The Sunday Story
: Deccan Nursery TalesWhen Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they
listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears,
of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding
Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stories fade gradually from
their minds. But a time comes when they have children of their own. And
then, to amuse the children, they can find no tales more thrilling
than those
old nursery tales are handed down for centuries from generation to
generation. Exactly the same process goes on in India, There, too, when
little Indian boys and girls grow up and have little boys and girls of
their own, they too tell to wide-eyed audiences the tales which they
themselves found so thrilling in their own childhood. Indian nursery
tales, it is true, have a more religious tinge than those of Europe,
but they are none the less appreciated on that account. The first six
stories in this little book purport to explain the connexion between
the heavenly bodies and the days of the week. So each day of the week
has its separate tale. And all through Shravan or August, probably
because it is the wettest month in the year, Deccan mothers tell afresh
every week-day that day's story. And little Deccan children listen
to the tales as they fall due with the same unvarying attention. For
in nurseries, Indian as well as English, tales are loved the better
when no longer new, and where the end is well known to, and therefore
the better understood by, the tiny round-eyed listeners.
Now this is the tale which is told every Sunday [2] in Shravan: Once
upon a time there was a town called Atpat, and in it there lived a
poor Brahman. Every day he used to go into the woods to fetch sticks
and to cut grass. One day he met there some nymphs and wood-fairies,
who said that they were performing holy rites in honour of the sun. He
asked, "What are these rites?" They replied, "If we tell you, you will
become proud and vain and you will not perform them properly." But the
Brahman promised, "No, I shall not become proud or vain and I shall
observe the rites you tell me." They then told him that the month of
Shravan was coming, and that on the first Sunday of Shravan he was
to draw a picture of the sun with red sandal paste, that he was to
offer to the drawing flowers and fruit, and that he should continue
doing this for six months. Thereafter he should in various ways,
which they told him, entertain guests and give alms to the poor.
The Brahman went home and performed the rites to the letter, so that
the sun-god was very pleased. Wealth came to the Brahman and he grew
richer and richer, and at last the queen of the land sent for him. The
poor Brahman began to tremble and shake all over, but the queen said,
"Do not shake or tremble, but give your daughters in marriage to our
house." The Brahman said, "My daughters are poor; you will make them
slaves or maid-servants." "No," said the queen, "I shall not make
them slaves or maid-servants; I shall marry one to a king, and one to
a minister." The Brahman agreed, and when the month of Margashish,
or December, came he gave his two daughters in marriage, one to the
king and one to the minister. Immediately after the marriage the
Brahman said good-bye to his daughters, and did not see them again
for twelve years. Then he visited the elder one, who had married the
king. She gave him a wooden stand on which to sit while eating, and
water in which to wash his feet, and then said, "Papa, papa, there
is pudding to eat, there is water to drink." But the Brahman said,
"Before I eat or drink, I must tell you my story." But his daughter
said, "Papa, I have no time to listen to your story; the king is
going a-hunting, and I must not keep him waiting for his dinner." The
Brahman thought this very disrespectful and went off in a great rage
to the house of his other daughter, who had married a minister. She
welcomed her father and gave him a wooden stand on which to eat,
and water to wash his feet, and said, "Papa, papa, here is pudding to
eat and here is water to drink." But the Brahman said, "Before I eat
or drink I must tell you my story." His daughter said, "Of course,
papa, tell it to me, and I shall listen as long as you like." Then
she went into an inner room and she fetched six pearls. She took three
herself and three she put in her father's hand. And he told her how he
had met the nymphs and wood-fairies, who had told him to worship the
sun-god, and she listened to it all without missing a syllable. Then
the Brahman ate and drank and went back to his own house. His wife
asked him about their two daughters. He told her everything and said,
"The elder one who would not listen to my story will come to grief."
And so she did. For the king, her husband, took an army into a
far country and never came back. But the daughter who had listened
to the story lived well and happy. As time went on the undutiful
daughter became poorer and poorer, until one day she said to her
eldest son, "Go to your aunt's house and beg of her to give you a
present, and bring back whatever she gives you." Next Sunday the
boy started and went to the village where his aunt lived. Standing
by the village tank he called out, "O maids, O slave-girls, whose
maids and slave-girls are ye?" They answered, "We are the maids and
the slave-girls of the minister." The boy said, "Go and tell the
minister's wife that her sister's son is here. Tell her that he is
standing by the village tank, that his coat is tattered and that
his garments are torn, and ask her to let him come into her house
through the back door." The slave-girls took him in through the
back door. His aunt had him bathed, and gave him clothes to wear,
and food to eat, and drink, and a pumpkin hollowed out and filled
with gold coins. As he left, she called to him, "Do not drop it, do
not forget it, but take it carefully home." But as the boy went home,
the sun-god came disguised as a gardener and stole the pumpkin filled
with gold. When the boy reached his mother's house she asked, "Well,
my son, what did your aunt give you?" He said, "Fortune gave, but Karma
[3] took away; I lost everything my aunt bestowed on me." Next Sunday
the second son went and stood by the village tank and called out,
"O slave-girls and maid-servants, who is your master?" They said,
"Our master is the minister." "Then tell the minister's wife that
her nephew is here." He was taken in by the back door. He was bathed
and clothed and given food and drink. As he was going, his aunt gave
him a hollow stick full of gold coins and said, "Do not drop it,
do not forget it, mind it carefully and take it home." On the way
the sun-god came in the guise of a cowherd and stole the stick. When
the boy got home his mother asked him what he had brought. He said,
"Fortune gave, but Karma took away." On the third Sunday a third son
went and stood by the village tank. His aunt received him like the
others and had him bathed, clothed, and fed. As he was going away,
she gave him a hollow cocoa-nut stuffed with gold coins and said,
"Do not drop it, do not forget it, but mind it carefully and take it
home." On the way back he put down the cocoa-nut on the edge of a well,
and it toppled over and fell into the water with a great splash. When
he reached his mother's house she asked him what his aunt's present
was. He said, "I have lost everything which fortune brought me." On
the fourth Sunday the fourth son went. His aunt welcomed him like
the others, and had him bathed and fed. When he left she gave him an
earthen pot full of gold coins. But the sun-god came in the guise
of a kite and snatched the pot away. When the boy reached home his
mother asked him whether his aunt had given him anything. He said,
"I have lost everything which my aunt gave me." On the fifth Sunday
the mother herself got up and went to her sister's village and stood
by the tank. The minister's wife took her in through her back door
and had her clothed and fed. Then the minister's wife told her that
all her trouble had come through not listening to her father's story,
and the minister's wife repeated it to her. The king's wife listened
to it, and stayed with her sister until the following month of Shravan,
or August, when she did fitting worship to the sun.
Instantly good fortune came to her. After years of weary fighting, her
husband, the king, at last overcame his enemies, and after taking great
wealth from them turned homewards with his army. As he went towards his
capital, he passed the village where the minister's wife lived. There he
learnt that his queen was with her sister, so he sent for her with a
befitting escort. "O auntie, auntie," cried all the queen's little
nephews and nieces, "umbrellas have come for you, and horse-tails and
guards and foot-soldiers." Every one rushed out to see, and the king and
queen greeted each other after years of separation. The sisters gave
each other gifts of clothes, and the king and his queen went away
together. At the first halting-place the servants cooked the food. The
queen filled the king's plate and then her own, and then she thought of
the story which her sister had told her. She ordered her servants to go
through the neighbouring village and bring in any one who was hungry and
too poor to buy food. They found none such in the village, but on the
way back they met a starving wood-cutter, and, bringing him to the
queen, told him to listen to the tale which she would tell him. The
queen brought six pearls. Three she gave to the wood-cutter, and three
she kept herself. Then she told him the story of her father and the
wood-fairies. The wood-cutter listened with all attention, and as he
listened his faggot of wood became all of gold. He went away delighted,
promising to worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had shown to
the Brahman.
Next day the cavalcade reached the second halting-place. Food was
cooked; the queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate, and
again she told her, servants to bring from the neighbouring village any
one who was hungry and too poor to buy food. They came upon a petty
farmer, whose well had dried up and whose crops had withered. He was
sitting sadly by his field when they called him to go with them and
listen to the queen's tale. He went with them to the camp. There the
queen brought six pearls and gave three of them to the farmer and
kept three of them herself. Then she told the story of her father
and the wood-fairies. And as the farmer listened, all attention,
the water began to pour into the well, and the crop began to look
fresh and green. He went away delighted, and promised to worship the
sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman. Next day the
cavalcade reached the third halting-place. Food was cooked, and the
queen filled the king's plate and then her own plate. Then she told
the servants to search in the neighbouring village for any one who
was hungry and too poor to buy food. They met an old woman. Her eldest
son had been lost in the forest. Her second son had been drowned in a
pond. Her third son had died of snake-bite. They told her to come and
listen to the queen's story. She went with them, and as she listened,
all attention, first the son who had been lost in the forest walked
into the camp, next the son who had been drowned in the pond, and
last of all the son who had died of a snake-bite. The old woman went
away crying with joy, and promising to worship the sun in the way
the wood-fairies had instructed the Brahman. Next day the cavalcade
reached the fourth halting-place. Food was cooked, and the queen first
filled the king's plate and then her own. After dinner she sent her
servants as before to bring in some poor and hungry man from the
neighbouring village. They found a man whose eyes were so crooked
that he could hardly see, who had no arms or legs, and who had not
even a name. For he was only known as "Lump of flesh." He was lying
on his face, but when they brought him into camp, the queen had him
placed on his back and had a jug of water poured over him. Then she
took six pearls. Three she kept herself, and three she placed on the
stomach of "Lump of flesh." Then she told him the tale of her father
and the wood-fairies. He listened, all attention, and as he listened
his arms and legs grew out of his body, and hands and feet appeared
at the ends of them. He too went away delighted, and he promised to
worship the sun in the way the wood-fairies had told the Brahman.
At the end of the next day's march the king and queen reached their
home. Food was cooked, and as they sat down to dinner the sun-god
himself appeared and joined them at their meal. The king had all
the doors flung wide open, and ordered a fresh and far more splendid
dinner to be prepared, with any number of dishes, each dish having
six separate flavours. When it was served the sun-god and the king
began to eat, but in the first mouthful the sun-god found a hair. He
got very very angry, and called out, "To what sinful woman does this
hair belong?" Then the poor queen remembered that during her twelve
years of poverty she had always sat under the eaves combing her hair,
and knew that it must have been one of her hairs which had got into
the sun-god's food. She begged for mercy, but the sun-god would
not forgive her until she had clothed herself in a black blanket,
plucked a stick out of the eaves, and had gone outside the town and
there thrown the stick and the hair over her left shoulder. Then the
sun-god recovered his good-humour, and finished his dinner. And the
Brahman, the king and queen, and the wood-cutter and the farmer whose
well had dried up, and the old woman who had lost her children, and
"Lump of flesh" with the cross eyes, they all remained in the favour
of the sun-god and lived happily ever afterwards.
More
-
The Story Of The Three Bears
<p class="cap">THERE were once three bears, who lived in a wood,<br /> Their porridge was thick, and their chairs and beds good.<br /> The biggest bear, Bruin, was surly and rough;<br /> His wife, Mrs. Bruin, was called Mammy Muff.<br /> Thei... The Story Of The Three Bears
Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. They had each a pot for their porrid... The Story Of The Three Bears
Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. They had each a pot for their porridge... The Story Of The Three Bears
Once upon a time there were three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a wood. One of them was a Little Wee Bear, and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great Big Bear. They had each a bowl for their porridge; a litt... The Story Of The Three Calenders Sons Of Kings And Of Five Ladies Of Bagdad
In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived at Bagdad a porter who, in spite of his humble calling, was an intelligent and sensible man. One morning he was sitting in his usual place with his basket before him, waiting to be hired, ... The Story Of The Three Sons Of Hali
Till his eighteenth birthday the young Neangir lived happily in a village about forty miles from Constantinople, believing that Mohammed and Zinebi his wife, who had brought him up, were his real parents. Neangir was quite content with his lo... The Story Of The Vizir Who Was Punished
There was once upon a time a king who had a son who was very fond of hunting. He often allowed him to indulge in this pastime, but he had ordered his grand-vizir always to go with him, and never to lose sight of him. One day the huntsman roused ... The Story Of The White Dawnsinger Or How The Bloodroot Came
<p>Have you noticed that there are no snow-white birds in our woods during summer? Mother Carey long ago made it a rule that all snow-white landbirds should go north, when the snow was gone in the springtime. And they were quite obedient; they flew, ... The Story Of The Willow Pattern Plate
RETOLD BY M. ALSTON BUCKLEY Once upon a time there lived in China a rich and haughty mandarin, who had great riches in lands, and horses, and priceless jewels. This great man had one lovely daughter with soft black eyes, and raven hair that sca... The Story Of The Yara
Down in the south, where the sun shines so hotly that everything and everybody sleeps all day, and even the great forests seem silent, except early in the morning and late in the evening--down in this country there once lived a young man and a m... The Story Of The Young King Of The Black Isles
You must know, sire, that my father was Mahmoud, the king of this country, the Black Isles, so called from the four little mountains which were once islands, while the capital was the place where now the great lake lies. My story will tell you ho... The Story Of The Youth Who Went Forth To Learn What Fear Was
A certain father had two sons, the elder of who was smart and sensible, and could do everything, but the younger was stupid and could neither learn nor understand anything, and when people saw him they said: 'There's a fellow who will give his fathe... The Story Of Three Wonderful Beggars
There once lived a merchant whose name was Mark, and whom people called 'Mark the Rich.' He was a very hard-hearted man, for he could not bear poor people, and if he caught sight of a beggar anywhere near his house, he would order the servants to d... The Story Of Tuan Mac Cairill
CHAPTER I Finnian, the Abbott of Moville, went southwards and eastwards in great haste. News had come to him in Donegal that there were yet people in his own province who believed in gods that he did not approve of, and the gods that we do no... The Story Of Two Sisters Who Were Jealous Of Their Younger Sister
Once upon a time there reigned over Persia a Sultan named Kosrouschah, who from his boyhood had been fond of putting on a disguise and seeking adventures in all parts of the city, accompanied by one of his officers, disguised like himself. And no... The Story Of Zirac
Once upon a time a raven, a rat, and a tortoise, having agreed to be friends together, were having a pleasant chat when they saw a wild goat making its way toward them with surprising swiftness. They took it for granted by her speed that she was p... The Story Of Zoulvisia
In the midst of a sandy desert, somewhere in Asia, the eyes of travellers are refreshed by the sight of a high mountain covered with beautiful trees, among which the glitter of foaming waterfalls may be seen in the sunlight. In that clear, still a... The Story That Never Ends
Once upon a time there was a shepherd who had a great flock of sheep. He used to pasture them in a meadow on the other side of a brook. One day the sun had already set before he started home. Recent rains had swollen the brook so that he and the she... The Story-teller At Fault
At the time when the Tuatha De Danann held the sovereignty of Ireland, there reigned in Leinster a king, who was remarkably fond of hearing stories. Like the other princes and chieftains of the island, he had a favourite story-teller, who held a l... The Strange Adventures Of Little Maia
Once upon a time there lived a woman who had a pretty cottage and garden right in the middle of a forest. All through the summer she was quite happy tending her flowers and listening to the birds singing in the trees, but in the winter, when snow ... The Strange Light
Weeks went by; and still Nimble's mother said no more about visiting Farmer Green's carrot patch. Nimble himself did not dare to mention carrots now. It was his own fault that the excursion had been postponed. And much as he still wanted a taste o... The Strange Story Of Elizabeth Canning
Are you fond of puzzles? I am. And here is a mystery which all sorts of people have been seeking to explain for a hundred and fifty years, and nobody, not even the lawyers who have studied it, can make up their minds. So now it is your turn to try... The Strange Story Of The Golden Comb
In ancient days two samurai dwelt in Sendai of the North. They were friends and brothers in arms. Hasunuma one was named, and the other Saito. Now it happened that a daughter was born to the house of Hasunuma, and upon the selfsame day, and ... The Strange Tale Of Brown Bear
Long, long ago, in the very far north, there lived a mammoth Brown Bear. Never in all the world was seen such a gigantic creature. Brown Bear was so tall his eyes looked over tops of trees, and his footprints were so deep that a grown man could st... The Strange Tale Of Doctor Dog
Far up in the mountains of the Province of Hunan in the central part of China, there once lived in a small village a rich gentleman who had only one child. This girl, like the daughter of Kwan-yu in the story of the Great Bell, was the very joy... The Strange Visitor
AN ENGLISH FOLK-TALE BY JOSEPH JACOBS A woman was sitting at her reel one night; and still she sat, and still she reeled, and still she wished for company. In came a pair of broad, broad soles, and sat down at the fireside! And still she ... The Stranger Child
A LEGEND BY COUNT FRANZ POCCI (TRANSLATED) There once lived a laborer who earned his daily bread by cutting wood. His wife and two children, a boy and girl, helped him with his work. The boy's name was Valentine, and the girl's, Marie. They wer... The Straw Ox
A Russian Tale An old man and an old woman lived in an old house on the edge of the forest. The old man worked in the field all day and the woman spun flax. But for all of their hard work they were very poor--never one penny could they save. On... The Straw The Coal And The Bean
In a village dwelt a poor old woman, who had gathered together a dish of beans and wanted to cook them. So she made a fire on her hearth, and that it might burn the quicker, she lighted it with a handful of straw. When she was emptying the beans int... The Strawberry Thief
FROM THE GERMAN BY PAULINE SCHANZ. THE mid-day sun was shining brightly as two children ran merrily down the steep grassy slope leading from the little village to the neighbouring forest. Their loose, scanty clothing left head, neck, and feet b... The Stream That Ran Away
BY MARY AUSTIN (ADAPTED) In a short and shallow canyon running eastward toward the sun, one may find a clear, brown stream called the Creek of Pinon Pines; that is not because it is unusual to find pinon trees in that country, but because there a... The Street Musicians
A man once possessed a donkey which had served him faithfully for many years, but at last the poor beast grew old and feeble, and every day his work became more of a burden. As he was no longer of any use, his master made up his mind to shoot hi... The Strong Prince
Once upon a time there lived a king who was so fond of wine that he could not go to sleep unless he knew he had a great flaskful tied to his bed-post. All day long he drank till he was too stupid to attend to his business, and everything in the king... The Successful Concert Of The Chickadees
Evelyn was very fond of little chickadees, and she was so pleased when daddy said that he was going to tell them a story about them that evening. "You know," commenced daddy, "the chickadees had a concert the other evening for the other bird... The Sun's Heat
Go out in the winter on a calm, frosty day into the field, or into the woods, and look about you and listen: all around you is snow, the rivers are frozen, dry grass blades stick out of the grass, the trees are bare,--nothing is moving. Look in... The Sunchild
Once there was a woman who had no children, and this made her very unhappy. So she spoke one day to the Sunball, saying: 'Dear Sunball, send me only a little girl now, and when she is twelve years old you may take her back again.' So soon aft... The Sunday Story
When Englishmen and Englishwomen are little boys and girls, they listen with open ears to the tales of Golden-hair and the three Bears, of Cinderella and the Prince, and of the Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. As the boys and girls grow up, the stor... The Sunling
In the good old days a Clown in the East, on a visit to a city kinsman, while at dinner, pointed to a burning candle and asked what it was. The City Man said, in jest, it was a sunling, or one of the children of the sun. The Clown thought that ... The Swallow and the Crow
THE SWALLOW and the Crow had a contention about their plumage. The Crow put an end to the dispute by saying, "Your feathers are all very well in the spring, but mine protect me against the winter." Fair weather friends are not worth much. ... The Swallow, the Serpent, and the Court of Justice
A SWALLOW, returning from abroad and especially fond of dwelling with men, built herself a nest in the wall of a Court of Justice and there hatched seven young birds. A Serpent gliding past the nest from its hole in the wall ate up the young unfled... The Swan and the Goose
A CERTAIN rich man bought in the market a Goose and a Swan. He fed the one for his table and kept the other for the sake of its song. When the time came for killing the Goose, the cook went to get him at night, when it was dark, and he was not abl... The Swan Maidens
There was once a hunter who used often to spend the whole night stalking the deer or setting traps for game. Now it happened one night that he was watching in a clump of bushes near the lake for some wild ducks that he wished to trap. Suddenly he ... The Swan Maidens
A long, long time ago there was born in the east a wonderful king. He was called "The King of the Golden Sword." Every day he came in his golden chariot scattering heat, light and happiness among his people. Every day he passed from his pal... The Sweetest Sad Song In The Woods
<p>Once a great American poet was asked which he thought was the sweetest voice in the woods. He said: "The sweetest sound in Nature is the calling of the Screech Owl."</p> <p>Sometimes, though rarely, it does screech, but the sound it most... The Swineherd
There was once a poor Prince. He possessed a kingdom which, though small, was yet large enough for him to marry on, and married he wished to be. Now it was certainly a little audacious of him to venture to say to the Emperor's daughter, 'Will yo... The Swineherd
THERE was once a poor prince who had a kingdom, but it was a very small one. Still it was quite large enough to admit of his marrying, and he wished to marry. It was certainly rather bold of him to say, as he did, to the emperor's daughter, "Wi... The Swollen Fox
A VERY HUNGRY FOX, seeing some bread and meat left by shepherds in the hollow of an oak, crept into the hole and made a hearty meal. When he finished, he was so full that he was not able to get out, and began to groan and lament his fate. Another ... The Sword And The Spit
Sheer, sharp and trusty, tempered well, A Sword, as good as from the skilful hand Of famous smith Toledan ever fell, The shock of many a combat did withstand. In turn, it several masters truly served, And brought them safe thro... The Tale Of A Youth Who Set Out To Learn What Fear Was
A father had two sons, of whom the eldest was clever and bright, and always knew what he was about; but the youngest was stupid, and couldn't learn or understand anything. So much so that those who saw him exclaimed: "What a burden he'll be to hi... The Tale Of Ivan
There were formerly a man and a woman living in the parish of Llanlavan, in the place which is called Hwrdh. And work became scarce, so the man said to his wife, "I will go search for work, and you may live here." So he took fair leave, and tra... The Tale Of Punchinello
There lived once long ago, in days of jesters and court fools and harlequins, a certain clown called Punchinello. This Punchinello, like all others of his trade, whitened his face and painted it in grotesque fashion. He wore gay satin rob... The Tale Of The Blue Glove
The King of the South country was not as happy as a king ought to be whose subjects are both peaceful and industrious. Every night when the moths were flying and the tall candles were lit in the hall, when the soft air was musical with the strummi... The Tale Of The Pointer Tray
In a voyage which I made to the East Indies with Captain Hamilton, I took a favorite pointer with me; he was, to use a common phrase, worth his weight in gold, for he never deceived me. One day, when we were, by the best observations we could make... The Tale Of The Snow And The Steeple
I set off from Rome on a journey to Russia, in the midst of winter, from a just notion that frost and snow must of course mend the roads, which every traveler had described as uncommonly bad through the northern parts of Germany, Poland, Courland,... The Tale Of The Wolf In Harness
The horse carried me well. Advancing into the interior parts of Russia, I found traveling on horseback rather unfashionable in winter; therefore I submitted, as I always do, to the custom of the country, took a single-horse sledge, and drove brisk... The Talking Fish
Long, long before your great-grandfather was born there lived in the village of Everlasting Happiness two men called Li and Sing. Now, these two men were close friends, living together in the same house. Before settling down in the village of E... The Tame Canary Bird And His Mistress
Daddy had heard that afternoon the story of a very tame canary bird. The little girl who owned the bird, and who was a friend of Jack and Evelyn, had told daddy about her little pet. So when daddy got home in the evening he was ready at once to... The Tea-kettle
Long ago, as I've heard tell, there dwelt at the temple of Morinji, in the Province of Kotsuke, a holy priest. Now there were three things about this reverend man. First, he was wrapped up in meditations and observances and forms and doctrines. ... The Tea-plant And Sage
From China, once, the Tea-plant coming, Met with the Sage upon his way. "Friend,"--said the latter,--"whither roaming?" "For Europe, where for me they pay A generous price,"--quoth Tea,--"I'm bound." "And I,"--said Sage,--"... The Teapot
THERE was once a proud teapot; it was proud of being porcelain, proud of its long spout, proud of its broad handle. It had something before and behind,--the spout before and the handle behind,--and that was what it talked about. But it did not tal... The Tell-tale Goblin
Once upon a time there was a Little Fairy who loved to wander by the river, and as the Fairy Queen does not like her subjects to go too near the water, the Little Fairy had to steal away. Always when they held a revel this Little Fairy would fl... The Ten Little Fairies
FROM THE FRENCH of GEORGES MITCHELL. VAINLY I try to recall from my recollections of yesterday, still vividly remembered, and from those of the long past, grown tenderly dim in the mists of intervening time, from whom I learned the powerfully mo... The Terrible Head
Once upon a time there was a king whose only child was a girl. Now the King had been very anxious to have a son, or at least a grandson, to come after him, but he was told by a prophet whom he consulted that his own daughter's son should kill him... The Thanksgiving Of The Wazir
Once upon a time there lived in Hindustan two kings whose countries bordered upon each other; but, as they were rivals in wealth and power, and one was a Hindu rajah and the other a Mohammedan badshah, they were not good friends at all. In order, ... The Thief and His Mother
A BOY stole a lesson-book from one of his schoolfellows and took it home to his Mother. She not only abstained from beating him, but encouraged him. He next time stole a cloak and brought it to her, and she again commended him. The Youth, advance... The Thief And The Dog
One night a Thief came to a house that he meant to rob; but he knew that he had no chance to do this till he had made the Dog who took care of it quiet. So he threw to him some sops with the hope that that would stop his bark. "Get out will you!" ... The Thief and the Housedog
A THIEF came in the night to break into a house. He brought with him several slices of meat in order to pacify the Housedog, so that he would not alarm his master by barking. As the Thief threw him the pieces of meat, the Dog said, "If you think t... The Thief and the Innkeeper
A THIEF hired a room in a tavern and stayed a while in the hope of stealing something which should enable him to pay his reckoning. When he had waited some days in vain, he saw the Innkeeper dressed in a new and handsome coat and sitting before hi... The Thieves and the Cock
SOME THIEVES broke into a house and found nothing but a Cock, whom they stole, and got off as fast as they could. Upon arriving at home they prepared to kill the Cock, who thus pleaded for his life: "Pray spare me; I am very serviceable to men. I... The Thirsty Pigeon
A PIGEON, oppressed by excessive thirst, saw a goblet of water painted on a signboard. Not supposing it to be only a picture, she flew towards it with a loud whir and unwittingly dashed against the signboard, jarring herself terribly. Having broke... The Three Bears
There were once three bears who lived together in a little house in the middle of a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; one was a Middle-Sized Bear; and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. And they each had a pot to eat their porri... The Three Bears
Once upon a time there were three bears who lived in a castle in a great wood. One of them was a great big bear, and one was a middling bear, and one was a little bear. And in the same wood there was a fox who lived all alone; his name was Scrapefoo...