 CHAPTER XXV. of THE FUR-TREE FAIRYBOOK. THE FUR-TREE FAIRYBOOK by Clifton Johnson. PUSS IN BOOTS. Once upon a time there was a poor miller who had three sons, and when he died he had nothing to leave them except his mill, a donkey, and a cat. The division was quickly made without the help of either lawyer or judge. The eldest son took the mill, and the second took the donkey, so there was nothing left for the youngest but the cat, and the poor fellow could not help feeling that he had been treated shabbily. My brothers will be able to earn a comfortable livelihood, he sighed. But as for me, though Puss may feed himself by catching mice, he can't feed me, and I shall certainly die of hunger. While he spoke, the cat was sitting nearby and heard all he said. Suddenly the creature jumped on his shoulder, rubbed gently against his cheek, and began to speak. Dear Master! said he, do not grieve! I am not as useless as you think. Give me a bag, and buy me a pair of boots, so I can scamper through the brush and brambles, and I will make your fortune for you. The lad had very little money to spare, but he knew Puss was a faithful creature, and he had seen him play many cunning tricks to catch rats and mice, so that he did not altogether despair of his affording him some help. Therefore he bought him a smart pair of boots, made of buff-colored leather, and gave him the bag for which he had asked. Puss drew on the boots, and then he fitted the slip-strings around the mouth of the bag, put some bran and parsley inside, and trotted off with it to a neighboring hillside, where there was an abundance of rabbits. He laid the bag on the ground, with the mouth of it propped open, and hid himself in the ferns and bushes and waited. Presently two foolish young rabbits came sniffing about, and crept into the bag to get some of the bran and parsley. The clever cat at once drew the slip-strings close, and the rabbits were caught. He slung the bag over his shoulder, and away he went to the royal palace, where he asked to speak with the king. The guards ushered him into the king's presence, and Puss made a low bow, lifted the rabbits out of his bag, and said, Sir, my noble lord, the Marquis of Caribus. This was the title he chose to confer on his master. This commanded me to present these rabbits to your majesty, with his respects. Tell your master that I thank him, said the king, and that he has given me great pleasure. Then he dismissed Puss with many compliments and a purse of gold, and ordered his head cook to serve the rabbits for dinner, so he and his daughter might enjoy them. The next day Puss went and hid in a grain field, with the bag baited and open near his hiding-place. A brace of partridges ran into it, and he drew the strings and caught them. These he took home to his master, and he went hunting every pleasant day. He kept his master so well supplied with game, that they lived in plenty, and often he carried some game to the king. Whatever it was that he presented at the palace, it was always with the message, From my lord, the Marquis of Caribus, so every one of the court was talking of the strange nobleman, whom no one had ever seen, but who sent such generous gifts to his majesty. By and by Puss decided that it was time for his master to be introduced at court. He learned that on a certain day, the king and his daughter, who was the most beautiful princess in the world, were to go out and their coach to drive along the riverside, and he said to his master, If you will follow my advice your fortune is made, go and wash yourself in the river at a spot, which I will show you, and leave the rest to me. The young man knew nothing of the why or wherefore of the cat's advice, but he went to the river, and the cat took charge of his clothes while he plunged into the water. He did not enjoy the experience, for the water was cold, and he soon stopped splashing around, and stood shivering with the water up to his neck, wondering what was to happen next. Just then the king's carriage appeared in sight, and Puss at once began to shout, Help, help, my lord, the Marquis of Caribus is drowning! The king put his head out of the coach window, and he recognized Puss as the cat who had so often brought him presence of game. Immediately he ordered his attendants to go to the assistance of the Marques. While they were pulling the youth out of the river, the cat came up to the coach, and told the king that some rogues had gone off with his master's clothes, though in fact the cunning cat had hidden them under a big stone. On hearing this story, the king dispatched one of his grooms to fetch a handsome suit of purple and gold from the Royal Wardrobe. When the young man had been arrayed in this, he looked so well that no one for a moment supposed, but that he was some noble foreign lord. The king and his daughter were so pleased with his appearance that they invited him into their carriage. At first he felt a little shy about sitting next to a princess, but she smiled at him so sweetly and was so kind and gentle that he soon forgot his fears. As for her, after he had cast two or three respectful and somewhat tender glances in her direction, she fell in love with him to distraction. When the cat had seen his master seated in the Royal Carriage, he was overjoyed to think how well his project was succeeding. He ran on ahead as fast as he could trot until he came to a field of grain where the laborers were busy reaping. "'Reapers,' said he fiercely, "'the king will soon pass this way. If he should ask you to whom this field belongs, remember that you are to say to the Marquis of Caribus, don't dare to disobey me, I will have you all chopped up as fine as mincemeat.' The reapers were so afraid the cat would do, as he threatened, that they promised to obey. Marquis then ran on and told all the other laborers whom he met to give the same answer, and declared they would be terribly punished if they did not. The king was in a very good humor, for the day was fine, and he found the Marquis a very pleasant companion. So he told the coachman to drive slowly that he might admire the beautiful country. "'What a fine field of wheat,' he said presently, and he had the coach stop, while he asked the laborers to whom it belonged. Then the men answered in accord with the cat's orders. "'To our lord, the Marquis of Caribus!' "'A sir,' said the Marquis, "'this is a field that never fails to yield puntifully every year.' The coach went on until it encountered a herd of cattle. "'To whom do these cattle belong?' the king asked the drovers. "'To the Marquis of Caribus!' they replied. It was the same all along the way. The king's inquiries as to the ownership of property received this uniform reply. The Marquis listened with the greatest astonishment and thought what a wonderful cat Pus was, and the king was delighted to find that his new friend was as wealthy as he was charming. Meanwhile Pus, who was well in advance of the royal party, had arrived at a stately castle which belonged to a cruel ogre, the richest ever known. Indeed he was the owner of all the land and crops and cattle the king had admired so much. The cat knocked at the door and asked to see the ogre, who received him quite civilly. He had never before seen a cat in boots, and the sight amused him, so he and Pus were soon chatting together. "'I have been assured,' said the cat, that you possess the power to change yourself into any kind of animal you choose, a lion or an elephant, for instance.' "'Well, so I can,' responded the ogre briskly. "'Dear me,' said Pus, how much I should like to see you do it now. The ogre was only too glad to have a chance to show how clever he was, so he agreed to transform himself into any animal Pus might mention. "'Oh, I will leave the choice to you,' said the cat politely. Immediately there appeared, where the ogre had been seated, an enormous lion, roaring and lashing with his tail, and looking as though he meant to gobble up the cat in a trice. Pus was really very much frightened, and he jumped out of the window and managed to scramble up on the roof, though not without abundance of trouble and danger because of his boots. There he clung, refusing to come down until the ogre resumed his natural form, and laughingly called to him that he would do him no harm. Then Pus ventured back into the room and began to compliment the ogre on his cleverness. "'Of course,' said he in conclusion, what you did was very marvelous. But it would be more surprising still, if you, who are so big in fears, could transform yourself into some timid little creature, such as a mouse. That I suppose would be impossible.' "'Not at all,' said the ogre. One is quite as easy to me as the other, as I will show you.' A moment later the ogre had vanished, and a little brown mouse was frisking about the floor. Now or never,' said Pus, and with a sudden leap he seized the mouse and gobbled it up as fast as he could. Instantly all the gentlemen and ladies whom the wicked ogre had held in his castle under a spell were disenchanted and they came to express their gratitude to their deliverer. They were ready to do anything to please him, and at his request they agreed to enter into the service of the Marquis of Caribas. Now the cat had a splendid castle with much treasure stored in its vaults, and he ordered a magnificent feast to be prepared. Then he hurried forth to the highway and met the king's coach. His majesty was looking toward the ogre's castle. "'Whose is it?' he asked. I have never seen a finer.' "'It belongs to the noble Marquis of Caribas,' said Pus, and I beg you to honor my master by being his guest.' The king ordered the coachman to drive to the castle, and Pus went on ahead and threw open the gates. As the carriage was crossing the drawbridge he cried out, "'Welcome to the castle of my lord, the Marquis of Caribas.' Full of surprise the king turned to the Marquis and said, "'Not even my own palace can surpass the beauty of your castle.' Pus helped his majesty to elight and conducted him into a spacious hall, where a group of gentlemen and ladies were waiting to receive them. The Marquis came into the hall with the princess, and they all sat down to a splendid banquet. Long and merrily they feasted, and when at length the guest rose to depart, the king embraced the Marquis and said, "'I am charmed with your many excellent qualities, and am greatly impressed with the castle, which is your home, and with the magnificence of your hospitality. It will be your own fault, my lord Marquis, if you are not my son-in-law.' The Marquis made several low bowels and thanked his majesty for the honor he conferred on him. Not long afterward the miller's son married the princess, and they were rejoicings throughout the land. On the evening of the wedding day a great ball was given to which princes and noblemen from near and far were invited. Puss opened the ball, wearing for the occasion a pair of boots made of the finest leather, with gold tassels and scarlet heels. I wish you could have seen him. When the old king died the princess and her husband reigned in his stead. Their most honored and faithful friend at court was Puss and Boots, for his master never forgot to whom he owed all his good fortune. Puss lived on the daintiest meat and the most delicious cream, and was petted and made much of all the days of his life, and he never ran after rats and mice, except for exercise and amusement. End of Chapter 25. Recording by Greg Giordano. Newport Ritchie, Florida. Chapter 26. Of The Fertree Fairy Book. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Jim Gallagher. The Fertree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson. The Master and His Pupil. There was once a very learned man who knew all the languages under the sun, and who was acquainted with all the mysteries of creation. He had in his private room a big book bound in black leather and fitted with iron clasps, and it was chained to a table that was screwed fast to the floor. When he wanted to read in the book, he unlocked the clasp with a brass key, and he never allowed anyone else to read in it, for it contained many magician's secrets. Among other things, it told the names of the demons and what they did, and how they could be summoned and made to work for man. A young lad lived with the magician and served him, but though he worked for the great master, he was an ignorant youth who was scarcely allowed so much as to enter the learned man's private room. But one day, when his master was absent, he went in there and satisfied his curiosity by looking around to his heart's content. Here was the wondrous apparatus for changing copper into gold and lead into silver, and the mirror in which could be seen all that was passing in the world, and the shell which, when held to the ear, enabled one to hear any words, being spoken by whatever person one desired to know about. The lad tried in vain with the crucibles to turn copper into gold and lead into silver. But he gazed long and vainly into the mirror, but clouds and smoke passed over the scenes within, and he could discern nothing clearly. Then he put the shell to his ear. That too disappointed him, for he could hear only indistinct murmurings like the breaking of waves on a distant shore. I can do nothing, he said, because I do not know the right words to utter to make things go right. The words I need are locked from sight in yonder book. Since then he noticed, with surprise, that the book lay open. The master had forgotten to lock it, and the lad ran eagerly to look at the secret revealing pages. Some of the words were in black ink, and some in red, and they seemed to be in a strange language. He could not see a single one that appeared familiar, and he sat down and put his finger on a line and spelled it through. At once the room darkened, and the house trembled, and there was a startling clap of thunder. Then the lad saw standing before him a horrible winged creature, breathing fire, and with eyes like burning lamps. It was the demon Beelzebub who he had called up to serve him. "'Set me a task,' cried the demon, with a voice like the roaring of an iron furnace. The boy shivered with fright, and his hair stood on end. He knew not what to do or say. "'Set me a task, or I shall strangle you,' said the demon. But the lad could not find voice to speak. The evil spirit stepped toward him, and reached out his hand towards the boy's throat. The youth shrank from the demon's burning touch, while again the command was dint in his ears. "'Set me a task!' "'Water, young flower,' said the boy in despair, pointing to a geranium which stood in a pot on the floor. Instantly the demon left the room, but a moment later he returned with a barrel on his back and poured its contents over the flower. Again and again he went and came, and poured more and more water, until the floor of the room was ankle-deep. "'Enough, enough!' gasped the lad. But the demon heeded him not. The boy did not know the words that must be spoken in order to send the demon away, and the evil spirit continued to fetch water. It rose to the boy's knees, and yet more water was poured. It mounted to his waist, and still Beelzebub brought barrel after barrel full. It rose to the lad's armpits, and he scrambled to the tabletop. Suddenly the water was half-way up the window and washing against the glass, and it swirled around the lad's legs where he stood on the table. It kept on rising, and reached his breast. In vain he ordered and begged the demon to desist. The evil spirit refused to obey, and he would have been pouring water even to this day had not the master returned. He came in haste, for he had recollected that he had left his book unlocked, and he arrived just as the water had reached his pupil's chin. At a moment's delay he shouted the proper words that make Beelzebub return to his fiery home, and the lad was saved. CHAPTER 27 OF THE THIRD-TREE FAIRY BOOK This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. WEDDING BY SONIA The Fertree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson The White Trout There was once a beautiful lady who lived beside a lake in the western part of Ireland, and she was to be the bride of a king's son. But just before the time set for the wedding he was murdered and thrown into the lake, so of course he couldn't keep his promise to the fair lady, most a pity. The lady was that tender-hearted she went out of her mind because of losing the king's son. She pined away, and one day disappeared, and it was thought that the fairies had taken her. After a time a white trout was seen in a stream that flowed into the lake, and the people didn't know what to make of the creature, for such a thing as a white trout had never been known before. Years and years the trout was there, and no harm was ever done to it, until some wicked sinners of soldiers came to those parts. They laughed at the people, and jibed and jeered at them for never trying to catch the white trout. One of them in particular swore he would have the white trout for his dinner some fine day. Sure enough the blackout caught the trout, and away he went home with it, pitched a pretty little thing into the frying-pan, and put the frying-pan over the fire. The trout squealed just like a Christian when it found itself thus cruelly treated, and the soldier laughed till he was like to split, for he was a hardened villain. When he thought one side was done he turned the trout over to fry the other, but to his surprise saw not a sign of a burn on it anywhere. "'This is a queer trout that can't be fried,' said he, but I'll give it another turn by and by. As soon as the heathen thought that side was done he turned the trout again, and behold, not a bit more broiled was it than when he began. "'Bad luck to me,' said the soldier, but this beats the world. However cunning as you think yourself, I'll try you again, my darling.' So saying he turned the trout over and over and he kept the fire blazing hot, but not a sign of a burn would show on the pretty creature. He might have known he was doing a wrong thing seeing that his endeavours accomplished nothing, and yet he kept on as he had begun. "'Well, my jolly little trout,' said he at last, "'maybe you're fried enough, though you don't seem to be any more so than you were when I pulled you out of the stream. But perhaps you are better than you look, and a titpid after all.' Then he picked up his knife and fork to have a taste of the trout, but the moment he put his knife into the fish there was a piercing screech, and the trout flocked out of the frying-pan into the middle of the floor. Immediately on the spot where it fell stood a beautiful lady, the loveliest creature that I has had ever seen, dressed in white and a band of gold in her hair, and her arm stained with blood. "'Look where you cut me, you villain,' said she, and she held her arm out toward him. "'Why couldn't you leave me cool and comfortable in the river, and not disturb me in my duty?' The soldier, trembling with terror, stammered out some lame excuse and begged for his life, asked her ladyship's pardon, and declared that he did not know she was on duty. "'If I had known it,' said he, "'I am too good a soldier to have meddled with you.' "'I was on duty,' the lady affirmed. "'I was watching for my true love, who is coming to me, and if he comes while I am away, so that I miss him, I'll turn you into the little fish that is called a pinkine, and I'll hunt you up and down forevermore while grass grows or water runs.' The soldier nearly fainted away at the thought of being turned into a pinkine. He begged for mercy harder than ever, and the lady said, "'Renounce your evil ways, or you'll repent too late. Be a good man for the future, and go regularly to church, and now take me and put me back in the river where you found me.' "'Oh, my lady,' exclaimed the soldier, "'how could I have the heart to drown a beautiful lady like you?' Before he could say another word, the lady had vanished, and he saw the little trout on the floor. So he put it on a clean plate, and away he ran to the river as fast as he could go, fearful that her lover would come while she was away. He ran and ran until he came to the edge of the stream, and then he threw the trout into the water. From that day the soldier was an altered man. He reformed his ways, went to church regularly, and fasted three times a week, though he would not eat fish even on fasting days, for after the fright he got fish would never rest on his stomach. At length he left the army and turned her mid, and every day he prayed for the soul of the white trout. End of Chapter 27 Chapter 28 of the Fur Tree Fairy Book This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by M. H. Herlove The Fur Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson Chapter 28 The 49 Dragons Once upon a time there were two brothers, the older of whom was rich and had four children, while the younger was poor and had seven children. At last the family of the poor brother was in such want that the mother went to the rich man and said, I am very wretched, for I am unable to provide my children with enough to eat. I take a little meal and mix it with great deal of bran, and so manage to make bread. It is well nigh a year since my children have had any meat. They get nothing but the meal and bran bread. And yet, said he, your children are strong, while mine, in spite of plentiful and rich food, and other comforts, are always ailing. Yes, said the woman, though our law is one of poverty and hunger, yet thanks be to heaven our children are hail and hearty, but I fear for the future, and I have come to implore you, if you need to hire any work done that you do not send for anyone but me, and may God bless you and give health to your children. As she spoke these words, the tears ran down from her eyes, and the man called his wife and said to her, here is our sister-in-law wanting work, have we something for her to do so that she may not sit idle? Yes, answered his wife, let her come twice a week and need bread for us. When the poor woman heard these words, she was glad, for she thought that when she needed the fine white bread, they would give her some of it, and her children would eat and rejoice. She rose to go away and they said to her, goodbye, and remember to come tomorrow morning. They let her depart without relieving her want by giving her a scrap of anything. As she set off toward home, she said to herself, with that I were rich and could go to my cupboard and bring out a bit of cheese or a piece of bread or a little rice or other household store to gladden the hearts of the poor. Her children were eagerly awaiting her at home, but alas, she came with empty hands. The next day, she went early to the rich man's house to need bread, and when she finished her task, they bid her farewell and told her to be sure to come next time, but they gave her nothing whatever. As soon as she returned home, the children said, have you brought us some food, mother? No, she replied, but maybe they will send us a bit of bread when the baking is done. However, she waited in vain. Two or three days later, she got word that they wanted her to come and need again, so she went to the rich man's house and began to work. As she was needing, the thought came to her head not to wash her hands until she reached home. Then she could give to the children the water in which she washed off the dough and flour. She rushed home as soon as she had done kneading and said to her children, I am going to give you a little milk soup. Then she washed her hands thoroughly and divided the water among them, and they liked it so much, they said. Mother, whenever you go to need, be sure to bring us some of that broth to drink. Twice a week, she went to the rich man's house to need bread, and her children had never been more hearty and vigorous. One day the rich man was passing by his younger brother's house and he put his head in at the door and said, How do you do here? He looked at the children and was amazed to see how fat they were. That put him in a great rage, and he went home and called to his wife. Come at once and tell me what you give to my sister-in-law who does the kneading for us. She was frightened by the way he shouted at her. I never give her anything, she declared, because I am so afraid of giving her too much and then getting a scolding from you. You must have given her something, he persisted, for her children are so fat they look as if they would burst. Well, said his wife, she takes nothing away with her but her unwashed hands, and after she gets home she gives the water in which she washes her hands to the children to drink. Then you must put a stop to that, he ordered. So the next time when the woman had finished kneading, the rich man's wife said to her, Wash your hands and then go. The poor woman obeyed with a sad heart and quailed to think of returning home without being able to give her children even the milk soup wash to which they had become accustomed. As soon as she reached the house, the children gathered about her, clamoring that she should make haste and give them their usual treat. But she said, I washed my hands before I came away this time. All the children began to weep and say, How could you so forget us as not to bring us that beautiful broth? In the midst of the lamentations the father entered the house and asked, What ails the children that they cry so noisily? She told him all that had happened and he was much grieved. Perhaps I can find a little food on the mountain side, said he. I will take a bag and try to get some herbs and edible roots. So away he went and he wandered a long distance. At last he found himself on the top of a high crag and saw, not far away, a great castle. I wonder to whom that castle belongs, said he. He went nearer and climbed into a tree to get a better view of it. While he was looking, behold, a number of dragons came out. He counted them and there were forty-nine. They left the door open and went away out of sight. So he climbed down from the tree and went to the castle where he walked about from room to room and saw that it contained a vast amount of treasure. Into his bag he put as much gold as he could carry and hurried away with it, fearful that the dragons would catch him. When they came back they perceived that some of their money was gone and henceforth they determined that one of them should stay behind in the castle while the others went out. The man returned home and said to his wife, God has taken pity on us. See, here we have enough gold to make us rich. And he opened his bag and showed her the golden money he had brought. On the following day he purchased a house and moved his family into it. But let us continue to live simply, he said to his wife. We will buy what we need and avoid extravagance. Yes, she said, that is best. I do not forget how recently I have been glad to give the children milk soup to drink to save them from starving. For two months they lived happily and had plenty to eat and gave generously to the poor. Then the wife of the older brother came to visit them, for she had heard that they were well off now. Her own family on the contrary had begun to suffer misfortune. Their sheep had died, their crops had failed, and unseasonable frosts had ruined their fruit trees. The wife of the younger brother did not feel any ill will toward her visitor, because of the way she had been treated in the days of her misery, and she welcomed her heartily and gave her the best seat, and set before her the choicest food in the house. This was very different from the treatment that had been accorded her, for the older brother's wife used to receive her in the kitchen and never asked her to sit down. After some time the visitor said, Sister, pray tell me where your husband has found work, that my husband may if possible get work there also. We have been unfortunate of late and are in great want. My husband has not got any employment, responded the other. You remember when I was last at your house and you made me wash my hands. That day he went to the mountains and found a castle where he got a lot of gold. Would he take my husband to that castle, as the former rich woman? Perhaps we too made thus gain relief. He will do what he can for you, I am sure, said the other. If your husband will bring a bag tomorrow, he will show him the way. He does not wish to get any more treasure for himself, because he thinks we already have enough. The next morning the older brother came with a bag under his arm and said, Good-morrow, brother, how do you do? I hope you are well. Heather too, if he saw his brother, he looked the other way or turned aside, lest he should be asked for help. But the former poor man welcomed him and said, It gives me joy to have you into my house, for I have very seldom had the pleasure of seeing you. Things have gone badly with me, said the older brother, and now I know not what to do. Well, said the other, we will go to the mountains and very likely you will have the luck to get rich as ever. So they started off together, and when they came to where they could see the castle, the younger brother showed his companion the tree from which he had watched the castle. Climb up among the branches, said he, and wait till the dragons that dwell in the castle come out. Count them. If forty-nine come forth, you can descend and enter the castle free from fear. But, unless the entire forty-nine leave, do not go in. With these words he turned his steps toward home. His brother watched eagerly from the tree, and by and by he saw the dragons coming forth, and he counted them. But he counted wrong, and instead of saying forty-eight, he said forty-nine. Then he scrambled down from the tree, hurried to the castle and looked about, seeking the treasure that he might fill his bag. Suddenly he heard a voice say, So you are the thief and have come back to steal more of our gold. He found himself confronted by a dragon that had come out of a nearby room where it had been staying on guard. Immediately it bit off his head and took both the body and the head and hung them at the entrance to the castle. When the other dragons came home he said to them, There is no need to keep watch any longer. I have killed the thief and hung him up where he will serve as a warning to all other thieves that may approach our castle. After that none of the dragons stayed at home, but each day they went out together. Two days passed, and the wife of the former rich man got uneasy because her husband did not return. She went to the house of her brother-in-law, and when she told him that her husband had not come back, he said he would go and seek him. Off he went, and as soon as he drew near to the castle, he climbed the tree and looked and saw his brother's body hanging at the entrance. Then he waited till the dragons came out. He counted them with great care, and there were forty-nine. After they had gone from sight, he went and got his brother's body and put it in a bag that lay near the entrance. It was the very bag his brother had brought to contain the gold he hoped to get. The younger brother carried his burden home and sent for his sister-in-law. When she came and saw her dead husband, she wept and would not be comforted. At last, she said, we must get a tailor to sew him together. I cannot bury him like that in two pieces. So the man went out and got a tailor and sewed the head onto the body, and afterward the burial took place. Then the younger brother gave his sister-in-law some money and said, go and provide for yourself and your children, and if you are in want again, do not hesitate to come and ask me for what you need. Meanwhile, the dragons had returned to their castle and found the dead man gone. So the thief had an accomplice, they exclaimed. We must destroy him also. The chief dragon was a powerful magician, and the next day he assumed the form of man and went to the town to try to discover who had come to their castle and removed the body with its severed head. While he was loitering about, uncertain how to get the desired information, he concluded he would go to a tailor and have a suit of clothes made. The tailor took his measure, and the dragon said, now, mind you, sew the seams whilst the stitches won't come out. You must do a careful job, or I will not pay you. It's not often I have a nice suit made and I, in particular, use good, strong, red, and… Stop! cried the tailor with rising anger. There is no need for you to make such a fuss. Why, yesterday I had to sew together a dead man whose head had been separated from his body. His relations were entirely satisfied with the way I did the difficult task. If I can do a job like that so well, and spite of the fact that it was out of my line, you can be assured I have the skill to make you a satisfactory suit. So have done with your advising, or you will drive me crazy. Do you know the person who hired you to sew the dead man? Asked the dragon. Of course I do, answered the tailor. He lives nearby. If you like, I will point out his house, and you can go in and ask him whether the body was well sewed or not. So he took the dragon a little way along the street and showed him where the brother of the dead man dwelt. But instead of going into the house, the dragon went to a carpenter's shop and ordered forty-eight chests, each just big enough to contain one of the dragons. When the chests were finished, he had them sent to a lonely spot outside of the town, and thither he summoned his dragons. They got into the chests, and he hired wagons to bring the chests to the house of the dead man's brother. He himself went on ahead, and toward evening he found the former poor man seated in his doorway. Sir, said he, I have had forty-eight chests sent to me. You can see them coming down the street on those wagons. Would you be so kind as to let me leave them in your yard for the night? You are welcome to leave them there for the night, said the man, and as much longer as suits your convenience. After the wagons had been unloaded and the dragon chief had gone, the man's children began climbing about and jumping on the chests. The dragons who were inside groaned from time to time and said, ah, would it were dark that we might eat them all. Presently, the children took notice of the groanings and the words, and they ran to their father and said, those chests are rebelled, they are talking. The man thought a moment and said, forty-eight, and the one that brought them makes forty-nine. Then he went to the chests and put his ear to one of the keyholes. He heard the direful words and the groaning, and he said to himself, now that I have you monsters in my power, I'll make sure of you. So off he went and brought some iron rods. He did them red hot in his kitchen fire, and one by one thrust them into the chests until he had killed all the forty-eight dragons. That done, he called his servant, opened one of the chests and said, my man, look here, someone has played us a trick and put a dragon in this chest. If I had not killed the creature it would have devoured us all. Take it and throw it into the sea. The servant lifted it on his back, went to the seashore, which was not far away, and threw the creature down with a rising tide which soon carried it away. Then he went home, but while he was gone his master had opened another chest. The man had his servant look in and said, here is the dragon, surely you did not throw it far enough out into the sea, else how would it have returned? Again, the servant carried a dragon to the shore, and once more returned to find what was apparently the same dead dragon. His master kept him going nearly all night, and when he made the trip with the forty-eighth dragon, he was exasperated, that he waited right into the sea and cast it out as far as he could. When he returned home he said, master, is it back? No, the man answered, it has not come back, you must have thrown it in very deep. Next morning the chief dragon came, and he was a good deal perturbed, because he had expected his dragons would destroy the family of the former poor man, and then join their chief before daylight at an appointed spot outside of the town. I find that one of your chest is open and empty, the man informed the dragon. He left the way to the yard, and when the dragon bent over to look into the chest, the man seized him and pushed him inside, slammed down the cover and locked it. Then he ran for a red hot iron, and soon the last of the dragons had perished. The castle among the mountains was now without an owner, and the man took possession of it, and lived there as happy as a prince. And may whoever reads the story, or hears it read, live happier still. The Fertree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson The Four Clever Brothers There once was a poor man who had four sons, and when they were grown up he said to them, Dear children, you must go out into the world now, for I have nothing to give you. It is my wish that you should each learn a trade by which you can gain a comfortable livelihood, if not wealth. So the Four Brothers took their walking-staffs in their hands, bid their father good-bye, and tramped away down the street, and passed out of the town gate. After they had travelled some distance, they came to where Four Roads branched away from the one they were tramping. Here we must part, said the eldest brother. But four years from this day we will meet here again, and tell each other what we have accomplished. Then each went on his own way, and the eldest presently met a man, who asked him where he was going and what he intended to do. I want to learn a trade, the youth answered. Then come with me and learn to be a thief, said the man. No, responded the youth. That is no longer considered an honourable employment, and in the end I should swing as a clapper from the field-bell. Oh, you don't need to fear the gallows, said the man. I will only teach you how to take things that no one else wants, or knows how to get a hold of, and I will make you so expert that nobody can find you out. So the youth allowed himself to be persuaded, and he became, under the man's instruction, such a clever thief that nothing was safe from him which he had once made up his mind to have. Meanwhile the second brother had met a man who had put the same question to him as to whether he was going and what he intended to do. I don't know yet, said the youth. Then come with me and be a star-gazer, the man advised. It is the greatest trade in the world, for you gain the power to see everything. The youth was pleased with the idea, and he became such an expert star-gazer that when he finished his apprenticeship, his master gave him a telescope and said, With this you can see all that happens in the sky and on the earth, and nothing can remain hidden from you. The third brother was taken in hand by a huntsman, and received such instruction on the art of shooting that he became a first-rate marksman. When he had learned all there was to learn and was ready to depart, his master presented him with a gun and said, Whatever you aim at with this gun you will hit without fail. The youngest brother met a man who asked if he would like to be a tailor. I don't know about that, said the youth. I haven't much fancy for city cross-legged from morning till night, and everlastingly pulling a needle in and out. There, there, said the man. You don't know what you are talking about. You will find that tailoring, as I teach it, is easy. It will be pleasant to you and win your honour. The youth allowed himself to be persuaded, and went with the man who taught him tailoring very thoroughly. At length the time came for him to depart, and his master gave him a needle and said, With that you will be able to stitch anything, even a thing as tender as an eggshell, or as hard as steel, and no seam will be visible after you are through. On the very day that the four years agreed on came to an end, the four brothers met at the place where they had parted, and after embracing each other they hurried home to their father. Well, said he, quite pleased to see them, so the wind has blown you back to me. They sat under a big tree in the yard, and told him all that had happened to them. When they finished, their father said, Now I will put your accomplishments to the test, and see what you can do. He looked up into the tree and said to his second son, There is a chaff inches nest up there on the topmost branch. Tell me how many eggs there are in it. The stargazer took his telescope, looked through it and said, There are five. Fetch the eggs down, said the father to his eldest son, and be careful not to disturb the mother bird who is sitting on them. The cunning thief climbed the tree, and removed the five eggs from underneath the bird so deftly that she never noticed what he had done, and he brought them down to his father. The father took them and put one on each corner of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman, You must cut all of those eggs in half at one shot. The huntsman aimed and divided each egg in half, and at one shot, as his father desired. He certainly must have some of the powder that shoots round a corner. The eggs had little birds in them, and the neck of each had been severed by the bullet. Now it's your turn, said the father to the fourth son. I expect you to sew the birds and the shells together, so they will be none the worse for that shot. The tailor produced his needle and stitched away as his father had desired. When he finished the task, the thief climbed the tree with the eggs, and put them back underneath the bird without her perceiving him. The bird continued to sit on the eggs, and a few days later the fledglings crept out of the shells. Each had a red streak around its neck where the tailor had sewn them together, but were none the worse otherwise. I can certainly praise your skill, said his father to his sons. You have used your time well while you have been away, and you all have acquired very useful knowledge. Not long after this a great lamentation was made in the country because the king's daughter had been carried away by a dragon. The king was overcome by grief and sorrow for her day and night, and he had proclaimed that whoever rescued the princess should have her for his wife. The four brothers said to one another, this will be an opportunity for us to show what we can do, and they will agree to sally forth together to deliver the princess. I will soon discover where she is, said the Sargazer. He looked through his telescope and said, I see her already. She is a long way from here, sitting on the rock in the middle of the sea, and the dragon is there watching her. Then they went to the king, who at their request furnished them with a ship, in which they sailed away over to the sea until they approached the rock. The princess was sitting there, and the dragon was asleep with his head on her lap. I dare not shoot, said the hunter, for fear I should kill the princess as well as the dragon. Then I will try my luck, said the thief, and he rode a boat to the rock and took the princess away so lightly and stealthily that the monster continued to sleep and snore. The thief got the princess safely on board with the ship, and full of joy the brothers spread the sails to the wind and steered for the open sea. But the dragon soon awoke, and when he realized that the princess was gone, he started in pursuit of the ship, flapping through the air at his best speed, snapping his tail savagely and foaming at the mouth with rage. Just as he was hovering over the ship to plunge down on it, the huntsman took aim with his unearing gun and shot the dragon through the heart. The monster was killed instantly, but his huge body fell into the ship and smashed it into pieces. The brothers and the princess managed each to grasp a plank and thus kept themselves afloat. They were in great straits, but the tailor was equal to the emergency. With his wonderful needle he sewed together the planks on which he and his companions were sustaining themselves, and then they paddled about and collected all of the other floating fragments of the ship. The tailor stitched them together so cleverly that in a short time the ship was seaworthy once more, and they sailed happily home. When the king saw his dear daughter again, he was very glad, and said to the four brothers, one of you shall marry her, but you must settle among yourselves which one that shall be. They discussed the matter with a good deal of warmth, for each pressed their own claims. The star-gazer said, Had I not discovered the princess all your doings would have been in vain, therefore she is mine. The thief said, What would have been good the discovery of her if I had not stolen her away from the dragon, so she is mine. The huntsman said, But you all would have been destroyed by the monster had not my ball reached his heart, so she is mine. That is all very fine, said the tailor, but if it had not been for my sowing the wreck together, you would all have been miserably drowned. Therefore the princess is mine. When they all had voiced their claims to the princess, the king said, Each of you is equally entitled to her, but since you cannot all have her, none of you shall have her. Instead I shall reward you each with half a province. The brothers were quite satisfied with this decision and said, It is better so then that we shall quarrel. So each of them received half a province, and they lived happily in the home of their father the rest of their days. Recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. The Furry Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson Chapter 30 The Use Without Fear There was once a father who had two sons. One was ambitious and sensible and clever enough to do almost anything. But the younger one was so stupid he made no progress at all. When people saw how useless he was, they said, His father will have plenty of trouble with him. If there was any task that needed doing, it fell to the lord of the elder son, who never failed to do his work facefully and well, unless his father asked him to fetch something in the evening after dark. Then if the errand would compel him to pass through the churchyard, or along a dismal stretch of roadway, he would say, Oh no, father, I cannot go. I'm afraid. It would make me shiver and shake. Occasionally, when the household gathered around the fire after supper, was very likely the company of a neighbor or two. Someone would tell a ghost story, which would cause the listener's flesh to creep, and they would exclaim, How you make me shiver. The youngest son, however, as he said in the corner and heard these exclamations, could not imagine what was meant. There's something queer about it, he said. They say, it makes me shiver, it makes me shiver. But it does not make me shiver a bit. Shivering is an accomplishment I don't understand. One day his father said to him, Listen, you lad, in the corner there. You're growing big and strong. You must learn some trade by which to get a living. See how your brother works, but you are not worthy your salt. Well, father, he responded. I'm quite ready to learn something. With what shall I begin? I would very much like to learn how to shiver and shake for about that I know nothing. The elder son laughed when he heard him speak thus. Good heavens, he thought. What a simpleton my brother is. He will never be good for anything as long as he lives. His father sighed and said, What shivering means you may learn easily enough, but such knowledge will not help you any in getting your bread. Soon afterwards the sexton called at the house, and the father confided to him his anxiety about his younger son. It is quite evident, said he, that the lad will never be any credit to us. Would you believe that when I asked him how he was going to earn his living, he said he would like to learn to shiver and shake? If that's what he wants to learn, said the sexton, we can easily gratify him. I can teach him that myself. Just let him serve me for a while and I'll put the polish on him. The father was pleased for his thought. Anyhow the lad will gain something by the experience. So the sexton took the yoast, home with him, and he had to ring the church bells. A few days passed and the sexton woke him at midnight, and told him to get up and go to the church tower to ring the bells. You shall soon be taught how to shiver and shake, thought the sexton as he hastened to the bell free ahead of the lad, and crept stealthily up the stairs. The you survived a few minutes later and stumbled along up the stairway in the darkness. He was about to grasp the bell rope when he observed a white figure standing at the head of the stairs. Who is there, he called out, but the figure neither stirred nor spoke. Answer cried the lad, or get out of the way, you have no business here in the night. But the sexton wanted the boy to think he was a ghost, and he did not stir. The lad called out the second time, what do you want here, speak, if you are an honest fellow, or I'll throw you down the stairs. He never would dare undertake such a thing, thought the sexton, so he made no sound and stood as still as if he were made of stone. Once more the lad threatened to shroud the figure, and as he got no answer he sprang forward and threw the ghost down the stairs. The apparition bumped along down the steps and lay motionless in a corner. Then the lad rang the bells, walked home and without saying a word to anybody, went to bed. Soon he was fast asleep. The sexton's wife waited a long time for her husband, but he did not come, and at last she became anxious and woke up the lad. Do you know what has become of my husband? she asked. He went up into the church tower in front of you. No, answered the lad, but there was somebody standing at the head of the stairs in the belfry, and as he would neither reply nor go away, I thought he was a rogue, and I threw him downstairs. Go and see if he was your husband, I should be sorry if he was. The woman hurried away and found the sexton moaning with a broken leg. She carried him home, and the first thing in the morning, hastened with loud cries to the lad's father. Your son has brought a great misfortune on us, she said. He has thrown my husband downstairs and broken his leg. Take the good-for-nothing branch away out of our house. The father was horrified. He went back with her and gave the lad a good scolding. What is the meaning of this inhuman prank, he said? The evil one must have put it into your head. Father, responded the lad, I am quite innocent. He stood there in the dark like a man with some wicked purpose. I did not know who he was, and I warned him three times to speak or to go away. Alas, said his father, you bring me nothing but disaster. Get out of my sight. I will have nothing more to do with you. To travel elsewhere is just what I wish, said the lad, for I hope that will lead to my learning how to shiver and shake. I want at least to have that accomplishment to my credit. Learn what you like, said his father. It's all the same to me. Here are fifty silver pieces for you. Go out into the world, but tell no one whence you come, or who your father is, for you would only bring me to shame. Just as you please, father, said the lad, if this is all you want, I can easily fulfill your desire. So the lad put his fifty silver pieces into his pocket, and betook himself to the high road. As he trumped along, he said over and over, oh, that I could learn to shiver, oh, that I could learn to shake. A man overtook him and heard the words he was saying. They went on together till they came to a gallows, where on seven men were hanging. Sit down here, said the man, and when night comes, you will learn to shiver and shake. If nothing more than that is needed, said the lad, I shall be well-pleased, and I promise you, in case I learn to shiver so speedily, that you shall have the fifty silver pieces now in my pocket. Come back to me earlier tomorrow morning. Then the lad sat down beside the gallows. It grew cold after sundown, and a sharp wind blew and made the bodies on the gallows swing back and forth with a dismal creaking of the ropes, by which they were suspended. Poor fellows, said the lad, I am none too warm down here in a sheltered nook on the ground, and you must have a chilly time of it up aloft there. Then he crawled up and went to sleep. Next morning the man who had been his companion on the day before came and said, Well, I suppose you know now what shivering means. No, said the lad, how could I learn it? Those fellows on the gallows never opened their mouths. The man saw that he would get no silver pieces, and he went away saying, Never before in my life did I meet such a person as that. Soon afterward the lad resumed his travels, and again began saying to himself, O that I could learn to shiver, O that I could learn to shake. A carter who chanced to be on the road heard his plane and asked, Who are you? I don't know, said the youth. Who is your father? the carter questioned. That I must not say was the lad's response. What is it you are grumbling about to yourself as you walk along? the carter inquired. Ah, said the youth, I wish to learn what shivering is, but no one can teach me. Nonsense, said the carter, just you come with me, and I'll see that your desire is gratified. So the youth went with the carter, and in the evening they reached an inn, and arranged to stay there for the night. O that I could learn to shiver, O that I could learn to shake, sighed the youth, as he sat down to wait for supper. The landlord laughed and said, If that's what you want, you can have plenty of opportunity for learning here. Hold your tongue, said the landlady. Many an imprudent fellow has paid the penalty for his curiosity with his life already. It would be a sin and a shame, not to have this stranger's bright eyes see the light of day again. But the youth said, However difficult it may be to learn what shivering is, the lesson is one I'm eager to learn. I left my home to seek such knowledge. He would not be put off with evasions, and at last the landlord told him that not far distant stood an enchanted castle, and that anyone who stayed there overnight would surely learn to shiver. Moreover, the king had promised his daughter in marriage to the man, who would spend three nights in the castle, and everyone said she was the most beautiful young lady the sun ever shone on. Such a vigil would break the spell that was on the castle, and he, who accomplished this, would become master of a great treasure hidden there and guarded by evil spirits. But many, aspiring to win the princess and the treasure and the renown, had gone into the castle, and not one had ever come out. The next morning the youth went to the king and said, By your leave I would like to pass three nights in the enchanted castle. His request was granted, though with some reluctance, for the king took a fancy to the lad, and was sorry to think of his probable fate. When night came, the youth went to the castle, made a bright fire in one of the rooms, and sat down beside it. Oh, if I could only shiver, said he, but I doubt if I can learn how, even here. At midnight he got up from where he was sitting, and freshened the fire. Suddenly some creatures in a corner of the room began to shriek. Mew, mew, how cold are we? Simpletons he exclaimed, What are you screeching for? If you are cold, come and warm yourselves by the fire. Immediately two big black cats sprang forth from the gloomy corner and sat down one on each side of him. They stared at him with wild, fiery eyes, until they had warmed themselves, and then said, Comrade, shall we have a game of cards? Certainly he replied, but show me your paws first. They each lifted a front foot and stretched out their claws. Why, said he, what long nails you've got, wait a bit, I must cut them for you. He picked up a sword he had brought with him, but instead of cutting their nails, he seized each cat in turn by the scruff of the neck, and killed it by thrusting his sword through its body. That done, he dragged them to a window and heaved them out. But no sooner had he got rid of these cats and was about to sit down by his fire again, then crowds of dogs, all jet black, swarmed out of every nook and corner of the room. They howled horribly and trampled on his fire and tried to put it out. For a time he looked quietly on, but at last he got angry, took up his sword and cried, you rascally pack away with you, and he let fly among them right and left. Some of them escaped, and the rest he struck dead and threw out of the window. When he finished, he returned to the fire, scraped the embers together and set it to blazing. At the far side of the room was a big bed, and he went and lay down on it, intending to sleep the remainder of the night. But just as he was closing his eyes, the bed began to move. It crossed the room, went out at a door, and soon was tearing round and round the castle. Very good, she said. The faster the better. The bed careered along as if it were drawn by six horses. Sometimes it was in the castle, sometimes outside, and the way it jolted over the thresholds and juked up and down the stairs was very surprising to say the least. Suddenly it went hop, hop, hop, with more violence than ever, and turned topsy-turvy, so that it lay on the lad like a mountain. But he pitched the pillows and blankets into the air, and soon he had disencumbered himself and got on his feet. Now someone else may ride, said he, and he made his way back to his fire and lay down on the hearth and went to sleep. In the morning the king came to the castle and found the youth stretched out on the floor. He thought the ghosts had killed him, and he said, it's a pity that such a vigorous, handsome fellow should thus perish. But the youth heard him and set up, saying, it has not come to that yet. The king was much surprised and asked him how he had fared. Very well, he answered, one night is gone and I expect to get safely through the others. Presently he returned to the inn. The landlord opened his eyes when he saw him and said, I never thought to behold you alive again. How have you learned how to shiver yet? No, replied the lad, it's all in vain. The second night he went again to the castle, started a fire and sat down by it and began his old song. Oh, if I could only learn to shiver. At midnight he commenced to hear a ringing, rattling noise, first soft, but increasing till there was a great uproar. Then there was a sudden silence. At last, with a loud scream, half a man's body came tumbling down the chimney and rolled out on the floor in front of the lad. Hello, he said, here's only half a man, this is not enough. The rattling and ringing were renewed and soon, amid streaks and howls, the other half fell down. Wait a moment, said the youth, and I will poke up the fire. When this was done and he looked around, the two halves had joined themselves together, and a hideous man sat on the bench. We didn't bargain for that, said the lad, the bench is mine. He went to sit down, and the man tried to push him out of the way. Then the youth became angry and slung the man aside and sat down in his usual seat. Presently more men fell down the chimney, one after the other, and they fetched with them a nine thigh bones and two skulls, and began to play skittles. The youths felt inclined to join in the sport, and he called out, I say, can I play too? Certainly, said they. Then here goes, he cried, the more the merrier. He played with them till ten o'clock, when they disappeared. So he lay down, and soon was fast asleep. Next morning the king again came to see him and said, well, how did you get on this time? I've been playing skittles, he answered. Didn't you learn to shiver, the king asked. Not I, he responded, I only made merry. On the third night he once more was in the enchanted castle, sitting on his bench by the fire. Oh, if I could only learn to shiver, he said in great vexation. When it grew late, six tall men came in carrying a coffin. Hello there, said he, sit down your burden and make yourselves comfortable. They put the coffin on the floor, and he went to it and removed the lid. Inside lay a man. He felt of the man's hands and face, they were as cold as ice. I will soon see whether there is any life left in you, said he, and he picked up the man and sat down with him close by the fire, and rubbed his arms to make the blood circulate. After a time the man grew warm and began to move. There, said the youth, you see I have got you warmed at last. But the man rose up and cried, now I will strangle you. What, exclaimed the youth, is that all the things I get? Back you go into your coffin then. So, saying he grasped him, threw him in, and fastened down the lid. Then the six men carried the coffin away. Oh, dearie me, said the youth, I shall never learn to shiver if I stop here all my life. Just then a huge man entered the room. He was frightful to look at, and he was very old with a long white beard. You miserable wretch, he cried. Now you shall learn what shivering is, for you shall die. Not so fast, said the youth, if I am to die, someone must kill me. I will make short work of you, declared the old monster. Softly, softly, said the lad, don't boast. Very likely I am stronger than are you. We shall see about that, said the old man, come with me. Then he led the way, through numberless dark passages, to a smithy, took a sledgehammer, and with one blow struck an anvil down into the earth, so it was nearly buried out of sight. I can better that, affirmed the youth, and he went to another anvil, took an axe, and with one blow split the anvil half in two. The old man had come so near to watch, that his beard had dropped down on the anvil, and it was wedged into the crevice by the blow of the axe. Now I have you, said the youth, and you will be the one to die. Then he seized an iron rod, and belabored the old man, till the sufferer shrieked for mercy, and promised him great riches, if he would stop. Though the lad pulled out the axe, and the released captive led the way back into the castle, and showed the youth three chests of gold in the cellar. One is for the poor, he said, one is for the king, and one is for you. The clock struck twelve just as the old man finished speaking, and he disappeared and left the youth alone in the dense darkness of the cellar. I must manage to get out somehow, said the lad, and he groped about till he found his way back to the room where he had his fire. There he lay down and went to sleep. Next morning the king came and said, Surely you have now learned to shiver. No, said the youth, a coffin was brought to me containing a man who was nearly frozen, and when I revived him he wanted to strangle me. Afterward an old man came who wanted to kill me, but I got the better of him, and he showed me a lot of gold. However no one can show me what shivering means. Then the king said, You have broken the spell on the castle, and you shall be made a prince and marry my daughter. That is all very fine, said the youth, but still I don't know what shivering is. The gold was brought out from the castle cellar and the marriage was celebrated. But happy as the youth now was, and much as he loved his bride, there yet remained one cause for discontent, and he was always saying, Oh that I could learn to shiver, oh that I could learn to shake. This became quite a source of vexation to his wife as time went on, and at last her waiting woman said, I will help you to teach him the meaning of shivering. She went out to a brook that ran through the garden, and got a pail of cold water full of little fishes. At night when the prince was asleep, his wife took off the coverings and poured the cold water over him, and the little fishes flopped all about him. Then he woke up and cried, Oh how I am shivering dear wife, how I am shivering. Now I know what shivering is. End of Chapter 13. The Fur Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson The Wonderful Turnip There were once two brothers who were soldiers, and one had become an officer and grown rich. The other remained a common soldier and was poor. At last a poor one, with the hope to improve his fortune, took off his soldiering coat and became a farmer. He plowed a small field and sowed turnip seed. The seed came up and the farmer soon observed that one turnip was growing much faster than any of the others. It grew till he thought it would never get done growing, and at the end of the season, when he uprooted it, that one turnip filled a cart and required two oxen to draw it. Truly it was the queen of turnips, and its like had never been seen before, nor ever will be again. The farmer knew not what to do with it, and was uncertain whether it would bring good fortune or bad. If I sold it I should not get much money for it, said he. As for eating it, the ordinary turnips would do as well for that. I think I will take it to the king. So away he went, with oxen dragging the cart that contained the turnip, and in due time he arrived at court and presented the turnip to the king. What an extraordinary object, the king exclaimed. I have seen many marvels, but never anything so remarkable as this. You must be a child of good luck, whether you raise this turnip from seed or found it full grown. Oh no, said the farmer. Lucky I certainly am not. For many years I was a poor soldier, but recently I hung my uniform on a nail, and now I till the earth. I have a brother who is rich and well known to you, my Lord King, but I, because I have nothing, am forgotten by all the world. Thereupon the king pitied him, and said, You shall be no longer, and he presented him with gold, land, flocks, and herds that made him richer than his brother. When the brother heard what had happened, he was envious and pondered how he might gain a life-treasure for himself. Presently he took jewels and swift horses and gave them to the king. If my brother got so much for a single turnip, thought he, what will I not get for these beautiful things? The king received the present very graciously, and told the soldier he could give him, in return, nothing rarer or better than the magnificent turnip. So the wealthy soldier was obliged to hire a cart, and have the turnip taken to his home. He arrived there full of wrath and bitterness. The more he thought on a matter, the worse he felt, and at length he formed the evil design of having his brother killed. He hired two ruffians, who waylaid the former poor soldier, as he was passing through a wood. They seized and bound him, and prepared to hang him on a tree. But before they had accomplished their purpose, they heard an approaching clatter of hoofs, and a sound of singing. That frightened them so much that they thrust their prisoner headfirst into a sack, attached a rope to it, throw the end of the rope over a branch of an oak, and hold him well up into the tree. Then they took the flight. The prisoner soon contrived to work a hole in the sack, and stuck his head out. Then he perceived that a noise which had saved him was made by a student, a young fellow who was riding through the wood, singing snatches of song as he went along. Just as the student was passing the tree, the man called out, Good day, you come in the nick of time. The youth stopped his horse and looked all round, but could not make out where the voice came from. At last he said, Who calls? Raise your eyes, said the man. I am sitting up here in the sack of knowledge, and in a short time I have learned so much that the wisdom of the schools is as air compared to mine. Soon I shall have learned everything, and I shall come down and be the wisest of mankind. I understand astronomy and the blowing of the winds and the art of healing the sick, and I know every herb and all the birds and stones. If you were here in my place, you would feel what splendor flows from the sack of knowledge. All this greatly astonished and impressed the student, and he said, Blessed be the hour in which I met you, let me get into the sack for a little while. Well, said the other with apparent reluctance, that you may do if you will wait for a short time till I am ready. There is one piece of learning which I have not yet fully mastered. So the student waited, but he soon became impatient and entreated to be allowed to get into the sack at once and satisfy his great thirst for knowledge. Then the man pretended to take pity on him and told him to lower the sack to the ground and open the mouth of it. That done, the farmer got out, and the student started to get in, feet first, saying, I want you to make haste and pull me up as fast as possible. Stop, stop! cried the man. That won't do. Then he laid hold of the student by the shoulders and thrust him into the sack head downward, tied it up, and swung the disciple of wisdom up on the bow of the tree. When the student was dangling up aloft in the air, the man said, How do you feel now, my dear fellow? Do you find that wisdom comes with experience? Stay there quietly till you become wiser. Thereupon he mounted the student's horse and drove off, but an hour later he sensed a one to release the prisoner in the sack. The Enchanted Dove A poor maidservant was once traveling with her master's family and a coach through a great wood. When they were in the very middle of the wood, a band of robbers sprang out of a thicket and killed every one of the travelers that they could lay their hands on. Only the maidservant escaped. She, in her fright, jumped out of the coach and hid behind a tree. When the robbers had made off with their booty, she came from her place of concealment and wept as she saw what had happened. Alas! she cried. Here I am left all alone in this wild forest. I can never find my way out, and not a human creature lives in it, so that I shall certainly die of hunger. She wandered about for some time looking for a pathway but could not find one. Evening came and she sat down under a tree and made up her mind to spend the night there, no matter what might happen. But soon a little white dove came flying to her with a small golden key in its beak. It put the key in the girl's hand and said, examine closely the bark of the tree trunk you are leaning against, and you will find a lock which this key will fit. Turn the key in that lock and a door will open and reveal a cupboard in which is food and drink. Take all you need. The girl examined the tree, found the lock, and opened the door. An inside was a basin of milk and some white bread to eat with it. So she made a good meal. When she finished, she said to herself, at home the hens are going to roost now. Oh, that I had some shelter for the night. Then the little dove again came flying to her with another golden key in its beak, and it said, this will open a door in yonder tree within which you will find a nice bed. She opened the door and found a soft, clean bed inside, and she lay down in it and went to sleep. Next morning the dove came a third time and brought her a key. This opened a door in another large tree nearby, and there she found many beautiful garments embroidered with gold and silver and ornamented with precious stones. No princess could have desired anything finer. For a long time the maid dwelt there in the forest, and the dove visited her every day and supplied all her wants. Her life was peaceful and happy. One day the dove came to her and said, will you do something for my sake? With all my heart replied the maiden. Then the dove said, I will take you to a little house which you must enter. By the hearth you will see an old woman sitting. She will bid you good day. But on no account speak a word to her whatever she may say or do. Walk right past her and at the far side of the fireplace you will see a door. Open it and go into the room beyond. There on a table you will find a heap of rings of every description. Many of them are very beautiful and glitter with precious stones, but take none of those. Instead search for a small plain one which is somewhere in the room. After you secure it bring it to me as quickly as you can. So the dove guided the maiden to the little house, and she opened the door and saw the old woman who stared and said, good day, my child. The maiden did not answer, but went on toward the inner door. Whither are you going? cried the old woman, seizing her by the skirt. This is my house, and no one shall pass through that door without my permission. But the girl never said a word. She loosened her skirt from the woman's grasp and went into the room beyond the fireplace. On a table lay a glittering heap of jeweled rings. She searched among them for the plain one, but could not find it. While she continued her search, the old woman slipped into the room and took up a birdcage, with which she started to slyly creep away. Her actions aroused the suspicions of the maiden who ran after her and wrenched the cage out of her hands. Then the girl saw that the bird inside held the plain ring in its beak. She took the ring and ran joyfully out of the house, thinking she would find the dove close at hand waiting for her. But no dove appeared. Anxious and fearful she leaned against a tree watching for the coming of the bird. As she stood there it seemed to her that the tree became soft and supple, and bent its branches downward. Then two of the branches twined themselves around her, and behold, when she tried to free herself, they were not branches at all, but two strong arms. She looked up, and the tree was gone, and in its stead was a fine, handsome man with his arms clasped about her. You have released me from the power of the old woman who is an evil witch, said he. She changed me into a tree a long time ago, but every day I became a white dove for a couple of hours. So long as she possessed the ring I could not regain my human form. I am a king's son, and I came hither accompanied by servants and horses who were likewise changed into trees. But now you see them around me in their natural forms, and you must come with us to my father's kingdom. When they reached their journey's end the prince and the maiden married, and they lived happily ever after. End of Chapter 32 Recording by Jen Broda Recording by Phon Once upon a time there lived a poor woodman in a great forest, and every morning his wife filled a basket with food and a bottle with drink for his lunch, and laden with his lunch and his axe, he went off to be gone till evening cutting timber. One day he was about to fell a huge oak which he thought would furnish many a good plank. He had his axe raised for the first blow when he heard a pityful entreat him, and there stood before him a little fairy who besieged him to spare the tree. So paced was he with wonder that for a while he could not open his mouth to speak a word, but at last he said, Well, I'll do as you ask. That tree is my home, explained the fairy, and you will not lose as much as you think by letting it stand, for it is hollow at the heart. Besides to show you that I am not ungrateful I will grant you and your wife the first three wishes you and she wish after you get home. Let them be what they may. Then the fairy opened the little door at the base of the tree which she had not seen before and disappeared. Well, said the woodman, if my wife and I can have three wishes, our fortune is as good as made. It is nearly evening and I may as well go home at once. I shall never need to cut any more trees. He put his axe over his shoulder, picked up his basket and bottle, and off he went. When he arrived at his cottage, he sat down by the fireside to rest and told his wife about the fairy. Well, said she, when she had heard him through, if it is left to my choice, I know very well what I would wish for. I think nothing is so good as to be handsome and rich and aristocratic. And yet, said the husband, even with such wishes realized, one might be sick and dreadful and die young. It would be much wiser to wish for health, cheerfulness, and a long life. The fairy should have promised a dozen wishes, said the wife, for there are at least that many things I want very much. Yes, agreed the man, a dozen wishes would have been better, but as we have only three, we must make those three do all that is possible. Let us consider the matter carefully until tomorrow before wishing that we may decide wisely what three things are most necessary for us. I'll think the whole night through, said she. After all, remarked the man, it may be the fairy's promise was only a trick. Who can tell? The evening was chilly, and the wife took the tongs and poked the fire into brighter blazing. For a time the man sat in silence, and then he happened to think that he was hungry. Why isn't the supper ready? he asked. You forget that you were home early, she replied. It won't be supper time for two hours. Ah, sight he, two hours is a long wait after working in the woods all day. I wish I had some nice sausages this minute. No sooner had he said this than, Russell, Russell, what should come down the chimney but a dish containing a string of fine sausages as ever were seen. The dish came down on the hearth with a slight clatter, and the woodman and his wife stared in astonishment. What's all this, said she. He answered not a word, and she glowered and glowered. Oh, you silly man, she cried. There is one wish gone already, and only two are left. What a fool you have been. I wish the sausages were fast through the tip of your nose. Before you could wink, there the good man sat with his nose the longer for a noble string of sausages. He tried to pull them off, but they stuck. Then his wife gave him a pull, but still they stuck. They refused to come off even when the two pulled together. Ouch, ouch, explained the man. He must stop this pulling, for we shall pull my nose off, but I can't have these things staying on my nose. What shall we do? They are not so very unsightly, said she, and we have better wish for fast riches. Then we shall be able to live in comfort the rest of our lives, and if you object to the looks of the sausages we can have a golden case made to hide them. I couldn't endure them, case or no case, declared the man. Then lest a good wife should wish for riches in spite of his protest, he hastily wished that the sausages might come off. There they lay in the dish as before, and if the husband and wife did not ride in a golden coach and dress in silk and satin, why they at least had as fine a mess of sausages for their supper as the heart of man could desire. The old horse. There was once a farmer who had a horse which served him faithfully till it had grown old and could do its work no longer. So its master grudged it food and said, I've no further use for you, and yet I still feel kindly towards you. Therefore, if you will show yourself strong enough to bring home a lion, I will take care of you to the end of your days, but away with you now, out of my stable. Then the farmer drove the poor horse out, and it went sadly away with drooping head to the forest to get a little shelter from the wind and weather. There it met a fox who said, Why do you hang your head and look so downcast and wander about in this solitary fashion? Heard last, said the horse, Have risen, fidelity cannot dwell together. My master has forgotten all the service I have rendered him these many years, and because I can no longer plow, he will not give me any fodder, and he has driven me out of my stable. Did he give you no hope that you might return? asked the fox. Very little replied the horse. He told me that if I could manage to bring home a lion, he would take care of me, but he knows well enough that such a thing is impossible. Perhaps not, said the fox. I will help you. Just you lie down here and stretch out your legs as if you were dead. The horse did as he was bid, and the fox went to a lion whose den was not far off and said, Nearby lies a dead horse. Come along with me, and you can have a capital meal. The lion went with the fox, and when they got to the horse the fox said, Hist, hark into my advice, you can't eat the creature in comfort here. I will tie it to you, and you can drag it away to your den, and enjoy it at your leisure. The plan pleased the lion, and he stood quite still, close to the horse. While the fox knotted the horse's tail fast to him, he did not realize that the fox was cunningly tying his legs together and twisting and knotting the hairs of the tail till it was impossible for him to get free with all his strength. As soon as the work was done, the fox patted the horse on the shoulder and said, Pull, old gray, pull! At once the horse jumped up and started for home, dragging the lion behind it. In his rage the lion roared so that all the birds in the forest flew away in terror. But the horse let him roar and never stopped until it reached its master's door. When the farmer saw what the horse had done, he was delighted, and he repented of his former resolution to let the creature shift for itself. You shall remain with me in future and live at your ease, said he. So the faithful horse had plenty to eat and comfortable shelter till it died. Recording by Chad Horner The Fur Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson Chapter 35 The Donkey Cabbage There was once a young huntsman who went to the forest in search of game. He was lighthearted and merry, and he whistled a gay chin as he went along. By and by he met an ugly old woman who said, Good morning, huntsman. You are well fed and happy, while I am hungry and sad. Give me an alms, I pray you. The huntsman pitted the poor old woman, and he put his hand in his pocket and gave her what he could afford. Then he started to go on, but the old woman stopped him and said, Hark you, dear huntsman, I will make you a present because of your good heart. Go on your way and you will soon come to your tree, on which sit nine birds quarreling over a clock. Take aim with your gun and shoot into the midst of them. They will drop the clock, and one of the birds will fall down dead. Take the clock with you. It is a wishing clock. When you throw it round your shoulders, you have only to wish yourself at a place to be there at once. Cut open the dead bird, and you will find a ring inside. Wear it on your finger, and each morning there will be a gold piece under your pillow. The huntsman thanked the old woman and thought, She promises fine things, and I hope it will all turn out as she says. When he had gone about a hundred paces, he heard above him in the branches of a tree, a great chattering and screaming. He looked up and saw a group of birds pulling at a clock with their beaks and claws. It was evident from the snatching and tugging that each bird wanted the garment for itself. Well, said the huntsman, this is extraordinary, and it is just what the old woman said, I would say. He put his gun on his shoulder, took aim and fired. Away went the birds with a great noise and scattering of feathers, all except one, which fell down dead, and at the same time the clock dropped at the huntsman's feet. He cut open the bird and found a ring inside and put it on his finger. Then he took the clock and went home. When he awoke the next morning he remembered the old woman's promise and looked under his pillow. Share enough there lay a shining gold ring, and on the morning following he found another, and thus it was every morning. Gradually he collected quite a heap of gold, and at last he said to himself, what is the good of all this gold to me if I stay at home? I will go and look about the world. So he took leave of his parents, shouldered his gun, and set out on his travels. One day a turn-in road brought into view a magnificent castle. An old woman and a beautiful girl were looking out from an upper window. The old woman was a witch, and the maiden was her daughter. Here comes someone. She said, who has a magic ring on his finger? We must try to get it, my darling. It is better suited to us than to him. Whoever wears that ring finds a gold coin every morning under the pillow. You must get it from him, or it will be the worst for you. Then she withdrew, but the maiden remained looking out of the window. When the huntsman got nearer, he saw her and said to himself, I am weary with travelling. I will stop at this fine castle and rest. But he would not have felt such an urgent need of stopping if he had not seen the maiden. He was kindly received and hospitably entertained, and he was so in love with the daughter of the witch that she was constantly in his thoughts, and he cared for nothing but pleasing her. At length the witch decided on a plan for getting the ring. She concocted a drink that would make the huntsman sensible. Put in it a goblet and said to her daughter, Carry this to the youth and get his ring. He will not miss it. The maiden went to the huntsman and said, My dearest, here is a pleasant drink. We have prepared for you. He took the goblet and drank what was in it, and soon it overpowered him, and she secured the magic ring. After that the huntsman found no more gold under his pillow, but the maiden wore the ring every night, and the coin was under her pillow instead, and each morning the old woman used to come and get it. However, he did not trouble himself about the matter, and was content to enjoy the maiden's company. One day the old woman said to her daughter, We have got the ring, but we must have his wishing cloak too. Let us leave him that, said the maiden. Have we not done enough in taking away his means of getting riches? That made the old woman very angry, and she said, The clock is so rare and wonderful a thing that I am determined to have it, and I shall punish you as you get it from me. The maiden seated herself at a window, and looked sadly out a distant blue mountain. Soon the huntsman joined her and asked, Why are you so sad? Alas, my sweet heart, she said, Over there is the granite mountain, on which are great quantities of precious stones. I long for those precious stones, so much that I grow melancholy whenever I think of them. But who can ever get them, except perhaps the birds, for the mountain sides are too steep to climb? If that is all your trouble, said the huntsman, I have a remedy for it. Then he drew under his clock and wished to be on the granite mountain, and they were there almost instantly. Precious stones glittered all around them and rejoiced their sight, and they eagerly gathered some of the largest and finest, but the witch had cast a spell on the huntsman, and a great driziness began to come over him. He said to the maiden, We will sit down and rest awhile, for I am so tired I can hardly stand. They sat down, and he laid his head on her lap and went to sleep. Then the maiden slipped the cloak off his shoulders and put it on her own, loaded herself with the precious stones and wished herself at home. By and by the huntsman awoke and realised that his beloved had betrayed him and left him alone on the wild mountain. Oh, what treachery there is in the world, he exclaimed, and he sat there overwhelmed with grief and knew not what to do. The mountain belonged to some savage and mighty giants, and before long he saw three of them striding toward him. He hastily lay down and pretended to be fast to sleep, the first one, when he came to where the huntsman was, kicked him and said, What kind of an earthworm is this? Tread on him and kill him, said the second, but the third said contemptuously, That is not worthwhile. Let him alone, he will soon die here. Or if he climbs higher up the mountain, the clouds will carry him away. Then they went off, and the huntsman got up and climbed to the top of the mountain. After he sat there for a time, a cloud came sweeping by, and it caught him up and flew it away through the air with him. At last, in the dusk of evening, it made a gentle descent and deposited him in a large walled garden. He looked around and said, I wish I had something to eat. After travelling so far I am very hungry, but here I see not a single apple or berry or any other fruit, nothing, only cabbages, some of them green and some pink. As there is no other food to be had, I will try one of the cabbages, and I think it may refresh me, even if I don't like the taste of it. So he selected a tender head of green cabbage and started to eat, but he had scarcely taken a couple of bites when he felt a wondrous change come over him. His head grew big and shaggy, and his ears long and hairy, and his arms became legs, and he had hoofs instead of hands and feet. To his horror he perceived that he had been transformed into a donkey. Soon he resumed eating, for his appetite had not been appeased, and the juicy cabbages were now much to his liking. Presently he tried one of the pink cabbages. Immediately he felt a new change taking place, and soon found he had resumed his human form. Now he lay down and slept off his fatigue. When he awoke it was morning, and he broke off a head of the green cabbage and a head of the pink cabbage and thought, I will take these along. They may be of use to me. Then he clamoured over the wall and went off in search of the witch's castle. After wondering about for a few days he was fortunate enough to find it, but before he showed himself he stained his face and disguised himself as a countryman. Even his own mother would not have known him. That done he went to the castle and begged for a night's lodging. Who are you? asked the witch. And what is your business? I am a messenger from the king, he replied. His majesty sent me to seek the most delicate cabbages that grow on earth. I have been successful in securing two heads, but the sun shines so warm I am afraid the tender leaves will wither and that I would waste my efforts to go any farther with them. When the old witch heard about these precious cabbages she was anxious to eat of them herself, and she became very agreeable in her manner toward the wanderer and said, good countryman, let me taste the wonderful cabbages. By all means, he said, you shall have one of them. And he handed her the green cabbage. She took it to the kitchen and with her own hands prepared a salad for her household. But when it was ready for the table she could wait no longer and put some of it in her mouth and began eating. Immediately the charm worked and she became an old grey donkey and ran out into the courtyard. Presently the servant maid entered the kitchen. She saw the cabbage salad on the table and took it up to carry it into the dining hall. But on the way, in accord with her usual habit, she tasted of it. At once she turned into a donkey, dropped the dish and ran out to join the other donkey. In the meantime the disguised huntsman sat with the beautiful maiden. She asked him about the wonderful cabbage and expressed an eager desire to eat some of it. I will go to the kitchen and see if it is ready, said he. But on the way, dither, he found the salad on the floor with scattered fragments of the dish that had contained it. Then he looked out of a window and saw the two donkeys running about in the courtyard. Very good, said he, and he put the salad in a fresh dish and carried it to the maiden. I have brought you this precious salad myself, said he, so that you will not have to wait any longer. Thereupon she ate some and lost her human form and ran out to the courtyard. The huntsman washed the same from his face and went out and addressed the donkeys. Now, said he, you see plainly who I am, and I would have you know that I am going to punish you for your treachery. He tied them together with a rope and drove them along the highway until he came to a mill. There he stopped and tapped on a window. The miller put his head out and asked what he wanted. I have three bad animals here, said he, and I want to get rid of them. If you will take them and feed them and treat them as I wish, I will pay you whatever you say is fair for your trouble. All right, said the miller, how shall I treat them? The huntsman said he would have the old donkey, which was the witch, well beaten three times a day and fed once. Then he pointed out the one, which was the servant lass, and said beat that one once and feed it three times. And this other you are not to beat at all. It is to receive good care and plenty to eat. For he could not make up his mind to cause the fair maiden pain. He returned to the castle and made himself very comfortable there. A few days later the miller came and told him the old grey donkey was dead. On learning this the huntsman took pity on the two other beasts and had the miller bring them back to him. As soon as they came he gave them some of the pink cabbage to eat and one promptly became the servant maid and the other the beautiful daughter of the witch. Just as they were before the eight of the green cabbage. The beautiful maiden fell on her knees at the feet of the huntsman and said, Oh my beloved, forgive all the wrong I have done you. My mother compelled me to do it against my will, for I love you with my whole heart. Your wishing cloak hangs in one of the closets, and I will get your ring for you too. Keep the ring, said he. I intend to make you my bride and we will enjoy our riches together. Soon afterward they were married and they lived happily to the end of their lives. by Greg Giordano. The Fur Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson Sweet Porridge Years ago there was a little girl who lived with her mother in a small house on the edge of a forest. They were very poor, and at length there came a time when they had nothing left to eat. One day the little girl went into the forest to get a few sticks with which to make a fire. And there she met an old woman who gave her a small pot and said, This pot will supply you with food, and you need to never be hungry again. You have only to say, Boil, little pot, boil, and it will cook you as much nice sweet porridge as you can wish for. Just watch it, and when the porridge inside has increased to the amount you want, say, Stop, little pot, and the boiling will immediately cease. The little girl thanked the old woman and carried the pot home to her mother. After they had plenty to eat, for the pot supplied them with sweet porridge as often as they pleased. Everything prospered with them, until one afternoon the little girl went for a walk in the fields outside of the village. She was gone so long that her mother became hungry and said to the pot, Boil, little pot, boil. At once the cooking began, but when the porridge and the pot had increased to enough for a meal, she could not think of the magic words to stop the boiling process. So the pot soon began to overflow, and it continued to boil and boil till the porridge filled the kitchen. In a little while the entire house was filled, and still the pot boiled. The porridge now commenced to stream out the doors and windows and chimney. It filled the yard and the garden. It engulfed the next house and the next, and soon the street was filled. The people fled before it, and it covered the whole village out of sight. It seemed likely to furnish food for all the world, and there is no knowing what might have happened if the little girl had not returned and called to the pot to stop. Then it left off cooking, but for many a long day the people who wished to get into the village had to eat their way through a great mass of sweet porridge. End of Chapter 36 Recording by Greg Giordano Newport Richie, Florida Chapter 37 of the Fur Tree Fairy Book This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Fur Tree Fairy Book by Clifton Johnson The Praying Geese A fox once came to a meadow where a flock of fine fat geese were feeding. My dears, said he, I have come without ceremony, just as if I had been invited. You are very charming, and I desire nothing better than to keep you company and eat you one after another at my leisure. The geese cackled for terror and began to beg pitifully for their lives, but their appeals had no effect on the fox. His only response was, I shall show you no mercy, you must die. Then one of them said, If we poor geese must lose our lives, at least grant us one single grace, permit us to say our prayers, that we may not die in our sins. After we finish praying, we will all stand in a row, and you can pick out the fattest one to begin on, and feast as you please. Well, said the fox, that is a just and pious request. Pray away, and I will wait for you. So they all commenced praying, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk, honk. When they have finished praying, this tale shall be continued, but meanwhile, you can be very sure that they are praying still. End of chapter 37