• The Girl and the Fish
• The Rabbit

The Girl and the Fish

Once there was a widower who had three daughters. The two eldest thought of nothing but dress, finery, going to amusements, or sitting at the window doing nothing. But the youngest managed the household and was fond of assisting the servant in the kitchen. Her sisters called her the "Hearth-Cat" because of that.

One day the father caught a fish and brought it home alive. Since the youngest daughter was the one who was doing the cooking and also was his favourite child, he gave her the fish to prepare for their supper. The fish was yellow and alive. She thought it was a pretty fish, and placed it in a large pan with water. Then she asked her father to let her keep it for herself and not kill it. The father let her have it. At once she took it to her own room and gave it plenty of water to swim in.

When the sisters saw what had been done with the fish, they began to cry out and complain that they had wanted to eat that excellent fish.

At night, when the little maiden had already laid herself down to sleep, the fish began to say to her, "Girl, throw me into the well! Girl, throw me into the well!"

The fish repeated this so often and so imploringly that at last she rose and threw the fish into the well.

The next day she took a walk in the garden to try and see the fish. As she drew close to the well she heard a voice inside it, saying: "Girl, come into the well! Girl, come into the well!"

She ran away with fear; but on the following day, when the sisters were gone to the festival, the maiden again went near the border of the well, and she heard once more the same voice calling for her. Curious, she got into the well and had hardly reached the bottom when the fish appeared to her. He laid hold of her hand and led her to a palace of gold and precious stones. Then he said to her:

"Go into that chamber and dress up in a lovely robe you find there, and put on a pair of silk slippers. They are ready for you, as you will see, for I would like you to go to the same festival as your sisters have gone to. A splendid carriage will take you there. The carriage is ready for you at the door when you leave this palace. At the conclusion of the festival be careful to leave before your sisters do, and return here to take off your robes. Can you do that?"

She thought she could. And when the girl had put on the clothes and shoes and came out of the well, a splendid carriage was standing there, ready for her

When she came to the festival, all who were gathered there admired how she looked and wondered where she had come from. She left the festival at once it was ended, but in her hurry to get out she lost one of her slippers. The king was following close behind her. He picked it up and made his servants announce that he would marry the young woman that the slipper belonged to.

When the girl reached home she went into the well at once to take off her fine clothes. When she left the enchanted palace, the fish told her to return in the evening, for he wished to ask her something. The maiden promised to come, and then hurried off.

When her sisters returned home she was busy in the kitchen. They gave her a glowing account of the beautiful lady they had seen at the feast: a lady that had on such rich robes as they had never seen before in their lives, and how she had dropped one of her silk slippers in her hurry to leave, and how the king had picked it up and announced that he wanted to marry the young woman it belonged to.

They also said they would go to the palace to try the slipper. They felt sure it would fit one of them, and that one would be made a queen! If so, the "Hearth-Cat" would get a new dress.

The moment the sisters left for the palace the maiden went to the well to see the fish. He said to her the moment he saw her, "Girl, will you marry me?"

The maiden answered, "Marry a fish?"

He kept begging her for it so tenderly that at last he persuaded her into it. The moment she said 'yes', the fish was transformed into a man. He said to her:

"I was a prince who was enchanted and put here. It is my father who governs these realms. I know he has ordered all the young women of his kingdom to come to the palace and try on the slipper that you dropped when you left the feast. Therefore, go there, and when the king tells you that you must marry him, let him know that you are already engaged to his enchanted son. He will send for me on hearing this."

The girl left the well, and shortly after her sisters came back from the palace. They looked gloomy, for the slipper had not fit them. The girl then said she meant to go the palace and try on the slipper, she too. Her sister did not like it, but she went.

When she came to the palace, the sentinels, noting how shabbily she was dressed, would not let her pass. But just then the king just happened to be at the window, and ordered them to let her in. He gave her the tiny slipper to try on, and she drew it on with ease. The slipper fitted her beautifully.

"You will be my new queen," the widowed king said. The girl, however, said she was already engaged to his son, who had been spell-bound for so long. He had got back his own form only that day, but still had to remain in the well until his father used his might to let him loose from there.

On hearing this, the king at once went there with many servants to bring his son out of the well. That done, he married him to the lovely girl. There were great rejoicings and much feasting. The sisters were filled with jealousy and bitterness at what had happened. Now the girl they had obstinately called a "Hearth-Cat" was the bride of the prince, who later was to become the next king.

[Reworked]

~ೞ⬯ೞ~

The Rabbit

A man used to go about the streets crying out, "Who will buy troubles?" And as he passed by the king's palace, the princess, looking out of window, saw that he was selling flowers. She turned towards her maid of honour and told her to buy some. The maid bought flowers and planted them in the garden, and the princess went every day to watch them grow and to tend them.

One day as she was taking a walk in the garden, she saw a rabbit running past, and told her maid of honour to try and catch it. The maid seized it, and then fastened it up with her garter. They then continued their walk, and while they were giving a turn round the garden, the rabbit escaped with the garter round its neck.

The princess was very sorry to lose it, and the following day, at the same hour, took another turn round the garden, and she again saw the same rabbit running. She told her maid to catch hold of it, which she did, and this time she fastened it up with a handkerchief. They took another turn round the garden, and whilst they did so the rabbit escaped with the handkerchief. When the princess, with her maid of honour, returned to the spot where they had left the rabbit, she was grieved to find that the little animal was gone.

Next day, at the same hour, the princess took her usual walk in the pleasure ground, and again saw the rabbit. She then threw down the gold necklet with the king's portrait which she wore, and told her maid to fasten the rabbit with it. Now they took their walk without anxiety, for the fastened little animal would not be able to run away, then thought.

But the moment they turned around to take their walk, the rabbit went away with the necklet and portrait.

When the princess returned and missed the rabbit in its place, she went into the palace and fell ill from sorrow. The court physicians came and said that what she was batterd by love, and ordered that she was to be amused much. But the princess paid no heed to the amusing stories that were told her.

There were two old sisters who lived together. One day wisest sister said, "Sister, I feel like going up to the palace with my stories and try if I can amuse the princess with them."

The other sister thought that the princess was sure to have much prettier stories, but the wisest sister said: "Maybe, but I will still go to the palace with mine!"

She started off, taking with her some loaves and roasted sardines. After walking a long way she sat down on a milestone, at some of her food and rested. After a while she saw a donkey with gold baskets on both sides of its back. The animal was coming out from a cave opening right beneath the milestone that she sat on. She saw gloved hands that led the donkey, but no whole people.

The old woman waited to see if the donkey would return. When it did, she held on by the gold baskets it carried and descended some steps. Underground she entered a palace of great splendour. There was a table laid with every good thing. The woman sat down to it and partook of everything. When she had finished her meal she began to look about her. She saw many hands working, but nothing but hands in gloves.

When night set in she laid down. Very early in the morning she saw a rabbit enter from the garden. The rabbit went and bathed in a tub and wass changed into a handsome prince. He went to the looking-glass and groomed himself. Then again he bathed in the tub, and once more became changed into the rabbit, and it left.

The old woman then had her breakfast, and when she saw that the donkey with the golden baskets was going out, she held on by them and went out with the donkey. When they came to the high road, she walked on to the palace of the princess. When she came there she said that she wished to see the princess to tell her a story that she thought could amuse her. The princess was reposing on a couch. When she saw the old woman, she turned towards the wall. The old woman paid no heed to that, but began her story.

The princess had scarcely started to hear the story about the rabbit than she sat up at once, asked for some broth to take, and told the old woman to go on.

When the story was finished, the princess said to the old woman that she would go with her to see the palace and the rabbit she had seen. Her health then began to improve, and one day when she had recovered completely, she went with the maid of honour and the old woman to where the milestone was, and waited there to see if the donkey with the golden baskets would appear there.

Shortly after this the donkey appeared. They all three held on to the donkey, and down they descended. The princess was greatly astonished to find and see so much splendour and to see the gloved hands busy doing all the work without anyone being seen. More and more surprised at what she saw, she went further into the palace until she had seen every part of it and all it contained, all but a big ballroom. When the maid entered it she suddenly uttered a scream and ran out. The princess asked her what she screamed for, and the maid said:

"There is a big man lying there. He may be dead!"

The maid was too frightened to go in again, so the princess went in herself and threw water over the lying, big man. At once he woke up, got up and changed into a very handsome prince. It was the one that the old woman had seen change himself into a rabbit.

Now the persons that the gloved hands belonged to, also became visible. They were courtiers that had been spell-bound. The prince thanked the princess for having broken the spell they all had been under and asked her to become his wife.

"Yes," said the princess in jubilant joy.

They were married in the now freed palace and lived happily together. The old woman was held in much esteem by all, but she looked very sad. When they asked her what was the matter, she said that she wished to return to her own home.

They loaded her with many riches and sent her back with a courtier to assist her on the way. When the old woman came home and reunited with her sister, she lightened up and sang: "Oh! our own little home! There's no place like our own sweet home."

[Reworked]