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[Illustration: Illustration of "Pepper and Salt" written on a ribbon
en-wrapping branches and toys.]
[Illustration: This is the way that one in Cap and Motley stops for
awhile along the stony Path of Life to make you laugh.]
[Transcriber's Note: This is a full page picture of a country-side field
with children listening to a man in Cap and Motley play an instrument.
Other full page illustrations within the text also will have short
descriptions in addition to the words of the poem on the page.]
Pepper & Salt,
or
Seasoning for _Young Folk_
Prepared by
Howard Pyle
1885, reissued 1913.
THIS SPECIAL EDITION IS PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHERS OF
THE REGULAR EDITION
HARPER & BROTHERS
BY
~E.M. HALE AND COMPANY~
EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN
[Illustration]
PREFACE
Here, my little man, you may hold my cap and bells,--and you, over
there, may hold the bauble! Now, then, I am ready to talk as a wise man
should and am a giddy-pated jester no longer!
This is what I have to say:
One must have a little pinch of seasoning in this dull, heavy life of
ours; one should never look to have all the troubles, the labors, and
the cares, with never a whit of innocent jollity and mirth. Yes, one
must smile now and then, if for nothing else than to lift the corners of
the lips in laughter that are only too often dragged down in sorrow.
It is for this that I sit here now, telling you all manner of odd quips
and jests until yon sober, wise man shakes his head and goes his way,
thinking that I am even more of a shallow-witted knave than I really am.
But, prut! Who cares for that? I am sure that I do not if you do not.
Yet listen! One must not look to have nothing but pepper and salt in
this life of ours--no, indeed! At that rate we would be worse off than
we are now. I only mean that it is a good and pleasant thing to have
something to lend the more solid part a little savor now and then!
So, here I'll sit; and, perhaps, when you have been good children, and
have learned your lessons or done your work, your mother will let you
come and play a little while with me. I will always be ready and waiting
for you here, and I will warrant your mother that I will do you no harm
with anything that I may tell you. If I can only make you laugh and be
merry for a little while, then my work will be well done, and I will be
glad in the doing of it.
And now give me my cap and bells again, for my wits are growing cold
without them; and you will be pleased to reach me my bauble once more,
for I love to have him by me.
Will you be seated? And you, over there, seat the baby on the grass! Are
you ready? Very well; then I will tell you a story, and it shall be
about "The Skillful Huntsman."
[Illustration]
Table of Contents
THE SKILLFUL HUNTSMAN Page 1
Two Opinions Facing P. 4
Ye Song Of Ye Foolish Old Woman " 5
A Newspaper Puff " 12
Three Fortunes " 13
CLAUS AND HIS WONDERFUL STAFF Page 14
Venturesome Boldness Facing P. 16
Superficial Culture " 17
HOW DAME MARGERY TWIST SAW MORE THAN WAS Page 28
GOOD FOR HER
Ye Song Of Ye Gossips Facing P. 32
A Victim To Science " 33
Play And Earnest " 36
The Accident Of Birth " 37
CLEVER PETER AND THE TWO BOTTLES Page 43
Ye Romantic Adventures Of Three Tailors Facing P. 44
Fancy And Fact " 45
Ye Two Wishes " 48
A Verse With A Moral But Not Name " 49
HANS HECKLEMANN'S LUCK Page 57
Ye Song Of Ye Rajah And Ye Fly Facing P. 64
Pride In Distress " 65
Profession And Practice " 68
A Tale Of A Tub " 69
FARMER GRIGGS'S BOGGART Page 69
Ye Story Of A Blue China Plate Facing P. 76
Moral Blindness " 77
Overconfidence " 80
The Force Of Need " 81
THE BIRD IN THE LINDEN TREE Page 82
THE APPLE OF CONTENTMENT Page 96
A Disappointment Facing P. 96
Ye Sad Story Concerning One Innocent " 97
Little Lamb And Four Wicked Wolves
[Illustration]
List of Illustrations
This Is The Way That One In Cap And Frontispiece
Motley Stops For Awhile Along The Stony
Path Of Life To Make You Laugh
Jacob's Mother And The Herr Mayor Page 2
Jacob And The Red One " 4
Two Opinions Facing P. 4
Ye Song Of Ye Foolish Old Woman " 5
Jacob Shoots At The Magpie Page 6
Jacob And The Magic Plough " 8
Jacob And The Red One Go Hunting Together " 11
A Newspaper Puff Facing P. 12
Three Fortunes " 13
Jacob And Gretchen Get The Best Of The Red Page 13
One And Go Home Together Happily
Claus And The Master Of Black-arts " 16
Venturesome Boldness Facing P. 16
Superficial Culture " 17
Clause And The White Snake Page 18
The Master Is Angry " 20
Claus Listens To The Talk Of The Two Ravens " 21
Claus And The Manikin " 23
Hans Discovers Claus's Luck " 25
Dame Twist Drinketh Tea " 30
The Little Man And The Great Horse " 32
Ye Song Of Ye Gossips Facing P. 32
A Victim To Science " 33
Dame Twist Visits A Strange Patient Page 34
Dame Twist Drives Away The Little Folks " 36
Play And Earnest Facing P. 36
The Accident Of Birth " 37
Dame Margery Twist Goeth To See The Merry Page 38
Doings At The Fair
Dame Twist Sees The Little Man In Green For Page 40
The Last Time
Ye Romantic Adventures Of Three Tailors Facing P. 44
Fancy And Fact " 45
Clever Peter And The Little Gentleman In Black Page 46
Clever Peter Rides To The King's Palace " 48
Upon His Fine Horse
Ye Two Wishes Facing P. 48
A Verse With A Moral But No Name " 49
Peter Eats With The King And Princess Page 51
Clever Peter And The Unlucky Bottle " 54
Clever Peter Opens The Unlucky Bottle For " 56
The King And Princess
Hans Hecklemann Page 58
Catherine " 58
Hans Hecklemann Goes To The Cottage Of " 61
The Old Wise Woman In Search Of His Luck
Hans Hecklemann And The Old Wise Woman Page 62
Hans Finds His Luck " 64
Ye Song Of Ye Rajah And Ye Fly Facing P. 64
Pride In Distress " 65
Hans Hecklemann Ploughs For Gold Page 65
Profession And Practice Facing P. 68
A Tale Of A Tub " 69
Farmer Georgie Griggs Page 70
Dame Mally Griggs " 72
Farmer Griggs And The Boggart " 73
Ye Story Of A Blue China Plate Facing P. 76
Moral Blindness " 77
The Departure Page 77
Farmer Griggs And The Wise Man " 78
Overconfidence Facing P. 80
The Force Of Need " 81
The Boggart Rejoices Page 81
Ye King " 84
Prince John " 84
The Prince Aids The Old Woman " 86
The Great Ugly Troll Finds The Prince By The Fire " 88
The Goose-herd And Her Daughter Meet The Princess " 90
At The Roadside
The Prince Looks Through The Magic Key Page 91
The Old King Rejoices At His New Daughter-in-law " 94
A Disappointment Facing P. 96
Ye Sad Story Concerning One Innocent Little " 97
Lamb And Four Wicked Wolves
The Little Man Asks For His Cap Page 98
Christine And The Apple " 100
Christine's Mother And Sisters Wish For The Apple " 101
The King Reaches For The Apple " 101
The King Talks With The Wise Man " 105
The King's Steward And Christine " 106
Christine Gives The Apple To The King " 107
PEPPER AND SALT
[Illustration]
THE SKILLFUL HUNTSMAN
Once upon a time there was a lad named Jacob Boehm, who was a practical
huntsman.
One day Jacob said to his mother, "Mother, I would like to marry
Gretchen--the nice, pretty little daughter of the Herr Mayor."
Jacob's mother thought that he was crazy. "Marry the daughter of the
Herr Mayor, indeed! You want to marry the daughter of the Herr Mayor?
Listen; many a man wants and wants, and nothing comes of it!"
That was what Jacob Boehm's mother said to him.
But Jacob was deaf in that ear; nothing would do but his mother must go
to the Herr Mayor, and ask for leave for him to marry Gretchen. And
Jacob begged and begged so prettily that at last his mother promised to
go and do as he wished. So off she went, though doubt was heavy in her
shoes, for she did not know how the Herr Mayor would take it.
"So Jacob wants to marry Gretchen, does he?" said the Herr Mayor.
Yes; that was what Jacob wanted.
"And is he a practical huntsman?" said the Herr Mayor.
Oh yes, he was that.
"So good," said the Herr Mayor. "Then tell Jacob that when he is such a
clever huntsman as to be able to shoot the whiskers off from a running
hare without touching the skin, then he can have Gretchen."
[Illustration: JACOB'S MOTHER & THE HERR MAYOR]
Then Jacob's mother went back home again. "Now," said she, "Jacob will,
at least, be satisfied."
"Yes," said Jacob, when she had told him all that the Herr Mayor had
said to her, "that is a hard thing to do; but what one man has done,
another man can." So he shouldered his gun, and started away into the
world to learn to be as clever a huntsman as the Herr Mayor had said.
He plodded on and on until at last he fell in with a tall stranger
dressed all in red.
"Where are you going, Jacob?" said the tall stranger, calling him by his
name, just as if he had eaten pottage out of the same dish with him.
"I am going," said Jacob, "to learn to be so clever a huntsman that I
can shoot the whiskers off from a running hare without touching the
skin."
"That is a hard thing to learn," said the tall stranger.
Yes; Jacob knew that it was a hard thing; but what one man had done
another man could do.
"What will you give me if I teach you to be as clever a huntsman as
that?" said the tall stranger.
"What will you take to teach me?" said Jacob; for he saw that the
stranger had a horse's hoof instead of a foot, and he did not like his
looks, I can tell you.
"Oh, it is nothing much that I want," said the tall man; "only just sign
your name to this paper--that is all."
But what was in the paper? Yes; Jacob had to know what was in the paper
before he would set so much as a finger to it.
Oh, there was nothing in the paper, only this: that when the red one
should come for Jacob at the end of ten years' time, Jacob should
promise to go along with him whithersoever he should take him.
At this Jacob hemmed and hawed and scratched his head, for he did not
know about that. "All the same," said he, "I will sign the paper, but on
one condition."
[Illustration: Jacob and The Red One]
At this the red one screwed up his face as though he had sour beer in
his mouth, for he did not like the sound of the word "condition."
"Well," said he, "what is the condition?"
"It is only this," said Jacob: "that you shall be _my_ servant for the
ten years, and if, in all that time, I should chance to ask you a
question that you cannot answer, then I am to be my own man again."
Oh, if that was all, the red man was quite willing for that.
Then he took Jacob's gun, and blew down into the barrel of it. "Now,"
said he, "you are as skillful a huntsman as you asked to be."
"That I must try," said Jacob. So Jacob and the red one went around
hunting here and hunting there until they scared up a hare. "Shoot!"
said the red one; and Jacob shot. Clip! off flew the whiskers of the
hare as neatly as one could cut them off with the barber's shears.
"Yes, good!" said Jacob, "now I am a skillful huntsman."
Then the stranger in red gave Jacob a little bone whistle, and told him
to blow in it whenever he should want him. After that Jacob signed the
paper, and the stranger went one way and he went home again.
Well, Jacob brushed the straws off from his coat, and put a fine shine
on his boots, and then he set off to the Herr Mayor's house.
"How do you find yourself, Jacob?" said the Herr Mayor.
"So good," said Jacob.
"And are you a skillful huntsman now?" said the Herr Mayor.
Oh yes, Jacob was a skillful huntsman now.
Yes, good! But the Herr Mayor must have proof of that. Now, could Jacob
shoot a feather out of the tail of the magpie flying over the trees
yonder?
Oh yes! nothing easier than that. So Jacob raised the gun to his cheek.
Bang! went the gun, and down fell a feather from the tail of the magpie.
At this the Herr Mayor stared and stared, for he had never seen such
shooting.
"And now may I marry Gretchen?" said Jacob.
[Illustration: Jacob shoots at the Magpie]
At this the Herr Mayor scratched his head, and hemmed and hawed. No;
Jacob could not marry Gretchen yet, for he had always said and sworn
that the man who should marry Gretchen should bring with him a plough
that could go of itself, and plough three furrows at once. If Jacob
would show him such a plough as that, then he might marry Gretchen and
welcome. That was what the Herr Mayor said.
Jacob did not know how about that; perhaps he could get such a plough,
perhaps he could not. If such a plough was to be had, though, he would
have it. So off he went home again, and the Herr Mayor thought that he
was rid of him now for sure and certain.
But when Jacob had come home, he went back of the woodpile and blew a
turn or two on the little bone whistle that the red stranger had given
him. No sooner had he done this than the other stood before him as
suddenly as though he had just stepped out of the door of nowheres.
"What do you want, Jacob?" said he.
"I would like," said Jacob, "to have a plough that can go by itself and
plough three furrows at once."
"That you shall have," said the red one. Then he thrust his hand into
his breeches pocket, and drew forth the prettiest little plough that you
ever saw. He stood it on the ground before Jacob, and it grew large as
you see it in the picture. "Plough away," said he, and then he went back
again whither he had come.
So Jacob laid his hands to the plough and--whisk!--away it went like
John Stormwetter's colt, with Jacob behind it. Out of the farm-yard they
went, and down the road, and so to the Herr Mayor's house, and behind
them lay three fine brown furrows, smoking in the sun.
When the Herr Mayor saw them coming he opened his eyes, you may be sure,
for he had never seen such a plough as that in all of his life before.
"And now," said Jacob, "I should like to marry Gretchen, if you
please."
At this the Herr Mayor hemmed and hawed and scratched his head again.
No; Jacob could not marry Gretchen yet, for the Herr Mayor had always
said and sworn that the man who married Gretchen should bring with him a
purse that always had two pennies in it and could never be emptied, no
matter how much was taken out of it.
[Illustration: Jacob and the Magic Plough]
Jacob did not know how about that; perhaps he could get it and perhaps
he could not. If such a thing was to be had, though, he would have it,
as sure as the Mecklenburg folks brew sour beer. So off he went home
again, and the Herr Mayor thought that now he was rid of him for
certain.
But Jacob went back of the woodpile and blew on his bone whistle again,
and once more the red one came at his bidding.
"What will you have now?" said he to Jacob.
"I should like," said Jacob, "to have a purse which shall always have
two pennies in it, no matter how much I take out of it."
"That you shall have," said the red one; whereupon he thrust his hand
into his pocket, and fetched out a beautiful silken purse with two
pennies in it. He gave the purse to Jacob, and then he went away again
as quickly as he had come.
After he had gone, Jacob began taking pennies out of his purse and
pennies out of his purse, until he had more than a hatful--hui! I would
like to have such a purse as that.
Then he marched off to the Herr Mayor's house with his chin up, for he
might hold his head as high as any, now that he had such a purse as that
in his pocket. As for the Herr Mayor, he thought that it was a nice,
pretty little purse; but could it do this and that as he had said?
Jacob would show him that; so he began taking pennies and pennies out of
it, until he had filled all the pots and pans in the house with them.
And now might he marry Gretchen?
Yes; that he might! So said the Herr Mayor; for who would not like to
have a lad for a son-in-law who always had two pennies more in his purse
than he could spend.
So Jacob married his Gretchen, and, between his plough and his purse, he
was busy enough, I can tell you.
So the days went on and on and on until the ten years had gone by and
the time had come for the red one to fetch Jacob away with him. As for
Jacob, he was in a sorry state of dumps, as you may well believe.
At last Gretchen spoke to him. "See, Jacob," said she, "what makes you
so down in the mouth?"
"Oh! nothing at all," said Jacob.
But this did not satisfy Gretchen, for she could see that there was more
to be told than Jacob had spoken. So she teased and teased, until at
last Jacob told her all, and that the red one was to come the next day
and take him off as his servant, unless he could ask him a question
which he could not answer.
"Prut!" said Gretchen, "and is that all? Then there is no stuffing to
that sausage, for I can help you out of your trouble easily enough."
Then she told Jacob that when the next day should come he should do thus
and so, and she would do this and that, and between them they might
cheat the red one after all.
So, when the next day came, Gretchen went into the pantry and smeared
herself all over with honey. Then she ripped open a bed and rolled
herself in the feathers.
By-and-by came the red one. Rap! tap! tap! he knocked at the door.
"Are you ready to go with me now, Jacob?" said he.
Yes; Jacob was quite ready to go, only he would like to have one favor
granted him first.
"What is it that you want?" said the red one.
"Only this," said Jacob: "I would like to shoot one more shot out of my
old gun before I go with you."
Oh, if that was all, he might do that and welcome. So Jacob took down
his gun, and he and the red one went out together, walking side by side,
for all the world as though they were born brothers.
[Illustration: Jacob and the Red One go hunting together]
By-and-by they saw a wren. "Shoot at that," said the red one.
"Oh no," said Jacob, "that is too small."
So they went on a little farther.
By-and-by they saw a raven. "Shoot at that, then," said the red one.
"Oh no," said Jacob, "that is too black."
So they went on a little farther.
By-and-by they came to a ploughed field, and there was something
skipping over the furrows that looked for all the world like a great
bird. That was Gretchen; for the feathers stuck to the honey and all
over her, so that she looked just like a great bird.
"Shoot at that! shoot at that!" said the red one, clapping his hands
together.
"Oh yes," said Jacob, "I will shoot at that." So he raised his gun and
took aim. Then he lowered his gun again. "But what is it?" said he.
At this the red one screwed up his eyes, and looked and looked, but for
the life of him he could not tell what it was.
"No matter what it is," said he, "only shoot and be done with it, for I
must be going."
"Yes, good! But what _is_ it?" said Jacob.
Then the red one looked and looked again, but he could tell no better
this time than he could before. "It may be this and it may be that,"
said he. "Only shoot and be done with it, for they are waiting for me at
home."
"Yes, my friend," said Jacob, "that is all very good; only tell me what
it is and I will shoot."
"Thunder and lightning!" bawled the red one, _"I do not know what it
is!"_
"Then be off with you!" said Jacob, "for, since you cannot answer my
question, all is over between us two."
At this the red one had to leave Jacob, so he fled away over hill and
dale, bellowing like a bull.
As for Jacob and Gretchen, they went back home together, very well
pleased with each other and themselves.
And the meaning of all this is, that many another
man beside Jacob Boehm would find himself
in a pretty scrape only for his wife.
[Illustration: Jacob and Gretchen get the best of the Red One and go
home together happily.]
[Illustration: TWO OPINIONS. This is a full page illustrated poem
depicting the magpie in the poem, with the poem weaving through the
pictures.]
TWO OPINIONS
(Ye first opinion)
A noisy chattering Magpie once
A talking gabbling hairbrained dunce
Came by where a sign-post stood.
He nodded his head with a modish air
And said "good day" for he wasn't aware
That the sign-post pointing its finger there
Was only a block of wood.
Quoth he, "An exceedingly sultry day.
T'is more like June than the first of May."
The post said never a word.
"I've just dropped over from Lincolnshire.
My home is in the Cathedral Spire--
The air is cooler and purer the higher
You get--as you've doubtless heard."
So on he chattered with never a stop,
And on and on till you'd think he would drop.
(The post was dumb as your hat.)
But so as the pie could say his say
He didn't care whether it spoke all day;
For thus he observed as he walked away--
"An intelligent creature that."
(Ye second opinion)
Now once when the sky was pouring rain,
The Magpie chanced to come by again--
And there stood the post in the wet.
"Helloa." said the Magpie. "What you here
Pray tell me I beg is there sheltering near--
A terrible day for this time of the year.
T'would make a Saint Anthony fret."
"I beg your pardon--I didn't quite hear."
(Then louder) "I say is there sheltering near"
But the post was as dumb as Death.
"What can't you answer a question pray
You will not--No--Then I'll say good-day."
And flirting his tail he walked away.
"You'r a fool." (this under his breath.)
L'ENVOY
The moral that this story traces
Is--Circumstances alter cases.
Howard Pyle
[Illustration: Ye song of ye foolish old woman. This is an illustrated
poem, with the top half being an old woman going up then down a hill.
The bottom is the poem, with court jesters on either side, left side
titled Hope in Adversity, right titled Fear in Prosperity.]
Ye song of ye foolish old woman.
I saw an old woman go up a steep hill,
And she chuckled and laughed, as she went, with a will.
And yet, as she went,
Her body was bent,
With a load as heavy as sins in Lent.
"Oh! why do you chuckle, old woman;" says I,
"As you climb up the hill-side so steep and so high?"
"Because, don't you see,
I'll presently be,
At the top of the hill. He! he!" says she.
I saw the old woman go downward again;
And she easily travelled, with never a pain;
Yet she loudly cried,
And gustily sighed,
And groaned, though the road was level and wide.
"Oh! why, my old woman," says I, "do you weep,
When you laughed, as you climbed up the hill-side so steep?"
"High-ho! I am vexed,
Because I expects,"
Says she, "I shall ache in climbing the next."
H. Pyle
[Illustration: A newspaper puff. This is a full page illustrated poem
depicting the geese acting out the poem.]
A NEWSPAPER PUFF
Twelve geese
In a row
(So these
Always go).
Down-hill
They meander,
Tail to bill;
First the gander.
So they stalked,
Bold as brass
As they walked
To the grass.
Suddenly
Stopped the throng;
Plain to see
Something's wrong
Yes; there is
Something white!
No quiz;
Clear to sight.
('Twill amuse
When you're told
'Twas a news-
Paper old.)
Gander spoke.
Braver bird
Never broke
Egg, I've heard:
"Stand here
Steadily,
Never fear,
Wait for me."
Forth he went,
Cautious, slow,
Body bent,
Head low.
All the rest
Stood fast,
Waiting for
What passed.
Wind came
With a caper,
Caught same
Daily paper.
Up it sailed
In the air;
Courage failed
Then and there.
Scared well
Out of wits;
Nearly fell
Into fits.
Off they sped,
Helter-skelter,
'Till they'd fled
Under shelter.
Poor geese!
Never mind;
Other geese
One can find,
Cut the same
Foolish caper
At empty wind
In a paper.
H. Pyle
[Illustration: Three Fortunes. This is a full page illustrated poem,
depicting: the three as they start the journey, the shoemaker with his
lady, the tailor and baker on the path, the tailor lounging in the Inn,
and the baker wandering "To Nowhere."]
THREE FORTUNES
A merry young shoemaker,
And a tailor, and a baker,
Went to seek their fortunes, for they had been told,
Where a rainbow touched the ground,
(If it only could be found,)
Was a purse that should be always full of gold.
So they traveled day by day,
In a jolly, jocund way
Till the shoemaker a pretty lass espied;
When quoth he, "It seems to me,
There can never, never be,
Better luck than this in all the world beside."
So the others said good-bye,
And went on, till by-and-by
They espied a shady inn beside the way;
Where the Hostess fair,--a widow--
In a lone seclusion hid; "Oh,
Here is luck!" the tailor said, "and here I'll stay."
So the baker jogged along,
All alone, with ne'er a song,
Or a jest; and nothing tempted him to stay.
But he went from bad to worse,
For he never found the purse,
And for all I know he is wandering to this day.
It is better, on the whole,
For an ordinary soul,
(So I gather from this song I've tried to sing,)
For to take the luck that may
Chance to fall within his way,
Than to toil for an imaginary thing.
H. Pyle
[Illustration]
CLAUS & HIS WONDERFUL STAFF
Hans and Claus were born brothers. Hans was the elder and Claus was the
younger; Hans was the richer and Claus was the poorer--that is the way
that the world goes sometimes.
Everything was easy for Hans at home; he drank much beer, and had
sausages and white bread three times a day; but Claus worked and worked,
and no luck came of it--that, also, is the way that the world goes
sometimes.
One time Claus spoke to Hans of this matter. "See, Hans," said he, "you
should give me some money, for that which belongs to one brother should
help the other."
But Hans saw through different colored spectacles than Claus. No; he
would do nothing of the kind. If Claus wanted money he had better go out
into, the world to look for it; for some folks said that money was
rolling about in the wide world like peas on a threshing-floor. So said
Hans, for Claus was so poor that Hans was ashamed of him, and wanted him
to leave home so as to be rid of him for good and all.
This was how Claus came to go out into the world.
But before he went, he cut himself a good stout staff of hazel-wood to
help his heavy feet over the road.
Now the staff that Claus had cut was a rod of witch-hazel, which has
the power of showing wherever treasure lies buried. But Claus knew no
more of that than the chick in the shell.
So off he went into the world, walking along with great contentment,
kicking up little clouds of dust at every step, and whistling as gayly
as though trouble had never been hatched from mares' eggs. By-and-by he
came to the great town, and then he went to the market-place and stood,
with many others, with a straw in his mouth--for that meant that he
wanted to take service with somebody.
Presently there came along an old, old man, bent almost double with the
weight of the years which he carried upon his shoulders. This was a
famous doctor of the black-arts. He had read as many as a hundred books,
so that he was more learned than any man in all of the world--even the
minister of the village. He knew, as well as the birds know when the
cherries are ripe, that Claus had a stick of witch-hazel, so he came to
the market-place, peering here and peering there, just as honest folks
do when they are looking for a servant. After a while he came to where
Claus was, and then he stopped in front of him. "Do you want to take
service, my friend?" said he.
Yes, that was what Claus wanted; why else should he stand in the
market-place with a straw in his mouth?
Well, they bargained and bargained, and talked and talked, and the end
of the matter was that Claus agreed to sell his services to the old
master of black-arts for seven pennies a week. So they made their
bargain, and off went the master with Claus at his heels. After they had
come a little distance away from the crowd at the marketplace, the
master of black-arts asked Claus where he had got that fine staff of
hazel.
[Illustration: Claus and the Master of Black-Arts]
"Oh, I got it over yonder," said Claus, pointing with his thumb.
But could he find the place again?
Well, Claus did not know how about that; perhaps he could, and perhaps
he could not.
But suppose that Claus had a thaler in his hand, _then_ could he find
the place again?
Oh yes; in that case Claus was almost sure that he could find the place
again.
So good. Then here was a bottle of yellow water. If Claus would take the
bottle of yellow water, and pour it over the stump from which he had cut
his staff, there would come seven green snakes out of a hole at the foot
of the hazel-bush. After these seven snakes, there would come a white
snake, with a golden crown on its head, from out of the same hole. Now
if Claus would catch that white snake in the empty bottle, and bring it
to the master of black-arts, he should have not one thaler, but
two--that was what the master said.
Oh yes, Claus could do that; that was no such hard thing. So he took the
bottle of yellow water and off he went.
By-and-by he came to the place where he had cut his hazel-twig. There he
did as the master of black-arts had told him; he poured the yellow water
over the stump of hazel from which he had cut his staff. Then everything
happened just as the other had said: first there came seven green snakes
out of the hole at the foot of the hazel-bush, and after they had all
gone, there came a white snake, with a little golden crown on its head,
and with its body gleaming like real silver. Then Claus caught the white
snake, and put it into the bottle and corked it up tightly. After he had
done this he went back to the master of black-arts again.
Now this white snake was what the folk call a tomtsnake in that land.
Whoever eats of a broth made of it can understand the language of all
the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field; so nobody need
wonder that the master was as glad as glad could be to have his white
snake safe and sound.
[Illustration: Claus and the White Snake]
He bade Claus build a fire of dry wood, and as soon as there was a good
blaze he set a pot of water upon it to boil. When the water in the pot
began to boil, he chopped up the white snake into little pieces and
threw them into it. So the snake boiled and boiled and boiled, and Claus
stared with wonder as though he would never shut his eyes again.
Now it happened that just about the time that the broth was cooked, the
master was called out of the room for this or for that. No sooner was
his back turned than Claus began to wonder what the broth was like. "I
will just have a little taste," said he to himself; "surely it can do no
harm to the rest of the soup." So he stuck his finger first into the
broth and then into his mouth; but what the broth tasted like he never
could tell, for just then the master came in again, and Claus was so
frightened at what he had done that he had no wits to think of the taste
of anything.
Presently the master of black-arts went to the pot of broth, and, taking
off the lid, began smelling of it. But no sooner had he sniffed a smell
of the steam than he began thumping his head with his knuckles, and
tearing his hair, and stamping his feet. "_Somebody's had a finger in my
broth!!!_" he roared. For the master knew at once that all the magic had
been taken out of it by the touch of Claus's finger.
As for poor Claus, he was so frightened that he fell upon his knees, and
began begging: "Oh! dear master--" But he got no further than this, for
the master bawled at him,
"You have taken the best,
You may have the rest."
And so saying, he threw pot and broth and all at Claus, so that if he
hadn't ducked his head he might have been scalded to death. Then Claus
ran out into the street, for he saw that there was no place for him to
stay in that house.
Now in the street there was a cock and a hen, scratching and clucking
together in the dust, and Claus understood every word that they said to
each other, so he stopped and listened to them.
This is what they said:
The cock said to the hen, "Yonder goes our new serving-man."
And the hen said to the cock, "Yes, yonder he goes."
And the cock said to the hen, "He is leaving the best behind him."
[Illustration: THE MASTER IS ANGRY]
And the hen said to the cock, "What is it that he is leaving?"
And the cock said to the hen, "He is leaving behind him the witch-hazel
staff that he brought with him."
And the hen said to the cock, "Yes, that is so. He would be a fool to
leave that behind, yet he is not the first one to think that peas are
pebbles."
As for Claus, you can guess how he opened his eyes, for he saw how the
land lay, and that he had other ears than he had before.
"Hui!" said he, "that is good! I have bought more for my penny than I
had in my bargain."
As for the hazel staff, he was not going to leave that behind, you may
be sure. So he sneaked about the place till he laid hand on it again;
then he stepped away, right foot foremost, for he did not know what the
master of black-arts might do to him if he should catch him.
Well, after he had left the town, he went along, tramp! tramp! tramp!
until, by-and-by, he grew tired and sat down beneath an oak-tree to rest
himself.
[Illustration: Claus listens to the talk of the two ravens]
Now, as he sat there, looking up through the leaves, thinking of nothing
at all, two ravens came flying and lit in the tree above him. After a
while the ravens began talking together, and this was what they said:
The one raven said, "Yonder is poor Claus sitting below us."
And the other raven said, "_Poor_ Claus, did you say, brother? Do you
not see the witch-hazel lying on the ground beside him?"
The one raven said, "Oh yes; I see that, but what good does it do him?"
And the other raven said, "It does him no good now, but if he were to go
home again and strike on the great stone on the top of the hill back of
Herr Axel's house, then it would do him good; for in it lies a great
treasure of silver and gold."
Claus had picked up his ears at all this talk, you may be sure. "See,"
said he, "that is the way that a man will pass by a great fortune in the
little world at home to seek for a little fortune in the great world
abroad"--which was all very true. After that he lost no time in getting
back home again.
"What! are you back again?" said Hans.
"Oh yes," said Claus, "I am back again."
"That is always the way with a pewter penny," said Hans--for that is how
some of us are welcomed home after we have been away.
As for Claus, he was as full of thoughts as an egg is of meat, but he
said nothing of them to Hans. Off he went to the high hill back of Herr
Axel's house, and there, sure enough, was the great stone at the very
top of the hill.
Claus struck on the stone with his oaken staff, and it opened like the
door of a beer vault, for all was blackness within. A flight of steps
led down below, and down the steps Claus went. But when he had come to
the bottom of the steps, he stared till his eyes were like great round
saucers; for there stood sacks of gold and silver, piled up like bags of
grain in the malt-house.
[Illustration: Claus and the Manikin]
At one end of the room was a great stone seat, and on the seat sat a
little manikin smoking a pipe. As for the beard of the little man, it
was as long as he was short, for it hung down so far that part of it
touched the stone floor.
"How do you find yourself, Claus?" said the little manikin, calling
Claus by his name.
"So good!" said Claus, taking off his hat to the other.
"And what would you like to have, Claus?" said the little man.
"I would like," said Claus, "to have some money, if you please."
"Take what you want," said the little man, "only do not forget to take
the best with you."
Oh no; Claus would not forget the best; so he held the staff tighter
than ever in his fist--for what could be better than the staff that
brought him there? So he went here and there, filling his pockets with
the gold and silver money till they bulged out like the pockets of a
thief in the orchard; but all the time he kept tight hold of his staff,
I can tell you.
When he had as much as his pockets could hold, he thanked the little
manikin and went his way, and the stone door closed behind him.
And now Claus lived like a calf in the green corn-field. Everything he
had was of the best, and he had twice as much of that as any of the
neighbors. Then how brother Hans stared and scratched his head and
wondered, when he saw how Claus sat in the sun all day, doing nothing
but smoking his pipe and eating of the best, as though he were a born
prince! Every day Claus went to the little man in the hill with his
pockets empty, and came back with them stuffed with gold and silver
money. At last he had so much that he could not count it, and so he had
to send over to brother Hans for his quart-pot, so that he might measure
it.
But Hans was cunning. "I will see what makes brother Claus so well-off
in the world all of a sudden," said he; so he smeared the inside of the
quart-pot with bird-lime.
Then Claus measured his gold and silver money in Hans's quart-pot, and
when he was done with it he sent it back again. But more went back with
the quart-pot than came with it, for two gold-pieces stuck to the
birdlime, and it was these that went back with the pot to brother Hans.
[Illustration: Hans discovers Claus's Luck]
"What!" cried Hans, "has that stupid Claus found so much money that he
has to measure it in a quart-pot? We must see the inside of this
business!" So off he went to Claus's house, and there he found Claus
sitting in the sun and smoking his pipe, just as though he owned all of
the world.
"Where did you get all that money, Claus?" said Hans.
Oh! Claus could not tell him that.
But Hans was bound to know all about it, so he begged and begged so
prettily that at last Claus had to tell him everything. Then, of course,
nothing would do but Hans must have a try with the hazel staff also.
Well, Claus made no words at that. He was a good-natured fellow, and
surely there was enough for both. So the upshot of the matter was that
Hans marched off with the hazel staff.
But Hans was no such simpleton as Claus; no, not he. Oh no, he would
not take all that trouble for two poor pocketfuls of money. He would
have a bagful; no, he would have _two_ bagfuls. So he slung two meal
sacks over his shoulder, and off he started for the hill back of Herr
Axel's house.
When he came to the stone he knocked upon it, and it opened to him just
as it had done for Claus. Down he went into the pit, and there sat the
little old manikin, just as he had done from the very first.
"How do you find yourself, Hans?" said the little old manikin.
Oh, Hans found himself very well. Might he have some of the money that
stood around the room in the sacks?
Yes, that he might; only remember to take the best away with him.
Prut! teach a dog to eat sausages. Hans would see that he took the best,
trust him for that. So he filled the bags full of gold, and never
touched the silver--for, surely, gold is better than anything else in
the world, says Hans to himself. So, when he had filled his two bags
with gold, and had shaken the pieces well down, he flung the one over
one shoulder, and the other over the other, and then he had as much as
he could carry. As for the staff of witch-hazel, he let it lie where it
was, for he only had two hands and they were both full.
But Hans never got his two bags of gold away from the vault, for just as
he was leaving--bang! came the stone together, and caught him as though
he was a mouse in the door; and that was an end of him. That happened
because he left the witch-hazel behind.
That was the way in which Claus came to lose his magic staff; but that
did not matter much, for he had enough to live on and to spare. So he
married the daughter of the Herr Baron (for he might marry whom he
chose, now that he was rich), and after that he lived as happy as a fly
on the warm chimney.
Now, _this_ is so--it is better to take a little away at a
time and carry your staff with you, than to
take all at once and leave it behind.
[Illustration: Venturesome Boldness. This illustrated poem depicts the
tailor with a wooden sword standing before the knight on horseback.]
VENTURESOME BOLDNESS
A tailor came a-walking by,
The fire of courage in his eye.
"Where are you going Sir?" Said I.
"I slew a mouse
In our house
Where other tailors live," said he,
"And not a Jack
Among the pack
Would dare to do the like; pardie!
Therefore, I'm going out to try
If there be greater men that I;
Or in the land
As bold a hand
At wielding brand as I, you see!"
The tailor came a-limping by
With woful face and clothes awry
And all his courage gone to pie.
"I met a knight
In armor bright
And bade him stand and draw," said he;
"He straightaway did
As he was bid,
And treated me outrageously.
So I shall get me home again,
And probably shall there remain.
A little man.
Sir, always can
Be great with folk of less degree!"
H. Pyle
[Illustration: Superficial Culture. This is a full page illustrated
poem depicting: the dame in a chair with the pig sitting on the floor in
front of her, the pig dancing in full dress, the pig in full dress
bowing to a person, and the pig in full dress on bent knee before the
lady he loved.]
SUPERFICIAL CULTURE
I'll tell of a certain old dame;
The same
Had a beautiful piggy, whose name
Was James;
and whose beauty and worth,
From the day of his birth,
Were matters of popular fame,
And his claim
To gentility no one could blame.
So, seeing his promise, she thought
She ought
To have him sufficiently taught
The art
Of deportment, to go
Into company; so
A master of dancing she brought,
Who was fraught
With a style which the piggiwig caught.
So his company manners were rare.
His care
Of social observances there
Would bear
The closest inspection,
And not a reflection
Could rest on his actions, howe'er
You might care
To examine 'em down to a hair.
Now, things went beau-ti-ful-ly,
Till he
Fell in love with a dame of degree;
Pardie!
When he tried for to speak,
But could only say, "O w-e-e-k!"
For, whatever his polish might be,
Why, dear me!
He was pig at the bottom, you see.
H. PYLE.
[Illustration]
HOW DAME MARGERY TWIST SAW MORE THAN WAS GOOD FOR HER
If one could always hold one's tongue as to what one sees, one would be
the better for it. They are the wise people of this world who keep
silence as to what they see; many such there are who behold things such
as neither you nor I may ever hope to look upon, and yet we know nothing
of this because they say nothing of it, going their own ways like common
folks, and as though they saw nothing in an egg but the meat.
Dame Margery Twist of Tavistock town was not one of these wise folks who
hold their tongues; she was a good, gossiping, chattering old soul,
whose hen never hatched a chick but all of the neighbors knew of it, as
the saying goes. The poor old creature had only one eye; how she lost
the other you shall presently hear, and also how her wonderful tulip
garden became like anybody else's tulip garden.
Dame Margery Twist lived all alone with a great tabby cat. She dwelt in
a little cottage that stood back from the road, and just across the way
from the butcher's shop. All within was as neat and as bright as a new
pin, so that it was a delight just to look upon the row of blue dishes
upon the dresser, the pewter pipkins as bright as silver, or the sanded
floor, as clean as your mother's table. Over the cottage twined sweet
woodbines, so that the air was ladened with their fragrance in the
summer-time, when the busy, yellow-legged bees droned amid the blossoms
from the two hives that stood along against the wall. But the wonder of
the garden was the tulip bed, for there were no tulips in all England
like them, and folks came from far and near, only to look upon them and
to smell their fragrance. They stood in double rows, and were of all
colors--white, yellow, red, purple, and pied. They bloomed early, and
lasted later than any others, and, when they were in flower, all the air
was filled with their perfume.
Now all of these things happened before the smoke of the factories and
the rattling of the steam-cars had driven the fairy folks away from this
world into No-man's-land, and this was the secret of the dame's fine
tulip bed. For the fairies dwelt among the flowers, and she often told
her gossips how that she could hear the fairy mothers singing their
babies to sleep at night, when the moon was full and the evening was
warm. She had never seen the little folks herself, for few folks are
given to look upon them, and Dame Margery's eyes were not of that
nature. Nevertheless, she heard them, and that, in my opinion, is the
next best thing to seeing them.
Dame Margery Twist, as I said, was a good, kind, comfortable old soul,
and was, moreover, the best nurse in all of Tavistock town. Was any one
ill, it was Dame Margery who was called upon to attend him; as for the
dame herself, she was always ready to bring a sick body into good health
again, and was always paid well for the nursing.
[Illustration: DAME TWIST DRINKETH TEA]
One evening the dame was drinking her tea by herself with great comfort.
It was just at the dusking of the twilight; the latticed window was
opened, so that the little breezes came rushing into the room, or stayed
a while to play wantonly with the white linen curtains. The tabby cat
was purring in the door-way, and the dame was enjoying the sweetness of
the summer-time. There came a knock at the door, "Who is it?" said Dame
Margery.
"It's Tommy Lamb, if you please, ma'am," said a little voice.
"Come in, Tommy," said the dame.
So in came Tommy Lamb, a little, curly-headed fellow, not any older than
you, "What is it you want, Tommy?" said the dame.
"If you please, ma'am, there's a little gentleman outside, no taller
than I be; he gave me this box, and told me to tell you to rub your eyes
with the salve and then to come out to him."
The dame looked out of the window, but never a body stood there that she
could see. "Where is the gentleman, dearie?" said she.
"Yonder he is, with a great white horse standing beside him," said Tommy
Lamb, and he pointed with his finger as he spoke.
The dame rubbed her eyes and looked again, but never a thing did she see
but the green gate, the lilac-bushes, and the butcher's shop opposite.
The truth of the matter is, that little children like you, my dear, see
things which we grown folks, with the dust of the world in our eyes, may
never behold. "Well," said Dame Margery to herself, "this is strange,
for sure! _I_ see no little old gentleman in green." Then she opened the
box that she held, and looked into it and saw that it was filled with a
green salve. "I'll rub some of it on my eyes, at any rate," said she;
whereupon she did so. Then she looked again, and, lo and behold! there
stood a little old man, no taller than Tommy Lamb. His face was as
brown, and as withered, and as wrinkled as a winter's crab-apple left on
the bare tree when the frost is about. He was dressed all in green from
top to toe, and on his head was a tall green cap, with a bell at the
peak, which tinkled at every movement of his head. By his side stood a
great, tall, milk-white horse, with a long tail and mane tied with
party-colored ribbons.
[Illustration: THE LITTLE MAN AND THE GREAT HORSE]
Dame Margery went out to the little old gentleman in green, and asked
him what he would have with her. He told the dame that his wife was
sorely sick, and that he wanted her to come and nurse her for the night.
At this Dame Margery hemmed and hawed and shook her head, for she did
not like the thought of going out at night, she knew not where, and with
such a strange little body. Then the little man begged her and pleaded
with her, and his voice and his words were as sweet as honey. At last he
persuaded her to go, promising her a good reward if she would nurse his
wife back into her health again. So the dame went back into the cottage
to make ready for her journeying, throwing her red riding-cloak over her
shoulders, and drawing her thick shoes upon her feet. Then she filled
her reticule with a parcel of simples, in case they should be needed.
After this she came out again, and climbed up behind the little man in
green, and so settled herself upon the pillion saddle for her ride. Then
the little man whistled to his horse, and away they went.
They seemed to fly rather than ride upon the hard ground, for the hedges
and cottages and orchards flew past as though in a dream. But fast as
they went, the old dame saw many things which she had never dreamed of
before. She saw all of the hedge-rows, the by-ways, the woods and fields
alive with fairy-folk. Each little body was busy upon his or her own
business, laughing, chatting, talking, and running here and there like
folks on a market-day.
[Illustration: DAME TWIST VISITS A STRANGE PATIENT]
So they came at last to a place which the dame knew was the
three-tree-hill; but it was not the three-tree-hill which she had seen
in all of her life before, for a great gateway seemed to open into it
and it was into this gateway that the little man in green urged the
great white horse.
After they had entered the hill, Dame Margery climbed down from the
pillion and stood looking about her. Then she saw that she was in a
great hall, the walls of which were glistening with gold and silver,
while bright stones gleamed like so many stars all over the roof of the
place. Three little fairy children were playing with golden balls on the
floor, and when they saw the dame they stopped in their sport and stood
looking silently upon her with great, wide-opened eyes, just as though
they were little mortal children. In the corner of the room was a bed
all of pure gold, and over the bed were spread coverlets of gold and
silver cloth, and in the bed lay a beautiful little lady, very white and
ill. Then Dame Margery knew well enough that every one of these little
people were fairies.
The dame nursed the fairy lady all that night, and by cock-crow in the
morning the little woman had ease from her pain.