Waging A Real War On Christmas/Synchronized Hyperspace Event (S.H.E.)

PRETTY FACE
There was a widow lady, and she had an only son. An he stuck his ring in the wall, and said, 'Mother, when blood flows from the ring, then I am dead.'

And he was called Peter Pretty-face.

He took the road, and the dragon with six heads came, and he drew his sword and killed him, and made three heaps of him, and planted a red flag, and went further. And a dragon with twelve heads came, and he drew his sword, and killed him also, and made twelve heaps, and planted a black flag, and went further. And there came one with twenty-four heads, and he killed him also, and made twenty-four heaps, and planted a white flag.

Behold! the dragons carried off an emperor's daughter--there were twelve dragons--and shut her up in their castle. And they went and fought from morning even till noon; he who shall prove himself strongest, he shall marry the maiden.

And his mother had said to him, 'If you will go, your death will not be by a hero, but your death will be by cripple.'

So he went to that castle, and saw the maiden at the window, and he asked her, 'What are you doing there?'

'The dragons carried me off, and shut me up here.'

'And where are they gone to?'

'They are gone to fight for me.'

'And when will they come home?'

'They will come at noon to dine. And they will hurl their club, and it will strike the door, that I may have the food ready.'

He opened the door and went in to her. The dragon hurled the club, and struck the door; and he took the club and hurled it back, and killed them all.

'Now have no fear; they are dead.'

He married the emperor's daughter.

And the emperor heard that the dragons had carried off his daughter; and the emperor said, 'He who shall free her from the dragons, he shall marry her.' The emperor knew not that Peter Pretty-face had married her. He thought that the dragons had carried her off.

And there was one Chutilla the Handless, and he went to the emperor. 'I, O emperor, will rescue your daughter from the dragons.'

'Well, if you do, she shall be yours.'

So he, Chutilla, went to Peter Pretty-face. And night came upon him, and he had nowhere to sleep, and he crept into the hen-house. In the morning Peter Pretty-face arose, and washed his face, and looked out of the window, and Chutilla came forth from the hen-house.

And Peter Pretty-face saw him. ' By him is my death.' Chutilla came indoors and said, 'Good-morning, Peter Pretty-face.'

'Thanks, Chutilla.'

'Come, Peter Pretty-face, give me the emperor's daughter.'

He said, 'I will not.'

Chutilla caught him by the throat, and placed his head on the threshold. 1 'Give me, Peter Pretty-face, the maiden, else I will cut off your head.'

'Cut it off; I will not give her.'

Chutilla cut off his head, and took the girl and departed.

Blood began to flow from the ring. His mother saw it. 'Now my son is dead.' She went after him, to seek for him, and came to the red flag. His mother said, 'My son went this way.' She went further, and came to the black flag. 'My son went this way.' She went further, and came to the white flag. 'My son went this way.' She came to the castle, found her son dead; and two serpents were licking the blood. And she struck one serpent, and it died. And the other serpent brought a leaf in its mouth, and went to the first serpent, and it also arose. And the lady saw, and killed it also, and took the leaf, and placed her son's head again on the trunk, and touched it with the leaf, and he arose.

'Mother, I was sleeping soundly.'

'You would have slept for ever if I had not come.'

'Mother, I will go to my lady.'

'Go not, mother's darling.'

'Bah! I will go, mother.'

'If go you will, God aid you.'

He went, and went straight to Chutilla, and seized Chutilla, and cut him all in little pieces, till he had cut him up, and cast him to the dogs, and they devoured him. And he took the emperor's daughter, and went with her to the emperor.

And the maiden said, 'Father, this is he that saved me from the dragons.'

The emperor joined them in marriage, and made him king. And they live, perhaps they are living even now.

THE THREE BROTHERS
There was, there was not, a lord; and he had three sons. And one was the eldest son, and he said to his father, 'We will go somewhere to seek a livelihood.'

'Well, go, my sons,' said their father.

When they went, he baked loaves for each one to put in his wallet. Then they went a long way, and the youngest had most bread. And that youngest brother said, 'Brothers mine, I cannot carry this wallet, so first we will eat from my wallet, brothers mine.'

When they had eaten, they then went a long way further, and then those two brothers ate, and gave not to the third. He now had nothing, and says, 'Brothers mine, why don't you give me to eat? You ate up mine, and now you don't give me to eat.'

'If you'll let one of your eyes be taken out, then we will give you to eat,' said the two elder brothers. And then they took out his eye, and then gave him to eat. When they had eaten, they went a long way further. And there again those two brothers eat, and the third one says, 'Why don't you give me to eat? Now you've taken my eye out, and yet give me nothing to eat.'

'If you'll let your other eye be taken out, then we will give you to eat.'

And he, the youngest, says, 'Just do with me what you will.'

Then they took out his eye; then they gave him to eat; then that eyeless one said, 'Lead me under the cross; maybe some one will give me something.'

They led him not under the cross, but under a gallows, and there hung a dead man. And then thither came three crows, and thus talked one with another:

'What's the news in your country?' thus they asked one of them. 'What's the news?'

'In my country there is no water.'

'And in your country what's the news?'

'There's a dew there, if a blind man rubs his eyes with it, he forthwith sees.'

'And in your third country what's the news?'

'In my country there is a princess sick.'

And then those three crows went to the lad, and then they asked him what he was doing under the gallows. And he said, 'My brothers brought me here.'

And then those three crows flew away. And that lad feels in the grass with his hands, then he put it on his eyes, then he moistened his eyes; forthwith he saw. And then that lad departed to the king. That lad was then the king's servant, and went then to a city, and went up above the city, and saw there such a great rock, and struck that rock as with a rod; forthwith the water came from the rock. And then that water flowed into the city, where there was no water, there flowed that water, and the people were greatly rejoiced. And then he, that lad, cried that the water will always flow; then were the people greatly rejoiced that that water was flowing.

And then that boy went to another city, and there was a sick princess. He went to that king, and asked him, 'What's this princess got?'

'What's she got! she's sick.'

'If you will give me her to wife, then I will help her,' said that lad to the king.

'Do but help her, then we will give you her to wife.'

When he had healed her, then he took her to wife; and then they held the bridal seven whole years. And then he became young king.

That young king said to his soldiers, 'Hark ye, soldiers, go after my two brothers.'

Then those soldiers went after those two brothers, and then they brought the brothers. Then that young king asks them, 'How many brothers had you?'

And they said, 'We are only two.'

The king says, 'Hah! were there ever more of you?'

Then those two brothers say, 'We were three.'

Then, 'What have you done with the third one?'

'Done with him! He demanded of us to eat, then we took out his eyes.'

Then, 'I am he,' thus did that young king say. 'Now, what am I to do with you?'

Those two brothers say, 'Lead us under that cross.'

He led them under that very cross. When he had led them, there came again those same three crows. When they had come, again they asked one another, 'What is the news in your country?'

'In my country now is the princess well.'

'And in your second country what is the news?'

'In my country now is much water.'

'And in your third country what is the news?'

'There now is no such dew as they rubbed the eyes with.'

Then those three crows came to those two lads, and then there those crows say, 'We will tear these two lads.' And they tore and devoured them. And then those three crows flew away, and flew into the sky.

THE ENCHANTED CITY
There was a poor lad, and he served seven years, and could not earn anything. And he went into the world, and went into a city, and spent the night there, and lay down under a wall, and slept. In that wall there was a hole, and he awoke, and looked through the hole, and saw a candle. And he crept through the hole, and went into a palace. There was a great city, and there was an emperor in the city; and the emperor was dead, and also the empress was dead. And the emperor had a daughter, and she commanded the army. And that city was excommunicated, and the people were turned into stone. So the lad went into the palace of the emperor, and there in the palace all were turned into stone. And he marvelled what this might be, that the men were like men, but yet were all turned into stone.

A cat came, and set food on the table. He sat down to table, and ate. At night came the cat, and brought him food, and brought. him cards, and said to him, 'There will come a lord, and will say, "Play at cards," and do you play; and he will spit on you, and do you bear it, but look at the clock. When it strikes ten, then give him a slap.'

Then there came devils as many as the blades of grass; and they beat him and tormented him till twelve o'clock; and the cocks crowed, and they fled. He lay down in the bed and slept. In the morning the cat brought him food, and he ate. At nightfall she again brought him food, said to him, 'He will come again for you to play with him, and do you play till ten o'clock, and give him a slap; and they will come to you as many as all the blades of grass, and will beat you and torment you, and do you bear it till twelve o'clock.'

The lord came to him. 'Hah! let us play cards.'

And they played till ten o'clock. He gave him, the devil, a slap. They came as many as all the blades of grass, and they beat him and tormented him till twelve o'clock, and they fled. He lay down in the bed and slept. In the morning he heard the folks talking in the city. In the morning the cat brought him food, and brought him royal clothes. He ate, and put on the clothes, and went into twelve chambers. There was the emperor's daughter in her bed. One half was alive, and she said, 'You are my emperor, and I am your empress, but come no more to me.'

Again at night the cat brought him food, and said to him, He will come again to-night to play cards till ten o'clock. At ten o'clock give him a slap again, and they will come to you as many as all the blades of grass, and they will beat you and torment you, but bear it.'

That lord came to him. 'Hah! let us play cards.'

And they played till ten o'clock. He gave him a slap, and they came as many as all the blades of grass, and they beat him and tormented him, and he bore it till twelve o'clock. At twelve o'clock they fled. He lay down on the bed and slept. In the morning the band began to play, they held a review. 1 'For we have a new emperor.' The ministers came to him, and raised him shoulder-high. 'We have a new emperor.'

And he is in a hurry to go to his empress, and said, 'Stay here, I will be back immediately.'

And he went to her. There she stood with her head to the roof, and a vapour went forth from her mouth; and he opened the door, and she just made a sign to him with her hand, and fell back on the bed, and became stone up to the waist. And she called him to her. 'Leave me; I want you not. Why did you not wait to come to me, till I should obtain remission of my sins? Take you my father's horse and his sword, and take a purse; as much money as you want, it shall not fail.'

He set out, and journeyed, and departed into another kingdom. There two emperors were fighting, because one would not give his daughter to the other's son. 'Set yourself to battle with me, since you refuse your daughter.' They fought seven years. So he 1 came into that city, and came to an inn, to a certain Armenian. And there was a great famine; the soldiers were dying of hunger. So he asked the Armenian, 'What's the news here?'

'No good. They have been waging a great war seven years here for a girl, and the soldiers are dying of hunger.' And he said, 'Go and call them to me.'

The soldiers came, and he bought bread and brandy, and they drank and ate; and he said to the Armenian, 'I, if I choose, I will cut that army to pieces.'

The Armenian went to the emperor. 'Emperor, a king's son is come, and has boasted that he by himself will cut that army to pieces.'

'Call him to me.'

'What is this you've been boasting? will you cut that army to pieces?'

'I will.'

'If you do, I will give you my daughter, and give you one half of my kingdom.'

And he, when he went to battle, waved to the right hand, and slew one half of the army, and he waved to the left hand, and slew the other half. And he came home, and the emperor gave him his daughter, and made a marriage.

'Ask him what strength is his, that he slew so great an army.' 2

And he said, 'My sword slays.'

And she sent back a letter, 'The sword alone slays; send me another sword, and I will send this one to you.'

She sent him the sword, and he then said, 'Set yourself now to battle with me.'

And he went in hope. But the emperor slew him, and cut him all in pieces, and put him in the saddle-bags, and placed him on his horse, and said, 'Whence thou didst bear him living, bear him dead.' 1

The horse carried him home, thither to that lady who was of stone. She cried, 'Bring him to me.' She laid him on a table, and put him all together; and she sprinkled him with dead water, and he became whole; and she sprinkled him with living water, and he arose. 2

Go back; take you this purse, you have but to wish and you will find it full of money. And go to that Armenian, and give him whatever he wants, and tell him you will turn yourself into a horse. Take a hair from my tail, 3 and bind it round you like a girdle, and fling a somersault.'

So he turned himself into a horse; and the Armenian took him, and led him into the city. The emperor bought him, and mounted him. He dashed him to the earth, and he died. The horse took the sword in his mouth, and went to the Armenian. The Armenian' loosened the hair, and he became a man again. He made the Armenian king; and he departed home to his mistress, the first one, and wedded her. And he became emperor.

THE JEALOUS HUSBAND
There was a merchant, great and wealthy, and he had a beautiful wife; he did not let her go out. And he went in a ship on the Danube after merchandise with another merchant. And they were coming home. They hauled their ships to the bank, and moored them to the bank, to pass the night. They fell into discourse. Said one, 'Has your wife got a lover at home?'

And he said, 'My wife has not got a lover.'

'Come, what will you give me if I become her lover?'

'If you do, I will give you my estate, and my merchandise too, ship and all.'

'How will you know that I am her lover?'

If you tell me her birth-mark, and if you take the gold ring from her finger. But my wife will be like to thrash you, if you but hint such a thing to her. I left a maid with her, to see that my wife does not go out of doors.'

'I shall succeed, though.'

'Go home and try; I'll bring your ship.'

Home he went. What will he do? for he cannot come near her. He found an old wife. 'Old wife, what am I to do to get the ring from the lady?'

'What will you give me if I contrive that you get it?'

'I will give you a hundred florins.'

'Get a big chest made, and a window in it, and get into it, and make a bolt inside, and I will carry you to her.'

She carried him in the chest under the wall of her house, and went to the lady. 'I beg you, lady, to take in my box of clothes, so that they may not be stolen.'

'Carry it into the hall.'

She called the maid, and the maid helped her to carry him into the hall.

'I beg you, lady, to let me take it right into your house. I will come in the morning to fetch it.'

'Well, put it in a corner.'

The old woman went off home. The lady at night took a bath, and laid the ring on the table, and washed herself. And through the little window he perceived a mole under her right breast. The lady slept all night in her bed, and forgot the ring on the table, and put out the candle. And he let himself out, took the ring off the table, and got back into the chest, shut himself in. The old woman came next morning at daybreak, and carried her chest outside. He opened it, and came out, and took the chest, and departed. He went to meet the husband, and found him on the way.

'Hast thou lain with my lady?'

I have.'

'What is her birth-mark?'

'She has a mole under her right breast. If you do not believe me, here is the ring as well.'

'It's all right; take the ship and everything in it, and come home, and I will give you also the estate.'

He went home, and said never a word to the lady; and he made a little boat, and put her in it, and let it go on the Danube. 'Since you have done this, away you go on the Danube.' He gave his whole estate, and became poor, and carried water for the Jews.

A whole year she floated on the Danube; the year went like a day. An old man caught her, and drew her to shore, and opened the boat, and took her out, and brought her to his house. She abode with him three years, and spun with her spindle, and made some money. And she bought herself splendid man's clothes, and dressed herself, and cut her hair short, and went back to her husband. She went and passed the night beneath a lime-tree, and slept under the lime-tree. In that city the emperor was blind. She saw a dream: in the lime-tree was a hole, and in the hole was water; and if the emperor will anoint himself with that water he will see. She arose in the morning, and searched around, and found the hole. And she had a little pail, and she drew water in the pail, and put it in her pocket, and went into that city to an inn, and drank three kreutzers' worth of brandy. And she asked the Jew, 'What's the news with you?'

'Our emperor is blind, and he will give his kingdom to him who shall make him see.'

'I will do so.'

The Jew went to the emperor, and the emperor said to him, 'Hah! go and bring him to me.'

They brought him to the emperor. 'Will you make me see? then I will give you my daughter.'

She took water, and anointed his eyes, and he saw. The emperor set his crown on her head. 'Do you be emperor. I want nothing but to stay beside you.' The emperor clad her royally, called his army, beat the drum. 'For there's a new emperor.'

And she saw her husband carrying water for the Jews. 'Come hither. Have you always been poor?'

'No, I once was not poor, I was rich. I had an estate, and I was a great merchant.'

'Then how did you lose your estate?'

'I lost it over a wager. My wife played the wanton with another, and I gave up the estate, and sent her adrift on the Danube.'

Straightway she sent for the other, and they brought him. 'How did you come by this man's estate?'

'Over a wager.'

'What was your wager?'

'That I would lie with her.'

'Then you did so?'

'I did.'

'And, pray, what were her birth-marks?'

'Under her right breast she had a mole.'

'Would you know that mole again?'

'I would.'

Then she drew out her breast. 'Did you lie with me?'

'I did not.'

'Then why those falsehoods? Here, take him, and cut him all to pieces.'

And she looked earnestly on her husband. 'You, why did you not ask me at the time?'

'I was a fool, and I was angry.'

Here, take him outside, and give him five-and-twenty, to teach him wisdom.'

She threw the robes off her, and put them on him. 'Do you be emperor, and I empress.'

MADE OVER TO THE DEVIL
There was a rich man, and he went into the forest, and fell into a bog with his carriage. And his wife brought forth a son, and he knew it not. And the Devil came forth, and said, 'What will you give me if I pull you out?'

I will give you what you want.'

'Give me what you have at home.'

'I have horses, oxen.'

'Give me that which you have not seen.'

'I will.'

'Make a covenant with me.'

He made a covenant with him, and the Devil pulled him out of the mud, and the man went home. By the time he got home he had forgotten the covenant.

The boy was twenty years old. 'Make me a cake, mother, for I'm off to the place my father pledged me to.' And he went far over the mountains, and came to the Devil's house. There was an old woman in the house, and a daughter of the Devil's, and she asked him, 'Whither art going, lad?'

'I have come to the lord here, to serve.'

And the girl saw him, and he pleased her. 'I may tell you that he is my father. My father will turn himself into a horse, and will tell you to mount him and traverse the world. And do you make yourself an iron club and an iron curry-comb, and hit him with the club, for he will not stoop, and get on his back, and as you go keep hitting him on the head.'

He traversed the world, and came home, put him in the stable, and went to the maiden.

'My father didn't fling you?'

'No, for I kept hitting him on the head.'

The Devil called him, and took a jar of poppy-seed, and poured it out on the grass, and told him to gather it all up, and fill the jar, for, 'If you don't, I will cut off your head.'

He went to the maiden, and wept.

'What are you weeping for?'

'Your father has told me to fill the jar with poppy-seed; and if I don't, he will cut off my head.'

She said, 'Fear not.' She went outside and gave a whistle, and the mice came as many as all the blades of grass and the leaves.

And they asked, 'What do you want, mistress?'

'Gather the poppy-seed and fill the jar.'

And the mice came and picked up the grains of poppy-seed one by one, and filled the jar.

The Devil saw it. 'You're a clever chap. Here is one more task for you: drain the marsh, and plough it, and sow it, and to-morrow bring me roasted maize. And if you do not, I shall cut your head off.'

He went to the maiden and wept. 'Your father has told me to drain the marsh, and give him roasted maize to-morrow.'

'Fear not.'

She went outside, and took the fiery whip. And she struck the marsh once, and it was dried up; a second time she struck, and it was ploughed; the third time she struck, it was sowed; the fourth time she struck, and the maize was roasted; and in the morning he gave him roasted maize.

She said to him, 'We are three maidens. He will make us all alike, will call you to guess which is the eldest, which is the middle one, and which the youngest; and you will not be able to guess, for we shall be all just alike. I shall be at the top, and notice my feet, for I shall keep tapping one foot on the other; the middle one will be in the middle, and the eldest fronting you, and so you will know.'

The Devil said to him, 'One more task I will give you. Fell the whole forest, and stack it by to-morrow.'

He went to the maiden, and the maiden asked him, 'Have you a father and mother?'

'I have.'

'Ah! let us fly, for my father will kill you. Take the whetstone, and take a comb; I have a towel.'

They set out and fled. The Devil arose, saw that the forest is not felled. ' Go and call him to me.'

Ho, ho! there is neither the lad nor the maiden.

'Hah! go after them.'

They went, and the two saw them coming after them. And she said to him, 'I will make myself a field of wheat, and do you make yourself to be looking at the wheat, and they will ask you, "Didn't a maiden and a lad pass by?" "Bah! they passed when I was sowing the wheat."'

'Go back, for we shall not catch them.'

They went back. 'We did not catch them.'

'On the road did not you find anything?'

'We found a field of wheat and a peasant.'

'Go back, for the field of wheat was she, and he was the peasant.'

They saw them again. She said to the lad, 'I will turn a somersault and make myself an old church, and do you turn a somersault and make yourself an old monk, and they will ask you, "Didn't a maiden and a lad pass by?" "They passed just as I began the church."'

'Ah! go back, for we shall never catch them. When he was beginning the church! It is old now.'

'Did you not find anything on the road?'

'We found a church and a monk.'

'The church was she, and he was the monk. I will go myself.'

They saw him. 'Now my father is coming; we shall not escape. Fling the comb.'

He flung the comb, and it became a forest from earth to sky. Whilst he was gnawing away the forest, they got a long way ahead. He was catching them up; she cried, Fling the whetstone.'

He flung the whetstone, and it became a rock of stone from earth even to heaven. Whilst he, the Devil, was making a hole in the rock, they got a long way ahead. Again he is catching them up. 'Father is catching us up.' She flung the towel, and it became a great water and a mill. They halted on the bank.

And he cried, 'Harlot, how did you cross the water?'

'Fasten the millstone to your neck, and jump into the water.'

He fastened the millstone to his neck, and jumped into the water, and was choked.

She said, 'Fear not, for my father is choked.'

He went to his father with the maiden. His father rejoiced; but the maiden said to the lad, 'I will go to expiate my father's sins, for I choked him. I go for three years.'

She took her ring, and broke it in half, and gave one half to him. 'Keep that, and do not lose it.' She departed for three years.

He forgot her, and made preparations to marry. He was holding his wedding. She came, and he knew her not.

'Drink a glass of brandy.'

She drank out of his glass, and flung the half of the ring into the glass, and gave it to him. When he drank, he got it into his mouth, and he took it in his hand and looked at it, and he took his half and fitted the two together. 'Hah! this is my wife; this one saved me from death.'

And he quashed that marriage, and took his first wife and lived with her.

THE LYING STORY
Before I was born, my mother had a fancy for roast starlings. And there was no one to go, so I went alone to the. forest. And I found roast starlings in the hollow of a tree. I put in my hand, and could not draw it out. I took and got right in, and the hole closed up. I set out and went to my godfather to borrow the axe.

My godfather said, 'The servant with the axe is not at home, but,' said my godfather, 'I will give you the hatchet, and the hatchet is expecting little hatchets.'

'Never fear, godfather.'

And he gave me the hatchet, and I went and cut my way out of the tree, and I flung down the hatchet. Whilst it was falling a bird built its nest in the handle, and laid eggs, and hatched them, and brought forth young ones; and when the hatchet had fallen down, it gave birth to twelve little hatchets. And I put them in my wallet, and carried them to my godfather. My godfather rejoiced. He gave me one of the hatchets, and I stuck it in my belt at my back, and went home. I was thirsty and went to the well. The well was deep. I cut off my brainpan, and drank water out of it. I laid my brainpan by the well, and went home. And I felt something biting me on the head; and when I put up my hand to my head there came forth worms. I returned to my brainpan, and a wild-duck had laid eggs in my brainpan, and hatched them, and brought forth ducklings. And I took the hatchet, and flung it, and killed the wild-duck, but the ducklings flew away. Behind the well was a fire, and the hatchet fell into the fire. I hunted for the hatchet, and found the handle, but the blade of the hatchet was burnt. And I took the handle, and stuck it in my belt at my back, and went home, and found our mare, and got up on her. And the handle cut the mare in half, and I went riding on two of her legs, and the two hind ones were eating grass. And I went back, and cut a willow withy, and trimmed it, and sewed the mare together. Out of her grew a willow-tree up to heaven. And I, remembered that God is owing me a treeful of eggs and a pailful of sour milk. And I climbed up the willow, and went to God, and went to God's thrashing-floor. There twelve men were thrashing oats.

'Where are you going to, man?'

'I am going to God.'

'Don't go; God isn't at home.'

And the smiths felled the willow, and I took an oat-straw and made a rope, and let myself down. And the rope was too short, and I kept cutting off above, and tying on below; then I jumped down, and came to the other world. I went home, and got a spade, and dug myself out [of the other, or nether world], and went home, and gave the starlings to my mother, and she ate, and was safely delivered of me, and I am living in the world.

HAPPY BOZ'II
Wonst upon a time there was a Romano, and his name was Happy Boz’ll, and he had a German-silver grinding-barrow, and he used to put his wife and his child on the top, and he used to go that quick along the road he 'd beat all the coaches. Then he thought this grinding-barrow was too heavy and clumsy to take about, and he cut it up and made tent-rods of it. And then his donkey got away, and he didn't know where it was gone to; and one day he was going by the tent, and he said to himself, 'Bless my soul, wherever's that donkey got to?' And there was a tree close by, and the donkey shouted out and said, 'I'm here, my Happy, getting you a bit o’ stick to make a fire.' Well, the donkey come down with a lot of sticks, and he had been up the tree a week, getting firewood. Well then, Happy had a dog, and he went out one day, the dog one side the hedge, and him the other. And then he saw two hares. The dog ran after the two; and as he was going across the field, he cut himself right through with a scythe; and then one half ran after one hare, and the other after the other. Then the two halves of the dog catched the two hares; and then the dog smacked together again; and he said, 'Well, I've got ’em, my Happy'; and then the dog died. And Happy had a hole in the knee of his breeches, and he cut a piece of the dog's skin, after it was dead, and sewed it in the knee of his breeches. And that day twelve months his breeches-knee burst open, and barked at him. And so that's the end of Happy Boz’ll.

THE CREATION OF THE VIOLIN
IN a hut on a mountain, in a fair forest, lived a girl with her four brothers, her father, and her mother. The sister loved a handsome rich huntsman, who often ranged the forest, but who would never speak to the pretty girl. Mara wept day and night, because the handsome man never came near her. She often spoke to him, but he never answered, and went on his way. She sang the song:

'Dear man from a far country,
Slip your hand into mine;
Clasp me, an you will, in your arms;
Lovingly will I kiss you.'

[paragraph continues] She sang it often and often, but he paid no heed. Knowing now no other succour, she called the devil. 'O devil, help me.' The devil came, holding a mirror in his hand, and asked what she wanted. Mara told him her story and bemoaned to him her sorrow. 'If that's all,' said the devil, 'I can help you. I'll give you this. Show it to your beloved, and you'll entice him to you.' Once again came the huntsman to the forest, and Mara had the mirror in her hand and went to meet him. When the huntsman saw himself in the mirror, he cried, 'Oh! that's the devil, that is the devil's doing; I see myself.' And he ran away, and came no more to the forest.

Mara wept now again day and night, for the handsome man never came near her.; Knowing now no other succour for her grief, she called again the devil. 'O devil, help me.' The devil came and asked what she wanted. Mara told how the huntsman had run away, when he saw himself in the mirror. The devil laughed and said, 'Let him run, I shall catch him; like you, he belongs to me. For you both have looked in the mirror, and whoso looks in the mirror is mine. And now I will help you, but you must give me your four brothers, or help you I cannot.' The devil went away and came back at night, when the four brothers slept, and made four strings of them, fiddle-strings--one thicker, then one thinner, the third thinner still, and the thinnest the fourth. Then said the devil, 'Give me also your father.' Mara said, 'Good, I give you my father, only you must help me.' Of the father the devil made a box: that was the fiddle. Then he said, 'Give me also your mother.' Mara answered, 'Good, I give you also my mother, only you must help me.' The devil smiled, and made of the mother a stick, and horsehair of her hair: this was the fiddle-stick. Then the devil played, and Mara rejoiced. But the devil played on and on, and Mara wept. Now laughed the devil and said, 'When your beloved comes, play, and you will entice him to you.' Mara played, and the huntsman heard her playing and came to her. In nine days came the devil and said, 'Worship me, I am your lord.' They would not, and the devil carried them off. The fiddle remained in the forest lying on the ground, and a poor Gypsy came by and saw it. He played, and as he played in thorp and town they laughed and wept just as he chose.

DEATH THE SWEETHEART
There was once a pretty young girl with no husband, no father, no mother, no brothers, no kinsfolk: they were all dead and gone. She lived alone in a hut at the end of the village; and no one came near her, and she never went near any one. One evening a goodly wanderer came to her, opened the door, and cried, 'I am a wanderer, and have been far in the world. Here will I rest; I can no further go.' The maiden said, 'Stay here, I will give thee a mattress to sleep on, and, if thou wilt, victuals and drink too.' The goodly wanderer soon lay down and said, 'Now once again I sleep; it is long since I slept last:' 'How long?' asked the girl; and he answered, 'Dear maid, I sleep but one week in a thousand years.' The girl laughed and said, 'Thou jestest, surely? thou art a roguish fellow.' But the wanderer was sound asleep.

Early next morning he arose and said, 'Thou art a pretty young girl. If thou wilt, I will tarry here a whole week longer.' She gladly agreed, for already she loved the goodly wanderer. So once they were sleeping, and she roused him and said, 'Dear man, I dreamt such an evil dream. I dreamt thou hadst grown cold and white, and we drove in a beautiful carriage, drawn by six white birds. Thou didst blow on a mighty horn; then dead folk came up and went with us--thou wert their king.' Then answered the goodly wanderer, ' That was an evil dream.' Straightway he arose and said, 'Beloved, I must go, for not a soul has died this long while in all the world. I must off, let me go.' But the girl wept and said, 'Go not away; bide with me.' 'I must go,' he answered, 'God keep thee.' But, as he reached her his hand, she said sobbing, 'Tell me, dear man, who thou art then.' 'Who knows that dies,' said the wanderer, 'thou askest vainly; I tell thee not who I am.' Then the girl wept and said, 'I will suffer everything, only do tell me who thou art.' 'Good,' said the man,' 'then thou comest with me. I am Death.' The girl shuddered and died.

THE DOG AND THE MAIDEN
There was once a poor Gypsy with a very beautiful daughter, whom he guarded like the apple of his eye, for he wanted to marry her to a chieftain. So he always kept her in the tent when the lads and lasses sat of an evening by the fire and told stories, or beguiled the time with play and dance. Only a dog was the constant companion of this poor maiden. No one knew whom the dog belonged to, or where he came from. He had joined the band once, and thenceforth continued the trusty companion of the poor beautiful maiden.

It befell once that her father must go to a far city, to sell there his besoms, baskets, spoons, and troughs. He left his daughter with the other women in the tents on the heath, and set out with the men for the city. This troubled the poor girl greatly, for no one would speak to her, as all the women envied her for her beauty and avoided her; in a word, they hated the sight of her. Only the dog remained true to her; and once, as she sat sorrowfully in front of the tent, he said, 'Come, let us go out on the heath; there I will tell you who I really am.' The girl was terrified, for she had never heard of a dog being able to speak like a man; but when the dog repeated his request, she got up and went with him out on the heath. There the dog said, 'Kiss me, and I shall become a man.' The girl kissed him, and lo! before her stood a man of wondrous beauty. He sat down beside her in the grass, and told how a fairy had turned him into a dog for trying to steal her golden apples, and how he could resume his human shape for but one night in the year, and only then if a girl had kissed him first. Much more had the two to tell, and they toyed in the long grass all the livelong night. When day dawned, the girl slipped back with the dog to her tent; and the two henceforth were the very best of friends.

The poor Gypsy came back from the city to the heath, merry because he had made a good bit of money. When again he must go to the city to sell his besoms and spoons, the girl remained behind with the dog in the camp, and one night she brought forth a little white puppy. In her terror and anguish she ran to the great river, and jumped into the water. When the people sought to draw her out of the water, they could not find her corpse; and the old Gypsy, her father, would have thrown himself in too, when a handsome strange gentleman came up, and said, 'I'll soon get you the body.' He took a bit of bread, kissed it, and threw it into the water. The dead girl straightway emerged from the water. The people drew the corpse to land, and bore it back to the tents, in three days' time to bury it. But the strange gentleman said, 'I will bring my sweetheart to life.' And he took the little white puppy, the dead girl's son, and laid it on the bosom of the corpse. The puppy began to suck, and when it had sucked its full, the dead girl awoke, and, on seeing the handsome man, started up and flew into his arms, for he was her lover who had lived with her as a white dog.

All greatly rejoiced when they heard this marvellous story, and nobody thought of the little white puppy, the son of the beautiful Gypsy girl. All of a sudden they heard a baby cry; and when they looked round, they saw a little child lying in the grass. Then was the joy great indeed. The little puppy had vanished and taken human shape. So they celebrated marriage and baptism together, and lived in wealth and prosperity till their happy end.

Puppies are welcomed

gators.... Not so much.

THE THREE GIRLS
SOMEWHERE there was a king who had three daughters, princesses. Those three sisters used to go to meet the devils, and the father knew not where they went to. But there was one called Jankos; Halenka aided him.

The king asks Jankos, 'Don't you know where my daughters go? Not one single night are they at home, and they are always wearing out new shoes.'

Then Jankos lay down in front of the door, and kept watch to see where they went to. But Halenka told him everything; she aided him. 'They will, when they come, fling fire on you, and prick you with needles.' Halenka told him he must not stir, but be like a corpse.

They came, those devils, for the girls, and straightway the girls set out with them to hell. On; on, they walked, but he stuck close to them. As the girls went to hell he followed close behind, but so that they knew it not. He went through the diamond forest; when he came there he cut himself a diamond twig from the forest. He follows; straightway they, those girls, cried, 'Jankos is coming behind us.' For when he broke it, he made a great noise. The girls heard it. 'Jankos is coming behind us.'

But the devils said, 'What does it matter if he is?'

Next they went through the forest of glass, and once more he cut off a twig; now he had two tokens. Then they went through the golden forest, and once more he cut off a twig; so now he had three. Then Halenka tells him, 'I shall change you into a fly, and when you come into hell, creep under the bed, hide yourself there, and see what will happen.'

Then the devils danced with the girls, who tore their shoes all to pieces, for they danced upon blades of knives, and so they must tear them. Then they flung the shoes under the bed, where Jankos took them, so that he might show them at home. When the devils had danced with the girls, each of them threw his girl upon the bed and lay with her; thus did they with two of them, but the third would not yield herself. Then Jankos, having got all he wanted, returned home and lay down again in front of the door, 'that the girls may know I am lying here.'

The girls returned after midnight, and went to bed in their room as if nothing had happened. But Jankos knew well what had happened, and straightway he went to their father, the king, and showed him the tokens. 'I know where your daughters go--to hell. The three girls must own they were there, in the fire. Isn't it true? weren't you there? And if you believe me not, I will show you the tokens. See, here is one token from the diamond forest; then here is one from the forest of glass; a third from the golden forest; and the fourth is the shoes which you tore dancing with the devils. And two of you lay with the devils, but that third one not, she would not yield herself.'

Straightway the king seized his rifle, and straightway he shot them dead. Then he seized a knife, and slit up their bellies, and straightway the devils were scattered out from their bellies. Then he buried them in the church, and laid each coffin in front of the altar, and every night a soldier stood guard over them. But every night those two used to rend the soldier in pieces; more than a hundred were rent thus. At last it fell to a new soldier, a recruit, to stand guard; when he went upon guard he was weeping. But a little old man came to him--it was my God; and Jankos was there with the soldier. And the old man tells him, 'When the twelfth hour strikes and they come out of their coffins, straightway jump in and lie down in-the coffin, and don't leave the coffin, for if you do they will rend you. So don't you go out, even if they beg you and fling fire on you, for they will beg you hard to come out.'

Thus then till morning he lay in the coffin. In the morning those two were alive again, and both kneeling in front of the altar. They were lovelier than ever. Then the soldier took one to wife, and Jankos took the other. Then when they came home with them their father was very glad. Then Jankos and the soldier got married, and if they are not dead they are still alive.

THE DRAGON
There was a great city. In that city was great mourning; every day it was hung with black cloth and with red. There was in a cave a great dragon; it had four-and-twenty heads. Every day must he eat a woman--ah! God! what can be done in such a case? It is clean impossible every day to find food for that dragon. There was but one girl left. Her father was a very wealthy man; he was a king; over all kings he was lord. And there came a certain wanderer, came into the city, and asked what's new there.

They said to him, 'Here is very great mourning.'

'Why so? any one dead?'

'Every day we must feed the dragon with twenty-four heads. If we failed to feed him, he would crush all our city underneath his feet.'

'I'll help you out of that. It is just twelve o'clock; I will go there alone with my dog.'

He had such a big dog: whatever a man just thought of, that dog immediately knew. It would have striven with the very devil. When the wanderer came to the cave, he kept crying, 'Dragon, come out here with your blind mother. Bread and men you have eaten, but will eat no more. I'll see if you are any good.'

The dragon called him into his cave, and the wanderer said to him, 'Now give me whatever I ask for to eat and to drink, and swear to me always to give that city peace, and never to eat men, no, not one. For if ever I hear of your doing so I shall come back and cut your throat.'

'My good man, fear not; I swear to you. For I see you're a proper man. If you weren't, I should long since have eaten up you and your dog. Then tell me what you want of me.'

'I only want you to bring me the finest wine to drink, and meat such as no man has ever eaten. If you don't, you will see I shall destroy everything that is yours, shall shut you up here, and you will never come out of this cave.'

'Good, I will fetch a basket of meat, and forthwith cook it for you.'

He went and brought him such meat as no man ever had eaten. When he had eaten and drunk his fill, then the dragon must swear to him never to eat anybody, but sooner to die of hunger.

'Good, so let us leave it.'

He went back, that man, who thus had delivered the city, so that it had peace. Then all the gentlemen asked him what he wanted for doing so well. The dragon from that hour never ate any one. And if they are not dead they are still alive.

THE THREE DRAGONS
A gentleman had three daughters. They went one day to a pond to bathe. There came a dragon, and carried them off. He hurried with them to a rocky cave. There they remained twelve years, without their father seeing them again or knowing where they were. There was a sly-boots called Bruntslikos. He went to the girls' father, and told him he would do his best to find his daughters. The father promised him one of them to wife, if he could find them. He took the road, and stayed seven years away; then he demanded a horse of the girls' father. He mounted it, and rode a whole year through the forest. At last he came to a tavern; two fellows there asked him where he was going to. He told them that he was going in search of three maidens.. They offered to go with him. 'Good,' he thought, 'three will make merrier company.'

As they went through the forest, the horse stamped his foot against the entrance to the dragon's cave, and pawed against it. Then Bruntslikos knew that those he was seeking were there. It was a great cavity in the rock. He left the two comrades on the brink above, and made them lower him by a rope to fetch up one of the maidens. He said he must fetch her at any cost. When he came down, she sat alone in the house; the dragon has gone to hunt hares.

When he came to her, she asked, 'How comest thou here, my beloved? Here must thou lose thy life.'

'I have no fear,' he answered.

'Never a bird comes flying here,' she said, but thou hast come.'

'I will see, though,' she thought, 'what sort of a hero he is,' and bade him brandish a sword; but he could not so much as raise it from the ground. But there was wine there. She made him drink thereof; straightway he felt himself stronger. And she bade him now lift the sword; he fell to so cutting and thrusting with it in the air that he now no more dreaded the dragon.

'Now I am strong,' he said, 'I will soon help thee out of here.'

'God grant thou may,' she said, 'then will I be thy bride.'

She gave him a golden ring, which she cut in half; the one half she gave to him, kept the other herself.

Then came the dragon home. When he still was fourteen miles off, he flung a hammer there, weighing nearly fifteen hundredweight. When he came, he said to his wife, 'I smell human flesh.'

She said, 'Dear husband, but how could that be? How could it get here? Hither comes never a bird. How could human flesh get here?'

'But I feel,' he said, 'that a man's here. Don't talk nonsense.' And he came nearer, and called, 'Brother-in-law!'

But Bruntslikos was hidden beneath a trough. After the dragon had called him thrice, he sprang out, faced him, and cried, 'What wilt thou of me? I fear thee not.'

The dragon answered, 'What need to tell me thou fearest me not? I will soon put thy strength to the test.'

Leaden dumplings were served up for the dragon's dinner, and he invited Bruntslikos to partake. 'I don't care for such dumplings,' said Bruntslikos, 'but give me wine to drink, and I'm your man.'

When they had drunk their fill, the dragon challenged Bruntslikos to wrestle with him; straightway he faced the dragon. The dragon drove him into the earth to the waist, then drew him out again. In the second bout Bruntslikos drove the dragon into the earth to the neck, then grasped the sword and began to cut off his heads (he had twelve). Bruntslikos struck them all off; only the middle one he could not sever. Then said the maiden, 'One smashing blow on it, and he will die at once.' So he killed him, and straight-way the dragon was turned to pitch. But he took all the tongues out of his heads, and put them in his pocket. Then he collected all the money that was there, put his bride in a basket and himself as well. And the two comrades had been waiting for him above, and, when he called, they drew him up with his bride. But when he was up with her, the two fellows began to quarrel over the maiden; she was so fair, they wanted her for wife.

But he said, 'There still remain two more maidens; of them you can take your choice.'

'I,' she said, 'will never desert Bruntslikos; he shall be my husband. We have plighted ourselves to all eternity, for he has saved my life.'

Then they went to seek the other dragon 1 in the cavern. He had fifteen heads, and was three times as strong as the first. The maiden whom this dragon had carried off showed Bruntslikos a sword, twice as heavy as the first. He could just move it, but not lift it clear off the earth. But she gave him wine to drink, and then he was straightway stronger. She too had greeted Bruntslikos, when he came, with the words, 'How comest thou here, my beloved? Here must thou lose thy life, for my husband will kill thee.'

But he said, 'To fetch thee am I come. Thy sister dear have I already fetched, and thee too I must help out of here.'

'God grant thou may,' she said, 'then would I be thy bride.'

'I have one already,' he said, 'thy sister; but all the more readily will I help thee out.'

Then came the dragon. He was still fifty miles away when he flung a hammer there weighing fifty hundred-weight. When he was come, he said, 'I smell human flesh here.'

'But, dear husband, how couldst thou smell human flesh? Never even a bird comes hither, and yet thou wilt be scenting a mortal.'

'Don't talk nonsense,' said he; and cried, 'Brother-in-law! Why comest thou not out? What is it thou wilt of me? I fear thee not.'

Thrice he thus called him, but he would not answer. But at last he said to him, 'I fear thee not. I must slay thee.'

'Come, if thou art so strong that thou wilt kill me,' answered the dragon, ' then let us wrestle.'

They wrestled, and the dragon drove him into the earth to the waist. They settled that the dragon should draw him out again. He seized the dragon, and drove him into the earth to the neck. Then he grasped the sword, and cut off his fifteen heads; only the middle one held so firm that he could not sever it.

But the princess told him, 'Just one blow right on the head, and he will die at once.'

When he had killed him, he plucked out all his tongues, and then had himself drawn up and the maiden. So now there were two sisters up, and now they went for the third. The third dragon had twenty-four heads. When Bruntslikos had served him like the other two, he helped the third maiden also out. But when the three maidens were out, his two comrades threw him into a well, for they wished not to give him the credit of that achievement, but rather themselves to vaunt at home that they had slain the dragons.

But Bruntslikos had covenanted with his bride that if he did not come within eight years, she should take a husband. So the eighth year came: she had chosen another man, and was celebrating the marriage. Then came Bruntslikos dressed like a beggar, so she knew him not, and felt no shame for her conduct. But he asked her for wine. When she gave him such, he threw as he drank that half of the ring into the glass, then offered it her. When she drank, her lips came against it. When she noticed it, she threw her half of the ring into the glass, and it straightway united with the other. Forthwith she fell to kissing him, for she recognised he was her lover. The marriage she straightway broke off, and plighted herself to him. When now he flung the dragons' tongues on the table, the gentlemen cried, 'Hurrah! That's it! that's the real thing!' at the sight of the tongues.

So, if they are not dead, they are living together.

THE FIVE TRADES
Once there were a sailor and other four men. One was a smith, and the other was a soldier and a tailor, and the last was an innkeeper. The sailor asked the smith to come upon the sea. The smith said, 'No, I must go and do some work.' 'What is your work?' 'To heat iron,' says the smith, and make it into shoes for horses.' The sailor asked the other three to come on board his ship. The soldier said he must go to make facings and marchings; and the tailor said, 'I must go and make clothes to keep you warm.' And the innkeeper said, 'I am going to make beer to make you drunk, that you may all of you go to the devil.' That's all of that.

TWO-PENCE HALF-PENNY
There were three brothers. The three were going on the road to seek for work. Night came upon them. They knew not where to go to get lodgings: it was night. They were travelling through a wood on an old road. They saw a small light, and they came to a cottage. They were hungry and tired. The door was open. They saw a table with food upon it.

Said the eldest brother, 'Go you in.'

'I am not going in; go in yourself.'

'Not I, indeed.'

'You are two fools,' said Jack. And in he went, and sat down at the table, and ate his bellyful. The other two watched him. They were afraid to enter the house. At last the other two went in, and sat down and ate.

Now a little old woman comes. Said the old woman, 'I have seen no man here for many years. Whence came ye hither?'

'We are seeking for work.'

'I will find work for you to-morrow.'

They went to bed. Up they rose in the morning. And there was a great pot on the fire, and porridge and milk. That was the food they ate. Now the old woman tells the eldest brother to go into the barn to get the tools, and to go into the wood to fell the trees. He took off his coat. There he is doing the work. There came an old dwarf, and asked him who told him to fell the wood. He could not see this little man, so small was he. He looked under his feet; he saw him in the stubble. The old dwarf hit him and beat him, until he bled, and there he left him. Now the maid comes with his dinner. The girl went home and told the two other brothers to come and carry him home and put him to bed.

In the morning the second brother goes to the wood.

The eldest brother told him it was a little man who beat him, and the second brother laughed at him. He went off now down to the woods. Here is something that asks him who told him to fell the trees. He looked around him; he could see nothing. At last he saw him in the stubble. 'Be off,' said he. The little stranger knocked him to pieces. The little maid came down to him with his dinner, and went home and told the two brothers to come and carry him home. The two brothers went down and brought him home.

Jack laughed at them: 'I am going down to-morrow myself.'

In the morning he went down to the wood. Here he is felling the trees. He heard something. He looked beneath his feet. He saw the little man in the stubble. Jack kicked him.

'You had better keep quiet,' said the little man.

The dwarf hit him. Down went Jack, and the dwarf half-killed him. There was Jack lying there now. The maid came with his dinner. Home went the maid, and told the two brothers to come and carry him home.

'No,' said Jack, 'leave me here and go.'

The two brothers went home. Jack was watching him, and the little man crept under a great stone. Up got Jack now, and home he went, and told his two brothers to go into the stable and get out four horses. They took a strong rope, and the three went with the horses and fastened the rope round the stone. They took the horses, and pulled it up, and found a well there.

'Go you down,' said one.

'Not I,' said the other; 'I am not going down.'

'I will go down,' says Jack. 'Fasten this rope and let me down, and when you hear me say "Pull up," pull me up; and when I say "Let go," let me go.'

Now the two brothers fastened him and let him down. Down he went a very little way. The little man beat him. 'Pull me up.' He goes down again. He forgets the word: 'Let me down.' He came into a beautiful country, and there he saw the old dwarf. The old dwarf spoke to him: 'Since you have come into this country, Jack, I will tell you something now.' The old man tells Jack what he is to do. 'You will find three castles. In the first one lives a giant with two heads, and,' said the old dwarf, 'you must fight him. Take the old rusty sword. I will be there with you.'

'I am afraid of him.'

'Go on, and have no fear. I will be there with you.'

Here is Jack at the castle now. He knocked at the door.

The servant-maid came, and he asked for her master.

'He is at home. Do you wish to see him?'

'Yes,' said Jack, 'I want to fight with him.'

The maid went and told him to come out.

'Are you wanting something to eat?'

'No,' said Jack, 'come out, and I will fight with you.'

'Come here and choose your sword.' (Jack chose the old rusty sword.) 'Why do you take that old rusty sword? Take a bright one.'

'Not I. This one will do for me.'

The twain went out before the door. Off went one head. 'Spare my life, Jack. I will give you all my money.'

'No.'

He struck off the other head; he killed him. (Now this was the Copper Castle: so they called it.)

Now Jack goes on to the next, the Silver Castle. A giant with three heads lived there. Jack chose the rusty sword, and struck two heads off.

'Don't kill me, Jack; let me live. I will give you the keys of my castle.'

'Not I,' said Jack; and off went the other head.

Now Jack goes on to the next, the Golden Castle. And there was a giant with four heads.

'Have you come here to fight with me?'

'Yes,' says Jack.

The giant told him to choose a sword, and he chose the old rusty sword; and out they went. Jack struck off three heads.

'Don't kill me, Jack. I will give you my keys.'

'Yes, I will,' said Jack; and off went the other head.

Now all the castles, and the money and the three fair ladies in the three castles, were his. Off Jack goes now and the lady with him. He goes back to the Silver Castle, and takes that lady. He goes to the Copper Castle, and takes that lady. And the four went on and came to the place where Jack descended. The old dwarf was there waiting for him. Jack sent the three ladies up to his brothers. Now the old dwarf wanted meat. Jack went back to the castle, and cooked some meat for him. The old dwarf carried Jack up a bit; the old dwarf stopped; he wanted meat. Jack gave him meat. He went up a bit further; he stopped; he wanted meat. Jack gave him meat. He went up a bit higher. He wanted meat. Jack had none. Now he was a very little way from the surface. He knew not what to do. He drew his knife from his pocket, and cut a little meat off his leg, and gave it to the old dwarf. Up went Jack.

Two of the ladies and his two brothers had gone off. And the eldest brother had taken the fairest lady; and the second brother had taken the other lady; and they had left the ugly lady for Jack. Jack asked her where they had gone. The lady told him; and he hastened after them. He caught them by the church: they were going to be married. The fairest lady looked back, and saw Jack.

'That one's mine,' said Jack.

Jack took and married her. He left the other lady for his eldest brother to marry. There was only the second brother now, and he took the ugly lady. There are the three brothers and the three ladies.

Now they want to go down to the three castles. Jack told the old dwarf to carry them down.

'I will carry you down; you must give me food as I come down.'

'Yes,' said Jack, 'I will give you plenty of food.'

'I will take you down.'

He carried them all down. And the old dwarf went along with Jack. Jack put one brother and one lady in the Copper Castle, and the other brother in the Silver Castle; and Jack went to the Golden Castle. And Jack kept the old dwarf all his days. The old dwarf died, and at last Jack grew old himself.

THE OLD SMITH
An old smith lived on a hill with his wife and mother-in-law. He could only make ploughshares. A boy comes, and wants his horse shod. The smith could not do it. The boy cuts the horse's legs off, stops the blood, and puts the legs on the fire, beats them on the anvil, and replaces them on the horse. He gives the smith a guinea, and goes away. The smith tries this with his mother-in-law's horse, but bungles it: the horse bleeds to death, and its legs are burnt to ashes. The boy comes again with two old women. 'I want you to make them young again.' The smith couldn't. The boy puts them on the fire, beats them on the anvil, and rejuvenates them. The smith tries it with his wife and mother-in-law, but burns them to ashes. He leaves his forge, and sets off in the snow and wind. The barefooted boy follows him. The smith wants to send him off. The boy tells him of a sick king in the next town, whom they will cure, the boy acting as the smith's servant. The butler admits them, and gives them plenty to eat and drink. The smith forgets all about the sick king, but the boy reminds him. They go up. The boy asks for a knife, pot, water, and spoon. He cuts the king's head off, and spits on his hand to stop the blood. He puts the head in the pot, boils it, lifts it out with the golden spoon, and replaces it on the king, who is cured. The king gives them a sack of gold.

They take the road again.

'All I want,' says Barefoot, 'is a pair of shoes.'

'I've little enough for myself,' says the smith.

The boy leaves him, and the smith goes on alone. Hearing of another sick king, he goes to cure him, but takes too much to drink, and boils his head all to ribbons, and lets him bleed to death. A knock comes to the door. The smith, frightened, refuses admittance.

'Won't you open to little Barefoot?'

The boy enters, and with much difficulty gets the head on again. The king is cured, and gives them two sacks of gold. The boy asks for shoes and gets them. The boy tells the smith of a gentleman who has a wizard, 1 whom none can beat: 'Let's go there. Three sacks of gold to any one who beats him.' They enter. There was a bellows. The wizard blows, and blows up half the sea; the boy blows up a fish that drinks up all the wizard's water. The wizard blows up corn as it were rain; the boy blows up birds that eat the corn. The wizard blows up hundreds of rabbits; the boy blows up greyhounds that catch the rabbits. So they win the three sacks of gold. The smith hardly knows what to do with all his money. He builds a village and three taverns, and spends his time loafing round. An old woman comes and begs a night's lodging. He gives it her. She gives him three wishes. He wishes that whoever takes his hammer in his hand can't put it down again, that whoever sits on his chair can't get up again, and that whoever gets in his pocket can't get out again. One day, when money had run low, a man comes to the smith and asks will he sell himself. The smith sells himself for a bag of gold, the time to be up in five years. After five years the man returns. The smith gives him his hammer to hold, and goes off to his tavern. From inn to inn the man follows him, and, finding him in the third inn, gives him five more years' freedom. The same thing happens with the chair; and the smith gets five more years from the old man (now called Beng, devil). The third time the devil finds the smith in one of his taverns. The smith explains that he has called for drinks, and asks the devil to change himself into a sovereign in his (the smith's) pocket to pay for them. The devil does so. The smith returns home, and goes to bed. At night he hears a great uproar in his trousers pocket, gets up, puts them on the anvil, and hammers. The devil promises never to meddle with him in future if he will release him. The smith lets him go. Afterwards the smith dies, and goes to the devil's door and knocks. An imp of Satan comes out. Tell your father the smith is here.'

The little devil went and told his father.

'He will kill us all,' said the devil, 'if we let him in. Here, take this wisp of straw, and light him upstairs to God.'

The little devil did so. The smith went to heaven. There he sat and played the harp. And there we shall all see him one day unless we go to the devil instead.

THE OLD SOLDIER
There was a very old soldier; he was twelve years in military service. Then the colonel asked him, 'My good man, what do you want for having served me so many years here? Whatever you want I will give you, for you have served me well so many years. I will give you a beautiful white horse, and I will give you three big tobacco-pipes, so that you'll smoke like a gentleman. I will give you three rolls for your journey. The whole company never served as well as you have served me. I left everything to you; you have performed every sentry.'

'If I went home on furlough, I should weep bitterly. How can I leave you, my good comrades? Now I go home, shall never see you more; I have none but my God and good comrades. I was a good soldier, the sergeant over the entire company. The major has given me a beautiful white horse to go home on. O God, I am going; but I have not much money, only a little.'

When he had come into great forests, there came a beggar and begs of the soldier. He said to him, did the soldier, 'O God! what can I give you? I am, you see, a poor soldier, and I have far to go, yet my heart is not heavy. But, wait a bit, O beggar, I will give you a roll.' Then he bade him farewell.

Afterwards the same beggar came again to the soldier, and begs of him, 'O my soldier, give me something, make me a present.'

'How can I make you a present, seeing I have given already to four beggars? But wait, here I'll give you these couple of kreutzers, to get a drink of brandy with.'

Well, he went further. Again a third beggar met him; again .he begs of him. 'My God!' he said to him, 'I am a poor soldier; I have no one but God and myself. I shall have no money; I shall have nothing for myself; I'm giving you everything. My God! what am I to do? I'm an old soldier, a poor man; and, being so poor, where shall I now get anything? I gave you everything--bread, money, and my white horse. Now I must tramp on alone on my old legs. No one ever will know that I was a soldier. But my Golden God be with you, farewell.'

Then the beggar said to the soldier, 'Old soldier, I permit you to ask whatever you will. For I am God.'

The soldier answered, 'I want nothing but a stick that when I say "Beat" will beat every one and fear nobody.'

God gave it him. 'Tell me now what do you want besides.'

'Give me further a sack that if I say to a man "Get in" he must forthwith get into it.'

'Good, but you still may ask for a third gift. Only think well, so that God in your old days may succour you.'

'I want nothing but a sack that will let fall money when shaken.'

God gave him that too, and went off. The old soldier goes further, comes to a city, comes into an inn. There were many country-folk and other people of all sorts. He sits down to table, and orders victuals and drink. Straight-way the gentleman brought him something to eat. When he had eaten and drunk, he asks him to pay. He takes the sack, shakes it; golden pieces come tumbling out. He paid them all to the gentleman, and went away. The gentleman was right glad that he had given him all that money.

He goes further, came into a vast forest. There were four-and-twenty robbers; they kept an inn there, and sold what one required. He went in, and orders victuals to eat and brandy to drink; forthwith they brought him brandy strong as iron. He drank; he got drunk. 'Now pay.' He takes the sack, and shook out golden pieces, and hands them over. He paid the robbers, 'but he did not know that they were robbers. When he had paid up, they marvel to see him shake a sack like that and the money come falling out. They took him, take the sack, and go into another room. There four of them held him down, whilst two shake the sack; the money came tumbling out to their hearts' desire. They told their chief, seize the soldier, and kill him, and cut him in pieces; then they hung up his body like an ox on a peg. Let us leave them and come to the soldier. When he got to paradise, my Golden God let him be, but not long. 'Do you, Peter, go to that old soldier, and ask him what he wants here.' Good, Peter came. 'What are you wanting?' 'I just want the peace of God.' 'Hah! I'll ask God if he will let you stay here.' Peter went to my God and asks him, 'God, that old soldier is wanting your peace.' 'Go to the devils; tell them all to lay hold of him, tear him in pieces, and put as much wood as possible beneath the pot, so as to roast him thoroughly.' Well, they cooked him to shreds; but after all had to chuck him out, for he knocked them about so that he broke their bones. A second time my God sent Death for him, and him too the old soldier thrashed. But now he is dead and rotten, and we are alive.

THE DRAGON
A lord, his wife, and his daughter live at a great castle. A poor lad is engaged to mind the sheep. The daughter gives him bread and beer in a basket for lunch. The old lord explains that previous servants have always come back with one cow short. In the field a little man comes to Jack. Jack gives him as much as he can eat; and the little man gives Jack a plum. The little man explains that a giant in a neighbouring castle steals a cow daily. He gives Jack a pennyworth of pins, and bids him put them in the giant's drink. Jack goes to the giant, and asks for work. The giant goes to get drinks, and Jack mixes up the pins in the giant's glass. The giant drinks, falls ill, and dies. Jack tells the little man how he has fared, and returns with the full tale of cows. The master is surprised. Presently his daughter comes in. She tells Jack that to-morrow she is to be killed by a dragon, and would like him to be there to see. Jack refuses, but gives the girl a plum, which she eats.

Next morning she gives him his food, and off he goes. He shares it as before with the little man, who bids him take a key, unlock a large door, and take out a black horse and black clothes, with a sword he will find there. Then, having watered his horse, he is to go and fight the dragon. He goes, and knocks the dragon about with his sword. The dragon shoots fire from his mouth, but the horse throws up the water he has drunk, and quenches it. Jack puts back the horse, changes his clothes, and goes home with the cows. He gives another plum to the girl, who has to meet the dragon again next day, and asks Jack to be there. He refuses. Next morning she gives Jack his food, and Jack at the little man's suggestion asks for more. He gets it, goes, and shares it with the little man. It is the same as before, only this time he gets a white horse and white clothes. The little man tells Jack that to-morrow is the last day of the fight, and bids him rise early, and ask the young lady to send more food. Jack gives her another plum. This time she prepares the food over-night, as she has to meet the dragon at daybreak. She wants Jack to come and see, but he refuses--'must see after the cows.' He gets a red horse and red clothes this time, and the horse drinks the water dry. The fire from the dragon burns the lady's hair, but the horse's flood of water quenches it; and between them they kill the dragon. The lady cuts off a lock of Jack's hair with a golden scissors. He returns to the castle, and there the girl tells him about the fight and gets another plum. Then there is the usual dinner. Every guest has to lay his head in the lady's lap to let her see whether the lock matches, Jack having meanwhile gone off as usual with his cows, and shared his food with the little man. They fail to match the hair, so they bring up the servants--Jack last of all, wearing the red clothes underneath his own rags. He marries the young lady, and they live first in the dead giant's castle, and then, the parents having died, in her father's.