The Princess Of Canterbury
: NURSEY STORIES: Popular Rhymes And Nursery Tales
In days of yore, when this country was governed by several sovereigns,
amongst them was the King of Canterbury, who had an only daughter, wise,
fair, and beautiful. She was unmarried, and according to a custom not
unusual in those days, of assigning an arbitrary action for the present
of a lady's hand, the king issued a proclamation that whoever would
watch one night with his daughter, and neither sleep nor doze, should
his head. Many knights attempted to fulfil the condition, and, having
failed in the attempt, forfeited their lives.
Now it happened that a young shepherd, grazing his flock near the road,
said to his master, "Zur,[17] I zee many gentlemen ride to the court at
Canterbury, but I ne'er zee 'em return again." "O, shepherd," said his
master, "I know not how you should, for they attempt to watch with the
king's daughter, according to the decree, and not performing it, they
are all beheaded." "Well," said the shepherd, "I'll try my vorton; zo
now vor a king's daughter, or a headless shepherd!" And taking his
bottle and bag, he trudged to the court. In his way thither, he was
obliged to cross a river, and pulling off his shoes and stockings, while
he was passing over he observed several pretty fish bobbing against his
feet; so he caught some, and put them into his pocket. When he reached
the palace, he knocked at the gate loudly with his crook, and having
mentioned the object of his visit, he was immediately conducted to a
hall, where the king's daughter sat ready prepared to receive her
lovers. He was placed in a luxurious chair, and rich wines and spices
were set before him, and all sorts of delicate meats. The shepherd,
unused to such fare, eat and drank plentifully, so that he was nearly
dozing before midnight. "O shepherd," said the lady, "I have caught you
napping!" "Noa, sweet ally, I was busy a-feeshing." "A-fishing!" said
the princess in the utmost astonishment: "Nay, shepherd, there is no
fish-pond in the hall." "No matter vor that, I have been feeshing in my
pocket, and have just caught one." "Oh me!" said she, "let me see it."
The shepherd slily drew the fish out of his pocket, and pretending to
have caught it, showed it her, and she declared it was the finest she
ever saw. About half an hour afterwards, she said, "Shepherd, do you
think you could get me one more?" He replied, "Mayhap I may, when I have
baited my hook;" and after a little while he brought out another, which
was finer than the first, and the princess was so delighted that she
gave him leave to go to sleep, and promised to excuse him to her father.
[Footnote 17: The present Kentish dialect does
not adopt this form, but anciently some of the
peculiarities of what is now the western dialect
of England extended all over the southern
counties.]
In the morning the princess told the king, to his great astonishment,
that the shepherd must not be beheaded, for he had been fishing in the
hall all night; but when he heard how the shepherd had caught such
beautiful fish out of his pocket, he asked him to catch one in his own.
The shepherd readily undertook the task, and bidding the king lie down,
he pretended to fish in his pocket, having another fish concealed ready
in his hand, and giving him a sly prick with a needle, he held up the
fish, and showed it to the king. His majesty did not much relish the
operation, but he assented to the marvel of it, and the princess and
shepherd were united the same day, and lived for many years in happiness
and prosperity.
More
-
The Pink
There was once upon a time a queen to whom God had given no children. Every morning she went into the garden and prayed to God in heaven to bestow on her a son or a daughter. Then an angel from heaven came to her and said: 'Be at rest, you shall hav... The Plant Of Life
When he had saluted the Cat respectfully, Henry ran towards the garden of the plant of life, which was only a hundred steps from him. He trembled lest some new obstacle should retard him but he reached the garden lattice without any difficulty. He... The Playful Ass
AN ASS climbed up to the roof of a building, and frisking about there, broke in the tiling. The owner went up after him and quickly drove him down, beating him severely with a thick wooden cudgel. The Ass said, "Why, I saw the Monkey do this very ... The Playroom Wedding
Paper Doll had been the maid of honor, but she did not at all approve of the match. "It will never be a happy marriage," she told Teddy Bear the night of the wedding. "Such marriages never are. How I should feel married to a man who wore dress... The Pleiades That Orion Fired At The Bull
<div> <img src="/images/i151.png" alt="The Pleiades" title="The Pleiades" height="248" width="300" /> The Pleiades </div> <p>When late autumn comes the Pleiades (Ply'-a-dees) appear in the evening sky to the eastward. These are the seven shots in the ... The Poet And His Patron
Why, CELIA, is your spreading waist So loose, so negligently lac'd? Why must the wrapping bed-gown hide Your snowy bosom's swelling pride? How ill that dress adorns your head, Disdain'd and rumpled from the bed! Those clouds, that... The Pomegranate, Apple-Tree, and Bramble
THE POMEGRANATE and Apple-Tree disputed as to which was the most beautiful. When their strife was at its height, a Bramble from the neighboring hedge lifted up its voice, and said in a boastful tone: "Pray, my dear friends, in my presence at least... The Poor Boy
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn't happened, it wouldn't be told. There was once a poor widow, so poor that even the flies would not stay in her house, and this widow had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was such a brave fell... The Poor Devil
Once upon a time there was a peasant, who led his cow to pasture in the spring, and prayed God to have her in His care. The evil one was sitting in a bush, heard him, and said to himself: "When things turn out well, they thank God for it; but if... The Poor Sick Mother
There was a poor woman, a widow, who lived alone with her little son Henry. She loved him tenderly and she had good reason to do so, for no one had ever seen a more charming child. Although he was but seven years old, he kept the house while his g... The Poor Soldier
Children form a half-circle, first choosing one of their number to represent the poor soldier. The chief regulation is that none of the players may use the words, yes, no, black, white, or gray. The poor soldier traverses the semicircle, thus addres... The Poor Woman Of Babylon
One child stands in the middle of a ring formed by the other children joining hands round her. They sing-- Here comes a poor woman from Babylon, With three small children all alone: One can brew, and one can bake, The oth... The Pope's Game Of Chess
Nearly a thousand years ago in the town of Mayence, on the bank of the Rhine, there dwelt a pious Jew of the name of Simon ben Isaac. Of a most charitable disposition, learned and ever ready to assist the poor with money and wise counsel, he was r... The Poplar Tree
One night, just at sunset, an old man found the pot of gold which lies under the end of the rainbow. His home was far beyond the dark forest, through which he was passing. The pot of gold was heavy, and he soon began to look for a safe place i... The Portrait
A spreading contagion, defacing our tongue With phrases outlandish, our critics bemoan. But some fools have their notions of purity hung Upon obsolete terms superseding our own. Living words they despise as a vulgar intrusion, ... The Portuguese Duck
A DUCK once arrived from Portugal. There were some who said she came from Spain, but that is almost the same thing. At all events, she was called the Portuguese duck, and she laid eggs, was killed and cooked, and that was the end of her. The du... The Pot Of Gold
BY MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN The Flower family lived in a little house in a broad grassy meadow, which sloped a few rods from their front door down to a gentle, silvery river. Right across the river rose a lovely dark green mountain, and when the... The Pot-herb That Sailed With The Pilgrims
<p>"Come," said the Guide, "to-day I am going to show you a Pot-herb that came from England with the Pilgrim Fathers and spread over the whole of America. There is a story about it that will keep it ever in your memory."</p> <div>... The Prairie-girl With Yellow Hair
<div> <img src="/images/i025.png" alt="The Prairie-girl" title="The Prairie-girl" height="400" width="268" /> The Prairie-girl </div> <p>Tall and fair was the Prairie-girl. She was not very pretty, but her form was slender and graceful, and her head w... The Pride Of The Regiment
BY HARRY M. KIEFFER (ADAPTED) "Old Abe" was the war-eagle of the Eighth Wisconsin Volunteers. Whoever it may have been that first conceived the idea, it was certainly a happy thought to make a pet of an eagle. For the eagle is our national bird, ... The Prince And Princess In The Forest
There were, once upon a time, a king and queen of Denmark who had an only son, a handsome and clever lad. When he was eighteen, his father, the old king, fell very ill, and there was no hope that he would ever get well again. The queen and the pri... The Prince And The Dragon
Once upon a time there lived an emperor who had three sons. They were all fine young men, and fond of hunting, and scarcely a day passed without one or other of them going out to look for game. One morning the eldest of the three princes mounted h... The Prince And The Lions
From the Persian. IN an Eastern city there once lived a young Prince named Azgid. He was virtuous and accomplished, but had one fault--he was a bit of a coward! Prince Azgid's father had recently died, and he was looking forward to his corona... The Prince And The Three Fates
Once upon a time a little boy was born to a king who ruled over a great country through which ran a wide river. The king was nearly beside himself with joy, for he had always longed for a son to inherit his crown, and he sent messages to beg all... The Prince Gracious
While Rosalie was thus quietly sleeping, the prince Gracious was engaged in a hunt through the forest by torch-light. The fawn, pursued fiercely by the dogs, came trembling with terror to crouch down near the brook by which Rosalie was sleeping. T... The Prince Who Wanted To See The World
There was once a king who had only one son, and this young man tormented his father from morning till night to allow him to travel in far countries. For a long time the king refused to give him leave; but at last, wearied out, he granted permission... The Prince Who Would Seek Immortality
Once upon a time, in the very middle of the middle of a large kingdom, there was a town, and in the town a palace, and in the palace a king. This king had one son whom his father thought was wiser and cleverer than any son ever was before, and indee... The Prince With The Nose
There was once a king who was passionately in love with a beautiful princess, but she could not be married because a magician had enchanted her. The king went to a good fairy to inquire what he should do. Said the fairy, after receiving him gracio... The Princess And The Fisherman
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a fisherman, neither very well off nor very poor, but he was young, with a mustache that curled fiercely at the ends, you know, and a fine-looking fe... The Princess And The Glass Mountain
Once upon a time there was a king who took such a joy in the chase, that he knew no greater pleasure than hunting wild beasts. Early and late he camped in the forest with hawk and hound, and good fortune always followed his hunting. But it chanced... The Princess Bella-flor
Once upon a time there lived a man who had two sons. When they grew up the elder went to seek his fortune in a far country, and for many years no one heard anything about him. Meanwhile the younger son stayed at home with his father, who di... The Princess Eglantine
A certain queen had twin children, a boy and a girl, both as beautiful as the dawn of a summer morning. As the mother was one day hanging over the double cradle, shaped like two silver lilies growing on one stem, an old aunt of hers, who knew a go... The Princess In The Chest
Translated from the Danish. There were once a king and a queen who lived in a beautiful castle, and had a large, and fair, and rich, and happy land to rule over. From the very first they loved each other greatly, and lived very happily together... The Princess Kwan-yin
Once upon a time in China there lived a certain king who had three daughters. The fairest and best of these was Kwan-yin, the youngest. The old king was justly proud of this daughter, for of all the women who had ever lived in the palace she wa... The Princess Mayblossom
ONCE upon a time there lived a King and Queen whose children had all died, first one and then another, until at last only one little daughter remained, and the Queen was at her wits' end to know where to find a really good nurse who would take care ... The Princess Of Babylon
Belus, King of Babylon, thought himself the greatest man in all the earth, for his subjects were continually telling him so and he had no difficulty in believing them. It was very absurd, of course, but there is this to be said in his excuse, that... The Princess Of Canterbury
In days of yore, when this country was governed by several sovereigns, amongst them was the King of Canterbury, who had an only daughter, wise, fair, and beautiful. She was unmarried, and according to a custom not unusual in those days, of assigning... The Princess Of The Brazen Mountain
There was a young prince, who was not only most handsome and well-grown, but also most kind-hearted and good. Now sooner or later kindness always meets its reward, though it may not seem so at first. One summer's evening the prince was walking o... The Princess Of The Tower
I Princess Solima was sick, not exactly ill, but so much out of sorts that her father, King Zuliman, was both annoyed and perturbed. The princess was as beautiful as a princess of those days should be; her long tresses were like threads of gold... The Princess On The Glass Hill
Once upon a time there was a man who had a meadow which lay on the side of a mountain, and in the meadow there was a barn in which he stored hay. But there had not been much hay in the barn for the last two years, for every St. John's eve, when t... The Princess On The Glass Hill
Once on a time there was a man who had a meadow, which lay high up on the hill-side, and in the meadow was a barn, which he had built to keep his hay in. Now, I must tell you, there hadn't been much in the barn for the last year or two, for every ... The Princess Who Despised All Men
By Charles Smith Cheltnam. THERE was once a King and Queen who, having everything a King and Queen could reasonably desire, might have been as happy as the day was long--if they had only taken the right means for making the best of their good f... The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground
Once there was a king who had great riches, which, when he died, he divided among his three sons. The two eldest of these lived in rioting and feasting, and thus wasted and squandered their father's wealth till nothing remained, and they found them... The Prophet
A WIZARD, sitting in the marketplace, was telling the fortunes of the passers-by when a person ran up in great haste, and announced to him that the doors of his house had been broken open and that all his goods were being stolen. He sighed heavily ... The Proud Oak Tree
OLD FABLE (TRANSLATED) The oak said to the reed that grew by the river: "It is no wonder that you make such a sorrowful moaning, for you are so weak that the little wren is a burden for you, and the lightest breeze must seem like a storm-wi... The Pumpkin Pirates
A TALE FROM LUCIAN BY ALFRED J. CHURCH (ADAPTED) Once upon a time, one Lucian the Greek was filled with a desire to see strange countries, and especially to discover whether there was any opposite shore to the ocean by which he lived. So hav... The Punishment Of The Fairy Gangana
Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who ruled over a country so small that you could easily walk round it in one day. They were both very good, simple people; not very wise, perhaps, but anxious to be kind to everybody; and this was ofte... The Purchase Of The Ass
Yesterday through our street An Ass did pass, In trappings most complete-- A gorgeous Ass. Saddle and halter too Were both bran new; With tassels yellow Or red as rose. Besides the fellow Wore plumes and bows ... The Purple And Gold Of Autumn
<div> <img src="/images/i118.png" alt="The Purple and Gold of Autumn" title="The Purple and Gold of Autumn" height="400" width="289" /> The Purple and Gold of Autumn </div> <hr /> <p>There was once an old gentleman named Father Time, and he had four b... The Quack Frog
A FROG once upon a time came forth from his home in the marsh and proclaimed to all the beasts that he was a learned physician, skilled in the use of drugs and able to heal all diseases. A Fox asked him, "How can you pretend to prescribe for others... The Quails A Legend Of The Jataka
FROM THE RIVERSIDE FOURTH READER Ages ago a flock of more than a thousand quails lived together in a forest in India. They would have been happy, but that they were in great dread of their enemy, the quail-catcher. He used to imitate the call of ... The Quarrel Between Naughty Little Sparrows
Jack and Evelyn had been feeding crumbs to the birds every day for some time. "I fancy they enjoy them pretty well, don't they?" said daddy. "Yes; they love them," replied Evelyn. "Do they ever scrap over who shall get a crumb first?" ad... The Quarrel Of The Cat And Dog
In the childhood of the world, when Adam named all the animals and ruled over them, the dog and the cat were the greatest good friends. They were inseparable chums in their recreations, faithful partners in their transactions, and devoted comrades... The Queen Bee
Two kings' sons once upon a time went into the world to seek their fortunes; but they soon fell into a wasteful foolish way of living, so that they could not return home again. Then their brother, who was a little insignificant dwarf, went out to se... The Queen Of Hearts
"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts All on a summer's day The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts And with them ran away. The King of Hearts called for the tarts And beat the Knave full sore. ... The Queen Of Lantern Land
Once upon a time the youngest son of a king became filled with the desire to go abroad and see the world. He got his father's permission to depart, kissed his parents good-bye, mounted his black horse, and galloped away down the high road. Soon the ... The Queen Of Quok
A king once died, as kings are apt to do, being as liable to shortness of breath as other mortals. It was high time this king abandoned his earth life, for he had lived in a sadly extravagant manner, and his subjects could spare him without the... The Queen's Golden Sword
"Goodness me!" exclaimed Trot, raising herself by a flirt of her pink-scaled tail and a wave of her fins, "isn't it dreadful hot here?" The mermaids had risen at the same time, and Cap'n Bill came swimming in from the Peony Room in time to hear... The Rabbi's Bogey-man
Rabbi Lion, of the ancient city of Prague, sat in his study in the Ghetto looking very troubled. Through the window he could see the River Moldau with the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter clustered around the cemetery, which still stands to-da... The Rabbit And The Peas
BY MRS. M. R. ALLEN A long time ago there was a Bear that had a fine pea patch. He and his wife had to work in the field every day, so they left their little girl at home to keep house. One fine morning Br'er (which means "Brother") Rabbit came... The Rabbit The Turtle And The Owl
The little girl and the little boy stood in the corn-field near the hollow tree where the Owl lived. The corn was in shocks like wigwams, and the yellow pumpkins lay on the ground. The Turtle came up from the brook below the corn-field, and stuck hi... The Rabbits And The Dogs
A Rabbit, whom Two Dogs pursue, Into the copse In terror flew. Out of his burrow, At the clatter, A comrade sprung.-- "Friend, what's the matter?" "The matter? Zounds! I'm fairly blown; By vill... The Race Between The Secretary Birds
"The secretary birds had planned to have some field races," began daddy, "and the afternoon of the races had come. You know, the secretary birds have very, very long thin legs. Their legs are so thin that you can hardly see how it is they can s... The Rain Elves
The Rain Elf children had been shut up in their houses for ever so long, for it had been hot and the Rain Elves do not like very hot weather. Their mothers, the Rain Clouds, awoke one morning and found the sun was not shining, so they told the... The Rainbow
Rainbow i' th' morning Shipper's warning; Rainbow at night Shipper's delight. This, in one form or other, is a most common weather proverb. The present version was heard in Essex. If there be a rainbow in the eve... The Raspberry Worm
'Phew!' cried Lisa. 'Ugh!' cried Aina. 'What now?' cried the big sister. 'A worm!' cried Lisa. 'On the raspberry!' cried Aina. 'Kill it!' cried Otto. 'What a fuss over a poor little worm!' said the big sister scornfully. 'Ye... The Rat And The Cat
At telling of rabies old Esop was grand; With his subtile invention, his wisdom so great. And a story of his, as I have it at hand, Into our own language I now will translate. "It is plain," said a Rat, at the mouth of his ho... The Ratcatcher
A VERY long time ago the town of Hamel in Germany was invaded by bands of rats, the like of which had never been seen before nor will ever be again. They were great black creatures that ran boldly in broad daylight through the streets, and swarme... The Raven
There was once a queen who had a little daughter, still too young to run alone. One day the child was very troublesome, and the mother could not quiet it, do what she would. She grew impatient, and seeing the ravens flying round the castle, she open... The Raven and the Swan
A RAVEN saw a Swan and desired to secure for himself the same beautiful plumage. Supposing that the Swan's splendid white color arose from his washing in the water in which he swam, the Raven left the altars in the neighborhood where he picked up h... The Raven And The Swan
A Raven who did not like his black coat had the wish to grow as white as a Swan. So he left his old friends and haunts, and went to the streams and lakes, where he spent all his time washing and dressing his clothes; but all was of no use, he was ... The Real Princess
THERE was once a prince who wanted to marry a princess. But she must be a real princess, mind you. So he traveled all round the world, seeking such a one, but everywhere something was in the way. Not that there was any lack of princesses, but he c...