The Violet Fairy Book

he would he could not find the way out. As he was wandering down one path which

ger; ‘darkness is falling fast, and soon the wild

nswered the king, ‘and

irst thing that comes out of your house, and

ke: ‘Why should I give away my BEST sporting dog. I can s

three whole days, with no better success than before. He was almost

e first thing that comes out

as stiff-necked and

but his courage at last gave way, and he sank wearily on the ground under a tree, feeling sure

u should give your life for him like this? Just promise me

had he uttered the words than he found himself at the edge of the wood, with the palace in the dim distance. He made all the haste he could, and just as he reached the

up to him, but his caresses wer

ilken sheets. At the end of a year, the stranger arrived to claim his property, and took away the little girl, believing her to be the true child of the king. The king was so delighted with the success of his plan that he ordered a great feast to be got ready, and g

d him in secret, that he was the king’s son. And the prince determined that when he grew old enough he would travel all over the world, and never rest till he had set her free. To become king at the cost of a maiden’s life was too heavy a price to pay. So one day he put on the dress of

g from his girdle. He nodded cheerfully to the prince, and said: ‘I know this

‘I have nothing to give you save my life; even the coat on my ba

id, ‘But you must possess something; you are ca

uy peas to give the watchers, as is the custom throughout the country. I have borrowed these peas fr

‘Why should you not enter my service? I want a

‘I was born a peasant, and strange bread is always bitter, so i

ter and vegetables, your summer and winter cl

d the youth. ‘Somebody else will have

ervant kept dropping peas out of the sack. At night they slept under a fig tree, and when the sun rose started on their way. About noon they came to a large stone, and here the old fellow stopped, looked carefully round, gave a sharp whistl

and plants, birds and beasts, each was different from those he had seen before; but what most struck terror into his heart was the absolute stillness that reigned everywhere. Not a rustle or a sound could be heard. Here and there he noticed a bird sitting on a branch, with head erect and swelling throat, but his ear caught nothing. The dogs opened their mouths as if to bark

like bristles, and a cold chill was creeping down his spine, when at last — oh, ecstasy! — a faint noise broke on his strainin

uth, and said: ‘The kettle is bo

ding of a saw-mill, as if dozens of saws were working together, but his gu

that the place looked more like a village or even a small town. They reached it at last, and found an empty kennel standing in front of the gate. ‘Creep inside

kennel, and began to regret the daring

said, ‘Watch carefully our ways in the house, and beware of making any mistake, or it will go ill with you. Keep your eyes a

y the table, bring in the food, and take her seat by the fire as if she had never noticed that a strange man was present. Then she took out a needle and thread, and began to darn her stockings. The master sat at table alone, and invited neither his new servant nor the maid to eat with him. Neither was the old

uring the meal he stole many glances at the maiden, and would even have spoken to her, but she gave him no encouragement. Every time he opened his mouth for the purpose she looked at him s

igues of the journey, and look about the house. But the day after to-morrow you must come with m

ave to speak, but his master turned on h

f the house you will soon find yourself a head s

nodded to him to go in. He would have lingered a moment, for he though

brought here instead of me, so I am bound to risk my head in this mad adventure.’ He got into bed, but it was long before he fell asleep, and ev

g that came into his head that could be of any use to her. In the afternoon he went out, in order to learn something of his new home, and wondered greatly not to come across the old grandmother. In his ramble

h his quarters had it not been for the difficulty of keeping silence in the presence of the maiden. On th

ered. ‘Take this scythe and cut as much grass as the white horse will want for its day’s feed, and

ll soon get through that! If I have never yet handled either the plough or the scythe

the maiden glided softly past and whisper

is really nothing at all! Just to cut hay

But listen to me, and do what I tell you. It is your only chance. When you have filled the manger as full as it will hold you must weave a strong plait of the rushes which grow among the meadow hay, and cut a thick peg of stout wood, and be sure that the horse sees what you are doing. Then it will ask you

easily than he had hoped, and soon he had enough to fill the manger. He put it in the

been lost, and began to put it into practice. He took out the rushes

ou doing?’ asked th

a chin strap to bind your jaws together

t heard this, and made up its mind t

nd by mid-day there was still fodder in the manger, and the place was as clean as a new

er enough to do that?’ he asked. ‘Or

ied the prince, ‘except what m

y, and the prince rejoiced that e

but as the girl has a great deal to do in the house you must milk the black

s some trick behind, this does not sound very hard. I have

ward his room, when the maiden came to hi

‘and have nothing to do all day,

e with you a pan of burning coals and a pair of tongs. Place the pan on the floor of the stall, and the tongs on the fire, and blow with all your might, till the coals burn brightly. Th

the pan of coals in one hand and the milk pail in the other, went straight to the

urprise for some time, and then

ing a pair of tongs in case you may not fee

an with fear, but he took no notice, and milke

to milk the cow himself, but not a drop of milk could he get. ‘Ha

prince, ‘but my own poor head.’ The old

ay-stack out in the meadow which must be brought in to dry. To-morrow you will have to stack it all in the shed, and, as you va

, ‘and it will give me no trouble, for the horse will have to dr

ole up to ask what task

n all kinds of farmer’s work. To-morrow I have to carry a hay-rick,

he instant you have thrown down the hay at the top, it will take root again from below. But listen to what I say. You must steal out at daybreak to-morrow and bring out the white horse and

re counting, and you must be sure

ar, and left the room. And the prince knew

the horse out of the stable and rode it to the hay-stack, which was made up of fifty cartloads, so that it could hardly be called ‘a little one.’ The prince did all that the ma

nting the packs of wolves in the forest, but there are real

in the twinkling of an eye it had reached the shed, dragging the hay-stack behind it. The master

o clever?’ asked he. ‘Or did

sel with,’ said the prince, and the

ce went to his master to lea

white-headed calf to the meadow, and, as you valu

nineteen have got a whole herd to look after, so surely I can ma

rk,’ said he; ‘nothing but to take

eed to what I tell you. Bind one end of this silk thread to the left fore-leg of the calf, and the other end to the little toe of your left foot

ld him, and led the calf with the silken thread to the

e the master and said, with a frown, ‘Were you really s

and the old man went away growling, ‘I don’t believe a

rrow I have no work for you, but when I wake you must

s strange freak, and went lau

and there is only one way in which I can help you. You must heat a

l before the old man was awake. At length he heard him calling,

only said, ‘I am very ill to-day, and too weak even to touch

t; friendly manner, and, to his surprise, his master exclaimed, ‘I am very well satisfied with you. Come to me at

of the house, he managed to keep still. When he told the maiden, he saw to hi

t escape somehow, or else we shall be lost. Take an axe, and cut off the head of the calf with one blow. With a second, split

ourselves. If we can once escape, we will go back home. The peas which

place was filled with light, as the red ball fell from the brain of the calf. The prince picked it up, and, wrapping it round with

oor stood the maiden, holding

the ball?’

’ answ

went on, and uncovered a tiny bit of the

e had overheard a conversation between the old man and his grandmother, saying that she was a king’s daughter, whom the old fellow had obtained by cunning from her parents. Th

at very soon the couple were to present themselves before him. After waiting and waiting till quite a long time

y, and cried loudly, ‘Man and

neither man nor maid appeared. At last he jumped angrily out of bed to go in search

oor of the third stall quickly, and cried to his goblin servants to go and chase the fugitives. ‘Bring them to me, h

said. ‘The ball moves in my hand, and I’m sure we are being followed!’ and behind them they saw a

me, my ba

change me i

r into a li

g nobody, waited for a little, then hurried home, leaving the brook and the fish undisturbed. When they we

returned, their master inquired what they had

n was quite empty, save for a b

of the fifth stall, he told the goblins inside that they must go and drink up

The ball is moving in my hand,’ and looking round she beheld a cloud flying towards them, large and blacker than the first,

me, my ba

and chang

a wild r

to a rose

he stream and the fish. But neither stream nor fish was to be seen; nothing but a rose bush. So they went sorrowing home, and when th

?’ asked the old man whe

he goblins, ‘we found neither

find nothing

ee on the edge of a wood,

goblins were locked in. ‘Bring them to me, however you find them, dead or alive!’ thundered he, ‘for I will h

ddenly the maiden looked up. ‘Something has happened,’ said she. ‘The ball has nearly jumped out of my bo

took the ball in

me, my ba

change me i

y lover in

f goblins rushed up, and looked about in search of something strange, for neither a rose bush nor anything else was to be s

e, ‘before the old man himself comes to seek

hed by the ball, they could not have made their way at all. Worn out and breathless, they came at len

me, my ba

one quickly

may find

led away, and they had passed thr

us, and we can guard ourselves from his spells. But, my friend, we have

and be my wife. We have gone through many troubles together, and now we will share

ad now passed away during which they had found no traces of him. So, by the help of the magic ball, the maiden managed that he should put on the same clothes that he had be

athbed he confessed to his people how he had contrived that the old wizard should carry a

ank nothing. But on the fourth day he stood in the presence of his people as their new king, and, calling his counci

th one voice, ‘Let her be yo

the end of

Marchen.]