Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (31 page)

The king was much disgusted when he saw that he must acknowledge
Moscione as his future son-in-law, and summoned the wise men of
his court to ask if there was no way out of the difficulty. The
council at once decided that Canetella was far too dainty a
morsel for the mouth of such a travelling tinker, and advised the
king to offer Moscione a present of gold, which no doubt a beggar
like him would prefer to all the wives in the world.

The king was delighted at this suggestion, and calling Moscione
before him, he asked him what sum of money he would take instead
of his promised bride.

Moscione first consulted with his friends, and then answered: 'I
demand as much gold and precious stones as my followers can carry
away.'

The king thought he was being let off very easily, and produced
coffers of gold, sacks of silver, and chests of precious stones;
but the more Strong-Back was loaded with the treasure the
straighter he stood.

At last the treasury was quite exhausted, and the king had to
send his courtiers to his subjects to collect all the gold and
silver they possessed. But nothing was of any avail, and
Strong-Back only asked for more.

When the king's counsellors saw the unexpected result of their
advice, they said it would be more than foolish to let some
strolling thieves take so much treasure out of the country, and
urged the king to send a troop of soldiers after them, to recover
the gold and precious stones.

So the king sent a body of armed men on foot and horse, to take
back the treasure Strong-Back was carrying away with him.

But Hare's-ear, who had heard what the counsellors had advised
the king, told his companions just as the dust of their pursuers
was visible on the horizon.

No sooner had Blow-Blast taken in their danger than he raised
such a mighty wind that all the king's army was blown down like
so many nine-pins, and as they were quite unable to get up again,
Moscione and. his companions proceeded on their way without
further let or hindrance.

As soon as they reached his home, Moscione divided his spoil with
his companions, at which they were much delighted. He, himself,
stayed with his father, who was obliged at last to acknowledge
that his son was not quite such a fool as he looked.

(From the Italian, Kletke.)

A man once possessed a donkey which had served him faithfully for
many years, but at last the poor beast grew old and feeble, and
every day his work became more of a burden. As he was no longer
of any use, his master made up his mind to shoot him; but when
the donkey learnt the fate that was in store for him, he
determined not to die, but to run away to the nearest town and
there to become a street musician.

When he had trotted along for some distance he came upon a
greyhound lying on the road, and panting for dear life. 'Well,
brother,' said the donkey, 'what's the matter with you? You look
rather tired.'

'So I am,' replied the dog, 'but because I am getting old and am
growing weaker every day, and cannot go out hunting any longer,
my master wanted to poison me; and, as life is still sweet, I
have taken leave of him. But how I am to earn my own livelihood I
haven't a notion.'

'Well,' said the donkey, 'I am on my way to the nearest big town,
where I mean to become a street musician. Why don't you take up
music as a profession and come along with me? I'll play the flute
and you can play the kettle-drum.'

The greyhound was quite pleased at the idea, and the two set off
together. When they had gone a short distance they met a cat with
a face as long as three rainy days. 'Now, what has happened to
upset your happiness, friend puss?' inquired the donkey.

'It's impossible to look cheerful when one feels depressed,'
answered the cat. 'I am well up in years now, and have lost most
of my teeth; consequently I prefer sitting in front of the fire
to catching mice, and so my old mistress wanted to drown me. I
have no wish to die yet, so I ran away from her; but good advice
is expensive, and I don't know where I am to go to, or what I am
to do.'

'Come to the nearest big town with us,' said the donkey, 'and try
your fortune as a street musician. I know what sweet music you
make at night, so you are sure to be a success.'

The cat was delighted with the donkey's proposal, and they all
continued their journey together. In a short time they came to
the courtyard of an inn, where they found a cock crowing lustily.
'What in the world is the matter with you?' asked the donkey.
'The noise you are making is enough to break the drums of our
ears.'

'I am only prophesying good weather,' said the cock; 'for
to-morrow is a feast day, and just because it is a holiday and a
number of people are expected at the inn, the landlady has given
orders for my neck to be wrung to-night, so that I may be made
into soup for to-morrow's dinner.'

'I'll tell you what, redcap,' said the donkey; 'you had much
better come with us to the nearest town. You have got a good
voice, and could join a street band we are getting up.' The cock
was much pleased with the idea, and the party proceeded on their
way.

But the nearest big town was a long way off, and it took them
more than a day to reach it. In the evening they came to a wood,
and they made up their minds to go no further, but to spend the
night there. The donkey and the greyhound lay down under a big
tree, and the cat and the cock got up into the branches, the cock
flying right up to the topmost twig, where he thought he would be
safe from all danger. Before he went to sleep he looked round the
four points of the compass, and saw a little spark burning in the
distance. He called out to his companions that he was sure there
must be a house not far off, for he could see a light shining.

When he heard this, the donkey said at, once: 'Then we must get
up, and go and look for the house, for this is very poor
shelter.' And the greyhound added: 'Yes; I feel I'd be all the
better for a few bones and a scrap or two of meat.'

So they set out for the spot where the light was to be seen
shining faintly in the distance, but the nearer they approached
it the brighter it grew, till at last they came to a brilliantly
lighted house. The donkey being the biggest of the party, went to
the window and looked in.

'Well, greyhead, what do you see?' asked the cock.

'I see a well-covered table,' replied the donkey, 'with excellent
food and drink, and several robbers are sitting round it,
enjoying themselves highly.'

'I wish we were doing the same,' said the cock.

'So do I,' answered the donkey. 'Can't we think of some plan for
turning out the robbers, and taking possession of the house
ourselves?'

So they consulted together what they were to do, and at last they
arranged that the donkey should stand at the window with his
fore-feet on the sill, that the greyhound should get on his back,
the cat on the dog's shoulder, and the cock on the cat's head.
When they had grouped themselves in this way, at a given signal,
they all began their different forms of music. The donkey brayed,
the greyhound barked, the cat miawed, and the cock crew. Then
they all scrambled through the window into the room, breaking the
glass into a thousand pieces as they did so.

The robbers were all startled by the dreadful noise, and thinking
that some evil spirits at the least were entering the house, they
rushed out into the wood, their hair standing on end with terror.
The four companions, delighted with the success of their trick,
sat down at the table, and ate and drank all the food and wine
that the robbers had left behind them.

When they had finished their meal they put out the lights, and
each animal chose a suitable sleeping-place. The donkey lay down
in the courtyard outside the house, the dog behind the door, the
cat in front of the fire, and the cock flew up on to a high
shelf, and, as they were all tired after their long day, they
soon went to sleep.

Shortly after midnight, when the robbers saw that no light was
burning in the house and that all seemed quiet, the captain of
the band said: 'We were fools to let ourselves be so easily
frightened away;' and, turning to one of his men, he ordered him
to go and see if all was safe.

The man found everything in silence and darkness, and going into
the kitchen he thought he had better strike a light. He took a
match, and mistaking the fiery eyes of the cat for two glowing
coals, he tried to light his match with them. But the cat didn't
see the joke, and sprang at his face, spitting and scratching him
in the most vigorous manner. The man was terrified out of his
life, and tried to run out by the back door; but he stumbled over
the greyhound, which bit him in the leg. Yelling with pain he ran
across the courtyard only to receive a kick from the donkey's
hind leg as he passed him. In the meantime the cock had been
roused from his slumbers, and feeling very cheerful he called
out, from the, shelf where he was perched, 'Kikeriki!'

Then the robber hastened back to his captain and said: 'Sir,
there is a dreadful witch in the house, who spat at me and
scratched my face with her long fingers; and before the door
there stands a man with a long knife, who cut my leg severely. In
the courtyard outside lies a black monster, who fell upon me with
a huge wooden club; and that is not all, for, sitting on the
roof, is a judge, who called out: "Bring the rascal to me." So I
fled for dear life.'

After this the robbers dared not venture into the house again,
and they abandoned it for ever. But the four street musicians
were so delighted with their lodgings that they determined to
take up their abode in the robbers' house, and, for all I know to
the contrary, they may be living there to this day.

(From the German, Kletke.)

Once there was a fisherman who had plenty of money but no
children. One day an old woman came to his wife and said: 'What
use is all your prosperity to you when you have no children?'

'It is God's will,' answered the fisherman's wife.

'Nay, my child, it is not God's will, but the fault of your
husband; for if he would but catch the little gold-fish you would
surely have children. To-night, when he comes home, tell him he
must go back and catch the little fish. He must then cut it in
six pieces—one of these you must eat, and your husband the
second, and soon after you will have two children. The third
piece you must give to the dog, and she will have two puppies.
The fourth piece give to the mare, and she will have two foals.
The fifth piece bury on the right of the house door, and the
sixth on the left, and two cypress trees will spring up there.'

When the fisherman came home at evening his wife told him all
that the old woman had advised, and he promised to bring home the
little gold-fish. Next morning, therefore, he went very early to
the water, and caught the little fish. Then they did as the old
woman had ordered, and in due time the fisherman's wife had two
sons, so like each other that no one could tell the difference.
The dog had two puppies exactly alike, the mare had two foals,
and on each side of the front door there sprang up two cypress
trees precisely similar.

When the two boys were grown up, they were not content to remain
at home, though they had wealth in plenty; but they wished to go
out into the world, and make a name for themselves. Their father
would not allow them both to go at once, as they were the only
children he had. He said: 'First one shall travel, and when he is
come back then the other may go.'

So the one took his horse and his dog, and went, saying to his
brother: 'So long as the cypress trees are green, that is a sign
that I am alive and well; but if one begins to wither, then make
haste and come to me.' So he went forth into the world.

One day he stopped at the house of an old woman, and as at
evening he sat before the door, he perceived in front of him a
castle standing on a hill. He asked the old woman to whom it
belonged, and her answer was: 'My son, it is the castle of the
Fairest in the Land!'

'And I am come here to woo her!'

'That, my son, many have sought to do, and have lost their lives
in the attempt; for she has cut off their heads and stuck them on
the post you see standing there.'

'And the same will she do to me, or else I shall be victor, for
to-morrow I go there to court her.'

Then he took his zither and played upon it so beautifully that no
one in all that land had ever heard the like, and the princess
herself came to the window to listen.

The next morning the Fairest in the Land sent for the old woman
and asked her, 'Who is it that lives with you, and plays the
zither so well?'

'It is a stranger, princess, who arrived yesterday evening,'
answered the old woman.

And the princess then commanded that the stranger should be
brought to her.

When he appeared before the princess she questioned him about his
home and his family, and about this and that; and confessed at
length that his zither-playing gave her great pleasure, and that
she would take him for her husband. The stranger replied that it
was with that intent he had come.

The princess then said: 'You must now go to my father, and tell
him you desire to have me to wife, and when he has put the three
problems before you, then come back and tell me.'

The stranger then went straight to the king, and told him that he
wished to wed his daughter.

And the king answered: 'I shall be well pleased, provided you can
do what I impose upon you; if not you will lose your head. Now,
listen; out there on the ground, there lies a thick log, which
measures more than two fathoms; if you can cleave it in two with
one stroke of your sword, I will give you my daughter to wife. If
you fail, then it will cost you your head.'