remain there, and you will be the most hapless girl there is in the world!" The girl started off. A great feast was given and the sister was married. At the end of three days the white horse came—it gave the first knock, and the girl dressed herself to go; it gave the second knock, and the girl took leave of her friends; it gave the third knock, and the girl mounted the horse and returned to the palace. After some time the bird again sang in the garden, but in melancholy tones,—very dull tones indeed. The voice said to her, "Do you hear the bird sing?" "Yes, I hear it," replied the girl: "is there any news?" "Yes, there are; it is that your father is dying, and does not wish to die without taking leave of you." "And will you allow me to go and see him?" asked the girl, indeed much distressed. "Yes, I will let you go; but I know you will not return this time." "Oh yes, I shall come back," replied the girl. The voice then said to her. "No, you will not return--you will not! for your sisters will not let you come; you and they will be the most unhappy girls in this world if you do not come back at the end of three days." The girl went home, the father was very ill, yet he could not die until he saw her, and he had hardly taken leave of his daughter when he died. The sisters gave the girl a sleeping draught as she had requested them, and left her to sleep. The girl had begged them most particularly to awaken her before the white horse should come. What did the sisters do? They did not awaken her, and they took off the ring she wore. At the end of three days the horse—came it gave the first knock; it knocked the second time; it knocked the third time, and went away and the girl remained at home. As the sisters had taken away the ring, she forgot everything of the past and lived very happily with her sisters. A few days after this fortune began to leave her and her sisters, until one day the two said to her, "Sister, do you remember the white horse?" The girl then recollected everything, and began to cry, saying, "Oh! what misfortune is mine, oh! you have made me very wretched! what has become of my ring?" The sisters gave her the ring, and the girl took her departure in great affliction. She reached the enchanted palace and found everything about it looking very dull, very dark, and the palace shut up. She went straight into the garden and she there found a huge beast lying on the ground. The beast had barely seen her when he cried out, "Go away, you tyrant, for you have broken my spell! Now you will be the most wretched girl in the world, you and your sisters." As the beast finished saying this it died. The girl returned to her sisters in great distress, weeping very bitterly, and she remained in the house without eating or drinking, and after a few days died also. The sisters became poorer by degrees for having been the cause of all this trouble.
XI.—The Tower of Ill Luck.
There was once a woman who had three sons. The eldest asked her blessing one day, and told her that if she gave him a horse and lion he would go and travel abroad. The mother replied, "Where will you go alone?" "Let me go, mother, I want to travel through different parts of the world." The mother gave him the horse and the lion, and he took his departure. He travelled on and on until he met a little old woman who was washing. The lad went up close to her, and inquired of her, "Oh! old lady, what are you doing there?" The old woman replied, "Oh! my son, I am here washing, and shall continue all my life." The lad asked her another question, "Can you tell me what tower that is yonder?" The old woman replied, "Oh! child, that tower is the Tower of Ill Luck; who ever enters never returns."[4] The lad replied, "Well, I shall go there and I shall return, and I shall find you here still." He proceeded on and on until he at last reached the said tower. It was an inn. He had scarcely reached the door when he saw an old woman, and he asked her if that was an inn, for he wished to take up his abode there. The old woman replied that it was an inn. "Look here," said she, "take this key, and go and open the stables. Take also this fine hair, and roll it round the neck of your horse and lion, to tie them up with." The boy did so. He opened the stable, took the horse and lion inside, and then rolled the hair round the necks of both, and left the stable. After this he went up to the old woman, and asked her for something to eat. The old woman replied, "Ah! you want to eat, yes, Sir, my little boy; but first of all let us have a wrestling match together." The lad had no other alternative, and began to wrestle with the old hag, but he found himself so overpowered, as the woman was a witch, that he began to call for his horse and lion. "Come to my help, my horse and my lion!" The old hag rejoined, "Be ye thickened, thin hair, into a strong coil, binding your horse and lion." Immediately the hair became like a thick iron chain, which secured the animals effectually, and they were not able to come to rescue the lad. The old hag continued to wrestle until at last the boy was killed. And when she saw that he was quite dead, she went and buried him in a grave where there already many other' corpses buried. After the lapse of some time the second brother, on perceiving that his brother did not return, asked his mother to bestow upon him her blessing, and give him a horse and a lion, because he also wished to travel through many countries and seek his brother. The mother replied, "Oh! my son, do you wish to go and remain away as your other brother who has never made his appearance?" He replied, "Do not fear mother;" and as he persisted in his resolve and entreaties to be allowed the mother gave him the horse and the lion, and a bag of money. The boy departed and travelled without stopping until he reached the same spot where the old woman was washing. The boy inquired, "Oh! little old lady, what are you about there?" The old woman replied, "I am washing clothes, my son, and shall be washing all my life!" The boy again inquired, "Can you inform me what tower that is yonder?" The old woman said, "Ah! child, that is the Tower of Ill Luck; who ever goes there never returns." The boy rejoined, "Very well, but I shall go there, and am certain to return, and even find you here still." "Now," said the old washerwoman, "a boy has passed this way already who said the same thing, yet he has not returned." The boy replied, u Well then, that must have been my brother; and now I am more determined than ever to go there and bring him back!" He proceeded towards the tower, arrived, and saw the same old hag, and he asked her if that was an inn as he desired to take up his abode there. The old woman replied that it was an inn. "Now listen," said she, "take this key and go and open the stable. Take also this thin hair and bind it round the neck of your horse and of your lion, to tie them up with." The boy did as he was told, opened the stables as his brother had done before him, took the horse and lion inside and fastened them to the wall with the hair the old hag had given him. After that he left the stable and went to the old woman to ask her for something to eat. She answered him, "Ah! you want some food, yes Sir, my boy; but first let us have a wrestling match." The boy called out, "My horse and my lion come to my help!" The old hag instantly rejoined, "Let the thin hair round your horse and lion be thickened into a strong coil," and immediately the thin hair became a thick iron chain which effectually fastened the animals, and they were not able to succour the boy. The old hag killed him, and when she saw that he was quite dead she buried him in the grave where his brother's corpse was laid.
After some time the youngest brother, seeing that the others did not return home, asked the mother to bestow her blessing upon him, give him a horse and a lion, and when he obtained what he wanted he travelled through the world in search of his brothers. He carne up to the spot where the old woman was washing clothes, and he asked her, "Oh! old lady, what are you doing here?" to which the old woman replied, "Oh! my son, I am here washing clothes all my life, and shall be washing for ever, because I was once washing clothes on a Sunday and a poor man passing asked me if it was possible that I was employed in washing on a Sunday. I answered him that I was, because on Sundays I also required food. And he replied, 'You shall be obliged to wash clothes all your life then.'" The boy then asked her another question, "Can you inform me what tower that is yonder?" The old woman replied, "Ah! my boy, that is the Tower of Ill Luck; who goes there never returns." The boy said to this, "Well then I shall go there, I shall return and shall still find you here." "Well," said the old woman, "two boys have already passed by here who said the same as you, and have not returned." The boy then rejoined, "Well then, those must have been my brothers, I shall go there and shall yet bring them back." He directed his steps to the tower, and when he reached it the old hag was at the door. The boy inquired if that was an inn as he would wish to stay there. The old woman replied that it was, and said to him, "Look here, take this key and open the stable. Take also this thin hair, and tie it round the neck of your horse and of your lion. The boy took the horse and the lion into the stable, but instead of tying them up, he, with a pair of scissors he brought with him, cut up the hair the old woman had given him into little bits. He then left the stable and asked for his breakfast. The old woman replied to this, "You shall have your breakfast, oh yes Sir, my boy, but first of all let us have a wrestle together." The boy instantly called out to his horse and lion, "Come to my help, my horse and my lion!" The old woman said, "Let the thin hair become a very strong coil round the neck of your horse and your lion!" But the boy had cut up the hair into very small bits and had thrown them into the sea. The lion and the horse responded to the call, and came immediately. The boy then said to the hag: "You must bring my brothers to me here or else you shall die!" The old hag replied, "Oh, Sir! I know nothing of your brothers." The boy then told her that he was going to kill her; and the old woman had no other alternative left but to confess where the brothers were. She then gave an ointment and a scent for the dead brothers to smell. The boy went and anointed the bodies of his brothers, and when he put the scent to their noses they returned immediately to life. When the three brothers found themselves together again they went to the old hag, caught her, dug a grave, and buried her alive in it.
XII.—The Step-mother.
There was once a widower who had a son and a daughter. The girl went to school, and the mistress was continually telling her to ask the father to marry her. The mistress had three daughters: one was one-eyed, the next one was lame, and the other was blind. The little girl would every day say to her father, when she came home, "Father, marry my mistress, for she gives me honey-drops." To this the father would answer, "Now she gives you honey-drops; by-and-bye she will give you gall-drops!" The father bought himself a hat, and, bringing it home, he said to his daughter, "When this hat wears out, I shall then marry your mistress." And he hung it up on a peg. The little girl went up to her mistress and recounted all that the father had said. The mistress said, "Then you must bring me the hat." When the father had gone out one day the little girl took the hat to the mistress, and she put it into an oven and tore it in several places. The girl then took it, and hung it up again. The father put it on one day, and it all came to pieces immediately. He then said to the daughter, "Now I shall marry your mistress, for my hat is completely worn out." But still he bought a pair of boots, and he said, "When these boots are worn out, I shall then marry." The girl again went up to her mistress and told her what the father had said; and she asked her to bring the boots, and she put them in the oven. The father one day went to put them on, and tore them in the act. He called his daughter to him and said, "Now I have no other remedy but to marry your mistress, for my boots are worn out." The marriage took place, but she had hardly become married when she began to ill-treat the little girl, and made her work all day, whilst the mistress's daughters did nothing whatever in the house. One day the father bought a farthing's worth of pine-nuts, and said, "My children come with me," and he took them to the wood. The son and daughter were eating their nuts, and dropping the shells as they went along on the road. They entered the wood, and as they came up to the foot of a tree the father said, "My children, remain here; and here I leave this gourd: whilst it continues to sound, it is a sign that I am in the wood; when it shall stop, it is then a sign that I am no longer in the wood, but am coming back for you." And he went away. The two children remained alone; and as the wind struck the gourd, it kept sounding. They kept watching and looking at the gourd; but the brother kept saying, "Oh! sister, father can no longer be in the wood!" The girl replied, "But the gourd still keeps sounding." "It sounds because the wind strikes against it," rejoined the brother. They at last resolved to leave the wood, as the sun had nearly set; and they kept following the track of the nut-shells which they had laid on the road, and as long as they could see them they went right; but after a while the shells failed to be seen, and they consequently lost their way. At night-fall they met a little old woman, who said to them, "Oh! my children, what are you doing here?" They answered her, saying, "We are here because father brought us to the wood, and then left us to remain in it alone. He told us that whilst the gourd sounded it was a sign that he was still in the wood, and that when it ceased it was a sign that he was out of the wood, but was coming back for us. But the gourd kept sounding because the wind moved it. And he went away." The old lady was a fay, and she said to them, "Now, come along with me, my little children." She placed the boy out as a servant, and the girl she took home with her. She gave her a bason and a small bouquet of flowers, saying to her, "Listen: place yourself at this window, my child, holding in your hand this posy gay and bason, and say, 'Spray of Intingil, it is now time that my love should come!'" The little girl did as she was bid. Every day she sat at the window holding the posy, and the bason placed by her side, whilst she repeated " Little Spray of Intingil, it is now time that my love should come." As soon as she finished these words a bird appeared and brought her much money, after which it flew away. With this money the girl bought many things, and jewelry, and went very well dressed. The fay frequently bade her call for her whenever she should be in any trouble. Once that the girl was at the window, who should happen to pass? One of the mistress's daughters—the one-eyed one. She looked towards the window and she saw the girl, and immediately went to tell her mother how she had seen the girl so well dressed. The mistress, much surprised to hear it, asked her "How is it that, remaining in the wood as she did, wild beasts did not eat her up?" The daughter replied, "I do not know about that, but I do know that I saw her very well dressed at the window." A few days after, the lame daughter went and passed the house purposely, and saw the girl very well dressed sitting by the window with the posy of flowers and the bason standing on the window-sill, whilst she heard her repeat, "Little branch of Intingil, it is now time that my love should come." And when she had said this she saw the bird come and leave her much money. The lame girl returned home and her mother asked, "Well, did you see anything?" The girl replied, "I saw her at the window very richly clothed, but I saw nothing else." She did not, however, inform her mother that she had seen the bird come and bring her much money. The mistress then sent the blind girl. She proceeded to the house and heard the girl say, "Little Spray of Intingil, it is now time my love should come;" and she went home and said nothing. The oneeyed daughter then said, "Well, I will go once more, and I am sure I shall see something remarkable this time!" She took with her a handkerchief full of broken glass without telling any one, and on arriving at the house she hid herself, and soon heard the girl at the window repeat the words she was in the habit of saying, and also saw the bird come. The moment she saw the bird, the one-eyed daughter threw the handkerchief full of broken glass at the bird. The poor bird was much hurt and cut in many places, and bleeding very profusely fell into the bason. The girl did not see who had done the wicked deed, but in great distress of mind she summoned the fay. The fay came instantly she was called, and said, "Had you appealed to me sooner I could have saved the poor bird, but now I can do nothing, as the bird is dead!" The girl wept much for the loss of her little bird.
One day when the girl was at the window she saw a prince passing. The prince had scarcely fixed his eyes upon her than he said, "Oh! what a lovely maiden." And going into the house he asked the girl if she would marry him. The girl replied that she could not give him an answer until she should see the fay. She therefore summoned her, and told her what the prince had said to her. The fay replied that she consented to her marrying him. They were accordingly married, and ever after lived happily together.
XIII.—Saint Peter's Goddaughter.
There was a couple who had so many children that there was no man left in that part of the country to be godfather. Another child was born to them, and the father, not knowing who else he could ask to be godfather, went out to walk along the high road. He met Saint Peter disguised as a little old man, and dressed like a poor man. When Saint Peter saw the man he asked him, "What are you doing here?" The man replied, much distressed, "What can I possibly do, my good Sir; I have had so many children that I cannot find now any one to stand godfather to my youngest child." The old man rejoined, "Well, then, I shall be its godfather; call her Peter, and when the child attains the age of seven years you must bring her here to this spot." Saint Peter then gave him a purse with money and departed. The man returned home feeling most happy, and related to his wife what had occurred to him with the old man he had met on the road, and he showed her the bag of money he had given him. The girl grew to be seven years of age, and the man, who had become very rich, felt loth to take the girl to the spot arranged upon; yet as he promised to do so he took her. When he reached the place he found the godfather waiting for them. Saint Peter then said to the man, "Go away and leave her here with me, as I shall take charge of her." And the man returned home without his daughter. Saint Peter took the girl by a road where there was a pear-tree loaded with fruit. Saint Peter asked the girl, "Do you see those pears?" "I do," replied the girl. "And do you like them?" asked Saint Peter. "I like them very much, godfather," replied the girl. They went on further, and they saw some very fat sheep in a place of very poor pasture. After this they met other sheep which were very lean, notwithstanding there was plenty of pasture. They proceeded on further, and at a great distance they descried a great blaze, and by it a dark column rising up. Saint Peter said to the girl, "Do you see that blaze?" The girl replied, "I can see it, godfather; what is it?" Saint Peter replied, "What you see there is purgatory, where people go who are. proud and wicked. Did you not see those sheep that were lean with so much food before them? Those are persons who are proud and are sent there for their purgatory. And did you not see those fat sheep with very little to feed upon? Those are the good people who did much good in this world and who go to heaven. And did you perceive that pear-tree loaded with fruit? The pears are the angels, who being good also go to heaven. And now you are going into service, and will have to put up with many, many untoward things, because those that suffer and are patient go to heaven." After this Saint Peter gave her much good advice, and told her to call upon him whenever she should find herself in any very great trouble; moreover that she should never dress as a woman. The girl went to the king's palace and offered herself as a servant. One of the chamberlains went to inform the king of her request, and the king sent him to say that she might enter his service. They asked her at the palace what her name was, and she said that it was Peter. She entered the king's palace, and her duty was to tend the ducks. At night when Peter retired to bed, the queen went into Peter's room. But Peter ran away, and the queen felt vexed; and when she rose up next morning she threw a ring into the sea, and then went to the king and said, "Do you know what has happened to me! I let fall a ring into the sea, and Peter says he is sure he can dive to the bottom and find it." The king sent for Peter and said to him, "Oh! Peter, the queen has informed me that you say you are able to dive to the bottom of the sea and search for the ring which she let fall this morning into the water. Are you really able to do so?" The poor girl replied, "I suppose that if the queen says so, it is because I am able." She then went to her room and began to cry very bitterly, because she had not said such a thing, and she did not feel equal to attempting such a deed. However, she remembered to call for her godfather, and she said, "Come to my help, oh! my godfather." Saint Peter appeared to her at once, and asked her, "Why are you in tears? have patience, for it is thus we should bear all things." The girl recounted to Saint Peter all that had happened to her with the queen, and what her majesty had told the king out of revenge to try and disgrace her. Saint Peter then said to her, "Very well, now listen to me. To-morrow they will buy some fish, and you must go and ask the servant whose duty it is to prepare and open the fish, to allow you to do it." The girl did as she was instructed to do. Next day some fish was brought into the palace, and she asked the servant to allow her to prepare the fish for the cook. She opened the fish's belly and there she found the ring, and she took it to the queen and gave it to her. The queen felt very much annoyed at this, but made no remark, and kept her displeasure to herself. Next day she again went into Peter's chamber, but Peter again ran out of the room. The queen feeling piqued and annoyed at the repetition of Peter's provoking conduct, again went to the king to make mischief, saying, "Do you know that Peter says that he is capable of grinding three quarters of wheat this evening?" The king sent for Peter and said to him, "Oh! Peter, the queen has told me that you say that you are able to grind three quarters of wheat this night; is it so?" Peter replied, "If the queen says so, it must be because I can do it." Peter went to her room to give vent to her grief, and said, "Oh! my godfather, do come to my help." St. Peter once more appeared to her and asked her, "What ails you, that you weep so?" The girl replied, telling him of her trouble, and all that had taken place. Saint Peter then said to her, "I will tell you what to do. Ask for the necessary machine for grinding the wheat, take it to your room, and lay yourself down to sleep. In the morning rise up and look for the flour." The girl did as she was bidden. She asked for the necessary things to grind the wheat. She put everything in the room, and she laid down to sleep. When she arose next morning she found the flour already ground, and went with it to the king. This increased the queen's annoyance and anger against Peter, but she remained silent and betrayed no displeasure. At night she again went into Peter's chamber, and, as before, Peter ran away. The king had a daughter who was spell-bound in Moirama. The queen, remembering this, went to the king and said to him, "Do you know that Peter says that he feels confident of being able to disenchant our daughter who is in Moirama?" On hearing this the king summoned him to his presence and asked him, "Oh! Peter, the queen informs me that you say you feel confident of being able to disenchant our beloved daughter who is in Moirama,—can you really do so?" To this Peter replied, "I suppose that if the queen says so it is because I can." Peter returned to her room to have a good cry, for she thought that this would be impossible for her to accomplish. But in the midst of her doubts and affliction she turned and said, "Come to my assistance, oh! godfather." Saint Peter instantly stood before her and asked her, "What is the matter now, and why are you grieving so?" The girl told him all the impossible things the queen had told the king she vaunted she could accomplish, all out of spite. To this Saint Peter replied, "Take these, three tubes. Ask to have two horses saddled for your journey, and travel on and on, and where your horses shall stop there you will find the princess waiting for your arrival. On your return to the palace, look back, and you will find that the Moors are chasing you; then it is that you must throw the first tube; and if they continue to pursue you throw the second, and after that the third tube." The girl did as she was instructed to do. She asked the king to let her have two paddle-horses and started off, travelling until she arrived at a certain spot where the horses of their own accord suddenly stopped and refused to go any further; and there she found the princess waiting for her. As she was returning to the palace with the princess she looked behind her, and she saw the Moors in pursuit, and she had hardly seen them than she threw at them the first tube; and immediately a great fog came on. The girl and the princess could see their way, but the Moors could barely see the road and follow them. When they had quitted the land of Moirama the princess, who had been dumb, gave utterance to a short exclamation, saying, "ah!" When they had proceeded further on the girl again looked back and she saw the Moors still in pursuit. She threw to them the second tubing, and athick almost impassable bush grew up. The girl and the princess were able to pass this easily and quickly, but the Moors found it difficult to effect a path through it. When they had reached half way on their road home the dumb princess a second time exclaimed "ah!" Further on the girl again looked behind her, and saw the Moors were still behind. She threw out the third tube and a sea was formed. They crossed with ease the water, and this time the Moors found it impossible to follow the fugitives. When the girl and the princess arrived at the palace the princess a third time uttered an exclamation, and said, "ah!" When the queen saw her daughter she was very angry and went to the king to say that Peter vaunted that he could give speech to the princess, who was dumb. The king called up Peter and asked her if she was capable of executing what she said she could do. The girl replied as before, that if the queen had said so it was because she could do so. But she went to her room to weep, and she called out saying, "Oh! my godfather, come to my help," who instantly appeared and asked her, "Why are you weeping?" The girl told him everything, and St. Peter instructed her what she was to do. From there the girl went up to the king and told him that he could put her to death if he chose, but that she could not possibly give the princess speach. The queen was delighted to hear her say this; and it was decided that Peter should be hung. When the rope was already round her neck she asked leave in the presence of all the court assembled in front of the scaffold to publish three things to the world. The king gave the desired permission and she then asked:—
"Oh! Anna Deladana, why didst thou exclaim ah! as we left Moirama?"
The princess replied: "Because my mother went to seek for you in your bed."
The girl again asked: "Oh! Anna Deladana, why didst thou exclaim a second time ah! when half way home?"
The princess replied: "Because Saint Peter is your godfather!"
The girl again asked: "Oh! Anna Deladana, why didst thou utter an ah! at the entrance of the palace?"
The princess replied: "Because you are a woman and they believed you were a man!"
The king then saw that the girl was innocent, and ordered her to be taken down from the scaffold, married her, and had the queen put to death.
XIV.—The Two Children and the Witch.
There was once a woman who had a son and a daughter. The mother one day sent her son to buy five reis' worth of beans, and then said to both: "My children, go as far out on the road as you shall find shells of beans strewed on the path, and when you reach the wood you will find me there collecting fire- wood," The children did as they were bid; and after the mother had gone out they went following the track of the beans which she went strewing along the road, but they did not find her in the wood or anywhere else. As night had come on they perceived in the darkness a light shining at a distance, easy of access. They walked on towards it, and they soon came up to an old woman who was frying cakes. The old woman was blind of one eye, and the boy went on the blind side and stole a cake, because he felt so hungry. Believing that it was her cat which had stolen the cake, she said, "You thief of a cat! leave my cakes alone; they are not meant for you!" The little boy now said to his sister, "You go now and take a cake." But the little girl replied, "I cannot do so, as I am sure to laugh." Still, as the boy persisted upon it and urged her to try, she had no other alternative but to do so. She went on the side of the old woman's blind eye and stole another of her cakes. The old woman, again thinking that it was her cat, said, "Be off! shoo you old pussy; these cakes are not meant for you!" The little girl now burst out into a fit of laughter, and the old hag turning round then, noticed the two children, and addressed them thus: "Ah! is it you, my dear grandchildren? Eat, eat away, and get fat!" She then took hold of them and thrust them into a large box full of chestnuts, and shut them up. Next day she came close to the box and spoke to them thus: "Show me your little fingers, my pets, that I may be able to judge whether you have grown fat and sleek." The children put out their little fingers as desired. But next day the old hag again asked them: "Show your little fingers, my little dears, that I may see if you have grown fat and plump!" The children, instead of their little fingers, showed her the tail of a cat they had found inside the box. The old hag then said: "My pets, you can come out now, for you have grown nice and plump." She took them out of the box, and told them they must go with her and gather sticks. The children went into the wood searching one way while the old hag took another direction. When they had arrived at a certain spot they met a fay. This fay said to them: "You are gathering sticks, my children, to heat the oven, but you do not know that the old hag wants to bake you in it." She further told them that the old witch meant to order them to stand on the baker's peel, saying: "Stand on this peel, my little pets, that I may see you dance in the oven; but that they were to ask her to sit upon it herself first, that so they might learn the way to do it. The fay then went away. Shortly after they had met this good lady they found the old witch in the wood. They gathered together in bundles all the fire-sticks they had collected, and carried them home to heat the oven. When they had finished heating the oven, the old hag swept it carefully out, and then said to the little ones, "Sit here, my little darlings, on this peel, that I may see how prettily you dance in the oven!" The children replied to the witch as the good fay had instructed them: "Sit you here, little granny, that we may first see you dance in the oven." As the hag's intention was to bake the children, she sat on the peel first, so as to coax them to do the same after her; but the very moment the children saw her on the peel they thrust the peel into the oven with the witch upon it. The old hag gave a great start, and was burnt to a cinder immediately after. The children took possession of the shed and all it contained.
Another version:—There was once three brothers who went along a certain road. When night overtook them they saw a light at a distance, and so they walked on towards it until they came to it. The light proceeded from a spot where an old woman was frying some cakes. The brothers said one to another, "Let us get upon the roof." They made a very long hook-stick, and got upon the roof. As the old hag fried her cakes she placed them upon a dish by her. Her cat, meanwhile, sat by her side. The boys with their long hook, from the top of the roof, fished up the warm cakes one after the other, as the old hag placed them on the dish. As the cat was by her side, and every time she placed a cake on the dish she found the other gone, she kept repeating and exclaiming:—"Shoo, you naughty thief of a pussy, how can you manage to eat so many cakes?" These brothers were consecrated to St. Peter, and when they heard what the old hag said, they began to laugh, unable to suppress their merriment. The old hag, looking up towards the roof, startled, saw the boys, and told them to come down. The boys feared to do so, and refused to descend; but the old witch so managed to threaten, and then to cajole them, that she at last induced them to come down from the roof. When she saw them down she addressed them:—"Look here, my children, stand on this baker's peel for an instant." The boys replied, "No, no, old lady, you get upon it first, and one can then easily learn how it is to be done." The old witch, believing them to be innocent and artless, stood upon the peel! "Saint Peter, come to our help!" cried out the brothers, the moment they saw her upon the peel. Saint Peter came, pushed the old hag into the oven, stirred the fire, and shut the oven door, After this the boys continued to partake of the remaining cakes very comfortably.
XV.—The Maiden with the Rose on Her Forehead.
There was once a prince and a princess who were brother and sister, and were very great friends. The prince had a garden which no one was allowed to cultivate but himself. As it happened he had to go to the war; and he was sorry to go, because he did not like to trust any one with the care of his own garden. His sister, however, said to him:—"Dear brother, have no anxiety about your garden, leave it to me, and I promise you that no one but myself shall look after it." The prince then departed, well pleased with his sister's arrangement. The princess not wishing to leave the garden for one minute, as her brother was there constantly when at home, had her couch brought to the garden and placed under a large rose tree. After a time she gave birth to a child, a girl, with a rose on her forehead. The princess was much distressed at this, as it had come upon her without her knowledge, and she was always in the garden day and night. The child began to grow, and the mother sent her to school, enjoined her very particularly never to make herself known to any one, because, if she did, she would kill her. The child went to school; and the prince was expected to arrive home very shortly, and it was thought probable that as soon as he should reach the capital, he would go and visit all the schools and colleges, as well as the school where the little princess went to. The princess, who knew this, told her little daughter that the prince would visit her school, but that she was on no account to make herself known to him, as otherwise she would put her to death.
When the prince at last visited the said school he immediately noticed a new face and said: "Ah! there is one girl more since I last was here, I see!" The other children talked and made a noise, but this little one never once raised her head, that the rose on her forehead should not be noticed; nor did she laugh and be merry like the others. The prince, addressing the children, asked which of them would make him a shirt. The girls all answered at once: "I will, I will, I will," but the girl with the rose on her forehead remained silent. The prince noticed this and said, "Then the girl who has remained silent and has not said whether she would or not is the one who shall have the honour given her of making me a shirt! You will, will you not?" The girl signified by a movement of the head that she would. She went home and told her mother what the prince had asked her to do for him. The prince never once suspected any thing, and though the girl lived in the palace he did not know it. The princess told her daughter to make the shirt, but on no account to make herself known to the prince else she would have her put to death. The maiden went to school, set to work, and finished the shirt in one day, and when the prince came into the school she gave him the shirt ready finished. He thanked her very graciously, and he found it very well stitched and finished, but he never once noticed that she had a rose on her forehead, as she always went about with her head covered. When the prince came into the palace he told the princess that he had found a girl in the school who was very clever and handy at her needle, for she had made him a shirt in one day which was beautifully finished. As the prince finished saying this a man passed by the palace selling and crying out cherries—he called the man and bought of him the basketful of cherries; he then took them to the school and gave the girls the cherries to eat. They all began eating the fruit, much pleased, and it was only the maid with the rose on her forehead that did not attempt to partake of them. The prince perceiving it asked her, "Well then will you not taste some?" She made a sign that she would not have any. The prince, surprised at not ever having heard her speak, inquired of the mistress, "Is that little girl dumb?" The mistress replied, "She is very shy, and if any one endeavours to make her speak or take any notice of her she immediately begins to cry." The girl's all began to play with the cherries and throw them about in their fun, but where should one of them fall but on the little girls head who had a rose on her forehead! Next day, when her mother combed her hair to go to school, finding a cherry entangled in it said to her, "Ah! tyrant, I see you have made yourself known," She stuck the comb into her head violently and killed her. She then had the corpse put into an iron chest together with all her jewels, and locked the chest in a chamber of the palace; but after a while from remorse and grief at what she had done to her poor daughter she pined away and died. Before she died she gave the prince the key of the room, telling him never to touch anything in it. The brother, in order to comply with the princess's injunction, took special care to keep those keys separate. The princess died after she had said this.
The prince, feeling lonely, now decided to marry, and gave his wife all the keys, at the same time telling her that she could open every door she liked except the one leading to the room which his sister the princess had asked him before she died never to examine. As the prince went one day to hunt, his mother-in-law, who lived with them in the palace, had a great wish to open this room, but her daughter told her not to do so because the prince had enjoined her not. The mother then said that if the prince objected to having that room opened it was because it contained something which he wished to conceal from her. At last she insisted so much upon it that she obtained the key of the room and opened it. They both went in, and the first thing that they saw was a large iron chest. The mother then said, "Ah! I shall see what we can find in that large chest." She opened it and found inside a most beautiful maiden with a star on her forehead, who was sitting down engaged in embroidering. When the mother saw her she said to her daughter, "Did not I tell you that there was some hidden secret here?" The wife now, jealous of the maiden's beauty, heated an iron, took the maiden out of the chest, and burnt her skin with the heated iron, so that she remained all over scorched. When the prince returned from the hunt his wife said to him, "Do you know that I have bought a mulatta girl to serve us to run errands?" The prince, who was going to the fair, asked his wife what she would like him to bring her; but she told him to ask the mulatta girl what she also would like. So the prince asked the maid what she wished from the fair. The girl replied that she did not wish anything, but as he persisted in asking her to tell him something she would like to have, she asked him to bring her a talisman. When the prince returned from the fair he gave the girl the talisman. She took it to her room and lay on her bed. As the prince was curious to know what she would do with it, he hid himself under the bed. The mulatta girl began to tell her history to the stone, saying, "Oh! talisman, I am the daughter of a princess, sister to the prince my uncle, who lives in this palace and is married. But he does not know that I am his niece, for I was kept spell-bound in an iron chest; and his wife and her mother burnt my skin all over with a hot iron, and I remained scorched and browned; and when the prince returned home from the hunt they told him that I was a mulatta girl, Now my talisman I have told you all my history, and you know all my life." The prince who was listening attentively under the bed, quickly came out, embraced the maiden, and asked her what she desired him to do to his wife, as he no longer would allow her to remain in the palace. The maiden replied, "Do to her the same she did to me." The prince then ordered that the same piece of iron should be heated and his wife to have her skin well scorched with it, and that her mother should also undergo the same punishment, after which he inclosed them alive in a wall. He lived in the palace with his niece and never more entertained the idea of marrying.
XVI. The Princess who would not marry her Father.
There was once a king and a queen. But a few years after their marriage the queen died. At her death she placed a ring on a table, and bade the king marry whomsoever that ring should fit. It happened that their daughter, the princess, approached the table by chance, saw the ring, and tried it on. She then ran to the king her father, and said:—"Sire, do you know that a ring which I found on the table fits me as though it had been made expressly for me! . . " The king, on hearing this, replied:—"Oh! my daughter, you will have to marry me, because your mother, before she died, expressed a wish that I should marry whoever this ring would fit." The princess, greatly distressed, shut herself up in a room which had the window looking into the garden, and gave vent to her grief. Soon, however, a little old woman appeared to her, and asked her: "Why do you weep, royal lady?" To which the princess replied: "Well, what else can I do? My father says that I must marry him." The little old woman then said to her: "Listen to me, royal lady, go and tell your father that you will only marry him on condition that he buys you a dress of the colour of the stars in the heavens." And after saying this she departed. The princess then went up to the king, who asked her: "Well, my daughter, are we to be married?" To which she replied: "Well, father, I shall marry you when you bring me a dress of the colour of the stars in the heavens." The father, on hearing this, went out and bought her the dress, and gave it to her ready made. The princess again went to her room to cry. The little old woman again appeared to her, and asked her, "What ails you, royal lady?" She replied: "What can ail me! my father has bought me the dress I asked him for, and he wishes to marry me." The old lady rejoined: "Never mind, you must now ask him to bring you a dress of the colour of the flowers that grow in the fields." The princess again went to her father and told him that she could only marry him on condition of his bringing her a robe of the colour of wild flowers. The king bought the dress and gave it to her made up, and quite ready to be put on. The princess, again in trouble, retired to her chamber to weep. The old lady again appeared and demanded: "What ails you, royal lady?" To which the princess replied: "What can ail me, indeed! my father has bought me the second robe, and is determined to marry me." The good old lady rejoined: "Ask your father now for a robe of various colours." The princess did so, and asked for a robe of various colours, and the king bought her the dress and brought it to her ready to be put on. The princess returned to her chamber to weep over her new trouble, but the little old woman came to her and asked her what troubled her. The princess replied that the king had bought her the third robe she required of him, and was now determined that the marriage should take place. "And now what shall I do to prevent it?" inquired the princess. The little old woman replied: "Royal lady, you must now send for a carpenter and order him to make you a dress of wood; get inside it and go to the palace of the king who lives yonder, who requires a servant to tend the ducks." The princess did as she was told, had a dress made of wood, put all her jewels, and everything else she would require, inside, and getting inside it herself; and one fine day she ran away. She walked on and on until she arrived at the said palace. She knocked at the door, and told the servants to ask his majesty the king if he required a maid to mind the ducks. He replied that he did; and he asked her what her name was, and she rejoined that her name was Maria do Pau; and after this the king sent her to tend the ducks, which were in a field next to the palace gardens. The moment the princess reached it she took off everything she had on, and the wooden dress also; she washed herself, as she was travel-stained, and then put on the richest robe she had, which was the one the colour of the stars. The king was taking a walk in the garden, and noticed a lovely maiden who was in the field driving the ducks, and heard her repeat—
"Ducks here, ducks there,
The daughter of a king tends the ducks,
A thing never seen before!"
When she had finished saying this she killed one of the ducks; then took off her robes, and again got into her wooden dress. At night she went indoors, saying: "Oh! king, I have killed one of the ducks." The king asked her: "Maria do Pau, who was that beautiful maiden so splendidly robed that minded the ducks?" To this she said: "Indeed there was no one else there but myself in disguise." Next day the king again sent Maria do Pau to tend the ducks. And when she was in the field she did the same thing as the day before. She took off her wooden dress, washed and combed herself carefully, put on the robe the colour of wild flowers, and went about driving the ducks, saying as before:—
"Ducks here, ducks there,
The daughter of a king tends the ducks,
A thing never seen before."
After which she killed another duck. Next day she did as the day before, put on the robe of many colours, and killed another duck. In the evening when she went indoors, the king said to her: "I do not wish you to take care of the ducks any longer, for every day we find a duck has been killed! Now you shall remain locked up in the house. We are to have a feast which will last three days, but I promise you that you shall not enjoy it, for I shall not allow you to go to it." To this she said to the king: "Oh! my liege, do let me go." But the king replied, "No, indeed, you shall not go." On the first day of the feast she again begged of the king to allow her to repair to it, and his majesty replied: "God, preserve me! What would be the consequences of taking Maria do Pau to the feast!" The king put on his gala robes and then sent for her to his chamber, asked her what dress she would like to put on, and the princess replied by asking him to give her a pair of boots, which the king threw at her and took his departure for the feast. She then repaired to her chamber and removed from inside the dress made of wool a wand she had, which the little old woman, who was a fairy, had given her, and holding it up she said: "Oh! divining rod, by the virtue that God gave you, send me here the best royal carriage, which is the very one that took the king to the feast." The carriage was instantly in sight, and entering it she made her appearance at the feast, in the robe of the colour of the stars. The king, who had his eyes continually fixed upon her, went out to the guards and told them not to allow the maiden to pass. But when she wished to get out she threw them a bag of money, and the guards allowed her to pass, but they asked her to what country she belonged, to which she replied that she came from the land of the boot. The king went home, and on arriving found the princess was already in the palace. The king, who wished to find out whether the lovely maiden which he had seen at the feast could possibly be Maria do Pau, went to see if she was safe in her chamber, and afterwards sent for her and and said to her: "Oh! Maria do Pan, do you happen to know where the land of the boot is situated?" "Oh! my liege, do not come troubling me with your questions. Is it possible that your majesty does not know where the land of the boot is situated?" The king replied: "I do not. A maiden was at the feast. I asked her where she came from, and she said that she came from the land of the boot, but I do not know where that is." Next day the king again attended the feast, but before leaving he said to Maria do Pau: "You shall not be allowed to go there." "Do allow me for once," replied she. The king then asked her to give him the towel, and as she presented him with it he threw it at her, and departed for the feast. The princess repaired to her room, struck the divining rod, and put on the robe, which was the colour of the wild flowers. The king who had been charmed with her on the first day of the feast, now admired her all the more, because she appeared more beautiful than ever. He went out to the guards and told them to ask the beautiful maiden when she passed to what country she belonged; and when she went out she informed them that she was from the land of the towel. As soon as the king was told of this he returned to the palace to think over, and try to guess, if possible, where the land of the towel could be situated. And when he arrived at the palace the first thing he did was to ask his maid if she knew where the land of the towel could be found. To his inquiries she replied: "Well, well! here comes a king who does not know, and cannot tell, where the land of the towel is situated! Neither do I know." The king now said: "Oh! Maria do Pau, every time that I have been at the feast I have seen such a pretty maiden. If the one I saw yesterday was beautiful, the one of to-day is perfectly lovely, and much more charming than the first." Next day as the king was on the point of going out the princess said to his majesty: "Oh! my liege, let me go to the feast, that I may see the maiden that is so beautiful!" The king replied: "God, preserve me! What would be the result if I were to present you before that maiden?" After which he asked her to give him his walking-stick, and as he was going out he struck her with it. He went to the feast, and when there the princess presented herself before him in the robe of many colours. If on the previous days she appeared most beautiful, on this day of the feast she looked perfectly ravishing, and more interesting than ever. The king fixed his eyes upon her so as not to lose sight of her, as he wished to see her go out, and follow her to where she lived, as it was the last day of the feast. But the king missed seeing her depart after all, and he could find her nowhere. He went to the guards and asked them what she had said, but the guards replied that she had come from the land of the walking-stick. The king returned to the palace and inquired of his maid where the land of the walking-stick could be found; but she replied: "Oh! my liege, that I should know where the land of the walking-stick is situated. Does not my liege know?—neither do I." The king again asked her: "Do you really not know? To-day I again saw the same girl who is so beautiful; but I begin to think it cannot be the same one every time, because at one time she says that she comes from the land of the boot, next time that she is from the land of the towel, and lastly she says she is from the land of the walking-stick.
The princess repaired to her room, washed and combed herself, and dressed herself in the robe she had on on the first day of the feast. The king went to look through the key-hole to find out why she was so long away and remained in her chamber so quiet, and also to see what she was at. He saw a lovely maiden, the same one who had appeared at the feast dressed in the robe the colour of the stars in the heavens, sitting down busy with some embroidery. When the princess left her chamber to repair to the dinner-table again disguised the king said te her: "Oh! Maria do Pau, you must embroider a pair of shoes for me." She replied: "Do I know how to embroider shoes?" and she left the parlour to go back to her chamber. Every day she put on one of the dresses she had worn at the feast, and on the last day she robed herself with the one of many colours. The king begged her every day to embroider him a pair of shoes, and she always returned the same answer. He had a key made to open the princess's room, and one day when he saw through the key-hole that she was robed in her best, he suddenly opened the door without her perceiving it and entered the chamber. The princess startled, and very much frightened, tried to run away, but the king said to her: "Do not be troubled for you shall marry me! But I wish you first to tell me your history, and why it is that you wear a wooden dress." The princess recounted all the events of her life and the king married her. The king next sent for the little old woman who had given her the wand, to come and live in the palace, but she refused to live there because she was a fairy.
XVII.—The Baker's Idle Son.
There was a woman baker who had a very indolent son. When the other boys went to gather firewood and he was told to go also he never would go. The mother was very unhappy to have such a lazy son, and really did not know what she should do with him. As she one day insisted upon his joining the other boys lie went along with them, but the moment they reached the wood whilst the other boys were collecting the sticks and small branches of trees for firewood he went to lie down by the side of a brook and began to eat what he had brought with him. While he was doing so a fish came close to him and began to eat up all the crumbs he let fall, until at last he caught it. The fish entreated him not to kill him, that he would do for him all he could wish for. The lazy boy, who did not trust the fish, said to it, "In the name of my God, and of my fish, I wish that this very moment a faggot of wood larger than any of the ones held by the other boys, shall appear before me, and that the bundle shall proceed without my being seen under it." All at once a faggot made its appearance ready tied; and he then allowed the fish to go back into the sea. He turned to go home, and as he passed the palace, the king, who was at the window with the princess, was very much astonished to see the faggot move along by itself; and the princess was so very much amused at it that she laughed. The lazy boy then said: "In the name of God, and of my fish, let the princess have a son without its being known whose son he is." The princess then began to feel that she was with child, and the king became very displeased with her, and ordered her to be imprisoned in a tower with her maids of honour. After a time she gave birth to a male child. The lazy boy returned to the wood, and the fish again appeared and told him that the princess had given birth to a son. The lazy boy, being instructed by the fish, ordered a palace to be erected which should be more splendid than the one belonging to the king. There was a garden in this palace replete with flowers of every colour and shade, and, wonderful to relate, there was an orchard full of fruit trees in which grew an orange tree with twelve golden oranges. All this was brought about by the fish and the fairies. The lazy boy went to this palace transformed into a prince, and no one knew him to be anything else. The king sent a message asking to see the palace, and he replied that he would be most happy to show him over it, and sent his majesty an invitation to breakfast and to all his court. The king and his chamberlains were much surprised on their arrival to see so much luxury and splendour. After they had inspected the whole palace they went into the garden. They were charmed with the variety of flowers in it, but were much more astonished to see an orange tree bearing golden oranges. The lazy boy informed the king and his courtiers that they could take of everything in the garden which they might desire, except gathering any of the oranges. They all returned to the palace and sat down to the breakfast. When the breakfast was over, and the king was taking his departure to return to his own palace, the lazy boy told the king that he was much surprised to find that after he had treated them so luxuriously they should have gathered one of the golden oranges. The courtiers all commenced to deny that any of them had taken the orange, and took off their coats that he might see for himself that they had not been guilty of the accusation. The king, who felt very much abashed, was now the only one who had not been examined. He took off his coat and nothing was found on examination in its pockets; but the lazy boy asked him to look carefully again when he had put his coat on, because since his courtiers had not taken the orange it must be himself who had. The king then put his hands again in his pocket and drew out the orange, very much confused and ashamed, for he could not imagine how it could have come there as he had not touched the oranges. The lazy boy then said to him that the very same thing had happened to the princess who had borne a son without knowing by whom. The spell under which the fish was bound was then broken, and it was transformed into a prince and married the princess. The lazy boy returned home a rich man.
XVIII—The Hearth-cat.
There was once a schoolmistress who was a widow, and had a daughter who was very plain. This mistress had a pupil who was very pretty, and the daughter of a traveller. The mistress was very attached to her father, and every day would beg the girl to ask him to marry her, promising to give her porridge made with honey. The girl went home to ask her father to marry her schoolmistress, as she would then give her porridge made with honey. To this request the father replied that he would not marry her, for he well knew that though she said now that she would give her porridge made with honey, later on she would give her porridge with gall. Yet, as the child began to cry, begging her father to consent, the father, who loved his child very much, in order to comfort her, replied that he would order a pair of boots to be made of iron, and hang them up until the boots would rust to pieces with age, when he would marry the mistress. The little girl, very pleased to hear this, went immediately to tell the mistress, who then instructed her pupil to wet the boots every day. The little girl did so, and after a while the boots fell to pieces, and she went and told her father of it. He then said that he would marry the mistress, and on the following day married her. So long as the father was at home the child was treated with kindness and affection, but the moment he went out the mistress was very unkind to her, and treated her badly. She one day sent her to graze a cow, and gave her a loaf, which she desired her to bring back whole, and an earthen pot with water, out of which she expected her to drink, and yet was to bring back full. One day the mistress told the girl that she wished her to employ herself in winding some skeins of thread until the evening. The little girl went away crying and bewailing her lot; but the cow comforted her, and told her not to be distressed,—to fix the skein on her horns and unravel the thread. The good cow after that took out all the crumb from the loaf by making a small hole with one of her horns, and then stopped the aperture, and gave the girl the loaf back again entire. In the evening the girl returned home. When her stepmother saw that she had finished her task, and brought all the thread ready wound, she was very vexed and wanted to beat her, saying that she was sure the cow had had something to do with it, and next day ordered the animal to be killed. At this the girl began to cry very bitterly, but the step-mother told her that she would have to clean and wash the cow's entrails in a tank they had, however grieved she might feel for the loss of the animal. The cow, however, again told the girl not to be troubled, but to go and wash her entrails, but was to be careful to save whatever she saw come out of them. The girl did so, and when she was cleaning them she saw a ball of gold come out and fall into the water. The girl went into the tank to search for it, and there she saw a house with everything in it in disorder, and she began to arrange and make the house look tidy. She suddenly heard footsteps, and in her hurry she hid herself behind the door. The fairies entered and began to look about, and a dog came in also with them, and went up to where she was and began to bark, saying: "Bow, bow, bow, behind the door hides somebody who did us good, and will yet render us more services. Bow, bow, bow, behind the door hides somebody who has done us good, and will yet render us more services." The fairies, as they searched about, hearing the dog bark, discovered where the girl was hiding, and began to say to her, "We endow you by the power we possess with the gift of beauty, making you the most lovely maiden ever seen." The next fairy then said, "I cast a sweet spell over you, so that when you open your mouth to speak, pearls and gold shall drop from your lips." The third fairy coming forward said, "I endow you with every blessing, making you the happiest maiden in the world. Take this wand, it will grant you whatever you may ask." The girl then left the enchanted region, and returned home, and as soon as the mistress's daughter saw her approach she commenced to cry out to her mother to come quickly and see the hearth-cat, who had come back at last. The mistress ran to greet her, and asked her where and what she had been doing all that time. The girl related the contrary of what she had seen, as the fairies had instructed her to do—that she had found a tidy house, and that she had disarranged everything in it, to make it look untidy. The mistress sent her own daughter there, and she had hardly arrived at the house when she began at once to do as her half-sister had told her; she disarranged everything, to make the house look untidy and uncared for. And when she heard the fairies coming in she hid behind the door. The little dog saw her, and barking at her said, "Behind the door stands one who has done us much harm, and will still continue to molest us. Bow, bow, bow, behind the door stands one who has done us much harm, and will continue to molest us on the first opportunity." The fairies hearing this approached her, and one began to say, "I throw a spell over you which will render you the ugliest maid that can be found." The next one took up the word and said, "I bewitch you, so that when you attempt to speak all manner of filth shall fall out of your mouth." And the third fairy said, "I also bewitch you, and you shall become the poorest and most wretched maid in existence." The mistress's daughter returned home, thinking she was looking quite a beauty; but when she came up close to her mother, and began to speak, the mother burst out crying on seeing her own daughter so disfigured and wretched. Full of rage, she sent her step-daughter to the kitchen, saying, that she was the hearth-cat, and that she should take care that she kept there, as the only place which was fit for her. On a certain day the mistress and her daughter repaired to some races which were then taking place, but when the girl saw that they had left the house, she asked her divining rod to give her a very handsome dress, boots, a hat, and everything complete. She dressed and adorned herself with all she had, and went to the races, and stood in front of the royal stand. The mistress's daughter instantly saw her, and began to exclaim and cry out at the top of her voice, in the midst of all the people present, saying, "Oh! mother, mother, that beautiful maiden over there is our very hearth-cat." The mother, to quiet her, told her to be calm; that the maiden was not her step-sister, as she had remained at home under lock and key. The races were hardly over when the girl departed home; but the king, who had seen her, was in love with her. The moment the mother reached home she asked the hearth-cat whether she had been out. She replied, that she had not; and showed her face besmeared with smut. Next day the girl asked the wand to strike and give her another dress which would be more splendid than the previous one. She put on her things and repaired to the races. The moment the king perceived her he felt very pleased indeed; but the races were hardly concluded than she retired in haste, and went into her carriage and drove home, leaving the king more in love than ever with her. The third day the girl asked the divining rod to give her a garment which should surpass the other two in richness and beauty, and other shoes; and she went and attended the races. When the king saw her, he was delighted, but was again disappointed to see her depart before the races were concluded. In her hurry to enter her carriage quickly, she let fall one of her slippers. The king picked it up and returned to the palace, and fell lovesick. The slipper had some letters upon it which said, "This shoe will only fit its owner." The whole kingdom was searched to find the lady whose foot would be found to fit the slipper exactly, yet no one was found. The schoolmistress went to the palace to try the slipper on, but all her efforts were in vain. After her, her daughter followed, and endeavoured her best to lit the slipper on, but with no better success. There only remained the hearth-cat. The king inquired who was the next to try on the slipper, and asked the mistress if there was any other lady left in her house who could fit on the slipper. The schoolmistress then said that there only remained a hearth-cat in her house, but that she had never worn such a slipper. The king ordered the girl to be brought to the palace, and the mistress had no alternative but to do so, The king himself insisted on trying the slipper on the girl's foot, and the moment she put her little foot into the slipper and drew it on, it fitted exactly. The king then arranged that she should remain in the palace and married her. And he ordered the mistress and her daughter to be put to death.
XIX.—The Aunts.
There was an old woman who had a granddaughter: and whilst one day the girl was looking out of the window, the king, happening to pass by the house at the time, was immediately struck with her beauty. He knocked at the door, and the old woman came to open the door, and asked his majesty what might be his pleasure. The king replied that he wished to see the maiden. The old woman then told him that the maiden he had seen at the window would make him a shirt that could be drawn through the eye of a needle. The king hearing this, said that he would marry the maiden if she succeeded in doing such a wonderful thing; but that in the event of her not succeeding, he would have her put to death. When the king departed, the girl who had not said or thought of doing such a thing began to weep: an old woman however appeared to her, and told her not to be troubled, for she would make the shirt for her, but she must promise her to call her "aunt" before every one present at the wedding banquet on her marriage day. The maiden readily promised her to do so; after which the shirt appeared all at once ready made, and it was given to the king. On receiving the shirt the king said that he was not yet satisfied, and that the girl must prove herself more clever still. Upon which the grandmother told him that her granddaughter could hear anything that was said three leagues off. When the maiden knew of this she commenced to cry again, but the woman returned and informed her that if she promised to call her "aunt" on the day of the marriage, before every one, she would tell her what the king would say at the hunt he had gone to three leagues off. The girl promised to comply; and the woman shortly after came and informed her of what the king had said at the hunt. The grandmother then went to the king to tell him. But, as his majesty required yet more proofs of the maiden's extraordinary cleverness, the granny told him that her daughter was so quick at her work, that she could wind in half-an-hour a whole skein of thread. When the girl heard of this she began to weep, because she knew she was not able to do so. The woman, however, who always came to her help, returned once more and offered to do it for her if she complied with the usual promise; which the maiden readily agreed to, and immediately the skein appeared ready wound. The day of the marriage was at last fixed upon, and the king married the maiden. Whilst they were sitting at the banquet which was given on the occasion, a knock was suddenly heard at the door of the hall, and a woman entered who was exceedingly ugly and had very large prominent eyes. The maiden, now a queen, rose at once from the table, and addressed her in this way: "Good afternoon, aunt, give me your blessing!" Every one present was much surprised at what they saw and heard; but the ugly woman, turning towards the king, explained to him that the reason of her having such very large eyes came from straining them to make a shirt that could pass through the eye of a needle. After a while another knock was heard at the door, and in came another woman with exceeding large ears. The queen rose and saluted her thus, "Good afternoon, aunt, bestow me your blessing!" Every one present was much surprised, but the woman went up to the king and explained that her ears had become so exceedingly large from her constantly listening to what was said at the distance of three leagues. Not long after this a third knock was heard, and another woman entered who was very, very ugly, and had very long arms. The queen rose from the table and said to her, saluting her, "Good afternoon, aunt, bestow your blessing upon me." All the people were much astonished, but the woman told the king that she had such long arms because she had been obliged to wind a whole skein in half-an-hour. The king then rose and said to the queen that he did not require her to make the shirt, nor to hear what was said at the distance of three leagues, nor did he expect her to wind a whole skein of thread in half-an-hour. And thus it was that the maiden was saved from having to accomplish what her grandmother had told the king she was capable of doing.
XX.—The Cabbage Stalk.
There lived once a little maid who was the daughter of poor people. This girl had a cabbage which grew in her kitchen garden, and she was in the habit of watering it. The little maid was always watching the cabbage sprout to see when it would come to seed. One day she noticed that on the cabbage stalk there was formed a ladder by which one could descend into the ground. She went down these steps and quickly found herself in a splendid palace in which there was a table very well laid out, and a beautiful bed. The maid sat down at the table and partook of the good things laid upon it with avidity, and went up again along the cabbage stalk and returned home. Whenever she felt hungry she would secretly go down the steps on the cabbage stalk and feast upon the delicacies she found in the palace. The little maid was growing fat, much to the surprise of her father and mother, who never saw her eat anything. At night when her parents were gone to sleep she would very quietly descend the cabbage stalk, and lie down to sleep on a beautiful couch which she found prepared in the palace. The mother, who began to suspect her daughter, one night arose from her bed to follow her down the ladder. She watched and saw her daughter get upon her couch, in which there was a beast. The mother then lit a candle, went to the couch, and uncovered the bed-clothes. Three drops of candle-grease fell upon the sleeping beast and immediately it became transformed into a prince. The prince then said to the mother: "You little know the harm you have done me! You have broken my spell, and now I cannot marry your daughter I" He then told the little maid to leave the palace, and gave her a rock of gold, a pair of iron shoes, and a staff, and said when the shoes were worn out to come again to see him in the palace. The little maid departed, and walked and walked on until at last the shoes began to wear out and she went about begging for alms. She met an old woman and she asked her to give her some things whilst she related her history to her. The old woman told her that she was no longer in time to marry the prince because there was a princess already in the palace who was destined for him. The old woman then gave her a rock of gold, a spinning-wheel, and a reel, and took leave of her, wishing her good luck. The maid arrived at the palace gate with her shoes and garments all torn, and begged for alms, and when the princess saw her standing on a rock of gold she sent to ask her for it. The maid replied that if she gave her the rock of gold she must allow her to go into the prince's chamber and sleep there one night, The princess would not consent, but the prince's mother told her to allow her to sleep at the prince's feet, for there was no fear that he would be aware of it, as she would take care to give him a sleeping-draught. And so it happened the maid went into the chamber to sleep without the prince knowing it, and during the night as she awoke she began to say—
"Prince of love
I have come many leagues,
To see thee, oh, my Lord!
My shoes are torn—
My staff is travel-worn,
Yet here I am come back to thee!"
The prince made no reply to this, and as soon as the day dawned they sent her away; but the prince remained quite ignorant of her stay there. The maid, however, continued before the palace gate at her wheel spinning, and the princess seeing her sent to ask her for her spinning-wheel of gold. The maid replied that she would only give it to her on condition of her allowing her to remain and sleep in the prince's apartment another night. The princess consented, but made her promise to leave the chamber early in the morning. The maid entered and again settled herself to sleep at the prince's feet, and on awakening repeated her former appeal—
"Prince of love
I have come many leagues,
To see thee, oh, my Lord!
My shoes are torn—
My staff travel worn,
Yet here I am come back to thee.
To this the prince, as before, made no reply, for he was fast asleep. The maid again left the chamber very early; but a valet who appeared to occupy an apartment next to the prince told him what he had heard repeated during the night. The prince was much astonished to hear it, and swore he would not take the usual draught next evening as he retired to rest. Next day the princess saw the maid again at her work before the palace, and as she remarked she had a golden reel she went to ask her for it. The maid replied that she would on condition that the favour she had begged for on the previous evening should be granted her once more. To this the princess said she consented, and sent the prince the usual draught to take that night. But the prince made only a pretence to drink it, and threw it away, and then ordered his valet to leave the chamber. During the night the little maid repeated—
"Prince of love
I have come many leagues,
To see thee, oh, my Lord!
My shoes are torn—
My staff travel worn,
Yet here I am come back to thee!"
The moment the prince heard her he felt very pleased, but the next moment he was much distressed in his mind because he remembered that he was already engaged to be married to the princess. He told the little maid to remain and not to leave his chamber. And when the marriage day arrived he asked the princess's father to settle a question for him, which was this: that his apartment had two keys; the first had been mislaid and lost, but he ever had hopes of finding it: now that he had a new key which he had ordered to be made, the old one had appeared—which ought he, he therefore asked his majesty to advise him, to keep? The king replied that in this case he advised him to retain the old one. The prince then recounted to his majesty the whole history of the little maid, and reminded him at the same time that lie it was who had given the sentence. He married the little maid, and the princess went to another kingdom.
XXI.—The Seven Iron Slippers.
There lived once together a king and a queen, and a princess who was their daughter. The princess had worn out every evening seven pairs of slippers made of iron; and the king could not make out how that could be, though he was always trying to find out. The king at last issued a decree, that whosoever should be able to find out how the princess managed to wear out seven slippers made of iron in the short space of time between morning and evening, he would give the princess in marriage if he were a man, and if a woman he would marry her to a prince.
It happened that a soldier was walking along an open country road carrying on his back a sack of oranges, and he saw two men fighting and giving each other great blows. The soldier went up to them and asked them, "Oh, men, why are you giving each other such blows?" "Why indeed should it be!" they replied, "because our father is dead, and he has left us this cap, and we both wish to possess it." "Is it possible that for the sake of a cap you should be fighting?" inquired the soldier. The men then said, "The reason is that this cap has a charm, and if any one puts it on and says, "Cap, cover me so that no one shall see me! no one can see us." The soldier upon hearing this said to them, "I'll tell you what I can-do for you; you let me remain here with the cap whilst I throw this orange to a great distance, and you run after it, and the one that shall pick it up first shall be the possessor of the cap." The men agreed to this, and the soldier threw the orange to a great distance, as far as he possibly could, whilst the men both ran to pick it up. Here the soldier without loss of time put on the cap saying, "Cap, make me invisible." When the men returned with the orange they could see nothing and nobody. The soldier went away with the cap, and further on he met on his road two other men fighting, and he said to them, "Oh, foolish men, why do you give each other such blows?" The men replied, "Indeed, you may well ask why, if it were not that father died and left us this pair of boots, and we, each of us, wish to be the sole possessor of them." The soldier replied, "Is it possible that for the matter of a pair of boots you should be fighting thus?" And they replying said, "It is because these boots are charmed, and when one wishes to go any distance he has only to say: 'Boots take me here or there,' wherever one should wish to go, and instantly they convey one to any place." The soldier said to them, "I will tell you what to do; I will throw an orange to a great distance, and you give me the boots to keep; you run for the orange, and the first who shall pick it up shall have the pair of boots," He threw the orange to a great distance and both men ran to catch it. Upon this the soldier said, "Cap, make me invisible, boots take me to the city!" and when the men returned they missed the boots, and the soldier, for he had gone away. He arrived at the capital and heard the decree read which the king had promulgated, and he began to consider what he had better do in this case. "With this cap, and with these boots I can surely find out what the princess does to wear out seven pairs of slippers made of iron in one night." He went and presented himself at the palace. When the king saw him he said, "Do you really know a way of finding out how the princess, my daughter, can wear out seven slippers in one night?" The soldier replied, "I only ask you to let me try. . . . . ." "But you must remember," said the king, "that if at the end of three days you have not found out the mystery, I shall order you to be put to death." The soldier to this replied that he was prepared to take the consequences. The king ordered him to remain in the palace. Every attention was paid to all his wants and wishes, he had his meals with the king at the same table, and slept in the princess's room. But what did the princess do? She took him a beverage to his bedside and gave it to him to drink. This beverage was a sleeping draught which she gave him to make him sleep all night. Next morning the soldier had not seen the princess do anything, for he had slept very soundly the whole night. When he appeared at breakfast the king asked him, "Well, did you see anything?" "Your majesty must know that I have seen nothing whatever." The king said, "Look well what you are at, for now there only remains two days more for you, or else you die!" The soldier replied, "I have not the least misgivings." Night came on and the princess acted as before. Next morning the king asked him again at breakfast, "Well, have you seen anything last night?" The soldier replied, "Your majesty must know that I have seen nothing whatever." "Be careful, then, what you do, only one day more and you die!" The soldier replied, "I have no misgivings." He then began to think it over. "It is very curious that I should sleep all night—it cannot be from anything else but from drinking the beverage which the princess gives me. . . Leave me alone, I know what I shall do; when the princess brings me the cup I shall pretend to drink, but shall throw away the beverage." The night came and the princess did not fail to bring him the beverage to drink to his bedside. The soldier made a pretence to drink it, but instead threw it away, and feigned sleep though he was awake. In the middle of the night he saw the princess rise up, prepare to go out, and advance towards the door to leave. What did he do then? He put on the cap, drew on the boots, and said, "Cap make me invisible, boots take me wherever the princess goes."
The princess entered a carriage, and the soldier followed her into the carriage and accompanied her. He saw the carriage stop at the seashore. The princess then embarked on board a vessel decked with flags. The soldier on seeing this said, "Cap, cover me, that I may be invisible." and embarked with the princess. She reached the land of giants, and when on passing the first sentinel, he challenged her with "Who's there?" "The Princess of Harmony," she replied. The sentinel rejoined, "Pass with your suite." The princess looked behind her, and not seeing any one following her she said to herself, "The sentinel cannot be in his sound mind; he said 'pass with your suite;' I do not see any one." She reached the second sentinel, who cried out at the top of his voice, "Who's there?" "The Princess of Harmony," replied the princess. "Pass with your suite," said the sentinel. The princess was each time more and more astonished. She came to the third sentinel, who challenged her as the others had done, "Who's there?" "The Princess of Harmony." "Pass on with your suite," rejoined the sentinel. The princess as before wondered what the man could mean. After journeying for a long time the soldier who followed her closely saw the princess arrive at a beautiful palace, enter in, and go into a hall for dancing, where he saw many giants. The princess sat upon a seat by the side of her lover who was a giant. The soldier hid himself under their seat. The band struck up, and she rose to dance with the giant, and when she finished the dance she had her iron slippers all in pieces. She took them off and pushed them under her seat. The soldier immediately took possession of them and put them inside his sack. The princess again sat down to converse with her lover. The band again struck up some dance music and the princess rose to dance. When she finished this dance another of her slippers had worn out. She took them off and left them under her seat. The soldier put these also into his sack. Finally, she danced seven times, and each time she danced she tore a pair of slippers made of iron. The soldier kept them all in his sack. After the ball the princess sat down to converse with her lover; and what did the soldier do? He turned their chairs over and threw them both on the middle of the floor. They were very much surprised and they searched everywhere and through all the houses and could find no one. The giants then looked out for a book of fates they had, wherein could be seen the course of the winds and other auguries peculiar to their race. They called in a black servant to read in the book and find out what was the matter. The soldier rose up from where he was and said, "Cap, make me invisible." He then gave the negro a slap on the face, the negro fell to the ground, while he took possession of the book and kept it. The time was approaching when the princess must depart and return home, and not being able to stay longer she went away. The soldier followed her and she returned by the same way she came. She went on board and when she reached the city the carriage was already waiting for her. The soldier then said, "Boots take me to the palace," and he arrived there, took off his clothes, and went to bed. When the princess arrived she found everything in her chamber just as she left it, and even found the soldier fast asleep. In the morning the king said, "Well, soldier, did you see anything remarkable last night?" "Be it known to your majesty that I saw nothing whatever last night," replied the soldier. The king then said, "According to what you say, I do not know if you are aware that you must die to-day." The soldier replied, "If it is so I must have patience, what else can I do?" When the princess heard this she rejoiced much. The king then ordered that everything for the execution should be prepared before the palace windows. When the soldier was proceeding to execution he asked the king to grant him a favour for the last time and to send for the princess so that she should be present. The king gave the desired permission, and the princess was present, when he said to her, "Is it true to say that the princess went out at midnight?" "It is not true," replied the princess. "Is it true to say," again asked the soldier, "that the princess entered a carriage, and afterwards went on board a vessel and proceeded to a ball given in the kingdom of the giants?" The princess replied, "It is not true." The soldier yet asked her another question, "Is it true that the princess tore seven pair of slippers during the seven times she danced?" and then he showed her the slippers. "There is no truth in all this," replied the princess. The soldier at last said to her, "Is it true to say that the princess at the end of the ball fell on the floor from her seat, and the giants had a book brought to them to see what bewitchery and magic pervaded and had taken possession of the house, and which book is here?" The princess now said, "It is so." The king was delighted at the discovery and happy ending of this affair, and the soldier came to live in the palace and married the princess.
XXII. The Maiden from whose Head Pearls fell on combing herself.
There lived once a woman who had a son and a daughter. The son was a sailor. One day the mother, feeling very ill, and at death's door, called her daughter to her and said, "There, I give you this towel and comb; never use another towel but this one to wipe yourself with, or other comb to smooth your hair with." After saying this she died. After her mother's death, the girl always complied with the injunction of her mother. Whenever she used the comb many seed pearls and large-sized ones fell from her head; and when she wiped herself with the towel the same thing happened always. The maiden related this to her brother, and he advised her to keep all the pearls that fell and string them up in bunches. The maiden then formed six bunches with the pearls she had, and the brother told her he would take and sell them to some king next voyage he should make. And so it happened that after a time he embarked, and on reaching a certain country he went to the palace to offer the six bunches of pearls for sale to the king. A servant appeared and offered to take them and show them to his majesty, but the sailor refused to allow him to do so, saying that he must himself present them to the king in person, in order to settle about the price. He entered the king's apartment, and his majesty found the pearls to be very precious and rare, and paid him a large sum for them, asking him where he had been to discover such a valuable article. The young man told his majesty everything, relating how his mother, when she was dying, gave his sister a towel and a comb, and that every time she combed herself or used the towel, many large pearls and a number of seed pearls fell from her head. The king said that he must bring his sister and present her to him, together with the towel and comb; and that if what he said was true, he would marry his sister; if it was all false, he should die.
The young sailor returned home happy and delighted, and gave his sister an account of what had occurred. The sister, very pleased at the result of his interwiew with the king, resolved to take the towel and the comb with her, and accompany her brother to the said country to marry the king. Before her departure she informed a neighbour of hers that she was going to be a queen. The neighbour asked her to do her a good turn, seeing that she was now going to be so rich and noble, and to allow her and daughter to go in her company.
The day arrived for the departure, and they all embarked; the maiden and brother, the neighbour and the daughter. When they were sailing far at sea the neighbour gave the maiden a drink to poison her. As the maiden became very ill, the brother, anxious for her safety, every day came to inquire how she was getting on. One day the neighbour gave her such a quantity of poison in the beverage that the maiden remained like one dead. The brother, believing that she was dead, had her corpse, with much grief, thrown into the sea, as was the custom. After that he began to lament, saying that he was very wretched and unfortunate now, as in his sister were centred his only hopes of advancing in life. The wily neighbour, hearing this, advised him to pass off her daughter as his sister to the king, and take her to the palace to present her. The brother replied, that the difficulty did not consist in that, but that he feared the towel and comb would not act with her as with his sister. They tested the girl, but no pearls or anything else ever fell when she made use of them. The neighbour then said that it was not to be expected that they would work there, but the moment they were in presence of the king the towel and comb would without a doubt work the miracle. They reached the said land, and they all three directed their steps to the palace. The young sailor presented his neighbour's daughter, the towel, and the comb to the king, saying she was his sister. The king ordered her at once to use the towel, but nothing fell. She combed herself with the comb, but instead of pearls, scurf fell from her head. The king being very angry, said to the sailor, "Then, you have deceived me. Now you must go to prison, and afterwards you shall be put to death." Just at this interval, a servant who had gone to the beach with his net to catch a fish for his majesty's service, on reaching the sea, saw a large whale which had been thrown on the beach and was dead. But inside the fish he saw something move, and heard a voice that said, "Take me out of this, take me out of this." The servant fetched a knife, and very carefully cut the skin of the whale, and he then saw the head of a maiden, and he continued to rip up the fish, greatly astonished at what he saw, and at last extricated alive the maiden from the belly of the great fish. He took her with him, but told her she must for the present remain shut up in a room of the palace, and let no one know that she was there. The maiden told him her history, and all that had happened to her during the voyage, and how she had been in the depth of the sea, and a whale had saved her. The servant, on his part, related to her what her neighbour had been at in the palace, presenting her daughter under false colours to the king, and all that followed; and he informed her that her brother was on her account imprisoned and sentenced to die. On reaching the palace the maiden was locked up in an apartment. She looked out of her window every day towards the prison door where her brother was detained, and on one occasion as she did so she saw a little bitch belonging to herself and her brother, and calling out to her pet she spoke to it thus: "Cylindra, tell me how my brother is to-day?" The bitch replied: "He is daily expecting to be sent to execution; and to-day is the first day the town crier publishes it." The next day the maiden again looked out of the window, and again asked her bitch: "Cylindra, tell me how my brother is to-day?" The bitch replied: "To-day the crier publishes his sentence of death for the second time!" But the servant who had delivered the maiden, on hearing this, went up to the king and revealed the whole plot against the maiden. The king, on hearing it, said: "If what you say be true, call me to-morrow when the maiden speaks to the dog, for I wish to listen to what she says." Next day, at the right time, the king stood close to the window of his chamber to observe and listen to the maiden. He heard her say: "Cylindra, how is my brother to-day?" The bitch replied: "To-day the execution is published for the last time!" When the king heard this, he ordered that the brother and sister should be brought before him into his presence; and on seeing the maiden he told her to wipe her face with the towel, and instantly that she did so showers of seed pearls began to fall from her head. He ordered her to comb herself with the wonderful comb, and immediately large and rare pearls fell in profusion of the same class as the ones in the bunches. The king then commanded the wily neighbour and daughter to be put to death, and he married the maiden. And the brother had the great honour to be brother-in-law to the king.
XXIII.—The Three Princes and the Maiden.
There was once three princes who were great friends. One day, as they walked out together, they saw a beautiful maiden looking out of a window, and they were all three, unknown to each other, struck and charmed with her loveliness; and one of them sought an occasion when he could go alone to ask her to name the hour when he should come to speak to her. The maiden told him to come at ten in the evening. The second prince came and begged of her the same favour, and she appointed him to come at eleven in the evening. The third prince also came and asked the same question and favour, and the maiden said that she would expect him at midnight.
At ten o'clock in the evening the first prince came to see her; at eleven the second prince arrived; and at midnight also came the third prince, and there he found the other two. "You are willing to speak to all three because you do not care for any." The maiden replied to him that she liked all three much. One of the princes then said that she could only marry one, and, therefore, that she should say which she would choose. The maiden again assured them that she did not make an exception, and that all three pleased her much. As the three princes were on the eve of undertaking a long journey, she at last decided that on their return they should all three bring her a keepsake, and that the one who should bring her the present she liked best, that one would she marry. They all three took leave of her, promising to bring the presents agreed upon. And when they had travelled for some distance came to a cross road, where they decided to part company, and at the end of their journey to meet again at the same spot. After this they each went their way. One of them arrived at a country where he saw many people going into a joiner's shop. He was much surprised at it, and he also wont to see what was going on. He found that the excitement was created by no less a thing than a most marvellous looking-glass; that the moment it was told, "Looking-glass, I wish to see this or that person," they would immediately appear reflected upon it. The prince bought it at once, and, delighted at the discovery, said: "Now I have found, indeed, an excellent present to take to my sweetheart!" The second prince reached another country where he saw many persons meet to buy a candle. He asked why they were all so anxious to purchase such an indifferent article as a candle, and of so little value; but they informed him that the candle had a particular mysterious property, so that if any person was dead, and the candle was put in the dead person's hands, he would immediately come to life again. The moment the prince heard this he lost no time in buying it, and, much pleased, he said: "I have now found a valuable present for my lady-love." The third prince saw in another country a man who was selling wool rugs. This man asked a great sum for one in particular. The prince inquired the reason why he asked so much more money for one rug than he did for the others. The man replied that the particular rug had a distinct peculiarity from the others, which was, that if any one wished to undertake a journey he had only to open it out on the ground, stand upon it, and say to it: "Oh! rug, take me to such a country in an instant." The moment the prince knew of this, he bought it, and, in great glee at finding such a treasure, said, "Now, indeed, I have a present worthy to present to my sweet-heart."
When the three princes met at the appointed road, they showed each other the presents which they had bought. The one of the looking-glass said to the other two friends: "I order the looking-glass to show me my lady-love." And as he said so they looked into the glass, and there saw the dead form of the maiden. The prince who had bought the candle said: "Oh! that we could place this candle in her dead hands, that so she may come to life!" The prince with the rug then added, laying open the rug on the ground: "Rug, take us all three in an instant to where she is!" In a moment the three princes found themselves by the side of the dead maiden. They placed the candle in her hands, and she instantly rose once more to life. They were all exceedingly delighted at the result, yet now each put forth his claims for the maiden. The prince to whom the candle belonged said, that if it not been for it she would never have risen again. The one who held the looking-glass urged that had he not seen her in the looking-glass they would never have known that she was dead. Whilst the prince who had the rug said, that had it not been for his rug they would not have found themselves there so quickly; and, compared to his rug, the other presents were useless. The maiden now came forward and said: "As you all three have a right to marry me, and as I cannot have three husbands at one time, I shall not marry any of you!" The maiden shut herself up in a tower; and the three princes, much disappointed and grieved, also retired into a dismal tower.
XXIV.—The Maiden and the Fish.
Once there was a widower who had three daughters. The two eldest thought of nothing but dress and finery, and going to amusements, or sitting at the window doing nothing; whilst the youngest occupied herself with the household management, and was fond of assisting the servant in the kitchen, and for which reason her sisters called her the "Hearth-Cat." One day the father caught a fish and brought it home alive, and as the youngest daughter was the one who occupied herself in cooking, and was besides his favourite child, he gave her the fish to prepare for their supper. As the fish was alive, and she took a great liking to it on account of its pretty yellow colour, she placed it in a large pan with water, and begged her father to allow her to keep it for herself, and not kill it. As soon as the father consented to her keeping it, she at once took it to her own room and gave it plenty of water to swim in; and when the sisters saw what had been done with the fish they began to cry out and complain that, for the sake of pleasing the "Hearth-Cat," they were to be deprived of eating that excellent fish.
At night, when the little maiden had already laid herself down to sleep, the fish began to say to her, "Oh! maiden, throw me into the well! Oh! maiden, throw me into the well!" The fish repeated this so often and so imploringly that at length she rose and threw the fish into the well. The following day she took a walk in the garden to try and see the fish, as she quite yearned to have a look at it once more; and as she drew close to the well she heard a voice inside which said: "Oh! maiden, come into the well! Oh! maiden, come into the well!" She ran away with fear; but on the following day, when the sisters were gone to the festival, the maiden again approached the border of the well, and she heard once more the same voice calling for her, and, impelled by it, she went into the well; and she had hardly reached the bottom when the fish appeared to her, and, laying hold of her hand, he conducted her to a palace of gold and precious stones, and said to her: "Go into that chamber and attire yourself in the best and most elegant robe you find there, and put on a pair of gold slippers which are ready for you, as you will see, for I mean you to go to the same festival as your sisters are gone to. You will proceed to it in a splendid state carriage which you will find ready for you at the door when you leave this palace. At the conclusion of the festival be careful to take your departure before your sisters do, and return here to take off your robes, for I promise you that a time is in store for you when you will be very happy indeed." When the maiden had put on garments worked in gold and precious stones of very great value, she came out of the well, and on reaching the palace door she found a splendid carriage ready for her. She stepped in and proceeded to the festival. When she entered the edifice every one there was in admiration, and wondered from whence had come such a lovely, comely maiden with such rich robes. She left the edifice without loss of time the very moment that the festival was concluded; but in her hurry to get out she lost one of her slippers, and the king, who was following close behind her, picked it up, and ordered an edict to be issued that he would marry the maiden to whom that slipper belonged. When she reached home she went into the well at once to take off her rich garments, and when she left the enchanted palace the fish told her to return in the evening, for he wished to ask her something. The maiden promised to comply with his wish, and departed. When her sisters returned home she was seen busy in the kitchen, and they gave her a glowing account of the beautiful lady they had seen at the feast, who had on such rich robes full of gold ornaments and precious stones such as they had never seen before in their lives, and how this fair and lovely maiden had dropped one of her dainty slippers in her hurry to leave the edifice, which the king had picked up, and now signified his intention of marrying the maiden to whom it belonged. They told her that such being the state of affairs, they would go to the palace to try the slipper, and were certain that it would fit one of them, who would then be made a queen! and then would she give the "Hearth-Cat" a new dress. The moment the sisters left for the palace the maiden went to the well to see the fish, who said to her the moment he saw her, "Oh, maiden! will you marry me?" The maiden replied, "I cannot possibly marry a fish!" but he so entreated her, and urged his suit so ardently, that she at last consented. That very instant the fish was transformed into a man, who said to her, "Know, then, that I am a prince who was enchanted here, and am the son of the sovereign who governs these realms. I know that my father has published an edict, ordering all the maidens of his kingdom to repair to the palace and try on the slipper which you dropped to-day on coming away from the feast; go, therefore, there yourself, and when the king tells you that you must marry him, inform him that you are already engaged to the prince, his son, who was enchanted, for his majesty will then send for me on hearing this." The maiden left the well, and shortly after her sisters returned from the palace looking very downcast and disappointed because the slipper after all did not fit them. The maiden then hinted to them that she also thought of repairing to the palace, to try on the slipper in case it should fit her. The sisters indignantly said: "Just see what airs the 'Hearth-Cat' is putting on, and is not ashamed of herself. Go, and show your tiny, dainty foot! go." The maiden went to the palace, nevertheless; and the sentinels, seeing her so shabbily dressed, would not let her pass; but the king, who just happened to be at the window, ordered them to let her enter. He had hardly given her the tiny slipper to try on when his majesty remained struck with wonder to see how soon she drew it on, and how beautifully the slipper fitted her, and he that moment told her that he would make her his queen. The maiden, however, very respectfully signified to him that it could not be, as she was already engaged to be the bride of his majesty's son, the prince who had been spell-bound so long. The king, on hearing her, could scarcely contain his delight to think that he would soon see his son again, disenchanted as he was now. He immediately sent a retinue of the grandees of the realm to bring his son out of the well, and he married him to the beautiful maiden. There were great rejoicings and much feasting in honour of the occasion; and the sisters of the "Hearth-Cat," filled with jealousy and bitterness at the sudden turn of affairs, were punished, and commenced to throw all manner of filth out of their mouths. The "Hearth-Cat" remained in the palace the bride of the prince, who afterwards succeeded to the throne, and became king.
XXV.—The Slices of Fish.
There lived a man in a certain country who was a fisherman, and as he went fishing on one occasion he caught a beautiful fish. The poor fish finding itself caught and on dry land begged the fisherman to throw it back again into the sea, promising the man if he did so he would have a great catch of fish next time he went fishing. The fish added, however, that should the man succeed in securing it once more, he was then at liberty to keep it. The fisherman did so that day, and he took such a large haul of fish that he did not know what he should do with all the fish he had caught in his net. Several days after this the fisherman again let down his nets at the same place, and again caught the beautiful fish. The fish then said to the man: "Take me to your house and cut me into twelve slices, and three slices you will give your wife, three to your mare, three to your bitch, and the remaining three you must bury in your garden." The fisherman did as he was told, and when another year had passed his wife gave birth to three boys, the mare had three colts, the bitch three lions; and in the garden three lances had risen up. When these boys grew up to manhood they asked their father to give them each a horse, a lion, and a lance, for they wished to go travelling. The father and mother, much against their inclination, gave them leave to go, and the boys left home and proceeded all three along a road until they came to a part of the highway where three roads met. They separated, each taking a different road; the eldest brother went to the left, the second to the right, and the youngest took the middle road. But before parting they agreed to meet in that same spot in a year's time, and then each went his own way. The eldest brother after journeying for many days without arriving at any country, at last came to one where there was a very high tower. He remained at a house, where at the end of a week he married the owner of it; and when he was already married he asked his wife what tower that might be, and she informed him that it was the "Tower of Death," for whosoever went into it never returned alive. But the young man said: "Well, I shall go there, and I shall return." At night when he lay down to sleep he placed his lance between himself and his wife on the bed, and on the following day he went straight to the tower with his lion. He knocked at the gate and an old woman appeared, who asked him what he wanted, and he replied that he wished to see the tower. The old woman said that if he wished to inspect it he must first have a wrestling match with her, to which the young man agreed, and the woman asked him to fasten the lion with one of her hairs, as she was very much frightened of those animals. The young man said he would, and the old hag gave him one of her hairs, with which he secured the lion, after which he commenced to wrestle, until the youth finding that he was nearly overcome by the hag cried out to his lion: "Advance, my lion, to my assistance.!" And the old hag quickly said: "Be thickened, oh, my hair!" And as she repeated these words, the hair which kept the lion secure became a thick heavy chain. The old hag overcame the youth, and when she had him on the ground cut his head off and threw it into a subterranean cave and then entered the tower again.
After a year the two brothers met again at the spot agreed upon, and as the eldest brother had not arrived they waited for him some days, until finding that he did not come they went home, believing that he would meet them there; but as they did not find him with their parents, the second brother asked to be allowed to go in search of him. The father gave him the desired per mission, and he started, following the same road as his eldest brother had taken. After travelling a few days he arrived in the same country and city, and he went to live in the same house, and married his brother's widow. And after the marriage he asked her if she could tell him positively if a man like him, having the same kind of horse and lion, and carrying a lance, had passed that way. The woman replied that a man had arrived about a year ago who had married her, and that next day he had gone to the "Tower of Death," that whoever went in it never returned, and that having gone he had never come back, as had already happened to many men like him. The young man then said, as others before him, "Well, I shall go, and I mean to return." At night he also placed the lance between himself and wife on lying down, and next day, early in the morning, he departed with his lion to the "Tower of Death." When he had knocked at the gate the same old woman appeared who had killed his brother, and she also wrestled with him, after making him first secure the lion with one of her hairs. When he found himself hard pressed he called out for his lion, saying, "Come to my help quickly, my lion!" but the old hag rejoined instantly, "Thicken, oh, my hair!" and knocking the boy down to the ground she cut his head off and threw it in the same cave underground where his eldest brother's body had been cast, and she went into the tower again.
A whole year had passed, and the youngest brother, finding that his elder brothers did not return, asked his father leave to go in search of them. The father replied, "Then you wish, my son, to leave me and remain away, dead or alive, as your brothers have done before you!" but the boy replied, "Let me go, father, and I promise you that I shall come back to you in a year's time with my two brothers, and bring much wealth with me!" The father consented, and he took the same road as the other two brothers; and he arrived at the said tower. He married the same woman that his brothers had, and he asked her if she would give him any information respecting the two men who must have passed that same way one two years ago, and the other one year since. She replied that they had passed that way, and both had married her, and that on the following day each had in turn proceeded to the "Tower of Death," that who goes into it never returns alive, and thus had they remained there! When the youth heard this, he said resolutely, "Well, I also shall go, and I know that I shall surely return!" And having gone to rest that night with his lance lying on his bed ready by his side, he early next morning went on his way to the "Tower of Death," accompanied and protected by his lion. On arriving he knocked at the gate of the tower, and the old hag opened it for him. He said that he wished to see the tower, and she replied that he might enter, but he must first of all have a wrestling match with her. The youth consented to it, and the hag then asked him to secure the lion with one of her hairs first of all, as she had great fear of that race of beasts. The youth promised to do so, but instead of fastening the lion he threw the hair away over a wall, and when he found himself nearly overcome by the old hag, he called out for his lion saying, "Advance and come to my aid, oh lion!" while she instantly replied: "Be thickened, oh, my hair!" But as the lion was not tied up it sprang upon the old hag and laid her flat and helpless on the ground. The boy, perceiving that she lay powerless on the ground, was about to cut her head off, when she entreated him to spare her, for she would give up to him his two brothers, and would besides allow him to inspect the tower. The boy desisted from killing her, but left her pinned down by the lion whilst he went over the tower; and there he found three princesses who were enchanted in it. He brought them down, and, having done that, he commanded the hag to show him where his brothers were detained. The old woman lifted up the trapdoor and told him to go down the cave till he reached the bottom, and he would there find them. But the boy would not go alone and made her descend before him. When they reached the bottom he saw many dead bodies in heaps, the trunks on one side and the heads on another. When he saw that ghastly spectacle he said to the old hag, "How can you possibly give me back my brothers alive if their heads are cut off?" She answered him: "Go to the cupboard and bring a bowl you will find there full of ointment, rub their necks with it, and join the heads to the necks and they will be immediately cured; but I must make it a condition that you only anoint your dead brothers." The youth, however, insisted upon including all the bodies which were there; but as the old silly hag would not consent to it the boy killed her. He then went for the ointment and anointed the bodies and necks of all, and they rose up, and they went each to their respective countries. The youth and his brothers married the princesses they had found there, and proceeded each to their realms, not forgetting to take to their father and mother much wealth.
XXVI.—The Prince who had the head of a Horse.
There once lived a king and a queen who had been married many years, but had not any children. This was a great source of sorrow to them. The queen, however, took it to heart more than the king did, and one day, when she felt more sad and unhappy than usual, she prayed God to give her a son, even if he were born with the head of a horse. The first time that she went to the garden after this she met an exceedingly old woman, who said to her, "I know that you are sad and in trouble because you are childless, but I foretell you that you will in nine months' time bear a son; but how much better it would have been for you not to have such a son! because, instead of having a man's head, he will be born with the head of a horse." The queen was very sorry to hear this, but at the same time could not help rejoicing at the prospect of having a son born to her. Accordingly before long the queen felt she was with child, and in due time gave birth to a prince with the head of a horse. As the prince grew up those around him after a time became quite accustomed to the unusual appearance of his head, and even forgot that it was that of a horse. Having arrived at an age when his father thought it time to look out for a wife for him, he sent his portrait to all the cities in hopes that some princess might desire to marry him. But there was not one single princess who would entertain the idea, and all of them, when they saw his portrait, used to exclaim, "What, I marry a prince who has the head of a horse? After a time we should have children who would be altogether horses!" The prince was very unhappy, seeing that he could not succeed in getting a wife, but those near him told him, to console him, not to despair for he would be certain to find one. The king after a time resolved to make a proclamation with sound of trumpet that any maiden, rich or poor, who should be willing to marry the prince would receive a good dowry, a handsome trousseau, and the jewels appertaining to a princess. Still no maiden came forward to offer herself; until at last, after much trouble, and when they had almost lost all hopes of finding one, a very poor girl, with very shabby clothes on, offered herself, who on account of her extreme poverty was willing to marry the prince. This maiden had three sisters who, the moment they knew their sister's intention, began to abuse her, and even to beat her, saying to her, "You have no shame in you. We are older than you are and are very poor, but we would not deign to marry a prince who had the head of a horse!" The maiden, however, paid no attention to their abuse and allowed them to say all they liked, and insisted upon marrying the prince. The maiden had hardly made up her mind to marry the prince when there appeared to her robes and everything necessary for a princess to wear; and at the same time a proclamation was issued in the capital declaring the approaching marriage of the prince in three days' time, that great rejoicings would take place and many festivities before the day, among which there would be held some races. The prince went each day to visit the maiden, and on the last day, when the cavalcade was passing the house, behind them all there came a very handsome knight, who rode most magnificently. When the whole suite had passed by, while the maiden's sisters were looking out, one said to the other, "If our sister were at least to marry that handsome knight, who does nothing but look towards us!" And they commenced to abuse and beat her, saying, "You are going to marry a prince with the head of a horse merely to become a princess." The girl at last, being afraid of worse treatment at their hands, said to them, "Do not abuse me or beat me any more, for that knight who was going behind that retinue, and looked towards us, is the prince who I shall marry." At that instant a crow came in at the window and began to flap and beat the girl with its wings, saying, "You ungrateful girl! most ungrateful! You have broken my spell! and if you wish to find me again you will have to wear a pair of iron shoes on your way to the Crows' Tower; you will have to enter and wait a long time for an opportunity to lay hold of my wings, for only then shall I again be yours and you mine; and should you not have sufficient courage to undertake this task, and sufficient perseverance and patience to wait for your opportunity to catch me, you will never see me again!" Having said these words the crow flew out of the window, taking the same direction as when it came. The girl remained very much grieved and began to cry, saying, "I am now wretched and unhappy on account of my sisters!" She then ordered a pair of iron boots to be made, and when she received them she put them on at once and begun her journey without taking leave of any one. She walked and walked and walked all day, and at nightfall she saw a hut and approached it. The door was closed and she could see no one, but taking courage she knocked at the door. She heard the voice of an old woman reply, "Who is there?" The girl answered, "A poor helpless creature who begs for shelter to-night!" The old woman opened the door to her and listened to what the girl had to say in explanation to her, that she had lost her way and entreated her to afford her shelter for the night. The good old woman then said to her, "My son lives here with me who is the south wind, but I do not know what my son will do to you if he sees you." The girl to this replied: "Never mind, I must have patience, and if he kills me why there will be an end of me and that is all!" The old woman felt pity for the girl and said, eg Get inside this wooden chest," The girl went inside and the woman fastened down the cover after the girl had told her the whole history of her life, and who begged the woman to ask her son the way to the "Crows' Tower;" and the old woman promised to find out for her where the tower was. The wooden chest was hardly closed upon her when a great noise of wind was heard, and the door moved as though great force was used to break it open. The woman opened the door and the south wind came in whistling softly vuuuu .... vuuu .... vuuuu .... saying, "I smell human flesh!" The old woman rejoined: "My son be calm, there is no such thing here." As soon as the wind became lulled and quieted she informed him of what had occurred, and asked him whether he knew where the "Crows' Tower" was situated. The son replied: "I do not know where it is, but the north wind is sure to know," and he showed the girl where it was to be found, and said that since she had iron boots the only way to destroy them was by wetting them over, as otherwise she might walk for years and years and yet would never succeed in tearing them. After this the wind went to lie down, and at day dawn rose up and left the hut. He had hardly gone out when the old woman opened the chest and told the girl of all her son had said, and the information he had given for her guidance, and then she dismissed her. The girl thanked the old lady very much for her kindness to her, and set out on her expedition, remembering to wet the boots occasionally. She walked and walked and walked, and at nightfall she again saw another hut, and she resolved to knock at the door. She saw an old woman come to open to her, who told her that her son was the north wind. The girl asked to be allowed to remain there for the night, and begged she would ask her son where the "Crows' Tower " was situated, because she had been told that the north wind would know where it was. Shortly after this the north wind came in by the door, blowing strongly as it whistled vuuuu .... vuuuu .... and crying out with a shrill voice, "Mother I smell human blood." The mother replied, "Be calm, my son, it is nothing whatever." And she then told him of all that had passed since he had left home, and she asked him to inform the girl she had there where the "Crows' Tower " was situated as she wished to go to it. He replied, and told his mother that she must tell the girl that the north-east wind was sure to know, and that he himself was ignorant of its whereabouts. The wind departed, and the woman, uncovering the woodon chest, gave the girl all the information she had received from her son, and the injunction that she was not to forget to wet her boots over continually. She set out on her expedition at once, was mindful to wet her boots, and continually examined them to see if they were getting worn out; and at first she was much distressed because the boots did not seem to wear out, but after a while she was happier, for she saw them getting rusty. She walked all day, and only as night approached did she find another hut. She also knocked at the door of this hut, and an old woman appeared, who made the girl the same speech as the other had done. The girl entreated her to allow her to go in for the night, as she had nowhere to go, and begged the old woman kindly to ask her son, where the "Crows' Tower " was situated, and the way to reach it, as she had been informed that the north-east wind was the only wind that could tell her. The woman shut her up in the chest, and very soon after the north-east wind came in whistling; hoom ...... hoom ...... hoom ..... "Oh! mother, I smell human flesh." "Oh no, my son, you make a mistake," was the mother's reply; and she told him to be quieted, for it was only a poor girl who wished to know the way to the "Crows' Tower." The north-east wind said he knew where it was, but that it lay very far indeed, and that the girl would have to walk for three nights and three days without resting to get there. He further told his mother that she must explain to the girl that when she reached the tower she would not be able to enter as there were a number of crows who would prevent her, because inside the tower there lived a prince who was spell-bound, and knew that the girl was seeking for him. That if she wished to find him she was to wait until the crows were all inside the tower, so that they should not peck at her and hurt her—that the largest crow among them was the prince himself; to get as close as possible to him and put her hands on his wings suddenly and not to leave go on any account; for if she lost him this time she would never find him again. After saying all this the north-east wind blew himself out of the hut. The girl began her journey, and for three days and three nights she walked without ever resting. The boots were already torn in several parts, and on the third day she could scarcely walk with them, as the sharp points pierced her feet. She at last reached the "Crows' Tower," and waited for an opportunity to enter. She gradually approached, keeping as close as she could to the largest crow, and at a moment when he was engaged in singing, and his mind was diverted from her, she suddenly and dexterously put both her hands upon the bird, holding its wings down, saying, "You are caught; you are now mine." The crow did its best to fly away, but remarking before long that it was his own maiden that held him, and had caught him, he transformed himself into a prince, without further resistance, the crows into noblemen and courtiers, and the tower into the court. The prince married the maiden, and the sisters, as a punishment, were imprisoned.
XXVII.—The Spider.
There lived once a boy whose father and mother were desirous that he should learn some trade. He had no wish to do so, but, as his parents insisted upon it, he undertook to learn the trade of a shoemaker. But as soon as the father died he desisted from work and gave up making shoes. The mother was very angry with him for this and turned him out of doors. The boy told his mother that he would be sure to return home a rich man some day, and that he meant to marry the first female he met on his way. He took a basket with all his shoemaker's tools and went away. He journeyed many leagues through some forest and overgrown places, and meeting with a large square stone on his way he sat upon it, took out a loaf from his basket, find began to eat. From under the stone a large spider came out, and the boy had hardly seen her when he said to her, "You shall be my wife." The spider upon hearing this crawled inside the basket, but the boy made a hole in the loaf he carried and put her in it. He walked and he walked, and he sighted at a great distance an old house. He entered it, placed the basket on the floor, and the spider came out of it and went crawling up the walls until she reached the ceiling, and commenced to make a web. The boy turned towards her and looking up said, "That is the way I like to see women, fond of work." The spider made no answer. The boy then went seeking for work at a neighbouring village. As it happened that in that village there were no shoemakers he was welcomed among them, and they gave him plenty of work to do. As the youth found that he was making a fortune he engaged a servant-maid to attend upon his wife, and brought her to the old house where the spider had remained. He furnished the house and bought a little clay stove and some plates and dishes for the dinner. He then went out and left the servant with the spider. The maid remained much astonished, and wondered still more when the spider told her to open a certain door which led to the fowl-house and kill a chicken, and afterwards to open a cupboard where she would find everything necessary for cooking and for the general use of the house. When the youth returned home he found the house swept and a dinner prepared of the best and most delicious viands. Being very pleased, he turned round to the spider and said, "See what a good choice I have made in my wife!" The spider from the ceiling threw down all manner of embroidered stuffs which she had worked for beautifying her house: and after they had lived in this way a whole year, and the youth had already become very rich, and no longer required to work at his trade, for everything he required in the way of clothing and food and everything else necessary for life always made its appearance without his knowing how, he resolved to return to his mother's house as he had promised her he would do at the end of a year. He ordered two horses to be saddled and got ready, and said to his servant, "You shall now act as my wife, because I am going to tell my mother that I am married." The maid was delighted at this and mounted the horse prepared for her and went with the youth. The spider came down from the ceiling and went to the fowl-house where she only found a cock left. She got inside it, and thus went walking behind the two on horseback. On reaching the forest they entered it, and both sat on the same stone, from under which the spider had come out before. They were looking on the ground when they saw the cock and heard it crow:
"Ki kiri ki,
Ki kiri kioh!
Here is the king,
And I am the queen oh!"
At that moment the stone broke open in two parts, and became transformed into a splendid palace. The spider was turned into a beautiful princess and married the youth, who became king and she a queen. They then sent for the mother; while the servant-maid continued with them as lady in waiting.
XXVIII.—The Little Tick.
There were once two brothers and a sister who lived together, and, being poor people, the brothers one day apprised their sister that they intended going to travel to try and seek fortune. The sister requested them to return in a year's time to see her. They journeyed on through a straight and long road, and they came to a spot where there were two narrow paths. They took leave of one another and separated, saying that in a year's time they would meet in that same place, and they took each a different turning. The eldest went to a farm where he engaged himself as labourer. The youngest brother travelled until he sighted a very old palace, and, as he had nowhere to go to for the night, he entered it and found that it was a most beautiful place inside although it was deserted. He wished to sup and instantly a table on which was laid an excellent supper made its appearance. After supper a good bed appeared for him to take his rest. When he fell asleep he was suddenly awakened by feeling something coming in contact with him on the bed, which felt very cold and clammy. The first night he was much frightened by this, but he soon became accustomed to the sensation, and lost all fear; and every night that same object came into his bed and held a long conversation with him. When a year had passed, he told the unknown object that he must go to meet his brother, for them both to return to their own country as agreed upon. The object told him that he might, and on the following night presented him with a complete suit of clothes, some money, and a horse. The young man departed and journeyed on until he reached the place agreed upon to meet his brother. He found that his brother had his hands rough and horny from hard work, whilst his own hands were smooth and white because he had done no work during the whole of that year. They went home and their sister was delighted to see them back again. When they were again leaving home she gave each of them a pound weight of flax, telling them that in a year's time they must return bringing it spun. The brothers took leave of one another and each went his way. When the youngest arrived at the palace, he told the unknown object that always came into his bed every night, and which proved to be nothing else but a tick, that his sister had given him so much flax which she had ordered him to take spun to her in a year's time. The tick made very light of the work, and merely remarked that it was a very easy task indeed and he need not be troubled about doing it so soon. When the year had nearly expired he asked her for it so as to spin it in time to take it home; and that instant the tick produced the flax beautifully spun and ready packed to take with him: and she gave him also another suit of clothes, money, and a horse, and the youth left the palace to go and meet his brother. The brother was carrying the flax in his hand very badly spun and carelessly folded, and it was of a very ugly yellow colour. He asked his brother—"Where is your flax for I do not see it?" And great was his surprise when he saw that he carried it in a little dainty basket. When the two brothers arrived at the sister's house she was very much surprised to find that one of her brothers brought his pound of flax very badly and loosely spun, whilst the other brought it so well spun and so neatly packed. On the brothers' departure she gave them each a puppy to take with them and to bring up. They took leave of each other for a year, and separated. When the youngest brother arrived at the palace the tick was much surprised that he should have brought her a puppy to bring up. She took it out of sight and he never saw it again until at the end of the appointed time, when she brought it to him in a little basket very comfortably packed ready to carry home. The brothers met at the usual rendezvous, and the eldest brother made his appearance with a very large powerful dog, which followed him. When they reached home the sister was delighted that they brought back the dogs; and she told them that next time on their return in a year's time they must each bring a wife, as she wished to see her sisters-in-law. The eldest brother told her that he was engaged to be married to his master's daughter; but the youngest did not know what to say about it, as he only knew the tick. They took leave of each other, and each went his way. The youngest brother reached the palace, and told the tick what the sister expected him to do. The tick then asked him if he would like to marry her; but he replied, "You are so very small." The tick rejoined that he need not be troubled about that. At the end of a year the youth felt much ashamed to have to take to wife this little tick. On the marriage-day the palace appeared in great splendour, with a number of pages, ladies in waiting, and the tick transformed into a most beautiful princess dressed as a bride. The carriages were ready for them, and they proceeded to their sister's country; and a state carriage and horses also went in the procession for his brother and his bride. When the procession reached the place of meeting the brother was there with a countrywoman of the Lisbon suburbs, who wore short petticoats. They entered the carriage, and they all arrived at the sister's house in much pomp. The two brothers were then married, and they afterwards returned to the palace of the tick, who was an enchanted princess; and they all lived very happily together.
XXIX.—The Three Little Blue Stones.
There was once a king who was married, but had taken a great dislike to his queen because they had no family. The queen for this reason was always in great distress of mind, and often prayed to God to give her at least a son. Soon after she found herself with child, and when her hour had arrived and she was on the point of being delivered a poor man came to the palace gate begging for alms. The lady in waiting refused to give him anything, and the beggar said that he knew she refused him then because the queen was in labour and about to give birth to a girl; but he would foretell her that at the age of fifteen a large bird would come and take the girl away in his beak. The lady in waiting went in, but told no one what she had heard. All the inmates of the palace were rejoicing, and fondled and caressed the little princess, and kissed her often, but this lady was the only one who wept when she did so, which surprised every one, and they asked her why she wept. The lady in waiting at first did not wish to state her reason, but in the end she related what had passed between her and the beggar, and how he had said that, when the little princess should arrive at the age of fifteen, a bird would come and carry her away in his beak. On hearing this every one in the palace felt much distressed and grieved. As the princess grew up her chief amusement was to play with a table placed in the centre of a garden. A certain prince having arrived at the palace one day to pay his respects to the king, saw the little princess, and was charmed with her pretty ways, and he gave her as he was going away three little blue stones as a keepsake and remembrance. In the course of time the princess attained her fifteenth year, and the period had arrived for the accomplishment of the prophesy respecting her fate. The child never went out anywhere and did nothing but play with the little blue stones on the table.
One day the king and queen left the palace to travel, and the child remained alone under the care of the lady in waiting. She was amusing herself playing in the garden when a large bird flew close to her and asked her when would she prefer to go through and accomplish her destiny, in youth or in old age. The lady in waiting advised her to say that she would prefer it in her youth rather than in her old age. The bird then instantly laid hold of the little princess with his beak and flew away with her. The bird took her through the air and left her alone in a great and dense forest. When she had been there one night and a day she began to weep because she felt very hungry and cold. There was a city near this forest to which a certain prince was in the habit of going once a month to hunt in the neighbourhood. It so happened that on this same day the prince came to hunt in the forest, and as he was traversing it he heard what appeared to him suppressed sobbing. He asked his chamberlain to accompany him, and went searching until he came upon the princess. He was delighted to find her, and he put her upon his horse and took her to the palace, and then locked her up in a room without any one knowing it. But the queen, suspecting the prince because he was always in that room, waited until one day when the prince had gone out, and opened the door to see what was there, and found the princess in the chamber. She scolded the prince very much for his conduct when she saw him, but he begged her not to illtreat the princess. Neither the queen his mother nor his sister liked the princess in the least, but she continued to live in the palace. One day she found herself with child, and gave birth to a boy, just at the time when the prince had been obliged to take a journey. The queen took up the child and cut off one of his little fingers, rubbed the princess's lips with the blood from it, and putting the child in a basket ordered it to be thrown into the sea. When the prince returned the queen told him that the princess had eaten up the child. The prince went up close to her and asked thus: "Then you ungrateful girl, you have had a boy, and you have eaten it up?" The answer she gave was to tell him that she prayed God to discover the truth. The prince then said to her, that, if such a thing should happen to her a second time, he would kill her. After the lapse of some time the princess again found herself with child, and when her hour had come the prince as before was obliged to go on a journey, and the poor princess gave birth to another boy. The child was hardly born when the queen laid hold of it and cut its little finger off and smeared the princess's lips with the blood from it, and placing the child in a basket consigned it to the waves. When the prince came home she told him the same story concerning her child. The prince went to the princess and said as before, "So you have again eaten up your child, as I have been told; you are an ungrateful creature!" But she gave him no other answer but that she prayed God to discover the truth. The prince said then that he would forgive her only once more, but if that happened to her again he would certainly kill her. Some time elapsed and the princess again found herself with child, and when her hour had arrived the prince had to take another journey, and the princess gave birth to another boy. The queen that moment took up the child and cut its little finger off and placed it in a basket and ordered the child to be thrown into the sea. The prince returned home, and the queen, who had smeared the princess's lips with the child's blood, told her son that she had demolished her child. The prince, being exasperated and growing very angry, went up to the princess, scolded her, and ordered her to he buried up to her waist in a small courtyard leading to the principal staircase; and every one that passed her was to beat her.
The princess had already been sometime undergoing her punishment when she heard it said that the prince was starting for the fair which was to take place at some distance where he would have to pass her father's house, so she entreated him to bring her from the fair a knife, and, as he had to pass by her father's palace, to go in and ask his majesty to allow her to have the three blue stones she had left in the drawer of the table she had in the garden, and to bring them to her. She begged him not to forget to do this as it was the last thing she would ask him to do for her. The prince went to the fair and complied with her request. He arrived at the palace and asked to see the king, and he began by making up a story saying that he had heard a voice on the way, and that voice had told him to come to the palace and take away with him three blue stones that were in a drawer of a table in the garden. The king on hearing this recollected that it could only be his daughter that knew of their existence, and the king, being very pleased to come across any one who knew of her, asked him how she was, and told him that since the bird had carried the princess in his beak the garden had been converted into a wilderness, full of serpents and wild beasts, and was dangerous for any one to attempt to enter it. A servant then came up and offered to go into it and look for the blue stones, provided the king allowed him to have a large pair of boots, a sword, and a weeding-hook. And having had permission given to him the servant went in, cutting down and felling trees and weeding the brambles in his path; and as he proceeded serpents came in his way which he killed with his sword; and he was thus able to reach the table, and brought away the three little blue stones, which were the three boys the princess had given birth to. The king then gave up the stones to the prince, and told him that if in a month's time he did not bring back his daughter he would put him to death. The king wanted to accompany the prince, for he had a great desire to see his daughter once more, but the prince pretended that he had to take a journey to a distant part before returning home, and this he said because he did not wish the king to know the disgrace he had put her to. The prince took leave of the king and made haste to reach his palace, and the moment he arrived he gave the princess the knife and the three little blue stones. He then hid himself to see what she would do. The princess placed the three stones before her, and asked the first stone, "Do you remember, little blue stone, that when I gave birth to a child the queen cut his little finger off, rubbed my lips with the blood that came from it, and then told the prince that I had eaten it up, and how she afterward placed it in a basket and had it thrown into the sea?" And the stones then commenced to beat against each other making a noise: Tlin tin tin, and said that what the princess stated was quite true. The princess then asked the second little stone if it remembered what the queen had done to her second child born to her, relating all that had passed; and the little stones again commenced to beat one against the other, Tlin tin tin, and said that what the princess related was the truth. The princess then once more asked the third blue stone if it recollected the treatment inflicted on her third child, and how the queen had drowned it and said that she had eaten it up; and the little blue stones recommenced to beat against each other, Tlin tin tin, and saying that it was perfectly true all that the princess had stated. When she had finished asking the three questions she took hold of the knife, saying, "Now I shall put an end to my sufferings and cut my head off." When the prince heard her say this he ran to prevent her killing herself. He instantly lifted her out of the pit she was in, and took her to his chamber. He then called up the servant who had thrown the three children into the sea, and asked him if it was true what the princess said, and the servant owned to the truth of it; and the prince immediately had him put in prison, and he placed the queen and his sister in a tower; and when the princess had quite recovered from the effects of the illtreatment she had undergone the prince and the princess each mounted a horse and rode to her father's house. On arriving at the palace the king and queen could not contain their delight, and seemed perfectly mad with ioy to see their long-lost darling daughter again. There were great rejoicings, and at the end of a fortnight the prince married the princess. And as the king had no other child he asked them to remain in the palace, where they lived very happily.
XXX.—The Hind of the Golden Apple.
There once lived a woman who had a son, and they were so poor that the boy went every day for wood to burn in the pine forest. One day when he was in the forest he saw a hind, which was very small and most beautiful, come towards him with a golden apple hanging from its neck. The pretty hind commenced to speak to the boy to know what he was doing there, and after a while she asked him: "Would you like to come with me to see my lair? If you do I will give you so much money!" The youth then heard a voice say: "Do not accept anything from her!" And he therefore replied to the hind that he did not want anything. The hind again said to him: "Come to my lair, oh youth, and I will give you much money, and I can make you very happy indeed!" The voice again said: "Do not on any account accept anything, but tell her you would like to have the golden apple that hangs from her neck." The youth followed the advice given, and said to the hind, "The only thing I wish to have is the golden apple you possess; I desire nothing else." The hind gave it to him as she said, "Here, take it then!" The boy took it and divided it in two, and instantly four giants came out, who said to him, "What is it you want?" "Well, I should very much wish to have all this wood taken to my mother's house until she had more than she wanted or knew where to store it." The youth again opened the apple and the giants appeared as before and asked him, "What can we do for you?" "I want a palace with a princess in it, and everything requisite." The giants at once set to, forming a magnificent palace, and a most comely princess was waiting for him inside; and the youth took possession of it and went to live in it.
There was a man who, seeing the youth's wealth and good fortune, was envious of him, and one day spoke to a witch he knew to ask her to devise some means by which she could take away the apple from the youth. The witch so managed it that she succeeded in taking it away from him; and instantly everything disappeared, and the palace was changed into a beach; and the princess and the youth were seen without a rag of clothes upon them in the midst of the beach. They began to cry and bewail their unfortunate existence. The boy, however, after a while looking about him, said to the princess: "You had better go to your father's house and I will remain here." The princess returned home, and the youth then began to saunter about the beech in an aimless manner, and he met a little old lady, who was the Virgin; but he did not know her. Our Lady asked him, "Where are you going to?" "I'm only loitering because I do not know what to do." She then said, "Well, listen to me; before many minutes have elapsed you will find a number of cats, who are very fat and sleek, but do not lay hold of any except the one that is covered with sores, and in a dreadful state, and that one you must take with you." The youth walked along and soon saw a quantity of fine-looking cats, but he left them alone; but after a while he saw one very thin and in a wretched condition. He took it up by the neck and went away with it. He walked on further along the beach and he saw a ship and went on board. The man who had stolen the apple, seeing the youth in the ship, had him apprehended and shut up in a tower. The youth took the cat with him to the tower. The man who provided him with food only gave him a bean each day, and the boy eat half and gave the other half to the cat; whilst the cat hunted for mice and rats, of which it caught many, laid them down before the youth, eat half of them up, and gave him the other half. One day, as the cat was peeping slyly through a chink watching for game, she saw a piece of paper folded. She commenced to mew desperately, calling the youth. He went to see what ailed her, and found a letter there from the king of the rats, asking him what he could do for him, so that the cat in recompense for his services should leave the rats in peace, and not catch any more. The youth sent to say that the only way that the king could serve him would be by trying to get the apple for him which had been stolen from him. The king of the rats formed his subjects into an army, and went to the place where the golden apple was to be found. The man had the apple hanging from his neck. The rats set to work with much prudence and caution, and waited until the man was asleep, and arranged themselves each side of the sleeping man, ready to act. One of the rats then began to tickle the man's nose, and to stop his breath with its tail; and the man awoke, feeling stifled, and he then raised his head. The rats, who were ready to take advantage of the first occasion, on seeing the man raise his head, took off the chain with the apple from his neek, and carried it off in triumph to their king, who himself took it to the youth in the tower. The moment the cat saw the apple coming she began to mew out, loudly calling the youth to come. He came and took possession of it once more in great delight. He opened it, and forthwith the giants came out of it, who said, "What do you want us to do?" And the youth replied, "I want a palace, and my princess back in it." Instantly everything came back as before. The youth went to the king, and asked his majesty to order the man who had robbed him of his golden apple to be put to death; and he ever after lived happily with the princess.
- ↑ Vol. i. pp. 355-367 of the English translation by Mr. C. H. Tawney, now being published in the Bibliotheca Indica by the Asiatic Society of Bengal. See his valuable notes to the story, pp. 367-369.
- ↑ The fifth of the Vetála Tales deals with a similar subject. See vol. ii. pp. 242-245 and 258-60 of Mr. Tawney's translation of the Kathá Sarit Ságara, where several other variants are mentioned. See also Oesterley's translation of the Baitál Pachísí, pp. 183-185.
- ↑ There are different variations of this story, viz.: "It is that your sister has given birth to a girl; I would like you to be her godmother. And do yon wish to go?"
- ↑ This tower is also called the "Tower of Somnolence" and "Tower of Babylon," in some of our popular stories. The formula varies also, "Whoever goes there, remains, and never returns," "Who goes there, never returns," &c. F. H. Coelho—contos popular es portugueses. "The Tower of Babylon" is not the same story as this one.