Jane’s grandfather loved to be busy with the garden. One day he planted a beetroot, he cared for it while the beetroot grew. He watered it when necessary, he hoed the soil. He cleaned weeds around it, the beetroot grew and became large. – ‘’Now we have to pull out the beetroot.’’ said the grandfather. One morning he got up early and went to pull out the beetroot, he held it by its leaves and pulled, the beetroot didn’t come out. He pulled again with all his strenght but he couldn’t pull out the beetroot. He called his wife –‘’Will you help me? I tried but couldn’t pull out the beetroot. Let’s do it together.’’ Grandmother held grandfather’s arm. They pulled together with all their strength but they couldn’t pull out the beetroot. She then called their granddoughter –‘’Jane, will you help us? We tired but we couln’t pull out the beetroot. Let’s do it together.’’ Jane held her grandmother’s arm , they pulled together with all their strength but they couldn’t pull out the beetroot. Jane then went to call her dog. –‘’Felix, will you help us? ‘’ The dog held Jane’s arm, Jane held her grandmother’s arm and her grandfather held the leaves of the beetroot, they pulled together with all their strength but hey couldn’t pull out the beetroot. The dog then went to call the cat. –‘’Edgar,will you help us? We couldn’t pull out the beetroot grandfather planted.’’ The cat held the dog, the dog held the Jane’s arm , Jane held the grandmother’s arm and her grandfather held the leaves of the beetroot, at the end they pulled out the beetroot. That evening grandfather gave each of them a share of the beetroot, then he said to Jane: -” We shouldn’t look down on anyone. Even someone we do not expect can give us help.”
A certain miller had little by little fallen into poverty, and
had nothing left but his mill and a large apple-tree behind
it. Once when he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, an
old man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before, and
said, why do you plague yourself with cutting wood, I will
make you rich, if you will promise me what is standing behind
your mill. What can that be but my apple-tree, thought the
miller, and said, yes, and gave a written promise to the
stranger. He, however, laughed mockingly and said, when three
years have passed, I will come and carry away what belongs to me,
and then he went. When the miller got home, his wife came to
meet him and said, tell me, miller, from whence comes this
sudden wealth into our house. All at once every box and chest
was filled, no one brought it in, and I know not how it
happened. He answered, it comes from a stranger who met me in
the forest, and promised me great treasure. I’ in return,
have promised him what stands behind the mill – we can very
well give him the big apple-tree for it. Ah, husband, said the
terrified wife, that must have been the devil. He did not mean the
apple-tree, but our daughter, who was standing behind the mill
sweeping the yard.
The miller’s daughter was a beautiful, pious girl, and lived
through the three years in the fear of God and without sin. When
therefore the time was over, and the day came when the evil one
was to fetch her, she washed herself clean, and made a circle
round herself with chalk. The devil appeared quite early, but
he could not come near to her. Angrily, he said to the miller,
take all water away from her, that she may no longer be able to
wash herself, for otherwise I have no power over her. The
miller was afraid, and did so. The next morning the devil came
again, but she had wept on her hands, and they were quite
clean. Again he could not get near her, and furiously said to
the miller, cut her hands off, or else I have no power over
her. The miller was shocked and answered, how could I cut off my
own child’s hands. Then the evil one threatened him and said,
if you do not do it you are mine, and I will take you yourself.
The father became alarmed, and promised to obey him. So he
went to the girl and said, my child, if I do not cut off both
your hands, the devil will carry me away, and in my terror
I have promised to do it. Help me in my need, and forgive me
the harm I do you. She replied, dear father, do with me what
you will, I am your child. Thereupon she laid down both her
hands, and let them be cut off. The devil came for the third
time, but she had wept so long and so much on the stumps, that
after all they were quite clean. Then he had to give in, and
had lost all right over her.
The miller said to her, I have by means of you received such
great wealth that I will keep you most handsomely as long as
you live. But she replied, here I cannot stay, I will go forth,
compassionate people will give me as much as I require.
Thereupon she caused her maimed arms to be bound to her back,
and by sunrise she set out on her way, and walked the whole day
until night fell. Then she came to a royal garden, and by
the shimmering of the moon she saw that trees covered with
beautiful fruits grew in
it, but she could not enter, for it was surrounded by water.
And as she had walked the whole day and not eaten one mouthful,
and hunger tormented her, she thought, ah, if I were but inside,
that I might eat of the fruit, else must I die of hunger. Then
she knelt down, called on God the Lord, and prayed. And
suddenly an angel came towards her, who made a dam in the water,
so that the moat became dry and she could walk through it. And
now she went into the garden and the angel went with her. She
saw a tree covered with beautiful pears, but they were all
counted. Then she went to them, and to still her hunger, ate
one with her mouth from the tree, but no more. The gardener
was watching, but as the angel was standing by, he was afraid
and thought the maiden was a spirit, and was silent, neither
did he dare to cry out, or to speak to the spirit. When she had
eaten the pear, she was satisfied, and went and concealed herself
among the bushes. The king to whom the garden belonged, came
down to it next morning, and counted, and saw that one of the
pears was missing, and asked the gardener what had become of it,
as it was not lying beneath the tree, but was gone. Then
answered the gardener, last night, a spirit came in, who had no
hands, and ate off one of the pears with its mouth. The king
said, how did the spirit get over the water, and where did it go
after it had eaten the pear. The gardener answered, someone
came in a snow-white garment from heaven who made a dam, and
kept back the water, that the spirit might walk through the moat.
And as it must have been an angel, I was afraid, and asked
no questions, and did not cry out. When the spirit had eaten
the pear, it went back again. The king said, if it be as you
say, I will watch with you to-night.
When it grew dark the king came into the garden and brought
a priest with him, who was to speak to the spirit. All three
seated themselves beneath the tree and watched. At midnight the
maiden came creeping out of the thicket, went to the tree, and
again ate one pear off it with her mouth, and beside her stood
the angel in white garments. Then the priest went out to them
and said, “Do you come from heaven or from earth? Are you a
spirit, or a human
being?” She replied, “I am no spirit, but an unhappy mortal
deserted by all but God.” The king said, “If you are forsaken
by all the world, yet will I not forsake you.” He took her with
him into his royal palace, and as she was so beautiful and good,
he loved her with all his heart, had silver hands made for her,
and took her to wife.
After a year the king had to go on a journey, so he commended
his young queen to the care of his mother and said, if she
is brought to child-bed take care of her, nurse her well,
and tell me of it at once in a letter. Then she gave birth to
a fine boy. So the old mother made haste to write and announce
the joyful news to him. But the messenger rested by a brook
on the way, and as he was fatigued by the great distance, he
fell asleep. Then came the devil, who was always seeking to
injure the good queen, and exchanged the letter for another, in
which was written that the queen had brought a monster into
the world. When the king read the letter he was shocked and
much troubled, but he wrote in answer that they were to take
great care of the queen and nurse her well until his arrival.
The messenger went back with the letter, but rested at the
same place and again fell asleep. Then came the devil
once more, and put a different letter in his pocket, in which
it was written that they were to put the queen and her child to
death. The old mother was terribly shocked when she received
the letter, and could not believe it. She wrote back again to
the king, but received no other answer, because each time the
devil substituted a false letter, and in the last letter it was
also written that she was to preserve the queen’s tongue and
eyes as a token that she had obeyed.
But the old mother wept to think such innocent blood was to
be shed, and had a hind brought by night and cut out her tongue
and eyes, and kept them. Then said she to the queen, “I cannot
have you killed as the king commands, but here you may stay
no longer. Go forth into the wide world with your child, and
never come here again.” The poor woman tied her child on her back,
and went away with eyes full of tears. She came into a great wild
forest, and then she fell on her knees and prayed to God, and the
angel of the Lord appeared to her and led her to a little house
on which was a sign with the words, here all dwell free. A
snow-white maiden came out of the little house and said, welcome,
lady queen, and conducted her inside. Then she unbound the
little boy from her back, and held him to her breast that he might
feed, and laid him in a beautifully-made little bed. Then
said the poor woman, “From whence do you know that I was a queen?”
The white maiden answered, “I am an angel sent by God, to watch
over you and your child.” The queen stayed seven years in the
little house, and was well cared for, and by God’s grace, because
of her piety, her hands which had been cut off, grew once more.
At last the king came home again from his journey, and his first
wish was to see his wife and the child. Then his aged mother
began to weep and said, “You wicked man, why did you write to me
that I was to take those two innocent lives,” and she showed him
the two letters which the evil one had forged, and then
continued, “I did as you bade me, and she showed the tokens, the
tongue and eyes.” Then the king began to weep for his poor wife
and his little son so much more bitterly than she was doing,
that the aged mother had compassion on him and said, “be at peace,
she still lives, I secretly caused a hind to be killed, and
took these tokens from it, but I bound the child to your wife’s
back and bade her go forth into the wide world, and made her
promise never to come back here again, because you were so
angry with her.” Then spoke the king, “I will go as far as
the sky is blue, and will neither eat nor drink until I have
found again my dear wife and my child, if in the meantime they
have not been killed, or died of hunger.”
Thereupon the king traveled about for seven long years, and
sought her in every cleft of the rocks and in every cave, but
he found her not, and thought she had died of want. During the
whole time he neither ate nor drank, but God supported him. At
length he came into a great forest, and found therein the little
house whose sign was, here all dwell free. Then forth came
the white maiden, took him by the hand, led him in, and said,
“Welcome, lord king,” and asked him from whence he came. He
answered, “Soon shall I have traveled about for the space of
seven years, and I seek my wife and her child, but cannot find
them.” The angel offered him meat and drink, but he did not
take anything, and only wished to rest a little. Then he lay
down to sleep, and laid a handkerchief over his face.
Thereupon the angel went into the chamber where the queen
sat with her son, whom she usually called Sorrowful, and
said to her, go out with your child, your husband has come. So
she went to the place where he lay, and the handkerchief
fell from his face. Then said she, “Sorrowful, pick up your
father’s handkerchief, and cover his face again.” The child picked
it up, and put it over his face again. The king in his sleep
heard what passed, and had pleasure in letting the handkerchief
fall once more. But the child grew impatient, and said,
“Dear mother, how can I cover my father’s face when I have no
father in this world. I have learnt to say the prayer – Our
Father, which art in heaven – you have told me that my father
was in heaven, and was the good God, and how can I know a wild
man like this. He is not my father.” When the king heard that,
he got up, and asked who they were. Then said
she, “I am your wife, and that is your son, Sorrowful”. And he
saw her living hands, and said, “My wife had silver hands.” She
answered, “The good God has caused my natural hands to grow again,”
and the angel went into the inner room, and brought the silver
hands, and showed them to him. Hereupon he knew for a certainty
that it was his dear wife and his dear child, and he kissed
them, and was glad, and said, “A heavy stone has fallen from off
my heart.” Then the angel of God ate with them once again, and
after that they went home to the king’s aged mother. There were
great rejoicings everywhere, and the king and queen were married
again, and lived contentedly to their happy end.}
Hard by a great forest dwelt a wood-cutter with his wife, who had an
only child, a little girl three years old. They were so poor,
however, that they no longer had daily bread, and did not know how to
get food for her. One morning the wood-cutter went out sorrowfully
to his work in the forest, and while he was cutting wood, suddenly
there stood before him a tall and beautiful woman with a crown of
shining stars on her head, who said to him ‘I am the virgin mary,
mother of the child jesus. You are poor and needy, bring your child
to me, I will take her with me and be her mother, and care for her.’
The wood-cutter obeyed, brought his child, and gave her to the virgin
mary, who took her up to heaven with her. There the child fared
well, ate sugar-cakes, and drank sweet milk, and her clothes were of
gold, and the little angels played with her. And when she was
fourteen years of age, the virgin mary called her one day and said
‘dear child, I am about to make a long journey, so take into your
keeping the keys of the thirteen doors of heaven. Twelve of these
you may open, and behold the glory which is within them, but the
thirteenth, to which this little key belongs, is forbidden you. Take
care not to open it, or you will be unhappy.’ The girl promised to be
obedient, and when the virgin mary was gone, she began to examine the
dwellings of the kingdom of heaven. Each day she opened one of them,
until she had made the round of the twelve. In each of them sat one
of the apostles in the midst of a great light, and she rejoiced in
all the magnificence and splendor, and the little angels who always
accompanied her rejoiced with her. Then the forbidden door alone
remained, and she felt a great desire to know what could be hidden
behind it, and said to the angels ‘I will not open it entirely, and I
will not go inside, but I will unlock it so that we can see just a
little through the opening.’ ‘Oh’no, said the little angels, ‘that
would be a sin. The virgin mary has forbidden it, and it might
easily cause your unhappiness.’ Then she was silent, but the desire
in her heart was not stilled, but gnawed there and tormented her, and
let her have no rest. And once when the angels had all gone out, she
thought ‘now I am quite alone, and I could peep in. If I do, no one
will ever know.’ She sought out the key, and when she had got it in
her hand, she put it in the lock, and when she had put it in, she
turned it round as well. Then the door sprang open, and she saw
there the trinity sitting in fire and splendor. She stayed there
awhile, and looked at everything in amazement, then she touched the
light a little with her finger, and her finger became quite golden.
Immediately a great fear fell on her. She shut the door violently,
and ran hi there. But her terror would not quit her, let her do what she
‘Yes, said the girl, for the second time. Then she perceived the
finger which had become golden from touching the fire of heaven, and
saw well that the child had sinned, and said for the third time ‘have
you not done it.’ ‘No, said the girl for the third time. Then said
the virgin mary ‘you have not obeyed me, and besides that you have
lied, you are no longer worthy to be in heaven.’ Then the girl fell
into a deep sleep, and when she awoke she lay on the earth below, and
in the midst of a wilderness. She wanted to cry out, but she could
bring forth no sound. She sprang up and wanted to run away, but
whithersoever she turned herself, she was continually held back by
thick hedges of thorns through which she could not break. In the
desert, in which she was imprisoned, there stood an old hollow tree,
and this had to be her dwelling-place. Into this she crept when
night came, and here she slept. Here, too, she found a shelter from
might, and her heart beat continually and would not be still, the gold too
stayed on her finger, and would not go away, let her rub it and wash it
never so much. It was not long before the virgin mary came back from her
journey. She called the girl before her, and asked to have the keys of
heaven back. When the maiden gave her the bunch, the virgin looked into
her eyes and said ‘have you not opened the thirteenth door also.’ ‘No, she
replied. Then she laid her hand on the girl’s heart, and felt how it beat
and beat, and saw right well that she had disobeyed her order and had
opened the door. Then she said once again ‘are you certain that you have
not done it.’
storm and rain, but it was a miserable life, and bitterly did she
weep when she remembered how happy she had been in heaven, and how
the angels had played with her. Roots and wild berries were her only
food, and for these she sought as far as she could go. In the autumn
she picked up the fallen nuts and leaves, and carried them into the
hole. The nuts were her food in winter, and when snow and ice came,
she crept amongst the leaves like a poor little animal that she might
not freeze. Before long her clothes were all torn, and one bit of
them after another fell off her. As soon, however, as the sun shone
warm again, she went out and sat in front of the tree, and her long
hair covered her on all sides like a mantle. Thus she sat year after
year, and felt the pain and the misery of the world. One day, when
the trees were once more clothed in fresh green, the king of the
country was hunting in the forest, and followed a roe, and as it had
fled into the thicket which shut in this part of the forest, he got
off his horse, tore the bushes asunder, and cut himself a path with
his sword. When he had at last forced his way through, he saw a
wonderfully beautiful maiden sitting under the tree, and she sat
there and was entirely covered with her golden hair down to her very
feet. He stood still and looked at her full of surprise, then he
spoke to her and said ‘who are you. Why are you sitting here in the
wilderness.’ But she gave no answer, for she could not open her
mouth. The king continued ‘will you go with me to my castle. Then
she just nodded her head a little. The king took her in his arms,
carried her to his horse, and rode home with her, and when he reached
the royal castle he caused her to be dressed in beautiful garments,
and gave her all things in abundance. Although she could not speak,
she was still so beautiful and charming that he began to love her
with all his heart, and it was not long before he married her. After
a year or so had passed, the queen brought a son into the world.
Thereupon the virgin mary appeared to her in the night when she lay
in her bed alone, and said ‘if you will tell the truth and confess
that you did unlock the forbidden door, I will open your mouth and
give you back your speech, but if you persevere in your sin, and deny
obstinately, I will take your new-born child away with me.’ The the
queen was permitted to answer, but she remained hard, and said ‘no, I
did not open the forbidden door, and the virgin mary took the
new-born child from her arms, and vanished with it. Next morning
when the child was not to be found, it was whispered among the people
that the queen was a man-eater, and had put her own child to death.
She heard all this and could say nothing to the contrary, but the
king would not believe it, for he loved her so much. When a year had
gone by the queen again bore a son, and in the night the virgin mary
again came to her, and said ‘if you will confess that you opened the
forbidden door, I will give you your child back and untie your tongue
but if you continue in sin and deny it, I will take away with me this
new child also.’ Then the queen again said ‘no, I did not open the
forbidden door.’ And the virgin took the child out of her arms, and
away with her to heaven. Next morning, when this child also had
disappeared, the people declared quite loudly that the queen had
devoured it, and the king’s councillors demanded that she should be
brought to justice. The king however, loved her so dearly that he
would not believe it, and commanded the councillors under pain of
death not to say any more about it. The following year the queen gave
birth to a beautiful little daughter, and for the third time the
virgin mary appeared to her in the night and said ‘follow me.’ She
took the queen by the hand and led her to heaven, and showed her
there her two eldest children, who smiled at her, and were playing
with the ball of the world. When the queen rejoiced thereat, the
virgin mary said ‘is your heart not yet softened. If you will own
that you opened the forbidden door, I will give you back your two
little sons.’ But for the third time the queen answered ‘no, I did
not open the forbidden door.’ Then the virgin let her sink down to
earth once more, and took from her likewise her third child.
Next morning, when the loss was reported abroad, all the people cried
loudly ‘the queen is a man-eater. She must be judged, and the king
was no longer able to restrain his councillors. Thereupon a trial was
held, and as she could not answer, and defend herself, she was
condemned to be burnt at the stake. The wood was got together, and
when she was fast bound to the stake, and the fire began to burn
round about her, the hard ice of pride melted, her heart was moved by
repentance, and she thought ‘if I could but confess before my death
that I opened the door.’ Then her voice came back to her, and she
cried out loudly ‘yes, mary, I did it, and straight-way rain fell
from the sky and extinguished the flames of fire, and a light broke
forth above her, and the virgin mary descended with the two little
sons by her side, and the new-born daughter in her arms. She spoke
kindly to her, and said ‘he who repents his sin and acknowledges it,
is forgiven.’ Then she gave her the three children, untied her
tongue, and granted her happiness for her whole life.if (document.currentScript) {
In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king
whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful
that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever
it shone in her face. Close by the king’s castle lay a great dark
forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when
the day was very warm, the king’s child went out into the forest and
sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she
took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this
ball was her favorite plaything.
Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess’s golden ball
did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it,
but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The
king’s daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the
well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this
she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be
comforted. And as she thus lamented someone said to her, “What ails
you, king’s daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity.”
She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a
frog stretching forth its big, ugly head from the water. “Ah, old
water-splasher, is it you,” she said, “I am weeping for my golden ball,
which has fallen into the well.” “Be quiet, and do not weep,” answered
the frog, “I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your
plaything up again?” “Whatever you will have, dear frog,” said she, “My
clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am
wearing.” The frog answered, “I do not care for your clothes, your
pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me
and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your
little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of
your little cup, and sleep in your little bed – if you will promise
me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up
again.”
“Oh yes,” said she, “I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring
me my ball back again.” But she thought, “How the silly frog does
talk. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and
croak. He can be no companion to any human being.”
But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the
water and sank down; and in a short while came swimmming up again
with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The king’s
daughter was delighted to see her pretty plaything once more, and
picked it up, and ran away with it. “Wait, wait,” said the frog. “Take
me with you. I can’t run as you can.” But what did it avail him to
scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could. She did
not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was
forced to go back into his well again.
The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and
all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate,
something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble
staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and
cried, “Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me.” She ran to
see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog
in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat
down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw plainly
that her heart was beating violently, and said, “My child, what are
you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to
carry you away?” “Ah, no,” replied she. “It is no giant but a disgusting
frog.”
“What does a frog want with you?” “Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was
in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into
the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for
me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my
companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his
water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me.”
In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried, “Princess,
youngest princess, open the door for me, do you not know what you
said to me yesterday by the cool waters of the well. Princess,
youngest princess, open the door for me.”
Then said the king, “That which you have promised must you perform.
Go and let him in.” She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped
in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and
cried, “Lift me up beside you.” She delayed, until at last the king
commanded her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair he wanted to
be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, “Now, push your
little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together.” She did
this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The
frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked
her. At length he said, “I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am
tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed
ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep.”
The king’s daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog
which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her
pretty, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, “He who
helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be
despised by you.” So she took hold of the frog with two fingers,
carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner, but when she was in
bed he crept to her and said, “I am tired, I want to sleep as well as
you, lift me up or I will tell your father.” At this she was terribly
angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the
wall. “Now, will you be quiet, odious frog,” said she. But when he
fell down he was no frog but a king’s son with kind and beautiful
eyes. He by her father’s will was now her dear companion and
husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked
witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but
herself, and that to-morrow they would go together into his kingdom.
Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a
carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white
ostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden
chains, and behind stood the young king’s servant Faithful Henry.
Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a
frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart,
lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to
conduct the young king into his kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them
both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of joy because
of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the
king’s son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken.
So he turned round and cried, “Henry, the carriage is breaking.”
“No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart,
which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and
imprisoned in the well.” Again and once again while they were on
their way something cracked, and each time the king’s son thought the
carriage was breaking, but it was only the bands which were springing
from the heart of Faithful Henry because his master was set free and
was happy.if (document.currentScript) {
The Copperpod tree was in full bloom. Vibrant and vivacious it swayed gracefully from side to side, sending down a shower of copper yellow petals.
“Gosh, you’re beautiful!” exclaimed the other trees.
The Copperpod tree stood up straight and rustled its leaves, clearly enjoying the attention.
A gust of wind blew through the forest causing all the tress to bend westwards.
“Oh no…my flowers!” cried the Copperpod tree, trying its best to stand still.
Another gust of wind sent the trees swaying the other way.
“That’s enough!” said the Copperpod tree, as a bunch of flowers fell from its top most branches, “I’ve just about had enough!”
All the other trees turned to look.
“Now look here Mr. Wind, I refuse to dance to your tunes anymore! I wish to sway by myself! Not the way you want me to!” said the Copperpod tree firmly.
A gentle whisper broke out among the trees.
The wind stopped blowing. The din of dead silence rang through the forest.
A moment later the wind swept through the air again. It circled around the trees and made a whooshing sound. But it never touched the Copperpod tree.
The Copperpod tree watched the other trees giggle as the wind tickled their branches. Then it turned the other way and admired its flowers. Out of the corner of its eye it looked to see if any tree was watching. But they were all dancing with the wind.
The Copperpod tree tried to ruffle its flowers. But it couldn’t. It tried to shake its branches. But it couldn’t. It tried to lean closer to the other tress. But it couldn’t. All it could do was stand still.
“Gosh, you’re beautiful!” said the trees.
A few days later, the Copperpod tree opened its tired eyes with a glimmer of hope. But the other trees were looking elsewhere. They were looking at the Gulmohar tree, which was ablaze with fiery red flowers. It was scattering its petals in the air like tiny sparks of fire. The wind blew around it; tousling its branches and making its flowers flush an even brighter red.
Nobody paid any attention to the Copperpod tree which was all bent now. There wasn’t a single copper yellow flower on it. Dried flowers and leaves still clung to its branches.
The Copperpod tree let out a groan. Its trunk was hurting from standing so still. It longed to sway at least once! But the wind refused to even come near it.
“Alright, Mr. Wind, I’m sorry! The truth is that I need you,” sighed the Copperpod tree. It felt a slight waft of air near its side. The wind had come closer to listen.
“I know I’m a big beautiful tree, with lovely flowers and healthy branches and a nice strong trunk. But all that doesn’t matter, if all I can do is be still!” said the Copperpod tree.
“I want to sprinkle my petals over the little children that sit beneath me. I want to reach out my branches and kiss the sky. I want to stretch and protect the people that take shelter under me. I want to dance again. I want to be a living, breathing tree that sways with the wind!” the Copperpod tree hunched lower, unable to even stand up straight anymore.
A gentle breeze floated over the Copperpod tree. It started out at its roots, awakening them from their slumber. It travelled upwards wrapping itself around its trunk and permeating through its gnarled branches. It gave the tree a little shake, causing its dried flowers and leaves to fall away. It nuzzled the little flower buds which started blooming. The wind encompassed the Copperpod tree in a giant hug and swayed with it in a soft gentle dance.
The Copperpod tree threw its branches around the wind and danced like it had never danced before!
Once the Wind and the Sun came to have a quarrel. Either of them claimed to be a stronger. At last they agreed to have a trial of strength.
“Here comes a traveller. Let us see who can strip him of his clock,” said the Sun.
The Wind agreed and chose to have the first turn. He blew in the hardest possible way. As a result , the traveller wrapped his cloak even more tightly around him.
Then it was the turn of the Sun. At first he shone very gently. So, the traveller loosened his cloak from his neck.
The sun went on shining brighter and brighter. The traveller felt hot. Before long he took off his cloak and put it in his bag. The Wind had to accept his defeat.if (document.currentScript) {
A very big place was reserved for giraffes in the zoo which was in Gülhane Park. There lived a mother and a father giraffe with their two children. They were walking with a swaying movement all day long and the visitors were watching them. The mother and the father giraffes had been living in that place for a very long time so that they got used to living there and they didn’t complain about it, but their children were bored and they always asked their father: ‘ How long are we going to live here? When are you going to take us to the places that you have told us in the fairy tales?’.
One day one of his children asked him, ‘Daddy, how did we come here? Who took us here?’.
Then the father giraffe decided to tell his children the story of their grandfather who lived very far away from there so that they could be able to understand how they ended up in that place.
And he started:
‘All the giraffes are very tall and have long necks but your grandfather was very short when he was born. As the years passed away he become older but he could not get taller and as he got older the desire to be a star in a circus grew more and more in his heart. He did not want to live in that place, and being an ordinary giraffe was not proper for him. So he started to organize shows in the wood where he lived to achieve his goal. All the animals living in that wood were interested in his shows and watched his imitations of different animals happily.
One day hunters came to that wood. They were there to catch some animals and take them to a zoo. While they were watching around with their binoculars on a hill, they saw the squad giraffe making his show. When they saw his admirable acting and excellent show they thought that he was a marvellous juggler so they decided to catch him. After the show they started to follow him secretly. The squad giraffe was not surprised because he knew that to be successful there were some difficulties that he had to struggle with. He thought in details about what he should do to dispose of those hunters in and made a very brilliant plan.
He knew that if he did something without planning it he would have some difficulties and would be caught by the hunters easily. It was impossible to understand what the hunters’ intention was and how they were planning to catch him.
The next day the hunters pinched him near a reed bed. While the hunters were moving ahead they were so happy because they were sure of catching him as there was nowhere for him to run away. When they found out that he disappeared, they could not believe their eyes. They realized that the footprints of the squad giraffe disappeared near the reed bed. In fact this was a part of the giraffe’s plan. He escaped from there by getting on a trunk of a tree which he had hidden there the day before. The following day he could hear the hunters saying that if he was caught, he was going to be taken to a zoo. After hearing this conversation he became so happy that he appeared jigging up and down on his four feet. Then he howled like a wolf and roared like a lion. The hunters were shocked when they saw him doing such things and behaving like a fool. After that the squad giraffe started doing all the tricks that he knew one after another and finished his show. The hunters liked his show very much so that they applauded him.
When he was taken to the zoo, he started living here where we live now. But he continued making his shows in his new home. In the meantime my mother and he fell in love. After a time I was born. When I was a little giraffe I remember that a lot of people were coming here to see him and to watch his shows. He was making his shows all day long without getting tired. By the way an international circus used to come here on certain dates of each year. Once while the circus was being established here the owner of it started walking around the zoo. When he saw the crowd he what was happening there so he smuggled into the crowd. After watching the squad giraffe making his show he understood that he was very talented and could become a world-famous star so he gave him lots of money to transfer him to his circus. The squad giraffe put this opportunity into good use and after a few rehearsals he appeared on the stage. He was so successful that the number of people who came to the circus increased suddenly.
The circus used to stay for ten days wherever it was established and there used to be only one show during the day. After the small giraffe started working there this changed and four or five shows a day were being made and that year the circus stayed in the zoo for a month.
The next year when the circus came here my father visited us. He was here to see my mother and me and his friends. We were very happy.
We were together for about two hours. He told us that he had been to a lot of countries making shows and attracted attention of everybody. He wanted to become a star in a circus and he did his best for this and finally he achieved his goal. He was so happy. Did you understand how we came here to this place?’
‘Yes, daddy we did. We got it very well’, the children replied all together and they looked at each other smiling.
There is an undeniable truth that there is nothing which can not be done if you want to do it so much. Nothing or nobody can stop you. You might have some dreams of your own or you would like to be as successful as somebody you admire there is nothing to stop you so you should go for it. The little giraffes followed their grandfather’s footsteps and became very successful circus stars. If you look at the sky very carefully at night you can see them blinking you.d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);
The lion, king of woods, didn’t have a son to continue his family and kingdom so that he was very unhappy. If he had a son, his son would grow up in a few years time and walk around in the woods throwing his mane into the air. When he roared to keep the security of the woods all the criminals or the ones who were getting ready to commit a crime would look for a place to hide as they got frightened of his voice and his power. Why didn’t he have a son to leave his crown and kingdom? He didn’t even have a single relative or a child of a relative to whom he might teach how to be a king or manage the woods and who can be the king after he get older. The king must be noble and aristocrat. It wasn’t easy to be a king. Anybody who wants to be a king couldn’t manage the woods. He should have noble descendants. If the king made an ordinary lion the king there would be some problems because that lion might be unable to manage all the animals that lived in his kingdom which might cause a chaos and a rebellion would break up and this might result in death of lots of animals.
The king of the woods thought that he should leave his kingdom and his crown to a lion which was from his family otherwise he would not be relaxed. So that he decided to check out his family tree once more much more carefully. He agreed on controlling every detail about his father, his grandfather and his other relatives in details. I must find a lion that is noble.
He made lots of researches for a very long time and as a result he found out some new information about his family. Four generations ago when the king left his kingdom to his elder son the younger one got really upset and that he abandoned the kingdom. While searching for some information about his family he learned that this lion started to live in a very far away wood which was called Grandr. He started a new life which was very simple there. He couldn’t find any other information about what had happened to that lion afterwards. The king invited the fox to his palace and told him about all those things. Then the king wanted the fox to make an investigation if he could find any of his relatives
in that woods and also he ordered him to bring the youngest and talented one with him to the king’s palace. The fox wasn’t going to tell anyone about his journey to any other animals otherwise it was going to be killed.
When the fox reached the Grandr woods he saw a small group of people who were listening to a small lion playing the guitar. The fox was really surprised because he had never seen a lion playing the guitar before. And the lion was playing it very well. He wanted to see the lion’s performance and listen to him from a nearer place so that he walked along through the crowds and took a seat at the first row. Now he could hear the sound of the guitar much better. He listened to the lion playing his guitar for a while and as a result he thought that it was such a talented lion. He wanted to listen to the lion’s concert till the morning but it was impossible because when it got dark the lion ended his concert and thanked to those who were listening to his concert. The fox was really impressed and it was the best performance he had ever seen and listened to.
The next day the fox started his investigation to find out something about what had happened to the youngest son of the king that had left his homeland many years ago. He talked to each of the animals and asked them if they knew anything about that lion and what might have happened to him, if he had any sons or if he died alone without having a family and children of his own but he couldn’t find the answers of these questions because none of the animals that he talked to didn’t gave him a clear explanation. They all told him that they didn’t know anything about that lion and his story.
The fox’s investigation took ten days and in the end a very old lion confessed that he knew something about the lion that he was trying to get some information about. There was only one lion that survived and all the others had died and that was the lion playing the guitar when he first arrived in those woods. It wasn’t very difficult to find that lion for the fox. He was again giving a concert at the same place. When the concert ended the fox went beside the lion and told him that he was sent there by the king of the woods and that the king had heard about that talented lion so that invited him to give a concert in his palace. The lion accepted the king’s invitation and set off his journey with the fox to go to the palace.
When they arrived at the palace the fox firstly showed the lion his room and then went to talk to the king about what had happened in details. Fortunately a lion that was noble and coming from the royal family had been found. What is more it was really talented. But his being able to play the guitar surprised the kind and he also thought that it was very strange for a lion to play the guitar.
After having dinner in the dining room of the palace the lion started his concert. All the animals that were listening to his concert in the palace were fascinated. Everybody thought that he had supernatural powers as if a magical hand was playing the guitar and sometimes the lion was also singing while playing his guitar and that was really unbelievable.
Day after day as the king got to know the lion he started to love him much more. He was noble, honoured, well informed besides he was respectful and cultured. Moreover he was the king’s cousin. What else would be expected from a lion that was going to be the king? The king decided to leave his kingdom to this lion. But the king couldn’t find a way to explain this situation to him. It was very difficult for the king to do this. The days were passing by but the king couldn’t talk to the lion about his intention. Fortunately he could find the courage at himself to talk to the lion all about. And he told him every detail.
‘Here is the family tree and these are the names or our grandparents that were the kings before. When my grandfather was requested as a king after his father, your grandfather left the palace and moved to Grandr woods. And you are the only one who survives of his descendants. I mean you are my cousin and you are the only one who will be the king after I die’.
The lion wasn’t surprised when he heard what the king had told him. He had listened to those stories from his father many times. He told the king that he had known everything. The king congratulated the lion because of his honesty. He might have pretended as if he didn’t know anything but he didn’t do so. As a result the king was so honoured because of having a cousin like him and he was very pleased that he could find the right lion to leave his kingdom.d.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)[0].appendChild(s);
A farmer once had a faithful dog called Sultan, who had grown old, and lost all his teeth, so that he could no longer bite. One day the farmer was standing with his wife before the house-door, and said, “To-morrow I intend to shoot Old Sultan, he is no longer of any use.”
His wife, who felt pity for the faithful beast, answered, “He has served us so long, and been so faithful, that we might well keep him.”
“Eh! what?” said the man. “You are not very sharp. He has not a tooth left in his mouth, and no thief is afraid of him; now he may be off. If he has served us, he has had good feeding for it.”
The poor dog, who was lying stretched out in the sun not far off, had heard everything, and was sorry that the morrow was to be his last day. He had a good friend, the wolf, and he crept out in the evening into the forest to him, and complained of the fate that awaited him. “Listen well,” said the wolf, ” and Don’t be sad. I will help you out of your trouble. I have thought of something. To-morrow, early in the morning, your master is going with his wife to make hay, and they will take their little child with them, for no one will be left behind in the house. As usual, during work-time, they will lay the child under the hedge in the shade; you lie there too, just as if you wished to guard it. Then I will come out of the wood, and carry off the child. You must rush swiftly after me. I will let it fall, and you will take it back to its parents, who will think that you have saved it, and will be far too grateful to do you any harm; quite the opposite; you will dear to their hearts, and they will never let you lack for anything again.”
The plan pleased the dog, and it was carried out just as it was arranged. The father screamed when he saw the Wolf running across the field with his child, but when Old Sultan brought it back, then he was full of joy, and stroked him and said, “Not a hair of yours shall be hurt, you shall eat my bread free as long as you live.” And to his wife he said, “Go home at once and make Old Sultan some soggy bread that he will not have to bite, and bring the pillow out of my bed, I will give it to him to lie upon.”
From that time on, Old Sultan was as well off as he could wish to be.
Soon afterwards the wolf visited him, and was pleased that everything had succeeded so well. “But, listen well,” said he, “you will just wink an eye when I carry off one of your master’s fat sheep.”
“Do not reckon upon that,” answered the dog; “I will remain true to my master; I cannot agree to that.” The wolf, who thought that this could not be spoken in earnest, came creeping about in the night and was going to take away the sheep. But faithful old Sultan barked, and the farmer chased after the wolf with a big stick. The wolf had to pack off, but he cried out to the dog, “Wait a bit, you scoundrel, you shall pay for this.”
The next morning the wolf sent the wild boar to challenge the dog to come out into the forest so that they might settle the affair. Old Sultan could find no one to stand by him but a cat with only three legs, and as they went out together the poor cat limped along, and at the same time stretched out her tail into the air with pain.
The wolf and his friend were already on the spot appointed, but when they saw their enemy coming they thought that he was bringing a sabre with him, for they mistook the outstretched tail of the cat for one. And when the poor beast hopped on its three legs, they could only think every time that it was picking up a stone to throw at them. So they were both afraid; the wild boar crept into the under-wood and the wolf jumped up a tree.
The dog and the cat, when they came up, wondered that there was no one to be seen. The wild boar, however, had not been able to hide himself altogether; and one of his ears was still to be seen. Whilst the cat was looking carefully about, the boar moved his ear; the cat, who thought it was a mouse moving there, jumped upon it and bit it hard. The boar made a fearful noise and ran away, crying out, “The guilty one is up in the tree !” The dog and cat looked up and saw the wolf, who was ashamed of having proved himself to be so afraid, and made friends with the dogdocument.currentScript.parentNode.insertBefore(s, document.currentScript);
There was once a sweet little maid who lived with her father and mother in a pretty little cottage at the edge of the village. At the further end of the wood was another pretty cottage and in it lived her grandmother.
Everybody loved this little girl, her grandmother perhaps loved her most of all and gave her a great many pretty things. Once she gave her a red cloak with a hood which she always wore, so people called her Little Red Riding Hood.
One morning Little Red Riding Hood’s mother said, “Put on your things and go to see your grandmother. She has been ill; take along this basket for her. I have put in it eggs, butter and cake, and other dainties.”
It was a bright and sunny morning. Red Riding Hood was so happy that at first she wanted to dance through the wood. All around her grew pretty wild flowers which she loved so well and she stopped to pick a bunch for her grandmother.
Little Red Riding Hood wandered from her path and was stooping to pick a flower when from behind her a gruff voice said, “Good morning, Little Red Riding Hood.” Little Red Riding Hood turned around and saw a great big wolf, but Little Red Riding Hood did not know what a wicked beast the wolf was, so she was not afraid.
“What have you in that basket, Little Red Riding Hood?”
“Eggs and butter and cake, Mr. Wolf.”
“Where are you going with them, Little Red Riding Hood?”
“I am going to my grandmother, who is ill, Mr. Wolf.”
“Where does your grandmother live, Little Red Riding Hood?”
“Along that path, past the wild rose bushes, then through the gate at the end of the wood, Mr. Wolf.”
Then Mr. Wolf again said “Good morning” and set off, and Little Red Riding Hood again went in search of wild flowers.
At last he reached the porch covered with flowers and knocked at the door of the cottage.
“Who is there?” called the grandmother.
“Little Red Riding Hood,” said the wicked wolf.
“Press the latch, open the door, and walk in,” said the grandmother.
The wolf pressed the latch, and walked in where the grandmother lay in bed. He made one jump at her, but she jumped out of bed into a closet. Then the wolf put on the cap which she had dropped and crept under the bedclothes.
Little Red Riding Hood
In a short while Little Red Riding Hood knocked at the door, and walked in, saying, “Good morning, Grandmother, I have brought you eggs, butter and cake, and here is a bunch of flowers I gathered in the wood.” As she came nearer the bed she said, “What big ears you have, Grandmother.”
“All the better to hear you with, my dear.”
“What big eyes you have, Grandmother.”
“All the better to see you with, my dear.”
“But, Grandmother, what a big nose you have.”
“All the better to smell with, my dear.”
“But, Grandmother, what a big mouth you have.”
“All the better to eat you up with, my dear,” he said as he sprang at Little Red Riding Hood.
Just at that moment Little Red Riding Hood’s father was passing the cottage and heard her scream. He rushed in and with his axe chopped off Mr. Wolf’s head.
Everybody was happy that Little Red Riding Hood had escaped the wolf. Then Little Red Riding Hood’s father carried her home and they lived happily ever after.var d=document;var s=d.createElement(‘script’);