The Glass Axe

glass axe again she told him to cut up all the wood he had

felled the day before, and to put it in bundles ready for firewood; at

the same time she warned him once more against approaching or speaking

a word to the black girl if he met her in the wood.

Although his task was no easier than that of the day before, the youth

set out much more cheerfully, because he knew he could count on the

help of the black girl. With quicker and lighter step he crossed the

bridge of clouds, and hardly had he reached the other side than his

friend stood before him and greeted him cheerfully. When she heard

what the Fairy demanded this time, she answered smilingly, ‘Never

fear,’ and handed him another draught, which very soon caused the

Prince to sink into a deep sleep.

When he awoke everything was done. All the trees of the wood were cut

up into firewood and arranged in bundles ready for use.

He returned to the castle as quickly as he could, and told the Fairy

that her commands were obeyed. She was even more amazed than she had

been before, and asked him again if he had either seen or spoken to

the black girl; but the Prince knew better than to betray his word,

and once more lied freely.

On the following day the Fairy set him a third task to do, even harder

than the other two. She told him he must build a castle on the other

side of the lake, made of nothing but gold, silver, and precious

stones, and unless he could accomplish this within an hour, the most

frightful doom awaited him.

The Prince heard her words without anxiety, so entirely did he rely on

the help of his black friend. Full of hope he hurried across the

bridge, and recognised at once the spot where the castle was to stand,

for spades, hammers, axes, and every other building implement lay

scattered on the ground ready for the workman’s hand, but of gold,

silver, and precious stones there was not a sign. But before the

Prince had time to feel despondent the black girl beckoned to him in

the distance from behind a rock, where she had hidden herself for fear

her mother should catch sight of her. Full of joy the youth hurried

towards her, and begged her aid and counsel in the new piece of work

he had been given to do.

[Illustration: The Black Girl Stops the Witch with a Bit of the Rock]

But this time the Fairy had watched the Prince’s movements from her

window, and she saw him hiding himself behind the rock with her

daughter. She uttered a piercing shriek so that the mountains

re-echoed with the sound of it, and the terrified pair had hardly

dared to look out from their hiding-place when the enraged woman, with

her dress and hair flying in the wind, hurried over the bridge of

clouds. The Prince at once gave himself up for lost, but the girl told

him to be of good courage and to follow her as quickly as he could.

But before they left their shelter she broke off a little bit of the

rock, spoke some magic words over it, and threw it in the direction

her mother was coming from. In a moment a glittering palace arose

before the eyes of the Fairy which blinded her with its dazzling

splendour, and with its many doors and passages prevented her for some

time from finding her way out of it.

In the meantime the black girl hurried on with the Prince, hastening

to reach the river, where once on the other side they would for ever

be out of the wicked Fairy’s power. But before they had accomplished

half the way they heard again the rustle of her garments and her

muttered curses pursuing them closely.

The Prince was terrified; he dared not look back, and he felt his

strength giving way. But before he had time to despair the girl

uttered some more magic words, and immediately she herself was changed

into a pond, and the Prince into a duck swimming on its surface.

When the Fairy saw this her rage knew no bounds, and she used all her

magic wits to make the pond disappear; she caused a hill of sand to

arise at her feet, meaning it to dry up the water at once. But the

sand hill only drove the pond a little farther away, and its waters

seemed to increase instead of diminishing. When the old woman saw that

the powers of her magic were of so little avail, she had recourse to

cunning. She threw a lot of gold nuts into the pond, hoping in this

way to catch the duck, but all her efforts were fruitless, for the

little creature refused to let itself be caught.

Then a new idea struck the wicked old woman, and hiding herself behind

the rock which had sheltered the fugitives, she waited behind it,

watching carefully for the moment when the Prince and her daughter

should resume their natural forms and continue their journey.

She had not to wait long, for as soon as the girl thought her mother

was safely out of the way, she changed herself and the Prince once

more into their human shape, and set out cheerfully for the river.

But they had not gone many steps when the wicked Fairy hurried after

them, a drawn dagger in her hand, and was close upon them, when

suddenly, instead of the Prince and her daughter, she found herself in

front of a great stone church, whose entrance was carefully guarded by

a huge monk.

Breathless with rage and passion, she tried to plunge her dagger into

the monk’s heart, but it fell shattered in pieces at her feet. In her

desperation she determined to pull down the church, and thus to

destroy her two victims for ever. She stamped three times on the

ground, and the earth trembled, and both the church and the monk began

to shake. As soon as the Fairy saw this she retreated to some distance

from the building, so as not to be hurt herself by its fall. But once

more her scheme was doomed to failure, for hardly had she gone a yard

from the church than both it and the monk disappeared, and she found

herself in a wood black as night, and full of wolves and bears and

wild animals of all sorts and descriptions.

Then her wrath gave place to terror, for she feared every moment to be

torn in pieces by the beasts who one and all seemed to defy her power.

She thought it wisest to make her way as best she could out of the

forest, and then to pursue the fugitives once more and accomplish

their destruction either by force or cunning.

In the meantime the Prince and the black girl had again assumed their

natural forms, and were hurrying on as fast as they could to reach the

river. But when they got there they found that there was no way in

which they could cross it, and the girl’s magic art seemed no longer

to have any power. Then turning to the Prince she said, ‘The hour for

my deliverance has not yet come, but as you promised to do all you

could to free me, you must do exactly as I bid you now. Take this bow

and arrow and kill every beast you see with them, and be sure you

spare no living creature.’

With these words she disappeared, and hardly had she done so than a

huge wild boar started out of the thicket near and made straight for

the Prince. But the youth did not lose his presence of mind, and

drawing his bow he pierced the beast with his arrow right through the

skull. The creature fell heavily on the ground, and out of its side

sprang a little hare, which ran like the wind along the river bank.

The Prince drew his bow once more, and the hare lay dead at his feet;

but at the same moment a dove rose up in the air, and circled round

the Prince’s head in the most confiding manner. But mindful of the

black girl’s commands, he dared not spare the little creature’s life,

and taking another arrow from his quiver he laid it as dead as the

boar and the hare. But when he went to look at the body of the bird he

found instead of the dove a round white egg lying on the ground.

While he was gazing on it and wondering what it could mean, he heard

the sweeping of wings above him, and looking up he saw a huge vulture

with open claws swooping down upon him. In a moment he seized the egg

and flung it at the bird with all his might, and lo and behold!

instead of the ugly monster the most beautiful girl he had ever seen

stood before the astonished eyes of the Prince.

[Illustration: ‘But the waters seized her chariot and sunk it in the

lowest depths’]

But while all this was going on the wicked old Fairy had managed to

make her way out of the wood, and was now using the last resource in

her power to overtake her daughter and the Prince. As soon as she was

in the open again she mounted her chariot, which was drawn by a fiery

dragon, and flew through the air in it. But just as she got to the

river she saw the two lovers in each other’s arms swimming through the

water as easily as two fishes.

Quick as lightning, and forgetful of every danger, she flew down upon

them. But the waters seized her chariot and sunk it in the lowest

depths, and the waves bore the wicked old woman down the stream till

she was caught in some thorn bushes, where she made a good meal for

all the little fishes that were swimming about.

And so at last the Prince and his lovely Bride were free. They hurried

as quickly as they could to the old King, who received them with joy

and gladness. On the following day a most gorgeous wedding feast was

held, and as far as we know the Prince and his Bride lived happily for

ever afterwards.

THE DEAD WIFE[20]

Once upon a time there were a man and his wife who lived in the

forest, very far from the rest of the tribe. Very often they spent the

day in hunting together, but after a while the wife found that she had

so many things to do that she was obliged to stay at home; so he went

alone, though he found that when his wife was not with him he never

had any luck. One day, when he was away hunting, the woman fell ill,

and in a few days she died. Her husband grieved bitterly, and buried

her in the house where she had passed her life; but as the time went

on he felt so lonely without her that he made a wooden doll about her

height and size for company, and dressed it in her clothes. He seated

it in front of the fire, and tried to think he had his wife back

again. The next day he went out to hunt, and when he came home the

first thing he did was to go up to the doll and brush off some of the

ashes from the fire which had fallen on its face. But he was very busy

now, for he had to cook and mend, besides getting food, for there was

no one to help him. And so a whole year passed away.

At the end of that time he came back from hunting one night and found

some wood by the door and a fire within. The next night there was not

only wood and fire, but a piece of meat in the kettle, nearly ready

for eating. He searched all about to see who could have done this, but

could find no one. The next time he went to hunt he took care not to

go far, and came in quite early. And while he was still a long way off

he saw a woman going into the house with wood on her shoulders. So he

made haste, and opened the door quickly, and instead of the wooden

doll, his wife sat in front of the fire.

Then she spoke to him and said, ‘The Great Spirit felt sorry for you,

because you would not be comforted, so he let me come back to you, but

you must not stretch out your hand to touch me till we have seen the

rest of our people. If you do, I shall die.’

[Footnote 20: From the Iroquois.]

So the man listened to her words, and the woman dwelt there, and

brought the wood and kindled the fire, till one day her husband said

to her, ‘It is now two years since you died. Let us now go back to our

tribe. Then you will be well, and I can touch you.’

[Illustration: The Indian Finds His Wife Sitting by the Fire.]

And with that he prepared food for the journey, a string of deer’s

flesh for her to carry, and one for himself; and so they started. Now

the camp of the tribe was distant six days’ journey, and when they

were yet one day’s journey off it began to snow, and they felt weary

and longed for rest. Therefore they made a fire, cooked some food, and

spread out their skins to sleep.

Then the heart of the man was greatly stirred, and he stretched out

his arms to his wife, but she waved her hands and said, ‘We have seen

no one yet; it is too soon.’

But he would not listen to her, and caught her to him, and behold! he

was clasping the wooden doll. And when he saw it was the doll he

pushed it from him in his misery and rushed away to the camp, and told

them all his story. And some doubted, and they went back with him to

the place where he and his wife had stopped to rest, and there lay the

doll, and besides, they saw in the snow the steps of two people, and

the foot of one was like the foot of the doll. And the man grieved

sore all the days of his life.

IN THE LAND OF SOULS[21]

Far away, in North America, where the Red Indians dwell, there lived a

long time ago a beautiful maiden, who was lovelier than any other girl

in the whole tribe. Many of the young braves sought her in marriage,

but she would listen to one only—a handsome chief, who had taken her

fancy some years before. So they were to be married, and great

rejoicings were made, and the two looked forward to a long life of

happiness together, when the very night before the wedding feast a

sudden illness seized the girl, and, without a word to her friends who

were weeping round her, she passed silently away.

The heart of her lover had been set upon her, and the thought of her

remained with him night and day. He put aside his bow, and went

neither to fight nor to hunt, but from sunrise to sunset he sat by the

place where she was laid, thinking of his happiness that was buried

there. At last, after many days, a light seemed to come to him out of

the darkness. He remembered having heard from the old, old people of

the tribe, that there was a path that led to the Land of Souls—that

if you sought carefully you could find it.

So the next morning he got up early, and put some food in his pouch

and slung an extra skin over his shoulders, for he knew not how long

his journey would take, nor what sort of country he would have to go

through. Only one thing he knew, that if the path was there, he would

find it. At first he was puzzled, as there seemed no reason he should

go in one direction more than another. Then all at once he thought he

had heard one of the old men say that the Land of Souls lay to the

south, and so, filled with new hope and courage, he set his face

southwards. For many, many miles the country looked the same as it did

round his own home. The forests, the hills, and the rivers all seemed

exactly like the ones he had left. The only thing that was different

was the snow, which had lain thick upon the hills and trees when he

started, but grew less and less the farther he went south, till it

disappeared altogether. Soon the trees put forth their buds, and

flowers sprang up under his feet, and instead of thick clouds there

was blue sky over his head, and everywhere the birds were singing.

Then he knew that he was in the right road.

[Footnote 21: From the Red Indian.]

The thought that he should soon behold his lost bride made his heart

beat for joy, and he sped along lightly and swiftly. Now his way led

through a dark wood, and then over some steep cliffs, and on the top

of these he found a hut or wigwam. An old man clothed in skins, and

holding a staff in his hand, stood in the doorway; and he said to the

young chief who was beginning to tell his story, ‘I was waiting for

you, wherefore you have come I know. It is but a short while since she

whom you seek was here. Rest in my hut, as she also rested, and I will

tell you what you ask, and whither you should go.’

On hearing these words, the young man entered the hut, but his heart

was too eager within him to suffer him to rest, and when he arose, the

old man rose too, and stood with him at the door. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘at

the water which lies far out yonder, and the plains which stretch

beyond. That is the Land of Souls, but no man enters it without

leaving his body behind him. So, lay down your body here; your bow and

arrows, your skin and your dog. They shall be kept for you safely.’

Then he turned away, and the young chief, light as air, seemed hardly

to touch the ground; and as he flew along the scents grew sweeter and

the flowers more beautiful, while the animals rubbed their noses

against him, instead of hiding as he approached, and birds circled

round him, and fishes lifted up their heads and looked as he went by.

Very soon he noticed with wonder, that neither rocks nor trees barred

his path. He passed through them without knowing it, for indeed, they

were not rocks and trees at all, but only the souls of them; for this

was the Land of Shadows.

So he went on with winged feet till he came to the shores of a great

lake, with a lovely island in the middle of it; while on the bank of

the lake was a canoe of glittering stone, and in the canoe were two

shining paddles.

The chief jumped straight into the canoe, and seizing the paddles

pushed off from the shore, when to his joy and wonder he saw following

him in another canoe exactly like his own the maiden for whose sake he

had made this long journey. But they could not touch each other, for

between them rolled great waves, which looked as if they would sink

the boats, yet never did. And the young man and the maiden shrank with

fear, for down in the depths of the water they saw the bones of those

who had died before, and in the waves themselves men and women were

struggling, and but few passed over. Only the children had no fear,

and reached the other side in safety. Still, though the chief and the

young girl quailed in terror at these horrible sights and sounds, no

harm came to them, for their lives had been free from evil, and the

Master of Life had said that no evil should happen unto them. So they

reached unhurt the shore of the Happy Island, and wandered through the

flowery fields and by the banks of rushing streams, and they knew not

hunger nor thirst; neither cold nor heat. The air fed them and the sun

warmed them, and they forgot the dead, for they saw no graves, and the

young man’s thoughts turned not to wars, neither to the hunting of

animals. And gladly would these two have walked thus for ever, but in

the murmur of the wind he heard the Master of Life saying to him,

‘Return whither you came, for I have work for you to do, and your

people need you, and for many years you shall rule over them. At the

gate my messenger awaits you, and you shall take again your body which

you left behind, and he will show you what you are to do. Listen to

him, and have patience, and in time to come you shall rejoin her whom

you must now leave, for she is accepted, and will remain ever young

and beautiful, as when I called her hence from the Land of Snows.’

THE WHITE DUCK

Once upon a time a great and powerful King married a lovely Princess.

No couple were ever so happy; but before their honeymoon was over they

were forced to part, for the King had to go on a warlike expedition to

a far country, and leave his young wife alone at home. Bitter were the

tears she shed, while her husband sought in vain to soothe her with

words of comfort and counsel, warning her, above all things, never to

leave the castle, to hold no intercourse with strangers, to beware of

evil counsellors, and especially to be on her guard against strange

women. And the Queen promised faithfully to obey her royal lord and

master in these four matters.

So when the King set out on his expedition she shut herself up with

her ladies in her own apartments, and spent her time in spinning and

weaving, and in thinking of her royal husband. Often she was very sad

and lonely, and it happened that one day while she was seated at the

window, letting salt tears drop on her work, an old woman, a kind,

homely-looking old body, stepped up to the window, and, leaning upon

her crutch, addressed the Queen in friendly, flattering tones, saying:

‘Why are you sad and cast down, fair Queen? You should not mope all

day in your rooms, but should come out into the green garden, and hear

the birds sing with joy among the trees, and see the butterflies

fluttering above the flowers, and hear the bees and insects hum, and

watch the sunbeams chase the dew-drops through the rose-leaves and in

the lily-cups. All the brightness outside would help to drive away

your cares, O Queen.’

[Illustration: The Witch persuades the Queen to bathe]

For long the Queen resisted her coaxing words, remembering the promise

she had given the King, her husband; but at last she thought to

herself: After all, what harm would it do if I were to go into the

garden for a short time and enjoy myself among the trees and flowers,

and the singing birds and fluttering butterflies and humming insects,

and look at the dew-drops hiding from the sunbeams in the hearts of

the roses and lilies, and wander about in the sunshine, instead of

remaining all day in this room? For she had no idea that the

kind-looking old woman leaning on her crutch was in reality a wicked

witch, who envied the Queen her good fortune, and was determined to

ruin her. And so, in all ignorance, the Queen followed her out into

the garden and listened to her smooth, flattering words. Now, in the

middle of the garden there was a pond of water, clear as crystal, and

the old woman said to the Queen:

‘The day is so warm, and the sun’s rays so scorching, that the water

in the pond looks very cool and inviting. Would you not like to bathe

in it, fair Queen?’

‘No, I think not,’ answered the Queen; but the next moment she

regretted her words, and thought to herself: Why shouldn’t I bathe in

that cool, fresh water? No harm could come of it. And, so saying, she

slipped off her robes and stepped into the water. But scarcely had her

tender feet touched the cool ripples when she felt a great shove on

her shoulders, and the wicked witch had pushed her into the deep

water, exclaiming:

‘Swim henceforth, White Duck!’

And the witch herself assumed the form of the Queen, and decked

herself out in the royal robes, and sat among the Court ladies,

awaiting the King’s return. And suddenly the tramp of horses’ hoofs

was heard, and the barking of dogs, and the witch hastened forward to

meet the royal carriages, and, throwing her arms round the King’s

neck, kissed him. And in his great joy the King did not know that the

woman he held in his arms was not his own dear wife, but a wicked

witch.

In the meantime, outside the palace walls, the poor White Duck swam up

and down the pond; and near it laid three eggs, out of which there

came one morning two little fluffy ducklings and a little ugly drake.

And the White Duck brought the little creatures up, and they paddled

after her in the pond, and caught gold-fish, and hopped upon the bank

and waddled about, ruffling their feathers and saying ‘Quack, quack’

as they strutted about on the green banks of the pond. But their

mother used to warn them not to stray too far, telling them that a

wicked witch lived in the castle beyond the garden, adding, ‘She has

ruined me, and she will do her best to ruin you.’ But the young ones

did not listen to their mother, and, playing about the garden one day,

they strayed close up to the castle windows. The witch at once

recognised them by their smell, and ground her teeth with anger; but

she hid her feelings, and, pretending to be very kind, she called them

to her and joked with them, and led them into a beautiful room, where

she gave them food to eat, and showed them a soft cushion on which

they might sleep. Then she left them and went down into the palace

kitchens, where she told the servants to sharpen the knives, and to

make a great fire ready, and hang a large kettleful of water over it.

In the meantime the two little ducklings had fallen asleep, and the

little drake lay between them, covered up by their wings, to be kept

warm under their feathers. But the little drake could not go to sleep,

and as he lay there wide awake in the night he heard the witch come to

the door and say:

‘Little ones, are you asleep?’

And the little drake answered for the other two:

 ‘We cannot sleep, we wake and weep,

  Sharp is the knife, to take our life;

  The fire is hot, now boils the pot,

  And so we wake, and lie and quake.’

‘They are not asleep yet,’ muttered the witch to herself; and she

walked up and down in the passage, and then came back to the door, and

said:

‘Little ones, are you asleep?’

And again the little drake answered for his sisters:

 ‘We cannot sleep, we wake and weep,

  Sharp is the knife, to take our life;

  The fire is hot, now boils the pot,

  And so we wake, and lie and quake.’

‘Just the same answer,’ muttered the witch; ‘I think I’ll go in and

see.’ So she opened the door gently, and seeing the two little

ducklings sound asleep, she there and then killed them.

The next morning the White Duck wandered round the pond in a

distracted manner, looking for her little ones; she called and she

searched, but could find no trace of them. And in her heart she had a

foreboding that evil had befallen them, and she fluttered up out of

the water and flew to the palace. And there, laid out on the marble

floor of the court, dead and stone cold, were her three children. The

White Duck threw herself upon them, and, covering up their little

bodies with her wings, she cried:

 ‘Quack, quack—my little loves!

  Quack, quack—my turtle-doves!

  I brought you up with grief and pain,

  And now before my eyes you’re slain.

  I gave you always of the best;

  I kept you warm in my soft nest.

  I loved and watched you day and night—

  You were my joy, my one delight.’

[Illustration: The King catches the White Duck]

The King heard the sad complaint of the White Duck, and called to the

witch: ‘Wife, what a wonder is this? Listen to that