The Golden Goose · page 21 2101You must mind and do his will," continued the eldest, "or he will begin growling!"102And the second daughter said further, "But the wedding will certainly be merry, for bears dance well!"103The bride kept silence, and would not be drawn from her purpose by all these taunts; and meanwhile Bearskin wandered about in the world, doing good where he could, and giving liberally to the poor, for which they prayed heartily for him.104At length the last day of the seven years approached, and Bearskin went and sat down again on the heath beneath the circle of trees.105In a very short time the wind whistled, and the Evil One presently stood before him and looked at him with a vexed face.106He threw the Soldier his old coat and demanded his gray one back. "107We have not got so far as that yet," replied Bearskin; "you must clean me first."108Then the Evil One had, whether he liked it or no, to fetch water, wash the old Soldier, comb his hair out, and cut his nails.109This done, he appeared again like a brave warrior, and indeed was much handsomer than before.110As soon as the Evil One had disappeared, Bearskin became quite light-hearted; and going into the nearest town he bought a fine velvet coat, and hired a carriage drawn by four white horses, in which he was driven to the house of his bride.111Nobody knew him; the father took him for some celebrated general, and led him into the room where his daughters were.112He was compelled to sit down between the two eldest, and they offered him wine, and heaped his plate with the choicest morsels; for they thought they had never seen any one so handsome before.113But the bride sat opposite to him dressed in black, neither opening her eyes nor speaking a word.114At length the Soldier asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, and immediately the two elder sisters arose, and ran to their chambers to dress themselves out in their most becoming clothes, for each thought she should be chosen.115Meanwhile the stranger, as soon as he found himself alone with his bride, pulled out the half of the ring and threw it into a cup of wine, which he handed across the table.116She took it, and as soon as she had drunk it and seen the half ring lying at the bottom her heart beat rapidly, and she produced the other half, which she wore round her neck on a riband.117She held them together, and they joined each other exactly, and the stranger said, "I am your bridegroom, whom you first saw as Bearskin; but through God's mercy I have regained my human form, and am myself once more."118With these words he embraced and kissed her; and at the same time the two eldest sisters entered in full costume.119As soon as they saw that the very handsome man had fallen to the share of their youngest sister, and heard that he was the same as "Bearskin," they ran out of the house full of rage and jealousy.120CINDERELLA121The wife of a rich man fell sick: and when she felt that her end drew nigh, she called her only daughter to her bedside, and said, "Always be a good girl, and I will look down from heaven and watch over you."122Soon 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.123And the snow spread a beautiful white covering over the grave; but by the time the sun had melted it away again, her father had married another wife.124This new wife had two daughters of her own: they were fair in face but foul at heart, and it was now a sorry time for the poor little girl. "125What does the good-for-nothing thing want in the parlor?" said they; and they took away her fine clothes, and gave her an old frock to put on, and laughed at her and turned her into the kitchen.126Then she was forced to do hard work; to rise early, before daylight, to bring the water, to make the fire, to cook and to wash.127She had no bed to lie down on, but was made to lie by the hearth among the ashes, and they called her Cinderella.128It happened once that her father was going to the fair, and asked his wife's daughters what he should bring to them. "129Fine clothes," said the first. "130Pearls and diamonds," said the second. "131Now, child," said he to his own daughter, "what will you have?" "132The first sprig, dear father, that rubs against your hat on your way home," said she.133Then he bought for the two first the fine clothes and pearls and diamonds they had asked for: and on his way home, as he rode through a green copse, a sprig of hazel brushed against him, so he broke it off and when he got home he gave it to his daughter.134Then she took it, and went to her mother's grave and planted it there, and cried so much that it was watered with her tears; and there it grew and became a fine tree, and soon a little bird came and built its nest upon the tree, and talked with her and watched over her, and brought her whatever she wished for.135Now it happened that the king of the land held a feast which was to last three days, and out of those who came to it his son was to choose a bride for himself; and Cinderella's two sisters were asked to come.136So they called Cinderella, and said, "Now, comb our hair, brush our shoes, and tie our sashes for us, for we are going to dance at the king's feast."137Then she did as she was told, but when all was done she could not help crying, for she thought to herself, she would have liked to go to the dance too, and at last she begged her mother very hard to let her go, "You!138Cinderella?" said she; "you who have nothing to wear, no clothes at all, and who cannot even dance--you want to go to the ball?"139And when she kept on begging, to get rid of her, she said at last, "I will throw this basinful of peas into the ash heap, and if you have picked them all out in two hours' time you shall go to the feast too."140Then she threw the peas into the ashes; but the little maiden ran out at the back door into the garden, and cried out--141"Hither, thither, through the sky, turtle-doves and linnets, fly!142Blackbird, thrush, and chaffinch gay, hither, thither, haste away!143One and all, come, help me quick! haste ye, haste ye--pick, pick, pick!"144Then first came two white doves; and next two turtle-doves; and after them all the little birds under heaven came, and the little doves stooped their heads down and set to work, pick, pick, pick; and then the others began to pick, pick, pick, and picked out all the good grain and put it into a dish, and left the ashes.145At the end of one hour the work was done, and all flew out again at the windows.146Then she brought the dish to her mother.147But the mother said, "No, no! indeed, you have no clothes and cannot dance; you shall not go."148And when Cinderella begged very hard to go, she said, "If you can in one hour's time pick two of these dishes of pease out of the ashes, you shall go too."149So she shook two dishes of peas into the ashes; but the little maiden went out into the garden at the back of the house, and called as before and all the birds came flying, and in half an hour's time all was done, and out they flew again.150And then Cinderella took the dishes to her mother, rejoicing to think that she should now go to the ball.151But her mother said, "It is all of no use, you cannot go; you have no clothes, and cannot dance; and you would only put us to shame;" and off she went with her two daughters to the feast.152Now when all were gone, and nobody left at home, Cinderella went sorrowfully and sat down under the hazel-tree, and cried out--153"Shake, shake, hazel-tree, gold and silver over me!"154Then her friend the bird flew out of the tree and brought a gold and silver dress for her, and slippers of spangled silk; and she put them on, and followed her sisters to the feast.155But they did not know her, she looked so fine and beautiful in her rich clothes.156The king's son soon came up to her, and took her by the hand and danced with her and no one else; and he never left her hand, but when any one else came to ask her to dance, he said, "This lady is dancing with me."157Thus they danced till a late hour of the night, and then she wanted to go home; and the king's son said, "I shall go and take care of you to your home," for he wanted to see where the beautiful maid lived.158But she slipped away from him unawares, and ran off towards home, and the prince followed her; then she jumped up into the pigeon-house and shut the door.159So he waited till her father came home, and told him that the unknown maiden who had been at the feast had hidden herself in the pigeon-house.160But when they had broken open the door they found no one within; and as they came back into the house, Cinderella lay, as she always did, in her dirty frock by the ashes; for she had run as quickly as she could through the pigeon-house and on to the hazel-tree, and had there taken off her beautiful clothes, and laid them beneath the tree, that the bird might carry them away; and had seated herself amid the ashes again in her little old frock.161The next day, when the feast was again held, and her father, mother and sisters were gone, Cinderella went to the hazel-tree, and all happened as the evening before.162The king's son, who was waiting for her, took her by the hand and danced with her; and, when any one asked her to dance, he said as before, "This lady is dancing with me."163When night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son went with her, but she sprang away from him all at once into the garden behind her father's house.164In this garden stood a fine large pear-tree; and Cinderella jumped up into it without being seen.165Then the king's son waited till her father came home, and said to him, "The unknown lady has slipped away, and I think she must have sprung into the pear-tree."166The father ordered an axe to be brought, and they cut down the tree, but found no one upon it.167And when they came back into the kitchen, there lay Cinderella in the ashes as usual; for she had slipped down on the other side of the tree, and carried her beautiful clothes back to the bird at the hazel-tree, and then put on her little old frock.168The third day, when her father and mother and sisters were gone, she went again into the garden, and said--169"Shake, shake, hazel-tree, gold and silver over me!"170Then her kind friend the bird brought a dress still finer than the former one, and slippers which were all of gold; and the king's son danced with her alone, and when any one else asked her to dance, he said, "This lady is my partner."171Now when night came she wanted to go home; and the king's son would go with her, but she managed to slip away from him, though in such a hurry that she dropped her left golden slipper upon the stairs.172So the prince took the shoe, and went the next day to the king, his father, and said, "I will take for my wife the lady that this golden shoe fits."173Then both the sisters were overjoyed to hear this; for they had beautiful feet, and had no doubt that they could wear the golden slipper.174The eldest went first into the room where the slipper was, and wanted to try it on, and the mother stood by.175But her big toe could not go into it, and the shoe was altogether much too small for her.176Then the mother said, "Never mind, cut it off.177When you are queen you will not care about toes; you will not want to go on foot."178So the silly girl cut her big toe off, and squeezed the shoe on, and went to the king's son.179Then he took her for his bride, and rode away with her.180But on their way home they had to pass by the hazel-tree that Cinderella had planted, and there sat a little dove on the branch, singing--181"Back again! back again! look to the shoe!182The shoe is too small, and not made for you!183Prince! prince! look again for thy bride, For she's not the true one that sits by thy side."184Then the prince looked at her foot, and saw by the blood that streamed from it what a trick she had played him.185So he brought the false bride back to her home, and said, "This is not the right bride; let the other sister try and put on the slipper."186Then she went into the room and got her foot into the shoe, all but the heel, which was too large.187But her mother squeezed it in till the blood came, and took her to the king's son; and he rode away with her.checked by a teacher188But when they came to the hazel-tree, the little dove sat there still, and sang as before.189Then the king's son looked down, and saw that the blood streamed from the shoe.checked by a teacher190So he brought her back again also. "191This is not the true bride," said he to the father; "have you no other daughters?"192Then Cinderella came and she took her clumsy shoe off, and put on the golden slipper, and it fitted as if it had been made for her.193And when he drew near and looked at her face the prince knew her, and said, "This is the right bride."194Then he took Cinderella on his horse and rode away.195And when they came to the hazel-tree the white dove sang--196"Prince! prince! take home thy bride, For she is the true one that sits by thy side!"1 2← previousLittle Red Capnext →Faithful John↑ back to Grimm's Fairy StoriesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg11027/15/page/2/