Read Online Brick Fairy Tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Hansel and Gretel, and More by John McCann, Monica Sweeney, Becky Thomas - Free Book Online Page B
Ads: Link
should be her husband and inherit the crown.
When the physician came to the sick girl’s bed, he saw Death by her feet. He ought to have remembered the warning given by his godfather, but he was so infatuated by the great beauty of the King’s daughter, and the happiness of becoming her husband, that he flung all thought to the winds.
He did not see that Death was casting angry glances on him, that he was raising his hand in the air, and threatening him with his withered fist.
He raised up the sick girl, and placed her head where her feet had lain.
Then he gave her some of the herb,
and instantly her cheeks flushed red, and life stirred afresh in her.
When Death saw that for a second time he was defrauded of his own property, he walked up to the physician with long strides,
and said, “All is over with thee, and now the lot falls on thee,”
and seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand, that he could not resist,
and led him into a cave below the earth.
There he saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in countless rows, some large, others half-sized, others small. Every instant some were extinguished, and others again burnt up, so that the flames seemed to leap hither and thither in perpetual change.
“See,” said Death, “these are the lights of men’s lives.
The large ones belong to children,
the half-sized ones to married people in their prime,
the little ones belong to old people; but children and young folks likewise have often only a tiny candle.”
“Show me the light of my life,” said the physician, and he thought that it would be still very tall.
Death pointed to a little end which was just threatening to go out, and said, “Behold, it is there.”
“Ah, dear godfather,” said the horrified physician, “light a new one for me, do it for love of me, that I may enjoy my life, be King, and the husband of the King’s beautiful daughter.”
“I cannot,” answered Death, “one must go out before a new one is lighted.”
“Then place the old one on a new one, that will go on burning at once when the old one has come to an end,” pleaded the physician.
Death behaved as if he were going to fulfill his wish, and took hold of a tall new candle;
but as he desired to revenge himself, he purposely made a mistake in fixing it,
and the little piece fell down and was extinguished.
Immediately the physician fell on the ground,
and now he himself was in the hands of Death.
Sweet Porridge
There was a poor but good little girl who lived alone with her mother, and they no longer had anything to eat.
So the child went into the forest,
and there an aged woman met her who was aware of her sorrow, and presented her with a little pot,
which when she said, “Cook, little pot, cook,” would cook good, sweet porridge,
and when she said, “Stop, little pot,”
it ceased to cook.
The girl took the pot home to her mother, and now they were freed from their poverty and hunger, and ate sweet porridge as often as they chose.
Once on a time when the girl had gone out,
her mother said, “Cook, little pot, cook.”
And it did cook and she ate till she was satisfied,
and then she wanted the pot to stop cooking, but did not know the word.
So it went on cooking and the porridge rose over the edge,
and still it cooked on until the kitchen
and whole house were full,
and then the next house,
and then the whole street, just as if it wanted to satisfy the hunger of the whole world, and there was the greatest distress, but no one knew how to stop it.
At last when only one single house remained, the child came home and just said, “Stop, little pot,” and it stopped and gave up cooking,
and whosoever wished to return to the town had to eat his way back.
The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces
There was once upon a time a King who had twelve daughters, each one more beautiful than the other.
They all slept together in one chamber, in which
When the physician came to the sick girl’s bed, he saw Death by her feet. He ought to have remembered the warning given by his godfather, but he was so infatuated by the great beauty of the King’s daughter, and the happiness of becoming her husband, that he flung all thought to the winds.
He did not see that Death was casting angry glances on him, that he was raising his hand in the air, and threatening him with his withered fist.
He raised up the sick girl, and placed her head where her feet had lain.
Then he gave her some of the herb,
and instantly her cheeks flushed red, and life stirred afresh in her.
When Death saw that for a second time he was defrauded of his own property, he walked up to the physician with long strides,
and said, “All is over with thee, and now the lot falls on thee,”
and seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand, that he could not resist,
and led him into a cave below the earth.
There he saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in countless rows, some large, others half-sized, others small. Every instant some were extinguished, and others again burnt up, so that the flames seemed to leap hither and thither in perpetual change.
“See,” said Death, “these are the lights of men’s lives.
The large ones belong to children,
the half-sized ones to married people in their prime,
the little ones belong to old people; but children and young folks likewise have often only a tiny candle.”
“Show me the light of my life,” said the physician, and he thought that it would be still very tall.
Death pointed to a little end which was just threatening to go out, and said, “Behold, it is there.”
“Ah, dear godfather,” said the horrified physician, “light a new one for me, do it for love of me, that I may enjoy my life, be King, and the husband of the King’s beautiful daughter.”
“I cannot,” answered Death, “one must go out before a new one is lighted.”
“Then place the old one on a new one, that will go on burning at once when the old one has come to an end,” pleaded the physician.
Death behaved as if he were going to fulfill his wish, and took hold of a tall new candle;
but as he desired to revenge himself, he purposely made a mistake in fixing it,
and the little piece fell down and was extinguished.
Immediately the physician fell on the ground,
and now he himself was in the hands of Death.
Sweet Porridge
There was a poor but good little girl who lived alone with her mother, and they no longer had anything to eat.
So the child went into the forest,
and there an aged woman met her who was aware of her sorrow, and presented her with a little pot,
which when she said, “Cook, little pot, cook,” would cook good, sweet porridge,
and when she said, “Stop, little pot,”
it ceased to cook.
The girl took the pot home to her mother, and now they were freed from their poverty and hunger, and ate sweet porridge as often as they chose.
Once on a time when the girl had gone out,
her mother said, “Cook, little pot, cook.”
And it did cook and she ate till she was satisfied,
and then she wanted the pot to stop cooking, but did not know the word.
So it went on cooking and the porridge rose over the edge,
and still it cooked on until the kitchen
and whole house were full,
and then the next house,
and then the whole street, just as if it wanted to satisfy the hunger of the whole world, and there was the greatest distress, but no one knew how to stop it.
At last when only one single house remained, the child came home and just said, “Stop, little pot,” and it stopped and gave up cooking,
and whosoever wished to return to the town had to eat his way back.
The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces
There was once upon a time a King who had twelve daughters, each one more beautiful than the other.
They all slept together in one chamber, in which
Similar Books
