 Chapter 33 of the Crimson Fairy Book. The Colony of Cats. Long, long ago, as far back as the time when animals spoke, there lived a community of cats, in a deserted house they had taken possession of, not far from a large town. They had everything they could possibly desire for their comfort. They were well fed and well lodged, and if, by any chance, an unlucky mouse was stupid enough to venture in their way, they caught it, not to eat it, but for the pure pleasure of catching it. The old people of the town related how they had heard their parents speak of a time when the whole country was so overrun with rats and mice that there was not so much as a grain of corn nor an ear of maize to be gathered in the fields, and it might be out of gratitude to the cats who had rid the country of these plagues that their descendants were allowed to live in peace. No one knows where they got the money to pay for everything, nor who paid for it, for this all happened so very long ago. But one thing is certain, they were rich enough to keep a servant. For though they lived very happily together, and did not scratch nor fight more than human beings would have done, they were not clever enough to do the housework themselves, and preferred at all events to have someone to cook their meat, which they would have scorned to eat raw. Not only were they very difficult to please about the housework, but most women quickly tired of living alone with only cats for companions. Consequently they never kept a servant long, and it had become a saying in the town when anyone found herself reduced to her last penny, I will go and live with the cats. And so many a poor woman actually did. Now Lasina was not happy at home, for her mother, who was a widow, was much fonder of her elder daughter, so that often the younger one fared very badly, and had not enough to eat, while the elder could have everything she desired. And if Lasina dared to complain, she was certain to have a good beating. At last the day came when she was at the end of her courage and patience, and exclaimed to her mother and sister, As you hate me so much, you will be glad to be rid of me, so I am going to live with the cats. Be off with you, cried her mother, seizing an old broom handle from behind the door. Poor Lasina did not wait to be told twice, but ran off at once, and never stopped till she reached the door of the cat's house. Their cook had left them that very morning, with her face all scratched, the result of such a quarrel with the head of the house that he had very nearly scratched out her eyes. Lasina, therefore, was warmly welcomed, and she set to work at once to prepare the dinner, not without many misgivings as to the tastes of the cats, and whether she would be able to satisfy them. Going to and fro about her work, she found herself frequently hindered by a constant succession of cats, who appeared one after another in the kitchen to inspect the new servant. She had one in front of her feet, another perched on the back of her chair while she peeled the vegetables, a third sat on the table beside her, and five or six others prowled about the pots and pans on the shelves against the wall. The air resounded with their purring, which meant that they were pleased with their new maid. But Lasina had not yet learned to understand their language, and often she did not know what they wanted her to do. However, as she was a good, kind-hearted girl, she set to work to pick up the little kittens which tumbled about the floor. She patched up quarrels and nursed, on her lap, a big tabby, the oldest of the community which had a lame paw. All these kindnesses could hardly fail to make a favourable impression on the cats, and it was even better after a while, when she had had time to grow accustomed to their strange ways. Never had the house been kept so clean, the meats so well served, nor the sick cats so well cared for. After a time they had a visit from an old cat whom they called their father, who lived by himself in a barn at the top of the hill, and came down from time to time to inspect the little colony. He, too, was much taken with Lasina, and inquired on first seeing her, Are you well served, by this nice, black-eyed little person? And the cats answered with one voice, Oh yes, Father Gatto, we have never had so good a servant. At each of his visits the answer was always the same, but, after a time the old cat, who was very observant, noticed that the little maid had grown to look sadder and sadder. What is the matter, my child? Has anyone been unkind to you? He asked one day when he found her crying in the kitchen. She burst into tears and answered between her sobs, Oh no, they are all very good to me. But I long for news from home and I pine to see my mother and my sister. Old Gatto, being a sensible old cat, understood the little servant's feelings. You shall go home, he said, and you shall not come back here unless you please. But first you must be rewarded for all your kind services to my children. Follow me down into the inner cellar where you have never yet been. For I always keep it locked and carry the key away with me. Lasina looked round her in astonishment as they went down into the great vaulted cellar underneath the kitchen. Before her stood the big earthenware water jars, one of which contained oil, the other a liquid shining like gold. In which of these jars shall I dip you? asked Father Gatto, with a grin that showed all his sharp white teeth, while his mustaches stood out straight on either side of his face. The little maid looked at the two jars from under her long dark lashes. In the oil jar, she answered timidly, thinking to herself, I could not ask to be bathed in gold. But Father Gatto replied, No, no, you have deserved something better than that. And seizing her in his strong pause, he plunged her into the liquid gold. Wunder of wonders! When Lasina came out of the jar, she shone from head to foot like the sun in the heavens on a fine summer's day. Her pretty pink cheeks and long black hair alone kept their natural color. Otherwise, she had become like a statue of pure gold. Father Gatto purred loudly with satisfaction. Go home, he said, and see your mother and sisters. But take care, if you hear the cock crow, to turn towards it. If on the contrary, the ass braze, you must look the other way. The little maid, having gratefully kissed the white paw of the old cat, set off for home. But just as she got near her mother's house, the cock crowed, and quickly she turned towards it. Immediately a beautiful golden star appeared on her forehead, crowning her glossy black hair. At the same time the ass began to bray. But Lasina took care not to look over the fence into the field where the donkey was feeding. Her mother and sister, who were in front of their house, uttered cries of admiration and astonishment when they saw her. And their cries became still louder when Lasina, taking her handkerchief out of her pocket, drew out also a handful of gold. For some days the mother and her two daughters lived very happily together. For Lasina had given them everything she had brought away except her golden clothing. For that would not come off, in spite of all the efforts of her sister, who was madly jealous of her good fortune, the golden star too could not be removed from her forehead. But all the gold pieces she drew from her pockets had found their way to her mother and sister. I will go now and see what I can get out of the pussies, said Papina, the elder girl, one morning, as she took Lasina's basket and fastened her pockets into her own skirt. I should like some of the cat's gold for myself, she thought, as she left her mother's house before the sun rose. The cat colony had not yet taken another servant, for they knew they could never get one to replace Lasina, whose loss they had not yet ceased to mourn. When they heard that Papina was her sister, they all ran to meet her. She is not the least like her, the kittens whispered among themselves. Hush! Be quiet! the older cat said. All servants cannot be pretty. No, decidedly, she was not at all like Lasina. Even the most reasonable and large-minded of the cats, soon acknowledged that. The very first day she shut the kitchen door in the face of the Tom cats, who used to enjoy watching Lasina at her work. And a young and mischievous cat, who jumped in by the open window and alighted on the table, got such a blow with the rolling pin that he squalled for an hour. With every day that passed the household became more and more aware of its misfortune. The work was badly done, as the servant was surly and disagreeable. In the corners of the rooms there were collected heaps of dust, spiders' webs hung from the ceilings and in front of the window panes. The beds were hardly ever made, and the feather beds, so beloved by the old and feeble cats, had never once been shaken since Lasina left the house. At Father Gatto's next visit he found the whole colony in a state of uproar. Caesar has one paw so badly swollen that it looks as if it were broken, said one. Papina kicked him with her great wooden shoes on. Hector has an abscess in his back, where a wooden chair was flung at him, and Agrippina's three little kittens have died of hunger beside their mother, because Papina forgot them in their basket up in the attic. There is no putting up with the creature. Do send her away, Father Gatto? Lasina herself would not be angry with us. She must know very well what her sister is like. Come here, said Father Gatto, in his most severe tones to Papina, and he took her down into the cellar and showed her the same two great jars that he had showed Lasina. In which of these shall I dip you? he asked, and she made haste to answer, in the liquid gold, for she was no more modest than she was good and kind. Father Gatto's yellow eyes darted fire. You have not deserved it, he uttered in a voice like thunder, and seizing her he flung her into the jar of oil, where she was nearly suffocated. When she came to the surface screaming and struggling, the vengeful cat seized her again, and rolled her in the ash heap on the floor. Then, when she rose, dirty, blinded, and disgusting to behold, he thrust her from the door, saying, Be gone, and when you meet a braying ass, be careful to turn your head towards it. Stumbling and raging, Papina set off for home, thinking herself fortunate to find a stick by the wayside with which to support herself. She was within sight of her mother's house when she heard in the meadow on the right the voice of a donkey loudly braying. Quickly she turned her head towards it, and at the same time put her hand up to her forehead, where, waving like a plume, was a donkey's tail. She ran home to her mother at the top of her speed, yelling with rage and despair, and it took Lasina two hours with a big basin of hot water and two cakes of soap to get rid of the layer of ashes with which Father Gatto had adorned her. As for the donkey's tail, it was impossible to get rid of that. It was as firmly fixed on her forehead as was the golden star on Lasina's. Their mother was furious. She first beat Lasina unmercifully with the broom. Then, she took her to the mouth of the well and lowered her into it, leaving her at the bottom, weeping and crying for help. Before this happened, however, the king's son in passing the mother's house had seen Lasina sitting sowing in the parlor and had been dazzled by her beauty. After coming back two or three times, he, at last, ventured to approach the window and to whisper in the softest voice, Lovely maiden, will you be my bride? And she had answered, I will. Next morning, when the prince arrived to claim his bride, he found her wrapped in a large white veil. It is so that maidens are received from their parents' hands, said the mother, who hoped to make the king's son marry Papina in place of her sister. And had fastened the donkey's tail round her head like a lock of hair under the veil. The prince was young and a little timid, so he made no objections, and seated Papina in the carriage beside him. Their way led past the old house inhabited by cats, who were all at the window, for the report had got about that the prince was going to marry the most beautiful maiden in the world, on whose forehead shone a golden star, and they knew that this could only be their adored Lasina. As the carriage slowly passed in front of the old house, where cats from all parts of the world seemed to be gathered, a song burst from every throat. Miss, look behind you. In the well is fair Lasina, and you've got nothing but Papina. When he heard this, the coachman, who understood the cat's language better than the prince, his master, stopped his horses and asked, Does your harness know what the grimmelkins are saying? And the song broke forth, even louder than ever. With a turn of his hand the prince threw back the veil and discovered the puffed-up, swollen face of Papina, with the donkey's tail twisted round her head. Ah, traitorous, he exclaimed, and ordering the horses to be turned around, he drove the elder daughter, quivering with rage to the old woman who had sought to deceive him. With his hand on the hilt of his sword he demanded Lasina in so terrific a voice that the mother hastened to the well to draw her prisoner out. Lasina's clothing and her star shone so brilliantly that when the prince led her home to the king, his father, the whole palace was lit up. Next day they were married and lived happily ever after, and all the cats, headed by old father Gatto, were present at the wedding. End of CHAPTER XXXIV of the Crimson 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 Tim Ferrera The Crimson Fairy Book edited by Andrew Lang CHAPTER XXXIV How to Find Out a True Friend Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who longed to have a son. As none came, one day they made a vow at the Shrine of Saint James that if their prayers were granted the boy should sit out on a pilgrimage as soon as he had passed his eighteenth birthday, and fancy their delight when one evening the king returned home from hunting and saw a baby lying in the cradle. All the people came crowding round to peep at it and declared it was the most beautiful baby that ever was seen. Of course, that is what they always say, but this time it happened to be true. And every day the boy grew bigger and stronger till he was twelve years old, when the king died, and he was left alone to take care of his mother. In this way six years passed by, and his eighteenth birthday drew near. When she thought of this, the queen's heart sank within her, for he was the light of her eyes, and how was she going to send him forth to the unknown dangers that beset a pilgrim. So day by day she grew more and more sorrowful, and when she was alone wept bitterly. Now the queen imagined that no one but herself knew how sad she was, but one morning her son said to her, Mother, why do you cry the whole day long? Nothing, nothing, my son. There is only one thing in the world that troubles me. What is that one thing? asked he. Are you afraid your property is badly managed? Let me go and look into the matter. This pleased the queen, and he rode off to the plain country, where his mother owned great estates. But everything was in beautiful order, and he returned with a joyful heart, and said, Now, Mother, you can be happy again, for your lands are better managed than anyone else's I have seen. The cattle are thriving, the fields are thick with corn, and soon they will be ripe for harvest. This is good news indeed, answered she. But it did not seem to make any difference to her, and the next morning she was weeping and wailing as loudly as ever. Dear Mother, said her son in despair. If you will not tell me what is the cause of all this misery, I shall leave home and wander far through the world. Oh, my son, my son, cried the queen. It is the thought that I must part from you which causes me such grief. For before you were born we vowed a vow to St. James that when your 18th birthday was passed you should make a pilgrimage to his shrine, and very soon you will be 18 and I shall lose you, and for a whole year my eyes will never be gladdened by the sight of you, for the shrine is far away. Will it take no longer than that to reach it? said he. Oh, don't be so wretched. It is only dead people who never return. As long as I am alive you may be sure I will come back to you. After this manner he comforted his mother, and on his 18th birthday his best horse was led to the door of the palace, and he took leave of the queen in these words. Dear mother, farewell, and by the help of fate I shall return to you as soon as I can. The queen burst into tears and wept soar. Then amidst her sobs she drew three apples from her pocket and held them out, saying, My son, take these apples and give heed unto my words. You will need a companion on the long journey on which you are going. If you come across a young man who pleases you, beg him to accompany you, and when you get to an inn invite him to have dinner with you. After you have eaten cut one of these apples in two unequal parts and ask him to take one. If he takes the larger bit, then part from him, for he is no true friend to you. But if he takes the smaller bit, treat him as your brother, and share with him all you have. Then she kissed her son once more and blessed him and let him go. The young man rode a long way without meeting a single creature, but at last he saw youth in the distance about the same ages himself, and he spurred his horse till he came up with a stranger who stopped and asked, Where are you going, my fine fellow? I am making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Saint James, for before I was born my mother vowed that I should go forth with a thank offering on my 18th birthday. That is my case, too, said the stranger, and as we must both travel in the same direction, let us bear each other company. The young man agreed to this proposal, but he took care not to get on terms of familiarity with the newcomer until he had tried him with the apple. By and by they reached an inn, and at sight of it the king's son said, I am very hungry, let us enter and order something to eat. The other consented, and they were soon sitting before a good dinner. When they had finished, the king's son drew an apple from his pocket and cut it into a big half and a little half, and offered both to the stranger, who took the biggest bit. You are no friend of mine, thought the king's son, and in order to part company with him he pretended to be ill and declared himself unable to proceed on his journey. Well, I can't wait for you, replied the other. I am in haste to push on, so farewell. Farewell, said the king's son, gladden his heart to be rid of him so easily. The king's son remained in the inn for some time, so as to let the young man have a good start. Then he ordered his horse and rode after him. But he was very sociable, and the way seemed long and dull by himself. Oh, if I could only meet with a true friend, he thought, so that I should have someone to speak to, I hate being alone. Soon after he came up with the young man, who stopped and asked him, where are you going, my fine fellow? The king's son explained the object of his journey, and the young man answered, as the other had done, that he also was fulfilling the vow of his mother made at his birth. Well, we can ride on together, said the king's son, and the road seemed much shorter now that he had someone to talk to. At length they reached an inn, and the king's son exclaimed, I am very hungry, let us go in and get something to eat. When they had finished, the king's son drew an apple out of his pocket and cut it in two. He held the big bit and the little bit out to his companion, who took the big bit at once and soon ate it up. You are no friend of mine, thought the king's son, and began to declare that he felt so ill he could not continue his journey. When he had given the young man a good start, he set off himself, but the way seemed even longer and duller than before. Oh, if I could only meet with a true friend, he should be as a brother to me, he sighed sadly. And as the thought passed through his mind, he noticed a youth going the same road as himself. The youth came up to him and said, Which way are you going, my fine fellow? And for the third time the king's son explained all about his mother's vow. Why, that is just like me, cried the youth. Then let us ride on together, answered the king's son. Now the mile seemed to slip by, for the newcomer was so lively and entertaining that the king's son could not help hoping that he indeed might prove to be the true friend. More quickly than he could have thought possible they reached an inn by the roadside, and turning to his companion the king's son said, I am hungry, let us go in and have something to eat. So they went in and ordered dinner, and when they had finished the king's son drew out of his pocket the last apple, and cut it into two unequal parts, and held both out to the stranger. And the stranger took the little piece, and the heart of the king's son was glad within him, for at last he had found the friend he had been looking for. Good youth, he cried, we will be brothers, and what his mind shall be thine, and what his thine shall be mine, and together we will push on to the shrine, and if one of us dies on the road the other shall carry his body there. And the stranger agreed to all he said, and they rode forward together. It took them a whole year to reach the shrine, and they passed through many different lands on their way. One day they arrived tired, and half starved in a big city, and said to one another, let us stay here for a little and rest before we set forth again. So they hired a small house close to the royal castle, and took up their abode there. The following morning the king of the country happened to step on to his balcony, and saw the young men in the garden, and said to himself, Dear me, those are wonderfully handsome youths, but one is handsomer than the other, and to him will I give my daughter to wife, and indeed the king's son excelled his friend in beauty. In order to set about his plan the king asked both the young men to dinner, and when they arrived at the castle he received them with the utmost kindness, and sent for his daughter, who was more lovely than both the sun and moon put together. But at bedtime the king caused the other young man to be given a poisoned drink, which killed him in a few minutes, for he thought to himself, if his friend dies the other will forget his pilgrimage, and will stay here and marry my daughter. When the king's son awoke the next morning he inquired of the servants where his friend had gone, as he did not see him. He died suddenly last night, said they, and is to be buried immediately. But the king's son sprang up and cried, If my friend is dead I can stay here no longer, and cannot linger an hour in this house. Oh give up your journey and remain here, exclaimed the king, and ye shall have my daughter for your wife. No, answered the king's son, I cannot stay, but I pray you grant my request and give me a good horse, and let me go in peace, and when I fulfill my vow then I will return and marry your daughter. So the king, seeing no words would move him, ordered a horse to be brought round, and the king's son mounted it, and took his dead friend before him on the saddle and rode away. Now the young man was not really dead, but only in a deep sleep. When the king's son reached the shrine of Saint James, he got down from his horse, took his friend in his arms as if he had been a child, and laid him before the altar. Saint James, he said, I have fulfilled the vow my parents made for me. I have come myself to your shrine and have brought my friend. I place him in your hands, restore him to life I pray, for though he be dead yet he has fulfilled his vow also. And behold, while he yet prayed his friend got up and stood before him as well as ever, and both the young men gave thanks, and set their faces towards home. When they arrived at the town where the king dwelt, they entered the small house over against the castle. The news of their coming spread very soon, and the king rejoiced greatly that the handsome young Prince had come back again, and commanded great feasts to be prepared, for in a few days his daughter should marry the king's son. The young man himself could imagine no greater happiness, and when the marriage was over they spent some months at the court making merry. At length the king's son said, My mother awaits me at home, full of care and anxiety, here I must remain no longer, and tomorrow I will take my wife and my friend and start for home. And the king was content that he should do so, and gave orders to prepare for their journey. Now in his heart the king cherished a deadly hate towards the poor young man whom he had tried to kill, but who had returned to him living, and in order to do him hurt sent him on a message to some distant spot. See that you are quick, said he, for your friend will await your return before he starts. The youth put spurs to his horse and departed, bidding the prince farewell so that the king's message might be delivered the sooner. As soon as he had started the king went to the chamber of the prince and said to him, If you do not start immediately you will never reach the place where you must camp for the night. I cannot start without my friend, replied the king's son. Oh, he will be back in an hour, replied the king, and it will give him my best horse, so that he will be sure to catch you up. The king's son allowed himself to be persuaded and took leave of his father-in-law, and set out with his wife on his journey home. Meanwhile the poor friend had been unable to get through his task in the short time appointed by the king, and when at last he returned the king said to him, Your comrade is a long way off by now. You'd better see if you can overtake him. So the young man bowed and left the king's presence, and followed after his friend on foot, for he had no horse. Night and day he ran, till at length he reached the place where the king's son had pitched his tent, and sank down before him a miserable object, worn out and covered with mud and dust. But the king's son welcomed him with joy, intended him as he would his brother. And at last they came home again, and the queen was waiting and watching in the palace, as she had never ceased to do since her son had rode away. She almost died of joy at seeing him again, but after a little she remembered his sick friend and ordered a bed to be made ready, and the best doctors in all the country to be sent for. When they heard of the queen's summons, they flocked from all parts, but none could cure him. After everyone had tried and failed, a servant entered and informed the queen that a strange old man had just knocked the palace gate and declared that he was able to heal the dying youth. Now this was a holy man who had heard of the trouble the king's son was in, and had come to help. It happened that at this very time a little daughter was born to the king's son, but in his distress for his friend he had barely a thought to spare for the baby. He could not be prevailed on to leave the sick bed, and he was bending over it when the holy man entered the room. Do you wish your friend to be cured? asked the newcomer of the king's son. And what price would you pay? What price, answered the king's son, only tell me what I can do to heal him. Listen to me, then, said the old man. This evening you must take your child and open her veins and smear the wounds of your friend with her blood, and you will see, and he will get well in an instant. At these words the king's son shrieked with horror, for he loved the baby dearly, but he answered, I have sworn that I would treat my friend as if he were my brother, and if there is no other way my child must be sacrificed. As by this time evening had already fallen he took the child and opened its veins and smeared the blood over the wounds of the sick man, and the look of death departed from him, and he grew strong and rosy once more. But the little child lay as white and still as if she had been dead. They laid her in the cradle and wept bitterly, for they thought that by the next morning she would be lost to them. At sunrise the old man returned and asked after the sick man. He is as well as ever, answered the king's son. And where is your baby? In the cradle yonder, and I think she is dead, replied the father sadly. Look at her once more, said the holy man, and as they drew near the cradle there lay the babies smiling up at them. I am St. James of Lycia, said the old man, and I have come to help you, for I have seen that you are a true friend. From hence forward live happily all of you together, and if trouble should draw near to you send for me, and I will aid you to get through them. With these words he lifted his hand in blessing and vanished, and they obeyed him and were happy and content, and tried to make the people of the land happy and contented too. From Cecilia Neesh Marahen Gonsenbach End of Chapter 34 Chapter 35 of the Crimson 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 Maria Therese The Crimson Fairy Book Edited by Andrew Lange Chapter 35 Clever Maria There was once a merchant who lived close to the royal palace and had three daughters. They were all pretty, but Maria the youngest was the prettiest of the three. One day the king sent for the merchant, who was a widower, to give him directions about a journey he wished the good man to take. The merchant would rather not have gone, as he did not like leaving his daughters at home, but he could not refuse to obey the king's commands, and with a heavy heart he returned home to say farewell to them. Before he left he took three pots of basil and gave one to each girl, saying, I am going a journey, but I leave these pots. You must let nobody into the house. When I come back they will tell me what has happened. Nothing will have happened, said the girls. The father went away, and the following day the king, accompanied by two friends, paid a visit to the three girls, who were sitting at supper. When they saw he was there Maria said, Let us go and get a bottle of wine from the cellar. I will carry the key, my eldest sister can take the light, or the other brings the bottle. But the king replied, Oh, do not trouble, we are not thirsty. Very well we will not go, answered the two elder girls, but Maria merely said, I shall go anyhow. She left the room and went to the hall, which she put out the light, and putting down the key and the bottle, ran to the house of a neighbor and knocked at the door. Who is there so late? asked the old woman, thrusting her head out of the window. Oh, let me in, answered Maria. I have quarreled with my eldest sister, and as you do not want to fight any more, I have come to beg you to allow me to sleep with you. So the old woman opened the door, and Maria slept in her house. The king was very angry at her for playing truant, but when she returned home the next day she found the plants of her sisters withered away, because they had disobeyed their father. Now the window in the room of the eldest overlooked the gardens of the king, and when she saw how fine and ripe the meddlers were on the trees, she longed to eat some, and begged Maria to scramble down by a rope, and pick her a few, and she would draw her up again. Maria, who was good-natured, swung herself into the garden by the rope, and got the meddlers, and was just making the rope fast under her arms, so as to be holed up when her sister cried. Oh, there are such delicious lemons a little farther on. You might bring me one or two. Maria turned round to pluck them, and found herself face to face with the gardener, who caught hold of her, exclaiming, What are you doing here, you little thief? Don't call me names, she said, or you will get the worst of it. Giving him, as she spoke, such a violent push that he fell panting into the lemon bushes. Then she seized the cord and clambered up to the window. The next day the second sister had a fancy for bananas, and begged so hard that, though Maria had declared she would never do such a thing again, at last she consented and went down the rope into the king's garden. This time she met the king, who said to her, Ah, here you are again, cunning one. Now you shall pay for your misdeeds. And he began to cross-question her about what she had done. Maria denied nothing, and when she had finished the king said again, Follow me to the house, and there you shall pay the penalty. As he spoke he started for the house, looking back from time to time, to make sure that Maria had not run away. All of a sudden, when he glanced round, he found she had vanished completely, without leaving a trace of where she had gone. Search was made all through the town, and there was not a hole or corner which was not ransacked, but there was no sign of her anywhere. This so enraged the king that he became quite ill, and for many months his life was disparate of. Meanwhile the two elder sisters had married the two friends of the king, and were the mothers of little daughters. Now one day Maria stole secretly to the house where her elder sister lived, and snatching up the children, put them into a beautiful basket she had with her, covered with flowers inside and out, so that no one would ever guess it held two babies. Then she dressed herself as a boy, and placing the basket on her head, she walked slowly past the palace, crying as she went, who will carry these flowers to the king who lies sick of love? And the king in his bed heard what she said, and ordered one of his attendants to go out and buy the basket. It was brought to his bedside, and as he raised the lid, cries were heard, and peeping in he saw two little children. He was furious at this new trick, which he felt had been played on him by Maria, and was still looking at them, wondering how he should pay her out, when he was told that the merchant, Maria's father, had finished the business on which he had been sent, and returned home. Then the king remembered how Maria had refused to receive his visit, and how she had stolen his fruit, and he determined to be revenged on her. So he sent a message by one of his pages, that the merchant was to come to see him the next day, and bring with him a coat made of stone, or else he would be punished. Now the poor man had been very sad since he got home the evening before, for though his daughters had promised that nothing should happen while he was away, he had found the two elder ones married without asking his leave. And now there was this fresh misfortune. For how was he to make a coat of stone? He wrung his hand and declared that the king would be the ruin of him, when Maria suddenly entered. Do not grieve about the coat of stone, dear father, but take this bit of chalk, and go to the palace, and say you have come to measure the king. The old man did not see the use of this, but Maria had so often helped him before, that he had confidence in her, so he put the chalk in his pocket, and went to the palace. That is no good, said the king, when the merchant had told him what he had come for. Well, I can't make the coat you want, replied he. Then if you would save your head, hand over to me your daughter, Maria. The merchant did not reply, but went sorrowfully back to his house, where Maria sat waiting for him. Oh, my dear child, why was I born? The king says that instead of the coat, I must deliver you up to him. Do not be unhappy, dear father, but get a doll made exactly like me, with the string attached to its head, which I can pull for yes and no. So the old man went out at once to see about it. The king remained patiently in his palace, feeling sure that this time Maria could not escape him, and he said to his pages, if a gentleman should come here with his daughter, and ask to be allowed to speak with me, put the young lady in my room, and see she does not leave it. When the door was shut on Maria, who concealed the doll under her cloak, she hid herself under the couch, keeping fast hold of the string, which was fastened to its head. Senora Maria, I hope you are well, said the king when he entered the room. The doll nodded. Now we will reckon up accounts, continued he, and he began at the beginning and ended up with the flower basket, and at each fresh misdeed, Maria pulled the string, so that the doll's head nodded ascent. Whoso mocks at me merits death, declared the king when he had ended, and drawing his sword cut off the doll's head. It fell towards him, and as he felt the touch of a kiss, he exclaimed, Ah, Maria, Maria, so sweet in death, so hard to me in life. The man who could kill you deserves to die. And he was about to turn his sword on himself, when the true Maria sprung out from under the bed, then flung herself into his arms, and the next day they were married and lived happily for many years. From the Portuguese. End of Chapter 35. Recording by Maria Therese. Chapter 36 of the Crimson 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 Jenny Lundack. The Crimson Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang. Chapter 36. The Magic Kettle. Right in the middle of Japan, high up among the mountains, an old man lived in his little house. He was very proud of it, and never tired of admiring the whiteness of his straw mats, and the pretty papered walls, which, in warm weather, always slid back, so that the smell of the trees and flowers might come in. One day he was standing looking at the mountain opposite, when he heard a kind of rumbling noise in the room behind him. He turned round, and in the corner he beheld a rusty old iron kettle, which could not have seen the light of day for many years. How the kettle got there, the old man did not know. But he took it up and looked it over carefully. And when he found that it was quite whole, he cleaned the dust off it, and carried it into his kitchen. That was a piece of luck, he said, smiling to himself. A good kettle costs money. And it is well to have a second one at hand in case of need. Mine is getting worn out, and the water is already beginning to come through its bottom. Then he took the other kettle off the fire, filled the new one with water, and put it in its place. No sooner was the water in the kettle getting warm than a strange thing happened, and the man who was standing by thought he must be dreaming. First the handle of the kettle gradually changed its shape and became a head, and the spout grew into a tail, while out of the body sprang four paws. And in a few minutes the man found himself watching, not a kettle, but a tanooki. The creature jumped off the fire and bounded about the room like a kitten, running up the walls and over the ceiling. Till the old man was in an agony, lest his pretty room should be spoiled. He cried to a neighbor for help, and between them they managed to catch the tanooki and shut him up safely in a wooden chest. Then quite exhausted, they sat down on the mats and consulted together what they should do with this troublesome beast. At length they decided to sell him, and bait a child who was passing send them a certain tradesman called Jamu. When Jamu arrived the old man told him that he had something which he wished to get rid of, and he lifted the lid of the wooden chest where he had shut up the tanooki. But to his surprise, no tanooki was there, nothing but the kettle he had found in the corner. It was certainly very odd, but the man remembered what had taken place on the fire, and did not want to keep the kettle any more. So after a little bargaining about the price, Jamu went away carrying the kettle with him. Now Jamu had not gone very far before he felt that the kettle was getting heavier and heavier, and by the time he reached home he was so tired that he was thankful to put it down in the corner of his room, and then forgot all about it. In the middle of the night, however, he was awakened by a loud noise in the corner where the kettle stood, and raised himself up in bed to see what it was. But there was nothing there except the kettle which seemed quiet enough. He thought that he must have been dreaming and fell asleep again only to be roused a second time by the same disturbance. He jumped up and went to the corner and by the light of a lamp that he always kept burning he saw that the kettle had become a tanooki, which was running round after his tail. After he grew weary of that, he ran on the balcony where he turned several somersaults from pure gladness of heart. The tradesman was much troubled as to what to do with the animal, and it was only towards morning that he managed to get any sleep, but when he opened his eyes again there was no tanooki, only the old kettle that he had left there the night before. As soon as he had tidied his house, Jumu set off to tell his story to a friend next door. The man listened quietly and did not appear so surprised as Jumu expected, for he recollected having heard, in his youth, something about a wonder-working kettle. Go and travel with it, and show it off, he said, and you will become a rich man, but be careful first to ask the tanooki's leave, and also to perform some magic ceremonies, to prevent him from running away at the sight of the people. Jumu thanked his friend for his counsel, which he followed exactly. The tanooki's consent was obtained, a booth was built, and a notice was hung up outside it, inviting the people to come and witness the most wonderful transformation that ever was seen. They came in crowds, and the kettle was passed from hand to hand, and they were allowed to examine it all over, and even to look inside. Then Jumu took it back, and setting it on a platform, commanded it to become a tanooki. In an instant the handle began to change into a head, and the spout into a tail, while the four paws appeared at the sides. Dance, said Jumu, and the tanooki did his steps, and moved first on one side and then on the other, till the people could not stand still any longer, and began to dance too. Gracefully he led the fan dance, and glided without a pause into the shadow dance, and the umbrella dance, and it seemed as if he might go on dancing forever. And so, very likely he would, if Jumu had not declared he had danced enough, and that the booth must now be closed. Day after day the booth was so full it was hardly possible to enter it, and what the neighbor four told had come to pass, and Jumu was a rich man. Yet he did not feel happy. He was an honest man, and he thought that he owed some of his wealth to the man from whom he had bought the kettle. So one morning he put a hundred gold pieces into it, and hanging the kettle once more on his arm, he returned to the cellar of it. I have no right to keep it any longer, he added, when he had ended his tale. So I have brought it back to you, and inside you will find a hundred gold pieces as the price of its hire. The man thanked Jumu and said that few people would have been as honest as he, and the kettle brought them both luck, and everything went well with them till they died, which they did when they were very old respected by everyone. Adapted from Japanese Marchen. End of Chapter 36. Recording by Jenny Lundack, South Padre Island, Texas. Recorded in March 2011. End of The Crimson Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.