merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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'I have another thing to ask,' said the prince, when he had thanked him.
'In the forest near here is a fine stream but not a fish or other living
creature in it. Why is this?'

'Because no one has ever been drowned in the stream. But take care, in
crossing, to get as near the other side as you can before you say so, or
you may be the first victim yourself.'

'Another question, please, before I go. On my way here I lodged
one night in the house of three maidens. All were well-mannered,
hard-working, and pretty, and yet none has had a wooer. Why was this?'

'Because they always throw out their sweepings in the face of the sun.'

'And why is it that a miller, who has a large mill with all the best
machinery and gets plenty of corn to grind is so poor that he can hardly
live from day to day?'

'Because the miller keeps everything for himself, and does not give to
those who need it.'

The prince wrote down the answers to his questions, took a friendly
leave of Lucky Luck, and set off for home.

When he reached the stream it asked if he brought it any good news.
'When I get across I will tell you,' said he. So the stream parted; he
walked through and on to the highest part of the bank. He stopped and
shouted out:

'Listen, oh stream! Lucky Luck says you will never have any living
creature in your waters until someone is drowned in you.'

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stream swelled and
overflowed till it reached the rock up which he had climbed, and dashed
so far up it that the spray flew over him. But he clung on tight, and
after failing to reach him three times the stream returned to its proper
course. Then the prince climbed down, dried himself in the sun, and set
out on his march home.

He spent the night once more at the mill and gave the miller his answer,
and by-and-by he told the three sisters not to throw out all their
sweepings in the face of the sun.

The prince had hardly arrived at home when some thieves tried to ford
the stream with a fine horse they had stolen. When they were half-way
across, the stream rose so suddenly that it swept them all away. From
that time it became the best fishing stream in the country-side.

The miller, too, began to give alms and became a very good man, and in
time grew so rich that he hardly knew how much he had.

And the three sisters, now that they no longer insulted the sun, had
each a wooer within a week.

When the prince got home he found that his wife had just got a fine
little boy. He did not lose a moment in pricking the baby's finger till
the blood ran, and he brushed it on the wrists of the stone figure,
which shuddered all over and split with a loud noise in seven parts and
there was the faithful servant alive and well.

When the old king saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly about,
flung himself on the ground and died.

The servant stayed on with his royal master and served him faithfully
all the rest of his life; and, if neither of them is dead, he is serving
him still.






The Hairy Man

Somewhere or other, but I don't know where, there lived a king who owned
two remarkably fine fields of rape, but every night two of the rape
heaps were burnt down in one of the fields. The king was extremely angry
at this, and sent out soldiers to catch whoever had set fire to the
ricks; but it was all of no use--not a soul could they see. Then he
offered nine hundred crowns to anyone who caught the evil-doer, and at
the same time ordered that whoever did not keep proper watch over the
fields should be killed; but though there were a great many people, none
seemed able to protect the fields.

The king had already put ninety-nine people to death, when a little
swineherd came to him who had two dogs; one was called 'Psst,' and the
other 'Hush'; and the boy told the king that he would watch over the
ricks.

When it grew dark he climbed up on the top of the fourth rick, from
where he could see the whole field. About eleven o'clock he thought he
saw someone going to a rick and putting a light to it. 'Just you wait,'
thought he, and called out to his dogs: 'Hi! Psst, Hush, catch him!'
But Psst and Hush had not waited for orders, and in five minutes the man
was caught.

Next morning he was brought bound before the king, who was so pleased
with the boy that he gave him a thousand crowns at once. The prisoner
was all covered with hair, almost like an animal; and altogether he was
so curious to look at that the king locked him up in a strong room and

'I have another thing to ask,' said the prince, when he had thanked him.

'In the forest near here is a fine stream but not a fish or other living

creature in it. Why is this?'

'Because no one has ever been drowned in the stream. But take care, in

crossing, to get as near the other side as you can before you say so, or

you may be the first victim yourself.'

'Another question, please, before I go. On my way here I lodged

one night in the house of three maidens. All were well-mannered,

hard-working, and pretty, and yet none has had a wooer. Why was this?'

'Because they always throw out their sweepings in the face of the sun.'

'And why is it that a miller, who has a large mill with all the best

machinery and gets plenty of corn to grind is so poor that he can hardly

live from day to day?'

'Because the miller keeps everything for himself, and does not give to

those who need it.'

The prince wrote down the answers to his questions, took a friendly

leave of Lucky Luck, and set off for home.

When he reached the stream it asked if he brought it any good news.

'When I get across I will tell you,' said he. So the stream parted; he

walked through and on to the highest part of the bank. He stopped and

shouted out:

'Listen, oh stream! Lucky Luck says you will never have any living

creature in your waters until someone is drowned in you.'

The words were hardly out of his mouth when the stream swelled and

overflowed till it reached the rock up which he had climbed, and dashed

so far up it that the spray flew over him. But he clung on tight, and

after failing to reach him three times the stream returned to its proper

course. Then the prince climbed down, dried himself in the sun, and set

out on his march home.

He spent the night once more at the mill and gave the miller his answer,

and by-and-by he told the three sisters not to throw out all their

sweepings in the face of the sun.

The prince had hardly arrived at home when some thieves tried to ford

the stream with a fine horse they had stolen. When they were half-way

across, the stream rose so suddenly that it swept them all away. From

that time it became the best fishing stream in the country-side.

The miller, too, began to give alms and became a very good man, and in

time grew so rich that he hardly knew how much he had.

And the three sisters, now that they no longer insulted the sun, had

each a wooer within a week.

When the prince got home he found that his wife had just got a fine

little boy. He did not lose a moment in pricking the baby's finger till

the blood ran, and he brushed it on the wrists of the stone figure,

which shuddered all over and split with a loud noise in seven parts and

there was the faithful servant alive and well.

When the old king saw this he foamed with rage, stared wildly about,

flung himself on the ground and died.

The servant stayed on with his royal master and served him faithfully

all the rest of his life; and, if neither of them is dead, he is serving

him still.

The Hairy Man

Somewhere or other, but I don't know where, there lived a king who owned

two remarkably fine fields of rape, but every night two of the rape

heaps were burnt down in one of the fields. The king was extremely angry

at this, and sent out soldiers to catch whoever had set fire to the

ricks; but it was all of no use--not a soul could they see. Then he

offered nine hundred crowns to anyone who caught the evil-doer, and at

the same time ordered that whoever did not keep proper watch over the

fields should be killed; but though there were a great many people, none

seemed able to protect the fields.

The king had already put ninety-nine people to death, when a little

swineherd came to him who had two dogs; one was called 'Psst,' and the

other 'Hush'; and the boy told the king that he would watch over the

ricks.

When it grew dark he climbed up on the top of the fourth rick, from

where he could see the whole field. About eleven o'clock he thought he

saw someone going to a rick and putting a light to it. 'Just you wait,'

thought he, and called out to his dogs: 'Hi! Psst, Hush, catch him!'

But Psst and Hush had not waited for orders, and in five minutes the man

was caught.

Next morning he was brought bound before the king, who was so pleased

with the boy that he gave him a thousand crowns at once. The prisoner

was all covered with hair, almost like an animal; and altogether he was

so curious to look at that the king locked him up in a strong room and