The Violet Fairy Book

day he called the boy to him and said he wanted some corn ground, but the

had gone very far he saw a large mill in front of

g, beardless

g, sonny,’ re

rind somet

what I am doing and then you

stily to the same mill before him. When the boy reached the second mill, and saw a second beardless man sitting there, he did not stop, and walked on till he came to a third mill. But this time also the beardless man had been too clever for him, and had arriv

he had done he said to the boy, who was beginning to grind

father’s words, but he thought to himself, ‘What is done

ver in his two hands, to mix the cake. When the cake was ready for baking they put it on the fire, and covered it with hot ashes, till it w

of us have enough. Let us see who can tell the biggest lie

at else to do, answered

of inventing new lies the boy said to him, ‘My good fellow, if THAT is all

s properly. One day, as I was counting the bees, I discovered that my best bee was missing, and without losing a moment I saddled a cock and went out to look for him. I traced him as far as th

leading the cock by a string, so that he should have a rest. As we were flying home over the sea one of the strings that held the bag of millet broke in two, and the sack dropped straight into the ocean. It was quite lost, of course, and there was no use thinking about it, and by the time we were safe back again night had come. I then got down from my b

from their skins, all of which I filled with honey and placed on the back of the cock. At length I reached home, where I was told that my father had just been born, and that I must go at once to fetch some holy water to sprinkle him with. As I went I turned over in my mind if there w

r the sea, when there fell a great rain, and the sea was swollen, and swept away

n the ground, and instantly sank in it as far as my waist. I struggled to get out, but only fell in further; so I ran to the house, seized a spade, dug myself out, and took home the holy water. On the way I noticed that the ripe fields were full of reapers, and suddenly the air became so frightfully hot that the men dropped down in a faint. Then I called to them, “Why don’t you bring out our mare, which is as tall as two days, and as broad as half a day, and make a shade for yourselves?” My father heard what I said and jumped quickly on the mare, and the reapers worked with a will in the shadow, while I snatched up a wooden pail to bring them some water to drink. When

e, and went home, while the beardless one r

rchen de

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