The Lassie And Her Godmother

: East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon

Once on a time a poor couple lived far, far away in a great wood. The

wife was brought to bed, and had a pretty girl, but they were so poor

they did not know how to get the babe christened, for they had no

money to pay the parson's fees. So one day the father went out to see

if he could find any one who was willing to stand for the child and

pay the fees; but though he walked about the whole day from one house

to anoth r, and though all said they were willing enough to stand, no

one thought himself bound to pay the fees. Now, when he was going

home again, a lovely lady met him, dressed so fine, and she looked so

thoroughly good and kind; she offered to get the babe christened, but

after that, she said, she must keep it for her own. The husband

answered, he must first ask his wife what she wished to do; but when

he got home and told his story, the wife said, right out, "No!"



Next day the man went out again, but no one would stand if they had to

pay the fees; and though he begged and prayed, he could get no help.

And again as he went home, towards evening the same lovely lady met

him, who looked so sweet and good, and she made him the same offer. So

he told his wife again how he had fared, and this time she said, if he

couldn't get any one to stand for his babe next day, they must just

let the lady have her way, since she seemed so kind and good.



The third day, the man went about, but he couldn't get any one to

stand; and so when, towards evening, he met the kind lady again, he

gave his word she should have the babe if she would only get it

christened at the font. So next morning she came to the place where

the man lived, followed by two men to stand godfathers, took the babe

and carried it to church, and there it was christened. After that she

took it to her own house, and there the little girl lived with her

several years, and her Foster-mother was always kind and friendly to

her.



Now, when the Lassie had grown to be big enough to know right and

wrong, her Foster-mother got ready to go on a journey.



"You have my leave," she said, "to go all over the house, except those

rooms which I shew you;" and when she had said that, away she went.



But the Lassie could not forbear just to open one of the doors a

little bit, when--POP! out flew a Star.



When her Foster-mother came back, she was very vexed to find

that the star had flown out, and she got very angry with her

Foster-daughter, and threatened to send her away; but the child

cried and begged so hard that she got leave to stay.



Now, after a while, the Foster-mother had to go on another journey;

and, before she went, she forbade the Lassie to go into those two

rooms into which she had never been. She promised to beware; but when

she was left alone, she began to think and to wonder what there could

be in the second room, and at last she could not help setting the door

a little ajar, just to peep in, when--POP! out flew the Moon.




peep in, when--Pop! out flew the Moon.]



When her Foster-mother came home and found the moon let out, she was

very downcast, and said to the Lassie she must go away, she could

not stay with her any longer. But the Lassie wept so bitterly, and

prayed so heartily for forgiveness, that this time, too, she got leave

to stay.



Some time after, the Foster-mother had to go away again, and she

charged the Lassie, who by this time was half grown up, most earnestly

that she mustn't try to go into, or to peep into, the third room. But

when her Foster-mother had been gone some time, and the Lassie was

weary of walking about alone, all at once she thought, "Dear me, what

fun it would be just to peep a little into that third room." Then she

thought she mustn't do it for her Foster-mother's sake; but when the

bad thought came the second time she could hold out no longer; come

what might, she must and would look into the room; so she just opened

the door a tiny bit, when--POP! out flew the Sun.



But when her Foster-mother came back and saw that the sun had flown

away, she was cut to the heart, and said, "Now, there was no help for

it, the Lassie must and should go away; she couldn't hear of her

staying any longer." Now the Lassie cried her eyes out, and begged

and prayed so prettily; but it was all no good.



"Nay! but I must punish you!" said her Foster-mother; "but you may

have your choice, either to be the loveliest woman in the world, and

not to be able to speak, or to keep your speech, and to be the ugliest

of all women; but away from me you must go."



And the Lassie said, "I would sooner be lovely." So she became all

at once wondrous fair; but from that day forth she was dumb.



So, when she went away from her Foster-mother, she walked and

wandered through a great, great wood; but the farther she went, the

farther off the end seemed to be. So, when the evening came on, she

clomb up into a tall tree, which grew over a spring, and there she

made herself up to sleep that night. Close by lay a castle, and from

that castle came early every morning a maid to draw water to make the

Prince's tea, from the spring over which the Lassie was sitting. So

the maid looked down into the spring, saw the lovely face in the

water, and thought it was her own; then she flung away the pitcher,

and ran home; and, when she got there, she tossed up her head and

said, "If I'm so pretty, I'm far too good to go and fetch water."



So another maid had to go for the water, but the same thing happened

to her; she went back and said she was far too pretty and too good to

fetch water from the spring for the Prince. Then the Prince went

himself, for he had a mind to see what all this could mean. So, when

he reached the spring, he too saw the image in the water; but he

looked up at once, and became aware of the lovely Lassie who sate

there up in the tree. Then he coaxed her down and took her home; and

at last made up his mind to have her for his queen, because she was so

lovely; but his mother, who was still alive, was against it.






"She can't speak," she said, "and maybe she's a wicked witch."



But the Prince could not be content till he got her. So after they had

lived together a while, the Lassie was to have a child, and when the

child came to be born, the Prince set a strong watch about her; but at

the birth one and all fell into a deep sleep, and her Foster-mother

came, cut the babe on its little finger, and smeared the queen's mouth

with the blood; and said:



"Now you shall be as grieved as I was when you let out the star;" and

with these words she carried off the babe.



But when those who were on the watch woke, they thought the queen had

eaten her own child, and the old queen was all for burning her alive,

but the Prince was so fond of her that at last he begged her off, but

he had hard work to set her free.



So the next time the young queen was to have a child, twice as strong

a watch was set as the first time, but the same thing happened over

again, only this time her Foster-mother said:



"Now you shall be as grieved as I was when you let the moon out."



And the queen begged and prayed, and wept; for when her Foster-mother

was there, she could speak--but it was all no good.



And now the old queen said she must be burnt, but the Prince found

means to beg her off. But when the third child was to be born, a watch

was set three times as strong as the first, but just the same thing

happened. Her Foster-mother came while the watch slept, took the

babe, and cut its little finger, and smeared the queen's mouth with

the blood, telling her now she should be as grieved as she had been

when the Lassie let out the sun.



And now the Prince could not save her any longer. She must and should

be burnt. But just as they were leading her to the stake, all at once

they saw her Foster-mother, who came with all three children--two

she led by the hand, and the third she had on her arm; and so she went

up to the young queen and said:



"Here are your children; now you shall have them again. I am the

Virgin Mary, and so grieved as you have been, so grieved was I when

you let out sun, and moon, and star. Now you have been punished for

what you did, and henceforth you shall have your speech."



How glad the Queen and Prince now were, all may easily think, but no

one can tell. After that they were always happy; and from that day

even the Prince's mother was very fond of the young queen.