GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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26o                         THE QUEEN BEE.
key of the princess's sleeping chamber from the bottom of the lake into which it had been thrown. So the simpleton went to the shore of the lake, wondering what he should do. But the ducks knew him in a moment, and were ready to help him, because he had saved their lives, and asked what he wanted. No sooner had he told them, than they dived to the bottom, and in a few mo­ments brought up the key and gave it to him.
There was still another task to perform, and the most diffi­cult of all. He had to go into the room where the king's three daughters were sleeping, find out which was the youngest and the most beloved, and wake her. The sisters exactly resembled each other; the only thing by which they could be distinguished was that before they went to sleep the eldest had eaten barley-sugar, the second a little syrup, and the youngest a spoonful of honey. But in the midst of the youth's trouble and wonder how he should find out which was the youngest daughter, in came the queen bee whose community he had saved from the fire, and she went to the mouths of the three sleepers, and quickly discovered by the breath of the youngest that she had eaten honey. She remained sitting on her mouth, and the youth knew by this which of the king's daughters to awaken. No sooner had he done so than the castle was disenchanted, and all who had been tamed to stone resumed their proper forms.
The simple brother married the youngest daughter of the king, and became king after her father's death. His brothers married her two sisters. After all, it was better to be simple and kind hearted than clever and cruel
A king once had a wife wath golden hair, who was so beautiful that none on earth could be found equal to her. It happened tfcst she fell ill, and, as soon as she knew she must die, she sent for the king, and said to him: "After my death, I know you will marry another wife ; but you must promise me that however beautiful she may be, if she is not as beautiful as I am, and has not golden hair Ujte mine, that you will not marry her."