The History of Jack the Giant-Killer In the reign of the famous King Arthur there lived in Cornwall a lad named Jack, who was a boy of a bold temper, and took delight in hearing or reading of conjurers, giants, and fairies; and used to listen eagerly to the deeds of the knights of King Arthurs Round Table. In those days there lived on St. Michaels Mount, off Cornwall, a huge giant, eighteen feet high and nine feet round; his fierce and savage looks were the terror of all who beheld him. He dwelt in a gloomy cavern on the top of the mountain, and used to wade over to the mainland in search of prey; when he would throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie three times as many sheep and hogs round his waist, and march back to his own abode. The giant had done this for many years when Jack resolved to destroy him. Jack took a horn, a shovel, a pickaxe, his armor, and a dark lantern, and one winters evening he went to the mount. There he dug a pit twenty-two feet deep and twenty broad. He covered the top over so as to make it look like solid ground. He then blew his horn so loudly that the giant awoke and came out of his den crying out: You saucy villain! you shall pay for this Ill broil you for my breakfast! He had just finished, when, taking one step further, he tumbled headlong into the pit, and Jack struck him a blow on the head with his pickaxe which killed him. Jack then returned home to cheer his friends with the news. Another giant, called Blunderbore, vowed to be revenged on Jack if ever he should have him in his power. This giant kept an enchanted castle in the midst of a lonely wood; and some time after the death of Cormoran Jack was passing through a wood, and being weary, sat down and went to sleep. The giant, passing by and seeing Jack, carried him to his castle, where he locked him up in a large room, the floor of which was covered with the bodies, skulls and bones of men and women. Soon after the giant went to fetch his brother who was likewise a giant, to take a meal off his flesh; and Jack saw with terror through the bars of his prison the two giants approaching. Jack, perceiving in one corner of the room a strong cord, took courage, and making a slip-knot at each end, he threw them over their heads, and tied it to the window- bars; he then pulled till he had choked them. When they were black in the face he slid down the rope and stabbed them to the heart. Jack next took a great bunch of keys from the pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the castle again. He made a strict search through all the rooms, and in one of them found three ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost starved to death. They told him that their husbands had been killed by the giants, who had then condemned them to be starved to death because they would not eat the flesh of their own dead husbands. Ladies, said Jack, I have put an end to the monster and his wicked brother; and I give you this castle and all the riches it contains, to make some amends for the dreadful pains you have felt. He then very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went further on his journey to Wales. As Jack had but little money, he went on as fast as possible. At length he came to a handsome house. Jack knocked at the door, when there came forth a Welsh giant. Jack said he was a traveler who had lost his way, on which the giant made him welcome, and let him into a room where there was a good bed to sleep in. Jack took off his clothes quickly, but though he was weary he could not go to sleep. Soon after this he heard the giant walking backward and forward in the next room, and saying to himself: Though here you lodge with me this night, You shall not see the morning light; My club shall dash your brains out quite. Say you so? thought Jack. Are these your tricks upon travelers? But I hope to prove as cunning as you are. Then, getting out of bed, he groped about the room, and at last found a large thick billet of wood. He laid it in his own place in the bed, and then hid himself in a dark corner of the room. The giant, about midnight, entered the apartment, and with his bludgeon struck many blows on the bed, in the very place where Jack had laid the log; and then he went back to his own room, thinking he had broken all Jacks bones. Early in the morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the giants room to thank him for his lodging. The giant started when he saw him, and began to stammer out: Oh! dear me; is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or see anything in the dead of the night? Nothing to speak of, said Jack, carelessly; a rat, I believe, gave me three or four slaps with its tail, and disturbed me a little; but I soon went to sleep again. The giant wondered more and more at this; yet he did not answer a word, but went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their breakfast. Jack wanted to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as himself, so he contrived to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and slip the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put it into his mouth. When breakfast was over he said to the giant: Now I will show you a fine trick. I can cure all wounds with a touch; I could cut off my head in one minute, and the next put it sound again on my shoulders. You shall see an example. He then took hold of the knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled out upon the floor. Ods splutter hur nails! cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack, hur can do that hurself; so he snatched up the knife, plunged it into his own stomach, and in a moment dropped down dead. Jack, having hitherto been successful in all his under- takings, resolved not to be idle in future; he therefore furnished himself with a horse, a cap of knowledge, a sword of sharpness, shoes of swiftness, and an invisible coat, the better to perform the wonderful enterprises that lay before him. He traveled over high hills, and on the third day he came to a large and spacious forest through which his road lay. Scarcely had he entered the forest when he beheld a monstrous giant dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight and his lady. Jack alighted from his horse, and tying him to an oak tree, put on his invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness. When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could not reach his body, but wounded his thighs in several places; and at length, putting both hands to his sword and aiming with all his might, he cut off both his legs. Then Jack, setting his foot upon his neck, plunged his sword into the giants body, when the monster gave a groan and expired. The knight and his lady thanked Jack for their deliverance, and invited him to their house, to receive a proper reward for his services. No, said Jack, I cannot be easy till I find out this monsters habitation. So, taking the knights directions, he mounted his horse and soon after came in sight of another giant, who was sitting on a block of timber waiting for his brothers return. Jack alighted from his horse, and, putting on his invisible coat, approached and aimed a blow at the giants head, but, missing his aim, he only cut off his nose. On this the giant seized his club and laid about him most unmercifully. Nay, said Jack, if this be the case Id better dispatch you! so, jumping upon the block, he stabbed him in the back, when he dropped down dead. Jack then proceeded on his journey, and traveled over hills and dales, till arriving at the foot of a high mountain he knocked at the door of a lonely house, when an old man let him in. When Jack was seated the hermit thus addressed him: My son, on the top of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept by the giant Galligantus and a vile magician. I lament the fate of a dukes daughter, whom they seized as she was walking in her fathers garden, and brought hither transformed into a deer. Jack promised that in the morning, at the risk of his life, he would break the enchantment; and after a sound sleep he rose early, put on his invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt. When he had climbed to the top of the mountain he saw two fiery griffins, but he passed between them without the least fear of danger, for they could not see him because of his invisible coat. On the castle gate he found a golden trumpet, under which were written these lines: Whoever can this trumpet blow Shall cause the giants overthrow. As soon as Jack had read this he seized the trumpet and blew a shrill blast, which made the gates fly open and the very castle itself tremble. The giant and the conjurer now knew that their wicked course was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind; and every knight and beautiful lady who had been changed into birds and beasts returned to their proper shapes. The castle vanished away like smoke, and the head of the giant Galligantus was then sent to King Arthur. The knights and ladies rested that night at the old mans hermitage, and next day they set out for the Court. Jack then went up to the King, and gave his Majesty an account of all his fierce battles. Jacks fame had now spread through the whole country, and at the Kings desire the duke gave him his daughter in marriage, to the joy of all his kingdom. After this the King gave him a large estate, on which he and his lady lived the rest of their days in joy and contentment. The Black Bull of Norroway And many a hunting song they sung, And song of game and glee; Then tuned to plaintive strains their tongue, Of Scotlands luve and lee. To wilder measures next they turn The Black, Black Bull of Norroway! Sudden the tapers cease to burn, The minstrels cease to play. The Cout of Keeldar, by J. Leyden. In Norroway, langsyne, there lived a certain lady, and she had three dochters. The auldest o them said to her mither: Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, for Im gaun awa to seek my fortune. Her mither did sae; and the dochter gaed awa to an auld witch washerwife and telled her purpose. The auld wife bade her stay that day, and gang and look out o her back door, and see what she could see. She saw nocht the first day. The second day she did the same, and saw nocht. On the third day she looked again, and saw a coach-and-six coming along the road. She ran in and telled the auld wife what she saw. Aweel, quo the auld wife, yons for you. Sae they took her into the coach, and galloped aff. The second dochter next says to her mither: Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, fur Im gaun awa to seek my fortune. Her mither did sae; and awa she gaed to the auld wife, as her sister had dune. On the third day she looked out o the back door, and saw a coach-and-four coming along the road. Aweel, quo the auld wife, yons for you. Sae they took her in, and aff they set. The third dochter says to her mither: Mither, bake me a bannock, and roast me a collop, for Im gaun awa to seek my fortune. Her mither did sae; and awa she gaed to the auld witch-wife. She bade her look out o her back door, and see what she could see. She did sae; and when she came back said she saw nocht. The second day she did the same, and saw nocht. The third day she looked again, and on coming back said to the auld wife she saw nocht but a muckle Black Bull coming roaring alang the road. Aweel, quo the auld wife, yons for you. On hearing this she was next to distracted wi grief and terror; but she was lifted up and set on his back, and awa they went. Aye they traveled, and on they traveled, till the lady grew faint wi hunger. Eat out o my right lug, says the Black Bull, and drink out o my left lug, and set by your leavings. Sae she did as he said, and was wonderfully refreshed. And lang they gaed, and sair they rade, till they came in sight o a very big and bonny castle. Yonder we maun be this night, quo the bull; for my auld brither lives yonder; and presently they were at the place. They lifted her aff his back, and took her in, and sent him away to a park for the night. In the morning, when they brought the bull hame, they took the lady into a fine shining parlor, and gave her a beautiful apple, telling her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait ever mortal was in in the world, and that wad bring her ot. Again she was lifted on the bulls back, and after she had ridden far, and farer than I can tell, they came in sight o a far bonnier castle, and far farther awa than the last. Says the bull till her: Yonder we maun be the night, for my second brither lives yonder; and they were at the place directly. They lifted her down and took her in, and sent the bull to the field for the night. In the morning they took the lady into a fine and rich room, and gave her the finest pear she had ever seen, bidding her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait ever mortal could be in, and that wad get her out ot. Again she was lifted and set on his back, and awa they went. And lang they gaed, and sair they rade, till they came in sight o the far biggest castle, and far farthest aff, they had yet seen. We maun be yonder the night, says the bull, for my young brither lives yonder; and they were there directly. They lifted her down, took her in, and sent the bull to the field for the night. In the morning they took her into a room, the finest of a, and gied her a plum, telling her no to break it till she was in the greatest strait mortal could be in, and that wad get her out ot. Presently they brought hame the bull, set the lady on his back, and awa they went. And aye they gaed, and on they rade, till they came to a dark and ugsome glen, where they stopped, and the lady lighted down. Says the bull to her: Here ye maun stay till I gang and fight the deil. Ye maun seat yoursel on that stane, and move neither hand nor fit till I come back, else Ill never find ye again. And if everything round about ye turns blue I hae beated the deil; but should a things turn red hell hae conquered me. She set hersel down on the stane, and by-and-by a round her turned blue. Oercome wi joy, she lifted the ae fit and crossed it owre the ither, sae glad was she that her companion was victorious. The bull returned and sought for but never could find her. Lang she sat, and aye she grat, till she wearied. At last she rase and gaed awa, she kedna whaur till. On she wandered till she came to a great hill o glass, that she tried a she could to climb, bat wasna able. Round the bottom o the hill she gaed, sabbing and seeking a passage owre, till at last she came to a smiths house; and the smith promised, if she wad serve him seven years, he wad make her iron shoon, wherewi she could climb owre the glassy hill. At seven years end she got her iron shoon, clamb the glassy hill, and chanced to come to the auld washerwifes habitation. There she was telled of a gallant young knight that had given in some bluidy sarks to wash, and whaever washed thae sarks was to be his wife. The auld wife had washed till she was tired, and then she set to her dochter, and baith washed, and they washed, and they better washed, in hopes of getting the young knight; but a they could do they couldna bring out a stain. At length they set the stranger damosel to wark; and whenever she began the stains came out pure and clean, but the auld wife made the knight believe it was her dochter had washed the sarks. So the knight and the eldest dochter were to be married, and the stranger damosel was distracted at the thought of it, for she was deeply in love wi him. So she bethought her of her apple, and breaking it, found it filled with gold and precious jewelry, the richest she had ever seen. All these, she said to the eldest dochter, I will give you, on condition that you put off your marriage for ae day, and allow me to go into his room alone at night. So the lady consented; but meanwhile the auld wife had prepared a sleeping-drink, and given it to the knight, wha drank it, and never wakened till next morning. The lee-lang night ther damosel sabbed and sang: Seven lang years I served for thee, The glassy hill I clamb for thee, The bluidy shirt I wrang for thee; And wilt thou no wauken and turn to me? Next day she kentna what to do for grief. She then brak the pear, and found it filled wi jewelry far richer than the contents o the apple. Wi thae jewels she bargained for permission to be a second night in the young knights chamber; but the auld wife gied him anither sleeping-drink, and he again sleepit till morning. A night she kept sighing and singing as before: Seven lang years I served for thee, &c. Still he sleepit, and she nearly lost hope athegither. But that day when he was out at the hunting, somebody asked him what noise and moaning was yon they heard all last night in his bedchamber. He said he heardna ony noise. But they assured him there was sae; and he resolved to keep waking that night to try what he could hear. That being the third night, and the damosel being between hope and despair, she brak her plum, and it held far the richest jewelry of the three. She bargained as before; and the auld wife, as before, took in the sleeping-drink to the young knights chamber; but he telled her he couldna drink it that night without sweetening. And when she gaed awa for some honey to sweeten it wi, he poured out the drink, and sae made the auld wife think he had drunk it. They a went to bed again, and the damosel began, as before, singing: Seven lang years I served for thee, The glassy hill I clamb for thee, The bluidy shirt I wrang for thee; And wilt thou no wauken and turn to me? He heard, and turned to her. And she telled him a that had befaen her, and he telled her a that had happened to him. And he caused the auld washerwife and her dochter to be burned. And they were married, and he and she are living happy till this day, for aught I ken. The Wonderful Birch Once upon a time there were a man and a woman, who had an only daughter. Now it happened that one of their sheep went astray, and they set out to look for it, and searched and searched, each in n different part of the wood. Then the good wife met a witch, who said to her: `If you spit, you miserable creature, if you spit into the sheath of my knife, or if you run between my legs, I shall change you into a black sheep. The woman neither spat, nor did she run between her legs, but yet the witch changed her into a sheep. Then she made herself look exactly like the woman, and called out to the good man: `Ho, old man, halloa! I have found the sheep already! The man thought the witch was really his wife, and he did not know that his wife was the sheep; so he went home with her, glad at heart because his sheep was found. When they were safe at home the witch said to the man: `Look here, old man, we must really kill that sheep lest it run away to the wood again. The man, who was a peaceable quiet sort of fellow, made no objections, but simply said: `Good, let us do so. The daughter, however, had overheard their talk, and she ran to the flock and lamented aloud: `Oh, dear little mother, they are going to slaughter you! `Well, then, if they do slaughter me, was the black sheeps answer, `eat you neither the meat nor the broth that is made of me, but gather all my bones, and bury them by the edge of the field. Shortly after this they took the black sheep from the flock and slaughtered it. The witch made pease-soup of it, and set it before the daughter. But the girl remembered her mothers warning. She did not touch the soup, but she carried the bones to the edge of the field and buried them there; and there sprang up on the spot a birch tree--a very lovely birch tree. Some time had passed away--who can tell how long they might have been living there?--when the witch, to whom a child had been born in the meantime, began to take an ill-will to the mans daughter, and to torment her in all sorts of ways. Now it happened that a great festival was to be held at the palace, and the King had commanded that all the people should be invited, and that this proclamation should be made: `Come, people all! Poor and wretched, one and all! Blind and crippled though ye be, Mount your steeds or come by sea. And so they drove into the Kings feast all the outcasts, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. In the good mans house, too, preparations were made to go to the palace. The witch said to the man: `Go you on in front, old man, with our youngest; I will give the elder girl work to keep her from being dull in our absence. So the man took the child and set out. But the witch kindled a fire on the hearth, threw a potful of barleycorns among the cinders, and said to the girl: `If you have not picked the barley out of the ashes, and put it all back in the pot before nightfall, I shall eat you up! Then she hastened after the others, and the poor girl stayed at home and wept. She tried to be sure to pick up the grains of barley, but she soon saw how useless her labour was; and so she went in her sore trouble to the birch tree on her mothers grave, and cried and cried, because her mother lay dead beneath the sod and could help her no longer. In the midst of her grief she suddenly heard her mothers voice speak from the grave, and say to her: `Why do you weep, little daughter? `The witch has scattered barleycorns on the hearth, and bid me pick them out of the ashes, said the girl; `that is why I weep, dear little mother. `Do not weep, said her mother consolingly. `Break off one of my branches, and strike the hearth with it crosswise, and all will be put right. The girl did so. She struck the hearth with the birchen branch, and lo! the barleycorns flew into the pot, and the hearth was clean. Then she went back to the birch tree and laid the branch upon the grave. Then her mother bade her bathe on one side of the stem, dry herself on another, and dress on the third. When the girl had done all that, she had grown so lovely that no one on earth could rival her. Splendid clothing was given to her, and a horse, with hair partly of gold, partly of silver, and partly of something more precious still. The girl sprang into the saddle, and rode as swift as an arrow to the palace. As she turned into the courtyard of the castle the Kings son came out to meet her, tied her steed to a pillar, and led her in. He never left her side as they passed through the castle rooms; and all the people gazed at her, and wondered who the lovely maiden was, and from what castle she came; but no one knew her--no one knew anything about her. At the banquet the Prince invited her to sit next him in the place of honour; but the witchs daughter gnawed the bones under the table. The Prince did not see her, and thinking it was a dog, he gave her such a push with his foot that her arm was broken. Are you not sorry for the witchs daughter? It was not her fault that her mother was a witch. Towards evening the good mans daughter thought it was time to go home; but as she went, her ring caught on the latch of the door, for the Kings son had had it smeared with tar. She did not take time to pull it off, but, hastily unfastening her horse from the pillar, she rode away beyond the castle walls as swift as an arrow. Arrived at home, she took off her clothes by the birch tree, left her horse standing there, and hastened to her place behind the stove. In a short time the man and the woman came home again too, and the witch said to the girl: `Ah! you poor thing, there you are to be sure! You dont know what fine times we have had at the palace! The Kings son carried my daughter about, but the poor thing fell and broke her arm. The girl knew well how matters really stood, but she pretended to know nothing about it, and sat dumb behind the stove. The next day they were invited again to the Kings banquet. `Hey! old man, said the witch, `get on your clothes as quick as you can; we are bidden to the feast. Take you the child; I will give the other one work, lest she weary. She kindled the fire, threw a potful of hemp seed among the ashes, and said to the girl: `If you do not get this sorted, and all the seed back into the pot, I shall kill you! The girl wept bitterly; then she went to the birch tree, washed herself on one side of it and dried herself on the other; and this time still finer clothes were given to her, and a very beautiful steed. She broke off a branch of the birch tree, struck the hearth with it, so that the seeds flew into the pot, and then hastened to the castle. Again the Kings son came out to meet her, tied her horse to a pillar, and led her into the banqueting hall. At the feast the girl sat next him in the place of honour, as she had done the day before. But the witchs daughter gnawed bones under the table, and the Prince gave her a push by mistake, which broke her leg--he had never noticed her crawling about among the peoples feet. She was VERY unlucky! The good mans daughter hastened home again betimes, but the Kings son had smeared the door-posts with tar, and the girls golden circlet stuck to it. She had not time to look for it, but sprang to the saddle and rode like an arrow to the birch tree. There she left her horse and her fine clothes, and said to her mother: `I have lost my circlet at the castle; the door-post was tarred, and it stuck fast. `And even had you lost two of them, answered her mother, `I would give you finer ones. Then the girl hastened home, and when her father came home from the feast with the witch, she was in her usual place behind the stove. Then the witch said to her: `You poor thing! what is there to see here compared with what WE have seen at the palace? The Kings son carried my daughter from one room to another; he let her fall, tis true, and my childs foot was broken. The mans daughter held her peace all the time, and busied herself about the hearth. The night passed, and when the day began to dawn, the witch awakened her husband, crying: `Hi! get up, old man! We are bidden to the royal banquet. So the old man got up. Then the witch gave him the child, saying: `Take you the little one; I will give the other girl work to do, else she will weary at home alone. She did as usual. This time it was a dish of milk she poured upon the ashes, saying: `If you do not get all the milk into the dish again before I come home, you will suffer for it. How frightened the girl was this time! She ran to the birch tree, and by its magic power her task was accomplished; and then she rode away to the palace as before. When she got to the courtyard she found the Prince waiting for her. He led her into the hall, where she was highly honoured; but the witchs daughter sucked the bones under the table, and crouching at the peoples feet she got an eye knocked out, poor thing! Now no one knew any more than before about the good mans daughter, no one knew whence she came; but the Prince had had the threshold smeared with tar, and as she fled her gold slippers stuck to it. She reached the birch tree, and laying aside her finery, she said: `Alas I dear little mother, I have lost my gold slippers! `Let them be, was her mothers reply; `if you need them I shall give you finer ones. Scarcely was she in her usual place behind the stove when her father came home with the witch. Immediately the witch began to mock her, saying: `Ah! you poor thing, there is nothing for you to see here, and WE--ah: what great things we have seen at the palace! My little girl was carried about again, but had the ill-luck to fall and get her eye knocked out. You stupid thing, you, what do you know about anything? `Yes, indeed, what can I know? replied the girl; `I had enough to do to get the hearth clean. Now the Prince had kept all the things the girl had lost, and he soon set about finding the owner of them. For this purpose a great banquet was given on the fourth day, and all the people were invited to the palace. The witch got ready to go too. She tied a wooden beetle on where her childs foot should have been, a log of wood instead of an arm, and stuck a bit of dirt in the empty socket for an eye, and took the child with her to the castle. When all the people were gathered together, the Kings son stepped in among the crowd and cried: `The maiden whose finger this ring slips over, whose head this golden hoop encircles, and whose foot this shoe fits, shall be my bride. What a great trying on there was now among them all! The things would fit no one, however. `The cinder wench is not here, said the Prince at last; `go and fetch her, and let her try on the things. So the girl was fetched, and the Prince was just going to hand the ornaments to her, when the witch held him back, saying: `Dont give them to her; she soils everything with cinders; give them to my daughter rather. Well, then the Prince gave the witchs daughter the ring, and the woman filed and pared away at her daughters finger till the ring fitted. It was the same with the circlet and the shoes of gold. The witch would not allow them to be handed to the cinder wench; she worked at her own daughters head and feet till she got the things forced on. What was to be done now? The Prince had to take the witchs daughter for his bride whether he would or no; he sneaked away to her fathers house with her, however, for he was ashamed to hold the wedding festivities at the palace with so strange a bride. Some days passed, and at last he had to take his bride home to the palace, and he got ready to do so. Just as they were taking leave, the kitchen wench sprang down from her place by the stove, on the pretext of fetching something from the cowhouse, and in going by she whispered in the Princes ear as he stood in the yard: `Alas! dear Prince, do not rob me of my silver and my gold. Thereupon the Kings son recognised the cinder wench; so he took both the girls with him, and set out. After they had gone some little way they came to the bank of a river, and the Prince threw the witchs daughter across to serve as a bridge, and so got over with the cinder wench. There lay the witchs daughter then, like a bridge over the river, and could not stir, though her heart was consumed with grief. No help was near, so she cried at last in her anguish: `May there grow a golden hemlock out of my body! perhaps my mother will know me by that token. Scarcely had she spoken when a golden hemlock sprang up from her, and stood upon the bridge. Now, as soon as the Prince had got rid of the witchs daughter he greeted the cinder wench as his bride, and they wandered together to the birch tree which grew upon the mothers grave. There they received all sorts of treasures and riches, three sacks full of gold, and as much silver, and a splendid steed, which bore them home to the palace. There they lived a long time together, and the young wife bore a son to the Prince. Immediately word was brought to the witch that her daughter had borne a son--for they all believed the young Kings wife to be the witchs daughter. `So, so, said the witch to herself; `I had better away with my gift for the infant, then. And so saying she set out. Thus it happened that she came to the bank of the river, and there she saw the beautiful golden hemlock growing in the middle of the bridge, and when she began to cut it down to take to her grandchild, she heard a voice moaning: `Alas! dear mother, do not cut me so! `Are you here? demanded the witch. `Indeed I am, dear little mother, answered the daughter `They threw me across the river to make a bridge of me. In a moment the witch had the bridge shivered to atoms, and then she hastened away to the palace. Stepping up to the young Queens bed, she began to try her magic arts upon her, saying: `Spit, you wretch, on the blade of my knife; bewitch my knifes blade for me, and I shall change you into a reindeer of the forest. `Are you there again to bring trouble upon me? said the young woman. She neither spat nor did anything else, but still the witch changed her into a reindeer, and smuggled her own daughter into her place as the Princes wife. But now the child grew restless and cried, because it missed its mothers care. They took it to the court, and tried to pacify it in every conceivable way, but its crying never ceased. `What makes the child so restless? asked the Prince, and he went to a wise widow woman to ask her advice. `Ay, ay, your own wife is not at home, said the widow woman; `she is living like a reindeer in the wood; you have the witchs daughter for a wife now, and the witch herself for a mother-in- law. `Is there any way of getting my own wife back from the wood again? asked the Prince. `Give me the child, answered the widow woman. `Ill take it with me to-morrow when I go to drive the cows to the wood. Ill make a rustling among the birch leaves and a trembling among the aspens--perhaps the boy will grow quiet when he hears it. `Yes, take the child away, take it to the wood with you to quiet it, said the Prince, and led the widow woman into the castle. `How now? you are going to send the child away to the wood? said the witch in a suspicious tone, and tried to interfere. But the Kings son stood firm by what he had commanded, and said: `Carry the child about the wood; perhaps that will pacify it. So the widow woman took the child to the wood. She came to the edge of a marsh, and seeing a herd of reindeer there, she began all at once to sing-- `Little Bright-eyes, little Redskin, Come nurse the child you bore! That bloodthirsty monster, That man-eater grim, Shall nurse him, shall tend him no more. They may threaten and force as they will, He turns from her, shrinks from her still, and immediately the reindeer drew near, and nursed and tended the child the whole day long; but at nightfall it had to follow the herd, and said to the widow woman: `Bring me the child to-morrow, and again the following day; after that I must wander with the herd far away to other lands. The following morning the widow woman went back to the castle to fetch the child. The witch interfered, of course, but the Prince said: `Take it, and carry it about in the open air; the boy is quieter at night, to be sure, when he has been in the wood all day. So the widow took the child in her arms, and carried it to the marsh in the forest. There she sang as on the preceding day-- `Little Bright-eyes, little Redskin, Come nurse the child you bore! That bloodthirsty monster, That man-eater grim, Shall nurse him, shall tend him no more. They may threaten and force as they will, He turns from her, shrinks from her still, and immediately the reindeer left the herd and came to the child, and tended it as on the day before. And so it was that the child throve, till not a finer boy was to be seen anywhere. But the Kings son had been pondering over all these things, and he said to the widow woman: `Is there no way of changing the reindeer into a human being again? `I dont rightly know, was her answer. `Come to the wood with me, however; when the woman puts off her reindeer skin I shall comb her head for her; whilst I am doing so you must burn the skin. Thereupon they both went to the wood with the child; scarcely were they there when the reindeer appeared and nursed the child as before. Then the widow woman said to the reindeer: `Since you are going far away to-morrow, and I shall not see you again, let me comb your head for the last time, as a remembrance of you. Good; the young woman stript off the reindeer skin, and let the widow woman do as she wished. In the meantime the Kings son threw the reindeer skin into the fire unobserved. `What smells of singeing here? asked the young woman, and looking round she saw her own husband. `Woe is me! you have burnt my skin. Why did you do that? `To give you back your human form again. `Alack-a-day! I have nothing to cover me now, poor creature that I am! cried the young woman, and transformed herself first into a distaff, then into a wooden beetle, then into a spindle, and into all imaginable shapes. But all these shapes the Kings son went on destroying till she stood before him in human form again. Alas! wherefore take me home with you again, cried the young woman, `since the witch is sure to eat me up? `She will not eat you up, answered her husband; and they started for home with the child. But when the witch wife saw them she ran away with her daughter, and if she has not stopped she is running still, though at a great age. And the Prince, and his wife, and the baby lived happy ever afterwards. The Marvellous Musician There was once upon a time a marvellous musician. One day he was wandering through a wood all by himself, thinking now of one thing, now of another, till there was nothing else left to think about. Then he said to himself: `Time hangs very heavily on my hands when Im all alone in the wood. I must try and find a pleasant companion. So he took his fiddle out, and fiddled till he woke the echoes round. After a time a wolf came through the thicket and trotted up to the musician. `Oh! its a Wolf, is it? said he. `Ive not the smallest wish for his society. But the Wolf approached him and said: `Oh, my dear musician, how beautifully you play! I wish youd teach me how its done. `Thats easily learned, answered the fiddler; `you must only do exactly as I tell you. `Of course I will, replied the Wolf. `I can promise that you will find me a most apt pupil. So they joined company and went on their way together, and after a time they came to an old oak tree, which was hollow and had a crack in the middle of the trunk. `Now, said the Musician, `if you want to learn to fiddle, heres your chance. Lay your front paws in this crack. The Wolf did as he was told, and the Musician quickly seized a stone, and wedged both his fore paws so firmly into the crack that he was held there, a fast prisoner. `Wait there till I return, said the Fiddler, and he went on his way. After a time he said to himself again: `Time hangs very heavily on my hands when Im all alone in the wood; I must try and find a companion. So he drew out his fiddle, and fiddled away lustily. Presently a fox slunk through the trees. `Aha I what have we here? said the Musician. `A fox; well, I havent the smallest desire for his company. The Fox came straight up to him and said: `My dear friend, how beautifully you play the fiddle; I would like to learn how you do it. `Nothing easier, said the Musician. `if youll promise to do exactly as I tell you. `Certainly, answered the Fox, `you have only to say the word. `Well, then, follow me, replied the Fiddler. When they had gone a bi of the way, they came to a path with high trees on each side. Here the Musician halted, bent a stout hazel bough down to the ground from one side of the path, and put his foot on the end of it to keep it down. Then he bent a branch down from the other side and said: `Give me your left front paw, my little Fox, if you really wish to learn how its done. The Fox did as he was told, and the Musician tied his front paw to the end of one of the branches. `Now, my friend, he said, `give me your right paw. This he bound to the other branch, and having carefully seen that his knots were all secure, he stepped off the ends of the branches, and they sprang back, leaving the poor Fox suspended in mid-air. `Just you wait where you are till I return, said the Musician, and he went on his way again. Once more he said to himself: `Time hangs heavily on my hands when Im all alone in the wood; I must try and find another companion. So he took out his fiddle and played as merrily as before. This time a little hare came running up at the sound. `Oh! here comes a hare, said the Musician; `Ive not the smallest desire for his company. `How beautifully you play, dear Mr. Fiddler, said the little Hare. `I wish I could learn how you do it. `Its easily learnt, answered the Musician; `just do exactly as I tell you. `That I will, said the Hare, `you will find me a most attentive pupil. They went on a bit together, till they came to a thin part of the wood, where they found an aspen tree growing. The Musician bound a long cord round the little Hares neck, the other end of which he fastened to the tree. `Now, my merry little friend, said the Musician, `run twenty times round the tree. The little Hare obeyed, and when it had run twenty times round the tree, the cord had twisted itself twenty times round the trunk, so that the poor little beast was held a fast prisoner, and it might bite and tear as much as it liked, it couldnt free itself, and the cord only cut its tender neck. `Wait there till I return, said the Musician, and went on his way. In the meantime the Wolf had pulled and bitten and scratched at the stone, till at last he succeeded in getting his paws out. Full of anger, he hurried after the Musician, determined when he met him to tear him to pieces. When the Fox saw him running by, he called out as loud as he could: `Brother Wolf, come to my rescue, the Musician has deceived me too. The Wolf pulled the branches down, bit the cord in two, and set the Fox free. So they went on their way together, both vowing vengeance on the Musician. They found the poor imprisoned little Hare, and having set him free also, they all set out to look for their enemy. During this time the Musician had once more played his fiddle, and had been more fortunate in the result. The sounds pierced to the ears of a poor woodman, who instantly left his work, and with his hatchet under his arm came to listen to the music. `At last Ive got a proper sort of companion, said the Musician, `for it was a human being I wanted all along, and not a wild animal. And he began playing so enchantingly that the poor man stood there as if bewitched, and his heart leapt for joy as he listened. And as he stood thus, the Wolf and Fox and little Hare came up, and the woodman saw at once that they meant mischief. He lifted his glittering axe and placed himself in front of the Musician, as much as to say: `If you touch a hair of his head, beware, for you will have to answer for it to me. Then the beasts were frightened, and they all three ran back into the wood, and the Musician played the woodman one of his best tunes, by way of thanks, and then continued his way.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 05:29:48 +0000
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