Favorite Fairy Tales
L >>
Logan Marshall >> Favorite Fairy Tales
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 [Illustration: _Adventures of Tom Thumb_
It Shone Down Upon the White Pebbles]
FAVORITE
FAIRY TALES
ARRANGED BY
LOGAN MARSHALL
[Illustration]
_ONE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS_
THE JOHN C. WINSTON COMPANY
CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA TORONTO
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY
L. T. MYERS
PRINTED IN U. S. A.
CONTENTS
PAGE
LITTLE SNOW WHITE 5
THE UGLY DUCKLING 22
ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP 43
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY 64
PUSS-IN-BOOTS 73
ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB 81
THE THREE BEARS 95
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL 103
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 109
THE STORY OF CINDERELLA 122
JACK THE GIANT KILLER 135
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK 155
DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT 167
THE STORY OF BLUEBEARD 184
LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD 195
SINDBAD THE SAILOR 202
HANSEL AND GRETEL 230
THE GOOSE GIRL 247
LITTLE SNOW-WHITE
[Illustration]
Once upon a time in the middle of winter, when the flakes of snow were
falling like feathers from the clouds, a Queen sat at her palace window,
which had an ebony black frame, stitching her husband's shirts. While
she was thus engaged and looking out at the snow she pricked her finger,
and three drops of blood fell upon the snow. Now the red looked so well
upon the white that she thought to herself, "Oh, that I had a child as
white as this snow, as red as this blood, and as black as the wood of
this frame!" Soon afterwards a little daughter came to her, who was as
white as snow, and with cheeks as red as blood, and with hair as black
as ebony, and from this she was named "Snow-White." And at the same time
her mother died.
About a year afterwards the King married another wife, who was very
beautiful, but so proud and haughty that she could not bear anyone to be
better-looking than herself. She owned a wonderful mirror, and when she
stepped before it and said:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
it replied:
"The Queen is the fairest of the day."
Then she was pleased, for she knew that the mirror spoke truly.
Little Snow-White, however, grew up, and became prettier and prettier,
and when she was seven years old she was as fair as the noonday, and
more beautiful than the Queen herself. When the Queen now asked her
mirror:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
it replied:
"The Queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White is the fairest, now, they say."
This answer so angered the Queen that she became quite yellow with envy.
From that hour, whenever she saw Snow-White, her heart was hardened
against her, and she hated the little girl. Her envy and jealousy
increased so that she had no rest day or night, and she said to a
Huntsman, "Take the child away into the forest. I will never look
upon her again. You must kill her, and bring me her heart and tongue
for a token."
The Huntsman listened and took the maiden away, but when he drew out his
knife to kill her, she began to cry, saying, "Ah, dear Huntsman, give me
my life! I will run into the wild forest, and never come home again."
This speech softened the Hunter's heart, and her beauty so touched him
that he had pity on her and said, "Well, run away then, poor child." But
he thought to himself, "The wild beasts will soon devour you." Still he
felt as if a stone had been lifted from his heart, because her death was
not by his hand. Just at that moment a young boar came roaring along to
the spot, and as soon as he clapped eyes upon it the Huntsman caught it,
and, killing it, took its tongue and heart and carried them to the
Queen, for a token of his deed.
But now poor little Snow-White was left motherless and alone, and
overcome with grief, she was bewildered at the sight of so many trees,
and knew not which way to turn. She ran till her feet refused to go
farther, and as it was getting dark, and she saw a little house near,
she entered in to rest. In this cottage everything was very small, but
very neat and elegant. In the middle stood a little table with a white
cloth over it, and seven little plates upon it, each plate having a
spoon and a knife and a fork, and there were also seven little mugs.
Against the wall were seven little beds arranged in a row, each covered
with snow-white sheets.
Little Snow-White, being both hungry and thirsty, ate a little morsel of
porridge out of each plate, and drank a drop or two of wine out of each
mug, for she did not wish to take away the whole share of anyone. After
that, because she was so tired, she laid herself down on one bed, but it
did not suit; she tried another, but that was too long; a fourth was too
short, a fifth too hard. But the seventh was just the thing; and
tucking herself up in it, she went to sleep, first saying her prayers
as usual.
When it became quite dark the owners of the cottage came home, seven
Dwarfs, who dug for gold and silver in the mountains. They first
lighted seven little lamps, and saw at once--for they lit up the whole
room--that somebody had been in, for everything was not in the order in
which they had left it.
[Illustration]
The first asked, "Who has been sitting on my chair?" The second, "Who
has been eating off my plate?" The third said, "Who has been nibbling
at my bread?" The fourth, "Who has been at my porridge?" The fifth,
"Who has been meddling with my fork?" The sixth grumbled out, "Who has
been cutting with my knife?" The seventh said, "Who has been drinking
out of my mug?"
Then the first, looking round, began again, "Who has been lying on my
bed?" he asked, for he saw that the sheets were tumbled. At these words
the others came, and looking at their beds cried out too, "Some one has
been lying in our beds!" But the seventh little man, running up to his,
saw Snow-White sleeping in it; so he called his companions, who shouted
with wonder and held up their seven lamps, so that the light fell upon
the little girl.
"Oh, heavens! oh, heavens!" said they; "what a beauty she is!" and they
were so much delighted that they would not awaken her, but left her to
sleep, and the seventh Dwarf, in whose bed she was, slept with each of
his fellows one hour, and so passed the night.
As soon as morning dawned Snow-White awoke, and was quite frightened
when she saw the seven little men; but they were very friendly, and
asked her what she was called.
"My name is Snow-White," was her reply.
"Why have you come into our cottage?" they asked.
Then she told them how her stepmother would have had her killed, but the
Huntsman had spared her life, and how she had wandered about the Whole
day until at last she had found their house.
When her tale was finished the Dwarfs said, "Will you look after our
household--be our cook, make the beds, wash, sew, and knit for us, and
keep everything in neat order? If so, we will keep you here, and you
shall want for nothing."
And Snow-White answered, "Yes, with all my heart and will." And so she
remained with them, and kept their house in order.
In the morning the Dwarfs went into the mountains and searched for
silver and gold, and in the evening they came home and found their meals
ready for them. During the day the maiden was left alone, and therefore
the good Dwarfs warned her and said, "Be careful of your stepmother, who
will soon know of your being here. So let nobody enter the cottage."
The Queen meanwhile, supposing that she had eaten the heart and tongue
of her stepdaughter, believed that she was now above all the most
beautiful woman in the world. One day she stepped before her mirror,
and said:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
and it replied:
"The Queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White is fairest now, they say.
The Dwarfs protect her from thy sway
Amid the forest, far away."
This reply surprised her, but she knew that the mirror spoke the truth.
She knew, therefore, that the Huntsman had deceived her, and that
Snow-White was still alive. So she dyed her face and clothed herself as
a pedler woman, so that no one could recognize her, and in this disguise
she went over the seven hills to the house of the seven Dwarfs. She
knocked at the door of the hut, and called out, "Fine goods for sale!
beautiful goods for sale!"
Snow-White peeped out of the window and said, "Good day, my good woman;
what have you to sell?"
"Fine goods, beautiful goods!" she replied. "Stays of all colors." And
she held up a pair which were made of many-colored silks.
"I may let in this honest woman," thought Snow-White; and she unbolted
the door and bargained for one pair of stays.
"You can't think, my dear, how they become you!" exclaimed the old
woman. "Come, let me lace them up for you."
Snow-White suspected nothing, and let her do as she wished, but the old
woman laced her up so quickly and so tightly that all her breath went,
and she fell down like one dead. "Now," thought the old woman to
herself, hastening away, "now am I once more the most beautiful of all!"
[Illustration]
At eventide, not long after she had left, the seven Dwarfs came home,
and were much frightened at seeing their dear little maid lying on the
ground, and neither moving nor breathing, as if she were dead. They
raised her up, and when they saw that she was laced too tight they cut
the stays to pieces, and presently she began to breathe again, and
little by little she revived. When the Dwarfs now heard what had taken
place, they said, "The old pedler woman was no other than your wicked
stepmother. Take more care of yourself, and let no one enter when we are
not with you."
Meanwhile, the Queen had reached home, and, going before her mirror, she
repeated her usual words:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
and it replied as before:
"The Queen was fairest yesterday;
Snow-White is fairest now, they say.
The Dwarfs protect her from thy sway
Amid the forest, far away."
As soon as it had finished, all her blood rushed to her heart, for
she was so angry to hear that Snow-White was yet living. "But now,"
thought she to herself, "will I make something which shall destroy her
completely." Thus saying, she made a poisoned comb by arts which she
understood, and then, disguising herself, she took the form of an old
widow. She went over the seven hills to the house of the seven Dwarfs,
and knocking at the door, called out, "Good wares to sell to-day!"
Snow-White peeped out and said, "You must go farther, for I dare not
let you in."
[Illustration]
"But still you may look," said the old woman, drawing out her poisoned
comb and holding it up. The sight of this pleased the maiden so much
that she allowed herself to be persuaded, and opened the door. As soon
as she had bought something the old woman said, "Now let me for once
comb your hair properly," and Snow-White consented. But scarcely was
the comb drawn through the hair when the poison began to work, and the
maiden fell down senseless.
"You pattern of beauty," cried the wicked Queen, "it is now all over
with you." And so saying, she departed.
Fortunately, evening soon came, and the seven Dwarfs returned, and as
soon as they saw Snow-White lying, like dead, upon the ground, they
suspected the Queen, and discovering the poisoned comb, they immediately
drew it out. Then the maiden very soon revived and told them all that
had happened. So again they warned her against the wicked stepmother,
and bade her open the door to nobody.
Meanwhile the Queen, on her arrival home, had again consulted her
mirror, and received the same answer as twice before. This made her
tremble and foam with rage and jealousy, and she swore that Snow-White
should die if it cost her her own life. Thereupon she went into an inner
secret chamber where no one could enter, and made an apple of the most
deep and subtle poison. Outwardly it looked nice enough, and had rosy
cheeks which would make the mouth of everyone who looked at it water;
but whoever ate the smallest piece of it would surely die. As soon as
the apple was ready the Queen again dyed her face, and clothed herself
like a peasant's wife, and then over the seven mountains to the house of
the seven Dwarfs she made her way.
She knocked at the door, and Snow-White stretched out her head and said,
"I dare not let anyone enter; the seven Dwarfs have forbidden me."
"That is hard on me," said the old woman, "for I must take back my
apples; but there is one which I will give you."
"No," answered Snow-White; "no, I dare not take it."
"What! are you afraid of it?" cried the old woman. "There, see--I will
cut the apple in halves; do you eat the red cheeks, and I will eat the
core." (The apple was so artfully made that the red cheeks alone were
poisoned.) Snow-White very much wished for the beautiful apple, and
when she saw the woman eating the core she could no longer resist, but,
stretching out her hand, took the poisoned part. Scarcely had she placed
a piece in her mouth when she fell down dead upon the ground. Then the
Queen, looking at her with glittering eyes, and laughing bitterly,
exclaimed, "White as snow, red as blood, black as ebony! This time
the Dwarfs cannot reawaken you."
When she reached home and consulted her mirror--
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
it answered:
"The Queen is fairest of the day."
[Illustration]
Then her envious heart was at rest, as peacefully as an envious heart
can rest.
When the little Dwarfs returned home in the evening they found
Snow-White lying on the ground, and there appeared to be no life in
her body; she seemed to be quite dead. They raised her up, and tried
if they could find anything poisonous. They unlaced her, and even
uncombed her hair, and washed her with water and with wine. But
nothing availed: the dear child was really and truly dead.
Then they laid her upon a bier, and all seven placed themselves around
it, and wept and wept for three days without ceasing. Then they prepared
to bury her. But she looked still fresh and life-like, and even her red
cheeks had not deserted her, so they said to one another, "We cannot
bury her in the black ground." Then they ordered a case to be made of
glass. In this they could see the body on all sides, and the Dwarfs
wrote her name with golden letters upon the glass, saying that she was
a King's daughter. Now they placed the glass case upon the ledge on a
rock, and one of them always remained by it watching. Even the birds
bewailed the loss of Snow-White; first came an owl, then a raven, and
last of all a dove.
For a long time Snow-White lay peacefully in her case, and changed not,
but looked as if she were only asleep, for she was still white as snow,
red as blood, and black-haired as ebony. By and by it happened that a
King's son was traveling in the forest, and came to the Dwarfs' house
to pass the night. He soon saw the glass case upon the rock, and the
beautiful maiden lying within, and he read also the golden inscription.
When he had examined it, he said to the Dwarfs, "Let me have this case,
and I will pay what you like for it."
But the Dwarfs replied, "We will not sell it for all the gold in the
world."
"Then give it to me," said the Prince; "for I cannot live without
Snow-White. I will honor and protect her as long as I live."
When the Dwarfs saw that he was so much in earnest, they pitied him,
and at last gave him the case, and the Prince ordered it to be carried
away on the shoulders of his attendants. Presently it happened that
they stumbled over a rut, and with the shock the piece of poisoned
apple which lay in Snow-White's mouth fell out. Very soon she opened
her eyes, and raising the lid of the glass case, she rose up and asked,
"Where am I?"
Full of joy, the Prince answered, "You are safe with me." And he told
to her what she had suffered, and how he would rather have her than any
other for his wife, and he asked her to accompany him home to the castle
of the King his father. Snow-White consented, and when they arrived
there they were married with great splendor and magnificence.
Snow-White's stepmother was also invited to the wedding, and when she
was dressed in all her finery to go, she first stepped in front of her
mirror and asked:
"Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of us all?"
and it replied:
"The Queen was fairest yesterday;
The Prince's bride is now, they say."
At these words the Queen was in a fury, and was so terribly mortified
that she knew not what to do with herself. At first she resolved not
to go to the wedding, but she could not resist the wish to see the
Princess. So she went; but as soon as she saw the bride she recognized
Snow-White, and was so terrified with rage and astonishment that she
rushed out of the castle and was never heard of again.
[Illustration]
THE UGLY DUCKLING
[Illustration]
It was beautiful in the country. It was summertime. The wheat was
yellow, the oats were green, the hay was stacked up in the green
meadows, and the stork paraded about on his long red legs, talking
in Egyptian, which language he had learnt from his mother.
The fields and meadows were skirted by thick woods, and a deep lake lay
in the midst of the woods. Yes; it was indeed beautiful in the country!
The sunshine fell warmly on an old mansion, surrounded by deep canals,
and from the walls down to the water's edge there grew large burdock
leaves, so high that children could stand upright among them without
being seen.
This place was as wild as the thickest part of the wood, and on that
account a Duck had chosen to make her nest there. She was sitting on
her eggs; but the pleasure she had felt at first was now almost gone,
because she had been there so long, and had so few visitors, for the
other Ducks preferred swimming on the canals to sitting among the
burdock leaves gossiping with her.
At last the eggs cracked one after another, "Chick, chick!" All the eggs
were alive, and one little head after another peered forth. "Quack,
quack!" said the Duck, and all got up as well as they could. They peeped
about from under the green leaves; and as green is good for the eyes,
their mother let them look as long as they pleased.
"How large the world is!" said the little ones, for they found their new
abode very different from their former narrow one in the egg-shells.
"Do you imagine this to be the whole of the world?" said the mother.
"It extends far beyond the other side of the garden in the pastor's
field; but I have never been there. Are you all here?" And then she got
up. "No, not all, for the largest egg is still here. How long will this
last? I am so weary of it!" And then she sat down again.
"Well, and how are you getting on?" asked an old Duck, who had come to
pay her a visit.
"This one egg keeps me so long," said the mother. "It will not break.
But you should see the others! They are the prettiest little Ducklings
I have seen in all my days. They are all like their father--the
good-for-nothing fellow, he has not been to visit me once!"
"Let me see the egg that will not break," said the old Duck. "Depend
upon it, it is a turkey's egg. I was cheated in the same way once
myself, and I had such trouble with the young ones; for they were afraid
of the water, and I could not get them there. I called and scolded, but
it was all of no use. But let me see the egg--ah, yes! to be sure, that
is a turkey's egg. Leave it, and teach the other little ones to swim."
[Illustration: _The Ugly Duckling_
"What is the Matter?" asked the Old Woman]
"I will sit on it a little longer," said the Duck. "I have been sitting
so long, that I may as well spend the harvest here."
"It is no business of mine," said the old Duck, and away she waddled.
The great egg burst at last. "Chick! chick!" said the little one, and
out it tumbled--but, oh! how large and ugly it was! The Duck looked at
it. "That is a great, strong creature," said she. "None of the others
are at all like it. Can it be a young turkey-cock? Well, we shall soon
find out. It must go into the water, though I push it in myself."
The next day there was delightful weather, and the sun shone warmly upon
the green leaves when Mother Duck with all her family went down to the
canal. Plump she went into the water. "Quack! quack!" cried she, and one
duckling after another jumped in. The water closed over their heads, but
all came up again, and swam together quite easily. Their legs moved
without effort. All were there, even the ugly grey one.
"No; it is not a turkey," said the old Duck; "only see how prettily it
moves its legs, how upright it holds itself! It is my own child. It is
also really very pretty, when you look more closely at it. Quack! quack!
now come with me, I will take you into the world and introduce you in
the duck-yards. But keep close to me, or someone may tread on you; and
beware of the Cat."
So they came into the duck-yard. There was a horrid noise; two families
were quarreling about the head of an eel, which in the end was carried
off by the Cat.
"See, my children, such is the way of the world," said the Mother Duck,
wiping her beak, for she, too, was fond of eels. "Now use your legs,"
said she, "keep together, and bow to the old Duck you see yonder. She
is the most distinguished of all the fowls present, and is of Spanish
blood, which accounts for her dignified appearance and manners. And
look, she has a red rag on her leg! That is considered extremely
handsome, and is the greatest honor a Duck can have. Don't turn your
feet inwards; a well-educated Duckling always keeps his legs far apart,
like his father and mother, just so--look! Now bow your necks, and say,
'Quack.'"
And they did as they were told. But the other Ducks, who were in the
yard, looked at them and said aloud, "Just see! Now we have another
brood, as if there were not enough of us already. And fie! how ugly
that one is. We will not endure it." And immediately one of the Ducks
flew at him, and bit him in the neck.
[Illustration]
"Leave him alone," said the mother. "He is doing no one any harm."
"Yes, but he is so large and so strange-looking, and therefore he shall
be teased," said the others.
"Those are fine children that our good mother has," said the old Duck
with the red rag on her leg. "All are pretty except one, and that has
not turned out well; I almost wish it could be hatched over again."
"That cannot be, please your Highness," said the mother. "Certainly he
is not handsome, but he is a very good child, and swims as well as the
others, indeed, rather better. I think he will grow like the others all
in good time, and perhaps will look smaller. He stayed so long in the
egg-shell, that is the cause of the difference." And she scratched the
Duckling's neck, and stroked his whole body. "Besides," added she, "he
is a Drake. I think he will be very strong, so it does not matter so
much. He will fight his way through."
[Illustration]
"The other Ducks are very pretty," said the old Duck. "Pray make
yourselves at home, and if you find an eel's head you can bring it
to me."
So they made themselves at home.
But the poor little Duckling, who had come last out of its egg-shell,
and who was so ugly, was bitten, pecked, and teased by both Ducks and
Hens. "It is so large!" said they all. And the Turkey-cock, who had come
into the world with spurs on, and therefore fancied he was an emperor,
puffed himself up like a ship in full sail, and marched up to the
Duckling quite red with passion. The poor little thing scarcely knew
what to do. He was quite distressed, because he was so ugly, and
because he was the jest of the poultry-yard.
So passed the first day, and afterwards matters grew worse and
worse--the poor Duckling was scorned by all. Even his brothers and
sisters behaved unkindly, and were constantly saying, "May the Cat take
you, you nasty creature!" The mother said, "Ah, if you were only far
away!" The Ducks bit him, the Hens pecked him, and the girl who fed the
poultry kicked him.
He ran through the hedge, and the little birds in the bushes were
terrified. "That is because I am so ugly," thought the Duckling,
shutting his eyes, but he ran on. At last he came to a wide moor,
where lived some Wild Ducks; here he lay the whole night, very tired
and comfortless. In the morning the Wild Ducks flew up, and saw their
new companion. "Pray who are you?" asked they; and our little Duckling
turned himself in all directions, and greeted them as politely as
possible.
"You are really uncommonly ugly!" said the Wild Ducks. "However, that
does not matter to us, provided you do not marry into our families."
Poor thing! he had never thought of marrying; he only begged permission
to lie among the reeds, and drink the water of the moor.
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9