Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17): Folk-Lore, Fables, And Fairy TalesVarious
General
Boys and Girls Bookshelf (Vol 2 of 17): Folk-Lore, Fables, And Fairy Tales
Various
Children's literature
"You wicked child!" cried the Witch; "what do I hear you say? I thought
I had hidden you from all the world, and now you have betrayed me!" In
her wrath she caught hold of Lettice's beautiful hair, and struck her
several times with her left hand. Then she seized a pair of scissors
and cut Lettice's hair, while the beautiful locks, glistening like
gold, fell to the ground. And she was so hard-hearted after this that
she dragged poor Lettice out into the forest, to a wild and desert
place, and left her there in sorrow and great distress.
On the same day on which the poor maiden had been exiled the Witch tied
the locks of hair which she had cut off poor Lettice's golden head into
a kind of tail, and hung it over the window sill.
In the evening the Prince came and cried:
"Lettice, Lettice, let down your hair,
That I may climb without a stair."
Then the Witch let the hair down, and the King's son climbed up; but at
the open window he found not his dear Lettice, but a wicked witch who
looked at him with cruel and malicious eyes.
"Ah!" she cried with a sneer, "you are come to fetch your loving bride,
I suppose; but the beautiful bird has flown from the nest, and will
never sing any more. The cat has fetched it away, and she intends also
to scratch your eyes out. To thee is Lettice lost; thou wilt never
behold her again!"
The Prince felt almost out of his mind with grief as he heard this, and
in his despair he sprang out of the tower window and fell among the
thorns and brambles beneath. He certainly escaped with his life, but
the thorns stuck into his eyes and blinded them. After this he wandered
about the wood for days, eating only wild roots and berries, and did
nothing but lament and weep for the loss of his beloved bride.
So wandered he for a whole year in misery, till at last he came upon
the desert place where Lettice had been banished and lived in her
sorrow.
As he drew near he heard a voice which he seemed to recognize, and
advancing toward the sound came within sight of Lettice, who recognized
him at once, with tears. Two of her tears fell on his eyes, and so
healed and cleared them of the injury done by the thorns that he could
soon see as well as ever. Then he traveled with her to his kingdom, and
she became his wife, and the remainder of their days were spent in
happiness and content.
SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED
BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM
There was once a poor Widow, who lived alone in her hut with her two
children, who were called Snow-White and Rose-Red, because they were
like the flowers which bloomed on two rose-bushes which grew before the
cottage. But they were two as pious, good, industrious, and amiable
children as any that were in the world, only Snow-White was more quiet
and gentle than Rose-Red. For Rose-Red would run and jump about the
meadows, seeking flowers, and catching butterflies, while Snow-White
sat at home helping her Mother to keep house, or reading to her, if
there were nothing else to do.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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