The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang (interesting novels to read .txt) 📕

`Oh! I am from Bathland,’ said Kari. And when the Prince

took out the glove and wanted to give it back to her, she said:

`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,

That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’

The Prince had never seen the equal of that glove, and he went

far and wide, asking after the country which the proud lady, who

rode away without her glove, had said that she came from, but

there was no one who could tell him where it lay.

Next Sunday some one had to take up a towel to the Prince.

`Ah! may I have leave to go up with that?’ said Kari.

`What would be the use of that?’ said the others who were in

the kitchen; `you saw what happened last time.’

Kari would not give in, but went on begging for leave till she

got it, and then she ran up the stairs so that her wooden gown

clattered again. Out came the Prince, and when he saw that it

was Kari, he snatched the towel from her and flung it right in her

eyes.

`Be off at once, you ugly Troll,’ said he; `do you think that I

will have a towel that has been touched by your dirty fingers?’

After that the Prince went to church, and Kari also asked leave

to go. They all asked how she could want to go to church when

she had nothing to wear but that wooden gown, which was so

black and hideous. But Kari said she thought the priest was such

a good man at preaching that she got so much benefit from what

he said, and at last she got leave.

She went to the rock and knocked, whereupon out came the

man and gave her a gown which was much more magnificent than

the first. It was embroidered with silver all over it, and it shone

like the silver wood, and he gave her also a most beautiful horse,

with housings embroidered with silver, and a bridle of silver too.

When the King’s daughter got to church all the people were

standing outside upon the hillside, and all of them wondered who

on earth she could be, and the Prince was on the alert in a moment,

and came and wanted to hold her horse while she alighted. But

she jumped off and said that there was no need for that, for the

horse was so well broken in that it stood still when she bade it

and came when she called it. So they all went into the church

together, but there was scarcely any one who listened to what the

priest was saying, for they were all looking far too much at her,

and the Prince fell much more deeply in love with her than he had

been before.

When the sermon was over and she went out of the church, and

was just going to mount her horse, the Prince again came and

asked her where she came from.

`I am from Towelland,’ said the King’s daughter, and as she

spoke she dropped her riding-whip, and while the Prince was

stooping to pick it up she said:

`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,

That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’

And she was gone again, neither could the Prince see what had

become of her. He went far and wide to inquire for that country

from whence she had said that she came, but there was no one who

could tell him where it lay, so he was forced to have patience once

more.

Next Sunday some one had to go to the Prince with a comb.

Kari begged for leave to go with it, but the others reminded her of

what had happened last time, and scolded her for wanting to let the

Prince see her when she was so black and so ugly in her wooden

gown, but she would not give up asking until they gave her leave

to go up to the Prince with the comb. When she went clattering

up the stairs again, out came the Prince and took the comb and

flung it at her, and ordered her to be off as fast as she could. After

that the Prince went to church, and Kari also begged for leave to

go. Again they all asked what she would do there, she who was so

black and ugly, and had no clothes that she could be seen in by

other people. The Prince or some one else might very easily catch

sight of her, they said, and then both she and they would suffer for

it; but Kari said that they had something else to do than to look

at her, and she never ceased begging until she got leave to go.

And now all happened just as it had happened twice already.

She went away to the rock and knocked at it with the stick, and

then the man came out and gave her a gown which was very much

more magnificent than either of the others. It was almost entirely

made of pure gold and diamonds, and she also got a noble horse

with housings embroidered with gold, and a golden bridle.

When the King’s daughter came to the church the priest and people

were all standing on the hillside waiting for her, and the Prince ran

up and wanted to hold the horse, but she jumped off, saying:

`No, thank you, there is no need; my horse is so well broken in

that it will stand still when I bid it.’

So they all hastened into the church together and the priest got

into the pulpit, but no one listened to what he said, for they were

looking far too much at her and wondering whence she came; and

the Prince was far more in love than he had been on either of the

former occasions, and he was mindful of nothing but of looking at her.

When the sermon was over and the King’s daughter was about

to leave the church, the Prince had caused a firkin of tar to be

emptied out in the porch in order that he might go to help her over

it; she, however, did not trouble herself in the least about the tar,

but set her foot down in the middle of it and jumped over it, and

thus one of her gold shoes was left sticking in it. When she had

seated herself on the horse the Prince came running out of the

church and asked her whence she came.

`From Combland,’ said Kari. But when the Prince wanted to

reach her her gold shoe, she said:

`Darkness behind me, but light on my way,

That the Prince may not see where I’m going to-day!’

The Prince did not know what had become of her, so he travelled

for a long and wearisome time all over the world, asking where

Combland was; but when no one could tell him where that country

was, he caused it to be made known everywhere that he would

marry any woman who could put on the gold shoe. So fair maidens

and ugly maidens came thither from all regions, but there was none

who had a foot so small that she could put on the gold shoe. After

a long, long while came Kari Woodengown’s wicked stepmother,

with her daughter too, and the shoe fitted her. But she was so

ugly and looked so loathsome that the Prince was very unwilling

to do what he had promised. Nevertheless all was got ready for

the wedding, and she was decked out as a bride, but as they were

riding to church a little bird sat upon a tree and sang:

`A slice off her heel

And a slice off her toes,

Kari Woodengown’s shoe

Fills with blood as she goes!’

And when they looked to it the bird had spoken the truth, for blood

was trickling out of the shoe. So all the waiting-maids, and all the

womenkind in the castle had to come and try on the shoe, but

there was not one whom it would fit.

`But where is Kari Woodengown, then?’ asked the Prince,

when all the others had tried on the shoe, for he understood the

song of birds and it came to his mind what the bird had said.

`Oh! that creature!’ said the others; `it’s not the least use for

her to come here, for she has feet like a horse!’

`That may be,’ said the Prince, `but as all the others have tried

it, Kari may try it too.’

`Kari!’ he called out through the door, and Kari came upstairs,

and her wooden gown clattered as if a whole regiment of dragoons

were coming up.

`Now, you are to try on the gold shoe and be a Princess,’ said

the other servants, and they laughed at her and mocked her. Kari

took up the shoe, put her foot into it as easily as possible, and then

threw off her wooden gown, and there she stood in the golden gown

which flashed like rays of sunshine, and on her other foot she had

the fellow to the gold shoe. The Prince knew her in a moment,

and was so glad that he ran and took her in his arms and kissed

her, and when he heard that she was a King’s daughter he was

gladder still, and then they had the wedding.[14]

[14] From P. C. Asbjornsen.

DRAKESTAIL was very little, that is why he was called Drakestail;

but tiny as he was he had brains, and he knew what he

was about, for having begun with nothing he ended by amassing a

hundred crowns. Now the King of the country, who was very

extravagant and never kept any money, having heard that Drakestail

had some, went one day in his own person to borrow his hoard, and,

my word, in those days Drakestail was not a little proud of having

lent money to the King. But after the first and second year, seeing

that they never even dreamed of paying the interest, he became

uneasy, so much so that at last he resolved to go and see His Majesty

himself, and get repaid. So one fine morning Drakestail, very spruce

and fresh, takes the road, singing: `Quack, quack, quack, when shall

I get my money back?’

He had not gone far when he met friend Fox, on his rounds

that way.

`Good-morning, neighbour,’ says the friend, `where are you off

to so early?’

`I am going to the King for what he owes me.’

`Oh! take me with thee!’

Drakestail said to himself: `One can’t have too many friends.’

… `I will,’ says he, `but going on all-fours you will soon be tired.

Make yourself quite small, get into my throat—go into my gizzard

and I will carry you.’

`Happy thought!’ says friend Fox.

He takes bag and baggage, and, presto! is gone like a letter into

the post.

And Drakestail is off again, all spruce and fresh, still singing:

`Quack, quack, quack, when shall I have my money back?’

He had not gone far when he met his lady-friend Ladder,

leaning on her wall.

`Good morning, my duckling,’ says the lady friend, `whither

away so bold?’

`I am going to the King for what he owes me.’

`Oh! take me with thee!’

Drakestail said to himself: `One can’t have too many friends.’

… `I will,’ says he, `but with your wooden legs you will soon be

tired. Make yourself quite small, get into my throat—go into my