order, and without having done her usual household work; when she came
home in the evening, she found all clean, and in the best order; she was
very much astonished, and could not imagine how it came to pass; and it
happened thus on several days, whenever she had not put her house in
order before going out. In order to find out how these things were
accomplished, one day she purposely left her home in disorder, but did
not go far, but remained outside peeping through the keyhole, to see
what would happen. As soon as everything became quiet in the house, the
woman saw that the lid of the milk jug which was standing in the window,
began to move with gentle noise, and in a few moments a beautiful fairy
stepped out of it, who first combed her golden tresses, and performed
her toilet, and afterwards put the whole house in order. The woman, in
order to trap the fairy before she had time to retransform herself,
opened the door abruptly. They both seemed astonished, but the kind and
encouraging words of the woman soon dispelled the girl's fear, and now
she related her whole story, how she came into the world, how she became
a gold fish, and then a tree, and how she used to walk out of the wooden
lid of the milk jug to tidy the house; she also enlightened the woman as
to who the present queen was. The woman listened to all in great
astonishment, and in order to prevent the girl from slipping back into
the lid, she had previously picked it up, when she entered, and now
threw it into the fire. She at once went to the prince, and told him
the whole story.
The prince had already grown suspicious about his wife's beauty, which
had been very long in returning, and now he was quite sure that she was
a cheat: he sent for the girl and recognised her at once as the pretty
fairy whom he had left in the tree. The gipsy woman was put into the
pillory, and the prince married the pretty girl, and they lived ever
after in happiness.
THE YOUNGEST PRINCE AND THE YOUNGEST PRINCESS.
There was once, I don't know where, an old petticoat a hundred years
old, and in this petticoat a tuck, in which I found the following story.
There was once a king who had seven sons and seven daughters: he was in
great trouble where to find princesses of royal blood as wives for his
sons and princes as husbands for his daughters. At last the idea struck
him that the seven sons should marry the seven daughters. They all
consented to their father's wish with the exception of the youngest son
and daughter: "Well, if you won't," said the father, "I will give you
your inheritance and you can go and try your fortune, and get married as
best you can." The two children went, and came to a strange land, where
they were overtaken by darkness in a wood. They chose a bushy tree for
their resting place, whose leafy boughs bent down to the ground and
afforded shelter. When they woke next morning, the girl told her brother
that she had dreamt that there was a town not far off, where a king
lived who had been ill for a long time, and thousands upon thousands of
doctors had failed to cure him. He again dreamt that an old man with
snow-white hair told him that the tree under which they slept gave
water: in this water the king was to be bathed, and he would be cured.
They at once examined the tree, and from a crack in the bark sap as
clear as crystal was dripping; they filled their flasks with the fluid
and continued their journey. When they reached the outskirts of the
forest, they saw a town in front of them.
Having arrived there they went into an inn to find out whether their
dream was true, and asked the host what the news was in the town; he, in
his conversation, mentioned the illness of the king, and the many
unsuccessful attempts of men to cure him, and that he had strict orders,
under a heavy penalty, to report at once every doctor that came to his
inn. "I also am a doctor," said the prince, "and this youth is my
assistant," he continued, pointing to his sister, who was dressed in
male attire. The innkeeper at once reported them, and they went to court
to try their remedy on the king. The king's body was covered with sores,
and the doctor bathed his hand with the juice of the tree. To his great
joy, the king discovered next morning that the place which had been
bathed was visibly improving; he therefore, the very same night, sent a
huge wooden vessel on a cart to the tree, to bring him sufficient water
for a bath. After a few baths the king actually recovered; and the
doctor, having received a handsome present, requested a favour of the
king, viz., to pay him a visit and to do him the honour of dining with
him. The king cordially granted the request, and the prince received him
with great splendour in his spacious apartments, which were decorated
with a lavishness becoming a sovereign. As the king found the doctor
alone, he inquired after his assistant, and at this moment a charming
pretty girl stepped from one of the side rooms, whom the king at once
recognised as the doctor's assistant. The strangers now related to him
their story, and the king became more affable, especially towards the
pretty assistant, who at once gained possession of his heart and soul,
and the short acquaintance ended with a wedding. The prince, not
forgetting the object of his journey, started soon after the wedding
festivities were over.
He passed on till he came to the boundary of the king's realm, and then
went on as far as the capital of the next country. He was riding about
the streets on a fine horse, when he heard a voice coming from a window
close by, "Hum, you, too, won't get on without me," and looking in the
direction from which the voice came, he discovered an old man looking
out of the window. He didn't take any notice of the voice, but went on;
and, having arrived at an inn, made sundry inquiries, when he was told
that adventurous young men in this town might either meet with great
fortune or with a great misfortune; because the king had a daughter whom
no one had as yet seen, with the exception of her old nurse. The girl
had three marks on her, and whoever found out what they were, and where
they were, would become her husband; but whosoever undertook the task
and failed, would be impaled, and that already ninety-nine young fellows
had died in this manner.
Upon hearing this, it became clear to the prince what the meaning of the
old man's saying was; he thought, that no doubt the old man took him for
another adventurer, and the thought struck him that the old man must be
acquainted with the secret, and that it would be advantageous to make
his acquaintance. He found a plea at once; the old man was a goldsmith,
and, as the prince had lost the rowel of his golden spur on the road, he
called on him, and, having come to terms about the spur, the prince
inquired of him about the princess, and the old man's tale tallied with
that of the innkeeper. After a short reflection, the prince told the old
man who he was, and, with a look full of meaning, inquired if the
goldsmith could help him in case he tried his luck. "For a good sum with
pleasure," replied the goldsmith. "You shall have it," said the prince;
"but tell me how, and I will give you this purse on account." The old
man, seeing that there was good opportunity for gain, said, "I will
construct a silver horse in which you can conceal yourself, and I will
expose it for sale in the market. I am almost sure that no one will buy
it but some one attached to the royal court, and if once you get in
there, you can get out of the horse by a secret opening and go back
whenever you like and, I think, you will succeed."
And so it happened; on the following market-day a splendid silver horse
was exhibited in the vicinity of the royal palace: there were a good
many admirers, but on account of the great price there was no buyer,
till at last a person belonging to the royal court enquired the price;
after a few moments he returned and bought the horse for the king, who
presented it to his daughter, and thus the prince managed to get into
the chamber of the princess, which was the most difficult of all things,
and he listened amidst fear and joy to the silvery voice of the pretty
girl, who amused herself with the horse--which ran on wheels--and called
it her dear pet.
Evening drew on, and the mysterious girl went to rest; everything became
quiet, and only her old nurse was sitting up not far from her bed; but
about midnight she, too, fell asleep; hearing that she was fast asleep,
the prince got out of the horse and approached the girl's bed, holding
his breath, and found the mark of the sun shining on the girl's
forehead, the moon on the right breast, and three stars on the left.
Having found out the three secret marks, the prince was about to retire
to his hiding-place when the princess woke. She tried to scream, but at
an imploring gesture of the youth she kept silence. The girl could not
take her eyes off the handsome prince, who related to her how and for
what reason he had dared to come. The girl, being tired of her long
seclusion, consented to his scheme, and they secretly plotted how the
prince should get out of the palace; whereupon he went back to his
hiding-place. In accord with the plot, next morning the girl broke one
of the horse's ears off, and it was sent back to the goldsmith's to be
repaired, and the prince was thus able to leave his dangerous position.
Having again splendidly remunerated the goldsmith, he returned to his
new brother-in-law, so that he might come back with a splendid suite and
royal pomp, and appear as a king to try his fortune. The prince returned
with many magnificently-clad knights and splendid horses, and reported
himself to the king, and informed him by message that he was anxious to
try his luck for the possession of his daughter. The king was very much
pleased with the appearance of the youth, and therefore kindly
admonished him not to risk his life, but the prince seemed quite
confident, and insisted on carrying out his wishes; so a day was fixed
for carrying out the task. The people streamed out to the place where
the trial was to take place, like as to a huge festival. And all pitied
the handsome youth, and had sad misgivings as to his fate.
The king granted three days to those who tried their fortune, and three
guesses. On the first and second day, in order not to betray the plot,
and in order to increase the éclat the prince guessed wrongly on
purpose; but on the third day, when everyone was convinced that he must
die, he disclosed in a loud voice the secret marks of the princess. The
king declared them to be right, and the prince was led to his future
wife, amidst the cheers of the multitude and the joyous strains of the
band. The king ordered immense wedding festivities all over the town,
and resigned his throne in favour of his son-in-law, who reigned happy
for many years after!
THE INVISIBLE SHEPHERD LAD.
There was once, I don't know where, a poor man who had a very good son
who was a shepherd. One day he was tending his sheep in a rocky
neighbourhood, and was sending sighs to Heaven as a man whose heart was
throbbing with burning wishes. Hearing a noise as of some one
approaching he looked round and saw St. Peter standing in front of him
in the guise of a very old grey man. "Why are you sighing, my lad?"
inquired he, "and what is your wish?" "Nothing else," replied the lad,
respectfully, "but to possess a little bag which never gets full, and a
fur cloak which makes me invisible when I put it on." His wish was
fulfilled and St. Peter vanished. The lad gave up shepherding now and
turned to the capital, where he thought he had a chance of making his
fortune. A king lived there who had twelve daughters, and eleven of them
wanted at least six pairs of shoes each every night. Their father was
very angry about this, because it swallowed up a good deal of his
income; he suspected that there was something wrong, but couldn't
succeed by any traps to get to the bottom of it. At last he promised the
youngest princess to him who would unveil the secret.
The promise enticed many adventurous spirits to the capital, but the
girls simply laughed at them, and they were obliged to leave in
disgrace. The shepherd lad, relying on his fur cloak, reported himself;
but the girls measured him, too, with mocking eyes. Night came, and the
shepherd, muffling himself in his fur cloak, stood at the bedroom door
where they slept, and stole in amongst them when they went to bed. It
was midnight and a ghost walked round the beds and woke the girls. There
was now great preparation. They dressed and beautified themselves, and
filled a travelling bag with shoes. The youngest knew nothing of all
this, but on the present occasion the invisible shepherd woke
her--whereupon her sisters got frightened; but as she was let into their
secret they thought it best to decoy her with them, to which, after a
short resistance, the girl consented. All being ready, the ghost placed
a small dish on the table. Everyone anointed their shoulders with the
contents, and wings grew to them. The shepherd did the same: and when
they all flew through the window, he followed them.
After flying for several hours they came to a huge copper forest, and to
a well, the railing round which was of copper, and on this stood twelve
copper tumblers. The girls drank here, so as to refresh themselves, when
the youngest, who was here for the first time, looked round in fear. The
lad, too, had something to drink after the girls had left and put a
tumbler, together with a twig that he broke off a tree, in his bag; the
tree trembled, and the noise was heard all over the forest. The youngest
girl noticed it and warned her sisters that some one was after them, but
they felt so safe that they only laughed at her. They continued their
journey, and after a short time came to a silver forest, and to a silver
well. Here again they drank, and the lad again put a tumbler and a
silver twig into his bag. In breaking off the twig the tree shook, and
the youngest again warned her sisters, but in vain.
They soon came to the end of the forest and arrived at a golden forest,
with a gold well and tumblers. Here again they stopped and drank, and
the lad again put a gold tumbler and twig in his bag. The youngest once
more warned her sisters of the noise the quivering tree made, but in
vain. Having arrived at the end of the forest they came to an immense
moss-grown rock, whose awe-inspiring lofty peaks soared up to the very
heavens. Here they all stopped. The ghost struck the rock with a golden
rod, whereupon it opened, and all entered, the shepherd lad with them.
Now they came to a gorgeous room from which several halls opened, which
were all furnished in a fairy-like manner. From these twelve fairy
youths came forth and greeted them, who were all wonderfully handsome.
The number of servants increased from minute to minute who were rushing
about getting everything ready for a magnificent dance. Soon after
strains of enchanting music were heard, and the doors of a vast dancing
hall opened and the dancing went on without interruption. At dawn the
girls returned--also the lad--in the same way as they had come, and
they lay down as if nothing had happened, which, however, was belied by
their worn shoes, and the next morning they got up at the usual hour.
The king was impatiently awaiting the news the shepherd was to bring,
who came soon after and told him all that had happened. He sent for his
daughters, who denied everything, but the tumblers and the twigs bore
witness. What the shepherd told the youngest girl also confirmed, whom
the shepherd woke for the purpose. The king fulfilled his promise with
regard to the youngest princess and the other eleven were burnt for
witchcraft.
THE THREE PRINCESSES.
There was once, I shan't tell you where, it is enough if I tell you that
there was somewhere a tumble-down oven, which was in first-rate
condition barring the sides, and there were some cakes baking in it;
this person (the narrator points to some one present) has eaten some of
them. Well then, on the mountains of Komárom, on the glass bridges, on
the beautiful golden chandelier, there was once a Debreczen cloak which
had ninety-nine tucks, and in the ninety-ninth I found the following
tale.
There was once a king with three daughters, but the king was so poor
that he could hardly keep his family; his wife, who was the girls'
stepmother, therefore told her husband one night, that in the morning
she would take the girls into the wood and leave them in the thicket so
that they might not find again their way home. The youngest overheard
this, and as soon as the king and queen fell asleep she hurried off to
her godmother, who was a magic woman, to ask her advice: her
godmother's little pony (tátos) was waiting at the front gate, and
taking her on its back ran straight to the magic woman. She knew well
what the girl needed and gave her at once a reel of cotton which she
could unwind in the wood and so find her way back, but she gave it to
her on the condition that she would not take her two elder sisters home
with her, because they were very bad and proud. As arranged next morning
the girls were led out by their stepmother into the wood to gather chips
as she said, and, having wandered about a long time, she told them to
rest; so they sat down under a tree and soon all three went to sleep;
seeing this, the stepmother hurried home.
On waking up, two of the girls, not being able to find their mother,
began to cry, but the youngest was quiet, saying that she knew her way
home, and that she would go, but could not take them with her; whereupon
the two elder girls began to flatter her, and implored her so much that
she gave in at last. Arriving at home their father received them with
open arms; their stepmother feigned delight. Next night she again told
the king that she would lead them deeper still into the wood: the
youngest again overheard the conversation, and, as on the night before,
went on her little pony to her godmother, who scolded her for having
taken home her bad sisters, and on condition that this time she would
not do so, she gave her a bag full of ashes, which she had to strew over
the road as they went on, in order to know her way back; so the girls
were led into the wood again and left there, but the youngest again took
her sisters home, finding her way by the ashes, having been talked over
by many promises and implorings. At home, they were received, as on the
first occasion; on the third night their stepmother once more undertook
to lead them away; the youngest overheard them as before, but this time,
she had not courage to go to her godmother, moreover she thought that
she could help herself, and for this purpose she took a bag full of peas
with her, which she strewed about as they went. Left by their mother,
the two again began to cry, whereas the youngest said laughing, that she
was able to go home on this occasion also; and having again yielded to
her sisters she started on her way back, but to her astonishment could
not find a single pea, as the birds had eaten them all. Now there was a
general cry, and the three outcasts wandered about the whole day in the
wood, and did not find a spring till sunset, to quench their thirst;
they also found an acorn under an oak under which they had lain down to
rest; they set the acorn, and carried water in their mouths to water it;
by next morning it had grown into a tree as tall as a tower, and the
youngest climbed up it to see whether she could not discover some
habitation in the neighbourhood; not being able to see anything, they
spent the whole day crying and wandering about. The following morning,
the tree was as big as two towers, but on this occasion too the youngest
girl looked in vain from its summit: but at last, by the end of the
third day, the tree was as tall as three towers, and this time the
youngest girl was more successful, because she discovered far away a
lighted window, and, having come down, she led her sisters in the
direction of the light. Her sisters, however, treated her most
shamefully, they took away all her best clothes, which she thoughtfully
had brought with her, tied up in a bundle, and she had to be satisfied
with the shabbiest; whenever she dared to contradict them they at once
began to beat her; they gave her orders that wherever they came she had
to represent them as daughters of rich people, she being their servant.
Thus, they went on for three days and three nights until at last they
came to an immense, beautiful castle.
They felt now in safety, and entered the beautiful palace with great
hopes, but how frightened were they when they discovered a giantess
inside who was as tall as a tower, and who had an eye in the middle of
her forehead as big as a dish, and who gnashed her teeth, which were a
span long. "Welcome, girls!" thus spoke the giantess, "What a splendid
roast you will make!" They all three were terrified at these words, but
the youngest shewed herself amiable, and promised the giantess that they
would make all kind of beautiful millinery for her if she did them no
harm; the woman with the big teeth listened, and agreed, and hid the
girls in a cupboard so that her husband might not see them when he came
home; the giant, who was even taller than his wife, however, at once
began to sniff about, and demanded human flesh of his wife, threatening
to swallow her if she did not produce it. The girls were fetched out,
but were again spared, having promised to cook very savoury food for the
grumbling husband.
The chief reason of their life having been spared, however, was because
the husband wanted to eat them himself during the absence of his wife,
and the woman had a similar plan in her mind. The girls now commenced to
bake and roast, the two eldest kneaded the dough, the youngest making
the fire in the oven, which was as big as hell, and when it got red hot,
the cunning young girl called the giant, and having placed a pot full of
lard into the oven, asked him to taste it with his tongue to see whether
the lard was hot enough, and if the oven had reached its proper heat.
The tower of flesh tried it, but the moment he put his head inside the
oven, the girl gave him a push and he was a dead man in the fiery oven;
seeing this, the giantess got in a rage, and was about to swallow them
up, but, before doing so, the youngest induced her to let herself be
beautified, to which she consented; a ladder was brought, so that the
young girl might get on to her head to comb the monster's hair; instead
of combing, however, the nimble little girl knocked the giantess on the
head with the huge iron comb, so that she dropped down dead on the spot.
The girls had the bodies carted away with twenty-four pair of oxen, and
became the sole owners of the immense castle. Next Sunday, the two
eldest dressed up in their best, and went for a walk, and to a dance in
the royal town.
After their departure their youngest sister, who remained at home to do
servants' work, examined all the rooms, passages, and closets in the
castle. During her search she accidentally found something shining in a
flue. She knocked it off with a stone, and found that it was a most
beautiful golden key. She tried it in every door and cupboard, but only
succeeded, after a long search, in opening a small wardrobe with it;
and, how great was her surprise to find that it was full of ladies'
dresses and millinery, and that every thing seemed made to fit her. She
put on a silver dress in great haste, and went to the dance. The
well-known little pony was outside waiting for her, and galloped away
with her like a hurricane. The moment she entered the dancing hall all
eyes were fixed on her, and the men and youths of the highest dignity
vied with each other as to who should dance with her. Her sisters who,
till her arrival, were the heroines of the evening and the belles of the
ball, were quite set aside now. After a few hours' enjoyment the young
lady suddenly disappeared; and, later on, received her sisters on their
return in her servant's clothes. They told her that they had enjoyed
themselves very well at first, but that later on some impudent female
put them in the back-ground. The little girl laughed and said,
"Supposing that I was that lady;" and she was beaten by her sisters, and
called some not very polite names for her remark. Next Sunday the same
thing happened again, only this time the young girl was dressed in gold.
Everything happened the same, and she was again beaten at home.