{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_33002/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_33002","id":"gutenberg_33002","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33002","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fairy tales -- Czechoslovakia"],"text":"Produced by Suzanne Shell, Dianne Nolan and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This\nfile was produced from images generously made available\nby The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  THE SHOEMAKER'S\n  APRON\n\n  CZECHOSLOVAK FOLK\n  _and_ FAIRY TALES\n\n  PARKER FILLMORE\n\n\n                                                                   $3.50\n\nTHE SHOEMAKER'S APRON\n\n_A Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales_\n\nRetold in English by PARKER FILLMORE.\n\nWith illustrations and decorations by JAN MATULKA.\n\nA collection of twenty stories, drawn from original sources, and chosen\nfor their variety of subject and range of interest. Here are fairy tales\nconceived with all the gorgeousness of the Slavic imagination; charming\nlittle nursery tales that might be told in nurseries the world over;\nfolk tales illustrative of the wit of a canny people; and rollicking\ndevil tales as surprising to the Anglo-Saxon imagination as they are\nentertaining.\n\nThey are not in any sense academic translations, but vivid renditions by\na man who, besides being a student of folklore, was an accomplished\nstory-teller in his own right.\n\n_Harcourt, Brace and Company_\n\n383 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK 17, N.Y.\n\n\n\n\n    THE SHOEMAKER'S\n    APRON\n\n    _A Second Book of Czechoslovak\n    Fairy Tales and Folk Tales_\n\n    RETOLD BY\n\n    PARKER FILLMORE\n\n    WITH ILLUSTRATIONS\n    AND DECORATIONS BY\n\n    JAN MATULKA\n\n    [Illustration]\n\n    NEW YORK\n\n    HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY\n\n\n    COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY\n    PARKER FILLMORE\n\n    PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nNOTE\n\n\nThe stories in this volume are all of Czech, Moravian, and Slovak\norigin, and are to be found in many versions in the books of folk tales\ncollected by Erben, Nemcova, Kulda, Dobsinsky, Rimavsky,\nBenes-Trebizsky, Miksicek. I got them first by word of mouth and\nafterwards hunted them out in the old books. My work has been that of\nretelling rather than translating since in most cases I have put myself\nin the place of a storyteller who knows several forms of the same story,\nequally authentic, and from them all fashions a version of his own. It\nis of course always the same story although told in one form to a group\nof children and in another form to a group of soldiers. The audience\nthat I hope particularly to interest is the English-speaking child.\n\nSome few of the stories--such as Nemcova's very beautiful _Twelve\nMonths_ and Erben's spirited _Zlatovlaska_ and to a less degree\nNemcova's hero tale, _Vitazko_--are already in such definitive form that\nit would be profanation to \"edit\" them. They--especially the first\ntwo--have been told once and for all. But the same cannot be said of\nmost of the other stories. Nemcova's renderings are too often diffuse\nand inconsequential, Kulda's dry, pedantic, and homiletic. Erben, the\nscholarly old archivist of Prague, seems to me the greatest literary\nartist of them all. His chief interest in folklore was philological, but\nhe was a poet as well as a scholar and he carried his versions of the\nold stories from the realm of crude folklore to the realm of art.\n\nA small number of the present tales have appeared in earlier English\ncollections coming, nearly always, by way of German or French\ntranslations. In the one case they have been squeezed dry of their\nSlavic exuberance and in the other somewhat dandified. So I make no\napology for offering them afresh.\n\nVariants of most of the tales are, of course, to be found in other\ncountries. Grimm's _The White Snake_, for instance, is a variant of\n_Zlatovlaska_. My rule of selection has been to take stories that do not\nhave well-known variants in other languages. I have to confess that _The\nWhite Snake_ is very well known, but here I break my own rule on account\nof the greater beauty of the Slavic version.\n\nIn Grimm there are also to be found variants of _A Gullible World (The\nShrewd Farmer)_, _The Devil's Little Brother-in-Law (Bearskin)_, _Clever\nManka (The Peasant's Clever Daughter)_, _The Devil's Gifts (The Magic\nGifts)_, _The Candles of Life (The Strange Godfather and Godfather\nDeath)_, _The Shoemaker's Apron (Brother Jolly)_. In all these tales the\nsame incidents are presented but with a difference in spirit and in\nbackground that instantly marks one variant Teutonic and its fellow\nSlavic. Moreover, as stories, the German versions of these particular\ntales are neither as interesting nor as important as the Slavic\nversions.\n\nBoth German and Slavic versions go back, in most cases, to some early\ncommon source. Take _Clever Manka_, for instance, and its German\nvariant, _The Farmer's Shrewd Daughter_. _Clever Manka_ is very popular\namong the Czechs and Slovaks and is considered by them especially\ntypical of their own folk wisdom and folk humor. And they are right: it\nis. But it would be rash to say just how early or how late this story\nbegan to be told among the peoples of the earth. The catch at the end\nappears in a story in the Talmud and at that time it has all the marks\nof a long and honorable career. The story of the devil marrying a scold,\nanother great favorite with the Slavs, also has its Talmudic parallel in\nthe story of Azrael, the Angel of Death, marrying a woman. The Azrael\nstory contains many of the incidents which are used in different\ncombinations in some half-dozen of the folk tales in the present\ncollection. And yet when comparative folklore has said all that it has\nto say about variants and versions the fact remains that every people\nputs its own mark upon the stories that it retells. The story that, in\nthe Talmud, is told of Azrael is Hebrew. The same story passed on down\nthe centuries from people to people appears finally as _Gentle Dora_ or\n_Katcha and the Devil_ or _The Candles of Life_ and then it is\nessentially Slavic in background, humor, and imagination.\n\nBesides its fairy tales and folk tales the present volume contains a\ncluster of charming little nursery tales and a group of rollicking\ndevil tales. It is intended as a companion volume to my earlier\ncollection, _Czechoslovak Fairy Tales_. Together these two books present\nin English a selection of tales that are fairly representative of the\nfolk genius of a small but highly gifted branch of the great Slav\npeople.\n\n                                                                   P. F.\n\n    _May, 1920._\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\nCONTENTS\n\n                                                                     PAGE\n\n  THE TWELVE MONTHS: The Story of Marushka and the Wicked\n    Holena                                                             1\n\n  ZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED: The Story of Yirik and the\n    Snake                                                             23\n\n  THE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY: The Story of the Princess Who Learned\n    to say \"Please\"                                                   45\n\n  VITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS: The Story of a Hero Whose Mother Loved\n    a Dragon                                                          57\n\n  FIVE NURSERY TALES:\n    I KURATKO THE TERRIBLE: The Story of an Ungrateful Chick          91\n\n    II SMOLICHECK: The Story of a Little Boy Who Opened the\n      Door                                                            99\n\n    III BUDULINEK: The Story of Another Little Boy Who Opened\n      the Door                                                       109\n\n    IV THE DEAR LITTLE HEN: The Story of a Rooster that Cheated      123\n\n    V THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER: The Story of Another Little Hen       133\n\n  THE NICKERMAN'S WIFE: The Story of Lidushka and the Imprisoned\n    Doves                                                            139\n\n  BATCHA AND THE DRAGON: The Story of a Shepherd Who Slept all\n    Winter                                                           149\n\n  CLEVER MANKA: The Story of a Girl Who Knew What to Say             165\n\n  THE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL: The Story of a Man Who Found that\n    Death was Necessary                                              177\n\n  A GULLIBLE WORLD: The Story of a Man Who Didn't Beat His Wife      187\n\n  THE CANDLES OF LIFE: The Story of a Child for Whom Death Stood\n    Godmother                                                        197\n\n  THE DEVIL'S GIFTS: The Story of a Man Whom the Devil Befriended    207\n\n  GENTLE DORA: The Story of a Devil Who Married a Scold              225\n\n  THE DEVIL'S MATCH: The Story of a Farmer Who Remembered What\n    His Grandmother Told Him                                         239\n\n  THE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW: The Story of a Youth Who\n    Couldn't Find Work                                               251\n\n  THE SHOEMAKER'S APRON: The Story of the Man Who Sits Near the\n    Golden Gate                                                      271\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWELVE MONTHS\n\nTHE STORY OF MARUSHKA AND THE WICKED HOLENA\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE TWELVE MONTHS\n\n\nThere was once a woman who had two girls. One was her own daughter,\nthe other a stepchild. Holena, her own daughter, she loved dearly,\nbut she couldn't bear even the sight of Marushka, the stepchild.\nThis was because Marushka was so much prettier than Holena.\nMarushka, the dear child, didn't know how pretty she was and so she\nnever understood why, whenever she stood beside Holena, the\nstepmother frowned so crossly.\n\nMother and daughter made Marushka do all the housework alone. She\nhad to cook and wash and sew and spin and take care of the garden\nand look after the cow. Holena, on the contrary, spent all her time\ndecking herself out and sitting around like a grand lady.\n\nMarushka never complained. She did all she was told to do and bore\npatiently their everlasting fault-finding. In spite of all the hard\nwork she did she grew prettier from day to day, and in spite of her\nlazy life Holena grew uglier.\n\n\"This will never do,\" the stepmother thought to herself. \"Soon the\nboys will come courting and once they see how pretty Marushka is,\nthey'll pay no attention at all to my Holena. We had just better do\nall we can to get rid of that Marushka as soon as possible.\"\n\nSo they both nagged Marushka all day long. They made her work harder,\nthey beat her, they didn't give her enough to eat, they did everything\nthey could think of to make her ugly and nasty. But all to no avail.\nMarushka was so good and sweet that, in spite of all their harsh\ntreatment, she kept on growing prettier.\n\nOne day in the middle of January Holena took the notion that nothing\nwould do but she must have a bunch of fragrant violets to put in her\nbodice.\n\n\"Marushka!\" she ordered sharply. \"I want some violets. Go out to the\nforest and get me some.\"\n\n\"Good heavens, my dear sister!\" cried poor Marushka. \"What can you be\nthinking of? Whoever heard of violets growing under the snow in\nJanuary?\"\n\n\"What, you lazy little slattern!\" Holena shouted. \"You dare to argue\nwith me! You go this minute and if you come back without violets I'll\nkill you!\"\n\n[Illustration: _Marushka and Holena_]\n\nThe stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka roughly by the\nshoulder, she pushed her out of the house and slammed the door.\n\nThe poor child climbed slowly up the mountain side weeping bitterly. All\naround the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast in any direction.\nMarushka wandered on and on, weak with hunger and shaking with cold.\n\n\"Dear God in heaven,\" she prayed, \"take me to yourself away from all\nthis suffering.\"\n\nSuddenly ahead of her she saw a glowing light. She struggled towards\nit and found at last that it came from a great fire that was burning\non the top of the mountain. Around the fire there were twelve\nstones, one of them much bigger and higher than the rest. Twelve men\nwere seated on the stones. Three of them were very old and white;\nthree were not so old; three were middle-aged; and three were\nbeautiful youths. They did not talk. They sat silent gazing at the\nfire. They were the Twelve Months.\n\nFor a moment Marushka was frightened and hesitated. Then she stepped\nforward and said, politely:\n\n\"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold.\"\n\nGreat January nodded his head and Marushka reached her stiff fingers\ntowards the flames.\n\n\"This is no place for you, my child,\" Great January said. \"Why are you\nhere?\"\n\n\"I'm hunting for violets,\" Marushka answered.\n\n\"Violets? This is no time to look for violets with snow on the ground!\"\n\n\"I know that, sir, but my sister, Holena, says I must bring her violets\nfrom the forest or she'll kill me and my mother says so, too. Please,\nsir, won't you tell me where I can find some?\"\n\nGreat January slowly stood up and walked over to the youngest Month. He\nhanded him a long staff and said:\n\n\"Here, March, you take the high seat.\"\n\nSo March took the high seat and began waving the staff over the fire.\nThe fire blazed up and instantly the snow all about began to melt. The\ntrees burst into bud; the grass revived; the little pink buds of the\ndaisies appeared; and, lo, it was spring!\n\nWhile Marushka looked, violets began to peep out from among the leaves\nand soon it was as if a great blue quilt had been spread on the ground.\n\n\"Now, Marushka,\" March cried, \"there are your violets! Pick them\nquickly!\"\n\nMarushka was overjoyed. She stooped down and gathered a great bunch.\nThen she thanked the Months politely, bade them good-day, and hurried\naway.\n\nJust imagine Holena and the stepmother's surprise when they saw Marushka\ncoming home through the snow with her hands full of violets. They opened\nthe door and instantly the fragrance of the flowers filled the cottage.\n\n\"Where did you get them?\" Holena demanded rudely.\n\n\"High up in the mountain,\" Marushka said. \"The ground up there is\ncovered with them.\"\n\nHolena snatched the violets and fastened them in her waist. She kept\nsmelling them herself all afternoon and she let her mother smell them,\nbut she never once said to Marushka:\n\n\"Dear sister, won't you take a smell?\"\n\nThe next day as she was sitting idle in the chimney corner she took the\nnotion that she must have some strawberries to eat. So she called\nMarushka and said:\n\n\"Here you, Marushka, go out to the forest and get me some strawberries.\"\n\n\"Good heavens, my dear sister,\" Marushka said, \"where can I find\nstrawberries this time of year? Whoever heard of strawberries growing\nunder the snow?\"\n\n\"What, you lazy little slattern!\" Holena shouted. \"You dare to argue\nwith me! You go this minute and if you come back without strawberries,\nI'll kill you!\"\n\nAgain the stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka roughly by\nthe shoulder, she pushed her out of the house and slammed the door.\n\nAgain the poor child climbed slowly up the mountain side weeping\nbitterly. All around the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast\nin any direction. Marushka wandered on and on, weak with hunger and\nshaking with cold. At last she saw ahead of her the glow of the same\nfire that she had seen the day before. With happy heart she hastened\nto it. The Twelve Months were seated as before with Great January on\nthe high seat.\n\nMarushka bowed politely and said:\n\n\"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold.\"\n\nGreat January nodded and Marushka reached her stiff fingers towards the\nflames.\n\n\"But Marushka,\" Great January said, \"why are you here again? What are\nyou hunting now?\"\n\n\"I'm hunting for strawberries,\" Marushka answered.\n\n\"Strawberries? But, Marushka, my child, it is winter and strawberries do\nnot grow in the snow.\"\n\nMarushka shook her head sadly.\n\n\"I know that, sir, but my sister, Holena, says I must bring her\nstrawberries from the forest or she will kill me and my mother says so,\ntoo. Please, sir, won't you tell me where I can find some?\"\n\nGreat January slowly stood up and walked over to the Month who sat\nopposite him. He handed him the long staff and said:\n\n\"Here, June, you take the high seat.\"\n\nSo June took the high seat and began waving the staff over the fire.\nThe flames blazed high and with the heat the snow all about melted\ninstantly. The earth grew green; the trees decked themselves in\nleaves; the birds began to sing; flowers bloomed and, lo, it was\nsummer! Presently little starry white blossoms covered the ground\nunder the beech trees. Soon these turned to fruit, first green, then\npink, then red, and, with a gasp of delight, Marushka saw that they\nwere ripe strawberries.\n\n\"Now, Marushka,\" June cried, \"there are your strawberries! Pick them\nquickly!\"\n\nMarushka picked an apronful of berries. Then she thanked the Months\npolitely, bade them good-bye, and hurried home.\n\nJust imagine again Holena and the stepmother's surprise as they saw\nMarushka coming through the snow with an apronful of strawberries!\n\nThey opened the door and instantly the fragrance of the berries filled\nthe house.\n\n\"Where did you get them?\" Holena demanded rudely.\n\n\"High up in the mountain,\" Marushka answered, \"under the beech trees.\"\n\nHolena took the strawberries and gobbled and gobbled and gobbled. Then\nthe stepmother ate all she wanted. But it never occurred to either of\nthem to say:\n\n\"Here, Marushka, you take one.\"\n\nThe next day when Holena was sitting idle, as usual, in the chimney\ncorner, the notion took her that she must have some red apples. So she\ncalled Marushka and said:\n\n\"Here you, Marushka, go out to the forest and get me some red apples.\"\n\n\"But, my dear sister,\" Marushka gasped, \"where can I find red apples in\nwinter?\"\n\n[Illustration: _Marushka reached up and picked one apple_]\n\n\"What, you lazy little slattern, you dare to argue with me! You go this\nminute and if you come back without red apples I'll kill you!\"\n\nFor the third time the stepmother sided with Holena and, taking Marushka\nroughly by the shoulder, pushed her out of the house and slammed the\ndoor.\n\nSo again the poor child went out to the forest. All around the snow lay\ndeep with no track of man or beast in any direction. This time Marushka\nhurried straight to the mountain top. She found the Months still seated\nabout their fire with Great January still on the high stone.\n\nMarushka bowed politely and said:\n\n\"Kind sirs, may I warm myself at your fire? I am shaking with cold.\"\n\nGreat January nodded and Marushka reached her stiff fingers towards the\nflames.\n\n\"Why are you here again, Marushka?\" Great January asked. \"What are you\nlooking for now?\"\n\n\"Red apples,\" Marushka answered. \"My sister, Holena, says I must bring\nher some red apples from the forest or she will kill me, and my mother\nsays so, too. Please, sir, won't you tell me where I can find some?\"\n\nGreat January slowly stood up and walked over to one of the older\nMonths. He handed him the long staff and said:\n\n\"Here, September, you take the high seat.\"\n\nSo September took the high seat and began waving the staff over the\nfire. The fire burned and glowed. Instantly the snow disappeared. The\nfields about looked brown and yellow and dry. From the trees the leaves\ndropped one by one and a cool breeze scattered them over the stubble.\nThere were not many flowers, only wild asters on the hillside, and\nmeadow saffron in the valleys, and under the beeches ferns and ivy.\nPresently Marushka spied an apple-tree weighted down with ripe fruit.\n\n\"There, Marushka,\" September called, \"there are your apples. Gather them\nquickly.\"\n\nMarushka reached up and picked one apple. Then she picked another.\n\n\"That's enough, Marushka!\" September shouted. \"Don't pick any more!\"\n\nMarushka obeyed at once. Then she thanked the Months politely, bade them\ngood-bye, and hurried home.\n\nHolena and her stepmother were more surprised than ever to see Marushka\ncoming through the snow with red apples in her hands. They let her in\nand grabbed the apples from her.\n\n\"Where did you get them?\" Holena demanded.\n\n\"High up on the mountain,\" Marushka answered. \"There are plenty of them\ngrowing there.\"\n\n\"Plenty of them! And you only brought us two!\" Holena cried angrily. \"Or\ndid you pick more and eat them yourself on the way home?\"\n\n\"No, no, my dear sister,\" Marushka said. \"I haven't eaten any, truly I\nhaven't. They wouldn't let me pick any more than two. They shouted to me\nnot to pick any more.\"\n\n\"I wish the lightning had struck you dead!\" Holena sneered. \"I've a good\nmind to beat you!\"\n\nAfter a time the greedy Holena left off her scolding to eat one of the\napples. It had so delicious a flavor that she declared she had never in\nall her life tasted anything so good. Her mother said the same. When\nthey had finished both apples they began to wish for more.\n\n\"Mother,\" Holena said, \"go get me my fur cloak. I'm going up the\nmountain myself. No use sending that lazy little slattern again, for she\nwould only eat up all the apples on the way home. I'll find that tree\nand when I pick the apples I'd like to see anybody stop me!\"\n\nThe mother begged Holena not to go out in such weather, but Holena was\nheadstrong and would go. She threw her fur cloak over her shoulders and\nput a shawl on her head and off she went up the mountain side.\n\nAll around the snow lay deep with no track of man or beast in any\ndirection. Holena wandered on and on determined to find those wonderful\napples. At last she saw a light in the distance and when she reached it\nshe found it was the great fire about which the Twelve Months were\nseated.\n\nAt first she was frightened but, soon growing bold, she elbowed her way\nthrough the circle of men and without so much as saying: \"By your\nleave,\" she put out her hands to the fire. She hadn't even the courtesy\nto say: \"Good-day.\"\n\nGreat January frowned.\n\n\"Who are you?\" he asked in a deep voice. \"And what do you want?\"\n\nHolena looked at him rudely.\n\n\"You old fool, what business is it of yours who I am or what I want!\"\n\nShe tossed her head airily and walked off into the forest.\n\nThe frown deepened on Great January's brow. Slowly he stood up and\nwaved the staff over his head. The fire died down. Then the sky grew\ndark; an icy wind blew over the mountain; and the snow began to fall\nso thickly that it looked as if some one in the sky were emptying a\nhuge feather-bed.\n\nHolena could not see a step before her. She struggled on and on. Now\nshe ran into a tree, now she fell into a snowdrift. In spite of her warm\ncloak her limbs began to weaken and grow numb. The snow kept on\nfalling, the icy wind kept on blowing.\n\nDid Holena at last begin to feel sorry that she had been so wicked and\ncruel to Marushka? No, she did not. Instead, the colder she grew, the\nmore bitterly she reviled Marushka in her heart, the more bitterly she\nreviled even the good God Himself.\n\nMeanwhile at home her mother waited for her and waited. She stood at the\nwindow as long as she could, then she opened the door and tried to peer\nthrough the storm. She waited and waited, but no Holena came.\n\n\"Oh dear, oh dear, what can be keeping her?\" she thought to herself.\n\"Does she like those apples so much that she can't leave them, or what\nis it? I think I'll have to go out myself and find her.\"\n\nSo the stepmother put her fur cloak about her shoulders, threw a shawl\nover her head, and started out.\n\nShe called: \"Holena! Holena!\" but no one answered.\n\nShe struggled on and on up the mountain side. All around the snow lay\ndeep with no track of man or beast in any direction.\n\n\"Holena! Holena!\"\n\nStill no answer.\n\nThe snow fell fast. The icy wind moaned on.\n\nAt home Marushka prepared the dinner and looked after the cow. Still\nneither Holena nor the stepmother returned.\n\n\"What can they be doing all this time?\" Marushka thought.\n\nShe ate her dinner alone and then sat down to work at the distaff.\n\nThe spindle filled and daylight faded and still no sign of Holena and\nher mother.\n\n\"Dear God in heaven, what can be keeping them!\" Marushka cried\nanxiously. She peered out the window to see if they were coming.\n\nThe storm had spent itself. The wind had died down. The fields gleamed\nwhite in the snow and up in the sky the frosty stars were twinkling\nbrightly. But not a living creature was in sight. Marushka knelt down\nand prayed for her sister and mother.\n\nThe next morning she prepared breakfast for them.\n\n\"They'll be very cold and hungry,\" she said to herself.\n\nShe waited for them but they didn't come. She cooked dinner for them but\nstill they didn't come. In fact they never came, for they both froze to\ndeath on the mountain.\n\nSo our good little Marushka inherited the cottage and the garden and the\ncow. After a time she married a farmer. He made her a good husband and\nthey lived together very happily.\n\n\n\n\nZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED\n\nTHE STORY OF YIRIK AND THE SNAKE\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nZLATOVLASKA THE GOLDEN-HAIRED\n\n\nThere was once an old king who was so wise that he was able to\nunderstand the speech of all the animals in the world. This is how it\nhappened. An old woman came to him one day bringing him a snake in a\nbasket.\n\n\"If you have this snake cooked,\" she told him, \"and eat it as you would\na fish, then you will be able to understand the birds of the air, the\nbeasts of the earth, and the fishes of the sea.\"\n\nThe king was delighted. He made the old wise woman a handsome present\nand at once ordered his cook, a youth named Yirik, to prepare the \"fish\"\nfor dinner.\n\n\"But understand, Yirik,\" he said severely, \"you're to cook this 'fish,'\nnot eat it! You're not to taste one morsel of it! If you do, you forfeit\nyour head!\"\n\nYirik thought this a strange order.\n\n\"What kind of a cook am I,\" he said to himself, \"that I'm not to sample\nmy own cooking?\"\n\nWhen he opened the basket and saw the \"fish,\" he was further mystified.\n\n\"Um,\" he murmured, \"it looks like a snake to me.\"\n\nHe put it on the fire and, when it was broiled to a turn, he ate a\nmorsel. It had a fine flavor. He was about to take a second bite when\nsuddenly he heard a little voice that buzzed in his ear these words:\n\n\"Give us some, too! Give us some, too!\"\n\nHe looked around to see who was speaking but there was no one in the\nkitchen. Only some flies were buzzing about.\n\nJust then outside a hissing voice called out:\n\n\"Where shall we go? Where shall we go?\"\n\nA higher voice answered:\n\n\"To the miller's barley field! To the miller's barley field!\"\n\nYirik looked out the window and saw a gander with a flock of geese.\n\n\"Oho!\" he said to himself, shaking his head. \"Now I understand! Now I\nknow what kind of 'fish' this is! Now I know why the poor cook was not\nto take a bite!\"\n\nHe slipped another morsel into his mouth, garnished the \"fish\" carefully\non a platter, and carried it to the king.\n\n[Illustration: _Yirik's horse began to prance and neigh_]\n\nAfter dinner the king ordered his horse and told\nYirik to come with him for a ride. The king rode on ahead\nand Yirik followed.\n\nAs they cantered across a green meadow, Yirik's horse began to prance\nand neigh.\n\n\"Ho! Ho!\" he said. \"I feel so light that I could jump over a mountain!\"\n\n\"So could I,\" the king's horse said, \"but I have to remember the old bag\nof bones that is perched on my back. If I were to jump he'd tumble off\nand break his neck.\"\n\n\"And a good thing, too!\" said Yirik's horse. \"Why not? Then instead of\nsuch an old bag of bones you'd get a young man to ride you like Yirik.\"\n\nYirik almost burst out laughing as he listened to the horses' talk, but\nhe suppressed his merriment lest the king should know that he had eaten\nsome of the magic snake.\n\nNow of course the king, too, understood what the horses were saying. He\nglanced apprehensively at Yirik and it seemed to him that Yirik was\ngrinning.\n\n\"What are you laughing at, Yirik?\"\n\n\"Me?\" Yirik said. \"I'm not laughing. I was just thinking of something\nfunny.\"\n\n\"Um,\" said the king.\n\nHis suspicions against Yirik were aroused. Moreover he was afraid to\ntrust himself to his horse any longer. So he turned back to the palace\nat once.\n\nThere he ordered Yirik to pour him out a goblet of wine.\n\n\"And I warn you,\" he said, \"that you forfeit your head if you pour a\ndrop too much or too little.\"\n\nYirik carefully tilted a great tankard and began filling a goblet. As he\npoured a bird suddenly flew into the window pursued by another bird. The\nfirst bird had in its beak three golden hairs.\n\n\"Give them to me! Give them to me! They're mine!\" screamed the second\nbird.\n\n\"I won't! I won't! They're mine!\" the first bird answered. \"I picked\nthem up!\"\n\n\"Yes, but I saw them first!\" the other cried. \"I saw them fall as the\nmaiden sat and combed her golden tresses. Give me two of them and I'll\nlet you keep the third.\"\n\n\"No! No! No! I won't let you have one of them!\"\n\nThe second bird darted angrily at the first and after a struggle\nsucceeded in capturing one of the golden hairs. One hair dropped to the\nmarble floor, making as it struck a musical tinkle, and the first bird\nescaped still holding in its bill a single hair.\n\nIn his excitement over the struggle, Yirik overflowed the goblet.\n\n\"Ha! Ha!\" said the king. \"See what you've done! You forfeit your head!\nHowever, I'll suspend sentence on condition that you find this\ngolden-haired maiden and bring her to me for a wife.\"\n\nPoor Yirik didn't know who the maiden was nor where she lived. But what\ncould he say? If he wanted to keep his head, he must undertake the\nquest. So he saddled his horse and started off at random.\n\nHis road led him through a forest. Here he came upon a bush under which\nsome shepherds had kindled a fire. Sparks were falling on an anthill\nnearby and the ants in great excitement were running hither and thither\nwith their eggs.\n\n\"Yirik!\" they cried. \"Help! Help, or we shall all be burned to death, we\nand our young ones in the eggs!\"\n\nYirik instantly dismounted, cut down the burning bush, and put out the\nfire.\n\n\"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!\" the ants said. \"Your kindness to us this\nday will not go unrewarded. If ever you are in trouble, think of us and\nwe will help you.\"\n\nAs Yirik rode on through the forest, he came upon two fledgling ravens\nlying by the path.\n\n\"Help us, Yirik, help us!\" they cawed. \"Our father and mother have\nthrown us out of the nest in yonder tall fir tree to fend for ourselves.\nWe are young and helpless and not yet able to fly. Give us some meat to\neat or we shall perish with hunger.\"\n\nThe sight of the helpless fledglings touched Yirik to pity. He\ndismounted instantly, drew his sword, and killed his horse. Then he fed\nthe starving birds the meat they needed.\n\n\"Thank you, Yirik, thank you!\" the little ravens croaked. \"You have\nsaved our lives this day. Your kindness will not go unrewarded. If ever\nyou are in trouble, think of us and we will help you.\"\n\nYirik left the young ravens and pushed on afoot. The path through the\nforest was long and wearisome. It led out finally on the seashore.\n\nOn the beach two fishermen were quarreling over a big fish with golden\nscales that lay gasping on the sand.\n\n\"It's mine, I tell you!\" one of the men was shouting. \"It was caught in\nmy net, so of course it's mine!\"\n\nTo this the other one shouted back:\n\n\"But your net would never have caught a fish if you hadn't been out in\nmy boat and if I hadn't helped you!\"\n\n\"Give me this one,\" the first man said, \"and I'll let you have the next\none.\"\n\n\"No! You take the next one!\" the other said. \"This one's mine!\"\n\nSo they kept on arguing to no purpose until Yirik went up to them and\nsaid:\n\n\"Let me decide this for you. Suppose you sell me the fish and then\ndivide the money.\"\n\nHe offered them all the money the king had given him for his journey.\nThe fishermen, delighted at the offer, at once agreed. Yirik handed them\nover the money and then, taking the gasping fish in his hand, he threw\nit back into the sea.\n\nWhen the fish had caught its breath, it rose on a wave and called out to\nYirik:\n\n\"Thank you, Yirik, thank you. You have saved my life this day. Your\nkindness will not go unrewarded. If ever you are in trouble, think of me\nand I will help you.\"\n\nWith that the golden fish flicked its tail and disappeared in the water.\n\n\"Where are you going, Yirik?\" the fishermen asked.\n\n\"I'm going in quest of a golden-haired maiden whom my master, the king,\nwished to make his wife.\"\n\n\"He must mean the Princess Zlatovlaska,\" the fishermen said to each\nother.\n\n\"The Princess Zlatovlaska?\" Yirik repeated. \"Who is she?\"\n\n\"She's the golden-haired daughter of the King of the Crystal Palace. Do\nyou see the faint outlines of an island over yonder? That's where she\nlives. The king has twelve daughters but Zlatovlaska alone has golden\nhair. Each morning at dawn a wonderful glow spreads over land and sea.\nThat's Zlatovlaska combing her golden hair.\"\n\nThe fishermen conferred apart for a moment and then said:\n\n\"Yirik, you settled our dispute for us and now in return we'll row you\nover to the island.\"\n\nSo they rowed Yirik over to the Island of the Crystal Palace and left\nhim there with the warning that the king would probably try to palm off\non him one of the dark-haired princesses.\n\nYirik at once presented himself at the palace, got an audience with the\nking, and declared his mission.\n\n\"H'm,\" the king said. \"So your master desires the hand of my daughter,\nthe Princess Zlatovlaska, eh? H'm, h'm. Well, I see no objection to your\nmaster as a son-in-law, but of course before I entrust the princess into\nyour hands you must prove yourself worthy. I tell you what I'll do: I'll\ngive you three tasks to perform. Be ready for the first one tomorrow.\"\n\nEarly the next day the king said to Yirik:\n\n\"My daughter, Zlatovlaska, had a precious necklace of pearls. She was\nwalking in the meadow over yonder when the string broke and the pearls\nrolled away in the tall grasses. Now your first task is to gather up\nevery last one of those pearls and hand them to me before sundown.\"\n\nYirik went to the meadow and when he saw how broad it was and how\nthickly covered with tall grasses his heart sank for he realized that he\ncould never search over the whole of it in one day. However, he got down\non his hands and knees and began to hunt.\n\nMidday came and he had not yet found a single pearl.\n\n\"Oh dear,\" he thought to himself in despair, \"if only my ants were here,\nthey could help me!\"\n\nHe had no sooner spoken than a million little voices answered:\n\n\"We are here and we're here to help you!\"\n\nAnd sure enough there they were, the very ants that he supposed were far\naway!\n\n\"What do you want us to do?\" they asked.\n\n\"Find me all the pearls that are scattered in this meadow. I can't find\none of them.\"\n\nInstantly the ants scurried hither and thither and soon they began\nbringing him the pearls one by one. Yirik strung them together until the\nnecklace seemed complete.\n\n\"Are there any more?\" he asked.\n\nHe was about to tie the string together when a lame ant, whose foot had\nbeen burned in the fire, hobbled up, crying:\n\n\"Wait, Yirik, don't tie the string yet! Here's the last pearl!\"\n\nYirik thanked the ants for their help and at sundown carried the\nstring of pearls to the king. The king counted the pearls and, to his\nsurprise, found that not one was missing.\n\n\"You've done this well,\" he said. \"Tomorrow I'll give you your second\ntask.\"\n\nThe next day when Yirik presented himself, the king said:\n\n\"While my daughter, Zlatovlaska, was bathing in the sea, a golden ring\nslipped from her finger and disappeared. Your task is to find me this\nring before sundown.\"\n\nYirik went down to the seashore and as he walked along the beach his\nheart grew heavy as he realized the difficulty of the task before him.\nThe sea was clear but so deep that he couldn't even see the bottom. How\nthen could he find the ring?\n\n\"Oh dear,\" he said aloud, \"if only the golden fish were here! It could\nhelp me.\"\n\n\"I am here,\" a voice said, \"and I'm here to help you.\"\n\nAnd there was the golden fish on the crest of a wave, gleaming like a\nflash of fire!\n\n\"What do you want me to do?\" it said.\n\n\"Find me a golden ring that lies somewhere on the bottom of the sea.\"\n\n\"Ah, a golden ring? A moment ago I met a pike,\" the fish said, \"that had\njust such a golden ring. Wait for me here and I'll go find the pike.\"\n\nIn a few moments the golden fish returned with the pike and sure enough\nit was Zlatovlaska's ring that the pike was carrying.\n\nThat evening at sundown the king acknowledged that Yirik had\naccomplished his second task.\n\nThe next day the king said:\n\n\"I could never allow my daughter, Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, to go\nto the kingdom of your master unless she carried with her two flasks,\none filled with the Water of Life, the other with the Water of Death. So\ntoday for a third task I set you this: to bring the princess a flask of\nthe Water of Life and a flask of the Water of Death.\"\n\nYirik had no idea which way to turn. He had heard of the Waters of Life\nand Death, but all he knew about them was that their springs were far\naway beyond the Red Sea. He left the Crystal Palace and walked off\naimlessly until his feet had carried him of themselves into a dark\nforest.\n\n\"If only those young ravens were here,\" he said aloud, \"they could help\nme!\"\n\nInstantly he heard a loud, \"Caw! Caw!\" and two ravens flew down to him,\nsaying:\n\n\"We are here! We are here to help you! What do you want us to do?\"\n\n\"I have to bring the king a flask of the Water of Life and a flask of\nthe Water of Death and I don't know where the springs are. Do you know?\"\n\n\"Yes, we know,\" the ravens said. \"Wait here and we'll soon fetch you\nwater from both springs.\"\n\nThey flew off and in a short time returned, each bearing a gourd of the\nprecious water.\n\nYirik thanked the ravens and carefully filled his two flasks.\n\nAs he was leaving the forest, he came upon a great spider web. An ugly\nspider sat in the middle of it sucking a fly. Yirik took a drop of the\nWater of Death and flicked it on the spider. The spider doubled up dead\nand fell to the ground like a ripe cherry.\n\nThen Yirik sprinkled a drop of Living Water on the fly. The fly\ninstantly revived, pulled itself out of the web, and flew about happy\nand free once again.\n\n\"Thank you, Yirik,\" it buzzed, \"thank you for bringing me back to life.\nYou won't be sorry. Just wait and you'll soon see that I'll reward you!\"\n\nWhen Yirik returned to the palace and presented the two flasks, the king\nsaid:\n\n\"But one thing yet remains. You may take Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired,\nbut you must yourself pick her out from among the twelve sisters.\"\n\nThe king led Yirik into a great hall. The twelve princesses were seated\nabout a table, beautiful maidens all and each looking much like the\nothers. Yirik could not tell which was Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired,\nfor each princess wore a long heavy white veil so draped over her head\nand shoulders that it completely covered her hair.\n\n\"Here are my twelve daughters,\" the king said. \"One of them is\nZlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. Pick her out and you may lead her at\nonce to your master. If you fail to pick her out, then you must depart\nwithout her.\"\n\nIn dismay Yirik looked from sister to sister. There was nothing to show\nhim which was Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired. How was he to find out?\n\nSuddenly he heard a buzzing in his ear and a little voice whispered:\n\n\"Courage, Yirik, courage! I'll help you!\"\n\nHe turned his head quickly and there was the fly he had rescued from the\nspider.\n\n\"Walk slowly by each princess,\" the fly said, \"and I'll tell you when\nyou come to Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired.\"\n\nYirik did as the fly ordered. He stopped a moment before the first\nprincess until the fly buzzed:\n\n\"Not that one! Not that one!\"\n\nHe went on to the next princess and again the fly buzzed:\n\n\"Not that one! Not that one!\"\n\nSo he went on from princess to princess until at last the fly buzzed\nout:\n\n\"Yes, that one! That one!\"\n\nSo Yirik remained standing where he was and said to the king:\n\n\"This, I think, is Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired.\"\n\n\"You have guessed right,\" the king said.\n\nAt that Zlatovlaska removed the white veil from her head and her lovely\nhair tumbled down to her feet like a golden cascade. It shimmered and\nglowed like the sun in the early morning when he peeps over the mountain\ntop. Yirik stared until the brightness dimmed his sight.\n\nThe king immediately prepared Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, for her\njourney. He gave her the two precious flasks of water; he arranged a\nfitting escort; and then with his blessing he sent her forth under\nYirik's care.\n\nYirik conducted her safely to his master.\n\nWhen the old king saw the lovely princess that Yirik had found for him,\nhis eyes blinked with satisfaction, he capered about like a spring\nlamb, and he ordered that immediate preparations be made for the\nwedding. He was most grateful to Yirik and thanked him again and again.\n\n\"My dear boy,\" he said, \"I had expected to have you hanged for your\ndisobedience and let the ravens pick your bones. But now, to show you\nhow grateful I am for the beautiful bride you have found me, I'm not\ngoing to have you hanged at all. Instead, I shall have you beheaded and\nthen given a decent burial.\"\n\nThe execution took place at once in order to be out of the way before\nthe wedding.\n\n\"It's a great pity he had to die,\" the king said as the executioner cut\noff Yirik's head. \"He has certainly been a faithful servant.\"\n\nZlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, asked if she might have his severed head\nand body. The king who was too madly in love to refuse her anything\nsaid: \"Yes.\"\n\nSo Zlatovlaska took the body and the head and put them together. Then\nshe sprinkled them with the Water of Death. Instantly the wound closed\nand soon it healed so completely that there wasn't even a scar left.\n\nYirik lay there lifeless but looking merely as if he were asleep.\nZlatovlaska sprinkled him with the Water of Life and immediately his\ndead limbs stirred. Then he opened his eyes and sat up. Life poured\nthrough his veins and he sprang to his feet younger, fresher, handsomer\nthan before.\n\nThe old king was filled with envy.\n\n\"I, too,\" he cried, \"wish to be made young and handsome!\"\n\nHe commanded the executioner to cut off his head and he told Zlatovlaska\nto sprinkle him afterwards with the Water of Life.\n\nThe executioner did as he was told. Then Zlatovlaska sprinkled the old\nking's head and body with the Water of Life. Nothing happened.\nZlatovlaska kept on sprinkling the Water of Life until there was no more\nleft.\n\n\"Do you know,\" the princess said to Yirik, \"I believe I should have used\nthe Water of Death first.\"\n\nSo now she sprinkled the body and head with the Water of Death and, sure\nenough, they grew together at once. But of course there was no life in\nthem. And of course there was no possible way of putting life into them\nbecause the Water of Life was all gone. So the old king remained dead.\n\n\"This will never do,\" the people said. \"We must have a king. And with\nthe wedding feast and everything prepared we simply must have a wedding,\ntoo. If Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, cannot marry the old king,\nshe'll have to marry some one else. Now who shall it be?\"\n\nSome one suggested Yirik because he was young and handsome and because,\nlike the old king, he could understand the birds and the beasts.\n\n\"Yirik!\" the people cried. \"Let Yirik be our king!\"\n\nAnd Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, who had long since fallen in love\nwith handsome Yirik, consented to have the wedding at once in order that\nthe feast already prepared might not be wasted.\n\nSo Yirik and Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired, were married and they ruled\nso well and they lived so happily that to this day when people say of\nsome one: \"He's as happy as a king,\" they are thinking of King Yirik,\nand when they say of some one: \"She's as beautiful as a queen,\" they are\nthinking of Zlatovlaska, the Golden-Haired.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY\n\nTHE STORY OF A PRINCESS WHO LEARNED TO SAY \"PLEASE\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHEPHERD'S NOSEGAY\n\n\nThere was once a king who had a beautiful daughter. When it was time for\nher to get a husband, the king set a day and invited all the neighboring\nprinces to come and see her.\n\nOne of these princes decided that he would like to have a look at the\nprincess before the others. So he dressed himself in a shepherd's\ncostume: a broad-brimmed hat, a blue smock, a green vest, tight breeches\nto the knees, thick woolen stockings, and sandals. Thus disguised he set\nout for the kingdom where the princess lived. All he took with him were\nfour loaves of bread to eat on the way.\n\nHe hadn't gone far before he met a beggar who begged him, in God's\nname, for a piece of bread. The prince at once gave him one of the\nfour loaves. A little farther on a second beggar held out his hand\nand begged for a piece of bread. To him the prince gave the second\nloaf. To a third beggar he gave the third loaf, and to a fourth\nbeggar the last loaf.\n\nThe fourth beggar said to him:\n\n\"Prince in shepherd's guise, your charity will not go unrewarded. Here\nare four gifts for you, one for each of the loaves of bread that you\nhave given away this day. Take this whip which has the power of killing\nany one it strikes however gentle the blow. Take this beggar's wallet.\nIt has in it some bread and cheese, but not common bread and cheese for,\nno matter how much of it you eat, there will always be some left. Take\nthis shepherd's ax. If ever you have to leave your sheep alone, plant it\nin the earth and the sheep, instead of straying, will graze around it.\nLast, here is a shepherd's pipe. When you blow upon it your sheep will\ndance and play. Farewell and good luck go with you.\"\n\nThe prince thanked the beggar for his gifts and then trudged on to the\nkingdom where the beautiful princess lived. He presented himself at the\npalace as a shepherd in quest of work and he told them his name was Yan.\nThe king liked his appearance and so the next day he was put in charge\nof a flock of sheep which he drove up the mountain side to pasture.\n\nHe planted his shepherd's ax in the midst of a meadow and, leaving his\nsheep to graze about it, he went off into the forest hunting adventures.\nThere he came upon a castle where a giant was busy cooking his dinner in\na big saucepan.\n\n\"Good-day to you,\" Yan said politely.\n\nThe giant, who was a rude, unmannerly fellow, bellowed out:\n\n\"It won't take me long to finish you, you young whippersnapper!\"\n\nHe raised a great iron club to strike Yan but Yan, quick as thought,\nflicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow toppled over dead.\n\nThe next day he returned to the castle and found another giant in\npossession.\n\n\"Ho, ho!\" he roared on sight of Yan. \"What, you young whippersnapper,\nback again! You killed my brother yesterday and now I'll kill you!\"\n\nHe raised his great iron club to strike Yan, but Yan skipped nimbly\naside. Then he flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow\ntoppled over dead.\n\nWhen Yan returned to the castle the third day there were no more giants\nabout. So he wandered from room to room to see what treasures were\nthere.\n\nIn one room he found a big chest. He struck it smartly and immediately\ntwo burly men jumped out and, bowing low before him, said:\n\n\"What does the master of the castle desire?\"\n\n\"Show me everything there is to be seen,\" Yan ordered.\n\nSo the two servants of the chest showed him everything--jewels and\ntreasures and gold. Then they led him out into the gardens where the\nmost wonderful flowers in the world were blooming. Yan plucked some\nof these and made them into a nosegay.\n\nThat afternoon, as he drove home his sheep, he played on his magic pipe\nand the sheep, pairing off two by two, began to dance and frisk about\nhim. All the people in the village ran out to see the strange sight and\nlaughed and clapped their hands for joy.\n\nThe princess ran to the palace window and when she saw the sheep\ndancing two by two she, too, laughed and clapped her hands. Then the\nwind whiffed her a smell of the wonderful nosegay that Yan was\ncarrying and she said to her serving maid:\n\n\"Run down to the shepherd and tell him the princess desires his\nnosegay.\"\n\nThe serving maid delivered the message to Yan, but he shook his head and\nsaid:\n\n\"Tell your mistress that whoever wants this nosegay must come herself\nand say: 'Yanitchko, give me that nosegay.'\"\n\nWhen the princess heard this, she laughed and said:\n\n\"What an odd shepherd! I see I must go myself.\"\n\nSo the princess herself came out to Yan and said:\n\n\"Yanitchko, give me that nosegay.\"\n\nBut Yan smiled and shook his head.\n\n\"Whoever wants this nosegay must say: 'Yanitchko, please give me that\nnosegay.'\"\n\nThe Princess was a merry girl, so she laughed and said:\n\n\"Yanitchko, please give me that nosegay.\"\n\nYan gave it to her at once and she thanked him sweetly.\n\nThe next day Yan went again to the castle garden and plucked another\nnosegay. Then in the afternoon he drove his sheep through the village as\nbefore, playing his pipe. The princess was standing at the palace window\nwaiting to see him. When the wind brought her a whiff of the fresh\nnosegay that was even more fragrant than the first one, she ran out to\nYan and said:\n\n\"Yanitchko, please give me that nosegay.\"\n\nBut Yan smiled and shook his head.\n\n\"Whoever wants this nosegay must say: 'My dear Yanitchko, I beg you most\npolitely please to give me that nosegay.'\"\n\n\"My dear Yanitchko,\" the princess repeated demurely, \"I beg you most\npolitely please to give me that nosegay.\"\n\nSo Yan gave her the second nosegay. The princess put it in her window\nand the fragrance filled the village until people from far and near came\nto see it.\n\nAfter that every day Yan gathered a nosegay for the princess and every\nday the princess stood at the palace window waiting to see the handsome\nshepherd. And always when she asked for the nosegay, she said: \"Please.\"\n\nIn this way a month went by and the day arrived when the neighboring\nprinces were to come to meet the princess. They were to come in fine\narray, the people said, and the princess had ready a kerchief and a ring\nfor the one who would please her most.\n\nYan planted the ax in the meadow and, leaving the sheep to graze about\nit, went to the castle where he ordered the servants of the chest to\ndress him as befitted his rank. They put a white suit upon him and gave\nhim a white horse with trappings of silver.\n\nSo he rode to the palace and took his place with the other princes but\nbehind them so that the princess had to crane her neck to see him.\n\nOne by one the various princes rode by the princess but to none of them\ndid the princess give her kerchief and ring. Yan was the last to salute\nher, and instantly she handed him her favors.\n\nThen before the king or the other suitors could speak to him, Yan put\nspurs to his horse and rode off.\n\nThat evening as usual when he was driving home his sheep, the princess\nran out to him and said:\n\n\"Yan, it was you!\"\n\nBut Yan laughed and put her off.\n\n\"How can a poor shepherd be a prince?\" he asked.\n\nThe princess was not convinced and she said in another month, when the\nprinces were to come again, she would find out.\n\nSo for another month Yan tended sheep and plucked nosegays for the\nmerry little princess and the princess waited for him at the palace\nwindow every afternoon and when she saw him she always spoke to him\npolitely and said: \"Please.\"\n\nWhen the day for the second meeting of the princes came, the servants of\nthe chest arrayed Yan in a suit of red and gave him a sorrel horse with\ntrappings of gold. Yan again rode to the palace and took his place with\nthe other princes but behind them so that the princess had to crane her\nneck to see him.\n\nAgain the suitors rode by the princess one by one, but at each of them\nshe shook her head impatiently and kept her kerchief and ring until Yan\nsaluted her.\n\nInstantly the ceremony was over, Yan put spurs to his horse and rode off\nand, although the king sent after him to bring him back, Yan was able to\nescape.\n\nThat evening when he was driving home his sheep the princess ran out to\nhim and said:\n\n\"Yanitchko, it was you! I know it was!\"\n\nBut again Yan laughed and put her off and asked her how she could think\nsuch a thing of a poor shepherd.\n\nAgain the princess was not convinced and she said in another month, when\nthe princes were to come for the third and last time, she would make\nsure.\n\nSo for another month Yan tended his sheep and plucked nosegays for the\nmerry little princess and the princess waited for him at the palace\nwindow every afternoon and, when she saw him, she always said politely:\n\"Please.\"\n\nFor the third meeting of the princes the servants of the chest arrayed\nYan in a gorgeous suit of black and gave him a black horse with golden\ntrappings studded in diamonds. He rode to the palace and took his place\nbehind the other suitors. Things went as before and again the princess\nsaved her kerchief and ring for him.\n\nThis time when he tried to ride off the other suitors surrounded him\nand, before he escaped, one of them wounded him on the foot.\n\nHe galloped back to the castle in the forest, dressed once again in his\nshepherd's clothes, and returned to the meadow where his sheep were\ngrazing. There he sat down and bound up his wounded foot in the kerchief\nwhich the princess had given him. Then, when he had eaten some bread and\ncheese from his magic wallet, he stretched himself out in the sun and\nfell asleep.\n\nMeanwhile the princess, who was sorely vexed that her mysterious suitor\nhad again escaped, slipped out of the palace and ran up the mountain\npath to see for herself whether the shepherd were really with his sheep.\nShe found Yan asleep and, when she saw her kerchief bound about his\nfoot, she knew that he was the prince.\n\nShe woke him up and cried:\n\n\"You are he! You know you are!\"\n\nYan looked at her and laughed and he asked:\n\n\"How can I be a prince?\"\n\n\"But I know you are!\" the princess said. \"Oh, Yanitchko, dear\nYanitchko, I beg you please to tell me!\"\n\nSo then Yan, because he always did anything the princess asked him when\nshe said: \"Please,\" told her his true name and his rank.\n\nThe princess, overjoyed to hear that her dear shepherd was really a\nprince, carried him off to her father, the king.\n\n\"This is the man I shall marry,\" she said, \"this and none other.\"\n\nSo Yan and the merry little princess were married and lived very\nhappily. And the people of the country when they speak of the princess\nalways say:\n\n\"That's a princess for you! Why, even if she is a princess, she always\nsays 'Please' to her own husband!\"\n\n\n\n\nVITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS\n\nTHE STORY OF A HERO WHOSE MOTHER LOVED A DRAGON\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nVITAZKO THE VICTORIOUS\n\n\nThere was once a mother who had an only son. \"He shall be a hero,\" she\nsaid, \"and his name shall be Vitazko, the Victorious.\"\n\nShe suckled him for twice seven years and then, to try his strength, she\nled him out to the forest and bade him pull up a fir-tree by the roots.\n\nWhen the boy was not strong enough to do this, she took him home and\nsuckled him for another seven years. Then when she had suckled him for\nthrice seven years, she led him out to the forest again and ordered him\nto pull up a beech-tree by its roots.\n\nThe youth laid hold on the tree and with one mighty pull uprooted it.\n\n\"Now, my son, you are strong enough,\" the mother said. \"Now you are\nworthy of your name Vitazko. Forget not the mother who has suckled you\nfor thrice seven years but, now that you are grown, take care of her.\"\n\n\"I will, my mother,\" Vitazko promised. \"Only tell me what you want me to\ndo.\"\n\n\"First,\" the mother said, \"go out into the world and find me a splendid\ndwelling where I may live in peace and plenty.\"\n\nTaking in his hand the uprooted beech-tree as a club and armed only with\nit, Vitazko set forth. He followed the wind here and there and the other\nplace and it led him at last to a fine castle.\n\nThis castle was inhabited by dragons. Vitazko pounded on the castle\ngates but the dragons refused to admit him. Thereupon the young hero\nbattered down the gates, pursued the dragons from room to room of the\ncastle, and slaughtered them all.\n\nWhen he had thrown the last of them over the wall, he took possession of\nthe castle. He found nine spacious chambers and a tenth one the door of\nwhich was closed.\n\nVitazko opened the door and in the room he found a dragon. This dragon\nwas a prisoner. Three iron hoops were fastened about his body and these\nwere chained to the wall.\n\n\"Oho!\" Vitazko cried. \"Another dragon! What are you doing here?\"\n\n\"Me?\" the dragon said. \"I'm not doing anything but just sitting here. My\nbrothers imprisoned me. Unchain me, Vitazko! If you do, I will reward\nyou richly.\"\n\n\"I will not!\" Vitazko said. \"A fine scamp you must be if your own\nbrothers had to chain you up! No! You stay where you are!\"\n\nWith that Vitazko slammed the door in the dragon's face and left him.\n\nThen he went for his mother and brought her to the castle.\n\n\"Here, my mother,\" he said, \"is the dwelling I have won for you.\"\n\nHe took her through the nine spacious chambers and showed her\neverything. At the tenth door he said:\n\n\"This door is not to be opened. All the castle belongs to you except\nthis room only. See to it that this door is never opened. If it is\nopened, an evil fate will overtake you.\"\n\nThen Vitazko took his beechen club and went out hunting.\n\nHe was hardly gone before his mother sat down before the tenth door and\nsaid to herself over and over:\n\n\"I wonder what can be in that room that Vitazko doesn't want me to open\nthe door.\"\n\nAt last when she could restrain her curiosity no longer, she opened the\ndoor.\n\n\"Mercy on us!\" she said when she saw the dragon. \"Who are you? And what\nare you doing here?\"\n\n\"Me?\" the dragon said. \"I'm only a poor harmless dragon. They call\nme Sharkan. My brothers chained me here. They would have freed me\nlong ago but Vitazko killed them. Unchain me, dear lady, and I will\nreward you richly.\"\n\nHe begged her and cajoled her until she was half minded to do as he\nasked.\n\n\"You are very beautiful,\" Sharkan said. \"If only I were free I would\nmake you my wife.\"\n\n\"Ah, but what would Vitazko say to that?\" the woman asked.\n\n\"Vitazko?\" repeated Sharkan. \"Do you fear your own son? A dutiful\nson he is, to give you the castle and then forbid you to enter this\nroom! If you were to marry me, we should soon get rid of this\nVitazko and then live here together in peace and merriment.\"\n\nThe woman listened to these cajoling words until she was completely won\nover.\n\n\"But how, dear Sharkan, shall I unchain you?\"\n\nHe told her to go to the cellar and from a certain cask to draw him\na goblet of wine. Instantly he drank the wine, bang! the first iron\nhoop burst asunder. He drank a second goblet, and the second iron\nhoop fell from him. He drank a third goblet and, lo! he was free.\n\nThen in dismay at what she had done, the woman cried:\n\n\"Ah me, what will Vitazko say when he comes home!\"\n\n\"I have thought out a plan,\" Sharkan said. \"Listen: when he comes\nhome pretend you're sick and refuse to eat. When he begs you to eat\nsomething, tell him that nothing can tempt you but a suckling from\nthe Earth Sow. He will at once go out and hunt the Earth Sow and\nwhen he touches one of her sucklings, the Sow will tear him to\npieces.\"\n\nSharkan remained in hiding in the tenth chamber and presently Vitazko\nreturned from the hunt with a young buck across his shoulders. He found\nhis mother on the bed, moaning and groaning as if in great pain.\n\n\"What is it, dear mother?\" he asked. \"Are you sick?\"\n\n\"Aye, my son, I'm sick. Leave me and I'll die alone!\"\n\nVitazko in alarm rubbed her hands and begged her to eat of the venison\nhe had brought home.\n\n\"Nay, my son,\" she said, \"venison tempts me not. Nothing can tempt my\nwaning appetite but a suckling from the Earth Sow.\"\n\n\"Then, my mother, you shall have a suckling from the Earth Sow!\" Vitazko\ncried, and instantly he rushed out in quest of the Earth Sow and her\nlitter.\n\nWith his beech-tree in his hand he ranged back and forth through the\nforest hunting the Earth Sow. He came at last to a tower in which an\nold wise woman lived. Her name was Nedyelka and because she was good\nas well as wise people called her St. Nedyelka.\n\n\"Where are you going, Vitazko?\" she said, when she saw the young hero.\n\n\"I'm hunting for the Earth Sow,\" he told her. \"My mother is sick and\nnothing will tempt her but a suckling from the Earth Sow's litter.\"\n\nNedyelka looked at the young man kindly.\n\n\"That, my son, is a difficult task you have set yourself. However, I\nwill help you provided you do exactly as I say.\"\n\nVitazko promised and the old woman gave him a long pointed spit.\n\n[Illustration: _Nedyelka tells Vitazko what to do_]\n\n\"Take this,\" she said. \"Now go to my stable. There you will find my\nhorse, Tatosh. Mount him and he will carry you on the wind to\nwhere the Earth Sow lies half buried in her wallow and surrounded by\nher litter. Reach over and prick one of the sucklings with this spit\nand then sit very still without moving. The suckling will squeal and\ninstantly the Sow will spring up and in a fury race madly around the\nworld and back in a moment of time. Sit perfectly still and she\nwon't see either you or Tatosh. Then she'll tell the litter that if\none of them squeals again and disturbs her, she will tear it to\npieces. With that she'll settle back in the wallow and go to sleep.\nThen do you pick up the same little suckling on your spit and carry\nit off. This time it will be afraid to squeal. The Sow will not be\ndisturbed and Tatosh, my horse, will bear you safely away.\"\n\nVitazko did exactly as Nedyelka ordered. He mounted Tatosh and the\nmagic steed carried him swiftly on the wind to where the Earth Sow\nlay sleeping in her wallow.\n\nWith his spit, Vitazko pricked one of the sucklings until it squealed in\nterror. The Earth Sow jumped up and in fury raced madly around the world\nand back in a moment of time. Tatosh stood where he was and Vitazko sat\non his back without moving. The Earth Sow saw neither of them.\n\n\"If one of you squeals again and disturbs me,\" the Earth Sow said to\nthe litter, \"I'll wake up and tear you to pieces!\"\n\nWith that she settled back in the mud and fell asleep.\n\nVitazko again reached over and now he picked up the same little suckling\non the end of his spit. This time it made no sound. Instantly Tatosh,\nthe magic steed, rose on the wind and flew straight home to Nedyelka.\n\n\"How did things go?\" the old woman asked.\n\n\"Just as you said they would,\" Vitazko told her. \"See, here is the\nsuckling.\"\n\n\"Good, my son. Take it home to your mother.\"\n\nSo Vitazko returned the spit and led Tatosh back to his stall. Then he\nthrew the suckling over his beech-tree, thanked old St. Nedyelka, bade\nher good-day, and with a happy heart went home.\n\nAt the castle the mother was making merry with the dragon. Suddenly in\nthe distance they saw Vitazko coming.\n\n\"Here he comes!\" the mother cried. \"Oh dear, what shall I do?\"\n\n\"Don't be afraid,\" Sharkan advised. \"We'll send him off on another quest\nand this time he'll surely not come back. Pretend you're sick again and\ntell him you're so weak that even the suckling of the Earth Sow doesn't\ntempt your appetite. Tell him nothing will help you but the Water of\nLife and the Water of Death and if he really loves you he must get you\nsome of both. Then he'll go off hunting the Water of Life and the Water\nof Death and that will be the end of him.\"\n\nSharkan hid himself in the tenth chamber and Vitazko, when he entered\nthe castle, found his mother alone.\n\n\"It's no use, my son,\" she moaned. \"I can't eat the suckling. Nothing\nwill help me now but the Water of Life and the Water of Death. Of course\nyou don't love me well enough to get me some of both.\"\n\n\"I do! I do!\" poor Vitazko cried. \"There's nothing I won't get for you\nto make you well!\"\n\nHe snatched up his beech-tree again and hurried back to St. Nedyelka.\n\n\"What is it now?\" the old woman asked.\n\n\"Can you tell me, dear St. Nedyelka, where I can find the Water of Life\nand the Water of Death? My poor mother is still sick and she says that\nnothing else will cure her.\"\n\n\"The Waters of Life and of Death are difficult to get,\" Nedyelka\nsaid. \"However, dear boy, I will help you. Take these two pitchers\nand again mount the faithful Tatosh. He will carry you to the two\nshores under which flow the springs of the Water of Life and the\nWater of Death. The right shore opens for a moment on the instant of\nnoon and under it the Water of Life bubbles up. The left shore opens\nfor a moment at midnight and under it lies the still pool of the\nWater of Death. Wait at each shore until the moment it opens. Then\nreach in and scoop up a pitcher of water. Be swift or the shores\nwill close upon you and kill you.\"\n\nVitazko took the two pitchers and mounted Tatosh. The horse rose on the\nwind and carried Vitazko far, far away beyond the Red Sea to the two\nshores of which old Nedyelka had told him.\n\nAt the moment of noon the right shore opened for an instant and Vitazko\nscooped up a pitcher of the Water of Life. He had scarcely time to draw\nback before the opening closed with a crash.\n\nHe waited at the left shore until midnight. At the moment of midnight\nthe left shore opened for an instant. Vitazko scooped up a pitcher of\nwater from the still pool of the Water of Death and pulled swiftly back\nas the opening closed.\n\nWith the two pitchers safe in his hands, Vitazko mounted Tatosh and the\nmagic steed rising on the wind carried him home to St. Nedyelka.\n\n\"And how did things go?\" the old woman asked.\n\n\"Very well,\" Vitazko said. \"See, here are the Waters.\"\n\nSt. Nedyelka took the two pitchers and when Vitazko wasn't looking\nchanged them for two pitchers of ordinary water which she told him to\ncarry at once to his mother.\n\nAt the castle the mother and Sharkan were again making merry when from\nafar they saw Vitazko with two pitchers in his hands. The mother fell\ninto a great fright and wept and tore her hair, but the dragon again\nreassured her.\n\n\"He's come back this time,\" he said, \"but we'll send him off again and\nhe'll never return. Refuse the Waters and tell him you're so sick that\nnothing will help you now but a sight of the bird, Pelikan. Tell him if\nhe loves you he will go after the bird, Pelikan, and once he goes we\nneed never fear him again.\"\n\nVitazko when he reached the castle hurried into his mother's chamber and\noffered her the Waters.\n\n\"Here, dear mother, is a pitcher of the Water of Life and a pitcher of\nthe Water of Death. Now you will get well!\"\n\nBut his mother pushed both pitchers away and, moaning and groaning as if\nshe were in great pain, she said:\n\n\"Nay, you are too late with your Water of Life and your Water of Death!\nI am so far gone that nothing will cure me now but a sight of the bird,\nPelikan. If you really loved me you would get it for me.\"\n\nVitazko, still trusting his mother, cried out:\n\n\"Of course I love you! Of course I'll get you the bird, Pelikan, if that\nis what will cure you!\"\n\nSo once more he snatched up his beech-tree and hurried off to St.\nNedyelka.\n\n\"What is it now?\" the old woman asked him.\n\n\"It's my poor mother,\" Vitazko said. \"She's too far gone for the Water\nof Life and the Water of Death. Nothing will help her now but a sight of\nthe bird, Pelikan. Tell me, kind Nedyelka, how can I get the bird,\nPelikan?\"\n\n\"The bird, Pelikan, my son? Ah, that is a task to capture Pelikan!\nHowever, I will help you. Pelikan is a giant bird with a long, long\nneck. When he shakes his wings he raises such a wind that he blows\ndown the forest trees. Here is a gun. Take it and mount my faithful\nTatosh. He will carry you far away to the vast wilderness where\nPelikan lives. When you get there, note carefully from what\ndirection the wind blows. Shoot in that direction. Then quickly push\nthe ramrod into the barrel of the gun and leave it there and come\nback to me as fast as you can.\"\n\nVitazko took the gun and mounted Tatosh. The magic steed rose on the\nwind and carried him far off to the distant wilderness which was the\nhome of the bird, Pelikan. There Tatosh sank to earth and Vitazko\ndismounted. Immediately he felt a strong wind against his right cheek.\nHe took aim in that direction and pulled the trigger. The hammer fell\nand instantly Vitazko pushed the ramrod into the gun barrel. He threw\nthe gun over his shoulder and mounted Tatosh. Tatosh rose on the wind\nand in a twinkling had carried him back to St. Nedyelka.\n\n\"Well, son, how did things go?\" the old woman asked as usual.\n\n\"I don't know,\" Vitazko said. \"I did as you told me. Here is the gun.\"\n\n\"Let me see,\" Nedyelka said, squinting into the gun barrel. \"Ah, son,\nthings went very well indeed! Here is Pelikan inside the barrel.\"\n\nShe drew something out of the gun barrel and sure enough it was the\nbird, Pelikan.\n\nShe gave Vitazko another gun and told him to go out and shoot an eagle.\nThen she told him to carry Pelikan home to his mother, but instead of\ngiving him Pelikan she gave him the eagle.\n\nWhen Sharkan and his mother saw Vitazko coming, they decided that this\ntime they would send him after the Golden Apples. These grew in the\ngarden of the most powerful dragon in the world.\n\n\"If Vitazko goes near him,\" Sharkan said, \"the dragon will tear him to\npieces for he knows that it was Vitazko who killed all his brother\ndragons.\"\n\nSo the mother again feigned sickness and, when Vitazko rushed in to\nher and offered her what he supposed was Pelikan, she moaned and\ngroaned and pushed the bird aside.\n\n\"Too late! Too late! I'm dying!\"\n\n\"Don't say that!\" poor Vitazko begged. \"Will nothing save you?\"\n\n\"Yes, the Golden Apples that grow in the garden of Mightiest Dragon\ncould still save me. If you really loved me you'd get them for me.\"\n\n\"I do love you, mother,\" Vitazko cried, \"and I'll get you the Golden\nApples wherever they are!\"\n\nSo without a moment's rest he hurried back to St. Nedyelka.\n\n\"Well, son, what is it now?\" the old woman asked.\n\nVitazko wept.\n\n\"It's my poor mother. She's still sick. Pelikan hasn't cured her.\nShe says now that only the Golden Apples from the garden of\nMightiest Dragon can cure her. Dear, kind Nedyelka, tell me, what\nshall I do?\"\n\n\"The Golden Apples from the garden of Mightiest Dragon! Ah, my son,\nthat will be a task for you! For this you will need every ounce of\nyour strength and more! But never fear! I will again befriend you.\nHere is a ring. Put it on a finger of your right hand and when you\nare sore pressed twist the ring around your finger and think of me.\nInstantly you will have the strength of a hundred fighting men. Now\ntake this sword, mount the faithful Tatosh, and good luck go with\nyou.\"\n\nVitazko thanked the dear old woman, mounted Tatosh, and was soon\ncarried far away to the garden of the dragon. A high wall surrounded\nthe garden, so high that Vitazko could never have scaled it alone.\nBut it is as easy for a horse like Tatosh to take a high wall as it\nis for a bird.\n\nInside the garden Vitazko dismounted and began to look for the tree\nthat bore the Golden Apples. Presently he met a beautiful young girl who\nasked him what he was doing in the dragon's garden.\n\n\"I'm looking for the Golden Apples,\" he told her. \"I want some of them\nfor my sick mother. Do you know where they are?\"\n\n\"I do indeed know where they are,\" the girl said, \"for it is my duty\nto guard them. If I were to give you one the wicked dragon would\ntear me to pieces. I am a royal princess but I am in the dragon's\npower and must do as he says. Dear youth, take my advice and escape\nwhile you can. If the dragon sees you he will kill you as he would a\nfly.\"\n\nBut Vitazko was not to be dissuaded from his quest.\n\n\"Nay, sweet princess, I must get the apples.\"\n\n\"Well, then,\" she said, \"I will help you all I can. Here is a precious\nring. Put it on a finger of your left hand. When you are sore pressed,\nthink of me and twist the ring and you will have the strength of a\nhundred men. To conquer this horrible monster you will need the strength\nof more than a hundred.\"\n\nVitazko put on the ring, thanked the princess, and marched boldly on. In\nthe center of the garden he found the tree that bore the Golden Apples.\nUnder it lay the dragon himself.\n\nOn sight of Vitazko he raised his head and bellowed out:\n\n\"Ho, you murderer of dragons, what do you want here?\"\n\nNothing daunted, Vitazko replied:\n\n\"I am come to shake down some of the Golden Apples.\"\n\n\"Indeed!\" the dragon roared. \"Then you will have to shake them down over\nmy dead body!\"\n\n\"I shall be glad to do that!\" Vitazko said, springing at the dragon and\nat the same time twisting around the ring on his right hand and thinking\nof kind old St. Nedyelka.\n\nThe dragon grappled with him and for a moment almost took him off his\nfeet. Then Vitazko plunged the dragon into the earth up to his ankles.\n\nJust then there was the rustling of wings overhead and a black raven\ncawed out:\n\n\"Which of you wants my help, you, oh Mightiest Dragon, or you, Vitazko,\nthe Victorious?\"\n\n\"Help me!\" the dragon roared.\n\n\"Then what will you give me?\"\n\n\"As much gold as you want.\"\n\n\"Nay, raven,\" Vitazko shouted, \"help me and I will give you all the\ndragon's horses that are grazing over yonder in the meadow.\"\n\n\"Very well, Vitazko,\" the raven croaked. \"I'll help you. What shall I\ndo?\"\n\n\"Cool me when I'm hot,\" Vitazko said, \"when the dragon breathes on me\nhis fiery breath.\"\n\nThey grappled again and the dragon plunged Vitazko into the ground up to\nhis ankles. Twisting the ring on his right hand and thinking of St.\nNedyelka, Vitazko gripped the dragon around the waist and plunged him\ninto the earth up to his knees.\n\nThen they paused for breath and the raven which had dipped its wings in\na fountain sat on Vitazko's head and shook down drops of cool water on\nhis heated face.\n\nThen Vitazko twisted the ring on his left hand, thought of the beautiful\nprincess, and closed with the dragon again. This time with a mighty\neffort he gripped the dragon as if he were a stake of wood and drove him\ninto the ground up to his very shoulders. Then quickly drawing\nNedyelka's sword, he cut off the dragon's head.\n\nAt once the lovely princess came running and herself plucked two of the\nGolden Apples and gave them to Vitazko. She thanked him prettily for\nrescuing her and she said to him:\n\n\"You have saved me, Vitazko, from this fierce monster and now I am yours\nif you want me.\"\n\n\"I do want you, dear princess,\" Vitazko said, \"and, if I could, I'd go\nwith you at once to your father to ask you in marriage. But I cannot. I\nmust hurry home to my sick mother. If you love me, wait for me a year\nand a day and I'll surely return.\"\n\nThe princess made him this promise and they parted.\n\nRemembering the raven, Vitazko rode over to the meadow and slaughtered\nthe dragon's horses. Then rising on Tatosh he flew home on the wind to\nSt. Nedyelka.\n\n\"Well, son, how did things go?\" the old woman asked.\n\n\"Gloriously!\" Vitazko answered, showing her the Golden Apples. \"But if\nthe princess hadn't given me a second ring I might have been\nvanquished.\"\n\n\"Take home the Golden Apples to your mother,\" Nedyelka said, \"and this\ntime ride Tatosh to the castle.\"\n\nSo Vitazko mounted Tatosh again and flew to the castle.\n\nSharkan and his mother were making merry together when they saw him\ncoming.\n\n\"Here he comes again!\" the mother cried. \"What shall I do? What shall I\ndo?\"\n\nBut Sharkan could think of nothing further to suggest. So without a word\nhe hurried to the tenth chamber where he hid himself and the woman had\nto meet Vitazko as best she could.\n\nShe laid herself on the bed feigning still to be sick and when Vitazko\nappeared she greeted him most affectionately.\n\n\"My dear son, back again? And safe and sound? Thank God!\"\n\nThen when he gave her the Golden Apples she jumped up from the bed,\npretending that the mere sight of them had cured her.\n\n\"Ah, my dear son!\" she cried, petting him and caressing him as she used\nto when he was a child. \"What a hero you are!\"\n\nShe prepared food and feasted him royally and Vitazko ate and was very\nhappy that his mother was herself again.\n\nWhen he could eat no more she took a strong woolen cord and, as if in\nplay, she said to him:\n\n\"Lie down, my son, and let me bind you with this cord as once I bound\nyour father. Let me see if you are as strong as he was and able to break\nthe cord.\"\n\nVitazko smiled and lay down and allowed his mother to bind him with the\nwoolen cord. Then he stretched his muscles and burst the cord asunder.\n\n\"Ah, you are strong!\" his mother said. \"But come, let me try again with\na thin silken cord.\"\n\nSuspecting nothing, Vitazko allowed his mother to bind him hand and foot\nwith a thin silken cord. Then when he stretched his muscles, the cord\ncut into his flesh. So he lay there, helpless as an infant.\n\n\"Sharkan! Sharkan!\" the mother called.\n\nThe dragon rushed in with a sword, cut off Vitazko's head, and hacked\nhis body into small pieces. He picked out Vitazko's heart and hung it by\na string from a beam in the ceiling.\n\nThen the woman gathered together the pieces of her son's body, tied them\nin a bundle, and fastened the bundle on Tatosh who was still waiting\nbelow in the courtyard.\n\n\"You carried him when he was alive,\" she said. \"Take him now that he's\ndead--I don't care where.\"\n\nTatosh rose on the wind and flew home to St. Nedyelka.\n\nThe old wise woman who knew already what had happened was waiting for\nhim. She took the pieces of the body from the bundle and washed them in\nthe Water of Death. Then she arranged them piece by piece as they should\nbe and they grew together until the wounds disappeared and there were\nnot even any scars left. After that she sprinkled the body with the\nWater of Life and, lo, life returned to Vitazko and he stood up, well\nand healthy.\n\n\"Ah,\" he said, rubbing his eyes, \"I've been asleep, haven't I?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" Nedyelka said, \"and but for me you would never have wakened. How\ndo you feel, my son?\"\n\n\"All right,\" Vitazko said, \"except a little strange as if I had no\nheart.\"\n\n\"You have none,\" Nedyelka told him. \"Your heart hangs by a string from a\ncrossbeam in the castle.\"\n\nShe told him what had befallen him, how his mother had betrayed him and\nhow Sharkan had cut him to pieces.\n\nVitazko listened but he could feel neither surprise nor grief nor anger\nnor anything, for how could he feel since he had no heart?\n\n\"You need your heart, my son,\" Nedyelka said. \"You must go after it.\"\n\n[Illustration: _Vitazko disguised as an old village piper_]\n\nShe disguised him as an old village piper and give him a pair of\nbagpipes.\n\n\"Go to the castle,\" she told him, \"and play on these pipes. When they\noffer to reward you, ask for the heart that hangs by a string from the\nceiling.\"\n\nSo Vitazko took the bagpipes and went to the castle. He played under the\ncastle windows and his mother looked out and beckoned him in.\n\nHe went inside and played and Sharkan and his mother danced to his\nmusic. They danced and danced until they could dance no longer.\n\nThen they gave the old piper food and drink and offered him golden\nmoney.\n\nBut Vitazko said:\n\n\"Nay, what use has an old man for gold?\"\n\n\"What then can I give you?\" the woman asked.\n\nVitazko looked slowly about the chamber as an old man would.\n\n\"Give me that heart,\" he said, \"that hangs from the ceiling. That's all\nI want.\"\n\nSo they gave him the heart and Vitazko thanked them and departed.\n\nHe carried the heart to Nedyelka who washed it at once in the Water of\nDeath and the Water of Life. Then she placed it in the bill of the\nbird, Pelikan, and Pelikan, reaching its long thin neck down Vitazko's\nthroat, put the heart in its proper place. The heart began to beat and\ninstantly Vitazko could again feel joy and pain and grief and happiness.\n\n\"Now can you feel?\" Nedyelka asked.\n\n\"Yes,\" Vitazko said. \"Now, thank God, I can feel again!\"\n\n\"Pelikan,\" Nedyelka said, \"for this service you shall be freed.... As\nfor you, my son, you must go back to the castle once more and inflict a\njust punishment. I shall change you into a pigeon. Fly to the castle and\nthere, when you wish to be yourself again, think of me.\"\n\nSo Vitazko took the form of a pigeon and flying to the castle alighted\non the window-sill.\n\nInside the castle chamber he saw his mother fondling Sharkan.\n\n\"See!\" she cried. \"A pigeon is on the window-sill. Quick! Get your\ncrossbow and shoot it!\"\n\nBut before the dragon could move, Vitazko stood in the chamber.\n\nHe seized a sword and with one mighty blow cut off the dragon's head.\n\n\"And you--you wicked, faithless mother!\" he cried. \"What am I to do to\nyou!\"\n\nHis mother fell on her knees and begged for mercy.\n\n\"Never fear,\" Vitazko said. \"I won't harm you. Let God judge between\nus.\"\n\nHe took his mother by the hand and led her down into the courtyard. Then\nhe lifted the sword and said:\n\n\"Now, mother, I shall throw this sword in the air and may God judge\nbetween us which of us has been faithless to the other.\"\n\nThe sword flashed in the air and fell, striking straight to the heart of\nthe guilty mother and killing her.\n\nVitazko buried her in the courtyard and then returned to St. Nedyelka.\nHe thanked the old woman for all she had done for him and then, picking\nup his beech-tree club, he started out to find his beautiful princess.\n\nShe had long since returned to her father and many princes and heroes\nhad come seeking her in marriage. She had put them all off, saying she\nwould wed no one for a year and a day.\n\nThen before the year was up Vitazko appeared and she led him at once to\nher father and said:\n\n\"This man will I marry, this and none other, for he it was that rescued\nme from the dragon.\"\n\nA great wedding feast was spread and all the country rejoiced that their\nlovely princess was getting for a husband Vitazko, the Victorious.\n\n\n\n\nFIVE NURSERY TALES\n\n      I. KURATKO THE TERRIBLE\n     II. SMOLICHECK\n    III. BUDULINEK\n     IV. THE DEAR LITTLE HEN\n      V. THE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nKURATKO THE TERRIBLE\n\nTHE STORY OF AN UNGRATEFUL CHICK\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nKURATKO THE TERRIBLE\n\n\nThere was once an old couple who had no children.\n\n\"If only we had a chick or a child of our own!\" Grandmother used to say.\n\"Think how we could pet it and take care of it!\"\n\nBut Grandfather always answered:\n\n\"Not at all! We are very well off as we are.\"\n\nAt last the old black hen in the barnyard hatched out a chick.\nGrandmother was delighted.\n\n\"See, Grandpa,\" she said, \"now we have a chick of our own!\"\n\nBut Grandfather shook his head doubtfully.\n\n\"I don't like the looks of that chick. There's something strange about\nit.\"\n\nBut Grandmother wouldn't listen. To her the chick seemed everything it\nshould be. She called it Kuratko and petted it and pampered it as though\nit were an only child.\n\nKuratko grew apace and soon he developed an awful appetite.\n\n\"Cockadoodledoo!\" he shouted at all hours of the day. \"I'm hungry! Give\nme something to eat!\"\n\n\"You mustn't feed that chick so much!\" Grandfather grumbled. \"He's\neating us out of house and home.\"\n\nBut Grandmother wouldn't listen. She fed Kuratko and fed him until sure\nenough there came a day when there was nothing left for herself and the\nold man.\n\nThat was a nice how-do-you-do! Grandmother sat working at her\nspinning-wheel trying to forget that she was hungry, and Grandfather sat\non his stool nearby too cross to speak to her.\n\nAnd then, quite as though nothing were the matter, Kuratko strutted into\nthe room, flapped his wings, and crowed:\n\n\"Cockadoodledo! I'm hungry! Give me something to eat!\"\n\n\"Not another blessed thing will I ever feed you, you greedy chick!\"\nGrandfather shouted.\n\n\"Cockadoodledo!\" Kuratko answered. \"Then I'll just eat you!\"\n\nWith that he made one peck at Grandfather and swallowed him down, stool\nand all!\n\n\"Oh, Kuratko!\" Grandmother cried. \"Where's Grandpa?\"\n\n\"Cockadoodledo!\" Kuratko remarked. \"I'm still hungry. I think I'll eat\nyou!\"\n\nAnd with that he made one peck at Grandmother and swallowed her down,\nspinning-wheel and all!\n\nThen that terrible chick went strutting down the road, crowing merrily!\n\nHe met a washerwoman at work over her wash-tub.\n\n\"Good gracious, Kuratko!\" the woman cried. \"What a great big crop you've\ngot!\"\n\n\"Cockadoodledo!\" Kuratko said. \"I should think my crop was big for\nhaven't I just eaten Grandmother, spinning-wheel and all, and\nGrandfather, stool and all? But I'm still hungry, so now I'm going to\neat you!\"\n\nBefore the poor woman knew what was happening, Kuratko made one peck at\nher and swallowed her down, wash-tub and all!\n\nThen he strutted on down the road, crowing merrily.\n\nPresently he came to a company of soldiers.\n\n\"Good gracious, Kuratko!\" the soldiers cried. \"What a great big crop\nyou've got!\"\n\n\"Cockadoodledo!\" Kuratko replied. \"I should think my crop was big, for\nhaven't I just eaten a washerwoman, tub and all, Grandmother,\nspinning-wheel and all, and Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still\nhungry, so now I'm going to eat you!\"\n\nBefore the soldiers knew what was happening, Kuratko pecked at them and\nswallowed them down, bayonets and all, one after another, like so many\ngrains of wheat!\n\nThen that terrible chick went on strutting down the road, crowing\nmerrily.\n\nSoon he met Kotsor, the cat. Kotsor, the cat, blinked his eyes and\nworked his whiskers in surprise.\n\n\"Good gracious, Kuratko, what a great big crop you've got!\"\n\n\"Cockadoodledo!\" Kuratko said. \"I should think my crop was big, for\nhaven't I just eaten a company of soldiers, bayonets and all; a\nwasherwoman, tub and all; Grandmother, spinning-wheel and all; and\nGrandfather, stool and all? But I'm still hungry, so now I'm going to\neat you!\"\n\nBefore Kotsor, the cat, knew what was happening, Kuratko made one peck\nat him and swallowed him down.\n\nBut Kotsor, the cat, was not a person to submit tamely to such an\nindignity. The moment he found himself inside Kuratko he unsheathed his\nclaws and began to scratch and to tear. He worked until he had torn a\ngreat hole in Kuratko's crop. At that Kuratko, the Terrible Chick, when\nhe tried again to crow, toppled over dead!\n\nThen Kotsor, the cat, jumped out of Kuratko's crop; after him the\ncompany of soldiers marched out; and after them the washerwoman with her\ntub, Grandmother with her spinning-wheel, and Grandfather with his\nstool. And they all went about their business.\n\nKotsor, the cat, followed Grandmother and Grandfather home and begged\nthem to give him Kuratko for his dinner.\n\n\"You may have him for all of me,\" Grandfather said. \"But ask\nGrandmother. He was her little pet, not mine.\"\n\n\"Indeed you may have him,\" Grandmother said. \"I see now Grandfather was\nright. Kuratko was certainly an ungrateful chick and I never want to\nhear his name again.\"\n\nSo Kotsor, the cat, had a wonderful dinner and to this day when he\nremembers it he licks his chops and combs his whiskers.\n\n\n\n\nSMOLICHECK\n\nTHE STORY OF A LITTLE BOY WHO OPENED THE DOOR\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nSMOLICHECK\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was a little boy named Smolicheck. He lived in a\nlittle house in the woods with a deer whose name was Golden Antlers.\n\nEvery day when Golden Antlers went out he told Smolicheck to lock the\ndoor after him and on no account to open it no matter who knocked.\n\n\"If you disobey me,\" Golden Antlers said, \"something awful may happen.\"\n\n\"I won't open the door,\" Smolicheck always promised. \"I won't open it\nuntil you come home.\"\n\nNow one day there was a knock on the door.\n\n\"Oh!\" Smolicheck thought to himself, \"I wonder who that is!\" and he\ncalled out:\n\n\"Who's there?\"\n\nFrom the outside sweet voices answered:\n\n    _\"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door\n    Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!\n    We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm,\n    Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!\n    So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!\"_\n\nBut Smolicheck didn't think he ought to open the door because he\nremembered what Golden Antlers had told him. Golden Antlers was very\nkind but he spanked Smolicheck when Smolicheck was disobedient. And\nSmolicheck didn't want to get a spanking. So he put his hands over his\nears to shut out the sound of the sweet voices and that time he didn't\nopen the door.\n\n\"You're a good boy,\" Golden Antlers said in the evening when he came\nhome. \"Those must have been the wicked little wood maidens. If you had\nopened the door they would have carried you off to their cave and then\nwhat would you have done!\"\n\nSo Smolicheck was very happy to think he had obeyed Golden Antlers and\nhe said he would never open the door to strangers, no, never!\n\nThe next day after Golden Antlers had gone out and Smolicheck was left\nalone, again there came a knocking on the door, and when Smolicheck\ncalled out: \"Who's there?\" voices sweeter than before answered:\n\n    _\"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door\n    Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!\n    We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm,\n    Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!\n    So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!\"_\n\nSmolicheck said, no, he couldn't open the door. He thought to himself\nthat he would like to have one peep at the wood maidens just to see what\nthey looked like. But he mustn't open the door even a crack, no, he\nmustn't!\n\nThe little wood maidens kept on begging him and shivering and shaking\nand telling him how cold they were, until Smolicheck felt very sorry for\nthem.\n\n\"I don't think it would matter,\" he said to himself, \"if I opened the\ndoor just a weeny teeny bit.\"\n\nSo he opened the door just a tiny crack. Instantly two little white\nfingers popped in, and then two more and two more and two more, and\nthen little white hands, and then little white arms, and then,\nbefore Smolicheck knew what was happening, a whole bevy of little\nwood maidens were in the room! They danced around Smolicheck and\nthey howled and they yelled and they took hold of him and dragged\nhim out of the house and away towards the woods!\n\nSmolicheck was dreadfully frightened and he screamed out with all his\nmight:\n\n    _\"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are\n    In valley or mountain or pasture afar,\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\n    The wicked wood maidens are dragging away\n    Your little Smolicheck!\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\"_\n\nThis time by good luck the deer was not far away. When he heard\nSmolicheck's cry, he bounded up, drove the little wood maidens off, and\ncarried Smolicheck home on his antlers.\n\nWhen they got home he put Smolicheck across his knee and gave him\nsomething--you know what!--to make him remember not to disobey next\ntime. Smolicheck cried and he said he never, never, never would open the\ndoor again no matter how sweetly the wood maidens begged.\n\nFor some days no one came to the door. Then again one afternoon there\nwas a knocking and sweet voices called out:\n\n    _\"Smolicheck, Smolicheck, please open the door\n    Just a wee little crack of two fingers--no more!\n    We'll reach in our cold little hands to get warm,\n    Then leave without doing you the least bit of harm!\n    So open, Smolicheck, please open the door!\"_\n\nBut Smolicheck pretended he didn't hear. Then when the little wood\nmaidens began to shake and to shiver and to cry with the cold and to beg\nhim to open the door just a little crack so that they could warm their\nhands, he said to them:\n\n\"No, I won't open the door, not even a teeny weeny crack, because if I\ndo you'll push in as you did before and catch me and drag me off!\"\n\nThe wicked little wood maidens said:\n\n\"Oh no, Smolicheck, we wouldn't do that! We'd never think of such a\nthing! And besides, if we did take you with us, you'd have a much better\ntime with us than you have here, shut up in a little house all alone,\nwhile Golden Antlers is off having a good time by himself. We'd give you\npretty toys and we'd play with you and you'd be very happy.\"\n\nJust think: Smolicheck listened to them until he believed what they\nsaid! Then he opened the door a little crack and instantly all those\nnaughty little wood maidens pushed into the room, seized Smolicheck, and\ndragged him off.\n\nThey told him they would kill him if he cried for help, but nevertheless\nSmolicheck called out with all his might:\n\n    _\"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are\n    In valley or mountain or pasture afar,\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\n    The wicked wood maidens are dragging away\n    Your little Smolicheck!\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\"_\n\nBut this time Golden Antlers was far away and didn't hear him. So no one\ncame to help Smolicheck and the wood maidens carried him off to their\ncave.\n\nThere, instead of playing with him, they tormented him and teased him\nand made faces at him. But they did give him all he wanted to eat. In\nfact they stuffed him with food, especially sweets. Then every day they\nwould pinch him and say to each other:\n\n\"Sister, do you think he's fat enough yet to roast?\"\n\nImagine poor Smolicheck's feelings when he found they were fattening him\non sweets because they expected to roast him and eat him!\n\nFinally one day after they had been stuffing him for a long time they\ncut his little finger with a knife to see how fat it was.\n\n\"Yum, yum!\" the wicked little wood maidens cried. \"He's fat enough!\nToday we can roast him!\"\n\nSo they took off his clothes and laid him in a kneading trough and\nprepared him for the oven.\n\nSmolicheck was so frightened that he just screamed and screamed, but the\nlouder he screamed the more the little wood maidens laughed and clapped\ntheir hands.\n\nJust as they were pushing him into the oven, Smolicheck roared out:\n\n    _\"Oh, dear Golden Antlers, wherever you are\n    In valley or mountain or pasture afar,\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\n    The wicked wood maidens are roasting today\n    Your little Smolicheck!\n    Come quick! Don't delay!\"_\n\nSuddenly there was the sound of crashing branches and, before the wood\nmaidens knew what was happening, Golden Antlers came bounding into the\ncave. He tossed Smolicheck upon his antlers and off he sped as swift as\nthe wind.\n\nWhen they got home, he laid Smolicheck across his knee and gave him\nsomething--you know what! And Smolicheck cried and said he was sorry he\nhad been disobedient. And he said he would never, never, never again\nopen the door.\n\nAnd this time he never did!\n\n\n\n\nBUDULINEK\n\nTHE STORY OF ANOTHER LITTLE BOY WHO OPENED THE DOOR\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nBUDULINEK\n\n\nThere was once a little boy named Budulinek. He lived with his old\nGranny in a cottage near a forest.\n\nGranny went out to work every day. In the morning when she went away she\nalways said:\n\n\"There, Budulinek, there's your dinner on the table and mind, you\nmustn't open the door no matter who knocks!\"\n\nOne morning Granny said:\n\n\"Now, Budulinek, today I'm leaving you some soup for your dinner. Eat it\nwhen dinner time comes. And remember what I always say: don't open the\ndoor no matter who knocks.\"\n\nShe went away and pretty soon Lishka, the sly old mother fox, came and\nknocked on the door.\n\n\"Budulinek!\" she called. \"You know me! Open the door! Please!\"\n\nBudulinek called back:\n\n\"No, I mustn't open the door.\"\n\nBut Lishka, the sly old mother fox, kept on knocking.\n\n\"Listen, Budulinek,\" she said: \"if you open the door, do you know what\nI'll do? I'll give you a ride on my tail!\"\n\nNow Budulinek thought to himself:\n\n\"Oh, that would be fun to ride on the tail of Lishka, the fox!\"\n\nSo Budulinek forgot all about what Granny said to him every day and\nopened the door.\n\nLishka, the sly old thing, came into the room and what do you think she\ndid? Do you think she gave Budulinek a ride on her tail? Well, she\ndidn't. She just went over to the table and gobbled up the bowl of soup\nthat Granny had put there for Budulinek's dinner and then she ran away.\n\nWhen dinner time came Budulinek hadn't anything to eat.\n\nIn the evening when Granny came home, she said:\n\n\"Budulinek, did you open the door and let any one in?\"\n\nBudulinek was crying because he was so hungry, and he said:\n\n\"Yes, I let in Lishka, the old mother fox, and she ate up all my dinner,\ntoo!\"\n\nGranny said:\n\n\"Now, Budulinek, you see what happens when you open the door and let\nsome one in. Another time remember what Granny says and don't open the\ndoor.\"\n\nThe next morning Granny cooked some porridge for Budulinek's dinner and\nsaid:\n\n\"Now, Budulinek, here's some porridge for your dinner. Remember: while\nI'm gone you must not open the door no matter who knocks.\"\n\nGranny was no sooner out of sight than Lishka came again and knocked on\nthe door.\n\n\"Oh, Budulinek!\" she called. \"Open the door and let me in!\"\n\nBut Budulinek said:\n\n\"No, I won't open the door!\"\n\n\"Oh, now, Budulinek, please open the door!\" Lishka begged. \"You know me!\nDo you know what I'll do if you open the door? I'll give you a ride on\nmy tail! Truly I will!\"\n\nBudulinek thought to himself:\n\n\"This time maybe she will give me a ride on her tail.\"\n\nSo he opened the door.\n\nLishka came into the room, gobbled up Budulinek's porridge, and ran away\nwithout giving him any ride at all.\n\nWhen dinner time came Budulinek hadn't anything to eat.\n\nIn the evening when Granny came home she said:\n\n\"Budulinek, did you open the door and let any one in?\"\n\nBudulinek was crying again because he was so hungry, and he said:\n\n\"Yes, I let in Lishka, the old mother fox, and she ate up all my\nporridge, too!\"\n\n\"Budulinek, you're a bad boy!\" Granny said. \"If you open the door again,\nI'll have to spank you! Do you hear?\"\n\nThe next morning before she went to work, Granny cooked some peas for\nBudulinek's dinner.\n\nAs soon as Granny was gone he began eating the peas, they were so good.\n\nPresently Lishka, the fox, came and knocked on the door.\n\n\"Budulinek!\" she called. \"Open the door! I want to come in!\"\n\nBut Budulinek wouldn't open the door. He took his bowl of peas and went\nto the window and ate them there where Lishka could see him.\n\n[Illustration: _An organ-grinder began playing in front of Granny's\ncottage_]\n\n\"Oh, Budulinek!\" Lishka begged. \"You know me! Please open the door!\nThis time I promise you I'll give you a ride on my tail! Truly I will!\"\n\nShe just begged and begged until at last Budulinek opened the door. Then\nLishka jumped into the room and do you know what she did? She put her\nnose right into the bowl of peas and gobbled them all up!\n\nThen she said to Budulinek:\n\n\"Now get on my tail and I'll give you a ride!\"\n\nSo Budulinek climbed on Lishka's tail and Lishka went running around the\nroom faster and faster until Budulinek was dizzy and just had to hold on\nwith all his might.\n\nThen, before Budulinek knew what was happening, Lishka slipped out of\nthe house and ran swiftly off into the forest, home to her hole, with\nBudulinek still on her tail! She hid Budulinek down in her hole with her\nown three children and she wouldn't let him out. He had to stay there\nwith the three little foxes and they all teased him and bit him. And\nthen wasn't he sorry he had disobeyed his Granny! And, oh, how he cried!\n\nWhen Granny came home she found the door open and no little Budulinek\nanywhere. She looked high and low, but no, there was no little\nBudulinek. She asked every one she met had they seen her little\nBudulinek, but nobody had. So poor Granny just cried and cried, she was\nso lonely and sad.\n\nOne day an organ-grinder with a wooden leg began playing in front of\nGranny's cottage. The music made her think of Budulinek.\n\n\"Organ-grinder,\" Granny said, \"here's a penny for you. But, please,\ndon't play any more. Your music makes me cry.\"\n\n\"Why does it make you cry?\" the organ-grinder asked.\n\n\"Because it reminds me of Budulinek,\" Granny said, and she told the\norgan-grinder all about Budulinek and how somebody had stolen him away.\n\nThe organ-grinder said:\n\n\"Poor Granny! I tell you what I'll do: as I go around and play my organ\nI'll keep my eyes open for Budulinek. If I find him I'll bring him back\nto you.\"\n\n\"Will you?\" Granny cried. \"If you bring me back my little Budulinek I'll\ngive you a measure of rye and a measure of millet and a measure of poppy\nseed and a measure of everything in the house!\"\n\nSo the organ-grinder went off and everywhere he played his organ he\nlooked for Budulinek. But he couldn't find him.\n\nAt last one day while he was walking through the forest he thought he\nheard a little boy crying. He looked around everywhere until he found a\nfox's hole.\n\n\"Oho!\" he said to himself. \"I believe that wicked old Lishka must have\nstolen Budulinek! She's probably keeping him here with her own three\nchildren! I'll soon find out.\"\n\nSo he put down his organ and began to play. And as he played he sang\nsoftly:\n\n    _\"One old fox\n    And two, three, four,\n    And Budulinek\n    He makes one more!\"_\n\nOld Lishka heard the music playing and she said to her oldest child:\n\n\"Here, son, give the old man a penny and tell him to go away because my\nhead aches.\"\n\nSo the oldest little fox climbed out of the hole and gave the\norgan-grinder a penny and said:\n\n\"My mother says, please will you go away because her head aches.\"\n\nAs the organ-grinder reached over to take the penny, he caught the\noldest little fox and stuffed him into a sack. Then he went on playing\nand singing:\n\n    _\"One old fox\n    And two and three\n    And Budulinek\n    Makes four for me!\"_\n\nPresently Lishka sent out her second child with a penny and the\norgan-grinder caught the second little fox in the same way and stuffed\nit also into the sack. Then he went on grinding his organ and softly\nsinging:\n\n    _\"One old fox\n    And another for me,\n    And Budulinek\n    He makes the three.\"_\n\n\"I wonder why that old man still plays his organ,\" Lishka said and sent\nout her third child with a penny.\n\nSo the organ-grinder caught the third little fox and stuffed it also\ninto the sack. Then he kept on playing and singing softly:\n\n    _\"One old fox--\n    I'll soon get you!--\n    And Budulinek\n    He makes just two.\"_\n\nAt last Lishka herself came out. So he caught her, too, and stuffed her\nin with her children. Then he sang:\n\n    _\"Four naughty foxes\n    Caught alive!\n    And Budulinek\n    He makes the five!\"_\n\nThe organ-grinder went to the hole and called down:\n\n\"Budulinek! Budulinek! Come out!\"\n\nAs there were no foxes left to hold him back, Budulinek was able to\ncrawl out.\n\nWhen he saw the organ-grinder he cried and said:\n\n\"Oh, please, Mr. Organ-Grinder, I want to go home to my Granny!\"\n\n\"I'll take you home to your Granny,\" the organ-grinder said, \"but first\nI must punish these naughty foxes.\"\n\nThe organ-grinder cut a strong switch and gave the four foxes in the\nsack a terrible beating until they begged him to stop and promised that\nthey would never again do anything to Budulinek.\n\nThen the organ-grinder let them go and he took Budulinek home to Granny.\n\nGranny was delighted to see her little Budulinek and she gave the\norgan-grinder a measure of rye and a measure of millet and a measure of\npoppy seed and a measure of everything else in the house.\n\nAnd Budulinek never again opened the door!\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEAR LITTLE HEN\n\nTHE STORY OF A ROOSTER THAT CHEATED\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEAR LITTLE HEN\n\n\nOnce upon a time a big Rooster and a dear little Hen became close\nfriends.\n\n\"Let us go to the garden,\" the Rooster said, \"and scratch up some seeds\nand worms. I tell you what we'll do: everything you scratch up you\ndivide with me, and everything I scratch up I'll divide with you.\"\n\nThe dear little Hen agreed to this and off they went together to the\ngarden.\n\nThe dear little Hen scratched and scratched and scratched and every time\nshe scratched up a nice fat worm or a tasty seed she divided with the\nRooster.\n\nAnd the Rooster scratched and scratched and scratched and whenever the\nHen saw him scratch up something good he divided with her. But once,\nwhen she wasn't looking, he scratched up a big grain of corn and without\ndividing it he tried to gobble it all himself. He gobbled it so fast\nthat it stuck in his throat and choked him.\n\n\"Oh, dear little Hen!\" he gasped. \"I'm choking! Run quick and get me\nsome water or I'll die!\"\n\nAnd with that he fell over on his back and his feet stuck straight up in\nthe air.\n\nThe dear little Hen ran to the Well as fast as she could and all out of\nbreath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Oh Well!\n    Give me\n    Some Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!\"_\n\nThe Well said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you some Water, you must go to the Dressmaker\nand get me a Kerchief.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Dressmaker as fast as she could and\nall out of breath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Dressmaker!\n    Give me\n    Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!\"_\n\nThe Dressmaker said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you a Kerchief, you must go to the Shoemaker and\nget me a pair of Slippers.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Shoemaker as fast as she could and all\nout of breath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Shoemaker!\n    Give me\n    Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!\"_\n\nThe Shoemaker said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you a pair of Slippers, you must go to the Sow\nand get me some Bristles.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Sow as fast as she could and all out\nof breath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Oh Sow!\n    Give me\n    Some Bristles\n    For Shoemaker\n    For Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!\"_\n\nThe Sow said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you some Bristles, you must go to the Brewer and\nget me some Malt.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Brewer as fast as she could and all\nout of breath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Oh Brewer!\n    Give me\n    Some Malt\n    For Sow\n    For Bristles\n    For Shoemaker\n    For Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!\"_\n\nThe Brewer said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you some Malt, you must go to the Cow and get me\nsome Cream.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Cow as fast as she could and all out\nof breath she gasped:\n\n    _\"Oh Cow!\n    Give me\n    Some Cream\n    For Brewer\n    For Malt\n    For Sow\n    For Bristles\n    For Shoemaker\n    For Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!_\"\n\nThe Cow said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you some Cream, you must go to the Meadow and\nget me some Grass.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen ran to the Meadow as fast as she could and all\nout of breath she gasped:\n\n    \"_Oh Meadow!\n    Give me\n    Some Grass\n    For Cow\n    For Cream\n    For Brewer\n    For Malt\n    For Sow\n    For Bristles\n    For Shoemaker\n    For Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh dear!\n    He'll die!_\"\n\nThe Meadow said:\n\n\"If you want me to give you some Grass, you must get me some Dew from\nthe Sky.\"\n\nSo the dear little Hen looked up to the Sky and said:\n\n    \"_Oh Sky!\n    Dear Sky!\n    Give me\n    Some Dew\n    For Meadow\n    For Grass\n    For Cow\n    For Cream\n    For Brewer\n    For Malt\n    For Sow\n    For Bristles\n    For Shoemaker\n    For Slippers\n    For Dressmaker\n    For Kerchief\n    For Well\n    For Water\n    For Rooster!\n    Choking!\n    In garden!\n    On back!\n    Feet up!\n    Oh Dear!\n    He'll die!_\"\n\nThe Sky pitied the dear little Hen and at once gave her some Dew.\n\nSo the Hen gave the Meadow the Dew, and the Meadow gave the Hen some\nGrass.\n\nThe Hen gave the Cow the Grass, and the Cow gave the Hen some Cream.\n\nThe Hen gave the Brewer the Cream, and the Brewer gave the Hen some\nMalt.\n\nThe Hen gave the Sow the Malt, and the Sow gave the Hen some Bristles.\n\nThe Hen gave the Shoemaker the Bristles, and the Shoemaker gave the Hen\na pair of Slippers.\n\nThe Hen gave the Dressmaker the Slippers, and the Dressmaker gave the\nHen a Kerchief.\n\nThe Hen gave the Well the Kerchief, and the Well gave the Hen some\nWater.\n\nThe Hen gave the Rooster the Water, the Water washed down the grain of\ncorn, and thereupon the Rooster jumped up, flapped his wings, and\nmerrily crowed:\n\n\"Cockadoodledoo!\"\n\nAnd after that he never again tried to cheat the dear little Hen but\nalways whenever he scratched up a nice fat worm or a tasty seed he\ndivided with her.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER\n\nTHE STORY OF ANOTHER LITTLE HEN\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DISOBEDIENT ROOSTER\n\n\nThere were once a Rooster and a Hen who were very good friends. They\nalways went about together like brother and sister.\n\nThe Rooster was headstrong and thoughtless and often did foolish things.\nThe little Hen was very sensible and always looked after the Rooster as\nwell as she could.\n\nWhenever he began doing something foolish, she always said:\n\n\"Oh, my dear, you mustn't do that!\"\n\nIf the Rooster had always obeyed the little Hen he would be alive to\nthis day. But, as I have told you, he was careless and headstrong and\noften he refused to take the little Hen's advice.\n\nOne day in the spring he ran into the garden and just gorged and gorged\non green gooseberries.\n\n\"Oh, my dear!\" the little Hen cried. \"You mustn't eat green\ngooseberries! Don't you know they'll give you a pain in your stomach!\"\n\nBut the Rooster wouldn't listen. He just kept on eating gooseberry after\ngooseberry until at last he got a terrible pain in his stomach and then\nhe had to stop.\n\n\"Little Hen,\" he cried, \"help me! Oh, my stomach! Oh! Oh!\"\n\nHe was so sick that the little Hen had to give him some hot peppermint\nand put a mustard plaster on his stomach.\n\nAfter that shouldn't you suppose he would do what she told him? But he\ndidn't. As soon as he was well he was just as careless and disobedient\nas before.\n\nOne day he went out to the meadow and he just ran and ran and ran until\nhe got all overheated and perspired. Then he went down to the brook and\nbegan drinking cold water.\n\n\"Oh, my dear,\" the little Hen cried, \"you mustn't drink cold water while\nyou're overheated! Wait and cool off!\"\n\nBut would the Rooster wait and cool off? No! He just drank that cold\nwater and drank it until he could drink no more.\n\nThen he got a chill and the poor little Hen had to drag him home and put\nhim to bed and run for the Doctor.\n\nThe Doctor gave him bitter medicine and he didn't get well for a long\ntime. In fact it was winter before he got out of the house again.\n\nNow shouldn't you suppose that after all this the Rooster would never\nagain disobey the little Hen? If only he had he would be alive to this\nday. Listen, now, to what happened:\n\nOne morning when he got up, he saw that ice was beginning to form on the\nriver.\n\n\"Goody! Goody!\" he cried. \"Now I can go sliding on the ice!\"\n\n\"Oh, my dear,\" the little Hen said, \"you mustn't go sliding on the ice\nyet! It's dangerous! Wait a few days until it's frozen harder and then\ngo sliding.\"\n\nBut would the Rooster listen to the little Hen? No! He just insisted on\nrunning out that very moment and sliding on the thin ice.\n\nAnd do you know what happened?\n\nThe ice broke and he fell in the river and, before the little Hen could\nget help, he was drowned!\n\nAnd it was all his own fault, too, for the little Hen had begged him to\nwait until the ice was safer.\n\n\n\n\nTHE NICKERMAN'S WIFE\n\nTHE STORY OF LIDUSHKA AND THE IMPRISONED DOVES\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE NICKERMAN'S WIFE\n\n\nThere was once a young housewife named Lidushka. One day while she\nwas washing clothes in the river a great frog, all bloated and ugly,\nswam up to her. Lidushka jumped back in fright. The frog spread\nitself out on the water, just where Lidushka had been rinsing her\nclothes, and sat there working its jaws as if it wanted to say\nsomething.\n\n\"Shoo!\" Lidushka cried, but the frog stayed where it was and kept on\nworking its jaws.\n\n\"You ugly old bloated thing! What do you want and why do you sit there\ngaping at me?\"\n\nLidushka struck at the frog with a piece of linen to drive it off so\nthat she could go on with her work. The frog dived, came up at another\nplace, and at once swam back to Lidushka.\n\nLidushka tried again and again to drive it away. Each time she struck at\nit, the frog dived, came up at another place, and then swam back. At\nlast Lidushka lost all patience.\n\n\"Go away, you old fat thing!\" she screamed. \"I have to finish my wash!\nGo away, I tell you, and when your babies come I'll be their godmother!\nDo you hear?\"\n\nAs if it accepted this as a promise, the frog croaked: \"All right! All\nright! All right!\" and swam off.\n\nSome time after this, when Lidushka was again doing her washing at the\nriver, the same old frog appeared not looking now so fat and bloated.\n\n\"Come! Come, my dear!\" it croaked. \"You remember your promise! You said\nyou'd be godmother to my babies. You must come with me now for we're\nhaving the christening today.\"\n\nLidushka, of course, had spoken jokingly, but even so a promise is a\npromise and must not be broken.\n\n\"But, you foolish frog,\" she said, \"how can I be godmother to your\nbabies? I can't go down in the water.\"\n\n\"Yes, you can!\" the old frog croaked. \"Come on! Come on! Come with me!\"\n\nIt began swimming upstream and Lidushka followed, walking along the\nshore and feeling every moment more frightened.\n\nThe old frog swam on until it reached the mill-dam. Then it said to\nLidushka:\n\n\"Now, my dear, don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! Just lift that\nstone in front of you. Under it you'll find a flight of stairs that\nlead straight down to my house. I'll go on ahead. Do as I say and\nyou can't miss the way.\"\n\nThe frog disappeared in the water and Lidushka lifted the stone.\nSure enough there was a flight of stairs going down under the\nmill-dam. And what kind of stairs do you suppose they were? They\nwere not made of wood or stone but of great solid blocks of water,\nlaid one on another, transparent and clear as crystal.\n\nLidushka timidly went down one step, then another, and another, until\nhalfway down she was met by the old frog who welcomed her with many\nnoisy croaks.\n\n\"This way, dear godmother! This way! Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!\"\n\nLidushka picked up courage and took the remaining stairs more bravely.\nThe frog then led her to its house which, like the stairs, was built of\nbeautiful crystal water, sparkling and transparent.\n\nInside everything was in readiness for the christening. Lidushka at once\ntook the baby frogs in her arms and held them during the ceremony.\n\nAfter the christening came a mighty feast to which many frogs from near\nand far had been invited. The old frog presented them all to Lidushka\nand they made much ado over her, hopping about her and croaking out\nnoisy compliments.\n\nFish course after fish course was served--nothing but fish, prepared in\nevery possible manner: boiled and broiled and fried and pickled. And\nthere was every possible kind of fish: the finest carp and pike and\nmullet and trout and whiting and perch and many more of which Lidushka\ndidn't even know the names.\n\nWhen she had eaten all she could, Lidushka slipped away from the other\nguests and wandered off alone through the house.\n\nShe opened by chance a door that led into a sort of pantry. It was lined\nwith long shelves and on the shelves were rows and rows of little\nearthenware pots all turned upside down. It seemed strange to Lidushka\nthat they should all be upside down and she wondered why.\n\nShe lifted one pot up and under it she found a lovely white dove. The\ndove, happy at being released, shook out its plumage, spread its wings,\nand flew away.\n\nLidushka lifted a second pot and under it there was another lovely dove\nwhich at once spread its fluttering wings and flew off as happy as its\nfellow.\n\nLidushka lifted up a third pot and there was a third dove.\n\n\"There must be doves under all these pots!\" she told herself. \"What\ncruel creature has imprisoned them, I wonder? As the dear God has given\nman a soul to live forever, so He has given the birds wings to fly, and\nHe never intended them to be imprisoned under dark pots. Wait, dear\ndoves, and I'll set you all free!\"\n\nSo Lidushka lifted pot after pot and from under every one of them an\nimprisoned dove escaped and flew joyously away.\n\nJust as she had lifted the last pot, the old frog came hopping in to her\nin great excitement.\n\n\"Oh, my dear, my dear!\" she croaked. \"What have you done setting free\nall those souls! Quick and get you a lump of dry earth or a piece of\ntoasted bread or my husband will catch you and take your soul! Here he\ncomes now!\"\n\nLidushka looked up through the crystal walls of the house but could see\nno one coming. Then in the distance she saw some beautiful bright red\nstreamers floating towards her on the top of the water. They came nearer\nand nearer.\n\n\"Oh!\" she thought to herself in sudden fright. \"Those must be the red\nstreamers of a nickerman!\"\n\nInstantly she remembered the stories her grandmother used to tell her\nwhen she was a child, how the wicked nickerman lured people to their\ndeath with bright red streamers. Many an innocent maid, haying along the\nriver, has seen the lovely streamers in the water and reached after them\nwith her rake. That is what the nickerman wants her to do for then he\ncan catch her and drag her down, down, down, under the water where he\ndrowns her and takes her soul. The nickerman is so powerful that, if\nonce he gets you, he can drown you in a teaspoon of water! But if you\nclutch in your hand a clod of dry earth or a piece of toasted bread,\nthen he is powerless to harm you.\n\n\"Oh!\" Lidushka cried. \"Now I understand! Those white doves were the\nsouls of poor innocents whom this wicked nickerman has drowned! God help\nme to escape him!\"\n\n\"Hurry, my dear, hurry!\" the old frog croaked. \"Run up the crystal\nstairs and replace the stone!\"\n\nLidushka flew up the stairs and as she reached the top she clutched a\nhandful of dry earth. Then she replaced the stone and the water flowed\nover the stairs.\n\nThe nickerman spread out his red streamers close to the shore and tried\nto catch her, but she was not to be tempted.\n\n\"I know who you are!\" she cried, holding tight her handful of dry\nearth. \"You'll never get my soul! And you'll never again imprison under\nyour black pots all the poor innocent souls I liberated!\"\n\nYears afterwards when Lidushka had children of her own, she used to tell\nthem this story and say to them:\n\n\"And now, my dears, you know why it is dangerous to reach out in the\nwater for a red streamer or a pretty water lily. The wicked nickerman\nmay be there just waiting to catch you.\"\n\n\n\n\nBATCHA AND THE DRAGON\n\nTHE STORY OF A SHEPHERD WHO SLEPT ALL WINTER\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nBATCHA AND THE DRAGON\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was a shepherd who was called Batcha. During the\nsummer he pastured his flocks high up on the mountain where he had a\nlittle hut and a sheepfold.\n\nOne day in autumn while he was lying on the ground, idly blowing his\npipes, he chanced to look down the mountain slope. There he saw a most\namazing sight. A great army of snakes, hundreds and hundreds in number,\nwas slowly crawling to a rocky cliff not far from where he was lying.\n\nWhen they reached the cliff, every serpent bit off a leaf from a plant\nthat was growing there. They then touched the cliff with the leaves and\nthe rock opened. One by one they crawled inside. When the last one had\ndisappeared, the rock closed.\n\nBatcha blinked his eyes in bewilderment.\n\n\"What can this mean?\" he asked himself. \"Where are they gone? I think\nI'll have to climb up there myself and see what that plant is. I wonder\nwill the rock open for me?\"\n\nHe whistled to Dunay, his dog, and left him in charge of the sheep.\nThen he made his way over to the cliff and examined the mysterious\nplant. It was something he had never seen before.\n\nHe picked a leaf and touched the cliff in the same place where the\nserpents had touched it. Instantly the rock opened.\n\nBatcha stepped inside. He found himself in a huge cavern the walls of\nwhich glittered with gold and silver and precious stones. A golden table\nstood in the center and upon it a monster serpent, a very king of\nserpents, lay coiled up fast asleep. The other serpents, hundreds and\nhundreds of them, lay on the ground around the table. They also were\nfast asleep. As Batcha walked about, not one of them stirred.\n\nBatcha sauntered here and there examining the walls and the golden table\nand the sleeping serpents. When he had seen everything he thought to\nhimself:\n\n\"It's very strange and interesting and all that, but now it's time for\nme to get back to my sheep.\"\n\nIt's easy to say: \"Now I'm going,\" but when Batcha tried to go he found\nhe couldn't, for the rock had closed. So there he was locked in with the\nserpents.\n\nHe was a philosophical fellow and so, after puzzling a moment, he\nshrugged his shoulders and said:\n\n\"Well, if I can't get out I suppose I'll have to stay here for the\nnight.\"\n\nWith that he drew his cape about him, lay down, and was soon fast\nasleep.\n\nHe was awakened by a rustling murmur. Thinking that he was in his own\nhut, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. Then he saw the glittering walls of\nthe cavern and remembered his adventure.\n\nThe old king serpent still lay on the golden table but no longer asleep.\nA movement like a slow wave was rippling his great coils. All the other\nserpents on the ground were facing the golden table and with darting\ntongues were hissing:\n\n\"Is it time? Is it time?\"\n\nThe old king serpent slowly lifted his head and with a deep murmurous\nhiss said:\n\n\"Yes, it is time.\"\n\nHe stretched out his long body, slipped off the golden table, and glided\naway to the wall of the cavern. All the smaller serpents wriggled after\nhim.\n\nBatcha followed them, thinking to himself:\n\n\"I'll go out the way they go.\"\n\nThe old king serpent touched the wall with his tongue and the rock\nopened. Then he glided aside and the serpents crawled out, one by one.\nWhen the last one was out, Batcha tried to follow, but the rock swung\nshut in his face, again locking him in.\n\nThe old king serpent hissed at him in a deep breathy voice:\n\n\"Hah, you miserable man creature, you can't get out! You're here and\nhere you stay!\"\n\n\"But I can't stay here,\" Batcha said. \"What can I do in here? I can't\nsleep forever! You must let me out! I have sheep at pasture and a\nscolding wife at home in the valley. She'll have a thing or two to say\nif I'm late in getting back!\"\n\nBatcha pleaded and argued until at last the old serpent said:\n\n\"Very well, I'll let you out, but not until you have made me a triple\noath that you won't tell any one how you came in.\"\n\nBatcha agreed to this. Three times he swore a mighty oath not to tell\nany one how he had entered the cavern.\n\n\"I warn you,\" the old serpent said, as he opened the wall, \"if you break\nthis oath a terrible fate will overtake you!\"\n\nWithout another word Batcha hurried through the opening.\n\nOnce outside he looked about him in surprise. Everything seemed\nchanged. It was autumn when he had followed the serpents into the\ncavern. Now it was spring!\n\n\"What has happened?\" he cried in fright. \"Oh, what an unfortunate fellow\nI am! Have I slept through the winter? Where are my sheep? And my\nwife--what will she say?\"\n\nWith trembling knees he made his way to his hut. His wife was busy\ninside. He could see her through the open door. He didn't know what to\nsay to her at first, so he slipped into the sheepfold and hid himself\nwhile he tried to think out some likely story.\n\nWhile he was crouching there, he saw a finely dressed gentleman come to\nthe door of the hut and ask his wife where her husband was.\n\nThe woman burst into tears and explained to the stranger that one day in\nthe previous autumn her husband had taken out his sheep as usual and had\nnever come back.\n\n\"Dunay, the dog,\" she said, \"drove home the sheep and from that day to\nthis nothing has ever been heard of my poor husband. I suppose a wolf\ndevoured him, or the witches caught him and tore him to pieces and\nscattered him over the mountain. And here I am left, a poor forsaken\nwidow! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!\"\n\nHer grief was so great that Batcha leaped out of the sheepfold to\ncomfort her.\n\n\"There, there, dear wife, don't cry! Here I am, alive and well! No wolf\nate me, no witches caught me. I've been asleep in the sheepfold--that's\nall. I must have slept all winter long!\"\n\nAt sight and sound of her husband, the woman stopped crying. Her grief\nchanged to surprise, then to fury.\n\n\"You wretch!\" she cried. \"You lazy, good-for-nothing loafer! A nice\nkind of shepherd you are to desert your sheep and yourself to idle\naway the winter sleeping like a serpent! That's a fine story, isn't\nit, and I suppose you think me fool enough to believe it! Oh,\nyou--you sheep's tick, where have you been and what have you been\ndoing?\"\n\nShe flew at Batcha with both hands and there's no telling what she would\nhave done to him if the stranger hadn't interfered.\n\n\"There, there,\" he said, \"no use getting excited! Of course he hasn't\nbeen sleeping here in the sheepfold all winter. The question is, where\nhas he been? Here is some money for you. Take it and go along home to\nyour cottage in the valley. Leave Batcha to me and I promise you I'll\nget the truth out of him.\"\n\nThe woman abused her husband some more and then, pocketing the money,\nwent off.\n\nAs soon as she was gone, the stranger changed into a horrible looking\ncreature with a third eye in the middle of his forehead.\n\n\"Good heavens!\" Batcha gasped in fright. \"He's the wizard of the\nmountain! Now what's going to happen to me!\"\n\nBatcha had often heard terrifying stories of the wizard, how he could\nhimself take any form he wished and how he could turn a man into a ram.\n\n\"Aha!\" the wizard laughed. \"I see you know me! Now then, no more lies!\nTell me: where have you been all winter long?\"\n\nAt first Batcha remembered his triple oath to the old king serpent and\nhe feared to break it. But when the wizard thundered out the same\nquestion a second time and a third time, and grew bigger and more\nhorrible looking each time he spoke, Batcha forgot his oath and\nconfessed everything.\n\n\"Now come with me,\" the wizard said. \"Show me the cliff. Show me the\nmagic plant.\"\n\nWhat could Batcha do but obey? He led the wizard to the cliff and\npicked a leaf of the magic plant.\n\n\"Open the rock,\" the wizard commanded.\n\nBatcha laid the leaf against the cliff and instantly the rock opened.\n\n\"Go inside!\" the wizard ordered.\n\nBut Batcha's trembling legs refused to move.\n\nThe wizard took out a book and began mumbling an incantation. Suddenly\nthe earth trembled, the sky thundered, and with a great hissing\nwhistling sound a monster dragon flew out of the cavern. It was the old\nking serpent whose seven years were up and who was now become a flying\ndragon. From his huge mouth he breathed out fire and smoke. With his\nlong tail he swished right and left among the forest trees and these\nsnapped and broke like little twigs.\n\nThe wizard, still mumbling from his book, handed Batcha a bridle.\n\n\"Throw this around his neck!\" he commanded.\n\nBatcha took the bridle but was too terrified to act. The wizard spoke\nagain and Batcha made one uncertain step in the dragon's direction.\nHe lifted his arm to throw the bridle over the dragon's head, when the\ndragon suddenly turned on him, swooped under him, and before Batcha\nknew what was happening he found himself on the dragon's back and he\nfelt himself being lifted up, up, up, above the tops of the forest trees,\nabove the very mountains themselves.\n\n[Illustration: _On, on, they went, whizzing through the stars of\nheaven_]\n\nFor a moment the sky was so dark that only the fire, spurting from the\ndragon's eyes and mouth, lighted them on their way.\n\nThe dragon lashed this way and that in fury, he belched forth great\nfloods of boiling water, he hissed, he roared, until Batcha, clinging to\nhis back, was half dead with fright.\n\nThen gradually his anger cooled. He ceased belching forth boiling water,\nhe stopped breathing fire, his hisses grew less terrifying.\n\n\"Thank God!\" Batcha gasped. \"Perhaps now he'll sink to earth and let me\ngo.\"\n\nBut the dragon was not yet finished with punishing Batcha for breaking\nhis oath. He rose still higher until the mountains of the earth looked\nlike tiny ant-hills, still up until even these had disappeared. On, on\nthey went, whizzing through the stars of heaven.\n\nAt last the dragon stopped flying and hung motionless in the firmament.\nTo Batcha this was even more terrifying than moving.\n\n\"What shall I do? What shall I do?\" he wept in agony. \"If I jump down to\nearth I'll kill myself and I can't fly on up to heaven! Oh, dragon,\nhave mercy on me! Fly back to earth and let me go and I swear before God\nthat never again until death will I offend you!\"\n\nBatcha's pleading would have moved a stone to pity but the dragon, with\nan angry shake of his tail, only hardened his heart.\n\nSuddenly Batcha heard the sweet voice of the skylark that was mounting\nto heaven.\n\n\"Skylark!\" he called. \"Dear skylark, bird that God loves, help me, for I\nam in great trouble! Fly up to heaven and tell God Almighty that Batcha,\nthe shepherd, is hung in midair on a dragon's back. Tell Him that Batcha\npraises Him forever and begs Him to deliver him.\"\n\nThe skylark carried this message to heaven and God Almighty, pitying the\npoor shepherd, took some birch leaves and wrote on them in letters of\ngold. He put them in the skylark's bill and told the skylark to drop\nthem on the dragon's head.\n\nSo the skylark returned from heaven and, hovering over Batcha, dropped\nthe birch leaves on the dragon's head.\n\nThe dragon instantly sank to earth, so fast that Batcha lost\nconsciousness.\n\nWhen he came to himself he was sitting before his own hut. He looked\nabout him. The dragon's cliff had disappeared. Otherwise everything was\nthe same.\n\nIt was late afternoon and Dunay, the dog, was driving home the sheep.\nThere was a woman coming up the mountain path.\n\nBatcha heaved a great sigh.\n\n\"Thank God I'm back!\" he said to himself. \"How fine it is to hear\nDunay's bark! And here comes my wife, God bless her! She'll scold me, I\nknow, but even if she does, how glad I am to see her!\"\n\n\n\n\nCLEVER MANKA\n\nTHE STORY OF A GIRL WHO KNEW WHAT TO SAY\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nCLEVER MANKA\n\n\nThere was once a rich farmer who was as grasping and unscrupulous as he\nwas rich. He was always driving a hard bargain and always getting the\nbetter of his poor neighbors. One of these neighbors was a humble\nshepherd who in return for service was to receive from the farmer a\nheifer. When the time of payment came the farmer refused to give the\nshepherd the heifer and the shepherd was forced to lay the matter before\nthe burgomaster.\n\nThe burgomaster, who was a young man and as yet not very experienced,\nlistened to both sides and when he had deliberated he said:\n\n\"Instead of deciding this case, I will put a riddle to you both and the\nman who makes the best answer shall have the heifer. Are you agreed?\"\n\nThe farmer and the shepherd accepted this proposal and the burgomaster\nsaid:\n\n\"Well then, here is my riddle: What is the swiftest thing in the world?\nWhat is the sweetest thing? What is the richest? Think out your answers\nand bring them to me at this same hour tomorrow.\"\n\nThe farmer went home in a temper.\n\n\"What kind of a burgomaster is this young fellow!\" he growled. \"If he\nhad let me keep the heifer I'd have sent him a bushel of pears. But now\nI'm in a fair way of losing the heifer for I can't think of any answer\nto his foolish riddle.\"\n\n\"What is the matter, husband?\" his wife asked.\n\n\"It's that new burgomaster. The old one would have given me the heifer\nwithout any argument, but this young man thinks to decide the case by\nasking us riddles.\"\n\nWhen he told his wife what the riddle was, she cheered him greatly by\ntelling him that she knew the answers at once.\n\n\"Why, husband,\" said she, \"our gray mare must be the swiftest thing in\nthe world. You know yourself nothing ever passes us on the road. As for\nthe sweetest, did you ever taste honey any sweeter than ours? And I'm\nsure there's nothing richer than our chest of golden ducats that we've\nbeen laying by these forty years.\"\n\nThe farmer was delighted.\n\n\"You're right, wife, you're right! That heifer remains ours!\"\n\nThe shepherd when he got home was downcast and sad. He had a daughter,\na clever girl named Manka, who met him at the door of his cottage and\nasked:\n\n\"What is it, father? What did the burgomaster say?\"\n\nThe shepherd sighed.\n\n\"I'm afraid I've lost the heifer. The burgomaster set us a riddle and I\nknow I shall never guess it.\"\n\n\"Perhaps I can help you,\" Manka said. \"What is it?\"\n\nSo the shepherd gave her the riddle and the next day as he was setting\nout for the burgomaster's, Manka told him what answers to make.\n\nWhen he reached the burgomaster's house, the farmer was already there\nrubbing his hands and beaming with self-importance.\n\nThe burgomaster again propounded the riddle and then asked the farmer\nhis answers.\n\nThe farmer cleared his throat and with a pompous air began:\n\n\"The swiftest thing in the world? Why, my dear sir, that's my gray mare,\nof course, for no other horse ever passes us on the road. The sweetest?\nHoney from my beehives, to be sure. The richest? What can be richer than\nmy chest of golden ducats!\"\n\nAnd the farmer squared his shoulders and smiled triumphantly.\n\n\"H'm,\" said the young burgomaster, dryly. Then he asked:\n\n\"What answers does the shepherd make?\"\n\nThe shepherd bowed politely and said:\n\n\"The swiftest thing in the world is thought for thought can run any\ndistance in the twinkling of an eye. The sweetest thing of all is sleep\nfor when a man is tired and sad what can be sweeter? The richest thing\nis the earth for out of the earth come all the riches of the world.\"\n\n\"Good!\" the burgomaster cried. \"Good! The heifer goes to the shepherd!\"\n\nLater the burgomaster said to the shepherd:\n\n\"Tell me, now, who gave you those answers? I'm sure they never came out\nof your own head.\"\n\nAt first the shepherd tried not to tell, but when the burgomaster\npressed him he confessed that they came from his daughter, Manka. The\nburgomaster, who thought he would like to make another test of Manka's\ncleverness, sent for ten eggs. He gave them to the shepherd and said:\n\n\"Take these eggs to Manka and tell her to have them hatched out by\ntomorrow and to bring me the chicks.\"\n\nWhen the shepherd reached home and gave Manka the burgomaster's message,\nManka laughed and said: \"Take a handful of millet and go right back to\nthe burgomaster. Say to him: 'My daughter sends you this millet. She\nsays that if you plant it, grow it, and have it harvested by tomorrow,\nshe'll bring you the ten chicks and you can feed them the ripe grain.'\"\n\nWhen the burgomaster heard this, he laughed heartily.\n\n\"That's a clever girl of yours,\" he told the shepherd. \"If she's as\ncomely as she is clever, I think I'd like to marry her. Tell her to come\nto see me, but she must come neither by day nor by night, neither riding\nnor walking, neither dressed nor undressed.\"\n\nWhen Manka received this message she waited until the next dawn when\nnight was gone and day not yet arrived. Then she wrapped herself in a\nfishnet and, throwing one leg over a goat's back and keeping one foot on\nthe ground, she went to the burgomaster's house.\n\nNow I ask you: did she go dressed? No, she wasn't dressed. A fishnet\nisn't clothing. Did she go undressed? Of course not, for wasn't she\ncovered with a fishnet? Did she walk to the burgomaster's? No, she\ndidn't walk for she went with one leg thrown over a goat. Then did she\nride? Of course she didn't ride for wasn't she walking on one foot?\n\nWhen she reached the burgomaster's house she called out:\n\n\"Here I am, Mr. Burgomaster, and I've come neither by day nor by night,\nneither riding nor walking, neither dressed nor undressed.\"\n\nThe young burgomaster was so delighted with Manka's cleverness and so\npleased with her comely looks that he proposed to her at once and in a\nshort time married her.\n\n\"But understand, my dear Manka,\" he said, \"you are not to use that\ncleverness of yours at my expense. I won't have you interfering in any\nof my cases. In fact if ever you give advice to any one who comes to me\nfor judgment, I'll turn you out of my house at once and send you home to\nyour father.\"\n\nAll went well for a time. Manka busied herself in her house-keeping and\nwas careful not to interfere in any of the burgomaster's cases.\n\nThen one day two farmers came to the burgomaster to have a dispute\nsettled. One of the farmers owned a mare which had foaled in the\nmarketplace. The colt had run under the wagon of the other farmer and\nthereupon the owner of the wagon claimed the colt as his property.\n\nThe burgomaster, who was thinking of something else while the case was\nbeing presented, said carelessly:\n\n\"The man who found the colt under his wagon is, of course, the owner of\nthe colt.\"\n\nAs the owner of the mare was leaving the burgomaster's house, he met\nManka and stopped to tell her about the case. Manka was ashamed of her\nhusband for making so foolish a decision and she said to the farmer:\n\n\"Come back this afternoon with a fishing net and stretch it across the\ndusty road. When the burgomaster sees you he will come out and ask you\nwhat you are doing. Say to him that you're catching fish. When he asks\nyou how you can expect to catch fish in a dusty road, tell him it's just\nas easy for you to catch fish in a dusty road as it is for a wagon to\nfoal. Then he'll see the injustice of his decision and have the colt\nreturned to you. But remember one thing: you mustn't let him find out\nthat it was I who told you to do this.\"\n\nThat afternoon when the burgomaster chanced to look out the window he\nsaw a man stretching a fishnet across the dusty road. He went out to\nhim and asked:\n\n\"What are you doing?\"\n\n\"Fishing.\"\n\n\"Fishing in a dusty road? Are you daft?\"\n\n\"Well,\" the man said, \"it's just as easy for me to catch fish in a dusty\nroad as it is for a wagon to foal.\"\n\nThen the burgomaster recognized the man as the owner of the mare and he\nhad to confess that what he said was true.\n\n\"Of course the colt belongs to your mare and must be returned to you.\nBut tell me,\" he said, \"who put you up to this? You didn't think of it\nyourself.\"\n\nThe farmer tried not to tell but the burgomaster questioned him until he\nfound out that Manka was at the bottom of it. This made him very angry.\nHe went into the house and called his wife.\n\n\"Manka,\" he said, \"do you forget what I told you would happen if you\nwent interfering in any of my cases? Home you go this very day. I don't\ncare to hear any excuses. The matter is settled. You may take with you\nthe one thing you like best in my house for I won't have people saying\nthat I treated you shabbily.\"\n\nManka made no outcry.\n\n\"Very well, my dear husband, I shall do as you say: I shall go home to\nmy father's cottage and take with me the one thing I like best in your\nhouse. But don't make me go until after supper. We have been very happy\ntogether and I should like to eat one last meal with you. Let us have no\nmore words but be kind to each other as we've always been and then part\nas friends.\"\n\nThe burgomaster agreed to this and Manka prepared a fine supper of all\nthe dishes of which her husband was particularly fond. The burgomaster\nopened his choicest wine and pledged Manka's health. Then he set to, and\nthe supper was so good that he ate and ate and ate. And the more he ate,\nthe more he drank until at last he grew drowsy and fell sound asleep in\nhis chair. Then without awakening him Manka had him carried out to the\nwagon that was waiting to take her home to her father.\n\nThe next morning when the burgomaster opened his eyes, he found himself\nlying in the shepherd's cottage.\n\n\"What does this mean?\" he roared out.\n\n\"Nothing, dear husband, nothing!\" Manka said. \"You know you told me I\nmight take with me the one thing I liked best in your house, so of\ncourse I took you! That's all.\"\n\nFor a moment the burgomaster rubbed his eyes in amazement. Then he\nlaughed loud and heartily to think how Manka had outwitted him.\n\n\"Manka,\" he said, \"you're too clever for me. Come on, my dear, let's go\nhome.\"\n\nSo they climbed back into the wagon and drove home.\n\nThe burgomaster never again scolded his wife but thereafter whenever a\nvery difficult case came up he always said:\n\n\"I think we had better consult my wife. You know she's a very clever\nwoman.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL\n\nTHE STORY OF A MAN WHO FOUND THAT DEATH WAS NECESSARY\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE BLACKSMITH'S STOOL\n\n\nA long time ago when Lord Jesus and the blessed St. Peter walked about\ntogether on earth, it happened one evening that they stopped at a\nblacksmith's cottage and asked for a night's lodging.\n\n\"You are welcome,\" the blacksmith said. \"I am a poor man but whatever I\nhave I will gladly share with you.\"\n\nHe threw down his hammer and led his guests into the kitchen. There he\nentertained them with a good supper and after they had eaten he said to\nthem:\n\n\"I see that you are tired from your day's journey. There is my bed. Lie\ndown on it and sleep until morning.\"\n\n\"And where will you sleep?\" St. Peter asked.\n\n\"I? Don't think of me,\" the blacksmith said. \"I'll go out to the barn\nand sleep on the straw.\"\n\nThe next morning he gave his guests a fine breakfast, and then sent them\non their way with good wishes for their journey.\n\nAs they were leaving, St. Peter plucked Lord Jesus by the sleeve and\nwhispered:\n\n\"Master, aren't you going to reward this man? He is poor but yet has\ntreated us most hospitably.\"\n\nLord Jesus answered Peter:\n\n\"The reward of this world is an empty reward. I was thinking to prepare\nhim a place in heaven. However, I will grant him something now.\"\n\nThen he turned to the blacksmith and said:\n\n\"Ask what you will. Make three wishes and they will be fulfilled.\"\n\nThe blacksmith was overjoyed. For his first wish he said:\n\n\"I should like to live for a hundred years and always be as strong and\nhealthy as I am this moment.\"\n\nLord Jesus said:\n\n\"Very well, that will be granted you. What is your second wish?\"\n\nThe blacksmith thought for a moment. Then he said:\n\n\"I wish that I may prosper in this world and always have as much as I\nneed. May work in my shop always be as plentiful as it is today.\"\n\n\"This, too, will be granted you,\" Lord Jesus said. \"Now for your third\nwish.\"\n\nOur blacksmith thought and thought, unable at first to decide on a third\nwish. At last he said:\n\n\"Grant that whoever sits on the stool where you sat last night at supper\nmay be unable to get up until I release him.\"\n\nSt. Peter laughed at this, but Lord Jesus nodded and said:\n\n\"This wish, too, will be fulfilled.\"\n\nSo they parted, Lord Jesus and blessed St. Peter going on their way, and\nthe blacksmith returning home to his forge.\n\nThings came to pass as Lord Jesus had promised they should. Work in\nplenty flowed into the blacksmith's shop. The years went by but they\nmade no impression on the blacksmith. He was as young as ever and as\nvigorous. His friends grew old and one by one died. His children grew\nup, married, and had children of their own. These in turn grew up. The\nyears brought youth and maturity and old age to them all. The blacksmith\nalone remained unchanged.\n\nA hundred years is a long time but at last even it runs out.\n\nOne night as the blacksmith was putting away his tools, there came a\nknock at the door. The blacksmith stopped his singing to call out:\n\n\"Who's there?\"\n\n\"It is I, Death,\" a voice answered. \"Open the door, blacksmith. Your\ntime has come.\"\n\nThe blacksmith threw open the door.\n\n\"Welcome,\" he said to the woman standing there. \"I'll be ready in a\nmoment when I put away my tools.\" He smiled a little to himself. \"Won't\nyou sit down on this stool, dear lady, and rest you for a moment? You\nmust be weary going to and fro over the earth.\"\n\nDeath, suspecting nothing, seated herself on the stool.\n\nThe blacksmith burst into a loud laugh.\n\n\"Now I have you, my lady! Stay where you are until I release you!\"\n\nDeath tried to stand up but could not. She squirmed this way and that.\nShe rattled her hollow bones. She gnashed her teeth. But do what she\nwould she could not arise from the stool.\n\nChuckling and singing, the blacksmith left her there and went about his\nbusiness.\n\nBut soon he found that chaining up Death had unexpected results. To\nbegin with, he wanted at once to celebrate his escape with a feast. He\nhad a hog which had been fattening for some time. He would slaughter\nthis hog and chop it up into fine spicy sausages which his neighbors\nand friends would help him eat. The hams he would hang in the chimney to\nsmoke.\n\nBut when he tried to slaughter the animal, the blow of his axe had no\neffect. He struck the hog on the head and, to be sure, it rolled over on\nthe ground. But when he stopped to cut the throat, the creature jumped\nup and with a grunt went scampering off. Before the blacksmith could\nrecover from his surprise, the hog had disappeared.\n\nNext he tried to kill a goose. He had a fat one which he had been\nstuffing for the village fair.\n\n\"Since those sausages have escaped me,\" he said. \"I'll have to be\nsatisfied with roast goose.\"\n\nBut when he tried to cut the goose's throat, the knife drew no blood. In\nhis surprise he loosened his hold and the goose slipped from his hands\nand went cackling off after the hog.\n\n\"What's come over things today?\" the blacksmith asked himself. \"It seems\nI'm not to have sausage or roast goose. I suppose I'll have to be\nsatisfied with a pair of pigeons.\"\n\nHe went out to the pigeon-house and caught two pigeons. He put them on\nthe chopping-block and with one mighty blow of his ax cut off both their\nheads.\n\n\"There!\" he cried in triumph. \"I've got you!\"\n\nBut even as he spoke the little severed heads returned to their bodies,\nthe heads and bodies grew together as if nothing had happened, and\ncooing happily the two pigeons flew away.\n\nThen at last the truth flashed upon the blacksmith's mind. So long as he\nkept Death fastened to that stool, nothing could die! Of course not! So\nno more spicy sausages, no more smoked hams, no more roast goose--not\neven a broiled pigeon! The prospect was not a pleasing one, for the\nblacksmith loved good things to eat. But what could he do? Release\nDeath? Never that! He would be her first victim! Well then, if he could\nhave no fresh meat, he would have to be content to live on peas and\nporridge and wheaten cakes.\n\nThis actually was what he had to do and what every one else had to do\nwhen their old provisions were exhausted.\n\nSummer passed and winter followed. Then spring came bringing new and\nunforeseen miseries. With the first breath of warm weather all the pests\nand insects of the summer before revived, for not one of them had been\nkilled by the winter cold. And the eggs they had laid all hatched out\nuntil the earth and the air and the water swarmed with living creatures.\nBirds and rats and grasshoppers, insects and bugs and vermin of every\nkind, covered the fields and ate up every green thing. The meadows\nlooked as if a fire had swept them clean. The orchards were stripped\nbare of every leaf and blossom.\n\nSuch hordes of fish and frogs and water creatures filled the lakes and\nthe rivers that the water was polluted and it was impossible for man to\ndrink it.\n\nWater and land alike were swarming with living creatures not one of\nwhich could be killed. Even the air was thick with clouds of mosquitoes\nand gnats and flies.\n\nMen and women walked about looking like tormented ghosts. They had no\ndesire to live on but they had to live on for they could not die.\n\nThe blacksmith came at last to a realization of all the misery which his\nfoolish wish was bringing upon the world.\n\n\"I see now,\" he said, \"that God Almighty did well when He sent Death to\nthe world. She has her work to do and I am wrong to hold her prisoner.\"\n\nSo he released Death from the stool and made no outcry when she put her\nbony fingers to his throat.\n\n\n\n\nA GULLIBLE WORLD\n\nTHE STORY OF A MAN WHO DIDN'T BEAT HIS WIFE\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nA GULLIBLE WORLD\n\n\nThere was once a poor farm laborer, so poor that all he owned in the\nworld was a hen. He told his wife to take this hen to market and sell\nit.\n\n\"How much shall I ask for it?\" the woman wanted to know.\n\n\"Ask as much as they'll pay, of course,\" the laborer said.\n\nSo the woman took the hen by the feet and set out. Near the village she\nmet a farmer.\n\n\"Good day,\" the farmer said. \"Where are you going with that hen?\"\n\n\"I'm going to market to sell it for as much as they'll pay me.\"\n\nThe farmer weighed the hen in his hand, pursed his lips, thought a\nmoment, and said:\n\n\"You better sell it to me. I'll pay you three pennies for it.\"\n\n\"Three pennies? Are you sure that's as much as you'll pay?\"\n\n\"Yes,\" the farmer said, \"three pennies is as much as I'll pay.\"\n\nSo the laborer's wife sold the hen for three pennies. She went on to the\nvillage and there she bought a pretty little paper bag with one of the\npennies and a piece of ribbon with another penny. She put the third\npenny into the bag, tied the bag with the ribbon, slipped the ribbon on\na stick, put the stick over her shoulder, and then, feeling that she had\ndone a very good day's work, she tramped home to her husband.\n\nWhen the laborer heard how stupidly his wife had acted, he flew into a\ngreat rage and at first threatened to give her a sound beating.\n\n\"Was there ever such a foolish woman in the world?\" he shouted angrily.\n\nThe poor woman, who by this time was snuffling and weeping, whimpered\nout:\n\n\"I don't see why you find so much fault with me! I'm sure I'm not the\nonly gullible person in the world.\"\n\n\"Well,\" the laborer said, \"I don't know. Perhaps there are people in the\nworld as gullible as you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll go out and see\nif I can find them. If I do, I won't beat you.\"\n\nSo the laborer went out into the world to see if he could find any one\nas gullible as his wife. He traveled several days until he reached a\ncountryside where he was unknown. Here he came to a fine castle at the\nwindow of which stood the lady of the castle looking out.\n\n\"Now then, my lady,\" the laborer said to himself, \"we'll see how\ngullible you are.\"\n\nHe stood in the middle of the road, looked intently up at the sky, and\nthen reaching out his arms as if he were trying to catch hold of\nsomething he began jumping up and down.\n\nThe lady of the castle watched him for a few moments and then dispatched\none of her servants to ask him what he was doing. The servant hurried\nout and questioned him and this is the story the clever rascal made up:\n\n\"I'm trying to jump back into heaven. You see I live up there. I was\nwrestling up there with one of my comrades and he pitched me out and now\nI can't find the hole I fell through.\"\n\nWith his eyes popping out of his head, the servant hurried back to his\nmistress and repeated the laborer's story word for word.\n\nThe lady of the castle instantly sent for the laborer.\n\n\"You say you were in heaven?\" she asked him.\n\n\"Yes, my lady, that's where I live and I'm going back at once.\"\n\n\"I have a dear son in heaven,\" the lady said. \"Do you know him?\"\n\n\"Of course I know him. The last time I saw him he was sitting far back\nin the chimney corner looking very sad and lonely.\"\n\n\"What! My son sitting far back in the chimney corner! Poor boy, he must\nbe in need of money! My good man, will you take him something from me?\nI'd like to send him three hundred golden ducats and material for six\nfine shirts. And tell him not to be lonely as I'll come to him soon.\"\n\nThe laborer was delighted at the success of his yarn and he told the\nlady of the castle he'd gladly take with him the ducats and the fine\nshirting and he asked her to give them to him at once as he had to get\nback to heaven without delay.\n\nThe foolish woman wrapped up the shirting and counted out the money and\nthe laborer hurried off.\n\nOnce out of sight of the castle he sat down by the roadside, stuffed the\nfine shirting into the legs of his trousers, and hid the ducats in his\npockets. Then he stretched himself out to rest.\n\nMeantime the lord of the castle got home and his wife at once told him\nthe whole story and asked him if he didn't think she was fortunate to\nfind a man who had consented to deliver to their son in heaven three\nhundred golden ducats and material for six fine shirts.\n\n\"What!\" cried the husband. \"Oh, what a gullible creature you are! Who\never heard of a man falling out of heaven! And if he were to fall, how\ncould he climb back? The rogue has swindled you! Which way did he go?\"\n\nAnd without waiting to hear the poor lady's lamentations, the nobleman\nmounted his horse and galloped off in the direction the laborer had\ntaken.\n\nThe laborer, who was still resting by the wayside, saw him coming and\nguessed who he was.\n\n\"Now, my lord, we'll try you,\" he said to himself.\n\nHe took off his broad-trimmed hat and put it on the ground beside him\nover a clod of earth.\n\n\"My good fellow,\" said the nobleman, \"I am looking for a man with a\nbundle over his shoulder. Have you seen him pass this way?\"\n\nThe laborer scratched his head and pretended to think.\n\n\"Yes, master,\" he said, \"seems to me I did see a man with a bundle. He\nwas running over there towards the woods and looking back all the time.\nHe was a stranger to these parts. I remember now thinking to myself that\nhe looked like one of those rogues that come from big cities to swindle\nhonest country folk. Yes, master, that's the way he went, over there.\"\n\nThe laborer seemed such an honest simple fellow that at once the\nnobleman told him how the stranger had swindled his wife.\n\n\"Oh, the rogue!\" the laborer cried. \"To think of his swindling such a\nfine lady, too! Master, I wish I could help you. I'd take that horse of\nyours and go after him myself if I could. But I can't. I'm carrying a\nbird of great value to a gentleman who lives in the next town. I have\nthe bird here under my hat and I daren't leave it.\"\n\nThe nobleman thought that as the laborer had seen the swindler he might\nbe able to catch him. So he said:\n\n\"My good man, if I sat here and guarded your hat, would you be willing\nto mount my horse and follow that rascal?\"\n\n\"Indeed I would, my lord, in a minute, for I can't bear to think of that\nrogue swindling such a fine lady as your wife. But I must beg you to be\nvery careful of this bird. Don't put your hand under my hat or it might\nescape and then I should have to bear the loss of it.\"\n\nThe nobleman promised to be most careful of the bird and, dismounting,\nhe handed his bridle to the laborer. That one mounted the nobleman's\nhorse and galloped off.\n\nIt is needless to say the nobleman never saw either man or horse again.\nHe waited and waited. At last when he could wait no longer he decided\nthat he would have to take the bird home with him and let the laborer\nfollow. So he lifted the edge of the hat very carefully, slipped in his\nhand, and clutched--the dry clod of earth!\n\nDeeply chagrined he went home and had to bear the smiles of his people\nas they whispered among themselves that my lord as well as my lady had\nbeen swindled.\n\nThe laborer as he neared his cottage called out to his wife:\n\n\"It's all right, wife! You won't get that beating! I find that the world\nis full of people even more gullible than you!\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE CANDLES OF LIFE\n\nTHE STORY OF A CHILD FOR WHOM DEATH STOOD GODMOTHER\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE CANDLES OF LIFE\n\n\nThere was once a poor man named Martin. He was so very poor that when\nhis wife gave birth to a little boy, he could find no one who would\nstand godmother to the child.\n\n\"No,\" he told his wife, \"there's no one that I've asked who is willing\nto hold this infant at the christening.\"\n\nThe poor mother wept and moaned and he tried to comfort her as best he\ncould.\n\n\"Don't be discouraged, my dear wife. I promise you your son will be\nchristened. I'll carry him to church myself and if I can find a\ngodmother no other way I'll ask some woman I meet on the road.\"\n\nSo Martin bundled up the baby and carried him to church. On the way he\nmet a woman whom he asked to be godmother. She took the baby in her arms\nat once and held it during the christening.\n\nNow Martin supposed that she was just an ordinary woman like any other.\nBut she wasn't. She was Death who walks about among men and takes them\nwhen their time has come.\n\nAfter the christening she invited Martin home with her. She showed him\nthrough the various rooms of her house and down into great cellars. They\nwent a long way underground through cellar after cellar to a place where\nthousands upon thousands of candles were burning. There were tall\ncandles just lighted, candles burned halfway down, and little short ones\nnearly burned out. At one end of the place there was a heap of fresh\ncandles that had not yet been lighted.\n\n\"These,\" Death said, \"are the candles of all the people in the world.\nWhen a man's candle burns out, then it is time for me to go for him.\"\n\n\"Godmother,\" Martin said, pointing to a candle that was burning low,\n\"whose may that be?\"\n\n\"That, my friend, is your candle.\"\n\nMartin was frightened and begged Death to lengthen his candle, but Death\nshook her head.\n\n\"No, my friend,\" she said, \"I can't do that.\"\n\nShe reached for a fresh candle to light it for the baby just christened.\nWhile her back was turned, Martin snatched a tall candle, lighted it,\nand then pressed it on the stub of his own candle that was nearly burned\nout.\n\nWhen Death turned and saw what he had done, she frowned reprovingly.\n\n\"That, my friend, was an unworthy trick. However, it has lengthened\nyour life, for what is done is done and can't be undone.\"\n\nThen she handed Martin some golden ducats as a christening present, took\nthe baby again in her arms, and said:\n\n\"Now let us go home and give this young man back to his mother.\"\n\nAt the cottage she made the sick woman comfortable and talked to her\nabout her son. Martin went out to the tavern and bought a jug of ale.\nThen he spread the table with food, the best he could afford, and\nGodmother Death sat down on the bench and they ate and drank together.\n\n\"Martin,\" she said to him at last, \"you are very poor and I must do\nsomething for you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll make you into a great\nphysician. I will spread sickness in the world and you will cure it.\nYour fame will go abroad and people will send for you and pay you\nhandsomely. This is how we'll work together: when you hear of a person\ntaken sick, go to his house and offer to cure him. I will be there\ninvisible to every one but you. If I stand at the foot of the sick man's\nbed, you will know that he's going to get well. So then you can\nprescribe salves and medicines, and when he recovers he'll think you\nhave cured him. But if I stand at the head of the sick man's bed, you\nwill know that he has to die. In that case you must look grave and say\nthat he is beyond help. When he dies people will say how wise you were\nto know beforehand.\"\n\nShe gave him further instructions and then, after bidding her godchild\nand its mother a kind farewell, she left.\n\nTime went by and Martin's fame as a great physician spread far and wide.\nWherever Godmother Death caused sickness, there Martin went and made\nmarvelous cures. Dukes and princes heard of him and sent for him. When\nhe rubbed them with salve or gave them a dose or two of bitter medicine\nand they recovered, they felt so grateful to him that they gave him\nanything he asked and often more than he asked.\n\nHe always remembered Death's warning not to treat a sick man if she\nstood at his head. Once, however, he disobeyed. He was called to\nprescribe to a duke of enormous wealth. When he entered the room he saw\nDeath standing at the duke's head.\n\n\"Can you cure him?\" they asked Martin.\n\n\"I can't promise,\" Martin said, \"but I'll do what I can.\"\n\nHe had the servants turn the duke's bed around until the foot instead\nof the head was in front of Death. The duke recovered and rewarded\nMartin richly.\n\nBut Death when next she met Martin reproved him:\n\n\"My friend, don't try that trick on me again. Besides, it is not a real\ncure. The duke's time has come; he must go to his appointed place; and\nit is my duty to conduct him thither. You think you have saved him from\nme and he thinks so, but you are both mistaken. All you have given him\nis a moment's respite.\"\n\nThe years went by and Martin grew old. His hair whitened and his muscles\nstiffened. The infirmities of age came upon him and life was no longer a\njoy.\n\n\"Dear Godmother Death,\" he cried, \"I am old and tired! Take me!\"\n\nBut Death shook her head.\n\n\"No, my friend, I can't take you yet. You lengthened the candle of your\nlife and now you must wait until it burns down.\"\n\nAt last one day as he was riding home after visiting a sick man, Death\nclimbed into the carriage with him. She talked with him of old times and\nthey laughed together. Then jokingly she brushed his chin with a green\nbranch. Instantly Martin's eyes grew heavy. His head slipped lower and\nlower and soon he fell asleep on Death's lap.\n\n\"He's dead,\" the people said, when they looked in the carriage. \"The\nfamous Doctor Martin is dead! Oh, what a great and good man he was!\nAlas, who can take his place!\"\n\nHe was buried with great pomp and all the world mourned his death.\n\nHis son, whose name was Josef, was a stupid fellow. One day as he was\ngoing to church, his godmother met him.\n\n\"Well, Josef,\" she asked, \"how are you getting on?\"\n\n\"Oh, pretty well, thank you. I can live along for a while on what my\nfather saved. When that's gone, I don't know what I'll do.\"\n\n\"Tut! Tut!\" said Death. \"That's no way to talk. If you only knew it, I'm\nyour godmother who held you at your christening. I helped your father to\nwealth and fame and now I'll help you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll\napprentice you to a successful doctor and I'll see to it that soon\nyou'll know more than he knows.\"\n\nDeath rubbed some salve over Josef's ears and led him to a doctor.\n\n\"I wish you to take this youth as an apprentice,\" she said. \"He's a\nlikely lad and will do you credit. Teach him all you know.\"\n\nThe doctor accepted Josef as an apprentice and when he went out into the\nfields to gather herbs and simples, he took the youth with him.\n\nNow the magic salve with which Godmother Death had anointed Josef\nenabled him to hear and understand the whisperings of the herbs. Each\none as he picked it, whispered to him its secret properties.\n\n\"I cure a fever,\" one whispered.\n\n\"And I a rash.\"\n\n\"And I a boil.\"\n\nThe doctor was amazed at his apprentice's knowledge of herbs.\n\n\"You know them better than I do,\" he said. \"You never make a mistake. It\nis I should be apprentice, not you. Let us go into partnership. I will\nwork under you and together we will make wonderful cures.\"\n\nAnd so, owing to his godmother's gift, Josef became a great physician of\nwhom it was said that there was no illness for which he could not find a\nremedial herb.\n\nHe lived long and happily until at last his candle burned down and\nDeath, his kind godmother, took him.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S GIFTS\n\nTHE STORY OF A MAN WHOM THE DEVIL BEFRIENDED\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S GIFTS\n\n\nThere were once two men, a shoemaker and a farmer, who had been\nclose friends in youth. The shoemaker married and had many children\nto whom the farmer stood godfather. For this reason the two men\ncalled each other \"Godfather.\" When they met it was \"Godfather,\nthis,\" and \"Godfather, that.\" The shoemaker was an industrious\nlittle man and yet with so many mouths to fill he remained poor. The\nfarmer on the other hand soon grew rich for he had no children to\neat into his savings.\n\nYears went by and money and possessions began to change the farmer's\ndisposition. The more he accumulated, the more he wanted, until\npeople were whispering behind his back that he was miserly and\navaricious. His wife was like him. She, too, saved and skimped\nalthough, as I have told you, they had neither chick nor child to\nprovide for.\n\nThe richer the farmer grew, the less he cared for his poor friend\nand his poor friend's children. Now when they called him\n\"Godfather,\" he frowned impatiently, and whenever he saw any of\nthem he pretended to be very busy for fear they should ask him a\nfavor.\n\nOne day when he had slaughtered beef, the poor shoemaker came to him and\nsaid:\n\n\"My dear Godfather, you have just made a killing. Won't you please give\nme a little piece of meat? My wife and children are hungry.\"\n\n\"No!\" roared the rich man. \"Why should I feed your family? You ought to\nsave as I do and then you wouldn't have to ask favors of any one.\"\n\nHumiliated by the refusal, the shoemaker went home and told his wife\nwhat his friend had said.\n\n\"Go back to him,\" his wife insisted, \"and tell him again that his\ngodchildren are hungry. I don't think he understood you.\"\n\nSo the poor little shoemaker returned to the rich man. He cleared his\nthroat apologetically and stammered:\n\n\"Dear Godfather, you--you don't want your poor godchildren to go hungry,\ndo you? Give me just one small piece of meat--that's all I ask.\"\n\nIn a rage, the rich man picked up a hunk of meat and threw it at his\npoor friend.\n\n\"There!\" he shouted. \"And now go to hell, you and the meat with you, and\ntell the Devil I sent you.\"\n\nThe shoemaker picked up the piece of meat. It was all fat and gristle.\n\n\"No use carrying this home,\" he thought to himself. \"I think I better do\nas Godfather says. Yes, I'll go to hell and give it to the Devil.\"\n\nSo he tramped down to hell and presented himself at the gate. The little\ndevil who stood on guard greeted him merrily.\n\n\"Hello, shoemaker! What do you want here?\"\n\n\"I have a present for the Devil, a piece of meat that Godfather gave\nme.\"\n\nThe little devil of a guard nodded his head understandingly.\n\n\"I see, I see. Very well then, come with me and I'll lead you to Prince\nLucifer. But I'll give you a bit of advice first. When the Prince asks\nyou what present you'd like in return, tell him you'd like the\ntablecloth off his own table.\"\n\nThe little devil of a guard then conducted the shoemaker into Prince\nLucifer's presence and the Prince received him with every mark of\nconsideration. The shoemaker told him what Godfather had said and\npresented him the hunk of meat. Lucifer received it most graciously.\nThen he said:\n\n\"Now, my dear shoemaker, let me make you a little present in return. Do\nyou see anything here that you'd like?\"\n\n\"If it pleases your Highness,\" the shoemaker said, \"give me that cloth\nthat is spread over your table.\"\n\nLucifer at once handed him the cloth and dismissed him with many wishes\nfor a pleasant journey back to earth.\n\nAs the shoemaker was leaving the friendly little devil of a guard said\nto him:\n\n\"I just want to tell you that's no ordinary tablecloth that the Prince\nhas given you. No, indeed! Whenever you're hungry, all you've got to do\nis spread out that cloth and say: 'Meat and drink for one!' or, for as\nmany as you want, and instantly you will have what you ask.\"\n\nOverjoyed at his good fortune the little shoemaker hurried back to\nearth. As night came on he stopped at a tavern. He thought this was a\ngood place to try the tablecloth. So he took it out of his bag, spread\nit over the table, and said:\n\n\"Meat and drink for one!\"\n\nInstantly a fine supper appeared and the shoemaker ate and drank his\nfill.\n\nNow the landlord of the tavern was an evil, covetous fellow and when he\nsaw how the tablecloth worked his fingers itched to own it. He called\nhis wife aside and told her in guarded whispers what he had seen.\n\nHer eyes, too, filled with greed.\n\n\"Husband,\" she whispered back, \"we've got to get possession of that\ntablecloth! Think what a help it would be to us in our business! I tell\nyou what we'll do: tonight when the shoemaker is asleep we'll steal his\ntablecloth and slip in one of our own in its place. He's a simple fellow\nand will never know the difference.\"\n\nSo that night while the shoemaker was asleep, they tip-toed in, stole\nthe magic tablecloth out of the bag, and substituted one of their own.\n\nThe next morning when the shoemaker awoke and spread out the cloth which\nhe found in his bag and said: \"Meat and drink for one!\" of course\nnothing happened.\n\n\"That's strange,\" he thought to himself. \"I'll have to take this back to\nthe Devil and ask him to give me something else.\"\n\nSo instead of going home he went back to hell and knocked at the gate.\n\n\"Hello, shoemaker!\" the little devil of a guard said. \"What do you want\nnow?\"\n\n\"Well, you see it's this way,\" the shoemaker explained: \"this\ntablecloth of the Devil's worked all right last night but it doesn't\nwork this morning.\"\n\nThe little devil grinned.\n\n\"Oh, I see. And you want Prince Lucifer to take it back and give you\nsomething else, eh? Well, I'm sure he will. If you want my advice, I\nshould say to ask him for that red rooster that sits in the chimney\ncorner.\"\n\nThe Prince received the shoemaker as kindly as before and was perfectly\nwilling to exchange the tablecloth for the red rooster.\n\nWhen the shoemaker got back to the gate, the little devil of a guard\nsaid:\n\n\"I see you've got the red rooster. Now I just want to tell you that's no\nordinary rooster. Whenever you need money, all you have to do is put\nthat rooster on the table and say: 'Crow, rooster, crow!' He'll crow and\nas he crows a golden ducat will drop from his bill!\"\n\n\"What a lucky fellow I am!\" the little shoemaker thought to himself as\nhe hurried back to earth.\n\nAs night came on he stopped again at the same tavern and, when it was\ntime to pay for his supper, he put the red rooster on the table and\nsaid:\n\n\"Crow, rooster, crow!\"\n\nThe rooster crowed and sure enough a golden ducat dropped from his bill.\n\nThe covetous landlord licked his greedy lips and hurried off to his\nwife.\n\n\"We've got a red rooster,\" the wife said. \"I'll tell you what we'll do:\nwhen the shoemaker's asleep we'll trade roosters. He's a simple fellow\nand will never know the difference.\"\n\nSo the next morning after breakfast, when the shoemaker put what he\nthought was his own rooster on the table and said: \"Crow, rooster,\ncrow!\" of course nothing happened.\n\n\"I wonder what's the matter with you,\" he said to the rooster. \"I'll\nhave to take you back to the Devil.\"\n\nSo again he tramped down to hell and explained to the little devil of a\nguard that the rooster no longer dropped golden ducats from his bill.\n\nThe little devil listened and grinned.\n\n\"I suppose you want Prince Lucifer to give you something else, eh?\"\n\nThe shoemaker nodded.\n\n\"I'm sure he will,\" the little devil said. \"He seems to have taken quite\na fancy to you. Now take my advice and ask him for the pair of clubs\nthat are lying under the oven.\"\n\nSo the shoemaker when he was led again into Lucifer's presence explained\nto the Prince that the red rooster no longer worked and please would His\nHighness give him something else instead.\n\nThe Prince was most affable.\n\n\"Certainly,\" he said.\n\n\"Well then, Your Highness, I'd like that pair of clubs I see under the\noven.\"\n\nLucifer gave him the clubs and wished him a pleasant journey home.\n\nWhen the shoemaker got back to the gate, the little devil of a guard\nwagged his head and blinked his eyes.\n\n\"Shoemaker,\" he said, \"those are fine clubs! You don't know how fine\nthey are! Why, they'll do anything you tell them! If you point to a man\nand say to them: 'Tickle that fellow!' they'll jump about and tickle him\nunder the ribs. If you say: 'Strike that fellow!' they'll hit him. And\nif you say: 'Beat him!' they'll give him a terrible drubbing. Now I want\nyou to try these clubs on that landlord and his wife for they have been\nplaying tricks on you. They stole your tablecloth and your rooster. When\nyou reach the tavern tonight, they'll be entertaining a wedding party\nand they'll say they haven't any room for you. Don't argue but quietly\ntake out your clubs and order them to knock about among the wedding\nguests. Then order them to beat the landlord and his wife and those two\nwill soon cry for mercy and be more than willing to return you your\nproperty.\"\n\nThe shoemaker thanked the little devil of a guard for his good advice\nand, putting the clubs in his bag, climbed back to earth. When he\nreached the tavern, sure enough he found a wedding party feasting and\ndancing.\n\n\"Get out of here!\" the landlord cried. \"There's no room for you!\"\n\nWithout a word the shoemaker took out his clubs and said:\n\n\"Clubs, knock around among the wedding guests!\"\n\nInstantly the two clubs went knocking about among the wedding guests,\ntickling some and throwing down others, until the place was in an\nuproar.\n\n\"Now beat the landlord and his wife!\" the shoemaker cried.\n\nAt that the clubs hopped over to the landlord and his wife and began\nbeating them over the head and shoulders until they both dropped on\ntheir knees before the shoemaker and begged for mercy.\n\n\"Are you ready to give me back my tablecloth and rooster?\" the shoemaker\nasked.\n\n\"Yes, yes!\" they cried. \"Only call off your clubs and we'll give you\nback your tablecloth and rooster--we swear we will!\"\n\nWhen he thought he had punished them enough, the shoemaker ordered the\nclubs to stop and the landlord and his wife tottered off as fast as\ntheir trembling legs could carry them. Presently they returned with the\ntablecloth and the rooster.\n\nSo the shoemaker, when he got home, had all three of the Devil's\npresents tucked safely away in his bag.\n\n\"Now, wife!\" he cried. \"Now, children! Now we are going to have a\nfeast!\"\n\nHe spread out the tablecloth and said:\n\n\"Meat and drink for ten!\"\n\nInstantly such a feast appeared that for a moment the poor wife and the\nhungry children couldn't believe their eyes. Then they set to, and, oh!\nI can't begin to tell you all they ate!\n\nWhen they could eat no more, the shoemaker said:\n\n\"That isn't all. I've got something else in my bag.\"\n\nHe took out the clubs and said:\n\n\"Clubs, tickle the children!\"\n\nInstantly the clubs hopped around among the children and tickled them\nunder the ribs until they were all roaring with laughter.\n\n\"And that isn't all!\" the shoemaker said. \"I've got something else in my\nbag.\"\n\nHe pulled out the red rooster, put him on the table, and said:\n\n\"Crow, rooster, crow!\"\n\nThe rooster crowed and a golden ducat dropped from his bill.\n\n\"Oh!\" the children cried, and the youngest one begged: \"Make him do it\nagain! Make him do it again!\"\n\nSo again the shoemaker said: \"Crow, rooster, crow!\" and again a golden\nducat dropped from the rooster's bill.\n\nThe children were so amused that the shoemaker kept the rooster crowing\nall night long until the room was overflowing with a great heap of\nshining ducats.\n\nThe next day the shoemaker said to his wife:\n\n\"We must measure our money and see how much we have. Send one of the\nchildren over to Godfather to borrow a bushel measure.\"\n\nSo the youngest child ran over to the rich man's house and said:\n\n\"Godfather, my father says will you please lend us a bushel measure to\nmeasure our money.\"\n\n\"Measure your money!\" the rich man growled. \"Pooh, pooh, what nonsense!\nWife, where's that old worn-out measure that we're going to throw away?\nIt's the very thing to lend these beggars.\"\n\nThe woman who was just as disagreeable as the man handed the child an\nold broken measure and said, severely:\n\n\"See you bring it back at once!\"\n\nIn a short time the little girl returned the measure.\n\n\"Thanks, Godfather,\" she said. \"We've got a hundred bushels.\"\n\n\"A hundred bushels!\" the farmer repeated scornfully after the child was\ngone. \"A hundred bushels of what? Look inside the measure, wife, and see\nif you find a trace of anything.\"\n\nThe woman peered inside the measure and found a golden ducat lodged in a\nslit. She took it out and the mere sight of it made her face and her\nhusband's face turn sick and pale with envy.\n\n\"Do you suppose those beggars really have got some money?\" he said. \"We\nbetter go over at once and see.\"\n\nSo they hurried over to the shoemaker's cottage and they shook hands\nwith him and his wife most effusively and they rubbed their hands\ntogether and they smiled and they smiled and the rich man said:\n\n[Illustration: _He led them to Prince Lucifer_]\n\n\"Dear Godfather, how are you? And how are all my dear godchildren? And\nwhat is this good fortune that has come to you?\"\n\n\"I owe it all to you,\" the shoemaker said.\n\n\"To me?\" the farmer repeated and, although he began to feel sick inside\nto think that any one had benefited through him, he kept on smiling and\nrubbing his hands. \"Tell me about it, dear Godfather.\"\n\n\"You know that piece of meat you gave me,\" the shoemaker said. \"You told\nme to give it to the Devil. I took your advice and made the Devil a\npresent of it and he gave me all these wonderful things in return.\"\n\nThe shoemaker made the tablecloth spread itself, he made the rooster\ncrow and drop a golden ducat, and he made the clubs dance merrily around\nthe room and tickle the children under the ribs.\n\nThe farmer and his wife grew sicker and sicker with envy but they kept\non smiling and rubbing their hands and asking questions.\n\n\"Tell us, dear Godfather,\" they said, \"what road do you take to go to\nhell? Of course we're not expecting to go ourselves but we'd just like\nto know.\"\n\nThe shoemaker told them the way and they hurried home. They slaughtered\ntheir finest cattle and then, packing on their backs all the choicest\ncuts of the meat, they staggered down to hell.\n\nWhen the little devil of a guard saw them coming, he grinned and\nchuckled.\n\n\"Welcome!\" he cried. \"We've been waiting for you a long time! Come right\nin!\"\n\nHe led them to Prince Lucifer and the Prince recognized them instantly.\n\n\"It's very good of you coming before you had to,\" he said. \"This saves\nme a trip to earth. I was thinking just the other day it was time to go\nafter you. And see all that fine meat you've brought with you! I\ncertainly am glad to see you! It isn't often I have the pleasure of\nmeeting people as avaricious, as greedy, as mean, as you two have been.\nIn fact, both of you are such ornaments to hell that I think I'll just\nhave to keep you here forever!\"\n\nSo the rich farmer and his wife were never again seen on earth.\n\nAs for the shoemaker--he and his family lived long and merrily. They\nshared their good fortune with others, never forgetting the time when\nthey, too, suffered from poverty. And because they were good and kind,\nthe Devil's gifts brought them only happiness.\n\n\n\n\nGENTLE DORA\n\nTHE STORY OF A DEVIL WHO MARRIED A SCOLD\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\nGENTLE DORA\n\n\nThere was once a young devil who, as he wandered over the earth, found a\nbook. He slipped it carelessly into his pocket and carried it down to\nhell. Now this book contained a list of the good deeds of a rich man,\nand the account of a good deed is of course never allowed to enter hell.\n\nThe devils in hell when they opened the book were greatly incensed over\ntheir comrade's stupidity and at once they dragged him off to Prince\nLucifer for punishment.\n\nLucifer when he heard the case shook his head gravely.\n\n\"This is a serious offense,\" he said to the culprit. \"To atone you must\ndo one of two things: every day for seven years you must bring a soul to\nhell, or you must remain on earth for seven years and take service among\nmen. Which will you do?\"\n\nThe young devil was a stupid fellow and he knew he would never be able\nto seduce a soul every day for seven years. So he said:\n\n\"If I must choose, Your Majesty, let it be exile on earth for seven\nyears.\"\n\nSo Lucifer pronounced sentence and the young devil was driven out of\nhell and warned not to return until the seven years were up.\n\nSad and forlorn he wandered up and down the world looking for work.\nPeople everywhere were suspicious of his black face and turned him away.\n\nOne day he met a man to whom he told his story.\n\n\"And just because I'm a devil,\" he said in conclusion, \"no one will hire\nme.\"\n\n\"I know where you can get work,\" the man told him. \"Just beyond the next\nvillage there is a big farm which is owned by a woman. She's always in\nneed of laborers for she has such a sharp tongue and such a mean\ndisposition that no one can stay with her longer than a month. Her name\nis Dora and in mockery the people hereabouts call her Gentle Dora. Why\ndon't you take service with her? As you're a devil, you may be able to\nget the best of her.\"\n\nThe devil thanked the man for this suggestion and at once presented\nhimself to Gentle Dora. Gentle Dora, as usual, was in need of laborers\nand so she employed the devil instantly in spite of his black face.\n\nFrom the start she worked him like a slave from morning till night,\nscolded him incessantly, and didn't give him half enough to eat. The\npoor fellow grew thin and almost pale. The months went by and each new\nmonth was harder to live through than the one before.\n\n\"I can do a day's work with the best of them,\" the devil thought to\nhimself, \"but there is no one, either man or devil, who can stand this\nwoman's everlasting nagging. Oh dear, oh dear, what shall I do?\"\n\nNow Gentle Dora was looking for a husband. She had already had five\nhusbands all of whom she had nagged to death. On account of this record\nevery bachelor and widower in the village was a little shy of proposing\nhimself as a sixth husband.\n\nThe devil, who as I have told you was a simple fellow, finally decided\nthat it would be a mighty clever thing for him to marry Gentle Dora. He\nfelt sure that once he was her husband she would give him less work and\nmore food. So he proposed to her.\n\nThe rich widow didn't much fancy his black face, but on the other hand\nshe wanted a husband and so, as there was no other prospect in sight,\nshe accepted him.\n\n\"At least,\" she thought to herself, \"by making him my husband, I'll save\nhis wages.\"\n\nIt wasn't long before the devil found out that life as a husband was\neven harder than life as a laborer. Now without wages he had ten times\nmore to do while Gentle Dora did nothing but spend her time hunting work\nfor him.\n\n\"Why do you think I've married,\" she would cry, \"if it isn't to have\nsome one take care of me!\"\n\nSo she would stand over him and scold and scold and scold while he, poor\ndevil, toiled and sweated, doing the work of six men.\n\nTime went by and the devil grew thinner and thinner and paler and paler.\nGentle Dora begrudged him every mouthful he ate and was forever harping\non his enormous appetite.\n\nAt last one day she said to him:\n\n\"You're simply eating me out of house and home. From now on you will\nhave to board yourself. As I'm an honest woman I'll treat you justly.\nThis year we'll divide the harvest half and half. Which will you have:\nthat which grows above the ground, or that which grows below the\nground?\"\n\nThis sounded fair enough and the devil said:\n\n\"Give me the part that grows above the ground.\"\n\nThereupon Gentle Dora had the whole farm planted in potatoes and beets\nand carrots. When the harvest came she gave the devil the tops and\nherself took all the tubers.\n\nThat winter the poor devil would have starved if the neighbors hadn't\ntaken pity on him and fed him.\n\nIn the spring Gentle Dora asked him what part of the new crop he wanted.\n\n\"This time,\" he said, \"give me the part that grows under the ground.\"\n\nGentle Dora agreed and then planted the entire farm in millet and rye\nand poppy seed. At the harvest she took all the grain as her share and\ntold the devil that the worthless roots belonged to him.\n\n\"What chance has a poor devil with such a woman?\" he thought to himself\nbitterly.\n\nDiscouraged and unhappy he went out to the roadside where he sat down.\nThe troubles of domestic life pressed upon him so heavily that soon he\nbegan to cry.\n\nPresently a journeyman shoemaker came by and said to him:\n\n\"Comrade, what ails you?\"\n\nThe devil looked at the shoemaker and, when he saw that the shoemaker\nwas a friendly sort of person, he told him his story.\n\n\"Why do you stand such treatment?\" the shoemaker asked.\n\nThe devil snuffled.\n\n\"How can I help it? I'm married to her.\"\n\n\"How can you help it?\" the shoemaker repeated. \"Comrade, look at me. At\nhome I have just such a wife as your Gentle Dora. There was no living\nwith her in peace, so one morning bright and early I ups and puts my\ntool kit on my shoulder and leaves her. Now I wander about from place to\nplace, mending a shoe here and a slipper there, and life is much\npleasanter than it used to be. Why don't you leave your Gentle Dora and\ncome along with me? We'll make out somehow.\"\n\nThe devil was overjoyed at the suggestion and without a moment's\nhesitation he tramped off with the shoemaker.\n\n\"You won't regret the kindness you've done me,\" the devil said. \"I'm so\nthin and pale that probably you don't realize I'm a devil. But I am and\nI can reward you.\"\n\n[Illustration: Soon he began to cry.]\n\nThey wandered about together for a long time living on the shoemaker's\nearnings. At last one day the devil said:\n\n\"Comrade, you have befriended me long enough. It is now my turn to do\nsomething for you. I've got a fine idea. You see that big town we're\ncoming to? Well, I'll hurry on ahead and take possession of the prince's\nyoung daughter. You come along more slowly and when you hear the\nproclamation that the prince will richly reward any one who will cure\nhis daughter, present yourself at the palace. When they lead you to the\nprincess, make mysterious passes over her and mumble some gibberish.\nThen I will quit her body and the prince will reward you.\"\n\nThe devil's scheme worked perfectly. When the shoemaker reached the town\nthe herald was already proclaiming the sad news that the princess had\nbeen taken possession of by a devil and that the prince was in search of\na capable exorcist.\n\nThe shoemaker presented himself at the palace, made mysterious passes\nover the princess's body, pretended to mumble magic incantations, and in\na short time had apparently succeeded in exorcising the devil.\n\nIn his gratitude for the princess's recovery, the prince paid the\nshoemaker a hundred golden ducats.\n\nThe devil waited for the shoemaker outside the town gate.\n\n\"You see,\" he said when the shoemaker had shown him the money, \"I'm not\nan ungrateful devil.\"\n\nThey turned the same trick in several other cities until the shoemaker\nhad a heavy bag of gold.\n\n\"Now you're a rich man,\" the devil said, \"and we can part company. My\nseven years are up and I am going soon to return to hell. But before I\ngo I'm going to take possession of one more princess. I served Gentle\nDora so long that it's a pleasant change to rule some one. This time\ndon't you try to exorcise me. You're famous now and the princess's\nfather will probably hunt you out and beg you to cure his daughter, but\nyou must excuse yourself. This is all I ask of you. If you allow\nyourself to be persuaded, I'll punish you by taking possession of your\nbody. Don't forget!\"\n\nThey bade each other good-bye and parted, the shoemaker going west and\nthe devil east.\n\nSoon word began to pass up and down the land that there was a great king\ntoward the east who needed the services of the famous exorcist to\nrestore his daughter. Emissaries of the king found the shoemaker and\nagainst his will dragged him to court. He declared he was powerless to\nhelp the princess but the king wouldn't listen to him and threatened him\nwith torture and death if he refused to make the effort.\n\n\"Well then,\" the shoemaker said, after much thought, \"chain the princess\nto her bed, order out all the attendants, and let me see her alone.\"\n\nThe king had these conditions fulfilled and the shoemaker went boldly\ninto the princess's chamber.\n\n\"Hist! Devil!\" he called softly.\n\nInstantly the devil jumped out of the princess's mouth and when he saw\nthe shoemaker he stamped his foot in anger.\n\n\"What!\" he cried. \"You've come after my warning! Don't you remember what\nI told you?\"\n\nThe shoemaker put his finger to his lips and winked.\n\n\"Softly, comrade,\" he whispered, \"softly! I'm not come to exorcise you\nbut to warn you. You know that precious wife of yours, Gentle Dora?\nWell, she's traced you here and she's down in the courtyard now waiting\nfor you.\"\n\nThe devil turned white with fright.\n\n\"Gentle Dora!\" he gasped. \"Lucifer, help me!\"\n\nWithout another word he jumped out the window and flew straight down to\nhell as fast as the wind could carry him. And so great is his fear of\nGentle Dora that he has never dared to show his face on earth again.\n\nThe king rewarded the shoemaker royally and to this day the shoemaker is\nwandering merrily about from place to place. Whenever he hears of a\nwoman who is a scold, he says:\n\n\"Why, she's a regular Gentle Dora, isn't she?\"\n\nAnd when people ask him: \"Who's Gentle Dora?\" he tells them this story.\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S MATCH\n\nTHE STORY OF A FARMER WHO REMEMBERED WHAT HIS GRANDMOTHER TOLD HIM\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S MATCH\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was a poor farmer who lived in a wretched\ntumble-down cottage beyond the village and whose farm consisted of a\nmiserable little field no bigger than your hand. His children were\nragged and hungry and his wife was always worried over getting them\nenough to eat.\n\nYet the farmer was a clever fellow with a quick shrewd wit and people\nused to say that he'd be able to fool the devil if ever he had the\nchance. One day the chance came.\n\nHis wife had sent him into the forest to gather a bundle of faggots.\nSuddenly without any warning a young man with black face and shiny eyes\nstood before him.\n\n\"It's a devil, of course,\" the farmer told himself. \"But even so there's\nno use being frightened.\"\n\nSo he wished the devil a civil good-day and the devil, who was really a\nvery simple fellow indeed, returned his greeting and asked him what he\nwas doing in the forest.\n\nNow the farmer suddenly remembered that his grandmother had once told\nhim devils were afraid of lime trees because the bast from lime trees is\nthe one thing in the world they are unable to break. That's why, when\nyou catch a devil, you must tie his hands together with bast.\n\nSo the farmer, recalling what his grandmother had said, remarked\ncasually:\n\n\"Oh, I'm looking for a lime tree. I want to strip off some bast. Then\nI'm going after _them_\"--and when he said _them_ he paused\nsignificantly--\"and tie them hand and foot.\"\n\nHe peeped at the devil out of the corner of his eye and saw that the\ndevil had turned almost white under his black skin.\n\n\"He is a foolish one!\" he thought to himself.\n\n\"Oh, don't do that!\" the devil cried. \"What have we ever done to you?\"\n\nThe farmer pretended to be firm and repeated that that was just what he\nwas going to do.\n\n\"Please listen to me,\" the devil begged. \"If you promise to let us alone\nI tell you what I'll do: I'll bring you such a big bag of gold that it\nwill make you a rich man.\"\n\nAt first the farmer, being a shrewd fellow, pretended that he cared\nnothing for money. Then gradually he let himself be persuaded and at\nlast said:\n\n\"Very well. If you bring me the gold within an hour I won't bind you\nwith bast. But don't keep me waiting or I may change my mind.\"\n\nThe young devil--oh, you never saw a more stupid young fellow!--scurried\noff and, long before the hour was up, he came panting back with a great\nbig bag of gold.\n\n\"Is that enough?\" he asked.\n\nThe farmer who had really never seen so much money in all his life\nhemmed and hawed but finally said:\n\n\"Well, it isn't as much as I expected but I'll accept it.\"\n\nThe young devil, delighted with his bargain, hurried back to hell and\ntold all his black comrades how grateful they ought to be to him for\nsaving them from the farmer who was planning to bind them, hand and\nfoot, with bast.\n\nWhen the other devils heard the whole story, they laughed at him loud\nand long.\n\n\"You are certainly the stupidest devil in hell!\" they said. \"Why, that\nman has made a fool of you!\"\n\nThey discussed the matter among themselves and decided that the devil\nwould have to get back the bag of gold or the story would leak out and\nthereafter the people on earth would have no more respect for devils.\n\n\"Go back to the farmer,\" they said, \"and dare him to a wrestling match.\nTell him that whoever wins the match is to keep the gold.\"\n\nSo the young devil went back to earth and dared the farmer to a\nwrestling match. The farmer, who saw how things were, said:\n\n\"My dear young friend, if I were to wrestle with you I'm afraid I'd hurt\nyou for I'm awfully strong. I tell you what I'll do: I'll let you\nwrestle with my old grandfather. He's ninety-nine years old but even so\nhe's more nearly in your class.\"\n\nThe devil agreed to this and the farmer--oh, but that farmer was a sly\none!--led him out into the forest to a cave where a big brown bear lay\nasleep.\n\n\"There's my grandfather,\" the farmer said. \"Go wake him up and make him\nwrestle.\"\n\nThe devil shook the bear and said:\n\n\"Wake up, old man! Wake up! We're going to wrestle!\"\n\nThe bear opened his little eyes, stood up on his hind legs, and taking\nthe devil in his arms hugged him until the devil thought his bones would\nall be crushed. It was as much as the devil could do to escape with his\nlife.\n\n\"Oh, my poor ribs! My poor ribs!\" he gasped when he was safely back in\nhell. \"He's a terrible man--that farmer! Why, even his old grandfather\nis so strong that I thought he'd squeeze me to death!\"\n\nBut when he had told his full story the other devils laughed at him\nlouder than before and told him that the farmer had again fooled him.\n\n\"You've got to try another match with him,\" they said. \"This time dare\nhim to a foot race and mind you don't let him fool you.\"\n\nSo in a day or two when the soreness was gone from his bones the devil\nwent back to earth and dared the farmer to run a foot race with him.\n\n\"Certainly,\" the farmer said, \"but it's hardly fair to let you run\nagainst me because I go like the wind. I tell you what I'll do: I'll let\nyou race with my small son. He's only a year old and perhaps you can\nbeat him.\"\n\nThe devil--I never knew a more stupid fellow in my life!--agreed to this\nand the farmer took him out to a meadow. Under some bushes he showed\nhim a rabbit's hole.\n\n\"My little boy's asleep in there,\" he said. \"Call him out.\"\n\n\"Little boy!\" the devil called. \"Come out and run a race with me!\"\n\nInstantly a rabbit jumped out of the hole and went hoppetylop across the\nmeadow. The devil tried hard to overtake him but couldn't. He ran on and\non. They came at last to a deep ravine. The rabbit leaped across but the\ndevil, when he tried to do the same, slipped and fell and went rolling\ndown over stones and brambles, down, down, down, into a brook. When he\nhad dragged himself out of the water, bruised and scratched, the rabbit\nhad disappeared.\n\n\"I've had enough of that farmer,\" the devil said when he got back to\nhell. \"Why, do you know, he has a small boy just one year old and I tell\nyou there isn't one of you can beat that boy running!\"\n\nBut the devils when they heard the rest of the story only laughed and\njeered and told their comrade that the farmer had again tricked him.\n\n\"You've got to go back to him another time,\" they said. \"It will never\ndo for people to get the idea that devils are such fools.\"\n\n\"But I tell you I won't dare him to another wrestling match,\" the young\ndevil said, \"nor to a foot race, either.\"\n\n\"Try whistling this time,\" his comrades told him. \"You ought to be able\nto beat him whistling. Now have your wits about you and don't let him\nfool you again.\"\n\nSo the devil went back to earth and said to the farmer:\n\n\"We've got to have another contest for that bag of money. This time\nlet's try whistling.\"\n\n\"Very well,\" the farmer said. \"We'll have a whistling match.\"\n\nThey went off into the forest and the farmer told the devil to whistle\nfirst.\n\nThe devil whistled and all the leaves on the trees shook and trembled.\nHe whistled again and the twigs began to crackle and break. He whistled\na third time and big branches snapped off and fell to the ground.\n\n\"There!\" the devil exclaimed, \"Can you beat that?\"\n\n\"My poor boy,\" the farmer said. (Oh, but that farmer was a tricky one!)\n\"Is that the best you can do? Why, when I whistle, if you don't cover up\nyour ears you'll be deafened! And as likely as not a tree will fall on\nyou and kill you! Now shall I begin?\"\n\n\"Wait a minute!\" the devil begged. \"Won't you please tie up my ears\nbefore you begin because I don't want to be deafened.\"\n\nThis was just what the farmer was hoping the devil would say. So he took\nout a big kerchief and put it over the devil's ears and also over his\neyes and tied it behind in a hard knot.\n\n\"Now then!\" he shouted. \"Take care!\"\n\nWith that he began to whistle and as he whistled he picked up a big\nbranch off the ground and gave the devil an awful crack over the head.\n\n\"My head! My head!\" the devil cried.\n\n\"My poor fellow!\" the farmer said, pretending to be very sympathetic. \"I\nhope that tree as it fell down didn't hurt you! Now I'm going to whistle\nagain and you must be more careful.\"\n\nThis time when he whistled the farmer struck the devil over the head\nharder than before.\n\n\"That's enough!\" the devil shouted. \"Another tree has fallen on me!\nStop! Stop!\"\n\n\"No,\" the farmer insisted. \"You whistled three times and I'm going to\nwhistle three times. Are you ready?\"\n\nThe poor devil had to say: \"Yes,\" and thereupon the farmer began to\nwhistle and at the same time to beat the devil over his head and\nshoulders until the devil supposed that the whole forest was falling on\nhim.\n\n\"Stop whistling!\" he shouted. \"Stop or I'll be killed!\"\n\nBut the farmer wouldn't stop until he was too exhausted to beat the\ndevil any longer.\n\nThen he paused and asked:\n\n\"Shall I whistle some more?\"\n\n\"No! No! No!\" the devil roared. \"Undo the kerchief and let me go and I\nswear I'll never come back!\"\n\nSo the farmer undid the kerchief and the devil fled, too terrified to\nstop even long enough to look around for all those fallen trees.\n\nHe never came back and the farmer was left in undisputed possession of\nthe gold.\n\n\"I owe all my good fortune to my old grandmother,\" the farmer used to\nsay, \"for she it was who told me to tie _them_ with bast.\"\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW\n\nTHE STORY OF A YOUTH WHO COULDN'T FIND WORK\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE DEVIL'S LITTLE BROTHER-IN-LAW\n\n\nOnce upon a time there was a youth named Peter. He was the son of a rich\nfarmer but on his father's death his stepmother robbed him of his\ninheritance and drove him out into the world, penniless and destitute.\n\n\"Begone with you now!\" she shouted. \"Never let me see your face again!\"\n\n\"Where shall I go?\" Peter asked.\n\n\"Go to the Devil, for all I care!\" the stepmother cried and slammed the\ndoor in his face.\n\nPeter felt very sad at being driven away from the farm that had always\nbeen his home, but he was an able-bodied lad, industrious and energetic,\nand he thought he would have no trouble making his way in the world.\n\nHe tramped to the next village and stopped at a big farmhouse. The\nfarmer was standing at the door, eating a great hunk of buttered bread.\n\nPeter touched his hat respectfully and said:\n\n\"Let every one praise Lord Jesus!\"\n\nWith his mouth stuffed full, the farmer responded:\n\n\"Until the Day of Judgment!\" Then in a different tone he demanded: \"What\ndo you want?\"\n\n\"I'm looking for work,\" Peter said. \"Do you need a laborer?\"\n\nPeter was well dressed for he had on the last clothes his kind father\nhad given him. The farmer looked him over and sneered.\n\n\"A fine laborer you would make! You would do good work at meals--I see\nthat, and spend the rest of your time at cards and teasing the maids! I\nknow your kind!\"\n\nPeter tried to tell the farmer that he was industrious and steady but\nwith an oath the farmer told him to go to the Devil. Then stepping\ninside the house he slammed the door in Peter's face.\n\nIn the next village he applied for work at the bailiff's house. The\nbailiff's wife answered his knock.\n\n\"The master is playing cards with two of his friends,\" she said. \"I'll\ngo in and ask him if he has anything for you to do.\"\n\nPeter heard her speak to some one inside and then a rough voice bellowed\nout:\n\n\"No! How often have I told you not to interrupt me when I'm busy! Tell\nthe fellow to go to the Devil!\"\n\nWithout waiting for the bailiff's wife, Peter turned away. Tired and\ndiscouraged he took a path into the woods and sat down.\n\n\"There doesn't seem to be any place for me in all the world,\" he thought\nto himself. \"They all tell me to go to the Devil--my stepmother, the\nfarmer, and now the bailiff. If I knew the way to hell I think I'd take\ntheir advice. I'm sure the Devil would treat me better than they do!\"\n\nJust then a handsome gentleman, dressed in green, walked by. Peter\ntouched his hat politely and said:\n\n\"Let every one praise Lord Jesus.\"\n\nThe man passed him without responding. Then he looked back and asked\nPeter why he looked so discouraged.\n\n\"I have reason to look discouraged,\" Peter said. \"Everywhere I ask for\nwork they tell me to go to the Devil. If I knew the way to hell I think\nI'd take their advice and go.\"\n\nThe stranger smiled.\n\n\"But if you saw the Devil, don't you think you'd be afraid of him?\"\n\nPeter shook his head.\n\n\"He can't be any worse than my stepmother, or the farmer, or the\nbailiff.\"\n\nThe man suddenly turned black.\n\n\"Look at me!\" he cried. \"Here I am, the very person we've been talking\nabout!\"\n\nWith no show of fear Peter looked the Devil up and down.\n\nThen the Devil said that if Peter still wished to enter his service, he\nwould take him. The work would be light, the Devil said, and the hours\ngood, and if Peter did as he was told he would have a pleasant time. The\nDevil promised to keep him seven years and at the end of that time to\nmake him a handsome present and set him free.\n\nPeter shook hands on the bargain and the Devil, taking him about the\nwaist, whisked him up into the air, and, pst! before Peter knew what was\nhappening, they were in hell.\n\nThe Devil gave Peter a leather apron and led him into a room where there\nwere three big cauldrons.\n\n\"Now it's your duty,\" the Devil said, \"to keep the fires under these\ncauldrons always burning. Keep four logs under the first cauldron, eight\nlogs under the second, and twelve under the third. Be careful never to\nlet the fires go out. And another thing, Peter: you're never to peep\ninside the cauldrons. If you do I'll drive you away without a cent of\nwages. Don't forget!\"\n\nSo Peter began working for the Devil and the treatment he received was\nso much better than that which he had had on earth that, sometimes, it\nseemed to him he was in heaven rather than hell. He had plenty of good\nfood and drink and, as the Devil had promised him, the work was not\nheavy.\n\nFor companions he had the young apprentice devils, a merry black crew,\nwho told droll stories and played amusing pranks.\n\nTime passed quickly. Peter was faithful at his work and never once\npeeped under the lids of his three cauldrons.\n\nAt last he began to grow homesick for the world and one day he asked the\nDevil how much longer he had still to serve.\n\n\"Tomorrow,\" the Devil told him, \"your seven years are up.\"\n\nThe next day while Peter was piling fresh logs under the cauldrons, the\nDevil came to him and said:\n\n\"Today, Peter, you are free. You have served me faithfully and well and\nI am going to reward you handsomely. Money would be too heavy for you to\ncarry, so I am going to give you this bag which is a magic bag.\nWhenever you open it and say: 'Bag, I need some ducats,' the bag will\nalways have just as many as you need. Good luck go with you, Peter.\nHowever, I don't believe you'll have a very good time at first for\npeople will think you're a devil. You know you do look pretty black for\nyou haven't washed for seven years and you haven't cut your hair or\nnails.\"\n\n\"That's true,\" said Peter. \"I just remember I haven't washed ever since\nI've been down here. I certainly must take a bath and get my hair cut\nand my nails trimmed.\"\n\nThe Devil shook his head.\n\n\"No, Peter, one bath won't do it. Water won't wash off the kind of black\nyou get down here. I know what you must do but I won't tell you just\nyet. Go up into the world as you are and, if ever you need me, call me.\nIf the people up there ask you who you are, tell them you're the Devil's\nlittle brother-in-law. This isn't a joke. It's true as you'll find out\nsome day.\"\n\nPeter then took leave of all the little black apprentices and the Devil,\nlifting him on his back, whisked him up to earth and set him down in the\nforest on exactly the same spot where they had met seven years before.\n\nThe Devil disappeared and Peter, stuffing the magic bag in his pocket,\nwalked to the nearest village.\n\nHis appearance created a panic. On sight of him the children ran\nscreaming home, crying out:\n\n\"The Devil! The Devil is coming!\"\n\nMothers and fathers ran out of the houses to see what was the matter but\non sight of Peter they ran in again, barred all the doors and windows,\nand making the sign of the cross prayed God Almighty to protect them.\n\nPeter went on to the tavern. The landlord and his wife were standing in\nthe doorway. As Peter came toward them, they cried out in fright:\n\n\"O Lord, forgive us our sins! The Devil is coming!\"\n\nThey tried to run away but they tripped over each other and fell down,\nand before they could scramble to their feet Peter stood before them.\n\nHe looked at them for a moment and laughed. Then he went inside the\ntavern, sat down, and said:\n\n\"Landlord, bring me a drink!\"\n\nQuaking with fright the landlord went to the cellar and drew a pitcher\nof beer. Then he called the little herd who was working in the stable.\n\n\"Yirik,\" he said to the boy, \"take this beer into the house. There's a\nman in there waiting for it. He's a little strange looking but you\nneedn't be afraid. He won't hurt you.\"\n\nYirik took the pitcher of beer and started in. He opened the door and\nthen, as he caught sight of Peter, he dropped the pitcher and fled.\n\nThe landlord scolded him angrily.\n\n\"What do you mean,\" he shouted, \"not giving the gentleman his beer? And\nbreaking the pitcher, too! The price of it will be deducted from your\nwages! Draw another pitcher of beer and place it at once before the\ngentleman.\"\n\nYirik feared Peter but he feared the landlord more. He was an orphan,\npoor lad, and served the landlord for his keep and three dollars a year.\n\nSo with trembling fingers he drew a pitcher of beer and then, breathing\na prayer to his patron saint, he slowly dragged himself into the tavern.\n\n\"There, there, boy,\" Peter called out kindly. \"You needn't be afraid.\nI'm not going to hurt you. I'm not the Devil. I'm only his little\nbrother-in-law.\"\n\nYirik took heart and placed the beer in front of Peter. Then he stood\nstill, not daring to raise his eyes.\n\nPeter began asking him about himself, who he was, how he came to be\nworking for the landlord, and what kind of treatment he was receiving.\nYirik stammered out his story and as he talked he forgot his fear, he\nforgot that Peter looked like a devil, and presently he was talking to\nhim freely as one friend to another.\n\nPeter was touched by the orphan's story and, pulling out his magic money\nbag, he filled Yirik's cap with golden ducats. The boy danced about the\nroom with delight. Then he ran outside and showed the landlord and the\npeople who had gathered the present which the strange gentleman had made\nhim.\n\n\"And he says he's not the Devil,\" Yirik reported, \"but only his\nbrother-in-law.\"\n\nWhen the landlord heard that Peter really hadn't any horns or a flaming\ntongue, he picked up courage and going inside he begged Peter to give\nhim, too, a few golden ducats. But Peter only laughed at him.\n\nPeter stayed at the tavern overnight. Just as he fell asleep some one\nshook his hand and, as he opened his eyes, he saw his old master\nstanding beside him.\n\n\"Quick!\" the Devil whispered. \"Get up and hurry out to the shed! The\nlandlord is about to murder the orphan for his money.\"\n\nPeter jumped out of bed and ran outside to the shed where Yirik slept.\nHe burst open the door just as the landlord was ready to stab the\nsleeping boy with a dagger.\n\n\"You sinner!\" Peter cried. \"I've caught you at last! Off to hell you go\nwith me this instant to stew forever in boiling oil!\"\n\nThe landlord fainted with terror. Peter dragged him senseless into the\nhouse. When he came to himself he fell on his knees before Peter and\nbegged for mercy. He offered Peter everything he possessed if only Peter\nwould grant him another chance and he solemnly vowed that he would\nrepent and give up his evil ways.\n\nAt last Peter said:\n\n\"Very well. I'll give you another chance provided that, from this time\non, you treat Yirik as your son. Be kind to him and send him to school.\nThe moment you forget your promise and treat him cruelly, I'll come and\ncarry you off to hell! Remember!\"\n\nThere was no need to urge the landlord to remember. From that night he\nwas a changed man. He became honest in all his dealings and he really\ndid treat Yirik as though he were his own son.\n\nPeter stayed on at the tavern and stories about him and his golden\nducats began to spread through the country-side. The prince of the land\nheard of him and sent word that he would like to see him at the castle.\nPeter answered the prince's messenger that if the prince wished to see\nhim he could come to the tavern.\n\n\"Who is this prince of yours,\" Peter asked the landlord, \"and why does\nhe want to see me?\"\n\n\"He'd probably like to borrow some money from you,\" the landlord\nsaid. \"He's deep in debt for he has two of the wickedest, most\nextravagant daughters in the world. They're the children of his\nfirst marriage. They are proud and haughty and they waste the money\nof the realm as though it were so much sand. The people are crying\nout against them and their wasteful ways but the prince seems unable\nto curb them. The prince has a third daughter, the child of his\nsecond wife. Her name is Angelina and she certainly is as good and\nbeautiful as an angel. We call her the Princess Linka. There isn't a\nman in the country that wouldn't go through fire and water for\nher--God bless her! As for the other two--may the Devil take them!\"\n\nSuddenly remembering himself, the landlord clapped his hand to his mouth\nin alarm.\n\nPeter laughed good-humoredly.\n\n\"That's all right, landlord. Don't mind me. As I've told you before I'm\nnot the Devil. I'm only his little brother-in-law.\"\n\nThe landlord shook his head.\n\n\"Yes, I know, but I must say it seems much the same to me.\"\n\nOne afternoon the prince came riding down to the tavern and asked for\nPeter. He was horrified at first by Peter's appearance, but he treated\nhim most politely, invited him to the castle, and ended by begging the\nloan of a large sum of money.\n\nPeter said to the prince:\n\n\"I'll give you as much money as you want provided you let me marry one\nof your daughters.\"\n\nThe prince wasn't prepared for this but he needed money so badly that he\nsaid:\n\n\"H'm, which one of them?\"\n\n\"I'm not particular,\" Peter answered. \"Any of them will do.\"\n\nWhen he gave the prince some money in advance, the prince agreed and\nPeter promised to come to the castle the next day to meet his bride to\nbe.\n\nThe prince when he got home told his daughters that he had seen Peter.\nThey questioned him about Peter's appearance and asked him what sort of\na looking person this brother-in-law of the Devil was.\n\n\"He isn't so very ugly,\" the prince said, \"really he isn't. If he washed\nhis face and trimmed his hair and nails he'd be fairly good-looking. In\nfact I rather like him.\"\n\nHe then talked to them very seriously about the state of the treasury\nand he told them that unless he could raise a large sum of money shortly\nthere was danger of an uprising among the people.\n\n\"If you, my daughters, wish to see the peace of the country preserved,\nif you want to make me happy in my old age, one of you will have to\nmarry this young man, for I see no other way to raise the money.\"\n\nAt this the two older princesses tossed their heads scornfully and\nlaughed loud and long.\n\n\"You may rest assured, dear father, that neither of us will marry such a\ncreature! We are the daughters of a prince and won't marry beneath us,\nno, not even to save the country from ruin!\"\n\n\"Then I don't know what I'll do,\" the prince said.\n\n\"Father,\" whispered Linka, the youngest. Her voice quavered and her face\nturned pale. \"Father, if your happiness and the peace of the country\ndepend on this marriage, I will sacrifice myself, God help me!\"\n\n\"My child! My dear child!\" the prince cried, taking Linka in his arms\nand kissing her tenderly.\n\nThe two elder sisters jeered and ha-ha-ed.\n\n\"Little sister-in-law of the Devil!\" they said mockingly. \"Now if you\nwere to marry Prince Lucifer himself that would be something, for at\nleast you would be a princess! But only to be his sister-in-law--ha!\nha!--what does that amount to?\"\n\nAnd they laughed with amusement and made nasty evil jokes until poor\nlittle Linka had to put her hands to her ears not to hear them.\n\nThe next day Peter came to the castle. The older sisters when they saw\nhow black he was were glad enough they had refused to marry him. As for\nLinka, the moment she looked at him she fainted dead away.\n\nWhen she revived the prince led her over to Peter and gave Peter her\nhand. She was trembling violently and her hand was cold as marble.\n\n\"Don't be afraid, little princess,\" Peter whispered to her gently. \"I\nknow how awful I look. But perhaps I won't always be so ugly. I promise\nyou, if you marry me, I shall always love you dearly.\"\n\nLinka was greatly comforted by the sound of his pleasant voice, but each\ntime she looked at him she was terrified anew.\n\nPeter saw this and made his visit short. He handed out to the prince as\nmuch money as he needed and then, after agreeing to return in eight days\nfor the wedding, he hurried off.\n\nHe went to the place where he had met the Devil the first time and\ncalled him by name with all his might.\n\nThe Devil instantly appeared.\n\n\"What do you want, little brother-in-law?\"\n\n\"I want to look like myself again,\" Peter said. \"What good will it do me\nto marry a sweet little princess and then have the poor girl faint away\nevery time she looks at me!\"\n\n\"Very well, brother-in-law. If that is how you feel about it, come along\nwith me and I'll soon make you into a handsome young man.\"\n\nPeter leaped on the Devil's back and off they flew over mountains and\nforests and distant countries.\n\nThey alighted in a deep forest beside a bubbling spring.\n\n\"Now, little brother-in-law,\" the Devil said, \"wash in this water and\nsee how handsome you'll soon be.\"\n\nPeter threw off his clothes and jumped into the water and when he came\nout his skin was as beautiful and fresh as a girl's. He looked at his\nown reflection in the spring and it made him so happy that he said to\nthe Devil:\n\n\"Brother-in-law, I'm more grateful to you for this than for all the\nmoney you've given me. Now my dear Linka will love me!\"\n\nHe put his arms about the Devil's neck and off they flew once again.\nThis time they went to a big city where Peter bought beautiful clothes\nand jewels and coaches and horses. He engaged servants in fine livery\nand, when he was ready to go to his bride, he had a following that was\nworthy of any prince.\n\nAt the castle the Princess Linka paced her chamber pale and trembling.\nThe two older sisters were with her, laughing heartlessly and making\nevil jokes, and running every moment to the window to see if the groom\nwere coming.\n\nAt last they saw in the distance a long line of shining coaches with\noutriders in rich livery. The coaches drew up at the castle gate and\nfrom the first one a handsome youth, arrayed like a prince, alighted. He\nhurried into the castle and ran straight upstairs to Linka's chamber.\n\nAt first Linka was afraid to look at him for she supposed he was still\nblack. But when he took her hand and whispered: \"Dear Linka, look at me\nnow and you won't be frightened,\" she looked and it seemed to her that\nPeter was the very handsomest young man in all the world. She fell in\nlove with him on sight and I might as well tell you she's been in love\nwith him ever since.\n\nThe two older sisters stood at the window frozen stiff with envy and\nsurprise. Suddenly they felt some one clutch them from behind. They\nturned in fright and who did they see standing there but the Devil\nhimself!\n\n\"Don't be afraid, my dear brides,\" he said. \"I'm not a common fellow.\nI'm Prince Lucifer himself. So, in becoming my brides you are not losing\nrank!\"\n\nThen he turned to Peter and chuckled.\n\n\"You see now, Peter, why you are my brother-in-law. You're marrying one\nsister and I'm taking the other two!\"\n\nWith that he picked up the two wicked sisters under his arm and _puff!_\nwith a whiff of sulphur they all three disappeared through the ceiling.\n\nThe Princess Linka as she clung to her young husband asked a little\nfearfully:\n\n\"Peter, do you suppose we'll have to see our brother-in-law often?\"\n\n\"Not if you make me a good wife,\" Peter said.\n\nAnd you can understand what a good wife Linka became when I tell you\nthat never again all her life long did she see the Devil.\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHOEMAKER'S APRON\n\nTHE STORY OF THE MAN WHO SITS NEAR THE GOLDEN GATE\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE SHOEMAKER'S APRON\n\n\nThere was once a shoemaker who made so little at his trade that his wife\nsuffered and his children went hungry. In desperation he offered to sell\nhis soul to a devil.\n\n\"How much do you want for your soul?\" the devil asked him.\n\n\"I want work enough to give me a good livelihood,\" the shoemaker said,\n\"so that my wife won't suffer nor my children starve.\"\n\nThe devil agreed to this and the shoemaker put his mark on the contract.\nAfter that trade improved and soon the little shoemaker was happy and\nprosperous.\n\nNow one night it happened that Christ and the blessed St. Peter, who\nwere walking about on earth, stopped at the little shoemaker's cottage\nand asked for a night's lodging. The shoemaker received them most\nhospitably. He had his wife cook them a fine supper and after supper he\ngave them his own bed to sleep on while he and his wife went to the\ngarret and slept on straw.\n\nIn the morning he had his wife prepare them a good breakfast and after\nbreakfast he took them on their way for a mile or two.\n\nAs he was leaving them, St. Peter whispered to Christ:\n\n\"Master, this poor man has given us of his best. Don't you think you\nought to reward him?\"\n\nChrist nodded and, turning to the little shoemaker, he said:\n\n\"For your kindness to us this day I will reward you. Make three wishes\nand they will be granted.\"\n\nThe shoemaker thanked Christ and said:\n\n\"Well then, these are my wishes: first, may whoever sits down on my\ncobbler's stool be unable to get up until I permit him; second, may\nwhoever looks into the window of my cottage have to stand there until I\nlet him go; and third, may whoever shakes the pear-tree in my garden\nstick to the tree until I set him free.\"\n\n\"Your wishes will be granted,\" Christ promised. Then he and St. Peter\nwent on their way and the shoemaker returned to his cottage.\n\nThe years went by and at last one afternoon the devil stood before the\nshoemaker and said:\n\n\"Ho, shoemaker, your time has come! Are you ready?\"\n\n\"Just let me have a bite of supper first,\" the shoemaker said. \"In the\nmeantime you sit down here on my stool and rest yourself.\"\n\nThe devil who had been walking up and down the earth since sunrise was\ntired and so was glad enough to sit down.\n\nAfter supper the little shoemaker said:\n\n\"Now then, I'm ready. Come on.\"\n\nThe devil tried to stand up but of course he couldn't. He pulled this\nway and that. He stretched, he rolled from side to side until his bones\nached, but all to no avail. He could not get up from the stool.\n\n\"Brother!\" he cried in terror, \"help me off this cursed stool and I'll\ngive you seven more years--I swear I will!\"\n\nAt that promise the shoemaker allowed the devil to stand up, and the\ndevil scurried off as fast as he could.\n\nHe was true to his word. He didn't come back for seven years. When he\ndid come he was too clever to risk sitting down again on the cobbler's\nstool. He didn't even venture inside the cottage door. Instead, he stood\nat the window and called out:\n\n\"Ho, shoemaker, here I am again! Your time has come! Are you ready?\"\n\n\"I'll be ready in a moment,\" the shoemaker said, \"Just let me put a last\nstitch in these shoes.\"\n\nWhen the shoemaker had finished sewing the shoes, he put aside his work,\nbade his wife good-bye, and said to the devil:\n\n\"Now then, I'm ready. Let us go.\"\n\nBut the devil when he tried to move away from the window found that he\nwas held fast. It was as if his feet had been soldered to the earth. In\ngreat fright he cried out:\n\n\"Oh, my dear little shoemaker, help me! I can't move!\"\n\n\"What's this trick you're playing on me?\" the shoemaker said. \"Now I'm\nready to go and you aren't! What do you mean by making a fool of me this\nway?\"\n\n\"Just help me to get free,\" the devil cried, \"and I'll do anything in\nthe world for you! I'll give you seven more years! I swear I will!\"\n\n\"Very well,\" the shoemaker said, \"then I'll help you this time. But\nnever again! Now remember: I won't let you make a fool of me a third\ntime!\"\n\nSo the shoemaker freed the devil from the window and the devil without\nanother word scurried off.\n\nAt the end of another seven years he appeared again. But this time he\nwas too clever to look in the window. He didn't even come near the\ncottage. Instead he stood off in the garden under the pear-tree and\ncalled out:\n\n\"Ho, there, shoemaker! Your time has come and I am here to get you! Are\nyou ready?\"\n\n\"I'll be ready in a moment,\" the shoemaker said. \"Just wait until I put\naway my tools. If you feel like it, shake yourself down a nice ripe\npear.\"\n\nThe devil shook the pear-tree and of course when he tried to stop he\ncouldn't. He shook until all the pears had fallen. He kept on and\npresently he had shaken off all the leaves.\n\nWhen the shoemaker came out and saw the tree stripped and bare and the\ndevil still shaking it, he pretended to fall into a fearful rage.\n\n\"Hi, there, you! What do you mean shaking down all my pears! Stop it! Do\nyou hear me? Stop it!\"\n\n\"But I can't stop it!\" the poor devil cried.\n\n\"We'll see about that!\" the shoemaker said.\n\nHe ran back into the cottage and got a long leather strap. Then he began\nbeating the devil unmercifully over his head and shoulders.\n\nThe devil made such an outcry that all the village heard him and came\nrunning to see what was the matter.\n\n\"Help! Help!\" the devil cried. \"Make the shoemaker stop beating me!\"\n\nBut all the people thought the shoemaker was doing just right to punish\nthe black fellow for shaking down all his pears and they urged the\nshoemaker to beat him harder.\n\n\"My poor head! My poor shoulders!\" the devil moaned. \"If ever I get\nloose from this cursed pear-tree I'll never come back here! I swear I\nwon't!\"\n\nThe shoemaker, when he heard this, laughed in his sleeve and let the\ndevil go.\n\nThe devil was true to his word. He never again returned. So the\nshoemaker lived, untroubled, to a ripe old age.\n\nJust before he died he asked that his cobbler's apron be buried with him\nand his sons carried out his wish.\n\nAs soon as he died the little shoemaker trudged up to heaven and knocked\ntimidly at the golden gate. St. Peter opened the gate a little crack and\npeeped out. When he saw the shoemaker he shook his head and said:\n\n\"Little shoemaker, heaven is no place for you. While you were alive you\nsold your soul to the ruler of the other place and now you must go\nthere.\"\n\nWith that St. Peter shut the golden gate and locked it.\n\nThe little shoemaker sighed and said to himself:\n\n\"Well, I suppose I must go where St. Peter says.\"\n\nSo he put on a bold front and tramped down to hell. When the devil who\nknew him saw him coming, he shouted out to his fellow devils:\n\n\"Brothers, on guard! Here comes that terrible little shoemaker! Lock\nevery gate! Don't let him in or he'll drive us all out of hell!\"\n\nThe devils in great fright scurried about and locked and barred all the\ngates, and the little shoemaker when he arrived could not get in.\n\nHe knocked and knocked but no one would answer.\n\n\"They don't seem to want me here,\" he said to himself. \"I suppose I'll\nhave to try heaven again.\"\n\nSo he trudged back to St. Peter and explained to him that hell was\nlocked up tight.\n\n\"No matter,\" St. Peter said. \"As I told you before heaven is no place\nfor you.\"\n\nThe little shoemaker, tired and dejected, went back to hell but again\nthe devils, when they saw him coming, locked every gate and kept him\nout.\n\nIn desperation the little shoemaker returned to heaven and pounded\nloudly on the golden gate. Thinking from the noise that some very\nimportant saint had arrived, St. Peter flung open the gate. Quick as a\nflash the little shoemaker threw his leather apron inside, then hopped\nin himself under St. Peter's elbow and squatted down on the apron.\n\nIn great excitement St. Peter tried to turn him out of heaven, but the\nlittle shoemaker shouted:\n\n\"You can't touch me! You can't touch me! I'm sitting on my own property!\nLet me alone!\"\n\nHe raised such a hubbub that all the angels and the blessed saints came\nrunning to see what was happening. Presently Lord Jesus himself came and\nthe little shoemaker explained to him how he just had to stay in heaven\nas the devils wouldn't let him into hell.\n\n\"Now, Master,\" St. Peter said, \"what am I to do? You know yourself we\ncan't keep this fellow in heaven.\"\n\nBut Lord Jesus, looking with pity on the poor little shoemaker, said to\nSt. Peter:\n\n\"Just let him stay where he is. He won't bother any one sitting here\nnear the gate.\"\n\n\n\n\nSTORIES TO TELL\n\n     IT'S PERFECTLY TRUE AND OTHER STORIES. By HANS CHRISTIAN\n     ANDERSEN. A new translation made from the Danish by Paul\n     Leyssac.\n\n     THE TREASURE OF LI-PO. By ALICE RITCHIE. Six original fairy\n     tales of old China told with quiet beauty and real distinction.\n\n     A BAKER'S DOZEN. Selected by MARY GOULD DAVIS. Thirteen stories\n     which are especially successful in story-telling.\n\n     13 DANISH TALES. By MARY C. HATCH. Robust, humorous folk tales\n     retold from J. C. Bay's famous translation.\n\n     MORE DANISH TALES. By MARY C. HATCH. Fifteen lively and amusing\n     traditional stories.\n\n     CZECHOSLOVAK FAIRY TALES. By PARKER FILLMORE.\n\n     THE WHITE RING. By ENYS TREGARTHEN. Edited by Elizabeth Yates.\n     \"This fairy tale from Cornwall may well turn out to be a classic\n     ... enhanced by enchanting illustrations.\"--_New York Times._\n\n     THE LAUGHING PRINCE. By PARKER FILLMORE. Jugoslav stories.\n\n     THE DANCING KETTLE, AND OTHER JAPANESE FOLK TALES. By YOSHIKO\n     UCHIDA. A delightful collection of Japanese folk tales.\n\n     TWENTY-FOUR UNUSUAL STORIES. By ANNA COGSWELL TYLER. Mystery\n     tales, legends, and folklore.\n\n     ROOTABAGA STORIES. By CARL SANDBURG. An omnibus volume\n     including all the stories originally published in the two books\n     _Rootabaga Stories_ and _Rootabaga Pigeons_.\n\n\nHARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY\n\n383 Madison Avenue--New York 17, N. Y.\n\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\nTRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:\n\n  Punctuation errors corrected without note.\n    country-side and countryside both used\n    story-teller and storyteller both used\n    Page 103, \"as\" changed to \"was\" (Smolicheck knew what was happening)\n    Page 117 Budlinek corrected to Budulinek\n    Page 185, \"hords\" changed to \"hordes\" (hordes of fish and frogs)\n    Page 194 down corrected to town (lives in the next town.)\n    Page 220 wornout corrected to worn-out (old worn-out measure)\n    Page 276, \"good-by\" changed to \"good-bye\" for consistency (bade\n        his wife good-bye)","title":"The Shoemaker's Apron: A Second Book of Czechoslovak Fairy Tales and Folk Tales","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":41453}