Chapter I: Preface

I put on my dream-cap one day and stepped into Wonderland.

Along the road I jogged and never dusted my shoes, and all the time the pleasant sun shone and never burned my back, and the little white clouds floated across the blue sky and never let fall a drop of rain to wet my jacket. And by and by I came to a steep hill.

I climbed the hill, though I had more than one tumble in doing it, and there, on the tip top, I found a house as old as the world itself.

That was where Father Time lived; and who should sit in the sun at the door, spinning away for dear life, but Time’s Grandmother herself; and if you would like to know how old she is you will have to climb to the top of the church steeple and ask the wind as he sits upon the weather-cock, humming the tune of Over-yonder song to himself.

“Good-morning,” says Time’s Grandmother to me.

“Good-morning,” says I to her.

“And what do you seek here?” says she to me.

“I come to look for odds and ends,” says I to her.

“Very well,” says she; “just climb the stairs to the garret, and there you will find more than ten men can think about.”

“Thank you,” says I, and up the stairs I went. There I found all manner of queer forgotten things which had been laid away, nobody but Time and his Grandmother could tell where.

Over in the corner was a great, tall clock, that had stood there silently with never a tick or a ting since men began to grow too wise for toys and trinkets.

But I knew very well that the old clock was the

_Wonder Clock_;

so down I took the key and wound it—gurr! gurr! gurr!

Click! buzz! went the wheels, and then—tick-tock! tick-tock! for the Wonder Clock is of that kind that it will never wear out, no matter how long it may stand in Time’s garret.

Down I sat and watched it, for every time it struck it played a pretty song, and when the song was ended—click! click!—out stepped the drollest little puppet-figures and went through with a dance, and I saw it all (with my dream-cap upon my head).

But the Wonder Clock had grown rusty from long standing, and though now and then the puppet-figures danced a dance that I knew as well as I know my bread-and-butter, at other times they jigged a step I had never seen before, and it came into my head that maybe a dozen or more puppet-plays had become jumbled together among the wheels back of the clock-face.

So there I sat in the dust watching the Wonder Clock, and when it had run down and the tunes and the puppet-show had come to an end, I took off my dream-cap, and—whisk!—there I was back home again among my books, with nothing brought away with me from that country but a little dust which I found sticking to my coat, and which I have never brushed away to this day.

Now if you also would like to go into Wonderland, you have only to hunt up your dream-cap (for everybody has one somewhere about the house), and to come to me, and I will show you the way to Time’s garret.

That is right! Pull the cap well down about your ears.

* * * * *

Here we are! And now I will wind the clock. Gurr! gurr! gurr!

_Tick-tock! tick-tock!_

Table of Contents.

PAGE

I. Bearskin 1

II. The Water of Life 15

III. How One Turned his Trouble to Some Account 27

IV. How Three Went out into the Wide World 39

V. The Clever Student and the Master of Black Arts 49

VI. The Princess Golden-Hair and the Great Black Raven 63

VII. Cousin Greylegs, the Great Red Fox, and Grandfather Mole 77

VIII. One Good Turn Deserves Another 89

IX. The White Bird 105

X. How the Good Gifts were Used by Two 121

XI. How Boots Befooled the King 135

XII. The Step-mother 149

XIII. Master Jacob 161

XIV. Peterkin and the Little Grey Hare 175

XV. Mother Hildegarde 189

XVI. Which is Best 203

XVII. The Simpleton and his Little Black Hen 217

XVIII. The Swan Maiden 229

XIX. The Three Little Pigs and the Ogre 241

XX. The Staff and the Fiddle 253

XXI. How the Princess’s Pride was Broken 267

XXII. How Two Went into Partnership 279

XXIII. King Stork 291

XXIV. The Best that Life has to Give 305

List of Illustrations.

_Page_
_Frontispiece._

_Head-piece—Preface_ v _Head-piece—Table of Contents_ vii _Head-piece—List of Illustrations_ ix

_ONE O’CLOCK_ 1

_Head-piece—Bearskin_ 3
_The Baby drifts to the River’s Bank in the Basket_ 5
_Bearskin parts from the Princess_ 9
_The Princess weeps_ 10
_Bearskin and the Swineherd feast together_ 12

_TWO O’CLOCK_ 15

_Head-piece—The Water of Life_ 17
_The King gazes upon the Picture_ 19
_The North Wind flies with the Faithful Servant_ 21
_The King brings the Water of Life to the Princess_ 23
_The Faithful Servant gives the King his Golden Bracelet_ 25

_THREE O’CLOCK_ 27

_Head-piece—How One Turned his Trouble to Some Account_ 29
_The Soldier takes Trouble to Town_ 31
_The Soldier brings Trouble to the King_ 33
_The Giants fight one another_ 35
_The Rich Man takes Trouble home_ 37

_FOUR O’CLOCK_ 39

_Head-piece—How Three went out into the Wide World_ 41
_The Grey Goose meets the Sausage_ 43
_The Great Red Fox calls upon the Cock_ 45
_The Great Red Fox calls upon the Sausage_ 46
_The Great Red Fox rests softly_ 47

_FIVE O’CLOCK_ 49

_Head-piece—The Clever Student and the Master of Black Arts_ 51
_A Princess walks beside the River_ 53
_The Clever Student and the Princess_ 55
_The Master of Black Arts and the Little Black Hen_ 57
_The Master of Black Arts is caught in his Tricks_ 60

_SIX O’CLOCK_ 63

_Head-piece—The Princess Golden-Hair and the Great Black Raven_ 65
_The King meets the Great Black Raven_ 67
_The Princess Golden-Hair drinks_ 69
_Princess Golden-Hair comes to Death’s Door_ 71
_The Princess finds the Prince_ 75

_SEVEN O’CLOCK_ 77

_Head-piece—Cousin Greylegs, the Great Red Fox, and Grandfather
Mole_ 79
_Cousin Greylegs and the Great Red Fox go to the Fair_ 81
_Cousin Greylegs runs away with the Bag_ 83
_The Great Red Fox meets Grandfather Mole_ 85
_The Great Red Fox tries the Fire_ 87

_EIGHT O’CLOCK_ 89

_Head-piece—One Good Turn Deserves Another_ 91
_The Young Fisherman catches a Strange Fish_ 93
_The Young Fisherman and the Grey Master_ 97
_The Grey Master is caught in the Water_ 101
_The Princess finds the Young Fisherman_ 103

_NINE O’CLOCK_ 105

_Head-piece—The White Bird_ 107
_The Prince knocks at the Door of the Poor Little House_ 109
_The Prince finds the Three Giants sleeping_ 111
_The Prince finds the Sword of Brightness_ 115
_The White Bird knows the Prince_ 119

_TEN O’CLOCK_ 121

_Head-piece—How the Good Gifts were used by Two_ 123
_St. Nicholas knocks at the Rich Man’s Door_ 125
_St. Nicholas in the Poor Man’s House_ 127
_The Poor Man welcomes St. Christopher_ 129
_The Saints feast in the Rich Man’s House_ 131

_ELEVEN O’CLOCK_ 135

_Head-piece—How Boots befooled the King_ 137
_Peter goes to the King’s Castle_ 139
_Paul comes Home again_ 141
_The Old Woman smashes her Pots and Crocks_ 143
_The Councillor finds a Wisdom-sack_ 145

_TWELVE O’CLOCK_ 149

_Head-piece—The Step-mother_ 151
_The Step-daughter follows the Golden Ball_ 153
_The Young King brings the Maiden up from the Pit_ 155
_The Step-mother bewitches the Young Queen_ 157
_The Young King caresses the White Dove_ 159

_ONE O’CLOCK_ 161

_Head-piece—Master Jacob_ 163
_Master Jacob brings his Fat Pig to Town_ 165
_Master Jacob and his Black Goat_ 167
_The Three Cronies and the Black Goat_ 171
_Master Jacob meets the Three Cronies_ 173

_TWO O’CLOCK_ 175

_Head-piece—Peterkin and the Little Grey Hare_ 177
_Peterkin in his Fine Clothes_ 179
_Peterkin carries away the Giant’s Goose_ 183
_Peterkin brings the Silver Bell to the King_ 185
_Peterkin combs the Giant’s Hair_ 187

_THREE O’CLOCK_ 189

_Head-piece—Mother Hildegarde_ 191
_The Princess comes to Mother Hildegarde’s Door_ 193
_The Princess looks into the Jar_ 195
_The Wood-pigeons feed the Princess_ 197
_Mother Hildegarde carries away the Baby_ 199

_FOUR O’CLOCK_ 203

_Head-piece—Which is Best?_ 205
_The Rich Brother leaves the Poor Brother in Blindness_ 207
_The Poor Man finds the Little Door_ 209
_The Poor Man finds that which is the Best_ 211
_The Rich Man finds that which he Deserves_ 213

_FIVE O’CLOCK_ 217

_Head-piece—The Simpleton and his Little Black Hen_ 219
_Caspar starts to Town with his Little Black Hen_ 221
_Caspar finds a Bag of Money_ 223
_Three of them share the Money_ 225
_Caspar rides to the King’s Castle_ 227

_SIX O’CLOCK_ 229

_Head-piece—The Swan Maiden_ 231
_The Swan carries the Prince on its Back_ 233
_The Prince comes to the Three eyed Witch’s House_ 235
_The Swan Maiden helps the Young Prince_ 237
_The Witch and the Woman of Honey and Meal_ 239

_SEVEN O’CLOCK_ 241

_Head-piece—The Three Little Pigs and the Ogre_ 243
_The Ogre meets the Three Little Pigs in the Forest_ 245
_The Ogre climbs the Tree_ 247
_The Ogre shuts his Eyes and counts_ 249
_The Ogre sticks fast in the Window_ 251

_EIGHT O’CLOCK_ 253

_Head-piece—The Staff and the Fiddle_ 255
_The Fiddler helps the Old Woman_ 257
_The Fiddler and the Dwarf_ 259
_The Fiddler finds the Princess_ 261
_The Fiddler and the Little Black Mannikin_ 263

_NINE O’CLOCK_ 267

_Head-piece—How the Princess’s Pride was broken_ 269
_The Gooseherd plays with the Golden Ball_ 271
_The King peeps over the Hedge_ 273
_The Princess takes her Eggs to Market_ 275
_The Princess knows the Young King_ 277

_TEN O’CLOCK_ 279

_Head-piece—How Two Went into Partnership_ 281
_The Great Red Fox goes to the Store-house_ 283
_The Great Red Fox frightens Father Goat_ 285
_The Great Red Fox and Uncle Bear at the Store-house_ 287
_The Bear and the Fox go to Farmer John’s again_ 289

_ELEVEN O’CLOCK_ 291

_Head-piece—King Stork_ 293
_The Drummer helps the Old Man_ 295
_The Princess comes forth from the Castle at Night_ 297
_The Drummer helps himself_ 299
_The Drummer catches the One-eyed Raven_ 303

_TWELVE O’CLOCK_ 305

_Head-piece—The Best that Life has to Give_ 307
_The Blacksmith steals the Dwarf’s Pine-cones_ 309
_The Blacksmith chooses the Raven_ 311
_The Blacksmith brings the Little Bird to the Queen_ 315
_The Young Blacksmith Forges the Ring_ 317

One O’clock·

One of the _Clock_, and silence deep [Sidenote: ☾]
Then up the _Stairway_, black and steep
The old _House-Cat_ comes creepy-creep
With soft feet goes from room to room
Her green eyes shining through the gloom,
And finds all fast asleep. [Sidenote: ○]

K.P.