The Best English Fairy Tales / Лучшие английские сказки

After some time she said again, “I want see my father.”

He said that she couldn’t stay there for a long time. She took the horse and went to her father’s place.

That very night a child was born. He came as he did before, with music; every one slept, and he took with him the child. When the music stopped they all woke up. Her father was very angry, because his daughter didn’t want to tell him anything. When she felt better, she took herself away home. When she arrived he said nothing. After some time she said again, “I want to see my father.”

“Do,” said he, “but be careful.”

She reached her father’s house, and that very night a child was born. The music came as was usual, and the man took the child away. Her father was very angry. He was going to kill her, if she would not tell what was happening to the children. She told everything to him. When she felt better, she wanted to go home, but she couldn’t find her horse. She went out on foot. At home she found only an old woman, his mother.

“Be quick and you will find him,” said she.

She started her journey. After some time she saw a house. When she went in, she saw a woman. “Come up,” said the housewife, “I know everything. But he is going to marry the daughter of the King of the Skies.”

“He is!” said she.

The housewife gave her something to eat, and let her sleep. In the morning she said, “You will be in the house of my middle sister tonight.” And she gave her the scissors.

She was going, and going, till the night came on her. She saw a house. When she went in the house, the housewife was spinning at the end of the fire. “Come up,” said the housewife.

She made meat for her, she set on water, she washed her feet, and she let her sleep. In the morning the housewife said “You will be in the house of my youngest sister tonight,” said she. And she gave her the needle.

She was going, and going. She saw a house. When she went in, the housewife was spinning at the end of the fire.

“Come up,” said she. She made meat for her, she set on water, she washed her feet, and she let her sleep. In the morning she gave her some thread. The thread would go into the needle by itself and as the shears would cut, and the needle sew.

“You will be in the town tonight,” said the housewife.

She reached the town in the evening. She went into the house of the king’s hen wife, she was warming herself at the fire. She asked the old woman to give her work. The woman said:

“The king’s daughter is marrying the next day and no one is working.”

She gave her shirts to make; she took the shears from her pocket, and she set it to work; she set the needle to work after it; as the shears would cut, the needle would sew, and the thread would go into the needle by itself.

A royal serving-maid saw and told the king’s daughter.

“Well,” said the king’s daughter, “ask her, what she will take for the shears.”

In the morning she went over, and she said to her that the king’s daughter was asking what would she take for the shears. “Nothing I asked,” said she, “but to sleep in your bedroom.”

“Go,” said the king’s daughter, “and say to her that she will get that.”

She gave the shears to the king’s daughter. When they were going to sleep, the king’s daughter gave him a sleep drink. He did not wake for the whole night. The king’s daughter came in the morning to throw her out.

Later the woman was working with the needle, and cutting with other shears. The king’s daughter sent her maid servant over, and she asked “what would she take for the needle?”

She said she would sleep in her bedroom again. The maid servant told this to the king’s daughter.

“She will get that,” said the king’s daughter. The maid servant told that she would get that, and she got the needle. When they were going to sleep, the king’s daughter gave him a sleep drink, and he did not wake that night. The eldest son he had was lying in a bed beside them. He heard how she said to him that she was the mother of his three children.

Later his son told everything to his father. This day the king’s daughter sent the servant maid to ask what she would take for the clue of thread. And she said she would sleep in her bedroom.

“She will get that,” said the king’s daughter.

This night when the man got the sleep drink, he did not drink it at all. The woman said to him that he was the father of her three sons. In the morning, they went away to go home. They came home; the spells went off him, they planted together and I left them, and they left me.

Princess Finola and the Dwarf

E. Leamy

A long, long time ago there lived in a little house an old woman and a young girl. The house was in the lonely moor. The old woman was ugly and dumb. The young girl was pretty and sweet.

In the centre of the house, there was a fire. There were two beds. A wooden bed was for the old woman, the other was Finola’s. It was of oak, very beautiful with flowers and birds. This bed was for a princess, and a princess Finola was. But she did not know it herself.

The only other person beside the old woman Finola ever saw was a dumb dwarf. He came once a month to the house, bringing with him corn for the old woman and Finola. He couldn’t speak to her, but Finola was always happy to see the dwarf and his old horse. The dwarf was in love with her.

One day he came and she did not come out to greet him. He made signs to the old woman, but she took up a stick and hit him, and drove him away. But then he saw Finola at the door of the house, and saw that she was crying. He was very sad about it and couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Suddenly he heard a voice: “It is time for you to come.”