“ Time passed and Beauty saw the Beast every day. One day she looked in her mirror and saw her father lying ill at home. She begged the Beast to let her go to him.
“Be back in ten days, or I shall have to die,” said the Beast, and at once she was at home and her father was holding her hand. But in ten days he was well, and Beauty thought of the Beast. “I wish I were with him,” said Beauty, and so it was, for at once she was in the palace again. Beauty wished for the Beast and when he came in to supper she went up and kissed him on the cheek and said: “You are not ugly and I love you!” ”

“ THE WIND AND THE SUN In which the silent forces of nature show themselves to be more powerful than the noisy ones.
The Wind and the Sun quarreled one day as to which of the two was the stronger. Each contended that he was mightier than the other, and stood ready to prove it in any way. They got so angry that people thought a storm was coming on and ran inside their houses. The Sun said:
“I am able to bring the summer, to ripen the grain and the fruit, and cover the earth with flowers. I can melt icebergs and clear whole fields of snow. I can drive away darkness and night and make day to come.” ”

“ We told you that Beowulf slew the Fire Dragon, but we did not mention that during the conflict the hot and fierce beast seized Beowulf’s neck in his teeth, and bit him so terribly that his blood covered Beowulf’s bright and shining armor.
While the Dragon was biting at the neck of the great king, his brave and faithful Wiglaf struck his sword into the monster’s body. The Dragon relaxed his hold of Beowulf long enough for the old king to escape death at the time, and to plunge his own dagger into the throat of the fiery creature. ”

“ Perseus using the polished shield as a mirror tied the head of Medusa to a cord and swung it over his shoulders. Stepping into the magic sandals he rose into the air and flew away. At last he came down to earth in a strange country. He looked around and did not know where he was, but was careful not to glance at the Medusa’s head on his back.
Soon a giant came towards him roaring in great rage. “How did you come into this country and who are you?” cried out the giant, who was none other than King Atlas himself. ”

“ Jack walked all day until he came to a great house in which lived a giant and his wife. He knocked at the door and asked the giant’s wife to give him something to eat and a place to sleep.
“What!” she said. “You do not know my husband. He is a giant and will eat you up if he sees you. But you can come in, for you are a fine looking fellow,” and she let Jack come in and gave him something to eat, and hid him in the oven.
Soon the giant came in roaring like thunder. He sat down and ate and drank, and scolded his wife until Jack trembled with fear. At last the giant said: “Bring me my hen.” ”

“ BEOWULF CONQUERS THE MARSH MONSTER An old legend in which a brave warrior overcomes a terrible menace by strength and skill.
Beowulf was the nephew of a king who ruled over a part of Sweden. He was a young man of great strength. No one could stand against him. At that time there was a monster named Grendel, half man and half beast that came out of the swamp every night and snatched away the warriors as they slept in the hall of the king, and carried them off to his lair and devoured them. ”

“ Beowulf was very old, but he was still a great warrior. His heart boiled with rage when he saw what the fire dragon had brought to his people.
“Bring me my iron shield, my steel coat of armor and my great sword! and tell my warriors to follow me,” he ordered. Then the old king, whose arms were still the strongest in all his kingdom, went forth to fight the terrible dragon who was still raging in his wrath and burning everything he flew over. ”

“ Even kings should have other motives than merely to wear fine clothes.
There was once a king who was so proud of himself that he thought all the earth was just made for him to live on. He called himself the emperor, and lay awake at night thinking how great he was. Of course everybody agreed to this and that made him worse than ever.
One day while the proud king was bathing in a great lake, a man who looked exactly like him came along and took the king’s clothes, and left his own poor clothing in its place. ”

“ The sunny April day had changed to a showery April day, and it was raining. It is quite bad enough to be a little child out of doors when it is raining, but think of a tiny little brownie with fresh new clothes, and every raindrop as full as a bucket! ”

“ Drops of blood and some feathers fell on the mountain side, but the eagle did not stop until the cap was safe in the hands of the queen of the fairies.
On the mountain side wherever the blood and feathers of the eagle fell, there sprang up trees with feathers like leaves and blood-red berries. All the giants, fairies, plants, and animals knew why they grew. The unselfish love in the eagle’s blood could not die, but lived again in the beautiful trees. ”

“ But Freyja did not know this.
Nobody spoke to her nor admired the necklace. They all went to the feast while Freyja sat at the door of the palace and mourned. The necklace sparkled in the sun and her tears dropped down and looked like jewels themselves. She arose and went to Odin and said:
“Let me go find my husband.” And Odin answered:
“Go, Freyja, and good fortune attend you.”
Freyja sprang into her chariot and began her search for her husband. She went to the houses in the big cities, and to the homes of the poor and destitute. “Is my husband here?” she asked everywhere. ”

“ Now the emperor and the queen came out also and looked at the strange man who said he was the emperor. When the poor king saw his wife he called out:
“Do you not know me? I am your husband—I am the real emperor! These clothes are not mine, nor are those clothes his!” and the real king fell down on the ground in great distress, and began to tear the rags from his body.
“Out with him! Beat him! Put his eyes out!” they began to cry, and soon the poor king was thrust out of his own grounds and wandered on down the road. He came to the very spot on the banks of the lake where he had bathed. ”

“ One day the princess was visiting one of the king’s castles. She saw an old woman spinning. The old woman was so deaf she had not heard of the king’s command. The princess ran up to her and seized the needle. It pierced her finger, and she fainted away.
The old woman screamed and the king and queen and all the courtiers came running. Alas! they could not waken the princess at all. She breathed but could not be aroused. They laid her on a couch and put flowers all around her. Just then a fairy came in and said:
“I told you it should be sleep instead of death. ”

“ One day an elephant came to their town and they decided to pay him a visit. The first blind man approached the elephant and stumbled against his big broad side. He felt along the rough hide up and down and as far as he could reach.
“Why, bless me! the elephant is just like a wall or the side of my house. I had no idea an elephant was like that!” said the first blind man.
Then the second blind man approached the elephant and caught hold of his hard tusks with the sharp points. He felt along the smooth tusk as far as he could reach.
“Why, bless me! the elephant is very like a spear. ”

“ Arachne was herself becoming very proud of her skill, and began to boast of what she could do. She said, “I can do better work than any woman in the world. Minerva, herself, cannot do better than I!” Thus she put herself above the gods, which was very foolish in her as we shall see.
Minerva heard about Arachne’s boast and was very much displeased. She decided that Arachne’s boast should be punished. So one day Minerva, disguised as an old woman, went to Arachne’s house and began to talk to her about her work. With great pride Arachne showed the old woman some of the patterns she had made. ”

“ Before long they came to a little boy with a gun on his shoulder. The little boy asked them where they were going. “We are going to build a house to live in,” said the pig and the sheep and the rabbit and the goose and the dog. “May I live with you?” asked the little boy.
“What can you do to help build a house?” they all asked. “You beat me with a stick one day,” said the pig. “You chased me down the road last week,” said the sheep. “You ran me out of the cabbage patch,” said the rabbit. “You once hit me with a rock,” said the goose. “You tied a can to my tail a few days ago,” said the dog. ”

“ A SUNSHINE FAIRY He who takes sunshine into the lives of others also lets it into his own life.
Alice was in the garden gathering roses for her mother. The day was warm and the sun very bright, so she sat down under a tree to rest, exclaiming: “Oh, if there were only such things as fairies! I wish I were one, for I would like to do nothing but play. I’m so tired of working and going to school!” ”

“ The more swords he made the more men fought. At last he said: “I will make no more swords for men to slay each other with.” And so the forge was cold, the fires were out, the anvil was silent and Tubal Cain sat at his door and shook his head at all who begged for swords.
One day he said: “Why should I be idle? I will make plows and scythes instead of swords.” After that the forge glowed again, the anvil rang, and Tubal Cain was busy. When men came to him he said, “Here, take this plow and break the soil and plant grain. It is better than the sword. Take this scythe and reap the grain. ”

“ THE TRAVELING MUSICIANS One is never too old to take care of himself, provided he keeps his wits ready and active.
An old mule had been turned out of the farmer’s yard because he was too old to work. He said: “I think I shall go to the city and earn my living as a musician; people like to hear me bray.” And so off he set for town. On the way he met an old dog.
“Come, join me, my friend,” said the mule. “I am going to the city to be a musician. You can bark, and so we can earn a living.” ”

“ King Cophetua did not seem to care. He had seen so much of foolish princesses that he came to dislike their vain ways. He said to the wise men of his court:
“I shall never marry until I find a young woman very beautiful and very good. If she is a princess all the better—but I would marry her were she as poor as a beggar.”
One day as the king and his nobles were riding through the country on a hunt, there stood by the roadside an old man who was blind. By his side was his daughter. Very poor they were and dressed in the cheapest clothes. ”

“ Then he looked round and behold! there were his real king’s clothes again. There was his own [364] horse and the duke and all his attendants waiting for him. He put on his clothes and rode up to the palace where the queen met him and kissed him.
“Welcome home, my lord and husband!” said she.
There stood the man the king had seen in his place, but he was now dressed in white. Nobody saw him but the king. He said:
“I am the good angel of thy kingdom. Only the humble are fit to rule. I give thee thy place again,” and the man vanished. ”

“ King Arthur then gathered the full number of knights to sit at the round table, and called them the Knights of the Round Table. He charged them never to commit any outrage or murder and always to be loyal to the king. They were never to be cruel, but always to be merciful, and to give help to women and children and the helpless. They were never to give battle for a wrongful quarrel, and were to keep themselves good and holy. So the king and queen lived very happily and the Knights of the Round Table served them valiantly. ”

“ All the knights went in search of the Holy Grail, but we shall follow the fortunes of Sir Galahad only. Sir Galahad had many adventures in his wanderings for more than a year. He defended all helpless women and children, fought no unjust fights, sought no quarrels, and kept himself pure in heart. One day as he was riding through a forest he met two other knights, and they rode on together to a great castle, telling each other of their adventures. ”

“ There they found a bowl of fresh cheese and were helping themselves to it when they saw two great bright eyes near them.
“Run, cousin! Run!” cried Ringtail. “It is the cat!”
Brownie needed no second warning, and they ran as fast as their little legs could carry them. When they reached a safe distance Brownie found his voice and said:
“Good-by, cousin! I’m going back home. If living in fear is what you call real life I do not care to know it. I prefer my quiet home where the birds sing while I eat my corn and apples to your beautiful home with its cake and dangers.” ”

“ THE DRAGON SLAYER In which we see that it is harder to conquer one’s own ambitions than it is to slay a dragon.
The Knights of St. John were both priests and knights. Their badge was a white cross which they wore upon their mantles, over their shining arms. The head knight was called the Grand Master.
In a marsh lived a terrible dragon. Its head was larger than a horse’s head. It had a huge mouth, very sharp teeth and enormous eyes. It ate the sheep and cattle when they came for water. Sometimes shepherd boys were missing and even men were devoured by the dragon. ”

“ The great man will not see us nor sell us any grain.”
The old father replied: “Me have ye bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take away Benjamin. All those things are against me.” Then said Judah to the old man: “Father, let him go with me, and if I do not bring him back, I will bear the blame.” Then Jacob sent Benjamin with them. The brothers went again into Egypt and bowed low before Joseph as before. “Is your father well?” asked Joseph. “Our father is well,” they said. When Joseph saw Benjamin he had to go to another place to conceal his emotions. ”

“ The old king did not really wish to give up his kingdom at all, and so he sent his three sons out for a third time, and said to them:
“Go, find the most beautiful woman in the world. I cannot give my kingdom to any son without a queen to help him. Come back at the end of a year.”
The sons set out on their travels again. The youngest went at once to the home of the White Cat and told her what the King demanded. The White Cat said nothing but made the prince very happy and comfortable in her palace for a whole year. ”

“ He took the basket and started across the field. On the way he met a dog.
“I wish I had nothing to do like you,” said George.
“Nothing to do!” exclaimed the dog. “I am a very hard worked animal. I dare not sleep at night, for I am the watch dog against burglars. Besides that, I have to protect the chickens against the old fox. Then I have to catch rabbits for my master; chase the cat away from the birds, keep the place clear of stray dogs, and even look after the sheep in the field. Then every morning I take the cow to pasture and bring her back in the afternoon. ”