' , 
 
 
 CHILDREN'S BOOK 
 
 COLLECTION % 
 
 LIBRARY OF THE 
 

" Jack made many strokes at the Giant, but could not reach his body 
 on account of his great height." 
 
 Jack the Giant Killer. 
 
FAVOURITE 
 
 FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Illustrations. 
 
 EDINBURGH: 
 GALL & INGLIS, 6 GEORGE STREET. 
 
 LONDON s HOUL0IQK * W RIG HT. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 All BABA, OR TBB FOHTY THIEfBt. .... a 
 
 TUB BABES IK THI WOOD 
 
 COOXBBBLLA, Oft THE LTTTLE GLAB34UFPBB, . . 40 
 
 JACK AND TUB BEAK-STALK, . . . . . 
 
 J AC* THE GIANT KILLER, . 78 
 
 LITTLE iir.n KIM s;ii>"r>, w 
 
 PUHBDIBOOm . . . . . . . . . J04 
 
 BOBQT HOOD, Hi 
 
 THE THRa BEARS, 1M 
 
 TOM THUMB. . . . . X > 
 
 Wmi'imUTUM AXD HP CAt. ...... 1 
 
ALI BABA; 
 
 01. 
 THE FORTY THIEVER 
 
 IK a town of Persia there lired two brothers, 
 the sons of a poor man ; the one was named 
 Oassim and the other All Bab* Cassim, the 
 elder, married a wife with a considerable for- 
 tune, and lived at his ease, in a handsome 
 house, with plenty of servants ; but the wife of 
 All Baba being as poor as himself, they dwelt 
 in a mean cottage in the suburbs of the city. 
 and he maintained his family by selling wood 
 in the city which he had cut in a neighbouring 
 |0 
 
 One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, 
 and preparing to load his asses with the wood 
 he had cot, he saw a troop of horsemen ap- 
 proaching him. He had often heard of robbers 
 who infested that forest, and, in a great fright, 
 
4 FAVOUKITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 he hastily climbed a thick tree, near the foot 
 of a large rock, and hid himself among the 
 branches. 
 
 The horsemen soon galloped up to the rock, 
 where they all dismounted. All Baba, who 
 could see all that passed without being seen, 
 counted forty of them, and he could not doubt 
 but they were thieves by their ill-looking 
 countenances. Each took a loaded portmanteau 
 from his horse and went towards the rock, 
 when he who seemed to be their captain said, 
 "Open, Sesame!" and immediately a door 
 opened in the rock ; then all the robbers passed 
 in, and the door shut of itself. In a short 
 time the door --opened again, and the forty 
 robbers came out, followed by their captain, 
 who said, " Shut, Sesame ! " when the door 
 instantly closed ; and the troop, mounting their 
 horses, were presently out of sight. 
 
 All Baba remained in the tree a considerable 
 time, and seeing that the robbers did not re- 
 turn, he ventured down, and cautiously ap- 
 proaching the rock, said, " Open, Sesame / " 
 Immediately the door flew open and Ali Baba 
 
l iriHM arm. my Btf*. 
 

ALI BABA ; OR, THE FOBTY THUVE& 5 
 
 beheld with astonishment a spacious cavcm, 
 very light, and filled with all sorts of provisions, 
 merchandise, rich stuffs, and heaps of gold and 
 Mlver coin, which these robbers had taken from 
 merchants and travellers. Ali Baba then went 
 in search of his asses, and having brought them 
 to the rock, went into the cave, and took as 
 many bags of gold coin as they could cany, 
 on their backs, covering them 
 carefully with loose fagots, and afterwards (not 
 forgetting to say, "Shut, Sesame/") he drove 
 the asses back to the city as fast as he could. 
 When he got home, he unloaded them in the 
 stable belonging to his cottage, and carry- 
 ing the bags into the house, he spread the gold 
 coin upon the floor before his ifttmhfrnil wife, 
 to whom he related his adventure. 
 
 His wife was delighted with possessing 
 much money, and wanted to count it; bu: 
 ig it would take up too much time, she 
 resolved to measure it, and running to the 
 house of Ali Baba's brother, she asked them to 
 lend her a frnftll measure. 
 
 Gascon's wife was very proud and envious. 
 
6 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 " I wonder," said she to herself, " what sort of 
 grain such poor people can have to measure ; 
 but I am determined I will find out what they 
 are doing." So, before she gave the measure, 
 she artfully rubbed the bottom of it with some 
 suet. 
 
 Away ran Ali Baba's wife : and having 
 measured the money, and helped her husband 
 to bury it in the yard, she carried back the 
 measure to her brother-in-law's house, without 
 noticing that a piece of gold was left sticking 
 to the bottom of it. 
 
 " Fine doings, indeed ! " cried Cassim's wife 
 to her husband, after examining the measure ; 
 "your brother there, who pretends to be so 
 very poor, is richer than you are, for he does 
 not count his money, but measures it/' 
 
 Cassim, hearing these words, and seeing the 
 piece of gold which had been left sticking to 
 the bottom of the measure, grew as envious 
 as his wife, and, hastening to his brother, 
 threatened to inform the Cadi of his wealth, 
 if he did not confess to him how he had come 
 by it. Ali Baba, without the least hesitation, 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THE FORTY THJKVES. 7 
 
 told him of his adventure ID the forest, and the 
 secret of the cave, and offered him half his 
 treasure ; but the envious Cassim disdained so 
 poor a sum, resolving to take home fifty times 
 more than that, out of the robbers' cave. 
 
 Accordingly, he rose early the next morning, 
 and set out for the ave with ten mules loaded 
 with great chests. He found the rock easily 
 enough by Ali Baba's description ; and having 
 said "Open, Sesame/" he gained admission 
 into the cave, where he found far more treasure 
 than he even had expected to behold from his 
 brother's account of it He immediately began 
 to gather bags of gold and pieces of rich 
 brocades, all which he piled near the door; 
 but after he had gathered as much or even 
 more than his ten mules could possibly carry, 
 and wanted to get out to load them, the 
 thoughts of his wonderful riches had made 
 him entirely forget the magic word which 
 caused the door to open. In vain he tried 
 Bam*, Fame, Lame, Tetame, and a thousand 
 others; the door remained as immovable as 
 the rock itself, notwithstanding Cassim locked 
 
8 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 and screamed till he was ready to drop with 
 fatigue and fear. He soon after heard the 
 sound of horses' feet, which he rightly con- 
 cluded to be the robbers returned, and he 
 trembled lest he should now fall a victim to 
 his thirst for riches. 
 
 He resolved, however, to make one effort to 
 escape; and when he heard the word "Sesame" 
 pronounced, and saw the door open, he sprang 
 out, but was instantly put to death by the 
 swords of the robbers. 
 
 The thieves now held a council on this 
 wonderful event, but not one of them could 
 possibly guess by what means Cassim had got 
 into the cave. They saw the heaps of gold 
 and other treasures he had piled ready to take 
 away, but they did not miss what Ali Baba 
 had secured before. At length they agreed to 
 cut Cassim's body into quarters, and hang the 
 pieces within the cave, that any one compg 
 to it might be terrified from making further 
 attempts ; they also determined not to return 
 themselves for some time to the cave, for fear 
 of being watched and discovered. 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THE FORTY THIEVES. 9 
 
 When Cassim's will saw night come on, and 
 her husband not returned, she became greatly 
 terrified She sat up all night anxiously 
 listening for his footsteps, and at daybreak 
 went to tell Ali Baba of her fears. Cassim 
 had not informed him of his design to visit 
 the cave; but Aii Baba now hearing of his 
 journey thither, did not wait to be desired to 
 go in search of him. 
 
 He drove his asses to the forest without 
 delay. When he came to the rock, he was 
 alarmed to see the marks of blood ; and on 
 entering the cave he found the body of hi* 
 unfortunate brother cut to pieces, and hung up 
 within the door. It was now too late to sav< 
 him, but be lost no time in taking down ihe 
 quarters, and putting them upon one of his 
 asses, and covering them with some fagots, 
 he returned to the city. 
 
 The door of his brother's house was opened 
 by Morgiana, an intelligent, faithful female 
 slave, who, Ali Baba knew, was worthy to fee 
 trusted with the secret He therefore delivered 
 the body to Morgiana, to whom he related the 
 
10 FAVOUKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 wonderful events which had ended in her 
 master's death, and went himself to impart the 
 sad tidings to the wife of Cassim. The poor 
 woman was deeply afflicted, and reproached 
 herself with her foolish envy and curiosity, as 
 being the cause of her husband's death ; but 
 Ali Baba having convinced her of the necessity 
 of being very discreet, she checked her lamen- 
 tations, and resolved to leave every thing to 
 the management of Morgiana, 
 
 Morgiana having carefully washed the body, 
 hastened to an apothecary's, and asked for 
 some particular medicine, saying it was for 
 her master Cassim, who was dangerously ill. 
 She took care to spread the report of Cassim's 
 illness through the neighbourhood; and as 
 Ali Baba and his wife were seen going daily 
 to the house of their brother, in great affliction, 
 the neighbours were not surprised to hear, 
 shortly, that Cassim had died of his disorder. 
 
 The next difficulty was to get the body 
 buried without discovery ; but Morgiana was 
 ready to contrive a plan for that also. Very 
 early in the morning, she dressed herself, 
 
AU BABA ; OB, THE FOBTY THIEVES. 1 1 
 
 patting on a thick veil, and went to a dis- 
 tant part of the city, where she found a poor 
 cobbler just opening his stall She put a 
 piece of gold into his hand, and said he should 
 have another, if he would suffer himself to 
 be blindfolded and go with her. Mustapha, 
 the cobbler, hesitated at first to comply with 
 this strange request, but the gold tempted 
 him, and he consented ; when Morgiana, care- 
 fully covering his eyes, so that he could not 
 see a step of the way, led him to Cassim's 
 bouse, and taking him to the room where the 
 body was lying, removed the bandage from his 
 eyes, and bade him sew the mangled limbs 
 together. 
 
 Mustapha, although much astonished, obeyed 
 her order ; and, having received two pieces of 
 gold, was led blindfold the same way back to 
 his own stall 
 
 Morgiana thai CPfimi the body with a 
 winding-sheet, and sent for the undertaker to 
 make preparations for the funeral These 
 being completed, Cassim was buried with all 
 due solemnity the same day. 
 
12 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Very soon afterwards, AH Baba removed 
 his few goods, and all the gold coin that he 
 had brought from the cavern, to the house of 
 his deceased brother, of which he took posses- 
 sion ; and Cassim's widow received every 
 kind attention, both from Ali Baba and his 
 wife. 
 
 After an interval of some months, the troop 
 of robbers again visited their retreat in the 
 forest. They advanced with unusual caution 
 and curiosity, and were completely astonished 
 to find, on entering the cave, that the body 
 had been taken away, whilst everything else 
 remained in the usual order. "We are dis- 
 covered," said the captain, " and shall certainly 
 be undone if we do not adopt speedy measures 
 to prevent our ruin. Which of you, my brave 
 comrades, will undertake to find out the villain 
 who is in possession of our secret ? " 
 
 One of the boldest of the troop advanced, 
 and offered himself; he was accepted on the 
 following conditions, namely, that if he suc- 
 ceeded in his enterprise, he was to be made 
 second in command of the troop ; but that if 
 
ALI BABA ; OB THE FORTY THIEVES. 13 
 
 he brought (also intelligence, he was imme- 
 diately to be pot to death. 
 
 This bold robber readily agreed to the con- 
 ditions, and having disguised himself, pro 
 Haded to the city. He arrived there shortly 
 after daybreak, and found the old cobbler 
 Mnstapha in his stall, which was always open 
 before any shop in the town. 
 
 "Good-morrow, friend," said the robber, as- 
 he came up to the stall; "you rise betimes:' 
 I should think you, who are so old, could 
 scarcely see to work by this light?" 
 
 * Indeed, sir," replied the cobbler, " old as 
 I am I do not want for good eyedglU, aa you 
 must needs believe, when I tell you that I 
 sewed a dead body together the other day, 
 where I bad not so good a light as I have now." 
 
 *A dead body!" *~a*~A the robber; 
 " you mean, I suppose, that you sewed up the 
 winding-sheet for a dead body ? " 
 
 "No such thing/' replied MTttapha; "I 
 tell you I sewed the four quarters of a man 
 together." 
 
 The robber was overjoyed at hearing this ; 
 
14 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 he was convinced that he had luckily met 
 with the very man who could give him the 
 information he was in search of. He did not 
 wish, however, to appear eager to learn the 
 particulars, lest he should alarm the old 
 cobbler. He therefore began to laugh. " Ha ! 
 ha ! " said he, " I find, good Mr Cobbler, that 
 you perceive I am a stranger here, and you 
 wish to make me believe that the people of 
 your city do impossible things." 
 
 " I tell you," said Mustapha, very angrily, 
 '* I sewed* a dead body together with my own 
 hands." 
 
 "Well, since it is so, I suppose you can 
 tell me also where you performed this wonder- 
 ful business ? " 
 
 Mustapha then related every particular of 
 his being led blindfold to the house, &c. 
 
 " Well, my friend," said the robber, " 'tis 
 a fine story, I confess, but not very easy to 
 believe ; however, if you will convince me by 
 shewing me the house you talk of, I will give 
 you four pieces of gold to make amends for 
 my unbelief" 
 
ALI BABA ; OB THB FOBTY THIEVES. 15 
 
 The cobbler, after considering a little while, 
 rid, "I think thai if you were to blindfold 
 me, I could remember every turning we made, 
 bat with my eyes open I am sure I should 
 never find it* 
 
 Accordingly the robber covered Mustapha's 
 eyes with his handkerchief, and thus blind- 
 folded the cobbler led him through most of 
 the principal streets of the city, till he reached 
 Cassim'fl door, when he stopped and said, 
 "Here it is I went no farther than this 
 
 The robber immediately marked the door 
 with a piece of chalk, and giving Mustapha 
 his four pieces of gold, he dismissed him. 
 
 Shortly after the thief and the cobbler had 
 gone away from the door, Morgiana, coming 
 home from market, noticed the little mark of 
 white chalk on the door, and suspecting some- 
 thing was wrong, went directly for a piece 
 of chalk, and marked four doors on one 
 aide and five on the other of her nnslstX 
 in exactly the same manner, without saying 
 a word to any one. 
 
16 FAVOTJEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 The robber meantime had rejoined his troop, 
 and boasted greatly of his success. His cap- 
 tain and comrades praised his diligence ; and 
 being all well armed, they at once agreed to 
 proceed to the town in different disguises, 
 and in separate parties of three and four. 
 It was also arranged by them that they were 
 to meet in the market-place at the dusk of 
 evening, and that the captain and the robber 
 who had discovered the house were to go 
 there first, to find out to whom it belonged. 
 Accordingly, at the appointed hour the two 
 robbers went to the street where the door 
 had been marked ; and having a lantern with 
 them, they began to examine the doors, but 
 found to their confusion and astonishment 
 that ten doors were marked exactly alike. 
 The robber who was the captain's guide was 
 confounded, and could not say one word in 
 explanation of this mystery ; and so the party 
 had to return to the forest in disappoint- 
 ment, which when they had reached, the guide 
 was instantly put to death by his enraged 
 companions. 
 
AU BABA ; OB, TEX FORTY THIEYE& 17 
 
 Another of the troop now offered himself 
 for the errand, upon the same conditions as 
 the former. He at once proceeded to the 
 city, and having bribed Mustapha and dis- 
 covered the house, he made a mark with 
 dark red chalk upon the door, in a part that 
 was not in the least conspicuous; and care- 
 fully examining the surrounding doors, to 
 be certain that no such mark was upon 
 any one of them, he returned to his com- 
 pany. 
 
 But nothing could escape the prying eyes 
 of Morgiana ; for scarcely had the robber de- 
 parted, when she discovered the red mark ; 
 and, getting some red chalk, she marked seven 
 doors on each side precisely in the same pilot 
 and in the same manner, still, however, keep 
 ing the matter to herself. 
 
 The robber prided himself very highly upon 
 the precautions he had taken, and trium- 
 phantly conducted his captain to the spot; 
 but great indeed was his confusion and 
 dismay, when he found the same strange 
 difficulty as formerly; it was impossible to 
 
18 FAVOUBITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 say, among fifteen houses thus marked ex- 
 actly alike, which was the right one. The 
 captain, furious with this second disappoint- 
 ment, returned again with his troop to the 
 forest; and the second robber was also con- 
 demned to deatL 
 
 Having thus lost two of his troop, the 
 captain judged that their hands were more 
 active than their heads in such services, and 
 he resolved not to employ another of them, 
 but to go himself upon the business. 
 
 He accordingly repaired to the city, and 
 addressed himself to the cobbler Mustapha, 
 who, for six pieces of gold, readily performed 
 the same service for him as he had done for the 
 other strangers. The captain, who, if not natur- 
 ally wiser than his men, had certainly gained 
 wisdom by experience, did not think of again 
 contriving any -mark for the door, but spent 
 his time in attentively considering the house ; 
 he counted the number of its windows, and 
 passed by it very often, to be certain that 
 he should know it again. 
 
 After his return to the forest, he ordered 
 
All BABA ; OB, THE FOBTT THTEVEa 19 
 
 his troop to go into the town and buy nine- 
 teen males and thirty-eight large jars, one 
 full of oil and the rest empty. 
 
 In two or three days the jars were bought, 
 and all things in readiness ; the captain then 
 put a man properly armed into each jar, the 
 jars being rubbed on the outside with oil, and 
 the covers baring holes for the men to breathe 
 through. He then loaded his mules, and in 
 the habit of an oil-merchant entered the town 
 in the dusk of the evening. He proceeded in 
 the direction of Ali Baba's house, and on 
 approaching it, found him sitting in the porch, 
 " Sir/' said he, " I have brought this oil a great 
 way to sell, but am too late for this day's 
 market ; and as I am a stranger in this town, 
 will you allow me to put my mules into your 
 court yard, and direct me where I may lodge 
 for the night?" 
 
 Ali Baba, who was a good-natured man, 
 gave the pretended oil-merchant a very kind 
 welcome, and offered him a bed in his own 
 house ; and having ordered the mules to be 
 unloaded in the yard and properly fed, he 
 
20 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 invited his guest in to supper. The captam, 
 having seen the jars placed properly in the 
 yard, followed All Baba into the house, and, 
 soon after supper, was shewn into the chamber 
 where he was to sleep. 
 
 It so happened that Morgiana had to sit up 
 later that night than usual, to get ready her 
 master's bathing-linen for the following morn- 
 ing; and while she was busy about the fire, 
 her lamp went out, and there was no more 
 oil in the house. After considering how she 
 could possibly get a light to finish her work 
 by, she recollected the thirty-eight oil-jars in 
 the yard, and resolved to take a little oil out of 
 them for her lamp. She took her oil-pot in 
 her hand, and went noiselessly into the yard ; 
 and approaching the first jar, she heard a voice 
 within saying, "Is it time, captain?" Any 
 other slave, perhaps, on hearing a man in an 
 oil-jar, would have screamed out ; but Morgiana, 
 suspecting now the true character of the pre- 
 tended oil-merchant, replied softly, "No, not 
 yet; lie still till I call you/' She went to every 
 jar, receiving the same question from each, 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THE FORTY THIEVES. 21 
 
 tnd making the same answer, till she came to the 
 one filled with oil, from which she helped herself 
 
 Morgiana was now convinced that this was a 
 plot of the robbers to murder her master, Ali 
 Baba; she therefore ran back to the kitchen, 
 and lost no time in procuring a large kettle, 
 which she filled with oil, and set it on a great 
 wood-fire ; and, as soon as it boiled, she carried 
 it to the yard, and poured into each of the jars 
 a sufficient quantity of the boiling oil to kill 
 every man within them. 
 
 Having done this, she returned to the house, 
 and putting out her fire and her lamp, crept 
 softly to her chamber. 
 
 About midnight, the captain of the robbers 
 arose, and perceiving no light any where, went 
 down into the yard to assemble his men. Com- 
 ing to the first jar, he felt the steams of the 
 boiled oil : he then ran hastily to the rest, and 
 found that every one of his troop had been put 
 to death in the same manner. Full of rage at 
 having failed in his design, he forced the lock 
 of a door that led to the garden, and made his 
 escape over the walls 
 
22 FAVOURITE FAIfiY TALES. 
 
 The following morning Morgiana told her 
 master, Ali Baba, of his wonderful deliverance 
 from the pretended oil-merchant and his gang 
 of robbers. Ali Baba at first could scarcely 
 credit her tale ; but when he saw the robbers 
 dead in the jars, he could not sufficiently praise 
 her courage and sagacity. They kept the secret 
 to themselves, and the next night buried the 
 thirty-seven thieves in a deep trench at the 
 bottom of the garden. The jars and the mutes, 
 as they were of no use to Ali Baba, were sent 
 from time to time to the different markets, 
 and sold. 
 
 While Ali Baba took these measures to 
 prevent his and Cassirn's adventures in the 
 forest from being known, the captain returned 
 to his cave, and having lost all his men, and 
 been thwarted in his design, he for some time 
 abandoned himself to grief and despair. At 
 length, however, being determined to effect 
 Ali Baba's destruction, he resolved to adopt a 
 new plan for the accomplishment of his purpose. 
 He accordingly removed a considerable quan- 
 tity of the valuable merchandise from the cave 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THB FORTY THIKVB& 23 
 
 to the city, and took a shop exactly opposite to 
 All Baba's house. 
 
 Having furnished this shop with every thing 
 that was rare and costly, he gave his name as 
 the merchant Cogia Hassan. Many persons made 
 acquaintance with the stranger, and, among 
 others, Ali Baba's son, who went almost every 
 day to his shop. Cogia Hassan soon pretended 
 great regard, and even strong affection, for Ali 
 Baba's son, and offered him many presents. He 
 sometimes also detained him to dinner, on 
 which occasions he invariably treated him in 
 the handsomest manner. 
 
 Ali Baba's son thought it was necessary to 
 make some return for these civilities, and 
 prevailed on his father to promise to invite 
 Cogia Hassan to supper. Ali Baba did so 
 at an early date, but Cogia Hassan would not 
 accept the invitation, pretending that he had 
 business which demanded hit presence at 
 home. ThM excuses only made Ali Baba's son 
 the more eager to take him to his father's house ; 
 and on being again invited, the merchant con- 
 sented to sup at Ali Baba's the next evening. 
 
24 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 A very grand supper was provided, which 
 Morgiana cooked with her best art ; and, as 
 was her usual custom, she carried in the first 
 dish herself The moment she saw Cogia 
 Hassan she recognised him as the pretended 
 oil-merchant. Morgiana was too prudent to 
 tell any one of her discovery at the time, 
 but sent the other slaves into the kitchen, 
 and waited at table herself; and while Cogia 
 Hassan was drinking, she observed that he 
 had a dagger hid under his coat. After 
 supper, and when the dessert and the wine 
 had been put on the table, Morgiana went 
 away, and dressed herself in the habit of a 
 dancing-girl; she then called Abdalla, a 
 fellow-slave, and asked her to play the tabor 
 while she danced. 
 
 As soon as she appeared at the parlour- 
 door, her master, who was very fond of seeing 
 her dance, ordered her to come in and enter- 
 tain his guest. Cogia Hassan was not very 
 well pleased with this new entertainment, yet 
 was compelled, for fear of discovering himself, 
 to seem pleased with the dancing ; although, 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THE FORTY THlKVBa. 25 
 
 in fact, he wished Morgiana a great way 
 oft and was alarmed lest he should lose 
 thia opportunity of murdering All Baba 
 and his son, upon which he was quite re- 
 solved 
 
 Morgiana danced several dances with the 
 utmost grace and agility, and then, drawing 
 a poniard from her girdle, she performed 
 many surprising things with it; at last she 
 drew near to where the parties sat, and some- 
 times presented the point of the poniard to 
 one, sometimes to another, and sometimes 
 teemed as if about to strike it into her own 
 bosom. Then holding the poniard in the 
 right hand, she presented her left to Ali 
 Baba and his son, who each gave her a small 
 piece of money. She next turned to Cogia 
 Hassan, and while he was putting his hand 
 into his purse, she plunged the poniard into 
 his heart 
 
 " Wretch !" cried Ali Baba, in terror, " thou 
 hast ruined me and my family. 
 
 " No, sir," replied Morgiana, " I hare pre- 
 served, and not ruined, you and your son. 
 
26 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Look well at this traitor, and you will find 
 him to be the pretended oil-merchant, who 
 came once before to rob and murder you." 
 
 Ali Baba pulled off the turban and the 
 cloak which the false Cogia Hassan wore, 
 and discovered, not only that he was the 
 pretended oil-merchant, but the captain of 
 the forty robbers, who had killed his brother 
 Cassim; nor could he doubt that his per- 
 fidious aim had been to destroy him, and 
 probably his son also, with the concealed 
 dagger. 
 
 Ali Baba, who could not but feel very 
 strongly the new obligation he owed to Mor- 
 giana for thus saving his life a second time, 
 embraced her, and said, " My dear Morgiana, 
 I give you your liberty ; but my gratitude shall 
 not stop there ; I will also marry you to my son, 
 who, I am sure, must esteem and admire you 
 no less than does his father." Then, turning 
 to his son, he added, " You, my son, will not 
 refuse the wife I offer, for, in marrying Mor- 
 giana, you take to wife the preserver and 
 benefactress of yourself and your family." 
 
ALI BABA ; OB, THE FORTY THIEVES. 27 
 
 All Baba's son, having long entertained a 
 strong affection for the good slave ^ gim jf mmm i 
 readily and joyfully accepted his proposed bride. 
 The captain was buried that same night, with 
 great privacy, in the trench along with hU 
 troop of robbers ; and a few days afterwards 
 All Baba celebrated the marriage of his son 
 and Morgiana with a sumptuous entertain- 
 ment ; and every one who knew Morgiana 
 said she was worthy of her good fortune, 
 and highly commended her master's genero- 
 sity to her. 
 
 Twelve months elapsed before All Baba 
 thought it wise to go to the forest ; but at 
 length his curiosity incited him to make 
 another journey. When he came to the 
 cave he saw no footsteps of either men or 
 horses ; and having uttered the magic words, 
 - Open, Scxime!" which he never forgot, be 
 went in, and judged, by the state of thir gs, 
 that no one had been there since the pre- 
 tended Cogia Hassan had removed the mer- 
 chandise to his shop in the city. All Bab* 
 took home as much gold as his hone could 
 
28 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 carry; and he afterwards conducted his son 
 to the cave, and told him the secret. 
 
 This secret they handed down to their pos- 
 terity, arid, using their good fortune with 
 moderation, they lived in honour and splendour, 
 and served with dignity some of the highest 
 offices of the city. 
 
BABES IN THE WOOD. 
 
 A GREAT many yean ago there lived in the 
 county of Norfolk a gentleman and his lady who 
 possessed considerable wealth. The gentleman 
 was benevolent and kind, and the lady polio 
 and beautiful : they were beloved by all who 
 knew them, and were blessed with two chil- 
 dren, a boy and a girl When the boy was 
 only about three years old, and the girl not 
 quite two, their father was seized with a 
 dangerous illness, and their mother, while 
 waiting on her beloved husband, also caught 
 the disease. Notwithstanding every medical 
 assistance, their disorder rapidly increased; 
 and, when they found that they were likely to 
 be soon removed by death from their dear ciul- 
 
30 FAVOURITE FA1EY TALES. 
 
 dren, they sent for the gentleman's brother, 
 and gave their darlings into his care. 
 
 " Ah ! brother/' said the dying man, " you 
 see I have but a short time to live ; yet 
 neither the prospect of death nor my present 
 sufferings can pierce my heart with half so 
 much anguish as what I feel at the thought of 
 leaving these dear babes without a parent's 
 care. Brother, they will have no one but you 
 to be kind to them, to see them clothed and 
 fed, and to teach them to be good." 
 
 "Dear, dear brother," said the dying lady, 
 "you must be father, mother, and uncle too, 
 to these dear innocent lambs. Let William be 
 taught to read, and also to become good and 
 kind like his father. And little Jane, oh ! 
 brother, it wrings my heart to talk of ner. 
 Think of the gentle usage she will need, 
 and take her fondly on your knee, brother, 
 and train her with affection and patience, 
 and she and William too will, I am sure, 
 repay your care with love." 
 
 " How does it grieve my heart to see 
 you, my dear brother and sister, in this 
 
THE BABES IN THE WOOD. 31 
 
 
 mournful condition ! " replied the uncle. " But 
 
 be comforted, there may yet be hopes of 
 your recovery; but should we have the mis- 
 fortune to lose yon, I assure you I will do 
 all you can desire for the darling children. 
 In me they shall find father and mother, as 
 well as uncle; but, dear brother, you have 
 not yet told me what arrangements yon have 
 made regarding the disposal of your money." 
 
 * Here, brother," replied the dying man, " is 
 my will, in which I have made ample pro- 
 vision for my dour babes." 
 
 The gentleman and his lady then kissed 
 their children, and a short time afterwards 
 they both died. 
 
 When the uncle opened the will, he found 
 that to William was bequeathed three hundred 
 pounds a -year, when he became of age; 
 and that little Jane was to receive five 
 hundred pounds in gold on her marriage 
 day. But if the children should chance to 
 die before coining of age, then all their 
 wealth was to belong to their uncle The 
 will of the unfortunate gentleman next de- 
 
32 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 sired that he and his beloved wife should 
 be buried side by side in the same grave. 
 
 The two little innocents were now taken 
 to the house of their uncle, who for some 
 time treated them with great kindness. But 
 when he had kept them about a twelve- 
 month, he began to think lightly of the 
 promises he had made to his brother on his 
 deathbed, to be their father, mother, and 
 uncle, all in one. 
 
 After a little more time had passed, the 
 uncle could not help thinking that he wished 
 the little boy and girl would die, for he 
 should then have all their wealth for him- 
 self, and at last he could scarcely think of 
 anything else; and one day says he to him- 
 self, "It will not be very difficult for me 
 to kill them, so that nobody may know any- 
 thing of the matter, and then all their wealth 
 shall be mine/" 
 
 When the barbarous uncle had once brought 
 his mind to kill the helpless little creatures, 
 he was not long in finding a way to exe- 
 cute his cruel purpose. He hired two strong 
 
Of THE WOOD. 33 
 
 ruffians, who lived by what they robbed from 
 travellers, whom they lolled, in a dark thick 
 wood at some distance. These two wicked 
 men agreed, for a large reward, to commit 
 the blackest crime that ever yet was heard 
 of, and the uncle began to prepare every- 
 thing accordingly. 
 
 He told his wife an artful story of how 
 good it would be to have the children sent 
 to London to have their education forwarded, 
 and how he had a relation in London who, 
 he was certain, would be delighted to take 
 the greatest care of them, lie then said to 
 the innocent children, " Should you not like, 
 my pretty dears, to see the famous city of 
 London, where yon, William, can buy a fine 
 wooden horse to ride upon, and a whip to 
 make him gallop, and a fine sword to wear 
 by your side? And yon, Jane, shall have 
 plenty of pretty dolls and pretty dresses, 
 and I will get a nice gilded coach to take 
 you there." 
 
 The two little children were quite delighted 
 with the thought of going to London in a 
 
34 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fine coach, and William cried out, "Oh, yes, 
 uncle, I will go." "Oh yes, uncle, I will 
 go/' said Jane ; and their wicked uncle, with 
 a heart of stone, soon got them ready for 
 the journey. 
 
 The unsuspecting little creatures were, a 
 few days after this, put into a fine coach, and 
 with them went the two ruffians, who were so 
 soon to put an end to their joyful prattle, and 
 turn their smiles into tears. One of them 
 served as coachman, while the other sat in 
 the coach between little William and little 
 Jane. 
 
 When they had reached the entrance to 
 the dark thick wood, the two ruffians took 
 the children out of the coach, telling them 
 they might now walk a little way, and gather 
 flowers ; and while they were skipping about 
 enjoying themselves, the ruffians began to con- 
 sult about what they had to do. " In good 
 truth," says the one who had been sitting 
 in the coach with the children all the way, 
 " now I have seen their cherub faces, and 
 heard their pretty speech, I have no heart to do 
 
IK THE WOOD. 35 
 
 the bloody deed ; let as fling away the ugly 
 knife, and send the children back to their 
 uncle." " That I will not," says the other ; 
 " what boots their pretty speech to us ? 
 Aid who will pay us for being so chicken- 
 hearted?" 
 
 At last the ruffians fell into so great a 
 passion with each other about butchering the 
 innocent little children, that he who wished 
 to spare their lives suddenly opened the big 
 knife he had brought to kill them, and stabbed 
 the other to the heart, so that he instantly 
 fell down dead. 
 
 The one who had killed him was now 
 greatly at a loss as to what he should do 
 with the children, for he wanted to get away 
 as fast as possible, for fear of being found 
 in the wood He was not long, however, in 
 determining that he must leave them in the 
 wood, to the chance of some traveller passing 
 by. "Come, my pretty ones," said he, "you 
 must each take hold of my hands and come 
 along with roe." The poor children each took 
 s hand and went on, the tears bursting from 
 
36 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 their eyes, and their little limbs trembling 
 with fear. 
 
 Thus did this cruel man lead these dear 
 children about two miles further on in the 
 wood, and then told them to wait there till 
 he came back with some cakes for them to 
 eat. 
 
 William took his sister Jane by the hand, 
 and they wandered wearily up and down the 
 wood for some time. "Will the strange 
 man come with some cakes, Billy ? " says Jane. 
 " Presently, dear Jane," says William ; and 
 soon again she said sorrowfully, " I wish I 
 had some cakes, Billy." It would almost have 
 melted a heart of stone to have seen how sad 
 they looked. 
 
 After waiting a very long time, they tried 
 to satisfy their hunger with black-berries ; but 
 they had soon eaten up all that were within 
 their reach ; and night too coming on, William, 
 who had tried all he could to comfort his 
 little sister, now wanted comfort himself; so 
 when Jane said to him once more, " How 
 hungry I am, Billy ; I b-e-lieve I cannot help 
 
THE BJLBES IN THE WOOD. 37 
 
 crying," William burst into tears too ; and 
 down they lay upon the cold, damp earth, and 
 putting their arms round each other's neck, 
 there they starved, and there they died 
 
 No tmriml thew pretty babta 
 
 Of layman ratal; 
 But pall* Robin Redbreast, 
 
 H eovtn them with tearw. 
 
 Thus were these harmless babes murdered ; 
 and as no one knew of their death, so no one 
 sought to give them burial 
 
 In the mean time, the wicked uncle, suppos- 
 ing they had been killed as he desired, told all 
 who asked after them, an artful tale of their 
 having died in London of the smallpox, and 
 took possession openly of their fortune. 
 
 But all this wealth did him very little good. 
 His wife died soon after ; and being very un- 
 happy, and always thinking too, as he could not 
 help doing, that he saw the UooiHnfl children 
 before his eyes, he "ffltflM his business ; so 
 that, instead of growing richer, he became 
 poorer every day. Hit heard also that his two 
 sons, who had embarked for a foreign land, 
 
38 FAVOUKITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 were both drowned at sea, and he became com- 
 pletely miserable. 
 
 Some years afterwards, the ruffian who had 
 taken pity on the children committed another 
 robbery in the same wood, and being pursued 
 by some men, he was laid hold of, and brought 
 to prison, and soon after, being tried and found 
 guilty, he was condemned to be hanged for the 
 crime. 
 
 When he was told what his unhappy end 
 must be, he sent for the keeper of the prison, 
 and confessed to him all the crimes he had 
 been guilty of during his whole life, and thus 
 made known the story of the children in the 
 wood, telling him, at the same time, in what 
 part of the wood he had left them to starve. 
 
 The news of the ruffian's confession soon 
 reached the uncle's ears, who, being already 
 broken-hearted through his numerous misfor- 
 tunes, and unable to bear the load of public 
 shame that now awaited him, lay down upon 
 his bed and died that very day. 
 
 No sooner were the tidings of the fate of the 
 two children made public, than proper persons 
 
THE BABES IN THE WOOD. 39 
 
 were sent to search the wood ; when after 
 many fruitless endeavours, the pretty btbat 
 were at length found stretched in each other's 
 arms, with William's arm round the neck of 
 Jane, his face turned close to hers and his frock 
 pulled over her body. 
 
 They were quite covered over with leaves, 
 which in all that time had never withered ; and 
 on a tree near this little grave a Robin Red- 
 breast tat watching and chirping, so that many 
 gentle hearts still think that it was this pretty 
 bird which brought the leaves and covered the 
 Babes in the Wood. 
 
CINDERELLA; 
 
 OR, 
 
 THE LITTLE GLASS-SLIPPER. 
 
 AT a short distance from a certain great city, 
 there lived a gentleman of fortune, and his wife 
 an amiable and beautiful young lady, whom 
 he had lately married They were fondly 
 attached to each other, and enjoyed the 
 greatest happiness, which however was, if 
 possible, increased at the time when our story 
 begins, by the birth of a daughter; but, 
 unfortunately for the child, the mother died 
 before she had reared up her offspring, and 
 left her husband a prey to sorrow. 
 
 Some time after this, when the gentleman's 
 grief was a little abated, he resolved to look 
 out for some prudent lady who might become 
 both a mother to his dear child, and a com- 
 panion to himself. Unfortunately his choice 
 
41 
 
 fell on a widow lady of a proud and tyranni- 
 cal disposition, who had two daughters by 
 a former marriage, both equally haughty and 
 bad-tempered with their mother. 
 
 This woman contrived to conceal her bad 
 qualities so well that the gentleman was 
 much pleased to think her so amiable, but 
 they had not been long married when she 
 appeared in her real character. She paid no 
 attention whatever to her husband, treated 
 his sweet little child with great harshness, 
 and was for ever quarrelling with the ser- 
 vants. The gentleman, who loved his daughter 
 dearly, frequently remonstrated against the 
 cruelty of his wife's behaviour, but it only 
 made her worse; and finding himself unable 
 to subdue the violence of her temper, he 
 fell into low spirits, which brought him to 
 a premature grave. 
 
 After the death of her father, the little 
 orphan found the hardships of her situation 
 greatly increased. If she chanced to come 
 into any of the rooms where her stepmother 
 or her daughters were, she was sure of being 
 
42 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 scolded; and they were so vexed because 
 she looked handsomer than themselves, that 
 they took every opportunity of annoying her. 
 They at length went so far as to make her 
 do the meanest work about the kitchen, 
 assist the servants in putting on the fires, 
 washing the pots, and also in cleaning out 
 the rooms, which had all been newly fur- 
 nished in the first style of elegance. At 
 night they compelled her to sleep in a garret, 
 on a straw bed without curtains, and in winter 
 she had not even enough of clothes to protect 
 her from the cold. 
 
 But although so barbarously used, the sweet 
 girl was never found repining; and, when 
 her work was done, she would sit down in 
 the corner of the chimney among the cinders, 
 which habit got her the name of Cinder- 
 wench. The younger of the sisters, however, 
 thinking this appellation too vulgar, gave 
 her the more genteel name of Cinderella, 
 and all the rest followed her example. Not- 
 withstanding all that she had to endure, 
 Cinderella became every day more beautiful, 
 
CTXDERKLLA. 43 
 
 tod far surpassed the two sisters, notwith- 
 standing all their fine clothes. 
 
 About this time, the King's son sent in- 
 vitations to all the nobility and gentry of 
 the kingdom, for a grand ball, which he 
 proposed giving at court, and amongst others, 
 the two sisters received an invitation ; but 
 poor Cinderella was of course overlooked, as 
 no one knew anything of her. 
 
 The two haughty creatures, quite overjoyed 
 with the thoughts of being at a ball given 
 by the King's son, immediately proceeded to 
 arrange their dresses for the grand occasion. 
 Their preparations were very oppressive to 
 Cinderella ; for being remarkably neat-handed, 
 they set her to wash, plait, and iron out 
 all their fineries, while they could do nothing 
 but talk of the fine ball, and how they were 
 to be dressed on that evening. "I," said 
 the eldest, "will put on my scarlet velvet, 
 with the rich French trimming." "And I," 
 said the youngest, "will wear my green vel- 
 vet, that I got for the last ball, and also my 
 gold muslin train, which, with the 
 
44 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 in my hair, will certainly look quite enchant- 
 ing." 
 
 On the morning of the day fixed for the 
 ball, a first-rate hairdresser was sent for, and 
 the most becoming and fanciful ornaments 
 procured from almost every fashionable shop 
 in the city. Although these vain girls could 
 chatter enough about fine clothes, yet they 
 had no taste in arranging their dresses and 
 ornaments ; and as they knew that Cinderella 
 had a natural genius in these matters, they 
 condescended to employ her on this occasion. 
 Any other person, who had met with the 
 same cruel treatment as Cinderella, would 
 likely either have refused, or endeavoured to 
 make them look as ugly as possible ; but this 
 good-natured girl entertained no such wicked 
 thoughts, but at once assisted to deck them 
 out to the best advantage. Nothing pleased 
 them unless Cinderella did it ; and even their 
 hair, which had been already dressed by one 
 of the most fashionable hairdressers, she was 
 required to adjust according to her own 
 taste. 
 
CINDERELLA. 45 
 
 Yet notwithstanding all Cinderella's atten- 
 tion and kindness to them, the ungrateful 
 creatures could not restrain their accustomed 
 derision, and repeatedly asked her if she 
 would like to go to the ball "Ah/ said 
 Cinderella, "you are making sport of me; 
 it is not for such poor girls as I am to go 
 to balk" You are right," said they ; " how 
 the folks would laugh were they to see a 
 cinder- wench dancing in the ball-room I" 
 
 The silly young ladies were so much taken 
 up with their looking-glasses and the ball 
 that they hardly ate anything for two days, 
 and they broke more than a dozen laces in 
 trying to give themselves * slender shape, 
 
 The wished-for moment at length arrived, 
 and these proud misses stepped into a beauti- 
 ful carriage, attended by several servants in 
 handsome liveries, and drove away to the 
 city. 
 
 Cinderella could not help following the 
 coach with her eyes as far as she could 
 see, and when it had disappeared, returned 
 to the kitchen in tears, where, tor the first 
 
46 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 time, she bewailed her hard lot and cruel 
 degradation. She continued sobbing in the 
 chimney-corner until she heard a noise in 
 the kitchen, which made her look up to see 
 what had occasioned it. She was startled 
 to see a little curious-looking old woman, 
 very antiquely dressed, who carried a wand 
 in her right hand, while in the other she 
 held a crutch to support herself 
 
 Cinderella could not account for this strange 
 appearance, and thought at first that her eyes 
 had deceived her, as she had not seen this 
 droll personage before ; but the old dame, with 
 a good-natured smile in her countenance, came 
 nearer, and thus accosted her : " My dear 
 Cinderella, I am your godmother, and being 
 a fairy, and knowing the strong desire you 
 have to go to this fine ball, I am come for 
 the purpose of gratifying your wishes ; there- 
 fore dry up your tears, and as I know you 
 to be a good girl, I will furnish you with 
 an equipage suitable to your merit." 
 
 Cinderella remembered that she had often 
 heard her father and mother talk of her god- 
 
CINDERELLA. 47 
 
 nether, and that she was one of those good 
 Caries who interest themselves in the wel- 
 fare of all the children to whom they stand 
 sponsors; and this recollection revived her 
 spirits so much, that she banished all her 
 fear and spoke to the fairy in her usual 
 pleasant manner. 
 
 The fairy then took Cinderella by the hand, 
 and having led her out to a retired spot, 
 said, " Now, my dear, you must go into the 
 garden and bring me a large pumpkin,* 
 Cinderella ran to execute her commands, and 
 returned with one of the finest she could Ma 
 Her godmother took the pumpkin, and scoop- 
 ing out the inside of it, left nothing but the 
 rind; she then struck it with her magic- 
 wand, and it instantly became one of the 
 most elegant gilt coaches that ever was seen. 
 
 She next desired Cinderella to go to the 
 pantry and fcfek the mousetrap. She did so, 
 and found that there were six mice alive in 
 the trap. The fairy requested her to lift up 
 the door very gently, so that only one of 
 them might go out at a time. Cinderella 
 
48 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 raised the trap-door, and as the mice came 
 out one by one, a touch of the magic-wand . 
 transformed them into beautiful carriage-horses 
 richly caparisoned. 
 
 " Now, my dear girl," said the fairy, " here 
 we have a coach and horses much handsomer 
 than your sisters, to say the least of them; 
 but as we have neither got a postilion nor 
 a coachman yet, run quickly to the stable, 
 where the rat-trap is placed, and bring it to 
 me." Cinderella did not lose a moment in 
 the execution of her commands, and soon re- 
 turned with the trap, in which she found 
 two large rats. The fairy touched both of 
 them with her wand, and immediately the 
 one was changed into a handsome postilion, 
 and the other into a fine jolly-looking coach- 
 man. 
 
 Her godmother said further to her, " My 
 dear Cinderella, you must now go to the 
 garden again before I can complete your 
 equipage; when you get there, keep to the 
 right side, and close to the wall you will 
 see the watering-pot standing, look behind 
 
Trnrr T * 49 
 
 it and you will find six lizards, which you 
 most bring to me immediately." 
 
 Cinderella flew to the garden as she was 
 desired, and found the six lizards, which 
 she put into her apron, and brought to her fairy 
 godmother. Another touch of the wonderful 
 wand soon converted these animals into six 
 spruce footmen in splendid liveries, who imme- 
 diately jumped up behind the carriage with 
 as much agility as if they had been accus- 
 tomed to it all their lives. 
 
 The coachman and postilion having taken 
 their places also, the fairy turned to Cin- 
 derella and said, " Well, my dear girl, is 
 not this as fine an equipage as you conM 
 desire to go to the ball with ? Tell me nov 
 are you pleased with it?" "Oh yes, my 
 dear, kind jOltmoHMr/* replied Cinderella; 
 and then added hesitatingly, " But how can 
 I make my appearance among so many 
 grandly-dressed people in these mean-look- 
 ing clothes?" "Give yourself no uneasi- 
 ness about that, my dear," said the (airy, 
 with a good-humoured smile; "the most 
 
50 FAVOVKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 laborious part of our task is already ac- 
 complished, and it will be strange if I can- 
 not make your dress correspond with your 
 equipage/' 
 
 She then touched Cinderella with her 
 magic wand, and her clothes were instantly 
 changed into the most magnificent apparel, 
 ornamented with the most costly jewels. 
 The fairy now took from her pocket a most 
 beautiful pair of elastic glass-slippers, which 
 she caused Cinderella to put on, and then 
 desired her to get into the carriage with 
 all expedition, as the ball had already com- 
 menced. 
 
 Cinderella instantly stepped into the carriage ; 
 but before taking leave, her godmother strictly 
 charged her on no account whatever to 
 stay at the ball after the clock struck twelve ; 
 and added, that if she stopped a single 
 moment beyond that time, her fine coach, 
 horses, coachman, postilion, footmen, and 
 fine apparel, would all return to their 
 original forms of pumpkin, mice, rats, lizards, 
 and mean-looking clothes. 
 
51 
 
 Cinderella promised most faithfully to attend 
 to what the good fairy had told her, and 
 then, quite overjoyed, took leave of her god- 
 mother, and drove away to the palace, which, 
 as the carriage flew almost like lightning, 
 she reached in a very short time. 
 
 The arrival of such a splendid equipage 
 could not fail to attract general notice at 
 the palace; and information having been 
 conveyed to the King's son, that a most 
 beautiful young lady, evidently some princess, 
 was in waiting, he hastened to the door, 
 and was in time to hand her out of the 
 carriage, when he led her gracefully into 
 the ball-room. 
 
 When Cinderella made her appearance, 
 both music and dancing were suspended 
 for a few momenta not even a whisper 
 was beard; the company seemed to be 
 struck dumb with admiration, and every 
 one gated at the beauty and magnificence 
 of this elegant stranger. 
 
 They then began to whisper to each other 
 their expressions of admiration : " How 
 
52 FAVOUKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 beautiful she is ! what a handsome figure ! 
 how elegantly she is dressed !" Even the 
 King, old as he was, could not behold her 
 with indifference, but was repeatedly heard 
 saying to the Queen, that he had never 
 seen so lovely a creature. The ladies were 
 all engaged in observing how her clothes 
 were made, that they might be able to de- 
 scribe them to their dressmakers, so as to 
 order the same elegant patterns to be got 
 ready if possible for the next evening's 
 ball. 
 
 So faultless did the lovely stranger appear, 
 that even envy seemed to be asleep ; for 
 not one of the ladies present had the most 
 distant expectation of being able to rival 
 her ; they only looked upon her in order 
 to admire, and that they might try to copy 
 her in her many surpassing qualities. 
 
 The Prince took every opportunity of shew- 
 ing his regard for Cinderella. He conducted 
 her to one of the most distinguished seats, and 
 placing himself by her side, begged she would 
 allow him to bring her some fruit or jellies. 
 
63 
 
 These she declined with great politeness. He 
 then wyiSJSBd to have the honour of dancing 
 with her; Cinderella gave a smiling consent, 
 and the delighted Prince immediately led her 
 oat to the centre of the ball-room, followed 
 by the eyes of the whole company. The 
 musicians again took up their instruments, 
 and the dance commenced ; but if Cinderella's 
 beauty, elegant figure, and the splendour of 
 her dress, had before excited the admiration of 
 every person in the room, the astonishment 
 now caused by her dancing it is impossible to 
 describe. The gracefulness of all her motions, 
 and the airy lightness with which she moved 
 for she seemed scarcely to touch the ground 
 drew forth a general murmur of admiration, 
 which, as the Prince led her off, changed into 
 the loudest acclamations ; and the company 
 with one voice pronounced her to be the 
 most elegant and accomplished female that 
 they had ever seen. ' 
 
 A msgniinsnt collation was then served up, 
 consisting of most delicious fruits, confectionery, 
 and wines ; but so much was the young 
 
54 FAVOUKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Prince engaged in attending to Cinderella, 
 that he hardly ate anything during the whole 
 evening. 
 
 Cinderella now happened to be seated near 
 her sisters, to whom she frequently spoke, and 
 gave them a part of the delicacies which she 
 received from the Prince ; but they entertained 
 not the slightest suspicion who she was, and 
 were equally astonished and delighted at the 
 civilities they received from her. 
 
 During her conversation with them, Cinder- 
 ella heard the clock strike eleven and three- 
 quarters, when, remembering her promise to 
 her godmother, she immediately rose, took 
 a hurried leave, and returned home in her 
 carriage. 
 
 On reaching home, she found her godmother 
 waiting, who welcomed her with a pleasant 
 smile, and to whom she related all that had 
 taken place at the ball, thanking her a thou- 
 sand times for the pleasure she had enjoyed. 
 She then told the fairy that there was to be 
 another ball on the following evening, to which 
 the Prince had given her a very pressing invi- 
 
55 
 
 Ution, and modestly signified the happiness it 
 would afford her to be present on that occa- 
 sion also. 
 
 Her godmother had just promised to gratify 
 her wishes, when a load knocking announced 
 the arrival of her sisters, and the fairy 
 vaniabML 
 
 On their entrance, Cinderella, who seemed to 
 have been just awakened oat of a sound sleep, 
 fell a-rubbing her eyes, and yawned out, "Oh 
 dear, how late you have stopped I I thought 
 yon would never have come home." " Had 
 you been at the ball," said one of the sisters, 
 " I don't think yon would have come away 
 any sooner yourself, and I am sure you would 
 not have been so sleepy ; for the most beautiful 
 and handsome princess ever beheld was there, 
 who paid us great attention, and gave us some 
 of the iMJBMJM which she had received from 
 the Prince. 
 
 It was with difficulty that Cinderella could 
 refrain from laughing ; but she succeeded in 
 concealing her mirth, and inquired the name of 
 the princess. They replied that nobody at the 
 
56 FAVOUEITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ball knew her, and that the Prince, being very 
 anxious to learn who she was, had offered a 
 large reward to any person who would satisfy 
 his curiosity. 
 
 Cinderella said, with a smile, " How very 
 beautiful she must be ! and how fortunate 
 you were in seeing her ! Oh, if I could only get 
 one peep at her too ! Dear Miss Charlotte, 
 will you have the goodness to lend me one 
 of your old gowns, that I may go to the 
 next ball, and get a sight of this charm- 
 ing lady?" 
 
 " Do you really think I am so mad as to 
 lend my dresses to a cinder-wench? No, I 
 am certainly not such a fool ; so, go and 
 mind your own business, and leave balls and 
 dresses to your betters." 
 
 This was just the kind of answer that 
 Cinderella expected ; for, had her request 
 been granted, she would have been sorely 
 puzzled how to act in the business. 
 
 Next evening, the two ladies went again 
 to the ball, and Cinderella soon followed 
 them, but, by the help of the fairy, dressed 
 
57 
 
 in a far more magnificent style than formerly. 
 The Prince, who was quite delighted to see her 
 again, hardly left her aide the whole evening, 
 and was continually paying her the most 
 flattering compliment*. 
 
 Cinderella was so much taken up with 
 the company, and the dancing, as well as 
 with the civilities of the Prince, that the 
 evening had passed away before she was 
 aware; and the clock struck twelve, when 
 she supposed that it could only be elevea 
 
 Alarmed, she sprang from her seat, and 
 almost flew out of the ball-room, 
 
 The Prince pinned her, which made 
 Cinderella run the faster, and in her hurry 
 she dropped one of her \\\*m %!. which he 
 stopped to pick up. 
 
 Fatigued and breathless, fhderelli unhid 
 home in her old clothing, without coach, 
 attendants, or any of her grandeur except 
 the remaining glass-slipper, which she put 
 carefully into her pocket 
 
 The Prince, who had lost sight of Cin- 
 derell* when he stopped to lift up the 
 
58 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 slipper, inquired at the guards if they had 
 seen a magnificent princess pass through 
 the palace-gates a moment or two ago ; 
 but they said they had seen no creature 
 go out, except a poor beggar-girl 
 
 When Cinderella's sisters came home, she 
 inquired if they had been as well pleased 
 with this as the former ball, and if the 
 beautiful princess had been there. They 
 said the princess had been there, but, when 
 the clock struck twelve, she flew out of 
 the ball-room, and in her haste had dropped 
 one of her neat glass - slippers ; that the 
 Prince having found the slipper, did nothing 
 but admire it during the remainder of the 
 ball, and every person said he was violently 
 in love with the beautiful princess. 
 
 A few days after the ball, the Prince 
 caused it to be proclaimed, that he would 
 marry the lady whom the glass-slipper fitted ; 
 and he sent one of the principal officers of his 
 household with it to all the ladies of his court. 
 It was first carried to the princesses and duch- 
 esses, and then to the ladies of inferior rank ; 
 
59 
 
 but he found no one it would fit, tud 
 returned to the Prince with the account of 
 his failure. The Prince having then ordered 
 him to go to the other ladies in the empire, 
 it was at last brought to Cinderella's two 
 sisters, each of whom used every exertion 
 to squeeze their feet into it, but all to 
 no purpose, 
 
 Cinderella, who was present during the 
 trial, said, with a smile, " Pray, sir, may I be 
 allowed to try it on?" The two sisters burst 
 out into laughter, and said rudely, " Very 
 likely indeed that it will fit your clumsy 
 foot!" The officer, however, seeing that 
 Cinderella was very beautiful, desired her to 
 try it on since she wished it, for the Prince 
 had commanded him to allow every one who 
 wished it to have a trial Cinderella imme- 
 diately put it on her foot with the greatest 
 ease. The two sisters were perfectly astonished 
 at seeing it fit so very exactly ; but they were 
 much more astonished when she pulled its 
 fellow from her pocket, and put it on 
 likewise. At that moment, Cinderella's kind 
 
60 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 fairy godmother entered, unperceived by any 
 one, and touching her with her fairy wand, 
 instantly changed her poor clothes into a 
 more magnificent dress than she had ever 
 yet appeared in. 
 
 When these two vain young ladies found 
 that their despised sister was the beautiful 
 princess, they fell on their knees and en- 
 treated her pardon for their former cruel 
 behaviour to her. Cinderella raised up her 
 sisters, and freely forgave them all ; after which 
 the officer conducted her to the Prince, who 
 at once soli cited her hand in marriage. 
 
 Cinderella gave her consent, and the cere- 
 mony took place a few days afterwards, 
 with great pomp and rejoicing. 
 
 The amiable qualities of Cinderella were 
 as conspicuous after as they had been before 
 her marriage, so that she retained the love 
 of her husband, and gained the esteem of 
 all who knew her. She was so far from re- 
 senting the ill-treatment of her sisters, that 
 she sent for them to court, and by her influ- 
 ence they were shortly after married to two 
 
61 
 
 of the first noblemen in the kingdom. Cin- 
 derella spent a long life in * state of great 
 felicity ; nor did she forget to remember, 
 with gratitude, her friend the fairy, who had 
 contributed so much to her comfort and hap- 
 
 j.::.- 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 
 
 IN the days of King Alfred there lived in a 
 small village, many miles from London, a poor 
 widow, who had a son named Jack ; she had 
 been a widow for many years, and Jack being 
 her only child, she had indulged him so much 
 that he was growing up in indolence and 
 extravagance. His mother, who never checked 
 him, had by degrees to dispose of almost all 
 she possessed, and at last there was hardly 
 anything left but their favourite cow. 
 
 The poor woman came to Jack one day 
 with tears in her eyes, and reproaching him 
 for his carelessness, said, "Nothing now re- 
 mains to sell but my poor cow; I am sorry 
 to part with her, it grieves me sadly, but we 
 must not starve." 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 63 
 
 For a few minutes Jack felt a degree of re- 
 morse, but it was soon over ; he then began 
 teasing his mother to let him go and sell the 
 cow, and she at last consented. 
 
 As he was going along, he met a butcher, 
 carrying some curious beans of different 
 colours in his hat, and who, knowing Jack's 
 easy temper, determined to take advantage of 
 it So, learning from Jack that he meant to 
 sell the cow, he asked the price of it, at the 
 same time offering him all the beans in 
 his bat for it 
 
 The silly boy at once catched at the offer, 
 and was quite pleased to think that he had 
 got such a bargain. He ran away home 
 as fast as he could and told his mother, 
 spreading the beans before her with great 
 delight 
 
 When the heard Jack's story, she became 
 very angry, and kicked the beans away 
 from her in a passion. They were uiitiBiA 
 in all directions, some of them going into 
 the garden. 
 
 That night they both went supperiess to bed. 
 
64 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Jack awoke early next morning, and see- 
 ing sonnet a ing very strange from his bedroom 
 window, dressed quickly, and ran out into 
 the garden, where he was surprised to find 
 that some of the beans had taken root, 
 and grown up so high that he could not 
 see the top ; the stalks, besides, had en- 
 twined, and presented the appearance of a 
 ladder. They were also of such an immense 
 thickness, that Jack could not shake them. 
 
 He instantly formed the resolution to 
 climb his bean-stalk ladder, and see what 
 was at the top. His mother in vain 
 intreated him not to go ; Jack had resolved, 
 and so he set out. After climbing several 
 hours, he reached the top quite exhausted, 
 and looking round he found himself in a 
 strange and barren country, where he saw 
 neither trees, houses, nor any living crea- 
 tures. 
 
 He now reflected with sorrow on his 
 disobedience to his mother, in climbing 
 the bean-stalk against her will ; but be- 
 ginning to feel very hungry, he walked on, 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. G5 
 
 in the hope of coming to some house, where 
 he might ask for something to eat and 
 drink Presently there appeared to him a 
 most beautiful young lady, with a small 
 white wand in her hand. 
 
 She asked Jack if he knew anything of his 
 father. He replied that he did not, and that 
 whenever he asked his mother about him, she 
 did not answer him, but burst into team 
 The young lady said she would reveal his 
 father's history to him, but his mother must 
 not ' 3ut before I begin," said she, " I re- 
 quire a solemn promise on your part to do 
 what I command you, for I am a fairy ; and 
 if you do not perform exactly what I desire, 
 you will be destroyed." 
 
 Jack got frightened, and promised to do all 
 she required of him ; when the fairy thus 
 began her story : " Your father was a rich 
 man, and very benevolent ; he was constantly 
 relieving the poor, and made it a rule never 
 to let a day pass without doing good to some 
 person. He used frequently to invite those 
 to his board who through misfortune bad 
 
66 FAVOURITE FAERY TALES. 
 
 been reduced in circumstances, and on these 
 occasions he always presided himself, and did 
 all in his power to render his guests com- 
 fortable. Such a benevolent disposition 
 made him well known through all the part 
 of the country where he lived. A very 
 wicked giant lived some miles distant from 
 your father's house. This giant was poor, 
 but very covetous ; and hearing of your father, 
 he formed the design of becoming acquainted 
 with him, with the wicked intention of pos- 
 sessing himself of your fathers money. He 
 removed into your neighbourhood, and shortly 
 afterwards spread the report that he had 
 lost all his property by an earthquake, and 
 had just escaped with his life. Your father 
 gave credit to his story, and pitying him, 
 invited him to take up his abode in his 
 house, where he was treated very kindly. 
 
 "Things went on in this way for some 
 time, when at last a favourable opportunity 
 occurred for the giant putting his wicked 
 purpose into execution. He was standing 
 one day looking through a large telescope 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 07 
 
 towards the sea, which was at some distance 
 from your father's house, where he saw a fleet 
 of ships apparently in distress. He instantly 
 requested your father to be good enough to 
 send all his SSUSJiis to their assistance. AU 
 were immediately dispatched, except the 
 porter and your nurse. The giant, quite 
 delighted with his success, then joined your 
 father in the library ; and when your father 
 was handing him down a book which he 
 had been recommending, the giant took the 
 opportunity and stabbed him, when he in- 
 stantly fell down dead. The giant then 
 hastened and dispatched the porter and the 
 nurse, and had determined to kill your 
 mother and you also; but she fell at his 
 feet and piteously besought him to spare tar. 
 life and the life of her dear little baby. 
 
 " The monster granted her request, but en- 
 joined her by no means erer to speak to you 
 of your father, threatening her with cruel 
 death if she wa discovered doing so. Your 
 mother then fled with yon in her arms, as quick- 
 ly M possible ; when the giant loaded himself 
 
68 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 with your father's treasures, and setting fire to 
 the house, made his escape long before the 
 servants had returned Your poor mother, thus 
 ruined and widowed, wandered with you for 
 many miles without knowing what to do, and 
 at last settled in the cottage where you were 
 brought up ; and it is entirely owing to the 
 threats of the giant that she never speaks to 
 you of your father, or answers any of your 
 questions about him." 
 
 The fairy then told Jack that she had been 
 his father's fairy ; and that her power, which 
 had been temporarily suspended, was now re- 
 stored. She further informed him that it was 
 by her promptings he had exchanged the cow 
 for the beans, and that she had caused the 
 beans to grow in the shape of a ladder, and to 
 so great a height. 
 
 She then said to him, " This is the country 
 in which the wicked giant lives, and you are 
 the person appointed to punish him. You will 
 have many dangers and difficulties to en- 
 counter, but you must persevere, or you will 
 not prosper in any of your undertakings." 
 
JACK AND THE HKAX-OTALK. 69 
 
 She also desired that he should not let his 
 mother know that he was acquainted with his 
 father's history ; and telling him to go straight 
 along the road till he came to the giant's 
 house, said further, " While you do as I order 
 you, I will protect you; but if you disobey 
 my ontnmaada, % most dreadful punishment 
 awaits you/' and then she disappeared. 
 
 Jack then pursued his journey, according to 
 the directions of the fairy, and shortly after 
 onset espied to his great joy for he was 
 very tired a large mansion, which he soon 
 reached. A plain-looking woman came to 
 the door, who expressed great surprise at see- 
 ing him ; " for," said she, " it is well known that 
 my husband is a powerful giant, and that he 
 is so fond of human flesh, that he would think 
 nothing of walking fifty miles to procure it" 
 Jack was greatly tallied when he heard 
 this, but hoping to elude the giant, begged 
 earnestly for a morsel of bread and a night's 
 lodging. The woman, who was of a generous 
 disposition, was at last persuaded to receive 
 him into the house She led him through a 
 
70 FAVOUKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 large hall, and some long passages, where Jack 
 heard the groanings of some of the giant's 
 victims issuing from their places of confine- 
 ment, which made him tremble all over ; and 
 she at last shewed him into a spacious kitchen, 
 where she bade him sit down, and brought him 
 something to eat and drink 
 
 Jack had almost forgot his fear, when he 
 was aroused by such a loud knocking at the 
 door, as made the whole house shake. The 
 giant's wife hid Jack in the oven, then went 
 to let her husband in. The giant walked 
 straight into the kitchen, and roared with a 
 voice like thunder, " Wife, I smell fresh meat I" 
 " No, my dear/' she replied, " it is only the 
 people in the dungeon. The monster seemed 
 satisfied, seated himself quietly beside the 
 fire, while his wife hastened to prepare iho 
 supper. 
 
 When supper was ended, the giant desired 
 his wife to bring him his favourite hen. 
 Jack's curiosity was very great to see the 
 giant and his hen ; so he peeped through a 
 small crevice, and observed that whenever the 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 71 
 
 giant said " Lay/' the hen laid an egg of solid 
 gold. The giant amused himself for some 
 time with his hen ; meanwhile his wife went 
 to bed At last he fell asleep by the fireside, 
 and snored like the roaring of a cannon. 
 Jack then slipped oat of his hiding-place very 
 softly; and finding that the giant was not 
 likely to awake soon, seized the hen and ran 
 off as fast a* he could with her. After get- 
 ting out of the house, he soon found his way 
 to the bean-stalk ladder, and quickly descend- 
 ing it, presented himself before his surprised 
 and overjoyed mother. The hen laid as many 
 golden eggs as they desired, so that they soon 
 became possessed of great wealth, and lived 
 very happily together. 
 
 Some months after this Jack felt a very 
 strong desire to take a second journey up the 
 Imn HiHr His loving mother tried all in 
 her power ID dissuade him from it ; and al- 
 though her arguments could not change his 
 resolution, he yet teemed to give up his 
 point, moifis^g, however, to go at all hazards. 
 He accordingly had a dress secretly prepared 
 
72 FAVOUKITE FAIBY TALES. 
 
 which completely disguised him ; and colour- 
 ing his skin, lie rose very early one morn- 
 ing, and climbed the bean-stalk a second 
 time. 
 
 He rested some time at the top, and then 
 pursued his journey to the giant's house, 
 He reached it late in the evening, and tell- 
 ing a pitiful tale, succeeded in inducing the 
 woman to let him in as formerly. After 
 supper, the giant's wife hid him in an old 
 lumber-closet. The giant soon came home, 
 and walked so heavily that it seemed as if 
 the house was shaken to its foundations. He 
 had not been long in, when he roared out, 
 as on the former occasion of Jack's visit, 
 " Wife, I smell fresh meat !" His wife answered 
 that it was only a piece of raw meat which 
 the crows had left on the top of the house. 
 She then went to get the supper. Jack, who 
 kept peeping out of the closet, noticed that 
 the giant was very ill tempered, and abused 
 his wife sadly, because, as he said, she had 
 been the cause of his losing his wonderful 
 hen. He at last desired her to go and fetch 
 
JACK AND TUB BEAN-STALK. 73 
 
 his bags of silver and gold, that he might 
 arouse himself His wife soon returned with 
 two large bags, one filled with gold, and the 
 other with silver. She then retired, and he 
 began counting out his money, and viewed 
 the glittering heaps with great delight He 
 kept turning it over and over till he got 
 tired, and placing it all safely in the bags 
 again, he fell sound asleep. 
 
 Jack was .it first afraid lest the giant 
 should only be shamming sleep, so as to 
 pounce on any one who might be concealed ; 
 but shortly hearing him snore so loudly, as 
 to sound like the roaring of the sea in a 
 high wind, he stole out of his hiding-place, 
 and took up the bags to carry them off Just 
 then a little dog, which he had not noticed 
 before, jumped from under the giant's chair, 
 and barked so furiously that Jack gave him- 
 self up for lost The giant, however, did 
 not waken, so that Jack had time to tot* 
 lect himself; and seeing a piece of meal 
 lying near him, he threw it to the dog, 
 which instantly seized it, and afforded Jack 
 
74 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 the opportunity of escaping. He threw the 
 bags over his shoulder, and made the best 
 of his way out of the house. He then went 
 as fast as his heavy burden would allow 
 him towards the bean-stalk, and was very 
 glad, indeed, when he reached the top of it. 
 He soon descended, and ran to give his 
 mother a surprise. He was very much put 
 about, however, when he found the cottage 
 deserted, and learned that his mother was 
 lying very sick in a neighbour's house. He 
 immediately went to her, and was greatly 
 shocked to find that her illness had been 
 caused by his desertion. When the old 
 widow learned that her son had returned 
 safely, she got better by degrees ; and Jack 
 having got the cottage put in repair, they 
 again lived very happily together in it, and 
 had every comfort which they desired. 
 
 For three years Jack spoke no more of 
 the bean-stalk to his mother, lest he should 
 make her unhappy. He could not, how- 
 ever, give over thinking of it, and this 
 caused him much uneasiness, especially when 
 
tkt fitnorf. WM UM by iJM 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 75 
 
 he remembered the commands and threats 
 of the fairy. At last his desire became too 
 powerful to be longer repressed, and he made 
 secret preparations for another journey. 
 
 On the longest day he arose very early, 
 and climbed the bean-stalk ; and on reach- 
 ing the top, found his way to the giant's 
 mansion, as before. This time, though he 
 had disguised himself very completely, he 
 found some little difficulty in gaining admis- 
 sion, but at last he succeeded, and was con- 
 cealed in the copper. 
 
 As soon as the giant came home, he roared, 
 Wife, I smell fresh meat I" Jack thought 
 nothing of this, as the giant had said so 
 on both former occasions. ^ However the giant 
 wkinnljr started up, anil began to search all 
 round the room ; and coming at last to the 
 copper, poor Jack was ready to die with 
 fear, and wished himself at home a thousand 
 times. The giant, however, fortunately stop- 
 ped his search without lifting the lid of 
 the copper, and then seated himself quietly 
 at the fireside, 
 
76 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 Jack had got such a fright that he was 
 afraid of even breathing, lest he should be 
 discovered. The giant ate a hearty supper, 
 and then desired his wife to go and fetch 
 his harp. Jack by this time had somewhat 
 recovered his boldness, and peeping out from 
 under the copper lid, saw the most beautiful 
 harp that could be imagined. The giant 
 had it placed before him on the table, and 
 whenever he said " Play," it played the most 
 delightful music of its own accord. 
 
 Jack no sooner saw this than he deter- 
 mined to possess himself of the harp ; so 
 when the giant fell fast asleep, a little while 
 afterwards he slipped out of the copper, and 
 seized it. The harp, however, was enchant- 
 ed by a fairy, and called loudly, " Master ! 
 master ! " The giant was awakened by this 
 noise, and seeing Jack running off with his 
 harp, got up to pursue him; but he had 
 drunk so much at supper that he could 
 only reel after him, although, indeed, he 
 called out to him with a voice like thunder, 
 and would certainly have overtaken him, 
 
JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK. 77 
 
 had he been sober. As it was, Jack got 
 first to the top of the bean-stalk, which he 
 descended with all speed. The moment he 
 got down, he ran for hU hatchet Just at 
 that instant he saw the giant coming fast 
 down the bean-stalk, bat Jack with the hat- 
 chet cut the bean-stalk close off at the root, 
 and the giant, tumbling headlong to the 
 ground, was killed by the fall 
 
 Jack's mother was not more astonished 
 to see the huge giant than she was delighted 
 to see the bean-stalk destroyed. Jack heartily 
 begged her pardon for all the sorrow he 
 had caused her, and promised faithfully to 
 be most dutiful and attentive for all the 
 wst of his life. 
 
JACK TIE GIANT-KILLER. 
 
 IT is said that in the reign of the famous King 
 Arthur, there lived near the Land's-end, in 
 the county, of Cornwall, a worthy farmer, whe 
 had an only son, named Jack. Jack was a 
 boy of a bold and daring disposition ; he took 
 pleasure in hearing or reading stories of 
 giants and fairies ; and used to listen eagerly 
 while his father related some of the deeds of 
 brave Knights of King Arthur's Round Table. 
 While Jack was yet young, he was sent 
 to take care of the sheep and oxen in the 
 fields, and while thus engaged he used to 
 amuse himself with planning battles, and the 
 means of surprising and conquering a foe. 
 He took no delight in the tamer sports of 
 children ; but hardly any one could excel him 
 
-Jack. fuaf M Mi tet. *m MB nrk Mov *tt* 
 
JACK THE GIANT-K1LLEIL 79 
 
 at wrestling. If he met with his equal in 
 strength, his skill and address generally gave 
 him the victory. 
 
 Near to where Jack lived, there was a high 
 mountain called St Michael's Mount, which 
 rises abruptly out of the sea at some distance 
 from the mainland; and on the very top of 
 this mountain there was a gloomy cavern, in 
 which dwelt a huge giant called Comoran. 
 He was eighteen feet high, and three yards 
 round, and his fierce and savage looks were 
 the terror of the whole neighbourhood. He 
 used to wade over to the mainland in search of 
 his prey ; but when he came near, the people left 
 their houses, and would not return till he took 
 his departure; which was not before he had 
 glutted his appetite upon their cattle, when he 
 would throw half-a-dosen oxen upon his back, 
 and tie three times as many sheep and hogs 
 round his waist, and so march back to bis own 
 
 Jack having often heard of the giant's sad 
 ravages, resolved to destroy him. So, early one 
 winter's evening, he took a horn, a shovel, a 
 
80 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 pickaxe, and a dark lantern ; and swam to The 
 Mount. Having climbed to near the top, he 
 fell to work at once, and before morning 
 had dug a pit twenty-two feet deep and almost 
 as many broad. This pit he covered over with 
 sticks and straw, and then strewed some earth 
 over them, to make the place resemble solid 
 ground. He then put his horn to his mouth, 
 and blew such a loud and long tantivy, that 
 he awoke the giant, who came towards Jack, 
 roaring in a voice like thunder, " You saucy 
 villain, you shall pay dearly for breaking my 
 rest. I will broil you for my breakfast/' 
 
 Hardly had he spoken these words, when, 
 advancing one step further, he tumbled right 
 into the pit, and his fall shook the very 
 mountain. 
 
 " ho ! Mr Giant," said Jack, laughing 
 heartily, and looking into the pit, "have you 
 found your way so soon to the bottom ? How 
 is your appetite now ? "Will nothing serve you 
 for breakfast this cold morning but broiling 
 poor Jack ? " 
 
 The giant now tried to rise, but Jack get- 
 
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. 81 
 
 ting on his head gave him such a blow with 
 his pickaxe, that he killed him on the spot 
 Jack then made haste back to surprise and 
 rejoice his friends with the news of the 
 giant's death. 
 
 The news of Jack's exploit soon spread 
 over all the western parts of England; and 
 another giant, called Old Blunderbore, (this 
 giant kept an enchanted castle in the midst 
 of a lonely wood) having heard of it, vowed 
 to have his revenge on Jack, if it should 
 ever be his fortune to get him into his power. 
 
 Now, about four months after this, as 
 Jack was taking a journey to Wales, be 
 pasted through this wood, near to Blunder- 
 bore's castle, and being very weary, he ** 
 down to rest by the side of a pleasant foun- 
 tain, and there fell into a deep sleep. 
 
 The giant came to the fountain for water 
 soon altar, and seeing Jack, he took him 
 up and carried him to his castle ; the floor of 
 which was strewed over with the skulls and 
 bones of captives whom be had killed and eaten. 
 
 When poor Jack eaw this he was very 
 
82 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 much alarmed, particularly when the giant 
 told him, with a horrid grin, that men's 
 hearts, eaten with pepper and vinegar, was 
 his favourite food; and also, that he had 
 thoughts of making a dainty meal on his 
 heart. After telling Jack this, he locked him 
 up, while he went to fetch another giant to 
 enjoy a dinner off Jack's flesh with him. 
 
 While he was away, Jack heard terrible 
 shrieks and groans from many parts of the 
 castle ; and soon after he heard a mournful 
 voice repeat these lines : 
 
 "Haste, valiant stranger, haste away, 
 Lest you become the giant's prey. 
 On his return he '11 bring another, 
 Still more savage than his brother 
 A horrid, cruel monster, who, 
 Before he kills, will torture you. 
 "valiant stranger ! haste away, 
 Or you '11 become these giants' prey." 
 
 This frightened Jack dreadfully, and he was 
 just giving himself up for lost, when he per- 
 ceived in a corner of the room two strong 
 cords, which revived his courage ; with these 
 he made two nooses, with a slip-knot at the 
 
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER 83 
 
 end of each, and as the giants were coming 
 through the gates, which were just below the 
 window of his prison, he threw the ropes 
 very adroitly orer their heads, and then 
 palled with all his might, so that he strangled 
 them. When he saw that they were both 
 quite black in the face, he drew his sword, 
 slid down the ropes, and stabbed the giants 
 to the heart 
 
 Jack then took a bench of keys from Blun- 
 derbore's pocket, and going into the castle 
 again, he made a strict search through all the 
 rooms, and found three ladies tied tip by the 
 hair of their heads, and almost starred to death. 
 
 Jack told them how he had killed the giants, 
 and then Tery politely handed orer to them 
 the keys of the castle, with all the riches it 
 contained, and went on his journey to Wales. 
 
 As Jack had not taken any of the giant's 
 riches for himself, and had Tery little money 
 of his own, he thought it best to travel as 
 fast as he could. Night came on, however, 
 and he lost his way; he wandered up and 
 down for some time, and at last was lucky 
 
84 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 enough to come to a large and handsome 
 house. 
 
 Jack went up to it boldly, and knocked 
 loudly at the gate ; when, to his great terror 
 and surprise, it was opened by a monstrous 
 giant with two heads. 
 
 He was a Welsh giant, and spoke very 
 civilly to Jack ; for all the mischief he did 
 was done secretly, under the show of friend- 
 ship or kindness. Jack told him that he was 
 a traveller who had lost his way; on which the 
 huge monster welcomed him into his house, 
 and shewed him into a room where there was 
 a good bed, to pass the night in. 
 
 Jack took off his clothes quickly and got 
 to bed; but though he was very weary, he 
 could not go to sleep. Soon after this, he 
 heard the giant walking backward and for- 
 ward in the next room, and saying to him- 
 self 
 
 " Though here you lodge with me this night, 
 You shall not see the morning light, 
 My club shall dash your brains out quite." 
 
 " So ! so ! Mr Giant/' said Jack to himself, 
 
JACK TEX GIAXT-KILLEB. 85 
 
 * are these your tricks upon travellers ? But 
 I hope to prove a match for yon." And 
 getting out of bed, he found a large thick 
 billet of wood, which he laid in his own 
 place in the bed, and then hid himself in a 
 dark corner of the room. 
 
 In the middle of the night the giant came 
 with his great dab, and struck many terrible 
 blows on the bed, in the very place where 
 Jack had laid the billet; and then he went 
 back to his own room, thinking he had 
 broken all Jack's bones. 
 
 Early in the morning, Jack put a bold face 
 on the matter, and walking into the giant's 
 room, thanked him for his lodging. The 
 giant started when he saw him, and began 
 to stammer out " Oh, dear me I is it you ? 
 Pray how did you sleep last night? Did 
 yon hear or see anything during the night?" 
 
 " Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, 
 carelessly ; " a rat, I believe, gave me three or 
 four slaps with his tail, and disturbed me a 
 little ; but I soon went to sleep again." 
 
 The giant was perfectly astonished at this 
 
86 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 yet did not answer a word, but went and 
 fetched two bowls of hasty pudding for their 
 breakfast. Jack, to make the giant believe 
 he could eat as much as him, had contrived 
 to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and 
 slipped most of the hasty-pudding into this bag, 
 while he seemed to put it all into his mouth. 
 
 When breakfast was over, he said to the 
 giant, "Now I will shew you a fine trick." 
 He then took up a knife and instantly ripped 
 up the leathern bag, when the hasty pudding 
 . ran out upon the floor. " Ods, splutter her 
 nails/' cried the Welsh giant, who was a- 
 shamed to be outdone by such a little fellow 
 as Jack, "hur can do that hurself;" so say- 
 ing, the giant snatched up a knife, and plunged 
 it into his own stomach, when he dropped 
 down dead in a moment. 
 
 As soon as Jack had thus killed the Welsh 
 monster, he pursued his journey ; and a few 
 days after, he met with King Arthur's only 
 son, who, with his father's leave, was travel- 
 ling into Wales, with the purpose of deliver- 
 ing a beautiful young lady from the power 
 
JACK THE GI ACT-KILLER. 87 
 
 of a wicked magician, who held her in his 
 enchantment*. When Jack found that the 
 young prince had no attendants, he begged 
 leave to follow him ; the prince at once agreed 
 to this, and gave Jack many thmik* for his 
 kindness. 
 
 This prince was a handsome, polite, and 
 brave knight ; his only fault was, that he was 
 too benevolent, for he gave money to almost 
 everybody he met At length he gave his last 
 coin to an old woman, and then bethinking 
 himself, turned to Jack and said, " How are we 
 to provide for ourselves the rest of the jour- 
 ney T "Leave that to me, sir," said Jack, 
 " I will provide for my prince." Night soon 
 came on, and the prince began to grow uneasy 
 at thinking where they should lodge. "Sir," 
 said Jack, M be of good heart ; two miles 
 further on there lives a giant, whom I know 
 well ; he has three heads, and can fight five 
 hundred men, and make them flea before him." 
 
 " Alas I " replied the prince, in sad surprise, 
 * we had better Kiel bam born than meet 
 with such a monster" "My lord," said Jack, 
 
88 FAVOUEITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "leave me to manage him, and wait here 
 patiently till I return." 
 
 The prince said no more, but remained 
 behind, while Jack rode on at full speed ; and 
 when he came to the gate of the castle, he gave 
 a loud knock The giant, with a voice like 
 thunder, roared out, " Who is there?" Jack re- 
 plied, "No one but your poor cousin Jack" 
 " Well," said the giant, opening the gate, " what 
 news, cousin Jack ?" " Dear uncle," said Jack, 
 " heavy news." " Pooh I " said the giant, 
 " what heavy news can come to me ? I am a 
 giant with three heads, and can fight five 
 hundred men, and make them flee before me." 
 " Alas ! " said Jack, " the king's son is com- 
 ing with two thousand men to kill you, and to 
 take all your wealth, and destroy your castle." 
 " Oh, cousin Jack," said the giant, with 
 agitatior, " this is heavy news indeed ; but I 
 have a large vault under ground, where I will 
 hide myself, and you will be good enough to 
 lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys 
 till the king's son is gone." 
 
 Jack promised to do this with great good 
 
JACK THB OlANT-KILLEB. 89 
 
 will ; so, when he had made the giant fast in the 
 vault, he went back and brought the prince to 
 the castle, and that night they both feasted and 
 rested very pleasantly, while the poor giant lay 
 trembling with fear in the vault under ground. 
 Early next morning, Jack gave the prince 
 gold and silver out of the giant's treasure, and 
 set him three miles forward on his journey. 
 
 He then returned to let the giant out of the 
 vault, who asked Jack what he should give him 
 as a reward for saving his castle. " Why, good 
 uncle," said Jack, "I desire nothing but yon old 
 coat and cap, with the old rusty sword and the 
 slippers which are hanging at your bed-head." 
 
 " Then," said the Riant, " you shall have 
 them ; and pray do not part with them, for 
 they are things of grail value. The coat will 
 keep you invisible while you wear it ; the cap 
 will give you knowledge ; the sword will cut 
 through any thing ; and the shoes are of vast 
 swiftness. These may prove useful to you, so 
 take them with all my heart" Jack returned 
 many thanks to the giant, and then set off to 
 overtake the prince. 
 
90 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Soon after he came up with him, they arrived 
 at the dwelling of the beautiful young lady, 
 who was under the power of the wicked magi- 
 cian. She received the prince very politely, and 
 caused a noble repast to be prepared for him ; 
 but when it was ended, she rose, and taking 
 from her pocket a fine handkerchief, said, " My 
 lord, you must submit to the custom of my 
 palace : to-morrow morning I command you to 
 tell me on whom I bestow this handkerchief, or 
 lose your head." She then went out of the room. 
 
 The young prince retired very mournful : 
 but Jack comforted him with the promise of 
 his help. He then put on his cap of knowledge, 
 which told him that the lady was compelled by 
 the power of the enchantment to meet the 
 wicked magician every night in the middle 
 of the forest. Jack instantly put on his coat 
 of darkness, and his shoes of swiftness, and 
 was there before her. When the lady came, 
 she gave the handkerchief to the magician, 
 on which Jack, with one blow of his sword of 
 sharpness, cut off his head. The enchantment 
 was thus ended ; and the lady the same mo- 
 
JACK THE GIAJfT-OLLZB. 91 
 
 it restored to her former virtue and good- 
 
 She was married to the prince the next day, 
 and soon after returned with her royal husband 
 and a great company to the court of King 
 Arthur, where they were received with joyful 
 welcomes ; and the valiant hero, Jack, for this, 
 as well as the many other great exploits be 
 had done for the good of his country, was made 
 one of the Knights of the Round Table, 
 
 Since Jack had been so lucky in all his ad- 
 ventures, be could not now be idle, but resolved 
 till to do what services he could for the hon- 
 our of the king and the nation. He therefore 
 humbly begged his majesty to furnish him 
 with a horse and money, that be might travel 
 in search of new exploits. " For/ said he to the 
 king, " there are many giants yet living in the 
 remote parts of Wales, to the great terror and 
 distress of your majesty's subjects ; therefore, 
 if it please you, sire, to favour me in my 
 design, I hope soon to rid your kingdom of 
 . these giants and monsters in human shape." 
 When the king heard Jack's offer, and thought 
 
92 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 of the cruel deeds of these savage monsters, he 
 at once gave orders, that he should be pro- 
 vided with every thing proper for such a 
 journey. Soon after this, Jack took his leave, 
 not forgetting to take with him his cap of 
 knowledge, his sword of sharpness, his shoes 
 of swiftness, and his invisible coat. 
 
 He travelled over high hills and lofty moun- 
 tains, and on the third day he came to a vast 
 forest, which he had hardly entered when he 
 heard very dreadful shrieks and cries. Jack, 
 nothing daunted, forced his way through the 
 trees, and saw a monstrous giant carrying 
 away, by the hair of the head, a handsome 
 knight and his beautiful lady. Their dreadful 
 cries melted the heart of honest Jack, who 
 got down from his horse, and, tying him to 
 a tree, put on his invisible coat, under which 
 he carried his sword of sharpness. 
 
 When he came up to the giant, he made 
 many strokes at him, but could not reach his 
 body on account of his great height; how- 
 ever, he wounded his thighs in many places, 
 and at last, aiming with all his might, he cut 
 
JACK TH1 QUXT-KILLER. 93 
 
 off one of the giant's legs just below the garter, 
 so that he tumbled to the ground, making not 
 only the trees shake, but the earth itself tremble 
 with the force of his fall 
 
 Jack then quickly set one foot upon the 
 giant's neck, and plunged his sword into his 
 body ; the monster gave a loud groan, and 
 yielded up his life into the hands of the vic- 
 torious Jack. 
 
 The knight and his lady not only thanked 
 Jack most heartily for their deliverance, but 
 %lso invited him to their mansion to refresh 
 himself, and also to receive a reward for his 
 kindness and bravery. "No," said Jack, with 
 great politeness, " I cannot be at ease till I find 
 -lit this monster's dwelling.* 
 
 When the knight heard this, he appeared 
 vexed, and replied, " Noble stranger, this mon- 
 ster lived in a den under yonder mountain, 
 with a brother of his, still more fierce and 
 cruel than himself; so let me persuade y> 
 go with us, and not think of any further pur- 
 suit" Nay," said Jack, " though there were 
 twenty such monsters, I would shed the last 
 
94 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 drop of my blood before one of them should 
 escape me/' So Jack got on his horse, and 
 went away in search of the dead giant's brother. 
 
 Jack had not rode much over a mile before 
 he came in sight of the mouth of the cavern ; 
 and near the entrance of it he espied the other 
 giant sitting on a huge block of timber, with a 
 knotted iron club in his hand, seemingly wait- 
 ing for his brother. 
 
 As Jack came near, he heard him saying 
 
 "Fe, fa, foh, fum, 
 
 I smell the blood of an Englishman ; 
 Be he living, or be he dead, 
 I '11 grind his bones to make my bread." 
 
 Jack got down from his horse, and putting 
 on his invisible coat, came close up to him, 
 and aimed a blow at his head with his sword 
 of sharpness ; but missing his aim, he only 
 cut off his nose. The giant roared like loud 
 claps of thunder, and taking up his iron club, 
 began to lay about him like one who was 
 mad with pain and fury. 
 
 "Nay," said Jack, "if this is the case, I 
 will put an end to you at once." So slipping 
 
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. 05 
 
 nimbly behind him, and jumping upon the 
 block of timber as the giant rose from it, he 
 stabbed him in the back, when, alter a few 
 howl*, the monster dropped down dead. 
 
 Jack having thus killed these two giants, 
 went into their cave in search of their trea- 
 sures. Hit pitted through many turnings, which 
 at last led him to a window secured with iron 
 bars, where he aaw a number of wretched cap- 
 tives, whom he set at liberty. They then went 
 together, and searched the giant's coffers, snd 
 Jack shared all the store in them among the 
 captives. The next morning they set off to 
 homes, and Jack went on to the knight's 
 house, where he was received with the greatest 
 joy by the thankful knight and his lady ; who, 
 in honour of Jack's exploits, gave a grand 
 feast, to which all the nobles and gentry in the 
 neighbourhood were invited. 
 
 When the company had assembled, the knight 
 related the many great exploits of Jack, and 
 gave htm, as a mark of respect, a fine ring, 
 on which was engraved the scene of the giant 
 dragging the knight and his lady by the hair. 
 
9G FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Among the guests were five old gentlemen, 
 who were fathers of some of those captives 
 whom Jack had freed from the giant's dungeon. 
 As soon as they heard that he was the person 
 who had done such wonderful things, they 
 pressed around him with tears of joy, to return 
 him thanks for the happiness he had caused them. 
 
 After staying with the knight a considerable 
 time, Jack grew weary of such an idle life, and 
 set out again in search of adventures. He 
 wandered over hills and dales without meeting 
 with any, but at length coming to the foot of 
 a very high mountain, where was a small and 
 lonely house, he knocked at the door, which 
 was opened by an old man, with a head as 
 white as snow. 
 
 " Good father/' said Jack, " can you lodge a 
 traveller who has lost his way ?" " Yes/' replied 
 the hermit, " I can, if you will accept such fare 
 as my poor house affords." Jack thanked him 
 and entered, when the old man set before him 
 some bread and fruit for his supper. 
 
 After Jack had eaten as much as he chose, 
 the hermit said, " My son, I know you to be 
 
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. 97 
 
 the famous slayer of giants. Now, on the top 
 of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept 
 by a huge giant named Galligantns, who, by 
 the aid of a vile magician, succeeds in captur- 
 ing many knights, whom he conveys into his 
 castle, and changes into the shape of beasts. 
 Above all, I lament the bard (ate of the 
 daughter of a wealthy duke, whom they seized 
 as she was walking in her father's garden, and 
 brought hither through the air in a chariot 
 drawn by two fiery dragons, and turned her 
 into the shape of a deer." Jack promised the 
 hermit he would break the enchantment ; so, 
 after a sound sleep, he rose early, put on his 
 invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt 
 
 When he had climbed to the top of the 
 mountain, he found attached to the wall at the 
 ditto gate a golden trumpet, under which were 
 
 ', lit: 
 
 Wfcomr ma thb trap* btar, 
 Shall mow UM fbat't owthrow." 
 
 No sooner had Jack read this than he seised 
 the trumpet and blew a shrill blast, which 
 
98 FAVOUEITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 caused the gates to fly open, and the very castle 
 itself to tremble. 
 
 When the giant and the magician heard 
 this, they knew that their wicked course was at 
 an end, and stood biting their thumbs and 
 shaking with fear. Jack entered, and with 
 his sword of sharpness soon killed the giant, 
 while the magician was carried away by a 
 whirlwind. 
 
 The knights and ladies to whom Jack had 
 thus given liberty rested that night at the 
 hermitage, and next day set out for the court. 
 Jack accompanied them ; and presenting him- 
 self before the king, gave his majesty an 
 account of all his wonderful engagements, 
 jack's fame had now spread through the 
 wftole country ; and at the king's desire, the 
 dtike gave him his daughter in marriage, to the 
 joy of all his kingdom. The king gave him a 
 krge estate, on which he and his lady lived 
 the rest of their days in great joy and content- 
 ment. 
 
-rw tWe 
 
ILE RED RIDING-HOOD. 
 
 OKCB upon a time there tired, in a certain 
 Tillage, a woman, who had a very beautiful little 
 daughter. This tittle girl's mother was ex- 
 tremely fond of her, and so also was her grand- 
 mother, who doted very much on her. The kind 
 grandmother was frequently giving her presents, 
 and amongst other things she once presented her 
 with a very neat riding-hood made of red cloth, 
 which became the tittle girl so extremely well, 
 that everybody used to call her Little Red 
 
 ig-Hood 
 
 One day, when her mother had been making 
 custards, she said to her, " Go, my dear, carry 
 your grandmamma a costard and a tittle pot of 
 butter, and see how she is, for I bear that she 
 has been very poorly." Little Red Riding* 
 
100 FAVOUEITE FAIKY TALES. 
 
 Hood, who was very fond of her grandmother, 
 took the custard and the pot of butter, and 
 immediately set out for her cottage, which was 
 in another village at some little distance. As 
 she was going through a wood, she met a 
 hungry wolf, who had a very great mind to 
 have eaten her up, but durst not because of 
 some faggot-makers who were at work at a 
 little distance. He asked her, however, where 
 she was going, and the poor child, who did not 
 think of any danger in speaking to the wolf, 
 replied readily, ' I am going to see my grand- 
 mamma, who is very ill, and am carrying her a 
 custard and a little pot of butter from my 
 mamma." "Does she live far off?" inquired 
 the wolf. "Not very far," answered Little 
 Red Riding-Hood; " it is just beyond that mill 
 which you see there, at the first house in the 
 village." " Well," said the wolf, " I will go and 
 see your grandmother too ; and if you go that 
 way, I will go this, and we shall see who will 
 be there soonest." 
 
 The wolf ran away as fast as he could, tak- 
 ing the nearest way ; while the little girl went 
 
LITTLE RED RIDIKO-HOOD. 101 
 
 by the ordinary road, which was considerably 
 round about, and besides she stayed diverting 
 herself in gathering nuts, running after butter- 
 Hies, and making nosegays. The wolf soon 
 came up to the old woman's house, and knocked 
 at the door, tap, tap. "Who's there?" cried 
 the old woman. "Little Red Riding-Hood," 
 replied the wolf, counterfeiting her voice, 
 * who has brought you a custard and a pot of 
 
 , from mamma." 
 
 The grandmother, who was very ill and con- 
 fined to bed, cried out, " Pull the bobbin, and 
 the latch will go up." The wolf pulled the 
 bobbin and the door opened, when he entered 
 and presently fell upon the poor old woman, 
 and ate her up in a moment, for it was above 
 three days since he had got any food. 1 1 
 then shut the door as it was before, and put- 
 ting on the grandmother's night-clothes, went 
 into the bed, expecting Little Red Riding- 
 Hood, who came tome time afterwards, and 
 knocked at the door, tap, tap. " Who's there ? " 
 cried the wolf. Little Red Riding-Hood was 
 at first very much afraid when she Wild the 
 
102 FAVOURITE FAIKY TALES. 
 
 hoarse voice, but supposing her grandmother 
 had got a cold, she answered, " Little Red 
 Riding-Hood, who has brought you a custard 
 and a pot of butter, from mamma." The wolf 
 then cried out to her, softening his voice as 
 much as he could, " Pull the bobbin, and the 
 latch will go up." Little Red Riding-Hood 
 pulled the bobbin, and the door opened. 
 
 The wolf seeing her come in, hid himself 
 under the bedclothes, and said to her, " Put 
 the custard and the pot of butter on the stool, 
 my dear, and come and lie down beside me/' 
 Little Red Riding-Hood undressed herself, and 
 went into the bed ; but she was greatly sur- 
 prised to see how strange her grandmother 
 looked in her night-clothes, and said to her 
 
 " Grandmamma, what great arms you have 
 got ! " 
 
 "That is the better to hug thee, my dear/' 
 "Grandmamma, what great legs you have 
 go!" 
 
 " That is to walk the better, my child." 
 " Grandmamma, what great ears you have 
 got!" 
 
LITTLE BED RIDING-HOOD. 103 
 
 " That is to hear the better, my child" 
 
 * Grandmamma, what great eyes yon have 
 gotr 
 
 " That is to see the better, my child." 
 
 * Grandmamma, what great teeth you have 
 
 "They are to eat thee up." 
 
 And saying these words, the wicked wolf fell 
 upon poor Little Red Riding-Hood, and ate 
 her tip in a few minutes, 
 
PUSS IN BOOTS. 
 
 THERE was once a miller who had three sons, 
 and at- his death he divided what he r .possessed 
 among them in the following manner : He 
 gave his mill to the eldest, his ass to the second, 
 and his cat to the youngest. 
 
 Each of the brothers accordingly took what 
 belonged to him ; but the youngest, who had 
 got nothing saving the cat, complained that he 
 was badly used. " My brothers," said he, " by 
 joining their stocks together, may do very 
 
 well in the world ; but as for me, when I have 
 
 eaten my cat, and made a furcap of his skin, I 
 
 may soon die of hunger I " 
 
 The Oat, which had been all the time sitting 
 listening just inside the door of the cupboard, 
 now ventured to come out, and address him : 
 
tr j Urxl Mi^Mli of OwOM b. 
 
FOBS nr mx>m 105 
 
 "Do not thus distress yourself, my good 
 master ; only get a pair of boots made for me, and 
 give me a bag, and you shall soon see that you 
 are not quite M> ill provided for as you imagine." 
 
 Though the lad did not much depend upon 
 thaw promises, yet, as he had often observed 
 the cunning tricks which Puss used to catch 
 the rats and mice, sueh as hanging by his himl- 
 legs, and hiding in the meal, to make them be- 
 lieve that he waH dead, he did not entirely 
 despair of his being of some use to him in his 
 unhappy condition. 
 
 No sooner were the boots and the bag pro- 
 vided, than Puss began to equip himself, much 
 to the amusement of his young master : he drew 
 on the boots quite briskly and, putting the 
 bag about hi* neck, took hold of the strings 
 with his fore paws, and bidding his matter 
 take courage, be immediately sallied forth. 
 
 The first attempt Puss made was to go into 
 a warren, where there was a great number of 
 rabbits. He pot some bran and some parsley 
 into his bag ; and then stretched himself out 
 at roll length, as if he MI dead, hoping that 
 
106 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 some young rabbits, (which as yet knew no- 
 thing of the cunning tricks of the world,) would 
 soon come and get into the bag, the better to 
 feast upon the dainties he had put into it. 
 
 Scarcely had he lain down before he suc- 
 ceeded as well as could be wished. A giddy 
 young rabbit crept into the bag, when Puss 
 immediately drew the strings, and killed him 
 without mercy. 
 
 Proud of his prey, he nastened directly to 
 the palace, where he asked to speak with the 
 King. On being shewn into the apartment of 
 his Majesty, he made a very respectful bow, 
 and said " I have brought you, sire, this rab- 
 bit from the warren of my lord the Marquis of 
 Carabas, who commanded me to present it tc 
 your Majesty with the assurance of his re- 
 spect." This was a title the Cat had invented 
 for his master. " Tell my lord the Marquis of 
 Carabas/' replied the King, " that I have much 
 pleasure in accepting his present, and that I 
 am greatly obliged to him." 
 
 Soon after this, the Cat went and laid him- 
 self down in the same manner in a field of corn, 
 
PUSS nt BOOTS. 107 
 
 and had as much good fortune as before ; for 
 lie had not waited long when two fine partridges 
 slipped into his bag, which he immediately 
 kiUed, and carried to the palace The King was 
 pleased to receive them courteously, as he had 
 done the rabbit ; and in this manner Puss con- 
 tinued to carry presents of game to the King 
 from my lord the Marquis of Oarabas, at least 
 
 :. Ml iy v, , - k 
 
 One day, having heard that the King intend- 
 ed taking a drive by the river-side with Ml 
 daughter, who was the most beautiful princess 
 in the world, Puss said to his master " If you 
 will now but follow my advice, your fortune is 
 made. Take off your clothes, and bathe in the 
 river, just in the place I will shew you, and 
 leave the rest to me," 
 
 Puss's master did exactly as he was desired, 
 without being able to guess the Oat's design. 
 While he was bathing, the King passed by, and 
 Post directly called out, as loud as he could 
 bawl* Help, I help ! or my lord the Marquis of 
 Oarabas will be drowned." The King, hearing 
 the cries, put his head out at the window of his 
 
108 FAVOUKITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 carriage to see what was the matter ; and seeing 
 the very Cat which had brought him so many 
 presents, he ordered his attendants to go directly 
 to the assistance of the Marquis of Carabas. 
 
 While they went to take the Marquis out of 
 the river, the Cat ran forward to the King's car- 
 riage, and told his Majesty, that while his mas- 
 ter was bathing, some thieves had run off with 
 his clothes as they lay by the river-side ; the 
 cunning Cat all the time having hid them 
 under a large stone. 
 
 When the King heard this, he commanded 
 one of his officers to fetch from the royal ward- 
 robe one of the handsomest suits it contained, 
 and present it to my lord the Marquis of Carabas, 
 at the same time he shewed him a thousand 
 attentions. As the fine clothes which had been 
 brought him made him look quite like a gentle- 
 man, and set off his person, which was very 
 comely, to the greatest advantage, the King's 
 daughter was very much taken with his appear- 
 ance, and the Marquis of Carabas had no sooner 
 cast upon her two or three respectful glances, 
 than she became violently in love- with him. 
 
PUSS IN BOOTS. 109 
 
 The King insisted on his getting into the 
 carriage, and taking a drive with them. The 
 Cat meanwhile, delighted to see how well his 
 scheme was succeeding, ran on before toamea- 
 dow that was being reaped, and hailing the 
 mperi, said to them " Good people, if you 
 do not tell the King, who will soon pass this 
 way, that the meadow you are reaping belongs 
 to my lord the Marquis of Carabas, you shall 
 be chopped as small as minced meat" 
 
 When the King's carriage was passing the 
 meadow, be did not fail to ask the reapers to 
 whom it belonged. " To my lord the Marquis of 
 Carabas," said they all at once ; for the threat* 
 of the Cat had frightened them. - You have 
 here a very fine piece of land, my lord Mar- 
 quis," said the King. "Truly, sire," : 
 
 es not fail to bring in every year a j.'. 
 ful harvest" 
 
 The Cat, which still kept going on before, 
 now came toa field where some other labourers 
 were busy making sheaves of the MB they 
 had reaped, and to whom he said as before 
 Good people, if you do not tell the King, * ho 
 
1 1 FAVOUEITE FAIBY TALES. 
 
 will presently pass this way, that the corn you 
 have reaped in this field belongs to ray lord 
 the Marquis of Carabas, you shall be chopped 
 as small as minced meat." 
 
 The King passed a few minutes after, and in- 
 quired to whom the noble sheaves of corn be- 
 longed. " To my lord the Marquis of Carabas," 
 answered they very glibly ; upon which the 
 King again complimented the Marquis on his 
 fine possessions. 
 
 The Cat, which still continued to go before, 
 gave the same charge to all the people he met ; 
 so that the King was greatly astonished at the 
 splendid fortune of the Marquis of Carabas. 
 
 Puss at length arrived at a stately castle, 
 which belonged to a powerful Ogre, who was 
 besides very rich, for all the lands the King had 
 passed through and admired were his. The 
 Cat, which had taken care to learn every parti- 
 cular about the Ogre, and what he could do, 
 asked to speak with him, saying, as he entered 
 the room, that he could not think of passing so 
 near his castle without doing himself the hon- 
 our of calling to inquire for his health. 
 
PUSS Df BOOTS. Ill 
 
 The Ogre received him as civilly as an Ogre 
 could do, and desired him to bt seated. " I 
 have been informed," said the Cat, " that you 
 have the gill of changing yourself into all sorts 
 of animals in a moment, into a lion, or an 
 elephant, for example ?" " It is very true," re- 
 plied the Ogre, sternly ; " and to convince you, 
 I will directly take the form of a lion." Puss 
 was so terrified at finding himself beside a lion, 
 that he sprang from him, and climbed to the 
 roof of the house ; but this was attended with 
 considerable difficulty, as his boots were not 
 very fit to walk upon the tiles with. 
 
 Some minutes after, the Cat perceiving that 
 the Ogre had quitted the form of a lion and 
 had returned to his original form, ventured to 
 come down from the tiles, and owned that he 
 had been a good deal fHfrhlmii - I have 
 been further informed," continued the Oat, 
 " but I know not how to believe it, that you 
 have the power of taking the form of the 
 smallest animals also; of changing yourself, for 
 example, into a rat or a mouse. I confess I 
 am inclined to think this must be impossible" 
 
1 12 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 " Impossible ! you shall see," and in an 
 instant he changed himself into a mouse, and 
 began to frisk about the room. The Cat had no 
 sooner cast his eyes upon the Ogre in this form, 
 than he sprang upon him and devoured him 
 in a moment. 
 
 In the mean time the King's carriage drew 
 near the Ogre's magnificent castle ; and as he 
 could not help admiring it, he ordered his 
 attendants to drive up to the gates, that he 
 might take a nearer view of it The Cat, hear- 
 ing the noise of the carriage on the draw bridge, 
 immediately came to the door, saying " Your 
 Majesty is welcome to the castle of my lord 
 the Marquis of Carabas." The King, perfectly 
 astonished, turned and said "And is this 
 splendid castle yours also, my lord the Marquis 
 of Carabas? I never saw any thing more 
 stately than the building, or more beautiful 
 than the pleasure-grounds around it. No 
 doubt the castle is as magnificent within as 
 it is without ; pray, my lord Marquis, indulge 
 me with a sight of it." 
 
 The Marquis offered his hand to the young 
 
PU88 IN BOOTH. 113 
 
 princess as she alighted, and they followed the 
 King into a spacious hall, where they found 
 a splendid collation which the Ogre had pre- 
 pared for some friends he had that day expected 
 to visit him ; bat who, on hearing that the King, 
 with the princess and a great gentleman of the 
 court, were within, had not dared to enter. 
 
 The King had become so charmed with his 
 amiable qualities and no less with the noble 
 fortune of the Marquis of Carabas, and the 
 young princess, too, had fallen so violently in 
 love with him. that after the collation, and when 
 they had drunk a few glasses of wine, his Ma- 
 jesty said to the Marquis" It will be your 
 own fault, my lord Marquis of Carabas, if yon 
 do not soon become my son-in-law." The Mar* 
 quis received the intelligence with a thousand 
 respectful acknowledgments, accepted the hon- 
 our conferred upon him with the most profound 
 gratitude and joy, and received the hand of the 
 princess in marriage thai very day. 
 
 The Gat became a great lord, and never again 
 needed to run after rats or mice except for his 
 
 Mi ::. :.: 
 
EOBIN HOOD. 
 
 IN the reign t)f King Richard I. there lived in 
 the town of Locksley, in Nottinghamshire, a 
 handsome youth, named Robin Hood. He was 
 sent, while yet young, to live with his uncle, at 
 Gamewell Hall, in the same county, where he 
 had many opportunities of practising archery, 
 and soon became very expert in the use of the 
 cross-bow. 
 
 Robin Hood was once on a visit to his pa- 
 rents, when his uncle, with whom he had been 
 living, was taken seriously ill, and sent to a 
 neighbouring monastery for one of the monks 
 to come and visit him. The monk knew that 
 the squire had plenty of money, and being 
 constantly beside him in his last illness, suc- 
 ceeded in inducing him to sign a paper, giving 
 
BOBIK1JOOD. 115 
 
 may all bis property to the convent to which 
 this monk belonged. When Robin Hood heard 
 of his uncle's illness, he hastened to Gomcwell 
 Hall ; he arrived there just a short time after 
 his uncle's death, and learned that all his 
 uncle's money and property had been left to 
 this convent, which was called Fountain Abbey. 
 The monks also had taken possession of Game- 
 well Hall, and now turned Robin Hood out of 
 doors. Robin took very ill with this treatment, 
 especially as he had expected to succeed to his 
 uncle's estates. He did not at first know what 
 to do ; he soon, however, got together a num- 
 ber of young men, as poor as himself, when 
 they agreed to form themselves into a band, 
 under Robin Hood's leadership, and adopt the 
 life of outlaws, living among the thick woods 
 of the famous Sherwood Forest 
 
 They were handsomt man, and very bold, 
 and were all excellent marksmen. They dratted 
 in a uniform of Lincoln green, with a scarlet 
 cap, and each man was armed with a dagger, 
 and a btsket-hilted sword, littidit a bow and a 
 quiver full of arrows their captain had alto a 
 
116 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 bugle-horn by his side, which he used to sum- 
 mon his followers. Though Robin Hood was 
 a robber, yet he behaved in such a manner 
 as to have the good wishes of almost all the 
 poor in those parts. He made a rule never to 
 rob anybody but people who were very rich, 
 and those who did not make good use of their 
 money. He also disliked exceedingly all priests, 
 because it was through their cunning that he 
 had lost his uncle's estates ; the priests, how- 
 ever, were very domineering, and behaved so 
 badly that they were greatly disliked by the 
 common people also, so that Robin Hood did 
 not lose any of his favour with the poor be- 
 cause of his usage of the priests. 
 
 One day Robin Hood rambled away by him- 
 self, in the hope of meeting with some adventure. 
 He had not gone very far when he came to a 
 brook, over which a narrow plank was thrown 
 for a bridge ; and just as he was going to cross 
 the plank, a tall and handsome stranger began 
 to cross from the other side. They met on the 
 middle of the^ plank ; and as neither of them 
 seemed disposed to give way, the stranger 
 
ROBIN HOOD. 117 
 
 Mid boldly to Robin Hood" Go back, or it 
 will be the worse for you." Robin Hood was 
 rather displeased with this, for he could not 
 bear the idea of having to give way to anybody ; 
 so he proposed to the stranger that they should 
 each take an oak branch and fight it out, and 
 that whoever could manage to throw the other 
 into the brook, should win the day. 
 
 They accordingly set to, in right earnest, and 
 thrashed each other well ; the stranger at last, 
 however, succeeded in giving Robin Ilood a 
 blow which caused him to tumble into the 
 water. When Robin Hood got out again, he 
 put his bugle to his lips and blew a blast, 
 which brought numbers of his followers from 
 all directions to see what their captain wanted 
 He told them of his adventure with the stran- 
 ger; on hearing which, they would (kin have* 
 given the handsome stranger a ducking, but 
 Robin Hood interfered, and praising his bra- 
 very, proposed to him that he should join 
 himself to their band. "Here's my hand on 
 it," said the stranger ; "and though my name 
 is John Little, you will find I can do great 
 
118 FAVOUKITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 things." Upon this they insisted that their 
 new companion should be re-christened, and 
 changed his name from John Little to Little 
 John, which at first was a great subject for 
 laughter, as he was more than six feet high. 
 
 Eobin Hood loved a joke quite as well as he 
 loved good booty ; and one day, as he was strol- 
 ling in the forest, he saw a jolly butcher riding 
 along on a mare, with panniers laden with meat. 
 " Good-morrow, good fellow," said Robin Hood, 
 "you are early on the road/' On which the 
 man informed him that he was on his way 
 to Nottingham market to sell his meat. " I 
 never learned any trade," said Robin, "and 
 I think I would like to be a butcher; what shall 
 I give you for the mare and the meat?" " They 
 are not dear at four marks," said the butcher, 
 with some surprise. " Throw your blue coat 
 and your apron into the bargain," said Robin, 
 " and there's your money." The butcher con- 
 sented ; when Robin dressed himself in his new 
 dress, and rode away to Nottingham market. 
 He put up his horse at an inn, and hired a 
 stall in the market, where he exposed his meat 
 
ROBIN IIOOD. 119 
 
 for sale; bat as ho neither knew nor cared 
 about the price of butcher-meat, he sold a* 
 much for a penny as his neighbours could sell 
 for five, so that his stall was speedily surround- 
 ed, while the other stalls were almost deserted, 
 and this afforded him some amusement 
 
 The butchers wondered very much who this 
 stranger was, who was selling his meat so 
 cheap. Some thought him to be a gentleman's 
 son, who was doing it for fun, while others de- 
 clared that be was silly. At last they resolved 
 to invite him to dine with them, that they 
 try and learn something of him, as they 
 feared he would ruin their business. After the 
 market was over, they repaired to a tavern kept 
 by the Sheriff of Nottingham, and sat down 
 to dinner. After dinner Robin Hood called 
 in more wine, and insisted on paying the bill 
 The Sheriff, who was * cunning old miser, 
 thought he would take advantage of the 
 stranger's spendthriftatv to turn a penny. 
 Good fellow," says he to Robin Hood, "bast 
 them any horned beasta to sell?" "That I 
 have, (^ Master SherinV' replied Robin, -I 
 
1 20 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 have an hundred or two, and will be delighted 
 that you go and see them/' The Sheriff sad- 
 dled his palfrey without delay, and taking with 
 him three hundred pounds in gold, away went 
 he and Robin Hood along the road that led to 
 Sherwood Forest. 
 
 As they rode along, and neared the forest, 
 the Sheriff said to Robin, " May God preserve 
 us this day from a man they call Robin Hood." 
 Shortly after they had entered the wood, about 
 a hundred good fat deer came skipping in 
 sight. " How do you like my horned beasts, 
 Master Sheriff?" said Robin Hood. "To tell 
 you the truth," replied the Sheriff, " I wish 
 I were away, for I do not much like your com- 
 pany." Robin Hood then blew three blasts on 
 his bugle-horn, when Little John, with a hun- 
 dred men dressed in green, came suddenly out 
 of the wood. " The Sheriff of Nottingham is 
 come this day to dine with us," said Robin 
 Hood. To which Little John replied, " He is 
 welcome, and I hope he will pay us handsomely 
 for his dinner/' They then sat down under a 
 tree, and had plenty to eat and drink, after 
 
ROBOT HOOD. 121 
 
 which Robin Hood opened the Sheriff's bag, 
 and counted oat the three hundred pounds, 
 when he seated him on his palfrey again, and 
 led him out of the forest Remember me 
 to your wife/' said Robin, laughingly, as bo 
 then left .ira, ai.-l returned to his companions. 
 
 Another day, as Robin Hood roamed through 
 the forest, he noticed at some distance a hand- 
 some young man, going blithely and cheerfully 
 along, and singing as he went Robin did not 
 go near him, or think more of it; but next 
 morning he was astonished to MO the same 
 young man returning with a mournful step 
 and drawing deep sighs, whilst he kept saying, 
 " Alack, weil-a-day ! alack, well-a-day I " 
 
 Robin Hood sent one of bU men to inquire 
 the cause of the young man's distress. 
 
 The young stranger pulled out his purse, and 
 shewing a ring, said, " Alack, well-a-day I I 
 bought this yesterday to marry a maiden I hare 
 courted for seren long years, and this morning 
 find that she is going to church to be married 
 to another." 
 
 On hearing this story, Robin Hood felt an 
 
122 FAVOUBITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 interest in the young stranger, and questioned 
 him further 
 
 " Do you think she really loves you 1 " asked 
 Robin. " She has told me so a hundred times," 
 said the stranger, whose name was Allan-a-dale. 
 " Then she is not worth oaring about, or griev- 
 ing for," replied Robin Hood. " But she does 
 not love him," said Allan-a-dale, " and she is 
 not a fit match for an old cripple like him." 
 " Why does she marry him then ? " asked Robin 
 Hood. " Because/' said Allan-a-dale, sorrow- 
 fully, " he is a rich old knight, and her parents 
 insist upon it, and have raged at her so 
 sadly as to have got her silent permission." 
 " Where is the wedding to take place ? " then 
 asked Robin Hood. Allan-a-dale replied, " At 
 our parish church, about five miles distant, and 
 the Bishop of Hereford, who is the bridegroom's 
 brother, is to perform the ceremony." 
 
 Without more ado, Robin Hood dressed him- 
 
 -self like a harper, and bidding four-and- 
 
 twenty of his men follow him at a distance, 
 
 he, with harp in hand, started for the parish 
 
 church, which he soon reached. On entering 
 
ROBIN HOOD. 123 
 
 the church, the Bishop, who was putting on 
 his robes, said to Robin Hood, - What do yon 
 want here I * " I am a harper/' replied Robin, 
 "the best in all the country round; and 
 having heard that there was to be a wedding 
 to-day, I am come to offer my services." " You 
 are welcome ; we shall all be glad to hear your 
 music," said the Bishop. 
 
 Soon after this, the bridal procession entered 
 the church. Robin Hood noticed that the 
 bride was young and very fair, while the 
 bridegroom was quite old, and hardly able 
 to hobble up to the altar ; so when all was 
 quiet, Robin cried out boldly, " This is not a 
 fit match, and I cannot agree to its taking 
 place ; bat since we are come to the church, the 
 bride shall choose for herself Upon this he 
 pat his horn to his mouth, and blew ft blast, 
 when in came the four-and-twenty archers, si 
 Allan-a-dale with them. Robin Hood then turn- 
 ed to the maiden, and said, " Now, my dear, you 
 are free ; tell me frankly whom you will choose 
 for your husband ; will you have this gouty old 
 knight, or will you rather have one of these bold 
 
124 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES, 
 
 young fellows you see before you?" "Were I 
 to choose," said the maiden, turning round, and 
 catching the eye of her lover, " I should give 
 my hand to young Allan-a-dale, who has courted 
 me for seven long years." " Then," said Robin 
 Hood, " you and Allan shall be married before 
 we leave this house." " That cannot be," said 
 the Bishop, "for the law requires that they 
 should be asked three times in church, and it 
 will never do to huddle up a marriage this way." 
 " If that is all," said Robin Hood, " we will soon 
 settle the matter." He then took the Bishop's 
 gown off from him, and put it on Little John, to 
 whom he said, laughing, " Indeed you make a 
 very grave parson ;" then handing him the book, 
 he said, " You had better ask them seven times, 
 lest three times should not be enough." Robin 
 Hood then stepped up to the altar, and gave 
 away the maiden to Allan-a-dale ; while the 
 Bishop slunk out of the church, and the old 
 knight hobbled after him as well as he could. 
 The company then retired to Sherwood Forest, 
 and had a jolly dinner on two fat bucks ; and 
 from that day onwards Allan-a-dale and Robin 
 Hood were fast friends. 
 
ROBIN HOOD. 125 
 
 The Bishop of Hereford thus became Robin 
 Hood's most deadly foe, and often took excur- 
 sions into Sherwood Forest with a number of 
 his servants, in the hope of finding Robin Hood 
 by himself, with the intention of taking him 
 prisoner to Nottingham. On one of these 
 occasions, the Bishop and his party were sur- 
 rounded by Robin Hood and his men in the 
 middle of the wood. Robin rode up to the 
 Bishop and said, " My Lord, you must dine with 
 me to-day, under my bower in merry Bamsdale. 
 I cannot feast yon like a bishop, but I can give 
 you venison and wine, and I hope you will be 
 content" The Bishop dared not of course re- 
 fuse, so away they rode to Barnsdale, 
 
 After dinner, Robin Hood bade the music 
 strike up. and insisted on the Bishop dancing a 
 hornpipe in his boots, and to this the poor 
 Bishop was at last forced to submit 
 
 By this time the day was far gone, and the 
 Bishop and bis party asked leave to return home. 
 * Ton have treated me very nobly/' said he 
 to Robin Hood, * and I suppose I must pay for 
 it Tell me how much ?" * Lend me your purse, 
 
126 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 master," said Little John, stepping forward, 
 t( and I will settle with you." Upon this he 
 spread the Bishop's cloak on the grass, and 
 opening his bag, he counted out five hundred 
 pounds. " Now," said Robin Hood, " we thank 
 you for your company ; and to shew you that we 
 know how to be polite, we shall see you part of 
 the way home." Robin Hood and his men then 
 led the Bishop and his party through the forest, 
 and setting them on their way with three 
 cheers, Robin bade the Bishop remember that 
 though he had come into the forest intending 
 to have them all hanged, they had yet done 
 him no harm. 
 
 One day, as Robin Hood and his men were 
 leaping and roaming about in a merry humour 
 in Sherwood Forest, Robin Hood cried to his 
 followers, "Now, my good fellows, do you think 
 there is any man that could wrestle or play at 
 quarter-staff with me, or kill a buck so sure as 
 Ican? ;> 
 
 Upon this one of the men, called Will Scar- 
 let, stepped forward and said, " If you wish to 
 meet with your match, I can tell you where you 
 
ROBIN HOOD. 127 
 
 can find him." " Who?" asked Robin Hood 
 * There is a friar in Fountain Abbey," said Will 
 Scarlet, " who can draw a strong bow against 
 any man ; he can handle a quarter-staff too, I 
 am told, and will beat you and all your yeomen 
 set in a row. 1 * 
 
 When Robin Hood heard this, he could not 
 rest till he had seen the friar ; so, slinging his 
 bow across his shoulder, and taking his qn 
 staff in his hand, away he went to Fountain 
 Dale. He had not gone very far, when he saw 
 a tall, brawny friar rambling along by the if tor 
 aide. Whenever Robin Hood saw him, he 
 guessed this would be the man whom he wit 
 seeking; so going up to him, Robin said, 
 M Carry me over this water, tbou brawny friar, 
 or I will crack thy crown." The friar, without 
 saying a word, stooped, and took Robin Hoot 
 on his back, and carried him safely to the other 
 side. Robin was going away, when the friar 
 called after him, * Stop, my fine fellow, and 
 carry me over this water, or it will breed thee 
 pain." Robin took the friar on his back in 
 silence, and crossed over to the other side 
 
1 28 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 again. When the friar had jumped off, Robin 
 said to him, "Now, as you are double my weight, 
 it is but fair I should have two rides for your 
 one ; so carry me back again/' The friar again 
 took Robin on his back without saying a word ; 
 but when he reached the middle of the stream, 
 he pitched him into the water, and called out, 
 " Now, my fine fellow, let 's see whether you '11 
 sink or swim." When Robin got to the bank, 
 he said to the friar, " I see you are worthy to 
 be my match." He then sounded his bugle- 
 horn, which summoned his followers, when he 
 told the friar who he was, and asked him to 
 join their band. 
 
 " If there 's an archer among you that can 
 beat me at the long bow, then I'll be your man," 
 said Friar Tuck ; and pointing to a hawk that 
 was flying at some distance, he added, "I'll 
 kill it, and he who can strike it again before 
 it falls, will be the better man of the two/' 
 Little John at once accepted the challenge. 
 The arrows flew off, and when the dead bird 
 came down, it was found that the friar's arrow 
 had pinioned the bird's wings, whilst Little John's 
 
BOBIH HOOD. 129 
 
 arrow hid struck the bird right through the 
 centre of the body ; so Friar Tuck owned him- 
 self outdone, and there and then he joined him- 
 self to Robin Hood's merry band of yeomen. 
 
 The whole country round now rang with Robin 
 Hood's merry pranks. But Robin was not very 
 easy in his mind ; he knew very well that his way 
 of life was against the laws of the land, and that 
 if he were once caught, it would go very hard 
 with him ; so he began to wish that he could 
 have an opportunity to change kit manner of 
 life, and return to his native village. 
 
 He therefore took an early opportunity uf 
 sending a handsome present to Queen Eleanor, 
 who was the mother of King Richard The 
 Queen was so much pleased with Robin Hood's 
 present, that she was heard to say, If I live 
 another year, I will be a friend to Robin 
 Hood and his gallant men." 
 
 Shortly after this, King Richard made a 
 great match at his court for archery. Queen 
 
 I. . . i i. r { : ... ' : . : i 
 
 Robin Hood, and sent a Biiiiiiflii privately 
 lo Sherwood Forest to invite Robin and his 
 
130 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 yeomen to take the part of her champions at 
 the great match. 
 
 On the day which had been fixed for the 
 match, there was a grand turn out at court. 
 The King's bowmen, who were accounted the 
 best archers in all England, were ranged on 
 one side, and on the other side were ranged 
 the Queen's champions, who, it was observed, 
 were all strangers. Before the match began, 
 the King declared what the prize was to be, 
 and soon the noblemen and gentlemen of court 
 were found eagerly betting, but they were al- 
 most all in favour of the King's men. " Is 
 there no knight who will venture his money 
 on my side?" said Queen EJeanor. "Come 
 hither to me, Sir Robert Lee, thou art a 
 knight of high descent." But Sir Robert Lee 
 most politely begged to be excused. 
 
 The Queen made another appeal, and this 
 time to the Bishop of Hereford. " Come 
 hither to me, thou Bishop of Hereford, for thou 
 art a noble priest." " By my silver mitre," 
 said the Bishop, " I will not bet a single 
 penny." " If thou wilt not bet on the Queen's 
 
BOBDCHOOD. 131 
 
 side," said Robin Hood, "what wilt thou 
 bet on the King's ? " "On the King's side/' 
 replied the Bishop, " I will venture all the 
 money in ray parse." Now this happened to 
 be a hundred pounds, and Robin Hood put a big 
 of equal value beside it 
 
 When the match was about to begin, the 
 Queen stepped up to the King, and said, * I 
 must ask a boon of thee before the trial be- 
 gins." "What is it?" isked the King. 
 " That you will not be angry with any of my 
 party," said the Queen ; "and that they shall 
 be free to remain at court all the time of the 
 match, and then be allowed forty days to re- 
 tire." 
 
 The King at once agreed to these conditions. 
 The keepers of the ground than began to 
 mark the distances, when the King's lluWMil 
 cried out, " Oh, measure no mark for us ; we 
 can shoot at the sun and the moon." Before 
 they had ended +** they found how fool- 
 ishly they had boasted At the first round, 
 the King's bowmen shot so well that several 
 arrows were placed in the inner ring of 
 
132 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 the target, and at last one of them, 
 named Hubert, shot an arrow which lighted in 
 the very centre of the bull's eye. The people 
 shouted, "A Hubert ! a Hubert !" 
 
 Robin Hood looked quite pleased to see so 
 good a shot, and said, " I can't get nearer the 
 centre than that, but 111 get as near, I'll notch 
 his shaft for him ; " so letting fly his arrow, it 
 lighted right on the top of Hubert's, splitting it 
 to shivers, and stuck in its place. The people 
 were amazed, and cried that there never had 
 been such archery in England 
 
 Robin Hood then went to a willow bush 
 near, and cutting a wand about the thickness 
 of a man's thumb, he placed it at the end of 
 the field, saying, " A boy with a headless arrow 
 might hit yonder target, but the man who can 
 cleave that rod I hold him fit to bear a bow 
 before the best in the land/' 
 
 The King's bowmen would not attempt to 
 shoot at such a mark, and Hubert said, " I might 
 as well shoot at a sunbeam as at a white stick 
 I can hardly see ; " but Robin Hood cleft the 
 rod again and again with his arrows, and the 
 prize and all the money were given to him. 
 
BOBDf HOOD. 133 
 
 Says the Bishop of Hereford, " I know very 
 well who theae fellows are ; they are Itobin 
 Hood and his men." The Ring replied, " Had 
 I known that, I would not have granted them 
 leare to depart, bnt I cannot break my word." 
 The King then ordered a noble feast for Robin 
 Hood and his yeomen, and sent them away 
 with honour. 
 
 King Richard was very fond of archery, and 
 often thought of Robin Hood and his yeomen. 
 He had heard of many of their generous actions, 
 and greatly admired their gallantry. " If I 
 could but get these men to become my faithful 
 subjects," he thought to himself, " what a pride 
 they would be to my court ! " 
 
 At length he thought of going in dJyU* 
 to see Robin Hood, and hoped that something 
 might come out of his visit He called twelve 
 lords of his court, and told them his inter 
 he and his lords then dressed themselves like 
 monks, and rode away to Sherwood Fotui 
 
 Robin Hood saw the band coming, and think- 
 ing that they were monks, he resolved to attack 
 them when they bad come a little further 
 
134- FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 into the forest. Accordingly, a few minutes 
 afterwards, Eobin Hood jumped in front of the 
 little company, and seizing the king's horse by 
 the bridle, said, sternly, "Abbot, I bid you 
 stand ; it was a priest that first worked my ruin, 
 and I have sworn to spare none of his fellows." 
 " But we are on the King's errand," said Richard. 
 " God save the King, and confound all his foes," 
 said Robin Hood, letting go his hold of the 
 bridle. " Thou cursest thyself," said the King, 
 " for thou art a robber and an outlaw/' " If thou 
 wert not his servant," replied Robin Hood, " I 
 would say you He, for I have never taken from 
 an honest man, but only from those who live 
 on other people's earnings, while all the poor 
 for miles around are the better for me." 
 
 Robin Hood then blew his bugle-horn, when 
 his yeomen came marching all in a row, " You 
 would not be used so/' continued Robin to the 
 disguised King, "were you not the King's 
 messenger ; but for King Richard's sake, if you 
 had ever so much money, I would not deprive 
 you of a penny." 
 
 Robin Hood then invited the strangers to 
 
BOBIN HOOD. 135 
 
 dinner, and after dinner the Ring said to Robin, 
 "Would you not like, my brave fellow, to secure 
 the King's pardon? and could you set your 
 mind to become a true and useful subject?" 
 "Totelljrou the truth, my friend," said Robin 
 Hood, " I am quite tired of this lawless life, 
 indeed I never loved it; and were King Richard 
 to take me into his favour, I assure you he 
 should never have reason to repent it, but he 
 would find me to be one of his most faithful 
 subjects." 
 
 " I am King Richard," said the stranger. 
 
 Robin Hood and his men were for a few 
 moments speechless with astonishment, and fell 
 down on their knees before him. " Stand up, my 
 brave men," said the King, "yon have been 
 robbers and you should not have been such ; but 
 you say you are well disposed, and have power 
 and skill to do me service ; I freely grant to 
 every one of you my pardon. No account of the 
 past shall be demanded of yon, only take care 
 that you behave younJfn In future in such 
 a manner aa that I may never have reason to 
 repent my present kindness to you." 
 
THE THEEE BEARS. 
 
 ONCE upon a time there were Three Bears, 
 which lived together in a house of their own, 
 in a wood. 
 
 One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear, 
 one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other 
 was a Great, Huge Bear. 
 
 They had each a pot for their porridge ; the 
 Little, Small, Wee Bear had a little wee pot, 
 the Middle-sized Bear, had a middle-sized pot, 
 and the Great, Huge Bear had a great big pot. 
 They had each a chair to sit in ; the Little, 
 Small, Wee Bear, had a little wee chair, the 
 Middle-sized Bear had a middle-sized chair, 
 and the Great, Huge Bear had a great big chair. 
 And they had each a bed to sleep in; the 
 Little, Small, Wee Bear had a little, wee bed, 
 
n to !*&- 
 TWJVw JM 
 
THE THREE BEARS. 137 
 
 the Middle-sUed Bear had a middle-sized bed, 
 and the Great, Huge Bear had a great big 
 bed. 
 
 One morning, after they had made the por- 
 ridge for their breakfasts, and filled their por- 
 ridge pots, they walked out together into the 
 wood, while their porridge was cooling; and 
 being very good bears, who did nobody any 
 harm, and never suspected that anybody 
 would harm them, they had, according to the 
 usual custom, left their door unfastened. 
 
 While they walked, a pretty little girl, called 
 Silverhair, who was playing in the wood, came 
 to the house. She first looked in at the window, 
 and then she peeped in through the keyhole, 
 and seeing nobody in the house, she ventured 
 to lift the latch, when the door opened, at 
 she went, and well pleated she was to we the 
 porridge standing on the table. Now, if she 
 had been a good little girl, she might have 
 waited.till the Bears came home, and then, per- 
 haps, they would have asked her to breakfast, 
 for they were very good-natured and hospi- 
 table, though a little rough, as the manner of 
 
J 38 FAVOURITE FAIKY TALES. 
 
 bears is. But she went straight up to the table 
 on which the porridge was set, -and first she 
 tasted that of the Great, Huge Bear, in the 
 great big pot, and that was too hot for her ; and 
 then she tasted the porridge in the middle-sized 
 pot, and that was too cold for her ; she then 
 went to the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee 
 Bear, in the little wee pot, and that was neither 
 too hot nor too cold, but just right, and so nice, 
 that she ate it all up. Little Silverhair then 
 sat down in the great big chair of the Great, 
 Huge Bear, but that was too hard for her ; she 
 then sat down in the chair of the Middle-sized 
 Bear, but that was too soft for her; so she 
 seated herself in the little wee chair of the 
 Little, Small, Wee Bear, and as that was 
 neither too hard nor too soft for her, she sat 
 still in it, till at last the bottom of the chair 
 came out, and down came she plump upon the 
 ground. 
 
 Little Silverhair went next into the bed- 
 chamber of the Three Bears ; and first she lay 
 down upon the great big bed of the Great, 
 Huge Bear, but that was too high at the head 
 
THE THREE BEAR& 1 39 
 
 for her ; she then went into the bed of the 
 Middle-sized Bear, and that was too high at the 
 foot for her ; and then she lay down on the 
 little wee bed of the Littl-. Small, Wee Ban; 
 and that being neither too high at the head nor 
 at the foot, bat very comfortable, she covered 
 herself up very snugly, and lay there till she 
 fell fast asleep. 
 
 By this time the Three Bean, thinking that 
 porridge would be cold enough, bad re- 
 turned home. Now, little Silverhair had left 
 the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing 
 in his porridge, and he seeing this, cried out, 
 in his great, rough voice 
 
 "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE I" 
 
 Upon this the Middle-abed Bear looked at 
 his porridge, and seeing the spoon standing 
 in it also, cried out, in his middle voice 
 
 The Little, Small, Wee Bear then looked at 
 his porridge-pot, and lo I theugh the spoon was 
 there, the porridge was all gone, so he too cried 
 out, in his little, small, wee voice 
 
140 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 " Somebody has been at my poiridge, and has eaten it all 
 up/" 
 
 The Three Bears, seeing that the Little, 
 Small, Wee Bear's porridge was all eaten up, 
 guessed that some one had entered their house 
 in their absence, and so they began to look 
 about them. Now, little Silverhair had forgot 
 to put the cushions of the chairs straight again 
 when she left them, and the Great, Huge Bear, 
 spying his cushion all ruffled, cried out, in his 
 great rough, gruff voice 
 
 "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!" 
 
 The Middle-sized Bear then looked at his 
 cushion, and seeing it all pressed down, cried 
 out, in his middle voice 
 
 " SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIB ! " 
 
 Upon this the Little, Small, Wee Bear went 
 to look at his cushion, and soon called out, in 
 his little, small, wee voice 
 
 "Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sat the 
 bottom out of it. " 
 
 The Three Bears then thought of making 
 further search, and went into their bedroom. 
 
TUE THBEE BEAJCS. Ul 
 
 Now, little Silverhair had pulled the pillow of 
 the Great, Huge Bear out of iU place, and be 
 seeing this, cried out, iu his great rough, gruff 
 voice 
 
 SOMEBODY HAS 0KKN LYING IN MY BKD ! " 
 
 Little Silverhair had also pulled the bolster 
 of the Middle-aiied Bear out of its place, so he 
 cried out, in his middle voice 
 
 " MXBBODT BAS BIEB LTIXO MT 1D ! " 
 
 The Little, Small, Wee Bear then went to 
 look at his bed, and there were the bolster and 
 the pillow in their right enough places, but 
 there also upon the pillow was little Silverhair 's 
 head, which certainly was not in its proper 
 place, for she had no business there. Tbt Littl. , 
 Small, Wee Bear than cried out, in perfect 
 astonishment 
 
 " &m*od 9 k****** lying imm 9 kd>-*dktn** is!" 
 
 Little Silverhair had heard in her sound 
 sleep the great rough, gruff voice of the Great, 
 Huge Bear, but it seemed to her like the roar- 
 ing of the wind, or the rumbling of thunder ; 
 
142 FAVOURITE FAIKY TALES. 
 
 she had heard also the middle voice of the 
 Middle-sized Bear, but it was only as if some 
 one was speaking hi a dream ; but when she 
 heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, 
 Small, "Wee Bear, it was so sharp, and so shrill, 
 that it awakened her at once. Up she started, 
 and when she saw the Three Bears on one side 
 of the bed, out she tumbled at the other, and 
 ran to the window. Now the window was 
 open, because the Bears, like tidy bears, as they 
 were, always opened their bed-chamber window 
 when they got up in the morning, so out 
 little Silverhair jumped, and away she ran to 
 the wood, and the Three Bears never saw any- 
 thing more of her. 
 
'' His coat and breeches were made with pride, 
 A tailor's needle hung by his side, 
 A mouse for a horse he used to ride." 
 
 Tom Thumb. 
 
TOM THUMB. 
 
 IK the days of the celebrated Ring Arthur, 
 King of Britain, there tired * great magi- 
 cian, called Merlin, the most skilful enchanter 
 in the world at that time. 
 
 This great magician, was travelling in the 
 disguise of a beggar, and being much fatigued, 
 ha stopped at the cottage of an honest plough- 
 man to rest himself, and asked for some re- 
 freshment 
 
 The ploughman's wife gave him a hearty 
 welcome ; and brought him some milk in a 
 wooden bowl and some coarse brown bread on 
 a platter. 
 
 Merlin was much pleased with the kindness 
 of the ploughman and his wife ; but he could 
 not help observing, that, though every thing 
 
144 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 was neat and comfortable in the cottage, they 
 seemed both to be very sorrowful and unhappy. 
 He therefore questioned them about the cause 
 of their melancholy, and learned that they were 
 miserable because they had no children. 
 
 The poor woman declared, with tears in her 
 eyes, that she would be the happiest creature 
 in the world if she had a son, although he 
 was no bigger than her husband's thumb. 
 
 Merlin was so much amused with the idea 
 of a boy no bigger than a man's thumb, that 
 he determined to pay a visit to the Queen of 
 the Fairies, and ask her to gratify the wishes of 
 the poor woman. When he had accomplished 
 his journey, Merlin, being very intimate with 
 Queen Mab, told her the purpose of his visit. 
 
 The droll fancy of such a little personage 
 among the human race, pleased the Queen of 
 the Fairies exceedingly, and she told Merlin 
 that the wish of the poor woman should be 
 granted Accordingly, by and by, the plough- 
 man's wife had a son, who, wonderful to relate, 
 was exactly the size of his father's thumb. 
 
 The Queen of the Fairies, who was watching 
 
TOM THUMB. 145 
 
 the little fellow, came in at the window while 
 the mother was admiring him. The Queen 
 kisaed the child, giving it the name of Tom 
 Thumb; she then sent for some of the fairies, 
 to dress her little favourite. 
 
 An wk k*f h*l be hi for h en*rn, 
 HU tkirt it WM by .pidtn pan, 
 With JMket wor, ,f ikiMk'.dova ; 
 B troawre wm of fottkoM do* ; 
 Hi* ttockiop of ppl rind, thoj U 
 Witk fjtlMk |4ack'd tarn kit mother's tjt ; 
 Hit tkott wert m*de of noatt't tkia, 
 Kily uoo'd ilb DM kair viikia. 
 
 It is remarkable that Tom nercr grew any 
 bigger than his father's thumb, which was only 
 of an ordinary siie ; but as he got older, be be- 
 came very cunning, and sly, and full of tricks, 
 which his mother did not correct him for. 
 When he was old enough to play with the boy% 
 and had lost all his own cherry-stones, he used 
 to creep into the bags of his playfellows, fill 
 his pockets, and getting out again, join in the 
 game. 
 
 One day, however, as he was coming out of 
 a bag of cheiry-ctoiies, which he had been steal- 
 
146 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 ing from, as usual, the boy to whom it belonged 
 chanced to see him. " Ah, ha ! my little Tom 
 Thumb," said the boy, " so I have caught you 
 stealing my cherry-stones at last ; I shall pay 
 you off for your thievish tricks." Saying this, 
 he drew the string of the bag tight round his 
 neck, and gave it such a hearty shake, that Tom's 
 legs, thighs, and body were very sadly bruised. 
 He roared with pain, and begged to be let out, 
 promising never to do such things again. 
 
 Shortly afterwards, Tom's mother was mak- 
 ing a batter-pudding, and he being very anxious 
 to see how she made it, climbed up to the edge 
 of the bowl ; but his foot slipped, and he 
 plumped over head and ears into the batter, 
 unobserved by his mother, who poured it and 
 him into the pudding-bag, which she then 
 popped into the pot to boil 
 
 Tom's mouth was filled with the batter, 
 which kept him at first from crying ; but as 
 soon as the water began to grow hot, he kicked 
 and struggled with all his might, so that his 
 mother, seeing the pudding bouncing up and 
 down in such a fashion, thought it was be- 
 
TOM THUMB. 147 
 
 witched, and instantly lifting it out of the pot, 
 the ran with it to the door. A poor tinker, 
 who was passing by, was glad to take the 
 pudding, and putting it into his wallet, he 
 walked off As Tom bad now got his mouth 
 cleared of the batter, he began to cry aloud, 
 which so frightened the tinker, that he flung 
 down the pudding, and ran away. The pud- 
 ding was broken to pieces by the fall, so Tom 
 crept out, and with difficulty walked homa 
 His mother, who was very sorry to see her dar- 
 ling iu such a woful state, put him into a cup, 
 and soon washed off the batter; she then kissed 
 him, and put him to bed. 
 
 Tom's mother one day went to milk her cow 
 in the meadow, and took him along with her. 
 As it was a very windy day, for fear of his 
 being blown away, she tied him to a thistle 
 with a needleful of fine thread. But the cow 
 soon observed the oak-leaf hat, and, taking a 
 fancy to it, she took poor Tom and the thistle 
 op at one mouthful While the cow was chew- 
 ing the thistle, Tom, terrified at her great teeth, 
 which threatened to crush him to pieces, roared 
 
148 FAVOURITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 out as loud as he could bawl, " Mother, 
 mother ! " u Where are you, Tommy, my dear 
 Tommy ? " said his mother. 
 
 '* Here, mother, here, in the red cow's mouth.'* 
 
 His mother began to cry and wring her 
 hands in despair; but the cow, surprised at 
 the odd noise in her throat, opened her mouth, 
 and let Tom drop out. His mother caught 
 him in her apron as he was falling, or he might 
 have been dreadfully hurt. She then took Tom 
 in her arms, and ran home with him. 
 
 Tom's father made him a whip of a barley- 
 straw to drive the cattle with, and having one 
 day gone into the fields, he slipped his foot and 
 rolled into a deep furrow. A raven that was 
 flying over, picked up the barley with poor 
 little Tom along with it, and flew with him to 
 the top of a giant's castle by the sea-side and 
 there left him. 
 
 Old Grumbo, the giant, coming out to walk 
 on the terrace, seeing Tom, he took him up and 
 swallowed him like a pill. 
 
 The giant had no sooner swallowed Tom, 
 than he began to repent what he had done ; for 
 
TOM THUMB. 149 
 
 Tom began to kick and jump about so much 
 that the giant felt very uncomfortable, and at 
 last threw him up into the tea, A large fish 
 wallowed Tom as he fell This fish was soon 
 after caught, and sent as a present to King 
 Arthur. When they opened the fish, every 
 one was astonished at the sight of little 
 Don. They carried him to the Ring, who 
 madr Tom his dwarf, and be soon became 
 * great favourite at court ; for, by his merry 
 pranks he amused the King and Queen, and 
 all the Knights of the Round Table. 
 
 When the King rode out on horseback, he 
 frequently took Tom along with him ; and if a 
 shower came on, he used to creep into his 
 Majesty's waistcoat-pocket, where he slept till 
 the rain was over. 
 
 King Arthur one dsy questioned Tom about 
 his psisjrtSj and asked if they were at small 
 as himself Tom replied that his father and 
 mother we re as big as any of the persons about 
 court, but were rather poor. On hearing this, 
 the King took Tom to his treasury, where he 
 kept all his money, and told him to take ss 
 
150 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 much of it as he could carry home to his 
 parents, which made the little fellow caper 
 with joy. Tom went immediately and got a 
 little purse, made of a soap-bubble, and re- 
 turned to the treasury, where he got a silver 
 threepenny-piece put into it, and after some 
 difficulty lifted it upon his back. 
 
 Tom travelled two days and two nights 
 with the huge silver piece on his back, and 
 was almost tired to death, when he saw his 
 mother run out to meet him. 
 
 Tom's parents were overjoyed to see him, 
 especially as he had brought such an amaz- 
 ing sum of money with him. The poor little 
 fellow was excessively wearied. So his mo- 
 ther placed him in a walnut-shell by the fire- 
 side, and feasted him for three days on a 
 hazel-nut, which' made him very sick ; for a 
 whole nut used to last him a month. 
 
 Tom soon recovered, and thought it was 
 time to return to court; but as there had 
 been a heavy fall of rain, and the ground 
 was so wet, he could not travel back to 
 King Arthur ; therefore his mother, one 
 
TOM THUMR 151 
 
 day, when the wind was blowing in that 
 direction, made a little balloon of fine cam- 
 bric paper, and tying Tom to it, she gave 
 him a puff into the air with her mouth, 
 which soon carried him to the Kings pa- 
 lace. The King's conn were happy to see 
 Tom again, and he delighted them by his 
 dexterity at tilta and tournament* At length 
 his exertions to please them brought on such 
 4 severe fit of illness, that his life was de- 
 spaired ot But his friend, the Queen of 
 the Fairies, hearing of hU illness, came in 
 a chariot drawn by flying mice, and placing 
 Tom by her side, she drove through the air till 
 they arrived at her palace. After restoring him 
 to health, and shewing him all the diversions of 
 Fairy Land, the Queen commanded a fair wind 
 to rise, on which she placed Tom, and blew 
 him straight to the palace of King Arthur. 
 
 Just at the time when Tutu came flying 
 into the court-yard of the palace, the cook 
 happened to be pasting with the Kings great 
 bowl of his favourite soup, furmenty, (a dish 
 his Majesty was very fond of), so poor Tom 
 
152 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 fell plump into the middle of it, and splashed 
 the hot furmenty about the cook's face. 
 
 Down went the bowl " Oh dear ! " cried 
 Tom. " Murder ! " cried the cook. 
 
 The cook, who was an ill-natured fellow, 
 being in a terrible rage at Tom for scalding 
 him with the furmenty, went straight to the 
 King, and swore that Tom had done all this out 
 of mere mischief. The King was so enraged, 
 that he ordered Tom to be seized and tried for 
 high treason ; he was found guilty, and sen- 
 tenced by the judge to be beheaded. 
 
 Just as this dreadful sentence was pro- 
 nounced, poor Tom, seeing no other means of 
 escape, and observing a miller close by, gaping 
 with his great mouth, he took a leap, and fairly 
 jumped down his throat. This exploit was 
 done with such agility, that not one person 
 present, not even the miller, knew of it. Now, 
 as Tom could not be found, the court broke up, 
 and the miller went home to his mill. 
 
 When Tom heard the mill at work, he knew 
 he was safe, and began to tumble and roll 
 about, so that the poor miller could get no rest, 
 
TOM THUMB* 153 
 
 thinking he was bewitched ; ao he sent for a 
 doctor. Wham the doctor came, Tom began 
 to dance and sing; which ao alarmed the 
 doctor, that he sent in haste for fire other 
 doctors and twenty learned men. 
 
 They debated so long upon the cause of this 
 extraordinary occurrence, that the tired miller 
 began to yawn heartily, when Torn, setting the 
 opportunity, made a jump, and alighted safely 
 on the middle of the table 
 
 The miller, much provoked at being tor- 
 mented by such a little pigmy creature, fell 
 into a terrible rsge; and soiling Tom, he opened 
 the window, and threw him into the river. 
 
 A large salmon swimming along at the time 
 saw him fall, and snapped him up in a moment 
 as he wonld a fly. 
 
 A fisherman caught the salmon, and sold it 
 in the market to the steward of a great lord. 
 The nobleman thought the fish so uncommonly 
 fine, that he made a present of it to King 
 Arthur, who ordered it to be dmaed imme- 
 diately. When the cook cut open the salmon, 
 he found poor Tom. and ran directly to the 
 
154 FAVOUKITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 King with him ; but his Majesty, being busy 
 with state affairs, ordered him to be taken away 
 and kept safely till he sent for him. 
 
 The cook was resolved that Tom should not 
 slip out of his hands this time, so he put him 
 into a mouse-trap, where he remained a week, 
 when he was sent for by King Arthur, who 
 pardoned him, and took him again into favour. 
 
 On account of his wonderful feats, Tom was 
 knighted by the King, and went under the 
 name of the redoubted Sir Thomas Thumb. 
 
 As Tom's clothes were getting very much 
 worn, his Majesty presented him with a new 
 suit, and ordered him to be mounted like a 
 knight. 
 
 His shirt was made of butterflies' wings, 
 His boots were made of chicken's skins, 
 His coat and breeches were made with pride, 
 A tailor's needle hung by his side, 
 A mouse L-r a horse he used to ride, 
 
 It was diverting to see Tom thus mounted, as 
 he rode a-hunting with the King and nobility, 
 who laughed greatly at Tom and his fine pranc- 
 ing steed. 
 
 One day, as they were riding by a farm- 
 
TOMTHUMR 155 
 
 house, a Urge cat jumped out, and seised both 
 Tom and his steed. But Tom boldly drew his 
 word, and attacked the eat so fiercely that she 
 let them both fall, when one of the nobles came 
 to the rescue ; but poor Tom was sadly scratched 
 and torn by the cat, he was carried home, and 
 laid on a bed of down, in a little ivory cabinet 
 The Queen of the Fairies came soon after to 
 pay Tom a visit, and carried him back to Fairy 
 Land, where he remained several years. Dur- 
 ing his residence there, Ring Arthur and all 
 the persons who knew Tom had died. At last 
 the Fairy Queen, after dressing him in a new 
 suit of clothes of bright green, sent htm flying 
 through the sir to the earth. King Thunstone 
 now reigned as the successor of King Arthur. 
 People flocked from for and near to see him, 
 and being carried to the King, he was asked 
 who he was whence he came and where he 
 lived f Tom answered- 
 
 Fmoi Uw fetriM I '* C 
 
 ! I* <Mi bu.J. 
 Bj him I w 
 
156 FAVOUKITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 The King was so charmed with this address, 
 that he ordered a little chair to be made, in 
 order that Tom might sit upon his table, and 
 also a palace of gold, a span high, with a doo/ 
 an inch wide, for Tom to live in. He also 
 gave him a coach drawn by six small mice. 
 
 The Queen was so enraged because she did 
 not get a coach too, that she resolved to ruin 
 Tom ; so she told the King that the little knight 
 had been saucy to her. The King sent for Tom 
 in great rage ; but knowing the danger of royal 
 anger, he crept into an empty snail-shell, and 
 lay there until he was almost starved. At 
 last he ventured to peep out, and seeing a 
 large butterfly on the ground, he approached 
 cautiously, and placing himself astride on it, 
 was carried up by it into the air. The but- 
 terfly flew with him from tree to tree, and 
 from field to field, and at last he flew to 
 the King's court. The King, the Queen, and 
 all the nobility strove to catch the butterfly, 
 but in vain. At last poor Tom fell from his 
 seat into a watering-pan, in which he was 
 found almost drowned. 
 
TOM THUMR 157 
 
 When the Queen saw him, she Towed he 
 should be beheaded; and he was again put 
 into a mouse-trap till his trial should take 
 place. However, a cat, nmhsf mmstMsm, alive 
 in the trap, knocked it about till the wires 
 broke, and set Tom at liberty. 
 
 The King received Tom again into favour ; 
 but his days were numbered, for a large 
 spider one day attacked him, and although 
 he drew his sword and fought valiantly, yet the 
 spider's poisjooosji breath at last overcame him. 
 
 !! Ml dmw U* pond vim Urteod, 
 A*l UM p.dr nubd raj drp W kit Uood. 
 
 King Thunstone and his whole court went 
 into mourning for Torn, and raised a nice 
 white marble monument over his grave, with 
 the following epitaph : 
 
 II*r IMS To* Tkub, Kbff Artkcr'. *%*! 
 WW dkd by wfU*'* tnMl bit* 
 H4 vst iswrn U Aitli CM* 
 
 fit rod* ! UK aad 
 AM! M a mooM liutlaf vial ; 
 Alift W lira iW cMii ilk mink ; 
 Bb daik to tomv MM p bink 
 W.p* vip* JMT tm Md ** yx-r 
 lad 07- AIM I Tc Tkttb b d^d I 
 
HISTORY OP 
 
 WHITTINGTON-. AND HIS CAT. 
 
 IN the reign of the famous King Edward the 
 Third, there was a little boy called Dick Whit- 
 tington, whose father and mother died when 
 he was very young, so that he was left a 
 dirty, ragged little fellow running about a 
 country village. As poor Dick was not old 
 enough to work, he was in a sorry plight ; he 
 got but little for his dinner, and sometimes 
 nothing at all for his breakfast ; for the people 
 who lived in the village were very poor them- 
 selves, and could spare him little more than 
 the parings of potatoes, and now and then a 
 hard crust. 
 
WniTTOfOTON AHD HIS CAT. 159 
 
 For all this, Dick Whittington was a very 
 sharp boy, and was always listening to what 
 every one talked about, and storing up the 
 information in his memory. 
 
 On Sundays he never failed to get near the 
 ftmifFt at they sat on the tombstones in the 
 churchyard, talking before the parson was 
 come ; and once a-weck you might be sure to 
 see little Dick leaning against the sign-post of 
 the village ale-house, where people stopped to 
 drink as they came from the next market-town ; 
 and whenever the barber's shop-door was open, 
 Dick listened to all the news that passed be- 
 tween him and his customers. 
 
 In this manner, Dick beard of the great city 
 of London ; how* the people who lived there 
 were all fine gentlemen and ladies ; that there 
 were singing and musk in it all day long ; and 
 that the streets were paved with gold. 
 
 One day a waggoner, with a large waggon 
 and eight horses, all with bells at their heads, 
 drove through the village while Dick was 
 lounging near his favourite sign-post The 
 thought immediately struck him, that it must 
 
160 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 be going to the fine town of London ; and 
 taking courage, he asked the waggoner to let 
 him walk with him by the side of the waggon. 
 The man, hearing from poor Dick that he had 
 no father or mother living, and seeing by his 
 ragged condition that he could not be worse 
 off than he was, told him he might go if he 
 would ; so they set off together. 
 
 The waggoner was very kind to him by the 
 way, and when Dick was tired and footsore, 
 he would allow him to take a seat on the 
 waggon. 
 
 Dick got safe to London ; and so eager was 
 he to see the fine streets paved all over with 
 gold, that he quite forgot to thank the wag- 
 goner, and ran as fast as his legs would carry 
 him through several streets, expecting every 
 moment to come to those that were paved 
 with gold. Dick had three times seen a guinea 
 in his own village, and observed what a great 
 deal of money it brought in change; so he 
 imagined he had only to take up some little 
 bits of the pavement, to have as much money 
 as he wanted. 
 
wnirnxGTON AKD HIS CAT. 1C1 
 
 Poor Dick ran till he was tired, and at last, 
 finding it grow dark, and that whichever waj 
 he turned he aaw nothing but dirt instead of 
 gold, he sat down in a dark corner, and cried 
 himself asleep. 
 
 Little Dick remained all night in the streets; 
 and next morning, finding himself very hungry, 
 be got up and walked about, asking those he 
 met to give him a halfpenny to keep him from 
 starving ; bat scarcely any one staid to answer 
 him, and only two or tew gave him anything ; 
 so that the poor boy was soon in a most miser- 
 able plight At last, being almost starved to 
 death, he laid himself down at the door of a 
 fine house, which belonged to Mr FiUwarren, 
 a great rich merchant Here he was found 
 by the cook-maid, an ill-tempered creature, 
 who happened just Am to be very busy pre- 
 paring dinner for her master and mistress; to 
 seeing poor Dick, she called out, * What busi- 
 ness have you thei^ you Lucy rogue f There 
 is nothing else but beggars. If you do not 
 take yourself away, we will see how you will 
 like a sousing of some dish-water I have hew 
 that is hot enough U> make you caper." 
 
162 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 Just at this moment Mr Fitzwarren himself 
 came home from the city to dinner, and seeing 
 a dirty ragged boy lying at the door, said to 
 him, " Why do you lie there, my lad ? You 
 seem old enough to work I fear you must be 
 somewhat idle." " No, indeed, sir," says Whit- 
 tington, "that is not the case, for I would 
 work with all my heart ; but I know nobody, 
 and I am very sick for want of food." " Poor 
 fellow ! " answered Mr Fitzwarren, " get up and 
 let us see what 's the matter with you." 
 
 Dick now tried to rise, but was obliged to 
 lie down again, being too weak to stand ; for 
 he had eaten scarcely anything for three days, 
 and -was no longer able to run about and beg 
 a halfpenny of people in the streets; so the 
 kind merchant ordered that he should be taken 
 into the house, and have a good dinner imme- 
 diately, and that he should be kept to do what 
 dirty work he was able for the cook. 
 
 Little Dick would have lived very happily in 
 this good family, had it not been for the crab- 
 bed cook, who was finding fault and scolding 
 at him from morning till night ; and was 
 withal so fond of basting, that, when she 
 
wiirrriKCTOH AKD BIB CAT. 16S 
 
 had no meat to baste, she would be at basting 
 poor Dick's head and shoulders with a broom 
 or anything else that happened to fall in her 
 way. At last her ill-usage of him was told to 
 Miss Alice, Mr Fitxwarren's daughter, who 
 asked the ill-tempered creature if she was not 
 ashamed to us* a little friendless boy so cruelly ; 
 and added, that she would certainly be turned 
 away if she did not treat him with jnore kind- 
 ness. 
 
 But though the cook was so ill-tempered, Mr 
 Fitzwamm's footman was quite the contrary : he 
 had lived in the family many years, was rather 
 elderly, and had once a little boy of his own. 
 who died when about the ago of Whittington ; 
 so he could not but feel compassion for the 
 poor boy. 
 
 As the footman was very fond of reading, he 
 often used in the evening to entertain his fel- 
 low servants, when they had done their work, 
 with some amusing book The pleasure our 
 little hero took in hearing him read, made him 
 wish very much to team to read too ; so one 
 day, when the good-natured footman gave htm a 
 halfpenny, he bought a horn-book with it; 
 
1 64 FAVOURITE FAIRY TALES, 
 
 and, with a little of his help, Dick soon 
 learned his letters, and afterwards to read. 
 
 About this time Miss Alice was going 
 out one morning for a walk ; and the foot- 
 man happening to be out of the way, little 
 Dick, who had received from Mr Fitzwarren 
 a neat suit of clothes, to go to church on 
 Sundays, was ordered to put them on, 
 and walk behind her. As they walk along, 
 Miss Alice, seeing a poor woman with one 
 child in her arms, and another at her back, 
 pulled out her purse, and gave some money ; 
 and as she was putting the purse again in- 
 to her pocket, she dropped it on the ground, 
 and walked on. Luckily Dick, who was be- 
 hind, saw what she had done, picked it up, 
 and immediately presented it to her. 
 
 Besides the ill-humour of the cook, which 
 now, however, was somewhat mended, Whit- 
 tington had another hardship to endure. This 
 was. tnat his bed, which was of flock, was 
 placed in a garret, where there were many 
 holes in the floor and walls, and he never went 
 to bed without being awakened in his sleep by 
 great numbers of rats and mice, which often 
 
WHXTTIXUTOK AXD HIS CAT. 165 
 
 ran over his face, and made such a noise, that 
 he sometimes thought the walls were tumbling 
 down about him. Dick thought very often of 
 how to get rid of this annoyance. 
 
 One day, a gentleman who paid a visit to 
 Mr Fitxwarren, happened to have dfatied his 
 shoes, and begged they might be clean- 
 ed. Dick took great pains to make them 
 shine, and the gentleman gave him a penny. 
 This he resolved to lay out in buying a cat, 
 if possible ; and the next day, seeing a little 
 girl with a cat under her arm, he went up 
 to her, and asked if she would let him have 
 it for a penny ; to which the girl replied, At 
 would with all her heart* for her mother had 
 more cats than she could feed ; adding, that 
 the one she bad was an 'excellent monser. 
 
 This cat Whittington kept in the garret, 
 always taking cm to carry her a part of 
 his dinner: and in a short time be had no 
 further iliiiBiImm from rats and mice, bat 
 slept as soundly as he could desire. 
 
 Soon after this, the merchant, who bad a 
 ship ready to sail, richly laden, for a far 
 away country, and thinking it would be nice 
 
166 FAVOUBITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 that all his servants should have some chance 
 for good fortune as well as himself, called 
 them into the parlour, and asked them what 
 they chose to send. 
 
 All gave something they were willing to 
 venture, but poor Whittington, who, having 
 no money nor goods, could send nothing at 
 all, for which reason he did not come into 
 the parlour with the rest. Miss Alice, guess- 
 ing what was the matter, ordered him to be 
 called, and offered to lay down some money 
 for him from her own purse ; but this, the 
 merchant oberved, would not do, for it must 
 be something of Dick's own. 
 
 Upon this poor Dick said, he had nothing 
 but a cat which he bought for a penny that 
 was given him. 
 
 "Fetch thy cat, boy," says Mr Fitz warren, 
 " and let her go. " 
 
 Whittington brought poor puss, and de- 
 livered her to the captain with tears in his 
 eyes ; for he said, " He should now again be 
 kept awake all night by the rats and mice." 
 
 All the company laughed at the oddity of 
 Whittington's adventure ; and Miss Alice, who 
 
wmjrncoTov in> m CAT. 1 67 
 
 felt the greatest pity for the poor boy, gave 
 him some halfpence to buy another cat 
 
 This and several other marks of kindness 
 shewn him by Miss Alice, made the ill-temper- 
 ed cook so jealous of the favours the poor boy 
 received, that she began to use him more cruel- 
 ly than ever, and constantly made game of 
 him for sending his cat to sea ; asking him, if 
 he thought it would sell for as much money as 
 would buy a stick to thrash him with. 
 
 At last, the little fellow, being unable to 
 bear this treatment any longer, determined to 
 run away from his place : he accordingly pack- 
 ed up the few things that belonged to him, 
 and set out very early in the morning on All- 
 hallow Day, which is the first of November. 
 He travelled as far as Holloway, and there sat 
 down on a stone, which to this day is flilkd 
 Whittington's stone, and began to consider 
 what road he should take. 
 
 While he was thus thinking what he could 
 do, Bow-bells, of which there were then only 
 six, began to ring ; and it seemed to him that 
 their sounds said to him : 
 
163 FAVOUEITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 "Turn again, Whittington, 
 Lord Mayor of London." 
 
 " Lord Mayor of London ! " says he to him- 
 self "Why, to be sure, I would bear any 
 thing to be Lord Mayor of London, and ride in 
 a fine coach ! Well, I'll go back, and think no- 
 thing of all the cuffing and scolding of old Cicely, 
 if I am to be Lord Mayor of London at last." 
 
 So back went Dick, and luckily got into the 
 house, and set about his business, before Cicely 
 came down stairs. 
 
 The ship, with the cat on board, was long 
 beaten about at sea, and was at last driven by 
 contrary winds on a part of the coast of Bar- 
 bary, inhabited by Moors, that were never vi- 
 sited by the English. 
 
 The natives of this country came in great 
 numbers, out of curiosity, to see the people on 
 board, who were all so different a colour from 
 themselves, and treated them with great civility ; 
 and as they became better acquainted, shewed 
 great eagerness to purchase the fine things with 
 which the ship was laden. 
 
 The Captain seeing this, sent patterns of the 
 choicest articles he had to the King, who was 
 
WU1TTLNGTOK AXD BIB CAT. 1GD 
 
 00 much pleased with them, that he sent for 
 the CipUin and his chief mate to the psknt 
 Here they were placed, aa is the custom of the 
 country, on rich carpets flowered with gold and 
 silver: and the King and Queen being seated 
 at the upper end of the room dinner was 
 brought in, which consisted of the greatest rari- 
 ties. No sooner, however, were the dishes Ml 
 before the company, than an amazing number 
 of rats and mice rushed in, and helped them- 
 selves plentifully from every dish, scattering 
 pieces of meat and gravy all about the room. 
 
 The Captain, extremely astonished, asked 
 if these vermin were not very offensive* 
 
 " Oh, yes," said they, " very offensive ; and 
 the King would give half his treasure to be free 
 of them ; for they not only destroy his dinner, 
 but they disturb him even in his bedroom, so 
 that be is obliged to be watched while sleeping. 
 
 The Captain was ready to jump for joy, re- 
 membering poor Wbittingtons cat. and said he 
 had a creature on board his ship that would 
 destroy all At rats and mice in the kingdom. 
 
 The King was still more overjoyed than the 
 Ctptaia * Bring this creature to me,* says 
 
170 FAYOUEITE FAIKY TALES. 
 
 he ; " and if she can really perform what yon 
 say, I will load your ship with wedges of gold 
 in exchange for her." 
 
 Away flew the Captain to the ship, while 
 another dinner was preparing, and taking 
 puss under his arm in a basket, returned to 
 the palace in time to see the table covered 
 with rats and mice, and the second dinner in a 
 fair way to meet with the same fate as the first 
 
 The cat, at sight of them, did not wait for 
 a bidding, but sprang from the basket, and in 
 a few moments laid the greater part of the rats 
 and mice dead at her feet, while the rest, in 
 the greatest fright imaginable, scampered away 
 to their hiding-holes. 
 
 The Captain then took up puss and brought 
 her to the Queen, telling her how quiet and 
 affectionate she was. The Queen was at first very 
 frightened to touch an animal who had shewn 
 such terrible powers. But in a little, embolden- 
 ed by the cat's evident quietness, she ventured 
 to stroke her on the back. Pussy no sooner felt 
 her hand than she jumped on the Queen's knee, 
 and commenced purring, to her great delight 
 
 The King, having seen all the doings of the 
 
AKD HIS CAT. 171 
 
 wonderful Mrs POM, tnd being informed she 
 would soon have young ones, which might 
 in time destroy all the rats and mice in the 
 country, was resolved to buy her at any price, 
 so he agreed to give a prodigious quantity of 
 wedges of gold, of great value, for the cat ; and 
 he afterwards bought from the Captain his 
 whole ship's cargo. 
 
 The Captain after taking leave of their Majes- 
 ties, set sail with a fair wind for England, 
 and, after a prosperous voyage, arrived safely 
 in the port of London. 
 
 One morning, Mr Fitzwarrcn had just enter- 
 ed his counting-house, and was going to seat 
 himself at the desk, when he heard a knock at 
 the door ; he cried " Come in," when who should 
 arrive but the captain and mate of the mer- 
 chant-ship " The Unicorn" just arrived from the 
 coast of Barbary, and followed by several men, 
 bringing a prodigious quantity of wedfM 
 of fold, that had been given by list King 
 of Barbary in payment for the merchandise, 
 and also in exchange for Mrs Post. Mr Fit- 
 warren, the instant he heard the news, ordered 
 Whittington to be called, who at the time bap- 
 
172 FAVOUEITE FAIEY TALES. 
 
 pened to be scouring the kettles, and having 
 desired him to be seated, said, " Mr Whitting- 
 ton, most heartily do I rejoice in the news these 
 gentlemen have brought you. The Captain has 
 sold your cat to the King of Barbary, and brought 
 you in return more riches than I possess in the 
 whole world. Behold the wedges of gold, which 
 are all yours. May you long enjoy them ! " 
 
 Mr Fitzwarren then desired the men to 
 open the immense treasures they had brought, 
 and added, that Mr Whittington had now 
 nothing to do but to put it in some place of 
 safety. 
 
 Poor Dick could scarce contain himself for 
 joy ; he begged his master to take what part 
 of it he pleased, since to his kindness he was 
 indebted for the whole. " No, no, this wealth 
 is all your own, and justly so," answered Mr 
 Fitzwarren, "and I have no doubt you will 
 use it well" 
 
 Whittington, however, was too kind-hearted 
 to keep all himself; and, accordingly, made 
 a handsome present to the captain, the mate, 
 and every one of the ship's company, and after- 
 wards to his excellent friend the footman, and 
 
wimrnfOTON AKD HIS GAT. 173 
 
 the rest of Mr Fitiwarren's servants, not 0PM 
 excepting crabbed old Cicely. 
 
 After this, Mr Fiiiwarren advised him to 
 send for proper tradespeople, and gel himself 
 dressed as might become a gentleman, and 
 made him the offer of his house to live in till 
 he could provide himself with a better. 
 
 When Mr Whittington's face was washed, 
 his hair curled, his hat cocked, and he was 
 dressed in a fashionable suit of clothes, he 
 appeared as handsome and genteel as any 
 young man who visited at Mr Fitzwarren's ; 
 to thai Miss Alice, who had formerly thought 
 of him with compassion, now **?ifriift' i him 
 as fit to be her sweetheart ; and the more so, 
 because Mr Whittington was constantly think- 
 ing what he could do to please her, and 
 making her the pi li skit presents imaginable. 
 
 Mr Fitcwamn soon perceived their affection 
 for each other, and as he had no objections to 
 their union, the wedding-day was fixed shortly 
 afterwards. They were attended to church 
 by the Lord Mayor, the Court of Hileiiiem, 
 the Sheriffs, and a great number of the 
 wealthiest merchants in London : and the i 
 
174 FAVOUEITE FAIRY TALES. 
 
 mony was succeeded by a most elegant enter- 
 tainment. 
 
 History tells us that Mr Whittington and 
 his lady lived in great splendour, and were very 
 happy ; that they had several children ; that he 
 was Sheriff of London in the year 1340, and 
 three times afterwards Lord Mayor ; and in the 
 last year of his mayoralty he entertained King 
 Henry the Fifth, on his return from the battle 
 of Agincourt. The King, on account of Whit- 
 tington's princely hospitality, said, Never had a 
 King such a subject, upon which Whittington 
 replied, Never had subject such a King. 
 
 The King was so pleased with him, that he 
 bestowed on him the honour of knighthood. 
 
 Sir Eichard Whittington constantly support- 
 ed great numbers of the poor: he built a 
 church and a college, with a yearly allowance to 
 poor scholars, and also erected an hospital ; he 
 died full of years and full of honours. 
 
 The effigy of Sir Eichard Whittington was to 
 be seen until lately with his cat in his arms, 
 carved in stone over the archway of the late 
 prison of Newgate. 
 
Y V