Androclus and the Lion

by James Baldwin

In Rome there was once a poor slave whose name was Androclus. His master was a cruel
man, and so unkind to him that at last Androclus ran away. He hid himself in a wild wood for many
days; but there was no food to be found, and he grew so weak and sick that he thought he should
die. So one day he crept into a cave and lay down, and soon he was fast asleep.
After a while a great noise woke him up. A lion had come into the cave, and was roaring
loudly. Androclus was very much afraid, for he felt sure that the beast would kill him. Soon,
however, he saw that the lion was not angry, but that he limped as though his foot hurt him.
Then Androclus grew so bold that he took hold of the lion's lame paw to see what was the
matter. The lion stood quite still, and rubbed his head against the man's shoulder. He seemed to
say,-- "I know that you will help me."
Androclus lifted the paw from the ground, and saw that it was a long, sharp thorn which hurt
the lion so much. He took the end of the thorn in his fingers; then he gave a strong, quick pull, and
out it came. The lion was full of joy. He jumped about like a dog, and licked the hands and feet of
his new friend.
Androclus was not at all afraid after this; and when night came, he and the lion lay down
and slept side by side. For a long time, the lion brought food to Androclus every day; and the two
became such good friends, that Androclus found his new life a very happy one.
One day some soldiers who were passing through the wood found Androclus in the cave.
They knew who he was, and so took him back to Rome. It was the law at that time that every slave
who ran away from his master should be made to fight a hungry lion. So a fierce lion was shut up
for a while without food, and a time was set for the fight.
When the day came, thousands of people crowded to see the sport. They went to such
places at that time very much as people now-a-days go to see a circus show or a game of
baseball.
The door opened, and poor Androclus was brought in. He was almost dead with fear, for the
roars of the lion could already be heard. He looked up, and saw that there was no pity in the
thousands of faces around him.
Then the hungry lion rushed in. With a single bound he reached the poor slave. Androclus
gave a great cry, not of fear, but of gladness. It was his old friend, the lion of the cave.
The people, who had expected to see the man killed by the lion, were filled with wonder.
They saw Androclus put his arms around the lion's neck; they saw the lion lie down at his feet, and
lick them lovingly; they saw the great beast rub his head against the slave's face as though he
wanted to be petted. They could not understand what it all meant.

After a while they asked Androclus to tell them about it. So he stood up before them, and, with his
arm around the lion's neck, told how he and the beast had lived together in the cave.
"I am a man," he said; "but no man has ever befriended me. This poor lion alone has been kind to
me; and we love each other as brothers."
The people were not so bad that they could be cruel to the poor slave now. "Live and be free!"
they cried. "Live and be free!"
Others cried, "Let the lion go free too! Give both of them their liberty!"
And so Androclus was set free, and the lion was given to him for his own. And they lived together
in Rome for many years.

The Elves and The Shoemaker

by The Brothers Grimm
A shoemaker, by no fault of his own, had become so poor that at last he had nothing left but
leather for one pair of shoes. So in the evening, he cut out the shoes which he wished to begin to
make the next morning, and as he had a good conscience, he lay down quietly in his bed,
commended himself to God, and fell asleep.
In the morning, after he had said his prayers, and was just going to sit down to work, the
two shoes stood quite finished on his table. He was astounded, and knew not what to say to it. He
took the shoes in his hands to observe them closer, and they were so neatly made that there was
not one bad stitch in them, just as if they were intended as a masterpiece.
Soon after, a buyer came in, and as the shoes pleased him so well, he paid more for them
than was customary, and, with the money, the shoemaker was able to purchase leather for two
pairs of shoes. He cut them out at night, and next morning was about to set to work with fresh
courage; but he had no need to do so, for, when he got up, they were already made, and buyers
also were not wanting, who gave him money enough to buy leather for four pairs of shoes.
The following morning, too, he found the four pairs made; and so it went on constantly, what
he cut out in the evening was finished by the morning, so that he soon had his honest
independence again, and at last became a wealthy man.
Now it befell that one evening not long before Christmas, when the man had been cutting
out, he said to his wife, before going to bed, "What think you if we were to stay up to-night to see
who it is that lends us this helping hand?" The woman liked the idea, and lighted a candle, and
then they hid themselves in a corner of the room, behind some clothes which were hanging up
there, and watched.
When it was midnight, two pretty little naked men came, sat down by the shoemaker's table,
took all the work which was cut out before them and began to stitch, and sew, and hammer so
skillfully and so quickly with their little fingers that the shoemaker could not turn away his eyes for
astonishment. They did not stop until all was done, and stood finished on the table, and they ran
quickly away.
Next morning the woman said, "The little men have made us rich, and we really must show
that we are grateful for it. They run about so, and have nothing on, and must be cold. I'll tell thee
what I'll do: I will make them little shirts, and coats, and vests, and trousers, and knit both of them
a pair of stockings, and do thou, too, make them two little pairs of shoes."
The man said, "I shall be very glad to do it;" and one night, when everything was ready, they
laid their presents all together on the table instead of the cut-out work, and then concealed
themselves to see how the little men would behave. At midnight they came bounding in, and
wanted to get to work at once, but as they did not find any leather cut out, but only the pretty little
articles of clothing, they were at first astonished, and then they showed intense delight. They
dressed themselves with the greatest rapidity, putting the pretty clothes on, and singing,

"Now we are boys so fine to see,

Why should we longer cobblers be?"

Then they danced and skipped and leapt over chairs and benches. At last they danced out of
doors. From that time forth they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived all went well
with him, and all his undertakings prospered.
How the Moon Became Beautiful

The Moon is very beautiful with his round, bright face which shines with soft and gentle light
on all the world of man. But once there was a time when he was not so beautiful as he is now. Six
thousand years ago the face of the Moon became changed in a single night. Before that time his
face had been so dark and gloomy that no one liked to look at him, and for this reason he was
always very sad.
One day he complained to the flowers and to the stars—for they were the only things that
would ever look in his face. He said, "I do not like to be the Moon. I wish I were a star or a flower. If
I were a star, even the smallest one, some great general would care for me; but alas! I am only the
Moon and no one likes me. If I could only be a flower and grow in a garden where the beautiful
earth women come, they would place me in their hair and praise my fragrance and beauty. Or, if I
could even grow in the wilderness where no one could see, the birds would surely come and sing
sweet songs for me. But I am only the Moon and no one honors me."
The stars answered and said, "We cannot help you. We were born here and we cannot
leave our places. We never had any one to help us. We do our duty, we work all the day and
twinkle in the dark night to make the skies more beautiful.—But that is all we can do," they added,
as they smiled coldly at the sorrowful Moon.
Then the flowers smiled sweetly and said, "We do not know how we can help you. We live
always in one place—in a garden near the most beautiful maiden in all the world. As she is kind to
everyone in trouble, we will tell her about you. We love her very much and she loves us.
Her name is Tseh-N'io." Still the Moon was sad. So one evening he went to see the
beautiful maiden Tseh-N'io. And when he saw her he loved her at once. He said, "Your face is very
beautiful. I wish that you would come to me, and that my face would be as your face. Your motions
are gentle and full of grace. Come with me and we will be as one—and perfect. I know that even
the worst people in all the world would have only to look at you and they would love you. Tell me,
how did you come to be so beautiful?"
"I have always lived with those who were gentle and happy, and I believe that is the cause of
beauty and goodness," answered Tseh-N'io.

How the Moon Became Beautiful And so the Moon went every night to see the maiden. He
knocked on her window, and she came. And when he saw how gentle and beautiful she was, his
love grew stronger, and he wished more and more to be with her always.

One day Tseh-N'io said to her mother, "I should like to go to the Moon and live always with him.
Will you allow me to go?"
Her mother thought so little of the question that she made no reply, and Tseh-N'io told her friends
that she was going to be the Moon's bride.

In a few days she was gone. Her mother searched everywhere but could not find her. And one of
Tseh-N'io's friends said,—"She has gone with the Moon, for he asked her many times."

A year and a year passed by and Tseh-N'io, the gentle and beautiful earth maiden, did not return.
Then the people said, "She has gone forever. She is with the Moon."

The face of the Moon is very beautiful now. It is happy and bright and gives a soft, gentle light to
all the world. And there are those who say that the Moon is now like Tseh-N'io, who was once the
most beautiful of all earth maidens.

The Golden Goose

by The Brothers Grimm
There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, and
was despised, mocked, and put down on every occasion. It happened that the eldest wanted to go
into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a
bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
When he entered the forest there met him a little grey-haired old man who bade him good-
day, and said, "Do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a draught of your
wine; I am so hungry and thirsty." But the prudent youth answered, "If I give you my cake and
wine, I shall have none for myself; be off with you," and he left the little man standing and went on.
 But when he began to hew down a tree, it was not long before he made a false stroke, and
the axe cut him in the arm, so that he had to go home and have it bound up. And this was the little
grey man's doing.
After this the second son went into the forest, and his mother gave him, like the eldest, a
cake and a bottle of wine. The little old grey man met him likewise, and asked him for a piece of
cake and a drink of wine. But the second son, too, said with much reason, "What I give you will be
taken away from myself; be off!" and he left the little man standing and went on. His punishment,
however, was not delayed; when he had made a few strokes at the tree he struck himself in the
leg, so that he had to be carried home.
Then Dummling said, "Father, do let me go and cut wood." The father answered, "Your
brothers have hurt themselves with it, leave it alone, you do not understand anything about it." But
Dummling begged so long that at last he said, "Just go then, you will get wiser by hurting yourself."
His mother gave him a cake made with water and baked in the cinders, and with it a bottle of sour
beer.
When he came to the forest the little old grey man met him likewise, and greeting him, said,
"Give me a piece of your cake and a drink out of your bottle; I am so hungry and thirsty."
Dummling answered, "I have only cinder-cake and sour beer; if that pleases you, we will sit down
and eat." So they sat down, and when Dummling pulled out his cinder-cake, it was a fine sweet
cake, and the sour beer had become good wine. So they ate and drank, and after that the little
man said, "Since you have a good heart, and are willing to divide what you have, I will give you
good luck. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and you will find something at the roots." Then
the little man took leave of him.
Dummling went and cut down the tree, and when it fell there was a goose sitting in the roots
with feathers of pure gold. He lifted her up, and taking her with him, went to an inn where he
thought he would stay the night. Now the host had three daughters, who saw the goose and were
curious to know what such a wonderful bird might be, and would have liked to have one of its
golden feathers.
The eldest thought, "I shall soon find an opportunity of pulling out a feather," and as soon as
Dummling had gone out she seized the goose by the wing, but her finger and hand remained
sticking fast to it. The second came soon afterwards, thinking only of how she might get a
feather for herself, but she had scarcely touched her sister than she was held fast.
At last the third also came with the like intent, and the others screamed out, "Keep away; for
goodness' sake keep away!" But she did not understand why she was to keep away. "The others
are there," she thought, "I may as well be there too," and ran to them; but as soon as she had
touched her sister, she remained sticking fast to her. So they had to spend the night with the
goose.
The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and set out, without troubling
himself about the three girls who were hanging on to it. They were obliged to run after him
continually, now left, now right, just as he was inclined to go.
In the middle of the fields the parson met them, and when he saw the procession he said,
"For shame, you good-for-nothing girls, why are you running across the fields after this young
man? is that seemly?" At the same time he seized the youngest by the hand in order to pull her
away, but as soon as he touched her he likewise stuck fast, and was himself obliged to run behind.
Before long the sexton came by and saw his master, the parson, running behind three girls.
He was astonished at this and called out, "Hi, your reverence, wither away so quickly? do not
forget that we have a christening to-day!" and running after him he took him by the sleeve, but was
also held fast to it.
Whilst the five were trotting thus one behind the other, two labourers came with their hoes
from the fields; the parson called out to them and begged that they would set him and the sexton
free. But they had scarcely touched the sexton when they were held fast, and now there were
seven of them running behind Dummling and the goose.
Soon afterwards he came to a city, where a king ruled who had a daughter who was so
serious that no one could make her laugh. So he had put forth a decree that whosoever should be
able to make her laugh should marry her. When Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and
all her train before the King's daughter, and as soon as she saw the seven people running on and
on, one behind the other, she began to laugh quite loudly, and as if she would never leave off.
Thereupon Dummling asked to have her for his wife, and the wedding was celebrated. After the
King's death, Dummling inherited the kingdom and lived a long time contentedly with his wife.

The Three Brothers

There was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the world but the house in
which he lived. Now each of the sons wished to have the house after his father's death; but the
father loved them all alike, and did not know what to do; he did not wish to sell the house, because
it had belonged to his forefathers, else he might have divided the money amongst them.
 At last, a plan came into his head, and he said to his sons, "Go into the world, and try each
of you to learn a trade, and, when you all come back, he who makes the best masterpiece shall
have the house."
The sons were well content with this, and the eldest determined to be a blacksmith, the
second a barber, and the third a fencing-master. They fixed a time when they should all come
home again, and then each went his way.
It chanced that they all found skillful masters, who taught them their trades well. The
blacksmith had to shoe the King's horses, and he thought to himself, "The house is mine, without
doubt."
The barber only shaved great people, and he too already looked upon the house as his
own. The fencing-master got many a blow, but he only bit his lip, and let nothing vex him; "for,"
said he to himself, "If you are afraid of a blow, you'll never win the house."
When the appointed time had gone by, the three brothers came back home to their father;
but they did not know how to find the best opportunity for showing their skill, so they sat down and
consulted together.
As they were sitting thus, all at once a hare came running across the field. "Ah, ha, just in
time!" said the barber.
So, he took his basin and soap, and lathered away until the hare came up; then he soaped
and shaved off the hare's whiskers whilst he was running at the top of his speed, and did not even
cut his skin or injure a hair on his body. "Well done!" said the old man. "Your brothers will have to
exert themselves wonderfully, or the house will be yours."
Soon after, up came a nobleman in his coach, dashing along at full speed. "Now you shall
see what I can do, father," said the blacksmith; so away he ran after the coach, took all four shoes
off the feet of one of the horses whilst he was galloping, and put him on four new shoes without
stopping him.
"You are a fine fellow, and as clever as your brother," said his father; "I do not know to
which I ought to give the house."
Then the third son said, "Father, let me have my turn, if you please;" and, as it was
beginning to rain, he drew his sword, and flourished it backwards and forwards above his head so
fast that not a drop fell upon him.
It rained still harder and harder, till at last it came down in torrents; but he only flourished his
sword faster and faster, and remained as dry as if he were sitting in a house. When his father saw
this, he was amazed, and said, "This is the master-piece, the house is yours!"
His brothers were satisfied with this, as was agreed beforehand; and, as they loved one
another very much, they all three stayed together in the house, followed their trades, and, as they
had learnt them so well and were so clever, they earned a great deal of money.
Thus, they lived together happily until they grew old; and at last, when one of them fell sick
and died, the two others grieved so sorely about it that they also fell ill, and soon after died.
And because they had been so clever, and had loved one another so much, they were all
laid in the same grave.
The fisherman and his wife
There was once a fisherman and his wife who lived together in a hovel by the sea-shore,
and the fisherman went out every day with his hook and line to catch fish, and he angled and
angled.
One day he was sitting with his rod and looking into the clear water, and he sat and sat. At
last down went the line to the bottom of the water, and when he drew it up he found a great
flounder on the hook. And the flounder said to him, "Fisherman, listen to me; let me go, I am not a
real fish but an enchanted prince. What good shall I be to you if you land me? I shall not taste well;
so put me back into the water again, and let me swim away."
"Well," said the fisherman, "no need of so many words about the matter, as you can speak I
had much rather let you swim away. "Then he put him back into the clear water, and the flounder
sank to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the fisherman got up and went
home to his wife in their hovel.
"Well, husband," said the wife, "have you caught nothing to-day?"
"No," said the man "that is, I did catch a flounder, but as he said he was an enchanted prince, I let
him go again."
"Then, did you wish for nothing?" said the wife.
"No," said the man; "what should I wish for?"
"Oh dear!" said the wife; "and it is so dreadful always to live in this evil-smelling hovel j you might
as well have wished for a little cottage; go again and call him; tell him we want a little cottage, I
daresay he will give it us; go, and be quick."
And when he went back, the sea was green and yellow, and not nearly so clear. So he stood and
said,
"O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got, For
she wants what I do not."
Then the flounder came swimming up, and said,
"Now then, what does she want?"
"Oh," said the man, "you know when I caught you my wife says I ought to have wished for
something. She does not want to live any longer in the hovel, and would rather have a cottage.
"Go home with you," said the flounder, "she has it already."
So the man went home, and found, instead of the hovel, a little cottage, and his wife was sitting on
a bench before the door. And she took him by the hand, and said to him,
"Come in and see if this is not a great improvement."
So they went in, and there was a little house-place and a beautiful little bedroom, a kitchen and
larder, with all sorts of furniture, and iron and brass ware of the very best. And at the back was a
little yard with fowls and ducks, and a little garden full of green vegetables and fruit.
"Look," said the wife, "is not that nice?"
"Yes," said the man, "if this can only last we shall be very well contented."
"We will see about that," said the wife. And after a meal they went to bed.
So all went well for a week or fortnight, when the wife said,
"Look here, husband, the cottage is really too confined, and the yard and garden are so small; I
think the flounder had better get us a larger house; I should like very much to live in a large stone
castle; so go to your fish and he will send us a castle."
"0 my dear wife," said the man, "the cottage is good enough; what do we want a castle for?"
"We want one," said the wife; "go along with you; the flounder can give us one."
"Now, wife," said the man, "the flounder gave us the cottage; I do not like to go to him again, he
may be angry."
"Go along," said the wife, "he might just as well give us it as not; do as I say!"
The man felt very reluctant and unwilling; and he said to himself,
"It is not the right thing to do;" nevertheless he went.
So when he came to the seaside, the water was purple and dark blue and grey and thick, and not
green and yellow as before. And he stood and said,
"O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got, For
she wants what I do not."
"Now then, what does she want?"said the flounder.
"Oh," said the man, half frightened, "she wants to live in a large stone castle."
"Go home with you, she is already standing before the door," said the flounder.
Then the man went home, as he supposed, but when he got there, there stood in the place of the
cottage a great castle of stone, and his wife was standing on the steps, about to go in; so she took
him by the hand, and said,
"Let us enter."
With that he went in with her, and in the castle was a great hall with a marble- pavement, and
there were a great many servants, who led them through large doors, and the passages were
decked with tapestry, and the rooms with golden chairs and tables, and crystal chandeliers
hanging from the ceiling; and all the rooms had carpets. And the tables were covered with
eatables and the best wine for any one who wanted them. And at the back of the house was a
great stable-yard for horses and cattle, and carriages of the finest; besides, there was a splendid
large garden, with the most beautiful flowers and fine fruit trees, and a pleasance full half a mile
long, with deer and oxen and sheep, and everything that heart could wish for.
"There! "said the wife, "is not this beautiful?"
"Oh yes," said the man, "if it will only last we can live in this fine castle and be very well
contented."
"We will see about that," said the wife, "in the meanwhile we will sleep upon it." With that they went
to bed.
The next morning the wife was awake first, just at the break of day, and she looked out and saw
from her bed the beautiful country lying all round. The man took no notice of it, so she poked him
in the side with her elbow, and said,
"Husband, get up and just look out of the window. Look, just think if we could be king over all this
country . Just go to your fish and tell him we should like to be king."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what should we be kings for? I don't want to be king."
"Well," said the wife, "if you don't want to be king, I will be king."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what do you want to be king for? I could not ask him such a thing."
"Why not?" said the wife, "you must go directly all the same; I must be king."
So the man went, very much put out that his wife should want to be king.
"It is not the right thing to do-not at all the right thing," thought the man. He did not at all want to
go, and yet he went all the same.
And when he came to the sea the water was quite dark grey, and rushed far inland, and had an ill
smell. And he stood and said,
'' O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"Now then, what does she want?" said the fish. "Oh dear!"said the man, "she wants to be king."
"Go home with you, she is so already," said the fish.
So the man went back, and as he came to the palace he saw it was very much larger, and had
great towers and splendid gateways; the herald stood before the door, and a number of soldiers
with kettle-drums and trumpets.
And when he came inside everything was of marble and gold, and there were many curtains with
great golden tassels. Then he went through the doors of the saloon to where the great throne-
room was, and there was his wife sitting upon a throne of gold and diamonds, and she had a great
golden crown on, and the sceptre in her hand was of pure gold and jewels, and on each side stood
six pages in a row, each one a head shorter than the other. So the man went up to her and said,
"Well, wife, so now you are king!"
"Yes," said the wife, "now I am king."
So then he stood and looked at her, and when he had gazed at her for some time he said,
"Well, wife, this is fine for you to be king! now there is nothing more to wish for."
"O husband!" said the wife, seeming quite restless, "I am tired of this already. Go to your fish and
tell him that now I am king I must be emperor."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what do you want to be emperor for?"
"Husband," said she, "go and tell the fish I want to be emperor.!'
"Oh dear!" said the man, "he could not do it-I cannot ask him such a thing. There is but one
emperor at a time; the fish can't possibly make any one emperor-indeed he can't."
"Now, look here," said the wife, "I am king, and you are only my husband, so will you go at once?
Go along! for if he was able to make me king he is able to make me emperor; and I will and must
be emperor, so go along!"
So he was obliged to go; and as he went he felt very uncomfortable about it, and he thought to
himself,
"It is not at all the right thing to do; to want to be emperor is really going too far; the flounder will
soon be beginning to get tired of this."
With that he came to the sea, and the water was quite black and thick, and the foam flew, and the
wind blew, and the man was terrified. But he stood and said,
"O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got, For
she wants what I do not."
"What is it now?" said the fish.
"Oh dear! "said the man, "my wife wants to be emperor."
"Go home with you," said the fish, "she is emperor already."
So the man went home, and found the castle adorned with polished marble and alabaster figures,
and golden gates. The troops were being marshalled before the door, and they were blowing
trumpets and beating drums and cymbals; and when he entered he saw barons and earls and
dukes waiting about like servants; and the doors were of bright gold. And he saw his wife sitting
upon a throne made of one entire piece of gold, and it was about two miles high; and she had a
great golden crown on, which was about three yards high, set with brilliants and carbuncles; and in
one hand she held the sceptre, and in the other the globe; and on both sides of her stood pages in
two rows, all arranged according to their size, from the most enormous giant of two miles high to
the tiniest dwarf of the size of my little finger; and before her stood earls and dukes in crowds. So
the man went up to her and said,
"Well, wife, so now you are emperor."
"Yes," said she, "now I am emperor."
Then he went and sat down and had a good look at her, and then he said,
"Well now, wife, there is nothing left to be, now you are emperor."
"What are you talking about, husband?" said she; "I am emperor, and next I will be pope! so go
and tell the fish so."
"Oh dear!" said the man, "what is it that you don't want? You can never become pope; there is but
one pope in Christendom, and the fish can't possibly do it."
"Husband," said she, "no more words about it; I must and will be pope; so go along to the fish."
"Now, wife," said the man, "how can I ask him such a thing? it is too bad-it is asking a little too
much; and, besides, he could not do it."
"What rubbish!" said the wife; '' if he could make me emperor he can make me pope. Go along
and ask him; I am emperor, and you are only my husband, so go you must."
So he went, feeling very frightened, and he shivered and shook, and his knees trembled; and
there arose a great wind, and the clouds flew by, and it grew very dark, and the sea rose
mountains high, and the ships were tossed about, and the sky was partly blue in the middle, but at
the sides very dark and red, as in a great tempest. And he felt very desponding, and stood
trembling and said,
"O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got, For
she wants what I do not."
"Well, what now?" said the fish.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "she wants to be pope."
"Go home with you, she is pope already," said the fish.
So he went home, and he found himself before a great church, with palaces all round. He had to
make his way through a crowd of people; and when he got inside he found the place lighted up
with thousands and thousands of lights; and his wife was clothed in a golden garment, and sat
upon a very high throne, and had three golden crowns on, all in the greatest priestly pomp; and on
both sides of her there stood two rows of lights of all sizes-from the size of the longest tower to the
smallest rushlight, and all the emperors and kings were kneeling before her and kissing her foot.
"Well, wife," said the man, and sat and stared at her, "so you are pope."
"Yes," said she, "now I am pope!"
And he went on gazing at her till he felt dazzled, as if he were sitting in the sun. And after a little
time he said,
"Well, now, wife, what is there left to be, now you are pope?"
And she sat up very stiff and straight, and said nothing.
And he said again, "Well, wife, I hope you are contented at last with being pope; you can be
nothing more."
"We will see about that," said the wife. With that they both went to bed; but she was as far as ever
from being contented, and she could not get to sleep for thinking of what she should like to be
next.
The husband, however, slept as fast as a top after his busy day; but the wife tossed and turned
from side to side the whole night through, thinking all the while what she could be next, but nothing
would occur to her; and when she saw the red dawn she slipped off the bed, and sat before the
window to see the sun rise, and as it came up she said,
"Ah, I have it! what if I should make the sun and moon to rise-husband!"she cried, and stuck her
elbow in his ribs, "wake up, and go to your fish, and tell him T want power over the sun and moon."
The man was so fast asleep that when he started up he fell out of bed. Then he shook himself
together, and opened his eyes and said,
"Oh,-wife, what did you say?"
"Husband," said she, "if I cannot get the power of making the sun and moon rise when I want
them, I shall never have another quiet hour. Go to the fish and tell him so."
"O wife!" said the man, and fell on his knees to her, "the fish can really not do that for you. I grant
you he could make you emperor and pope; do be contented with that, I beg of you."
And she became wild with impatience, and screamed out,
"I can wait no longer, go at once!"
And so off he went as well as he could for fright. And a dreadful storm arose, so that he could
hardly keep his feet; and the houses and trees were blown down, and the mountains trembled,
and rocks fell in the sea; the sky was quite black, and it thundered and lightened; and the waves,
crowned with foam, ran mountains high. So he cried out, without being able to hear his own words,
"O man, O man!-if man you be, Or flounder, flounder, in the sea- Such a tiresome wife I've got, For
she wants what I do not."
"Well, what now?" said the flounder.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "she wants to order about the sun and moon."
"Go home with you!"said the flounder, "you will find her in the old hovel."
And there they are sitting to this very day.

Rumpelstiltskin
There was once a miller who was poor, but he had one beautiful daughter. It happened one
day that he came to speak with the king, and, to give himself consequence, he told him that he
had a daughter who could spin gold out of straw. The king said to the miller: "That is an art that
pleases me well; if thy daughter is as clever as you say, bring her to my castle to-morrow, that I
may put her to the proof."
When the girl was brought to him, he led her into a room that was quite full of straw, and
gave her a wheel and spindle, and said: "Now set to work, and if by the early morning thou hast
not spun this straw to gold thou shalt die." And he shut the door himself, and left her there alone.
And so the poor miller's daughter was left there sitting, and could not think what to do for her life:
she had no notion how to set to work to spin gold from straw, and her distress grew so great that
she began to weep. Then all at once the door opened, and in came a little man, who said: "Good
evening, miller's daughter; why are you crying?"
"Oh!" answered the girl, "I have got to spin gold out of straw, and I don't understand the
business." Then the little man said: "What will you give me if I spin it for you?" - "My necklace,"
said the girl. The little man took the necklace, seated himself before the wheel, and whirr, whirr,
whirr! three times round and the bobbin was full; then he took up another, and whirr, whirr, whirr!
three times round, and that was full; and so he went on till the morning, when all the straw had
been spun, and all the bobbins were full of gold.
At sunrise came the king, and when he saw the gold he was astonished and very much
rejoiced, for he was very avaricious. He had the miller's daughter taken into another room filled
with straw, much bigger than the last, and told her that as she valued her life she must spin it all in
one night. The girl did not know what to do, so she began to cry, and then the door opened, and
the little man appeared and said: "What will you give me if I spin all this straw into gold?"
"The ring from my finger," answered the girl. So the little man took the ring, and began
again to send the wheel whirring round, and by the next morning all the straw was spun into
glistening gold.
The king was rejoiced beyond measure at the sight, but as he could never have enough of
gold, he had the miller's daughter taken into a still larger room full of straw, and said: "This, too,
must be spun in one night, and if you accomplish it you shall be my wife." For he thought:
"Although she is but a miller's daughter, I am not likely to find any one richer in the whole world."
As soon as the girl was left alone, the little man appeared for the third time and said: "What will
you give me if I spin the straw for you this time?" - "I have nothing left to give," answered the girl.
"Then you must promise me the first child you have after you are queen," said the little man.
"But who knows whether that will happen?" thought the girl; but as she did not know what
else to do in her necessity, she promised the little man what he desired, upon which he began to
spin, until all the straw was gold. And when in the morning the king came and found all done
according to his wish, he caused the wedding to be held at once, and the miller's pretty daughter
became a queen.

In a year's time she brought a fine child into the world, and thought no more of the little
man; but one day he came suddenly into her room, and said: "Now give me what you promised
me." The queen was terrified greatly, and offered the little man all the riches of the kingdom if he
would only leave the child; but the little man said: "No, I would rather have something living than all
the treasures of the world." Then the queen began to lament and to weep, so that the little man
had pity upon her. "I will give you three days," said he, "and if at the end of that time you cannot
tell my name, you must give up the child to me."
Then the queen spent the whole night in thinking over all the names that she had ever
heard, and sent a messenger through the land to ask far and wide for all the names that could be
found. And when the little man came next day, (beginning with Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar) she
repeated all she knew, and went through the whole list, but after each the little man said: "That is
not my name." The second day the queen sent to inquire of all the neighbours what the servants
were called, and told the little man all the most unusual and singular names, saying: "Perhaps you
are called Roast-ribs, or Sheepshanks, or Spindleshanks?" But he answered nothing but: "That is
not my name."
The third day the messenger came back again, and said: "I have not been able to find one
single new name; but as I passed through the woods I came to a high hill, and near it was a little
house, and before the house burned a fire, and round the fire danced a comical little man, and he
hopped on one leg and cried:
"Today do I bake,
tomorrow I brew,
The day after that the queen's child comes in;
And oh! I am glad that nobody knew
That the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!"
You cannot think how pleased the queen was to hear that name, and soon afterwards, when the
little man walked in and said: "Now, Mrs. Queen, what is my name?" she said at first "Are you
called Jack?" - "No," answered he. "Are you called Harry?" she asked again. "No," answered he.
And then she said": "Then perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"The devil told you that! the devil told you that!" cried the little man, and in his anger, he stamped
with his right foot so hard that it went into the ground above his knee; then he seized his left foot
with both his hands in such a fury that he split in two, and there was an end of him.

The emperor's new suit

Many, many years ago lived an emperor, who thought so much of new clothes that he spent
all his money in order to obtain them; his only ambition was to be always well dressed. He did not
care for his soldiers, and the theatre did not amuse him; the only thing, in fact, he thought anything
of was to drive out and show a new suit of clothes. He had a coat for every hour of the day; and as
one would say of a king "He is in his cabinet," so one could say of him, "The emperor is in his
dressing-room."
The great city where he resided was very gay; every day many strangers from all parts of
the globe arrived. One day two swindlers came to this city; they made people believe that they
were weavers, and declared they could manufacture the finest cloth to be imagined. Their colors
and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their
material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office
or unpardonably stupid.
"That must be wonderful cloth," thought the emperor. "If I were to be dressed in a suit made
of this cloth, I should be able to find out which men in my empire were unfit for their places, and I
could distinguish the clever from the stupid. I must have this cloth woven for me without delay."
And he gave a large sum of money to the swindlers, in advance, that they should set to work
without any loss of time. They set up two looms, and pretended to be very hard at work, but they
did nothing whatever on the looms. They asked for the finest silk and the most precious gold-cloth;
all they got they did away with, and worked at the empty looms till late at night.
"I should very much like to know how they are getting on with the cloth," thought the
emperor. But he felt rather uneasy when he remembered that he who was not fit for his office
could not see it. Personally, he was of opinion that he had nothing to fear, yet he thought it
advisable to send somebody else first to see how matters stood. Everybody in the town knew what
a remarkable quality the stuff possessed, and all were anxious to see how bad or stupid their
neighbours were.
"I shall send my honest old minister to the weavers," thought the emperor. "He can judge
best how the stuff looks, for he is intelligent, and nobody understands his office better than he."
The good old minister went into the room where the swindlers sat before the empty looms.
"Heaven preserve us!" he thought, and opened his eyes wide, "I cannot see anything at all," but he
did not say so. Both swindlers requested him to come near, and asked him if he did not admire the
exquisite pattern and the beautiful colours, pointing to the empty looms. The poor old minister tried
his very best, but he could see nothing, for there was nothing to be seen. "Oh dear," he thought,
"can I be so stupid? I should never have thought so, and nobody must know it! Is it possible that I
am not fit for my office? No, no, I cannot say that I was unable to see the cloth."
"Now, have you got nothing to say?" said one of the swindlers, while he pretended to
be busily weaving.
"Oh, it is very pretty, exceedingly beautiful," replied the old minister looking through his
glasses. "What a beautiful pattern, what brilliant colours! I shall tell the emperor that I like the cloth
very much."
"We are pleased to hear that," said the two weavers, and described to him the colours and
explained the curious pattern. The old minister listened attentively, that he might relate to the
emperor what they said; and so he did.
Now the swindlers asked for more money, silk and gold-cloth, which they required for
weaving. They kept everything for themselves, and not a thread came near the loom, but they
continued, as hitherto, to work at the empty looms.
Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they
were getting on, and if the cloth was nearly finished. Like the old minister, he looked and looked
but could see nothing, as there was nothing to be seen.
"Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?" asked the two swindlers, showing and explaining the
magnificent pattern, which, however, did not exist.
"I am not stupid," said the man. "It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit. It is
very strange, but I must not let any one know it;" and he praised the cloth, which he did not see,
and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern. "It is very excellent," he said to
the emperor.
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. At last the emperor wished to see it
himself, while it was still on the loom. With a number of courtiers, including the two who had
already been there, he went to the two clever swindlers, who now worked as hard as they could,
but without using any thread.

"Is it not magnificent?" said the two old statesmen who had been there before. "Your Majesty must
admire the colours and the pattern." And then they pointed to the empty looms, for they imagined
the others could see the cloth.
"What is this?" thought the emperor, "I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I
unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me."
"Really," he said, turning to the weavers, "your cloth has our most gracious approval;" and nodding
contentedly he looked at the empty loom, for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All his
attendants, who were with him, looked and looked, and although they could not see anything more
than the others, they said, like the emperor, "It is very beautiful." And all advised him to wear the
new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place. "It is magnificent,
beautiful, excellent," one heard them say; everybody seemed to be delighted, and the emperor
appointed the two swindlers "Imperial Court weavers."
The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place, the swindlers
pretended to work, and burned more than sixteen candles. People should see that they were busy
to finish the emperor's new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom, and worked about
in the air with big scissors, and sewed with needles without thread, and said at last: "The
emperor's new suit is ready now."
The emperor and all his barons then came to the hall; the swindlers held their arms up as if they
held something in their hands and said: "These are the trousers!" - "This is the coat!" and "Here is
the cloak!" and so on. "They are all as light as a cobweb, and one must feel as if one had nothing
at all upon the body; but that is just the beauty of them."
"Indeed!" said all the courtiers; but they could not see anything, for there was nothing to be seen.
"Does it please your Majesty now to graciously undress," said the swindlers, "that we may assist
your Majesty in putting on the new suit before the large looking-glass?"
The emperor undressed, and the swindlers pretended to put the new suit upon him, one piece
after another; and the emperor looked at himself in the glass from every side.
"How well they look! How well they fit!" said all. "What a beautiful pattern! What fine colours! That
is a magnificent suit of clothes!"
The master of the ceremonies announced that the bearers of the canopy, which was to be carried
in the procession, were ready.
"I am ready," said the emperor. "Does not my suit fit me marvellously?" Then he turned once more
to the looking-glass, that people should think he admired his garments.
The chamberlains, who were to carry the train, stretched their hands to the ground as if they lifted
up a train, and pretended to hold something in their hands; they did not like people to know that
they could not see anything.
The emperor marched in the procession under the beautiful canopy, and all who saw him in the
street and out of the windows exclaimed: "Indeed, the emperor's new suit is incomparable! What a
long train he has! How well it fits him!" Nobody wished to let others know he saw nothing, for then
he would have been unfit for his office or too stupid. Never emperor's clothes were more admired.
"But he has nothing on at all," said a little child at last. "Good heavens! listen to the voice of an
innocent child," said the father, and one whispered to the other what the child had said.

"But he has nothing on at all," cried at last the whole people. That made a deep impression upon
the emperor, for it seemed to him that they were right; but he thought to himself, "Now I must bear
up to the end." And the chamberlains walked with still greater dignity, as if they carried the train
which did not exist.
The three snake-leaves
There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longer support his only son. Then said
the son, "Dear father, things go so badly with us that I am a burden to you. I would rather go away
and see how I can earn my bread."
So, the father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him. At this time
the King of a mighty empire was at war, and the youth took service with him, and with him went out
to fight. And when he came before the enemy, there was a battle, and great danger, and it rained
shot until his comrades fell on all sides, and when the leader also was killed, those left were about
to take flight, but the youth stepped forth, spoke boldly to them, and cried, "We will not let our
fatherland be ruined!"
Then the others followed him, and he pressed on and conquered the enemy. When the
King heard that he owed the victory to him alone, he raised him above all the others, gave him
great treasures, and made him the first in the kingdom.
The King had a daughter who was very beautiful, but she was also very strange. She had
made a vow to take no one as her lord and husband who did not promise to let himself be buried
alive with her if she died first. "If he loves me with all his heart," said she, "of what use will life be to
him afterwards?" On her side she would do the same, and if he died first, would go down to the
grave with him.
This strange oath had up to this time frightened away all wooers, but the youth became so
charmed with her beauty that he cared for nothing, but asked her father for her. "But dost thou
know what thou must promise?" said the King. "I must be buried with her," he replied, "if I outlive
her, but my love is so great that I do not mind the danger." Then the King consented, and the
wedding was solemnized with great splendor.
They lived now for a while happy and contented with each other, and then it befell that the
young Queen was attacked by a severe illness, and no physician could save her. And as she lay
there dead, the young King remembered what he had been obliged to promise, and was horrified
at having to lie down alive in the grave, but there was no escape.
The King had placed sentries at all the gates, and it was not possible to avoid his fate.
When the day came when the corpse was to be buried, he was taken down into the royal vault
with it and then the door was shut and bolted.
Near the coffin stood a table on which were four candles, four loaves of bread, and four
bottles of wine, and when this provision came to an end, he would have to die of hunger. And now
he sat there full of pain and grief, ate every day only a little piece of bread, drank only a mouthful
of wine, and nevertheless saw death daily drawing nearer.
Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw a snake creep out of a corner of the vault and
approach the dead body. And as he thought it came to gnaw at it, he drew his sword and said, "As
long as I live, thou shalt not touch her," and hewed the snake in three pieces. After a time, a
second snake crept out of the hole, and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces, it went
back, but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth. Then it took the three pieces of
the snake, laid them together, as they ought to go, and placed one of the leaves on each wound.
Immediately the severed parts joined themselves together, the snake moved, and became alive
again, and both of them hastened away together.
 The leaves were left lying on the ground, and a desire came into the mind of the unhappy
man who had been watching all this, to know if the wondrous power of the leaves which had
brought the snake to life again, could not likewise be of service to a human being. So, he picked
up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his dead wife, and the two others on her eyes.
And hardly had he done this than the blood stirred in her veins, rose into her pale face, and
colored it again.
Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, and said, "Ah, God, where am I?" - "Thou art with
me, dear wife," he answered, and told her how everything had happened, and how he had brought
her back again to life. Then he gave her some wine and bread, and when she had regained her
strength, he raised her up and they went to the door and knocked, and called so loudly that the
sentries heard it, and told the King. The King came down himself and opened the door, and there
he found both strong and well, and rejoiced with them that now all sorrow was over. The young
King, however, took the three snake-leaves with him, gave them to a servant and said, "Keep them
for me carefully, and carry them constantly about thee; who knows in what trouble they may yet be
of service to us!"
A change had, however, taken place in his wife; after she had been restored to life, it
seemed as if all love for her husband had gone out of her heart. After some time, when he wanted
to make a voyage over the sea, to visit his old father, and they had gone on board a ship, she
forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown her, and which had been the means of
rescuing her from death, and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper.
And once when the young King lay there asleep, she called in the skipper and seized the
sleeper by the head, and the skipper took him by the feet, and thus they threw him down into the
sea. When the shameful deed was done, she said, "Now let us return home, and say that he died
on the way. I will extol and praise thee so to my father that he will marry me to thee, and make
thee the heir to his crown." But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did, unseen by them,
unfastened a little boat from the ship, got into it, sailed after his master, and let the traitors go on
their way. He fished up the dead body, and by the help of the three snake-leaves which he carried
about with him, and laid on the eyes and mouth, he fortunately brought the young King back to life.
They both rowed with all their strength day and night, and their little boat flew so swiftly that
they reached the old King before the others did. He was astonished when he saw them come
alone, and asked what had happened to them.
When he learnt the wickedness of his daughter he said, "I cannot believe that she has
behaved so ill, but the truth will soon come to light," and bade both go into a secret chamber and
keep themselves hidden from everyone. Soon afterwards the great ship came sailing in, and the
godless woman appeared before her father with a troubled countenance. He said, "Why dost thou
come back alone? Where is thy husband?" - "Ah, dear father," she replied, "I come home again in
great grief; during the voyage, my husband became suddenly ill and died, and if the good skipper
had not given me his help, it would have gone ill with me. He was present at his death, and can tell
you all." The King said, "I will make the dead alive again," and opened the chamber, and bade the
two come out.
When the woman saw her husband, she was thunderstruck, and fell on her knees and
begged for mercy. The King said, "There is no mercy. He was ready to die with thee and restored
thee to life again, but thou hast murdered him in his sleep, and shalt receive the reward that thou
deserve."
Then she was placed with her accomplice in a ship which had been pierced with holes, and
sent out to sea, where they soon sank amid the waves.
 Sleeping Beauty
In times past there lived a king and queen, who said to each other every day of their lives,
"Would that we had a child!" and yet they had none. But it happened once that when the queen
was bathing, there came a frog out of the water, and he squatted on the ground, and said to her:
"Thy wish shall be fulfilled; before a year has gone by, thou shalt bring a daughter into the world."
And as the frog foretold, so it happened; and the queen bore a daughter so beautiful that
the king could not contain himself for joy, and he ordained a great feast. Not only did he bid to it
his relations, friends, and acquaintances, but also the wise women, that they might be kind and
favorable to the child.
There were thirteen of them in his kingdom, but as he had only provided twelve golden
plates for them to eat from, one of them had to be left out.
However, the feast was celebrated with all splendor; and as it drew to an end, the wise
women stood forward to present to the child their wonderful gifts: one bestowed virtue, one beauty,
a third riches, and so on, whatever there is in the world to wish for.
And when eleven of them had said their say, in came the uninvited thirteenth, burning to
revenge herself, and without greeting or respect, she cried with a loud voice: "In the fifteenth year
of her age the princess shall prick herself with a spindle and shall fall down dead." And without
speaking one more word she turned away and left the hall.
Everyone was terrified at her saying, when the twelfth came forward, for she had not yet
bestowed her gift, and though she could not do away with the evil prophecy, yet she could soften
it, so she said: "The princess shall not die, but fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years."
Now the king, being desirous of saving his child even from this misfortune, gave
commandment that all the spindles in his kingdom should be burnt up. The maiden grew up,
adorned with all the gifts of the wise women; and she was so lovely, modest, sweet, and kind and
clever, that no one who saw her could help loving her. It happened one day, she being already
fifteen years old, that the king and queen rode abroad, and the maiden was left behind alone in the
castle.
She wandered about into all the nooks and corners, and into all the chambers and parlors,
as the fancy took her, till at last she came to an old tower. She climbed the narrow winding stair
which led to a little door, with a rusty key sticking out of the lock; she turned the key, and the door
opened, and there in the little room sat an old woman with a spindle, diligently spinning her flax.
"Good day, mother," said the princess, "what are you doing?" - "I am spinning," answered
the old woman, nodding her head. "What thing is that those twists round so briskly?" asked the
maiden, and taking the spindle into her hand she began to spin; but no sooner had she touched it
than the evil prophecy was fulfilled, and she pricked her finger with it. In that very moment she fell
back upon the bed that stood there, and lay in a deep sleep.
And this sleep fell upon the whole castle; the king and queen, who had returned and were
in the great hall, fell fast asleep, and with them the whole court.
 The horses in their stalls, the dogs in the yard, the pigeons on the roof, the flies on the wall,
the very fire that flickered on the hearth, became still, and slept like the rest; and the meat on the
spit ceased roasting, and the cook, who was going to pull the scullion's hair for some mistake he
had made, let him go, and went to sleep.
And the wind ceased, and not a leaf fell from the trees about the castle. Then round about
that place there grew a hedge of thorns thicker every year, until at last the whole castle was
hidden from view, and nothing of it could be seen but the vane on the roof.
And a rumor went abroad in all that country of the beautiful sleeping Rosamond, for so was
the princess called; and from time to time many kings' sons came and tried to force their way
through the hedge; but it was impossible for them to do so, for the thorns held fast together like
strong hands, and the young men were caught by them, and not being able to get free, there died
a lamentable death.
Many a long year afterwards there came a king's son into that country, and heard an old
man tell how there should be a castle standing behind the hedge of thorns, and that there a
beautiful enchanted princess named Rosamond had slept for a hundred years, and with her the
king and queen, and the whole court.
The old man had been told by his grandfather that many king's sons had sought to pass the
thorn-hedge, but had been caught and pierced by the thorns, and had died a miserable death.
Then said the young man: "Nevertheless, I do not fear to try; I shall win through and see the lovely
Rosamond." The good old man tried to dissuade him, but he would not listen to his words.
For now, the hundred years were at an end, and the day had come when Rosamond
should be awakened. When the prince drew near the hedge of thorns, it was changed into a
hedge of beautiful large flowers, which parted and bent aside to let him pass, and then closed
behind him in a thick hedge.
When he reached the castle-yard, he saw the horses and brindled hunting-dogs lying
asleep, and on the roof the pigeons were sitting with their heads under their wings.
And when he came indoors, the flies on the wall were asleep, the cook in the kitchen had
his hand uplifted to strike the scullion, and the kitchen-maid had the black fowl on her lap ready to
pluck.
Then he mounted higher, and saw in the hall the whole court lying asleep, and above them,
on their thrones, slept the king and the queen. And still he went farther, and all was so quiet that
he could hear his own breathing; and at last, he came to the tower, and went up the winding stair,
and opened the door of the little room where Rosamond lay.
And when he saw her looking so lovely in her sleep, he could not turn away his eyes; and
presently he stooped and kissed her.
And she awaked, and opened her eyes, and looked very kindly on him. And she rose, and
they went forth together, and the king and the queen and whole court waked up, and gazed on
each other with great eyes of wonderment.
And the horses in the yard got up and shook themselves, the hounds sprang up and
wagged their tails, the pigeons on the roof drew their heads from under their wings, looked round,
and flew into the field, the flies on the wall crept on a little farther, the kitchen fire leapt up and
blazed, and cooked the meat, the joint on the spit began to roast, the cook gave the scullion such
a box on the ear that he roared out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.
 Then the wedding of the Prince and Rosamond was held with all splendour, and they lived
very happily together until their lives' end.

The wolf and the seven young kids

There was once an old goat who had seven little ones, and was as fond of them as ever
mother was of her children. One day she had to go into the wood to fetch food for them, so she
called them all round her. "Dear children," said she, "I am going out into the wood; and while I am
gone, be on your guard against the wolf, for if he were once to get inside, he would eat you up,
skin, bones, and all.
The wretch often disguises himself, but he may always be known by his hoarse voice and
black paws." - "Dear mother," answered the kids, "you need not be afraid, we will take good care
of ourselves." And the mother bleated good-bye, and went on her way with an easy mind.
It was not long before someone came knocking at the house-door, and crying out: "Open
the door, my dear children, your mother is come back, and has brought each of you something."
But the little kids knew it was the wolf by the hoarse voice. "We will not open the door," cried they;
"you are not our mother, she has a delicate and sweet voice, and your voice is hoarse; you must
be the wolf."
Then off went the wolf to a shop and bought a big lump of chalk, and ate it up to make his
voice soft. And then he came back, knocked at the house-door, and cried: "Open the door, my
dear children, your mother is here, and has brought each of you something." But the wolf had put
up his black paws against the window, and the kids seeing this, cried out, "We will not open the
door; our mother has no black paws like you; you must be the wolf."
The wolf then ran to a baker. "Baker," said he, "I am hurt in the foot; pray spread some
dough over the place." And when the baker had plastered his feet, he ran to the miller. "Miller,"
said he, "strew me some white meal over my paws." But the miller refused, thinking the wolf must
be meaning harm to someone. "If you don't do it," cried the wolf, "I'll eat you up!" And the miller
was afraid and did as he was told. And that just shows what men are.
And now came the rogue the third time to the door and knocked. "Open, children!" cried he.
"Your dear mother has come home, and brought you each something from the wood." - "First
show us your paws," said the kids, "so that we may know if you are really our mother or not." And
he put up his paws against the window, and when they saw that they were white, all seemed right,
and they opened the door.
And when he was inside, they saw it was the wolf, and they were terrified and tried to hide
themselves. One ran under the table, the second got into the bed, the third into the oven, the
fourth in the kitchen, the fifth in the cupboard, the sixth under the sink, the seventh in the clock-
case. But the wolf found them all, and gave them short shrift; one after the other he swallowed
down, all but the youngest, who was hid in the clock-case.
And so, the wolf, having got what he wanted, strolled forth into the green meadows, and
laying himself down under a tree, he fell asleep.
 Not long after, the mother goat came back from the wood; and, oh! what a sight met her
eyes! the door was standing wide open, table, chairs, and stools, all thrown about, dishes broken,
quilt and pillows torn off the bed. She sought her children; they were nowhere to be found.
She called to each of them by name, but nobody answered, until she came to the name of
the youngest. "Here I am, mother," a little voice cried, "here, in the clock case." And so she helped
him out, and heard how the wolf had come, and eaten all the rest. And you may think how she
cried for the loss of her dear children.

At last, in her grief, she wandered out of doors, and the youngest kid with her; and when
they came into the meadow, there they saw the wolf lying under a tree, and snoring so that the
branches shook. The mother goat looked at him carefully on all sides and she noticed how
something inside his body was moving and struggling.
“Dear me!” thought she, can it be that my poor children that he devoured for his evening
meal are still alive? And she sent the little kid back to the house for a pair of shears, and needle,
and thread.
Then she cut the wolf's body open, and no sooner had she made one snip than out came
the head of one of the kids, and then another snip, and then one after the other the six little kids all
jumped out alive and well, for in his greediness the rogue had swallowed them down whole.
How delightful this was! so they comforted their dear mother and hopped about like tailors
at a wedding. "Now fetch some good hard stones," said the mother, "and we will fill his body with
them, as he lies asleep." And so, they fetched some in all haste, and put them inside him, and the
mother sewed him up so quickly again that he was none the wiser.
When the wolf at last awoke, and got up, the stones inside him made him feel very thirsty,
and as he was going to the brook to drink, they struck and rattled one against another. And so he
cried out:
"What is this I feel inside me
Knocking hard against my bones?
How should such a thing betide me!
They were kids, and now they're stones."
So he came to the brook, and stooped to drink, but the heavy stones weighed him down, so
he fell over into the water and was drowned. And when the seven little kids saw it they came up
running. "The wolf is dead, the wolf is dead!" they cried, and taking hands, they danced with their
mother all about the place.
Fisherman And His Wife Story Summary
A very poor fisherman lives in this hut. He lives with his wife. Each and every day he goes to the
sea. One day he sees an unusual fish. It is strange and beautiful.

‘Oh, fisherman! Put me back in the sea!! says the fish. ‘I’m not a fish. I’m a magic prince.’
‘Oh! … A magic prince!’ says the fisherman.
‘We can’t eat you.’ He puts the fish back in the ocean and he goes home.

The Fisherman And His Wife Story Summary

The Fisherman And His Wife Short Story Summary
‘What? No fish!’ says his wife. ‘Are there no fish in the sea?’

‘There’s a magic fish,’ says the fisherman. ‘We can’t eat a magic fish … so it’s back in the
sea.’

‘What?’ says his wife. ‘You foolish man! A magic fish can help us. I want something. I want a
nice small cottage. Go and ask the fish!’ The fisherman goes back to the ocean. Now the water is
green. The fisherman shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea! Please come up and talk to me.’

‘What do you want?’ says the fish. ‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a
cottage.’ ‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’ The fisherman goes home. ‘Look!’ says his wife.
‘Look at this cottage! This is nice!

‘Yes, wife!’ says the fisherman. ‘We can be happy now.’ ‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can …’
Then she starts to think …

A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this cottage is very small. I want something. I
want a nice big house.’

‘No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We don’t want a big house.’ ‘Yes, we do,’ says his wife. ‘Go
and ask the fish!’ The fisherman goes back to the ocean. Now the water is purple. The fisherman
shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea! Please come up and speak to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish. ‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman, ‘She wants a
huge house.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’ The fisherman goes home. ‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this
house! This is nice! ‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman. ‘It’s very good. We can be happy now.’

‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can …’ Then she starts to think …

A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this house is very small. I want
something. I want a nice big castle.’ ‘No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We don’t want a
castle.’
‘Yes, we do,’ says his wife. ‘Go and ask the fish! The fisherman goes back to the ocean. Now the
water is grey. The fisherman shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea! Please come up and talk to me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the Fish’ ‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a
big castle.’
‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has it.’ The fisherman goes home. ‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this
castle! This is wonderful! ‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘It’s very nice. We can be happy now.’

‘Yes,’ says his wife. ‘Perhaps we can …’ Then she starts to think …

A week later the fisherman’s wife says, ‘Husband, this castle is quite small. I want
something. I want a palace… and I want to be Queen.’ “No, wife, please!’ says the fisherman. ‘We
don’t want a palace. You don’t want to be Queen.’

‘Yes, I do,’ says his wife. ‘Go and ask the fish!’ The fisherman goes back to the ocean. Now the
water is brown. The fisherman shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the sea! Please come up and speak to
me.’
‘What do you want?’ says the fish. ‘My wife wants something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants a
palace… and she wants to be Queen.’

‘Go home!’ says the fish. ‘She has a palace and she is Queen.’ The fisherman goes home.
‘Look,’ says his wife, ‘Look at this palace! I’m the Queen. This is great!’ ‘Yes, wife,’ says the
fisherman. ‘It’s very fine. So now … now, wife, can we be happy?’

‘Yes,’ says his wife, ‘Perhaps we can …’

Then she starts to think …

The fisherman is tired. That night he sleeps well… but his wife can’t sleep.

‘I want … I want… something,’ she says.

It is morning.‘Wake up, husband!’ she says. ‘I know what I want. I want … the world. I want
to be Emperor of all the world.’

‘Oh, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘No! You can’t have all the world. No one can have all the
world. Listen! You are Queen. Now be happy!’

‘I can’t be happy,’ cries his wife. ‘I can’t. I must have all the world. Now go! Go and ask the
fish!’

The fisherman goes back to the sea. Now the water is black.

The fisherman shouts, ‘Oh! Magic fish in the ocean! Please come up and talk to me.

‘What do you want?’ says the fish.

‘My wife … wants … something,’ says the fisherman. ‘She wants the world. She wants … to
be Emperor … of all the world.’

‘Go home,’ says the fish. ‘And don’t come back!’

The fisherman goes home.

‘Look!’ says his wife. ‘Look at this hut! It isn’t very nice … but it’s our home.’

‘Yes, wife,’ says the fisherman, ‘Can we be happy now?’

 The fisherman’s wife starts to think …

‘Yes,’ she says. ‘I think we can.’

The Woman and the Squirrel

One day, a woman went out to find water. She had no water to drink,
because all the streams were dried up. As she went along, she saw some
water in a leaf. She drank it, and washed her body. As soon as she had drunk
the water, her head began to hurt. Then she went home, spread out a mat, lay
down on it, and went to sleep. She slept for nine days. When she woke up,
she took a comb and combed her hair. As she combed it, a squirrel-baby came
out from her hair. After the baby had been in the house one week, it began to
grow and jump about. It stayed up under the roof of the house.

One day the Squirrel said to his mother, “O mother! I want you to go to
the house of the Datu who is called ‘sultan,’ and take these nine kamagi and
these nine finger-rings to pay for the sultan’s daughter, because I want to
marry her.”

Then the mother went to the sultan’s house and remained there an hour.
The sultan said, “What do you want?”

The woman answered, “Nothing. I came for betel-nuts.” Then the woman
went back home.

The Squirrel met her, and said, “Where are my nine necklaces?”

“Here they are,” said the woman.

But the Squirrel was angry at his mother, and bit her with his little teeth.

Again he said to his mother, “You go there and take the nine necklaces.”

So the woman started off again. When she reached the sultan’s house,
she said to him, “I have come with these nine necklaces and these nine finger-
rings that my son sends to you.”
 “Yes,” said the sultan; “but I want my house to become gold, and I want
all my plants to become gold, and everything I have to turn into gold.”

But the woman left the presents to pay for the sultan’s daughter. The
sultan told her that he wanted his house to be turned into gold that very night.
Then the woman went back and told all this to her son. The Squirrel said,
“That is good, my mother.”

Now, when night came, the Squirrel went to the sultan’s house, and
stood in the middle of the path, and called to his brother, the Mouse, “My
brother, come out! I want to see you.”

Then the great Mouse came out. All the hairs of his coat were of gold,
and his eyes were of glass.
The Mouse said, “What do you want of me, my brother Squirrel?”

“I called you,” answered the Squirrel, “for your gold coat. I want some of
that to turn the sultan’s house into gold.”

Then the Squirrel bit the skin of the Mouse, and took off some of the
gold, and left him. Then he began to turn the sultan’s things into gold. First of
all, he rubbed the gold on the betel-nut trees of the sultan; next, he rubbed all
the other trees and all the plants; third, he rubbed the house and all the things
in it. Then the sultan’s town you could see as in a bright day. You would think
there was no night there—always day.

All this time, the sultan was asleep. When he woke up, he was so
frightened to see all his things, and his house, of gold, that he died in about
two hours.

Then the Squirrel and the daughter of the sultan were married. The
Squirrel staid in her father’s home for one month, and then they went to live in
the house of the Squirrel’s mother. And they took from the sultan’s place, a
deer, a fish, and all kinds of food. After the sultan’s daughter had lived with the
Squirrel for one year, he took off his coat and became a Malaki T’oluk Waig.
 The Kingfisher and the Malaki

There came a day when the kingfisher (kobug [124]) had nothing to
drink, and was thirsty for water. Then she walked along the bed of the
brook, searching for a drink; but the waters of the brook were all dried up.

Now, on that very day, the Maganud went up the mountain to get
some agsam [125] to make leglets for himself. And when he came near to
where the bulla grows, he stopped to urinate, and the urine sprinkled one
of the great bulla-leaves. Then he went on up the mountain. Just then, the
kingfisher came along, still looking for a mountain-stream. Quickly she
caught sight of the leaf of the bulla-tree all sprinkled with water; but the
man had gone away. Then the kingfisher gladly drank a few drops of the
water, and washed her feathers. But no sooner had she quenched her
thirst, and taken a bath, than her head began to pain her. Then she went
home to her little house in the ground.

Now, every day the kingfisher laid one egg, and that day she laid her
egg as usual. But when the egg hatched out, it was no feathered nestling,
but a baby-boy, that broke the shell.

“Oh!” cried the frightened bird. “What will become of me?” Then she
ran off a little way from her nest, and started to fly away.

But the little boy cried out, “Mother, mother, don’t be afraid of me!”
 So the kingfisher came back to her baby. And the child grew bigger
every day.

After a while, the boy was old enough to walk and play around. Then
one day he went alone to the house of the Maganud, and climbed up the
steps and looked in at the door. The Maganud was sitting there on the
floor of his house; and the little boy ran up to him and hugged him, and
cried for joy. But the Maganud was startled and dismayed; for he was a
chaste malaki, [126] and had no children. Yet this boy called him “father,”
and begged for ripe bananas in a very familiar manner. After they had
talked for a little while, the Maganud went with the child to the home of
the kingfisher.

The kingfisher had made her nest at the foot of a great hollow tree.
She had dug out a hole, about four feet deep, in the soft ground, and
fixed a roof by heaping over the hole the powdered rotten bark of the old
tree. The roof stood up just a few inches above the ground; and when the
Maganud saw it, he thought it was a mere little heap of earth.
Immediately, however, as he looked at the lowly nest, it became a fine
house with walls of gold, and pillars of ivory. The eaves were all hung with
little bells (korung-korung [127]); and the whole house was radiantly
bright, for over it forked lighting played continually.

The kingfisher took off her feather coat, and became a lovely
woman, and then she and the Malaki were married. They had bananas
and cocoanut-groves, and all things, and they became rich people.
Three Brothers of Fortune
In former times there lived in a certain village a wealthy man who
had three sons,–Suan, Iloy, and Ambo. As this man was a lover of
education, he sent all his boys to another town to school. But these three
brothers did not study: they spent their time in idleness and extravagance.
When vacation came, they were ashamed to go back to their home
town, because they did not know anything; so, instead, they wandered
from town to town seeking their fortunes. In the course of their travels,
they met an old woman broken with age. “Should you like to buy this
book, my grandsons?” asked the old woman as she stopped them. “What
is the virtue of that book, grandmother?” asked Ambo. “My grandsons,”
replied she, “if you want to restore a dead person to life, just open this
book before him, and in an instant, he will be revived.” Without
questioning her further, Ambo at once bought the book. Then the three
continued their journey.
Again they met an old woman selling a mat. Now, Iloy was desirous
of possessing a charm, so he asked the old woman what virtue the mat
had.
“Why, if you want to travel through the air,” she said, “just step on it,
and in an instant you will be where you desire to go.”
Iloy did not hesitate, but bought the mat at once. Now, Suan was the
only one who had no charm. They had not gone far, however, before he
saw two stones, which once in a while would meet and unite to form one
round black stone, and then separate again. Believing that these stones
possessed some magical power, Suan picked them up; for it occurred to
him that with them he would be able to unite things of the same or similar
kind. This belief of his came true, as we shall see.

These three brothers, each possessing a charm, were very happy.

They went on their way light-hearted. Not long afterward they came upon
a crowd of persons weeping over the dead body of a beautiful young lady.
Ambo told the parents of the young woman that he would restore her to
life if they would pay him a reasonable sum of money.
As they gladly agreed, Ambo opened his book, and the dead lady
was brought back to life. Ambo was paid all the money he asked; but as
soon as he had received his reward, Iloy placed his mat on the ground,
and told his two brothers to hold the young woman and step on the mat.
They did so, and in an instant all four were transported to the seashore.
From that place they took ship to another country; but when they were in
the middle of the sea, a severe storm came, and their boat was wrecked.
All on board would have been drowned had not Suan repaired the
broken planks with his two magical stones. When they landed, a quarrel
arose among the three brothers as to which one was entitled to the young
woman. Ambo said, “I am the one who should have her, for it was I who
restored her to life.” “But if it had not been for me, we should not have the
lady with us,” said Iloy. “And if it had not been for me,” said Suan, “we
should all be dead now, and nobody could have her.”
As they could not come to any agreement, they took the question
before the king. He decided to divide the young woman into three parts to
be distributed among the three brothers.
His judgment was carried out. When each had received his share,
Iloy and Ambo were discontented because their portions were useless, so
they threw them away; but Suan picked up the shares of his two brothers
and united them with his own. The young woman was brought to life
again, and lived happily with Suan. So, after all, Suan was the most
fortunate.