The Crimson Fairy Book

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Formerly he had been a merry fellow, fond of a joke, and in the art
of cooking had no equal in the town. He could make fish-jelly, and
quince fritters, and even wafer-cakes; and he gilded the ears of all
his boars' heads. Peter had looked about him for a wife early in life,
but unluckily his choice fell upon a woman whose evil tongue was
well known in the town. Ilse was hated by everybody, and the
young folks would go miles out of their way rather than meet her,
for she had some ill-word for everyone. Therefore, when Master
Peter came along, and let himself be taken in by her boasted skill as
a housewife, she jumped at his offer, and they were married the
next day. But they had not got home before they began to quarrel.
In the joy of his heart Peter had tasted freely of his own good wine,
and as the bride hung upon his arm he stumbled and fell, dragging
her down with him; whereupon she beat him soundly, and the
neighbours said truly that things did not promise well for Master
Peter's comfort. Even when the ill-matched couple were presently
blessed with children, his happiness was but short lived, the savage
temper of his quarrelsome wife seemed to blight them from the
first, and they died like little kids in a cold winter.

Though Master Peter had no great wealth to leave behind him, still
it was sad to him to be childless; and he would bemoan himself to
his friends, when he laid one baby after another in the grave, saying:
'The lightning has been among the cherry-blossoms again, so there
will be no fruit to grow ripe.'

But, by-and-by, he had a little daughter so strong and healthy that
neither her mother's temper nor her father's spoiling could keep her
from growing up tall and beautiful. Meanwhile the fortunes of the
family had changed. From his youth up, Master Peter had hated
trouble; when he had money he spent it freely, and fed all the
hungry folk who asked him for bread. If his pockets were empty he
borrowed of his neighbours, but he always took good care to
prevent his scolding wife from finding out that he had done so. His
motto was: 'It will all come right in the end'; but what it did come to
was ruin for Master Peter. He was at his wits' end to know how to
earn an honest living, for try as he might ill-luck seemed to pursue
him, and he lost one post after another, till at last all he could do
was to carry sacks of corn to the mill for his wife, who scolded him
well if he was slow about it, and grudged him his portion of food.

This grieved the tender heart of his pretty daughter, who loved him
dearly, and was the comfort of his life.

Peter was thinking of her as he sat in the inn kitchen and heard the
shepherds talking about the buried treasure, and for her sake he
resolved to go and seek for it. Before he rose from the landlord's
arm-chair his plan was made, and Master Peter went home more
joyful and full of hope than he had been for many a long day; but on
the way he suddenly remembered that he was not yet possessed of
the magic spring-root, and he stole into the house with a heavy
heart, and threw himself down upon his hard straw bed. He could
neither sleep nor rest; but as soon as it was light he got up and
wrote down exactly all that was to be done to find the treasure, that
he might not forget anything, and when it lay clear and plain before
his eyes he comforted himself with the thought that, though he must
do the rough work for his wife during one more winter at least, he
would not have to tread the path to the mill for the rest of his life.
Soon he heard his wife's harsh voice singing its morning song as she
went about her household affairs, scolding her daughter the while.
She burst open his door while he was still dressing: 'Well, Toper!'
was her greeting, 'have you been drinking all night, wasting money
that you steal from my housekeeping? For shame, drunkard!'

Master Peter, who was well used to this sort of talk, did not disturb
himself, but waited till the storm blew over, then he said calmly:

'Do not be annoyed, dear wife. I have a good piece of business in
hand which may turn out well for us.'

'You with a good business?' cried she, 'you are good for nothing
but talk!'

'I am making my will,' said he, 'that when my hour comes my house
may be in order.'

These unexpected words cut his daughter to the heart; she
remembered that all night long she had dreamed of a newly dug
grave, and at this thought she broke out into loud lamentations.
But her mother only cried: 'Wretch! have you not wasted goods and
possessions, and now do you talk of making a will?'

And she seized him like a fury, and tried to scratch out his eyes.
But by-and-by the quarrel was patched up, and everything went on
as before. From that day Peter saved up every penny that his
daughter Lucia gave him on the sly, and bribed the boys of his
acquaintance to spy out a black woodpecker's nest for him. He sent
them into the woods and fields, but instead of looking for a nest
they only played pranks on him. They led him miles over hill and
vale, stock and stone, to find a raven's brood, or a nest of squirrels
in a hollow tree, and when he was angry with them they laughed in
his face and ran away. This went on for some time, but at last one
of the boys spied out a woodpecker in the meadow-lands among
the wood-pigeons, and when he had found her nest in a half-dead
alder tree, came running to Peter with the news of his discovery.
Peter could hardly believe his good fortune, and went quickly to see
for himself if it was really true; and when he reached the tree there
certainly was a bird flying in and out as if she had a nest in it. Peter
was overjoyed at this fortunate discovery, and instantly set himself
to obtain a red cloak. Now in the whole town there was only one
red cloak, and that belonged to a man of whom nobody ever
willingly asked a favour--Master Hammerling the hangman. It cost
Master Peter many struggles before he could bring himself to visit
such a person, but there was no help for it, and, little as he liked it,
he ended by making his request to the hangman, who was flattered
that so respectable a man as Peter should borrow his robe of office,
and willingly lent it to him.

Peter now had all that was necessary to secure the magic root; he
stopped up the entrance to the nest, and everything fell out exactly
as Blaize had foretold. As soon as the woodpecker came back with
the root in her beak out rushed Master Peter from behind the tree
and displayed the fiery red cloak so adroitly that the terrified bird
dropped the root just where it could be easily seen. All Peter's
plans had succeeded, and he actually held in his hand the magic
root--that master-key which would unlock all doors, and bring its
possessor unheard-of luck. His thoughts now turned to the
mountain, and he secretly made preparations for his journey. He
took with him only a staff, a strong sack, and a little box which his
daughter Lucia had given him.

It happened that on the very day Peter had chosen for setting out,
Lucia and her mother went off early to the town, leaving him to
guard the house; but in spite of that he was on the point of taking
his departure when it occurred to him that it might be as well first
to test the much-vaunted powers of the magic root for himself.
Dame Ilse had a strong cupboard with seven locks built into the
wall of her room, in which she kept all the money she had saved,
and she wore the key of it always hung about her neck. Master
Peter had no control at all of the money affairs of the household, so
the contents of this secret hoard were quite unknown to him, and
this seemed to be a good opportunity for finding out what they
were. He held the magic root to the keyhole, and to his
astonishment heard all the seven locks creaking and turning, the
door flew suddenly wide open, and his greedy wife's store of gold
pieces lay before his eyes. He stood still in sheer amazement, not
knowing which to rejoice over most--this unexpected find, or the
proof of the magic root's real power; but at last he remembered that
it was quite time to be starting on his journey. So, filling his
pockets with the gold, he carefully locked the empty cupboard
again and left the house without further delay. When Dame Ilse
and her daughter returned they wondered to find the house door
shut, and Master Peter nowhere to be seen. They knocked and
called, but nothing stirred within but the house cat, and at last the
blacksmith had to be fetched to open the door. Then the house was
searched from garret to cellar, but no Master Peter was to be
found.

'Who knows?' cried Dame Ilse at last, 'the wretch may have been
idling in some tavern since early morning.'

Then a sudden thought startled her, and she felt for her keys.
Suppose they had fallen into her good-for-nothing husband's hands
and he had helped himself to her treasure! But no, the keys were
safe in their usual place, and the cupboard looked quite untouched.
Mid-day came, then evening, then midnight, and still no Master
Peter appeared, and the matter became really serious. Dame Ilse
knew right well what a torment she had been to her husband, and
remorse caused her the gloomiest forebodings.

'Ah! Lucia,' she cried, 'I greatly fear that your father has done
himself a mischief.' And they sat till morning weeping over their
own fancies.

As soon as it was light they searched every corner of the house
again, and examined every nail in the wall and every beam; but,
luckily, Master Peter was not hanging from any of them. After that
the neighbours went out with long poles to fish in every ditch and
pond, but they found nothing, and then Dame Ilse gave up the idea
of ever seeing her husband again and very soon consoled herself,
only wondering how the sacks of corn were to be carried to the mill
in future. She decided to buy a strong ass to do the work, and
having chosen one, and after some bargaining with the owner as to
its price, she went to the cupboard in the wall to fetch the money.
But what were her feelings when she perceived that every shelf lay
empty and bare before her! For a moment she stood bewildered,
then broke into such frightful ravings that Lucia ran to her in alarm;
but as soon as she heard of the disappearance of the money she was
heartily glad, and no longer feared that her father had come to any
harm, but understood that he must have gone out into the world to
seek his fortune in some new way.

About a month after this, someone knocked at Dame Ilse's door
one day, and she went to see if it was a customer for meal; but in
stepped a handsome young man, dressed like a duke's son, who
greeted her respectfully, and asked after her pretty daughter as if he
were an old friend, though she could not remember having ever set
eyes upon him before.

However, she invited him to step into the house and be seated while
he unfolded his business. With a great air of mystery he begged
permission to speak to the fair Lucia, of whose skill in needlework
he had heard so much, as he had a commission to give her. Dame
Ilse had her own opinion as to what kind of commission it was
likely to be--brought by a young stranger to a pretty maiden;
however, as the meeting would be under her own eye, she made no
objection, but called to her industrious daughter, who left off
working and came obediently; but when she saw the stranger she
stopped short, blushing, and casting down her eyes. He looked at
her fondly, and took her hand, which she tried to draw away,
crying:

'Ah! Friedlin, why are you here? I thought you were a hundred
miles away. Are you come to grieve me again?'

'No, dearest girl,' answered he; 'I am come to complete your
happiness and my own. Since we last met my fortune has utterly
changed; I am no longer the poor vagabond that I was then. My
rich uncle has died, leaving me money and goods in plenty, so that I
dare to present myself to your mother as a suitor for your hand.
That I love you I know well; if you can love me I am indeed a
happy man.'

Lucia's pretty blue eyes had looked up shyly as he spoke, and now a
smile parted her rosy lips; and she stole a glance at her mother to
see what she thought about it all; but the dame stood lost in
amazement to find that her daughter, whom she could have
declared had never been out of her sight, was already well
acquainted with the handsome stranger, and quite willing to be his
bride. Before she had done staring, this hasty wooer had smoothed
his way by covering the shining table with gold pieces as a wedding
gift to the bride's mother, and had filled Lucia's apron into the
bargain; after which the dame made no difficulties, and the matter
was speedily settled.

While Ilse gathered up the gold and hid it away safely, the lovers
whispered together, and what Friedlin told her seemed to make
Lucia every moment more happy and contented.

Now a great hurry-burly began in the house, and preparations for
the wedding went on apace. A few days later a heavily laden
waggon drove up, and out of it came so many boxes and bales that
Dame Ilse was lost in wonder at the wealth of her future
son-in-law. The day for the wedding was chosen, and all their
friends and neighbours were bidden to the feast. As Lucia was
trying on her bridal wreath she said to her mother: 'This
wedding-garland would please me indeed if father Peter could lead
me to the church. If only he could come back again! Here we are
rolling in riches while he may be nibbling at hunger's table.' And the
very idea of such a thing made her weep, while even Dame Ilse
said:

'I should not be sorry myself to see him come back--there is always
something lacking in a house when the good man is away.'

But the fact was that she was growing quite tired of having no one
to scold. And what do you think happened?

On the very eve of the wedding a man pushing a wheelbarrow
arrived at the city gate, and paid toll upon a barrel of nails which it
contained, and then made the best of his way to the bride's dwelling
and knocked at the door.

The bride herself peeped out of the window to see who it could be,
and there stood father Peter! Then there was great rejoicing in the
house; Lucia ran to embrace him, and even Dame Ilse held out her
hand in welcome, and only said: 'Rogue, mend your ways,' when
she remembered the empty treasure cupboard. Father Peter greeted
the bridegroom, looking at him shrewdly, while the mother and
daughter hastened to say all they knew in his favour, and appeared
to be satisfied with him as a son-in-law. When Dame Ilse had set
something to eat before her husband, she was curious to hear his
adventures, and questioned him eagerly as to why he had gone
away.

'God bless my native place,' said he. 'I have been marching through
the country, and have tried every kind of work, but now I have
found a job in the iron trade; only, so far, I have put more into it
than I have earned by it. This barrel of nails is my whole fortune,
which I wish to give as my contribution towards the bride's house
furnishing.'

This speech roused Dame Ilse to anger, and she broke out into such
shrill reproaches that the bystanders were fairly deafened, and
Friedlin hastily offered Master Peter a home with Lucia and himself,
promising that he should live in comfort, and be always welcome.
So Lucia had her heart's desire, and father Peter led her to the
church next day, and the marriage took place very happily. Soon
afterwards the young people settled in a fine house which Friedlin
had bought, and had a garden and meadows, a fishpond, and a hill
covered with vines, and were as happy as the day was long. Father
Peter also stayed quietly with them, living, as everybody believed,
upon the generosity of his rich son-in law. No one suspected that
his barrel of nails was the real 'Horn of Plenty,' from which all this
prosperity overflowed.

Peter had made the journey to the treasure mountain successfully,
without being found out by anybody. He had enjoyed himself by
the way, and taken his own time, until he actually reached the little
brook in the valley which it had cost him some trouble to find.
Then he pressed on eagerly, and soon came to the little hollow in
the wood; down he went, burrowing like a mole into the earth; the
magic root did its work, and at last the treasure lay before his eyes.
You may imagine how gaily Peter filled his sack with as much gold
as he could carry, and how he staggered up the seventy-seven steps
with a heart full of hope and delight. He did not quite trust the
gnome's promises of safety, and was in such haste to find himself
once more in the light of day that he looked neither to the right nor
the left, and could not afterwards remember whether the walls and
pillars had sparkled with jewels or not.

However, all went well--he neither saw nor heard anything
alarming; the only thing that happened was that the great
iron-barred door shut with a crash as soon as he was fairly outside
it, and then he remembered that he had left the magic root behind
him, so he could not go back for another load of treasure. But even
that did not trouble Peter much; he was quite satisfied with what he
had already. After he had faithfully done everything according to
Father Martin's instructions, and pressed the earth well back into
the hollow, he sat down to consider how he could bring his treasure
back to his native place, and enjoy it there, without being forced to
share it with his scolding wife, who would give him no peace if she
once found out about it. At last, after much thinking, he hit upon a
plan. He carried his sack to the nearest village, and there bought a
wheelbarrow, a strong barrel, and a quantity of nails. Then he
packed his gold into the barrel, covered it well with a layer of nails,
hoisted it on to the wheelbarrow with some difficulty, and set off
with it upon his homeward way. At one place upon the road he met
a handsome young man who seemed by his downcast air to be in
some great trouble. Father Peter, who wished everybody to be as
happy as he was himself, greeted him cheerfully, and asked where
he was going, to which he answered sadly:

'Into the wide world, good father, or out of it, where ever my feet
may chance to carry me.'

'Why out of it?' said Peter. 'What has the world been doing to you?'

'It has done nothing to me, nor I to it,' he replied. 'Nevertheless
there is not anything left in it for me.'

Father Peter did his best to cheer the young man up, and invited
him to sup with him at the first inn they came to, thinking that
perhaps hunger and poverty were causing the stranger's trouble.
But when good food was set before him he seemed to forget to eat.
So Peter perceived that what ailed his guest was sorrow of heart,
and asked him kindly to tell him his story.

'Where is the good, father?' said he. 'You can give me neither help
nor comfort.'

'Who knows?' answered Master Peter. 'I might be able to do
something for you. Often enough in life help comes to us from the
most unexpected quarter.'

The young man, thus encouraged, began his tale.

'I am,' said he, 'a crossbow-man in the service of a noble count, in
whose castle I was brought up. Not long ago my master went on a
journey, and brought back with him, amongst other treasures, the
portrait of a fair maiden so sweet and lovely that I lost my heart at
first sight of it, and could think of nothing but how I might seek her
out and marry her. The count had told me her name, and where she
lived, but laughed at my love, and absolutely refused to give me
leave to go in search of her, so I was forced to run away from the
castle by night. I soon reached the little town where the maiden
dwelt; but there fresh difficulties awaited me. She lived under the
care of her mother, who was so severe that she was never allowed
to look out of the window, or set her foot outside the door alone,
and how to make friends with her I did not know. But at last I
dressed myself as an old woman, and knocked boldly at her door.
The lovely maiden herself opened it, and so charmed me that I came
near forgetting my disguise; but I soon recovered my wits, and
begged her to work a fine table-cloth for me, for she is reported to
be the best needlewoman in all the country round. Now I was free
to go and see her often under the presence of seeing how the work
was going oil, and one day, when her mother had gone to the town,
I ventured to throw off my disguise, and tell her of my love. She
was startled at first; but I persuaded her to listen to me, and I soon
saw that I was not displeasing to her, though she scolded me gently
for my disobedience to my master, and my deceit in disguising
myself. But when I begged her to marry me, she told me sadly that
her mother would scorn a penniless wooer, and implored me to go
away at once, lest trouble should fall upon her.

'Bitter as it was to me, I was forced to go when she bade me, and I
have wandered about ever since, with grief gnawing at my heart;
for how can a masterless man, without money or goods, ever hope
to win the lovely Lucia?'

Master Peter, who had been listening attentively, pricked up his
ears at the sound of his daughter's name, and very soon found out
that it was indeed with her that this young man was so deeply in
love.

'Your story is strange indeed,' said he. 'But where is the father of
this maiden--why do you not ask him for her hand? He might well
take your part, and be glad to have you for his son-in-law.'

'Alas!' said the young man, 'her father is a wandering
good-for-naught, who has forsaken wife and child, and gone off--
who knows where? The wife complains of him bitterly enough, and
scolds my dear maiden when she takes her father's part.'

Father Peter was somewhat amused by this speech; but he liked the
young man well, and saw that he was the very person he needed to
enable him to enjoy his wealth in peace, without being separated
from his dear daughter.

'If you will take my advice,' said he, 'I promise you that you shall
marry this maiden whom you love so much, and that before you are
many days older.'

'Comrade,' cried Friedlin indignantly, for he thought Peter did but
jest with him, 'it is ill done to mock at an unhappy man; you had
better find someone else who will let himself be taken in with your
fine promises.' And up he sprang, and was going off hastily, when
Master Peter caught him by the arm.

'Stay, hothead!' he cried; 'it is no jest, and I am prepared to make
good my words.'

Thereupon he showed him the treasure hidden under the nails, and
unfolded to him his plan, which was that Friedlin should play the
part of the rich son-in-law, and keep a still tongue, that they might
enjoy their wealth together in peace.

The young man was overjoyed at this sudden change in his
fortunes, and did not know how to thank father Peter for his
generosity. They took the road again at dawn the next morning,
and soon reached a town, where Friedlin equipped himself as a
gallant wooer should. Father Peter filled his pockets with gold for
the wedding dowry, and agreed with him that when all was settled
he should secretly send him word that Peter might send off the
waggon load of house plenishings with which the rich bridegroom
was to make such a stir in the little town where the bride lived. As
they parted, father Peter's last commands to Friedlin were to guard
well their secret, and not even to tell it to Lucia till she was his
wife.

Master Peter long enjoyed the profits of his journey to the
mountain, and no rumour of it ever got abroad. In his old age his
prosperity was so great that he himself did not know how rich he
was; but it was always supposed that the money was Friedlin's. He
and his beloved wife lived in the greatest happiness and peace, and
rose to great honour in the town. And to this day, when the
citizens wish to describe a wealthy man, they say: 'As rich as Peter
Bloch's son-in-law!'

The Cottager And His Cat

Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife in a dirty,
tumble-down cottage, not very far from the splendid palace where
the king and queen dwelt. In spite of the wretched state of the hut,
which many people declared was too bad even for a pig to live in,
the old man was very rich, for he was a great miser, and lucky
besides, and would often go without food all day sooner than
change one of his beloved gold pieces.

But after a while he found that he had starved himself once too
often. He fell ill, and had no strength to get well again, and in a few
days he died, leaving his wife and one son behind him.

The night following his death, the son dreamed that an unknown
man appeared to him and said: 'Listen to me; your father is dead
and your mother will soon die, and all their riches will belong to
you. Half of his wealth is ill-gotten, and this you must give back to
the poor from whom he squeezed it. The other half you must
throw into the sea. Watch, however, as the money sinks into the
water, and if anything should swim, catch it and keep it, even if it is
nothing more than a bit of paper.'

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