She went nearer to whisper to the mill, and the mill dragged her under
the wheels and ground her up.
The old Hag had dropped the white rod out of her hand, and the mill told
the young girl to take this white rod and strike two stones behind the
mill door. She did that, and her two sisters stood up. She hoisted the
leather bag on her back, and the three of them set out and traveled
away and away till they reached home.
The mother had been crying all the time while they were away, and was
now ever so glad to see them, and rich and happy they all lived ever
after.
_The Widow's Daughter_
THERE was once a poor widow woman, living in the North of Ireland, who
had one daughter named Nabla. And Nabla grew up both idle and lazy, till
at length, when she had grown to be a young woman, she was both
thriftless and useless, fit only to sit with her heels in the ashes and
croon to the cat the day long. Her mother was annoyed with her, so that
one day, when Nabla refused to do some little trifle about the house,
her mother got out a good stout sally rod and came in and thrashed her
soundly with it.
As her mother was giving Nabla the whacking she had so richly earned,
who should happen to be riding past but the King's son himself. He heard
the mother beating and scolding, and Nabla crying and pleading within.
So he drew rein, and at the top of his voice shouted to know what was
the matter. The widow came to the door, courtesying when she saw who he
was. Not wishing to give out a bad name on her daughter, she told the
King's son that she had a daughter who killed herself working the
leelong day and refused to rest when her mother asked her, so that she
had always to be beaten before she would stop.
"What work can your daughter do?" the Prince asked.
"She can spin, weave, and sew, and do every work that ever a woman did,"
the mother replied.
Now, it so happened that a twelvemonth before the Prince had taken a
notion of marrying, and his mother, anxious he should have none but the
best wife, with his approval, sent messengers over all Ireland to find
him a woman who could perform all a woman's duties, including the three
accomplishments the widow named--spinning, that is, weaving and sewing.
But all the candidates whom the messengers had secured were found
unsatisfactory on being put to trial, and the Prince had remained
unwedded. When, now, the King's son heard this account of Nabla from her
own mother he said:
"You are not fit to have the charge of such a good girl. For twelve
months, through all parts of my mother's kingdom, search was being made
for just such a young woman that she might become my wife. I'll take
Nabla with me."
Poor Nabla was rejoiced and her mother astonished. The King's son helped
Nabla to a seat behind him on the horse's back and bidding adieu to the
widow, rode off.
When he had got Nabla home, he introduced her to his mother, telling the
Queen that by good fortune he had secured the very woman they had so
long sought in vain. The Queen asked what Nabla could do, and he replied
that she could spin, weave, and sew, and do everything else a woman
should; and, moreover, she was so eager for work that her mother was
beating her within an inch of her life to make her rest herself when he
arrived on the scene at Nabla's own cottage. The Queen said that was
well.
She took Nabla to a large room and gave her a heap of silk and a golden
wheel, and told her she must have all the silk spun into thread in
twenty-four hours. Then she bolted her in.
Poor Nabla, in amazement, sat looking at the big heap of silk and the
golden wheel. And at length she began to cry, for she had not spun a
yard of thread in all her life. As she cried an ugly woman, having one
of her feet as big as a bolster, appeared before her.
"What are you crying for?" she asked.
Nabla told her, and the woman said, "I'll spin the silk for you if you
ask me to the wedding."
"I'll do that," Nabla said. And then the woman sat down to the wheel,
and working it with her big foot, very soon had the whole heap spun.
When the Queen came and found all spun she said: "That is good." Then
she brought in a golden loom and told Nabla she must have all that
thread woven in twenty-four hours.
When the Queen had gone, Nabla sat down and looked from the thread to
the loom and from the loom to the thread, wondering, for she had not in
all her life even thrown a shuttle. At length she put her face in her
hands and began to cry. There now appeared to her an ugly woman with one
hand as big as a pot hanging by her side. She asked Nabla why she cried.
Nabla told her, and then the woman said:
"I'll weave all that for you if you'll give me the promise of your
wedding."
Nabla said she would surely. So the woman sat down to the golden loom,
and very soon had all the thread woven into webs.
When again the Queen came and found all woven she said: "That is good."
And then she gave Nabla a golden needle and thimble and said that in
twenty-four hours more she must have all the webs made into shirts for
the Prince.
Again when the Queen had gone, Nabla, who had never even threaded a
needle in all her life, sat for a while looking at the needle and
thimble and looking at the webs of silk, and again she broke down, and
began to cry heartily.
As she cried an ugly woman with a monstrously big nose came into the
room and asked:
"Why do you cry?"
When Nabla had told her, the ugly woman said:
"I'll make up all those webs into shirts for the Prince if you promise
me the wedding."
"I'll do that," Nabla said, "and a thousand welcomes."
So the woman with the big nose, taking the needle and thimble, sat down,
and in a short time had made all the silk into shirts and disappeared
again.
When the Queen came a third time and found all the silk made up in
shirts she was mightily pleased and said:
"You are the very woman for my son, for he'll never want a housekeeper
while he has you."
Then Nabla and the Prince were betrothed, and on the wedding night there
was a gay and a gorgeous company in the hall of the castle. All was
mirth and festivity. But as they were about to sit down to a splendid
repast there was a loud knock at the door. A servant opened it and there
came in an ugly old woman with one foot as big as a bolster who, amid
the loud laughter of the company, hobbled along the floor and took a
seat at the table. She was asked of which party was she, the bride or
the groom's, and she replied that she was of the bride's party. When the
Prince heard this he believed that she was one of Nabla's poor friends.
He went up to her and asked her what had made her foot so big.
"Spinning," she said, "I have been all my life at the wheel, and that's
what it has done for me."
"Then, by my word," said the Prince, striking the table a great blow,
"my wife shall not turn a wheel while I'm here to prevent it!"
As the guests were again settling themselves another knock came to the
door. A servant opening it, let in a woman with one hand as big as a
pot. The weight of this hand hanging by her side gave her body a great
lean over, so that as she hobbled along the floor the company at the
table lay back, laughing and clapping their hands at the funny sight.
This woman, taking a seat at the table, was asked by whose invitation
she was there, to which she replied that she was of the bride's party.
Then the Prince went up to her and inquired what caused her hand to be
so big.
"Weaving," she said. "I have slaved at the shuttle all my life; that's
what has come on me."
"Then," the Prince said, striking the table a thundering blow, "by my
word, my wife shall never throw a shuttle again while I live to prevent
it."
A third time the guests were ready to begin their repast, when again
there came a knock to the door. Everyone looked up; and they saw the
servant now admit an ugly old woman with the most monstrous nose ever
beheld. This woman likewise took a chair at the table. She was then
asked who had invited her--the bride or the groom. She said she was one
of the bride's party. Then the Prince, going up to her asked her why her
nose had come to be so very big.
[Illustration: "AN UGLY OLD WOMAN WITH THE MOST MONSTROUS NOSE EVER
BEHELD"]
"It's with sewing," she said. "All my life I have been bending my head
over sewing, so that every drop of blood ran down into my nose, swelling
it out like that."
Then the Prince struck the table a blow that made the dishes leap and
rattle.
"By my word," he said, "my wife shall never either put a needle in cloth
again, or do any other sort of household work while I live to prevent
it."
And the Prince faithfully kept his word. He was always on the lookout to
try and catch Nabla spinning, weaving, or sewing, or doing any other
sort of work, for he thought she might at any time try to work on the
sly.
Poor Nabla, however, never did anything to confirm his uneasiness, but,
taking her old mother to stay in the castle with her, lived happy and
contented, and as lazy as the day was long, ever after.
_Munachar and Manachar_
THERE once lived a Munachar and a Manachar, a long time ago, and it is a
long time since it was, and if they were alive now they would not be
alive then. They went out together to pick raspberries, and as many as
Munachar used to pick Manachar used to eat. Munachar said he must go
look for a rod to make a gad to hang Manachar, who ate his raspberries
every one; and he came to the rod. "What news to-day?" said the rod. "It
is my own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for a rod, a rod to make
a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one.
"You will not get me," said the rod, "until you get an ax to cut me." He
came to the ax. "What news to-day?" said the ax. "It's my own news I'm
seeking. Going looking for an ax, an ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a
gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the ax, "until you get a flag to edge me."
He came to the flag. "What news to-day?" says the flag. "It's my own
news I'm seeking. Going looking for a flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut a
rod, a rod to to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my
raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," says the flag, "till you get water to wet me." He
came to the water. "What news to-day?" says the water. "It's my own news
I'm seeking. Going looking for water, water to wet flag, flag to edge
ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who
ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the water, "until you get a deer who will
swim me." He came to the deer. "What news to-day?" says the deer. "It's
my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a deer, deer to swim water,
water to wet flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a
gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the deer, "until you get a hound who will
hunt me." He came to the hound. "What news to-day?" says the hound.
"It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a hound, hound to hunt
deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut
a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my
raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the hound, "until you get a bit of butter to
put in my claw." He came to the butter. "What news to-day?" says the
butter. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for butter, butter
to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to
wet flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad
to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the butter, "until you get a cat who shall
scrape me." He came to the cat. "What news to-day?" said the cat. "It's
my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cat, cat to scrape butter,
butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water,
water to wet flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a
gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get me," said the cat, "until you get milk which you will
give me." He came to the cow. "What news to-day?" said the cow. "It's my
own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cow, cow to give me milk, milk
I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of
hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag
to edge ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang
Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any milk from me," said the cow, "until you bring me a
whisp of straw from those threshers yonder." He came to the threshers.
"What news to-day?" said the threshers. "It's my own news I'm seeking.
Going looking for a whisp of straw to give to the cow, the cow to give
me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go
in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet
flag, flag to edge ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to
hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any whisp of straw from us," said the threshers,
"until you bring us the makings of a cake from the miller over yonder."
He came to the miller. "What news to-day?" said the miller. "It's my own
news I'm seeking. Going looking for the makings of a cake which I will
give the threshers, the threshers to give me a whisp of straw, the whisp
of straw I will give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will
give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound,
hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge
ax, ax to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who
ate my raspberries every one."
"You will not get any makings of a cake from me," said the miller, "till
you bring me the full of that sieve of water from the river over there."
He took the sieve in his hand and went over to the river, but as often
as ever he would stoop and fill it with water, the moment he raised it
the water would run out of it again, and sure, if he had been there,
from that day till this, he never could have filled it. A crow went
flying by him, over his head, "Daub! daub!" said the crow. "My blessings
on ye, then," said Munachar, "but it's the good advice you have"; and he
took the red clay and the daub that was by the brink, and he rubbed it
to the bottom of the sieve, until all the holes were filled, and then
the sieve held the water, and he brought the water to the miller, and
the miller gave him the makings of a cake, and he gave the makings of
the cake to the threshers, and the threshers gave him a whisp of straw,
and he gave the whisp of straw to the cow, and the cow gave him milk,
the milk he gave to the cat, the cat scraped the butter, the butter went
into the claw of the hound, the hound hunted the deer, the deer swam the
water, the water wet the flag, the flag sharpened the ax, the ax cut the
rod, and the rod made a gad, and when he had it ready to hang Manachar
he found that Manachar had BURST.
_The Road to Fortune_
ONE fine morning two young men were strolling together through the
fields, when they perceived, at a great distance, a very high hill, on
the top of which stood a beautiful castle, which sparkled so brightly in
the sunshine that the youths were quite delighted, and could not help
gazing at it.
"Let us go to it," said one of the lads.
"It is easy to say, 'Let us go,' but how can we walk so far?" retorted
the other, who was a lazy fellow.
"You may do it easily," replied a clear voice behind them.
On looking around to see whence these words came, they perceived a
beautiful fairy standing on a large ball, which rolled along with her
upon it in the direction of the castle.
"It is no very difficult task for her, at all events. Look, she can get
forward without moving a limb," said the lazy one, throwing himself down
on the grass.
The other, however, was not so easily satisfied; for, without stopping
to reflect, he started off after the fairy as fast as he could run, and
catching hold of the skirts of her robe cried, "Who art thou?"
"I am Fortune," answered the fairy, "and yonder is my castle--follow me
there! If thou reachest it before midnight, I will receive thee as a
friend; but remember, shouldst thou arrive one moment later, my door
will be closed against thee."
With these words the fairy drew her robe from the hand of the young man,
and went off so quickly upon her ball that she was soon out of sight.
The youth immediately ran back to his companion and told him all that
had happened, adding: "I intend taking the fairy's advice. Will you
accompany me?"
"Are you mad?" inquired the other; "for my part, if I had a good horse I
should not mind the journey, but as for walking all that way, I
certainly shall not attempt it."
"Farewell then," answered his comrade, who started off at a brisk pace
in the direction of the castle.
The lazy one, however, reasoned thus to himself: "Exert yourself as much
as you please, my worthy friend. Good fortune often comes while we are
dozing; perhaps it may be my case to-day." And without more ado he
stretched himself on the grass and fell fast asleep; not, however,
before he had cast a longing glance at the beautiful castle on the
hill. After sleeping some time he felt as though there were a warm wind
blowing on his ear, and when he had stretched his slothful limbs and
rubbed his sleepy eyes, he perceived a beautiful milk-white horse, ready
saddled, standing beside him, shaking his mane and neighing lustily in
the clear morning air.
"Ah, did I not say as much?" cried the youth. "Oh, if people would but
trust to Fate! Come here, you fine creature! We must be good friends."
So saying, he threw himself into the saddle, and the steed galloped off
with him as swift as the wind. Thus mounted, our lazy friend very soon
overtook his industrious companion, and hailing him as he passed cried:
"Show respect to my horse's heels!" The other, however, continued on at
a steady pace, without paying much heed to his satire.
About midday, on arriving at the summit of a beautiful hill, the horse
suddenly stopped. "Quite right," cried his rider; "I find you are a very
sagacious creature--'soft and fairly' is a good proverb; the castle is
now not very far off, but my appetite is a great deal nearer." So
dismounting, he sought out a shady slope, and having laid down in the
moss with his feet against the stump of a tree, he began to take some
refreshment--for happily he had a good supply of bread and sausage in
his pocket, and a pleasant drink in his flask. As soon as the youth had
satisfied his appetite, he began to feel rather drowsy, and, as is usual
with indolent people, he gave full vent to the inclination, stretched
himself on the moss, and fell into a sound sleep. Never had man a more
pleasant sleep, nor accompanied with more delightful dreams. He imagined
that he was already in the castle, reposing on silken cushions; and that
all that he desired came to him immediately upon his beckoning with his
little finger. After thus enjoying himself for some time, it seemed as
though a firework went off with a great explosion; this was followed by
strains of soft music, which went to the tune of a song he had often
heard, every verse of which terminated with these words:
"Healthful limbs and spirits gay,
Bear the traveler on his way."
This continued some time, when he awoke with the song still ringing in
his ears; then rubbing his eyes, he perceived that the setting sun was
fast sinking behind the castle, and heard the voice of his companion
singing from the valley before him the very words he had heard in his
dream.
"What a time I have slept!" cried the lazy fellow. "It is high time that
I was getting on my way. Come here, my steed! where are you?" But no
steed was to be found; the only creature that he could see, after
looking all around, was an old gray donkey, grazing on the top of a hill
at some distance. He shouted and whistled with all his might, but the
horse was gone quite out of hearing, and the old donkey did not seem to
pay the least attention. So, after exerting his lungs to no purpose, the
lazy fellow was obliged to go and try to make friends with the gray old
beast, which allowed itself to be quietly mounted, and then trudged
slowly on with him.
But our youth found this kind of traveling very different from the
previous stage, for then he not only proceeded at a much quicker pace,
but had a more comfortable seat, which was by no means an unimportant
consideration with him. In the course of a short time it began to grow
dark, and heavy clouds overspread the sky; already he could perceive
that the castle was being lighted up, and now he began to be very
frightened and anxious to get forward. The donkey, however, did not seem
in any way to partake of his feelings, but continued on at even a slower
pace than before. At length it became quite dark, and the donkey, after
going slower and slower, came to a dead stand in the midst of a thick
wood. All his entreaties were of no use, nor were threats and kicks of
more avail--the donkey would not move. At last the rider became so
exasperated that he struck it with his fist; but this did not much
improve our lazy friend's condition, for the obstinate brute instantly
flung up its hind legs, and by that process released itself of its
burden, which fell heavily on the ground. It required much less
violence than our youth experienced in his fall to prove to him that he
was not lying on a satin couch, for his legs and arms were dreadfully
bruised. He remained some time in this miserable plight, but the bright
and inviting appearance of the lights in the castle at length attracted
his attention. "Ah!" thought he, "what beautiful beds must there be in
that fine building!"
This thought alone aroused for a moment his sluggish energies, and he
managed to get on his feet. "Perhaps," thought he, "the gray old donkey
may by this time have got into a better temper." So he searched about
for him in every direction; but after knocking his head against the
trees here, tearing his face with the thorns there, and stumbling over
roots and stones for a full quarter of an hour without finding it, he
gave up the search as hopeless. It was high time, however, that he made
some effort to get out of this dismal wood, which every now and then
resounded with dreary howls, sounding very much as though they proceeded
from the throats of hungry wolves. At last, when quite bewildered with
fear, he suddenly stumbled against something soft and slimy; he knew by
the touch that it was not the donkey, but fancying it to be in the form
of a saddle, he was about to bestride it at once; yet he found it so
cold and damp to the touch that he quite shuddered at the thought. He
was still hesitating when the castle clock struck, and he counted
eleven. Recollecting that it was drawing near to the eventful time and
that he had no other hope, he threw himself on what appeared to be the
saddle. He found his seat tolerably easy, as it was very soft, and at
his back was something to lean against; another great advantage was that
the creature on which he was mounted seemed to be very surefooted; there
was, however, one great objection to it, and that was the creeping pace
at which it moved, for it went along much slower than even the obstinate
donkey.
Proceeding thus for some time, he got so near to the castle that he
could count the windows, and in this occupation he was engaged when
suddenly the moon shone out from between the clouds, and, oh, horror!
what did he behold. The creature on which he sat was neither a horse nor
a donkey, but an enormous snail, quite as large as a calf, and its house
which it carried upon its back had served him to lean against! Now he
could well understand why he had come at such a creeping pace. He turned
as cold as death, and his hair stood on end with fright! But there was
now no time for fear, for the castle clock had already made the woods
resound with the first stroke of the midnight hour, just as his steed
crawled out from the wood. Then how great was the young man's
astonishment when he beheld the castle of Fortune in all its grandeur!
Hitherto he had sat quietly on the snail, without hastening it, or in
any way interfering with its pace; at the sight of the castle, however,
he dashed both his heels into its sides, and attempted to urge it on. To
this treatment the snail was quite unaccustomed, and instantly it drew
its head into its shell and left the youth sprawling on the ground. The
castle clock rang out the second stroke. Had the lazy fellow but
mustered up resolution and trusted to his feet even then, he might have
reached the castle in time. But no, there he stood crying bitterly and
screaming out: "A beast! a beast! of whatever kind it may be, to carry
me to yon castle."
The inmates of the building had already begun to extinguish the lights,
and the moon being hidden by the clouds, he was again in total darkness.
As the clock struck the third time he heard something moving near him,
and, as well as he could make out in the dark, it seemed like a saddled
horse: "Ah, that is my long-lost steed," cried he, "that Heaven has
kindly sent to me at the needful moment!" As quickly as his lazy limbs
would enable him, he leaped on the back of the creature. There was now
only a little elevation to be surmounted, and he could easily see his
companion standing at the open door of the castle waving his cap and
beckoning him on. The clock chimed out the fourth stroke when the
creature whereon he sat began to move slowly; then went the fifth and
sixth strokes, and it began to advance a little at a very awkward pace;
at the seventh, the creature began to move, first sideways and then went
backward! To his great horror and surprise the rider found that he could
not throw himself off, though he struggled with all his might. By a
passing ray of the moon, he discovered that the new steed on which he
was riding was a horrid monster with ten legs, and from either side
there extended a large claw with which it held him fast by the arms. The
youth screamed loudly for help, but all to no purpose; the animal still
kept receding farther and farther from the castle, while the eventful
moment approached nearer and nearer, until the twelfth stroke proclaimed
the midnight hour. A flitting ray of the moon displayed the castle once
more to his view in all its splendor. But in the same moment the youth
heard the door shut, and the rattling noise of chains and bolts. The
entrance to the castle of Fortune was closed against him forever! The
moon now shone again in full luster and discovered the horrid monster,
that still kept carrying him away, to be nothing more nor less than an
enormous crab. Where he went to on this uncommon steed I cannot tell;
for the fact is, nobody ever troubled themselves further about the lazy
fellow.
_The Golden Crab_
ONCE upon a time there was a fisherman who had a wife and three
children. Every morning he used to go out fishing, and whatever fish he
caught he sold to the King. One day, among the other fishes, he caught a
golden crab. When he came home he put all the fishes together into a
great dish, but he kept the crab separate because it shone so
beautifully, and placed it upon a high shelf in the cupboard. Now, while
the old woman, his wife, was cleaning the fish, and had tucked up her
gown so that her feet were visible, she suddenly heard a voice, which
said:
"Let down, let down thy petticoat
That lets thy feet be seen."
She turned around in surprise, and then she saw the little creature, the
golden crab.
"What! You can speak, can you, you ridiculous crab?" she said, for she
was not quite pleased at the crab's remark. Then she took him up and
placed him on a dish.
When her husband came home and they sat down to dinner, they presently
heard the crab's little voice saying: "Give me some, too." They were all
very much surprised, but they gave him something to eat. When the old
man came to take away the plate which had contained the crab's dinner,
he found it full of gold, and as the same thing happened every day he
soon became very fond of the crab.
One day the crab said to the fisherman's wife: "Go to the King and tell
him I wish to marry his younger daughter."
The old woman went accordingly and laid the matter before the King, who
laughed a little at the notion of his daughter marrying a crab, but did
not decline the proposal altogether, because he was a prudent monarch
and knew that the crab was likely to be a prince in disguise. He said,
therefore, to the fisherman's wife: "Go, old woman, and tell the crab I
will give him my daughter if by to-morrow morning he can build a wall in
front of my castle much higher than my tower, upon which all the flowers
of the world must grow and bloom."
The fisherman's wife went home and gave this message.
Then the crab gave her a golden rod and said: "Go and strike with this
rod three times upon the ground on the place which the King showed you,
and to-morrow morning the wall will be there."
The old woman did so and went away again.
The next morning, when the King awoke, what do you think he saw? The
wall stood there before his eyes, exactly as he had bespoken it!
Then the old woman went back to the King and said to him: "Your
majesty's orders have been fulfilled."
"That is all very well," said the King, "but I cannot give away my
daughter until there stands in front of my palace a garden in which
there are three fountains, of which the first must play gold, the second
diamonds, and the third brilliants."
So the old woman had to strike again three times upon the ground with
the rod, and the next morning the garden was there. The King now gave
his consent, and the wedding was fixed for the very next day.
Then the crab said to the old fisherman:
"Now take this rod; go and knock with it on a certain mountain; then a
black man will come out and ask you what you wish for. Answer him thus:
'Your master, the King, has sent me to tell you that you must send him
his golden garment that is like the sun.' Make him give you, besides,
the queenly robes of gold and precious stones which are like the flowery
meadows, and bring them both to me, and bring me also the golden
cushion."
The old man went and did his errand. When he had brought the precious
robes the crab put on the golden garment and then crept upon the golden
cushion, and in this way the fisherman carried him to the castle, where
the crab presented the other garment to his bride. Now the ceremony took
place, and when the married pair were alone together the crab made
himself known to his young wife, and told her how he was the son of the
greatest king in the world, and how he was enchanted, so that he became
a crab by day and was a man only at night and he could also change
himself into an eagle as often as he wished. No sooner had he said this
than he shook himself and immediately became a handsome youth; but the
next morning he was forced to creep back again into his crabshell. And
the same thing happened every day. But the Princess's affection for the
crab and the polite attention with which she behaved to him surprised
the royal family very much. They suspected some secret, but though they
spied and spied, they could not discover it. Thus a year passed away and
the Princess had a son, whom she called Benjamin. But her mother still
thought the whole matter very strange. At last she said to the King that
he ought to ask his daughter whether she would not like to have another
husband instead of the crab. But when the daughter was questioned she
only answered:
[Illustration: "IN THIS WAY THE FISHERMAN CARRIED HIM TO THE CASTLE"]
"I am married to the crab, and him only will I have."
Then the King said to her: "I will appoint a tournament in your honor
and I will invite all the princes in the world to it, and if any one of
them pleases you you shall marry him."
In the evening the Princess told this to the crab, who said to her:
"Take this rod; go to the garden gate and knock with it; then a black
man will come out and say to you, 'Why have you called me and what do
you require of me?' Answer him thus: 'Your master the King has sent me
hither to tell you to send him his golden armor and his steed and the
silver apple.' And bring them to me."
The Princess did so and brought him what he desired.
The following evening the Prince dressed himself for the tournament.
Before he went he said to his wife: "Now mind you do not say when you
see me that I am the crab. For if you do this evil will come of it.
Place yourself at the window with your sisters; I will ride by and throw
you the silver apple. Take it in your hand, but if they ask who I am,
say that you do not know." So saying, he kissed her, repeated his
warning once more, and went away.
The Princess went with her sisters to the window and looked on at the
tournament. Presently her husband rode by and threw the apple up to her.
She caught it in her hand and went with it to her room, and by and by
her husband came back to her. But her father was much surprised that she
did not seem to care about any of the princes; he therefore appointed a
second tournament.
The crab then gave his wife the same directions as before, only this
time the apple which she received from the black man was of gold. But
before the Prince went to the tournament he said to his wife: "Now I
know you will betray me to-day."
But she swore to him that she would not tell who he was. He then
repeated his warning and went away.
In the evening, while the Princess, with her mother and sisters, was
standing at the window, the Prince suddenly galloped past on his steed
and threw her the golden apple.
Then her mother flew into a passion, gave her a box on the ear, and
cried out: "Does not even that prince please you, you fool?"