Chapter 4

The good fairies entered the princess' room. There the tiny baby lay, sleeping in a dainty pearl cradle.

"She is as sweet and fair as a rose!" they exclaimed. "We will call her Rose."

Now it happened that the king and queen had failed to invite a spiteful and ill-tempered old witch. The old witch was very angry, because she had not been invited to the party.

After the guests had all arrived, she entered through the keyhole. No one saw her enter.

Each of the good fairies bestowed on the princess a precious gift.

"I bestow upon you, sweet princess, the gifts of health and cheerfulness," said the first fairy.

"You shall be the most beautiful princess in the world," said the second fairy.

"You shall be witty and wise," said the third.

"You shall have the sweetest voice that ever was heard," said the fourth.

"You shall be generous and kind," said the fifth.

"Everyone shall love you," said the sixth of the good fairies.

Just then a spiteful laugh was heard.

"Ah, ah, ah!" some one called.

The king and queen saw the old witch who had not been invited to the party.

"I will tell you what shall happen to this little wonder," said the witch. "She will cut her finger with a spindle before she is fifteen years old, and then she will die!"

The old witch shook her black stick at the princess.

Then she disappeared, as she had entered, through the keyhole.

The king and queen were troubled when they heard the witch's words, but the seventh fairy, who had not yet spoken, stepped forward.

"The king's daughter shall not die, but she shall sleep for a hundred years. When the princess falls asleep, everyone in the palace will go to sleep, too. They will all sleep for a hundred years."

Then the king ordered that every spindle in the kingdom should be destroyed.

Not a spindle was to be used, anywhere in the country, until after the princess had passed her fifteenth birthday.

The gifts of the fairies proved true. The princess was so beautiful and so good that she was loved by all. She was witty and wise and her voice was like a silver bell.

One day, when the princess was nearly fifteen years old, she wandered through the palace and up the winding stairs to an old tower.

There, in a little room, sat an old woman, busily twisting thread upon a spinning wheel. The old woman had never heard the king's command.

"How merrily the wheel goes round! Let me see if I can spin!" said the princess.

Scarcely had the princess touched the spindle when she cut her finger.

The girl fell at once into a deep sleep. She lay upon the floor beside the spinning wheel, fast asleep.

In the castle below, the king, the queen, and all the servants fell asleep, too. The horses slept in their stalls. The dogs slept in their kennels.

The pigeons on the roof, and the birds in their nests, all went sound asleep. Even the fire flaming on the hearth became still.

Deep shadows darkened the sunny rooms of the palace, and the garden round about.

A hedge of thorns at once began to grow around the palace.

The hedge became thicker and higher as the days went by, until at last it was so tall that not even the palace towers could be seen.

The story of the princess, the beautiful Thorn Rose, was told far and wide.

At last a hundred years had passed. Prince Courageous was traveling through the land. He heard from an old man the story of the thorn hedge, and of the princess who lay in the palace behind the hedge, fast asleep.

The old man told the prince that the time had come when the long enchantment was at an end.

"But who knows how great the danger may be?" added the old man. "No one has entered the palace for a hundred years!"

"I will brave the danger, whatever it may be!" exclaimed Prince Courageous. "I will find the sleeping princess or lose my life!"

So Prince Courageous mounted his horse and rode through the woods until he came to the tall thorn hedge. He made his way through the underbrush.

The briers were thick and the thorns sharp, but Prince Courageous was strong and brave.

He knocked at the gate, but there was no answer. The prince opened the gate and entered the courtyard.

All was silence in the palace hall. Only the sound of his own footsteps could Prince Courageous hear.

Everybody was fast asleep--the horses in their stalls, the pigeons on the roof, the birds in their nests, the servants in the halls, the king and queen on their golden throne.

Prince Courageous tiptoed through the silent rooms. Finally, he reached the narrow stairway that led to the tower.

The prince climbed the winding stairs. There, beside the spinning wheel, lay the beautiful princess, fast asleep.

Stepping softly to her side, he kissed the princess on the cheek. Thorn Rose opened her eyes--and there stood the prince!

And now all the court awoke.

The horses began to neigh. The dogs began to bark. The pigeons cooed. The birds sang. The kitchen fire burst into flame.

The sun shone brightly, and the roses on the palace wall swayed in the breeze.

The prince and the princess were married next day, and the seven good fairies danced at the wedding feast.

THE WOLVES AND THE DEER

Long ago, a pack of wolves lived on a prairie. Some deer lived near by.

The wolves could run swiftly, but they knew that the deer were swift runners, too. The hungry wolves wondered how they might catch the deer and eat them.

At last they thought of a fine plan. They invited the deer to run a race with them.

The wolves and the deer started in the race side by side, but the deer ran much the faster.

The wolves were very angry. "We will eat the deer yet," they said.

One day they prepared a great feast. They invited the deer to dine with them. The deer sat down facing the wolves. Then the wolves said to the deer, "Laugh, you on the other side!"

"No," said the deer. "You laugh first."

"Very well," said the wolves. "We will laugh first."

And they laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

"Now you on the other side laugh, too," said the wolves.

Then the deer laughed, "Mm, mm, mm, mm, mm!"

"Laugh again," said the deer.

"Very well," said the wolves, and they laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

The deer were frightened when they saw the great, sharp teeth of the hungry wolves.

They wanted to run away at once and hide from the wolves, but they were afraid.

Again the wolves said, "Laugh, you on the other side! But do not keep your mouths closed when you laugh. Nobody laughs like that."

Then the deer laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

This time they opened their mouths. The wolves could not see any teeth in the mouths of the deer.

At once the wolves attacked the deer. They killed and ate them.

Only a few of the deer escaped.

To this day, all deer are afraid of wolves.

The wolves laugh and show their teeth when they see the deer. And deer run as fast as they can when they see the wolves.

THE CORNFIELDS

Then Nokomis, the old woman, Spake and said to Minnehaha, "'Tis the Moon when leaves are falling; All the wild rice has been gathered, And the maize is ripe and ready, Let us gather in the harvest, Let us wrestle with Mondamin, Strip him of his plumes and tassels, Of his garments, green and yellow."

HENRY W. LONGFELLOW.

THE GIFT OF CORN

Long, long ago, a tribe of Indians lived on a beautiful island in the Great Lakes.

An enemy attacked the Indians, and they were driven from home. They wandered far away and settled on the shore of a small lake.

Brave Heart, a strong and powerful Indian, remained to guard the beautiful island.

One morning Brave Heart stepped into his canoe. He was planning to paddle around the island. The canoe glided swiftly along by the tall trees that grew near the water.

At last Brave Heart had gone beyond the trees. He saw a vast plain. He paddled to the shore and drew his canoe up the beach.

Then Brave Heart started to walk across the plain. Suddenly a little man stood in front of him. The stranger was dressed in green, and he wore a green cap with red feathers in it.

"Ho, ho, Brave Heart!" cried he. "You are very strong, are you not?"

"Yes," said Brave Heart, "I am as strong as any man. But who are you?"

"I am Red Plume," replied the little man. "Stay and smoke the peace pipe with me."

Presently Red Plume said, "I am small, but I am strong. Let us wrestle together, to see which of us is the stronger. If I fall, you must say, 'I have conquered Red Plume.'"

Then Brave Heart wrestled with the little man. He found that Red Plume was indeed very strong. He felt himself growing weaker each moment. But at last he succeeded in tripping the man.

Then Brave Heart cried, "I have conquered Red Plume!"

Instantly, to Brave Heart's surprise, the little man vanished. On the spot where he had stood lay an ear of corn.

The corn was covered with greenish husks, and the red silk at the top was like a plume. It looked like the little man.

Brave Heart looked down at the corn in amazement.

Suddenly the ear of corn spoke.

"Take me and pull off my green garments," said the ear of corn. "Plant my kernels in the ground and cover them with soft soil. Break my cob into small pieces and throw them near the trees at the edge of the forest. Then depart, and return when the next moon is high in the heavens."

Brave Heart did as he was told. Then he went to his canoe and paddled back to his home.

He returned when the next moon was high in the heavens. He found the plain covered with tender green plants. Near the edge of the forest green vines were growing.

Brave Heart heard some one speaking from the ground.

"Come again, before the Moon of Falling Leaves," were the words he heard.

One day, when the summer was nearly over, Brave Heart paddled his canoe along the island as far as the plain.

It was almost time for the Moon of Falling Leaves.

There, near the spot where he had wrestled with the little man, stood a field of ripe corn.

The red tassels nodded in the breezes, and the leaves rustled in the wind.

Near the forest were great yellow pumpkins ripening on the vines.

Brave Heart pulled some ears of ripe corn and gathered some of the pumpkins.

Then he built a hot fire and roasted the ears of corn. How delicious the roasted corn tasted!

Once more Red Plume spoke, again from the cornfield.

"You have conquered me, Brave Heart. If you had not done so, you would have been destroyed. By your strength, you have won the Gift of Corn."

Then Brave Heart was glad.

He hastened to his people and brought them back once more to live, ever after, on their beautiful island.

And always the people blessed him for the gift of the precious corn.

Brave Heart had conquered Red Plume.

A BOY'S SONG

Where the pools are bright and deep, Where the gray trout lies asleep, Up the river and o'er the lea, That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the blackbird sings the latest, Where the hawthorn blooms the sweetest, Where the nestlings chirp and flee, That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the mowers mow the cleanest, Where the hay lies thick and greenest, There to trace the homeward bee, That's the way for Billy and me.

Where the hazel bank is steepest, Where the shadow falls the deepest, Where the clustering nuts fall free, That's the way for Billy and me.

Why the boys should drive away Little sweet maidens from the play, Or love to banter and fight so well, That's the thing I never could tell.

But this I know, I love to play Through the meadow, amid the hay; Up the water and o'er the lea, That's the way for Billy and me.

JAMES HOGG.

THE FROGS' TRAVELS

Long, long ago, in the country of Japan, there were two frogs.

One of the frogs lived in a pond near Tokio, and the other lived in a little stream near Kioto.

One fine morning in early spring, these two frogs decided that they would travel forth to see the world.

Strangely enough, though they had never heard of each other, the same thought came to each frog at the same time.

The first frog started along the road which led from Tokio to Kioto.

He found the journey difficult and the road hard to travel. So, when he had hopped to the top of a high hill halfway, he decided to stop a while and rest.

The other frog started out on the same road, but from Kioto.

It took him a long time to reach the hill where the first frog was resting.

The two frogs met at the top of the hill. They were delighted to make each other's acquaintance.

"Greetings, friend!" said the first of the two frogs. "Where are you going?"

"I have a great desire to see the world, and especially to visit Tokio. I am on my way for a visit to Tokio now," replied the second frog.

"There is no need of hurrying. Let us rest here and stretch our limbs," said the first frog.

"What a pity that we are not taller!" said the Kioto frog.

"Why?" asked the Tokio frog.

"If we were taller, we could see both towns from this hill. Then we should be able to tell whether or not it were worth while to continue our journey," said the Kioto frog.

"Oh, we can easily find that out!" replied the other.

"We can stand on our hind legs and take hold of one another. Then each can look at the town toward which he is traveling," he added.

"A fine idea! Let us try it at once."

The two frogs stood upon their hind legs, holding each other tightly to keep from falling.

The Tokio frog turned toward Kioto, and the Kioto frog turned toward Tokio.

The foolish frogs forgot that their eyes were on the backs of their heads.

Although their noses pointed toward the places to which they wished to go, their eyes beheld the towns from which they had just come.

"Indeed, I shall travel no further!" the first frog exclaimed.

"Kioto is exactly like Tokio. I shall go home at once," he added.

"Tokio is only a copy of Kioto," said the other frog.

"It is not worth while to take the trouble to journey there!" he added disdainfully.

The two frogs bade each other a polite farewell, and each returned to his own home town.

To the end of their lives, the two frogs believed that Tokio and Kioto were really exactly alike.

Neither of the frogs ever again tried to see the world.

THE MERCHANT'S CARAVAN

Once there was a merchant who had fine silks and rugs to sell. He wished to send his goods to a country on the other side of the sandy desert.

The merchant owned a large caravan of camels, and he employed many men. Camels were the only animals strong enough to travel over the desert with the heavy loads.

For many days, Abdul the merchant and his men had been preparing for the journey. The canvas tents and the poles were placed upon one camel. Great leather bottles of water were loaded upon another camel.

Firewood and bags of rice and barley meal were placed upon still another. It required many camels to carry the merchant's goods.

At last the caravan was ready for the journey. The sun shone steadily, making the sand so hot that no one could walk upon it in the daytime. But at night both men and camels could travel easily.

So Abdul the merchant said to the men, "Be ready to start after sunset to-night. Give the camels plenty of water to drink, and feed them well, for we shall have a long, hard journey."

Abdul and his men traveled all that night. One man was the pilot. He rode ahead, for he knew the stars, and by them he could guide the caravan.

At daybreak they stopped. They spread the canvas tents and fed the camels. They built fires, cooked the rice, and made cakes of the barley meal. During the day, the men rested in the shade of the tents.

After the evening meal, the caravan started again on its way.

They had traveled thus for three long, silent nights. Early on the third morning, the camels raised their heads, stretched their nostrils, and hastened eagerly forward.

The pilot cried, "The camels smell water and grass. An oasis is near!"

Before long they could see palm trees, with their spreading leaves waving in the soft breeze.

Joyfully they rested during the day. The camels drank freely from the cool spring. The men filled the great leather bottles with fresh water. In the evening, refreshed and happy, the men continued the journey.

So they traveled night after night, resting during the heat of the day. At last, one morning the pilot said, "We shall soon reach the end of our journey."

The men were very glad to hear this, for they were weary, and the camels needed rest.

After supper that night Abdul said, "Throw away the firewood and most of the water. It will lighten the burden of the camels. By to-morrow we shall reach the city."

When the caravan started that evening, the pilot led the way as usual, but after a while, weary with many nights of watching, he fell asleep.

All night long the caravan traveled. At daybreak the pilot awoke and looked at the last star, fading in the morning light.

"Halt!" he called. "The camels must have turned while I slept. We are at the place from which we started yesterday."

There was no water to drink. There was no firewood to cook the food. The men spread the tents and lay down under them, saying, "The wood and the water are gone. We are lost!"

But Abdul said to himself, "This is no time to rest. I must find water. If I give way to despair, all will be lost."

Then Abdul started away from the tent, watching the ground closely. He walked and walked. At last he saw a tuft of grass.

"There must be water somewhere under the sand, or this grass would not be here," thought the merchant.

He ran back to the tent, shouting and calling, "Bring an ax and a spade. Come quickly!"

The men jumped up and ran with the merchant to the place where the grass was growing. They began to dig in the sand, and presently they struck a rock.

Abdul jumped down into the hole and put his ear close to the rock.

"Water! Water!" he cried. "I hear water running under this great rock. We must not despair!"

Then, raising his ax above his head, he struck a heavy blow. Again and again he struck the rock.

At last the rock broke, and a stream of water, clear as crystal, filled the hole almost before the merchant could jump out of it.

A shout of joy burst from the lips of the men. They drank the water eagerly, and afterwards led the camels to the spring. Then they set up a pole, to which they fastened a flag, so that other traders might find the well.

In the evening, the men again started on their journey, and they reached the city the very next day.

QUEEN HULDA AND THE FLAX

There was once a poor peasant, Hans by name. He lived with his wife and children in a valley at the foot of a snow-capped mountain.

Hans often drove his sheep to pasture up the mountain side.

He always carried his crossbow with him, to protect the sheep. He was a skillful marksman.

Once in a while, Hans would shoot a deer. The deer meat would serve as food for his family during many days.

One day Hans was watching his sheep while they grazed on the mountain side. Suddenly a deer appeared. Its spreading antlers glittered in the morning sunlight with wonderful brightness.

The deer bounded across the pasture to the rocks higher up the mountain. Hans followed quickly, hoping to approach near enough to shoot an arrow.

From rock to rock, higher and higher, Hans followed the deer, until at last they were at the summit of the mountain.

They sped over the snow until the deer disappeared in the Blue Grotto.

Hans followed more slowly, along a dark and narrow tunnel that led to the Blue Grotto. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of a bright light in the distance.

He walked on and soon reached a brightly lighted cave. From the walls and ceiling of the cave hung many wonderful crystals and precious stones.

A tall woman dressed in pure white stood in the midst of the cave. A golden girdle was fastened about her waist. A crown set with jewels rested on her head. In her hand she held a bunch of blue flowers.

Lovely maidens in dainty robes, with graceful wreaths of Alpine roses on their heads, attended their queen.

Overcome with wonder, Hans knelt before the beautiful woman. As in a dream, he heard her say very softly, "Choose for yourself what you will of my treasures--gold, or silver, or precious stones."

"Most gracious queen," replied Hans, "I ask only for the flowers in your hand."

The queen was pleased, and she gave the flowers to Hans at once.

"You have chosen well," said she. "Take also these seeds and sow them in your fields."

Suddenly a peal of thunder shook the grotto. When it had ceased, Hans found himself standing alone on the mountain.

When Hans reached home, he showed his wife the blue flowers and the seeds that had been given him by the queen.

"Wonderful crystals and precious stones hang from the walls and ceiling of the cave, but the queen is more beautiful than all!" exclaimed Hans.

"Why did you not choose some of the diamonds and gold?" cried his wife, and she scolded Hans roundly, because he had taken only flowers and seeds.

Hans made no reply, but he went to the fields and plowed the ground. Then he sowed carefully the seeds that the queen had given him.

The weeks passed by. Tiny green leaves began to show above the ground. The plants grew taller and taller, and then the blue flowers began to appear.

The flowers were so beautiful that even the angry wife was pleased. She had never seen anything like them.

Hans watched his fields day and night. One moonlight night, he saw the lovely queen of the Blue Grotto walking about among the flowers, with her maidens. They seemed to be guarding the blossoms.

At last the flowers had withered, and the seeds were ripe. Then the queen of the Blue Grotto appeared at the cottage door.

The queen of the Blue Grotto said, "I am Queen Hulda. I have come to teach you how to spin and weave."

"The blue flowers that your husband chose were the wonderful flax," added the queen. "I love it very much."

Queen Hulda taught Hans and his wife how to spin and weave linen cloth.

Many people bought the linen and the flax seeds, so that Hans and his wife became very rich.

Every year Queen Hulda and her maidens watched over the fields. Hans was very happy, because he had chosen the blue flowers of the wonderful flax.

ALADDIN'S LAMP

Oh, whither away, ye children dear! To Fairy Grove in Wonderland!

The trees bend low with a wondrous glows Diamonds and rubies the fruit, and lo, Gather the gems, for you they grow.

So hither hie, ye children dear! To Fairy Grove in Wonderland!

Welcome prince and princess gay, Elf and fay and sprite at play, Dancing till the dawn of day.

Then hasten all, ye children dear! To enter the Realm of Wonderland!

No giant or genie need cause you alarm, Treasures they'll give, and keep away harm, For ALADDIN'S LAMP is the hidden charm.

ALADDIN AND THE MAGIC LAMP

Aladdin was a poor boy who lived in a city of Persia. His mother was a widow. She supported herself by weaving mats.

One day Aladdin was playing in the street. A tall, dark man stood watching him. When the game was finished, the man beckoned to Aladdin to come to him.

"What is your name, my boy?" asked the man, who was a Magician.

"My name is Aladdin," answered the boy. He wondered who the stranger might be.

"And what is your father's name?" the Magician asked.

"My father was Mustapha the tailor, but he died when I was only two years of age," replied Aladdin.

"Alas!" cried the Magician, pretending to weep. "He was my brother, and you must be my nephew. I am your long lost uncle."

Then he embraced Aladdin and gave him five gold coins, saying, "Come with me, and I will show you the sights."

They went from the city, through pretty gardens, into the open country. They walked a long distance.

The Magician gave Aladdin some delicious fruit to eat and told him wonderful stories. The lad scarcely noticed how very far they had gone.

At last they reached a valley between two mountains.

The Magician stood still for a moment and looked about him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "This is the very place for which I have been searching. Gather some sticks. I will kindle a fire."