VOLUME TWO New Edition

1922

CONTENTS

AESOP

THE FALCON AND THE PARTRIDGE (From the Arabian Nights)

MINERVA AND THE OWL

THE SPARROW AND THE EAGLE (From the Arabian Nights)

THE OLD MAN AND DEATH

INFANT JOY …….. William Blake

THE BABY …….. George MacDonald

THE DISCONTENTED STONECUTTER (From the Japanese)

DISCREET HANS …….. Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm

THE POPPYLAND EXPRESS …….. St. Louis Star Sayings

BLUEBEARD

LULLABY

RUMPELSTILTZKIN …….. Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm

THE MIRROR OF MATSUYANA (From the Japanese)

A CONTRAST

THE GOLDEN TOUCH …….. Nathaniel Hawthorne

THE CHILD'S WORLD …….. W. B. Rands

THE FIR TREE …….. Hans Christian Andersen

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER …….. Robert Louis Stevenson

HOW THE WOLF WAS BOUND …….. Adapted by Anna McCaleb

THE DEATH OF BALDER …….. Adapted by Anna McCaleb

THE PUNISHMENT OF LOKI …….. Adapted by Anna McCaleb

SEVEN TIMES ONE …….. Jean Ingelow

SHUFFLE-SHOON AND AMBER-LOCKS …….. Eugene Field

AFTERWHILE …….. James Whitcomb Riley

WINDY NIGHTS …….. Robert Louis Stevenson

THE SNOW QUEEN …….. Hans Christian Andersen

THE CHIMERA …….. Nathaniel Hawthorne

A VISIT FBOM ST. NICHOLAS …….. Clement C. Moore

THE STORY OF PHAETHON

THE ENGLISH ROBIN …….. Harrison Weir

TOM, THE WATER BABY …….. Charles Kingsley

THE MILKMAID …….. Jeffreys Taylor

HOLGER DANSKE …….. Hans Christian Andersen

WHAT THE OLD MAN DOES is ALWAYS RIGHT …….. Hans Christian Andersen

THE FAIRIES OF CALDON-LOW …….. Mary Howitt

WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST? …….. L. Maria Child

THE FIRST SNOWFALL …….. James Russell Lowell

THE KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER …….. John Ruskin

THE STORY OF ESTHER

THE DARNING-NEEDLE …….. Hans Christian Andersen

THE POTATO …….. Thomas Moore

THE QUEEN OF THE UNDERWORLD

ORIGIN OF THE OPAL

IN TIME'S SWING …….. Lucy Larcom

WHY THE SEA IS SALT …….. Mary Howitt

PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES

For Classification of Selections, see General Index at end of Volume X.

ILLUSTRATIONS

KAY AND GERDA AT PLAY AMONG THE FLOWEBS … (Color Plate) Arthur Henderson AESOP (Halftone) ….. From Painting by Velasquez THE OWL ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE SPARROW AND THE EAGLE ….. Herbert N. Rudeen INFANT JOY ….. Lucille Enders JAPANESE GATE ….. Herbert N Rudeen THE STONECUTTER AND HIS SILKEN COUCH ….. Herbert N. Rudeen EVERYTHING REJOICED IN A NEW GROWTH ….. Herbert N. Rudeen BLUEBEARD ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE PASS KEY ….. Uncredited SHE SLIPPED SILENTLY AWAY ….. Herbert N. Rudeen SISTER ANN WATCHING FROM THE TOWER ….. Herbert N. Rudeen RUMPELSTILTZKIN ….. Herbert N. Rudeen AWAITING THE RETURN OF THE FATHER ….. Herbert N. Rudeen JAPANESE LANTERN ….. Herbert N. Rudeen HER GREATEST PLEASURE WAS TO LOOK INTO THE MIRROR ….. Herbert N. Rudeen YEARNING LOVE ….. Lucille Enders THE FIGURE OF A STRANGER IN THE SUNBEAM ….. Arthur Henderson MARYGOLD WAS A GOLDEN STATUE ….. Arthur Henderson THE CHILD'S WORLD ….. Marion Miller THE SWALLOWS AND THE STORK CAME ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE FAT MAN TOLD ABOUT KLUMPEY-DUMPEY ….. Herbert N. Rudeen

HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN ….. (Halftone) Uncredited PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER ….. Iris Weddell White THE GODS WERE AMAZED ….. A. H. Winkler HODER HURLED THE DART ….. Herbert N. Rudeen STRANGE OPAL LIGHTS FILTERED THROUGH THE WATER ….. A. H. Winkler THOR'S HAND GRIPPED HIM ….. W. O. Reese SHUFFLE-SHOON AND AMBER-LOCKS ….. Lucille Enders HOLLYHOCKS ….. Donn P. Crane THE GOBLIN AND THE MIRROR ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE SNOW-FLAKE AT LAST BECAME A MAIDEN ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THEY FLEW OVER WOODS AND LAKES ….. Herbert N Rudeen "HE IS BLOWING BUBBLES" ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE CROW STOPPED TO LOOK AT HER ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE REINDEER RAN AS FAST AS IT COULD GO ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE SNOW QUEEN'S CASTLE ….. Herbert N. Rudeen PEGASUS AT THE FOUNTAIN ….. Herbert N Rudeen PEGASUS DARTED DOWN ASLANT ….. Herbert N. Rudeen ST. NICHOLAS ….. Herbert N. Rudeen IN VAIN PHAETHON PULLED AT THE REINS ….. Donn P. Crane THERE WAS A LITTLE CHIMNEY SWEEP, AND HIS NAME WAS TOM ….. Donn P. Crane THEY CAME UP WITH A POOR IRISH WOMAN ….. Donn P. Crane

BEES AND HIVES ….. Donn P. Crane HARTHOVER PLACE ….. Donn P. Crane ALL RAN AFTER TOM ….. Donn P. Crane TOM LOOKED DOWN THE CLIFF ….. Donn P. Crane THE OLD DAME LOOKED AT TOM ….. Donn P. Crane TOM LOOKED INTO THE CLEAR WATER ….. Donn P. Crane SIR JOHN SEARCHING FOR TOM ….. Donn P. Crane TOM WAS NOW A WATER BABY ….. Donn P. Crane "OH, YOU BEAUTIFUL CREATURE!" SAID TOM ….. Donn P. Crane TOM ESCAPED THE OTTER ….. Donn P. Crane THE SALMON, KING OF ALL THE FISH ….. Donn P. Crane TOM ON THE BUOY ….. Donn P. Crane PORPOISES ….. Donn P. Crane A LOBSTER ….. Donn P. Crane ELLIE AND THE PROFESSOR ….. Donn P. Crane MRS. BEDONEBYASYOUDID ….. Donn P. Crane SHE TOOK TOM IN HER ARMS ….. Donn P. Crane TOM FOUND THE CABINET ….. Donn P. Crane THE LAST OF THE GAIRFOWL ….. Donn P. Crane AND BEHOLD, IT WAS ELLIE ….. Donn P. Crane HOLGER DANSKE ….. Arthur Henderson THE FIGUREHEAD ….. Arthur Henderson "MY DEAR GOOD HUSBAND" ….. Herbert N. Rudeen THE FAIRIES OF CALDON-LOW ….. Iris Weddell White WHO STOLE THE BIRD'S NEST? ….. Herbert N. Rudeen

"FATHER, WHO MAKES IT SNOW?" ….. Iris Weddell White "HELLO! I'M WET, LET ME IN" ….. Donn P. Crane "SORRY TO INCOMMODE YOU" ….. Donn P. Crane "PRAY SIR, WERE YOU MY MUG?" ….. Donn P. Crane "THOU HAST HAD THY SHARE OF LIFE" ….. Donn P. Crane HE CAST THE FLASK INTO THE STREAM ….. Donn P. Crane THE DWARF SHOOK THE DROPS INTO THE FLASK ….. Donn P. Crane MORDECAI IN THE KING'S GATE ….. Arthur Henderson HE PUT ON SACKCLOTH AND ASHES ….. Arthur Henderson THEN HAMAN WAS AFRAID ….. Arthur Henderson PLUTO SEIZED PROSERPINA ….. Arthur Henderson IN TIME'S SWING ….. Herbert N. Rudeen SO THE BARGAIN WAS MADE ….. Mildred Lyon

AESOP

Many centuries ago, more than six hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in Greece a man by the name of Aesop. We do not know very much about him, and no one can tell exactly what he wrote, or even that he ever wrote anything.

We know he was a slave and much wiser than his masters, but whether he was a fine, shapely man or a hunchback and a cripple we cannot be sure, for different people have written very differently about him.

No matter what he was or how he lived, many, many stories are still told about him, and the greater part of the fables we all like to read are said to have been written or told by him, and everybody still calls them Aesop's fables.

Some of the stories told about him are curious indeed. Here are a few of them.

In those days men were sold as slaves in the market, as cattle are sold now. One day Aesop and two other men were put up at auction. Xanthus, a wealthy man, wanted a slave, and he said to the men: "What can you do?"

The two men bragged large about the things they could do, for both wanted a rich master like Xanthus.

"But what can you do?" said Xanthus, turning to Aesop.

"The others can do so much and so well," said Aesop, "that there's nothing left for me to do."

"Will you be honest and faithful if I buy you?"

"I shall be that whether you buy me or not."

"Will you promise not to run away?"

"Did you ever hear," answered Aesop, "of a bird in a cage that promised to stay in it?"

Xanthus was so much pleased with the answers that he bought Aesop.

Some time afterward, Xanthus, wishing to give a dinner to some of his friends, ordered Aesop to furnish the finest feast that money could buy.

The first course Aesop supplied was of tongues cooked in many ways, and the second of tongues and the third and the fourth. Then Xanthus called sharply to Aesop:

"Did I not tell you, sirrah, to provide the choicest dainties that money could procure?"

"And what excels the tongue?" replied Aesop. "It is the great channel of learning and philosophy. By this noble organ everything wise and good is accomplished."

The company applauded Aesop's wit, and good humor was restored.

"Well," said Xanthus to the guests, "pray do me the favor of dining with me again to-morrow. And if this is your best," continued he turning to Aesop, "pray, to-morrow let us have some of the worst meat you can find."

The next day, when dinner-time came, the guests were assembled. Great was their astonishment and great the anger of Xanthus at finding that again nothing but tongue was put upon the table.

"How, sir," said Xanthus, "should tongues be the best of meat one day, and the worst another?"

"What," replied Aesop, "can be worse than the tongue? What wickedness is there under the sun that it has not a part in? Treasons, violence, injustice, and fraud are debated and resolved upon by the tongue. It is the ruin of empires, of cities, and of private friendships."

* * * * *

At another time Xanthus very foolishly bet with a scholar that he could drink the sea dry. Alarmed, he consulted Aesop.

"To perform your wager," said Aesop, "you know is impossible, but I will show you how to evade it."

They accordingly met the scholar, and went with him and a great number of people to the seashore, where Aesop had provided a table with several large glasses upon it, and men who stood around with ladles with which to fill the glasses.

Xanthus, instructed by Aesop, gravely took his seat at the table. The beholders looked on with astonishment, thinking that he must surely have lost his senses.

"My agreement," said he, turning to the scholar, "is to drink up the sea. I said nothing of the rivers and streams that are everywhere flowing into it. Stop up these, and I will proceed to fulfill my engagement."

* * * * *

It is said that at one time when Xanthus started out on a long journey, he ordered his servants to get all his things together and put them up into bundles so that they could carry them.

When everything had been neatly tied up, Aesop went to his master and begged for the lightest bundle. Wishing to please his favorite slave, the master told Aesop to choose for himself the one he preferred to carry. Looking them all over, he picked up the basket of bread and started off with it on the journey. The other servants laughed at his foolishness, for that basket was the heaviest of all.

When dinner-time came, Aesop was very tired, for he had had a difficult time to carry his load for the last few hours. When they had rested, however, they took bread from the basket, each taking an equal share. Half the bread was eaten at this one meal, and when supper-time came the rest of it disappeared.

For the whole remainder of the journey, which ran far into the night and was over rough roads, up and down hills, Aesop had nothing to carry, while the loads of the other servants grew heavier and heavier with every step.

The people of the neighborhood in which Aesop was a slave one day observed him attentively looking over some poultry in a pen that was near the roadside; and those idlers, who spent more time in prying into other people's affairs than in adjusting their own, asked why he bestowed his attention on those animals.

"I am surprised," replied Aesop, "to see how mankind imitate this foolish animal."

"In what?" asked the neighbors.

"Why, in crowing so well and scratching so poorly," rejoined Aesop.

[Illustration: "AESOP" Painting by Valasquez, Madrid ]

Fables, you know, are short stories, usually about animals and things, which are made to talk like human beings. Fables are so bright and interesting in themselves that both children and grown-ups like to read them. Children see first the story, and bye and bye, after they have thought more about it and have grown older, they see how much wisdom there is in the fables.

For an example, there is the fable of the crab and its mother. They were strolling along the sand together when the mother said, "Child, you are not walking gracefully. You should walk straight forward, without twisting from side to side."

"Pray, mother," said the young one, "if you will set the example, I will follow it."

Perhaps children will think the little crab was not very respectful, but the lesson is plain that it is always easier to give good advice than it is to follow it.

There is another, which teaches us to be self-reliant and resourceful. A crow, whose throat was parched and dry with thirst, saw a pitcher in the distance. In great joy he flew to it, but found that it held only a little water, and even that was too near the bottom to be reached, for all his stooping and straining.

Next he tried to overturn the pitcher, thinking that he would at least be able to catch some of the water as it trickled out. But this he was not strong enough to do. In the end he found some pebbles lying near, and by dropping them one by one into the pitcher, he managed at last to raise the water up to the very brim, and thus was able to quench his thirst.

THE FALCON AND THE PARTRIDGE

From The Arabian Nights

Once upon a time a Falcon stooped from its flight and seized a Partridge; but the latter freed himself from the seizer, and entering his nest, hid himself there. The Falcon followed apace and called out to him, saying:

"O imbecile, I saw you hungry in the field and took pity on you; so I picked up for you some grain and took hold of you that you might eat; but you fled from me, and I know not the cause of your flight, except it were to put upon me a slight. Come out, then, and take the grain I have brought you to eat, and much good may it do you, and with your health agree."

When the Partridge heard these words he believed, and came out to the Falcon, who thereupon struck his talons into him and seized him.

Cried the Partridge, "Is this that which you told me you had brought me from the field, and whereof you told me to eat, saying, 'Much good may it do you, and with your health agree?' Thou hast lied to me, and may God cause what you eat of my flesh to be a killing poison in your maw!"

When the Falcon had eaten the Partridge his feathers fell off, his strength failed, and he died on the spot. Know that he who digs for his brother a pit, himself soon falls into it.

MINERVA AND THE OWL

"My most solemn and wise bird," said Minerva one day to her Owl, "I have hitherto admired you for your profound silence; but I have now a mind to have you show your ability in discourse, for silence is only admirable in one who can, when he pleases, triumph by his eloquence and charm with graceful conversation."

The Owl replied by solemn grimaces, and made dumb signs. Minerva bade him lay aside that affectation and begin; but he only shook his wise head and remained silent. Thereupon Minerva commanded him to speak immediately, on pain of her displeasure.

The Owl, seeing no remedy, drew up close to Minerva, and whispered very softly in her ear this sage remark: "Since the world is grown so depraved, they ought to be esteemed most wise who have eyes to see and wit to hold their tongues."

THE SPARROW AND THE EAGLE

From The Arabian Nights

Once a Sparrow, flitting over a flock of sheep, saw a great Eagle swoop down upon a newly weaned lamb and carry it up in his claws and fly away. Thereupon the Sparrow clapped his wings and said, "I will do even as this Eagle did."

So he waxed proud in his own conceit, and, mimicking one greater than he, flew down forthright and lighted on the back of a fat ram with a thick fleece, that was matted by his lying till it was like woolen felt. As soon as the Sparrow pounced upon the sheep's back he flopped his wings to fly away, but his feet became tangled in the wool, and, however hard he tried, he could not set himself free.

While all this was passing, the shepherd was looking on, having seen what happened first with the Eagle and afterward with the Sparrow. So in a great rage he came up to the wee birdie and seized him. He plucked out his wing feathers and carried him to his children.

"What is this?" asked one of them.

"This," he answered, "is he that aped a greater than himself and came to grief."

The Old Man and Death

A poor and toil-worn peasant, bent with years and groaning beneath the weight of a heavy fagot of firewood which he carried, sought, weary and sore-footed, to gain his distant cottage. Unable to bear the weight of his burden longer, he let it fall by the roadside, and lamented his hard fate.

"What pleasure have I known since I first drew breath in this sad world? From dawn to dusk it has been hard work and little pay! At home is an empty cupboard, a discontented wife, and lazy and disobedient children! O Death! O Death! come and free me from my troubles!"

At once the ghostly King of Terrors stood before him and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"Noth-nothing," stammered the frightened peasant, "except for you to help me put again upon my shoulders the bundle of fagots I have let fall!"

INFANT JOY

By William Blake

"I have no name; I am but two days old." "What shall I call thee?" "I happy am; Joy is my name." Sweet joy befall thee!

Pretty Joy! Sweet Joy, but two days old. Sweet Joy I call thee: Thou dost smile: I sing the while, "Sweet joy befall thee!"

THE BABY

By George Macdonald

Where did you come from, baby dear? Out of the everywhere into the here.

Where did you get your eyes so blue? Out of the sky as I came through.

What makes the light in them sparkle and spin? Some of the starry spikes left in.

Where did you get that little tear? I found it waiting when I got here.

What makes your forehead so smooth and high? A soft hand stroked it as I went by.

What makes your cheek like a warm white rose? Something better than any one knows.

Whence that three-cornered smile of bliss? Three angels gave me at once a kiss.

Where did you get that pearly ear? God spoke, and it came out to hear.

Where did you get those arms and hands? Love made itself into hooks and bands.

Feet, whence did you come, you darling things? From the same box as the cherub's wings.

How did they all just come to be you? God thought about me, and so I grew.

But how did you come to us, you dear? God thought of YOU, and so I am here.

THE DISCONTENTED STONECUTTER

Adapted from the Japanese

Once upon a time there was a man who worked from early morning till late at night cutting building stones out of the solid rock. His pay was small and hardly enough to keep his wife and children from starving. So the poor stonecutter grew discontented and sighed and moaned bitterly over his hard lot.

One day when his work seemed harder than usual and his troubles more than he could bear he cried out in despair:

"Oh, I wish I could be rich and lie at ease on a soft couch with a curtain of red silk!"

Just then a beautiful fairy floated down from heaven, and softly said, "Thy wish is granted thee." So the poor stonecutter found himself rich and powerful and resting easily on his silken couch with its red curtain. As he gazed out, however, he saw the king of the country ride by with many horsemen before and behind him, and with a great golden sunshade held over his head. It irritated the rich man to have no parasol over his head and to see another more powerful than himself, and in his discontentment he exclaimed, "Would that I were a king such as that one."

Once again his good fairy appeared, waved his wand, and said, "It shall be as thou desirest." Immediately the man was king, and before him and behind him rode his men-at-arms, and over his head was a golden sunshade. But elsewhere the sun shone fiercely down and dried up the vegetation with its terrible heat. It was reflected into the face of the king so that even the golden sunshade did not keep him from suffering. Once more he sighed discontentedly, "If I could only be the sun!"

[Illustration: THE STONECUTTER AND HIS SILKEN COUCH]