"The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, why they dwell
there, and bring evil on the land. They are bewitched, and are obliged
to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower, and they
can have no rest until it is taken away, and I have likewise learnt,
from their discourse, how that is to be done." Then all who heard this
rejoiced, and the lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son
if he accomplished it successfully. He went down again, and as he knew
what he had to do, he did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold
out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more;
they had disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble.
After some time he took it into his head that he would travel to Rome. On
the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were sitting
croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what they
were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived in
Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great difficulty as
to whom they should appoint as his successor. They at length agreed that
the person should be chosen as pope who should be distinguished by some
divine and miraculous token. And just as that was decided on, the young
count entered into the church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on
his shoulders and remained sitting there. The ecclesiastics recognized
therein the token from above, and asked him on the spot if he would be
pope. He was undecided, and knew not if he were worthy of this, but the
doves counselled him to do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he
anointed and consecrated, and thus was fulfilled what he had heard from
the frogs on his way, which had so affected him, that he was to be his
Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know one word
of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, and said it
all in his ear.
34 Clever Elsie
There was once a man who had a daughter who was called Clever Elsie. And
when she had grown up her father said, "We will get her married." "Yes,"
said the mother; "if only any one would come who would have her." At
length a man came from a distance and wooed her, who was called Hans;
but he stipulated that Clever Elsie should be really wise. "Oh," said
the father, "she's sharp enough;" and the mother said, "Oh, she can see
the wind coming up the street, and hear the flies coughing." "Well,"
said Hans, "if she is not really wise, I won't have her." When they were
sitting at dinner and had eaten, the mother said, "Elsie, go into the
cellar and fetch some beer." Then Clever Elsie took the pitcher from
the wall, went into the cellar, and tapped the lid briskly as she went,
so that the time might not appear long. When she was below she fetched
herself a chair, and set it before the barrel so that she had no need to
stoop, and did not hurt her back or do herself any unexpected injury. Then
she placed the can before her, and turned the tap, and while the beer was
running she would not let her eyes be idle, but looked up at the wall,
and after much peering here and there, saw a pick-axe exactly above her,
which the masons had accidentally left there.
Then Clever Elsie began to weep, and said, "If I get Hans, and we have
a child, and he grows big, and we send him into the cellar here to draw
beer, then the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him." Then she
sat and wept and screamed with all the strength of her body, over the
misfortune which lay before her. Those upstairs waited for the drink,
but Clever Elsie still did not come. Then the woman said to the servant,
"Just go down into the cellar and see where Elsie is." The maid went
and found her sitting in front of the barrel, screaming loudly. "Elsie,
why weepest thou?" asked the maid. "Ah," she answered, "have I not
reason to weep? If I get Hans, and we have a child, and he grows big,
and has to draw beer here, the pick-axe will perhaps fall on his head,
and kill him." Then said the maid, "What a clever Elsie we have!" and
sat down beside her and began loudly to weep over the misfortune. After
a while, as the maid did not come back, those upstairs were thirsty for
the beer, the man said to the boy, "Just go down into the cellar and
see where Elsie and the girl are." The boy went down, and there sat
Clever Elsie and the girl both weeping together. Then he asked, "Why
are ye weeping?" "Ah," said Elsie, "have I not reason to weep? If I get
Hans, and we have a child, and he grows big, and has to draw beer here,
the pick-axe will fall on his head and kill him." Then said the boy,
"What a clever Elsie we have!" and sat down by her, and likewise began
to howl loudly. Upstairs they waited for the boy, but as he still did
not return, the man said to the woman, "Just go down into the cellar
and see where Elsie is!" The woman went down, and found all three
in the midst of their lamentations, and inquired what was the cause;
then Elsie told her also that her future child was to be killed by the
pick-axe, when it grew big and had to draw beer, and the pick-axe fell
down. Then said the mother likewise, "What a clever Elsie we have!" and
sat down and wept with them. The man upstairs waited a short time, but
as his wife did not come back and his thirst grew ever greater, he said,
"I must go into the cellar myself and see where Elsie is." But when he
got into the cellar, and they were all sitting together crying, and he
heard the reason, and that Elsie's child was the cause, and that Elsie
might perhaps bring one into the world some day, and that it might be
killed by the pick-axe, if it should happen to be sitting beneath it,
drawing beer just at the very time when it fell down, he cried, "Oh,
what a clever Elsie!" and sat down, and likewise wept with them. The
bridegroom stayed upstairs alone for a long time; then as no one would
come back he thought, "They must be waiting for me below; I too must
go there and see what they are about." When he got down, five of them
were sitting screaming and lamenting quite piteously, each out-doing the
other. "What misfortune has happened then?" he asked. "Ah, dear Hans,"
said Elsie, "if we marry each other and have a child, and he is big,
and we perhaps send him here to draw something to drink, then the
pick-axe which has been left up there might dash his brains out if it
were to fall down, so have we not reason to weep?" "Come," said Hans,
"more understanding than that is not needed for my household, as thou
art such a clever Elsie, I will have thee," and he seized her hand,
took her upstairs with him, and married her.
After Hans had had her some time, he said, "Wife, I am going out to work
and earn some money for us; go into the field and cut the corn that we may
have some bread." "Yes, dear Hans, I will do that." After Hans had gone
away, she cooked herself some good broth and took it into the field with
her. When she came to the field she said to herself, "What shall I do;
shall I shear first, or shall I eat first? Oh, I will eat first." Then
she emptied her basin of broth, and when she was fully satisfied, she
once more said, "What shall I do? Shall I shear first, or shall I sleep
first? I will sleep first." Then she lay down among the corn and fell
asleep. Hans had been at home for a long time, but Elsie did not come;
then said he, "What a clever Elsie I have; she is so industrious that
she does not even come home to eat." As, however, she still stayed away,
and it was evening, Hans went out to see what she had cut, but nothing
was cut, and she was lying among the corn asleep. Then Hans hastened home
and brought a fowler's net with little bells and hung it round about her,
and she still went on sleeping. Then he ran home, shut the house-door,
and sat down in his chair and worked. At length, when it was quite dark,
Clever Elsie awoke and when she got up there was a jingling all round
about her, and the bells rang at each step which she took. Then she was
alarmed, and became uncertain whether she really was Clever Elsie or
not, and said, "Is it I, or is it not I?" But she knew not what answer
to make to this, and stood for a time in doubt; at length she thought,
"I will go home and ask if it be I, or if it be not I, they will be sure
to know." She ran to the door of her own house, but it was shut; then
she knocked at the window and cried, "Hans, is Elsie within?" "Yes,"
answered Hans, "she is within." Hereupon she was terrified, and said,
"Ah, heavens! Then it is not I," and went to another door; but when the
people heard the jingling of the bells they would not open it, and she
could get in nowhere. Then she ran out of the village, and no one has
seen her since.
35 The Tailor in Heaven
One very fine day it came to pass that the good God wished to enjoy
himself in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints
with him, so that no one stayed in heaven but Saint Peter. The Lord had
commanded him to let no one in during his absence, so Peter stood by
the door and kept watch. Before long some one knocked. Peter asked who
was there, and what he wanted? "I am a poor, honest tailor who prays
for admission," replied a smooth voice. "Honest indeed," said Peter,
"like the thief on the gallows! Thou hast been light-fingered and
hast snipped folks' clothes away. Thou wilt not get into heaven. The
Lord hath forbidden me to let any one in while he is out." "Come,
do be merciful," cried the tailor. "Little scraps which fall off the
table of their own accord are not stolen, and are not worth speaking
about. Look, I am lame, and have blisters on my feet with walking here,
I cannot possibly turn back again. Only let me in, and I will do all
the rough work. I will carry the children, and wash their clothes, and
wash and clean the benches on which they have been playing, and patch
all their torn clothes." Saint Peter let himself be moved by pity, and
opened the door of heaven just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip
his lean body in. He was forced to sit down in a corner behind the door,
and was to stay quietly and peaceably there, in order that the Lord,
when he returned, might not observe him and be angry. The tailor obeyed,
but once when Saint Peter went outside the door, he got up, and full of
curiosity, went round about into every corner of heaven, and inspected
the arrangement of every place. At length he came to a spot where many
beautiful and delightful chairs were standing, and in the midst was a
seat all of gold which was set with shining jewels, likewise it was much
higher than the other chairs, and a footstool of gold was before it. It
was, however, the seat on which the Lord sat when he was at home, and
from which he could see everything which happened on earth. The tailor
stood still, and looked at the seat for a long time, for it pleased him
better than all else. At last he could master his curiosity no longer,
and climbed up and seated himself in the chair. Then he saw everything
which was happening on earth, and observed an ugly old woman who was
standing washing by the side of a stream, secretly laying two veils on one
side for herself. The sight of this made the tailor so angry that he laid
hold of the golden footstool, and threw it down to earth through heaven,
at the old thief. As, however, he could not bring the stool back again,
he slipped quietly out of the chair, seated himself in his place behind
the door, and behaved as if he had never stirred from the spot.
When the Lord and master came back again with his heavenly companions,
he did not see the tailor behind the door, but when he seated himself
on his chair the footstool was missing. He asked Saint Peter what had
become of the stool, but he did not know. Then he asked if he had let
anyone come in. "I know of no one who has been here," answered Peter,
"but a lame tailor, who is still sitting behind the door." Then the
Lord had the tailor brought before him, and asked him if he had taken
away the stool, and where he had put it? "Oh, Lord," answered the tailor
joyously, "I threw it in my anger down to earth at an old woman whom I
saw stealing two veils at the washing." "Oh, thou knave," said the Lord,
"were I to judge as thou judgest, how dost thou think thou couldst have
escaped so long? I should long ago have had no chairs, benches, seats,
nay, not even an oven-fork, but should have thrown everything down at
the sinners. Henceforth thou canst stay no longer in heaven, but must
go outside the door again. Then go where thou wilt. No one shall give
punishment here, but I alone, the Lord."
Peter was obliged to take the tailor out of heaven again, and as he had
torn shoes, and feet covered with blisters, he took a stick in his hand,
and went to "Wait-a-bit," where the good soldiers sit and make merry.
36 The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack
There was once upon a time a tailor who had three sons, and only one
goat. But as the goat supported the whole of them with her milk, she was
obliged to have good food, and to be taken every day to pasture. The
sons, therefore, did this, in turn. Once the eldest took her to the
churchyard, where the finest herbs were to be found, and let her eat
and run about there. At night when it was time to go home he asked,
"Goat, hast thou had enough?" The goat answered,
"I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I'll touch, meh! meh!"
"Come home, then," said the youth, and took hold of the cord round her
neck, led her into the stable and tied her up securely. "Well," said the
old tailor, "has the goat had as much food as she ought?" "Oh," answered
the son, "she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she'll touch." But the
father wished to satisfy himself, and went down to the stable, stroked
the dear animal and asked, "Goat, art thou satisfied?" The goat answered,
"Wherewithal should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no food, so went without, meh! meh!"
"What do I hear?" cried the tailor, and ran upstairs and said to the
youth, "Hollo, thou liar: thou saidest the goat had had enough, and hast
let her hunger!" and in his anger he took the yard-measure from the wall,
and drove him out with blows.
Next day it was the turn of the second son, who looked out for a place
in the fence of the garden, where nothing but good herbs grew, and the
goat cleared them all off. At night when he wanted to go home, he asked,
"Goat, art thou satisfied?" The goat answered,
"I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I'll touch, meh! meh!"
"Come home, then," said the youth, and led her home, and tied her up in
the stable. "Well," said the old tailor, "has the goat had as much food as
she ought?" "Oh," answered the son, "she has eaten so much, not a leaf
more she'll touch." The tailor would not rely on this, but went down
to the stable and said, "Goat, hast thou had enough?" The goat answered,
"Wherewithal should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no food, so went without, meh! meh!"
"The godless wretch!" cried the tailor, "to let such a good animal
hunger," and he ran up and drove the youth out of doors with the
yard-measure.
Now came the turn of the third son, who wanted to do the thing well,
and sought out some bushes with the finest leaves, and let the goat
devour them. In the evening when he wanted to go home, he asked, "Goat,
hast thou had enough?" The goat answered,
"I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I'll touch, meh! meh!"
"Come home, then," said the youth, and led her into the stable, and tied
her up. "Well," said the old tailor, "has the goat had a proper amount
of food?" "She has eaten so much, not a leaf more she'll touch." The
tailor did not trust to that, but went down and asked, "Goat, hast thou
had enough?" The wicked beast answered,
"Wherewithal should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no leaves, so went without, meh! meh!"
"Oh, the brood of liars!" cried the tailor, "each as wicked and forgetful
of his duty as the other! Ye shall no longer make a fool of me," and
quite beside himself with anger, he ran upstairs and belabored the poor
young fellow so vigorously with the yard-measure that he sprang out of
the house.
The old tailor was now alone with his goat. Next morning he went down into
the stable, caressed the goat and said, "Come, my dear little animal,
I will take thee to feed myself." He took her by the rope and conducted
her to green hedges, and amongst milfoil, and whatever else goats
like to eat. "There thou mayest for once eat to thy heart's content,"
said he to her, and let her browse till evening. Then he asked, "Goat,
art thou satisfied?" She replied,
"I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I'll touch, meh! meh!"
"Come home, then," said the tailor, and led her into the stable, and
tied her fast. When he was going away, he turned round again and said,
"Well, art thou satisfied for once?" But the goat did not behave the
better to him, and cried,
"Wherewithal should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no leaves, so went without, meh! meh!"
When the tailor heard that, he was shocked, and saw clearly that he
had driven away his three sons without cause. "Wait, thou ungrateful
creature," cried he, "it is not enough to drive thee forth, I will
mark thee so that thou wilt no more dare to show thyself amongst honest
tailors." In great haste he ran upstairs, fetched his razor, lathered the
goat's head, and shaved her as clean as the palm of his hand. And as the
yard-measure would have been too good for her, he brought the horsewhip,
and gave her such cuts with it that she ran away in violent haste.
When the tailor was thus left quite alone in his house he fell into
great grief, and would gladly have had his sons back again, but no one
knew whither they were gone. The eldest had apprenticed himself to a
joiner, and learnt industriously and indefatigably, and when the time
came for him to go travelling, his master presented him with a little
table which had no particular appearance, and was made of common wood,
but it had one good property; if anyone set it out, and said, "Little
table, spread thyself," the good little table was at once covered with a
clean little cloth, and a plate was there, and a knife and fork beside
it, and dishes with boiled meats and roasted meats, as many as there
was room for, and a great glass of red wine shone so that it made the
heart glad. The young journeyman thought, "With this thou hast enough
for thy whole life," and went joyously about the world and never troubled
himself at all whether an inn was good or bad, or if anything was to be
found in it or not. When it suited him he did not enter an inn at all,
but either on the plain, in a wood, a meadow, or wherever he fancied,
he took his little table off his back, set it down before him, and said,
"Cover thyself," and then everything appeared that his heart desired. At
length he took it into his head to go back to his father, whose anger
would now be appeased, and who would now willingly receive him with
his wishing-table. It came to pass that on his way home, he came one
evening to an inn which was filled with guests. They bade him welcome,
and invited him to sit and eat with them, for otherwise he would have
difficulty in getting anything. "No," answered the joiner, "I will not
take the few bites out of your mouths; rather than that, you shall be
my guests." They laughed, and thought he was jesting with them; he,
however, placed his wooden table in the middle of the room, and said,
"Little table, cover thyself." Instantly it was covered with food,
so good that the host could never have procured it, and the smell of
it ascended pleasantly to the nostrils of the guests. "Fall to, dear
friends," said the joiner; and the guests when they saw that he meant it,
did not need to be asked twice, but drew near, pulled out their knives
and attacked it valiantly. And what surprised them the most was that
when a dish became empty, a full one instantly took its place of its
own accord. The innkeeper stood in one corner and watched the affair;
he did not at all know what to say, but thought, "Thou couldst easily
find a use for such a cook as that in thy kitchen." The joiner and his
comrades made merry until late into the night; at length they lay down
to sleep, and the young apprentice also went to bed, and set his magic
table against the wall. The host's thoughts, however, let him have
no rest; it occurred to him that there was a little old table in his
lumber-room which looked just like the apprentice's and he brought it
out quite softly, and exchanged it for the wishing-table. Next morning,
the joiner paid for his bed, took up his table, never thinking that he
had got a false one, and went his way. At mid-day he reached his father,
who received him with great joy. "Well, my dear son, what hast thou
learnt?" said he to him. "Father, I have become a joiner."
"A good trade," replied the old man; "but what hast thou brought back
with thee from thy apprenticeship?" "Father, the best thing which I have
brought back with me is this little table." The tailor inspected it on
all sides and said, "Thou didst not make a masterpiece when thou mad'st
that; it is a bad old table." "But it is a table which furnishes itself,"
replied the son. "When I set it out, and tell it to cover itself, the
most beautiful dishes stand on it, and a wine also, which gladdens the
heart. Just invite all our relations and friends, they shall refresh
and enjoy themselves for once, for the table will give them all they
require." When the company was assembled, he put his table in the middle
of the room and said, "Little table, cover thyself," but the little table
did not bestir itself, and remained just as bare as any other table which
did not understand language. Then the poor apprentice became aware that
his table had been changed, and was ashamed at having to stand there like
a liar. The relations, however, mocked him, and were forced to go home
without having eaten or drunk. The father brought out his patches again,
and went on tailoring, but the son went to a master in the craft.
The second son had gone to a miller and had apprenticed himself to
him. When his years were over, the master said, "As thou hast conducted
thyself so well, I give thee an ass of a peculiar kind, which neither
draws a cart nor carries a sack." "To what use is he put, then?" asked
the young apprentice. "He lets gold drop from his mouth," answered the
miller. "If thou settest him on a cloth and sayest 'Bricklebrit,' the
good animal will drop gold pieces for thee." "That is a fine thing,"
said the apprentice, and thanked the master, and went out into the
world. When he had need of gold, he had only to say "Bricklebrit" to his
ass, and it rained gold pieces, and he had nothing to do but pick them
off the ground. Wheresoever he went, the best of everything was good
enough for him, and the dearer the better, for he had always a full
purse. When he had looked about the world for some time, he thought,
"Thou must seek out thy father; if thou goest to him with the gold-ass
he will forget his anger, and receive thee well." It came to pass that
he came to the same public-house in which his brother's table had been
exchanged. He led his ass by the bridle, and the host was about to take
the animal from him and tie him up, but the young apprentice said,
"Don't trouble yourself, I will take my grey horse into the stable,
and tie him up myself too, for I must know where he stands." This struck
the host as odd, and he thought that a man who was forced to look after
his ass himself, could not have much to spend; but when the stranger
put his hand in his pocket and brought out two gold pieces, and said he
was to provide something good for him, the host opened his eyes wide,
and ran and sought out the best he could muster. After dinner the guest
asked what he owed. The host did not see why he should not double the
reckoning, and said the apprentice must give two more gold pieces. He
felt in his pocket, but his gold was just at an end. "Wait an instant,
sir host," said he, "I will go and fetch some money;" but he took the
table-cloth with him. The host could not imagine what this could mean, and
being curious, stole after him, and as the guest bolted the stable-door,
he peeped through a hole left by a knot in the wood. The stranger spread
out the cloth under the animal and cried, "Bricklebrit," and immediately
the beast began to let gold pieces fall, so that it fairly rained down