Children’S Legends

There was once a mother who had three daughters: the eldest was ill-mannered and wicked; the second was a good deal better, though she too had her faults; but the youngest was a good, devout child. But their mother was so peculiar that it...

The Golden Key

Once, in the winter-time, when deep snow was lying on the ground, a poor lad had to go out and fetch wood on a sledge. After he had gathered it and loaded the sledge, he was frozen so cold that he had no wish...

The Messengers of Death

Long, long ago a giant was once travelling on the great highway when suddenly an unknown man leapt to meet him, crying: ‘Stop! Not a step further!’ ‘What?’ exclaimed the giant. ‘You wretch, I can squash you between finger and thumb—you want to bar...

Snow-White and Rose-Red

A poor widow once lived in a lonely little cottage; at the front she had a garden where there were two rose-trees growing; one bore white roses and the other red. And she had two children who were like the two rose-trees in...

Hans in Luck

Hans had served his master for seven years, so he said to him: ‘Master, my time is up, and now I would like to go back home to my mother; give me my wages.’ His master answered: ‘You have served me faithfully and honestly,...

The Golden Goose

There was once a man who had three sons. The youngest was called Silly-Billy and he was mocked and jeered at and put down at every opportunity. It happened that the eldest was about to go into the forest to cut wood, and before...

Little Redcap

There was once a sweet little wench who was loved by everyone who simply cast eyes on her, but she was loved most of all by her grandmother, who gave the child all the presents she could think of. Once she gave her granddaughter...

The Tale of the Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage

Once upon a time a mouse, a bird, and a sausage fell in with one another and kept house together, living long and well and delightfully, at peace with themselves and prospering in their goods. It was the bird’s task to fly...

Our Lady’s Goblet

A Drayman’s cart, which was heavily laden with wine, was once stuck so fast that, for all his efforts, he could not pull it clear. Now just at that moment Our Lady came along that way, and when she saw the poor man’s...

The Starry Coins

There was once a little girl whose father and mother had died, and she was so poor that she no longer had a little room to live in nor a little bed to sleep in, and at last she had nothing left but the...