Part 1
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN
Preface
+MY DEAR YOUNG FOLKS+,
Here are some more stories from the wonderful Annals of Fairyland. How they were first told at the Court of King Oberon, and how they came to be recorded you will learn at the beginning, and much as you love the little people you will, I think, like them even better when you have learned all that this volume has to tell. Mr William Canton has told you the stories properly belonging to “The Reign of King Herla,” Mr J. M. Gibbon showed you how a famous merry old soul and his court found entertainment in story-telling in “The Reign of King Cole,” and now it is my pleasant privilege to put before you, from the inexhaustible Annals, those tales which properly belong to “The Reign of King Oberon.”
Of course you may have already met some of these stories before, for most of our best writers have been made free of Fairyland and have written of the wonderful things they learned there; Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm have long since been famous for all that they have told of their visits to the marvellous land, and some of the stories which they brought back will be found to belong to the reign of Oberon and Titania, while others have been told by Ben Jonson, by Thomas Hood, by Charles Perrault, by Thomas Crofton Croker, by Douglas Jerrold, by Benjamin Thorpe and by Sir George Dasent--but old or new all have the perennial youthfulness of the fairies themselves, and as long as we can truly enjoy them we shall not grow old.
+THE EDITOR.+
_One time I chanced upon a fairy ring Wherein Titania’s lieges held their court, And watched the fairies merrily disport, While sweetly the near nightingale did fling His magic music over everything, Till all in me was to that wonder wrought Where feeling reaches heights unknown to thought, Where spirit unto spirit seems to sing._
_My heart ached when too soon one fairy went To rest ’mid flow’rs, and yet it came to pass In that green world there seemed no room for fears,-- By dancing joys fresh joy to me was sent, Though ever more that vacant place there was, When dews befell, and in my eyes were tears._
_W. J._
Contents
PAGE
_The Reign of King Oberon_ 1
_The Gifts of the Dwarfs_ 12
_Thumbeline_ 22
_The Young Piper_ 37
_Rumpel-Stilts-Ken_ 48
_Karl Katz_ 55
_The Wild Swans_ 65
_The Herd-Boy_ 84
_The Nose-Tree_ 99
_The Pranks of Robin Goodfellow_ 109
_The Golden Lantern, the Golden Goat, and the Golden Cloak_ 117
_Hansel and Grethel_ 129
_The Magic Bottles_ 144
_Princess Rosette_ 157
_The Bear and Skrattel_ 179
_The Goose-Girl_ 193
_The Water of Life_ 203
_The Troll’s Hammer_ 215
_The Three Little Crones, each with Something big_ 223
_The Queen’s Song_ 232
_The Three Sneezes_ 234
_The Elf-Hill_ 243
_Riquet with the Tuft_ 254
_The Benevolent Frog_ 265
_Allwise the Dwarf_ 298
_The Fairy at the Well_ 305
_Dolly, draw the Cake_ 313
_The Little Glass Shoe_ 315
_East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon_ 322
_Queen Mab_ 336
List of Illustrations
PAGE
_King Oberon_ Coloured frontispiece
_Queen Titania_ 1
_A small Indian prince had been stolen_ 2
_And a fairy baby left in its place_ 3
“_I do but beg a little changeling boy_” 4
“_The Fairyland buys not the child of men_” 5
_At once all the little people were hurrying to obey the monarch’s behest_ 8-9
_The Scandinavian dwarf_ 11
_His long red beard waved in the sky as he drove in his goat-drawn chariot_ 12
_Loki descending into the cave of the dwarfs_ 17
_Loki’s punishment_ 20
_The fairy prince_ 21
_Right in the middle of the flower sat a little tiny girl_ 22
_The old toad made a deep curtsey in the water before her_ 24
_Every snowflake which fell upon her was like a shovelful on one of us_ 27
_It was not dead but lay in a swoon_ 30
_Fiddle-de-dee said the field mouse_ 32
_What was her astonishment to find a little man in the middle of the flower_ 35
_The Irish fairy_ 36
_A big laughing potato in their hands_ 37
_Sitting cross-legged on the top of a wave_ 44
_Jumped clean off the cart over the bridge down into the water_ 45
_The gnome_ 47
_The miller’s daughter_ 48
_The king came in the morning_ 51
_Dashed his right foot so deep into the floor that he was forced to lay hold of it with both hands to pull it out_ 53
_The gnome_ 54
_On he went scrambling_ 55
_Twelve strange old figures amusing themselves very sedately with a game of nine-pins_ 59
_The strange-looking man with the long grey beard_ 63
_Fairy Peaseblossom_ 64
_He laid his head against her bosom_ 65
_The Saviour looked down and little angels’ heads peeped out above His head and under His arms_ 69
_Even on her way to her death she could not abandon her unfinished work_ 81
_Moth_ 83
_He found it was a pair of very small shoes_ 84
_The young herdsman advanced boldly_ 93
_Tailpiece_ 97
_Puck_ 98
_Three poor soldiers set out on their road home_ 99
_Still it grew and grew_ 103
“_We will follow it and find its owner_” 105
_As for the doctor, he put on the cloak, and was soon with his two brothers_ 108
_Robin Goodfellow_ 108
_The pranks of Robin Goodfellow_ 109
“_What revel rout_” 110
“_There’s not a hag or ghost shall wag_” 111
“_And call them on with me to roam thro’ lakes, thro’ bogs_” 112
“_The maids I kiss_” 113
“_I them affright with pinchings, dreams, and ho, ho, ho!_” 114
“_And elf in bed, we leave instead_” 115
“_So vale, vale, ho, ho, ho!_” 116
_The Swedish Troll_ 116
_There appeared a strong light as of fire_ 117
_Pinkel seized her by the feet and cast her headlong into the water_ 121
_They went again before the king_ 125
_His brothers continued to be helpers in the stable as long as they lived_ 128
_The German Fairy_ 128
_On one of the branches sat a little child_ 129
_Lingering behind to drop one pebble after another along the road_ 131
_I will eat off the roof for my share_ 135
_Fastened him up in a coop_ 137
_Tailpiece_ 142
_Robin Starveling_ 143
_Mick found that he hadn’t enough half to pay the rent_ 144
“_Here take the bottle_” 148
_Mick went home muttering prayers and holding fast the bottle_ 149
_In a moment the landlord was tumbled on the floor, and all were roaring and sprawling and shrieking_ 153
_In jumped the men into the new bottle_ 156
_The French Fay_ 156
“_Welcome! what would you ask of me?_” 157
_Fretillon started barking at them_ 168
_Fretillon_ 177
_The Norwegian Dwarf_ 178
_Away they went_ 179
_He lets them loose_ 182
_The bear would throw him in the air_ 187
_The elf was one moment on the bear’s back_ 191
_The second German Fairy_ 192
_She set off on her journey_ 193
_Falada, Falada, there thou hangest_ 197
_Tailpiece_ 201
_The fairy sat down again_ 202
_He was found to abide spellbound_ 203
_He came to a room where a beautiful lady sat upon a couch_ 208-9
_The friendly dwarf with the sugarloaf hat_ 214
_The dwarf from Sweden_ 214
_Niels wandered forth_ 215
_See here is a hammer_ 217
_The blade struck him in the face_ 222
_The Norwegian Fairy_ 222
_The three little crones_ 223
_Mother Bigfoot_ 228
_The Queen was so enraged that her eyes flashed fury_ 229
_Nymphidia_ 231
_Round about, round about, in a fine ring-a_ 232
_Bottom_ 233
_He took the glass and drained it_ 234
_Billy found himself sitting on horseback the wrong way_ 237
_Billy danced the Rinka_ 241
_The Danish Elf_ 242
_Some lizards were running in and out of the clefts in an old tree_ 243
_Preserve us how nimble they were on their legs_ 249
_“I like the boys better,” said the earthworm_ 252
_The French Fay_ 253
_It was doubted whether his form were really human_ 254
_There came forth a band of cooks_ 259
_Tailpiece_ 263
_The French Fay_ 264
_The cap of roses_ 265
_Placing the queen on her back she carried her to her cave_ 268
_A little princess had been born to her_ 275
_The audience_ 280-1
_A dragon half a league long coming through the air_ 293
_Tailpiece_ 296
_The Scandinavian Dwarf_ 297
_Thou art pale about the nose_ 298
_Allwise the dwarf and Thor_ 301
_The dwarf was suddenly turned into a figure of stone_ 304
_Quick_ 304
_She held it up to the woman_ 305
_How is this my daughter_ 307
_Tailpiece_ 309
_Pink_ 310
_They put the cake into the oven_ 312
_St Dolly slept on a flour sack_ 313
_Tailpiece_ 313
_Seated himself firmly on the stool_ 314
_He ran away with it_ 315
_Tailpiece_ 318
_John understood too well the nature of his crop_ 319
_The dwarf from the North_ 321
_What should he see but a big white bear_ 322
_He was so worn out he had to rest many days before he could get home again_ 331
_Queen Titania_ 335
_But when a bad child goes to bed_ 336
_And from the moon she flutters down_ 337
_Tailpiece_ 338
_Tailpiece_ 339
The Reign of King Oberon
In all the annals of Fairyland nothing is more wonderful--and the annals are found in many hundreds of volumes--than that chapter which tells of the reign of the true fairy King Oberon and his beautiful wife Titania, who is sometimes called Queen Mab. Marvellous are the doings of Oberon’s little subjects in every land--good fairies and bad fairies, dwarfs, elves and sprites, brownies, pixies and gnomes, pucks, trolls and kobolds and Robin Goodfellow--and marvellous are the tales which have been told of them by travellers in the fairy realms.
Now, once upon a time there was sadness throughout the whole kingdom of Oberon--and his kingdom has no boundaries--because of a quarrel which had arisen between the king and the queen. It was a very small matter to begin with, but the king was a king and did not think it consorted with his dignity as such that his will should not be law, while the lovely Queen Titania thought that even the powerful king of the fairies should give way to her wishes. A small Indian prince, a dusky child, son of a mighty monarch of the East, had been stolen and a fairy baby left in its place and King Oberon wanted the changeling to be one of the knights of his train, while Queen Titania insisted on keeping him as one of her pages. Long and bitter was the quarrel but neither king nor queen would give way, and at length they parted and half the fairies marched off under the banner of the king and half under the banner of the queen.
Now you know of course that it was the fairies that looked after all things, the flowers and the trees, the streams and lakes, the little birds and beasts, and even--though they might not be aware of it--after the doings of many men and women; thus when it befel that their king and queen quarrelled and all the fairies rallied to their separate courts everything was neglected: the corn died unripened, the grass withered in the fields, so that the flocks and herds starved, the summers were cold and wet, the winters were sickly and mild, and many good men, women and children lost their tempers and became troublesome and unhappy they knew not why, and certainly never imagined that it was all because of a quarrel between the rulers of the world-wide kingdom of Fairy.
For a long time it seemed as though the king and queen would not be reconciled. When they met Oberon would say, “I do but beg a little changeling boy to be my henchman”; and Titania would reply, “Set your heart at rest, the Fairyland buys not the child of me.” And again the king would say, “Give me the boy and I will go with thee”; and the queen would answer, “Not for thy fairy kingdom.” Luckily Oberon by means of his fairy-arts was finally able to win his way and gain the little changeling for his retinue, the king and queen were reconciled and all the fairies returned to their happy work: the crops and grass revived, flowers bloomed everywhere, the birds sang, summer was once more warm and sunny, and winter once more white and frosty, while men, women and children suddenly regained their good tempers, knowing as little why they did so as why they had lost them. All the world was indeed once again bright and happy as it should be. Great was the rejoicing throughout the realm of Fairyland, and greater still it became when King Oberon summoned to his court all his subjects from all parts of the world to celebrate the reconciliation. Quick as thought his wish was made known by Ariel and Puck his ready messengers, and at once all the little people were hurrying to obey the monarch’s behest, and within the forty minutes which Puck takes to put a girdle round about the earth all had assembled. Then there was such a sight of wonderful splendour as would have astonished human eyes: there in beautiful colours were fairies from the flowers and the rainbows, from streams and woodland, elves, dwarfs and gnomes from caves under the earth where gold is hammered and precious stones are made; there were pixies and brownies and quaint little sprites innumerable; there was Cinderella’s fairy godmother, and there was Allwise the dwarf who wanted to marry Thor’s daughter; there was Robin Goodfellow, and there was Ariel; there were Titania’s attendant fairies Peaseblossom and Cobweb, Moth and Mustardseed; there was Thumbeline and the fairy Prince her husband, and Hop-o-my-Thumb, and Thumbling; there were the King’s courtiers--Perriwiggin, Perriwincle, Puck, Hob-Goblin, Tomalin and Tom-Thumb; there were the Queen’s maids of honour--Hop, Mop, Drop, Pip, Drip, Skip, Tub, Tib, Tick, Pink, Pin, Quick, Gill, Un, Tit, Wap, Win, Wit with Nymphidia the mother of the maids--but if I were to give you a list of all the different fairies who gathered about Oberon’s court I should fill up this book and leave no room for any stories or for Mr Robinson’s illustrations.
There were, to put it shortly, all the fairies that ever lived, all the fairies that you ever knew, told of in tales or dreamed of in dreams, and a marvellous sight it would have been if we could have seen them gathered about the fairy palace of King Oberon. Everyone knew everyone else, and many were the stories told of elfish mischief and of benefits done to good people by their attendant fairies. Oberon and Titania passing along, talking to their happy subjects and attended by the changeling boy who had caused so much trouble, overheard one of these stories, and turning to his queen, the king said: “My Titania, shall we not hear some of these stories which our people can tell of their doings with men, women and children in the world of big folk?” Titania readily agreed that it would be delightful; and elfin trumpeters passed amid the multitude and blew their horns, and said that all were to arrange themselves in the great Fairy Ring and were to be prepared to tell stories until the dawn. Then there was a pretty hustling and bustling of merry crowds jostling and soon all were arranged in circles about the great Fairy Ring, and Oberon and Titania ascended a throne which was beautifully formed of sweet-scented flowers that never faded. At the foot of the throne a stool was placed, and on it the story-tellers were to sit while amusing the Court; such was the magic of the circle that though the fairy speaking only addressed himself to the king and queen, his voice was heard even by the fairies furthest away, on the very outermost part of the ring. Happily for us the changeling boy was there sitting on the steps of the throne, and when, years afterwards, he found his way back to his father’s kingdom, he wrote down all the wonderful stories he had heard at the Court of King Oberon, and they have since been translated into many tongues by many writers, so that some of them will no doubt be familiar to you. Here, however, we have the stories just as Oberon’s changeling wrote them down, and the first story was repeated by a Scandinavian dwarf out of the cold north, who told how it was that the great hero Thor got
The Gifts of the Dwarfs