© 2023 Storyberries

Visit Storyberries Bookstore

LET’S DISCUSS THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Assertiveness, Boundaries

1. Can you think of some more ways that Little Oui might tell Chorro next time Chorro asks him to do something he doesn’t want to do?

2. Why do you think your heart sometimes says ‘Yes’ to things?

3. Why do you think your heart sometimes says ‘No’?

Bedtime Story written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Tanja Tomusilovic

Book Design by Jade Maitre

The post Little Oui, The Yes Dragon first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Once a year, Frank and his family travelled to San Francisco. They visited a house where an old man named Rupert and his wife Elaine lived.

His family had been doing this since even before Frank was born. He didn’t mind it, though. He loved visiting Rupert and Elaine. He enjoyed being there.

After his first time visiting, he couldn’t wait to visit them again. He could tell that his mom and dad enjoyed it too. When they arrived, Rupert sat by the porch, rocking back and forth in his chair. Frank ran full-speed to where Mr. Rupert was. He made a full stop when he got to the porch. Then he walked slowly and hugged Rupert.

He went inside and greeted Elaine with a hug as well. She patted his head gently. She would always do this every time, which Frank had come to expect. He liked how gentle it felt every time she did this.

Elaine asked him how old he was and he told her he was ten. Frank’s parents came in the house and greeted Elaine. That was his cue to go outside and join Rupert.

One of the things that made him excited to visit was that Rupert would always have a story ready for him. He loved listening to Rupert’s stories. He had read a few books back home, but there was just something special about sitting down and listening to a good story by Rupert.

Frank went out the door and stood beside Rupert, who was admiring the view of their neighborhood.

Rupert asked him “Are you ready, son?” He smiled from ear to ear and eagerly nodded. “Then pull up a chair,” he said.

Frank grabbed the little stool next to Rupert’s rocking chair. Rupert tilted his chair so that he could look at Frank as he was telling the story. Frank sat in the stool as he eagerly waited for Rupert to start. He could feel his excitement wanting to burst out.

Rupert took a deep breath, then started.

“Once upon a time, there lived a knight. He was one of the fiercest warriors in the kingdom of Magon. He had been part of countless battles with his fellow knights, and all of them emerged victorious. Their kingdom remained peaceful for many years. But one day, that peace was threatened. The people of the kingdom became restless once they heard that one of the villages had been attacked by a griffin. In order for his royal subjects to feel safe again, the king ordered his knights to find the griffin in every corner of the kingdom and slay it. And so, the knight did as his king ordered and travelled to find the griffin.

“The knight knew that slaying the griffin would bring great honor for his family. He travelled far into the mountains. He had heard from an old wise man that griffins are hidden deep within the mountains, where no living soul would dare enter. He travelled day and night. He slept on the ground. Sometimes, the cold wind would make him shiver. He would hear strange noises moving through the forest. His grip on his sword would then tighten.

“Along the way, he stopped by a small village. The people were kind enough to offer him food and shelter for the night before he continued on his travels. He asked one of the villagers if they had been terrorized by a griffin recently. The villager told him that they hadn’t, and that their village was always peaceful. But they would hear strange noises coming from the mountain. They didn’t know what it was and no one was brave enough to travel up the mountain. They believed that there were monsters lurking there.

“After hearing what the villager said, the knight was eager to go up the mountain. He ate to his heart’s content that night and rested. The next morning, he thanked the villagers and bid them farewell. He started his journey up the mountain, hoping to find the griffin.”

Their storytelling was briefly interrupted by Elaine, who brought juice and cookies for Frank and a cup of coffee for Rupert. Elaine left the tray on the table and went back inside.

Frank took a bite of Elaine’s delicious cookies and wished that he could eat them every day for the rest of his life. Rupert took a sip of his coffee then continued with the story.

“The knight made his way up the mountain. He carefully walked through the trees. He listened to every noise he heard. He kept his hand on his sword, tightly gripping its handle, ready to unsheathe it should the need arise. He stopped just short of the mountaintop when he saw a cave. He approached the cave with caution. He heard noises inside. He unsheathed his sword and steadied his heart. He knew the griffin had to be inside.

“And it was. The griffin saw him and charged toward him. He swung his sword but the griffin managed to avoid his blade. The griffin towered over him. It stood on its hind legs with its wings spread out. It tried to pierce his armor with its claws. Luckily, his armor was made by the best blacksmith in the kingdom.

“But the griffin was strong. He may have avoided its claws with the armor on his arm but the strength of the blow almost broke him. He had to take a few paces backward. He was breathing heavily now. He centered himself, ready to take another swing.

“The griffin came charging towards him again. He waited for the right moment to swing his sword. Once the griffin was just a few inches from him, he swung his sword with all his might. At the last second, the griffin managed to dodge, but the knight still managed to cut it on the arm. The cut on its arm was deep. The griffin fell back and hit the side of the cave. The knight saw this as an opening for him to slay the beast.

“He ran towards the griffin with his sword in his hand, ready to make the final blow. But then, he heard a noise from deeper within the cave. It made him stop abruptly.

“He turned towards where the noise was and steadied himself again. There might be another griffin. He was shocked to learn that the noise came from younglings hiding behind a rock. The griffin’s younglings looked terrified. One of the younglings ran to the griffin’s side. The griffin shielded the youngling with its wing. He looked at the griffin. It looked tired and in pain. He realized that the griffin was merely protecting its young. There was no monster here, just a parent trying to protect its young.

“He sheathed his sword and left the cave. He came back to the cave the next day with three wild boars and some medicine he bought from the village below the mountain. The griffin had moved further inside the cave, still in pain from its wound. He took off his armor and dropped his sword. He wanted the griffin to know that he meant no harm. He fed the griffin and its young with the boars he brought. He used the medicine he bought to heal the griffin’s wounds. He stayed in the cave for a few nights and when the griffin finally recovered, he left. He returned to the king’s castle empty-handed, but he didn’t care. He decided that his days as a knight were over. He bid farewell to the king.

“The knight spent his days living peacefully with his wife. They lived in a house on top of a mountain. One day, while he was outside admiring the horizon, he saw a winged creature flying in the sky. It came closer and closer until it landed beside their house. It was the griffin and its young. Its young had gotten bigger since the last time he saw them. He didn’t know how the griffin found him. Maybe it spent its days looking for him. He welcomed the griffin with open arms. He even introduced it to his wife.

“He picked up his sword and went into the forest. He came back with four wild boars this time. They dined with the griffin and its young that day. From that moment on, the griffin and its young would come to visit the knight and his wife every year. The knight would wait patiently until his friend came to visit him again.”

“The End” Rupert said. Frank, with a big smile on his face, clapped his hands when Rupert finished. It was one of Rupert’s best stories yet.

They eventually said their goodbyes and Frank and his family returned home. On their way home, Frank asked his father why his grandfather wanted them to keep visiting Rupert and Elaine once a year. He enjoyed visiting them so much that he never bothered to ask his father why. His father smiled at him and said,

“Rupert was an old friend of your grandfather. Your grandfather promised him that he would always come and visit, even if it was just once a year. And I’d like to keep that promise. I’m hoping one day, you’ll keep that promise too.”

“Of course, I will. I will never get tired of visiting Rupert and Elaine,” Frank said. He asked his father how his grandfather became friends with Rupert, but his father said that it was a story for another time. Frank thought that he would ask Rupert the next time they came to visit.

He also promised himself that when they came back to visit Rupert and Elaine, he would be their storyteller.

© Storyberries/ Glenn Francis Faelnar 2021

Short bedtime story written by Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Family, Tradition

1. Why do you think Frank’s father hoped that Frank would continue to visit Rupert as he grew older?

2. What do you think this story says about family traditions?

The Knight and the Griffin | Fairy Tales | Bedtime Stories

Every year Frank visits his grandfather's friend Rupert, who tells him magical stories.

URL: https://www.storyberries.com/bedtime-stories-the-knight-and-the-griffin-short-stories-for-kids/

Author: Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

Editor's Rating:
5

The post The Knight and the Griffin first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there lived a brave girl called Robyn. Robyn was a princess, and lived in a castle in the village of Witsworth, with her parents (who were King and Queen but rarely used their royal titles), her brother (Prince Noah), and Nacho, her best friend and ginger cat sidekick.One morning Princess Robyn was helping Nacho with his breakfast.

“Would you like biscuits Nacho?” Nacho meowed loudly, meaning yes, and wrapped himself around Robyn’s legs. Breakfast was Nacho’s favourite meal of the day, and by coincidence, it was also Robyn’s.

As Robyn poured the biscuits into Nacho’s fish-shaped dish, she caught a whiff of them. They smelled delicious! She licked her lips and reached for one of them, but Nacho nudged her with his paw and meowed again.

Robyn glanced at him. He was right, they were his snacks, and Nacho never took her food.

“Okay Nacho, here you go!” she said brightly, and watched Nacho tuck into his tasty meal.

Once they had both eaten, it was time to get dressed. Nacho sat beside Robyn as she chose her outfit for the day.

They had big plans – first, they were going to go to the park and ride on the slide, and then they were going to stop by the local stables to feed the horses some carrots.

Just as Robyn reached for a pair of mustard leggings, she heard a huge ROAAARRRR!

The castle shook a little and Nacho ran and hid under the bed. Princess Robyn frowned and pulled on her leggings, then marched to the window to look out. What on earth was that noise?

Immediately she saw the culprit. There, in the misty morning sun, sat a dragon, overlooking the village. He roared again, and the townspeople scattered into their houses, hiding.

Robyn put her hands on her hips and frowned. A dragon would ruin all of her plans for the day! She had been so looking forward to seeing the horses at the stables. This would not do!

“Nacho! Are you going to come and talk to this dragon with me?”

Nacho let out a short, sharp meow that sounded very much like a ‘No’.

“Okay,” said Princess Robyn, nodding. “I can see that you’re scared. I’m scared too – but I’m not going to let a dragon ruin everyone’s day.”

Robyn pulled on her boots and walked out of her room, through the castle, and out of the front door.

As soon as she stepped outside she felt the hot breath of the dragon on her skin. There he was, roaring loudly into the sky, the noise shaking the windows of all of the houses. There was absolutely nobody to be seen – everyone was hiding apart from Princess Robyn. ​

“Excuse me!” Robyn shouted, walking toward the dragon with purpose. He stopped mid roar and stared at her in surprise.

“Are you talking to me?” he said, glancing around him.“Yes!” said Princess Robyn crossly. “Why are you making so much noise?  You’ve frightened everyone away!”

The dragon blinked at her, and then looked around him at the village. Then, Robyn noticed something different about the dragon…he was crying. A long, wet, tear dropped from the corner of his eye and landed in a huge puddle beneath him.

Robyn stepped closer to him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

The dragon sniffed loudly, and shook his gigantic scaly head. “No.  I didn’t get any sleep last night.  I have a terrible toothache and I was hoping that someone in the village might be able to help me, but everyone is afraid of me… except you.”

Robyn smiled kindly. “Well, that’s just because of the noise you were making. I can organise a dentist to help you, but you must understand that people don’t like big noises.”

The dragon sniffed again and nodded sadly.

“I understand. Thank you for being smart enough to see that I was only in pain, and brave enough to come and talk to me.”

Robyn nodded, and strode over to the dragon, patting him on one of his large toes.

“Don’t worry. We’ll fetch some ladders and the dentist, and you’ll be back to your usual self in no time at all.”

Princess Robyn did just that. She visited all the local hardware shops and encouraged the owners to come out with their ladders. Then, she visited the dentist, and asked for help with the dragon’s tooth.

The townspeople were very nervous at first, but Robyn explained to them kindly that the dragon was only grumpy because he was in pain, and that everyone needed help sometimes, regardless of size.

The townspeople listened to her and pulled back their shoulders, doing their best to be as brave as the princess.

Together, they encouraged the dragon to lie down. Once the ladders were secured, the dentist was able to climb up them and hop into the dragon’s mouth to see what the problem was.

It was a large piece of hedge stuck between two of his huge teeth! The dentist popped her head out of the dragon’s mouth and shrugged.

“I’m afraid that I don’t have any equipment big enough to remove this!” she said.

Robyn thought for a moment, and then had a bright idea.

“Somebody fetch the fire service! They have hoses that are big and powerful, and they’ll have no problem spraying the hedge out of the dragon’s teeth!”

Princess Robyn was quite right, and the hose did just the trick. Once the hedge had been removed, and everyone was back on the ground, the dragon sat up and purred with delight. His purr sounded just like Nacho’s!

“Thank you so much Princess Robyn,” said the dragon in relief, “I can’t tell you what a difference you’ve made. The village of Witsworth is lucky to have a princess as thoughtful, brave, and smart as you.”

Robyn smiled. She was just relieved that the dragon was feeling better, and that the townspeople were able to go on enjoying their day.

And that of course, included her. Now she could visit the horses in the stable yard, and feed them carrots for dinner.

© 2021

Short bedtime story written by Rachel Grosvenor

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Empathy, Helping

1. Why did Princess Robyn investigate why the dragon was making such a noise?

2. Do you think you would have done the same? Why or why not?

3. Why did Princess Robyn decide to help the dragon?

4. How did Princess Robyn’s caring help the city to solve its dragon problem? What do you think this might say about helping others?  

Princess Robyn and the Dragon | Fairy Tales | Bedtime Stories

A brave girl called Robyn decides to investigate when a dragon is terrorising a village.

URL: https://www.storyberries.com/bedtime-stories-princess-robyn-and-the-dragon-short-stories-for-kids/

Author: Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

Editor's Rating:
4

The post Princess Robyn and the Dragon first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Storyberries 2020

Visit Storyberries Bookstore

Let’s Chat About The Stories ~ Ideas for Talking With Kids

Motivation, Trying, Practice

1. Why do you think we often need to practice things before we can do them well?

2. Do you think it’s possible to learn or do something if you don’t try? Why or why not?

3. What is the best thing you have done that you are proud of, and you did it through trying?

Bedtime story written by Jade Maitre

Illustrated by Mihailo Tatic

The post The Dragon Who Couldn’t Puff first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

Katie had always felt like she never connected with anyone. There’s was no one she considered a friend. So, when her parents decided to move, she was okay with it. She didn’t feel sad because she wasn’t leaving anyone behind.

She was eight when they moved to a new town. It wasn’t that different from where they had lived before. There were a lot of trees and kids running around outside, riding bikes, and playing.

One day her mother caught her staring out the window at some kids playing. Her mom told her to go out and play with those kids. So, Katie went out. She could see that they were all having fun and she wanted to join in but she was afraid. She tried to muster up the courage to ask them if she could play but she just couldn’t do it.

She decided to go for a walk instead. She liked how peaceful the town was. The people seemed nice and polite. Her stroll eventually lead her to the town’s lake. She felt the rush of cold air hitting her face. The beauty of the lake was something to behold. She sat there admiring it and decided that this would be her spot. That she would come here every day and maybe one day, she would bring her friends here.

After school, she would always stop by the lake before going home. She swore she could stay there for hours, maybe even live there. If she ever got hungry, she’d always have food ready in her bag.

She was writing a poem about the lake when she suddenly heard her stomach growl. She put down her notebook and her pen and got her sandwich out. She was about to take a bite when she heard a noise. This startled her. She hadn’t heard anything strange in all the days she’d been there. She looked around but no one else was there. Then she noticed that there was something moving in the water.

Curious to find out what it was, she walked closer to the water. She clenched her sandwich tight as she got closer and closer. When she was by the water, it stopped. Then all of a sudden, something came out of the water and Katie got splashed with the water. She wiped the water from her eyes and saw something she had never seen before.

She saw a dragon.

She couldn’t believe what she saw. She fell back on the ground and dropped her sandwich. She was terrified. The dragon was huge. She couldn’t speak or shout. She was too afraid of what she saw. The dragon submerged its neck back in the water until only its eyes could be seen. Katie looked into the dragon’s eyes and saw something very familiar. Like her, it had lonely eyes.

Katie stood up and started walking towards it. She picked up her sandwich and then offered it to the dragon. The dragon didn’t move. So, she dropped the sandwich in the water and the dragon went after it. Moments later, the dragon stuck its neck out from under water again. She got splashed with water but she didn’t mind it this time. It even made her laugh. The dragon moved its head closer to her. She reached out her hand and touched its nose.

Its scales were rough but not unpleasant. She introduced herself to it. The dragon nodded as if to say “nice to meet you, Katie.” From then on, Katie and the dragon became friends.

Every day, Katie would bring five extra sandwiches for her friend. She would tell the dragon everything that happened to her at school. Sometimes, she would sing or dance and the dragon would just nod along. For the first time, she didn’t feel lonely. She even thought of the dragon as her best friend.

In school, her teacher had asked the class to write a poem about their best friend which they would read in front of the whole class. She wrote her poem while she was hanging out at the lake. After writing it, she read it to the dragon. The dragon tapped his nose on Katie’s chest. It meant that the dragon liked it. At least, that’s how she understood it.

Katie read it in class the next day. She was the only one who had a dragon in her poem. Her classmates laughed and thought it was sad that her only friend was an imaginary dragon. She got angry and told them that the dragon wasn’t imaginary. She told them that it was real and that she would prove it to them.

After class, all of her classmates went with her to the lake. She proved to them that she wasn’t lying and that there was a dragon in the lake. Everyone was in awe of the dragon. Some of them got scared but she was able to convince them that it was harmless.

Every day, her classmates would go with her to the lake after school. They would spend time with her and the dragon. All of them would play games, sing, and dance. She didn’t want it to end. Having many friends gave her joy. It didn’t make her feel lonely anymore.

Then one morning on a weekend, she went to the lake to visit her best friend. When she got there, she noticed that the dragon was laying its head on the ground. She knelt next to it and tried to sooth her friend. When she saw its eyes, she could tell that it was sad.

The dragon moved its nose and rubbed it against her chin. Katie felt like the dragon was saying goodbye. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around its nose. She didn’t want her best friend to go.

The dragon then pulled away and submerged back into the water. Katie stood up. On the horizon, she saw the dragon burst out of the water and disappeared into the clouds. She spent all night crying. She was never going to see her best friend again.

Most of her classmates didn’t come back to the lake after that. There was no dragon to see, so there was no point in going back there anymore. Some of them still wanted to play and hang out at the lake. But with each passing day, fewer people came until none of them came back.

Katie was back where she started. She was all alone again on the lake. It didn’t bother her though. She’d sit there day in and day out, hoping and waiting for her best friend to come back. And if the dragon did return, she promised herself that she’d keep it a secret from everyone. She still brings five extra sandwiches, just in case.

One day, Katie was sitting by the lake looking out at the horizon. She felt the cold wind as it enveloped her body. She hugged her knees buried her face between them. After convincing herself that every day that she wasn’t lonely, she finally admitted that she was. She cried. It was too painful.

Suddenly, she heard a noise. She looked up but there was no one in front of her. She was hoping that it was the dragon. Then she noticed that someone was sitting beside her. It was one of her classmates. His name was Dylan.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

He didn’t answer her.

“Are you waiting for the dragon?”

He remained silent and kept staring at the horizon. This made her mad. She stood up and said,

“The dragon’s not coming back okay! My best friend isn’t coming back.” Tears start falling from her eyes again. She wiped her eyes and said “So, you can just leave, okay? You can stop coming to the lake like everybody else.”

He smiled and said “I didn’t come here for the dragon.”

“Then why did you come here?” she said.

He looked at her and said “I wanted to ask you if you wanted to be friends with me.”

“You want to be my friend?”

“Yes. I was too afraid to ask before. When I finally had the courage to ask, I was too late. Everybody in class started coming to the lake. Seeing as you had so many, I figured you didn’t need any more friends.”

Katie sat down beside him and said “Everyone just wanted to be friends with me because they thought I was cool for having a dragon as a friend.”

“Well, they’re all stupid then,” he said. “Because you’re pretty cool, even without the dragon.”

Katie smiled and offered him a sandwich. From that point on, they became friends.

© Glenn Francis F. Faelnar 2020

Short bedtime story written by Glenn Francis F. Faelnar

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORY ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Friendship, Conversation

1. Have you ever moved to a new place, or started a new activity, and needed to make new friends? Did you find it easy? 

2. What do you think it means to be friends with someone?

3. How do you think friendship can help us to feel happy?

The post Katie and Her Best Friend first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

© Benjamin Wilkins 2020

Short Story for Kids written and illustrated by Benjamin Wilkins

Bedtime, Conversation

1. Do you have something like a soft and cuddly dragon that helps you get to sleep? Why do you think soft and cuddly things can help us sleep?

2. What is something that always helps you sleep?

The post Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don’t Let The Dragons Bite first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

This is a vintage fairy tale, and may contain violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand  if your child is sensitive to such themes.

Very long ago, as old people have told me, there lived a terrible monster, who came out of the North, and laid waste whole tracts of country, devouring both men and beasts; and this monster was so destructive that it was feared that unless help came no living creature would be left on the face of the earth.

It had a body like an ox, and legs like a frog, two short fore-legs, and two long ones behind, and besides that it had a tail like a serpent, ten fathoms in length. When it moved it jumped like a frog, and with every spring it covered half a mile of ground.

Fortunately its habit, was to remain for several years in the same place, and not to move on till the whole neighbourhood was eaten up. Nothing could hunt it, because its whole body was covered with scales, which were harder than stone or metal; its two great eyes shone by night, and even by day, like the brightest lamps, and anyone who had the ill luck to look into those eyes became as it were bewitched, and was obliged to rush of his own accord into the monster’s jaws.

In this way the Dragon was able to feed upon both men and beasts without the least trouble to itself, as it needed not to move from the spot where it was lying. All the neighbouring kings had offered rich rewards to anyone who should be able to destroy the monster, either by force or enchantment, and many had tried their luck, but all had miserably failed.

Once a great forest in which the Dragon lay had been set on fire; the forest was burnt down, but the fire did not do the monster the least harm. However, there was a tradition amongst the wise men of the country that the Dragon might be overcome by one who possessed King Solomon’s signet-ring, upon which a secret writing was engraved. This inscription would enable anyone who was wise enough to interpret it to find out how the Dragon could be destroyed. Only no one knew where the ring was hidden, nor was there any sorcerer or learned man to be found who would be able to explain the inscription.

At last a young man, with a good heart and plenty of courage, set out to search for the ring. He took his way towards the sunrising, because he knew that all the wisdom of old time comes from the East.

After some years he met with a famous Eastern magician, and asked for his advice in the matter. The magician answered:

‘Mortal men have but little wisdom, and can give you no help, but the birds of the air would be better guides to you if you could learn their language. I can help you to understand it if you will stay with me a few days.’

The youth thankfully accepted the magician’s offer, and said, ‘I cannot now offer you any reward for your kindness, but should my undertaking succeed your trouble shall be richly repaid.’

Then the magician brewed a powerful potion out of nine sorts of herbs which he had gathered himself all alone by moonlight, and he gave the youth nine spoonfuls of it daily for three days, which made him able to understand the language of birds.

At parting the magician said to him. ‘If you ever find Solomon’s ring and get possession of it, then come back to me, that I may explain the inscription on the ring to you, for there is no one else in the world who can do this.’

From that time the youth never felt lonely as he walked along; he always had company, because he understood the language of birds; and in this way he learned many things which mere human knowledge could never have taught him. But time went on, and he heard nothing about the ring.

It happened one evening, when he was hot and tired with walking, and had sat down under a tree in a forest to eat his supper, that he saw two gaily-plumaged birds, that were strange to him, sitting at the top of the tree talking to one another about him. The first bird said:

‘I know that wandering fool under the tree there, who has come so far without finding what he seeks. He is trying to find King Solomon’s lost ring.’

The other bird answered,

‘He will have to seek help from the Witch-maiden, who will doubtless be able to put him on the right track. If she has not got the ring herself, she knows well enough who has it.’

‘But where is he to find the Witch-maiden?’ said the first bird. ‘She has no settled dwelling, but is here to-day and gone to-morrow. He might as well try to catch the wind.’

The other replied, ‘I do not know, certainly, where she is at present, but in three nights from now she will come to the spring to wash her face, as she does every month when the moon is full, in order that she may never grow old nor wrinkled, but may always keep the bloom of youth.’

‘Well,’ said the first bird, ‘the spring is not far from here. Shall we go and see how it is she does it?’

‘Willingly, if you like,’ said the other.

The youth immediately resolved to follow the birds to the spring, only two things made him uneasy: first, lest he might be asleep when the birds went, and secondly, lest he might lose sight of them, since he had not wings to carry him along so swiftly. He was too tired to keep awake all night, yet his anxiety prevented him from sleeping soundly, and when with the earliest dawn he looked up to the tree-top, he was glad to see his feathered companions still asleep with their heads under their wings.

He ate his breakfast, and waited until the birds should start, but they did not leave the place all day. They hopped about from one tree to another looking for food, all day long until the evening, when they went back to their old perch to sleep.

The next day the same thing happened, but on the third morning one bird said to the other,

‘To-day we must go to the spring to see the Witch-maiden wash her face.’ They remained on the tree till noon; then they flew away and went towards the south.

The young man’s heart beat with anxiety lest he should lose sight of his guides, but he managed to keep the birds in view until they again perched upon a tree. The young man ran after them until he was quite exhausted and out of breath, and after three short rests the birds at length reached a small open space in the forest, on the edge of which they placed themselves on the top of a high tree. When the youth had overtaken them, he saw that there was a clear spring in the middle of the space. He sat down at the foot of the tree upon which the birds were perched, and listened attentively to what they were saying to each other.

‘The sun is not down yet,’ said the first bird; ‘we must wait yet awhile till the moon rises and the maiden comes to the spring. Do you think she will see that young man sitting under the tree?’

‘Nothing is likely to escape her eyes, certainly not a young man,’ said the other bird. ‘Will the youth have the sense not to let himself be caught in her toils?’

‘We will wait,’ said the first bird, ‘and see how they get on together.’

The evening light had quite faded, and the full moon was already shining down upon the forest, when the young man heard a slight rustling sound. After a few moments there came out of the forest a maiden, gliding over the grass so lightly that her feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground, and stood beside the spring. The youth could not turn away his eyes from the maiden, for he had never in his life seen a woman so beautiful. Without seeming to notice anything, she went to the spring, looked up to the full moon, then knelt down and bathed her face nine times, then looked up to the moon again and walked nine times round the well, and as she walked she sang this song:

‘Full-faced moon with light unshaded,
Let my beauty ne’er be faded.
Never let my cheek grow pale!
While the moon is waning nightly,
May the maiden bloom more brightly,
May her freshness never fail!’

Then she dried her face with her long hair, and was about to go away, when her eye suddenly fell upon the spot where the young man was sitting, and she turned towards the tree.

The youth rose and stood waiting.

Then the maiden said, ‘You ought to have a heavy punishment because you have presumed to watch my secret doings in the moonlight. But I will forgive you this time, because you are a stranger and knew no better. But you must tell me truly who you are and how you came to this place, where no mortal has ever set foot before.’

The youth answered humbly: ‘Forgive me, beautiful maiden, if I have unintentionally offended you. I chanced to come here after long wandering, and found a good place to sleep under this tree. At your coming I did not know what to do, but stayed where I was, because I thought my silent watching could not offend you.’

The maiden answered kindly, ‘Come and spend this night with us. You will sleep better on a pillow than on damp moss.’

The youth hesitated for a little, but presently he heard the birds saying from the top of the tree, ‘Go where she calls you, but take care to give no blood, or you will sell your soul.’

So the youth went with her, and soon they reached a beautiful garden, where stood a splendid house, which glittered in the moonlight as if it was all built out of gold and silver. When the youth entered he found many splendid chambers, each one finer than the last. Hundreds of tapers burnt upon golden candlesticks, and shed a light like the brightest day.

At length they reached a chamber where a table was spread with the most costly dishes. At the table were placed two chairs, one of silver, the other of gold. The maiden seated herself upon the golden chair, and offered the silver one to her companion. They were served by maidens dressed in white, whose feet made no sound as they moved about, and not a word was spoken during the meal.

Afterwards the youth and the Witch-maiden conversed pleasantly together, until a woman, dressed in red, came in to remind them that it was bedtime. The youth was now shown into another room, containing a silken bed with down cushions, where he slept delightfully, yet he seemed to hear a voice near his bed which repeated to him, ‘Remember to give no blood!’

The next morning the maiden asked him whether he would not like to stay with her always in this beautiful place, and as he did not answer immediately, she continued: ‘You see how I always remain young and beautiful, and I am under no one’s orders, but can do just what I like, so that I have never thought of marrying before. But from the moment I saw you I took a fancy to you, so if you agree, we might be married and might live together like princes, because I have great riches.’

The youth could not but be tempted with the beautiful maiden’s offer, but he remembered how the birds had called her the witch, and their warning always sounded in his ears. Therefore he answered cautiously, ‘Do not be angry, dear maiden, if I do not decide immediately on this important matter. Give me a few days to consider before we come to an understanding.’

‘Why not?’ answered the maiden. ‘Take some weeks to consider if you like, and take counsel with your own heart.’

And to make the time pass pleasantly, she took the youth over every part of her beautiful dwelling, and showed him all her splendid treasures. But these treasures were all produced by enchantment, for the maiden could make anything she wished appear by the help of King Solomon’s signet ring; only none of these things remained fixed; they passed away like the wind without leaving a trace behind. But the youth did not know this; he thought they were all real.

One day the maiden took him into a secret chamber, where a little gold box was standing on a silver table. Pointing to the box, she said, ‘Here is my greatest treasure, whose like is not to be found in the whole world. It is a precious gold ring. When you marry me, I will give you this ring as a marriage gift, and it will make you the happiest of mortal men. But in order that our love may last for ever, you must give me for the ring three drops of blood from the little finger of your left hand.’

When the youth heard these words a cold shudder ran over him, for he remembered that his soul was at stake. He was cunning enough, however, to conceal his feelings and to make no direct answer, but he only asked the maiden, as if carelessly, what was remarkable about the ring?

She answered, ‘No mortal is able entirely to understand the power of this ring, because no one thoroughly understands the secret signs engraved upon it. But even with my half-knowledge I can work great wonders. If I put the ring upon the little finger of my left hand, then I can fly like a bird through the air wherever I wish to go. If I put it on the third finger of my left hand I am invisible, and I can see everything that passes around me, though no one can see me. If I put the ring upon the middle finger of my left hand, then neither fire nor water nor any sharp weapon can hurt me. If I put it on the forefinger of my left hand, then I can with its help produce whatever I wish. I can in a single moment build houses or anything I desire. Finally, as long as I wear the ring on the thumb of my left hand, that hand is so strong that it can break down rocks and walls. Besides these, the ring has other secret signs which, as I said, no one can understand. No doubt it contains secrets of great importance. The ring formerly belonged to King Solomon, the wisest of kings, during whose reign the wisest men lived. But it is not known whether this ring was ever made by mortal hands: it is supposed that an angel gave it to the wise King.’

When the youth heard all this he determined to try and get possession of the ring, though he did not quite believe in all its wonderful gifts. He wished the maiden would let him have it in his hand, but he did not quite like to ask her to do so, and after a while she put it back into the box.

A few days after they were again speaking of the magic ring, and the youth said,

‘I do not think it possible that the ring can have all the power you say it has.’

Then the maiden opened the box and took the ring out, and it glittered as she held it like the clearest sunbeam. She put it on the middle finger of her left hand, and told the youth to take a knife and try as hard as he could to cut her with it, for he would not be able to hurt her. He was unwilling at first, but the maiden insisted. Then he tried, at first only in play, and then seriously, to strike her with the knife, but an invisible wall of iron seemed to be between them, and the maiden stood before him laughing and unhurt. Then she put the ring on her third finger, and in an instant she had vanished from his eyes. Presently she was beside him again laughing, and holding the ring between her fingers.

‘Do let me try,’ said the youth, ‘whether I can do these wonderful things.’

The maiden, suspecting no treachery, gave him the magic ring.

The youth pretended to have forgotten what to do, and asked what finger he must put the ring on so that no sharp weapon could hurt him?’

‘Oh, the middle finger of your left hand,’ the maiden answered, laughing.

She took the knife and tried to strike the youth, and he even tried to cut himself with it, but found it impossible.

Then he asked the maiden to show him how to split stones and rocks with the help of the ring. So she led him into a courtyard where stood a great boulder-stone.

‘Now,’ she said, ‘put the ring upon the thumb of your left hand, and you will see how strong that hand has become.’

The youth did so, and found to his astonishment that with a single blow of his fist the stone flew into a thousand pieces. Then the youth bethought him that he who does not use his luck when he has it is a fool, and that this was a chance which once lost might never return. So while they stood laughing at the shattered stone he placed the ring, as if in play, upon the third finger of his left hand.

‘Now,’ said the maiden, ‘you are invisible to me until you take the ring off again.’

But the youth had no mind to do that; on the contrary, he went farther off, then put the ring on the little finger of his left hand, and soared into the air like a bird.

When the maiden saw him flying away she thought at first that he was still in play, and cried, ‘Come back, friend, for now you see I have told you the truth.’ But the young man never came back.

Then the maiden saw she was deceived, and bitterly repented that she had ever trusted him with the ring.

The young man never halted in his flight until he reached the dwelling of the wise magician who had taught him the speech of birds. The magician was delighted to find that his search had been successful, and at once set to work to interpret the secret signs engraved upon the ring, but it took him seven weeks to make them out clearly. Then he gave the youth the following instructions how to overcome the Dragon of the North:

‘You must have an iron horse cast, which must have little wheels under each foot. You must also be armed with a spear two fathoms long, which you will be able to wield by means of the magic ring upon your left thumb. The spear must be as thick in the middle as a large tree, and both its ends must be sharp. In the middle of the spear you must have two strong chains ten fathoms in length. As soon as the Dragon has made himself fast to the spear, which you must thrust through his jaws, you must spring quickly from the iron horse and fasten the ends of the chains firmly to the ground with iron stakes, so that he cannot get away from them. After two or three days the monster’s strength will be so far exhausted that you will be able to come near him. Then you can put Solomon’s ring upon your left thumb and give him the finishing stroke, but keep the ring on your third finger until you have come close to him, so that the monster cannot see you, else he might strike you dead with his long tail. But when all is done, take care you do not lose the ring, and that no one takes it from you by cunning.’

The young man thanked the magician for his directions, and promised, should they succeed, to reward him. But the magician answered, ‘I have profited so much by the wisdom the ring has taught me that I desire no other reward.’ Then they parted, and the youth quickly flew home through the air.

After remaining in his own home for some weeks, he heard people say that the terrible Dragon of the North was not far off, and might shortly be expected in the country.

The King announced publicly that he would give his daughter in marriage, as well as a large part of his kingdom, to whosoever should free the country from the monster. The youth then went to the King and told him that he had good hopes of subduing the Dragon, if the King would grant him all he desired for the purpose. The King willingly agreed, and the iron horse, the great spear, and the chains were all prepared as the youth requested.

When all was ready, it was found that the iron horse was so heavy that a hundred men could not move it from the spot, so the youth found there was nothing for it but to move it with his own strength by means of the magic ring.

The Dragon was now so near that in a couple of springs he would be over the frontier. The youth now began to consider how he should act, for if he had to push the iron horse from behind he could not ride upon it as the sorcerer had said he must. But a raven unexpectedly gave him this advice:

‘Ride upon the horse, and push the spear against the ground, as if you were pushing off a boat from the land.’

The youth did so, and found that in this way he could easily move forwards. The Dragon had his monstrous jaws wide open, all ready for his expected prey. A few paces nearer, and man and horse would have been swallowed up by them! The youth trembled with horror, and his blood ran cold, yet he did not lose his courage; but, holding the iron spear upright in his hand, he brought it down with all his might right through the monster’s lower jaw. Then quick as lightning he sprang from his horse before the Dragon had time to shut his mouth. A fearful clap like thunder, which could be heard for miles around, now warned him that the Dragon’s jaws had closed upon the spear.

When the youth turned round he saw the point of the spear sticking up high above the Dragon’s upper jaw, and knew that the other end must be fastened firmly to the ground; but the Dragon had got his teeth fixed in the iron horse, which was now useless. The youth now hastened to fasten down the chains to the ground by means of the enormous iron pegs which he had provided. The death struggle of the monster lasted three days and three nights; in his writhing he beat his tail so violently against the ground, that at ten miles’ distance the earth trembled as if with an earthquake. When he at length lost power to move his tail, the youth with the help of the ring took up a stone which twenty ordinary men could not have moved, and beat the Dragon so hard about the head with it that very soon the monster lay lifeless before him.

You can fancy how great was the rejoicing when the news was spread abroad that the terrible monster was dead. His conqueror was received into the city with as much pomp as if he had been the mightiest of kings. The old King did not need to urge his daughter to marry the slayer of the Dragon; he found her already willing to bestow her hand upon this hero, who had done all alone what whole armies had tried in vain to do. In a few days a magnificent wedding was celebrated, at which the rejoicings lasted four whole weeks, for all the neighbouring kings had met together to thank the man who had freed the world from their common enemy.

But everyone forgot amid the general joy that they ought to have buried the Dragon’s monstrous body, for it began now to have such a bad smell that no one could live in the neighbourhood, and before long the whole air was poisoned, and a pestilence broke out which destroyed many hundreds of people. In this distress, the King’s son-in-law resolved to seek help once more from the Eastern magician, to whom he at once travelled through the air like a bird by the help of the ring.

But there is a proverb which says that ill-gotten gains never prosper, and the Prince found that the stolen ring brought him ill-luck after all. The Witch-maiden had never rested night nor day until she had found out where the ring was. As soon as she had discovered by means of magical arts that the Prince in the form of a bird was on his way to the Eastern magician, she changed herself into an eagle and watched in the air until the bird she was waiting for came in sight, for she knew him at once by the ring which was hung round his neck by a ribbon. Then the eagle pounced upon the bird, and the moment she seized him in her talons she tore the ring from his neck before the man in bird’s shape had time to prevent her. Then the eagle flew down to the earth with her prey, and the two stood face to face once more in human form.

‘Now, villain, you are in my power!’ cried the Witch-maiden. ‘I favoured you with my love, and you repaid me with treachery and theft. You stole my most precious jewel from me, and do you expect to live happily as the King’s son-in-law? Now the tables are turned; you are in my power, and I will be revenged on you for your crimes.’

‘Forgive me! forgive me!’ cried the Prince; ‘I know too well how deeply I have wronged you, and most heartily do I repent it.’

The maiden answered, ‘Your prayers and your repentance come too late, and if I were to spare you everyone would think me a fool. You have doubly wronged me; first you scorned my love, and then you stole my ring, and you must bear the punishment.’

With these words she put the ring upon her left thumb, lifted the young man with one hand, and walked away with him under her arm. This time she did not take him to a splendid palace, but to a deep cave in a rock, where there were chains hanging from the wall. The maiden now chained the young man’s hands and feet so that he could not escape; then she said in an angry voice, ‘Here you shall remain chained up until you die. I will bring you every day enough food to prevent you dying of hunger, but you need never hope for freedom any more.’

With these words she left him.

The old King and his daughter waited anxiously for many weeks for the Prince’s return, but no news of him arrived. The King’s daughter often dreamed that her husband was going through some great suffering: she therefore begged her father to summon all the enchanters and magicians, that they might try to find out where the Prince was and how he could be set free. But the magicians, with all their arts, could find out nothing, except that he was still living and undergoing great suffering; but none could tell where he was to be found.

At last a celebrated magician from Finland was brought before the King, who had found out that the King’s son-in-law was imprisoned in the East, not by men, but by some more powerful being. The King now sent messengers to the East to look for his son-in-law, and they by good luck met with the old magician who had interpreted the signs on King Solomon’s ring, and thus was possessed of more wisdom than anyone else in the world. The magician soon found out what he wished to know, and pointed out the place where the Prince was imprisoned, but said:

‘He is kept there by enchantment, and cannot be set free without my help. I will therefore go with you myself.’

So they all set out, guided by birds, and after some days came to the cave where the unfortunate Prince had been chained up for nearly seven years. He recognised the magician immediately, but the old man did not know him, he had grown so thin. However, he undid the chains by the help of magic, and took care of the Prince until he recovered and became strong enough to travel. When he reached home he found that the old King had died that morning, so that he was now raised to the throne. And now after his long suffering came prosperity, which lasted to the end of his life; but he never got back the magic ring, nor has it ever again been seen by mortal eyes.

Now, if YOU had been the Prince, would you not rather have stayed with the pretty witch-maiden?

Fairy Tales compiled by Andrew Lang in the Yellow Fairy Book

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Honesty

1. What do you think is the meaning of the saying that “ill-gotten gains never prosper”?

2. Do you think the Prince did the right thing in stealing the ring? Why or why not?

Empathy

1. Do you believe that the Prince deserved what happened to him? Why or why not?

2. What about the Dragon?

The post The Dragon of the North first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

This is a vintage fairy tale, and contains violence. We would encourage parents to read beforehand  if your child is sensitive to such themes.

Once upon a time there was a king who had been at war for a long time with his neighbours. After many battles had been fought his capital was besieged by the enemy. Fearing for the safety of the queen, the king implored her to take refuge in a stronghold to which he himself had never been but once. The queen besought him with tears to let her remain at his side, and share his fate, and lamented loudly when the king placed her in the carriage which was to take her away under escort.

The king promised to slip away whenever possible and pay her a visit, seeking thus to comfort her, although he knew that there was small chance of the hope being fulfilled. For the castle was a long way off, in the midst of a dense forest, and only those with a thorough knowledge of the roads could possibly reach it.

The queen was broken-hearted at having to leave her husband exposed to the perils of war, and though she made her journey by easy stages, lest the fatigue of so much travelling should make her ill, she was downcast and miserable when at length she reached the castle. She made excursions into the country round about, when sufficiently recovered, but found nothing to amuse or distract her. On all sides wide barren spaces met her eye, melancholy rather than pleasant to look upon.

‘How different from my old home!’ she exclaimed, as she gloomily surveyed the scene. ‘If I stay here long I shall die. To whom can I talk in this solitude? To whom can I unburden my grief? What have I done that the king should exile me? He must wish me, I suppose, to feel the bitterness of separation to the utmost, since he banishes me to this hateful castle.’

She grieved long and deeply, and though the king wrote every day to her with good news of the way the siege was going, she became more and more unhappy. At last she determined that she would go back to him, but knowing that her attendants had been forbidden to let her return, except under special orders from the king, she kept her intention to herself. On the pretext of wishing sometimes to join the hunt, she ordered a small chariot, capable of accommodating one person only, to be built for her. This she drove herself, and used to keep up with the hounds so closely that she would leave the rest of the hunt behind. The chariot being in her sole control, this gave her the opportunity to escape whenever she liked, and the only obstacle was her lack of familiarity with the roads through the forest. She trusted, however, to the favour of Providence to bring her safely through it.

She now gave orders for a great hunt to be held, and intimated her wish that every one should attend. She herself was to be present in her chariot, and she proposed that every follower of the chase should choose a different line, and so close every avenue of escape to the quarry. The arrangements were carried out according to the queen’s plan. Confident that she would soon see her husband again, she donned her most becoming attire. Her hat was trimmed with feathers of different colours, the front of her dress with a number of precious stones. Thus adorned, she looked in her beauty (which was of no ordinary stamp) like a second Diana.

When the excitement of the chase was at its height she gave rein to her horses, urging them on with voice and whip, until their pace quickened to a gallop. But then, getting their bits between their teeth, the team sped onwards so fast that presently the chariot seemed to be borne upon the wind, and to be travelling faster than the eye could follow. Too late the poor queen repented of her rashness. ‘What possessed me,’ she cried, ‘to think that I could manage such wild and fiery steeds? Alack! What will become of me! What would the king do if he knew of my great peril? He only sent me away because he loves me dearly, and wished me to be in greater safety—and this is the way I repay his tender care!’

Her piteous cries rang out upon the air, but though she called on Heaven and invoked the fairies to her aid, it seemed that all the unseen powers had forsaken her.

Over went the chariot. She lacked the strength to jump clear quickly enough, and her foot was caught between the wheel and the axle-tree. It was only by a miracle that she was not killed, and she lay stretched on the ground at the foot of a tree, with her heart scarcely beating and her face covered with blood, unable to speak.

For a long time she lay thus. At last she opened her eyes and saw, standing beside her, a woman of gigantic stature. The latter wore nought but a lion’s skin; her arms and legs were bare, and her hair was tied up with a dried snake’s skin, the head of which dangled over her shoulder. In her hand she carried, for walking-stick, a stone club, and a quiver full of arrows hung at her side.

This extraordinary apparition convinced the queen that she was dead, and indeed it seemed impossible that she could have survived so terrible a disaster. ‘No wonder death needs resolution,’ she murmured, ‘since sights so terrible await one in the other world.’

The giantess overheard these words, and laughed to find the queen thought herself dead.

‘Courage,’ she said; ‘you are still in the land of the living, though your lot is not improved. I am the Lion-Witch. My dwelling is near by; you must come and live with me.’

‘If you will have the kindness, good Lion-Witch, to take me back to my castle, the king, who loves me dearly, will not refuse you any ransom you demand, though it were the half of his kingdom.’

‘I will not do that,’ replied the giantess, ‘for I have wealth enough already. Moreover, I am tired of living alone, and as you have your wits about you it is possible you may be able to amuse me.’

With these words she assumed the shape of a lioness, and taking the queen on her back, bore her off into the depths of a cavern. There she anointed the queen’s wounds with an essence which quickly healed them.

But imagine the wonder and despair of the queen to find herself in this dismal lair! The approach to it was by ten thousand steps, which led downward to the centre of the earth, and the only light was that which came from a number of lofty lamps, reflected in a lake of quicksilver. This lake teemed with monsters, each of which was hideous enough to have terrified one far less timid than the queen. Ravens, screech-owls, and many another bird of evil omen filled the air with harsh cries. Far off could be espied a mountain, from the slopes of which there flowed the tears of all hapless lovers. Its sluggish stream was fed by every ill-starred love. The trees had neither leaves nor fruit, and the ground was cumbered with briars, nettles, and rank weeds. The food, too, was such as might be expected in such a horrid clime. A few dried roots, horse-chestnuts, and thorn-apples—this was all the fare with which the Lion-Witch appeased the hunger of those who fell into her clutches.

When the queen was well enough to be set to work, the Witch told her she might build herself a hut, since she was fated to remain in her company for the rest of her life. On hearing this the queen burst into tears. ‘Alas!’ she cried, ‘what have I done that you should keep me here? If my death, which I feel to be nigh, will cause you any pleasure, then I implore you to kill me: I dare not hope for any other kindness from you. But do not condemn me to the sadness of a life-long separation from my husband.’

But the Lion-Witch merely laughed at her, bidding her dry her tears, if she would be wise, and do her part to please her. Otherwise, she declared, her lot would be the most miserable in the world.

‘And what must I do to soften your heart?’ replied the queen.

‘I have a liking for fly-pasties,’ said the Lion-Witch. ‘And you must contrive to catch flies enough to make me a large and tasty one.’

‘But there are no flies here,’ rejoined the queen. ‘And even if there were there is not enough light to catch them by. Moreover, supposing I caught some, I have never in my life made pastry. You are therefore giving me orders which I cannot possibly carry out.’

‘No matter,’ said the pitiless Lion-Witch. ‘What I want I will have!’

The queen made no reply, but reflected that, no matter how cruel the Witch might be, she had only one life to lose, and in her present plight what terror could death hold for her? She did not attempt to look for flies, therefore, but sat down beneath a yew tree, and gave way to tears and lamentations. ‘Alas, dear husband,’ she cried. ‘How grieved you will be when you go to fetch me from the castle, and find me gone! You will suppose me to be dead or faithless; how I hope that you will mourn the loss of my life, not the loss of my love! Perhaps the remains of my chariot will be found in the wood, with all the ornaments I had put on to please you: at sight of these you will not doubt any more that I am dead. But then, how do I know that you will not bestow on some one else the heartfelt love which once belonged to me? At all events I shall be spared the sorrow of that knowledge, since I am never to return to the world.’

These thoughts would have filled her mind for a long time, but she was interrupted by the dismal croaking of a raven overhead. Lifting her eyes, she saw in the dim light a large raven on the point of swallowing a frog which it held in its beak. ‘Though I have no hope of help for myself,’ she said, ‘I will not let this unfortunate frog die, if I can save it; though our lots are so different, its sufferings are quite as great as mine.’ She picked up the first stick which came to hand, and made the raven let go its prey. The frog fell to the ground and lay for a time half stunned; but as soon as it could think, in its froggish way, it began to speak.

‘Beautiful queen,’ it said, ‘you are the first friendly soul that I have seen since my curiosity brought me here.’

‘By what magic are you endowed with speech, little Frog?’ replied the queen. ‘And what people are they whom you see here? I have seen none at all as yet.’

‘All the monsters with which the lake is teeming,’ replied the little Frog, ‘were once upon a time in the world. Some sat on thrones, some held high positions at Court; there are even some royal ladies here who were the cause of strife and bloodshed. It is these latter whom you see in the shape of leeches, and they are condemned to remain here for a certain time. But of those who come here none ever returns to the world better or wiser.’

‘I can quite understand,’ said the queen, ‘that wicked people are not improved by merely being thrown together. But how is it that you are here, my friendly little Frog?’

‘I came here out of curiosity,’ she replied. ‘I am part fairy, and though, in certain directions, my powers are limited, in others they are far-reaching. The Lion-Witch would kill me if she knew that I was in her domain.’

‘Whatever your fairy powers,’ said the queen, ‘I cannot understand how you could have fallen into the raven’s clutches and come so near to being devoured.’

‘That is easily explained,’ said the Frog. ‘I have nought to fear when my little cap of roses is on my head, for that is the source of my power. Unluckily I had left it in the marsh when that ugly raven pounced upon me, and but for you, Madam, I should not now be here. Since you have saved my life, you have only to command me and I will do everything in my power to lessen the misfortunes of your lot.’

‘Alas, dear Frog,’ said the queen. ‘The wicked fairy who holds me captive desires that I should make her a fly-pasty. But there are no flies here, and if there were I could not see to catch them in the dim light. I am like, therefore, to get a beating which will kill me.’

‘Leave that to me,’ said the Frog, ‘I will quickly get you some.’

Thereupon the Frog smeared sugar all over herself, and the same was done by more than six thousand of her froggy friends. They then made for a place where the fairy had a large store of flies, which she used to torment some of her luckless victims. No sooner did the flies smell the sugar than they flew to it, and found themselves sticking to the frogs. Away, then, went the latter at a gallop, to bring their friendly aid to the queen. Never was there such a catching of flies before, nor a better pasty than the one the queen made for the fairy. The surprise of the Witch was great when the queen handed it to her, for she was baffled to think how the flies could have been so cleverly caught.

The queen suffered so much from want of protection against the poisonous air that she cut down some cypress branches and began to build herself a hut. The Frog kindly offered her services. She summoned round her all those who had helped in the fly hunt, and they assisted the queen to build as pretty a little place to live in as you could find anywhere in the world.

But no sooner had she lain down to rest than the monsters of the lake, envious of her repose, gathered round the hut. They set up the most hideous noise that had ever been heard, and drove her so nearly mad that she got up and fled in fear and trembling from the house. This was just what the monsters were after, and a dragon, who had once upon a time ruled tyrannously over one of the greatest countries of the world, immediately took possession of it.

The poor queen tried to protest against this ill-treatment. But no one would listen to her: the monsters laughed and jeered at her, and the Lion-Witch said that if she came and dinned lamentations into her ears again she would give her a sound thrashing.

The queen was therefore obliged to hold her tongue. She sought out the Frog, who was the most sympathetic creature in the world, and they wept together; for the moment she put on her cap of roses the Frog became able to laugh or weep like anybody else.

‘I am so fond of you,’ said the Frog to the queen, ‘that I will build your house again, though every monster in the lake should be filled with envy.’

Forthwith she cut some wood, and a little country mansion for the queen sprang up so quickly that she was able to sleep in it that very night. Nothing that could make for the queen’s comfort was forgotten by the Frog, and there was even a bed of wild thyme.

When the wicked fairy learnt that the queen was not sleeping on the ground, she sent for her and asked:

‘What power is it, human or divine, that protects you? This land drinks only a rain of burning sulphur, and has never produced so much as a sage-leaf: yet they tell me fragrant herbs spring up beneath your feet.’

‘I cannot explain it, madam,’ said the queen, ‘unless it is due to the child I am expecting. Perhaps for her a less unhappy fate than mine is in store.’

‘I have a craving just now,’ said the Witch, ‘for a posy of rare flowers. See if this happiness which you expect will enable you to get them. If you do not succeed, such a thrashing as I know well how to give is surely in store for you.’

The queen began to weep, for threats like these distressed her, and she despaired as she thought of the impossibility of finding flowers. But when she returned to her little house, the friendly Frog met her.

‘How unhappy you look!’ she said.

‘Alas, dear friend,’ said the queen, ‘who would not be so? The Witch has demanded a posy of the most beautiful flowers. Where am I to find them? You see what sort of flowers grow here! Yet my life is forfeit if I do not procure them.’

‘Dear queen,’ said the Frog tenderly, ‘we must do our best to extricate you from this dilemma. Hereabouts there lives a bat of my acquaintance—a kindly soul. She moves about more quickly than I do, so I will give her my cap of roses, and with the aid of this she will be able to find you flowers.’

The queen curtseyed low, it being quite impossible to embrace the Frog, and the latter went off at once to speak to the bat. In a few hours the bat came back with some exquisite flowers tucked under her wings. Off went the queen with them to the Witch, who was more astonished than ever, being quite unable to understand in what marvellous way the queen had been assisted.

The queen never ceased to plot some means of escape, and told the Frog of her longings. ‘Madam,’ said the latter, ‘allow me first to take counsel with my little cap, and we will make plans according to what it advises.’ Having placed her cap upon some straw, she burnt in front of it a few juniper twigs, some capers, and a couple of green peas. She then croaked five times. This completed the rites, and having donned her cap again, she began to speak like an oracle.

‘Fate, the all-powerful, decrees that you must not leave this place. You will have a little princess more beautiful than Venus herself. Let nothing fret you; time alone can heal.’

The queen bowed her head and shed tears, but she determined to have faith in the friend she had found. ‘Whatever happens,’ she said, ‘do not leave me here alone, and befriend me when my little one is born.’ The Frog promised to remain with her, and did her best to comfort her.

It is now time to return to the king. So long as the enemy kept him confined within his capital he could not regularly send messengers to the queen. But at length, after many sorties, he forced the enemy to raise the siege. This success gave him pleasure not so much on his own account, as for the sake of the queen, who could now be brought home in safety. He knew nothing of the disaster which had befallen her, for none of his retinue had dared to tell him of it. They had found in the forest the remains of the chariot, the runaway horses, and the apparel in which she had driven forth to find her husband, and being convinced that she was killed or devoured by wild beasts, their one idea was to make the king believe that she had died suddenly.

It seemed as if the king could not survive this mournful news. He tore his hair, wept bitterly, and lamented his loss with all manner of sorrowful cries and sobs and sighs. For several days he would see nobody, and hid himself from view. Later, he returned to his capital and entered upon a long period of mourning, to the sincerity of which his heartfelt sorrow bore even plainer testimony than his sombre garb of woe. His royal neighbours all sent ambassadors with messages of condolence, and when the ceremonies proper to these occasions were at length over, he proclaimed a period of peace. He released his subjects from military service, and devoted himself to giving them every assistance in the development of commerce.

Of all this the queen knew nothing. A little princess had been born to her in the meantime, and her beauty did not belie the Frog’s prediction. They gave her the name of Moufette, but the queen had great difficulty in persuading the Witch to let her bring up the child, for her ferocity was such that she would have liked to eat it.

At the age of six months Moufette was a marvel of beauty, and often, as she gazed upon her with mingled tenderness and pity, the queen would say:

‘Could your father but see you, my poor child, how delighted he would be, and how dear you would be to him! But perhaps even now he has begun to forget me: doubtless he believes that death has robbed him of us, and it may be that another now fills the place I had in his affections.’

Many were the tears she shed over these sad thoughts, and the Frog, whose love for her was sincere, was moved one day by the sight of her grief to say to her:

‘If you like, Madam, I will go and seek your royal husband. It is a long journey, and I am but a tardy traveller, but sooner or later I have no doubt I shall get there.’

No suggestion could have been more warmly approved, the queen clasping her hands, and bidding little Moufette do the same, in token of the gratitude she felt towards the good Frog for offering to make the expedition. Nor would the king, she declared, be less grateful. ‘Of what advantage, however,’ she went on, ‘will it be to him to learn that I am in this dire abode, since it will be impossible for him to rescue me from it?’

‘That we must leave to Providence, Madam,’ said the Frog. ‘We can but make those efforts of which we are capable.’

They took farewell of each other, and the queen sent a message to the king. This was written with her blood on a piece of rag, for she had neither ink nor paper. The good Frog was bringing him news of herself, she wrote, and she implored him to give heed to all that she might tell him, and to believe everything she had to say.

It took the Frog a year and four days to climb the ten thousand steps which led from the gloomy realm in which she had left the queen, up into the world. Another year was spent in preparing her equipage, for she was too proud to consent to appear at Court like a poor and humble frog from the marshes. A little sedan-chair was made for her, large enough to hold a couple of eggs comfortably, and this was covered outside with tortoise-shell and lined with lizard-skin. From the little green frogs that hop about the meadows she selected fifty to act as maids of honour, and each of these was mounted on a snail. They had dainty saddles, and rode in dashing style with the leg thrown over the saddle-bow. A numerous bodyguard of rats, dressed like pages, ran before the snails—in short, nothing so captivating had ever been seen before. To crown all, the cap of roses, which never faded but was always in full bloom, most admirably became her. Being something of a coquette, too, she could not refrain from a touch of rouge and a patch or two; indeed, some said she was painted like a great many other ladies of the land, but it has been proved by inquiry that this report had its origin with her enemies.

The journey lasted seven years, and during all that time the poor queen endured unutterable pain and suffering. Had it not been for the solace of the beautiful Moufette she must have died a hundred times. Every word that the dear little creature uttered filled her with delight; indeed, with the exception of the Lion-Witch, there was nobody who was not charmed by her.

There came at length a day, after the queen had lived for six years in this dismal region, when the Witch told her that she could go hunting with her, on condition that she yielded up everything which she killed. The queen’s joy when she once more saw the sun may be imagined; though at first she thought she would be blinded, so unaccustomed to its light had she become. So quick and lively was Moufette, even at five or six years of age, that she never failed in her aim, and mother and daughter together were thus able to appease somewhat the fierce instincts of the Witch.

Meanwhile the Frog was travelling over hills and valleys. Day or night, she never stopped, and at last she came nigh to the capital, where the king was now in residence. To her astonishment signs of festivity met her eye at every turn; on all sides there was merriment, song and dancing, and the nearer she came to the city the more festive seemed the mood of the people. All flocked with amazement to see her rustic retinue, and by the time she reached the city the crowd had become so large that it was with difficulty she made her way to the palace.

At the palace all was splendour, for the king, who had been deprived of his wife’s society for nine years, had at last yielded to the petitions of his subjects, and was about to wed a princess who possessed many amiable qualities, though she lacked, admittedly, the beauty of his wife.

The good Frog descended from her sedan-chair, and with her attendants in her train entered the royal presence. To request an audience was unnecessary, for the king and his intended bride and all the princes were much too curious to learn why she had come to think of interrupting her.

‘Sire,’ said the Frog, ‘I am in doubt whether the news I bring will cause you joy or sorrow. I can only conclude, from the marriage which you are proposing to celebrate, that you are no longer faithful to your queen.’

Tears fell from the king’s eyes. ‘Her memory is as dear to me as ever,’ he declared; ‘but you must know, good Frog, that monarchs cannot always follow their own wishes. For nine years now my subjects have been urging me to take a wife, and indeed it is due to them that there should be an heir to the throne. Hence my choice of this young princess, whose charms are apparent.’

‘I warn you not to marry her,’ rejoined the Frog. ‘The queen is not dead, and I am the bearer of a letter from her, writ in her own blood. There has been born to you a little daughter, Moufette, who is more beautiful than the very heavens.’

The king took the rag on which the short message from the queen was written. He kissed it and moistened it with his tears; and declared, holding it up for all to see, that he recognised the handwriting of his wife. Then he plied the Frog with endless questions, to all of which she replied with lively intelligence.

The princess who was to have been queen, and the envoys who were attending the marriage ceremony, were somewhat out of countenance. ‘Sire,’ said one of the most distinguished guests, turning to the king, ‘can you contemplate the breaking of your solemn pledge upon the word of a toad like that? This scum of the marshes has the audacity to come and lie to the entire Court, just for the gratification of being listened to!’

‘I would have you know, your Excellency,’ replied the Frog, ‘that I am no scum of the marshes. Since you force me to display my powers—hither, fairies all!’

At these words the frogs, the rats, the snails, and the lizards all suddenly ranged themselves behind the Frog. But in place of their familiar natural forms, they appeared now as tall, majestic figures, handsome of mien, and with eyes that outshone the stars. Each wore a crown of jewels on his head, while over his shoulders hung a royal mantle of velvet, lined with ermine, the train of which was borne by dwarfs. Simultaneously the sound of trumpets, drums, and hautboys filled the air with martial melody, and all the fairies began to dance a ballet, with step so light that the least spring lifted them to the vaulted ceiling of the chamber.

The astonishment of the king and his future bride was in no way diminished when the fairy dancers suddenly changed before their eyes into flowers—jasmine, jonquils, violets, roses, and carnations—which carried on the dance just as though they were possessed of legs and feet. It was as though a flower-bed had come to life, every movement of which gave pleasure alike to eye and nostril. A moment later the flowers vanished, and in their place were fountains of leaping water that fell in a cascade and formed a lake beneath the castle walls. On the surface of the lake were little boats, painted and gilt, so pretty and dainty that the princess challenged the ambassadors to a voyage. None hesitated to do so, for they thought it was all a gay pastime, and a merry prelude to the marriage festivities. But no sooner had they embarked than boats, fountains, and lake vanished, and the frogs were frogs once more.

‘Sire,’ said the Frog, when the king asked what had become of the princess. ‘Your wife alone is your queen. Were my affection for her less than it is, I should not interfere; but she deserves so well, and your daughter Moufette is so charming, that you ought not to lose one moment in setting out to their rescue.’

‘I do assure you, Madam Frog,’ replied the king, ‘that if I could believe my wife to be alive, I would shrink from nothing in the world for sight of her again.’

‘Surely,’ said the Frog, ‘after the marvels I have shown you, there ought not to be doubt in your mind of the truth of what I say. Leave your realm in the hands of those whom you can trust, and set forth without delay. Take this ring—it will provide you with the means of seeing the queen, and of speaking with the Lion-Witch, notwithstanding that she is the most formidable creature in the world.’

The king refused to let any one accompany him, and after bestowing handsome gifts upon the Frog, he set forth. ‘Do not lose heart,’ she said to him. ‘You will encounter terrible difficulties, but I am convinced that your desires will meet with success.’ He plucked up courage at these words, and started upon the quest of his dear wife, though he had only the ring to guide him.

Now Moufette’s beauty became more and more perfect as she grew older, and all the monsters of the lake of quicksilver were enamoured of her. Hideous and terrifying to behold, they came and lay at her feet. Although Moufette had seen them ever since she was born, her lovely eyes could never grow accustomed to them, and she would run away and hide in her mother’s arms. ‘Shall we remain here long?’ she would ask. ‘Are we never to escape from misery?’

The queen would answer hopefully, so as to keep up the spirits of the child, but in her heart hope had died. The absence of the Frog and the lack of any news from her, together with the long time that had passed since she had heard anything of the king, filled her with grief and despair.

By now it had become a regular thing for them to go hunting with the Lion-Witch. The latter liked good things, and enjoyed the game which they killed for her. The head or the feet of the quarry was all the share they got, but there was compensation in being allowed to look again upon the daylight. The Witch would take the shape of a lioness, and the queen and her daughter would seat themselves on her back. In this fashion they ranged the forests a-hunting.

One day, when the king was resting in a forest to which his ring had guided him, he saw them shoot by like an arrow from the bow. They did not perceive him, and when he tried to follow them he lost sight of them completely. The queen was still as beautiful as of old, despite all that she had suffered, and she seemed to her husband more attractive than ever, so that he longed to have her with him again. He felt certain that the young princess with her was his dear little Moufette, and he resolved to face death a thousand times rather than abandon his intention of rescuing her.

With the assistance of his ring he penetrated to the gloomy region in which the queen had been for so many years. His astonishment was great to find himself descending to the centre of the earth, but with every new thing that met his eyes his amazement grew greater.

The Lion-Witch, from whom nothing was hid, knew well the day and hour of his destined arrival. Much did she wish that the powers in league with her could have ordered things otherwise, but she resolved to pit her strength against his to the full.

She built a palace of crystal which floated in the midst of the lake of quicksilver, rising and falling on its waves. Therein she imprisoned the queen and her daughter, and assembling the monsters, who were all admirers of Moufette, she gave them this warning:

‘You will lose this beautiful princess if you do not help me to keep her from a gallant who has come to bear her away.’

The monsters vowed that they would do everything in their power, and forthwith they surrounded the palace of crystal. The less heavy stationed themselves upon the roofs and walls, others mounted guard at the doors, while the remainder filled the lake.

Following the dictates of his faithful ring, the king went first to the Witch’s cavern. She was waiting for him in the form of a lioness, and the moment he appeared she sprang upon him. But she was not prepared for his valiant swordsmanship, and as she put forth a paw to fell him to the ground, he cut it off at the elbow-joint. She yelped loudly and fell over, whereupon he went up to her and set his foot upon her throat, swearing that he would kill her. Notwithstanding her uncontrollable rage, and the fact that she had nothing to fear from wounds, she felt cowed by him.

‘What do you seek to do to me?’ she asked. ‘What do you want of me?’

‘I intend to punish you,’ replied the king with dignity, ‘for having carried away my wife. Deliver her up to me, or I will strangle you on the spot.’

‘Turn your eyes to the lake,’ she answered, ‘and see if it lies in my power to do so.’

The king followed the direction she indicated, and saw the queen and her daughter in the palace of crystal, where it floated like a boat without oars or rudder on the lake of quicksilver. He was like to die of mingled joy and sorrow. He shouted to them at the top of his voice, and they heard him. But how was he to reach them?

While he pondered a plan for the accomplishment of this, the Lion-Witch vanished. He ran round and round the lake, but no sooner did the palace draw near enough, at one point or another, to let him make a spring for it, than it suddenly receded with menacing speed. As often as his hopes were raised they were dashed to the ground.

Fearing that he would presently tire, the queen cried to him that he must not lose courage, for the Lion-Witch sought to wear him down, but that true love could brave all obstacles. She stretched out imploring hands, and so did Moufette. At sight of this the king felt his courage renewed within him. Lifting his voice, he declared that he would rather live the rest of his life in this dismal region than go away without them.

Patience he certainly needed, for no monarch in the world ever spent such a miserable time. There was only the ground, cumbered with briars and thorns, for bed, and for food he had only wild fruit more bitter than gall. In addition, he was under the perpetual necessity of defending himself from the monsters of the lake.

Three years went by in this fashion, and the king could not pretend that he had gained the least advantage. He was almost in despair, and many a time was tempted to cast himself into the lake. He would have done so without hesitation had there been any hope that thereby the sufferings of the queen and the princess could be alleviated.

One day as he was running, after his custom, from one side of the lake to the other, he was hailed by one of the ugliest of the dragons. ‘Swear by your crown and sceptre, by your kingly robe, by your wife and child,’ said the monster, ‘to give me a certain tit-bit to eat for which I have a fancy, whenever I shall ask for it, and I will take you on my back: none of the monsters in this lake which are guarding the palace will prevent us from carrying away the queen and Princess Moufette.’

‘Best of dragons!’ cried the king; ‘I swear to you, and to all of dragon blood, that you shall have your fill of whatsoever you desire, and I will be for ever your devoted servant.’

‘Promise nothing which you do not mean to fulfil,’ replied the dragon; ‘for otherwise life-long misfortunes may overwhelm you.’

The king repeated his assurances, for he was dying of impatience to regain his beloved queen, and mounted the dragon just as though he were the most dashing of steeds. But now the other monsters rushed to bar the way. The combat was joined, and nought was audible save the hissing of the serpents, nought visible save the brimstone, fire and sulphur, which were belched forth in every direction.

The king reached the palace at last, but there fresh efforts were required of him, for the entrances were defended by bats and owls and ravens. But even the boldest of these was torn to pieces by the dragon, who attacked them tooth and nail. The queen, too, who was a spectator of this savage fight, kicked down chunks of the wall, and armed with these helped her dear husband in the fray. Victory at length rested with them, and as they flew to one another’s arms, the enchantment was brought to an end by a thunderbolt which plunged into the lake and dried it up.

The friendly dragon vanished, along with all the other monsters, and the king found himself (by what means he had not the least idea) home again in his own city, and seated, with his queen and Moufette beside him, in a splendid dining-hall before a table laid with the richest fare. Never before was there such amazement and delight as theirs. The populace came running for a sight of the queen and princess, and to add to the wonder of it all, the latter was seen to be attired in apparel of such magnificence that the gaze was almost dazzled by her jewels.

You can easily imagine what festivities now took place at the palace. There were masquerades, and tournaments with tilting at the ring which attracted the highest princes from all over the world; even more were these drawn by the bright eyes of Moufette.

Amongst the handsomest and most accomplished in skill-at-arms, there was none anywhere who could outshine Prince Moufy. He won the applause and admiration of all, and Moufette, who had hitherto known only dragons and serpents, was not backward in according him her share of praise. Prince Moufy was deeply in love with her, and not a day passed but he showed her some fresh attention in the hope of gaining her favour. In due course he offered himself as a suitor, informing the king and queen that his realm was of a richness and extent that might well claim their favourable consideration.

The king replied that Moufette should make her own choice of husband, for his only wish was to please her and make her happy. With this answer the prince was well satisfied, for he was already aware that the princess was not indifferent to him. He offered her his hand, and she declared that if he were not to be her husband, then no other man should be. Prince Moufy threw himself in rapture at her feet, and exacted, lover-like, a promise that she would keep her word with him.

The prince and princess were betrothed, and Prince Moufy then returned to his own realm, in order to make preparations for the marriage. Moufette wept much at his going, for she was oppressed by an inexplicable presentiment of evil. The prince likewise was much downcast, and the queen, noticing this, gave him a portrait of her daughter with an injunction to curtail the splendour of his preparations rather than allow his return to be delayed. The prince was nothing loth to obey her behest, and promised to adopt a course which so well consulted his own happiness.

One day, when she was in the queen’s apartment, the king rushed in. Tears were streaming down his face as he took his daughter in his arms and cried aloud: ‘Alas, my child! O wretched father! O miserable king!’ Sobs choked his utterance, and he could say no more.

Greatly alarmed, the queen and princess asked him what had happened, and at last he got out that there had just arrived an enormously tall giant, who professed to be an envoy of the dragon of the lake; and that in pursuance of the promise which the king had given in exchange for assistance in fighting the monsters, the dragon demanded that he should give up the princess, as he desired to make her into a pie for dinner. The king added that he had bound himself by solemn oaths to give the dragon what he asked—and in the days of which we are telling no one ever broke his word.

The queen received this dire news with piercing shrieks, and clasped her child to her bosom. ‘My life shall be forfeit,’ she cried, ‘ere my daughter is delivered up to this monster. Let him rather take our kingdom and all that we have. Unnatural father! Is it possible you can consent to such cruelty? What! My child to be made into a pie! The bare notion is intolerable! Send this grim envoy to me; it may be the spectacle of my anguish will soften his heart.’

The king said nothing, but went in quest of the giant. He brought him to the queen, who flung herself at his feet with her daughter. She begged him to have mercy, and to persuade the dragon to take all that they possessed, but to spare Moufette’s life. The giant replied, however, that the matter did not rest with him. The dragon, he said, was so obstinate, and so addicted to the pleasures of the table, that no power on earth would restrain him from eating what he had a mind to make a meal of. Furthermore, he counselled them, as a friend, to yield with a good grace lest greater ills should be in store. At these words the queen fainted, and the princess would have been in similar case, if she had not been obliged to go to the assistance of her mother.

No sooner was the dreadful news known throughout the palace than it spread all over the city. On all sides there was weeping and wailing, for Moufette was greatly beloved.

The king could not bring himself to give her up to the giant, and the latter, after waiting several days, grew restive and began to utter terrible threats. But the king and queen, taking counsel together, were agreed. ‘What is there worse that could happen to us?’ they said; ‘if the dragon of the lake were to come and eat us all up, we could not suffer more, for if Moufette is put into a pie that will be the end of us.’

Presently the giant informed them that he had received a message from the dragon, to the effect that if the princess would agree to marry one of his nephews, he would spare her life. This nephew was not only young and handsome, but a prince to boot; and there was no doubt of her being able to live very happily with him.

This proposal somewhat assuaged their grief, but when the queen mentioned it to the princess, she found her more ready to face death than entertain this marriage. ‘I cannot break faith just to save my life,’ said Moufette. ‘You promised me to Prince Moufy, and I will marry none else. Let me perish, for my death will enable you to live in peace.’ The king in his turn tried, with many endearments, to persuade her, but she could not be moved. Finally, therefore, it was arranged that she should be conducted to a mountain-top, there to await the dragon.

Everything was made ready for the great sacrificial rite, and nothing so mournful had ever been seen before. Black garments and pale, distraught faces were encountered at every turn. Four hundred maidens of the noblest birth, clad in long white robes and wearing crowns of cypress, accompanied the princess. The latter was borne in an open litter of black velvet, that all men might behold the wondrous miracle of her beauty. Her tresses, tied with crape, hung over her shoulders, and she wore a crown of jasmine and marigolds. The only thing that seemed to affect her was the grief of the king and queen, who walked behind her, overwhelmed with the burden of their sorrow. Beside the litter strode the giant, armed from top to toe, and looking hungrily at the princess, as though already he savoured his share of the dish she was to make. The air was filled with sighs and sobs, and the tears of the spectators made rivulets along the road.

‘O Frog, dear Frog,’ cried the queen; ‘you have indeed forsaken me! Why give me help in that dismal place and refuse it to me here? Had I but died then, I should not now be mourning the end of all my hopes, and I should have been spared the agony of waiting to see my darling Moufette devoured.’

Slowly the procession made its way to the summit of the fatal mountain. On arrival there the cries and lamentations broke out with renewed force, and a more pitiful noise was never heard before. The giant then directed that all farewells must be said, and a general withdrawal made, and his order was obeyed. Folks in those days were docile and obedient, and never thought of combating ill-fortune.

The king and queen, with all the Court, now climbed another hill-top, from which they could obtain a view of all that happened to the princess. They had not long to wait, for they quickly espied a dragon, half a league long, sailing through the sky. He flew laboriously, for his bulk was so great that even six large wings could hardly support it. His body was covered all over with immense blue scales and tongues of poison flame, his twisted tail had fifty coils and another half coil beyond that, while his claws were each as big as a windmill. His jaws were agape, and inside could be seen three rows of teeth as long as an elephant’s tusks.

Now while the dragon was slowly wending his way to the mountain-top, the good and faithful Frog, mounted on a hawk’s back, was flying at full speed to Prince Moufy. She was wearing her cap of roses, and though he was locked in his privy chamber she needed no key to enter.

‘Hapless lover!’ she cried; ‘what are you doing here? This very moment, while you sit dreaming about her beauty, Moufette is in direst peril! See, here is a rose-leaf; I have but to blow upon it and it will become a mettlesome steed.’

As she spoke there suddenly appeared a green horse. It had twelve hoofs and three heads, and from the latter it could spit forth fire, bomb-shells, and cannon-balls respectively. The Frog then gave the prince a sword, eight yards long and no heavier than a feather, and a garment fashioned out of a single diamond. This he slipped on like a coat, and though it was hard as rock it was so pliant that his movements were in no way impeded.

‘Now fly to the rescue of your love,’ said the Frog; ‘the green horse will carry you to her. Do not omit to let her know, when you have delivered her, of what my part has been.’

‘Great-hearted fairy!’ cried the prince, ‘this is no moment to return you thanks, but from henceforth I am your faithful servant.’

Off went the horse with the three heads, galloping on its twelve hoofs three times as fast, and more, than the best of ordinary steeds; and in a very short time the prince had reached the mountain, where he found his dear princess all alone.

As the dragon slowly drew near, the green horse began to throw out fire, bomb-shells, and cannon-balls, which greatly disconcerted the monster. Twenty balls lodged in his throat, his scaly armour was dinted, and the bomb-shells put out one of his eyes. This enraged him, and he tried to hurl himself upon the prince. But the latter’s long sword was so finely tempered that he could do what he liked with it, and now he plunged it in up to the hilt, now cut with it as though it had been a whip. The prince would have suffered, however, from the dragon’s claws had it not been for his diamond coat, which was impenetrable.

Moufette had recognised her lover from afar, for the gleaming diamond which covered him was transparent; and she was like to die of terror at the risk he ran. The king and queen, however, felt hope revive within them. They had little thought to see arriving so opportunely a horse with three heads and twelve hoofs that breathed forth fire and flame, nor yet a prince, in diamond mail, and armed with so redoubtable a sword, who performed such prodigies of valour. The king put his hat on the end of his stick, the queen tied a handkerchief to hers, and with all the Court following suit, there was no lack of signals of encouragement to the prince. Not that such were necessary, for his own stout heart and the peril in which he saw Moufette were enough to keep his courage up.

Heavens, how he fought! Barbs, talons, horns, wings, and scales fell from the dragon till the ground was covered with them, and the soil was dyed blue and green with the mingled blood of dragon and horse. Five times the prince was unhorsed, but each time he picked himself up and composedly mounted his steed again. Then would follow such cannonades, bombardments, and flame-throwing as had never been seen or heard of before.

At length, its strength exhausted, the dragon fell, and the prince delivered a finishing stroke. None could believe their eyes when from the gaping wound so made there stepped forth a handsome and elegant prince, clad in a coat of blue and gold velvet, embroidered with pearls, and wearing on his head a little Grecian helmet with a crest of white feathers. With outstretched hands this new-comer ran to Prince Moufy and embraced him.

‘How can I ever repay you, my gallant deliverer?’ he cried. ‘Never was monarch confined in a more dreadful prison than the one from which you have freed me. It is sixteen years since the Lion-Witch condemned me to it, and I have languished there ever since. Moreover, such is her power that she would have obliged me, against my will, to devour that sweet princess. I beg you to let me pay my respects to her, and explain my hapless plight!’

Astonished and delighted by the remarkable way in which his adventure had ended, Prince Moufy lavished courtesies upon the newly-discovered prince. Together they went to Moufette, who rendered thanks a thousand times to Providence for her unexpected happiness. Already the king and queen and all the Court had joined her, and everybody spoke at once, and nobody listened to anybody, while nearly as many tears were shed for joy as a little time ago had been shed for grief. And finally, to set the crown on their rejoicing, the good Frog was espied flying through the air on her hawk. The latter had little golden bells upon its feet, and when the faint tinkling of these caused every one to look up, there was the Frog, beautiful as the dawn, with her cap of roses shining like the sun.

The queen ran to her and took her by one of her little paws. At that instant the wise Frog was transformed into a majestic royal lady of gracious mien. ‘I come,’ she cried, ‘to crown the faithful Moufette, who preferred to face death rather than break her word to Prince Moufy.’ With these words she placed two myrtle wreaths upon the lovers’ heads; and at a signal of three taps from her wand the dragon’s bones rose up and formed a triumphal arch to commemorate the auspicious occasion.

Back to the city went all the company, singing wedding songs as gladly as they had previously with sorrow bewailed the sacrifice of the princess. On the morrow the marriage took place, and with what festivities it was solemnised may be left to the imagination.

French Fairy Tales by the Countess d’Aulnoy

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Gratitude

1. The friendly frog helps the Queen many times after the Queen saves her life. Why do you think she does this?

2. What are some of the other ways that the friendly frog shows gratitude in this story?

3. Why do you think it is important to show each other gratitude when someone is kind to us?

The post The Friendly Frog first appeared on Bedtime Stories.

‘Dear children,’ said a poor man to his four sons, ‘I have nothing to give you; you must go out into the wide world and try your luck. Begin by learning some craft or another, and see how you can get on.’

So the four brothers took their walking-sticks in their hands, and their little bundles on their shoulders, and after bidding their father goodbye, went all out at the gate together. When they had got on some way they came to four crossways, each leading to a different country. Then the eldest said, ‘Here we must part; but this day four years we will come back to this spot, and in the meantime each must try what he can do for himself.’

So each brother went his way; and as the eldest was hastening on a man met him, and asked him where he was going, and what he wanted.

‘I am going to try my luck in the world, and should like to begin by learning some art or trade,’ answered he.

‘Then,’ said the man, ‘go with me, and I will teach you to become the cunningest thief that ever was.’

‘No,’ said the other, ‘that is not an honest calling, and what can one look to earn by it in the end but the gallows?’

‘Oh!’ said the man, ‘you need not fear the gallows; for I will only teach you to steal what will be fair game: I meddle with nothing but what no one else can get or care anything about, and where no one can find you out.’

So the young man agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed himself so clever, that nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon.

The second brother also met a man, who, when he found out what he was setting out upon, asked him what craft he meant to follow.

‘I do not know yet,’ said he.

‘Then come with me, and be a star-gazer. It is a noble art, for nothing can be hidden from you, when once you understand the stars.’

The plan pleased him much, and he soon became such a skilful star-gazer, that when he had served out his time, and wanted to leave his master, he gave him a glass, and said, ‘With this you can see all that is passing in the sky and on earth, and nothing can be hidden from you.’

The third brother met a huntsman, who took him with him, and taught him so well all that belonged to hunting, that he became very clever in the craft of the woods; and when he left his master he gave him a bow, and said, ‘Whatever you shoot at with this bow you will be sure to hit.’

The youngest brother likewise met a man who asked him what he wished to do. ‘Would not you like,’ said he, ‘to be a tailor?’

‘Oh, no!’ said the young man; ‘sitting cross-legged from morning to night, working backwards and forwards with a needle and goose, will never suit me.’

‘Oh!’ answered the man, ‘that is not my sort of tailoring; come with me, and you will learn quite another kind of craft from that.’

Not knowing what better to do, he came into the plan, and learnt tailoring from the beginning; and when he left his master, he gave him a needle, and said, ‘You can sew anything with this, be it as soft as an egg or as hard as steel; and the joint will be so fine that no seam will be seen.’

After the space of four years, at the time agreed upon, the four brothers met at the four cross-roads; and having welcomed each other, set off towards their father’s home, where they told him all that had happened to them, and how each had learned some craft.

Then, one day, as they were sitting before the house under a very high tree, the father said, ‘I should like to try what each of you can do in this way.’ So he looked up, and said to the second son, ‘At the top of this tree there is a chaffinch’s nest; tell me how many eggs there are in it.’

The star-gazer took his glass, looked up, and said, ‘Five.’

‘Now,’ said the father to the eldest son, ‘take away the eggs without letting the bird that is sitting upon them and hatching them know anything of what you are doing.’

So the cunning thief climbed up the tree, and brought away to his father the five eggs from under the bird; and it never saw or felt what he was doing, but kept sitting on at its ease.

Then the father took the eggs, and put one on each corner of the table, and the fifth in the middle, and said to the huntsman, ‘Cut all the eggs in two pieces at one shot.’ The huntsman took up his bow, and at one shot struck all the five eggs as his father wished.

‘Now comes your turn,’ said he to the young tailor; ‘sew the eggs and the young birds in them together again, so neatly that the shot shall have done them no harm.’

Then the tailor took his needle, and sewed the eggs as he was told; and when he had done, the thief was sent to take them back to the nest, and put them under the bird without its knowing it. Then she went on sitting, and hatched them: and in a few days they crawled out, and had only a little red streak across their necks, where the tailor had sewn them together.

‘Well done, sons!’ said the old man; ‘you have made good use of your time, and learnt something worth the knowing; but I am sure I do not know which ought to have the prize. Oh, that a time might soon come for you to turn your skill to some account!’

Not long after this there was a great bustle in the country; for the king’s daughter had been carried off by a mighty dragon, and the king mourned over his loss day and night, and made it known that whoever brought her back to him should have her for a wife.

Then the four brothers said to each other, ‘Here is a chance for us; let us try what we can do.’ And they agreed to see whether they could not set the princess free.

‘I will soon find out where she is, however,’ said the star-gazer, as he looked through his glass; and he soon cried out, ‘I see her afar off, sitting upon a rock in the sea, and I can spy the dragon close by, guarding her.’

Then he went to the king, and asked for a ship for himself and his brothers; and they sailed together over the sea, till they came to the right place. There they found the princess sitting, as the star-gazer had said, on the rock; and the dragon was lying asleep, with his head upon her lap.

‘I dare not shoot at him,’ said the huntsman, ‘for I should kill the beautiful young lady also.’

‘Then I will try my skill,’ said the thief, and went and stole her away from under the dragon, so quietly and gently that the beast did not know it, but went on snoring.

Then away they hastened with her full of joy in their boat towards the ship; but soon came the dragon roaring behind them through the air; for he awoke and missed the princess. But when he got over the boat, and wanted to pounce upon them and carry off the princess, the huntsman took up his bow and shot him straight through the heart so that he fell down dead. They were still not safe; for he was such a great beast that in his fall he overset the boat, and they had to swim in the open sea upon a few planks. So the tailor took his needle, and with a few large stitches put some of the planks together; and he sat down upon these, and sailed about and gathered up all pieces of the boat; and then tacked them together so quickly that the boat was soon ready, and they then reached the ship and got home safe.

When they had brought home the princess to her father, there was great rejoicing; and he said to the four brothers, ‘One of you shall marry her, but you must settle amongst yourselves which it is to be.’

Then there arose a quarrel between them; and the star-gazer said, ‘If I had not found the princess out, all your skill would have been of no use; therefore she ought to be mine.’

‘Your seeing her would have been of no use,’ said the thief, ‘if I had not taken her away from the dragon; therefore she ought to be mine.’

‘No, she is mine,’ said the huntsman; ‘for if I had not killed the dragon, he would, after all, have torn you and the princess into pieces.’

‘And if I had not sewn the boat together again,’ said the tailor, ‘you would all have been drowned, therefore she is mine.’

Then the king put in a word, and said, ‘Each of you is right; and as all cannot have the young lady, the best way is for neither of you to have her: for the truth is, there is somebody she likes a great deal better. But to make up for your loss, I will give each of you, as a reward for his skill, half a kingdom.’

So the brothers agreed that this plan would be much better than either quarrelling or marrying a lady who had no mind to have them. And the king then gave to each half a kingdom, as he had said; and they lived very happily the rest of their days, and took good care of their father; and somebody took better care of the young lady, than to let either the dragon or one of the craftsmen have her again.

FAIRY TALES WRITTEN BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM

LET’S CHAT ABOUT THE STORIES ~ IDEAS FOR TALKING WITH KIDS

Co-operation

1. Do you think any of the brothers could have saved the Princess on their own? Why or why not?

2. What do you think this story shows about the benefits of working together with others for something everyone would like?

3. The King noticed that nobody could agree who had saved the Princess. Do you think the decision he came to was the right one?

4. We call the King’s decision “compromise”. What do you think compromise means? How did the King and the brothers compromise in this story?

5. What was the result of the King and the brothers’ compromise?

The post Four Clever Brothers first appeared on Bedtime Stories.