Andrew Lang

“ From that day Wildrose lived like a little princess. The eagle flew about the wood and collected the softest, greenest moss he could find to make her a bed, and then he picked with his beak all the brightest and prettiest flowers in the fields or on the mountains to decorate it. So cleverly did he manage it that there was not a fairy in the whole of the forest who would not have been pleased to sleep there, rocked to and fro by the breeze on the treetops. And when the little ones were able to fly from their nest he taught them where to look for the fruits and berries which she loved. ”

“ So the prince went home, and the old woman remained in the mill, and as soon as the dragon returned she said to him:
“Where have you been all this time—you must have travelled far?”
“Yes, little mother, I have indeed travelled far.” answered he. Then the old woman began to flatter him, and to praise his cleverness; and when she thought she had got him into a good temper, she said: “I have wondered so often where you get your strength from; I do wish you would tell me. I would stoop and kiss the place out of pure love!” ”

“ One day Abu Nowas came weeping into the hall of the palace where the Sultan was sitting, and said to him: “Oh, mighty Sultan, my wife is dead.”
“That is bad news,” replied the Sultan; “I must get you another wife.” And he bade his Grand Vizir send for the Sultana.
“This poor Abu Nowas has lost his wife,” said he, when she entered the hall.
“Oh, then we must get him another,” answered the Sultana; “I have a girl that will suit him exactly,” and clapped her hands loudly. At this signal a maiden appeared and stood before her.
“I have got a husband for you,” said the Sultana. ”

“ A vast treasure of gold and precious stones lies in safety deep under the earth. At twilight and at high noon it is hidden, but at midnight it may be dug up. For seven hundred years have I watched over it, but now my time has come; it is common property, let him find it who can. So I thought to give it into your hand, having a kindness for you because you feed your flock upon my mountain. ”

“ By-and-by the boy grew into a man, as boys will, and then the oldest of the fairies said to her sisters: “Now I will marry him, and he shall be really your brother.” So the young king married the fairy, and they lived happily together in the castle; but though he loved his wife he still longed to see the world.
At length this longing grew so strong on him that he could bear it no more; and, calling the fairies together, he said to them: “Dear wife and sisters, I must leave you for a time, and go out and see the world. But I shall think of you often, and one day I shall come back to you.” ”

“ He felt puzzled and anxious; so he decided to ride into the country to distract his mind, and sent for his huntsmen and falconers. The huntsmen blew their horns, the falconers took their hawks on their wrists, and off they all set out across country till they came to a green hedge. On the other side of the hedge stretched a great field of maize as far as the eye could reach, and the yellow ears swayed to and fro in the gentle breeze like a rippling sea of gold.
The king drew rein and admired the field. “Upon my word,” said he, “whoever dug and planted it must be good workmen. ”

“ The shepherd trembled with fright, expecting every instant to be stung to death, and said: “What an unlucky man I am! Did I rescue you only to be destroyed myself?” But the snake answered: “Have no fear; only carry me home to my father who is the King of the Snakes.” The shepherd, however, was much too frightened to listen, and said that he could not go away and leave his flock alone; but the snake said: “You need not be afraid to leave your flock, no evil shall befall them; but make all the haste you can.” ”

“ At a sign from the king it was launched, and floated proudly and safely like a bird on the waves. Instead of ropes it had wires for rigging, and musicians played on them with fiddle bows and made lovely music. As the ship swam about, the fourth Simon seized the prow with his strong hand, and in a moment it was gone—sunk to the bottom of the sea. An hour passed, and then the ship floated again, drawn up by Simon’s left hand, while in his right he brought a gigantic fish from the depth of the ocean for the royal table. ”

“ The doll nodded. “Now we will reckon up accounts,” continued he, and he began at the beginning, and ended up with the flower-basket, and at each fresh misdeed Maria pulled the string, so that the doll’s head nodded assent. “Who-so mocks at me merits death,” declared the king when he had ended, and drawing his sword, cut off the doll’s head. It fell towards him, and as he felt the touch of a kiss, he exclaimed, “Ah, Maria, Maria, so sweet in death, so hard to me in life! The man who could kill you deserves to die!” ”

“ As Lucia was trying on her bridal wreath she said to her mother: ‘This wedding-garland would please me indeed if father Peter could lead me to the church. If only he could come back again! Here we are rolling in riches while he may be nibbling at hunger’s table.’ And the very idea of such a thing made her weep, while even Dame Ilse said:
‘I should not be sorry myself to see him come back—there is always something lacking in a house when the good man is away.’
But the fact was that she was growing quite tired of having no one to scold. ”

“ It was now a year since the prince had returned home, for his father felt that it was time that his son should learn how to rule the kingdom which would one day be his. But during his long absence the prince seemed to have changed his character altogether. From being a merry and light-hearted boy, he had grown into a gloomy and thoughtful man. The king knew of nothing that could have produced such an alteration. ”

“ Said the king to himself: “These people have travelled far and beheld many lands. I will ask them if they have seen any princess who is as clever and as handsome as I am.”
So he ordered the merchants to be brought before him, and when they came he said: “You have travelled much and visited many wonders. I wish to ask you a question, and I beg you to answer truthfully.
“Have you anywhere seen or heard of the daughter of an emperor, king, or a prince, who is as clever and as handsome as I am, and who would be worthy to be my wife and the queen of my country?” ”

“ One day she was sitting in the palace feeling rather dull and lonely, and suddenly she began to wonder what the servants were doing, and whether it was not more amusing down in their quarters. The king was at his council and the queen was ill in bed, so there was no one to stop the princess, and she hastily ran across the gardens to the houses where the servants lived. Outside she noticed a youth who was handsomer than any prince she had ever seen, and in a moment she knew him to be the little boy she had once played with. ”

“ Stay here, and share my throne; a thousand years is long enough to live!”
“Certainly,” answered he; “still, at the end of the thousand years I should have to die! No, I must find the land where there is no death.”
The queen did all she could to persuade him to stay, but as her words proved useless, at length she gave it up. Then she said to him: “As you will not stay, take this little golden rod as a remembrance of me. It has the power to become anything you wish it to be, when you are in need.”
So the prince thanked her, and putting the rod in his pocket, went his way. ”

“ Father Peter was somewhat amused by this speech; but he liked the young man well, and saw that he was the very person he needed to enable him to enjoy his wealth in peace, without being separated from his dear daughter.
“If you will take my advice,” said he, “I promise you that you shall marry this maiden whom you love so much, and that before you are many days older.”
“Comrade,” cried Friedlin indignantly, for he thought Peter did but jest with him, “it is ill done to mock at an unhappy man; you had better find someone else who will let himself be taken in with your fine promises.” ”

“ He stopped at the sight of a great flock of sheep, which was feeding peacefully on the rich grass. “To whom do these sheep belong?” asked he of the shepherd. “To an ogre,” replied the shepherd.
“Hush,” said the fox in a mysterious manner. “Do you see that crowd of armed men riding along? If you were to tell them that those sheep belonged to an ogre, they would kill them, and then the ogre would kill you! If they ask, just say the sheep belong to Count Piro; it will be better for everybody.” And the fox ran hastily on, as he did not wish to be seen talking to the shepherd. ”

“ One morning the heat was so great that the stone-cutter could scarcely breathe, and he determined he would stay at home till the evening. He was rather dull, for he had never learned how to amuse himself, and was peeping through the closed blinds to see what was going on in the street, when a little carriage passed by, drawn by servants dressed in blue and silver. In the carriage sat a prince, and over his head a golden umbrella was held, to protect him from the sun’s rays. ”

“ The instant the animals caught sight of the lake lying before them, they trotted off as fast as their legs would go to the green meadows lying round it. The prince did not try to stop them; he only placed his hawk on the branch of a tree, laid his pipes on the grass, and bade the greyhounds sit still; then, rolling up his sleeves and trousers, he waded into the water crying as he did so: “Dragon! dragon! if you are not a coward, come out and fight with me!” ”

“ I have ridden all sorts of horses at home, and have never fallen off not once. Oh, Helga, do!”
“Well, perhaps, if you come back directly,” replied Helga, doubtfully; “but you must be very quick, or father will find out!”
But, instead of mounting Gullfaxi, as she expected, Sigurd stood still.
“And the sword,” he said, looking fondly up to the place where it hung. “My father is a king, but he has not got any sword so beautiful as that. Why, the jewels in the scabbard are more splendid than the big ruby in his crown! Has it got a name? Some swords have, you know.” ”

“ Leaving his horse outside the walls, he clad himself in the dress of a poor man, and went up to the palace. The queen, who was looking out of the window, saw him approaching, and filled with pity sent a servant to ask who he was and what he wanted. “I am a stranger here,” answered the young king, “and very poor. I have come to beg for some work.” “We have everybody we want,” said the queen, when the servant told her the young man’s reply. “We have a gate-keeper, and a hall porter, and servants of all sorts in the palace; the only person we have not got is a goose-boy. ”

“ The next day the king went out to fight another battle, and again Paperarello appeared, mounted on his lame horse. As on the day before, he halted on the road, and sat down to make his clay soldiers; then a second time he wished himself armour, sword, and a horse, all sharper and better than those he had previously had, and galloped after the rest. He was only just in time: the enemy had almost beaten the king’s army back, and men whispered to each other that if the strange knight did not soon come to their aid, they would be all dead men. ”

“ In its rays he could see the nest with the young eaglets, who were watching him over the side. The prince fitted an arrow into his bow and took his aim, but, before he could let fly, another ray of light dazzled him; so brilliant was it, that his bow dropped, and he covered his face with his hands. When at last he ventured to peep, Wildrose, with her golden hair flowing round her, was looking at him. This was the first time she had seen a man. ”

“ The prince began to think what he should say to the king when he came back; then he wondered whether it would be wise to wait for his stepfather’s return and run the risk of the dreadful death which had been promised him. “No,” he said to himself, “I am afraid to stay. Perhaps the world will be kinder to me than he has been.”
Unseen he stole out when twilight fell, and for many days he wandered over mountains and through forests and valleys without knowing where he was going or what he should do. He had only the berries for food, when, one morning, he saw a wood-pigeon sitting on a bough. ”