The Wednesday And Thursday Story
: Deccan Nursery TalesThere was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived
a prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day
there used to come to the prince's house two Brahmans, an uncle and a
nephew. But when they asked for alms the daughters-in-law sent word
that they were too busy to give them any. Some time afterwards the
prince lost all his riches and became very poor. The two Brahmans
again came to beg,
"We are no longer busy, but we have nothing to give you. If we had,
we should give it to you." The youngest daughter-in-law, however,
was a clever little girl, and she thought to herself, "The Brahmans
will get very angry with us. When we had money, we gave them nothing;
and now we give them nothing because we have nothing to give." So she
fell at the elder Brahman's feet and said, "We have been very wicked
and have deserved to become poor. But please forgive us and tell me
how we may become rich as we were before." The elder Brahman said,
"Every Wednesday and every Thursday you must invite a Brahman to
dinner. And if you have no money to pay for the dinner, draw a pair
of cow's feet on your money-box. If you want grain for the dinner,
draw a pair of cow's feet on your corn-bin. Then worship the feet and
welcome the Brahmans. For you will find that you will have money in
your box and grain in your corn-bin. And in time you will all get as
rich as you were before." The little girl did what the Brahman told
her. And whenever she invited Brahmans to dinner, she drew the cow's
feet on the cash-box and on the corn-bin, and there was always money
and grain sufficient for the meal.
But some days later she fell asleep and dreamt that Budh [6] and
Brahaspati came to her bedside and said, "Little girl, little girl,
your husband has been made king over a great country. Go to him, and,
when you have found him, do not forget to worship us and to give feast
to the Brahmans." Then the little girl woke up and she told the other
six daughters-in-law. But they were jealous of her, and they became
very angry; and they kicked her so often and boxed her ears so hard
that she forgot all about drawing the cow's feet on her money-box and
on the corn-bin. So she never found any money in the box or any corn
in the bin. And every day they became poorer and poorer. First all the
men servants ran away, then the male members of the family left, and
at last the seven daughters-in-law were left alone in the house. They
were starving, but they did not know how to get any food. One day
they heard that a king in a neighbouring country wished to construct
a tank and was calling for labourers. So they decided to go to the
tank and work there just like common coolie women. Now who do you
think the king was? He was the youngest son of the prince of Atpat
and the husband of the youngest daughter-in-law. When the prince had
lost all his money, his youngest son left the house and set off on
a journey. As he travelled he came to a city, the king of which had
just died without leaving any children or relatives. His subjects
did not know how to choose a successor. At last they gave a garland
of flowers to a she-elephant and turned it loose. The elephant walked
straight to the prince's son and put the garland round his neck. The
townspeople were very angry. They snatched away the garland and drove
away the prince's son. They again gave the garland to the elephant,
but the elephant again put the garland round the neck of the prince's
son. The townspeople again snatched away the garland. But when the
elephant put it round the young man's neck for the third time, they
lifted him high in the air and declared him to be their king. At first
he was so pleased at being king that he forgot all about his poor
little wife. But one night Budh and Brahaspati appeared to him in a
dream and reminded him of her and told him how poor she was. But he
could not leave his kingdom to go and look for her. So he thought that
he would dig a tank and call together labourers from every quarter. And
every day he used to go to the tank and search among the labourers to
see if his wife was there. One day he recognised his wife and called
her to him. Then they told each other how Budh and Brahaspati had
appeared to each of them in a dream. And the king was so delighted at
finding his wife that he at once proclaimed her queen of the country.
So the little daughter-in-law was crowned queen, but she did not let
the other daughters-in-law who were also working at the tank know of
her good fortune. As queen, she gave a great feast to all the workers
on the tank. But in her own palace she took some wheat flour, and
she kneaded it into shapes resembling human feet and human fists. And
when the other daughters-in-law were with the crowd of workers eating
at the feast, she went up to them, and to each daughter-in-law who
had kicked her she gave a flour foot, and to each daughter-in-law
who had struck her with her hands she gave a flour fist. Then the
daughters-in-law recognised who the little queen was, and they fell at
her feet and begged for her forgiveness. So the little queen forgave
them and took them back with her into her husband's palace. And they
all lived together happily ever afterwards.
More
-
The United States Of America
The United States as such, that is, in its Federal capacity, has no single system of marriage and divorce laws applicable to all the States and Territories. The purpose of the Constitution of the United States is to maintain by its federal stru... The United States Of Brazil
The United States of Brazil (Estados Unidos do Brazil), the largest country in South America and one of the most extensive political subdivisions of the world, is a Republic comprising twenty States and a Federal District. Its present constitut... The Unlooked-for Prince
A long time ago there lived a king and queen who had no children, although they both wished very much for a little son. They tried not to let each other see how unhappy they were, and pretended to take pleasure in hunting and hawking and all ... The Unseen Bridegroom
Once upon a time there was a king and queen, as many a one has been, and they had three daughters, all of them beautiful; but the most beautiful of all was the youngest whose name was Anima. Now it happened one day that all three sisters were play... The Vain Goldfinch Learns A Lesson
"Mr. Goldfinch," said daddy, "was very conceited and proud of himself. To be sure, a goldfinch's voice is very much like a canary's--but it's not quite so lovely--and he can't do the wonderful trills a canary can without his voice cracking. Of ... The Vain Jackdaw
JUPITER DETERMINED, it is said, to create a sovereign over the birds, and made proclamation that on a certain day they should all present themselves before him, when he would himself choose the most beautiful among them to be king. The Jackdaw, kno... The Valiant Little Tailor
One summer's morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then came a peasant woman down the street crying: 'Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!' This rang pleasantly in the ta... The Vilas' Spring
There was once a rich man who had two sons. The older son was overbearing, greedy, and covetous. He was dishonest, too, and thought nothing of taking things that belonged to others. The younger brother was gentle and kind. He was always ready to s... The Vine and the Goat
A VINE was luxuriant in the time of vintage with leaves and grapes. A Goat, passing by, nibbled its young tendrils and its leaves. The Vine addressed him and said: "Why do you thus injure me without a cause, and crop my leaves? Is there no young ... The Vintage
Henry began to walk rapidly and perceived with great delight that every step brought him nearer to the summit of the mountain. In three hours he had walked two-thirds of the way. But suddenly he found himself arrested by a very high wall which he ... The Viper and the File
A LION, entering the workshop of a smith, sought from the tools the means of satisfying his hunger. He more particularly addressed himself to a File, and asked of him the favor of a meal. The File replied, "You must indeed be a simple-minded fell... The Viper And The Leech
"A strangely inconsistent crew!"-- Said the Viper to the simple Leech,-- "Men fly from me and seek for you; Although they get a bite from each." "All very true,"--the Leech replied,-- "But the two things are different q... The Vision Of The Pope
It was the evening of October 7, 1571, when the Christian fleet, under the command of Don John of Austria, had defeated the Turks at the battle of Lepanto--one of the 'Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World.' Far away from the narrow Greek seas, wh... The Vision Of Victory
More than two thousand years ago there lived a king in the land of Macedon who was a great conqueror, and when his son, Alexander, was born, the soothsayers and the priestesses of the temples predicted that he would be a greater warrior than his fat... The Voice Of Death
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a man who prayed daily to God to grant him riches. One day his numerous and frequent prayers found our Lord in the mood to listen to them. When the m... The Voice Of Death
ONCE upon a time there lived a man whose one wish and prayer was to get rich. Day and night he thought of nothing else, and at last his prayers were granted, and he became very wealthy. Now being so rich, and having so much to lose, he felt that it ... The Wake-up Story
BY EUDORA S. BUMSTEAD The sun was up and the breeze was blowing, and the five chicks, and four geese, and three rabbits, and two kitties, and one little dog were just as noisy and lively as they knew how to be. They were all watching for Baby R... The Wall-flower And The Thyme
A Wall-flower spoke,--as I have somewhere read,-- A Thyme-plant growing in a neighboring bed, In the flower language, scornfully addressing: "Heaven help you, Thyme! 'Tis really distressing! Though the most fragrant of all plants, ... The Walnut-Tree
A WALNUT TREE standing by the roadside bore an abundant crop of fruit. For the sake of the nuts, the passers-by broke its branches with stones and sticks. The Walnut-Tree piteously exclaimed, "O wretched me! that those whom I cheer with my fruit ... The Walnut-tree
There is a common persuasion amongst country people that whipping a walnut-tree tends to increase the produce, and improve the flavour of the fruit. This belief is embodied in the following distich: A woman, a spaniel, and a walnut-tree, ... The Wandering Monarch
<p>Did you ever read the old Greek story of Ulysses, King of Ithaca, the Wandering Monarch, who for twenty years roamed over sea and land away from home—always trying to get back, but doomed to keep on travelling, homesick and weary, but still ... The War Of The Wolf And The Fox
There was once upon a time a man and his wife who had an old cat and an old dog. One day the man, whose name was Simon, said to his wife, whose name was Susan, 'Why should we keep our old cat any longer? She never catches any mice now-a-days, an... The War-horse And The Ass
A War-Horse, grand in all the trappings of war, came with a great noise down the road. The ground rang with the sound of his hoofs. At the same time a meek Ass went with tired step down the same road with a great load on his back. The Horse cried ... The Warlock O' Oakwood
"Ae gloamin' as the sinking sun Gaed owre the wastlin' braes, And shed on Oakwood's haunted towers His bright but fading rays, Auld Michael sat his leafu' lane Down by the streamlet's side, Beneath a spreading ... The Washing
They that wash on Monday Have all the week to dry; They that wash on Tuesday Are not so much awry; They that wash on Wednesday Are not so much to blame; They that wash on Thursday Wash for very sha... The Wasp and the Snake
A WASP seated himself upon the head of a Snake and, striking him unceasingly with his stings, wounded him to death. The Snake, being in great torment and not knowing how to rid himself of his enemy, saw a wagon heavily laden with wood, and went and... The Wasps, the Partridges, and the Farmer
THE WASPS and the Partridges, overcome with thirst, came to a Farmer and besought him to give them some water to drink. They promised amply to repay him the favor which they asked. The Partridges declared that they would dig around his vines and m... The Watches
A knot of friends, invited to a feast, At table sat--a loitering guest, Who came long after all the rest, Sought for his tardiness to make excuse: And, by his comrades for a reason pressed, Drew out his Watch, and, holding it o... The Water Of Life
Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great way off, a king who had three sons. This king once fell very ill--so ill that nobody thought he could live. His sons were very much grieved at their father's sickness; and as they w... The Water Of Life
Cuentos Populars Catalans, per lo Dr. D. Francisco de S. Maspous y Labros. Barcelona, 1885. Three brothers and one sister lived together in a small cottage, and they loved one another dearly. One day the eldest brother, who had never done anyth... The Water-babe
Floating in a basket on the River Nile, Princess Bathia, the daughter of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, found a tiny little water-babe. Princess Bathia was a widow and had no children, and she was so delighted that she took the child home to the palace a... The Water-drop
BY FRIEDRICH WILHELM CAROVE' (ADAPTED FROM THE TRANSLATION BY SARAH AUSTIN) There was once a child who lived in a little hut, and in the hut there was nothing but a little bed and a looking-glass; but as soon as the first sunbeam glided softly ... The Water-lily The Gold-spinners
Once upon a time, in a large forest, there lived an old woman and three maidens. They were all three beautiful, but the youngest was the fairest. Their hut was quite hidden by trees, and none saw their beauty but the sun by day, and the moon by n... The Weasel and the Mice
A WEASEL, inactive from age and infirmities, was not able to catch mice as he once did. He therefore rolled himself in flour and lay down in a dark corner. A Mouse, supposing him to be food, leaped upon him, and was instantly caught and squeezed t... The Wedding Of Mrs Fox
FIRST STORY There was once upon a time an old fox with nine tails, who believed that his wife was not faithful to him, and wished to put her to the test. He stretched himself out under the bench, did not move a limb, and behaved as if he were s... The Wedding Of Robin Redbreast And Jenny Wren
There was once an old grey Pussy Baudrons, and she went out for a stroll one Christmas morning to see what she could see. And as she was walking down the burnside she saw a little Robin Redbreast hopping up and down on the branches of a briar bush... The Wednesday And Thursday Story
There was once upon a time a town called Atpat. In it there lived a prince who had seven sons and seven daughters-in-law. Every day there used to come to the prince's house two Brahmans, an uncle and a nephew. But when they asked for alms the daught... The Wee Bannock
"Some tell about their sweethearts, How they tirled them to the winnock, But I'll tell you a bonnie tale About a guid oatmeal bannock." There was once an old man and his wife, who lived in a dear little cottage by the side ... The Wee Bannock
Once upon a time there was an old man and his old wife who lived in a wee cottage beside a wee burnie. They had two cows, five hens, and a cock, a cat and two kittens. Now the old man looked after the cows, the cock looked after the hens, the cat ... The Wee Hare And The Red Fire
[IN WORDS OF NOT MORE THAN FOUR LETTERS] BY A. L. SYKES One day in the cold time when he lay snug and warm by his Mama, Tiny Hare said, "Tell me of the hare who went step, step, step in the snow till he came to the RED FIRE." So his Mam... The Wee Robin's Christmas Song
A SCOTCH STORY, ATTRIBUTED TO ROBERT BURNS ADAPTED BY JENNIE ELLIS BURDICK There was an old gray Pussy Cat, and she went away down by a brookside. There she saw a wee Robin Redbreast hopping on a brier bush. Says the gray Pussy Cat: "Where ar... The Well
Agnella, Violette and Passerose walked slowly towards the burned walls of the farmhouse. With the courage of despair they removed the smoking ruins. They worked diligently two days before this work was completed. No vestige of poor Ourson appeared... The Well O' The World's End
There was once an old widow woman, who lived in a little cottage with her only daughter, who was such a bonnie lassie that everyone liked to look at her. One day the old woman took a notion into her head to bake a girdleful of cakes. So she too... The Well Of The World's End
Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, though it wasn't in my time, nor in your time, nor any one else's time, there was a girl whose mother had died, and her father had married again. And her stepmother hated her because she was more beau... The Werewolf
Once upon a time there was a king, who reigned over a great kingdom. He had a queen, but only a single daughter, a girl. In consequence the little girl was the apple of her parents' eyes; they loved her above everything else in the world, and thei... The Whirlwind
In a far-off country, beyond the sea and the mountains, there lived a king and queen, with a beautiful daughter, who was called Princess Ladna. A great many princes came to woo her; but she liked only one of them, called Prince Dobrotek; so the... The White Cat
There was once a king who had three sons, all handsome, brave and noble of heart. Nevertheless, some wicked courtiers made their father believe they were eager to wear his crown, which, though he was old, he had no mind to resign. He therefore inv... The White Cat
Once upon a time there was a king who had three sons, who were all so clever and brave that he began to be afraid that they would want to reign over the kingdom before he was dead. Now the King, though he felt that he was growing old, did not at ... The White Doe
Once upon a time there lived a king and queen who loved each other dearly, and would have been perfectly happy if they had only had a little son or daughter to play with. They never talked about it, and always pretended that there was nothin... The White Dove
From the Danish. A king had two sons. They were a pair of reckless fellows, who always had something foolish to do. One day they rowed out alone on the sea in a little boat. It was beautiful weather when they set out, but as soon as they had go... The White Duck
Once upon a time a great and powerful King married a lovely Princess. No couple were ever so happy; but before their honeymoon was over they were forced to part, for the King had to go on a warlike expedition to a far country, and leave his young ... The White Ship
The night was dark, and a stormy wind was blowing, when the White Ship set sail from the shore of France. Prince William of England and his sister and their young friends were going back to their own land, after a visit to the French king. The ... The White Ship
We are going to have a story to-day about something that happened nearly eight hundred years ago. In that far-away time there lived a King of England whose name was Henry I. He was a great warrior, and his enemies generally had the worst of it ... The White Slipper
Once upon a time there lived a king who had a daughter just fifteen years old. And what a daughter! Even the mothers who had daughters of their own could not help allowing that the princess was much more beautiful and graceful than any of ... The White Snake
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secret things was brought to him through the air. But he had a strange custom; every day after di... The White Snake
Not very long ago there lived a King, the fame of whose wisdom was spread far and wide. Nothing appeared to be unknown to him, and it really seemed as if tidings of the most secret matters must be borne to him by the winds. He had one very pecul... The White Wolf
Once upon a time there was a king who had three daughters; they were all beautiful, but the youngest was the fairest of the three. Now it happened that one day their father had to set out for a tour in a distant part of his kingdom. Before he le... The Wicked Hoptoad And The Little Yellow Dragon
<div> <img src="/images/i099.png" alt="The Wicked Hoptoad and the Little Yellow Dragon" title="The Wicked Hoptoad and the Little Yellow Dragon" height="400" width="288" /> The Wicked Hoptoad and the Little Yellow Dragon </div> <p>Once upon a time, there... The Wicked Wolverine
One day a wolverine was out walking on the hill-side, when, on turning a corner, he suddenly saw a large rock. 'Was that you I heard walking about just now?' he asked, for wolverines are cautious animals, and always like to know the reasons of... The Widow and Her Little Maidens
A WIDOW who was fond of cleaning had two little maidens to wait on her. She was in the habit of waking them early in the morning, at cockcrow. The maidens, aggravated by such excessive labor, resolved to kill the cock who roused their mistress so ... The Widow And Her Three Sons
(ADAPTED) One day a poor woman approached Mr. Lincoln for an interview. She was somewhat advanced in years and plainly clad, wearing a faded shawl and worn hood. "Well, my good woman," said Mr. Lincoln, "what can I do for you this morning?" ... The Widow and the Sheep
A CERTAIN poor widow had one solitary Sheep. At shearing time, wishing to take his fleece and to avoid expense, she sheared him herself, but used the shears so unskillfully that with the fleece she sheared the flesh. The Sheep, writhing with pain,... The Widow's Son
Once on a time there was a poor, poor Widow, who had an only Son. She dragged on with the boy till he had been confirmed, and then she said she couldn't feed him any longer, he must just go out and earn his own bread. So the lad wandered out into ... The Wild Ass and the Lion
A WILD ASS and a Lion entered into an alliance so that they might capture the beasts of the forest with greater ease. The Lion agreed to assist the Wild Ass with his strength, while the Wild Ass gave the Lion the benefit of his greater speed. When... The Wild Boar
Two years passed. One day Ourson had been cutting wood in the forest. Violette was to bring him his dinner and return with him in the evening. At midday Passerose hung on Violette's arm a basket containing wine, bread, a little pot of butter, some... The Wild Boar and the Fox
A WILD BOAR stood under a tree and rubbed his tusks against the trunk. A Fox passing by asked him why he thus sharpened his teeth when there was no danger threatening from either huntsman or hound. He replied, "I do it advisedly; for it would neve... The Wild Swans
BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN Far away, where the swallows fly when our Winter comes on, lived a King who had eleven sons, and one daughter named Eliza. The eleven brothers were Princes, and each went to school with a star on his breast and his sw... The Wild Swans
Far away, where the swallows take refuge in winter, lived a king who had eleven sons and one daughter, Elise. The eleven brothers--they were all princes--used to go to school with stars on their breasts and swords at their sides. They wrote upon g... The Wild Swans
FAR away, in the land to which the swallows fly when it is winter, dwelt a king who had eleven sons, and one daughter, named Eliza. The eleven brothers were princes, and each went to school with a star on his breast and a sword by his side. They... The Wild Woodsman
Once there lived a peasant whose only daughter, Martha, had eyes as blue as corn-flowers and long hair like the silk around an ear of corn. All the lads of the village were after her, but she cared only for John, a young huntsman, who was calle... The Willow
During Easter week a peasant went out to see whether the ground was all thawed out. He went into the garden and touched the soil with a stick. The earth was soft. The peasant went into the woods; here the catkins were already swelling on the wi... The Willow-wren And The Bear
Once in summer-time the bear and the wolf were walking in the forest, and the bear heard a bird singing so beautifully that he said: 'Brother wolf, what bird is it that sings so well?' 'That is the King of birds,' said the wolf, 'before whom we must...