The Red Fairy Book - Andrew Lang (best novels for beginners TXT) 📗
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`Oh! I am from Bathland,’ said Kari. And when the Prince
took out the glove and wanted to give it back to her, she said:
`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,
That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’
The Prince had never seen the equal of that glove, and he went
far and wide, asking after the country which the proud lady, who
rode away without her glove, had said that she came from, but
there was no one who could tell him where it lay.
Next Sunday some one had to take up a towel to the Prince.
`Ah! may I have leave to go up with that?’ said Kari.
`What would be the use of that?’ said the others who were in
the kitchen; `you saw what happened last time.’
Kari would not give in, but went on begging for leave till she
got it, and then she ran up the stairs so that her wooden gown
clattered again. Out came the Prince, and when he saw that it
was Kari, he snatched the towel from her and flung it right in her
eyes.
`Be off at once, you ugly Troll,’ said he; `do you think that I
will have a towel that has been touched by your dirty fingers?’
After that the Prince went to church, and Kari also asked leave
to go. They all asked how she could want to go to church when
she had nothing to wear but that wooden gown, which was so
black and hideous. But Kari said she thought the priest was such
a good man at preaching that she got so much benefit from what
he said, and at last she got leave.
She went to the rock and knocked, whereupon out came the
man and gave her a gown which was much more magnificent than
the first. It was embroidered with silver all over it, and it shone
like the silver wood, and he gave her also a most beautiful horse,
with housings embroidered with silver, and a bridle of silver too.
When the King’s daughter got to church all the people were
standing outside upon the hillside, and all of them wondered who
on earth she could be, and the Prince was on the alert in a moment,
and came and wanted to hold her horse while she alighted. But
she jumped off and said that there was no need for that, for the
horse was so well broken in that it stood still when she bade it
and came when she called it. So they all went into the church
together, but there was scarcely any one who listened to what the
priest was saying, for they were all looking far too much at her,
and the Prince fell much more deeply in love with her than he had
been before.
When the sermon was over and she went out of the church, and
was just going to mount her horse, the Prince again came and
asked her where she came from.
`I am from Towelland,’ said the King’s daughter, and as she
spoke she dropped her riding-whip, and while the Prince was
stooping to pick it up she said:
`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,
That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’
And she was gone again, neither could the Prince see what had
become of her. He went far and wide to inquire for that country
from whence she had said that she came, but there was no one who
could tell him where it lay, so he was forced to have patience once
more.
Next Sunday some one had to go to the Prince with a comb.
Kari begged for leave to go with it, but the others reminded her of
what had happened last time, and scolded her for wanting to let the
Prince see her when she was so black and so ugly in her wooden
gown, but she would not give up asking until they gave her leave
to go up to the Prince with the comb. When she went clattering
up the stairs again, out came the Prince and took the comb and
flung it at her, and ordered her to be off as fast as she could. After
that the Prince went to church, and Kari also begged for leave to
go. Again they all asked what she would do there, she who was so
black and ugly, and had no clothes that she could be seen in by
other people. The Prince or some one else might very easily catch
sight of her, they said, and then both she and they would suffer for
it; but Kari said that they had something else to do than to look
at her, and she never ceased begging until she got leave to go.
And now all happened just as it had happened twice already.
She went away to the rock and knocked at it with the stick, and
then the man came out and gave her a gown which was very much
more magnificent than either of the others. It was almost entirely
made of pure gold and diamonds, and she also got a noble horse
with housings embroidered with gold, and a golden bridle.
When the King’s daughter came to the church the priest and people
were all standing on the hillside waiting for her, and the Prince ran
up and wanted to hold the horse, but she jumped off, saying:
`No, thank you, there is no need; my horse is so well broken in
that it will stand still when I bid it.’
So they all hastened into the church together and the priest got
into the pulpit, but no one listened to what he said, for they were
looking far too much at her and wondering whence she came; and
the Prince was far more in love than he had been on either of the
former occasions, and he was mindful of nothing but of looking at her.
When the sermon was over and the King’s daughter was about
to leave the church, the Prince had caused a firkin of tar to be
emptied out in the porch in order that he might go to help her over
it; she, however, did not trouble herself in the least about the tar,
but set her foot down in the middle of it and jumped over it, and
thus one of her gold shoes was left sticking in it. When she had
seated herself on the horse the Prince came running out of the
church and asked her whence she came.
`From Combland,’ said Kari. But when the Prince wanted to
reach her her gold shoe, she said:
`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,
That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’
The Prince did not know what had become of her, so he travelled
for a long and wearisome time all over the world, asking where
Combland was; but when no one could tell him where that country
was, he caused it to be made known everywhere that he would
marry any woman who could put on the gold shoe. So fair maidens
and ugly maidens came thither from all regions, but there was none
who had a foot so small that she could put on the gold shoe. After
a long, long while came Kari Woodengown’s wicked stepmother,
with her daughter too, and the shoe fitted her. But she was so
ugly and looked so loathsome that the Prince was very unwilling
to do what he had promised. Nevertheless all was got ready for
the wedding, and she was decked out as a bride, but as they were
riding to church a little bird sat upon a tree and sang:
`A slice off her heel
And a slice off her toes,
Kari Woodengown’s shoe
Fills with blood as she goes!’
And when they looked to it the bird had spoken the truth, for blood
was trickling out of the shoe. So all the waiting-maids, and all the
womenkind in the castle had to come and try on the shoe, but
there was not one whom it would fit.
`But where is Kari Woodengown, then?’ asked the Prince,
when all the others had tried on the shoe, for he understood the
song of birds and it came to his mind what the bird had said.
`Oh! that creature!’ said the others; `it’s not the least use for
her to come here, for she has feet like a horse!’
`That may be,’ said the Prince, `but as all the others have tried
it, Kari may try it too.’
`Kari!’ he called out through the door, and Kari came upstairs,
and her wooden gown clattered as if a whole regiment of dragoons
were coming up.
`Now, you are to try on the gold shoe and be a Princess,’ said
the other servants, and they laughed at her and mocked her. Kari
took up the shoe, put her foot into it as easily as possible, and then
threw off her wooden gown, and there she stood in the golden gown
which flashed like rays of sunshine, and on her other foot she had
the fellow to the gold shoe. The Prince knew her in a moment,
and was so glad that he ran and took her in his arms and kissed
her, and when he heard that she was a King’s daughter he was
gladder still, and then they had the wedding.[14]
[14] From P. C. Asbjornsen.
DRAKESTAILDRAKESTAIL was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail;
but tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what he
was about, for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing a
hundred crowns. Now the King of the country, who was very
extravagant and never kept any money, having heard that Drakestail
had some, went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard, and,
my word, in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of having
lent money to the King. But after the first and second year, seeing
that they never even dreamed of paying the interest, he became
uneasy, so much so that at last he resolved to go and see His Majesty
himself, and get repaid. So one fine morning Drakestail, very spruce
and fresh, takes the road, singing: `Quack, quack, quack, when shall
I get my money back?’
He had not gone far when he met friend Fox, on his rounds
that way.
`Good-morning, neighbour,’ says the friend, `where are you off
to so early?’
`I am going to the King for what he owes me.’
`Oh! take me with thee!’
Drakestail said to himself: `One can’t have too many friends.’
… `I will,’ says he, `but going on all-fours you will soon be tired.
Make yourself quite small, get into my throat—go into my gizzard
and I will carry you.’
`Happy thought!’ says friend Fox.
He takes bag and baggage, and, presto! is gone like a letter into
the post.
And Drakestail is off again, all spruce and fresh, still singing:
`Quack, quack, quack, when shall I have my money back?’
He had not gone far when he met his lady-friend Ladder,
leaning on her wall.
`Good morning, my duckling,’ says the lady friend, `whither
away so bold?’
`I am going to the King for what he owes me.’
`Oh! take me with thee!’
Drakestail said to himself: `One can’t have too many friends.’
… `I will,’ says he, `but with your wooden legs you will soon be
tired. Make yourself quite small, get into my throat—go into my
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