Snowdrop and Other Tales Part 23

[Ill.u.s.tration: {Once upon a time a poor peasant, named Crabb, was taking a load of wood drawn by two oxen to the town for sale.}]

Doctor Know-All

Once upon a time a poor Peasant, named Crabb, was taking a load of wood drawn by two oxen to the town for sale. He sold it to a Doctor for four thalers. When the money was being paid to him, it so happened that the Doctor was sitting at dinner. When the Peasant saw how daintily the Doctor was eating and drinking, he felt a great desire to become a Doctor too. He remained standing and looking on for a time, and then asked if he could not be a Doctor.

'Oh yes!' said the Doctor; 'that is easily managed.'

'What must I do?' asked the Peasant.

'First buy an ABC book; you can get one with a c.o.c.k as a frontispiece.

Secondly, turn your wagon and oxen into money, and buy with it clothes and other things suitable for a Doctor. Thirdly, have a sign painted with the words, "I am Doctor Know-all," and have it nailed over your door.'

The Peasant did everything that he was told to do.

Now when he had been doctoring for a while, not very long though, a rich n.o.bleman had some money stolen from him. He was told about Doctor Know-all, who lived in such and such a village, who would be sure to know what had become of it. So the gentleman ordered his carriage and drove to the village.

He stopped at the Doctor's house, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Know-all.

'Yes, I am.'

'Then you must go with me to get my stolen money back.'

'Yes, certainly; but Grethe, my wife, must come too.'

The n.o.bleman agreed, and gave both of them seats in his carriage, and they all drove off together.

When they reached the n.o.bleman's castle the dinner was ready, and Crabb was invited to sit down to table.

'Yes; but Grethe, my wife, must dine too'; and he seated himself with her.

When the first Servant brought in a dish of choice food, the Peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grethe, that was the first,'--meaning that the servant was handing the first dish. But the servant thought he meant, 'That was the first thief.' As he really was the thief, he became much alarmed, and said to his comrades outside--

'That Doctor knows everything, we shan't get out of this hole; he said I was the first.'

The second Servant did not want to go in at all, but he had to go, and when he offered his dish to the Peasant he nudged his wife, and said--'Grethe, that is the second.'

This Servant also was frightened and hurried out.

The third one fared no better. The Peasant said again: 'Grethe, that is the third.'

The fourth one brought in a covered dish, and the master told the Doctor that he must show his powers and guess what was under the cover. Now it was a dish of crabs.

The Peasant looked at the dish and did not know what to do, so he said: 'Wretched Crabb that I am.'

When the Master heard him he cried: 'There, he knows it! Then he knows where the money is too.'

Then the Servant grew terribly frightened, and signed to the Doctor to come outside.

When he went out, they all four confessed to him that they had stolen the money; they would gladly give it to him and a large sum in addition, if only he would not betray them to their Master, or their necks would be in peril. They also showed him where the money was hidden. Then the Doctor was satisfied, went back to the table, and said--

'Now, Sir, I will look in my book to see where the money is hidden.'

The fifth, in the meantime, had crept into the stove to hear if the Doctor knew still more. But he sat there turning over the pages of his ABC book looking for the c.o.c.k, and as he could not find it at once, he said: 'I know you are there, and out you must come.'

The man in the stove thought it was meant for him, and sprang out in a fright, crying: 'The man knows everything.'

Then Doctor Know-all showed the n.o.bleman where the money was hidden, but he did not betray the servants; and he received much money from both sides as a reward, and became a very celebrated man.

The Seven Ravens

There was once a Man who had seven sons, but never a daughter, however much he wished for one.

At last, however, he had a daughter.

His joy was great, but the child was small and delicate, and, on account of its weakness, it was to be christened at home.

The Father sent one of his sons in haste to the spring to fetch some water; the other six ran with him, and because each of them wanted to be the first to draw the water, between them the pitcher fell into the brook.

There they stood and didn't know what to do, and not one of them ventured to go home.

As they did not come back, their Father became impatient, and said: 'Perhaps the young rascals are playing about, and have forgotten it altogether.'

He became anxious lest his little girl should die unbaptized, and in hot vexation, he cried: 'I wish the youngsters would all turn into Ravens!'

Scarcely were the words uttered, when he heard a whirring in the air above his head, and, looking upwards, he saw seven coal-black Ravens flying away.

The parents could not undo the spell, and were very sad about the loss of their seven sons, but they consoled themselves in some measure with their dear little daughter, who soon became strong, and every day more beautiful.

For a long time she was unaware that she had had any brothers, for her parents took care not to mention it.

However, one day by chance she heard some people saying about her: 'Oh yes, the girl's pretty enough; but you know she is really to blame for the misfortune to her seven brothers.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: {The good little Sister cut off her own tiny finger, fitted it into the lock, and succeeded in opening it.}]

Then she became very sad, and went to her father and mother and asked if she had ever had any brothers, and what had become of them.

The parents could no longer conceal the secret. They said, however, that what had happened was by the decree of heaven, and that her birth was merely the innocent occasion.

But the little girl could not get the matter off her conscience for a single day, and thought that she was bound to release her brothers again. She had no peace or quiet until she had secretly set out, and gone forth into the wide world to trace her brothers, wherever they might be, and to free them, let it cost what it might.

She took nothing with her but a little ring as a remembrance of her parents, a loaf of bread against hunger, a pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair in case of fatigue. She kept ever going on and on until she came to the end of the world.

Then she came to the Sun, but it was hot and terrible, it devoured little children. She ran hastily away to the Moon, but it was too cold, and, moreover, dismal and dreary. And when the child was looking at it, it said: 'I smell, I smell man's flesh!'