The Red Fairy Book Edited by Andrew Lang TO MASTER BILLY TREMAYNE MILES A PROFOUND STUDENT YET AN AMIABLE CRITIC Contents PREFACE THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES THE PRINCESS MAYBLOSSOM SORIA MORIA CASTLE THE DEATH OF KOSHCHEI THE DEATHLESS THE BLACK THIEF AND KNIGHT OF THE GLEN. THE MASTER THIEF BROTHER AND SISTER PRINCESS ROSETTE THE ENCHANTED PIG THE NORKA THE WONDERFUL BIRCH JACK AND THE BEANSTALK THE LITTLE GOOD MOUSE GRACIOSA AND PERCINET THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND THE VOICE OF DEATH THE SIX SILLIES KARI WOODENGOWN DRAKESTAIL THE RATCATCHER THE TRUE HISTORY OF LITTLE GOLDENHOOD THE GOLDEN BRANCH THE THREE DWARFS DAPPLEGRIM THE ENCHANTED CANARY THE TWELVE BROTHERS RAPUNZEL THE NETTLE SPINNER FARMER WEATHERBEARD MOTHER HOLLE MINNIKIN BUSHY BRIDE SNOWDROP THE GOLDEN GOOSE THE SEVEN FOALS THE MARVELLOUS MUSICIAN THE STORY OF SIGURD PREFACE In a second gleaning of the fields of Fairy Land we cannot expect to find a second Perrault. But there are good stories enough left, and it is hoped that some in the Red Fairy Book may have the attraction of being less familiar than many of the old friends. The tales have been translated, or, in the case of those from Madame d’Aulnoy’s long stories, adapted, by Mrs. Hunt from the Norse, by Miss Minnie Wright from Madame d’Aulnoy, by Mrs. Lang and Miss Bruce from other French sources, by Miss May Sellar, Miss Farquharson, and Miss Blackley from the German, while the story of ‘Sigurd’ is condensed by the Editor from Mr. William Morris’s prose version of the ‘Volsunga Saga.’ The Editor has to thank his friend, M. Charles Marelles, for permission to reproduce his versions of the ‘Pied Piper,’ of ‘Drakestail,’ and of ‘Little Golden Hood’ from the French, and M. Henri Carnoy for the same privilege in regard to ‘The Six Sillies’ from _La Tradition_. Lady Frances Balfour has kindly copied an old version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk,’ and Messrs. Smith and Elder have permitted the publication of two of Mr. Ralston’s versions from the Russian. A. L. THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES I Once upon a time there lived in the village of Montignies-sur-Roc a little cow-boy, without either father or mother. His real name was Michael, but he was always called the Star Gazer, because when he drove his cows over the commons to seek for pasture, he went along with his head in the air, gaping at nothing. As he had a white skin, blue eyes, and hair that curled all over his head, the village girls used to cry after him, ‘Well, Star Gazer, what are you doing?’ and Michael would answer, ‘Oh, nothing,’ and go on his way without even turning to look at them.