The oriental story book : $b a collection of talesHauff, Wilhelm
General
The oriental story book : $b a collection of tales
Hauff, Wilhelm
Caravans -- Juvenile fiction; Children's stories, German -- Translations into English; Fairy tales
The slippers were a source of great joy to him. Thus had he, by his
services, gained something that would help him on his way through the
world to seek his fortune. In spite of his joy, he fell asleep through
fatigue; for the body of Little Muck, which had to carry so heavy a
head, could not hold out long. In his dream the little dog appeared to
him, which had assisted him to the slippers in the house of the Frau
Ahavzi, and thus spoke:--
"Dear Muck, thou dost not still rightly understand the use of the
slippers: know that if, in them, thou turnest thyself three times
around upon the heel, thou canst fly wherever thou wilt; and with the
staff thou canst find treasures, for, wherever gold is buried, it will
beat three times upon the earth; where silver, twice."
Thus dreamed Little Muck. When he awoke, he reflected on the singular
vision, and resolved to make the experiment immediately. He put on the
slippers, lifted one foot, and began to turn around upon his heel. But
whoever has attempted to perform this manoeuvre in an enormously wide
slipper, will not wonder that the Little Muck could not succeed,
particularly when he remembers that his heavy head kept falling on
this side and on that.
The poor little fellow fell several times violently upon his nose;
nevertheless, that did not deter him from making the trial again, and
at last he succeeded. Like a wheel he went around upon his heel,
wishing himself in the nearest large city, and--the slippers mounted
into the air, ran with the speed of the wind through the clouds, and
before Little Muck knew what to make of it, he found himself in a
large market-place, where many stalls were erected, and innumerable
men were busily running to and fro. He moved among the people, but
considered it more prudent to retire into a less frequented street,
for near the market one of the slippers bore him along so rapidly,
that he almost fell down, or else ran against one and another with
his projecting dagger, so that it was with difficulty he avoided their
blows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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