The Fairy Princess Of Ergetz
: Jewish Fairy Tales And LegendsI
In a great and beautiful city that stood by the sea, an old man lay
dying. Mar Shalmon was his name, and he was the richest man in the
land. Propped up with pillows on a richly decorated bed in a luxurious
chamber, he gazed, with tears in his eyes, through the open window at
the setting sun. Like a ball of fire it sank lower and lower until it
almost seemed to rest on the tranquil waters beyond the harb
Suddenly, Mar Shalmon roused himself.
"Where is my son, Bar Shalmon?" he asked in a feeble voice, and his
hand crept tremblingly along the silken coverlet of the bed as if in
search of something.
"I am here, my father," replied his son who was standing by the side
of his bed. His eyes were moist with tears, but his voice was steady.
"My son," said the old man, slowly, and with some difficulty, "I am
about to leave this world. My soul will take flight from this frail
body when the sun has sunk behind the horizon. I have lived long and
have amassed great wealth which will soon be thine. Use it well, as I
have taught thee, for thou, my son, art a man of learning, as befits
our noble Jewish faith. One thing I must ask thee to promise me."
sizes poured into the synagogue with threatening gestures.
(Page 40).]
"I will, my father," returned Bar Shalmon, sobbing.
"Nay, weep not, my son," said the old man. "My day is ended; my life
has not been ill-spent. I would spare thee the pain that was mine in
my early days, when, as a merchant, I garnered my fortune. The sea out
there that will soon swallow up the sun is calm now. But beware of it,
my son, for it is treacherous. Promise me--nay, swear unto me--that
never wilt thou cross it to foreign lands."
Bar Shalmon placed his hands on those of his father.
"Solemnly I swear," he said, in a broken voice, "to do thy wish--never
to journey on the sea, but to remain here in this, my native land.
'Tis a vow before thee, my father."
"'Tis an oath before heaven," said the old man. "Guard it, keep it,
and heaven will bless thee. Remember! See, the sun is sinking."
Mar Shalmon fell back upon his pillows and spoke no more. Bar Shalmon
stood gazing out of the window until the sun had disappeared, and
then, silently sobbing, he left the chamber of death.
The whole city wept when the sad news was made known, for Mar Shalmon
was a man of great charity, and almost all the inhabitants followed
the remains to the grave. Then Bar Shalmon, his son, took his father's
place of honor in the city, and in him, too, the poor and needy found
a friend whose purse was ever open and whose counsel was ever wisdom.
Thus years passed away.
One day there arrived in the harbor of the city a strange ship from a
distant land. Its captain spoke a tongue unknown, and Bar Shalmon,
being a man of profound knowledge, was sent for. He alone in the city
could understand the language of the captain. To his astonishment, he
learned that the cargo of the vessel was for Mar Shalmon, his father.
"I am the son of Mar Shalmon," he said. "My father is dead, and all
his possessions he left to me."
"Then, verily, art thou the most fortunate mortal, and the richest, on
earth," answered the captain. "My good ship is filled with a vast
store of jewels, precious stones and other treasures. And know you, O
most favored son of Mar Shalmon, this cargo is but a small portion of
the wealth that is thine in a land across the sea."
"'Tis strange," said Bar Shalmon, in surprise; "my father said nought
of this to me. I knew that in his younger days he had traded with
distant lands, but nothing did he ever say of possessions there. And,
moreover, he warned me never to leave this shore."
The captain looked perplexed.
"I understand it not," he said. "I am but performing my father's
bidding. He was thy father's servant, and long years did he wait for
Mar Shalmon's return to claim his riches. On his death-bed he bade me
vow that I would seek his master, or his son, and this have I done."
He produced documents, and there could be no doubt that the vast
wealth mentioned in them belonged now to Bar Shalmon.
"Thou art now my master," said the captain, "and must return with me
to the land across the sea to claim thine inheritance. In another year
it will be too late, for by the laws of the country it will be
forfeit."
"I cannot return with thee," said Bar Shalmon. "I have a vow before
heaven never to voyage on the sea."
The captain laughed.
"In very truth, I understand thee not, as my father understood not
thine," he replied. "My father was wont to say that Mar Shalmon was
strange and peradventure not possessed of all his senses to neglect
his store of wealth and treasure."
With an angry gesture Bar Shalmon stopped the captain, but he was
sorely troubled. He recalled now that his father had often spoken
mysteriously of foreign lands, and he wondered, indeed, whether Mar
Shalmon could have been in his proper senses not to have breathed a
word of his riches abroad. For days he discussed the matter with the
captain, who at last persuaded him to make the journey.
"Fear not thy vow," said the captain. "Thy worthy father must, of a
truth, have been bereft of reason in failing to tell thee of his full
estate, and an oath to a man of mind unsound is not binding. That is
the law in our land."
"So it is here," returned Bar Shalmon, and with this remark his last
scruple vanished.
He bade a tender farewell to his wife, his child, and his friends,
and set sail on the strange ship to the land beyond the sea.
For three days all went well, but on the fourth the ship was becalmed
and the sails flapped lazily against the masts. The sailors had
nothing to do but lie on deck and wait for a breeze, and Bar Shalmon
took advantage of the occasion to treat them to a feast.
Suddenly, in the midst of the feasting, they felt the ship begin to
move. There was no wind, but the vessel sped along very swiftly. The
captain himself rushed to the helm. To his alarm he found the vessel
beyond control.
"The ship is bewitched," he exclaimed. "There is no wind, and no
current, and yet we are being borne along as if driven before a storm.
We shall be lost."
Panic seized the sailors, and Bar Shalmon was unable to pacify them.
"Someone on board has brought us ill-luck," said the boatswain,
looking pointedly at Bar Shalmon; "we shall have to heave him
overboard."
His comrades assented and rushed toward Bar Shalmon.
Just at that moment, however, the look-out in the bow cried excitedly,
"Land ahead!"
The ship still refused to answer the helm and grounded on a sandbank.
She shivered from stem to stern but did not break up. No rocks were
visible, only a desolate tract of desert land was to be seen, with
here and there a solitary tree.
"We seem to have sustained no damage," said the captain, when he had
recovered from his first astonishment, "but how we are going to get
afloat again I do not know. This land is quite strange to me."
He could not find it marked on any of his charts or maps, and the
sailors stood looking gloomily at the mysterious shore.
"Had we not better explore the land?" said Bar Shalmon.
"No, no," exclaimed the boatswain, excitedly. "See, no breakers strike
on the shore. This is not a human land. This is a domain of demons. We
are lost unless we cast overboard the one who has brought on us this
ill-luck."
Said Bar Shalmon, "I will land, and I will give fifty silver crowns to
all who land with me."
Not one of the sailors moved, however, even when he offered fifty
golden crowns, and at last Bar Shalmon said he would land alone,
although the captain strongly urged him not to do so.
Bar Shalmon sprang lightly to the shore, and as he did so the ship
shook violently.
"What did I tell you?" shouted the boatswain. "Bar Shalmon is the one
who has brought us this misfortune. Now we shall refloat the ship."
But it still remained firmly fixed on the sand. Bar Shalmon walked
towards a tree and climbed it. In a few moments he returned, holding a
twig in his hand.
"The land stretches away for miles just as you see it here," he called
to the captain. "There is no sign of man or habitation."
He prepared to board the vessel again, but the sailors would not allow
him. The boatswain stood in the bow and threatened him with a sword.
Bar Shalmon raised the twig to ward off the blow and struck the ship
which shivered from stern to stern again.
"Is not this proof that the vessel is bewitched?" cried the sailors,
and when the captain sternly bade them remember that Bar Shalmon was
their master, they threatened him too.
Bar Shalmon, amused at the fears of the men, again struck the vessel
with the twig. Once more it trembled. A third time he raised the
twig.
"If the ship is bewitched," he said, "something will happen after the
third blow."
"Swish" sounded the branch through the air, and the third blow fell on
the vessel's bow. Something did happen. The ship almost leaped from
the sand, and before Bar Shalmon could realize what had happened it
was speeding swiftly away.
"Come back, come back," he screamed, and he could see the captain
struggling with the helm. But the vessel refused to answer, and Bar
Shalmon saw it grow smaller and smaller and finally disappear. He was
alone on an uninhabited desert land.
"What a wretched plight for the richest man in the world," he said to
himself, and the next moment he realized that he was in danger indeed.
A terrible roar made him look around. To his horror he saw a lion
making toward him. As quick as a flash Bar Shalmon ran to the tree and
hastily scrambled into the branches. The lion dashed itself furiously
against the trunk of the tree, but, for the present, Bar Shalmon was
safe. Night, however, was coming on, and the lion squatted at the foot
of the tree, evidently intending to wait for him. All night the lion
remained, roaring at intervals, and Bar Shalmon clung to one of the
upper branches afraid to sleep lest he should fall off and be
devoured. When morning broke, a new danger threatened him. A huge
eagle flew round the tree and darted at him with its cruel beak. Then
the great bird settled on the thickest branch, and Bar Shalmon moved
stealthily forward with a knife which he drew from his belt. He crept
behind the bird, but as he approached it spread its big wings, and Bar
Shalmon, to prevent himself being swept from the tree, dropped the
knife and clutched at the bird's feathers. Immediately, to his dismay,
the bird rose from the tree. Bar Shalmon clung to its back with all
his might.
Higher and higher soared the eagle until the trees below looked like
mere dots on the land. Swiftly flew the eagle over miles and miles of
desert until Bar Shalmon began to feel giddy. He was faint with hunger
and feared that he would not be able to retain his hold. All day the
bird flew without resting, across island and sea. No houses, no ships,
no human beings could be seen. Toward night, however, Bar Shalmon, to
his great joy, beheld the lights of a city surrounded by trees, and as
the eagle came near, he made a bold dive to the earth. Headlong he
plunged downward. He seemed to be hours in falling. At last he struck
a tree. The branches broke beneath the weight and force of his falling
body, and he continued to plunge downward. The branches tore his
clothes to shreds and bruised his body, but they broke his terrible
fall, and when at last he reached the ground he was not much hurt.
II
Bar Shalmon found himself on the outskirts of the city, and cautiously
he crept forward. To his intense relief, he saw that the first
building was a synagogue. The door, however, was locked. Weary, sore,
and weak with long fasting, Bar Shalmon sank down on the steps and
sobbed like a child.
Something touched him on the arm. He looked up. By the light of the
moon he saw a boy standing before him. Such a queer boy he was, too.
He had cloven feet, and his coat, if it was a coat, seemed to be made
in the shape of wings.
"Ivri Onochi," said Bar Shalmon, "I am a Hebrew."
"So am I," said the boy. "Follow me."
He walked in front with a strange hobble, and when they reached a
house at the back of the synagogue, he leaped from the ground,
spreading his coat wings as he did so, to a window about twenty feet
from the ground. The next moment a door opened, and Bar Shalmon, to
his surprise, saw that the boy had jumped straight through the window
down to the door which he had unfastened from the inside. The boy
motioned him to enter a room. He did so. An aged man, who he saw was a
rabbi, rose to greet him.
"Peace be with you," said the rabbi, and pointed to a seat. He clapped
his hand and immediately a table with food appeared before Bar
Shalmon. The latter was far too hungry to ask any questions just then,
and the rabbi was silent, too, while he ate. When he had finished, the
rabbi clapped his hands and the table vanished.
"Now tell me your story," said the rabbi.
Bar Shalmon did so.
"Alas! I am an unhappy man," he concluded. "I have been punished for
breaking my vow. Help me to return to my home. I will reward thee
well, and will atone for my sin."
"Thy story is indeed sad," said the rabbi, gravely, "but thou knowest
not the full extent of thy unfortunate plight. Art thou aware what
land it is into which thou hast been cast?"
"No," said Bar Shalmon, becoming afraid again.
"Know then," said the rabbi, "thou art not in a land of human beings.
Thou hast fallen into Ergetz, the land of demons, of djinns, and of
fairies."
"But art thou not a Jew?" asked Bar Shalmon, in astonishment.
"Truly," replied the rabbi. "Even in this realm we have all manner of
religions just as you mortals have."
"What will happen to me?" asked Bar Shalmon, in a whisper.
"I know not," replied the rabbi. "Few mortals come here, and mostly, I
fear they are put to death. The demons love them not."
"Woe, woe is me," cried Bar Shalmon, "I am undone."
"Weep not," said the rabbi. "I, as a Jew, love not death by violence
and torture, and will endeavor to save thee."
"I thank thee," cried Bar Shalmon.
"Let thy thanks wait," said the rabbi, kindly. "There is human blood
in my veins. My great-grandfather was a mortal who fell into this
land and was not put to death. Being of mortal descent, I have been
made rabbi. Perhaps thou wilt find favor here and be permitted to live
and settle in this land."
"But I desire to return home," said Bar Shalmon.
The rabbi shook his head.
"Thou must sleep now," he said.
He passed his hands over Bar Shalmon's eyes and he fell into a
profound slumber. When he awoke it was daylight, and the boy stood by
his couch. He made a sign to Bar Shalmon to follow, and through an
underground passage he conducted him into the synagogue and placed him
near the rabbi.
"Thy presence has become known," whispered the rabbi, and even as he
spoke a great noise was heard. It was like the wild chattering of many
high-pitched voices. Through all the windows and the doors a strange
crowd poured into the synagogue. There were demons of all shapes and
sizes. Some had big bodies with tiny heads, others huge heads and
quaint little bodies. Some had great staring eyes, others had long
wide mouths, and many had only one leg each. They surrounded Bar
Shalmon with threatening gestures and noises. The rabbi ascended the
pulpit.
"Silence!" he commanded, and immediately the noise ceased. "Ye who
thirst for mortal blood, desecrate not this holy building wherein I am
master. What ye have to say must wait until after the morning
service."
Silently and patiently they waited, sitting in all manner of queer
places. Some of them perched on the backs of the seats, a few clung
like great big flies to the pillars, others sat on the window-sills,
and several of the tiniest hung from the rafters in the ceiling. As
soon as the service was over, the clamor broke out anew.
"Give to us the perjurer," screamed the demons. "He is not fit to
live."
With some difficulty, the rabbi stilled the tumult, and said:
"Listen unto me, ye demons and sprites of the land of Ergetz. This man
has fallen into my hands, and I am responsible for him. Our king,
Ashmedai, must know of his arrival. We must not condemn a man unheard.
Let us petition the king to grant him a fair trial."
After some demur, the demons agreed to this proposal, and they trooped
out of the synagogue in the same peculiar manner in which they came.
Each was compelled to leave by the same door or window at which he
entered.
Bar Shalmon was carried off to the palace of King Ashmedai, preceded
and followed by a noisy crowd of demons and fairies. There seemed to
be millions of them, all clattering and pointing at him. They hobbled
and hopped over the ground, jumped into the air, sprang from housetop
to housetop, made sudden appearances from holes in the ground and
vanished through solid walls.
The palace was a vast building of white marble that seemed as delicate
as lace work. It stood in a magnificent square where many beautiful
fountains spouted jets of crystal water. King Ashmedai came forth on
the balcony, and at his appearance all the demons and fairies became
silent and went down on their knees.
"What will ye with me?" he cried, in a voice of thunder, and the rabbi
approached and bowed before his majesty.
"A mortal, a Jew, has fallen into my hands," he said, "and thy
subjects crave for his blood. He is a perjurer, they say. Gracious
majesty, I would petition for a trial."
"What manner of mortal is he?" asked Ashmedai.
Bar Shalmon stepped forward.
"Jump up here so I may see thee," commanded the king.
"Jump, jump," cried the crowd.
"I cannot," said Bar Shalmon, as he looked up at the balcony thirty
feet above the ground.
"Try," said the rabbi.
Bar Shalmon did try, and found, the moment he lifted his feet from the
ground, that he was standing on the balcony.
"Neatly done," said the king. "I see thou art quick at learning."
"So my teachers always said," replied Bar Shalmon.
"A proper answer," said the king. "Thou art, then, a scholar."
"In my own land," returned Bar Shalmon, "men said I was great among
the learned."
"So," said the king. "And canst thou impart the wisdom of man and of
the human world to others?"
"I can," said Bar Shalmon.
"We shall see," said the king. "I have a son with a desire for such
knowledge. If thou canst make him acquainted with thy store of
learning, thy life shall be spared. The petition for a trial is
granted."
The king waved his scepter and two slaves seized Bar Shalmon by the
arms. He felt himself lifted from the balcony and carried swiftly
through the air. Across the vast square the slaves flew with him, and
when over the largest of the fountains they loosened their hold. Bar
Shalmon thought he would fall into the fountain, but to his amazement
he found himself standing on the roof of a building. By his side was
the rabbi.
"Where are we?" asked Bar Shalmon. "I feel bewildered."
"We are at the Court of Justice, one hundred miles from the palace,"
replied the rabbi.
A door appeared before them. They stepped through, and found
themselves in a beautiful hall. Three judges in red robes and purple
wigs were seated on a platform, and an immense crowd filled the
galleries in the same queer way as in the synagogue. Bar Shalmon was
placed on a small platform in front of the judges. A tiny sprite, only
about six inches high, stood on another small platform at his right
hand and commenced to read from a scroll that seemed to have no
ending. He read the whole account of Bar Shalmon's life. Not one
little event was missing.
"The charge against Bar Shalmon, the mortal," the sprite concluded,
"is that he has violated the solemn oath sworn at his father's
death-bed."
Then the rabbi pleaded for him and declared that the oath was not
binding because Bar Shalmon's father had not informed him of his
treasures abroad and could not therefore have been in his right
senses. Further, he added, Bar Shalmon was a scholar and the king
desired him to teach his wisdom to the crown prince.
The chief justice rose to pronounce sentence.
"Bar Shalmon," he said, "rightly thou shouldst die for thy broken
oath. It is a grievous sin. But there is the doubt that thy father may
not have been in his right mind. Therefore, thy life shall be spared."
Bar Shalmon expressed his thanks.
"When may I return to my home?" he asked.
"Never," replied the chief justice.
Bar Shalmon left the court, feeling very downhearted. He was safe now.
The demons dared not molest him, but he longed to return to his home.
"How am I to get back to the palace?" he asked the rabbi. "Perhaps
after I have imparted my learning to the crown prince, the king will
allow me to return to my native land."
"That I cannot say. Come, fly with me," said the rabbi.
"Fly!"
"Yes; see thou hast wings."
Bar Shalmon noticed that he was now wearing a garment just like all
the demons. When he spread his arms, he found he could fly, and he
sailed swiftly through the air to the palace. With these wings, he
thought, he would be able to fly home.
"Think not that," said the rabbi, who seemed to be able to read his
thoughts, "for thy wings are useless beyond this land."
Bar Shalmon found that it would be best for him to carry out his
instructions for the present, and he set himself diligently to teach
the crown prince. The prince was an apt pupil, and the two became
great friends. King Ashmedai was delighted and made Bar Shalmon one of
his favorites.
One day the king said to him: "I am about to leave the city for a
while to undertake a campaign against a rebellious tribe of demons
thousands of miles away. I must take the crown prince with me. I leave
thee in charge of the palace."
The king gave him a huge bunch of keys.
"These," he said, "will admit into all but one of the thousand rooms
in the palace. For that one there is no key, and thou must not enter
it. Beware."
For several days Bar Shalmon amused himself by examining the hundreds
of rooms in the vast palace until one day he came to the door for
which he had no key. He forgot the king's warning and his promise to
obey.
"Open this door for me," he said to his attendants, but they replied
that they could not.
"You must," he said angrily, "burst it open."
"We do not know how to burst open a door," they said. "We are not
mortal. If we were permitted to enter the room we should just walk
through the walls."
Bar Shalmon could not do this, so he put his shoulder to the door and
it yielded quite easily.
A strange sight met his gaze. A beautiful woman, the most beautiful he
had ever seen, was seated on a throne of gold, surrounded by fairy
attendants who vanished the moment he entered.
"Who art thou?" asked Bar Shalmon, in great astonishment.
"The daughter of the king," replied the princess, "and thy future
wife."
"Indeed! How know you that?" he asked.
"Thou hast broken thy promise to my father, the king, not to enter
this room," she replied. "Therefore, thou must die, unless--"
"Tell me quickly," interrupted Bar Shalmon, turning pale, "how my life
can be saved."
"Thou must ask my father for my hand," replied the princess. "Only by
becoming my husband canst thou be saved."
"But I have a wife and child in my native land," said Bar Shalmon,
sorely troubled.
"Thou hast now forfeited thy hopes of return," said the princess,
slowly. "Once more hast thou broken a promise. It seems to come easy
to thee now."
Bar Shalmon had no wish to die, and he waited, in fear and trembling
for the king's return. Immediately he heard of King Ashmedai's
approach, he hastened to meet him and flung himself on the ground at
his majesty's feet.
"O King," he cried, "I have seen thy daughter, the princess, and I
desire to make her my wife."
"I cannot refuse," returned the king. "Such is our law--that he who
first sees the princess must become her husband, or die. But, have a
care, Bar Shalmon. Thou must swear to love and be faithful ever."
"I swear," said Bar Shalmon.
The wedding took place with much ceremony. The princess was attended
by a thousand fairy bridesmaids, and the whole city was brilliantly
decorated and illuminated until Bar Shalmon was almost blinded by the
dazzling spectacle.
The rabbi performed the marriage ceremony, and Bar Shalmon had to
swear an oath by word of mouth and in writing that he loved the
princess and would never desert her. He was given a beautiful palace
full of jewels as a dowry, and the wedding festivities lasted six
months. All the fairies and demons invited them in turn; they had to
attend banquets and parties and dances in grottoes and caves and in
the depths of the fairy fountains in the square. Never before in
Ergetz had there been such elaborate rejoicings.
III
Some years rolled by and still Bar Shalmon thought of his native land.
One day the princess found him weeping quietly.
"Why art thou sad, husband mine?" she asked. "Dost thou no longer love
me, and am I not beautiful now?"
"No, it is not that," he said, but for a long time he refused to say
more. At last he confessed that he had an intense longing to see his
home again.
"But thou art bound to me by an oath," said the princess.
"I know," replied Bar Shalmon, "and I shall not break it. Permit me to
visit my home for a brief while, and I will return and prove myself
more devoted to thee than ever."
On these conditions, the princess agreed that he should take leave for
a whole year. A big, black demon flew swiftly with him to his native
city.
No sooner had Bar Shalmon placed his feet on the ground than he
determined not to return to the land of Ergetz.
"Tell thy royal mistress," he said to the demon, "that I shall never
return to her."
He tore his clothes to make himself look poor, but his wife was
overjoyed to see him. She had mourned him as dead. He did not tell of
his adventures, but merely said he had been ship-wrecked and had
worked his way back as a poor sailor. He was delighted to be among
human beings again, to hear his own language and to see solid
buildings that did not appear and disappear just when they pleased,
and as the days passed he began to think his adventures in fairyland
were but a dream.
Meanwhile, the princess waited patiently until the year was ended.
Then she sent the big, black demon to bring Bar Shalmon back.
Bar Shalmon met the messenger one night when walking alone in his
garden.
"I have come to take thee back," said the demon.
Bar Shalmon was startled. He had forgotten that the year was up. He
felt that he was lost, but as the demon did not seize him by force, he
saw that there was a possibility of escape.
"Return and tell thy mistress I refuse," he said.
"I will take thee by force," said the demon.
"Thou canst not," Bar Shalmon said, "for I am the son-in-law of the
king."
The demon was helpless and returned to Ergetz alone.
King Ashmedai was very angry, but the princess counseled patience.
"I will devise means to bring my husband back," she said. "I will send
other messengers."
Thus it was that Bar Shalmon found a troupe of beautiful fairies in
the garden the next evening. They tried their utmost to induce him to
return with them, but he would not listen. Every day different
messengers came--big, ugly demons who threatened, pretty fairies who
tried to coax him, and troublesome sprites and goblins who only
annoyed him. Bar Shalmon could not move without encountering
messengers from the princess in all manner of queer places. Nobody
else could see them, and often he was heard talking to invisible
people. His friends began to regard him as strange in his behavior.
King Ashmedai grew angrier every day, and he threatened to go for Bar
Shalmon himself.
"Nay, I will go," said the princess; "it will be impossible for my
husband to resist me."
She selected a large number of attendants, and the swift flight of the
princess and her retinue through the air caused a violent storm to
rage over the lands they crossed. Like a thick black cloud they
swooped down on the land where Bar Shalmon dwelt, and their weird
cries seemed like the wild shrieking of a mighty hurricane. Down they
swept in a tremendous storm such as the city had never known. Then, as
quickly as it came, the storm ceased, and the people who had fled into
their houses, ventured forth again.
The little son of Bar Shalmon went out into the garden, but quickly
rushed back into the house.
"Father, come forth and see," he cried. "The garden is full of strange
creatures brought by the storm. All manner of creeping, crawling
things have invaded the garden--lizards, toads, and myriads of
insects. The trees, the shrubs, the paths are covered, and some shine
in the twilight like tiny lanterns."
Bar Shalmon went out into the garden, but he did not see toads and
lizards. What he beheld was a vast array of demons and goblins and
sprites, and in a rose-bush the princess, his wife, shining like a
star, surrounded by her attendant fairies. She stretched forth her
arms to him.
"Husband mine," she pleaded, "I have come to implore thee to return to
the land of Ergetz with me. Sadly have I missed thee; long have I
waited for thy coming, and difficult has it been to appease my
father's anger. Come, husband mine, return with me; a great welcome
awaits thee."
"I will not return," said Bar Shalmon.
"Kill him, kill him," shrieked the demons, and they surrounded him,
gesticulating fiercely.
"Nay, harm him not," commanded the princess. "Think well, Bar
Shalmon, ere you answer again. The sun has set and night is upon us.
Think well, until sunrise. Come to me, return, and all shall be well.
Refuse, and thou shalt be dealt with as thou hast merited. Think well
before the sunrise."
"And what will happen at sunrise, if I refuse?" asked Bar Shalmon.
"Thou shalt see," returned the princess. "Bethink thee well, and
remember, I await thee here until the sunrise."
"I have answered; I defy thee," said Bar Shalmon, and he went indoors.
Night passed with strange, mournful music in the garden, and the sun
rose in its glory and spread its golden beams over the city. And with
the coming of the light, more strange sounds woke the people of the
city. A wondrous sight met their gaze in the market place. It was
filled with hundreds upon hundreds of the queerest creatures they had
ever seen, goblins and brownies, demons and fairies. Dainty little
elves ran about the square to the delight of the children, and quaint
sprites clambered up the lamposts and squatted on the gables of the
council house. On the steps of that building was a glittering array of
fairies and attendant genii, and in their midst stood the princess, a
dazzling vision, radiant as the dawn.
The mayor of the city knew not what to do. He put on his chain of
office and made a long speech of welcome to the princess.
"Thank you for your cordial welcome," said the princess, in reply,
"and you the mayor, and ye the good people of this city of mortals,
hearken unto me. I am the princess of the Fairyland of Ergetz where my
father, Ashmedai, rules as king. There is one among ye who is my
husband."
"Who is he?" the crowd asked in astonishment.
"Bar Shalmon is his name," replied the princess, "and to him am I
bound by vows that may not be broken."
"'Tis false," cried Bar Shalmon from the crowd.
"'Tis true. Behold our son," answered the princess, and there stepped
forward a dainty elfin boy whose face was the image of Bar Shalmon.
"I ask of you mortals of the city," the princess continued, "but one
thing, justice--that same justice which we in the land of Ergetz did
give unto Bar Shalmon when, after breaking his oath unto his father,
he set sail for a foreign land and was delivered into our hands. We
spared his life; we granted his petition for a new trial. I but ask
that ye should grant me the same petition. Hear me in your Court of
Justice."
"Thy request is but reasonable, princess," said the mayor. "It shall
not be said that strangers here are refused justice. Bar Shalmon,
follow me."
He led the way into the Chamber of Justice, and the magistrates of the
city heard all that the princess and her witnesses, among whom was the
rabbi, and also all that Bar Shalmon, had to say.
"'Tis plain," said the mayor, delivering judgment, "that her royal
highness, the princess of the Fairyland of Ergetz, has spoken that
which is true. But Bar Shalmon has in this city wife and child to whom
he is bound by ties that may not be broken. Bar Shalmon must divorce
the princess and return unto her the dowry received by him on their
marriage."
"If such be your law, I am content," said the princess.
"What sayest thou, Bar Shalmon?" asked the mayor.
"Oh! I'm content," he answered gruffly. "I agree to anything that
will rid me of the demon princess."
The princess flushed crimson with shame and rage at these cruel words.
"These words I have not deserved," she exclaimed, proudly. "I have
loved thee, and have been faithful unto thee, Bar Shalmon. I accept
the decree of your laws and shall return to the land of Ergetz a
widow. I ask not for your pity. I ask but for that which is my right,
one last kiss."
"Very well," said Bar Shalmon, still more gruffly, "anything to have
done with thee."
The princess stepped proudly forward to him and kissed him on the
lips.
Bar Shalmon turned deadly pale and would have fallen had not his
friends caught him.
"Take thy punishment for all thy sins," cried the princess, haughtily,
"for thy broken vows and thy false promises--thy perjury to thy God,
to thy father, to my father and to me."
As she spoke Bar Shalmon fell dead at her feet. At a sign from the
princess, her retinue of fairies and demons flew out of the building
and up into the air with their royal mistress in their midst and
vanished.
More
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The Enchanted Canary
I ONCE upon a time, in the reign of King Cambrinus, there lived at Avesnes one of his lords, who was the finest man--by which I mean the fattest--in the whole country of Flanders. He ate four meals a day, slept twelve hours out of the twenty-four... The Enchanted Cave Of Cesh Corran
CHAPTER I Fionn mac Uail was the most prudent chief of an army in the world, but he was not always prudent on his own account. Discipline sometimes irked him, and he would then take any opportunity that presented for an adventure; for he was ... The Enchanted Deer
A young man was out walking one day in Erin, leading a stout cart-horse by the bridle. He was thinking of his mother and how poor they were since his father, who was a fisherman, had been drowned at sea, and wondering what he should do to earn... The Enchanted Elm
[Illustration: Young girl sitting in a tree.] Once upon a time, while riding, a brave, young prince dashed merrily ahead of his friends, and after galloping across a ploughed field, turned his horse's head down a grassy road leading to a wood.... The Enchanted Head
Once upon a time an old woman lived in a small cottage near the sea with her two daughters. They were very poor, and the girls seldom left the house, as they worked all day long making veils for the ladies to wear over their faces, and every mor... The Enchanted Horse
It was the Feast of the New Year, the oldest and most splendid of all the feasts in the Kingdom of Persia, and the day had been spent by the king in the city of Schiraz, taking part in the magnificent spectacles prepared by his subjects to do hono... The Enchanted Island
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Have you ever heard the story of the Peafowl who became a Queen and of the Tsar's Youngest Son who married her? Well, here it is: There was once a Tsar who took great delight in his garden. Every morning you could see him bending over his flower... The Enchanted Princess
In a certain kingdom there once served in the king's army a soldier. He served him honestly and faithfully for twenty-five years. For his good service the king gave him a leave of absence, and presented him with his war-horse and armor. The soldie... The Enchanted Ring
Once upon a time there lived a young man named Rosimond, who was as good and handsome as his elder brother Bramintho was ugly and wicked. Their mother detested her eldest son, and had only eyes for the youngest. This excited Bramintho's jealousy... The Enchanted Snake
There was once upon a time a poor woman who would have given all she possessed for a child, but she hadn't one. Now it happened one day that her husband went to the wood to collect brushwood, and when he had brought it home, he discovered a p... The Enchanted Types
One time a knook became tired of his beautiful life and longed for something new to do. The knooks have more wonderful powers than any other immortal folk--except, perhaps, the fairies and ryls. So one would suppose that a knook who might gain any... The Enchanted Watch
Once upon a time there lived a rich man who had three sons. When they grew up, he sent the eldest to travel and see the world, and three years passed before his family saw him again. Then he returned, magnificently dressed, and his father was so... The Enchanted Wreath
Once upon a time there lived near a forest a man and his wife and two girls; one girl was the daughter of the man, and the other the daughter of his wife; and the man's daughter was good and beautiful, but the woman's daughter was cross and u... The Engineer And The Dwarfs
A tunnel had been dug through a crag which had hitherto been considered as a serious obstacle in the railway route; the light now shone through at the farther end. There was a shout of joy from the tired workmen. The air had been stifling in the t... The Envious Neighbour
Long, long ago an old couple lived in a village, and, as they had no children to love and care for, they gave all their affection to a little dog. He was a pretty little creature, and instead of growing spoilt and disagreeable at not getting everyt... The Escape Of The Galley-slaves
In the year 1563 the 'Three Half Moons,' with thirty men on board, set sail from Portsmouth for the south of Spain, intending to sell their goods to merchants in the town of Seville, situated on the river Guadalquivir. The wind was behind them and... The Espousal Of The Rat's Daughter
Mr. Nedzumi, the Rat, was an important personage in the hamlet where he lived--at least he was so in his own and his wife's estimation. This was in part, of course, due to the long line of ancestors from whom he was descended, and to their inti... The Even-ash
A girl must pluck a leaf from the even-ash, and, holding it in her hand, say-- This even-ash I hold in my hand, The first I meet is my true man. She carries it in her hand a short distance, and if she meets a young man, he will be ... The Evil One And Kitta Grau
One day the devil met Kitta Grau: "Where have you been, old man?" asked Kitta Grau, for she recognized him. "Well," said the evil one, "I have been out on the farmstead where the newly wedded couple live. This is the third time I have tried t... The Fables Of Pilpay The Hindu
Pilpay is thought to have been a Hindu who lived many centuries before Jesus was born, and who wrote fables that have been translated into almost every language. His fables are older than those of AEsop. ... The Fair One With Golden Locks
There was once a king's daughter so beautiful that they named her the Fair One with Golden Locks. These golden locks were the most remarkable in the world, soft and fine, and falling in long waves down to her very feet. She wore them always thus, ... The Fairies
BY WILLIAM ALLINGHAM Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren't go a-hunting For fear of little men; Wee folk, good folk, Trooping all together: Green jacket, red cap, And white owl's feath... The Fairies And The Fiddler
In the pretty little village of Hayfield, not far from the borders of a thick forest, lived a good-natured, idle fellow, named Simon, who supported his wife and two children by trapping or shooting in winter, and by fishing or doing odd jobs of... The Fairies Of Merlin's Crag
About two hundred years ago there was a poor man working as a labourer on a farm in Lanarkshire. He was what is known as an "Orra Man"; that is, he had no special work mapped out for him to do, but he was expected to undertake odd jobs of any kind... The Fairies' Dancing-place
BY WILLIAM CARLETON Lanty M'Clusky had married a wife, and, of course, it was necessary to have a house in which to keep her. Now, Lanty had taken a bit of a farm, about six acres; but as there was no house on it, he resolved to build one; and ... The Fairy Aurora
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn't happened, it wouldn't be told. There was once a great and mighty emperor, whose kingdom was so large that no one knew where it began and where it ended. Some believed it was boundless, others said ... The Fairy Bird Or The Humming-bird Moth
<p>When I was a schoolboy, a number of my companions brought the news that the strangest bird in the world had come that day to our garden and hovered over the flowers. It was no bigger than a bumble-bee. "No! It was not a humming-bird," th... The Fairy Detestable
Rosalie looked in eagerly. The little house was dark; she could see nothing but she heard the little voice:-- "Thanks, Rosalie, it is to you that I owe my deliverance." The voice seemed to come from the earth. She looked, and saw in a corner ... The Fairy Folk
BY ROBERT BIRD Come cuddle close in daddy's coat Beside the fire so bright, And hear about the fairy folk That wander in the night. For when the stars are shining clear And all the world is still, They ... The Fairy Frog
Once upon a time there lived a man of learning and wealth who had an only son, named Hanina. To this son, who was grown up and married, he sent a messenger asking that he should immediately come to his father. Hanina obeyed, and found both his fat... The Fairy Greyhound
Paddy M'Dermid was one of the most rollicking boys in the whole county of Kildare. Fair or pattern[3] wouldn't be held barring he was in the midst of it. He was in every place, like bad luck, and his poor little farm was seldom sowed in season; an... The Fairy Lamps
<p>There was once a little barelegged, brown-limbed boy who spent all his time in the woods. He loved the woods and all that was in them. He used to look, not at the flowers, but deep down into them, and not at the singing bird, but into its eyes, to... The Fairy Nurse
There was once a little farmer and his wife living near Coolgarrow. They had three children, and my story happened while the youngest was a baby. The wife was a good wife enough, but her mind was all on her family and her farm, and she hardly ... The Fairy Of The Dawn
Once upon a time what should happen DID happen; and if it had not happened this tale would never have been told. There was once an emperor, very great and mighty, and he ruled over an empire so large that no one knew where it began and where it e... The Fairy Princess Of Ergetz
I In a great and beautiful city that stood by the sea, an old man lay dying. Mar Shalmon was his name, and he was the richest man in the land. Propped up with pillows on a richly decorated bed in a luxurious chamber, he gazed, with tears in his... The Fairy Queen
Come, follow, follow me-- You, fairy elves that be, Which circle on the green-- Come, follow Mab, your queen! Hand in hand let's dance around, For this place is fairy ground. When mortals are at rest, ... The Fairy Thorn
An Ulster Ballad BY SAMUEL FERGUSON "Get up, our Anna dear, from the weary spinning wheel, For your father's on the hill, and your mother is asleep: Come up above the crags, and we'll dance a Highland reel Around the fair... The Fairy Tulips
ENGLISH FOLK-TALE Once upon a time there was a good old woman who lived in a little house. She had in her garden a bed of beautiful striped tulips. One night she was wakened by the sounds of sweet singing and of babies laughing. She looked out ... The Fairy's New Year Gift
BY EMILIE POULSSON (ADAPTED) Two little boys were at play one day when a Fairy suddenly appeared before them and said: "I have been sent to give you New Year presents." She handed to each child a package, and in an instant was gone. Carl and ... The Falcon And The Hen
"How ungrateful you must be!" said a Falcon to a Hen. "You are fed with the best of food, you have a snug bed provided for you at night, you are protected from foxes, and yet, when the men who do all this for you want to take hold of you, you run ... The Falcon-king
(From one of Marie's Lays.) There lived once, in Britain, an old knight who was lord of Caerwent, a city situated on the River Douglas. He was wealthy and avaricious, and the sole heir to his possessions, a lovely daughter, he kept locked up in... The Fall Of The Spider Man
In olden times the Spider Man lived in the sky-country. He dwelt in a bright little house all by himself, where he weaved webs and long flimsy ladders by which people went back and forth from the sky to the earth. The Star-people often we... The False Prince And The True
The king had just awakened from his midday sleep, for it was summer, and everyone rose early and rested from twelve to three, as they do in hot countries. He had dressed himself in cool white clothes, and was passing through the hall on his wa... The Family
BY EMILIE POULSSON This is the mother, so busy at home, Who loves her dear children, whatever may come. This is the father, so brave and so strong, Who works for his family all the day long. This is the brother, who'... The Farm
There was once a king and queen, who had three daughters. The two eldest were twins--Orangine and Roussette--and their parents loved them very dearly. They were beautiful and intelligent, but they were not very good. In this they resembled the kin... The Farm The Castle The Forge
Ourson walked more than three hours before he arrived at a large and beautiful farm where he hoped to obtain employment. He saw from a distance the farmer and his family seated before his front door taking their evening meal. He was but a short... The Farmer and His Sons
A FATHER, being on the point of death, wished to be sure that his sons would give the same attention to his farm as he himself had given it. He called them to his bedside and said, "My sons, there is a great treasure hid in one of my vineyards." T... The Farmer and the Cranes
SOME CRANES made their feeding grounds on some plowlands newly sown with wheat. For a long time the Farmer, brandishing an empty sling, chased them away by the terror he inspired; but when the birds found that the sling was only swung in the air, t... The Farmer and the Fox
A FARMER, who bore a grudge against a Fox for robbing his poultry yard, caught him at last, and being determined to take an ample revenge, tied some rope well soaked in oil to his tail, and set it on fire. The Fox by a strange fatality rushed to th... The Farmer and the Snake
ONE WINTER a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him ... The Farmer and the Stork
A FARMER placed nets on his newly-sown plowlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed. With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life. "Pray sav... The Farmer The Spaniel And The Cat
Why knits my dear her angry brow? What rude offence alarms you now? I said, that DELIA'S fair; 'tis true, But did I say she equall'd you? Can't I another's face commend, Or to her virtues be a friend, But instantly your forehead l... The Farmyard Cock And The Weathercock
THERE were once two cocks; one of them stood on a dunghill, the other on the roof. Both were conceited, but the question is, Which of the two was the more useful? A wooden partition divided the poultry yard from another yard, in which lay a hea... The Fate Of The Turtle
In a very hot country, far away to the east, was a beautiful little lake where two wild ducks made their home, and passed their days swimming and playing in its clear waters. They had it all to themselves, except for a turtle, who was many years o... The Father and His Sons
A FATHER had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day... The Father And His Sons
A Father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations, he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion and for this purpose he one day... The Father and His Two Daughters
A MAN had two daughters, the one married to a gardener, and the other to a tile-maker. After a time he went to the daughter who had married the gardener, and inquired how she was and how all things went with her. She said, "All things are prosperi... The Fawn and His Mother
A YOUNG FAWN once said to his Mother, "You are larger than a dog, and swifter, and more used to running, and you have your horns as a defense; why, then, O Mother! do the hounds frighten you so?" She smiled, and said: "I know full well, my son, tha... The Female Seducers
'Tis said of WIDOW, MAID, and WIFE, That honour is a WOMAN'S life; Unhappy sex! who only claim A being in the breath of fame, Which, tainted, not the quick'ning gales That sweep SABAEA'S spicy vales, Nor all the healing sweets res... The Ferry For Shadowtown
Sway to and fro in the twilight gray; This is the ferry for Shadowtown; It always sails at the end of the day, Just as the darkness closes down. Rest little head, on my shoulder, so; A sleepy kiss is the only ... The Field Of Boliauns
One fine day in harvest--it was indeed Lady-day in harvest, that everybody knows to be one of the greatest holidays in the year--Tom Fitzpatrick was taking a ramble through the ground, and went along the sunny side of a hedge; when all of a sud... The Fiend Persists But God Resists
In ancient times there lived a good master. He had plenty of everything, and many slaves served him. And the slaves prided themselves on their master. They said: "There is not a better master under heaven. He feeds us and dresses us well, and g... The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle
TWO GAME COCKS were fiercely fighting for the mastery of the farmyard. One at last put the other to flight. The vanquished Cock skulked away and hid himself in a quiet corner, while the conqueror, flying up to a high wall, flapped his wings and cr... The Fine Good Show
BY JESSIE WRIGHT WHITCOMB A little girl and a little boy started down the road together to take a walk. They met a dog. "Good morning, Dog," said the little girl. "Bow-wow!" answered the dog. "Come and take a walk with us, Dog," said the l... The Finest Liar In The World
At the edge of a wood there lived an old man who had only one son, and one day he called the boy to him and said he wanted some corn ground, but the youth must be sure never to enter any mill where the miller was beardless. The boy took the corn ... The Fingerboard Goldenrod
<p>"Oh, Mother Carey! All-mother! Lover of us little plants as well as the big trees! Listen to us little slender Goldenrods.</p> <p>"We want to be famous, Mother Carey, but our stems are so little and our gold is so small, that we cannot c... The Fir Tree
FAR away in the forest, where the warm sun and the fresh air made a sweet resting place, grew a pretty little fir tree. The situation was all that could be desired; and yet the tree was not happy, it wished so much to be like its tall companions, ... The Fir-tree
Translated from the German of Hans Christian Andersen. There was once a pretty little fir-tree in a wood. It was in a capital position, for it could get sun, and there was enough air, and all around grew many tall companions, both pines and firs... The Fir-Tree and the Bramble
A FIR-TREE said boastingly to the Bramble, "You are useful for nothing at all; while I am everywhere used for roofs and houses." The Bramble answered: 'You poor creature, if you would only call to mind the axes and saws which are about to hew you d... The Fire
During harvest-time the men and women went out to work. In the village were left only the old and the very young. In one hut there remained a grandmother with her three grandchildren. The grandmother made a fire in the oven, and lay down to rest...