The Violet Fairy Book Read Online Free Page A

dug
myself out, and took home the holy water. On the way I noticed
that the ripe fields were full of reapers, and suddenly the air
became so frightfully hot that the men dropped down in a faint.
Then I called to them, "Why don't you bring out our mare, which
is as tall as two days, and as broad as half a day, and make a
shade for yourselves?" My father heard what I said and jumped
quickly on the mare, and the reapers worked with a will in the
shadow, while I snatched up a wooden pail to bring them some
water to drink. When I got to the well everything was frozen
hard, so in order to draw some water I had to take off my head
and break the ice with it. As I drew near them, carrying the
water, the reapers all cried out, "Why, what has become of your
head?" I put up my hand and discovered that I really had no head,
and that I must have left it in the well. I ran back to look for
it, but found that meanwhile a fox which was passing by had
pulled my head out of the water, and was tearing at my brains. I
stole cautiously up to him, and gave him such a kick that he
uttered a loud scream, and let fall a parchment on which was
written, "The cake is mine, and the beardless one goes
empty-handed." '
    With these words the boy rose, took the cake, and went home,
while the beardless one remained behind to swallow his
disappointment.
    (Volksmarchen der Serben.)

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 drive him
away, or would set the dogs at him.
    One day three very poor old men came begging to the door, and
just as he was going to let the fierce dogs loose on them, his
little daughter, Anastasia, crept close up to him and said:
    'Dear daddy, let the poor old men sleep here to-night, do—to
please me.'
    Her father could not bear to refuse her, and the three beggars
were allowed to sleep in a loft, and at night, when everyone in
the house was fast asleep, little Anastasia got up, climbed up to
the loft, and peeped in.
    The three old men stood in the middle of the loft, leaning on
their sticks, with their long grey beards flowing down over their
hands, and were talking together in low voices.
    'What news is there?' asked the eldest.
    'In the next village the peasant Ivan has just had his seventh
son. What shall we name him, and what fortune shall we give
him?' said the second.
    The third whispered, 'Call him Vassili, and give him all the
property of the hard-hearted man in whose loft we stand, and who
wanted to drive us from his door.'
    After a little more talk the three made themselves ready and
crept softly away.
    Anastasia, who had heard every word, ran straight to her father,
and told him all.
    Mark was very much surprised; he thought, and thought, and in the
morning he drove to the next village to try and find out if such
a child really had been born. He went first to the priest, and
asked him about the children in his parish.
    'Yesterday,' said the priest, 'a boy was born in the poorest
house in the village. I named the unlucky little thing
"Vassili." He is the seventh son, and the eldest is only seven
years old, and they hardly have a mouthful amongst them all. Who
can be got to stand godfather to such a little beggar boy?'
    The merchant's heart beat fast, and his mind was full of bad
thoughts about that poor little baby. He would be godfather
himself, he said, and he ordered a fine christening feast; so the
child was brought and christened, and Mark was very friendly to
its father. After the ceremony was over he took Ivan aside and
said:
    'Look here, my friend, you are a poor man. How can you afford to
bring up the boy? Give him to me and I'll make something of him,
and I'll give you a present of a thousand crowns. Is that a
bargain?'
    Ivan scratched his head, and thought, and thought, and