Chapter II: One day the hare said suddenly, (4)

Then the little one embraced the old witch, thanked her for her goodness, and departed. After having traveled a long time, she came to a large river. It was impossible to find a ford where she could cross it. Then she broke her first egg. A boat appeared upon the river. She began to sing,--

“Put me across, O boatman!
Put me across, O boatman!”

The boatman drew near, made her get into the boat, and put her across to the other side of the river.

“Thanks, good boatman, for your kindness.”

“Good luck to you, miss.”

She went on her way. She traveled and traveled, and found herself at last stopped by a great bare mountain.

“Mountain, open!” cried she, breaking her second egg.

The mountain opened; a beautiful road ran through it. Flowering shrubs bordered the road; in the green trees, loaded with fruit, birds of a thousand colors were singing. Suddenly joyous voices were heard; a party of young people drew near, dancing and laughing.

“Oh! what a beautiful little girl that is going along the road! see her beautiful hair,” said one. “Oh! what pretty little feet!” said another. “Come play with us, young lady; we will take you to our house; you shall be the absolute mistress of it, you shall do nothing all day long; we will work for you. You will only have to look at yourself in your mirror, comb your hair, and make yourself beautiful.”

But the little girl, remembering the counsels of the old witch, did not even turn her head.

“Leave me alone,” said she; “I have promised not to stop till I have found my parents again.”

Then she continued her journey and came to a plain. The mountain closed up behind her, and became, as before, barren and desolate. After having traveled a long time, the little girl came at last to a village. The people were in a great commotion; the queen had just died. As soon as the inhabitants saw the stranger, they surrounded her, and charmed with her beauty and grace, they proposed to her to choose her to replace the queen whom they had just lost. To all their entreaties she replied,--

“I can agree to reign over you only on one condition; that is, that you shall take my father and mother for your sovereigns as soon as I have found them. It is not right for the child to be above its parents.”

The people having accepted the condition, the child broke her third egg.

The egg was scarcely broken before the old negro and his wife were seen to arrive at the end of the village, all covered with tatters, thin, emaciated, and bent with grief and poverty. Seeing their daughter, whom they believed lost forever, they shed abundant tears, and were about to throw themselves at her feet to ask her pardon for having abandoned her. But she did not give them time for this, and throwing her arms around their necks, she embraced them tenderly. They were proclaimed sovereigns of the country and lived happily with their daughter ever after. They were good and charitable to the poor people, for they had been poor themselves.

The news of this adventure was quickly spread around. It reached the little village where the good little girl formerly lived. All their neighbors were delighted; only one negro and his wife became extremely jealous of them. These people had a wicked, cross-grained daughter, the very image of her mother.

“My daughter, I want you to be queen also; I will go and lose you in the forest. You are worth much more than that affected little thing; and when you are queen, you can send for me and your father also, so that we can pass the rest of our days in sleeping and doing nothing.”

Then they went into the forest and left their daughter there. Night came, and the ferocious beasts began to howl! Ah! truly, the child was much frightened, but, taking courage in the face of danger, she tried to get out of the forest. Then she saw the light in the old witch’s cabin. She went in that direction and came to the door.

“Open to me,” said she, thumping on it with all her might with her feet and her fists; “I do not want to spend the night out of doors.”

The coarse voice answered,--

“Do you see those three enormous pumpkins? In order to enter my house, you must catch them on your head.”

“Very well, catch them yourself, so I can come in.”

The witch, without saying anything, sang her song, and caught the pumpkins on her poor old head.

As soon as she had come in, the little girl called out,--

“I am hungry; give me something to eat.”

Then the old witch put two dishes on the fire; one of good meat and good fish, the other containing only bones and fish-bones. The child, without thanking her, took all that was good, and paid no attention as to what was left for the old woman.

When the morning came, they went to the river, and when she saw the witch’s back, she said,--

“What, do you think I am going to rub your old back? It is all full of broken glass and pieces of broken bottles.”

The witch dressed herself again, and when the time came to go away, she gave the child three eggs.

“My child, take my advice; do not stop on the way until you have found your parents; else some harm will happen. When you see any obstacle, or when you want anything, break one of the eggs, and you will be quite satisfied.”

Without even thanking the old witch, who had been so good, the child went on her way.

Having reached the river, the breaking of the first egg brought the boatman to her, and he put her across to the other shore. Then after that the mountain stopped her way; so she broke her second egg, and the mountain opened. A beautiful road bordered with flowers showed itself to her. She followed it. Then the young people approached.

“Beautiful child, will you come and play with us? You will find in our house mirrors in which you can see your whole figure. We will be your slaves; one who is as pretty as you are should not work, but live to do nothing and think of nothing but being amused.”

Blushing with pleasure and vanity, the child sprang towards the young people; but she had scarcely crossed the road bordered with flowers when the mountain closed up with a great noise and swallowed her up.

She was pitied by only one person,--the good little girl. Young ladies, let this story be a lesson to you.

LOYS BRUEYRE.

THE THREE BROTHERS

OR

THE CAT, THE COCK, AND THE LADDER

A BRETON STORY

Once upon a time there were three brothers: the oldest was named Yvon; the second Goulven; and the youngest, Guyon. Their mother was dead, and they asked their father to give each of them the portion that would fall to him, so that they might go out into the world to seek their fortunes.

“I am very willing,” said the old man, “but you know that we are not rich; a cat, a cock, and a ladder--these are all I have to give you.”

“Very well; let us draw straws,” replied the three brothers, “and see what will fall to the lot of each of us.”

They drew straws, and the cat fell to Yvon, the cock to Goulven, and the ladder to Guyon. Each took his property and began to get ready to set out. Their father accompanied them to a place near by, where four roads crossed and led in different directions, and then they bade farewell to each other, and took each a different road, after having appointed a meeting at the same place at the end of a year and a day. The old man returned alone to his house, by the fourth road.

Yvon, to whom the cat had fallen, was led by his road to the seashore. He followed the beach for a long time without coming to any dwelling. He and his companion were obliged to live for several days on shell-fish, and principally on mussels and lumpets, which cats love above all things. They came at last to a mill, not far from which rose the walls and towers of a castle high upon the cliff. Yvon entered the mill, carrying the cat on his left arm. He saw there four men, in their shirt-sleeves, armed with sticks and earnestly engaged in chasing the mice which ran about in every direction, so as to hinder them from cutting holes in the sacks and eating the flour.

“How much trouble you take for a small matter!” said he to them.

“How is it a small matter? Do you not see that if we should let them, these vile beasts would eat both the wheat and the flour and would reduce us to die of hunger?”

“Ah, well! here is a little animal” (and he showed them his cat) “that, all by himself, in less than an hour, will do more work than you four in a whole year; he will very soon get rid of all your mice.”

“This little animal? You are joking, doubtless; he does not seem at all dangerous. What do you call him?” (In that country they had never seen a cat.)

“He is called Mr. Cat. Do you wish to see him work?”

“Yes; let us see something of what he can do.”

Yvon let go his cat, which was very hungry. The mice, which were not afraid of it, never having seen a cat, made no haste to run into their holes, and it made a frightful slaughter of them. The four men watched it work, in great astonishment, and in less than an hour the whole threshing-floor of the mill was strewn with dead mice. There were heaps of them in every direction. The men with the sticks and the miller could not recover from their astonishment. One of them ran to the castle, and said to the lord,--

“Make haste, my lord, and come to the mill; you will see there what you have never seen before in your life.”

“What is it?” asked the lord.

“A man has arrived from some country, we know not where, bringing with him a little animal that appears to be very mild and gentle, yet which in the wink of an eye has killed all the mice against which we have had so much trouble to defend your wheat and your flour.”

“I trust this may be true!” cried the lord.

He hastened to the mill, and seeing the great work of the cat, he stood still, filled with admiration, his eyes and his mouth wide open. Then, seeing on Yvon’s arm the author of all this carnage, which, well fed and happy, and its eyes half closed, was making a continuous sound like that of a wheel turned by the hand of a spinner, he asked,--

“And is it this animal, that looks so gentle and sweet, which has worked so bravely?”

“Yes, my lord, it is indeed,” replied the four men armed with sticks.

“What a treasure such an animal must be! Ah! if I could only have it! Will you sell it to me?” asked he of Yvon.

“Willingly,” replied Yvon, passing his hand down the back of his cat.

“How much will you take for it?”

“Six hundred crowns, with lodging for myself and good board in your castle; for my friend, the cat, will not work well if I do not stay with him.”

“Agreed! shake hands.”

And they shook hands.

Yvon was accordingly installed in the castle, having nothing to do every day but eat, drink, go walking, and from time to time to make a visit to his friend, the cat, at the mill. He had become the friend of the lord, and also of his daughter; for he was a very handsome young man. His acquaintance with the young girl became very intimate; and he got from her all the gold and diamonds that he wanted. But the time came when he thought it was most prudent for him to go away; so he disappeared one night without saying anything, taking with him the best horse in the castle stable to carry him, and all that he took away from the old lord.

Now we will follow him no farther, since his fortune is made, but see what has become of Goulven and his cock.

After having walked a long time, and getting farther and farther from home, Goulven at last reached a country where there were no cocks. One evening, about sunset, overcome with fatigue, he came to a beautiful castle, and knocked at the door.

“What do you want?” asked the porter.

“Lodging for the night, if you please, for my little comrade and myself.”

“Come in,” said the porter to him; “you may lodge here, for my master is charitable.”

He ate in the kitchen with the servants, then went to sleep in the stable with the stable-boys and wagoners, taking his cock with him.

In that country they were obliged to go each morning to look for the day. So in the barn where he was with his cock, Goulven heard the conversation of the stable-boys and wagoners. They were saying to each other,--

“To-morrow morning we shall have trouble again when we go to look for the day. Let us grease the axle-tree well, so that the wagon will run more easily, and not break down, as it did the other day; for see how many wagons are already broken, and many horses worked to death, and the master is displeased, and says that we shall ruin him.”

“Yes, grease the axle-tree well before we go to bed.”

Goulven listened, astonished at what he heard; and, as the lord and the servants had told him that they had never seen a bird like his cock, the idea struck him that he might make something out of it; so that he cried to the stable-boys and the wagoners,--

“Do not be so troubled and anxious, my friends. I will undertake your task.”

“You will undertake to go yourself, all alone, to look for the day to-morrow morning?”

“Yes; I and my companion.”

“But, unhappy man, if you do not bring it, or if you are late returning, the master will have you hanged on the spot.”

“Let us alone, I tell you, and go to sleep quietly.”

Accordingly, the stable-boys and wagoners went to sleep without greasing the wagon or making any of the usual preparations.

The cock crowed out from the loft about three o’clock in the morning.

“What is that?” cried the wagoners and stable-boys, awakened by this song that they had never heard before.

“It is nothing,” replied Goulven; “do not disturb yourselves. My comrade only announces that he is about to go in search of the day.” So they went to sleep again.

About four o’clock the cock crowed again, and they woke up as before, and cried,--

“What is it? what is it?”

“It is my comrade, telling you that he is coming with the day,” replied Goulven; “get up and see.”

So they got up, and saw with astonishment that, sure enough, the day had come without their having been to look for it with so much trouble. They hastened to go and tell their master.

“Master, if you only knew--”

“What is it? What has happened that you should come to wake me so early?”

“You know the stranger whom you lodged last night, with his little animal that he called a cock?”

“Well, what has he done?”

“What has he done? Why, this little animal, that does not look as if he were anything in particular, is stronger than all your horses together, and will be able to spare you much expense, and us much trouble. Would you believe it? he has brought us the day this morning all by himself, without horses or wagons, while we slept quietly.

“It is impossible; you are mocking me!”

“Nothing is truer, however; and you have only to assure yourself of it by keeping the man and his little animal at the castle and watching with us to-night.”

“Very well; tell him to remain, so that I can see this thing.”

So they told the man with the cock to remain with his animal.

When evening came, after supper, the servants, the stable-boys, and the wagoners went to sleep as usual, and Goulven climbed again to the loft, with his cock, after having told them that they need not disturb themselves at all, and that he would undertake to bring the day back again at the appointed hour.

About three o’clock in the morning the lord, who had not gone to bed, came also to the stable to see and hear for himself what took place. The cock crowed the first time on the cock-loft.

“What is that?” asked the lord.

“It is my comrade, just setting out to look for the day,” replied Goulven; “do not be disturbed. Wait quietly; he will not be slow in returning.”

At four o’clock the cock crowed again.

“Why has the cock crowed?” asked the lord.

“Because he has just arrived, bringing the day back to us,” replied Goulven. “Open the door, and go out, and you will see.”

The lord went out of the stable, and saw that day had really dawned, all rosy and bright (it was the month of May), without his horses and his iron-bound wagons having gone to look for it. He was filled with amazement, and could not understand it. He called Goulven, and said to him,--

“The wagons that they break for me, the horses they cripple for me, going every morning to look for the dawn, are ruinous to me; if you will sell me your little animal, you will do me a great service; how much do you ask for it?”

“A thousand crowns,” replied Goulven, “and to remain with it at the castle, well fed, well clothed, and having nothing to do but to go walking for my pleasure where I will.”

“Agreed,” said the lord.

So Goulven lived at the castle, the happiest of men, having nothing to do every day but eat, drink, sleep, and go out walking. The cock, for his part, never failed to bring the day back at the proper hour, and all were very well satisfied with their services. Goulven also made love to the lord’s daughter, who had noticed him because he was a handsome fellow, and having behaved just as Yvon had done under the same circumstances, he ran away also, when he thought the moment had come, taking with him not only the thousand crowns that he had gotten for the cock, but handsome presents which he had received from the young lady, and which he bore off on the best horse in the lord’s stable.

Of the three brothers, we have already seen two entirely successful; one with his cat, the other with his cock. Now let us see what became of the third, Guyon, the man with the ladder.

After having walked a long time, going always straight before him, and carrying his ladder on his shoulder, and having gone a great distance from his own country, he found himself one day in front of a grand castle, surrounded on all sides by high walls, and brambles and thorns. At the window of one of the towers he saw a young lady of remarkable beauty. He stopped to look at her; she smiled, and they soon began to talk together. The lady told him that her husband, the lord of the castle, was absent. He was a jealous wretch, who kept her a captive in this tower with only a servant for company, and allowed her to receive no one else. She had grown very weary of her tower and wished very much to go out of it; but her lord had taken away the keys, and until his return she was obliged to stay locked up. He was expected to return the next day.

“I can come to you without a key, if you will permit it,” said Guyon.

“How can you, unless you change yourself to a bird? Into this castle, no man but my husband ever enters, and if any other should succeed in getting in, he would never go out alive.”

“We will see about that,” said Guyon.

Then he leaned his ladder against the wall. Alas! it was too short. But the lady and her servant held the curtains out to him, and at last he reached them, to their great joy. The next morning, early, he departed by the same way by which he had come. As he had greatly amused the young lady and her servant, to whom such good fortune had never happened, they filled his pockets before he left with gold, jewels, and diamonds.

As Guyon was going quietly along, carrying his ladder on his shoulder, he met the lord returning, who said to him as he passed,--

“You appear much burdened and very much fatigued, my good man.”

“A little,” replied he; and each went on his way.

As soon as the lord had entered his castle, his wife, who knew nothing, and who had never seen any other man but her husband near enough to speak, made haste to tell him everything. To her great astonishment, her lord was furious.

“How could he get into the tower?”

“With an instrument that he called a ladder. And he amused us very much; and before he left, to reward him, we filled his pockets with gold, jewels, and diamonds.”

“Ah! miserable woman, what do you say? You have given my gold and my jewels and diamonds to this creature?”

And he was furious, and stamped his feet and pulled out his hair.

“I shall run after him, and if I catch him!--”

“Do him no harm, I beg you,” said the wife, who could not understand her husband’s anger.

The latter took the best horse from his stable and was soon off at great speed in pursuit of Guyon. But Guyon, who thought he would be followed, looked behind him, from time to time; and as he saw him just as he came near a house covered with slate which was by the roadside, he placed his ladder against the wall, mounted to the roof, and began to throw down the slate tiles, as a tiler does when repairing an old roof. When the lord arrived in front of the house, he stopped his horse, and addressing Guyon, said,--

“How now, tiler, have you seen a man go by who carried a ladder on his shoulder?”

“Yes, indeed! my lord; he passed by only a moment ago.”

“Which way did he go?”

“He kept on straight along there; hold on, you can see him still from here. Come up, and you will see him.”

Then Guyon descended, and the lord, leaving his horse, climbed upon the roof. But as soon as he had done so, Guyon took away the ladder, mounted the horse, taking his ladder with him, and set off at a full gallop, leaving the lord swearing and storming on the roof.

At the end of a year and a day, exactly, the three brothers, mounted on fine horses and dressed like lords, met at the cross-roads where they had parted, and found their father waiting for them.

They had all three made their fortunes with the cat, the cock, and the ladder; and they married rich women, and built three fine castles, one for each, and a fourth, finer than the others, for their old father.

Told by Marguerite Philippe, September, 1873.

F. M. LUZEL.

THE COCK’S WIFE

A STORY OF THE DISTRICT OF METZ

Once upon a time there was a cock’s wife who was scratching with all her might in a great heap of rubbish, and seemed deeply absorbed in her task.

“You are very silly, Cock’s-wife,” said a man who passed by, “to waste your time so, and wear out your feet so uselessly.”

“You are mistaken, my good fellow; I am not wasting my time, for I have just found a purse with a hundred crowns.”

“Really?”

“See here!”

“Come, my good creature, lend me a hundred crowns; I will return them in eight days.”

“Very well; here they are,” said the Cock’s-wife, putting the purse into his hand:--she could never refuse to do a kindness.

At the end of the week, the Cock’s wife, seeing that her debtor did not return, began to fear that she had been deceived, and indignant, she started in the direction of the house where the fellow lived. As she was going along, at a turn in the road she met a ladder.

“Where are you going, Cock’s-wife?” asked the ladder.

“I am going to a fellow’s house to get back a hundred crowns that I lent him. Will you come with me?”

“Gladly!”

“Very well; get inside of me,” said the Cock’s-wife.

Cock’s-wife went on her way, and a little farther on she met a river.

“Where are you going, Cock’s-wife?” said the river.

“I am going to a fellow’s house to get back a hundred crowns that I lent him. Will you come with me?”

“With pleasure,” replied the river.

“Very well; get inside of me,” said the Cock’s-wife.

The Cock’s-wife started off again; when in the midst of a wood she came across a wolf.

“Where are you going, Cock’s-wife?” asked the wolf.

“I am going to a fellow’s house to get back a hundred crowns that I lent him. Will you come with me?”

“I will.”

“Very well; get inside of me.”

In spite of the weight of her three companions, the Cock’s-wife got safely to the end of her journey.

“Good morning, my man, good morning,” said she, as she entered: “I have come to ask you to pay me my hundred crowns.”

The fellow, who had made up his mind not to pay his debt, fell upon the Cock’s-wife, seized her by the wings, and threw her into a well near the house. Although stunned by the fall, the poor creature did not lose her senses.

“Ladder, ladder, come out of me,
Or I am a lost Cock’s-wife,”

cried she.

The ladder obeyed immediately; and the Cock’s-wife rapidly climbed the ladder, and jumped out of the well.

The fellow, who had thought she was drowned, could not control his anger when he saw her. He sprang on her again, and threw her into his oven.

When she felt the heat of the flames, she cried in an eager voice,--

“River, river, come out of me,
Or I am a lost Cock’s wife.”

The river flowed out immediately and put out the fire.

The Cock’s-wife, rejoiced at having so happily escaped so many dangers, was going away unsuspectingly, when she was again seized by the fellow.

“Ah! vile beast,” he screamed, “you thought to escape me, but you shall not succeed;” and saying these words, he threw her violently between the legs of his oxen standing close together in a narrow stable, sure that they would certainly trample her.

“Wolf, wolf, come out of me,
Or I am a lost Cook’s wife.”

At this despairing appeal, the wolf jumped out, and in a few moments killed the oxen, and then the man.

The Cock’s-wife took the hundred crowns, which she found hidden in the fellow’s house, in the bottom of a desk, and after having warmly thanked the ladder, the river, and the wolf, she returned to her own country, where she led ever afterwards a peaceful and honored life.

Told by the widow Madame Richet, aged 77 years, at Woippy, near Metz.

NÉRÉE QUÉPAT.

THE CASTLE HUNG IN THE AIR

A SAILOR’S STORY

Once upon a time there was a fisherman whose only possessions consisted of a little cabin by the seashore, his boat, and his nets. He had a son who went fishing with him, and he was so good-looking that as he passed along every one turned to look at him. He had also three daughters, very nearly of the same age, and all three as beautiful as the day.

The fisherman, who was old, died; his son became the head of the family, and at all eventides he went in his boat to fish, so as to get something to eat for all his household.

One day as he was setting out to go to the strand, he saw before his door three handsome lords, who asked his permission to enter his cabin to rest themselves there a few moments, as they came from a distance and were tired. He consented very willingly, and welcomed them to the best that he had. They seated themselves in the cabin, and were so struck with the beauty of the sisters that they all three fell in love with them. A few days after, they married them, and the next day after the wedding the three nobles, who were the king of Fishes, the king of the Birds, and the king of the Rats and the Mice, wished to take their wives away to their own kingdoms. Before leaving their brother-in-law, they each made him a present. Two of them gave him large purses full of gold, but the gift of the third was only an old snuff-box. The fisherman put it into the pocket of his jacket, without even having a desire to open it, for he thought that his brother-in-law had wished to mock him.

The fisherman grew very lonely after his sisters were gone, and as he had a well-filled purse, he dressed himself as a well-to-do countryman, left his cabin, and went to Paris. For two years he led a gay life there, as he wanted nothing, having his pockets full of money; but he finished all the same by seeing his last crown; and when he had nothing left but debts, his friends turned their backs on him, and he was turned out of his house. Then he remembered his village and his little cabin, and he resolved to return there and once more take up his trade of fisherman. But when he came to the little creek where he had left his boat, he saw it no longer; for the north wind had carried it away, and he found only his grapnel and some bits of half-rotten ground-tackling. He went into his cabin, which had also suffered much from wind and weather, and began to fumble in the pocket of his jacket to see if he could find there some five-franc pieces. But he turned his pockets in vain, there was not even one poor penny; there was nothing there but the old snuff-box that his brother-in-law had given him. He was on the point of throwing it into a corner, but he thought that perhaps it contained some tobacco, and he opened it. As soon as he had raised the lid, he heard a small voice, which said to him,--

“Master, what do you want?”

“What do I want?” murmured the fisherman, much astonished at hearing a voice, but seeing no one. “There are a great many things; at this moment I would like a table with a good dinner on it.”

Immediately a table was set before him covered with bread and meats; there were also bottles of wine, and even coffee and brandy were not forgotten. The fisherman, who had fasted somewhat for some time, ate with a good appetite; then, when he was no longer hungry, he opened his snuff-box again, and ordered it to transport him to the chamber of the king’s daughter. Immediately he rose gently above the clouds as if he had been borne on the wings of the wind, and saw beside him a princess as beautiful as the day, and who slept so quietly that one could scarcely hear her breathe. In the morning he opened his snuff-box again so as to return to his cabin before the princess was awake. For three days he had himself served with good meals, and for three nights he remained gazing upon the king’s daughter as she slept; but he would not awaken her, lest he should frighten her and give her trouble.

However, the princess’ father causes it to be trumpeted throughout his kingdom and in the neighboring countries that his daughter was of an age to be married, and that he would give her to the one who should bring him the greatest quantity of grain; for the harvest had been bad, and his subjects were threatened with famine. Wagons were to be seen on the roads coming from every direction, loaded with grain; and in all the ports ships whose holds were filled with wheat. The young fisherman was delighted to hear of the king’s promise, for he thought that, thanks to his snuff-box, he should be able to become the husband of the princess who pleased him so much.

He opened his snuff-box, and immediately he heard the small voice saying,--

“Master, what do you want?”

“I would like thousands and thousands of wagons loaded with wheat, so that no one could be able to carry as much to the king’s palace as I.”

Accordingly the roads were covered, farther than the eye could reach, with wagons, and the fisherman took them to the king, who found that he alone brought more grain than all the others together. Eight days after, the fisherman married the princess, who was not sorry for it, because he was a handsome fellow.

The day after the wedding he opened his snuff-box and asked of it a beautiful castle which should be hung from the sky by four golden chains, near the palace of his father-in-law. As soon as he had spoken, he saw the castle in the sky, hanging from the clouds by four golden chains. It was so beautiful that nothing had ever been seen equal to it, and it shone as if it had been made entirely of gold. When the king saw this beautiful palace which glistened in the sun, he asked his son-in-law what it could be.

“Sire,” replied the fisherman, “it is my castle that my invisible workmen have built this night above your garden. If you wish to come and look over it, you will see that it is perfectly furnished.”

The king embraced his son-in-law, for he was charmed to see him with such a beautiful castle; and when he had gone over it from the garret to the cellar, he proposed to him to go hunting, and they both started off.

Meanwhile one of the princess’s old lovers came to the castle hung by the golden chains, and looking over it, he perceived in a corner an old worn-out snuff-box. Very much astonished to see it in such a place, he wished to open it to find out what there was inside; immediately he heard a small voice, which said,--

“Master, what do you wish for?”

“What do I wish for?” replied the lord. “I wish that this castle may be transported more than four hundred and fifty leagues from here.”

In a moment he felt the castle move, and he saw it pass over great forests and vast seas, which it crossed in the wink of an eye. At last he saw it stop in the midst of a country where, as far as the eye could reach, not a living soul could be seen.

Returning from the hunt with his father-in-law, the young fisherman came to a rising ground from whence he thought he should perceive his castle; but was greatly surprised to see it no longer. He felt in his pockets and found that his snuff-box was not there.

When the king learned that the castle where his daughter was had disappeared, he got into a great rage, and swore upon his kingly word that, if his son-in-law did not bring the princess back before two months had passed, he would have him torn in pieces by four horses.

The fisherman was very sad at having lost his wife and his castle; but he thought that his brothers-in-law would be able to help him, and he set out to go and see them. He first went to find the king of the Fishes. On entering the palace, he embraced his sister, who was as happy as a princess should be; then he related his misfortune to his brother-in-law, and asked him if he had not heard of a castle hung from the sky by four golden chains.

“No,” replied the king of the Fishes; “I have not heard of it: but wait, I think I can tell you in a moment where it is.”

He plunged into the sea, and assembled all his subjects from the whale to the flea-of-the-sea, and asked them if they had not seen a castle hung from the clouds by four golden chains; but they all declared that it was the first time they had heard of it. As the king finished questioning them, he saw an old porpoise come up, who had stood many shots and many storms.

“And you, porpoise,” asked the king of him, “have you not seen the castle hung in the air by four golden chains?”

“No,” he answered, “I have not seen it; but as I was playing on the waves, I met an eagle who told me of a castle hung by four golden chains; a marriage was to be celebrated there in eight days, and so many meats were taken there for the guests that the eagle told me he had never seen so many before.”

The king of the Fishes thanked the old porpoise; then he came out of the sea and went to tell his brother-in-law all he had learned. The fisherman was very glad of it, and set out at once to go to see his other brother-in-law, the king of the Birds.

When he reached his palace, he embraced his sister, then told his adventures to the king of the Birds, and asked him if he had not heard of a castle hung in the air by four golden chains. The king assembled his subjects, and asked them if they had seen the castle. The eagle answered,--

“Yes, I have seen it; it shines like gold, and a marriage is to be celebrated there in seven days. It will be a grand wedding, for already there are so many meats of all sorts that yesterday I could eat as much of them as I wanted.”

“Could you,” asked the king, “carry a man as far as that?”

“Yes,” answered the eagle; “but first I must eat a great deal, for the way will be long.”

During the whole night the eagle was supplied with meats, and he feasted until the break of day. In the morning he took the fisherman on his back, and flew away to go to the castle hung in the air by four golden chains.

For several hours the eagle flew over a great sea, so vast that neither shores nor islands were to be seen, nothing but the sky and the sea; but his strength began to fail, and he put the fisherman down on a rock that the tide had just exposed to view; then he went off at a single flight for the castle of the four golden chains, so as to fill his stomach again with meats, and be able to take the man upon his back again.

The fisherman remained alone upon the rock, and the time seemed long to him, for the eagle did not return, and he knew that the high tide would cover the rock. Meanwhile the tide rose higher and higher, and in vain he looked with all his eyes; he did not see the eagle returning. He stood upon the highest point of the rock; soon the water reached him there; it bathed his feet, then his knees; it rose to his waist, then to his shoulders, and still he saw nothing coming. Just at the moment when the waves reached his chin, the eagle appeared, and having taken him on his back, he put him down in the court-yard of the castle, where the wedding was to be celebrated the next day.

The fisherman’s wife was at her window; she recognized her husband, and was very glad to see him, for she loved him very much, and it was against her will that she had been taken away. She found an opportunity to speak to him secretly, and said to him,--

“The lord who carried me away never leaves the magic snuff-box, and every evening when he goes to bed, he puts it under his pillow, so it is difficult to take it without waking him. The eagle must go and find the husband of your third sister, the one who commands the Rats and the Mice, and tell him to order some of his subjects to come here. When the lord is snoring, a little mouse will go and stuff his tail in his open mouth; then he will cough, and while he is sitting up, you will be able to secure the snuff-box.”

The eagle hastened to go to the country of the Rats and Mice, and quickly returned, bringing on his back a little mouse, that looked wise, as all mice do, and a big rat with a long tail.

The following night, as soon as the lord, who before going to bed had put the magic snuff-box under his pillow, began to snore, the little mouse stuffed her tail into his mouth; but it was not long enough to reach to his throat, and without waking, the man squeezed it so tightly that she thought he had chopped it off. She began to make a little plaintive sound, and he loosened his teeth; then she ran to tell the fisherman’s wife that she had not been able to succeed, because her tail was too short. Then the lady ordered the big rat to try in his turn; he took his aim so well that he stuffed his tail quite down the lord’s throat. The latter wakened with a start, half strangled, and sat up in bed, coughing and spitting as if he were ready to die.

Meanwhile the fisherman, who was hidden under the bed, had passed his hand under the pillow and seized upon the snuff-box. He opened it immediately and heard a small voice, which said,--

“Master, what do you wish for?”

“What do I wish for? I wish that my castle may be taken back again to my father-in-law’s garden, to the place where it was before this rascal stole my snuff-box from me.”

In a moment he felt that the castle was lifted and borne through the air; he saw it cross over vast seas and through great forests in the wink of an eye, and soon it stopped still in the king’s garden, in front of the palace.

The king, who had just wakened, went to his window, and when he saw the castle hung by four golden chains between heaven and earth, he rubbed his eyes, thinking he was losing his sight; but he saw his son-in-law and his daughter coming, and they embraced him and told him all that had happened to them.

He was greatly rejoiced to see them again, and to punish him who had carried off the snuff-box, he caused him to be torn in pieces by four horses. There were great rejoicings in honor of the return of the princess, and the fisherman lived happily with her. But he took care to carry the magic snuff-box always with him.

PAUL SEBILLOT, “Contes Des Marins.”

THE TWO SOLDIERS

A LORRAINE STORY

Once upon a time there were two soldiers who were about sixty years old. Being obliged to leave the service, they determined to return to their country. As they were journeying along, they said one to the other,--

“What are we going to do to get our living? We are too old to learn a trade; if we beg our bread, we shall be told we are not too old to work, and nothing will be given us.”

“Let us draw lots,” said one of them, “who will let his eyes be put out, and we will go begging together.”

The other one thought it a good idea. The lot fell on the one who made the proposition; his comrade put out his eyes, and, one leading the other, they went from door to door begging their bread. A great deal was given to them. But the blind man got but little good of it; his companion kept all that was good for himself, and gave him only the bones and crusts of hard bread.

“Alas!” said the unfortunate creature, “is it not enough to be blind? Must I be so badly treated also?”

“If you complain again,” said the other, “I will leave you here.”

But the poor blind man could not help complaining. At last his companion left him in a forest.

After having wandered all about, the blind man stopped at the foot of a tree.

“What will become of me?” said he to himself, “night is coming, and the wild beasts will devour me.”

He climbed up into a tree for safety. Towards eleven or twelve o’clock four animals came to the same place,--the fox, the wild boar, the wolf, and the roebuck.

“I know something,” said the fox; “but I will not tell it to any one.”

“I also know something,” said the wolf.

“And I also,” said the roebuck.

“Pshaw!” said the wild boar, “you, with your little horns, what do you know?”

“Ah!” remarked the roebuck, “there is a great deal of wit in my little brain and in my little horns.”

“Well,” said the wild boar, “let each one tell what he knows.”

The fox began,--

“There is a little river near here whose water will restore the sight of the blind. I have had an eye put out several times in my life; I bathed in that water, and I was healed.”

“I know that river too,” said the wolf; “I have known it longer than you. The king’s daughter is very sick; she is promised in marriage to the one who will cure her. To give her water of this river would be quite sufficient to restore her health.”

The roebuck said in his turn,--

“The city of Lyons is in need of water, and they have promised fifteen thousand francs to the one who shall be able to get a supply for it. Now, if they would dig up the tree of liberty, they would find a spring, and they would have an abundance of water.”

“I,” said the wild boar, “I know nothing.”

Thereupon the animals separated.

“Ah!” said the blind man to himself, “if I could only find that spring!”

He got down from the tree, and went groping through the country. At last he came to the river. There he bathed his eyes, and he began to see again; he bathed them again, and his sight was perfectly restored.

Then he went at once to the mayor of Lyons, and told him that if he wanted water he had only to pull up the tree of liberty. Sure enough! when the tree was dug up, they discovered a spring; and the city had as much water as was necessary. The soldier received the promised fifteen thousand francs, and went to see the king.

“Sire,” said he to him, “I have heard that your daughter is very sick; and I have something that will cure her.”

And he told him of the water of the river. The king sent one of his footmen immediately for some of the water. They made the princess drink of it, they made her take baths of it, and she was cured.

The king said to the soldier,--

“Although you are a little old, you shall marry my daughter; or else, if you prefer it, I will give you some money.”

The soldier preferred to marry the princess; he knew very well that with the daughter he would have the money also. The marriage took place without delay.

One day when the soldier was taking a walk in the garden, he saw a man all in rags who was asking charity; he recognized at once his old comrade.

“Were there not two of you begging formerly?” said he to him as he came up to him. “Where is your companion?”

“He is dead,” answered the beggar.

“Tell the truth; you will not repent of it. What has become of him?”

“I abandoned him.”

“Why?”

“He was always complaining. It was always he who got the good pieces; when we had bread, I gave him the crumbs, because he had no teeth, and I ate the crusts; I gave him the meat, and kept the bones for myself.”

“It is a lie! you did just the opposite. Would you recognize your companion?”

“I do not know.”

“Well, I am that companion.”

“But are you not the king?”

“Doubtless; but I am also your old comrade. Come in; I will tell you all about it.”

When the beggar learned all that had happened to the blind man, he said to him,--

“I would like to have the same luck. Take me therefore to that same tree; perhaps the animals will come there again.”

“Willingly,” said the other; “I am willing to return you good for evil.”

He took the beggar to the tree; and the beggar climbed up into it.

About eleven or twelve o’clock, the four animals collected there again. The fox said to the others,--

“What we said the other night was overheard; the king’s daughter is cured, and the city of Lyons has water. Who, then, has revealed our secrets?”

“It is not I,” said the wolf.

“Nor I,” said the roebuck.

“I am sure that it is the wild boar,” said the fox; “he had nothing to say himself, and he went and told what the others said.”

“It is not true,” replied the wild boar.

“Take care!” said the fox; “we shall all three be against you.”

“I am not afraid of you,” said the wild boar, showing his teeth; “just you meddle with me!”

Suddenly raising their eyes, they saw the beggar up in the tree.

“Oh! oh!” said they, “here is a man who is spying upon us.”

Immediately they set to work to root up the tree; then they seized upon the man and devoured him.

EMMANUEL COSQUIN, “Contes Populaires Lorrains.”

THE THREE BROTHERS AND THE GIANT

A STORY OF PICARDY

A good woman had three children, all boys: the first was named Jean; the second, Jeannot; and the third, Jeannois. These three children passed for the sharpest in the canton, and the good woman was very glad of it, as you may imagine. One fine day she went to the wood with them to pick up some dead wood there, and make fagots of it for the approaching winter. The children soon had enough of looking for pieces of dead wood, and preferring to gather mulberries, nuts, and dogberries, they left their mother and plunged into the coppice farther and farther, until they did not hear the cries and calls of the good woman, who after awhile, thinking they had returned to the village, went back to her house.

Soon evening came on, and Jean, Jeannot, and Jeannois perceived with terror that they were lost in the woods.

“What shall we do?” said Jean. “What shall we do?” said Jeannot. “What shall we do?” added Jeannois.

They did not know what to do, and they began to hear the howling of the foxes and wolves in the depth of the forest. At last Jean, the oldest, had an inspiration. He climbed to the top of a great oak-tree which grew near by, and turned in every direction so that he could observe the neighborhood. He discovered a light which shone in the distance, and having well observed the position of it, he came down from the oak and walked with his brothers in the direction of the light.

After they had gone beyond the wood, they saw a palace before them, and went and knocked at the door.

Tap! tap!

“Who is there at this hour?”

“We are three little children lost in the forest, and we want to pass the night in this beautiful palace. Will you give us lodging here?”

A young woman half opened the door.

“Do you not know that this is the palace of the Giant of the Golden Beard? He is out at this moment, but he will be back before long. If you take my advice you will make haste and run away, for he might kill you and eat you as he has done so many persons.”

“But, madam, we do not know which way to go this dark night. Hide us safely somewhere, and to-morrow, at the break of day, we will go away without the Giant’s suspecting anything of it.”