Tattercoats
: English Fairy TalesIn a great Palace by the sea there once dwelt a very rich old lord, who
had neither wife nor children living, only one little granddaughter,
whose face he had never seen in all her life. He hated her bitterly,
because at her birth his favourite daughter died; and when the old nurse
brought him the baby he swore that it might live or die as it liked, but
he would never look on its face as long as it lived.
and weeping great tears for his lost daughter, till his white hair and
beard grew down over his shoulders and twined round his chair and crept
into the chinks of the floor, and his tears, dropping on to the
window-ledge, wore a channel through the stone, and ran away in a little
river to the great sea. Meanwhile, his granddaughter grew up with no one
to care for her, or clothe her; only the old nurse, when no one was by,
would sometimes give her a dish of scraps from the kitchen, or a torn
petticoat from the rag-bag; while the other servants of the palace would
drive her from the house with blows and mocking words, calling her
"Tattercoats," and pointing to her bare feet and shoulders, till she ran
away, crying, to hide among the bushes.
So she grew up, with little to eat or to wear, spending her days out of
doors, her only companion a crippled gooseherd, who fed his flock of
geese on the common. And this gooseherd was a queer, merry little chap,
and when she was hungry, or cold, or tired, he would play to her so
gaily on his little pipe, that she forgot all her troubles, and would
fall to dancing with his flock of noisy geese for partners.
Now one day people told each other that the King was travelling through
the land, and was to give a great ball to all the lords and ladies of
the country in the town near by, and that the Prince, his only son, was
to choose a wife from amongst the maidens in the company. In due time
one of the royal invitations to the ball was brought to the Palace by
the sea, and the servants carried it up to the old lord, who still sat
by his window, wrapped in his long white hair and weeping into the
little river that was fed by his tears.
But when he heard the King's command, he dried his eyes and bade them
bring shears to cut him loose, for his hair had bound him a fast
prisoner, and he could not move. And then he sent them for rich clothes,
and jewels, which he put on; and he ordered them to saddle the white
horse, with gold and silk, that he might ride to meet the King; but he
quite forgot he had a granddaughter to take to the ball.
Meanwhile Tattercoats sat by the kitchen-door weeping, because she could
not go to see the grand doings. And when the old nurse heard her crying
she went to the Lord of the Palace, and begged him to take his
granddaughter with him to the King's ball.
But he only frowned and told her to be silent; while the servants
laughed and said, "Tattercoats is happy in her rags, playing with the
gooseherd! Let her be--it is all she is fit for."
A second, and then a third time, the old nurse begged him to let the
girl go with him, but she was answered only by black looks and fierce
words, till she was driven from the room by the jeering servants, with
blows and mocking words.
Weeping over her ill-success, the old nurse went to look for
Tattercoats; but the girl had been turned from the door by the cook, and
had run away to tell her friend the gooseherd how unhappy she was
because she could not go to the King's ball.
Now when the gooseherd had listened to her story, he bade her cheer up,
and proposed that they should go together into the town to see the King,
and all the fine things; and when she looked sorrowfully down at her
rags and bare feet he played a note or two upon his pipe, so gay and
merry, that she forgot all about her tears and her troubles, and before
she well knew, the gooseherd had taken her by the hand, and she and he,
and the geese before them, were dancing down the road towards the town.
"Even cripples can dance when they choose," said the gooseherd.
Before they had gone very far a handsome young man, splendidly dressed,
riding up, stopped to ask the way to the castle where the King was
staying, and when he found that they too were going thither, he got off
his horse and walked beside them along the road.
"You seem merry folk," he said, "and will be good company."
"Good company, indeed," said the gooseherd, and played a new tune that
was not a dance.
It was a curious tune, and it made the strange young man stare and stare
and stare at Tattercoats till he couldn't see her rags--till he
couldn't, to tell the truth, see anything but her beautiful face.
Then he said, "You are the most beautiful maiden in the world. Will you
marry me?"
Then the gooseherd smiled to himself, and played sweeter than ever.
But Tattercoats laughed. "Not I," said she; "you would be finely put to
shame, and so would I be, if you took a goose-girl for your wife! Go and
ask one of the great ladies you will see to-night at the King's ball,
and do not flout poor Tattercoats."
But the more she refused him the sweeter the pipe played, and the deeper
the young man fell in love; till at last he begged her to come that
night at twelve to the King's ball, just as she was, with the gooseherd
and his geese, in her torn petticoat and bare feet, and see if he
wouldn't dance with her before the King and the lords and ladies, and
present her to them all, as his dear and honoured bride.
[Illustration: Tattercoats dancing while the gooseherd pipes]
Now at first Tattercoats said she would not; but the gooseherd said,
"Take fortune when it comes, little one."
So when night came, and the hall in the castle was full of light and
music, and the lords and ladies were dancing before the King, just as
the clock struck twelve, Tattercoats and the gooseherd, followed by his
flock of noisy geese, hissing and swaying their heads, entered at the
great doors, and walked straight up the ball-room, while on either side
the ladies whispered, the lords laughed, and the King seated at the far
end stared in amazement.
But as they came in front of the throne Tattercoats' lover rose from
beside the King, and came to meet her. Taking her by the hand, he kissed
her thrice before them all, and turned to the King.
"Father!" he said--for it was the Prince himself--"I have made my
choice, and here is my bride, the loveliest girl in all the land, and
the sweetest as well!"
Before he had finished speaking, the gooseherd had put his pipe to his
lips and played a few notes that sounded like a bird singing far off in
the woods; and as he played Tattercoats' rags were changed to shining
robes sewn with glittering jewels, a golden crown lay upon her golden
hair, and the flock of geese behind her became a crowd of dainty pages,
bearing her long train.
And as the King rose to greet her as his daughter the trumpets sounded
loudly in honour of the new Princess, and the people outside in the
street said to each other:
"Ah! now the Prince has chosen for his wife the loveliest girl in all
the land!"
But the gooseherd was never seen again, and no one knew what became of
him; while the old lord went home once more to his Palace by the sea,
for he could not stay at Court, when he had sworn never to look on his
granddaughter's face.
So there he still sits by his window,--if you could only see him, as you
may some day--weeping more bitterly than ever. And his white hair has
bound him to the stones, and the river of his tears runs away to the
great sea.
More
-
Song Of The Pear Tree
Out in the green, green orchard Standeth a fine pear tree; The fine pear tree has leaves, too. What on the tree may be? Why, there's a beautiful branch, Branch on the tree, Tree in the ground. ... Soria Moria Castle
THERE was once upon a time a couple of folks who had a son called Halvor. Ever since he had been a little boy he had been unwilling to do any work, and had just sat raking about among the ashes. His parents sent him away to learn several things, but... Soria Moria Castle
Once on a time there was a poor couple who had a son whose name was Halvor. Ever since he was a little boy he would turn his hand to nothing, but just sat there and groped about in the ashes. His father and mother often put him out to learn this t... Soup From A Sausage Skewer
"WE HAD such an excellent dinner yesterday," said an old lady-mouse to another who had not been present at the feast. "I sat number twenty-one below the mouse-king, which was not a bad place. Shall I tell you what we had? Everything was excellent-... Spain
Spain is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy, the powers of which are defined by the fundamental law of June 30, 1876. The legislative authority is exercised by the sovereign in conjunction with a parliamentary body called the Cortes, which i... Sparrow's Search For The Rain
Long ago, in a village near the sea, many Indian people were living. Among them was a very nice old warrior who had been given great power at his birth, and who, therefore, could do many wonderful deeds. There was nothing that was beyond his under... Spindle Shuttle And Needle
Once upon a time there lived a girl who lost her father and mother when she was quite a tiny child. Her godmother lived all alone in a little cottage at the far end of the village, and there she earned her living by spinning, weaving, and sewing... Springtime Or The Wedding Of Maka Ina And El Sol
<p>Oh, that was a stirring, glowing time! All the air, and the underwood seemed throbbed with pleasant murmuring voices. The streams were laughing, the deep pools smiling, as pussy-willows scattered catkins on them from above. The oak trees and the b... St Agnes' Night
"The women have several magical secrets handed down to them by tradition, as on St. Agnes' night, 21st January. Take a row of pins, and pull out every one, one after another, saying a Pater Noster, sticking a pin in your sleeve, and you will dream o... St George Of Merrie England
In the darksome depths of a thick forest lived Kalyb the fell enchantress. Terrible were her deeds, and few there were who had the hardihood to sound the brazen trumpet which hung over the iron gate that barred the way to the Abode of Witchcraft. ... St Saturday
BY HENRY JOHNSTONE Oh, Friday night's the queen of nights, because it ushers in The Feast of good St. Saturday, when studying is a sin, When studying is a sin, boys, and we may go to play Not only in the afternoon, but all the... Stan Bolovan
Once upon a time, something happened. If it hadn't happened, it wouldn't be told. At the edge of the village, where the peasants' oxen break through the hedges and the neighbors' hogs wallow in the ground under the fences, there once stood a house... Stan Bolovan
Once upon a time what happened did happen, and if it had not happened this story would never have been told. On the outskirts of a village just where the oxen were turned out to pasture, and the pigs roamed about burrowing with their noses among ... Stanton Drew
Stanton Drew, A mile from Pensford, Another from Chue. A Somersetshire proverb, mentioned by Stukeley, in the work above quoted, ii. 169. ... Starkad And Bale
Starkad, the hero of the legends, the bravest warrior in the army of the North, had fallen into disgrace with the king because of a certain princess, so he wandered up into Norland, and settled down at Rude in Tuna, where he was known as the Thral... Stompe Pilt
Not far from Baalsberg, near Filkestad in the Willandsharad, there is a hill in which a giant named Stompe Pilt once used to live. It happened one day that a goat-herd was driving his flock up the hill in which Stompe Pilt dwelt. "Who is ther... Story Of Sisyphus
Little White Cloud was the Ocean's daughter. The Ocean loved her, and wished always to keep her near him. One day, when her father was asleep, White Cloud went out to walk alone. The Sun saw her and said, "Come, White Cloud, I am your king, I ... Story Of The Emperor's New Clothes
Andersen. Many years ago there lived an Emperor who was so fond of new clothes that he spent all his money on them in order to be beautifully dressed. He did not care about his soldiers, he did not care about the theatre; he only liked to go ou... Story Of The King Who Would Be Stronger Than Fate
Once upon a time, far away in the east country, there lived a king who loved hunting so much that, when once there was a deer in sight, he was careless of his own safety. Indeed, he often became quite separated from his nobles and attendants, an... Story Of Wali Dad The Simple-hearted
Once upon a time there lived a poor old man whose name was Wali Dad Gunjay, or Wali Dad the Bald. He had no relations, but lived all by himself in a little mud hut some distance from any town, and made his living by cutting grass in the jungle, ... Stoutheart And His Black Cravat
<p>Do you know the bird that wears a black cravat, which he changes once a year? It is the English Sparrow, the commonest of all our birds. His hair is gray, but he must have been red-headed once, for just back of his ears there is still a band of re... Sunshine Stories
"I AM going to tell a story," said the Wind. "I beg your pardon," said the Rain, "but now it is my turn. Have you not been howling round the corner this long time, as hard as ever you could?" "Is this the gratitude you owe me?" said the Wind;... Superstition-rhymes
Although the spread of education has doubtlessly weakened in an extraordinary degree the hold which superstition formerly maintained on the mind of the public, yet vestiges of the more innocent portions of superstitious belief are still in conside... Swat The Fly
S is for Sunshine, keeps nature clean, And makes Mr. Fly feeble and lean. W is for Waste, where the fly breeds, The fouler, the better it suits his needs. A is for Anything dirty and vile,... Sweden
MARRIAGE.--Swedish law recognizes marriages which are to take effect in the future (sponsalia de futuro), and the existence of a betrothal that has been entered into in the presence of four witnesses and the woman's marriage guardian carries with ... Sweep And Little Sweep
I Once upon a time, in days long ago, there lived a Chimney Sweep and a little Crossing Sweeper. This Chimney Sweep was called "Sweep." He had a very black face, from the soot he swept down tall chimneys, but he had a kind heart and dearly love... Sweet And Low
By Alfred, Lord Tennyson Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the Western Sea. Low, low, breathe and blow, Wind of the Western Sea! Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying Moon, and blow, Blow ... Sweetheart Roland
There was once upon a time a woman who was a real witch and had two daughters, one ugly and wicked, and this one she loved because she was her own daughter, and one beautiful and good, and this one she hated, because she was her stepdaughter. The st... Switzerland
The marriage and divorce laws of the Swiss Republic are federal--that is, operating throughout all the cantons of the confederation. Prior to January 1, 1876, when the present federal law went into effect, the different cantons had individual laws... Sybilla Myrtillo And Furioso
A certain king had a beautiful golden-haired daughter named Sybilla, whose suitors came from every country, though with small success, since the princess had vowed to remain single until one proving to be the mightiest hero of the world should app... Sylvain And Jocosa
Once upon a time there lived in the same village two children, one called Sylvain and the other Jocosa, who were both remarkable for beauty and intelligence. It happened that their parents were not on terms of friendship with one another, on acc... Symbols
<p>If you have thought much about it, O Guide! you will surely find that, for decoration, it is better to use a beautiful symbol of anything, rather than a good photograph of it. For the symbol lets the imagination loose, and the other chains it to t... Tale Of A Tortoise And Of A Mischievous Monkey
Once upon a time there was a country where the rivers were larger, and the forests deeper, than anywhere else. Hardly any men came there, and the wild creatures had it all to themselves, and used to play all sorts of strange games with each othe... Tales Of The Trolls
I A peasant from Jursagard in the parish of Hanger had gone to the forest the day before Christmas, and started out for home late in the evening. He had just about reached the Klintaberg when he heard some one call out: "Tell the malt-swine to ... Tamamo The Fox Maiden
A pedlar journeyed with his pack upon the great high-road which leads to the city of Kioto. He found a child sitting all alone by the wayside. "Well, my little girl," he said, "and what make you all alone by the wayside?" "What do you," said ... Taper Tom
In a certain kingdom there was a very beautiful Princess, but she was so sad that no one could make her laugh; she would not even smile, though all in the court were gay and happy. For a long time her father tried hard to find something that wou... Tattercoats
In a great Palace by the sea there once dwelt a very rich old lord, who had neither wife nor children living, only one little granddaughter, whose face he had never seen in all her life. He hated her bitterly, because at her birth his favourite da... Ted's Foolish Wish
"I WISH I WAS AN OWL" SAID TEDDY, WITH A SCOWL, "CAUSE THEN I COULD SIT UP THE WHOLE NIGHT THROUGH." BUT SOME FAIRIES HEARD HIM SCOLD, AND HERE YOU MAY BEHOLD CHARLES FITCH LESTER ... Teeny Tiny
There was once upon a time a teeny-tiny woman who lived in a teeny-tiny house in a teeny-tiny village. Now, one day this teeny-tiny woman put on her teeny-tiny bonnet and went out of her teeny-tiny house to take a teeny-tiny walk. And when this teen... Teeny-tiny
[This simple tale seldom fails to rivet the attention of children, especially if well told. The last two words should be said loudly with a start. It was obtained from oral tradition, and has not, I believe, been printed.] Once upon a time there ... Teigue Of The Lee
BY CROFTON CROKER I can't stop in the house--I won't stop in it for all the money that is buried in the old castle of Carrigrohan. If ever there was such a thing in the world!--to be abused to my face night and day, and nobody to the fore doing... Tellerchen
Once upon a time something very extraordinary happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a husband and wife. The husband had a son by a former marriage, and the wife had a daughter by her first husband. This wicked woma... Ten Fingers
(A Chinese finger-play) Three horses are drinking, Three horses are feeding, The two men are fighting, The old woman pleading, The baby is crying, But no one is heeding. ... Ten Little Cookies
Ten little cookies, brown and crisp and fine-- Grandma gave Baby one; then there were nine. Nine little cookies on a china plate-- Betty took a small one; then there were eight. Eight little cookies, nice and round and ... Ten Little Squirrels
Ten little squirrels up in a tree-- (Ten fingers outspread.) The first two said: "What do I see?" (Thumbs only.) The next two said: "A man with a gun." (Forefingers only.) ... Texts For Chapbook
... Thanksgiving Day
BY LYDIA MARIA CHILD Over the river and through the wood, To grandfather's house we go; The horse knows the way To carry the sleigh Through the white and drifted snow. Over the river and through the w... The Advantage Of Knowledge
ADAPTED FROM THE FRENCH OF LA FONTAINE Two citizens lived beside each other in a town in France. The one was rich and had a fine house, and a garden, horses, and carriages, and servants to wait on him. But he was stupid, for when he was a boy at... The Adventures Of A Jackal
In a country which is full of wild beasts of all sorts there once lived a jackal and a hedgehog, and, unlike though they were, the two animals made great friends, and were often seen in each other's company. One afternoon they were walking a... The Adventures Of A Spanish Nun
If you had visited the convent of St. Sebastian in the Spanish town of the same name at the end of the sixteenth century, you would have found there a merry, naughty, clever little girl called Catalina de Erauso, the torment and delight of all the... The Adventures Of Chanticleer And Partlet
1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS TO EAT NUTS 'The nuts are quite ripe now,' said Chanticleer to his wife Partlet, 'suppose we go together to the mountains, and eat as many as we can, before the squirrel takes them all away.' 'With all my heart,... The Adventures Of Covan The Brown-haired
On the shores of the west, where the great hills stand with their feet in the sea, dwelt a goatherd and his wife, together with their three sons and one daughter. All day long the young men fished and hunted, while their sister took out the ... The Adventures Of Fire-drill's Son
Here is another story of the Tlingit Indians, and in these stories you will often find the Raven playing the part of friend and helper, just as the Fox does in Japan, and Brer Rabbit in 'Uncle Remus.' The Raven is always kinder than anybody else, ... The Adventures Of Florian
[Illustration: Boy walking through forest following a small ball.] Once upon a time there lived in an old and ruinous house by the shore of the wild sea, a widowed nobleman and his only child, a daughter named Isabella. They were very poor in sp... The Adventures Of Ha'penny Or The Dwarf The Witch And The Magic Slippers
Once upon a time lived a poor, little, crooked dwarf named "Ha'penny." When he was born he was so small that his nurse exclaimed, "Why, he is no bigger than a ha'penny!" and thus the nickname settled upon him, as ugly nicknames often do upon ve... The Adventures Of Haroun-al-raschid Caliph Of Bagdad
The Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid sat in his palace, wondering if there was anything left in the world that could possibly give him a few hours' amusement, when Giafar the grand-vizir, his old and tried friend, suddenly appeared before him. Bowing low... The Adventures Of Prince Camaralzaman And The Princess Badoura
Some twenty days' sail from the coast of Persia lies the isle of the children of Khaledan. The island is divided into several provinces, in each of which are large flourishing towns, and the whole forms an important kingdom. It was governed in f... The Adventures Of Said
From the German of W. Hauff. IN the time of Haroun Al-Raschid, ruler of Bagdad, there lived in Balsora a man Benezar by name. His means enabled him to live quietly and comfortably, without carrying on a business or trade; and when a son was bor... The Adventures Of The Jackal's Eldest Son
Now, though the jackal was dead, he had left two sons behind him, every whit as cunning and tricky as their father. The elder of the two was a fine handsome creature, who had a pleasant manner and made many friends. The animal he saw most o... The Adventures Of The Younger Son Of The Jackal
Now that the father and elder brother were both dead, all that was left of the jackal family was one son, who was no less cunning than the others had been. He did not like staying in the same place any better than they, and nobody ever knew ... The Adventures Of Three Little Kittens
THE LITTLE KITTENS' SURPRISE ... The Aethiop
THE PURCHASER of a black servant was persuaded that the color of his skin arose from dirt contracted through the neglect of his former masters. On bringing him home he resorted to every means of cleaning, and subjected the man to incessant scrubbin... The Angel Of The Night
<p>O Guide of the young Tribe! Know you the Twelfth Secret of the Woods? Know you what walked around your tent on that thirtieth night of your camp out? No! I think you knew, if you continued for thirty nights, but you knew not that you knew. These th... The Animal Dance Of Nana-bo-jou
<p>For this we need a Nana-bo-jou; that is, a grown-up who can drum and sing. He has a drum and drumstick, and a straw or paper club; also two goblins, these are good-sized boys or girls wearing ugly masks, or at least black hoods with two eyeholes, ... The Ant and the Dove
AN ANT went to the bank of a river to quench its thirst, and being carried away by the rush of the stream, was on the point of drowning. A Dove sitting on a tree overhanging the water plucked a leaf and let it fall into the stream close to her. Th... The Ant And The Flea
A curious affectation some put on Of knowing everything they chance upon. Whatever matter they may hear or see, However new or excellent it be, Of small account and easy always deem it, And never worthy of their praise esteem i... The Ants And The Grasshopper
The ants were employing a fine winter's day in drying grain collected in the summer-time. A grasshopper, perishing from famine, passed by and earnestly begged for a little food. The ants inquired of him: "Why did you not treasure up food during th... The Apes and the Two Travelers
TWO MEN, one who always spoke the truth and the other who told nothing but lies, were traveling together and by chance came to the land of Apes. One of the Apes, who had raised himself to be king, commanded them to be seized and brought before him,... The Apple Pie
A was an apple pie, B bit it; C cut it; D dealt it; E ate it; F fought for it; G got it; H had it; I inquired about it; J joined it; K kept it; L longed for it; M mourned for ... The Apple-tree
I set out two hundred young apple-trees, and for three years I dug around them in the spring and the fall, and in winter wrapped them with straw against the hares. On the fourth year, when the snow melted, I went to take a look at my apple-trees. ... The Arabian Nights
In the chronicles of the ancient dynasty of the Sassanidae, who reigned for about four hundred years, from Persia to the borders of China, beyond the great river Ganges itself, we read the praises of one of the kings of this race, who was said to ... The Aristocratic Codfish
The three swam slowly along, quite enjoying the cool depths of the water. Every little while they met with some strange creature--or one that seemed strange to the earth people--for although Trot and Cap'n Bill had seen many kinds of fish, after t...