• The Enchanted Girl
• The Little Old Man's Goddaughter

The Enchanted Girl

There was once a man who had three daughters. In the country where he lived it was the custom to hang up a gold ball at the door when they wanted husbands for the girls who were single, as a sign to the young men.

When the eldest daughter wished to get married, the father hung a gold ball over the street door. Many persons passed the door, and as they saw the gold ball hanging up they did not dare enter, and would say "Oh, no, it's too rich for me, evidently it is not meant for me."

One day, however, a prince passed the house, and seeing the ball, as he knew the custom of the country, he entered the house and asked the father to give him his daughter in marriage. The girl was delighted, everything was arranged, and they were married.

After a time, the father again hung up a gold ball outside the door to find a husband for the second daughter. Another prince passed and saw the ball and married the girl.

The third daughter, seeing that both her sisters had married princes, one day told her father that she also wanted to get married. The father told her that he had no money left to order another gold ball to be made. She said that she did not doubt him, but that he might at least have one made of silver. The father did so.

A prince then passed, and seeing the silver ball, said to himself: "Oh, no, this is too poor for me; it is evidently not meant for me."

After that a man passed, looked towards the ball and said: "This may well be meant for me."

He went into the house, asked the girl in marriage, and he espoused her. After that he went with her to a distant land.

When the two girls who had married princes knew of this, they were very displeased and would have nothing to do with their youngest sister.

At the end of nine months she gave birth to a daughter. At the moment that the father went out to get some medicine for her some fairies passed by the house and asked for shelter. The girl answered that it could not be, for she was very ill. But they begged and entreated her to let them remain, until she let them to remain.

The fairies thanked the girl for her kindness. When they were about to leave, they approached the child, and stroking her with a divining rod, one said:

"I now throw a charm over you that you may be the most beautiful woman in the world."

The next fairy then said:

"I endow you with all riches, that you may be the richest woman in the world."

The third fairy then said:

"I throw a sweet spell over you, that when you speak, flowers may drop out from between your lips."

They then struck the furniture with their rod. Everything became stately, and the house was changed into a palace too. When they had done all this, the three fairies left the divining rod with the girl and said, "Give it to your daughter when she comes of age," and then they went away.

When the two sisters that their poor sister now had become very rich, they became friends again with her.

The enchanted girl grew more and more beautiful day by day. There was a prince who lived quite near to them and was engaged to be married to the daughter of one of the two sisters who had married princes; but when he saw the enchanted little girl he liked her better and no longer paid any attentions to the other - she felt very jealous but pretended she did not care.

One day after this the prince became very ill and the physicians ordered him to travel. The enchanted girl went up to the highest tower there was to take leave of him and be able to see him for a long distance as he went along. As she stood there and watched, the wept so much as she watched him leave that she went blind. A man who passed, took compassion on her and led her to his own house.

After some time, the prince returned from his travels. The enchanted girl was told that the prince had arrived, but as she was blind she did not dare to go and see him. Yet when she knew that the prince was finally going to marry the other girl, she sent a nosegay of flowers that were out of season to the palace, asking that it was given to the prince. She knew how to make use of a fairy gift!

Next day just before the marriage was to take place, the girl remembered the divining rod that she always carried with her, took it in her hand and wished her eye-sight back. And so it was.

Then girl now dressed herself in deep black and put on a veil. She knocked at the door of the palace, but they would not let her in. But after many entreaties she was allowed to enter. She went straight into the prince's room and begged him not to marry.

The prince replied that he could not put off the marriage, for the invited guests had arrived. The girl beseechingly stretched out her hand to the prince. On that hand she wore a ring that he had given her. The prince recognised the ring at once and raised up her veil and was very happy to see her, saying:

"I should have known who those flowers came from!"

The girl had with her the divining-rod. She touched her clothes with it, and at once she was richly dressed. The prince then went to meet his invited guests and said to them:

"I lost something, and instead I bought another. I have now recovered what I lost. Which ought I to make use of – what I recovered or what I bought?"

They all exclaimed in one voice:

"Use what you have recovered."

The prince then went to his room to the enchanted girl, and soon they were married.

[Reworked]

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The Little Old Man's Goddaughter

There was a couple who had so many children that there was no man left in that part of the country to be godfather. Then another child was born to them. The father, not knowing who else he could ask to be godfather, went out to walk along the high road. There he met a little old man who was poorly dressed.

When the little pauper saw the man he asked him: "What are you doing here?"

The man answered, much distressed: "I have had so many children that now I cannot find any one to stand godfather to my youngest child."

The old man said: "Well, then, I shall be the child's godfather. You shall name the child Peter. When the child becomes seven years, you must bring it here to this spot."

The little old man then gave him a purse with money and departed.

The man returned home. He felt very happy and told his wife what had happened to him with the old man he had met on the road, and showed her the bag of money the little old man had given him. When the girl grew to be seven years old her father, who had become so rich, did not like to take the girl to the spot agreed on, but he had promised to do it, so he took her there. When he reached the place he found the godfather waiting for them. The godfather said to the man:

"Now go back home and leave her with me. I shall take care of her."

The man returned home without his daughter, while the little old man took the girl by a road where there was a pear-tree loaded with fruit. The old man asked the girl: "Do you see those pears?"

"I do," answered the girl.

"And do you like that sort of fruit?" asked the little old pauper.

"Yes, very much, godfather," answered the girl.

They went on further and passed grazing sheep in different kinds of pastures. They walked still further, and at a great distance they saw a great blaze and a dark column rising from it.

The little old man said to the girl: "Do you see that blaze? It is place for a thorough cleansing. Some bad persons and sent there for a long while, but wicked persons are sent to a hell.

The pears we saw earlier are good angels. They do not enter smoke and belching fire."

The girl stayed in the home of her godfather for seven years. He told her many things, and also to call on him whenever she should find herself in great trouble. "I hear so very, very well," he said. "And never dress as a woman," he added. He then sent her out in the world to do good.

The girl at once went to the king's palace and offered herself as a servant. One of the chamberlains went to inform the king of what she had asked for, and the king sent him to say that she might become a servant. They asked her what her name was. "It's Peter," she said.

Her duty at the palace was to tend the ducks. One night when Peter went to bed, the queen went into Peter's room. "It is such a pretty boy," she thought. But Peter ran away, and the queen felt vexed. So when she rose up next morning she threw a ring into the sea and then went to the king and said: "Do you know what has happened to me! I let fall a ring into the sea, and Peter says he is sure he can dive to the bottom and find it."

The king sent for Peter and said: "Oh! Peter, the queen has told me that you say you are able to dive to the bottom of the sea and search for the ring she let fall into the water this morning. Are you really able to do so?"

The poor girl Peter answered: "I suppose that if the queen says so, it is because I am able."

She then went to her room and began to cry bitterly, for she had not said such a thing, and she did not feel she could dive for it either. So she called: "Come to help me, godfather!"

The little fellow came at once and asked: "Why are you in tears?" The girl told him what had happened to her with the queen, and what her majesty had told the king out of revenge to try and disgrace her.

The little old man then said to her: "Very well, then. Tomorrow they will buy some fish. You must go and ask the servant that has as his duty to prepare and open the fish, to let you do it."

The girl did as her godfather told her to. Next day some fish was brought into the palace, and she asked the servant to let her to prepare the fish for the cook. She opened the fish's belly and there she found the ring. She took it to the queen and gave it to her. The queen felt very much annoyed at this, but made no remark, and kept her displeasure to herself.

Next day she again went into Peter's chamber, but Peter again ran out of the room. The queen feeling piqued and annoyed at this conduct, and again went to the king to make mischief, saying: "Do you know that Peter says that he is able to grind three quarters of wheat this evening?"

The king sent for Peter and said: "Oh! Peter, the queen has told me that you say that you are able to grind three quarters of wheat this night. Is it so?"

Peter answered: "If the queen says so, it must be because I can do it." Then Peter went to her room to grieve and call on her godfather again with closed eyes: "Oh, godfather, please come and help me again."

When she opened her eyes, the little old man stood in front of her. He asked. "What is the matter? Why do you weep?"

The girl told him about her troubl, and what had taken place. The little old man then said: "Here's what to do. Ask for the needed machine for grinding the wheat, take it to your room, and lie down to sleep. In the morning get up and look for the flour."

The girl did as he told her. She asked for the needed things to grind the wheat. She put everything in the room and laid down to sleep. When she arose next morning she found the flour already ground, and went with it to the king.

This med the queen still more annoyed and angry with Peter, but she remained silent and did not show how displeased she was. At night she again went into Peter's chamber, and Peter ran away as two nights before. Now, the king had a daughter who was spell-bound in Moirama. The queen came to remember this, went to the king and said to him: "Do you know that Peter says that he is able to disenchant our daughter in Moirama?"

On hearing this the king summoned Peter again and asked: "Oh! Peter, the queen informs me that you say you trust you can disenchant our beloved daughter who is in Moirama - can you really do so?"

Peter answered: "I suppose that if the queen says so it is because I can."

Peter returned to her room to have a good cry, for she thought that this would be impossible for her to accomplish. But she remembered her godfather and called with closed eyes: "Come and help me, godfather!"

When she opened her eyes, the litle old man stood before her and asked: "What is the matter now? Why are you grieving?"

The girl told him all the impossible things the queen had told the king out of spite.

The little old man answered: "Take these, three tubes. Ask to have two horses saddled for your journey, and travel on and on. Where your horses shall stop there you will find the princess waiting for you to come. On your return to the palace, look back, and you will find that the Moors are chasing you. Then is the time for your to throw the first tube. It they continue to pursue you throw the second. After that the third tube."

The girl did as she was told to. She asked the king to let her have two paddle-horses and started off, travelling until she arrived at a certain spot where the horses of their own accord suddenly stopped and refused to go any further. And there she found the princess waiting for her.

When Peter was returning to the palace with the princess she looked behind her and saw the Moors pursuing them. She had hardly seen them when she threw at them the first tube; and at once a great fog came on. The girl and the princess could see their way, but the Moors could barely see the road and follow them.

When they had left the land of Moirama the princess, who had been dumb, exclaimed "Ah!" Further on the girl again looked back and saw the Moors still pursuing them. She threw the second tube to them while they were in a mountain pass, and a thick bush grew up from one side of the pass to the other. It was almost impossible to get through it. The girl and the princess could ride on easily and quickly, but the Moors found it difficult to get a path through it.

When the two had reached halfway on their road home, the dumb princess exclaimed "Ah!" a second time.

Further on the girl again looked behind her and saw the Moors were still behind. She threw out the third tube and a sea was formed behind the girls. This time the Moors found it impossible to follow the fugitives.

When the girl and the princess came to the palace, the princess exclaimed "Ah!" for the third time.

When the queen saw her daughter she got strangely angry and went to the king to say that Peter said he could give speech to the princess, who was dumb. The king called up Peter and asked if it was true.

The girl answered as before, that if the queen had said so it was because she could do so. But she went to her room to weep, and while still weeping she called out to her godfather with closed eyes: "Oh, godfather, come to my help."

When she opened her eyes he was there and asked her: "Why are you weeping?"

The girl told him everything, and he told her what to do.

The girl went up to the king and told him that if he chose to put her to death, the princess might speak.

The queen was delighted to hear her say this, and it was decided that Peter should be hung. When the rope was already round her neck, she asked leave in the presence of all the court assembled in front of the scaffold to publish three things to the world.

The king gave the desired permission and she then asked the princess:

"Anna Deladana, why did you exclaim 'Ah!' as we left Moirama?"

The princess answered: "Because my mother went to seek for you in your bed."

The girl again asked: "Anna Deladana, why did you exclaim 'Ah!' a second time when halfway home?"

The princess answered: "Because the little old man is quite a godfather!"

The girl again asked: "Anna Deladana, why did you utter 'Ah!' as we entered the palace?"

The princess answered: "Because you are a woman and they believe you are a man!"

The king then saw that Peter was a girl and his queen was false and wicked, and ordered Peter to be taken down from the scaffold. Then he had his queen put there instead, for all her evil scheming. And very soon he married the girl named Peter.

[Reworked]