Italian: The Fair Angiola

This story comes from the island of Sicily, and it was collected by one of the pioneer folklorists who studied traditional Sicilian stories, Laura Gonzenbach. You can read more about her life and work at Wikipedia.

This is a Rapunzel type of story, which Dan Ashliman has collected here: Rapunzel and Other Folktales of Type 310.

Notes by LKG

---

This story is part of the Italian Popular Tales unit. Story source: Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane (1885).

The Fair Angiola

ONCE upon a time there were seven women, neighbors, all of whom were seized with a great longing for some jujubes which only grew in a garden opposite the place where they all lived and which belonged to a witch. Now this witch had a donkey that watched the garden and told the old witch when any one entered. The seven neighbors, however, had such a desire for the jujubes that they entered the garden and threw the donkey some nice soft grass, and, while he was eating it, they filled their aprons with jujubes and escaped before the witch appeared. This they did several times, until at last the witch noticed that some one had been in her garden, for many of the jujubes were gone. She questioned the donkey, but he had eaten the nice grass and noticed nothing. Then she resolved the third day to remain in the garden herself.

In the middle of it was a hole, in which she hid and covered herself with leaves and branches, leaving only one of her long ears sticking out. The seven neighbors once more went into the garden and began picking jujubes, when one of them noticed the witch's ear sticking out of the leaves and thought it was a mushroom and tried to pick it. Then the witch jumped out of the hole and ran after the women, all of whom escaped but one. The witch was going to eat her, but she begged hard for pardon and promised never to enter the garden again. The witch finally forgave her on the condition that she would give her her child, yet unborn, whether a boy or girl, when it was seven years old. The poor woman promised in her distress, and the witch let her go.

Some time after the woman had a beautiful little girl whom she named Angiola. When Angiola was six years old, her mother sent her to school to learn to sew and knit. On her way to school, she had to pass the garden where the witch lived. One day, when she was almost seven, she saw the witch standing in her garden. She beckoned to Angiola and gave her some fine fruits and said: "You see, fair Angiola, I am your aunt. Tell your mother you have seen your aunt, and she sends her word not to forget her promise."

Angiola went home and told her mother, who was frightened and said to herself: "Ah! The time has come when I must give up my Angiola."

Then she said to the child: "When your aunt asks you tomorrow for an answer, tell her you forgot your errand."

The next day she told the witch as she was directed. "Very well," she replied, "tell her today, but don't forget."

Thus several days passed; the witch was constantly on the watch for Angiola when she went to school, and wanted to know her mother's answer, but Angiola always declared that she had forgotten to ask her. One day, however, the witch became angry and said: "Since you are so forgetful, I must give you some token to remind you of your errand." Then she bit Angiola's little finger so hard that she bit a piece out.

Angiola went home in tears and showed her mother her finger. "Ah!" thought her mother. "There is no help for it. I must give my poor child to the witch, or else she will eat her up in her anger."

The next morning as Angiola was going to school, her mother said to her: "Tell your aunt to do with you as she thinks best."

Angiola did so, and the witch said: "Very well, then come with me, for you are mine."

So the witch took the fair Angiola with her and led her away to a tower which had no door and but one small window. There Angiola lived with the witch, who treated her very kindly, for she loved her as her own child. When the witch came home after her excursions, she stood under the window and cried: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your pretty tresses and pull me up!" Now Angiola had beautiful full long hair, which she let down and with which she pulled the witch up.

Now it happened one day when Angiola had grown to be a large and beautiful maiden, that the king's son went hunting and chanced to come where the tower was. He was astonished at seeing the house without any door and wondered how people got in. Just then the old witch returned home, stood under the window, and called: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and pull me up." Immediately the beautiful tresses fell down, and the witch climbed up by them.

This pleased the prince greatly, and he hid himself near by until the witch went away again. Then he went and stood under the window and called: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and pull me up." Then Angiola let down her tresses and drew up the prince, for she believed it was the witch.

When she saw the prince, she was much frightened at first, but he addressed her in a friendly manner and begged her to fly with him and become his wife.

Next: The Fair Angiola (cont.)

(900 words)

More English Fairy Tales: The Old Witch

This story is part of the English Fairy Tales (2) unit. Story source: More English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1894).

The Old Witch

ONCE upon a time there were two girls who lived with their mother and father. Their father had no work, and the girls wanted to go away and seek their fortunes.

Now one girl wanted to go to service, and her mother said she might if she could find a place. So she started for the town. Well, she went all about the town, but no one wanted a girl like her.

So she went on farther into the country, and she came to the place where there was an oven where there was lots of bread baking. And the bread said, 'Little girl, little girl, take us out, take us out. We have been baking seven years, and no one has come to take us out.' So the girl took out the bread, laid it on the ground and went on her way.

Then she met a cow, and the cow said, 'Little girl, little girl, milk me, milk me! Seven years have I been waiting, and no one has come to milk me.' The girl milked the cow into the pails that stood by. As she was thirsty she drank some, and left the rest in the pails by the cow.

Then she went on a little farther, and came to an apple-tree, so loaded with fruit that its branches were breaking down, and the tree said, 'Little girl, little girl, help me shake my fruit. My branches are breaking, it is so heavy.' And the girl said, 'Of course I will, you poor tree.' So she shook the fruit all off, propped up the branches, and left the fruit on the ground under the tree.

Then she went on again till she came to a house. Now in this house there lived a witch, and this witch took girls into her house as servants. And when she heard that this girl had left her home to seek service, she said that she would try her and give her good wages.

The witch told the girl what work she was to do. 'You must keep the house clean and tidy, sweep the floor and the fireplace, but there is one thing you must never do. You must never look up the chimney, or something bad will befall you.'

So the girl promised to do as she was told, but one morning as she was cleaning, and the witch was out, she forgot what the witch said and looked up the chimney. When she did this a great bag of money fell down in her lap. This happened again and again. So the girl started to go off home.

When she had gone some way she heard the witch coming after her. So she ran to the apple-tree and cried:

'Apple-tree, apple-tree, hide me,
So the old witch can't find me;
If she does, she'll pick my bones
And bury me under the marble stones.'

So the apple-tree hid her. When the witch came up she said:

'Tree of mine, tree of mine,
Have you seen a girl
With a willy-willy wag and a long-tailed bag,
Who's stole my money, all I had?'

And the apple-tree said, 'No, mother; not for seven year.'

When the witch had gone down another way, the girl went on again and, just as she got to the cow, heard the witch coming after her again, so she ran to the cow and cried:

'Cow, cow, hide me,
So the old witch can't find me;
If she does, she'll pick my bones
And bury me under the marble stones.'

So the cow hid her.

When the old witch came up, she looked about and said to the cow:

'Cow of mine, cow of mine,
Have you seen a girl
With a willy-willy wag and a long-tailed bag,
Who's stole my money, all I had?'

And the cow said, 'No, mother, not for seven year.'

When the witch had gone off another way, the little girl went on again, and when she was near the oven, she heard the witch coming after her again, so she ran to the oven and cried:

'Oven, oven, hide me,
So the old witch can't find me;
If she does, she'll pick my bones
And bury me under the marble stones.'

And the oven said, 'I've no room; ask the baker,' and the baker hid her behind the oven.

When the witch came up she looked here and there and everywhere, and then said to the baker:

'Man of mine, man of mine,
Have you seen a girl,
With a willy-willy wag and a long-tailed bag,
Who's stole my money, all I had?'

So the baker said, 'Look in the oven.'

The old witch went to look, and the oven said, 'Get in and look in the furthest corner.'

The witch did so, and when she was inside the oven shut her door, and the witch was kept there for a very long time.

The girl then went off again and reached her home with her money bags, married a rich man, and lived happy ever afterwards.

The other sister then thought she would go and do the same. And she went the same way. But when she reached the oven, and the bread said, 'Little girl, little girl, take us out. Seven years have we been baking, and no one has come to take us out,' the girl said, 'No, I don't want to burn my fingers.' So she went on till she met the cow, and the cow said, 'Little girl, little girl, milk me, milk me, do. Seven years have I been waiting, and no one has come to milk me.' But the girl said, 'No, I can't milk you, I'm in a hurry,' and went on faster. Then she came to the apple-tree, and the apple-tree asked her to help shake the fruit. 'No, I can't; another day p'raps I may,' and went on till she came to the witch's house.

Well, it happened to her just the same as to the other girl — she forgot what she was told, and, one day when the witch was out, looked up the chimney, and down fell a bag of money. Well, she thought she would be off at once. When she reached the apple-tree, she heard the witch coming after her, and she cried:

'Apple-tree, apple-tree, hide me,
So the old witch can't find me;
If she does, she'll pick my bones
And bury me under the marble stones.'

But the tree didn't answer, and she ran on further. Presently the witch came up and said:

'Tree of mine, tree of mine,
Have you seen a girl,
With a willy-willy wag and a long-tailed bag,
Who's stole my money, all I had?'

The tree said, 'Yes, mother; she's gone down that way.'

So the old witch went after her and caught her; she took all the money away from her, beat her, and sent her off home just as she was.

Next: The Three Wishes

(1100 words)

Italian: The Fair Angiola (cont.)

As you will see in the conclusion of the story, that little dog who loved Angiola turns out to be the real hero of the story, even more than the prince! You will see lots of fairy-tale elements in this part of the story, with talking objects and lots of magic, including magical balls of yarn.

Notes by LKG

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This story is part of the Italian Popular Tales unit. Story source: Italian Popular Tales by Thomas Frederick Crane (1885).

The Fair Angiola (cont.)

She finally consented, and in order that the witch should not know where she had gone, she gave all the chairs, tables, and cupboards in the house something to eat, for they were all living beings and might betray her. The broom, however, stood behind the door, so she did not notice it and give it nothing to eat. Then she took from the witch's chamber three magic balls of yarn and fled with the prince. The witch had a little dog that loved the fair Angiola so dearly that it followed her.

Soon after they had fled, the witch came back and called: "Angiola, fair Angiola, let down your beautiful tresses and draw me up." But the tresses were not let down for all she called, and at last she had to get a long ladder and climb in at the window.

When she could not find Angiola, she asked the tables and chairs and cupboards: "Where has she fled?" But they answered: "We do not know." The broom, however, called out from the corner: "The fair Angiola has fled with the king's son, who is going to marry her."

Then the witch started in pursuit of them and nearly overtook them. But Angiola threw down behind her one of the magic balls of yarn, and there arose a great mountain of soap. When the witch tried to climb it she slipped back, but she persevered until at last she succeeded in getting over it, and hastened after the fugitives.

Then Angiola threw down the second ball of yarn, and there arose a great mountain covered all over with nails small and large. Again the witch had to struggle hard to cross it; when she did she was almost flayed.

When Angiola saw that the witch had almost overtaken them again, she threw down the third ball, and there arose a mighty torrent. The witch tried to swim across it, but the stream kept increasing in size until she had at last to turn back. Then in her anger she cursed the fair Angiola, saying: "May your beautiful face be turned into the face of a dog!" and instantly Angiola's face became a dog's face.

The prince was very sorrowful and said: "How can I take you home to my parents? They would never allow me to marry a maiden with a dog's face."

So he took her to a little house where she was to live until the enchantment was removed. He himself returned to his parents, but whenever he went hunting he visited poor Angiola. She often wept bitterly over her misfortunes, until one day the little dog that had followed her from the witch's said: "Do not weep, fair Angiola. I will go to the witch and beg her to remove the enchantment."

Then the little dog started off and returned to the witch and sprang up on her and caressed her. "Are you here again, you ungrateful beast?" cried the witch, and pushed the dog away. "Did you leave me to follow the ungrateful Angiola?"

But the little dog caressed her until she grew friendly again and took him up on her lap. "Mother," said the little dog, "Angiola sends you greeting; she is very sad, for she cannot marry the prince."

"That serves her right," said the witch. "Why did she deceive me? She can keep her dog's face now!"

But the dog begged her so earnestly, saying that poor Angiola was sufficiently punished, that at last the witch gave the dog a flask of water, and said: "Take that to her and she will become the fair Angiola again."

The dog thanked her, ran off with the flask, and brought it safely to poor Angiola. As soon as she washed in the water, her dog's face disappeared, and she became beautiful again, more beautiful even than she had been before. The prince, full of joy, took her to the palace, and the king and queen were so pleased with her beauty that they welcomed her, and gave her a splendid wedding, and all remained happy and contented.

Next: How the Devil Married Three Sisters

(700 words)

Reading D: Tales of Anansi (100 Words)

You will find the texts of the stories below the audio, and the titles are linked to individual blog posts where you can learn more about sources, see notes, etc.

You'll want to click on track 151 to start the audio portion for this section:

Laura Gibbs · Tiny Tales of Anansi

~ 151. Anansi and the Peanut-Patch ~
The master put a guard by his peanut-patch. 
The guard was a fool who couldn't read, so Anansi found a piece of paper and took it to the guard.
"I can't read that!" he said.
Anansi laughed. "It says: The master commands you to let Anansi go in."
Then the guard let Anansi go in, and Anansi ate all the peanuts.
Next, the master came. "Who ate all the peanuts?" he shouted.
"I let Anansi in," said the guard, "just like you told me."
The master beat the guard. "Don't you listen to that lying Anansi ever again!" he said.

~ 152. Anansi's Sick Chicken ~
Anansi had a sick chicken. Knowing it would die soon, he took the chicken to a neighbor.
"Please take care of my chicken while I go to town," Anansi said.
The neighbor agreed.
The chicken died.
Anansi returned for the chicken.
"Your chicken died," said the neighbor. "Just take one of mine."
"No!" yelled Anansi. "My chicken would have laid eggs. Those eggs would have become chickens and laid more eggs that would also become chickens. You owe me for all that!"
"Well, go take a sheep then," said the neighbor.
That's how Anansi turned a chicken into a sheep.

~ 153. Anansi and Mosquito ~
A lady said, "If someone guesses my daughter's name, I'll pay a hundred dollars!"
Anansi wanted that money.
"Go buzz in the daughter's ear tonight," he told Mosquito. "I'll hide in the mother's room listening."
So Mosquito buzzed and the girl moaned.
"Zegrady, Zegrady, what's wrong?" asked the mother.
"It's just Mosquito," said the daughter.
The next day Anansi came singing, "Zegrady, Zegrady, Zegra, Zegrady! Come shake Anansi's hand, my dear."
So the mother gave Anansi the money.
But Anansi was greedy: he didn't share with Mosquito. So Mosquito still buzzes in people's ears: he's complaining about Anansi even now!

~ 154. Anansi and the Two Sisters ~
There were two sisters, and nobody knew their names. 
"I'll find out!" said Anansi, and he bet big money on it.
Anansi dressed up as a baby. 
"Put me in a basket," he told his wife, "and leave it by their door."
The sisters squealed when they saw him. "So sweet!" they said. "So adorable!"
Then Anansi smiled, and the sisters screamed.
"Sister Agumma, have you ever seen a baby's mouth so full of teeth?"
"I have not, Sister Agumme, I have not!"
And that's how Anansi found out their names were Agumma and Agumme, so he won the bet.

~ 155. Anansi and the Princess ~
When the princess was born, the queen kept her name secret.
"Whoever learns the princess's name will marry her!" she said.
Only the queen and her servants knew the name.
"Help me, Dog!" said Anansi, and Dog agreed, so Anansi dressed Dog in smelly, ragged clothes.
Then they went to the royal swimming hole. The royal family was swimming; their clothes were on the bank.
"Grab the princess's dress!" said Anansi.
Dog grabbed the dress and started chewing.
"Stop it, you mangy dog!" yelled the queen. "Stop chewing Princess Basamwe's dress!"
So Anansi learned the name and married Princess Basamwe.

~ 156. Anansi and Dog's New Name ~
Everybody called Dog "Thieving-Dog," and Dog didn't like it.
Dog asked Anansi for help. "I don't want to be Thieving-Dog. I need a new name!"
Anansi agreed. "I'll give you a name if you'll watch this roast for me. Turn the spit, but don't eat the meat. I'll be back soon."
Dog tried to resist, but the meat smelled so good.
Dog ate the meat!
Anansi came back and laughed. "Okay," he said, "your new name is Same-As-Ever."
Dog was very grateful!
He ran through the village, and some boys shouted. "There's that Thieving-Dog!"
"No!" barked Dog. "I'm Same-As-Ever! Same-As-Ever!"

~ 157. Anansi Goes to the Christening ~
Anansi and Tiger found some butter.
"Let's hide it for later!" said Tiger.
Next day Anansi said, "I'm going to a christening." But he was really going to eat butter.
Tiger asked the child's name.
"Top-Take-Off," said Anansi.
Next day, another christening. This time: "Now-in-the-Middle."
Again the next day. "This child is Lick-Clean," said Anansi.
Next day Tiger was hungry. "Let's eat butter!"
"First let's sleep," said Anansi.
Then Anansi took the last of the butter and smeared it on Tiger's mouth and tail. 
"Tiger, you thief!" Anansi shouted. "I see you ate the butter: you're oozing butter all over!"

~ 158. Anansi, Lion, and the Liquor ~
Anansi wanted to take Lion's house for himself, so he came to visit Lion, singing this song: "Killed a thousand lions yesterday; how many today-oh, today-oh, today?"
This worried Lion.
"Anansi and I need some liquor!" he said to his first cub. "Get some Never-Come-Back liquor."
The cub didn't come back.
"We need liquor!" he said to his other cub. "Get some Danger-Here liquor."
The cub didn't come back.
"We need liquor!" he said to Mrs. Lion. "Get some Stay-Away liquor."
Mrs. Lion didn't come back.
"I'll go see what's taking so long!" said Lion, and he didn't come back.

~ 159. Anansi's New Name ~
Anansi, Tiger, and Parrot all changed their names: Anansi was Che-che-bun-da, Tiger was Yellow-prissenda, and Parrot was Green-corn-ero. If someone's mother didn't use the new name, they would eat her!
When Tiger's mother forgot to say "Yellow-prissenda," they ate her.
That night Anansi went secretly to his mother. "Remember: I'm Che-che-bun-da!" he said.
The next day Parrot's mother forgot to say "Green-corn-ero" and they ate her.
That night, Anansi went to his mother again. "Hello, Anansi!" she said.
"No! I'm Che-che-bun-da! Che-che-bun-da!"
The next day they went to Anansi's mother.
"Hello, Che-che-bun-da!" she said.
So they didn't eat Anansi's mother.

~ 160. Anansi inside the Cow ~
"Show me where you get your beef!" Anansi told Tacoomah.
Tacoomah took Anansi to a cow.
"Say Open Sesame and go in," Tacoomah explained. "Then Shut Sesame. Take the fat, but don't cut the back-string. Then Open Sesame, come out, and Shut Sesame to close the cow."
Tacoomah went into the cow and came out with a basket of fat.
Anansi went in, but he got greedy and cut the back-string.
The cow died. Anansi was stuck!
Finally the cowboy came and cut open the cow.
When he washed the entrails in the river, Anansi jumped out and ran away.

~ 161. One-Two-Three Taking No Liver! ~
Blackbird knew where the butcher kept his meat, and he knew the magic words to open the door: "One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!"
"Let's get meat!" Blackbird said to Anansi. Blackbird used the words and went in. Anansi used the words and went in. 
They put meat in their bags.
But Anansi was greedy and took liver too.
"One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!" Blackbird said. The door opened.
"One-Two-Three Taking No Liver!" Anansi said. The door didn't open.
Blackbird shouted, "I told you: no liver!"
"I didn't take any liver!" Anansi lied.
Blackbird left him, and the butcher came and killed Anansi.

~ 162. Crow's Magic House ~
Crow had a magic house. 
To get in you had to say: "Liver me-yum-yum!" Then the liver in the house opened the door.
Anansi saw Crow go in the house and heard the words.
He waited till Crow came out and went away.
Anansi said, "Liver me-yum-yum!" The door opened for Anansi.
Anansi closed the door and ate the liver so Crow couldn't get in.
Then he ate all Crow's food.
Crow came back. "Liver me-yum-yum!"
Nothing happened. The door stayed shut.
Anansi came out, and Crow caught Anansi and beat him, but never could get back inside his house.

~ 163. Anansi's Tree-House ~
Anansi lived in a tree.
He'd go robbing and come sing this song: "Send down rope! Anansi-O! Send down rope! Anansi-O!"
Nobody knew who the robber was or where he went.
But Tiger followed one night and heard the song.
Next, Tiger needed Anansi's voice. He told the goldsmith, "Hammer my tongue! Make it fine!"
Then Tiger went and sang Anansi's song.
Anansi's wife let down the rope.
Anansi saw from a distance Tiger going up on the rope, so he sang: "Cut the rope! Tiger-O! Cut the rope! Tiger-O!"
Anansi's wife cut the rope and Tiger fell down dead.

~ 164. Anansi and Tiger's Hoe ~
Long ago, farmers dug their fields with pointed sticks.
Nobody had a hoe, except for Tiger.
Tiger had a magical hoe, and it did the digging for him.
Anansi spied on Tiger and saw the hoe. He learned the magic words Tiger used to make the hoe start digging. Then he stole Tiger's hoe to use for himself.
The hoe dug and dug, and Anansi was happy.
But Anansi did not know how to stop the magic hoe. 
It kept on digging!
The hoe dug all the land and then disappeared into the sea, and it is digging there still.

~ 165. Anansi, His Brother, and the Magic Pot ~
When Anansi was climbing a tree, he found a hole in the tree. In the hole he found a magic pot that filled with food at his command.
Anansi's brother Tacoomah saw this pot and was jealous. "I've got more children than you to feed," he said. "I need that pot more than you!"
Anansi told Tacoomah about the hole in the tree.
Tacoomah climbed the tree and looked in the hole. Instead of a pot, he found a piece of leather. He took the leather home to his family.
The leather didn't feed them. Instead, it whipped them all!

~ 166. Anansi and the Avocado Tree ~
Breeze knocked over Anansi's avocado tree.
"Breeze must pay!" shouted Anansi, and he went to Breeze's house.
"I apologize," Breeze said. "Take this magic tablecloth. Just say Cloth-mine-dinnertime. But don't wash it."
When Anansi did this, food appeared! Anansi and his family had all they wanted to eat.
But Anansi's wife washed the tablecloth, and it lost its powers.
Anansi went back to Breeze, who gave him a stick. "Just say Round-about-club-out!" Breeze told Anansi.
Anansi hoped the stick would feed him too, but when he got home and said Round-about-club-out, the stick beat Anansi and all his family too!

~ 167. Anansi and the Handsome Calabash ~
Anansi saw a calabash tree.
When he grabbed a calabash, it said, "I'm handsome! I do handsome!"
"Show me, Handsome Calabash!" said Anansi.
A table covered with food appeared. Anansi ate, and then the table disappeared.
Anansi took Handsome Calabash home, hid it in the attic, and ate in secret.
But Anansi's wife spied on him.
When Anansi left, she said "Show me, Handsome Calabash!" But she dropped the calabash and it cracked.
Anansi came home and went to the attic. "Show me, Handsome Calabash!" he said.
No food!
Instead, Handsome Calabash whipped Anansi and ran back into the woods.

~ 168. Anansi's Fork ~
Anansi dropped his ax in the river. He dived in. 
No ax, but he found a fork. "I'll feed you!" it said.
"Feed me!" Anansi yelled, and there was food. Anansi ate and ate.
Anansi invited everybody to a party.
"Feed me!" he yelled. There was food for everybody.
Then the fork stopped working.
Anansi threw another ax in the river and dived in. No ax, no fork, but he found a whip.
"Feed me!" Anansi yelled. But the whip just beat him.
Anansi invited everybody to another party.
"Feed me!" he yelled, and the whip beat all the people.

~ 169. Anansi and the Robber Bargaining ~
Anansi had a magic cooking pot.
"Sell me that!" said a robber.
"No!" said Anansi. "But I'll sell you my money tree. Come to my house at midnight."
Anansi went home and put all his money up in a tree.
The robber came, and Anansi spread out a sheet beneath the tree. Anansi shook the tree, and money came falling down.
"Give me all your money and you can have the tree," said Anansi.
The robber paid Anansi, ripped the tree out of the ground, and took it home.
The tree never gave money and, without its roots, it died.

~ 170. Anansi and the Shirt ~
Anansi went to Overseer's party. Goat went too.
People danced; then they slept.
Anansi didn't sleep. He stole Overseer's shirt.
Overseer woke up. His shirt was gone! "Where are you, Shirt?"
Shirt shouted, "Anansi took me!"
"Goat, let's trade shirts!" Anansi said. Goat agreed.
"Where are you, Shirt?" Overseer yelled.
"Now Goat's got me!" shouted Shirt.
Goat hid in a hole, but his horn stuck out. 
Overseer tripped. "I'll saw this root!" he said.
Overseer started sawing. "Hey!" he yelled. "This root is bleeding!"
Then Overseer recognized Goat. He took his shirt back and beat Goat.
Anansi was long gone.

~ 171. Anansi and the Witch's Sword ~
Anansi stole the king's treasure and fled to the witch's house.
"I'll give you lots of treasure to protect me!" said Anansi.
The witch agreed.
The king's soldiers arrived. "We seek Anansi!"
"I'll see if he's inside," said the witch, and she fetched her magical sword.
"Kill!" she said. The sword killed the soldiers.
Then the witch stopped the sword.
When the witch went to town, she gave Anansi the sword. "The soldiers might return," she said.
The soldiers did return, and Anansi said, "Kill!" 
The sword killed the soldiers.
But Anansi couldn't stop the sword. It killed Anansi too!

~ 172. Anansi and the Witch's Name ~
"Guess my name, get my gold!" said the Old-Witch.
Only Crab knew the witch's secret name.
Anansi dressed in girl's clothes and became the witch's maid.
When Anansi was washing clothes by the river, he flirted with Crab. "You're so handsome!"
Crab had never heard that before!
Then Anansi started crying.
"What's wrong, girl?" Crab asked.
"I need to know the witch's name."
Crab said the name.
Anansi ran back to the witch's house. "Your name's Cantinny, Cantinny's your name!"
The witch gave her gold to Anansi, and she threw a calabash at Crab: that's how Crab got his shell.

~ 173. Anansi and Old-Witch's Garden ~
Old-Witch had a beautiful garden, and Anansi wanted that garden.
When the witch's gardener sang, everybody had to dance. Even the witch had to dance. The gardener would sing and the witch would dance.
Then she'd tell him to stop.
Anansi told the Kling-Kling bird, "Listen, and learn that song!"
Next, he told Tacoomah to lure the gardener away.
Then Old-Witch came to the garden.
Kling-Kling sang, and the Old-Witch danced.
"Enough now!" she said, but Kling-Kling kept singing, and the witch kept dancing.
She danced until she died.
But then the whole garden died with her.
Anansi got nothing.

~ 174. Anansi's Wedding Clothes ~
Anansi was getting married, and he needed wedding clothes.
Old-Witch could help, but he had to pay her, so he stole a gold coin from Old-Witch's own treasure.
"Help me!" Anansi said. "I'll pay!"
"I'll help you, Anansi," she said, but she recognized the coin.
Old-Witch used magic to conjure clothes for Anansi, and a carriage and coachmen.
Anansi rode to the palace.
The princess smiled. Then she blinked; the coachmen disappeared.
Next blink: carriage.
Next blink: Anansi's top-hat.
Then Anansi's clothes disappeared piece by piece until he was naked.
Anansi ran away, ashamed. He didn't get married after all.

~ 175. Anansi Wants a Wife ~
Anansi wanted a wife. He asked Flower to marry him.
"I won't!" Flower laughed.
He asked Rainbow.
"I can't!" Rainbow laughed.
Then he asked Fire. "Will you marry me?"
"Yes!" said Fire.
Anansi made a trail of twigs to lead Fire to his house.
Fire came. She ate the twigs. She got bigger! Fire came roaring to Anansi's house.
Anansi was scared. "Go back!" he shouted. "Get away!"
Fire kept coming.
Anansi quickly made another trail of twigs leading to the pond.
Fire followed that trail and disappeared in the pond.
Anansi had discovered how to fight fire with water!

~ 176. Anansi and Fire ~
Anansi and Fire were friends, so Anansi went to visit Fire in Fire's house.
They ate dinner together, and then Anansi invited Fire to come visit him in his house.
"I can't walk," said Fire, "but maybe if you lay down a trail of dry brush leading to your house, then I could travel along that path."
Anansi's wife was Dove, and she said, "No! Don't let Fire come!"
But Anansi laid out the path.
Fire came running.
He burned down Anansi's house, and he burned Anansi, and then Fire himself burned out.
Only Dove survived because she flew away.

~ 177. Anansi, Fire, and the Damp Clothes ~
Fire was angry at Anansi, but he pretended to be Anansi's friend. 
"I'd like to visit you," he told Anansi.
"You can help dry my clothes," said Anansi. "Look for clothes hanging outside; that will be my house."
Then Anansi went to Tiger, who was washing clothes. 
"Put your clothes out in the sun to dry!" said Anansi, so Tiger hung his damp clothes on the line.
Then Fire came, with Breeze blowing. 
"That's Anansi's house!" said Fire when he saw the clothes. "Blow me there, Breeze!"
So Breeze blew, and Fire burned Tiger's clothes to ashes.
Anansi just laughed.

~ 178. Fire, Grass, and Anansi ~
Fire was angry at Grass. 
"I'm going to burn that Grass!" Fire said to Anansi, not knowing that Anansi and Grass were friends.
"When you go to burn Grass, tell me, and I'll blow my horn to make Grass afraid," said Anansi.
Next, Anansi went to his friend Water and said, "I need you to rain down when I blow my horn." 
"Okay," said Water.
When Fire went to burn Grass, Anansi blew his horn. Then Water came raining down and saved the Grass.
From that day on, Fire was angry with Anansi because of how Anansi had tricked him!

~ 179. Anansi and Mr. Wheeler ~
Anansi found a honey-stump. 
He reached in. 
The stump said, "I'm Wheeler!" and it wheeled Anansi around and threw him. Anansi landed some leaves.
"I'll make a trap!" said Anansi, and he put rocks under the leaves.
"Come get honey!" Anansi said to Peacock. Peacock reached for the honey, Wheeler wheeled him, and then Anansi ate Peacock.
Rat reached for the honey, Wheeler wheeled him, and then Anansi ate Rat.
But Puss said, "I don't see the honey. Show me!"
So Anansi reached in, Wheeler wheeled him, and Anansi fell on the rocks.
That's how Anansi got his limp!

~ 180. Anansi and the Rock by the River ~
Anansi sat down on a rock by the river and started eating.
"Give me some food, Anansi!" said the rock. "I'm hungry!"
"Don't bother me, Rock!" said Anansi. "This is my food."
Anansi ate all the food, but when he went to stand up, he was stuck. The rock wouldn't let go.
"Help!" Anansi yelled.
A man walked by and heard him. "What's wrong, Anansi?"
"Rock's got me! Pull me off!"
The man pulled, but part of Anansi's skin stayed stuck.
That's why moss grows on the river side of the rocks: that is Anansi's skin he left behind there.

~ 181. The Ghost's House in the Sky ~
Duppy (Ghost) lived in the sky. 
Anansi wanted to eat Duppy's food, so he watched how Duppy called the house down.
"Come down, me chin-chin!"
Then Duppy sent the house up.
"Go up, me chin-chin!"
Next day Anansi waited for Duppy to come down and send the empty house back up.
Then Anansi called, "Come down, me chin-chin!"
Anansi entered the house.
"Go up, me chin-chin!"
Anansi was in the sky! He ate and ate.
But he couldn't remember the going-down song. He was stuck!
Duppy brought the house down and found Anansi.
Then Duppy boiled Anansi and ate him!

~ 182. Anansi and Dry-Head ~
Anansi stole a cow, but he didn't want to share with his family; he made a fire right there to roast the cow.
Anansi wanted yams too, so he went digging.
Then he saw two eyes in the dirt. He kept digging: he dug up old devil Dry-Head!
Anansi tried to put Dry-Head back in the ground, but he wouldn't go.
"Take me to the fire," said Dry-Head, "or I'll burn you!"
Anansi tried to run, but his body started burning, so he came back and carried Dry-Head to the fire.
Dry-Head ate the whole cow; Anansi didn't get anything.

~ 183. Anansi, Dry-Head, and the Hog ~
Anansi was roasting a hog when he heard something hit the ground: PLOP.
Anansi thought it was a coconut. He picked it up: it was Dry-Head!
"You picked me up," Dry-Head said. "Now carry me!"
Dry-Head saw the hog. "I'm hungry!" he said.
Dry-Head ate the hog.
Anansi only got a bone. "The bone's sweet, sir!" said Anansi.
Then Petchary-Bird flew by.
"Come pick up this good coconut!" said Anansi, pointing at Dry-Head.
Petchary picked Dry-Head up, but he wasn't strong enough to carry him. 
Dry-Head fell down and smashed.
Anansi ate him up. "I'm eating my hog after all!"

~ 184. Butterfly and Anansi in the Fields ~
"Did you hear about the new law?" Butterfly asked Anansi. "No badmouthing! If you badmouth somebody, you'll drop down dead!"
Anansi laughed. "I can keep my mouth shut. We'll see about you!"
Then Anansi and Butterfly went to work in their fields.
Dry-Head-Skull-Man walked by, talking to himself, rattling his skeleton bones as he danced. "All dressed up, going to the barber, getting ready for the party tonight!"
Butterfly didn't say anything.
Anansi said, "What's Dry-Head-Skull-Man going to a barber for? There's no hair on that fool's head!"
Anansi dropped down dead for badmouthing, and Butterfly ate him up. "Delicious!"

~ 185. The Devil's Honey-Dram ~
Anansi's son was stealing from the Devil's honey-dram and getting drunk.
"Don't steal from the Devil!" Anansi warned him, but the boy kept on drinking.
Finally the Devil's mother caught the boy and took him to the Devil's house.
"The Devil will kill you when he comes back," she said, and she set the boy to work.
Anansi came looking for his son, and he sang a song that made the Devil's mother dance and dance till she fell asleep.
Then Anansi grabbed his son and set the Devil's house on fire.
Anansi also took the Devil's honey-dram for himself!

~ 186. Anansi in Death's Camp ~
Anansi went hunting, but he had caught nothing. He was hungry!
Then he found Death's camp. Death had so much food. 
"Please feed me!" said Anansi.
Death fed Anansi, and Anansi ate until he was full.
"Who are you?" Anansi asked.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Death!"
"Thank you, Death," Anansi said.
Then Anansi went home, but he kept returning to Death's camp to steal food.
When Death saw Anansi stealing, he chased Anansi all the way back to town.
"Watch out, people!" shouted Anansi. "Death is coming!"
And that's how Death came to where people live: it's Anansi's fault.

~ 187. Anansi Robs Death's House ~
Anansi decided to rob Death's house.
To get through Death's Gate, he rubbed grease on the Gate. 
"Delicious!" said the Gate. "Thank you, Anansi!" The Gate swung open and then closed.
Anansi filled up his sacks with Death's things. He didn't know Death was watching!
Anansi started to leave, but Death shouted at Gate, "Open not!"
But the Gate was grateful and opened for Anansi.
Death jumped on Anansi's back and rode him all the way home.
Anansi threw Death down in the yard and went to get his axe.
When he came back with the axe, Death was gone.

~ 188. Death Wants Revenge on Anansi ~
Anansi robbed Death's house, and Death wanted revenge. So Death came to Anansi's house at night, and he crawled under the ground. 
Then in the morning Death grew from the ground in the form of a callaloo plant. He knew that Anansi loved callaloo stew.
In the morning Anansi saw the callaloo plant.
"Let's make stew!" he said to his wife.
"No!" said Mrs. Anansi. "There's something wrong with that plant."
"There's nothing wrong with this plant!" protested Anansi, and he started eating the callaloo.
As soon as he did, he fell down dead.
Death had his revenge on Anansi.

~ 189. Anansi and Death's Field of Yams ~
Anansi had a field next to Death's field.
Death planted yams, but Anansi was lazy. He didn't plant; he just watched Death.
"You're sure working hard, Death!" he said.
"Lazy people go hungry, Anansi!" Death replied.
Death's yams grew ripe, and Anansi came in the night to steal them, but Death was there, waiting for him.
Death chased Anansi!
Anansi ran home, Death on his heels. "Close the door!" Anansi shouted at his wife.
Death stood outside, waving his machete.
Anansi ran up the stairs into the dusty attic. Anansi is still there now, hiding from Death and weaving webs.

~ 190. Anansi and Death's Barbecue ~
Anansi saw someone barbecuing meat. It was Death!
"Can I eat?" Anansi asked.
Death said nothing.
Anansi took some meat. "My daughter can cook for you," Anansi said, and Anansi brought his daughter to Death.
Later, Anansi saw his daughter wearing Death's ring. Anansi was angry! He grabbed Death's long hair and tied him to a tree. He lit a fire, but the fire just burned Death's hair.
Death got loose and chased Anansi.
Anansi's family hid from Death, but Death grabbed them one by one.
Only Anansi escaped; he hid in the dirt. Anansi still lives in the dirt.

~ 191. God and Anansi's Thread ~
God used to be close to the people, just above their heads. This meant people were always asking God for things.
After a while, God got tired of all their requests. "The people are going to wear me out!" he thought.
So God decided to go higher, much higher, in the sky.
To keep a connection between his new home in heaven and the people down below, God told Anansi to spin a thread, a thread that reached from earth to heaven.
Anansi spun the thread.
God rewarded Anansi with great powers, and then went to live up in heaven.

~ 192. Anansi and God's Cattle ~
Lion stole God's cattle, and God offered a reward for the return of the cattle.
Anansi wanted that reward.
"Just give me some rope, and make the clouds go dark," said Anansi. God agreed.
Then Anansi went into the woods. "Where can I tie myself? Where? Where?"
"What are you talking about?" shouted Lion.
"Hurricane's coming!" said Anansi. "Just look at the sky! I need to tie myself to a tree before the winds blow me away."
"Tie me first!" roared Lion. "NOW!"
Anansi tied Lion to a tree, left him there, and took God's cattle back up to heaven.

~ 193. Anansi and God's Yams ~
Anansi was hungry! He saw yams growing in God's field, and he stole God's yams.
God didn't know who stole his yams, but he was mad. He made a man of wood and covered it with tar, and then he put it in the field.
Anansi came back for more yams and saw the man.
"You can't stop me from taking these yams!" Anansi shouted, and he hit the man. His hand stuck. Other hand: stuck. Foot: stuck. Other foot: stuck. Then Anansi butted the man with his head: stuck.
That's how God found out who was stealing his yams!

~ 194. Anansi and the Tar-Man ~
Anansi was stealing God's yams.
God made a tar-man to stand guard, and Anansi got stuck on God's tar-man.
"I need to get away before God finds me!" thought Anansi.
Rooster walked by.
"Help me!" cried Anansi.
"I'm not messing with you!" replied Rooster.
Sheep walked by, but Sheep wouldn't help Anansi either.
Then Goat walked by.
"I'll help you!" said Goat. He butted the tar-man, and then Goat was stuck. Anansi used Goat's horns to pull himself loose, and then he skinned Goat and took the skin home.
So Anansi got God's yams and a goatskin all for himself.

~ 195. Anansi Reads God's Mind ~
"I can read your mind!" Anansi said to God.
"Go tell the blacksmith to make what I'm thinking," said God.
Anansi then lurked near God's house, listening.
A bird asked God, "What is the blacksmith making?"
"Sun, Moon, and Stars," said God.
Anansi ran to the blacksmith and told him to make Sun, Moon, and Stars, and then Anansi brought them to God.
As soon as they got there, the Sun and Moon started fighting. Sun was throwing fire, and Moon was throwing water, so God threw the Sun and the Moon, and the Stars too, up in the sky.

~ 196. Anansi and the Pea ~
Anansi found a pea and planted it.
Goat ate Anansi's pea-plant.
"Pay me!" said Anansi.
Goat gave Anansi his horn.
Anansi washed the horn in River, and River took the horn.
"Pay me!" said Anansi.
River gave him a fish.
Anansi met a starving boy. "Give me your fish," the boy said. "Take my whip."
Anansi took the whip.
"Help me!" shouted Tacoomah. "I need a whip to herd my cows."
"Give me a cow," said Anansi.
Anansi got a cow.
From the cow, he got milk; then cheese.
Anansi sold cheese and bought more cows.
All from a pea!

~ 197. Anansi and Hunter's Debt ~
Hunter had a debt that he could not pay.
Anansi wanted to eat Hunter's guavas, so Hunter said, "Whoever eats my guavas takes my debt!"
Anansi ate Hunter's guavas.
Then Anansi said, "Whoever eats my corn takes my debt."
Guinea-Fowl ate Anansi's corn.
"Whoever breaks my eggs takes my debt," said Guinea-Fowl.
Tree-Branch broke the Guinea-Fowl's eggs. "Whoever plucks my flowers takes my debt."
Monkey plucked the flowers. "Whoever kills me takes my debt."
Then Tiger killed Monkey. "Whoever eats me takes my debt!" roared Tiger.
Hunter killed Tiger, and everybody ate Tiger's meat.
Everybody ended up with Hunter's debt!

~ 198. Anansi Owes Money ~
Anansi owed money to Hog, Dog, Monkey, and Tiger.
Knock-knock! Anansi let Hog in.
Knock-knock! "That's Dog. He hates you!" said Anansi. "Hide upstairs."
Anansi let Dog in.
Knock-knock! "That's Monkey. He hates you! Hide upstairs. Hog's up there; go on and kill him!"
Anansi let Monkey in.
Knock-knock! "That's Tiger. He hates you! Hide upstairs. Dog's up there; go on and kill him!"
Anansi let Tiger in.
"Monkey's upstairs; go on and kill him!"
Tiger ran upstairs.
Anansi removed the stairs.
When Tiger came down, he broke his neck.
So Anansi ate Tiger, Monkey, Dog, and Hog for dinner.

~ 199. Anansi Takes Pig Home ~
Anansi was taking Pig home, but Pig wouldn't cross the stream.
"I refuse!" said Pig.
"Dog, bite Pig!" Dog refused.
"Stick, beat Dog!" Stick refused.
"Fire, burn Stick!" Fire refused.
"Water, douse Fire!" Water refused.
"Cow, drink Water!" Cow refused.
"Butcher, kill Cow!" Butcher refused.
"Rope, hang Butcher!" Rope refused.
"Rat, gnaw Rope!" Rat refused.
"Cat, eat Rat!"
"Gladly!" said Cat, and Cat scared Rat who scared Rope who scared Butcher who scared Cow who scared Water who scared Fire who scared Stick who scared Dog who bit Pig, who jumped the stream.
Anansi didn't pay anybody for helping either!

~ 200. Anansi and the Grain of Corn ~
Anansi was stealing from Monkey and Tiger's corn-field.
"Catch him!" shouted Monkey and Tiger.
They chased him, but Anansi hid inside a grain of corn.
Rooster ate that corn.
Then Alligator ate Rooster.
Monkey and Tiger asked the oracle-drum, "Where's Anansi?"
"In the earth-grain in the sky-bird in the river-beast," said the drum.
Monkey saw Alligator in the river. "Aha!" he shouted, grabbing Alligator.
He cut Alligator open; there was Rooster.
He cut Rooster open; there was the grain.
Tiger raised his paw while Monkey cut the grain, but Anansi was faster than Tiger with his paw, so Anansi escaped!

Europa: Johnnie and Grizzle (cont.)

This story is part of the Europa unit. Story source: Europa's Fairy Book by Joseph Jacobs and illustrated by John Batten (1916).

Johnnie and Grizzle (cont.)

No sooner had the children seen this funny little house than they rushed up to it, and commenced to pick pieces off the door, and take out some of the bricks, while Johnnie climbed on Grizzle's back and tore off some of the roof (what was that made of?).

Just as they were eating all this, the door opened, and a little old woman, with red eyes, came out and said, "Naughty, naughty children to break up my house like that. Why didn't you knock at the door and ask to have something, and I would gladly give it to you?"

"Please ma'am," said Johnnie, "I will ask for something; I am so, so hungry, or else I wouldn't have hurt your pretty roof."

"Come inside my house," said the old woman and let them come into her parlour. And that was made all of candies, the chairs and table of maple-sugar, and the couch of cocoanut. But as soon as the old woman got them inside her door, she seized hold of Johnnie and took him through the kitchen, and put him in a dark cubby-hole, and left him there with the door locked.

Now this old woman was a witch who looked out for little children, whom she fattened up and ate. So she went back to Grizzle, and said, "You shall be my little servant and do my work for me, and, as for that brother of yours, he'll make a fine meal when he's fattened up."

So this witch kept Johnnie and Grizzle with her, making Grizzle do all the housework, and every morning she went to the cubby-hole in which she kept Johnnie and gave him a good breakfast, and later in the day a good dinner, and at night a good supper, but after she gave him his supper she would say to him, "Put out your forefinger," and when he put it out the old witch, who was nearly blind, felt it and muttered, "Not fat enough yet!"

After a while Johnnie felt he was getting real fat and was afraid the witch would eat him up. So he searched about till he found a stick about the size of his finger, and when the old witch asked him to put out his finger, he put out the stick, and she said, "Goodness gracious me, the boy is as thin as a lath! I must feed him up more."

So she gave him more and more food, and every day he put out the stick till at last one day he got careless, and when she took the stick, it fell out of his hand, and she felt what it was. So she flew into a terrible rage and called out, "Grizzle, Grizzle, make the oven hot. This lad is fat enough for Christmas."

Poor Grizzle did not know what to do, but she had to obey the witch. So she piled the wood on under the oven and set it alight. And after a while the old witch said to her, "Grizzle, Grizzle, is the oven hot?"

And Grizzle said, "I don't know, mum."

And when the witch asked her again whether it was hot enough, Grizzle said, "I do not know how hot an oven ought to be."

"Get away, get away," said the old witch; "I know, let me see." And she poked her old head into the oven. Then Grizzle pushed her right into the oven and closed the door and rushed out into the back yard and let Johnnie out of the cubby-hole.

Then Johnnie and Grizzle ran away towards the setting sun where they knew their own house was, till at last they came to a broad stream too deep for them to wade. But just at that moment they looked back, and what do you think they saw? The old witch, by some means or other, had got out of the oven and was rushing after them. What were they to do? What were they to do?

Suddenly Grizzle saw a fine big duck swimming towards them, and she called out:

Duck, duck, come to me,
Johnnie and Grizzle depend upon thee
Take Johnnie and Grizzle on thy back,
Or else they'll be eaten —

And the duck said, "Quack! Quack!"

Then the duck came up to the bank, and Johnnie and Grizzle went into the water and, by resting their hands on the duck's back, swam across the stream just as the old witch came up.

At first she tried to make the duck come over and carry her, but the duck said, "Quack! Quack!" and shook its head.

Then she lay down and commenced swallowing up the stream so that it should run dry and she could get across. She drank, and she drank, and she drank, and she drank, till she drank so much that she burst!

So Johnnie and Grizzle ran back home, and when they got there, they found that their father the farmer had earned a lot of money and had been searching and searching for them over the forest, and was mighty glad to get back Johnnie and Grizzle again.

Next: Thumbkin

(900 words)

Andersen: The Little Mermaid - Part 4

This story is part of the Andersen Fairy Tales unit. Story source: Fairy Tales and Stories by Hans Christian Andersen, translated by H. P. Paull (1872).

Little Mermaid: Part 4

(see previous page for audio)

And then the little mermaid went out from her garden and took the road to the foaming whirlpools, behind which the sorceress lived. She had never been that way before: neither flowers nor grass grew there; nothing but bare, gray, sandy ground stretched out to the whirlpool, where the water, like foaming mill-wheels, whirled round everything that it seized, and cast it into the fathomless deep. Through the midst of these crushing whirlpools the little mermaid was obliged to pass to reach the dominions of the sea witch, and also for a long distance the only road lay right across a quantity of warm, bubbling mire, called by the witch her turfmoor.

Beyond this stood her house, in the centre of a strange forest, in which all the trees and flowers were polypi, half animals and half plants; they looked like serpents with a hundred heads growing out of the ground. The branches were long slimy arms, with fingers like flexible worms, moving limb after limb from the root to the top. All that could be reached in the sea they seized upon and held fast, so that it never escaped from their clutches. The little mermaid was so alarmed at what she saw that she stood still, and her heart beat with fear, and she was very nearly turning back, but she thought of the prince and of the human soul for which she longed, and her courage returned.

She fastened her long flowing hair round her head so that the polypi might not seize hold of it. She laid her hands together across her bosom, and then she darted forward as a fish shoots through the water, between the supple arms and fingers of the ugly polypi, which were stretched out on each side of her. She saw that each held in its grasp something it had seized with its numerous little arms, as if they were iron bands. The white skeletons of human beings who had perished at sea, and had sunk down into the deep waters, skeletons of land animals, oars, rudders, and chests of ships were lying tightly grasped by their clinging arms; even a little mermaid, whom they had caught and strangled, and this seemed the most shocking of all to the little princess.

She now came to a space of marshy ground in the wood, where large, fat water-snakes were rolling in the mire, and showing their ugly, drab-colored bodies. In the midst of this spot stood a house, built with the bones of shipwrecked human beings. There sat the sea witch, allowing a toad to eat from her mouth, just as people sometimes feed a canary with a piece of sugar. She called the ugly water-snakes her little chickens and allowed them to crawl all over her bosom.

(illustration by Henry Holiday)

“I know what you want,” said the sea witch; “it is very stupid of you, but you shall have your way, and it will bring you to sorrow, my pretty princess. You want to get rid of your fish’s tail, and to have two supports instead of it, like human beings on earth, so that the young prince may fall in love with you and that you may have an immortal soul.” And then the witch laughed so loud and disgustingly that the toad and the snakes fell to the ground and lay there wriggling about.

“You are but just in time,” said the witch; “for after sunrise to-morrow I should not be able to help you till the end of another year. I will prepare a draught for you, with which you must swim to land tomorrow before sunrise, and sit down on the shore, and drink it. Your tail will then disappear and shrink up into what mankind calls legs, and you will feel great pain, as if a sword were passing through you. But all who see you will say that you are the prettiest little human being they ever saw. You will still have the same floating gracefulness of movement, and no dancer will ever tread so lightly, but at every step you take, it will feel as if you were treading upon sharp knives and that the blood must flow. If you will bear all this, I will help you.”

“Yes, I will,” said the little princess in a trembling voice, as she thought of the prince and the immortal soul.

“But think again,” said the witch, “for when once your shape has become like a human being, you can no more be a mermaid. You will never return through the water to your sisters or to your father’s palace again, and if you do not win the love of the prince, so that he is willing to forget his father and mother for your sake, and to love you with his whole soul, and allow the priest to join your hands that you may be man and wife, then you will never have an immortal soul. The first morning after he marries another your heart will break, and you will become foam on the crest of the waves.”

“I will do it,” said the little mermaid, and she became pale as death.

“But I must be paid also,” said the witch, “and it is not a trifle that I ask. You have the sweetest voice of any who dwell here in the depths of the sea, and you believe that you will be able to charm the prince with it also, but this voice you must give to me; the best thing you possess will I have for the price of my draught. My own blood must be mixed with it that it may be as sharp as a two-edged sword.”

“But if you take away my voice,” said the little mermaid, “what is left for me?”

“Your beautiful form, your graceful walk, and your expressive eyes; surely with these you can enchain a man’s heart. Well, have you lost your courage? Put out your little tongue that I may cut it off as my payment; then you shall have the powerful draught.”

“It shall be,” said the little mermaid.

Then the witch placed her cauldron on the fire, to prepare the magic draught.

“Cleanliness is a good thing,” said she, scouring the vessel with snakes, which she had tied together in a large knot; then she pricked herself in the breast,and let the black blood drop into it. The steam that rose formed itself into such horrible shapes that no one could look at them without fear. Every moment the witch threw something else into the vessel, and when it began to boil, the sound was like the weeping of a crocodile.

When at last the magic draught was ready, it looked like the clearest water. “There it is for you,” said the witch. Then she cut off the mermaid’s tongue, so that she became dumb and would never again speak or sing. “If the polypi should seize hold of you as you return through the wood,” said the witch, “throw over them a few drops of the potion, and their fingers will be torn into a thousand pieces.” But the little mermaid had no occasion to do this, for the polypi sprang back in terror when they caught sight of the glittering draught, which shone in her hand like a twinkling star.

Next: Little Mermaid: Part 5

(1200 words)

Welsh: The Fishermen of Shetland

This story is part of the Welsh (Emerson) unit. Story source: Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories by Peter H. Emerson (1894).

The Fishermen of Shetland

[LIBRIVOX AUDIO]

There was a snug little cove in one of the Shetland Islands. At the head of the cove stood a fishing hamlet, containing some twenty huts. In these huts lived the fisher-folk, ruled by one man — the chief — who was the father of two beautiful daughters.

Now these fishermen for some years had been very lucky, for a fairy queen and her fairies had settled there, and she had given her power over to a merman who was the chief of a large family of mermaids. The fairy queen had made the merman a belt of sea-weed which he always wore round his body. The merman used to turn the water red, green, and white, at noon each day, so that the fishermen knew that if they cast their nets into the coloured waters they would make good hauls.

Amongst these fishermen were two brave brothers who courted the chief's daughters, but the old man would not let them get married until they became rich men.

Whenever the fishermen went off in the boats the merman was used to sit on a rock, and watch them fishing.

Close by the hamlet was a great wood, in which lived a wicked old witch and a dwarf.

Now this witch wished to get possession of the merman's belt and so gain the fairy's power. Telling her scheme to the dwarf, she said to him: "Now you must trap the merman when he is sitting on the rocks watching the fishing fleet. But I must change you into a bee, when you must suck of the juice in this magic basin, then fly off and alight on the merman's head, when he will fall asleep."

So the dwarf agreed, and it happened as she had said, and the merman fell asleep, and the dwarf stole the belt and brought it to the witch.

"Now you must wear the belt," said the witch to the dwarf, "and you will have the power and the fairy will lose her power."

They then translated the sleeping merman to the forest and laid him before the hut, when the witch got a copper vessel, saying: "We must bury him in this."

Then she got the magic pot and told the dwarf to take a ladleful of the fluid in the pot and pour it over the merman, which he did, and immediately the merman turned into smoke that settled in the copper vessel. Then they sealed the copper vessel tightly.

"Now take this vessel and heave it into the sea fifty miles from the land," said the witch, and the dwarf did as he was bid.

"Now we'll starve those old fishermen out this winter," said the witch, and it happened as she had said — they could catch nothing.

In the spring the queen fairy came to one of the young fishermen who was courting one of the chief's daughters and said: "You must venture for the sake of your love, and for the lives of the fishermen, or you will all starve — but I will be with you. Will you run the risk?"

"I will," said the brave fisherman.

"Well, the dwarf has got my belt; he stole it from the merman, and so I have lost power over the world for twelve months and a day, but if you get back the belt, I can settle the witch; if not, you will all starve and catch no fish."

So the bold fisherman agreed to try.

"Now I must transform you into a bear, and you'll have to watch the witch and the dwarf, and take your chance of getting the belt, and you must watch where he hides his treasure, for he is using the belt as a means to get gold, which he hides in a cave."

And so the sailor was turned into a bear, and he went to the wood and watched the dwarf, and saw that he hid his treasure in a cave in some crags.

The bear had been given the power of making himself invisible by sitting on his haunches and rubbing his ears with his paws.

One night, when it was very boisterous, the bear felt like going to see his sweetheart. So he went and knocked at the door. The girl opened the door, and shrieked when she saw the bear.

"Oh, let him in," said her old mother.

So the bear came in and asked for shelter from the storm, for he could speak.

Next: The Fishermen of Shetland (cont.)

(700 words)

Lang's Fairy Tales: The Yellow Dwarf

Here is the short version of The Yellow Dwarf:

~ ~ ~

Many suitors loved Princess Bellissima, but she rejected them all. The queen consulted the Fairy of the Desert, but she fell victim to the evil witch's power and promised Bellissima to the Yellow Dwarf, the witch's ally. Bellissima, not knowing this, also consulted the witch, encountered the dwarf, and learned she was to marry him. Hoping to escape this terrible fate, Bellissima agreed to marry the King of the Gold Mines. He was overjoyed, and Bellissima fell truly in love with him. The witch and dwarf came to the wedding and, in a violent confrontation, the dwarf kidnapped Bellissima.

The witch then disguised herself as a beautiful woman and tried to seduce the king. He saw through the disguise (the witch still had griffin's feet), but he flew away with her, hoping to rescue Bellissima. From the sky he saw Bellissima imprisoned by the dwarf; Bellissima, meanwhile, saw the king with a beautiful woman and thought herself betrayed.

The king lived with the witch by the seashore until a mermaid helped him to escape, leaving a corpse made of seaweed in his place. She took him to the dwarf's castle and gave him a sword, warning him to never let it fall from his hand. Meanwhile, the witch was fooled by the seaweed corpse and mourned her dead lover.

The king killed the monsters and nymphs guarding the dwarf's castle and found Bellissima. After he explained about the witch's disguise, they pledged their love anew. At that moment, the king dropped the sword and the Yellow Dwarf discovered them, threatening to kill the king unless Bellissima married him. Bellissima said she would rather die, so the dwarf killed the king and Bellissima instantly died of grief. The mermaid turned the unhappy lovers into two palm trees with interlacing branches.

~ ~ ~

You can read the long version of the fairy tale at Wikisource - and the story really is long: 7800 words! The author is Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy, a 17th-century French author of literary fairy tales of which this is one of the best in my opinion. You can read more about Madame d'Aulnoy at Wikipedia. I have had to leave out all the charming details in the summary, but you have the plot and all the characters here in the summary, including the most unhappy ending! Since one of my favorite fairy tale themes is that of disguises and imitations, I really liked the imitation king made of magical seaweed:

"We must not waste time in talking," said she. "Come with me and I will carry you to the Castle of Steel, and we will leave upon this shore a figure so like you that even the Fairy herself will be deceived by it." So saying, she quickly collected a bundle of sea-weed, and, blowing it three times, she said, "My friendly seaweeds, I order you to stay here stretched upon the sand until the Fairy of the Desert comes to take you away." And at once the seaweeds became like the King, who stood looking at them in great astonishment, for they were even dressed in a coat like his, but they lay there pale and still as the King himself might have lain if one of the great waves had overtaken him and thrown him senseless upon the shore. And then the Mermaid caught up the King, and away they swam joyfully together.

(illustrations by H. J. Ford and G. P. J. Hood)

Welsh: The Fairy of the Dell

This story is part of the Welsh (Emerson) unit. Story source: Welsh Fairy-Tales and Other Stories by Peter H. Emerson (1894).

The Fairy of the Dell

[LIBRIVOX AUDIO]

In olden times fairies were sent to oppose the evil-doings of witches and to destroy their power. About three hundred years ago, a band of fairies, sixty in number, with their queen, called Queen of the Dell, came to Mona to oppose the evil works of a celebrated witch. The fairies settled by a spring, in a valley. After having blessed the spring, or "well," as they called it, they built a bower just above the spring for the queen, placing a throne therein. Near by, they built a large bower for themselves to live in.

After that, the queen drew three circles, one within the other, on a nice flat grassy place by the well. When they were comfortably settled, the queen sent the fairies about the country to gather tidings of the people. They went from house to house and everywhere heard great complaints against an old witch — how she had made some blind, others lame, and deformed others by causing a horn to grow out of their foreheads.

When they got back to the well and told the queen, she said: "I must do something for these old people, and, though the witch is very powerful, we must break her power." So the next day the queen fairy sent word to all the bewitched to congregate upon a fixed day at the sacred well, just before noon.

When the day came, several ailing people collected at the well. The queen then placed the patients in pairs in the inner ring, and the sixty fairies in pairs in the middle ring. Each little fairy was three feet and a half high, and carried a small wand in her right hand, and a bunch of fairy flowers — cuckoo's boots, baby's bells, and day's-eyes — in her left hand.

Then the queen, who was four feet and a half in height, took the outside ring. On her head was a crown of wild flowers, in her right hand she carried a wand, and in her left a posy of fairy flowers. At a signal from the queen they began marching round the rings, singing in chorus:

"We march round by two and two
The circles of the sacred well
That lies in the dell."

When they had walked twice round the ring singing, the queen took her seat upon the throne, and, calling each patient to her, she touched him with her wand and bade him go down to the sacred well and dip his body into the water three times, promising that all his ills should be cured.

As each one came forth from the spring, he knelt before the queen, and she blessed him and told him to hurry home and put on dry clothes. So that all were cured of their ills.

II.

Now the old witch who had worked all these evils lived near the well in a cottage. She had first learned witchcraft from a book called The Black Art, which a gentleman farmer had lent her when a girl. She progressed rapidly with her studies and, being eager to learn more, sold herself to the devil, who made compact with her that she should have full power for seven years, after which she was to become his. He gave her a wand that had the magic power of drawing people to her, and she had a ring on the grass by her house just like the fairy's ring. As the seven years were drawing to a close, and her heart was savage against the farmer who first led her into the paths of evil knowledge, she determined to be revenged.

One day, soon after the Fairy of the Dell came to live by the spring, she drew the farmer to her with her wand, and, standing in her ring, she lured him into it. When he crossed the line, she said:

"Cursed be he or she
That crosses my circle to see me,"

and, touching him on the head and back, a horn and a tail grew from the spots touched. He went off in a terrible rage, but she only laughed maliciously.

Then, as she heard of the Queen of the Dell's good deeds, she repented of her evil deeds and begged her neighbour to go to the queen fairy and ask her if she might come and visit her.

The queen consented, and the old witch went down and told her everything — of the book, of the magic wand, of the ring, and of all the wicked deeds she had done.

"O, you have been a bad witch," said the queen, "but I will see what I can do, but you must bring me the book and the wand," and she told the old witch to come on the following day a little before noon.

When the witch came the next day with her wand and book, she found the fairies had built a fire in the middle ring. The queen then took her and stood her by the fire, for she could not trust her on the outer circle.

"Now I must have more power," said the queen to the fairies, and she went and sat on the throne, leaving the witch by the fire in the middle ring. After thinking a little, the queen said, "Now I have it," and, coming down from her throne muttering, she began walking round the outer circle, waiting for the hour of one o'clock, when all the fairies got into the middle circle and marched round, singing:

"At the hour of one
The cock shall crow one,
Goo! Goo! Goo!
I am here to tell
Of the sacred well
That lies in the dell,
And will conquer hell."

On the second round, they sang:

"At the hour of two
The cock crows two,
Goo! Goo! Goo!
I am here to tell
Of the sacred well
That lies in the dell;
We will conquer hell."

At the last round, they sang:

"At the hour of three
The cock crows three,
Goo! Goo! Goo!
I am here to tell
Of the sacred well
That lies in the dell;
Now I have conquered hell."

Next: The Fairy of the Dell (cont.)

(1000 words)

Bible Women: The Witch of Endor

In the last story, you read about the birth of Samuel; in this story, you will see Samuel again, but this time as a ghost, appearing after his death to King Saul after having been summoned by the Witch of Endor. To understand these events, here is some background:

The prophet Samuel anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. Saul, however, lost God's favor, and Samuel anointed David to be king in Saul's place. At the time that this story takes place, Samuel has died and Saul is still king, while David has made an alliance with the Philistines. King Saul is about to lead the army of Israel in a battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, and he is worried about the outcome. In desperation, he decides to consult a witch, even though he has outlawed witchcraft. So, Saul decides to put on a disguise to try to allay the witch's fears. The story you are about to read tells what happens when Saul goes to consult the witch in Endor. You can read more about the Witch of Endor at Wikipedia. And yes, Saul does die in the battle to come; you can read more about Saul's death at Wikipedia also.

[Notes by LKG]

---

This story is part of the Bible Women unit. Story source: King James Bible (1611): 1 Samuel 28 [LIBRIVOX AUDIO].

(15th-century Bible illustration)

The Witch of Endor

And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

Then said Saul unto his servants, "Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her."

And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor."

And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, "I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee."

And the woman said unto him, "Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?"

And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing."

Then said the woman, "Whom shall I bring up unto thee?"

And he said, "Bring me up Samuel."

And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, "Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul."

And the king said unto her, "Be not afraid: for what sawest thou?"

And the woman said unto Saul, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth."

And he said unto her, "What form is he of?"

And she said, "An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle."

(The Witch of Endor, by Martynov)

And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.

And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?"

And Saul answered, "I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do."

Then said Samuel, "Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David. Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.

And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, "Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me. Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way."

But he refused, and said, "I will not eat."

But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.

And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof. And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat.

Then they rose up, and went away that night.

Next: Bathsheba

(The Witch of Endor, by William Blake)

(700 words)