GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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	THE AVARICIOUS BLACKSMITH.
	"Well, I have still the gold I got on the first night," he said, "that is safe f but what was his surprise and alarm to find it all turned back again to coal, and that he was penniless ! He put up his black hands to his head and found that it was still bald and his chin smooth and without a beard. But he had not come to the end of his misfortunes, for the hump on his back had grown larger and made him more deformed than ever. When he discovered at last that he was being punished for his covetous-ness, he began to groan and lament so loudly as to wake up the good tailor. He kindly comforted him in his misfortune and said generously, " Don't grieve any more, we have been com­panions and travellers together, and now you can stay with me and share what I have, it will be enough for us both." He kept his word, but the poor blacksmith never could get rid of the hump on his back, and was always obliged to wear a cap to cover his bald head.
	There lived once a young maiden who was very beautiful, but so idle and careless that she hated work. When she was required to spin a certain quantity of flax, she was too idle to untie the little knots in it, but would break the thread and throw down whole handfuls of flax on the floor to be wasted. This idle young lady had a little servant maid who was as industrious as her mistress was idle; she collected these little pieces of flax, disentangled them, spun them into fine thread, and had them made into a beautiful dress for herself. Now it happened that a young gentleman in the village had asked the idle maiden to be his wife, and the marriage day was fixed. But a few evenings before it took place, the bride and bridegroom were walking together near the village green where several young people were dancing. " Look," exclaimed the bride, with a laugh, " that is my little maid servant; how merrily she is dancing, and thinks herself so fine in my leavings." "What do you mean?" asked the bridegroom. Then she told him that her little servant had made that dress