 Story 58 of the Fairy Ring Once upon a time there was a radia and runny, who were much grieved because they had no children, and the little dog in the palace had also no puppies. At last the radia and runny had some children, and it also happened that the pet dog in the palace had some puppies. But unfortunately the runnies to children were two puppies, and the dogs to puppies were two pretty little girls. This vexed her majesty very much, and sometimes when the dog had gone away to its dinner, the runny used to put the two puppies, her children, into the kennel, and carry away the dog's two little girls to the palace. Then the poor dog grew very unhappy and said, They never believe my two little children alone. I must take them away into the jungle, or their lives will be worried sour. So one night she took the little girls in her mouth, and ran with them to the jungle, and there made them a home in a gritty cave in the rock, besides a clear stream, and every day she would go into the towns and carry away some nice curry and rice to give her little daughters. And if she found any pretty clothes or jewels that she could bring away in her mouth, she used to take them also for the children. Now it happened some time after this. One day, when the dog had gone to fetch her daughter's dinner, two young princes, Arraja and his brother, came to hunt in the jungle, and they hunted all day and found nothing. It had been very hot, and they were thirsty, so they went to a tree which grew on a little piece of high ground, and sent their attendants to search all around for water, but no one could find any. At last one of the hunting dogs came to the foot of the tree, quite muddy, and the Arraja said, Look! The dog is muddy. He must have found water. Follow him, and see where he goes. The attendants followed the dog, and saw him go to the stream at the mouth of the cave where the two children were, and the two children also saw them, and were very much frightened and ran inside the cave. Then the attendants returned to the two princes and said, We have found clear sparkling water flowing past a cave, and what is more, within the cave are two of the most lovely young ladies that I ever beheld, closed in fine dresses and covered with jewels, but when they saw us they were frightened and ran away. On hearing this the princes spayed their servants lead them to the place, and when they saw the two young girls they were quite charmed with them, and asked them to go to their kingdom and become their wives. The maidens were frightened, but at last the Raja and his brother persuaded them, and they went, and the Raja married the elder sister, and his brother married the Jhangar. When the dog returned, she was grieved to find her children gone, and for twelve long years the poor thing ran many, many miles to find them, but in vain. At last one day she came to the place where the two princes lived. Now it chanced that the elder, the wife of the Raja, was looking out of the window, and seeing the dog run down the street, she said, That must be my dear long lost mother. So she ran into the street as fast as possible, and took the tired dog in her arms, and brought her into her own room, and made her a nice comfortable bed on the floor, and bathed her feet, and was very kind to her. Then the dog said to her, My daughter, you are good and kind, and it is a great joy to me to see you again, but I must not stay. I will first go and see your younger sister, and then return. The runny answered, Do not do so, dear mother, rest here today, to-morrow I will send and let my sister know, and she too will come and see you. But the poor, silly dog would not stay, but ran to the house of her second daughter. Now the second daughter was looking out of the window when the unfortunate creature came to the door, and seeing the dog, she said to herself, That must be my mother, what will my husband think if he learns that this wretched, ugly, miserable looking dog is my mother? So she ordered her servants to go and throw stones at it, and drive it away, and they did so, and one large stone hit the dog's head, and she ran back, very much hurt, to her elder daughter's house. The runny saw her coming, and ran out into the street and brought her in her arms, and did all she could to make a well, saying, Ah, mother, mother, why did you ever leave my house? But all her care was in vain, the poor dog died. Then the runny thought her husband might be vexed if he found a dead dog, an unclean animal, in the palace, so she put the body in a small room into which the Raja hardly ever went, intending to have it reverently buried, and over it she placed a basket turned topsy-turvy. It so happened, however, that when the Raja came to visit his wife, as chance would have it, he went through this very room, and tripping over the upturned basket, called for a light to see what it was. Then, lo and behold, there lay the statue of a dog, life-size, composed entirely of diamonds, emeralds, and other precious stones set in gold. So he called out to his wife and said, Where did you get this beautiful dog? And when the runny saw the golden dog, she was very much frightened, and I am sorry to say, instead of telling her husband the truth, she told a story and said, Oh, it is only a present my parents sent me. Now see what trouble she got into for not telling the truth. Only, said the Raja, why this is valuable enough to buy the whole of my kingdom. Your parents must be very rich people, to be able to send you such presents as this. How is it you never told me of them? Where do they live? Now she had to tell another story to cover the first. She said, In the jungle. He replied, I will go and see them. You must take me and show me where they live. Then the runny thought, What will the Raja say when he finds I have been telling him such stories? He will order my head to be cut off. So she said, You must first give me a palanquin, and I will go into the jungle and tell them you are coming. But really she had determined to kill herself, and so get out of her difficulties. Away she went, and when she had gone some distance in her palanquin, she saw a large white aunts' nest over which hung a cobra, with his mouth wide open. Then the runnies thought, I will go to that cobra and put my finger in his mouth, that he may bite me, and so I shall die. So she ordered the palanquin bears to wait, and said she would be back in a while, and got out, and ran to the aunts' nest, and put her finger in the cobra's mouth. Now a large thorn had run a short time before into the cobra's throat, and hurt him very much, and the runny, by putting her finger into his mouth, pushed out this thorn. Then the cobra, feeling much better, turned to her and said, My dear daughter, you have done me a great kindness. What return can I make you? The runny told him all her story, and begged him to bite her, that she might die. But the cobra said, You certainly did very wrong to tell the raja that story. Nevertheless, you have been very kind to me. I will help you in your difficulty. Send your husband here. I will provide you with a father and mother, of whom you need not be ashamed. So the runny returned joyfully to the palace, and invited her husband to come and see her parents. When they reached the spot near where the cobra was, what a wonderful sight awaited them. There, in the place which had before been thick jungle, stood a splendid palace, twenty-four miles long, and twenty-four miles broad, with gardens and trees and fountains all around, and the light shining from it was to be seen a hundred miles off. The wards were made of gold and precious stones, and the carpet's cloth of gold, hundreds of servants in rich dresses, stood waiting in the long lofty rooms, and in the last room of all, upon gold and thrones sat a magnificent old raja and runny, who introduced themselves to the young raja as his papa and mama-in-law. The raja and runny stayed at the palace six months, and were entertained the whole of that time with feasting and music, and they left for their own home loaded with presents. Before they started, however, the runny went to her friend the cobra and said, You have conjured up all these beautiful things to get me out of my difficulties, but my husband, the raja, has enjoyed his visit so much that he will certainly want to come here again. Then if he returns and finds nothing at all, he will be very angry with me. The friendly cobra answered, Do not fear, when you have gone twenty-four miles on your journey, look back and see what you will see. So they started, and on looking back at the end of twenty-four miles, saw the whole of the splendid palace in flames, the fire reaching up to heaven. The raja returned to see if he could help anybody to escape or invite them in their distress to his court, but he found that all was burnt down, not a stone nor a living creature remained. Then he grieved much over the sad fate of his parents-in-law. When the party returned home, the raja's brother said to him, Where did you get these magnificent presents? He replied, They are gifts from my father and mother-in-law. At this news, the raja's brother went home to his wife, very discontented, and asked her why she had never told him of her parents, and taken him to see them, whereby he might have received rich gifts as well as his brother. His wife then went to her sister and asked how she had managed to get all the things. But the rani said, Go away, you wicked woman, I will not speak to you, you killed the poor dog, our mother. But afterwards she told her all about it. The sister then said, I shall go and see the cobra and get presents too. The rani then answered, You can go if you like. So the sister ordered her palanquin and told her husband that she was going to see her parents, and prepare them for a visit from him. When she reached the aunt's nest, she saw the cobra there, and she went and put her finger in his mouth, and the cobra bit her, and she died. End of the story The Grateful Cobra from the Fairy Ring, edited by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora Archibald Smith. Read by Losch Rolander. Once upon a time there lived an old couple who had one son, called Martin. Now when the old man's time had come he stretched himself out on his bed and died. Though all his life long he had toiled and moiled, he only left his widow and son two hundred florins. The old woman determined to put by the money for a rainy day, but alas the rainy day was close at hand for their meal was all consumed, and who was prepared to face starvation with two hundred florins at their disposal. So the old woman counted out one hundred florins and giving them to Martin told him to go into the town and lay in a store of meal for a year. So Martin started off for the town. When he reached the meat market he found the whole place in turmoil and a great noise of angry voices and barking of dogs. Mixing in the crowd he noticed a stag hound which the butchers had caught and tied to a post, and which was being flogged in a merciless manner. Overcome with pity Martin spoke to the butchers saying, Friends, why are you beating the poor dog so cruelly? We have every right to beat him, they replied. He has just devoured a newly killed pig. Leave off beating him, said Martin, and sell him to me instead. If you choose to buy him, answered the butchers derisively, but for such a treasure we won't take a penny less than one hundred florins. A hundred? exclaimed Martin. Well, so be it if you will not take less, and taking the money out of his pocket he handed it over in exchange for the dog, whose name was Shorca. When Martin got home his mother met him with the question, Well, what have you bought? Shorca, the dog, replied Martin, pointing to his new possession, whereupon his mother became very angry and abused him roundly. He ought to be ashamed of himself when there was scarcely a handful of meal in the house to have spent the money on a useless brute like that. On the following day she sent him back to the town, saying, Here, take our last one hundred florins and buy provisions with them. I have just emptied the last grains of meal out of the chest and baked a bannock, but it won't last over tomorrow. Just as Martin was entering the town he met a rough-looking peasant who was dragging a cat after him by a string which was fastened around the poor beast's neck. Stop! cried Martin. Where are you dragging that poor cat? I mean to drown it, was the answer. What harm has the poor beast done? said Martin. It has just killed a goose, replied the peasant. Don't drown it, sell it to me instead, begged Martin. Not for one hundred florins was the answer. Surely for one hundred florins you'll sell it, said Martin. See, here is the money. And so saying, he handed him the one hundred florins which the peasant pocketed, and Martin took possession of the cat which was called Wasca. When he reached home his mother greeted him with the question, Well, what have you brought back? I have brought this cat, Wasca, answered Martin. And what besides? I had no money over to buy anything else with, replied Martin. You useless nair-du-well exclaimed his mother in a great passion. Leave the house at once and go and beg your bread amongst strangers. And as Martin did not dare to contradict her, he called Shorca and Wasca, and started off with them to the nearest village in search of work. On the way he met a rich peasant who asked him where he was going. I want to get work as a day laborer, he answered. Come along with me then, but I must tell you I engage my laborers without wages. If you serve me faithfully for a year I promise you it shall be to your advantage. So Martin consented, and for a year he worked diligently and served his master faithfully, and not sparing himself in any way. When the day of reckoning had come the peasant led him into a barn and pointing to two full sacks said, Take whichever of these you choose. Martin examined the contents of the sacks and seeing that one was full of silver and the other of sand he said to himself, There must be some trick about this, I had better take the sand. And throwing the sack over his shoulders he started out into the world in search of fresh work. On and on he walked and at last he reached a great gloomy wood. In the middle of the wood he came upon a meadow where a fire was burning, and in the midst of the fire surrounded by flames was a lovely damsel, more beautiful than anything that Martin had ever seen, and when she saw him she called to him. Martin, if you would win happiness save my life, extinguish the flames with the sand that you earned in payment of your faithful service. Truly, thought Martin to himself, it would be more sensible to save a fellow being's life with this sand than to drag it about on one's back, seeing what a weight it is. And forthwith he lowered the sack from his shoulders and emptied its contents on the flames, and instantly the fire was extinguished. But at the same moment, low and behold, the lovely damsel turned into a serpent and darting upon him, coiled itself around his neck and whispered lovingly in his ear, Do not be afraid of me, Martin. I love you and I will go with you through the world. But first you must follow me boldly into my father's kingdom, underneath the earth, and when we get there remember this. He will offer you gold and silver and dazzling gems but do not touch them. Ask him instead for the ring which he wears on his little finger, for in that ring lies a magic power. You have only to throw it from one hand to the other and at once twelve young men will appear who will do your bidding, no matter how difficult it is, in a single night. So they started on their way, and after much wandering they reached a spot where a great rock rose straight up in the middle of the road. Instantly the serpent uncoiled itself from his neck, and as it touched the damp earth it resumed the shape of the lovely damsel. Pointing to the rock she showed him an opening just big enough for a man to wriggle through. Passing into it they entered a long underground passage which led out onto a wide field above which spread a blue sky. In the middle of the field stood a magnificent castle built out of porphyry with a roof of gold and with glittering battlements. And his beautiful guide told him that this was the palace in which her father lived and reigned over his kingdom in the underworld. Together they entered the palace and were received by the king with great kindness. Turning to his daughter he said, My child, I had almost given up the hope of ever seeing you again. Where have you been all these years? My father, she replied, I owe my life to this youth who saved me from a terrible death. Upon which the king turned to Martin with a gracious smile saying, I will reward your courage by granting you whatever your heart desires. Take as much gold, silver, and precious stones as you choose. I thank you, mighty king, for your gracious offer, answered Martin, but I do not covet either gold, silver, or precious stones. Yet if you will grant me a favor, give me, I beg, the ring from off of the little finger of your royal hand. Every time my eye falls on it I shall think of your gracious majesty, and when I marry I shall present it to my bride. So the king took the ring from his finger and gave it to Martin, saying, Take it, good youth, but with it I make one condition. You are never to confide to any one that this is a magic ring. If you do you will straight away bring misfortune on yourself. Martin took the ring, and having thanked the king he set out on the same road by which he had come down into the underworld. When he had regained the upper air he started for his old home, and having found his mother still living in the old house where he had left her, they settled down together very happily. So uneventful was their life that it almost seemed as if it would go on in this way, always without let or hindrance. But one day it suddenly came into his mind that he would like to get married, and moreover that he would choose a very grand wife, a king's daughter in short. But as he did not trust himself as a wooer he determined to send his old mother on the mission. You must go to the king, he said to her, and demand the hand of his lovely daughter in marriage for me. What are you thinking of, my son? answered the old woman aghast at the idea. Why cannot you marry someone in your own rank? That would be far more fitting than to send a poor old woman like me a wooing to the king's court for the hand of a princess. Why, it is as much as our heads are worth. Neither my life nor yours would be worth anything if I went on such a fool's errand. Never fear, little mother, answered Martin. Trust me, all will be well. But see that you do not come back without an answer of some kind. And so, obedient to her son's behest, the old woman hobbled off to the palace, and without being hindered, reached the courtyard and began to mount the flight of steps leading to the royal presence chamber. At the head of the landing rows of courtiers were collected in magnificent attire, who stared at the queer old figure and called to her, and explained to her with every kind of sign that it was strictly forbidden to mount those steps. But their stern words and forbidding gestures made no impression whatever on the old woman, and she resolutely continued to climb the stairs, bent on carrying out her son's orders. Upon this, some of the courtiers seized her by the arms and held her back by sheer force, at which she set up such a yell that the king himself heard it, and stepped out on the balcony to see what was the matter. When he beheld the old woman flinging her arms wildly about, and heard her scream that she would not leave the place till she had laid her case before the king, he ordered that she should be brought into his presence. And forthwith she was conducted into the golden presence chamber, where, leaning back among cushions of royal purple, the king sat surrounded by his counselors and courtiers, curtsying low the old woman stood silent before him. Well, my good dame, what can I do for you? asked the king. I have come, replied Martin's mother, and your Majesty must not be angry with me. I have come a-wooing. Is the woman out of her mind? said the king with an angry frown. But Martin's mother answered boldly. If the king will only listen patiently to me and give me a straightforward answer, he will see that I am not out of my mind. You, O king, have a lovely daughter to give in marriage. I have a son, a wooer, as clever a youth and as good a son-in-law as you will find in your whole kingdom. There is nothing that he cannot do. Now tell me, O king, plump and plain, will you give your daughter to my son as wife? The king listened to the end of the old woman's stranger quest, but every moment his face grew blacker and his features stirner, till at once he thought to himself, Is it worthwhile that I, the king, should be angry with this poor fool? And all the courtiers and counsellors were amazed when they saw the hard lines around his mouth and the frown on his brow grow smooth, and heard the mild but mocking tones in which he answered the old woman, saying, If your son is as wonderfully clever as you say, and if there is nothing in the world that he cannot do, let him build a magnificent castle just opposite my palace windows in twenty-four hours. The palaces must be joined together by a bridge of pure crystal. On each side of the bridge there must be growing trees, having golden and silver apples and with birds of paradise among the branches. At the right of the bridge there must be a church with five golden cupolas. In this church your son shall be wedded to my daughter, and we will keep the wedding festivities in the new castle. But if he fails to execute this my royal command, then, as a just but mild monarch, I shall give orders that you and he be taken, and first dipped in tar, and then in feathers, and you shall be executed in the marketplace for the entertainment of my courtiers. And a smile played around the king's lips as he finished speaking, and his courtiers and counsellors shook with laughter when they thought of the old woman's folly, and praised the king's wise device and said to each other, What a joke it will be when we see the pair of them tarred and feathered. The son is just as able to grow a beard on the palm of his hand as to execute such a task in 24 hours. Now the poor old woman was mortally afraid, and in a trembling voice she asked, Is that really your royal will, O king? Must I take this order to my poor son? Yes, old dame, such is my command. If your son carries out my order he shall be rewarded with my daughter. But if he fails, I'll wait to the tar barrel and the stake with both of you. On her way home, the poor old woman shed bitter tears, and when she saw Martin she told him what the king had said, and sobbed out, Didn't I tell you my son that you should marry someone of your own rank? It would have been better for us this day if you had. As I told you, my going to court has been as much as our lives are worth, and now we will both be tarred and feathered and burned in the public marketplace. It's terrible! And she moaned and cried. Never fear, little mother, answered Martin. Trust me, and you will see all will be well. You may go to sleep with a quiet mind. And stepping to the front of the hut, Martin threw his ring from the palm of one hand into the other, upon which twelve youths instantly appeared and demanded what he wanted them to do. Then he told them the king's commands, and they answered that by next morning all should be accomplished exactly as the king had ordered. Next morning when the king awoke and looked out of his window, to his amazement he beheld a magnificent castle just opposite his own palace, and joined to it by a bridge of pure crystal. At each side of the bridge trees were growing from whose branches hung golden and silver apples, among which birds of paradise perched. At the right gleaming in the sun were the five golden cupolas of a splendid church, whose bells rang out as if they would summon the people from all corners of the earth to come and behold the wonder. Now, though the king would much rather have seen his future son-in-law tarred, feathered, and burned at the stake, he remembered his royal oath, and had to make the best of a bad business. So he took heart of grace, and made Martin a duke, and gave his daughter a rich dowry, and prepared the grandest wedding feast that had ever been seen, so that to this day the old people in the country still talk of it. After the wedding, Martin and his royal bride went to dwell in the magnificent new palace. Here Martin lived in the greatest comfort and luxury, such luxury as he had never imagined. But though he was as happy as the day was long, and as merry as a grig, the king's daughter fretted all day, thinking of the indignity that had been done to her, in making her merry Martin the poor widow's son, instead of a rich young prince from a foreign country. So unhappy was she that she spent all her time wondering how she should get rid of her undesirable husband, and first she determined to learn the secret of his power, and with flattering caressing words she tried to coax him to tell her how he was so clever that there was nothing in the world that he could not do. At first he would tell her nothing, but once when he was in a yielding mood she approached him with a winning smile on her lovely face, and speaking flattering words to him she gave him a potion to drink with a sweet, strong taste. And when he had drunk it Martin's lips were unsealed, and he told her that all his power lay in the magic ring that he wore on his finger, and he described to her how to use it, and still speaking he fell into a deep sleep. And when she saw that the potion had worked and that he was sound asleep, the princess took the magic ring from his finger, and going into the courtyard she threw it from the palm of one hand into the other. On the instant the twelve youths appeared and asked her what she commanded them to do, then she told them that by the next morning they were to do away with the castle and the bridge and the church, and put in their stead the humble hut in which Martin used to live with his mother, and that while he slept her husband was to be carried to his old lowly room, and that they were to bear her away to the utmost ends of the earth, where an old king lived who would make her welcome in his palace, and surround her with the state that befitted a royal princess. You shall be obeyed, answered the twelve youths at the same moment, and lo and behold the following morning when the king woke and looked out of his window he beheld to his amazement that the palace, bridge, church, and trees had all vanished, and there was nothing in their place but a bare, miserable looking hut. Immediately the king sent for his son-in-law and commanded him to explain what had happened, but Martin looked at his royal father-in-law and answered never a word. Then the king was very angry and calling a council together he charged Martin with having been guilty of witchcraft, and of having deceived the king, and of having made away with the princess, and he was condemned to imprisonment in high stone tower with neither meat nor drink till he should die of starvation. Then in the hour of his dire necessity his old friends Shorca, the dog, and Wasca the cat remembered how Martin had once saved them from a cruel death, and they took council together as to how they should help him, and Shorca growled and was of the opinion that he would like to tear everyone in pieces, but Wasca purred meditatively, scratched the back of her ear with a velvet paw, and remained lost in thought. At the end of a few minutes she had made up her mind, and turning to Shorca said, let us go together into the town, and the moment we meet a baker, you must make a rush between his legs and upset the tray from off his head. I will lay hold of the rolls and will carry them off to our master. No sooner said than done. Together the two faithful creatures trotted off into the town, and very soon they met a baker bearing a tray on his head and looking around on all sides while he cried. Fresh roll, sweet cake, francy bread of every kind, come and buy, come and take, sure you'll find it to your mind. At that moment Shorca made a rush between his legs, the baker stumbled, the tray was upset, the rolls fell to the ground, and while the man angrily pursued Shorca, Wasca managed to drag the rolls out of sight behind a bush, and when a moment later Shorca joined her they set out at a full tilt to the stone tower where Martin was a prisoner, taking the rolls with them. Wasca, being very agile, climbed up by the outside to the graded window and called in an anxious voice, are you alive, master? Scarcely alive, almost starved to death, answered Martin in a weak voice. I little thought it would come to this, that I should die of hunger. Never fear, dear master, Shorca and I will look after you, said Wasca, and in another moment she had climbed down and brought him back a roll, and then another, and another, till she had brought him the whole tray load, upon which she said, Dear master, Shorca and I are going off to a distant kingdom at the utmost ends of the earth to fetch you back your magic ring. You must be careful that the rolls last till our return. And Wasca took leave of her beloved master and set off with Shorca on their journey. On and on they travelled, looking always to right and left for traces of the princess, following up every track, making inquiries of every cat and dog they met, listening to the talk of every wayfarer they passed, and at last they heard that the kingdom at the utmost ends of the earth where the twelve youths had borne the princess was not very far off. And one day they reached that distant kingdom, and going at once into the palace they began to make friends with all the dogs and cats in the place, and to question them about the princess and the magic ring. But no one could tell them much about either. Now, one day it chanced that Wasca had gone down to the palace cellar to hunt for mice and rats, and seeing an especially fat, well-fed mouse she pounced upon it, buried her claws in its soft fur, and was just going to gobble it up when she was stopped by the pleading tones of the little creature saying, If you will only spare my life I will be of great service to you. I will do everything in my power for you, for I am the king of the mice, and if I perish the whole race will die out. So be it, said Wasca. I will spare your life, but in return you must do something for me. In this castle there lives a princess, the wicked wife of my dear master. She has stolen away his magic ring. You must get it away from her at whatever cost, do you hear? Till you have done this I won't take my claws out of your fur. Good, replied the mouse, I will do what you ask. And so saying he summoned all the mice in his kingdom together, a countless number of mice, small and big, brown and gray, assembled and formed a circle around their king, who was a prisoner under Wasca's claws. Turning to them he said, Dear and faithful subjects, whoever among you will steal the magic ring from the strange princess will release me from a cruel death, and I shall honour him above all the other mice in the kingdom. Instantly a tiny mouse stepped forward and said, I often creep about the princess's bedroom at night, and I have noticed that she has a ring which she treasures as the apple of her eye. All day she wears it on her finger, and at night she keeps it in her mouth. I will undertake Sire to steal away the ring for you. And the tiny mouse tripped away into the bedroom of the princess and waited for nightfall. Then when the princess had fallen asleep, it crept up onto her bed and nod a hole in the pillow, through which it dragged one by one, little down feathers, and threw them under the princess's nose. And the fluff flew into the princess's nose and into her mouth, and starting up she sneezed and coughed, and the ring fell out of her mouth onto the coverlet. In a flash the tiny mouse had seized it and brought it to Wasca as a ransom for the king of the mice. Thereupon Wasca and Shorca started off and travelled night and day till they reached the stone tower where Martin was imprisoned, and the cat climbed up the window and called out to him. Martin, dear master, are you still alive? Ah, Wasca, my faithful little cat, is that you? replied a weak voice. I am dying of hunger. For three days I have not tasted food. Be of good heart, dear master, replied Wasca. From this day forth you will know nothing but happiness and prosperity. If this were a moment to trouble you with riddles, I would make you guess what Shorca and I have brought you back. Only think we have found you, your ring. At these words Martin's joy knew no bounds, and he stroked her fondly, and she rubbed up against him and purred happily, while below Shorca bounded in the air and barked joyfully. Then Martin took the ring and threw it from one hand into the other, and instantly the twelve youths appeared and asked what they were to do. Fetch me something to eat and drink as quickly as possible, and after that bring musicians hither and let us have music all day long. Now, when the people in the town and palace heard music coming from the tower they were filled with amazement, and came to the king with the news that witchcraft must be going on in Martin's tower. For instead of dying of starvation he was seemingly making merry to the sound of music and to the clatter of plates and glass and knives and forks, and the music was so enchantingly sweet that all the passerbys stood still to listen to it. On this the king sent at once a messenger to starvation tower, and he was so astonished with what he saw that he remained rooted to the spot. Then the king sent his chief counselors, and they too were transfixed with wonder. At last the king came himself, and he likewise was spellbound by the beauty of the music. Then Martin summoned the twelve youths and said to them, build up my castle again and join it to the king's palace with a crystal bridge. Do not forget the trees with the golden and silver apples and with the birds of paradise and the branches, and put back the church with the five cupolas and let the bells ring out, summoning the people from the four corners of the kingdom. And one thing more, bring back my faithless wife and lead her into the women's chambers. And it was all done as he commanded, and leaving starvation tower he took the king, his father-in-law by the arm, and led him into the new palace where the princess sat in fear and trembling, awaiting her death. And Martin spoke to the king, saying, King and royal father, I have suffered much at the hands of your daughter. What punishment shall be dealt to her? Then the mild king answered, beloved prince and son-in-law, if you love me, let your anger be turned to grace, forgive my daughter, and restore her to your heart and favor. And Martin's heart was softened, and he forgave his wife, and they lived happily together ever after. And his old mother came and lived with them, and he never parted with Shorka and Waska, and I need hardly tell you that he never again let the ring out of his possession. End of The Magic Ring Recording by Kalinda in Lüneburg, Germany on March 10, 2009 Story 60 of The Fairy Ring 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 Ashwin Jain The Fairy Ring edited by Kate Douglas-Vicken and Nora Archibald-Smith Story 60 Tit for tat There once lived a camel and a jackal who were great friends. One day, the jackal said to the camel, I know that there is a fine field of sugar cane on the other side of the river. If you take me across, I'll show you the place. This plan will suit me as well as your. You will enjoy eating the sugar cane, and I'm sure to find many crabs, bones and bits of fish by the river side. I wish to make a good dinner. The camel consented and swam across the river, taking the jackal who could not swim on his back. When they reached the other side, the camel went to eating the sugar cane, and the jackal ran up and down the river bank, devouring all the crabs, bits of fish and bones he would find. But being so much smaller an animal, he had made an excellent meal before the camel had eaten more than two or three mouthfuls. And no sooner had he finished his dinner than he ran round and round the sugar cane field, helping and howling with all his might. The villagers heard him and thought, There is a jackal among the sugar canes. He will be scratching holes in the ground and spoiling the roots of the plants, and they all went down to the place to drive him away. But when they got there, they found to the surprise not only a jackal, but a camel who was eating the sugar canes. This made them very angry, and they caught the poor camel and drove him from the field and beat and beat him until he was nearly dead. When they had gone, the jackal said to the camel, We had better go home, and the camel said, Very well, then jump upon my back, as you did before. So the jackal jumped upon the camel's back, and the camel began to cross the river. When they had got well into the water, the camel said, This is a gritty way in which you have treated me, friend jackal. No sooner had you finished your own dinner, then you must go yelping about the place loud enough to arouse the whole village and bring all the villagers down to beat me black and blue and turn me out of the field before I had eaten two mouthfuls. What in the world did you make such a noise for? I don't know, said the jackal. It is a habit I have. I always like to sing a little after dinner. The camel waded on to the river. The water reached up to his knees, then above them, up, up, up, higher and higher, until he was obliged to swim. Then turning to the jackal, he said, I feel very anxious to roll. Oh, pray, don't. Why do you wish to do so? asked the jackal. I don't know, answered the camel. It is a habit I have. I always like to have a little roll after dinner. So saying, he rolled over in the river, shaking the jackal off as he did so. And the jackal was drowned. The camel swam safely ashore. End of tit for tat. Recording by Aishwin Jain, Story 61 of the Fairy Ring. This is a Library of Recording. All Library of Recording are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Aishwin Jain. The Fairy Ring, edited by Kate Douglas-Figgin and Nora Archibald-Smith. Story 61. The Brahmin, the Tiger and the Six Judges. Once upon a time, a Brahmin, who was walking along the road, came upon an iron cage in which a great tiger had been shot up by the villagers who caught him. As the Brahmin passed by, the tiger called out and said to him, Brother Brahmin, Brother Brahmin, have pity on me, and let me out of this cage for one minute, only to drink a little water, for I am dying of trust. The Brahmin answered, No, I will not, for if I let you out of the cage, you will eat me. O father of mercy, answered the tiger, In truth that I will not, I will never be so ungrateful, only let me out, that I may drink some water and return. Then the Brahmin took pity on him and opened the cage door. But no sooner had he turned so, than the tiger, jumping out, said, Now I will eat you first and drink the water afterwards. But the Brahmin said, Only do not kill me hastily. It is first as the opinion of Six, and if all of them say it is just and fair, that he should put me to death, then I am willing to die. Very well, answered the tiger, It shall be as you say, who will first ask the opinion of Six. So the Brahmin and the tiger walked on till they came to a abandoned tree, and the Brahmin said to it, Bandit tree, bandit tree, here and give judgment. On what must I give judgment, asked the bandit tree. This tiger, said the Brahmin, begged me to let him out of this cage to drink a little water, and he promised not to hurt me if I did so. But now, that I have left him out, he wishes to eat me. It is just that he should do so, or no. The bandit tree answered, Men often come to take shelter in the cool shade under my bows, from the scorching rays of the sun. But when they have rested, they cut and break my petty branches, and wantonly scatter my leaves. Let the tiger eat the man, for men are an ungrateful race. And these words, the tiger would have instantly killed the Brahmin. But the Brahmin said, Tiger, Tiger, you must not kill me yet, for you promised that we should first hear the judgment of Six. Very well, said the tiger, and they went on their way. After a little while, they met a camel. Sir camel, Sir camel, cried the Brahmin, here and give judgment. On what shall I give judgment, asked the camel. And the Brahmin related how the tiger had begged him to open the cage door, and promised not to hit him if he did so. And how he had afterwards determined to break his word, and asked if that were just or not. The camel replied, When I was young and strong, and could do much work, my master took care of me, and gave me good food. But now that I am old, and have lost all my strength in his service, he overloads me, instills me, and beats me without mercy. Let the tiger eat the man, for men are an unjust and cruel race. The tiger would have then killed the Brahmin. But the latter said, Stop Tiger, we must first hear the judgment of Six. So they both went on their way. At a little distance, they found a bullock lying by the roadside. The Brahmin said to him, Brother Bullock, Brother Bullock, here and give judgment. On what must I give judgment, asked the Bullock. The Brahmin answered, I found the tiger in a cage, and he prayed me to open the door, and let him out to drink a little water, and promised not to kill me if I did so. But when I had let him out, it is all to put me to death. Is it fair that he should do so or not? The Bullock said, When I was able to work, my master fed me well, and tended me carefully. But now I am old, and he has forgotten all I did for him, and left me by the roadside to die. Let the tiger eat the man, for men have no pity. Three out of the six, and giving judgment against the Brahmin. But still he did not lose all hope, and didn't mind to ask the other three. They next met an eagle flying through the air, to whom the Brahmin said, A eagle, great eagle, here and give judgment. On what must I give judgment, asked the eagle. The Brahmin stated the case, and the eagle answered, Whenever men see me, they try to shoot me. They climb the rocks, and steal away my little ones. Let the tiger eat the man, for men are the prosecutors of the earth. Then the tiger began to roar, and said, Judgment of all is against you, or Brahmin. But the Brahmin answered, Stay yet until longer, for two others must first be asked. After this they saw an allocator, and the Brahmin related the matter to him, hoping for a more favorable verdict. But the allocator said, Whenever I put my nose out of the water, men torment me, and try to kill me. Let the tiger eat the man, for as long as men live, we shall have no rest. And the Brahmin gave himself up as lost. But again, he prayed the tiger to have patience, and let him ask the opinion of the sixth judge. And the sixth was a jackal. The Brahmin told his story, and said to him, Uncle Jackal, Uncle Jackal, Say, what is your judgment? The jackal answered, It is impossible for me to decide who is in the right, and who is in the wrong unless I see the exact position in which you were when the dispute began. Show me the place. So the Brahmin and the tiger returned to the place where they first met, and the jackal went with them. When they got there, the jackal said, No Brahmin, show me exactly where you stood. Here, said the Brahmin, standing by the iron tiger's cage. Exactly there was it, asked the jackal. Exactly here replied the Brahmin. Where was the tiger? Then asked the jackal. In the cage answered the tiger, How do you mean? said the jackal. How were you within the cage? Which way were you looking? Why? I stood so, said the tiger, jumping into the cage. And my head was on this side. Very good, said the jackal. But I cannot judge without understanding the whole matter exactly. Was the cage door open or shut? Shut and bolted, said the Brahmin. Then shut and bolted, said the jackal. When the Brahmin had turned this, the jackal said, Oh, you wicked and ungrateful tiger. When a good Brahmin opened your cage door, is to eat him the only return he would make. Stay there, then, for the rest of your days, for no one will ever let you out again. Proceed on your journey, friend Brahmin. Your road lies that way, in mind this. So saying, the jackal ran off in one direction, and the Brahmin went rejoicing on his way in the other. End of the Brahmin, the tiger, and the six judges. Recording by Ashwin Jain. Story 62 of the Fairy Ring. 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 Ashwin Jain. The Fairy Ring, edited by Kate Douglas-Vicken and Nora Archibald-Smith. Story 62 Machilal. Once upon a time, there were a Raja and Rani who had no children. Long had they wished and prayed that the cows would send them as sun. But it was all in vain. Their prayers were not granted. One day, a number of fish were brought into the royal kitchen to be cooked for the Raja's dinner. And among them was one little fish that was not dead. Though all the rest were dead, one of the palace maidsaw went seeing this to the little fish and put him in a basin of water. Shortly afterwards, the Rani saw him and, thinking him very pretty, kept him as a pet. And because she had no children, she lavished all her affection on the fish and loved him as a son. And the people called him Machiraja, the fish prince. In a little while, Machiraja had grown too long to live in the small basin. So they put him in a larger one. Then, when he grew too long for that, into a big tub. In time, however, Machiraja became too large for even the big tub to hold him. So the Rani had a tank made for him in which he lived very happily. And twice a day, she fed him with boiled rice. Now, though the people fancied Machiraja was only a fish, this was not the case. He was, in truth, a young Raja who had angered the gods and been turned by them into a fish and thrown into the river as a punishment. One morning, when the Rani brought him his daily meal of boiled rice, Machiraja called out to her and said, Queen Mother, Queen Mother, I am so lonely here all by myself. Cannot you get me a wife? The Rani promised to try and send messages to all the people she knew to ask if they would allow one of their children to marry her son, the fish prince. But they all answered, we cannot give one of our dear little daughters to be devoured by a great fish, even though he is the Machiraja and so high in your majesty's favor. At news of this, the Rani did not know what to do. She was so foolishly fond of Machiraja, however, that she resolved to get him a wife at any cost. Again, she sent out messengers. For this time, she gave them a great bag containing a lack of gold maharas and said to them, go into every land until you find a wife for Machiraja and to whoever will give you a child to be the Machirani, you shall give this bag of gold maharas. The messengers started on their search, but for some time they were unsuccessful. Not even the beggars were to be tempted to sell their children. Fearing the great fish would devour them. At last one day, the messengers came to a village where they lived a fakir. We lost his first wife and married again. His first wife had one little daughter and his second wife also had a daughter. As it happened, the fakir's second wife hated the little stepdaughter, always gave her the hardest work to do and the least food to eat and tried by every means in her power to get her out of the way in order that the child might not rival her own daughter. When she heard of the errand on which the messengers had come, she sent for them when the fakir was out and said to them, give me the bag of gold maharas and you shall take my little daughter to marry the Machiraja. For she thought to herself, the great fish will certainly eat the girl and she will less trouble us the more. Then turning to her stepdaughter, she said, go down to the river and wash your sari that you may be fit to go with these people who will take you to the Rani's court. At these words, the poor girl went down to the river very sorrowful for she saw no hope of escape as her father was from home. As she knelt by the riverside, washing her sari and crying bitterly, some of her tears fell into the hole of an old seven-headed cobra who lived on the river bank. This cobra was a very wise animal and seeing the maiden, he put his hand out of his hole and said to her, little girl, why do you cry? Oh, sir, she answered, I am very unhappy, for my father is from home and my stepmother has sold me to the Rani's people to the wife of the Machiraja, that great fish, and I know he will eat me up. Do not be afraid, my daughter, said the cobra, but take with you these three stones and tie them up in the corner of your sari and so saying he gave her three little round pebbles. The Machiraja, whose wife you are to be, is not really a fish but a Raja who had been enchanted. Your home will be a little room which the Rani has had built in the tank wall. When you are taken there, wait and be sure you don't go to sleep or the Machiraja will certainly come and eat you up. But as you hear him coming rushing through the water, be prepared and as soon as you see him throw his first stone at him, he will then sink to the bottom of the tank. The second time he comes through the second stone, when the same thing will happen. The third time he comes, throws this third stone and he will immediately resume his human shape. So saying, the old cobra dived down again into his hole. The fakis daughter took the stones and determined to do as the cobra had told her, though she highly believed it would have a desired effect. When she reached the palace, the Rani spoke kindly to her and said to the messengers, you have done your errand well and this is ideal little girl. Then she ordered that she should be let down the side of the tank in a basket to a little room which had been prepared for her. When the fakis daughter got there, she thought she had never seen such a pretty place in her life. So the Rani had caused the little room to be very nicely decorated for the wife of her favorite and she would have felt very happy away from her cruel stepmother and all the hard work she had been made to do. Had it not been for the dark water that lay black and unfathomable below the door and the fear of the terrible Machiraja, after waiting some time she heard a rushing sound. The little waves came dashing against the threshold. First they came in faster and the noise got louder and louder until she saw a great fish's head above the water. Machiraja was coming toward her open mouth. The fakis daughter seized one of the stones that the cobra had given her and threw at him and down he sank to the bottom of the tank. In second time he rose and came toward her and she threw the second stone at him and he sank down again. A third time he came more fiercely than before. When seizing the third stone she threw it with all her force. No sooner did it touch her than the spell was broken and there instead of a fish stood a handsome young prince. The poor little fakis daughter was so stifled that she began to cry. But the prince said to her, pretty maiden do not be frightened. You have rescued me from a horrible throldom and I can never thank you enough. But if you will be the Machirani we will be married tomorrow. Then he sat down on the doorstep thinking over his strange fate and watching for the dawn. Next morning early several infositive people came to see if the Machiraja had even up his poor little wife as they feared he would. What was their astonishment or looking over the tank wall to see not the Machiraja but a magnificent prince. The news soon spread to the palace. Down came the Raja, down came the Rani, down came all their tendons and dragged Machiraja and the fakis daughter up the side of the tank in a basket. And when they heard their story there were great and unpowered rejoicings. The Rani said, so I have indeed found a son at last and the people were so delighted, so happy and so proud of the new prince and princess that they covered all their baths with damask in the town to the palace and cried to their fellows, come and see our new prince and princess wherever any so divinely beautiful come see a right royal couple a pair of mortals like the gods and when they reached the palace prince was married to the fakis daughter there they lived very happily some time. The machirani stepmother hearing what had happened came often to see her stepdaughter and pretended to be delighted at a good fortune and the Rani was so good that she quite forgave all her stepmother's former cruelty and always received her very kindly at last one day the machirani said to her husband it is a very wild since I saw my father if you will give me a loan I should much like to visit my native village and see him again very well he replied you may go but do not stay away long for there can be no happiness for me till you return so she went and her father was delighted to see her but her stepmother though she pretended to be very kind was in reality only glad to think she had got the Rani into her power and determined if possible never to allow her to return to the palace again one day therefore she said to her own daughter it is hard that your step sister should have become Rani of all the land instead of being eaten up by the great fish while we gain no more than a lack of gold moors do now as I bid you that you may become Rani in her stead and she went on to instruct her how she must invite the Rani down to the riverbank and there beg her to let her try on her jewels and while putting them on give her a push and drown her in the river the girl consented and standing by the riverbank said to her step sister sister may I try on your jewels how pretty they are yes said the Rani and we shall be able to see in the river how they look so in doing her necklaces she clasped them around the other's neck but while she was doing so her step sister gave her a push and she fell backward into the river the girl watched to see that the body did not rise and then running back said to her mother mother here are all the jewels and she will trouble us no more but it happened it just when her step sister pushed the Rani into the river her old friend the seven-headed cobra challenged to be swimming across it and seeing the little Rani likely to be drowned he carried her on his back until they reached his hold into which he took her safe now this hole in which the cobra and his wife and all his little ones lived at huge entrances the one under the water and leading to the river and the other above water leading out into the open fields to this upper end of his fold the cobra took the machirani where he and his wife took care of her and there she lived with them for some time meanwhile the wicked fucky's wife having dressed up her own daughter in all the Rani's jewels took her to the palace and said to the machiraja see i brought your wife my dear daughter back safe and well the Raja looked at her and thought this does not look like my wife however the room was dark and the girl was cleverly disguised and he thought he might be mistaken next day he said again my wife first we sadly changed this cannot be she but she was always bright and cheerful she had pretty loving ways and many words while this woman never opens her lips still he did not like to seem to mistrust his wife and comforted himself by saying perhaps she's died with a long journey on the third day however he could bear the uncertainty no longer and tearing off her jewels saw not the face of his own little wife but another woman then he was very angry and turned her out of dose saying be gone since you are but the rich tool of others as spare your life but all the fucky's wife he said to his guards fetch that woman here instantly for unless she can tell me where my wife is i will have her hanged it changed however the fucky's wife had heard of the machiraja having turned her daughter out of dose so fearing his anger she hit herself she hid herself and was not to be found mean time the machirani not knowing how to get home continued to live in the great seven headed cobra's hole and he and his wife and all his family were very kind to her and loved her as if she had been one of them and there her little son was born and she called him machilal after the machiraja his father machilal was a lovely child merry and brave and his playmates all along the young cobra's when he was about three years old a bangle seller came by that way and the machirani bought some bangles from him and put them on her boys wrists and ankles but by the next day in playing he had broken them all then seeing the bangle seller the rani called him again and bought some more and so on every day until the bangle seller got quite rich from selling so many bangles for the machilal for the cobra's hole was full of treasure and he gave the machirani as much money to spend every day as she lied there was nothing she wished for he did not give her only he would not let her try to get home to her husband which she wished more than all when she asked him he would say no i will not let you go if your husband comes here and fetches you it is well but i will not allow you to wander in search of him to the land alone and so she was obliged to stay where she was all this time the poor machiraja was handling every part of the country for his wife but he could learn no tidings for her for grief and sorrow at losing her he'd gone well lie distracted and did nothing but wander from place to place crying she's gone she's gone then when he had long inquired without a veil of all the people in a native village about her where he one day met a bangle seller and said to him when's do you come the bangle seller answered i have just been selling bangles to some people who live in a cobra's hole in the river bank people what people asked the raja why answered the bangle seller a woman and a child the child is the most beautiful i ever saw he's about three years old and of course running about is always breaking his bangles and his mother buys him new ones every day do you know what the child's name is said the raja yes answered the bangle seller carelessly for the lady always calls him her machilar ah thought the machiraja this must be my wife then he said to him again good bangle seller i would see these strange people of whom you speak cannot you take me there not tonight reply the bangle seller daylight has gone and we should only frighten them but i shall be going there again tomorrow and then you may come to meanwhile come and rest at my house for the night you look faint and weary the raja consented next morning however very early he woke the bangle seller saying pray let us go now and see the people you spoke about yesterday stay said the bangle seller it is much too early i never go till after breakfast so the raja had to wait till the bangle seller was ready to go at last they started off and when they reached the cobra's hole the first thing the raja saw was a fine little boy playing with the young cobra's as the bangle seller came along jiggling his bangles a gentle voice from inside the hole called out come here my machilar and try on your bangles then the machiraja kneeling down at the mouth of the hole said oh lady show your beautiful face to me at the sound of his voice the rani ran out crying husband husband have you found me again and she told him how a sister had tried to drown her and how the good cobra had saved her life and taken care of her and her child then he said and will you now come home with me and she told him how the cobra would never let her go and said i will first tell him of your coming for he has been as a father to me so she called out father cobra father cobra my husband has come to fetch me will let me go yes he said if your husband has come to fetch you you may go and his wife said farewell dear lady we are lost to fellows you for we have loved you as a daughter and all the little cobras were very sorrowful to think that they must lose their play fellow and the young prince then the cobra gave the machiraja and the machirani and machilar all the most costly gifts he could find in his treasure house and so they went home where they lived very happy ever after end of machilar the story 63 of the fairy ring this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org reading by Lars Rolander the fairy ring edited by Kate Douglas Wigan and Nora Archibald Smith story 63 the valiant chatty maker once upon a time in a violent storm of thunder lightning wind and rain a tiger crept for shelter close to the wall of an old woman's hut this old woman was very poor and her hut was but a tumble down place through the roof for which the rain came drip drip drip on more sides than one this troubled her much and she went running about from side to side dragging first one thing and then another out of the way of the leaky places in the roof and as she did so she kept saying to herself oh dear oh dear how tiresome this is i'm sure the roof will come down if an elephant or a lion or a tiger were to walk in he wouldn't frighten me half so much as this perpetual dripping and then she would begin dragging the bed and all the other things in the room about again to get them out of the way of the wet the tiger was crouching down just outside heard all that she said and thought to himself this old woman says she would not be afraid of an elephant or a lion or a tiger but that this perpetual dripping frightens her more than all what can this perpetual dripping be it must be something very dreadful and hearing her immediately afterwards dragging all the things about the room again he said to himself what a terrible noise surely that must be the perpetual dripping at this moment a chatty maker who was in search of his donkey which had strayed away came down the road the night being very cold he had truth to say taken a little more toddy than was good for him and seeing by the glare of a flash of lightning a large animal lying down close to the old woman's hut he mistook it for the donkey he was looking for so running up to the tiger he seized hold of it by one ear and commenced beating kicking and abusing it with all his might and main you wretched creature he cried is this the way you serve me obliging me to come out and look for you in such pouring rain and on such a dark night as this get up instantly or I'll break every bone in your body so he went on scolding and thumping the tiger with his outmost power for he had worked himself up into a terrible rage the tiger did not know what to make of it all but he began to feel quite frightened and said to himself why this must be the perpetual dripping no wonder the old woman said she was more afraid of it than of an elephant or a lion or a tiger for it gives most dreadfully hard blows the chatty maker having made the tiger get up got on his back and forced him to carry him home kicking and beating him the whole way for all this time he fancied he was on his donkey and then he tied his four feet and his head firmly together and fastened him to a post in front of his house and when he had done this he went to bed next morning when the chatty maker's wife got up and looked out of the window what did she see but a great big tiger tied up in front of their house to the post to which they usually fastened the donkey she was very much surprised and running to her husband of work him saying do you know what animal you fetched home last night yes the donkey to be sure he answered calm and see said she and she showed him the great tiger tied to the post the chatty maker at this was no less astonished than his wife and felt himself all over to find if the tiger had not wounded him but no he was safe and sound and there was the tiger tied to the post just as he had fastened it up the night before news of the chatty maker's exploit soon spread through the village and all the people came to see him and hear him tell how he had caught the tiger and tied it to the post and this they thought so wonderful that they sent a deputation to the rajah with a letter to tell him how a man of their village had alone an unarmed caught a great tiger and tied it to a post when the rajah read the letter he also was much surprised and determined to go in person to see this astonishing sight so he sent for his horses and carriages his lords in attendance and they all set off together to look at the chatty maker the tiger he had caught now the tiger was a very large one and had long been a terror of the whole country around which made the whole matter still more extraordinary and all this being represented to the rajah he determined to confer all possible honor on the valiant chatty maker so he gave him houses and lands and as much money as would fill a well made him a lord of his court and conferred on him the command of 10 000 horse it came to pass shortly after this that a neighboring rajah who had long had a quarrel with this one sent to announce his attention of going instantly to war with him and tidings were brought at the same time that the rajah who sent the challenge had gathered a great army together on the borders and was prepared at a moment's notice to invade the country in this dilemma no one knew what to do the rajah sent for all his generals and inquired of them which would be willing to take command of his forces and oppose the enemy they all replied that the country was so ill prepared for the emergency and the case was apparently so hopeless that they would rather not take the responsibility of the chief command the rajah knew not whom to point in their steed then some of his people said to him you have lately given the command of 10 000 horse to the valiant chatty maker who caught the tiger why not make him commander in chief a man who could catch tiger and tie him to a post must surely be more courageous and clever than most very well said the rajah i will make him commander in chief so he sent for the chatty maker and said to him in your hands i place all the power of the kingdom and you must put our enemies to flight for us so be it answered the chatty maker but before i lead the whole army against the enemy suffer me to go by myself and examine their position and if possible find out their numbers and strength the rajah consented and the chatty maker returned home to his wife and said they have made me commander in chief which is a very difficult post for me to fill because i shall have to ride at the head of all the army and you know i never was on a horse in my life but i have succeeded in gaining a little delay as the rajah has given me permission to go first alone and reconnect the enemy's camp do you therefore provide a very quiet pony for you know i cannot ride and i will start tomorrow morning but before the chatty maker had started the rajah sent over to him a most magnificent charger richly kapparison which he begged he would ride when going to see the enemy's camp the chatty maker was frightened almost out of his life for the charger that the rajah had sent him was very powerful and spirited and he felt sure that even if he ever got on it he should very soon tumble off however he did not dare to refuse it for fear of offending the rajah by not accepting his present so he sent back to him a message of thanks and said to his wife i cannot go on the pony now that the rajah has sent me this fine horse but how am i ever to ride it oh don't be frightened she answered you've only to get upon it and i will tie you firmly on so that you cannot tumble off and if you start at night no one will see that you are tied on very well he said so that night his wife brought the horse that the rajah had sent him to the door indeed said the chatty maker i can never get into that saddle it's so high up you must jump said his wife so he tried to jump several times but each time he jumped he tumbled down again i always forget when i am jumping said he which way i ought to turn your face must be toward the horses head she answered to be sure of course he cried and giving one great jump he jumped into the saddle but with his face toward the horses tail this won't do it all said his wife as she helped him down again try getting on without jumping i never can remember he continued when i've got my left foot in the stirrup what to do with my right foot or where to put it that must go in the other stirrup she answered let me help you so after many trials in which he tumbled down very often for the horse was fresh and did not like standing still the chatty maker got into the saddle but no sooner had he got there then he cried oh wife oh wife tie me very firmly as quickly as possible for i know i shall jump down if i can then she fetched some strong rope and tied his feet firmly into the stirrups fastened one stirrup to the other and put another rope around his waist and another around his neck and fastened them to the horse's body and neck and tail when the horse felt all these ropes about him he could not imagine what queer creature had got upon his back and he began rearing and kicking and prancing and at last set off full gallop as fast as he could tear right across country wife wife cried the chatty maker you forgot to tie my hands never mind said she hold on by the main so he caught hold of the horse's main as firmly as he could then away went horse away when chatty maker away away away over hedges of a ditches of a rivers of a plains away away like a flash of lightning now this way now that on on on gallop gallop gallop until they came in sight of the enemy's camp the chatty maker did not like his ride at all and when he saw where it was leading him he liked it still less for he thought the enemy would catch him and very likely kill him so he determined to make one desperate effort to be free and stretching out his hand as the horse shot past a young banyan tree seized hold of it with all his might hoping that the resistance it offered might cause the ropes that tied him to break but the horse was going at his utmost speed and the soil in which the banyan tree grew was loose so that when the chatty maker caught hold of it and gave it such a violent fall it came up by the roots and on he rode as fast as before with a tree in his hand all the soldiers in the camp saw him coming and having heard that an army was to be sent against them made sure that the chatty maker was one of the vanguard see cryday here comes a man of gigantic stature on a mighty horse he rides at full speed across the country tearing up the very trees in his rage he's one of the opposing force the whole army must be close at hand if they are such as he we are all dead men then running to their radia some of them cried again here comes the whole force of the enemy for the story had by this time become exaggerated they are men of gigantic stature mounted on mighty horses as they come they tear up the very trees in their rage we can oppose men but not monsters such as these these were followed by others who said it is all true for by this time the chatty maker had got pretty near the camp they're coming they're coming let us fly let us fly fly fly for our lives and the whole panic-stricken multitude fled from the camp those who had seen no cause for alarm going because the others did or because they did not care to stay by themselves after having obliged their radia to write a letter to the one whose country he was about to invade to say that he would not do so and so proposed terms of peace and to sign it and seal it with his seal scarcely had all the people fled from the camp when the horse on which the chatty maker was came galloping into it and on his back rode the chatty maker almost dead from fatigu with the banyan tree in his hand just as he reached the camp the ropes by which he was tied broke and he fell to the ground the horse stood still too tired with his long run to go farther on recovering his senses the chatty maker found to his surprise that the whole camp full of rich arms clothes and trappings was entirely deserted in the principal tent more over he found a letter addressed to his Russia announcing the retreat of the invading army and proposing terms of peace so he took the letter and returned home with it as fast as he could leading his horse all the way for he was afraid to mount him again it did not take him long to reach his house by the direct road for while riding he had gone a more circuitous journey than was necessary and he reached there just at nightfall his wife ran out to meet him overjoyed at his speedy return as soon as he saw her he said ah wife since I saw you last I've been all around the world and had many wonderful and terrible adventures but never mind that now send this letter quickly to the Raja by a messenger and send the horse also that he sent for me to ride he will then see by the horse looking so tired what a long ride I've had and if he is sent on beforehand I shall not be obliged to ride him up to the palace door tomorrow morning as I otherwise should and that would be very tiresome for most likely I should tumble off so his wife sent the horse and the letter to the Raja and a message that her husband would be at the palace early next morning as it was then late at night and next day he went down there as he had said he would and when the people saw him coming they said this man is as modest as he is brave after having put our enemies to flight he walks quite simply to the door instead of riding there in state as another man would for they did not know that the chatty maker walked because he was afraid to ride the Raja came to the palace door to meet him and paid him all possible honor terms of peace were agreed upon between the two countries and the chatty maker was rewarded for all he had done by being given twice as much rank and wealth as he had before and he lived very happily all the rest of his life end of the story the valiant chatty maker from the fairy ring edited by Kate Douglas Wigan and Nora Archibald Smith read by Lorsch Rolander