Part 6
The Prince thanked the cat, and mounted his own horse, which had been brought from the stables, and rode on home. Just before he reached his father’s palace he bought an ugly dog from a beggar, and took it with him.
When he entered the palace he went at once to the room where his father sat upon his throne with his two elder sons by him.
When the two princes saw their younger brother enter the court with the ugly dog at his heels they laughed aloud with scorn. They felt very sure that now the kingdom would belong to them.
The King was very much offended. He spoke to the young Prince harshly. “Why do you bring such an ugly cur to my court?” he asked. “Have you no more respect for my wishes than to present me with such a dog as that?”
The Prince, however, answered gently, “Dear father, have patience for a moment and I may offer you something that will please you better.”
He then drew out the acorn and opened it. Inside it was a tiny satin cushion, and upon this cushion lay a dog so small and so exquisite that the King was filled with wonder. He could scarcely believe his eyes.
“Truly you deserve to have the kingdom at once,” cried he, “but I have promised that there shall be three trials before I give the kingdom to any one of you.”
The King then told the princes that he wished them to bring him a piece of muslin so fine and delicate that it could be drawn through the eye of a needle. Whichever one succeeded best should receive at least a part of the kingdom.
The three princes at once set out on this new errand. The elder brothers sought out the dealers in great cities as before, but the youngest Prince rode straight to the castle of the White Cat.
The cat received him kindly. “I know what is required of you,” she said. “Do not trouble yourself in the matter. Stay here with me, and when the proper time arrives you shall have what is needed.”
So the Prince stayed there in the White Cat’s palace for a year, all but three days, and the time passed even more pleasantly than before. At the end of that time the White Cat gave a walnut to the Prince. “Take this,” she said, “and do not open it until you are at home again. Within it you will find what you desire.”
The Prince took the walnut and rode away. When he reached the court his brothers were already there. Each had brought with him a piece of muslin so fine that it would pass through the eye of a darning-needle, but they could not draw it through the eye of a cambric needle.
Then the third Prince took out the walnut and cracked it. Within it he expected to see a piece of muslin, but instead he found only a hazel-nut. He cracked the hazel-nut and inside of it was a cherry-stone. He cracked the cherry-stone and inside of it was a grain of wheat. The Prince began to fear the White Cat had deceived him, and that he must lose the kingdom. As for his brothers, they laughed aloud and mocked at him.
“What trick is this that you are playing on us?” they asked. “If you have the muslin show it to us, and if not then confess to our father that you have failed.”
Without answering, the Prince cracked the grain of wheat, and inside it was a millet-seed. His heart sank. However, he cracked the millet seed, and there was the piece of muslin the cat had promised to him. He shook it out and there were ells and ells of it and all as fine as gossamer. Never had such a piece of cloth been seen before. The King looked and wondered and admired. The muslin was so fine it could be drawn not only through the eye of a darning-needle, but through the eye of a cambric needle as well.
“This is a wonderful piece of cloth,” said the King to the young Prince. “You have indeed again deserved the kingdom, but there is one more task to be performed before I can give it to anyone. I wish you to bring to me the most beautiful princess in the world. Whichever of you can do this shall receive at least a half of the kingdom.”
When the elder brothers heard this they were in haste to set out. The youngest brother had already brought to their father the smallest and prettiest dog in the world, and the finest piece of muslin, but with good luck one of them might still bring to him the most beautiful princess. They journeyed away to far kingdoms where there were princesses who were famed for their beauty; but the youngest prince rode no place at all but to the palace of the White Cat.
The cat welcomed him even more kindly than before. “I know what you have come to seek,” said she. “This matter is not so easy as the others were. But do not be downhearted. I will help you when the proper time comes.”
Again the days passed pleasantly in the White Cat’s castle, and the Prince was well content to stay there. He was so happy that a whole year, all but a day, slipped by before he thought about it. Then one morning he awoke, and remembered that the next day he must be back at the King’s palace with the most beautiful princess in the world, if he were to win the kingdom. “Alas, alas!” he cried. “The kingdom is certainly lost to me. I have no time left to seek for a princess, and moreover it is a three days’ journey back to the palace. Before I reach there the kingdom will certainly have been divided between my brothers.”
“Have I not promised to help you?” asked the cat. “Why do you trouble yourself? If you do exactly as I tell you the kingdom will be yours; and not that kingdom only, but others beside.”
The cat then told the Prince to draw his sword and cut off her head, but the Prince refused to do such an act. He was filled with horror at the bare thought of it.
The White Cat began to weep bitterly. “What have I not done for you?” she cried; “and you will not do even this one thing for me.”
She wept and lamented so bitterly that at last the Prince could refuse no longer. He drew his sword to cut off the cat’s head, but at the same time he closed his eyes that he might not see the cruel deed.
When he opened his eyes again what was his wonder to see no cat, but a beautiful princess who stood before him smiling. Never had he seen such beauty before.
“Prince,” said the Princess, “you have saved me from a cruel fate. I was taken by the fairies when I was a baby and lived with them as a daughter until I grew up. Then I made them angry because I would not marry a very rich and ugly dwarf who was a friend of theirs. They then changed me and all my companions into cats, and we were obliged to live in these shapes until some young and kind-hearted prince would cut off my head. This you have done, and now we are all restored to our proper shapes again. This shows me that the fairies have forgiven me and will give me back the two kingdoms that were mine by rights.”
The Princess, a cat no longer, then ordered the wooden horse to be brought to the door. She and the Prince mounted upon it, and away they went, so fast that the wind whistled past their ears. The three day’s journey was made in less than a day, and when the Prince led the Princess into court, everyone was obliged to own that now he had indeed fairly won the kingdom. His two brothers had also brought home with them beautiful princesses, but neither could compare in beauty with the bride of the youngest Prince; for his bride she had promised to be.
As soon as a feast could be prepared, she and the young Prince were married.
As the Princess had already two kingdoms of her own she begged the old King to divide his kingdom between his two elder sons. This was done, the older princes were married to the beauties they had brought home with them, and they all lived in love and happiness forever after.
[Illustration]
BRITTLE-LEGS
There was once a man who was such a boaster that scarcely a word he said was true. One day he was talking with some companions and he said, “I have no need to work or worry over anything. I could be richer than the King himself if I chose, for I have a daughter who can spin straw into gold.”
A nobleman who was passing by overheard this, and he went to the King and repeated to him what the man had said.
Now the King of that country was very fond of gold; he never could have enough of it. He at once sent to the boaster’s house and had him and his daughter brought to the palace. They were brought to where the King sat, and the King said, “I hear that you have boasted that your daughter can spin straw into gold. Is that true?”
The man was very much frightened when he heard this, but he was afraid to deny what he had already said.
“Yes, your majesty, that is what I said,” he answered.
“Very well,” said the King. “We shall soon know whether you have spoken the truth or not. I have had a large room made ready for your daughter. It is filled with straw. I will have her taken to it, and if she spins it into gold you shall be well rewarded, but if she fails you shall both be punished severely.”
Both the father and daughter were terrified at these words. They did not know what would become of them. The boaster was allowed to go home, but the girl was taken to a large room filled with straw, and was left there. She sat and cried and cried.
Presently the door opened and a crooked little brown dwarf came into the room.
“Tut, tut, what a noise,” said he. “Why are you crying so bitterly.”
“I am crying because the King has put me here to spin this straw into gold, and I do not know how to set about it.”
“That should not be such a hard matter. What will you give me if I do it for you?”
“This necklace around my neck,” said the girl.
“Very well, give it to me.” The dwarf took the necklace and sat down to the spinning wheel, and it did not take him long to spin all the straw into gold—heaps and heaps of it. Then he hopped away, and no one saw him come or go but the girl.
Early the next morning the King came to see how the girl was getting on. When he saw the room full of glittering gold instead of straw he was filled with joy and wonder. But for all that he was not satisfied. He led the girl into a still larger room, and it, too, was full of straw.
“You have done very well,” said he, “but I expect you to do still better. Spin this straw into gold for me and the reward shall not be lacking.” Then he went away, leaving the girl alone.
She sat and cried and cried.
Presently the door opened, and the same little dwarf came hopping into the room.
“What will you give me,” said he, “if I spin this straw into gold for you?”
“I will give you the gold ring from my finger,” answered the girl.
The dwarf sat down at the spinning wheel, and soon all the straw was spun into gold. Then the dwarf took the ring from the girl’s finger and went away.
The next day, when the King came and saw all the gold he was even more delighted than before. He was now as rich as any emperor, but even yet he was not content. He took the girl into a still larger room, and it, like the others, was full of straw.
“If you will spin this, too, into gold, then you shall be my bride,” said he.
The King had scarcely left her before the dwarf came hopping into the room. “Well,” said he, “what will you give me this time if I spin the straw into gold for you?”
“Alas, alas!” cried the girl, “I have nothing more to give.”
“Promise me that if the King marries you, you will give me your first child, and I will help you,” said the dwarf.
At first the girl did not want to promise this, but then she thought that after all it was very unlikely the King would marry her, and even if he did she might never have a child. “Very well,” said she, “I promise.”
The dwarf laughed aloud and snapped his fingers with joy. Then he sat down at the spinning wheel and spun till the wheel whirred. You could scarcely see it, it flew so fast. Soon all the straw was spun. “There,” said he, “now you will not need me again. But do not forget your promise, for at the right time I shall certainly come to claim the child.” Then he hopped away, laughing as he went.
Not long afterward the King came into the room. He could wait no longer to see whether the girl had finished her task. When he saw the heaps of gold, more than ever before, he hardly knew what to do with himself, he was so happy.
“Now I am satisfied,” said he. “You shall be my wife, as I promised, and your father shall be brought to court and become a great nobleman.”
As the King said, so it was done. He and the girl were married, and her father was sent for to come and live at the court.
And now the girl was very happy. She loved the King, and she had forgotten all about the promise she had made to the dwarf.
At the end of a year a fine little child was born to the Queen. The whole kingdom was filled with rejoicings. As to the King he was almost beside himself with joy.
One day, as the Queen was sitting by the baby’s cradle, the door opened, and the crooked little dwarf hopped into the room. When the Queen saw him she turned as white as paper.
“Well,” said the dwarf, “and are you ready to keep the promise you made when I spun the straw into gold for you?”
Then the Queen began to beg and entreat that the dwarf would leave the baby with her, and not take it away. She offered him gold and jewels, and even the golden crown from her head, if he would only leave her the child. But no—no—the dwarf had gold and jewels, more than he cared for. It was the young Prince he wanted.
At last he said, “Listen, I will give you one chance. If within three days you can guess what my name is you shall keep the child, but if you fail in this then you must give him to me, and no more words about it.”
To this the Queen agreed willingly, for she had no fear but what she could guess the dwarf’s name.
As soon as he had gone she sent out to all the neighbors round to learn what were the names of all the men they knew, and when the dwarf came the next day she was ready for him.
“Was his name John?” “No, it was not.” “Was it Henry?” “No.” “Was it James or Conrad or Phillip or Habbakuk?” “No, no, no; it was none of them.” The Queen went over all the names she had learned, but not one of them was the right one, and the dwarf went away rejoicing.
The next day he came again and the Queen had a fresh list of names ready, for she had sent out messengers far and wide, and they had brought back every name they could hear of. But the dwarf said no to all of them. Not one of them was right. Then the Queen’s heart sank within her, but she plucked up courage, and as soon as the dwarf had gone, sent out other messengers, but these brought back not a single name but those she knew already. The Queen was in despair. She sat at the window and waited for the dwarf to come, and she held the baby in her arms.
Then she heard the King’s forester talking to his sweetheart in the courtyard below. He had heard nothing of how the Queen had sent far and wide to gather names, for he had been off in the forest for three days. The forester told his sweetheart how he had lost his way in the forest the night before. Then he had come to a hollow, and it was full of rocks, and a red fire was burning among them. Around this fire a crooked little dwarf was dancing and as he danced he sang:
“To-day I brew, to-night I bake, To-morrow I the young prince take, For none could guess, unless they were told That Brittle-Legs is the name I hold.”
When the Queen heard that, she laughed aloud. Then she arose and put the baby down, and sent word to the forester that he should tell no one else of what he had seen in the forest.
Not long afterward the dwarf came as usual.
“Well, and have you guessed my name?” he asked; “for if you have not I must have the child.”
The Queen pretended to be in great trouble. “Is it—is it Short-Shanks?” she asked.
“No,” cried the dwarf and his eyes shone like sparks.
“Is it Long-Arms?”
“No,” shouted the dwarf, and he hopped up and down with joy.
“Is it—is it by any chance Brittle-Legs?”
When the Queen said that the dwarf gave a scream of rage. His face grew first as black as thunder, and then as red as fire.
“Someone has told you! Someone has told you!” he shrieked and he stamped so hard that his foot sank down into the floor and he could not pull it out, so he shook it off and hopped away, leaving one leg behind him, and what became of him after that nobody ever knew. But the Queen lived happy and untroubled forever after.
“I WENT UP ONE PAIR OF STAIRS,” ETC.
Now I will tell you a joke; whatever I say to you, you must answer “Just like me.” Now we will begin.
I went up one pair of stairs.
_Just like me._
I went up two pair of stairs.
_Just like me._
I turned myself round about.
_Just like me._
I went up three pair of stairs.
_Just like me._
I made a cross on the wall.
_Just like me._
I went up four pair of stairs.
_Just like me._
I looked out of a window.
_Just like me._
And I found I was up as high as the highest tree-top.
_Just like me._
I saw something moving about in the highest tree-top.
_Just like me._
I stared and stared to see what it was.
_Just like me._
And then I saw it was a little monkey.
_Just like me._
Just like you! Ha, ha! You said the monkey was just like you; I think you must be a little monkey yourself if it looked just like you.
* * * * *
Now I will tell you something else. I will say _one_ and then you must say _two_; I will say _three_, and you must say _four_ and so on; but each time we must say after the number “a dead horse.” Like this. I say _one_ a dead horse, and you must say _two_ a dead horse.
Now begin.
One a dead horse.
_Two a dead horse._
Three a dead horse.
_Four a dead horse._
Five a dead horse.
_Six a dead horse._
Seven a dead horse.
_Eight a dead horse._
Eight a dead horse! Ate a dead horse! You said you ate a dead horse. Oh! oh! Did it taste good? I hope you enjoyed it. For my part I wouldn’t care to eat a dead horse.
* * * * *
Now I will tell you what kind of a lock I am, and you must be the same kind of a key. If I say I am a gray lock, you must say you are a gray key. If I say I am a queer lock you must say you are a queer key. If I say I am a rusty lock you must say you are a rusty key.
I am a gray lock.
_I’m a gray key._
I’m a red lock.
_I’m a red key._
I’m a dull lock.
_I’m a dull key._
I’m a monk lock.
_I’m a monk key._
You’re a monkey! You’re a monkey. That’s the second time you’ve said it, so now I’m sure it must be so. Well, what other kinds of locks and keys are we? Let us begin all over again.
I’m a don lock.
_I’m a don key._
Are you indeed? Are you really a dear little donkey? Who would have thought it?
[Illustration]
THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE BEAN
A bean and a hot coal met each other on the highroad, and as they were both rolling along in the same direction they soon struck up a friendship.
Presently they were joined by a straw, and the three began talking together. They were all going out in the world to seek their fortunes.
“It is just a bit of luck that I can travel about in this way,” said the bean. “If I had not been a stout active fellow I would have been boiled into soup by now. The mistress was about to throw me into the pot with a lot of other beans, but I managed to slip through her fingers and rolled out through the doorway and down the steps without her even noticing I was gone.”
“That was a clever trick,” said the hot coal. “I, too, am a lively chap. I and my brothers were set to heat a kettle, but I jumped out of the fire, and I was so hot the cook did not dare to touch me. She pushed me out of doors with her foot, and now I am free to go about the world as I choose, and seek my fortune.”
The straw sighed. “I was never as active as that,” she said. “Always wherever the wind blew me I went. The farmer had picked up a whole armful of straws to make a bed for the cow; but the wind caught me up and carried me off—and here I am.”
While they were talking in this way the comrades came to a brook, and this stopped their journey, for they did not know how to get across. The straw could easily have sailed over on the first puff of wind, but that way would not do for the other two.