GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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THE HOUSE IN THE WOOD.
thing around her as splendid as the furniture of a royal palace The walls were covered with golden flowers on a silken ground. The bed was of ivory, and the covering of red velvet, and on a chair near it stood a pair of slippers embroidered with pearls.
The maiden fancied herself in a dream, but while she wondered three neatly-dressed servants came in, and asked her what they could do for her ?
" Nothing," she replied, " only go away, and I will get up and cook the old man's breakfast for him, and give those dear animals their food."
She dressed herself quickly, and went to the old man's room; but what was her astonishment to see lying on the bed a strange man, asleep. While she stood and saw with surprise that he was young and handsome, he woke, raised himself, and said, " Don't go away, I am a king's son, and a wicked witch changed me into a bearded, grey old man. My castle was changed into the wooden house, and my servants into a cock, a hen and a spotted cow. The spell was never to be broken unless a maiden came to visit us who had a kind heart, and who was as careful to feed poor animals as human beings, and you are that maiden. And at mid­night, while we slept, we were all through you set free, the old wooden house is again a royal castle, andthe animals are restored to their former shape as my servants. I will now send them to fetch your father and mother, that they may be present at our marriage, for you are to be my wife."
" But where are my sisters ?" she asked.
" I have shut them up in the cellar," he replied; " but to-morrow I will send them to work in the mines till they have learnt that animals require to be fed and kindly treated, as well as human beings,"
There was once a king who had only one son, and he fell in love with the daughter of another mighty king, who was named Princess Maleen. She was very beautiful, and her father wished her to marry a prince, to whom he had promised her. But they both