they all gathered together from the woods and fields: eagles and
chaffinches, owls and crows, larks and sparrows, how can I name them
all? Even the cuckoo came, and the hoopoe, his clerk, who is so called
because he is always heard a few days before him, and a very small bird
which as yet had no name, mingled with the band.
The hen, which by some accident had heard nothing of the whole matter,
was astonished at the great assemblage. “What, what, what is going to
be done?” she cackled. But the cock calmed his beloved hen, and said,
“Only rich people,” and told her what they had on hand.
It was decided, however, that the one who could fly the highest should
be King. A tree-frog which was sitting among the bushes, when he heard
that, cried a warning, “No, no, no! no!” because he thought that many
tears would be shed because of this. But the crow said, “Caw, caw,” and
that all would pass off peaceably.
It was now determined that, on this fine morning, they should at once
begin to ascend, so that hereafter no one should be able to say, “I
could easily have flown much higher, but the evening came on, and I
could do no more.”
On a given signal, therefore, the whole troop rose up in the air. The
dust ascended from the land, and there was tremendous fluttering and
whirring and beating of wings. It looked as if a black cloud was rising
up. The little birds were, however, soon left behind. They could go no
farther, and fell back to the ground.
The larger birds held out longer, but none could equal the eagle, who
mounted so high that he could have picked the eyes out of the sun. And
when he saw that the others could not get up to him, he thought, “Why
should I fly any higher, I am the King?” and began to let himself down
again.
The birds beneath him at once cried to him, “You must be our King, no
one has flown so high as you.”
“Except me,” screamed the little fellow without a name, who had crept
into the breast-feathers of the eagle. And as he was not at all tired,
he rose up and mounted so high that he reached heaven itself. When,
however, he had gone as far as this, he folded his wings together, and
called down with clear and penetrating voice:
“_I am King! I am King!_”
“You, our King?” cried the birds angrily. “You have done this by trick
and cunning!”
So they made another condition. He should be King who could go down
lowest in the ground. How the goose did flap about with its broad
breast when it was once more on the land! How quickly the cock
scratched a hole! The duck came off the worst of all, for she leapt
into a ditch, but sprained her legs, and waddled away to a neighboring
pond, crying, “Cheating, cheating!”
The little bird without a name, however, sought out a mouse-hole,
slipped down into it, and cried out of it, with his small voice:
“_I am King! I am King!_”
“You our King!” cried the birds still more angrily. “Do you think your
cunning shall prevail?”
They determined to keep him a prisoner in the hole and starve him out.
The owl was placed as sentinel in front of it, and was not to let the
rascal out if she had any value for her life. When evening was come all
the birds were feeling very tired after exerting their wings so much
that they went to bed with their wives and children.
The owl alone remained standing by the mouse-hole, gazing steadfastly
into it with her great eyes. In the meantime she, too, had grown tired
and thought to herself, “You might certainly shut one eye, you will
still watch with the other, and the little miscreant shall not come out
of his hole.” So she shut one eye, and with the other looked straight
at the mouse-hole.
The little fellow put his head out and peeped, and wanted to slip away,
but the owl came forward, and he drew his head back. Then the owl
opened the one eye again, and shut the other, intending to shut them in
turn all through the night.
But when she next shut the one eye, she forgot to open the other. And
as soon as both her eyes were shut, she fell asleep. The little fellow
soon saw that, and slipped away.
From that day forth, the owl has never dared to show herself by
daylight, for if she does the other birds chase her and pluck her
feathers out. She only flies out by night, but hates and pursues mice
because they make such ugly holes.
The little bird, too, is very unwilling to let himself be seen, because
he is afraid it will cost him his life if he is caught. He steals
about in the hedges, and when he is quite safe, he sometimes cries, “I
am King,” and for this reason, the other birds call him in mockery,
“Hedge-King.”
No one, however, was so happy as the lark at not having to obey the
little King. As soon as the sun appears, she ascends high in the air
and cries, “Ah, how beautiful that is! beautiful that is! beautiful,
beautiful! ah, how beautiful that is!”
[Illustration]
ONE-EYE, TWO-EYES, AND THREE-EYES
There was once a woman who had three daughters, the eldest of whom
was called One-Eye, because she had only one eye in the middle of her
forehead, and the second, Two-Eyes, because she had two eyes like other
folks, and the youngest, Three-Eyes, because she had three eyes; and
her third eye was in the centre of her forehead.
Now, as Two-Eyes saw just as other human beings did, her sisters and
her mother could not endure her. They said to her, “You, with your two
eyes, are no better than common folk. You do not belong to us!”
They pushed her about, and threw old clothes to her, and gave her
nothing to eat but what they left, and did everything that they could
to make her unhappy.
It came to pass that Two-Eyes had to go out into the fields and tend
the goat, but she was still very hungry, because her sisters had given
her so little to eat. She sat down on a ridge and began to weep, and so
bitterly that two streams ran down from her eyes.
And one day, when she looked up in her grief, a woman was standing
beside her, who said, “Why are you weeping, little Two-Eyes?”
Two-Eyes answered, “Have I not reason to weep, when I have two eyes
like other people, and my sisters and mother hate me for it, and push
me from one corner to another, throw old clothes at me, and give me
nothing to eat but the scraps they leave? To-day, they have given me so
little that I am still very hungry.”
Then the Wise Woman said, “Wipe away your tears, Two-Eyes, and I will
tell you something to stop your ever suffering from hunger again; just
say to your goat:
“‘_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, bleat,
Cover the table with something to eat!_’
and then a clean well-spread little table will stand before you, with
the most delicious food upon it, of which you may eat as much as you
are inclined. And when you have had enough, and have no more need of
the little table, just say:
“‘_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away!_’
and then it will vanish again from your sight.”
Hereupon the Wise Woman departed.
But Two-Eyes thought, “I must instantly make a trial, and see if what
she said is true, for I am far too hungry,” and she said:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, bleat,
Cover the table with something to eat!_”
and scarcely had she spoken the words than a little table, covered with
a white cloth, was standing there, and on it was a plate with a knife
and fork, and a silver spoon; and the most delicious food was there
also, warm and smoking as if it had just come out of the kitchen.
Then Two-Eyes said a little prayer she knew, “Lord God, be with us
always, Amen,” and helped herself to some food, and enjoyed it. And
when she was satisfied, she said, as the Wise Woman had taught her:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away!_”
and immediately the little table and everything on it was gone again.
“That is a delightful way of keeping house!” thought Two-Eyes, and was
quite glad and happy.
In the evening, when she went home with her goat, she found a small
earthenware dish with some food, which her sisters had set ready for
her, but she did not touch it. Next day, she again went out with her
goat, and left the few bits of broken bread which had been handed to
her, lying untouched.
The first and second time that she did this, her sisters did not notice
it, but as it happened every time, they did observe it, and said,
“There is something wrong about Two-Eyes, she always leaves her food
untasted. She used to eat up everything that was given her. She must
have discovered other ways of getting food.”
In order that they might learn the truth, they resolved to send One-Eye
with Two-Eyes, when she went to drive her goat to the pasture, to watch
what Two-Eyes did while she was there, and whether any one brought
her things to eat and drink. So when Two-Eyes set out the next time,
One-Eye went to her and said, “I will go with you to the pasture, and
see that the goat is well taken care of, and driven where there is
food.”
But Two-Eyes knew what was in One-Eye’s mind, and drove the goat into
high grass and said, “Come, One-Eye, we will sit down, and I will sing
something to you.”
One-Eye sat down, and was tired with the unaccustomed walk and the heat
of the sun, and Two-Eyes sang constantly:
“_One-Eye, wakest thou?
One-Eye, sleepest thou?_”
until One-Eye shut her one eye, and fell asleep. As soon as Two-Eyes
saw that One-Eye was fast asleep, and could discover nothing, she said:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, bleat,
Cover the table with something to eat!_”
and seated herself at her table, and ate and drank until she was
satisfied. Then she again cried:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away!_”
and in an instant all was gone.
Two-Eyes now awakened One-Eye, and said, “One-Eye, you want to take
care of the goat, and yet go to sleep while you are doing it! In the
meantime, the goat might run all over the world. Come, let us go home
again.”
So they went home, and again Two-Eyes let her little dish stand
untouched, and One-Eye could not tell her mother why she would not eat
it, and to excuse herself said, “I fell asleep when I was out.”
Next day, the mother said to Three-Eyes, “This time you shall go and
watch if Two-Eyes eats anything when she is out, and if any one fetches
her food and drink, for she must eat and drink in secret.”
So Three-Eyes went to Two-Eyes, and said, “I will go with you and see
if the goat is taken proper care of, and driven where there is food.”
But Two-Eyes knew what was in Three-Eyes’ mind, and drove the goat into
high grass and said, “We will sit down, and I will sing something to
you, Three-Eyes.”
Three-Eyes sat down and was tired with the walk and with the heat of
the sun, and Two-Eyes began the same song as before, and sang:
“_Three-Eyes, are you waking?_”
but then, instead of singing,
“_Three-Eyes, are you sleeping?_”
as she ought to have done, she thoughtlessly sang:
“_Two-Eyes, are you sleeping?_”
and sang all the time,
“_Three-Eyes, are you waking?
Two-Eyes, are you sleeping?_”
Then two of the eyes which Three-Eyes had, shut and fell asleep, but
the third, as it had not been named in the song, did not sleep. It is
true that Three-Eyes shut it, but only in her cunning, to pretend it
was asleep too. But it blinked, and could see everything very well. And
when Two-Eyes thought that Three-eyes was fast asleep, she used her
little charm:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, bleat,
Cover the table with something to eat!_”
and ate and drank as much as her heart desired, and then ordered the
table to go away again:
“_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away!_”
and Three-Eyes had seen everything.
Then Two-Eyes came to her, waked her and said, “Have you been asleep,
Three-Eyes? You are a good caretaker! Come, we will go home.”
And when they got home, Two-Eyes again did not eat, and Three-Eyes said
to the mother, “Now, I know why that proud thing there does not eat.
When she is out, she says to the goat:
“‘_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, bleat,
Cover the table with something to eat!_’
and then a little table appears before her covered with the best of
food, much better than any we have here. When she has eaten all she
wants, she says:
“‘_Bleat, bleat, my little Goat, I pray,
And take the table quite away!_’
and all disappears. I watched everything closely. She put two of my
eyes to sleep by using a charm, but luckily the one in my forehead kept
awake.”
Then the envious mother cried, “Do you want to fare better than we do?
The desire shall pass away!” and she fetched a butcher’s knife, and
thrust it into the heart of the goat, which fell down dead.
When Two-Eyes saw that, full of sorrow, she went outside, and seated
herself on the ridge of grass at the edge of the field, and wept bitter
tears.
Suddenly the Wise Woman once more stood by her side, and said,
“Two-Eyes, why are you weeping?”
“Have I not reason to weep?” she answered. “The goat, which covered the
table for me every day when I spoke your charm, has been killed by my
mother, and now I shall again have to bear hunger and want.”
The Wise Woman said, “Two-Eyes, I will give you a piece of good advice.
Ask your sisters to give you the entrails of the slaughtered goat, and
bury them in the ground in front of the house, and your fortune will be
made.”
Then she vanished, and Two-Eyes went home and said to her sisters,
“Dear Sisters, do give me some part of my goat. I don’t wish for what
is good, but give me the entrails.”
Then they laughed and said, “If that’s all you want, you may have it.”
So Two-Eyes took the entrails and buried them quietly, at evening, in
front of the house-door, as the Wise Woman had counseled her to do.
Next morning, when they all awoke, and went to the house-door, there
stood a wonderful, magnificent tree with leaves of silver, and fruit
of gold hanging among them, so that in all the wide world there was
nothing more beautiful or precious. They did not know how the tree
could have come there during the night, but Two-Eyes saw that it had
grown up out of the entrails of the goat, for it was standing on the
exact spot where she had buried them.
Then the mother said to One-Eye, “Climb up, my Child, and gather some
of the fruit of the tree for us.”
One-Eye climbed up, but when she was about to lay hold of one of the
golden apples, the branch escaped from her hands. And that happened
each time, so that she could not pluck a single apple, let her do what
she might.
Then said the mother, “Three-Eyes, do you climb up. You with your three
eyes can look about you better than One-Eye.”
One-Eye slipped down, and Three-Eyes climbed up. Three-Eyes was not
more skillful, and might search as she liked, but the golden apples
always escaped her.
At length, the mother grew impatient, and climbed up herself, but could
grasp the fruit no better than One-Eye and Three-Eyes, for she always
clutched empty air.
Then said Two-Eyes, “I will go up, perhaps I may succeed better.”
The sisters cried, “You, indeed, with your two eyes! What can you do?”
But Two-Eyes climbed up, and the golden apples did not get out of her
way, but came into her hand of their own accord, so that she could
pluck them one after the other. And she brought a whole apronful down
with her. The mother took them away from her, and instead of treating
poor Two-Eyes any better for this, she and One-Eye and Three-Eyes were
only envious, because Two-Eyes alone had been able to get the fruit.
They treated her still more cruelly.
It so befell that once, when they were all standing together by the
tree, a young Knight came up. “Quick, Two-Eyes,” cried the two sisters,
“creep under this and don’t disgrace us!” and with all speed they
turned an empty barrel, which was standing close by the tree, over
poor Two-Eyes, and they pushed the golden apples which she had been
gathering, under it too.
When the Knight came nearer he was a handsome lord, who stopped and
admired the magnificent gold and silver tree, and said to the two
sisters, “To whom does this fine tree belong? Any one who will bestow
one branch of it on me may, in return for it, ask whatsoever he
desires.”
Then One-Eye and Three-Eyes replied that the tree belonged to them, and
that they would give him a branch. They both tried very hard, but they
were not able to do it, for every time the branches and fruit moved
away from them.
Then said the Knight, “It is very strange that the tree should belong
to you, and yet you should still not be able to break a piece off.”
They again insisted that the tree was their property. Whilst they were
saying so, Two-Eyes rolled a couple of golden apples from under the
barrel to the feet of the Knight, for she was vexed with One-Eye and
Three-Eyes, for not speaking the truth.
When the Knight saw the apples he was astonished, and asked from whence
they came. One-Eye and Three-Eyes answered that they had another
sister, who was not allowed to show herself, for she had only two eyes
like any common person.
The Knight, however, desired to see her, and cried, “Two-Eyes, come
hither!”
Then Two-Eyes, quite cheered, came from beneath the barrel, and the
Knight was surprised at her great beauty, and said, “You, Two-Eyes, can
certainly break off a branch from the tree for me.”
“Yes,” replied Two-Eyes, “that I certainly shall be able to do, for the
tree belongs to me.” And she climbed up, and with the greatest ease
broke off a branch with beautiful silver leaves and golden fruit, and
gave it to the Knight.
Then said the Knight, “Two-Eyes, what shall I give you for it?”
“Alas!” answered Two-Eyes, “I suffer from hunger and thirst, grief and
want, from early morning till late night. If you would take me with
you, and deliver me from these things, I should be happy.”
So the Knight lifted Two-Eyes on his horse, and took her home with
him to his father’s castle. There he gave her beautiful clothes and
meat and drink to her heart’s content. And as he loved her so much he
married her, and the wedding was solemnized with great rejoicing.
When Two-Eyes was thus carried away by the handsome Knight, her two
sisters grudged her good fortune in downright earnest. “The wonderful
tree, however, remains with us,” thought they, “and even if we can
gather no fruit from it, every one will stand still and look at it, and
come to us and admire it. Who knows what good things may be in store
for us?”
But next morning, the tree had vanished, and all their hopes were at
an end. And when Two-Eyes looked out of the window of her own little
room, to her great delight it was standing in front of it. And so it
had followed her.
Two-Eyes lived a long time in happiness. One day, two poor women came
to her castle, and begged for alms. She looked in their faces, and
recognized her sisters, One-Eye, and Three-Eyes, who had fallen into
such poverty that they had to wander about and beg their bread from
door to door. Two-Eyes made them welcome, and was kind to them, and
took care of them, so that they both, with all their hearts, repented
of the evil that they had done in their youth to their sister.
[Illustration]
THE GOOSE-GIRL AT THE WELL
_The Old Witch_
There was once upon a time, a very old woman, who lived with her flock
of geese in a waste place among the mountains, and there had a little
house. The waste was surrounded by a large forest, and every morning
the Old Woman took her crutch and hobbled into it.
There, however, the dame was quite active, more so than any one would
have thought, considering her age, and collected grass for her geese,
picked all the wild fruit she could reach, and carried everything home
on her back. Any one would have thought that the heavy load would have
weighed her to the ground, but she always brought it safely home.
If any one met her, she greeted him quite courteously. “Good day, dear
Countryman, it is a fine day. Ah! you wonder that I should drag grass
about, but every one must take his burthen on his back.”
Nevertheless, people did not like to meet her if they could help it,
and took by preference a roundabout way. And when a father with his
boys passed her, he whispered to them, “Beware of the Old Woman. She
has claws beneath her gloves. She is a Witch.”
One morning, a handsome young man was going through the forest. The sun
shone bright, the birds sang, a cool breeze crept through the leaves,
and he was full of joy and gladness. He had as yet met no one, when he
suddenly perceived the old Witch kneeling on the ground cutting grass
with a sickle. She had already thrust a whole load into her cloth, and
near it stood two baskets, which were filled with wild apples and pears.
“But, good little Mother,” said he, “how can you carry all that away?”
“I must carry it, dear Sir,” answered she; “rich folk’s children have
no need to do such things, but with the peasant folk the saying goes,
‘Don’t look behind you, you will only see how crooked your back is!’
“Will you help me?” she said, as he remained standing by her. “You have
still a straight back and young legs, it would be a trifle to you.
Besides, my house is not so very far from here. It stands there on the
heath behind the hill. How soon you would bound up thither!”
The young man took compassion on the Old Woman. “My father is certainly
no peasant,” replied he, “but a rich Count. Nevertheless, that you may
see it is not only peasants who can carry things, I will take your
bundle.”
“If you will try it,” said she, “I shall be very glad. You will
certainly have to walk for an hour, but what will that signify to you?
Only you must carry the apples and pears as well.”
It now seemed to the young man just a little serious, when he heard
of an hour’s walk, but the Old Woman would not let him off, packed the
bundle on his back, and hung the two baskets on his arm. “See, it is
quite light,” said she.
“No, it is not light,” answered the Count, and pulled a rueful
face. “Verily, the bundle weighs as heavily as if it were full of
cobblestones, and the apples and pears are as heavy as lead! I can
scarcely breathe.”
He had a mind to put everything down again, but the Old Woman would
not allow it. “Just look,” said she mockingly, “the young gentleman
will not carry what I, an old woman, have so often dragged along! You
are ready with fine words, but when it comes to being in earnest, you
want to take to your heels. Why are you standing loitering there?” she
continued. “Step out. No one will take the bundle off again.”
As long as he walked on level ground, it was still bearable, but when
they came to the hill and had to climb, and the stones rolled down
under his feet as if they were alive, it was beyond his strength. The
drops of perspiration stood on his forehead, and ran, hot and cold,
down his back.
“Dame,” said he, “I can go no farther. I want to rest a little.”
“Not here,” answered the Old Woman, “when we have arrived at our
journey’s end, you can rest. But now you must go forward. Who knows
what good it may do you?”
“Old woman, you are shameless!” said the Count, and tried to throw off
the bundle, but he labored in vain. It stuck as fast to his back, as if
it grew there. He turned and twisted, but he could not get rid of it.
The Old Woman laughed at this, and sprang about quite delighted on her
crutch. “Don’t get angry, dear Sir,” said she, “you are growing as red
in the face as a turkey-cock! Carry your bundle patiently. I will give
you a good present when we get home.”
What could he do? He was obliged to submit to his fate, and crawl
along patiently behind the Old Woman. She seemed to grow more and more
nimble, and his burden still heavier. All at once, she made a spring,
jumped on to the bundle and seated herself on the top of it. And
however withered she might be, she was yet heavier than the stoutest
country lass.
The youth’s knees trembled, but when he did not go on, the Old Woman
hit him about the legs with a switch and with stinging-nettles.
Groaning continually, he climbed the mountain, and at length reached
the Old Woman’s house, when he was just about to drop.
When the geese perceived the Old Woman, they flapped their wings,
stretched out their necks, ran to meet her, cackling all the while.
Behind the flock walked, stick in hand, an old wench, strong and big,
but ugly as night. “Good Mother,” said she to the Old Woman, “has
anything happened to you, you have stayed away so long?”
“By no means, my dear Daughter,” answered she, “I have met with nothing
bad, but, on the contrary, with this kind gentleman, who has carried
my burthen for me. Only think, he even took me on his back when I was
tired. The way, too, has not seemed long to us. We have been merry, and
have been cracking jokes with each other all the time.”