[Illustration]
MERRY TALES
BY
ELEANOR L. SKINNER
TEACHER OF ENGLISH, NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
COLUMBUS, OHIO
AND
ADA M. SKINNER
ST. AGATHA SCHOOL, CITY OF NEW YORK
[Illustration]
AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY
NEW YORK CINCINNATI CHICAGO
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY
ELEANOR L. SKINNER
AND
ADA M. SKINNER.
E. P. I.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOREWORD
From a knowledge and love of children both extending through many years,
I wish to speak of the pleasure and profit they will derive from reading
and possessing _Merry Tales_.
To keep children sane and sweet they must be given bright and cheery
stories to read. They will find them in _Merry Tales_. Early in life
they should learn something of myths and folklore. These tales are
founded on these old treasures, but are charmingly adapted to the
understanding of present-day children. I have read few books for
children possessing such literary value and yet using words that
children can master without difficulty, thereby being able to enjoy
their own reading.
I hope that _Merry Tales_ will find a place not only in the schoolroom
for that time of delight in a well-taught school,—“the period for
supplementary reading,”—but that parents may find the book out to place
it in the child’s own library, a thing that a child must have if it is
ever to have in later life the joys of a genuine booklover.
MARGARET W. SUTHERLAND,
_Principal of the Columbus Normal School_.
PREFACE
The stories in this collection have been chosen, first, because they are
stories children have always loved, and second, because they are free
from much of the grewsome or grotesque which figures in so many of the
folk tales and fables of the past. Although there are elements of
surprise and danger in the adventures of the various characters, yet
each story ends happily. The little book is intended as a supplementary
reader for children in the third or fourth year of school and the
vocabulary has been carefully graded to meet that need. Some of the
stories have dramatic qualities and will be found to lend themselves
readily to dramatization.
CONTENTS
PAGE
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE _Jataka Tale_ 11
THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE _Juliana H. Ewing_ 15
THE FISHING PARTY _Southern Folk Tale_ 18
THE FOREST BAILIFF _Russian Legend_ 27
BRUIN AND REYNARD PARTNERS _Scandinavian Folk Tale_ 35
THE THREE WISHES _Swedish Legend_ 39
THE PIGTAIL (POEM) _Translated by William Makepeace 46
Thackeray_
THE STONE LION _Captain W. P. O’Connor_ 48
THE STORY THAT HAD NO END _Old Folk Tale_ 54
THE KING’S RABBIT KEEPER _Norse Legend_ 62
THE LEAPING MATCH _H. C. Andersen_ 72
THE CLEVER TURTLE _East Indian Tale_ 79
ROBIN GOODFELLOW (POEM) _Percy’s Reliques_ 83
MERLIN’S CRAG _Irish Folk Tale_ 86
THE STORY OF LI’L’ HANNIBAL _Carolyn Sherwin Bailey_ 97
HOW TIMOTHY WON THE PRINCESS _Irish Fairy Tale_ 106
THE OVERTURNED CART _Agnes C. Herbertson_ 123
CHANTICLEER _Chaucer_ 138
THE JACKAL AND THE ALLIGATOR _East Indian Tale_ 149
FINN AND THE FAIRY SHOEMAKER _Irish Legend_ 158
MAKING THE BEST OF IT _Frances Fox_ 173
THE BROWNIE OF BLEDNOCK _Elizabeth Grierson_ 178
HOW OLAF BROUGHT THE BROWNIE BACK _Old English Tale_ 189
THE POOR LITTLE TURKEY GIRL _F. Cushing_ 197
MEADOW FIDDLERS (POEM) _Agnes McLellan Daulton_ 211
CASTLE FORTUNE _German Legend_ 213
A LITTLE DUTCH GARDEN (POEM) _Harriet Durban_ 222
TRUE FRIENDSHIP _Translated from the Greek by 224
Mrs. Symonds_
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
For permission to reprint, or to use in adapted form, certain
copyrighted and valuable material in this volume, the following
acknowledgments are made:
To Sturgis and Walton Company, for “The Stone Lion,” by Captain W. P.
O’Connor, from _Story Telling in School and Home_, copyright, 1912, by
Sturgis and Walton Company;
To Carolyn Sherwin Bailey and the publishers of _Good Housekeeping_, for
“The Story of Li’l’ Hannibal,” reprinted by permission of _Good
Housekeeping_;
To the Grolier Society, publishers of _The Book of Knowledge_, for “How
Olaf Brought the Brownie Back”;
To George H. Doran Company, for “The Overturned Cart” from _Cap
O’Yellow_, by Agnes Crozier Herbertson;
To Frances Fox and The Outlook Company, for “Making the Best of It”;
To Elizabeth Grierson and Frederick A. Stokes Company, publishers of
_Scottish Fairy Tales_, for “The Brownie of Blednock”;
To F. Cushing and G. P. Putnam’s Sons for “The Poor Little Turkey Girl”
from _Zuñi Folk Tales_; and
To T. Fisher Unwin for “True Friendship.”
[Illustration]
THE MONKEY AND THE CROCODILE
“It is no use trying to live here any longer,” thought the monkey,
looking down, from his home in the tree, at a big crocodile sleeping on
the sunlit bank of the river. “Whenever that creature opens his great
mouth, I shudder to think what might happen if I were near.”
Just then the crocodile yawned. Wider and wider and wider he opened his
mouth. Away whisked the monkey to the topmost branch of the tree.
“This very day I shall move farther down the river!” he said.
So the monkey slipped away to a tree about half a mile distant. There he
lived peaceably for some time. He was delighted with his new home. The
water was cool and clear. In the middle of the stream was an island
covered with fruit trees.
It was very easy to reach the little island. One leap from his tree
brought the monkey to the end of a large rock which jutted out into the
river; another leap brought him to the island, where he could get a fine
feast and frisk about all the day long. In the evening he went back to
his home in the great tree on the river’s bank.
One day he stayed later than usual on the island. When he came to the
water’s edge, he looked and blinked and looked and blinked! “How strange
that rock looks!” he said to himself. “Surely it was never so high
before! What can be the matter with it?” Suddenly the monkey’s heart
beat very fast. The crocodile was lying on the top of that rock!
“Oho! Mr. Crocodile,” thought the monkey, “I see I must put my wits to
work very, very quickly indeed if I am to escape from you!”
“Good evening, Big Rock,” he called.
The crocodile lay very still.
“This is a fine evening, Big Rock!” called the monkey.
The crocodile lay very, very still.
“What is the matter, Big Rock? You have always been a good friend of
mine. Why are you so silent this evening?”
Then the crocodile thought, “Now I see I must pretend to be the rock, or
the monkey may not come this way to-night.” So with his mouth shut he
mumbled as best he could, “Good evening, Mr. Monkey.”
“Oh! Is that you, Mr. Crocodile?” said the monkey, pleasantly. “I’m
afraid I have awakened you!”
“Never mind that,” said the crocodile, raising his head. “Come, make
your leap! You cannot escape me this time.”
“No, I’m afraid not,” said the monkey, meekly.
And all the time he was thinking, “Crocodiles shut their eyes when they
open their mouths wide.”
“Come along and make haste, Monkey,” said the crocodile.
“I’m caught, that is sure, for I must leap your way. Well, as you say, I
cannot escape you, Crocodile. Open your mouth. Oh, wider than that,
please, if I am to leap into it. Wider! There! Here I go! Ready!”
Before the crocodile knew what was happening, the monkey gave three
bounds—first to the top of the crocodile’s head,—then to the bank,—then
to his tree. Away he whisked to the topmost branch.
“Thank you, Mr. Crocodile,” he called.
THE HILLMAN AND THE HOUSEWIFE
One day a hillman knocked at the door of a selfish housewife.
“Can you lend me a saucepan, good mother?” said he. “There’s a wedding
in the hill, and all the pots are in use.”
“Is he to have one?” asked the servant girl who had opened the door.
“Ay, to be sure,” said the housewife. But when the maid was taking a
saucepan from the shelf, the housewife whispered slyly to her, “Do not
lend him a good pan; get the old one out of the cupboard. It leaks, and
the hillmen are so neat and such nimble workers that they are sure to
mend it before they send it home. So one does a good turn and saves
sixpence from the tinker.”
The maid fetched the old saucepan which had been laid by till the
tinker’s next visit and gave it to the dwarf, who thanked her and went
away.
The saucepan was soon returned neatly mended and ready for use. At
supper time the maid filled the pan with milk and set it on the fire for
the children’s supper, but in a few minutes the milk was so burned and
smoked that no one could touch it. Even the pigs would not drink the
wash into which the milk was thrown.
“Ah, you good-for-nothing girl!” cried the housewife as this time she
filled the pan herself. “Your careless ways would ruin the richest.
There’s a whole quart of milk spoiled at once.”
“A quart of milk costs twopence!” cried a queer small voice from the
chimney corner.
The housewife had not left the saucepan for two minutes when the milk
boiled over and was all burned and smoked as before.
“The pan must be dirty,” cried the housewife in a rage; “and there are
two full quarts of milk as good as thrown to the dogs. Oh, what dreadful
waste!”
“Two quarts of milk cost fourpence!” cried the queer small voice.
After a long scrubbing, the saucepan was once more filled with milk and
set on the fire, but in a little while the milk was burned and smoked
again.
The housewife burst into tears at the waste, and cried out, “Never
before did such a thing happen to me since I kept house! Three quarts of
milk burned for one meal.”
“Three quarts of milk cost sixpence!” cried the queer small voice. “You
didn’t save the tinker after all!”
Then the hillman himself came tumbling down the chimney and went off
laughing through the door. But from that time the saucepan was as good
as any other.
THE FISHING PARTY
One clear, warm evening about sunset Brother Rabbit was walking down a
road which led to the old mill. He was saying to himself: “It has been a
week or more since I have had any fun. I do wish something would happen
to make times a little livelier. I’m—”
“A fine sunset, Brother Rabbit! A penny for your thoughts. I do believe
you would have passed me without speaking.”
“Good evening, Brother Terrapin,” said the rabbit, stopping and holding
out his hand in a most cordial way. “I am very glad to see you, for I
like your opinion immensely. I’ll tell you what I was thinking about, my
friend. I was planning a little fishing party. Come, let us sit down
here on the roadside and talk it over.”
[Illustration]
Brother Terrapin replied: “A fishing party! That will be fine sport. We
should become very dull indeed in this neighborhood, Brother Rabbit, if
it were not for your plans. Have you decided whom to invite?”
“Well,” said Brother Rabbit, “I think it unwise to invite too many.
Perhaps five, including ourselves, are enough, because, you see, we must
keep very quiet, and if the party is large, there is danger of too much
merriment. Have you any particular friend who enjoys fishing?”
“Oh, yes, indeed. Brother Bear is very quiet and sensible, and he loves
to fish for mud turtles,” replied Brother Terrapin.
“Well, I have in mind Brother Fox and Brother Wolf. Look, here they
come! What good luck! Let us see what they think about the plan.” And
the rabbit danced away up the road to meet his friends and tell them
about the fishing party.
“Exactly the kind of sport I enjoy most,” said Brother Wolf,
interrupting Brother Rabbit. “I’ll fish for hornyheads. Come, Brother
Fox, what do you say?”
“First, I wish to thank Brother Rabbit for his kind invitation,” said
Brother Fox, politely. “Of course, you all know that I shall fish for
perch, and I think I shall use a dip net. Good evening, Brother
Terrapin. What an interesting party ours will be. What will you fish
for?”
“Oh,” laughed Brother Terrapin, “minnows suit my taste very well.”
“All right,” said Brother Rabbit. “Now let us meet at the mill pond
about eight o’clock this evening. Brother Terrapin, may I trouble you to
bring the bait? The others will each bring a hook and line, and, Brother
Fox, please do not forget your fine dip net. About twelve o’clock you
are all invited to a fish supper at my house. Don’t forget the time and
place of meeting. Farewell.”
All hurried away to prepare for the evening’s amusement, and, at the
appointed time, the five merry brothers met at the mill pond.
Brother Rabbit was very anxious to begin; so he baited his hook and
stepped up to the very edge of the water. Then he stopped suddenly,
looked straight down into the pond, dropped his fishing pole, and
scratched his head.
“Mercy!” said Brother Fox. “What in the world is the matter with Brother
Rabbit? Let us slip up to him and see what is the trouble. Come, all
together.”
But Brother Rabbit turned and walked toward them, shook his head
seriously, and said: “No fishing to-night, my friends. We might as well
go home.”
“What is it? What did you see?” began the bear, the fox, and the wolf.
Brother Terrapin crept up to the edge of the pond, looked straight into
the water, jumped back, and said, “Tut, tut, tut! To be sure! To be
sure!”
“Come, come, tell us. We cannot bear this suspense,” snapped the fox.
Then Brother Rabbit said slowly, “The moon has dropped into the mill
pond, and if you don’t believe me, go and look for yourselves.”
“Impossible!” cried Brother Bear.
They all crept up to the edge of the pond and looked in and there they
saw the golden moon right down in the clear water.
“Isn’t that too bad?” said Brother Wolf.
“Well, well, well,” sighed Brother Fox; and Brother Bear shook his head
slowly and said, “The impossible has happened!”
“Now, I’ll tell you something,” began the rabbit, who was not to be
easily daunted, “we must get that moon out of the water before we begin
to fish. I tell you truly no fish will bite while that great golden ball
is near.”
“Well, Brother Rabbit,” said the wolf, “can’t you make a suggestion in
this matter? You usually know what to do.”
“I have it, my friends,” said the rabbit jumping up and down. “I have
it! I know where I can borrow a sieve. I’ll run and get it and then we
can dip up the moon in no time. We’ll have our fishing party yet!” and
off he ran.
Brother Terrapin was thinking. In a little while he looked up and said,
“My friends, I have often heard that there is a pot of gold in the
moon.”
“What’s that?” said Brother Fox, quickly.
“I was saying that my grandmother has often told me that there is a pot
of gold in the moon. But here comes Brother Rabbit with the sieve.”
“My good friend,” said Brother Fox, “you were kind enough to go after
that sieve and now you must let Brother Bear, Brother Wolf, and myself
do the work. No, don’t take off your coat. You are such a little fellow
that it would be dangerous for you to go into the water. You and Brother
Terrapin stand here on the bank and watch us. Come, give me the sieve.”
So Brother Terrapin and Brother Rabbit stood on the bank and watched the
others wade into the pond.
They dipped the sieve down once. “No moon,” said Brother Bear.
Again they dipped. “No moon,” said Brother Wolf.
“Come,” said Brother Fox, “we must go farther in.”
“Oh, do be careful, my friends,” called the rabbit, “you are near a very
deep hole.”
Buzz, buzz! The water was roaring in Brother Bear’s ears and he shook
his head violently. Down went the sieve again.
“No moon,” sighed Brother Fox. “A little farther out, friends. Now, down
again with the sieve.”
Splash! Splash! Splash! Down they all went with the sieve. They kicked
and tumbled and splashed as if they would throw all the water out of the
mill pond. Then they swam for the shore and all came out dripping wet.
“No moon,” said Brother Fox, sulkily. “What! No moon? Well, well, well!”
said Brother Rabbit.
“Too bad! Too bad!” said Brother Terrapin.
“My friends,” said the rabbit, seriously, “I think you ought to go home
and put on some dry clothes. I do, indeed. And I hope we shall have
better luck next time. Good night.”
THE FOREST BAILIFF
Once upon a time a peasant owned a cat which was so disagreeable and
mischievous that all the neighbors complained about him. Finally the
peasant became impatient and said to his wife, “I have decided to get
rid of our cat. He is such a nuisance that I feel we ought not to keep
him any longer.”
“I do not blame you,” replied his wife. “My patience, too, is worn out
listening to the stories told about that mischievous animal.”
In a few days the peasant put the cat into a large sack and walked far
into a leafy forest. Then he opened the sack and let the cat bound away.
How many interesting things there were in the depths of the beautiful
wood! After wandering about for a few hours the cat began to feel quite
at home, especially when he found a little deserted cabin where he took
up his abode and dined bountifully on mice and birds.
One day when Master Cat was walking proudly along a path which led to a
pond, he met Miss Fox, who looked at him with great interest and
curiosity. When she came close enough to be heard, she said, “Your
pardon, good sir, but may I ask who you are, and why you are walking in
the forest?”
Master Cat raised his head very high and replied proudly: “I am the
bailiff of the forest. My name is Ivan, and I have been sent from
Siberia to become governor of this vast wood.”
“Oh, indeed,” said Miss Fox. “Dear Master Bailiff, will you not honor me
with your presence at dinner? I shall be most proud to entertain such a
distinguished guest.”
“Lady, I accept your invitation,” replied Master Cat, making a profound
bow.
Now Miss Fox knew well how to entertain. She not only provided the
greatest delicacies for her table, but she chatted in the merriest
fashion and told the bailiff many interesting things about life in the
forest.
“My dear Sir Bailiff, do have another serving of this savory pie. The
forest, you know, gives one a good appetite,” said she, with a side
glance at her visitor.
“Thank you, dear lady,” returned Master Ivan. “It is indeed delicious. I
have tasted nothing so good for weeks. What a cozy home you have here.”
“It is very comfortable,” replied Miss Fox. “But I am often a little
lonely. May I ask, sir, are you married or single?”
“I am single,” replied Mr. Bailiff.
“Why, so am I,” said his companion, dropping her eyes shyly. “Master
Ivan, the Bailiff, will you not marry me?”
The guest was a little astonished, but he finally consented to marry
Miss Fox. Their wedding was attended with much ceremony, and the bailiff
came to live in his wife’s cozy home.
A few days after their marriage Ivan said: “Madam, I am very hungry. Go
on a little hunting trip and bring me home a fine dinner.” Away went the
wife toward a deep hollow. She had not gone very far when she met her
old friend the wolf.
“Good morning, my dear friend,” he began. “I have been looking in vain
for you in the forest. Do tell me where you have been.”
Madam Fox replied coyly: “Oh, I am married, you know. My husband is the
bailiff of the forest.”
“Indeed,” said the wolf. “How I should like to see his honor, your
husband.”
“That can be managed if you will follow my advice closely. You see, my
husband is very ferocious, and unless you do as I say he might devour
you. However, I’ll see what can be done. Let me see. You had better get
a lamb and place it on our doorstep. Then hide in the bushes which grow
near. When my husband opens the door, you can get a very good look at
him,” said Madam Fox, proudly.
The wolf ran away in search of a lamb, and Madam continued on her way.
In a short time she met a bear. “Good day, my good friend,” he said. “I
have missed you for some time. May I ask where you have been?”
“Oh,” said Madam, “is it possible you have not heard of my marriage with
Ivan, the bailiff of the forest?”
“Is it true? Then I offer you my sincere congratulations! The bailiff of
the forest, you say?” said the bear, in a puzzled tone. “Madam, it would
give me the greatest pleasure to see his honor, your husband.”
“Yes,” said Madam, “that would be a great privilege, but I must tell you
that the bailiff is very fierce. In fact, he is likely to devour anyone
who does not please him. But perhaps I can help you out a little. Let me
see. You had better procure an ox. And be sure to offer your gift very
humbly. The wolf, who is also most anxious to see my husband, is going
to bring a lamb for a present.”
Away went the bear in search of his gift, which he soon found; then he
hurried clumsily along, and in a little while he met the wolf with a
lamb.
“Good day to you, my friend,” began the wolf. “May I ask where you are
going with such a burden?”
“I am going to see the husband of Madam Fox, to whom I shall give this
ox. Will you tell me where you are going?” said the bear.
“Why, I am bound for the same place, my friend. Madam Fox told me her
husband is terrible. He devours anyone who displeases him, so I am
taking a lamb for a present.” The wolf’s voice trembled a little as he
continued, “I do hope he will take kindly to me.”
The friends went on their way, and in a short time they came to the
house of the cat. The wolf pushed the bear a little ahead and whispered,
“Go, my good comrade, knock on the door and say to the husband of Madam
Fox that we have brought an ox and a lamb as gifts.”
“Oh,” shivered the bear, “I dare not! I am so filled with fear. Indeed,
indeed, I cannot. You go, good wolf! Do.”
“Impossible,” returned the wolf, in a quaking voice. “I am trembling all
over. I haven’t strength enough to walk there much less to rap on the
door. Come, let us hide ourselves and bide our time.”
So the wolf hid himself under some dry leaves, and the bear jumped into
a tree and carefully hid himself among the branches. In a few moments
Madam Fox and her husband, who had been walking in the forest, came
home.
“How very small the bailiff is,” whispered the wolf.
“He is, indeed,” gasped the bear, a little scornfully.
The cat now saw the ox and leaped to the step saying, “Oh, a small meal
for me.”
“A _small_ meal,” said the bear, with surprise. “How very, very hungry
the bailiff must be! And he is so small, too. Why, a bull is a good meal
for four bears. What an immense appetite he must have!”
The wolf was too much frightened to answer. There was a slight rustling
sound in the dry leaves and, thinking a mouse was hidden there, the cat
gave a bound and fastened his claws in the snout of the wolf. With a
gasp of fear the wolf leaped up and ran away as fast as he could go.
Now, the cat was very much afraid of a wolf, and so he gave one leap
into the tree where the bear lay hidden. “Oh, mercy, mercy!” cried the
bear. “The cat is after me. He will devour me. Oh, help, help!” and down
the tree scrambled the bear. Off he ran, as fast as he could go, after
the wolf. Madam Fox screamed out: “My husband is terrible! He will
devour you! He will devour you!”
Away sped the wolf and the bear, and they told their adventure to the
other animals of the forest, who took good care to stay far away from
the terrible bailiff. Meanwhile the cat and the fox were very happy, and
they had plenty to eat for a long time.
BRUIN AND REYNARD PARTNERS
Once upon a time Bruin and Reynard were to plant a field in common and
to share the crops in a fair way. “If you’ll have the root, I’ll take
the top,” said Reynard. Bruin thought that plan would do very well.
The first year they sowed rye. But when they had thrashed out the crop,
Reynard got all the grain and Bruin got nothing but roots and rubbish.
He did not like that at all, but Reynard said that was how they had
agreed to share the crop, and it was fair and right.
“The tops come to me this year,” said Reynard, “but next year it will be
your turn. Then you will have the tops and I shall have to put up with
the roots.”
Spring came and it was time to sow again. Sly Reynard asked Bruin what
he thought of sowing turnip seed for the second year’s crop.
“Yes, yes,” said Bruin, “we will have turnips. Turnips are better food
than rye.”
Reynard agreed with him. Harvest time came. “We will divide the crops as
is fair and right,” said Reynard. “I get the roots this time and you get
the tops.” So Reynard got all the turnip roots and Bruin the turnip
tops. When Bruin saw what Reynard had done, he was very angry, and he
put an end to his partnership with him at once.
[Illustration]
THE THREE WISHES
Once upon a time in the heart of a forest lived a woodcutter and his
wife. They were very poor indeed. Their little cabin, built of
rough-hewn logs, had only one room, which was very scantily and poorly
furnished. One day the woodcutter said to his wife,
“How miserable we are! We work all day, and we have barely enough food
to keep life in our bodies! Surely there are few who work as hard as we
do and have so little!”
The housewife replied, “Yes, indeed, we are very miserable.”
“Well, I’m off for another day’s work,” sighed the husband. “My lot is
too hard.”
He picked up his ax and made his way to the place in the forest where he
was to perform his task. Suddenly, a dear little fairy whose face was
wreathed in smiles danced into the path and stood before him.
“I am the wishing fairy,” she began. “I heard what you said about your
work and your life, and my heart aches for you. Now, because I am a
fairy, it is in my power to grant you three wishes. Ask for any three
things you desire and your wishes shall be granted.” The fairy
disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, and the woodcutter was left
standing alone in the forest. Was he dreaming? He couldn’t believe his
own senses! He thought of a thousand wishes all in an instant. He would
go home and talk the matter over with his wife. He turned in his path
and retraced his steps to the cabin.
“Art thou ill?” demanded his wife, who came to the door.
“Oh, no, indeed, I am not ill; I am very, very happy!” he burst forth.
“I met a fairy in the forest. She told me that she was very, very sorry
for me, and that she would help me by granting three wishes. Think of
it! Any three wishes in the world will be granted by the charming
fairy.”
“Wonderful!” responded the housewife.
“Oh, how happy the very thought of it makes me! Come, let us sit down
and talk the matter over; for I assure you it is not easy to come to a
decision. I am indeed, very, very happy.”
They drew up their chairs to the little table and sat down.
“I am _so_ hungry,” began the woodcutter. “Let us have dinner, and then,
while we are eating, we can talk about our wishes and see which three
are nearest our hearts’ desires.”
They began their humble meal immediately, and the husband continued: “Of
course one of our wishes must be great riches. What do you say?”
“Oh, yes, indeed,” said his wife. “I should love a beautiful house to
live in, also carriages and fine clothes, and servants and—”
“Oh, for that matter,” said the husband, “we could wish for an empire.”
“Or rich jewels, such as great numbers of pearls and diamonds! What a
wish that would be,” said the wife, whose face was all aglow.
“I have it,” burst forth the woodman, “let us wish for a fine large
family, five sons and five daughters, What say you to that?”
“Oh!” returned his wife, “I think I prefer six sons and four daughters.”
So they continued weighing one wish with another until they seemed
almost in despair about coming to a decision regarding which three
wishes would be the wisest and best. They finally stopped talking and
ate their simple food in silence. The woodcutter did not seem to relish
his soup and dry bread.
“Oh,” he cried out suddenly, “how I wish I had some nice savory sausage
for dinner!” No sooner had the words fallen from his lips than a large
dish of fine sausages appeared on the table. What a surprise! The two
were so astonished that for a few moments they could not speak. Then the
wife said impatiently:
“What do you mean by making such a foolish wish? Do you not see that
this dish of sausage means that one wish has been granted and that there
are but two left? How could you make such a stupid, stupid wish?”
“Well,” replied the husband, “to be sure I have been foolish. I really
did not think what I was saying. However, we may still wish for great
riches and an empire.”
“Humph!” grumbled the wife, “we may wish for riches and an empire, but
what about a fine large family? You have certainly been foolish in
wishing for that horrid sausage. I suppose, however, you prefer sausage
to a fine family;” and she burst out into tears of lamentation, crying:
“How could you? How could you be so foolish? Oh, dear! Oh, dear! How
very foolish and stupid you have been.”
Finally her husband lost all patience and cried out: “I’m tired of your
grumbling! I wish the sausage were on the end of your nose!”
In an instant the sausage was fastened to the end of the poor woman’s
nose. How comical she did look! The husband and wife were so astonished
that they could not speak. The poor woman again burst into tears.
“Oh!” she cried. “How could you? How could you? First, you wished for
sausage, and second, you wished that the sausage were fastened to my
poor nose. It is terrible. It is cruel. Two wishes have been granted.
There remains but one! Oh, dear, dear!”
The husband, who now saw what a dreadful mistake he had made, said
meekly,
“We may still wish for great riches.”
“Riches indeed!” snapped his wife. “Here I am with this great sausage
fastened to the end of my nose. What good would riches do me? How
ridiculous I am. It is all your fault. I was so happy at the thought of
great riches, beautiful jewels, and a fine family, and now I am sad and
miserable.” She continued to weep so pitifully that her husband’s heart
was touched.
“I wish with all my heart that the sausage were not on your nose,” he
said. In an instant the sausage disappeared. There the two sat
lamenting; but as the three wishes had been granted there is nothing
further to be said.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
THE PIGTAIL
There lived a sage in days of yore,
And he a handsome pigtail wore;
But wondered much and sorrowed more
Because it hung behind him.
He mused upon the curious case,
And vowed he’d change the pigtail’s place,
And have it hanging at his face,
Not dangling there behind him.
Says he, “The mystery I’ve found.
I’ll turn me round,”—He turned him round,—
But still it hung behind him.
Then round and round and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin
In vain; it mattered not a pin,
The pigtail hung behind him.
And up and down and in and out
He turned, but still the pigtail stout
Hung dangling there behind him;
And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist and twirl and tack,
Alas! still faithful to his back
The pigtail hangs behind him.
[Illustration]
THE STONE LION
Once there were two brothers who lived with their mother in a large
house on a farm. Their father was dead. The older brother was clever and
selfish, but the younger was kind and gentle. The older brother did not
like the younger because he was so honest that he never could get the
best of a bargain. One day he said to him: “You must go away. I cannot
afford to support you any longer.”
So the younger brother packed all his belongings, and went to bid his
mother good-by. When she heard what the older brother had done, she
said, “I will go with you, my son. I will not live here any longer with
so hard-hearted a man as your brother.”
The next morning the mother and the younger brother started out
together. Toward night when they reached the foot of the hill, they came
to a hut with nothing in it except an ax which stood behind the door.
But they managed to get their supper and stayed in the hut all night.
In the morning they saw that on the side of the hill near the hut was a
great forest. The son took the ax, went up on the hillside and chopped
enough wood for a load to carry to the town on the other side of the
hill. He easily sold it, and with a happy heart brought back food and
some clothing to make his mother and himself comfortable.
“Now, mother,” he said, “I can earn enough to keep us both, and we shall
be happy here together.”
One day, in search of timber, the boy went farther up the hill than he
had ever gone before. As he climbed up the steep hillside, he suddenly
came upon a lion carved from stone.
“Oh,” thought the boy, “this must be the guardian spirit of the
mountain. I will make him some offering to-morrow morning without fail.”
That night he bought two candles and carried them to the lion. He
lighted them, put one on each side of the lion, and asked that his own
good fortune might continue.
As he stood there, suddenly, the lion opened his great stone mouth and
said:
“What are you doing here?”
The boy told him how cruel the elder brother had been; how the mother
and himself had been obliged to leave home and live in a hut at the foot
of the hill. When he had heard all of the story, the lion said:
“If you will bring a bucket here to-morrow and put it under my mouth, I
will fill it with gold for you.”
The next day the boy brought the bucket.
“You must be very careful to tell me when it is nearly full,” said the
lion, “for if even one piece of gold should fall to the ground, great
trouble would be in store for you.”
The boy was very careful to do exactly as the lion told him, and soon he
was on his way home to his mother with a bucketful of gold. They were so
rich now that they bought a beautiful farm and went there to live.
At last the hard-hearted brother heard of their good fortune. He had
married since his mother and brother had gone away, so he took his wife
and went to pay a visit to his younger brother. It was not long before
he had heard the whole story of their good fortune, and how the lion had
given them all the gold.
“I will try that, too,” he said.
He and his wife went to the same hut his brother had lived in, and there
they passed the night.
The next morning he started out with a bucket to visit the stone lion.
When he had told the lion his errand, the lion said:
“I will grant your wish, but you must be very careful to tell me when
the bucket is nearly full; for if even one little piece of gold touches
the ground, great misery will surely fall upon you.”
Now the elder brother was so greedy that he kept shaking the bucket to
get the gold pieces closer together. And when the bucket was full he did
not tell the lion, as the younger brother had done, for he wanted all he
could possibly get.
Suddenly one of the gold pieces fell upon the ground.
“Oh,” cried the lion, “a big piece of gold is stuck in my throat. Put
your hand in and get it out. It is the largest piece of all.”
The greedy man thrust his hand at once into the lion’s mouth and the
lion snapped his jaws together! And there the man stayed, for the lion
would not let him go. And the gold in the bucket turned into earth and
stones.
When night came and the husband did not return, the wife became anxious
and went out to search for him. At last she found him with his arm held
fast in the lion’s mouth. He was tired and cold and hungry.
“Alas!” she said, “I wish we had not tried to get the gold. There is no
food in the hut for us and we shall have to die.”
The lion was listening to all that was said, and he was so pleased at
their misfortune that he began to laugh at them, “Ha, ha, ha!” As he
laughed, _he opened his mouth_ and the greedy man _quickly_ drew out his
hand, before the lion had a chance to close his jaws again. They were
glad enough to get away, and they went to their brother’s house once
more. The brother was sorry for them and gave them enough money to buy a
home.
The younger brother and his mother lived very happily in their beautiful
home, but they always remembered the Stone Lion on the hillside, who
gave them their good fortune.
THE STORY THAT HAD NO END
Once upon a time there was a king who was so fond of hearing stories
told that he would listen to them all day long. He cared for no other
kind of amusement and he was always angry when the story came to an end.
“Your stories are too short,” he said to the many story-tellers who
tried to amuse him. Indeed no one had ever been found who was able to
tell him a story that lasted long enough.
All the people of his court had tried again and again to please him.
Some had told stories that lasted three months, some had told stories
that lasted six months, and a few courtiers had been able to carry on
their stories for one whole year. Still the king complained, for sooner
or later the story was sure to come to an end.
[Illustration]
At last he sent out the following proclamation to all the people of his
kingdom:
PROCLAMATION
TO THE MAN WHO WILL TELL ME A STORY WHICH SHALL LAST FOREVER, I
WILL GIVE THE PRINCESS, MY DAUGHTER, IN MARRIAGE; ALSO, I WILL
MAKE THE SUCCESSFUL ONE MY HEIR AND HE SHALL BE KING AFTER ME.
BUT MARK, LET NO MAN PRETEND THAT HE CAN DO SO, AND FAIL; FOR,
IF THE STORY COMES TO AN END, THE STORY-TELLER SHALL BE THROWN
INTO PRISON. THE KING.
The king’s daughter was a very beautiful princess, and there were many
suitors in the kingdom who came to the court in hope of winning such a
prize. But it was all of no use. Each tried as hard as he could to spin
the story out, but sooner or later it came to an end and the unfortunate
one met the fate the king had threatened.
This grieved the princess very much, and each time she begged the king
to lighten the punishment of the poor story-teller who had risked so
much for her sake.
At last one man sent word to the king that he had a story which would
last forever and ever, and that he was ready to come to the court at
once. On hearing this the princess sent for the man and warned him of
his danger. She begged him not to be so rash as to try the king’s
patience, for no one had ever pleased his majesty, and she feared he
would meet the fate of all those who had tried and failed. But he said
he was not afraid, and he asked to be taken at once before the king.
“So you are the man who is to tell me a story that will have no end?”
said the king.
“If it please your majesty,” answered the man.
“If you can do this, you shall be king after me, and you shall marry the
princess, my daughter. But if you fail, you shall be cast into prison.”
“I understand, O king. I have a story about locusts which I shall be
pleased to tell you.”
“Very well. Begin the story.”
The story-teller began his tale.
“O king, there was once a ruler who was a great tyrant. He wished to be
the richest in the land, so he seized all the corn and grain in his
kingdom and had it stored away. Year after year he did this until all
his granaries were filled full. But one year there came a swarm of
locusts and they discovered where all the grain had been stored. After a
long search, they found near the top of the granary a very small hole
that was just large enough for one locust at a time to pass through. So
one locust went in and carried off one grain of corn; then another
locust went in and carried off one grain of corn; then another locust
went in and carried off one grain of corn; then another locust went in
and carried off one grain of corn—”
Thus the story-teller went on day after day, week after week, from
morning till night. After hearing about the locusts for nearly a year
the king became rather tired of them, patient though he was, and one day
he interrupted the story-teller with:
“Yes, yes, we’ve had enough of those locusts. Let us take for granted
that they got all the grain they wanted. Now go on with the story. What
happened afterwards?”
“If it please your majesty, I cannot tell you what happened afterwards
until I have told you all that took place in the beginning. I go on with
the story. Then another locust went in and carried off one grain of
corn; then another locust went in and carried off one grain of corn.”
Another month passed by. At the end of this time the king asked
impatiently, “Come, sir, how long will it take those locusts to carry
away all the corn?”
“O king, I cannot tell. They have cleared away but a small space round
the inside of the hole, and there are still thousands and thousands of
locusts on the outside. Have patience, O king, there are enough grains
for each locust to have one, and in time they, no doubt, will all pass
in and each in turn carry away one grain of corn. Permit me, O king, to
go on with my story. Then another locust went in and carried off one
grain of corn; then another locust went in and carried off one grain of
corn—”
“Stop, stop,” called out the king at last. “I cannot stand those locusts
any longer. Take my kingdom, be king after me, marry my daughter, take
everything, only never let me hear about those ridiculous locusts
again.”
So the story-teller married the princess and succeeded to the throne
upon the death of the king.
THE KING’S RABBIT KEEPER
Once upon a time a king wanted a good rabbit keeper. He made it known
throughout the country that he would give not only good pay, but also
the hand of the princess, to any youth who could take good care of his
wonderful rabbits.
Now it happened that an old farmer had three very lazy sons, Jan, Hans,
and Olaf. They disliked the work on the farm and spent most of their
time amusing themselves, or doing as they pleased. When Jan heard that
the king wanted a rabbit keeper, he told his father he would go to the
palace and try to get the place.
“What!” cried the old man. “The king does not want an idler. The rabbits
are brisk and lively and need care every moment. A lazybones like you
could never be His Majesty’s rabbit keeper.”
“Well, I am determined to go. I should like the work better than the
farm drudgery,” replied Jan. He filled a bag with things to eat, and a
few clothes, and started to the palace of the king. After he had
traveled a few miles he heard a voice calling him: “Help! Help!” Jan
hurried toward the sound and came to a deep pit. He looked down into it,
and there was a shriveled old woman. She spoke very sharply to him.
“Pull me up! Pull me up!” she cried. “I have been here for one year, and
have had no food in all that time. Pull me up!”
“Not I,” replied Jan. “Only a witch could live a year in such a place
without food. I’ll have nothing to do with you,” and on he went.
At length he came to the palace of the king and asked to serve as rabbit
keeper. The delighted king said, “He who guards the rabbits well and
lets none escape shall have fine food, good pay, and perhaps the hand of
a beautiful princess.”
The next day Jan took the rabbits into a large field to browse. During
the daytime they nibbled the tender grass and stayed together, but when
the sun began to set, they darted toward a wood which bordered a meadow
and they soon became lost in the shadows of the trees. Jan called to
them and ran after them until he was out of breath, but he could not
bring them together. He rested awhile and tried again. It was of no use;
they had scattered in every direction. Surely they were playing hide and
seek, and Jan was not in the game. When he reached the palace, he told
his story to the king, who burst into a rage and banished Jan from the
country.
In a short time the king got another warren of rabbits and again made it
known that he wanted a keeper. Jan’s brother, Hans, now determined that
he would try to serve the king and perhaps gain the rich reward. Off he
walked. He passed the pit and heard the old woman calling for help, but
he hurried on without even stopping to see what was the matter with her.
The king made him keeper of the rabbits, but the first time he took them
out to browse he failed in his work. All was well during the day, but
when the sun sank, the rabbits scurried away to the woods, and no matter
what he did, Hans could not gather them together again. When he returned
to the palace without a single rabbit, the furious king banished him,
too, from the country.
A third time the king got beautiful rabbits and made it known that he
wanted a keeper. “Father,” said Olaf, the youngest of the three
brothers, “it is my turn to try. I am sure I could guard the king’s
rabbits.”
“It will be the same old story,” said the farmer. “If you take no better
care of the rabbits than you do of the calves, you will share your
brothers’ fate.”
“At any rate I mean to try,” replied Olaf. Throwing his bag over his
shoulder, he set out for the palace of the king.
“Help! Help!” called a voice from the field near the road. Olaf ran in
the direction of the sound and saw the old woman in the pit.
“What can I do for you, my good woman?” he asked.
“Please reach me your hand and help me out. I’ve had nothing to eat for
a year and I can’t get out without help.”
Olaf willingly reached down and pulled the old woman up. Then he gave
her food from his bag and brought her water from a spring. She ate a
large share of Olaf’s store while he good-naturedly looked on. When she
had finished, she drew from her pocket a magic horn.
“Take this for your pains,” said she. “It is a wonderful horn and will
help you in many ways. If you blow into the small end of it, you will
scatter to the four winds whatever you wish away from you. If you blow
into the large end of it, you will bring near you whatever you wish. If
you should lose it, or if by chance it should be stolen from you, a wish
will bring it back again.”
“A wonderful help it will be to me,” said Olaf, as he took it eagerly
from the old woman’s hand.
He sauntered on again, and after some time he came to the palace of the
king. The rabbits were put into his charge, and Olaf’s heart beat high
when he thought of the princess he might win.
The next morning he took the rabbits out into the meadow. They danced
about in high glee for several hours. But about noon, Olaf noticed two
of them scamper away to the woods. These two were soon followed by
others. “Very well,” said Olaf, “go away from me if you like.” He blew
into the small end of the magic horn, and then cried out, “Be off, every
one of you!” and away they scattered in every direction.
Olaf then ate his noonday lunch and stretched himself out for a nap on
the soft green bank. When he awoke, the sun was low in the west. He took
up the magic horn and blew into the large end of it. From every
direction came the frisky rabbits dancing and hopping about him. Olaf
counted them and was well pleased to find exactly the right number. When
he reached the palace with the rabbits, he saw that the king, the queen,
and the princess were on the lookout for him. Also he noticed that each
one counted the rabbits and then glanced at the others in wonder.
“Alas!” sighed the princess, “how I wish he were of noble birth! But a
farmer’s lad! Dear me!”
Day after day Olaf took the rabbits out to browse in the meadow. At noon
he scattered them in the deep wood, and when the sun began to sink
behind a distant hill, he gathered them together and led them back to
the palace.
The king was very much puzzled and determined to send a servant to spy
upon Olaf. With greatest care the servant slipped into the field and
noticed Olaf asleep on the soft green bank near the edge of the wood.
The servant hid himself in the low underbrush of the wood and waited
until evening. At sunset, Olaf awoke, drew out his magic horn, gathered
together the rabbits, and led them back to the palace. The servant
explained to the king what he had seen, and the king told his queen and
the princess. “I shall steal his horn while he is asleep in the meadow,”
said the princess, “for I am determined not to marry a common farmer’s
son.”
The next day she stole carefully to Olaf’s side while he lay asleep and
took the magic horn from his pocket. She had not reached the palace
before Olaf awoke and thought of his rabbits. But where was his horn? He
searched about the banks in vain. “Oh, how I wish I had my magic horn!”
he cried. No sooner had he made his wish than he found the horn in his
hands. He blew into the larger end of it and again the rabbits danced
and frisked about him ready to return.
Now the queen thought she would try her skill in getting Olaf’s horn.
She had no trouble in getting it from his pocket, but as she neared the
palace, the horn slipped away from her. In the evening, Olaf returned
with his flock as usual.
“I see that I must do the thing myself,” muttered the king. “That
farmer’s lad shall not outwit me. I’ll tie the horn in one of my hunting
bags to make sure of it.”
Anxiously the queen and princess awaited the king’s return. At last he
came, untied the bag, and reached in for the horn. Alas! it had
disappeared. And there in the distance came Olaf and the rabbits. The
king sent word for Olaf to appear before the royal family. “Tell me
about that horn of yours. Where did you get it? Hasn’t it magic power?”
said the king, impatiently.
“Sire, it is a magic horn,” began Olaf.
“Prove it,” said the king.
“I would rather not,” said Olaf.
“Do as I bid you, without a word!” roared the king, becoming red with
anger.
Olaf raised the little end of his horn to his lips and blew a strong
blast, while secretly he made a wish. In a moment the royal family
scattered in all directions.
“Bring us back! Bring us back! How dare you? I’ll have you punished for
this!” roared the king, as he tumbled into the distance.
Olaf blew into the big end of his horn and instantly the royal family
were back at the palace. The king, in a rage, tried to seize Olaf, but
just then the rabbit keeper raised the small end of the horn to his
lips.