There was once a forester who went into the forest to hunt, and as he entered it he heard a sound of screaming as if a little child were there. He followed the sound, and at last came to a high tree, and at the top of this a little child was sitting, for the mother had fallen asleep under the tree with the child, and a bird of prey had seen it in her arms, had flown down, snatched it away, and set it on the high tree.
The forester climbed up, brought the child down, and thought to himself:

There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. And when she had grown up her father said: “We will get her married.` “Yes,` said the mother, “if only someone would come who would have her.` At length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was called Hans; but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really smart. “Oh,` said the father, “she has plenty of good sense`; and the mother said: “Oh, she can see the wind coming up the street, and hear the flies coughing.` “Well,` said Hans, “if she

There was a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was called Dummling, and was despised, mocked, and sneered at on every occasion.
It happened that the eldest wanted to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a beautiful sweet cake and a bottle of wine in order that he might not suffer from hunger or thirst.
When he entered the forest he met a little grey-haired old man who bade him good day, and said: “Do give me a piece of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a

Some men are born to good luck: all they do or try to do comes rightall that falls to them is so much gainall their geese are swansall their cards are trumpstoss them which way you will, they will always, like poor puss, alight upon their legs, and only move on so much the faster. The world may very likely not always think of them as they think of themselves, but what care they for the world? What can it know about the matter?
One of these lucky beings was neighbor Hans. Seven long years he had worked hard for his

One summer`s morning a little tailor was sitting on his table by the window; he was in good spirits, and sewed with all his might. Then came a peasant woman down the street crying: “Good jams, cheap! Good jams, cheap!` This rang pleasantly in the tailor`s ears; he stretched his delicate head out of the window, and called: “Come up here, dear woman; here you will get rid of your goods.` The woman came up the three steps to the tailor with her heavy basket, and he made her unpack all the pots for him. He inspected each one, lifted

A farmer had a faithful and diligent servant, who had worked hard for him three years, without having been paid any wages. At last it came into the man`s head that he would not go on thus without pay any longer; so he went to his master, and said, “I have worked hard for you a long time, I will trust to you to give me what I deserve to have for my trouble.` The farmer was a sad miser, and knew that his man was very simple-hearted; so he took out threepence, and gave him for every year`s service

Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great way off, a king who had three sons. This king once fell very illso ill that nobody thought he could live. His sons were very much grieved at their father`s sickness; and as they were walking together very mournfully in the garden of the palace, a little old man met them and asked what was the matter. They told him that their father was very ill, and that they were afraid nothing could save him. “I know what would,` said the little old man; “it is

There was once an old castle, that stood in the middle of a deepgloomy wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. Now this fairycould take any shape she pleased. All the day long she flew about inthe form of an owl, or crept about the country like a cat; but atnight she always became an old woman again. When any young man camewithin a hundred paces of her castle, he became quite fixed, and couldnot move a step till she came and set him free; which she would not dotill he had given her his word never to

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: “What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?` “I`ll tell you

The wife of a rich man fell sick; and when she felt that her end drew nigh, she called her only daughter to her bed-side, and said, “Always be a good girl, and I will look down from heaven and watch over you.` Soon afterwards she shut her eyes and died, and was buried in the garden; and the little girl went every day to her grave and wept, and was always good and kind to all about her. And the snow fell and spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the time the spring came, and