FOLK STORIES 
 
 Edited By 
 
 Horace E.Scudder 
 
 PRICE FORTY CBKTS
 
 a
 
 FABLES AND FOLK STORIES 
 
 HORACE E. SCUDDER 
 
 HOUQHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 
 
 Boston: Park Street; New York: 11 Eait Seventeenth Street 
 Chicago : 28 Lateside Building
 
 Copyright, 1882, 1887 and 1890, 
 Br HORACE E. 8CDDDEE. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
 TV Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mast., U. S. A. 
 Electrotype*! and Printed by H. 0. Houghton & Company.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 As soon as a child has learned to make out 
 simple sentences, the wise teacher looks about 
 for something which it is worth while to read. 
 The primer and the reader are necessarily sim- 
 ple, but the simplicity is, for the most part, 
 below the child's intelligence. Children can 
 understand by hearing long before they can 
 understand by reading ; during the period when 
 they are mastering the several combinations in 
 which a boy, a rat, and a cat can be placed, and 
 are acquiring the power of reading at sight, they 
 are listening to books which are by no means 
 so barren in their simplicity, and as soon as 
 they are able to read the little stories which 
 they find in their first readers they leave them 
 behind. 
 
 It is interesting to note, however, that there 
 are certain parts of their primer which they 
 never leave behind and never forget. The 
 
 2019887
 
 iv PREFACE. 
 
 Mother Goose Melodies and the proverbs which 
 form some of the early sentences taught them, 
 the quaint nursery tales like The Story of Chicken 
 Licken, The Old Woman and Her Pig, The 
 Three Bears, these they remember and sepa- 
 rate from the chaff of the ordinary reading exer- 
 cises by the winnowing fan of their spiritual 
 judgment. They perceive, even thus early, what 
 is literature and what is not literature ; they 
 hold to that, and discard this. 
 
 Literature, for the sake of which the art of 
 reading is acquired, is never left behind, and it 
 becomes of importance to give children, as soon 
 as may be, enduring forms on which they may 
 exercise their newly acquired power, and in 
 which they may take the first draughts of a 
 pleasure as genuine as any to be enjoyed when 
 they come into the full possession of their blos- 
 soming faculty of imagination. 
 
 There are two forms of literary art which be- 
 long rightfully to the early period of childhood : 
 the Fable and the Folk-Story. The fable is 
 oriental, and it is antique. It is also exceed- 
 ingly current and universal as a coin of speech. 
 The man and the boy both use it, and while in 
 its full form it seems most capable of giving
 
 PREFACE. V 
 
 pleasure to the child, its conventionalism enables 
 the mature mind to accept it without any sense 
 of condescension to childish things. It is the 
 most perfect literary instrument of association 
 between the young and the old, and becomes 
 therefore by right the first possession of chil- 
 dren in literature. 
 
 There are good reasons, from its structure, 
 why the fable should be adapted to the use of 
 children. In the first place, it is short; the 
 child has the pleasure of reading an entire story 
 at one sitting. Then it is of animals, and ani- 
 mals are the natural companions of the child. 
 Again, it is interesting and novel; it appeals 
 to his imagination, for it represents the animal 
 as having human properties ; and it suggests 
 a plain moral. It is true, the morality of the 
 fable usually is a prudential one, but prudence is 
 a virtue which comes early in the lessons of life. 
 We may rest with confidence in the worth of 
 stories which have been tested by generations 
 and centuries of use. 
 
 The child, therefore, who reads the classic 
 fables has begun his acquaintance with perma- 
 nent literature. He is reading what the world 
 has chosen to remember. He is applying his
 
 vi PREFACE. 
 
 new powers to that which is worth while. He 
 is beginning to receive the impressions which lit- 
 erature has made upon human life, and the early 
 impressions which he thus receives will never be- 
 come even consciously faint. That is to say, 
 there never will come a time in his life when the 
 fable may not still give him pleasure ; but the 
 time already has come when the reading-book 
 which he read last week no longer can excite his 
 interest or hold his attention. Every one will 
 recognize the important step which a child has 
 taken when he has entered the current of the 
 world's lasting literature. 
 
 The folk-story is more exclusively the child's, 
 and is shared by older people rather through 
 memory and association than by continued use. 
 Every people of Europe, and the Americans by 
 composite inheritance, have a body of household 
 tales which, whatever their antiquity, have be- 
 come the peculiar possession of Christendom. 
 Scholars have made comparative studies of these 
 tales, but they have based such studies upon the 
 stories as they have been transmitted, not so 
 much through books as through recital, from 
 mother to child, in the course of generations. 
 While poets were forming the literature which
 
 PREFACE. vii 
 
 fills our libraries, the unlettered people were 
 repeating to each other these familiar, poetic 
 tales. Now and then some romancer would 
 take one of them and set it forth in finer, 
 more fantastic garb, but for the most part the 
 form was a homely one, which did not vary 
 greatly from one age to another. 
 
 In preparing this book for use in schools, I 
 have drawn upon two volumes I had already 
 published. The Book of Fables and The Book 
 of Folk-Stories, and have added others not there 
 given. In writing out the fables, so far as they 
 were from Msop, I have endeavored to preserve 
 the exact lines of the original story, and to use 
 phrases which present no extraordinary difficul- 
 ties to a child. It has not been my purpose to 
 turn these fables into words of one syllable, 
 for such words and the construction which 
 they compel often produce an artificial effect, 
 of greater difficulty to the young reader than 
 the more natural arrangement of words which 
 may happen to have two syllables or even three. 
 
 In the case of the folk-stories, I have not de- 
 parted knowingly from the generally accepted 
 structure. I have tried simply to use words and 
 constructions which present the fewest difficul'
 
 viii PREFACE. 
 
 ties. I should like to believe that I have suc- 
 ceeded to some extent in thinking out these 
 stories as a child would think them, and so have 
 used that order and choice of words which would 
 -be the natural expression of a child's mind. By 
 ,a mingling of the two forms, greater variety has 
 been secured, and the arrangement has regard 
 to the order of ease in reading. 
 
 H. E. SCUDDER. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE, MAS*., August 13, 1890.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 MM 
 
 LITTLE ONE EYES, LITTLE Two EYES, AND LITTLE THEEE EYES 
 
 I. THE GOAT 13 
 
 II. THE TBEE 17 
 
 m. THE PRINCE . . . ' . -. . . .21 
 
 THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER . . . . . . . 24 
 
 THE BOYS AND THE FROGS . . . . . . .24 
 
 THE WIND AND THE SCN . ... . . . 24 
 
 LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD ,,..... 25 
 
 THE CROW AND THE PITCHER 28 
 
 A COUNTRY FELLOW AND THE RIVER 28 
 
 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER 29 
 
 THE Ass IN THE LION'S SKIN 32 
 
 THE STAR-GAZER 32 
 
 THE BOY AND THE NETTLE 33 
 
 THE DOG IN THE MANGER 33 
 
 THE BOY WHO STOLE APPLES 33 
 
 HANS EN LUCK. 
 
 I. THE SILVER, THE HORSE, THE Cow, AND THE PIG . 34 
 
 II. THE PIG, THE GOOSE, THE GRINDSTONE, AND NOTHING 38 
 
 THE LION AND THE MOUSE 41 
 
 THE LION AND THE BEAR 42 
 
 THE HUNTER AND THE WOODCUTTER 43 
 
 THE DOG AND THE WOLF 43 
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 I. THE BEANS ARE PLANTED 44 
 
 n. JACK CAPTURES A HEN 46 
 
 III. THE GIANT'S MONEY-BAGS 51 
 
 IV. THE HARP 53 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE GOAT 56 
 
 THE STAG AND THE LION 57 
 
 THE FARMER'S SONS 57 
 
 THE Fox IN THE WELL . . 58
 
 X CONTENTS. 
 
 THE Two PACKS 58 
 
 Puss IN BOOTS 
 
 I. Pcss GOES A-HUNTING 59 
 
 II. PUSS AND THE LlON 62 
 
 THE FARMER AND THE STORK 65 
 
 THE Fox AND THE GRAPES .66 
 
 THE GOOSE THAT LAID GOLDEN EGOS 66 
 
 THE DOG AND HIS IMAGE 67 
 
 THE MAN AND THE LION 67 
 
 TOM THUMB. 
 
 I. TOM IS SOLD FOR A BARGAIN 68 
 
 II. HOW TOM FRIGHTENED THE THIEVES .... 71 
 
 III. INSIDE A Cow 74 
 
 IV. SAFE AT HOME AGAIN 75 
 
 BELLING THE CAT 78 
 
 THE FROG AND THE Ox 78 
 
 THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR Ass .... 79 
 
 THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING 81 
 
 THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL 81 
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT 83 
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE 83 
 
 THE REEDS AND THE OAK 84 
 
 THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE TOWN MOUSE ... 84 
 
 THE GNAT AND THE BULL 86 
 
 CINDERELLA ; OR, THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 I. CINDERELLA IN THE KITCHEN 86 
 
 II. CINDERELLA IN THE PALACE 91 
 
 THE Fox AND THE LION 96 
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 
 
 I. THE BEAUTY GOES TO SLEEP 97 
 
 II. THE BEAUTY WAKES 101 
 
 THE EAGLE SHOT WITH AN EAGLE'S ARROW . . . .104 
 
 THE Fox AND THE STORK 104 
 
 THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW 105 
 
 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER 105 
 
 THE LION AND THB Fox 106 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD 106 
 
 THE FLIES AND THB POT OF HONEY 107 
 
 THE CAT, THE MONKEY, AND THE CHESTNUTS . . . 108 
 
 THE Fox THAT LOST HIS TAIL 108 
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 
 I. DICK GOES TO LONDON 109 
 
 II. DICK'S CAT . 112
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 HI. Bow BELLS 114 
 
 IV. LORD MAYOR WHITTINGTON 117 
 
 THE TRAVELERS AND THE BEAR 120 
 
 THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP 121 
 
 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES 121 
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 I. BEAUTY AND HER SISTERS 123 
 
 H. THE BEAST AT HOME 126 
 
 HI. BEAUTY GOES TO THE BEAST 129 
 
 IV. THE CHARM is BROKEN 133 
 
 THE LION IN LOVE 137 
 
 THE TRAVELER AND THE VIPER 137 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE LAMB 138 
 
 THE TRAVELERS AND THE AXE 139 
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE 139 
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 I. THE PALACE OF THE WHITE CAT . . . .140 
 II. A YEAR OF SPORT 143 
 
 III. THE LITTLE DOG AND THE CAMBRIC .... 146 
 
 IV. THE WHITE CAT HAS HER HEAD cur OFF . . 150 
 V. THE WHITE CAT'S STORY 151 
 
 VI. THE WHITE CAT'S STORY ENDED . . . .154 
 
 THE JACKDAW AND THE DOVES 156 
 
 THE HARES AND THE FROGS 157 
 
 THE FOUR BULLS AND THE LION 158 
 
 THE COUNTRY MAID AND HER MILK-PAIL .... 158 
 
 THE LION, THE Ass, AND THE Fox 159 
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND ms WIFE. 
 
 I. THE FIRST WISH 160 
 
 II. THE SECOND WISH 162 
 
 III. THE THIRD WISH 163 
 
 IV. THE FOURTH WISH 165 
 
 V. THE FIFTH WISH 166 
 
 VI. THE FINAL WISH 168 
 
 THE KID AND THE WOLF 169 
 
 THE CAT, THE WEASEL, AND THE YOUNG RABBIT . . 170 
 
 THE WOMAN AND HER MAIDS 171 
 
 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 
 
 I. HOW THEY SET OUT 172 
 
 II. HOW THEY GAVE A CONCERT 174 
 
 III. HOW THEY MADE THEMSELVES AT HOME . . . 176 
 
 THE KITE AND THE PIGEONS 178 
 
 THE CAT AND THE MICK 178
 
 xii CONTENTS. 
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 
 
 I. SHE SHOWS HOW PRUDENT SHE is .... 179 
 II. ALL FIND OUT HOW PRUDENT ALICE is . . . 181 
 III. How VERY CLEVER SHE PROVED TO BE . . 184 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE CRANE 186 
 
 THE FROGS ASK FOR A KING 186 
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 I. THE BIRD CARRIES OFF THE APPLES . . . 187 
 II. Two BROTHERS SET OUT TO FIND THE BIRD . . 188 
 
 III. THE YOUNGEST SON SEEKS THE GOLDEN BIRD . 190 
 
 IV. THE BIRD is FOUND AND LOST 191 
 
 V. THE GOLDEN HORSE 192 
 
 VI. THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS 193 
 
 VII. THE PRINCESS, THE HORSE, AND THE BIRD . . 195 
 
 VIII. How THE YOUNGEST SON LOST EVERYTHING . . 196 
 
 IX. THE YOUNGEST SON COMES TO THE THRONE 197
 
 FABLES AND FOLK STORIES. 
 
 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, AND 
 LITTLE THREE EYES. 
 
 I. 
 THE GOAT. 
 
 THERE was once a woman who had three 
 daughters. The eldest was called Little One 
 Eye, because she had only one eye in the middle 
 of her forehead. The second was called Little 
 Two Eyes, because she had two eyes like other 
 people. The youngest was called Little Three 
 Eyes, because she had three eyes ; the third eye 
 was also in the middle of her forehead. 
 
 Because Little Two Eyes looked like other 
 people, her sisters and her mother could not bear 
 her. They said : 
 
 " You have two eyes and are no better than 
 anybody else. You do not belong to us." They 
 knocked her about, and gave her shabby clothes, 
 and fed her with food left over from their meals; 
 in short, they vexed her whenever they could.
 
 14 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, 
 
 One day Little Two Eyes was sent into the 
 fields to look after the goat. She was quite 
 hungry, because her sisters had given her so 
 little to eat, and she sat down and began to 
 cry. She cried so hard that a little stream of 
 tears ran out of each eye. All at once a wise 
 woman stood near her, and asked : 
 
 " Little Two Eyes, why do you cry ? " Little 
 Two Eyes said: 
 
 " Have I not need to cry ? Because I have 
 two eyes, like other people, my sisters and my 
 mother cannot bear me. They knock me about ; 
 they give me shabby clothes; and they feed 
 me only with the food left over from their 
 table. To-day they have given me so little 
 that I am quite hungry." The wise woman 
 said : 
 
 " Little Two Eyes, dry your eyes, and I will 
 tell you what to do. Only say to your goat : 
 * Little goat, bleat ; little table, rise,' and a 
 neatly-laid table will stand before you, covered 
 with food. Eat as much as you like. When 
 you have had all you want, only say : ' Lit- 
 tle goat, bleat ; little table, away,' and it will 
 be gone." Then the wise woman disappeared. 
 Little Two Eyes thought: 
 
 "I must try at once, for I am much too 
 hungry to wait." So she said: 
 
 " Little goat, bleat ; little table, rise." In a
 
 AND LITTLE THREE EYES. 15 
 
 twinkling there stood before her a little table 
 covered with a white cloth. On it were laid 
 a plate, knife and fork, and silver spoon. 
 The nicest food was on the plate, smoking hot. 
 Then Little Two Eyes began to eat, and found 
 the food very good. When she had had enough, 
 she said : 
 
 " Little goat, bleat ; little table, away." In 
 an instant the table was gone. 
 
 " That is a fine way to keep house," thought 
 Little Two Eyes, and she was quite merry. 
 
 At the end of the day Little Two Eyes drove 
 her goat home. She found a dish with some 
 food in it ; her sisters had put it aside for her 
 from their table, but she did not taste it. She 
 did not need it. 
 
 The next day she went out again with her 
 goat, and did not take the few crusts which 
 her sisters put aside for her. This went on 
 for several days. At last her sisters said to 
 each other : 
 
 " All is not right with Little Two Eyes. She 
 always leaves her food; she used to eat all 
 that was given her ; she must have found some 
 other way to be fed. " 
 
 They meant to find out what Little Two 
 Eyes did. So the next time that Little Two 
 Eyes set out, Little One Eye came to her and
 
 16 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, 
 
 " I will go with you into the field, and see 
 that the goat is well taken care of, and feeds 
 in the best pasture." But Little Two Eyes 
 saw what Little One Eye had in her mind. 
 So she drove the goat into the long grass, and 
 said : 
 
 " Come, Little One Eye, we will sit down 
 and I will sing to you." Little One Eye sat 
 down ; she was tired after her long walk in 
 the hot sun, and Little Two Eyes began to 
 sing : 
 
 " Are you awake, Little One Eye ? Are 
 you asleep, Little One Eye? Are you awake, 
 Little One Eye? Are you asleep, Little One 
 Eye? Are you awake? Are you asleep? 
 Awake? Asleep?" By this time Little One 
 Eye had shut her one eye and was fast asleep. 
 When Little Two Eyes saw this, she said 
 softly : - 
 
 "Little goat, bleat; little table, rise;" and 
 she sat at the table and ate and drank till 
 she had had enough. Then she said as be- 
 fore : 
 
 " Little goat, bleat ; little table, away," and 
 in a twinkling all was gone. 
 
 Little Two Eyes now awoke Little One Eye, 
 and said : 
 
 "Little One Eye, why do you not watch? 
 You have been asleep, and the goat could have
 
 AND LITTLE THREE EYES. 17 
 
 run all over the world. Come ! let us go 
 home." So home they went, and Little Two 
 Eyes again did not touch the dish. The others 
 asked Little One Eye what Little Two Eyes 
 did in the field. But she could only say : 
 " Oh, I fell asleep out there.". 
 
 IL 
 
 THE TREE. 
 
 THE next day, the mother said to Little 
 Three Eyes : 
 
 " This time you must go with Little Two 
 Eyes, and see if any one brings her food and 
 drink." Then Little Three Eyes said to Lit- 
 tle Two Eyes: 
 
 " I will go with you into the field, and see 
 that the goat is well taken care of, and feeds in 
 the best pasture." But Little Two Eyes saw 
 what Little Three Eyes had in her mind. So 
 she drove the goat into the long grass, and 
 said : 
 
 " Come, Little Three Eyes, we will sit down, 
 and I will sing to you." Little Three Eyes 
 sat down; she was tired after her long walk 
 in the hot sun, and Little Two Eyes began 
 to sing, as before : 
 
 "Are you awake, Little Three Eyes?" but 
 instead of going on,
 
 18 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, 
 
 "Are you asleep, Little Three Eyes?" she 
 did not think, and sang : 
 
 "Are you asleep, Little Two Eyes?" and 
 went on : 
 
 " Are you awake, Little Three Eyes ? Are 
 you asleep, Little Two Eyes ? Are you awake ? 
 Are you asleep ? Awake ? Asleep ? " By this 
 time the two eyes of Little Three Eyes fell asleep, 
 but the third eye did not go to sleep, for it 
 was not spoken to by the verse. Little Three 
 Eyes, to be sure, shut it, and made believe that 
 it went to sleep. Then she opened it a little 
 way and watched Little Two Eyes. 
 
 When Little Two Eyes thought Little Three 
 Eyes was fast asleep, she said softly : 
 
 " Little goat, bleat ; little table, rise ; " and 
 she sat at the table and ate and drank till 
 she had had enough. Then she said as be- 
 fore : 
 
 " Little goat, bleat ; little table, away." 
 But Little Three Eyes had seen everything. 
 Little Two Eyes now woke Little Three Eyes, 
 and said : 
 
 ' " Little Three Eyes, why do you not watch ? 
 You have been asleep, and the goat could have 
 run all over the world. Come ! let us go home." 
 So home they went, and Little Two Eyes again 
 did not touch the dish. Then Little Three 
 Eyes said to the mother :
 
 AND LITTLE THREE EYES. 19 
 
 " I know why the proud thing does not eat. 
 She says to the goat : ' Little goat, bleat ; 
 little table, rise,' and there stands a table be- 
 fore her. It is covered with the very best of 
 things to eat, much better than anything we 
 have. When she has had enough to eat, she 
 says : ' Little goat, bleat ; little table, away,' 
 and all is gone. I have seen it just as it is. 
 She put two of my eyes to sleep with a song, 
 but the one in my forehead stayed awake." 
 Then the mother cried out : 
 
 " Shall she be better off than we are? " With 
 that she took a knife and killed the goat. 
 Poor Little Two Eyes went to the field, and 
 sat down and began to cry. All at once the 
 wise woman stood near her, and asked : 
 
 " Little Two Eyes, why do you cry ? " Little 
 Two Eyes said : 
 
 " Have I not need to cry ? My mother has 
 killed the goat. Now I must suffer hunger and 
 thirst again." The wise woman said : 
 
 " Little Two Eyes, dry your eyes, and I will 
 tell you what to do. Beg your sisters to give 
 you the heart of the goat. Then bury it in 
 the ground before the door of the house. All 
 will go well with you." Then the wise woman 
 was gone, and Little Two Eyes went home and 
 said to her sisters : 
 
 " Sisters, give me some part of my goat.
 
 20 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, 
 
 I do not ask for anything but the heart." 
 They laughed, and said : 
 
 " You can have that, if you do not want 
 anything else." Little Two Eyes took the heart 
 and buried it in the ground before the door 
 of the house. 
 
 Next morning the sisters woke and saw a 
 splendid tree in front of the house. It had 
 leaves of silver and fruit of gold. It was won- 
 derful to behold; and they could not think 
 how the tree had come there in the night. 
 Only Little Two Eyes saw that the tree had 
 grown out of the heart of the goat. Then the 
 mother said to Little One Eye: 
 
 " Climb up, my child, and pluck some fruit 
 from the tree." Little One Eye climbed the 
 tree. She put out her hand to take a golden 
 apple, but the branch sprang back. This took 
 place every time. Try as hard as she could, 
 she could not get a single apple. Then the 
 mother said: 
 
 " Little Three Eyes, do you climb up. You 
 can see better with your three eyes than Lit- 
 tle One Eye can." Down came Little One Eye, 
 and Little Three Eyes climbed the tree. But 
 it was with her just as it had been with Lit- 
 tle One Eye. She put out her hand, and the 
 branch sprang back. At last the mother tried, 
 but it was the same with her. She could not
 
 AND LITTLE THREE EYES. 21 
 
 get a single apple. Then Little Two Eyes 
 said: 
 
 "Let me try." 
 
 " You ! " they all cried. " You, with your 
 two eyes like other people ! What can you 
 do?" But Little Two Eyes climbed the tree, 
 and the branch did not spring back. The 
 golden apples dropped into her hands, and she 
 brought down her apron full of them. Her 
 mother took them away from her, and her two 
 sisters were angry because they had failed, and 
 they were more cruel than ever to Little Two 
 Eyes. 
 
 HI. 
 
 THE PRINCE. 
 
 WHILE they stood by the tree, the Prince 
 came riding near on a fine horse. 
 
 "Quick, Little Two Eyes," said her sisters, 
 " creep under this cask ; we are ashamed of 
 you ; " and they threw an empty cask over her, 
 and pushed the golden apples under it. The 
 Prince rode up and gazed at the splendid tree. 
 " Is this splendid tree yours ? " he asked of 
 the sisters. "If you will give me a branch 
 from it, I will give you anything you wish." 
 Then Little One Eye and Little Three Eyes 
 said the tree was theirs, and they would break
 
 22 LITTLE ONE EYE, LITTLE TWO EYES, 
 
 off a branch for him. They put out their hands, 
 but again the branches sprang back. Then the 
 Prince said : 
 
 "This is very strange. The tree is yours, 
 and yet you cannot pluck the fruit." 
 
 They kept on saying that the tree was theirs, 
 but while they were saying this, Little Two 
 Eyes rolled a few of the apples out from un- 
 der the cask. The Prince saw them, and 
 asked : 
 
 " Why ! where did these golden apples come 
 from? Who is under the cask?" Little One 
 Eye and Little Three Eyes told the Prince 
 that they had a sister. 
 
 " But she does not show herself," they said. 
 " She is just like other people. She has two 
 eyes." Then the Prince called : 
 
 " Little Two Eyes ! come out ! " So Little 
 Two Eyes was very glad and crept out from 
 under the cask. 
 
 " Can you get me a branch from the tree ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Little Two Eyes, " I can, for 
 the tree is mine." Then she climbed the tree 
 and broke off a branch. It had silver leaves 
 and golden fruit, and she gave it to the Prince. 
 Then the Prince said: 
 
 " Little Two Eyes, what shall I give you for 
 it?" 
 
 " Oh," said Little Two Eyes, " I suffer hunger
 
 AND LITTLE THREE EYES. 23 
 
 and thirst all day long. If you would take me 
 with you, I should be happy." 
 
 So the Prince lifted Little Two Eyes upon his 
 horse, and they rode away. He took her to his 
 father's house and made her Princess, and she 
 had plenty to eat and drink and good clothes 
 to wear. Best of all, the Prince loved her, and 
 she had no more hard knocks and cross words. 
 
 Now, when Little Two Eyes rode away with 
 the Prince, the sisters said : 
 
 " Well, we shall have the tree. We may not 
 pluck the fruit, but every one will stop to see it 
 and come to us and praise it." The next morn- 
 ing they went to look at the tree, and it was 
 gone. 
 
 Little Two Eyes lived long and happily. 
 One day, two poor women came to her, and 
 asked for something to eat. Little Two Eyes 
 looked at their faces and knew them. They 
 were Little One Eye and Little Three Eyes. 
 They were so poor that they were begging bread 
 from door to door. Little Two Eyes brought 
 them into the house and was very good to them. 
 Then they both were sorry for the evil they had 
 once done their sister.
 
 24 THE WIND AND THE SUN. 
 
 THE CRAB AND HIS MOTHER. 
 
 SAID his Mother to a Crab : " Why do you 
 walk so crooked, child ? Walk straight." 
 
 " Mother," said he, " show me the way, and 
 I will try to walk like you." But as long as she 
 could not walk straight, her son laughed at her 
 advice. 
 
 THE BOYS AND THE FROGS. 
 
 A COMPANY of idle Boys were watching some 
 Frogs by the side of a pond, and as fast as any 
 of the Frogs lifted their heads the Boys would 
 pelt them down again with stones. 
 
 " Boys," said one of the Frogs, " you forget 
 that, though this may be fun for you, it is death 
 to us." 
 
 THE WIND AND THE SUN. 
 
 THE Wind and the Sun had a dispute as to 
 which of the two was the stronger ; they agreed 
 that the one should be called stronger who 
 should first make a man in the road take off 
 his cloak. 
 
 The Wind began to blow great guns, but the 
 man only drew his cloak closer about him to 
 keep out the cold. At last the gust was over. 
 
 Then the Sun took his turn. He shone, and 
 it was warm and bright. The man opened his
 
 LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. 25 
 
 cloak, threw it back, and at last took it off, and 
 lay down in the shade where it was cool. 
 
 So the Sun carried his point against the Wind. 
 
 This fable teaches that it is often easier to 
 persuade men than it is to force them. 
 
 LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived in a certain vil- 
 lage a little girl. Her mother was very fond of 
 her, and her grandmother doted on her even 
 more. This good old woman made for her a 
 red cloak, which suited the child so well that ever 
 after she was called Little Red-Riding-Hood. 
 
 One day her mother made some cakes, and 
 said to Little Red-Riding-Hood : 
 
 " Go, my dear, and see how grandmother 
 does, for I hear that she has been very ill. 
 Garry her a cake and a little pot of butter." 
 
 Little Red-Riding-Hood set out at once to go 
 to her grandmother, who lived in another village. 
 As she was going through the wood she met a 
 large Wolf. He had a very great mind to eat 
 her up ; but he dared not, for there were some 
 wood-choppers near by. So he asked her : 
 
 "Where are you going, little girl?" The 
 poor child did not know that it was dangerous 
 to stop and talk with the Wolf, and she said :
 
 26 LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. 
 
 " I am going to see my grandmother, and 
 carry her a cake and a little pot of butter from 
 my mother." 
 
 " Does she live far off ? " asked the Wolf. 
 
 " Oh, yes. It is beyond that mill you see 
 there, at the first house in the village." 
 
 " Well," said the Wolf, " I will go and see 
 her, too. I will go this way ; do you go that, 
 and we will see who will be there soonest." 
 
 At this the Wolf began to run as fast as he 
 could, taking the nearest way, and Little Red- 
 Riding-Hood went by the farthest. She stopped 
 often to chase a butterfly, or pluck a flower, and 
 so she was a good while on the way. The Wolf 
 was soon at the old woman's house, and knocked 
 at the door tap, tap ! 
 
 "Who is there?" 
 
 " Your grandchild, Little Red-Riding-Hood," 
 replied the Wolf, changing his voice. " I have 
 brought you a cake and a pot of butter from 
 mother." The good grandmother, who was ill 
 in bed, called out : 
 
 " Pull the string, and the latch will go up." 
 
 The Wolf pulled the string, and the latch went 
 up. The door opened, and he jumped in, and 
 fell upon the old woman, and ate her up in less 
 than no time, for he had not tasted food for 
 three days. He then shut the door, and got into 
 the grandmother's bed. By and by, Little Red-
 
 LITTLE RED-RIDING-HOOD. 27 
 
 Riding-Hood came and knocked at the door 
 tap, tap ! 
 
 "Who is there?" 
 
 Little Red-Riding-Hood heard the big voice 
 of the Wolf, and at first she was afraid. Then 
 she thought her grandmother must have a bad 
 cold, and be very hoarse, so she answered : 
 " Little Red-Riding-Hood. I have brought 
 you a cake and a pot of butter from mother." 
 The Wolf softened his voice as much as he could, 
 and called out : 
 
 " Pull the string, and the latch will go up." 
 Little Red-Riding-Hood pulled the string, and 
 the latch went up, and the door opened. The 
 Wolf was hiding under the bed clothes and called 
 out in a muffled voice : 
 
 " Put the cake and the pot of butter on the 
 shelf, and come to bed." 
 
 Little Red-Riding-Hood made ready for bed. 
 Then she looked with wonder at her grand- 
 mother, who had changed so much, and she 
 said: 
 
 " Grandmother, what great arms you have ! " 
 
 " The better to hug you, my dear." 
 
 " Grandmother, what great ears you have 1 " 
 
 " The better to hear you, my dear." 
 
 " Grandmother, what great eyes you have ! " 
 
 " The better to see you, my dear." 
 
 " Grandmother, what great teeth you have ! "
 
 28 A COUNTRY FELLOW AND THE RIVER. 
 
 " The better to eat you." And at this the 
 wicked Wolf sprang up and fell upon poor Little 
 Red-Riding-Hood and ate her all up. 
 
 THE CROW AND THE PITCHER. 
 
 A CROW that was very thirsty found a Pitcher 
 with a little water in it, but the water lay so low 
 that she could not come at it. 
 
 She tried first to break the Pitcher, and then 
 to overturn it, but it was both too strong and 
 too heavy for her. She thought at last of a way, 
 for she dropped a great many little pebbles into 
 the Pitcher, and thus raised the water until she 
 could reach it. 
 
 A COUNTRY FELLOW AND THE RIVER. 
 
 A STUPID Boy, who was sent to market by the 
 good old woman, his Mother, to sell butter and 
 cheese, made a stop by the way at a swift river, 
 and laid himself down on the bank there, until 
 it should run out. 
 
 About midnight, home he goes to his Mother, 
 with all his market goods back again. 
 
 " Why, how now, my Son ? " says she. 
 " What have we here ?" 
 
 "Why, Mother, yonder is a river that haa 
 been running all this day, and I stayed till just
 
 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER. 29 
 
 now, waiting for it to run out ; and there it is, 
 running still." 
 
 " My Son," says the good woman, " thy head 
 and mine will be laid in the grave many a day 
 before this river has all run by. You will never 
 sell your butter and cheese if you wait for 
 that." 
 
 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER. 
 
 THERE was once a Shoemaker who worked very 
 hard and was honest. Still, he could not earn 
 enough to live on, and at last all he had in 
 the world was gone except just leather enough 
 to make one pair of shoes. He cut these out at 
 night, and meant to rise early the next morn- 
 ing to make them up. 
 
 His heart was light amid all his troubles, for 
 his conscience was clear. So he went quietly to 
 bed, left all his cares to God, and fell asleep. 
 In the morning he said his prayers and sat down 
 to work, when, to his great wonder, there stood 
 the shoes, already made, upon the table. 
 
 The good man knew not what to say or think. 
 He looked at the work ; there was not one false 
 stitch in the whole job ; all was neat and true. 
 
 That same day a customer came in, and the 
 shoes pleased him so well that he readily paid a 
 price higher than usual for them. The Shoe-
 
 30 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER. 
 
 maker took the money and bought leather 
 enough to make two pairs more. He cut out 
 the work in the evening and went to bed early. 
 He wished to be up with the sun and get to 
 work. 
 
 He was saved all trouble, for when he got up 
 in the morning, the work was done, ready to his 
 hand. Pretty soon buyers came in, who paid 
 him well for his goods. So he bought leather 
 enough for four pairs more. 
 
 He cut out the work again over night, and 
 found it finished in the morning as before. So 
 it went on for some time. What was got ready 
 at night was always done by daybreak, and the 
 good man soon was well to do. 
 
 One evening, at Christmas time, he and his 
 wife sat over the fire, chatting, and he said : 
 
 " I should like to sit up and watch to-night, 
 that we may see who it is that comes and does 
 my work for me." His wife liked the thought. 
 So they left the light burning, and hid them- 
 selves behind a curtain to see what would 
 happen. 
 
 As soon as it was midnight there came two 
 little Elves. They sat upon the Shoemaker's 
 bench, took up all the work that was cut out, 
 and began to ply their little fingers. They 
 stitched and rapped and tapped at such a rate 
 that the Shoemaker was all amazement, and could 
 not take his eyes off them for a moment.
 
 THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER. 31 
 
 On they went busily till the job was quite 
 done, and the shoes stood, ready for use, upon 
 the table. This was long before daybreak,, 
 Then they bustled away as quick as lightning,, 
 The next day the wife said to the Shoemaker : 
 
 " These little Elves have made us rich, and we 
 ought to be thankful to them and do them some 
 good in return. I am quite vexed to see them 
 run about as they do. They have nothing upon 
 their backs to keep off the cold. I '11 tell you 
 what we must do ; I will make each of them a 
 shirt, and a coat and waistcoat, and a pair of 
 pantaloons into the bargain. Do you make each 
 of them a little pair of shoes." 
 
 The good Shoemaker liked the thought very 
 well. One evening, he and his wife had the 
 clothes ready, and laid them on the table instead 
 of the work they used to cut out. Then they 
 went and hid behind the curtain to watch what 
 the little Elves would do. 
 
 At midnight the Elves came in and were go- 
 ing to sit down at their work as usual; but 
 when they saw the clothes lying there for them, 
 they laughed and were in high glee. They 
 dressed themselves in the twinkling of an eye, 
 and danced and capered and sprang about as 
 merry as could be, till at last they danced out of 
 the door, and over the green. 
 
 The Shoemaker saw them no more, but every-
 
 32 THE STAR-GAZER. 
 
 thing went well with him from that time forward 
 as long as he lived. 
 
 THE ASS IN THE LION'S SKIN. 
 
 THE Ass once dressed himself in the Lion's 
 skin, and went about scaring all the little beasts. 
 He met the Fox, and tried to scare him too, but 
 the Fox stopped, and said : 
 
 " Well, to be sure, I should have been scared 
 like the others, if I had not heard you bray and 
 seen your ears stick out." 
 
 THE STAR-GAZER. 
 
 A CERTAIN wise man was wont to go out every 
 evening and gaze at the stars. Once his walk 
 took him outside of the town, and as he was 
 looking with all his eyes into the sky, and did 
 not see where he was going, he fell into a ditch. 
 
 He was in a sad plight, and set up a cry. A 
 man who was passing by heard him, and stopped 
 to see what was the matter. 
 
 " Ah, sir," said he, " when you are trying to 
 make out what is in the sky, you do not see 
 what is on the earth."
 
 THE BOY WHO STOLE APPLES. 33 
 
 THE BOY AND THE NETTLE. 
 
 A BOY playing in the fields was stung by a 
 Nettle. He ran home to his Mother, and told 
 her that he had but touched the weed, and it 
 had stung him. 
 
 " It was just touching it that stung you," 
 said she. " The next time you meddle with a 
 Nettle, grasp it boldly, and it will not hurt you." 
 
 THE DOG IN THE MANGER. 
 
 A DOG once made his bed in a manger. He 
 could not eat the grain there, and he would not 
 let the Ox eat it, who could. 
 
 THE BOY WHO STOLE APPLES. 
 
 AN Old Man found a rude Boy up in one of 
 his trees, stealing apples, and bade him come 
 down. The young rogue told him plainly that 
 he would not. 
 
 "Won't you?" said the Old Man. "Then 
 I will fetch you down." So he pulled up some 
 tufts of grass and threw them at him ; but this 
 only made the youngster laugh. 
 
 " Well, well," said the Old Man. If neither 
 words nor grass will do, I will try what virtue 
 there is in stones," With that he pelted the
 
 34 HANS IN LUCK. 
 
 Boy heartily with stones, which soon made him 
 clamber down from the tree and beg the Old 
 Man's pardon. 
 
 HANS IN LUCK. 
 
 THE SILVER, THE HORSE, THE COW, AND THE 
 PIG. 
 
 HANS had served his master seven years, and 
 at last said to him : 
 
 " Master, my time is up ; I should like to go 
 home and see my mother; so give me my 
 wages." And the Master said : 
 
 " You have been a good and faithful servant, 
 so your pay shall be handsome." Then he gave 
 him a piece of silver as big as his head. 
 
 Hans took out his handkerchief, put the piece 
 of silver into it, hung it over his shoulder, and 
 jogged off homeward. As he went lazily on, 
 dragging one foot after the other, a man came 
 in sight, trotting along gayly on a capital horse. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Hans aloud, " what a fine thing 
 it is to ride on horseback ! there he sits as if he 
 were at home in his chair ; he trips against no 
 stones, spares his shoes, and gets on he hardly 
 knows how." The Horseman heard this, and 
 said:
 
 HANS IN LUCK. 35 
 
 " Well, Hans, why do you go on foot then ? " 
 
 " Ah," said he, " I have this load to carry ; 
 to be sure it is silver, but it is so heavy that I 
 cannot hold up my head, and it hurts my shoul- 
 'der sadly." 
 
 " What do you say to changing ? " asked the 
 Horseman. " I will give you my horse, and you 
 shall give me your silver." 
 
 " With aU my heart," said Hans. But I 
 will tell you one thing you will have a weary 
 task to drag it along." The Horseman got off, 
 took the silver, helped Hans up, put the bridle 
 into his hand, and said : 
 
 " When you want to go very fast, you must 
 smack your lips, and cry ' Jip.' " 
 
 Hans was delighted as he sat on the horse and 
 rode merrily on. After a time he thought he 
 should like to go a little faster, so he smacked 
 his lips and cried " Jip." Away went the horse 
 full gallop ; Hans held on tightly, but soon he 
 was thrown off, and lay in a ditch by the road- 
 side. His horse would have run away, if a Cow- 
 herd had not stopped it. Hans soon came to 
 himself, and got upon his legs again. He was 
 greatly vexed, and said to the Cowherd : 
 
 " This riding is no joke when a man gets on 
 a beast like this, that stumbles and flings him off 
 and tries to break his neck. However, I am off 
 now once for all. I like your cow a great deal
 
 36 HANS IN LUCK. 
 
 better. I could walk along at my ease behind 
 her, and have milk, butter, and cheese every day 
 into the bargain. What would I give to have 
 such a cow ! " 
 
 " Well," said the Cowherd, " if you are so 
 fond of her, I will change my cow for your 
 horse." 
 
 " Done ! " said Hans merrily. The Cowherd 
 jumped upon the horse and away he rode. 
 Hans drove his cow quietly, and thought his 
 bargain a very lucky one. 
 
 " If I have only a piece of bread and I cer- 
 tainly shall be able to get that I can eat my 
 butter and cheese with it. When I am thirsty I 
 can milk my cow and drink the milk. What can 
 I wish for more ? " 
 
 Now he came to an inn ; he halted, and gave 
 away his last penny for a piece of bread, and ate 
 it. Then he drove his cow toward the village 
 where his mother lived. The heat grew greater 
 as noon came on, till at last he found himself on 
 a wide plain ; it would take him more than an 
 hour to cross the plain. He began to be so hot 
 and parched that his tongue cleaved to the roof 
 of his mouth. 
 
 " I can find a cure for this," thought he ; 
 " now I will milk my cow and quench my thirst." 
 So he tied her to the stump of a tree, and held 
 his leathern cap to milk into it ; but not a drop 
 was to be had.
 
 HANS IN LUCK. 37 
 
 While he was trying his luck and doing very 
 ill, the uneasy beast gave him a kick on the 
 head ; the kick knocked him down, and there he 
 lay a long time senseless. Luckily a Butcher 
 soon came by, wheeling a pig in a wheelbarrow. 
 
 " What is the matter with you ? " asked the 
 Butcher, as he helped him up. Hans told him 
 what had happened, and the Butcher gave him 
 some water. 
 
 " There, drink and refresh yourself. Your 
 cow will give you no milk ; she is an old beast, 
 fit only to be killed and eaten." 
 
 " Alas, alas ! " said Hans. " Who would 
 have thought it ? If I kill her, what would she 
 be good for ? I hate cow-beef ; it is not tender 
 enough for me. If it were a pig now, I could 
 do something with it ; it would at any rate make 
 some sausages." 
 
 " Well, " said the Butcher, " to please you, I 
 will change, and give you the pig for the cow." 
 
 " Heaven reward you for your kindness ! " said 
 Hans, as he gave the Butcher the cow. He 
 took the pig off the wheelbarrow, and drove it 
 along, holding it by the string that was tied to 
 its leg.
 
 38 HANS IN LUCK. 
 
 H. 
 
 THE PIG, THE GOOSE, THE GRINDSTONE, AND 
 NOTHING. 
 
 So on he jogged, and all seemed now to go 
 well with him. He had met with some ill luck, to 
 be sure, but he was now well repaid. The next 
 person he met was a Farmer carrying a fine white 
 goose under his arm. The Farmer stopped to 
 ask what o'clock it was, and Hans told him all 
 his luck, and how he had made so many good 
 bargains. The Farmer said he was going to take 
 the goose to market. 
 
 " Feel," said he, " how heavy it is, and yet it 
 is only eight weeks old. Whoever roasts and 
 eats it may cut plenty of fat off it, it has lived 
 so well." 
 
 " You are right," said Hans, as he weighed 
 the goose in his hand ; " but my pig is no tri- 
 fle." Now the Farmer began to look grave, and 
 shook his head. 
 
 " Hark ye, my good friend," said he. " Your 
 pig may get you into a scrape. In the village I 
 just came from the squire has had a pig stolen 
 out of his sty. I was very much afraid when I 
 saw you that you had the squire's pig. It will 
 be a bad job if they catch you ; the least they 
 will do will be to throw you into the horse 
 pond." Poor Hans was in great fright.
 
 HANS IN LUCK. 39 
 
 " Good man," he cried, " pray get me out of 
 this scrape. You know the country better than 
 I ; take my pig and give me the goose," 
 
 " I ought to have something into the bargain,'' 
 said the Farmer. " However, I will not be hard 
 upon you, since you are in trouble." Then he 
 took the string in his hand, and drove the pig 
 away by a side path, while Hans went on, free 
 from care. 
 
 " After all," thought Hans, " I have the best 
 of the bargain. First, there will be a capital 
 roast ; then the fat will keep me in goose-grease 
 for six months ; and there are all the soft white 
 feathers. I will put them into my pillow, and 
 then I shall sleep soundly. How happy my 
 mother will be ! " 
 
 As he came to the last village on the way, he 
 saw a Scissors-grinder with his wheel, working 
 away and singing merrily. Hans stood by look- 
 ing on for a while, and at last said : 
 
 " You must be well off, Master Grinder, you 
 seem so happy at your work." 
 
 " Yes," said the other ; " mine is a golden 
 trade ; a good grinder never puts his hand into 
 his pocket without finding money. But where 
 did you get that beautiful goose ? " 
 
 " I did not buy it, but changed a pig for it." 
 
 " And where did you get the pig ? " 
 
 " I gave a cow for it."
 
 40 HANS IN LUCK. 
 
 "And the cow?" 
 
 " I gave a horse for it." 
 
 " And the horse ? " 
 
 " I gave a piece of silver as big as my head 
 for that." 
 
 "And the silver?" 
 
 " Oh, I worked hard for that for seven long 
 years." 
 
 " You have done well so far," said the 
 Grinder. " Now if you could find money in 
 your pocket whenever you put your hand into 
 it, your fortune would be made." 
 
 " Very true ; but how is that to be brought 
 about?" 
 
 " You must turn grinder like me. You only 
 want a grindstone ; the rest will come of itself. 
 Here is one that is a little the worse for wear ; I 
 would not ask more than your goose for it ; 
 will you buy ? " 
 
 " How can you ask such a question ? " replied 
 Hans ; " I should be the happiest fellow in the 
 world, if I could have money whenever I put my 
 hand into my pocket. What could I want more ? 
 There is the goose ! " 
 
 " Now," said the Grinder, as he gave him a 
 common rough stone that lay by his side, " this 
 is a capital stone ; only use it cleverly, and you 
 can make an old nail cut with it." Hans took 
 the stone, and went off with a light heart. His 
 eyes shone for joy, and he said to himself :
 
 THE LION AND THE MOUSE. 41 
 
 " I must have been born in a lucky hour. 
 Everything I want or wish for comes to me of 
 itself." 
 
 Now Hans began to be tired, for he had been 
 traveling ever since daybreak. He was hungry, 
 too, for he had spent his last penny. At last 
 he could go no further, for the stone was very 
 heavy. He dragged himself to the side of a 
 pond ; there he meant to drink some water and 
 rest awhile. He laid the stone carefully by his 
 side on the bank, and stooped to drink ; but he 
 forgot the stone and pushed it a little ; down it 
 went plump into the pond. 
 
 For a while he watched it in the deep clear 
 water ; then he sprang up for joy, and again fell 
 on his knees and thanked Heaven with tears in 
 his eyes for taking away his only plague, the 
 ugly heavy stone. 
 
 " How happy I am ! " he cried. " Surely no 
 mortal was ever so lucky as I." Then he got 
 up with a light and merry heart, and walked 
 on, free from all his troubles, till he reached his 
 mother's house. 
 
 THE LION AND THE MOUSE. 
 
 As a Lion lay asleep, a Mouse, by chance, 
 ran into his mouth. The Lion shut his teeth 
 together and would have eaten him up, but the 
 Mouse begged hard to be let out, saying :
 
 42 THE LION AND THE BEAR. 
 
 "If you will let me go, I shall be forever grate- 
 ful." 
 
 The Lion smiled, and let the Mouse out. 
 Not long after, the Mouse had a chance to re- 
 pay him, for the Lion was caught by some hunt-' 
 ers, and bound with ropes to a tree. The 
 Mouse heard him roar and groan, and ran and 
 gnawed the ropes, so that the Lion got free. 
 
 Then the Mouse said : 
 
 " You laughed at me once, Lion, as if you 
 could get nothing in return for your kindness 
 to me, but now it is you who owe your life to 
 me." 
 
 This fable teaches that there may come sud- 
 den changes of fortune, when the strong will 
 owe everything to the weak. 
 
 THE LION AND THE BEAR. 
 
 A LION and a Bear chanced to fall upon a 
 Fawn at the same time, and they began to 
 fight for it. They fought so fiercely that at 
 last they fell down, entirely worn out and al- 
 most dead. 
 
 A Fox, passing that way, saw them stretched 
 out, and the Fawn dead between them. He 
 stole in slyly, seized the Fawn, and ran away 
 with it for his own dinner. When they saw 
 this, they could not stir, but they cried out :
 
 THE DOG AND THE WOLF. 43 
 
 " What wretches we are to take all this trou- 
 ble for the Fox ! " 
 
 This fable teaches that when two people fall 
 to fighting for something, a third person is apt 
 fco get it. 
 
 THE HUNTER AND THE WOODCUTTER. 
 
 A HUNTER was looking for the tracks of a 
 Lion, and he asked a Woodcutter whom he met 
 if he had seen any tracks of a Lion, and if he 
 knew where the Lion was hid. The Woodcutter 
 said: 
 
 " Oh, I can show you the Lion himself." 
 
 Then the Hunter was pale with fright, his 
 teeth chattered, and he said : 
 
 " I only want to see his tracks ; I don't want 
 to see the Lion." 
 
 There are those who are brave with words 
 only, and not with deeds. 
 
 THE DOG AND THE WOLF. 
 
 A DOG was lying asleep in front of a stable. 
 A Wolf suddenly came upon him, and was 
 about to make a meal of him, but the Dog 
 begged for his life, saying : 
 
 " I am lean and tough now ; but wait a little, 
 for my master is going to give a feast, and then
 
 44 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 I shall have plenty to eat ; I shall grow fat, and 
 make a better meal for you." 
 
 So the Wolf agreed, and went away. By and 
 by he came back, and found the Dog asleep on 
 the house-top. He called to him to come down 
 now and do as he had agreed. But the Dog 
 answered : 
 
 " Good Wolf, if you ever catch me again 
 asleep in front of the stable, you had better not 
 wait for the feast to come off." 
 
 This fable teaches that wise men, when they 
 escape danger, take care afterwards not to run 
 the same risk. 
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 THE BEANS ARE PLANTED. 
 
 IN the days of King Alfred a poor woman 
 was living in a country village in England. She 
 had an only son, Jack, who was a good-natured, 
 idle boy. She was too easy with him. She 
 never set him at work, and soon there was 
 nothing left them but their cow. Then the 
 mother began to weep and to think that she 
 had brought up her boy very ill. 
 
 " Cruel boy ! " she said. " You have at last 
 made me a beggar. I have not money enough
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 45 
 
 to buy a bit of bread. We cannot starve. We 
 must sell the cow, and then, what shall we do ? " 
 
 At first Jack felt very badly and wished he 
 had done better. But soon he began to think 
 what fun it would be to sell the cow. He 
 begged his mother to let him go with the cow 
 at once to the nearest village. She was not 
 very willing. She did not believe Jack knew 
 enough to sell a cow, but at last she gave him 
 leave. 
 
 Off went Jack with the cow. He had not 
 gone far when he met a Butcher. 
 
 " Where are you going with your cow ? " 
 asked the Butcher. 
 
 "I am going to sell it," said Jack. The 
 Butcher, as they talked, held his hat in his 
 hand and shook it. Jack looked into the hat 
 and saw some odd-looking beans. The Butcher 
 saw him eye them. He knew how silly Jack 
 was, so he said to him : 
 
 " Well, if you wish to sell your cow, sell her 
 to me. I will give you all these beans for her." 
 
 Jack thought this a fine bargain. He gave 
 the Butcher the cow and took the beans. He 
 ran all the way home and could hardly wait to 
 reach the house. He called out to his mother 
 to see what he had got for the cow. 
 
 When the poor woman saw only a few beans, 
 she burst into tears. She was so vexed that she
 
 46 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 threw the beans out of the window. She did 
 not even cook them for supper. They had 
 nothing else to eat and they went to bed hungry. 
 
 Jack awoke early the next morning and thought 
 it very dark. He went to the window and could 
 hardly see out of it, for it was covered with 
 something green. He ran down stairs and into 
 the garden. There he saw a strange sight. 
 
 The beans had taken root and shot up toward 
 the clouds. The stalks were as thick as trees, 
 and were wound about each other. It was like 
 a green ladder, and Jack at once wished to 
 climb to the top. 
 
 He ran in to tell his mother, but she begged 
 him not to climb the bean-stalk. She did not 
 know what woidd happen. She was afraid to 
 have him go. Who ever saw such bean-stalks 
 before ? 
 
 But Jack had set his heart on climbing, and 
 he told his mother not to be afraid. He would 
 soon see what it all meant. So up he climbed. 
 He climbed for hours. He went higher and 
 higher, and at last, quite tired out, he reached 
 the top. 
 
 II. 
 
 JACK CAPTURES A HEN. 
 
 THEN he looked about him. It was all new. 
 He had never seen such a place before. There
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 47 
 
 was not a tree or plant ; there was no house or 
 shed. Some stones lay here and there, and 
 there were little piles of earth. He could not 
 see a living person. 
 
 Jack sat down on one of the stones. He 
 wished he were at home again. He thought of 
 his mother. He was hungry, and he did not 
 know where to get anything to eat. He walked 
 and walked, and hoped he might see a house. 
 
 He saw no house, but at last he saw, far off, 
 a lady walking alone. He ran toward her, and 
 when he came near, he pulled off his cap and 
 made a bow. She was a beautiful lady, and 
 she carried in her hand a stick. A peacock of 
 fine gold sat on top of the stick. 
 
 The lady smiled and asked Jack how he came 
 there. He told her all about the bean-stalk. 
 Then she said : 
 
 " Do you remember your father ? " 
 
 " No," said Jack. " I do not know what 
 became of him. When I speak of him to my 
 mother, she cries, but she tells me nothing." 
 
 " She dare not," said the lady, " but I will 
 tell you. I am a fairy. I was set to take care 
 of your father, but one day I was careless. So 
 I lost my power for a few years, and just when 
 your father needed me most I could not help 
 him, and he died." 
 
 Jack saw that she was very sorry as she told 
 this story, but he begged her to go on.
 
 48 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 " I will," she said, " and you may now help 
 your mother. But you must do just as I tell 
 you." 
 
 Jack promised. 
 
 " Your father was a good, kind man. He 
 had a good wife, he had money, and he had 
 friends. But he had one false friend. This 
 was a Giant. Your father had once helped this 
 Giant, but the Giant was cruel. He killed your 
 father and took all his money. And he told 
 your mother she must never tell you about your 
 father. If she did, then the Giant would kill 
 her and kill you too. 
 
 " You were a little child then, and your 
 mother carried you away in her arms. I could 
 not help her at the tune, but my power came 
 back to me yesterday. So I made you go off 
 with the cow, and I made you take the beans, 
 and I made you climb the bean-stalk. 
 
 " This is the land where the Giant lives. You 
 must find him and rid the world of him. All 
 that he has is yours, for he took it from your 
 father. Now go. You must keep on this road 
 till you see a great house. The Giant lives there. 
 I cannot tell you what you must do next, but 
 I will help you when the tune comes ; but you 
 must not tell your mother anything." 
 
 The fairy disappeared and Jack set out. He 
 walked all day, and when the sun set, he came to
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 49 
 
 the Giant's house. He went up to it and saw 
 a plain woman by the door. This was the Gi- 
 ant's wife. Jack spoke to her and asked her 
 if she would give him something to eat and a 
 place where he could sleep. 
 
 "What!" she said. "Do you not know? 
 My husband is a Giant. He is away now, but 
 he will be back soon. Sometimes he walks fifty 
 miles in a day to see if he can find a man or 
 a boy. He eats people. He will eat you if he 
 finds you here." 
 
 Jack was in great fear, but he would not 
 give up. He asked the Giant's wife to hide him 
 somewhere in the house. She was a kind wo- 
 man, so she led him in. They went through 
 a great hall, and then through some large rooms. 
 All was grand and gloomy. They came to a 
 dark passage, and went through it. There was 
 a little light, and Jack could see bars of iron 
 at the side. Behind the bars were wretched 
 people. They were the prisoners of the Giant. 
 
 Poor Jack thought of his mother and wished 
 himself at home again. He began to think 
 the Giant's wife was as bad as the Giant, and 
 had brought him in to shut him up here. Then 
 he thought of his father and marched boldly on. 
 
 They came to a room where a table was set. 
 Jack sat down and began to eat. He was very 
 hungry and soon forgot his fears. But while
 
 50 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 he was eating, there came a loud knock at the 
 outside door. It was so loud that the whole 
 house shook. The Giant's wife turned pale. 
 
 "What shall I do?" she cried. "It is the 
 Giant. He will kill you and kill me too ! What 
 shall I do?" 
 
 " Hide me in the oven," said Jack. There 
 was no fire under it, and Jack lay in the oven 
 and looked out. The Giant came in and scolded 
 his wife, and then he sat down and ate and drank 
 for a long time. Jack thought he never would 
 finish. At last the Giant leaned back in his 
 chair and called out in a great loud voice : 
 
 " Bring me my hen ! " 
 
 His wife brought a beautiful hen and placed 
 it on the table. 
 
 " Lay ! " roared the Giant, and the hen laid an 
 egg of solid gold. 
 
 " Lay another ! " and the hen laid another. 
 So it went on. Each time the hen laid a 
 larger egg than before. The Giant played with 
 the hen for some time. Then he sent his wife 
 to bed, but he sat in his chair. Soon he fell 
 asleep, and then Jack crept out of the oven and 
 seized the hen. He ran out of the house and 
 down the road. He kept on till he came again 
 to the bean-stalk, and climbed down to his old 
 home.
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 51 
 
 III. 
 
 JACK'S mother was very glad to see him. She 
 was afraid that he had come to some ill end. 
 
 " Not a bit of it, mother," said he. " Look 
 here ! " and he showed her the hen. " Lay ! " 
 he said to the hen, and the hen laid an egg 
 of gold. 
 
 Jack and his mother now had all they needed, 
 for they had only to teU the hen to lay, and 
 she laid her golden egg. They sold the egg 
 and had money enough. But Jack kept think- 
 ing of his father, and he longed to make anothei 
 trial. He had told his mother about the Giant 
 and his wife, but he had said nothing about 
 the fairy and his father. 
 
 His mother begged Jack not to climb the bean- 
 stalk again. She said the Giant's wife would be 
 sure to know him, and he never would come 
 back alive. Jack said nothing, but he put on 
 some other clothes and stained his face and 
 hands another color. Then one morning he 
 rose early and climbed the bean-stalk a second 
 tune. 
 
 He went now straight to the Giant's house. 
 The Giant's wife was again at the door, but she 
 did not know him. He begged for food and a
 
 52 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 place to sleep. She told him about the Giant, 
 and then she said : 
 
 " There was once a boy who came just as you 
 have come. I let him in, and he stole the 
 Giant's hen and ran away. Ever since the 
 Giant has been very cruel to me. No, I cannot 
 let you come in." 
 
 But Jack begged so hard that at last she let 
 him in. She led him through the house, and 
 he saw just what he saw before. She gave him 
 something to eat, and then she hid him in a 
 closet. The Giant came along in his heavy 
 boots. He was so big, that the house shook. 
 He sat by the fire for a time. Then he looked 
 about and said : 
 
 " Wife, I smeU fresh meat." 
 
 " Yes," she said. " The crows have been fly- 
 ing about. They left some raw meat on top 
 of the house." Then she made haste and got 
 some supper for the Giant. He kept talking 
 about his hen, and was very cross. So it went 
 on as before. The Giant ate and drank. Then 
 he called to his wife : 
 
 " Bring me something. I want to be amused. 
 You let that rascal steal my hen. Bring me 
 something." 
 
 " What shall I bring ? " she asked meekly. 
 
 " Bring me my money - bags ; they are as 
 heavy as anything." So she tugged two great
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 53 
 
 bags to the table. One was full of silver and 
 
 o 
 
 one was full of gold. The Giant sent his wife 
 to bed. Then he untied the strings, emptied his 
 bags, and counted his money. Jack watched 
 him, and said to himself : 
 f " That is my father's money." 
 
 By and by the Giant was tired. He put the 
 money back into the bags and tied the strings, 
 and then he went to sleep. He had a dog to 
 watch his money, but Jack did not see the 
 dog. So when the Giant was sound asleep, Jack 
 came out of the closet and laid hold of the 
 
 At this the dog barked, and Jack thought his 
 end had come. But the Giant did not wake, 
 and Jack just then saw a bit of meat. He gave 
 it to the dog, and while the dog was eating it, 
 Jack took the two bags and was off. 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE HARP. 
 
 IT was two whole days before he could reach 
 the bean-stalk, for the bags' were very heavy. 
 Then he climbed down with them. But when 
 he came to his house the door was locked. No 
 one was inside, and he knew not what to do. 
 
 After a while he found an old woman who
 
 54 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 showed him where his mother was. She was 
 very sick in another house. The poor thing had 
 been made ill by Jack's going away, but now 
 that he had come back, she began to get well, and 
 soon she was in her own house again. 
 
 Jack said no more about the Giant and the 
 bean-stalk. For three years he lived with his 
 mother. They had money enough, and all 
 seemed well. But Jack could not forget his 
 father. He sat all day before the bean-stalk. 
 His mother tried hard to amuse him, and she 
 tried to find out what he was thinking about. 
 He did not tell her, for he knew all would then 
 go wrong. 
 
 At last he could bear it no longer. He had 
 changed in looks now, and he changed himself 
 still more. Then, one bright summer morning, 
 very early in the day, he climbed the bean-stalk 
 once more. The Giant's wife did not know him 
 when he came to the door of the house, but he 
 had hard work to make her let him in. 
 
 This time he was hidden in the copper boiler. 
 The Giant again came home, and was in a great 
 rage. 
 
 " I smell fresh meat ! " he cried. His wife 
 could do nothing with him, and he began to go 
 about the room. He looked into the oven, and 
 into the closet, and then he came to the great 
 boiler. Jack felt his heart stop. He thought
 
 JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 55 
 
 now his end had coine, surely. But the Giant 
 did not lift the lid. He sat down by the fire 
 and had his supper. 
 
 When supper was over, the Giant told his 
 wife to bring his harp. Jack peeped out of the 
 copper and saw a most beautiful harp. The 
 Giant placed it on the table, and said : 
 
 "Play!" 
 
 Jack never heard such music as the harp 
 played. No hands touched it. It played all by 
 itself. He thought he would rather have this 
 harp than the hen or all the money. By and by 
 the harp played the Giant to sleep. Then Jack 
 crept out and seized the harp. He was running 
 off with it, when some one called loudly : 
 
 "Master! Master!" 
 
 It was the harp, but Jack would not let it go. 
 The Giant started up, and saw Jack with the 
 harp running down the road. 
 
 " Stop, you rascal ! " he shouted. " You 
 stole my hen and my money-bags. Do you 
 steal my harp ? I '11 catch you, and I '11 break 
 every bone in your body ! " 
 
 " Catch me if you can ! " said Jack. He 
 knew he could run faster than the Giant. Off 
 they went, Jack and the harp, and the Giant 
 after them. Jack came to the bean-stalk. The 
 harp was all the while playing music, but now 
 Jack said :
 
 56 THE WOLF AND THE GOAT. 
 
 " Stop ! " and the harp stopped playing. He 
 hurried down the bean-stalk with the harp. 
 There sat his mother, by the cottage, weeping. 
 
 " Do not cry, mother," he said. " Quick, 
 bring me a hatchet ! Make haste ! " He knew 
 there was not a minute to spare. The Giant 
 was already coming down. He was half-way 
 down when Jack took his hatchet and cut the 
 bean-stalk down, close to its roots. Over fell 
 the bean-stalk, and down came the Giant upon 
 the ground. He was killed on the spot. 
 
 In a moment the fairy was seen. She told 
 Jack's mother everything, and how brave he had 
 been. And that was the end. The bean-stalk 
 never grew again. 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE GOAT. 
 
 A WOLF saw a Goat feeding upon the edge of 
 a steep rock, where he could not get at her. 
 
 " Come down lower," said he ; " the grass is 
 much richer here where I am." 
 
 " Thank you, good sir," said the Goat ; " you 
 are not inviting me to feed myself, but to be 
 food for you."
 
 THE FARMER'S SONS. 57 
 
 THE STAG AND THE LION. 
 
 A THIRSTY Stag came to a spring to drink ; 
 as he drank, he looked into the water and saw 
 himself. He was very proud of his horns, when 
 he saw how big they were and what branches 
 they had ; but he looked at his feet, and took it 
 hard that they should be so thin and weak. 
 
 Now, while he was thinking about these 
 things, a Lion sprang out and began to chase 
 him. The Stag turned and ran, and as he was 
 very fleet he outran the Lion so long as they 
 were on the open plain ; but when they came to 
 a piece of woods, the Stag's horns became caught 
 in the branches of the trees. He could not run, 
 and the Lion caught up with him. 
 
 As the Lion fell upon him with his claws, the 
 Stag cried out : 
 
 " What a wretch am I ! I was made safe by 
 the very parts I scorned, and have come to my 
 end by the parts I gloried in ! " 
 
 THE FARMER'S SONS. 
 
 A FARMER'S Sons once fell out. The Farmer 
 tried to make peace between -them, but though 
 he used many words, he could do nothing. 
 Then he bade them bring him some sticks. 
 These he tied together into a bundle, and gave
 
 58 THE TWO PACKS. 
 
 the bundle in turn to each of his Sons, and told 
 him to break it. Each son tried, but could not. 
 Then he untied the bundle and gave them 
 each one stick to break ; this they did easily, 
 and he said : " So is it with you, my Sons. If 
 you are all of the same mind, your enemies can 
 do you no harm ; but if you quarrel, they will 
 easily get the better of you." 
 
 THE FOX IN THE WELL. 
 
 AN unlucky Fox dropped into a well, and 
 cried out for help. A Wolf overheard him, and 
 looked down to see what the matter was. 
 
 " Ah ! " says the Fox, " pray lend a hand, 
 friend, and get me out of this." 
 
 " Poor creature," says the Wolf, " how did 
 this come about? How long hast thou been 
 here ? Thou must be mighty cold." 
 
 " Come, come," says the Fox, " this is no time 
 for pitying and asking questions ; get me out 
 of the well first, and I will tell you all about it 
 afterwards." 
 
 THE TWO PACKS. 
 
 EVERY man carries two Packs, one in front, 
 the other behind, and each is full of faults. 
 But the one in front holds other people's faults, 
 the one behind holds his own. And so it is 
 that men do not see their own faults at all, but 
 see very clearly the faults of others.
 
 PUSS IN BOOTS. 59 
 
 PUSS IN BOOTS. 
 
 Li 
 PUSS GOES A-HUNTING. 
 
 THERE was once an old miller, and when he 
 came to die he left nothing to his three sons 
 except his mill, an ass, and a cat. The eldest 
 son took the mill., the second son took the ass, 
 and so the cat fell to the youngest. This poor 
 fellow looked very sober, and said : 
 
 " What am I to do ? My brothers can take 
 care of themselves with a mill and an ass ; but 
 I can only eat the cat and sell his skin. Then 
 what will be left? I shall die of hunger." 
 The cat heard these words and looked up at his 
 master. 
 
 " Do not be troubled," he said. " Only give 
 me a bag and get me a pair of boots, and I will 
 soon show you what I can do." 
 
 The young man did not see what the cat could 
 do, but he knew he could do many strange 
 things. He had seen him hang stiff by his hind 
 legs as if he were dead ; he had seen him hide 
 himself in the meal tub. Oh ! the cat was a 
 wise one ! Besides, what else was there for the 
 young man to do ? 
 
 So he got for the cat a bag and a pair of
 
 60 PUSS IN BOOTS. 
 
 boots. Puss drew on the boots and hung the 
 bag about his neck. Then he took hold of the 
 two strings of the bag with his fore paws and 
 set off for a place where there were some rabbits. 
 
 He filled his bag with bran and left the mouth 
 of the bag open. Then he lay down, shut his 
 eyes, and seemed to be sound asleep. Soon a 
 young rabbit smelled the bran and saw the open 
 bag. He went headlong into it, and at once the 
 cat drew the strings and caught the rabbit. 
 
 Puss now went to the palace, and asked to 
 speak to the king. So he was brought before 
 the king, and he made a low bow and said : 
 
 " Sire, this is a rabbit which my master bade 
 me bring to you." 
 
 " And who is your master ? " 
 
 " He is the Marquis of Carabas," said the cat, 
 bowing low. This was a title which Puss took 
 it into his head to give to his master. 
 
 " Tell your master that I accept his gift," 
 said the king, and Puss went off in his boots. 
 In a few days he hid himself with his bag in a 
 cornfield. This time he caught two partridges, 
 and carried them as before to the king. The 
 king sent his thanks to the Marquis of Carabas, 
 and made a present to Puss. 
 
 So things went on for some time. Every 
 week Puss brought some game to the king, and 
 the king began to think the Marquis of Carabas
 
 PUSS IN BOOTS. 61 
 
 a famous hunter. Now it chanced that the 
 king and his daughter were about to take a 
 drive along the banks of a river. Puss heard of 
 it and went to his master. 
 
 " Master," said he, " do just as I tell you, and 
 your fortune will be made. You need only go 
 and bathe in the river at a spot I shall point 
 out, and leave the rest to me." 
 
 " Very well," said his master He did as the 
 cat told him, but he did not know what it all 
 meant. While he was in the river, the king 
 and the princess drove by. Puss jumped out of 
 the bushes and began to bawl : 
 
 " Help ! help ! the Marquis of Carabas is 
 drowning ! save him ! " The king heard and 
 looked out of his carriage. There he saw the 
 cat that had brought him so much game, and he 
 bade his men run to help the Marquis. When 
 he was out of the river, Puss came forward, and 
 told what had happened. 
 
 " My master was bathing and some robbers 
 came and stole his clothes. I ran after them 
 and cried ' Stop thief ! ' but they got away. 
 Then my master was carried beyond his depth, 
 and would have drowned, if you had not come 
 by with your men." 
 
 At this the king bade one of his servants ride 
 back and bring a fine suit of clothes for the 
 Marquis, and they all waited. So, at last, the
 
 62 PUSS IN BOOTS. 
 
 Marquis of Carabas came up to the carriage, 
 dressed much more finely than he ever had been 
 in his life. He was a handsome fellow, and he 
 looked so well that the king at once bade him 
 enter the carriage. 
 
 n. 
 
 PUSS AND THE LION. 
 
 Puss now had things quite to his mind. He 
 ran on before and came to a meadow, where 
 some men were mowing grass. He stopped be- 
 fore them, and said : 
 
 " I say, good folks, the king is coming this 
 way. You must tell him that this field belongs 
 to the Marquis of Carabas, or you shall ah 1 be 
 chopped as fine as mince-meat." When the 
 carriage came by, the king put his head out, and 
 said to the men : 
 
 " This is good grass land. Who owns it ? " 
 
 " The Marquis of Carabas," they all said, for 
 Puss had thrown them into a great fright. 
 
 " You have a fine estate, Marquis," said the 
 king. 
 
 " Yes, Sire," he replied, tossing his head ; " it 
 pays me well." Puss still ran before the car- 
 riage and came soon to some reapers. 
 
 " I say," he cried, " mind you tell the king
 
 PUSS IN BOOTS. 63 
 
 that all this grain belongs to the Marquis of 
 Carabas, or you shall all be chopped as fine as 
 mince-meat." The king now came by and asked 
 the reapers who owned the grain they were cut- 
 ting. 
 
 " The Marquis of Carabas," they said. So it 
 went on. Puss bade the men in the fields call 
 the Marquis of Carabas their lord, or it would 
 go hard with them. The king was amazed. 
 The Marquis toek it all with a grand air, and 
 it was easy to see that he was a very rich and 
 great man indeed. The princess sat in the cor- 
 ner of the carriage, and thought the Marquis 
 no mean fellow. 
 
 At last they drew near the castle of the one 
 who really owned all the fields they had passed 
 through. Puss asked about him and found he 
 was a monster who made every one about him 
 very much afraid. Puss sent in word that he 
 should like to pay his respects, and the monster 
 bade him come in. 
 
 " I have been told," said Puss, " that you can 
 change yourself into any kind of animal. They 
 say you can even make yourself a lion." 
 
 " To be sure I can," said the monster, sharply. 
 " Do you not believe it ? Look, and you shall 
 see me become a lion at once." When Puss saw 
 a lion before him, he was thrown into a great 
 fright, and got as far away as he could. There 
 he stayed till the lion became a monster again.
 
 64 PUSS IN BOOTS. 
 
 "That was dreadful!" said Puss. "I was 
 nearly dead with fear. But it must be much 
 harder to make yourself small. They do say 
 that you can turn into a mouse, but I do not 
 believe it." 
 
 " Not believe it ! " cried the monster. You 
 shall see ! " So he made himself at once into a 
 mouse, and began running over the floor. In a 
 twinkling Puss pounced upon him and gave him 
 one shake. That was the end of the monster. 
 
 By this time the king had reached the gates 
 of the castle, and thought he would like to see 
 so fine a place. Puss heard the wheels and ran 
 down just as the king drove up to the door. 
 
 " Welcome ! " he said, as he stood on the steps 
 of the castle. "Welcome to the castle of the 
 Marquis of Carabas ! " 
 
 " What ! my lord Marquis," said the king, 
 " does this castle, too, belong to you ? I never 
 saw anything so fine. I should really like to 
 enter." 
 
 " Your majesty is welcome ! " said the young 
 man, bowing low, taking off the cap which the 
 king had given him. Then he gave his hand to 
 the princess, and they went up the steps. Puss 
 danced before them in his boots. 
 
 They came into a great hall, and there they 
 found a feast spread. The monster had asked 
 some friends to dine with him that day, but the
 
 THE FARMER AND THE STORK. 65 
 
 news went about that the king was at the castle, 
 and so they dared not go. 
 
 The king was amazed at all he saw, and the 
 princess went behind him, just as much pleased. 
 The Marquis of Carabas said little. He held his 
 nead high and played with his sword. 
 
 When dinner was over, the king took the 
 marquis one side, and said : 
 
 " You have only to say the word, my lord 
 Marquis, and you shall be the son-in-law of your 
 king." 
 
 So the marquis married the princess, and Puss 
 in Boots became a great lord, and hunted mice 
 for mere sport, just when he pleased. 
 
 THE FARMER AND THE STORK. 
 
 A FARMER set a net in his field to catch the 
 Cranes that were eating his grain. He caught 
 the Cranes, and with them a Stork also. The 
 Stork was lame, and begged the Farmer to let 
 him go. 
 
 " I am not a Crane," he said. " I am a Stork. 
 I am a very good bird, and take care of my 
 father and mother. Look at the color of my 
 skin ; it is not the same as the Crane's." 
 
 But the Farmer said : " I do not know how 
 that is. I caught you with the Cranes, and 
 with the Cranes you must die."
 
 66 THE GOOSE THAT LAID GOLDEN EGGS. 
 
 It is well to keep out of the way of wicked 
 people, lest we fall into the trap with them. 
 
 THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. 
 
 A Fox, who was hungry, found some bunches 
 of grapes upon a vine high up a tree. He 
 longed to get at them, but could not. So he 
 left them hanging there and went off, saying to 
 himself : 
 
 " They are sour grapes." 
 
 That is what people sometimes do when they 
 cannot get what they want ; they make believe 
 that what they want is good for nothing. 
 
 THE GOOSE THAT LAID GOLDEN EGGS. 
 
 THERE was a man who once had a Goose 
 that always laid golden eggs, one every day in 
 the year. 
 
 Now, he thought there must be gold inside of 
 her ; so he wrung her neck and laid her open, 
 and found that she was exactly like all other 
 geese. He thought to find riches, and lost the 
 little he had. 
 
 This fable teaches that one should be content 
 with what he has, and not be greedy.
 
 THE MAN AND THE LION. 67 
 
 THE DOG AND HIS IMAGE. 
 
 A DOG, with a bit of meat in his mouth, was 
 crossing a river. Looking down he saw his 
 image in the water, and thought it was another 
 dog, with a bigger piece. So he dropped what 
 he had, and jumped into the water after the 
 other piece. Thus he lost both pieces : the one 
 he really had, which he dropped ; and the one 
 he wanted, which was no piece at all. 
 
 This is a good fable for greedy people. 
 
 THE MAN AND THE LION. 
 
 A LION was once going along the road with a 
 Man, and each was telling large stories. By 
 and by they came upon the statue, by the road- 
 side, of a man with his hand upon a lion's throat. 
 The Man pointed to it, and said : 
 
 " There ! see how much stronger we are than 
 you ! We are the masters of animals." 
 
 But the Lion said quickly : 
 
 " That is the way these things are done by 
 you, but if lions knew how to carve in stone, 
 you would see the lion there with his paw on 
 the man's neck."
 
 TOM THUMB. 
 
 I. 
 TOM IS SOLD FOR A BARGAIN. 
 
 A POOR woodman once sat by the fire in his 
 cottage, and his wife sat by his side, spinning. 
 
 " How lonely it is," said he, " for you and me 
 to sit here by ourselves without any children to 
 play about and amuse us." 
 
 " What you say is very true," said his wife, as 
 she turned her wheel. " How happy should I be, 
 if I had but one child. If it were ever so small, 
 if it were no bigger than my thumb, I should be 
 very happy and love it dearly." 
 
 Now it came to pass that the good woman had 
 her wish, for some time afterward she had a lit- 
 tle boy who was healthy and strong, but not 
 much bigger than her thumb. So they said : 
 
 " Well, we cannot say we have not got what 
 we wished for, and, little as he is, we will love 
 him dearly ! " and they called him Tom Thumb. 
 They gave him plenty to eat, yet he never grew 
 bigger, but remained just the same size as when 
 he was born ; still his eyes were sharp and spark* 
 ling, and he soon showed himself to be a bright 
 little fellow, who always knew what he was 
 about
 
 TOM THUMB. 69 
 
 One day the woodman was getting ready to 
 go into the wood to cut fuel, and he said : 
 
 " I wish I had some one to bring the cart af- 
 ter me, for I want to make haste." 
 
 " father," cried Tom, " I will take care of 
 that ; the cart shall be in the wood by the time 
 you want it." The woodman laughed and 
 said : 
 
 " How can that be ? You cannot reach up 
 to the horse's bridle." 
 
 " Never mind that, father. If my mother will 
 only harness the horse, I will get into his ear, 
 and tell him which way to go." 
 
 " Well," said the father, we will try for 
 once." 
 
 When the time came, the mother harnessed 
 the horse to the cart, and put Tom into his ear. 
 There the little man sat and told the beast how 
 to go, crying out, " Go on," and " Stop," as he 
 wanted. So the horse went on just as if the 
 woodman were driving it himself. 
 
 It happened that the horse fell to trotting too 
 fast, and Tom called out, " Gently, gently." 
 Just then two strangers came up. 
 
 " How odd it is," one of them said. " There 
 is a cart going along, and I hear a carter talking 
 to the horse, but I see no one." 
 
 " That is strange," said the other. " Let us 
 follow the cart and see where it goes." They
 
 70 TOM THUMB. 
 
 went on into the wood, and came at last to the 
 place where the woodman was. The cart drove 
 up and Tom said : 
 
 " See, father, here I am with the cart, safe 
 and sound. Now, take me down." 
 
 So his father took hold of the horse with one 
 hand, and lifted his son down with the other. 
 He put him on a little stick, where he was as 
 merry as you please. The two strangers looked 
 on and saw it all, and did not know what to say 
 for wonder. At last one took the other aside 
 and said : 
 
 " That little chap will make our fortune if we 
 can get him, and carry him about from town to 
 town as a show. We must buy him." Then 
 they went to the woodman and asked him what 
 he would take for the little man. " He will be 
 better off with us than with you," they said. 
 
 " I '11 not sell him at all," said the father. 
 " My own flesh and blood is dearer to me than 
 all the silver and gold in the world." 
 
 But Tom heard what was said, and crept up 
 his father's coat to his shoulder, and spoke in 
 his ear : 
 
 " Take the money, father, and let them have 
 me. I '11 soon come back to you." So the 
 woodman at last agreed to sell Tom Thumb to 
 the strangers for a large piece of gold. 
 
 " Where do you like to sit ? " one of them 
 asked Tom.
 
 TOM THUMB. 71 
 
 " Oh, put me on the rim of your hat ; that 
 will be a nice place for me. I can walk about 
 there and see the country as we go along." 
 
 They did as he wished. Tom took leave of 
 his father, and went off with the two strangers. 
 They kept on their way till it began to grow 
 dark. Then Tom said : 
 
 " Let me get down, I am tired." So the man 
 took off his hat, and set him down on a lump of 
 earth in a ploughed field, by the side of the road. 
 But Tom ran about among the furrows, and at 
 last slipped into an old mouse-hole. 
 
 "Good -night, masters. I'm off," said he. 
 "Look sharp after me next time." They ran 
 to the place and poked the ends of their sticks 
 into the mouse -hole, but all in vain. Tom 
 crawled farther in. They could not get him, and 
 as it was now quite dark they went away very 
 cross. ( 
 
 II. 
 
 HOW TOM FRIGHTENED THE THIEVES. 
 
 WHEN Tom found they were gone, he crept 
 out of his hiding-place. 
 
 " How dangerous it is," said he, " to walk 
 about in this ploughed field. If I were to fall 
 from one of those big lumps I should surely 
 break my neck." At last, by good luck, he 
 found a large, empty snail-shell.
 
 72 TOM THUMB. 
 
 " This is lucky," said he. " I can sleep here 
 very well," and in he crept. Just as he was 
 falling asleep he heard two men pass by, and one 
 said to the other : 
 
 "How shall we manage to steal that rich 
 farmer's silver and gold?" 
 
 "I'll tell you! "cried Tom. 
 
 " What noise was that ? I am sure I heard 
 some one speak," said the thief. He was in a 
 great fright. They both stood listening, and 
 Tom spoke up : 
 
 " Take me with you, and I will soon show you 
 how to get the farmer's money." 
 
 " But where are you ? " 
 
 " Look about on the ground, and listen where 
 the sound comes from." 
 
 " What a little chap ! What can you do for 
 us?" 
 
 "Why, I can get between the iron window 
 bars, and throw you out whatever you want." 
 
 " That is a good thought. Come along ; we 
 will see what you can do." 
 
 When they came to the farmer's house, Tom 
 slipped through the bars into the room, and then 
 called out as loud as he could : 
 
 " Will you have all that is here? " 
 
 " Softly, softly ! " said the thieves. " Speak 
 low, or you will wake somebody." 
 
 Tom made as if he did not understand them, 
 and bawled out again :
 
 TOM THUMB. 73 
 
 " How much will you have ? Shall I throw 
 it all out?" 
 
 Now the cook lay in the next room, and 
 hearing a noise, she raised herself in her bed 
 and listened. But the thieves had been thrown 
 into a fright and had run away. By and by 
 they plucked up courage, and said : 
 
 " That little fellow is only trying to make 
 fools of us." So they came back and spoke low 
 to him, saying : " Now let us have no more of 
 your jokes, but throw out some of the money." 
 Then Tom called out again as loud as he 
 could : 
 
 " Very weU ! Hold your hands ; here it 
 comes." 
 
 The cook heard this plainly ; she sprang out 
 of bed, and ran to open the door. The thieves 
 were off as if a wolf were after them, and the 
 cook could see nothing in the dark. So she 
 went back for a light, and while she was gone, 
 Tom slipped off into the barn. 
 
 The cook looked about and searched every 
 hole and corner, but found nobody; she went 
 back to bed, and thought she must have been 
 dreaming with her eyes open. Tom crawled 
 about in the hayloft, and at last found a good 
 place to rest in. He meant to sleep till day- 
 light, and then find his way home to his father 
 and mother.
 
 74 TOM THUMB. 
 
 m. 
 
 INSIDE A COW. 
 
 POOR Tom Thumb! his troubles were onh 
 begun. The cook got up early to feed the cows. 
 She went straight to the hayloft, and carried 
 away a large bundle of hay, with the little man 
 in the middle of it fast asleep. He slept on and 
 did not wake till he found himself in the mouth 
 of a cow. She had taken him up with a mouth- 
 ful of hay. 
 
 " Dear me," said he, " how did I manage to 
 tumble into the mill ? " But he soon found out 
 where he really was, and he had to keep all his 
 wits about him, or he would have fallen between 
 the cow's teeth, and then he would have been 
 crushed to death. At last he went down into 
 her stomach. 
 
 " It is rather dark here," said he ; " they for- 
 got to build windows in this room to let the sun 
 in ; a candle would be no bad thing." Thus he 
 made the best of his bad luck, but he did not 
 like his resting place at all. The worst of it was, 
 that more and more hay was always coming 
 down, and there was less and less room to turn 
 round in. At last he cried out as loud as he 
 could : 
 
 " Don't bring me any more hay ! don't bring
 
 TOM THUMB. 75 
 
 me any more hay ! " The cook happened just 
 then to be milking the cow. She heard some 
 one speak, but she saw nobody. Yet she was 
 sure it was the same voice she had heard in the 
 night. It put her into such a fright that she 
 fell off her stool and upset her milk-pail. She 
 ran off as fast as she could to the farmer, and 
 said : 
 
 " Sir, sir, the cow is talking." But the 
 farmer said : 
 
 " Woman, thou art surely mad." Still, he 
 went with her into the cow-house, to see what 
 was the matter. Just as they went in, Tom 
 cried out again : 
 
 " Don't bring me any more hay ! don't bring 
 me any more hay ! " Then the farmer was in a 
 fright. He was sure the cow must be mad, so 
 he gave orders to have her killed at once. The 
 cow was killed, and the stomach with Tom in it 
 was thrown into the barnyard. 
 
 IV. 
 
 SAFE AT HOME AGAIN. 
 
 TOM soon set himself to work to get out, and 
 that was not a very easy task. But at last, just 
 as he made room to get his head out, a new ill 
 befell him. A hungry wolf was prowling about,
 
 76 TOM THUMB. 
 
 and at that moment seized the stomach with 
 Tom in it, and swallowed it. Off he ran, but 
 Tom was not cast down. He began to chat 
 with the wolf, and caUed out : 
 
 " My good friend, I can show you a famous 
 treat." 
 
 "Where is that?" 
 
 " In the house near the wood. You can 
 crawl through the drain into the kitchen, and 
 there you will find cakes, ham, beef, and every- 
 thing that is nice." Now, this was the house 
 where Tom Thumb lived. The wolf did not 
 need to be asked twice. That very night he 
 went to the house and crawled through the drain 
 into the kitchen, and there he ate and drank to 
 his heart's content. 
 
 After a while he had eaten so much that he 
 was ready to go away. But now he could not 
 squeeze through the drain. This was just what 
 Tom had thought of, and the little chap set up 
 a great shout. 
 
 " Will you be quiet ? " said the wolf. " You 
 will wake everybody in the house." 
 
 " What is that to me ? " said the little man, 
 " You have had your frolic ; now 1 have a mind 
 to be merry myself ; " and he began again to 
 sing and shout as loud as he could. 
 
 The woodman and his wife were awakened by 
 the noise, and peeped through a crack into the
 
 TOM THUMB. 77 
 
 kitchen. When they saw a wolf there, you 
 may be sure they were in a great fright. The 
 woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a 
 scythe. 
 
 " Now, do you stay behind," said the wood- 
 man. " When I have knocked the wolf on the 
 head, you run at him with the scythe." Tom 
 heard all this, and said : 
 
 " Father ! father ! I am here. The wolf has 
 swallowed me." 
 
 " Now, Heaven be praised ! " said the wood- 
 man. " We have found our dear child again. 
 Do not use the scythe, wife, for you may hurt 
 him." Then he aimed a great blow, and struck 
 the wolf on the head, and killed him at once. 
 They opened him, and set Tom Thumb free. 
 
 " Ah ! " said his father, " what fears we have 
 had for you ! " 
 
 " Yes, father," he answered. " I have trav- 
 eled all over the world since we parted, and now 
 I am very glad to get fresh air again." 
 
 " Why, where have you been ? " 
 
 " I have been in a mouse-hole, in a snail-shell, 
 down a cow's throat, and inside the wolf, and 
 yet here I am again, safe and sound." 
 
 " Well, well," said his father. " We will not 
 sell you again for all the riches in the world." 
 
 So they hugged and kissed their dear little 
 son, and gave him plenty to eat and drink, and
 
 78 THE FROG AND THE OX. 
 
 bought him new clothes, for his old ones had 
 been quite spoiled on his journey. 
 
 BELLING THE CAT. 
 
 ' THERE was a sly Cat in a house, and the 
 Mice were so plagued with her at every turn, 
 that they called a council to advise some way by 
 which they might guard against being caught 
 by her. 
 
 " If you will be ruled by me," says one of the 
 Mice, " there 's nothing like hanging a bell 
 about the Cat's neck, to give warning before- 
 hand when Puss is coming." They all thought 
 that a capital plan. 
 
 " Well," says another, " and now we are 
 agreed upon the bell, say, who shall hang it 
 upon the Cat's neck ? " But there was no one 
 ready to bell the Cat. 
 
 THE FROG AND THE OX. 
 
 AN Ox, grazing in a swampy meadow, chanced 
 to set his foot among a number of young Frogs, 
 and crushed nearly all to death. One that es- 
 caped ran off to his mother with the dreadful 
 news. 
 
 " Oh, mother," said he, " it was a beast, such 
 a big, four-footed beast, that did it ! "
 
 THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS. 79 
 
 "Big?" said the old Frog. "How big? 
 Was it as big " and she puffed herself out 
 "as big as this?" 
 
 " Oh, a great deal bigger than that." 
 
 " Well, was it so big ? " and she swelled her- 
 self out yet more. 
 
 " Indeed, mother, but it was ; and if you were 
 to burst yourself you would never reach half its 
 size." The old Frog made one more trial, de- 
 termined to be as big as the Ox, and burst her- 
 self indeed. 
 
 THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS. 
 
 A MILLER and his Son were driving their Ass 
 to the fair to sell him. They had not gone far, 
 when they met a troop of girls, returning from 
 the town, talking and laughing. 
 
 "Look there!" cried one of them. "Did 
 you ever see such fools, to be trudging along 
 on foot, when they might be riding?" The Mil- 
 ler, when he heard this, bade his Son get up on 
 the Ass, and walked along merrily by his side. 
 Soon they came to a group of old men talking 
 gravely. 
 
 " There ! " said one of them ; " that proves 
 what I was saying. What respect is shown to 
 old age in these days? Do you see that idle 
 young rogue riding, while his father has to
 
 80 THE MILLER, HIS SON, AND THEIR ASS. 
 
 walk ? Get down, you scapegrace, and let the 
 old man get on ! " 
 
 Upon this the Son got down from the Ass, 
 and the Miller took his place. They had not 
 gone far when they met a company of women 
 and children. 
 
 "Why, you lazy old fellow!" cried several 
 tongues at once. " How can you ride upon the 
 beast, when that poor little lad, there, can hardly 
 keep pace by the side of you ? " 
 
 So the good-natured Miller took his Son up 
 behind him. They had now almost reached the 
 town. 
 
 " Pray, honest friend," said a townsman, " is 
 that Ass your own ? " 
 
 " Yes," said the MiUer. 
 
 " I should not have thought so," said the 
 other, " by the way you load him. Why, you 
 two are better able to carry the poor beast than 
 he to carry you." 
 
 "Anything to please you," said the Miller. 
 "We can but try." So he and his Son got 
 down from the Ass; then they tied his legs 
 together, and, taking a stout pole, tried to carry 
 him on their shoulders over a bridge that led to 
 the town. 
 
 This was so odd a sight that crowds of people 
 ran out to see it, and to laugh at it. The Ass, 
 not liking to be tied, kicked the cords away, and
 
 THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL. 81 
 
 tumbled off the pole into the water. At this 
 the Miller and his Son hung down their heads, 
 and made their way home again, having learned 
 that by trying to please everybody, they had 
 pleased nobody, and lost the Ass into the bargain. 
 
 THE WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. 
 
 A WOLF once clad himself in the skin of a 
 Sheep, and so got in among the flock, where he 
 made way with a good many of them. At last 
 the Shepherd found him out, and hanged him 
 upon a tree, as a warning to other wolves. 
 
 Some Shepherds going by saw the Wolf 
 hanging, and thought it was a Sheep, and won- 
 dered why the Shepherd should hang a Sheep. 
 So they asked him, and he answered : " I hang 
 a Wolf when I catch him, even though he be 
 dressed in a Sheep's clothes." 
 
 THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL. 
 
 ONE cold night, as an Arab sat in his tent, a 
 Camel gently thrust the flap of the tent aside, 
 and looked in. 
 
 " I pray thee, master," he said, " let me but 
 put my head within the tent, for it is cold 
 without." 
 
 " By all means, and welcome," said the Arab
 
 82 THE ARAB AND HIS CAMEL. 
 
 cheerfully; and the Camel, moving forward, 
 stretched his head into the tent. 
 
 " If I might but warm my neck, also," he said, 
 presently. 
 
 " Put also your neck inside," said the Arab. 
 Soon the Camel, who had been turning his head 
 from side to side, said again : 
 
 " It will take but little more room if I place 
 my fore legs within the tent. It is difficult 
 standing without." 
 
 " You may also plant your fore legs within," 
 said the Arab, moving a little to make room, for 
 the tent was very small. 
 
 " May I not stand wholly within ? " asked the 
 Camel, finally. "I keep the tent open by 
 standing as I do." 
 
 "Yes, yes," said the Arab. "I will have 
 pity on you as well as on myself. Come wholly 
 inside." 
 
 So the Camel came forward and crowded into 
 the tent. But the tent was too small for both. 
 
 " I think," said the Camel, " that there is not 
 room for both of us here. It will be best for you 
 to stand outside, as you are the smaller ; there 
 will then be room enough for me." 
 
 And with that he pushed the Arab a little, 
 who made haste to get outside of the tent. 
 
 It is a wise rule to resist the beginnings of 
 evil.
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. 83 
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND THE SPRAT. 
 
 A FISHERMAN cast his net, and caught a Sprat. 
 The Sprat begged him to let him go this time, 
 for he was small now, but by and by he would 
 grow to be a big fish, and be worth catching. 
 But the Fisherman said : 
 
 " How foolish it would be for me to let go 
 what I have now, because I might, perhaps, get 
 something better by and by ! " 
 
 This fable teaches that a bird in the hand is 
 worth two in the bush. 
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. 
 
 A HARE once made fun of a Tortoise. 
 
 " What a slow way you have ! " he said ; 
 " how you creep along ! " 
 
 "Do I?" said the Tortoise. "Try a race 
 with me, and I will beat you." 
 
 " You only say that for fun," said the Hare. 
 " But come ! I will race with you. Who will 
 mark off the bounds and give the prize ? " 
 
 " Let us ask the Fox," said the Tortoise. 
 
 The Fox was very wise and fair ; so he showed 
 them where they were to start, and how far they 
 were to run. 
 
 The Tortoise lost no time. She started at 
 once, and jogged straight on.
 
 84 COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE. 
 
 The Hare knew he could come to the end in 
 two or three jumps ; so he lay down and took a 
 nap first. By and by he awoke, and then ran 
 fast ; but when he came to the end, the Tortoise 
 was already there ! 
 
 Slow and steady wins the race. 
 
 THE REEDS AND THE OAK. 
 
 THE fierce Wind tore up an Oak by its roots, 
 and cast it into the stream. As the Oak floated 
 on the water, it asked the Reeds : 
 
 " How is it that you, who are weak and slen- 
 der, are not torn up by the roots by this fierce 
 Wind ? " And they answered : 
 
 " You fight with the Wind and struggle 
 against it, and so you are rooted up ; but we 
 bow before every Wind, and so remain un- 
 harmed." 
 
 THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE TOWN 
 MOUSE. 
 
 A COUNTRY Mouse had a friend who lived in 
 a house in town. Now the Town Mouse was 
 invited by the Country Mouse to take dinner 
 with him, and out he went, and sat down to a 
 dinner of barley and wheat. 
 
 " Do you know, my friend," said he, " that
 
 COUNTRY MOUSE AND TOWN MOUSE. 85 
 
 you live a mere ant's life out here? Now, I 
 have plenty at home ; come and enjoy the good 
 things there with me." 
 
 So the two set off for town, and there the 
 Town Mouse showed the other his beans and 
 meal, his dates, his cheese and fruit and honey. 
 
 As the Country Mouse ate, drank, and was 
 merry, he praised his friend and bewailed his 
 own poor lot. 
 
 But while they were urging each other to eat 
 heartily, a man suddenly opened the door, and, 
 frightened by the noise, they crept into a crack. 
 By and by, when he had gone, they came out 
 and tasted of some dried figs ; when in came 
 another person to get something that was in the 
 room, and when they caught sight of him they 
 ran and hid in a hole. 
 
 At that the Country Mouse forgot his hunger, 
 and fetching a sigh, said to the other : 
 
 " Please yourself, my good friend ; eat all you 
 want and get rich, and be in a fright the 
 whole time. As for me, I am a poor fellow, I 
 know, who have only barley and wheat, but I 
 am quite content to live on those, and have 
 nothing to frighten me." 
 
 Those who have the plain things of life are 
 often better off than the rich.
 
 86 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 THE GNAT AND THE BULL. 
 
 A GNAT once lit on a Bull's horn, and stayed 
 there a long while. 
 
 When he was about to fly away, he asked the 
 Bull if he would like to have him go now. 
 
 " Why," said the Bull, I did not know you 
 were there." 
 
 One might answer thus a perfectly useless man, 
 who was neither harmful nor helpful whether he 
 was present or absent. 
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 I. 
 CINDERELLA IN THE KITCHEN. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived a man and his 
 wife and one beautiful daughter. The wife fell 
 sick and died, and some time after the father 
 married again, for he needed some one to take 
 care of his child. The new wife appeared very 
 well before the wedding, but afterward she 
 showed a bad temper. She had two children 
 of her own, and they were proud and unkind 
 like their mother. They could not bear their 
 gentle sister, and they made her do all the hard 
 work.
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 87 
 
 She washed the dishes, and scrubbed the 
 stairs; she swept the floor in my lady's chamber, 
 and took care of the rooms of the two pert 
 misses. They slept on soft beds in fine rooms, 
 and had tall looking-glasses, so that they could 
 admire themselves from top to toe ; she lay on 
 an old straw sack in the garret. 
 
 She bore all this without complaint. She did 
 her work, and then sat in the corner among the 
 ashes and cinders. So her two sisters gave her 
 the name of Cinderella or the cinder-maid. But 
 for all her shabby dress, Cinderella was really 
 much more beautiful than they ; and she surely 
 was more lovely. 
 
 Now the King's son gave a ball, and he in- 
 vited all the rich and the grand. Cinderella's 
 two sisters were fine ladies ; they were to go to 
 the ball. Perhaps they would even dance with 
 the prince. So they had new gowns made, and 
 they looked over all their finery. 
 
 Here was fresh work for poor Cinderella. 
 She must starch their ruffles and iron their linen. 
 All day long they talked of nothing but their 
 fine clothes. 
 
 " I shall wear my red velvet dress," said the 
 elder, " and trim it with my point lace." 
 
 " And I," said the younger sister, " shall wear 
 a silk gown, but I shall wear over it a gold 
 brocade, and I shall put on my diamonds. You 
 have nothing so fine."
 
 88 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 Then they began to quarrel over their clothes, 
 and Cinderella tried to make peace between them. 
 She had good taste, so she helped them about 
 their dresses, and offered to arrange their hair 
 on the night of the ball. 
 
 While she was thus busy, the sisters said to 
 her: 
 
 " And pray, Cinderella, would you like to go 
 to the ball?" 
 
 " Nay," said the poor girl ; " you are mocking 
 me. It is not for such as I to go to balls." 
 
 "True enough," they said with a jeer. 
 "Folks would laugh to see a cinder-maid at 
 a court ball." 
 
 Any one else would have dressed their hair ill 
 to spite them for their rudeness. But Cinderella 
 was good-natured, and only took more pains to 
 make them look well. 
 
 The two sisters scarcely ate a morsel for two 
 days before the ball. Indeed, it was not very 
 easy for them to eat much, they had laced them- 
 selves so tightly. They wished to look thin and 
 graceful. They lost their tempers over and over, 
 and they spent most of the time before their tall 
 glasses. There they turned and turned to see 
 how they looked behind, and how their long 
 trains hung. 
 
 At last the evening came, and off they set in 
 a coach. Cinderella watched them till they were
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 89 
 
 out of sight, and then she sat down by the 
 kitchen fire and began to weep. 
 
 All at once her fairy godmother appeared, 
 with her wand. 
 
 " What are you crying for, my little maid ? " 
 
 " I wish I wish," began the poor girl, but 
 her voice was choked with tears. 
 
 " You wish that you could go to the ball ? " 
 
 Cinderella nodded. 
 
 " Well, then, if you will be a good girl, you 
 shall go. Run quick and fetch me a pumpkin 
 from the garden." 
 
 Cinderella flew to the garden and brought 
 back the finest pumpkin she could find. She 
 could not guess what use it would be, but the 
 fairy scooped it hollow, and then touched it with 
 her wand. The pumpkin became at once a 
 splendid gilt coach. 
 
 " Now fetch me the mouse-trap from the 
 pantry." 
 
 In the mouse-trap were six sleek mice. The 
 fairy opened the door, and as they ran out she 
 touched each with her wand, and it became a 
 gray horse. But what was she to do for a 
 coachman ? 
 
 " We might look for a rat in the rat-trap," 
 said Cinderella. 
 
 " That is a good thought. Run and bring 
 the rat-trap, my dear."
 
 90 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 Back came Cinderella with the trap. In it 
 were three large rats. The fairy chose one that 
 had long black whiskers, and she made him the 
 coachman. 
 
 " Now go into the garden and bring me six 
 lizards. You will find them behind the water- 
 pot." 
 
 These were no sooner brought than, lo ! with 
 a touch of the wand they were turned into six 
 footmen, who jumped up behind the coach, as 
 if they had done nothing else all their days. 
 Then the fairy said : 
 
 " Here is your coach and six, Cinderella ; 
 your coachman and your footmen. Now you 
 can go to the ball." 
 
 " What ! in these clothes ? " and Cinderella 
 looked down at her ragged frock. The fairy 
 laughed and just touched her with the wand. 
 In a twinkling, her shabby clothes were changed 
 to a dress of gold and silver tissue, and on her 
 bare feet were silk stockings and a pair of glass 
 slippers, the prettiest ever seen. 
 
 " Now go to the ball, Cinderella ; but re- 
 member, if you stay one moment after midnight, 
 your coach will instantly become a pumpkin, 
 your horses will be mice, your coachman a rat, 
 and your footmen lizards. And you ? you will 
 be once more only a cinder-maid in a ragged 
 frock and with bare feet."
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 91 
 
 II. 
 CINDERELLA IN THE PALACE. 
 
 CINDERELLA promised and drove away in high 
 glee. She dashed up to the palace, and her coach 
 was so fine that the king's son came down the 
 steps of the palace to hand out this unknown 
 princess. He led her to the hall where all the 
 guests were dancing. 
 
 The moment she appeared all voices were 
 hushed, the music stopped, and the dancers stood 
 still. Such a beautiful princess had never been 
 seen ! Even the king, old as he was, turned to 
 the queen and said : 
 
 " She is the most beautiful being I ever saw 
 since I first saw you ! " 
 
 As for the ladies of the court, they were all 
 busy looking at Cinderella's clothes. They 
 meant to get some just like them the very next 
 day, if possible. 
 
 The prince led Cinderella to the place of high- 
 est rank, and asked her hand for the next dance, 
 she danced with so much grace that he admired 
 her more and more. Supper was brought in, 
 but the prince could not keep his eyes off the 
 beautiful stranger. Cinderella went and sat by 
 her sisters, and shared with them the fruit which 
 the prince gave her. They were very proud to
 
 92 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 have her by them, for they never dreamed who 
 she really was. 
 
 Cinderella was talking with them, when she 
 heard the clock strike the quarter hour before 
 twelve. She went at once to the king and queen^ 
 and made them a low courtesy and bade them 
 good-night. The queen said there was to be 
 another ball the next night, and she must come 
 to that. The prince led her down the steps to 
 her coach, and she drove home. 
 
 At the house the fairy sat waiting for Cinder- 
 ella. The maiden began to tell all that had 
 happened, and was in the midst of her story, 
 when a knock was heard at the door. It was 
 the sisters coming home from the ball. The 
 fairy disappeared, and Cinderella went to the 
 door, rubbing her eyes, as if she had just waked 
 from a nap. She was once more a poor little 
 cinder-maid. 
 
 " How late you are ! " she said, as she opened 
 the door. 
 
 " If you had been to the ball, you would not 
 have thought it late," said her sisters. " There 
 came the most beautiful princess that ever was 
 seen. She was very civil to us a^id loaded us 
 with oranges and grapes." 
 
 " Who was she?" asked Cinderella. 
 
 " Nobody knew her name. The prince would 
 give his eyes to know."
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 93 
 
 " Ah ! how I should like to see her," said 
 Cinderella. " Oh, do, my Lady Javotte," 
 that was the name of the elder sister, " lend 
 me the yellow dress you wear every day, and let 
 me go to the ball and have a peep at the beauti- 
 ful princess." 
 
 " What ! lend my yellow gown to a cinder- 
 maid ! I am not so silly as that." 
 
 Cinderella was not sorry to have Javotte say 
 no ; she would have been puzzled to know what 
 to do if her sister had really lent her the dress 
 she begged for. 
 
 The next night came, and the sisters again 
 went to the court ball. After they had gone, 
 the fairy came as before and made Cinderella 
 ready. 
 
 "Now remember," she said, as the coach 
 drove away, " remember twelve o'clock." 
 
 Cinderella was even more splendid than on 
 the first night, and the king's son never left her 
 side. He said so many pretty things that Cin- 
 derella could think of nothing else. She forgot 
 the fairy's warning ; she forgot her promise. 
 Eleven o'clock came, but she did not notice the 
 striking ; the half -hour struck, but the prince 
 grew more charming, and Cinderella could hear 
 nothing but his voice ; the last quarter but 
 still Cinderella sat by the prince. 
 
 Then the great clock on the tower struck the
 
 94 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 
 
 first stroke of twelve. Up sprang Cinderella, 
 and, like a frightened fawn, she fled from the 
 room. The prince started to follow her, but she 
 was too swift for him ; in her flight, one of her 
 glass slippers fell from her feet, and he stopped 
 to pick it up. 
 
 The last stroke of twelve died away, as Cin- 
 derella darted down the steps of the palace. In 
 a twinkling the gay lady was gone ; only a 
 shabby cinder-maid was running down the steps. 
 The splendid coach and six, driver and footman, 
 all were gone ; only a pumpkin lay on the 
 ground, and a rat, six mice, and six lizards scam- 
 pered off. 
 
 Cinderella reached home, quite out of breath. 
 She had saved nothing of all her finery but one 
 little glass slipper. The prince had its mate, but 
 he had lost the princess. He asked the soldiers 
 at the palace gate if they had not seen her drive 
 away. No ; at that hour only a ragged girl had 
 passed out. 
 
 Soon the two sisters came home from the ball, 
 and Cinderella asked them if they had again 
 seen the beautiful lady. Yes ; she had been at 
 the ball, but she had left suddenly, and no one 
 knew what had become of her. But the prince 
 would surely find her, for he had one of her 
 glass slippers. 
 
 They spoke truly. A few days afterward, the
 
 CINDERELLA; OR THE GLASS SLIPPER. 95 
 
 king's son sent a messenger with a trumpet and 
 the slipper through all the city. The messenger 
 sounded his trumpet and shouted that the prince 
 would marry the lady who could wear the glass 
 slipper. So the slipper was first tried on by all 
 the princesses ; then by all the duchesses ; next 
 by all the persons belonging to the court ; but 
 in vain : not one could wear it. 
 
 Then it was carried to all the fine houses, and 
 it came at last to the two sisters. They tried 
 with all their might to force a foot into the fairy 
 slipper, but they could not. Cinderella stood 
 by, and said : 
 
 "Suppose I were to try." Her two sisters 
 jeered at her, but the messenger looked at Cin- 
 derella. He saw that she was very fair, and, be- 
 sides, he had orders to try the slipper on the 
 foot of every maiden in the kingdom, if need 
 were. 
 
 So he bade Cinderella sit down on a three- 
 legged stool in the kitchen. She put out her 
 little foot, and the slipper fitted like wax. The 
 sisters stood in amaze. Then Cinderella put her 
 hand into her pocket and drew forth the other 
 glass slipper, and put it on her other foot. 
 
 The moment that Cinderella did this, the 
 fairy, who stood by unseen, touched her with 
 her wand, and the cinder-maid again became -the 
 beautiful, gayly-dressed lady. The sisters saw
 
 96 THE FOX AND THE LION. 
 
 that she was the same one whom they had seen 
 at the ball. They thought how ill they had 
 treated her all these years, and they fell at her 
 feet and asked her to forgive them. 
 
 Cinderella was as good now as she had been 
 when she was a cinder-maid. She freely for- 
 gave her sisters, and took them to the palace 
 with her, for she was now to be the prince's 
 wife ; and when the old king and queen died, 
 the prince and Cinderella reigned in their stead. 
 
 THE FOX AND THE LION. 
 
 A Fox who had never seen a Lion met one 
 by chance, and when he saw him was so afraid 
 that he almost died. When he met him a sec- 
 ond time, he was afraid, to be sure, but not as at 
 first. The third time he saw him, the Fox was 
 so bold that he went up to the Lion and spoke 
 to him. 
 
 This fable teaches that, when we get used to 
 fearful things, they do not frighten us so much 
 as at first.
 
 THE SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 
 I. 
 
 THE BEAUTY GOES TO SLEEP. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there lived a king and 
 queen who grieved sorely that they had no 
 child. But at last a daughter was born, and 
 the king was overjoyed. He gave a great feast, 
 and asked to it all the fairies in the land, seven 
 in all. He hoped that each would give the child 
 a gift. 
 
 In front of each fairy at the table was set a 
 heavy gold plate, and by each plate a gold knife 
 and fork. Just as they sat down to the feast, in 
 came an old fairy who had not been invited. 
 No one knew she was living. Fifty years before 
 she had shut herself up in a tower, and had not 
 been seen since. 
 
 The king hurried off to find a gold plate and 
 knife and fork for her also. But nothing could 
 be found so fine as the seven plates which had 
 been made to order for the seven fairies. The 
 old fairy thought herself ill-used and grumbled 
 in a low voice. At that, one of the young 
 fairies feared she meant mischief to the child,
 
 98 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD, 
 
 and so, when the feast was over, hid herself 
 behind the hangings in the hall. We shall 
 soon see why she did this. 
 
 The fairies now began to give gifts to the 
 child, beginning with the youngest. She gave 
 her beauty; the next gave her wit; the third 
 gave her grace ; the fourth said she should dance 
 perfectly ; the fifth gave her a voice to sing ; the 
 sixth said she should play beautifully on the harp. 
 
 The turn of the old fairy had now come, and 
 she shook her head wickedly and said the child 
 would grow up, but when she was grown, she 
 would pierce her hand, when spinning, and die 
 of the wound. At this, all the company began 
 to weep, but the fairy who had hidden came 
 forward and said : 
 
 " Be of good cheer, king and queen. Your 
 daughter shall not so die. I cannot entirely 
 undo what my elder has done. The princess 
 must pierce her hand when spinning, but instead 
 of dying she shall fall into a deep sleep. The 
 sleep shall last a hundred years ; at the end of 
 that time a king's son will come to wake her." 
 
 The king was very sad, but he hoped he 
 might prevent the evil. So he made a law that 
 no one in the kingdom should spin or have a 
 spinning-wheel in the house, under pain of in- 
 stant death. 
 
 All went well for fifteen years. Then it
 
 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 99 
 
 chanced that the princess was with the king and 
 queen in one of their castles, and was spying 
 about for herself. She came to a little chamber 
 at the top of a tower, and there sat an honest 
 old woman spinning. She was very old and 
 deaf, and had never heard of the king's com- 
 mand. 
 
 " What are you doing ? " asked the princess. 
 
 " I am spinning, my pretty child." 
 
 "How charming it is!" said the princess. 
 " How do you do it ? Let me try if I can spin." 
 She seized the spindle, but she was hasty and 
 careless, and pierced her hand with its point. 
 She fainted, and the old woman, in great alarm, 
 ran for help. People came running from all 
 sides, but they could not rouse her. 
 
 The king heard the noise and came also. 
 Then he saw that the cruel fairy had had her 
 wish. His daughter would not wake for a hun- 
 dred years. He laid her on the bed in the best 
 room, and stood sadly looking upon her. She 
 was asleep ; he could hear her breathe ; her 
 cheeks were full of color, but her eyes were 
 closed. 
 
 Now the good fairy, who had said the princess 
 should wake in a hundred years, was thousands 
 of miles away at the time. But she knew of it, 
 and came at once in a chariot of fire drawn by 
 dragons. The king came to meet her, his eyes 
 red with weeping.
 
 100 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 
 
 The good fairy was very wise and saw that 
 the princess would not know what to do if she 
 awoke all alone in the castle, in a hundred years. 
 So this is what she did. 
 
 She touched with her wand every one in the 
 castle except the king and the queen. She 
 touched the maids of honor, the gentlemen, the 
 officers, the stewards, cooks, boys, guards, porters, 
 pages, footmen ; she touched the horses in the 
 stable, the grooms, the great mastiff in the court- 
 yard, and the tiny lapdog of the princess that 
 was on the bed beside her. 
 
 The moment she touched them, they all fell 
 asleep just as they were, not to wake again until 
 the time came for their mistress to do so, and 
 then they all would be ready to wait on her. 
 Even the fire went to sleep, and the roasting-spit 
 before the fire with its fowls ready for roasting. 
 
 It was the work of a moment. The king and 
 queen kissed'their daughter good-by and left the 
 castle. The king issued a command that no one 
 was to go near the castle. That was needless ; 
 for in a quarter of an hour, a wood had grown 
 about it so thick and thorny that nothing could 
 get through it. The castle-top itself could only 
 be seen from afar.
 
 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 101 
 
 II. 
 THE BEAUTY WAKES. 
 
 AFTER a few years the king and queen died 
 They had no other child, and the kingdom 
 passed into the hands of a distant family. A 
 hundred years went by. The son of the king 
 who was then reigning was out hunting one day, 
 when he noticed the tower of a castle in the dis- 
 tance. He asked what castle it was. 
 
 All manner of answers were given to him. 
 One said it was a fairy castle ; another said that 
 a great monster lived there. At last an old 
 man said : 
 
 "Prince, more than fifty years ago I heard 
 my father say that there was in that castle the 
 most beautiful princess ever seen ; that she was 
 to sleep for a hundred years, and to be waked 
 at last by the king's son, who was to marry 
 her." 
 
 The young prince at these words felt himself 
 on fire. He had not a doubt that he was the 
 one to awaken the princess. He set out at 
 once for the wood, and when he drew near, the 
 trees and thorns opened on one side and the 
 other to offer him a path. 
 
 He was on a long, straight road, and at the 
 end was the castle in full view. He turned to
 
 102 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 
 
 look for his comrades. Not one was to be seen. 
 The wood had closed again behind him. He 
 was alone, and all was still about him. Forward 
 he strode and came to the castle-gate. He 
 entered the courtyard, and stood still in amaze- 
 ment. 
 
 On every side were the bodies of men and 
 animals. But the faces of the men were rosy ; 
 it was plain that they were asleep. His steps 
 sounded on the marble floor. He entered the 
 guardroom. There the guards stood drawn up 
 in line, with then* spears in their hands, but they 
 did not move. They were fast asleep. 
 
 He passed through one room after another; 
 people were asleep in chairs, on benches, stand- 
 ing, sitting, lying down. He entered a beauti- 
 ful room, covered with gold, and saw the most 
 wonderful sight of all. 
 
 There lay a maiden so fair that she seemed to 
 belong to another world. He drew near and 
 knelt beside her. She did not stir. Her hand 
 lay on her breast, and he touched his lips to it. 
 
 As he did this, her eyes opened and looked at 
 the young man. She smiled, and said : 
 
 " Have you come, my prince ? I have waited 
 long for you," 
 
 The prince hardly knew how to answer, but 
 he soon found his voice, and they talked for 
 hours, and had not then said half that was in 
 their heads to say.
 
 SLEEPING BEAUTY IN THE WOOD. 103 
 
 Now the moment that the princess waked, her 
 little lapdog waked also. The great mastiff in 
 the court-yard awoke ; the horses in the stable 
 and the grooms awoke ; the footmen, the pageSj 
 the porters, the guards, the boys, the cooks, the 
 stewards, the officers, the gentlemen and the 
 maids of honor, all awoke. The fire began to 
 burn again, the spits turned round, and the 
 fowls began to roast. 
 
 So, while the prince and the princess forgot 
 the hours in talk, these people began to be hun- 
 gry. The maids of honor went to the princess 
 to tell her that they all waited for her. Then 
 the prince took the princess by the hand and led 
 her into the hall. 
 
 She was dressed in great splendor, but the 
 prince did not hint that she looked as the picture 
 of his great-grandmother looked. He thought 
 her all the more charming for that, but he did 
 not tell her so. The musicians played. excellent 
 but old music at supper; and after supper, to 
 lose no time, the prince and princess were mar- 
 ried in the chapel of the castle. 
 
 The next day they left the castle. Ah 1 the 
 people followed them down the long path. The 
 wood opened again to let them through. Out 1 
 side they met the prince's men, and glad they 
 were to see the prince once more. He turned 
 to show them the castle, when, lo I there was no 
 . castle to be seen, and no wood.
 
 104 THE FOX AND THE STORK. 
 
 But the prince and princess rode gaily away, 
 and when the old king and queen died, they 
 reigned in their stead. 
 
 THE EAGLE SHOT WITH AN EAGLE'S 
 ARROW. 
 
 AN EAGLE came down out of the sky and 
 lighted on a rock, where he meant to watch for 
 a Hare. 
 
 Some one saw the Eagle, and drew a bow and 
 shot him. The arrow drove fast into the Eagle, 
 and the feathers on the arrow stood out plainly 
 before his eyes. They were feathers from an 
 Eagle's wing. 
 
 The Eagle closed his eyes, and said : 
 
 " Oh, this is worst of all, to be killed by an 
 arrow with Eagle's feathers." 
 
 This fable teaches how sore a thing it is to be 
 in peril from what belongs to one's self. 
 
 THE FOX AND THE STORK. 
 
 THE Fox invited the Stork to sup with him, 
 and placed a shallow dish on the table. The 
 Stork, with her long bill, could get nothing out 
 of the dish, while the Fox could lap up the food 
 with his tongue ; and so the Fox laughed at the 
 Stork.
 
 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER. 105 
 
 The Stork, in her turn, asked the Fox to dine 
 with her, and she placed the food in a long- 
 necked jar, from which she could easily feed 
 with her bill, while the Fox could get nothing ; 
 and that was tit for tat. 
 
 THE SPENDTHRIFT AND THE SWALLOW. 
 
 A WILD young fellow, who had spent all his 
 father's money, and had only a cloak left upon 
 his back, when he saw a Swallow flying about 
 before it was time said : " Ah, summer has 
 come ! I shall not need my cloak any longer ; 
 so I will sell it." But afterwards a storm came, 
 and, when it was past, he saw the poor Swallow 
 dead on the ground. " Ah, my friend ! " said 
 he, " you are lost yourself, and you have ruined 
 me." 
 
 One Swallow does not make a summer. 
 
 THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER. 
 
 ON a warm day in summer, an Ant was busy 
 .in the field gathering grains of wheat and corn, 
 which he laid up for winter food. A Grass- 
 hopper saw him at work, and laughed at him 
 for toiling so hard, when others were at ease. 
 
 The Ant said nothing. But afterwards, when 
 winter came, and the ground was hard, the
 
 106 THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD. 
 
 Grasshopper was nearly dead with hunger, and 
 came to the Ant to beg something to eat. Then 
 the Ant said to him : 
 
 " If you had worked when I did, instead of 
 laughing at me, you would not now be in need." 
 
 THE LION AND THE FOX. 
 
 A LION that had grown old, and had no 
 more strength to forage for food, saw that he 
 must get it by cunning. He went into his den 
 and crept into a corner, and made believe that 
 he was very sick. 
 
 All the animals about came in to take a look 
 at him, and, as they came, he snapped them up. 
 Now, when a good many beasts had been caught 
 in this way, the Fox, who guessed the trick, 
 came along. He took his stand a little way from 
 the den, and asked the Lion how he did. 
 
 The Lion said he was very sick, and begged 
 him to come into the den and see him. 
 
 " So I would," said the Fox, but I notice 
 that all the footprints point into the den, and 
 there are none that point out." 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE SHEPHERD. 
 
 A WOLF once walked behind a flock of Sheep, 
 and did them no harm. At first, the Shepherd
 
 THE FLIES AND THE POT OF HONEY. 107 
 
 treated him as an enemy, and kept watch against 
 him ; but when the Wolf made no sign of hurt- 
 ing the Sheep, the Shepherd began to think he 
 was quite as good as a watch-dog. 
 
 So one day, when the Shepherd wished to go 
 to the city, he left the Sheep in the care of this 
 quiet Wolf. That was the chance the Wolf 
 wanted, and he made sad havoc in the flock. 
 When the Shepherd came back and saw the 
 Sheep scattered, he said : 
 
 " It serves me right ; for why did I trust 
 Sheep to a Wolf?" 
 
 THE FLIES AND THE POT OF HONEY. 
 
 A POT of Honey was upset in the pantry, and 
 the Flies crowded about to eat of it. It was so 
 sticky that they could not get away ; their feet 
 were held fast, so that they could not fly, and 
 they began to choke to death. 
 
 " What wretches we are," they cried, " to die 
 just for a moment of pleasure ! " 
 
 So it is that greediness is the cause of many 
 evils.
 
 108 THE FOX THAT LOST HIS TAIL. 
 
 THE CAT, THE MONKEY, AND THE CHEST- 
 NUTS. 
 
 A CAT and a Monkey were sitting one day by 
 the hearth, watching some chestnuts which their 
 master had laid down to roast. The chestnuts 
 had begun to burst with the heat, and the Mon- 
 key said to the Cat : 
 
 " It is plain that your paws were made to pull 
 out those chestnuts. Your paws are, indeed, ex- 
 actly like our master's hands." 
 
 The Cat was greatly flattered by this speech, 
 and reached forward for the tempting chestnuts ; 
 but scarcely had she touched the hot ashes than 
 she drew back with a cry, for she had burned 
 her paw. She tried again, and made out to get 
 one chestnut; then she pulled another, and a 
 third, though each time she singed the hair on 
 her paws. 
 
 When she could pull no more, she turned, and 
 found the Monkey had taken this time to crack 
 the chestnuts and eat them. 
 
 THE FOX THAT LOST HIS TAIL. 
 
 A Fox once got caught in a trap, and lost his 
 tail in getting loose. He was so ashamed that 
 he thought life not worth living. Then he be-
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 109 
 
 thought himself and called the rest of the Foxes, 
 and begged them to cut off their tails, telling 
 them that the tail was not only ugly, but a dead 
 weight hung on behind. But one of the Foxes 
 spoke up and said : 
 
 " My good friend, that is all very well, but if 
 it were not to help your case, you never would 
 advise us to cut off our tails." 
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 
 L 
 DICK GOES TO LONDON. 
 
 IN the olden times there lived in the country^ 
 in England, a boy by the name of Dick Whitting- 
 ton. He did not know who his parents were, 
 for he had been born and brought up in the 
 poor-house. There he was cruelly treated, and 
 when he was seven years of age, he ran away 
 and lived by what he could get from kind peo- 
 pie. 
 
 He heard that the streets of London were 
 paved with gold, and being now a sturdy youth, 
 he set out for the city to make his fortune. He 
 did not know the way, but he fell in with a car- 
 ter, who was bound for London, and he followed 
 the cart. When night came, he helped the car-
 
 110 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 
 ter by rubbing down the horses, and for this he 
 was paid with a supper. 
 
 He trudged on thus, day after day, until they 
 came to the famous city. The carter was afraid 
 Dick would hang about him and give him trouble, 
 so he gave him a penny and told hitn to begone 
 and find some work. 
 
 Dick went from street to street, but he knew 
 no one ; he was ragged and forlorn, and looked 
 like a beggar. Nobody gave him anything to 
 do. Once in a while some one gave him some- 
 thing to eat, but at last he had nothing. 
 
 For two days he went about hungry and al- 
 most starved, but he would rather starve than 
 steal. At night, at the end of the second day, 
 he came to a merchant's house in Leadenhall 
 Street, and stood before it, weary and faint. 
 The ill-natured cook saw him and came out and 
 said : 
 
 " Go away from here, or I will kick you 
 away ! " At this, he crept off a little distance 
 and lay down on the ground, for he was too 
 weak to stand. As he lay there, the merchant 
 who lived in the house, came home and stopped 
 to speak to him. He spoke sharply, and told 
 him to get up, that it was a shame for him to be 
 lying there. 
 
 Poor Dick got up, and after falling once, 
 through faintness and want of food, made out to
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. HI 
 
 say that he was a poor country boy, nearly 
 starved. He would do any work if he might 
 have food. 
 
 Mr. Fitzwarren, the merchant, saw in what a 
 wretched plight he was, and took pity on him. 
 He brought him into the house, and bade the 
 servants look after him ; he gave him a place 
 under the cook, and this was the beginning of 
 Dick's fortune. But Dick had a hard time of it. 
 The servants made sport of him, and the ill- 
 natured cook said : 
 
 " Do you know what you are to do ? You 
 are to come under me. So look sharp ; clean 
 the spits and the pans, make the fires, wind up the 
 roasting-jack, and do nimbly all the dirty work I 
 set you about, or else I will break your head 
 with my ladle, and kick you about like a foot- 
 ball." 
 
 This was cold comfort, but it was better than 
 starving. What gave him more hope was the 
 kind notice he had from his master's daughter, 
 Mistress Alice. She heard Dick's story from her 
 father, and called for the boy. She asked him 
 questions, and he was so honest in his answers, 
 that she went to her father, and said : 
 
 " That poor boy whom you brought into the 
 house is a good, honest fellow. I am sure he 
 will be very useful. He can clean shoes, and 
 run errands, and do many things which our ser- 
 vants do not like to do."
 
 112 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 II. 
 
 DICK'S CAT. 
 
 So Dick was kept, and a cot bed was given 
 Kim in the garret. He was up early and worked 
 late. He left nothing undone that was given 
 him to do. For all that, he could not please the 
 cook, who was very sour to him. Still, he bore 
 her' blows rather than leave so good a home. 
 Then the cook told tales about him, and tried to 
 get him sent away, but Mistress Alice heard of 
 it ; she knew how ill-tempered the cook was, and 
 so she made her father keep Dick. 
 
 This was not the whole of Dick Whittington's 
 trqjible. The garret where he lay at night had 
 long been empty, and a great number of mice 
 had made their home in it. They ran over 
 Dick's face, and kept up such a racket that he 
 knew not which was worse, the cook by day or 
 the mice by night. 
 
 He could only hope that the cook might 
 marry or get tired of the place, and that he 
 might in some way get a cat. It chanced, soon 
 after, that a merchant came to dinner, and as it 
 rained hard, he stayed all night. In the morning 
 Dick cleaned the merchant's shoes and brought 
 them to his door. For this service the merchant 
 gave him a penny.
 
 DICK WHITT1NGTON AND HIS CAT. 113 
 
 As he went through the street on an errand 
 that morning, he saw a woman with a cat under 
 her arm. He asked her the price of the cat. 
 
 " It is a good mouser," said the woman : " you 
 may have it for a sixpence." 
 
 " But I have only a penny," said Dick. The 
 woman found that she really could get nothing 
 more, so she sold the cat to Dick for a penny. 
 He brought it home, and kept it out of the way 
 all day for fear the cook should see it ; then at 
 night he took the cat up to the garret, and made 
 her work for her living. Puss soon rid him of 
 one plague. 
 
 When Mr. Fitzwarren sent out a ship to trade 
 with far countries, he used to call his servants 
 together, and give each a chance to make some 
 money, by sending out goods in the ship. He 
 thought that thus his ship had better fortune. 
 
 Now he was again making a venture, and 
 each of the servants brought something to send ; 
 all but Whittington. Mistress Alice saw that he 
 did not come, and she sent for him, meaning to 
 give him some simple goods, that he too might 
 have a share in the venture. 
 
 When, after many excuses, he was obliged to 
 appear, he fell on his knees, and prayed them 
 not to jeer at a poor boy. He had nothing he 
 could claim for his own but a cat, which he had 
 bought with a penny given him for cleaning
 
 114 DICK WHITT1NGTON AND U1S CAT. 
 
 Upon this Mistress Alice offered to lay some- 
 thing down for him ; but her father told her the 
 custom was for each to send something of his 
 own. So he bade Dick bring his cat, which he 
 did with many tears, and gave him over to the 
 master 'of the ship. 
 
 The cook, and indeed all the servants, after 
 this plagued Dick so sorely, and jeered at him so 
 much for sending his cat, that he could bear it 
 no longer. He said to himself that he would 
 leave the house and try his fortune elsewhere. 
 
 m. 
 
 BOW BELLS. 
 
 HE packed his bundle one night, and the next 
 day, early, set forth to seek his fortune. He left 
 the house behind him, but his heart began to 
 sink. However, he would not turn back, and he 
 kept on, but at last sat down in the field to 
 think. 
 
 Just then the Bow Bells, that is, the bells of 
 a church in Bow Street, began to ring merrily. 
 Dick heard them, and as they rang, he fancied 
 he heard them sing, 
 
 " Turn again, Whittington, 
 Lord Mayor of London."
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 115 
 
 That was a fine song to hear, and Dick began 
 to pluck up heart again. Still the bells rang. 
 It was very early ; no one was yet astir at the 
 merchant's house, and Dick, with new courage, 
 took up his bundle, obeyed the bells, and walked 
 quickly back to the house. He had left the 
 door open, so he crept in and took up his daily 
 task. 
 
 Now, about this time, the ship which carried 
 Dick's cat was driven by the winds, and came 
 to a place on the Barbary coast, where the 
 English seldom went. The people received the 
 master of the ship well, and he traded with them. 
 As his wares were new, they were very welcome, 
 and at last the king of that country, being 
 greatly pleased, sent for the captain to come 
 and dine at the palace. 
 
 The dinner, after the custom of the country, 
 was not set on a table, but the cloth was laid on 
 the floor. The guests sat cross-legged before 
 the feast. But when the dishes were set down, 
 the smell of the dinner brought a great company 
 of rats, and these rats helped themselves without 
 fear. 
 
 The master of the ship was amazed and asked 
 the nobles, who sat there, if it was not very un- 
 pleasant to have this swarm of rats. 
 
 " Oh," said they, " very much so. The king 
 would give half his wealih to be rid of them.
 
 116 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 
 They not only come to the table, but they make 
 free with his chamber and even his bed." 
 
 " Well," said the captain, thinking at once of 
 Dick's cat, " I have an English beast on board 
 my ship which will quickly clear the palace of 
 all the rats." 
 
 " Say you so ? " said the king, when he heard 
 of this. " For such a thing I will load your ship 
 with gold, diamonds, and pearls." At that the 
 shrewd captain made much of the cat. 
 
 " She is the most famous thing in the world," 
 said he. " I cannot spare her, for she keeps my 
 ship clear of rats, or else they would spoil all my 
 goods." But the king would not take no for an 
 answer. 
 
 " No price shall part us," he said. So the cat 
 was sent for, and the table was again spread. 
 The rats came as before, but the captain let the 
 cat loose, and she made short work of them. 
 Then she came purring and curling up her tail 
 before the king, as if she would have her re- 
 ward. 
 
 The king was so pleased with the cat, that 
 he gave ten times more for her than for all the 
 goods in the ship. Then the ship sailed away 
 with a fair wind, and arrived safe at London. 
 She was the richest ship that ever entered port.
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 117 
 
 IV. 
 LORD MAYOR WHITTINGTON. 
 
 THE master took the box of pearls and jewels 
 with him on shore, and went straight to the 
 merchant's house. He gave his account to Mr. 
 Fitzwarren, who was greatly pleased at the for- 
 tunate voyage, and called his servants together, 
 to receive each their profit. Then the master 
 showed the box of pearls and jewels, and told 
 the story of Whittington's cat, and how Puss 
 had earned this wealth. 
 
 " Call Mr. Whittington," said Mr. Fitzwarren. 
 " I will not take one farthing from him." 
 
 Now Dick was in the kitchen cleaning pots 
 and pans. When he was told that the merchant 
 had sent for Mr. Whittington, he thought every 
 one was making fun of him, and he would not 
 go. 
 
 At last, since no excuse would be taken, he 
 went as far as the door. The merchant bade 
 him come in, and placed a chair for him. At 
 that poor Dick was sure they were making fun 
 of him, and the tears came into his eyes. 
 
 " I am only a simple fellow," he said. " I do 
 not mean harm to any one. Do not mock me." 
 
 "Indeed, Mr. Whittington, we are serious 
 with you," said the merchant. " You are a
 
 118 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 
 
 much richer man than I am," and he gave him 
 the box of pearls and jewels worth quite three 
 hundred thousand pounds. 
 
 At first Dick could not believe his good for- 
 tune. When at last he was persuaded, he fell 
 upon his knees and thanked God who had been 
 so good to him. Then he turned to his master 
 and wished to give him of his wealth, but Mr. 
 Fitzwarren said : 
 
 "No, Mr. Whittington. I will not take a 
 penny from you. It is all yours." 
 
 At that Dick turned to Mistress Alice, who 
 also refused. He bowed low, and said : 
 
 " Madam, whenever you please to make choice 
 of a husband, I will make you the greatest for- 
 tune in the world." 
 
 Then he gave freely to his fellow servants. 
 Even to his enemy, the cook, he gave a hun- 
 dred pounds. 
 
 Richard Whittington was now a rich man. 
 He laid aside his poor clothes, and was dressed 
 well and handsomely. He had grown strong 
 and tall in service, and was indeed a fine man 
 to look upon. 
 
 It was seen, too, that he was well behaved and 
 of a good mind and heart. Mr. Fitzwarren 
 made him known to the other merchants, and 
 let him see how business was carried on. Then 
 seeing that he was honest and good as he was
 
 DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 119 
 
 rich, he told Whittington that he might have 
 his daughter in marriage. 
 
 At first, Dick felt himself unworthy of Mis- 
 tress Alice, but he saw that she looked kindly 
 on him, and he remembered how good she had 
 been to him from the beginning. So he made 
 bold to ask Mistress Alice to be his wife, and 
 they had a grand wedding. 
 
 After the wedding was over, Mr. Fitzwarren 
 asked him what he meant to do, and Mr. Whit- 
 tington said he would like to be a merchant. 
 So the two became partners, and grew to be very 
 rich. 
 
 Rich as he was, this merchant never forgot 
 that he was once poor Dick Whittington. The 
 promise of Bow Bells came true, and three times 
 he was chosen Lord Mayor of London. He fed 
 the hungry, and cared for the poor. 
 
 When he was Lord Mayor of London the 
 third time, it was his duty to receive King Henry 
 V. and his queen at Guildhall, which was the 
 Mayor's palace. It was just after a famous war 
 with France, which England had won. 
 
 The King, at the feast, made the lord mayor 
 a knight, so that now he was Sir Richard 
 Whittington. There was a very pleasant fire 
 on the hearth at the time. It was made of 
 choice wood, and mace, and other spices were 
 mixed with the wood. The king praised the fire,
 
 120 THE TRAVELERS AND THE BEAR. 
 
 and Sir Richard said, "I will make it still 
 more pleasant." At that he threw upon the 
 flames one piece of paper after another. They 
 were the written promises of the king, to pay 
 for money lent to him by London merchants,, 
 when he was carrying on the war. Sir Richard 
 had bought them for sixty thousand pounds. 
 That was the way he paid the king's debt, for 
 now there was nothing to show that the king 
 owed anything. 
 
 This is the story of Dick Whittington and his 
 cat. How much is true, and how much was 
 made up, I do not know, for what happened 
 took place five hundred years ago. 
 
 THE TRAVELERS AND THE BEAR. 
 
 Two friends were walking along the road, 
 when a Bear came suddenly upon them. 
 
 One of them got first to a tree, and climbed 
 up into it and hid among the branches. 
 
 The other, who was slower, fell flat upon the 
 ground, and made believe that he was dead. 
 
 When the Bear came up to him, and poked 
 him with his nose, he held his breath ; for it is 
 said that this animal will not touch a dead man. 
 The Bear went off, and the Man who was in the 
 tree came down, and asked the other what the 
 Bear had whispered.
 
 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. 121 
 
 " He told me," said the other, " not to travel 
 hereafter with friends who would desert mf 
 when danger came." 
 
 This fable teaches that misfortunes sometimec 
 show which of our friends are true friends. 
 
 THE WOLVES AND THE SHEEP. 
 
 THE Wolves wanted to get into a sheepfold, 
 but the Dogs kept them out. So they tried a 
 trick. They sent grave old fellows to the Sheep, 
 who said : " It is the Dogs who make all this 
 trouble between us. Only send them away, and 
 we can live happily together." The Sheep knew 
 no better than to send the Dogs away, and then 
 the Wolves came in, and easily made an end of 
 the Sheep. 
 
 If you listen to your enemy, you will get 
 yourself into trouble. 
 
 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. 
 
 THERE was a brood of young Larks in a field 
 of corn, which was just ripe, and the mother, 
 looking every day for the reapers, left word s 
 whenever she went out in search of food, that 
 her young ones should tell her all the news they 
 heard. 
 
 One day, when she was absent, the master
 
 122 THE LARK AND HER YOUNG ONES. 
 
 came to look at his field. "It is full time," 
 said he, " to call in my neighbors and get my 
 corn reaped." When the old Lark came home, 
 the young ones told their mother what they had 
 heard, and begged her to move them at once. 
 
 "Time enough," said she. "If he trusts to 
 his neighbors, he will have to wait a while yet 
 for his harvest." 
 
 Next day, the owner came again, and found 
 the sun hotter, the corn riper, and nothing 
 done. 
 
 " There is not an hour to be lost," said he. 
 " We cannot depend upon our neighbors ; we 
 must call in our relations." Turning to his son, 
 he said, " Go, call your uncles and cousins ; and 
 see that they begin to-morrow." 
 
 The young Larks, in great fear, told their 
 mother what the Farmer had said. " If that be 
 all," said she, " do not be frightened, for the rela- 
 tions have harvest work of their own ; but take 
 notice of what you hear next time, and be sure 
 to let me know." 
 
 She went abroad the next day, and the owner 
 coming, as before, and finding the grain falling 
 to the ground because it was over ripe, said to 
 his son, " We must wait no longer for our neigh- 
 bors and friends. Do you go to-night and hire 
 some reapers, and we will set to work ourselves 
 to-morrow."
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 123 
 
 When the young Larks told their mother 
 this, 
 
 " Then," said she, " it is time for us to be off ; 
 for when a man takes up his business himself, 
 instead of leaving it to others, you may be sure 
 that he means to set to work in earnest." 
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 I. 
 
 BEAUTY AND HER SISTERS. 
 
 THERE was once a rich merchant who had six 
 children, three sons and three daughters; he 
 loved them more than he loved all his riches, so 
 that he was always seeking to make them happy 
 and wise. 
 
 The daughters were very pretty ; but the 
 youngest was more than pretty she was beau- 
 tiful. As every one called her Little Beauty 
 when she was a child, and she became more 
 lovely every year, the name grew up with her, 
 so that she had no other than just Beauty. 
 
 Now Beauty was as good as she was beauti- 
 ful ; but her elder sisters were ill-natured and 
 jealous of her, and could not bear to hear her 
 called Beauty. They were very proud, too, of 
 their father's riches, and put on great airs.
 
 124 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 They would not visit the daughters of other 
 merchants, but were always following persons 
 who had titles, Lady this and Duchess thatc 
 They laughed at Beauty, who lived quietly at 
 home with their father. 
 
 The father was so rich that many great mer- 
 chants wished to marry his daughters, but the 
 two eldest always said that they could never 
 think of marrying anybody below a duke, or at 
 the least an earl. As for Beauty, she thanked 
 her lovers for thinking so well of her, but as 
 she was still very young, she wished to live a 
 few years longer with her father. 
 
 Now it fell out that the merchant all at once 
 lost his great wealth. Nothing was left but one 
 small house in the country, and there the poor 
 man told his children they must now go, and 
 earn their daily bread. 
 
 The two eldest daughters said they need not 
 go, for they had plenty of lovers who would be 
 glad enough to marry them, even though they 
 had lost their fortune. But they were wrong, 
 for their lovers would not look at them now, and 
 jeered at them in their trouble, because they had 
 been so proud before. 
 
 Yet every one felt sorry for Beauty. Several 
 gentlemen who loved her begged her still to let 
 them marry her, though she had not a penny. 
 Beauty refused, and said she could not leave her 
 father now that trouble had come upon him.
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 125 
 
 So the family went to live in the small house 
 in the country. There the merchant and his 
 three sons ploughed and sowed the fields, and 
 worked hard all day. Beauty rose at foui 
 o'clock every morning, put the house in order, 
 and got breakfast for the whole family. It was 
 very hard at first, for no one helped her ; but 
 every day it grew easier to work, and Beauty 
 grew stronger and rosier. When her work was 
 done, she could read or play on her harp, or sit 
 at her spinning-wheel, singing as she spun. 
 
 As for her two sisters, they were idle and un* 
 happy, and became quite helpless. They never 
 got up till ten o'clock, and then they spent tha 
 day moping and fretting, because they no longer 
 had fine clothes to wear, and could not go to 
 fine parties to be seen. They jeered at Beauty, 
 and said that she was nothing but a servant-girl 
 after all, to like that kind of living ; but Beauty 
 did not mind them, and lived on cheerfully. 
 
 They had been in the country a year, when 
 one morning the merchant had a letter. It 
 brought the news that a ship laden with rich 
 goods belonging to him had not been lost after 
 all, and had just come into port. The two sis- 
 ters were half wild with joy, for now they could 
 soon leave the farm-house, and go back to the 
 gay city. 
 
 When their father was about to go to the
 
 126 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 port to settle his business there, they begged 
 him to bring back all manner of fine things for 
 them. 
 
 Then the merchant asked Beauty : 
 
 " And what shall I bring you Beauty ? " for 
 Beauty had yet asked nothing. 
 
 " Why, since you ask me, dear father, I should 
 like you to bring me a rose, for none grow in 
 these parts." Now Beauty did not care so very 
 much for a rose, but she did not like to seem to 
 blame her sisters, or to appear better than they, 
 by saying that she did not wish for anything. 
 
 The good man set off ; but all was not as he 
 had hoped. The ship had come in, but there 
 was a dispute about the cargo. He went to law, 
 and it ended in his turning back poorer than 
 when he left his home. 
 
 n. 
 
 THE BEAST AT HOME. 
 
 HE set out to return to the farm-house. 
 When he was within thirty miles of home, he 
 came to a large wood through which he must 
 pass. The snow began to fall, and covered the 
 path. The night closed in, and it grew so dark 
 and so cold that the poor man gave himself up 
 for lost. He coidd not see the way, and he was 
 faint with cold and hunger.
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 127 
 
 All at once, he saw a light at the end of a 
 long avenue of trees. He turned into the 
 avenue, and rode until he came to the end of it. 
 There he found a great palace; the windows 
 were all lighted, and the door stood open, but 
 he saw not a soul. 
 
 The door of the stable was also open, and his 
 horse walked in. A crib full of hay and oats 
 was there, and the tired beast fell to eating 
 heartily. The merchant left his horse in the 
 stall and entered the palace. He saw nobody 
 and heard nobody, but a fire was burning on the 
 hearth, and a table was spread with choice food, 
 and set for one person. He was wet to the skin, 
 and went to the fire to dry himself, saying : 
 
 " I hope the master of the house or his ser- 
 vants will not blame me for this. No doubt 
 some one will soon come." 
 
 He waited, but no one came. The clock 
 struck eleven. Then, faint for want of food, he 
 went to the table and ate some meat, yet all the 
 time in a great fright. But when he was no 
 longer hungry, he began to pluck up courage, 
 and to look about him. 
 
 The clock struck twelve. He left the hall, 
 and passed through one room after another until 
 he came to one where there was a bed. It was 
 made ready, and, since he was very tired, he lay 
 down and slept soundly.
 
 128 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 The merchant did not wake until ten o'clock 
 the next morning. He had placed his clothes 
 on a chair by the side of the bed. They had 
 been nearly ruined by the storm, and were be- 
 sides old and worn. Now he saw a wholly new 
 suit in their place. 
 
 He began to think he must be in the palace 
 of some fairy, and he was sure of it when he 
 looked out of the window. The snow had gone, 
 and a lovely garden lay before him, full of 
 flowers. He dressed and went back to the hall. 
 A table was spread for breakfast, and he at once 
 sat down to it. Then he went to get his horse. 
 On the way he passed some roses. He remem- 
 bered Beauty, and plucked a rose to take home 
 with him. 
 
 As soon as he had done this, he heard a fright- 
 ful roar, and saw a dreadful Beast coming toward 
 him. He was so frightened that he nearly fell 
 down. The Beast cried out in a loud voice : 
 
 " Ungrateful man ! I saved your life by 
 letting you come into my palace. I gave you 
 food to eat and a bed to rest in, and now you 
 steal my roses, which I love beyond everything. 
 You shall pay for this with your life ! " The 
 poor man threw himself on his knees before the 
 Beast, saying : 
 
 " Forgive me, my lord. I did not know I was 
 doing wrong. I only wanted to pluck a rose for
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 129 
 
 o.ne of my daughters. She asked me to bring 
 one home to her. I pray you, do not kill me, 
 my lord." 
 
 " I am not a lord. I am a Beast. I hate soft 
 words, and you will not catch me by any of your 
 fine speeches. You say you have daughters. 
 Well, I will forgive you, if one of them will come 
 and die in your stead. But promise that, if they 
 refuse, you will come back in three months." 
 
 The merchant did not mean in the least to 
 let one of his daughters die for him. But he 
 wished to see his children once more before he 
 died, so he promised to return if one of his 
 daughters would not die for him. The Beast 
 then told him to go back to the room where he 
 had slept. There he would find a chest. He 
 might fill it with anything he found in the 
 palace, and it would be sent after him. 
 
 III. 
 
 BEAUTY GOES TO THE BEAST. 
 
 THE merchant did as he was bid. The floor 
 of the room was covered with gold, and he filled 
 the chest. If he must die, he would at least 
 provide for his children. Then he took his 
 horse and rode out of the wood, and came at last 
 to his home. He held the rose in his hand, and
 
 130 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 as the daughters came out to meet him, he gave 
 it to the youngest, saying : 
 
 " Take it, Beauty. You little know what it 
 has cost your poor father ; " and then he told all 
 that had happened since he left home. 
 
 The two eldest daughters began to cry aloud, 
 and to blame Beauty. Why did she ask for 
 roses? Why did she not ask for dresses, as 
 they did ; then all would have gone well. Now 
 the hard-hearted thing, they said, did not shed a 
 tear. Beauty replied quietly that it was of little 
 use to weep. She meant to go and die in her 
 father's stead. 
 
 " No, no ! " cried the three brothers. " We 
 will go and seek this Beast, and either he or we 
 must die ! " 
 
 " It is all in vain," said the father. " You do 
 not know the Beast. He is more mighty than 
 you can think. No ! you must stay and care for 
 your sisters. At the end of three months I shall 
 go back and die." The merchant then went to 
 his room, and there he found the chest of gold. 
 
 He was greatly amazed. He had forgotten 
 the promise of the Beast. But he said nothing 
 about the chest to his daughters. He was sure 
 they would tease him to go back to town to live. 
 
 Beauty said little, but when the three months 
 were over, she made ready to go with her father. 
 The brothers and sisters bade them good-by,
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 131 
 
 and wept over Beauty. The brothers wept real 
 tears, but the sisters rubbed their eyes with 
 onions, so as to make tears ; they did not really 
 care. 
 
 The horse took the right road, as if he knew 
 the way, and when he came to the palace, he 
 went at once to the stable. The merchant and 
 Beauty entered the palace. They found the 
 table spread for two persons, and they sat down 
 to it. 
 
 After supper there was a great roar as before, 
 and the Beast entered. Beauty trembled, and 
 the Beast turned to her and said : 
 
 " Did you come of your own self ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Beauty, still trembling. 
 
 " Then I thank you. But you, sir," and he 
 turned to the father, " get you gone to-morrow, 
 and never let me see your face again. Good- 
 night, Beauty." 
 
 " Good-night, Beast," she replied, and Beast 
 walked off. The merchant begged and begged 
 his daughter to leave him, and to go back to her 
 home. But she was firm, and when the morning 
 came, she made him leave her. 
 
 " Surely," he thought, " Beast will not hurt 
 Beauty." 
 
 Beauty wept, but she was a brave girl, and 
 soon she dried her eyes, and began to walk 
 through the palace. She came to a door and
 
 132 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 over it was written BEAUTY'S ROOM. She 
 opened the door, and found herself in a fine 
 chamber, with books, music and a harp, and 
 many beautiful things. 
 
 " It cannot be that I have only a day to live," 
 she said, " for why should all this be done for 
 me ? " She opened a book and saw written in 
 letters of gold : Your wishes and commands 
 shall be obeyed. You are here the queen over 
 everything. 
 
 " Alas ! " she thought, I wish most of aU I 
 could see my father and know what he is doing." 
 Just then her eyes fell on a large looking-glass, 
 and in it she saw her father just reaching home. 
 Her sisters came out to meet him. They tried 
 to look sad, but it was plain that they were not 
 sorry to see him come home alone. 
 
 The sight in the glass was only for a moment ; 
 then it faded, and Beauty turned away and in 
 her mind thanked Beast for what he had done. 
 
 At noon she found dinner ready for her, and 
 sweet music sounded as she ate. But she saw 
 nobody. At night Beast came and asked leave 
 to sup with her. Of course she could not say 
 no, but she sat in a fright all through supper. 
 He did not speak for some time. Then he 
 
 " Beauty do you think me very ugly ? " 
 
 " Yes, Beast ; I cannot tell a lie. But 1 think
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 133 
 
 you are very good." Nothing more was said, 
 and Beauty was beginning to be rid of her fear, 
 when all at once he asked : 
 
 " Beauty, will you marry me ? " Beauty was 
 in a fright again, but she answered : 
 
 " No, Beast." He gave a great sigh which 
 shook the house. Then he got up from the 
 table and said : 
 
 " Good - night, Beauty," and went away. 
 Beauty was glad he had gone, but she could not 
 help pitying him. 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE CHARM IS BROKEN. 
 
 BEAUTY lived in this way three months. The 
 Beast came to supper every night. He did not 
 grow less ugly, but Beauty did not mind his 
 ugliness so much, for she saw how kind he really 
 was. But there was one sore trouble. Every 
 night the Beast was sure to ask : 
 
 " Will you marry me, Beauty ? " and Beauty 
 always answered : 
 
 " No, Beast." 
 
 But one night he begged her at least never to 
 leave him. Now it chanced on that very day 
 Beauty had looked in her glass. There she saw 
 her father sick with grief, for he thought his
 
 134 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 child was dead. Her sisters were married. Her 
 brothers were soldiers. So she told all this to 
 the Beast, and wept and said she should die if 
 she could not see her father once more. 
 
 " Do not refuse to let me go ! " she begged. 
 
 " No," said the Beast. " I will not refuse you. 
 I would much rather your poor Beast should die 
 of grief for your absence. So you may go." 
 
 "Oh, thank you dear Beast," said Beauty, 
 " and I will surely come back in a week." 
 
 " When you wish to come back, Beauty, lay 
 your ring on the table before you go to bed, 
 and you will find yourself here when you wake. 
 Good-night, Beauty." 
 
 " Good-night, Beast." 
 
 The next morning Beauty woke to find herself 
 at the farm-house. Her father was so glad to 
 see her once more, and to know she was alive 
 and well, that his sickness left him at once. He 
 sent for her sisters, who came and brought their 
 husbands. 
 
 These husbands were not much to be praised. 
 One was so vain that he looked at himself, and 
 seldom looked at his wife. The other had a sharp 
 tongue, and liked to use it on other people, and 
 most of all on his own wife. So the sisters were 
 no happier than they had been. 
 
 But they were still jealous of Beauty, and 
 they laid a plan for her hurt. They thought if
 
 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 135 
 
 they could keep her at home after the week was 
 over, the Beast would be so angry, he would 
 soon make an end of her. So, at the end of the 
 week, they made a great ado, and begged her to 
 stay just a little longer. Beauty could not help 
 being glad to have her sisters want her. She 
 said she would stay one week more ; but she was 
 not quite easy in her mind. 
 
 On the night of the tenth day the sisters gave 
 her a feast, in order to make her forget the Beast. 
 But at night Beauty dreamed she saw poor Beast 
 lying half dead on the grass in the palace garden. 
 She woke in tears, and at once laid her ring on 
 the table, and then went to sleep again. 
 
 When she awoke, she was once more in her 
 room at the palace. All day she wished for 
 supper time to come. Then she would see Beast 
 again. But supper time came, and no Beast was 
 at the table. Nine o'clock struck, and still 
 Beast did not come. 
 
 Beauty flew into the garden. She went to 
 the spot she had dreamed of, and there lay poor 
 Beast on the grass. She felt his heart beat. 
 He was still alive. She ran for some water and 
 threw it on his face. The Beast opened his eyes 
 and said in a faint voice : 
 
 " You forgot your promise. I could not live 
 without you, and I meant to starve to death. 
 Now you have come, and I shall die happy."
 
 136 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 
 
 " No ! you shall not die, dear Beast," cried 
 Beauty. " You shall live to be my husband, 
 for now I feel I really love you." 
 
 At these words the whole palace was ablaze 
 with light. Music sounded, and there was a 
 stir all about. There was no Beast, but in his 
 place a very handsome prince was at Beauty's 
 feet. 
 
 " You have broken the charm that held me," 
 he said. 
 
 " But where is my poor Beast ? " asked 
 Beauty, weeping. " I want my dear Beast." 
 
 " I was the Beast," said the Prince. " A 
 wicked fairy had power to make me live in that 
 ugly form, till some good and beautiful maid 
 should be found, so good as to love me in spite 
 of my ugliness." 
 
 Beauty was amazed, but she took the Prince's 
 hand and they went into the palace. The peo- 
 ple of the country were full of joy. They had 
 mourned for their Prince, and now he had sud- 
 denly come back again, and with him was a 
 beautiful princess. So Beauty and the Beast, 
 who was no longer a Beast, reigned happily in 
 the kingdom.
 
 THE: TRAVELER AND THE VIPER. 137 
 
 THE LION IN LOVE. 
 
 A LION once fell in love with a Woodman's 
 daughter, and wished to marry her. So he 
 went to the father, and begged him to give him 
 the maid. 
 
 The Woodman said he could not think of 
 marrying his daughter to a Lion. At that the 
 Lion began to roar terribly. The Woodman 
 was in great fright, but thought of a way out 
 of the danger. 
 
 " Lion," said he, " I will give you my daugh- 
 ter, if you will first have your nails and your 
 teeth drawn ; for it is these that frighten her." 
 
 The Lion was so madly in love that he went 
 at once and had his nails and his teeth drawn ; 
 but now, when he came back for the maid, the 
 Woodman had no more fear of him, and drove 
 him away with jeers. 
 
 THE TRAVELER AND THE VIPER. 
 
 A MAN, going along the road in winter, saw a 
 Viper stiff with cold ; he had pity on him, and 
 took him up, and placed him in his bosom to 
 warm him back into life. 
 
 Now the Viper, as long as he was cold, lay 
 quiet ; but as soon as he was well warmed, he 
 drove his fangs into the man's breast.
 
 138 THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. 
 
 As the man lay dying, he said : 
 " I suffer justly ; for why should I have taken 
 care of the dying Viper, when I ought to have 
 killed him, if he had been in the best of health?" 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE LAMB. 
 
 A WOLF saw a Lamb drinking at a brook, 
 and set about finding some good reason for 
 catching him. So he went to a place a little 
 higher up the brook, and called out : 
 
 " How dare you muddle the water that I am 
 drinking ? " 
 
 "How can I," said the Lamb, humbly, "when 
 I drink with the tips of my lips only ? And, 
 besides, the water runs from you to me, not 
 from me to you." 
 
 " Well, you called my father names a year 
 ago," said the Wolf, readily finding another rea- 
 son. 
 
 " I was not born a year ago," said the poor 
 Lamb. 
 
 " You may make ever so good excuses," said 
 the Wolf, finally; "I shall eat you all the 
 same." 
 
 This fable teaches that, when one has made 
 up his mind to do wrong, he is not stopped by 
 the best of reasons.
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE. 139 
 THE TRAVELERS AND THE AXE. 
 
 Two men were traveling 1 along the same road, 
 when one of them found an axe. At that the 
 other, who had not found it, begged him not to 
 say " I found the axe," but " We found the 
 axe." 
 
 By and by the people who had lost the axe 
 met them, and the one who had found it was set 
 upon by them. As he tried to escape, he cried 
 out : " We are undone ! " 
 
 But his fellow-traveler answered : 
 
 " Do not say ( We are undone,' but ' I am un- 
 done ; ' for when you found the axe, you said ' I 
 found the axe,' not ( We found the axe.' " 
 
 Those who do not share their good fortune 
 with others will find none to share their ill for- 
 tune. 
 
 THE TORTOISE AND THE EAGLE. 
 
 A TORTOISE, seeing an Eagle in flight, wanted 
 much to fly like him. So she asked him if he 
 would not teach her to fly. 
 
 He told her that it was impossible ; that Tor- 
 toises could not fly. All the more did she urge 
 him, so at last the Eagle seized her in his claws, 
 bore her to a great height, and then, letting her 
 go, bade her fly.
 
 140 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 She fell like a stone to the earth, and the 
 blow knocked the breath out of her body. 
 
 This fable teaches that men who are envious, 
 and refuse to take the advice of those who know 
 more than themselves, are apt to get into trouble c 
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 
 I. 
 
 THE PALACE OF THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 A KING had three sons, handsome, brave, and 
 generous. Some persons about the court, how- 
 ever, made him believe that these sons of his 
 were eager to have him die or leave the throne, 
 because they each wanted to be king. This 
 was not at all true, but the King believed it, 
 and made a plan to get them out of the way. 
 He sent for them and said : 
 
 "My dear sons, you must see that I am 
 growing old, and cannot attend to state affairs 
 as I once used to. It is right that I should 
 make one of you king in my stead ; but first I 
 should like something to amuse me when I am 
 no longer king. I think I should like best a 
 little dog. Now, the one of you who brings me 
 the most perfect little dog shall be king in my
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 141 
 
 The princes were much surprised at the fancy 
 of their father to have a little dog, but they all 
 agreed to do as he had asked. They bade him 
 good-by, and promised to come back in a year. 
 They went off together to an old palace three 
 miles away. There they had something to eat, 
 and then set off on separate roads. But they 
 agreed to meet again at the palace at the end of 
 the year. 
 
 Now, we will see what happened to the young- 
 est of the three brothers. He went from town 
 to town looking for handsome dogs. He bought 
 one, and then, when he found a handsomer dog, 
 he bought that and gave the other away. He 
 could not keep all the dogs. Twenty servants 
 would not have been enough to carry them 
 about, and take care of them. He kept only 
 the handsomest one. 
 
 At last he found himself in a wood. Night 
 came on, and it began to rain. There were 
 thunder and lightning, and he lost his way. He 
 groped about and saw a light in the distance. 
 He went toward it, and soon was in front of a 
 fine palace. 
 
 The door to the palace was of gold, studded 
 with sapphires, and these shone with a bright 
 light. This was the light the Prince had seen. 
 The walls of the palace were of fine china, and 
 there were wonderful paintings upon them.
 
 142 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 These paintings showed the adventures of all the 
 fairies from the beginning of the world. 
 
 The Prince saw a deer's foot hanging by the 
 side of the door. It was hung at the end of a 
 chain of diamonds, and was plainly a bell-pulL 
 He was greatly astonished, for he saw no one, 
 and he wondered that thieves had not long ago 
 stolen the diamonds and the sapphires. 
 
 He pulled the deer's foot and heard a bell 
 ring. Soon the golden door opened. He saw 
 nobody, but he saw twelve Hands in the air, 
 each holding a torch. He looked and did not 
 know what to do. Then he felt himself gently 
 pushed from behind, so he walked on into the 
 palace. There he heard a voice singing : 
 
 " Welcome Prince, no danger fear, 
 Mirth and love attend you here." 
 
 The Hands with the torches led him through 
 one door after another, into one room after 
 another. Each room was more splendid than 
 the last. Finally the Hands drew a chair near 
 a fire, and beckoned him to sit down. 
 
 The Hands he saw were white and fair. They 
 took away his wet clothes, and brought him new 
 fine linen, and a warm wrapper in which he sat 
 before the fire. Then they placed before him a 
 glass upon a stand, and began to comb and 
 brush his hair gently. They brought a bowl 
 with perfumed water in it, and washed his face 
 and hands.
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 143 
 
 Now the Prince was fresh and warm, and the 
 Hands gave him a princely suit of clothes. 
 When he was dressed, they led him out of the 
 chamber to a grand hall. Here a table was set 
 with rich and dainty food. Two plates were on 
 the table, and the Prince wondered who was to 
 eat with him. 
 
 II. 
 
 A YEAR OF SPOET. 
 
 JUST then he looked up and saw a small figure 
 coming toward him. It was covered with a long 
 black veil, and was not more than a foot high. 
 On each side walked a cat dressed in black, and 
 behind came a great number of cats, some carry- 
 ing cages full of rats, and others mouse-traps 
 filled with mice. 
 
 The Prince did not know what to think. The 
 little figure drew near, and drew aside her veil. 
 It was a cat, a beautiful White Cat, but looking 
 sad and gentle. She said to the Prince : 
 
 " You are welcome, Prince. It makes me 
 glad to have you come." 
 
 " Madam," said the Prince, " I thank you for 
 all your goodness to me. I cannot help think- 
 ing you must be a wonderful being, to have this 
 beautiful palace, to be able to speak, and yet 
 to be a cat ! "
 
 144 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 " That is true," said the Cat, " but I do not 
 like to talk, and I do not like to hear fine things 
 said to me. Let us sit down to supper." 
 
 The Hands then placed some dishes on the ta- 
 ble, in front of the Prince and the White Cat. 
 The Prince had a pie made of young pigeons, 
 but the White Cat had one made of fat mice. 
 The Prince at first did not like to touch his 
 food. He was not quite sure what it was, but 
 the White Cat told him not to be afraid. The 
 dishes before him had no bit of rat or mouse in 
 them. 
 
 When supper was over, the Prince noticed 
 that the White Cat carried a little picture hung 
 by a cord upon one of her feet. He asked to 
 look at it. It was a portrait of a young man. 
 To his great surprise, it was his own likeness. 
 
 He did not ask the White Cat to explain this, 
 for she had a look which forbade him. They 
 talked together about many things, and then the 
 White Cat bade the Prince good-night. The 
 Hands, with torches, led him to his chamber, 
 and there he slept. 
 
 He was waked in the morning by a noise out- 
 side. He got up, and the Hands brought him a 
 handsome hunting-jacket. The noise kept on, 
 and he looked out of the window. There he 
 saw more than five hundred cats in the open 
 space before the palace. They were making 
 ready for a hunt.
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 145 
 
 The White Cat soon came and asked him to 
 join their sport, and he was given a wooden- 
 horse to ride on. The White Cat mounted a 
 monkey. She wore a dragoon's cap, which made 
 her look very bold and fierce. 
 
 The horns sounded, and away they went. 
 The cats ran faster than the hares and rabbits, 
 and when they caught any they brought them to 
 the Prince and the White Cat. They chased 
 birds as well as rabbits. Up the trees they 
 went, and the White Cat on the monkey climbed 
 more quickly than any, and mounted the highest 
 trees, to the eagle's nest. 
 
 When the chase was over, they all went back 
 to the palace. The White Cat sat down at the 
 table with the Prince, and they had a fine supper. 
 Again the Hands led the Prince to his chamber, 
 and he slept soundly. 
 
 So it went on day after day. Every day there 
 was some new pleasure, and the White Cat was 
 so gentle, so sweet, and so thoughtful, that the 
 Prince could not bear to think of leaving the 
 palace. 
 
 " How can I go away from you? " he cried 
 one day. " Can you not make me a cat to live 
 here always ? or, can you not make yourself a 
 lady ? " But the White Cat only smiled, and 
 made no answer. 
 
 At last a year had almost gone. The White
 
 146 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 Cat knew what day the Prince must return to 
 his father, and told him that he had but three 
 days left. 
 
 Alas ! " said the Prince. " What shall I 
 do ? I have not yet found a dog small enough." 
 
 " Never fear," said the White Cat. " I will 
 see that you have a dog, and I will also give 
 you a wooden-horse, so that you can ride home 
 in a few hours." 
 
 When the day came, the White Cat gave the 
 Prince an acorn, and told him to put it close to 
 his ear. He did so, and could hear a little dog 
 barking inside the acorn. He was delighted, 
 and thanked the White Cat a thousand times. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE LITTLE DOG AND THE CAMBRIC. 
 
 The Prince mounted his wooden horse, and 
 soon was at the place where he was to meet his 
 brothers. The two eldest told their stories. 
 The youngest kept silence, and showed only a 
 cheap cur. The brothers trod on each other's 
 toes under the table, as much as to say, " We 
 have nothing to fear from this dog." 
 
 The next day they all went to the palace. 
 The dogs of the two elder brothers were 
 brought in on soft rugs; they were wrapped
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 147 
 
 about in silk quilts, and it was hard to see any- 
 thing of them. However, the King looked at 
 each, and could not make up his mind which 
 was the smaller and prettier. So the two 
 princes began to quarrel. 
 
 At this the youngest son came forward. No- 
 body had looked at his cur, but now he showed 
 them his acorn. He broke the shell, and out 
 jumped a little dog. He held his finger ring, 
 and the dog leaped through it. There was no 
 doubt now who had the smaUest and prettiest 
 dog. 
 
 The King could not possibly find any fault 
 with the dog, but he could not bear to give up 
 his crown yet. So he thanked his sons for their 
 trouble, and asked them to try once more. He 
 wished them .to be gone a year, and at the end 
 of that time to bring him a fine piece of cam- 
 bric. It must be fine enough to be drawn 
 through the eye of a small needle. 
 
 The three princes thought this very hard, but 
 they set off as before. The two eldest took dif- 
 ferent roads. The youngest mounted his wooden- 
 horse, and quickly came to the palace of the 
 White Cat. There he was received with great 
 joy. The Hands helped him to dismount, and 
 the table was spread before him. The best 
 food was given him, and the White Cat sat op 
 posite. He told her what a hard task his fatlier 
 had set.
 
 148 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 "Do not be troubled," she said. "I have 
 cats in my palace who can make just such cam- 
 bric. So be at ease and enjoy yourself." 
 
 The Prince knew how to enjoy himself. He 
 talked with the White Cat about all sorts of 
 things, and they hunted together. And when 
 he was alone, why, he could think about the 
 White Cat, and what she said last. Oh yes, he 
 knew how to enjoy himself. 
 
 Thus another year went by. At the end of 
 the year the White Cat said to the Prince : 
 
 " This time you must go in state." 
 
 Then he saw in the yard a splendid carriage, 
 covered with gold and diamonds. Twelve 
 horses as white as snow were harnessed to it, 
 and a troop of horsemen was ready to ride be- 
 hind and by the side of the carriage. The 
 White Cat bade the Prince good-by, and gave 
 him a walnut. 
 
 " In this nut," she said, " is the cambric. 
 But you must not open the nut till you come 
 before the King." 
 
 Away went the horses, and carried the Prince 
 in a twinkling to the King's palace. His two 
 brothers were already there. They all went into 
 the King's presence, and the eldest brought out 
 his piece of cambric. No one had ever seen 
 anything so fine. The King took the needle. 
 The tip end of the cambric went through the 
 eye, but the piece could not be pulled further.
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 149 
 
 The second son tried, but his piece failed also. 
 Then the youngest Prince came forward with an 
 elegant box, covered with jewels. He opened 
 the box and took out the walnut. He smiled, 
 and looked about, and cracked the shell. Then 
 he looked sober. There was no cambric here, 
 only a filbert. 
 
 However, he cracked the shell of the filbert. 
 Out came a cherry-stone. He looked more se- 
 rious still. The brothers and the lords of the 
 court began to laugh. What could be more 
 silly than this Prince with his cherry-stone ! 
 
 The Prince now cracked the cherry-stone, and 
 took out the kernel. He split it, and found a 
 grain of wheat; he opened the grain of wheat, 
 and there was a grain of millet-seed. All the 
 court was now laughing. The Prince grew red 
 in the face and muttered : 
 
 " White Cat, White Cat, you have deceived 
 me." 
 
 When he said this he felt a scratch on his 
 arm. He saw nothing, but it was just as if a 
 cat scratched him. That brought him to his 
 senses. He opened the millet-seed very care- 
 fully, and drew forth a piece of cambric. It 
 was four hundred yards long, and was so fine 
 that it was easily drawn through the eye of the 
 needle. 
 
 The King could ask nothing more. But he
 
 150 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 was not ready to give up his crown, so he said 
 to his sons : 
 
 -"You have done nobly. Now one of you 
 must be king. But it will not do for one to be 
 king without a queen. So go away and find the 
 most beautiful woman in the world. At the 
 end of the year come back. The one who 
 brings the most beautiful woman shall marry 
 her and have my kingdom." 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE WHITE CAT HAS HER HEAD CUT OFF. 
 
 THE three brothers set off again on their 
 travels, and the youngest rode straight to the 
 palace of the White Cat. He could not bear to 
 speak or think of his errand. He was so happy, 
 however, with the White Cat that he quite for- 
 got everything for another year. At the end of 
 that time, the White Cat herself reminded him 
 what he had to do. 
 
 " You must now go back to your father, but 
 you shall take with you a beautiful princess. 
 Cut off my head and my tail, and throw them 
 into the fire." 
 
 " I ! " said the Prince. " I cut off your head 
 and tail ! How can I, when I love you so ? " 
 
 " You must. That is the way to prove your 
 love. If you love me, do as I bid you."
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 151 
 
 The Prince looked at the White Cat. Her 
 eyes said the same thing to him. He took his 
 sword, and did as she bade him. No sooner 
 had he done this than the White Cat was gone, 
 and a beautiful princess stood before him. At 
 the same moment the room was full of maids 
 and gentlemen. All the cats were gone. The 
 Prince was astonished. The beautiful princess 
 sent away all the people, and then told the 
 story of her life to the Prince. 
 
 V. 
 
 THE WHITE OAT'S STORY. 
 
 "Do not think I have always been a cat. 
 My father was a king, and had six kingdoms. 
 He loved my mother dearly, and let her do just 
 as she wished. She liked best to travel and to 
 see new sights. One day she heard of a distant 
 country where the fairies had a garden, and in 
 this garden was the most delicious fruit ever 
 eaten. 
 
 " She wished at once to taste this fruit, and 
 so she set off for the country. She came to a 
 noble palace and knocked at the gate. No one 
 came out. She waited. No one appeared any- 
 where in sight. But over the garden wall she 
 saw the fruit.
 
 152 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 " My mother bade her servants pitch her tent 
 close by the gate. There she stayed six weeks. 
 Yet she saw no one go in or out. She was so 
 vexed and so disappointed that at the end of 
 six weeks she fell sick. 
 
 " One night, when she was almost dead, she 
 opened her eyes and saw an old woman, small 
 and ugly. It was one of the fairies who owned 
 the garden. This old woman was sitting in a 
 chair by the bed, and spoke to my mother. 
 
 " ' Why do you come here for our fruit ? ' 
 she asked. ' My sisters and I do not like it at 
 all. We did not mean you should have any. 
 But now you are very ill, and we do not want 
 you to die here, you may have all you want, if 
 you will give us what we ask and then go away.' 
 
 " ' Oh,' said my mother, ' I will give you 
 everything I have, to the half of my kingdom, 
 if you will only give me the fruit.' 
 
 " ' Very well. You will have a child. When 
 the child is born, give her to us. We will take 
 care of her, and she shall be a beautiful prin- 
 
 " * That is pretty hard,' said my mother, ' but 
 I must have the fruit, or I shall die. So the 
 child shall be yours.' 
 
 " Then my mother rose and dressed, and 
 went into the garden. Here she ate her fill. 
 Besides, she ordered four thousand mules to be
 
 THE WHITE CAT. 153 
 
 loaded with the fruit, for it was of a kind that 
 would never spoil. Thus she traveled back to 
 my father. He was overjoyed to see her, and 
 she said nothing of the promise she had given. 
 
 " By and by, however, she grew sad, and my 
 father asked her what troubled her. Then she 
 told him the whole story. At first he was 
 greatly troubled, but he began to think how he 
 should prevent the fairies from getting his child. 
 
 " As soon as I was born he had me taken to 
 the top of a high tower. There were twenty 
 flights of stairs leading up to the room in which 
 I was placed. A door was at the foot of each 
 flight, and was locked, and my father kept the 
 key. He did not mean that any one should get 
 at me. 
 
 " When the fairies heard of this, they were 
 very angry. They sent forth a great dragon, 
 and the dragon breathed forth fire, and burnt 
 up the grass and trees. It was very fierce, too, 
 and killed men, women, and children. So my 
 father was filled with dismay, and sent word 
 that the fairies should have me."
 
 154 THE WHITE CAT. 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE WHITE OAT'S STORY ENDED. 
 
 " I was placed in a cradle of mother-of-pearl, 
 and carried to the palace by the garden, where 
 my mother had eaten the fruit. The dragon 
 at once disappeared, and all went well in my 
 father's kingdom. 
 
 " The fairies gave me a room in a tower, and 
 I had everything I could ask. Here I grew up. 
 I knew nothing of my father or mother. The 
 fairies came to see me, but they rode the dragon, 
 and flew in at the window. You must know, 
 there was no door to the tower. There were 
 windows, high up from the ground, and there 
 was a garden upon the top of the tower. 
 
 "The fames were very kind to me, and all 
 went well. I played in the garden on the tower, 
 and I had my birds and flowers. But one day 
 I was sitting at one of the windows talking with 
 my parrot, when I saw a fine-looking man below. 
 He stood listening to the parrot and me. 
 
 " I never had seen a man except in pictures, 
 and I was very glad to see this one. We spoke 
 to each other through the window, and so it 
 went on day after day. At last I thought I 
 could not bear to live alone in the tower, and I 
 planned to escape. 

 
 THE WHITE CAT. 155 
 
 " I begged the fairies to bring me some cord 
 and needles, to make a net with. There were 
 birds flying about, and if I had a net I could 
 catch one. They gave me these things, and I 
 made a ladder which reached from my window 
 to the ground^ 
 
 " I meant to climb down the ladder, but be- 
 fore I could do so my lover had climbed up. 
 He leaped in at my window. At first I was 
 frightened, but then I was glad to have him 
 with me. He gave me a picture of himself, but 
 while we were talking the fairy Violent flew in 
 at the window on the back of the dragon. She 
 was in a great rage, and bade the dragon at 
 once devour my lover. 
 
 " I tried to cast myself into the mouth of the 
 dragon, for I no longer cared to live. But the 
 fairy held me back, and said she had another 
 punishment for me. She touched me with her 
 wand, and I became at once a White Cat. 
 
 " She brought me to this palace, and gave me 
 a troop of cats to wait on me. They were lords 
 and ladies who had been turned into cats. The 
 Hands were the hands of servants who could not 
 be seen. Here I was to stay a cat until a prince 
 should come who looked exactly like my lover, 
 and who should cut off my head and my tail. 
 
 " My Prince, look at this picture. It is your 
 exact image. You have saved me from the fai- 
 ries, and I love you with all my heart."
 
 156 THE JACKDAW AND THE DOVES. 
 
 The Prince was overjoyed. He made haste to 
 set out for his father's palace with the beautiful 
 princess. Again the brothers stood before the 
 King, each with a beautiful princess. The King 
 was now at his wit's end, but the princess, who 
 had lately been a White Cat, came forward and 
 said : 
 
 " King, it is a thousand pities that you 
 should give up your kingdom. You are not 
 old. You are very wise, and ought to reign 
 many years. I have six kingdoms. Let me 
 give one to each of your two eldest sons. Then 
 the youngest son and T will still have four king- 
 doms. More than all, you will not have to de- 
 cide which of us three princesses is the most 
 beautiful." 
 
 Everybody set up a shout. The three wed- 
 dings took place at once, and the kingdoms were 
 divided between the princes. 
 
 THE JACKDAW AND THE DOVES. 
 
 A JACKDAW once looked into a dove-cote, 
 and saw the Doves well fed and cared for ; so 
 he went away and daubed himself white, and 
 then went back to make himself one of them. 
 As long as he kept quiet they let him stay, 
 thinking he was a Dove ; but as soon as he 
 opened his mouth to speak or sing, they found
 
 THE HARES AND THE FROGS. 157 
 
 out who he was, and drove him out of the dove- 
 cote. 
 
 He, poor fellow, now went back to the Jack- 
 daws, but they did not know him on account of 
 his white coat, and would not let him join them. 
 
 And so, for wanting to get into two compa- 
 nies, he missed both. 
 
 This fable teaches that it is best for us to be 
 content with our own kind, showing that the 
 greedy not only miss what they seek, but often 
 lose what they have. 
 
 THE HARES AND THE FROGS. 
 
 THE HARES once got together, and agreed 
 that they led a very hard life ; that they were 
 always in a scare. Men chased them, and dogs, 
 and eagles ; they had no peace, and it was bet- 
 ter to die once for all than to live in a constant 
 fright. 
 
 So they all started for a pond, to throw them- 
 selves off a rock into the water and end their 
 wretched life. 
 
 Now some Frogs were sitting around the 
 edge of the pond, and heard the noise made by 
 the Hares as they came running. They were 
 so frightened that they all jumped at once into 
 the water. 
 
 " Hold on ! " cried one of the Hares to his
 
 158 THE COUNTRY MAID. 
 
 fellows. " Do nothing rash. Do you not see 
 that there are others more scared than we ? " 
 
 THE FOUR BULLS AND THE LION. 
 
 FOUR BULLS once agreed to live together, and 
 they fed in the same pasture. Now the Lion 
 saw them afar off, and wanted to hunt them, 
 but he knew that he could not so long as they 
 held together. 
 
 So he managed to set them quarreling with 
 each other, and when that happened, they sep- 
 arated, and he easily mastered them one at a 
 time. 
 
 THE COUNTRY MAID AND HER MILK-PAIL. 
 
 A COUNTRY MAID was walking slowly along 
 with a pail of milk upon her head, and thinking 
 thus : 
 
 " The money for which I shall sell this milk 
 will buy me three hundred eggs. These eggs, 
 allowing for what may prove addled, will pro- 
 duce at least two hundred and fifty chickens. 
 The chickens will be fit to carry to market 
 about Christmas, when poultry always brings a 
 good price, so that by May-day I shall have 
 money enough to buy a new gown. Let me 
 see green suits me ; yes, it shall be green. In
 
 THE LION, THE ASS, AND THE FOX. 159 
 
 this dress I will go to the fair, where all the 
 young fellows will want me for a partner, but I 
 shall refuse every one of them." By this time 
 she was so full of her fancy that she tossed her 
 head proudly, when over went the pail, which 
 she had entirely forgotten, and all the milk was 
 spilled on the ground. 
 
 Moral. Don't count your chickens before 
 they are hatched. 
 
 THE LION, THE ASS, AND THE FOX. 
 
 THE Lion, the Ass, and the Fox made a bar- 
 gain to hunt together. Now, when they had 
 caught a good supply of game, they came to eat 
 it, and the Lion bade the Ass divide the spoils. 
 So the Ass divided it into three equal parts, and 
 called on each to choose his portion. At that 
 the Lion fell into a rage, and made his supper 
 off the Ass. 
 
 Then the Lion told the Fox to divide it, and 
 he put almost all the game into one great heap 
 for the Lion, and saved only a small bit for him- 
 self. Then the Lion said : " My good fellow, 
 who taught you to divide so well ? " And the 
 Fox said : " That dead Ass there."
 
 160 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 I. 
 THE FIRST WISH. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there was a Fisherman who 
 lived with his wife in a hut in a ditch, near the 
 sea. The Fisherman used to go out all day 
 long to catch fish. One day, as he sat on the 
 shore with his rod, he felt his line pulled ; he 
 drew it in, and at the end was a great Fish. 
 The Fish said to him : 
 
 "Pray let me live; I am not a real Fish. I 
 am an enchanted Prince ; put me into the water 
 again and let me go." 
 
 ^Oh," said the Fisherman, "you need not 
 make so many words about the matter. I wish 
 to have nothing to do with a Fish that can talk. 
 So swim away as fast as you please." 
 
 He put him back into the water ; the Fish 
 darted straight down to the bottom, and left a 
 long streak of blood behind him. When the 
 Fisherman went home to his wife in the ditch, 
 he told her of the Fish. 
 
 " Did you not ask it for anything ? " said the 
 wife. 
 
 " No," said the Fisherman. " What should I 
 ask for?" 
 
 " Ah ! " said the wife, " we live meanly here
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 161 
 
 in this poor ditch. Go back and tell the Fish 
 we want a little cottage." 
 
 The Fisherman did not much like to do this \ 
 but he went to the sea, and looked out. The 
 water was yellow and green. He stood on the 
 edge, and cried : 
 
 " O man of the sea f 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee." 
 
 At that the Fish swam to him, and said : 
 
 " Well, what does she want? " 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Fisherman, " my wife says 
 that when I had caught you, I ought to have 
 asked you for something, before I let you go 
 again. She does not like to live in the ditch ; 
 she wants a little cottage." 
 
 " Go home, then," said the Fish. " She is in 
 the cottage already." So the Fisherman went 
 home, and saw his wife at the door of a cottage. 
 
 " Come in, come in," said she ; " is not this 
 much better than the ditch ? " And there were 
 a parlor and a chamber and a kitchen ; behind 
 the cottage was a little garden, with all sorts of 
 flowers and fruits, and a yard full of ducks and 
 chickens. 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Fisherman, " how happily 
 we shall live now." 
 , " At least we can try," answered his wife.
 
 162 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 n. 
 
 THE SECOND WISH. 
 
 ALL went well for a week or two, and then 
 Dame Alice said : 
 
 " Husband, there is not room enough in this 
 cottage ; the garden and the yard are both too 
 small. I should like a large stone castle to live 
 in. So go to the Fish, and tell him to give us 
 a castle." 
 
 " Wife," said the Fisherman, " I do not like 
 to ask again ; I fear he will be angry ; let us be 
 content with the cottage." 
 
 " Nonsense ! he will give you what you ask. 
 Go along and try." 
 
 The Fisherman went, but his heart was heavy. 
 
 He came to the sea, and the water was gray 
 and gloomy, but it was calm. He stood on the 
 edge and cried again : 
 
 " O man of the sea ! 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee ! " 
 
 " Well, what does she Want now?" asked the 
 Fish. 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Fisherman, " my wife wants 
 to live in a stone castle."
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 163 
 
 " Go home then, she is standing at the door 
 of it already." Away went the Fisherman, and 
 found his wife standing before a great castle. 
 
 "See," said she, "is not this grand?" With 
 that they both went into the castle, and found 
 men and maids waiting to serve them. The 
 rooms were full of golden chairs and tables ; 
 behind the castle was a garden, and a wood half 
 a mile long, full of hares and deer ; sheep and 
 goats were in the field, and in the yard were sta- 
 bles and cow-houses. 
 
 " Well ! " said the Fisherman, " now we will 
 live contented and happy here the rest of our 
 lives." 
 
 " Perhaps we may," replied his wife ; " but 
 let us sleep over it, and see how it is in the 
 morning." So they went to bed. 
 
 III. 
 
 THE THIRD WISH. 
 
 WHEN dame Alice awoke the next day, she 
 jogged the Fisherman with her elbow and cried : 
 
 " Husband, get up, bestir yourself, for we 
 must be king of all the land." 
 
 "Wife, wife," said the Fisherman, "why 
 should we wish to be king ? I will not be king." 
 
 " Then I will," said Alice.
 
 164 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 "But wife, how can you be king? the Fish 
 cannot make you a king." 
 
 " Husband," she said, " say no more, but go, 
 ask the Fish. I will be king." So the Fisher- 
 man went once more to the sea, grieving much 
 over his wife. The waves were a dark gray and 
 were covered with foam. He stood on the edge, 
 and cried again : 
 
 " O man of the sea ! 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee." 
 
 " Well, what does she want now ? " asked the 
 Fish. 
 
 " Alas," said the Fisherman, " my wife wants 
 to be king." 
 
 " Go home," said the Fish ; " she is king al- 
 ready." 
 
 Then the Fisherman went home. As he 
 came close to the palace, he saw a troop of sol- 
 diers, and heard the sound of drums and trum- 
 pets ; when he went in, he saw his wife on a 
 highi throne ; she had a gold crown on her head ; 
 and on each side of her stood six beautiful 
 maids, each a head taller than the other. 
 
 " Well, wife," said the Fisherman, " are you 
 king?" 
 
 " Yes," said she, " I am king." And when he 
 had looked at her a long time, he said :
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 165 
 
 " Ah, wife ! what a fine thing it is to be 
 king ! now we shall never have anything more 
 to wish for." 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE FOURTH WISH. 
 
 " I DON'T know how that may be," said Alice. 
 " Never is a long time. I am king 't is true ; 
 but I begin to be tired of it, and I think I 
 should like to be emperor." 
 
 " Alas, wife ! why should you wish to be em- 
 peror? " asked the Fisherman. 
 
 " Husband," said she, "go to the Fish. I say 
 I will be emperor." 
 
 " Ah, wife ! the Fish cannot make you em- 
 peror, and I do not like to ask such a thing." 
 
 " I am king," said Alice, " and you are my 
 slave. Go at once." 
 
 So the Fisherman must needs go ; but he said 
 to himself, as he went : 
 
 " This will come to no good ; it is too much 
 to ask ; the Fish will be tired at last, and then 
 we shall repent of what we have done." He 
 came to the sea ; the water was black, and a 
 great whirlwind blew over it ; but he went to 
 the edge of the shore, and cried : 
 
 " O man of the sea ! 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee."
 
 166 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 " Well, what does she want now ? " asked the 
 Fish. 
 
 " Ah," said he, " she wants to be emperor." 
 " Go home," said the Fish, <c she is emperor." 
 So he went home again ; as he drew near, he 
 saw his wife sitting on a very lofty throne, 
 made of solid gold; she had a gold crown on 
 her head, full two yards high, and on each side 
 of her stood her guards in a row, each smaller 
 than the other, from the tallest giant down to a 
 wee dwarf, no bigger than her finger. Before 
 her stood princes, and dukes, and earls ; and the 
 Fisherman went up to her, and said : 
 " Wife, are you emperor ? " 
 " Yes," said she, " I am emperor." 
 
 V. 
 
 THE FIFTH WISH. 
 
 " AH," said the man, as he gazed up at her, 
 " what a fine thing it is to be emperor ! " 
 
 " Husband," said she, " why should we stay at 
 being emperor ? I will be pope next." 
 
 " wife ! " said he, " how can you be pope ? 
 There is but one pope at a time in the world." 
 
 " Husband," said she, " I will be pope this 
 very day." 
 
 " But," answered the husband, " the Fish can- 
 not make you pope."
 
 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 167 
 
 " What nonsense ! " said she j " if he can 
 make me an emperor, he can make me a pope. 
 Go and try him." 
 
 So the Fisherman went. But when he came 
 to the shore, the wind was raging and the sea 
 was tossed up and down like boiling water ; in 
 the middle of the sky there was a little blue, 
 but toward the south it was red, as if a dreadful 
 storm was brewing. At this, the Fisherman 
 was in terror, but he went to the edge of the 
 shore, and said in a low voice : 
 
 " O man of the sea ! 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee." 
 
 " Well, what does she want now ? " asked the 
 Fish. 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Fisherman, " she wants to 
 be pope." 
 
 " Go home ; she is pope." 
 
 Then the Fisherman went home and found 
 his wife sitting on a throne that was two miles 
 high ; she had three great crowns on her head : 
 around her stood all the pomp and power of 
 the church ; and on each side were two rows of 
 burning lights, of all sizes, the greatest as large 
 as the tallest tower in the world, and the least 
 no bigger than a small rush-light.
 
 168 THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE. 
 
 " Wife," said the Fisherman, as he looked 
 at all this grandeur, " are you pope ? " 
 
 " Yes," said she, " I am pope." 
 
 " Well, wife," replied he " it is a grand thing 
 ito be pope, and now you must be content, for 
 you can be nothing greater." 
 
 " I will consider of that," said the wife. 
 
 VL 
 
 THE FINAL WISH. 
 
 THEY went to bed, but dame Alice could not 
 sleep all night, for thinking of what she should 
 be next. At last morning came and the sun 
 rose. 
 
 " Ha ! " thought she, as she looked at it 
 through the window, " cannot I prevent the 
 sun rising ? " At this she grew very angry, 
 and she waked her husband, and said : 
 
 "Husband, go to the Fish and tell him I 
 want to be lord of the sun and moon." 
 
 The Fisherman was half asleep, but the 
 thought so scared him that he started and fell 
 out of bed. 
 
 " Alas, wife ! " said he, " cannot you be con- 
 tent to be pope ? " 
 
 " No," said she, " I am very uneasy, and can- 
 not bear to see the sun and moon rise without 
 my leave. Go at once to the Fish."
 
 THE KID AND THE WOLF. 169 
 
 Then the man went, quaking with fear; as 
 he drew near the shore, a great storm arose, 
 so that the trees and the rocks shook, the sky 
 became black, the lightning flashed, the thunder 
 rolled. The sea was one mass of black waves 
 with a white crown of foam; and the Fisher- 
 man whispered : 
 
 " O man of the sea ! 
 Come, listen to me, 
 For Alice my wife, 
 The plague of my life, 
 Hath sent me to beg a boon of thee." 
 
 "What does she want?" 
 
 " Ah ! " said the Fisherman, " she wants to be 
 lord of the sun and moon." 
 
 " Go home." said the Fish, " to your ditch 
 again." And there they live to this very day. 
 
 THE KID AND THE WOLF. 
 
 A KID stood on top of a house, and saw a 
 Wolf go by below. He began to jeer at the 
 Wolf, and to make all manner of fun of him. 
 
 "0 ho ! " said the Wolf ; " it is not you, it 
 is the safe place where you are, that laughs at 
 me." 
 
 This fable teaches that the place in which 
 one is, or the time in which one acts, often 
 gives one great boldness.
 
 170 THE CAT, WEASEL, AND RABBIT. 
 
 THE CAT, THE WEASEL, AND THE YOUNG 
 RABBIT. 
 
 THERE was once a young Rabbit, a quiet, 
 peace-loving Rabbit. He lived in a neat house,' 
 and made no trouble for any one. But one day 
 he wert to market to buy some parsley ; a Wea- 
 sel came slyly by and saw the little house ; he 
 slipped in and made himself at home. It was a 
 good place to stay in, and there he meant to 
 stay. By and by the Rabbit came home, and 
 saw the Weasel at the window. 
 
 " Do you know that this is my house ? " the 
 Rabbit asked. 
 
 " Pooh, pooh ! " said the Weasel, " what 
 makes it yours ? " You only dug in the ground 
 a little, and came in here where the earth was 
 gone. Do you think you own the earth ? " 
 
 " The law gives it to me," said the Rabbit, 
 " because I made it fit to live in. If you do 
 not leave, I will call the police." 
 
 " The law, indeed ! " said the Weasel ; " and 
 pray, what right has the law to give away land ? 
 But we will have no more words. We will lay 
 the matter before the Cat, and leave it to him." 
 
 " Very well," said the young Rabbit, and 
 they went to find the Cat, an old, wise, and 
 strong Cat.
 
 THE WOMAN AND HER MAIDS. 171 
 
 "Come nearer, my children," said the Cat, 
 as they both began to talk at the same time. 
 "I am very deaf; nearer, for I wish to hear 
 every word." 
 
 They came close to the Cat, each talking 
 loudly. But as soon as the Cat had them 
 within reach, he darted his claws out on each 
 side, and held them both fast. First he made 
 way with the young Rabbit, next with the Wea- 
 sel ; and then the house belonged to him. 
 
 THE WOMAN AND HER MAIDS. 
 
 A WOMAN, who was a busy housekeeper, was 
 wont to wake her maids and set them at work 
 by cock-crow. They thought this very hard, 
 and said : 
 
 " Come, let us kill the cock, for then the Mis- 
 tress will not wake." 
 
 But when they had done this, they were 
 worse off than before. Now, the woman waked 
 them earlier still, in the middle of the night, 
 for she could not tell when it was cock-crow.
 
 172 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 
 
 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 
 
 I. 
 HOW THEY SET OUT. 
 
 A FARMER had an Ass that had been a faith 
 f ul servant to him a great many years ; but the 
 Ass was now growing old, and every day was 
 more and more unfit for work. 
 
 His master, therefore, was tired of keeping 
 him, and began to think of putting an end to 
 him ; but the Ass saw there was mischief in the 
 wind and took himself off slyly ; he set out to- 
 ward the great city. " For there," thought he, 
 " people will like to hear me bray, and I shall 
 earn my living as a musician." 
 
 He had traveled a little way when he spied a 
 Dog by the wayside. The Dog was lying down, 
 and panting as if he were very tired. 
 
 "What makes you pant so, my friend?" 
 asked the Ass. 
 
 " Alas ! " said the Dog, " my master was about 
 to knock me on the head. I am old and weak, 
 and can no longer hunt as I used. So I ran 
 away. But how can I earn a living ? " 
 
 " Hark ye," said the Ass ; " I am going to the 
 great city to be a musician ; suppose you go 
 with me, and try what you can do in the same 
 way."
 
 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 173 
 
 " Very well," said the Dog, and they jogged 
 on together. 
 
 They had not gone far before they saw a 
 Cat sitting in the middle of the road. The Cat 
 wore a very sad face. 
 
 " Pray, my good lady," said the Ass, " what is 
 the matter with you ? You look quite out of 
 sorts." 
 
 " Ah me ! " said the Cat, " well I may. How 
 can I be in good spirits, when I fear for my life ? 
 I am beginning to grow old, and I like to lie at 
 my ease by the fire, and not to run about the 
 house after mice. So my mistress laid hold of 
 me, and was about to drown me. I was lucky 
 enough to get away from her ; but what am I to 
 live on?" 
 
 " Oh ! " said the Ass, " come with us to the 
 great city. You are a good night singer, and 
 may make your fortune as a musician." 
 
 " Well said," said the Cat, and she joined the 
 party. 
 
 On they went, until they came to a farm- 
 yard. There they saw a Cock perched upon the 
 gate, and the Cock was crowing with all his 
 might and main. 
 
 " Bravo ! " said the Ass ; " upon my word you 
 make a famous noise ; pray, what is all this 
 about?" 
 
 " Why," said the Cock, "I was just now say-
 
 174 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 
 
 ing that it was going to be fine weather, when 
 lo ! the cook claps her hands to her ears, and 
 says she means to cut my head off, and make 
 broth of me for the guests that are coming 
 to-morrow." 
 
 " What a shame ! " said the Ass. " But 
 come with us, master Cock. It will be better 
 than to stay here and have your head cut off. 
 Besides, who knows ? If we take care to sing in 
 tune, we may get up some kind of a concert ; so, 
 come along with us." 
 
 "With all my heart," said the Cock; and 
 they all four went on their merry way. 
 
 n. 
 
 HOW THEY GAVE A CONCERT. 
 
 THEY could not reach the great city the first 
 day ; so, when night came on, they went into 
 the wood to sleep. The Ass and the Dog lay 
 down under a great tree; the Cat climbed up 
 and sat on a branch; the Cock flew up to the 
 top of the tree, for that was a very safe place. 
 
 Before he went to sleep, he looked out on all 
 sides to see if the world were quiet. Afar off 
 he saw something bright, and he called out to 
 the others : 
 
 " There must be a house no great way off, for 
 I see a light."
 
 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 175 
 
 " If that be the case," said the Ass, " let us 
 change our quarters, for our lodging here is not 
 the best in the world." 
 
 " So say I," said the Dog. " I should not be 
 the worse for a bone or two, or a bit of meat." 
 
 So off they all went to the spot where the 
 Cock had seen the light ; as they drew near, it 
 became larger and brighter, till at last they 
 came close to a house in which a gang of rob- 
 bers lived. 
 
 The Ass was the tallest of the company, so he 
 marched up to the window and peeped in. 
 
 " Well, Ass," said the Cock, what do you 
 see ? " 
 
 " What do I see ? Why, I see a table spread 
 with all sorts of good things, and men sitting 
 round it, making merry." 
 
 " That would be a fine place for us to live 
 in," said the Cock. 
 
 " Yes," said the Ass, " if we only could get 
 in." So they all talked the matter over, and at 
 last hit upon a plan. The Ass stood on his 
 hind-legs, with his fore-feet resting on the win- 
 dow-sill ; the Dog got upon his back ; the Cat 
 scrambled up to the Dog's shoulders, and the 
 Cock flew up and sat upon the Cat's head. 
 
 When all was ready, they began their music. 
 The Ass brayed, the Dog barked, the Cat 
 mewed, and the Cock crowed ; and then they all
 
 176 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 
 
 broke through the window at once, and came 
 tumbling into the room ; the glass fell with a 
 smash upon the floor, and there was a great 
 clatter. 
 
 The robbers started when they heard the mu- 
 sic ; they were scared out of their wits when the 
 Traveling Musicians came tumbling into the 
 room ; and so they took to their heels at once. 
 
 m. 
 
 HOW THEY MADE THEMSELVES AT HOME. 
 
 As soon as they were gone, the Traveling 
 Musicians sat down at the table ; they ate all 
 that the robbers had left, and as they were very 
 hungry, they ate very fast. 
 
 Then, when they had cleared the table, they 
 put out the h'ghts, and each found a place in 
 which to sleep. The Ass lay upon a heap of 
 straw in the yard ; the Dog stretched himself 
 upon a mat behind the door ; the Cat rolled her- 
 self up on the hearth before the warm ashes j 
 and the Cock perched upon a beam at the top ot 
 the house. They were all tired and soon fell 
 asleep. 
 
 After some time the robbers, who had not 
 fled far, got over their fright. They saw that 
 the lights were out, and that all was quiet.
 
 THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS. 177 
 
 They began to think they had been frightened 
 at nothing. One, bolder than the rest, crept 
 back to the house. All was still ; all was dark. 
 
 He made his way into the kitchen, and groped 
 about to find a candle. He found the candle, 
 and then went to the fire, as he thought, to light 
 his candle. But the live coals which he thought 
 he saw were the two fiery eyes of the Cat. 
 
 He held the candle close, to light it, but the 
 Cat, not liking the joke, sprang at his face, and 
 spit, and scratched him. Away he ran to the 
 door ; but there the Dog jumped up and bit him 
 in the leg ; as he was crossing the yard, the Ass 
 kicked him, and the Cock, now awake, crowed 
 with all his might. 
 
 At this, the robber ran back to his comrades, 
 as fast as his legs could carry him. He told 
 them that a horrid witch had got into the house, 
 and had spit at him, and scratched his face with 
 long bony fingers ; that a man with a knife in 
 his hand hid behind the door, and stabbed him 
 in the leg; that a black monster stood in the 
 yard, and struck him with a club ; and that the 
 judge sat upon the top of the house, and cried 
 out: 
 
 " Throw the rascal up here ! " 
 
 After this, the robbers never dared to go back 
 to the house. The Traveling Musicians were 
 so pleased with then- quarters, that they took up
 
 178 THE CAT AND THE MICE. 
 
 their abode there, and there they are, I dare say, 
 at this very day. 
 
 THE KITE AND THE PIGEONS. 
 
 THE Pigeons had long lived in fear of the 
 Kite ; but by being always on the look-out, and 
 by keeping close to the pigeon-house, they made 
 out to live in safety. 
 
 The Elite found he could not take them bold- 
 ly ; so he tried a trick. He went to the pigeon- 
 house and said : 
 
 " Why do you live all the time in fear of me ? 
 I am strong and could keep away all things 
 that might hurt you. Make me your king." 
 
 " "Well said," thought the Pigeons, and they 
 made the Kite their king. But when the Kite 
 was once inside the pigeon-house, he shut the 
 door ; and then he ate the Pigeons, one each 
 day. 
 
 " It serves us right," said one of them, when 
 his turn came. 
 
 THE CAT AND THE MICE. 
 
 THERE was a house which was overrun with 
 Mice. A Cat found this out, and went there 
 and began to catch them. At this, the Mice 
 hid for safety in the eaves, and the Cat saw that
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 179 
 
 she must catch them by a trick. She climbed 
 up to the eaves and held by her hind legs to a 
 peg ; there she hung as if she were dead. 
 
 One of the Mice peeped out and saw her 
 there ; but he said : 
 
 " Aha, you fellow ! If you were a bag of 
 meal, we would not come out to you." 
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 
 I. 
 
 SHE SHOWS HOW PRUDENT SHE IS. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there was a man who had 
 a daughter, who was called Clever Alice. When 
 she was grown up, her father said : 
 
 " We must see about her marrying." 
 
 " Yes," said her mother ; " as soon as a 
 young man shall appear who is worthy of her." 
 
 At last, a youth, by name Hans, came from 
 a town near by, and asked to marry her. 
 
 " But," he said, " I cannot marry your daugh- 
 ter unless she is very prudent." 
 
 " Oh," said her father ; " never fear for that ! 
 she has a head full of brains." And the mother 
 added : 
 
 " Ah, she can see the wind blow up the 
 street, and hear the flies cough."
 
 180 CLEVER ALICE. 
 
 " Very well," said Hans ; " but mind, if she is 
 not very prudent, I will not take her." 
 
 Soon they all sat down at dinner, and her 
 mother said : 
 
 "Alice, go down into the cellar and draw 
 some cider." 
 
 So Clever Alice took the jug down from the 
 shelf, and went into the cellar. As soon as she 
 was down-stairs, she drew a stool and placed it 
 before the cask, in order that she might not 
 have to stoop ; for she thought stooping might 
 hurt her back. 
 
 Then she placed the jug before her, and turned 
 the tap. She did not wish her eyes to be idle, 
 so, while the cider was running, she looked 
 about upon the wall above and below. As she 
 peeped here and peeped there she saw a hatchet, 
 which some workmen had left sticking into a 
 beam right over her head. At sight of this, 
 Clever Alice began to cry, saying : 
 
 " Oh, oh ! if I marry Hans, and we have a 
 child, and he grows up, and we send him into 
 the cellar to draw cider, this hatchet will fall on 
 his head and kill him ! " and so she sat there 
 weeping to think of this ill chance.
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 181 
 
 II. 
 
 ALL FIND OUT HOW PRUDENT ALICE IS. 
 
 Now the good people up-stairs were waiting 
 for their cider, and as Clever Alice did not come, 
 her mother sent the maid to go and see what 
 was the matter. The maid went down into the 
 cellar, and there was Clever Alice on the stool 
 before the cask, crying heartily. 
 
 " Alice," she asked, " what are you weeping 
 about ? " 
 
 " Ah ! " said she, " have I not cause ? If I 
 marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows 
 up, and we send him into the cellar to draw 
 cider, this hatchet will fall on his head and kill 
 him." 
 
 " Oh," said the maid, " what a prudent Alice 
 we have ! " and sitting down, she began to weep 
 too, to think o this ill chance. 
 
 By and by, when the maid did not come back, 
 the good people up-stairs began to feel very 
 thirsty ; so the husband told the boy to go down 
 into the cellar to see what had become of Alice 
 and the maid. The boy went down, and there 
 sat Clever Alice and the maid, both crying. 
 
 "What now?" he asked, looking at Clever 
 Alice. " What are you crying for ? " 
 
 "Ah," said she, "have I not cause? If I
 
 182 CLEVER ALICE. 
 
 marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows 
 up, and we send him into the cellar to draw 
 cider, this hatchet will fall on his head and kill 
 him." 
 
 "Oh," said the boy, "what a prudent Alice 
 we have ! " and he fell to weeping with the 
 others. 
 
 Up-stairs sat the good people ; they waited 
 and waited, and at last the husband said : 
 
 " Do you go down-stairs, wife, and see what 
 keeps Alice so long." 
 
 So she went down, and found all three weep- 
 ing together. 
 
 " What does this mean ? " she asked. " Alice 
 weeping ? the maid weeping ? the boy weeping ? 
 what is the trouble ? " 
 
 " Ah," said Alice, " have I not cause ? If I 
 marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows 
 up, and we send him into the cellar to draw 
 cider, this hatchet will fall on his head and kill 
 him." 
 
 " Oh," said the mother. " What a prudent 
 Alice we have ! " and she sat down and began 
 to weep as much as the others. 
 
 Now the husband sat above with Hans, and 
 they waited and waited. At last he felt so very 
 thirsty that he said : 
 
 " I must go down myself into the cellar, and 
 see what is keeping our Alice."
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 183 
 
 So down he went, and found Alicb. the maid, 
 the boy, and his wife all weeping as if their 
 hearts would break. 
 
 " Dear soul ! " said he to Clever Alice, 
 " what troubles you? " 
 
 " Ah," said Alice, " have I not cause ? If I 
 marry Hans, and we have a child, and he grows 
 up, and we send him into the cellar to draw 
 cider, this hatchet will fall on his head and kill 
 him." 
 
 " Ah," said the father, " what a prudent Alice 
 we have," and he sat down and began to cry 
 with the whole strength of his lungs. 
 
 All this time Hans sat alone up-stairs. He 
 waited and waited, but nobody came. So he 
 went down to see what was the matter. There 
 he saw all five in a row, weeping and wailing. 
 
 " Good people," said he, " what is going on ? 
 Why do you weep ? " and he turned to the hus- 
 band. 
 
 " Ask my wife," said he. 
 
 " Ask the boy," said she. 
 
 " Ask the maid," said he. 
 
 " Ask Alice," said she. And Alice said : 
 
 " Have I not cause ? If I marry you, and we 
 have a child, and he grows up, and we send him 
 into the cellar to draw cider, this hatchet will 
 fall on his head and kill him. Do you not think 
 this is enough to weep about ? "
 
 184 CLEVER ALICE. 
 
 " Now," said Hans, " no one could be more 
 prudent than this girl. So, if you will, Clever 
 Alice, I will marry you." 
 
 m. 
 
 HOW VERY CLEVER SHE PROVED TO BE. 
 
 AFTER they had been married a little while, 
 Hans said one morning : 
 
 " Wife, I will go out to work to earn some 
 money. Do you go into the field, and gather 
 some corn and make bread." 
 
 " That I will, dear Hans," said she. When 
 he was gone, she cooked some nice porridge to 
 take with her. As she came to the field, she 
 asked herself, 
 
 "What shall I do? Shall I cut the corn 
 first, or eat my porridge ? I think I will eat 
 first." Then she ate all that was in her bowl. 
 She looked into it ; it was empty. 
 
 "Now," she asked herself, "shall I cut the 
 corn or take a nap ? I think I will take a nap." 
 So she laid herself down among the corn and 
 went fast to sleep. 
 
 By and by Hans came home, but no Alice was 
 there. 
 
 " Oh," said he, " what a prudent Alice I have. 
 She works so hard that she does not even come 
 home to eat anything."
 
 CLEVER ALICE. 185 
 
 Evening came, and still Alice did not come 
 home. Then Hans went out to see how much 
 corn she had cut. And lo ! nothing at all, and 
 there lay Alice fast asleep among the corn. Off 
 went Hans and brought a net with bells hanging 
 from it. He threw the net over her head, and 
 went back to the house. Then he shut the door, 
 and fell to working at his bench. 
 
 It was quite dark when Clever Alice awoke. 
 As soon as she stood up, the net fell over her 
 hair, and the bells jingled at every step she took. 
 She did not know what to make of it, and began 
 to doubt if she were really Clever Alice, and 
 said to herself, 
 
 "Am I she, or am I not?" 
 
 She could not make up her mind how to an- 
 swer this question. At last she thought she 
 would go home and ask Hans. He would know. 
 She came to the house, but the door was shut. 
 So she tapped on the window, and asked, 
 
 " Hans, is Alice within ? " 
 
 "Yes," said he, "she is." 
 
 At that, she quite lost her wits. 
 
 " Then I am not Alice ! " she cried, and ran 
 to another house, to ask somebody else. But 
 as soon as the folk within heard the bells in her 
 net jingle, they would not open the door. So 
 she ran straight away from the village, and no 
 one has ever seen her since. That is the end of 
 .the story of Clever Alice.
 
 186 THE FROGS ASK FOR A KINO. 
 
 THE WOLF AND THE CRANE. 
 
 A WOLF once had a bone stuck in his throat, 
 and offered to pay the Crane well if she would 
 thrust her head down, with its long bill, and 
 draw the bone out. 
 
 When she had done this, she asked for her 
 pay. Then the Wolf laughed, and showed his 
 teeth, and said : 
 
 " Is it not enough for you that you have had 
 your head in a Wolf's mouth, and have drawn it 
 out again safely ? What more do you want ? " 
 
 THE FROGS ASK FOR A KING. 
 
 IN old times, we read, the Frogs lived in a 
 free and easy way, each one as he pleased. But 
 the elders among them did not like this, and 
 begged Jove to send them a king. 
 
 Jove thought them very foolish, and tossed 
 a log into the middle of the pond. The Frogs 
 were scared out of their wits, and plunged at 
 once into the deepest hole. By and by, they 
 peeped out and saw that King Log was stockstill. 
 
 They began to grow bolder ; soon they laughed 
 at King Log ; then they jumped up and sat on 
 the log. That was not a king, they said, and 
 off they went to Jove, and asked him to give 
 them a new king.
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 187 
 
 This time Jove gave them an Eel; but the 
 Eel was stupid, and the Frogs liked him no 
 better. They sent a third time to Jove. 
 
 At this Jove was angry, and sent them a king 
 of another sort. For he sent them King Stork, 
 and King Stork caught the Frogs, one by one, 
 and ate them, till there was not one left. 
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 I. 
 THE BIRD CARRIES OFF THE APPLES. 
 
 A KING had a fair garden, and in the garden 
 was a tree, and the tree bore apples of gold. 
 Every morning these apples were counted ; and 
 every morning there was one apple less. The 
 king grew very angry and bade the gardener 
 keep watch all night under the tree. 
 
 The gardener set his eldest son to watch ; but 
 about twelve o'clock he fell asleep, and in the 
 morning another apple was gone. Then the 
 second son was told to watch ; at twelve o'clock 
 he fell asleep, and in the morning another apple 
 was gone. 
 
 Then the third son said he would watch. 
 The gardener would not let him at first, for fear 
 some harm would come to him. But at last he
 
 188 THE ^JLZEN BIRD. 
 
 gave him leave, and the young man lay down 
 under the tree to watch. 
 
 As the clock struck twelve, he heard a rus- 
 tling noise in the air, and a bird came flying 
 toward him. The bird was of pure gold, and 
 snapped at one of the apples with his beak. The 
 gardener's son jumped up, and shot an arrow at 
 the bird, but did it no harm. Only a golden 
 feather fell to the ground from its tail, as the 
 bird flew away. 
 
 In the morning, the feather was carried to the 
 king. All the wise men were called together, 
 and they said the feather was worth all the 
 wealth of the kingdom. But the king said : 
 
 " One feather is of no use to me ; I must have 
 the whole bird." 
 
 n. 
 
 TWO BROTHERS SET OUT TO FIND THE BIRD. 
 
 THEN the gardener's eldest son set out to 
 find the golden bird. He had gone but a little 
 way, when he came to a wood, and by the side 
 of the wood he saw a Fox. So he took his bow 
 and made ready to shoot at it. Then the Fox 
 said: 
 
 " Do not shoot me, for I will give you good 
 counsel. I know what you want ; you wish to 
 find the golden bird. You will come to a vil*
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 189 
 
 lage in the evening. When you get there you 
 will see two inns over against each other. One 
 of them is pleasant to look at ; go not in there, 
 but rest for the night in the other, though it 
 seem to you very poor and mean." But the 
 eldest son thought to himself : 
 
 " What can such a beast as this know about 
 the matter? " So he shot his arrow at the Fox, 
 but he missed aim. The Fox set up its tail over 
 its back and ran into the wood. Then the eldest 
 son went his way, and in the evening came to the 
 village where the two inns were. In one of 
 them were people singing and dancing and feast- 
 ing ; the other looked poor and mean. 
 
 " I should be very silly," he said, " if I went 
 to that shabby house, and left this pleasant 
 place." So he went into the smart house, and 
 ate and drank and took his ease, and forgot the 
 golden bird and his own home. 
 
 Time passed on. As the eldest son came not 
 back, and no tidings were brought of him, the 
 second son set out, and the same thing happened 
 to him. He met the Fox, who gave him the 
 same advice. But when he came to the two 
 inns, his elder brother was standing at the win- 
 dow, where the sport was going on, and called 
 to him to come in. He could not resist, but 
 went in and forgot the golden bird and his own 
 home.
 
 190 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 m. 
 
 THE YOUNGEST SON SEEKS THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 TIME passed on again, and the youngest son 
 wished to set out into the wide world to seek the 
 golden bird; but for a long while his father 
 would not hear of it ; he was very fond of his son, 
 and was afraid that some ill luck would happen 
 to him also, and prevent him from coming back. 
 
 At last he let him go, for the boy would not 
 rest at home. He too went to the wood and 
 met the Fox, and heard the same words. But he 
 thanked the Fox, and did not shoot at him, as 
 his brothers had done. 
 
 " Sit upon my tail," said the Fox, " and you 
 will travel faster." So he took his seat on the 
 Fox's tail ; the Fox began to run, and away they 
 went over stock and stone, so fast that their hair 
 whistled in the wind. 
 
 When they came to the village, the youngest 
 son followed the counsel of the Fox, and went 
 straight into the shabby inn, and rested there 
 all night. In the morning the Fox met him, 
 as he was about to set out, and said : 
 
 " Go straight on, until you come to a castle, 
 with a troop of soldiers fast asleep before the 
 gate. Take no heed of them, but go into the 
 castle, and pass on and on until you come to a
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 191 
 
 room, where the golden bird sits in a wooden 
 cage. Close by it stands a beautiful golden 
 cage ; do not try to take the bird out of the 
 shabby cage and put it into the handsome one, 
 or you will surely repent of it." Then the Fox 
 stretched out his tail again, and the youngest 
 son sat on it, and away they went over stock 
 and stone, so fast that their hair whistled in the 
 wind. 
 
 IV. 
 
 THE BIRD IS FOUND AND LOST. 
 
 IT was as the Fox had said. There was the 
 castle, and before it the troop of soldiers fast 
 asleep. The youngest son pushed in and came 
 to the room where the golden bird hung in a 
 wooden cage. Near by stood a golden cage, 
 and the golden apples that had been lost were 
 lying by it. Then he thought to himself : 
 
 " It would be odd to bring away such a fine 
 bird in a shabby cage." So he opened the door, 
 and took hold of the bird to put it into the 
 golden cage. At that the bird set up a scream. 
 All the soldiers awoke and seized the youngest 
 son, and carried him off to the king. 
 
 The next morning the court sat in judgment. 
 They heard what he had done, and then they 
 sentenced him to death, unless he should bring
 
 192 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 the king the golden horse, which could run as 
 swiftly as the wind. If he did this, he was to 
 live, and was to have the golden bird for his 
 own. 
 
 V. 
 
 THE GOLDEN HORSE. 
 
 So the youngest son set out once more on his 
 travels. He was in a sad state of mind, when 
 on a sudden his friend, the Fox, met him, and 
 
 " You see now what happened because you 
 did not heed my words. But I will tell you 
 how to find the golden horse, only you must do 
 as I bid you. You must go straight on till you 
 come to the castle where the horse stands in his 
 stall. By his side will lie the groom fast asleep. 
 Take away the horse quietly, but be sure to put 
 the old leather saddle upon him, and not the 
 golden one which is close by." 
 
 Then the youngest son sat upon the Fox's tail, 
 and away they went over stock and stone, so fast 
 that their hair whistled in the wind. 
 
 All went well. There was the golden horse 
 in his stall, and there lay the groom asleep, with 
 his hand upon the golden saddle. But when 
 the youngest son looked at the horse, he thought 
 it a great pity to put the leather saddle upon 
 him.
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 193 
 
 " I will give him the best one," said he ; "I 
 am sure he deserves it." So he took up the 
 golden saddle ; but as he did this, the groom 
 awoke and cried aloud; all the guards ran in 
 and made him prisoner, and in the morning he 
 was brought before the court. His doom was 
 to die, but the judges said that he might live if 
 he could bring to the king the beautiful prin- 
 cess ; not only should he live, but he was to 
 have the golden bird and the golden horse for 
 his own. 
 
 VI. 
 
 THE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS. 
 
 THE youngest son went his way very sad, but 
 the old Fox came to him again, and said : 
 
 " Why did you not listen to me ? If you had 
 listened, you would have carried away both the 
 bird and the horse. But attend. Go straight 
 on, and in the evening you will arrive at a cas- 
 tle. At twelve o'clock at night, the princess 
 will come into the hall. Go up to her, and take 
 her hand, and she will let you lead her away. 
 But take care you do not suffer her to go and 
 take leave of her father and mother." Then 
 the Fox stretched out his tail, and away they 
 went over stock and stone, so fast that their 
 hair whistled in the wind.
 
 194 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 They came to the castle, and all was as the 
 Fox had said. At twelve o'clock the youngest 
 son met the princess as she came into the hall. 
 He took her hand, and she agreed to run away 
 with him, but begged with many tears that he 
 would let her take leave of her father and 
 mother. 
 
 At first he would not, but she wept still more 
 and more, and fell at his feet, till at last he con- 
 sented. But the moment she came to her 
 father's house, the guards awoke and took the 
 youngest son prisoner. He was brought before 
 the father of the princess, who said : 
 
 " You shall never have my daughter, unless 
 in eight days you dig away the hill that stops 
 the view from my window." 
 
 Now this hill was so big that a thousand men 
 working a thousand days could not take it away ; 
 but the youngest son went to work. When he 
 had digged for seven days, the Fox came to 
 him and said : 
 
 " Lie down, and go to sleep. I will work for 
 you." 
 
 In the morning the youngest son awoke, and 
 the hill was gone. So he went merrily in, and 
 told the father of the princess that now he must 
 give him his daughter. The father said he 
 would keep his word, and away went the young- 
 est son and the princess.
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 195 
 
 VII. 
 THE PRINCESS, THE HORSE, AND THE BIRD. 
 
 THEN the Fox came and said : 
 
 " We will have all three, the princess, the 
 horse, and the bird." 
 
 " Ah," said the youngest son, " that would be 
 a fine thing ! but how will you bring it about ? " 
 
 " If you will only listen, it can soon be done. 
 When you come to the king, and he asks for 
 the beautiful princess, you must say, e Here she 
 is ! ' Then he will be very joyful, and you will 
 mount the golden horse that they are to give 
 you, and put out your hand to take leave of 
 them ; but shake hands with the princess last. 
 When you take her hand, lift her quickly upon 
 the horse ; seat her behind you, clap your spurs 
 to his side, and gallop away as fast as you can." 
 
 All went well. Then the Fox came to him 
 again, and said : 
 
 " When you come to the castle where the bird 
 is, I will stay with the princess at the door ; you 
 will ride in and speak to the king. When he 
 sees that you are on the golden horse he will 
 bring out the bird. But you must sit still and 
 say that you want to look at it, to see if it be 
 the true golden bird. When you get it in your 
 hand, ride away."
 
 196 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 This too happened as the Fox had said. 
 They carried off the bird, the princess mounted 
 again, and they rode on to a great wood. Then 
 the Fox came and said : 
 
 " Pray kill me, and cut off my head and my 
 feet." 
 
 But the youngest son would not do this. So 
 the Fox said : 
 
 " I will at any rate give you good counsel. 
 Beware of two things. Do not save any one 
 from being hanged, and sit down by no river." 
 Then away he went. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 HOW THE YOUNGEST SON LOST EVERYTHING. 
 
 " WELL," thought the youngest son, " it is no 
 hard matter to keep such advice as that." He 
 rode on with the princess, till at last he came to 
 the village where he had left his two brothers. 
 There he heard a great uproar, and when lie 
 asked what was the matter the people said : 
 
 " Two men are to be hanged." 
 
 As he came near, he saw that the two men 
 were his brothers, who had turned robbers, so 
 he asked : 
 
 " Cannot they in any way be saved ? " 
 
 But the people said, " No," unless he would
 
 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 197 
 
 give all his money to buy liberty for the rascals. 
 He did not stop to think about the matter, but 
 paid what was asked, and his brothers were 
 given up, and went on with him toward their 
 home. 
 
 As they came to the wood where the Fox 
 first met them, it was so cool and pleasant that 
 the brothers said : 
 
 " Let us sit down by the side of the river, and 
 rest awhile, to eat and drink." The youngest 
 son forgot the Fox's counsel and said " Yes," 
 and sat down by the side of the river. He was 
 fearing nothing, when the brothers came behind, 
 and threw him down the bank, and took the 
 princess, the horse, and the bird, and went home 
 to the king, their master. 
 
 " All this have we won by our labor," they 
 said, and then was there great joy. But the 
 horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, 
 and the princess wept. 
 
 rx. 
 
 THE YOUNGEST SON COMES TO THE THRONE. 
 
 Now the youngest son fell to the bottom of 
 the river. Luckily, it was nearly dry, but he 
 was badly bruised, and the bank was so steep 
 that he could not climb out. Then the Fox
 
 198 THE GOLDEN BIRD. 
 
 came once more, and scolded him for not follow- 
 ing his advice. 
 
 " Yet," said he, " I cannot leave you here. 
 So lay hold of my tail and hold fast." Then 
 he pulled him out of the river, and said to him, 
 as he stood upon the bank : 
 
 " Your brothers have set watch to kill you if 
 they find you in the kingdom." 
 
 So he dressed himself as a poor man, and 
 came in secret to the king's court. Scarcely 
 was he within the doors when the horse began 
 to eat, the bird began to sing, and the princess 
 left off weeping. Then he went to the king 
 and told him what rogues his brothers had been. 
 The king seized the brothers and clapped them 
 into prison. The youngest son got the princess 
 again, and after the king's death he was heir to 
 the kingdom. 
 
 A long while after, he went to walk one day 
 in the wood. The Fox, now grown old, met 
 him, and begged him with tears in his eyes to 
 kill him, and cut off his head and feet. At last, 
 being much urged, he did so, and lo ! the Fox 
 was changed into a man, and turned out to be 
 the princess's brother, who had been lost a great 
 many years.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Ant and the Grasshopper, The, 
 
 105. 
 
 Arab and his Camel, The, 81. 
 Ass in the Lion's Skin, The, 32. 
 
 Beauty and the Beast, 123. 
 Belling the Cat, 78. 
 Boy and the Nettle, The, 33. 
 Boy who Stole Apples, The, 33. 
 Boys and the Frogs, The, 24. 
 
 Cat and the Mice, The, 178. 
 
 Cat, the Monkey, and the Chest- 
 nuts, The, 108. 
 
 Cat, the Weasel, and the Young 
 Rabbit, The, 170. 
 
 Cinderella ; or, The Glass Slipper, 
 86. 
 
 Clever Alice, 179. 
 
 Country Fellow and the River, A, 
 28. 
 
 Country Maid and her Milk-Pail, 
 The, 158. 
 
 Country Mouse and the Town 
 Mouse, The, 84. 
 
 Crab and his Mother, The, 24. 
 
 Crow and the Pitcher, The, 28. 
 
 Dick Whittiugton and his Cat, 
 
 109. 
 
 Dog and his Image, The, 67. 
 Dog and the Wolf, The, 43. 
 Dog in the Manger, The, 33. 
 
 Eagle Shot with an Eagle's Ar- 
 row, The, 104. 
 
 Elves and the Shoemaker, The, 
 29. 
 
 Farmer and the Stork, The, 65. 
 
 Farmer's Sons, The, 57. 
 Fisherman aud his Wife, The, 
 
 160. 
 Fisherman and the Sprat, The, 
 
 83. 
 Flies and the Pot of Honey, The, 
 
 107. 
 Four Bulls and the Lion, The, 
 
 158. 
 
 Fox and the Grapes, The, 66. 
 Fox and the Lion, The, 96. 
 Fox and the Stork, The, 104. 
 Fox in the Well, The, 58. 
 Fox that lost his Tail, The, 
 
 108. 
 
 Frog and the Ox, The, 78. 
 Frogs ask for a King, The, 186. 
 
 Gnat and the Bull, The, 86. 
 
 Golden Bird, The, 187. 
 
 Goose that laid Golden Eggs, The, 
 
 Hans in Luck, 34. 
 Hares and the Frogs, The, 157. 
 Hunter and the Woodcutter, The, 
 43. 
 
 Jack and the Bean-Stalk, 44. 
 Jackdaw and the Doves, The, 156. 
 
 Kid and the Wolf, The, 169. 
 Kite and the Pigeons, The, 178. 
 
 Lark and her Young Ones, The 
 
 121. 
 
 Lion and the Bear, The, 42. 
 Lion and the Fox, The, 106. 
 Lion and the Mouse, The, 41. 
 Lion in Love, The, 137.
 
 200 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Lion, the Ass, and the Fox, The, 
 
 159. 
 Little One Eye, Little Two Eyes, 
 
 and Little Three Eyes, 13. 
 Little Red Riding -Hood, 25. 
 
 Man and the Lion, The, 67. 
 Miller, his Son, and their Ass, 
 The, 79. 
 
 Puss in Boots, 59. 
 
 Reeds and the Oak, The, 84. 
 
 Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, 
 
 The, 97. 
 Spendthrift and the Swallow, 
 
 The, 105. 
 
 Stag and the Lion, The, 57. 
 Star-Gazer, The, 32. 
 
 Tom Thumb, 68. 
 
 Tortoise and the Eagle, The, 
 
 139. 
 
 Tortoise and the Hare, The, 83. 
 Traveler and the Viper, The, 137. 
 Travelers and the Axe, The, 139. 
 Travelers and the Bear, The, 120. 
 Traveling Musicians, The, 172. 
 Two Packs, The, 58. 
 
 White Cat, The, 140. 
 Wind and the Sun, The, 24. 
 Wolf and the Crane, The, 186. 
 Wolf and the Goat, The, 56. 
 Wolf and the Lamb, The, 138. 
 Wolf and the Shepherd, The, 106. 
 Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, The, 
 
 81. 
 
 Wolves and the Sheep, The, 121. 
 Woman and her Maids, The, 171.
 
 University of California 
 
 SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 Return this material to the library 
 
 from which it was borrowed. 
 
 RCM) LD-URT 
 
 SEP 131988) 
 
 REC'f? ;-::

 
 
 nh 
 S