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Page 2
In this way they came to a city where a King reigned who had an only
daughter, who was so serious that no one could make her laugh. Therefore
he had announced that whoever should make her laugh should have her for
his wife. When the Simpleton heard this he went with his goose and his
train before the Princess, and when she saw the seven people all running
behind each other, she began to laugh, and she laughed and laughed till it
seemed as though she could never stop. Thereupon the Simpleton demanded
her for his wife, but the King was not pleased at the thought of such a
son-in-law, and he made all kinds of objections. He told the Simpleton
that he must first bring him a man who could drink off a whole cellarful
of wine. At once the Simpleton thought of the little grey man, who would
be sure to help him, so off he went into the wood, and in the place where
he had cut down the tree he saw a man sitting who looked most miserable.
The Simpleton asked him what was the cause of his trouble.
"I have such a thirst," the man answered, "and I cannot quench it. I
cannot bear cold water. I have indeed emptied a cask of wine, but what is
a drop like that to a thirsty man?"
"In that case I can help you," said the Simpleton. "Just come with me and
you shall be satisfied."
He led him to the King's cellar, and the man at once sat down in front of
the great cask, and drank and drank till before a day was over he had
drunk the whole cellarful of wine. Then the Simpleton demanded his bride
again, but the King was angry that a mean fellow everyone called a
Simpleton should win his daughter, and he made new conditions. Before
giving him his daughter to wife he said that the Simpleton must find a man
who would eat a whole mountain of bread. The Simpleton did not stop long
to consider, but went off straight to the wood. There in the same place
as before sat a man who was buckling a strap tightly around him, and
looking very depressed. He said:
"I have eaten a whole ovenful of loaves, but what help is that when a man
is as hungry as I am? I feel quite empty, and I must strap myself together
if I am not to die of hunger."
The Simpleton was delighted on hearing this, and said: "Get up at once and
come with me. I will give you enough to eat to satisfy your hunger."
He led him to the King, who meanwhile had ordered all the meal in the
Kingdom to be brought together, and an immense mountain of bread baked
from it. The man from the wood set to work on it, and in one day the
whole mountain had disappeared.
For the third time the Simpleton demanded his bride, but yet again the
King tried to put him off, and said that he must bring him a ship that
would go both on land and water.
"If you are really able to sail such a ship," said he, "you shall at once
have my daughter for your wife."
The Simpleton went into the wood, and there sat the little old grey man to
whom he had given his cake.
"I have drunk for you, and I have eaten for you," said the little man,
"and I will also give you the ship; all this I do for you because you were
kind to me."
Then he gave the Simpleton a ship that went both on land and water, and
when the King saw it he knew he could no longer keep back his daughter.
The wedding was celebrated, and after the King's death, the Simpleton
inherited the Kingdom, and lived very happily ever after with his wife.
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
Once upon a time there were Three Bears, who lived together in a house of
their own, in a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; and one
was a Middle-sized Bear, and the other was a Great, Huge Bear. They had
each a pot for their porridge; a little pot for the Little, Small, Wee
Bear; and a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear, and a great pot for the
Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a chair to sit in; a little chair
for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a middle-sized chair for the Middle
Bear, and a great chair for the Great, Huge Bear. And they had each a bed
to sleep in; a little bed for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; and a
middle-sized bed for the Middle Bear, and a great bed for the Great, Huge
Bear.
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