Icelandic Tales: Thorstein

THERE once reigned a king and queen, a long, long time ago, who had an only child, a son called Thorstein. The lad was brave, strong, and handsome, and was greatly beloved by everyone on account of his kind-heartedness and open-handed generosity.

But as years passed and he attained to man's estate, his indiscriminating kindness was often taken advantage of. His father and mother tried to check him, pointing out that heedless generosity often did more harm than good; but Thorstein could not be brought to believe that kindness could ever be wrong or do harm, and went on to give to everyone who asked him, as long as he had anything he could part with.

At length the king and queen died. On their death-bed they again tried to impress on their son that a good and wise king must not only reign with kindness, but also with justice. But though Thorstein, who loved his parents dearly and was terribly grieved at the idea of losing them, promised he would do his best and bear their wise counsel in mind, no sooner were the burial ceremonies concluded and he was crowned king, than all his good resolves to be firm and discriminating were scattered to the winds.

He kept open house for all who choose to come, gave gifts to all who asked, so that all the riches and treasure his wise father had so carefully collected began very speedily to disappear, without anyone being really the better or happier for them.

So quickly indeed did all he had inherited vanish, that before many months had passed he had nothing left but the kingdom itself; and then realizing the truth, that a penniless king has but small authority or power, he decided to part with his throne, and thus have some money wherewith to make a fresh start in life.

There was no difficulty in finding a buyer, and Thorstein, in exchange for a horse and a sack filled with gold and silver, parted with his inheritance.

But when he had once sold his kingdom, his so-called friends, who had been so numerous before, now speedily began to drop off, and as the sack got emptier, so did his companions grow fewer in number.

"There will soon be nothing more to be got out of him," they said. "A fool and his money are soon parted." So they gradually deserted him.

Then, when it was too late, Thorstein began to realize the sad plight he had brought himself to, and determined to quit the country, and leave his false friends behind him. He therefore put together the few things he had left, placed them on the horse he had bought, and mounting his own fine chestnut, which he could never bring himself to part with, he started off on his travels.

For a long time Thorstein wandered on over desolate moors and through dark sombre forests, not knowing or caring where he went or what became of him. He had no friends, not a single creature to care for or who loved him, so he allowed the horses to roam where they listed, letting them graze whenever they came to any fresh grass, but beyond this never resting or pausing anywhere.

Once, when they had stopped to graze near a tiny stream on the banks of which the grass looked specially fresh, he got off his horse, and throwing himself down on the ground almost made up his mind to go no further. Why not rest there till death overtook him? But even as this thought flashed through him, he raised his eyes towards the west, where the sun was just setting in a bed of crimson and gold, flushing all the distant peaks of the great snow-capped mountains with magic rainbow hues.

While still lost in wondering admiration at the gorgeous spectacle, the rosy clouds suddenly parted, and a star of exquisite brilliancy shot down a ray of light that seemed to touch Thorstein's face, and he heard a voice saying: "Fear not, Thorstein, but go forth on your travels with a brave heart. Learn from the mistakes of your youth, that indiscriminate openhandedness is neither just nor kind, but only does harm, and that a true sovereign must also be a father to his people."

And even as the voice died away, the rosy light gradually faded from sky and mountain, and the pale golden moon rose and shed its soft silvery radiance over earth and sky.

Thorstein started to his feet. He felt the warm blood coursing quickly through his veins; and whistling to his horses, who came obedient to his call, he mounted his noble chestnut with a light heart, fully determined to seek his fortune.

Finnish Fire Tile

There was once a woman who had nine sons. They were good boys and loved her dearly, but there was one thing they were always complaining about.

"Why haven't we a little sister?" they kept asking. "Do give us a little sister!"

When the time came that another child was to be born, they said to their mother, "If the baby is a boy we are going away and you will never see us again, but if it is a little girl then we shall stay home and take care of it."

The mother agreed that if the child were a girl she would have her husband put a spindle outside on the gatepost and, if it were a boy, an axe.

"Just wait," she said, "and see what your father puts on the gatepost and then you will know whether it is another brother God has sent you or a little sister." The baby turned out to be a girl and the mother was overjoyed.

"Hurry, husband!" she cried, "and put a spindle on the gatepost so that our nine sons may know the good news!"

The man did so and then quickly returned to the mother and baby. The moment he was gone Suyettar slipped up and changed the tokens. She took away the spindle and put in its place an axe. Then with an evil grin she hurried off mumbling to herself, "Now we'll see what we'll see!"

She hoped to bring trouble and grief and she succeeded. As soon as the nine sons saw the axe on the gatepost, they thought their mother had given birth to another son and at once they left home vowing never to return.

The poor mother waited for them and waited.

"What is keeping my sons?" she cried at last. "Go out to the gate, husband, and see if they are coming."

The man went out and soon returned bringing back word that someone had changed the tokens.

"The spindle that I put on the gatepost is gone/ 5 he said, "and in its place is an axe."

"Alas!" cried the poor mother, "some evil creature has done this to spite us! Oh, if we could only get word to our sons of the little sister they were so eager to have!"

But there was no way to reach them, for no one knew the way they had gone.

In a short time the husband died and the poor woman, abandoned by her nine sons, had only her little daughter left. She named the child Kerttu. Kerttu was a dear little girl and her face was as beautiful as her heart was good. Whenever she found her mother weeping alone she tried to comfort her and, as she grew older, she wanted to know the cause of her mother's grief. At last the mother told her about her nine brothers and how they had gone away never to return owing to the trick of some evil creature.

"My poor mother!" she cried, "how sorry I am that I am the innocent cause of your loss! Let me go out into the world and find my brothers! When once they hear the truth they will gladly come home to you to care for you in your old age!"

At first the mother would not consent to this. "You are all I have," she said, "and I should indeed be miserable and lonely if anything happened you!"

But Kerttu continued to weep every time she thought of her poor brothers driven unnecessarily from home and at last the mother, realizing that she would nevermore be happy unless she were allowed to go in search of them, gave up opposing her.

"Very well, my daughter, you may go and may God go with you and bring you safely back to me. But before you go I must prepare you a bag of food for the journey and bake you a magic cake that will show you the way."

So she baked a batch of bread and at the same time mixed a little round cake with Kerttu's own tears and baked it, too. Then she said, "Here now, my child, are provisions for the journey and here is a magic cake that will lead you to your brothers. All you have to do is throw it down in front of you and say,

"Roll, roll, my little cake!

Show me the way that I must take

To find at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine!"

Then the little cake will start rolling and do you follow wherever it rolls. But, Kerttu, my child, you must not start out alone. You must have some friend or companion to go with you."

Now it happened tliat Kerttu had a little dog, Musti, that she loved dearly.

'Til take Musti with me!" she said. "Musti will protect me." So she called Musti and Musti wagged his tail and barked with joy at the prospect of going out into the world with his mistress.

Then Kerttu threw down the magic cake in front of her and sang,

"Roll, roll, my little cake!

Show me the way that I must take

To find at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine!"

At once the cake rolled off like a little wheel and Kerttu and Musti followed it. They walked till they were tired. Then Kerttu picked up the little cake and they rested by the wayside. When they were ready again to start the cake a-rolling, all Kerttu had to do was throw it down in front of her and say the magic rime.

Their first day was without adventure. When night came they ate their supper and went to sleep in a field under a tree.

The second day they overtook an ugly old woman whom Kerttu disliked on sight. But she said to herself, "Shame on you, Kerttu, not liking this woman just because she's old and ugly!" and she made herself answer the old woman's greetings politely and she made Musti stop snarling and growling.

The old hag asked Kerttu who she was and where she was going and Kerttu told her.

"Ah!" said the old woman, "how fortunate that we have met each other!"

She smiled and petted Kerttu's arm and Kerttu felt a shuddering. But she restrained herself and told herself severely, "You're a wicked girl not to feel more friendly to the poor old thing."

Musti felt much as Kerttu did. He no longer growled, for Kerttu had told him not to, but he drooped his tail between his legs and, pressing up close to Kerttu, he trembled with fright. And well he might, too, for the old hag was none other than Suyettar who had been waiting all these years just for this very chance to do further injury to Kerttu and her brothers.

Kerttu, poor child, was too good and innocent to suspect evil in others. She said to Suyettar, "Very well, if our ways he together then we can be comp anions."

So Suyettar joined Kerttu and Musti and the three of them walked on following the little cake. As the day advanced the sun grew hotter and hotter and at last when they reached a lake Suyettar said, "My dear, let us sit down here for a few moments and rest."

They all sat down and next Suyettar said: "Let us go bathing in the lake. That will refresh us."

Kerttu would have agreed if Musti had not tugged at her skirts and warned her not to. "Don't do it, dear mistress," Musti growled softly. "Don't go in bathing with her! She'll bewitch you!"

So Kerttu said, "No, I don't want to go in bathing."

Suyettar waited until they were again journeying on and then when Kerttu was not looking she turned around and kicked Musti and broke one of the poor little dog's legs. Thereafter Musti had to hop along on three legs.

The next afternoon when they passed another lake, Suyettar tried again to tempt Kerttu into the water.

"The sun is very hot," she said, "and it would refresh us both to bathe. Come, Kerttu, my dear, don't refuse me this time!"

But again Musti tugged at Kerttu's skirts and, licking her hand, whispered the warning, "Don't do it, dear mistress! Don't go in bathing with her or she will bewitch you!"

So again Kerttu said politely, "No, I don't feel like going in bathing. You go in alone and I'll wait for you here."

But this was not what Suyettar wanted and she said, no, she did not care to go in alone. She was furious, too, with Musti and later when Kerttu was not looking she gave the poor little dog a kick that broke another leg. Thereafter Musti had to hop along on two legs.

They slept the third night by the wayside and the next day they went on again always following the magic cake. In midafternoon they passed a lake and Suyettar said, "Surely, my dear? you must be tired and hot. Let us both bathe in this cool lake."

But Musti, hopping painfully along on two legs, yelped weakly and said to Kerttu, "Don't do it, dear mistress! Don't go in bathing with her or she'll bewitch you!"

So for a third time Kerttu refused and later, when she was not looking, Suyettar kicked Musti and broke the third of the poor little dog's legs. Thereafter Musti hopped on as best he could on only one leg,

Well, they went on and on. When night came they slept by the roadside and then next morning they started on again. The sun grew hot and by midafternoon Kerttu was tired and ready to rest. When they reached a lake Suyettar again begged that they both go in bathing. Kerttu was tempted to agree when poor Musti threw himself panting at her feet and whimpered, "Don't do it, dear mistress! Don't go in bathing with her or she will bewitch you!"

So Kerttu again refused.

"That's right, dear mistress!" Musti panted, "don't do it! I shall soon be dead, I know, for she hates me, but before I die I want to warn you one last time never to go in bathing with her or she will bewitch you!"

"What's that dog saying?" Suyettar demanded angrily, and without waiting for an answer she picked up a heavy piece of wood and struck poor Musti such a blow on the head that it killed him.

"What have you done to my poor little dog?" Kerttu cried.

"Don't mind him, my dear," Suyettar said. "He was sick and lame and it was better to put him out of his misery."

Suyettar tried to soothe Kerttu and make her forget Musti, but all afternoon Kerttu wept to think that she would never again see her faithful little friend.

The next afternoon when Suyettar begged her to go in bathing there was no Musti to warn her against it and at last Kerttu allowed herself to be persuaded. She was tired from her many days' wandering and it was true that the first touch of the cool water refreshed her.

"Now splash water in my face!" Suyettar cried.

But Kerttu did not want to splash water into Suyettar 's face, for she supposed Suyettar was an old woman and she thought it would be disrespectful to splash water into the face of an old woman.

"Do you hear me!" screamed Suyettar.

When Kerttu still hesitated, Suyettar looked at her with such a terrible, threatening expression that Kerttu did as she was bidden. She splashed water into Suyettar 's face and, as the water touched Suyettar's eyes, Suyettar cried out,

"Your bonny looks give up to me

And you take mine for all to see!"

At once they two changed appearance: Suyettar looked young and beautiful like Kerttu, and Kerttu was changed to a hideous old hag. Then too late she realized that the awful old woman to whom she had been so polite was Suyettar. "Oh, why,"Kerttu cried, "why did not I heed poor Musti's warning!"

Suyettar dragged her roughly out of the water. "Come along!" she said. "Dress yourself in those rags of mine and start that cake a-rolling! We ought to reach your brothers' house by tonight."

So poor Kerttu had to dress herself in Suyettar's filthy old garments, while Suyettar, looking like a fresh young girl, decked herself out in Kerttu's pretty bodice and skirt.

Unwillingly now and with a heavy heart Kerttu threw down the cake and said,

"Roll, roll, my little cake!

Show me the way that I must take

To find at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine!''

Off rolled the little cake and they two followed it, Kerttu weeping bitterly and Suyettar taunting her with ugly laughs. Then suddenly Kerttu forgot to weep, for Suyettar took from her her memory and her tongue.

The little cake led them at last to a farmhouse before which it stopped. This was where the nine brothers were living. Eight of them were out working in the fields but the youngest was at home. He opened the door and when Suyettar told him that she was Kerttu, his sister, he kissed her tenderly and made her welcome. Then he invited her inside and they sat side by side on the bench and talked and Suyettar told him all she had heard from Kerttu about his mother and about the tokens which had been changed at Kerttu's birth. The youngest brother listened eagerly and Suyettar told her story so glibly that of course he supposed that she was his own true sister.

"And who is the awful looking old hag that has come with you?" he asked pointing at Kerttu.

"That? Oh, that's an old serving woman that our mother sent with me to bear me company. She's dumb and foolish, but she's a good herd and we can let her drive the cow out to pasture every day."

The older brothers when they came home were greatly pleased to find what they thought was their sister. They began to love her at once and to pet her and they said that now she must stay with them and keep house for them. She told them that was what she wanted to do and she said that now she was here the youngest brother need no longer stay at home but could go out every morning with the rest of them to work in the fields.

So now began a new life for poor Kerttu. In the morning after the brothers were gone Suyettar would scold and abuse her. She would bake a cake for her dinner to be eaten in the fields and she would fill the cake with stones and sticks and filth. Then she would take Kerttu as far as the gate where she would give her back her tongue and her memory and order her roughly to drive the cow to pasture and look after it all day long. In the late afternoon when Kerttu drove home the cow, Suyettar would meet her at the gate and take from her her tongue and her memory, and then in the evening the brothers would see her as a foolish old woman who couldn't talk. Every morning and every evening Kerttu begged Suyettar to show her a little mercy, but far from showing her any mercy, Suyettar grew more cruel from day to day.

Suyettar was very proud to think that nine handsome young men took her for a beautiful girl and she felt sure they would never find out their mistake, for only Kerttu knew who she really was and Kerttu was entirely in her power.

At night seated in the shadow in a far corner of the kitchen with her nine brothers laughing and talking Kerttu felt no sorrow for at such times of course she had no memory. But during the day it was different. Then when she was alone in the meadow she had her memory and her tongue and she thought about her poor mother at home anxiously awaiting her return and she thought of her nine sturdy brothers all of whom might now through her mistake fall victims to Suyettar. These thoughts made her weep with grief and as the days went by she put this grief into a song which she sang constantly,

"I've found at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine.

But they know me not from stick or stone!

They leave me here 'to weep alone.

While Suyettar sits in my place

With stolen looks and stolen face!

She snared me first with evil guile

And now she mocks me all the while:

By night she takes my tongue away.

She feeds me sticks and stones by day . . .

Oh, little they guess, the brothers nine,

That their own true mother is also mine!"

The brothers as they worked in nearby fields used to hear the song and they wondered about it.

"Strange!" they said to one another. "Can that be the old woman singing? In the evening at home she never opens her mouth and our dear sister always says that she's dumb and foolish."

One afternoon when Kerttu's song sounded particularly sad, the youngest brother crept close to the meadow where Kerttu was sitting in order to hear the words. He listened carefully and then hurried back to the others and with frightened face told them what he had heard.

"Nonsense!" the older brothers said. "It cannot be so!" However, they, too, wanted to hear for themselves the words of the strange song, so they all crept near to listen.

It looked like an old hag who was singing but the voice that came out of the withered mouth was the voice of a young girl. As they listened they, too, grew pale,

I've found at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine,

But they know me not from stick or stone!

They leave me here to weep alone,

While Suyettar sits In my place

With stolen looks and stolen face!

She snared me first with evil guile

And now she mocks me all the while:

By night she takes my tongue away,

She feeds me sticks and stones by day! . . .

Oh, little they guess, the brothers nine,

That their own true mother is also mine."

"Can it be true?" they said, whispering together. They sent the youngest brother to question Kerttu, and when he had heard her story, he believed it true. Then the other brothers went to her one by one and questioned her and finally they were all convinced of the truth of her story.

"It is well for us," they said, "if we do not all fall into the power of that awful creature! How can we rescue our poor little sister!"

"I can never get back my own looks,"Kerttu said, "unless Suyettar splashes water into my eyes and unless I cry out a magic rime as she does it."

The brothers discussed one plan after another and at last agreed on one that they thought might deceive Suyettar.

They had Kerttu inflame her eyes with dust and come groping home one midday. The brothers, too, were at home and as Kerttu came stumbling into the kitchen they said to Suyettar, "Oh, sister, sister, see the poor old woman! Something ails her! Her eyes are all red and swollen! Get some water and bathe them!"

"Nonsense!" Suyetter said. "The old hag is well enough! Let her be! She doesn't need any attention!"

"Oh, sister!" the youngest brother said, reproachfully, "is that any way for a human, kindhearted girl like you to talk? If you won't bathe the old creature's eyes, I will myself!"

Then Suyettar who wanted them to think that she was a human, kindhearted girl said, no, she would bathe them. So she took a basin of water over to Kerttu and told her to lean down her head. As she splashed the first drop of water into Kerttu's eyes, Kerttu cried out,

"My own true looks give back to me

And take your own for all to see."

At once Suyettar was again a hideous old hag though still dressed in Kerttu's pretty bodice and skirt, and Kerttu was herself again, young and fresh and sweet, though still incased in Suyettar's rags. But the brothers pretended that they saw no difference and kept on talking to Suyettar as though they still thought her Kerttu. And Suyettar because her eyes were blinded with the dust supposed that they were still deceived.

Then one of the brothers said to Suyettar, "Sister dear, the sauna is all heated and ready. Don't you want to bathe?"

Suyettar thought that this would be a fine chance to wash the dust from her eyes, so she let them lead her to the sauna. Once they got her inside they locked the door and set the sauna afire. Oh, the noise she made then when she found she had been trapped! She kicked and screamed and cursed and threatened! But Kerttu and the brothers paid no heed to her. They left her burning in the sauna while they hurried homewards. They found their poor old mother seated at the window weeping, for she thought that now Kerttu as well as her sons was lost forever. As Kerttu and the nine handsome young men came in the gate, she did not recognize them until Kerttu sang out,

"I bring at last the brothers nine

Whose own true mother is also mine!"

Then she knew who they were and with thanks to God she welcomed them home.

Danish: The Ale of the Trolls

IN a homestead near Roskilde there once lived a man named Peter Anderson, and in a hillock on his farm dwelt a number of trolls. They were celebrating a wedding one day, and late at night they ran out of ale. Then a troll went to the peasant, who had brewed ale not long since, knocked at his door and said, "Will you help me out, and loan me a cask of ale, Peter Anderson? I will bring it back again when we have brewed."

"Who are you and where do you live?" asked the peasant.

"I am the man from the hillock over there," said the troll.

"Yes, go down into the cellar and help yourself to a cask," said the peasant. The troll got the ale and went home with it.

A few nights later the troll came to the house again and knocked. The peasant woke up and asked, "Who is knocking?"

"It is I," said the troll, "I am bringing back the ale I borrowed from you. I have put it in the cellar and am going to reward you for being so obliging. If you take care not to look in the cask, you can draw from it as long as you wish, and it will never grow empty."

For a long time all went well; they drew and drew and there was always ale in the cask, and no one ever looked into it. But one day they had a new maid, and she could not understand how it could be that there was never any ale brewed; and yet there was always ale on hand. So she determined to look into the cask, to see whether it would not soon be empty. But what was her fright when she saw that the cask was full of toads. And from that moment on there was no more ale in it.

Swedish: The Werewolf

ONCE on a time there was a king, who reigned over a great kingdom. He had a queen, but only a single daughter, a girl. The little girl was the apple of her parents' eyes; they loved her above everything else in the world, and their dearest thought was the pleasure they would take in her when she was older. But before the king's daughter began to grow up, the queen her mother fell ill and died. It is not hard to imagine the grief that reigned, not alone in the royal castle, but throughout the land; for the queen had been loved of all. The king grieved so that he would not marry again, and his one joy was the little princess.

A long time passed, and with each succeeding day the king's daughter grew taller and more beautiful, and her father granted her every wish. Now there were a number of women who had nothing to do but wait on the princess and carry out her commands. Among them was a woman who had formerly married and had two daughters. She had an engaging appearance, a smooth tongue and a winning way of talking, and she was as soft and pliable as silk. But at heart she was full of machinations and falseness. Now when the queen died, she at once began to plan how she might marry the king, so that her daughters might be kept like royal princesses. With this end in view, she drew the young princess to her, paid her the most fulsome compliments on everything she said and did, and was forever bringing the conversation around to how happy she would be were the king to take another wife. There was much said on this head, early and late, and before very long the princess came to believe that the woman knew all there was to know about everything. So she asked her what sort of a woman the king ought to choose for a wife.

The woman answered as sweet as honey, "It is not my affair to give advice in this matter; yet he should choose for queen someone who is kind to the little princess. For one thing I know, and that is, were I fortunate enough to be chosen, my one thought would be to do all I could for the little princess, and if she wished to wash her hands, one of my daughters would have to hold the wash-bowl and the other hand her the towel."

This and much more she told the king's daughter, and the princess believed it, as children will.

From that day forward the princess gave her father no peace, and begged him again and again to marry the good court lady. Yet he did not want to marry her. But the king's daughter gave him no rest; but urged him again and again, as the false court lady had persuaded her to do.

Finally, one day, when she again brought up the matter, the king cried, "I can see you will end by having your own way about this, even though it be entirely against my will. But I will do so only on one condition."

"What is the condition?" asked the princess.

"If I marry again," said the king, "it is only because of your ceaseless pleading. Therefore you must promise that, if in the future you are not satisfied with your stepmother or your stepsisters, not a single lament or complaint on your part reaches my ears."

This she promised the king, and it was agreed that he should marry the court lady and make her queen of the whole country.

As time passed on, the king's daughter had grown to be the most beautiful maiden to be found far and wide; the queen's daughters, on the other hand, were homely, evil of disposition, and no one knew any good of them. Hence it was not surprising that many youths came from East and West to sue for the princess's hand; but that none of them took any interest in the queen's daughters. This made the stepmother very angry; but she hid her rage, and was as sweet and friendly as ever.

Among the wooers was a king's son from another country. He was young and brave, and since he loved the princess dearly, she accepted his proposal and they plighted their troth. The queen observed this with an angry eye, for it would have pleased her had the prince chosen one of her own daughters. She therefore made up her mind that the young pair should never be happy together, and from that time on thought only of how she might part them from each other.

An opportunity soon came. News came that the enemy had entered the land, and the king was compelled to go to war. Now the princess began to find out what kind of stepmother she had. For no sooner had the king departed than the queen became just as harsh and unkind as she formerly had pretended to be friendly and obliging. Not a day went by without her scolding and threatening the princess; and the queen's daughters were every bit as malicious as their mother.

But the king's son, the lover of the princess, found himself in even worse position. He had gone hunting one day, had lost his way, and could not find his people. Then the queen used her black arts and turned him into a werewolf, to wander through the forest for the remainder of his life in that shape. When evening came and there was no sign of the prince, his people returned home, and one can imagine what sorrow they caused when the princess learned how the hunt had ended. She grieved, wept day and night, and was not to be consoled. But the queen laughed at her grief, and her heart was filled with joy to think that all had turned out exactly as she wished.

Now it chanced one day, as the king's daughter was sitting alone in her room, that she thought she would go herself into the forest where the prince had disappeared. She went to her stepmother and begged permission to go out into the forest to forget her grief. The queen did not want to grant her request, for she always preferred saying no to yes. But the princess begged her so winningly that at last she was unable to say no, and she ordered one of her daughters to go along with her and watch her. That caused a great deal of discussion, for neither of the stepdaughters wanted to go with her; each made all sorts of excuses, and asked what pleasures were there in going with the king's daughter, who did nothing but cry. But the queen had the last word in the end, and ordered that one of her daughters must accompany the princess, even though it be against her will.

So the girls wandered out of the castle into the forest. The king's daughter walked among the trees and listened to the song of the birds, and thought of her lover that she longed for, and who was now no longer there. And the queen's daughter followed her, vexed, in her malice, with the king's daughter and her sorrow.

After they had walked a while, they came to a little hut, lying deep in the dark forest. By then the king's daughter was very thirsty, and wanted to go into the little hut with her stepsister, in order to get a drink of water.

But the queen's daughter was much annoyed and said, "Is it not enough for me to be running around here in the wilderness with you? Now you even want me, who am a princess, to enter that wretched little hut. No, I will not step a foot over the threshold! If you want to go in, why go in alone!"

The king's daughter lost no time; but did as her stepsister advised, and stepped into the little hut. When she entered she saw an old woman sitting there on a bench, so enfeebled by age that her head shook. The princess spoke to her in her usual friendly way, "Good evening, motherkin. May I ask you for a drink of water?"

"You are heartily welcome to it," said the old woman. "Who may you be, who step beneath my lowly roof and greet me in so winning a way?"

The king's daughter told her who she was, and that she had gone out to relieve her heart, in order to forget her great grief.

"And what may your great grief be!" asked the old woman.

" I have lost my only love," said the princess, "and God knows whether I shall ever see him again."

And she also told her why it was, and the tears ran down her cheeks in streams, so that anyone would have felt sorry for her.

When she had ended the old woman said, "You did well in confiding your sorrow to me. I have lived long and may be able to give you a bit of good advice. When you leave here, you will see a lily growing from the ground. This lily is not like other lilies, however, but has many strange virtues. Run quickly over to it, and pick it. If you can do that, you need not worry, for then someone will appear who will tell you what to do."

Then they parted and the king's daughter thanked her and went her way, while the old woman sat on the bench and wagged her head. But the queen's daughter had been standing without the hut the entire time, vexing herself, and grumbling because the king's daughter had taken so long.

So when the lovely king's daughter stepped out, she had to listen to all sorts of abuse from her stepsister. Yet she paid no attention to her, and thought only of how she might find the flower of which the old woman had spoken. They went through the forest, and suddenly she saw a beautiful white lily growing in their very path. She was much pleased and ran up at once to pick it; but that very moment it disappeared and reappeared somewhat further away.

The king's daughter was now filled with eagerness, no longer listened to her stepsister's calls, and kept right on running; yet each time when she stooped to pick the lily, it suddenly disappeared and reappeared somewhat further away. Thus it went for some time, and the princess was drawn further and further into the deep forest. But the lily continued to stand, and disappear and move further away, and each time the flower seemed larger and more beautiful than before.

At length the princess came to a high hill, and as she looked toward its summit, there stood the lily high on the naked rock, glittering as white and radiant as the brightest star. The king's daughter now began to climb the hill, and in her eagerness she paid no attention to stones nor steepness. And when at last she reached the summit of the hill, lo and behold! the lily no longer evaded her grasp; but remained where it was, and the princess stooped and picked it and hid it in her bosom, and so heartfelt was her happiness that she forgot her stepsisters and everything else in the world.

For a long time she did not tire of looking at the beautiful flower. Then she suddenly began to wonder what her stepmother would say when she came home after having remained out so long. And she looked around, in order to find the way back to the castle. But as she looked around, behold, the sun had set and no more than a little strip of daylight rested on the summit of the hill. Below her lay the forest, so dark and shadowed that she had no faith in her ability to find the homeward path. And now she grew very sad, for she could think of nothing better to do than to spend the night on the hilltop. She seated herself on the rock, put her hand to her cheek, cried, and thought of her unkind stepmother and stepsisters, and of all the harsh words she would have to endure when she returned. And she thought of her father, the king, who was away at war, and of the love of her heart, whom she would never see again; and she grieved so bitterly that she did not even know she wept.

Night came and darkness, and the stars rose, and still the princess sat in the same spot and wept. And while she sat there, lost in her thoughts, she heard a voice say, "Good evening, lovely maiden! Why do you sit here so sad and lonely?"

She stood up hastily, and felt much embarrassed, which was not surprising. When she looked around there was nothing to be seen but a tiny old man, who nodded to her and seemed to be very humble.

She answered, "I have lost my dearest love, and now I have lost my way in the forest, and am afraid of being devoured by wild beasts."

"You need have no fear as to that," said the old man. "If you will do exactly as I say, I will help you."

This made the princess happy; for she felt that all the rest of the world had abandoned her. Then the old man drew out flint and steel and said, "Lovely maiden, you must first build a fire."

She did as he told her, gathered moss, brush and dry sticks, struck sparks and lit such a fire on the hilltop that the flame blazed up to the skies.

That done the old man said, "Go on a bit and you will find a kettle of tar, and bring the kettle to me."

This the king's daughter did.

The old man continued, "Now put the kettle on the fire."

And the princess did that as well. When the tar began to boil, the old man said, "Now throw your white lily into the kettle."

The princess thought this a harsh command, and earnestly begged to be allowed to keep the lily. But the old man said, "Did you not promise to obey my every command? Do as I tell you or you will regret it."

The king's daughter turned away her eyes, and threw the beautiful lily into the boiling tar. The moment she did so a hollow roar, like that of some wild beast, sounded from the forest. It came nearer, and turned into such a terrible howling that all the surrounding hills re-echoed it. Finally there was a cracking and breaking among the trees, the bushes were thrust aside, and the princess saw a great grey wolf come running out of the forest and straight up the hill. She was much frightened and would gladly have run away had she been able to. But the old man said, "Make haste, run to the edge of the hill and the moment the wolf comes along, upset the kettle on him!"

The princess was terrified, and hardly knew what she was about; yet she did as the old man said, took the kettle, ran to the edge of the hill, and poured its contents over the wolf just as he was about to run up. And then a strange thing happened: no sooner had she done so, than the wolf was transformed, cast off his thick grey pelt, and in place of the horrible wild beast there stood a handsome young man, looking up to the hill. And when the king's daughter gathered herself and looked at him, she saw that it was really and truly her lover, who had been turned into a werewolf.

The princess opened her arms and could neither ask questions nor reply to them, so moved and delighted was she. But the prince ran hastily up the hill, embraced her tenderly, and thanked her for delivering him. Nor did he forget the little old man, but thanked him with many civil expressions for his powerful aid. Then they sat down together on the hilltop and had a pleasant talk. The prince told how he had been turned into a wolf, and of all he had suffered while running about in the forest; and the princess told of her grief and the many tears she had shed while he had been gone. So they sat the whole night through, and never noticed it until the stars grew pale and it was light enough to see. When the sun rose, they saw that a broad path led from the hilltop straight to the royal castle; for they had a view of the whole surrounding country from the hilltop.

Then the old man said, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything in that direction?"

"Yes," said the princess, "I see a horseman on a foaming horse, riding as fast as he can."

Then the old man said, "He is a messenger sent on ahead by the king your father. And your father with all his army is following him."

That pleased the princess immensely, and she wanted to descend the hill at once to meet her father. But the old man detained her and said, "Wait a while, it is too early yet. Let us wait and see how everything turns out."

Time passed and the sun was shining brightly, and its rays fell straight on the royal castle down below. Then the old man said, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything down below?"

"Yes," answered the princess, "I see a number of people coming out of my father's castle, and some are going along the road, and others into the forest."

The old man said, "Those are your stepmother's servants. She has sent some to meet the king and welcome him; but she has sent others to the forest to look for you."

At these words the princess grew uneasy, and wished to go down to the queen's servants. But the old man withheld her and said, "Wait a while, and let us first see how everything turns out."

More time passed, and the king's daughter was still looking down the road from which the king would appear, when the old man said, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything down below?"

"Yes," answered the princess, "there is a great commotion in my father's castle, and they are hanging it with black."

The old man said, "That is the work of your stepmother and her people. They will assure your father that you are dead."

Then the king's daughter felt bitter anguish, and she implored from the depths of her heart, "Let me go, let me go, so that I may spare my father this anguish!"

But the old man detained her and said, "No, wait, it is still too early. Let us first see how everything turns out."

Again time passed, the sun lay high above the fields, and the warm air blew over meadow and forest. The royal maid and youth still sat on the hill-top with the old man, where we had left them. Then they saw a little cloud rise against the horizon, far away in the distance, and the little cloud grew larger and larger, and came nearer and nearer along the road, and as it moved one could see it was agleam with weapons, and nodding helmets, and waving flags, one could hear the rattle of swords, and the neighing of horses, and finally recognize the banner of the king. It is not hard to imagine how pleased the king's daughter was, and how she insisted on going down and greeting her father. But the old man held her back and said, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything happening at the castle?"

"Yes," answered the princess, "I can see my stepmother and stepsisters coming out, dressed in mourning, holding white kerchiefs to their faces, and weeping bitterly."

The old man answered, "Now they are pretending to weep because of your death. Wait just a little while longer. We have not yet seen how everything will turn out."

After a time the old man said again, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything down below?"

"Yes," said the princess, "I see people bringing a black coffin, and now my father is having it opened. Look, the queen and her daughters are down on their knees, and my father is threatening them with his sword!"

Then the old man said, "Your father wished to see your body, and so your evil stepmother had to confess the truth."

When the princess heard that she said earnestly, "Let me go, let me go, so that I may comfort my father in his great sorrow!

But the old man held her back and said, "Take my advice and stay here a little while longer. We have not yet seen how everything will turn out."

Again time went by, and the king's daughter and the prince and the old man were still sitting on the hill-top. Then the old man said, "Lovely maiden, turn around! Do you see anything down below?"

"Yes," answered the princess, "I see my father and my stepsisters and my stepmother with all their following moving this way."

The old man said, "Now they have started out to look for you. Go down and bring up the wolf's pelt in the gorge."

The king's daughter did as he told her. The old man continued, "Now stand at the edge of the hill."

And the princess did that, too. Now one could see the queen and her daughters coming along the way, and stopping just below the hill. Then the old man said, "Now throw down the wolf's pelt!"

The princess did as he told her, and threw down the wolf's pelt as he commanded. It fell directly on the evil queen and her daughters. No sooner had the pelt touched the three evil women than they at once changed shape, and turning into three horrible werewolves, they ran away as fast as they could into the forest, howling dreadfully.

No more had this happened than the king himself arrived at the foot of the hill with his whole retinue. When he looked up and recognised the princess, he could not at first believe his eyes; but stood motionless, thinking her a vision. Then the old man cried, "Lovely maiden, now hasten, run down and make your father happy!"

There was no need to tell the princess twice. She took her lover by the hand and they ran down the hill. When they came to the king, the princess ran on ahead, fell on her father's neck, and wept with joy. And the young prince wept as well, and the king himself wept; and their meeting was a pleasant sight for everyone. There was great joy and many embraces, and the princess told of her evil stepmother and stepsisters and of her lover, and all that she had suffered, and of the old man who had helped them in such a wonderful way. But when the king turned around to thank the old man he had completely vanished, and from that day on no one could say who he had been or what had become of him.

The king and his whole retinue now returned to the castle, where the king had a splendid banquet prepared, to which he invited all the able and distinguished people throughout the kingdom, and bestowed his daughter on the young prince.

The wedding was celebrated with gladness and music and amusements of every kind for many days. I was there, too, and when I rode through the forest I met a wolf with two young wolves. It was the stepmother and her two daughters.

Norwegian: The Boy Who Went to the North Wind

ONCE upon a time there was an old widow who had one son; and as she was poorly and weak, her son had to go up into the safe to fetch meal for cooking; but when he got outside the safe, and was just going down the steps, there came the North Wind puffing and blowing, caught up the meal, and so away with it through the air. Then the boy went back into the safe for more; but when he came out again on the steps, if the North Wind didn't come again and carry off the meal with a puff; and more than that, he did so the third time. At this the boy got very angry; and as he thought it hard that the North Wind should behave so, he thought he'd just look him up, and ask him to give up his meal.

So off he went, but the way was long, and he walked and walked; but at last he came to the North Wind's house.

"Good day!" said the boy, and "thank you for coming to see us yesterday."

"GOOD DAY!" answered the North Wind, for his voice was loud and gruff, "AND THANKS FOR COMING TO SEE ME. WHAT DO YOU WANT?"

"Oh!" answered the boy, "I only wished to ask you to be so good as to let me have back that meal you took from me on the safe steps, for we haven't much to live on; and if you're to go on snapping up the morsel we have there'll be nothing for it but to starve."

"I haven't got your meal," said the North Wind; "but if you are in such need, I'll give you a cloth which will get you everything you want, if you only say, "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kind of good dishes!""

With this the boy was well content. But, as the way was so long he couldn't get home in one day, so he turned into an inn on the way; and when they were going to sit down to supper, he laid the cloth on a table which stood in the corner and said,

"Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kinds of good dishes."

He had hardly said so before the cloth did as it was bid; and all who stood by thought it a fine thing, but most of all the landlady. So, when all were fast asleep, at dead of night, she took the boy's cloth, and put another in its stead, just like the one he had got from the North Wind, but which couldn't so much as serve up a bit of dry bread.

So, when the boy woke, he took his cloth and went off with it, and that day he got home to his mother.

"Now," said he, "I've been to the North Wind's house, and a good fellow he is, for he gave me this cloth, and when I only say to it, "Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kind of good dishes," I get any sort of food I please."

"All very true, my darling, "said his mother; "but seeing is believing, and I can't believe it till I see it."

So the boy made haste, drew out a table, laid the cloth on it, and said,

"Cloth, spread yourself, and serve up all kind of good dishes."

But never a bit of dry bread did the cloth serve up.

"Well," said the boy, "there's no help for it but to go to the North Wind again; "and away he went.

So he came to where the North Wind lived late in the afternoon.

"Good evening!" said the boy.

"Good evening!" said the North Wind.

"I want my rights for that meal of ours which you took," said the boy; "for as for that cloth I got, it isn't worth a penny."

"I've got no meal," said the North Wind; "but yonder you have a ram which coins nothing but golden ducats as soon as you say to it -

"Ram, ram, make money!"

So the boy thought this a fine thing; but as it was too far to get home that day, he turned in for the night to the same inn where he had slept before.

Before he called for anything, he tried the truth of what the North Wind had said of the ram, and found it all right; but when the landlord saw that, he thought it was a famous ram, and, when the boy had fallen asleep, he took another which couldn't coin gold ducats, and changed the two.

Next morning off went the boy; and when he got home to his mother, he said,

"After all, the North Wind is a jolly fellow; for now he has given me a ram which can coin golden ducats if T only say, " Ram, ram! make money! ""

"All very true, I dare say," said his mother; "but I shan't believe any such stuff until I see the ducats made."

"Ram, ram! make money!" said the boy; but if the ram made anything it wasn't money.

So the boy went back again to the North Wind, and blew him up, and said the ram was worth nothing, and he must have his rights for the meal.

"Well," said the North Wind; "I've nothing else to give you but that old stick in the corner yonder; but it's a stick of that kind that if you say -

"Stick, stick, lay on!" it lays on till you say -

"Stick, stick, now stop.""

So, as the way was long, the boy turned in this night too to the landlord; but as he could pretty well guess how things stood as to the cloth and the ram, he lay down at once on the bench and began to snore, as if he were asleep.

Now the landlord, who easily saw that the stick must be worth something, hunted up one which was like it, and when he heard the boy snore, was going to change the two, but just as the landlord was about to take it the boy bawled out -

"Stick, stick! lay on!"

So the stick began to beat the landlord till he jumped over chairs, and tables, and benches, and yelled and roared,

"Oh my! oh my! bid the stick be still, else it will beat me to death, and you shall have back both your cloth and your ram."

When the boy thought the landlord had got enough, he said -

"Stick, stick! now stop!"

Then he took the cloth and put it into his pocket, and went home with his stick in his hand, leading the ram by a cord round its horns; and so he got his rights for the meal he had lost.

The Snow Queen

You must attend to the commencement of this story, for when we get to the end we shall know more than we do now about a very wicked hobgoblin; he was one of the very worst, for he was a real demon.

One day, when he was in a merry mood, he made a looking-glass which had the power of making everything good or beautiful that was reflected in it almost shrink to nothing, while everything that was worthless and bad looked increased in size and worse than ever.

The most lovely landscapes appeared like boiled spinach, and the people became hideous, and looked as if they stood on their heads and had no bodies. Their countenances were so distorted that no one could recognize them, and even one freckle on the face appeared to spread over the whole of the nose and mouth. The demon said this was very amusing. When a good or pious thought passed through the mind of any one it was misrepresented in the glass; and then how the demon laughed at his cunning invention.

All who went to the demon's school for he kept a school talked everywhere of the wonders they had seen, and declared that people could now, for the first time, see what the world and mankind were really like. They carried the glass about everywhere, till at last there was not a land nor a people who had not been looked at through this distorted mirror.

They wanted even to fly with it up to heaven to see the angels, but the higher they flew the more slippery the glass became, and they could scarcely hold it, till at last it slipped from their hands, fell to the earth, and was broken into millions of pieces. But now the looking-glass caused more unhappiness than ever, for some of the fragments were not so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about the world into every country. When one of these tiny atoms flew into a person's eye, it stuck there unknown to him, and from that moment he saw everything through a distorted medium, or could see only the worst side of what he looked at, for even the smallest fragment retained the same power which had belonged to the whole mirror.

Some few persons even got a fragment of the looking-glass in their hearts, and this was very terrible, for their hearts became cold like a lump of ice. A few of the pieces were so large that they could be used as window-panes; it would have been a sad thing to look at our friends through them. Other pieces were made into spectacles; this was dreadful for those who wore them, for they could see nothing either rightly or justly.

At all this the wicked demon laughed till his sides shook, it tickled him so to see the mischief he had done. There were still a number of these little fragments of glass floating about in the air, and now you shall hear what happened with one of them.

The Mouse, the Frog, and the Hawk

A Mouse who always lived on the land, by an unlucky chance formed an intimate acquaintance with a Frog, who lived for the most part in the water. The Frog, one day intent on mischief, bound the foot of the Mouse tightly to his own. Thus joined together, the Frog first of all led his friend the Mouse to the meadow where they were accustomed to find their food. After this, he gradually led him towards the pool in which he lived, until reaching the very brink, he suddenly jumped in, dragging the
Mouse with him. The Frog enjoyed the water amazingly, and swam croaking about, as if he had done a good deed. The unhappy Mouse was soon suffocated by the water, and his dead body floated about on the surface, tied to the foot of the Frog. A Hawk observed it, and, pouncing upon it with his talons, carried it aloft. The Frog, being still fastened to the leg of the Mouse, was also carried off a prisoner, and was eaten by the Hawk.
Harm hatch, harm catch.

Príncipe Ivan tenía tres hermanas: Princesa Marya, princesa Olga, y princesa Ana. Cuando sus padres morían, le dijeron casar de sus hermanas con sus primeros wooers, y no guardarlos de él. Tan cuando un halcón transformado en un hombre para cortejar Marya, y ella consintió, él convino la unión; y entonces Olga a un águila que transforma, y Ana a a raven.
Príncipe Ivan creció solo y fue a visitar a sus hermanas, salvo que en la manera, él encontró a ejército matado por la princesa Marya Morevna, y la satisfizo. Cayeron en amor y fueron a su reino, pero ella se apagó guerrear y prohibirlo entrar cierto armario. Él entró y encontró Koschei el inmortal allí, que pidió agua. Príncipe Ivan le dio tres bucketfuls, y Koschei rompió las cadenas y juró que Ivan nunca vería Marya Morevna otra vez.
Ivan precisó después de ella. Él encontró el castillo del halcón, que pidió que él dejara su cuchara de plata para ellos para recordarlo cerca; entonces el del águila, que pidió que él dejara su bifurcación de plata; entonces el del Raven, que pidió que él dejara su tabaquera de plata. Entonces él encontró el castillo donde estaba Marya Morevna. Cuatro veces, él intentó huir con ella, pero Koschei lo cogió cada uno; los primeros tres tiempos, porque cada cubo de príncipe Ivan del agua lo había dado, él lo dejó ir, solamente el cuarto, él tajó a príncipe Ivan a los pedazos y lo lanzó, sellado en un barril, en el mar. En los castillos, las cosas de plata crecieron deslustradas, y sus cuñados vinieron para él. El águila encontró el barril, el halcón trajo al agua de la vida, y a Raven el agua de la muerte. Pusieron ensamblan, y el agua de la muerte lo reató y el agua de la vida lo restauró.
Príncipe Ivan encontró Marya Morevna otra vez, y preguntado le para descubrir cómo Koschei encontró el caballo que él había montado encendido para cogerlos. Koschei le dice que él lo consiguiera mirando Bizcocho borracho Yaga'caballos de s para tres días. Marya Morevna robó el pañuelo que él conseguía a la casa de Yaga del bizcocho borracho y lo dio a príncipe Ivan. Agitarlo tres veces sobre el río ardiente produjo un puente. En la manera, él decidía comer el polluelo de un pájaro salvaje, un pedazo del panal, y un cub del león, pero se refrenó cada vez que el pájaro salvaje, las abejas, y la leona abogada por con él y prometida para hacer vuelta.
En el bizcocho borracho Yaga, ella lo tomó en su servicio, pero sus caballos huyeron la mañana próxima sobre los prados. El pájaro salvaje subió a él por la tarde, y lo envió a su casa. El bizcocho borracho Yaga reganó sus caballos, que contestaron a que los pájaros vinieron picotear sus ojos hacia fuera cuando intentaron huir. Ella les dijo intentar el bosque el día siguiente. Huyeron la mañana próxima, pero por la tarde, el príncipe dicho leona Ivan a ir detrás, y las yeguas estaban detrás. El bizcocho borracho Yaga dijo las yeguas intentar el mar el día siguiente, pero las abejas picadas les hasta que tuvieron que volverse.
En la noche, príncipe Ivan se levantó y robó un potro apesadumbrado del establo. Él montó al río ardiente y agitó el pañuelo tres veces para un puente. Cuando él había montado encima, él lo agitó dos veces, que guardaron un puente, solamente una tan delgadamente que cuando el bizcocho borracho Yaga lo cruzó para perseguirlo, ella se cayó y murió.
Él volvió a Marya Morevna, y huyeron. Koschei persiguió después de ellos, pero cuando él los cogió, el caballo machacó su cabeza adentro, y se quemaron el cuerpo. Las hermanas y los cuñados de Ivan rejoiced sobre su novia, y llevaron a cabo un banquete de la boda antes de volver a sus propios países.

En Patufet

Hi havia una vegada un pobre camperol que estava una nit al costat de la xemeneia atiant el foc, mentre la seva dona filava, asseguda al seu costat. L' home va dir:

- Que trist és no tenir fills! Quin silenci hi ha en aquesta casa, mentre que a les altres tot és soroll i alegria!

- Sí - va respondre la dona, sospirant - encara que en fos un de sol, i encara que fos petit com un polze, em donaria per satisfeta. L' estimarem més que la nostra vida.

I va succeir que la dona va sentir-se indisposada, i al cap de set mesos va portar al món un nen que, si bé estava perfectament format en tots els seus membres, no era més llarg que el polze. I els pares van dir:

-És tal com l' havíem desitjat, i l' estimarem amb tota l' ànima.

Considerant la seva mida, li varen posar el nom de Patufet. L' alimentaven tan bé com podien, però el nen no creixia, si no que seguia tan petit com al principi. De totes maneres, la seva mirada era viva i espavilada, i ben aviat va demostrar ser tan llest com el que més, i molt capaç de sortir-se 'n amb la seva en qualsevol cosa que fes.

Un dia en que el seu pare llenyataire es disposava a anar al bosc a buscar llenya, va dir per a ell mateix, parlant a mitja veu:

- Pare! - va exclamar en Patufet - jo et portaré el carro, pots estar tranquil, a l' hora convinguda serà al bosc.

I L' home es va posar a riure, dient:

- Com t' ho faràs? No veus que ets massa petit per a fer anar les regnes?

- No importa, pare, Només cal que la mare enganxi el cavall, jo em posaré a l' orella i el conduiré fins on tu vulguis.

Quan va arribar l' hora pactada, la mare va enganxar el cavall i va posar en Patufet a la seva orella; i així anava el petit donant ordres a l' animal: . Tot va anar molt bé, com si el petit hagués estat un carreter consumat, i el carro va agafar el camí del bosc. Però vet aquí que, quan girava per un revolt,i el noiet va cridar : , justament passaven dos forasters.

- Òndia! - va exclamar un - Què és això? Allà va un carro, el carreter crida al cavall, i tot i això, no se 'l veu per enlloc!.

- Aquí hi ha algun misteri! - va confirmar l' altre- Seguim el carro i mirem on va.

Però el carro va entrar al bosc, dirigint-se en línia recta al lloc en el que el pare estava tallant llenya. Al veure 'l en Patufet va cridar:

- Pare, sóc aquí, amb el carro, baixa 'm a terra!

L' home va agafar el cavall amb la mà esquerra, mentre amb la dreta treia de l' orella del cavall el seu fillet, que es va asseure sobre un bri d' herba. En veure els dos forasters en Patufet es van quedar muts de sorpresa, fins que, al final, portant un apart a l' altre-, li va dir:

- Escolta, aquesta menudesa podria ser la nostra fortuna si l' exhibíssim de ciutat en ciutat. Comprem-lo. - I dirigint-se al llenyataire, li van dir - Ven-nos aquest homenet, ho passarà bé amb nosaltres.

- No! -va respondre el pare- és la nineta dels meus ulls, i no el donaria per tot l' or del món.

Però en Patufet, que havia sentit la proposició, va agafar-se a un plec dels pantalons del seu pare, va pujar fins la seva espatlla i li va murmurar a l' oïda:

- Pare, deixa 'm que me 'n vagi, ja tornaré.

Llavors el llenyataire el va cedir als dos homes per una bonica peça d' or.

- On vols seure? - li van preguntar els dos homes a en Patufet

- Poseu-me a l' ala del vostre barret; podré passejar-me per ella i contemplar el paisatge: ja aniré amb compte de no caure.

Van fer el que els demanava i, una vegada en Patufet es va acomiadar del seu pare, els forasters van partir amb ell i cavalcaren fins al capvespre.

Separador

Al cap d'una estona va dir:

- Deixeu-me baixar, ho necessito.

- Bah! no et moguis - li va replicar L' home en el barret del qual viatjava el petit - No m' enfadaré; també els ocells deixen anar alguna cosa de tant en tant.

- No, no - va protestar en Patufet- jo sóc un noi ben educat; baixeu-me, de pressa!

L' home es va treure el barret i el va deixar al petitó en un camp que s' estenia a la vora del camí. En Patufet va fer uns quants bots i es va amagar en una llodriguera que havia estat buscant.

- Bona nit senyors, podeu seguir sense mi! - els va cridar des del seu refugi, en to de burla. Van accedir ells al forat i hi van estar furgant amb pals, però en va; En Patufet es ficava cada vegada més endins; i com que la nit no va trigar a arribar, van haver d' emprendre de nou el seu camí enfadats i amb les bosses buides.

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Quan en Patufet va estar segur que havien marxat, va sortir del seu amagatall . Per fortuna va topar amb una closca de cargol buida: i es va ficar en ella.

Poca estona després, quan estava ja apunt de dormir-se, va sentir que passaven dos homes i que un d'ells deia :

- Com ens ho farem per fer-nos amb els diners i la plata del capellà?

- Jo puc dir-t' ho - va cridar en Patufet.

- Què és això? - va preguntar , espantat, un dels lladres - He sentit parlar a algú.

Van aturar-se els dos a escoltar, i en Patufet continuà: - Porteu-me amb vosaltres i jo us ajudaré.

- On estàs?

- Busqueu pel terra, fixeu-vos d'on ve la veu - va respondre.

Al final el van descobrir els lladres i el van aixecar enlaire:

- Infeliç microbi! I tu pretens ajudar-nos?

- Mireu - respongué ell - Em ficaré entre els barrots de la reixa, en l' habitació del capellà, i us passaré tot el que vulgueu endur-vos.

- Està bé - varen respondre els lladres - veurem com et portes.

Al arribar a la casa del mossèn, en Patufet va lliscar fins l'interior de l' habitació i, ja dins, va cridar amb totes les seves forces:

- Voleu endur-vos tot el que hi ha aquí?

Els lladres, espantats, van dir

- Parla baix, no sigui que despertis a algú!

Però en Patufet, fent com si no els hagués sentit, va repetir tot cridant:

- Què voleu? Us endureu tot el que hi ha?

El va sentir la cuinera, que dormia a l' habitació del costat i, incorporant-se al llit, va posar-se a escoltar. Els lladres, espantats, havien començat a córrer. Però al cap d'un tros, van recobrar els ànims i pensant que aquell diable només volia fer-los una mala passada, van retrocedir i li van dir:

- Vinga, no juguis amb nosaltres i passa' ns alguna cosa.

Llavors en Patufet es va posar a cridar per tercera vegada amb tota la força dels seus pulmons:

- Us ho donaré tot de seguida; només heu d' estirar els braços!

La criada, que seguia escoltant, va sentir amb tota claredat les seves paraules i, saltant del llit, va precipitar-se a la porta, i els lladres, en sentir-ho, van tocar el dos més ràpid que volant.

La criada, al no veure res sospitós, va sortir a encendre una vela, i en Patufet va aprofitar la seva absència momentània per anar-se 'n al paller sense ser vist per ningú. La cuinera, després d' explorar tots els racons, va tornar-se 'n al llit convençuda de que havia estat somiant desperta.

En Patufet va trepar pels talls de farratge i va acabar per trobar un bon lloc per a dormir. Desitjava dormir fins que es fes de dia i dirigir-se a trenc d' alba a casa dels seus pares. Però encara li quedaven per passar moltes aventures.

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A l' alba, la criada va saltar del llit per anar a donar el pinso al bestiar. Va entrar primer al paller i allà va agafar un feix d' herba, precisament aquella en la que el pobre Patufet estava dormint, i el seu son era tant profund, que no se 'n va adonar de res ni es va despertar fins que es va trobar ja a la boca de la vaca, que l' havia agafat juntament amb l' herba.

- Valga 'm Déu! -va exclamar- Com hauré anat a parar a aquest molí?

Però aviat va comprendre on havia anat a parar. Va haver de vigilar per no caure entre les dents i quedar fet xixina. I després va lliscar amb l' herba. fins a l'estómac.

- En aquesta habitació s'han oblidat de les finestres, va dir. Aquí el sol no entra, ni encenen una trista llum.

El lloc no li agradava gens i el pitjor era que, com que cada vegada entrava més farratge per la porta, l'espai es reduïa contínuament. Al final, tot espantat, va començar a cridar amb totes les seves forces:

- Prou farratge! prou farratge!

La criada, que estava munyint la vaca, a l' escoltar parlar sense veure a ningú i observant que era la mateixa veu que la nit anterior, va espantar-se tant que va caure del seu tamboret i se li va caure tota la llet. Va córrer cap al capellà i li va dir tota esvalotada:

- Senyor mossèn, la vaca ha parlat!

- Estàs boja? - va respondre el mossèn, però, amb tot, va baixar a l' estable a veure què passava. Amb prou feines havia arribat, en Patufet va tornar a cridar:

- Prou farratge! prou farratge!

El capellà va es va quedar atònit, pensant que algun mal esperit s' havia introduït a la vaca, i va donar l'ordre que la matessin. Així ho van fer: però de l'estómac, en el que es trobava tancat en Patufet, va ser llançat al femer. Allà va tractar d' obrir-se pas fins a l' exterior, i tot i que li va costar molt, per fi va poder arribar a l'entrada. Anava a treure el cap quan li va passar una nova desgracia, en forma de llop afamat que va empassar-se l'estómac d'una mossegada.

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Però en Patufet no es va desanimar. va pensar, i des de la seva panxa, li va dir:

- Amic llop, sé d'un lloc on podràs menjar a gust.

- On està? . va preguntar el llop.

- En aquesta casa. Hauràs d' entrar per la claveguera i hi travaràs tota classe de pastissets i embotits per poder-te afartar.- I li va donar les referències de la casa dels seus pares.

El llop no s' ho va fer repetir; va deixar-se anar per la claveguera i, entrant al rebost, es va inflar fins que no va poder més. Ja fart, va voler anar-se 'n, però s' havia inflat a menjar de tal manera, que no podia sortir pel mateix camí. Amb això ja hi havia comptat en Patufet, el quan, dintre del ventre del llop, va començar a cridar i a esvalotar amb tot el vigor dels seus pulmons.

- Calla! - li deia el llop - o despertaràs la gent de la casa!.

- I què! - va respondre en Patufet - Tu bé que t' has afartat, ara em toca a mi divertir-me - i va tornar a cridar.

A la fi, el seu pare i la seva mare es van despertar i van córrer al rebost, mirant a l'interior per una reixeta. Al veure que dins hi havia un llop, van anar a buscar, l' home una destral i la dona, una falç.

- Quedat tu al darrera - va dir l' home a l' entrar a l' habitació -. Jo li clavaré una destralada i si no el mato, llavors tu li obres la panxa amb la falç.

En Patufet va sentir la veu del seu pare i va cridar:

- Pare! Pare! estic aquí! a la panxa del llop!

I va exclamar l' home tot content:

- Alabat sia Déu, ha aparegut el nostre fill! - i va manar la dona que deixés la falç per a no fer mal a en Patufet. Aixecant el braç, va clavar un cop tal al cap de la fera que aquesta va caure, morta a l' acte.

Van anar llavors a buscar un ganivet i estisores i, obrint la panxa de l' animal, van treure d' ella al seu fill.

- Ai! - va exclamar el seu pare - Quin patiment ens has fet passar!

- Si pare, he recorregut molt de món! per fi torno a respirar aire pur!

- I per on va estar?

- Ai pare! vaig estar en una llodriguera, a l'estómac d'una vaca i a la panxa d'un llop, però des d' avui em quedaré amb vosaltres.

- I no tornarem a vendre 't per tots els tresors del món - van dir els pares, acariciant i petonejant al seu estimat Patufet. Li varen donar de menjar i beure i li varen encarregar vestits nous, doncs els que ell portava s' havien fet malbé al llarg de les seves aventures.

Les aloges de Banyoles

Heus ací que a l'estany de Banyoles no hi viu només un drac, si no també fades que viuen sempre a l'aigua, conegudes com aloges o dones d'aigua. Aquestes fades viuen a les fonts i els estanys -i no només al de Banyoles - i normalment se les sol veure de nit ... tot i que veure-les pot tenir conseqüències meravelloses o horribles. I en aquesta història ho veurem:

Temps era temps quan una velleta voltava de nit per l'estany, mentre la lluna il·luminava el camí. Però se'n va desviar quan va veure una llum estranya vora l'aigua. Allà, amagades entre la verdissa i pedres, hi havia unes fades que teixien la seva roba màgica i meravellosa. La velleta, temerosa d'aquestes fades, s'intentà allunyar, però amb la desgràcia que al girar-se va trencar un branquilló.

Les aloges ho van sentir i varen sortir al seu encontre i no els va ser difícil rodejar-la. I l'amenaçaren:

- Velleta, ja que ens has vist i destorbat,
a trenc d'alba la nostra roba hauras rentat.

Un present et darem, si al sortir el sol has acabat.
Mil maleficis conjurarem, si la nit se t'ha escapat.

I la velleta, espantada, es va posar a rentar la roba. Renta que rentaràs, al cap d'una bona estona tota l'havia rentat. I les fades, juganeres, compliren la seva paraula.

- Aquí tens una bossa amb un present, però no la miris fins arribar a casa!

I la velleta així ho feu. En arribar, va obrir la bossa i va veure que hi havia un munt d'or.

Al fer-se de dia, la velleta va sortir a mercat i va comprar moltes coses que necessitava. I quan,la seva millor amiga li va demanar per aquella nova fortuna, la velleta no se'n va poder estar d'explicar-ho.

La seva amiga, cobejosa, va tornar a casa corrents esperant que fos de nit. Les hores no li passaven, i mentrestant pensava que faria amb tot aquell or.

Quan el sol era amagat i ben amagat, l'amiga va sortir de casa i va començar a donar la volta a l'estany, cercant les fades que tant d'or donaven. I caminant, caminant, heus ací que les va trobar. I poc dissimuladament, va fer un gran terrabastall.

Les fades es van espantar, però al cap d'un moment es van recuperar i la van rodejar, i tal com féren amb l'altre velleta la nit anterior, li digueren:

- Velleta, ja que ens has vist i destorbat,
a trenc d'alba la nostra roba hauras rentat.

Un present et darem, si al sortir el sol has acabat.
Mil maleficis conjurarem, si la nit se t'ha escapat.

I ella, tota contenta, es va posar a rentar la roba. Va acabar prou d'hora i les fades, contentes, li feren el mateix present, i li digueren la mateixa advertència:

- Aquí tens una bossa amb un present, però no la miris fins arribar a casa!

I l'amiga es dirigí cap a casa. A mig camí però, la cobdicia va poder amb ella i va mirar què hi havia a la bossa. I la seva sorpresa fou ben gran quan veié que només hi havia ... sègol!. Tota enrabiada, ben enfurismada, va obrir la bossa i la va llençar ben endins el bosc.

A l'arribar a casa, però, tots els que hi havia es van quedar meravellats. La faldilla que duia era ben plena de pols d'or que brillava amb la llum del foc. Després de recollir tota la pols que va poder, la dona, comprenent el que havia fet, va còrrer un altre cop al bosc, però no va saber trobar gens d'or i, preguntant a les fades, aquestes li digueren que el vent ho havia fet volar tot.

I així fou com l'amiga va tornar a casa, igual de pobra, i sense voler saber res més de les fades de l'estany de Banyoles.

El Patufet (Versió Popular Catalana)

Ve’t aquí que una vegada era un pare i una mare,que tenien un fillet tan petit, tan petitet,que li deien en Patufet. Un dia la seva mare,mentre feia coure l’olla,va dir:
”Ai,filla,quina guitza em fa sortir a comprar;el dinar ja bull al foc i no trobo el safrà enlloc.
En Patufet que tot ho remenava i que pertot arreu es ficava,de seguida va contestar:
“Mare,si no hi ha safrà,jo us en puc anar a buscar.”
“On vols anar, on vols anar! No veus que ets massa petitò i la gent et pot trepitjar pel carrer com un cigró?”
“Ja hi aniré cantant, i així,si no hem veuen,bé prou que em sentiran”
“No i no. Els menuts creuen. Hi aniràs quan siguis gran.”
“Eh! Eh! Eh! Jo vull anar a buscar safrà!”
I com que es va posar a plorar i picar de peus, per fer-lo callar, la seva mare li va dir:
“Bé ja n’hi ha prou, Patufet; aquí tens un dineret i vés de seguida a la botiga d’en Josepet.”
I carrer amunt s’encamina aquell marrec tan tossut, amb esclops i barretina i unes calces de vellut.
“Patim, patam, patum, homes i dones del cap dret, patim, patam, patum, no trepitgeu en Patufet.
Content i cantant, en Patufet va arribar a la botiga d’en Josepet, la més bonica d’aquell indret.
“!Ep, ep!” “Qui hi ha ?” “Un dineret de safrà.
I el botiguer tot era mirar per ací i per allà.
“!Ep, ep!” “Qui hi ha? Què voleu?”
“Que no em veieu? Ja estic tip de cridar. Vejam si em despatxeu un dineret de safrà”
I el botiguer torna a mirar i busca que busca a terra dintre de la botiga, fins que tot d’un cop veu un dineret que es belluga. Aleshores s’ajup i l’arreplega,posant en el mateix lloc una paperineta de safrà. Tan aviat com en Patufet té el safrà damunt seu,l’agafa ben fort, se’n surt al carrer i deixa badoc el pobre adroguer.
“Patim,patam,patum,homes i dones del cap dret,patim,patam,patum,no trepitgeu en Patufet”
I de por la gent s’amagava en no veure qui cantava,mentre carrer avall passava una paperina sola,sola,sola,com si anés sobre una bola.
I quan en Patufet va arribar amb una paperina de safrà,la seva mare no se’n sabia avenir. Aleshores tot cofoi va demanar:
“Mare,em voleu deixar anar ara a portar el dinar al pare?”
“Això si que no, fill meu: el cistell pesa massa i pels camins encara hi ha neu.”
“Eh! Eh! Eh! Jo vull anar a portar el dinar!”
Tant i tant ho va demanar, que, perquè callés,la seva mare li digué:
“Per no sentir-te brama, te el cistell i ja hi pots anar”
I en Patufet,que tenia molta força,va agafar el cistell del dinar i, com si res, se’l va carregar a coll.
Pel camí, cantava així: “Patim, patam, patum, homes i dones del cap dret, patim, patam, patum, no trepitgeu en Patufet.”
En sortir del poble, la gent, esglaiada, tancava portes i finestres,i, pels camins,els pagesos fugien esverats en veure un cistell tot sol caminant com un cargol.
A mig camí, en Patufet es va aturar i es va seure a la vora d’un hort per reposar una estona, però heus aquí que tot d’un cop , comença a ploure molt fort. Per no mullar-se va anar tot sol a amagar-se sota una col. Aleshores va venir un bou mig perdut i d’un mos es menjà la col, molt golut, i en Patufet, de propina, amb esclops i barretina i les calces de vellut.
Cap el tard, el pare i la mare buscaven el fill per tot arreu,fins que trobaren el cistell tot sol a la vora d’un hort. Aleshores van començar a cridar:
“Patufet, on ets? Patufet, on ets?”
I en Patufet, de lluny, els contestava:
“Sóc a la panxa del bou, que no hi neva ni plou”
Com que no el sentien, els seus pares anaven cridant:
“Patufet, on ets? Patufet, on ets?
I en Patufet contestava:
“Soc a la panxa del bou, que ni hi neva ni plou.”
Ai, menuts, que va passar quan van saber on era el Patufet!
Sabeu què van fer els seus pares? Doncs van començar a donar força menjar,força menjar al bou, i el bou es va anar inflant, inflant, inflant... Tant i tant es va atipar,que, al capdavall, el bou va i fa: Pam!
I com un llampec va sortir en Patufet, molt content i espavilat, com si res no hagués passat.
I aquest conte s’ha acabat.

La llegenda de Sant Jordi

Fa molt i molt de temps, el poble de Montblanc era devastat per un monstre ferotge i terrible, que podia caminar, volar i nedar, i tenia un alè tant pudent, que des de molt lluny amb les seves alenades enverinava l'aire i produïa la mort a tots els qui el respiraven.

El mostre era l'estrall dels ramats i les persones, i per tota aquella contrada regnava el terror més profund. Preocupats per la situació, els habitants de Montblanc van pensar en donar al drac, cada dia de menjar a una persona, per intentar calmar-lo. El problema, era trobar la persona que vulgues sacrificar-se cada dia per ser devorada pel drac.

I així fou com després d'una llarga discussió, els vilatans van decidir sortejar cada dia qui seria la persona que aniria a para a l'estomac del drac.I així ho feren, i sembla ser que la jugada els va sortir bé, l'abominable bèstia se'n deuria sentir satisfeta, per que deixà de fer estralls i malifetes per aquelles terres.

Però heus aquí que un dia, la sort feu que li toqués ser devorada a la filla del rei. La jove princesa era molt simpàtica, amable, bonica, elegant. Tenia el cor de tots els ciutadans robats, i per aquest motiu centenars s'oferiren per substituir-la. Però el rei, afligit i adolorit, fou just i sever, la seva filla era com qualsevol altre. Si li havia tocat hi havia d'anar.

I així fou com la jove donzella sortí del castell per trobar-se amb la bèstia, mentre tot el poble mirava desconsolat i afligit com la princesa es dirigia cap al sacrifici. Però mentre la noia es dirigia cap al cau del monstre, un jove cavaller, amb una brillant armadura , muntat sobre un cavall blanc, La donzella se'l mirà i l'advertí:

- Fugiu! fugiu ràpidament d'aquí! noble cavaller, si us quedeu per aquí, apareixerà la bèstia i només us vegi us devorarà.

El jove cavaller, se la mirà i li contestà

- No patiu jove donzella.Si sóc aquí es per què hi he vingut expressament. He vingut des de molt lluny per protegir-vos a vós i a alliberar el vostre poble d'aquesta fera.

No va tenir temps ni de dir això, que de cop i volta va sortir la fera, davant l'horror de la princesa i el goig del cavaller. Va començar una intensa però breu lluita, fins que el cavaller li va clavar una bona estocada amb la seva llança, que va deixar malferida a la terrible bèstia i la matar. De la sang que en brollà, en sorgí ràpidament un roser, amb les roses més vermelles que la princesa hagués vist mai, roser del que el jove cavaller en tallà una rosa i li oferí a la princesa.

Aquesta versió és una adaptació de la llegenda de Sant Jordi.En la versió original, recollida per Joan Amades en el Costumari Català el 1904, quan Sant Jordi ferí al drac, no el matà, el drac, un cop ferit, Sant Jordi el va lligar i el va donar a la princesa, que el dugué fins al poble de Montblanc on la gent li va perdre la por.I va ser allà on la gent del poble el va acabar de rematar. Aquesta última versió és la que es pot veure cada any per Sant Jordi a Montblanc, en una representació que fan.

El monstre de Banyoles

Explica la llegenda que fa molt i molt de temps, pels voltants del segle VIII, una bèstia immensa vivia en alguna cova, a gran profunditat, del llac de Banyoles.

Li cobria tot el cos una escata d'afilades pues d'os, que el feia invulnerable. Tenia llargues ales i arpons arquejats, i una espina dorsal eriçada de burxes se li estenia des del coll a la cua. Diuen que dels ulls li sortien espurnes com brandons flamejants i que tenia un alè tan pestilent que en bufar assecava les plantes, enverinava les fonts , empestava els camps i encomanava malalties a persones i animals. Però sobretot era molt voraç. Els caps de bestiar que s'esqueien a passar a prop del seu cau desapareixien, com per art d'encantament, dins de la seva gola.

La vila de Banyoles vivia contínuament atemorida per aquell Drac que es cruspia ovelles i senglars com qui res. Ni dins de les muralles els vilatans eren segurs. Tot i tancar-se a casa amb balda, i assegurar la porta amb caixes, cada nit apareixia una porta esbotzada i un vilatà desaparegut. Res no semblava aturar a aquella bèstia.

Un bon dia, els soldats de Carlemany, en la seva campanya victoriosa contra els sarraïns i, havent sentit de la feresa del Drac, van pensar que seria encara més heroic matar un Drac, per poder contar el seu valor a l'arribar a casa. No sense abans cobrar en or i menjar la gesta que anirien a fer als pobres vilatans de Banyoles.

Van acostar-se a l'estany i, plantats enmig del descampat que actualment rep el nom de la Draga, gosaren plantar cara al Drac. Però amb prou feines van poder treure les espases, que el Drac, indestructible, hi va passar per sobre i no en va deixar ni un. Algun va intentar fugir, i el Drac es va entretenir una mica més amb ell ... fins que se'n va cansar.

Uns comerciants francesos que van veure horroritzats l'escena, van córrer a veure a en Carlemany mateix, guerrer invencible en totes les batalles i li contaren la història, una mica adornada, per deixar en millor lloc els seus homes.

Un exèrcit del bo i millor de França, comandat pel mateix Carlemany, va dirigir-se aleshores a revenjar els seus companys. Armats, valents i decidits s'encaminaren cap a la vila de Banyoles on, altre cop, es cobraren en or i menjar la gesta que anirien a realitzar dels ja pobres banyolins.

Quan hi van arribar, plantats en cavalls, brandint les espases, varen cridar al monstre que, amb força desgana, es va presentar a la batalla ... una batalla que poc va durar. Va ser força confusa, i del seu resultat poc se'n sap. Alguns diuen que Carlemany va plantar cara. D'altres, que va suplicar per la seva vida però, el que és ben cert, és que el mateix Carlemany va fugir i el Drac, va continuar fent de les seves.

Els banyolins, horroritzats en veure l'exèrcit més poderós del món que tantes batalles havia guanyat fugint cames ajudeu-me, creieren que només un miracle els podria salvar. I un miracle és el que van anar a cercar. Algú de la vila havia sentit a parlar d'un monjo francès de Narbona, anomenat Mer, que havia vingut amb les tropes de Carlemany i que, segons sembla, podia fer miracles.

Els banyolins anaren a suplicar al monjo que els deslliurés de la fera. El monjo, després de sentir totes les súpliques accedí a alliberar a la gent del Drac.

Així fou com sortí de la vila resant, i es dirigí, sense parar de resar, fins on era el Drac. Quan el Drac el veié, no feu cap gest hostil. Al contrari, es mostrà minso com el gat més manyac que us pugueu imaginar.

Llavors el monjo es dirigí cap al centre de la vila amb el Drac seguint-lo. A l'arribar, va cridar a la gent:

- Veniu, bona gent, i mireu el vostre Drac. Heus ací la vostra bèstia maligna - i mirant la cara i les armes de la gent, prosseguí - deixeu les armes a terra, doncs aquest Drac no us farà res.

Un vilatà, quan es va recuperar de veure el Drac tant manyac, es decidí a dir : - Matem-lo ara que el tenim amansit!

- Us en guardareu bé prou! - va protestar el monjo - Aquesta bèstia és inofensiva, i només menja herbes i arrels!

- I la gent que ha desaparegut? - replicà un altre vilatà.

- A les ordres i servei de Carlemany - respongué el monjo - Aviat tornaran a casa, no patiu per ells.

- I els ramats? - cridà un altre vilatà

- Potser això ho hauríeu de preguntar als cuiners de Carlemany.

La gent es quedà mirant el Drac, sense saber ben bé que fer. Fins que un nen sortí del mig de la multitud i acaricià el Drac, que es mostrà molt afectuós. La gent, tot seguit l'imità.

Finalment el monjo s'endugué el Drac cap el lloc on era, per a que allà hi pogués reposar tranquil. I si algú s'acosta a la cova on dorm, encara avui llença bafarades pudents per espantar la gent.

I pels qui no el coneixíeu, el monstre de Banyoles té una cançó ben especial:

1. Ens ho diu la història
d’un vell poble,
que hi habitava un monstre,
fa molts anys,
diuen que treia foc per les orelles
i per la boca, pel nas
i pels queixals.

És el mon, mon,
el monstre de Banyoles
que men, men, men,
que menjava persones,
oh, i tant!
És el mon, mon,
el monstre de Banyoles,
una per dia sense
fer terrabastall.

2. Com veureu, tenia tanta gana
que s’empassava els bous de tres en tres
i els cavallers, que amb ell volien brega,
se’ls endrapava com qui no menja res.

3. I la gent de tota la contrada
un tracte, amb gràcia, amb ell varen signar,
donant-li cols, patates i albergínies
perquè aquell monstre es tornés vegetarià.

4. És famós el poble de Banyoles
i és que la vila és coneguda arreu
pel famós monstre i pel seu bonic estany
i pel Tren Pinxo, un tren ben especial.

El abuelo, el nieto y el burro

Un abuelo y su nieto salieron de viaje con un burro. El nieto había pasado las vacaciones con su abuelo y ahora volvía a casa de sus padres para empezar nuevamente el colegio. A ratos, el abuelo o el nieto se subían al burro y así iban haciendo el viaje más cómodo.

El primer día de viaje llegaron a un pueblo. En ese momento el abuelo iba sentado sobre el burro y el nieto iba caminando al lado.
Al pasar por la calle principal del pueblo algunas personas se enfadaron cuando vieron al viejo sobre el burro y al niño caminando. Decían:
- ¡Parece mentira! ¡Qué viejo tan egoísta! Va montado en el burro y el pobre niño a pie.

Al salir del pueblo, el abuelo se bajó del burro. Llegaron a otro pueblo. Como iban caminando los dos junto al burro, un grupo de muchachos se rió de ellos, diciendo:
- ¡Qué par de tontos! Tienen un burro y, en lugar de montarse, van los dos andando.
Salieron del pueblo, el abuelo subió al niño al burro y continuaron el viaje.

Al llegar a otra aldea, la gente exclamó escandalizada:
- ¡Qué niño más maleducado! ¡Qué poco respeto! Va montado en el burro y el pobre viejo caminando a su lado.

En las afueras de la aldea, el abuelo y el nieto se subieron los dos al burro. Pasaron junto a un grupo de campesinos y éstos les gritaron:
- ¡Sinvergüenzas! ¿Es que no tenéis corazón? ¡Vais a reventar al pobre animal!

El anciano y el niño se cargaron al burro sobre sus hombros. De este modo llegaron al siguiente pueblo. La gente acudió de todas partes. Con grandes risotadas los pueblerinos se burlaban diciendo:
- ¡Qué par de tontos! Nunca hemos visto gente tan tonta. Tienen un burro y, en lugar de montarse, lo llevan a cuestas.

Al salir del pueblo, el abuelo después de pensar un buen rato le dijo a su nieto:
- Ya ves que hay que tener opinión propia y no hacer mucho caso de lo que diga la gente.