Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories Part 33

Thus was the enchantment broken, and every knight and lady, who had been transformed into birds and beasts, returned to their proper shapes, and the castle, though it seemed to be of vast strength and bigness, vanished away like a cloud; whereupon universal joy appeared among the released knights and ladies. This being done, the head of Galligantus was conveyed to the court of King Arthur.

The next day, having refreshed the knights and ladies at the old man's habitation, Jack set forward to the court of King Arthur, with those knights and ladies whom he delivered.

Coming to His Majesty, his fame rang through the court; and, as a reward for his service, the Duke bestowed his daughter in marriage to Jack. The whole kingdom was filled with joy at the wedding. After which the King bestowed upon him a n.o.ble house, with a large estate, where he and his lady pa.s.sed their days in great joy and happiness.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived in a village. She was such a nice little girl that her grandmother was very fond of her, and made her a little red cloak with a hood. So everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One day when her mother was baking, she said: "I hear your poor grandmother is ill in bed. You shall go across the forest and see how she is, and take her this cake and a pot of b.u.t.ter." Little Red Riding Hood was delighted to go, though it was rather a long walk. So she took the basket with the cakes and b.u.t.ter on her arm, and set off.

No sooner had she got well into the forest, than a wolf came by that road. "Good morning, Red Riding Hood," said the wolf; "where are you going?"

Now, Red Riding Hood did not know that it is dangerous to stop and speak to wolves, and she only thought him a nice respectable wolf who knew manners. So she made a curtsey, and said:

"I'm going to see grandmother, because she's ill; and I am taking her a cake and a pot of b.u.t.ter."

"Where does your grandmother live?" asked the wolf.

"In a cottage quite by itself, across the forest," said Red Riding Hood.

"Well, good morning," said the wolf. "If I were you, I would stop for a while, and pick some wild flowers to make a posy for your grandmother."

Red Riding Hood thought this would please her granny very much, and the wolf trotted away.

As soon as he was out of her sight, he galloped away to the old woman's cottage, and knocked.

"Who's there?" asked the old woman, in a feeble voice.

"Little Red Riding Hood," said the wolf, imitating a little girl's voice. "Mother has sent you a cake and a pot of b.u.t.ter.

"Lift up the latch and walk in," said the grandmother; "I'm ill in bed, and can't come to the door."

So the wolf lifted the latch and sprang in, and gobbled up the poor old grandmother in a moment. Then he put on her nightgown and nightcap, got into bed, and pulled up the bedclothes. Presently Red Riding Hood came and knocked at the door.

"Who's there?" asked the wolf, imitating the grandmother's voice.

"Little Red Riding Hood. Mother has sent you a cake and a pot of b.u.t.ter."

"Lift up the latch and walk in," said the wolf, and Red Riding Hood entered.

The wolf had got down so far under the bedclothes that nothing of him could be seen but the top of his nightcap.

"How hoa.r.s.e you are, Granny!" said Red Riding Hood.

"That's because I've got such a bad cold, my dear," said the wolf. "It's getting late, so you must undress and come to bed."

When Red Riding Hood got into bed, she saw the wolf's ears sticking out from under the nightcap. "What great ears you've got, Granny!" she said.

"All the better to hear with, my dear!" said the wolf.

"And what great arms you've got, Granny!"

"All the better to hug with, my dear!"

"But, Granny, what great eyes you've got!"

"All the better to see with, my dear!"

"But, Granny, what great teeth you've got!" said Red Riding Hood, who began to feel frightened.

"All the better to eat you, my dear!" shouted the wolf. And the wicked beast jumped up, and ate her all up at a mouthful.

As it got dusk, Red Riding Hood's mother began to get very anxious because she had not come back, for as she had never thought Red Riding Hood would stop and pick flowers in the forest, she had expected her home by sunset, and had said nothing about her stopping at her grandmother's for the night. So when her husband came home, she said:

"I'm afraid something has happened to Red Riding Hood. I sent her to her grandmother's this morning, and she has never come back. You must go and look for her; and take your lantern and your axe, for fear of wolves."

So Red Riding Hood's father took his lantern and axe, and asked a friend to go with him across the forest.

When they got to the grandmother's cottage, it was quite dark. They knocked, and the wolf called out:

"Lift up the latch and walk in," for he thought he would make another meal off whoever it was. But when he saw the two men enter, one with the axe and the other with the lantern, he began to feel horribly uncomfortable, especially as he could not run away quickly, because he was so fat from eating the grandmother and Red Riding Hood. Red Riding Hood's father saw in a minute what had happened, and he flung his axe at the wolf and cut him open. Immediately the grandmother and Red Riding Hood jumped out of the wolf's inside, and the wolf made straight up the chimney.

"I think we've got him now," said Red Riding Hood's father: "make up the fire, Granny, and we'll put on the big porridge-pot full of hot water, and some savoury soup in it to smell nice."

So they made up the fire, and put on the great pot, full of hot water, and then they poured some soup into it; and when it boiled, the savoury smell went up the chimney.

"_Aughrr!_" said the wolf; "how nice that smells; I feel quite hungry again." So he put his head and forelegs into the chimney as he stood on the roof, and, as he bent further in to catch the smell, all of a sudden he lost his balance, and fell headlong down the chimney, and into the great pot, and was killed.

So they all went home safely, and when Red Riding Hood's mother put her to bed, she said, "Never you stop when you're out to talk to strange creatures ever any more." And Red Riding Hood, who was only too glad to have got safely out of the wolf's inside, promised faithfully that she never would.

CINDERELLA;

OR,

THE LITTLE GLa.s.s SLIPPER.

There was once a very rich gentleman who lost his wife; and having loved her exceedingly, he was very sorry when she died. Finding himself quite unhappy for her loss, he resolved to marry a second time, thinking by this means he should be as happy as before. Unfortunately, however, the lady he chanced to fix upon was the proudest and most haughty woman ever known; she was always out of humour with every one; n.o.body could please her, and she returned the civilities of those about her with the most affronting disdain. She had two daughters by a former husband, whom she brought up to be proud and idle: indeed, in temper and behaviour they perfectly resembled their mother; they did not love their books, and would not learn to work; in short, they were disliked by everybody. The gentleman on his side, too, had a daughter, who, in sweetness of temper and carriage, was the exact likeness of her own mother, whose death he had so much lamented, and whose tender care of the little girl he was in hopes to see replaced by that of his new bride.

But scarcely was the marriage ceremony over, before his wife began to show her real temper; she could not bear the pretty little girl, because her sweet obliging manners made those of her own daughters appear a thousand times the more odious and disagreeable.

She therefore ordered her to live in the kitchen; and, if ever she brought anything into the parlour, always scolded her till she was out of sight. She made her work with the servants, in washing the dishes, and rubbing the tables and chairs: it was her place to clean madam's chamber, and that of the misses, her daughters, which was all inlaid, had beds of the newest fashion, and looking-gla.s.ses so long and broad, that they saw themselves from head to foot in them; while the little creature herself was forced to sleep up in a sorry garret, upon a wretched straw bed, without curtains, or anything to make her comfortable.