The Girl-fish
: The Orange Fairy BookOnce upon a time there lived, on the bank of a stream, a man and a
woman who had a daughter. As she was an only child, and very pretty
besides, they never could make up their minds to punish her for her
faults or to teach her nice manners; and as for work-- she laughed in
her mother's face if she asked her to help cook the dinner or to wash
the plates. All the girl would do was to spend her days in dancing and
might as well have no daughter at all.
However, one morning her mother looked so tired that even the selfish
girl could not help seeing it, and asked if there was anything she was
able to do, so that her mother might rest a little.
The good woman looked so surprised and grateful for this offer that the
girl felt rather ashamed, and at that moment would have scrubbed down
the house if she had been requested; but her mother only begged her to
take the fishing-net out to the bank of the river and mend some holes
in it, as her father intended to go fishing that night.
The girl took the net and worked so hard that soon there was not a hole
to be found. She felt quite pleased with herself, though she had had
plenty to amuse her, as everybody who passed by had stopped and had a
chat with her. But by this time the sun was high overhead, and she was
just folding her net to carry it home again, when she heard a splash
behind her, and looking round she saw a big fish jump into the air.
Seizing the net with both hands, she flung it into the water where the
circles were spreading one behind the other, and, more by luck than
skill, drew out the fish.
'Well, you are a beauty!' she cried to herself; but the fish looked up
to her and said:
'You had better not kill me, for, if you do, I will turn you into a
fish yourself!'
The girl laughed contemptuously, and ran straight in to her mother.
'Look what I have caught,' she said gaily; 'but it is almost a pity to
eat it, for it can talk, and it declares that, if I kill it, it will
turn me into a fish too.'
'Oh, put it back, put it back!' implored the mother. 'Perhaps it is
skilled in magic. And I should die, and so would your father, if
anything should happen to you.'
'Oh, nonsense, mother; what power could a creature like that have over
me? Besides, I am hungry, and if I don't have my dinner soon, I shall
be cross.' And off she went to gather some flowers to stick in her
hair.
About an hour later the blowing of a horn told her that dinner was
ready.
'Didn't I say that fish would be delicious?' she cried; and plunging
her spoon into the dish the girl helped herself to a large piece. But
the instant it touched her mouth a cold shiver ran through her. Her
head seemed to flatten, and her eyes to look oddly round the corners;
her legs and her arms were stuck to her sides, and she gasped wildly
for breath. With a mighty bound she sprang through the window and fell
into the river, where she soon felt better, and was able to swim to the
sea, which was close by.
No sooner had she arrived there than the sight of her sad face
attracted the notice of some of the other fishes, and they pressed
round her, begging her to tell them her story.
'I am not a fish at all,' said the new-comer, swallowing a great deal
of salt water as she spoke; for you cannot learn how to be a proper
fish all in a moment. 'I am not a fish at all, but a girl; at least I
was a girl a few minutes ago, only--' And she ducked her head under the
waves so that they should not see her crying.
'Only you did not believe that the fish you caught had power to carry
out its threat,' said an old tunny. 'Well, never mind, that has
happened to all of us, and it really is not a bad life. Cheer up and
come with us and see our queen, who lives in a palace that is much more
beautiful than any your queens can boast of.'
The new fish felt a little afraid of taking such a journey; but as she
was still more afraid of being left alone, she waved her tail in token
of consent, and off they all set, hundreds of them together. The
people on the rocks and in the ships that saw them pass said to each
other:
'Look what a splendid shoal!' and had no idea that they were hastening
to the queen's palace; but, then, dwellers on land have so little
notion of what goes on in the bottom of the sea! Certainly the little
new fish had none. She had watched jelly-fish and nautilus swimming a
little way below the surface, and beautiful coloured sea-weeds floating
about; but that was all. Now, when she plunged deeper her eyes fell
upon strange things.
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl, inestimable stones,
unvalued jewels-- all scattered in the bottom of the sea! Dead men's
bones were there also, and long white creatures who had never seen the
light, for they mostly dwelt in the clefts of rocks where the sun's
rays could not come. At first our little fish felt as if she were
blind also, but by-and-by she began to make out one object after
another in the green dimness, and by the time she had swum for a few
hours all became clear.
'Here we are at last,' cried a big fish, going down into a deep valley,
for the sea has its mountains and valleys just as much as the land.
'That is the palace of the queen of the fishes, and I think you must
confess that the emperor himself has nothing so fine.'
'It is beautiful indeed,' gasped the little fish, who was very tired
with trying to swim as fast as the rest, and beautiful beyond words the
palace was. The walls were made of pale pink coral, worn smooth by the
waters, and round the windows were rows of pearls; the great doors were
standing open, and the whole troop floated into the chamber of
audience, where the queen, who was half a woman after all, was seated
on a throne made of a green and blue shell.
'Who are you, and where do you come from?' said she to the little fish,
whom the others had pushed in front. And in a low, trembling voice,
the visitor told her story.
'I was once a girl too,' answered the queen, when the fish had ended;
'and my father was the king of a great country. A husband was found
for me, and on my wedding-day my mother placed her crown on my head and
told me that as long as I wore it I should likewise be queen. For many
months I was as happy as a girl could be, especially when I had a
little son to play with. But, one morning, when I was walking in my
gardens, there came a giant and snatched the crown from my head.
Holding me fast, he told me that he intended to give the crown to his
daughter, and to enchant my husband the prince, so that he should not
know the difference between us. Since then she has filled my place and
been queen in my stead. As for me, I was so miserable that I threw
myself into the sea, and my ladies, who loved me, declared that they
would die too; but, instead of dying, some wizard, who pitied my fate,
turned us all into fishes, though he allowed me to keep the face and
body of a woman. And fished we must remain till someone brings me back
my crown again!'
'I will bring it back if you tell me what to do!' cried the little
fish, who would have promised anything that was likely to carry her up
to earth again. And the queen answered:
'Yes, I will tell you what to do.'
She sat silent for a moment, and then went on:
'There is no danger if you will only follow my counsel; and first you
must return to earth, and go up to the top of a high mountain, where
the giant has built his castle. You will find him sitting on the steps
weeping for his daughter, who has just died while the prince was away
hunting. At the last she sent her father my crown by a faithful
servant. But I warn you to be careful, for if he sees you he may kill
you. Therefore I will give you the power to change yourself into any
creature that may help you best. You have only to strike your
forehead, and call out its name.'
This time the journey to land seemed much shorter than before, and when
once the fish reached the shore she struck her forehead sharply with
her tail, and cried:
'Deer, come to me!'
In a moment the small, slimy body disappeared, and in its place stood a
beautiful beast with branching horns and slender legs, quivering with
longing to be gone. Throwing back her head and snuffing the air, she
broke into a run, leaping easily over the rivers and walls that stood
in her way.
It happened that the king's son had been hunting since daybreak, but
had killed nothing, and when the deer crossed his path as he was
resting under a tree he determined to have her. He flung himself on
his horse, which went like the wind, and as the prince had often hunted
the forest before, and knew all the short cuts, he at last came up with
the panting beast.
'By your favour let me go, and do not kill me,' said the deer, turning
to the prince with tears in her eyes, 'for I have far to run and much
to do.' And as the prince, struck dumb with surprise, only looked at
her, the deer cleared the next wall and was soon out of sight.
'That can't really be a deer,' thought the prince to himself, reining
in his horse and not attempting to follow her. 'No deer ever had eyes
like that. It must be an enchanted maiden, and I will marry her and no
other.' So, turning his horse's head, he rode slowly back to his
palace.
The deer reached the giant's castle quite out of breath, and her heart
sank as she gazed at the tall, smooth walls which surrounded it. Then
she plucked up courage and cried:
'Ant, come to me!' And in a moment the branching horns and beautiful
shape had vanished, and a tiny brown ant, invisible to all who did not
look closely, was climbing up the walls.
It was wonderful how fast she went, that little creature! The wall
must have appeared miles high in comparison with her own body; yet, in
less time than would have seemed possible, she was over the top and
down in the courtyard on the other side. Here she paused to consider
what had best be done next, and looking about her she saw that one of
the walls had a tall tree growing by it, and in the corner was a window
very nearly on a level with the highest branches of the tree.
'Monkey, come to me!' cried the ant; and before you could turn round a
monkey was swinging herself from the topmost branches into the room
where the giant lay snoring.
'Perhaps he will be so frightened at the sight of me that he may die of
fear, and I shall never get the crown,' thought the monkey. 'I had
better become something else.' And she called softly: 'Parrot, come to
me!'
Then a pink and grey parrot hopped up to the giant, who by this time
was stretching himself and giving yawns which shook the castle. The
parrot waited a little, until he was really awake, and then she said
boldly that she had been sent to take away the crown, which was not his
any longer, now his daughter the queen was dead.
On hearing these words the giant leapt out of bed with an angry roar,
and sprang at the parrot in order to wring her neck with his great
hands. But the bird was too quick for him, and, flying behind his
back, begged the giant to have patience, as her death would be of no
use to him.
'That is true,' answered the giant; 'but I am not so foolish as to give
you that crown for nothing. Let me think what I will have in
exchange!' And he scratched his huge head for several minutes, for
giants' minds always move slowly.
'Ah, yes, that will do!' exclaimed the giant at last, his face
brightening. 'You shall have the crown if you will bring me a collar
of blue stones from the Arch of St. Martin, in the Great City.'
Now when the parrot had been a girl she had often heard of this
wonderful arch and the precious stones and marbles that had been let
into it. It sounded as if it would be a very hard thing to get them
away from the building of which they formed a part, but all had gone
well with her so far, and at any rate she could but try. So she bowed
to the giant, and made her way back to the window where the giant could
not see her. Then she called quickly:
'Eagle, come to me!'
Before she had even reached the tree she felt herself borne up on
strong wings ready to carry her to the clouds if she wished to go
there, and seeming a mere speck in the sky, she was swept along till
she beheld the Arch of St. Martin far below, with the rays of the sun
shining on it. Then she swooped down, and, hiding herself behind a
buttress so that she could not be detected from below, she set herself
to dig out the nearest blue stones with her beak. It was even harder
work than she had expected; but at last it was done, and hope arose in
her heart. She next drew out a piece of string that she had found
hanging from a tree, and sitting down to rest strung the stones
together. When the necklace was finished she hung it round her neck,
and called: 'Parrot, come to me!' And a little later the pink and grey
parrot stood before the giant.
'Here is the necklace you asked for,' said the parrot. And the eyes of
the giant glistened as he took the heap of blue stones in his hand.
But for all that he was not minded to give up the crown.
'They are hardly as blue as I expected,' he grumbled, though the parrot
knew as well as he did that he was not speaking the truth; 'so you must
bring me something else in exchange for the crown you covet so much.
If you fail it will cost you not only the crown but you life also.'
'What is it you want now?' asked the parrot; and the giant answered:
'If I give you my crown I must have another still more beautiful; and
this time you shall bring me a crown of stars.'
The parrot turned away, and as soon as she was outside she murmured:
'Toad, come to me!' And sure enough a toad she was, and off she set in
search of the starry crown.
She had not gone far before she came to a clear pool, in which the
stars were reflected so brightly that they looked quite real to touch
and handle. Stooping down she filled a bag she was carrying with the
shining water and, returning to the castle, wove a crown out of the
reflected stars. Then she cried as before:
'Parrot, come to me!' And in the shape of a parrot she entered the
presence of the giant.
'Here is the crown you asked for,' she said; and this time the giant
could not help crying out with admiration. He knew he was beaten, and
still holding the chaplet of stars, he turned to the girl.
'Your power is greater than mine: take the crown; you have won it
fairly!'
The parrot did not need to be told twice. Seizing the crown, she
sprang on to the window, crying: 'Monkey, come to me!' And to a
monkey, the climb down the tree into the courtyard did not take half a
minute. When she had reached the ground she said again: 'Ant, come to
me!' And a little ant at once began to crawl over the high wall. How
glad the ant was to be out of the giant's castle, holding fast the
crown which had shrunk into almost nothing, as she herself had done,
but grew quite big again when the ant exclaimed:
'Deer, come to me!'
Surely no deer ever ran so swiftly as that one! On and on she went,
bounding over rivers and crashing through tangles till she reached the
sea. Here she cried for the last time:
'Fish, come to me!' And, plunging in, she swam along the bottom as far
as the palace, where the queen and all the fishes gathered together
awaiting her.
The hours since she had left had gone very slowly--as they always do to
people that are waiting--and many of them had quite given up hope.
'I am tired of staying here,' grumbled a beautiful little creature,
whose colours changed with every movement of her body, 'I want to see
what is going on in the upper world. It must be months since that fish
went away.'
'It was a very difficult task, and the giant must certainly have killed
her or she would have been back long ago,' remarked another.
'The young flies will be coming out now,' murmured a third, 'and they
will all be eaten up by the river fish! It is really too bad!' When,
suddenly, a voice was heard from behind: 'Look! look! what is that
bright thing that is moving so swiftly towards us?' And the queen
started up, and stood on her tail, so excited was she.
A silence fell on all the crowd, and even the grumblers held their
peace and gazed like the rest. On and on came the fish, holding the
crown tightly in her mouth, and the others moved back to let her pass.
On she went right up to the queen, who bent and, taking the crown,
placed it on her own head. Then a wonderful thing happened. Her tail
dropped away or, rather, it divided and grew into two legs and a pair
of the prettiest feet in the world, while her maidens, who were grouped
around her, shed their scales and became girls again. They all turned
and looked at each other first, and next at the little fish who had
regained her own shape and was more beautiful than any of them.
'It is you who have given us back our life; you, you!' they cried; and
fell to weeping from very joy.
So they all went back to earth and the queen's palace, and quite forgot
the one that lay under the sea. But they had been so long away that
they found many changes. The prince, the queen's husband, had died
some years since, and in his place was her son, who had grown up and
was king! Even in his joy at seeing his mother again an air of sadness
clung to him, and at last the queen could bear it no longer, and begged
him to walk with her in the garden. Seated together in a bower of
jessamine--where she had passed long hours as a bride--she took her
son's hand and entreated him to tell her the cause of his sorrow.
'For,' said she, 'if I can give you happiness you shall have it.'
'It is no use,' answered the prince; 'nobody can help me. I must bear
it alone.'
'But at least let me share your grief,' urged the queen.
'No one can do that,' said he. 'I have fallen in love with what I can
never marry, and I must get on as best I can.'
'It may not be as impossible as you think,' answered the queen. 'At
any rate, tell me.'
There was silence between them for a moment, then, turning away his
head, the prince answered gently:
'I have fallen in love with a beautiful deer!'
'Ah, if that is all,' exclaimed the queen joyfully. And she told him
in broken words that, as he had guessed, it was no deer but an
enchanted maiden who had won back the crown and brought her home to her
own people.
'She is here, in my palace,' added the queen. 'I will take you to her.'
But when the prince stood before the girl, who was so much more
beautiful than anything he had ever dreamed of, he lost all his
courage, and stood with bent head before her.
Then the maiden drew near, and her eyes, as she looked at him, were the
eyes of the deer that day in the forest. She whispered softly:
'By your favour let me go, and do not kill me.'
And the prince remembered her words, and his heart was filled with
happiness. And the queen, his mother, watched them and smiled.
[From Cuentos Populars Catalans, por lo Dr. D. Francisco de S.
Maspons y Labros.]
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A GNAT settled on the horn of a Bull, and sat there a long time. Just as he was about to fly off, he made a buzzing noise, and inquired of the Bull if he would like him to go. The Bull replied, "I did not know you had come, and I shall not miss you... The Gnat and the Lion
A GNAT came and said to a Lion, "I do not in the least fear you, nor are you stronger than I am. For in what does your strength consist? You can scratch with your claws and bite with your teeth an a woman in her quarrels. I repeat that I am altoge... The Go-sleep Story
BY EUDORA S. BUMSTEAD "How can I go to bed," said Penny, the flossy dog, "till I say good-night to Baby Ray? He gives me part of his bread and milk, and pats me with his little, soft hand. It is bedtime now for dogs and babies. I wonder if he is ... The Goat and the Ass
A MAN once kept a Goat and an Ass. The Goat, envying the Ass on account of his greater abundance of food, said, "How shamefully you are treated: at one time grinding in the mill, and at another carrying heavy burdens"; and he further advised him t... The Goat and the Goatherd
A GOATHERD had sought to bring back a stray goat to his flock. He whistled and sounded his horn in vain; the straggler paid no attention to the summons. At last the Goatherd threw a stone, and breaking its horn, begged the Goat not to tell his mast... The Goat And The Horse
A Goat, in mute delight, To the sweet echoes of a violin, Harmonious, long stood listening; His feet, the while, in sympathetic measure, Danced all unconsciously for pleasure. And, to an honest Nag, who, in like mood Absorb... The Goat's Ears Of The Emperor Trojan
Once upon a time there lived an emperor whose name was Trojan, and he had ears like a goat. Every morning, when he was shaved, he asked if the man saw anything odd about him, and as each fresh barber always replied that the emperor had goat's ears,... The Goat-faced Girl
There was once upon a time a peasant called Masaniello who had twelve daughters. They were exactly like the steps of a staircase, for there was just a year between each sister. It was all the poor man could do to bring up such a large family, an... The Goatherd and the Wild Goats
A GOATHERD, driving his flock from their pasture at eventide, found some Wild Goats mingled among them, and shut them up together with his own for the night. The next day it snowed very hard, so that he could not take the herd to their usual feedin... The Goblin And The Huckster
THERE was once a regular student, who lived in a garret and had no possessions. And there was also a regular huckster, to whom the house belonged, and who occupied the ground floor. A goblin lived with the huckster because at Christmas he always h... The Goblin Pony
‘Don't stir from the fireplace to-night,' said old Peggy, ‘for the wind is blowing so violently that the house shakes; besides, this is Hallow-e'en, when the witches are abroad, and the goblins, who are their servants, are wandering about in... The Gold-bearded Man
Once upon a time there lived a great king who had a wife and one son whom he loved very much. The boy was still young when, one day, the king said to his wife: 'I feel that the hour of my death draws near, and I want you to promise that you will nev... The Golden Archer
In the midst of a plain stood a great church built of white stones, with a massive tower. On this tower was a weather vane in the shape of a golden man who rode a golden horse, and made ready to shoot a golden arrow. Only the arrow never left the ... The Golden Ball
Once upon a time there lived two lasses, who were sisters, and as they came from the fair they saw a right handsome young man standing at a house door before them. They had never seen such a handsome young man before. He had gold on his cap, gold ... The Golden Beetle Or Why The Dog Hates The Cat
"What we shall eat to-morrow, I haven't the slightest idea!" said Widow Wang to her eldest son, as he started out one morning in search of work. "Oh, the gods will provide. I'll find a few coppers somewhere," replied the boy, trying to speak ... The Golden Bird
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone. The king became ver... The Golden Blackbird
Once upon a time there was a great lord who had three sons. He fell very ill, sent for doctors of every kind, even bonesetters, but they, none of them, could find out what was the matter with him, or even give him any relief. At last there came ... The Golden Branch
ONCE upon a time there was a King who was so morose and disagreeable that he was feared by all his subjects, and with good reason, as for the most trifling offences he would have their heads cut off. This King Grumpy, as he was called, had one son,... The Golden Crab
'Prinz Krebs,' from Griechische Mahrchen. Schmidt. Once upon a time there was a fisherman who had a wife and three children. Every morning he used to go out fishing, and whatever fish he caught he sold to the King. One day, among the other fi... The Golden Duck
THE STORY OF PRINCE RADUZ AND THE FAITHFUL LUDMILA Once upon a time there was a king who had four sons. One day the queen said to him: "It is time that one of our boys went out into the world to make his fortune." "I have been thinking tha... The Golden Godmother
THE STORY OF POOR LUKAS There was once a wealthy farmer named Lukas who was so careless in the management of his affairs that there came a time when all his property was gone and he had nothing left but one old tumble-down cottage. Then when it... The Golden Goose
There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling,[*] and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion. It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave h... The Golden Goose
THERE was once a man who had three sons. The youngest of them was called Dullhead, and was sneered and jeered at and snubbed on every possible opportunity. One day it happened that the eldest son wished to go into the forest to cut wood, and befo... The Golden Lads
A poor man and his wife lived in a little cottage, where they supported themselves by catching fish in the nearest river, and got on as best they could, living from hand to mouth. One day it happened that when the fisherman drew in his net he fo... The Golden Lion
Sicilianische Mahrchen. L. Gonzenbach. There was once a rich merchant who had three sons, and when they were grown up the eldest said to him, 'Father, I wish to travel and see the world. I pray you let me.' So the father ordered a beautiful s... The Golden Mermaid
A powerful king had, among many other treasures, a wonderful tree in his garden, which bore every year beautiful golden apples. But the King was never able to enjoy his treasure, for he might watch and guard them as he liked, as soon as they beg... The Golden Nugget
Once upon a time many, many years ago, there lived in China two friends named Ki-wu and Pao-shu. These two young men, like Damon and Pythias, loved each other and were always together. No cross words passed between them; no unkind thoughts marr... The Golden Snuff-box
Once upon a time, and a very good time too, though it was not in my time, nor your time, nor for the matter of that in any one's time, there lived a man and a woman who had one son called Jack, and he was just terribly fond of reading books. He re... The Golden Spinning Wheel
THE STORY OF KING DOBROMIL AND THE GOOD DOBRUNKA There was once a poor woman who had twin daughters. The girls were exactly alike in face and feature but utterly different in disposition. Dobrunka was kind, industrious, obedient, and everything ... The Golden Temple
Once upon a time there was a town called Atpat. In it there reigned a king who had four daughters-in-law. He loved three of them very dearly, but the fourth, who was an ugly little girl, he did not like at all. To the three daughters-in-law he gave ...