King Grisly-beard
: Grimms' Fairy TalesA great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very
beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none of the
princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her, and she
only made sport of them.
Once upon a time the king held a great feast, and asked thither all
her suitors; and they all sat in a row, ranged according to their
rank--kings, and princes, and duke
and knights. Then the princess came in, and as she passed by them she
had something spiteful to say to every one. The first was too fat: 'He's
as round as a tub,' said she. The next was too tall: 'What a maypole!'
said she. The next was too short: 'What a dumpling!' said she. The
fourth was too pale, and she called him 'Wallface.' The fifth was too
red, so she called him 'Coxcomb.' The sixth was not straight enough;
so she said he was like a green stick, that had been laid to dry over
a baker's oven. And thus she had some joke to crack upon every one: but
she laughed more than all at a good king who was there. 'Look at
him,' said she; 'his beard is like an old mop; he shall be called
Grisly-beard.' So the king got the nickname of Grisly-beard.
But the old king was very angry when he saw how his daughter behaved,
and how she ill-treated all his guests; and he vowed that, willing or
unwilling, she should marry the first man, be he prince or beggar, that
came to the door.
Two days after there came by a travelling fiddler, who began to play
under the window and beg alms; and when the king heard him, he said,
'Let him come in.' So they brought in a dirty-looking fellow; and when
he had sung before the king and the princess, he begged a boon. Then the
king said, 'You have sung so well, that I will give you my daughter for
your wife.' The princess begged and prayed; but the king said, 'I have
sworn to give you to the first comer, and I will keep my word.' So words
and tears were of no avail; the parson was sent for, and she was married
to the fiddler. When this was over the king said, 'Now get ready to
go--you must not stay here--you must travel on with your husband.'
Then the fiddler went his way, and took her with him, and they soon came
to a great wood. 'Pray,' said she, 'whose is this wood?' 'It belongs
to King Grisly-beard,' answered he; 'hadst thou taken him, all had been
thine.' 'Ah! unlucky wretch that I am!' sighed she; 'would that I had
married King Grisly-beard!' Next they came to some fine meadows. 'Whose
are these beautiful green meadows?' said she. 'They belong to King
Grisly-beard, hadst thou taken him, they had all been thine.' 'Ah!
unlucky wretch that I am!' said she; 'would that I had married King
Grisly-beard!'
Then they came to a great city. 'Whose is this noble city?' said she.
'It belongs to King Grisly-beard; hadst thou taken him, it had all been
thine.' 'Ah! wretch that I am!' sighed she; 'why did I not marry King
Grisly-beard?' 'That is no business of mine,' said the fiddler: 'why
should you wish for another husband? Am not I good enough for you?'
At last they came to a small cottage. 'What a paltry place!' said she;
'to whom does that little dirty hole belong?' Then the fiddler said,
'That is your and my house, where we are to live.' 'Where are your
servants?' cried she. 'What do we want with servants?' said he; 'you
must do for yourself whatever is to be done. Now make the fire, and put
on water and cook my supper, for I am very tired.' But the princess knew
nothing of making fires and cooking, and the fiddler was forced to help
her. When they had eaten a very scanty meal they went to bed; but the
fiddler called her up very early in the morning to clean the house. Thus
they lived for two days: and when they had eaten up all there was in the
cottage, the man said, 'Wife, we can't go on thus, spending money and
earning nothing. You must learn to weave baskets.' Then he went out and
cut willows, and brought them home, and she began to weave; but it made
her fingers very sore. 'I see this work won't do,' said he: 'try and
spin; perhaps you will do that better.' So she sat down and tried to
spin; but the threads cut her tender fingers till the blood ran. 'See
now,' said the fiddler, 'you are good for nothing; you can do no work:
what a bargain I have got! However, I'll try and set up a trade in pots
and pans, and you shall stand in the market and sell them.' 'Alas!'
sighed she, 'if any of my father's court should pass by and see me
standing in the market, how they will laugh at me!'
But her husband did not care for that, and said she must work, if she
did not wish to die of hunger. At first the trade went well; for many
people, seeing such a beautiful woman, went to buy her wares, and paid
their money without thinking of taking away the goods. They lived on
this as long as it lasted; and then her husband bought a fresh lot of
ware, and she sat herself down with it in the corner of the market; but
a drunken soldier soon came by, and rode his horse against her stall,
and broke all her goods into a thousand pieces. Then she began to cry,
and knew not what to do. 'Ah! what will become of me?' said she; 'what
will my husband say?' So she ran home and told him all. 'Who would
have thought you would have been so silly,' said he, 'as to put an
earthenware stall in the corner of the market, where everybody passes?
but let us have no more crying; I see you are not fit for this sort of
work, so I have been to the king's palace, and asked if they did not
want a kitchen-maid; and they say they will take you, and there you will
have plenty to eat.'
Thus the princess became a kitchen-maid, and helped the cook to do all
the dirtiest work; but she was allowed to carry home some of the meat
that was left, and on this they lived.
She had not been there long before she heard that the king's eldest son
was passing by, going to be married; and she went to one of the windows
and looked out. Everything was ready, and all the pomp and brightness of
the court was there. Then she bitterly grieved for the pride and folly
which had brought her so low. And the servants gave her some of the rich
meats, which she put into her basket to take home.
All on a sudden, as she was going out, in came the king's son in golden
clothes; and when he saw a beautiful woman at the door, he took her
by the hand, and said she should be his partner in the dance; but she
trembled for fear, for she saw that it was King Grisly-beard, who was
making sport of her. However, he kept fast hold, and led her in; and the
cover of the basket came off, so that the meats in it fell about. Then
everybody laughed and jeered at her; and she was so abashed, that she
wished herself a thousand feet deep in the earth. She sprang to the
door to run away; but on the steps King Grisly-beard overtook her, and
brought her back and said, 'Fear me not! I am the fiddler who has lived
with you in the hut. I brought you there because I really loved you. I
am also the soldier that overset your stall. I have done all this only
to cure you of your silly pride, and to show you the folly of your
ill-treatment of me. Now all is over: you have learnt wisdom, and it is
time to hold our marriage feast.'
Then the chamberlains came and brought her the most beautiful robes; and
her father and his whole court were there already, and welcomed her home
on her marriage. Joy was in every face and every heart. The feast was
grand; they danced and sang; all were merry; and I only wish that you
and I had been of the party.
More
-
Jack Hornby
[This little tale was most likely copied from the commencement of the original edition of Jack the Giant-killer, where similar incidents are related of that renowned hero.] In the reign of King Arthur there lived near the Land's End, in Cornwall,... Jack My Hedgehog
There was once a farmer who lived in great comfort. He had both lands and money, but, though he was so well off, one thing was wanting to complete his happiness; he had no children. Many and many a time, when he met other farmers at the nearest ... Jack Robinson
There are few proverbial expressions more common than the saying, "As soon as you can say Jack Robinson," implying excessive rapidity. I have seen the phrase with the name of Dick Robinson, but failed to take a memorandum of it. It has since occurre... Jack Sprat
Fragments of this tale are common in the nursery, but I have only met with one copy of the following poem, which appears to be of some antiquity, although it is here printed from a modern chap-book: Jack Sprat could eat no fat, His ... Jack The Giant Killer
In the reign of King Arthur there lived in the County of Cornwall a worthy farmer, who had an only son, named Jack. Jack was strong and brave and very daring, and was never backward when danger was in the way. Now, in those days there lived ... Jack The Giant-killer
In the reign of the famous King Arthur, there lived, near the Land's End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer, who had an only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a bold temper; he took pleasure in hearing or reading stories of wiz... Jack The Giant-killer
I When good King Arthur reigned with Guinevere his Queen, there lived, near the Land's End in Cornwall, a farmer who had one only son called Jack. Now Jack was brisk and ready; of such a lively wit that none nor nothing could worst him. In t... Jack The Preacher
One morning in very early springtime the big Evergreen Trees began to talk about the part they took in telling all the woodland flowers that it was spring. "Why, if we were not here," said one Evergreen Tree, "who would awake these sleepy spri... Jack-a-dandy
Boys have a very curious saying respecting the reflection of the sun's beams from the surface of water upon a ceiling, which they call "Jack-a-dandy beating his wife with a stick of silver." If a mischievous boy with a bit of looking-glass, or simil... Jack-in-the-pulpit
<div> <img src="/images/i106.png" alt="Jack-in-the-Pulpit" title="Jack-in-the-Pulpit" height="400" width="291" /> Jack-in-the-Pulpit </div> <p>Once upon a time there was a missionary named the Rev. John T. Arum, who set out to preach to the Indians. H... Jackal Or Tiger?
One hot night, in Hindustan, a king and queen lay awake in the palace in the midst of the city. Every now and then a faint air blew through the lattice, and they hoped they were going to sleep, but they never did. Presently they became more broad ... Janni And The Draken
Once there was a man who shunned the world, and lived in the wilderness. He owned nothing but a flock of sheep, whose milk and wool he sold, and so procured himself bread to eat; he also carried wooden spoons, and sold them. He had a wife and on... Jenny Wren
WALKING into the city one holiday, a great many years ago, a gentleman ran up the steps of a tall house in the neighborhood of St. Mary Axe. The lower windows were those of a counting-house but the blinds, like those of the entire front of the hou... Jesper Who Herded The Hares
There was once a king who ruled over a kingdom somewhere between sunrise and sunset. It was as small as kingdoms usually were in old times, and when the king went up to the roof of his palace and took a look round he could see to the ends of it in ... Joan Of Arc
In a village in the green country of France, there once lived a girl named Joan. She spent her days in sewing and spinning, and in minding her father's sheep. At that time there was a sad war in France, and the English had won many battles. Joa... John The True
There was once a king who had long been unmarried. Now one day, going through his palace, he came to a room that he had never opened before. So he sent for the key and entered it, and opposite the door was the picture of a most beautiful princess ... Johnnie And Grizzle
There was once a poor farmer who had two children named Johnnie and Grizzle. Now things grew worse and worse for the farmer till he could scarcely earn enough to eat and drink. All his crops went to pay rent and taxes. So one night he said to his ... Johnny Chuck Finds The Best Thing In The World
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS Old Mother West Wind had stopped to talk with the Slender Fir Tree. "I've just come across the Green Meadows," said Old Mother West Wind, "and there I saw the Best Thing in the World." Striped Chipmunk was sitting und... Johnny Shall Have A New Bonnet
Johnny shall have a new bonnet, And Johnny shall go to the fair, And Johnny shall have a new ribbon To tie up his bonny brown hair. And why may not I love Johnny? And why may not Johnny love me? And why ... Jorinda And Jorindel
There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deep gloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairy could take any shape she pleased. All the day long she flew about in the form of an owl, or crept about the country li... Jorinde And Joringel
There was once upon a time a castle in the middle of a thick wood where lived an old woman quite alone, for she was an enchantress. In the day-time she changed herself into a cat or a night-owl, but in the evening she became like an ordinary wom... Juggerjook
BY L. FRANK BAUM Author of "Queen Zixi of Ix," "The Wizard of Oz," etc. "Oh, Mama!" cried Fuzzy Wuz, running into the burrow where her mother lay dozing, "may I go walking with Chatter Chuk?" Mrs. Wuz opened one eye sleepily and looked at Fuz... Juliet Or The Little White Mouse
Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who loved each other so dearly that they were an example to all the married couples in their kingdom. In an adjoining country lived a wicked king, who spent his life in envying the happiness of his ... Jupiter and the Monkey
JUPITER ISSUED a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest and promised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the handsomest. The Monkey came with the rest and presented, with all a mother's tenderness, a flat-nosed, hairle... Jupiter, Neptune, Minerva, and Momus
ACCORDING to an ancient legend, the first man was made by Jupiter, the first bull by Neptune, and the first house by Minerva. On the completion of their labors, a dispute arose as to which had made the most perfect work. They agreed to appoint Mo... Kaethchen And The Kobold
Half-way up the long steep hill that leads from Soden to Koenigstein, a rough road branches off to the left, plunging suddenly into a valley, and passing through the little village of Altenhain. As you walk down this steep rocky incline, the Taunu... Kale
The young women of some districts in the North of England have a method of divination by kale or broth, which is used for the purpose of learning who are to be their future husbands. The plan followed is this. The maiden at bedtime stands on somethi... Kari Woodengown
THERE was once upon a time a King who had become a widower. His Queen had left one daughter behind her, and she was so wise and so pretty that it was impossible for any one to be wiser or prettier. For a long time the King went sorrowing for his wif... Karma
The young man, Ito Tatewaki, was returning homeward after a journey which he had taken to the city of Kioto. He made his way alone and on foot, and he went with his eyes bent upon the ground, for cares weighed him down and his mind was full of ... Katcha And The Devil
THE STORY OF A CLINGING VINE There was once a woman named Katcha who lived in a village where she owned her own cottage and garden. She had money besides but little good it did her because she was such an ill-tempered vixen that nobody, not e... Katherine Crackernuts
There was once a King whose wife died, leaving him with an only daughter, whom he dearly loved. The little Princess's name was Velvet-Cheek, and she was so good, and bonnie, and kind-hearted that all her father's subjects loved her. But as the Kin... Keep Cool
There was once a man and he had three sons, and when he died they all had to go out to seek a living. So the eldest went out first, leaving his two brothers at home, and went to a neighbouring farmer to try and get work from him. "Well, well, m... Kentucky Babe
BY RICHARD HENRY BUCK Skeeters am a hummin' on de honeysuckle vine, Sleep, Kentucky Babe! San'man am a comin' to dis little coon of mine,-- Sleep, Kentucky Babe! Silv'ry moon am shinin' in de heabens up above, ... King Alfred And The Cakes
Once, when good King Alfred of England was forced to flee from his strong foes the Danes, he hid himself in a wood. In this wood, there was a small cottage, and Alfred asked the woman who lived there if he might go in and rest. Now the woman di... King Anko To The Rescue
The great magician Zog never slept. He was always watchful and alert. Some strange power warned him that his prisoners were about to escape. Scarcely had the four left the castle by the broken window when the monster stepped from a doorway belo... King For Three Days
Godfrey de Bouillon was a famous warrior, a daring general and bold leader of men, who gained victories in several countries. And so, in the year 1095, when the first Crusade came to be arranged, he was entrusted with the command of one of the arm... King Grisly-beard
A great king of a land far away in the East had a daughter who was very beautiful, but so proud, and haughty, and conceited, that none of the princes who came to ask her in marriage was good enough for her, and she only made sport of them. Once u... King Grisly-beard
RETOLD FROM THE BROTHERS GRIMM Once there was a great King who had a daughter that was very beautiful, but so haughty and vain she thought none of the Princes who came to ask her in marriage were good enough for her, and she made sport of them. ... King Joe
As they swam out of Anko's palace and the doll-faced fishes left them, Aquareine asked: "Would you rather go back to our mermaid home for a time and rest yourselves or would you prefer to start for Giant's Cave at once?" "I guess we'd better ... King Kojata From The Russian
There was once upon a time a king called Kojata, whose beard was so long that it reached below his knees. Three years had passed since his marriage, and he lived very happily with his wife, but Heaven granted him no heir, which grieved the King ... King Lindorm
From the Swedish. There once lived a king and a queen who ruled over a very great kingdom. They had large revenues, and lived happily with each other; but, as the years went past, the king's heart became heavy, because the queen had no children... King Longbeard
A story about King Berendey; his son Prince Ivan; about the cunning of the immortal King Koshchey, and about the wisdom of his daughter, Princess Mary. Once upon a time there lived King Berendey, called Longbeard, for his beard reached far belo... King O'toole And His Goose
Och, I thought all the world, far and near, had heerd of King O'Toole--well, well but the darkness of mankind is untollable! Well, sir, you must know, as you didn't hear it afore, that there was a king, called King O'Toole, who was a fine old king... King Reinhold
There are villages in the heart of the Taunus Mountains that are little altered by this progressive age; no railway, not even the post-chaise reaches them, and motor-cars are only to be seen as they whirr past occasionally on the high road. Suc... King Solomon And The Ants
One morning the Queen of Sheba started back to her home in the south. King Solomon and all his court went with her to the gates of the city. It was a glorious sight. The king and queen rode upon white horses. The purple and scarlet covering... Kings And Queens And Peasant Folk
Once upon a time, in a splendid palace on the top of a high hill, there dwelled a very old king and his wife, who was likewise a very old queen. Now this royal old couple lived in great state and luxury. Their diamond crowns glittered and sparkled... Kinmont Willie
"Oh, have ye na heard of the fause Sakelde? Oh, have ye na heard of the keen Lord Scroope? How they ha'e ta'en bauld Kinmont Willie, On Haribee to hang him up?" I well remember the dull April morning, in the year 1596, when ... Kisa The Cat
Once upon a time there lived a queen who had a beautiful cat, the colour of smoke, with china-blue eyes, which she was very fond of. The cat was constantly with her, and ran after her wherever she went, and even sat up proudly by her side when s... Knee-songs
This is the way the ladies ride; Tri, tre, tre, tree, Tri, tre, tre, tree! This is the way the ladies ride, Tri, tre, tre, tri-tre-tre-tree! This is the way the gentlemen ride; Gallop-a-... Knoes
Once upon a time there was a poor widow, who found an egg under a pile of brush as she was gathering kindlings in the forest. She took it and placed it under a goose, and when the goose had hatched it, a little boy slipped out of the shell. The wi... Kupti And Imani
Once there was a king who had two daughters; and their names were Kupti and Imani. He loved them both very much, and spent hours in talking to them, and one day he said to Kupti, the elder: 'Are you satisfied to leave your life and fortune in my... Ladybug
Ladybug, ladybug, Fly away, do; Fly to the mountain, And feed upon dew. Feed upon dew, And sleep on a rug, And then run away Like a good little bug. ... Lancashire
Little lad, little lad, where wast thou born? Far off in Lancashire, under a thorn, Where they sup sour milk in a ram's horn. ... Land-otter The Indian
On the North-West part of America, and especially near the sea, a great many tribes of Indians are still living, each with its peculiar customs and interesting stories handed down from one generation to another. The story which I am going to tell ... Lapwing And Ringdove
The common people in the North Riding of Yorkshire, says Brockett, ii. 71, believe that at one period the cushat, or ringdove, laid its eggs upon the ground, and that the peewit, or lapwing, made its nest on high; but that some time or other, an ami... Lasse My Thrall!
Once upon a time there was a prince or a duke or whatever you choose to call him, but at any rate a noble tremendously high-born, who did not want to stay at home. And so he traveled about the world, and wherever he went he was well received, and ... Late
By Josephine Preston Peabody My father brought Somebody up To show us all asleep. They came as softly up the Stairs As you could creep. They whispered in the Doorway there, And looked at us awhile. I ... Laughing Eye And Weeping Eye Or The Limping Fox
Once upon a time there lived a man whose right eye always smiled, and whose left eye always cried; and this man had three sons, two of them very clever, and the third very stupid. Now these three sons were very curious about the peculiarity o... Lazy Jack
[From oral tradition in Yorkshire.] Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother on a dreary common. They were very poor, and the old woman got her living by spinning, but Jack was so lazy that he would do no... Lazy Jack
Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother on a common. They were very poor, and the old woman got her living by spinning, but Jack was so lazy that he would do nothing but bask in the sun in the hot weather... Lazy Lawrence
Lazy Lawrence, let me go, Don't me hold summer and winter too. This distich is said by a boy who feels very lazy, yet wishes to exert himself. Lazy Lawrence is a proverbial expression for an idle person, and I possess an old chapbook,... Learning Things
Nimble's mother hadn't liked Mr. Grouse's remark about Foxes. Somehow she couldn't put Foxes out of her mind. And not once did she mean to let Nimble wander out of her sight. At first, when he was only a tiny chap, it was easy for her to keep he... Leicestershire
Higham on the hill, Stoke in the vale; Wykin for buttermilk, Hinckley for ale. ... Lent-crocking
Parties of young people, during Lent, go to the most noted farmhouses, and sing, in order to obtain a crock of cake, an old song beginning-- I see by the latch There is something to catch; I see by the string The good dam... Leyland
A village in Lancashire, not far from Chorley. There is, or was sixty years since, a tradition current here, to the effect that the church, on the night following the day in which the building was completed, was removed some distance by supernatural... Lillekort
From the French of Xavier Marmier. THERE was once a man and his wife who were very, very poor, and had a great many children. Each year added one to the number. One day the wife gave birth to a beautiful boy, who, on opening his eyes, cried: ... Lily And The Lion
A merchant, who had three daughters, was once setting out upon a journey; but before he went he asked each daughter what gift he should bring back for her. The eldest wished for pearls; the second for jewels; but the third, who was called Lily, said... Lincoln
"As for the town, though it flourished mightily for some years together after the Norman Conquest, by reason of a staple for wooll and other commodities, setled here by King Edward the Third; yet it met still with some calamities or other, which hin... Lincoln And The Little Girl
BY CHARLES W. MOORES In the old days, when Lincoln was one of the leading lawyers of the State, he noticed a little girl of ten who stood beside a trunk in front of her home crying bitterly. He stopped to learn what was wrong, and was told that s... Lincoln The Lawyer
BY Z. A. MUDGE (ADAPTED) He delighted to advocate the cases of those whom he knew to be wronged, but he would not defend the cause of the guilty. If he discovered in the course of a trial that he was on the wrong side, he lost all interest, and c... Little Annie's Dream Or The Fairy Flower
BY LOUISA M. ALCOTT In a large and pleasant garden sat little Annie, all alone, and she seemed very sad, for drops that were not dew fell fast upon the flowers beside her, which looked wonderingly up, and bent still nearer, as if they longed to... Little Barefoot
"Look out, little Barefoot, the hookworm will catch you if you don't watch." This is what Will seemed to hear a wee small voice say one day as he stepped briskly along the dewy path. Will was driving the cows to the cool, green pasture down in ...