Gambling Hansel Once upon a time there was a man who did nothing but gamble, and for that reason people never called him anything but Gambling Hansel, and as he never ceased to gamble, he played away his house and all that he had. Now the very day before his creditors were to take his house from him, came the Lord and St. Peter, and asked him to give them shelter for the night. Then Gambling Hansel said, \"For my part, you may stay the night, but I cannot give you a bed or anything to eat.\" So the Lord said he was just to take them in, and they themselves would buy something to eat, to which Gambling Hansel made no objection. Thereupon St. Peter gave him three groschen, and said he was to go to the baker's and fetch some bread. So Gambling Hansel went, but when he reached the house where the other gambling vagabonds were gathered together, they, although they had won all that he had, greeted him clamorously, and said, \"Hansel, do come in.\" \"Oh,\" said he, \"do you want to win the three groschen too?\" On this they would not let him go. So he went in, and played away the three groschen also. Meanwhile St. Peter and the Lord were waiting, and as he was so long in coming, they set out to meet him. When Gambling Hansel came, however, he pretended that the money had fallen into the gutter, and kept raking about in it all the while to find it, but our Lord already knew that he had lost it in play. St. Peter again gave him three groschen, and now he did not allow himself to be led away once more, but fetched them the loaf. Our Lord then inquired if he had no wine, and he said, \"Alack, sir, the casks are all empty!\" But the Lord said he was to go down into the cellar, for the best wine was still there. For a long time he would not believe this, but at length he said, \"Well, I will go down, but I know that there is none there.\" When he turned the tap, however, lo and behold, the best of wine ran out! So he took it to them, and the two passed the night there. Early next day our Lord told Gambling Hansel that he might beg three favours. The Lord expected that he would ask to go to Heaven; but Gambling Hansel asked for a pack of cards with which he could win everything, for dice with which he would win everything, and for a tree whereon every kind of fruit would grow, and from which no one who had climbed up, could descend until he bade him do so. The Lord gave him all that he had asked, and departed with St. Peter. And now Gambling Hansel at once set about gambling in real earnest, and before long he had gained half the world. Upon this St. Peter said to the Lord, \"Lord, this thing must not go on, he will win, and thou lose, the whole world. We must send Death to him.\" When Death appeared, Gambling Hansel had just seated himself at the gaming-table, and Death said, \"Hansel, come out a while.\" But Gambling Hansel said, \"Just wait a little until the game is done, and in the meantime get up into that tree out there, and gather a little fruit that we may have something to munch on our way.\" Thereupon Death climbed up, but when he wanted to come down again, he could not, and Gambling Hansel left him up there for seven years, during which time no one died. So St. Peter said to the Lord, \"Lord, this thing must not go on. People no longer die; we must go ourselves.\" And they went themselves, and the Lord commanded Hansel to let Death come down. So Hansel went at once to Death and said to him, \"Come down,\" and Death took him directly and put an end to him. They went away together and came to the next world, and then Gambling Hansel made straight for the door of Heaven, and knocked at it. \"Who is there?\" \"Gambling Hansel.\" \"Ah, we will have nothing to do with him! Begone!\" So he went to the door of Purgatory, and knocked once more.
\"Who is there?\" \"Gambling Hansel.\" \"Ah, there is quite enough weeping and wailing here without him. We do not want to gamble, just go away again.\" Then he went to the door of Hell, and there they let him in. There was, however, no one at home but old Lucifer and the crooked devils who had just been doing their evil work in the world. And no sooner was Hansel there than he sat down to gamble again. Lucifer, however, had nothing to lose, but his mis-shapen devils, and Gambling Hansel won them from him, as with his cards he could not fail to do. And now he was off again with his crooked devils, and they went to Hohenfuert and pulled up a hop-pole, and with it went to Heaven and began to thrust the pole against it, and Heaven began to crack. So again St. Peter said, \"Lord, this thing cannot go on, we must let him in, or he will throw us down from Heaven.\" And they let him in. But Gambling Hansel instantly began to play again, and there was such a noise and confusion that there was no hearing what they themselves were saying. Therefore St. Peter once more said, \"Lord, this cannot go on, we must throw him down, or he will make all Heaven rebellious.\" So they went to him at once, and threw him down, and his soul broke into fragments, and went into the gambling vagabonds who are living this very day.
Hans in Luck Hans had served his master for seven years, so he said to him, \"Master, my time is up; now I should be glad to go back home to my mother; give me my wages.\" The master answered, \"You have served me faithfully and honestly; as the service was so shall the reward be;\" and he gave Hans a piece of gold as big as his head. Hans pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped up the lump in it, put it on his shoulder, and set out on the way home. As he went on, always putting one foot before the other, he saw a horseman trotting quickly and merrily by on a lively horse. \"Ah!\" said Hans quite loud, \"what a fine thing it is to ride! There you sit as on a chair; you stumble over no stones, you save your shoes, and get on, you don't know how.\" The rider, who had heard him, stopped and called out, \"Hollo! Hans, why do you go on foot, then?\" \"I must,\" answered he, \"for I have this lump to carry home; it is true that it is gold, but I cannot hold my head straight for it, and it hurts my shoulder.\" \"I will tell you what,\" said the rider, \"we will exchange: I will give you my horse, and you can give me your lump.\" \"With all my heart,\" said Hans, \"but I can tell you, you will have to crawl along with it.\" The rider got down, took the gold, and helped Hans up; then gave him the bridle tight in his hands and said, \"If you want to go at a really good pace, you must click your tongue and call out, \"Jup! Jup!\" Hans was heartily delighted as he sat upon the horse and rode away so bold and free. After a little while he thought that it ought to go faster, and he began to click with his tongue and call out, \"Jup! Jup!\" The horse put himself into a sharp trot, and before Hans knew where he was, he was thrown off and lying in a ditch which separated the field from the highway. The horse would have gone off too if it had not been stopped by a countryman, who was coming along the road and driving a cow before him. Hans got his limbs together and stood up on his legs again, but he was vexed, and said to the countryman, \"It is a poor joke, this riding, especially when one gets hold of a mare like this, that kicks and throws one off, so that one has a chance of breaking one's neck. Never again will I mount it. Now I like your cow, for one can walk quietly behind her, and have, over and above, one's milk, butter and cheese every day without fail. What would I not give to have such a cow.\" \"Well,\" said the countryman, \"if it would give you so much pleasure, I do not mind giving the cow for the horse.\" Hans agreed with the greatest delight; the countryman jumped upon the horse, and rode quickly away. Hans drove his cow quietly before him, and thought over his lucky bargain. \"If only I have a morsel of bread—and that can hardly fail me—I can eat butter and cheese with it as often as I like; if I am thirsty, I can milk my cow and drink the milk. Good heart, what more can I want?\" When he came to an inn he made a halt, and in his great content ate up what he had with him—his dinner and supper—and all he had, and with his last few farthings had half a glass of beer. Then he drove his cow onwards along the road to his mother's village. As it drew nearer mid-day, the heat was more oppressive, and Hans found himself upon a moor which it took about an hour to cross. He felt it very hot and his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth with thirst. \"I can find a cure for this,\" thought Hans; \"I will milk the cow now and refresh myself with
the milk.\" He tied her to a withered tree, and as he had no pail he put his leather cap underneath; but try as he would, not a drop of milk came. And as he set himself to work in a clumsy way, the impatient beast at last gave him such a blow on his head with its hind foot, that he fell on the ground, and for a long time could not think where he was. By good fortune a butcher just then came along the road with a wheel-barrow, in which lay a young pig. \"What sort of a trick is this?\" cried he, and helped the good Hans up. Hans told him what had happened. The butcher gave him his flask and said, \"Take a drink and refresh yourself. The cow will certainly give no milk, it is an old beast; at the best it is only fit for the plough, or for the butcher.\" \"Well, well,\" said Hans, as he stroked his hair down on his head, \"who would have thought it? Certainly it is a fine thing when one can kill a beast like that at home; what meat one has! But I do not care much for beef, it is not juicy enough for me. A young pig like that now is the thing to have, it tastes quite different; and then there are the sausages!\" \"Hark ye, Hans,\" said the butcher, \"out of love for you I will exchange, and will let you have the pig for the cow.\" \"Heaven repay you for your kindness!\" said Hans as he gave up the cow, whilst the pig was unbound from the barrow, and the cord by which it was tied was put in his hand. Hans went on, and thought to himself how everything was going just as he wished; if he did meet with any vexation it was immediately set right. Presently there joined him a lad who was carrying a fine white goose under his arm. They said good morning to each other, and Hans began to tell of his good luck, and how he had always made such good bargains. The boy told him that he was taking the goose to a christening-feast. \"Just lift her,\" added he, and laid hold of her by the wings; \"how heavy she is—she has been fattened up for the last eight weeks. Whoever has a bit of her when she is roasted will have to wipe the fat from both sides of his mouth.\" \"Yes,\" said Hans, as he weighed her in one hand, \"she is a good weight, but my pig is no bad one.\" Meanwhile the lad looked suspiciously from one side to the other, and shook his head. \"Look here,\" he said at length, \"it may not be all right with your pig. In the village through which I passed, the Mayor himself had just had one stolen out of its sty. I fear—I fear that you have got hold of it there. They have sent out some people and it would be a bad business if they caught you with the pig; at the very least, you would be shut up in the dark hole.\" The good Hans was terrified. \"Goodness!\" he said, \"help me out of this fix; you know more about this place than I do, take my pig and leave me your goose.\" \"I shall risk something at that game,\" answered the lad, \"but I will not be the cause of your getting into trouble.\" So he took the cord in his hand, and drove away the pig quickly along a by-path. The good Hans, free from care, went homewards with the goose under his arm. \"When I think over it properly,\" said he to himself, \"I have even gained by the exchange; first there is the good roast- meat, then the quantity of fat which will drip from it, and which will give me dripping for my bread for a quarter of a year, and lastly the beautiful white feathers; I will have my pillow stuffed with them, and then indeed I shall go to sleep without rocking. How glad my mother will be!\" As he was going through the last village, there stood a scissors-grinder with his barrow; as his wheel whirred he sang— \"I sharpen scissors and quickly grind, My coat blows out in the wind behind.\" Hans stood still and looked at him; at last he spoke to him and said, \"All's well with you, as you are so merry with your grinding.\" \"Yes,\" answered the scissors-grinder, \"the trade has a golden foundation. A real grinder is a man who as often as he puts his hand into his pocket finds gold in it. But where did you buy that fine goose?\"
\"I did not buy it, but exchanged my pig for it.\" \"And the pig?\" \"That I got for a cow.\" \"And the cow?\" \"I took that instead of a horse.\" \"And the horse?\" \"For that I gave a lump of gold as big as my head.\" \"And the gold?\" \"Well, that was my wages for seven years' service.\" \"You have known how to look after yourself each time,\" said the grinder. \"If you can only get on so far as to hear the money jingle in your pocket whenever you stand up, you will have made your fortune.\" \"How shall I manage that?\" said Hans. \"You must be a grinder, as I am; nothing particular is wanted for it but a grindstone, the rest finds itself. I have one here; it is certainly a little worn, but you need not give me anything for it but your goose; will you do it?\" \"How can you ask?\" answered Hans. \"I shall be the luckiest fellow on earth; if I have money whenever I put my hand in my pocket, what need I trouble about any longer?\" and he handed him the goose and received the grindstone in exchange. \"Now,\" said the grinder, as he took up an ordinary heavy stone that lay by him, \"here is a strong stone for you into the bargain; you can hammer well upon it, and straighten your old nails. Take it with you and keep it carefully.\" Hans loaded himself with the stones, and went on with a contented heart; his eyes shone with joy. \"I must have been born with a caul,\" he cried; \"everything I want happens to me just as if I were a Sunday-child.\" Meanwhile, as he had been on his legs since daybreak, he began to feel tired. Hunger also tormented him, for in his joy at the bargain by which he got the cow he had eaten up all his store of food at once. At last he could only go on with great trouble, and was forced to stop every minute; the stones, too, weighed him down dreadfully. Then he could not help thinking how nice it would be if he had not to carry them just then. He crept like a snail to a well in a field, and there he thought that he would rest and refresh himself with a cool draught of water, but in order that he might not injure the stones in sitting down, he laid them carefully by his side on the edge of the well. Then he sat down on it, and was to stoop and drink, when he made a slip, pushed against the stones, and both of them fell into the water. When Hans saw them with his own eyes sinking to the bottom, he jumped for joy, and then knelt down, and with tears in his eyes thanked God for having shown him this favour also, and delivered him in so good a way, and without his having any need to reproach himself, from those heavy stones which had been the only things that troubled him. \"There is no man under the sun so fortunate as I,\" he cried out. With a light heart and free from every burden he now ran on until he was with his mother at home.
Hans Married There was once upon a time a young peasant named Hans, whose uncle wanted to find him a rich wife. He therefore seated Hans behind the stove, and had it made very hot. Then he fetched a pot of milk and plenty of white bread, gave him a bright newly-coined farthing in his hand, and said, \"Hans, hold that farthing fast, crumble the white bread into the milk, and stay where you are, and do not stir from that spot till I come back.\" \"Yes,\" said Hans, \"I will do all that.\" Then the wooer put on a pair of old patched trousers, went to a rich peasant's daughter in the next village, and said, \"Won't you marry my nephew Hans—you will get an honest and sensible man who will suit you?\" The covetous father asked, \"How is it with regard to his means? Has he bread to break?\" \"Dear friend,\" replied the wooer, \"my young nephew has a snug berth, a nice bit of money in hand, and plenty of bread to break, besides he has quite as many patches as I have,\" (and as he spoke, he slapped the patches on his trousers, but in that district small pieces of land were called patches also.) \"If you will give yourself the trouble to go home with me, you shall see at once that all is as I have said.\" Then the miser did not want to lose this good opportunity, and said, \"If that is the case, I have nothing further to say against the marriage.\" So the wedding was celebrated on the appointed day, and when the young wife went out of doors to see the bridegroom's property, Hans took off his Sunday coat and put on his patched smock-frock and said, \"I might spoil my good coat.\" Then together they went out and wherever a boundary line came in sight, or fields and meadows were divided from each other, Hans pointed with his finger and then slapped either a large or a small patch on his smock-frock, and said, \"That patch is mine, and that too, my dearest, just look at it,\" meaning thereby that his wife should not stare at the broad land, but look at his garment, which was his own. \"Were you indeed at the wedding?\" \"Yes, indeed I was there, and in full dress. My head-dress was of snow; then the sun came out, and it was melted. My coat was of cobwebs, and I had to pass by some thorns which tore it off me, my shoes were of glass, and I pushed against a stone and they said, \"Klink,\" and broke in two.
The Gold-Children There was once a poor man and a poor woman who had nothing but a little cottage, and who earned their bread by fishing, and always lived from hand to mouth. But it came to pass one day when the man was sitting by the water-side, and casting his net, that he drew out a fish entirely of gold. As he was looking at the fish, full of astonishment, it began to speak and said, \"Hark you, fisherman, if you will throw me back again into the water, I will change your little hut into a splendid castle.\" Then the fisherman answered, \"Of what use is a castle to me, if I have nothing to eat?\" The gold fish continued, \"That shall be taken care of, there will be a cupboard in the castle in which, when you open it, shall be dishes of the most delicate meats, and as many of them as you can desire.\" \"If that be true,\" said the man, \"then I can well do you a favour.\" \"Yes,\" said the fish, \"there is, however, the condition that you shall disclose to no one in the world, whosoever he may be, whence your good luck has come, if you speak but one single word, all will be over.\" Then the man threw the wonderful fish back again into the water, and went home. But where his hovel had formerly stood, now stood a great castle. He opened wide his eyes, entered, and saw his wife dressed in beautiful clothes, sitting in a splendid room, and she was quite delighted, and said, \"Husband, how has all this come to pass? It suits me very well.\" \"Yes,\" said the man, \"it suits me too, but I am frightfully hungry, just give me something to eat.\" Said the wife, \"But I have got nothing and don't know where to find anything in this new house.\" \"There is no need of your knowing,\" said the man, \"for I see yonder a great cupboard, just unlock it.\" When she opened it, there stood cakes, meat, fruit, wine, quite a bright prospect. Then the woman cried joyfully, \"What more can you want, my dear?\" and they sat down, and ate and drank together. When they had had enough, the woman said, \"But husband, whence come all these riches?\" \"Alas,\" answered he, \"do not question me about it, for I dare not tell you anything; if I disclose it to any one, then all our good fortune will fly.\" \"Very good,\" said she, \"if I am not to know anything, then I do not want to know anything.\" However, she was not in earnest; she never rested day or night, and she goaded her husband until in his impatience he revealed that all was owing to a wonderful golden fish which he had caught, and to which in return he had given its liberty. And as soon as the secret was out, the splendid castle with the cupboard immediately disappeared, they were once more in the old fisherman's hut, and the man was obliged to follow his former trade and fish. But fortune would so have it, that he once more drew out the golden fish. \"Listen,\" said the fish, \"if you will throw me back into the water again, I will once more give you the castle with the cupboard full of roast and boiled meats; only be firm, for your life's sake don't reveal from whom you have it, or you will lose it all again!\" \"I will take good care,\" answered the fisherman, and threw the fish back into the water. Now at home everything was once more in its former magnificence, and the wife was overjoyed at their good fortune, but curiosity left her no peace, so that after a couple of days she began to ask again how it had come to pass, and how he had managed to secure it. The man kept silence for a short time, but at last she made him so angry that he broke out, and betrayed the secret. In an instant the castle disappeared, and they were back again in their old hut. \"Now you have got what you want,\" said he; \"and we can gnaw at a bare bone again.\" \"Ah,\" said the woman, \"I had rather not have riches if I am not to know from whom they come, for then I have no peace.\" The man went back to fish, and after a while he chanced to draw out the gold fish for a third time.
\"Listen,\" said the fish, \"I see very well that I am fated to fall into your hands, take me home and cut me into six pieces; give your wife two of them to eat, two to your horse and bury two of them in the ground, then they will bring you a blessing.\" The fisherman took the fish home with him, and did as it had bidden him. It came to pass, however, that from the two pieces that were buried in the ground two golden lilies sprang up, that the horse had two golden foals, and the fisherman's wife bore two children who were made entirely of gold. The children grew up, became tall and handsome, and the lilies and horses grew likewise. Then they said, \"Father, we want to mount our golden steeds and travel out in the world.\" But he answered sorrowfully, \"How shall I bear it if you go away, and I know not how it fares with you?\" Then they said, \"The two golden lilies remain here. By them you can see how it is with us; if they are fresh, then we are in health; if they are withered, we are ill; if they perish, then we are dead.\" So they rode forth and came to an inn, in which were many people, and when they perceived the gold-children they began to laugh, and jeer. When one of them heard the mocking he felt ashamed and would not go out into the world, but turned back and went home again to his father. But the other rode forward and reached a great forest. As he was about to enter it, the people said, It is not safe for you to ride through, the wood is full of robbers who would treat you badly. You will fare ill, and when they see that you are all of gold, and your horse likewise, they will assuredly kill you.' But he would not allow himself to be frightened, and said, \"I must and will ride through it.\" Then he took bear-skins and covered himself and his horse with them, so that the gold was no more to be seen, and rode fearlessly into the forest. When he had ridden onward a little he heard a rustling in the bushes, and heard voices speaking together. From one side came cries of, \"There is one,\" but from the other, \"Let him go, 'tis an idle fellow, as poor and bare as a church-mouse, what should we gain from him?\" So the gold-child rode joyfully through the forest, and no evil befell him. One day he entered a village wherein he saw a maiden, who was so beautiful that he did not believe that any more beautiful than she existed in the world. And as such a mighty love took possession of him, he went up to her and said, \"I love thee with my whole heart, wilt thou be my wife?\" He, too, pleased the maiden so much that she agreed and said, \"Yes, I will be thy wife, and be true to thee my whole life long.\" Then they were married, and just as they were in the greatest happiness, home came the father of the bride, and when he saw that his daughter's wedding was being celebrated, he was astonished, and said, \"Where is the bridegroom?\" They showed him the gold-child, who, however, still wore his bear- skins. Then the father said wrathfully, \"A vagabond shall never have my daughter!\" and was about to kill him. Then the bride begged as hard as she could, and said, \"He is my husband, and I love him with all my heart!\" until at last he allowed himself to be appeased. Nevertheless the idea never left his thoughts, so that next morning he rose early, wishing to see whether his daughter's husband was a common ragged beggar. But when he peeped in, he saw a magnificent golden man in the bed, and the cast-off bear-skins lying on the ground. Then he went back and thought, \"What a good thing it was that I restrained my anger! I should have committed a great crime.\" But the gold-child dreamed that he rode out to hunt a splendid stag, and when he awoke in the morning, he said to his wife, \"I must go out hunting.\" She was uneasy, and begged him to stay there, and said, \"You might easily meet with a great misfortune,\" but he answered, \"I must and will go.\" Thereupon he got up, and rode forth into the forest, and it was not long before a fine stag crossed his path exactly according to his dream. He aimed and was about to shoot it, when the stag ran away. He gave chase over hedges and ditches for the whole day without feeling tired, but in the evening the stag vanished from his sight, and when the gold-child looked round him, he was standing before a
little house, wherein was a witch. He knocked, and a little old woman came out and asked, \"What are you doing so late in the midst of the great forest?\" \"Have you not seen a stag?\" \"Yes,\" answered she, \"I know the stag well,\" and thereupon a little dog which had come out of the house with her, barked at the man violently. \"Wilt thou be silent, thou odious toad,\" said he, \"or I will shoot thee dead.\" Then the witch cried out in a passion, \"What! will you slay my little dog?\" and immediately transformed him, so that he lay like a stone, and his bride awaited him in vain and thought, \"That which I so greatly dreaded, which lay so heavily on my heart, has come upon him!\" But at home the other brother was standing by the gold-lilies, when one of them suddenly drooped. \"Good heavens!\" said he, \"my brother has met with some great misfortune! I must away to see if I can possibly rescue him.\" Then the father said, \"Stay here, if I lose you also, what shall I do?\" But he answered, \"I must and will go forth!\" Then he mounted his golden horse, and rode forth and entered the great forest, where his brother lay turned to stone. The old witch came out of her house and called him, wishing to entrap him also, but he did not go near her, and said, \"I will shoot you, if you will not bring my brother to life again.\" She touched the stone, though very unwillingly, with her forefinger, and he was immediately restored to his human shape. But the two gold-children rejoiced when they saw each other again, kissed and caressed each other, and rode away together out of the forest, the one home to his bride, and the other to his father. The father then said, \"I knew well that you had rescued your brother, for the golden lily suddenly rose up and blossomed out again.\" Then they lived happily, and all prospered with them until their death.
The Fox and the Geese The fox once came to a meadow in which was a flock of fine fat geese, on which he smiled and said, \"I come in the nick of time, you are sitting together quite beautifully, so that I can eat you up one after the other.\" The geese cackled with terror, sprang up, and began to wail and beg piteously for their lives. But the fox would listen to nothing, and said, \"There is no mercy to be had! You must die.\" At length one of them took heart and said, \"If we poor geese are to yield up our vigorous young lives, show us the only possible favour and allow us one more prayer, that we may not die in our sins, and then we will place ourselves in a row, so that you can always pick yourself out the fattest.\" \"Yes,\" said the fox, \"that is reasonable, and a pious request. Pray away, I will wait till you are done.\" Then the first began a good long prayer, for ever saying, \"Ga! Ga!\" and as she would make no end, the second did not wait until her turn came, but began also, \"Ga! Ga!\" The third and fourth followed her, and soon they were all cackling together. When they have done praying, the story shall be continued further, but at present they are still praying without stopping.\"
The Poor Man and the Rich Man In olden times, when the Lord himself still used to walk about on this earth amongst men, it once happened that he was tired and overtaken by the darkness before he could reach an inn. Now there stood on the road before him two houses facing each other; the one large and beautiful, the other small and poor. The large one belonged to a rich man, and the small one to a poor man. Then the Lord thought, \"I shall be no burden to the rich man, I will stay the night with him.\" When the rich man heard some one knocking at his door, he opened the window and asked the stranger what he wanted. The Lord answered, \"I only ask for a night's lodging.\" Then the rich man looked at the traveler from head to foot, and as the Lord was wearing common clothes, and did not look like one who had much money in his pocket, he shook his head, and said, \"No, I cannot take you in, my rooms are full of herbs and seeds; and if I were to lodge everyone who knocked at my door, I might very soon go begging myself. Go somewhere else for a lodging,\" and with this he shut down the window and left the Lord standing there. So the Lord turned his back on the rich man, and went across to the small house and knocked. He had hardly done so when the poor man opened the little door and bade the traveler come in. \"Pass the night with me, it is already dark,\" said he; \"you cannot go any further to-night.\" This pleased the Lord, and he went in. The poor man's wife shook hands with him, and welcomed him, and said he was to make himself at home and put up with what they had got; they had not much to offer him, but what they had they would give him with all their hearts. Then she put the potatoes on the fire, and while they were boiling, she milked the goat, that they might have a little milk with them. When the cloth was laid, the Lord sat down with the man and his wife, and he enjoyed their coarse food, for there were happy faces at the table. When they had had supper and it was bed-time, the woman called her husband apart and said, \"Hark you, dear husband, let us make up a bed of straw for ourselves to-night, and then the poor traveler can sleep in our bed and have a good rest, for he has been walking the whole day through, and that makes one weary.\" \"With all my heart,\" he answered, \"I will go and offer it to him;\" and he went to the stranger and invited him, if he had no objection, to sleep in their bed and rest his limbs properly. But the Lord was unwilling to take their bed from the two old folks; however, they would not be satisfied, until at length he did it and lay down in their bed, while they themselves lay on some straw on the ground. Next morning they got up before daybreak, and made as good a breakfast as they could for the guest. When the sun shone in through the little window, and the Lord had got up, he again ate with them, and then prepared to set out on his journey. But as he was standing at the door he turned round and said, \"As you are so kind and good, you may wish three things for yourselves and I will grant them.\" Then the man said, \"What else should I wish for but eternal happiness, and that we two, as long as we live, may be healthy and have every day our daily bread; for the third wish, I do not know what to have.\" And the Lord said to him, \"Will you wish for a new house instead of this old one?\" \"Oh, yes,\" said the man; \"if I can have that, too, I should like it very much.\" And the Lord fulfilled his wish, and changed their old house into a new one, again gave them his blessing, and went on. The sun was high when the rich man got up and leaned out of his window and saw, on the
opposite side of the way, a new clean-looking house with red tiles and bright windows where the old hut used to be. He was very much astonished, and called his wife and said to her, \"Tell me, what can have happened? Last night there was a miserable little hut standing there, and to-day there is a beautiful new house. Run over and see how that has come to pass.\" So his wife went and asked the poor man, and he said to her, \"Yesterday evening a traveler came here and asked for a night's lodging, and this morning when he took leave of us he granted us three wishes—eternal happiness, health during this life and our daily bread as well, and besides this, a beautiful new house instead of our old hut.\" When the rich man's wife heard this, she ran back in haste and told her husband how it had happened. The man said, \"I could tear myself to pieces! If I had but known that! That traveler came to our house too, and wanted to sleep here, and I sent him away.\" \"Quick!\" said his wife, \"get on your horse. You can still catch the man up, and then you must ask to have three wishes granted to you.\" The rich man followed the good counsel and galloped away on his horse, and soon came up with the Lord. He spoke to him softly and pleasantly, and begged him not to take it amiss that he had not let him in directly; he was looking for the front-door key, and in the meantime the stranger had gone away, if he returned the same way he must come and stay with him. \"Yes,\" said the Lord; \"if I ever come back again, I will do so.\" Then the rich man asked if might not wish for three things too, as his neighbor had done? \"Yes,\" said the Lord, he might, but it would not be to his advantage, and he had better not wish for anything; but the rich man thought that he could easily ask for something which would add to his happiness, if he only knew that it would be granted. So the Lord said to him, \"Ride home, then, and three wishes which you shall form, shall be fulfilled.\" The rich man had now gained what he wanted, so he rode home, and began to consider what he should wish for. As he was thus thinking he let the bridle fall, and the horse began to caper about, so that he was continually disturbed in his meditations, and could not collect his thoughts at all. He patted its neck, and said, \"Gently, Lisa,\" but the horse only began new tricks. Then at last he was angry, and cried quite impatiently, \"I wish your neck was broken!\" Directly he had said the words, down the horse fell on the ground, and there it lay dead and never moved again. And thus was his first wish fulfilled. As he was miserly by nature, he did not like to leave the harness lying there; so he cut it off, and put it on his back; and now he had to go on foot. \"I have still two wishes left,\" said he, and comforted himself with that thought. And now as he was walking slowly through the sand, and the sun was burning hot at noon-day, he grew quite hot-tempered and angry. The saddle hurt his back, and he had not yet any idea what to wish for. \"If I were to wish for all the riches and treasures in the world,\" said he to himself, \"I should still to think of all kinds of other things later on, I know that, beforehand. But I will manage so that there is nothing at all left me to wish for afterwards.\" Then he sighed and said, \"Ah, if I were but that Bavarian peasant, who likewise had three wishes granted to him, and knew quite well what to do, and in the first place wished for a great deal of beer, and in the second for as much beer as he was able to drink, and in the third for a barrel of beer into the bargain.\" Many a time he thought he had found it, but then it seemed to him to be, after all, too little. Then it came into his mind, what an easy life his wife had, for she stayed at home in a cool room and enjoyed herself. This really did vex him, and before he was aware, he said, \"I just wish she was sitting there on this saddle, and could not get off it, instead of my having to drag it along on my back.\" And as the last word was spoken, the saddle disappeared from his back, and he saw that his second wish had been fulfilled. Then he really did feel warm. He began to run and wanted to be quite alone in his own room at home, to think of something really large for his last wish. But when he arrived there and
opened the parlour-door, he saw his wife sitting in the middle of the room on the saddle, crying and complaining, and quite unable to get off it. So he said, \"Do bear it, and I will wish for all the riches on earth for thee, only stay where thou art.\" She, however, called him a fool, and said, \"What good will all the riches on earth do me, if I am to sit on this saddle? Thou hast wished me on it, so thou must help me off.\" So whether he would or not, he was forced to let his third wish be that she should be quit of the saddle, and able to get off it, and immediately the wish was fulfilled. So he got nothing by it but vexation, trouble, abuse, and the loss of his horse; but the poor people lived happily, quietly, and piously until their happy death.
The Singing, Springing Lark There was once on a time a man who was about to set out on a long journey, and on parting he asked his three daughters what he should bring back with him for them. Whereupon the eldest wished for pearls, the second wished for diamonds, but the third said, \"Dear father, I should like a singing, soaring lark.\" The father said, \"Yes, if I can get it, you shall have it,\" kissed all three, and set out. Now when the time had come for him to be on his way home again, he had brought pearls and diamonds for the two eldest, but he had sought everywhere in vain for a singing, soaring lark for the youngest, and he was very unhappy about it, for she was his favorite child. Then his road lay through a forest, and in the midst of it was a splendid castle, and near the castle stood a tree, but quite on the top of the tree, he saw a singing, soaring lark. \"Aha, you come just at the right moment!\" he said, quite delighted, and called to his servant to climb up and catch the little creature. But as he approached the tree, a lion leapt from beneath it, shook himself, and roared till the leaves on the trees trembled. \"He who tries to steal my singing, soaring lark,\" he cried, \"will I devour.\" Then the man said, \"I did not know that the bird belonged to thee. I will make amends for the wrong I have done and ransom myself with a large sum of money, only spare my life.\" The lion said, \"Nothing can save thee, unless thou wilt promise to give me for mine own what first meets thee on thy return home; and if thou wilt do that, I will grant thee thy life, and thou shalt have the bird for thy daughter, into the bargain.\" But the man hesitated and said, \"That might be my youngest daughter, she loves me best, and always runs to meet me on my return home.\" The servant, however, was terrified and said, \"Why should your daughter be the very one to meet you, it might as easily be a cat, or dog?\" Then the man allowed himself to be over-persuaded, took the singing, soaring lark, and promised to give the lion whatsoever should first meet him on his return home. When he reached home and entered his house, the first who met him was no other than his youngest and dearest daughter, who came running up, kissed and embraced him, and when she saw that he had brought with him a singing, soaring lark, she was beside herself with joy. The father, however, could not rejoice, but began to weep, and said, \"My dearest child, I have bought the little bird dear. In return for it, I have been obliged to promise thee to a savage lion, and when he has thee he will tear thee in pieces and devour thee,\" and he told her all, just as it had happened, and begged her not to go there, come what might. But she consoled him and said, \"Dearest father, indeed your promise must be fulfilled. I will go thither and soften the lion, so that I may return to thee safely.\" Next morning she had the road pointed out to her, took leave, and went fearlessly out into the forest. The lion, however, was an enchanted prince and was by day a lion, and all his people were lions with him, but in the night they resumed their natural human shapes. On her arrival she was kindly received and led into the castle. When night came, the lion turned into a handsome man, and their wedding was celebrated with great magnificence. They lived happily together, remained awake at night, and slept in the daytime. One day he came and said, \"To-morrow there is a feast in thy father's house, because your eldest sister is to be married, and if thou art inclined to go there, my lions shall conduct thee.\" She said, \"Yes, I should very much like to see my father again,\" and went thither, accompanied by the lions. There was great joy when she arrived, for they had all believed that she had been torn in pieces by the lion, and had long ceased to live. But she told them what a handsome husband she had, and
how well off she was, remained with them while the wedding-feast lasted, and then went back again to the forest. When the second daughter was about to be married, and she was again invited to the wedding, she said to the lion, \"This time I will not be alone, thou must come with me.\" The lion, however, said that it was too dangerous for him, for if when there a ray from a burning candle fell on him, he would be changed into a dove, and for seven years long would have to fly about with the doves. She said, \"Ah, but do come with me, I will take great care of thee, and guard thee from all light.\" So they went away together, and took with them their little child as well. She had a chamber built there, so strong and thick that no ray could pierce through it; in this he was to shut himself up when the candles were lit for the wedding-feast. But the door was made of green wood which warped and left a little crack which no one noticed. The wedding was celebrated with magnificence, but when the procession with all its candles and torches came back from church, and passed by this apartment, a ray about the breadth of a hair fell on the King's son, and when this ray touched him, he was transformed in an instant, and when she came in and looked for him, she did not see him, but a white dove was sitting there. The dove said to her, \"For seven years must I fly about the world, but at every seventh step that you take I will let fall a drop of red blood and a white feather, and these will show thee the way, and if thou followest the trace thou canst release me.\" Thereupon the dove flew out at the door, and she followed him, and at every seventh step a red drop of blood and a little white feather fell down and showed her the way. So she went continually further and further in the wide world, never looking about her or resting, and the seven years were almost past; then she rejoiced and thought that they would soon be delivered, and yet they were so far from it! Once when they were thus moving onwards, no little feather and no drop of red blood fell, and when she raised her eyes the dove had disappeared. And as she thought to herself, \"In this no man can help thee,\" she climbed up to the sun, and said to him, \"Thou shinest into every crevice, and over every peak, hast thou not seen a white dove flying?\" \"No,\" said the sun, \"I have seen none, but I present thee with a casket, open it when thou art in sorest need.\" Then she thanked the sun, and went on until evening came and the moon appeared; she then asked her, \"Thou shinest the whole night through, and on every field and forest, hast thou not seen a white dove flying?\" \"No,\" said the moon, \"I have seen no dove, but here I give thee an egg, break it when thou art in great need.\" She thanked the moon, and went on until the night wind came up and blew on her, then she said to it, \"Thou blowest over every tree and under every leaf, hast thou not seen a white dove flying?\" \"No,\" said the night wind, \"I have seen none, but I will ask the three other winds, perhaps they have seen it.\" The east wind and the west wind came, and had seen nothing, but the south wind said, \"I have seen the white dove, it has flown to the Red Sea, where it has become a lion again, for the seven years are over, and the lion is there fighting with a dragon; the dragon, however, is an enchanted princess.\" The night wind then said to her, \"I will advise thee; go to the Red Sea, on the right bank are some tall reeds, count them, break off the eleventh, and strike the dragon with it, then the lion will be able to subdue it, and both then will regain their human form. After that, look round and thou wilt see the griffin which is by the Red Sea; swing thyself, with thy beloved, on to his back, and the bird will carry you over the sea to your own home. Here is a nut for thee, when thou are above the center of the sea, let the nut fall, it will immediately shoot up, and a tall nut-tree will grow out of the water on which the griffin may rest; for if he cannot rest, he will not be strong enough to carry you across, and if thou forgettest to throw down the nut, he will let you fall into the sea.\" Then she went thither, and found everything as the night wind had said. She counted the reeds by the sea, and cut off the eleventh, struck the dragon therewith, whereupon the lion overcame it, and immediately both of them regained their human shapes. But when the princess, who had before been
the dragon, was delivered from enchantment, she took the youth by the arm, seated herself on the griffin, and carried him off with her. There stood the poor maiden who had wandered so far and was again forsaken. She sat down and cried, but at last she took courage and said, \"Still I will go as far as the wind blows and as long as the cock crows, until I find him,\" and she went forth by long, long roads, until at last she came to the castle where both of them were living together; there she heard that soon a feast was to be held, in which they would celebrate their wedding, but she said, \"God still helps me,\" and opened the casket that the sun had given her. A dress lay therein as brilliant as the sun itself. So she took it out and put it on, and went up into the castle, and everyone, even the bride herself, looked at her with astonishment. The dress pleased the bride so well that she thought it might do for her wedding-dress, and asked if it was for sale? \"Not for money or land,\" answered she, \"but for flesh and blood.\" The bride asked her what she meant by that, so she said, \"Let me sleep a night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps.\" The bride would not, yet wanted very much to have the dress; at last she consented, but the page was to give the prince a sleeping-draught. When it was night, therefore, and the youth was already asleep, she was led into the chamber; she seated herself on the bed and said, \"I have followed after thee for seven years. I have been to the sun and the moon, and the four winds, and have enquired for thee, and have helped thee against the dragon; wilt thou, then quite forget me?\" But the prince slept so soundly that it only seemed to him as if the wind were whistling outside in the fir-trees. When therefore day broke, she was led out again, and had to give up the golden dress. And as that even had been of no avail, she was sad, went out into a meadow, sat down there, and wept. While she was sitting there, she thought of the egg which the moon had given her; she opened it, and there came out a clucking hen with twelve chickens all of gold, and they ran about chirping, and crept again under the old hen's wings; nothing more beautiful was ever seen in the world! Then she arose, and drove them through the meadow before her, until the bride looked out of the window. The little chickens pleased her so much that she immediately came down and asked if they were for sale. \"Not for money or land, but for flesh and blood; let me sleep another night in the chamber where the bridegroom sleeps.\" The bride said, \"Yes,\" intending to cheat her as on the former evening. But when the prince went to bed he asked the page what the murmuring and rustling in the night had been? On this the page told all; that he had been forced to give him a sleeping-draught, because a poor girl had slept secretly in the chamber, and that he was to give him another that night. The prince said, \"Pour out the draught by the bed-side.\" At night, she was again led in, and when she began to relate how ill all had fared with her, he immediately recognized his beloved wife by her voice, sprang up and cried, \"Now I really am released! I have been as it were in a dream, for the strange princess has bewitched me so that I have been compelled to forget thee, but God has delivered me from the spell at the right time.\" Then they both left the castle secretly in the night, for they feared the father of the princess, who was a sorcerer, and they seated themselves on the griffin which bore them across the Red Sea, and when they were in the midst of it, she let fall the nut. Immediately a tall nut-tree grew up, whereon the bird rested, and then carried them home, where they found their child, who had grown tall and beautiful, and they lived thenceforth happily until their death.
The Goose-Girl THERE was once upon a time an old Queen whose husband had been dead for many years, and she had a beautiful daughter. When the princess grew up she was betrothed to a prince who lived at a great distance. When the time came for her to be married, and she had to journey forth into the distant kingdom, the aged Queen packed up for her many costly vessels of silver and gold, and trinkets also of gold and silver; and cups and jewels, in short, everything which appertained to a royal dowry, for she loved her child with all her heart. She likewise sent her maid in waiting, who was to ride with her, and hand her over to the bridegroom, and each had a horse for the journey, but the horse of the King's daughter was called Falada, and could speak. So when the hour of parting had come, the aged mother went into her bedroom, took a small knife and cut her finger with it until it bled, then she held a white handkerchief to it into which she let three drops of blood fall, gave it to her daughter and said, \"Dear child, preserve this carefully, it will be of service to you on your way.\" So they took a sorrowful leave of each other; the princess put the piece of cloth in her bosom, mounted her horse, and then went away to her bridegroom. After she had ridden for a while she felt a burning thirst, and said to her waiting-maid, \"Dismount, and take my cup which thou hast brought with thee for me, and get me some water from the stream, for I should like to drink.\" \"If you are thirsty,\" said the waiting-maid, \"get off your horse yourself, and lie down and drink out of the water, I don't choose to be your servant.\" So in her great thirst the princess alighted, bent down over the water in the stream and drank, and was not allowed to drink out of the golden cup. Then she said, \"Ah, Heaven!\" and the three drops of blood answered, \"If thy mother knew, her heart would break.\" But the King's daughter was humble, said nothing, and mounted her horse again. She rode some miles further, but the day was warm, the sun scorched her, and she was thirsty once more, and when they came to a stream of water, she again cried to her waiting-maid, \"Dismount, and give me some water in my golden cup,\" for she had long ago forgotten the girl's ill words. But the waiting-maid said still more haughtily, \"If you wish to drink, drink as you can, I don't choose to be your maid.\" Then in her great thirst the King's daughter alighted, bent over the flowing stream, wept and said, \"Ah, Heaven!\" and the drops of blood again replied, \"If thy mother knew this, her heart would break.\" And as she was thus drinking and leaning right over the stream, the handkerchief with the three drops of blood fell out of her bosom, and floated away with the water without her observing it, so great was her trouble. The waiting-maid, however, had seen it, and she rejoiced to think that she had now power over the bride, for since the princess had lost the drops of blood, she had become weak and powerless. So now when she wanted to mount her horse again, the one that was called Falada, the waiting-maid said, \"Falada is more suitable for me, and my nag will do for thee\" and the princess had to be content with that. Then the waiting-maid, with many hard words, bade the princess exchange her royal apparel for her own shabby clothes; and at length she was compelled to swear by the clear sky above her, that she would not say one word of this to any one at the royal court, and if she had not taken this oath she would have been killed on the spot. But Falada saw all this, and observed it well. The waiting-maid now mounted Falada, and the true bride the bad horse, and thus they traveled onwards, until at length they entered the royal palace. There were great rejoicings over her arrival, and the prince sprang forward to meet her, lifted the waiting-maid from her horse, and thought she
was his consort. She was conducted upstairs, but the real princess was left standing below. Then the old King looked out of the window and saw her standing in the courtyard, and how dainty and delicate and beautiful she was, and instantly went to the royal apartment, and asked the bride about the girl she had with her who was standing down below in the courtyard, and who she was?
\"I picked her up on my way for a companion; give the girl something to work at, that she may not stand idle.\" But the old King had no work for her, and knew of none, so he said, \"I have a little boy who tends the geese, she may help him.\" The boy was called Conrad, and the true bride had to help him to tend the geese. Soon afterwards the false bride said to the young King, \"Dearest husband, I beg you to do me a favour.\" He answered, \"I will do so most willingly.\" \"Then send for the knacker, and have the head of the horse on which I rode here cut off, for it vexed me on the way.\" In reality, she was afraid that the horse might tell how she had behaved to the King's daughter. Then she succeeded in making the King promise that it should be done, and the faithful Falada was to die; this came to the ears of the real princess, and she secretly promised to pay the knacker a piece of gold if he would perform a small service for her. There was a great dark-looking gateway in the town, through which morning and evening she had to pass with the geese: would he be so good as to nail up Falada's head on it, so that she might see him again, more than once. The knacker's man promised to do that, and cut off the head, and nailed it fast beneath the dark gateway. Early in the morning, when she and Conrad drove out their flock beneath this gateway, she said in passing, \"Alas, Falada, hanging there!\" Then the head answered, \"Alas, young Queen, how ill you fare! If this your tender mother knew, Her heart would surely break in two.\" Then they went still further out of the town, and drove their geese into the country. And when they had come to the meadow, she sat down and unbound her hair which was like pure gold, and Conrad saw it and delighted in its brightness, and wanted to pluck out a few hairs. Then she said, \"Blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say, Blow Conrad's little hat away, And make him chase it here and there, Until I have braided all my hair, And bound it up again.\" And there came such a violent wind that it blew Conrad's hat far away across country, and he was forced to run after it. When he came back she had finished combing her hair and was putting it up again, and he could not get any of it. Then Conrad was angry, and would not speak to her, and thus they watched the geese until the evening, and then they went home. Next day when they were driving the geese out through the dark gateway, the maiden said, \"Alas, Falada, hanging there!\" Falada answered, \"Alas, young Queen, how ill you fare! If this your tender mother knew, Her heart would surely break in two.\" And she sat down again in the field and began to comb out her hair, and Conrad ran and tried to clutch it, so she said in haste, \"Blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say, Blow Conrad's little hat away, And make him chase it here and there, Until I have braided all my hair,
And bound it up again.\" Then the wind blew, and blew his little hat off his head and far away, and Conrad was forced to run after it, and when he came back, her hair had been put up a long time, and he could get none of it, and so they looked after their geese till evening came. But in the evening after they had got home, Conrad went to the old King, and said, \"I won't tend the geese with that girl any longer!\" \"Why not?\" inquired the aged King. \"Oh, because she vexes me the whole day long.\" Then the aged King commanded him to relate what it was that she did to him. And Conrad said, \"In the morning when we pass beneath the dark gateway with the flock, there is a sorry horse's head on the wall, and she says to it, \"Alas, Falada, hanging there!\" And the head replies, \"Alas, young Queen how ill you fare! If this your tender mother knew, Her heart would surely break in two.\" And Conrad went on to relate what happened on the goose pasture, and how when there he had to chase his hat. The aged King commanded him to drive his flock out again next day, and as soon as morning came, he placed himself behind the dark gateway, and heard how the maiden spoke to the head of Falada, and then he too went into the country, and hid himself in the thicket in the meadow. There he soon saw with his own eyes the goose-girl and the goose-boy bringing their flock, and how after a while she sat down and unplaited her hair, which shone with radiance. And soon she said, \"Blow, blow, thou gentle wind, I say, Blow Conrad's little hat away, And make him chase it here and there, Until I have braided all my hair, And bound it up again.\" Then came a blast of wind and carried off Conrad's hat, so that he had to run far away, while the maiden quietly went on combing and plaiting her hair, all of which the King observed. Then, quite unseen, he went away, and when the goose-girl came home in the evening, he called her aside, and asked why she did all these things. \"I may not tell you that, and I dare not lament my sorrows to any human being, for I have sworn not to do so by the heaven which is above me; if I had not done that, I should have lost my life.\" He urged her and left her no peace, but he could draw nothing from her. Then said he, \"If thou wilt not tell me anything, tell thy sorrows to the iron-stove there,\" and he went away. Then she crept into the iron-stove, and began to weep and lament, and emptied her whole heart, and said, \"Here am I deserted by the whole world, and yet I am a King's daughter, and a false waiting-maid has by force brought me to such a pass that I have been compelled to put off my royal apparel, and she has taken my place with my bridegroom, and I have to perform menial service as a goose-girl. If my mother did but know that, her heart would break.\" The aged King, however, was standing outside by the pipe of the stove, and was listening to what she said, and heard it. Then he came back again, and bade her come out of the stove. And royal garments were placed on her, and it was marvellous how beautiful she was! The aged King summoned his son, and revealed to him that he had got the false bride who was only a waiting-maid, but that the true one was standing there, as the sometime goose-girl. The young King rejoiced with all his heart when he saw her beauty and youth, and a great feast was made ready to which all the people and all good friends were invited. At the head of the table sat the bridegroom with the King's daughter
at one side of him, and the waiting-maid on the other, but the waiting-maid was blinded, and did not recognize the princess in her dazzling array. When they had eaten and drunk, and were merry, the aged King asked the waiting-maid as a riddle, what a person deserved who had behaved in such and such a way to her master, and at the same time related the whole story, and asked what sentence such an one merited? Then the false bride said, \"She deserves no better fate than to be stripped entirely naked, and put in a barrel which is studded inside with pointed nails, and two white horses should be harnessed to it, which will drag her along through one street after another, till she is dead.\" \"It is thou,\" said the aged King, \"and thou hast pronounced thine own sentence, and thus shall it be done unto thee.\" And when the sentence had been carried out, the young King married his true bride, and both of them reigned over their kingdom in peace and happiness.
The Young Giant Once on a time a countryman had a son who was as big as a thumb, and did not become any bigger, and during several years did not grow one hair's breadth. Once when the father was going out to plough, the little one said, \"Father, I will go out with you.\" \"Thou wouldst go out with me?\" said the father. \"Stay here, thou wilt be of no use out there, besides thou mightest get lost!\" Then Thumbling began to cry, and for the sake of peace his father put him in his pocket, and took him with him. When he was outside in the field, he took him out again, and set him in a freshly-cut furrow. Whilst he was there, a great giant came over the hill. \"Do thou see that great bogie?\" said the father, for he wanted to frighten the little fellow to make him good; \"he is coming to fetch thee.\" The giant, however, had scarcely taken two steps with his long legs before he was in the furrow. He took up little Thumbling carefully with two fingers, examined him, and without saying one word went away with him. His father stood by, but could not utter a sound for terror, and he thought nothing else but that his child was lost, and that as long as he lived he should never set eyes on him again. The giant, however, carried him home, suckled him, and Thumbling grew and became tall and strong after the manner of giants. When two years had passed, the old giant took him into the forest, wanted to try him, and said, \"Pull up a stick for thyself.\" Then the boy was already so strong that he tore up a young tree out of the earth by the roots. But the giant thought, \"We must do better than that,\" took him back again, and suckled him two years longer. When he tried him, his strength had increased so much that he could tear an old tree out of the ground. That was still not enough for the giant; he again suckled him for two years, and when he then went with him into the forest and said, \"Now just tear up a proper stick for me,\" the boy tore up the strongest oak-tree from the earth, so that it split, and that was a mere trifle to him. \"Now that will do,\" said the giant, \"thou art perfect,\" and took him back to the field from whence he had brought him. His father was there following the plough. The young giant went up to him, and said, \"Does my father see what a fine man his son has grown into?\" The farmer was alarmed, and said, \"No, thou art not my son; I don't want thee leave me!\" \"Truly I am your son; allow me to do your work, I can plough as well as you, nay better.\" \"No, no, thou art not my son; and thou canst not plough go away!\" However, as he was afraid of this great man, he left go of the plough, stepped back and stood at one side of the piece of land. Then the youth took the plough, and just pressed it with one hand, but his grasp was so strong that the plough went deep into the earth. The farmer could not bear to see that, and called to him, \"If thou art determined to plough, thou must not press so hard on it, that makes bad work.\" The youth, however, unharnessed the horses, and drew the plough himself, saying, \"Just go home, father, and bid my mother make ready a large dish of food, and in the meantime I will go over the field.\" Then the farmer went home, and ordered his wife to prepare the food; but the youth ploughed the field which was two acres large, quite alone, and then he harnessed himself to the harrow, and harrowed the whole of the land, using two harrows at once. When he had done it, he went into the forest, and pulled up two oak-trees, laid them across his shoulders, and hung on them one harrow behind and one before, and also one horse behind and one before, and carried all as if it had been a bundle of straw, to his parents' house. When he entered the yard, his mother did not recognize him, and asked, \"Who is that horrible tall man?\" The farmer said, \"That is our son.\" She said, \"No that cannot be our son, we never had such a tall one, ours was a little
thing.\" She called to him, \"Go away, we do not want thee!\" The youth was silent, but led his horses to the stable, gave them some oats and hay, and all that they wanted. When he had done this, he went into the parlour, sat down on the bench and said, \"Mother, now I should like something to eat, will it soon be ready?\" Then she said, \"Yes,\" and brought in two immense dishes full of food, which would have been enough to satisfy herself and her husband for a week. The youth, however, ate the whole of it himself, and asked if she had nothing more to set before him. \"No,\" she replied, \"that is all we have.\" \"But that was only a taste, I must have more.\" She did not dare to oppose him, and went and put a huge caldron full of food on the fire, and when it was ready, carried it in. \"At length come a few crumbs,\" said he, and ate all there was, but it was still not sufficient to appease his hunger. Then said he, \"Father, I see well that with you I shall never have food enough; if you will get me an iron staff which is strong, and which I cannot break against my knees, I will go out into the world.\" The farmer was glad, put his two horses in his cart, and fetched from the smith a staff so large and thick, that the two horses could only just bring it away. The youth laid it across his knees, and snap! he broke it in two in the middle like a bean-stalk, and threw it away. The father then harnessed four horses, and brought a bar which was so long and thick, that the four horses could only just drag it. The son snapped this also in twain against his knees, threw it away, and said, \"Father, this can be of no use to me, you must harness more horses, and bring a stronger staff.\" So the father harnessed eight horses, and brought one which was so long and thick, that the eight horses could only just carry it. When the son took it in his hand, he broke off a bit from the top of it also, and said, \"Father, I see that you will not be able to procure me any such staff as I want, I will remain no longer with you.\" So he went away, and gave out that he was a smith's apprentice. He arrived at a village, wherein lived a smith who was a greedy fellow, who never did a kindness to any one, but wanted everything for himself. The youth went into the smithy and asked if he needed a journeyman. \"Yes,\" said the smith, and looked at him, and thought, \"That is a strong fellow who will strike out well, and earn his bread.\" So he asked, \"How much wages dost thou want?\" \"I don't want any at all,\" he replied, \"only every fortnight, when the other journeymen are paid, I will give thee two blows, and thou must bear them.\" The miser was heartily satisfied, and thought he would thus save much money. Next morning, the strange journeyman was to begin to work, but when the master brought the glowing bar, and the youth struck his first blow, the iron flew asunder, and the anvil sank so deep into the earth, that there was no bringing it out again. Then the miser grew angry, and said, \"Oh, but I can't make any use of you, you strike far too powerfully; what will you have for the one blow?\" Then said he, \"I will only give you quite a small blow, that's all.\" And he raised his foot, and gave him such a kick that he flew away over four loads of hay. Then he sought out the thickest iron bar in the smithy for himself, took it as a stick in his hand and went onwards. When he had walked for some time, he came to a small farm, and asked the bailiff if he did not require a head-servant. \"Yes,\" said the bailiff, \"I can make use of one; you look a strong fellow who can do something, how much a year do you want as wages?\" He again replied that he wanted no wages at all, but that every year he would give him three blows, which he must bear. Then the bailiff was satisfied, for he, too, was a covetous fellow. Next morning all the servants were to go into the wood, and the others were already up, but the head-servant was still in bed. Then one of them called to him, \"Get up, it is time; we are going into the wood, and thou must go with us.\" \"Ah,\" said he quite roughly and surlily, \"you may just go, then; I shall be back again before any of you.\" Then the others went to the bailiff, and told him that the head-man was still lying in bed, and would not go into the wood with them. The bailiff said they were to awaken him again, and tell him to harness the horses. The head-man, however, said as before, \"Just go there, I shall be back again before any of you.\" And
then he stayed in bed two hours longer. At length he arose from the feathers, but first he got himself two bushels of peas from the loft, made himself some broth with them, ate it at his leisure, and when that was done, went and harnessed the horses, and drove into the wood. Not far from the wood was a ravine through which he had to pass, so he first drove the horses on, and then stopped them, and went behind the cart, took trees and brushwood, and made a great barricade, so that no horse could get through. When he was entering the wood, the others were just driving out of it with their loaded carts to go home; then said he to them, \"Drive on, I will still get home before you do.\" He did not drive far into the wood, but at once tore two of the very largest trees of all out of the earth, threw them on his cart, and turned round. When he came to the barricade, the others were still standing there, not able to get through. \"Don't you see,\" said he, \"that if you had stayed with me, you would have got home just as quickly, and would have had another hour's sleep?\" He now wanted to drive on, but his horses could not work their way through, so he unharnessed them, laid them on the top of the cart, took the shafts in his own hands, and pulled it all through, and he did this just as easily as if it had been laden with feathers. When he was over, he said to the others, \"There, you see, I have got over quicker than you,\" and drove on, and the others had to stay where they were. In the yard, however, he took a tree in his hand, showed it to the bailiff, and said, \"Isn't that a fine bundle of wood?\" Then said the bailiff to his wife, \"The servant is a good one, if he does sleep long, he is still home before the others.\" So he served the bailiff for a year, and when that was over, and the other servants were getting their wages, he said it was time for him to take his too. The bailiff, however, was afraid of the blows which he was to receive, and earnestly entreated him to excuse him from having them; for rather than that, he himself would be head-servant, and the youth should be bailiff. \"No,\" said he, \"I will not be a bailiff, I am head-servant, and will remain so, but I will administer that which we agreed on.\" The bailiff was willing to give him whatsoever he demanded, but it was of no use, the head-servant said no to everything. Then the bailiff did not know what to do, and begged for a fortnight's delay, for he wanted to find some way of escape. The head-servant consented to this delay. The bailiff summoned all his clerks together, and they were to think the matter over, and give him advice. The clerks pondered for a long time, but at last they said that no one was sure of his life with the head-servant, for he could kill a man as easily as a midge, and that the bailiff ought to make him get into the well and clean it, and when he was down below, they would roll up one of the mill-stones which was lying there, and throw it on his head; and then he would never return to daylight. The advice pleased the bailiff, and the head-servant was quite willing to go down the well. When he was standing down below at the bottom, they rolled down the largest mill-stone and thought they had broken his skull, but he cried, \"Chase away those hens from the well, they are scratching in the sand up there, and throwing the grains into my eyes, so that I can't see.\" So the bailiff cried, \"Sh-sh,\" and pretended to frighten the hens away. When the head-servant had finished his work, he climbed up and said, \"Just look what a beautiful neck-tie I have on,\" and behold it was the mill-stone which he was wearing round his neck. The head-servant now wanted to take his reward, but the bailiff again begged for a fortnight's delay. The clerks met together and advised him to send the head-servant to the haunted mill to grind corn by night, for from thence as yet no man had ever returned in the morning alive. The proposal pleased the bailiff, he called the head-servant that very evening, and ordered him to take eight bushels of corn to the mill, and grind it that night, for it was wanted. So the head-servant went to the loft, and put two bushels in his right pocket, and two in his left, and took four in a wallet, half on his back, and half on his breast, and thus laden went to the haunted mill. The miller told him that he could grind there very well by day, but not by night, for the mill was haunted, and that up to the present time whosoever had gone into it at night had been found in the morning lying dead inside. He said, \"I will manage it, just
you go away to bed.\" Then he went into the mill, and poured out the corn. About eleven o'clock he went into the miller's room, and sat down on the bench. When he had sat there a while, a door suddenly opened, and a large table came in, and on the table, wine and roasted meats placed themselves, and much good food besides, but everything came of itself, for no one was there to carry it. After this the chairs pushed themselves up, but no people came, until all at once he beheld fingers, which handled knives and forks, and laid food on the plates, but with this exception he saw nothing. As he was hungry, and saw the food, he, too, place himself at the table, ate with those who were eating and enjoyed it. When he had had enough, and the others also had quite emptied their dishes, he distinctly heard all the candles being suddenly snuffed out, and as it was now pitch dark, he felt something like a box on the ear. Then he said, \"If anything of that kind comes again, I shall strike out in return.\" And when he had received a second box on the ear, he, too struck out. And so it continued the whole night. He took nothing without returning it, but repaid everything with interest, and did not lay about him in vain. At daybreak, however, everything ceased. When the miller had got up, he wanted to look after him, and wondered if he were still alive. Then the youth said, \"I have eaten my fill, have received some boxes on the ears, but I have given some in return.\" The miller rejoiced, and said that the mill was now released from the spell, and wanted to give him much money as a reward. But he said, \"Money, I will not have, I have enough of it.\" So he took his meal on his back, went home, and told the bailiff that he had done what he had been told to do, and would now have the reward agreed on. When the bailiff heard that, he was seriously alarmed and quite beside himself; he walked backwards and forwards in the room, and drops of perspiration ran down from his forehead. Then he opened the window to get some fresh air, but before he was aware, the head-servant had given him such a kick that he flew through the window out into the air, and so far away that no one ever saw him again. Then said the head-servant to the bailiff's wife, \"If he does not come back, you must take the other blow.\" She cried, \"No, no I cannot bear it,\" and opened the other window, because drops of perspiration were running down her forehead. Then he gave her such a kick that she, too, flew out, and as she was lighter she went much higher than her husband. Her husband cried, \"Do come to me,\" but she replied, \"Come thou to me, I cannot come to thee.\" And they hovered about there in the air, and could not get to each other, and whether they are still hovering about, or not, I do not know, but the young giant took up his iron bar, and went on his way.
The Gnome There was once upon a time a rich King who had three daughters, who daily went to walk in the palace garden, and the King was a great lover of all kinds of fine trees, but there was one for which he had such an affection, that if anyone gathered an apple from it he wished him a hundred fathoms underground. And when harvest time came, the apples on this tree were all as red as blood. The three daughters went every day beneath the tree, and looked to see if the wind had not blown down an apple, but they never by any chance found one, and the tree was so loaded with them that it was almost breaking, and the branches hung down to the ground. Then the King's youngest child had a great desire for an apple, and said to her sisters, \"Our father loves us far too much to wish us underground, it is my belief that he would only do that to people who were strangers.\" And while she was speaking, the child plucked off quite a large apple, and ran to her sisters, saying, \"Just taste, my dear little sisters, for never in my life have I tasted anything so delightful.\" Then the two other sisters also ate some of the apple, whereupon all three sank deep down into the earth, where they could hear no cock crow. When mid-day came, the King wished to call them to come to dinner, but they were nowhere to be found. He sought them everywhere in the palace and garden, but could not find them. Then he was much troubled, and made known to the whole land that whosoever brought his daughters back again should have one of them to wife. Hereupon so many young men went about the country in search, that there was no counting them, for every one loved the three children because they were so kind to all, and so fair of face. Three young huntsmen also went out, and when they had travelled about for eight days, they arrived at a great castle, in which were beautiful apartments, and in one room a table was laid on which were delicate dishes which were still so warm that they were smoking, but in the whole of the castle no human being was either to be seen or heard. They waited there for half a day, and the food still remained warm and smoking, and at length they were so hungry that they sat down and ate, and agreed with each other that they would stay and live in that castle, and that one of them, who should be chosen by casting lots, should remain in the house, and the two others seek the King's daughters. They cast lots, and the lot fell on the eldest; so next day the two younger went out to seek, and the eldest had to stay home. At mid-day came a small, small mannikin and begged for a piece of bread, then the huntsman took the bread which he had found there, and cut a round off the loaf and was about to give it to him, but whilst he was giving it to the mannikin, the latter let it fall, and asked the huntsman to be so good as to give him that piece again. The huntsman was about to do so and stooped, on which the mannikin took a stick, seized him by the hair, and gave him a good beating. Next day, the second stayed at home, and he fared no better. When the two others returned in the evening, the eldest said, \"Well, how have you got on?\" \"Oh, very badly,\" said he, and then they lamented their misfortune together, but they said nothing about it to the youngest, for they did not like him at all, and always called him Stupid Hans, because he did not exactly belong to the forest. On the third day, the youngest stayed at home, and again the little mannikin came and begged for a piece of bread. When the youth gave it to him, the elf let it fall as before, and asked him to be so good as to give him that piece again. Then said Hans to the little mannikin, \"What! canst thou not pick up that piece thyself? If thou wilt not take as much trouble as that
for thy daily bread, thou dost not deserve to have it.\" Then the mannikin grew very angry and said he was to do it, but the huntsman would not, and took my dear mannikin, and gave him a thorough beating. Then the mannikin screamed terribly, and cried, \"Stop, stop, and let me go, and I will tell thee where the King's daughters are.\" When Hans heard that, he left off beating him and the mannikin told him that he was an earth mannikin, and that there were more than a thousand like him, and that if he would go with him he would show him where the King's daughters were. Then he showed him a deep well, but there was no water in it. And the elf said that he knew well that the companions Hans had with him did not intend to deal honourably with him, therefore if he wished to deliver the King's children, he must do it alone. The two other brothers would also be very glad to recover the King's daughters, but they did not want to have any trouble or danger. Hans was therefore to take a large basket, and he must seat himself in it with his hanger and a bell, and be let down. Below were three rooms, and in each of them was a princess, with a many-headed dragon, whose heads she was to comb and trim, but he must cut them off. And having said all this, the elf vanished. When it was evening the two brothers came and asked how he had got on, and he said, \"pretty well so far,\" and that he had seen no one except at mid-day when a little mannikin had come and begged for a piece of bread, that he had given some to him, but that the mannikin had let it fall and had asked him to pick it up again; but as he did not choose to do that, the elf had begun to lose his temper, and that he had done what he ought not, and had given the elf a beating, on which he had told him where the King's daughters were. Then the two were so angry at this that they grew green and yellow. Next morning they went to the well together, and drew lots who should first seat himself in the basket, and again the lot fell on the eldest, and he was to seat himself in it, and take the bell with him. Then he said, \"If I ring, you must draw me up again immediately.\" When he had gone down for a short distance, he rang, and they at once drew him up again. Then the second seated himself in the basket, but he did just the same as the first, and then it was the turn of the youngest, but he let himself be lowered quite to the bottom. When he had got out of the basket, he took his hanger, and went and stood outside the first door and listened, and heard the dragon snoring quite loudly. He opened the door slowly, and one of the princesses was sitting there, and had nine dragon's heads lying upon her lap, and was combing them. Then he took his hanger and hewed at them, and the nine fell off. The princess sprang up, threw her arms round his neck, embraced and kissed him repeatedly, and took her stomacher, which was made of pure gold, and hung it round his neck. Then he went to the second princess, who had a dragon with five heads to comb, and delivered her also, and to the youngest, who had a dragon with four heads, he went likewise. And they all rejoiced, and embraced him and kissed him without stopping. Then he rang very loud, so that those above heard him, and he placed the princesses one after the other in the basket, and had them all drawn up, but when it came to his own turn he remembered the words of the elf, who had told him that his comrades did not mean well by him. So he took a great stone which was lying there, and placed it in the basket, and when it was about half way up, his false brothers above cut the rope, so that the basket with the stone fell to the ground, and they thought that he was dead, and ran away with the three princesses, making them promise to tell their father that it was they who had delivered them, and then they went to the King, and each demanded a princess in marriage. In the meantime the youngest huntsman was wandering about the three chambers in great trouble, fully expecting to have to end his days there, when he saw, hanging on the wall, a flute; then said he, \"Why dost thou hang there, no one can be merry here?\" He looked at the dragons, heads likewise and said, \"You too cannot help me now.\" He walked backwards and forwards for such a long time that he made the surface of the ground quite smooth. But at last other thoughts came to his mind, and he took
the flute from the wall, and played a few notes on it, and suddenly a number of elves appeared, and with every note that he sounded one more came. Then he played until the room was entirely filled. They all asked what he desired, so he said he wished to get above ground back to daylight, on which they seized him by every hair that grew on his head, and thus they flew with him onto the earth again. When he was above ground, he at once went to the King's palace, just as the wedding of one princess was about to be celebrated, and he went to the room where the King and his three daughters were. When the princesses saw him they fainted. Hereupon the King was angry, and ordered him to be put in prison at once, because he thought he must have done some injury to the children. When the princesses came to themselves, however, they entreated the King to set him free again. The King asked why, and they said that they were not allowed to tell that, but their father said that they were to tell it to the stove. And he went out, listened at the door, and heard everything. Then he caused the two brothers to be hanged on the gallows, and to the third he gave his youngest daughter, and on that occasion I wore a pair of glass shoes, and I struck them against a stone, and they said, \"Klink,\" and were broken.
The King of the Golden Mountain There was a certain merchant who had two children, a boy and a girl; they were both young, and could not walk. And two richly-laden ships of his sailed forth to sea with all his property on board, and just as he was expecting to win much money by them, news came that they had gone to the bottom, and now instead of being a rich man he was a poor one, and had nothing left but one field outside the town. In order to drive his misfortune a little out of his thoughts, he went out to this field, and as he was walking forwards and backwards in it, a little black mannikin stood suddenly by his side, and asked why he was so sad, and what he was taking so much to heart. Then said the merchant, \"If thou couldst help me I would willingly tell thee.\" \"Who knows?\" replied the black dwarf. \"Perhaps, I can help thee.\" Then the merchant told him that all he possessed had gone to the bottom of the sea, and that he had nothing left but this field. \"Do not trouble thyself,\" said the dwarf. \"If thou wilt promise to give me the first thing that rubs itself against thy leg when thou art at home again, and to bring it here to this place in twelve years' time, thou shalt have as much money as thou wilt.\" The merchant thought, \"What can that be but my dog?\" and did not remember his little boy, so he said yes, gave the black man a written and sealed promise, and went home. When he reached home, his little boy was so delighted that he held by a bench, tottered up to him and seized him fast by the legs. The father was shocked, for he remembered his promise, and now knew what he had pledged himself to do; as however, he still found no money in his chest, he thought the dwarf had only been jesting. A month afterwards he went up to the garret, intending to gather together some old tin and to sell it, and saw a great heap of money lying. Then he was happy again, made purchases, became a greater merchant than before, and felt that this world was well-governed. In the meantime the boy grew tall, and at the same time sharp and clever. But the nearer the twelfth year approached the more anxious grew the merchant, so that his distress might be seen in his face. One day his son asked what ailed him, but the father would not say. The boy, however, persisted so long, that at last he told him that without being aware of what he was doing, he had promised him to a black dwarf, and had received much money for doing so. He said likewise that he had set his hand and seal to this, and that now when twelve years had gone by he would have to give him up. Then said the son, \"Oh, father, do not be uneasy, all will go well. The black man has no power over me.\" The son had himself blessed by the priest, and when the time came, father and son went together to the field, and the son made a circle and placed himself inside it with his father. Then came the black dwarf and said to the old man, \"Hast thou brought with thee that which thou hast promised me?\"
He was silent, but the son asked, \"What dost thou want here?\" Then said the black dwarf, \"I have to speak with thy father, and not with thee.\" The son replied, \"Thou hast betrayed and misled my father, give back the writing.\" \"No,\" said the black dwarf, \"I will not give up my rights.\" They spoke together for a long time after this, but at last they agreed that the son, as he did not belong to the enemy of mankind, nor yet to his father, should seat himself in a small boat, which should lie on water which was flowing away from them, and that the father should push it off with his own foot, and then the son should remain given up to the water. So he took leave of his father, placed himself in a little boat, and the father had to push it off with his own foot. The boat capsized so that the keel was uppermost, and the father believed his son was lost, and went home and mourned for him. The boat, however, did not sink, but floated quietly away, and the boy sat safely inside it, and it floated thus for a long time, until at last it stopped by an unknown shore. Then he landed and saw a beautiful castle before him, and set out to go to it. But when he entered it, he found that it was bewitched. He went through every room, but all were empty until he reached the last, where a snake lay coiled in a ring. The snake, however, was an enchanted maiden, who rejoiced to see him, and said, \"Hast thou come, oh, my deliverer? I have already waited twelve years for thee; this kingdom is bewitched, and thou must set it free.\" \"How can I do that?\" he inquired. \"To-night come twelve black men, covered with chains who will ask what thou art doing here; keep silent; give them no answer, and let them do what they will with thee; they will torment thee, beat thee, stab thee; let everything pass, only do not speak; at twelve o'clock, they must go away again. On the second night twelve others will come; on the third, four-and-twenty, who will cut off thy head, but at twelve o'clock their power will be over, and then if thou hast endured all, and hast not spoken the slightest word, I shall be released. I will come to thee, and will have, in a bottle, some of the water of life. I will rub thee with that, and then thou wilt come to life again, and be as healthy as before.\" Then said he, \"I will gladly set thee free.\" And everything happened just as she had said; the black men could not force a single word from him, and on the third night the snake became a beautiful princess, who came with the water of life and brought him back to life again. So she threw herself into his arms and kissed him, and there was joy and gladness in the whole castle. After this their marriage was celebrated, and he was King of the Golden Mountain. They lived very happily together, and the Queen bore a fine boy. Eight years had already gone by, when the King bethought him of his father; his heart was moved, and he wished to visit him. The Queen, however, would not let him go away, and said, \"I know beforehand that it will cause my unhappiness;\" but he suffered her to have no rest until she consented. At their parting she gave him a wishing-ring, and said, \"Take this ring and put it on thy finger, and then thou wilt immediately be transported whithersoever thou wouldst be, only thou must promise me not to use it in wishing me away from this place and with thy father.\" That he promised her, put the ring on his finger, and wished himself at home, just outside the town where his father lived. Instantly he found himself there, and made for the town, but when he came to the gate, the sentries would not let him in, because he wore such strange and yet such rich and magnificent clothing. Then he went to a hill where a shepherd was watching his sheep, changed clothes with him, put on his old shepherd's-coat, and then entered the town without hindrance. When he came to his father, he made himself known to him, but he did not at all believe that the shepherd was his son, and said he certainly had had a son, but that he was dead long ago; however, as he saw he was a poor, needy shepherd, he would give him something to eat. Then the shepherd said to his parents, \"I am verily your son. Do you know of no mark on my body by which you could recognize me?\" \"Yes,\" said his mother, \"our son had a raspberry mark under his right
arm.\" He slipped back his shirt, and they saw the raspberry under his right arm, and no longer doubted that he was their son. Then he told them that he was King of the Golden Mountain, and a king's daughter was his wife, and that they had a fine son of seven years old. Then said the father, \"That is certainly not true; it is a fine kind of a king who goes about in a ragged shepherd's-coat.\" On this the son fell in a passion, and without thinking of his promise, turned his ring round, and wished both his wife and child with him. They were there in a second, but the Queen wept, and reproached him, and said that he had broken his word, and had brought misfortune upon her. He said, \"I have done it thoughtlessly, and not with evil intention,\" and tried to calm her, and she pretended to believe this; but she had mischief in her mind. Then he led her out of the town into the field, and showed her the stream where the little boat had been pushed off, and then he said, \"I am tired; sit down, I will sleep awhile on thy lap.\" And he laid his head on her lap, and fell asleep. When he was asleep, she first drew the ring from his finger, then she drew away the foot which was under him, leaving only the slipper behind her, and she took her child in her arms, and wished herself back in her own kingdom. When he awoke, there he lay quite deserted, and his wife and child were gone, and so was the ring from his finger, the slipper only was still there as a token. \"Home to thy parents thou canst not return,\" thought he, \"they would say that thou wast a wizard; thou must be off, and walk on until thou arrivest in thine own kingdom.\" So he went away and came at length to a hill by which three giants were standing, disputing with each other because they did not know how to divide their father's property. When they saw him passing by, they called to him and said little men had quick wits, and that he was to divide their inheritance for them. The inheritance, however, consisted of a sword, which had this property that if any one took it in his hand, and said, \"All heads off but mine,\" every head would lie on the ground; secondly, of a cloak which made any one who put it on invisible; thirdly, of a pair of boots which could transport the wearer to any place he wished in a moment. He said, \"Give me the three things that I may see if they are still in good condition.\" They gave him the cloak, and when he had put it on, he was invisible and changed into a fly. Then he resumed his own form and said, \"The cloak is a good one, now give me the sword.\" They said, \"No, we will not give thee that; if thou were to say, All heads off but mine,' all our heads would be off, and thou alone wouldst be left with thine.\" Nevertheless they gave it to him with the condition that he was only to try it against a tree. This he did, and the sword cut in two the trunk of a tree as if it had been a blade of straw. Then he wanted to have the boots likewise, but they said, \"No, we will not give them; if thou hadst them on thy feet and wert to wish thyself at the top of the hill, we should be left down here with nothing.\" \"Oh, no,\" said he, \"I will not do that.\" So they gave him the boots as well. And now when he had got all these things, he thought of nothing but his wife and his child, and said as though to himself, \"Oh, if I were but on the Golden Mountain,\" and at the same moment he vanished from the sight of the giants, and thus their inheritance was divided. When he was near his palace, he heard sounds of joy, and fiddles, and flutes, and the people told him that his wife was celebrating her wedding with another. Then he fell into a rage, and said, \"False woman, she betrayed and deserted me whilst I was asleep!\" So he put on his cloak, and unseen by all went into the palace. When he entered the dining-hall a great table was spread with delicious food, and the guests were eating and drinking, and laughing, and jesting. She sat on a royal seat in the midst of them in splendid apparel, with a crown on her head. He placed himself behind her, and no one saw him. When she put a piece of meat on a plate for herself, he took it away and ate it, and when she poured out a glass of wine for herself, he took it away and drank it. She was always helping herself to something, and yet she never got anything, for plate and glass disappeared immediately. Then dismayed and ashamed, she arose and went to her chamber and wept, but he followed her there. She
said, \"Has the devil power over me, or did my deliverer never come?\" Then he struck her in the face, and said, \"Did thy deliverer never come? It is he who has thee in his power, thou traitor. Have I deserved this from thee?\" Then he made himself visible, went into the hall, and cried, \"The wedding is at an end, the true King has returned.\" The kings, princes, and councillors who were assembled there, ridiculed and mocked him, but he did not trouble to answer them, and said, \"Will you go away, or not?\" On this they tried to seize him and pressed upon him, but he drew his sword and said, \"All heads off but mine,\" and all the heads rolled on the ground, and he alone was master, and once more King of the Golden Mountain.
The Raven There was once upon a time a Queen who had a little daughter who was still so young that she had to be carried. One day the child was naughty, and the mother might say what she liked, but the child would not be quiet. Then she became impatient, and as the ravens were flying about the palace, she opened the window and said, \"I wish you were a raven and would fly away, and then I should have some rest.\" Scarcely had she spoken the words, before the child was changed into a raven, and flew from her arms out of the window. It flew into a dark forest, and stayed in it a long time, and the parents heard nothing of their child. Then one day a man was on his way through this forest and heard the raven crying, and followed the voice, and when he came nearer, the bird said, \"I am a king's daughter by birth, and am bewitched, but thou canst set me free.\" \"What am I to do,\" asked he. She said, \"Go further into the forest, and thou wilt find a house, wherein sits an aged woman, who will offer thee meat and drink, but you must accept nothing, for if you eatest and drinkest anything, thou wilt fall into a sleep, and then thou wilt not be able to deliver me. In the garden behind the house there is a great heap of tan, and on this thou shalt stand and wait for me. For three days I will come every afternoon at two o'clock in a carriage. On the first day four white horses will be harnessed to it, then four chestnut horses, and lastly four black ones; but if thou art not awake, but sleeping, I shall not be set free.\" The man promised to do everything that she desired, but the raven said, alas, \"I know already that thou wilt not deliver me; thou wilt accept something from the woman.\" Then the man once more promised that he would certainly not touch anything either to eat or to drink. But when he entered the house the old woman came to him and said, \"Poor man, how faint you are; come and refresh yourself; eat and drink.\" \"No,\" said the man, \"I will not eat or drink.\" She, however, let him have no peace, and said, \"If you will not eat, take one drink out of the glass; one is nothing.\" Then he let himself be persuaded, and drank. Shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon he went into the garden to the tan heap to wait for the raven. As he was standing there, his weariness all at once became so great that he could not struggle against it, and lay down for a short time, but he was determined not to go to sleep. Hardly, however, had he lain down, than his eyes closed of their own accord, and he fell asleep and slept so soundly that nothing in the world could have aroused him. At two o'clock the raven came driving up with four white horses, but she was already in deep grief and said, \"I know he is asleep.\" And when she came into the garden, he was indeed lying there asleep on the heap of tan. She alighted from the carriage, went to him, shook him, and called him, but he did not awake. Next day about noon, the old woman came again and brought him food and drink, but he would not take any of it. But she let him have no rest and persuaded him until at length he again took one drink out of the glass. Towards two o'clock he went into the garden to the tan heap to wait for the raven, but all at once felt such a great weariness that his limbs would no longer support him. He could not help himself, and was forced to lie down, and fell into a heavy sleep. When the raven drove up with four brown horses, she was already full of grief, and said, \"I know he is asleep.\" She went to him, but there he lay sleeping, and there was no wakening him. Next day the old woman asked what was the meaning of this? He was neither eating nor drinking anything; did he want to die? He replied, \"I am not allowed to eat or drink, and will not do so.\" But she set a dish with food, and a glass with wine before him, and when he smelt it he could not resist, and swallowed a deep draught. When the
time came, he went out into the garden to the heap of tan, and waited for the King's daughter; but he became still more weary than on the day before, and lay down and slept as soundly as if he had been a stone. At two o'clock the raven came with four black horses, and the coachman and everything else was black. She was already in the deepest grief, and said, \"I know that he is asleep and cannot deliver me.\" When she came to him, there he was lying fast asleep. She shook him and called him, but she could not waken him. Then she laid a loaf beside him, and after that a piece of meat, and thirdly a bottle of wine, and he might consume as much of all of them as he liked, but they would never grow less. After this she took a gold ring from her finger, and put it on his, and her name was graven on it. Lastly, she laid a letter beside him wherein was written what she had given him, and that none of the things would ever grow less; and in it was also written, \"I see right well that here you will never be able to deliver me, but if thou art still willing to deliver me, come to the golden castle of Stromberg; it lies in thy power, of that I am certain.\" And when she had given him all these things, she seated herself in her carriage, and drove to the golden castle of Stromberg. When the man awoke and saw that he had slept, he was sad at heart, and said, \"She has certainly driven by, and I have not set her free.\" Then he perceived the things which were lying beside him, and read the letter wherein was written how everything had happened. So he arose and went away, intending to go to the golden castle of Stromberg, but he did not know where it was. After he had walked about the world for a long time, he entered into a dark forest, and walked for fourteen days, and still could not find his way out. Then it was once more evening, and he was so tired that he lay down in a thicket and fell asleep. Next day he went onwards, and in the evening, as he was again about to lie down beneath some bushes, he heard such a howling and crying that he could not go to sleep. And at the time when people light the candles, he saw one glimmering, and arose and went towards it. Then he came to a house which seemed very small, for in front of it a great giant was standing. He thought to himself, \"If I go in, and the giant sees me, it will very likely cost me my life.\" At length he ventured it and went in. When the giant saw him, he said, \"It is well that thou comest, for it is long since I have eaten; I will at once eat thee for my supper.\" \"I'd rather you would leave that alone,\" said the man, \"I do not like to be eaten; but if thou hast any desire to eat, I have quite enough here to satisfy thee.\" \"If that be true,\" said the giant, \"thou mayst be easy, I was only going to devour thee because I had nothing else.\" Then they went, and sat down to the table, and the man took out the bread, wine, and meat which would never come to an end. \"This pleases me well,\" said the giant, and ate to his heart's content. Then the man said to him, \"Canst thou tell me where the golden castle of Stromberg is?\" The giant said, \"I will look at my map; all the towns, and villages, and houses are to be found on it.\" He brought out the map which he had in the room and looked for the castle, but it was not to be found on it. \"It's no matter!\" said he, \"I have some still larger maps in my cupboard upstairs, and we will look in them.\" But there, too, it was in vain. The man now wanted to go onwards, but the giant begged him to wait a few days longer until his brother, who had gone out to bring some provisions, came home. When the brother came home they inquired about the golden castle of Stromberg. He replied, \"When I have eaten and have had enough, I will look in the map.\" Then he went with them up to his chamber, and they searched in his map, but could not find it. Then he brought out still older maps, and they never rested until they found the golden castle of Stromberg, but it was many thousand miles away. \"How am I to get there?\" asked the man. The giant said, \"I have two hours' time, during which I will carry you into the neighbourhood, but after that I must be at home to suckle the child that we have.\" So the giant carried the man to about a hundred leagues from the castle, and said, \"Thou canst very well walk the rest of the way alone.\" And he turned back, but the man went onwards day and night, until at length he came to the golden castle of Stromberg. It stood on a glass-
mountain, and the bewitched maiden drove in her carriage round the castle, and then went inside it. He rejoiced when he saw her and wanted to climb up to her, but when he began to do so he always slipped down the glass again. And when he saw that he could not reach her, he was filled with trouble, and said to himself, \"I will stay down here below, and wait for her.\" So he built himself a hut and stayed in it for a whole year, and every day saw the King's daughter driving about above, but never could go to her. Then one day he saw from his hut three robbers who were beating each other, and cried to them, \"God be with ye!\" They stopped when they heard the cry, but as they saw no one, they once more began to beat each other, and that too most dangerously. So he again cried, \"God be with ye!\" Again they stopped, looked round about, but as they saw no one they went on beating each other. Then he cried for the third time, \"God be with ye,\" and thought, \"I must see what these three are about,\" and went thither and asked why they were beating each other so furiously. One of them said that he found a stick, and that when he struck a door with it, that door would spring open. The next said that he had found a mantle, and that whenever he put it on, he was invisible, but the third said he had found a horse on which a man could ride everywhere, even up the glass-mountain. And now they did not know whether they ought to have these things in common, or whether they ought to divide them. Then the man said, \"I will give you something in exchange for these three things. Money indeed have I not, but I have other things of more value; but first I must try yours to see if you have told the truth.\" Then they put him on the horse, threw the mantle round him, and gave him the stick in his hand, and when he had all these things they were no longer able to see him. So he gave them some vigorous blows and cried, \"Now, vagabonds, you have got what you deserve, are you satisfied?\" And he rode up the glass-mountain, but when he came in front of the castle at the top, it was shut. Then he struck the door with his stick, and it sprang open immediately. He went in and ascended the stairs until he came to the hall where the maiden was sitting with a golden cup full of wine before her. She, however, could not see him because he had the mantle on. And when he came up to her, he drew from his finger the ring which she had given him, and threw it into the cup so that it rang. Then she cried, \"That is my ring, so the man who is to set me free must be here.\" They searched the whole castle and did not find him, but he had gone out, and had seated himself on the horse and thrown off the mantle. When they came to the door, they saw him and cried aloud in their delight.* Then he alighted and took the King's daughter in his arms, but she kissed him and said, \"Now hast thou set me free, and to- morrow we will celebrate our wedding.\"
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