grew discontented and angry, till at last all the people went about
grumbling and complaining, or else shedding tears outright. Only the baker
himself was cheerful and merry, and sang as he kneaded his dough, and sold
it to his customers with a light heart, for his trade had never been so
good. Every atom of bread he made was sold at once, so he cared not one
whit for the trouble of the other people, and laughed to himself when he
heard them complaining, and thought of the words of the dark little elf.
One day as he stood kneading at the door and whistling to himself, the
doctor walked past and looked angrily at him.
"What on earth are you making that whistling for?" he asked. "I declare one
would think that you were as happy as a man could be."
"And so I am," said the baker, "And so I should think were you too, for you
have nothing to trouble you."
"Nothing to trouble me, forsooth!" cried the doctor in a rage. "How dare
you insult me in this way? I tell you what it is, my fine fellow, I think
you are very impertinent, and if I have any more of your impudence I will
take my stick and thrash you soundly. It really is not to be borne, that
one man should be allowed to tell another that he has nothing to complain
of."
"Nay, _you_ can have as much to complain of as you like, so long as I have
not," cried the baker, and he laughed loudly. This only made the doctor
angrier still, and he was just going to seize the baker when up came the
farmer.
"Was there ever such a village as this?" he cried. "It is not fit for any
one to live in, there is always such fighting and quarrelling going on.
What is the matter here?"
"Matter enough," cried the doctor. "Here is a fellow dares to tell me I
have nothing to complain of, nor he either."
"This is monstrous!" said the farmer; "he deserves to be hung. How dares he
say such a thing on such a wretched day as this, with such a blue sky and
such a bright sun?"
"Why, Master Farmer," cried the baker, "yesterday you grumbled because it
was raining, and now you grumble because it is fine."
"And I tell you that it is enough to make one grumble," said the farmer.
"It should have been fair yesterday, and should have rained to-day. You
ought to be ashamed of such talk, Master Baker, and I think it would serve
you justly right if we took you before the Justice and let us see what he
thinks of your conduct."
"Nay!" cried the baker, beginning to be frightened, "what have I done that
I am to be taken before the Justice?"
"What have you done, indeed!" said the doctor. "We will see if the Justice
cannot find that out pretty quickly." So they seized the baker and dragged
him away in spite of himself, and as they pulled him through the village
the people thronged about them, and followed till there was quite a large
crowd.
The Justice sat at his door smoking a pipe, with tears in his eyes.
"Now what is all this uproar for?" cried he. "Am I never to be left in
peace? How hard is the life of a Justice!" but he got up and came out on
the steps to meet them.
"See here," cried the doctor; "here is a man who says he has nothing to
complain of, and we have brought him to you, to know if he is to be
punished, or to be allowed to go on talking like this."
"Certainly not," cried the Justice, "or we shall soon have the whole
village in an uproar. Let him be taken to the market-place, and I will
order that he be publicly flogged by the soldiers."
At this the poor baker burst out crying, and entreated to be let off,
saying that now indeed he had plenty to complain of, but at this the
justice was angrier still. "Then," said he, "you certainly deserve to be
flogged for having told an untruth before, when you said you had not. Take
him away, and do as I bid."
So they dragged the baker off to the market-place, and made a ring round
him, so that he could not escape, and then there came down two or three
soldiers with ropes in their hands, and they seized him, and began to beat
him before all the crowd.
But by this time all the people were so enraged against him, that a number
of them cried, "Let us go to his house and pull it down." So off they ran
to the baker's house, and broke the windows and knocked about the
furniture, and then some of them fell on the oven, and wrenched off the
door, and others seized the pokers and tongs, and smashed in its sides, and
in the hurry and scuffle, the little dark man crept out of the oven and
scuttled away unseen by any one. But no sooner had he gone than a great
change came across the people.
The soldiers on the green stopped beating the baker, and looked at each
other aghast, and the Justice called out,
"Stop! What is all this uproar about? And what has this man done that you
are beating him without my orders?" and the people in the crowd whispered
to each other; "It is true,--what has he done?" and they slunk away,
looking ashamed.
The Justice also at first looked somewhat ashamed of himself, but he drew
himself up, and looking very important, said, "There, my man, you are
forgiven for this once, and now go your way, and see that you behave better
in future;" and then he walked away with much dignity.
So the baker was left alone in the market-place, and he cried for rage and
pain.
"This all comes of the oven imp," cried he, as he limped home. "Directly I
get home I will drive him out of my oven, and away from my house. Better to
have a hundred batches of bread spoiled than to be flogged for saying one
is happy." But when he reached his house the little dark man was nowhere to
be found; there was nought but the broken oven with its sides battered in.
The baker mended the oven, and from that time forth his bread was just like
other people's; but for all that he had learnt to be quite contented, for
now he knew that there were worse things than having his loaves burnt
black, and he was only too well pleased to take his chance with other
people, without the help of fairy folk. As for the little black imp, he was
never heard of more, and the people in the village soon recovered their
good humour, and were just as happy and contented as they had been before
they tasted the bread of discontent.
[Illustration]
YE THREE CLEVER KINGS
[Illustration]
Old King Roland lay upon his death-bed, and as he had no son to reign after
him he sent for his three nephews, Aldovrand, Aldebert, and Alderete, and
addressed them as follows:--
"My dear nephews, I feel that my days are now drawing to an end, and one of
you will have to be King when I am dead. But there is no pleasure in being
King. My people have been difficult to govern and never content with what I
did for them, so that my life has been a hard one, and though I have
watched you all closely, still I know not, which is most fit to wear the
crown; so my wish is that you should each try it in turn. You, Aldovrand,
as you are the oldest, shall be King first, and if you reign happily, all
well and good; but if you fail, let Aldebert take your place; and if he
fail, let him give it up to Alderete, and then you will know which is the
best fitted to govern."
On this the three young men all thanked their uncle, and each one declared
that he would do his best, and soon after old King Roland died and was
buried with great state and ceremony.
So now Aldovrand was to be King, and he was crowned, and there were great
rejoicings everywhere.
"'Tis a fine thing to be King," cried he in much glee; "Now I can amuse
myself and do just as I please, and there will be no one to stop me, and I
will lie in bed as late as I like in the morning, for who dares blame one,
if one is King?"
Next morning the Prime Minister and the Chancellor came to the palace to
see the new King and settle affairs of state, but they were told that his
majesty was in bed and had given orders that no one should disturb him.
"This is a bad beginning," sighed the Prime Minister.
"Very bad," echoed the Chancellor.
When they came back to the palace later in the day the King was playing at
battledore and shuttlecock with some of his gentlemen, and was very angry
at being interrupted in his game.
"A pretty thing," he cried, "That I the King am to be sent for hither and
thither as if I were a lacquey. They must go away and come another time;"
and on hearing this the Prime Minister and Chancellor looked graver still.
But next morning there came the Commander-in-Chief and the Lord High
Admiral, as well as the Prime Minister and the Chancellor, all wanting to
have an audience with the King, and as he was not out of bed and they could
not wait any longer, they all stood outside his bedroom door, and knocked
to gain admittance, and at last he came out in a towering rage, and
throwing them his crown, cried,
"Here, let one of my cousins be King, for I will not bear this longer. It
is much more trouble than it is worth, so Aldebert or Alderete may try it
and see how they like it, but as for me, I have had enough of it," and he
ran downstairs and out of the palace door, leaving the Prime Minister and
the Chancellor and the General and Admiral staring at each other in dismay.
Aldovrand walked out of the town unnoticed, and turned towards the country,
whistling cheerily to himself. When he had gone some way in the fields, he
came to a farmhouse, and in a meadow near, the farmer stood talking to his
men. Aldovrand went straight up to him, and, touching his hat, asked if he
could give him any work.
"Work?" cried the farmer, little thinking he was talking to his late king.
"Why, what sort of work can you do?"
"Well," said Aldovrand, "I am not very fond of running about, but if you
want any one to mind your sheep, or keep the birds from your corn, I could
do that nicely."
"I tell you what you can do if you like," said the farmer. "I am wanting a
goose-boy to take care of my geese. See, there they are on the common. All
you will have to do is to see that they don't stray away, and to drive them
in at night."
"That will suit me exactly," cried Aldovrand. "I will begin at once;" and
he went straight on to the common, and when he had collected the geese
together lay down to watch them in high good humour.
"This is capital," he cried, "and much better than being King at the
palace. Here there is no Prime Minister or Chancellor to come worrying;"
and he lay watching the geese all day very contentedly.
When the Prime Minister and the Chancellor knew that Aldovrand was really
gone, they went in a great hurry to Aldebert to tell him that it was his
turn to be King. But when he heard how his cousin had run away, he looked
frightened.
"I will do my best," quoth he; "but I really know very little about the
matter. However, you must tell me, and I will do whatever you direct."
At hearing this the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were delighted.
"Now we have got the right sort of King," they said; and both wagged their
heads with joy.
So King Aldebert was crowned, and there were great rejoicings all over the
country.
Early next morning he was up all ready to receive his Ministers, and first
came the Prime Minister.
"Your Majesty," said he, "I come to you on an affair of much importance. A
great part of our city is falling down, and it is very necessary that we
should rebuild it at once. If you will command it, therefore, I will see
that it is done."
"I have no doubt you are right," said the King; "pray let them begin
building at once;" and the Prime Minister went away delighted.
Scarcely had he gone when in came the Commander-in-Chief.
"Your Majesty," said he, "I wish to lay before you the state of our army.
Our soldiers have had a great deal of fighting to do lately, and are
beginning to be discontented, but the late King, your uncle, would never
attend to their wants."
"Pray do what you like," said King Aldebert.
"To satisfy them," said the Commander-in-Chief, "I think that we should
double their pay. This would keep them in a good humour, and all will go
well."
"By all means, that will certainly be the best way," said Aldebert. "Let it
be given to them at once;" and on hearing this, the Commander-in-Chief went
away right merrily.
When he had gone, there came in the Chancellor with a long face.
"Your Majesty," he said, "I have this morning been to the treasury, and I
find that there is scarcely any money left. The late King, your uncle,
spent so much in spite of all I could say, that now it is almost all gone.
Your Majesty must now save all you can for the next year or two, and you
ought also to lower the soldiers' pay, and stop all public works."
"I have no doubt you are quite right," cried the King. "You know best, let
it be done as you wish."
But next morning in came the Prime Minister with a frowning face. "How is
this, your Majesty?" cried he. "Just as we are beginning our buildings, the
Chancellor comes and tells us that we are not to have any money to build
with." He had not done speaking when the Commander-in-Chief burst into the
room unable to conceal his rage.
"Yesterday your Majesty told me that all the soldiers should have double
pay, and this morning I hear, that instead of that, their wages are to be
lowered!" Here he was interrupted by the Chancellor, who came running in
looking much excited,
"Your Majesty," he cried, "did you not yesterday say we were now to begin
saving, and that I was not to allow any more money to be spent, and that
the army must do with less pay?"
And then all three began to quarrel among themselves. When he saw how angry
they were, King Aldebert took off his crown and said, "I am sure you are
each of you quite right; but I think I am scarcely fit to be a King. Indeed
I think you had better find my cousin Alderete, and let him be crowned, and
I will seek my fortune elsewhere." And he had slipped out of the room, and
run downstairs and out of the palace, before they could stop him.
He went briskly down the highroad into the country, the same way that
Aldovrand had gone.
After he had gone some way, he met a travelling tinker who sat by the
roadside mending tin cans, with his little fire at his side.
Aldebert stood watching him, and at last said, "How cleverly you mend those
holes! You must lead a pleasant life, going from house to house in the
green lanes mending wares. Do you think I could learn how to do it if you
would teach me?"
The tinker, who was an old man, looked at him and said,
"Well, I don't mind giving you a trial if you like to come with me, for I
want a strong young man sometimes to help me wheel my little cart, and
I'll teach you my trade, and we'll see what you can make of it."
So Aldebert was delighted, and went with the tinker.
When they knew he was really gone the Prime Minister and the Chancellor
looked at each other in dismay.
"This will never do," cried they; "we must go at once to Prince Alderete;
and let us hope he may do better than his cousins."
When Prince Alderete heard that it was his turn to reign he jumped for joy.
"Now," cried he, "at last I will show what a king should really be like. My
cousins were neither of them any good, but they shall now see how different
I will be."
So he was crowned, and again there were great rejoicings all over the
country.
Next day he sat in state to receive the Chancellor and Prime Minister and
hear what they had to say.
"My friends," said he to them, "a good King ought to be like a father to
his people, and this is what I mean to be. I mean to arrange everything
for them myself, and if they will only obey me, and do as I direct, they
are sure to be both prosperous and happy."
On hearing this both Prime Minister and Chancellor looked anxious, and the
Chancellor said,
"I fear, your Majesty, your people will not like to be too much meddled
with." At this the King was very angry, and bid them see about their own
business, and not presume to teach him his.
When they had gone he went to take a drive in his city, that he might see
it and know it well; but directly he returned to the palace he sent for the
Prime Minister, and when he had arrived, said,
"I already see much to be altered in my kingdom. I do not like the houses
in which many of the people dwell, nor indeed the dresses they wear; but
what strikes me most of all is, that wherever I go I smell a strong smell
of pea soup. Now, nothing is so unwholesome as pea soup, and therefore it
would not be right in me to allow the people to go on eating it. I
command, therefore, that no one shall again make, or eat pea soup, within
my realm on pain of death."
Again the Prime Minister looked very grave, and began to say,
"Your Majesty, your subjects will surely not like to be hindered from
eating and drinking what pleases them!" But the King cried out in a rage,
"Go at once and do as I bid you." So the Prime Minister had to obey.
Early next morning when the King arose he heard a great hubbub under his
window, and when he went to see what it was, he saw a vast mob of people
all shouting, "The King, the King! Where is this King who would dictate to
us what we shall eat and drink?"
When he saw them he was terribly frightened, and at once sent off for the
Prime Minister and Chancellor to come to his aid.
"Pray go and tell them to eat what they like," he cried when they arrived;
"But, do you know, I find it will not at all suit me to be King. You had
best try Aldovrand, or Aldebert, again;" and, so saying, he took off his
crown and laid it down, and slipped away out of the palace before either
Prime Minister or Chancellor could stop him.
He went out of the back door, and ran, and ran, and ran, till he had left
the town far behind, and came to the country fields and lanes--the same way
that his two cousins had gone; and as he went he met a sweep trudging along
carrying his long brooms over his shoulder.
"My friend," cried Alderete, stopping him, "Of all things in the world I
should like to be a sweep and learn how to sweep chimneys. May I go with
you, and will you teach me your trade?"
The sweep looked surprised, but said, "Yes, Alderete could go with him if
he chose, and as he was now going on to the farmhouses, on the road, to
sweep the chimneys, he could begin at once." So Alderete went with the
sweep, carrying some of his brooms for him.
After a time the people outside the palace grew quiet, when they heard that
the King would not interfere with them further. And when all was again
still, the Prime Minister and Chancellor went to seek the King, but he was
nowhere to be found in the palace.
"This will never do," cried they. "We must have a King somehow, so we had
best have back one of the others." So they started to look for Aldovrand or
Aldebert.
They sought them all over the city, and at last they came into the same
country road down which the three cousins had gone, and there they saw
Aldovrand lying in a meadow watching his flock of geese.
"Good day, my friends," cried he when he saw them; "And how are things
going on at the palace? I hope my cousins like reigning better than I did.
Now, here I lie peacefully all day long and watch my geese, and it is much
nicer than being King."
Then the Prime Minister and Chancellor told him all that had happened, and
begged that he would come back with them to the palace again, but at this
Aldovrand laughed outright.
[Illustration: "Now, here I lie peacefully all day long and watch my geese,
and it is much nicer than being King."--P. 170.]
"No indeed!" cried he, "I would not be King again for any man living. You
had best go and seek my cousin Aldebert, and ask him. I saw him go down the
road with a tinker, helping him to mend his tins. So go and ask him, and
leave me to mind my geese in peace."
So the Prime Minister, and the Chancellor had to seek still farther.
They trudged on and on, till at last they met Aldebert, who sat by the side
of the road mending a tin kettle, and whistling cheerily.
"Heyday, whom have we here?" cried he. "The Prime Minister and the
Chancellor! And I am right glad to see you both. See how clever I have
grown; I am learning to be a tinker, and I mended that hole all myself."
Then the Prime Minister and Chancellor begged him to leave his pots, and
come back to the palace and be King, but he fell to work again, harder than
ever, and said,
"No indeed; go and ask my cousins, who are both much cleverer than I. I
really don't do for it at all, but I make a very good tinker, and I like
that much better."
"Then what can we do?" cried the Prime Minister, "for we don't know where
Alderete has gone."
"I saw him go by here with a sweep a little time ago," said Aldebert; "and
he went into that farmhouse yonder, so you had best seek him there."
So the Prime Minister and the Chancellor went on to the farmhouse. At the
door stood the farmer's wife, but when they asked her if she had seen the
King go by, she stared with surprise.
"Nay," said she; "no one has been here but our sweep and his apprentice. He
is in there sweeping the chimney now." On hearing this, the Prime Minister
and Chancellor at once ran into the farmhouse, and saw the old sweep
standing by the kitchen fire-place. "And where is the other sweep?" cried
they. "He is gone up the chimney, and is just going to begin sweeping,"
said the old man. "So if you want to speak to him you must shout." So they
shouted and called,
"King Alderete, King Alderete!" as loud as ever they could, but he did not
hear. Then the Chancellor knelt in front of the grate, and put his head up
the chimney, and called,
"King Alderete, King Alderete! It is the Prime Minister and I, the
Chancellor, come to fetch your Majesty back to the palace."
When Alderete heard him up the chimney, he trembled in every limb, but he
replied,
"I'm not going to come down; I don't want to be King. I am going to be a
sweep, and I like that much better. I shan't come down till you are gone
away, and now you had best go quickly, for I am going to begin sweeping,
and all the soot will fall on your head," and then they heard the rattle of
the broom in the chimney, and a whole shower of soot fell on the
Chancellor's head.
The Prime Minister and the Chancellor turned back to the city very
disconsolately. "We must go and look for a King elsewhere," they said. "It
is no use troubling about Aldovrand, Aldebert, and Alderete." So they left
the one to his geese, and one to his tins, and the other to sweep chimneys,
and that was the end of the three clever Kings.
[Illustration]
THE WISE PRINCESS
[Illustration]
Once upon a time lived a King whose wife was dead and who had one little
daughter who was named Fernanda. She was very good and pretty, but when she
was a child she vexed all her ladies by asking them questions about
everything she saw.
"Your Highness should not wish to know too much," they told her, whereat
Princess Fernanda threw up her little head, and said,
"I want to know everything."
As she grew up she had masters and mistresses to teach her, and learnt
every language and every science; but still she said, "It is not enough; I
want to know more."
In a deep cave underground there lived an old Wizard who was so wise that
his face was well-nigh black with wrinkles, and his long white beard flowed
to his feet. He knew all sorts of magic, and every day and night sat poring
over his books till now there seemed to be nothing left for him to learn.
One night after every one was asleep, Princess Fernanda rose and slipped
softly down the stairs and out of the palace unheard by any one, and stole
away to the Wizard's cave.
The old man was sitting on his low stool reading out of an immense book by
a dim green light, but he raised his eyes as the Princess entered at the
low doorway, and looked at her. She wore a blue and silver robe, but her
bright hair was unbound, and fell in ripples to her waist.
"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" he asked shortly.
"I am the Princess Fernanda," she said, "and I wish to be your pupil. Teach
me all you know."
"Why do you wish for that?" said the Wizard: "you will not be better or
happier for it."
"I am not happy now," said the Princess sighing wearily. "Teach me and you
shall find me an apt pupil, and I will pay you with gold."
"I will not have your gold," said the Wizard, "but come to me every night
at this hour, and in three years you shall know all I do."
So every night the Princess went down to the Wizard's cave while all the
court were sleeping. And the people wondered at her more and more, and
said, "How much she knows! How wise she is!"
When the three years had gone by the Wizard said to her, "Go! I can teach
you no more now. You are as wise as I." Then the Princess thanked him and
went back to her father's palace.
She was very wise. She knew the languages of all animals. The fishes came
from the deep at her call, and the birds from the trees. She could tell
when the winds would rise, and when the sea would be still. She could have
turned her enemies to stone, or given untold wealth to her friends. But
for all that, when she smiled, her lips were very sad, and her eyes were
always full of care. She said she was weary, and her father thought she was
sick, and would have sent for the physicians, but she stopped him.