Favorite Fairy Tales
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Logan Marshall >> Favorite Fairy Tales
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"What a mistake I was going to make!" He then went to bed where his own
daughters were sleeping, and, feeling the nightcaps, he said:
"Oh, ho, here you are, my lads!" and in a moment he had killed them all.
He then went back to his own room to sleep till morning.
[Illustration]
As soon as Tom Thumb heard him snoring, he roused his brothers, and told
them to dress quickly and follow him. He led them downstairs and out of
the house; and then, stealing on tiptoe through the garden, they jumped
down from the wall into the road and ran swiftly away.
In the morning, when the ogre found what a dreadful thing he had done,
he was terribly shocked.
"Fetch me my seven-league boots," he cried to his wife. "I will go and
catch those young vipers. They shall pay for this piece of work!" And,
drawing on the magic boots, the ogre set out.
[Illustration]
He went striding over the country, stepping from mountain to mountain,
and crossing rivers as if they had been streams. The poor children
watched him coming in fear and trembling. They had found the way to
their father's home, and had very nearly reached it when they saw the
ogre racing after them.
Tom Thumb thought for a moment what was to be done. Then he saw a hollow
place under a large rock.
"Get in there," he said to his brothers.
When they were all in he crept in himself, but kept his eyes fixed on
the ogre, to see what he would do.
[Illustration]
The ogre, seeing nothing of the children, sat down to rest himself on
the very rock under which the poor boys were hiding. He was tired with
his journey, and soon fell fast asleep, and began to snore so loudly
that the little fellows were terrified. Tom Thumb told his brothers to
creep out softly and run home; which they did. Then he crept up to the
ogre, pulled off the seven-league boots very gently and put them on his
own feet, for being fairy boots they could fit themselves to any foot,
however small.
As soon as Tom Thumb had put on the ogre's seven-league boots, he took
ten steps to the Palace, which was seventy miles off, and asked to see
the King. He offered to carry news to the King's army, which was then a
long way off; and so useful was he with his magic boots, that in a short
time he had made money enough to keep himself, his father, his mother
and his six brothers without the trouble of working for the rest of
their lives.
And now let us see what has become of the wicked ogre, whom we left
sleeping on the rock.
When he awoke he missed his seven-league boots, and set off for home
very angry.
On his way he had to cross a bog; and, forgetting that he was no longer
wearing his magic boots, he tried to cross it with one stride. But,
instead, he put his foot down in the middle and began to sink. As fast
as he tried to pull out one foot, the other sank deeper, until at last
he was swallowed up in the black slime--and that was the end of him.
THE THREE BEARS
[Illustration]
There were once three bears who lived together in a little house in the
middle of a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; one was a
Middle-Sized Bear; and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a pot to eat their porridge from: a little pot for the
Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized pot for the Middle-Sized Bear;
and a great big pot for the Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a chair to sit on: a little chair for the Little,
Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized chair for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a
great big chair for the Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a bed to sleep in: a little bed for the Little, Small,
Wee Bear; a middle-sized bed for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big
bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
[Illustration]
One day they made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into
their porridge-pots, and then went out in the wood for a walk while the
porridge for their breakfast was cooling. And while they were out
walking, a little Old Woman came to the house in the wood and peeped
inside.
First she peeped through the keyhole; then she peeped through the
window. Then she lifted the latch and peeped through the doorway; and,
seeing nobody in the house, she walked in. And when she saw the porridge
cooling on the table she was very pleased, for she had walked a long
way, and was getting hungry.
So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was
too hot. Then she tasted the porridge of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that
was too cold. And then she tasted the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee
Bear, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. And
she liked it so much that she ate it all up!
Then the little Old Woman sat down in the chair of the Great, Huge
Bear, but that was too hard. Then she sat down in the chair of the
Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too soft. Then she sat down in the
chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was neither too hard
nor too soft, but just right. And she liked it so much that she sat
in it until suddenly the bottom came out, and she fell down plump
upon the ground.
Then the little Old Woman went upstairs into the bedroom, where the
three Bears slept. And first she lay down on the bed of the Great, Huge
Bear, but that was too high at the head for her. Then she lay down on
the bed of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too high at the foot for
her. So then she lay down on the bed of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and
that was neither too high at the head nor too high at the foot, but just
right. And she liked it so much that she covered herself up and lay
there till she fell fast asleep!
[Illustration]
By and by the three Bears came home to breakfast. Now, the little Old
Woman had left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his
porridge pot.
"=Somebody has been at my porridge!="
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And when the Middle-Sized Bear looked, she saw that the spoon was
standing in her porridge-pot too.
"=Somebody has been at my porridge!="
said the Middle-Sized Bear in her middle-sized voice.
Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked, and there was the spoon in
his porridge-pot; but the porridge was all gone.
"=Somebody has been at my porridge and has eaten it all up!="
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
[Illustration]
Then the three Bears began to look about them. Now, the little Old Woman
had not put the hard cushion straight after she had sat in the chair of
the Great, Huge Bear.
"=Somebody has been sitting in my chair!="
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little Old Woman had squashed the soft cushion of the
Middle-Sized Bear.
"=Somebody has been sitting in my chair!="
said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice.
And you know what the little Old Woman had done to the third chair.
"=Somebody has been sitting in my chair and has sat the bottom out!="
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Then the three Bears went upstairs into their bedroom. Now, the little
Old Woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of its
place.
"=Somebody has been lying in my bed!="
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little Old Woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle-Sized Bear
out of its place.
"=Somebody has been lying in my bed!="
said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice.
And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there was
the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the bolster;
and upon the pillow was the little Old Woman's head, which was not in
its place, for she had no business there at all.
"=Somebody has been lying in my bed--and here she is!="
cried the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
[Illustration]
The little Old Woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff
voice of the Great, Huge Bear, but she was so fast asleep that it seemed
to her no more than the roaring of the wind, or the rumbling of thunder.
And she had heard the middle-sized voice of the Middle-Sized Bear, but
it was only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when
she heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear,
it was so sharp and shrill that it woke her up at once. Up she started,
and when she saw the three Bears, on one side of the bed, she tumbled
out at the other, jumped out of the window and ran away through the wood
to her own home. And the three Bears never saw anything more of her.
THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL
It was dreadfully cold, it was snowing fast, and almost dark; the
evening--the last evening of the Old Year--was drawing in. But cold and
dark as it was, a poor little girl, with bare head and feet, was still
wandering about the streets. When she left her home she had slippers on,
but they were much too large for her--indeed, really, they belonged to
her mother--and had dropped off her feet while she was running very fast
across the road, to get out of the way of two carriages. One of the
slippers was not to be found; the other had been snatched up by a little
boy, who ran off with it thinking it might serve him as a doll's cradle.
[Illustration]
So the little girl now walked on, her bare feet quite red and blue with
the cold. She carried a small bundle of matches in her hand, and a good
many more in her tattered apron. No one had bought any of them the
livelong day--no one had given her a single penny. Trembling with cold
and hunger she crept on, the picture of sorrow; poor little child!
The snowflakes fell on her long fair hair, which curled in such pretty
ringlets over her shoulders; but she thought not of her own beauty, nor
of the cold. Lights were glimmering through every window, and the savor
of roast goose reached her from several houses. It was New Year's Eve,
and it was of this that she thought.
In a corner formed by two houses, one of which projected beyond the
other, she sat down, drawing her little feet close under her, but in
vain--she could not warm them. She dared not go home, she had sold no
matches, earned not a single penny, and perhaps her father would beat
her. Besides her home was almost as cold as the street--it was an attic;
and although the larger of the many chinks in the roof were stopped up
with straw and rags, the wind and snow often came through.
[Illustration]
Her hands were nearly dead with cold; one little match from her bundle
would warm them, perhaps, if she dare light it. She drew one out, and
struck it against the wall. Bravo! it was a bright, warm flame, and she
held her hands over it. It was quite an illumination for that poor
little girl--nay, call it rather a magic taper--for it seemed to her as
though she were sitting before a large iron stove with brass ornaments,
so beautifully blazed the fire within! The child stretched out her feet
to warm them also. Alas! in an instant the flame had died away, the
stove vanished, the little girl sat cold and comfortless, with the
burnt match in her hand.
A second match was struck against the wall. It kindled and blazed, and
wherever its light fell the wall became transparent as a veil--the
little girl could see into the room within. She saw the table spread
with a snow-white damask cloth, whereon were ranged shining china
dishes; the roast goose, stuffed with apples and dried plums, stood at
one end, smoking hot, and--which was pleasantest of all to see-the
goose, with knife and fork still in her breast, jumped down from the
dish, and waddled along the floor right up to the poor child. Then the
match went out, and only the thick, hard wall was beside her.
She kindled a third match. Again up shot the flame. And now she was
sitting under a most beautiful Christmas tree, far larger, and far more
prettily decked out, than the one she had seen last Christmas Eve
through the glass doors of the rich merchant's house. Hundreds of wax
tapers lighted up the green branches, and tiny painted figures, such as
she had seen in the shop windows, looked down from the tree upon her.
The child stretched out her hands towards them in delight, and in that
moment the light of the match was quenched. Still, however, the
Christmas candles burned higher and higher--she beheld them beaming
like stars in heaven. One of them fell, the lights streaming behind
it like a long, fiery tail.
[Illustration]
"Now someone is dying," said the little girl softly, for she had been
told by her old grandmother--the only person who had ever been kind to
her, and who was now dead--that whenever a star falls an immortal spirit
returns to God who gave it.
She struck yet another match against the wall. It flamed up, and,
surrounded by its light, appeared before her that same dear grandmother,
gentle and loving as always, but bright and happy as she had never
looked during her lifetime.
"Grandmother!" exclaimed the child, "Oh, take me with you! I know you
will leave me as soon as the match goes out. You will vanish like the
warm fire in the stove, like the splendid New Year's feast, like the
beautiful large Christmas tree!" And she hastily lighted all the
remaining matches in the bundle, lest her grandmother should disappear.
And the matches burned with such a blaze of splendor, that noonday could
scarcely have been brighter. Never had the good old grandmother looked
so tall and stately, so beautiful and kind. She took the little girl in
her arms, and they both flew together--joyfully and gloriously they
flew--higher and higher, till they were in that place where neither
cold, nor hunger, nor pain is ever known--they were in Paradise.
But in the cold morning hour, crouching in the corner of the wall, the
poor little girl was found--her cheeks glowing, her lips smiling--frozen
to death on the last night of the Old Year. The New Year's sun shone on
the lifeless child. Motionless she sat there with the matches in her
lap, one bundle of them quite burnt out.
"She has been trying to warm herself, poor thing!" the people said; but
no one knew of the sweet visions she had beheld, or how gloriously she
and her grandmother were celebrating their New Year's festival.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
[Illustration]
There was once a Merchant who had three daughters, the youngest of whom
was so beautiful that everybody called her Beauty. This made the two
eldest very jealous; and, as they were spiteful and bad-tempered by
nature, instead of loving their younger sister they felt nothing but
envy and hatred towards her.
[Illustration]
After some years there came a terrible storm at sea, and most of the
Merchant's ships were sunk, and he became very poor. He and his family
were obliged to live in a very small house and do without the servants
and fine clothes to which they had been used. The two eldest sisters did
nothing but weep and lament for their lost fortune, but Beauty did her
best to keep the house bright and cheerful, so that her father might not
miss too much all the comfort and luxury to which he was used.
One day the Merchant told his daughters that he was going to take a
journey into foreign lands in the hope of recovering some of his
property. Then he asked them what they would like him to bring them
home in case he should be successful. The eldest daughter asked for
fine gowns and beautiful clothing; the second for jewels and gold
and silver trinkets.
"And Beauty--what would Beauty like?" asked the father.
Beauty was so happy and contented always that there was scarcely
anything for which she longed. She thought for a moment, then she said:
[Illustration]
"I should like best of all a red rose!" The other sisters burst out
laughing and scoffed at Beauty's simple request; but her father promised
to bring her what she wanted. Then he said good-bye to his children and
set out on his travels.
He was away for nearly a year, and was so fortunate as to win back a
great part of his lost wealth. When the time came for his return, he
was easily able to buy the things his eldest daughters wished for; but
nowhere could he find a red rose to take home to Beauty, and at last he
was obliged to set off without one.
When he was within a few miles journey of his home, he lost himself in
a thick wood. Darkness came on, and he began to be afraid that he would
have to pass the night under a tree, when suddenly he saw a bright light
shining in the distance. He went towards it, and on his approach found
it came from a great castle that was set right in the heart of the
forest.
The Merchant made up his mind to ask if he might spend the night there;
but to his surprise, when he reached the door he found it set wide open,
and nobody about. After awhile, finding that no one came in answer to
his repeated knocking, he walked inside. There he found a table laid
with every delicacy, and, being very hungry, he sat down and made a
good repast. After he had finished his supper he laid himself down
on a luxurious couch, and in a few minutes was fast asleep.
In the morning, after eating a hearty breakfast, which he found prepared
for him, he left the mysterious castle, without having set eyes on a
single person. As he was passing through the garden he found himself in
an avenue of rose-trees, all covered with beautiful red roses.
[Illustration]
"Here are such thousands of flowers," he said to himself, "that, surely,
one bud will not be missed;" and, thinking of Beauty, he broke off a
rose from one of the bushes.
[Illustration]
Scarcely had he done so when he heard a terrible noise, and, turning
round, he saw coming towards him a hideous Beast, who exclaimed in an
awful tone:
"Ungrateful wretch! You have partaken of my hospitality, have eaten of
my food, have slept in my house, and in return you try to rob me of my
roses. For this theft you shall die!"
The Merchant fell on his knees and begged for pardon, but the Beast
would not listen to him.
"Either you must die now, or else you must swear to send me in your
stead the first living thing that meets you on your return home," he
said; and the Merchant, overcome with terror, and thinking that one of
his dogs would be sure to be the first creature to greet him, gave his
promise.
But to his horror and dismay, it was his youngest daughter, Beauty, who
first ran out to greet him on his return. She had seen him coming from
afar, and hastened to welcome him home.
She did not at first understand her father's grief at seeing her; but
when he told her the story of the Beast and his promise she did her
best to comfort him.
"Do not fear, dear father," she said, "perhaps the Beast will not prove
so terrible as he looks. He spared your life; he may spare mine, since I
have done him no harm."
Her father shook his head mournfully; but there was no help for it. He
had promised to send the Beast the first living creature that met him
on his return, so he was obliged to send Beauty herself in his place.
[Illustration]
When he left Beauty at the palace of the Beast she found everything
prepared for her comfort and convenience. A beautiful bedchamber was
ready for her use; the rooms were filled with everything that she could
possibly want, and in the great hall of the castle a table was set with
every delicacy. And everywhere there were bowls full of red roses. No
servants were visible; but there was no lack of service, for invisible
hands waited upon her and attended to her every want. She had but to
wish, and whatever she wanted was at once placed before her.
Beauty was filled with astonishment at all this luxury and magnificence.
"Surely the Beast does not wish to harm me," she thought, "or he would
never have so ordered everything for my comfort." And she waited with a
good courage for the coming of the Lord of the Castle.
In the evening the beast appeared. He was certainly very terrible to
look at, and Beauty trembled at the sight of the hideous monster. But
she forced herself to appear brave, and, indeed, there was no cause for
her alarm. The Beast was kindness itself, and so gentle and respectful
in his attentions to her that Beauty soon lost all fear. She soon became
very fond of him, and would have been quite happy had it not been for
the thought of her father and sisters, and the grief which she knew her
father would be suffering on her account. The thought of his sorrow made
her sorrowful too; and one night, when the Beast came to visit her at
his usual hour, she was so sad that he asked her what was the matter.
Then Beauty begged him to let her go and visit her father. The Beast was
very unwilling to grant her request.
"If I let you go, I am afraid you will never come back to me," he said,
"and then I shall die of grief."
Beauty promised most earnestly to come back to him if he would only
allow her to spend a few days with her family; and at last the Beast
yielded to her entreaties.
[Illustration]
He gave her a ring, saying:
"Put this on your little finger when you go to bed to-night, and wish;
and in the morning you will find yourself at home in your father's
house. But if you do not return to me at the end of a week, I shall
die of sorrow."
Beauty's father was almost overcome with joy at seeing his daughter
again, and he was delighted to hear of her happiness and good fortune.
But her two sisters--who in the meantime had married--were more jealous
than ever of their beautiful sister. They were not very happy with their
husbands, who were poor and not over-lovable; and they were very envious
of Beauty's clothes and of all the luxuries with which she told them she
was surrounded. They tried to think of a plan by which they could
prevent their sister from enjoying her good fortune.
"Let us keep her beyond the week that the Beast has allowed her," they
said; "then, doubtless, he will be so angry that he will kill her."
So they pretended to be very fond of Beauty, and when the time came for
her return, they overwhelmed her with tears and caresses, begging her
not to leave them, and to stay at least one more day with them. Beauty
was distressed at their grief, and at last she consented to stay just
one more day; though her heart misgave her sorely when she thought of
the poor Beast.
That night, as she lay in bed, she had a dream. She dreamt that she saw
the Beast dying of sorrow at her forgetfulness; and so real did it seem
that she woke up in an agony of dismay.
[Illustration]
"How could I have been so cruel and ungrateful," she cried. "I promised
faithfully that I would return at the end of the week. What will he
think of me for breaking my promise!"
Hastily rising from bed, she searched for the ring the Beast had given
her. Then putting it on her little finger she wished to be at the Palace
of the Beast again. In a moment she found herself there; and quickly
putting on her clothes she hurried out to look for the Beast. She
searched through room after room; but nowhere could she find him. At
last she ran out into the garden; and there, on a plot of grass, where
he and she had often sat together, she found him lying as if dead upon
the ground.
With a bitter cry she sank on her knees beside the poor Beast.
"Oh, Beast; my dear, dear Beast!" she cried. "How could I have been so
cruel and wicked and unkind? He has died of sorrow as he said he would!"
And the tears fell down from her eyes as she spoke. Overcome with grief
and remorse, she stooped down and tenderly kissed the ugly Beast.
In a moment there was a sudden noise, and Beauty was startled to find
that the ugly Beast had vanished. The Beast was a beast no longer, but a
handsome Prince, who knelt at her feet, thanking her for having broken
his enchantment.
"A wicked fairy," he said, "condemned me to keep the form of a beast
until a beautiful maiden should forget my ugliness and kiss me. You, by
your love and tenderness, have broken the spell and released me from my
horrible disguise. Now, thanks to you, I can take my proper form again."
And then he begged Beauty to become his bride.
So Beauty married the Prince who had been a Beast, and they lived
together in the castle and ruled over the Prince's country, and were
happy ever after.
[Illustration]
THE STORY OF CINDERELLA
[Illustration]
There was once a rich man, whose wife died, leaving him with one little
girl. After some years, hoping to give his child a mother's love and
care, he married again, this time a widow, with two grown-up daughters.
But his second wife was haughty and proud, and her two daughters were
even worse than their mother; and the poor little girl had a very
unhappy time with her new relations. Her stepsisters were jealous of
her, for she was very beautiful, and they themselves were plain and
ugly. They did all they could to make her miserable; and, at length,
through their wicked spite and envy, her life became a burden to her.
The poor child was sent to live in the kitchen, where she had to do all
the rough and dirty work; and because she was always dressed in rags,
and sat beside the cinders in the grate, they called her Cinderella.
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